TheGAMGAM: a social meeting of whaleships…with all the sympathies of sailors [and] all the peculiar congenialities arising from a common pursuit.

Volume XXVII, Number 3 January-February 2013

Students hit the dance floor at last year’s Gala. Be a part of the glitz and glamour this year on February 1. Parents are welcome to attend!

1

From the Headmaster

I am a parent and I have worked in schools for 30 years. I know the power of peer pressure. I also know that it can be positive. This is especially possible in small schools, where the faculty and staff have a strong presence, where they set high expectations and establish a culture that encourages positive peer pressure. Because Falmouth Academy is small, our faculty and staff are also attentive to the sights and sounds of student inter-actions and can help forestall or resolve problems. Contributing writer Evelyn Jackson wrote in a recent Cape Cod Times article that children often respond to a wor-ried parent’s question with, “Everyone’s doing it” (November 26, “What do you do when your children’s friends are a destructive influence?”). Ms. Jackson added, “’Everyone’s doing it’ can be a helpful message.” That is certainly true at Falmouth Academy. As our students grow, they internal-ize the culture of respect, high expec-tations, and peer support modeled by our faculty and staff, and they become positive role models for their own peers. I see the results every day.

• Our students come to class prepared, because their teachers and—perhaps as importantly—their peers expect them to be tuned in and active.

• They study hard because their friends do.

• They designed open lockers,because they wanted honesty and trust to be important in their school.

• They are engaged outside of class with sports, drama, music, art, and commu-nity service, because their friends are.

• They are grateful that their coaches have unusually high standards. They play to win, but they play to win (or lose) with grace and good sportsman-ship.

I believe that adolescents want to be taken seriously as interesting and intelligent people. They yearn, deep down, to be around peers who can help them make good choices and teachers who are models of the adults they can imagine becoming. Ms. Jackson quotes Dr. Bart Main, a child psychologist with Cape Cod Health Care. He reminded parents that they can help choose their child’s peers. “Parents need to be active engineers of their child’s social life,” he said. “Choose a basketball coach, get the child involved with the debate team or soccer team, with a charismatic teacher, with a church, or if you can afford it, by putting a child in private school. [He might be pleased to know that Falmouth Academy has an unusually strong financial aid program.] Gravitate toward structured activities. Kids are influenced by who is around. Culture is highly contagious.” For that reason, we offer a full-day visit to prospective students. We want them to see and feel life at Falmouth Academy. We want them to sit among peers in classroom discussions, to expe-rience all-school meeting, lunch, and, even, study halls. We want them to Cont. on page 2

Headmaster, David C. Faus

see how our students interact with each other and with their teachers. We want them to know that here they can expect to be with peers who value learning and are respectful of their teachers and each other.

Falmouth Academy is known as a serious, academic school, but I am especially pleased that the most frequent comment prospective students make after they have spent a day with us is, “I didn’t realize people would be so kind to each other.”

Culture is contagious.

David C. Faus Headmaster

2

The GAM is published six times a year for the community of Falmouth Academy.

David C. Faus ~ Headmaster Michael J. Earley ~ Director of Admissions

Sarah Pring ~ Director of the Capital Campaign Barbara Campbell ~ Director of Parent and Alumni Relations

Tucker Clark ~ Assistant to the Headmaster Dave Ellis ~ Director of Communications

You can find information on school closings in the following places:

Channels 4, 5, and 7 News

WQRC (FM 99.9) and WMVY (FM 92.7) on the Radio

FalmouthAcademy.orgfacebook.com/FalmouthAcademy

When the weather outsideturns frightful...

In This Issue

Falmouth Academy Peer Ambassadors - 3 FA and the Arts - 5

Headmaster’s List - 6 Board of Trustees Welcomes Jim Taylor - 7

From the Dean of Students - 8 Refrigerator Calendar - 9/10

Alumni Notes - 11 Alumni All-School Meeting - 13

Alumni Day Words of Wisdom - 14 Putting Science Fair Prep Under the Microscope - 15

Falmouth Academy Making Waves Auction - 16 From the Director of Athletics - 17

From the Director of Admissions - 18

3

The Peer Ambassadors are a group of 15 Falmouth Academy students in grades 10-12, who formed last year as a student or-ganization and meet this year as an elective class. Their mission is to work independent-ly and collaboratively with students, faculty, and communities to promote better conflict resolution and decision-making. They also seek to improve sensitivity to issues of diversity and human rights. Trained by school counselor Stephanie Mastroianni and dean of students Ben Parsons, along with the help of professionals in the com-munity, Peer Ambassadors use their skills, with supervision, to provide a variety of school and community services. The elective meets every Friday to organize and plan events and community contributions. That time is also used to encourage and guide Peer Ambassadors to learn more about who they are and how they can live deliberately in their school, family, and community with the skills they acquire through discussions and hands-on activities. This has been a busy year. The Peer Am-bassadors began by supporting Falmouth’s Wounded Warrior Project, which honors and empowers wounded soldiers. They made signs

and cheered on the veterans participating in a local bike race along the Shining Sea bike path in late September. On Grandparents’ Day, their elective focused on the policy and guidelines around our dress code. This led to some lively discussions with their guests about human rights and how other schools around the country handle dress code policies. Later, they met with middle school and high school students independent of each other to discuss and reinforce our dress code. Recently, the ambassadors formed “girl groups” with the eighth graders to discuss social issues that come up for them, as a class and individually. Five groups led by three Peer Ambassadors per group met during a Friday fourth-period study hall. They went over various scenarios and had conversations about how the girls might be experiencing conflicts in their friendships. The conversations were meaningful and constructive as they addressed questions and/or concerns about relevant social issues. We have also joined with two local or-ganizations, Jack’s PACT and the Falmouth Prevention Partnership (FPP). Jack’s PACT evolved from a memorial scholarship fund Cont. on page 4

Falmouth Academy’s Peer Ambassador Elective Encourages Students to Live Deliberately in Their School, Families, and Communities

4

established for Jack Pearsall, a 16-year-old Falmouth boy who was hit and killed by a drunk driver in July 2011. Today it is a grassroots community group that includes youth and adults. As members of the group, our mission is to support and develop initia-tives that deter drunk driving and other risky behaviors surrounding substance abuse in our community. To accomplish this, the PACT supports engaging pro-social activities for our students, education and awareness, and encourages people of all ages to sign the “Pact” pledging not to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In the past we have participated in the FPP’s Parents who host lose the most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking, public awareness campaign to provide parents with accurate information about the health risks of under-age drinking and the legal consequences of providing alcohol to youth. The campaign encourages parents and the community to send a unified message that teen alcohol consumption is not acceptable.

It is illegal, unsafe, and unhealthy for anyone under the age of 21 to drink alco-hol. On November 17, the Peer Ambas-sadors participated in the annual Sticker Shock Campaign joining with The Partner-ship to place stickers reading:

WE WON’T It’s illegal to provide alcohol to people

under 21 SO PLEASE DON’T

on bags in two of the 16 participating Falmouth liquor stores. Another part of the campaign is the development of a media push that will call attention to the problems of underage drinking. Falmouth Academy is looking forward to being active in many upcoming proj-ects, so look for them on the calendar. You don’t have to be a Peer Ambas-sador, any student can volunteer, just con-tact Mrs. Mastroianni at 508-457-9696 for more information.

From left to right: Emily Skehill, Ally Friedman, Hope Allison, Tessa Mastroianni, Mrs. Stephanie Mastroianni, Duke Krauspe, Abby Schneider, Lauren Hoyerman, Jamie Giancola, Ryan Ackell.

5

FA and the Arts

Following competitive auditions, Falmouth Academy students earned 15 spots in regional music festivals: 12 for the All Cape & Islands Music Festival; two for the Senior Southeastern District Music Festival; and one for the Junior Southeastern District Music Festival. One student was recommended for the All-State auditions in January.

Senior Southeastern District Music Festival, Barnstable High School January 11 and 12

OrchestraRonna ten Brink ’13 (Falmouth), violin

Guy Knapp ’15 (Falmouth), violinBased on her high audition scores, Ronna was also recommended to audition for the

All State Music Festival.

All Cape & Islands Music Festival January 31- Feb 2 at Falmouth High School.

Orchestra

James Abdu ’13 (Bourne), violinGrania Gallagher ’16 (East Falmouth), violinAidan Huntington ’15 (West Tisbury), violin

Guy Knapp ’15 (Falmouth), violinEmma Rogalewski ’14 (Falmouth), celloRonna ten Brink ’13 (Falmouth), violin

Treble ChorusCatherine Aviles ’14 (East Sandwich), soprano

Savannah Maher ’13 (Mashpee), soprano

Mixed ChorusLizzie Stimson ’13 (Hatchville), alto

BandChase Gibson ’14 (Marion), trumpet

Jessica O’Malley ’13 (North Falmouth), fluteNicholas Scharr ‘’13 (East Falmouth), percussion

Junior Southeastern District Music Festival, March 8-9 at Taunton High School

Orchestra Sam Graber-Hahn ’17 (Vineyard Haven), 2nd Chair Violin

Instrumentalists are members of the Falmouth Academy Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Deborah T. Bradley. Mr. John Yankee directs the

Falmouth Academy Chorus, and Mr. George Scharr leads the FA Brass Ensemble and the Jazz Band.

The music festivals are sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Association and the Cape Cod Music Educators’ Association.

6

10th GradeHope Allison, Woods HoleEthan Altshuler, North FalmouthVictoria Avis, MashpeeAlec Cobban, East FalmouthQuinn Cobban, East FalmouthMatthew Delaney, FalmouthRobert Eder, FalmouthGiuliana Hulten, FalmouthPai-Lin Hunnibell, West FalmouthAidan Huntington, West TisburyGuy Knapp, FalmouthPhoebe Long, SandwichAlaina Plueddemann, FalmouthHannah Smith, SandwichOwen Sullivan, Cataumet

11th GradeCatherine Aviles, East SandwichCarlo Bocconcelli, Woods HoleJulia Guérin, Edgartown Lucas Johns, MattapoisettWilly Mendelsohn, FalmouthHelena Oldenbourg, FalmouthLily Patterson, FalmouthCassidy Reves-Sohn, Falmouth Emma Rogalewski, FalmouthMary Rosbach, East FalmouthNicholas Russell, Mattapoisett

12th GradeRyan Ackell, East Falmouth Chloe Brake, East Falmouth Isabelle Camarra, West FalmouthAlexandra Friedman, East SandwichAngela Hodge, Sagamore BeachJaroslav Hofierka, Presov, Slovakia & East Falmouth Lauren Hoyerman, North FalmouthJessica O’Malley, North Falmouth Katherine Shachoy, MarionEmily Skehill, East FalmouthElizabeth Stimson, Falmouth Ronna ten Brink, FalmouthSummer Tompkins, East FalmouthCaitlin Walsh, North Falmouth

7th GradeGwendolyn Borning, HatchvilleSamuel Bresnick, West TisburyMartha Clark, West BarnstableHelena Connell, East FalmouthRebecca Cox, FalmouthMatthew Donahue, ForestdaleJane Earley, North FalmouthAllison Eldredge, CotuitKiric Hallahan, Oak BluffsMegan Iverson, MarionNicholas Kania, DuxburyCoralee LaRue, Vineyard HavenJames Melvin, SandwichLily Turner, East FalmouthSamira Wolf, Pocasset

8th GradeStephanie Aviles, East SandwichPatrick Best, Vineyard HavenLuisa Bocconcelli, Woods HoleLachlan Cormie, Vineyard HavenIsabel Davern, East FalmouthTomasz Dvorak, Woods HoleElizabeth Feldmann-DeMello, West FalmouthSamuel Graber-Hahn, Vineyard Haven Théo Guérin, EdgartownLena Hanschka, Vineyard HavenSydney Johnson, West TisburyRegina Ledwell, FalmouthSophia McCarron, Vineyard Haven Ethan Mendez, Vineyard HavenCelia Patterson, FalmouthMeghan Remillard, East FalmouthOliver Russell, MattapoisettBrendan Smith, HanoverKayla Tashjian, HatchvilleQuinn Van Tol, East FalmouthEliza Van Voorhis, MattapoisettPearl Vercruysse, AquinnahWilla Vigneault, West TisburyPalma Walko, Osterville

9th GradeCharles Colt-Simonds, Woods HoleSamuel Cox, FalmouthGrant Doney, FalmouthGregory Pickart, FalmouthNicolas Pingal, HatchvilleSintra Reves-Sohn, FalmouthIris Shen, Shanghai, China & FalmouthCharlotte Van Voorhis, Mattapoisett

Headmasters List First Trimester 2012-2013

David C. Faus, Headmaster, announced that 87 students have been named to the Headmaster’s List for the first trimester. These students earned at least 3 As in their five core subjects and received no grade lower than a B-minus.

7

Jim Taylor, former publisher and vice president of Town & Country magazine and a Falmouth native, has joined the Falmouth Academy Board of Trustees. After 18 years in the city, Mr. Taylor left New York last year to move back to Fal-mouth to raise his family in his hometown. Before he joined Town & Country in 1999 Mr. Taylor had been, consecutively, advertis-ing manager for Wired magazine; tabletop, wine & spirits manager for Gourmet maga-zine; and advertising director for Architectural Digest. At age 33, Mr. Taylor was named as one of the “40 under 40” rising stars in Crain’s New York Business. For 22 years he worked exclusively with the world’s top luxury brands and provided marketing, advertising, and demographic in-sights to companies that included BMW, the Ritz Carlton, Cartier, Sub Zero, and Neiman Marcus. Mr. Taylor graduated from Falmouth High School in 1984 and earned a B.A. in history from the University of California, Berkeley in 1988. He and his wife, Kim, an attorney with Hilton and Bishop, live in West Falmouth with their two children. Caroline, 11, and Elliott, 9, are students at the Bridgeview Montessori School.

Falmouth Academy is not new to Mr. Taylor: his mother, Mrs. Julia Taylor, is our college advisor and one of our founding faculty members. His brother, Michael, is a member of the class of 1990. “Falmouth Academy was a big factor in moving here from New York City,” said Mr. Taylor. “We knew that our children would be able to get an education of equal or higher quality than at any other school in the state.”

Falmouth Academy Welcomes Jim Taylor to Board of Trustees

Current Board of Trustees

Chair Beth Colt

Vice Chair H. Russel Lemcke

Treasurer Robert M. Reynolds

Secretary Ben Allen

Steven W. AtwoodVictor Aviles

Jodee P. BishopDavid C. Faus, ex-offocio

Henrik GulmannClara R. Hulburt ‘79

Mark HutkerMichael G. Jones

Josef M. KellndorferSusan Morse

Jenny Olson Putnam ‘83Brett A. Sanidas

Laura Ryan ShachoyJim Taylor

Thomas M. Whitney

8

From the Dean of Students

Dean of Students, Ben Parsons Over the years, I have read and listened to many opening-of-school reflections by teachers and administrators. All celebrate the hum of energy, the din of engagement, and the heightened activity that accompany the first months of school. While the first trimester at Falmouth Academy abounds with youthful exuber-ance, I’ll save measuring “joules of energy exerted” to my colleagues in the Science Department. Instead, I’d rather focus on the silences that make the Falmouth Acad-emy student experience so special. In a world in which silence is marginalized and feared, we celebrate silence in a way that few schools do. I have been privy to innumerable silences already this year.

The first came on the ninth-grade night hike at the Marconi Cedar Swamp back on September 24th. With their path illuminated by a half-moon, and their way guided by their classmates’ breath and shadows, students completed a serpentine circuit through pine-barrens, scrub oaks, and cedars, while silently etching a memory they will not soon forget. For the 45-minute hike, it was silence that unified, accentuated, and defined the experi-ence. The second silence came recently at all-school meeting when a seventh grade student stood up before the entire community for the first time to introduce a visiting prospec-tive student. Before the student spoke he was greeted with an encouraging silence that respects the uninitiated and fosters confidence in even our youngest students. The last, and arguably most resounding silence this year, can be heard every day in the locker area at 8:04. Students need no gentle re-minders or delicate prodding to arrive in class on time. They are eager to spend their days with their peers exploring some of the more troubling revealing silences in our nation’s history, in language, and in the scientific realm. Our students are eager to share, but, impor-tantly, they are as eager to remain reflectively silent. 8:05 has never sounded so good.

Annual Fund

Thanks to the generosity of all who contributed to the Fund-A-Need Auction at the 2012 Mariner Craft Beer Tasting we have a new mini-bus on the road! The bus has filled a real need. Our teachers, stu-dents, and coaches are very grateful.

Your donations keep us rolling!

9

Falmouth Academy Refrigerator Calendar

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 School offices closed for the holiday.

2 School offices closed for the holiday.

3 No classes but school offices are open.

4 No classes but school offices are open.

5 SSAT Admissions Test, 9 – 12:15 pm Alumni Playgroup at Cape Cod Children’s Museum, 10:30 am

6

7 School resumes after Winter Vacation

8

9

10

11 Senior Southeast District Music Festival

12 Senior Southeast District Music Festival

13

14

15 8th Grade Parents Roundtable “FA as a High School,” 6 pm

16 Parents Association Mtg., 6 pm

17

18 Progress Report Writing Day – No Classes

19

20

21 Martin Luther King Day, No Classes

22

23

24 College Guidance Mtg. for juniors and their parents, 7 pm

25 Progress Reports Distributed

26 Scholarship Exam, Student Panel, and Faculty Forum, 8:30 – 12:00 SAT I and II Trustees, 1 pm Faculty, Staff, and Trustees reception 5:30 – 7:30

27

28

29

30 Alumni Gathering at the MFA in Boston, 5:30 pm

31 Parents’ Financial Statements for Financial Aid due to SSS Cape and Islands Music Festival

Notes:

January 2013

10

Falmouth Academy Refrigerator CalendarFebruary 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Cape and Islands Music Festival Gala, 7:30 – 10:00 pm For Families

2 Cape and Islands Music Festival SSAT Admissions Test 9 – 12:15 pm

3

4 Auditions for Spring Play

5

6 Dress rehearsal for Middle School Play

7

8 Middle School Play: Small Actors 7 pm Registration deadline for March 9 SAT

9 Middle School Play: Small Actors 7 pm

10

11

12

13

14 Falmouth Academy Science Fair Public Viewing 6 – 7 pm

15 Science Fair Recovery Day, No Classes Financial Aid documents due to SSS

16

17

18 Presidents Day, No Classes

19 Science Fair Rain Date

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27 Committee on Trustees mtg. 5 pm Finance Committee Mtg. 6 pm Executive Committee mtg. 7 pm

28 Reenrollment: signed contract and place holding fee for 2013-2014 due All-State Music Festival Development Committee mtg.

Notes:

11

Alumni Notes

Congratulations to Robert Silvers ‘86 on his permanent installation of ten Photomosaics at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. His 8’ by 12’ images recreate water color paintings made by local students. For the first step in his patented Photomosaic process, he scanned more than 37,000 water colors of planes, trains, and automobiales, all painted by local students.

Fred Meltzer ’83 performed original songs and old favorites at our Family Day in October. We liked him so much that we invited him to provide the music for our Auction on Satur-day, April 27, 2013! But you don’t have to wait that long to see Fred perform. He appears solo and with a band called the Krazy Ivans up and down the South Shore.

Shelby Walker ’90 has been selected as the Strategic Planning Team Lead for NOAA’s Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, within the Office of Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Research. Prior to this, Shelby served as Associate Program Director for the National Science Foundation Ocean Tech-nology and Interdisciplinary Coordination Program, where she worked on launching the Ocean Observatory Initiative. This project will provide 25-30 years of sustained ocean measurements. The results of this initiative will enable scientists to consider approaches for exploring the complexities of earth-ocean-atmosphere interactions, and help us better understand and predict the ocean environment.

Best wishes to Steven Smith ’07, who has been working as a deck hand on yachts for the past two years, earned his 200-ton captain’s license. His current assignment is on a 150-foot Trinity, out of Miami. He is assisting the captain and crew as they travel the Bahamas for the winter before heading north to deliver the boat to Long Island, New York.

Kudos to Sergei Tcherepnin ’99, who appeared in an article in the November 28 issue of The New York Times. Artist-in-Residence at New York’s Issue Project Room, Sergei is interested in sound and its interaction with human physiology. He created an electronic composition that sends electric impulses through the human body. For the full article, visit http://nyti.ms/TA6fFs.

12

Bene Webster ’09 has been selected to participate in Teach for America following her gradu-ation from Mount Holyoke this spring. Her destination is New Orleans, where she will begin teaching in September. Bene organized a reunion of 2009 FA classmates over the Thanksgiving break.

Consistent providers of the largest cheering section, members of the Class of 2009 convened on the sidelines of the Alumni Soccer Game and then later at the Captain Kidd for a reunion.

Alumni and students battled it out in the traditional soccer match. Varsity won, and the record now stands at Varsity – 2, Alumni – 7.

In the ninth playing of the Alumni vs. Varsity soccer game at Thanksgiving, the varsity won for only the second time. Not too many tears were shed on the field, though, as the alumni good-naturedly celebrated the students and reunited with classmates. Again we give a nod to the Stokeys and the Gundersens for initiating this lively, happy event!

Keegan Krick ’12, Tyler Gwynn ’12, Dan Eder ’12, and Alex Desnoyers ’10 teamed up for alumni, but their strength was no match for the varsity team.

2012 Classmates GianPaula Hulten and Sara Dorr enthusiastically regaled Mr. Jones with tales of their first college semester.

13

Alumni All-School MeetingContact Barbara Campbell at alumni@falmouthacademy.org

for more information on any of these items and to RSVP for events (*).

* January 5, 10:30 a.m., Alumni Play Group at the Cape Cod Children’s Museum If we have a group of ten or more, we receive the discounted rate of $5/person. Activities appropriate for babies and toddlers through elementary schoolers (and their parents). Meet up with other alumni and make new friends with future FA classmates.

* January 11, Alumni vs. Varsity Basketball Game Girls – 4:30 p.m. and Boys – 5:30 p.m. Sign up to play and defend alumni honor.

January 12, 10:00 a.m., Alumni Council meetingMembers will meet in the Buxton Library until 2:00 p.m.

* January 30, 5:30 p.m., Alumni gathering in Boston at the Museum of Fine ArtsJoin alumni and faculty at the New American Café in the Shapiro Family Courtyard. We will enjoy refreshments and each other’s company, and then FA photo teacher Su-san Moffat will lead us through the exhibit, Mario Testino: In Your Face. There is no cost to attend (unless you’d like to participate in the Museum’s donation night).

February 14, Falmouth Academy Science FairWe have a tremendous opportunity for alumni businesses to promote themselves to the FA audience. Consider being a sponsor of the Falmouth Academy Science Fair. Not only will you reach a very cool group via the program and newspaper advertisement, you will also help FA maintain its award-winning science program and promote really interesting student research.

April 27, Making Waves Auction Falmouth Academy Celebrates the ArtsWe are looking for alumni art pieces to include in the 2013 Auction. If you would like to donate artwork (your own or another’s), photos, ceramics or sculpture, a service or a product, or if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the event, please contact Barbara Campbell.

May 18, National Alumni Day of ServiceFA Alumni groups in Boston, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and on the Cape will offer a day of service with local organizations. Stay tuned for what’s happening in your area. (If we don’t have a regional group near you, check into your own day of service and send us the pictures!)

May TBD Alumni event in New York CityWe are planning to stroll the High Line in New York City this spring and will keep you posted about the date and meeting location.

14

Words of Wisdom from Some of Our Alumni Day Panelists

Alumni shared pearls of wisdom with juniors and seniors at Alumni College & Career Networking Day in December. Here are some of the participants. Left: Abby Hollander ’12, Allisa Dalpe ’12, Caroline Johns ’11, Dan Eder ’12, Tristan (Williams) Young ’93. Right: Eva Shultis ’06, James Reber ’09, Anna Van Voorhis ’10, Margot Wilsterman ’11, Abby Gove ’10.

Dan Eder FA ’12, University of Pennsylvania ‘16: “Falmouth Academy taught me how to budget time in a way that allows me to finish my homework and still get involved in campus life. Because of the personalized attention of FA teachers, I have also learned how to seek additional help effectively when I need it, a vital skill at a large school like Penn. ”

Alex Gillmore FA ’03, Agnes Scott College ’07, Northeastern University ’11; Research Associate at Outcome Sciences: “Because of FA teachers, and my participation in FA’s drama program, I grew very comfortable with public speaking and leading group discussions. Falmouth Academy helped me find and grow comfortable with my voice, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

Abigail Hollander FA ’12, Union College ‘16: “My time management skills are impeccable thanks to the fundamental ‘Study Skills’ class we took in middle school. My writing reflects a strong background. It consistently developed into something special at Falmouth Academy, and now is my time to pursue it formally.”

Christina Johns FA ’09, University of Pennsylvania ‘13: “FA definitely prepared me well for studying science in college: the exposure I had to research through many years of Science Fair prepared me to seek out research opportunities at school.”

Jamie (Berry) MacLeod, English Teacher, Middle-borough HS, FA ’97, Emerson College ’01, Boston College ’05: “FA helped me tremendously in college. Time management and study skills came very easy to me and that was not the case for most people I met. Writing was also another aspect that I was very familiar with, which was a tremendous advantage.”

Eva Shultis FA ’06, Brown University ’10; Honors and AP Biology Teacher at The Peddie School: “FA showed me what good teaching looks like: I hear my own teachers’ voices coming out of my mouth all the time, which is always funny to recog-nize. I also learned to ask good questions, to admit when I’m not sure, and to be ok with looking silly (all of these are important as a teacher and in life in general, I think).”

15

Putting Falmouth Academy Science Fair Prep Under the Microscope

Every September, Falmouth Academy students in grades 7-11 become active and engaged scientists, working toward our annual science fair in February. Teachers begin brainstorming with students in the first weeks of school, striving to define the questions each student’s project will seek to answer. In our science rooms and in the halls of the school, you will find teachers and students working together to design and implement an enormous variety of scientific research projects. In late fall and early winter, the activ-ity level increases as the deadline of our fair approaches. Science rooms are crowded with gear, and composition books are filled with data. Focused conversations among teach-ers and students, students and scientists in Woods Hole, and students and their peers increase. The time commitment also increases as students meet with teachers and scientists before school, after school, and on weekends. According to Ms. Jill Reves, Science Department Chair, for most students, this extra time is not a hardship. Because they are deeply involved with choosing and shaping their own projects, they see the benefits of their extra efforts. “I’ve come in on weekends and watched students finish their own projects and then ask me if they can stay longer because they are engaged and want to help someone else

out. Because we encourage the students to conduct projects on a topic they really care about, it’s natural for them to be engaged and excited about their experiments and research,” said Ms. Reves. Personal choice is evident in the incredible range of proj-ects. Whether analyzing the properties of bio-diesel or experimenting with the variables in the bounce of a golf ball, each student has been able to work closely with a teacher or scientific mentor to explore a specific question and use the scientific process to search for answers. The entire community comes together in support of the Falmouth Academy Science Fair. Scientists in the Woods Hole community act as mentors and judges, lending their expertise and insight to students. English and history teach-ers help to edit written work and offer an audience as students practice presenta-tions. Math teachers provide guidance on statistical analyses and difficult equations. Administrative staff help in the planning and scheduling of the fair. In some ways, the our science fair is a microcosm of the school. The talent and enthusiasm of the students, guidance and dedication of the faculty, and the generosity and unity of the community make this event extraor-dinary.

The 2013 year’s fair will be held on February 14. It is open to the public from 6 to 7 pm.

16

Falmouth Academy Making Waves AuctionMark your calendars April 27, 2013

Some Tidbits

• Theme: “Falmouth Academy Celebrates the Arts”

• Venue/Decoration: The Falmouth Academy Gym will masquerade as a French-inspired street with cafés, paintings, other artwork, and performers. Food and beverage tables will be interspersed with silent auction tables.

• Entertainment: Fred Meltzer ’83 will provide music throughout the evening.

• Invitation: Elliot Camarra ’10 (and RISD ’14) is designing the graphics we will use for this event.

Planning Stage and Items/Services Still Needed:

• Who do you know (or who knows someone) who might donate an item or service? Think outside the canvas as well…donations can also include experiences, services, and items that can be offered separately or packaged together.

• Are you, or do you know, an artist who could demonstrate or work on a piece during the evening that would be auctioned off later?

• Can you curate the donations and oversee the set up of the silent and live auctions?

• Do you like to decorate? We would love your input on the theme and décor.

• Would you or your company like to be an event sponsor? Packages are available.

• Can you contribute your ideas on other ways to make this fundraiser a success?

If you have a few strokes you’d like to add to the auction discussion, please contact Maribeth Wadman, co-chair of the auction committee (mbwadman@verizon.net). Our next meeting is January 16 at 6:00 p.m. at school.

Stay Tuned!Keep checking the Parents Page of the Falmouth Academy web site for auction updates.

The Parents Association has been working hard to lay the foundation for another successful fundraising event. We have chosen a theme and our

live entertainment is practicing as we write! We are making progress but would love your help to make our 2013 auction the best one yet!

17

Season’s Greetings From the Director of Athletics

Those of us who love life in New England often extol the pleasures of the changing seasons: sure endless tropical sun and breezes could be nice, but we would miss the changes and the new beginnings. The academic world, by its very nature, is especially given to the wonder of new starts, new challenges, and the endless possibility of change and growth. The first trimester ended at Thanks-giving, and now all the students, and their teachers, are “born again” with a fresh slate and new determination to achieve respec-tive goals. As the academic season changes, so does FA’s athletic world. The soccer nets are taken down, the goals put away, and the fields abandoned as the energy of sports moves inside and the sound of bouncing basketballs fills the gym. The start of the winter athletic season this year brings a particularly significant change; it marks a new boys’ basketball era with the start of Henry Stevens coaching career. Without doubt, Coach Stevens has some big shoes to fill in taking over for long-time FA hoop coach Peter Conzett. At 6’9”, however, Coach Stevens may have the feet for the job! As many GAM readers will know from personal experience, few coaches anywhere consistently inspired as much enthusiasm and passion for learning the game as did Coach Conzett. His all-school meeting announcements about “playing the roundball” are a part of FA legend. But there is obvious excitement about the new world of FA boys’ basketball. Coach Stevens has been eagerly

anticipating the start of this basketball sea-son since he accepted the position at FA last spring. He comes to us fresh off a playing career at Union College. With the gradu-ation of our 1,000-point scorer Thomas Aviles among others, Coach Stevens in-herits a relatively young and inexperienced team. So he and the boys have their own blank slate on which to write their own new beginning. It should be interesting to watch the progress. On the girls’ side, Coach Gus Adams has the luxury of six returning seniors, and seven players in all, from last year’s New England Championship Tournament finalist squad. Joining those returning girls are four new varsity members, three of them freshmen. The FA girls have already begun their season with two early wins! After falling just one game short of New England Prep glory last March, we will see if this year’s team can make another run deep into the tournament. Each year the whole community’s interac-tion with FA basketball seems to grow. Last year the teams enjoyed record support at home games, and it would be wonderful to see that continue. For alums who may be in the area, the schedules for all our teams are on the FA website. Come on out and celebrate the new season with us, the new boys’ era, and the girls’ winning ways.

18

From the Director of Admissions to our prospective families

Don’t let the word “exam” scare you! It doesn’t affect your chances for admission, but it might offer you a scholarship. I encourage you to save Saturday morning, January 26, to attend our annual Scholarship Exam, Student Panel Discussion, and Fac-ulty Forum. Each of the four highest scorers on the exam will win a $2,000 scholarship toward his or her first year at Falmouth Acad-emy, and everyone will get a good sense of the school’s culture and the people who would be your child’s teachers and friends here. The day begins with a chance for prospective families and visitors to talk with six students from a variety of grades and hometowns. They will answer your questions and discuss their academic, social, and ath-letic lives at Falmouth Academy. Prospective students who then wish to take the exam will go to the library. All other students, families, and visitors are invited to stay for the faculty forum, where each teacher speaks briefly, of-fering useful information with good humor. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the student panel starts at 9:00 a.m. To be sure that we have enough exams for everyone, we ask that prospective students who wish to take the Scholarship Exam call the Admis-sions Office at 508-457-9696 or email me at mearley@falmouthacademy.org.

We invite interested families who cannot be here on January 26 to schedule an individual visit and tour with me.

Mike Earley, Director of Admissions/Assis-tant Headmaster

French teacher and dean of students Ben Parsons speaks during the faculty forum on Scholarship Exam Day 2012.

Scholarship Exam and Open House January 26, 2013

Registration: 8:30 a.m.

Student Panel: 9:00 a.m.

Exams: 10:00 -11:30 am The top four scorers will receive $3,000 scholarships toward their first year at Falmouth Academy.

Faculty Forum: Concurrent with the exams

NON-

PROF

ITPR

SRT

STD

U.S.

POS

TAGE

PAI

DOS

TERV

ILLE,

MA

0265

5PE

RMIT

#3

The G

AM

Falm

outh

Aca

dem

y7

Hig

hfield

Driv

eFa

lmou

th, M

A 0

2540

50

8-45

7-96

96A

DD

RES

S SE

RVIC

E R

EQU

EST

ED

The 2013 Falmouth Academy Science FairFebruary 14, 2013

Open to the public from 6 to 7 pm

“Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson