School News

Congratulations to the Class of 2010!

The Woodhall School's 27th Annual Convocation and Graduation

The Woodhall School celebrated its largest Senior class of thirteen graduates on June 5th, at a moving ceremony in the Abigail J. Woodhall Theater.

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Haiti Relief Lunch

Everyone at The Woodhall School has been shocked and saddened by the images and stories of the disastrous earthquake, which recently devastated Haiti. Students and faculty alike have followed the story closely and have been inspired to take steps to help those in need. Members of the community have donated generously to a fund to support disaster relief. With the leadership of Chef Griffith, the entire school community agreed to occasionally forgo the delicious food he regularly prepares for us in favor of rice and beans, with the money saved to go to disaster relef. Thanks to the fund raising and to the rice and beans meals, The Woodhall School community has raised over $1000.00 to date for disaster relief in Haiti. We are all gratified by the spirit of compassion these modest acts of generosity represent.

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Winter Play

Photo by Tony Sherer

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket. February 12 & 13, Friday & Saturday, 7:30PM. Admission is free. Please read all about it here.

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 Otis Taylor Concert

Photo by Gabe Michels

Critically acclaimed blues musician, Otis Taylor and his band performed and presented a history of blues to The Woodhall School community on January 23rd. The band consisted of Larry Thompson, drums; Nick Amodeo, bass; and special guest Chuck Campbell of the Campbell Brothers on pedal steel guitar. The concert was made possible through the generosity of Joe Kessler, floor manager for Otis Taylor and father of A.J. Kessler '10.

Students and teachers had an opportunity to reflect upon and express with musical accompaniment, what the blues meant to them. Otis Taylor also explained the history of the art form, which is rooted in the experience of African-Americans and slavery. In addition to interactive, call-and-response songs with the audience, the Otis Taylor Band played Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe" among other blues classics. Martin Lewis '12, had the chance to play with Chuck Campbell, a recipient of the 2004 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, during an extended pedal steel guitar solo. "It's different than anything I've ever done. I wish I could've played for longer," Lewis said. By the end of the concert, Otis had the entire school community out of their seats, singing and dancing. After the concert, Otis Taylor and his band members were very generous with their time, answering the many questions of students and teachers. After lunch, the band members and Mr. Kessler enjoyed a pick-up game with the basketball team. Otis Taylor and his band joining our community for a day marked one of the highlights of the school year.

Along with appearances in five music magazines this month, Otis Taylor has garnered significant accolades. Out of 9000 albums reviewed by Blues Revue magazine, two of his albums are listed in the Top 25 blues albums of the decade. His music has been used on American Idol and was featured in the film Public Enemies, and Downbeat magazine recently named his album Recapturing the Banjo as one of the top albums of the decade. More information on Otis Taylor and his music is available at www.otistaylor.com.

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FCD Program

As part of our health education program and ongoing commitment to help our students make appropriate choices for healthy living, we invited Mr. George Brown from Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) to join our community for four days. FCD is a non-profit organization based in Needham, Massachusetts that provides alcohol, tobacco and other drug education for schools and colleges in the United States and abroad. Since 1976, they have taught over a million students of all ages. Their mission is to:

• Provide educational communities with the guidance and training necessary to implement comprehensive, effective approaches to substance abuse prevention.
• Educate students, parents, teachers and school administrators on the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol and other drugs.
• Promote awareness of drug addiction, including alcoholism, as a progressive, chronic, and often fatal disease.
• Teach students and adults how to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to intervene appropriately.
• Empower young people to make healthy, responsible choices regarding alcohol and other drug use.
• Encourage and support the non-use of alcohol and other illegal or illicit drugs during the growing years.

FCD educators are highly trained health professionals who have achieved long-term recovery from alcohol and/or other drug addictions. This unique "I've been there" perspective not only enhances the credibility of their message, but provides students with role models for happy, healthy, drug-free living. Having experienced the destructive effects of chemical dependency, FCD instructors teach from the heart. Their work is not merely a job. It is a calling of primary importance carried out with honesty, compassion and care.

Mr. Brown was at the school from January 18th through the 21st to offer our students a four day seminar. Each student was in an hour-long seminar with Mr. Brown each day. This program has always been a valuable educational opportunity for our school community. In the past, students have commented on their openess to this more positive approach to education around substance abuse issues.

-Dr. Seefried

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Dr. Seefried Judges Teen Golfers at
The First Tee Selection Qualifier

The World Golf Foundation created The First Tee organization as a charitable youth initiative aimed at promoting character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Since its inception in November, 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.9 million participants throughout the world.

Each year First Tee participants compete in the annual WalMart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links over Labor Day weekend. This is an official Champions Tour Tournament that is covered on The Golf Channel.

From July 7 to 11 our Dr. Carl Seefied, Dean of Faculty, was a judge for selecting the girls in the Qualifier Event at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire. This year 39 girls from The First Tee chapters across the country vied for 22 spots to golf with the Senior Tour player. A similar qualifying event for boys occurs in Rogers Arkansas. The First Tee selection process recognizes participants that have integrated life skills learned through The First Tee program into other aspects of their lives. The girls were evaluated on and off the golf course through a series of interviews, essays and a 36-hole golf proficiency event. Performance in community service activities and letters of recommendation were also a part of the judging.

A highlight for the participants was a visit by former President George H. W. Bush, Honorary Chairman of The First Tee since 1997. Former First Lady Barbara Bush and granddaughter Jenna Bush also attended and enjoyed lunch and interactions with the participants.

 The Woodhall School Receives Halo Award for Best Play

Each Spring the 7 Angels Theatre, in Waterbury, Ct, awards its Halo Awards to area school drama productions.
This year the nominees were for 37 productions from 22 schools.
The Woodhall School was nominated for 6 awards for our Winter Term production of Stage Blood, by Robert Ludlam: Best Play, Best Male Actor in a Play, Best Female Actor in a Play, Best Lighting, Best Sound, and Best Stage Management.

Congratulations to the cast and crew!