WINTER 2017 Flintridge Preparatory School Flintridgeprep.Org/Preptalk ALUMNI CALENDAR
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WINTER 2017 Flintridge Preparatory School flintridgeprep.org/preptalk ALUMNI CALENDAR March 4, 2017 FLINTRIDGE FEVER, LET’S GROOVE TONIGHT BENEFIT April 8, 2017 SPRING REUNION DAY for the classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002 April 13, 2017 ALUMNI BACK-TO-SCHOOL DAY May 1, 2017 GOLF TOURNAMENT October 20, 2017 Katrina Torrealba ’18 HOMECOMING DAY November 22, 2017 CONTENTS ALUMNI-IN-COLLEGE THANKSGIVING OPEN HOUSE On the cover: 2 FROM THE HEADMASTER November 28, 2017 Students on the 19 REPLAY #GIVINGTUESDAY 9th grade trip work 3 LEADERSHIP Girls cross country wins State championship together to engineer A new leadership program that begins three years in a row, while boys come in December 2017 (date TBD) neutrally buoyant in 8th grade helps students build essential second. The return of eight-man football and i ALUMNI SPORTS DAY model plankton using 21st-century skills. Coach Julie Mejia focuses a semifinal CIF win. Girls tennis earns first i COMEDYSPORTZ pipe cleaners, clay, on building self-confidence in Prep women. CIF semifinal appearance. Boys water polo straws and other Señor Manuel Nuñez creates impact earns League title and playoff berth. Girls i GRADUATES OF THE LAST DECADE materials opportunities in Nicaragua. volleyball achieves most wins in six seasons. (GOLD) CAREER NETWORKING MIXER i REUNIONS for the classes of 2007 and 2012 Back cover: 11 ALUMNI PROFILE 22 SPOTLIGHT i ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY Members of the Want to know the skills necessary to lead Intimate Our Town celebrates a coming classes of 1966-1968 innovative teams in Silicon Valley? Entrepre- together. Circus Olympus rings Greek myths enjoy Homecoming neur John Milinovich ’06 has some insights. with fun. Winter Dance Concert, “Outside festivities the Lines,” colors our world. Winter Music 13 TAKE NOTE Concert celebrates the season. Prep gains seven-year accreditation. ,, Welcome to new faculty and trustees. 24 ALUMNI NEWS Phase I of Transforming the Future: Enrich, Alumni-in-College Thanksgiving Open House. Inspire, Ignite campaign celebrated. Peter #GivingTuesday goes above and beyond. Bachmann signs his latest book, Advancing Alumni descend on Prep the Friday before Featuring Dr. Peter Gray, Speaking about Student Resilience Confidently. On-campus Homecoming Christmas for Sports Day, ComedySportz, a Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 6:30 pm includes a 50th reunion, a re-teaming of networking mixer and reunions, then convene La Cañada Presbyterian Church champions and a message of pride, dedi- at iX Tapa Cantina to trade stories. Class RSVP: flintridgeprep.org/speaker cation and courage. Football Reflections. Notes. In Memoriam. Celebrating the lives of Mike Mullins, Doris Walton and Bruce Allen. 1 From the Headmaster Almost 15 years ago, I spoke to the Class of 2003 on our first junior retreat. “It’s your school next year,” I said, “if you’ll lead it.” I made it clear to these students that we regarded school leadership as a class-wide responsibility. Later that night, one of the students came up to me: “Mr. Bachmann, I don’t see myself as a traditional elected leader, but next year, I plan to learn the names of five 7th graders and say hello to them by name, every day.” Now that’s organic leadership. Coming out of those early retreats, we saw classes create the tutoring program now known as Senior Leaders, develop the student-focused and student-run Morning Meeting, enhance senior mentoring on athletic teams LEADERSHIP and in productions and initiate private, personal support for younger students. The students themselves placed 12th grade leadership at the IN 2015, Headmaster Peter Bachmann was heart of school culture. interested in adding a component to the In recent years, with the financial help of the Edward E. Ford Founda- school’s human development program that tion, partnerships of ambitious teachers and students have created the TRAINING would specifically encourage leadership skills Nicaragua Initiative, the Athletic Council on Leadership and the Student for all students. Just over a year later, the Community Action Council. Just last week, the Student Senate announced school’s new leadership and mentoring initia- that Project Lightbulb had given financial grants to nearly 20 student tive is a multifaceted human development pro- organizations to help grow their initiatives. FLINTRIDGE PREP PRIORITIZES gram that begins in 8th grade and progresses Our one concern in recent years has been that leadership has been AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP through 11th grade, using class time, retreats largely the domain of older students, on occasion without sufficient un- WITH NEW CURRICULUM and trips, along with voluntary coaching and derstanding or experience. To mitigate that problem, Dean of Student Life panel discussions, to help students identify a Barrett Jamison has been working with consultant Laura Campobasso to unique, personal path toward leadership. The design a five-year scope and sequence that teaches the theory and prac- by Nicole Haims Trevor ’91 journey that led to the full development of the tice of leadership, giving students the insight, skills and experience that will curriculum is as long as the school’s commit- make leadership a naturally evolving sequence, much like English or math. ment to leadership as a teachable skill. In a recent survey, the faculty, staff and young alumni have all identified Back in the late 1990s, parent and trustee Prep first and foremost as a community. True school communities feature Jim Ellis spoke at Senior Horizons. Bachmann more experienced people cultivating the dreams and opportunities of the remembers someone asking Ellis about the younger members—authentic leadership changing lives for the better. role of leadership in the curriculum at the Mar- shall School of Business, where Ellis is dean. — Peter Bachmann, Headmaster “He said, ‘We’re training leaders. That’s our mission. We don’t want successful business people, we want successful business leaders.’” 2 3 According to Bachmann, that was a light- leadership training until their junior year, too bulb moment. He realized that he needed to late to be an optimal senior leader. move forward with greater intention. By 2002, “We had to create a scope and sequence the junior retreat introduced the concept of as we would in any academic subject, provid- senior leadership to the rising senior class, and ing opportunities for leadership training and it remains a staple of the retreat to this day. In discussion at age-appropriate moments,” the years since, Prep students have expanded Bachmann says. their leadership potential exponentially. “Prep kids learn how to be proactive. One CREATING A CURRICULUM reason they are successful in college, even Bachmann called on leadership consultant in large, impersonal universities, is that they Laura Campobasso of Progressive Consulting learn how to make large settings small,” says Services to help establish a curriculum based Bachmann. “They do that by taking initiative, on Prep’s greatest needs. To begin, Campo- whether by knocking on a professor’s door or basso interviewed administrators at several forming a club in their dorm. I want to make colleges. Through 100 conversations, she iden- sure that we are deeply intentional about the tified some striking trends. Colleges reported way we foster these capacities starting when that freshmen from across the nation were they are young.” experiencing increased challenges managing With 58 clubs, sports, a variety of visual conflict, managing time, communicating and and performing arts activities and the Big problem solving. Campobasso incorporated Three leadership groups (Student Senate, the this information into her development of the BUILDING A FLEXIBLE FOUNDATION SHATTERING IDEAS THAT Athletic Council on Leadership and the Stu- program’s curriculum. The leadership curriculum adds a layer of DON’T SERVE STUDENTS 95% dent Community Action Council), there is no Dean of Student Life Barrett Jamison, who mindful intention to students’ everyday activi- Early on in the program, students’ precon- of Prep seniors shortage of opportunities for students to be is also the 9th Grade Dean and Student Senate ties, treating leadership as both a mindset and ceived notions are challenged. involved in student life. A recent study of stu- supervisor, was thrilled with the possibility of a system of habits. Students must consciously “Students come to the table thinking a LEAD and dent activities at Prep reflects that more than additional leadership training for all students. reflect on their leadership styles and impact. leader is a position or a title. They might say, mentor 95% of our seniors are leading and mentoring His deep cultural knowledge, combined with “Eighth graders ask, ‘Can I be a leader ‘I’m the class president, I’m the team captain; others by the time they enter their final year Campobasso’s reams of research and years and not say anything?’ The answer is no. One I’m therefore a leader,’” says Jamison. “This others by their of high school. One challenge, however, has of leadership training experience, have made of the core skills you need to have is initiative, definition is limiting, and it’s not how we view final year of been that while most students are participat- them a perfect team to develop the program. and that implies action,” Jamison says. This leadership at this school. When we meet with ing in leadership activities, many don’t receive Campobasso emphasizes that the scope idea harkens back to the original idea of Jim them, we emphasize that they need to take high school. and sequence can fit on a single sheet of Ellis, to be intentional, to take initiative. that concept, imagine putting it in a box and paper, but both she and Jamison are adamant From Campobasso’s perspective, “A lead- throwing it away.” that the program was created for all students, er knows when they’re engaging in a group Working together, small groups debate 10 Core Leadership Qualities even those who don’t see themselves as that they will have an impact in that group.