BuckleyFALL 2017 LETTER BuckleyLETTER The Buckley Letter is published twice NOTES: What do you think of The Buckley a year by the School’s Development Office. Letter? Email your thoughts to the editor at BuckleyWINTER 2016–2017 LETTER [email protected]. Editor: Will Strumolo ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’S TRIVIA: In Managing Editor: Anne Ahrens what year was Buckley’s Ushers Committee Class Notes Editor: Kate Philip founded, establishing a dedicated group of Upper School students to serve as tour Principal Photography: Dabney Bowe, guides and greeters? 1977. Deborah Zeolla Photography, Juliana Thomas Photography For more about the Ushers Committee, see Buckley Before, page 36. Design: Cheney & Company In This Issue Fall 2017 Headmaster’s Report 2 THE BOYS 4 Science Olympiad Closing Exercises & Awards The Year in Photos Athletic Awards Winter & Spring Sports THE SCHOOL 16 The Parents’ Corner Commencement Address THE ALUMNI 20 Like Father, Like Son Alumni in Education: The Class of 1952 Reunions Spring Alumni Party Class Notes IN CLOSING 36 Buckley Before ON THE COVER: Class III boys Alexander James, Oliver Eastman, and George Carlin work together in BUCKLEY TRIVIA Mr. Karim’s computer class. When did the first Class IX graduate? ABOVE: Middle and Upper School students gather for a special Email your answers to the editor at Election Day Assembly. [email protected].? Dear Buckley Family, AS I LOOK BACK on the 2016–2017 school year, I am help sort and deliver goods to charities. Others help plan as proud as ever of the work our boys have done in the and staff our favorite community events, including the classroom, on the stage, and on the playing field, and I am skating party, the book fair, and the memorable spring as grateful as ever for the work our teachers have done in benefit. Every homeroom has a parent representative and guiding our boys there. Students and teachers are rightly every grade level has its Annual Fund captains. There the stars of the show at Buckley, but in reviewing the many are class cocktail parties to host, snacks to provide, and memorable moments included in this issue of The Buckley costumes to create. The Medieval Feast in Class V, in Letter, I was also reminded of how important a parent body particular, is a spectacular display of parent commitment is to the success of a school year. (and talent!). Take, for example, the wonderful accomplishments The incredible work of parent volunteers every year of our Science Olympiad program, featured on page 5. In is as inspiring as it is necessary to the strength of the only a handful of years, Science Olympiad has become one Buckley program. The truth is that our school would not of the most popular extracurricular activities in Buckley’s be the paragon of excellence that it is today without the Upper School. Boys routinely stay late on Friday afternoons cooperation of parents. Successful academic institutions to prepare for competition and log hours practicing on almost always have a team mentality, and parents are very weekends as well, all on top of their other in-school and much a part of the Buckley team. While it can be tricky at out-of-school commitments. As an auxiliary program, times to maintain the appropriate, distinct roles of parent Science Olympiad relied on parent volunteers in its early and teacher, what makes the collaboration work is that years; they participated as chaperones during weekend we all share the same goals: to build a strong foundation practices and competitions and even as assistant coaches for our boys and to help them grow into young men of under the expert guidance of head coach Dianne Garrett, outstanding character. a Middle and Upper School science teacher and the I am both a teacher and a parent here in New York leader of the Science Olympiad program. As the team has City, and in both of these roles, I have come to admire grown, other teachers have stepped in to help, but parent the work teachers and parents do to help students grow. I volunteers still play a critical role and can be credited thank all of those Buckley parents who helped us this past with helping to build the program into the standout year, and I look forward to our continued work together. extracurricular activity it has become today. Floreat semper ludus Bucklianus! For a sense of the many different ways parent Sincerely, volunteers are relied on each year at Buckley, simply read Parents Committee President Leslie Coleman’s piece on page 17. Buckley parents volunteer in droves from the start of school in September until Closing Exercises in June. Gregory J. O’Melia Some attend field trips, hang student art on the walls, or Headmaster 2 Fall 2017 QuickLook Zahi Hebeka practices for Class III -Hodges performance of James and the Giant Peach. Every student participates in a variety of stage performances every year at Buckley, including operettas, poetry recitals, Oral English assemblies, choral concerts, and school plays. The Boys George Carlin, Class III, builds a robot during Boomerang. STUDENT FEATURE Science Olympiad By Anne Ahrens THIS PAST YEAR, Buckley competed for the fourth time in the Science Olympiad, an academic track meet, so to speak, with 23 events designed to “reflect the ever-changing nature of genetics, earth science, chemistry, anatomy, physics, geology, mechanical engi- neering, and technology,” according to the website. The 2017 season proved to be the best yet for Buckley’s rapidly improving team. Since the program’s inception in 2013, when two Class VII boys wanted more than a science club to participate in, the group has grown from its 15 founding members to an average of 50 student participants each year. That first year, they came home with one 2nd place award and two 4th place awards. Four years later, in 2017, they brought home 43 medals, including several 1st and 3rd place awards, which earned them 4th place overall in New York City. This outstanding finish qualified them for the New York State competition, and they went on to place 15th in the state and win the “Best New School” award. SCIENCE OLYMPIAD PARTICIPANTS AT THE None of this would have been possible without the dedication of 2017 NEW YORK STATE COMPETITION the students, the parent volunteers, and the faculty volunteers. Since Harrison Abromavage, Alex Kovitch, Class VIII day one, Middle and Upper School Science Teacher Dianne Garrett, Class VIII, Captain Harry Margolis, Class VIII the Science Olympiad advisor, has viewed the group as a way for Brian Tan, Class VIII, Captain Adrian Morrison, Class VI science-minded students to learn more—the trophies are a bonus. Campbell Abelow, Class VII Jeffrey Ramos, Class VIII Even though the program is an after-school elective, the boys take it Charlie Bowers, Class VII Clint Silver, Class VIII seriously, regardless of the outcome. They want to do well: “They are Tommy Brooker, Class VIII Jackson Slater, Class VI impassioned,” says Mrs. Garrett. Yes, medals bring great excitement, Mark Falenchuk, Class VII Alec Stern, Class VIII but it is the boys’ growth throughout the year that makes the Teddy Fitzsimons, Class VIII Reilly Teeter, Class VII program worthwhile. Will Groot, Class VII Chandler Vogel, Class VIII There is a lot that must be done to prepare for the four types of Nicky Harwich, Class VI Peter Worth ’17 events in the competition. Paper and pencil tests, covering material Austin James, Class VI through eleventh-grade science, are one type of event. Lab events are also included, in which students must conduct an experiment and then explain the science behind their work. There are also building competition, Mrs. Garrett enlisted three more faculty members to events, which are the most work intensive, as well as an inquiry help guide the team, each with their own specialty. Nick Frankfurt, portion, for which the boys attempt to learn a new vocabulary on the Science Department Chair, assists with topics on herpetology any topic, almost like Jeopardy. To prepare for their own events, each and amphibians, among others. David Elgart, the Associate student creates a study binder and works many hours on Fridays and Director of the Upper School and an Upper School mathematics Saturdays. One of the most commendable and impressive parts of teacher, handles mathematics and optics. And Scott Wickham, a the Science Olympiad program is the amount of work the students mathematics and physics teacher in the Upper School, helps the complete throughout the year, sometimes ahead of their grade level boys in topics related to building hovercrafts and more. and all with little to no assistance. Each year, several veterans of the The boys have showed great teamwork, good sportsmanship, program serve in leadership roles as well, mentoring new Olympians and the desire to learn, and they have lofty goals for the coming and assisting Mrs. Garrett in organizing the team. year. With the help of some alumni teammates, they have their eyes As the team has grown over the last few years, and to set on the 2018 National Competition, which happens to take place accommodate the enthusiasm of the boys for all 23 categories in the in New York City. ◆ The Buckley Letter 5 THE BOYS Closing Exercises 2017 2017 Class IX Graduates 2017 Class VIII Graduates Alex Kovitch Hotchkiss Noagh Desir Trinity-Pawling Harrison Abromavage Lawrenceville Nicholas Lawson Trinity Finn Gerry Westminster Eli Bacon Horace Mann Gunnar Overstrom Hotchkiss Eric Guaman Loomis Chaffee Blair Belford St. Paul’s Jeffrey Ramos Browning Teddy Schellbach Westminster Holt Bitler Andover Crawford Rice Deerfield Alexander Boriss Andover Teddy Rockefeller Deerfield Tommy Brooker Trinity Alexander Rowley St.