April 2009commons.pub - Cape Cod Academy

The Commons
The Cape Cod Academy Monthly Newsletter
April 2009
Scholarship
Respect
Compassion
Honesty
The Head of School’s Column
We have a structured school day for all students, K-12, in
order to use our time together most efficiently and
effectively to accomplish our mission of “the pursuit of
academic excellence.” Schools are filled with legitimate
interests competing for student and teacher time, so
thoughtful, well-structured scheduling is essential. And
yet, there is also unstructured time built into our school
day, and that’s by mission-driven design also. Let’s first
see what happens during that time and then explore its
educational benefits.
enjoying some free time together, or gathered near their
lockers in the Science Center for casual conversation.
Other students will be in a classroom working on the
yearbook or enjoying a chorale or ensemble rehearsal, or
engaged in a student government meeting, or practicing
their French, Spanish, or German at a foreign language
luncheon, or participating in any number of other
extracurricular opportunities. Still others will be working
individually with a teacher to catch up on lessons they
might have missed due to absence or seeking extra help in
order to understand more clearly a challenging topic or
problem. There is a surprising variety of activities
occurring simultaneously.
At 12:30 pm on any school day, it’s fascinating to watch
the exuberance with which our lower school students
emerge from Wilkens Hall to the lower school playground
and playing field. With teachers supervising but not
directing their play, several different kinds of ball games
begin for some students while others head for their favorite
playground apparatus to climb or swing, or slide down.
There are some students who enjoy running around the
perimeter of the playground just enjoying the sense of
freedom that comes from being outside, spending time with
friends. There are also a few students who may sit together
on the hill or on a picnic table quietly talking and enjoying
each others’ company.
At about the same time, a walk over to Seapuit Field would
reveal middle and high school students kicking a soccer
ball, playing touch football, tossing a lacrosse ball, or
sitting together to talk and socialize. Wander from there to
Founders Hall and you will see a large number of middle
and high school students shooting baskets, playing
basketball, or playing volleyball if the nets are up. These
various games in one gym tend to intrude into one another
from time to time, but the students seem to have it worked
out so that no one is particularly territorial, enabling sixth
graders through seniors to share the same space with few,
if any, problems.
While all this is going on, there are also some groups of
middle and high school students sitting in the Commons
The academic extra-help and extracurricular activities
clearly are consistent with our mission; students are
“pursuing academic excellence and developing life skills,”
but what about the unstructured athletic activity, free play,
and social time Simply put, unstructured time is essential
to all students’ growth and development and improves their
academic performance as well.
Educators have long understood the direct academic
benefits of unstructured play and both physical education
classes and athletic practices. Attention spans increase, the
ability to focus on academic tasks grows, and students
behave more appropriately in their learning environment.
All of us who work with children see this every day, and
there is new research that supports these anecdotal
observations. A recent New York Times article, “The 3
R’s A fourth is Crucial, Too: Recess” highlights the
findings of Dr. Romina M. Barros, a pediatrician at Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor, a
child environment and behavior researcher at University of
Illinois, and Dr. Stuart Brown, a psychiatrist and author of
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and
Invigorates the Soul.
A helpful explanation is offered by distinguishing between
“directed” and “involuntary” attention. The former is what
all of us employ while attending to academic tasks—
reading, composing essays and stories, solving math
problems, drawing conclusions from science experiments,

taking tests. When children spend time outside the school
building in unstructured activity, their minds often engage
in “involuntary” attention. Human beings can become
“attentionally fatigued” after prolonged periods of
engagement in “directed attention.” Time spent engaged in
“involuntary attention” tends to replenish and strengthen
one’s reserve of “directed” attention. Hence the academic
benefit of recess, unstructured time, physical education and
athletics is increased focus on academic tasks. My sense is
that different students benefit from different varieties of
“involuntary” attention. As with so many aspects of
healthy living, finding the appropriate balance between
these different forms of attention is a key ingredient to
success and well-being.
At CCA, we try hard to find the right, age-appropriate
balance between these two kinds of attention, and the
results are very encouraging. Our students, K-12, put forth
considerable effort on academic tasks while also finding
healthy, productive ways to use their free, unstructured
time. As a result, their powers of concentration and
academic output increase impressively over time.
Interestingly then, but not surprisingly, morning break,
lunchtime and recess are important components of CCA’s
mission-driven curriculum.
If you would like to read more about this recent research, here is the web address
of the article that appeared in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/24well.html_r=2&emc=eta1
You might also view Dr. Stuart Brown’s "Why play is vital - no matter your age."
Presentation on TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, posted in March 2009.
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/483.
Annual Fund News
If you’ve driven onto campus recently, you’ve seen
our Annual Fund thermometer—constructed and
painted over February break by our devoted
maintenance crew! When they learned we really
needed to promote the Annual Fund to everyone, they
offered to build the sign—saving us money and at the
same time, helping us raise it! This is one of the
greatest things about CCA—everyone works together
to make this school the very best it can be.
If you haven’t contributed to our Annual Fund yet
this school year, please consider how you can help.
Each gift, large, small, or in-between, helps CCA
provide the best education for the students. We do
need EVERYONE to do what they can.
Double Your Money Challenge
In mid-April, our wonderful phonathon volunteers will be reaching out to contact you for your
Annual Fund gift. We know each of you will be as kind and enthusiastic with your response as you always
are. This year, CCA is fortunate to have a pledge to match each gift we receive during the week of our
phonathons. What a wonderful way to double your money and increase your contribution to CCA’s Annual
Fund! If our callers somehow miss you during phonathon nights, you can make your pledge through our
website www.capecodacademy.org or by phone and it, too, will be matched!
Please help us reach our Annual Fund goal!

A presentation by Ms. Isabel Casariego Bober,
Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University.
Thursday, April 2 nd , 5:00 – 6:30 pm, Wilkens Hall
Have you ever wished you could be a fly on the wall as a college admissions committee makes its decisions Here’s
your chance!
With audience participation, we will discuss what to consider when researching colleges, then learn about how highly
selective colleges evaluate candidates. Bring your questions!
Light refreshments.
Please RSVP to Mary Bellamy (508-428-5400, x 223) or mbellamy@capecodacademy.org.
College Counseling
For all parents, grades 9 through 11:
On April 2 nd at 5:00, in Wilkens Hall, Isabel Casariego
Bober, Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts
University, will give us “an insider’s view of college
admissions.” Bring your questions! RSVP to Mary
Bellamy (mbellamy@capecodacademy.org) if you would
like to attend.
are still in session, and students are on campus (this will
not be the case during most of the summer). Call the
college's admissions office for tour information.
May 5th is the registration deadline for the June 6 th SAT
test date. Many juniors will take SAT-II Subject Tests on
this date. In college counseling class, we will be
discussing which tests juniors should take. Register online
at www.collegeboard.com.
Looking ahead to May...
GRADE 12
By mid-April, seniors will have received admissions and
financial aid decisions from all of their colleges. It is often
helpful for seniors to visit the colleges they are considering
again before making a final decision. Most colleges
sponsor Open House days this month for accepted students;
an overnight visit can often be arranged, as well.
GRADE 11
On April 7 TH and 8th th, the National College Fair takes
place in Boston at the Bayside Expo Center, from 9:00-
12:00; on the 7 th there is an evening session as well, from
6:00-9:00. To see a list of colleges planning to be at the
Fair, go to www.nationalcollegefairs.org.
May 1st is the date by which seniors must send an
enrollment deposit to one college to reserve their place in
the fall.
On May 6 th at 8:00 am, the Parents Association meeting
will focus on “college admissions from the parents’
perspective.” Parents of this year’s graduating seniors will
discuss the journey that they have just completed. No
matter what age your child, parents will no doubt pick up
some invaluable tips!
Parents of seniors, we are still looking for volunteers for
our panel. Please call us if you would like to share your
wisdom.
The spring vacation can be an excellent time for juniors to
visit college campuses for a "first look." College classes
Mary Bellamy and Kerry Brown

Winter Sports Awards
Girls’ Varsity Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Kendra Hickman
Coach’s Award – Mollie Kinlin
Most Improved Player – Sam Metell
Boys’ Varsity Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Eric Wisniowski
Coach’s Award – Sean Hegarty
Most Improved Player – Conor Holland
Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Jon Hegarty
Coach’s Award – Sean Keen
Most Improved Player – Chris Doyle
Girls’ Middle School Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Lexi Smith
Coach’s Award – Phoebe Rogers
Most Improved Player – Kim Keating
Boys’ Middle School Basketball
Most Valuable Player – Alec Morrison
Coach’s Award – Will Morrison
Most Improved Player – Zach Heussler
Philip J. Kenney
Director of Athletics
Lower School News
A walk through the halls of the Lower School reveals
its dynamic, lively environment; this is a school where
children thrive on learning. Art is everywhere. Native
American baskets created by fourth graders are displayed
in one case. Brightly colored, paper woven
mats made by kindergarteners hang in another. A third
showcases folded, laminated books, representing hours
of research by second graders. Voices, musical and
happy, resonate in the hallways. Patriotic songs start
the day, while songs about the latest holiday or celebrating
a birthday are often heard coming from one
classroom or another. Play and musical ensemble rehearsals
add to the joyful noise. Even with so much
creative activity, the primary focus is on academic
training that challenges students to stretch and grow
intellectually, following their natural curiosity. Outside
the third grade classroom hangs a gigantic floor
to ceiling chart showing the minutes of daylight lost
since the beginning of school, and now being gained
since the winter solstice. Masterfully written persuasive
essays hang outside one fifth grade classroom,
while outside the other a timeline of pictures and
scripts shows a fourth and fifth grade collaboration on
a play based on a novel read by both. First graders
have combined the arts and the study of computation
by drawing monsters out of the inequality signs learned
in math class. The Lower School halls teem with the
joy and excitement of learning; one only has to take a
stroll to experience it.
Joseph Remillard
Head of the Lower School
Freedom from Chemical Dependency Program Coming in April
During the week of April 6-9 (Monday through Thursday)
two educators from “Freedom from Chemical
Dependency” (FCD) will be on campus to meet with
students, parents and faculty. They will meet with groups
of ninth and eleventh grade students each day. They will
also meet with grades 5-8 once each in special assemblies.
Attention parents of ninth and tenth grade students:
On Monday evening, April 6 there will be a special session
for students and their parents. The purpose of the session
is to open up conversation about substance abuse and
decision-making. We ask that you make every effort to
attend with your child. Pizza will be served at 6:30 pm
and the program will run from 7:00-8:30 pm.
The instructors will present information about the program
at the Parents Association meeting on Wednesday, April 8,
in the Science Building Lecture Hall. This presentation
will run from approximately 8:20-9:00 am.
You can obtain information about FCD on their web site at
www.fcd.org.

Middle & Upper School Honor Roll
Second Trimester
Grade 7
High Honors
Maximillian Choate
Céline DeLaunay
Grace DeWald
Grant DeWald
Lydia Dick
Tessia Dvorsack
Marina Frayre
Christian Freddura
Alan Guo
Bailey Hans
Kimberly Keating
Dayna Moylan
Molly Murphy
Sierra Nolf
Olivia Rand
Phoebe Rogers
James Schofield
Jacqueline Smith
Abigail Souza
Madeleine Stidham
Zachary Tousignant
Mona Yusuf
Gillian Zelman
Honors
Tyler Allen
Jordan Gustafson
Jack Hanesian
Tanner Malkasian
Alexander Monto
Michael Murphy
Elizabeth Pemberton
Ryan Stockwell
Grade 8
High Honors
Alexandra Adams
Mark Blanco
Christopher Coughlin
Gabrielle Fosdick
Abigail Higgins
Bianca Long-Fazio
Meghan McCarthy
Alexander Morrison
Zachary Parrella
Olivia Sklarew
Rebecca Van Sciver
Charlotte White
Elizabeth Worrilow
Anna Zhang
Honors
Anna Bagley
Tatiana Chiu
Paula Gomez
Zachary Heussler
Colette Morris
Maximos Nikitas
Spencer Pinkney
Matthew Pratt
Roderick Surum
Benjamin Taylor
Benjamin Wadsworth
Grade 9
High Honors
Sarula Bao
Courtney Bergh
Phoebe Goldenberg
Jon Hegarty
Morgan McCaskey
Christopher Roan
Oliver Rogers
Taylor Schoonover
Lexi Smith
Honors
Kelsey Beers
Quinn Caswell
Fisher Churbuck
Robert Keating
Hallie Stidham
Margaret Titcomb
Patrick Vaughn
Grade 10
High Honors
Lindsey Bergh
Kathryn Burleson
Christopher Carvounis
Emily Condos
Emily Drago
Tyler Kugler
Sang Hee Lee
Taylor Marvin
Julia Massard
Eliza McGowen
Catherine Olsen
Louisa Pajolek
Mary Prothero
Olivia Rauss
Jonathan Zelman
Honors
Andrew Bennie
Luke Blanco
Rachel Cardarelli
Andrea Ferreira Guilarte
Maxwell Madonna
Chance Malkasian
Charlotte Walsh
Grade 11
High Honors
Robert Anderson
Paul Barber
Christopher Curtis
Sean Hegarty
Matthew Koehler
Shannon MacRoberts
Nicole Madonna
Aidan Moriarty
Christina Smith
Lillian Terry-Welsh
Hannah Van Sciver
Graham Welch
Kelsey Wheeler
Honors
Morgan Adams
Christopher Doyle
William Estes
Nathaniel Haskell
DianaLee Hirt
Conor Holland
Mollie Kinlin
Julie Mahdavi
Connor McCann
Gregory Mitrokostas
Nicholas Monto
Chelsea Murphy
Grade 12
High Honors
Amanda Austin
James Fargher
Jonathan Fosdick
Kaitlin Zelman
Honors
Jillian Augusta
Waldo Champlin-Scannell
Eric Eldredge
Drew Frayre
Jessica Harding
Kathleen Marion
Christine Mumford
Cody O’Donnell
Anthony Salamone
Sarah Van Sciver
Cody White

Note from Admissions
As you can see in these pages, we will be hosting an
Admissions Open House on Saturday, April 4, from 1:00-
3:00 pm. We have had a very good admissions season thus
far, with increased interest in our Lower School, and
continued strong interest in the other divisions. The Spring
Open House is another great opportunity to introduce CCA
to new families. Some visitors will look with future years
in mind, but others might be curious about spaces for this
September. Until our financial aid decisions are made later
this month, we will be uncertain of the composition of
each grade, so we remain interested in considering
applications for the coming year.
Several weeks ago, parents received a mailing from our
office with our new viewbook and return postage inquiry
cards. I want to thank those of you who have already
utilized those cards to send families in our direction. I
encourage everyone to use those cards whenever you
encounter a family with children who would benefit from
the many advantages that CCA provides. Those of us with
children attending CCA have witnessed those advantages
first-hand, so we are in the best position to tell another
family how pleased we are with the school. I want to
thank all of our families for their support of our efforts in
admissions and for helping to make CCA the special place
that it is.
Steven DiPaolo
Director of Admissions
Cape Cod Academy’s Admissions Open House
Saturday
April 4, 2009
1:00 to 3:00 PM
Kindergarten through Grade Twelve
Everyone is welcome!
50 Osterville-West Barnstable Road
Osterville
508-428-5400 x 227

VOLUNTEERS...
“Every action in our
lives touches on
some chord that will
vibrate in eternity. ”
Edwin Hubbel
Chapin, 19th
century author
Thank you to our guest speakers for our March Parents Association Meeting, Cathy
Cetta, Head of Upper School, and Sarah Fachada, Beverly DiPaolo and Pam
Wannie, Music Department. The meeting was not only informative but inspirational
as well.
Thank you to Risa Rountree, our hospitality chair, for providing the morning
treats (yum!) and to Fancy’s Market (Brian & Kathy Smith) for providing the
coffee (delicious!).
Thank you to Lisa Conway and Jennifer Williams, Scholastic Book Fair cochairs,
for helping us to enjoy another grand success! Our net proceeds exceeded $1150.00,
which helps everyone at CCA! Thank you to the many parents and students who
volunteered time and shopped!
Thank you to Carol DeWald, our student store chair, who provided the great CCA
logo apparel at our Scholastic Book Fair.
Thank you to Karen Rauss, Sports Award Ceremony Chair, for making our winter
sports award ceremony run so smoothly. Thank you to all parent volunteers who
helped Karen with this event. We appreciate each of you!
Thank you to Jenny Goff, our Teacher Appreciation Chair, for providing the
delicious edible arrangement on St. Patrick’s Day for all staff and faculty to enjoy!
Lunch on Us is a faculty and staff favorite here at CCA! And it is because of YOU
that we are able to feel so appreciated and enjoy these delicious lunches. A special
thank you to Cindy Parella and Donna Hegarty, Lunch On Us Cochairs, for helping
to coordinate everyone’s efforts. Thank you to all of our lunch providers: Louladey
Assefa, Teresa Buckley, Tricia Choi, Carrie Christopher, Daphne Churbuck,
Jenny Goff, Janet Hassett, Laurie McCaskey, Kim Murray, Nancy Mitrokostas,
Melanie Powers, Maura Pratt, Tasha Ramos, Risa Rountree, Kathy Smith and
Dorsey Titcomb.
April Parents Association
Meeting
Guest Speaker: Counselor from Freedom
From Chemical Dependency Program (FCD)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 8:00 AM
Science Center Lecture Hall
It’s In
The Mail!
CCA’s Annual Golf Tournament
Oyster Harbors Club
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Look in your mailbox for:
▪ Player Registration Form
▪ Sponsorship Support Form
▪ Dinner Registration for Non Golfers
Small Silent & Live Auction
Magnificent Raffle, Great Prizes!
Please check it out at
www.capecodacademy.org
Call Laurie at 508-428-5400 x 226
Laurie_wyndham@capecodacademy.org

It was our 10th Annual and it was
spectacular! March Madness
Check out all the details of the game, the unique history and our half-time special
tribute on our website, www.capecodacademy.org. The energy was high, the
players were charged and the atmosphere soared with spirit. As a special tribute to
this anniversary, CCA alums raised gifts in support of our Annual Fund. They
presented a check to Clark Daggett, a gesture that was gratefully accepted. A
special thank you goes to Mr. Bellamy and Mr. Murphy for their efforts, too!
Front Row: Buddy Estes ‘10, Sean Hegarty ‘10, Jenn Peterson, Ted
Seabrooke, Tom Evans, Eric Nyman ‘90, Jon Olson ‘89. Back Row:
Brian Morris ‘10, Nate Haskell ‘10, Rob Kinlin ‘98, Jon Pierce ‘98,
Allan Peterson, Greg Wollner ‘90, Rich Dalrymple
Front Row: Chris Curtis ‘10, Nick Clarke ‘08, Kheit Chhu ‘04, Steve
DiPaolo, Chrisna Samms ‘03, Aaron Stratton ‘01, Chris Motta-
Wurst’04. Back Row: Cooper Fuller ‘07, Conor Holland ‘10, Pete
Lonergan ‘04, Joey Sheridan ‘04, Dave Tessein ‘03, Tom Olson’10 ,
Matt McClure ‘05, Frank Rubino ‘00, Clark Daggett
Cape Cod Academy admits students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or
ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies, employment practices, and athletic and other school
administered programs.
Editor, Design & Layout: Carrie Christopher
Printing: Minuteman Press, Hyannis, MA
Parents of Alumni: If this publication is addressed
to your child who no longer maintains a permanent
address at your home, please notify the Development
Office of the new mailing address. Send all address changes
to CCA Development Office.
Cape Cod Academy is an EOE
Tel. 508-428-5400; Fax:508-428-0701
Email: cca@capecodacademy.org
You can find this newsletter on our website
www.capecodacademy.org
NON-PROFIT
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
CAPE COD ACADEMY
02672
PERMIT #8
Change Service Requested

April 2009
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
3:30 pm-
BVT@Harwich-
GVT-Harwich
1
8:00 am-PA
Executive Board
Mtng.-
Development
Office
11:30 am-NHS
Induction
Ceremony-LS
2
3:30 pm-BVL-
Bourne
5:00 pm-College
Admissions
Program for jrs.
& their parents-
Wilkens Hall
3
3:30 pm-BVT-
Nauset-GVT@
Nauset
7:00 PM-
Coffee House-LS
Gym
4
11:00 am-BVL-
Fairhaven
1:00-3:00 pm-
Admissions Open
House at CCA
5 6
FCD for Grades
9 & 11
3:30 pm-JVT-
Riverview
6:30 pm-FCD Nite
for parents &
students of Grs.9
& 10-LS Gym
7
FCD for Grades
9 & 11
3:30 pm-BVT@
Barnstable-GVT-
Barnstable-BVL@
Nantucket
Phonathon
88:00 am-April
PA Meeting-
Science Lect. Hall
3:30 pm-BVT-
Harwich-GVT@
Harwich
4:30 pm-BJVL-
Barnstable
9
FCD for Grades
9 & 11
3:30 pm-BVL-
Falmouth Acad.
4:00 pm-GVL-
Sturgis-GVT-
Sturgis-
BVT@Sturgis
10 11
12 13
3:30 pm-BVT-
Bishop Stang-
GVT@Bishop
Stang-GVL-
Barnstable
Phonathon
14
3:30 pm-BVT@
Martha’s Vineyard-
GVT-Martha’s
Vineyard-GVL-
Mashpee-BVL-
Mashpee-JVT-
Mashpee
15
3:30 pm-JVT-
Chatham
4:00 pm-BJVL@
Cohasset
16
3:30 pm-BVT-
Chatham-GVT@
Chatham
3:45 pm-GJVL-
Friends Acad.
4:00 pm-GVL@
Falmouth Acad.-
BVL-D-Y
17
April vacation
begins at end of
day for Grs. K-12
18
19 20
21
22
23
24
25
Office closed
Office open-9-3
Office open-9-3
Office open-9-3
Office open-9-3
26 27
7:55 am-Classes
resume
4:00 pm-BVT-
Sturgis-GVT@
Sturgis-GVL-
Sturgis
28
ERB’s for Grs. 6,
7 & 8
3:30 pm-GJVL-
Falmouth Acad.-
BJVL-Falmouth
Acad.
3:45 pm-JVT-St.
Francis Xavier
29
8:00 am-PA Board
Executive
Meeting-
Development
Offices
3:30 pm-GVL@
Pembroke-BVL-
Pembroke
30
3:30 pm-GVL-
Nantucket-JVT-
Wixon-GVT-
P’Town
3:45 pm-BJVL-
Friends Acad.
4:00 pm-BVL@
Falmouth Acad.-
BVT@Dover-Sher.
110:45am-Senior
Day-Lower School
Gym
Dress Day for
Grades 6-12
12:30 pm-Senior
Class Trip to
Boston
3:45 pm-JVT-Friends
Academy
2