| | Dear Bancroft Friends:
 I’m still riding the wave of Bancroft School spirit from Friday’s all-school Blue-Out and Pep Rally, and Saturday’s Family Festival and Homecoming. The Homecoming Committee worked so hard to make it happen, and it was fantastic to see so many people pulling together in the glorious weather to celebrate our student-athletes and bond as a community.
In last month’s Shorelines, I talked about building relationships and connections. I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with many of you recently at Parents’ Night, the PFA Welcome Back Social, new parent dinners, coffees, and elsewhere. Soon I’ll be going on the road to meet with Bancroft alumni and friends, gathering an ever-greater sense of Bancroft’s history and good connections. Speaking of which… you may have seen the recent article in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette that talked about The Worcester Journal, the brand new online literary publication for young writers. The Journal’s first issue was made possible by a gift from Class of 1952 alumni Tony and Judy (Stoddard) King (past Bancroft parents and grandparents). It is published by our writer-in-residence, Jim Dempsey. And it included a story by junior Noah K. Bancroft collaboration at its best. But as we teach our students, we are also global citizens whose relationships extend far beyond Worcester or Central Mass. I had a profound reminder of this when I joined our 6th graders on their recent field trip to the American Antiquarian Society, one of Worcester’s world-class treasures. The students were conducting research for their Central Subject unit on the history, geography, and culture of the Blackstone River Valley (“Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution”). I stood back and watched a group of iPad-carrying 21st century middle schoolers looking at actual printed materials from the early 1800s to learn about their own city. Sparks of excitement were evident as they saw how a simple waterway had the power to connect the landlocked shire town of Worcester to the port city of Providence and thus, to the world beyond. It’s a profound lesson. That one connection—the Blackstone Canal—started a series of economic and social changes that quite literally opened up a world of new opportunities. Today’s Bancroft students and their families have come to Central Massachusetts from all corners of the world— China, Ghana, India, the U.K., to name just a few. Our relationships provide so many avenues for growth and understanding, and will do so throughout our lives. We are all one. Best,
Trey Cassidy
Head of School
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| | In This Issue: Pep Rally Goes All-School Family Festival & Homecoming 2014
Bancroft Young Writers Conference to Return in November Kindergarten & 7th Grade Students Send Symbolic Butterflies to Mexico US Students & Faculty Discuss
Their Common Read
Junior Noah K. – A Published Author Intro to Marine Science Class Preps for Cape Cod Trip
Upcoming Important Dates
Donor Spotlight
Bancroft Fund Co-Chairs
Ellie Winthrop & David Fahlstrom
Dave Fahlstrom loves nothing more than to speak of his daughters, two of whom— Rebecca ’07 and Rachel ’11—are Bancroft alumnae. A donor since 1995, David is a Bancroft Trustee and has dedicated countless hours chairing the annual Bancroft Fund drive since 2002.
Also a proud Bancroft parent, Ellie Winthrop’s daughter Anna graduated in 2011, and daughter Nicole is an active 8th grader. Ellie is the treasurer of the Bancroft PFA, an active volunteer, a donor since 2007, and has co-chaired the Bancroft Fund since 2012.
We are so grateful for the work that they do on behalf of the Bancroft Fund. Their selfless gifts of time and energy helped raise nearly $320,000 last year alone. When they called, you responded generously, and the Bancroft Fund helped us pay for leveled reading books… butterfly larvae… a new grammar curriculum for Middle and Upper School… gallons of paint and pounds of clay… Macbook Air computers for the science cart… a pitching machine… digital language lab equipment… professional development courses… and so very much more.
Leadership like Dave’s and Ellie’s is priceless. And your gifts to the Bancroft Fund support and enrich the Bancroft experience immeasurably. THANK YOU.
Join the Bancroft Fund team today! For more information contact Debra Mooney, Director of Annual Giving at dmooney@bancroftschool.org.
Student Gallery
           
| | Pep Rally Goes All-School  With every Bancroft student, faculty, and staff member sporting a blue "Bancroft Homecoming" t-shirt, the first-ever All-School Blue-Out and Pep Rally on Friday, September 26th got everyone revved up for the next day's Homecoming games and family festivities. Pep Rally has traditionally been an Upper School event, but we suspect the Pre-K–12 version is here to stay! Spike the Bancroft Bulldog and emcee Ethan P. led a fantastic assembly that generated a ton of Bulldog Spirit! Click red button above to watch video.
Family Festival & Homecoming 2014  With bright blue skies and 80-degree weather, Saturday couldn't have been a nicer day to be outside with friends, family, faculty, and the talented student-athletes of Bancroft School. The day started off with the with 5K Fun Run in support of Worcester Partnership, with Head of School Trey Cassidy setting a steady pace. The Family Breakfast gave early birds a chance to meet the Cassidy family and fuel up for the day ahead, which included the spectacular Color Run/Walk/Stroll, which brought all ages together in a big, happy, colorful mess. On the cleaner side of things, we had the Car Wash in support of Prom, along with the Family Festival, Cake Walk, Grade 6 Pumpkin Sale, and Family Barbeque.
And then there were the Homecoming Games vs. Lexington Christian Academy! Across the board, our student-athletes made us proud, showing teamwork, camaraderie, athleticism, sportsmanship, skills, and indomitable Bulldog spirit. Click red button above to watch video.
Homecoming Games — Click here for Final Scores and Recap
Bancroft Young Writers Conference to Return in November  With a dynamic logo (right) designed by 2014 Bancroft grad Grizelle De Souza and a stellar lineup of published authors and poets as mentors, the Bancroft Young Writers Conference is set for a triumphant return to campus, November 1–2, 2014. Open to all aspiring writers and poets in Grades 8 through 12 (not just Bancroft students), this popular weekend of learning is a wonderful opportunity for young wordsmiths to develop their craft as they interact with and learn from professionals.
Bancroft’s English Department Chair Martha Fortier, the director of the 2014 Young Writer’s Conference, is thrilled to bring the Young Writers Conference back to Bancroft. Hannah Z., a 2011 participant who is now a Bancroft senior, recounts, “When I attended the BYWC as a freshman, I found that I was surrounded by passionate, engaged writers and thinkers. That experience challenged my writing and thought process.”
This year’s mentors cover a range of genres:
Regie Gibson — Poet, songwriter, author, and educator
Jeremy Shulkin — Freelance writer and English teacher at Worcester’s University Park Campus School
Diane Mulligan — Novelist, teacher
Alex Charalambides — Performance poet, founder/director of Worcester Youth Poetry Slam
Theresa Lang — Teacher, director, and new play dramaturg
Leila Philip — Associate Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Holy Cross and published author (and a Bancroft parent).
Please spread the word and encourage anyone in Grades 8 through 12 who's interested in writing to sign up. Registration is $85, which includes a light breakfast, full lunch, and snacks both days. The registration deadline is October 17, so don’t wait! Learn more: bancroftschool.org/writers
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Kindergarten & 7th Grade Students
Send Symbolic Butterflies to Mexico
 The Lower and Middle Schools joined forces recently as Mrs. Truesdell's Kindergarten class and Mrs. Stephenson's 7th grade Spanish students collaborated on a virtual migration of the Monarch Butterfly. Together the students created colorful paper butterflies to send to children in Mexico. Working with Journey North, a global study of wildlife migration, the students will write messages in Spanish on the butterflies.
The Mexican children will care for the paper butterflies throughout the winter, representing how real butterflies are protected in Mexico’s winter butterfly sanctuaries. In spring, the children in Mexico will send their paper butterflies to our students, just as real monarch butterflies migrate North in the spring. Through this process, the children are united by the monarch butterfly and celebrate its spectacular migration. Click red button above to watch video.
US Students & Faculty Discuss
Their Common Read  On September 18, US faculty and students got together in mixed-grade level groups to discuss the novels and shared themes of their Common Read project: authoritarianism and censorship. All had read either Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian novel; or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, about a young girl in Nazi Germany. Students had the option to recreate a scene in a different genre (e.g., fairy tale, rap song); write a persuasive letter to a school board that banned Fahrenheit 451; or create an art journal to visually represent some aspect of The Book Thief. Ideas, insights, and creativity were flowing throughout the lively discussion groups. Click red button above to watch video.
Junior Noah K. – A Published Author  Big congratulations to Bancroft junior Noah K., now a published author in inaugural issue of The Worcester Journal, the new online literary journal for young writers. Noah's published work on the origins of World War I was originally written for his World History class. Noah worked this summer with Journal editor James Dempsey to adapt the piece for a wider audience. Click Here to Read Noah's Story.
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Intro to Marine Science Class Preps for Cape Cod Trip
 Amy Pearson’s Intro to Marine Science class recently dissected clams in the lab. It was one of the ways they’ve been preparing for their two-day field trip to study the saltwater habitats of Cape Cod. “They’ll see clams in their natural habitat, so having explored how their body works prior to the trip will enhance our field studies,” Pearson explains. In addition to observing clams and other marine wildlife, their field work on the Cape will include measurements of temperature, salinity, pH, wind speed, and wave characteristics, and a trip to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to see marine scientists in action. Heads Up for Summer Course in Bermuda!
 Mrs. Pearson will be leading her 12th summer course and trip to Bermuda in June 2015. “Bermuda Marine and Island Ecology” is worth 0.5 science credits for Bancroft US students. Adults are also welcome if there is room. Course dates are June 10–11 (at Bancroft), June 15-21 (in Bermuda), and June 25 (back at Bancroft). Cost is $2,900. Minimum age is 14.9 years. Watch for details in the coming months!
Upcoming Important Dates
Dates and times may be subject to change.
Columbus Day–No School – Monday, Oct. 13 PFA Cultural Series, Meet the Artist – Thursday, Oct. 16
Admission Fall Open House – Sunday, Oct. 19, 1:30pm–3:30pm Photo Retake Day – Thursday, Oct. 30, 8:00am–12pm 
Geek is Glam: Girls’ STEM Expo
at WPI on Oct. 18th
Bancroft is sponsoring a group of girls in Grades 4–8 to attend this day-long STEM workshop at WPI on Oct. 18th. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math — fields in which women, historically, have been underrepresented. We're all working to change that! If your daughter is interested, please contact MS math teacher Alyssa Steponaitis, who is handling logistics and will attend the Expo with the girls!
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