the gleaner 20081 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 12 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 34 1. coach bill taylor 2. coach peter green 3. coach bob thompson 4. coach rich brousseau 5. coach bill emerson 6. tennis team, 1998 7. wrestling team, 2000 8. coach ken beatson 9. cheerleaders, 1973 10. coach kent weaver 11. coaches bob derrico & cliff spelman 12. coach peter santos 13. cross country team, 1992 14. cheerleaders, 1959 15. coach bob kirk 16. golf team, 1967 17. coach beth foote 18. coach cecelia “lady” ingraham 19. coach john dillon 20. coach mike lunt 21. coach jeff todd 22. track team, 1940 23. coach doug peck 24. coach dave greer 25. track team, 1997 26. cross country team, 1959 27. coach glenn anderson 28. coach bob wilde with basketball team, 1965 29. softball team, 1982 30. volleyball team, 1993 31. soccer team, 1978 32. tennis team, 1996 33. gymnastics team, 1999 34. soccer team, 1973 35. lacrosse team, 2007 academy coaches and teams through the decades. photo legend 8 13 11 141 the gleaner 2008 from the headmaster building for the next level of excellence richard p . foye as alumni of woodstock academy, you are justifiably proud of the woodstock academy legacy of educational excellence. whether you experienced this in the classroom, on stage, in the music room, at the pottery wheel, or on the athletic fields, these experiences formed the basis of the education we call the “academy difference.” as i begin my fifth year on campus, i become more ingrained with the history of the academy and it is apparent that the “excellence” and indeed, the “difference” have not looked exactly the same since 1801. education at the academy has evolved over time, but what has remained constant over the last two centuries is the importance of building on the foundations that lead to excellence: the importance of academic rigor; the necessity of a well-rounded educational experience; and the ethos of a rural town academy. the combination of all three is a rare commodity that many communities would aspire to achieve. that being said, what does the next decade hold for our academy? as an organization it is important to address future needs as we build for the next level of excellence. achieving the next level will require attention to the areas of academics, activities, and facilities. first and foremost are the high standards of academics at the academy which must be maintained and enhanced. these standards are founded in the basic, solid liberal arts curriculum that is necessary to make good decisions as a productive citizen, and augmented with a solid array of international studies, a strong foundation in the fine arts, and cutting edge technology. the academy has carefully added programs that allow students to select activities that interest and engage them. activities ranging from the labs of the chemistry olympiad to the fields of athletic competition are an important part of the academy experience. these experiences provide students with the opportunity to work toward greater goals beyond the individual by working in groups or teams. our ability to provide a solid curriculum enhanced by extracurricular activities serves as the gateway to life-long learning. finally, using our strategic plan as a guide, the facilities and physical plant must be maintained to provide a stimulating environment in which to teach and learn. an expanded bentley athletic complex, the need for a completed sewer line, and a demand for increased space with improved technology are all a part of the next decade of planning. implementing action plans to achieve our goals will require careful and prudent financial planning. given that funds are always tight, we will call on all of you to help. in this stage in our history we are in a unique position as a town academy – a model unique to new england, with twenty such schools serving over 16,000 students. this organizational structure has allowed an independence of action that serves students and communities in an exemplary manner . however , one of the major challenges that we face as an independent school with a public purpose is to maintain the delicate balance between our public responsibilities and private capabilities. your support of the academy, both philosophically and philanthropically, is crucial as we meet that challenge and continue to evolve. our stewardship of all that is the academy is taken to heart by all of us who care about preserving its history and ensuring a bright future. i thank you for your past and continued stewardship of woodstock academy and look forward to working with you as we build toward its future and the next level of excellence. 1 from the alumni president past alumni president joseph c. musumeci, ‘92 with current alumni president paul lynn, ‘59 dear alumni & friends: it is with great pride that i can say that woodstock academy continues to be a wonderful place. i am pleased to have been associated with the academy for over fifty-five years - 7th grade in the ag building, 8th grade in the auditorium, four wonderful years as a student, a decade in the classroom as a member of the faculty, married to an alumna, nine years as parent of two alums, and through stewardship as alumni president and alumni trustee. i am proud of "what" the academy is and represents. woodstock academy's strength is its independence and what it can provide for our students and constituents as a result of that independence. the academy is part of a unique group of new england town academies; proven models of excellence in education. the board of trustees and academy community have reaffirmed their commitment to quality education with a strategic plan that addresses all aspects of our future as an independent school with a public purpose. as many of you may be aware, the academy has faced some unique challenges in the past few years, politically and economically. the most serious of these included the possibility of the woodstock board of education retaining the 8th grade as a “cost saving measure,” and a suggestion to the state legislature that the governance of the academy be changed. additionally, the sending town of brooklyn has considered a venture of regionalization as a cooperative effort with the towns of chaplin, hampton, and scotland, which would ultimately have had an effect on the academy’ s enrollment. none of these challenges have come to fruition - the details of which would take more than this page would allow, but my reason for mentioning them is this: it is our identity as an independent school that has seen us through each and every challenge. our independence has allowed us to be mission-driven, keeping the students at the forefront. our independence does not represent isolation but independent thinking that leads to thoughtful visit the headmaster's corner on the woodstock academy website www.woodstockacademy.org the headmaster's corner provides a unique opportunity to increase communication among those that interact with woodstock academy. this forum includes informational video blogs, photos, news, and important announcements. as headmaster , i welcome your thoughts, concerns, or general feedback regarding issues here at woodstock academy via email - webmaster@woodstockacademy.org. i look forward to hearing from you! continued on next page2 the gleaner 2008 the alumni salad booth has been in operation at the woodstock fair for 5 years now and has netted an average of 4,000 for the past 4 years with a volunteer effort of over 70 alumni and friends. this is the major annual fundraising activity for the association and it has proven to be well worth the time and effort. we are extremely grateful to our volunteers who spend time in the booth during the holiday weekend to make this annual event a success. the majority of our volunteers have returned year after year , bringing new recruits along with them. it doesn’t take long for a rookie to feel like a veteran though – it’ s trial by fire at the fair , but it’ s quick and painless! so if you’re headed to the woodstock fair on labor day weekend, consider a few hours of salad tossing and of course, socializing. we guarantee a fun time! bob zanlungo, mom zanlungo, diane white barlow sandra breen fredrickson & kristen croteau willis dawn sherman, bob blackmer , rich garceau, louis (rocky) wonoski, ann wonoski consideration, of all of our constituents, and i believe it has resulted in quality education at a reasonable cost. in our recent turmoil, it’ s been wonderful to see how alumni, parents, community members, and educational and political leaders have stepped forward in support of the academy and its mission. in these efforts, no presence or voice could be stronger than that of alumni. we, as alums, are the living testament to an academy experience. we are part of a unique heritage filled with history and generations of tradition. and it is up to us to be at the forefront of preserving that unique heritage, as well as new innovations. i ask all of you to think about how you can help woodstock academy provide the best education possible for our area students. consider showing your support by your presence – whether attending academy functions or our annual alumni social events like the alumni banquet or homecoming; contributing your time to a committee or fundraiser like the salad booth; supporting a project through the annual fund drive; providing your input as we implement action plans to address our strategic plan; or by simply keeping in touch from near or far . this helps us in our efforts to stay connected and viable. how you choose to participate is up to you and your contribution is most welcome. whatever role you choose to play is significant in ensuring that the “history” that is written about woodstock academy as an independent school will be one that will thrive in the 3rd century and beyond. as we approach the end of a decade in our 3rd century, i look forward to working with you, our academy administration, our fine faculty and my fellow trustees to see that we provide a first rate education for each and every student. we must continue to move forward to improve the quality of the “academy experience.” sincerely, paul d. lynn, ‘59 alumni president from the editor: to say that i am pleased to present this issue of the gleaner would be an understatement – “the best laid plans of mice and men” gone astray, this gleaner has been a labor of “love”, long awaited and anticipated by all those involved in its production. many thanks to all those who assisted with or contributed to this issue. we have chosen not to leave any years uncovered since our last edition, including many a commencement speech, convocations, alumni banquets and reunions, ensuring that the gleaner remains true to its intended purpose. in august of 1892, principal ely hall gathered alumni and former faculty to organize an alumni association that would keep alive the friendships formed at the academy and to create more interest in the school. in addition to holding annual reunions, a magazine would be published that would be a means of exchanging items of personal interest, news, and opinions; an opportunity for the development of talented writers; and to serve as a historical record of academy and alumni activities and events. it is with this purpose that we continue publication of the gleaner . of particular note in this issue – the increased enthusiasm and participation of alumni in annual events and reunions; evidence of the strength, breadth and depth of the academy’ s academic and athletic programs; and the exciting international experiences and initiatives of alumni and the academy community. we hope that you enjoy “catching up” as we catch up with you. i am pleased to welcome a new staff member to the alumni office, anne carraher , who has been and will be of great assistance in making our magazine an annual publication as intended. as always, we encourage our readers to share their stories, news, photos and memories with us, engaging in the exchange of ideas with your fellow alumni as principal hall intended. kristen croteau willis, ‘76 gleaner production editor: kristen willis assistant editor: anne carraher photos: amanda harrington, brenda stockwell, wa archives, lifetouch studios, alumni contributions publishers: chase graphics, inc., putnam, ct woodstock fair alumni salad booth suzanne staveski rosendahl, paul lynn, kathryn woodcock lynn, cindy woodis west, steve rosendahl don’t mess with judy! dee & rich foye, ann mitra continued from page 1 lynn tedeschi converse, jessica weaver boose, david boose, joe musumeci3 the gleaner 2008 woodstock fair alumni salad booth dan ledogar & kate fredrickson the weaver contingent: seanna weaver , kent weaver , jessica weaver boose, dave boose we occasionally allow our help to eat - believe it or not, herman chose salad. peggy ask, ann mitra, ron rhault, jeri carpenter musumeci guy grube - master photographer & master salad salesman peggy ask, nancy holzshu, lynne croteau morin, holly grube singleton, jane warren grube tracie molinaro, mary & kent weaver vinnie & rose carminati holly grube singleton & sharon kozey edwards cyn woodis west gives a lesson in the careful handling & slicing of the hard boiled egg. carrie norris, gale gileau, denise gileau marshall lynn loves making salad! erin holden master cucumber slicer vinnie c. jonathan benson herman & dianne white barlow, john rauh, nicholas rauh, kerry fair & nancy rauh nancy holzshu, lynn tedeschi converse, joyce larson4 the gleaner 2008 brenda stockwell, jackie croteau, joyce brolin white paul and joyce larson volunteers not pictured: janice bennett, kristen barlow, alexa & arianne corrente, david pechie, & bob willis. jay livernois, martha arvidson beckwith, bob blackmer , kerry fair peggy ask, gale gileau anne carraher and rich garceau pat edmonston tomkievich and john rauh mike, molly & sandra breen fredrickson jayne collins, shannon leo, john barlow, joe musumeci, james barlow geri payton, judy bates conrod, lynn tedeschi converse, peggy ask rich & dee foye, ann wonoski, rose & vinnie carminati lynne croteau morin, brian musumeci, jacke croteau, sandra breen fredrickson sharon and erin holden poetry by pat kaneda class of 1953 inspired by summers at 54 rawson road in the late 1940’ s. rawson road a dirt road divided by a grassy line, a narrow garden of weeds. a summer house. beyond and beside, deeper woods yielding lady slippers, jack-in-the-pulpits. elusive velvety scarlet and white, trillium, bold and seductive secreted in the shade. the road meandered until it stopped at a sweet lake. bicycles tossed on its banks, we dove, avoiding reeds and cat-o-nine-tails, for lurking leeches waited there. we shrieked with the joy and terror of it all. later , wrinkled fingers, teeth chattering, towels fluttering like capes of superheroes, barefoot feet on pedals, we returned to the white house. tearing tomatoes at the kitchen garden, first bite yielding sun and sweetness, fresh asparagus that would turn to lace in august. finger food. mom’ s home-made bread. july’ s raspberry pie changing to blueberry, corn, an unseen farmer’ s gift. filling our stomachs, we three grew like the summer plants. i, twelve, in love with a yearning for love, brothers, ten and eight dizzy with choice. a chicken coop, tenants long ago evicted. we scrubbed, dragged in wicker furniture, nailed screen where there had once been panes. brothers bent on adventure with secrets of their own, disappeared. the coop was mine for hot muggy summer days with books, and the faint warm smell of chickens. woodstock fair alumni salad booth5 the gleaner 2008 ginkgo berries paul lynn, class of 1959 perhaps it was during the bicentennial celebration in 1886 that the first ginkgo tree was planted in town; it is no longer clear in the memories or annals of our local history where the tree came from. it may have been clarence bowen who returned from his travels with the ginkgo tree from china to his victorian woodstock. perhaps it was albert lythgoe (the renowned archeologist, and the fifth man to enter king tutankamen’ s tomb—they say he, like the first four , died from the curse) who found the exotic tree during one of his foreign adventures; no one seems to remember . but the tree was planted in a prominent spot along the west side of the old woodstock academy building on woodstock hill; most academy alumni will remember the tree, and its unpleasant autumn aroma. it is purported by some to be the oldest and largest ginkgo tree in the state of connecticut. when i attended the academy in the 1950’ s, the students were fascinated with the fan-like leaves, unlike our ubiquitous maples, elms and various and sundry other deciduous trees that beforested our rural town. we were informed by mrs. marcus, our science teacher , that this was an ancient and primitive type of tree. she carefully explained that there were male and female ginkgo trees, and that it took one of each for the tree to be able to reproduce (part of our “birds and the bees” lecture, i suppose); ours was the female tree, and it bore the fruit. in the autumn, when the trees of our drumlins, valleys and roadsides were abloom with intense reds, oranges and yellows, that lone ginkgo tree’ s leaves had changed from pastel green to yellow. also, in autumn, the ginkgo fruit ripened. the yellow globes, about the size and shape of cherries or grapes, contained a small pit. frosty nights hastened the inevitable dropping of the mature ginkgo balls to the ground where they began to over-ripen and decompose over the next few weeks. we were told the fruit was not edible, nor were we tempted; if you have ever had a whiff of rotting ginkgo balls, not a soul, i’m sure, would attempt to eat any of them, for the female fruit’ s most distinct characteristic was (and always will be) an “olfensive” smell emanating from its soft, yellow flesh. the stink was most intense when crushed underfoot—especially by male students who looked for the softest ones that had warmed in a patch of sunshine. the sickening aroma was not dissimilar (to put it somewhat politely) to that of canine puppy barf, familiar to those who have had the displeasure of cleaning up such messes. now, two of the classrooms in the academy building, one on the first floor and the other directly above it, had windows that opened to the prevailing westward winds. these two classrooms were the unfortunate recipients of that enriched autumn air that wafted into the room where scholars were focused upon their lessons. on hot, fall days, the cooling “fresh” breeze, having absorbed an overwhelming amount of noxious and ineradicable perfume from the infamous ginkgo balls so generously scattered under the tree, was more than the students and instructors could endure. on these sweltering days, the question always arose: to throw the windows open to encourage whatever breeze there might be to cool the classroom, or to close the windows to lessen the smell, and suffer the hot and stagnant air? the smell was even more sickening if someone had walked on the fruit and tracked it into the classroom. even after thoroughly wiping the bottoms of our shoes, the stink always remained. each autumn, the nauseating odor of this abundant and forbidden fruit caught the attention and imagination of a few students at the academy. one alumnus, a graduate of 1949, recalls that after school one day he and his buddies harvested a sufficient quantity of the over-ripe crop. they divided their bounty into small portions, and deposited them into brown paper bags, discreetly positioning them behind the steam radiators in every room throughout the entire building. the next morning, as the steam heat piped its way to warm each room for the comfort of the scholars and their instructors, the ginkgo balls heated up considerably. the warmed bags released that all-to-familiar stink from the “stinko” balls, much to the distress of students (all but a few who were anxious to see the inevitable outcome of such a scientific and sociological experiment) and teachers alike. the pranksters were delighted with the results. with the all-pervasive odor of ginkgo balls cooking on the radiators, the culprits could not be identified and sent home, so the entire school population was treated to an early dismissal, leaving the “authorities” to thoroughly air out the building after locating each and every paper bag. recently, i was privileged to overhear an incoming freshman girl talking with her girlfriend who was entering her sophomore year . the sophomore had an interesting twist regarding the ginkgo tree. she explained to the younger student the fun the freshman would enjoy later in the fall when the “ginkgo-berries” (as she called them) dropped to the ground. the sophomore continued to recount how some of her girlfriends and she had enjoyed trying to pitch those “ginkgo-berries” through the open windows of the third floor where, who else, but boys were peering out. she explained that the “ginkgo-berry” tree was very old and the roots had worked their way into the school’ s septic system. this, she said, caused some sort of reaction with the tree so that the yellow “berries” acquired a particularly unpleasant smell. in my estimation, this was an interesting and creative hypothesis! (where was mrs. marcus to set the story straight?) i have since discovered that this myth about the cause of the smell is shared by other upperclassmen, and has become part of the academy lore. i appreciated this interpretation so much that i did not bother to correct her and to tell her what mrs. marcus had so painstakingly explained to us about the ginkgo tree. it would be most unfortunate (and a disservice to folklore) to have let scientific facts interfere with such a good story. and i’m sure future generations of students will find their own ways to deal with that inevitable and unavoidable “ginkgo berry” stink. paul dryden lynn has been a resident of woodstock for over fifty years, and is still considered by the old-timers as a new-comer . he has an ma in folk culture from nysu in cooperstown, ny, and was appointed several years ago as woodstock municipal historian. when not otherwise making redware pottery and tuning pianos, he, as any true yankee, is willing to listen to your stories and recollections and might, time permitting, share some with you. congratulations paul! the alumni association extends a warm congratulations to our alumni president, paul lynn and now published author of a wonderful collection of stories about the “yankeeness” of woodstock. the first volume called “just a thought” has just been published by frost hollow publishers and illustrated by rick lamarre, ‘81. congratulations paul, and thanks to all who have lent their personal experiences and recollections to these wonderful stories. we’ll look forward to the next volume. have you any woodstock academy memories or stories? send them along to paul at woodstockhistorian@yahoo.com or kris willis in the alumni office at kwillis@woodstockacademy.org6 the gleaner 2008 on november 30, 2006, the academy held its first alumni arts exhibition. academy alumni benjamin shamback ‘92, neal parks ‘80, dylan gould ‘01, nathaniel gould ‘94, suzanne staveski rosendahl ‘70, paul lynn ‘59, kathryn woodcock lynn ‘74, philip munroe ‘78, and alexys hanczar wilbur ’98, displayed an array of art media including oil painting, photography, hand painted paper , textiles, ceramics, acrylics, pen and ink, charcoal, wood and wire sculpture, and furniture. the show was held in the bracken library, with an opening reception on the 30th and ran through december 3rd in conjunction with an academy theatrical production of the effect of gamma rays on man-in-the-moon marigolds being held in the bates auditorium that weekend. the show was coordinated by academy art teachers, mrs. gloria hanczar and mrs. susan lagrow and hosted by the alumni and development office. we hope that this will be the first of many venues to come which showcase our talented alumni in the visual and performing arts. woodstock academy’s 1 st alumni arts exhibition photography, top row: kathryn lynn; bottom: dylan gould pastel of roseland cottage, phillip munroe marjorie yater , bill gould, gloria hanczar oil paintings by ben shamback postcard by suzanne rosendahl, print of hand painted/torn paper7 the gleaner 2008 woodstock academy’s 1 st alumni arts exhibition 7 left: inkwash scroll - phil munroe; right: handpainted/torn paper - suzanne rosendahl shirley yater with grandson nathan gould. (artist & poet shirley yater passed away october , 2007. mrs. yater was the widow of george yater , a well-known regional painter of the 1920’ s - 1930’ s.) acrylic by phil munroe pen and ink by phil munroe duncan herman-parks, leta herman, steve rosendahl photography by nathaniel gould furniture by alexys wilbur top: handpainted/torn paper - suzanne rosendahl; bottom: textiles - kathryn lynn, pottery - paul lynn oil abstracts by neal parks8 the gleaner 2008 considered the next most logical step and today almost a rite of passage, the quest for college admission begins early for academy students. once admitted, the task of “how-to-finance” those costs remains a daunting challenge for students and their families. college success is borne not only in a student’ s high school and college achievement but also in the persistent support of their family and other committed adults. this may seem a 21st century problem, but just such a dilemma faced my family 75 years ago. early in 1930, eugene w. ellis, principal of woodstock academy, sat down with my grandparents, rob and christina johnson, to discuss the ideas of sending their daughters, florence and anna, on to college. “the girls should further their education by going on to college”, he explained, “ and i know the perfect school for them.” his perfect school was mary washington college in fredericksburg, virginia. today, the school is part of the university of virginia, but in 1930 it was dedicated to preparing teachers by providing a rigorous education balanced with service to society. how, my grandparents must have thought, could this ever become a reality? true, they believed as other immigrant families did, that the key to a better and more productive life in america came through educating the young, but these were the early years of the power to inspire by dorinda dodge lundin class of 1960 a tribute to florence johnson dodge, class of 1930 1912 - 2005 a national depression, women had only been able to vote since 1928 and college was a privilege for the well-to-do, not the standard for a swedish immigrant family. florence and anna graduated from the academy in june of 1930. as was the custom their class posed for a photo outside the ivy covered bracken library. that photo of one man and 10 women is more than a graduation photo. it is also a silent witness to the difficulties of completing a high school education during the hard times of a growing national depression. both tough times and a culture of subsistence farming plucked woodstock’ s youth from the classroom and settled them as necessary labor in the homes and fields of the community. even our anna left school for two years before returning to graduate with florence. education was not for all. the johnson girls enjoyed high school and for mother , basketball became her special “love”. in 1929, the woodstock academy women’ s basketball team, of which mother and anna were both players, competed in a “free throw” tournament. the competition, which began in 1924, mostly composed of southern schools, became international in 1926. the games of ’29 completed with woodstock academy winning the u.s. championship and only loosing the international championship to an extraordinarily strong team from japan. while the girls were able to participate in challenging extra-curricular activities, the task of just getting to school was equally demanding. transportation to school was a family’ s responsibility, and while the girls sometimes walked the distance to and from west woodstock, more often they drove a horse and buggy. the horse was stabled inside carriage sheds located behind the congregational church and when they could, the girls would dash down to the sheds to tend to the horse’ s needs before continuing their school day. during the last years of school, an automobile entered the picture with anna as the driver and florence and other neighbors as passengers. completing high school must have been a wonderful experience for both my mother and aunt. while each of the girls received awards and recognition, mother was especially proud of the gold medal she received for the “free throw” championship and her award of the academy’ s yale cup. their high school days were quickly drawing to a close, but as they did, another educational experience was poised to unfold, for mr . ellis had not given up on the idea that florence and anna were going to college. mother remembered mr . ellis’ s persistent efforts. in a discussion before she passed away, she recounted those memories. “mr . ellis was continually talking to mama and papa. they always seemed to be working out the details. i never really knew where those funds came from”, she added, “as any extra money was non-existent. years later , i found out that papa had sold some land, a loan was taken out one year , and mr . ellis worked out a way for “annie” and i to earn our room and board by working in the school laundry.” so, in the fall of 1930, the girls found themselves in fredericksburg, virginia, freshmen residents in a woodstock academy graduating class of 1930. top row: rosanne child, anna johnson, margaret scranton, louise pike jordan (advisor), eugene hibbard, ruth palmer , elinor perrin, elsie hibbard front row: marion cady, eunice pike, eleanor starr , florence johnson seating cards from the 1929 woodstock academy basketball banquet9 the gleaner 2008 small garret-like room directly above the kitchen at mary washington college and a very long way from connecticut. “i was so homesick that first night,” mother recollected, “that i cried myself to sleep. in the morning, the aroma of breakfast awakened me from a dream so real, i believed i was back in woodstock and mama was making breakfast.” college life for every generation is different, but during the great depression, that life had its unique difficulties. visits home to woodstock were limited to summer breaks, there were no telephone calls and letters were a treat. once when the girls’ sister died, the family drove all night to arrive in virginia the next morning to share the sad news and console each other . work in the laundry was demanding with long hours, but their education was stimulating. the girls came to love these college years and the people of fredericksburg, but as their four years of education entered its final turn and the girls prepared to charge down the home stretch towards graduation, tragedy struck. in 1934 much of depression-wracked america was out of luck, money and trade-able goods. in particular , rural regions found themselves stretched with empty pantries and economically bare tables. as is true of most periods in history, the 30’ s were a time of contrast. some regions actually enjoying better times and good jobs, but not in woodstock, for here the college bills were due and there was simply nothing left with which to pay them. people make choices for many reasons and mr . ellis had ignited a fire within my mother’ s family. a “mere national depression” was not going to deflate this family’ s dream, so the johnson family made the only acceptable decision they could, the whole family would go to virginia where the greatest employment problem was finding enough competent workers to fill their jobs. as the autumn of ‘34 waned, the family shuttered the farm, placed the animals with neighbors, loaded the truck with the tools of their livelihood and drove south to fredericksburg. with the help of friends they found a house to rent, moved the girls from the dorm into the family quarters and began the job of paying the past due bills and graduating the sisters. papa quickly found work restoring historic homes and their son work in a manufacturing plant. slowly and with painstaking care those bills were paid and the storm of crisis abated. each day the girls would climb the hill to the college, attend class, then go to work in the laundry. the routine had a price and in the last weeks anna became very sick. without the stamina left to move about on her own, mother would get behind her and bodily push her up the hill so that she could get to class on time and meet the graduation requirements. no one knows how powerful his or her words can be, hopefully used to inspire. mr . ellis carried out the true work of an educator and the mission of a school when his words helped one family achieve a dream of acquiring knowledge through education. on a clear bright day in may of 1934, florence and her sister anna listened closely for their names to be called and when they were, the girls crossed a simple outdoor amphitheater stage, amid glorious blooms of daisies, redbud and azalea to receive a small piece of sheepskin that was a treasure beyond all value. no member of that congregation seated upon the theatre’ s stone seats, cheered more loudly for their own than did florence and anna’ s comely swedish farm family from connecticut. the academy’ s influence and mr . ellis’ efforts did not go unrewarded. florence and anne both went on to become teachers. anna taught business in north stonington and new britain and florence taught physical education and became a regular substitute for the one-room schools of woodstock. throughout their lives, florence and anna never wavered in their pursuit of life-long learning, continuing to set enriching examples for all those whose lives they touched. dorinda dodge lundin, daughter of florence johnson dodge, is a graduate of woodstock academy, class of 1960, a graduate of university of connecticut, and the math coordinator for the woodstock public schools. photographs & memorabilia are from mrs. dodge’ s personal collection. newspaper article (date and publication unknown) discussing competition including team and individual tournament standings poetry by pat kaneda class of 1953 memory of the summer of 1944 at 54 rawson road nine, seven and five free in august slamming the screen door behind them, the children cross the dirt road, scrambled through the freckled lilies, the sumac, looking for the low spot on the stone wall. ashley was haying today. they’d heard him call to his horse jim, the tinny sound of the hay rake announcing his approach down the gravelly dirt road. crossing the road to the meadow and the cluster of trees surrounding it, nine spotted it first, the topiary pump hidden in the underbrush. covered with briars, rose hips even, it stood there on a shaky wooden platform. the three tore at the vines, sweat pouring down their rosy faces, gnats buzzing ‘round their heads. “gotta prime it!” seven shouted, running to the house. the others, deaf to his words, continued stripping the pump of its greenery. he returned, back bent sloshing water as he hauled the bucket both hands gripping the handle, knees pushing. nine primed. five and seven pumped, then round again. squeak, squeak, squeak. at last, a splash and another! huddled together , hands on the handle, haying forgotten, cupped hands reached toward the silver stream and they drank, cold water running down their chins, down their fronts, down to their feet, washing the dirt from their bare, brown toes.10 the gleaner 2008 from woodstock to thailand by john magee ’94 we were very happy to catch up with john magee when he stopped by the academy during a visit back to the u.s. last summer with his fiancée. john has been in thailand for several years, enjoying a teaching career and the warmth and friendliness of the thai people. we are most appreciative that he was willing to share his experience abroad with us and a wonderful photo essay of students and colleagues during the sports day celebration at the ideal english academy in bangkok, thailand. i don’t know why i ended up in thailand. i just know that i did. well, that’ s not really true. i had been living in singapore for nine blistering hot months. singapore, if you don’t already know is famous for caning the american international student - wait a second while i google the tubes. singapore, punk, caning, ah yes michael p . fay. this goodwill ambassador decided that it would be a good idea to spray paint several mercedes. several skin breaking lashes later he realized that it wasn’t such a good idea. but i digress, singapore is mind-numbingly boring. it’ s a very good place for retired english accountants but not for a spry twenty-something american. thailand on the other hand is a bit more exciting to say the least. whilst living here i have experienced my first military coup, and have fallen in love. yes, i know it’ s a bit cliché. but something happens after you reach thirty. i wouldn’t dare try to explain it for fear of sounding like a sentimental prat. i have also acquired a fair amount of english vernacular . at present i am employed at a catholic school run by nuns from the order of the sacred heart. we have about 2,000 students and 900 of these students are in our english program. our program ranges from kindergarten to high school. we teach the four main skills of english: reading, writing, listening, alumni abroad and speaking. the nationalities of our staff range from south african to scottish and everything in between including american, filipino, polish, dutch, and english. the backgrounds of our teaching staff are very diverse. some have worked in corporate, academic, arts and technology fields. however , this does not take away from their dedication to creating a positive learning environment. each teacher brings different life experiences to the table making for a creative and vibrant working environment. one such teacher , a mr . bill burgey (57), is a decorated vietnam veteran who served four tours of duty as a special operations helicopter pilot. he has made thailand his home for the past 25 years. mr . burgey does not need to work but genuinely wants to contribute to his adopted home. another one of our teachers, mr . justin bright (24), has only been here for seven months. he is a first year teacher with little experience. but he shares the same desire to contribute as anyone on our teaching staff. why would someone come to thailand? there are as many reasons to come to thailand as there are people who have come to thailand. some are looking for adventure, others are looking to escape figuratively and literally. for myself, it was the spirit of adventure. but this has changed over the years. thailand has grown on me much like moss at the base of a tree. sure, it is dirty and can smell funny at times, but it’ s a very comfortable place to lay one’ s head. the people are warm and friendly. the more of john’ s teaching staff: bill burgey (florida), john magee, paul van der linden (holland), gary gilchrist (scotland), andrew cole (south africa), justin bright (alabama) food is excellent and the standard of living is good. as a teacher , i do have the pleasure of teaching pupils who genuinely respect and admire their ajarn (teacher). thai students are the sweetest and most kind children i have ever come across. there are never really any disciplinary issues, no fights, swearing, pulling of guns from trench coats. that’ s not to say there aren’t any issues with teaching in thailand. the thai style of teaching is still mired in rote learning. the teacher speaks and the students listen and write notes. they are not accustomed to asking or answering questions. this can lead to frustration, but one has to be patient and slowly pull the students out of their safety zone. thai society is old fashioned but with modern décor . people don’t question authority all that much even in times of national crisis. the coup in 2006 is a great example. i have to say that it was the most pleasant coup one could expect. i woke up in the morning, turned on the tv , and every station was broadcasting a speech by general sonthi, the coup leader . school was canceled for one day but otherwise life was very normal. i was shocked and a bit disappointed that thai people didn’t seem surprised or concerned in the least bit. in the us, if there were tanks rolling down main street, people would be a bit disturbed, but not here. the people here went about their business as usual. no riots, no looting, no questioning of the motives. however , not all thai people are like this. my fiancée juthata doesn’t quite fit the stereotype i’ve just constructed. most people would say that your average asian women are servile and domesticated and don’t question their own place in society. she does. juthata comes from a very traditional part some of john’ s teaching staff: justin bright (alabama), gary gilchrist (scotland), nick charanvattanakit (los angeles), bill burgey (florida), ian johnston (england) third grade student aim in costume.11 the gleaner 2008 alumni abroad matayom (high school) 2, 3, and 4 students compete in a dance competition during sports day. john’ s former student mai leads the opening ceremony parade on sports day. pratom (middle school) students smile for the camera. the exterior of john’ s school sacred heart nonthaburi, thailand. john magee after a long day at school. show, one of john’ s favorite students; he is half thai and half english. john’ s absolute favorite student, gift. she’ s very bright and very sarcastic. pratom 3 and 4 students participate in the sports day parade. pratom 4 and 5 students march during the sports day parade. teachers: andrew, ian and paul playing games. of thailand. but her outlook is a positive mixture of the old and new. that being said, any woman involved with myself would need the patience of a buddha. what’ s good about teaching in a different country? well, you can always move on to the next country. it sounds a bit cynical but it does offer one a certain sense of freedom. people need to speak english. the international language for business is english. it might sound arrogant coming from a native english speaker but it’ s a fact. teaching can open the world to you and to your students. it has shown me people and places that would have stayed pages in a national geographic magazine had i stayed in america. i’m a very lucky man. continued on next page12 the gleaner 2008 three of john’ s female staff: haydee gonzales (phillippines), angela ordonex (philippines), zusette portugues (philippines). a student hamming it up during the parade. pemika holding an empty beer can that was made into a noise device for cheering. matayom students after their dance competition. john taking a test. mr . justin bright’ s pratom 6 class. students carrying a portrait of the revered king of thiland, bhumipol adulayalayadech. dick (pratom 5) is happily taking a test. pratom 5 students in traditional thai garments. pratom 3 students in the parade. bomb and his big grin. some of john’ s pratom 3 students: tee, show, mathew, zank, yanin, bam and weeranpat. justin bright’ s pratom 5 class being comical. a very nice pratom 6 student. alumni abroad continued from page 1113 the gleaner 2008 commencement 2005 baccalaureate address by amy ranta, teacher of the year greetings! it is a great honor to stand before you today as woodstock academy’ s teacher of the year . i have the pleasure of working with some of the finest teachers in connecticut. and to be chosen by my colleagues to receive this distinction is indeed a tremendous honor . but then again, i am honored every day when i come to woodstock academy and am able to teach such fine, outstanding individuals, such as you, the class of 2005. when you were freshmen, it was very obvious to me that you were an outstanding class. you were kind, friendly , hardworking and chock full of talent. and now, you are about to graduate and move on to the next phase of your lives. within the next year , some of you will go to college, some will begin your career , some may choose to get married and start a family and some of you will go into the military . having had a father and brother that served in the military , may i just say to those joining the armed forces that i admire your strength and courage immensely and thank you for helping keep america the great country it is today . but wherever your future path lies, just know you are about to embark on a most exciting time of your life. i remember my high school graduation. it was a hot, humid night in the canton high school gym. i think it was literally 1,000 degrees in there. i sang a solo. i was so excited to finally be graduating! excited and scared. i was to attend uconn in the fall as a music education major . that was the exciting part! i would get to study music all day long, i would be in classes with people that had similar interests to me, i would get to take voice lessons, which at the time was my most favorite thing to do, ever! and i would get to sing all different types of songs in different languages! i couldn’t wait! but then i started thinking about lots of other things like: who would my roommate be? what if i got homesick or lonely? what if i got there and they told me i was a terrible singer? what if i failed? well, the summer went on and it came time to move into my dorm room. i moved into a tiny room that was supposed to be a single but due to the housing crunch, it was a double. my roommate’ s name was julie and she was a physical therapy major . she was loud and boisterous, and i was very shy and quiet. classes began and i really loved my music classes, especially voice lessons. my introduction to music history class was huge. there were about 50, maybe 60 of us in there. my professor’ s name was dr . petter jule larson. he was perhaps the most intimidating person i have ever met in my life! he was not physically intimidating nor was he verbally abusive. what made him so intimidating was his knowledge and passion for music. this man seemed to know everything about music and he had such a desire to share his knowledge whether you wanted to learn it or not! as soon as i realized this, i thought “man! am i in trouble! this man has forgotten more about music than i will ever know!” the semester went on and classes were hard! i still loved singing, hated english class, but loved singing! petter’ s class was still frightening but intriguing. the best way to describe the way the class made me feel was coming upon the scene of a terrible accident- you know it has the potential to be horrible and bloody , but yet you are drawn to it and want to learn more about it. you just hoped that you prepared enough so that you were not the one in the bloody accident on that day . there was another class that all music majors had to take called ear t raining. it was a required class that you had to take for four semesters. it was that class alone that made me almost change my major out of music three times. on one particular day , we were getting our quizzes back from the previous class. this obnoxious redheaded boy was handing out the quizzes and commenting on everyone’ s grade. “jason wiggin 100, jon pope 100, sanford 88” and then he came to my desk. i knew i had done terribly on the quiz. “and here’ s ranta’ s with a hell of a grade!” 35. that was my grade. an f! i had never failed anything in my life! and not only had i failed the quiz, but mister obnoxious announced it to the entire class. i really wanted to die. midterms came around and life seemed overwhelming. i was still painfully shy and had not made a great deal of friends; people were dropping like flies out of petter’ s class. our first grade of the year in that class was our midterm. it was what is called a “drop the needle” test. we had at least 80 pieces of music that we were to be “familiar with” and he would drop the record player needle at any point in the piece and you had to name the title, composer , date, period it was written and anything else that you thought would keep you from failing. the 35 in ear training got better but i still wasn’t getting 100’ s. during midterms, i received a letter from my sister . knowing how stressful midterms can be, she sent me a letter of encouragement. it was full of “you can do its” and “they will be over soons” and at the bottom of the letter , she said to me, “amy , this is the best time of your life!” i thought back to the drop the needle test that nearly killed me, the poor grades in ear training, the obnoxious red-headed boy in all of my music classes, that english class that i had to write papers for all the time, my loud roommate and i thought- this is the best time of my life????? wow, am i in for a miserable life! first semester ended. i survived petter’ s class. ear training was still awful but getting better . i was becoming less shy and was making some friends. the redheaded boy was still obnoxious. during spring break, the concert choir went on a tour of vermont, new hampshire and new york state. on the last day of choir tour , a senior named allison turned around in her seat and said to me, “you know, i don’t think that we tell people enough of the good things about them and i just wanted to tell you that i think you are a neat person and i am really glad that i became your friend”. those simple words meant so much to me. a very small gesture on her part made such an impact upon me. i have remembered that gesture and what it meant to me and have tried to live my life with that motto in mind. sophomore year brought the end of ear training! it was such a hard class and i was glad to be rid of it! many people from my freshman class had dropped out or changed their major to something other than music. unfortunately , the obnoxious redheaded boy was still there. before i knew it, senior year came and i was one of 12 music majors to graduate. 12 out of a class that had began as 60. the obnoxious redhead graduated, too. in fact, he and i became good friends. today he is one of my best friends. his name is mr . ray churchill and he received the griswold t eacher of the year award last year . it wasn’t until later in life that i realized why my sister kept saying to me over and over again that those years were the best in my life. it was not because once you are out of school that everything is down hill or that there are no longer good times to be had. it is because those first few years out of high school is a time when you are discovering yourself and what you are capable of. it is a time when you are coming to realize your talents. a time when you learn how to handle stress and deadlines. a time of great successes and great failures, too. i believe that we can often learn more from our failures than from our successes. it is a time when we learn to be self-sufficient. a time when we learn how to do our laundry or buy enough underwear to last between visits home. a time when we may experience real love for the first time and real heartache. it is a time when you transition from you the child to you the adult. and this time is upon you now, woodstock academy’ s class of 2005. go out and embrace life. do not be afraid to try and continued on next page14 the gleaner 2008 afraid to fail. be true to yourself and to your talents. never pass up the opportunity to learn something new and never pass up the opportunity to share your knowledge and teach someone something new. take my friend allison’ s advice and tell people good things about themselves. all too often, we as a society are all too quick to point out the negative in each other . be different and focus on the positive. you never know how much your comments may mean to someone. and don’t discount the obnoxious redheaded boy you will encounter in your travels. he may just end up to be your best friend one day . take with you many wonderful memories of woodstock academy . i will always look back upon your class fondly . i will remember emily duncan for her grace and poise and for reminding me that pleasure can be found in the simplest things in life; steven bourque for his selflessness and outstanding character; erika beckwith and her beautiful voice and to never under estimate the power of a smile; kate smith and her beautiful voice and her self confidence and courage to take risks with her performing. remember kate, i want to be seated next to mel gibson at your broadway premiere. i will remember fun times with paige billings during hamlet and dancing with erica morse during a cinderella rehearsal. i will remember matt kirk and his heart of gold and his incredibly infectious laughter . harry fish, emily butts, shannan leo, aoife mccarthy and so many more of you that have touched my life in ways you cannot possibly imagine. thank you for the opportunity and honor of being your teacher . thank you for allowing me to teach you and to learn from you. i would like to end with one of my favorite quotes by souza: “dance as though no one is watching you. love as though you have never been hurt before. sing as though no one can hear you. live as though heaven is on earth.” good afternoon and congratulations to you all. thank you for this opportunity to speak to you today. that you chose me to be your inspirational speaker is an honor i will treasure and one i hope i can live up to. today, i want you to savor every moment. you all have waited for this day for years and here you sit looking all fresh and beautiful. you have wondered about the mystery of this ceremony and longed for this day when your high school career will finally be over . well, it’ s here. now, what are you wondering about, what are you looking forward to, what are you dreading, what’ s next? today is not just a conclusion to your high school years, but the beginning of the rest of your lives. and man, are you ready! but here is my advice, don’t look too far forward, if you do, you will miss the present. father alfred d’souza said, “for a long time it has seemed to me that life was about to begin; real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, some time still to be served, a debt to be paid. then life would begin. at last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.” today is a day that you have worked for , sweated for , studied for , endured for , played for , so enjoy every single moment. enjoy the feeling of the hugs you get from proud family members. enjoy the beaming smiles of your friends as you share this special day. enjoy the depth of emotion that will well to the surface as you realize that this…is… it . and nurture each moment. you never know when you will encounter the event that is going to be the defining moment of your life, so you have to nurture each encounter , each person, each relationship you have. i walked into a dorm party at the university of connecticut on october 30, 1981 miserable and hating life, but that is another story. upon entering, i looked across a sea of people and, on the other side of the room, i saw the most beautiful woman i had ever seen. at that very moment i knew i was in love. after struggling across the room, i spoke to my future wife for the first time. i told her that night that we would be married and we would have two beautiful children. if i hadn’t been ready, i might have missed that moment. be ready. the word is epiphany. it means a spiritual realization, and understanding. and you never know when yours will come so you better be ready. john greenleaf whittier said, “all the windows of my heart i open to this day.” open your hearts to all that is possible, for in this room right now there is infinite potential and unlimited power . leo buscaglia informs us, “the majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. there will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor . but that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents; someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear , an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. it’ s overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.” so, starting today, and continuing for the rest of your lives, be kind to everyone. kindness is a word that doesn’t get a lot of play or credit. kindness is like “nice” or “fine”; a word that is superfluous (you like that word? that one is just for you.), unnecessary, a word used only to fill space. but kindness is so important, so basic and meaningful that we all need to embrace kindness in our lives. archbishop desmond tutu tells us, “in the midst of global crises such as pollution, wars and famine, kindness may too easily be dismissed as a luxury to be addressed after the urgent problems are solved. but kindness is the greatest need in all those areas – kindness toward the environment, toward other nations, toward the needs of people who are suffering. until we reflect basic kindness in everything we do, our political gestures will be fleeting and fragile. simple kindness may be the most vital key to the riddle of how human beings can live with each other in peace, and care properly for this planet we all share.” strive to be first: first to nod, first to smile, first to compliment, first to forgive and first to be kind. british essayist charles lamb said in 1828, “the greatest pleasure i know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.” so when you drive to boston this summer , or any turnpike where you have to stop inspirational reading by gregory smith continued from page 13 banner auction continues bid for a bit of nostalgia through this ongoing silent auction. all bids begin at 25.00. go to the alumni link at www.woodstockacademy.org and place your bid today! all donations benefit the woodstock academy endowment fund and program enhancement15 the gleaner 2008 at a toll booth, pay for the car behind you. the effect is awesome. they speed up to see if they know you, they smile and wave, try to figure out why. now i know what you are thinking, that guy driving an escalade that is completely pimped-out; he has more money than me. this is even better , you didn’t have to and he didn’t need it. that is the best kindness, the selfless variety. once you begin to acknowledge random acts of kindness – both the ones you have received and the ones you have given – you can no longer believe that what you do does not matter . stephen grellet an author and quaker missionary once said “i expect to pass through this world but once. and good, therefore, that i can do or any kindness i can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. let me not defer or neglect it for i shall not pass this way again.” so make sure that you embrace and nurture every moment and seize the opportunity to be kind to all those you encounter . living your life nurturing the present creates ripples that will redefine the world. anne frank, whose innocent view of the world compels us, said, “how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single minute before starting to improve the world,” don’t wait. living your life embracing the present and creating random acts of kindness will enrich your life. you know how they say right before you die, your life flashes before your eyes? i want to live so much i have a six part, week-long miniseries. the lakota indians have a saying, “when you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.” you are some of the finest people i have ever known. you have been nurtured, cared for , prepared. you are ready to leave, to make your marks, to create a world that is better than the one you were given. i can’t wait to see what you do. a japanese proverb states, “we’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.” so today, and everyday, dance with me. welcome from the class president by kimberly ann benton, class of 2005 good afternoon and welcome to the graduation of the class of 2005. on behalf of the senior class, i’d like to thank you all for coming today and supporting us on what truly is our debut into the world as young adults. we’ve certainly come a long way. looking out over this vast sea of familiar faces, it is overwhelming to consider that just four years ago we entered woodstock academy as gangly 14 year olds with awkward haircuts, enormous trapper keepers, and anxiety about what the future had in store for us. i’m sure we all remember how we felt that day, and how everything seemed so big. the upperclassmen told us how high school would be gone before we knew it, and as we congregate here as a class for the last time, it sure seems like it has. however , a lot can be accomplished by 250 people over a 4-year period, and to say that we are a class of many talents wouldn’t even begin to describe the dynamic class of ’05. yes, we are a legion of relentless athletes, opinionated political analysts, and conquerors of ap exams. we have all successfully jumped through the hoops of standardized testing and are all considered worthy of a diploma. but this class is so much more than what can be expressed on paper . we are dedicated emts, closet ashlee simpson fans, and compassionate listeners. we have been thrown into the turbulence of teenage wasteland, and have emerged as strong self-confident individuals. we, as a class, have personality, drive, and capacity, and we have proven that we aren’t afraid to use it. yet commencement is not only an appreciation of what we have achieved thus far , but also a celebration of where we are in our lives at this very moment. as nietzsche said, “it is mad that success is supposed to be worth more than the beautiful possibility which was still there before.” each and every one of us is brimming with this possibility. we all face futures full of opportunity that are just waiting to be tailored to our wildest imaginings. before me sit young men and women who plan to be psychologists, physical therapists, marines, lawyers, neuroscientists, and professors. the list goes on. others still have no idea what they want to do with their lives but will go on to explore fields of study and career paths that many of us have never even heard of. regardless of what we may become, i hope we are able to identify what we’re passionate about, and then do the best we can to incorporate that into our everyday life. i hope we always keep sight of who we are, and hold onto the old friends who were there during our initial self-discovery. lastly, i hope each one of us can look on these past four years and realize just what we had here at the academy, and be grateful for how it has prepared us for whatever future we may pursue. good luck to everybody. class of 2005 faculty procession16 the gleaner 2008 nothing overmuch kathryn robertson essay award winner by georgianna hunt, class of 2005 good afternoon woodstock academy board of trustees, administration, faculty, staff, fellow graduates, family, friends, and invited guests. i recall a few months ago when the senior class had been gathered for a scheduled meeting with the administration. the meeting concerned the remaining weeks of our high school career , and it would serve as a reminder to us that, although we could see the finish line in our midst, we must not let its presence distract us from the duties and responsibilities that persist to thrust their unwanted weight upon our shoulders. as high school seniors we were looking forward to the final weeks of leisure that would be ours. i do not know about my fellow classmates, but the idea that senior year is a relaxing, carefree time, was not an experience i encountered. i do not think there was ever a time throughout high school when i had more to do than in these past few months. in a way, i am glad that it was not as relaxing as so many others before me had led me to believe, for as we go on, life is only going to become more demanding of our time, and thus it is good that i was not given the chance to acquire a taste for the leisurely life. this particular class meeting is pinned upon my memory because of something that mr . foye said that day. as the meeting was drawing to a close, our headmaster looked into the sea of adolescence that sat before him, and he said, “you are the best generation this world has ever seen.” i remember that the auditorium instantly filled with the sound of giggling. as i looked around at my peers, the reactions i found were all the same. people turned to their neighbors and exchanged doubtful glances. eye rolling was a popular gesture. everyone in the room felt uneasy and unsure about what mr . foye had said, but as we sat there and allowed the statement to sink in, it became apparent in our minds that we would never have an excuse for not being the best. we are living in an electronic age. my generation has had more opportunities than any before us. we have been raised with the knowledge of computers, a technology that our parents and grandparents did not encounter until well into their adult lives. the world is more interconnected than it has ever been. innovations like the cell phone, e-mail, and instant messenger are all geared toward bringing the big world a bit closer . i have always found it humorous when i notice people fretting over having forgotten their cell phone at home and are thus without it for the remainder of their day. my mom is always certain, for example, that if she leaves her cell phone at home, something terrible is inevitably going to occur , and she will not be able to contact anyone for help. she feels unsafe without it, even though for years she did not carry it in her pocketbook, back in a time when pocketbooks did not include a special compartment for a lady’ s electronic confidant. perhaps the internet is the most influential element of this electronic age. think of how quickly we are able to obtain information on any imaginable topic via the internet. often in class, when a teacher was assigning a research paper , he or she would make it mandatory to use three sources and at least one of them must be a book. there was a groan that followed this request without fail, for heaven forbid we should actually have to take the time to go to the library and look through the available resource books to acquire our information. we all do it, but when you stop to think about it, how pathetic is it that we complain when it takes more than ten seconds for google to appear on our screens! in this electronic age, we have everything available to us. it is amazing, though, how much we take for granted. if we are fortunate enough to be able to comprehend exactly how good we have it, exactly how great we could live, and exactly how much we could achieve if only we took advantage of our opportunities, then there is no excuse for mr . foye’ s statement to not become a reality. it takes our recognition of the greatness that surrounds us before we are able to become greatness ourselves. many people in the world today mistake this electronic age as a simplified version of a life that used to be filled with toil and backbreaking labor . it is true that there are several technologies in the modern world that make life, in a sense, easier and quicker . i already mentioned the internet and the ability to receive information at incredible speed. there are other inventions like the microwave or the electric can opener – can opening being a task that i am sure is really not in dire need of electronic assistance! there are marvels in the modern world, such as air travel, which no matter how many times it is explained to me, i will never fully understand. i will always wonder how something that is massive is able to remain in the sky, thousands of feet above the ground. the inventors of this marvel, and those of many others, deserve praise and admiration. these are the people who have taken what the world had to offer and grasped onto their opportunities. perhaps someday we will all be worthy of similar praise and admiration if we do as they did. we may not come up with something as significant as air travel, but the example simply goes to show that there are no boundaries that separate that which we can accomplish from that which is beyond our reach. there are many people in the world that devour technology because they feel it makes their lives easier . they fill their homes with every electronic appliance on the market, so that they can complete their daily tasks with absolute efficiency, therefore creating more time to enjoy their repose. i believe that trivial tasks are made easier , not so we may have more time to do nothing, but so that we may have more time to do more. in theodore roosevelt’ s speech entitled, in praise of the strenuous life, he encouraged americans to be diligent and active. he said, “you work yourselves, and you bring up your sons to work. if you are rich, and worth your salt, you will teach your sons that though they may have leisure it is not to be spent in idleness.” roosevelt continued, saying that if you are fortunate enough to have time for leisure, you should find some useful and benignant activity to occupy these otherwise idle moments that are wasteful, as energy goes unused and intelligence neglected. roosevelt, if he lived in today’ s electronic age, would be aghast to witness someone fully equipped with the means to achieve greatness yet remain indolent in thought, determination, and movement. “if we stand idly by, if we seek merely swollen, slothful ease, and ignoble peace, if we shrink from the hard contest where men must win at hazard of their lives and at the risk of all they hold dear , then the bolder and stronger people will pass us by and will win for themselves the dominion of the world,” roosevelt warns us. the electronic age has the ability to boost our advancement to unfathomable heights, yet we must find a way to balance all elements of our lives and not solely focus on the upward ascent, but take notice of the things that follow us there and the things that tend to get left behind. the greeks had a favorite saying, which translated reads, “nothing overmuch.” this simply means that life should not contain excess of any one thing. everything in moderation is a phrase that i am sure we have all heard. the electronic age might allow us better education than anyone before us, but we are far from becoming the best generation until we learn to balance all that the world throws at us with the simplicity of human interaction and vital relationships. have you ever witnessed a scene at a restaurant, for example, when a parent is out for a quiet evening of bonding with his or her child, yet the cell phone simply will not be ignored? there are such things as emergencies, understandably, yet why is there the need to answer the phone and speak with someone on the other line, when there is someone across the table who would love to continue a conversation so increasingly rare? aristotle spoke of self-discipline in the nicomachean ethics. he said, “how we act in our relations with other people makes us just or unjust.” oftentimes, our relationships crumble, then what are we allowing to happen to our character? emphasis on character has a way of slipping into the shadows as importance is highlighted in other areas. where is the glory in our17 the gleaner 2008 achievements if we are unable to complete them while maintaining strength, honesty, and conviction in ourselves? the electronic age has a way of consuming individuals. they become so focused on working and achieving that they haphazardly neglect the people around them. this is ironic, for often the reason why a person works so hard is so that he or she is able to provide for loved ones. it is unfortunate that this sometimes has a way of backfiring. balance in life is possible for all who wish to seek it, yet often requires great sacrifice. recently, my oldest brother completed seven years of higher education, receiving his masters. my grandfather wrote him a special note. he congratulated my brother on going the extra mile in school. he told my brother that he had worked hard all these years and thus equipped himself with the means to be successful and comfortable in life. in this letter , my grandfather then said something, which i found to be truly profound. he wrote to my brother , “i wish you a good living and a good life.” these may sound a bit redundant, yet in actuality they are totally different but both worthwhile goals. as i go to college this coming fall, i will keep my grandfather’ s wise words with me, and i would encourage my classmates to do the same. as we pack up, we will make sure to bring along all the technologies that will both aid us and entertain us: our computers, i-pods, televisions, hair dryers, electric razors, etc. as we go out into the world, we must remember the fact that today we are young adults, and we must begin thinking about building our futures. we must all study hard so as to earn good livings. we must also think about the condition of the souls and character that we are developing, and we must determine the quality of life (not living) to which we aspire. aristotle said, “virtue, then, is of two kinds, intellectual and moral. intellectual virtue springs from and grows from teaching, and therefore needs experience and time. moral virtues come from habit...they are in us neither by nature, nor in despite of nature, but we are furnished by nature with a capacity for receiving them.” we have nourished our intellects throughout our time at woodstock academy, and we will go on to cultivate them further in all the days after we graduate. our morals are not something our environment instills in us, but rather we are given the choice to instill them in ourselves. aristotle went on to say that we may acquire virtues by practicing them in our day to day lives, just like any other art. he said, “by doing just acts we come to be just; by doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we come to be brave…” i wish us all the ability to take the electronic age into our hearts, for it is our time. i wish that we all utilize the technologies that will be our catalysts of achievement and success. furthermore, i wish that at the same time we take heed of our souls, of our character , and of the choices we are fortunate enough to be able to make along the way. i wish us all a good living and a good life. 2005 academic convocation undergraduate awards assembly “at someplace special” by william t aylor i’m so glad you’re here today at “someplace special”. thirty-seven years ago i drove across the top of woodstock hill to the academy, drove behind a much smaller bowen building, and parked where the bicentennial building now stands. i got here early for that june job interview. the valley was filled with just enough mist to cover the lower fields. the valley behind the bowen building looked like it housed a lake. i knew i had arrived at a very special place. the headmaster , mr . walker , who always wore “red socks” to tell all who cared who he rooted for , told me a little about the history of the academy and why this place was someplace special. he told me how the academy is a community that cares for both students and faculty and staff. a place where students and faculty can grow together . wow, coming from manchester high school, i was impressed. leaving, i thought about the puritan jonathan winthrop and his determination to make his community a “city of god” on a hill; a model for others to follow. i didn’t know then, what you and i know, that this woodstock academy on a hill is someplace very special. headmaster walker hired me, and when i arrived on joy road with a u-haul, he was there along with mr . wilde, the business manager , to help unload the u-haul. how he knew when i was arriving remains a mystery. but i knew this place was, the administration was, something very special. coaching soccer and baseball for twenty years at wa allowed me to connect with students who needed and wanted to connect to something more than academics. i saw glenn anderson kick a half field soccer goal in the last two seconds of a match against tourtellotte out here on the commons. oh yes, the commons was the soccer field and not exactly full sized. (although mr . anderson was full sized even thirty five years ago.) i jumped for joy when my baseball team finally, after ten years, defeated griswold. i jumped so high that i tore the ligaments in my knee. i was amazed at the tenacity of my soccer team when after fifteen years, we finally defeated e.o. smith. we celebrated and i knew wa students were something special here at ….someplace special. over the years we have grown in size. in the early 70’ s there were about 260 students (the whole school was smaller than this year’ s special freshmen class.) but the fundamental character of wa has not changed in what really matters. a recent survey that you filled out says that of you feel you have at least one adult at the academy that you feel connected to. that alone makes this place special for all of us at someplace special. we have added many new buildings, playing fields, classrooms, courses, and that makes us special, for each addition has been designed to make your academy experience something special. want italian? we add it to the curriculum. want a tv station? we add it. want a course in comparative religion, law, writing, art, music, physics, anatomy? we add it. want football? you get it. want different courses? we rebuild the entire master schedule each year to accommodate as many of your academic needs as possible. get to school in the fall and change your mind about what courses you want to take? we make the changes. change your mind about what teacher you want? you get your wish. you know the academy is someplace very special. want clubs? sos, chess, gsa, fencing? you get it. want trips to other countries? yours for the asking. want the neatest best kept high school in the country? the academy hires the best custodial and maintenance staff to make sure the campus looks special every single day. they deserve our thanks! need more contact with each other and the school? block schedule. need even more contact to foster a sense of community? freshmen focus. need better writing skills and a greater emphasis on academics to pass capt? every department jumps to teach you those important skills. your academic accomplishments must be recognized and that is why you are here today. about one in four of all sophomores, juniors and seniors will receive some type of academic recognition today. if we expanded this meeting to include every award every student receives in all areas throughout the school year – sports, academic competitions, the arts, – of all of you would receive something this morning. if we expanded even further to include recognizing every student who has accomplished, excelled or contributed to this academy, every one of you would hear his or her name many times this morning. we recognize your accomplishments in a setting like this because we know you have the determination and interest to sit here for 90 minutes. that makes you very special because most large schools have abandoned an all-school awards assembly because their students do continued on next page mr . william taylor: someone special at someplace special18 the gleaner 2008 not feel special and sadly, they often act accordingly. you make each day special, all of you. not just the academically gifted, but all of you. in the classroom you bring excitement and joy to your classmates and your teachers. you make the academy difference, a difference that other schools and other towns only dream of creating or copying. they can’t copy what we have here. we have practiced for 200 years to make this place special. what we have here cannot be copied or duplicated. what other high school in the country can put art in the hall and it stays there for months without graffiti? what other high school has so few problems? i visited a high school in connecticut where teachers are forbidden to be in the halls between classes because it was too dangerous! last year i heard a student tap the person in front of her and say, “we don’t do that here.” you know this is a very special place. you make it special! mark these words. the special character of woodstock academy cannot be copied. our special character cannot be duplicated and those who claim they can construct and run a regional high school that comes close to equaling our special character are deluding themselves and their taxpayers. parents, if someone suggests your kids should go to another school… just say no. students, if someone suggests that you or your brothers and sisters should go to some other school….just scream no. students, remember that your parents cared enough to send their best, you, to the best school…woodstock academy. we are the best because of our students and our character and our history. when an academic roar , or any school related roar disturbs the quiet of the “quiet corner ,” that roar comes from woodstock academy and the roar is mighty. the academy difference cannot be copied or duplicated or equaled. students, you make this place special in so many ways. disaster relief calls and you collect tons of food and clothes. christmas and other holiday’ s come and the community receives your food and clothes baskets. support for cancer research? under the guidance of robin smith, and many others, you, your parents and friends make the woodstock relay for life a record setting national event each year . under the guidance and direction of students, the community enjoyed nunsense and contributed another 7,000 to relay for life and cancer research. because of you, woodstock academy sets records for collecting blood each year . on monday, the elderly community will come here because they need and appreciate the academy difference. on halloween the kids will come here to “trick or treat street”. your solid commitment to your academic and extracurricular goals gives you the strength to persevere and excel and make the academy someplace special. baccalaureate address by linda stedman so…class of 2006, the long-awaited day has finally arrived. you are about to graduate from woodstock academy, a fine achievement and one that will launch you into a new life as a much more independent young adult. my job today is to send you off with inspiring words of wisdom to guide you on your journey into adulthood. i am honored to have been chosen by you for this task, but a bit daunted by the thought of trying to inspire you who have done so much to inspire me. i’ve decided that you must have chosen me because of your perception of my advance stage of maturity. and it is true that since i started dying my hair white and walking with a cane in order to look older i am generally taken to be much older than the twenty-five i feel i really am. i do seem to have acquired rather a lot of baggage for one so young, and perhaps it is that that led i want to thank you for making this place so special. it has been thirty-seven years since i first saw the campus and the mist in the valley. thirty-seven years, thousands of students in the classroom and hundreds on the baseball and soccer teams. some years filled with heartbreak because not even this place can protect us from life’ s ups and downs. but the academy response to my troubled times made the pain more bearable. most years have been filled with joy and satisfaction. this place is a family affair for me every day. my son teaches here. my daughter-in-law is a campus supervisor and advisor to many organizations. my two grandchildren graduated with honors from here. my wife is here today giving me support as she has done for the past twenty-five years…thank you rebecca taylor . jonathan winthrop would smile if he saw you and this great woodstock academy. perhaps not quite his “city on a hill” but a community that is truly special and a model for schools across the country. i’m so glad you and i are here today. you will go forth from this place to make so many wonderful contributions to your community, your nation, your family. you literally float my boat. you are the wind beneath my wings. you make each and every day at woodstock academy, something very special. commencement 2006 you to ask me to give you some wisdom. i came to woodstock academy thirteen years ago via downeast maine, where all my family is from, and from salem, massachusetts, where i was born, and swampscott, and lynn, and st. albans, vermont, and wilbraham, massachusetts. i lived in allentown, pennsylvania; paris, france, and – where else can you go after paris but new york, new york. then i started a kind of reverse trip going from new york, to cambridge, to springfield, and finally to the quiet corner of connecticut. (my new york friends refer to this as never never land!) i attended muhlenberg college, the sorbonne at the university of paris, hunter college of the city of new york, the new york institute of finance, the state university of new york, and harvard university. my first job was in the kitchen of a summer camp where i think i lasted three days. even then, my idea of camping was a hotel with fewer than four stars. i worked at a german bakery and a bunch of office temp jobs. one summer i worked at spalding sporting goods in chicopee, massachusetts, and that job gets my personal award as the most brain-numbingly boooooring. the excitement that year was my transportation, an ancient volkswagen beetle that had no floor in the front and that was consequently very, very challenging to drive on rainy days. there was the proofreading job that got me through college and my first job on wall street trying to figure out the difference between a stock and a bond. then i was a research analyst and then an investment banker and now i’m a high school history teacher . one of the best aspects of my work in finance was that i got to travel all over the united states; i think the only states i haven’t been to are north dakota and hawaii. continued from page 1719 the gleaner 2008 i’ve spent time in europe and china and japan and well… you get the idea. i have two best friends who have been my best friends forever , and i won’t even get into the blind author , the sculptor , and the cuban. i’m proud of having crammed a lot into the baggage that holds my life so far . as is true at the end of every year , i find myself thinking about the students who will not be back on campus at the beginning of the next school year and how often in september i think that i haven’t seen sarah or spencer , lisa or luke, or the chelseas, and then remember that they have gone on to other places. during a final exam last week, when i should have been grading other exams, i took a bit of time to look at the yearbook, and one of the first sections i came to was the senior superlatives. i was struck by how well you all know each other . collin does in fact have a wonderful smile, but so many of you smiled coming into the classroom or passing in the halls that i smiled coming to work every day, even at the inhumane hour of 7:15 in the morning. stephen and michelle do have beautiful eyes, but if eyes truly are the windows on the soul, then there are many of you with beautiful eyes and souls. taylor is unique and lizz just made my mornings last semester by being her own amazing stylish self, but each of you is uniquely you. and, by the way, why isn’t there a category for best dancer? john nickerson would certainly have gotten my vote! no teacher could disagree that meagan and jerry have been superlatively studious, but i have taught many students in the class of 2006 who worked hard and long to master skills and information that did not come easily to them. david and emily strike me as indeed very likely to succeed. but i believe that each and every one of you can succeed at having a good life if you are willing to work at it. all you need is some inspiration, and you will find the inspiration you need to make a good life for yourself in the baggage that you accumulate as you make that life. and make no mistake – you will make your life. no one else will make it for you, and a good life will not simply arrive at your door with free shipping and your money back if you are not completely satisfied. you have to be responsible for what goes into that baggage, getting rid of what’ s useless and using what’ s helpful. you have already begun packing your bags for the trip, but with luck it will be a long journey and you will end up with lots and lots of baggage. i’m going to ask you to willingly suspend your disbelieve and imagine that you have three suitcases to fill over the course of your lifetime. not with those hot new jeans and other clothes, but with sources of inspiration. your first bag must be filled with ideas, good, bad, new, old. there are millions of them floating around in the world, waiting for you to grab them and chew on them and digest them – or spit them out. you cannot be alive if you are not learning and thinking. surf the net. watch tv . listen to the radio. read a newspaper , read a magazine, read a book. one of the greatest pleasures for me in finally finishing (or so i thought) college for the first time was that i could actually read anything i wanted to. whoa!! after sixteen years of school, this was a decidedly new experience. i went on a reading binge. i read science fiction and murder mysteries and romance novels and thrillers and all kinds of trashy fiction. it was kind of like an intellectual diet of potato chips and twinkies. after about six months, i decided i really ought to read some “great lit” and with a sense more of duty than pleasure i sought out the dreaded classics. well, who knew? jane austen really was wonderful. charles dickens was amazing (except for tale of two cities, which is, of course, the only book by dickens that high school students ever get to read). jane eyre was a completely different book when i read it as an adult (and why are 14-year-olds assigned a book about illicit passion anyway?). i was so involved in reading war and peace on a subway going to wall street one morning that i was in coney island, brooklyn, before i looked up and sheepishly got to work about an hour late. (yes, veronica, i was late!) then i started reading history. a biography of elizabeth the first led to mary, queen of scots, and then to henry viii and then of course to the great french kings. i turned to american history and got somewhat obsessed with george washington…and look where that took me! a new and inspiring career! but whatever ideas come our way, you must be a discriminating consumer of ideas. turn your brain on, and don’t believe everything “they” tell you. socrates suggested that true wisdom was knowing what you don’t know, so your idea suitcase has to be opened frequently to add new information and throw out bad ideas and add new good ones. when you do find an idea that inspires you, learn more. find other people who like that idea. do something with that idea. you could even start a social movement! even after you have left formal education behind you and maybe especially then, you will find that thinking about things and wondering about things and knowing things is fun. it will enrich your life, keep your brain young, take you outside yourself. you will be especially grateful that your second suitcase is imaginary because it will be full of people – people you work with, learn with, have fun with, laugh with, and cry with. there is wisdom in everyone: your life’ s work should be to find that wisdom and make it a part of your baggage. in social problems class, we usually do a little project to identify our heroes and the values they represent. many of you chose as your heroes not the usual candidates – abraham lincoln, martin luther king, or gandhi, fine role models all – but rather people that only you know at their most heroic – parents or grandparents, friends, brothers or sisters. i’m inspired by my great-grandmother , rose littlefield, because i remember her as kind and patient and good. i’m inspired by my mom, who has had a wretched last year with surgery and other health problems. this spring she fell and broke her pelvis, but slogged through a month of painful therapy and is home again. yesterday morning she called me full of excitement because she had managed to climb the stairs again at her house. hannah green is an inspiration to many of you and to me: although i’m terribly sad she’ s gone. i am grateful that the memory of her quick wit and ever-present smile is part of my baggage. people can inspire you in lots of ways both expected and unexpected. sometimes it’ s people you don’t know and never will. one of my favorite new york city stories is an example of this. i must admit i still miss new york – it just has more of everything good and bad and weird than anyplace else on earth. strange sights are not uncommon in the city and especially on the subway, that most democratic of transportation systems. one morning, on the lex – the lexington avenue express – two well-dressed financial types heading downtown from grand central looked up from their wall street journals to see a man get on the train while involved in an animated conversation – in french – on the banana he was holding to his ear . the two wall streeters watched and listened, and discreetly of course, as the man with the banana ended his call, dialed the banana, and this time launched into a conversation in italian. a third call, evidently in some dialect of chinese, was interrupted as the train approached the fulton street station, the man put the banana in his pocket and got off the train. one of the wall streeters turned to the other and said “okaaay”. the other said, “you know, i always thought you were supposed to talk into the other end.” they both laughed. in new york, you never know whether what you are seeing is delusional behavior or performance art, but whichever it is, it can start your day off with a smile, a form of inspiration, don’t you think? if you look around and pay attention, you will find people who inspire you because they work hard, because they are kind and thoughtful, because they give what they have to those who haven’t. your third imaginary suitcase is full of “you”. who have you been? who are you now? who do you want to be? socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living”, and this is the suitcase you have to open and look through most carefully and most regularly. are you making a “good” life for yourself? and what is a “good” life anyway? i have said to students that i have been rich and i’ve been poor and although rich is better , it’ s not everything! nobody wants to be in the position of having to decide whether to buy food or pay the electric bill, but good old ben franklin said “success has ruined many a man”. is your life fulfilled by your success? a “good life” is not necessarily expensive and it’ s pretty unlikely that even the best life will not be the proverbial bowl of cherries either . there will be failures and losses and tough times. what will inspire you then? the answers are in your “you” baggage. i knew a woman – not well, she was a neighbor of my neighbor’ s sister . i saw her every year at my neighbor’ s memorial day picnic. one year she appeared with a scarf on her head, looking pretty unwell, and i learned that she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer . the next year she seemed better , but the year after that she was clearly much worse. i learned that she had been a nun and had left the church and married and had a little boy. the next summer i heard that carol was continued on next page20 the gleaner 2008 dying. the doctors had offered her a last experimental treatment, but she had refused. she died that summer , and i read her obituary in the local newspaper . she had been in her early 40s, and yet her obituary was long and full of accomplishments in her field of social work and child advocacy. as i rummaged around in my “me” baggage trying to find a way to make sense of her death, i realized that i did not much like my obituary, the one i was writing through my life, and welcome friends, family, teachers, and fellow graduates to the commencement ceremony of woodstock academy’ s class of 2006. according to merriam webster , by definition, graduation is the award or acceptance of an academic degree or diploma. this statement barely describes what graduation means to us. graduation is much more than a ceremony, it represents four years of hard work and determination. four years of friendships, relationships, good times and bad. it is safe to say we would not have made it this far if it were not for the constant guidance and support of our families, friends, and especially teachers. in the movie the shawshank redemption, morgan freeman’ s character says, “these walls are kind of funny. first you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. enough time passes, gets so you depend on them.” this quote seems fitting our situation, granted he was talking about prison walls. yet, woodstock academy has in some ways become our own little prison. at times you became frustrated with school, eventually you get used to it, and now to some extent, depend on it. the academy has always been welcome from the class president jessica k. wilson, class of 2006 there to watch out over us and keep us in line. as we reflect upon the past four years, we see how we have grown and developed into the young adults we are today. now we are starting a new chapter of our lives whether it is going off to college, joining the military, or heading straight into the workforce, tonight will be the last night we will have these walls to protect us. we entered woodstock academy in the fall of 2002 as scared naïve freshmen. some of us fell for the freshmen pranks; the pool on the third floor of the academy building, the freshman bush, and we soon discovered what really happens when you tell ms. dower “happy birthday.” seven towns came together and new friendships were formed. when we became sophomores, we were no longer “fresh meat,” or at the bottom of the totem pole. sophomore year was full of new challenges. we barely made it through biology and the two weeks of capt testing seemed like the longest of our lives. then we became juniors, upperclassman at last. we had our first prom, got our licenses, and had junior privileges. finally we became seniors. senior year was by far the most vigorous and demanding. from acts and sats, to college transcripts, senior year was exhausting. somewhere within all the chaos there were also many good times. senior prom, tea at the pink house, class trip and project graduation. we were at the top of the totem pole, with parking spots and privileges we were the most envied of all the classes. and here we are, now after four long years, about to graduate and leave everything behind and start all over again, from the bottom of the totem pole. that i needed to take my life in a different direction. it was then that i decided that i not only wanted to be a teacher , i was going to become a teacher . i have never regretted for one minute that decision. i like my “me” baggage much better these days. so, as you pack up your real bags to move off to college or the military or to a job, remember those imaginary bags that you are also packing each day. have wonderful ideas. find wisdom that others have to offer you. make a good life for yourself, and create a “you” that can become an inspiration to someone else. you too, in the words of john winthrop, “can be as a city upon a hill”. the inspiration is there for the taking. your job is to take it and give it! mr . spaeth always told my english class that you should never count down for anything because you are just wasting your life not living for the moment. well, sorry mr . spaeth, i have been waiting for today for a long time. the reality of graduation and what lies ahead for us hit me earlier this year in mythology class. while talking about college and graduation mr . spaeth asked each and every one of us, “what do you plan to do with the rest of your life?” some kids responded with a general idea of what they wanted to do yet many others had no idea. before he said anything mr . spaeth stared us all down and gave us that look like we were about to be given another one of his life lessons, and said something along the lines of, “most of you are eighteen, you’re lives are already one-quarter , perhaps one-fifth of the way over , if you are lucky. isn’t it time you decide what you want to do with your life so you have time to enjoy it? your biological clock is ticking away and before you know it you will be forty asking yourself where all that time went.” so as you leave here today remember all the good times, forget the bad, and most importantly enjoy every minute of the future. you are now free from these prison walls, and what you do next will be up to you. as dr . seuss once said, “you have brains in your head. you have feet in your shoes. you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. you’re on your own. and you know what you know. you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” congratulations class of 2006 and best of luck in the future! continued from page 1921 the gleaner 2008 board of trustees, administration, faculty, staff, parents, family, and friends: it is no secret that our nation’ s ethical foundation, once the underpinning of a reputable structure, is rapidly deteriorating, and in its dilapidated state it seems fit for little more than propping up rotting timbers. those in our society meant to govern, to represent, to judge, or to truthfully disseminate information have tacitly declared that if one is to look for moral guidance in this country, it will have to be found elsewhere. one needs only to watch the nightly news to come to the realization that our country is rife with corruption, bribery, insider trading, corporate embezzlement, and perjury. the cynic would seem to be justified in questioning whether or not it is practical to be concerned with honesty and integrity in a society where role models are scarce and profit appears to be the inevitable postlude to cheating, dishonesty, and slander . i am convinced that pragmatism should play no role in legislating morality; it is a philosophy for those who are too slothful to take the high ground. instead, it is now, more than ever , that our community needs persons who will choose to set themselves apart and live lives of integrity. that is, the quality of those who establish a particular set of values and refuse to deviate from them, no matter what the circumstances. integrity also denotes a certain sense of truthfulness, one that extends far beyond the mere words we say; it is truthfulness in respect to action, wherein the conduct of the person is always true to their own moral convictions. integrity is by no means an antiquated virtue; rather , it should be the challenge before each and every young person here. after four years of high school – nearly half a decade of grueling tests, draconian texts, and projects “integrity” kathryn robertson essay award winner by john sperry nickerson, class of 2006 and papers of all sorts – the average senior at woodstock academy is no doubt convinced that he or she has learned at least something that will be of use in the future or have acquired some form of knowledge during his or her internment. while this is commendable, the english essayist samuel johnson stated quite bluntly, “knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” the concept of integrity and moral astuteness is not to be brushed off lightly or counted as trite. if all woodstock academy has given you is a diploma and a mortarboard, neglecting to provide for you the ability to delineate what is right and wrong, then there is little doubt that you will not succeed in establishing yourself as a person of virtue, and according to johnson, you are actually dangerous to your society. likewise, if your teachers have taken the time to provide you instruction in numerous academic subjects but have not instilled in you even a basic sense of ethics or a personal conviction of what is just, then your stay here has been in vain. in our own society, characterized by an unhealthy proclivity to shy away from accepting responsibility for one’ s actions, how can one maintain a position of integrity and refuse to conform to the immoral demands that seem to be everywhere? how, in a culture where instant gratification is held in the highest esteem and refusing to act immorally for personal gain seems foolish, can a young person consistently choose to do what is right over what seems to be convenient? first and foremost, you must realize the magnitude of the issue at hand. we, the graduating class of 2006, will always represent our school, our families, and most importantly, ourselves. our actions reflect who we are and what we value. no longer are we immature freshmen. we are adults, leaders in our community. we are examples for those younger than us. the future of our nation it hinged upon the moral resolve of those young adults who will shortly inherit the nation of our parents. to this end it is paramount that we help to reinstitute the moral foundation in our country by pledging to become people of integrity. second, it must be made clear that it is only possible to be a person of integrity, one who stands by his or her convictions, if the process is begun now, when the decisions faced on a regular basis do not seem to be important. never be fooled into thinking that those public officials and political officers, who, as of late, have been apprehended for behaving dishonestly, were selfless cherubs prior to their downfall. the wrong choices they made and their willingness to compromise their convictions were made possible because of a series of smaller , less important compromises that ultimately shattered their character . albert schweitzer rightly described the appropriate occasion at which integrity is to be practiced: “it has no special time of its own,” he said, “its hour is now – always.” it is of the utmost importance you understand that the decisions that you make today, no matter how insignificant the matter may seem at the time – cheating on a college exam next year , or lying to your boss about the number of hours you worked – play a crucial role in determining how you will make decisions in the future, and learning how to maintain integrity when pressured to do otherwise is necessary if you hope to do the same in years to come. finally, one of the simplest ways you can help preserve your integrity is to surround yourself with other people willing to go through life with the same desire to make honesty and virtue priorities in their lives. like the sticks and branches that break and snap with the wind but become stronger when bound together , it will be extremely hard for you to go through life with honor and honesty if you must do it alone, and it will be impossible if you are encircled by people who have no qualms about compromising their personal integrity for personal gain. the friends you have now and the friends you will make next year at college or at work have the ability to change and sculpt who you are, for better or for worse. do not believe the claims that moral virtue has no place in our modern state of affairs. do not accept the misstatements that the easiest path is always the correct one. choosing at a young age that you will live a life of integrity is one of the most important decisions you can make; it is your responsibility to your society and to yourself. do not be disheartened if you happen to witness the advancement or the profit of those willing to make ethical concessions, but remember that in maintaining integrity you are preserving the most precious article you could hope to possess – your character . it is as the writer charles colton stated, “no man can purchase his virtue too dear , for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us.” it is my sincerest hope that you will embrace a life of integrity, unresponsive to the voices of society that scream against it, and resolve to remain ceaselessly committed to a higher moral standard. the kathryn robertson essay award is named in honor of the first english department chairperson who served the academy from 1948-1963, and is one of the highest academic honors that a writer can achieve at woodstock academy. each year , graduating seniors are given the opportunity to compete for a monetary award and the opportunity to represent their class as the commencement speaker , re-casting the winning essay as a speech. a topic is chosen that is of current interest and relevant to society at the time. essays are judged by a committee comprised of a member of the alumni association, a trustee, a faculty member , an outstanding junior english student, and an outstanding sophomore english student.22 the gleaner 2008 headmaster ‘s annual report 2005-2006 woodstock academy is a wonderful place for students to be educated, and we are guided by our mission statement in this pursuit: mission statement to prepare all students for a lifetime of learning, fostering both a sense of pride in self and effective participation in family, community, and the world through a diversity of educational experiences. school goals the school goals for 2005-2006 reflect the efforts of the academy to improve and prepare - improve our efforts to reach “all students” and prepare for the future. the future will bring a new england association of schools and colleges visiting committee review in october 2008, variation in enrollment, a constant need to assess where we are as an institution, and the changing needs of students; all of these will influence how we move forward. our stated school goals emphasized the academy’ s work in two areas: 1) continue the focus on organizing for neasc process with: curriculum review: program review and upgrade (include latest thinking, breaking ranks ii – freshmen focus); support the strategic planning process; the library renovation project; operationalized operation respect through a new climate committee. 2) continue to improve communication with all woodstock academy constituencies. under the direction of dr . carol taylor , dean of curriculum and instruction, the academy is well into the process of updating and revamping its curriculum as appropriate for each department. a draft of all work in all curriculum areas is scheduled to be completed in january 2007. it will then be reviewed and fine-tuned between january and june of 2007. the finished product will be available in the summer/fall of 2007. the freshmen focus program, under the shared responsibility of mr . robert warren, assistant headmaster , and dr . taylor , was a great success. preliminary survey results suggest a strong connection to woodstock academy was made with the freshmen class. all involved were guided by the freshmen focus philosophy: all freshmen will be intellectually engaged by their academic classes, feel emotionally and socially secure at wa, feel connected to at least one adult in the community, and enjoy and benefit from one, if not more, co-curricular activities during their freshmen year . the program was analyzed at the end of the year and adjustments will be made in order to make improvements as the data is reviewed. the strategic planning process was led by trustee vice-president sandra fredrickson and was administered by the headmaster . each of the sending towns was active in the input gathering portion of the plan. students, trustees, staff, and administration were also involved. overall more than 200 people were integral to the process. the basic document was completed in early spring of 2006 and approved by the woodstock academy board of trustees at its may, 2006 meeting. action plans will be added to the overall process during the summer of 2006. acceptance of the action plans by the woodstock academy board of trustees is expected in the early fall of 2006. the library renovation project moved forward during 2005-2006. under the trustee-chair , mr . ernest wetzel, the committee moved to the final planning stages before construction begins on the main floor of the library. architectural plans were approved by the committee and then sent to the finance committee and buildings and grounds committee for review. after committee approval, the proposal will be sent to the full woodstock academy board of trustees. administration worked with the headmaster and other committee members to move the project forward. we anticipate completion no later than the fall of 2007. in a related project, the space below the library proper was renovated into two spaces and is currently being used as classrooms. the school climate committee evolved from the efforts begun during the two years of operation respect. this effort was under the leadership of mrs. ann mitra, special education director , with the participation of mr . kevin foley, director of student services, and mr . albert cormier , director of counseling. the committee includes students, teachers, administration, staff, parents, trustees, and community members. among the initiatives were a birthday activity used to connect the various parts of the school community, and a survey done at the end of the year to assess the needs of the students. our second goal was to improve communications with our constituencies. the main work in this area took place in two parts: each sending town board of education member received an update from the academy at one of their meetings, and; the strategic planning process engaged over 200 people during the initial phase of the planning process. the administrative council believed it was time once again to engage our sending towns in a meaningful way. a powerpoint presentation was developed for this purpose. the presentations gave each sending town board of education an overview of the academy. the presentations included an overview of the academy budget history, academic success with supporting data, programs in student support, athletics, and a glimpse into the future - all of this with the goal to convey a sense of pride in our school that documented “the academy difference.” in garnering information for the strategic plan, various focus groups were engaged from all the sending towns. in addition, students, teachers, and staff at the academy also participated in focus groups. on the sending town level, individual invitations were sent to a list of people generated by each superintendent and/or board of education. in addition, a general invitation through various publications was sent to all other citizens. this information was recorded by our facilitator , meghan johnston, who earned high praise from many quarters for her work with the academy. as stated previously, the initial strategic plan was accepted by the woodstock academy board of trustees at their may 2006 meeting. the process of planning engaged our constituencies in a comprehensive manner . this effort combined with the powerpoint outreach went a long way in the achievement the goal of improved communication. administration administration supported the efforts in working toward the academy goals of 2005-2006 as previously cited in this report. other areas of note and/or emphasis: freshmen focus was the initial step to building a more personalized education for all students at wa. the impetus for freshmen focus was a perceived need for our ninth grade students to become more integrated with the entire woodstock academy community. freshmen traditions day on august 29th was the kick off event for the program. other community building activities were josten’ s multi-media presentation on freshmen life, the october 21st lock-in, officer gary jost’ s substance abuse presentation, and the science laser show to which our sending town grade eight students were invited. the concluding event was a field day/cook out. the distribution of a freshmen newsletter and the establishment of freshmen focus forum (a parent group) helped to keep all wa community members informed of freshmen issues and events. monthly freshmen faculty meetings also helped create a team approach to understanding the needs of our ninth graders. recognition of students who excelled academically and four sending town teachers who had been freshmen focus role models were honored at a dinner in may. freshmen focus is a viable program that is meeting the goals set for it and will continue in 2006/2007. the breaking ranks ii recommendations (the latest thinking in high school reform) compare favorably to the neasc standards and are useful to prepare the academy for the 2008 visitation. keeping current with the latest educational trends that best fit the academy has proven to be effective in shaping the direction that wa is heading – creating a school that provides a safe, personalized learning opportunity for all students. ten recommendations were focused on in 2005/2006, and ten more will be concentrated on in 2006/2007. the aces (alternative center for education) program was reorganized primarily due to teacher certification requirements. it became a support program rather than a program where students gained credit. this program services students that are having difficulty succeeding in the traditional classroom setting. the program staff monitors the student’ s efforts coordinating with teachers, student services, and/or counseling. it also provides direct help to the students during non-class time periods.23 the gleaner 2008 although the program is new, it appears the students are being successful in terms of the number of classes the students have gained credit in each semester . we believe this program will continue to support the low drop out rate, historically 2% or less. it also speaks to the academy commitment to all students. finance financially, the academy benefited from an accurately predicted enrollment, higher yields on investments, and a reduced cost of debt service in the transition from bonding to loans on the early 1990s building project balance. strategic planning will have significant impact in financial and facilities planning by seeking more advanced insights of need in both areas. three to five year forecasts, coupled with options for alternate operating scenarios, should enhance future decision making. academic the academic committee, led by trustee, philippa paquette, oversaw the academic area. this committee will continue to interact with administration in crucial areas over the next few years. these areas include the ongoing curriculum update, the neasc preparation, the triad of freshmen focus, sophomore success, and subject area concentrations. these, in addition to the annual work in the area of capt scores, ap testing, et cetera, and general academic improvement will benefit from the leadership of this committee. the 2005-2006 school year saw the best capt scores ever for the academy. the percentage of students who are at, or above, goal in three of the four academic areas on the 2005 capt is the highest (the exception – science in 2004 had 63.4% and in 2005, 63.3%) the academy has achieved since the testing began. in the past five years since capt generation ii started, the percentage of students who have met or exceeded goal has increased significantly - math 8.3, science 13.3, reading 20, writing 15.6. the academy continues to exceed the state in the percentage of students achieving goal in all four areas. the number of students who did not meet goal in any one area has decreased in the past five years from 27.0% to 17.2% and the number of students who met or exceeded goal in all four areas increased from 22.2% to 38.5%. for the class of 2007, the percentage of females who scored below proficient was fewer in all four areas than the males, and the percentage of females who scored at or above goal was higher in all four areas than the males. to involve all faculty in the capt process, each of the departments directly involved in testing made presentations to the faculty on how other disciplines can help teach the skills and knowledge needed for students to be well prepared for the testing process. the academy strengthened its overall program with the addition of a music teacher . this allowed for a new guitar class, which was quite popular , and allowed for increased participation in the instrumental area. these blended with the choral area to update and strengthen the department. the current data reinforces the well-deserved reputation of the academy as an academic institution that celebrates rigor and excellence in the classroom. our rate of college placement of 80%, the distinction of a governor’ s scholar award recipient four out of the last six years, and the acceptance of our students at select colleges are a source of pride. it indicates the efforts the academy puts forth to improve and to always strive to be better . student activities woodstock academy provides a wide range of activities in athletics, music, theater , and related co-curricular experiences. a sample of these activities include: trips to france, england, and spain; a strong intramural program with 313 participants; sports awards nights with “standing room only” participation; two student council blood drives with a total of 210 pints; award winning un club trips to montreal and new york; smoking cessation program; award winning music trip to toronto; capt scholar dinner; freshmen focus scholar dinner; honor societies including, national honor society, spanish, french, tri-m and latin also, participation in boys and girls soccer was so strong that the academy added two freshmen programs. football competed at the jv level and will move to varsity in 2006 in the small division at the ecc. the football committee continued its fundraising efforts with an additional 20,000. students who participated in the varied non-athletic activities provided by the academy won many awards. of particular note were those in the areas of un club, art, scholar/athlete program (ciac) and music awards on local, state, and national levels. special events included career day, proms, family traditions, convocation, blood drive, a peruvian band, homecoming, and unified sports. two highlights in music were the production in the spring of 2006 of sweet charity and the addition of the pep band for winter basketball games. faculty the great strength at woodstock academy is its faculty and staff; a sample of the highlights includes: amy ranta, woodstock academy teacher of the year; kim jalet, (work on studying the election process) she also taught english in madagascar during the summer of 2005; merry burke, diversity coordinator , organizing many programs, trips and her own trip to france; jayne collins, trip to spain; sara dziedzic and kate field, london trip; jesse phagan, pat harrington, and kristen willis, the area plastic competition; sandra pratt, ocean bowl, chemistry competition, presented at rhode island science teachers conference, presenter at central ct state university and national science convention; jamie swift and richard telford, student writing award; al cormier , “academy traditions” programs and student council; kristen willis, gleaner and hilltop publications; robert kirk, the spire, yearbook dedication; participation of faculty, staff, students and parents in the climate committee work; val may, attended national biology technical institute conference; kate fields, international focus program at yale; jackie rose, attended ap workshop in summer 2005; richard telford, two pieces of poetry for publication in ct review; sue rosenstone invited for 2006 art teacher fly in program, maryland institute college of art. events of note: world language week; wellness week; 20 x 30 and other art displays; school to career program; diversity efforts through music and art; visiting artists program funded by the david roberts memorial fund; “general grant” visit to classes – historical interpreter; and the senior citizen fall fling. facilities the buildings that make up woodstock academy are in good condition. the maintenance and custodial staff take pride in their work and in the academy. this pride is a part of the “academy difference” and the caring shown in the building and grounds helps focus our students on their education. projects in progress or completed in 2005-2006 include: the old industrial arts area below the library renovated into two spaces, currently used as classrooms; library renovation plans are approved at the committee level and will be ready for full woodstock academy board of trustees review in the fall of 2006 with a goal of completion by fall of 2007; the potential sewer project was approved in concept by the water and pollution control authority and is in the engineering phase; the board of trustees approved the production of a rendering of the bentley field area that will show the two new fields and planning will continue next year; substantial work was done on our existing bentley fields to improve the turf; the gym roof was patched in the summer of 2005; the technology department secured a wiring grant form the state of connecticut for three classrooms; and a total building assessment will be done in 2006-2007. the strategic planning process will be used as a framework for our continued facilities work as we look into the future. conclusion woodstock academy is a vibrant learning community; it continues its mission. the next few years will see continuing efforts by the academy to plan for the future. this will be intense work accomplished through our strategic plan and preparation for the neasc visit. woodstock academy is an institution where excellence is celebrated; this being one part of the “academy difference.” - richard p . foye, headmaster24 the gleaner 2008 when i was first asked to speak to you at today’ s convocation, i was overwhelmed and a bit intimidated. so, when selecting a topic for this speech, i asked many people for advice. here is what some of them had to say: mr . warren advised me, “it better be good.” mrs. belden said, “keep it short and be funny, and for pete’ s sake, don’t bore us holly.” some said, “discuss something about which you have a strong opinion.” yikes. i wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. i do have many strong opinions; however , most i think are best not shared in public. my parents suggested i thank them for giving me life and for paying for my college education. thanks mom and dad! my husband encouraged me to discuss something that was close to my heart – so i made a list. my first draft of this speech was about the exciting topic of the educational pursuit of excellence. it seemed most appropriate for the occasion. i began the speech by talking to you, the students, about really applying yourselves. i planned on inspiring an educational revolution where you actually read books and didn’t copy homework on the bus. i encouraged the girls to excel in the sciences, and persuaded the boys to write down their feeling in poetic form. 2006 academic convocation undergratuate awards assembly “hope for the flowers” by holly singleton then i expanded my plan for revolutionary reform to the responsibilities of the parents, and the moral obligation of educators to engage their students and the need for more community involvement. and then my esteemed colleague, mr . jason musko, said to me, “ah…yeah…about that speech. maybe not.” so, after eliminating all of the ideas on my list that would get me fired, hated, or applauded by too many kids and not enough adults, i decided the only safe thing to do is what all english teachers like to do – tell a story. i’d like to share with you an abridged version of a story that had a tremendous impact on my youth. it is a well-known story by the famous william shakespeare and i just thought i’d read a scene or two. just kidding – i wanted to see if you were still actually listening. and besides, i could read from the great book of shakespeare, but mrs. belden told me to make it short and not boring. the book i’d really like to share today is called hope for the flowers by trina paulus. the protagonist of the story is a fuzzy striped caterpillar appropriately named stripe. stripe is plagued by the thought that “there must be more to life than just eating and getting bigger .” one day, in his quest to find satisfaction in life, stripe came across a column of “squirming, pushing, caterpillars,” a “caterpillar pillar” if you will. stripe speculates that it is at the top of this pillar that he will find what he seeks. in his struggles to reach the top, stripe discovers himself in a “climb or be climbed” world. so, in order to advance stripe steps on and crawls over everyone in his quest to rise higher . as stripe nears the top, he discovers a few startling things. in order to reach the apex, he must toss aside those ahead of him. and, as he decides whether or not to take these drastic measures, he overhears another caterpillar’ s claim that there is nothing at the top. he looks around and discovers that his pillar is “only one of thousands” and that millions of caterpillars “are climbing nowhere!” so what, you ask, happens to stripe when he comes to this empty realization? does he climb down? is he thrown aside by those below him? does he find meaning in his life? does he ever become a butterfly? well, i can’t tell you. remember , i’m an english teacher; i want you to actually read books for yourself! even without knowing the end, there are some important lessons to learn from stripe. first: there is more to life than eating and getting bigger . as stripe discovers, the same old leaves become boring. explore and take risks. ask questions along the journey. seek to reach the top of your caterpillar pillar . second: be sure you know where you are going, make sure it is to somewhere. don’t be swayed by popular opinion. don’t climb the pillar because everyone else is doing it – climb it because it is important to you. finally, be careful of those you cast aside as you advance. true success shouldn’t hurt those around you. true success should strengthen your community. a final thought – to those of you who have been successful, like stripe, who today are about to be recognized for your accomplishments, i encourage you to continue to climb toward laudable goals. and to those of you who will not be heralded this morning, who find yourself near the bottom of the pile or somewhere in the middle, i encourage you to work harder so that one day an entire room of your co-workers, the members of your family, or your teachers and peers will applaud when your name is called. class agents wanted we are still in need of class agents and are looking for representatives from each graduating class who would be willing to assist us with keeping addresses up to date and collecting class news on an annual basis. we are still in need of agents for the following classes: 1934, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 1940, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 1952, 53, 56, 58 1961, 64, 65, 66, 67 1973, 77, 78, 79 1980, 81, 82, 83, 84, 1990, 91, 94 2005, 06, 07, 08 job duties include informing the alumni office of address changes for classmates and collection and submission of class news once per year for the annual gleaner publication. we would welcome one or more members of any of the above classes to help us out. to those alums who are already assuming some of these responsibilities as class secretaries, officers or reunion organizers, we would like to enlist you as an official class agent. please let us know if you’d like to help. contact kris willis in the alumni office at 860-963-4926 or email to kwillis@woodstockacademy.org25 the gleaner 2008 i am so glad you are here and i’m glad we’re here together! class of 007, you are solid gold. i’m glad you’re here because being here means you are on the verge of getting your diploma! i’m glad you’re here because being here means you have learned many valuable lessons and you are ready to graduate. i’m glad you’re here because i have seen many of you learn skills that will serve you well in the many unwritten chapters of your life. i’m glad you’re here, because this day rewards those who value education. nationwide, only about 68% of all teenagers graduate from high school. you value education! i’m glad you’re here because so many of you have learned that hard work pays off! you have proven that in so many ways: in the classroom, on the stage, in literary magazines, on the athletic field and in the world of art and music. you are the best! i am glad that i am here with you and maybe i will graduate with you. i am glad i am here with you because you have provided me with four years of fun, excitement, and feelings of accomplishment. your contributions to my life are so many. i and my teaching colleagues have taught many of you writing and thinking skills. long after you have forgotten facts and figures, you will remember and use the writing, speaking, analytical, artistic and thinking skills we taught you. i am glad we are here together because a new chapter of your life and mine is about to be written. many years ago, i sat at my high school graduation. what did i know at 18? i knew what i wanted to be [that made my parents and guidance counselors happy]. i knew who i wanted to spend the rest of my life with. i knew that i was invulnerable. [ i would not succumb to wrinkles, poor eyesight and bad teeth, alcohol addiction]. everything i “knew” at 18 was wrong. i did not become a lawyer , i did not spend the rest of my life with my teenage girlfriend, and it turned out, i was not invulnerable to the ravages of age or alcohol addiction. class of 007….it’ s ok to be wrong...it is ok to change your dreams….and you are not invulnerable…but that’ s ok because it’ s ok to change! i was not wrong in all areas at 18. however , i, like you, knew that hard work often pays off. i, like many of you, know that even if you can’t change your fate, you baccalaureate address by william b. taylor can change your attitude. bad events don’t doom you. [do you remember why, exactly two months ago today so many of you were sad? many of you had a bad day on april 24. come on now…think…two months ago today.] i have taught many of you that setbacks are only momentary...bad events are not always your fault, i have taught many of you to look at bad events as being transient…specific to the situation and external. i have taught you that good events are permanent, general and internal…i have taught many of you to be optimists. for those of you who want to change your attitude and have a healthier , better life, i suggest you take a course in college that focuses on learned optimism and positive psychology. i am glad we’re here together this one last time. i speak for the entire wa community when i tell you – you will be sorely missed. you have touched our lives as we have touched yours. i was asked recently why i chose this year to retire. the answer is not very complicated. i have had a wonderful year . i have had four wonderful years with the class of 07. i don’t think i have enjoyed any year more than this year . for 39 years the academy has been my source of professional pride. the current school year has been one of my best teaching years. the content based capt approach that i and mr . smith my son, initiated has resulted in wa students achieving a high degree of success in the capt interdisciplinary writing test. the department that i have chaired over 20 years is in great shape, with dedicated teachers. the academy has made important changes in its administration and the atmosphere among students and staff is as optimistic and energetic as it has been in years. the class of 007 has helped foster this new optimism and energy. i founded the woodstock academy education association, separating the academy’ s bargaining unit from the woodstock public school, and the latest round of negotiations evidenced a spirit of respect and cooperation that was evident when i started the waea 38 years ago. i want to leave “my school” on a high note, and that is why i am leaving this year with the class of 007. i know that there will always be “storm clouds” on the horizon for the academy, but the board has shown, especially this year , that it can not only weather the storms, but turn ill winds into favorable ones. you are truly a group of dedicated inspired professionals! this graduating class and all of us thank you! thank you for providing me the opportunity to serve in so many capacities. i hope that i have given more to the academy and community than i received. i am so glad we are here today…together…you and the thousands of students i have taught have given me a life second to none. a student asked me this year if i was rich. i responded that things [boats, rvs, cars] are not really a sign of richness…sounded corny, but i told that class that it was my family and you students that made me rich…and i am rich beyond my wildest teenage dreams because of you, my family and woodstock academy. living in the richest state of the richest nation on earth has provided you and me with opportunities that most people in the world can’t even dream about. but knowing you and teaching you has made me so rich...and proud. i’m glad you’re here because you have heart and compassion. when one of your classmates needs help, you organize blood drives, raise money, take pictures, sign cards. you epitomize what jonathan winthrop hoped his puritan community would be 400 years ago…a small group that would be a good example for others and that example would change others. you have changed this school “on a hill” by your example and we all thank you for that! i’m glad you’re here because you have exceptional skills --- you are better than any previous senior class. capt scores, sat’ s, asvab, athletic accomplishments, artistic accomplishments, speaking and oratory skills and many others. you have worked your butt off. you reduced the bullying on campus. you are the best in a long history of wa graduating classes. you have heart. double 07 ---you are gold. most of you have connected with at least one staff member of wa. keep in touch. we care about you and we know you care about us! i’m glad you’re here because i get to brag for a moment. i want you to meet my wife rebecca who has been a driving force behind my success here at wa. without rebecca my career at wa would have ended 24 years ago. i love you rebecca. i want to thank robin smith, my commencement 2007 continued on next page26 the gleaner 2008 mr . foye, members of the board of trustees, administrators, bill t and fellow faculty, friends and family from near and far , class of 2007: this is fairly ironic. well…my plan was to sneak out the back door at midnight and cover my tracks with a willow branch at the end of this school year…some plan! here we are, both of us about to step through some pretty daunting doorways. very soon now you will no longer be high school students – you will be academy graduates. i will be retired – at least that’ s the plan – talk about miracles. how about a round of applause for all of us…all of us! talk about miracles. brothers and sisters of my heart: look around you – this is one of those moments. how many days like this can one person expect in her or his life? look around you. dressed in ceremonial robes, family and friends here to celebrate – you. family from as far away as california – maybe farther . i’m honored to share this moment with you. but something’ s wrong. it says here that i’m the “inspirational speaker .” inspirational speaker by donald spaeth daughter-in-law for all she has done for my family and for this school. robin smith is a pillar of the academy community! i am so proud of my granddaughter mackenzie smith. she earned a 4.0 this semester at uconn and will graduate next may. she, like the class of 007 has class and heart. her goal is to earn her master’ s degree in social work and then to work in a school setting helping kids. i am so proud of brendan smith, my grandson, who is working for [heister new england] and will finish his degree while working. brendan has a heart of gold! val goodno assured me – as she chased me down the hallway – that you picked me to inspire you. i’m flattered, but here’ s the news. you are inspiration today. you inspired me all year . during some particularly pain-filled days, you kept me going. i’d run into several of you before i got to my classroom each morning and you’d check in with me, “how are you this morning, mr . spaeth?” several of you would keep me company every morning. connecting and checking in. one of you fed me every morning. your calculated acts of caring and compassion are the inspiration here. some of you were brave enough to share your personal struggles in papers in class. some of you were courageous enough to read your poetry to a room filled with strangers at a local coffee house. two of you, sitting here today, were courageous enough to become engaged formally and declare your love and make a lifetime commitment to each other . every day you’d be there bright and shiny. your big smiles rising triumphant over the pain. how could i not keep going in the face of such courage in people so young. no, children, you are the inspiration here today…not me. i’ve assembled some dear friends – mark chuoke, pat dempsey, bob kirk, howie levine, and kali thierrier – to help me celebrate your great day. we’d like to celebrate your victory in song…4 songs to be precise. so, thanks for the ride. it was spectacular! i could not be prouder than i am of my son, greg smith. i chaired the committee that hired you as an academy teacher , and i count that as one of my life accomplishments. you have become a master teacher…you are a master son…i love you. class of double 07: the taylor/smith family wishes you the best! class of 007, your skills, work ethic, grace and goodness will take you far! double 07 --- you are solid gold. tribute to bill taylor it was only fitting that william b. taylor should address the class of 2007 for their baccalaureate. the academy community bid a fond farewell to bill after 39 years at the academy – teaching, mentoring, coaching and leading – achieving a milestone met by no other of the academy community. we thank him for his contributions to the “academy difference” and for touching so many lives along the way. we wish him many happy years in his retirement, safe travels, calm seas, and new memories to cherish with family and friends. congratulations bill, and with “an attitude of gratitude” we’re so very glad you were here! continued from page 2527 the gleaner 2008 good afternoon ladies, gentlemen, moms, dads, grandmothers, grandfathers, brothers and sisters, faculty, staff, and administrators. oh yes, and of course, good afternoon graduates. today we celebrate the end of a major period of our lives and the beginning of a new one. today we say goodbye to our dependence on parents, teachers, advisors and administrators and say hello to the real world. after today, many of us will head off to continue education in colleges across the nation, and some even in different nations. others will begin jobs that they will enjoy for years to come. and others will even have the privilege of serving our nation in the armed forces. no matter what we decide to do, we will all discover new places, make new friends, experience new and s t r a n g e s i tuat ions. we will learn new things and never be the same people that we are at this moment right now, sweltering in these caps and gowns, waiting for our names to be called to receive our diplomas. and while we’re waiting for that mighty, cathartic moment when our diploma is in one hand, we’re shaking mr . foye’ s hand with the other , and a cameraman is taking a picture so you can treasure the moment for years to come, we reminisce about the high school experiences we’ve had, and we shed a single tear because it will all change after today. john reily knox once said, “what a few men united in object and effort will to do can be done; and more than that, such associations teach us in their records how far human friendships can carry us.” i truly regret not having had the privilege of becoming close friends with all of you, because i know there is something i could learn from each and every one of you, but instead i prefer to think about all of you i have gotten to know and the great accomplishments we’ve been able to achieve hand in hand over the years. for example, i think about how nina joly can choreograph an entire hill singer cabaret in just a few weeks. i remember ms. field and ms. dziedzic directing countless ir students through new york city and washington, d.c. on their way to debate other students at model united nations conferences. and i remember jake duncan, david sullivan, danielle hustus, martha larson and eileen underwood getting up to sing karaoke in front of many students of all ages at our coffee house for the leukemia and lymphoma society. i treasure these friendships because of what we’ve been able to do for the community-at-large over the past four years. and i hope that all of us continue to dedicate time to community service, because i know how much it can motivate people. none of us knows how we will be at our ten year high school reunion; zeb levine might actually not have the right answer , kara richardson might have gotten her phd after all, and tom weaver might stop hitting on every girl who walks by. but no matter how much our lives change, i can trust that the respect we have for one another grows even more. before we stepped foot on the academy grounds, the movie pay it forward inspired people across the nation to reconsider how they went about their daily lives. in the movie, kevin spacey’ s character starts off his first day of teaching seventh grade with a short lecture. he says: “one day, you’ll all be free…but what if on that day you’re free, you haven’t prepared, you’re not ready and then you look around and you don’t like what the world is. what if the world is just a big disappointment?” one of the outspoken students answers: “we’re screwed!” and he’ s right! today is the day when we are not sheltered by parents and teachers, and if we haven’t prepared to face the real world already, we’re going to be ‘up a creek.’ however , there is something we can do; spacey offers welcome from the class president andrew porter-price, class of 2007 some inspiration: “unless…unless you take the things that you don’t like about this world and you flip them upside down…and you can start that today.” just like these 7th grade students, each and every student walking up this platform has the ability to change their world, no matter the circumstances. it’ s your life from now on graduates, and it’ s your responsibility alone to make life the way you want it. as spacey’ s character says: “there is a world out there and even if you decide you don’t want to meet it, it’ s still going to hit you right in the face.” i say…hit back. congratulations graduates! a new tradition began with the graduating class of 2007 with the faculty and graduates being led in the processional by two talented academy alumni bagpipers, jared (’97) and jedediah (’04) otto. the two brothers are members of the manchester pipe band.28 the gleaner 2008 fellow graduates, parents, family members, friends, board of trustees members, administrators, faculty, and staff: sometimes, while busy procrastinating, i like to imagine life without technology. at first, technology doesn’t seem that important. television has never excited me that much - i have always figured that my life was far more entertaining. i don’t drink coffee, so the lack of a coffee maker would probably not be a problem. everybody else, of course, would be walking around like zombies, but i’d be fine. lights are important, but they, too, are not absolutely necessary. candles work fine, and they smell better . so one day, i was busy thinking how unimportant technology was when i decided that it was time to put on some good ol’ beatles. and then i realized that i should probably begin the agonizingly long process of writing an english paper – the english paper that was due the next day. so… several hours later , i turned the computer on, opened up word document, and began work: ‘william shakespeare was a –,” and the power went off! long story short, by the time the power returned the next day, i was well aware of the importance of technology. i had barely survived! not only could i not do my homework, but everything else seemed to go wrong as well. i couldn’t cook: neither the stove, the oven, nor the microwave were working. on top of that, i had a very hard time waking up the next morning because my alarm clock did not go off. and i found that candles just don’t quite cut it, despite their nice smell. worst of all, i couldn’t even take a shower! technology and security kathryn robertson essay award winner by ashley anne fritzsche, class of 2007 during this rather dramatic escapade, i learned that technology affects many aspects of our lives. in webster’ s new world dictionary, technology is defined as “applied science,” which could pretty much mean anything. technology includes everything that man has ever created since humans have roamed this earth. it goes well beyond electrical devices and computers. some additional examples include the wheel, the printing press, space travel, medical technology, transportation, communication, and weapons. the world we live in today is the result of the hard work of thousands of inventors over hundreds of years. without technology, i was paralyzed and incapable of doing almost anything. i believe that we, as a society, are so accustomed to using machines and tools to navigate our way that we are almost at the point where we can’t do anything for ourselves. jonas salk once said, “this is perhaps the most beautiful time in human history; it is really pregnant with all kinds of creative possibilities made possible by science and technology which now constitute the slave of man – if man is not enslaved by it.” salk, the man who found the cure to polio, eloquently articulates the fear of many people. this fear is that by enveloping our lives with machines, we are losing our freedom. freedom is synonymous with self-sufficiency, and if technology is doing everything for us, we have no freedom. in the 1960’ s, there was a large movement in which many people aimed to unite with the earth and find true freedom. in order to do so, they disconnected themselves from institutions and technology. these individuals strongly felt that technology was in fact a constricting force, and they were able to survive without it. but are we? how many people among us, excluding those darn boy scouts, can build a fire without matches or a lighter? and how many people can find the square root of 1267 without using a calculator? zeb, don’t raise your hand. lastly, how many people can make macaroni and cheese from scratch and without using a stove or oven? over the years, we have lost many of our basic skills. these skills have been replaced by technology. many people ask themselves: are we a product of technology, or is it a product of us? well, is it possible that both sides of this question are true? technology begins and ends with human beings. we created it, and we have the power to destroy it. but technology also has the power to destroy us, and many argue that it is already doing so. with every generation, there are more and more machines that we use to make our lives more comfortable, and we are exponentially becoming dependent on them. thus, we become a product of technology. some say, “down with technology! let’ s stop creating it, or , better yet, let’ s just get rid of it all!” and it is very easy to say this. but with the death of technology is the death of the human psyche. technology is a direct result of human curiosity and intelligence; it is what separates humans from every other creature on the planet. without our innate curiosity, humanity ceases to exist. thus, there is a certain duality to technology. one half of us is resentfully dependent on the vast supply of machinery. we need it because we’ve come to the point where we can’t survive without it. on the other hand, we love to create new technology. it fulfills our never-ending curiosity and our thirst for finding an easier and better way. so, we hate technology, yet we love it. we need it, but we can live without it. the ambiguity of technology makes way for many questions and debates, but the truth is that we need it. what our society needs is a balance between technology and mankind. and that’ s where we, the class of 2007, come in. the philosopher and journalist walter lippmann once said, “you cannot endow even the best machine with initiative; even the jolliest steam-roller will not plant flowers,” and he was right. for it is us, the class of 2007, that has the initiative and that will plant the flowers. okay, so maybe not all of us will plant flowers, but we all have initiative. we may use technology as a tool, but we are largely dependent on our own ingenuity, academic intuitiveness, emotions, and something called good old thinking. for example, we may use computers to type our letters, but we come up with the words that form our sentences. technology may have helped to create paint, but we choose the colors we use. planes, cars, and boats may take us places, but we decide where we’re going. technology may be advanced, but it does not have passion; we do. it does not have emotions; we do. it does not have taste; we do. we are the only generation that is currently fully literate in today’ s modern technology and uses it in conjunction with our own intelligence to live, work, and make tomorrow’ s world a better place. yes, we are the youngest and definitely the most immature (no offense), and yes, we still have a lot of learning ahead of us, but we are the future. we are the balance between technology and humankind. as we continue to further technology, we will strive to maintain our humanity. we, woodstock academy’ s class of 2007, are the human factor . thank you, and congratulations class of 2007.29 the gleaner 2008 through thoughtful discussion and research by academy community members, a new mission statement was adopted to more accurately reflect the academy’ s responsibility to its students, parents, staff, and greater community: “the mission of the woodstock academy is to provide a rigorous education in a safe environment, preparing all students for a lifetime of learning through a diversity of experiences. furthermore, the academy aims to foster in students a sense of respect for self and others, encouraging active investment in family, school, community, and world. school goals our stated school goals for the 2006-2007 school year were incorporated in three areas: 1) to facilitate the following projects at the pace approved by the trustees: a. library renovation; b. sewer project; c. bentley fields improvements; 2) to continue with the neasc preparation; 3) to include the woodstock academy strategic plan in all aspects of the school as set in the approved action plans. progress was made on each of the three projects listed in the academy’ s goals. the library renovation, with peter vercelli as architect, began may 1, 2007, with a schedule to finish by the opening of school. as this report is authored it appears that the renovations will be complete close to the return of students, or a few weeks into the school year . the library renovation trustee subcommittee, chaired by ernie wetzel, was instrumental in shepherding this project prior to the beginning of construction. in sum, the library renovation will serve the students of the academy and the greater community for generations to come. it is a first class facility and all will be proud of what it adds to the woodstock community. during the 2006-2007 school year the engineering plan for the sewer line was approved by the woodstock pollution control authority. this project was facilitated through the hard work of mr . joe campbell and cme associates. the trustee committees working directly with this project are the building and grounds committee (robert holland, chairman) and the finance committee (paul kelly, chairman). the next step includes the bidding and means of payment processes. the “bentley field improvement” initiative made significant positive steps in 2006-2007. first, renderings were completed showing what improvements could look like. these renderings were helpful in giving the community a sense of how any improvements might fit into the neighborhood that borders the bentley complex. second, an engineering plan was authorized by the trustees and is currently in progress. third, the resource development subcommittee of the trustees (reconstituted with the new strategic plan) authorized a feasibility study headmaster‘s annual report 2006-2007 to determine the amount of potential giving for this improvement project. this study will be completed in august of 2007 and the trustees will then determine how, and if, to move forward. the preparation for the new england association of schools and colleges (neasc) visit in the fall of 2008 continued on schedule during the 2006-2007 school year . the program clearly followed the plan set down in the fall of 2005 and steering committee of teachers, administrators, with trustees and parent representation has overseen the progress since the fall of 2006. the curriculum revisions and major program reviews are complete in draft form and will be proofread during the summer of 2007. in addition, surveys were completed by alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents and will be available for the self-study work that will culminate with the completion of all reports in the spring of 2008. the strategic plan, approved by the trustees in may of 2006, was further strengthened in the fall of 2006 as the board of trustees approved a set of comprehensive action plans. this plan has resulted in an enhancement of focused thinking as the academy moves forward. a few examples would suggest this improved focus. administrator evaluations included reference to the strategic plan. a trustee resource development committee was formed. also, to improve communications with the sending towns, a budget presentation was made to each one of the sending towns. these presentations included board of education members and some board of finance members. meetings took place with: brooklyn and canterbury; pomfret and eastford; woodstock (board of education); woodstock (board of finance) and; pomfret (board of education). these are but a few examples of the influence that the strategic plan has begun to bring to the academy’ s organizational thinking. during the months of february, march, and april a change in governance of the academy was proposed to the state legislature education committee. it appears that planning to “attack” the academy in this way may have been in the works for some months. no legislation came out of the education committee, and no bill went to the floor of either the house or senate, as the session ended. this proposed legislation is the latest effort to gain control of the academy. these efforts, by a faction of woodstock leaders, are ongoing and have grown in intensity over the last three-plus years. the issues of contract, bonding, student numbers, among others are used against the academy. woodstock academy has served students well for over 205 years; anything worthwhile will always need people to stand up for it. administration during the 2006-2007 school year the academy saw significant administrative changes. the assistant headmaster resigned and was replaced by mr . albert cormier . mr . cormier formerly served as director of guidance. the dean of curriculum retired and was replaced by mrs. holly singleton. mrs. singleton formerly served as the head of the department of english at the academy. guidance counselor , mr . peter green, stepped in to serve as acting director of guidance. and, finally, an opening in the business department facilitated a request by mr . foley to return to the classroom. mr . foley served as dean of student services for five years. his service to students, through his work in the area of school climate is valued and appreciated. with new administration brings the input of new ideas and a continuance of energy directed at academy excellence. finance financially, the academy distributed funds left from the previous budget to three areas: funds were returned to the sending towns, funds were set aside for the sewer project, and funds covered a deficit caused by a town’ s mis-estimation of the number of students. these situations, plus administrative restructuring was covered and adjusted to balance the budget. the details will be viewed in the annual audit in the fall of 2007. academic the academic committee, led by trustee philippa paquette, oversaw progress in the academic area. the 2006-2007 school year was highlighted by the following: new course offerings, test scores, and student achievement. the academic committee approved new courses in mathematics, world language, technology, an expanded vhs program, and social studies. the china studies course was the off-shoot of the connecticut/china sister school program. mr . foye (headmaster), and mrs. katherine field (history teacher), visited and established a relationship with dezhou middle school (high school level). the plan is to nurture this relationship over time for the benefit of students in both schools. test scores as measured by the sats, ap tests, and capt scores saw the academy students perform well. the sats showed a five year increase of twenty-five points in reading, and twenty-five points in mathematics. the ap test results indicated that 88% of the test takers were at the 3, 4, and/or 5 level, this granting academy students college credit at many institutions. the capt scores were solid with the students performing at or above the six year average. individual student academic achievement included a windham county prose winner , a presidential scholar semi-finalist, a governor’ s scholar , superior and excellent ratings in music continued on next page30 the gleaner 2008 adjudications, a congressional art contest winner , voice of democracy winner , connecticut scholastic art awards (nine gold key awards), and french impressionism contest finalist. these accomplishments are but a sample of the outstanding student work. student activities woodstock academy provides a wide range of activities in athletics, music, theater , and related co-curricular experiences. a sample of these activities included: trips to senegal, france, washington, d.c., italy, germany, switzerland, spain, quebec city; intramural program with 265 participants; freshmen focus scholar dinner; capt scholar dinner; two blood drives with a total of 192 pints collected; voter registration drive with 79 sign ups; best delegate award at model un conference at georgetown university. in athletics, it was the first year for varsity football; the cheerleaders won their second ecc title; the golf team was undefeated and won the ecc title; unified sports participated in basketball; all-state honors were earned in track, wrestling, and gymnastics; and numerous students earned all-conference honors. these distinctions are but a few examples of athletic participation and achievement. theater for 2006-2007 included the effects of gamma rays on man in the moon marigolds and the musical production of joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. faculty the great strength of woodstock academy is its faculty and staff. a sample of the highlights included: holly singleton, woodstock academy teacher of the year; jason musko, chase nobel educator of distinction; merry burke and kim jalet, senegal visit and return trip to senegal; kate field’ s trip to dezhou china sister school and fulbright to south africa; kim jalet’ s “oral history” project; sandy pratt, chemistry olympiad, ocean bowl, and chem demo day; val may, biotechnical industry organization international convention; melissa beck, voice of democracy and received a grant from the classical association of new england; jamie swift and jackie rose, the national honor society; ann mitra , climate committee events such as high school challenge lunch and volunteer recognition program; colleen martin and victoria despres, unified sports participation; amy ranta, lauren sansoucy (churchill) and frank may, the dc music festival among other events; gillian zieger and karin cournoyer for beginning a diversity club; sara dziedzic and kate field for work with the un model club; jayne collin’ s trip to paris; sara dziedzic’ s trip to germany, switzerland; nancy beauregard waldron, amy favreau, and al cormier for student council and traditions days; jamie swift, holly singleton, and rich telford, student writing awards; william taylor , the spire yearbook dedication; kristen willis, hilltop publications; amanda harrington for updated web page enhanced graphics, headmaster’ s corner; mark chuoke, kathy chase for peer helpers network; amanda rice, sos mitten and hat drive and food drives; kathy chase, thanksgiving food baskets; mary belden and anne keller , dress down friday, a fundraiser for wa student/family assistance. events of note: world language week; wellness week; 20 x 30 and other art displays; display of woodwork; career day, business partners luncheon, proposed advisory council; senior citizen fall foliage fling; underclass convocation; homecoming events; trick or treat street; freshmen lock in – 190 students (160 parents); proms; volunteer recognition reception; african band rumbafrica; hill singers; broadway review; birthday balloons for students and staff; mr . woodstock. conclusion woodstock academy remains a vibrant learning community; it continues its mission. the organization remained steady in “turbulent seas” during 2006-2007. i believe the adversity has made woodstock academy stronger , an important example of the “academy difference.” - richard p . foye, headmaster connecticut governor’s scholar recipients the academy has had the distinct honor of having a governor’ s scholar named each consecutive year since 2003. our latest recipients include: 2005 - david plassman; 2006 – zebulon levine; 2007 – stephanie bernardi; and 2008 – christopher mcginn. under the direction of the commissioner of education, connecticut association of schools and big y world class markets have collaborated to sustain the governor’ s scholars program. the purpose of the program is to recognize academically talented high school students in their junior year in schools throughout the state, and present thirty students for special recognition to the governor of connecticut. all principals of cas member high schools are given the opportunity to nominate one junior ranked in the top four percent of his/her class. an essay on an assigned topic is completed. members of the governor’ s scholars committee, who are professional educators from throughout connecticut, judged the completed applications and assign a composite score to each based on rank in class, psat or sat scores, capt scores, and the student essay. david plassman, the 2005 recipient and a graduate of the class of 2006, received numerous academic awards while at the academy, including outstanding achievement awards in science, math, english, latin, and computer assisted drawing, and ultimately earned the honor of graduating as valedictorian of his class. in addition to being enrolled in honors and advanced placement courses throughout his career and across the curriculum at the academy, he spent his high school summers enrolled in the john hopkins university’ s center for talented youth at skidmore college. this was an experience that david felt was extremely important in his life, preparing him for college and learning in a fast-paced environment david’ s record of academics combined with athletics, co-curricular activities, community service and volunteer commitments during his high school career is impressive to say the least. mr . al cormier , david’ s counselor at the academy and currently the assistant headmaster , stated, “david’ s educational goal was to learn, not simply manipulate his way to an a,” and that he has had few students in his career that have had more capability while balancing academic priorities with leisure choices. david’ s many accomplishments at the academy also included being a founding member of the young philosopher’ s society of northeastern connecticut, a member of the united nations club, a member of the tennis team and fencing club, a volunteer at the local hospital, elementary and middle schools, and serving on a state level as a campaign volunteer . perhaps the most telling award, reflecting david’ s dedication and the respect that he earned from the academy community was his receipt of the yale honor cup, the highest honor to be bestowed upon a student by the faculty. outside of the classroom, david is a talented and passionate musician, playing guitar and keyboards for a rock band. his post high school career has been spent at american university where he is pursuing a double-major in computer science and math. continued from page 2931 the gleaner 2008 zebulon levine, of the class of 2007 was the academy’ s 2006 recipient. zeb was an active member of the student council, the constance holt national honor society, the spanish national honor society, and the tri-m music honor society. he received outstanding achievement awards in math, science, history, english, and spanish, as well as recognition as a capt scholar . zeb received notoriety as being the only student in connecticut to receive a perfect score on the act college entrance exam in 2006 and recognition for achieving a perfect score of five on all four advanced placement tests that he took during his junior year . he also competed in the northeast regional science bowl and the national chemistry olympiad. zeb’ s history teacher , mrs. linda stedman, described zeb as having all of the attributes of an extraordinarily terrific high school student. “he is smart, thoughtful, hard-working, interested, interesting, funny, nice…he excels academically in both the arts and sciences, in addition to participating in several extracurricular activities.” outside of the classroom, zeb was a wrestler and talented guitar player . he played in the woodstock academy jazz band, had a garage band with friends, took private lessons and participated in national guitar workshops. mr . david walley, zeb’ s college counselor , notes, “zeb is the most intellectually gifted, yet hardest working student i have ever had the pleasure of working with. his ability to perform at the highest level, academically, while dedicating himself completely to the sport of wrestling is amazing.” reflective of his dedication to both academics and athletics, zeb received the connecticut high school scholar athlete award in 2007. he graduated as the valedictorian of the class of 2007, was also a recipient of the yale honor cup, and is currently attending williams college stephanie bernardi, a recent graduate of the class of 2008, was selected as a 2007 governor’ s scholar , and notably, the academy’ s first female recipient. stephanie was an active member in academy student government, holding the position of president of her class for two years and as a representative to the leadership advisory committee of the connecticut association of student councils for 2007. she describes herself as overly ambitious, priding herself in participating in activities that maintain her physical fitness, including the varsity soccer , indoor track, and lacrosse teams. she has been a two-time recipient of the eastern connecticut conference’ s sportsmanship award and received the connecticut high school scholar athlete award in 2008. assistant headmaster , albert cormier described stephanie as one of most talented students he has worked with in his lengthy education career and states, “committed to academics, athletics, leadership and community service, stephanie works at each commitment with the same enthusiasm. a creative thinker , she is able to persuasively present her views in oral or written form equally well. respectful of the views of others, she listens carefully and, when convinced of an opposing point, can shift to another view. having earned the respect of her classmates, our faculty and staff also hold stephanie in high regard. that she was selected as a governor’ s scholar is a fitting tribute to her hard work and numerous accomplishments.” stephanie was a member of the constance holt chapter of the national honor society, was published in the connecticut student writer’ s magazine, and received numerous academic achievement awards in math, chemistry, physics, and art. reflecting her interest in science, stephanie was a member of wa’ s northeast regional science bowl team and participated in the chemistry olympiad competition. her most prestigious accomplishments at woodstock academy were leading her class as valedictorian and in the footsteps of her male predecessors, she was also the recipient of the hallowed yale honor cup. stephanie will be attending cornell university in the fall and will major in biochemistry. the 2008 recipient for woodstock academy is christopher mcginn, a member of the class of 2009. chris has participated on the football and basketball teams for the past three years and has received academic achievement awards in biology, math, latin and history. outside of the classroom chris has performed on stage for the past several years as a member of the community theater group, “break-a-leg productions” and plays aau basketball. chris was also an active member of the science olympiad team at the academy this past year . mr . peter green, chris’ s college counselor describes him as a “great all-around academy student.” he states, “chris is a positive influence among his peers and exhibits both strength of character and a high degree of personal integrity. chris genuinely enjoys learning and is exceptionally gifted in the areas of math and science, and is a dedicated player and leader on our football and basketball teams.” this past summer , chris took a one-week pre-college course in physics at brown university, worked part-time, and spent time working on summer conditioning for the fall football season. chris plans to major in physics in college. alumni scholarship recipients (for the past decade) 2007 – eileen underwood 2006 – vivian daigle, lauren young 2005 – joseph laflamme 2004 – catherine hibbard 2003 – david pechie 2002 – derek child 2001 – sebastian paquette 2000 – alysia syriac 1999 – serena johnson, sarah welch 1998 – kristin rathbone lauren young, class of 2006 vivian daigle, class of 2006 eileen underwood, class of 2007 joseph laflamme, class of 2005 connecticut governor’s scholar recipients32 the gleaner 2008 the academy’ s commitment to international education has been evident for many years and has included a broad range of activities and programs: foreign language offerings of latin, spanish, french, and italian; world language week and concert; model united nations program; foreign trips each year that have included italy, spain, costa-rica, ecuador , peru, mexico, germany, england, scotland, france, greece, canada and other countries; a senegal exchange program since 1998; professional development for faculty for foreign study and development of curriculum; hosting foreign exchange students from brazil, turkey, hong kong, greece, and the philippines; core courses with an international focus including international relations, comparative religions, modern european history, current events, and us and the world in the 20 th century; and clubs focusing on international issues including amnesty international, operation day’ s work, united nations club, and spanish, latin, and french national honor societies. in the more recent past, discussions have been held in a variety of forums relative to woodstock academy beginning an initiative in asian studies, and along with that, development and implementation of an asian studies program to include a course in chinese language. one of the driving forces behind this initiative has been katherine field, a member of the woodstock academy social studies department and teacher of international relations, european history, world history, and comparative religions. throughout her career , she has been committed to helping expand the non-western social studies and language courses offered at the academy, as well as interdisciplinary initiatives. ms. field’ s dedication to teaching academy students about world cultures has been demonstrated by her own experiences and study that she has undertaken during her summers, including receiving a fulbright-hays grant to study affirmative action in south africa; a fulbright-hays grant to study at the university of pecs in hungary; a national endowment for the humanities grant to study religion in italy; and a freeman foundation grant through yale university to study ethnic minorities in the yunnan and xinjiang provinces in china. she has spent every summer of the past 10 years either taking classes or taking part in educational travel seminars. her experiences have given her the ability to develop her curriculum with first-hand knowledge, having a direct impact on her students, and have allowed her to share her china sister school project by kristen willis expertise with her peers through workshops and presentations. after ms. field’ s trip to china in 2005, serious discussion began in the social studies department about expanding its program to include asian studies which resulted in ms. field presenting a proposal for a chinese studies course. she stated in her rationale for such a venture, “the social studies curriculum of most high schools in the united states is very ethnocentric. it is dominated by us history, european history, and western civilization courses. while important, such classes do little to prepare students for the reality they will face when they graduate – a world in which east asia, particularly china, will play a dominant role. while students in china begin learning english in elementary school, very few students in the us will ever take a class in chinese language or culture, either in high school or in college. this leaves them, and our country, at a woeful disadvantage. how can the us interact with china if the future generation has no understanding of their language or culture?” the proposal was met with much support and enthusiasm by the academic committee of the board of trustees, allowing ms. field and the department to continue to develop the proposal and further research how to implement the program. an initial step taken in that research was an application by ms. field, with the approval and support of headmaster foye, to the world affairs council, connecticut and the connecticut state department of education to participate in the connecticut shandong sister school exchange project for 2006-07. in 2005, the connecticut state department of education signed a memorandum of understanding renewal agreement with the shandong provincial commission on education. this memorandum signed by commissioner betty j. sternberg and commissioner qi tao was an effort to build on a relationship that began with governor william o’neill and the governor of shandong province in 1986 when they signed a pact to form a trade/economic relationship between connecticut and the shandong province. as a result of the agreement, the connecticut china-shandong province council, an organization involving community leaders, educational institutions and businesses in connecticut, was created to foster friendship, trade and other relationships between the two regions. since that time, numerous connecticut companies have established production facilities in shandong. in the summer of 2002, the connecticut state department of education, under a collaborative program designed with the world affairs council, received funding from the u.s. department of education fulbright-hays group projects abroad program to send a delegation of 17 teachers to conduct a field study in china and shandong province. out of that experience the idea for establishing a relationship that would encourage collaborative programs, exchange, and joint educational activities was formed and a plan announced to continue to add sister schools and programs to implement several professional development initiatives. this plan included expanding to 56 sister schools by the end of april 2006, implementing a principal shadow program and supporting a teaching methods program in connecticut for teachers from shandong partner schools. institutions that collaborated in facilitating the sister school project included the connecticut state department of education, the world affairs council, the connecticut china council, programs in international educational resources at yale university, the china exchange initiative, connecticut association of public school superintendents, the connecticut association of schools, and the connecticut geographic alliance. phase i – off to china headmaster foye and ms. field were notified in july of 2006 that woodstock academy’ s application had been approved and the academy had been selected to participate in the connecticut-shandong sister school exchange field study in china. thus began the preparations for the headmaster and ms. field to visit china in april of 2007. ms. field’ s ability to draw headmaster foye with peng zhen, organizer & tour guide for the sister school visit. a banner was made especially to welcome woodstock academy to the dezhou high school. a view from the gate of heavenly peace, forbidden city in beijing33 the gleaner 2008 china sister school project upon her experience from her 2005 trip to china and her training in mandarin was a tremendous advantage. both she and headmaster foye were also required to attend several pre-departure seminars in february and march on chinese history, culture, and language to help prepare them for their trip. in addition, social studies consultant for the connecticut state department of education and director of the project, daniel gregg conducted a site visit of the academy along with other members of the china exchange initiative. these same members would be visiting shandong schools to determine the appropriate sister school collaborative between 10 connecticut schools and 10 shandong schools, and ultimately, who would become woodstock academy’ s sister school. the academy duo, part of a 20-member delegation from connecticut departed on april 13 th for the 10-day field study that would include education briefings at the ministry of education in beijing and shandong provincial department of education in jinan, and the visit to their assigned sister school that would include meeting with administrative staff, visiting classrooms, teaching, becoming familiar with the school community, and several planned tours to highlight some of the chinese culture and history. the academy’ s sister school is no. 1 senior high dezhou shandong, one of the 19 best known schools in shandong province. there are approximately 90 million people in the province, and 6,000 students in no. 1 senior high. the school was founded in 1929 and has been honored as a province standard school and the province civilized community. as stated in the twinning agreement between our two schools, no. 1 senior high has “a good cultural background and teaching style. with the cooperation and on-going struggle of generations of teachers, it has brought up millions of talents for the society in the past 70 years. in the past few years, no. 1 senior high has promoted the principle, “education is service.” at the request of modernization of educational thoughts, standardization of equipment, standardization of administrative regulations, as well as qualification of the students, no. 1 senior high performed a series of reforms and has won a great success.” headmaster foye and the principal zhang youlai of no. 1 senior high signed the twinning agreement during a ceremony on april 19 th . this extraordinary and unique experience was reflected upon by both the headmaster and ms. field from both a personal and educational perspective. whether it was giving an english lesson to 50-75 students in one classroom, witnessing the creativity and talent of student musicians, dancers and artists, walking the great wall, taking part in traditional ceremony and decorum of the culture, or experiencing the warmth, graciousness, and overall generosity of their hosts, both mr . foye and ms. field brought back a new appreciation of and insight into chinese education and culture. mr . foye shared his impressions of the day that he and ms. field arrived at the senior high. he noted, “introductions took place in a manner with more protocol than i anticipated. statements are read and translated by various officials including the principal mr . zhang. he is an important man as head of a 6,000 student school and the highest performing school in this city. he is stoic in his presentation of welcoming us and i wonder how to make an appropriate connection and impression.” through each experience and introduction, mr . foye looked for the opportunity to make a “connection.” after a tour of the campus, student demonstrations in the arts, conversation with students who were eager to speak with him in english, a table tennis match with principal zhang – which mr . foye refers to as “ping-pong diplomacy”, and a welcome dinner with toasts to a new relationship, our headmaster felt confident that a solid foundation for a beginning had been laid and indeed, connections would be made as the journey continued. ms. field was extremely impressed with the enthusiasm with which she and mr . foye were welcomed by our sister school. vividly, she remembers the eagerness of the students to want to touch them, take photographs with them, and to have their autographs. she noted that one student, after having taken a photograph with her , “reached out her hand to stop me from leaving. thinking that she wanted to shake my hand, i took hers, and felt something press into my palm. she held my hand for a second, then smiled shyly and fled back to class. when i opened my hand, i found a beaded bracelet still warm from her wrist. as much as i love my own students at woodstock academy, i could not imagine one of them doing such a thing for a perfect stranger .” ms. field had the pleasure of teaching a class as well as observing others. she was most impressed by the work ethic of these students who, although twinning agreement ceremony ms. field is privileged to teach an english class of approximately 60 students. ms. field in tiananmen square continued on next page ms. field & headmaster foye with the principal, mr . zhang yonlai and student musicians and performers of dezhou #1 high school.34 the gleaner 2008 exhausted from a 12-13 hour school day and under tremendous stress to succeed, appeared to truly enjoy learning. in china, all students must take a test called the “gao kao” at the end of high school which tests in subjects such as math, english and science. this examination is the determining factor in a student’ s admission to a university. mr . foye summed up his visit in a communication to the director of the project, dan gregg, as he was getting prepared to depart for the u.s.: “everything we saw in china, it seems to me, is governed by the shire number of people, a culture that is deep and rich, and an ancient tradition of central control. all three factors are driven today by the market economy. in beijing, the explosive growth is indeed a fine example that combines these three factors with the market economy. for example, the number of available workers, the cooperative culture, and the central control, all contribute to this massive building effort. the building “explosion” is seen in all areas of china that we visited. …the educational system is influenced by the three factors i have mentioned, and driven by the competition of the market economy. how else could a system with such large schools work! student numbers and tradition causes the test driven educational system. this may select out the best test takers and the brightest students but would china sister school project leave behind other talented young people. and, as the number of better educated children increases, are there enough jobs? indeed, the three factors driven by the market economy is a great strength and a great weakness as china moves forward. it will be an interesting “ride” for china that we will continue to be influenced by in our lifetime. …knowing that i truly know very little about china, these thoughts are at least a framework to go forward with from this point. hopefully i can learn and share more about china during the rest of my ‘ride’.” phase ii – welcomed guests the “ride” did indeed continue for headmaster foye, ms. field and the academy, as the sister school project entered its second phase during the fall following the connecticut delegation’ s visit to china. two chinese teachers from the shandong province were invited to visit the academy to further our school twinning agreement and to begin a teaching exchange. ms. wang huifang and ms. yang shouju, both middle school teachers and part of a group of 22 teachers from the shandong province, spent 10 days at the academy, sharing ideas and teaching methods with our faculty and students, and hoping to gain an insight into american styles of teaching. during their stay, they also were able to visit woodstock middle and elementary schools, norwich free academy, and uconn. our cultural diversity coordinator and french teacher , merry burke, was responsible for making arrangements for our guests, including accommodations, classroom observations, scheduling school visits, and a variety of cultural experiences. the academy community and members of the greater community were gracious hosts, helping with trips to various places of interest, accompanying them to school events, and preparing meals and inviting our guests into their homes. former faculty member robert kirk and his wife debby generously provided headmaster foye at the great wall. the olympic motto “one world one dream” is draped across the mountain side. the home-stay and were delighted by the experience. bob kirk commented, “wang and yang are delightful ladies and perfect houseguests. they are such great sports! they’re game for anything – from a 6:45 a.m. interview with gary-o on winy radio to a uconn football game in the rain with mr . foye!” with the help of volunteer translators from the community (mrs. jeanne guo of pomfret, mr . william cheng of putnam, mr . tim chou of pomfret and ms. libby chen of killingly), classroom observations and school visits were especially meaningful for them. while at the academy, ms. huifang and ms. shouju observed classes, engaged in discussion with students and faculty in various forums, attended school assemblies, as well as a variety of extracurricular school-sponsored activities. both of our guests remarked on the close relationships between students and teachers, and were impressed by the active learning exhibited in projects and p r e s e n t a t i o n s . they particularly enjoyed and envied the smaller class sizes in america, as their average class sizes are 60 students. when asked about the differences between american and chinese students, they noted that one of the most outstanding differences was that chinese students are more singularly focused and disciplined, while american students are allowed more free time and flexibility for creative learning – an observation that was similar from ms. field’ s perspective during her visit to china. ms. huifang stated, “the most important difference in the learning is in the difference in management of the schools, and the thinking behind it and the organization.” ms. shouju was particularly interested in the school’ s counseling program, a service that is not provided at their schools in china. she hoped to propose it to her principal but noted that it would be difficult to students were most excited and enthusiastic and loved having their photograph taken with their guests. ms. field is presented with a gift of student artwork academy world language students with wang & yang continued from page 33 wang huifang & yang shouju with headmaster foye and merry burke on the academy campus35 the gleaner 2008 china sister school project implement, due to the different culture of education and the fact that she came from a school of 4,000 students. the effort put forth by the academy community for the visit was most appreciated by ms. huifang and ms. shouju, and they were anxious to share their experience with their peers back home. they took back many new teaching ideas, fond memories, photographs and mementos of america, connecticut, and woodstock academy, and most importantly, new friendships. phase iii – in the chinese classroom having kept in touch with ms. huifang and ms. shouju after their departure, and being an integral part of their visit to the academy, our diversity coordinator , merry burke, began the process of applying to participate in what would be the connecticut equivalent of the 2 nd part of the teaching exchange – sending connecticut teachers to china. mrs. burke was accepted, and in april of 2008, headed off to spend 14 days in china. her experience would involve a more extensive immersion into chinese culture and education than that of the first connecticut delegation, living with members of the school community and working in the classroom at the dezhou no. 1 middle school. mrs. burke described her experience as “both educationally and personally enlightening”. she commented that, “as a student of the 60’ s, i had many preconceptions about china and the people of china. i had experienced great friendship in my high school in chinatown, new york but speaking about the mainland was taboo. i have traveled to many countries but have had to pinch myself to realize that i am in china. the historical visits to the forbidden city, tiananmen square, and the summer palace were wang & yang with host family bob & debbiy kirk fascinating. i can only begin to understand some of the history of this great country. it is a pleasure and an honor to be among people who honor each other and their guests.” mrs. burke was integrated into the classroom, even though she was viewed as somewhat of a “star” in the eyes of the students, and taught classes of 60 students or more which she described as “totally focused on my lesson.” she was also able to view and participate in their art, dance, and music lessons. one of the best parts of the trip was being able to truly experience the culture by living with some of the students in their homes. mrs. burke stated that she was overwhelmed by their eagerness to include her in all of their activities, to share their talents with her , and to educate her in their culture. mrs. burke also came away with an appreciation for why the structure of education is such that it is in china. she wrote in her reflection: “exchanging language learning pedagogy with the english teachers was enriching. i now realize that many of the methods of teaching in china are a systematic way to deal with educating an enormous population. there are many countries in the world where there is no education for the mass number of students. methods that i once viewed as stifling and rigid now leave me in awe.” our future in asian studies through the combined effort of ms. field and the social studies department, mrs. burke and the world language department, mrs. holly singleton, dean of curriculum, our merry burke with her grade two class in american/chinese myths and truths. merry burke with english teachers of dezhou #1 middle school headmaster foye, holly singleton, jie zhao and merry burke. jie zhao will be at the academy for the 2008-09 school year . administration, and the board of trustees, the effort for the asian studies program has come full circle with an approved curriculum that has been implemented to include chinese history and culture and a course in mandarin. ms. field taught chinese history and culture last year , and we are pleased to announce the recent arrival of chinese teacher , ms. jie zhao who will teach the same course this year along with a chinese language course in mandarin. ms. zhao comes from harbin, the capital of the heilongjiang province in china and was availed to us through the visiting international teachers program sponsored by the connecticut state department of education. she will spend at least one year teaching at the academy. over 40 students signed up for the courses and are excited at the prospect of learning a new language and understanding a new culture, as is our faculty and staff. our administrator and teacher exchange through the china sister school project is only a beginning. the “connections” have been made, the foundation has been laid, and it is up to us, as educators, to be the bridge between our two cultures. the next step is for our students to cross that bridge and with the recent approval of the board of trustees, a group of academy students will be taking a trip to china with ms. field in the spring of 2009. woodstock academy’ s envisions itself “as a student centered school which emphasizes individual growth and development through student engagement in diverse instructional opportunities effectively managed by an empowered faculty, supported by a participating community and characterized by the highest global values of a rapidly changing world.” the china sister school project is a shining example of forward thinking and vision, and keeps us ahead of the curve. it indeed serves our mission to “prepare all students for a lifetime of learning”, providing “academic rigor”, “a diversity of educational experiences” and to encourage “active investment in family, school, community, and the world.”36 the gleaner 2008 the face of woodstock academy athletics has certainly changed over the years. the days of the quinebaug valley conference have long since passed and our athletes are now competing in the highly competitive eastern connecticut conference (ecc) large division. old local rivalries still continue on various levels with putnam, killingly, and tourtellotte with the addition of some new favorite challengers such as norwich free academy, east lyme and ledyard. thirty-nine teams, translating to approximately 500 student athletes make up our boys and girls sports programs of varsity and sub-varsity teams (several of which include freshmen programs as well as junior varsity) in fifteen sports including baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, indoor and outdoor track, lacrosse, soccer , softball, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling. our cheerleading, golf and wrestling programs are co-ed. with the increased level of participation in sports and the number of teams, program management and facility improvement and development have been priorities. in 2005, the position of athletic director was increased to a full time position. after retiring from coaching, bob derrico took the position and served as a.d. for 2 years with the assistance of ann rathbone. bob recently stepped down from the position to return to the classroom and a new athletic director , christopher coderre was named in june. some progress has been made on improving the existing field conditions of the soccer , baseball, and softball fields with the help of a turf company, and the generous support of the booster club. the newly established position of groundskeeper , filled by porter elliot, has made a significant difference in keeping up with maintaining the quality and appearance of the bentley complex for the sake of our athletes and the community members who enjoy its use. with the addition of a football program, the impending loss of use of the “stonebridge” soccer field, and a record number of athletes participating, the need for facility development, both indoor and outdoor , remains paramount. wrestling the wrestling program began in 2000 and has seen tremendous progress in the past few years. in 2006-07, noah smutnick finished 2 nd in the ecc tournament, 3 rd in the state open, 4 th in the new england championship, and was named all new england. for the first time the academy sent three wrestlers to the state open that year . zach wetzel, zeb levine, and noah all placed 3 rd in their respective classes in the state class m division. the team was also recognized twice that year with sportsmanship awards at both the killingly invitational and the griswold invitational tournaments. this past season, athletic snapshot the team finished 3 rd in the ecc large division with two state champions, r.j. labeef and noah smutnick, in their respective weight classes. r.j. went on to place 4 th in the new england championship and was named an all new england wrestler . the team is coached by dennis bove and ross elison. cheerleading the cheerleading team coached by susan buttacavoli-corey, assisted by amanda corey (’04), has had phenomenal success in the past few years, winning the ecc large division title in 2005-06, the first time since entering the ecc, and repeating for the 2006-07 season. they finished 2 nd in the state in 2007 which qualified them for the new england regionals. this past season they placed 3 rd in the ecc. in addition to competitions, the team now supports football and basketball. the junior varsity team is coached by colleen strandson. golf the golf team has been leading the ecc large division for the past several years, finishing first in the ecc for the past 4 years, with an undefeated season of 20-0 in 2007. they also succeeded in winning the ecc tournament for the past three years, and finished their 2008 season as runners-up in the division ii state tournament. the team plays at quinatisset golf course in thompson and is coached by richard garceau (’84) who is assisted by parent volunteer , earl semmelrock. leading the team over the past three seasons have been ecc all-stars trevor ruff, joey derrico, bobby glass, cody semmelrock, and kyle lacey. basketball the basketball team competes on the highest level year after year , with one of the toughest division schedules. in 2005-06, the team went to the state semi-finals for the first time while competing in the ecc. the highlight of the season was beating new london high school to end new london’ s 42 game, 2-year , unbeaten streak. in 2006-07, led by captains ben sisko, josh turini (ecc all-star), and seth st. jean, as well as ecc all-star kyle seneck, the team finished 2nd in the ecc with the most wins in division play during a regular season. the team also finished 2 nd in the ecc this past season with an 8-2 record and competed in both the ecc and state tournaments. coach rob mileski who has been assisted by greg smith, jon stringer , and bernie norman, will be moving on next season to coach in his hometown at griswold high after 9 years as head coach at the academy. assistant coach greg smith will be taking over as head coach. john stringer coaches the junior varsity team. wrestling tri-captains 2005-06: zeb levine ‘07, megan corden ‘06, tom ferris ‘07. meg corden was the first female to join the wrestling team. ecc championship team of 2005-06 undefeated team of 2007: coach garceau, kyle lacey, trevor ruff, bobby glass, cody semmelrock, jason fortin, joe derrico, assistant earl semmelrock37 the gleaner 2008 athletic snapshot the girls team had one of its best records in 2005-06 since entering the ecc, finishing their season at 15-5, with a slew of all stars including leslie lupien, jessica davis, kara laperle, and jess vangel. leslie was nominated for macdonald all american and jessica davis joined the select few who have surpassed the 1,000-point mark in their career . the 2006-07 was difficult but saw a great turnaround for 2007-08. the team went from a record of 3-17 to an 11-9 record, and made both the ecc and state tournaments, and finished 4 th in the ecc large division for 2007-2008. coach rob hamilton (’87) stepped down last year to turn the reigns over to dave walley. dave is assisted by chris jolliff. football 2005 was the “inaugural” season for the football program with 60 student athletes participating. while not reflected in the win-loss columns, the results have been satisfying, through determination, hard work, and a true commitment by everyone involved toward the development of a solid program. the team went from a j.v . schedule to a varsity schedule in 2006. the football team experienced their first win in their 2007 season against arch rival putnam. coach jamal davis dubbed the season “a season of close calls” having 8 of 10 losses with a point differential of less than 7 points. the team was captained by chris mcginn, sean copeland, ethan weaver , and zach gauthier . three teams are expected for this coming season, including freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity with 88 athletes signed up to play. coach davis has been assisted for the past three seasons by greg smith, bernie norman, john green, and jon knowles. he recently left the academy for another coaching position and the team will be led this year by coach gary brine. track & field the tradition of success continues for academy athletes in track and field. in 2007, the boys team was on the cusp of competing for the ecc large titles, but after losing to the ecc large division champ, nfa and class mm runner up ledyard, the boys lost nail biters that came down to the very last events with east lyme and fitch. individually, nelson laskoski was the class mm state champion in the pole vault and went on to compete in the new england championships. in 2008, kevin gibeault broke the school record in the pole vault at 14’7” and also won the ecc championships, setting a new ecc record. both kevin and nelson competed in the state championships and were the first duo from the same school in the history of the tournament to participate in the same event, in addition to vaulting over 14’. the 4 x 800 relay team of ian and ethan weaver , mike burkowitz, and colin whiston set a school record and won the ecc title. the 2007 girls team was led by alex barner , who was the ecc champion in the shot-put, state champion in class mm, and set a school record in the shot-put and javelin, breaking debbie clark’ s 26-year old records in both events. alex was also one of only two girls in the state to score in three different individual events at the state championships. also placing at the state championships were shaylah carbone in the 800 meters and the 4 x 100 team of caitlin coyle, mary roto, valerie lachapelle, and emily swenson. the 2008 season was one of growth and preparation, with one of the youngest ever . but despite having only 4 seniors out of 30 athletes on the team, they sent 10 and 11 athletes to the state and league championships respectively. while not get the headlines that some other teams may garner , the team finished with an impressive 19 different individual athletes bringing home medals in 20 different events for a total of 64 medals for the season. two school records were broken by emily swenson in the 100 meter hurdles and by the sprint medley relay team of caitlin coyle, andrea plucenik, mary roto, and shelby archer . maggie gibeault tied the school record in the pole vault. up until the 2008 season, the coaching duties for the boys and girls teams were combined, led by head coach chris dodge (’97), assisted by emily nester , john green and dave gibeault. chris dodge has taken over the girls team with fran picco (’82) and jennifer theriaque (’93) assisting and the boys team has been taken over by len samborowski with john green and dave gibeault assisting. boys & girls indoor track the indoor track teams are coached by chris dodge (’97), assisted by valerie goodno (’81) and john green. alex barner was the ecc champion in the shot-put in 2006-07 and placed 3 rd in the state open and competed in the new england championships. mike berkowitz was the class m state champion in the 3200 meter . both served as captains of their respective teams and made the all-state team. a total of 9 school records were broken that year in boys and girls events. in 2007, the girls 4 x 200 relay team of stephanie bernardi, kaitlyn coyle, 2006 football team 2006-07 basketball team 2008 track team coaches emily nester & john green with seniors ashley bates and alex barner of the 2007 girls track team 2007 girls indoor track team continued on next page 2007 boys indoor track team coach bob hamilton with seniors of the 2005-06 basketball team: cortney hansen, vanessa charlwood, leslie lupien, jessica davis.38 the gleaner 2008 emily swenson, and valerie lachappelle set a school record and emily swenson broke the school record in the 55 meter hurdles and placed 5 th in the class mm state tournament. this past season, trevor ruff set the school record in the 600 meter and set the school record in the 1600 meter . the 4 x 800 relay team of ian and ethan weaver , mike burkowitz, and colin whiston set a school record and won the ecc title. volleyball the volleyball team has finished strong for the past several years. in 2005, the team went 12-6, qualifying them for the league tournament and state tournament. they finished with another winning record in 2006, at 10-5 in the league and placed 3 rd in the ecc. last season they finished 4 th in the ecc and unfortunately lost to rival east lyme in the first round of the ecc tournament. the team was led by ecc all stars alyssa geissler and keri hustus. adam bottone (‘95) coaches the team with the assistance jeff boshka and crystal hall who also coach the junior varsity and freshmen teams. lacrosse the boys lacrosse team, coached by john sacramone and assisted by ty longland, with a winning season of 9-7, qualified for the state tournament for the first time ever since the inception of the program in 2001. the program has been progressing steadily, in spite of a very difficult schedule against some very strong teams. team leaders over the past few years have included billy welz, kyle spalding, pat cooper , dave walsh, and ben hallowell. boys lacrosse has a bright future at woodstock academy with high participation levels that support a junior varsity team as well. coached by jeff canniff and assisted by martin balchunas, the girls lacrosse team continues to improve each year , working on skill development and commitment to what is still a relatively “new” sport. the team has produced some strong players, including ecc all star samantha canniff, heather kilburn, rosalyn dudas, and teagan rosendahl. tennis the boys tennis team had an excellent season in 2006, with an undefeated season in the league and an overall record of 11-1. the team won the ecc championship with scott berkowitz leading the way. the 2007 and 2008 seasons have been tough, with young teams and a very competitive schedule. this past season had only one senior on the team. senior and ecc all-star mike scott made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. coach jeff boshka has high hopes for next season with 7 juniors returning. girls tennis has changed dramatically over the past decade. the program began with an independent schedule traveling all over the state as the qvc did not offer tennis. the team made a statement immediately upon entering the ecc in 2001, winning three straight titles in 2006 volleyball team 2008 boys lacross team 2008 girls lacross team athletic snapshot 2001, 2002, and 2003. the team has qualified for the state tournament in all but two seasons over the past 20 years of the program. in 2003, they were the state finalist in the team tournament, their highest finish to date in the state tourney. with east lyme dominating the ecc in girls tennis of late, the team has placed either 2 nd or 3 rd in the ecc in the past few years. this past spring, the team tied for second with fitch. the number of participants has risen to the point of adding a j.v . program and a total of 37 girls participated this past season. ann rathbone continues as head coach (21 years), assisted by valerie goodno (‘81) who coaches the junior varsity team. gymnastics numbers in gymnastics reached an all-time high in 2005-06 when the academy was able to field a complete team for the first time with 12 girls and qualified for the state tournament for the first time. in 2006-07, they experienced their best season ever with a record of 10-4 and finishing 3 rd in the ecc. the team trains at deary’ s gym in danielson with coach robin deary fillmore and has been led over the past few seasons by tori roy, melanie vinal, melody vinal, carissa bourgeois, nicole berard and liz lipka. softball the softball team is coached by dave walley, assisted by adam bottone (’95). royal hale (‘64) coaches the junior varsity team. the team has been up against some tough competition in the ecc large division which is one of the better conferences in the state, faring well with local rivals putnam, tourtellotte, 2008 all-star mike scott 2008 boys tennis team tennis team 2006 tri-captains christina glass, sophie picco, & chelsea catsam. 2006-07 gymnastics team continued from page 3739 the gleaner 2008 athletic snapshot and plainfield, but suffering losses in close contests with softball powerhouses killingly, east lyme, and ledyard. this past season the girls competed at a high level and managed a record of 8-10, enough to qualify for the state tournament. among their eight wins, were victories over ledyard, killingly, and putnam. their best game of the season was played against waterford in the state tournament. the game went into the 7 th inning tied 1-1 but resulted in a loss of 2-1 to the eventual runner-up for the state championship. the team was led by juniors katie sokoloski and keri hustus, with outstanding contributions from seniors melody vinal and alyssa geissler . freshmen erin fish and justina thoma, and sophomore jessica little had outstanding seasons and will provide strong foundation for the 2009 season. soccer the boys soccer team is coached by jason gerum (’93), assisted by jeff danforth. the junior varsity coach is phil willis (’77) and rebecca bissonette is the freshmen coach. the 2005 and 2006 seasons ended with nearly identical winning records of 10-4-1, and 10-5-1 respectively. the 2005 team, led by senior tri-captains chris dunn, thomas cording and shane vinnicombe, made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament but suffered a tough loss to new canaan in overtime, 2-1. in 2006, all twelve seniors captained the team, with macks halpin and josh turini making the ecc all-star rosters. they again made it to the quarterfinals, but lost to rham 1-0. their 2007 season ended with a 7-7-2 record and league standing of 3 rd in the ecc. the team was led by captains and ecc all-stars trevor ruff and p .j. ambrozaitis. the girls soccer team is coached by amy cross, assisted by paul archer . royal hale (’64) coaches the 2008 softball team junior varsity team. our girls soccer team has certainly made a statement in the ecc, placing first for three consecutive years beginning in 2003, 2004 & 2005. the 2005 championship team finished with an overall record of 11-4-3 and was led by senior tri-captains leslie lupien, michelle baril, and heather kilburn. in 2006, they finished 2 nd in the ecc large division with a record of 10-4-2, losing in the second round of the state tournament to rockville. leading the team were tri-captains kara laperle, roslyn dudas, and jodie theriault (ecc all-star). roslyn dudas dominated the goal with 9 shutouts. the 2007 season ended with a record of 12-5-0, with a 2 nd place finish in the ecc large division. ecc all-stars included katie cataldo and katlyn archer , with katie cataldo receiving all-state honors as well. baseball the baseball team is coached by bernie norman and assisted by charlie kozey (‘78). team records over the past several years have not indicated how good the teams have been and it continues to be a struggle with the ecc large division competition to get to post season play. the team philosophy is one of grit and determination, and true sportsmanship, as many of their losses have been by a disappointing one run margin. 2006 was one of their best seasons of the past 2007 boys soccer team 2005 championship team on senior day 2008 baseball team few years at 6-14, led by jason mcnally and chris dunn. the 2007 season was highlighted by defeating both norwich free academy and stamford high school for the first time. the team was led by captain josh turini. this past spring, the team finished with a record of 5-15 and was led by team captain j. spada, and 2 nd team all-ecc all-stars, catcher justin szela and 2 nd baseman, mike berthiaume. the junior varsity team is coached by dan olm. cross country the boys cross country team has proven to be one of the top programs at the academy and in the state, with the team finishing in the top two in the state class meet for 9 out of the last 12 years – state class champions in 1996, 1999, 2000, & 2006; state class runners-up in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, & 2005. the team has consistently been ranked in the top 10 coaches poll during this period. team leaders in the past few years include all-ecc and all-state all-stars dan gaunya, mike berkowicz, and zach eckard. bob mondani is the head coach (16 years), assisted by walter berkowicz. the girls cross country team is coached by chris dodge and assisted by val goodno (’81). the 2005 and 2006 seasons included outstanding contributions by top runners ashley bates, laura boucher , martha larson, jess johnson, emily weaver , rachel mullin, and sophie picco. this past season was led by katie murphy with outstanding contributions by teammate jess johnson. the outlook is promising for this year under the leadership of brittany mantha, katie sokoloski, and jess johnson. 2005 boys cross country team 2007 girls cross country team40 the gleaner 2008 coaches’ spotlight bob mondani, a member of the math department, has been the head coach of the boys cross country team at the academy for the past 16 years. prior to arriving at the academy, bob coached the girls cross country team at st. bernard for 9 years. in addition to cross country, bob has eleven years experience as the head coach of the girls track team at st. bernard, four years as head boys track coach at wa, and six years as an assistant. during his coaching career he has had thirteen state championship teams and ten state 2 nd place teams. his cross country teams at the academy have produced 18 all-state runners over the years, as well as four individual state champion runners (jim duncan ‘97, jason braaten ‘98, john graham ‘02, & kevin graham ‘05) and 2 all-new england runners (john & kevin graham). bob’ s success as a coach, mentor and role model for his teams has not gone unnoticed. he has been honored on numerous occasions including selection as the 1989 conn. high school coaches association (chsca) girls cross country coach of the year and the 1999 chsca boys cross country coach of the year , as the norwich bulletin coach of the year five times, the new london day coach of the year six times, and as woodstock academy’ s coach of the year in 2006 when his team won the state championship for the 4 th time. bob is the only coach in connecticut cross country history to be named chsca coach of the year for boys and girls while at two different schools. as an additional tribute to his success, bob will be inducted into the 2008 st. bernard high school athletic hall of fame in october for his accomplishments while at st. bernard. ann rathbone has been dedicated to the athletic program for 21 years, not only as a coach, but assisting the athletic department in various roles including assistant athletic director and athletic director . ann coached tennis and girls junior varsity basketball at killingly high school for 2 years prior to moving to woodstock. she became girls varsity tennis coach at the academy upon her arrival at the academy and has been head coach for 21 years. in addition to tennis, she spent 10 years on the sideline of the basketball court as girls junior varsity basketball coach, and coached girls junior varsity soccer for 2 years. if anyone deserved an award for “utility person”, it would be ann rathbone – year in and year out – her duties always changing and evolving as the department has grown over the years. from coaching, to driving busses, mowing and lining fields, refereeing soccer games, assisting coaches, handing out awards, scheduling, and the list goes on – if you can name it, she has done it. ann’ s dedication as tennis coach has been reflected by the teams’ success over the years, with her teams qualifying for the state tournament for 19 out of her 21 years as coach. most recently, and upon entering the ecc, her teams one three straight ecc titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. roy hale, ’64, has been coaching at the academy since the fall of 1981, with athletes the likes of caroline “gitch” boldry ’82, erin beatson ’83, & jane glenn ’82. for over 27 years, he has coached the gamut including, girls varsity soccer , girls junior varsity soccer , freshmen girls basketball, girls varsity basketball, boys freshmen basketball, boys varsity baseball, boys junior varsity baseball and girls junior varsity softball. his love of teaching young men and women has been evident on and off the field, as a coach and in the classroom. roy joined the academy math department in 1985, teaching at the woodstock public school for 17 years prior . to roy, “coaching and teaching mean the same thing, 41 years of teaching, 41 years of coaching – they’ve always gone hand in hand. i love sports and i love teaching – coaching is the combination of those two loves. it has given me the opportunity to meet many outstanding young adults that i would not have met otherwise and every season, i was blessed with many, many great kids and more than my share of out-standing athletes.” during roy’ s 21 years as head coach of the girls varsity soccer team, the girls made the state tournament 18 of those years and competed in the state finals 3 times. in 1996, they won the class m state championship with an undefeated season and were the only soccer team in the state that year out of boys and girls to be undefeated. he has had the pleasure of coaching 27 all-state players and one all-new england player (angela puliafico ’97). his personal accomplishments include recognition as conn. girls soccer coaches association (cgsca) coach of the year and nat’l soccer coaches association of america -new england region – girls high school coach of the year in 1991; conn. girls soccer coaches association achievement award in 1996; cgsca outstanding coaches award for girls soccer in 1997; and cgsca recognition award in 2002. additionally, roy has been named the norwich bulletin coach of the year in girls soccer six times. on the baseball field, during roy’ s 20 years as head coach, the team made the state tournament 10 of 20 seasons and captured the qvc league championship in 1996. the annual meeting of the corporators and board of trustees of woodstock academy was held on tuesday, august 19 th , marking the 207 th year of educating local youth. by charter , the academy corporators (alumni of the school) and the board of trustees, are required to hold their annual meeting one week prior to the opening of each school year . the annual corporators’ meeting is an opportunity for alumni to present their slate of officers of the alumni association for the new school year and to hear an annual report from both the president of the alumni association and the headmaster . alumni association president. mr . paul lynn gave the annual report, reviewing past events, accomplishments, and goals for the future which include increasing active 2008 annual meeting marks beginning of the 207th year for woodstock academy participation of alumni as a priority. mr . lynn, class of 1959, was elected as president with the complete slate of officers including vice-president, martha arvidson beckwith, class of 1980; secretary, joseph musumeci, class of 1992; and treasurer , paul kelly, class of 1969. headmaster richard foye presented the headmaster’ s annual report, reviewing the 2007-08 school year . in addition to acceptance of the annual audit, business included a proposed resolution which was developed by a committee formed at the previous annual meeting of 2007. discussion of the resolution was a result of concern by the alumni association for the preservation of the academy as an incorporated and endowed academy and its long-term relationship with sending towns. the resolution read as follows: an act concerning: a resolution of support for the woodstock academy board of trustees in the fulfillment of the mission of woodstock academy the corporation of woodstock academy resolution: cmr1-08192008 resolved: aware that the early roots of woodstock academy are nested in the belief that our society and government are better served through the superior education of its citizens, confident that woodstock academy fulfills its mission in developing its students to be learned and critical citizens, coach mondani with joel wilbur ‘99 coach rathbone with karen neumann ‘9941 the gleaner 2008 cognizant that woodstock academy has been in existence since 1801 and shares a long relationship with our greater woodstock community in meeting the educational needs of its students, noting with great satisfaction the hard work and dedication of the board of trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students of woodstock academy, noting with deep concern the recent attempts by local groups to change the endowed nature of woodstock academy and therefore altering the unique, historical, productive, and successful two hundred year relationship between the academy and woodstock and surrounding communities, noting further with concern that more recent attempts by local groups in woodstock to delay, overturn, or thwart the upgrades to the facilities of woodstock academy, namely the bentley athletic complex, are undermining the superior programming that woodstock academy has offered and continues to offer its students, noting with regret the impasse regarding a contract with the board of education of the town of woodstock and the board of trustees, at this annual meeting, therefore be it resolved that the corporation of woodstock academy: 1. affirms and supports the board of trustees and their agents in protecting the interests of our educational community and safeguarding the longevity of woodstock academy as a school of choice for the surrounding communities; 2. strongly condemns the attempts to change the endowed nature of woodstock academy thereby altering the historical nature and finest tradition of woodstock academy; 3. expresses its hope that a swift and satisfactory solution can be found with regard to the school facilities upgrades, namely the bentley athletic complex; 4. urges the board of trustees to seek contract extensions with all sending towns, including the town of woodstock and to actively promote woodstock academy to attract private tuition students and other towns who may wish to designate to woodstock academy; and 5. authorizes the publication of this resolution in the greater woodstock academy area through whatever venue deemed appropriate by the board of trustees. respectfully submitted to the corporation for its consideration: joseph c. musumeci ’92, chair member resolution committee mrs. avis spalding ‘49, holly singleton ’86, mr . alan d. walker , sr . ‘51 members resolution committee ratified on this date the nineteenth of august two-thousand and eight by the corporation of woodstock academy in general assembly convened. at the annual meeting of the board of trustees which immediately followed the meeting of the corporation, the board approved the publication and release of the resolution in the local media as requested by the corporation. the alumni association and the board of trustees encourage participation in their annual meetings, as well as monthly meetings of the board of trustees which are normally held on the 3 rd tuesday of the month. all meetings are open to the public with a portion of the meeting dedicated to citizen’ s participation. as in the past several years, the trustees will continue to hold alternate monthly meetings during the school year at sending town locations which are published on the board’ s annual calendar of meetings. the annual meetings of the corporators and the board of trustees for next year are scheduled for august 18, 2009. headmaster’s annual report 2007-08 woodstock academy is a wonderful place for students to be educated, and we are guided by our mission statement in this pursuit: “the mission of the woodstock academy is to provide a rigorous education in a safe environment, preparing all students for a lifetime of learning through a diversity of experiences. furthermore, the academy aims to foster in students a sense of respect for self and others, encouraging active investment in family, school, community, and world. the school year report for 2007-2008 reflects four major areas: 1. school goals; 2. brooklyn votes not to become a part of a cooperative high school; 3. issues in athletic personnel and field development; 4. general updates. school goals the school goals for 2007-2008 are summarized in these categories: 1) working toward the master facility plan; 2) program work in the areas of in-school suspension, off-campus experiences, and advisor/advisee research; 3) neasc preparation; 4) technology upgrade; and 5) strategic plan update. in december of 2007, the woodstock academy board of trustees received a “facilities assessment” at their retreat. in sum, the report indicated that the building and grounds of the academy are generally in good shape, there just needs to be more square footage. the trustees, at a subsequent meeting, voted to have a facilities plan completed and then report back to the full board through the buildings and grounds committee in the fall of 2008. state of connecticut mandates dictated the planning for an in-school suspension program. the academy prepared a program by early spring of 2008. in late spring of 2008 the state extended the implementation date to 2009. therefore, the academy will refine its model during the 2008-2009 school year . the new connecticut commissioner of education proposed some possible changes to the high school model. these changes may include a culminating project for all high school seniors. the decision was made by the academy to move away from a “concentration” model and instead incorporate the senior project ideas into future work. preliminary work will continue on the advisor/advisee program. the goal is to have an accepted plan in the late spring of 2009. the process to complete preparation for the neasc visiting team was at its peak during the 2007-2008 school year . all the standards committees finished their work and the faculty voted to accept the reports. a representative group from each standard committee worked to develop action plans as a guide for the academy to move forward. during the summer of 2008 the materials will be organized and sent to the visiting committee in preparation for the october 2008 visit. the 2007-2008 school year saw the academy embrace the classroom computer in a new way. the laptop tablet system included a media cart, in addition to the “tablet”, a projector . a dvd player and speakers completed the grouping. this system has the capacity to access the internet, to project writings, and basically to allow a more interactive classroom experience. these “carts” were in most classrooms with increased access scheduled for 2008-2009 school year . finally, in the school goals area, president of the board of trustees, sandra fredrickson, assigned various board committees and the administrative council to update the strategic plan and action plans completed in 2006. these updates are scheduled for the woodstock academy board of trustees’ approval by september , 2008. brooklyn in the fall of 2007, brooklyn voted not to become a part of a cooperative high school with the parish hill district. as the percent of brooklyn students that choose the academy nears 80%, this vote certainly was a positive one for the academy. this helps to stabilize enrollment and, with it, the finances of woodstock academy. athletic director and field development it was a year of transition in athletics. the athletic director of two and one-half years resigned in december , and an interim athletic director served from january to june, 2008. a new ad was hired and began work in late june, 2008. during this time period both a head boys basketball coach and head football coach needed to be hired. this was accomplished before the end of june, 2008. these changes are an opportunity for academy athletics to move forward. also in athletics, the trustees authorized the administration to continue with a plan to expand the bentley complex. after years of work, the plan went to the town of woodstock commissions of inland and wetlands, and planning and zoning. at the end of the 2007-2008 school year , the improvement plan is still pending at both commissions. the plan has garnered good support in general, but is opposed with great fervor by some of the academy neighbors. continued on next page42 the gleaner 2008 library renovation completed a magnificent renovation of the library was completed in the fall of 2007. the students, faculty, and community benefitted immediately from the upgrade in capacity, and technology. the dedication in november marked the end of a successful project which spanned nearly ten years from concept to final product. included below is the write up from the “headmaster’ s corner” which appeared on the woodstock academy website in the fall of 2007: “what happens when school and community work together? what happens when a solid plan is in place to complete a project? what happens when together , donors and academy fund construction: the newly renovated bracken library happens! we proudly opened the space for student use on november 5th. the library can be described as a tasteful, classic renovation with all the modern technologies. it is a space designed to serve both school and community for generations to come. and it serves as a shining example of what we are able to do together . not only have we taken the bracken library to a new level, but we have also taken a giant leap forward in the world of technology in the classroom. in the process of replacing outdated computers, the academy made the decision to purchase laptop “tablet” computer technology. these “tools of education” allow everything from note taking to direct streaming of video clips off our wireless network. these laptop tablets work in conjunction with a classroom media cart equipped with a projector , dvd player and speakers. it is amazing to watch our faculty uses this technology to deliver the curriculum to our students. both of these instances remind me how well the town academy model works in quickly and efficiently benefiting students. the academy organization moves and indeed balances its efforts toward the students. the 2007-2008 school year is off to an exciting start.” finance financially, the end of the year numbers are projected to be nearly even in its distribution of funds. the details, as always, are contained in our annual audit that is reviewed and accepted by the trustees in the fall of each year . also of note is the new contract with pomfret that includes a provision to use the previous october 1 student enrollment number for budgeting. woodstock, which has no contract, had the previous october 1 provision in their business agreement for this year only. other towns are considering a change to the previous october 1 system. the conservative, prudent approach to managing the academy funds under the financial committee chair , paul kelly, has helped us weather the difficult economics of 2007-2008. academic the academic committee, led by trustee philippa paquette, oversaw progress in academic areas. the 2007-2008 school year was highlighted by the following: preparing for the neasc visit, course offerings, test scores, and student achievement. the academic committee, in a very direct way, participated in the preparation for the neasc visiting committee in october 2008. the committee reviewed the necessary surveys, and received updates from the co-chairs of the self-study committee. the academy made preparations for the implementation of an in-school suspension program, as mandated by the state of connecticut, and a chinese language program. the timing of the beginning of these programs may vary due to staff availability and state requirements. the electronic ecurriculum review was completed for over 400 courses and levels. in addition, a process to continually review the curriculum over time was set forth. the former department head structure was changed to a system that will include curriculum coordinators and program leaders. honors biology expanded the curriculum in science, and an scp spanish class was offered. the scp spanish will allow a broadening of the student body that avails itself of the world language program. six more courses were accepted into uconn’ s early college experience program. test scores, as measured by the sat , ap tests, and capt scores saw the academy students perform well. the sat scores increased slightly in verbal and math, as measured in a five year period. the ap test results indicated that 85.1% of the test takers were at 3, 4 and/or 5 level, this granting academy students college credit at many institutions. the capt scores were solid at the goal level, showing improvement in science, similar performances in reading and writing, and a slight drop in mathematics. student academic achievement included: 20 student ap scholars; 1 national ap scholar; multiple gold key art awards; governor scholar . these accomplishments are but a sample of the outstanding student work. student activities woodstock academy provides a wide range of activities in athletics, music, theater , and related co-curricular experiences. a sample of these activities include: student council receives national gold council excellence award; trips to france, washington, d.c., italy, germany, switzerland, spain, quebec city, new york city; extensive intramural program; freshman focus scholar dinner; capt scholar dinner; two blood drives; voter registration drive coordinated with a visit by ct secretary of state, mrs. susan bysiewicz; awards at model un conferences; gold key art award music festival awards; and congressional art awards. in athletics, our varsity football team earned its first win in eighty years; the golf team won the ecc title, unified sports participated in basketball; all-state honors were earned in wrestling; and numerous students earned all conference honors. these distinctions are but a few examples of athletic participation and achievement. the musical production of a funny thing happened on the way to the forum highlighted the theater program for 2007-2008. faculty the great strength of woodstock academy is its faculty and staff. a sample of the highlights included: katherine field, woodstock academy teacher of the year; jason musko, fulbright to germany; merry burke visit to sister school, dezhou, china; kate field’ s trip to germany – transatlantic outreach program; kim jalet, “oral history” project; sandy pratt, chemistry olympiad, ocean bowl, and chem demo day; val may, curriculum development at center for disease control, atlanta; melissa beck, voice of democracy and received a grant from the classical association of new england for greek studies; jamie swift and jackie rose for the national honor society; ann mitra for student connections committee events such as john boiano’ s work with students and the volunteer recognition program; colleen martin and victoria despres for unified sports participation; amy ranta, lauren churchill and frank may for the florida trip, among other events; gillian zieger and karin cournoyer for the diversity club; sara dziedzic and kate field for work with the un model club; jayne collins trip to spain; sara dziedzic trip to germany nancy beauregard waldron, ernest dimicco, and al cormier for student council and traditions days; jamie swift, mark chuoke, and rich telford student writing awards; gloria hanczar , the spire, yearbook dedication; kristen willis, hilltop publications; amanda harrington for updated web page enhanced graphics, headmaster’ s corner; mark chuoke, kathy chase for peer helpers network; amanda rice, sos mitten and hat drive, food drives, and relay for life; kathy chase, thanksgiving food baskets; mary belden and anne keller , dress down friday, fundraiser for wa student/family assistance; local election debates organized by kim jalet, also “care package to the troops”; rosalba onofrio and monica ruiz, trip to italy; ernest dimicco – best buy grant; patricia susla, nctm publication; victor osterman, american mathematics contest; jackie rose, american recycle program, perennial garden; lauren cremers, science department, biobus, 2 days; michelle rawcliffe, substance prevention grant. events of note: world language week; wellness week; 20 x 30 and other art displays; display of woodwork; advisory council partners in education; senior citizen fall foliage fling; underclass convocation; homecoming events; trick or treat street; freshman lock in – to bring 9th grade together; proms; volunteer recognition reception; viva quetzal - concert for world language week; hill singers; broadway review; mr . boiano’ s work with students; mr . woodstock; wa recycling efforts intensify – new containers. conclusion woodstock academy is a vibrant learning community; it continues its mission. the organization continues to “weather the storms” and only grows stronger in the face of adversity. we will continue to meet the challenges before us and work together as a community toward our goals for continual improvement and educational excellence, - richard p . foye, headmaster continued from page 3743 the gleaner 2008 annual alumni banquets class ‘45: ken marvin & carl johnson headmaster richard foye welcomes guests to wa neal parks ‘80 & leta herman ‘85 steve & suzanne (staveski) ‘70 rosendahl shirley ‘78 & grace mitchell ‘75 avis frink spalding ‘49 mark sullivan, mary jane hubbard sullivan ‘70, kathy morse van schoick ‘70, glenn anderson ‘70 & ingrid anderson christine ‘75 & john ‘74 wrobel kristen croteau willis ‘76, vinnie ‘76 & rose carminati, jay liverrnois ‘74, joe musumeci ‘92 & jacki kozlowski george davis jr . ‘60, paul lynn ‘59 & kathryn woodcock lynn ‘74 greetings from alumni president paul lynn ‘59 headmaster & mrs. richard foye beginning in 2005, the annual alumni banquet has been held on the academy campus in the beautiful setting of the dining commons which overlooks the valley, “arvidson farm”, and the beautiful hillsides that border massachusetts. the venue has been well-received, with reunion classes taking advantage of the opportunity to come back and visit their alma mater . many are awestruck by the many changes that have taken place but at the same time, comforted by familiarity with the unique characteristics of the academy campus that will never change. the alumni banquet 2005 the 2005 banquet took place on june 25th, hosting 85 guests, and was the first full dinner reception to be held on the academy campus in many years. vinnie (’76) and rose carminati of cc music company provided the entertainment for the evening. the class of 1955 held its reunion that evening with banquet takes place on the saturday of graduation weekend each year . we offer campus tours in the afternoon, and for those classes who wish to hold their reunions, a space is always available to gather early to re-unite and reminisce before attending the banquet. the pages that follow are a scrapbook of memories from the banquets and class reunions of the past three years. and if you haven’t been back to the academy as of late, perhaps we’ll have occasion to see you at the next banquet or class reunion. we’d love to see you there – reunion year or not! 16 classmates in attendance (see reunions page). other honor classes represented included the class of 1945 (carl oden johnson & kenneth marvin); class of 1960 (george davis jr .); class of 1970 ( glenn anderson, debbie tyler benedict, karen boudreau bomster , richard clark, larry parquette, kinson perry, suzanne staveski rosendahl, kathy morse van schoick, cheryl foisy shaw,& jane hubbard sullivan); class of 1975 (grace mitchell & christine wrobel); class of 1980 (neal parks); class of 1985 (vincent & ericka yvon laurens); class of 1990 (samantha danielson asikainen, marcy steniger bryson, jennifer lefevre fuller , & lisa bernard hart). save the date! 2009 annual alumni banquet june 20, 2009 planning a reunion this year? consider the alumni banquet as your venue! connect with alumni from all classes at this yearly event. cocktail hour , dinner buffet, and dancing. 25 per person. contact the alumni office at 860-963-4926 for more information.44 the gleaner 2008 annual alumni banquets patricia boudreau, mark boudreau ‘74, wally bomster & karen boudreau bomster ‘70 samantha danielson asikainen ‘90, karl asikainen ‘89, marcy steniger bryson ‘90, jennifer lefevre fuller ‘90, shawn fuller ‘91, mratin hart, lisa bernard hart ‘90 cc music company: rose & vinnie (‘76) carminati elaine lachappelle (‘62) mr . & mrs. mark sullivan (mary jane hubbard ‘70) paul kelly ‘69, helen matthews plassman ‘71, carl plassman, john mcgrath ‘69, nancy mcgrath, mary weaver leta herman ‘85, sandra hoover (parks), jennifer stevens beigntol ‘85, susan stevens blackshear ‘83, ericka yvon laurens ‘85, vincent laurens ‘85 class '70: larry parquette & kinson perry debbie tyler benedict (‘70), richard clark (‘70) & clara clark45 the gleaner 2008 alumni banquet 2006 the 2006 banquet was held on june 24th in the academy dining commons with outstanding attendance of 135 alumni and guests. the classes of 1956, 1966, and 1971 held their reunions that evening (see reunions pages). special recognition was given to axel t . johnson of the class of 1931 who attended with wife, olga kallgren johnston, class of 1935. in addition to axel celebrating his 75th reunion year as an academy alum, he and olga were celebrating 65 years of marriage. other jeri carpenter musumeci ‘63, axel johnson ‘31 & olga kallgren johson ‘35 axel & olga kallgren johnson celebrated 65 years of marriage in 2006 dexter eddy ‘51 class of ‘76: ann maynard, joanne dvorsky backholm, nanette moulin polito, kristen croteau willis rita bruneau melton ‘51 & catelyn shepard bruce tenerowicz ‘78 & lori t enerowicz purdon ‘82 nannette moulin polito ‘76, mary & kent weaver the anders vercelli jazz duo with anders at the piano larry livernois ‘69, mike heckendorf ‘73, charlie puffer ‘69 john wrobel ‘74, paul lynn ‘59, helen matthews plassman ‘71, carl plassman class of 1951 & guests craig breton ‘68, bob blackmer ‘77, kathryn blackmer ‘02, karen blackmer cindy woodis west ‘76 & kristen croteau willis ‘76 suzanne staveski rosendahl ‘70, kathryn woodcock lynn ‘74,ian lynn ‘02 jeri carpenter musumeci ‘63 & charlene saltonstall armitage ‘61 honor classes represented that evening included the class of 1951 (dexter eddy, rita bruneau melton, donald ‘pete’ shepard, & allan d. walker , sr .); class of 1961 (charlene saltonstall armitage); class of 1976 (joanne dvorsky backholm, ann maynard, nanette moulin polito, kristen croteau willis, & cindy woodis west); class of 1986 (susan hebert stevens). the evening was topped off with the outstanding talents of the anders vercelli jazz duo. annual alumni banquets46 the gleaner 2008 alumni banquet 2007 the 2007 banquet turned out to be another successful event. held on june 23rd, 130 guests were in attendance for tours, cocktails, food, and dance. entertainment was provided by d.j. jeff gerardi of jj tunes. the classes of 1957 and 1967 held their 50th and 40th year reunions that eveing with 16 members of the class of 1957 and 19 members of the class of 1967 (see reunions pages). other beverly noren stehlick ‘47 & hazel marcy froehlich ‘47 memory test qa: blue or gold? clair (dvorek) & calvert toth ‘59, shirley toth ‘47 ken ‘54 & debbie ‘55 (child) sherman, jeri lee carpenter musumei ‘63 jeri lee carpenter musumei addresses guests as the president of the boad of t rustees and as a fellow alumni, class of ‘63 ronald ‘54 & denise beaudoin, walter & lucille ‘54 (naines) rucki the toth's (left side of table) noreen toth nelson ‘49, rhoda t oth chestnut ‘53, larry chestnut (right side of table) ross neison, claire dvorak t oth, calvert t oth ‘59, shirley t oth ‘47 phillip smith ‘02 & mom; miranda holt smith ‘69 lynne croteau morin ‘69 & debra kruzel gagnon ‘72 headmaster richard foye welcomes guests to wa it's all relative: laverne child fredricks ‘57, jeri carpenter musumeci ‘63, alan johnson ‘72, doug child ‘62, debbie child sherman ‘55, beverly child arnett ‘62 honor classes represented were the class of 1947 (hazel marcy froehlich, beverly noren stehlick, & shirley toth); class of 1952 (dexter young); class of 1962 (beveryly child arnett, doug child, elaine lachappelle, & joan guertin perry); class of 1972 (debra kruzel gagnon & alan johnson); class of 1977 (bob blackmer); class of 1987 (kevin brandriff); class of 1997 (greg fournier); class of 2002 (philip smith). annual alumni banquets47 the gleaner 2008 reunions, reunions, reunions the class of 1950 celebrated 55 years with a reunion dinner at j.d. coopers in putnam, ct on june 24th, 2005. (left to right): jeanne stringfield burlingham ‘50, sylvia peterson blount ‘50, charles blount, charlotte peckham robbins ‘50, edgar langlois, richard sweet, betty ann flugle sweet ‘50, lois gagnon swenson ‘50, gale maass rudolph ‘50, hazel frink, barrett frink ‘50, robert johnson ‘50 the class of 1955 celebrated their 50th reunion at the annual alumni banquet in june 25, 2005. class 1955: kneeling: carl brolin front row: cynthia holmes bachand, ruth anderson szynaka, barbara albrecht bufano, fran cartier geer , bruce johnson, alice dvorsky russ 2nd row: al peterson, debbie child sherman, eleanor sands ringdahl, russell hicks back row: donald rhodes, nina townsend baillargeon, wesley ringdahl absent from photo: ken smith, edward duhamel ken sherman, eleanor & ken smith bruce johnson & wesley ringdahl ken (‘54) & deborah (child) sherman (‘55) wesley & eleanor (sands) ringdahl al peterson, joe bachand, cynthia holmes bachand, nina townsend baillargeon48 the gleaner 2008 reunions, reunions, reunions the class of 1956 celebrated its 50th reunion at the alumni banquet on june 24, 2006. front row: wayne l. vinal, irene bolander wheeler , fances wetherell clark, joyce foskett potter , lydia walling slater back row: ann hibbard redman, sally withers hooker , calvin f . peterson sally withers hooker & wayne vinal calvin peterson, ann hibbard redman, andrew hooker lydia walling slater carlene bolander hansen ‘58 & effie vinal display a beautiful cake the class of ‘56 brought for their celebration. ann hibbard redman proudly poses with our mascot. sally withers hooker , frances wetherell clark & joyce foskett potter flashback: class 1956 washington t rip49 the gleaner 2008 the class of 1957 celebrated its 50th reunion at the alumni banquet on june 23, 2007. sixteen classmates attended with spouses and guests enjoying a tour of the campus and an evening of remembering with friends old and new. sig swanberg, devens arnett & christopher paige sylvia copeland illinger , laverne child frederick, susan hill birge class of 1957 touring the academy building first row: john ellery , devens arnett, marilyn edwards sherman, sylvia copeland illinger , laverne child frederick, bruce hansen, david bates back row: carol sheldon swanberg, sig swanberg, linda ellery , jotham reynolds kneeling: madeline boivin johnson, jack sanga, dale shippee iverson, charlene saltonstall armitage, pauline salvas white standing: front row: nora hall gegonis, barbara harraden morse, george davis second row: peter santos, alex fabian, jean kosa kyfff, bob laurens back row: ed seney , dorinda dodge lundin, carol reed alley , stewart morse seated: laverne child frederick, devns arnett first row: sylvia copeland illinger , john ellery , barbara marcy paige, marilyn edwards sherman, carol sheldon swanberg middle row: bruce hansen, susan hill birge, christopher paige, david bates, siguard swanberg back row: jotham reynolds, arvid anderson, bruce kosa, john carlson the class of 1960 met at the mansion at bald hill to celebrate their 45th reunion. classmates arrived from new york, maine, massachusetts, and connecticut. twenty-seven classmates, former classmates, teachers, and guests attended. several classmates who were not able to attend sent letters and photos to share with the attendees. the mansion provided us with ample room to mingle during the cocktail hour . food stations further promoted the opportunity to mingle with those from other tables. dancing was offered in a room adjacent to the dining room which separated the “louder” classmates from those wanting to quietly catch up on the news. music from the ‘50s and ‘60s put us all in a nostalgic mood. vacation photos and photos of grandchildren were proudly shared. the popular question of the evening was “are you retired yet?” many have retired but we still have a few among the ranks of the working. of the 44 members of the class of 1960, seven are deceased, one is in a care facility, and two are lost. if anyone knows the whereabouts of beverly bailey and/or arthur griffin, please let us know. - pauline salvas white reunions, reunions, reunions50 the gleaner 2008 the class of 1965 had their 40th reunion at the inn on woodstock hill on saturday, september 3rd, 2005. it was organized by beverly anderson salsius, janice dodge alton, lynda pasay higgins and jane wetherall st. onge. we all had such a great time at the 40th that we are planning on having a 45th. any classmate wishing to help to organize the 45th, please contact any of the 40th organizers. jonathan harraden, christine logee durst, john durst david janket & felix klee jean & ron marcy marion swanberg rall & lynda pasay higgins barbara plante kallini david horraden former headmaster allan walker ‘51 john durst, & roger gratton maureen grennan ripley , kathie arnold, pam puffer hayden, denny hayden, christine logee durst ida prato sansoucy , beverly anderson salcius, former headmaster allan walker ‘51 jane brewster gladstein & beverly anderson salcius jane wetherell st. onge, former faculty joan (angelo) walker , janice mckeague pam puffer hayden, jane brewster gladstein, janice mckeague, jane wetherell st. onge robert ekman and his family (debra, eric and daniel) at his son eric’ s high school graduation last spring. bob writes, “unfortunately , i was unable to attend the reunion because my wife and i were busy that weekend bringing our youngest son eric to bennington, vermont to start his freshman year at bennington college. hopefully , i can make the 45th class anniversary .” ned gladstein, beverly anderson salcius, janice dodge alton jonathan harraden & betsy weed dietz dagny mason stanton lynn kelly & janice mckeague • 1 - jane wetherell st. onge • 2 - janice dodge alton • 3 - beverly anderson salcius • 4 - maureen grennan ripley • 5 - betsy weed dietz • 6 - marie coutu • 7 - felix klee • 8 - linda sandberg smith • 9 - janice mckeague • 10 - connie cole lovell • 11 - david janket • 12 - john durst • 13 - jane brewster gladstein • 14 - jonathan harraden • 15 - dagny mason stanton • 16 - kathie arnold • 17 - lynda pasay higgins • 18 - roger gratton • 19 - suzanne zeller thompson • 20 - ida prato sansoucy • 21 - david harradan • 22 - barbara plante kallini • 23 - marion swanberg rall • 24 - ron marcy • 25 - steven fairfield • 26 - chester brezniak • 27 - pam puffer hayden • 28 - lynn kelly marion swanberg rall & jonathan harraden reunions, reunions, reunions51 the gleaner 2008 kit sears, ginny foskett sears, vivian moulin morse, clark child holly hopkins, bob davis, linda green torgeson, glenn croteau front row: vivian moulin morse, gary jones, jeff darbee, bob davis, paul spink second row: jackie wonoski piasta, gail cutler carlisle, debbie smith, ginny foskett sears, holly hopkins, anita williams, sandra williams t rombley , clark child third row: priscilla spink viens, cheryl livernois colbert, bruce bernstein, ronnie desaulniers, roland moulin backrow center: glenn croteau and pat t ruman attended, not pictured: theresa clarke provost, bruce sherman, linda green torgeson paul spink, beverly desaulnier spink, priscilla spink viens, jackie wonoski piasta, sandra williams t rombley , anita willliams, ronnie desaulnier the class of 1966 celebrated their 40th reunion at the alumni banquet on june 24th, 2006. the group gathered early on the academy campus and enjoyed an afternoon of reminiscing and touring the campus. special identification tags with 1966 yearbook photos were provided by the organizers to assist with any identifcation problems that might occur after 40 years! a lively and enthusiastic group of 23 classmates accompanied by spouses and guests topped off the evening with dinner and dancing at the alumni banquet. holly hopkins, debbie smith, jeff darbee, pat t ruman anita williams, ginny foskett sears, jackie wonoski piasta cheryl livernois colbert & glenn croteau helen & bruce bernstein, bob davis, holly hopkins, debbie smith the girls: pat, anita, vivian, sandy & jackie vivian moulin morse & ginny foskett sears reunions, reunions, reunions glenn croteau, lynne croteau morin ‘69, gary jones, theresa clarke provost52 the gleaner 2008 the class of 1967 celebrated their 40th reunion on graduation weekend, june 22 & 23, 2007. classmate cindy randall hosted an enthusiastic crowd at her restaurant; rustica, in woodstock on friday evening. the celebration extended to saturday evening at the annual alumni banquet on the academy campus. cindy randall at her restaurant, rustica, & classmates: seated: margaret pekarovic, selim uzuner , jo-ann macfarlane, mark hansen, lorna shippee shelto, john gauthier second row: gloria kowal myers, barbara nieminen urban, jim brown, chris gavitt, cindy randall, karen plant t roy , paulette demers uptain, dave boudreau back row: george t ruman, bill anderson, gary hendrickson, dudley moss, mark billings, nancy fontaine pritchard, bill clark paulette demers uptain with john “jack” gauthier cindy randall & chris gavitt dudley moss, margaret pekarovic & bill anderson touring the campus diane & mark billings carol (parham) & peter seponitz george and pam brown carol and bill anderson carmella hansen, bill anderson & karen plant t roy barbara nieminen urban, lorna shippee shelto, bill clark, bill anderson, dave boudreau, jo-ann macfarlane emily bunnell guertin (‘68), barbara nieminen urban, lorna shipee shelto, jo-ann macfarlane george t ruman getting advice from suellen gauthier paulette (demers) and ed uptain antoinette t ruman, diane & mark billings, nancy fleagle williams mark hansen, dudley moss, selim uzuner george & antionette t ruman dudley moss, jim brown, mark billings, selim uzuner (kneeling), & gary hendrickson karen plant t roy with gloria kowal myers gloria (kowal) & david myers suellen & john gauthier bill & agnes clark mark billings & george “snooky” brown reunions, reunions, reunions53 the gleaner 2008 kneeling: cheryl foisy shaw, larry parquette, mary jane hubbard sullivan, paul amato, steve child second row: debbie tyler benedict, helen mathiews plassman, kinson perry third row: gail hicks jackson, deborah sheldon pratt, edyth rogers gucwa, nancy andert marmat, kathleen morse van schoick, mary johnson baranski, suzanne staveski rosendahl back row: richard clark, clifford white, fred peterson, steve gagnon attended, not pictured: donald bailey hidden from view: beverly tatem lindemann, gail hicks jackson, karen boudreau bomster the band: larry , brian, steve, ed, & fred in the background cheryl (foisy) & mike shaw paul amato fred or steve? - sorry steve, if you’d have worn a shirt like fred’ s, we might not have known! gail hicks jackson fred petersen cliff white the class of 1970 celebrated 35 years at the elk’ s club in putnam, ct on september 24, 2005. classmates steve gagnon, larry parquette and fred peterson put together a band with brian cutler ‘73 and ed clark ‘76 and were fantastic! the dance floor was packed and a great time was had by all. helen mathiews plassman beverly tatem lindemann karen boudreau bomster reunions, reunions, reunions54 the gleaner 2008 the class of 1971 celebrated 35 years at the annual alumni banquet on june 24, 2006. wendy fontaine lary , denise masin o’connor , karen larson mcfarlin, morris tarkinow, peter zevoronek, colleen rondeau bishop far background: mike kozey middle: john lazur , sue fellows kozey , barbara mitchell, karin rosen tourtellotte, wendy fontaine lary , denise masin o’connor , karen larson mcfarlin, morris tarkinow, peter zevoronek forward standing: colleen rondeau bishop seated: james growden attended, not pictured: eileen phillips morris reunions, reunions, reunions55 the gleaner 2008 front row: laurie wonoski edwards, john mcwilliam, kim staveski mack back row: christine wrobel, stephanie chesanek dunner , kathe beatson ouellette, dawn sherman, gary etchells, kathie fellows sumera, doreen harding shead, carla chobociak sheldon, jeff stark, karl salo also attending but missing from picture: karen seraphin and david foisy the class of 1975 held their 30th class reunion in october 2005 at j.d. cooper’ s in putnam. the halloween costumes were optional, but laurie edwards and christine wrobel arrived with the holiday spirit wearing great costumes! the class of 1981celebrated 25 years on august 12, 2006 at the valley spring sportsmen’ s club in north grosvenordale, ct . great weather , great crowd, great time! front row: gregg breen, pauline mcelroy delin, denise lyon mayo, amy fritz, phyllis salvas martin, gerry duhamel stearns, lorna rosen kraft second row: david saltonstall, david campbell, becky mcnitt webber , leah molnar dearborn, jim navarro, lynne pumerantz jaworski, christine benoit, lisa clarke french, karen swanberg, bruce hudson back row: john hornyak, todd willoughby , mark divincenzo, donnie walberg, megan sowter toal, dwight french, judy bates conrod in attendance, not pictured: elise mckay & steve blake judy bates conrod & christine benoit david saltonstall & gerry duhamel stearns reunions, reunions, reunions56 the gleaner 2008 megan sowter toal, amy fritz, gregg breen, lorna rosen kraft lynne pumerantz jaworski & phyllis salvas martin mark divincenzo, phyllis salvas martin, becky mcnitt webber mark divincenzo, lynne pumerantz jaworski (background) & lorna rosen kraft phyllis salvas martin, elise mckay , mark divincenzo, gerry duhamel stearns more pictures from the class of 1981 the class of 1996 celebrated its 10 year reunion on saturday july 15, 2006. the day was full of activity, beginning with a family picnic at the woodstock fairgrounds and rounding out the evening at rom’ s restaurant in sturbridge, ma. nick bosyk, yvette laurendeau hollenbeck, jay goodier , t roy hollenbeck, sara huff kelly conlin & dan smith rachel (boudreau) & dave mard kathleen goodier & sara huff ariana azzone williams & brian smith mandy ogden whitten & daughter , jesse goodier , erin hibbard decarli, jay goodier , heather couture dzubin brian smith & jay goodier caroline & erik todd reunions, reunions, reunions57 the gleaner 2008 mike (pomfret school ‘96) & erin hibbard decarli nick bosyk & jesse goodier erik todd & tony blais (pomfret school ‘96) paula potter & guest, mandy ogden whitten, jennifer maddocks, ryan smithwick, renee williams shannon janket gamache jay goodier , heather couture dzubin, kathleen & jesse goodier angela paris gisleson & nik bosyk jeremy schnaittacher & heather very-worster heather couture dzubin, jen horne marinelli & erica tetreault murray shannon coyle, jesse studley & kelly champney smith more pictures from the class of 1996 the class of 2000 gathered on november 26, 2005 at the webster lodge of elks in webster , ma to commemorate their 5th year reunion. class agent erin grant tremor has been keeping up on class news and contact information and is looking forward to planning for the 10th year reunion in 2010 (not so far away!) erin shared some of her photos of classmates with their guests. t revor hansen & sean o’rourke glen nelson, shane sheldon & brad miller sara fuller gina scheinfeld brad & sara tourtellotte gustavsen roxanne tiffany elizabeth corona, jessi macfarlane shannon davis reunions, reunions, reunions58 the gleaner 2008 class news a special thank you to all of our class agents for keeping us informed and to all who contributed to our class news! the compilation of class news represents contributions by class agents, individual contributions, class reunion updates and news or press releases. if you would like to get involved and assist the alumni office with class news and updating classmates’ addresses, please contact kristen willis in the office of development & alumni relations at 860-963-4926, email kwillis@woodstockacademy.org, or mail to 57 academy road, woodstock, ct, 06281. class of 1932 class agent: geneva cross white, p .o. box 16, e. thompson road, thompson, ct 06277 class of 1933 marian (vredenburgh) rowland writes to say she is still playing 9 holes of golf with her league during the summer . her two children are all grown up. her daughter lives close by in essex, conn. while her son lives in omaha, nebraska. they each have four children – all married – giving her twenty-three great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. she says she is truly blessed. marian loves the academy and returns to woodstock every summer just to drive around. class of 1937 doris m. (beames) boyd moved from vero beach, florida after the 2004 hurricane demolished her condo. she now lives with her daughter in virginia. warner gardner . see eileen (marcy) gardner ’42. class of 1938 catherine cox perry. see cathy saltonstall estell ’62. elmer fairfield. see evelyn johnson fairfield ’42. class of 1941 margaret (bosworth) logee: i have been living with my daughter and her husband; christine ’66 and john durst ’65, since the death of my beloved husband, francis ’38. we have six children and eighteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. fran and i traveled many times throughout the west, which leaves me with so many wonderful memories. my father and mother both attended woodstock academy, as well as my husband and i, all of our children, and some of our grandchildren. my family is my rock. class of 1942 class agent: evelyn johnson fairfield, p .o. box 225, e. woodstock, ct 06244 eva (broughton) dinsdale still lives in putnam. she has two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. juliette (collins) christensen is still getting use to two titanium hips. they hope to move soon into a beautiful retirement center , where they are on the wait list for entry. she is currently writing a novel based on family history; and their immigration to america. her family is getting impatient to see it in print! someday it will be available, about four chapters more. presently she is beginning the thirty-third chapter; the book is approximately 200 pages long. alice (hall) desaulnier writes “although i did not graduate from w.a. (putnam high) my former classmates keep in touch with me for which i am grateful.” she has a wonderful family, five children and their spouses; twelve grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. besides connecticut, her family covers many states: mass., n.c., delaware, penn., n.j. she also has a granddaughter in england. she is hooked on uconn basketball both the men and the women and watches every game. evelyn (johnson) fairfield, and her husband elmer ’38 are doing well and continue to enjoy exercise, three times a week, at mike bogdanski’ s midtown fitness center in putnam. a few summers ago they traveled to bloomfield, vermont to visit her daughter kathy ’75, and her husband, paul. there they had a good time at maidstone park and went swimming. they also travel regularly to visit elmer’ s daughter amber ’68 and her family in clinton at the shore. they both like the beach and the good salt air . heather ’74, elmer’ s daughter , and her family entertain them regularly at their beautiful home here in woodstock. they also went sailing from new london on shelton’ s sailboat. evelyn’ s son, steven eddy, recently came back to woodstock. he has been working at the millbrook village in so. woodstock. eileen (marcy) gardner and her husband, warner ’37 keep busy on their farm on redhead hill in woodstock, with much success with their crops from their vegetable garden and from their orchards. a bumper peach crop was attained in 2005. they also have a wonderful crop of blueberries and pears that they harvest with help from their relatives and friends. eileen has a special talent for canning and freezing vegetables and fruit; and in making jellies and jams. she continues to collect small stuffed animals, toys, children’ s clothing, and other articles to be sent to kentucky for needy children, particularly at christmastime. she helps with the church activities contributing from her harvest, and donating jellies and jams for the church sales. phyllis (racine) kuper and her husband arthur will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on june 1st. they have a family of four: two sons and two daughters; five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. edward oliva roy says “we are as well as can be expected for old folks.” edward and his wife, joyce, have done some traveling to northern vermont and pennsylvania. last may they were in new hampshire for their granddaughter’ s graduation from the university of new hampshire in durham. they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children. laura (tucker reynolds) delaura is enjoying her grandchildren and great grandchildren. granddaughter laura and her husband jason have two children hailey and cole. grandson, chris lives in reno where he manages a department for the smith’ s grocery chain. grandchildren danny and abby are at home with their mother and father , betsy and tony. both families live about ten miles from her in carson city, nv . laura still travels, lately only monthly trips over the mountain to placerville and nearby towns. they are pleased they are still close to enjoy birthday and holidays together . nonie (witter) logee writes that she and al are healthy and walk everyday. they went to deep creek lake in western maryland a few years ago, with the whole family, fifteen of them. all five great granddaughters keep them busy. they visited their daughter , karen and her family in maryland for christmas last year . and, they spent a week with friends in pawley’ s island, south carolina. it’ s about twenty miles south of myrtle beach. it was beautiful there with lots of trees and flowers in bloom. they went to brookgreen gardens, and toured a huge mansion. their son, david is fine and usually spends sundays with them. they are still active in the east granby seniors club. class of 1943 arline m. (marvin) bowen: the greatest – we have a great grandson – drew michael norman – born to jason ’96 and melissa norman. we are both still active, enjoying our children, grandchildren and a “great” one. look forward to february and march when we go to sanibel isle, florida to escape some of the winter . hester (carpenter) green is living in willington senior housing in willington, ct . she has two children still living in willington, her son ralph and her daughter nancy green krivanec. her sons alfred and melvin both live in eastford, her old home town. her daughter bev green brazeal lives in woodstock, daughter joyce green kramer lives in brooklyn, and daughter lisa green lives in houston, tx. she has 11 remaining grand-children and 9 great-grand children. she considers herself very lucky!59 the gleaner 2008 class news class of 1944 walter e. johnson, a woodstock firefighter with 59 years of service, was honored and presented with a plaque for “firefighter of the year” at woodstock’ s annual memorial day ceremony in 2006. walt is an army veteran of world war ii having served in the european theater . upon discharge from the army in 1947, walter returned home to woodstock and joined the muddy brook fire department the same year . during his years with the department, he achieved the rank of captain, and served on many committees and fundraising activities. walt was severely injured in 1951 while driving a tanker to a fire sustaining burns to his lower torso and legs. after a very successful recovery, he went right back to his duties as a firefighter . walt is an inspiration to the other members of the muddy brook fire department. he became a life member of the department in 1986 and received the stephen b. lincoln service award for outstanding service to the department in 1994. his son, alan, writes “because of his example, i am involved in the fire service also … still trying to fill one of his shoes.” walt lives in woodstock with his wife, the former doris davis of danielson. he enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing, and spending the winter months in daytona beach, florida. his children, richard, alan, and jeri lee live nearby along with his 10 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. he celebrated his 82nd birthday this year! submitted by: alan johnson and jeri musumeci class of 1946 jeanne (kenyon) debell is a retired school teacher and children’ s librarian. she remains active in the somers historical society and has published a new acadia book on somers, conn. her son jeff is a fireman in the kansas city area, her daughter sara is in the seattle art and music scene. she has three grandchildren; one granddaughter is in the marines. jeanne and her husband dick are well and busy. class of 1948 class agent: richard may, 1134 hartford turnpike., 1d1, vernon, ct 06066 rmdickgail@aol.com l. hamilton “ham” foote received the ct public health commissioner’ s annual individual ems system impact award. this award recognizes an individual who has contributed to the ems system in the state of connecticut as a whole, and for the contribution on any facet of out-of-hospital care. ham has served as a member of the eastern ct ems council for over 15 years. he has also been a member of the wvfa since july 14, 1952, serving as a firefighter and continues to play a role as an active emt . he was instrumental in establishing the woodstock emergency medical services in 1976. in 1996 he retired from american optical, and his consistency in responding to ems calls during the week has filled an essential need to staff the ambulance when many other volunteers are not available. he can be regularly seen running the wvfa infield at the woodstock fair , something he has done for more than 30 years. congratulations to dorothy (lizzotte) leone for the publication of her 460 page novel, “where the herring run.” she gives credit to her woodstock academy mentor , catherine chace clark, her english teacher , and is very proud of her woodstock academy connection. we are equally proud of her and her accomplishment. we would also like to publicly thank dorothy for her donation of a copy of her novel to our own bracken memorial library. class of 1949 class agent: avis frink spalding, 399 roseland park road, woodstock, ct 06281 class of 1950 class agent: jeanne stringfield burlingham, 104 east putnam road, putnam, ct 06260 on june 25, 2005 the class of 1950 had their 55 th reunion dinner at j.d. cooper’ s (see reunions page). all enjoyed their delicious meals and the comradery with alums from out of town and out of state. a moment of silence was shared in remembrance of seven classmates who have passed on. pictures and memories were shared, and after nearly four hours of fun we bid all adieu on more time. - jeanne stringfield burlingham paul arvidson was honored in march 2006 by the town of woodstock for his 48 years of service as town constable. with his wife of nearly 49 years, joan (swenson) arvidson, by his side, children and grandchildren, paul was presented with a framed proclamation signed by gov. m. jodi rell and a plaque from the town. during his years of service, paul oversaw nearly 2,000 events, serving at some of those events for free, especially programs at churches. he was a fixture at many woodstock academy dances and events over the years. grace lyon bowen and her husband, russell have sold their home in tolland and move to chapel hill, north carolina to be near their children. they will be missed. jeanne (stringfield) burlingham keeps busy attending book discussion groups at the putnam and thompson library. she also views seminars as part of the qvcc learning in retirement program. jeanne enjoys traveling on day trips with royal travelers. robert and eleanor (albrecht) condon have sold their condo in grosvenordale and moved to texas permanently to be near their son and family. sylvia (peterson) blount and her husband, charles who live in milton, florida, a short distance north of pensacola were hit with both hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. they suffered no damage, for which we were all thankful to learn, but lost power and had much debris. walter johnson with grandson brian musumeci and his wife selena (croteau) musumeci at left; son alan johnson and his wife donna at right; and great granddaughters (l to r) mikayla and shealyn musumeci at the 2006 memorial day parade paul arvidson, 80, is honored at the woodstock town hall for his 48 years of service as constable. his wife, joan, 74, sits by his side. (photo by john shishmanian/norwich bulletin) the bowen family: (l to r) nicholas, clifton, russ, kim, tesha. (front) grace ’50, marnie60 the gleaner 2008 barrett frink and wife hazel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on january 26, 2006 with dinner out and a trip during the summer . gale (maass) rudolph has moved from colorado to alaska to live in soldotna where her daughter lives. class of 1951 class agent: dexter eddy, 403 wrights way, storrs, ct 06268 brendex@juno.com i have tried to contact most of the ’51 classmates and find that time is starting to catch up with us. the whereabouts of bill benz and ruth wahlfelt remain unknown. i hope those not heard from will share some news for the next issue of the gleaner . even if it seems like “old news”, it will be “new” to the rest of us. finally, we remember those who have gone into the “the halls of ivy”: lucien bergeron (oct.30, 1983); bob phaneuf (nov. 10, 1998); marju hiiesalu kuehhas (may 23, 2001); larry krushefsky (aug. 23, 2005). margy anderson lives in retirement in quinebaug. ruth (bailey) farnham lives in phoenix, arizona. joyce (brolin) white is taking a trip out west this summer to visit some of the national parks as well as at least one of her children in utah. rita (bruneau) melton has taken up residence in tampa, fl with her husband. she attended the 50th and expects to attend this year’ s event. dex eddy finds retirement a time to keep busy at whatever interests him. he lives with wife brenda in mansfield. their two children and five grandkids keep everyone busy. he serves on a couple of town commissions. nami (national alliance on mental illness) is also a priority, helping the families of people with neurological brain diseases, commonly known as mental illness. ron estabrooks will be in athens on the 24th and then on to crete. at our fiftieth he was passing through on his way to join his wife at a dig at pompeii. he still lives in groton when he’ s home. ron says he visits his mom as often as possible at a rest home in putnam alma (kiuru) morris moved from ma to va a few years ago to be near her younger sister . she has now moved to il to be near her son in evanston. she also spends as much time as she can at her hideaway in maine, especially in the summer . jim (we knew him as mason) and evie (johnson) logee are ensconced in their bungalow in pennelville, ny near son steve. a new springer spaniel puppy keeps them active. jim has respiratory problems so travel is limited. dotty (norman) macdermott and husband leo have been busy. in the past five years they have been on christian mission trips to brazil, haiti, moldova (need a map?). they attended an israel education seminar this past march in the holy land. the trip into jerusalem was particularly inspiring. and just as important are their visits to their three married kids and eight grandkids. trudy (rhodes) richmond and husband jim live in central florida (summerfield). her twin brothers live nearby and so they enjoy the thanksgiving and easter holidays together . their three children and eight grandchildren helped them celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary (may 7th) in the mountains of virginia for a whole week last june. rene roy, gordon smith and pete shepard continue to live in plainfield. al walker, at last report, keeps himself active. he serves on the finance board in goshen among other things. lloyd wilcox is active in the tribal affairs of the narragansett community in rhode island. class of 1952 kenneth f . andrews is still an active pilot (55 years) training the young and old in single and multiengine aircraft in tyler , texas. he has three granddaughters and two great granddaughters; all native texans. claudette (beaudoin) ames is still working in her own office, private practice as a clinical psychotherapist. she has twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren. claudette and her husband, steven, bought a new house in 2002, one level, in the same town. they are happy and healthy. class of 1953 pat (demers) kaneda and her husband kunihiro moved from ashiya, japan to chicago in 2000. k is vice-president of sunstar americas inc.; a manufacture of gum dental products. pat writes: “chicago was the closest we could get to north woodstock after my mother became ill. both of my parents, ted and estelle demers are at a nursing home in colchester , so i make frequent trips to my house in ashford to visit them. both of our children, paige and jan live in the area. we have two grand-children, anna and jonathan.  anna is married and working on a master’ s degree at mt. holyoke.  her husband, ray dinsmore is an attorney.  jonathan is living in philadelphia.  he’ s a student at temple university. my sister paulette demers-uptain ‘67 lives in chicago. my brother don lives in palm harbor , florida. sadly, my brother ken who lived in kansas city, missouri died two years ago. they all were woodstock academy graduates. i’m taking four courses at northwestern university which is right across the street! there is a terrific program here in the school of continuing education. it’ s the osher lifelong learning institute.  three years ago, i was a coordinator for a course which i designed on modern day japanese culture. we travel a lot and enjoy this exciting city.  last may, i spent two glorious weeks in rome.  i swim several days a week and enjoy writing.” (two of pat’ s poems can be found in this edition of the gleaner .) class of 1954 class agent: kenneth sherman, 230 pond factory road, woodstock, ct 06281 ashdebken@snet.net phyllis (andrews) ploughman isn’t retired; in fact she’ s working full-time running her successful business, phyllis’ s specialty bakery and catering in putnam. her children and grandchildren are nearby. bruce beaudoin is still living in ashford with his wife denise and enjoying his retirement. he works part-time for his sons and eastford building supply when he isn’t off to florida or other places with his travel trailer . he reports he has six children, thirteen grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren. is that a record for our class? john hibbard and his wife live in hebron. john is retired, but keeps active. he is often in woodstock visiting family and managing his forest land. lucille (naines blackmer) rucki and her husband walt live six months n sebring, florida and six months in pomfret. in florida they enjoy an active lifestyle with walking, golfing, bicycling, water aerobics, and line dancing, and visiting lucille’ s parents and brother tony who live in naples, florida. they have children and grandchildren to spend time with when in connecticut. ken sherman and his wife debbie (child) ’55 live on pond factory in woodstock and when they’re not traveling, they work for their son on the farm. they are enjoying their travel trailer and have been to most of the national parks in the usa and some in canada. their family members all live nearby. frank szynaka and his wife ruth (anderson) ’55 reside in melbourne, florida. they are enjoying retirement and their family consisting of two sons, two daughters and grandchildren. their daughters live in arizona so they enjoy visits to see them. they recently hosted bruce and denise beaudoin and lucille (naines) rucki and her husband walter at their home in florida. class news61 the gleaner 2008 class of 1955 class agent: deborah child sherman, 230 pond factory road, woodstock, ct 06281 ashdebken@ snet.net in 2005 we celebrated our 50 th reunion at the woodstock academy alumni banquet in june (see reunion page). attending were: cynthia holmes bachand, nina townsend baillargeon, carl brolin, barbara albrecht bufano, frances cartier geer , alice dvorsky russ, kenneth smith, ruth anderson szynaka, bruce johnson, russell hicks, albert peterson, donald rhodes, wesley ringdahl, eleanor sands ringdahl, and deborah child sherman. letters were shared from ann reynolds campbell, marilyn marcy tyler , gail shippee smallwood. it was so great to get together again and catch up! later in the summer we had a picnic at the home of ken and deb sherman in woodstock to include some who couldn’t make it in june: ronald rhodes, janet peck harrington, and david laurens. in all we got to see or heard from 77% of our surviving classmates. we’d love to hear from those of you included in the 23%! – deborah child sherman claudette (beaudoin) ames: still working in my own office, private practice as a clinical psychotherapist. twelve grandchildren, two great grandchildren. edward duhamel and his wife live in woodstock in the summer and florida in the winter . they have two greenhouses and raise vegetables and fruit to sell at the area farmers’ markets. they enjoy their children, grandchildren, and one great grandchild. russell hicks sold his real estate business to prudential, but is continuing in the business with a land real estate company. he is enjoying his newly renovated home in woodstock. bruce johnson and his wife susan are enjoying their new home in woodstock. in the winter they often spend time at their vermont home and do some skiing, and in the summer they enjoy their home on cape cod. janet (peckham) harrington and her husband spend six months in florida and six months at their condo in danielson. their daughter lives in the boston area and their son, his wife, and two grandsons live in woodstock. ann (reynolds) campbell and her husband fred are enjoying an active retirement at their home in williamston, michigan. donald rhodes and his wife lillian and ronald rhodes and his wife pat live in auburndale, florida in the winter . don and lil spend the summer at their home on cape cod and ron and pat visit their daughter in connecticut in the summer . kenneth smith and his wife ellie live on joy road in woodstock. they enjoy traveling and their three daughters and their families. they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on june 8, 2006 with a trip to new hampshire. nina (townsend) baillargeon lives in thompson and works part-time for quality homemakers. she has eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. ruth (anderson) szynaka. see frank szynaka ’54. deborah (child) sherman. see ken sherman ’54. class of 1956 karl korswig. see betty gagnon korswig ’62. class of 1957 class agent: marilyn edwards sherman, 1645 rte. 169, woodstock, ct 06281. the class of 1957 celebrated their 50th reunion on june 23, 2007 (see reunions page). devens arnett. see beverly child arnett ’62. david boyd. see joan mcwilliam boyd ’60. class of 1958 brenda blair recently moved to gorham, maine. she is traveling a lot! she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren. brenda loves being retired. she is busy, but has lots of time to read, garden and volunteer in the community. lloyd w. walling is enjoying retirement after 36 years with cl&p . mark walling ’85 has retired from the usaf after 20 years of service. he lives in abilene, texas with his wife cari and son brandon. chris walling ’88 lives in wilmington, vt with his wife beth (nichols) ’88 and teaches pe grade pk – 5 at deerfield valley elementary school. chris coaches high school girls soccer and brought home five consecutive state championships. he is the most winning coach in southern vermont (small schools). beth manages rock maple snowmobile racing and is busy taking care of their home. class of 1959 class agent: gale eisenhauer garceau, 172 stonebridge road, woodstock, ct 06281 class of 1960 class agent: pauline salvas white, 21 mcgregory road, sturbridge, ma 01566 pjwhite90@hotmail. com cynthia (bebbington) lucia: finished a ba degree at suny empire state college, and earned an ms in education at suny potsdam.  planning to retire from computer technology and moving to florida early summer ‘07.  daughter , cassandra, completed a ba at uri, and just finished an rn program at suny canton, moving south very soon.  son, richard, is financial analyst for state of maine, married to carri, a nurse practitioner , with one son, owen, age ten (a grandchild). dorinda (dodge) lundin is still working for the woodstock public schools as the k-8 math coordinator . emil and dorinda live in woodstock at the family home. last year they invested in a camper with the goal of traveling to alaska in the next couple of years. she hopes the price of gas goes down.   one of her volunteer efforts is for the wawa education and retreat center in chaplin, ct , a camp for autistic children where her husband is a facilities manager .  she enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and writing. jean (kosa) kyff writes: kyff family facts:  for over thirteen years, i have worked at purchase college state university of new york, which is located about ten minutes from greenwich, connecticut.  recently, i got a new job at purchase as an arts coordinator which involves working with all of the arts:  dance, theatre arts & film, music and the school of art and design.  it is such a creative environment, and i love working with college students. after spending 26 years in the advertising business, my husband, david, has been retired for two years and is loving every minute of it. perhaps, you remember that my dad was a woodturner , and after he passed away, david and i transported all his woodturning tools and lathe to our home in yonkers. after taking several woodturning courses at purchase college, david has become an accomplished woodturner carrying on the kosa family tradition.  when i finally retire, david is going to teach me how to turn. for fun and exercise, david and i enjoy biking on the westchester county trailway which is located two blocks from our home.  this trailway will eventually reach all the way to albany with offshoots into danbury, connecticut.  we continue our biking each summer when we vacation at crystal pond in eastford exploring all the nearby bike trails in the connecticut/massachusetts/rhode island area. i also like to garden (both vegetable and flower) and we have just recently started to visit famous private gardens in the lower hudson valley when they are open to the public under the garden conservancy program.  since we live twenty minutes from nyc, we visit the art museums and the bronx botanical gardens, and we also try to take advantage of the concerts and cultural activities at the college (as an employee, i get half-price tickets and you know how i love a bargain!).  of course, there is never enough time to do all these things so i’m hoping that when i retire, we finally will be able to spend class news cynthia (bebbington) lucia62 the gleaner 2008 much more time doing the things we love. we have two daughters, jennifer and heather , who have their own apartments just a block from us, which is nice because we get to see them often. (they pop in to raid the refrigerator!)  jennifer is an art director for a web-based company in hackensack, nj, and heather is a 5th grade teacher in an inclusion classroom in nyc. dave merrill graduated from rpi in 1964 with a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree. he served two years in the us army in the dominican republic and at ft benning, ga.  he married suzanne who he met while undergoing basic officer training at aberdeen proving ground, md.  dave returned to his job as research engineer at the winchester and ramset divisions of olin. he got to work in france for awhile.  after 26 years with winchester he ended up working for mcdonnell douglas (now boeing) in mesa, az as an ordnance engineer , and later a structural analyst on the apache helicopter .  sue and dave have one daughter , alexis.  she and husband, raffe ameer recently adopted their granddaughter , lulu who is currently their joy.  they retired six years ago, spent a year touring the western us, then retired to their current home ‘up a little holler’ in fletcher , nc.  dave is still working on that dream workshop in the basement.  he hopes to make flintlock kentucky rifles, violins and astronomy telescopes.  he would love to hear from classmates (demerrill2000@yahoo.com). mike and linda (derr) ’63 mcgrath retired from dupont in 1997, and mike sold his tax business several years ago.  now they are really retired.  they bought a condo in clearwater , fl, and moved from de last summer to a townhouse in pa.  they are truly snowbirds, spending six months in each home!   with their move to pa, they downsized and, at the same time, moved closer to their six granddaughters (ages 17 through 5).  they took up golf, but mike says “i am still a duffer with a handicap of about 25.”  they also play duplicate bridge and travel a lot.  they have visited australia and new zealand.  it was a trip of a lifetime! mike missed the class reunion, but will try to make the next one and catch up on all his classmates.   joan (mcwilliam) boyd: all is well with the boyd clan. david and i still live in woodstock. we spend the summer in chilmark on martha’ s vineyard and we travel frequently. in the summer , david ’57 commutes by air to his law office in putnam. i design jewelry, featuring my own handmade glass beads. i sell my work at a bi-weekly artisans festival on the vineyard. our son, christopher ’82 and his wife, ruthann decided to give up city life. they’ve purchased a house in mashpee on the cape. they each have their own business. chris designs and maintains corporate web-sites. virtual real estate tours are ruthann’ s specialty. our son, jonathan ’87 and his wife, mary built a house on the vineyard, where they live year-round. jonathan operates a charter fishing business and mary teaches at the west tisbury elementary school. sister nathana/corinne marcy: i am so thankful for the lord’ s call on my life and for the privilege of being able to live here in darmstadt, germany as a member of the evangelical sisterhood of mary - now almost 37 years. my life is filled with music, as i am serving as organist, director for our choir and a small ensemble of instruments, printing music and working in the production of sound tracts for films. anyone who would like to visit us is invited to do so through the internet: www.kanaan.org. barbara (harradin) and stewart morse are both retired now and enjoy traveling....the u.s.a. first!  they belong to the ymca and still like to ski and ride bikes. despite 20 years in virginia beach, va. their three sons all graduated from woodstock academy. all three, and five grandchildren live close enough for them to enjoy family almost everyday......they will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary this year but their years at woodstock academy seems just like yesterday. jack sanga and his wife, laura, are well and active which is most important at this stage of life.  jack retired from frito-lay in 2000. he is currently working as a cost estimator for a welding company.  they spent 3 months enjoying the florida winter weather . daughter sharon, son-in-law erik hutchins (both class of ‘80) and family are adjusting to non-military life in north carolina on a 41 acre spread with lots of outbuildings. lots to keep them busy!!  a good stopping off place on their way to and from fl. after a two week stay there they need a vacation!!   son jack ‘81, daughter-in-law lee and family are located in s. windsor , ct . he is in r&d in the computer field and works in branford. five grandchildren (2 - 13yrs) keep them busy attending sports and various school activities.  the two year old they have nicknamed “oops”; what a delight to hear the patter of little feet in the house again!  summers are spent boating in the long island sound.  a hard life!!  current wife of 45 yrs, laura, keeps busy as a project engineer for the sanga household;  cooking, sewing, gardening, babysitting, cfo, secretary etc. etc..  they enjoyed seeing all the classmates at the last reunion. pauline (salvas) white: i took early retirement in april 2005 from unumprovident corporation (formerly paul revere life insurance company) after 23 years. my most recent position with them was as director of employee and community relations where i repre-sented the company in the greater worcester com-munity regarding our charitable giving and volunteer-ism.  i miss the work but don’t miss the commute from sturbridge to worcester every day. after help-ing to care for my ailing mother for many months we lost mom in november .  i am starting to adjust to real retirement now and have reconnected with several woodstock academy friends.  bob is retir-ing at the end of 2006 and we plan to expand our travel both domestic and abroad. we also enjoy walking, canoeing, biking, and working out at the ymca.  i am keeping busy with my flower gardens, redecorating the house, volunteering with the united way, and meeting friends for lunch.  hope to see more classmates at our next reunion. class of 1961 barbara (hawkins) child happily retired from teaching at pomfret community school. she taught for 35 years and enjoyed it very much, but decided to leave teaching to spend more time with her mother and at her cottage in old saybrook. she enjoys outside activities such as l ’apres midi, alpha delta kappa, women’ s fellowship and w.a. board of trustees she also belongs to a bible study group and book discussion group. charléne (saltonstall) armitage is still at westford hill in ashford after 46 years. she is the proud grandmother of seven wonderful grandchildren and has three children who are involved in serving our country either on a national or local level. after gil’ s passing she has been traveling and continued with her music at church, and has been tap dancing with a senior troupe called the sparkettes. they entertain in and around eastern connecticut, and she finds it is great exercise. she is very grateful to god for so many blessings and enjoys having old friends visit. class of 1962 class agent: beverly child arnett, 53 pond road, harpswell, me 04079 shsuond@suscom-maine.net our 45th class reunion was held at the senexet grange hall in late october 2007 with 14 members attending. betty johnson did a great job of organizing our get-together and joan guertin perry cooked us all a delicious dinner . we spent a wonderful afternoon catching up, reminiscing, and planning our 50th reunion - to be held labor day weekend at bill neumann’ s.  classmates take note, get the word out, and plan to attend!    bill amato passed away in june of 2007 after a long battle with ms.  he is remembered with fondness and will be greatly missed.   beverly (child) arnett’ s most important news is the addition of a new grandson (that makes 4) to the family - a ‘mainer’ born in oct ‘07.  last spring dev ‘57 and i spent 3 weeks traveling in australia - a fantastic, unusual country full of friendly people.  we have just completed a 2 week build with habitat for humanity in louisiana, a great experience. class news63 the gleaner 2008 the spring will find us in idaho with our sons and families and then back to maine by summertime. doug child and wife connie purchased a motor home last year and have enjoyed traveling throughout new england in it, and this winter to florida.  they visited with brother brad ‘63 and wife betsy while there.  doug is still very involved with the woodstock fair and this past year initiated and opened a calf birthing center at the dairy barn.   gerry daigle teja has retired from teaching and is enjoying “life on the other side.” she keeps busy reading, doing pottery and water aerobics, and shopping with friends.  she is also a docent summers at the “pink house”.  ted and gerry traveled to ireland and the canadian rockies recently.    tim dodge has been retired for several years from the federal government and maintains a small consulting business working on conservation related issues of wildlife and land stewardship.  he still calls woodstock home, but spends a lot of time in mid-coast maine “enjoying a slower paced life style”.  he reports a lot of great kayaking inland and along coastal areas there. he enjoys his 5 grandchildren, and keeps involved with church activities, a number of professional organizations, and restoring old ford trucks which he has collected over the years.  his love of woodworking ,which he attributes to his grandfather , has him planning and designing a smaller home - perhaps to be built in maine.  he writes, “wishing classmates all the best.” betty (gagnon) korswig has a new grandson born in nov ‘07 - that makes 4 grandchildren in all.  they recently returned from traveling to florida with a 5th wheel camper; a new and enjoyable experience for karl ‘56 and her . joan (guertin) perry wrote that she stays busy with the grange, but had some sad news to share.  her husband, bill, passed away in january of 2006 after a 3 year battle with liver disease.  she delights in her 3 granddaughters: ashlee who graduated from ellis tech in 2006, as a plumber; her sister felicia is in her 4th year studying as an electrician, and melissa who will also be a senior this fall. david hibbard and wife joanne moved into a new home, just down the lake from their previous one.  he has sold a portion of his business to an employee and has plans to sell the remaining to another employee in the near future.  but “best of all i am preparing for a graceful exit from active business life to retirement and grand-fatherhood”.  they now have five grandchildren!  they also keep busy traveling to some fascinating countries - poland, lithuania, india, argentina and mexico.  betty johnson is living in woodstock valley, and has been working at linemaster switch for 27 years, where she is now the assistant supervisor of the cord department.  “i like what i’m doing and the company keeps growing and coming up with new ways to turn things on and off.”  she has purchased a home in clearwater , fl and spent 3 weeks there with her mother this winter .  eventually she will become a ‘snow bird’, staying all winter .  flying into alaska, renting a car and driving almost 2,000 miles sightseeing was a real highlight last summer .  “it’ s a trip i would highly recommend to everyone who enjoys awe inspiring scenery.”  when not working or traveling she enjoys spending time with her 4 grandchildren, redecorating the house, gardening, and taking her mother on rides around woodstock and other neighborhoods observing the area changes.  kathy (king) ives loves working outside gardening, keeping up with the ongoing maintenance of house and lawn, but mostly spending time with her new puppy “banjo”.  he’ s a shep/lab mix that she adopted from the ct humane society.   along with caring for him, and her 3 cats, she feeds the deer , birds, and wild ducks - they delight in eating the deer corn.  “it’ s kind of a zoo here”, she writes.  she also enjoys visiting with her sister louise in friendship, me, and relaxing on the beach in nantucket at her sister mary’ s summer home.  a monthly highlight is getting together with classmate cathy estell for lunch, a movie, or a production at the goodspeed opera house.   elaine lachappelle retired in dec ‘06 and now works part-time at the marianapolis school library.  when not working she volunteers at the woodstock historical society and is active with her church. pete logee  and wife sharon toured arches and canyonlands national parks a few years ago for the first time, and it’ s in their backyard, so to speak.  they also traveled to monument valley - their favorite place - camping in their new casita trailer “the egg”.  pete is still driving a school bus and also substitute teaches.  another highlight of spring 2006 was a gratis weekend trip to denver .  “all i had to do was drive 40 kids 1,000 miles through rain, snow, smog and denver traffic!”  may finds them in needles, ca for a week of river boating with their son jason and family, and summer will also find them on the road.  they have traveled the big circle through gunnison, over to colorado springs, down through royal gorge and sand dunes national park out of alamosa and back home to delores, co.    len martin writes he now has 10 grandchildren  - the last a set of twins born in oct ‘06.  they still reside in sarasota, and summer in ct ; he teaches golf in both areas. cathy (saltonstall) estell is completely retired. cathy and husband wayne spend a month every spring in az visiting her son chris and wife, and also wayne’ s sister there.  over the last few years they’ve been able to tour the entire state.  their favorite place to visit in the fall is acadia national park in me - beautiful.  a few year’ s ago cathy traveled to canyon ranch in az with her sister charlene (saltonstall) armitage ‘61 - the first time just the 2 of them have vacationed together .  they enjoyed meeting other guests from all over the world, horseback riding everyday, and just relaxing.  she writes her mom, catherine (cox) perry ‘38 is doing well.  last summer she enjoyed lunch with 5 classmates, and is looking forward to another reunion.   martha (simmons) graham sends her greeting from peterborough, nh this spring, and says “contookcook valley is green.” class of 1963 class agent: jeri lee musumeci, p .o. box 124, woodstock, ct 06281 lauren anderson recently retired as senior associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at the university of rhode island after 31 years. referred to as a “trailblazer” for women’ s athletics at uri, some of her accomplishments in women’ s athletics include ne cross country coach of the year in 1987, ne outdoor track coach of the year in 1990, and uri coach of the year in 1991. in 2005, she was named division 1-aa administrator of the year by the national association of collegiate women athletic administrators. this award is presented to nacwas members for significant contributions made as an administrator of intercollegiate athletics. during her entire career at uri she has kept her roots in her hometown of eastford. congratulations lauren on a stellar career and a well-deserved retirement. bradford c. child: since working for others in the insurance industry my entire career , i joined two other colleagues and formed an independent insurance agency in 1999. it is now one of the largest agencies in the fort myers area. should have done this years ago…love the independence! i have two married daughters living in ne and a granddaughter who gets spoiled every time we get home. linda (derr) mcgrath. see mike mcgrath ’60. class of 1965 many of the following notes were provided to jane wetherell st. onge in honor of the class’ 40 th reunion in 2005 (see reunions page). jane asked classmates to provide updates on: “what they have been up to over the past 40 years?” and “what would they like to share with old friends?” memories have been recounted in a shortened format for all to enjoy. class news64 the gleaner 2008 if anyone knows the whereabouts of tom bessette, evelyn natkin, bob carlson, and david martin please contact jane wetherall st.onge at sainthugh@ sbcglobal.net beverly (anderson) salcius works for the university of connecticut, college of continuing studies. she and her husband victor have three daughters: rhiannon, a labor and delivery nurse at st. francis hospital in hartford; andrea, who works at the american school for the deaf in west harford; and natalie who is in the nursing program at the university of connecticut. they have lived in manchester , since 1976, but they still have roots in eastford as they share ownership of a cottage on crystal pond. kathie arnold came to colorado in 1973 to attend the university of colorado, where she earned a degree in special education. she taught elementary and middle school special ed, was a middle school counselor , and retired from public education after 30 years in 2005. kathie continues to work part-time as a teacher/counselor/mentor . she enjoys reading, hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. jane (brewster) gladstein writes that she is a happily married, suburban housewife, with three grown children and no pets. they are basically free as a bird! connie (cole) lovell resides in uncasville where she works as an administrative assistant. she has two children and five grandchildren. jennifer (demarest) werner and her husband arthur live in bristol, ct . she is a retired health insurance underwriter . she recently pulled out her old yearbook and considered how it is “interesting to read these as an older person in light of all that has happened in the last 40 years. it is even quaint to see this typed up and copied, probably by ditto stencil. as i recall, in 1965 even most photo copiers were primitive by today’ s standards. quite a difference from our fax’ s and scanners, never mind email and cell phones.” gwenda (davis) humphreys has been living in san diego for about 35 years. she has worked installing computers and in occupational therapy. gwenda has traveled and spends most of her time outdoors with hiking, kayaking, and water sports. she has one son who graduated from mit with a phd in biology. maureen (grennan) ripley has been out to visit and participate in a few adventures with her . she is always happy to see visitors! m. dee (dickerson) durand was the first woman to graduate from the mechanical design course at hh ellis regional tech school in 1966. she worked as a junior designer for pratt and whitney aircraft while going to school for an associates degree. she married doug durand, and had a daughter celeste laurie durand. dee returned to work at terry steam turbine as a level one design engineer and founder of the lubrication systems group. she lost her husband to malignant melanoma in the fall of 1980. dee is an avid boating enthusiast. her first boat was a 16’ daysailer that she learned to sail on fishers island sound. in the eighties she built, launched and commissioned a 24’ cutter . dee has worked for norden systems, general dynamics, and dynamic controls. most recently she has graduated with high honors from ann arundel community college with a degree in geriatric nursing. she is now a private duty in home care specialist and runs her own business within the local healthcare. she is currently restoring a catalina 30 sloop with which she plans to sail the caribbean during the winters and visit with her family and sail new england during the summers, this is after she retires. she also plans to teach her two grandsons, jacob and david, the magic of working the wind. she writes “dreams are only realities which haven’t happened yet. – it is all up to you!” janice (dodge) alton and her husband lee, reside in southbridge, and has one step-daughter jessica. she has been a nurse for over 30 years (18 in emergency and 10 with the state of ct corrections). she is currently working in occupational health. she married an old friend about 10 years ago, who she says is “my soul mate and best accomplishment yet!” they hope to move south to the virginia area. she regularly sees lura and bev. john durst and wife christine (logee) ’66 have two children and share a beautiful granddaughter with pam (puffer) and denny hayden. john currently works as a tractor trailer driver . ralph eddy graduated from bowdoin college in 1969, and entered uconn law that fall. he joined a litigation firm in hartford where he has been a partner since 1977. he is married to deborah rich and they have two grown sons of whom they are especially proud: eric, a brown university grad and also a lawyer , and jared, also a brown grad, who also received a masters in ancient history and ancient medicine at cambridge university in england, before entering john hopkins university school of medicine. ralph writes “as i look back i have nothing but fond memories of growing up in woodstock and feel especially privileged to have been taught by such fine faculty as tom juko, pete santos, and john dillon. best regards to all of the class of ’65 and a special hello to pete weiman, bob ekman, dave janket, jane brewster , maureen grennan and kathy arnold.” robert james ekman and his wife debra reside in potomac, md with their two sons: daniel, a trent university graduate, and eric, a student at bennington college in vermont. he works for the smithsonian institution in washington, dc as a computer financial systems analyst. he enjoys bicycling, jogging, sci-fi novels, and traveling when he can. debra is a volunteer at a local animal shelter and a certified dog trainer; they have 10 dogs! lura (estell) hanekamp and her husband bill live in tuscon, arizona, where they moved in 1979. she is currently the administrative associate in the department of physiology in the college of medicine at the university of arizona. her husband is on the faculty of the college of agriculture at the university of arizona. she usually gets back to connecticut for a few weeks in july and sometimes in february. steven fairfield works as a quality manager . he currently lives in woodstock. roger gratton and his wife anne (paine) ’68 live in pomfret. they have two sons: roger and david ’91, and were expecting their first grandchild in 2005. they own and operate a foundation business (gratton limited) with both of their sons. mary catherine (french) grobis, cgrs graduated from taylor university in upland in with a ba in visual arts and minors in speech, drama, and english literature. she taught jr . high art at tolland middle school, before returning to indiana to pursue a mfa at ball state university. mary catherine became a “certified genealogical record searcher” in 1978 and was able to create a full time job. (fort wayne has the 2nd largest genealogical library in the country.) she currently resides in fort wayne, in with her husband phillip and son stephen, who attends montserrat college of art in beverly, mass. she also has three step children and seven step grandchildren. maureen (grennan) ripley has been in the field of education for 35 years as a teacher , reading consultant, and administrator . she has been at st. mary’ s episcopal day school for over 20 years. she has continued her friendship with gwenda davis humpreys since first grade and has shared many adventures over the past decade with her . they have hiked the san bernardino mountains in california, backpacked yosemite, kayaked the sea caves of santa cruz island california, snorkeled the reefs of st. john in the virgin islands, and canoed the colorado. she has a 14 ft kayak and enjoys the waters along the west coast of florida and inland rivers, where she lives in tampa. she has recently come to enjoy yoga. cecile (hays) gilson is a program coordinator for the justice & witness & wider church of the united church of christ’ s connecticut conference. she lives in bloomfield, ct and has two children and one grandchild. class news65 the gleaner 2008 dave janket and his wife marie, live in woodstock. they have three sons and four grandchildren. dave is a national sales manager and tech consultant. david harraden graduated from nichols college, and then went to work for saga food service as a food service director . he has worked for trinity college, wesleyan college, north adams state college, and the university of new haven. in 1979 he started north american canoe tours, inc. the rest is history. he says “i guess i am a hotel owner that does everything related to a hotel, and a professional guide in the everglades, suwannee river and the connecticut river .” he and his wife sandee have three boys: jonathan, jeremy, and jason, and four grandchildren: two boys and two girls. they spend six months in woodstock, ct and six months in everglades city, florida. barbara (johnson) barnes, and husband jay, are both currently employed at bethel university, st. paul, minnesota. barbara manages the office of the academic enrichment & support center and jay is the provost and executive vice president.  together they run marriage preparation seminars for engaged couples at bethel and also conduct married student retreats for other christian colleges and universities. they have three children and eight grandchildren.  when not working, they enjoy canoeing “up north” in minnesota always hoping to encounter another moose. lynda (johnson) bergeron recently returned to medway ma with her husband robert, after many years in clearwater florida. they wanted to be closer to their son dan ’90 and his family; which include a granddaughter and grandson. felix klee retired from dairy farming in 2003 however he continues to work for the city of middletown as a firefighter . he has worked in middletown for over 20 years. he has seven children and seven grandchildren. ronald l. marcy lives in woodstock and is a cnc programmer . he has three children and two grandchildren. ron is active in recreational volleyball, jack benney softball, motorcycling, bicycling and woodstock academy sports. linda (plant) osborne moved from connecticut to denver in 1971. she worked for yosemite national park for four years, and then attended midwifery school at the university of california in san diego. in 1982, she settled in medford oregon, where she now works four days a week doing prenatal care for sisters of providence. about five years ago, and after 2,000 births, she stopped delivering babies. she misses that part of her job, but loves having a dependable schedule and sleeping at night. she still enjoys reading and volunteering at the library book store. she lives with her husband mike, and their 15 year old daughter katie - blond, braces, thin and almost 6 feet tall –definitely looks like her dad. her parents have been living near them for a little over 10 years. if anyone is traveling in the area, she hopes you will get in touch. dagny (masin) stanton and her husband tom live in glen clove, ny. they have three sons. dagny attended katharine gibbs school in nyc and worked on wall st. for a couple of years, moved to san francisco, then moved back and married tom. she was an at home mom for many years, then had a retail/corporate gift business specializing in irish crystal, and most recently sold real estate. tom, retired from the floor of the nyse in 2004, and he and their middle son started an internet consulting business. she says, “it’ s been a busy but wonderful 40 years since i’ve seen many classmates…” barbara (plante) kallini recently began a doctoral program in metaphysics. she is an amateur paleontologist, artist, and reiki master/teacher . she lives in delray beach florida, and works as an administrator of pain clinic/medical technology, and has three children. pamela (puffer) hayden works at day kimball hospital in their physical therapy office. john ‘65 and chris (logee) ’66 durst are in-laws and co-grandparents to emma hayden. lynda (pasay) higgins and her partner don rapose own their own bar in southbridge, ma called “lynda’ s”. she is no longer actively involved and in fact, just put her stepson steven’ s name on the license. she spends her time gardening, reading, with her grandchildren and traveling. they just bought a second home in florida, and spend march through june there. her son michael higgins ’83 has two children: sky amythyst and hunter memphis. she is also gramma to don’ s 3 grandchildren, chris, josh, and justin. she says, “holiday’ s are fun! i am enjoying my life, i hope you are also.” ida (prato) sansoucy settled in denver in 1974, where she skies, hikes, and is now trying telemark. most of her nursing career has been in cancer education. she now coordinates kidney transplants. she also finished two masters degree in the late 70’ s. she says, “no loves in my life but my dear friends. belong to a single’ s ski club schussbaumers. i’m on the volunteer board and it's fun.” linda (sandberg hay) smith has been retired for several years but remains very active. she provides companionship for her dad two days a week. with her husband gary, she visits their grandchildren as often as they can (they have 9 the oldest is 9!). she also has two children and three step children. they live in north stonington, where they have been completing renovations on their home and care for a moderate size flower garden. she enjoys knitting, counted cross stitch and reading. they are taking a bible course, and she helps in her church nursery and toddler room. they have an in-ground pool which means they have lots of company in the summer . they also host divorce care classes when it is needed. she says, “retirement is great. i recommend it for everyone.” marion (swanberg) rall lives in beautiful irvine california with her husband john. they have two daughters: jennifer , who recently married, and kerri, who recently graduated from northeastern university. she is employed by the irvine company, a large land developer as an administrative assistant. betsy (weed) dietz is a special education teacher and educational consultant. she lives in rockford, il and enjoys bicycling, gardening, and contemporary line dancing. she’ s been a representative for discovery toys selling educational toys for 22 years. betsy has two children. jane (wetherell) st.onge and her husband bill live in putnam.  they have two grown children, william and caroline.  after many years at home, jane earned her master’ s degree in library science and has been the library media specialist at putnam high school for the last several years. john t . whiteley lives in danielson ct where he is a truck driver and sales associate for lepage boheuer in putnam. he has worked for tillinghast lumber (19 years), then rb geene doing mechanical work (2 years), then onto country kitchen delivering bread and running a bread route. he has two sons: dana, a cpa for commerce insurance, and sean, in the army. john has one grandson. suzanne (zeller) thompson has been employed for the past twelve years by commerce insurance in webster as a computer programmer , before that for 22 years by thom mcan at their corporate headquarters in worcester . she has two children elizabeth reed-swale ’91 and andrew reed ’95. the ambition she stated in the class night document in 1965 was “to find my place.” she says it has taken her a long time, but she has found her soul’ s home in a fulfilling career , enjoyable volunteer work, and a twenty-year-long honeymoon. class of 1966 jeffrey t . darbee and his wife, nancy, reside in columbus, ohio, with son james darbee. he has worked for over thirty years in historic preservation. he just published a history of germans in columbus and has a columbus architectural guidebook. russ dowd recently retired after 40 years of service, 10 at the helm, of the muddy brook fire department. from primarily fighting fires to emergency medical services and hazardous material support, he has seen many changes and growth in responsibilities during class news66 the gleaner 2008 his service. at a change of command ceremony on november 13, 2006, rus was presented with a citation from the general assembly and a proclamation from the governor honoring his 10 years as chief of the muddy brook fire department. he declared, “…it has been a marvelous opportunity to serve as chief, and one for which i am eternally grateful, and i want to thank the members of the muddy brook fire department for putting their trust in me to perform the job. there is no better feeling in the world than to have been able to help a friend or neighbor in time of need. i’m thrilled that peter (engh) has been chosen as my successor , because no chief could ever ask for a more dedicated deputy, and peter has been all that and more.” christine (logee) durst. see john durst ’65. class of 1967 gloria e. (kowal) myers resides in portland, or with her husband david a. horowitz. she received a ba and an ma in history from portland state university. gloria has authored a book “a municipal mother: portland’ s lola greene baldwin, america’ s first policewoman” (oregon state university press 1995). she has two children and three grandchildren. class of 1968 class agent: beverly desaulnier spink, 30 pheasant lane, brooklyn, ct 06234 beverlys.norwich-med@ snet.net anne (paine) gratton. see roger gratton ’65. class of 1969 class agents: cheryl anderson lindberg, p .o. box 621, norwich, vt 05055 and terry bruneau nahil, 320 sw panther terrace, port st. lucie, fl 34953-8201 dorothy (o’keefe) timm is living way down in the southernmost tip of texas. she misses the connecticut weather terribly. dorothy and her husband guy have two sons, tim and matt. she is working as an adult education teacher . class of 1970 class agent: suzanne staveski rosendahl, 371 rte. 197, woodstock, ct 06281 karen (boudreau) bomster and husband wally have been married over 35 years and live in dayville. they have four great kids who have blessed them with five beautiful grandbabies. karen works as a nurse at westview healthcare. our kids are all living nearby. she also notes – eastford kids rule! dolly child writes from durango colorado. she was not able to make the 35th but hopes to be there at the 40th. she sends her love to everyone in the class. charlie demarest is doing well with his computer software business. his wife, lisa, teaches vocal music at the local high school and loves it. their son, nathan, thirteen, does very good at school and enjoys soccer , reading, piano, and trumpet. daughter anne is eleven and takes piano and plays soccer . they put a small in-ground swimming pool in their backyard a few years ago to the great enjoyment of their entire family. charlie was unable to return for reunion but says hello from greenville, pennsylvania. david c. hirtle and his wife kathy recently relocated to lithia, florida. they spent fourteen years serving at first congregational church in new bedford, massachusetts – david as pastor . they are enjoying retirement, and continue to spend time sailing. they have four children: stacy, joshua, christopher , and andrew. and are proud grandparents to austin who turned five in september . david sends his best to all his classmates. gail (hicks) jackson resides in webster , ma with her husband gil and son erik who attends bartlett jr . high. she is working at oakwood rehab and nursing center . gil works for price chopper . their older son matt resides in pennsylvania and is working for st. gobain in sales. no grandchildren yet! siddhartha p . kamath: at last, both of our children have graduated from college. rahul, our son graduated from florida state university in 2002 with a bachelor’ s degree in industrial engineering. he is now working on his master’ s at fsu. our daughter , sareeta, graduated in april 2005, from the university of florida, with a bachelor’ s degree in accounting, and is working in tallahassee fl, for a cpa firm. she also plans to go to graduate school. as for myself, in april 2005, i got the opportunity to visit a high school classmate, frederick putnam, in bethlehem, pa, whom i had not seen since 1970. fred, my wife, anjali, and i spent an evening recounting memories. edye (rogers) gucwa and her husband dennis have been married 35 years. they live in brooklyn, and have one son. they are both looking towards retirement. she has 27 years of service at uconn, where she came in on the golden handshake. they plan to move to leesburg, florida when the time comes. she says, “life is good!” gary peck. see holly anne chase glass peck ’72. dave platt has had an interesting journey since wa. shortly after graduating from uconn, he met a great girl, lois, from brooklyn ct . right off the bat she had twins, nathan ’93 and jennifer ’93, then rebecca ’95, then another set of twins, hope ’98 and seth ’98. he worked for the department of environmental protection at the quinnebaug fish hatchery for twenty years. they raised their children (all woodstock academy alumni) and saw them each graduate from college. about that time dave became tired of connecticut. so they packed up a uhaul and drove up the alcan highway to alaska. he worked for a few years at the salmon hatchery in valdez, and then they moved up to fairbanks, where most of their children are living. the two older twins and hope live there now. dave also worked for the caterpillar dealer in fairbanks. their youngest son seth is an officer in the air force and was stationed on eielson afb just out of fairbanks, but is now in japan with two of their grandchildren. they moved back to the mountains and ocean of valdez, as it was colder in fairbanks and it limited their outdoor activities. dave is now the building maintenance supervisor at the hospital in town. he enjoys the great fishing and the mountains with his labrador retriever – his sixth since high school. lois is the associate professor of the rn nursing program at the local college. their lone hold out, rebecca, is in new hampshire with her set of twins! he says, “it is funny how life turns out.” they now have nine grandchildren! if anyone is thinking of visiting alaska, look him up, his email is: dplatt@ak.net. bev (tatem) lindemann and her husband bruce live in eastford. both of their children are also academy graduates, carey lindemann penney ’95 and torrey lindemann ’98. class of 1971 class agent: eileen phillips morris, one chesterford terrace, winchester , ma 01890 ejmorris@aol.com wendy (fontaine) lary: my husband, ed, and i returned from a two-year assignment in france and retired in mid-2005. we now spend our winters in naples, fl and our summers in pomfret center . our four children are grown and live in baltimore, philadelphia, franklin, ma and (soon) sedona, az. class news the platt family: (l to r) rebecca ’95, jennifer ’93, nathan ’93, (floor) seth ’98, and hope ’98.67 the gleaner 2008 we have two wonderful granddaughters, ages 4 and 5, who are the joys of our lives. ed and i will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary in december . tony foote and his wife, lynne, have been married for over 30 years and still reside in woodstock. they have two children, andrew 23 and eryn 21. they also have two grandchildren. tony has been working for the town of woodstock highway dept. for over 20 years. when not babysitting for andrew’ s children, tony and lynne enjoy heading south to visit with eryn and her husband. raymond w. green recently finishing 26 years as a registered nurse, he is presently at a windham county geriatric facility. he is celebrating life with wife vicki, while supporting twin sons in their transition to the “big world” – including college tuition. he is also enjoying pursuits in genealogy, history and fixing up the home. “combining liberal political views and long hair .” mike and sue (fellows) kozey just celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary. they make their home in eastford and have three wonderful sons: nicholas ’98, who has a home in albany, ny; david ’00 who recently married; and brian who is still in high school. mike is the manufacturing plant manager for kochek co. inc., and president of industrial valves and power , a division of kochek co. he runs a part-time laser engraving business out of his home. mike enjoys amateur astronomy as a hobby. sue works with autistic children at a local public school and collects rare porcelain dolls and enjoys interior decorating. harriet (macgregor) stephens and her husband roger live in park city, utah, where she has been for thirty-two years. she has two children, elizabeth, and louise and an adopted son, jacob odom, and five grandchildren. her husband is a real estate broker and she helps out in the office (rocky mountain and associates (rma).  she writes that she was always a horse person, and still is.  she went to school in england at porlock vale equitation center and received two degrees is horse management.  she also has two additional degrees, one with the special olympics and one with the north american riding for the handicapped assoc.  she ran a therapeutic riding program for 15 years and would still help anyone that needed it if they asked, but is not active with the program as much.  roger and carolyn (masiello) hart. roger is a long haul driver . carolyn is a registered nurse at dkh, works as a nursing supervisor and in the recovery room and as a legal nurse consultant. they have three children: chad, chris and sarah. chad ’94 is married with one child, maggie. he is an arborist. he and his family live in south woodstock. chris ’96 is a car hauler – long haul – and lives in virginia beach. sarah ‘09 is still in high school for one more year at woodstock academy. “we’re just busy with our family and granddaughter , maggie.” karen (larson) mcfarlin: i recently retired from teaching 30 years in woodstock. my husband peter and i have owned and operated a large childcare business and have recently sold it. we will now spend more time with family and friends. peter’ s boys are 37 and 35 and my girls are 28 and 25. we have 4 grandchildren!! we plan to travel and garden, sit back, relax and enjoy life. john lazur is single and has been employed at electric boat corporation for 35 years – senior design technical specialist and associate engineer for submarines and aircraft carriers. he enjoys playing golf, reading the occasional clancy or grisham book and serious “spectating” of his beloved uconn huskies athletic teams. dale may: married 27 years to my best friend – kate. two sons – daniel (22) and jordan (11) and one daughter emily (20). we love everything outdoors – hike, canoe, hunt, fish. family still owns the farm in east woodstock. we live in hampton. dale has worked for the ct dept of environmental protection for 25 years and has been the director of the wildlife division since 1994. eileen (phillips) morris: after working in finance and as software consultant for 25 years i did a major life change – went to graduate school and got a masters in divinity degree. i was ordained in the united church of christ and currently serve as an associate minister at the wellesley hills congregational church. when so many of my friends are looking at retirement i am building a new career that takes all my time and energy. it is wonderful, however , to do work that i love. i am so enjoying this time of my life. my husband bob and i have been married for thirteen years. we like to travel when we can and enjoy music, museums and walking. my son nathan is 22, lives in malden ma and is a director at a sailing school. colleen (rondeau) bishop: i am married to harold bishop. we’ll be celebrating our 7th anniversary on july 3rd. i have an awesome daughter , meghann, who is 26. she has her masters in social work and works in a school system in springfield, mass. i have been teaching 3rd grade at the putnam elementary school since 1975. how lucky for me to have a job i absolutely love to go to everyday! i enjoy reading, sewing, folk art painting and gardening. harold is restoring a 1923 model t ford pick up and i can’t wait to start cruising in it! i drive a blue beetle....just love it when the kids hit one another and chant something about “punch buggies”! karin (rosen) tourtellotte is married to marshall tourtellotte (yes, our guidance counselor). we have 3 children: pam ’86 and her husband rawls ’87 tiffany and their children, haley (7) and matthew(5); jim ’88 and his wife, kelly ’94 and their children, lydia (7) and alison (3); sara ’00 and her newly wed husband, brad gustavesen (married june 11, 2005)! we are fortunate that all three of our children live within an eleven mile radius and we see them and our grandchildren often!! employment...karin has worked for the state of ct . in the dept. of mental retardation for 31 years, most of my career has been working as a case manager in the community training home program (specialized foster care program). marshall retired from wa in 2001 and has continued to counsel young adults and their families privately and also part time for killingly high school. interests: are many. . . mostly family gatherings, yard and gardening, travel, spending time with friends. karin enjoys tole painting, rug hooking, home decorating and walking her 110 lb. yellow lab, dudley! looking forward to hearing from fellow classmates!!!! nancy (sandberg) macqueen: a year ago we moved to colorado springs and my husband, joe, and i just completed our first year at charis bible college. god is sending us to argentina after school - and we are going there for the month of june to spy out the land! i believe we’ll be starting a bible school there, but we don’t have the details yet. joe and i both work for andrew wommack ministries moe tarkinow writes that he is single with two step kids and two grandkids. he lives in newton, ma, mashpee, ma and west palm beach, fl, and owns a real estate development company – the tarkinow group. he is also an avid golfer . ron woods: it’ s amazing how quickly 30 years can pass. i have been working for a hazardous waste company for the last few years. i have 2 grandchildren and one is living with my oldest son in norwich, ct . she is 4 and one is living out here in california that is 2. mary (cassidy) wisotzkey: i’ve lived in thompson since 1982, and have a home on the cape where we spend the summers. i have yet to choose a career , but with my youngest just graduating from pomfret school, i might have to look into working! i have three children, kate is 24 and working in boston for a non-profit firm, anne, 22 just graduated from eastern and will be going to grad school at emerson college in the fall. peter will be a freshman at roger williams university. i love sailing, and race two days a week in the summer . i’ve been married to bill wisotzkey for 26 years, most of them happy! i can’t wait to hear about my classmates. class news68 the gleaner 2008 class of 1972 class agents: maggee bates harrison, 313 n. 23rd, bozeman, mt 59718 hfmagee@aol.com and beverly peterson sawyer , 1745 union rd., waldoboro, me 04572 holly anne chase (glass) peck and gary peck ’70 were married in 1999. gary is a design engineer specializing in production. he has had a pronounce effect on their sons ryan and bradley, twins in the class of 2004. they are extremely proud of them and all that they have accomplished. see ryan and bradley o’connor ’04. james russo: ceo of j.r. russo llc a construction management company in glastonbury; oldest daughter danielle is a choreographer in new york city. youngest daughter is a junior at uconn. wife gisele is director of grants and contracts at the dept of psychology at uconn storrs. they still reside in lebanon, ct . class of 1973 peter woodruff, moved to the warmer weather of florida, due to illness in 2004. he has a wonderful girlfriend, brenda. they are enjoying sunny florida and say “hi to all!” class of 1974 class agent: durrin eddy motley, 289 w. quassett road, woodstock, ct 06281 motleycrew289@ cs.com gordon a. davis is working at the dempsey center as a general worker in the horticulture program. he is very happy in his job and in the community. he does various jobs for the church, and became a certified master gardener at uconn in 1999. karen (ranhoff) lamb and her husband donald live in troutville virginia. she writes, “all is great! scott attended nc state, raleigh, nc. katie is attending emory and henry college, emory, va. hard to believe the years are flying by. hope everyone else is good.” class of 1975 class agent: dawn sherman, 1167 rte. 169, #1 oak hill estates, woodstock, ct 06281 kathe (beatson) ouellete: in 1979, kathe graduated from uconn. currently she works at w.w. backus hospital in norwich as the manager of budget and reimbursement. she has been employed at backus for 23 years. her husband, paul, is a pilot for american eagle. they have two daughters, erica (19) – 2nd year at uconn, and heather (15) – 2nd year at nfa. dianna (boivin) cahill runs her husband’ s medical practice, and she enjoys working with him. they will celebrate their 20th anniversary next year . they have two sons: matt, 18, is looking at schools but really wants to learn to fly planes. he is thinking of a 4 year school with rotc and possibly the air force. jason, 15, was a sophomore and on the basketball team this year . he has a car and goes everywhere his sentra will take him. stephanie (chesanek) dunner worked at uconn for 4 years in veterinary pathology, she was in microscope sales 2 years, fiberoptic equipment sales for 10 years (sales over north america), and for 11 years she owned a business selling optics/fiberoptics worldwide (aei north america). recently she just began working for biospherix ltd., selling bioactive gas controllers for stem cell research and regenerative medicine. stephanie is an ecsu graduate with a degree in immunology with a microbiology focus. she has one daughter , cassandra, who is 14 years old. stephanie enjoys horseback riding (learning jumping and english hunt seat), traveling, running, and being a girl scout leader . she is on the board of directors for ics (international center of syracuse), bringing in visitors from all nations through the state department for local programming. carla (chobociak) sheldon finished her bachelor’ s degree in psychology and social applied science and has lived in pomfret for the last 20 years. her sons have both graduated from eastern and have degrees in business. they are both grounded, intelligent and successful. carla hopes to move out west soon. her first choice is the black hills in south dakota or the southwest- either arizona or new mexico. she has completed research on native americans and hopes to work with those populations. recently she bought a harley to have some fun on and scoot around town. jon creighton continues to work as a forensic specialist with the vermont state police/dept public safety. he has had some of his case work highlighted on the discovery channel’ s new detective series. episodes titled “death grip” and “killing time”. his 10 minutes of fame! jon’ s daughter attends college at roger williams university in bristol, ri. katherine fellows: after high school katherine took the scenic route through college! with stops at franklin pierce college, boston university, the university of madrid, and eastern ct state, she finally graduated in january 1981. in 1982 she began teaching at putnam elementary school. after teaching gifted and talented, developmental kindergarten, and kindergarten, she began teaching 4th grade. it has been thirteen years, and she still enjoys this age level. she has a son, colin sumera ’06, a woodstock academy graduate. her daughter , kristiana is a senior at the academy. both children play hockey, soccer , and baseball/softball. kristiana has been doing dance since she was 4. both of her children love to sing. after traveling through europe while she was in college, she settled down to a life with children. currently she is building a new house. she creates a lot of drawings using pen and ink, and enjoys digital photography. david foisy served from 1975-1978 in the army airborne. for 28 years since then, he has been employed by hull forest products as the mill manager , and has also owned and operated d&d tree service for 20 years. david has enjoyed being a high school soccer referee for 10 years. he has been married to lori (lackenbauer) ‘78 for more than 25 years and they have 2 children- a 22 year old son who is a carpenter , and a 20 year old daughter who is a 3rd year college pre-med major . they live in putnam. sharon (goodwin) and mike gallerani:  after 20 years with ge operational management across the south and midwest, mike and sharon now own franchises of the closet factory which produces custom organizational cabinetry, in southern ct and westchester , ny. they live in west simsbury, ct and have four children: katie, 23, in a phd program at vanderbilt (tn) in child anxiety; bob, 21, a senior at james madison university (va) majoring in alternative energy; dave, 17, a senior at simsbury high; and thomas, 12, in 7th grade at simsbury middle. doreen (harding) shead is still working as the office manager for sca (formerly tuscarora) in putnam. her son, benjamin ’97, and his wife, katie, had a baby girl, isabelle rose on july 1, 2004. she is enjoying spending lots of time with her . her new grandson was born on march 8 this year . his name is zachary michael. her daughter , alison ’01, moved to florida – she hates the winters here and absolutely loves living there. doreen has traveled the last four years to aruba. she finds it to be a beautiful place to visit and hopes to go every year . she says, “it is really nice to hear about so many of our classmates. i just got back from europe. i took my daughter for her hs graduation to rome and hamburg. we were able to spend a few days in gaeta at the beach which is the town my grandparents were from (italy). germany was crazy with the fifa world cup (soccer) going on. anyway not much has changed except (unfortunately) we are another year older .” heidi (healy) payne and her family lived in waynesboro, pa for 14 years until their recent move to columbia, sc. her daughter , sonja, graduated from college with a degree in social work. wesley is a recent graduate of rensselear poly tech and loved school. twelve year old linnea class news69 the gleaner 2008 attends a christian school this year after three years of being home schooled. heidi’ s husband, harvey, is a child psychologist. harvey has recently taken a position teaching in the graduate school of columbia international university. heidi keeps busy teaching quilting classes and a weekly ladies bible study of about 90 ladies, and trying to keep up with her family!  mark a. hirtle worked for many years as a mortician assistant- dealing with all phases of the funeral industry. later , he worked at a local hospital in a variety of areas including being an o.r. assistant. currently mark is disabled with ms, which was diagnosed in 1977. his first, and only love, is his wife margo of 27 years. margo has been a nurse for 30 years. they have two wonderful sons, joey and danny. joey gave them their first grandson, connor , who is 4 and a source of never-ending energy. mark also enjoys fishing and he’ s a die-hard racing fan. in the summer , he frequents beech ridge speedway with his son danny. calvin kemp was awarded the air national guard bureau’ s 2007 chaplain of the year award. he is a former fighter pilot currently serving as the vermont national guard chaplain in burlington, vt . he graduated from the air force academy in 1979 and has served 1,000 airmen in vermont since 2000 and was also a full-support chaplain responsible for 2,700 air national guard soldiers. vicki (lambot) baron is still working at connecticut college and now lives in mystic.  mark logee moved to san diego county california in 1981 and has been living in north fork california since 1993. he has been married to his beautiful california girl wife kathy for 21 years. they have 2 boys, justin 18 and cody 15. justin will graduate from marine corps boot camp on august 11th, cody will be a high school junior in the fall. mark is the director of maintenance, operations, transportation, & food service for a small school district in north fork. mark and his family love to go boating, camping, motorcycling, and compete in timber sports. mark is also a huge racing fan, especially nascar . stanley mercier is a retired military veteran of the navy, where he spent 25 years of his life...now retired and enjoying the good life in beautiful st. petersburg, florida, home of the tampa bay rays baseball team. currently, he works part-time as a custodian for the stadium where the rays play. for 10 of the 25 years stanley spent serving our great country, he was a navy fighter pilot. he is also a “dessert storm” vet, retiring after the first iraq war . stanley is currently an ordained preacher and pastor of a growing church in st. petersburg. stanley has three children, two girls and a boy, and is married to charlotte. he is also a proud grand dad to two beautiful girls, kaitlyn elizabeth and julia ann. john mcwilliam is a 1977 graduate of becker college in leicester , ma. he has an associates- business degree. he has worked at the family-owned business, ivanhoe tool & die, co. inc. in thompson, since college and currently he is vice president. john has been married since 1990 to linda, and they have 2 children. their son, john-michael (mikey) is 14, and is an honor student in grade 7 at the rectory school in pomfret. their daughter , grace laura, is 5 and is a kindergarten student at st. mary’ s school in putnam. john enjoys traveling, collecting antique clocks and salesman samples, restoring cars (mustangs) and snowmobiles. frank muraco is doing great and is living in syracuse, ny. mark parker. see virginia parker ’04. sandy (parks) lankford: after graduating from woodstock academy, sandra attended annhurst college, and in may 1977 graduated with an associates of sciences degree. she was hired by western electric/bell labs in january 1978 and this year will mark her 30th anniversary with the company! in 1985 sandy married ben lankford and had her only child, marina leigh, born in 1987. marina is planning on attending flagler college in st. augustine, fl and wants to be a high school literature teacher . although sandra has been to europe, and has spent many vacations at the beach, she loves being home! she lives at lake lanier in the foothills of the appalachian mountains and says it is truly beautiful. she loves being a mother , reading, spending time around the pool and gardening. keith peal: after leaving woodstock in the middle of his junior year , keith’ s family moved just outside of syracuse, new york. keith attended suny mvcc majoring in business. in 1977 he married laurie, and in 1981 they moved to vancouver , washington. there he attended portland state university’ s business program and have since been with a company called baker rock resources for 20 years. he is the director of marketing and sales. keith has three wonderful children, a son, kip, is 25, and lives between los angeles and new york and is in the music and entertainment business. his daughter jennifer , who is soon to be 22, is a senior at washington state and is majoring in psychology and elementary education. their youngest son, griffin, is 20. he is working in construction for the summer and planning on attending emery-riddle aeronautical in the fall to start his pilot training. keith and his wife both love to travel and enjoy working on their house. keith serves on the chamber of commerce board of directors, and has recently joined the board of directors for the oregon international air show. he has raced cars for many years and now just has a good time cruising and showing his old corvette. christine (st. king) quintal is enjoying being a stay at home mom for her son, jordan joseph, who is 14 years old and is in the 8th grade at the woodstock middle school. she is married to robert, who works for the ct dept. of transportation (20 years). christine continues to be a trained hospice volunteer working with terminally ill people. she is the founder and president of the eastford american legion auxiliary unit 203. she enjoys walking, reading, her dog “belle” and her cat “blue boy”. she also enjoys riding in her old, but still running, convertible with good friends! karl salo: since graduating from the academy, karl has worked at place motor inc, a ford dealership in webster , ma, for 30 years, twenty of those years as parts manager . on july 16, 1977, he married betsy (davis), class of ’76. they built their home on andrews road that same summer . they have seven cats. karl likes to tinker with his trucks and ’72 chevelle. he has belonged to the bungay fire brigade for 21 years. karen seraphin owns a house in putnam and currently has a housecleaning business.  her daughter , crystal comeau is 29 and her son chris riendeau is 28.  she has two grandchildren from her daughter; mindy, 10 and joel, 4.  mindy is into horses and has won several championships at local horse shows.  karen remains busy but says she is happy and life is good!   dawn sherman attended central ct state college (b.a.-sociology) and uri (m.s.–counseling/ student personnel). she worked at bryant college in student services, then spent many years working with homeless women and abused children in hartford and worcester . for almost 8 years she has worked at nichols college as the director of career services and the professional development seminar program. dawn also teaches at the college part-time, and loves her job! she has a daughter , shannon johnston ’02, who graduated from nichols with a degree in management. ryan johnston ’04, her oldest son, is a senior at nichols, majoring in history. he hopes to be high school history teacher , and perhaps coach. both shannon and ryan played soccer at nichols. her youngest, brad, is a senior at the academy, and plays soccer for wa. in her free time, dawn enjoys social events, gardening, reading, and scrap-booking. travel is also a passion of hers and in the past few years she has traveled frequently, and especially loved a trip to rome. class news70 the gleaner 2008 jeff stark holds a bachelors degree in music education (houghton college) and masters degree in trombone performance from hartt school of music in w. hartford. he married valerie crocker , a pianist and his accompanist at houghton college, right after they both graduated in may 1980. jeff taught music for a while in ny state, then joined his father’ s business selling gourmet foods, confections, and kitchen gadgets in 1981, eventually buying the business from his father . in 1999 he left the food business and has worked in technology sales since. valerie is still earning a living in music. brian, 20, is a sophomore at the university of north texas, studying jazz. he was salutatorian at natick high school, a national merit scholar finalist, and received a full academic scholarship from tx. kevin, 18, is a senior at natick high school, is a great student, especially in math. he is a people person, and is considering going into youth ministry as much as he is considering math as a major . he has an excellent musical ear , and even though he won’t be studying music as a major , he won natick high school’ s “pop idol” competition! joy, 12 and in 7th grade, attends new covenant christian school. she plays piano, flute, and sings. kim (staveski) mack worked for 20 years at crabtree & evelyn. currently she is the president of alene candles in milford, nh and putnam, ct . she has two sons andrew ’02 and jameson ’07. through her work she has enjoyed lots of travel to: england, france, germany, australia, singapore, hong kong, and malaysia. kim and her family also lived in france for a year . daryle (viner) clark worked at belding corticelli thread until 1985.  she changed jobs to become a dental assistant in 1985, and became board certified in 1989 for dental assisting.  she started working in oral surgery in 1995, and became certified for anesthesia assistant in 1997.  she still enjoys her job.  daryle has been happily married for 25 years, and has two children- andrea ’04 and james jr . ’04 (twins) age 21. andrea is a student at qvcc in danielson in fine arts.  james (eagle scout, national deans list) is transferring to college misericordia for medical imaging and medical sonography.  they are involved in boy scouts and still enjoy their horses.  lucy (williamson) macwilliams has been married 29 years to chuck macwilliams. he has a masonry company with their son and nephew, mac’ s-son construction. lucy recently completed a medical degree at qvcc and is planning to open an 8 resident home for the elderly here in woodstock someday. she has worked in the healthcare field for nearly 25 years, and loves to write children stories. she and chuck have five children: melissa lives in montana and works in the restaurant business; cate ’99 is a graduate of the american academy of dramatic arts and now teaches with kzata in danielson, she has two children; chuck iii ’00 is out of the marine corps after 4 war time tours of duty and the family is extremely grateful for his safe return; carol-sue ’02 is a student and works in the healthcare field also, she continues to sing and write music; martha ’04 is now back in conn. attending qvcc, she wants to be a psychologist, martha writes poetry. laurie (wonoski) edwards is still working for kelly’ s tire in putnam. christine wrobel: for six years christine has been working at the holiday inn express in dayville. she is a houseperson and works in laundry. in 2004, her mother passed away, and she misses her very much. christine stays busy by playing softball and bowling in the special olympics. in february 2005 she went to baton rouge, la and new orleans for a national bowling tournament, and this year she took a disney cruise. class of 1976 class agent: kristen croteau willis, 187 chaplin road, eastford, ct 06242 kwillis@ woodstockacademy.org betsy (davis) salo. see karl salo ’75. class of 1977 stephen rechner was presented with a first-place award for general excellence for his union publication “momentum” by the international labor communicators assn in 2006. he resides in new york city and is a staff member at the new york university school of law. he holds a degree from the nyu stern school of business. class of 1978 priscilla (doughty) colwell recently joined the putnam public library as director . she holds a master’ s degree in library science. priscilla, her husband, and two children live in woodstock. natalie (withers) parker. see virginia parker ’04. lori (lackenbauer) foisey. see david foisey ‘75 class of 1979 as of september 8th, 2005, rev. david b. wolf and his wife, martha, are officially the (adoptive) parents of jason thomas wolf, their first son. jason turned three years old on september 11. class of 1980 jan (kelly) berry graduated from university of colorado, boulder . she lives in grafton, ma with her husband todd and their two girls: emma and abigail. sharon (sanga) and erik hutchins. see jack sanga ’60. class of 1981 christine (champany) durst is the co-founder of staffcentrix the 10th ranked fastest growing small business in the nation. staffcentrix provides opportunities and resources in the growing trend toward virtual work. she has co-authored the book, “the 2-second commute: join the exploding ranks of freelance virtual assistants.” christine lives with her children in woodstock. dayna flath recently began running common sense payroll, llc in pomfret; formerly common sense computing, a business her father owned and operated. dayna and her husband, mike fineran, and their two children hannah and paloma, live in pomfret. she holds a degree in computer science from boston university, a master’ s degree in business administration and a certificate in financial planning. jack sanga. see jack sanga ’60. class of 1982 christopher boyd. see joan (mcwilliam) boyd ’60. loreen (collins) koubek and her husband charles reside in braintree, ma. they have two boys charles and gabriel. upon graduation loreen earned a degree with the katharine gibbs school. she traveled to england where she worked as a freelance secretary at english heritage as well as various other assignments throughout london. from 1988 to 1997, she worked as an executive assistant with advent international corporation, the world’ s largest international venture capital organization, located in boston. in 1991, she married charles, a czech born entrepreneur , in st. vitus cathedral, prague castle, czech republic. she graduated with honors from harvard university with a major in modern languages in 1995. since 1988 she has also been a business owner . jeffrey lee lacroix: for the class that’ s on the “cusp” – we’re all doing fairly well. class of 1983 michael higgins. see lynda pasay higgins ’65. class of 1984 mary ann (morrison) stagner is a manager with kenneth and coe, llc certified public accountants. ginger (carlson) lynch and thomas lynch: two children: garrett (13) and teagan (9).  ginger is global resourcing manager at crabtree & evelyn.  tom and ginger also own a stihl dealership “gt lynch, llc”, on route 44 in ashford.  garrett is a freshman at the academy. class news71 the gleaner 2008 class of 1985 class agent: michael st. jean, 43 hickory lane, mansfield ctr , ct 06250-1118 kimberly (miners) steirer has earned a masters in education from temple university. she is now a french and esl teacher at wilson area high school in easton, pa. she and her husband jeffrey have two children emma (11) and will (6). msgt mark r. walling. see lloyd w. walling ’58 class of 1986 class agent: holly (grube) singleton, p .o. bo 336, eastford, ct 06242 becky (parent) robbins and her husband sean reside in redwood city, ca. they have two children, emeline (5) and michael (1). john n. colburn jr . and kelley j. shannon-colburn ’90: we’ve moved back to town. we have two beautiful children john iii, and allyson. we love being back home! and the children love growing up in mommy and daddy’ s school and town! class of 1987 class agent: ann child tyimok, 756 wrights crossing road, pomfret ctr ., ct 06259 leslie (ahern) hagen and her husband heming welcomed a baby boy, august jasper on may of 2006. they all live in bergen norway. marsha willich-waller has made a career of working in group home management for private non-profit agency serving adults with physical and mental challenges. at home she is living comfortably with three daughters: amber , alexis, and abbey. her future plans include traveling and obtaining a case management position with the state of connecticut. jonathan boyd. see joan mcwilliam boyd ’60. class of 1988 class agent: brad favreau, 19 barlow cemetery road, woodstock valley, ct 06282 bfavreau@ snet.net brad favreau. see amy (woodward) favreau ’93. chris walling and beth (nichols). see lloyd w. walling ’58 class of 1989 class agent: sharon kozey edwards, 77 kozey road, eastford, ct 06242 kozey8@hotmail.com richard w. canavan, ph.d. recently returned to connecticut with his family and now resides in ashford. richard works as a senior environmental scientist for cme associates, inc in woodstock. he earned a bachelor’ s in botany from connecticut college, a master’ s in soil science from cornell university, and a ph.d. in geochemistry from utrecht university (netherlands). jeffrey lee laperle and his wife, theresa, have two sons: jacob, born june 18, 2003 and jackson, born oct. 5, 2005. jeffrey is working at centocor , a johnson & johnson company, as an automation engineer . centocor is a biopharmaceutical company. tammy (schellinger) marchini and her husband david have two sons: michael david marchini (september 6, 2003) and william joseph marchini (july 13, 2005). class of 1990 dan bergeron. see lynda johnson bergeron ’65. kelley j. shannon-colburn. see john n. colburn jr . ’86. kenneth main was slected in march of 2008 to command the 82 nd contracting squadron of the 82 nd trainin wing, sheppared air force base, tx. he and his wife karen (emerson) have five children. christian teja is the vice president of marketing and communications at suffolk downs. he recently published the book “suffolk downs – images of sports” a pictorial history of suffolk downs. timothy a. vinal, a kentucky state trooper , has received an award from the drug enforcement administration’ s el paso intelligence center in recognition of a traffic stop he made in may of 2004. the stop lead to the seizure of 739 pounds of cocaine hidden in a motor home. class of 1991 sonja (clark) finch writes from bridgeport connecticut where she is living with husband bill, son attilus cole finch and new baby born last january. jeffrey erickson is working as a senior surgical specialist for u.s. surgical in new york city. david gratton. see roger gratton ’68. class of 1992 class agent: robyn defonseca eaton, 32 bryon road, apt. 3, chestnut hill, ma 02467 robyndefonseca@hotmail.com robyn (defonseca) and tom eaton ’94 reside in chestnut hill, mass. they are expecting their first child in april. nathan denslow announces the birth of his daughter noelle kathleen on march 3, 2005. he and his wife, kathleen, and daughter , live in newmarket, new hampshire. kelly (emerson) gelineau and her husband brian, welcomed asons, brady, in november of 2006 and cooper in may of 2008. they live in dudley, massachusetts. joseph and karen (garabrant) musumeci: joe and karen married in 2002 and celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary october 12, 2007. joe was recently appointed an assistant principal at killingly high school after having completed his studying in educational leadership at sacred heart university and his ma in education at the university of connecticut in 2005. karen is a nurse in the surgical intensive care unit at hartford hospital. they are both enjoying their four children, thomas gary, and ella rose, and new twins giula faith and gianna grace. class of 1993 class agent: melissa goodwin richards, 17 canton road, west simsbury, ct 06092 melissajoy1224@ yahoo.com if anyone knows the whereabouts (email address, etc) of the following people, please contact melissa richards (melissajoy1224@yahoo.com) so that the class list can be accurately updated. thanks! chris adamec, nicole anderson, lisa currier bishop, alena blais, tammy blanchette, justin blasko, rebecca cady, steve crème, sean donovan, tom donovan, neil ethier , louis fiorello, kristen gardella, dana gerds, trevor grist, jen jakowski, darcy johnson, dawn krasnecky, heather lechene, todd lesh, trevor loiselle, beth lusa, zach lyman, seth lyons, kristen magee, sarah medlyn, frank mckusick, jill morin, rebecca nesi, matt noiseaux, jeremy noon, jason o’brien, chris orszulak, tonia owen, laura pelkonen, melissa perry, christine peters, amanda potts, tricia rickson, lisa shrayer , bryan taylor , jennifer theriaque, meaghan tracy, tony trani, jason yonush. chris abbamonte and his wife, andrea, had their first child, justin, in january 2006. they live in south windsor . brooke (bassett) parker married aaron parker in august of 2005, and is now living in longmont colorado. julie (braaten) robinson and her husband mark welcomed their second child, evan braaten robinson, on dec. 15, 2007. he joins big sister elise lauren robinson who was born on sept. 13, 2005. they will be moving to roanoke, va in july 2008 where mark will join an ophthalmology practice. they are very excited! class news72 the gleaner 2008 ian canning just returned to the area after a long stint away. he went to bc undergrad, moved to d.c. for grad school, and then onto atlanta for a job with a consulting firm. he has recently taken a job at qvcc as their continuing education coordinator . jason catrambone has been working around the world for the past few years in the security and fire fields. he traveled to the middle east three times, and is currently a fire chief in montana. sean chandler is living in maryland and is still in the army. mike gregorzek was promoted to branch manager for countrywide home loans in warwick, ri. “if anyone needs a home loan, email, or give me a call. i service all of new england as well as florida. we do refi’ s, purchases, home equity lines, whatever you need. michael_gregorzek@countrywide.com.” he and his wife susanna live in rhode island and have a little boy, adin, who is 3. adin rides horses and recently took 1st and 3rd places in a show. marie c. grosjean graduated from worcester polytechnic institute (wpi) in 1997, with a b.s. degree in industrial engineering/management.  she now works as a senior project controls engineer for parsons corporation, for their water and infrastructure division.  her work involves providing the technical tools, such as cost reporting and schedules, for management of capital improvements programs.  for 2.5 years she was in san diego, ca, however , she has recently relocated to phoenix, az.  marie says “living in the southwest has been a blast and is so beautiful.  in my free time, i enjoy traveling to las vegas and hawaii, working out, hiking, pilates, martial arts, and surfing / snowboarding (as my travel allows).  i regret i don’t get to run into any fellow wa alumni around town when i visit my parents, they relocated to southern new hampshire while i was a student at wpi.” melissa (goodwin) richards and husband stephen live in west simsbury, ct . they have 3 children, emmalee (age 7), micah (age 3) and lily (born 7/24/07). katie (hamel) zannini lives in brooklyn, ct with her 2 daughters, katrina (11) and emily (6). katie works at new london county insurance in norwich, ct . jeff hill is the assistant director of student conduct at johnson & wales university in providence, ri.  currently he and his wife beth live in south kingstown, ri. they welcomed their first child, a son, on january 23, 2008. his name is jeffrey alan very hill. roger and becky (koss) barrette: roger finished his phd in immunology at uconn in feb 2006 and started a job for the usda and dept. of homeland security at the research center on plum island. they welcomed their first child, a daughter named annemarie, on sept. 23, 2006. carrie (olah) lupoli and her husband peter moved to singapore in 2005 for peter’ s company, pratt and whitney. their daughter grace was born in the us in 2005 and is now 2.5 years old. elena (ellie) was born in aug 2006 in malaysia and they adopted her in november 2006. carrie runs an educational consulting firm for students with special learning needs in singapore (www.silhouetteshadow.com. sg). lisa (o’leary) bastien gave birth to her daughter , novalea, three months prematurely in december of 2005. novalea has neurological complications that have led to significant developmental delays.  novalea has survived well past the expected 6 months and has recently started pre-school.  novalea is genuinely a happy baby that can brighten the dimmest of rooms with her beautiful smile. “having a disabled daughter has been a real eye opener for me. novalea has re-taught me many things about life that many people take for granted. it is amazing the things that you can learn from a child. the adoption of our two foster children was finalized in october of 2005. the whole foster/adoption experience was also riddled with lessons. even though it was frustrating at times, there is no better feeling than giving children a brighter future. we are currently fostering a 2 year old, whom we’ve had since he was a tiny 16 days old (he was only 4 lbs. and 2.8 oz). our family is hoping to adopt him into the bastien clan.” lisa is currently working towards her degree in accounting. lisa and her husband jonathan live in danielson. sarah (pernoski) cronin, and her husband, sean, live in freeport, maine. sarah graduated from manhattanville college with her ba in international studies. she worked for an international management consulting firm and traveled extensively to europe, canada, and africa consulting for major oil companies. she is now a stay at home mom to their son colin michael, who was born in february of 2004, and daughter hannah elizabeth, who was born in march of 2007. as a family they love traveling, gardening, golfing, going to the beach, and visiting woodstock! jennifer platt lives in fairbanks, alaska and recently started working on her master’ s in nursing. she works as a labor and delivery nurse at fairbanks memorial hospital, and teaches in the university of alaska nursing program.  jennifer is also a flight nurse for guardian flight, and travels all over alaska to medivac people from the villages and rural areas to fairbanks or anchorage. she is dating a wonderful man named dave and they plan to get married this summer . nathan platt is still living in fairbanks, alaska.  he works for the university of alaska, and has two children, bethany (3 ) and william (9m).  they’re both great kids! jarrett pion and his wife tracey just celebrated their 12th anniversary. they have 3 boys, frank (age 13), jordan (age 10) and noah (age 7). they live in plainfield, ct and jarrett works for rogers corp. his wife works at danielson medical associates. jarrett also is a dj for the last 6 years, so if anyone needs a dj for an event, check out his website (www. catsdjservice.com). jarrett keeps in touch with fellow alum hiro yoshii, who lives in japan and works as a computer programmer . leah (randall) vest and her family recently relocated from lake powell, arizona to northern utah where her husband is a photographer and designs webpages. leah is playing substitute teacher until the baby is a little older and she can return to teaching school full time.   jessica richards-hoover resides in abbottstown, pa with husband benn and three children: two sons, aidan born june 25, 2003, sawyer born march 10, 2006, and a daughter ainsley born september 7, 2007. kristen (rose) karkota and her husband chris welcomed a baby girl, ally elizabeth, on july 18, 2005. she weighed in at 7 lbs. 6 ozs. they feel lucky to have her; she is a healthy and happy little girl. alison weiss and her husband brendon live in alexandria, virginia just outside of dc, where they bought a house a few years ago.  alison works in dc as a lobbyist, where she has been for the past eight years.  she is an assistant vice president of government relations and runs the washington, dc office for massmutual financial group and oppenheimerfunds. brad and amy (woodward) favreau welcomed their second child, a daughter , lennon elizabeth, on april 14, 2005, and a third child, another daughter , may 3, 2008, campbell jeanne. amy started working last fall at woodstock academy as a history teacher in the social studies dept. – she is very excited! tara (wood) myers and her husband jason live in worcester , ma. they have a 3-year-old daughter , juniper , and will welcome their second child in may 2008. tara works part-time at wpi and jay is an environmental engineer . class news73 the gleaner 2008 class of 1994 georgie davis: i live in woodstock with my significant other of eight years, james mcnamara. we have three sons: 7, 4 and 2. i’ve been working at united natural foods since march of 1999. tom eaton. see robyn (defonseca) eaton ’92. chad hart. see roger and carolyn (masiello) hart ’71. aaron simonye and his wife had a baby boy, griffin bradford simonye. he was born april 1, 2007 at 12:39 am.  he went to his first red sox game in september down in tampa.  as for dad, he’ s doing great. he switched jobs and is now serving and bartending in the evenings at flemings prime steakhouse and winebar . during the day, he stays at home with griffin while mom works as a 2nd grade teacher .  this way they both have a hand in raising him and watch him grow, and they don’t have to pay for child care!! class of 1995 class agent: justine surrette hill, 25 wolf den dr ., pomfret ctr ., ct 06259 justine.hill@uconn.edu i have recently accepted the role of class representative and am currently trying to update our address list. as of right now i have very few confirmed addresses for our class. if you have not been contacted by me it is because i am having trouble finding you. please drop me a line at jnjhill25@sbcglobal.net. i would love to hear from you. below is a list of just some of the missing classmates. if you have any information on the whereabouts of any of these classmates or any others please send me an email. in each gleaner i will put out a list and hopefully it will continue to shrink. i would also like to start collecting email address for everyone. in today’ s world that seems the fastest way of getting information out to everyone. - justine missing classmates: jeffrey bashura, benjamin bauer , walter bell, amanda bell, angela benard, jamie bernier , heather berry, david blanchard, heidi briere, carrie deslauries, patrick desmond, thomas dixcy, britney engel, molly fox, michael gardner , gretchen gerum, marlene gibbons, stephanie gilmore, jeffrey gilson, michele grodzicki, megan hedlund, karen kokotiuk, erin krug, amanda leach, shane lewis, brendon mccarthy, michelle moore, david mullen, jennifer nollet, amy phillips, jeffrey provost, melanie provost, brecken smith, douglas smutnick, jason st. jean, wallace staniar , julie sumner , jessica therrien, heather tolan, erika travinski, joel yeager christopher barrette pursued a career in film and television. after joining the acting unions, (screen actors guild & the american federation of television & radio artists), he started acting on various roles on cbs as the world turns & nbc another world. while acting, he had also been working part-time as an emt/fire fighter . public service, not acting, he decided, was what he really wanted to do. just not in connecticut. he has since moved to florida, and started out working for rural metro ambulance. upon acceptance into the florida law enforcement academy, he graduated with top honors and was hired by the orange county sheriff’ s office in orlando. adam bottone and his wife amanda welcomed a baby girl liliana sophia on june 12, 2007. adam is a teacher at the academy in the physical education department. they reside in woodstock. robin (cohen) moore has earned a bs in elementary education and recreation and leisure studies and an ms in elementary education from southern ct state university. she retired from her gymnastics career after competing for scsu for four years. she has been teaching in milford for a number of years, where she is currently teaching first grade and loving it she is a certified pilates instructor and teaches pilates, step aerobics, and strength conditioning on the side. robin and her husband, jared, were expecting their first child in january of 2006. they live in prospect where they own a home. elizabeth ellsworth earned her masters in environmental studies last spring, and recently married andy brownlee. they are living and working in the boston area. michael emerson writes his daughter aurora was born in september of 2003. he still lives in pomfret and owns and operates a tractor trailer truck, within which he is driving basically the east coast. tara l. gaucher graduated with a ba in psychology from fairleigh dickinson university in madison, nj and began working with children with autism. in january 2004 she moved to raleigh, nc where she currently lives with ali. tara is working as an advocate, investigating mistreatment in the largest state facility for adults with mental retardation in nc. ursula (johnson) merkt attended babson college where she earned a bs degree in business administration with a concentration in management information systems.  she started working as an it consultant then became a software analyst/ programmer .  in 2004, she married dan merkt and began her master’ s degree at bentley college.  they have since moved to albany ny, where she is a senior programmer at a small marketing communications firm.  she has become an avid marathoner , running in the 2001 boston marathon and the ny marathon.  in 2001/2002 after loosing both of her parents to blood related cancers, she joined the leukemia & lymphoma society’ s team in training, where she continues to run marathons to raise money to find a cure for blood related cancers.  to date, she has run 4 marathons and several half marathons and raised over 16,000. she hopes to complete at least one more marathon before ‘retiring’ and focusing on smaller races. in february of 2004, ursula and dan welcomed a baby boy into their family; logan alexander . if anyone lives in the albany, ny area, feel free to contact her at ursmerkt@yahoo.com. rebecca (becky) kirkconnell is working at a large animal veterinarian in auburn, ny, where she owns a home and has three cats and a dog. she is a 2004 graduate of ohio state’ s college of veterinary medicine with a dvm degree, she also holds a bs in pre-veterinary medicine and biology with a chemistry minor . carey (lindemann) penney and her husband matt welcomed their new baby daughter , esther , on august 23, 2007. they are living in vernon. rebecca (platt) denslow. see david platt ’70 heather renee (suprenant) duquette and her husband randy, live in danielson, with their beautiful little girl payton rene, born september 21, 2004. heather earned an associates degree in arts and sciences from qvc and a bachelor’ s degree in sociology from eastern connecticut state university. she currently is a stay at home mom, while randy works for a company out of new bedford, ma. justine (surette) hill received a ba in anthropology from the university of connecticut. she lives with her husband james, and two sons, thomas (born october of 2001) and jonathan (born september of 2003) in pomfret. justine currently works as an undergraduate program assistant for the political science department at the university of connecticut. both her husband and she are members of the pomfret fire department, where james has over ten years of service and she has over five years. stephen vilnit graduated from the university of rhode island with a degree in marine affairs in the spring of 1999.  he is currently working as class news aaron simonye ’94 with his son griffin74 the gleaner 2008 an account manager and buyer for a wholesale seafood company in baltimore, maryland.  he does public relations, sales, and menu design for many high end restaurants in the baltimore/dc region. erin (walker) lirot received a ba in human development family studies from the university of connecticut.  she lives in ashford with her husband wes and two sons jacob (born may 28, 2002) and lukas (born december 6, 2005).  erin currently works as the assistant manager of transportation services at the university of connecticut. class of 1996 class agent: erin hibbard decarli, 200 highland drive, roanoke, va 24019-8574 hibbypc@hotmail. com ariana (azzone) williams earned a ma in spanish from middlebury college, and is currently pursuing a masters in counseling from uva. she and her husband greyson live in charlottesville, va. rachael (boudreau) mard lives in putnam with husband david; son, michael, born august 31, 2001; and daughter , elizabeth amy, born june 22, 2005. rachael is a stay at home mom and does some acting and modeling as a hobby. her husband david, works in hartford for channel 3 news. they are building a house in eastford. brian festa “i am getting ready to finish my second year of law school at quinnipiac university.  i also work for the state of ct dept. of revenue.  last but not least, i am engaged to be married on june 26, 2009!”  chris hart. see roger and carolyn (masiello) hart ’71. erin (hibbard) decarli lives in roanoke, va where she recently accepted a job as a trainer with carilion health system based in roanoke. she was formerly a health educator and pandemic flu coordinator for the commonwealth of virginia, department of public health. she is currently pursuing her master’ s degree in health education & health promotion at virginia tech. in her spare time, she likes to travel with her husband mike, who often does business overseas. karen james: “i am currently an rn at griffin hospital in the icu, and love what i do.  i am happily engaged to a wonderful man, brian, and we plan on getting married in may 2009.  we live in woodbury, ct and have an adorable german shepard, denali.  andrea bruno, lia zaido, sarah (monette) seals and i had a great reunion last summer , and i look forward to seeing darcy (lucchessi) palmer this summer .  hope everyone is doing well.” shannon (janket) gamache: “i’m part-time nannying and just enjoying staying at home with my boy and working on various projects around the home! i’m still working as a traveling masseuse in the summer to private cabins in the belgrade lakes region.” mark morse: “we moved to st. petersburg, fl where i’m a bible teacher at northside christian school. i’m also the announcer for all of our varsity sports, as well as the 1st base coach for our baseball team. we now have 3 kiddos. allie is 3 1/2, kaykay is 2, and john-mark was born on 9/27/07. all three are growing like weeds.” jason norman: see arline m. bowen ’43 matt peckham owns and operates elm farm which has been in his family for six generations. he and his wife christine have two children caleb and grace. matt was nominated by the united states department of agriculture for the united states junior chamber for the 2006 outstanding young farmer award. keri (peters) scheuritzel: “adam and i have been married almost 12 years now and are happier than ever .  the boys, james, 13; riley, 10; and chayton, 4 are all doing well and love school.  we have recently moved to a wonderful horse farm in pomfret.   i am still a stay at home mom and now all of my “spare” time is spent managing the farm and caring for the horses. life is good!” john refior is a lawyer and recently took the massachusetts bar exam. todd rosen: “i got married on may 27, 2007 to hadley weiss of pomfret.” erik todd and his wife caroline live in carver , massachusetts and are the proud parents of 2 1/2 year old twins, eliza and zachary. erik is a 6th grade teacher at kingston intermediate school. he holds a masters degree in education and is currently working towards his second masters. heather a. very-worster and her husband tony live in north oxford, ma. they have a beautiful 2 year old daughter , charlotte, and are expecting their second child in april 2008. she works for the commonwealth of massachusetts in the department of mental health, as a case manager . class of 1997 class agent: arianne corrente, 81 gage st., warwick, ri 02889 arianne.corrente@gmail.com karissa (bernardo) campbell is currently working in marketing for nexus energy software. she and her husband david were expecting their first baby in april 2006. they recently moved back to connecticut from boston, ma with two wonderful pugs. keri (blackard) danner and her husband seth live in waterbury. they have two children a girl, taylor born september 2005 and a boy, ethan, born december 2006. kristen brown is employed as a registered technician in the radiology department at day kimball hospital. rebecca dombrowski will complete her third year teaching english at ellis tech, this spring.  she is currently completing an apprenticeship with the university of kansas center for research and learning; which will mean she is certified as a strategic instruction model professional developer . she expects to have completed the apprenticeship program by the end of this summer . james j. duncan iv has been enlisted in the marine corps since june of 1998. after graduating from basic training at parris island, s.c. he attended the school of infantry in camp lejeune, n.c. he received orders to the 2nd battalion, 5th marines, 1st marine division aboard camp pendleton, ca. he was deployed twice to the south pacific, including okinawa, japan, from jan. 1999 to march 2002. upon returning to the states he received orders to recruiting school in san diego. upon completion of training, he was stationed to recruiting station sacramento, recruiting sub-station modesto, 12th marine corps recruiting district. he joined 2nd battalion 1st marines, 1st marine division camp pendleton in march of 2005. he is currently deployed in the middle east as a squad leader with fox co 2/1. at home he has four beautiful daughters with wife kathryn ann: hailey 9, dominique 5, alyssa 4 and lexus 2.5. he sends special thanks to bob mandoni, mike lunt, and greg smith for making him the person he is today, and instilling the values of leadership and team work which continue to assist him in the marie corps today. class news james duncan iv ’97 and wife, kathryn ann with daughters: (l to r) hailey, dominique, alyssa, and lexus. mike and erin (hibbard) decarli ’9675 the gleaner 2008 travis paine. see kristin malinowski ’98. jenifer rukstela gauthier and husband luke live in groton, ct with their two children: alexa (september 25, 1999) and ian (december 21, 2004). darcy (santos) laprade and husband brian welcomed their first child mckenna elizabeth on february 19, 2005. they currently reside in bristol ct . benjamin shead. see doreen harding shead ’75. seth woods. see colin woods ’98. class of 1998 class agents: vanessa boland, 98 carter road, pomfret ctr ., ct 06259 vcbol@conncoll.edu and john ywarsky, 387 christian hill road, brooklyn, ct 06234 jlywarsky@mac.com renee andrews graduated from northeastern university with a bs in sociology and education. she has worked throughout the brookline public schools and is currently teaching 3rd grade at the dexter school. cassandra elaine clair writes, “i am doing wonderfully. i graduated as a massage therapist in september 2005. i clean houses and work at the courthouse bar & grille for the time being. also, i wish to thank you for adding my dearest brother , james h. clair into your previous magazine. i was thrilled to see him in the memoriam. we are so glad he is resting his beautiful soul and is at peace. thanks for thinking of him.” herbert howes. see michelle gobin ’01. melanie kassman recently completed her ba in psychology at ecsu, with a concentration in both general psych and child psych. she is planning on working towards her masters and eventually phd in neuropsychology. she is engaged and planning a wedding to high school sweetheart dylan yost, who attended wa as a member of the class of 2000. dylan works for the dmr as the vocational instructor for hockanum enterprises. he is also self-employed as a graphic artist. they live in ellington. nicholas kozey was married on may 24, 2008 to jody eidens. he is employed as a project manager for xerox litigation corp. in albany, ny. he and his wife are living in schenectady, ny. torrey lindemann and his wife kim live in manchester , connecticut with their three children susan, daniel and bethany. kristin malinowski and travis paine ’97 were married on june 28, 2008. kristin is an english teacher at act magnet high school in willimantic and travis is a salesman at putnam kawasaki. they are living in pomfret. alison monette recently opened avena wellness center in putnam. alison is a nationally board-certified, licensed naturopathic physician and a registered dietitian in the state of connecticut. she specializes in prevention and wellness treatments using a holistic approach. to learn more visit avenawellness.com. seth platt. see dave platt ’70. colin woods was discharged from the army in may 2006 and has been in the fbi ever since. he and his wife, kelly, are stationed in norfolk, va with some travels in between. brother seth ’97 lives in boston and works for a small liberal arts college (fischer college). john ywarsky. see vicki gorham ’04 class of 1999 class agent: adam bonneville, 28 senexet rd., woodstock, ct , adambonneville@hotmail.com gina (potvin) and jesse burnham were married in may of 2004. gina received her master’ s degree in education with a concentration in special ed and elementary ed from uconn. jesse received his ba in natural resource management and engineering from uconn. gina is a 5th grade teacher at hebron elementary school in hebron, ct . jesse is currently a 2nd lieutenant in the ct national guard. they recently purchased a home in north windham, and are proud parents of their weimaraner puppy, sadie belle. jeremy ledis is an air force staff sergeant who works in information technology. he lives with his wife, nadine, and son eric, in tucson, ariz. allyson (malo) carter and her husband david live in dayville. she graduated from ecsu with a bachelor of arts degree in history and social science and received her elementary teacher certification. allyson is currently pursuing her master’ s degree in special education at southern connecticut state university and expects to graduate in july! cate macwilliams. see lucy (williamson) macwilliams ’75. amy mckinney and her husband edward sarabia ii welcomed their first child brandin kyle in august of 2004. amy was expecting a second child, a girl due december 25, 2005. colleen (neely) deasy has moved permanently to west cork, ireland. her husband, donal, is a primary school teacher in cork city, while she has landed a job in accounts receivable for a company called aibp . they welcomed their first child, a son, evan jeffrey in june 2007, for which her parents, sister , brother-in-law, and their two kids (all from woodstock) came to see last summer . laura ingalls was expected to visit in the spring. class of 2000 class agent: erin (grant) tremor , 15 twin oaks village, mansfield, ct 02048-1524 amy (adams) beauregard was married to sky beauregard on august 27, 2005. they are currently living in attleboro, massachusetts. heather alexander is working as an insurance agent at gervais insurance agency in brooklyn. she has been working there for several years. kim (sipple) boorky achieved her master’ s degree in education in june of 2007 from st. joseph’ s college.  she is now working at enrico fermi high school in enfield, ct teaching family and consumer sciences.  jared boorky is working as a systems analyst in hartford.  currently they are both living in glastonbury ct , serving as resident directors for the local ‘a better chance’ program.  this is a locally funded, national program that takes inner-city minority students who show academic promise, and moves them to a suburban town in a better school district. recently they have traveled to japan and are currently planning a trip to israel. mariah carroll is happy to announce her marriage to brad yeager on april 20, 2008. chelsea (crotty) witt reports that her daughter , alexa, continues to do well. she is still working at teen quest ranch in pennsylvania. nichole (hatfield) ellsworth and elliott ellsworth have returned to connecticut after three years in arizona. sara fuller is currently working in westborough, massachusetts at carlin, charron, and rosen as an accountant. she received her mba in december from nichols college. she is living in woodstock. class news kim (sipple) and jared boorky ’0076 the gleaner 2008 erin (grant) tremor was married in october of 2007 to kevin tremor . they have bought a house and are currently living in cumberland, rhode island. erin is teaching fifth and sixth grade special education in attleboro, massachusetts. she encourages anyone with future updates to email her at waclassof00@hotmai l.com and/or to join the “woodstock academy class of 2000” group on facebook. john gregory. see tiffany clough ’02. morgan holland graduated from the university of connecticut in august of 2007 and spent the following six weeks traveling around the country. she is currently working for stonebridge press as an inside sales representative. kristina johnson is teaching spanish at plainfield south high school in plainfield, illinois and is in a grad school program during the summers pursuing a masters in spanish from california state university sacramento. she spent 6 weeks in peru last summer and is studying in mexico this summer for 6 weeks. next summer she will be going to spain. david kozey. see sue (fellows) kozey ‘71. shannon (lindstrom) bennett has been married for almost 3 years to peter bennett jr . they have two children peter (age 5) and abby (age 3). they are currently living in woodstock and have a few cows and other animals, but no horses. chuck macwilliams. see lucy (williamson) macwilliams ’75. candice (mcewan) rzeznikiewicz is currently pursuing her associate’ s degree in human services at qvcc and intend on going to eastern to pursue a bachelor’ s degree in social work. she and her husband robert welcomed their first child in march of 2006. they currently reside in putnam, ct . alexa rae mantoni is engaged to henry edward kydd iii of groton. alexa earned a bachelor’ s and master’ s degree in education from the university of connecticut. she is employed as an english teacher at east lyme high school. jennifer milette is currently employed as a financial administrator at rawson materials and rawson sand & gravel. stephanie (parker) haley. see virginia parker ’04. erin (phelps) smith is currently living in tennessee with her husband, greg smith, and her two daughters, mckenzie (age 4) and claire (age 3). she is working for general motors and loving life! for the past year , sarah quackenbush has been doing ultrasound at a local (rochester , ny) in the ob/gyn department. her hobbies include swing dancing, photography, studying the bible, and reading books for fun. she has also been volunteering her ultrasound skills at a crisis pregnancy center , giving women (who find themselves in an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy) the chance to see their baby’ s heart beating. david julian rodriguez graduated from beacon college in leesburg, fl with a ba in liberal arts. he plans to go to grad school. rebecca ann seraphin is engaged to daniel matthew moran. rebecca earned a degree in legal studies from bay path college and currently works for crevier & ryan llp in springfield as a paralegal. she is completing her juris doctorate at western new england college school of law. they plan a september 2009 wedding. koh shimizu has moved to canada and is working there as a software developer . roxanne tiffany is currently teaching general music, chorus, and band at mohegan elementary school in montville. sara (tourtellotte) gustavesen and her husband brad live in woodstock. sara is a graduate assistant at the university of connecticut’ s school of allied health and is self-employed, operating saraciselink. com. molly (leonard) thienel was married to her high school sweetheart, joe thienel, on august 14, 2004. her roommate from emmanuel college, erica brooks, was her maid of honor . molly gave birth to the couple’ s first child, wyatt jacob, on august 6, 2005. they welcomed a second child last spring and have recently moved back to connecticut. amanda upton has recently had a beautiful baby girl named briana. class of 2001 class agent: stacey grab, 123 exley road, plainfield, ct 06374 kyle brock recently earned a bachelor’ s degree in art education with distinction and departmental honors from massachusetts college of art. emily j. brown enlisted in the united states air force during the summer of 2000, just prior to the beginning of her senior year .  she and her cousin, tom converse ’01, who also enlisted on the same day, spent one day each month during their senior year attending meetings and preparing for entering active service upon graduation. emily left for lackland air force base on july 9, 2001, two weeks after graduation.  she completed basic training in august and was trained as a munitions system specialist at sheppard air force base.  she spent three years stationed in shreveport, la at barksdale afb.  while at barksdale, she was deployed to diego garcia during the invasion of afghanistan, and later was deployed to guam during the beginning of the war with iraq. emily spent one year (march 2005- march 2006) at kunsan air base in the republic of korea.  she is currently stationed at lakenheath air base in the united kingdom.  her orders have been extended through march 2009.  she spent a temporary duty for four months serving at bagram airfield in afghanistan from may 2007 through september 2007, and will be redeployed for four months beginning may 2008 to the same location. emily currently holds the rank of staff sergeant and has been promoted to a munitions system inspector .  she is eligible for promotion to tech sergeant and hopes to receive this rank in the spring of 2008.  at this time she is planning to make a career in the air force. michelle gobin and herbert hawes ’98 are engaged and planned to be married on september 27, 2008. stacy grab is living in plainfield and working at plainfield public school in a 5th grade classroom as a one on one teacher . navy ensign, kara kamuda recently graduated from the u.s. naval academy in annapolis and was commissioned as an officer in the u.s. navy. abigail kate noll is engaged to justin dale warner . abigail earned a bachelor’ s degree from eastern connecticut state university. a november 2008 wedding is planned. class news amy johnson & sean o’rourke at erin’ s wedding erin (grant) tremor ’00 and her husband, kevin. erin (phelps) smith ’00 with her daughters, mckenzie and claire.77 the gleaner 2008 alison shead. see doreen harding shead ’75. heather shead graduated from the university of connecticut. she is currently working full time as a dietitian at wing memorial hospital in palmer massachusetts. class of 2002 class agent: jennifer armstrong, 54 south canterbury road, canterbury, ct 06331 several class of 2002 members have graduated from stonehill college in easton, mass: scott m. pingeton, bachelor’ s degree; seth w. mitchell, magna cum laude, bachelor’ s; and stephen r. dion bachelor’ s. samantha billington just graduated from lasell college in boston magna cum laude in education.  she has accepted a job in hawaii teaching 1st grade.  derek child graduated from georgetown university with a bachelor’ s degree from the walsh school of foreign service. tiffany clough and john gregory ’00 were married in october of 2006. tiffany is an ophthalmic assistant for fichman eye center in manchester . john is employed at chace building supply in woodstock. they reside in stafford springs. carissa j. ekholm recently graduated from clark university in worcester , mass., magna cum laude with a bachelor’ s degree in psychology. holly griffiths and dean warner were married on june 9, 2007. holly is a groomer at the putnam animal hospital. dean is a carpenter with barry builders in killingly. they live in pomfret. floyd and elise (emmi) holt were married in 2005. floyd has been a us army specialist in the 3rd battalion 29th field artillery, 3rd brigade of the 4th infantry division regular army and completed a tour of duty in iraq in november of 2007. shannon johnston. see dawn sherman ’75. carol-sue macwilliams. see lucy (williamson) macwilliams ’75. stephanie (johnson) trudeau graduated from tarleton state university in stephenville, texas, cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics. she was married on july 22, 2006 to karl trudeau. sheena morin is engaged to timothy farner of putnam. sheena recently graduated from nichols college with a bachelor’ s degree in business administration. a september 2008 wedding is planned. joshua peach married karalee lussier in may of 2007. joshua is the assistant branch manager at the citizens national bank in putnam. they live in putnam. class of 2003 class agent: eileen grant, 309 rte. 198, woodstock valley, ct 06282 eileen.grant@villanova.edu travis barton was deployed to texas in february of 2008 to work on his first service project with the national civilian community corps, and americorps program. travis graduated from eastern conn. state university in december . matthew dubois graduated suma cum laude from the university of connecticut with a ba in psychology in may 2007.  he moved to boston, ma in july 2007 where he is working as a mental health worker .  in the fall, he will be getting an ms/c.a.g.s. in school psychology at northeastern university. carla lessig was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the quality of life at keene state college as well as the community at large with the leo redfern outstanding citizenship award. carla has been a volunteer with habitat for humanity and global village. she has worked on numerous other volunteer programs, her strong value for service started with her family and youth group at east woodstock congregational church. carla earned a bachelor’ s in social studies and elementary education at keene. kim shields graduated from endicott college with a major in communications and a concentration in advertising. joshua smith graduated from new england institute of technology with an associate in automotive mechanics. he is currently working at advanced auto in griswold, ct as a head mechanic. joshua is planning to buy a home in the next few years. glen joseph warner and stephanie lynne small ’04 were marred july 7, 2007. glen is a heavy equipment operator at ats construction in lexington, ky. stephanie works as an equine surgeon assistant at hagyard equine medical institute, also in lexington. they live n paris, ky. class of 2004 class agent: catherine hibbard, 24 hibbard road, woodstock, ct 06281 catherine.hibbard@ simmons.edu angela (arruda) covington was married on sept. 3. 2005 to las vegas raised navy boy michael john covington. angela and michael might be moving to bangor washington in the spring to be stationed there, and angela is finishing dental hygiene school. michael a. champ is currently attending the harrt school of music at the university of hartford, studying percussion. while not practicing for his classes, mike enjoys playing out with his band. they recently performed several benefit concerts aiding relay for life. andrea clark. james clark jr . see daryle viner clark ’75. nathan crabtree is living in lynchburg, virginia with his new wife, rachel. they both graduated in may with their bachelors of science in nursing degree from liberty university. after graduation they are planning to move to greenville, south carolina. air force airman brian a. eaton has graduated from basic military training at lackland air force base, san antonio, texas. vicki gorham and john ywarsky ’98 are engaged and planning an october 11, 2008 wedding. congratulations! vicki (hatem) chemistruck says hello from sunnyvale, ca. catherine hibbard recently finished a semester of student teaching 7th and 8th french in the newton public school system.  she graduated from simmons college in may, majoring in french and secondary education.  catherine will continue into the 5th year master’ s program in elementary education. she continues to live next to fenway park in  boston. ryan johnston. see dawn sherman ’75. derin kozlowski graduated from the united states military academy at west point on may 31, 2008 as a 2 nd lieutenant. she has been assigned to fort campbell, ky where she will serve in the army branch of the adjutant general. derin will receive additional training prior to her arrival at fort campbell in army combat training at fort sill, ok and adjutant general training at fort jackson, sc. leisl lissfelt graduated may 18th, 2008 from quinnipiac university and was hired at first investors in east hartford as a financial representative. martha macwilliams. see lucy (williamson) macwilliams ’75. class news78 the gleaner 2008 class of 1926 selma a. johnson, january 20,2006 selma a. johnson, 98 of cromwell village, cromwell, ct , formerly of woodstock, died january 20, 2006. she was born in woodstock, on june 5, 1907 to the late alfred and henny (strandberg) johnson. she was a 1926 graduate of woodstock academy and later graduated from middlesex hospital of nursing. she was a registered nurse employed at day kimball hospital in putnam for several years before attending the bible institute of pennsylvania. selma worked as a missionary nurse in the kentucky mountains with faith hill mission for twenty-two years and then with kentucky mountain mission for a number of years. she retired to woodstock and lived with her sisters. in 1988 she moved to the covenant retirement village. she was a long time member of the woodstock evangelical covenant church. she is survived by two sisters: anna johnson; elsa johnson of cromwell; a brother axel johnson and his wife olga of pomfret center; three nephews and two nieces. she was predeceased by her two sisters: helen johnson and esther norman. a memorial service was held at the evangelical covenant church in woodstock on january 24th with burial in elmvale cemetery. class of 1929 wallace child, may 23, 2008 wallace (wally) holmes child, 95, died may 23, 2008, at rosedale hospice. wally was born aug. 16, 1912, in woodstock. he attended woodstock academy and rollins college in florida. then he hitchhiked out to california where he met and married an orange county girl named janet agnes mckinstry in 1939. they settled in fullerton, calif., and spent the next 58 years raising children and grandchildren in the home they built together . wally was active in the lions club and spent the majority of his time outside doing what he loved – golfing and gardening. in 1997, wally and aggie moved to calgary, canada and became residents of dana village. aggie died in 1998 at the age of 87. wally remained in excellent health past his 95 th birthday and particularly enjoyed playing golf, poker and pool with many good friends. he will be remembered for his sense of humor , his enduring interest in sports, and his unforgettable wally-like charm, which touched all those who knew him. those who will miss him very much include his daughter , kitty raymond, son-in-law scott raymond; granddaughters jennifer raymond-bhatt (husband anjan raymond-bhatt) and caroline (kelly) agness raymond, great granddaughters lola and saffron; nephews fred child and steve child of woodstock; niece billie lou latva of yorba linda, calif., and marjory marsh, his close friend and companion during the last 10 years. jacqueline norman recently graduated from uconn and is engaged to be married in january of 2009 to joseph asermelly. bradley o’connor is currently living in bristol, and working for espn. he has earned an emmy for his work on sport center . bradley finds himself back in the area quite often, taping, and helping out where needed in his free time. he is thinking seriously about returning to school, to get a masters degree in meteorology. ryan o’connor is at uconn, and during his first year became a correspondent reporter . he was also elected treasurer for the associated student government, then shortly after became acting president. his summers bradley o’connor ’04 behind the camera at espn. below: bradley on the set of espn sports center are quite busy as the entertainment chair for relay for life, and working at citizen national bank and winy radio. in his spare time, he acted in annie warbucks at the bradley play house. virginia parker, daughter of mark ’75 and natalie (withers) parker ’78 and timothy nagel, son of raymond and denise nagel of sterling, were married at the evangelical covenant church in woodstock. the matron of honor was stephanie (parker) haley ’00, sister of the bride, and the best man was justin haley, brother-in-law of the bride. virginia and timothy reside in sterling and are both employed by fiberoptics inc. stephanie lynne small. see glen joseph warner ’03. justin white is currently studying abroad in florence, italy and having the time of his life traveling all throughout europe.  he’ s trying to take in as much architecture as possible by visiting a variety of different sites and buildings.  he is going on his fifth year of schooling with still another year and a half to complete to attain his masters in architecture. class of 2005 air force airman benjamin l. chausse graduated from basic military training from lackland air force base, san antonio, texas. rachel (williams) drew married george drew in july of 2005. she is working as an rn at st. francis hospital in hartford, ct . rebecca ann (ledogar) and cpl. daniel james thienel were married in february 2007. daniel is a member of the u.s. marine corps stationed at camp lejeune in north carolina with the 2nd reconnaissance battalion. neil warner is engaged to laura appleton of canterbury, an april 2008 wedding is planned. neil is employed as an arborist with bartlett tree experts of auburn/worcester , mass. class of 2006 katherine mercier organized a free drinking and driving awareness day in canterbury as part of a girl scout gold award project. the gold award is the highest girl scout award achieved. katherine is studying at the university of connecticut, avery point. kelsey stephens recently completed 10 months of volunteering in the national civilian community corps/americorps. she traveled to mississippi to help habitat for humanity build homes for low-income families. colin sumera. see katherine fellows ’75. former faculty dr . george c. saunders, faculty 1949 – 1953 writes, “now living near my daughter carol mccahon in chelmsford. our woodstock baby, stephen is now 54 and lives near chattanooga tn, long island baby thomas lives and works in nj near nyc. four grandchildren, two of whom are married, one “on the edge” and the youngest girl is a sophomore in hs here in chelmsford. best wishes to all.” in memoriam class news79 the gleaner 2008 in memoriam class of 1930 florence (johnson) dodge, december 31, 2005 florence wilhelimina johnson dodge, 93 of woodstock, died at her home on december 31, 2005. florence was born to christina (lundquist) and robert william johnson of corona, ny on december 30th 1912. at the age of 8, her family joined their swedish community of family and friends in woodstock. florence attended the “west” school in west woodstock, graduated from woodstock academy in 1930 and was the first recipient of the yale cup award. in 1934, she graduated from mary washington college in fredericksburg, va. after a short teaching assignment in gilead, florence returned home. she became a highly sought after substitute teacher in the one-room schools for woodstock. during the late ‘30s, she served as a recreation instructor for the town of putnam, teaching archery, golf and swimming. in august 1940, florence married bryant aldrich dodge. together they built a cape, on the corner of the johnson property, constructed almost entirely of 1938 hurricane lumber , their beloved “little red house” on smith road. they completed their house the year following their marriage, carrying a construction balance due of .15. during her married life florence was a homemaker , sunday school teacher , community participant and provider of childcare for working families. during her life she created quality and enriching experiences for her children, grandchildren and the children of friends and other families that she nurtured during their “growing” years. she was known for opening hearts and minds to the beauty and wonder of god’ s creation and love, accepted everyone for the person they were, worried about them, but committed them to the love and care of her lord. she always took time to play with children and gave the most precious gift of all, herself. florence loved books and writing, keeping a daily journal. she knew god’ s earth as an intimate friend, delighting in the wonder of the moon and stars, the delicacy of his plants and trees, and the ever changing flow of clouds across the sky. florence leaves a sister , alice johnson anderson of windham; her children and their families, dorinda dodge lundin and husband emil of woodstock, timothy n. dodge of woodstock, sandra s. dodge of woodstock; grandchildren, michael b. dodge and wife shannon of niantic, christopher a. dodge and wife erin of woodstock, heather lanning hoag and husband raymond of sevierville, tn, james lanning and wife crystal of colchester; great-grandchildren gavin, ashton, seyla, skylar , jonah and meaghan, many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. florence was predeceased by husband bryant; sisters anna and elna; and brother walter . a service to celebrate her life was held january 7th 2006 at the church of the good shepherd in west woodstock. ruth (palmer) porter , march 4th 2006 ruth palmer porter died march 4th 2006 at the age of 92 in reddick, fl. class of 1931 raymond f . hibbard, august 20th 2005 raymond f . hibbard, 91 of english neighborhood, woodstock, died august 20th 2005. born december 14, 1913, he was the son of the late harold c. and florence (cobleigh) hibbard. ray received a bachelor degree in music with a major in organ from the hartt college of music in hartford, ct in 1953. ray was a well-known pianist and organist in the area. he was the organist for the second church of christian scientist in hartford for over 13 years, played the bass drum in the east woodstock coronet band for many years and enjoyed country living. he was an army veteran of wwii serving with the chaplains. he was employed as a shipping clerk for over 13 years at linemaster switch company in woodstock. he leaves two sisters, may a. hibbard and f . veronica hibbard, a nephew, john e. hibbard and wife bernice of hebron, a niece, ann hibbard-redman and husband robert of montgomery, al, one grandniece and two grandnephews. his brother , j. eugene hibbard predeceased him. a graveside memorial service was on august 27th 2005 at center cemetery, center cemetery road, woodstock, ct . howard d. johnson, june 10, 2006 class of 1932 edna hibbard, march 6, 2008 edna lucy hibbard of woodstock died march 6, 2008, at matulaitis nursing home in putnam. born aug. 25, 1915, in woodstock, she was the daughter of ernest barnes hibbard and maude (peckham) hibbard. edna graduated in 1932 from woodstock academy. she enjoyed the outdoors, especially snow-blowing, lawn-mowing and flower gardening. she had a special interest in music and was a member of the north woodstock congregational church, where she was the organist and served for a time as church secretary. edna worked at the former stillwater worsted mill in east woodstock and later worked and retired from the mansfield training school where she loved and treated her “kids” as family. edna was predeceased by her brother , a. chandler hibbard and his wife mildred. she leaves her sister , louise hibbard, long time friend ruth stevens; nieces and nephews, david hibbard and wife joanne of rhinelander , wisc., barbara schreier of putnam, donald hibbard and wife susan of woodstock, linda worchel and husband mark of woodstock; grandnephews and nieces and great-great-niece and nephews, derek and leslie hibbard of boston, daylyn, kevin, sarah, and ben hopp of stevens point, wisc., scott and rachel schreier of nashville, todd, jennifer , jakob, and kaleb schreier of jewett city, kevin and gretchen schreier of jewett city, erin and michael decarli of roanoke, va., catherine hibbard of boston, chris and virginia worchel of ashford. dorcas e. (johnson) morrison, april 5, 2007 dorcas e. morrison died on thursday april 5th peacefully after a long illness at home she was 91. she was born january 5, 1916 in new york city, daughter of carl and hannah (hallberg) johnson. she married dr . morrison in 1942 and they have lived in worcester since 1948. dorcas graduated from woodstock academy and hahnemann hospital school of nursing, worcester where she specialized in infectious diseases. during her career dorcas was a nurse supervisor at chapin hospital, providence, ri and in st. louis, mo and baltimore, md. dorcas was an excellent golfer and in memory fare forth, true heart, athwart that troubled sea whose far crests break upon no earthly shore, out of the here-and-now, to the unknown to-be, “ave atque vale,” we who see no more. we have no fears to face, no knell to toll. fair shone in fall the inland hill, in spring the homely hollow: but to those freer levels where the soul follows the white gull’s flight, our dimmed eyes may not follow. unto the night, inevitable of the wheeling stars, unfurl! fare forth: nor fear that we may grieve for hands shall clasp again beyond strange harbor bars! f . f . rockwell (reprinted from the gleaner of 1912)80 the gleaner 2008 an accomplished enamellist. she loved to garden and created many beautiful things to share. she belonged to the worcester art museum, guild of our lady of providence, hortulus garden club, and the worcester craft center . she was a very generous person and gave of her time and talents to many institutions and charitable organizations. she was a beloved wife, mother , grandmother and great-grandmother . dorcas leaves five children: catherine m. o’brien of troy, mi, anne e. and husband james mccambridge of madison, wi, michael j. morrison of worcester , mary ellen morrison of portland, or and peter j. morrison of lyon, france; four grandchildren, deidre m. o’brien, michael p . o’brien, matthew m. mccambridge, monica m. silva; two great-grandchildren, brendan m. o’brien and connor j. o’brien; three sisters, thelma ryerson, jane newman, myrtle thomas; a brother carl oden johnson d.d.s. and many nieces and nephews. her sister grace fairfield predeceased her . the funeral was monday april 9th burial was at st. john’ s cemetery in worcester , ma. class of 1933 george e. davis sr ., august 5, 2006 george e. davis, 91 of roseland park road, south woodstock, died sunday august 5th at the webster manor in webster , ma. he was the husband of the late evelyn (basto) davis; she died december 31, 1993. he was born september 19, 1914 in waterbury, son of the late george o. and charlotte (cote) davis. he worked for many years at the university of connecticut in the horticulture division, he retired in 1979, he also worked for fourteen years at the american optical in southbridge as a lens polisher , and kaman aerospace working as a metal fabricator . he made his home in south woodstock all his life. he was a graduate of woodstock academy, class of 1933. he was a former member of the woodstock american legion post 111 and the south woodstock baptist church. he leaves a son; george davis jr ., of ashford; three daughters; sandra martin of cleveland, tn; jennifer simms and husband philip of campbell hall, ny ; johanne wenger and husband james of south woodstock; two sisters; frances dryer and mildred andrews both of clinton; seven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. his brothers john and frederick davis predeceased him. the funeral was at smith & walker funeral home in putnam with burial at the quassett cemetery with military honors. class of 1936 m. keith lewis, august 18, 2006 m. keith lewis, 87 of eastford, died august 18th 2006, at home surrounded by his family. he was the beloved husband of ruth (young) lewis. they were married august 21, 1938. they would have been married 68 years august 21, 2006. he was born on november 24, 1918 the only child of m. darwin and eleanor (keith) lewis. keith was a graduate of woodstock academy class of 1936 and attended bay path college. he was a wwii veteran serving with the us army. keith was a member of the congregational church of eastford, a charter member of the eastford independent fire company, a member of the putnam lodge 46 af & am in south woodstock, the american legion post 203 of eastford, and life member of the willimantic elks lodge willimantic bpoe. he served as state representative for the town of eastford from 1963 – 1964, was chairman of the eastford republican town committee for 25 years and a member of the board of tax review. keith was employed at capital garage in willimantic for many years where he was the manager of the body shop. he operated service stations on the former connecticut turnpike. after retirement, he worked for the house republicans in hartford, a job he thoroughly enjoyed. during the summer you would find him enjoying the “cottage” at crystal pond, spending many hours tending his garden and fruit trees. his winters were spent in the warmer climate of florida, either winter haven or zephyrills. in addition to his wife, he leaves three daughters; nancy and husband russell mayhew of eastford, joanne and husband raymond korner of w. yarmouth, ma, susan and husband thomas dillon of s. dennis, ma; grandchildren, douglas and gretchen mayhew, diane and randy matteau, christopher and karen mayhew, james korner , kathryn korner , robin and dennis driscoll, melissa and thomas cummins, eileen dillon, and great-grandchildren, chloe and katherine mayhew, mandi and brady matteau, christopher , cara and marissa mayhew, marisa and myranda korner , rachel kathleen and sarah driscoll and emmett and sullivan cummins. the funeral was august 22, 2006 at the congregational church of eastford with burial at the grove cemetery with military honors. elisabeth m. perrin, april 21, 2005 elisabeth m. perrin, 87 of wethersfield, formerly of west woodstock died april 21, 2005. she was born march 1, 1918 at longmeadow farm to john m. and ida (preuss) perrin ii, a 7th grandniece of the rev. stephen williams the first minister at the church of the good shepherd in west woodstock of which she was a life-long member . she was a 1936 graduate of woodstock academy and the greenwich academy in rhode island. miss perrin began her business career as a secretary at the connecticut mutual insurance company in hartford, later she became the private in memoriam secretary to the personnel director at g. fox & co. until her retirement. she had made her home in wethersfield for many years; she leaves her sister , elinor perrin of woodstock. graveside services were held in barlow cemetery. class of 1937 henry johnson, march 1, 2008 henry johnson, 87, formerly of woodstock, died march 1, 2008, at the webster manor in webster , mass. he was the husband of elaine (gauthier) johnson. they were married may 28, 1949. mr . johnson was born july 18, 1920 in putnam, son of the late theodore and agda johnson. he was a veteran of wwii serving with the u.s. marines. he was employed at the american optical in southbridge mass., and with the connecticut department of correction working in somers as a lieutenant. he leaves in addition to his wife of 59 years, elaine, son and daughter in law, robert and grace johnson; three daughters and sons-in-law: linda and art st. jean; donna and scott williams; luanne and eric daley all of woodstock; 10 grand-children, six great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. mr . johnson was predeceased by a son richard johnson and a daughter bertha brown of oxford. the funeral service and burial were private. class of 1938 beatrice arvidson, may 13, 2008 beatrice e. arvidson, 86, passed away tuesday, may 13, at the village at waterman lake. she leaves her brother; paul arvidson, and his wife joan; four nieces, carol (lauren) merlo, martha (robert) beckwith, beth (frank) thayer , and linda (greg) scarpa; six great nieces and two great nephews. she was predeceased by her brother , sven arvidson. the daughter of the late axela and agnes (awanson) arvidson, she was born july 29, 1921, in putnam. she attended woodstock public schools and woodstock academy and graduated from bryant college in rhode island. she later received a business degree from american international college in springfield. miss arvidson was employed by monarch life insurance co. in springfield for 39 years as department head. after retirement, she returned to woodstock to live on the family farm. she was a devoted member of the evangelical covenant church of woodstock, which she attended faithfully. she served on the deacon board and was a member of the ladies group. a fine seamstress, she enjoyed sewing clothes for her nieces when they were young. she enjoyed gardening and tending her flowers, vegetable garden and especially her blueberry bushes, which were her pride and joy. the funeral was held saturday, may 17, at the evangelical covenant church. burial was in elmvale cemetery in woodstock.81 the gleaner 2008 in memoriam francis h. logee, august 1, 2005 francis h. logee, 85 of east woodstock, died august 1, 2005, at st. francis hospital in hartford after a brief illness. he was the beloved husband of margaret (bosworth) logee. they were married july 25, 1943. he was born february 27, 1920 in killingly, son of the late james mason and emily eleanor (hibbard) logee. francis made his home in east woodstock most of his life. he attended the east woodstock congregational church, served as deacon and was a sunday school teacher and superintendent of the sunday school. francis was a wwii veteran serving with the us navy. he was employed in the 1950s at pratt & whitney in east hartford and retired in 1982 from the american optical in southbridge, ma, where he worked for more than 20 years. he operated a poultry farm for more than 40 years with his family. he enjoyed camping, especially the cape cod family vacations, his gardens, woodworking and was an avid reader . after retiring he traveled with his wife throughout the us. he also enjoyed: working around his home, his family, spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. he leaves, in addition to his wife, four sons: peter logee and wife sharon of delores, ca; jonathan loge and wife marsha of worcester , ma; curt logee and wife jane of ayer , ma; mark logee and wife kathy of north fork, ca; two daughters, christine durst and husband john of woodstock; tracy logee of east hartford; two brothers, albert logee of granby, mason logee of pennillville, ny ; two sisters, marjorie james of florida and ruth eddy and husband joel of suffield; 12 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. a graveside service was held august 9th 2005 at the center cemetery, woodstock. class of 1940 frances (neely) williams, january 20, 2005 class of 1941 emily mae (young) bunnell, november 22, 2006 emily mae (young) bunnell, 83 of eastford, died at home unexpectedly, november 22nd. she was the devoted wife of the late wayne bunnell of eastford who predeceased her august 8, 1963. she was the daughter of the late george young and emily (cahoon) young, both of woodstock. she was a 1941 graduate of woodstock academy, and worked for nearly 25 years as a bookkeeper for latham oil service and lindon tree service in eastford. she also served as the town’ s tax collector from 1977 to 1989 and as town clerk from 1982 to 1990. she was a devoted and courageous mother , raising five children on her own after the death of her husband. emily always enjoyed a good cup of coffee, crossword puzzles, playing scrabble, black-eyed susan’ s, anything “apples”, her yellow kitchen and the company of her family. she is survived by her son scott bunnell of north olmstead, oh; granddaughter sarah colbert; her daughter emily (bunnell) guertin of putnam; grandchildren eric, chad and emily guertin, grandson eric’ s son gavin; her daughter gail bunnell and husband fred mongeau of brooklyn, grandson kyle and wife bonnie herindeen, and great-granddaughter grace; grandchildren christopher mongeau and heather mongeau; her son dean and wife lisa bunnell of eastford, grandson silas; and by her son ross and wife edith bunnell of hartford grandchildren oliver and sofia. she is also survived by her sister ruth (young) lewis, of eastford and many nieces and nephews. emily was predeceased by her sister gladys (young) anderson; brother henry young; sister anna (young) cramer; and brother frank young. funeral service was held at smith & walker funeral home and burial was in grove cemetery in eastford. albert f . durrin, april, 2007 frances (sullivan) mastrandreau, may 28, 2008 frances marjorie mastrandreau, 84, died wednesday, may 28, 2008 at kindred crossing east, new london. she was born on july 28, 1923 to margaret hammer and john sullivan of new london. her maternal grandparents were william and ann (dahl) hammer from mount vernon, ny and paternal grandparents were john d. sullivan and his wife catherine (ahearn) sullivan of norwich. fran was the oldest of four girls, barbara l. panciera of branford, ri, josephine “betty” elisabeth mills of miami, fl, and marie theresa maskell of oakdale. in the fall of 1929, fran started 1 st grade at s. mary’ s private catholic school. at the age of 13, fran was sent to the putnam/woodstock area where she attended woodstock academy until her graduation in 1941. she married dominic “mike” mastrandrea at the age of 22. fran is survived by her four children and their spouses, richard and maryann mastrandrea of niantic, kathy and tom adams of south carolina, robert and angela mastrandrea of uncasville, and gary and patricia mastrandrea of waterford. she leaves nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. fran was predeceased by her husband of 37 years in 1983 and also her sister , barbara, who passed away the same year . she worked in the medial administrative field for lawrence & memorial hospital and dr . charles f . dyer for many years until her retirement and then part-time for the new london senior center until the mid- ‘90’ s. she was active with the st. joseph’ s women’ s social club where she served as president for nine years. she was also a member of the daughters of isabella and volunteered her services for the new london community for most all of the years of her retirement. a mass of christian burial was held at st. joseph’ s church, new london with burial in st. mary cemetery, new london. class of 1943 elizabeth l. frink, august 25, 2007 elizabeth l. frink, 82, of immanuel house, woodland street, hartford, formerly of woodstock, died saturday, aug. 25, at ellis manor in hartford. she leaves a sister , avis spalding, of woodstock; a sister-in-law, shirley frink, of woodstock; several nieces and nephews; several great-nieces and great-nephews; and cousins. she was predeceased by brothers robert frink sr . and john frink. the daughter of the late wallace lyon and frances (gordon) frink, she was born feb. 17, 1925, in putnam. she attended the one-room school house in woodstock and was a graduate of the woodstock academy class of 1943 and bryant college. for more than 35 years, ms. fink worked at the travelers insurance in hartford, retiring in 1990. she had previously worked at the american optical in southbridge, mass., during the war and the former mohawk airlines in new york city. ms. frink had made her home in hartford most of her life and was a member of the immanuel congregational church in hartford. she enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. a memorial service was held at immanuel congregational church in hartford. burial was in the woodstock hill cemetery, woodstock. loretta a. (herre) lyon, august 23, 2006 loretta a. (herre) lyon, 80 formerly of west woodstock, died august 23, 2006, at haven health care in rocky hill. she was the beloved wife of the late albert f . lyon, sr . he predeceased her in 1988. loretta was born october 27, 1925 in hartford to alice m. (cofran) and harold f . herre, sr . she made her home in woodstock most of her life, and was a member of the church of the good shepherd. loretta was a professional seamstress making curtains and draperies for many homes in woodstock and pomfret and had worked as a spinner at belding for five years. she leaves four sons, albert f . lyon, jr . of woodstock, robert k. lyon of danielson, bruce s. and wife pat lyon of woodstock, ricky a. lyon of wallatosa, wi; a brother , harold herre, jr . of woodstock; a sister barbara herre of woodstock; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. the funeral was at the church of the good shepherd, with burial in barlow cemetery. class of 1946 alden (shepard) farber , november 23, 2007 alden s. farber , 79, of woodstock meadow, woodstock, died november 23, 2007 at her home. wife of the late william j. farber , jr ., he died in 1995. born september 25, 1928 in new britain, she was the daughter of the late everett goff and fern (redden) shepard. she had made her home in woodstock most of her life, a long time active member of the first congregational church of woodstock, and served as the kitchen manager for many years.82 the gleaner 2008 in memoriam she worked at the woodstock hill post office, as a postal clerk for over 25 years, she retired in 1975. she leaves her children; philip farber of portland, or, jim farber of danielson, jane farber of woodstock; her siblings: william shepard of virginia beach, va, don shepard of plainfield: two grand children: ellen polumbo of danielson, andrew farber of woodstock; great grand children: devon polumbo of danielson, lillian, montana, max penington all of oregon. she was predeceased by her siblings: everett shepard; jane morse. memorial services were held at first congregational church of woodstock, woodstock hill. robert g. frink, sr ., february 24, 2006 robert g. frink, sr ., 77 of 857 route 169 woodstock, died friday february 24, 2006, at day kimball hospital. he leaves his wife of 55 years, shirley (keith) frink. bob was the son of wallace l. and frances (gordan) frink. he was born in putnam and was a resident of woodstock all his life. he was a 1946 graduate of woodstock academy. bob was a dairy farmer all his life and operated the maplecrest farm in woodstock. he was past president and lieutenant of the woodstock fire association, served on the woodstock elementary school building commission and the planning and zoning commission, was past president of the woodstock academy alumni association, served on the windham county farm bureau and was a justice of the peace. he leaves his wife shirley; three sons, matthew frink and wife jane of dudley, ma; robert g. frink, jr . and wife lynn of woodstock; neil frink and wife denise of woodstock; two sisters, elizabeth frink of hartford and avis spalding of woodstock; his brother john frink of california predeceased him. he also leaves grandchildren jessica, amy, abigail and christopher and his faithful companion, lucky. service and burial were private. class of 1947 byron eddy , june 7, 2008 byron eddy 78, a life long resident of woodstock, died suddenly june 7, 2008, at his home. he was the beloved husband of muriel (durrin) eddy, they were married october 25, 1953. born on september 8, 1929, he was the son of the late ray and hilda (morrison) eddy of east woodstock. besides his loving wife, he leaves behind his son ross eddy and his wife susan c. of thompson and his daughters susan durrin (eddy) motley and her husband robert of woodstock; diane siegmund and her husband kurt of pomfret; six grandchildren, rebecca, jonathan and julia eddy; isabelle and robert motley; clara siegmund, a brother dexter m. eddy of mansfield. he also leaves behind his beloved westie, angus. byron was employed as the treasurer and comptroller of colts plastics, inc. in dayville for over 33 years, retiring in 1997. prior to that he had been employed by pervel co. in plainfield, ct . he was a 1950 graduate of becker jr . college where he was a member of the alpha omicron fraternity. he was a veteran of the korean war serving with the us army, stationed in germany. byron was very involved in many civic organizations serving as treasurer over the years, including the woodstock lions club, the american legion post 111 of woodstock, and a member of the woodstock volunteer fire association. he was the organizer of the woodstock young republican’ s, served the town of woodstock as second selectman, and was treasurer of the woodstock academy board of trustees for many years. he also served on the board of directors of the society of plastics industries (spi). throughout byron’ s life served on many town boards and committees, and was a member of the first congregational church of woodstock. after retiring he volunteered at the woodstock assessor’ s office. he enjoyed his childhood summers in brewster , ma, traveling at home and abroad with his family, the theater , dixieland jazz, and was an avid fan and supporter of uconn women’ s basketball program and an active member of their tip-off club. byron was a humble, well respected, loving man, and caregiver to his wife. he had a great sense of humor , and great pride in watching his children and grandchildren grow and always made time for them. a celebration of byron’ s life was held saturday, june 21st at the first congregational church of woodstock with a private burial in elmvale cemetery, woodstock. byron gifted his remains to the boston university medical school. class of 1948 donald h. marcy , may 5, 2005 donald h. marcy, 76, of south woodstock, died may 5, 2005, after a brief illness at the matulaitis nursing home in putnam. he was the beloved husband of grace (letters) marcy. they were married in may 27, 1967, in the putnam congregational church. he was born may 1, 1929, in putnam, son of the late harvey l. and elinor marcy. he had made his home in south woodstock most of his life and was a graduate of the woodstock academy. a longtime member of the woodstock volunteer fire association, he made the coffee at the firemen’ s booth at the woodstock fair for more than 30 years. don was an inspector for 25 years for the department of motor vehicle, working in northeast connecticut. he retired in 1985. he was a member of the putnam lodge af & am 46. don was very mechanical, he could fix anything, he enjoyed working on lawn mowers, cars and had a great love for the outdoors. he leaves his wife; two sisters, barbara paige and her husband christopher of lyndeborough, n.h., and phyllis redfield of glastonbury; a sister-in-law, suzanne and her husband al evans of lebanon, n.h.; nieces and nephews. the funeral was held at the putnam congregational church and burial was at the grove street cemetery. jane l. (shepard) morse, december 3, 2005 jane l. (shepard) morse, 75, of east woodstock died december 3, 2005 at umass/memorial healthcare, worcester after and illness. she leaves her husband of 56 years lewis s. morse; four children, jeffrey morse of assonet, ma, kathleen van schoick of oakham, ma, david morse of east woodstock and gretchen pohlman of pomfret; a sister , alden farber of woodstock (who passed away in november of 2007); two brothers, donald shepard of plainfield and william shepard of north carolina; nine grandchildren, michael, jessica, emily, grace, erica, mary kate, rebecca, katrina and heidi. she was born in new britain and raised in putnam and thompson, a daughter of everett and fern (redden) shepard. she lived in woodstock for 60 years. she graduated from woodstock academy in 1948. mrs. morse was a teacher’ s aide for 10 years at woodstock elementary school and a homemaker . she was a member of the east woodstock congregational church, where a memorial service was held. margaret (wilcox) peabody , june 2, 2007 margaret peabody, 77, of pomfret street, died june 2, 2007, at the haven health care in danielson after a short illness. she was the wife of the late albert a. peabody. he died nov. 3, 1993. she was born feb. 10, 1930, in westerly, r.i., daughter of the late lawrence “lone wolf” wilcox, former medicine chief and muriel (tattoon) wilcox. she made her home for most of her life in the putnam/woodstock area. margaret had worked for many years in the textile industry, working at willimantic thread co., hale manufacturing, steven’ s linens and also at dr . lipmann’ s veterinarian clinic. she was a graduate of woodstock academy, class of 1948, where she was an honor student. she was a member of the first girls’ basketball team at the academy. she was an elder of the narragansett tribe. she was a loving and caring mother and grandmother , she will be remembered for her cooking and gardening. she also enjoyed music, especially the blues, and watching her boys play in their band. she leaves her children, margot peabody of north grosvenordale, william peabody of putnam, leslie peabody of moosup, edward peabody of eastford, ned peabody of putnam; a brother , lloyd “running wolf” wilcox, medicine chief of the narragansett tribe; a sister: dr . ella wilcox sekatau of hope valley, r.i.; 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.83 the gleaner 2008 in memoriam class of 1950 lawrence u. phaneuf, january 16, 2006 larry phaneuf, 74 of church street putnam, died sunday january 16th 2006 at the massachusetts general hospital in boston. he was the beloved husband of janet (o’brien) phaneuf; they were married october 27, 1956 in st. mary’ s church in putnam. he was born in putnam, son of the late lawrence u. phaneuf, sr . and alice (leclaire). larry spent his youth in south woodstock, a 1950 graduate of woodstock academy. he moved to putnam with janet in 1956. he was a communicant of st. mary church of the visitation in putnam. larry was a contractor specializing in plumbing, excavating and grave digging. at one time he operated a service station in putnam. larry also was the head plumber at the woodstock fairgrounds for over 30 years. he was a member og the connecticut national guard and served 18 months with the us army in germany during the korean war . he enjoyed traveling throughout the united states. larry enjoyed gardening, growing dahlias and tomatoes. larry owned, restored and raced a 1936 midget racer . he and his wife were members of the atlantic coast old timers auto racing club, traveling throughout new england, new york and pennsylvania. larry was an avid nascar fan and enjoyed watching racing. he leaves in addition to his wife a daughter; susan phaneuf and her husband michael chrzan of putnam; two brothers richard phaneuf and wife elizabeth of woodstock; bernard phaneuf and wife janice of putnam, a sister; constance black and husband james of east hartford, a sister-in-law; ester phaneuf of woodstock; many nieces and nephews and cousins. he was predeceased by his brother , robert, in 1998. a mass was held at st. mary church of the visitation. class of 1951 lawrence krushefsky , august 23, 2005 lawrence krushefsky, 71 of woodstock valley died tuesday august 23rd 2005 at umass medical center , worcester , ma. larry, aka “the egg man’, was a beloved husband, father , grandfather and friend. he was born october 30, 1933 in putnam to john and mary krushefsky the only son of four children. he graduated from woodstock academy in 1950 and attended two years at uconn, storrs, before deciding to buy out his father’ s poultry business. he was a longtime resident and successful businessman in woodstock valley spending over thirty years running valley poultry farm. as a young man lawrence embraced the responsibilities as a town constable and member of the bungay fire brigade. he married his soul-mate, patricia s. (darling) krushefsky and remained happily married for almost 49 years. he leaves behind his wife, three loving children and their families. his son jeffrey, wife laurie and their daughter brianna of sturbridge, ma; daughter laura and her son jacob burnett of southbridge, ma; and kim and husband william love, and son, billy and daughter bailey of eatontown, nj. larry also leaves his three sisters, mary jane facas of new london, ct , catherine musial of woodstock valley and geraldine zachas of groton, ct . larry’ s favorite past time was spending time with his four grandchildren; brianna, billy, jacob and bailey. larry also enjoyed hobbies such as cooking, woodworking, fishing and his monday night card games. larry was an extremely hardworking man who always put his family first. he was a kind, loving and gentle man who will be deeply missed by all those who knew him. a memorial mass was held on saturday october 29, 2005. class of 1958 charles t . vaida, august 18, 2005 charles thompson vaida, 64, of port st. lucie, fl died august 18,2005 at his home surrounded by his beloved wife and cherished daughter . charles was born in boston, ma and had resided in port st. lucie since 2004 having moved from his long-time residence in pomfret. charles was a highly accomplished medical professional. he retired, after 38 years in the medical profession in 1999 from the anesthesia department of day kimball hospital in putnam. he served his country as a member of the us air force between 1959 and 1983 attaining the rank of air force major after entering the service as an enlisted man. he received medals of commendation on several occasions for his display of exceptional proficiency. his dedication and leadership qualities were greatly admired. charles was an avid reader , enjoyed fishing, gardening and was a devoted husband, father and grandfather . charles is survived by his wife of 43 years, patricia vaida; his daughter rebecca l. mullins of port lucie, fl; sons andrew k. vaida newark, de and matthew p . vaida of worcester , ma, his brother paul k. vaida of sturbridge, ma; his adoptive mother edwina k. vaida of phoenixville, ct ; and his treasured grandchildren deanna e. vaida, kevin c. vaida and sarah mullins. class of 1959 carl n. kallgren, june 14, 2007 carl norbert kallgren, of woodstock, went home to be with his lord, june 14, 2007, at the age of 65 years. carl spent most of his life in woodstock. he graduated from woodstock academy in 1959, and moved to massachusetts in 1965 where he had a dairy farm, and then returned to woodstock in 1970. carl enjoyed being a farmer , mechanic, salesman and trucker until his retirement. carl is best known for his dealership and love of allis chalmers tractors and equipment. in recent years, his passions have been camping, and his oxen, “mark & john” and the joy they brought him logging and as he worked with them. carl loved his lord and passed this love and devotion onto his family who look forward to the day when they will see him again in glory standing beside jesus! carl will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 18 years, marsha (wentworth borski); his children, sharon (joel) harmon of amboy, indiana, craig (beth) kallgren of darwin, mn, duanne (deanne) kallgren of southbridge, ma, john (carmen) kallgren of woodstock, carl r. (jennifer) kallgren of litchfield, mn; and his step children, cherie (paul) borski of webster , ma, kenneth (lynne) borski of dudley, ma, and robert (deborah) borski of woodstock; by his mother e. linnea kallgren of woodstock; and his siblings linda (dick) weimann of nc, victor (linda) kallgren of dudley, ma and carolyn (curtis) rogers of woodstock. carl will also be forever remembered by his grandchildren, sarah (travis) stamper , patricia and jason harmon, elyse and jens kallgren, taylor and alexandra kallgren, clinton kallgren, hannah and zackary kallgren, jenny marchand, amber and grace borski, and owen and elaina borski; by his brother and sister-in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. carl was predeceased by his father , oscar kallgren. burial was at elmvale cemetery, woodstock. class of 1960 alexander f . fabian, jr ., february 11, 2007 alexander f . fabian, jr ., 65, of lynwood drive, willimantic died sunday at windham hospital after a brief illness with his family by his side. he was the husband of bernice (galenski) fabian. they were married on august 1, 1964. al recently retired from the savings institute bank & trust. he was known for his sense of humor; always having a good joke to share. al was an avid new york yankees fan and loved letting red sox fans know it. he enjoyed golf, the outdoors and puttering around the house. al was a giving and loving husband and father , who especially reveled in loving his four grandchildren. “pops” was always interested in everything they did. besides his wife, al is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, doug and connie fabian of canterbury; his daughter and son-in-law, holly and lary schmitz of virginia beach, va; four grandchildren, peter; aaron and ty fabian and mary schmitz. he leaves his mother , esther of eastford; brother , tom of eastford; cousins william and norma baldwin of new york; and several nieces and nephews. he was predeceased by his father , alexander f . fabian, sr . and his brother , richard. a memorial service was held at the christian fellowship church in scotland. dale e. (shippee) iverson, june 25, 2007 dale e. iverson, 64, of schoolhouse hill road, eastford, died unexpectedly june 25, at day kimball hospital in putnam. she was the beloved wife of ronald c. iverson, whom she married march 2, 1962. in addition to her husband, she leaves her children, michael iverson of thompson, vicky84 the gleaner 2008 billington of eastford, carrie iverson of eastford and bethany bouchard of enfield; her sisters,carol molnar of eastford, june carbone of willington, linda short of shreveport, la., lorna shelto of scotland and norma quirk of ashford; five grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. the daughter of the late carl and edith (thornton) shippee, she was born oct. 9, 1942, in putnam. she had made her home in the eastford and pomfret area all her life. mrs. iverson had worked as a caregiver to the handicapped and elderly with the visiting angels in tolland for several years. she was a former member of the assembly of god church in putnam, where she served as a sunday school teacher , taught adult bible study and served as church treasurer . she was also the church secretary for several years at the first baptist church of mansfield. mrs. iverson served in the u.s. air force for two years, honorably discharged in 1962. the funeral was held at smith & walker funeral home in putnam, followed by a memorial service. class of 1962 william j. amato, jr ., june 18, 2007 william j. amato, jr ., 62, formerly of putnam, died monday evening at the lanessa health care in webster , ma. he was the son of the late william and ruth (haynes) amato. he was born in akron, ohio, december 10, 1944. he worked in sales all his life, worked for roadway express, wang computer and transformer international. he was a 1962 graduate of woodstock academy and was an eagle scout with the woodstock boy scout with the woodstock boy scouts. he graduated from the university of akron with a business degree. he had made his home in putnam for several years. he leaves his children, john and jennie of ohio; two grandchildren; two brothers, paul amato of milford, nh and richard amato of denver , co; two sisters: carol conlin of woodstock, and kathleen dipilato of putnam; cousins, susan erkkila of pembroke, nh, thomas callahan of sunapee, nh; and several nieces and nephews. class of 1963 frank e. whiteley sr ., november 28, 2005 frank e. whiteley sr ., 60, of eastford, died nov. 28, 2005, at the haven health center , danielson, surrounded by his family. he was born march 16, 1945, in putnam, son of the late george and helen (dickson) whiteley. he worked for more than 40 years as a truck driver at eastford building supply company. he was a member of the eastford volunteer fire company. he enjoyed hunting and fishing. he leaves his children: frank whiteley jr . and his wife sandy of danielson; kelly dimock and her husband erik of woodstock; tracey wamsley of dayville; two brothers: john whiteley of danielson; marvin whiteley of woodstock; two sisters: ruth brodmerkle of barre, mass.; grace brolin of sullivan, n.h.; his long time companion pat sellick of eastford; four grandchildren; nieces and nephews. class of 1969 laura lambot, december 30, 2007 laura breece lambot of bellingham, wash, died dec. 30, 2007. she was born march 13, 1951, to the late michele (kalmuk) and william breece lambot of pomfret center . she graduated from woodstock academy in 1969, attended the california college of arts and crafts, and later earned a bachelor’ s degree in photography from suny-purchase. she leaves her sister , victoria lambot baron and brother-in-law edward baron of austin, texas; her brother william charles lambot of spencer , mass; her stepmother , glenda lambot and her stepsister , laurie audette, both of sterling; and her stepbrother , charles thomas, of palm city, fla. benjamin t . weed, august 1, 2006 class of 1970 david t . ekholm, august 4, 2008 david t . ekholm, 55, of 29 agamenticus ave., died saturday aug. 2, 2008, at gosnell memorial hospice house in scarborough with his family by his side following a long and courageous battle with melanoma. he was born nov. 10, 1952, in new london, conn. he graduated from woodstock academy, woodstock, conn., in 1970; received a b.s. in physics from gordon college in 1974, and an m.s. and ph.d. in physics from the university of massachusetts at amherst in 1980. he was employed as a member of technical staff at the former at&t and bell laboratories in murray hill, n.h., until 1994, when he left to open a compleat mystery bookshop in portsmouth, n.h., with his wife, susan. he was an amateur sports photographer and astronomical photographer , loved to golf, and was a member of the american physical society. he leaves his wife of 35 years, susan j. (somers) ekholm; his parents, a. theodore and barbara (field) ekholm of standish; two sons, daniel s. ekholm and his wife, lori, of rochester , n.h., and carl d. ekholm of cape neddick; two brothers, stephen ekholm and his wife, debbie, of barrington, r.i., and glenn ekholm and his wife, mary, of south portland; two sisters, carole ekholm of woodstock valley, conn., and gloria thomas and her husband, allen, of buxton; and two granddaughters, gabrielle and adrianna. a celebration of life was held at the lucas & eaton funeral home, 91 long sands road, york with a private burial in first parish cemetery. in memoriam class of 1971 janice m. bennett, april 17, 2008 janice m. bennett, 55, of county road, woodstock, died unexpectedly thursday at the university of massachusetts hospital in worcester . she was the daughter of rene and helen (szych) bennett of woodstock. she was born january 20, 1953 in stafford springs. she has made her home in woodstock most of her life, a graduate of woodstock academy. janice was a partner with her family in the coatney hill farm. she was a special education teacher working for eastconn for the last 14 years at the woodstock academy. she leaves her father and mother , her brothers, donald r. bennett of woodstock, ronald w. bennett of corpus christi, tx, peter f . bennett, of woodstock; nieces and nephews. burial was in elmvale cemetery, woodstock. class of 1974 james a. fairfield, april 23, 2007 james a. fairfield, 51, of webster , formerly of woodstock, died april 23, 2007. he was a 1974 graduate of the woodstock academy, and active in many sports. he also took classes in torquay, devonshire, england, and at annhurst college and baypath. he enjoyed golf, tennis and time with his family. he was a truck driver working for many years for county heat treat in millbury, mass. he was the beloved son of jean fairfield of woodstock, and the late david way fairfield; twin brother of david fairfield jr . of woodstock; nephew of janice and robert lomasney of texas; eileen peterson of new hampshire; florence and roger wiggans of california, albert mitchell of massachusetts; along with many cousins and dear friends. class of 1977 wayne alan gregoire, january 1, 2006 wayne alan gregoire, 48, of bangor , maine, formerly of putnam, conn., died jan. 1 at st. joseph’ s hospital in bangor . wayne was the son of leo martin gregoire of brooklyn, conn., and the late marie jacqueline bouchard gregoire. wayne was pursuing his degree in psychology at the university of maine in augusta. survivors include one son, joshua harvey of vermont; two daughters, rene koch of plainfield, conn., and jennifer gregoire of hollywood, calif.; four brothers, larry gregoire of pomfret, conn., bruce gregoire of thompson, conn., and danny gregoire of thompson, conn., and the late brian gregoire; three grandchildren, hannah, brenden and colin, and many nieces and nephews. he also leaves his close friends, laura weatherbe of bangor , maine and ida mckeon of boston, mass. memorial services were held at st. mary’ s church in putnam.85 the gleaner 2008 in memoriam class of 1978 paula (barnes) klee, march 27, 2007 paula (barnes) klee, 46, of eastford, leaves husband felix klee and daughters emily and alena. darlene (mathieu) warren, november 17, 2005 darlene m. warren, 45 of w. thompson road, thompson died thursday november 17th 2005, peacefully at home after a courageous battle with cancer . she was the beloved wife of brian m. warren, they were married september 29, 1979 in st. mary church. she was born april 30th 1960 in putnam to leonard r. and evelyn p . (o’connell) mathieu, sr . of woodstock. she was a communicant of st. mary church of the visitation, a 1978 graduate of woodstock academy and a graduate of the dudley hall career institute, receiving a legal and medical secretary degree. she was employed as a legal secretary at crabtree & evelyn in woodstock and later at the law firm of sarantopolous. her last employment was as a court monitor working in putnam, danielson and willimantic courts. she had also worked at the fallon institute in sturbridge. she enjoyed crocheting and all types of crafts. she was a loving and caring daughter , wife, mother and sister , to whom her family always came first. she leaves in addition to her husband and her parents, her two sons; brian m. warren of thompson. chris m. warren of webster , ma; siblings, leonard mathieu, jr . of killingly; donald mathieu of anaheim, ca; kathleen viens of brooklyn, ct ; david mathieu of york, sc; ronald mathieu of york, sc; and many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. mass was at st. mary church of the visitation with burial in st. mary cemetery. class of 1980 john “jd” jaroslav dvorsky , may 15, 2005 john “jd” jaroslav dvorsky, jr . 42 of woodstock, died unexpectedly from injuries in a motorcycle accident may 15, 2005 in woodstock. he was the beloved husband of mary p . (rogers) dvorsky; they were married december 27, 1986 in notre dame church in southbridge. he was born december 13, 1962 in southbridge, ma son of john j. dvorsky, sr . of woodstock and joanne litke of woodstock. he had made his home in woodstock all his life, a graduate of the woodstock academy and class clown of 1980. he was a graduate of the quinebaug valley community college with a degree in business administration. john was a supervisor at staples, inc., putnam, for the last ten years, he also had worked at cranston print works in webster , delta rubber in wauregan and line master switch company in woodstock. he was a member of the evangelical covenant church in woodstock, and a born again christian. john was an accomplished motorcyclist. he had a great love for the outdoors and nature, from riding his motorcycle, skiing, fishing, working in the yard to playing basketball. john was a loving and caring son, husband, father , brother , brother-in-law, uncle and friend. he always made time for his children, helping out with coaching their youth sports to attending their games, his children were his pride and joy, his legacy. he leaves in addition to his wife, father and mother; his three children: elizabeth lauren dvorsky; katherine erin dvorsky; john connor dvorsky all of woodstock; a sister joanne f . backholm of grafton, ma; a brother paul sivertsen of woodstock; and the rogers family. funeral services were held at the evangelical covenant church in woodstock with burial at the woodstock hill cemetery. class of 1996 jeremy h. rowe, june 12, 2007 jeremy h. rowe, 29, died in antigua, guatemala on june 12, 2007. he was born in putnam on march 23, 1978, the son of margaret dodge and william rowe. he was a graduate of woodstock academy. he received his bachelor’ s degree from randolph macon university in ashland, virginia, and a master’ s degree in european studies from university college dublin in ireland. he traveled extensively over five continents and taught english in guatemala for five years. a celebration of jeremy’ s life was held at woodstock academy on june 30, 2007 with classmates, family and friends. class of 1997 troy roderick almquist, february 16, 2005 troy roderick almquist, 25, of bradenton, fl, died wednesday february 16th 2005 at home surrounded by his parents, his brother , grandfather and best friend. troy was born on may 21st 1979 to karl and lynn almquist. despite his lifelong affliction with muscular dystrophy he lived a life punctuated by remarkable courage, love, motivation, drive and desire. troy graduated from woodstock academy in 1997, where as a student he did many of the things the other students did and never asked for any favors. he was also a graduate of quinebaug valley community college. troy was an accomplished artist and found time to enjoy the outdoors. joe lindley, troy’ s best friend, said troy was a phenomenal clinic (little league) planner and great at editing the accompanying literature. he also assisted lindley as coach to the thompson middle school baseball team, and even on occasion sat on the bench and helped with the thompson middle school girls basketball team. troy was a regular at the local softball and baseball fields. troy was the inspiration behind the local annual turkey dip for muscular dystrophy held each year on thanksgiving morning. troy was an avid red sox, celtics and patriots fan. he enjoyed being current with and understanding world events. troy leaves behind his parents, his brother joel almquist of parrish, fl; grandfather daniel almquist of vernon, az; grandmother joan almquist of putnam; grandfather john tucker of putnam; great-grandmother alexine phanuef of putnam; his grandmother doris tucker formerly of pomfret pre-deceased him. he also leaves behind many aunts and uncles including: kurt and rose almquist of woodstock; kevin and monique almquist of middlebury, vt ; kristian and kim almquist of chandler , az; kathy and joe hart of phoenix, az; karen and ron dewey of phoenix, az; leslie and donald andert of suwannee, ga; lori and frank shipuleski of avon, ct ; lorna tarr of pomfret, ct and amanda almquist of vernon, az. he also leaves behind his lifelong best friend joseph lindley and family of thompson, ct . class of 1998 alexander lewis walker , july 29, 2007 alexander lewis walker , 27 of woodstock died unexpectedly july 29, 2007, in schenectady, ny . he was the son of shirley (siriani) walker of woodstock and the late archie l. walker . he was born june 1, 1980, in manhasset, n.y . he was a graduate of woodstock academy and high point university in north carolina, with a major in history and a minor in english. he had spent 14 months teaching english in central china and was looking forward to working with troubled children. he loved asian history, football, reading, and cooking. he leaves his mother , shirley; a brother , andrew l. walker of boston; aunts, uncles and cousins. a memorial service was held at smith & walker funeral home in putnam, burial was at the forrestdale cemetery in malden, mass. class of 2000 jennifer j. whitten, november 18, 2007 jennifer j. whitten, 26, of webster , ma died unexpectedly in webster . she was born may 11, 1981 at hill air force base, utah, daughter of kenneth r. whitten of woodstock and laura (bartlett) hudson of woodstock. she was formerly of woodstock and attended woodstock academy as a member of the class of 2000, and quinebaug community college. she was employed by frito lay and previously at logee’ s greenhouses. she had an adventure for life, enjoyed working out, had a passion for cooking and loved traveling to such places as france and hawaii. in addition to her mother and father she leaves her sister sarah whitten of norwich, her maternal grandparents loretta bartlett of medway, ma, gerald bartlett of bensalem, pa, several aunts, uncles, cousins and special friend frank adams. she will be remembered as a sweet, kind, loving person.86 the gleaner 2008 86 class of 2001 hannah louise green, may 31, 2006 hannah louise green, 23, of woodstock, passed away on may 31, 2006 at boston children’ s hospital following a bold and courageous fight with cancer . born on february 14, 1983, hannah was the beloved daughter of peter and nancy green, and loving sister to emily (green) hayden and megan green. she grew up in woodstock, and in 2001 she graduated from woodstock academy, where she played soccer and basketball, and participated in several dramatic productions, including grease and west side story. after high school, hannah attended central connecticut state university. at central, she was a member of the pep squad dance team and president of the communications club. in spite of her recent illness, hannah was able to complete her studies, and she graduated with honors in communications on may 20, 2006. following her college graduation, hannah planned to work as the development intern at the hole in the wall gang camp fund in new haven, connecticut. this organization was especially meaningful to hannah as she was a camper for several summers at the hole in the wall gang camp in ashford. she enjoyed her time there with the staff and other campers and was employed in the summer of 2005 as an assistant in the main office. during her twelve-year battle with leukemia, hannah underwent a bone marrow transplant in 1994 and a second transplant in 2003. in the face of these challenges, hannah’ s vivacious spirit, passion for life, and spunky sense of humor remained unconquerable. she enjoyed travel, music, dance, shopping, and spending time with family and friends. her vibrant and upbeat personality touched the hearts of the many people she knew through her involvement in church, school, and recreational activities, as well as through her employment at sweet evalina’ s stand, the inn at woodstock hill, and the woodstock town hall. the name hannah means “grace,” and that’ s exactly what she embodied; she was a beautiful and gracious spirit, a gift to all who knew her . in addition to her parents and sisters, hannah is survived by her paternal grandmother , esther green of new britain; her maternal grandparents, william and audrey metzger of elgin, illinois; her brother-in-law, harley hayden of atlanta, georgia; her boyfriend, jonathan agbatar of durham, england; her dearest friend katrina st. jean of woodstock; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. a memorial service was held at the evangelical covenant church of woodstock. class of 2002 steven jagaczewski, november 15, 2005 steven jagaczewski, 21 of 618 water st., canterbury died unexpectedly on tuesday november 15th at ww backus hospital in norwich, ct . steven was born on january 10, 1984 in new london, to alfred a. and nancy l. (murphy) jagaczewski of cantebury. steven had been a life long resident of canterbury. he attended canterbury schools and was a 2002 graduate of woodstock academy. steven attended the rochester institute of technology. he had been employed at lowes distribution center in plainfield for the past year . steven enjoyed skiing, video games and was an avid reader . besides his parents steven leaves two sisters, megan and amy jagaczewski both of canterbury; his paternal grandmother irene jagaczewski of philadelphia, pa; his maternal grandmother irene murphy of windham; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. he was pre-deceased by his grandfathers, alfred a. jagaczewski, sr . and john f . murphy. a mass was celebrated at st. augustine church in canterbury. class of 2003 hope e. eddy , march 2, 2007 hope elizabeth eddy, 21, beloved daughter of david timothy and marianne eddy, and caring sister of rachel eddy, became an angel of god on march 2, 2007, from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. hope was born may 6, 1985, in putnam. she was a 2003 graduate of woodstock academy. while growing up she was an active member in the east woodstock congregational church and youth group. she attended the state university of new york at delhi where she studied veterinarian technology and was a member of the upsilon delta epsilon. she was employed at the animal hospital of putnam as a vet tech. hope grew up on valley farm in woodstock where her love for nature and animals was nurtured. she particularly loved butterflies, waterfalls, horses, cowboys, country music, her animals and drawing flowers. she was a quiet, sensitive, beautiful young lady who was very passionate about her family and friends. hope always looked for the good in people. a self-proclaimed princess, hope was a joy to her family. she had a wacky sense of humor , a stunning smile, and an infectious laugh. no words can express the hole left in our hearts. in addition to her parents and sister , she leaves her maternal grandparents, seth and florence kent of west glocester , r.i.; great aunts, aunts, an uncle, and cousins. funeral services were held at the east woodstock congregational church with burial at elmvale cemetery in woodstock in the family plot next to her paternal grandparents, david and evelyn eddy. benjamin j. lanning, jr ., april 24, 2008 benjamin j. lanning, jr ., 24, of brooklyn, ct , passed away unexpectedly on thursday, april 24, 2008. he was born in southbridge, ma and was a graduate of woodstock academy. he was self employed and worked with his father as a flooring installer . benjamin is survived by his mother , dot monroe of maine; maternal grandparents, melburn and patricia monroe; uncle, mike houle; sister , faith houle; brother , jeremy houle; nephew, langdon houle; uncle, keith houle; and uncle, gary monroe. his father benjamin j. lanning, sr . and step mother susan oster of union, ct ; paternal grandparents, andy and louise sabo; aunt, sue tutto; uncle, glenn charette; aunt, betty lou wengloski; aunt, sara sabo and predeceased uncle john sabo; aunt, peggy fowler; and aunt, sandy dodge. his step grandparents, june and levi oster; aunt and uncle, rose (teena) and thomas plourde; aunt, carolyn lapabee; aunt and uncle, mary and robert pollier; uncle, william oster; uncle and aunt, steven and barbara oster; uncle, carlton (lee) oster; and aunt and uncle, gloria and john galica. benjamin was also survived by several great aunts and uncles; cousins; and friends. his funeral service of remembrance was held at introvigne funeral home, inc. in stafford springs, ct . class of 2004 jeremy stanley gadbois, april 25, 2008 jeremy stanley gadbois, 21, of brooklyn, ct passed away on april 25, 2008 due to injuries previously suffered during an automobile accident. jeremy was a strong, patriotic man with a desire to help others that went above and beyond that of the average person. his unselfishness on a daily basis left a lasting impression on many. immediately following the events of september 11, 2001 jeremy (at the age of 15) made his way into ground zero and participated extensively in initial search and rescue efforts, where he remained until more organized efforts were established. in october of 2005, jeremy joined the red cross as a volunteer and spent time helping katrina victims in mississippi by setting up and maintaining shelters, food service and water supplies for displaced citizens. he was also instrumental in setting up the first regional database to help disaster victims track lost family members. jeremy had been nearing completion of physical therapy for a shoulder injury, during which he spent time volunteering with the elderly at haven health. upon completion of his rehab he was committed to joining the u.s. army with the intention of becoming a ranger in the special forces. jeremy loved the patriots and red sox. he played semi-pro football with the worcester wildcats and most recently the central mass fury. jeremy leaves his parents bill and laurie gadbois, brothers billy and jacob, sisters sera, julia and cassia, sisters-in-law becky and tracy, brother-in-law bill, and a host of close friends and family. a funeral service was held at the gagnon-costello funeral home, burial followed at south cemetery, brooklyn. bradley scott wilcox, september 2, 2008 bradley scott wilcox, 23, passed away on september 2, 2008. he was born in putnam, ct and has lived in jacksonville, fl for the past five years. he enjoyed atv riding, music, and automobiles. he also attended woodstock academy. he is preceded in death by his grandfather , robert goodno; survivors include his mother an father , jayne and avid wilcox of jupiter , fl; in memoriam87 the gleaner 2008 paternal grandparents, donald and norman wilcox of plainfield, ct , maternal grandmother , shirley goodno of jacksonville, fl; brother , jason wilcox of jupiter , fl; several aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends; and his special friend (nightmare) his dog. memorial services were held on september 9 th at the chapel of cedar bay funeral home in jacksonville. class of 2005 megan l. kleczka, april 27, 2007 megan l. kleczka, 20, of rt. 198, woodstock, died friday, april 27th, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. she graduated from woodstock academy class of 2005 and was a sophomore at eastern connecticut state university. megan was majoring in social work and women’ s studies. she was doing an internship at planned parenthood. she did volunteer work for a hiv clinic and women’ s issues including rape victim’ s rights. she participated in the 2005 walk for judy nylin. megan worked for northwoods childcare center in woodstock. she enjoyed children, her dog snuggles, music and friends. she leaves her parents david kleczka of ellington, her mother susan kleczka-brunell of woodstock; her sister sarah sansom of killeen, tx and her husband david sansom who is serving in iraq; her maternal grandmother lucy brunell of southbridge; her unborn nephew; aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends. her funeral was held at notre dame church in southbridge. class of 2006 erikka howard, february 23, 2007 erikka howard, 19, of danielson, beloved daughter of rebecca howard, died feb. 23, 2007. erikka’ s family was very proud of her while she pursued her ged and volunteered her time at the friends of assisi’ s food pantry. she attended the joshua center , completed an entire year of woodstock academy, as a member of the class of 2006, graduated life skills at united services and the six-week wilderness program. erikka had a special heart for helping others and an infectious smile which touched the lives of those who knew her . she leaves her mom and jeff goglia; her sister , kayla fournier of moosup; her special mentor and confidant, jill o’neill of woodstock; her grandparents barbara howard of danielson and jack howard of moosup; aunts, uncles and cousins. she was buried in the evergreen cemetery. long-time faculty member kenneth i. beatson, july 4, 2006 kenneth i. beatson, 80, of sunrise drive in woodstock, died tuesday july 4th, at his home. he was the beloved husband of dorothy (dowling) beatson, they were married november 21, 1953 in weymouth, ma. he was born in bristol, ct on november 2, 1925 to a. irving and gertrude (mills) beatson. mr . beatson was an industrial arts teacher at woodstock academy for thirty-eight years, he retired in 1989. he enjoyed teaching woodworking, metalworking and leathercraft. for many years he was the audiovisual director and graduation advisor . for twenty-seven years he was the track and cross country coach. ken not only served as a member of the quinebaug valley conference for twenty-five years he was one of the founding fathers of the conference. he served fifteen years as both conference president and director of the basketball tournament. he was a wwii veteran, serving in the us army aircorp as a corporal. ken was a 1950 graduate of central connecticut state college. he made his home in woodstock since 1951, a member of the woodstock volunteer fire department and an avid red sox fan. he was dedicated to young people, community and family. he always worked for the common good with little if any recognition for his efforts. he passed quietly, but his life had an immense impact on many students and athletes. he is survived by his wife, son daniel beatson and wife kim of east brookfield, ma; three daughters, kathlene ouellette and husband paul of norwich; erin may and husband bill of ma; nora steinhauser and husband ted of woodbridge, va; five grandchildren; erica, heather , andrew, caitlyn and brenden. he was predeceased by his daughter patricia beatson and a brother gordon beatson. graveside service was on july 7th 2006 at elmvale cemetery. former trustee larry w. ulm, march 6, 2005 larry woodard ulm, 63, of pomfret center died march 6, 2005, at home. he was the husband of katherine (mansfield) (pickles) ulm. they were married on dec. 26, 1989 in pomfret center . mr . ulm was born in lake city, fla., on jan. 16, 1942, the son of henry woodard ulm of dunnellon of florida and geraldine (wrede) ulm of huntington beach, calif. he attended the dunnellon schools and graduated from high school in 1959. he then attended the university of florida and graduated in 1963, with a degree in business administration. he joined the u.s. marines in june 1963 and served during the vietnam war . he was honorably discharged in 1966, having achieved the rank of captain. he then served in the marine corps reserve from 1966 to 1973. when mr . ulm left active duty in 1966, he worked as a salesman for continental can in buffalo, n.y . he then worked at international paper co. for 26 years. his final position was as sales manager at the putnam plant. in 1999, he formed his own packaging company, coastal packaging co., which he owned and operate in north grosvenordale, until the present. from 1990 to 1995, he and his wife started and operated woody’ s restaurant and pub in ashford. mr . ulm was the former chairman of the pomfret board of education. he was a member of the woodstock academy board of trustees, and the pomfret democratic town committee. he was the founder of the woodstock academy booster club, and a founder of the frog rock youth basketball league. besides his wife, his father , and his mother , he leaves a stepmother , margaret ulm of dunnellan, fla.; five sons, scott ulm and his wife, terre and adam ulm, all of jacksonville, fla., shawn hansen and his wife, erin of rogers, matthew ulm of buffalo, and james pickles and his wife, kelly of lisbon; a daughter , tara pickles of charlestown, r.i.; a sister , antoinette paige gass and her husband, greg of huntington beach; two brothers-in-law ralph and raymond mansfield; seven grandchildren, jason and rebekah ulm, kelsey pickles-sanelli, makenna rose, jackson, harrison and ella adams-pickles; a niece; and steven sanelli, father of kelsey pickles-sanelli. memorial services were held at first baptist church of dunnellon in florida, with burial at dunnellon memorial gardens. friends of woodstock academy t . christopher sheehan iii, february 16, 2008 timothy christopher sheehan iii, 56, of eastford, beloved husband of deborah (somes) sheehan, went to be with his lord on february 16th, 2008, surrounded by his family following a courageous two-year struggle with brain cancer . born in hartford on july 17th, 1951, to doris (smith) and timothy c. sheehan, jr ., chris graduated from rocky hill high school class of 1969, and received a bachelor’ s degree from norwich university in vermont in 1973, whereupon he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the united states army. he also received a master’ s degree from central connecticut state university. chris taught physical education and health at griswold middle school in rocky hill for over 32 years. during that time, he coached a variety of teams at the high school and middle school levels in town. he also coached varsity soccer at woodstock academy for five years, a team which his son jacob played on. chris was inducted into the rocky hill athletic hall of fame in june 2007 for coaching and athletic excellence. more than this recognition, he valued motivating and mentoring his students and players both in the classroom and on the field. living in the ‘quiet corner’ afforded chris the opportunity to hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors. he took great pleasure in spending time with his family, especially his two grandsons. he was also an avid red sox and uconn basketball fan. besides his wife of 34 years, he is survived by his three children, jessica peronace and her husband stephen of newington, joshua sheehan of cambridge, ma, and 1lt jacob sheehan of ft. knox, ky . he leaves his sisters, kathleen goracy and her husband leonard of tariffville, mary sheehan of manchester , and maureen briggeman and her husband peter of manchester . he also leaves grandsons matthew and benjamin peronace, in addition to many nieces and nephews. he was predeceased by his mother in 1997. the family wishes to extend deep gratitude to abby ciampa, aprn, dr . patrick wen, and the dedicated team at dana-farber in boston. there was a memorial service at the congregational church of eastford. in memoriam88 the gleaner 2008 making a difference in the lives that follow the woodstock academy community was deeply saddened by the loss of father alan p . maynard, a long-time friend and supporter of the academy who passed away on september 7, 2006. father maynard was born in waterbury, ct , on july 29, 1925 and graduated from brown university in 1947 and the general theological seminary, nyc, in 1955. he began his ministry in newport, ri, and served in various parishes in rhode island and massachusetts before retiring from active ministry in 2000. in addition to his vocation as a priest, father maynard served the administration of brown university for 25 years, as bursar and later director of financial aid. it was during his tenure at brown university that father maynard became acquainted with woodstock academy through his close friend and companion, mr . david marsland, who was a faculty member for over 20 years. both shared a passion for education and the arts, and through their respective vocations, devoted their lives to the betterment of society – one through his ministry and the other through teaching. in october of 1993, david marsland succumbed all too quickly to an aggressive cancer at the age of 46. upon his death, a scholarship was established in his name by his academy colleague, mrs. patricia harrington. in addition to his many years as a teacher and department chairperson in the business department, david was a talented artist who had his work on display in many local shows and galleries. in that vein, the david w. marsland scholarship is given annually to a graduating senior at woodstock academy who is planning to pursue additional studies in the field of business or art. without hesitation, father maynard, pledged his testamentary support for the scholarship fund in memory of his devoted friend. he felt strongly that david’ s legacy be carried on in perpetuity, reflecting the passion for education and art that they both shared. during the years that followed mr . marsland’ s death, father maynard kept the academy close at heart and considered the academy to be his “adopted secondary school.” as a philanthropist in mind and body, father maynard’ s ministry carried him far beyond the parish communities he was associated with. he was actively engaged through service to and support of various organizations including the salvation army, brown university, the rhode island philharmonic, and the rhode island watercolor join the ely ransom hall legacy society recognizing planned gifts to woodstock academy top seven things you can do today 1. prepare or update your will. 2. set aside a gift in your will for a non-profit organization like woodstock academy that has made a difference in your life. 3. name woodstock academy as the beneficiary of an existing life insurance policy or purchase a new policy and name the academy the beneficiary. 4. remember your loved ones with a charitable bequest in their honor 5. name the academy as a beneficiary of your ira. 6. discuss with your advisors and woodstock academy the tax advantages you can enjoy now by leaving a gift to the academy. 7. spread the word! let family, friends and advisors know that you’ve taken responsibility for your legacy and for a cause you care about. for more information, please contact: kristen willis, director of development woodstock academy 57 academy road, woodstock, ct 06281 tel. 860-963-4926 leave a legacy connect i cut be a part of the future with woodstock academy •woodstock academy• woodstock , c onnecticut founded 1801 society. he was genuinely proud to be associated with woodstock academy and frequently expressed his deep commitment to supporting its mission. the academy is extremely fortunate and honored to be part of father maynard’ s legacy and to have remained a priority in his philanthropic efforts. in the fall of 2007, through his generosity, a bequest of 95,000 was allocated to the david w. marsland scholarship fund. since the inception of the fund in 1994, the academy community and friends have supported the marsland scholarship through their generosity and hard work, holding an annual talent show for many years, various sales and socials, and most recently, an annual christmas craft fair sponsored by the academy’ s entrepreneurship class under the direction of mrs. harrington. for the past several years, the fund has benefited an academy student with a 300 annual award. as a result of father maynard’ s bequest, the recipient of the marsland scholarship for 2008 was able to receive an award of 1,800. a great institution often begins with the vision of one person, but continues through the generosity of hundreds of people, generations beyond its founding. such has been the case for woodstock academy. while father maynard is not here to receive our thanks in person, we know that he understood what his gift would mean to us and how many students will benefit from it, year after year , generation after generation. donor wall dedication the ceremony was held on august 22, 2006 at the donor recognition dinner which is held each year prior to the annual meeting of the trustees and corporators. the academy community is proud to publicly recognize, in perpetuity, the generosity of alumni and friends with a permanent display in the lobby of the henry c. bowen building. (l to r) headmaster , richard foye; alumni trustee, paul kelly ’69; alumni trustee & 3rd century campaign co-chair , jeri lee musumeci ‘63; director of development, kristen willis ‘76; and 3rd century campaign co-chair , chuck bentley ‘71 at the dedication ceremony of the woodstock academy donor wall.the re-opening of the howard webster bracken memorial library was celebrated with a rededication ceremony held on november 4, 2007. the school and greater community are now enjoying the results of this long awaited renovation project and fundraising effort – a 21 st century educational resource center that will not only provide our students access to high quality academic research, but preserves our historical connection to the community as a public library by providing a comfortable and welcoming place that inspires lifelong learning. annual giving drives, along with other fundraising efforts over the past three years, have been dedicated toward the library project. our sincere gratitude for the generosity of alumni, parents, friends, and local businesses who helped bring this vision to fruition. from concept to reality, from vision to fruition ... but for the generosity of alumni & friends. howard webster bracken memorial library renovation & expansion fund (represents donations rec’d thru 6/30/08) mrs. claudette ames mr . kenneth f . andrews mrs. charlene s. armitage at&t m.g. program avaya, m.g. program mr . & mrs. dennis barlow mr . & mrs. herman barlow, jr . mr . & mrs. herman barlow, sr . ms. barbara barrett ms. doris barrett mr . & mrs. patrick bassett mr . daniel beatson mrs. kenneth beatson & family mr . charles bentley ms. deborah boldry mrs. jessica weaver boose dr . & mrs. kevin boucher mrs. arline bowen mrs. dorothy nieminen bressette mrs. jeanne stringfield burlingham ms. ann campbell mr . tony carminati ms. jeanne chappell class of 1965 - 40th reunion class of 2005 – class gift class of 2007 – class gift mr . & mrs. glenn converse mr . & mrs. francis corden ms. michelle m. cordes mr . russell cote mr . & mrs. douglas couture mr . edgar craver mrs. suzanne walker cross mrs. elizabeth scranton curtin mrs. barbara davis mr . gordon a. davis mr . & mrs. michael decarli ms. laura reynolds delaura mr . thomas dinwoodie mr . john dvorsky ms. colleen egan mr . robert ekman mr . michael emerson ms. suanne epstein mr . al fabian mrs. evelyn eddy fairfield mr . neal b. freuden mrs. elizabeth frink mrs. hazel froehlich ms. linda gabinelli mr . guy gavitt mr . & mrs. richard garceau mrs. ellen geer mr . & mrs. david gibson mr . peter gobis mrs. mary jane hall gregg mrs. priscilla spence hall the hartford, m.g. program ms. lee hazelton dr . & mrs. neri holzer ms. rebecca hyde mr . stanley jakubaitis dr . & mrs. richard e. johnson mr . & mrs. kevin johnston mr . & mrs. paul joudrey mr . & mrs. dennis kelly mr . paul kelly mr . & mrs. bruce kosa mrs. gretchen garceau kragh mr . jerry kuper ms. patricia langer mrs. darcy santos laprade ms. leslie lavallee mrs. dorothy d. leone mrs. kim staveski mack mr . nicholas magrey mr . & mrs. richmond marcy mr . j. quinn martin mr . & mrs. douglas may mr . richard may mr . & mrs. michael mcgrath mr . kevin meade, icf group mr . richard d. mellen for mrs. anna petersen mellen, ‘33 mr . seth mellen for mr . & mrs. richard mellen mr . david e. merrill mr . & mrs. joseph miragliuolo mr . nic miragliuolo mr . archie e. mitchell ms. tracie molinaro mrs. alma morris mr . & mrs. joseph musumeci mr . wilbur d. neumann mrs. christine garabrant o’donnell ms. monica o’neill mrs. phyllis arnold oppenheim mr . & mrs. christopher paige mr . & mrs. richard paquette ms. leta herman & mr . neal parks mr . & mrs. jeffrey paul mrs. cheryl domurad pekarovic mr . & mrs. scott pempek ms. bettina phagan putnam savings bank mrs. ann redman mr . brian rice mrs. kirsten paquette rigney mrs. barbara rosen mrs. alice dvorsky russ saint-gobain coporation foundation, m.g. program ms. tara salvas mrs. muriel sandness mr . peter santos mr . & mrs. robert savage mr . & mrs. robert schacht mr . & mrs. allen sherman ms. dawn sherman mr . & mrs. kenneth sherman ms. rose slonim mr . gary m. smith mr . donald spaeth mrs. maxine spalding mr . & mrs. paul spink spirol international charitable foundation mrs. beverly stehlik mr . & mrs. sidney swenson mr . & mrs. ramsey tarabishy mrs. judith tedeschi mr . christian teja mr . matthew teja mr . peter vercelli viola, chrabasez, reynolds & co., llp mr . james viola mr . allan d. walker , sr . ms. jennifer watson ms. jane weimann mrs. colleen white mr . justin white mrs. geneva cross white mrs. pauline salvas white mr . wesley white mrs. erin wilcox rev. david wolf woodstock fair association woodstock recreation commission