hebron fall2014

Hebron AcademyPO Box 309 Hebron ME 04238

non-profitu.s. postage

paidaugusta, me

permit no. 121

Reunions will be celebrated for classes ending in 4 and 9

For more information please contact the Alumni Office at 207-966-5236

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Return. Relive. Rejoice!

JOIN US!October 24-25

Visit hebronacademy.org/homecoming2014 or call 207-966-5236 for more information

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The Class of 1963 at their 50th reunion last fall (L-R): Gordie Trevette, Craig Adelman, Peter Rubin, Al Howlett, Alex Dean, Ken Sweezey, Mike Nickerson, Ric Burton and Will Harding.

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Looking From the inside out

What Makes a Thriving School?

report of giving reunion weekend is october 24-25

Planned Gifts: Investing in Hebrons Vision

Including Hebron Academy in your charitable estate planning is one of the most personal ways to express your philanthropy. We are forever grateful for this commitment, and we honor those who remember the Academy in this way by recognizing them as members of the Franklin Society.

The society was named to celebrate Dr. Benjamin Franklins qualities of foresight, prudent financial management and intellectual achievement. Dr. Franklin serves as a symbol of building up on the past for the benefit of the future.

For more information about how you can become a member of the Franklin Society, contact:

John Slattery 04Assistant Director of Advancement for Major Gifts & Planned [email protected]

The first time we stepped on the Hebron campus we felt at home. During the four years our son Tim was there we made friends that will endure for a lifetime. Hebron is family. We saw our son nurtured and prodded by Hebron to grow into the young man he is today. My late wife and I have always given to the Hebron Annual Fund, and I feel fortunate that I can remember Hebron in my estate plans. It is a very special place on the crowded educational landscape.

steve smith p 09

editOrLiza Tarr

assOciate editOrDave Stonebraker

cOntributing writersGeoff CampbellJoe HemmingsBrian JurekPat LaymanJulie MiddletonDave StonebrakerDaniella SwentonEmily Tuttle

phOtOgraphyGeoff CampbellColin GriggsDennis and Diana Griggs, Tannery Hill Studios Liza TarrSara Wilmotand friends

designDianne Lewis Design

advancement OfficePatricia Layman, Director of Advancement Beverly Roy, Hebron Annual Fund DirectorJohn Slattery 04, Assistant Director of Advancement for Major Gifts and Planned GivingColin Griggs, Events CoordinatorPatricia Hutter, Advancement Assistant Judy Roy, Database Manager

cOmmunicatiOns OfficeLissa Gumprecht, Marketing Communications Manager

Please send address and email changes to Pat Layman at [email protected]

Please send class notes to Beverly Roy at [email protected]

HEBRON is published by the Hebron Academy Communications and Advancement Offices. Letters and corrections are welcome from alumni, parents and friends of the Academy. Please send your feedback to Pat Layman, at [email protected]

Hebron Academy affirms its longstanding policy of nondiscriminatory admission of students on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation. We do not discriminate in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, scholarship programs and athletic or other school-administered programs. Hebron Academy is an equal opportunity employer.

Copyright 2014 by Hebron Academy www.hebronacademy.org | hebrontoday.org

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1 from the head of school 2 at the academy 10 objective correlatives The Culture of the Academy

14 feature looking from the inside out What Makes a Thriving School?

31 report of giving 47 class notes 54 obituaries

Hebron Academy inspires and guides students to reach their highest potential in mind, body and spirit.

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today.hebronacademy.org 1

at the academy From the Head of School

hebron Good and Great

Hebron works hard to be large enough to be financially sustainable,

yet still small enough to be nimble and personal. Necessity marries

choice when we accept and enroll such a wide range of students with such talents, interests, challenges,

and diversity.

Hebron Academy is a GOOD school. When I ask any of countless graduates - whether recent or from long ago - what Hebron means to them, the answers make it clear that Hebron is a GREAT school. My first realization of how special Hebron is came when Marcia and I had lunch conversa-tions with a dozen students when I inter-viewed for the Heads position fourteen years ago. We had never experienced a more engaging exchange with such an animated, thoughtful, eclectic group of young people. Those students wanted to know us and wanted us to know how their school was special and they wanted to be sure we understood and would keep that special school culture intact.

For fourteen years since that day, Ive championed that special something that captures students and teachers at Hebron. The recipe for it is not written down; it cant be easily defined. Weve discussed it, analyzed, philosophized, surveyed and consulted with marketing experts to put it to words: the words always come back to caring, friendly, open, supportive, individual, honest, simple and straightforward. Weve branded ourselves as Game-Changing; Where Humanity and Achievement Ring True; and our mission speaks of Inspiring each individual student to reach his or her highest potential Whatever it is, it centers on who each individual is and what each accomplishes in order to become and be him or herself.

In this issue of HEBRON, we bring that ongoing conversation to the forefront by evaluating ourselves from the inside out, a process triggered by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Self-Study we are conducting as part of our

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reaccreditation process. Looking from the Inside Out on page 14 offers thoughtful opinions, perspectives and examples from a range of Hebron representatives, giving evidence and illustration to our culture as a great school.

My own explanation of Hebrons good school culture references two source opinions: the archives and historic legends of my alma mater Williams College and an Independent School magazine perspective titled 25 Factors Great Schools Have in Common, by Pat Bassett, then President of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). It is an extension of Jim Collins books Good to Great and Great by Choice.

Put simply: Good teachers make good schools. President James A. Garfield reminded us of that when he immortalized Mark Hopkins, renowned professor of moral and intellectual philosophy and eventually president of Williams. Garfield reportedly claimed, The ideal college is Mark Hopkins on one end of a log and a student on the other. It was all about the single give and take, the connection between teacher and student, no matter how basic the classroom.

NAISs Bassett affirms that premise when, among his 25 Great School Factors, he addresses the culture of such institutions, citing Collins notion of getting the right people on the bus and the right people to the right seats. For a school culture to be great, Collins says, this can only be accom-plished by people who live, breathe, eat and sleep what they are doing.

Thats what it is at Hebron: teachers who are passionate and dedicated to each of their individual students, who inspire and guide as discussion leaders, counselors, coaches, dormitory parents and mentors. And it is the Hebron students who respond to that inspira-tion by learning to speak for themselves, to think, and share the experience. The culture of a good school is a culture of connection.

Does it help that Hebron is a simple school without undue frills or extras? Or that Hebron is small compared to many of our peer schools? Certainly. Hebron works hard to be large enough to be financially sustain-

able, yet still small enough to be nimble and personal. Necessity marries choice when we accept and enroll such a wide range of students with such talents, interests, chal-lenges, and diversity.

Bassett also underscores the importance of exposure to differences: Commit to diversity of all kinds and at all levels to create the conditions and school culture so that students learn how to appreciate and map differences and then navigate change. The real world lives on Hebrons idyllic campus in rural Maine. We may be the only school in the state where a boy or girl from Auburn can hear from two students, one from Ukraine and one from Russia, about what is happening in their homelands, or become teammates with a native of Malawi who has known how it truly feels to be hungry. Our students become confident to stand up and speak for them-selves and navigate to their opinions and values through channels such as Hebrons Words public speaking program. The messages and growth are profound to behold.

The initiative and energy to always want to be a better teacher, to collaborate and to innovate, to give ones passion to young people, to have ideas and share ideas, and to take on new projects thats the special blend of the personalities that have come to Hebron to teach and grow. What is and will always be intentional about Hebrons culture is the encouragement of every teacher and every student to continue to learn, to expand, and to find new ways to communicate and lead.

Thats the culture of a GREAT school.Sincerely,

John J. King, Head of School

John King awards Liberty McKnight 14 the Tyler-Grandmaison Scholarship at Baccalaureate last spring.

1 from the head of school 2 at the academy 10 objective correlatives The Culture of the Academy

14 feature looking from the inside out What Makes a Thriving School?

31 report of giving 47 class notes 54 obituaries

2 hebron Fall 2014 reunion-homecoming weekend is october 24-25 !

at the academy

Commencement Weekend May 23 - 24, 2014

O n Saturday, May 24, 2014, in the 210th year of the Schools

founding, 80 Hebron graduates rang the Victory Bell together as the Class of 2014. Remarks by Senior Class President Donita

Sharkey 14, now a freshman at Elon University (Elon, NC), retiring Board Chair J. Reeve Bright 66, and Head of School John J. King punctuated a memorable weekend for the newest class of Hebron

Academy alumni and alumnae.

Hebron AcAdemy cup Donita Gail Sharkey of Memphis, TN (Elon University)

Risman HonoR awaRd Janelle Webb Tardif of Auburn, ME (University of Utah, Salt Lake City)

PHemisteR awaRd Marco Aurelio Pereira Kloster of Curitiba, Brazil (Siena College)

milton G. wHeeleR Good FellowsHiP awaRd

Joshua Nathaniel Boylan of Tyler, TX (United States Military Academy)

CHaRles and amy dwyeR memoRial awaRd

Olivier Frenette of Ste-Brigitte-de-Laval, Quebec (University Laval)

eRnest sHeRman awaRd Charlotte Lucy Middleton of Hebron, ME (Wheaton College)

edwaRd tate ii GReen Key awaRd

Brittany Lauren Myrick of Auburn, ME (Babson College)

leyden awaRd Dylan Langmaid Malia of New Gloucester, ME (Unity College)

atHletiC awaRdMakoto Watanabe of Tokyo, Japan (Colorado Mesa University)

Bessie Fenn awaRd Atupele Lawrence Machika of Hebron, ME/Malawi(Elmira College)

Reed awaRds Olivia Kathryn Brown of North Haven, ME (Thomas College)

Jake David Bosse of Greene, ME (Hobart and William Smith Colleges)

senioR sCHolaRsHiP PRize Olivia Jane Campochiaro of East Falmouth, MA (Union College)

aCademiC exCellenCe:aRt Jin Qian of Haining City, China (Parsons The New School for Design)enGlisH Olivia Jane Campochiaro of East Falmouth, MA (Union College)HistoRy Brittany Lauren Myrick of Auburn, ME (Babson College)matHematiCs Zhuoyang Rinka Wang of Shanghai, China (Bucknell University)ReliGion & etHiCs James Paul Dean Dunwoody of East Greenwich, RI (University of Rhode Island)natuRal sCienCes Peter Andrew Miller of South Paris, ME (Rochester Institute of Technology)PHysiCal sCienCes Yurun Wu of New York, NY (Bucknell University)sPanisH Marco Aurelio Pereira Kloster of Curitiba, Brazil (Siena College)

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at the academy

Farewell, Reeve!

last May, Reeve Bright 66 presided over his final meet-ing of the Hebron Academy Board of Trustees after serving as Chair from 2003 to 2014. Before becoming Chair, Reeve was a trustee from 1998 to 2003. He was instrumental in bringing the Athletic Center to life, one of the Academys crowning achievements and the larg-est scale project undertaken by the school in recent history. To preserve the memory of his role in erect-ing such a game changing facility and to honor his long tenure of service to his alma mater, visitors will be welcomed into the J. Reeve Bright 66 Entrance Tower upon entry into the north vestibule of the Athletic Center.

The evening before leading the last Board meeting of the 2013-2014 school year, Reeve was whisked away to a lively surprise party at Fuel in Lewiston, where he was fted by close Hebron friends and family. (Photos at right)

Boston The Harvard Club:

(L-R): Bill Golden 66, who fulfilled his final term as a Hebron trustee this year, with classmates Reeve Bright 66 and trustee Clem Dwyer 66.

(L-R): Janet Kinasewich GP13, P86, Rob Kinasewich 86, P13 and wife Pattie Kinasewich P13

Falmouth The Woodlands:

(L-R): Heather Stephens 88, husband Alex Stephens and Heathers parents Carol and Paul Fremont Smith co-hosted Hebron and friends.

Spring alumni Gatherings

(L-R): Bill Allen 62, Regis Lepage 72, Carolyn Lepage and Albert Lepage 65

(L-R): Hebron Board Chair Paul Goodof 67, Bill Weary 60, and faculty member and past parent Brad Cummings

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Pictured above: Reeve with wife Anne at the unveiling of the dedication letters on Commencement Weekend last May.

(L-R): Longtime Hebron faculty Bruce Found, Bill Chase, Patricia and Gino Valeriani and Betsy Found came out to celebrate Reeves service to Hebron.


at the academy

Lumberjacks scooped up a handful of league and regional championships last spring, the most significant of which

was the New England Small Schools Tourna-ment title in boys lacrosse. The Jacks edged out Pingree at Berwick Academy on May 23, kicking off Commencement Weekend in fine form.

Hebron athletes from the Class of 2014 are looking to capitalize on their athletic successes beyond high school. Look for them making headlines at these colleges and universities:

Josh Boylan Football, United States Military AcademyTommy Centemero Soccer, Siena CollegeDaniel Davis Football, United States Military AcademyTJ Gannon Hockey, Johnson & Wales UniversityEvan Kalish Lacrosse, Bellarmine UniversityMarco Kloster Soccer, Siena CollegeAtupele Machika Field hockey, Elmira CollegeNico Manganiello Lacrosse, Gordon CollegeIbrahim Moustapher Soccer, Thomas College Jon Pallotta Hockey, St. Anselm CollegeDJ Steed Hockey, Assumption CollegeMakoto Watanabe Cross country, Colorado Mesa University

spring athletics recap

Spring 2014 brought blossoms, sunshine and championships to the Academy.

Cheer on the Jacks this fall. For the most up-to-date schedule, please visit www.hebronacademy.org/sportscalendar. See you on the sidelines!

Pitcher Atupele Machika 14 was named softball MVP for the second consecutive season having never picked up a glove before Hebron. Atu helped the Jacks to a 2014 MAISAD title.

Midfielder DJ Steed 14 (L) and All-New England, All-MAISAD Defensive MVP Evan Kalish 14 (R ) now playing D1 lacrosse for Bellarmine University (KY) steal a moment with the camera.

Attackman Cole OBrien 16 received All-New England Honorable Mention nods last spring.

Girls varsity tennis went undefeated in league play and clinched its 3rd consecutive MAISAD title. The team posted an 8-1 overall season record. L-R: Grace Lawson 15, Liv Brown 14, Head Coach Colin R. Griggs, and undefeated doubles champions Donita Sharkey 14 and Sophie Gibson 16.

Members of the boys varsity lacrosse team hoist the New England Small Schools Championship trophy after edging Pingree 8-4 in the finals last May.

Co-captain and Offensive MVP Nico Manganiello 14 (far L) finds the back of the net in a win over Gould. Nico, who will play for Gordon College, was named Northern New England Player of the Year and earned All-MAISAD nods. He posted 60 goals and 50 assists on the season.

Rachel Jurek 15 helped lead the Jacks to a MAISAD championship last spring and was named MVP and a NEPSWLA All-Star. ph

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lchampionships & recognition

Lacrosse: NE Small Schools Champions (boys) MAISAD Champions (boys and girls)Tennis: MAISAD Champions (girls)Softball: MAISAD Champions Baseball: MAISAD ChampionsTrack & Field: 2nd in MAISADs (boys) 3rd in New England Div. III (boys)


at the academy

the Bonney Suite

Remodel

In keeping with Hebrons campus master plan of updating faculty dorm residences, the Bonney Suite, located on the south wing of Sturtevant Home across from the Student Health Center, recently underwent renovation. Hebrons talented team of on-staff carpenters, masons and electricians tackled the challenge of combining two separate, stacked apartments into one two-story unit with new flooring, kitchen, common space, exposed beams and a beautiful cherry stairwell. The project was born out of a push for more accommodating housing for Hebrons resident faculty, a need identified at the 2012 strategic planning retreat.

The updated Bonney Suite, completed last spring, is home to Ashley and James LeBlanc 02; Ashley is the newly appointed Sturtevant Dorm Head who teaches English, coaches field hockey and lacrosse, and leads Hebrons senior and postgraduate program. James is a Hebron graduate who works in the Admis-sions Office and is the head coach of the boys varsity hockey team. The two met working at Hebron and now live together with their black lab Tuuk in the Bonney Suite. Ashley, an avid equestrian and self-professed nester, enjoyed decorating the space with tasteful touches of New England and barn chic trimmings. The expanded living room now

can serve as a formal dining area, collabora-tive study spot for students, or even a pumpkin carving station come Halloween.

The apartments namesake, Percival Bonney, was a Maine native who served as Board Chair for many years during the late 19th century and remained heavily involved with the school until his passing. In an 1882 graduation speech he imparted to the senior class, It should not be forgotten that the purpose of mental discipline and culture is the preparation of men and women for the practical duties of life.

Barn chic touches offset by fresh white accents adorn the formal dining room, which doubles as a study or lounging space for students and guests.

The Bonney Suite, a faculty apartment in the south wing of Sturtevant Dorm, got a much needed facelift from Hebrons Buildings & Grounds crew last spring. Exposed beams, a wide staircase, and crisp white and cream walls give a rustic, airy feel to the space.

Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the States, and New England sits atop the ranks as a hub for young athletes looking to compete at a high level in the prep school arena. Hebrons lacrosse momen-tum continues to surge forward, the latest wave arriving with a New England Small Schools Tournament Championship last spring and back-to-back MAISAD titles the past two years. New leadership, a surplus of raw talent, and a formidable contingent of longtime players have invigorated the program and broadened valuable exposure for our little school in Maine.

100+ point scorers:Myles Horn 15, 55 goals / 63 assists; Nico Manganiello 14, 60 goals / 50 assists

Accolades:Northern New England Player of the Year: Nico Manganiello 14-Gordon CollegeFirst-Team All-New England: Myles Horn 15, Evan Kalish 14-Bellarmine UniversityAll-New England Honorable Mention: Erik Jennings 16, Cole OBrien 16, Gabe Zornik 16All-MAISAD: Jake Bosse 14, Myles Horn 15, Evan Kalish 14, Nico Manganiello 14

Rankings:#5 in New England in scoring defense (out of 100 teams), 5.5 g/game#7 in New England in scoring offense (out of 100 teams), 11.19 g/game#6 in New England in net scoring (out of 100 teams), +5.69#254 out of 3,568 varsity teams in the country by LaxPower (as of June 18)

Notable wins: Holderness (double OT), Tilton, Dexter, Pingree (for the NE Small Schools Championship) and a major upset against New Hampton For more information about boys lacrosse at Hebron, contact Head Coach Joe Bernier at [email protected].

squad spotlight: Boys Varsity Lacrosse

The Jacks celebrated their second consecutive MAISAD title last spring over Gould and went on to beat Pingree to be crowned New England Small Schools Tournament Champions.

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W e hope youll join us for this special weekend during New Englands signature season. Classes ending in 4 or 9 will be celebrating milestone reunions, but weve got plenty in store for all Hebronians in tow.

jay l. woolseydistinguished service award

Amb. Thomas N. Hull III 64

athletic hall of fame inducteesMargaret Muller 99

Track and field standout

Pierre Lucien Robert Legendre 18Olympic medalist in track and field

Friday, October 24Registration Afternoon athletic contests

Welcome Receptionhosted by the Hebron Academy Board of Trustees

2:00 pm- 6:00 pm

5:30 pm- 7:30 pm

Celebrate three Hebron greats whose combined tenure of service to the Academy totals more than a century. Join us in honoring these very special people whose impact will be felt long after they retire.

Saturday, October 255:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.

Dining Hall, Sturtevant Home

For more information, please contact Pat Layman of the Alumni Office at [email protected] or call 207-966-5236

Saturday, October 258:00 am

- 3:00 pm

9:00 am- 11:00 am

9:00 am- 10:00 am

11:00 am- 12:00 pm

12:00 pm

12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Registration

Varsity Breakfast

Campus Tours

Alumni Convocation including Athletic Hall of Fame Induction

Lunch under the big tentEvergreen Lunch for alumni in classes prior to 1964

Athletic contestsMusic & activities for all ages

Celebration Dinner honoring Moose Curtis, Dave Stonebraker and Gino Valeriani

Celebration DinnerHonoring Moose Curtis, Dave Stonebra

ker

and Gino Valeriani

Return. Relive. Rejoice!

Questions? Call 207-754-0384 or visithebronacademy.org/homecoming2014

Moose Curtis Dave Stonebraker Gino Valeriani

reunion-homecomingweekend2014October 24-25


at the academy

Devon M. Biondi 96 Devon Biondi is Vice President, Strategy Services at Mashery, a San Francisco-based Intel company that provides

API management services to technology companies. Ms. Biondi works closely with Mashery customers advising them in all stages of their API lifecycle from program concep-tion to platform launch. Prior to Mashery she was the Chief of Staff at TIBCO Software where she worked as a strategic advisor to the CEO in all aspects of the company from acquisitions, restructures, new product development, large-scale customer retention and events. Prior to TIBCO, Ms. Biondi worked as an Innovation Manager at Monster Labs, the R&D arm of Monster.com, where she focused on market research analysis for new products and strategic investment as well as product management, public relations and all IP management for Monster.com. Her time before that was spent at CapGemini where she worked in the Strategy & Transformation group, consulting for Fortune 100 companies such as McDonalds, Ryder Logistics, Eli Lilly and many others.

Ms. Biondi majored in English Film Studies at Amherst College. She is a class agent and lives in San Francisco with her husband and infant son.

Wende Fox Lawson P 15Wende Fox Lawson leads Fox Lawson Management Consulting, Inc. which consults to academic medical centers and other health care provider organizations, specializing in organization and strategy. She is married to Jim Lawson, and their daughter Grace Anne is a senior at Hebron.

Ms. Fox Lawson started her consulting career with ICF in Washington, DC, focusing on cost/benefit analysis for regulations in health and pension. Following graduate school, she was a consultant at Booz Allen and Hamilton in New York and then Chi-cago. Subsequently, she was a managing direc-tor with APM, where she led the Physician organization practice, was a member of the management committee, and helped start the Chicago office. She was also president of Prompte, a startup surgical software company

focusing on electronic medical records for elective surgery. Ms. Fox Lawson is a board member of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation. She has been very active in food allergy initiatives, including advising the allergy department of Luries Childrens Hospital of Chicago. In 2013 she was honored by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) as a longtime food allergy advocate. She was recently asked to review grant proposals for food allergy research for the Department of Defense. Ms. Fox Lawson has been active in parent activities at the Latin School of Chicago and sits on the executive committee of the parents association.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago.

Robert E. Waite 68Robert Waite is Manag-ing Director of Waite + Co., a firm with offices in Boston, Ottawa and Toronto that specializes

in Board and CEO-level communications strategy and advice. He is also a Partner at Rosenzweig & Company, an international executive search firm, as well as a Signature Contributor at the Huffington Post. He has previously held senior executive positions at Canada Post, CIBC, IBM and Ford Motor Company.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Waite served as Press Secretary to Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts and Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. He subsequently served as Vice President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States during the Reagan Administra-tion. Before entering public service he was an award-winning journalist in Massachusetts and with the Pacific News Service (PNS), covering the 1976 primaries and presidential election. He was later PNS East European correspondent, based in Warsaw, Poland.

Mr. Waite is currently Chair of the Canadian Stamp Advisory Committee; serves on the Board of the Killay-Meany Founda-tion; is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society; a PR Seminar Seminarian; and a member of the Union Club of Boston. He served on the Parents Advisory Council at Carleton College from 2010 to 2013 and on the UCLA Parents Council from

Paul S. Goodof 67

Judah C. Sommer

Scott E. Wilson 71

Debra Beacham Bloomingdale 83

Richard A. Bennett

Devon M. Biondi 96

James R. Clements

Felica W. Coney

Robert A. Donahue 83

Clement S. Dwyer, Jr. 66

Wende Fox Lawson

William B. Golden 66

Wallace E. Higgins

James B. Hill 90

Thomas N. Hull III 64

Matthew W. Johnson 93

Kimball L. Kenway 70

David S. Prout 83

Robert J. Ryan 77

Heather C. Stephens 88

Meredith Strang Burgess

Robert E. Waite 68

David J. Williams 60n

2014-2015 hebron academy Board of trusteess

welcomeMeet Our New TrusteesBoaRd newsPaul Goodof 67 was recently named Hebron Academys new Board Chair as of July 1, 2014. Mr. Goodof replaces Reeve Bright 66, who served as Chair from 2003 to 2014 and from 1998 to 2003 as a trustee. Jud Sommer has been appointed Vice Chair.

Thank you to outgoing trusteeBill Golden 66, for his service and dedication to Hebron Academy from 2006 to 2014.

2011 to 2014. He was a Hebron Trustee from 1992 to 2004.

Mr. Waite majored in European social history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and graduated from IBMs Ad-vanced Management School at the Thomas Watson Center in Armonk, New York. A native of Boston, he currently lives in Rockcliffe, Ontario with his wife Karen.


They practice for hours before and after classes. They go to camps during the off-season and receive private coaching. They bond with each other and compete against hundreds of others. They are selected to participate in elite groups. No, these are not athletesthey are musicians. And theyve come to play.

In recent years, Hebron Academys instrumental program has developed tremen-dously under the leadership of John Lawson to one that can now boast representatives in All-District and All-State auditioned ensem-bles. With Johns baton, music at Hebron has truly found its rhythm.

The level of playing has gone up signifi-cantly, said Mr. Lawson. Theres no such thing as a perfect concert, but unlike missing a shot in a game, if you make a mistake, it will sound really bad. Music is one of those things that even getting 90% of the notes right isnt really success.

The high standards set by Mr. Lawson, who plays several instruments and maintains a busy professional performance schedule when hes not teaching, has resulted in music permeating campus life at Hebron Academy.

L-R: Ben Bradford of nearby Poland High School, Field Peterson 15 and Lizzy Wilson 15 at last Mays spring concert

John on Bass and Jon on BassIt was a harmony destined to happen. They share the same wry sense of humor. They play the same instrument. They listen to the same National Public Radio programs. They share the

same name (sort of).Over the past couple of years, John Lawson

and Jon Tuttle 15 have spent a lot of time togetherlong concert rehearsals, long car rides

to auditions and performances, days on end and overnights at state music festivals, even lessons during the summer.

Playing the bass is now part of who I am, what I do, a big part of my life, said Jon. That is

all completely due to Mr. Lawson.When Jon arrived at Hebron Academy as a

sophomore, he had never played the upright bass before. As a junior under the tutelage of Lawson, he became Hebron Academys first student to be selected for All Stat

e Orchestra, All State

Jazz, District II Honors Jazz, and District II Orchestra in the same year.

Jon is a lot of fun to work with, said Mr. Lawson, a professional bass player. Hes motivated and a

quick learner anyway. He also has a strong background in piano. These things allowed him to make first

chair at All State at his first audition. Hell have some stiff competition coming up this year, but that will

be a good challenge for him.While Jons background is primarily in classical music, as is Mr. Lawsons, the

master introduced the

student to jazz, and new possibilities opened.Ive always liked jazz, but I never played it before I met Mr. Lawson, said Jon

. I never had a

teacher who was interested in it. Mr. Lawson knows a lot about a wide range of music. The really good

thing about him is that hes flexible he doesnt just have a template. We work on what we need

depending on whats coming up or what we like, and we work around really busy schedules for both of

us. Hes kind of funny too.The student and teacher have gotten to know each others idiosyncrasies, tas

tes, and frustration

levels. They take their music seriously but not obsessively. They have found their groove.

Jon Tuttle 15 and music faculty John Lawson


Attendees at alumni functions for the past few years have enjoyed the ambiance of a jazz combo or a string quartet comprised of Hebron Academy student musicians. Monday school meetings often begin with students tak-ing a huge risk by performing and maybe trying something new in front of their peers. They play for Admission Open Houses and special school events. And of course there are the formal student concerts in the winter and spring. Several Hebron Academy musicians also play in the Youth Orchestra of Lewiston-Auburn, giving the school recognition in the outside community. Recently, Hebron Academy students successfully auditioned for highly competitive spots in district and state level ensembles.

Even though its music, its not really what I teach, said Mr. Lawson. Its all about building self-confidence, finding a sense

Even though its music, its not really what I teach. Its about building self-confidence, finding a sense of self, and establishing self-discipline.

john lawson, director of instrumental music

an Oasis of musicMusic, particularly classical chamber music, cre-ates a deep intimacy between human beings that can rarely be found in other media. It inspires the performer and listener alike. For several years, Saul B. Cohen 51 has supported these ideals for young musicians and public enjoyment through the Cohen Chamber Music Series at Hebron. The series is spon-sored by the Saul B. and Naomi R. Cohen Foundation and is always open to the public at no cost.

When I went to Hebron, it was a musical des-ert, said Mr. Cohen. The nearest we got to music was the occasional a cappella singing.

Mr. Cohen took piano lessons as a young child and also studied the violin. But he stopped practic-ing and playing when he entered high school. How-ever, in his 70s, Mr. Cohen took up the cello because he loved the sound.

Young people should hear music, see it, not think its for gray hairs only, said Mr. Cohen. Music is one of the riches of our civilization, and some-thing to broaden their experience. I also wanted to support young professionals at the early stages of their careers when they need visibility and also need a few bucks.

Mr. Cohen, also a graduate from Harvard College and Harvard Business School, has used his sub-sequent good fortune to bring world-class music to audiences throughout New England. He started the Hammond Performing Arts Series in Boston to give professional classical musicians exposure to the public. He also actively supports the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival in Blue Hill, ME. In addition, he serves on the Deans advisory board of Boston Universitys College of Fine Arts, where he met Jan Mller-Szeraws, the currently featured cellist for the Cohen Chamber Music Series at Hebron Academy, which brings renowned chamber instrumentalists to campus to perform for students and the surrounding public for free three times during the school year.

I met Saul when I was a student at Boston University, said Mr. Mller-Szeraws. He heard me play, and he was very gracious to me.

The Saul B. and Naomi R. Cohen Foundation underwrites the grant that provides the Hebron Academy concert series as a venue for Mr. Mller-Szeraws and other young professional musicians to perform. For the Hebron concerts, other young musicians preformed before Jan Mller-Szeraws such as Alexandre Lecarme, Aurelien Sabouret, and Laurent Chatel (The Tancrde Trio). Mr. Cohen also wanted to give back to the school that he said had done so much for him by supporting Hebrons music and cultural programs.

at the academy

of self, and establishing self-discipline. Its really special to watch kids hit a hard solo patch and see them realize that theyre doing it. And theres a real camaraderie that comes working as a group. This [past] years students have really allowed that to happen.

Mr. Lawson noted that not every student will become a music major or be a serious musician after they graduate. However, the primary purpose and joy of music education is to explore new ideas, to have music in some way always be part of their lives, and to have a better appreciation for the humanity and achievement music exemplifies.

Mr. Lawson directs the Upper School Orchestra, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, String Quartet, and Middle School Band. He also teaches courses in Music Theory, Digital Recording, History of Rock and Roll and gives private lessons. Off campus, he plays double bass in the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Maine State Music Theater, Good Theater in Portland, and various other ensembles. h

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John Lawson conducts Evan Kalish 14 (L) and Jon Tuttle 15 (R) last spring.

John Lawson (center) with members of Hebrons Upper and Middle School music program

Cellist Jan Muller-Szeraws (R) performs with pianist Adam Golka (L).


When dedicated in 1891, the front faade of Sturtevant Hall rose unadorned from steps to tower. The familiar clock and bell that have measured the hours of Hebron life would not be installed until 1908, as a tribute to love and an untimely death. Fannie Donham Stearns, Class of 1890, gave instruction in drawing and painting until her untimely death in the spring of 1908. Her husband Harry Stearns had the tower clock and bell installed in the fall, dedicated to the memory of Fannie, and with the inscription in the doorway below, By faithful service may it bear witness to her fidelity to duty. And it has, measuring the minutes and striking the hours of Hebron time for more than a century.

Love Story The Tower Clock

Objective CorrelativesThe Culture of the Academy

by dave stonebraker

Poet T. S. Eliot used the term objective correlative to capture the idea that only through a connection with tangible things could pure emotion be expressed. In Hemingways novel A Farewell to Arms, the narrator observes that, only the names of places had dignityAbstract words such as glory, honor, couragehad no meaning beside the concrete names of villages,the names of rivers,and the dates. A recent college publication attempted to capture the history of the institution through selected objects to embody that history. Here, we take a somewhat different approach, selecting a bakers dozen of things and places from the Hebron campus which may capture the spirit and culture of the Academy, objects and places which come to embody, perhaps, universal experiences of students, alumni and

friends who have shared the campus in time.

The Key to the 1847 School Building...Commemorates the first century of the school, a time when the Academy Building stood upon a small rise flanked by the Community Church. Students traveled by wagon from Turner, Livermore and Farmington to board round under the care of Ma Bailey and Mrs. Packard. Some students arrived from places no longer named upon our maps: Flagstaff and Upper Dam in Maine, or Bohemia, Burma and Bulgaria abroad.


The Faculty Portraits...Along the east hallway of Sturtevant Hall recognize the special group of faculty who have served the Academy for twenty-five years or more. The row begins with the lions of Mr. Allens era - Ned Willard, Gerald Twitchell, Jay Woolsey and Vernon Wood - and continues to include Beverly Leyden, William Chase, and Betsy and Bruce Found. Cindy Reedy is the most recent addition; Leslie Guenther and Kathy Gerrits-Leyden will be added soon. These women and men honor the tradition of excellence in teaching, and their great tenure exemplifies their dedication and joy of service to the students of Hebron.

Hands TogetherThe Victory Bell

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For years, bells had rung out in victory and warning from the center of campus; however, when the Dwyer Fields were completed in 1964,

Ned Willard

Gerald Twitchell

it was appropriate to situate a bell closer to the fields. Some alumni will remember a much smaller bell located on the knoll above the fields and across from Red Lion House. Damaged by winter ice, by the 1980s this bell was no longer functional. For their Class Gift, the Class of 1984 resolved to remedy the situation and did so in grand style, locating, purchasing

and transporting a massive bell from Hallowell to become a fixture on the Dwyer Fields. Victorious teams now join together, all hands upon the rope, to pull as one and swing the massive 1,487-pound bell cast by Henry Hooper of Boston in 1867.


The Scott Smith Award...Remembers a young man from the Class of 1986, yet more broadly it honors the unselfish determination to contribute to Hebrons hockey teams, a tradition spanning from Eddie Jeremiahs first team at the Academy in 1926 to the current NEPSAC contenders led by the Scott Smith Award recipient Jackson Parker 14, below, with the Head of School John King.

Raised last spring by Donita Sharkey of the Class of 2014, above, has been awarded each year since 1947, a tradition brought from Deerfield Academy by Claude Allen which honors a student who represents the finest spirit of scholastic effort, who has in athletic competition shown a high degree of excellence, and who has in personal relations with the school shown a commendable spirit of devotion, high ideals, friendliness, endeavor and responsibility which qualities Hebron Academy holds in the highest esteem. The cup itself, engraved with the names and class years of the first 35 winners, was executed by the Balfour Company and stands 24 inches tall with its recent addition of a pedestal base to accommodate the names of recipients going forward from 1998.

And Victory will crown your Labors...Is the inscription beneath the faded image of the Academys first football team, organized in the fall of 1893 by Charles C.K. Brooks of the Class of 1894. It was the first organized athletic team at Hebron and the beginning of a tradition spanning over a hundred years. Charles Dwyer, Class of 1904, coached the team for some 35 years, a tenure now surpassed by coach John Moose Curtis, who began as an assistant with the team in 1974 and who assists current head coach Joe Bernier this year in his final season before retirement.

Scott and Gene Smith

The Portrait of Claude L. Allen...Now hangs in the living room of Red Lion House, the schools Advancement Office and alumni headquarters. Mr. Allen, whose tenure spans 27 years, set the tone of the modern Hebron. Reopening the Academy following its closure during World War II, Mr. Allen recruited a faculty including Mssrs. Willard, Williams, Augusta, Twitchell, Freiday, Veayo, Woolsey, Wood and Crist men whose tenure and dedication shaped the schools program for decades.

The Hebron Cup...

The Hamlin Desk... Belonged to vice president, statesman and lawyer Hannibal H. Hamlin, Class of 1829, and was for many years the desk in his office in Hamden, ME. It was the gift to the school by Trustee John H. Halford, Class of 1904, for the Hamlin Reading Room in Sturtevant Hall and later a treasured piece in the Admissions Office. For many students, it was the place where they sat to compose a personal writing as part of their admissions visit to the Academy.


The Dwyer Award...Honors Hebrons longest tenured teacher, Charles Dwyer, Class of 1904, who returned to the Academy upon graduation from Colby College in 1908 and remained on the faculty until 1948. His wife Amy became a tutor, counselor and librarian forthe school, and together, the Dwyers devoted more than half a century to Hebron, service annually celebrated in the Charles and Amy Dwyer Award, given to the outstanding scholar-athlete of the senior class. Olivier Frenette, Classof 2014, right, was therecipient this year.

Jennie Packards Painting Class in 1898, together with their instructor, completed a series of oil paintings of the Academy Building of 1847, then but recently razed and replaced by Sturtevant Hall. Four of the seven compositions remain at Hebron today and quietly speak to the life of the arts in the school through the decades.

Commissioned in 1954 by John Halford, Class of 1904, and painted by Vivian Akers, Class of 1908, places Mr. Sargent in profile between images of the Academy Building of 1847 and the present School Building constructed in 1891. This composition artfully recognizes the development of the modern campus conceived by Sargent and Trustee Percival Bonney and executed under the direction of architect John Calvin Stevens. During Sargents time, Stevens presented plans for the Principals House (now Allen House), Sturtevant Hall, Sturtevant Home, Long Cottage, Atwood Hall, and renovations and reconstructions of the Hebron Community Church and Cooke Gymnasium.

Andrews Field or The Bowl...

Honors Harold Andrews, Class of 1914, the first Maine casualty of the First World War. This central playing space was from the mid-1890s until 1963 the Academys only athletic field. It was lined for football in the fall and baseball in the spring and had an encircling cinder track with jumping pits immediately behind the Sargent Gymnasium. It has even been flooded on occasion for pond hockey and sometimes, during spring rains, has been so wet as to allow a canoe or two. Helicopters have landed and balloons have launched here. It has hosted carnivals, flea markets and the annual Lumberjack Day. As much as any space on campus, The Bowl becomes the Academys front lawn, a place for all manner of mixing and playing, the place where we are most together.

The Portrait of William Sargent...

The Six Students Pictured Here

Several of the items and places above were suggested by faculty and trustees in response to an open query about the things and places that, for them, most repre-sented the culture of Hebron Academy. Among other suggested items were the curtain at Androscoggin Theater, Edie Piersons bell in Robinson Arena, the periodic table in the Chemistry Lab and the newly installed Lumberjack icon in the Athletic Center. We invite alumni to respond to this collection with their own thoughts on the names of things and places that capture, for them, the spirit of the school. Please submit your responses to [email protected].

Objective Correlatives

The Culture of the Academy

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During the 2013-2014 school year, the Hebron commu-nity undertook a lengthy and detailed examination of the Academy to document the school for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The overwhelming conclusion of the self-study is that Hebron Academy is a communi-ty that is thriving, but what exactly might such a statement mean? A gardener may well view the concept in terms of vigorous, healthy growth inspired by the combination of a nutrient-rich environment combined with fortuitous weather. An investor may thrive through the application of strategic planning, inspired data-analysis, and attention to historical performance as well as current trends.

Thriving has more recently become the subject of education-al research and studies attempting to isolate and define factors which influence the positive growth of students. While students ultimately define themselves through personal goals and aspira-tions, a school may purposefully and positively influence its stu-dents by creating an environment rich in incremental challenge and support, life skills, decision-making opportunities, and inter-actions with peers and adults that reinforce caring, confidence, persistence, resourcefulness and positive relationships.

SoundLeadership

Paul Goodof 67Board Chair

15

Program Innovation

Brian Jurek P 15, 18Associate Head of School

18

Ask Why?Dr. Daniella Swenton

Science Faculty

20

Good Teachers Learn from

Good Teachers Peter Conzett

Former Physics Faculty

22

Reinforce Value Julie Middleton P 12, 14

Senior Associate Director of Admission

25

Make the Human Connection

Pat LaymanDirector of Advancement

& External Relations

27

This issue of HEBRON gathers together a number of voices touching on the concept of a thriving community: accounts of the accomplishments of current artists and athletes; the Career Con-nection Seminars when current seniors prepare their resums for the future and network with alumni/ae actively engaged in many professional fields; Associate Head of School Brian Jureks reflec-tions on current program innovation at the Academy and the inau-gural faculty Award for Innovative Teaching; current faculty mem-ber Dr. Daniella Swenton and former teacher Peter Conzett sharing thoughts about what inspired their teaching as beginning faculty at Hebron who had come to the school from doctoral studies and fellowships at university; Senior Associate Director of Admission Julie Middleton developing the particular elements most important to enrolling students and their families; and Paul Goodof 67, new Chair of the Board of Trustees, sharing his path to leadership and vision of Hebron for the coming years.

Our bold conclusion: Hebron Academy is indeed a thriving community dedicated to creating a culture of individual achieve-ment in mind, body and spirit. As you read the linked articles in this issue of HEBRON, we hope you will agree.

LookInG FRoM THe InSIde ouT Hebron answers the question:

What Makes a Thriving School?


At last Mays meeting of the Hebron Academy Board of Trustees, Paul Goodof, Class of 1967, was elected as the next Board Chair. Having served as Trustee for ten years and as Vice Chair for two years, Paul follows in the long succession beginning with Deacon Barrows and leading on to Percival Bonney, Freelan Stanley, Roscoe Hupper and recently J. Reeve Bright 66. Paul brings wide experience to the position, includ-ing his leadership as chair of the building commit-tee for the construction of Hebrons Athletic Cen-ter and consulting work with a variety of nonprofit institutions. It seemed appropriate to introduce him to the wider Hebron community and to ask about his vision for the Academy and his experiences in it.

H: As you begin to lead the Board of Trustees after the long tenure of Reeve Bright 66, what thoughts are on your mind?

PG: I am honored and humbled at the prospect of assuming the chairmanship of Hebrons board, and hope to build on the momentum Reeve and others have developed. Theres much to do: the launch of the next phase of our campaign, the related critical up-grades to science, arts and residential facilities, con-tinuing to build our endowment, and developing the next generation of board leadership. I plan even more engagement of board members with students and faculty, something that I have really enjoyed. I think that having my colleagues more rigorously look-ing under the hood will make us better equipped to make wise choices and decisions going forward.

H: One of your first tasks with Hebrons Board of Trustees was chairing the building committee for the Athletic Center. How was that important?

PG: One of my first meetings as a new trustee was a planning retreat, where we heard that we needed (1) to continue to build Hebrons enrollment, (2) to strengthen our financials, and (3) to make plans as early as possible for an updated athletic complex. To appeal to prospects increasingly using the internet as part of their decision-making process, we needed to give our admissions team an attractive new tool to show to prospective families. Equally compel-

I plan even more engagement of board members with students and faculty. I think that having my colleagues more rigorously looking under the hood will make us better equipped to make wise choices and decisions going forward.paul goodof 67,board chair

ling to the marketing argument, our students de-served a more appropriate and updated facility. A very thoughtful and creative planning committee of students, faculty and trustees, paired with brilliant architects and construction consultants, produced a facility that is superbly meeting every identified need and will serve the Academy well for generations.

H: When you consider the Hebron of your experi-ence and what you observe today, what similarities and differences do you find?

PG: One of the reasons that I was excited to come to Hebron was that I (and my parents) realized that I wasnt working very hard, yet I was still earning high marks in the Waterville (ME) school system. I needed more challenge, and boy did I get it. Ned Willard, Bill Fritz, Charlie Tranfield, Bruce Gardner

Sound LeAdeRSHIP

An Interview with Paul Goodof 67,

New Board Chair

Paul Goodof 67 looks forward to working more closely with students and faculty as he takes the helm as Chair.


and a host of others stretched and tugged me in very positive ways, and it was hard work. That function from a committed and inspiring faculty clearly con-tinues today, though with both obvious and subtle differences. When I was here, the academic side of things was a one size fits all model: Everyone took the same courses, and the primary difference of the student experience was what sport they played. To-days Hebron is far more individualized, with a wide selection of honors, AP and field study electives to allow students to seek, and possibly find, their pas-sions. Music, art and theatre, so much a part of to-days Hebron, were virtually non-existent in my day. Theres no less academic rigor, but its a far richer experience for todays students.

H: You describe what might be called a traditional education. As you observe the school today, you seem to find it more innovative, more creative. So the question is: what is the necessary and appropriate balance between traditional rigor and innovation?

PG: During my time working at Harvard, I had the chance to travel with the then new President of the University, Derek Bok. When speaking, he would al-ways begin with the statement, We must always re-member that the true purpose of education is to open minds, not merely to fill them. I think he was refer-ring to all educationnot just college education. In a lot of ways, when I was at Hebron, the school was filling our minds; filling probingly and thoughtfully to be sure, but filling nonetheless. Today, I think that what we are doing with kids is opening, and that re-quires an experience and pedagogy that is totally dif-ferent. It means stretching them with innovation and challenging them to think analytically and critically, finding the ways to make them be tuned to prob-lem solving. Ultimately, it is the support, the push-ing, and yet finding the balance of how to reach each individual student and inspire him or her to reach for the best. We are educating the whole student.

H: From Waterville to Hebron, and then to where? What was the educational and career path you followed?

PG: From Hebron, I went to Harvard, followed by a number of years working for the University as an assistant dean of students and in alumni relations and development. I then attended Harvard Busi-ness School, followed by a 20-year career as CFO/COO of a commercial real estate company. Early in that career, I got my first taste of volunteer work, as building committee chair and later trustee at Perkins School for the Blind, a relationship that spanned 30 years. My mid-life crisis was that I decided I liked

working for nonprofits more than the commercial world, and for the last twenty years have been en-gaged with consulting work (including half a dozen interim CFO/COO stints and project management assignments) at schools, colleges, museums and his-torical organizations, as well as serving as a volun-teer trustee of half a dozen entities. Ive now stepped aside from all them in order to devote my full ener-gies to Hebron.

H: Some have argued that the independent school model has become so complex as to be poten-tially unsustainable. Do you sense this challenge?

PG: As long as there are bright kids whose oppor-tunities for education are limited by any number of circumstances, there will be a need for places like Hebron. Not all of the schools are necessarily going to have sufficient resources to survive in all of this, as the number of families who can truly afford the op-portunity of independent schools is getting smaller and smaller and the need for financial assistance is becoming greater and greater. Nonetheless, the good schools are going to find a way to manage themselves in order to continue and sustain the vital mission that they do. Hebron is an important place. Just look at the changes we have made in the lives of our students.

H: If were launching kids on a new trajectory, how do you dial in the metrics of that trajectory; what are we doing that is new and unique?

PG: I think we do it every day, through the leader-ship, example and mentorship of an inspiring and talented cohort of adults in the classrooms, in the dorms, and on the fields. It seems that everyone with whom students come in contact here is doing cre-ative, worthwhile things, reflecting the true ideal of lifelong learning. We have published authors and poets in the humanities faculty; actors, musicians and artists regularly performing or exhibiting; scien-tists sharing postdoctoral research with their classes; and coaches who try out and succeed as members of professional sports teams. By example of all of these, the students see and learn, and realize a sense of pos-sibility. Thats the difference, the new launch pad.

H: To sustain Hebron, how do you attract inspiring people to rural Maine, and how do you nurture that inspiration?

PG: We have to work at it. Hebron isnt Boston or New York. But I daresay that there arent many schools in a major metropolitan area where teach-ers can go home to walk their dogs between classes (and Hebron boasts more dogs per square foot than

Sound LeAdeRSHIP

That all students emerge from their

time at Hebron with positive personal

values and with confidence and as lifelong learners is clear. Beyond that

- and this is the real plus to what were

doing - virtually every student will

have been nurtured individually and can

be stronger for his or her differences.

paul goodof 67,board chair

Hannah Mangham, a graduate of Williams College, joined Hebrons

English Department in 2013.


any place I know!). Our culture and incredible sense of community clearly help in recruiting talented and able faculty. But we need to do more. The Head of St. Pauls School recently opined that we need to find ways to create space in life for more intentional re-flection, in the context of giving faculty opportuni-ties for self-renewal and for growth and development so that they can impart to our students new thinking, new approaches to learning. I cant believe that we have been as fortunate in keeping our faculty fresh as we have with our limited professional development resources, and part of our quest for added endow-ment is to support faculty growth and innovation.

H: Pat Bassett has written in a recent piece for Inde-pendent School Magazine about the qualities good schools share, and that great schools create and perpetuate an intentional culture shaped by adults, rooted in universal values of honesty and caring, and relentlessly oriented toward achievement. Would you embrace all of Mr. Bassets statement, particularly his observation about achievement?

PG: I think hes mostly right. I would only observe that the word achievement has considerably more manifestations than it once did. Hebrons underly-ing mission to inspire and guide students to reach their highest potential in mind, body and spirit now has to have multiple calibrations as we define achievement in different ways for just about every student. That all students emerge from their time at Hebron with positive personal values and with con-fidence and as lifelong learners is clear. Beyond that - and this is the real plus to what were doing - virtu-ally every student will have been nurtured individu-ally and can be stronger for his or her differences.

H: Finally, as you consider the trajectory of students and even the school itself, what is your vision of the future?

PG: The culture in my time here was centered on structure, rigor and discipline. We were expected to work hard, dress in coats and ties, and stay out of trouble. It all seemed to work at the time. Todays Hebron, and the world in which it lives, is not so sim-ple. The very positive return to coeducation started the process of change; a far broader range of back-grounds with students from more distant US loca-tions and an array of foreign countries has added to the richness and the complexity of the place; increas-ing the day student population has promoted greater family engagement; and more studied and successful focus on nurturing self-expression and the individu-ality in our students - all of these things have made todays Hebron a powerful crucible that turns out broad-gauged and caring citizens. Yes, theyre aca-demically prepared in the same and perhaps better ways to deal with college, but equally and more im-portantly, they have, for some number of years, been active participants in a community that fosters and celebrates virtues far beyond classroom or playing field achievements. Seeing the joy and satisfaction in our students that comes from performing on stage, taking the perfect photograph, closely editing a story or presentationall these things so clearly define the life in all we do. And if I had to choose a single vi-sion for my time as chair, it would be to sustain and in every way possible enhance the opportunities for our students to experience that joy and satisfaction.

Sound LeAdeRSHIP

L-R: Then Board Chair Reeve Bright 66, Secretary Debbie Bloomingdale 83, Vice Chair Stephen Jeffries 79 and Treasurer Paul Goodof 67 at the dedication of the Athletic Center in 2008.

Members of the Class of 2014 crack a smile during the Career Connection Seminars last March. L-R: Brittany Myrick, Amanda Small and Rich Shipman.


test the model, it seems to weather each storm and move forward.

The same cannot be said for public education. Hailed as one of the brightest achievements of our democracy, it has come under heavy fire during the last fifty to sixty years for its failure to deliver on the promise of a free, high-quality, and accessible edu-cation for all. And the problems recently have only become more acute in terms of where America ranks among the nations of the world.

This is not to say that public educational philos-ophy and policy has shied away from innovation. Rather, just the opposite has happened, as federal and state governments constantly introduce innova-tive programs to address shortcomings. No Child Left Behind and the Common Core are two of many such attempts at fixes. The problem lies not in the attempts nor in the desire to improve, but in the fo-cus on innovation as a function of program rather than people (a programmatic veneering). This is where independent schools, and particularly board-ing schools, have an enormous advantage, and why schools like Hebron have the potential and the re-sponsibility to be lead educational innovators.

A critical component in the ability to innovate is size, and Hebron is blessed in its smallness. Our size leads to smaller classes, more one-on-one interac-tion, more conversation and communication, greater sharing, and a higher degree of flexibility. We are a school nimble enough to handle change at a pace that

Its the turn of the 19th century and educational innovation has come to the eastern foothills of the White Mountains, to the little outpost of Hebron, Maine. There, under the direction and lead-ership of Deacon William Barrows, Hebron Acad-emy, a private school, is granted a charter and opens its doors to its first students. It precedes by several decades Horace Manns concept of a free public edu-cation for all.

Fast-forward to 2004 and Hebron Academy is celebrating its Bicentennial and the traditions of the past two hundred years. It is among the oldest in-dependent secondary schools in the country. How-ever, the landscape of American secondary education has shifted dramatically since the schoolss opening. Whereas independent schools were once the only option, they now serve just one percent of the high school aged population, and considering only board-ing schools, one-tenth of one percent.

Having found and thrived in such an educational niche for more than two hundred years, one might wonder why a school like Hebron would need to consider innovating. It appears that the traditional boarding school model is a tried and true one, and although certain economic or social shifts sometimes

We are nimble enough to handle

change at a pace that flummoxes larger,

more bureaucratic institutions, and we

allow our faculty the autonomy to design lessons and learning

environments that adapt to individual and group needs.

brian jurek,associate head of school

PRoGRAM InnoVATIon People, Not Programs, Innovate

By bRIAn juRek, assocIaTe Head of scool

Longtime faculty member Cynthia Reedy leads a French III

class in the reading of The little Prince.


flummoxes larger, more bureaucratic institutions, and we allow our faculty the autonomy to design lessons and learning environments that adapt to in-dividual and group needs. In other words, we allow faculty the freedom to experimentto ask legitimate questions about the efficacy of their teaching and to design and redesign experiences that best benefit stu-dent learning. It is interesting to see new movements in businesses like Google that encourage employees to halt their regular routines for a certain amount of time each day or week to explore more person-al what ifs. This kind of innovation time is at the heart of what Hebron teachers engage in constantly.

But teaching in such an environment demands high-energy (as well as the commitment to the other duties associated with working at a boarding schoolcoaching, dorm parenting, taking weekend trips, etc). So, the question becomes not one of es-tablishing a culture of innovation, but rather of pro-moting and sustaining it over the long haul. This is a people first - not a program first - question.

One example of a recent people-centered initia-tive is the concept of faculty workgroups. In the win-

ter term several years ago, instead of continuing with traditional all-faculty meet-ings, we decided to poll the faculty on the most impor-tant issues facing the school. The top five were chosen and faculty groups formed to meet and work on them. For some groups, the out-put was simply discussion and sharing of ideas. For others, the work evolved into significant and concrete programs for school improvement. One such effort was the establishment of a new schedule structure with tremendous benefits for students and faculty. Another led to the establish-ment of a new professional development initiative in-volving small, peer cohorts and online PD portfolios.

Another people-centered project involved the establishment of an academic mission statement and set of core values (see lower left). Individual departments then engaged a similar exercise, all with the goal of helping teachers align profession-al development and innovation with the overarch-ing mission of the school as well as making the schools mission more concrete and actionable.

There have been non-academic innovations as well, particularly in the area of residential life. At its heart, the LIFE program, which stands for Liv-ing (and Learning) in a Family Environment, brings together students and faculty to discuss issues and questions about how best to live and work together. With the leadership of Dr. Daniella Swenton, He-bron has recently established an after-school science program in field research called i4T, (Innovate for Tomorrow), an addition to more traditional sports and arts activities.

Hebron has begun to think not only about how to promote and sustain innovation, but also how to celebrate it. Under the leadership of Dean of Faculty Emily Bonis, Hebron presented its first ever Innova-tive Teaching Awards at the conclusion of this past school year. Faculty were nominated by peers and present their work before a final vote decided the prizes. The school is also considering other ways in which to use the professional development budget to promote innovation.

There is much to do but also much to celebrate here at our little outpost. We are and always have been a people-centered institution, a community that understands the value of sharing questions and ideas that lead to natural and effective change. In this sense, innovation at Hebron is a natural end product of who we are and what we value.

PRoGRAM InnoVATIon

The problem lies not in the attempts nor in the desire to improve, but in the focus on innovation as a function of program rather than people. This is where independent schools have an enormous advantage, and why schools like Hebron have the potential and the responsibility to be lead innovators.brian jurek,associate head of school

Hebron Academy Academic Program Mission & Core ValuesMissionTo create the most effective environment, use the most effective teaching practices, design the most effective assessments, and provide the most effective feedback, all with the primary aim of inspiring and guiding our students to become self-motivated learners adept at thinking critically and creatively, working collaboratively, and communicating with purpose and confidence.

Core ValuesTeachers should: Value and cultivate each students unique voice and experience; Prepare students for both college-level scholarship and responsible participation in the global community; Help students make connections within and between disciplines and to see the forest as well as the trees; Prepare students to be agile problem solvers; teach students methods for finding answers on their own; Promote learning as an investigation through explorationa quest to find answers to authentic and essential questions. We must all, students and teachers, be good question askers; Encourage students to be active participants in their own learning; Employ a variety of teaching styles in order to meet students where they are cognitively and socially; Foster in students an emotional connection to the work in addition to an intellectual connection; Encourage students to develop multiple perspectives on issues; Provide effective feedback, critical in fostering improvement; Emphasize process rather than content; content as a means rather than an end; Work collegially and collaboratively in order to improve.

Dean of Faculty and Mathematics Department Chair Emily Bonis emphasizes cross-curricular programming in her teaching.


My father likes to joke that my first word was why? Although this sentiment is clearly tongue-in-cheek, it does reflect the motivation that underlies my life thus far. My mind is constantly reaching for the why of any phenomenon. Though my students may be surprised, I am an in-trovert. As a wallflower in the world there is much to observe and to understand, to know why. I distinctly remember sitting in my freshman biology course at the University of Vermont as the professor who would later become my advisor explained the beau-tiful simplicity of evolution by natural selection. The world became so clear in its organization after that day. I suddenly had an elegant framework in which to pursue questions of why in the world around me. Later, as my knowledge of evolutionary theory became more sophisticated, I better appreciated the subtle nuances and mechanisms beyond natural se-lection that contribute to the creation of biodiversity in time and space. I pursued my doctorate because I was so enthralled by answering questions about the

evolutionary and ecological nature of the biological world, and university research allowed me to do this.

What I continue to find is that the more why questions I answer about the world, the more why questions I have! Ultimately, it is the process of dis-covery, the path to why that I find captivates me - a world of questions, a world of possibilities, a world of discovery, a world of infinite mystery. I did not set out to become a teacher, nor did I set out to become a research scientist. I have followed a trajectory that allows me the freedom to explore the why questions in this world. I have created a life in which the process of discovery is at the heart of all that I do. From teaching to research to relationships to parenting, I approach my life with wide-open eyes, mindfulness, a smattering of skep-ticism, a can-do problem-solving attitude, and an inquisitive spirit. These are essential elements of sci-entific inquiry, and it is these things above all else that I try to cultivate and nurture in my students.

Young minds, by the nature of their openness, are

ASk WHy?

A Foundation of Inquiry

By dR. dAnIeLLA SWenTon, scIence faculTy

Sampling a habitat at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in

Roswell, NM

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l. k

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Janelle Tardif 14 (L) and Daniella Swenton (R) during a Special

Topics in Biology class last spring


well equipped to consider multiple dimensions in in-tellectual pursuit of the natural world, be they ethi-cal, artistic, philosophical, or scientific. It was this realization while teaching in a 7th grade classroom as part of a graduate school fellowship that sparked my desire to teach younger children, eventually lead-ing me away from university to the campus of He-bron Academy. With me, I brought an interdisciplin-ary and inquisitive nature to teaching science. One great challenge I have found is dispelling the notion that science is a black and white discipline that pro-duces predictable and quick results. Students often enter with the expectation that rote memorization will secure a mastery of the subject. I teach students that science is a highly dynamic and conceptual field with ample opportunity for abstract thought. As scientists, we must use unique skills and knowledge to answer questions about natural phenomena, an-swers that do not come without thoughtful consider-ation and application of the scientific method.

When teaching I strive first to place new informa-tion in the context of greater processes. Second, I constantly reinforce the integration of natural sys-tems from atoms through ecosystems. Finally, I ex-plain the origin of these scientific findings, describing how scientists utilize the scientific method to arrive at their conclusions. Science does not exist in a vac-uum, nor do scientists. We have passions that extend beyond our chosen professional field. For example, I draw, write, and bake in my spare time. I find that placing information in a human framework makes students realize that they, too, are capable of scientific investigation and that they need not be professional scientists to appreciate or explore the natural world.

I find great joy in teaching, and I expect my stu-dents to become advocates for their own intellectual growth. I see myself as an educator, to be sure, but also as a facilitator. I foster an environment where students are accountable to themselves, their peers, their teachers, and their community. My commitment to student-centered learning is evident in student-led discussions, classroom debates, student-created ex-perimentation, and their active questioning and dia-logue during class work. I find that my responsibility lies in offering theoretical and practical frameworks from which students may form their own ideas with critical and creative thinking and constant consid-eration of the process of science. I lead them to find solutions, not by providing a standard answer but by providing necessary ideas, vocabulary and inspiring thoughtful consideration of the subject or problem at hand. Through this type of engagement collabo-ration is born. The process is not free of frustration or setbacks, but it is the path of discovery - fraught with oxbows, seeming dead-ends, forking paths, and

other obstacles. As Dr. Seuss said: You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room.

When my teaching is successful, I see the pure joy of my students faces because they discover or create something on their own! This is my great joy, and my heart is happy for it. Perhaps this is one reason parenting is such an incredible experi-ence. To watch my young daughter embark on her daily discoveries and see her mind grow with such self-determination on her part with only a simple guiding hand from me is simply incredible.

My students enthusiasm for and interest in sci-ence is a refreshing reminder that instilling respon-sibility for the natural world starts at a young age. If we do not nurture the wonder and wander of our young minds, then we erode the path of discovery and destroy the desire to ask why of anything in the world - including nature, art, music, literature, mathematics, love, and morality. We must teach our children that they are independent explorers in their own right and that their processes of discovery and not just answers are what is valued. If successful, their experience with me and in all the things they value will look something like the process of creation as explained by the architect Frank Gehry: For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start work-ing, Im not sure where Im going. If I knew where I was going I wouldnt do it.

ASk WHy?

If we do not nurture the wonder and wander of our young minds, then we erode the path of discovery and destroy the desire to ask Why?of anything in the world.daniella swenton,science faculty

Olivia Berger 16 and Nate Bennett 16 utilize the scientific method in an Honors Biology class.


I arrived at Falmouth Academy on one of those achingly fresh spring days last May when the earth smells of abundance and the heart can imagine all possibilities. I was on a mission to catch up with Peter Conzett, physics teacher at Hebron from 1982 to 1988, and to reintroduce him to the Hebron family. As I drove into the schools visitor parking, Peter was there, the hub of activity for his senior physics students, as it was Day 1 of the Launch Project, an end-of-year contest in creative rocket design fueled by inquisitiveness, competitive-ness and just a bit of trash talking. The goals were simple: work in teams to design, build and fly a rocket of innovative design capable of winning ac-claim for flight parameters of height, control, recov-ery and the accuracy of a predicted landing. Peter supervised the preparation for each launch, banter-ing with the teams, confirming the entry criteria and doing a pre-launch safety check. Then the rockets launched while Peter offered second-by-second com-mentary on a flight: Beautiful, spectacular, a really lovely flight path that is heading yes, heading,

definitely headingout of bounds. Score that zero points for accuracy, but a really lovely flight.

Flight follows flight until the close of the session while Conzett, as his students name him, keeps up a nonstop chatter through the flights and occasional launch failures, until he gives the summary of the days activity. Then students scatter to their next ap-pointments, and Peter and I take up the conversation that is our subject and reported here partly in narra-tive, and partly in Peters own words captured on an old-school tape recorder.

From the Midwest to MainePeters time at Hebron was relatively shortsix yearsand it was his first job in teaching. Know-ing his roots in the Midwest, I asked how he got to Maine. I knew nothing about prep schools, really. I was a Midwestern boy, and I was in grad school at Wisconsin with the goal of becoming a PhD. In those days, if you didnt check the PhD box on the grad school admissions form, that was like checking the box for Do not admit. As I went along and things

Good TeACHeRS LeARn FRoM Good TeACHeRS

Catching Up with Peter Conzett,

Former Physics FacultyBy dAVe STonebRAkeR

at Hebron, it was as if my colleagues saw

in me some good energy and felt that

it could be guided a little, but for the

most part theyd let me go and see what happened. It

was the best kind of mentoring I could

have hoped for.peter conzett,

former physics faculty

Peter Conzett today at Falmouth Academy


got slower and the learning curve flatter, I began to have my doubts. One day my research partner said to me, You always wanted to teach, so why not in a school? Why not in the east, where the prep schools are? It was all news to me.

I got the list of prep schools in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and I wrote to the head-masters of all those schools. And JTL [John T. Ley-den] and a couple of others wrote back. I didnt know at the time that people with advanced degrees in physics and math were a special sort of person, and I thought I would just do it for awhile until I was reminded about why the research part of science was so interesting to me. But it just never happened. I think that in many ways my Hebron time was im-portant to forming who I really am, who I became as a teacher. It was the first time that I ever spent time out of doors. Also, I had never really thought in any sophisticated way about what it meant to teach. I had been a student and had had some good teachers and some not so good ones, but I had never thought about the difference.

At Hebron, it was as if my colleagues saw in me some good energy and were saying that maybe it could be guided a little, but for the most part theyd let me go and see what happened. It was the best kind of mentoring I could have hoped for. I was in an active relationship with some pretty great people in the classroom and on the fields, and I was figuring it out and yet working with people who were letting me have the freedom to try new things and see if they worked. It must have been difficult to watch, knowing that mistakes would happen, and yet also good to see what the out-comes would be. It was the best kind of experi-ence to begin with, and I feel very lucky for that.

Bruce [Found] was so patient with me, and I was probably pretty hard to manage. I had lots of ideas about how things might be done, and I was pretty sure of myself. That had the potential to make things hard, but Bruce was good about letting me go and maybe just tugging a little to get me focused again. He was very generous about that, and when Betsy [Found] became the department head, we had a real-ly wonderful relationship because she had figured out about how to manage me gently and support all the good things that were happening in the sciences then.

What Big Macs can teach usPeter shortly went on to become a Kingenstein Fel-low at Columbia Teachers College and would work on new ways to present concepts in physics and math. Students who studied physics with Conzett will likely remember a question framed during early discussions of approximating which came to them absolutely from left field: How many Big Macs do you think it would take to fill Fenway Park? I asked Peter to recall the beginning of the legendary Big Mac problem, and his laugh was instantaneous. That one came by chance from a weird conversa-tion with a friend. Do you remember when the Mac-Donalds signs used to say Over 70 Billion Served, or some such thing?

My friend said that he just looked at that num-ber and it had no meaning, no mental image, no ref-erence to anything in the real world that he knew. So, I just started to think about a volume, and the idea that if one could grasp the volume of one Big Mac with cheese, pickle, onion and sauce on a sesa-me seed bun, then one could essentially grasp some-thing about the actual world. And so when you start to think about it, you have a grasp on a relationship to something that is tangible.

You know, people only start to learn when they can connect new information to what they already know. And at that time, I had kind of intuited that idea to be true without really articulating it. And


Its important for kids to look at how things work, to have things in their hands, to be curious about something real thats in front of them. Its critical to understanding a physics education, but its also pretty important for understanding the world. peter conzett,former physics faculty

Todays science faculty like Jim Maldonis (above, teaching an Honors Biology class) carry the torch by continuing to prioritize experiential learning and practical application. Like Peters, Jims teaching career began at Hebron, and he now chairs the Science Department after earning his MS at Tufts.

A young Peter Conzett, 1986



so, that was the root of the problem: it was not re-ally about the burgers but about the relationships between the known and the unknown, about being able to put a knowable image in the mind and then connecting the dots between something you knew from experience and something that you had never encountered before.

The good stuffOur time that morning spun out in reflections of be-ing a new teacher and coach at Hebron, of learning the stuff of teaching by doing it, and how doing it in the company of good coll

hebron fall2014

Documents

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