| | Dear Bancroft Friends: We are snow proud. According to the Golden Snow Globe National Snow Contest, Worcester is neck-and-neck with Buffalo for second-highest snow accumulation of all US cities (Erie, PA, is first). As recently as January 21, we were in 27th place, but recent events have catapulted us into the top 3.
When the left-hand photo below surfaced, showing a young Charlie Aleksiewicz posing on campus after the long-ago Blizzard of ’78, we decided to recreate the scene for 2015. Charlie joined school photographer Karla Cinquanta at the same spot — which was then in the faculty lounge and is now in my office — and the results speak for themselves. Some things change, some things stay the same.
 Charlie A. is someone who embodies Bancroft’s past and present. In the early years as athletic director, he created our varsity basketball program. Many years and many roles later, he spearheaded the Worcester Partnership. As its director, he and his team have enriched the lives of Worcester’s underserved children from Elm Park School for 12 years. The kids from that first Worcester Partnership class are now applying to college. Our own seniors, too, are hearing from colleges. Ninety-eight percent of them applied early to at least one school, and nearly half have already received acceptance from their top choice school.
As Head, it’s my job to consider the School’s past, present, and future, and to make sure those things are all linked together. We build on the foundation from the past to make sure our present is as strong as possible, and to ensure a long-term future for all of us.
Snow is beautiful and wonderful. But you have to shovel. Shoveling is good and necessary work, though sometimes difficult. Replacing an ancient heating system is good and necessary work, but it’s neither flashy nor exciting. Still, we’ve got to “shovel.” It’s part of making sure our people are taken care of, our programs are strong, and our facilities meet our current and foreseeable needs.
As the stories below demonstrate, our School and its people are excelling in so many ways. Beyond our snow pride, we can all take pride in who we are and what we’ve accomplished, and in knowing that we’re building the relationships and infrastructure that will keep Bancroft School healthy for years to come.
Best,
Trey Cassidy
Head of School
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| | In This Issue: State of the School Address
Playathon 2015 Winter Sports Highlights Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
MS Mathletes Qualify for
MathCounts State Competition
Chris Sheldon–2nd Diamond Speech Coach Designation 6th Graders Historic Valentines Bancroft Fund–Your Gift Matters Upcoming Important Dates
Student Gallery
                   
| | State of the School Address 2015
 Following a cocktail reception, the brave souls who ventured out on Tuesday night to the State of the School Address heard moving words from PFA President Dale Rains, Bancroft Fund Co-Chairs Ellie Winthrop and Dave Fahlstrom, and Chief Advancement Officer Tobey Fossey. All spoke about what makes Bancroft such a special place — outstanding faculty, small classes, a culture of kindness chief among them — and the critical importance of philanthropy in keeping it so. In particular, Ellie (parent of Nicole in grade 8 and alumna Anna ’11) stressed the importance of parent participation in The Bancroft Fund. With current parent participation at about 34% (compared to an independent school average of 75%), she encouraged every parent to show their faith in the future of the school by participating at any level.
 Trey Cassidy then discussed the many initiatives underway to ensure that the three pillars of Bancroft’s strength — people, program, and facilities — are as healthy as possible. He talked about making connections with many of the foundations in the Worcester area, and meeting the sons of the family that provided the land for our Shore Drive campus. He learned of their sincere love for this institution and also the notion that the baton has passed to the next generation of leaders.
In the audience were distinguished alumni — one from 1958 and one from 1974 —who spoke up in the Q&A portion. Trey outlined his plans to further nurture alumni relationships by visiting NYC, LA, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, this spring.  When asked about current pressing needs, Trey cited many deferred maintenance projects, most notably the boilers and HVAC system, that need to be addressed immediately.
He acknowledged the amazing work of our faculty (many of whom were in the audience), the outreach being done by our current parents, the many achievements of our students, and the love and kindness that runs through it all. The audience left with a greater understanding of the good works being done every day, and the thoughtful leadership that will steward Bancroft School into the future.
Playathon 2015 Captures the Bancroft Spirit
 The PFA Cultural Series presented the annual Playathon on Jan 29th. Each year this wonderful program captures the Bancroft spirit as it showcases the musical gifts of our entire community. Students and faculty from Pre-K through Upper School displayed their musical and dance talents to their peers, friends, and families. Click on the photo above to watch the video.
Winter Sports Highlights  Excitement on the slopes! Bancroft Boys and Girls Ski teams will be competing in the NEPSAC Class C Championships next Wednesday, February 11th, at Mt. Sunapee. We will have five girls and five boys representing our School. Our Varsity Girls Ski Team is currently in 3rd place in the Central Mass Ski League. Bancroft has had five girl racers in the top 20, scoring points for our team, in the last three weeks. Senior Abby E. has finished 6th and 7th in her last two races, and 7th grader Kaya D. has finished 10th and 11th. Collin S. has been our most consistent racer on the Boys Ski Team, finishing in the top 20 in all his races. Meanwhile, back in the gym, our Boys Varsity Basketball Team has had a four-game winning streak, defeating Landmark twice, Berwick, and Concord. The team’s record is now 7-6. Sophomore Emmanuel B. has scored between 25 and 37 points during this four-game winning streak! GO BULLDOGS!
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2 Gold, 7 Silver, 7 Honorable Mentions in Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
 Bancroft School is proud to announce that two Upper School students are Gold Key winners, seven are Silver Key winners, and seven received Honorable Mention for their submissions to the 2015 Massachusetts Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Established in 1923, the Scholastic Awards are the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the United States. The Massachusetts Regional competion—the largest in the country—is sponsored by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) and the Boston Globe. From among the 16,000 pieces of art and writing submitted this year, jurors selected our students’ work based on the Awards’ “core values” of originality, technical skill, and personal voice or vision. The Regional ceremony for Gold and Silver Key winners will be held on March 7th at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
 Gold Key Winners
Irvi S., Drawing & Illustration: "Prismatic Pop" (right)
Katherine B., Poetry: "I Call it Poetry" (Read it Here)
Silver Key Winners
Katherine B., Poetry: "The Albatross"
Juliann D., Short Story: "Distance"
Noah K., Journalism: "Family Feud: The Three Cousins Who Led Europe Into the First World War"
Mikaela L., Personal Essay/ Memoir: "As Inevitable as the Seasons"
Michael L., Humor: "The Moyage"
Samantha P., Personal Essay/Memoir: "Carl and I"
Afia S., Personal Essay/Memoir: "Pretty"
Honorable Mention
Michael B., Photography: "Skinny's Place"
Michael B., Photography: "Fort Charlotte, Nassau"
Katherine B., Sculpture: "A Mother's Morning"
Lindsay I., Flash Fiction: "Flower Dust"
Katrina L., Poetry: "Lana Del Rey"
Karan M., Personal Essay/Memoir: "The Truth About Fear"
Samantha P., Short Story: "Little People"
MS Mathletes Qualify for MathCounts State Competition
 Bancroft’s Middle School mathletes have qualified for the State Competition in the Raytheon MathCounts Competition Series by winning 3rd place in team (Kaya D., Tanuj S., Aryan C., and Dima Z.), and two individual 3rd place results (Jonah S. and Aidan P.) in chapter-level contests. Elated and proud of her students, coach and MS math teacher Corina Palmer is also thankful for the flexibility and support of the Bancroft community, especially US Math teacher Blaise De Souza, who led practice rounds and welcomed the MS mathletes to attend his JV Team meetings; and Athletic Director Steve Kelley, who coordinated schedules with the athletic coaches so that the mathletes’ multiple interests and commitments would not prevent them from pursuing their passions. The MathCounts State Competition will be held in Boston in March.
Chris Sheldon Earns Second Diamond Speech Coach Designation
 The National Speech & Debate Association has honored Bancroft Speech Coach Chris Sheldon with a Second Diamond Award in recognition of a coaching career that combines both excellence and longevity. Sheldon started the Bancroft Speech Team in 2003 and under his leadership our student-orators have won more than 750 regional, state, and national awards. Speech coaches receive one-tenth of the points their students earn. Qualifying for a second diamond requires at least 10 years of coaching and 3,000 points. Coach Sheldon earned the Second Diamond designation with a total of 3,078 points — meaning his team has amassed a whopping 30,780 points over the years. (Generally one student will earn 5 to 15 points at any given tournament.) “Tremendously thankful,” is how Sheldon feels about this honor, and about his team's successes. He will be recognized for his Second Diamond status at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Dallas, TX, in June.
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6th Graders Make Historic Valentines
 The 6th graders participated in the 37th Annual “Be Our Valentine” contest sponsored by the Worcester Historical Museum. They constructed valentines in three categories:
1) Historic (antique style),
2) Verse (words and quotes),
3) Contemporary (literature theme). 
Worcester was the center of the commercial valentine industry in the United States for nearly 100 years. The students made their Valentines as part of their 6th grade Worcester-based US History class studies on the industrial history of the city. Winners will be announced on February 11 at 4pm in the Fletcher Auditorium at the Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm Street. Click here for more information.
Your Gift Matters–Please Support the Bancroft Fund We have reached 66% of our goal with $263,300 raised as of January 30th! Click Here to See Why It Matters — Click Here to Make A Difference
Upcoming Important Dates:
Dates and times may be subject to change.
Parent Connection, "Demystifying the College Process"—Feb 10, 2015–6:00-7:00pm
Mid-Winter Break – Feb. 13—Feb 16, 2015 (President's Day)
PFA Cultural Series: Acehnese Dance & Music –Feb. 23, 2015–9:45am Wood Gym. Upper School Performance. PFA Community Yard Sale - Drop-Off Dates – Feb. 20 & 23, Mar. 13 & April 6 at 2:00-4:00pm. Drop off at 100 Shore Drive (see ad below). Bancroft Speaker Series: David Flink, author of Thinking Differently – Feb. 25, 2015–6:30-8:30pm (see ad above).
Bancroft Clothing & Yard Sale
A NEW PFA SPRING EVENT
April 9–11, 2015
NEXT DONATION DROP-OFF DATES
February 20, February 23, March 13 and April 6
2:00–4:00 pm
Items can be dropped off at
100 Shore Drive
(Building next to Bancroft Campus) Any questions please contact:
Kye Flotte OR Beckley Gaudette
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