the undercurrent

The Community School Magazine Winter 2009/10

ENGAGING STUDENTS OF DIVERSE TALENTS IN AN INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL CULTURE.

The NewestCutthroat

The NewestCutthroat

The UndercurrentThe UndercurrentThe Community School Magazine

2009/10 Annual Fund

give online

WWW.COMMUNITYSCHOOL.ORG/DEVELOPMENT/ANNUAL_FUND/INDEX.ASPX

Remember your best day at Sam’s School? Remember that one

teacher who to this day had a profound and lasting impact on your

life? Remember the annual water fi ght? Camping in the hallways?

Yellowstone? Hells Canyon? Perkins? Aren’t these memories worth a

donation? They are for me. —JOHN VALENZUELA, ‘84

The Annual Fund represents the backbone of The Community School’s funding needs. We believe in supporting the Annual Fund because we know that yearly contributions from every family enable our children to continue to have exceptional educational programs run by exceptional teachers. — LOUISE & TRENT

STUMPH, PARENTS

2009-2010 ADMiNiSTRATioN

andy Jones-wilkinsHead of School

Laura kennedyDirector, Elementary School

ben PettitDirector, Middle School

brian yagerDirector, Upper School

katie RobinsDirector of Admission

Tyra Macguffi eDirector of Development

Melissa elkins Director of Alumni Relations

bill LauckDirector of Communications

2009-2010 BoARD oF DiReCToRS

Pat AluisiWhit Atkinson ‘82Leslie BenzJack Bunce - ChairCharles ConnDonna DelahorneMark Eshman Leigh EverittTim FlahertyEllen GillespieJay HagenbuchDavid HolmesAndy Jones-WilkinsRandi KanellitsasJim MilgardJake PetersPeter SmithLisa StelckJoan SwiftJon ThorsenDon WisemanMichael Engl, EmeritusBarbara W. Boswell, EmeritusRuby Becker, PA RepresentativeMichael David, PA Representative

Cover Photo: David N. Seelig, Idaho Mountain Express

Additional Photography: Becky Smith, Bill Lauck, Tyra MacGuffi e, Melissa ElkinsLaura Kennedy.

The Undercurrent is produced by The Community School for its current and former families and friends. Inquiries may be sent to The Community School, PO Box 2118, Sun Valley, ID 83340.

3the undercurrent • winter 2009/10 1

In the flurrY of activities preceding the winter holiday I typically spend a few moments ref lecting back on the se-mester to take stock of where we are. This year, I must say, has been truly extraordinary! Certainly, every school year is unique and distinctive and yet something about this year has been inspiring to me. In thinking about it I have concluded that active and engaged student leadership is at the heart of what has made the start of this year so special.

As I wrote last spring on the eve of graduation, often the classes at the top of each division set the tone for their respective divisions and in so doing tend to define the school culture for the year. This year the 5th, 8th and 12th grades have been nothing short of incredible. If you did not have a chance to see the 5th grade “Witch’s Contest” in Oc-tober you missed out on a wonderful show. Displaying poise, creativity, and humor, the 5th grade dazzled us with their singing and dancing and, in the process, gave a tremendous gift to our community. Speaking of gifts, this very same 5th grade class has completely embraced our Senegalese exchange student Daniel Gomis to such an extent that they have invited him to class to teach them French songs, decorated their classroom in the national colors of Senegal, and are currently organizing a bake sale to raise money for Daniel to return home for Spring Break. If that is not leadership I don’t know what is! Over in the Middle School our current 8th grade class has had an excit-ing and fascinating first semester. Highlighted by their “Food Unit” the 8th graders have learned much about asking probing questions and seeking deep answers. The culminating activity in the “Food Unit” was an impeccably prepared and executed banquet at Elkhorn Springs that featured local fruits and vegetables grown in their own greenhouse as well as chickens that the class raised and slaughtered themselves. Not only did this project exemplify leader-ship but it also taught valuable lessons in planning, execution, and, ultimately, public relations and marketing. It was a project of which we can all be proud. Finally, our 12th graders have, over the past four months, distinguished themselves as the true leaders in the school. From the Fall Campout onward this group has set the tone for the entire student body and extended their lead-ership reach far beyond the classroom walls. In the first semester this group has instituted a weekly school-wide barbeque, created a carpooling incentive for students and faculty, taken constructive control of the weekly assemblies, led the fall sports teams through a series of successful seasons, participated in a wide variety of community service activities too numerous to count and produced a festive K-12 holiday celebration. Of course, they did all this and more while taking full course loads and preparing their college applications. From my perspective and that of the faculty, this group has re-defined student leadership at The Community School. To me, all three of these “leadership classes” embody the Cutthroat spirit. In that context, I look forward to the 2nd semester, as I am sure these students, as well as all the other Cutthroats around them, have much more in store for all of us.

From the head of School

the undercurrent • winter 2009/102

T his fall, The Community School was able to off i-cially welcome Daniel Gomis, an exchange student from Senegal, to the Upper School. Daniel’s enroll-

ment represents the culmination of a three-year effort to begin recruiting promising students from around the globe.

Daniel’s road to TCS began this past spring, when he came to the United States to study English and play basketball, as part of the efforts of the SEEDS Foundation (a program that uses sports to foster the development of promising African young people). He was in the country on a B-2 visitor’s visa, which limited his ability to seek educational opportunties here, or even to stay for a prolonged period of time. Mem-bers of the TCS community, from the adminstration, board of directors and athletic department have worked for the past five months to change Daniels visa status from B-2 (visitor) to F-1 (student).

Their diligent efforts f inally bore fruit in November, when the status change was approved. This llowed Daniel to enroll as a full-time student at The Community School, carrying a full course load and receiving high-school credit for his work.

The Newest

CutthroatIn the culmination of a three

year effort to recruit students from around the globe, The Community School

welcomes Daniel Gomis of Senegal to the

Upper School.


At 6'9", Daniel is hard to miss on campus, but as noticeable as his stature are his heart and willingness to share his talents with the entire school. As a Junior, his presence is greatest in the Upper School, but he’s also made a strong impression in the Elementary and Middle Schools, as he has taught French (his native language) to Fifth-grade students, shared his bas-ketball prowess with Elementary PE classes, acted as an assistant coach for the Middle School Boys Basketball team and organized an after-school French Club for the Middle School.

As a full-time student, Daniel will now compete with the Boys Varsity basketball team. While Daniel had been practicing with the team previously, his status prevented him from full participation in the program. Thanks to the efforts of Athletic Director John Remington, the eight member schools of the Northside Conference approved Daniel’s par-ticipaton in regular-season games by a 7-1 vote. After con-sultation with other Northside coaches and the Idaho High School Activities Association, John determined that Daniel would not be eligible for post-season play, due to IHSA rules about international students.

Daniel’s prowess on the court is clear, but that skill rep-resents only a fraction of what he’s brought to the School -- and what the School demands of him. “He’s been a real asset to our community,” Head of School Andy Jones-Wilkins told the Idaho Mountain Express (in one of several articles about our newest student). “It’s one thing to read about Senegal in a book. It’s something else to meet and get to know someone from Senegal.” And Andy emphasized the academic aspect of Daniel’s enrollment; “There are oth-er places where Daniel could play basketball, but he came here because we could provide him with a full academic college-prep program.” After 9/11, the federal government enacted stricter regu-lations regarding school-issued student visas. Beginning

in 2008, The Community School worked to complete the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) application process, in order to receive official approval to sponsor exchange students for visas. The process culminated with an inspection visit from SEVIS, after which the school was granted final approval to issue I-20 visa sponsorships for foreign exchange students. Director of Admission Katie Robins said “Daniel is the first exchange student we have issued a visa for since we were approved by SEVIS and we are thrilled to have him here. He has already proved himself an ambassador for global awareness in our school community and we sincerely hope to see more students like him in the future.”

Now that the school has approval to issue I-20 visa spon-sorships, TCS plans to continue seeking students from around the globe. While sports -- fall, winter and spring -- will continue to play a role in finding international students, Andy hopes to find excellent prospects to fit all the School’s strengths. “It just so happened that our first successful can-didate was a basketball player, but we’re looking for students to partcipate in our drama program, our community service program or in our outdoor program,” he said.

“It’s really a win-win. It’s a win for the students com-ing and it’s a win here, as we’ve seen with Daniel, how he’s enriching our students educationally.”


Middle School Food & Sustainability Unit

L iving in America today, it’s easy to understand why some kids might think chicken only comes

wrapped in plastic and vegetables should never touch the ground. The students of Scott Runkel and Naomi Goldberg’s Eighth grade class know differently, thanks to their continu-ing exploration of food and its impact on society and the environment, both locally and globally. Scott’s curricu-lum plan described the goal as getting students to “think critically about their food, both on a personal and a global level. As student Kelsey Syms put it, they learned “the true cost of food.” To gain a broad-based understanding of the issues involved, the class took part in a number of efforts to further their knowledge of food production, healthy eating and global climate change. They raised their own chick-ens and vegetables, visited an organic farm in Buhl and observed the envi-ronmental impact of human activity during a visit to Glacier National park.

The program culminated with the students hosting a banquet for parents, with food prepared from the produce and meat they had raised. In addition to a feast of responsibly-grown food and an increased awareness of food-related

issues, guests left with a permanent reminder of the the event -- a cookbook put together by the class titled Healthy Eating for You & The Environment. The chicken-raising part of the cur-riculum proved to be both educational and controversial. The Eighth grad-ers (with assistance from First grade students) began the semester with 16 chicks, taking the responsibility to weigh, feed and care for the birds. The students designed and built a coop to house the chickens as they grew, and when the birds reached full size, the students used them as part of the food prepared for the banquet.

The chickens drew the attention of the local media, and attracted national notice from an animal rights group in Virginia (see sidebar). Ultimately, the kids found their understanding of the issues broadened by the media exposure. Eighth grader Caroline Jones said, “It is good to know where our food comes from.” “We know [the chickens] are humanely grown,” added Hannah Dies.

During farm visits in the early fall, the students picked potatoes at Mike Heath’s organic farm in Buhl. They also toured the facility where he raises pigs, chickens and crops. To broaden their exposure, they also

Raising Crops... and AwarenessA unique, semester-long course of study offers the Eighth grade class insight into modern agriculture, sustainability and their daily impact on the global environment.


visited the farm of John O’Connor, who raises crops in a conventional manner. Nick Krekow and Ben Swift shared an observation about the dif-ferent approaches to farming -- “the potatoes looked better here but tasted better at the organic farm,” they said. The class also built a 9-foot high by 13-foot long greenhouse behind the Middle School. The greenhouse included the chicken coop and the previously planted garden beds growing broccoli, lettuce, potatoes and carrots. In September, a trip to Glacier National Park provided the class with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see concrete evidence of the effects of climate change, learn how research is conducted and speak with scientists in

the field. In addition, the class enjoyed a backcountry experience in one of the most dramatic, glacier-carved wild lands left in the world. To complete this part of their food and sustainability unit, the class tried to reduce their carbon footprint as much as possible. They bought all local, non-processed food--most of it in bulk--to eliminate packaging. All food waste was composted and all garbage recycled. And of course they carpooled in a TCS bus. Head of School Andy Jones-Wilkins summed up his view of the food unit in speaking to The Weekly Paper: “I have to say, education is often some-thing that happens to kids,” he said. “This is a case of kids making educa-tion happen.”

PouLTRy PRoJeCT gaRneRs Media noTiCe, sTiRs debaTeTo get the word out to the broader community, students contacted local media, with excellent results. The Idaho Mountain Express ran several stories on the food unit and chicken raising, and The Weekly Paper covered the chicken processing and final dinner.

The stories were not without controversy though. The first piece in the Mountain Express drew the notice of the Virginia-based animal-rights group United Poultry Concern. Local response to the group’s concerns was vocal, eliciting a number of letters-to-the-editor and a spirited dialogue on the paper’s web site. Students also responded with their thoughts on the project in their own letters to the paper.


Robin Leventhalclass of 1984competed on Bravo’s “top chef”

Robin LevenThaL, ‘84, appeared as a contestant on Top Chef, a reality competition program that airs on the cable television network Bravo. The show features a season-long showdown between chefs competing in various culinary challenges and events. A panel of professional chefs judges them with one or more contestants eliminated at the end of each episode.

Robin, who lives in Seattle, is a chef, artist

and teacher. Before becoming a chef, she pursued a career in the fine arts, studying for an MFA at the University of Michigan. While there, she took a position in the catering department, and quickly found she had a passion for food.

A self-taught chef, Robin’s Pacific Northwest roots provide the foundation of her cooking, which is accented by the f lavors of her world travels. Robin formerly owned and operated Crave, a popular Seattle bistro, and currently uses her cooking and culinary connections to help raise money for Lymphoma research. A cancer survivor, she is closely involved with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Of her experience competing on Top Chef, Robin says “It’s been an amazing year to say the least.”

To learn more about Robin and her experiences on Top Chef, please visit

www.bravotv.com/top-chef/videos/meet-robin

Carson Sofroclass of 2001 continues BasketBall camp

CaRson sofRo, ‘01, is living in San Diego and continuing to build the HSBCAMPS (Hot Shot Basketball Camps) franchise that he started at The Community School in the summer of 2007. These youth basketball camps are dedicated to bringing kids face-to-face with professional players, concentrating on individual training. Carson said “We have become one of the fastest growing basketball camps in the country with planned operations for five states in 2010.” In addition to the camps, Carson recently incor-porated a non-profit HSBCARES, INC., and just partnered with Hoops 4 Hope Africa. The latter partnership will take the program global, with camps in South Africa and Zim-babwe in August 2010. Carson says he’d love to hear from any TCS alums who would like to help with their efforts in Africa. “I am trying to raise $50,000 for the Hoops 4 Hope program in 2010,” he said. Since his first camp at TCS in 2007, HSBCAMPS have continued to grow. This past sum-mer, the group held camps at Wood River High School and in Bend, Oregon. Carson said “We had to move the camp down south because we got to large for the Fish Tank to accommodate us. We are actually too large for Wood River now with over 100 participants. “ Future camps are slated for June and July in Chula Vista, California, Boise & Hailey, Idaho, and Bend & Portland Oregon. The four-day camps are geared towards teaching and developing the fundamentals of basketball to boys and girls in Kindergarten through Eighth grade. Learning is through group drills and indi-vidual contests to team competitions and guest lectures. Players will participate in over 15 hours of instructional work with the HSBCAMPS, staff which includes colle-giate and professional coaches and players. Check out the camps website www.hsbcamps.com as well as hsbcares.com to see what they are all about.

alumni profiles


MaTT PaTTeRson, ‘84Matt and his wife Kimberly live in Oakland, CA and just welcomed their first child Siena to the world on November 10. “The three of us will be celebrating Christmas in and around Sun Valley for a rare visit to celebrate with our family and dear friends.” Matt is the VP of Sales and Marketing with Hydrapak, a world leader in high perfor-mance Hydration packs, bottles, flasks and Hydration systems for Recreation, Elite Athletes and the Military.

TiM ThoRnTon, ‘84 is living in Boise with his wife Kristin and his four children (9, 13, 14, 17) and “is having fun weathering the commercial real estate brokerage market.” Tim has also started a new company, Zoliath.com, which helps market companies and individuals in the commercial real estate industry. Tim’s 17 year old daughter is in the process of applying to colleges and “he has already figured out that she is quite a bit smarter than he is.”

Rian TiMMons, ‘94 lives in Ketchum and works for Scott USA in their Moto division. “Other than that still single, but considering a puppy.”

Libby CuRTis adaMs, ’94 is living in Boise with her husband of eight years and three children (Dane, 6, Reed, 5 and Lauren, 2). “I’m still working at Hawkeye Cohesion where I started 11 years ago as an intern. I’m currently supporting Juniper Networks as a Global Account Director. Things are going great! I’m busy volunteering in my kids’ school, shuttling them to soccer, swimming and

baseball. I’m also the Den Leader for Dane’s Tiger Scout Den. Enjoying Idaho and all it has to offer!”

hiLaRy PaRkinson, ’94 finished graduate school at Montana State Univer-sity in 2008 (in restoration of sagebrush steppe ecosystems). “Life and work in Bozeman are great. No babies, but two border collies, Hayduke and Luther. I plan on staying in Bozeman for another three years while my significant other finishes his PhD. Hope everyone is doing well.”

CaRLy hiRsCh kiMMeL, ’94 “The big news here is that Jonathan and I are expecting our first child, a boy, any minute. Other than that, we are still here in LA, I am still writing and doing design work, and life is good! Sad I won’t be able to travel to SV this winter, hopefully I can catch up with people in the summer.”

TiM o’neiLL, ’96 says “married life is good, the wedding date was October 10th, Rocky, Will & Perrin were there...good times... no kids of course... Vancouver is great... working as an Insti-tutional sales rep at a firm called PI Financial”

PaTRiCk hoLMan, ’96, who gradu-ated University of Colorado in 2000 and moved to San Francisco in 2001, is “presently not married, but in a 2-year relationship” with a new project the Ola-vaquero surf castle in Rio Nexpa, Mex-ico (www.Olavaquero.com): “I bought the land in 2007, and it was a two-year

project to build the house. I’m actively renting it as an international five-star surf destination.” Also working on: FusionStorm, a technology integrator working with large web-based compa-nies to create the network and systems infrastructure to support their computer environments, and Mr. Roboto Pres-ents, which showcases new and emerg-ing bands from around the world in San Francisco; 7x7 Magazine voted our “Mr. Roboto Presents Halloween” party as one of the top five places to be in San Francisco on Halloween.

ChLoe wiTMeR sTahL, ‘96“Andy and I have been in Nashville now for a year and a half. We just celebrated Grady’s first birthday on November 11th. My job has been staying at home with Grady, which I completely love but it’s definitely the hardest job I’ve had.”

JeReMy kRassiCk, ‘96“I got married in May. Drew Monahan was my best man. I still live in Atlanta and have finished the first semester of my sixth year of teaching.”

dan Levy aLgieRz, ‘96“As for me, no kids or wife, to the best of my knowledge. I live in LA. self-employed for work. (http://www.face-book.com/l/e1a56; algierz.com is the online portal for my business.)”

eMiLie duPonT, ‘01 “I got mar-ried to Christopher Callahan in Cape Cod on Sept. 5th, 2009. We are living in Ketchum and planning our next trip to make a difference with children in need around the world.“

alumni class notes

Lauren, Dane and Reed Adams

Matt, Siena and Kimberly PattersonPatrick Holman’s Olavaquero surf castle

➤

eMiLy aanesTad, ’01 “I got married in June 2009 and am currently living in Portland, Oregon. In 2008 I graduated from law school and I am presently working as an attorney in a small estate planning and business law firm.”

Johanna MaRveL, ‘01 “Currently, I am in the process of moving back to Barcelona after a one-year stay in Chicago. While in Chicago, I performed in Spanish with the Chicago Kids Com-pany, studied and performed improv at Second City and The Play-ground Theatre, and acted as the Puppet master out on Navy Pier -- improvising stories for the masses. I’ve also spent the last year writing numerous short stories, working on some new shows of my own creation and slowly making headway on my novel. I’m moving back to Barcelona in order to teach improv and physical theatre

workshops, to continue to perform and to make those first small, necessary steps towards opening and running an artistic space.”

kaTie MaTTeson, ‘02“I coached Varsity Volleyball with Reamy Goodwin and Middle School Volleyball with Erika Connelly ‘03, this past fall at TCS. Now I am helping Erika with Middle School Girls Basketball. It’s fun. I am in town the next year or so. I am a copywriter for a website out of San Francisco and do some freelance writing for a couple different publications. Also, Sun Valley Co. has me writing for their blog and have given me a pass in exchange, so I have been skiing every day and enjoying being home, around my friends and on the mountain.”

Reed boegeR, ‘05“I am finishing up my senior year at Dartmouth. I am unsure what I’ll be doing next year for work, but looking to be in Boston. I’ll also be home for the holidays starting mid-December.”

JaCkie goddaRd, ‘05“Finally started my first big kid job! Working in graphic design, photography, marketing and sales for Creative Image in Pullman, WA. Loving northern Idaho weather and recreation! I’ll be home briefly for the holidays!”

kyLe b. koski, ‘05kylekoski.com“I’m an Interaction Designer / Computer Scientist in the middle of developing a Cloud OS written in basic HTML. I work closely with Google products and do a lot of research on upcoming Internet technology trends. I also have a handful of projects/products/services I’m helping get off the ground (both in SV and internationally).”

Cassidy douCeTTe, ‘05university of utah College of nursing“I traveled this past summer for three months. I taught emer-gency medicine and worked in a slum with a small NGO, and then traveled for a month through northern India and into Nepal. It was the most eye-opening, sensory-overloading and amazing experience of my life. I am now finishing nursing school and will graduate as an RN in May. Whoot whoot!”

saRah beTTs, ‘05“After graduating from Colorado College last spring with a degree in English and journalism, I moved to Seattle. I now work as a chef for a catering company, although it hardly feels like work when I get to do what I love all day long.”

aLiCe bynuM, ‘05“After I graduated from the University of Chicago in June, I came back home looking for a job, and miraculously, I was hired to teach English and history at Harry Weekes’s brand-new, indepen-

alumni class notes

The annual holiday party, held this year at Il Naso, offered a chance for alumni from every class to reminisce and reconnect with teachers and classmates.

alumni holiday Party December 2009


3

dent high school, The Sage School in Hailey. I spend almost every waking hour working with or thinking about high school students, but I also give some of my waking and vacation time to a special graduate student at UC Berkeley. I expect to remain in the Valley until the end of the school year, and then I, too, will be living in Berkeley, teaching new students at another independent school.”

aLexandeR deMbeRgh, ‘05at seattle Central CC in seattle“Just studying way too much, at least the lousy weather in Seattle lends its self to that. Pac Northwest is where it’s at, chillin’ with fools like Connor down in Portland. Hope to see everyone in SV for the holidays.”

ChaRLie baseR, ‘05The university of Montana in Missoula, MT“I spent this past summer in Boulder interning in the photo department at Skiing Magazine and finally, after 3 colleges, I will graduate in May with a degree in photojournalism from UM. I am currently applying for internships and jobs at small newspapers all over the country (it’s truly a great time to be trying to get into the journalism industry). It’s great to see what you all are up to and I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone over the holidays.”

ben RoTh, ‘05yale College in new haven, CT“After taking last year off to study, travel and teach in China, I’m now finishing up my senior year at Yale. I spent last sum-mer in Portland working in sustainable development and clean energy. Have no concrete plan after graduation, but that’s ok with me. Hope to take some time getting centered by work-ing and traveling before maybe heading to grad school. I can’t believe we’re five years out of TCS!”

Lexie PRaggasTis, ‘05Colby College in waterville, Me“I’m finishing up my last semester at Colby after which I plan on coming home for the holidays. This spring I head to Tanzania to work as a teacher in an orphanage then hopefully heading to New Zealand for the summer to be a ski instructor. After this string of adventures, I’m hoping to start teaching (so if anybody knows schools that are hiring let me know).”

ashLey aLfs, ‘05Philips Medical systems in Cleveland, oh“I graduated from Boston University with a degree in manufac-turing engineering in May 2009 and then immediately moved to Cleveland to work for Philips in their Nuclear Medicine New Product Introduction department. I am using my time in Cleveland to develop myself personally and decide where I want to take my next steps in life (since there is not too much to do here). I love my job and I am loving life right now. I am looking forward to spending quite a bit of time in China over the next couple years as I am on

an outsourcing project with Philips to put one of our products in Shanghai. I look forward to every visit back to SV and I can’t wait to see you all next. Hey, when’s our first class reunion?”

Casey Lynch, Nicole Greenberg, Jeremy Greenberg, Derek Osen

Tria Katz-Cohn, Felan McDonald, Jessica Davies Clifford

RJ McLaughlin, Lauren Bergdahl, Rae Schweizer, Mike Maggard

Justin Gates, Tiffany Timmons Reagen

Rae Schweizer, Kathy Jones,Kitt Doucette, Elizabeth Holman, Jamie Holman, Kristin Barr

Colby Smith, DJ Hodge, Felan McDonald, Adam Heaney

Class of 1999 December 2009

Class of 1989 Summer 2009

the undercurrent • winter 2009/10 9

new upper school director

after a national search to find a new Upper School Director, The Community School found the

right candidate teaching in US Room 111. On December 18th, just prior to the holiday break, Head of School Andy Jones-Wilkins announced that veteran Upper School English teacher Phil Huss would be the next Director of the Upper

School. Phil will take over from Brian Yager on August 1, 2010. Brian is moving to San Antonio to become Head of School at the Keystone School.

Phil attended Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, PA before receiving his undergraduate degree in English (Cum Laude) from Amherst College and his Masters’ Degree in American Literature from Boston College Graduate School.

For the past ten years Phil has served the Upper School at The Community School in a wide variety of roles. In addition to teaching English at all four grade levels, Phil has served as the English Department Chair, the Self-Study Coordinator, Head Varsity Tennis Coach, Outdoor Trip Leader and Summer School Director. Prior to his arrival at The Community School in 2000, Phil taught at the Lowell Whiteman School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and

at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. An outstanding intercollegiate squash and lacrosse player at Amherst, Phil continues to be active in athletics.

Phil is also an avid fly-fisherman, and has incorporated his passion for fishing into his classroom and outdoor leadership efforts. He keeps a multi-station fly-tying bench in his room, has taught the philosophy and techniques of fly-fishing on outdoor trips and has plans to create a driftboat guiding course for the summer school curriculum.

After an extensive national search and an exhaustive inter-view process including faculty, administration, staff, students, parents and members of the Board of Directors Phil was the clear choice to assume leadership of the Upper School.

Phil’s personal references speak volumes about his experi-ence, professionalism, and character. Mark Eshman, former Chairman of the Board at The Community School and long-time TCS parent, wrote, “No faculty member I have known over the past 15 years has demonstrated a greater commitment to, and passion for TCS than Phil. I am certain that he will round out an already stellar TCS leadership team.” In addition, Wyatt Bunce, Student Senate President at TCS, wrote, “Phil has a deep understanding for what it means to be a Cutthroat. People trust him to make important decisions about the direc-tion of the school. When he speaks, people listen”


around tcs

3

The results have been tabulated, and the Cutthroats read an amazing amount during this fall’s Read-a-Thon. way to go!

Thanks to all for participating in this important fundraiser for the PA.

here are the reader leaders!Most minutes read: fifth grade with 24,982 minutes. Wow!!

Most money raised: fourth grade with $6,636.98. Wow!!

individual reader leaders:Kindergarten: nicoletta briscoe 2,210 minutesFirst grade: Tully Jones-wilkins 1,940 minutes

Second grade: brian heekin 3,100 minutesThird grade: Tillie david 2,375 minutes

Fourth grade: isabella heekin 6,046 minutesFifth grade: Claire yager 5,784 minutes

Parties will be scheduled and prizes awarded in January.all told, the students read more than 100,000 minutes. and we

raised more than $22,000 for the Pa.

Read-a-Thon update

the undercurrent • winter 2009/10 11

CoMMuniTy sChooL and idaho’s bounTy TeaM uP To PRovide LoCaL, oRganiC oPTions aT LunCh

Those of you with students in Upper or Middle School may have gotten into the habit of packing a five-dollar bill instead of a lunch on Wednesdays. Your students may

have cancelled their Perry’s order, and they may find them-selves with nothing to throw away after lunch except a small paper plate.

In equal parts inspired by the Elementary School’s Com-munity Lunch program and their own desire to move the school and its students toward greater sustainability, the Stu-dent Senate has started a Wednesday lunch program, which provides a local, organic meal at rock-bottom prices. Without having to place an advance order, students can buy a burger – beef or bison – chips or fries, and a drink for $5.

All the meat comes from Idaho’s Bounty, our local co-op, which has as its mission to promote local, environmentally consciously produced food. The school has joined the co-op as a Wholesale Member, and our account is available for anyone

else in the school who wishes to use it for a school-related event. The eighth grade ordered just about everything they didn’t produce themselves from Idaho’s Bounty for their now-famous local feast this past fall!

The idea is to bring our community, and particularly students, into closer touch with their food and to ask them-selves questions such as: Where does it come from? How was it produced? What resources were used to get this from its origin to my plate?

The program has been immensely popular, with the Middle School students joining in as well. Although colder weather prevents us from hanging around the grill for too long, the lunch program has also created an opportunity for gathering across grade-levels, and we hope that this aspect of the program will continue to grow as well! Now all we have to do is figure out how to eliminate the paper plates… Come join us for lunch on Wednesday!


Late October brought the annual Halloween Parade and Witches Contest. All the ES classes participated in the parade, and the contest featured a spirited competition between the glamour witches, nerd witches, cheerleader witches, strong witches, Miley Cyrus witches and Micheal Jackson witches -- with a special visit from Cruella de Vil.

halloween

Contest. All the ES classes participated in the parade, and the contest featured a spirited competition between the glamour witches, nerd witches, cheerleader witches, strong witches, Miley Cyrus witches and Micheal Jackson witches -- with a special visit from Cruella de Vil.

WitchesContest


Community Service

T his year, the Upper School’s annual community service day focused on issues surrounding hunger, from both a local and global perspective. In a coordinated effort with

the Blaine County Hunger Coalition, more than 100 Upper School students participated in the day’s events, collecting canned food in neighborhoods around the Valley, arranging a hunger walk to inform elementary school students and hosting a unique banquet meant to raise awareness of global hunger.

According to the Hunger Coalition, the demand for food assistance in the Wood River Valley increased significantly during 2009. Given the rising levels of need, the Coalition’s resources have been severely taxed, particularly as the year drew to a close. To help re-stock the Coalition’s shelves, Upper School students canvassed several neighborhoods around the Valley, collecting canned goods. In the evening, to help raise awareness of hunger issues on a broader scale, the students hosted a banquet with a unique twist. Guests were divided into three groups; one group dined on sushi at banquet tables, one ate rice and beans on the gym’s bleachers and the third sat on the floor and was given only a handful of rice each. The idea was to provide a stark, first-hand example of the level of hunger and food insecurity in various parts of the world.

giving Tree

Community service day holiday giving

Middle school december fridays

golden Can

Ninety-five Middle School students spent four Fridays in December giving their time to 20 different organizations in the Wood River Valley. Together they compiled 950 hours of service for the community. Highlights included decorating a Christmas tree which was then auctioned to benefit the Senior Connection/Festival of Trees, and the “Hip-Hop for Haiti” dance, which raised money for Haitian schools.

This year’s “Golden Can” Canned Food Drive proved particularly spirited, with classes from all three levels participating. The 2008 record of more than 3,000 cans was smashed, with this year’s efforts bringing in more than 4,500 cans (the equivalent of two tons of food). The Golden Can went to the Juniors, with more than 1,500 cans collected.

Senior Hailey Zanes organized this year’s giving tree, which helped collect funds and winter clothing for Idaho families in need. More than 30 coats, boots and pairs of snow pants, as well as hats, gloves and scarves were donated by members of the TCS community, and presented to the Sawtooth Board of Realtors for their annual holiday basket program.


Fall Sp

orts R

eviewfirst-grade Toy drive

Third-grade holiday baskets

Janet Salvoni’s First graders collected 94 new toys, games and puzzles for the 2009 Christmas Toy Drive, sponsored by the Sawtooth Board of Realtors. The class produced a short video to get the word out to the Middle and Upper schools, and collected toys on campus from mid-September through mid-November. The accumulated toys went to holiday baskets for families in need in the Wood River Valley.

Gabby Rafford’s Third grade class made holiday baskets to provide winter clothes for needy families in the Wood River Valley. They collected new gloves, hats and socks, which were donated to the Sawtooth Board of Realtors holiday basket program. The students also stitched fleece scarves and gaiters, and created handmade ornaments to be included in the baskets. Through their efforts, they collected and made enough to put together 24 gift bags to be included with the holiday baskets.

CRoss CounTRy RunningTorin Tucker medaled at the State meet by finishing 9th in the 2A Division. Morgan Atkinson finished 42nd. Both girls’ and boys’ races had approximately 100 runners.

soCCeRThe Community School girls’ soccer team won the District IV tournament and qualified as the number one seed going in to the State Tournament. At the tournament, they lost in their first game to past state champion Payette, but then beat Teton and Bonners Ferry to win the Consolation Trophy (only the 2nd trophy in the history of girls’ soccer at TCS). Boys soccer did not advance out of our district tournament to attend the State Tournament.

All-Conference Soccer Selections Erica Eshman Emma Wilander Nellie Brown Hailey Rheinschild Kelly Hennessy Tanner Flanigan

voLLeybaLL aLL-ConfeRenCe honoRabLe MenTionMorgan Pintler

swiMMingTCS swimmers Melissa Becker, Jon Atkinson and Bryce Ervin, wrapped up excellent seasons competing as part of the Wood River High teams. The girls won their fifth consecutive

Idaho state title, and the boys placed sixth in state with only five boys swimming. The Community School received the trophy to keep because Jon Atkinson scored the majority of the boys points and Bryce Ervin and Jon Atkinson were on both relay teams. Melissa Becker placed 18th in the 500 free and 19th in the 200 free. Jon Atkinson placed fifth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free. Jon Atkinson also set four team records.

16

outdoor Program


kindeRgaRTen hike

fiRsT gRade, boundaRy CReek

seCond gRade, TRaiL CReek


ThiRd gRade, bLaCk MagiC Canyon

fouRTh gRade, siLveR CiTy/bRuneau

fifTh gRade, hageRMan

18 the undercurrent • winter 2009/10

sixTh gRade, CiTy of RoCks

sevenTh gRade, saLMon RiveRw

eighTh gRade, gLaCieR naTionaL PaRk

outdoor Program


ninTh gRade, saLMon RiveR

eLevenTh gRade, sawTooTh naTionaL foResT

TenTh gRade, washingTon CoasT hike


Performing Arts

upper school Musical

Middle school one-act Play festival,

“failure Might be an option!”

November 14 & 15

elementary school arts night

November 19

“babes in arms” november 5-8

elementary school holiday Performance

December 19

Middle school Concert

December 11

TRAIL CREEK INSTITUTESeSSioN ii ● JANUARy 25 – MARCh 6, 2010

Continuing Education for the

&MIND

SPIRITBODY

Classes include six-week courses, four-week courses, weekend workshops and evening seminars. Please look closely at the dates and times. all classes are held on The Community school’s Trail Creek Campus.

Film Appreciation with Sabina Dana Plassewednesdays 5:30 – 7 p.m.Community school Theater, $120

The Art of Collage with Kate Cartwrightwednesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.art studio, engl hall, $120 plus materials

Card Making with Robin Seitzfebruary 6, 9 a.m. – noonMarch 6, 9 a.m. – noonart studio, engl hall$25 per class or both for $40, includes materials. feel free to bring materials from home if you like.

outdoor education: Winter Camping Skills Course with Tom Boley and Rob Landiswed., february 17- fri., february 19The great outdoors$350 includes staff, food, group gear and lodging

Advocacy for Social Justice with Kathryn TuckerTuesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.upper school, Room 111, $120

Ballroom Dancing with Peggy and Dale BatesMondays and wednesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (4 classes only, feb 1st, 3rd, 8th and 10th) elementary school Community Room, $80

Pottery with Lauren StreetTuesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.Pottery studio, engl hall$120, plus $25 for materials

Astronomy with Paul Hartlwednesdays 6:30pm – 8:30 p.m.science building, second floor Physics Room, $120

The Poet in you with JoEllen Collinswednesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (beginning february 3)upper school, Room 115, $100

Understanding your Teen by Parenting with Personal Power with Midge PatzerMondays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (four weeks only, beginning January 25)upper school, Room 115, $120

Wine 101friday, January 22 (one night only) 6-8 p.m. frenchman’s gulch winery, ketchum$45 includes appetizer pairings

Beginner Astrology with Kate CartwrightTuesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.upper school, Room 113$120 plus suggested text ($15)

The Road Traveled once: Law, Medicine, Planning and Creative exploration with Kathryn Tuckerwednesdays 6 – 7:30 p.m.upper school, Room 111, $120

Financing home ownershipTuesdays 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. upper school, Room 115$120, full scholarships available

For more information or

to register for classes, please visit

trailcreekinstitute.org or call Tyra MacGuffie at

622-3960, ext. 164

WINTER 2009/10

The Undercurrent is TCS’ biannual magazine celebrating and informing Cutthroat families and friends about news on and off the Trail Creek Campus. An undercurrent is the fl ow of water beneath the surface which can be opposite the surface fl ow on stillwaters.

The Undercurrent, the magazine, enables individuals who are not in our classrooms, on our playing fi elds or on our trips to experience what it means to be a life-long learner each semester.

To remain even more current, sign up for our e-newsletter by emailing [email protected].

The UndercurrentTHE COMMUNITY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

The Community SchoolPO Box 2118

Sun Valley, ID 83353www.communityschool.org

return service requested

Non-Profi t OrgU.S. Postage

PAIDBoise, ID

Permit #679

WEDNESDAY,APRIL 7, 2010

7-10 PM

OCHI GALLERY119 LEWIS STREET

KETCHUMSPONSORED BY THE

TCS PARENTS’ ASSOCATION

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