| | In This Issue: Two Students Accepted into Worcester Incubator for Innovation
Bancroft 7th Grader Dances
with Pharrell Williams on SNL
8th Grade Kicks Off World Fair Project
5 US Students Spend a Week in
UMass Research Labs
Technology Shows 2nd Graders The Nile River 16 MS Students Spend Spring Break in Costa Rica Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair at WPI
Bancroft Students Win 1st Place
SISAL Art Awards
Three Classmates Perform at MS Assembly
8th Grader Takes Experiential Learning from Bancroft to Wyoming
Bancroft Alum Seeks Houses
as Filming Locations
Bancroft Senior is State
Champion in Poetry Reading Winter Sports Wrap-up Heinricher Named Robotics Teacher of the Year Latin Day 2014: Olympians 155, Titans 146
Scenes from the
US Musical Lucky Stiff
VIEW SLIDESHOW from this wonderful performance! ♦
New Staff Member's
1st Day was Just Ducky!
New maintenance staffer KC McKeon (left) was seen on his first day carrying a large papier-maché duck. Welcome, KC! ♦
PFA Cultural Series Dance China Wows Audience
MS and US students experienced the rich cultural heritage of Chinese dance through Dance China on April 2nd, sponsored by the PFA Cultural Arts Series. ♦
Stretch Your Donation Dollars on May 6th!
Bancroft is participating in the first-ever community-wide 24-hour online giving event, Greater Worcester GIVES, on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. Every donation to Bancroft School made through www.gwgives.org during this 24-hour period will be eligible for bonus matching funds available to the participating non-profits. The more people give, the bigger Bancroft's slice of the bonus pie!
Mark your calendar for May 6th and make your gift to the Bancroft Fund go further!
Bancroft Student
Photo Gallery 
               
| | Two Students Accepted into Worcester Incubator for Innovation  Upper School Head Roy Gillette is proud to announce that two of Bancroft’s US students, junior Sander D. and sophomore Brian M., have been accepted as Fellows in the Art of Science Learning (AoSL) Program’s Worcester Incubator for Innovation. The incubator group is charged with a civic challenge to integrate arts-based learning with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning to research, plan, and develop new transportation solutions for the city of Worcester. Sander and Brian had to commit to devoting approximately 150 hours to the program, including workshop sessions and time spent working on the civic challenge. They will be working collaboratively with a team of scientists, artists, engineers, educators, other students (high school and college), community members, business professionals, and transportation professionals.
This project is an amazing opportunity for the boys, as recognition is growing among major U.S. employers that artistic skills, processes, and experiences are a key organizational resource that can strengthen innovation processes and foster creative thinking. The AoSL program runs from March 1, 2014 until January 10, 2015. We will follow their progress as the project continues.
♦
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Bancroft 7th Grader Dances with
Pharrell Williams on SNL
 If you were watching Saturday Night Live on April 5th, you saw Bancroft 7th Grader Yanna N. dancing onstage with the mega-popular Pharrell Williams as he performed his #1 hit song, "Happy."
In the photo, Yanna is just to the right of Pharrell, sporting a pink t-shirt, a denim jacket, and a smile that lights up the stage. Despite her tender age, Yanna is an accomplished dancer with many professional credits on her resume, including a role in the national tour of Billy Elliot the Musical last year. "The SNL opportunity came up quite suddenly", says Yanna’s mom Sheri. “Yanna’s dance agent contacted us on Friday morning to see if Yanna was available for Saturday. She was, so the agent submitted her picture and resume to the people who work for Pharrell. We got an email at 11:30 Friday night saying they’d chosen her, and giving us the rehearsal and performance times for the next day. That's show biz!” The choreographers placed Yanna in a high-visibility position, right behind Pharrell. We think her brilliant smile and expert dance moves stole the show! So HAPPY and proud of you, Yanna! Watch the video of the SNL performance.
8th Grade Kicks Off World Fair Project
The 8th grade held a new kick-off event on March 12 to launch their annual World Fair, which culminates the MS English and Geography curriculum. “Students study a novel or memoir from one of five countries: Mexico, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Haiti, or China,” explains English teacher Jamie Paul. "They write a paper, and eventually present their knowledge at the World Fair event which includes a culinary celebration. At the kick-off, a panel of local representatives from Nigeria, Haiti, and China shared positive elements of their cultures that they miss and value, as well as challenges that people face today in their country. Guests included Nike Ajayi of Nigeria; Jeanmary Saintilma (cousin of Harley M. '18) of Haiti; and Upper Schoolers Carlos M. and Liven T., exchange students from China. “The addition of a kick-off event grew out of best practices related to Bancroft’s Project-Based Learning initiative,” says Jamie. “It adds a human, real-world element to the students' experience.” Click button on photo above to view slide show. ♦
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5 US Students Spend a Week in UMass Research Labs  For one week during spring break, five US students got to experience the life of a scientific researcher at UMass Medical School. Juniors Sydney V., Rachel W., Katie E., Vjola J., and Rhys E. worked with grad-student mentors in the labs of renowned UMass scientists including Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Craig Mello. Bancroft’s science department head Brian Kondek worked with UMass doctors Nathaniel Erskine (Bancroft Class of ’06) and Terry Flotte (Bancroft trustee and parent) to launch the project. Their goal was to give students greater exposure to the realm of research science in a 'real world' setting. ♦
2nd Graders Use Technology to Travel the Nile River
 On March 14th, the second grade took a virtual trip along Egypt's Nile River, stopping at different stations along the way. Second grade teachers Kristin Tupper and Bob Beliveau, along with LS librarian Lisa Leach, devised the project to complement the Central Subject unit on ancient Egypt. The students used iPads to progress through the tour. "We created QR codes for each station," Kristin explained. "When they scanned the QR codes with the iPad, instructions appeared on screen telling the students, for example, to watch a short video and complete an activity." There were six stations, each lasting about 10 minutes. Click button on photo above to view slide show (and note that it was also Crazy Hat Day!) ♦
back to top 16 MS Students Spend Spring Break in Costa Rica
 A group of 16 Bancroft 7th and 8th graders spent their spring break in the town of San Joaquín de Flores in Heredia, Costa Rica. MS Spanish teacher Jody Stephenson arranged the trip, and she and US teacher Jane Merritt chaperoned. Jody has built a strong relationship with the Spanish immersion school Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI), where the students attended Spanish classes each day, and took part in daily activities that combined fun with learning. The students lived with Costa Rican host families, where they had to put their language skills into practice. During the trip, they saw two volcanoes, learned about the history of Costa Rica, practiced traditional and modern dances, and learned to cook traditional Costa Rican foods. Students also did community service with a local Nicaraguan group, painting houses and interacting at a children’s center.
“As a Spanish teacher," said Jody, "there is nothing more meaningful than watching your students use the language outside of the classroom. The kids were amazing—they were curious and engaged… I couldn't be more proud of them." Judging from some of the comments, the students loved the trip too:
“Everyone is so happy in Costa Rica. One of the most common things I heard there was pura vida, which literally means pure life... It's like saying hakuna matata here.”
— Meredith G., Grade 7
“Along with having a blast, I was immersed in the culture and learned many new things about life there and the Spanish language itself.” — Giuliana R., Grade 8 "This trip was such a great experience. I want to go back. The best part was playing with the kids during community service."
— Penh A., Grade 8
The group also left a positive impression on the adults in San Joaquín. “At least 10 times—in the airport, at a restaurant, at the language school, at the hot springs—people expressed positive comments about our students... how impressive and well-behaved they were,” Jane Merritt said. We applaud these young travelers and their teachers for being excellent ambassadors for Bancroft, while living the School's global mission. ♦
Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair at WPI
 US science teachers MaryAnn DeMaria and John Beauregard recently announced some great Science Fair News! Bancroft students entered six projects in the Worcester Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on March 7th. There were over 150 students at the fair and only 41 awards given out. Five out of the six projects from Bancroft School won awards: 5th Place Liam S.; 4th Place Lucy F.; 3rd Place William D. & Emory P.; 2nd Place Allie M.; 2nd Place Marcelo F. & Akanksh C. All of these students qualified for the State Science Fair at MIT in May, and Marcelo and Akanksh will be going to ISEF (International Science & Engineering Fair) in Los Angeles, CA! Read announcement from Worcester Telegram. ♦
back to top Bancroft Students Win First-Place SISAL Art Awards  Congratulations to junior Hannah Z. and 7th grader Watts H-W., who both earned 1st place awards at the 2014 Small Independent Schools Art League (SISAL) competition. Hannah's artwork submission, “Scars on City Walls,” won in the Mixed-Media category. Watts earned her award in the Drawing category for a pen-and-ink landscape drawing she did in Connie Moore's art class. SISAL is an organization of small independent day schools in southern New England that holds an annual competition and exhibition of student artwork. The girls' artwork is currently on exhibit at Cape Cod Academy, along with entries from 19 other Bancroft students. The show is open to the public weekdays from April 1–12. A reception and awards ceremony will be held on April 12 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. ♦
Three LS Students Perform at MS Assembly
 Three 4th grade boys performed at the MS Assembly last month —and it was their own idea. Darren B., Jonah K., and Tim M., approached their music teacher, Dr. Melley, about performing for their older schoolmates during assembly. Touched by the idea, Dr. Melley agreed. Most appropriately, the three pals chose to play the song, "With a Little Help from My Friends," by The Beatles. ♦
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8th Grader's Experiential Learning Stretches from Bancroft to Wyoming
T hanks in part to recommendations from MS teachers Aaron Fuller and Jamie Paul, 8th grader Isabelle T. recently won a scholarship to attend Teton Valley Ranch Camp (TVRC) in Wyoming. Experiential learning—learning by doing—is a large part of both Bancroft and TVRC’s curriculum, but there’s one big difference: They do it old-school at TVRC; no iPads, laptops, phones, or other electronic devices are allowed. "Being disconnected from everyday technology was never difficult for me to do," says Isabelle. "In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way. People get so wrapped up in their iPhones, they forget how beautiful the world is around them. I think it helps me become more connected to the wilderness because I'm no longer distracted by reality." As a camper at TVRC, Isabelle gains first-hand knowledge of the American West and its ranching heritage. Like Bancroft, the camp promotes land stewardship and respect for self and others, but throws in some specialized activities, such as rodeo sports and lapidary. Isabelle’s older sister Olivia (Bancroft Class of 2012) also went to the Wyoming camp, and now attends Colorado College. ♦
back to top Bancroft Alum Seeks Local Houses as Filming Locations  Aidan Payne, a 2008 Bancroft grad, is seeking houses in Worcester County as possible filming locations for his current project, a teen drama called “The Case Against Sam.” Worcester native Andrea Ajemian is producing the movie. Aidan has worked on Denzel Washington’s upcoming “The Equalizer,” John Travolta’s “The Forger,” and PBS programs with Bancroft parent Dennis Allen. Shoot dates for “The Case Against Sam” are between April 24 and May 13. One house would be needed for 1 day of filming; two others for 3-4 days of filming. Aidan is hoping to find three suburban-looking homes, preferably close together. A location fee will be provided. If you are interested in submitting your house for consideration, please e-mail Aidan at: aidanreapayne@gmail.com. ♦
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Bancroft Senior is State Champion in Poetry Reading  Bancroft's US Speech Team competed in the State Speech Tournament at Acton-Boxborough High School on Saturday, April 5th, and senior Sali D. (third from left in the picture) is the new State Champion in Poetry Reading! Her winning poem was In The Marvelous Dimension by Kate Daniels. “She did really well", said proud Coach Chris Sheldon, adding that the team as a whole placed a very respectable ninth out of 27, competing against much larger teams. Other honors received at this tournament were: Monica C. – 6th Place in Children's Literature; Sali D. – 6th Place in Prose Reading
; Marcelo F. – Semi-finalist in Poetry Reading (top 12)
; Marcelo F. – Honorable Mention in Dramatic Interpretation; and
Peter M. – Honorable Mention in Humorous Interpretation. ♦
Winter Sports Wrap-Up: Basketball, Skiing, Swimming The winter season for 2013-14 was an exciting and successful one for Bancroft. Highlights include: – Sophomore Emma L. winning the Knock-Out Competition at the Charlie A. Basketball Tournament Pep Rally—and later in the season being named a NEPSAC Class C All-Star.
 – Senior Liam S. taking first-place in both slalom and giant slalom at the NEPSAC Class C Alpine Skiing Championships.
– Coach Mark O'Brien acquiring the 300th win in his 23rd year as varsity boys basketball coach.
– Freshman basketball sensation Emmanuel B. being named both a NEPSAC Class D All-Star and an EIL All-League player
– And Reese G. (girls varsity basketball), Eric C. (swimming) and Kim L. (swimming) receiving EIL All-League honors!
In addition, the Bancroft coaches presented awards for:
– Varsity and JV Most Valuable Player or Skier (MVP or MVS)
– Varsity, JV, and MS Most Improved Player or Skier (MIP, MIS)
– Varsity, JV, and MS Coaches’ Award (CA)
– MS Leadership Award (LA) This year's Winter Sports Award winners are listed below:
V Coed Swimming:
Eric C., MVP; Akankash C., MIP; Paul F. & Hannah S., CA
V Girls Basketball:
Reese G., MVP; Anwyn G-D., MIP; Emma F. & Emma L., CA
V Boys Basketball:
Emmanuel B., MVP; Luke A., MIP; Ethan P., CA
V Boys Alpine Skiing:
Liam S., MVS; David T. & Collin S., MIS; Dan C., CA
V Girls Alpine Skiing:
Abby E., MVS; Allison E. & Alyssa S., MIS; Caitlin S., CA
JV Boys Basketball:
Steven R., MVP; Colton G., MIP; Brian M., CA
MS Boys “A” Basketball:
Carlo M., MIP; Tanner O., LA; Tim O. & Jacob M., CA
MS Boys “B Gray” Basketball:
Ross F., MIP; Ryan P., LA; Mitch P., CA
MS Boys “B Red” Basketball:
Dan F., MIP; Joey B., LA; Mike K., CA
MS Girls Basketball:
Julia D., MIP; Riley B. & Jennah V., LA; Paige D., CA ♦
back to top Heinricher Named Robotics Teacher of the Year  Early this month, Bancroft’s US VEX Robotics Team 2442 traveled to Omaha, NE, to compete in the U.S. Open Robotics Championship. They performed admirably and made us all proud. But they had one achievement no other school can claim: they got their coach and mentor, Elisa Heinricher, elected as the U.S. Open Robotics Championship Teacher of the Year!
The CREATE Foundation (Competitive Robotics Enhancing and Advancing Technology Education) sponsors the competition, which is based on student nominations. Team captain Jessica C. provided a copy of the heartfelt essay from the Bancroft team: “Team 2442 believes our teacher, Mrs. Elisa Heinricher, to be deserving of the CREATE Teacher of the Year Award for her enthusiasm and commitment to STEM subjects, and her never-ending dedication tour school’s Robotics program.” The essay went on for two handwritten pages, enumerating the many reasons Mrs. H. was worthy of this honor. US Head, Roy Gillette, who also attended the championship in Omaha, agreed: “Elisa is an incredible asset not only to Bancroft’s robotics program and the Bancroft community, but to the entire VEX Robotics Consortium. I applaud the students for communicating her strengths so articulately, and I congratulate Elisa on this well deserved honor.” ♦
Latin Day 2014: Olympians 155,
Titans 146
 April 7th was Latin Day at Bancroft! This annual competition pits the Titans in purple against the Olympians in white. Led by lavender-wearing Latin teachers Aaron Fuller, Karen Fuller, and Robin Silverman, these teams of MS and US Latin students built catapults, ran relay races, tossed laurel wreaths and javelins, and played life-size Latin scrabble. The competition was fierce, but in the end the Olympians were the victors! Click button on photo above to view slide show.♦
April is Poetry Month! Send Mrs. Bagley your favorite
poem and we'll put it in the library and on Facebook. 
Upcoming Important Dates
Alumni Reunion – Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 for reunion classes ending in 4s and 9s. View Schedule PFA Cultural Arts Series Event: Wingmasters – Friday, April 18
Learn More
Patriots' Day, School Closed – Monday, April 21 LS Art Show Opening – Thursday, April 24
E-Waste Drive: MS Green Super Heroes – Thursday, April 24
Headmaster Celebration – Saturday, May 3, 5pm.
MS Dance – Friday, May 9, 7:30pm. back to top
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The past month has been, in many ways, a difficult one for the Bancroft Community. With the tragic death of Terry Bartkus who worked in our dining hall for two decades and touched the lives of thousands of students, faculty, alumni, and parents, we expressed our sorrow and respect for a truly good person who embodied so many of the principles upon which we hope to live our lives: fidelity, care for others, hard work, dedication to family, love for others.
