Applying for Financial Aid
A new application for financial aid must be filed in a timely manner each year along with the required tax documents. To do so, each parent must complete the following steps:
New Process Please take note of a procedural change for families applying for financial aid for 2012-2013 school year. As last year, The Parent Financial Statement (PFS) and fee is due March 1st to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) at www.nais.org/financialaid/sss. However, this year all required tax documentation will be required to be sent to the SSS instead of Sant Bani School by April 15, 2012. Please take note of this change and submit all documentation to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) using school code #7125. Remember no determination of award can be made without proper documentation on file. Any questions, give Joann a call at School!
Step 1. No later than March 1, complete and submit the Parent Financial Statement (PFS) online, along with payment of the processing fee, to the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) at www.nais.org/financialaid/sss. Paper forms are available at the School if you need them. It is essential that each family requests that Sant Bani School receive a copy of the PFS by entering School Code #7125 when completing the PFS form. Fee waivers are available if you qualify. NOTE: An important question on this application asks you to judge how much your family can provide toward the student’s education. Please DO NOT include transportation and activity fees in this amount. We encourage you to attach a personal statement if you feel the School needs additional information not addressed by the PFS.
Step 2. No later than April 15, submit required tax documents (1040 tax returns, attached IRS schedules, W-2 forms) to the School as soon as they are available. If you have asked the IRS for an extension for your tax filing, please contact the School immediately.
Step 3. No later than May 15, signed contracts are due back to SBS. Financial aid awards will be communicated through the contracts that are mailed to families on May 1st. If a family wishes to appeal a financial aid decision, an appeal must be made in writing to the Financial Aid Committee no later than May 15th.
If you need help with any of the steps in this process, or you have questions about the forms, please call JoAnn Malinowski at 934-4240.
Sant Bani School is pleased to enjoy a 100% college acceptance rate. We are proud of the many
accomplishments in all walks of life that our students achieve.
Many have continued with strong academic performances as well.
Some of the many colleges and universities our alums have graduated from include:
Holiday Service: Collection Toys and Non-perishable vegetarian food items
December 1 – December 15
Once again we will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for local children (including teenagers) and non-perishable, vegetarian food items. Toys will be collected until December 14 in the Front Office and given to families locally (no toy weapons, please). This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to remember how fortunate they are and to be able to help other children their age.
The fifth grade organizes the food donations for the local Cash and Cans project. They make the signs, put out the boxes, make the announcements to the staff and students and get to meet local DJs from 94.1FM when they come to pick up our donations.
Thank you all for your support—we will be able to touch many families this holiday season with your generous donations.
Home > News > New Building Ready after Winter Break
Grades 3-5 to move into Upper Building after Winter Break
As we wait for the Upper Building’s concrete sub-floors to dry (a process that has taken much longer than anticipated), the finishing touches are being made to the beautiful new rooms of the Upper Building.
When our very patient 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students and faculty finally move into their new spaces they will enjoy spacious classrooms with radiant floor heat and super-insulated windows and skylights, hallways with exposed stone walls from the original buildings, sparkling new bathrooms, kitchen and tutoring rooms, and, of course, the beloved ship play-structure that is patiently awaiting the students’ return.
The multi-purpose room will be finished a few weeks later than the rest of the building, and once completed will offer a an open space for large-scale art projects, movement and performances, a sun-drenched, carpeted area for quiet activities, as well as a beautiful view of the School’s garden down to the Middle Building. We can’t wait to fill the new space with the laughter and light of our students, and look forward to a grand opening celebration early in 2012.
Starting this coming school year, all staff and upper level student emails will benefit from using Google’s interface for email, online applications, create surveys and forms, and much, much more! As we move to Google Apps, we hope every Sant Bani family will be able to have a santbani.org account and be able to enjoy the communications tools for school related matters, too. Read more about it here:
Photos and article by VICTORIAGUAY at the Laconia Citizen.
SANBORNTON — The 11 members of Sant Bani School’s Class of 2011 graduated Friday afternoon during an intimate outdoor ceremony during which each student addressed the crowd.
Dayana Aleksandrova of Bulgaria, a member of Sant Bani School’s Class of 2011, tells her audience to put away their tissues as there would be ‘no tears’ in her speech during the commencement ceremony at the school Friday. All 11 members of the class got to address the audience.
“One of our founders, Kirpal Singh, said that the best education is that which teaches that the end of knowledge is service,” said Todd Schongalla, service coordinator for grades 7-12 and an elementary and environmental science teacher at the school, during his invocation.
He added that, through service to others, he’s watched the members of the class make tremendous growth, intellectually and spiritually.
He said that, while reading their senior service project reports, he was impressed by how much of life’s important lessons they have already learned, so he read excerpts from those reports.
“So, on this, your graduation day, your own words prove you have become wise and eloquent beyond your years,” Schongalla said.
During his address, Principal Kent Bicknell said he read a May 30 column in the New York Times by David Brooks called, “It’s Not About You,” in which he scoffed at most graduation metaphors.
Bicknell quoted Brooks’ words: “Many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture. But, of course, this mantra misleads on nearly every front.”
Bicknell said he disagrees with Brooks and would much rather believe in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who addressed students at Dartmouth College in 1838, urging them not to give up their quest of truth and beauty in favor of material gain.
Grads prepare before the ceremony.
Bicknell said Emerson urged the students to “bend to the persuasion which is flowing to you from every object in nature.”
Bicknell said when people give up their quest for personal truth and for what makes them happy, “Then dies the man in you; then once more perish the buds of art, and poetry, and science, as they have died already in a thousand men.”
Each student got to address the class, sharing memories, giving thanks to teachers, family members and friends and even sharing some parting advice for classmates and others.
Erik Braconier, 17, of Hebron said during his address that, while he hears from graduates from other schools that they have no idea what they want to do with the rest of their life, he feels Sant Bani has prepared him well for the future.
He said personal goals are something Sant Bani encourages everyone to develop, while allowing them to explore their own interests.
“I have taken so many of the little things I’ve learned and turned them into something to look forward to,” Braconier said.
Before the ceremony, Braconier said leaving Sant Bani is like leaving a second home, since he’s been attending the private school since the third grade.
“I pretty much grew up here and spent more than half my life with some of teachers,” Bracnonier said. “It’s going to be like leaving another home to me.
He said with the school being small, “you get to know everyone in your class very well.” Braconier said he also developed strong relationships with teachers at the school.
Braconier, who follows his sister and fellow Sant Bani alum, Emily, to the University of New Hampshire, said he wants to focus on chemical or mechanical engineering.
Graduates descend upon the crowd heading for the tent.
Also before the ceremony, Doran Timm, 18, of Chichester said what he would miss most about the school is the student-teacher relationships and small class sizes at the school.
Timm, who spent his four high school years at Sant Bani, said that, initially, he came to the school because his parents made him go.
“But I decided to stay because of the size of the school and because I have made some really good friends,” Timm said. “I remember how open everyone was and how willing to help.”
Saran Savane, 20, of Cote d’Ivorie, said her sister, who attended Sant Bani a few years ago, encouraged Savane to apply.
“She thought it would be a good fit for me and I really liked it, so I stayed for two years,” Savane said.
Savane said that, when she came to Sant Bani, she didn’t know a single word of English.
During the graduation ceremony, Savane cried a few times, recalling her time at Sant Bani and the kindness everyone showed her.
She joked, “At Sant Bani, I learned that it takes a whole village to raise an African child,” after which the crowd erupted into laughter.
Saran, on the other hand, delivered her address with lots of tears and thanks to her family and to the Sant Bani community.
Sant Bani Class of 2011
Dayana Aleksandrova, daughter of Anzhela Aleksandrova, of Bulgaria, hosted by Elizabeth Sweeney and Gregg McCarthy of Gilford, will be attending Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.
Erik Braconier, son of Kellie and Karl Braconier, of Hebron, will be attending the University of New Hampshire in Durham.
Taylar Clark, daughter of Scott and Jamie Clark, of Gilmanton, will be attending the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, where she will study occupational therapy.
Dylan Dinger, son of Christine Dinger and Steven Dinger both of Campton, will be attending Plymouth State University and Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.
Marc Gonzalez, son of Meg Petersen of Plymouth and Carlos Gonzalez of Manchester, will attend Ithaca (NY) College.
Luke Kalvaitis, son of Linas and Teresa Kalvaitis of New London, will attend Colby-Sawyer College in New London.
Ethan McQueen, son of William McQueen and Darline O’Connor of Ashland, will attend the University of New Hampshire in Durham.
Saran Savane, daughter of Madoussou Konate and Sindou Savane of Côte d’Ivoire, hosted by Elizabeth Sweeney and Gregg McCarthy of Gilford, will attend Colby-Sawyer College in New London.
Doran Timm, son of Gil and Trili Timm of Chichester, will attend Merrimack College in Andover, Mass.
Henry Trachy, son of Stuart Trachy and Kerry Rainville of Franklin, will attend the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, Mass.
Rafael Zanete, son of Marcelo and Adriana Zanete of Brazil, hosted by Kellie and Karl Braconier, of Hebron, will be returning to Brazil to attend college there.
SANBORNTON, NH. On Thursday, June 2, 2011, Sant Bani School students and staff celebrated the annual Awards Ceremony during the school’s Morning Session. Principal Kent Bicknell and many department heads handed out a wide variety of awards.
Franklin Savings Bank representative Eileen Pucci awarded senior Ethan McQueen a scholarship.
Seniors Saran Savané and Taylar Clark received Tilton Rotary Scholarships from Betty Arsenault. Saran also received a Girl Corps scholarship award from representative Lori Fasshauer, and Taylar received a scholarship from the Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation.
Senior Doran Timm received a commendation from Linda Surowiec, Health Services Coordinator and EMT-I, for obtaining certification as an Emergency Medical Technician, Basic Level.
English Department Chair Karen Bicknell gave the Middlebury Book Award to junior Adison Lintner, and the Smith Book Award to junior Emily Benton. The Junior Award for Excellence in English went to Micaela Brand. Senior Awards for Excellence in English went to Luke Kalvaitis, Dylan Dinger, and Ethan McQueen. The award for Excellence in English as a Second Language went to senior Dee Dee Aleksandrova.
Science Department Chair Robert Schongalla recognized the keen interest in science, the outstanding effort, and noteworthy achievement of seniors Erik Braconier and Dylan Dinger, and juniors Emily Benton, Micaela Brand, and Andres Orr.
NHIAA recognition for three-sport participation was given to Taylar Clark by Athletic Director Chris Demian. Granite State Conference athletic awards were given to Joyce Hamel, Colby Clark, and Dylan Dinger.
Foreign Language teacher Jen Schongalla presented Dee Dee Aleksandrova with an award for her deep commitment to immersing herself in the studies of a foreign language.
Science Department Chair, Robert Schongalla, with 2011 Science Awards recipients.
On Earth Day Sant Bani students planted pansies at the
intersection of Prescott and New Hampton Roads. The
pansies were donated by Hillside Meadow Agway in Tilton.
Twenty-five miles of Sanbornton roads received special attention last Friday, Earth Day 2011. 210 students, teachers and parents from the Sant Bani School carefully inspected 18 different roads and collected two pickup truck loads of trash. Sanbornton’s Transfer Station extended the day to receive mounds of aluminum cans along with thousands of cigarette butts, hubcaps, rusted buckets, broken toys, wrappings, bottles, shoes, broken glass, tires and more. The nineteen mixed-age groups moved in carefully synchronized routes to collect the debris that the snow banks had been hiding all winter. It took just over two hours for the swarm of children and adults to make Sanbornton’s roads even more scenic.
Roadside clean up was just part of the Sant Bani’s Earth Day celebration. The day began with a presentation by Principal Kent Bicknell who had recently returned from The Kingdom of Bhutan. He video-interviewed the head of a school half a world away about how sixth grade students chose to tackle the problem of trash on their campus and solved it by assigning themselves theme days which limited packaged food to one day a week. She explained that by raising awareness the students worked from within their school to eliminate a long-standing problem.
Sant Bani School high school students work with parent
volunteer Jonathan Marchant to landscape the front of
the new entranceway to the Studio Building on the
Sanbornton campus.
Other Earth Day projects included landscaping in front of the new front entrance way and planting flowers at the intersection of Prescott and New Hampton Roads. Todd Schongalla, a former County Extension Agent and current Sant Bani teacher and service coordinator, and his environmental studies class working with professional landscaper and Sant Bani parent Jonathan Marchant. They planted shrubbery in a difficult area on the north side on the building in ground that had recently been a construction site. The results were rewarding. Also gratifying was the improvement of a tiny traffic island, made more beautiful by a team who planted dozens of pansies donated by Hillside Meadow Agway in Tilton.
The Earth Day was planned by a teacher committee which worked with town officials to assure the safety of all. Nothing was neglected during this richly worthwhile day. As the big buses pulled out at 3:30 p.m. students had the pleasure of driving down town roads and feeling that they each played a part keeping the earth a little cleaner.
We have been making blankets for Project Linus which is a non-profit organization which provides “love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need.” The art block has been making fleece knotted blankets, quilts or afghans.
If you have any blankets or talents to donate towards this organization contact Hillary Pincoske.
When the earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan last month, students and teachers at Sant Bani School immediately began asking, “How can we help.” One answer came in the form of small paper symbols of hope that can help clothe those left with nothing.
Students met as a group this week to practice the art of origami by working to create paper cranes during their daily morning session. Service Coordinator Hillary Pincoske projected the instructions onto a screen, and along with the help of teachers, the students worked their way through the steps needed to create multi-colored cranes.
The beautiful paper cranes are being collected by Osh Kosh B’gosh. For each crane donated, Osh Kosh is donating an article of clothing to help the people of Japan. As Pincoske explained, “Our goal is to create 1000 cranes, a traditional Japanese symbol of hope for world peace and a long life. Although we are hoping everyone will be successful in making at least one crane, it is much more about all of us working together and being part of a larger group effort to help others and that everyone will feel good about their effort.” Judging by the overflowing box of over 489 paper cranes prepared in just one day the children should feel very good and are well on their way to reaching their goal.
Walk for Haiti 2011: Connecting with Haitian Farmers
by Jen Schongalla
When a Person in Peru, or Siberia, or rural Haiti falls ill, PIH uses all of the means at our disposal to make them well…
Whatever it takes. Just as we would do if a member of our own family—or we ourselves—were ill.
—Excerpted from the PIH Mission Statement
April 2, 2011 marks Sant Bani School’s sixth year volunteering and participating in Walk for Haiti, a vibrant event that celebrates Haitian culture and supports various projects through Partners In Health (PIH) [add hyperlink]. Last year, the funds we raised provided the means for thousands of children to attend school and to receive a hot meal. Part of the money was used to refurbish buildings to accommodate the influx of people migrating from the capital after January’s earthquake. Our long-term involvement with PIH goes well beyond disaster relief; we’ve helped to build homes, support teachers, supply medical clinics and even provide lights for an operating room. Our students do much more than fundraise and walk. They set up the event site, decorate, work registration, tally funds and generally pitch in wherever they’re needed.
The Walk for Haiti committee always appreciates and counts on our cheerful help. This year we added a new dimension to our involvement through a project in Ann Saunderson’s Visual Media class. Students designed and created a brochure, flyer and PowerPoint presentation intended for a student audience. The colorful products were distributed to other school groups to use in their fundraising efforts. Everyone has been impressed with the design and with the hopeful feel of the images chosen. This real-world project helped the students get a sense of what’s involved in graphic design, as they created materials that reflect more accurately the mission of PIH, which echoes Sant Bani’s own: that there is something to celebrate in every human life, or as the Haitian proverb says, “Tout moun se moun.” In addition to the Visual Media class’s project, the PIH art block has been busy creating colorful pins that will be sold at the Walk. Saran Savane and Karen UlmerDorsch (“Madame”) have been knitting and crocheting furiously, creating more of our famous “Haiti Hats.” All proceeds from these items will add to our group totals. We are particularly excited about this year’s project, supporting PIH’s partner organization Zanmi Agrikol (Haitian Creole for “Partners in Agriculture”)[add hyperlink] which has an ongoing project growing peanuts to produce fortified therapeutic foods to treat malnutrition.
The money raised at this year’s Walk for Haiti will expand this program, which generates jobs in addition to feeding the community. Last weekend at the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association (NOFA)[add hyperlink] conference, Ben Hewitt, author of The Town that Food Saved, [add hyperlink] was a keynote speaker. He used a term I’d never heard before, with which I was instantly smitten: restorative agriculture! It implies a process of uncovering a natural equilibrium, a past where farming actually fed people. Immediately I thought of Zanmi Agrikol and the Nourimanba / Nourimil production, which is rooted firmly in Haitian soil, nourished by local knowledge. It is restorative on many levels, from amending the soil and planting the seeds to weeding, watering, tending, harvesting, processing, packaging…all the way to the child eating the yummy peanut butter that will restore his life. Each of these steps requires an extensive network of people, all of whom are interdependent and play particular roles. This fosters vitality in the community in the form of jobs, education, pride in rural life, and a path toward food security.
This network depends upon the inherent value and unique talents of each person, so that everyone can work together toward a thriving community. I see the Walk as a way for people outside of Haiti to learn, connect and contribute to this work. It’s also just a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon becoming energized by music, dancing, poetry, Haitian food and, of course, Dr. Joia Mukherjee’s rousing send-off. If you did not get a chance to donate, we encourage you to click the “Walk for Haiti” link, and give what you can! Mesi anpil
On March 25th, Friday, the Sant Bani School had the great pleasure of hosting a very special guest, the world-famous pianist and great friend of the school, Alon Goldstein. The talented musician gave three brilliant performances, two in the morning for the Sant Bani students and their guests from the Andover School and an evening one, open to the community, preceded by a delightful reception.
“This is probably the sixth or seventh time I have come to this school, and it is always an enjoyable experience,” Alon said, who opened the morning performance with a great piece by Bach, the one that gets him into “the zone.” What followed was Chopin’s Preludes Numbers 1-8 and Debussy’s “Reflections in the Water.” As always, Alon allowed the students to ask questions, from which they found out he has been playing for thirty-three years and the one other musical skill he wished he had is singing. “Singing is very fascinating, because the instrument is inside you,” he explained. “Playing this music is like being in the presence of all these phenomenal composers,” Alon added.
The musical virtuoso started the evening concert with Bach, mesmerizing the audience with the precision and delicacy of his performance. What followed was diving into the beauty of Beethoven’s Sonata in F minor, Op.57 “Appassionata.” After intermission Alon treated the guests to a very special piece, Chopin’s twenty-four preludes. all of which he had never before played in front of an audience. The final touch was a splendid Argentinean slow dance, which Goldstein dedicated to his friend Judy Davidson, who made this event possible. What contributed to the enjoyable evening was Alon’s witty humor and vibrant personality. “Simply genius!” A gentleman from the audience exclaimed, summarizing the general reaction to Goldstein’s dazzling performance.
Pianist, Alon Goldstein will be performing at Sant Bani School as part of the eighth season of the Chamber Music series at Sant Bani School on Friday, March 25. He is replacing the Tempest Trio who will be unable to perform due to a scheduling conflict. A reception will be held at 6 p.m. and the concert will be at 7 p.m. Concert tickets may be reserved by calling the school at 934-4240 or may be purchased at the door. Adult tickets are $15 and children and students are free. Goldstein is planning a program of Chopin Preludes op. 28 and Beethoven Appassionata.
Alon Goldstein is one of the most sensitive artists of his generation, admired for his musical intelligence and dynamic personality. His artistic vision and innovative programming have made him a favorite with audiences and critics alike, including here at Sant Bani where he has performed a number of times. Making his orchestral debut at the age of 18 with the Israeli Philharmonic, Alon has performed with orchestras throughout the United States and around the globe, from China to Guatemala, Israel to Russia. He opened the 2010-2011 season at the London Philharmonic, and we are thrilled that he is happy to again add Sanbornton to the list of distinguished venues in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Tel Aviv.
Sant Bani School is committed to enriching students’ lives by bring classical music to the school. The students in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade enjoy a free day concert followed by a question and answer session with the visiting musicians. Occasionally Sant Bani School is able to invite other area schools to join them for these daytime performances as well, sharing these world-class musicians with students in the local communities.
Alon and Sant Bani School – Many Wonderful Years
In Alon’s words in 2007:
“..Deep in the middle of the state of New Hampshire, about an hour and a half north of Manchester, between colonial home villages, “cross country” paths and dense forests, there lies quietly, unassumingly a very special jewel – it is a school called Sant-Bani, a home for about 175 kids beginning with the “K” grade and all the way through to the 12th grade. I was invited to the school four years ago to give a recital, and visited it annually ever since.
What attracted me to this school was its independence from the stagnancy of the educational system which surrounds us. Each pupil is an entity, a free spirit which is being cultivated and nourished to search for his own individual path – a “cross country” path. A special emphasis in the school seems to be that education and art are inseparable elements in humans growth.
Each of my visits culminates with a solo recital which I give at the school’s assembly hall. For me, one of the true climaxes each visit is also the one-on-one interaction with the kids the day before, or the morning of the recital… "
Senior Marc Gonzalez of Plymouth and junior Caleb Jaster of New Hampton have recently both been recognized for their accomplishments in the arts.
Gonzalez has been awarded the Gold Key by the New Hampshire region of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Middle/High Voices and the National Writing Project in New Hampshire. His work, “Out of Time” was selected from 250 submissions by a panel of New Hampshire writers, teachers, and literary professionals as the most exceptional in the state. In total ten Gold Keys were awarded. The work of these ten recipients will be forwarded to the national level of The Scholastic Writing Awards. On May 13, 2011, all honorees are invited to attend the Middle High Voices Conference at PSU. “Out of Time” also received one of the five American Voices Nominations, which honors the best in show in any category and age group.
Caleb Jaster ’12, with his work at the Silver Center
Encouraged by his art teacher, Ann Saunderson, Jaster entered five pieces of his work in the 31st Annual Juried High School Art Exhibit through The Friends of the Arts and the PSU Art Department. Three of the pieces were accepted and two received awards: “Reflecting Tunnels” received honorable mention and “Fallen Angels,” a drawing with charcoal on paper, received the award in Excellence in Design and Drawing. The annual Friends of the Arts juried exhibition honors imaginative and skillful work by students from public and private high schools throughout central and northern New Hampshire, providing an opportunity for students and their teachers to explore and observe a wide range of media, processes, themes, and subject interpretations. Jaster’s work will be on display in the Silver Center for the month of February.
Home > News > Projects on Display at Sanbornton Library
Sant Bani School Projects on Display at the Sanbornton Public Library: “Lessons Outside the Classroom”
Sant Bani students of all ages presented to the school community.
Independent work marking the end of Sant Bani School’s off-campus Projects Period will be on display at the Sanbornton Public Library until April 1. Projects Period provides an alternative educational experience for students at Sanbornton’s independent kindergarten through twelfth grade school. The wide variety of project topics includes art or photography; making models of various kinds; science; computer; movie-making; dance; sewing; crafts; music; construction or painting; family vacations and travels; research, report, and display; cabinetry; visiting and working at various types of institutions; and working with animals.
Projects Period provides students with an opportunity to expand their learning in new directions. For example, senior Ethan McQueen built a magnetic levitator and junior Max Duncanson learned how to weld and made both fanciful sculptures and practical objects. Younger students built birdhouses, sewed cat toys, learned to whittle, and made yummy desserts. Some explored Mayan ruins, made sushi and learned to bake bread. Although the students choose and design their projects, there are two requirements that they must meet. Sometime from grades 7 to 12 they must do a career-oriented project; and in their high school years, they must do at least one service project. Career projects often take the form of shadowing a relative, experiencing the daily routine of the job and interviewing about qualifications, compensation, etc. Senior Saran Savane, a student from Ivory Coast, volunteered at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, whose mission it is to work with the people of Haiti in their non-violent struggle for the consolidation of constitutional democracy, justice and human rights. Sophomore Colby Clark worked on a sheep farm in Ohio, shadowing and assisting an experienced farmer. This is just a taste of the projects that were completed this year. One parent mentioned that he looks forward to Projects Period as an opportunity for the whole family to get involved in learning or service projects that they would not normally think of doing.
Librarian Cab Vinton is pleased that the library’s upstairs is being used to showcase the work of Sanbornton students. The space has recently become home to the adult collection as part of the shuffle to maximize use of the new addition. This valued new space has multiple town-wide uses, such as hosting book club meetings and public hearings. All are invited to view the Sant Bani School projects and check out this valuable community space.
Two Sant Bani School Alums at National Nordic Competition
Kris Freeman wins; 50k Dylan McGuffin excels.
SUNVALLEY, IDAHO, March 26, 2011. Olympian Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) clinched the final men’s U.S. Championship title up for grabs Saturday winning the U.S. SuperTour Finals 50k classic technique race in Sun Valley. This marks Freeman’s 14th U.S. Championship…… Read more…
SUNVALLEY, ID, March 31.— Kris Freeman, former standout at the Sant Bani School and resident of Andover, and Kikkan Randall skied to the top spot in the women’s 10k and men’s 15k classic events in Sun Valley on Wednesday. Randall extended her USSA SuperTour Finals lead with the victory…. Read more…
“It feels awesome to be skiing fast and to beat a lot of the best guys in world. …my new strategy for controlling my glucose levels worked seamlessly this week. It feels so good to be skiing strong…” ~ Kris Freeman [SBS’99] Nov. 14, 2010
Impressive Tour Finish for Freeman
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (Jan. 9, 2011)— The U.S. Ski Team’s Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) was seventh in the eighth and final stage of the Tour de Ski, an impressive finish in the 9k free technique pursuit to wrap up an encouraging tour. Freeman finished 28th overall over the stage race. Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) closed out the fifth annual Tour 23rd in Sunday’s event and 21st overall. It was the first time Americans had tackled the entire tour…. Read more…
Freeman Places Ninth, But Says There’s Room for More
“After a half hour of skiing Saturday, Kris Freeman had earned himself $500, 29 World Cup points, and one top-10 finish. By his own account, Freeman’s ninth place in the season-opening 15 k freestyle in Gallivare was “a hell of a day,” and it was the top finish for the American men. ..”
“..November 13, 2010 (Muonio, Finland) – Kris Freeman (USA) claimed his first victory of the season over a strong field with a great performance to win the men’s 10km classic in Muonio on Saturday by 12s over Germany’s Tobias Angerer in second and Martin Jaks (CZE) in third.
Last Year’s 2009-2010 Season was Kris Freeman’s Third Trip to Winter Olympics
Kris Freeman (SBS’99) was chosen to represent the United States Ski Team on his third trip to the Olympics, this time in Vancouver, Canada. In the last Olympics, Kris had potential to medal, but this year, he is at his peak, coming in 4th in the 2009 Worlds suffering from compartment syndrome. He has had surgery and has healed, and is ready to give it his all to come home wearing some Olympic hardware this year!
Intense Sport for Diabetics
“Being an athlete with Type 1 diabetes requires a level of discipline that can actually give you an edge over nondiabetics,”…..
Kris wrote in his blog before heading out on Feb 6th 2010:
“I came into Canmore thinking I would do better than I have. I had no real reason to believe this though. I stayed at home for as long as I could because I like the stable training environment there. The sacrifice for the long stay was that I gave up acclimation time in Canmore. I focused on getting myself into a stable level of fitness at home. I trained relatively large volume and had no incredibly hard intervals. When Zach and I laid out this plan he told me the only down side to it was that I would be flat in Canmore. I didn’t believe him but he was right. In the 15k I raced a solid strong race without any fire. When I tried to dig deep I felt like I had to blast away a layer of granite to get to the gritty stuff underneath. Zach told me he expected that I would not have my top gear but that the race efforts in combination with a set of intervals in Vancouver will get me my top gear back. I have always been a fast adapter to intensity work and neither Zach nor I wanted to come into canmore red hot only to flicker and fade in Whistler.
“I am not worried. I have been 20th place when I was dead tired and laid everything on the table and I have been 20th place when I have been simply strong and flat like yesterday. Strong and flat is usually an indicator that I am about to be strong and fast. Whistler is a totally different course, elevation, and will most likely have unpredictably crazy snow conditions. I have been dreaming of these Olympics for four years and in a way for my whole life. The “show” is about to begin.”
Our good wishes are with you all the way, Kris!
You are our inspiration to face the challenges head on.. and come out a winner for all of us. SBS Students and Staff
Post Olympics Reviews and News:
Read this interview with Kris for more insight into his unique situation and why he remains an inspiration to many -
Sant Bani School is pleased to enjoy a 100% college acceptance rate. We are proud of the many
accomplishments that our students achieve in all walks of life.
Some of the many colleges and universities our alums have graduated from include:
Home > News > Sapling Artist, Mark Ragonese, visits
The students at Sant Bani were thrilled to be able to work with guest artist Mark Ragonese last month. He is an artist from VT who makes fantastic sculptures out of saplings. The HS art students talked a lot about line; imagining each sapling was a pencil line; straight, curved, bent etc. They made several forms overlooking the field to be admired by all.
The sapling structure art block was able to spend 2 hours with him building a shelter for the Upper Building shelter unit. It is large enough for a whole class to sit inside for class meeting or a picnic lunch. He did a great job encouraging each student to be involved and work together to pound holes, safely carry saplings, work in teams to gently bend and weave each sapling into place and tie the intersections together. He incorporated a beautiful story about magic seeds growing around a community and had the group all sit inside their new structure to tie the story back into what they had just accomplished by working together.
Mark also gave an inspirational talk to all of the Upper Building students and some High School students about how he evolved into an artist and that sometimes it is the little things we accomplish in our lives that are the most important. He correlated his statement with a stone sculpture he made right in front of the kids on the studio floor. He had them all notice which stones were doing the most work…the tiny ones that were balancing and holding up the big ones. Without them, the whole thing would fall over.
The students and staff had a great day with Mark and all learned a lot more than just how to make a sculpture.
Faculty and students of all ages continue to participate in “knit-ins”
to knit and crochet these tiny hats for a good cause.
Infant mortality due to hypothermia is not something that we read about too often in our local papers. In the mountainous Burera district of Rwanda, this unfortunate circumstance happens far too frequently. This fall, Partners In Health (PIH), the Boston-based organization featured in Tracy Kidder’s 2003 bestseller Mountains Beyond Mountains, put out a call for knitters to help provide a hat for each baby born in the Burera district hospital. PIH stands out for its unshakable commitment to community-based healthcare, doing “whatever it takes to make our patients well—just as we would do if a member of our family or we ourselves were ill.”
Sant Bani School foreign language teacher, Jen Schongalla, heard about this project and thought it would be a good service project for students and faculty. The Sant Bani community has volunteered for PIH for many years. Students, staff and alumni have helped raise money for PIH through the annual Urban Walk for Haiti and by working at the Mooseman Triathlon and donating all proceeds to PIH.
Schongalla recruited fellow foreign language teacher, Karen Ulmer-Dorsch, a master knitter, to create a few hats that would fit an orange (for premature babies) and a grapefruit (for full-term babies). Within days the trend caught on and students and staff were busy sharing patterns, knitting and crocheting hat after hat in many colors and sizes.
School librarian, Mary Ann Sanborn, suggested holding a “knit-in” during lunch once a week to reinforce the fun of knitting to any students and staff that wanted to bring their lunch and knit with others. Many students and teachers, including complete beginners, attended the lunchtime knit-ins. Proficient knitters of all ages helped to get the beginners going, and many students who had never knit before completed at least one hat.
To date, the Sant Bani “knitting posse” has made over 250 hats to send to Rwanda. There are 17 students and 3 teachers signed up to knit a second shipment in January and February. Many Rwandan babies will now don warm hats to hold in their precious body heat thanks to an enthusiastic and caring group and the support of the school community.
For more information about Partners In Health, visit www.pih.org. To participate in the knitting project, contact Jesse Greenspan at jgreenspan@pih.org or feel free to join our effort by bringing your knitted or crocheted hats to Sant Bani School. PIH’s work in Rwanda was featured recently on NOW on PBS. A rebroadcast is scheduled for next week. To watch the show online, click the link from PIH’s home page.
Our school garden is overflowing with three kinds of kale, Malabar spinach, and Swiss chard. We want to share the bounty. If you would like to pick your own, please feel welcome to follow instructions on the signs. The garden is located on the east side of the path to the Upper Building.
If you want help learning your way around the garden, Maya will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after school, and Susan will be around most weekends to offer help.
Our guest speaker last spring from Eat Right America emphasized the value of leafy green vegetables in our diets. Here’s a chance to try out some new recipes. We are offering the greens free to those of you who would enjoy them.
We also have garlic, which was planted by students last fall and harvested by a team of parents, teachers and students in July. The garlic is for sale, both now and in the Holiday Catalog. It can be planted in your home garden in late October or used throughout the year in your favorite recipes. The large bulbs are $2 each and are available by emailing garlic@santbani.org.
Our school garden is working to fulfill its mission of helping students and their families to view themselves as unique members of a larger social unit; to see their food as part of an interconnected network; to learn gardening techniques; and to gain an understanding of the value of physical outdoor work. We would love to hear from you. If you have suggestions or would like to comment about how we are doing, please email garlic@santbani.org.
Opechee Garden Club Grant Awarded to Sant Bani School Environmental Studies Intern, Travis Filter
Travis helped direct Upper Building students in the
growing garden complex.
SANBORNTON: In the fall of 2008 Environmental Science teacher Todd Schongalla and his students decided to take the classroom to the soil. They reclaimed a fallow plot and planted an organic garlic garden that yielded 500 heads of garlic in August of 2009. The juicy pungent garlic sold out in a matter of weeks. This school year the crop size was doubled and 1000 bulbs of garlic are now slowly sending up garlic scapes from the earth waiting for the cloves to grow in order to be sold later this summer at the school and at local Farmers’ Markets. A crop of kale was added as well and with the help of the school’s intern, the gardens that students walk past every day have become part of their classrooms and playing fields.
Sant Bani School alumnus and Environmental Studies Intern Travis Filter arrived on campus in March to begin a late winter/early spring internship at Sant Bani School under the direction of Susan Dyment, the school’s Admissions Director and College Counselor. Dyment is a life-long gardener and was excited to oversee Filter’s course work for Lesley College. Filter has spent his time observing, sharing, and teaching and has been joined in the school’s gardens by students from kindergarten through grade twelve to learn the joys and rewards of working the earth.
Filter and Dyment enrolled in the UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener’s course. Each Tuesday through the winter and early spring this gardening duo traveled to Goffstown to hone their skills and broaden their knowledge of gardening. During this period Filter also applied to the Opechee Garden Club for its annual grant from the Evergreen Fund. The fund is earmarked for individuals or not-for-profit organizations that wish to pursue projects or advanced studies to promote educational and/or career building skills within the disciplines of conservation, environment science, forestry, agriculture, horticulture, landscape design or any other area supported by the club with a focus on the environment.
Travis and Lower Building student prepare seedlings this spring.
In April Filter was awarded the Opechee Garden Club’s grant for $500. Asked what he plans to spend the grant on and he says, “I hope to buy hand tools sized to fit small children as well as the older students. Markers and small whiteboards will be bought and used to diagram garden plots in the classroom and carried out to the garden. I also have bought potting soil and shop lighting for grow lights with pulley systems for the school’s renovated greenhouse in order to get that back up and running. I want to buy infrastructure to support the school’s gardens and educational material for the classrooms.”
In short, he has put the grant towards exactly what it was intended for. Sant Bani School is a non-profit school educating children from kindergarten through grade twelve. The assistance the grant will give to enrich the students’ knowledge of gardening will pay off both now and far into the future when some of them may begin their own gardens built from the lessons they learned from an inspired intern at the hillside gardens of the Sant Bani School.
Filter showcased his internship for the public last May at Sant Bani School. He had samplings of his garden for tasting as well as a slide show and information session. The public was welcomed to attend and joined in tasting how delicious a garden can be.
Home > News > Rockets, NASA & the Black Rock Desert
May 7, 2010
Sant Bani freshman, Andrew Mahn, reported to the school at Morning Session on his experiences with rocketry in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
Andrew began his competitive engineering work about five years ago with LEGO robotics. Through that venue he became aware of other types of engineering competitions including rocketry and he was hooked. He has been working with the Team America Rocketry Challenge, which is associated with NASA, with Mr. Mark Kibler since then, competing in The Plains, Virginia. After successfully competing there, the team went on to the NASA Student Launch Initiative, the world’s largest competition for rocketry headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. There they were noticed by another organization called ARLISS: A Rocket Launch for International Student Satellites.
It was the ARLISS program which brought Andrew and his team to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. For that competition the team designed one of the biggest rockets that they’ve ever made and used. The other rockets were only designed to meet a specific purpose: to carry two eggs safely to an altitude of 750 feet, for 45 seconds and to land safely with the eggs intact. This project was much more open-ended. The sky was the limit, so to speak.
See the video of the team and their coach, Mr. Mark Kibler
preparing for the launch with ARLISS in Nevada:
For this competition the students had to design a rocket that flew, but what it did while it was there and how high it went was up to them. They decided to use their rocket to study climate change and global warming. The team designed a satellite that would measure concentrations of the most prevalent greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, water vapor and carbon dioxide. They also had to correlate that with the altitude and the temperature. The experiment would either succeed and work perfectly, or completely fail. However, Mr. Kibler says that working on the project from start to finish is a success all in itself (see video).
This year Andrew worked primarily as the computer programmer for the project. Next year he is the team captain and will have to work as he’s done on other projects to coordinate all of the aspects of pulling the experiment together.
The eleven members of the class of 2010 at Sant Bani
School in Sanbornton along with Head of School Kent
Bicknell, center, released white homing pigeons to
kickoff their graduation ceremonies
held Friday. Bea Lewis/Citizen Photo.
The eleven members of the class of 2010 at Sant Bani School in Sanbornton along with Head of School Kent Bicknell, center, released white homing pigeons to kickoff their graduation ceremonies held Friday. Bea Lewis/Citizen Photo
Click here to view Foster’s prints for sale
As family and friends applauded, the 11 members of the class of 2010 at Sant Bani School in Sanbornton kicked off their graduation ceremonies by releasing white homing pigeons.
Classmate Jacqueline Bartz, an ardent animal lover, owns the birds, which she regularly rents out at weddings. Friends said the birds are trained to fly home to Franklin.
Head of School Kent Bicknell told the several hundred people that gathered beneath a huge tent pitched on Allen Field to watch the ceremonies that Friday’s graduation marks the school reaching a milestone of 319 alumni.
“This afternoon we celebrate the life-journeys of these 11 wondrous souls behind me. They have accomplished much already, and they are just getting started. I have had the pleasure, honor, joy — you name it — to sit in English class with them for the last few months. We talked, thought and laughed…a lot. We were all students…all teachers,” he said.
During 12th grade English, Bicknell said early on his students read Plato’s Allegory of the Den or Cave and finished with Jack Kerouac’s Alone on a Mountaintop, — Kerouac’s account of the 63 days he spent alone in a fire tower on Desolation Peak in the Cascade Mountains of the great Northwest in the summer of 1956.
“Many of us are familiar with the idea captured in Plato’s story of the cave. We may recall that the dwellers in the cave were trapped in such a way that they took the shadows on the wall as reality rather than image — as substance rather than reflection.”
Bicknell said there is much more to Plato’s allegory.
“When we step out of the cave and see the light, it hurts our eyes, as it can be painful to gaze on the truth, to be confronted with a legitimate perspective vastly different from our own beliefs, which we had held so dear. Seeing what is truly real created a desire to go back and share this with friends still trapped in the illusion of the cave’s shadows. But, Plato warns us, the bearer of truth is as likely to be attacked as welcomed,” Bicknell said.
“This class, the Class of 2010, would embrace any truth-seeker…any truth-teller…with open eyes and open arms. They have feeling minds and thinking hearts,” he continued.
Bicknell also cited the words of Sant Bani founder, the Spiritual Teacher Kirpal Singh who wrote in the school’s guiding documents, “The chief malady of current education is that it results in the disassociation of heart and head. It lays emphasis on the development of head and does sharpen the intellect to some extent. But more essential is the liberation of the heart. That will be done when the reason is awakened in sympathy for the poor, the weak and the needy. Sacrifice grows out of the heart, so that the heart is required to be unfolded.”
“The Class of 2010 has the sharpened intellect piece well in hand; and their hearts are wide-awake,” Bicknell concluded.
Sant Bani Class of 2010
Jacqueline Bartz, Justine Borceux, Emily Braconier, Mira Carey-Hatch, Tajian de Mello-Folsom, Chapin Evans, Liana Hanrahan, Liana Hardcastle, Enelys Kalmus, Nicholas Lockwood and Quan Tran.
On Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 Sant Bani High School students were celebrated with the following awards:
Maredith Rotary
Gary Schmidt presents the
scholarship to Chapin Evans (’10).
Franklin Savings Bank
Eileen Pucci from FSB awards
Mira Carey-Hatch (’10) a $1000
scholarship.
Tilton Rotary
Tajian deMello-Folsom (‘10) and
Mira Carey-Hatch (’10) each
received a $500 scholarship.
Lakes Region Scholarship Foundation
*Dr. Donald Ettelson award received by Mira Carey-Hatch (‘10).
*Zonta award received by Mira Carey-Hatch (’10).
*St. James Church award received by Chapin Evans (’10).
English Department: Karen Bicknell, Chair
*Middlebury Book award to Luke Kalvaitis (‘11).
*Senior English Excellence Award to
Nicholas Lockwood (’10) and Chapin Evans (’10).
Art Department: Ann Saunderson, Chair
Cullen Robinson (’12) received an award for “bravery, excellence,
and hard work.”
Students in the Pennies for Peace
Art Block make phone calls, posters, and canisters
to collect funds for the Central Asia Institute.
The students at Sant Bani School have joined hands with tens of thousands of other school children around the world who share the vision and dedication to empower communities through education in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sant Bani School students are embarking on a Pennies for Peace campaign to broaden their cultural horizons and become members of a global family dedicated to peace.
The students joined the Art Block because they heard teacher, Rose Marie Marinace, read the young readers’ edition of Three Cups of Tea to the whole school last fall, and the work of the Central Asia Institute to build schools seemed like something they could help with. Students in the Pennies for Peace Art Block have made canisters to put out, they have contacted local businesses, and have publicized the campaign both within the Sant Bani community, and in the local papers.
Local businesses that have (at this printing) have agreed to support Sant Bani’s Pennies for Peace campaign with collection canisters include:
Constantly Pizza, Tilton
Growing Like a Weed, Tilton
Upper Crust Pizza, Tilton
Piche’s Outlet, Belmont
Blue Skies Natural Foods, Bristol
Headlines Salon, Gilford
The Mill Fudge Factory , Bristol
Normandeau Associates, Bedford
Dan’s Pharmacy, Franklin
Hiller Orthodontics, Laconia
How can a penny bring peace? It doesn’t buy much in central New Hampshire, but in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, it can buy a pencil, start an education, and transform a life. In a region where terrorist organizations recruit uneducated, illiterate children, that pencil can empower a child to read, write, and learn. The Pennies for Peace program goal is to encourage children, who are ultimately our future leaders, to learn the value of philanthropy by collecting pennies for global peace.
Sant Bani School students will have an opportunity to study the cultures of Afghanistan and Pakistan, learn to work and share together in their Pennies for Peace campaign, and come to understand their own capacity as philanthropists – one penny at a time.
The pennies that Sant Bani School students collect can add up to make a real difference.
1 penny = a pencil 2-3 pennies = an eraser 15 pennies = one notebook $20 = one child’s school supplies for one year $50 = one treadle sewing machine and supplies $100 = maternal healthcare supplies for one year $300 = one advanced student’s annual scholarship $600 = one teacher’s annual salary $5,000 = support for existing school for one year $50,000 = one school building and support for up to five years.
The group was recently invited to attend the Lakes Region Rotary Club meeting and give a presentation to the group about the project. The generous contributions of the Rotary members on the spot is helping the group meet their goal of $300 for one student’s annual tuition.
Children in over 400 mountain villages in remote northern Pakistan and Afghanistan are on the waiting list, hoping to learn in a new school. Sant Bani School students hope to help build a bridge of peace, one penny at a time, offering alternatives to the cycle of terrorism and war.
Where on Earth do two hundred people ages five through sixty five suspend everyday doings to consider the grand picture and to act to make that grand picture a little more hopeful? On April 22, 2010, the students and staff at Sant Bani celebrated the Earth and its interconnections with a full day of workshops and community cleanup projects throughout Sanbornton. The staff-led Earth Day Committee arranged speakers, set up thirty workshops and designed a day that both celebrated the beauty of our planet and posed questions about issues facing future generations.
Students clean and replant the median on 127.
The first speaker of the day was Steve Whitman who discussed Permaculture. He is a faculty member at Plymouth State University and has worked in state and regional planning for over fifteen years. He talked about designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. Students participated in a lively question and answer session after the presentation. Then they moved into their preregistered workshops.
Each student could choose two morning workshops. Some were outside on campus, others in the classroom; some were field trips to sites in Sanbornton or neighboring towns. Students could work to clear the cross-country trails which wind through the woods behind the school or they could travel to Swain Farm to inspect the portable solar generated waterer for the cows at the pond. Some went as far as Canterbury where they had a hands-on tour of the McCullough-Meeh sustainable family farm. They learned how the parents of two Sant Bani graduates harness a range of renewable energy sources including windpower, solar electric, biodiesel, and firewood.
Other students made recycled sculptures or walked through the woods to the beaver pond. Meanwhile in the classroom Jyoti Demian discussed Ralph Waldo Emerson’s views on nature with high school students. Lesley College intern Travis Filter led a gardening workshop where students prepped a new garden area and planted kale and lettuce. A group of “renegade students” led by Jen Schongalla chucked artistically wrought seed bombs in random barren places. A group of four students joined Susan Dyment at the little traffic island at the intersection of Prescott and New Hampton Road where they worked the soil, added compost and planted pansies—under the watchful eye of Sanbornton Police Chief Hankard who directed traffic while they worked. Walks to vernal pools, nature drawing, solar cookers, seed mosaics, decorating pots, fairy houses, tree identification, watercolor landscapes, scavenger hunts, an “un-cooking class” where they talked about the health benefits of eating raw foods and calculate how many grams of selected foods it takes to make 100 calories, were among the offerings.
Steve Whitman and students celebrate Permaculture.
Senior Jacquie Bartz led a workshop on Earth Watch, a non-profit organization where those concerned about the Earth’s future can get involved. Volunteers all over the world do hands-on field research to learn more and educate others on environmental concerns. Jacquie traveled to Iowa last summer to study the Mississippi River and its unique environment. During the same block Chief John Desilva of the Sanbornton Fire Department talked to students about forest fire prevention. He brought some of the equipment used by the firemen and talked about what we can do to help.
After an outdoor lunch time teachers and students then fanned out in teams to cover 26 miles of Sanbornton roads for a massive clean up effort. Reflecting at the end of this busy and beautiful day, everyone felt a little more hopeful that a small school could consider the big world and have an impact . . . one thoughtful action at a time.
