Commencement: 2011

By Harry Tubman, Sschool Chronicler

 

            This year's graduation began under leaden skies, but just as Head of School Adam Man asked the Class of 2011 to rise for the official conferral of their diplomas, sunlight flooded the Green in a propitious omen.

            Adam Man observed that Commencement is a time of both joy and sadness for faculty and staff because the members of the senior class have been “enmeshed in our lives,” and he praised them for their unique contributions to our community.  He adjured the graduates to retain the natural curiosity of their childhood and employ their ability to practice divergent thinking as one key to success in college and beyond.

            Our Commencement speaker was Peter Post, Director of the Post Institute and author of many books including The Etiquette Advantage in Business.  He spoke eloquently about the real meaning of the word “etiquette,” which is creating strong, positive relationships in all areas of life.  “Perspective matters.  See yourselves as others do.”  In the spirit of his great-grandmother, Emily Post, he urged seniors to “wrap yourselves in the love and support of family and friends.”

            Senior Class President Alicia Cohen emphasized the spirit of desire and determination as motivating forces at Forman for her and her classmates, quoting St. John, “One must fail in order to succeed.”  She spoke of her decision to attend Forman as a  “fork in the road” to a new future for herself and emphasized that this graduation presented equally significant forks in the road for her fellow classmates.  The positive energy of the day and its concomitant nostalgia were distilled by Ted Bartley and Ben Ferguson in a beautifully sung The Time of Your Life.

            “Another turning point;

            A fork stuck in the road.

            Time grabs you by the wrist;

            Directs you where to go.

            So make the best of this test and don't ask why.

            It's not a question but a lesson learned in time.

            It's something unpredictable

            But in the end it's right.

            I hope you had the time of your life.”

Freshmen Seminar Pioneers in Citizenship Awareness

By Harry Tubman, School Chronicler

            Francey Fenton, Dean of Student Activities, is leading this year's 9^th grade class in a new course called Freshmen Seminar, which is a comprehensive exploration of citizenship, decision-making and personal responsibility.

            The class meets at 7:30 on Monday evenings to conduct candid, open conversations about what it means to be a positive citizen at Forman and in the greater community beyond Forman.  They explore the decision-making process in order to understand how each decision impacts themselves and others.  Consequently, the group discusses their interactions with others, as well as various dimensions of teenage life such as friendships, peer pressure and bullying.

            Experiential education takes many forms.  For example, the class embarked on a study of etiquette and manners, topics which were major priorities of John and Julie Forman during our school's early years.  The class went back to basics on everything from setting a table, using utensils properly, writing thank you notes and manipulating chopsticks, a great way to learn about Chinese food.  International students led discussions on how etiquette and customs vary from culture to culture.

            When studying the effects and potential dangers of energy drinks, the class divided into seven teams charged with creating and marketing a healthy energy drink.  The project culminated with each team presenting a sales pitch and submitting a sales portfolio to a panel of faculty judges.

            Perhaps most importantly, all freshmen engaged in the critical skill of essay revision, a dreaded process for most teenage writers.  Students wrote and revised essays on individuals whom they admired, and the reasons for their choices.  The results were so creative and thoughtful that many students gave copies to their subjects as holiday gifts.  Francey Fenton said, “I had the good fortune to meet a grandfather who was the subject of one essay, and he told me he cried when he read it.  That was a good feeling.”

            Experiential education at its best.