PrepTalk

Expand your child’s horizons this summer at SummerPrep 2012. Sandia Prep’s summer program offers more than 90 academic, arts, sports and outdoor camps for students entering grades K-12. Registration opens February 27.

Some of this year’s camp offerings include Robotics, Building Mathematical Minds, and Beginning Sign Language. Many favorites will return, including Mock Trial, CrimeBusters Science, Soccer, Tennis, and Art, Photography and Digital Filmmaking. Classes for young campers include Come Play and Learn, featuring art, music, dance, and writing for students entering grades K-3.

For older campers, classes include the GPA+ Study Skills Workshop and the Playwriting & Theater Workshop; returning favorites include Backpacking 1 and 2; Rockclimbing 1, 2, and 3; various Sports Camps and Web Page Design And Creation. This year’s theater camps include Mulan Jr for grades 1-8 and Oklahoma! for grades 6-12.

Register online or via mail, fax or in person, beginning February 27. The complete 2012 catalog will be available online in early February at sandiaprep.org.

For more information, email SummerPrep Director, Andrew O’Cleireachain ‘98, at aocleireachain@sandiaprep.org or call 338.3045.

“One of the best classes I’ve taken at Sandia Prep was Literature of Peace with Mr. Olson. In this class we read All Quiet on the Western Front, The Color Purple, Going After Cacciato, “In the Penal Colony,” and “Neither Victims Nor Executioners.” While these texts dealt with heavy topics — war, imprisonment, and severe acts of aggression — it was fascinating to explore the questions of what is peace and what is violence.”

Courtney also enjoys playing on the Varsity volleyball team, of which she’s been a team member since her freshman year. “This year was especially exciting because the team just clicked. We worked hard and made it to the state semi-finals. It’s been awhile since the SPS volleyball team has been third in the state!”

Courtney is also vice-president of the Thespian Society, a member of Sandia Prep’s Lion & Unicorn Chapter of the National Honor Society, a staff writer for the Sandia Prep Times, and an active participant in the Outdoor Leadership Program. “Camping Associates has allowed me to learn so much more than just ‘outdoor activities.’ It has allowed me time to bond with my dad and other students who I might not have met.”

This spring, Courtney, who has been in theater productions since 6^th grade, is doing something a bit “out of character.” Atypically, she is not performing in the spring musical production, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Instead, she is spending her time on a self-selected and personally inspired community service project. She is creating a newsletter for the Montebello Retirement Home. “When I used to visit my grandfather there, I realized how many of the residents had led very interesting lives and had wonderful stories to share. They have a profound prospective on the changes that occurred during their lives. My hope is to write these personal stories and include short stories and poetry from the residents.”

As Courtney begins a college search encompassing schools on both coasts, she is grateful for the “phenomenal” teachers and advisors she has had during her seven years at SPS. “My years at Prep have allowed me to enjoy freedom, opportunities, knowledge, experiences and friendships.” When asked how she would sum up her SPS experience, she reflected on a topic from the aforementioned Literature of Peace class: What would you do in your life if you could not fail? “I think I’ve been given that type of encouragement by everyone at Sandia Prep. If I can’t fail, then why not be optimistic about a challenge, broaden my horizons, and step whole-heartedly into whatever I do? In other words, go for it!”

The Future Goes to Sandia Prep

Thank you for continuing to make Sandia Prep a great place to learn!

The Annual Fund supports a variety of curricular and co-curricular programs, including academics, financial aid, faculty professional development, the arts, athletics and our Outdoor Leadership Program.

As of January 17, gifts to the Annual Fund by trustees, parents, alumni, faculty, grandparents and other friends of Sandia Prep total over $420,050.

The SPS Alumni Association, along with Head of School Steve Albert, Paul Ryder and Alumni Affairs Coordinator Melissa Besante Dineen ’97, will host a Meet & Greet in San Francisco on Saturday, February 4, 2012. All area alums are invited to join us for dinner and drinks at First Crush, located at 101 Cyril Magnin Street at Ellis.

Have questions? Want to pass along your alum’s contact info?

Please email your Alumni Affairs Office at alumni@sandiaprep.org

Sandia Prep Theater students competed at the State Theater Festival against students from fourteen other schools for the chance to advance to Nationals. The event attracted approximately 240 kids; the highest attendance has been since 2004. Sixteen students from Prep Theater were given the opportunity to go on to the National Competition. That’s twice as many students as any other school at the festival! Congratulations to the following students:

• Parker Abell
• Nic Beamish
• Kenzee Donham
• Courtney Eker
• Alice Halter
• Michaela Knight
• Ryan Lawson
• Hannah Lerner
• Abbie Lill
• Scout Lovato
• Wyndra Lucas
• Maggie McClelland
• Lisa McEnnerney
• Michaela Swift
• David Tenorio
• Lyric Urzetta

Parents interested in helping to update the Sandia Prep Parents Association Bylaws are urged to join an ad hoc group that is reviewing the PA bylaws, with an eye to adding a position of Treasurer-Elect and making suggestions for other amendments to the bylaws. Some work may be done by email, reducing the need for meeting time. Please contact PA President Liz Kirschner ekirschner7@comcast.net, President-elect Traci Cadigan tcadigan@q.com, or SPS Coordinator of Parent Relations Susan Walton swalton@sandiaprep.org if you would like to join the committee.

All parents of seniors are invited to attend a meeting in the Admission Conference Room of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) building at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 23. This optional meeting is for parents interested in helping to plan parent-sponsored Senior Week activities for the Class of 2012 during the week preceding graduation.

If you’d like to help with the reception immediately following this year’s 3:00 p.m. Graduation ceremony on Saturday, June 2, 2012, please contact Liz Trainor at etrainor@heritagehomehealthcare.com or Katie Eaton at katieeaton@comcast.net. Thank you!

Thank you, thank you! to all the families who are generously providing wonderful snacks for our amazing faculty and staff. Most recently, snacks have been provided by The Gill Family, The Brown and Aufdermauer Family, The Meinelt Family and Wendy Hansen!