| | Dear Bancroft Friends: 
“We’re all in.” That’s the phrase that popped into my head as I scanned the list of topics for this month’s Shorelines — #GivingTuesday, fall sports, A Cappella Night, the 8th Grade Play, the Young Writers Conference… and that one incredible Saturday in November where six widely varied teams of Bancroft students excelled in six different ways: robotics, cross country, speech, field hockey, supporting kids with special needs, and expanding their understanding of diversity. Each example reinforced the sense that we are an inclusive group of people who get deeply invested in causes bigger than ourselves.
Advancing goodness is one of the major initiatives in our School’s strategic vision, but there’s usually no scoreboard for goodness. How nice, then, that #GivingTuesday gave us a measurable goal — 200 Acts of Kindness in 24 hours — that forced our community to stop and reflect on our own goodness. Walking around campus that day, I heard people saying things like, “I do that all the time; I can’t write it down.” Apparently kind gestures are so consistently a part of the fabric at Bancroft, so woven into our daily activities, that sometimes we don’t even see them as noteworthy. But they are.
On #GivingTuesday our students recorded a phenomenal 276 kind acts. (The Lower School now has a Kindness Tree in the hallway, where students can keep the momentum going.) There are so many different activities at our School, so many ways we participate and strengthen each other. We should honor every kind act, celebrate it, make it public, write it on the walls!
Maybe that’s impractical. But let’s all continue to be mindful of the good that we do, not to congratulate ourselves, but to remember how good it feels. Because, as our Upper School students learn in Intro Psych, humans tend to repeat behaviors that feel good.
Keep up the good work.
Best,
Trey Cassidy
Head of School
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| | In This Issue: #GivingTuesday Results Bancroft Young Writers Conference Bulldogs Fall Sports Wrap Up 6 Exemplary Team Accomplishments
In One Special Saturday
So Many Reasons to Love
the 8th Grade Play
Decibelles & Guy Tunes
Rock the House New Feature on Website:
Happening Now
Upcoming Important Dates
ASK THE PFA
Angela Cheng-Cimini, PFA President
Q: I have a lot of last minute shopping still left! Is the Scrip program still happening?
A: Yes, the Scrip program lets you buy gift cards at face value for all the places you normally shop (for clothing, shoes, gas, groceries, restaurants, travel, etc.) and Scrip gives a percentage of the card value to the Bancroft PFA. But HURRY, orders placed by Monday, Dec. 7 will be available for pick-up before our winter break. Click HERE for the order form and to see the percentage that is donated back to the School.
Submit a Question!
We invite you to email your
PFA questsions to Angela at pfapres@bancroftschool.org
Student Gallery
                
| | #GivingTuesday Results
 Bancroft Community members of all ages opened their hearts and pocketbooks on #GivingTuesday, far surpassing our one-day goal of 200 Acts of Kindness and 200 Gifts to the Bancroft Fund. Here's the final tally:
- 276 acts of kindness
- 288 gifts to the Bancroft Fund
- $62,215 in gifts received
- $10,000 match from a generous Bancroft family
- $72,215 Subtotal
- $72,215 Matching funds pending from the Stevens family
- $144,430 #GivingTuesday Total!
We send heartfelt gratitude for every kindness and every dollar. A very special thanks to the generous Bancroft family that offered $10,000 if we met our goal, and to the Stevens family, who will be matching the total contributions dollar-for-dollar in honor of Brian & Josie's sister, Samantha Marcia Stevens, the only World Ambassador of Special People, Special Needs.
Year-End Reminder
If you haven't done so already, there are two compelling reasons to make your gift to the Bancroft Fund before December 31st:
- You’ll make your tax accountant happy. All gifts to the Bancroft Fund are fully tax-deductible.
- You can acknowledge a beloved teacher with a gift in their honor!
We will send a letter notifying them of your gift. (Also see #1.)
Thank you! Your support of the Bancroft Fund is one of the biggest factors that make a Bancroft education extraordinary.
72 Young Writers, 6 Mentors,
2 Days: Priceless
 Organized by English Department Chair Martha Fortier, the 2015 Bancroft Young Writers Conference attracted 72 students from Central MA (some from Bancroft, some not) in Grades 8–12. The aspiring wordsmiths spent the weekend of November 21-22 on campus developing their skills under the mentorship of published authors, poets, and working writers. This inspiring annual event gives young writers a chance to immerse themselves in their craft with like-minded peers and experts. Enjoy this video of the weekend conference!
Bulldogs Wrap-Up: MS & US
Fall Sports
 Middle School —
The 2015 fall sports season was huge for our Middle School teams. Field hockey went undefeated for the second year in a row. Volleyball completed the first winning season in seven years. The girls’ soccer team doubled in size from last year. The boys’ soccer teams also had the largest number of players in many years, and overall, more than 90% of MS students played a team sport this fall. And that’s the way we like it. The season was marked by so many individual and team triumphs. Our MS coaches spoke of the pride they felt seeing their young charges—many of them playing their sport for the very first time—grow as athletes and as people.
It was a stellar season in so many ways, and all of our MS student-athletes are to be commended. Read the full story, including coaches’ comments and the winners of the Leadership, M.I.P., and Coaches Awards here. JV and Varsity— In the big picture of the fall season, the scoreboards were not kind to the older Bulldogs this fall. If “winning at all costs” is your expectation, that may sound pretty bad. But sometimes it’s the tough losses that teach the deepest lessons. Perhaps boys’ soccer coach Kevin Spreadbury, referring to his team’s 0-17 record, put it best: “I guess in the record books this counts as a losing season,” he joked. But then he got serious, and added, “of course I did not count it that way, and neither did this team.” Speaking directly to his team members, he said, “The determination and perseverance you’ve learned is going to stay with you all your life. In 20 years you won’t remember this team’s record, but you will remember the bonds you’ve formed through being an athlete." Isn’t that what high school sports is all about?
But make no mistake — the season was not without its victories. Read the full story of the Bulldogs fall season, along with a listing of the winners of the M.V.P., M.I.P., and Coaches Awards, here.
6 Exemplary Team Accomplishments on One Special Saturday  On a weekend marked by great sadness in Paris and other parts of the world, Bancroft students were working together to accomplish great things in a broad range of athletic, academic, and service pursuits. Six events, which all took place on Saturday, November 14th, showed the power of dedication and teamwork. For more details and pictures, click here to read the full story.
Below are some very brief highlights of all six events on this magical day:
US Robotics Team Season Opener
At the Nothing But Net Tournament at QCC, Robodogs Team D won the Design Award; all four teams made to the final rounds; and two teams for the regional championships in March.
Varsity Cross Country NE Championships
At the NEPSTA Championships in South Kent, CT, 8th grader Page C. took 2nd place overall for the girls in a remarkable photo-finish, and Phillip O. placed 27th for the boys.
Speech Team Wins 6 Awards
Speechies earned six awards at the Natick Tournament: 1st in Duo Interpretation (Tiana B. & Cameron C.); 1st in Poetry Reading (Colton C.); 2nd in Extemporaneous Speaking (Karan M.); 4th in Children's Literature (Lydia C.); 5th in Original Oratory (Chelsea S.); and Semifinals in Prose Reading (Colton C.)
Field Hockey EIL Tournament
The Varsity Field Hockey team gave their all at the EIL Tournament at Winsor School in Boston, beating Berwick 1-0 in the first game, followed by a tough 3-1 loss to Pingree.
CARE & Horizons Monsters, Inc.
The 35 US students in the CARE (recreation) and Horizons (theater) Clubs closed out the fall session with their mentees who have special needs, including a delightful stage production of Monsters, Inc.
MS Diversity Conference
Twelve MS students journeyed to the AISNE Middle School Diversity Conference in Weston for workshops and talks that celebrated and confronted issues connected to our diverse world.
What a day! And what a great bunch of kids we have at Bancroft.
So Many Reasons to Love the
8th Grade Play
 “I can say with certainty that I haven’t LOL’d that much in an hour-long span in quite some time.” So said Trevor O’Driscoll after watching the Class of 2020 perform the ironically-titled “29 Reasons NOT to Be in a Play,” a hilarious series of monologues, duets, and ensemble scenes. An annual MS rite of passage, the 8th grade play puts every member of the class on stage and/or behind the scenes, producing a top-notch stage performance for a rapt audience. Mr. O’Driscoll was quick to point out that the real magic happened earlier in the process. “The failure and recovery, learning, and personal growth all occurred in the weeks before the house lights went down and the curtain came up.” He mentions the friendships developed through hours of running lines; the student who learned how to fully project her voice; the girl who, though very sick, willed herself to make it to the final dress rehearsal; the boys who fearlessly stepped in and took on additional roles when actors were absent. Before and after the curtains closed, the play left many family members, friends, and faculty beaming with pride.
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Decibelles & Guy Tunes Rock the House
 Sponsored by the PFA and hosted by Cultural Series Coordinator Hannah Hall-Alicandro, the annual A Cappella Night on November 19th was a glorious evening of voice talents. The talented US student-singers in Decibelles and Guy Tunes did us proud, belting out their gorgeous harmonies alongside collegiate groups In Achord from Boston University (featuring Bancroft alumna Sali Diakite '14), The Harvard Krokodiloes, and UMass’s S#arp Attitude.
Members of Decibelles will be caroling at The American Antiquarian Society (185 Salisbury St.) this Sunday afternoon, Dec. 6, as part of Preservation Worcester’s annual Holiday Stroll.
New Feature on Website: Happening Now
 It’s hard to keep up with all the great things that happen at Bancroft, but the new “Happening Now” tab on our website should help. What you’ll find there is a real-time feed from our school Facebook page — and you don’t have to be a Facebook user to see it!
We post awesome photos and information on Facebook multiple times a week (sometimes multiple times a day) so check back often to keep your finger on the pulse of this amazing PreK–12 learning wonderland!
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CLICK FOR DETAILS
Upcoming Important Dates:
US Drama, Our Town — Thursday–Saturday, Dec. 10, 11, 12–7:30 p.m. Community Pasta Dinner — Friday, Dec 11 — 6–7 p.m.
Charlie A. Basketball Tournament – Friday–Saturday, Dec. 11-12
(see ad above for schedule)
Winter Break (Campus Closed) – Mon., Dec. 21– Fri., Jan. 1 Classes Resume – Monday, Jan. 4 All-School Assembly–Monday, Jan. 4–8:15 a.m. Young Alumni Visiting Day –Thurs., Jan. 7 – 2:45–3:45 p.m.
Winter Admission Open House PreK-12 – Tues., Jan. 12, 7:00–8:30 p.m. Faculty PD Day (No Classes) – Friday, Jan. 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Campus Closed) – Mon., Jan. 18
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