The Ravens celebrate after a come-from-behind win over Newton Country Day School.

The Ravens' Girls' Ice Hockey Team finished its 2014-15 season with an impressive 10-1 EIL record (12-3-1 overall). The squad had eight consecutive wins -- the most ever for girls' varsity hockey at the Abbey -- and were the #2 seed in the EIL playoffs. The team suffered a tough defeat to Newton Country Day at home in the semi-final round -- after defeating Newton twice in the week leading up to that game -- to end their season, but Head Coach Kate Reardon had nothing but praise for her squad:

"The team had a great season and hit a lot of milestones. We had two non-league wins this year, against Thayer and Rye Country Day, the first in quite some time," said Reardon. "It was a tough season with the weather and a number of reschedules, which disrupted our rhythm, but the captains did an excellent job of working with each other and with Coach Kurt Andersen and me to set a tempo for the rest of the team. Our focus this year was trying to get the team working hard in practice, and the girls certainly picked that up by the last couple of weeks.

"The communication on the ice was vastly improved over last year," Reardon continued, "from the beginning of the season to the end, and a number of the girls showed improvement over the course of the season. The team got along remarkably well off the ice and had really good chemistry. I'm proud of the job they all did this year."

Congratulations to the entire team and coaches for a terrific season!

Ravens' Sixth Form players on Senior Day, left to right: Courtni Wade, Molly Sullivan, Maddie Fairbanks,
Co-Captain Sally Hoerr, and Co-Captain Kristine McNulty

Photos courtesy of Chris Sullivan '79, P '14, '15

Our students and chaperones participating in the Appalachia Service Project have arrived in Jonesville, VA, and are hard at work on their projects – restoring homes for those in need.

Despite the cold and drizzly weather in Jonesville, the 18 Fifth- and Sixth-Form students with their eight chaperones have divided into four groups and have begun their construction projects, which will be completed by the end of the week.

Students began fundraising in September of 2014 for this trip. Under the guidance of Assistant Director of Communications Kathy Stark P '13, '15, the group held bake sales; procured prizes and sold raffle tickets; facilitated School Dress Down Days; hosted doughnut sales; solicited or donated supplies for the work sites; and collected monetary contributions from our supportive Abbey community. Many thanks to all of those who offered support along the way.

Be sure to check School News for regular updates on the group's progress.

Team leader Peter Stark P'13, '15 instructs Maddie Fairbanks '15, Thomas Knoepffler '16 and Sara Bertuccio '16 as their team rebuilds the porch of an old farm house.

Portsmouth Abbey student Zoe Butler, of Portsmouth, has won this year's Rhode Island "Poetry Out Loud" Contest, sponsored by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. Zoe, a Fifth Former (junior) at the Abbey, bested students representing 11 other Rhode Island schools on Sunday, March 15, at the state finals. She captured first place in Portsmouth Abbey's school-wide competition in February, which entitled her to compete at the state level. Overall, more than 1,800 Rhode Island students competed in the contest. As the Rhode Island state winner, Zoe will go on to compete in the 10th Poetry Out Loud National Finals on April 28-29, 2015, against contestants from 49 other states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Lisner Auditorium, George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.

Portsmouth Abbey School Director of Performing Arts Jay Bragan organized the school event, along with the assistance of the Head of the English Department, Dr. Michael Bonin. Bragan said, "In both the school and state competitions, Zoe was fearless in her presentations. She lifted the poems off the page by fully inhabiting them physically and vocally. Zoe beautifully articulated the complex language of John Donne while making the 400-year-old poem seem fresh and alive. Her two contemporary poems were also vibrant, profound and completely entertaining."

Zoe recited "The Good-Morrow," by John Donne, "Ode to the Midwest," by Kevin Young, and "Through a Glass Eye," by Carolyn Kizer, on her way to capturing the state finals. Of her winning performance, Zoe said, "Our state was founded on the premise of radical freedom and, for me, poetry holds that same promise. I am honored to represent Rhode Island in the National Poetry Out Loud competition because poetry is the culmination of freedom of the intellect and freedom of the arts."

The National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation have partnered with U.S. state arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the study of great poetry by offering educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition to high school students across the country. Poetry Out Loud gives students an opportunity to master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. The contest was launched in high schools nationwide in the spring of 2006 and uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. Now in its tenth year of national competition, Poetry Out Loud has inspired millions of high school students to discover classic and contemporary poetry.

Hear Zoe's recitation of Shakespeare's "All the World's a Stage" from the Portsmouth Abbey School fall 2014 music and dance recital.

Congratulations, Chris!

Jee Won (Christine) Yang '15 has been selected as a National Medalist in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition. She was one of some 2,000 National Medalists throughout the USA chosen for their excellence and promise in the arts and writing.

Christine was selected for her oil painting on canvas, "Against Pressure." She was awarded a Gold Key for her work in the 2015 R.I. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in February.

"Christine has been a consistent participant in the Scholastic Art Awards for the past three years," said Abbey Art Teacher Kevin Calisto, "and each year she has won an award. Her work is enticing, captivating and evokes a powerful message. I am very proud of Christine and her accomplishments this year as a National Medalist for Scholastic Art."

Founded and directed by The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in NYC, The Awards are an important opportunity for students to be recognized for their creative talents. Each year, the Alliance partners with Rhode Island, as well as other states across the country, to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited.

The Rhode Island Art Education Association has been sponsoring The Awards since the 1960s. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

To date, the Awards have encouraged over 13 million students, recognized more than 9 million young artists and writers, and made available more than $25 million in awards and scholarships. They continue to be the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the USA and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.

Congratulations, Christine!

The Winter Term Athletics Assembly was held Friday, March 27. The following student-athletes were recognized for their on-field leadership and accomplishments. In addition, Athletics Director Al Brown congratulated all winter teams on their improved performance this year, saying that "your dedication to be better athletes, which mirrors your ongoing dedication to your academics, paid off in improved records for all teams and a number of individual distinctions. Congratulations!"

Boys' Basketball
Dom Bede Gorman Memorial Basketball Award: Andrew Fonts '17
MIP: Ethan O'Neill '16
Captains-Elect: Teddy Fenton '16, Andrew Fonts '17, Seamus O'Connor '16
Record: Overall 10-11 EIL 9-7

Girls' Basketball
The Pfeffer Cup: Ayanna Sommers '16
MIP: Maya Eid '18
Captains-Elect: Ayanna Sommers '16, Jocelyn Varieur '16
Record: Overall 6-13 EIL 5-9

Boys' Ice Hockey
The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Boys and Girls Hockey Award: Bob Cloughen '16
MIP: John Stookey '18
Captains-Elect: Jack Murphy '16, Ben Quick '16, Bailey Strangis '17
Record: 4-15-1 Holt: 1-6-1
Holt Conference Sportsmanship Award

Girls' Ice Hockey
The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Boys and Girls Hockey Award: Sally Hoerr '15
MIP: Maddie Fairbanks '15
Captain-Elect: Kaitlyn Doherty '17; Ass't. Captains-Elect: Remy Chester '16, Maddy McCann '16
Record: Overall: 12-3-1 EIL 10-1

Boys' Squash
Carlos Xavier Araujo '96 Memorial Squash Award: Ander Guerenabarrena '15
MIP: Oliver Ferry '17
Captain-Elect: Sam Choi '16
Record: 8-5 New England Class C Championship – 3rd Place

Girls' Squash
Coaches Award: Claire Davidson '16
MIP: Grace Fink '17
Captain-Elect: Claire Davidson '16
Record: Overall: 9-3 EIL: 4-2

Swimming
Coaches Award (Boys): Jeremy Slupski '15
MIP: Michael Ludwig '16
Captain-Elect (Boys): Chris Chow '16
Boys' Overall Record: 3-3

Coaches Award (Girls): Annie O'Donnell '17
MIP: Megan Madden '18
Captains-Elect (Girls): Ellie Deutermann '16, Holly Kazama '16
Girls' Overall Record: 3-5
EIL Championship: Boys, 2nd Place; Girls, 4th Place

Wrestling
Coaches Award: Chris Weiss '16
MIP: Eli Wilson '16
Captains-Elect: Chris Weiss '16, Eli Wilson '16
EIL Champions: Chris Weiss (132 lbs.), Eli Wilson (160 lbs.)
EIL MVP: Chris Weiss
Record: Overall 5-12 EIL 2-8

Junior Varsity Awards
Boys' JVA Basketball: Kei Eleje '17
Boys' JVB Basketball: Jay Patel '17
Girls JV Basketball: Mary Beth Falvey '18
Girls' JV Squash: Gretchen Vietor '18
Boys' JV Squash: Kevin Jiang '17
Coed JVB Squash (Boys): Steve Vye '16
Coed JVB Squash (Girls): Felicity Taylor '18
Boys' JV Ice Hockey: Matt McKenna '18
Girls' JV Ice Hockey: Emma Stowe '18
Boys' JV Swimming: Thomas Knoepffler '16
Girls' JV Swimming: Katrina Nueva '16

All-League and Post-Season Honors, Winter 2014-15
Boys' Basketball (EIL)
Andrew Fonts – All-League
Seamus O'Connor – All-League
Ethan O'Neill – Honorable Mention
Jeff Walters – Honorable Mention

Girls' Basketball (EIL)
Ayanna Sommers – All-League

Boys' Ice Hockey (Holt Conference)
Shane Simpson – All-League
Holt Conference Sportsmanship Award

Girls' Ice Hockey (EIL)
Sally Hoerr – All-League
Maddy McCann – All-League
Abby Luth – All-League
Remy Chester – Honorable Mention
Jena Villeneuve – Honorable Mention

Girls' Squash (EIL)
Claire Davidson – All-League, New England Class B Championship, 3rd Place

Boys' Swimming (EIL)
Bailey Archibald-Raposa – All-League (100 Back)
Jeremy Slupski – All-League (100 Free)
Adam Suh – All-League (100 Breast) *EIL Record
Tim Tsung – All-League (50 free)

Girls' Swimming (EIL)
Kate Hughes – All-League (100 Breast)
Kate Hughes – *School Record (100 Breast, 1:17.50)

Wrestling (EIL)
Chris Weiss – EIL Champion, All-League
Eli Wilson – EIL Champion, All-League
Chris Weiss – EIL MVP; 5th Place in New England, Qualified for Prep School Nationals

A group of 18 students and eight chaperones from Portsmouth Abbey spent nine days of their spring vacation in March traveling to Jonesville, Virginia, and repairing and renovating homes through the Appalachia Service Project. The teams worked long hours, building stairs and railings, repairing porches, underpinning mobile homes, creating drainage ditches, installing doors, and shoring up and replacing old floors.

Beginning in the fall, the group raised $20,000 through a variety of fundraising efforts to pay for the trip. Students held bake sales, a dress-down day, a raffle, and sold donuts and candy grams to help cover their expenses. This is the 21st year that Portsmouth Abbey has performed community service in the Appalachia region, and the trip is considered by students to be one of the best experiences offered at the School.

"The amazing thing about the trip is that it is so multifaceted," said Olivia Wright '15, a three-time Appalachia volunteer while at the Abbey. "A large part about it is helping the quality of life for a community, but it is also growing within one's own community of classmates and friends, and obtaining a true sense of empathy for others. By going on this trip, we aren't just helping ASP and the families we work with; they're also helping us."

The group drove, in four vans, to and from Jonesville and stayed at the Appalachia Service Project Lodge while there. Copious amounts of mud and snow remained from a harsh winter; that, along with steady rain and chilly temperatures, made working conditions challenging. The teams plugged away, nonetheless.

"Although the work was difficult, complex, or just muddy and wet, through teamwork and perseverance, each group achieved a great deal to make their assigned family's homes warmer, safer, and drier," said 2015 ASP Student Leader Dylan Bedford '15. "When, at the end of the week, we had to say goodbye, that heartfelt 'thank-you' (from the families and individuals we served) made the effort all worth it, along with the knowledge that we had improved someone's life in a meaningful way."

"The whole trip was full of new experiences and opportunities to learn new things," said first-time ASP volunteer Sara Bertuccio '16. "Before this trip I didn't know how to use many power tools, let alone how to build a new porch, so when we finished our project at the end of the week I couldn't help feeling proud of our work and my fellow group members. I would definitely recommend being part of the ASP trip to anyone and cannot wait to go again next year. It is a beautiful thing to be able to positively change someone's life. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of such an amazing project."

In recent years, a few Portsmouth Abbey alumni have served as chaperones for the project, an experience that has strengthened their ties to their alma mater and provided them with a unique perspective of today's Abbey students.

"Fifty-three years ago I left Portsmouth," said Gene Renz '62, a retired dentist who has led an Abbey team in Appalachia each of the past two years. "Two years ago Dom Ambrose asked me to consider 'Appalachia.' As I was recently retired, it fit. And, as a grandfather six times, I wanted to connect with teenagers. Little did I realize that cold and snow, rain and mud, and a handicap ramp and a platform to provide an exit from mobile homes would show me the beauty of hardworking, respectful young people committed to helping those less fortunate. For this 'privilege' they withstood 2,000 miles of van driving each year, mediocre food and the leadership of a person they had never met.

"They changed my vision of life and gave me hope for the years ahead," Dr. Renz continued. "Kudos to the Abbey, their faculty and staff, and, above all, their students. I am a better person for having shared my weeks with future Raven graduates on the Appalachia Service Project."

View a slideshow of the 2015 Appalachia Service Project.

2015 ASP Participants:

Bailey Archibald-Raposa '15

Dylan Bedford '15 (Student Leader)

Sara Bertuccio '16

Ellie Deutermann '16

Madison Fairbanks '15 (Student Leader)

Curry Fisher '15 (Student Leader)

Mary Rose Hobbins '16

Tristan Howlett '15

Thomas Knoepffler '16

Natalie Mistikawy '15

Maggie O'Donnell '15

Paulina Power '16

Maggie Stark '15

Tim Tsung '15

Olivia Wright '15

Ruoyu "Barrett" Xiong '16

Shenghe "Robin" Xue '16

Jenny Yates '16

Chaperones:

Mike Devine P'02

Maura Fairbanks P'15

Cat Malkemus '10

Kathy Stark P'13, '15

Peter Stark P'13, '15

Andrea Raposa P'15

Gene Renz '62

Ted Yates P'13, '15

Sixth Former Grace Jannotta '15 addressed the School Community at Church Assembly on Thursday, April 9. Grace spoke about the anxiety disorder she has dealt with for years and how she is learning to overcome it.

The full transcript of Grace's talk follows.

It's like a car alarm going off in the back of my mind, a constant and unpleasant warning that something's not right. Anxiety: noun, A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. It sounds harmless enough, but unlike a car alarm there is no switch to turn off anxiety and no way to ignore it.

It took me a long time to realize that what I was dealing with was an actual anxiety disorder. I've been a worrier my whole life, stressing out about normal things like prom, schoolwork and college. But I also found myself irrationally nervous about things like making phone calls, interacting with new people and public speaking, but I always managed to get through it.

The first time anxiety became a crippling factor in my life was during the summer of 2010. My family was spending a month in Europe visiting my father, who was stationed in Germany with the Navy. I love traveling and visiting all the famous attractions, so when we went to Paris, I was beyond ecstatic to see the Eiffel Tower. I made my parents get up early in the morning so that we could be the first in line to go to the top. When we got to the Eiffel Tower, I eagerly climbed each flight of steps until I reached the doors of the elevator that would take me to the top. I stopped and I stared at the doors of that elevator for what felt like hours, as families and tourists went up and came back down, laughing and smiling. But I could not get on the elevator. Earlier that year, I had gone to Disneyworld and ridden the Tower of Terror, which is basically a ride where a broken elevator plummets towards the ground, and it was the worst experience of my life. Watching the elevator of the Eiffel Tower rise and fall, I was certain that if I boarded that elevator, it would drop, just like the Tower of Terror, and I would die. Despite thousands of people safely riding it every day, I was physically paralyzed by fear at the thought of getting on that elevator. My parents tried to make me; they warned me that I would regret not going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and, eventually, yelled at me for being so irrational.

After that summer, I started to recognize other signs of anxiety in myself. Occasionally, there are nights when I am so worried over something like schoolwork or college applications, that I can't eat or sleep, which leads to mornings I get out of bed feeling exhausted and sick to my stomach. But most of the time, I am absolutely fine, functional and happy. Nine days out of ten, I forget what being anxious even feels like. It takes certain triggers to make me feel my stomach churn with nerves.

Anxiety did not become a serious obstacle for me until last summer when I got my driver's license. I was 18 years old; I put off getting my permit and my license as long as I possibly could. If you've ever driven with Natalie Mistikawy, you know what terror feels like. That's how I felt, driving alone in an empty parking lot. I couldn't drive for more than five minutes without feeling so nervous I thought I was going to faint at the wheel. My hands were shaky and numb, I felt nauseous, and I think I could hear my own heartbeat. Even though I passed my driver's test, I basically refuse to drive, ever. Yes, my younger brother drives me to school every day, but only because I physically cannot drive myself.

If you've never experienced anxiety, it can be hard to explain. It's like being very, very nervous about something but with no reason, or with no understanding of why you're nervous. The metaphor of the car alarm works best if you imagine that it's not your car producing the annoying noise, you don't have the key to turn it off, you can only suffer through the unpleasantness. Anxiety makes you feel on edge, it makes your heart feel like its beating out of control and causes chest pains. During an anxiety attack, your body releases adrenaline and responds as if you are in actual, physical danger when there is no threat or reason to feel that way.

I thought I was a basket case, completely crazy for being terrified of something so mundane as driving. It seemed ridiculous to feel so awful in such ordinary situations, but the anxiety was overwhelming. The more I researched, however, I realized how common my experience was. As many as 40 million Americans suffer from some form of anxiety and, today, one in four people over the age of 18 are coping with diagnosable mental disorders. I'm lucky enough to have amazing family and friends in my life that I can talk to when I'm anxious. I'm still working on it, but with their help I've realized that if you don't face your fears, you can't make progress. My parents were right; I do regret not going to the top of the Eiffel Tower and, even though I still can't drive a car without feeling like I'm going to throw up, at least I'm trying.

Now for the cliché, Disney Channel life lesson; high school is an extremely stressful four years, especially at the Abbey, where it can seem like the only time we're given to relax is in this church. There's a lot to worry about: classes, relationships, college applications, sports and our social lives; anxiety can be inescapable here. Sometimes everything is overwhelming, but don't let your anxieties hold you back, don't let your fears control you, and don't ever ride the Tower of Terror.

Portsmouth Abbey School has announced its Dean's List and Honor Roll for the 2014-15 Winter Term.

The Dean's List formally recognizes the scholastic achievement of students whose average is unusually distinguished. To qualify, a student must be taking at least six courses, have a GPA of 3.5 and no grade under B in regular courses or under B- in Honors/AP courses.

Honor Roll privileges are extended to students who have a GPA of 3.0 and no grade under C+.

DEAN'S LIST

Third Form

Lucia Billings, Portsmouth, RI

Sydell Bonin, Portsmouth, RI

Martin Bulanowski, Bow, NH

Yin Hong Chiu, Sichuan, China

Ryan Costa, Westport, MA

Foster Davis, Providence, RI

Karl Jackson, Portsmouth, RI

Hong Jiang, Beijing, China

Sungwon Kim, Seoul, Korea

Abbey Luth, Dartmouth, MA

Megan Madden, Franklin, MA

Shane McCarthy, Portsmouth, RI

Matthew McKenna, Middletown, RI

Howard Mooney, Decatur, IL

Ian Ritchie, New York, NY

Ga Yeon Shin, Seoul, Korea

Daniel Sliney, Warwick, RI

Gabriel Sotomayor, Newport, RI

Ella Souvannavong, Chesapeake, VA

Emma Stowe, Portsmouth, RI

Adam Suh, Seoul, Korea

Felicity Taylor, New Canaan, CT

Thomas Teravainen, East Sandwich, MA

Nicholas Vallone, North Dartmouth, MA

Benjamin Varieur, Portsmouth, RI

Emma Ventura, Dartmouth, MA

John Walter, Portsmouth, RI

Chuhang Xiang, Hangzhou, China

Jihye Yang, Tokyo, Japan

Jia Zhao, Shanghai, China

Fourth Form

Johanna Appleton, Mattapoisett, MA

Ziqun Cao, Beijing, China

Chase Carter, Medway, MA

Naythan Delgado, Pawtucket, RI

David DeMieri, Jamestown, RI

Oliver Ferry, Republic of Singapore

Grace Fink, Washington, D.C.

Christine Gu, Sichuan, China

Michael Guyon, Middletown, RI

Katelyn Heuer, Middletown, RI

Kaiwen Jiang, Shanghai, China

Meagan Kelly, Charlotte, NC

Young Wook Kim, Seoul, Korea

Emmalene Kurtis, Newport, RI

Diyang Li, Shanghai, China

Huaan Liao, Xi'an, China

Kathleen Longson, Newport, RI

Ryan Madden, Franklin, MA

Mark Maley, Darien, CT

Mikaela Nueva, Montgomery, TX

Byungwook Oh, North Vancouver, BC, Canada

Hee Jin Park, Seoul, Korea

Scott Powell, Portsmouth, RI

Raimundo Riojas, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Conor Smith, Portsmouth, RI

Caroline Villareal, Portsmouth, RI

Maya Wilson, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Fifth Form

Antonia Ambrose, Utica, NY

Sara Bertuccio, Portsmouth, RI

David Brower, Lawrenceville, GA

Emma Butler, Portsmouth, RI

Jon Campau, East Lansing, MI

Katie Chen, Oakland, NJ

Seha Choi, Seoul, Korea

Christopher Chow, Beijing, China

Claire Davidson, Newport, RI

Avery Dey, Westport, MA

Claire Doire, Middletown, RI

Kevin Ellicks, Acton, MA

Lucy Ferry, Republic of Singapore

Eric Holden, Shell Rock, IA

Carly Johnston, Tiverton, RI

Thomas Knoepffler, Santiago, Chile

Min Ji Lee, Daegu, Korea

Shaokai Lin, Zhuhai, China

Joy Loftus, Raynham, MA

Ziyuan Ma, Beijing, China

A. Brandt Matthews, Rye, NY

Christopher Motta, Bellingham, MA

Rory O'Connor, Albertson, NY

Madeleine O'Shea, Newport, RI

Paulina Power, Gualala, CA

Rose Randolph, Front Royal, VA

Austin Rooney, Darien, CT

Frank Rybicki, Sudbury, MA

George Sturges, Tiverton, RI

Nathaniel Tsung, Shanghai, China

Jocelyn Varieur, Portsmouth, RI

Madeline Villareal, Portsmouth, RI

Yazhen Wang, Beijing, China

Elisha Wilson, Adamsville, RI

Thomas Winters, Marion, MA

Susan Wu, Beijing, China

Ruoyu Xiong, Chengdu Sichuan, China

Shenghe Xue, Shanghai, China

Jennifer Yates, Portsmouth, RI

Wan Ling Zhang, Shandong Province, China

Sixth Form

Eduardo Alfaro, Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador

Dylan Bedford, Bristol, RI

Wade Bredin, Pennington, NJ

Jin Young Chang, Kyunggido, Korea

Ha Young Choi, Seoul, Korea

Lauren Cotta, Portsmouth, RI

Mengqiao He, Guangzhou, China

Keri Heuer, Middletown, RI

Ethan Hickey, Portsmouth, RI

Tristan Howlett, Portsmouth, RI

Douglas Lebo, Portsmouth, RI

Joo Seung Lee, Seoul, Korea

Keon Ho Lee, Seoul, Korea

Taylor Lough, Little Compton, RI

Meghan McCarthy, Portsmouth, RI

Tiernan O'Rourke, Mercersburg, PA

Kourtney Patton, Portsmouth, RI

Kevin Silverman, Key Biscayne, FL

Kyusang Soh, Seoul, Korea

Benedict Vergara, Madrid, Spain

Courtni Wade, Jonesboro, GA

Mary Cate Whelan, Manhassett, NY

Patrick Wilks, Darien, CT

Benjamin Wilson, Adamsville, RI

Yue Wu, Heilongjiang, China

Yuefeng Wu, Shanghai, China

Jee Won Yang, Seoul, Korea

Yanqi Zhang, Shenzhen, China

HONOR ROLL

Third Form

Thomas Brant, Marblehead, MA

Joseph Breen, Portsmouth, RI

Noelle Brown, Middletown, RI

Emily Byrne, Portsmouth, RI

Ryan Donovan, Portsmouth, RI

Mary Falvey, Andover, MA

Lauryn Harper, Plainfield, NJ

Johanna Hausladen, South Dartmouth, MA

Betissa Kouassi-Brou, Stamford, CT

Jillian McRoy, Fall River, MA

Jacqueline Morrison, Little Compton, RI

Elizabeth Mullaly, Newport, RI

Alicia Ponte, Newport, RI

Tyler White, West Orange, NJ

Henry Wilson, Adamsville, RI

Fourth Form

Hannah Banderob, Dallas, TX

Sawyer Bartlett-Dunn, Narragansett, RI

Connor Baughan, Foxborough, MA

Emily Bredin, Pennington, NJ

Su Bin Choi, Seoul, Korea

Jordan Davis, Houston, TX

Kaitlyn Doherty, Portsmouth, RI

Thomas Driscoll, Wellington, FL

Sofie Eftekhar, Portsmouth, RI

Beluchukwu Eleje, El Paso, TX

Andrew Fonts, Portsmouth, RI

Grace Gibbons, Portsmouth, RI

Scott Harkins, Newport, RI

David Ingraham, Ossining, NY

Molly Joyce, Jamestown, RI

Daniel Locke, Warwick, RI

Diana Oakes, Brookfield, CT

So Hyun Park, Seoul, Korea

Matthew Plumb, Portsmouth, RI

Patrick Rose, Portsmouth, RI

Amanda Saliba, Winchester, MA

Caitlin Sullivan, Washington, D.C.

Weixiang Sun, Dalian, China

Hanne Vasstrand, Newport, RI

Nicholas Velcea, Dartmouth, MA

Alice Vergara, Madrid, Spain

Fifth Form

David Allen, Lumberton, NC

Antonia Ambrose, Utica, NY

Jade Asiu, Maraval, Trinidad and Tobago

Jun Young Choi, Seoul, Korea

Sean DeMieri, Jamestown, RI

Theodore Fenton, Woonsocket, RI

Yuelin Guo, Shenzhen, China

Oliver Jantz, Newport, RI

Liam Kelly, Charlotte, NC

Hansu Kim, Gwangju, Korea

Ethan Richardson, Providence, RI

Cassandra Schuchert, Allison Park, PA

Ayanna Sommers, East Orange, NJ

Rachel Tarjono, Jakarta, Indonesia

Stephen Vye, Portsmouth, RI

Sydney Welch, Robesonia, PA

Manjiao Zhang, Xian, China

Sixth Form

Matthew Benevides, Bristol, RI

Dean Bessey, Canton, MI

Patrick Carlson, Portsmouth, RI

Robert Cloughen, Morristown, NJ

Ryan Conroy, Bridgeport, CT

Sean Crandall, Portsmouth, RI

Sophia Diodati, Warren, RI

Matthew Dugal, Tiverton, RI

Madison Fairbanks, Bristol, RI

Curry Fisher, San Francisco, CA

Victor-Emmanuel Florescu, Boston, MA

Gerrard Hanly, Saint Simons Island, GA

Margaret-Theresa Ingraham, Ossining, NY

Mary Kennedy, Greenwich, CT

Elizabeth Kielb, Ann Arbor, MI

Hee Jin Kim, Daegu, Korea

Sung Joon Lee, Seoul, Korea

Yuxin Li, Xian, China

Frank Loughran, New York, NY

Helen Nelson, Austin, TX

Andrew Sheerin, Newport, RI

Wonyong Shin, Daegu, Korea

Jedrzej Slupski, San Diego, CA

Harrison Wall, Barrington, RI

Isabella Welch, Cranston, RI

Nicole Wilner, Portsmouth, RI

Olivia Wright, Portsmouth, RI

###

Sixth Former Wade Bredin '15 addressed the School Community at Church Assembly on Thursday, April 16. He reflected on the posing of "the big questions" and the searching for answers as a lifelong endeavor and an integral part of a Portsmouth Abbey education.

The full transcript of Wade's talk follows. View the video of Wade's talk here.

Books don't have to be the first stop. We all have the internet. When you are wasting time during study hall, do you ever click through random pages on Wikipedia? You might end up watching a video of the first moon landing, or reading about some short-lived Enlightenment thinker. It doesn't matter so much what we read, what we research, or what interests us. What matters is that we do read, we do research, and we do cultivate those interests.

Asking questions and looking for answers in our classes, in the library, or on the internet allows us to eavesdrop on the "great conversation," the collection of millennia-old arguments fought with paper and ideas over the centuries by the world's greatest thinkers. What's more, we're invited to join that conversation, whoever and wherever we are: even in the dorm.

I had a really tough time writing this speech at home over Spring Break. Not because I was busy, but because I was trying to do it alone. My realization came during the fourth, fifth, and sixth drafts of this talk: I am not much without St. Leonard's behind me. To me, St. Leonard's is a very, very unprofessional or amateurish Acropolis, or a debauched version of Independence Hall. There are so many ideas in those dorm rooms, so many arguments, so many dogmas and ways of viewing and interacting with the world, that it makes my head spin. Now, I'm not saying that I live next to Plato or FDR, but my point is that I don't need to. I live next to Brendan Carlin and Kevin Silverman. All of us have stayed up with Mr. Micheletti or Father Paschal and dived into the questions that we first asked years ago. With each conversation, we get closer to forging our own answers. And this brings me back to the conversation with Ben Wilson I mentioned earlier. Conversations like that one, and the hundreds of others we all have throughout our time here, are where our education takes flight. We don't all have to have the answers. In fact, I don't think any of us do. But it is vitally important that we ask, that we wonder, that we argue, and that we keep searching.

There's a quotation carved into a stone on the walkway near Tuck Shop. Next time you are down there, stop and take a look. It's from Father Ambrose, and it says: "Love the questions. Live into the answers. You have a lifetime, but start now."

Thank you.

Nine Portsmouth Abbey students and Classics Department Head Ms. Lizzie Benestad traveled to the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester, Mass., for the annual Classics Day put on by the college's Classics Department. The events of the day include a manuscript challenge, costume competition, chariot races, and Certamen (a trivia contest). Twenty-six public and private high schools from around New England participated this year.

Two Abbey teams participated in the Upper-Level Certamen competition, in which teams compete in a round-robin against two other schools. The top three teams then advance to the final, which takes place in front of all 26 of the schools. The team of Doug Lebo '15, Dylan Bedford '15, Yuefeng Wu '15 and Jon Campau '16 advanced to the final round for the Upper Level and finished in second place overall.

Other Portsmouth Abbey participants in Classics Day were Olivia Wright '15, Lester Li '15, Sam Choi '16, Rosie Randolph '16, and Hannah Banderob '17.

Congratulations to these students!

Photo Caption: Left to right, Hannah Banderob, Lester Li, Yuefeng Wu (front), Ms. Lizzie Benestad (middle), Jon Campu (rear), Doug Lebo, Olivia Wright, Dylan Bedford, Sam Choi, Rosie Randolph.

The eighth annual Iron Chef competition, held Sunday, April 19, was packed with culinary creativity, great-tasting food, and plenty of fun.

Chef Steph and Mrs. Rodrigues, along with their Dining Services team, revealed a doozy of a secret ingredient: pizza dough. The six, two-person teams (representing all but two residential houses) each were required to prepare three courses -- an appetizer, entrée and dessert -- using the secret ingredient in some form.

Teams were allowed to ask the chefs on duty from the Dining Hall for assistance in using kitchen equipment and locating ingredients and utensils, and were given an hour and a half to prepare the dishes. With a flurry of activity, each team set to work, slicing, dicing, sautéing, drizzling and plating. At the end of the 90 minutes, each team presented its prepared dishes to the judges. They garnered points for taste, creativity, use of the ingredient, and presentation.

Teams made everything from breadsticks to calzones, and from flatbreads to dessert pizzas. Faculty judges enjoyed a taste of each dish and ultimately decided that Manor House took home the victory! Hannah Banderob '17 and Helen Wittenborn '17 earned a BBQ for their house, catered by Dining Services.

A special thanks to Executive Chef Stephanie Petreccia, Mrs. Rodrigues of Sodexho, and the Dining Hall crew for their help, along with judges: Mrs. Cowan, Mr. O'Connor, Ms. Stenberg, and Mrs. Baker.

Participants:

St. Aelred's – James Briand, Finnley Arends
St. Benet's – Sally Hoerr, Courtni Wade
St. Brigid's – Jade Asiu, Connolly O'Brien
St. Leonard's – Juan Pablo Chouza, Kai Smith
St. Martin's – Nelson Choi, Thomas Knoepffler
Manor House – Hannah Banderob, Helen Wittenborn

View Iron Chef Photos.

Brian Finnerty, of the Class of 1977, and Chris Sullivan, of the Class of 1979, visited campus this week to perform a mock trial for Mr. Hobbins' two Political Science classes. Mr. Hobbins taught both Mr. Finnerty and Mr. Sullivan in the 1970s, and it was Mr. Hobbins who inspired both men to become lawyers.

The mock trial was a murder trial, with a fictitious "Mrs. McHugh" on trial for murdering her scoundrel husband, "Dr. McHugh." Students volunteered as witnesses, including the defendant, "Mrs. McHugh," a psychiatrist, "Dr. Fibsolotte," and the investigating detective, "'Dirty Harry' Callaghan," and the trial included direct- and cross-examinations and closing arguments. Mr. Hobbins was the judge who sustained and over-ruled objections at will (note he is holding the gavel in the photo!). The rest of the audience, at the conclusion of the trial, was instructed on the law and then deliberated in two separate jurys.

Fortunately for "Mrs. McHugh," there was not a unanimous verdict with either jury and, as a result, she was found not guilty.

"We had a good turn-out of about 50-60 students," said Mr. Sullivan. "It was a blast!"

Photo Caption: Political Science Teacher Mr. Cliff Hobbins is flanked by two of his former students, Mr. Brian Finnerty '77 (left) and Mr. Chris Sullivan '79, P '14, '15 (right), after a mock trial conducted by the men for Portsmouth Abbey students.

Sixth Former Maggie O'Donnell addressed the School Community at Church Assembly on Thursday, April 23.
Maggie spoke of the difficulties she has had making friends and learning how to be one while at the Abbey.
The full transcript of Maggie's talk follows. View the video of Maggie's talk here.

I have always been extremely shy. One of the hardest things for me is making friends and being a good friend. I never really understood what a friend was, mostly because I never had any, nor did I try to be a friend to anyone.

In first grade I was basically the teacher's pet, which of course is social suicide. I was smarter than everyone in my class, just like I am here. No comment, Derms. I remember one day I had to take the school bus home. I wasn't a huge fan of riding the bus because the only person I knew on it was Jacob, my annoying neighbor. Now that I think of it, though, Jacob was the only person in my school who even acknowledged my existence. So, when I got on the bus that day and saw all those unfamiliar faces, I felt like I was in a cheesy movie about the kid who gets bullied on the bus but then grows up to be super cool. Except for the super cool part. I walked down the aisle of the bus asking if I could sit with people, only to be answered with dirty looks or kids sliding to the outside of the seat in order to keep me from sitting down. Clearly I was unwanted. When I got to Jacob's row, I quickly passed by, hoping to make it to the empty seat I had spotted about three rows back.

"Hey Maggie! Come sit with me!"

I might have been unknown and unwanted, but Jacob that kid. I knew he was disliked by almost everyone in Osterville Elementary's first grade, but it would have been too obvious if I pretended not to hear him. I sat down next to him, hoping nobody would notice me, since no one ever did. No such luck. Everyone on the bus turned around in their seats, laughed at us, and called us losers. That's not too harsh by "Mean Girls" standards, but to my seven-year-old self it really hurt. I got off the bus that day crying, and vowed never to set foot on a school bus again. My first encounter with the fun world of friendship.

Fast forward a few years: eighth grade. I had left Osterville Elementary after one year, no surprise, and moved on to two other schools, without ever changing my spot in the social food chain. I was plankton, basically. But when I reached eighth grade I had attended Saint Francis Xavier Preparatory School for three years, and I had somehow acquired a friend. Her name was Nicole McGlaughlin. Toward the end of the school year I was scared we would stop being friends, since I was going away to boarding school in Rhode Island. So I took matters into my own hands. I told everyone that we hung out with that Nicole hated all of them. I guess I was pretty convincing, because they all believed me. Anyone who says I'm a bad liar should talk to my middle school friends. Well, actually, they're not my friends anymore.

So, the whole friendship thing? It's been a struggle.

Even Third Form year at the Abbey, I had a hard time with friends. On the first day of school I forced a girl I had just met to do Cross-Country with me. Cross-country was fine, except for the running part, but it was probably the best mistake I have ever made, because that's how I became friends with Natalie Mistikawy. I also was extremely mean to Mary Madeline Warren, who is now one of my very good friends. I went out of my way to say rude things to her. I used to sit in the back of Geometry class, and every time Mary Madeline would turn around, I'd make some snide remark about how she wasn't paying attention, because I'd get encouraging laughter from my "cool" classmates. I still regret it to this day.

When I arrived at the Abbey I never expected to become friends with the people I call my friends today. I've learned that it's crazy what can bring people together: a mutual hatred for running (Natalie and me), a mutual love for Lilly (Mary Kennedy and me), or even the mind-blowing, totally unbelievable coincidence of having the same name (The Maggies). Where else but the Abbey could friendships arise between odd couples such as Jena Villenueve, who makes her presence known by yelling through the dorm at all hours of the day, and Christine Gu, who usually sits silently in the corner of the common room at house meeting; Ellie Kielb, who wakes up to get ready hours before school, and Heidi Choi, who wakes up 15 minutes before class; Tim Tsung, who avoids fighting at all costs, and Bailey Raposa, who is always fighting with someone; Ms. Reardon, whose loves sports, and Mrs. Smith, who loves books; and especially Dean Bessey, a Drama kid, and Will Behnke, a gym rat. I've also learned that while isolation isn't all that great, friendship is never easy, either. There will be fights, like fighting with your roommate over a phone charger, or whether you are just using that day student for rides to Dunkin' Donuts. I've learned that friends will come and go. Or the School will ask them to go. But if there's one thing, above all, that I have learned in my four years at the Abbey, it is how to be a good friend. A good friend is someone, for example, who would move over to let a teammate sit with them for a three hour bus ride in the Raven to a swim meet at Berwick. And I'm sorry, Ms. Benestad, but I think that is way more important that learning how to conjugate video.

Thank you.

Thank you to our participants in the Portsmouth Abbey Science and Art Expo 2015, and congratulations to our presenters in the conference portion of the Expo. Many thanks to our judge, Providence College chemistry professor Dr. Jack Breen, P'18, and to science teacher and expo organizer Siobhan Curran.

Presentation winners were:

First Place went to Douglas Lebo '15 for his research into Plastic Microbead Pollution.

Second Place went to Emma and Zoe Butler '16, who studied The Importance of Privacy: Different Views as a Function of Age and Gender.

Third Place went to Madeleine O'Shea '16 for her presentation on The Keystone XL Pipeline.

Pictured above, from left: Dr. Jack Breen P'18, Ryan Gallagher '15, Fen Billings '15, Madeleine O'Shea '16, Emma Butler '16, Zoe Butler '16, Douglas Lebo '15 and Kourtney Patton '15.

The School was fortunate to have members of Project VOICE, a professional organization of award-winning poet-educators, share their prodigious talents with the community on April 17. Project VOICE (Vocal Outreach Into Creative Expression) was founded in 2004 by two alumni of Brown University, Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay, to bring spoken-word poetry to young people with the goal of inspiring creativity and making poetry accessible and exciting for them. Project VOICE poets encourage young people to use spoken-word poetry as an instrument of self-expression through which they can explore and better understand their culture, their society, and, ultimately, themselves.

For their visit to Portsmouth Abbey, Project VOICE Co-Founder Phil Kaye was joined by team member Franny Choi, also an award-winning poet, author and educator, who resides in Providence, RI. Phil and Franny entertained the audience for an hour, performing poems that explored a wide range of topics, some humorous, and others thought-provoking and poignant: the ups and downs of being a sibling; Korean pop culture; the animal kingdom; the strength of women; how family, race and culture form our identities; the power of language; and on being the Geico Gecko!

Following their performances, Phil and Franny fielded numerous questions from the students and faculty, explaining how and when each first became enthralled with spoken-word poetry; the different approaches to composing spoken-word vs. written-word poetry; how they draw their inspiration for their work; and what their favorite music is. Phil and Franny then held a poetry workshop, coordinated with Director of Performing Arts Mr. Jay Bragan, that afternoon for 25 students.

For more information about Project VOICE, visit: http://www.projectvoice.co/

Portsmouth Abbey Community Service interns organized a nutrition education program for the North End Newport Boys and Girls Club this past week, and will soon bring it to the Church Street club. The program included activities focused on the "My Plate" approach to balanced nutrition. A series of fun activities incorporated an awareness of different food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins, and dairy. Julie Park '17 helped club members create bracelets with beads of the colors assigned to the different food groups. Cassie Schuchert '16 and Kiahna Almeida '16 helped with a "My Plate" coloring activity. Maddie O'Shea '16 directed a gym activity where participants run to match their card with the proper food group. Matt Johnson '16 organized and directed an online programing activity connecting learners with resources available to them by the internet. Rajahnah Matra '16 and Thomas Knoepffler '16 spearheaded the smoothie-making operation that topped off the afternoon with a delicious and healthy treat. A special thanks goes to Portsmouth Abbey art teacher Mr. Kevin Calisto who helped the interns produce their colorful "Varsity Community Service" t-shirts! Many thanks to Director of Spiritual Life Dr. Blake Billings '77 for leading the group.

Congratulations to our newly elected Head Girl and Head Boy for the

2015-16 school year!

Sydney Welch

Liam Kelly

When Mrs. Corie McDermott-Fazzino, Avery Dey's advisor and college counselor at Portsmouth Abbey, asked Avery what areas of interest she would like to pursue in college, she realized that she did not have enough information and experience to answer the question; she soon learned that many of her friends felt the same way. This led to the formation of the Abbey's first speakers bureau, conceived and coordinated by Avery. "This speakers bureau will give students the opportunity to experience and network with a breadth of professionals in order to redefine success," says Avery.

Inspired by the formal lecture series that exists for the School community at the Abbey, Avery, now in her Fifth Form (junior) year, developed the concept of the talks that would inform students about a variety of courses of study and career choices that might be available to them in college and beyond. According to Avery, "A large part of creating a post-high-school plan is exploring different fields of interest. Lists and statistics should not be the only way students choose career paths. Often students are swayed to professions they are not passionate about because of the illusion that money constitutes success. The objective of this lecture series is to redefine success and vocation while allowing Abbey students to network and connect with established professionals."

Over her spring break from school, she began contacting professionals whom she felt she and her classmates might find interesting – some from her hometown of Westport, MA, and others whom she found online. She was delighted by the many positive responses from professionals in a wide range of careers, and after many hours of phone, letters and internet exchanges, Avery had coordinated a full roster of speakers for Portsmouth Abbey students. The series is structured so that, during the lecture, the speaker gives a ten-to-fifteen-minute talk about his or her work and then opens the floor for questions from the students.

The lectures take place one evening per week, and the series will continue through the fall of 2015. The initial lecture of the series took place on Thursday, April 16, with a talk by Tiffany Peay, who received a BFA in metalsmithing and glassworking in 1993. Tiffany Peay Jewelry has been featured in many national magazines and blogs including Travel & Leisure, Quintessenceblog.com, The Boston Globe, InStyle, Brides, Victoria, Self, and JCK, as well as several Japanese publications and TV editorials.

Other speakers in the series include:

Nancy Paull, CEO of Stanley Street Treatment and Resources (SSTAR), a non-profit health care and social service agency in Massachusetts and Rhode Island that provides a quality continuum of care and support to all people, especially those affected by addiction, by responding to their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

Scientist John Miller, who was instrumental in the development and execution of the first Lunar Landing, Apollo 11, on July 20, 1969.

Fashion Designer Katherine Wuersch Flener, who is the head designer for the Joan and David Asian Market. She has also designed apparel for Ellen Tracy, Caractere, Episode, Nine West, Steve Madden, B.A.S.H., and others.

Carole Fiola (D – Fall River) is a Massachusetts State Representative of the 6th Bristol District. Her committee assignments are Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; Mental Health and Substance Abuse; and Public Service.