| Dear Bancroft Friends:
I had a unique opportunity in October to develop and nurture Bancroft’s global connections when I traveled to Shanghai, China. Former Bancroft parent Nan Zhang, a native of China, served as translator and guide as we visited five schools, meeting with administrators, and observing classes. I felt right at home amid the activity in the hallways between classes — kids reconnecting, laughing, talking with friends. But the resemblance faded once I entered the classrooms. Desks were arranged in perfect rows, 40 to a class. The students listened quietly to the teacher, speaking only when asked a direct question. We definitely weren’t at Bancroft anymore. China is a country in transition, and educators there are very interested in learning new approaches to teaching. In turn, there is much we can learn from them. On November 14th, Bancroft will welcome 16 principals from Chinese schools to tour our campus and observe our School. We will sit with these fellow educators, and we’ll talk. We’ll share experiences and insights, and learn from each other. I see our students forging worldwide connections every day. Our international students from China live and learn among us in the Upper School. In October, Bancroft families hosted exchange students from France, who will in turn host our students in the spring. The 6th grade International Breakfast celebrated the cultures and languages they study, as well as their own diverse ancestry. I joined the 2nd grade in the library for storytelling using the Japanese art of Kamishibai, or paper theater. This spring we’re expecting student visitors from Spain. In June, an art trip to France and Spain and a marine biology trip to Bermuda will send other Bancroft students out into the wider world. This is how learning takes place. You step outside the familiar and known, leaving your comfort zone behind and opening your mind and senses to new experiences. It’s true for artists, athletes, musicians, scientists — everyone. When we connect with different people, seeking to understand each other better, we find our common ground as members of the global community. Best,
Trey Cassidy Head of School
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| In This Issue: Halloween 2014 at Bancroft
Bancroft Young Writers Conference
Bancroft Speaker Series: Intro to Executive Function
PFA Cultural Series Events: Meet The Artist and Odds Bodkin
Bulldog Sports Highlights
4th Graders Experience Native American Culture
Exchange Students Visit from Meaux, France Speech Team Gets Closer to State Tournament Online Competitions Generate Math Buzz in MS
Upcoming Important Dates Your Gift Matters. Please Support the Bancroft Fund.
Soon you will hear from a volunteer who will ask for your participation in The Bancroft Fund, our annual giving campaign. Why do we ask you to give? You may be surprised to learn that tuition covers only a portion of the yearly cost to educate a student at Bancroft. The gap is nearly $5,000 per student. We fund that difference through donations to the Bancroft Fund and through the School’s endowment. We have 462 students at Bancroft — each bringing unique hopes, dreams, skills, and talents to our community. We care deeply about the experience they find here, and we know you do, too. That experience is shaped in part by the Bancroft Fund. Please consider what YOUR family can do, and make your gift today. Every gift, large and small, matters.
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| | Halloween 2014 at Bancroft
Halloween has always been a popular tradition at Bancroft School. With everyone in costume, students and faculty head to the Tan Gym for the costume parade and the Senior Skit (this year based on Monsters, Inc.). It turns out that a certain Head of School, who came dressed as The King of Rock & Roll, was born on October 31st. "Thank you.Thank you very much." Click photo on left to watch video.
Following the assembly, the seniors hosted the LS students at the maze they built at 100 Shore Drive, and the US Activities Board held their Halloween class competition, complete with pumpkin carving, a candybar run, apple bobbing, and a Skittle hunt! Click photo on right to watch slide show.
Bancroft Young Writers Conference
The Bancroft Young Writers Conference took place November 1–2, 2014. Bancroft's English Dept. Chair, Martha Fortier, coordinated the event, which brought dozens of young wordsmiths from Central Massachusetts to Bancroft for a weekend of hands-on learning. Mentored by published authors, writers, and poets, the teens had a wonderful opportunity to develop their craft and gain professional advice and insights to guide them in their writerly pursuits. Click on photo to watch video.
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Bancroft Speaker Series: Intro to Executive Function
The first Bancroft Speaker Series event of the year took place on Nov. 5th, with an excellent presentation by prominent learning specialist Kalyani Krishnan, M.A.. Titled “Introduction to Executive Function: Impact in the Classroom and at Home,” Krishnan’s warm and engaging talk helped the audience gain a better understanding of executive function (EF) processes in the brain; how EF can affect key skills such as planning, organizing, and remembering; and how we as parents and educators can help students (and ourselves!) with EF weaknesses. Watch for future events in the Bancroft Speaker Series, which brings learning experts to Bancroft to present information to help families, educators, and others interested in helping diverse learners of all kinds. BSS events are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit bancroftschool.org/speakerseries. PFA Cultural Series Events: Meet the Artist and Odds Bodkin
On Thursday, October 16, Bancroft students and faculty in all three divisions enjoyed the second annual Meet the Artist event, in which local artists in a variety of mediums come to campus to demonstrate their process and display their works. Children and adults alike, were mesmerized and inspired by the artistry and craftsmanship they saw before them. Many of the artists' works are still on display in the main lobby, and two installation pieces can be seen hanging from trees outside the art building.
Also in October, Odds Bodkin, master storyteller, author, creative musician, and educator amazed and entertained the LS with the Golden Rule: Aesop's Fables and Folktales, the MS with Dark Tales of the Supernatural, and the US with The Iliad. Bodkin uses his incredible voice talents to set the mood with words, sound effects, and song, while at the same time accompanying himself on guitar and other instruments. Click on photos above to watch videos.
Bulldog Sports Highlights It's the end of the regular season, and the Bulldogs are making us proud: V. Volleyball final regular season match is Nov. 7. The team is seeded 3rd, which means we get home field advantage and will host a NEPSAC Tournament game on Wednesday 11/12. (In case you missed it, here's the AWESOME T&G article about them!)
V. Boys Soccer and V. Field Hockey are still in the hunt for a NEPSAC berth. (We will have all this information by Sunday 11/9 — check the School website).
MS Field Hockey (pictured below) completed their season UNDEFEATED, with a record of 8-0-1.
At the EIL Varsity Cross Country meet, Page C. finished 7th and Colin S. finished 22nd. On Sunday, the Varsity Boys and Girls Cross Country teams will be competing in the NEPSTA Cross Country Championships.
16 Middle Schoolers are running in the Massachusetts State Cross Country Championships this Saturday, 11/8, in Devens. At the EIL Golf Championship at Stow Acres, senior captain Ace E. finished third, shooting a round of 81.
Online Competitions Generate Math Buzz in Middle School There have always been plenty of Bancroft students who have found math exciting, but now more than ever enthusiasm for the subject is spreading. “This year, the math program has expanded to include several more competitions, not only in the Upper School but the Middle School, as well,” says Math Department Chair Kim VanderSpek. “Building enthusiasm in the MS for math competitions is a sure way to assure a powerful US Math competition experience. And we are looking at ways to expand competitions to the 4th and 5th grade, too.” For Middle Schoolers, the In-ter-stel-lar Math Madness online competitions have created the most buzz. We spoke to three of the students from the MS Math Madness team, which is coached by math teacher Corina Palmer, about their experience: Katie F. (8th grade), who likes math but never really thought of competing; Jacob P. (8th grade), who describes himself as “not really a math person”; and 7th grader Aryan C., who is definitely a math person—in addition to the online competitions, Aryan competes on the Varsity Math Team, coached by US math teacher Blaise De Souza, and will go to the WOCOMAL tournament on November 12.
Katie F. — “I was surprised how much I enjoyed competing. It’s kind of cool to see how we compare to other schools,” she said, adding that she likes how the problems are set up. “It’s not like following the set order in the book. Sometimes there are word problems, or multiple choice, or geometry. I like the mix.” Jacob P. —“The online competitions were not as bad as I’d feared. I had fun. I like that it’s online so you can see the results right after the schools compete.” He not only had fun, he did really well, according to Palmer: “In his first match Jacob struggled, but he rallied and came back and got 7 out of 9 in the second match. No one else scored higher!” Aryan C. — “Math is one of my strongest subjects. For me it’s common. You tend to like what you’re good at. It gives you confidence. Usually, there’s no middle in math; either you like it or you don’t.” He is glad that Math Madness is attracting people who wouldn’t otherwise compete in math. “It’s getting more people talking about math. They get excited because of the competition; they want Bancroft to win. It’s a really good opportunity for people to try something new,” he says. “Math can open up many windows.” Well said, Aryan.
4th Graders Experience Native American Culture
In and out of the classroom, the fourth grade students in Mrs. Shack, Mrs. Allen, and Mr. Beliveau’s classes have been learning all about life among the woodland Native Americans. They’ve enriched their study by building their own outdoor shelters (called wetus) using logs they gathered on campus. They took a field trip to the Pequot Museum in Connecticut, where they walked back in time to the Ice Age, viewed a hunt diorama, and explored the model Pequot village, and learned about the food, clothing, shelter, and roles of the native people. back to top
Exchange Students Visit from Meaux, France
Eight students and two teachers from Lycée Bossuet in Meaux, France, arrived on campus in mid-October and spent time traveling to local attractions and joining Bancroft students in Upper School classes and activities. The students stayed with host families in the Bancroft community, giving them a glimpse into American life and culture. In the spring, the Bancroft host students will complete the exchange, traveling to Meaux to stay with their guests’ families. Speech Team Gets Closer to State Tournament Four Bancroft Speechies earned trophies at the Dighton-Rehoboth Tournament this past weekend, and five got bids for the State Tournament (which means they are halfway to qualifying). Congratulations to: Chelsea S. —1st in Novice Extemporaneous Speaking; Monica C. — 3rd in Children's Literature; Vjola J. — 3rd in Poetry Reading; Colton C. — 6th in Dramatic Performance -and- Top Novice. All of the above got a bid for the State Tournament, as did Mikaela L. in Novice Reading.
Free & Open to the Public Ages 3-4
Upcoming Important Dates
Dates and times may be subject to change.
Veterans Day–No School – Tuesday, Nov. 11 Admission Pre-K, K-Gr. 1 Open House – Wednesday, Nov. 12, 4–5:00pm Parent Information Meeting for Bermuda Marine & Island Ecology Summer Course – Thursday, November 13, 4–5pm in Fuller 108 Storytime Wednesdays – Nov. 19, Dec. 3, 10, 17, 9-10am Bancroft Community Yard Sale 1st Drop-Off Date – Friday, Nov. 14, 7:45-10am & 1-3pm. Higgins Bldg, 100 Shore Drive.
A Cappella Night – Thursday, November, 20, 7pm
PFA Cultural Series presents:
A Cappella Night! Featuring Bancroft’s Decibelles and Guy Tunes and university groups, The New Blue and The Brown Derbies.
Thursday, November 20, 2014 at 7pm in the Harrington Theatre Tickets $10 at Front Desk or
Email rbrodeur@bancroftschool.org
Bancroft Clothing & Yard Sale A NEW PFA SPRING EVENT FIRST DONATION DROP-OFF DATE: Friday, November 14, 7:45–10am & 1–3pm Items can be dropped off at 100 Shore Drive (Higgins Bldg)
Want to see even more about Bancroft happenings? We post amazing photos and stories daily on the Bancroft School Facebook page!
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