Haiti Revive! Coffee House Fundraiser

The Saint Ann's community—students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni—joined together for a Coffee House on April 19, raising funds for and awareness about the ongoing situation in Haiti following the devastating earthquake in January. Students and parents had the opportunity to hear first-hand about the conditions in Haiti from three speakers who visited Haiti several times before and after the disaster: a parent who is a BBC correspondent, a parent who is a director of The Global Syndicate, and an alum who is the Spokesman for the U.N. Peacekeeping Department. Faculty, alumni, middle school, and high school musicians and singers provided entertainment during the event. The Coffee House raised almost $3,500 and, combined with bake sales and other in-school drives, brought the total amount of funds raised for Haiti to over $7,000. Half of the proceeds will be donated to UNICEF and half will be donated to a partner school in Haiti.

Second Annual Fifth Grade Library Sleepover: Off to Bed in the Stacks

On March 19, the Saint Ann’s Library was transformed into Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The occasion was the second annual sleepover for students enrolled in the fifth-grade library elective. Forty-seven fifth graders participated in the event, which was inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. The evening began with an enthralling magic show by a 10th grade magician. After the show, the students were sorted into three Hogwarts houses—Huffelpuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor—and played a magical round of Jeopardy. The categories included “spells,” and “name the Harry Potter character,” as well as some Muggle categories like “classic kids’ books” and “Dewey by the numbers.” Later in the evening, an English teacher appeared in the guise of Hogwarts Divination Professor Trelawney. She and a cabal of high school seers (who had taken a seminar in Tarot Card reading) told students’ fortunes. Following the divinations, the librarians led students to the chemistry lab where a science teacher blew things up and brewed a smoking, drinkable magic potion. After a quick visit to the all-night reading of Jane Eyre, which was taking place on the second floor, students returned to the library. There, they munched on cookies doled out by middle and high school elves (who helped out throughout the evening) and listened to bedtime stories read by high schoolers and a 2009 alum. For the evening’s finale, a crew of high school actors led by a senior performed a sneak preview of the Harry Potter tribute musical that is currently in rehearsal at Saint Ann’s. Then it was off to bed in the stacks!

24-hour Reading Marathon: Jane Eyre

March 19 marked the Fourth Annual 24-hour Reading Marathon. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre was inaugurated into the company of Saint Ann's reading marathon literature: Moby-Dick, The Odyssey, and Crime and Punishment. Books are selected based on current classes or seminars at the School, and this year Jane Eyre is included in the syllabus of the "Women Writers" seminar. Prior to the marathon itself, readings during Thursday lunch and scenes performed during high school assembly developed familiarity with and built up excitement for the novel. The general enthusiasm triggered by the preparations meant that many students read some or all of the book before the marathon.

Busy Winter Schedule for High School and Middle School Mathletes

Saint Ann's math teams finished a busy winter season with a host of tournaments around the northeast. In February, eight high schoolers went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to participate in the Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, a major international math tournament where over 600 students from around the world compete, making it one of the largest math contests in the United States. In March, five seniors and juniors participated in Moody's Mega Math Challenge, a contest for high school students, which related to the 2010 Census. Four seventh graders and four eighth graders attended the Kings County MATHCOUNTS competition in February. The seventh graders comprised the school's team and their scores combined placed them third overall. As a result, they qualified to compete in the state MATHCOUNTS competition held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Lower School Reading Marathon

"I started the adventure of Reading Marathon a number of years ago (pre-history really), it's purpose was to dedicate a week, in these cold days of February, to having fun reading, reading, reading," says Lower School Head Gabrielle Howard. "Every class dances to the event in it's own idiosyncratic way; in addition to the children doing an enormous amount of individual reading, all groups have guest readers and many children are themselves guests in other classes. Graphs of time spent reading are constructed; paper chains of books read proliferate; footsteps, each print of which names a book, pad around the school. There are always surprises and it is always a celebration of words, poetry, literature ... and being human."

Chinese New Year Martial Arts Demonstration

On February 2, a mass of students accumulated in the twelfth floor gym. The large group of high schoolers was awaiting the arrival of Mr. Latting, a martial arts instructor. The Classics and Asian Languages department, along with a mathematics teacher who is a martial artist and student of Mr. Latting, arranged to start off the Chinese New Year celebration with a "gongfu" class. Mr. Latting explained that though the moves he taught were self-defense tactics, Asian martial arts also cultivated the alignment of mind, body and soul. He described the principles of yin and yang, as well as the mental harmony and focus needed to succeed in the art. Then, students were able to watch several demonstrations and were asked to try some moves themselves. Everyone attempted a simple "form," or sequence of movements, and got a chance to practice their kicks against a pad. The class ended with a group photo, and gave Saint Ann's a great head start on the New Year festivities.

High School Writing Marathon

Every winter high school English classes suspend normal business and undertake a week of non-stop creative writing. The building hums with the spinning of hundreds of yarns and poems, meditations and memoirs, and by week's end most students have written eight pieces. They surprise themselves; they surprise us. In the photograph at left, students write stream-of-consciousness memoirs on adding-machine tape. This is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's one-hundred-and-twenty foot long scroll of taped tracing paper. In this assignment, juniors and seniors write as quickly as possible, and if they get stuck, they repeat their last word until a new stream of thought emerges.

Chamber Music

Chamber music thrives at Saint Ann's. In many ways chamber music presents the ultimate challenge to a musician: learning to play an independent role in a conversation among several, engaging with passion and energy in the re-creation of a work by a masterful composer, according to Co-chair, Music, Jonathan Elliott. Many of the greatest composers used the medium as a vehicle for his or her most poetic thoughts. By participating in chamber music our student musicians assert their own personalities and independence. Chamber groups range from those for younger players making their first foray into this kind of music-making to the most advanced playing masterworks by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. Twice a year our groups perform in concerts, celebrating their achievement for our community. This year an ensemble featuring piano, cello, viola, and violin has been selected to receive coaching sessions in preparation for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Young Musicians Concert in April at Merkin Hall.

Third Annual Shorts in the Winter Film Festival

The Saint Ann’s School third annual “Shorts in the Winter” film festival to benefit the scholarship fund was held on Saturday, December 5 at St. Francis College. Students and their families enjoyed a selection of 11 short films from Denmark, Scotland, USA, Germany, Brazil and Canada curated by parent Patti Greaney. Head of School Larry Weiss opened the film festival. He emphasized the strength of the filmmaking program at Saint Ann’s from Lower School through High School that includes electives in the study of film, film production, claymation and the language of cinema.

In his introduction, poetry teacher Marty Skoble said, “You might be wondering why a poet is introducing a festival of short films, but the answer is really quite simple. Alan Bennett said of Thomas Hardy, who wrote both long, complex novels and amazingly powerful poetry, that Hardy’s work is proof that poetry has it over prose because ‘you can do more with less.’ So it is with film. In many ways each short film is like a poem.”

An interesting film in the program, by Brazilian filmmaker Jarbas Agnelli, was inspired by an observation he had while reading the newspaper one day. As he looked up, he saw birds sitting somewhat strategically on electric wires. Agnelli could only wonder what the sound would be if he played the melody created if the birds were notes on a musical scale. The result is quite intriguing.

Filmmaker Ross Bollinger who created the pencil animation “Malice in Wonderland” was available after the screening to answer the audience’s questions.

Greaney is a producer of both film and film festivals. She organizes the Children’s segment of the Hamptons’ International Film Festival and the Columbia Film Festival in upstate New York.

Annual Tradition: Ladder Company 118 Displays Wreath

December 1 marked the 25th anniversary of the fire at Saint Ann’s. Each year, the NYFD Ladder Company 118 commemorates the heroism of Philip D'Adamo, the fireman who sacrificed his life in the line of duty, by displaying a wreath on the balcony above the main entrance of The Bosworth Building. Pierrepont Street is closed from Henry Street to Clinton Street at about 6pm while a fire truck stops in front of the building and firemen raise the ladder to the balcony to place the wreath.

A plaque in memory of Philip D'Adamo donated by Ladder Company 118 is diplayed immediately inside the Annie Bosworth Library.

Indy High School Science Research

Many innovative diverse projects are underway in the Independent High School Science Research elective: studying plankton levels throughout the USA, harvesting solar radiation, analyzing the psychology of language, developmental mutants, eyes and cameras, jet construction, jellyfish, dog growling, muscle diseases, smells and tastes. This year, there are 29 students involved in 19 projects. Research groups meet with their mentors at individually arranged times and places and larger research classes meet occasionally for peer review. Their findings will be presented at a symposium in May, 2010.

Middle School Astronomy Club Keeps an Eye on the Night Sky

The newly formed Astronomy Club held its first observing night on the evening of Wednesday, November 18 from the roof of The Farber Building. Middle school students joined club supervisors to view the night skies over Brooklyn. The weather did not cooperate but students had the opportunity to practice setting up the telescopes. Students submit their weekly observations, sketches, drawings and photos which are shared over the club's website.

Girls Varsity Soccer Clinches AAIS and ACIS championships

The Saint Ann’s School Girls Varsity Soccer team went undefeated during its season this year. They successfully defended their title as Athletic Association of Independent Schools (AAIS) league playoff champions. They won the Athletic Conference of Independent Schools League (ACIS) and the AAIS championships. They were seeded second in the New York State tournament. “Their success,” according to coach Frank Davis, “was based on a true team effort from a group that included many talented players.”

Middle School Community Service Volunteers Plant Daffodils on Montague Street

As part of their commitment to community service, eight Saint Ann’s middle school students participated in the planting of daffodils around Montague Street’s trees on November 4. The project was a collaboration with tree educators from Trees New York and the Montague Street Business Improvement District (BID). “Come April Montague Street should rival the Botanic Garden for blooms per square foot!” said Chelsea Mauldin, executive director of the BID.

Saint Ann's Model Congress

On Sunday, October 25, Saint Ann's held its fifth annual Model Congress. Seventy-one students from Saint Ann's, Brearley, Dewey, and Spence participated. In the morning, the students divided into nine committees: Appropriations, Finance and Urban Affairs; Education and Workforce; Energy, Environment, and Commerce; Foreign Relations; Government Reform; Health, Education, Labor and Pension; Judiciary; and Science/Technology. Saint Ann's alumni who are freshmen at Yale, MIT and Princeton returned to Brooklyn to help moderate the panels. After lunch, the senators gathered in the gym where they proposed and debated a constitutional amendment to abolish presidential term limits. The Saint Ann's Model Congress kicks off the debate season and is held in preparation for the upcoming Model Congress events.

10th Grade Attends Performance of A Distant Love at St. Francis College

On Monday, October 19, the 10th grade attended a performance of A Distant Love: Songs of John and Abigail Adams with music teacher Peter Clark singing the part of John Adams and parent Elizabeth Dabney singing Abigail Adams. "In the summer of 1774, John Adams left his wife, children and family farm for Philadelphia and the First Constitutional Congress, surely expecting the separation to be a relatively short one," writes librettist Terry Quinn. "Yet except for intermittent visits home, he and Abigail would not be reunited for nearly eleven years. A Distant Love attempts to render the flavor of this extraordinary couple's time apart." The second of three performances will be at the Saint Ann's First Monday Concert series on November 2 at 6pm in the Ettl Lobby. The ensemble will also perform at the Brooklyn Historical Society on Friday, November 6 at 7:30pm.

In Honor of Victor Marchioro

A new banner and plaque displayed at the entrance to the high school offices honor the memory of Victor Marchioro who passed away in December 2008. Victor was a beloved history and classics teacher at Saint Ann's for 36 years. The banner was designed by History Co-Chair Jack McShane. The seal was originally selected in a 1981 school wide contest. Mr. McShane describes the elements of the seal as follows: "I have used the representation of an Athenian drachma with the owl of Athena, the olive branch and the first three letters of her name to suggest that human excellence is what we strive for — and the highest of the Greek (Platonic) virtues (and, of course, of the city Athens). The seal has references to other roots as well: the crescents to the fact that our building was once the home of the Brooklyn Crescent Club (architectural allusions abound inside the building — on the staircase banisters, for example, and on the facade) and the crown to the fact that Saint Ann's is located in Kings County. The date of the founding of the school appears in Roman numerals, accompanying the Latin motto altiora peto meaning 'I seek higher things.' A belt girds the seal. It refers to an identity we left behind in 1982 — to the founding of the school under the auspices of the Anglican church. (It should be remembered that the seal of Great Britain contains such a belt.)" Since that time, the date of the separation of the school from the church has been added. Click here to see an interactive version of the seal.

122 Pierrepont Street Purchase Completes Campus

On September 8, 2009, Saint Ann’s School closed on the purchase of 122 Pierrepont Street from the Church of St. Ann & The Holy Trinity. The brownstone was the former parish house of the Church and is adjacent to The Rubin Building and across the street from The Bosworth Building. During the previous academic year, the School leased space in the building for language and art classes. President of the Board of Trustees Peter Darrow noted, “Now that the building has been purchased, the School will design an incremental plan for the eventual renovation and reconfiguration of our space.” According to Head of School Larry Weiss, “This brownstone will provide a variety of instructional spaces for our students to continue to explore our multifaceted curriculum.” “A long-time dream to acquire additional space close to the center of our ‘Campus’ has come true,” said Associate Head of the School Linda Kaufman.

High School Math Scavenger Hunt

In May 2009, thirteen teams of four to seven high school students participated in the first ever Math Scavenger Hunt at Saint Ann's. Mathematics teacher Jana Comstock adapted the questions from an earlier puzzle hunt she had done in San Francisco that was designed for adults. While some of the scavenger hunt questions were very challenging, they were well-written and accessible to high school students. Puzzles mainly required pattern recognition and involved critical and analytical thinking skills and general problem solving. The hunt began at 12:30pm and students had until 4pm the same day to complete it. Three teams completed solving the six puzzles accompanied by minimal instructions if any. To try out the puzzles yourself, click here.

Annual Puppet Parade

Saint Ann's celebrated its Annual Puppet Parade, which has become a highly anticipated spring event in Brooklyn Heights, on Monday, April 27. Middle and High School students proudly displayed their life-sized puppets they created in Ronnie Asbell's classes. Lower School students also marched with their puppets, and the rest of the school was there to cheer them on. The entire community enjoyed the drums, clowns, puppets, jugglers, music, and joy that have become the hallmarks of the event.

High School Painting on Display

Throughout the academic year, the art department mounts student work in the art gallery in the Undercroft of the Bosworth Building. On view in the spring were paintings and sculpture demonstrating a variety of painting media, pictorial construction, color, composition and conception from the High School Painting Studio class.

Molecular Gastronomy 8-Course Tasting Menu

As part of an independent research project on molecular gastronomy, three seniors prepared an eight-course meal in the Saint Ann’s kitchen after school. The dishes the team presented were the results of many weekends of experiments with techniques such as algination and sous-vide cooking. In addition to learning about molecular gastronomy, the researchers aimed to create dishes with unusual combinations of flavors and textures such as basil presented as a thin, transparent film and bacon-chocolate truffles. Their panel of faculty diners are still talking about the amuse bouche, tapioca maltodextrin, and PureCote B792. This team is one of 22 research groups investigating a diversity of topics in the independent science research program. These students and others presented the results of their projects at the science symposium on May 20, 2009.

Adventures in Fifth-Grade Library

Last year was the third year that a fifth-grade library class was offered as an elective. Until the librarians began the class, the only formal library class available in middle school was fourth-grade library, which all students take. Then, toward the end of the school year four years ago, a group of fourth graders asked for more library. The librarians thought that a fifth-grade class was a great idea, as did the Lower Middle School Head — especially as a way to sneak in some bibliographic research skills along the way. This year, twenty students capped off the year with the first ever Fifth-Grade Library Sleepover in March.