(Fairhaven School has just graduated seven students. As a way to celebrate the class of 2009, over the next month, we will be posting the theses that they  successfully defended. Below is a brief description outlining how somebody earns a Fairhaven diploma, followed by the fifth thesis. Enjoy!

Students who have spent at least three years at Fairhaven School may earn a diploma by defending the thesis that they have prepared themselves to become effective adults in the larger community. Diploma candidates must declare their intent to graduate and answer questions at a special winter Assembly of parents, students, staff and public members. They also meet with their individual graduation committees, and defend their written theses before a Diploma Committee made up of three experienced staff members from other Sudbury schools. A majority of positive votes from the Committee is the final requirement of  the diploma process.)

The Paths of Explorations Leading, Shall Lead                              By, Richard Thomas “Max” Muffler

My idea of an effective adult is one who can provide for oneself without losing sight of what makes one happy. An effective adult will also give back to the larger community through their ideas and abilities. I believe that a person spends most, if not all, of their life trying to arrive at such a point.

Before I enrolled at Fairhaven, I attended a public middle school. I could not focus on my studies, for I was really displeased with my personal life outside of school. The chaotic environment created by so many of my peers in one room was distracting. The teachers would not assist me, so I just gave up on my responsibilities the school set for me.  If I could not grasp the information that was being presented, I could not successfully complete assignments. I got to the point where all I did was question life instead of just living it. So after the 7th grade, I joined the Fairhaven community. When I started at Fairhaven, I had a pretty bad outlook on life, so I tended not to be the easiest or nicest person to interact with. I really had no idea what to expect of a school with no assigned curriculum. My first impression was that I was free from responsibility and I had the ability to do anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. Then it hit me that I could really take advantage of the freedom and focus on my passions. Unlike the structure of my previous schooling, I could go about projects and things at my leisure, making the process more enjoyable with the end result of creating a better product. I found this to guide my way to a clearer and more positive outlook.

I started to play guitar and piano at a young age, but I never really had the time to take either of them seriously. Then I started playing Fairhaven’s piano and bringing in my guitar. At that point, we had a couple of students who were really passionate about music. They helped me understand different aspects of playing guitar, such as picking techniques and chord progressions geared toward specific genres of music. They helped me develop an all around appreciation for music. I also learned to play drums while at Fairhaven, just by listening to my peers play.  In public school, I took some clarinet classes and have used these skills to dabble in playing alto sax. I have made music via computer sequencing with the help of either a drum machine or programs such as “FL Studio” and “Logic”. I worked with the recording and editing of sound both in and out of school.  Playing music with others has been a big part of my life.  It is a challenge to find people that really dedicate themselves to focusing on a project. I played in a couple bands such as a three-piece   improvisational group called Motion Motion in which I played guitar, organ and synthesizer. We played a couple of small shows and then disbanded due to different directions within the band. I played electric piano and some synthesizer in another group known as Prehistoric, which is an experimental hip-hop group. I recorded some songs with them and have been in and out of contact. Lately, I have been trying to record with my current band that doesn’t have a name at this point. We are working on a demo and hope to be playing a show before summer.

While at Fairhaven, I have been Music Corp Chair more then once. Among my accomplishments, I identified the need for and assisted in the purchase of a new drum set for the school, which many people now enjoy playing and practicing with. I helped with several events such as coffee houses and the distribution of food to raise money for Music Corp. Perhaps one of the most important projects that I was a part of while in Music Corp. was helping soundproof the music room. This was done in response to complaints about the music being too loud. Now students may go about playing loud music without disturbing others.

After two or three years at Fairhaven, I started to grow an   appreciation for art. I have been exposed to it off and on during my childhood since my father is a calligrapher. I gained a lot from talking to and working with Leo Hussey, A former staff member and Peter Carlson, A former student. Working with Leo really helped me get a feel for my approach to sculpting. Art is not quite my forte, but I have such longing to learn and to make it so.   When it comes to my sculpting, I usually start with chicken wire or wood. I feel that I can go beyond this and I want to learn how to work with marble, granite, and other heavy-duty materials. I tend to like to work with others more than on my own since it allows me to share ideas and learn how to take constructive criticism. My solitary pursuit tends to be drawing, as my average sculpting pieces are fairly big and often require assistance.  I also build things by taking apart various items such as furniture and instruments and combining them. I am looking forward to acquiring more skills to improve my abilities as a sculptor.

I have recently started my term as J.C. Clerk. I have found it to be a very communal experience dealing with both young and older kids, with cases that vary in intensity. J.C. can be very stressful. The whole process of handling case after case has forced me to become a little more patient. I have also made it a point to attend most, if not all, school meetings for I think my vote and word is very beneficial to the community. I have argued for and against many rules and privileges in the time I have been here. My participation helped me to be a more efficient J.C. clerk. I believe if one uses the School Meeting system properly, one can really get what one wants out of this school.

During the winter break of 2007, I went to New Orleans to help aid those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. I worked with Habitat for Humanity. While there, I stayed with my aunt. In the morning, I would go to the work site, which was a house on a corner near the Musician’s Village. The days were long, but well worth it. By the time I left the project, we had much of the base of the house finished. The work site was not that well organized and a bit chaotic at times, but I enjoyed the opportunity. However, I still felt that there was more that I could have done for the owner of the house as well as others affected by Katrina.

A couple months ago, I acted in a one-act play, directed by Ruth Yamamoto, a current staff member. It was my first time acting and I was a bit nervous about going on stage. It was overall a good experience. The work of memorizing line after line paid off and left me feeling very satisfied about my ability to act. After that, I started writing some plot lines and even part of a screenplay. I, with the help of Ruth, tried to act in and direct “Sleuth”. This is a play about an older man and a younger fellow who play mind games with one another over a woman they both love. Sadly, due to the lack of the right cast, it fell through. I am not discouraged though. I may pick up theater down the road. It was just such an awesome experience sharing the stage and connecting with my character and those of my costars.

I believe my dedication to my studies and participation in the larger community has prepared me to take the next step in becoming an effective adult. I volunteered to bus tables at a Thai restaurant known as Tamarind the summer of 2006. It closed down not too long after. I am in the midst of looking for a job. I am not quite sure what I want to    do in the long run, but I plan to attend Anne Arundel Community College in order to improve my academic foundation and to eventually study sculpting and anything else that may catch my interest. Once I have completed my time at Anne Arundel Community College, I plan to transfer to a four-year art school such as the Corcoran or MICA. My overall time at Fairhaven has been pleasant. I will take my experiences here and apply them to something bigger.    My life is a work in progress. I find that the more I achieve, the happier I am and the happier I am, the more effective I can be in supporting myself and contributing to society.

(Fairhaven School has just graduated seven students. As a way to celebrate the class of 2009, over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting the theses that they  successfully defended. Below is a brief description outlining how somebody earns a Fairhaven diploma, followed by the fourth thesis. Enjoy!

Students who have spent at least three years at Fairhaven School may earn a diploma by defending the thesis that they have prepared themselves to become effective adults in the larger community. Diploma candidates must declare their intent to graduate and answer questions at a special winter Assembly of parents, students, staff and public members. They also meet with their individual graduation committees, and defend their written theses before a Diploma Committee made up of three experienced staff members from other Sudbury schools. A majority of positive votes from the Committee is the final requirement of  the diploma process.)

THESIS
‘How have you prepared yourself to be an effective adult in the larger community?’

There isn’t really a way to define what an ‘effective’ adult is. Everyone has a different perspective on the subject, but no one can honestly set a solid definition for the term ‘effective,’ it is, in its entirety, an opinionated question. I honestly have no idea what my opinion is on the matter. I have gone over the question again and again in my mind, and I can’t help but feel that being effective really doesn’t have much to do with what my future plans are. I want nothing else than to make myself and others happy, and if that’s considered to be effective, then so be it. I don’t think I can write a thesis on how I’ve prepared myself to be an effective adult if I don’t even know how to define the term, so I’ll write a thesis on how Fairhaven has helped me grow musically, which is all that I find relevant.

I began playing guitar when I was 11 years old, long before I began attending Fairhaven. I never really considered it as a possible career path; it was just something to do. But as the years went by, it didn’t fizzle out like most things I took up when I was younger. My mom purchased me a very nice electric guitar, and I continued playing, but it wasn’t something I really took seriously. It wasn’t until I was 14 that I was introduced to the blues, particularly mister Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was something completely honest and instrumentally oriented; music with heart and soul, and years and years of preparation and practice (unlike the half baked pop stars I had previously listened to). I began listening to more and more ‘real’ music, knowing what real music was, I realized I would have nothing else than to be a musician. I have since branched into different genres as well, but I will always consider myself to be a blues guitarist.

I’ve known about Fairhaven since I was 5 years old, so I can’t say like most do that the system amazed me when I came here. It’s always been something I’ve known about and something that’s been an option to me. Now this may sound crazy, but up until 7th grade, I liked public school. I decided to give Fairhaven a try in 8th grade though, given I did not want to pass up on an opportunity to attend such a bizarre school. I loved it, obviously. However, I decided to go back to public school in 9th grade, just to give high school a try. Now, when I went back, I had just begun taking music very seriously. Having not taken it seriously in my previous years at public school, I had a very different experience upon my return. It was a never ending monotony of waking up, going to school, coming home, doing homework, and going to bed, leaving no time for music. Within 4 months, I was back at Fairhaven. Since I’ve come back, I’ve been able to grow as a musician, as opposed to public school where my muse was constantly being stifled by a lack of creativity and a ridiculous amount of homework.

Now money happened to get tight in my family around the time that I began taking music seriously. Being more of an acoustic oriented guitarist, and not having a good acoustic guitar, I began scrubbing toilets and taking out trash at Fairhaven. It was a painstaking couple of months, but I never missed a day, and in the end I purchased an absolutely beautiful electric-acoustic martin guitar. Having worked for it, I love it very, very much.

I will admit, I am kind of addicted to buying instruments. I think absolutely all instruments are gorgeous, and I wish I had the time and money to learn every one of them. Looking to make more money than I did at Fairhaven, I was granted an attendance exception and got a job at a music store. I have since learned a great deal about instruments, and have purchased a digital piano and clarinet.

Having a job has also allowed me to experience something absolutely incredible. I spent the first 300 dollars I made on tickets to see B.B. King at the Birchmere. I sat right up front, got his autograph, and shook his hand. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

As for the future, I am planning to attend University of the Arts in Philadelphia and earn a Bachelors in instrumental performance for guitar. I am applying this year, and if I get in I’ll go, if I don’t I’ll stay home and work for a year. I plan on being a studio musician, which most of the time requires proficiency in more than one instrument. I’ve of course been furthering my skills in guitar, and I’ve also been working on clarinet and drum set, as well as taking classical piano lessons from Kim and jazz piano lessons from Michelle.

I plan on someday owning a blues bar, possibly in Chicago. Though as of right now I can’t decide if after earning my degree I’ll come home and go to University of MD to earn a business degree, or if I’ll wait until later in my life to pursue this goal. It’s hard to tell where I’ll be and what I’ll want 4 years in the future, but I am a decisive person, and I know when the time comes to make decisions, I’ll know.

Now I must address one thing that I know must be explained; my age. I understand I am quite young to be graduating, but as I’ve clearly demonstrated I know exactly what I want to do and how I’m going to do it. One of the amazing things about Fairhaven is you can graduate when you’re ready, as opposed to when you’re told. If I felt I wasn’t ready to go out into the world, I absolutely would not be doing it.

I respect whatever decision you make on my behalf, and I thank you for your time.

Carly Long

‘‘What we think and what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do’’
~John Ruskin

(Fairhaven School has just graduated seven students. As a way to celebrate the class of 2009, over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting the theses that they  successfully defended. Below is a brief description outlining how somebody earns a Fairhaven diploma, followed by the third thesis. Enjoy!

Students who have spent at least three years at Fairhaven School may earn a diploma by defending the thesis that they have prepared themselves to become effective adults in the larger community. Diploma candidates must declare their intent to graduate and answer questions at a special winter Assembly of parents, students, staff and public members. They also meet with their individual graduation committees, and defend their written theses before a Diploma Committee made up of three experienced staff members from other Sudbury schools. A majority of positive votes from the Committee is the final requirement of  the diploma process.)

A firm foundation for the building blocks of my success.
-David Lloyd Roskind

I believe an effective adult is a person who can live by his or her own means and be happy while doing so. I have taken several steps towards achieving this goal, or preparing myself to be an effective adult over the past years. First among those steps was simply making the idea of becoming an effective adult a goal at all.

I believe that before anything can be achieved I need to make it an explicit goal first. A mouse will only go so close to the bush where the cat is hiding; at a certain point the cat has to pounce or starve. Opportunity comes within your grasp; it’s up to you to reach out and take it.

The components of life as an effective adult are akin to common sense to me. To be a person who can live by his own means, and be happy, reduces to four main elements: A career, friends, a healthy supply of life experiences, and the lessons that come from them.

These four elements form a cycle of continuous improvement. When I work toward a career or developing friendships, I will get experiences in the process. Lessons come from both success and failure in these endeavors. This new knowledge, then, may aid me in the further pursuit of friends or a career. In repeating this process I will eventually work my way up to, or somewhere close to my ideal life.  Building starts with laying the foundations and that will prepare me to keep the process in motion.

A good career, for me, should allow me to be financially independent, have a tolerable work environment, and feel like my contributions are worthwhile. This may take years to achieve. Some experiences that will likely bring me closer to a good career are a college education, prior job experience, and networking (developing friends or contacts in business).

I have been admitted to Anne Arundel Community College for the fall semester. I have found two fields that interest me, game design and business. I have also designated engineering as a backup choice. I will be taking placement tests in May. However before I attend college I would like to graduate from Fairhaven School.

I do have prior job experience. When I was fourteen I worked as a junior ski instructor at Liberty Mountain Resort. I have skied since I was four years old and I was able to put that skill to use in a job. My principal duties were assisting the ski instructors with their junior development classes, children five to ten year of age. I studied about learning styles and how to customize lessons to individual children’s needs. I preformed demonstrations, set up training equipment, helped oversee the safety of the children and class management in general. It was a fun job but at the same time it shows future employers that I have held a job where I demonstrated interpersonal skills and a high degree of conscientiousness.

When I was sixteen, my mom asked me to provide “subject matter expertise” to psychology researchers at National Rehabilitation Hospital where she works. Her colleagues were interested in the possibility of using video games for rehabilitation of children with brain injuries. I met with the research team for an hour, demonstrated games of various types and levels of difficulty and answered their questions.  Not only is being a consultant for National Rehabilitation Hospital a prestigious tidbit on a resume, but this experience directly correlates with my interest in a carrier of the field of video games. This job was not only the most enjoyable job I had, but also the highest paying (in terms of hourly wage). If I could do this every day, my life would be like a dream.

I am currently working for a parent to provide a student’s daily transportation to school. I pick him up from the bus stop every morning and wait for the bus with him in the evenings, and then I contact his parent to inform her that he is on his way home.  Providing this service on a daily basis over the period of the school year has given me confidence in my ability to communicate effectively, perform consistently and demonstrate responsibility. It should also show my future employer that I have the maturity and tenacity to be a reliable worker.

When it comes to being networked with other people, I know very well how important that is. I would never have obtained any of the above jobs without my “contacts.” I have come to realize how essential other people are in facilitating opportunities.  A contact, after all, is a friend or relative who gives you a scoop, puts in a word for you, or just flat out hires you. This leads me into my next topic: friends.

I like friends and feel that I couldn’t be happy in life without them. Also no matter where they are or who they are, friends always seem to bring something new to the table. That guy I play Pokémon with might just turn out to be a valuable contact and lead me to become the head of the greatest video game studio the world has ever seen.

I turned eighteen this school year and even though I’m still young, I feel I have experienced a wide variety of events. Sometimes things are bad, sometimes things are good, but I always manage to learn something. The following are some of the more notable events and experiences that have happened at home and at Fairhaven School.

Sometimes in life you lose things. I learned this in one of the hardest fashions when I was just five. About four months prior to these events I found out I had a baby sister coming. I was very happy to say the least. Her name was Mary, my third sister. She drooled, wore diapers, drank milk, and did everything else I though a baby would do. But Mary was different. I didn’t fully understand at the time, but Mary was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. My siblings and I couldn’t possibly understand that fewer than ten percent of babies with this abnormality live to see their first birthday. Mary passed away when she was six months old. I think it goes without saying, I was absolutely crushed.
I would like to believe that this experience has helped me become a more mature person. I think I really learned the importance of life and how you can’t always just find something that is lost or fix something that is broken.

When I was nine my parents split up and we had to move. This was scary because I didn’t fully understand what was going on and my dad was angry. In fact everyone was acting a little off. Eventually things settled down and both my parents got new romantic interests. One of them was okay, the other one was not fond of my siblings and me. A few years later my parents finally got the divorce. It was a relief to have it settled. Luckily we are all somewhat happy now.
It just goes to show you things don’t always work out, even if that isn’t the main lesson I learned from problems in my parents’ relationship.  What I actually got a taste of from this ordeal was just how complicated the adult world that I am about to enter can be. If people can’t resolve within an eight-year span to finalize a divorce, the issues involved must be truly complex.

Last year, without any warning, I had to miss weeks of school. This was simultaneously one of the most obnoxious and terrifying periods of my life. My appendix had swollen, and then burst. After a couple of painful nights, I went to a hospital and ended up getting stuck with more needles than I can remember. You know it’s bad when they go for your neck.

Apparently I almost died but I don’t remember it all too well. What I do remember was seeing the bill in the mail and loving my insurance. Also my doctor had an amusing name, Chengappa.
I learned that health insurance is almost required nowadays, as one accident can get you into the hospital and the health care industry knows how to break the bank. The insurance pay-out for the two hospitalizations that resulted from my perforated appendix could have bought me a nice new hearse. If I could only keep one thing in my wallet, it would definitely be my insurance card.
Fairhaven School has been a huge experience as a whole and has helped me mature in many ways. At Fairhaven School, I get to practice my social skills as the majority of my time is spent talking to people. I get to talk to and make friends with people young and old. For some of the younger students, I see the possibility that I may serve as a role model.  I am conscious that whatever action I take around them may have an impact for which I may have to take responsibility.
In Fairhaven School’s Judicial Committee, I seldom find myself in the defendant’s chair. I do however appear frequently as a witness and I have been an Alternate thrice. I also sub for other members occasionally.

I have had one major experience at Fairhaven School that almost defines my presence there. That experience is my involvement in Computer Corp. When I first came to Fairhaven School, I didn’t have much interest in Computer Corp, but the School Meeting Members that I was talking to did. They all got up and went to the meeting and I tagged along. I joined Computer Corp. the next week, after I became a School Meeting Member. The meetings were rather long-winded at first but later became fun. I have been in Computer Corp. ever since and have filled positions from Executive Director (the chair) to silent room Director (the guy in charge of teaching the rules to people in the room you can’t talk in) and I had a blast everywhere. I even played a role in Computer Corp.’s ground breaking carnival fundraiser.

Computer Corp. gets to bring a lot of issues to School Meeting, or rather the same issue every year: The annual heated “M” Games discussion. Every year this issue finds itself on the agenda. Almost all of the students and staff come and speak their part. It really helps get people into School Meeting and more active in the community. I’ve displayed my “loyalty” by changing sides every year. I have been supportive of, indifferent to, and vehemently against having “M” games at Fairhaven School. No matter how fun “M” games are, they really are too much work to manage appropriately in a heterogeneous environment such as Fairhaven School. The topic, however, is very useful for spurring discussion and getting to understand what the different members of our community hold important.

I am David Lloyd Roskind and I feel prepared to take on the challenges of effective adult life.

Fairhaven School has just graduated seven students. As a way to celebrate the class of 2009, over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting the theses that they  successfully defended. Below is a brief description outlining how somebody earns a Fairhaven diploma, followed by the second thesis. Enjoy!

Students who have spent at least three years at Fairhaven School may earn a diploma by defending the thesis that they have prepared themselves to become effective adults in the larger community. Diploma candidates must declare their intent to graduate and answer questions at a special winter Assembly of parents, students, staff and public members. They also meet with their individual graduation committees, and defend their written theses before a Diploma Committee made up of three experienced staff members from other Sudbury schools. A majority of positive votes from the Committee is the final requirement of  the diploma process.

Talking in the Quiet Room
by Robbie Kronser

When I was younger, people would always ask, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I never had a solid answer because I had no clue. Fairhaven changed that; nowadays, with the experiences I’ve had and the knowledge I’ve gained, I have an actual plan for my future. I plan on taking the experiences I’ve had with me into college and beyond. I believe this will make me an extremely positive member of society.  Fairhaven taught me many things, including responsibility, leadership, an understanding of the judicial system and how to share all these things with others. Another big part of my experience at Fairhaven was the children.  I think it’s safe to say I spent most of my time hanging out, playing, and teaching younger students. This helped teach me more about accepting my responsibilities than anything else I did at Fairhaven . Hopefully you will agree that things like these helped Fairhaven teach me to be an effective adult.

When I think of an effective adult, I think of someone who lives a good, stable life and takes care of all his or her responsibilities. Now if you had asked me three years ago if I was going to be an effective adult, I might have said yes, but I wouldn’t have known what that was.  Fairhaven gave me the tools to teach myself responsibility, good character and how to work well with others of all ages.

The thing about Fairhaven is that because it’s such a diverse group, you can do about anything and learn from about anyone. That is true even if you think you’re the teacher. For example, a student this year was getting into a lot of trouble fighting with other students.  I asked School Meeting to give him a chance to work on his anger problems with a staff member and me. During most of our meetings, I planned on sharing my knowledge with him, but afterwards, I felt like I learned more from his experiences than my own. This just goes to show that you can gain knowledge from someone or something that you may not have expected.  I think that’s really what being an adult is all about, understanding that you don’t know everything and that you must always be ready to learn anything from anyone.

To be an effective adult, the most important thing is taking responsibility. Before coming to Fairhaven , I was very irresponsible. I never did my homework, or my chores.  As a matter of fact, I did very little of anything to show responsibility. Fairhaven changed all that.  Now I was in a place where responsibility means everything. For example, you have to make sure you get your five hours in each day and serve you Judicial Committee (JC) sentences.  Attending meetings, and clerkships, are just a few responsibilities I have had at Fairhaven . I have been JC Clerk and alternate multiple times.  I was the Chair of the Field Trip Corporation during the ’07-’08 school year.  I also started and ran the Sport and Fitness Corporation until student interest dropped and the Corporation fell with it. These responsibilities rubbed off on my life outside Fairhaven as well.  Before coming to Fairhaven , I had never had a job. I could barely even keep up with my chores. Last year, I had a part-time job at Giant Foods for a short period of time before basketball season.  This year, I have had a job at a pizza place called Three Brothers close to where I live for about 7 months now. I am planning on looking for a second job when the summer starts.

After leaving Fairhaven , I plan on attending Prince George ’s Community College for two years, then transfer to a four-year school to finish my degree in business. I hope to open up a retail clothing store after college. I also want to go back to school for my degree in law, which I honestly can say came all from my time spent in JC, no matter in what position. I am fascinated by the legal system, and definitely feel that Fairhaven showed me how much fun it can be. I would like to one day own a chain of clothing stores and be part of a respected law firm as a defense attorney. I guess you could say Fairhaven taught me to aim for the stars.

A lot of my favorite moments at Fairhaven were spent on the basketball court.  I remember during my first year there was a basketball game almost everyday. Then slowly we started to lose older students who were interested, and there I was, standing all alone shooting hoops.  One day a group of younger students came to me asking if I could coach them. We never got the chance to play real games, but it was one of the most rewarding things of my life.  I really enjoyed just being able to teach teamwork, responsibility, and to never give up.  This was important since those are things Fairhaven helped teach me.  A lot of my growth at Fairhaven came from spending so much time with the younger students.  Some of the games we played and the conversations we had really showed me how bright the younger generations are.  For example, a younger student and I often had conversations comparing different parts of the world’s cultures to one another.  I was amazed by his knowledge of other cultures.  It made me want to be the best role model I could be. Hopefully I can show a couple of students they can do anything they put their mind to, and that Fairhaven is the perfect place to begin the journey.

The past three years at Fairhaven have taught me many things. They have also given me the chance to prove myself. Hopefully my improvements have shown, my strengths have grown stronger and my weaknesses have become less obvious. I feel that Fairhaven has made me an extremely effective adult.  It has given me the tools to go on in life and never stop growing.

Fairhaven School has just graduated seven students. As a way to celebrate the class of 2009, over the next couple of weeks, we will be posting the theses that they  successfully defended. Below is a brief description outlining how somebody earns a Fairhaven diploma, followed by the first thesis. Enjoy!

Students who have spent at least three years at Fairhaven School may earn a diploma by defending the thesis that they have prepared themselves to become effective adults in the larger community. Diploma candidates must declare their intent to graduate and answer questions at a special winter Assembly of parents, students, staff and public members. They also meet with their individual graduation committees, and defend their written theses before a Diploma Committee made up of three experienced staff members from other Sudbury schools. A majority of positive votes from the Committee is the final requirement of  the diploma process.

Taking on the World
By Jessica L. Engel

What is an effective adult?  Is it someone who has a high-paying job and a fancy car?  Or is it the model citizen who votes every year and never runs a red light?

Or is an effective adult the person who can take care of herself, cooking, cleaning, providing?  The person who can take responsibility for herself?  A person that other people can rely on?  The one who tries to be the best she can?  If that’s the case, then I’m already well on my way…

In the Beginning
I’m not the same person I was three years ago.  When I first arrived at Fairhaven, I was timid, awkward, and naïve.  The only person I knew here besides my sister, G., was a girl I’d been friends with four years previously, and she wasn’t the same either.

I came to Fairhaven in September of 2006.  Earlier that year, I’d read an article about the school in The Washington Post.  It sounded like a dream come true, definitely much cooler than the public high school I was enrolled in.  As that school year came to a close, my parents started looking for alternative schools for G., and Fairhaven came to mind.  The three of them went on a tour of the school and later decided that it was the right school.

I was very unhappy at my school, so I told my parents that I wanted to see Fairhaven, too.  Unfortunately, they had taken the last tour of the year, so I never got a preview of the school.  We did have several pamphlets and informational booklets, however.  Between reading those and looking at the website, I decided that I wanted to attend Fairhaven that September as well.  Even though it meant I would have to adjust to an entirely different method of schooling, and I wouldn’t be graduating with my friends, nothing would change my mind.

On the first day at school, I met all of the teenagers at the same time.  It was very intimidating to walk into a room and find my entire age group sitting in it.  I didn’t know how to start a conversation with them, so I spent most of my time in the Lounge, reading, and slowly getting to know the other students.  They were nice, but I was shy, and I had a hard time making friends.
Eventually, I started to come out of my shell.  One thing that helped was being asked to help paint the set for The Rise of the Dark Knight, a play Theatre Corp. put on that year.  I started to hang around during rehearsals, talking to the cast and crew, and helping where it was needed.

By the end of the year, I had a group of good friends, including current students and alumni.  I even had an awesome new boyfriend, L., who was a student at the time.  Already, I was a completely changed person, much more friendly and outgoing than I had been.  I was eager to come back to Fairhaven the next year.

Accomplishments
There’s quite a bit I’ve succeeded at in my time at Fairhaven.  I was elected Law Clerk last year, and was serving a second term until I recently decided to resign.  I’ve served two terms as a JC Clerk as well, and I am serving my second term as School Meeting Secretary, which I’m enjoying very much.

I’ve also had less “formal” successes here.  During my first year, I played the role of a zombie in a short film project.  All day, we stumbled around campus transforming people into mindless brain eaters.  It was incredibly fun.  I was also able to get a yoga class started with some of my friends.  We’ve successfully kept the class going through the entire year, something that doesn’t often happen here.

I’ve had a number of more personal accomplishments at school as well.  The first time I finished writing a poem at school was awesome, since I usually write in the privacy of my bedroom.  Sharing that poem with one of my friends was even better, because I’m very self-conscious about my writing.  Getting my driver’s license was a great accomplishment, marking the beginning of my transition from dependency to freedom.

By far, the hardest thing I’ve done so far at school, and in life in general, was telling L. how I feel about him.  I was terrified that he wouldn’t feel the same way.  At the same time, I couldn’t keep it to myself much longer.  I knew I had to tell him eventually.  I tried to prepare myself for what would happen next, then I told L. how much I liked him.

It was like the entire world was lifted off my shoulders.  I had jumped my biggest social hurtle and stuck the landing.  After hearing that he liked me, too, I knew I could do anything.  It was then, at that moment, that I really opened up.  After that, I became more comfortable at school, because I knew I could talk to people.  Even if someone turned out to be a jerk, it didn’t matter; I could go talk to someone else.

I’m proud of who I’ve become.  Meeting L. changed me for the better, and I’m so grateful to have him in my life.

Trial & Error
I’ve had my share of downfalls at school.  As I’ve mentioned, I’d been elected to serve as Law Clerk during my second year.  Near the beginning of that year, I noticed a rule in our law book that was not enforced.  It said that all School Meeting Members were responsible for checking their own sentences off the JC sentence list.  For the past several years, however, the JC Clerks had been the ones to check the list.  I decided to call attention to the issue.

I talked to Mark, the staff Law Clerk, and we came up with wording for a new rule, with the help of another student.  After many long discussions, School Meeting voted in our idea.  This new rule said that it was indeed the defendant’s responsibility to check off his or her own sentences.  In addition, anyone who did not check off their sentences would be charged fifty cents for every day their sentences went un-checked.

This new plan did very little, other than create a mess of JC cases.  Many people did not understand the correct way to check off sentences.  Other people forgot repeatedly to check the list, and still others simply didn’t care to follow the rule.  On top of that, most people did not want to pay their fines, or would pay them to the wrong person.

This resulted in massive amounts of write ups, which backed up the system even after the rule was stricken.  Eventually, we just had to accept that the rule was a flop.  Though it was disappointing to have my idea backfire, I definitely think it was worth trying.  It could have been a great improvement on the JC system, had it actually worked, and I’m glad we gave it a shot. Even though I’m no longer the Law Clerk, I want to stay involved in the JC system.  I’m always thinking of new ideas that could improve the system, though none of them have been put into action.

While this was certainly my biggest failure at Fairhaven, it is by no means the only one.  Other failures include not being elected JC Clerk, or having a motion fail in School Meeting.  Just recently, I plead “not guilty” in JC for the first time, only to be charged with Dangerous Activities and warned by School Meeting the following week.

Work
Over this past winter break, I started my first job.  I have a few routes delivering The Washington Post in Bowie, which I do with L. every night.  This means getting up at one o’clock in the morning and driving to the warehouse to bag a few hundred newspapers, then driving around tossing them into customers’ driveways.  We have gotten to the point where we can do it all in about two hours and thirty minutes.  If the weather is bad, it takes longer.  When it rains or snows, we have to double bag every paper so they don’t get wet.  If it’s windy, we might have to stop and replace papers if they’re blown into the street.

We rarely make mistakes while working, and our boss recently assigned us another route, which has about doubled the number of papers we deliver.  We’ve also filled in for other carriers on more than one occasion, which significantly increases the amount of work we do.

I also work at school, mostly doing JC business until recently.  Law Clerk duties include filling in for the JC Clerks when they need time off, and making regular stops in JC to check up on meetings and answer questions about certain rules and regulations.  The Law Clerk also runs the Judicial School Meeting, a portion of our weekly School Meeting designated to dealing with not guilty pleas.

As the School Meeting Secretary, I type up the School Meeting agenda and keep a record the minutes.  I picked up on it quickly, and now I really enjoy doing it.  I like keeping the minutes organized, and being able to tell someone whether or not their motion passed.  It can be frustrating at times, especially if there are very long discussions on one topic, or if someone has put some ridiculous motion on the agenda.  For the most part, however, it’s something I am good at and like doing.

Down Time
My mother taught me to crochet when I was eleven, and I still do it now.  When I want to relax my brain, I crochet.  If I need to give my hands an activity, I grab a skein.  When I discover I don’t have a belt to go with my outfit, I simply make one.  I’m rather talented with a hook and some yarn.

Crochet is one of my passions.  I do it for fun, as well as for profit.  Scarves take shape at the dinner table.  My dog has his own Lil’ Monster, a stuffed toy of my own design.  This thesis is the only thing delaying my new hat – oh, never mind, already done.
I’ll be crocheting forever.  It’s such a handy craft; you can make just about anything you want, from hats and blankets, to purses and dolls.

Another one of my passions is writing.  I love to write poems and short stories, but I’m prone to writer’s block.  When I have enough inspiration to finish a piece, it feels amazing.  I get a rush reading my completed poems.  Seeing my thoughts laid out in such an artistic manner is very cool to me.

I also love food.  For the past couple of years, I have been on a vegan diet.  Recently, I’ve started buying eggs from a family at school who raises their own chickens.  While I’m no longer strictly vegan, it can still be hard to buy groceries, as I am still “mostly vegan”.

I love to cook, however, and I love making up new dishes.  I find cooking very fun and rewarding.  I like to experiment with different flavours and try out new recipes.  I’m currently on the hunt for a good vegan doughnut recipe.

The Future
While I don’t plan on attending a four-year college, I do have plans to further my education.  I’d like to take some college-level writing courses.  I’d like to pursue writing as a career, but I feel that I should improve my skills further.  I’m interested in interior design as well, but I haven’t decided where I want to go with it.  I may decide to take interior design classes, or I may simply stick to my own tastes as a hobby rather than a career.

One plan I have for my future is to open a family restaurant.  My mother and L.’s mother are both amazing cooks, and we think it could be worthwhile to make it into a business.  For this reason, I’d like to take cooking and business classes, which my mother is interested in doing with me.

My other big plan for the future is to start an intentional community with my family and several of our friends.  I don’t want to have to rely on others to survive; I want to be self-sustaining.  My mother, L. and I have an interest in gardening and growing our own food.  We start a garden at my house every summer, and it’s usually quite productive.

We are also very into green technology, and we have a few ideas for supplying power to our community.  New designs for wind turbines and solar dishes are effective enough to provide electricity for numerous houses.  Another new product is solar film, which is more effective and durable than panels, and it can be built directly into surfaces, including roofs.  However, some these new technologies are also quite pricey, or are still in development, so this plan may not be put into action until further down the road.

Right now, my plan is to save money to buy a “new” car, as mine is, sadly, on its last legs.  I’d like to give my current car a new identity by trying to convert it to electric power.  I would also like to save up enough to move out of my parents’ house in the next year or so, and buy a small house with L. somewhere in this area.

I’m going to miss Fairhaven.  This school has helped shape me more than all the other school’s I’ve attended combined.  It’s going to be really hard to leave, but I know this is the right time to go.  I’ve done a lot of growing and learning, and I’ve gotten all I can out of Fairhaven.  It wouldn’t be right for me to stay longer.

Three years ago, when I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl, weird and unhappy.  Now when I look, a young woman stares back.  I’m no longer timid, but fierce.  No longer a child, but a responsible, effective adult.  I have the skills to care for myself, and I can be trusted.  I try to be the best person I can, always.

I’m still awkward sometimes, but there are worse things to be.  And I’m sure I’m still naïve, and will be for years to come.  But that’s okay.  I’m still weird, but happy.  Because I know I can do great things.  I can do anything I can imagine.  I’m ready to take on the world.

WHAT I’LL MISS THE MOST
A Graduation Poem by Zoë Woodbridge

4:50 – that magic number
Each day we hear the page echo
through both buildings
telling us it’s time to go.

We grab our lunches, backpacks,
art projects or instruments,
pack them in our cars
and drive back home
only to return the next day.

I’ll miss the drive, to be honest.
There’s nothing quite like rolling through
the shade of trees on Queen Anne
and pulling up

to Amy on her little pink bike,
little boys playing four square,
then turning off the car
no longer hearing Fugazi
or Mewithoutyou or whichever CD
Eli’s blasting that day,
then putting the Camry in park
and walking up the stone path into school.

I think maybe I’ll miss that the most:
that first look up at the porch
while you hear Heart and Soul
being played in the Chesapeake Room sunlight,
that first breath we take
before starting the day.

Or maybe Zoe and Livvie running up to me
“Zoë! Zoë!,” then wrapping their tiny arms
around my legs, the other little kids yelling hi
as they run off to Capture-the-Flag or kickball,

just the general smiles in the morning saying
“We’re so glad to see you.”

And then there’s the talk
and the laughter
rolling through the hallways
all about Jimmy’s Halloween costume
or Billy’s JC excuses.
I’ll miss that, too.

But maybe the one thing
that I’ll really have to work on
living without
is that head turn I do each day
while walking back to the Camry.

I’ve signed out and gathered my poems,
then I turn my head full of brownish hair
and look back
at the Old Building porch, the New Building,
at this school that’s been built
on so much more than dirt and rock.

I take it all in one last time
before heading home.

A big part of me hurts
when I think, when I know
that Friday will be the last time I do
all of these things
in this particular order I have.

I know that of all the places
I’ve ever left
Fairhaven will be the hardest to leave.
But do we really ever leave?

We all come back, either when leaves change
or on this day, to our foundation
to this place that beckons us like a home,
this place we sometimes need to be.

I’ll cry. I know I’ll cry.
And I know that of all the places
I’ve ever missed, somehow,
I’ll miss this one the most.

It is indeed May here on campus. Just last week students found a toad, a skink, and a worm snake- all in one day. After a week of cool spring rains, it was as if all the reptiles and and amphibians decided to warm their blood at once, and students did not miss the excitement. Spring birds, most especially the wood warblers, vireos, and phoebes, are calling from our woods. One phoebe has built its nest nest for all to see atop one of the support beams outside the Chesapeake Room. For three weeks, an amorous (or perhaps aggressive) cardinal keeps flying at its reflection in the window during School Meeting.

All of this wildlife activity informs this, the third post about the significance of the natural world here at Fairhaven School (and at all Sudbury schools.) Access to and interaction with nature is a constant at school, and affords our students a brilliant and increasingly rare foundation in the world itself. In the most recent issue of Orion Magazine, writer Rick Bass addresses this issue with no small eloquence:

In a way that I haven’t yet figured out how to fully articulate, I believe that children who get to see bald eagles, coyotes, deer, moose, grouse, and other similar sights each morning will have a certain kind of matrix or fabric or foundation of childhood, the nature and quality of which will be increasingly rare and valuable as time goes on, and which will be cherished into adulthood, as well as becoming – and this is a leap of faith by me – a source of strength and knowledge to them somehow. That the daily witnessing of  the natural wonders is a kind of education of logic and assurance that cannot be duplicated by any other means, or in other places: unique, and significant, and, by God, still somehow relevant, even now, in the twenty-first century.

For as long as possible, I want my girls to keep believing that beauty, though not quite commonplace, and never to pass unobserved or unappreciated, is nonetheless easily witnessed on any day, in any given moment, around any forthcoming bend. And that the wild world  still has a lovely order and pattern and logic, even in the shouting, disorderly chaos of breaking-apart May and reassembling May. That if there can be a logic and order even in May, then there can be in all seasons and all things.

–Rick Bass (reproduced with permission from http://www.orionmagazine.org/ )

Towards the end of the day, two older students came into the office. From my computer monitor, I looked up to see a baby snapping turtle on one student’s palm. As I leaned towards the reptile, it tracked my movements, swiveling left, then right. We discussed what to do with this precise, tiny version of a snapper. “Where’s its mother?” the other student asked. I told them the hard facts of reptilian birth and abandonment. Cold-blooded. They kept their find a few more minutes, showing anybody they saw the turtle, then released it back to the stream, hoping it would avoid predators and survive.

Every day, our warm-blooded, sentient students embody what Bass writes about in his piece. They know nature- they see it, hold it, hear it. In the end, I agree that these experiences provide a connection, a bedrock foundation- an education-  as our students go forth into the world.

Mark McCaig

May, 2009

I sit here in one of the new grey office chairs and listen to the voices outside the door. There are little girls playing a pretend game in the Kid Nook; they are giving precise instructions to each other as to how to play the game they just made up. The voices continue. I can hear there is a meeting going on in the room next door, but can’t hear the words that are being said, just mumbling and pitch. Every once in a while a new face peeks in the door and gives a greeting to start the day. Some days there is such an intense game going on in the computer room down the hall, I can hear almost every word being said (whether I want to or not!). Among other things, I frequently hear singing, chanting, yelling, lots of laughter, and sometimes even crying.

From my chair, I watch the students play games in the hall. There are intense games of hide and seek, and the office desks are always a popular hiding places. I have been asked many times to turn a blind eye to the hider and lie to the seeker. Down the hall I have witnessed forts of all shapes and sizes being constructed with every age group engaging in the many possibilities a fort can bring. There are games that encompass every room in this part of the building, games where every room has a purpose: one room is a house, one room is the place they all work, and so on. I have been a witness to many new games, ones never seen by the outside world that were played only once, but played with such intensity they may never need another day.

From this grey chair, I have a perfect view of the games outside. The games they play outside the office windows always make me smile. I never know exactly what they are playing but there are a few distinct categories. The first is hand to hand combat. Sticks are magical swords and staffs, clashing with force and vigor. The next type is a group or team game, I think they call it “Counterstrike”. Serious thought is given to every move, ducking behind walls, slinking behind trees, signaling their mates until it’s time to take out the enemy! There is hide and seek outside too. The office windows seem to be the designated counting spot. Finally, my personal favorite is when they are playing a game with me and I don’t know it at first. Lucky for me I am a quick learner.

There are varying degrees of emergencies on any given day. There are scrapes and bruises, cuts and bumps, anger, and hurt feelings. They are usually accompanied by friends and onlookers trying help or find out what happened. I can sometimes hear it coming down the hall; there is an unusual bustle of noises and crying growing in intensity until they reach the door. Other times it is silent until they actually reach the office, waiting to unleash the tears and sadness within the safety of these walls. It has only been minor injuries since I have been in this chair. I am glad for that because I don’t care for the sight of blood.

I spend most of my time in the grey office chairs. I answer phones, respond to emails, order office supplies, file paperwork, enter JC reports, and try to keep the law book current. I am also called upon by some of the students to help them write up grievance forms. I enjoy doing all those things, and they keep me busy. But the part of the day I enjoy most is when the students stop in for a few minutes to tell me about what they are doing. I hear about friends outside of school, and the things they do together. They tell me about movies they have seen recently, and they predict if I would like to see it or not. I find out about projects they are working on like paintings and photography. I learn about interesting writers, artists, political views, foods, fads, natural wonders, and games. The subjects are endless, but my favorite things to learn about are the students themselves.

I wonder if they are learning from me or am I learning from them; it must be both. I can say I have learned a lot from behind this window inside the door.

Assistant Business Manger

AV Corporation meeting

My son was coming home from school, grabbing me by the arms, and growling in 3rd grade. He was getting good grades and was well-behaved, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that something was wrong. When he got out of the car to walk into school, I could see him stiffen up, preparing to go into the stress of the day.  It killed me to see it. No eight year old should have to put on defenses to weather their day. He deserved to be relaxed and happy at school. In tears, I went into the woods, dropped on my knees and begged for guidance.  I heard two words, “Home School”.  I called the only parent I knew who home-schooled her children. When I told her I agreed with Aristotle’s philosophy (children should learn through playing until the age of twelve), she said, “I have the school for you.” It was almost summer, and Fairhaven School would be opening in the Fall.  We were blessed enough to be able to help build that first building.  The support from the school community was amazing.

What was more amazing to me was the relaxed demeanor of the parents and staff with the children. They were actually allowing their children to jump and play in dirt piles. I didn’t hear them saying, “Be careful, you’ll get dirty” or “be careful you’ll get hurt!” They were just allowing their kids to play. The kids seemed freer somehow. We signed our son up.

For the next 9 years he attended Fairhaven School.  The school had no structured classes. If our son wanted to learn something, he had to initiate it. He played a lot of computer games. My husband and I worried. Were we being neglectful parents? Were we being irresponsible? Were we sending our son down a path to failure in the “real” world? What about study skills? Our whole way of thinking was challenged by this new idea of how children learn.

But I’d look at him when he came home from school, and he was genuinely happy. He loved his school; he loved his life. The light in his eyes that had begun to dim when he was in his previous school had come back full on. He LOVED computers.  He told us how it was teaching him strategy and lots of other things that I don’t remember because I was too busy worrying.  I just knew that when I took a deep breath and trusted my instincts, they said to keep him where he was happy and thriving and we did.

Our son graduated from Fairhaven in 2006. After attending a local community college for 1 year where he maintained a 4.0 both semesters, he was accepted into DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, Washington. It shares a building with Ninetendo of American and shares a neighborhood with Microsoft.  He just completed his first year of college with 6 A’s and 3 A-’s. His major is “Real Time Interactive Simulation”. In layman’s terms, that’s coding computer games.  He’s going to play for the rest of this life.  Thank God for Fairhaven. There he learned that it was ok to be himself,that is was great for him to follow his dreams and that he was capable of making happen whatever he needed to make happen to realize his goals.

If your kid is struggling and unhappy in the school they are currently attending, you may want to try letting them spend a visiting week at Fairhaven and see that light come back into their eyes.

A Parent of  a Fairhaven School Alumnus

May, 2009

A British documentary recently profiled Sudbury Valley school. Here’s the video link.