Parent Newsletter, May 15th
Dear Parents,
We are coming close to the home stretch of the year. Outdoor concerts and after dinner frisbee compete with efforts to finish courses and exhibitions and get ready for Project Week. Some intriguing project titles include: The Gears of Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Kiln Design, Translation of Chinese Fiction, Introduction to Number Theory, Designing a Game in Java, Eyes on the Aesthetic: Exploring my Grandmother Through Journals; Telescope Building. I note that the 9th graders don’t look anything like they did when they arrived, and I can see the seniors simultaneously itching to get out and realizing that they will actually be leaving.
This spring has been full of opportunities to hear fascinating people speak. Marion Edey ’63, who founded the League of Conservation Voters and has been a political activist ever since, spoke at assembly last week. She also shared with students in Conservation Biology and American Studies classes her knowledge of how to create change in the political system. This week our Friday assembly speaker will be Carol Gilligan; she is a psychologist and ethicist currently teaching at NYU. She’s best known for her 1982 book “In a Different Voice”, in which she pointed out that the then prevailing assumptions about adolescent development came from research only on boys, and did not say much about how girls grow up. On the 26th Tim Weiner ’73 will be speaking in Putney at Next Stage Arts; he is the Pulitzer winning author, most recently, of Enemies: A History of The FBI. And on June 10th, our graduation speaker is Jonathan Lash ’63, the new president of Hampshire College and former head of the World Resources Institute. Parents are welcome at any of these events, and of course we hope to see you all at graduation. (A reminder to those who may have been coming to Putney graduations for years – this year we will start at 10:30 am instead of 11:00.)
Putney will be holding its annual spring phonathon during the week of May 21, during which parents will be calling fellow parents to ask for an Annual Fund gift. Many many thanks go to the 121 parents who have made their gift to the Annual Fund already – I hope the rest of you will join them. Rather than wait for a call, you can also visit Putney's website and just click on "Support Putney." Please contact Carlotta Cuerdon, Annual Fund Manager, at ccuerdon@putneyschool.org or 802-387-6248 if you have any questions. Thank you! The annual fund supports our financial aid, faculty professional development and so many important elements of our school.
All the best,
Emily
Please would you complete the Parent Survey if you have not already done so. So far we’ve got only about half the number we need to consider it good feedback.
Here is the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PutneyParents2012
