The Sant Bani School is pleased to announce that the date is set for the Second Educational Conference. This follows the success of the 2007 Sant Bani School Conference “Conversations in a Changing World” where a gathering of educational leaders, community members, teachers, students, and business leaders representing 22 different schools and organizations came together in in our pastoral New England fall setting for workshops, an exquisite vegetarian luncheon, and a World Cafe discussion on educational topics.
Please register and participate in this day-long event. Online registration is coming soon – but download and use the application below to reserve your spot. As the list of the 2008 exciting Keynote and Workshop leaders is included in the conference brochure below, please also review last year’s offerings and this short video of the 2007 October Conference.
Sant Bani School 2008 Conference Downloads:
1.
Full Conference Brochure
Brochure with presenter bios, schedule, and registration form.
2.
Conference Participant Early Registration
Open
Register Early to save a spot. You will be contacted about workshop preferences.
3
2007 Conference Article from Trumpet of the Swan
Info
A two page article on last year’s Conference to give you a sense of the dynamics.
Please direct your questions to conference@santbani.org
and check back here during July for more details.
Lakes Region Kennel Club and Sant Bani School join forces
Animal deaths due to smoke inhalation during home fires are something that is oftentimes overlooked. In the aftermath of a devastating fire, the serious injury and even death caused by the fire to man’s best friend frequently goes unattended due to a lack of oxygen. Many fire engines and rescue ambulances must resort to the use of human oxygen masks, which are not very effective on dogs or other pets.
After a study of such cases, the Lakes Region Kennel Club of Meredith adopted a project as part of its community outreach to donate oxygen masks, which are specifically designed to fit an animal’s snout, to local fire departments and rescue ambulances in New Hampshire. Each set has three different masks designed to fit varying muzzle sizes of pets.
Recently Sant Bani School, in partnership with the Kennel Club, raised money to donate a set of pet oxygen masks to the Laconia Fire Department. The Club, through Majorie Wessner, a member of the Board of Directors, sent a letter to some Laconia residents telling them of its project. One of the residents who works at Sant Bani School thought it would be a wonderful service project for the younger children and brought the idea to Service Coordinator, Hillary Pincoske. Pincoske then spoke with the children about the project and the first grade decided they would hold a bake sale. Cookies were baked and students and staff came, eager to help support the cause. Enough money was raised to donate to the Kennel Club so that they could buy one set of masks. Nancy Cardoza, also a Board director, and her dog, Roscoe, along with Wessner recently visited Sant Bani’s first graders to receive the donation.
Sant Bani School first graders are shown here donating their fundraiser proceeds to Marjorie Wessner, “Roscoe,” and his owner, Nancy Cardoza. Wessner and Cardoza are both Board members of the Lakes Region Kennel Club. The Club is raising money in order to supply oxygen masks for pets to New Hampshire fire and rescue vehicles
The Lakes Region Kennel Club is an affiliate of the American Kennel Club. It has been in existence over fifty years and meets monthly at the Meredith Center Fire Station. Part of its mission is to educate and help promote responsible dog ownership. Another major program is to grant a scholarship each year to an outstanding student at UNH who has been accepted by a school of veterinary medicine.
According to Wessner, the partnership with Sant Bani School was a natural. The School has integrated service into its curriculum throughout its 35 years of teaching and this was a great example of educating students of all ages about the meaning of giving.
Sant Bani School is an independent kindergarten through twelfth grade day school located in Sanbornton, NH. It was founded in 1973 with six students and has grown to over 175. No child is ever turned away for a family’s inability to pay; over 70 percent of Sant Bani students receive financial aid. For information call (603) 934-4240 or visit the school’s website at www.santbani.org.
Since initiating the program, the Lakes Region Kennel Club has had requests from over 40 towns in New Hampshire to receive donations of pet oxygen masks to their fire departments or rescue ambulances. Any pet lover who is interested in supporting the program is welcome to contact the Kennel Club at (603) 524-7899 or attend one of the meetings of the Club.
Thank you to the 106 alums who completed this survey!
Sant Bani School is 35 years old this year and we have a wonderful alumni body. But a long time passed since our last (paper) survey.
We will be assembling a complete report for distribution to all of you over the next month or so and hope you’ll stay tuned for that. We are thrilled at both our response rate and the quality and utility of your responses. Great work and thanks for taking the time to help.
Sant Bani School is very proud to welcome alumna Heather Tomlinson, class of 1982. Tomlinson recently published her full-length novel, The Swan Maiden, published by Henry Holt/Holtzbrinck Group, Fall 2007. She returned to Sant Bani School on November 6th to talk with seventh and eighth grade students about her fourth novel and the process involved with having her work published. She discussed the steps involved with writing and led the students in a hands-on workshop. Tomlinson detailed how to edit one’s work, looking for repetition, checking tenses and voices, and working through the mountain of details that go in to producing a finished piece. Tomlinson’s life-long love of classic fantasy and French fairy tales along with her love of Provence were inspirations for The Swan Maiden. Her writings are geared for the young adult audience; however, audiences of all ages will enjoy this ageless fairy tale.
Having lived in both California and New Hampshire as a child, Tomlinson graduated from Sant Bani School in Sanbornton in 1982 and has her degree in French Literature from Wellesley College. She has taught French in the United States and English in Paris and worked for a book wholesaler before focusing on writing full time. She lives in California with her husband and three cats. She and her husband are avid sailors.
To read Tomlinson’s online interview and more information about The Swan Maiden visit the link http://www.classof2k7.com/interviews/authors/heather_tomlinson/
Tomlinson will be at Sant Bani School on Monday, November 12th, from 11 am – 12 pm for a brief book signing.
Sant Bani School is an independent kindergarten through twelfth grade day school located in Sanbornton, NH. It was founded in 1973 with six students and has grown to over 170. No child is denied admission for financial reasons. For information call (603) 934-4240 or visit the school’s website at www.santbani.org.
Halloween isn’t just for kids – at least here at Sant Bani! The morning started with the faculty skit; students are always surprised and never quite sure what their teachers will be doing each Halloween. This year the faculty performed a “Survivor” team activity while Debbie was away being awarded the Nobel Prize for Games, and Kent hit the road to raise money to pay for Debbie’s poised and polished Manhattan-style replacement to run the games. The losers were quickly beat down while the remaining teams competed in amazing feats that were nearly impossible to accomplish. Debbie returned in the nick of time to sooth fractured egos and boost low morale. Kent returned as well, having met the rock band “Queen” while traveling to the airport and brought the band to Sant Bani for a one-time appearance to perform, “We Are the Champions.” Freddie Mercury, aka Scott Clark, did a pleather pants-clad performance for all the students and staff.
Willie Nelson, a Ballerina Rat, a Scholar, two Karen Ulmer-Dorsch look-a-likes were all among the faculty of Sant Bani School as the whole school finished their classes at noon and quickly rushed through lunch (and yes! even an unexpected fire alarm activation) to get ready for the annual parade of costumes.
After the costume parade at noon, class parties took place and then the annual Capture the Flag game ensued until the end of the day when goodie bags were given out.
There is no better place than the hills and mountains of New Hampshire in the fall for children to explore and test their limits. Sant Bani School students did just that when they climbed Mount Major last week on what turned out to be a stunningly beautiful day. Kindergartners through twelfth graders strapped on their backpacks and hiked to the top of this small but rewarding mountain. The views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains were an amazing finale as nearly two hundred people – students, faculty, and parents – wound their way up the trails of Mount Major near West Alton to its summit.
Sant Bani School has been holding these yearly Mountain Climbs for thirty-five years, since the school’s inception, and they have become a tradition that students look forward to each year. The lessons the students learn on this day are a valuable part of their education. Sant Bani models the need to treat the environment with care and uses the “carry in, carry out” policy whenever any student group is hiking. Two hundred hikers can have an impact on any trail. Sant Bani teachers take seriously the importance of educating the students on how best to have the least impact on trails and fragile soils as they hike. Teaching the students of today how to be caring stewards of the earth will leave tomorrow’s students with a well cared for trail system and help maintain the beauty that surrounds all of New Hampshire. Mountain Climb organizer and Sant Bani science teacher, Robert Schongalla, commented, “Students who have the opportunity to spend time out in nature can learn to appreciate it, and that can translate to a lifelong respect for nature and an enriching involvement in the out-of-doors.”
Halfway There
As five year olds through sixty-somethings boarded the busses for their return trip to Sanbornton everyone agreed that a day of outdoor education was a day very well spent!
Sant Bani School is an independent kindergarten through twelfth grade day school located in Sanbornton, NH. It was founded in 1973 with six students and has grown to over 170. No child is denied admission for financial reasons. For information call (603) 934-4240 or visit the school’s website at www.santbani.org
Sant Bani Students and Faculty “de-tire” the Baker River
High school students and staff started the year with a canoe trip down the lovely Baker River in Plymouth, NH. While they may have picnicked along the way, their canoes ended up filled with rusted car parts, leftover debris from various high water events, and over 100 tires. The school typically begins the year with some kind of community service outreach, but this event kept town employees in Plymouth busy as well, as they received the “payload” of canoes that ferried back and forth between a washed-out junkyard and the pick-up site at Smith Bridge. It would have been very hard to make it happen without the support of Earl Flanders of Pemi-Baker River Adventures who provided the canoes. As SBS is built on the twin principles of a reverence for all life and service to others, helping to clean up a beautiful natural resource was a wonderful example of both. And while there were many highlights, the students who rescued a white cross once placed in honor of a child who had lost her life on the river were thrilled to find that it would be returned to its rightful spot on the banks. By the end of the day, the sixty students and staff from Sant Bani (including our international contingent from Indonesia, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Germany, Thailand, and Colombia) were “tired,” but deeply satisfied.
SBS Energy Fellowship to Present at Bioneers by the Bay as well as “Conversations in a Changing World.”
The Energy Fellowship was delighted to receive an invitation to join a panel discussing approaches to sustainability in schools at the Bioneers by the Bay Conference on the UMass Dartmouth campus the weekend of Oct 19-21. For the Bioneers panel we will continue to collaborate with our northern sister, the White Mountain School with whom we are presenting at the Sant Bani conference, Conversations in a Changing World on Oct 5th. The two schools have developed different but compatible programs to energizing the community. At Sant Bani we began with an organic approach, first building a strong core around personal interest that has now gained steam as small and large projects generate greater community excitement. White Mountain has a number of course offerings for students in grades 9-12 as well as several strong components on the ground. Both schools look forward to more collaboration as we take more and more steps to educate ourselves and the broader community to “live lightly on the planet.” Stay tuned.
Here are the results for the meet at Den Brae Golf Course held Monday Sept. 10th. A wide field of runner talent faced some near perfect New Hampshire running weather – cloudy and cool with a slight drizzle. The girls’ top scorer, Jacy Christiansen of Mascenic matched the course record in this 18th running of the Sant Bani School XC Invitational.
Job Christiansen of Mascenic took the boys first place, but St. Paul’s walked away with a strong win on the boys side. The Hopkinton girls ran to just take out the win from under the Mascenic girl harriers.
Thanks go to Den Brae, Sant Bani AD Maya Hardcastle, race director Coach Clark and all the school coaches and runners whose comraderie make this early season event a strong and true runners’ contest.
Zach Baron and Alec Peters, accompanied by Karen Ulmer Dorsch, made a presentation on biodiesel to the Choose Franklin group on Thursday, May 3.
About 40 people were present, including the mayor, the city manager, state representatives and several business leaders. After the presentation, the students fielded questions confidently and expertly. Mike Seymour of the Franklin Savings Bank gave very positive feedback, and said that this was better than 90% of the presentations the group normally has. It is great PR for the school. Zach has since been in touch with the mayor and they are moving ahead with the biodiesel. He had already spoken to John Rhymes about his ability to supply the city. He is also contacting the city’s mechanic, Brian Sullivan, who had a poor experience with ethanol, and talking to Becky Ohler, the state DES person who has been working with several towns.
The handouts that Zach & Alec prepared for the Choose Franklin group are available in the Energy Fellowship section of the Community tab.
3/30/07 – Jonathan Powell (Math Team Coach) announced this week that the Sant Bani School Math Team had placed first in their category (small schools) in New Hampshire during recent competition. Congratulations team!
Amit Peled, Katie Lansdale and Daniel delPino at the Sant Bani School March 16, 2007
The beginnings of a blizzard didn’t keep a devoted audience from attending the March 16 chamber music concert at Sant Bani School. There were a few empty chairs, perhaps because a number of children, aged 4 to 12, chose to sit on the floor, to be closer to the performers. It was amazing to see how attentive they were, especially during the first half, which consisted of Bartok’s Piano Sonata and Kodaly’s Duo for Violin and Cello, both twentieth century pieces.
Daniel del Pino, who had flown from Spain for this (and one other) concert introduced the Bartok by saying how Bartok and Kodaly had traveled through Eastern Europe, recording folk songs and melodies, which they then incorporated into their own compositions. Bartok was the first to use the piano in a very percussive manner. The school’s old 1899 Steinway never made so much sound before!
Katie and Amit, who had never played together before, sounded as if they had known each other forever. The melodies of the Kodaly were traded back and forth between them as if it was one instrument.
After intermission, the Brahms Hungarian Dances are Gypsy music one wants to dance to. Katie, wearing a flowing red blouse, was looking the part as well as playing it. I would have loved to hear more than two, but the Dumky Trio of Dvorak, which followed, is a huge piece. Parts of this trio were played for the school children earlier in the day, when Katie talked about it, and it was wonderful to hear it in its entirety. There was life and style to it, and a freshness that the audience loved. The cello is featured prominently in this trio, which Amit Peled played with great soulfulness and beauty. One person said that he would have to throw out all his recording of the “Dumky Trio,” as none were as good as the performance at Sant Bani School.
One concert remains in the series this year: The Carthage Consort with harpsichordist Frances Conover Fitch are performing April 6, 2007 at 7PM (reception at 6). Let’s hope the weather is more benign by then.
The Magic of the Sant Bani School, An Inside Look at the Little School that Could!
3/24/07 – SBS. Well over 300 people came to the Magic of SBS event and it was great! Lots of people worked really hard to make it happen; particular kudos to the coordinators, Ben Bynum, Becky Beane, Susan Dyment, and Heidi Freeman as well as to Debbie Asbeck and the amazing food crew.
It was wonderful to have the filmmakers Don Macken and Kai Kai de Mello-Folsom (SBS 2007) there, talking about the film after each of the three showings. It was a really high energy/great spirit event with lots of new faces in attendance as well as alums, old friends, etc.
A great time was had by all.
As we wrote in the Trumpet of the Swan, our plan is to begin distribution of the DVD shortly. If you want to make sure we send you a DVD soon, or if you just want to be certain we have your correct contact information, please email your request to Megan Farkas.
To read more about the making of the DVD (reprinted from the Trumpet of the Swan) click here.
2006 MacArthur Fellow David Carroll visited SBS on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. David spoke to the students in the afternoon, had a book signing at 6:30 p.m., followed by a talk at 7 p.m. David Carroll was named a 2006 MacArthur Fellow in recognition of his dedication to the study of nature and his effort to increase everyone’s awareness of the importance of wetlands and the creatures that live there. He lives in Warner, NH.
“Carroll’s work transcends the road-less-taken form of its reflections. In his inspired and eloquent evocation of a particular American landscape – the hills and bogs of the north country – he recalls the 19th-century writer who chronicled, in vivid detail, the days as they unfolded at the pond we have come to know as Walden.” -Smithsonian Magazine March 2004
