Parents News Archive

The Cambridge School of Weston’s Thompson Art Gallery Explores Global Effects of Climate Change
Published on 3/18/08

Following closely on the heels of the release of a report from the National Climatic Data Center (NOAA) indicating that 2006 was the warmest year on record for the United States, comes “Sublime Climate—Addressing Global Warming,” an eclectic art exhibition of talented artists from around the world who use a variety of media to delve into the complexities and critical aspects of global warming. The three-part series is showing at the Thompson Gallery at CSW through June 9, 2008.

“The exhibition groups artists under the three distinct over-arching themes to facilitate a deeper understanding of the topics explored,” said Todd Bartel, visual arts faculty, gallery director and curator for the show. “The current exhibition includes artists who live locally and as far away as South Africa and Thailand.”

The first in the series: “Subliminal: Recognizing the Global Dilemma,” opened this past fall to coincide with the grand opening of the school’s 21,000 sq. ft. “green” building, (the Garthwaite Center for Science and Art where the Thompson Gallery is housed.) “Alarm: Projecting Global Change,” is currently showing through March 14, and “Symbiosis—Redefining Nature,” will be on display from March 31-June 9, 2008.

Artists involved in the current exhibition include: Karen Antonelli, Greg Blonder, Linda Bond, Christopher Cassidy, Sarah Cunningham, Jynx macTavish, Margaret Noble & Edyta Stepien, Paul Roux, Paul Stout, Sarah Sutro, Michelle Wilson and Joy Wulke, with a special “Global Yawning” project by Jay Critchley.

Three of these artists were present for a Gallery Talk on February 16.

Greg Blonder - Diploria - Mine Canary of the Ocean, 2007 (Galvanized steel frame, c) motion plastic tendrils, natural sunlight or theatrical lights, thermometer and foot-pedal controller):

"My pieces bring all four elements—earth, wind, fire and water—into contact with seemingly dead manufactured plastic, spawning a hybrid artificial life that reacts to the world and the viewer. This new form of technology-inspired life consumes resources and can sense impending change, yet is a poor substitute for nature. The plastic is a sentinel and Greek chorus to the conversation on global climate change."

Linda Bond - Smoke III (East Grand Forks, MN), 2001, Graphite on mulberry paper):

"Violent events worldwide, both natural and manmade, continue to inform my work. The hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides of 2005 were a curious parallel to the ongoing tragedies of war in the Middle East. Are these events solely natural disasters, the result of human activity or a mix of the two?"

In the months of planning that took place in advance of the shows, Bartel reached out to artists who explore issues and themes related to global climate change. Eighty-two artists applied from more than 12 states and a number of countries to participate.

The Thompson Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary art based in integrated disciplines and, in particular, the combined fields of art and science. From time to time, the gallery will showcase the works and talents of CSW students and a growing number of acclaimed alumni.

“With ‘Sublime Climate,’ we are particularly pleased to highlight such an immensely important subject. These works of art examine a universe of ways that global warming is threatening planet Earth. The works are also a call to action,” said Bartel.

The fall exhibition showcased a wide variety of media, from the Antarctica-based installation work of Xavier Cortada to a composite video made up of single frame images of the North Pole during summer months by artists Andrea Polli & Joe Gilmore. In addition, Texas-based artist Sally Packard’s “Harbinger” installation was exhibited in the Garthwaite Center’s Installation Gallery.

“The gallery is very much an extension of the school’s challenging visual arts program that provides many opportunities for substantive exploration in a variety of media, from drawing and painting to digital photography, Raku pottery and installation art,” said Jane Moulding, head of school. “The excellence of the program is underscored by the impressive number of CSW students who graduate and attend some of the country’s best liberal arts schools and art colleges, and who regularly win significant awards and accolades in all areas of the arts.”

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by appointment. For an opportunity to view the gallery during non-operating hours, obtain information about the exhibition schedule or acquire information on submission requirements, contact Todd Bartel at (781) 398-8316 or by e-mail (artgallery@csw.org).

Thompson Gallery Exhibition is Featured in the Boston Globe

Read the Globe story here.

Taking Gandhi to Heart
Published on 3/18/08

Anjali Tyagi and Chloe Renshaw '09

By Anjali Tyagi, English Faculty

It wasn’t until I researched Gandhi for a presentation in assembly back in January, that I realized how valuable and applicable his teachings still are to our everyday life in the U.S.

As an Indian by birth, I’ve always been proud of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s achievements and his philosophy of nonviolence. But Gandhi and his ideology had always seemed to me a relic of the past; someone to admire from afar as an essential ingredient in India’s liberation from British rule, but hardly applicable to our fast-paced society today, where we are faced with the fear of violence through terrorism and random shootings.

So what place could Gandhi have in our lives? After all, how many of us can be as self-sacrificial as the Mahatma—the great soul? How many of us can give up our profession, attachment to material possessions and the needs of our family, in order to serve the poor and downtrodden? How many of us can turn the other cheek, take a continuous beating and hope truth and justice will prevail? The reality is 99 percent of us can’t! Albert Einstein was correct when he said, “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as (Gandhi) ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth.” Gandhi was indeed one of a kind.

As clichéd as it sounds, a bolt of lightening hit me, the penny dropped and a light bulb simultaneously went off in my head as I realized a simple truth: we don’t all have to be Gandhi to follow Gandhigiri or incorporate some aspects of Gandhi’s teachings in our lives. How does that translate? It means seeing the good in people, before seeing the bad; it’s about using negotiation and persuasion, and trying to find solutions instead of using confrontation and violence; it’s believing that someone who is evil and unkind is actually sick and in need of treatment, because the evil is a disease that has overcome the good; it’s about getting an oppressor to realize through public opinion that what they are doing is unjust and wrong; it’s about shaming the bully and making him see aggression is not hip or cool, and is looked down upon and condemned by the community. This approach, of course, takes time and effort, but it provides a lasting solution as opposed to temporary relief of the problem. Our society teaches kids just the opposite: overpowering the bully or somehow gaining the strength to beat the pulp out of him is the better way (e.g., Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Fantastic Four, etc.) But even in these fictional situations, there is only temporary relief, as the oppressor somehow manages a comeback to fight another day (albeit in a sequel!), and the cycle of violence continues.

I am sure Gandhiji (the ji is for respect) in his seat in heaven would tolerate us cutting and pasting his philosophy to custom fit our own personal challenges! Many recent converts to Gandhigiri have taken their inspiration for action from a recent Bollywood film: Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006). In this musical comedy, the hero, a gangster with a golden heart, hallucinates that Gandhiji is by his side, advising him on his criminal activities, with some hilarious yet meaningful results. But it is how the film conveys Gandhi’s philosophy through practical yet peaceful solutions which has inspired people. The film shows how a whole town sends hundreds of flowers to a gang leader saying “get well soon,” till the gang leader capitulates realizing the wrong he has done. You might say, (cynic that you are), that this won’t work in the “real" world…but it did! Last summer, this “get well soon” action was mimicked by Indian immigrants in the U.S. protesting the green card backlog; in an act of Gandhigiri they collectively sent thousands of flowers to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office to positive results. The Baltimore Sun (15 July 2007) reported: “Americans are fortunate to have living among them people who are this ingenious, and this thoughtful of others and this capable of channeling anger into beauty.” The USCIS announced two days later that it had decided to reverse its earlier decision, and would provide an expedited process for green card applicants. Hurray for Gandhigiri and non-violent protest!

Lest I sound too preachy, let me acknowledge that Gandhigiri is easier said than done, and the harder road, period. To apply Gandhi’s teachings to our everyday lives requires patience, persistence and endurance—qualities which are in short supply; yet we can all attempt to take baby steps in the right direction, to make our community, and hopefully at some point the world, a better place. As Gandhi wisely said, “you must be the change you wish to see in the world,”…we can always start by correcting our own vision.

Interview with Aaron Hirsch, dean of residential life
Published on 1/4/08

Aaron Hirsch

"The boarding program at CSW adds such an important dimension to our school that enriches the lives of every community member. As a boarding school, we are able to offer to all of our students a global community that extends well beyond the class day with active residential life and weekend activities programs. These features are attractive to both our boarding and day prospective students."

--Trish Saunders, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid

What are some of the benefits of having a boarding program?

Our boarding program is an expression of CSW’s commitment to providing a caring, close-knit, home away-from-home environment for each of our 77 boarding students. Students who live at CSW come from several states as well as a wide variety of countries. They vary in age, ethnicity, religious belief, temperament, maturity and tolerance, providing a rich and diverse dimension to our community.

One of the most important benefits of living on campus is that boarders learn to balance freedom with responsibility, and this applies to their personal, social and academic lives.

Having close contact with our fourteen dorm parents (almost all CSW dorm parents are members of the school's faculty or staff) engages students in a fully developed weekend activities program led by caring and dedicated adults. The program helps boarders become vital and appreciated members of a wider community. There are also many opportunities to establish close relationships with their peers.

Is the boarding program at capacity?

Today, we are currently at 93% of our boarding capacity, and I believe that we have a good opportunity to have those numbers rise. If we were to fill each of our beds, we could accommodate 83 students. Forty-eight percent our boarders are international. They represent eight foreign countries and speak five languages including: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, etc.

What are some of the special initiatives planned for this year?

Three times a year boarding students spend dedicated time together. Two of those special occasions are spent reaching out to the greater Boston community through community service projects. These projects provide an opportunity for the students to strengthen their relationships with their adult mentors, and also with each other, while improving their problem-solving skills and engaging in opportunities to accomplish good works.

During these All Boarders Community Days, boarding students travel to pre-selected area organizations where they spend the day volunteering their time and efforts helping others.

This holiday season, groups of students have spent time at two reputable charitable Boston institutions. Thirty-five students went to Cradles to Crayon, a nonprofit that provides basic essentials to low income and homeless children from birth to pre-teens. Students worked in the organization’s warehouse of donated items to assemble gift items on kids’ wish lists. An additional thirty students went to The Greater Boston Food Bank, a nonprofit clearinghouse for food donations to help hungry Massachusetts residents. The bank distributes nearly 26 million pounds of food annually to hundreds of local hunger-relief agencies.

I’m hoping that the students will return to school in Mod 4, after having time to reflect on their volunteer experiences, with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm and the will to commit to other volunteer projects of their own choosing.

International students made a very powerful impression on the school community during this year’s Diversity Day panel at assembly.

I think it is revealing that six out of the seven panel presenters were boarders: Young Jun Yoon ’09 (White Farm), Jae (Jay) Il You ’08 (White Farm), Julian Suazo ’09 (Aleph), Amanuel (Manny) Haile ’08 (White Farm), Rada Rudyak ’09 (The Barn) and Minami Otake ’09 (The Barn) were joined by day student Leonardo (Leo) Sampaio ’10. This group really embodies the racial and ethnic diversity that is to be found on our campus which the school greatly values. The student panelists demonstrated incredible poise and a willingness to share their own individual, diverse cultural backgrounds with all of us. This is a wonderful example of how international students are really opening doors and encouraging the entire community to engage in discussion on the value of having a diverse community.

What were some of the final resolutions that came out of last year’s Boarding Committee deliberations?

Last year, a committee, comprised of faculty, administrators, students and dorm parents, was convened to study and make recommendations on how CSW might strengthen its boarding program.

In their final report, the committee made a number of recommendations which were considered by the school and our Board of Trustees. The Committee recommended that we add more boarding students; hire a full-time school counselor; and provide more adult supervision. Some of the recommendations have already been implemented, including the hiring of additional staff. This year we have a full-time school counselor (Jennifer Quest-Stern). We’ve also added an assistant to the Administrator-on-Duty program to serve as part of the weekend duty team. The additional presence of these two adults on campus is supplemented by the two new, on-campus faculty apartments that were completed this summer. Fourteen dorm parents and five dorm associates, plus an additional eleven adults who are on duty on a rotating basis provide boarders with a safe, warm and interesting environment 24/7.

These adults are providing expanded opportunities for students, especially on weekends. They chaperone dances and give boarders a chance to part of an extended family. In addition, students have greater access to such school resources as the library, playing fields, theatre and gym.

I expect that the full body of Committee recommendations will be reviewed by a newly convened, larger committee, that will work to implement these as well as approved recommendations made by the Diversity Committee and the New England Association of School & Colleges in their 2006 accreditation report.

Introduction to Poetry class: students make connections between poetry and their own life experience
Published on 1/4/08

Lilly Roberts, English faculty

By Lilly Roberts, English faculty

Meet CSW’s health team
Published on 1/4/08

On a bi-weekly basis CSW’s health team meets to discuss health issues that CSW students face.

CSW Community will participate in Wellness Week
Published on 1/4/08

In keeping with the school’s continuing focus on health education and healthy living, the deans’ office is planning a wellness focus week at the beginning of Mod 4. During this week, 9th and 11th grade students will participate in a four-day course with health educators from FCD Educational Services, Inc. (http://www.fcd.org/content/index.asp), a nonprofit organization which educates young audiences about the risks and realities of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.

"Our goal with this event is to disseminate accurate information to the CSW community about the realities of alcohol and drug use, and how it can negatively affect individuals and their families," said Julie Johnstone, Dean of Student Life. "Since high school students are confronted with different social situations each year that can influence their decisions about alcohol and drug use, the committee feels it is important to use a variety of vehicles and topics to raise awareness about these issues throughout high school."

FCD encourages and supports the non-use of alcohol and other drugs, and empowers students to make healthy responsible choices. This four-day course includes discussion of the physiological effects of alcohol and other drugs and the early warning signs of substance abuse. During the course of the week, FCD educators will also work with faculty, and offer a workshop for parents on Wednesday, January 9, from 7-8:30 pm.

Students in the 10th and 12th grades will participate in two workshops that highlight the importance of stress reduction for health and success in school. One workshop will feature a speaker from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine who will present a program on how to "maximize your potential." Members of the CSW health team will offer students an additional workshop on building self esteem and how it can have a positive effect on healthy living. For more information, contact Julie Johnstone at: jjohnstone@csw.org.

Financial Aid Reminder
Published on 1/4/08

Families of returning students who will be applying for financial aid for the 2008-2009 academic year are asked to adhere to the following deadlines:

Student-Directed Plays/ International Theatre Company December 13 and 14
Published on 1/4/08

Three student-directed plays (the first of three installments of student-directed plays staged during Mods 3-5) were performed December 14 and 17 in the Moir Theatre, of the Mugar Center for the Performing Arts.

What happens to a dream deferred?
Published on 1/4/08

On November 30, accompanied by the cheers and bravos of an appreciative audience, the Heritage Theatre Company presented a seven-minute excerpt from Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play, A Raisin in the Sun, at the 2007 People of Color Conference at the Boston Convention & Exhibit Center in Boston.

Diversity Day serves up an international feast
Published on 1/4/08

When Randy Foster (P of Ella, ’09), put out the call to CSW students, parents, and staff for food contributions for Diversity Day, she didn’t anticipate the overwhelming response that followed.

Randy, and the cadre of parents who responded to her call, were meticulous in accommodating the special request made by Diversity Day student planners to create an opportunity for the CSW community to taste foods from the many cultures and nationalities that are representative of the CSW community.

On Diversity Day, the parents had transformed the school cafeteria with a cook’s tour of delectable international and ethnic foods. The festive food tables were overflowing with dozens of "out-of-this-world" delicacies and treats.

Ethiopian injera, Mexican empanadas, Greek spanikopita, Jewish potato latkes, and Swedish chocolate balls were among the delicious dishes enjoyed by hundreds of students, staff, visiting alumni and parents.

"Many hands contributed to the success of the day," said Randy. "My thanks to the numerous parents and staff who prepared, or provided the special foods; cafeteria and maintenance staff who accommodated our international food event; and Denise Chamberland of the Foreign Languages department, who coordinated Diversity Day.

"There were many favorable comments that the abundant and delicious food was one of the highlights of the day," said Chamberland. "Everyone was very appreciative of the many generous donors who either contributed dishes or provided financial help to buy the snacks.

Diversity Day participants were also unanimous in their praise for the workshops led by a number of parents. "They were interesting, informative and offered great learning opportunities."

"I see CSW's International Program as one of the school’s most valuable assets. Interacting with students from other parts of the world creates bonds and friendships that could not otherwise be formed, and broadens our cultural understanding." Jordan Horowitz ’08

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