Applewild’s first day of school was September 18, 1957. So last Tuesday we celebrated a surprise 50th birthday for the school. Chef Jeff Palmieri’s dining room message for the day was “50 years of Quality Education and Service,” a legacy that we continue today.
Students, faculty and staff gathered on the Crocker front lawn to form an “AW 50” design. Our thanks to Applewild parent Richard Critz, assisted by his wife Kristina Isakovich, who flew his red helicopter above while photographer Molly Baxter photographed the 50th anniversary design from the skies. Yearly photographs of the school community had been a long tradition at Applewild, and it is fitting that we recalled that tradition as part of our 50th celebration (the first of many this year!).
Thanks to the preparation by Tony Stancato and Jim Palojarvi, we all knew where to stand to form the design. The students enjoyed waving to the helicopter, singing happy birthday, shouting “fifty” in answer to “how old are you now,” and eating slices of the massive birthday cake made by Mr. Palmieri and the kitchen staff.
Several photographs were taken and can be viewed on the 50th Birthday Photo Gallery. Enlargements of the aerial photos will be available for purchase. Also posted on the web are photos of our Chewonki and Grades 7 - 9 orientation trips, which all went well. I enjoyed seeing parents at last Thursday’s Upper School Curriculum Night and at the recent Lower School evening. Several of you will, I hope, be attending the Poetry Alive presentation by our eight and ninth graders tonight (September 28) at 7:00. We are off to a busy, exciting, productive school year!
Continuing our 50th celebration momentum, Marshall Fund for the Arts Chair Lisa Montanaro and members of the committee, with help from our sixth grade Anniversary Ambassadors, met with ceramic muralist Rob Rossel in mid-September. Mr. Rossel will be our Visiting Artist this year, joining us during the week of October 15 to teach us how to make our ceramic tiles. The committee considered potential locations and designs for the installation that will occur as part of our spring celebrations, after each student’s, faculty member’s and other community member’s tiles are formed, glazed (this winter), and assembled (in the spring).
Plans also continue for our special “Day at Old Applewild” on October 19. Several former faculty members will engage with students about what an Applewild education was like and learn what happens today. Among our panelists will be Persis Laverack, who as wife of our first Head Bill Laverack (1957 – 1973) held several key positions in the school’s formative years, long time faculty member Jarvis Hunt, and our third Head Dr. William Marshall and his wife Donna. Bill was Head from 1979 – 2001 and returned as Interim in 2004 – 2005; Donna taught art for many years. Jarvis actually served as interim Head for a semester in 1973, was longtime science chair, and was the photographer for our yearly school pictures! We will have a traditional lunch from the early years, and students will have the opportunity to come to school dressed as they might have in 1957 or thereabouts. Our ninth graders and Anniversary Ambassadors are considering possibilities. Keep an eye out for more details.
Of course, the next day, Saturday, October 20 is our Harvest Fair. I hope to see all our families on campus on this special day for building community within Applewild. Thanks to the Parents Association and Harvest Fair Chairs Bee Tracey and Julie Rodwin and all the volunteers for your creativity and commitment to make this day a success!
We enjoyed an energizing opening Parent Association meeting under the leadership of new president Lisa Bakstran. Among the items was the report of the funding for the Faculty Wish List. It was wonderful to be able to receive funding for all the items! I will provide details of what was funded at the October meeting. Vice-president (and immediate past president) Beth Lindstrom will preside over the October meeting while Lisa is out for surgery, which was successful last Friday. I know that we all wish Lisa well and look forward to her return, and I am grateful to the strong network of Applewild families who are helping to support the Bakstrans.
We have a similar challenge facing another member of our Applewild community. Nurse Kim Howard will have surgery at the end of September. Nurse Kay Asher has arranged with parent Colleen Chapdelaine, a certified nurse who has been a valued substitute nurse for us in the past, to share coverage with Kay in Kim’s absence. We are grateful to Colleen for her help, and I know you share our best wishes for Kim’s speedy recovery. Kim does ask that parents work through Kay if you want to offer specific support.
In addition to Colleen, two other people have joined us this fall. Norton W. (Bill) Smith Jr. began with us in late August as a member of our custodial support team. Bill and his wife Brenda, who have two grown children, live in Leominster. He retired last January from the City of Fitchburg Waste Water Treatment Facility, where he was a Senior Operator. Some of you may know Bill from the Leominster Fisherman’s Club, where he helps run fishing lessons for children.
More recently, Anne Davenport (parent of Chase and Keith) has joined us as our Development Office Administrative Assistant. After six years as Kelly Jennison’s “right hand,” Kerstin Lashua decided over the summer that it is time for her to pursue other opportunities. After interviewing numerous candidates, Kelly offered the job to Anne, and we are delighted that she will be training with Kerstin beginning this last week of September. Anne earned a BA degree from Connecticut College and secretarial and paralegal certificates from the Salter School and Anna Marie College. She has been a paralegal, an office manager and worked as a medical secretary and transcriber and also was an assistant in a preschool, so she understands the importance of confidentiality. Equally important, Anne knows and values Applewild.
I will be away from campus from October 14 – 17 to chair the Pennfield School AISNE Accreditation team. Applewild benefited from a comprehensive, thoughtful accreditation visit and report last fall. We are using that as part of our Long Range planning to chart the future for the school. I hope to offer similar service to Pennfield, which is a charming PK – 8 school in Rhode Island. At the same time, serving on visiting teams provides a tremendous opportunity to see another school in operation, consider how it approaches education, and also be reminded of how successful Applewild is. Tally Lent will be in charge in my absence.
Enjoy the fall!