Brian Fisher
Vermont Academy Featured for its Green Initiatives
The blog, Green Is Sexy, highlights Vermont Academy environmental initiatives and policies as part of their CFL Spotlight series. Of course it took me a second to get the CFL reference.
VA is on top of their eco-concious practices and policies with a Bottled Water Initiative, composting, recycling, organic and local source movements.
Most interesting about [...]
Both Sides of the Prep School Basketball Coin: Athletics and Academics Boys Class A Basketball Concludes
With the boarding school basketball season finished, we’ve come across a couple of highlights that provide an interesting picture of the intensely competitive Boys Class A level.
Class A basketball hosts an unusual combination of athleticism and academic preparation.
For loud, unbridled, super athletic, basketball, take a look at this YouTube video of the Boys Class A [...]
Ohio State’s Jim Tressel Would Make a Great Boarding School Teacher
In a quiet, but very public first (unconfirmed), Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel addresses- in a thoughtful, human, and understanding way- what is, essentially, the ‘third rail’ in college athletics- gay athletes.
I’ve seen Tressel’s interview with Outlook Columbus noted at Yahoo Sports and at ESPN.com.
Writing for Yahoo Sports, Dan Wetzel captures this issue [...]
Prep School Admission & Financial Aid Decisions Arrive in the Next Few Days
In prep school admission and financial aid, it’s good to be ready for anything.
With first round admission and financial aid letters due to arrive to families in the next few days, it’s time think about perspectives, plans, and responses depending on the offers you receive from schools.
It’s always best to have one’s ducks in a [...]
Fountain Valley School Builds Global Perspectives into Curriculum
Fountain Valley School recently affirmed and expanded the school’s commitment to diversity and global experiences through the creation of the Global Scholar Diploma Program (GSD).
Program Chair, Dr. Susan Carrese describes the program this way:
“Globalization is a 21st century reality…At FVS we believe it is essential to embrace the world beyond our campus, our borders and [...]
A Laugh Out Loud Olympic Parody
Don’t miss the two part parody “Ribbon: The Thin Red Line Pts 1 & 2″ done by Pete Hodgin, Kents Hill School history teacher.
These videos are Saturday Night Live worthy.
Hodgin hits all the right notes and skewers the seriousness with which some of the more odd sports are presented and brings laughable absurdity to the [...]
Benefitting from Understanding Fundamental Principles: Midland School Ninth Graders Build Pinhole Cameras
It’s easy to send photo students into the field, digital cameras in hand, to begin their photography studies. It’s quick and easy; go take some pictures.
But the quick and easy assignment skips over some fundamental understandings and history.
In this classically hands-on exercise of progressive education, Midland School 9th graders build pinhole cameras and process their [...]
Plagiarism + Mixing + the “New Paradigm Defense” = Teachable Moment
“Author, 17, Says It’s Mixing, Not Plagiarism,” (New York Times) presents a nice opportunity to talk about plagiarism and misappropriation with students.
The article chronicles the rise and issues of 17 year old author Helene Hegemann whose first novel, “Axolotl Roadkill,” received the kind of overly enthusiastic reviews in Germany that sometimes greets young authors who seemingly provide [...]
A Scholar Among Us: Henryk Hoffman, Perkiomen School
Scholarship is an interesting and quiet side of some boarding school faculty. It seems there’s always a faculty member or two researching, writing or creating and showing.
We recently came across an article by Mr. Henryk Hoffman, Latin and German teacher as well as the World Languages Department Chair at Perkiomen School.
Mr. Hoffman’s piece “Elmore Through [...]
The Unsung Part of Westover School’s Green Cup Accomplishment
Westover School recently held a ribbon cutting for its newly installed 158.60 kW solar energy system.
Motivated by Green Cup Challenge competition and a school-wide commitment to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, Westover’s consumption of grid electricity has declined by 37.5%.
Creative financing- like many non-profits, Westover’s capital spending has come under pressure from market declines [...]
William M. Lowman Idyllwild President and Headmaster Announces Retirement
We recently learned that William Lowman, Idyllwild Arts President/Headmaster and founding head of Idyllwild Arts Academy, a performing arts boarding school, will retire effective June 30, 2010 (correction: June 30, 2011).
Mr. Lowman assumed leadership of Idyllwild in 1985 as the school became independent from the University of Southern California. Idyllwild prospered and grew during his Lowman’s [...]
Landmark Students Recognized: 2010 Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards
Landmark School students received 23 Gold and Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions in this year’s competition which included 6,500 individual and 500 portfolio submissions.
Beth Jamieson, Head of Landmark School’s Art Department said in a school release:
“It is very exciting and affirming for our students to have been recognized by the Boston Globe Scholastic Art & [...]
Hyde School: Focus on Fundamentals
NBC Connecticut reporter Brad Drazen published a piece titled “A School to Shape Character as Well as Mind.”
While we’ve covered Hyde School quite a bit, one part of Drazens’ article stands out. It provides a succinct, presentation of Hyde’s fundamental belief and teaching that attitude, work ethic, and character provide the foundation from which [...]
Lasting Effects of Girls Athletics
Studies and evidence have a nasty habit of turning conventional wisdom into superstition.
It’s hell when we’ve always done it that way becomes- the wrong way. It’s great when the evidence comes in on your side.
Many boarding schools have required some level of student athletic participation for as long as most us can remember.
The majority [...]
An Observation About Alumni Relations
The other day I was on the phone with my alma mater. The school called with a question about something that I had written for AQ.
After taking care of the business questions, the alumni relations officer and I chatted. We know each other through the boarding school world and we hadn’t seen each [...]
