|
The father of one of my good friends from SAS, Pat Durkin P'97, once told me during a long weekend visit to his house that he measured a person's inte
|
|
The father of one of my good friends from SAS, Pat Durkin P'97, once told me during a long weekend visit to his house that he measured a person's intelligence by how many questions he or she asked. This simple philosophy was an epiphany of sorts for my adolescent mind and a piece of wisdom that has stuck with me almost 20 years later.
It was at the forefront of my mind yesterday when talking with biology teacher Dan O'Connell. I asked Dan what was happening in the picture above and was foolish to expect a simple answer. What I got was much more interesting. |
The story begins with Dan's failed efforts to fall asleep one night due to a steady stream of acorns pinging and rolling down his roof. Frustration gave way to a simple question: How many acorns must the overhanging oak tree carry to yield such an endless barrage? One inquisitive moment led to another, and another, and still more until 24 hours later he finds himself delivering a hatching wasp from its cocoon to the delight of his students. You can watch the interview by clicking on the screenshot above to understand the connection and gain some insight into the electric thinking of the faculty.
He ends the interview with a simple wish: "The thing that I try to get my students to do is not let go of that tiny, quiet voice. Hold onto that question, keep pursuing it and it keeps expanding and unfolding and becoming more and more interesting."
Go Saints,
Will Robinson '97
Communications |
 Team First! We had to ask Betsy to come down in front to take this picture marking her achievement. |
Varsity soccer striker Betsy Neill '13 scored her 16th, record-breaking 17th and 18th goals during a 4-0 victory over Worcester Prep yesterday afternoon. It was the latest achievement for Betsy who has four more games to go to add to her record. Head Coach Seraphine Hamilton held a special ceremony after the game to recognize Betsy in front of an appreciative crowd of family, fans and friends (video on left). Reflecting on Betsy as a player, Seraphine describes a model of St. Andrew's athletics.
"Betsy is the type of player who immediately credits her teammates for her success. While she has had so much success this season, she still believes that she can and should be doing more. It would be easy for Betsy to slack off in practice and only do the bare minimum; however, she leads by example, proving that success comes from hard work. She holds herself accountable for every mistake and works harder to make up for them. Her raw competitiveness and drive are balanced with her warm, sensitive demeanor. She wants her teammates to have as much if not more success than she has experienced. Betsy is fostering the underclassmen to step into her shoes. She truly has her teammates and the program in mind, not merely herself. While she has the instincts and drive needed to achieve this record she only wants the team to succeed and reach its goals. For that, I can't think of a better reason for her name to represent this program for many years to come." |
 Mason walks a gauntlet of cheering friends on his birthday. |
In one of those "only at St. Andrew's moments" the entire School lined up to surprise Mason Dufresne '13 to wish him a "Happy Birthday" on Tuesday. Mason is one of those legendary students who brings a unique and valuable perspective to every discussion. "Mason's birthday has slipped under the rader in the past," explained School Co-President Peter D'Agostino, "so we decided to make up for it this year." Last year's Co-President and current first year at University of North Carolina responded to the video posted online with a simple declaration: "That was pure magic."
Special thanks to faculty member Nate Crimmins for putting the video together, Nathan Costa for programming the bells to chime "Happy Birthday", Wilson Everhart for ensuring it was a surprise and to the many other people who came together to give Mason this special gift. |
 III Formers this morning in Avi Gold's Introduction to Dance class. |
We are excited to welcome you to campus for Fall Parents Weekend on October 26-28. The full schedule is available on our website.
Students will have an opportunity to sign up for parent-teacher conferences the week before. Please ask them to talk with his or her teacher if your travel schedule creates a conflict for conferences.
We also ask that you RSVP as soon as possible. |
Students were encouraged to gather on dorm or in faculty houses on Wednesday night to watch the first presidential debate. A new club on campus, S.A.S.P.A.C., hosted a discussion about the debate the next day. The election — or the analysis of each candidate's ideas to be more precise — continues to be a constant topic of conversation on campus. Several VI Formers are registered to vote and the History Department is looking into ways for all students to participate in a mock election on November 6th. |
 A few shots from debate watching gatherings. |
|
Members of the Student Activities Committee announced at School Meeting this week that this year's Homecoming dance on October 12 will have a swing-dancing theme. As always, the dance is a computer dance, which means that S.A.C. will randomly assign "dates" for the evening.
Dust off your dancing shoes. This may be a great excuse to teach your son or daughter some steps during Long Weekend. |
Students, faculty, staff, trustees and even some prospective families gathered on the Front Lawn at 12:15 today for the annual celebration of St. Francis and the blessing of the animals. Bill Perkins from the Sunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington gave a beautiful talk about the significance of animals in our lives before students lined up for a chance to present faculty dogs and cats for a blessing. |
If you would like to add grandparents to our contact database in order for them to receive the St. Andrew's Magazine, invitations to events, these weekly updates and more, please email Denise Thorn in the Trapnell House with the following information:
▪ Name(s):
▪ Relationship: (paternal/maternal grandparent)
▪ Address:
▪ Email:
▪ Phone:
PLEASE NOTE: Grandparents Day is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 6, 2013. |
Please Note: You are 100% welcome to attend any and all events on campus!
October 5 — U.S.G.B.C. LEED Gold Plaque Ceremony for Sipprelle Field House
October 6-8 — Long Weekend
October 12 — Women's Network Leadership Conference
October 26-28 — Parents Weekend
School Calendar Online — Athletics Calendar |
There is still time to register for the St. Andrew's Women's Network weekend on October 12-13. The weekend brings alumnae, mothers, grandmothers, daughters and sisters together for roundtable discussions and networking. This year's event will focus on Business & Leadership, but you do not need to be a titan of industry to enjoy the event. Halimah DeLaine Prado '93, Director of Legal at Google Inc. will provide the keynote address on Friday evening. Fellow panelists will also include:
▪ Corinna Calhoun ’89, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Microsoft
▪ Kimberly Egan ’88, Partner, DLA Piper, LLC
▪ Elizabeth Dunton Faison ’90, Former Managing Director at Och-Ziff Capital Management
▪ Talley Wettlaufer ’95, Vice President of International Expansion, J. Crew Group, Inc.
▪ Carter Wilcox ’90, Senior Vice President, The Corcoran Group, NYC
Please visit our website for more information and to register. |
|
|
|
|
