September 2021 Newsletter Dear Bancroft Friends,
As the days turn a little cooler, it's a mark that the school year is well underway. And it's been an important, impactful time on Shore Drive. Our community came together last weekend for two important events. On Friday we welcomed friends, former students, and family to campus as we shared memories of our beloved longtime Coach Mark O'Brien. What I saw at that event was our thriving school culture — especially how we support and encourage each other to create meaningful, lifelong friendships. I want to thank those who joined us both in-person and virtually.
The clouds parted on Saturday just in time for Homecoming and it was a welcome sight to see so many of our families all together playing games, cheering on student-athletes, and continuing to build our strong community. Thank you to the PFA and the members of our staff that worked tirelessly to make this event a success.
Part of building a strong school community means acknowledging that we are always in growth mode, striving to be our best and improve ourselves at every stage. The upcoming sessions with our 'Equity In Action' consultant Keith Hinderlie are part of that building process. I strongly encourage every member of our community to participate in the upcoming Climate Survey. You should receive the Survey Monkey survey in an email next week from the address katie@leemancc.com. The entire survey should only take 12-15 minutes of your time and all answers are anonymous.
I also encourage you to attend one of the sessions that Keith will be holding on campus. The schedule for parent/guardian opportunities to join Keith on campus for in-person conversations is below:
Tuesday, October 5 8:00-9:00 a.m. – Parent Drop-in, Dining Hall (please park in the Athletic Center parking lot - turn left when entering main entrance)
Wednesday, October 6 2:30-3:30 p.m. – Parent Drop-in, McDonough Center - Boone Room (please park in the Field House parking lot - 100 Shore Drive) 5:00-6:00 p.m. – Parent BIPOC Group, Harrington Theater Lobby
Thursday, October 7 8:00-9:00 a.m. – PFA leadership grade reps, Dining Hall (please park in the Athletic Center parking lot - turn left when entering main entrance) 5:00-6:30 p.m. – Parent Drop-in, Harrington Theater Lobby
Everyone has something to contribute and I hope you will consider being a part of this important endeavor to make Bancroft a more inclusive school.
Please enjoy these great stories of our learning laboratory in motion in this month's Shorelines. Have a great weekend.
Best,
Trey Trey Cassidy
IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE... ...It's second grade superheroes! Students in Kathy Wallace's second grade class recently learned all about the concept of strengths and weaknesses. First, the entire class read the book "Superhero Instruction Manual" by Kristy Dempsey and discussed different types of strengths and weaknesses. Then, students were tasked with thinking about what their own "superpowers" are.
"They had to come up with one academic area that they felt they were really strong in, and another area that could be anything from bike riding to soccer," says Wallace.
Once each student had determined their strengths, they in turn shared them with the class and decorated their superhero costumes.
"The students liked seeing themselves in a superhero mindset — somebody who is powerful and strong and can do great things."
INCH BY INCH A group of sixth grade students have been taking math by the horns — literally. When the instrument covers the band program needs were backordered, Middle School Science and Math teacher Kathryn Kennedy and Lower and Middle School Performing Arts teacher Rachel Wagner came up with an idea. Why not have the students practice the math skills they're learning in class by creating homemade instrument covers?
The five students measured the bell-ends of a flute, a trombone, a trumpet, a saxophone, and a clarinet, making sure to get exact measurements to the closest fraction of an inch. Then, in class, they learned about the different parts of a circle (radius, circumference, and diameter), and the necessary equations to find the final measurements they'd need to draft a pattern.
"I'm hoping the students see that math can be applied outside of the classroom," says Kennedy, who will sew the final pieces herself. "The students really got to practice their measuring skills — there's a lot of measuring in sewing! They also learned about design, tracing, drafting ideas, and cutting skills." And who knows — maybe they picked up a new hobby, too!
HOT POTATO Take a walk between the Upper School and the Fletcher Athletic Center and you might see something a bit out of the ordinary — a larger-than-life, interactive Potato Head sculpture, complete with a bin of accessories.
What started as a project during Mini and Mega Class Day has turned into a strong point of connection between all three divisions — Lower, Middle, and Upper School.
"We had four sheets of half inch plywood and a gallon of outdoor house paint," says William Chambers, Upper School Visual Arts Teacher and Chair of the Art Department. "The class was called Outdoor Sculpture, so we knew that there'd be something outside, but it was really up to them to see what they would come up with."
A group of three students came up with the Potato Head idea, and Chambers "went with it and supported it."
The class was one of the Mega options, so it encompassed the entire day as opposed to its Mini counterparts. Even so, it was a challenge for students to brainstorm an idea, design it, and execute it fully in one day. That's where Intro to Studio students stepped in, completing the accessories for the potato.
How the community has interacted with the sculpture was surprising to Chambers. "The kids noticed; they're like, 'People interact with the sculpture together in groups. It's never a by yourself thing,' and they were surprised to see that it was both little kids and high school students."
The future of the Potato Head might be unknown, but Chambers thinks the interaction it sparked is what art is all about. "That's the great thing about art and about sculpture — that if it's in the world, it interacts with people and connects you no matter if you want to or not."
HOMECOMING 2021 A week full of rain made way for a beautiful, sunny Homecoming and Fall Festival on Saturday, September 25. Enjoy some photos from the day!
ART CORNER The Shorelines Art Corner highlights student-produced artwork completed on campus. Enjoy!
Negative Space Stools Introduction to Studio Art
"Students drew these stools from life," says William Chambers, Upper School Art Teacher and Head of the Art Department. "They were asked to look at and draw not the stool, but the black space in-between the legs. The result is a sort of magical appearance of the stools based on the relationship of the negative space areas. This is a learning-to-draw exercise about looking and capturing what the eyes see with the pencil. They did several quick sketches on newsprint before their final versions. Each student was able to choose how they wanted to finish the piece, either with particular shading style or addition of color and pattern." Shorelines is produced by the Marketing and Communications Office at Bancroft. If you have questions or story ideas please contact jcarlton@bancroftschool.org. Bancroft School 110 Shore Drive • Worcester, MA 01605 • (508) 853-2640 |