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ENEWS TAKES A BREAK FOR THE SUMMER
Hard to believe that June is already here. We hope you enjoy a fabulous summer. The eNewsletter will take a brief hiatus but will be back with school and alumni news in September. Also, our online offerings at www.blsa.org are getting a bit of a facelift with the help of our Internet Services Committee. You may notice some improvements to the website throughout the summer months, with the project completion date set for later this fall. Questions and comments are always welcome at BLSA via e-mail.
HEAD MASTER SEARCH UNDER WAY
On Monday, May 21, the search committee appointed to find Boston Latin School's next head master met for the first time to begin its review of prospective candidates seeking to fill the post held by Cornelia A. Kelley H'44, who is slated to depart in June. The committee is chaired by Cluster Leader Teresa Harvey-Jackson and comprised of three BLS faculty (Kathleen Bateman '93, Margaret Greaves and Elaine Sylvester '90), three parents (Vivian Carlo P'11, Min Cheng P'09 and Karina Meiri P'06, '10), three alumni (Tim Codrington '91, Kim Deely Emery '87 and Chuck Longfield '74), one student (Allison Gittens '08) and an administrative bargaining unit representative (Malcolm Flynn). They will work at an accelerated pace in the coming weeks to review resumes, conduct interviews and ultimately recommend three finalists to Superintendent Michael Contompasis '57. The superintendent has said that he hopes to have Latin School's 28th head master in place by the end of June. Alumni who seek to offer their input to the three alumni search committee members should e-mail BLSA.
A FAREWELL TRIBUTE
Don't miss the chance to bid adieu to Head Master Cornelia A. Kelley H'44 when BLSA hosts "Celebrating a Legacy" on Thursday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. For details and to register, click here.
FORE! THE KIDS
Planning continues for the 2007 Wolfpack Classic Golf Tournament. There's still time to register your foursome or reserve your sponsorship for what promises to be a very special outing at Brae Burn Country Club on June 18. Even if you can't golf, you can support BLS athletics and live like a king or queen during a one-week stay at the Monarchs House in St. Andrews, Scotland. Plan to bid high when this trip to "the home of golf" comes up for consideration at the post-tournament auction, courtesy of Mike DiCarlo '74. Register today by clicking here.
WELCOMING THE CLASS OF 2007
On Friday, June 8, BLSA will take part in Senior Sign Out Day, as the class of 2007 takes leave of Latin School in preparation for their graduation. In addition to purple laundry bags, these soon-to-be alumni will depart the avenue with their User IDs and instructions for joining the online community. Help them be part of a vibrant community—register yourself today by clicking here and using your own unique User ID. Please note that the online community will be undergoing a few adjustments through the summer months so check back often for new ways to reconnect with fellow alumni.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
Baltimore is the last stop on this year's BLSA/Red Sox Nation tour. Tickets are still available for the Sunday, August 12 game against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Click here to order yours now. Alumni in Oakland headed to the ballpark on June 6, and young alumni in Boston take in a sold-out game at Fenway on July 19. Tickets have been mailed for both games.
REUNION PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES
Nearly 600 alumni and guests took part in Reunion Weekend 2007. From the serenades of the class of 1957 to 1987's overflow crowd, from sharing the class song with 1947 and family photos with 1977, each celebration was as unique as the classes themselves. As befitting a silver anniversary class, 1982 made short work of the ceremonial class picture, eager to get back to reconnecting on their own. The class of 1972 chair cut an impressive rug on the dance floor as the class of 1967 held court in the stately Hancock Room. Hardly outdone, 1952 and 1962's small, but loyal, crowds are already making plans for the next milestone. You can see the festivities for yourself by clicking here to visit Reunion Weekend Photo Albums. Our sincere thanks to the class committees who gave so much of their time and energy to make Reunion 2007 memorable for one and all.
FALL REUNIONS
With Reunion Weekend behind us, it's time to turn our attention to Young Alumni Reunions on Saturday, November 24. If you graduated in 1992, 1997 or 2002 and would like to be involved in the planning of your milestone celebration, please contact the alumni office for more information. Meetings will begin this summer.
A GIFT IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION
Have you made your gift to the 2006-2007 BLSA Annual Fund yet? If not, you have until June 30, to join others in support of Alma Mater and her alumni. Unrestricted gifts in support of our mission benefit key areas at BLS as well as alumni programs to maintain that crucial connection to the school. Whether it supports stipends for school clubs, new monitors for the computers in Room 206, funding for reunions or publications like the Bulletin, a gift of any size helps BLS students and graduates reap the benefits of a quality education and lifelong connections. Please click here if you would like to make a secure online gift today. Thank you for considering our organization worthy of your support.
375TH PLANNING UNDERWAY
A full calendar of events, starting September 2009, is being planned in anticipation of the school's 375th anniversary on Friday, April 23, 2010. All members of the BLS family will be invited to participate, with particular emphasis on a special project to capture information on families for whom Latin School is a legacy. Watch for your opportunity to help shape this moment in history.
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It is with sadness that we note the passing of Anthony DioDato, a former French teacher at BLS from 1966 to 1987. He was a teacher in the Boston Public Schools for 37 years. Our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends.
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Newsweek has ranked the nation's top high schools and BLS placed 78 (up from 82 last year) out of the nation's 1,200 best schools.
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As reported in PR Newswire, Hui Feng '07 was selected as a Toyota Community Scholar by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. The group awarded 100 high school seniors, out of a pool of 8,000 nominees, with $1.12 million in college scholarships for their commitment to education and community service. To be eligible, students must be proven leaders both inside and outside the classroom.
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This spring marked the 10th anniversary of the Facing History and Ourselves website competition sponsored by Elinor and Shelley Seevak '46. A group of alumni including Mimi Lai '01, Katarina Yee '02, Julie Ng '03, Rob Winikates '04, Dadjie Saintus '04, Anna George '05, Qingni Lin '05, Norman Yu '05, Ke Zhang '06, Ifeoma Onourah '06 and John B. Greene '03 (via videotape), came back to address the audience and celebrate the Seevaks' generosity. First place went to: Nathaniel Eiseman '08, Kevin Hoang '08, Mark O'Donnell '08; subject of website: J. Robert Oppenheimer; faculty advisor: Jesse Southwick '94 (Physics); technology advisor: Ke Zhang '06. To see the full list of student winners and their projects, please click here.
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Representing Boston Latin School, Head Master Cornelia A. Kelley H'44 attended Brooklyn Latin School's Founder's Day festivities on May 17 in New York. Chancellor Joel Klein, Replications, Inc. President Dr. John Elwell, Caroline Kennedy, current and prospective students with their families as well as the school's magistri were in attendance. The day included Socratic seminars, a speaker's program and public declamation. On behalf of BLS, Kelley presented Jason Griffiths with a head master's chair to preside over prize declamation, similar to our own tradition.
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Described as a “Science fair powerhouse” in a recent Boston Globe article, our Boston Latin Science program sent 18 student entries to compete in the Massachusetts State Science Fair at MIT on Saturday, May 26. There were over 400 competitors overall. Alexandra Montes, program director, reports that “the students did a phenomenal job taking 11 top prizes. Congratulations to all of the participants. Special recognition goes to: Honorable mention: Aleksandr Okonechnikov ’07, Anita Lok ’07, Alexander Zhu ’08; Third place: Jasmine Howell ’07, Olivia Schwob ’10, Lorenzon Albalba ’09; Second place: Xiaoli Mi ’08, Susan Wang ’08, Yiling Chen ’09; First place: Anartya Mandal ’09, Patrick Li ’08.”
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Boston Latin School teacher Cate Arnold has inspired a wave of activism in her five eighth-grade history classes. The Boston Globe reported that more than 90 youngsters came together to form an environmental club with Arnold serving as an adviser. The group has grown to 170 members now and is planning a youth summit on the environment at MIT.
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For the first time, BLS reserved 30 minutes of the senior prom for ballroom dancing, according to a recent Boston Globe feature that highlighted faculty member, Betty Davis. She said her free dance lessons "are introducing the smooth discipline of waltz, rumba and cha cha to a generation of students who 'jump up and down' and call it dancing...For five years, she has been replacing math class with dance lessons after exams are finished and the school year is almost over."
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BLS athletic teams are finishing their spring seasons on a high note. Congratulations to the crew team which recently qualified for the U.S. Rowing junior nationals. Student athletes also fared well during their visit to Harvard University facilities on May 24. The Wolfpack softball team beat Latin Academy 20-12 breaking BLA's 10-game winning streak. The baseball team also prevailed over Latin Academy 11-3. Girls' tennis won 3-2 over Bedford while utilizing Harvard's numerous courts so that both varsity and junior varsity could play simultaneously.
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Alan Stone '46 brings us a new book titled "Movies and the Moral Adventure of Life," filled with essays on art films as well as blockbuster hits and the life lessons we can learn from them. Stone is the Touroff-Glueck professor of law and psychiatry at Harvard University.
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Raffi Yessayan '86 has been appointed as a board member of the Ella J. Baker House in Dorchester which mentors, monitors and ministers to high-risk youth and the community.
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John O'Brien '87 had an article published in the May 2007 issue of The Magazine Antiques. The article titled, "A New Bedford masterpiece," sheds light on the late 18th century work of brothers Cornelius and Ebenezer Allen, talented furniture makers from New Bedford, whose work and craftsmanship closely resemble that of Newport. They were the nephews of the renowned Newport cabinetmaker John Goddard.
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In April, Mari Rosa '95 released her debut CD, "Honeyspot," a collection of bossa nova, Spanish boleros and traditional American jazz tunes. In a recent Boston Globe article, her work is credited with "catching the attention of bossa nova and Latin jazz aficionados, who praise her voice as well as her multilingual song-writing skills."
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POINTS OF PRIDE CONTEST
We'd like to congratulate Francois DiFolco '81 for sending us the first correct response for the May history question: "Which BLS alumnus, chairman of the New York delegation, placed the name of William Seward in nomination at the 1860 Republican convention? It was William Maxwell Evarts 1833, later U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of State and Senator from New York. Thank you to everyone who responded to last month's query. Visit the Points of Pride Hall of Fame webpage to view the questions, answers and winners of past contests.
Our June question comes to us from our May history contest winner Francois DiFolco '81 who works for the Congressional Research Service in Washington, D.C.
June question:
This Boston Latin School graduate was a prolific author of adventure books for young men. Among his books published by the D. Lothrup Company in Boston was this tale about the final year in high school of young Captain Burton of Company A, Boston Latin School Battalion. The author dedicated the book to Head Master Moses Merrill. Who was the author?
BLS history buffs seeking a free T-shirt should send responses - including name and class year - magna cum celeritate via e-mail. Note: Alumni may win only once during an academic year.
CONTACT US
101 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02199
Phone (617) 450-0004 Fax (617) 450-0284
Web www.blsa.org
E-mail blsa@blsa.org
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