There are lots of ways to learn life lessons, and one of them is through particular relationships. For Henry Warzecha, playing golf with his Uncle Richard helped him realize that “one needs to bounce back from mistakes and move forward, not look back,” he said in his Senior Reflection.

Henry’s uncle, his dad’s brother, lives in Minnesota, where Henry has visited him. In the summer, Richard joins the family at their home on Prince Edward’s Island, and he and his nephew enjoy playing on the many good golf courses there. Henry has learned by example the importance both of doing one’s best and of showing respect to opponents.

His uncle might hit a ball into the woods, but “he doesn’t dwell on it and instead focuses on his next shot,” says Henry, who has carried this lesson to school, where, if he doesn’t do well on a test, he comes in the next day “determined to work harder." And after each round, he and his uncle remove their hats and shake hands with their opponents.  

At Fenn, Henry plays baseball, his other favorite sport, and basketball, and he serves as a Big Brother to a younger student. Henry helps run the school store, which is “fun, but chaotic sometimes,” he said in an interview after his reflection. His favorite subject is English because he prefers writing to speaking. “I like to think about my words and I can do that better when I write than when I speak,” he said.

One of Henry's interests is economics, and he has run a hedge fund for over two years. Using a loan from his parents, he follows the markets each day and his initial investment has increased by fifty percent. He is allowed to keep twenty percent of the profits. Henry is also interested in computer science and has built his own computer, in part to use it to do his homework but also “for the experience of seeing what it’s like to put one together.” Henry has an older sister, Annie, and the family has a Brittany spaniel named Dakota.

Henry said that one of his best memories is going on the seventh grade D.C. trip, where “I got to know my friends much better” while riding on the bus, staying up late to talk, and touring the monuments and museums. He has attended Fenn since fourth grade and said that since he will be moving on to a coed school, he especially appreciates attending a boys’ school, “where you can be yourself and not feel judged.” 

Ninth grader Bennet Kracz has two memories of his six years at Fenn that are a bit painful: one was the time he stood on the Robb Hall stage with his fourth grade class, singing a song. “I was in the front row [of the singers] and suddenly I grew dizzy and nauseous and hot,” he said. This was the first sign that speaking—or even singing—in front of people was not going to be his favorite activity. Four years later, in eighth grade, his classmates chose him to advance to the Ward Hall stage to present his memorized piece in the W.W. Fenn contest. Terrified at the prospect, Bennet declined the honor and allowed another boy to advance.

Looking back at that second moment, which he did during his Senior Reflection, Bennet said he realizes he missed out on a great experience. He has since learned that “If you mess up on the stage here, no one will make fun of you. Fenn is a safe place.” He urged those in the audience not to make “the same mistake I did,” adding that they should “take advantage of all of the opportunities you are given here.”

Bennet stood in front of the hall again this winter to introduce the non-profit organizations that were to be presented checks by the Youth in Philanthropy group, of which he was a member, and he delivered his Senior Reflection on April 21 with poise and confidence. In an interview after his reflection, he said he is more confident about public speaking now, in part due to the support of his peers and teachers. He was particularly touched, he said, by the encouragement offered to him by his fourth grade teacher, Ben Smith, before Bennet walked to the front of the hall to address the community. Mr. Smith, Bennet added, is the teacher who had the most impact on him at Fenn, making him feel comfortable and welcome when he arrived as a nervous fourth grader.

At Fenn Bennet has played soccer and basketball and is playing tennis this spring. Science is his favorite class because of the “hands-on learning” involved, as Bennet would like to become an engineer. He is “one of those kids,” he said, “who spent hours in his room building Legos and taking apart cameras and computers.”

In his free time, Bennet does chores at home, plays video games, and enjoys the company of the family’s two dogs, a black lab named Sawyer and a terrier-poodle rescue dubbed Tater because “he looks like a Tater tot,” he says with a smile. One of Bennet’s favorite Fenn memories is of his fifth grade spring trip to Merrowvista, during which, “We were in small groups, so we could bond, and it was great to be outdoors together.”

Bennet looks forward to doing the Orientation At Sea program at Tabor Academy this summer, an optional six-day sail on the schooner SV Tabor Boy that enables students to get to know one another and the school.  

Before he arrived at Fenn as a new student, in fifth grade, Colin Cunningham “was different than I am now. I didn’t embrace the culture, didn’t get involved.” But gradually that changed, in large part due to the encouragement of his teacher, Jon Byrd ’76. “He made me feel comfortable and welcome,” Colin said in his Senior Reflection. “And he helped me find my passions.”

His classmate Cal Fries was another “role model,” Colin said. “He was one of my first friends and I watched how he talked to everyone and made friends, and I tried to do the same thing.” Jon and Cal taught Colin that  “I shouldn’t be afraid of new situations and of making new friends.”

In Middle School, Colin bloomed further, becoming actively involved in community service and volunteering with Heading Home moves, at Gaining Ground, and at Open Table Pantry. In Upper School, Colin was participating in more sports, getting to know his classmates better, and working in the Youth in Philanthropy group, where he learned about the importance of giving and where he realized “how grateful I am for what I have.”

Colin asked the community to reflect on “how much different a person you can be leaving Fenn than when you arrived.”

Colin, who is vice president of the School, played football (his favorite sport; he was a running back and a defensive back) and basketball, and is playing varsity baseball this spring. He also plays on the AU Baseball Unlimited Tigers team. He has been a Big Brother to a younger student and a Peer Advocate since seventh grade. The latter experience, he said in an interview following his reflection, has taught him how to approach people who have problems. “When I see someone who is upset, I use what I’ve learned so I can help them and be their friend.”

Being vice president has been another learning experience for Colin, who has found that it is “easier to get small things done than big things” due to all of the logistics and permissions involved. One thing he and President Andrew Metellus still want to do is provide each boy with a new Field Day shirt. Colin has also learned what career politicians experience: "you can’t please everyone," he says. “They might be happy with what we’ve gotten them, like a Panini press, but they always want more,” he said with a sigh.

English is his favorite subject because, he said, he can “relax and be creative.” In his down time a good game of whiffle ball or catch with friends is a favorite activity, and he enjoys playing video games, reading magazines, and keeping up with “all the sports.” Colin will miss the “camaraderie and comfort” he found in his five years at Fenn. One of his best memories is beating Milton Academy in football last year, despite that fact that his team was smaller and “not as strong," he said. "We didn’t expect it,” he declared, “and that was what was so great. We pulled it off with grit and heart.”

“Every day when I come home from school I need to remember how lucky I am,” said Adam Ewing, a Fenn sixth grader.

“I know I can’t take anything I have for granted,” chimed in Adam’s brother, James, an eighth grader.

Adam and James were talking about what they and some forty other Fenn boys and Fenn parents did on Sunday, April 24, which was to change the lives of a single mom of two young children and of a woman who had lost her husband and son. All had formerly been homeless and Fenn volunteers were preparing apartments for them—one in Dorchester and one in Quincy.

The Ewings and their children are driving forces behind Fenn’s involvement with the Up and Out initiative, the signature volunteer program of Heading Home, a non-profit organization that provides emergency, transitional, and permanent housing and support services to low-income homeless and formerly homeless families and individuals in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, Malden, Everett, Quincy, Chelsea, and Revere.

The Ewings, parents and children, have been involved with Heading Home for about eight years. Ryan Ewing '14 was the first to help with a move, and he proposed the idea at Fenn when he was a fifth grader. Since, Fenn volunteers have helped with several moves. Ryan, the oldest Ewing child, and his brother, Kevin '16, participate in moves through their current school, Middlesex.

An Up and Out move is astonishing and inspiring: volunteers show up with cleaning supplies, tools, furnishings, linens, toys, and food, and they spring into action. In a few hours they transform an empty apartment into a warm and appealing home, personalizing it to the new occupants’ tastes and adding special touches like a welcome mat and wall stickers that celebrate family and home. 

“I couldn’t believe we did it all,” declared fourth grader Max Libby-Grantham, who worked at the Quincy Up and Out with his mom, PJ. “I was amazed!”

On Sunday in Dorchester, two dozen boys (and one girl, Katherine Ewing), most of them in Heading Home t-shirts, and a group of parents trotted up to and down from the third floor apartment as they unloaded a U-Haul truck parked at the end of the block. They carted donated chairs, tables, bureaus, lamps, toys, boxes of food staples, and endless other items, managing to lift, tug, and pull unwieldy box mattresses and sofas up three narrow flights of stairs, maneuvering them around seemingly impossible turns. In the apartment they washed windows and floors; wiped out bureau drawers; assembled tables, lamps, and a small barbeque grill for the deck; sorted books and toys; and bounced on the beds, anticipating the joy of the children when they saw their new rooms and enjoying working alongside their friends. Michelle Heaton, Fenn’s Service Learning director, went from room to room, helping to supervise the process. 

The young volunteers lovingly decorated the three-year-old girl’s room in pink, applying ballet-themed stickers to the walls and setting up a dollhouse, and a room for her seven-year-old brother, who loves the Chicago bulls; they affixed a netted hoop to his closet door and someone tossed in a stuffed toy lion holding a small basketball. Some boys claimed particular projects for themselves, showing great pride of accomplishment when they were finished; eighth grader John Stewart, for example, filled a bookcase with toys, games, Legos, and books, making sure everything was arranged just so, to appeal to a little boy’s imagination.   

It was controlled chaos, with everyone having a job to do—one parent worked tirelessly under a bathroom sink trying to repair a leak; others washed plates and glasses; two boys assembled a vacuum cleaner, and several created “welcome home” posters for when the family arrived. They paused only to wolf down a donut munchkin (or two) and to check out what their peers were working on.

At noon, everyone gathered in the various rooms, their excitement palpable; some of the boys held “welcome” signs and others peered out the front windows so they could announce the family’s arrival. Finally, in came Chanel and her two children, Trinity and Treon, and their wide-eyed expressions of shock, joy, and gratitude moved many to tears.

“Just seeing their reaction was so exciting,” declared sixth grader Nicholas Allegretto. “They were so happy.” 

The Cultural Arts Festival is designed for students to “extend yourselves outside of your comfort zones to experience other cultures through the arts, food, sports, and other traditions,” said Jenn Youk See, assistant director of diversity, as she opened the annual event during which boys sang, danced, cooked, created games, worked on art projects, tried sports such as cricket and rugby, and played indigenous musical instruments. The colorful flags of many nations flew from the fences around campus.

The day kicked off with acclaimed percussionist, educator, activist, and Grooversity maestro Marcus Santos leading an ensemble of drummers and dancers in a high-energy survey of musical styles springing from his native Bahia—the original capital of Brazil. Volunteers were called upon to get up on stage and help make some music (see photo). Grooversity led workshops later in the morning.

Other workshops, which were led by guest artists, parents, faculty, and students and geared toward each student division, included Mongolian BBQ, Capoiera (a Brazilian martial art), Henna Tattoos, Indian Dancing, Sushi Making, Cambodian Culture, Indigenous Drumming, Haitian Metal Arts, Yoga, Graffiti, Origami, and many more activities. A Peruvian lunch, with a menu created by dining hall staff member Cesar Acosta, was served.

At the end of the event, which was organized by the diversity department, the boys shared their experiences. Many pronounced the workshops they attended “really cool!”—with one student declaring of the Origami program he attended, “I would never have been able to do that on my own!”

“Big up yourself!” declared Grace Baston, the principal of Campion College in Jamaica, when she introduced herself to students, faculty, and staff during All School Meeting on Friday, April 29.

“Big up yourself,” she explained, is a traditional Jamaican greeting that expresses well wishes, friendship, and respect, and also can mean “Good for you!” A dynamic, engaging speaker, Grace led the hall in a rousing rendition of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” (“Every little thing is gonna be all right.”)

Grace’s visit complemented the Cultural Arts Festival held at Fenn the previous day. She spoke about the educational system in her country and about how Campion, the premier secondary school in Jamaica (and the Caribbean), has made efforts to become more diverse.

“I’m going to tell you about Jamaica—not what is so touristy, like the beaches, but rather what is the truth,” said Grace, who is a national leader in addressing issues of class and race in Jamaica’s educational system and a leading educator of junior high and high school aged children in Jamaica.  

Noting that 90% of Jamaicans are of African descent and that the broad base of the Jamaican population is black, a lesser percentage include people of East Indian, Chinese, and Lebanese descent, and the smallest percentage is of white European ancestry, she explained that the differences between these groups are “more cultural than color.”

The majority of Jamaican children attend either public elementary (“primary”) school or prep school. In primary schools there can be 45-50 children in a classroom and therefore the children do not get the level of attention and assistance that children in prep schools receive. However, every sixth grader, regardless of his or her school, takes the same achievement test that determines whether he or she can move on. Some 40,000 children in grade 6 compete for 5000 spaces in the 25 schools that are considered to be “the good schools,” she said.

Campion is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school for grades 7 to 12. For years about 95% of its students came from prep schools, but “we wanted to be more diverse. We wanted to bring Jamaica to our school,” said Grace, who visited classes (see photo)and student diversity committee members after talking at All School Meeting. Now Campion admits 40% of its students from primary schools.  

“I want you to realize that getting to know a person of another culture is going to make you a better person,” Grace told Fenn boys. “You need to ‘small up yourself’ in order to be diverse,” she added, asking the boys what they thought she meant.

Offered one Lower School student, “It means to give someone else space to grow.”

“Exactly,” said Grace.

“How many of you have older siblings who drive you insane?” ninth grader Dan Pring asked his fellow Fenn students gathered in Ward Hall as he began his Senior Reflection. Many boys, as was predictable, raised their hands or applauded.

Dan has an older brother—by twelve minutes: his identical twin, Sam. Dan and Sam sometimes trick people into believing one is the other; in fact, it was Sam who walked to the front of the hall, identifying himself as Dan and wearing his brother’s jacket. They quickly switched roles, and, to appreciative laughter, Dan proceeded with his reflection.

Having an identical twin is a blessing but sometimes a challenge, Dan said in an interview following his reflection. People sometimes expect the two boys to be equally capable academically or otherwise, he explained, or to have the same personalities and to like the same things. But each boy is his own person. Dan tends to be quiet and reflective, while his brother is gregarious and verbal. “I’m better on paper, when I can think of what I want to say,” said Dan.

During the ninth grade Poetry Slam in March, one of the original poems Dan shared was about being a twin. Musing on people’s assumptions about twins he wrote in part:

They think of how I look
How my face is identical to my brother’s
How our appearance is almost perfectly the same
They see me as a copy of him
A replica that can never be.

As an older brother, Sam can be bossy (“I could go on about this for hours,” Dan joked). But his twin “brings good to my life, too,” he declared. And like typical siblings they argue sometimes, particularly over who should do the chores; the boys are responsible for helping maintain the household, and doing the laundry is their responsibility. They also clean their own dishes after meals. No cooking is involved, however, as Dan’s grandparents, who live with them, “don’t trust me in the kitchen—they’re afraid I’ll burn the house down.”   

The brothers play soccer and basketball together (“But we can get intensely competitive”) and enjoy watching TV shows and playing games. Sometimes Sam and Dan team up to play soccer against the rest of the family, which includes their eight-year-old sister, Alyssa, and they concoct “some crazy tactics” so that they can win.  

At Fenn, Dan plays soccer and basketball and is on the track team. He is a member of the Student Diversity Committee, is a Big Brother to a younger boy—they spend time together in the gym and makerspace or on the turf—and serves as a Peer Advocate. When he graduates in June, Dan will miss the close connections he has had with his Fenn teachers, “which makes my classes more fun.”

Among Dan’s favorite Fenn experiences is his class trip to Camp Caribou last fall, during which four friends—Jake Harvey, Tad Scheibe, Sam Farley, and Andrew Metellus—tried to teach his brother and him to swim. “They were very patient,” Dan said, smiling at the memory.  

Led by Michelle Heaton and Pauline MacLellan, Team Fenn, some 35 members strong, walked the ten-mile route for the Walk for Hunger on May 1 in Boston and so far has raised more than $3500 in donations. The group began with a 7:30 a.m. departure from Fenn, with more team members joining the group at Alewife and Park Street stations.

The walk commenced at Boston Common on a cool and grey day with a few showers. The weather did not daunt participants, who stayed dry as they trekked along the Charles River on the Cambridge side and then returned along its Boston banks. 

Team Fenn was comprised of students across divisions, parents, and three Nashoba Brooks girls. Pauline remembers ninth grader Sam Farley’s first walk as a fourth grader; this year Sam participated for the last time as a Fenn student. Seventh grader Sam Barton is another veteran, she said. He wrote an email letter to family and friends this year to ask for donations for his walk. It read in part, “Unfortunately it is only ten miles instead of the usual twenty because of construction, but I still think it will be a blast!”

Each year the Walk raises more than $2 million for hungry families in Massachusetts. The proceeds go to programs such as Project Bread, which funds over 400 programs in more than 120 communities across the state. Donations for Team Fenn are still coming in, but more than $3500 has been collected in its name.

“Even now, twenty-five years later, these coaches are on my mind, always,” says David Cohen ‘89 (pictured in white shirt with cuffs rolled at left), head coach of the Concord- Carlisle High School varsity boys’ basketball team. The coaches to whom David is referring are those he was “blessed” to have at Fenn: Bob Starensier, Mark Biscoe, and Walter Birge.

“I loved my athletic experience at Fenn and it was my foundation for future success as an athlete, a coach, and in any job I have ever done that related to kids,” David declares.

David guided the CCHS Patriots to a 22-2 record this year and their second Division 2 state championship appearance in three years. He was named a 2016 Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. David’s assistant for the past eight years has been Fenn alumnus, Aaron Joncas ’91 (leaning forward in blue shirt at left). Another alumnus, Austin Hoey ’13, co-captained the team, led in assists (averaging five per game), and was named a Dual County All-Star. The team set the school record for the most wins in a season and the longest winning streak in an eighteen-game season.

David and Aaron say they owe much of their success to their Fenn experience. “We are both very grateful and proud to be Fenn alums,” says David, who played soccer, basketball, and baseball as a Fenn boy. David also notes that his teachers, as well as his coaches, were influential. Jim Carter ’54 “impacted me as a coach because he taught me that it was not only about working hard, but also about working smart,” he says.

David recalls that after playing a tough Fenn baseball game, Walter “showed up the next morning at a Little League game I was umpiring, to show support.” Bob coached David in all three sports and was “absolutely critical in my athletic and personal development from a young age. He was my driving force and mentor when I started my own camps after college.” In turn, Bob says that David was “a great competitor and probably the best point guard to ever play at Fenn. I am so proud,” he adds, “that two of our ex-players have gone on to become such wonderful coaches.”

David’s Fenn basketball experience was special due in most part to Mark, he says, who “helped inspire my interest in becoming a coach and my drive to grow and learn. I was amazed by his expertise and discipline in anything he did and to this day, he is a confidant and mentor for me through every game of our basketball season.” David says Mark and his wife, Jane, are “our biggest fans, which means so much to me.”

Aaron says he “cherishes” his athletic experiences with Bob, who served as an advisor for Aaron’s son, Jalen ’10, and with Mark; he recalls wining the Eaglebrook soccer tournament for the first time in the School’s history, and “how gratified I was to share that with Bob. I know it was a coaching highlight for him.” During Aaron’s ninth grade year, Coach Biscoe’s basketball team went undefeated and beat Fessenden to win the Fenn Tournament.

Mark was “unlike any teacher I’d had,” Aaron says. “He was so in tune with everything going on in his classroom, and when my attention drifted or I did not submit my best work, I drove myself harder to meet his expectations.” Mark and Jane listen to the games from their Maine home on WIQH.com 88.3, Mark says, and they keep in touch with Aaron and David. “I have been working in education and athletics for my entire career and I am certain that would not have been the case without the tremendous impact Bob and Coach Biscoe had on my life,” says Aaron.

After Fenn, David attended CCHS, where he captained and played basketball and baseball. He went on to do his undergraduate and graduate work at Boston University, where he captained the university baseball team. He started as a varsity assistant coach at CCHS eighteen years ago and became head varsity coach nine years ago. Aaron attended Lawrence Academy for two years, graduating from West Potomac High School in Alexandria, VA, where his parents had relocated. He played soccer and basketball at Lawrence and basketball in Virginia. Aaron hoped to play Division 3 basketball in college, but he started his family “earlier than expected,” he says, and worked full-time while attending college.

Both men are devoted to coaching, calling it meaningful and rewarding work. David, who also runs year-round sports programs for kids, is “tremendously grateful for the opportunity to build lasting relationships and collaboratively impact the lives of kids now and for the future.” Aaron says that “coaching’s rewards lie in the relationships with the players. It is the camaraderie of being involved with a team that brings joy and satisfaction to the work.” He says that coaching is “a conduit...on a daily basis” for the administrative work he does [as the K-12 METCO program director for the Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District] as he can “communicate more effectively with students in general.” David says of his assistant, “It has been a lot of fun and a key to our success to have a loyal friend and dedicated coach like Aaron on our staff.”

Many influential players and captains have come from Fenn,” notes David. Besides Austin Hoey, Joey Crowley ’12, John Bumpus ’07, Drew Vanasse ’07, John B. (JB) Henderson ’06, and Eric Beaulieu ’05 are among them. He says this reflects the “leadership qualities and self-understanding that [Fenn graduates] have already acquired,” and that Fenn “shares and helps to teach the core values of our CCHS program: Commitment, Teamwork, Sportsmanship, and Growth. It is a natural transition and kids from Fenn have the foundation to excel in our program.”

It was dangerous for Ana Martinez to walk to school. Her parents told her not to talk to anyone or she could be jailed or killed for what she said. Even whispering was dangerous. Ana lived under Communism in Cuba and speaking against the government was forbidden. Soldiers carrying machine guns roamed the streets. Ana remembers their shoes going clack clack as they marched along the concrete sidewalks and she could hear the rumble of tanks in the distance. Gunshots would ring out, and Ana, who was only six, was terrified.

Ana, who immigrated to the U.S. (first Miami, then New York) from Cuba in 1963, is the mother of Nico Martinez, a Fenn seventh grader. He chose to tell her story for his Cultural Heritage Project this spring. Standing in front of his display board in the gym, Nico told visitors about life in Cuba under Fidel Castro, when Castro staged a revolution against Batista. He spoke about the horrors of living under Communism, the people who were killed for speaking up against the government, and the Cubans who were driven out of their country, including his mom and her family. Ana, he said, remembers food shortages and having a Communist kindergarten teacher around whom she needed to be very careful. She remembers how stressful and frightening life was for her family.

Ana was one of the lucky ones; her family believed in education and wanted Ana and her sister to go to college, which they did. Ana M. Martínez Alemán is now a professor of higher education at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. 

At Fenn, the Cultural Heritage Project is a highlight of the seventh grade year. Students are asked to select a relative or ancestor to profile. They conduct research on these individuals, who may have worked hard at their trades to overcome challenges, served their countries with courage and distinction, published books, invented products, run businesses, or immigrated to America for a better life, among a wide range of achievements and life experiences. Among their resources are the New England Genealogical Society and www.Ancestry.com. Each boy writes a paper, creates a display, and prepares a presentation for the exhibit.

The boys do much of their work during their Integrated Studies classes, and their teachers say the project helps them practice important organizational skills, such as managing a calendar and chipping away at a complex task, and leads them to discover sometimes surprising facts about their subjects.

Other individuals profiled this year include an artist, athlete, designer, military veterans, an inventor, and a 17^th century gem merchant. An exhibit of the projects was held Thursday night, May 5, for family members; the following morning Fenn grandparents and “grandfriends” attended classes and an assembly for the School's annual Grandparents' Day.  

The ninth grade class and many eighth graders move on from Fenn in June and spread out in all directions a few months later, attending a variety of secondary schools in the area. For one or two boys, the distance will be much further. Patrick Romeri is heading to Bradenton, Florida, to pursue his passion for baseball while attending IMG Academy, where there are more than twenty sports fields and a 5000-seat state-of-the-art stadium.

But along with the anticipation of an exciting move is the fear of having to make new friends and get used to new surroundings, a new school, and a very different part of the United States, where what we consider spring and summer weather dominates most of the year. “I’ll miss where I grew up,” Patrick said in his Senior Reflection, “and I’ll miss Fenn, which has been a good influence on me.” However, “we all have to accept change in our lives,” he added.

Though Patrick played football and basketball during his six years at Fenn, baseball has always been his favorite sport. A third baseman, Patrick eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. His room is decorated with “tons of sports memorabilia,” he said in an interview after his reflection, including autographed photos of famous players and his baseball card collection.

When he’s not in a Fenn uniform, he is playing for the Southern California National Tournament Team, SoCalNTT. He was selected for the team to play in four tournaments this summer and will play in the USA Baseball National Championship in Jupiter, FL, followed by three tournaments in Georgia in July. When he is able, Patrick also plays for the Triple Crown Kings of the New England Elite Baseball League. 

Patrick, who believes baseball is “more a mental than a physical game,” follows particular players more than the teams for which they play. Giancarlo Cruz Michael Stanton, a right fielder for the Miami Marlins, is one of his favorites.

At Fenn, Patrick, whose younger brother, Niti, is a Fenn sixth grader, was a member of the Youth in Philanthropy group and is a Big Brother to a Lower School boy who likes to play football with Patrick on the turf. Patrick’s favorite class is Latin, in part because “We have such a good time,” he said with a smile. Patrick has four older sisters and one older brother, and the family has two Cocker spaniels, Hollis and Harvey.

Patrick says he will miss his Fenn friends, some of whom he has had for six years. One of his favorite Fenn memories is the “mud football game”—it had rained earlier—that took place when he was in Ben Smith’s fourth grade class. “Everyone was dirty,” he recalled. “It was so much fun.” 

Varsity Tennis

Varsity tennis scored a solid 9-1 victory over Boston College High School on May 11 to move to 7-1 on the season. Highlights were provided by the doubles play of George von Weise, Peter Nelson, Max Steinert, and Matt Kirkman, who swept all four doubles matches. In rain-soaked conditions on May 4, Fenn faced a Fessenden School team that had defeated them earlier in the season. Coach Rob Morrison’s team emerged with a 4-2 win, securing its first victory over Fessenden since prior to 2000. Sam Barton (#2), Aidan Dove (#3), Tad Scheibe (#4), and Chris Davis (#6) all won closely fought matches in Newton. Scheibe and Alex Brown teamed up in doubles and dominated their match until rain made the courts unplayable. 

The annual trip to the clay courts of the Hillside School on May 6 were threatened by spring showers, but the match was played in a small period of window of dry skies. Fenn had difficulty adjusting to the surface, but #1 Ethan Bondick played his top match of the season, winning 8-3, to avenge a tough loss from last season. Seventh grader Sammy Agrawal paired up with two different partners to win both of his doubles matches, helping to secure the 5-3 victory.

 Up Next:  Fenn treks to St. Sebastian’s on May 13.

 JV Tennis

Fenn’s JV tennis team defeated an under-manned but determined Rivers School squad on May 11 at Maynard High School, topping the Red Wings 5-3 on the first truly hot afternoon of the spring season. The Rivers lineup reflected a broad range of tennis experience, including several fit, capable athletes who played both singles and doubles. Their first and third singles players had spent upward of 90 minutes in the sun by the time they concluded their well-deserved victories over Sammy Agrawal (6-2) and James Ewing (6-4), respectively. Brendan Regenauer (a 6-3 winner at #2) and William Okurowski (a speedy 6-0 winner at #4) evened the singles results for Fenn, however, so the favorable outcomes in three of the four doubles matches provided the decisive advantage.

Charles Brookby and Miles Berry claimed the #1 Doubles match, 6-3, by gradually finding opportunities on the backhand side of Rivers’ top pairing. This match might easily have tilted the other way, which would have altered the overall outcome notably, but Berry and Brookby played aggressively and committed very few errors.  At #2 Doubles, Sawyer MacDonald and Julian Yang battled gamely for 45 minutes to reach a 4-4 score before dropping the ninth and tenth games of their 6-4 set. The third and fourth doubles contests pitted veteran Fenn 8^th graders against somewhat less experienced opponents. Peter Blau and Lucian Sharpe won, 6-1, at #3, and Tim First and Henry Patton did the same at #4.

On May 9, JV tennis reversed its fortunes against perennial powerhouse Shady Hill School, recording a methodical 7-1 victory at College Road that halted a three-year run of shutout losses to the blue-and-gold clad visitors from Cambridge. Several of Fenn’s top singles players were rested for the day, yet the team’s deep roster still presented a stiff challenge at each position in the lineup.

Doubles play proceeded quickly, with Alex Natalizio/Miles Berry at #1, and Julian Yang/Sawyer MacDonald at #3, bolting to speedy victories. Natalizio and Berry won at love, while Yang and MacDonald broke serve twice on their way to a 6-1 edge. Shortly thereafter, Lucian Sharpe and Owen Heaton closed out a decisive 6-1 set at #2 Doubles. In the fourth doubles match, Charlie Hutchinson served quite well and, alongside Jefferson Veillard, fought off enough tough serves from Shady Hill’s opposing pair to notch a 6-3 win. 

Fenn captain Charles Brookby’s firm groundstrokes handcuffed a spunky but slightly built Shady Hill boy at #4 Singles, and he cruised, 6-1, despite a handful of errant volleys on a windy afternoon. James Ewing earned a similar result at #3 Singles, playing patiently, calmly and tactically. Hank Parker ran into a plucky puncher at #2, who hit accurately from her baseline and forced a number of errors on overheads and volleys.  She eventually earned Shady Hill’s lone victory for the day, edging Parker, 6-4.  In the top singles match, Sammy Agrawal worked his way around Shady’s big, strong #1, relying on terrific shot placement and a reliable backhand to offset his disadvantages in reach and power. He fashioned a 6-2 scoreline.

On May 6, Pike School’s spirited, well-coached co-ed tennis squad returned to Annursnac Hill in Concord for a match against Fenn’s JV team. The scores tilted Fenn's way at each position in the ladder, much as they did in April, but there were no long faces, nor any particular frustrations, among Pike’s athletes. They approached the match with a spunky, upbeat, friendly manner, and to all observers, the play on the courts reflected what is most important in independent school athletics -- honest effort, respectful competition, and superb sportsmanship. 

Charlie Hutchinson and Conrad Krapf picked up a time-shortened 4-2 decision at #4 Doubles, their first-ever victories in Fenn tennis jerseys. Henry Patton partnered with Tim First at #3 Doubles, while Peter Blau teamed with Owen Heaton at #2, and both pairings nailed down methodical 6-1 victories. Alex Natalizio and Miles Berry won five of their six games at love, swiftly posting a 6-0 win at #1 Doubles. Much to their credit, all eight of these Fenn boys played with admirable sportsmanship against their less-experienced opponents.

Hank Parker drew the toughest matchup of the afternoon, falling into an early 3-1 hole against a peppy slugger at #2 Singles. He approached the net with more confidence as the match progressed, and in a tightly contested tiebreaker, his volleys and overheads made the difference.  He worked hard to snare the 7-6 (9-7) outcome. Additional singles results were credited to James Ewing (6-1 at #1), William Okurowski (6-0 at #3), and Charles Brookby (6-1 at #4). Alex Natalizio volunteered to play an unexpected fifth singles pairing after his doubles match concluded, and he served confidently on his way to a 6-0 tally. Fenn’s 9-0 sweep advanced its record to four wins and a draw in the first five matches of the season.

Coming Up: Fenn hosts Fay School on May 18.

Varsity Baseball

Varsity baseball hosted Hillside School on May 11 under picturesque sunny skies which spotlighted the diamond, but the hometown boys’ outlook quickly was dimmed by an 11-2 loss. Seventh grader Nico Martinez and ninth grader Patrick Romeri notched the only two Fenn hits in the ballgame. Runs were scored by Romeri and Ben Carbeau.  Fenn used three pitchers who tried their best to quiet the Hillside hitters: Tyden Wilson, Eoin Morrisey and Carbeau, yet several fielding errors hurt Fenn’s ability to keep the hard-hitting Hillside players at bay.

On May 6 in Newton, Fenn suffered a 7-4 loss to Fessenden School. Fenn received very good pitching from Lucas Lisman and Patrick Romeri, who mixed their fastballs with off-speed pitches. Again, fielding errors led to opponent’s runs. Offensively, Tyden Wilson and Patrick Romeri each connected on lined shots for Fenn doubles. Fenn loaded the bases with the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the 7^th, but was forced into hitting a ground ball to first base for the final out.

On deck: Fenn hosts St. John’s Prep on May 13.

JV Baseball:

JV baseball traveled to Landmark School on May 9 and trounced the home team, 14-2.

The sunny skies were a beautiful backdrop to four solid innings on the mound for Charlie Cribb. Fenn bats were quiet during the first two innings, but came alive in the third and fourth innings. With two out, Sean Okpoebo stepped up and smashed a towering hit over the centerfielder, driving in three runs. Fenn demonstrated great teamwork all day in the field, stretching its unbeaten streak to three games. 

Next up: Fenn plays Landmark on May 12. 

Varsity Lacrosse

Varsity lacrosse has reversed fortunes. After a pair of 6-3 victories over Park School and Shore Country Day School late in April and early in May, Fenn has dropped the last two contests. Fenn surrendered an 8-2 loss at Fessenden School on May 6 and fell to St. Sebastian’s in front of the home crowd on May 11 by a 9-6 score.

Coming up: Fenn hosts Milton Academy on May 13.

Track and Field

Track and field is enjoying another successful season. The boys in blue-and-gold scored a 50-18 victory on May 4 at Belmont Day. The team then traveled to Hillside School on May 6 and beat Hillside, 40-31. Nativity School had two points in that meet. 

Next up: Fenn hosts Boston College and Meadowbrook on the Monument Street course on May 13.

“We were able to make something not just to make it, but to have it serve a purpose and be helpful.”

“I learned a lot about saving energy!”

 “It was a big effort to make a small change, but it is a piece of the bigger puzzle.”

“This has been a really awesome project!”

These Middle School boys are talking about a project they have been working on since last fall, one that called on their electrical, mechanical, and mathematical skills and which will make a difference at Fenn by helping to save electricity. Under the guidance of Cameren Cousins and Pauline MacLellan, the boys are putting the finishing touches on a mobile solar iPad charger.

The project began as a conversation between Cameren and Pauline last fall. “What if we offered an afterschool session for middle schoolers to build simple iPhone chargers from a kit?” they wondered. That evening, Pauline received an email about a meeting at the Watertown Public Library’s makerspace, Hatch, about their efforts to organize a group to build a solar powered iPhone charging bench. Pauline realized this would be an even better project, “and much more complex,” she said, than building some small and simple chargers, and Cameren agreed.

In their initial pitch at All School Meeting, Cameren pointed out that it requires forty-eight watt-hours to fully charge an iPad, and if you charge the device three times a week, that’s 144 watt hours, or Whs. Over the course of the year, that’s more than five kilowatt hours, or kWhs—to charge one iPad. And some 333 iPads are in use at Fenn.

About fifteen boys expressed interest and the group began meeting twice a week after school. There was no kit and no firm picture of what the finished product would look like, or exactly how the group would accomplish it, Pauline notes. And no plans or project descriptions from which they could borrow.

“From the electronics to the engineering to the construction,” Pauline says, “this has been a rich learning experience for all of us. We gave the boys a great deal of voice and choice in the project, working to help them understand the larger issues, the electrical circuitry, and the basic skills they needed.” The boys had to work on their communication and collaboration skills and “they built empathy for the issue by surveying users and met with Dave Dipersio, head of buildings and grounds, and Dave Platt, assistant headmaster for finance and operations, to gain approval for the project. They built prototypes and models, pitched ideas, and had fun!” she adds.

The group decided that using a commercial garden wagon would be easier and more straightforward than building a cart from scratch, Pauline says, so they bought a kit and built a bright yellow wagon. She describes the rest of the process this way: The boys had to figure out how to attach a solar panel to the wagon, how to do all of the wiring, what gauge wire to get, and how to build waterproof plugs from a kit that would allow for unhooking the battery and bringing it inside. Then they had to design and build the inside charging station that will live in the library. They took apart a car charger with four ports and then retrofitted/hacked it to make it work, as it had built-in step-down software/hardware. Then they had to figure out how to connect all of this and to wire it to connect to the battery. There was lots of electrical engineering and understanding of circuits, volts/watts, soldering, and measuring current.

Sue Fisher, who while at Fenn assisted Pauline with developing makerspace activities and is now at Meadowbrook as a technology integrationist, cut the Plexiglas pieces for the clear box that holds the charging station electronics as Fenn’s laser cutter will not arrive until fall.  

On Grandparents Day, the team displayed the solar charger cart in Ward Hall and described the process. In a later interview with the boys, their excitement about participating in the project was palpable and each of their comments bore an exclamation point as they vied to offer their perspectives on the experience.  

“Climate change is having an affect now! All of the warning bells are going off!” declared Will Skelly. But what impressed him the most was that, “Some people in our generation get an idea and they’re all excited but they don’t follow through with it to make a difference. But we did! We made it happen!”

If School President Andrew Metellus could leave a legacy to Fenn, it would be, he said, “that I was nice to everyone.” For his Senior Reflection Andrew chose to speak about friendship, and his actions were just as loud as his words. He called up every one of his ninth grade classmates and performed an elaborate handshake that the two had rehearsed, and then had all of them sit on the edge of the stage while he spoke.

“I wanted to show the kind of chemistry we have,” said Andrew of his twenty-four “brothers.” He asked the crowd in the hall to reflect on the importance of having, and being, a friend.

In an interview after his reflection, Andrew said that over his six years at Fenn he wasn’t always outgoing. When he arrived, having come from a school in Waltham, he “knew no one” and had to make friends. As time passed, he realized that he had much in common with many boys, including favorite games and TV shows. Andrew became a Peer Advocate in fifth grade and joined the Diversity Committee in sixth, and he values both experiences for helping to build his confidence and providing him with opportunities for sharing his opinions and helping others.

“I’m grateful to know I have a voice and that I can represent the voices of other people,” Andrew said. He confided that it is a heady experience to “see the faces of fourth graders looking up at me each Friday when I run All School Meeting, as if I am an authority figure. It is crazy!” Andrew likes the idea of being “a bridge” between students and administration, though he quickly learned what all leaders do, he said—that representing a constituency can be challenging.

When he and his vice president, Colin Cunningham, “had a good idea and couldn’t make it happen because there wasn’t enough time or money to do it, or we couldn’t get approval, we’d have to listen to cries of ‘You promised!’ from students,” he said.  But he is proud of what they did accomplish, including providing the Panini maker for which older students had clamored, and more important, for the tone they set—one of good humor and comraderie. Andrew said his Fenn experience might lead to other leadership possibilities as he moves on to high school at Arlington Catholic.

“Helping other people is the priority in my life,” Andrew declared. “Everyone has a choice: to be unsupportive of others or to be nice. I go down the path of niceness.” He is known for the way he supports his fellow ninth graders when they offer their Senior Reflections—he even stayed nearby, sitting on the stage behind a particularly nervous classmate.

“It’s funny to think of myself back when I arrived at Fenn,” Andrew said. “How awkward I was at first. I was so quiet; I barely talked. Every Friday when I get up and stand in front of the hall, I think, ‘Here I am—a guy you would never expect to be doing this.’ It’s a good feeling.” Speaking in front of a crowd has gotten easier, he said, in part because he always tells himself, “What’s the worst that can happen?” And when “the worst” does, such as when he occasionally forgets the closing reflection he had planned, he laughs, ever good-natured, as he searches mentally for the answer.    

Andrew played football, basketball, and baseball at Fenn, and served as a Big Brother to a Lower School boy; they enjoyed playing basketball, gym soccer, or board games. Science is one of Andrew’s favorite subjects as he feels that it will help him the most as he continues his education. In his free time he likes to relax with his family, which includes his younger brother, McCliff, who is a Fenn sixth grader, and his older sister, Jenny. They watch TV (he’s keen on animated shows) and enjoy going to the beach in the summer.

Andrew can hardly believe his last of six years at school is coming to a close. What will he miss most about being a Fenn boy? “I’ll miss the people who brought me to where I am today,” he declared.

VARSITY TENNIS

It’s tourney time! Fenn’s top four varsity singles players each were victorious in opening matches on May 21 in the Fessenden Tennis Tournament. Tad Scheibe won six straight games to defeat the Fay #1 player, 6-3.  Sam Barton also rolled through an impressive first round match. In the second round, all four Fenn players faced opponents from their traditional rivals from Fessenden. Ethan Bondick easily won his second straight 6-0 match. Aidan Dove defeated his Fessenden counterpart and then trounced the Roxbury Latin #1 to earn a spot in the semifinals. Bondick and Dove each lost tight matches to Eaglebrook athletes in the semifinals to finish the day, but the team earned second place in the eight team tournament, capping Fenn’s most successful season in the last two decades. 

Fenn’s varsity tennis team concluded its regular season on May 20 with a convincing 7-0 sweep of Roxbury Latin. The serve and volley play of the #1 Doubles pair of Alex Brown and Chris Davis was one of the highlights of the day. Aidan Dove also won to remain undefeated on the season. Coach Rob Morrison’s team finished the regular season with an impressive 10-1 record.    

JV TENNIS

Strong performances from 7^th graders Brendan Regenauer and William Okurowski, who played both singles and doubles, enabled Fenn’s JV tennis team to salvage a 4-4 draw against Fessenden’s well trained, sporting JV squad on May 19 in West Newton. Regenauer built an early 4-0 lead in his #1 Singles match, then scrambled fairly hard to preserve his advantage against Fessy’s resilient top gun. It took nearly an hour for Regenauer to secure his 7-5 decision. He returned to the court just five minutes later to join Okurowski, who was well rested after sprinting to a 6-2 win at #4 Singles, for their encore performances in the #1 Doubles match.  Though their Fessenden counterparts were working on fresh legs, Regenauer and Okurowski were the stronger pair overall, and they claimed a 6-2 victory. 

Sammy Agrawal methodically, precisely, patiently, and cheerfully dismantled Fessenden’s tall, fit #2, who hit strong forehands when he was well positioned but was a bit weaker on the backhand and on the approach. Agrawal won that match 6-2, demonstrating excellent command of his strokes and savvy shot selection.

Fessenden earned fair-and-square victories at Third Singles and the lower three Doubles pairings.  Thus, these well-matched opponents closed their rivalry for the 2016 season with two ties on the books.

With no time to rest, the team played its third match in as many days on May 20, taking on Xaverian Brothers’ Middle School at Annursnac. Several spunky, well-disciplined boys took the court twice for the nine-man Hawks squad, but all of the results were nearly the same. Fenn won seven of the eight matches, dropping just a game or two in most of the pairings. Xaverian’s lone win came at #4 Doubles, where their decent service proved strong enough to keep Charlie Hutchinson and Henry Patton on their heels.  Elsewhere in the doubles ladder, Fenn pairs were winners at #3 (Lucian Sharpe and Peter Blau, 6-2), #2 (Alex Natalizio and Miles Berry, 6-1), and #1 (Charles Brookby and William Okurowski, 6-0).

Singles play featured Hank Parker at #4 (6-1 victory), James Ewing at #3 (6-2), Sammy Agrawal at #2 (6-0), and Brendan Regenauer at #1 (6-4).

On May 23, Hillside School's capable varsity tennis team, which dropped a close 5-3 decision to Fenn's varsity squad in Marlborough in early May, trekked to Concord to take on Fenn's junior varsity. In an exceedingly sporting gesture, Hillside's coach agreed to rest his top three singles players -- all solid varsity-level hitters -- for the afternoon, in a sincere effort to set up balanced competition. As a result, nearly every match was closely contested, and each player on both teams could approach the court with the genuine prospect of winning a few games against an evenly matched opponent. Kudos to Coach McCarthy and the Hillside boys for their sportsmanship!

At every position, Fenn's boys played their best tennis of the season. At #1 Singles, Brendan Regenauer played powerfully and with intense focus. His serve was very sharp, and his groundstrokes were nearly error-free. It was not an easy match, but he worked his way to a couple of service breaks and won 6-1. Sammy Agrawal nailed down a second victory at #2, playing with remarkable precision against a tall, experienced boy with a strong first serve. Sammy responded with an uncannily accurate service return that constantly shifted his opponent toward the alleys, and he kept him chasing, rally after rally, until he had secured a 6-3 score line. Patience was the watchword for James Ewing at #3. He prevailed, 7-5, primarily by avoiding the temptation to overplay his groundstrokes or approach too quickly. Straightforward baseline play eventually forced errors on the other side of the net. Hank Parker ran into a buzz saw at #4 Singles, where Hillside's hard-hitting hustler banged out a solid 6-2 victory for the visitors.

Hillside also claimed one victory at doubles, but three more of the pairings tilted Fenn's way. Charles Brookby and William Okurowski teamed up for a lengthy battle at #1, yielding a handful of games before finishing off a 7-5 match with strong net play. Alex Natalizio and Miles Berry settled into a fine rhythm at #2, demonstrating better control of their volleys and overheads and consistently holding serve for a 6-3 win. Lucian Sharpe and Sawyer MacDonald had the upper hand at #3, winning 6-2. Tim First's and Peter Blau's opponents at #4 played with surprising power, delivering hard serves and punchy volleys that enabled them to stay ahead of First and Blau in a handful of close games.  Fenn took the match, 6-2, to remain undefeated on the season.

On May 25, Fenn’s JV Tennis team closed the 2016 season with a tightly contested loss to Belmont Hill School at the Doyle Memorial sports complex in Belmont. Singles play was especially close, with nearly every game on every court going to 40-30 or 40-all before someone claimed the decisive fourth point under the no-ad scoring system.  Fenn and Belmont split the four singles matches, with Sammy Agrawal administering another of his classic takedowns of a big gunner at #2, (6-2), and Hank Parker digging deep to carve out a 6-4 edge at #4.  Brendan Regenauer (#1) and James Ewing (#3) played strong tennis against capable opponents but may have needed more aggressive shot selection to overcome their mobile, confident Belmont counterparts.

Doubles matches followed the singles and featured a great many more close games, yet Belmont Hill collected all four of the decisions. Charles Brookby and William Okurowski faced a pair of rangy six-footers at #1. The tall but nimble Belmont boys had big first serves and deadly overheads, and they were very difficult to pass. They tallied a 6-3 win. Alex Natalizio and Miles Brady took their #2 Doubles match into a tiebreaker after an early lead melted away, and they came within a couple of points of saving the set.  A small handful of rallies in certain games might have tipped the balance for them, and they handled the competitive matchup with sporting determination.  Julian Yang and Sawyer MacDonald (3^rd Doubles) and Peter Blau and Owen Heaton (4^thDoubles) also chipped in their best shots for Fenn.

Belmont’s 6-2 victory in this season finale closes Fenn’s record at eight wins, three draws and one loss.

VARSITY BASEBALL

Fennway Park on Monument Street was the site of the Fenn Baseball Tournament on May 21. In the opening game, Fenn’s varsity faced off against Fessenden. Lucas Lisman pitched an outstanding game for Fenn, allowing only two hits. Yet those were hits that counted in a big way, as one was a solo homer in the first inning, and the other a two run homer in the top of the fourth. Meanwhile, the Fessenden pitcher held Fenn at bay with a no-hitter. Fenn did have a few runners reach third base on errors, but could not bring the runners over the plate in the 3-0 defeat.

In game two of the tourney, Fenn bats came alive as the host team trounced Shore, 9-1.  Fenn’s defense played error-free baseball to take the consolation match and a third place finish. In the other games, defending champion Fay beat Shore, 4-3, to advance to the final against Fessenden.  Fay held a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but Fessenden rallied for two runs for a 4-3 walk off championship win.

On May 25, the team closed out the regular season by hosting Shore Country Day School. Lucas Lisman struck out thirteen batters on route to a complete game two-hitter and this time around the hits only were singles. Lisman was masterful in mixing a two-seam fastball with a curveball, and offensively, he also added an RBI. Patrick Romeri also picked up an RBI and scored a run. Colin Cunningham and Nick Beck scored for Fenn, as well. Eoin Morrissey added a gem of a running sliding catch in right field foul territory to retire the third out with runners on second and third base as Fenn won, 3-1. The victory brings Fenn’s varsity baseball team’s final regular season record to 6-3 outside of tournament play. 

JV BASEBALL

On May 23, Fenn’s JV baseball team hosted Worcester Academy, a team that hit well and played strong in the field, as evidenced by the 13-0 final. Fenn had fine pitching and a few hits, but overall looked a little tired on the warm spring afternoon.  Highlights for Fenn on the day included a nice catch in the outfield by Jimmy Kaldi, as well as solid play at first base by Edward Myers-Rafferty.  Myers-Rafferty also notched one of Fenn’s few base hits on the day. Will Dean contributed offensively with a double.

VARSITY LACROSSE

Fenn’s varsity lacrosse team won an overtime thriller against Indian Mountain on May 21 to take third place in the six-team Fenn Lacrosse Tourney at Reynolds Field.  Welles Hatch, Fenn’s long stick middie, was honored with the Tourney’s Outstanding Defensive Player Award. Hatch was key in winning many face-offs, shutting down the opposition’s top players, and controlling the midfield. Fessenden took home the tourney championship, while Hillside finished in second place.

On May 25, Fenn travelled to Fay School in Southborough for the last game of the season.  Despite a valiant effort, Fenn was edged, 7-6, by Fay.  

 TRACK AND FIELD

Fenn participated in the annual Hillside Jamboree on May 21, competing against the brightest and fastest stars in junior school track and field this year. Fenn’s Kyle Roshankish took home three bronze medals. He took third in the long jump and the 200-meter and was a member of the bronze medal-winning Fenn 4 x 100-relay team. Other members of the 4 x 100 relay include Abhinav Tadikonda, Owen Johnson, and Matt Sanders.  Congratulations to the Fenn foursome on capturing bronze!  Fenn athletes also placed in four other events at the highly competitive Jamboree. Tadikonda and Roshankish placed in the 100 meter, Tadikonda placed in the 200 meter, and Matt Sanders placed in the pentathlon. As a team, Fenn finished fifth in the twelve-team Jamboree, with Fessenden taking the title and Eaglebrook earning second place.

On May 25, Fenn hosted the annual Fenn Relays on the Monument Street course, hosting over 200 athletes from nine boys and girls teams. Fenn won the shuttle hurdles, and placed second in the long jump relay, the high jump relay, the 4 x 100 relay, and the 4 x 200 relay. Fessenden won the overall meet, while second place was very close with Boston College High School (55 points) just getting by Fenn (54 points) and Fay (53 points).

Overall this year, it was a great season for Fenn’s track and field team, both as a team and for the individual athletes. Fenn’s record in dual and tri-meets and quad-meets was fifteen wins against just three losses.  Additionally, Fenn athletes set or tied several school records, including Kyle Roshankish in the 200 m (24.86 seconds), Abhinav Tadikonda in the 100 m (11.9 seconds), and the 4 x 100 relay of Tadikonda, Roshankish, Owen Johnson, and Matt Sanders (1 minute, 44.6 seconds). 

Congratulations to all Fenn athletes!

“It should come as no surprise to those of you who know him well,” said ninth grader Tad Scheibe, who stood at the front of Ward Hall with his classmates during this spring’s final All School Meeting to announce the dedication of the 2015-2016 yearbook. But the news did come as a surprise, and a very nice one, to the recipient, Peter Bradley—for many years a Fenn math teacher, varsity basketball coach, and administrator for school services. In the introduction to the yearbook, the Class of 2016 describes Peter as “thoughtful, kind, and in his own way, very humorous.”

“Mr. Bradley is a planner,” the dedication reads in part. “He always comes to class ready to impart his knowledge of math and he is always willing to take the time to make sure we all understand the challenge at hand…Without Mr. Bradley, the school would literally be chaos,” the dedication continues, referring to this year’s change from a five-day schedule to the current A-G rotation. “Mr. Bradley led us through. Without him we wouldn’t know what day it was or if we were on an assembly schedule or not.”

The dedication included a nod to Peter as Fenn’s varsity basketball coach and concluded with the line, “Mr. Bradley is always there for us.”

The yearbook cover is decorated with artwork by several Upper School boys, and includes the Fenn sign, the Sua Sponte banner, the four Fenn core values, and sketches of campus buildings.