Weekly News & Archived Announcements

October 16, 2006So much has happened, and is still happening, at Buxton this past month! The students are settling in, making friends, going to soccer practice, winning (and losing, alas!) some games, getting challenged by classes, and slowly learning how to conduct their lives in this unique setting.

Some highlights from the past few weeks: Some students organized an “open mic” night at the theater one Thursday night. Old students and new played instruments, sang, danced, and shared their talents with each other. It's heartening to watch students be newly impressed by each other, and to hear the “buzz” the next day about who was amazing at what. The fact that kids are so appreciative of each other's talents is one of the hallmarks of Buxton culture.

This past Friday was Mountain Day, a once-a-year ritual planned and executed by the senior class. The date and route are established in consultation with the faculty, and the seniors struggle mightily (and fail frequently) to keep it a secret until the fateful day. Classes began as usual this Friday, and then got interrupted by seniors running through the classrooms and dorms screaming “Mountain Day!” Students then descended on the Main House for an all-school meeting, followed by sandwich-making and other preparation. Busses left the school at about 9:45, and the students spent a spectacular Fall day hiking and picnicking. In the evening, the seniors sponsored a “Mountain Night,” with dancing, movies, and fun in the Classroom Building.

This just in: we have formalized a relationship with MASSMoCA, and can now offer all of our students free passes for all the galleries for the rest of the school year. We're so pleased to be establishing a partnership with this exciting museum; having them nearby significantly enriches the cultural offerings that Buxton can provide.

You may have heard from your child that there has been a lot of sickness going around. It's true. Both last week and the week before, we found many students were suffering from viruses of the sore-throat/fever/chills variety and of the stomach-upset ilk. The students did a good job of checking in with the nurse when they weren't feeling well, and the nurse made doctor's appointments for students whose symptoms weren't improving in a reasonable amount of time. But it's hard for them and for us when so many people are under-the-weather. We feel like we have turned a corner, however, and people are starting to feel better (today, for instance, there is only one person on the “sick list”). But if you talk to your child, encourage him or her to drink lots of fluids and wash his or her hands!

Our first room change of the year is fast approaching. Next Friday (October 20th), students will pack up their belongings, clean up their rooms, and move into new spaces with new people. Students have the opportunity to sign up in groups and to ask for certain rooms. The faculty then tries to honor as many of these requests as possible. The word “possible” is an important one here. It isn't always possible to put everyone in the rooms they want with the people they most want to be with. Sometimes the numbers don't work (too many people sign up for triples, and there aren't enough triple-sized rooms to go around), sometimes the social engineering doesn't work (a handful of kids forgets to sign up or chooses to have a room chosen for them). In any case, we do the best we can to create reasonable dorm configurations (knowing that, no matter how well or how poorly we engineer it, the rooms only last for a couple of months!). There are always one or two students who are unhappy with their room assignment. It would be helpful to us if parents who receive an upset phone call on Friday could remind their child that being adaptable and accommodating are virtues, that he or she might make an unexpected friend in his or her new room, and, finally, that this, too, shall pass.

Oct. 1, 2006: News from Week Two:

Students are getting used to the rhythms of the school year. Last week, new students were waiters for the first time; classes are up to speed (in some, papers have already been assigned and handed in!); rehearsals for drama, orchestra, and chorus have begun; and the first daytime study hall list has been posted. On it are names of students who are excused from supervised daytime study hall for the week; all others are asked to continue in the newfound habit of spending free periods in a deliberately quiet, studious, faculty-run space. The list is fluid-it changes from week to week-but it represents one of the ways that we try to help students learn how to organize and use their time well. So if you hear a grumble from your child about study hall-never fear! Everyone ends up in study hall at some point. This said, there is an overwhelming sense from the faculty that classes are off to a good start.

But speaking of grumbling, there really hasn't been much: We have already noticed that this year's student body is an unusually friendly, positive group of young people. Friendships between “old” and new kids are evident and growing; there's a sense of excitement about all the possibilities students see in each other, as well as a lot of enthusiastic feelings about life at the school in general. Of course, there is the odd squeak about cleaning up a room or showing up for "alternative sports", but what would life with adolescents be without the objections and questions, the raised eyebrow or the cocked head?

Last Friday, the whole community attended our first off-site event: For "Rec Committee", we all went to the nearby Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, otherwise known as MASSMoCA, to see “REwind-A Cantata,” by Phillip Miller, a contemporary South African composer. The piece is based, in part, or recordings and transcripts from the Truth and Reconciliation hearings that were conducted in South Africa as the apartheid system was being dismantled. South African singers and Williams College choral students participated in this work-in-progress, and the finished piece will have its world premiere later this year in Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Capetown church. For more information about this exciting cultural event-and about MASSMoCA generally-visit their website at www.massmoca.org. We are so lucky to have this world-class museum and performance space so close to our campus.

Last Saturday, work program went off without a hitch, and a coed group of soccer players headed to Bennington College for an afternoon game. Kitchen Crew meals were well-prepared and well-attended.

And on Saturday night, a group of students and faculty went to Williams College for a free concert by Ologundê, an ensemble that celebrates the rich Afro-Brazilian culture of Salvador, Bahia through a diverse repertoire of music and dance, including the rituals associated with candomble, a synthesis of the Yoruba and Catholic religions; the breathtaking capoeira martial arts dance; the maculele warrior dance; and the exhilarating samba de roda. The recently formed New York-based 15-member ensemble brought together an array of Brazilian artists, including former members of Bale Folclorico da Bahia and DanceBrazil, under the direction of noted percussionist Dende from the famed Timbalada band. It was incredible.

Other Saturday night activities included an impromptu dance party organized in the theater, various trips to the movies and the playing of board games by the fire in the Billiard room. All in all, it was a great weekend.

Sept. 24, 2006: A sampling of news from the first week at Buxton:

The Junior English class has started reading Tolstoy's War & Peace. On Sunday, they watched Russian Ark, a 2002 film shot in one continuous take following 2000 actors as they--and the plot--moved through 33 rooms of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The members of the Arabic class started to learn the Arabic alphabet so they can start reading in their new language.

The students in Kate's Writing class have written their first short stories. Kate is excited by the "diverse group of voices."

Jose's Spanish III class is gearing up for their first Spanish cooking class.

The Drama I class has started work on an evening of one-act plays by contemporary playwright David Ives.

Advanced Ceramics students have been working on specific assignments to strengthen their throwing skills. "It's mesmerizing to see the students concentrating so intently, all creating the same shapes," says Amrita.

All this in addition to the first Friday night Recreation Committee event (a campus-wide game of "Manhunt"), the first Saturday of student-cooked meals (homemade falafel and pie for dinner!), the first student-organized dance party of the season, the first Sunday night senior service, the casting and read-through of the fall play, the first girls' soccer game—and many more "firsts" and beginnings too numerous to mention. Needless to say, we're off and running!

Opening Day for the 2006-07 school year was September 16th.

We are excited to have your child at Buxton. It is a tradition for faculty and all returning students to arrive earlier in the week so that we are ready to extend a warm welcome to you and your child.

When you arrive, roommates are here to greet you and help your daughter or son settle into their room, register for classes, and buy books.