Horace Mann - Spring 2010 - (Page 4)

Head of School letter from the head of school G raduation is upon us, a time when, each year, the words of Ecclesiastes inevitably echo in my mind. These words resonate perhaps more than ever before, as I reflect on the past year at Horace Mann School, for this year has surely been “A time to plant” as described in this immortal text. Students enter Horace Mann as seedlings in our Nursery Division, anxious to grow in the enriched atmosphere of learning there. Others arrive new to Horace Mann in the Lower Division, or Middle or Upper, as sprouts and then saplings for our teachers to nurture intellectually and creatively, and our administrators, coaches and staff to guide along a path toward fulfilling lives. Along the way these young people immerse themselves in adventurous learning. For many students there is no learning more memorable than that which they experience in their trips to the John Dorr Nature Laboratory. Last year was a “a time to plant” and “a time to build” at Dorr, as Horace Mann School constructed a new Lodge that makes our Connecticut campus for outdoor and communal education as environmentally sustainable as possible. In so doing, the John Dorr Nature Laboratory is now more able to practice the environmental lessons it teaches. Dorr also serves as an inspiration to all of us at Horace Mann to work toward sustainability on our Bronx and Manhattan campuses, while imparting an education to our students in Nursery through the most elevated Upper Division science classes to enable them to aim for the goal of sustainability in their lives, today and in the future. I invite you to read this issue of Horace Mann Magazine that details the work done at Dorr, the efforts we are making throughout Horace Mann to attain a sustainable campus, and our School’s involvement in our greater community. The issue also looks at the environmentallyrelated work pursued by Horace Mann School alumni from across the generations. With profound sadness I also share with you thoughts on this past school year as “a time to mourn.” On February 20, 2010, the entire Horace Mann School community of teachers, students and alumni endured the loss of our friend—former teacher, Dean and library head Randal Castleman. For nearly 32 years, since his arrival at Horace Mann in 1978, Randal served this School with dedication and grace, as an outstanding teacher whose powerful influence on generations of alumni, including his two children, is recalled in this issue as well. Many have expressed words about the great friend we have lost, but the words repeating in my mind are those this expert in the English language offered, himself, to a recent graduating class he mentored. “Never wish your life away… enjoy the here and now.” And so, we arrive at another season of graduations, another close of a vibrant Horace Mann school year. For the students who have worked and played with dedication on their way to this day, to their families and teachers, this is definitely “a time to reap” the rewards of lessons learned and friendships forged. For me, this season represents the close of my fifth year as Head of School, an unimaginably swift swirl of excitement, action, bursting pride at the accomplishments of our students and teachers, and the communal pulling together of families and alumni, that I have witnessed and been privileged to be part of in my half-decade at this School. These years at Horace Mann School seem to represent only a fraction of the education I have experienced here myself, perhaps because each year brims with the 123-year legacy of learning of which you are all a part. Together, let us recognize the opportunities we have as the Horace Mann School community to move this legacy forward toward a sustainable future, a future of learning inspired by those who have gone before us, a future it is our “time to embrace.” With best wishes always, Dr. Thomas M. Kelly P ’18 Head of School 4 Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Spring 2010

Horace Mann - Spring 2010
Contents
Letters
Greetings from Dr. Tom Kelly
Greetings from Melissa Parento
Toward a Sustainable School, and a Sustainable Society
News of the School
Alumni Council Corner
Alumni News
Bookshelf
Class Notes
Memorials
Philanthropy and You

Horace Mann - Spring 2010