Around the sundial

By Jane Cummings, Director of Development

JANUARY Staff arriving home from vacation found that Mussoorie was experiencing an unusually warm winter, with daytime temperatures high enough for shirtsleeves. This kind of weather continued throughout the month with unusually clear skies and sunshine and little need for heating in the houses, which was a welcome relief to returning staff. The downside was the lack of rain, and, by mid-February, Uttaranchal state leaders were calling for the declaration of a drought, as only a few millimeters of precipitation had been measured since September.

FEBRUARY The staff retreat to kick off the new semester focused on the use of technology in education. Woodstock, already known as the "techiest" school in India, commissioned guest speaker and Winterline Scholar in Residence, Doug Pratt, to survey and assess Woodstock's use of technology and make recommendations on how Woodstock could create a more effective and efficient learning environment. The paths from the residences up to the classrooms were soon filled with chattering students becoming reacquainted with their friends. For Grades 10 and 12 students, the first two weeks of school were taken up with mock (practice) IGCSE and AP examinations.

MARCH As rhododendrons blossomed, heralding the beginning of spring, there were two significant events at Woodstock. The first was a special assembly to honor the three alumni who had been elected to the Distinguished Alumni Honor Roll in 2005. Dick Brown '58, Marty Alter Chen '60, and Gerry Williams '42 were all on campus during the spring meeting of the Woodstock School Board of Directors. During special workshops, classes, and an assembly, the staff, students, and board members were able to learn of the contributions, skills, and achievements of these distinguished Woodstock alumni. Later in the month, cross-cultural trainer Ruth Van Reken joined us for a series of workshops for staff and students, looking at how it feels to be a Third Culture Kid and transition issues. Elementary sports day, the High School Talent Show, and Big Brother-Big Sister Day rounded out the remainder of the month with fun activities.

APRIL The Middle School was in the spotlight during April with its Annual Science Fair and a rollicking presentation of "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat" in Parker Hall. The emphasis on music continued with an excellent Indian Music Concert. Another special event was the Seventh Annual Win Mumby Basketball Tournament. Eleven teams from local schools participated, and the Wellhams schools swept the board with victories for both their boys' and girls' teams. At the end of the month, the auction of a bat used by the "Little Master" in one of his Test appearances was the highlight of the annual Mela.

MAY After 35 weeks, with an average of 75 kilometers run each week and more than 35 children participating, the young runners of the Elementary Running Club collectively covered the final 82 km required to equal the distance from Mussoorie to the tip of India, at Kanyakumari, a staggering 2616 km. May is a month of farewells, as we began to bid good-bye to staff and students. At the final Chapel service of the year, departing staff shared their memories and final thoughts on their Woodstock experience. The STAR weekend (Senior Transition and Adjustment Retreat), organized jointly by the Guidance and Development departments, gave the senior class the chance to examine for themselves what Woodstock has meant to them, and to discuss some of the challenges they will face as college students.

JUNE June marks the end of the academic year with the seniors' graduation the main focus. Music concerts, final assemblies, and the departure of the rest of the students clear the way for the school to give full attention to celebrating the graduation of the Class of 2006. Their first event was the WOSA tea, which formally introduces them as members of the worldwide Woodstock community. This was followed by the Senior Recital, showcasing their considerable musical talents. On Thursday, the seniors, arrayed in a rainbow display of national costumes, were honored at the Baccalaureate Service. Commencement on Friday, a more formal yet joyful time, marked the traditional end of this phase of our students' lives, as they marched across Parker Hall to receive their diplomas. At this time, it is evident that Woodstock traditions never die, as staff, parents, and friends congratulate the seniors, who were lined up along the long "weeping walk" on the Parker Hall ramp. All too soon, it seems, the year has drawn to a close.

JULY Another school year began with New Staff Orientation Week. For the first time after my many years of association with Woodstock, I found myself a member of the Woodstock staff in my new role as Director of Development. I was among thirty-one new staff and volunteers who were warmly welcomed into the Woodstock community. After the New Staff Orientation, returning staff arrived for the staff retreat, which, in addition to team building exercises and banquets, involved a wide variety of professional development workshops. This year's leaders were St. Olaf education professors, Dan Forstner, Elizabeth Leer, and Bob McClure, educational psychologist Barbara Gard, and learning assistance teacher Janet Garrard. By the time the students arrived, we were all ready to go!

AUGUST Indian Independence Day is always celebrated with great enthusiasm at Woodstock, including a week of Indian cultural events leading up to August 15. This year, the Hanifl Center hosted a major photographic exhibition: "Re-presenting Indian Women 1875-1947: A Visual Documentary." There were also performances of a play, "Winds of Change," developed by the students of the Riverside School, Ahmedabad, with alumnus Tom Alter '68, which movingly portrayed India's struggle for independence. The end of the month saw forty high school students gathered at the Hanifl Center for a voluntary religious education retreat.

SEPTEMBER The fast pace of the fall semester continued into September, beginning with Big Brother-Big Sister Day, followed by the Inter-House Cross Country competition. The middle of the month was marked by music and feasting, starting with a special fundraising dinner and cabaret for the Oaktree Foundation, followed a week later by the Junior-Senior Banquet, which at times resembled a fashion show, with our elegantly decked out students, boys as well as girls. One of the bands that had displayed its extraordinary talents during a staff talent show earlier in the month was the popular choice of students to play live music at both of these special student events. At the inter-school cross country competition, held on the same day as the JSB, Woodstock achieved a first place in the junior girls' race and a second in the senior girls' race. More important, a number of other runners beat their personal best times. The month ended with a tragic, sad occasion, as the whole school community gathered for a memorial service for Bonnie Beth Crider Deyhle '98, who passed away unexpectedly from an undiagnosed heart condition in Goa, and was buried here in the Hillside Cemetery.

OCTOBER Music and sport were again features of this month. There was another opportunity for students to experience playing in front of an audience at the music recital, and then the school community was privileged to enjoy an energetic and informative piano concert by Sam Rotman. Sports came in the form of the Inter-House Sports Day, where the Merlins were the winners in the middle school, while the Eagles led the pack in high school. This was followed by the Inter-School Sports Day at Wynberg-Allen, which all participants and viewers will long remember as a bitterly cold, rainy, wet day. Woodstock achieved three first positions and a good number of second and third places. Later in October, Woodstock was honored by a visit from former US Ambassador Richard Celeste and his wife, Jacqueline, who gave inspiring talks at the high school and middle school assemblies. October also brought Activity Week, with nearly all of the students away from Woodstock and participating in interesting programs in the Punjab, Rajasthan, Dharamsala, Rajaji Park, and Agra or trekking up to Dodital and around Bandarpunch.

NOVEMBER The semester's drama production was "Twelve Angry Men"-a thoughtful play with good student performances and simple, effective staging, directed by Ben MacKenzie. Music was, as always, a feature of the month, with two evenings of performances by the orchestras, bands, and choirs, and a Rock Club concert in Parker Hall. Projects Manager Nigel Cooper took two of our contractor's skilled craftsmen for a week to Malavi where, along with Jimmy Carter, they helped build duplexes at a "Habitat for Humanity" project. A new Woodstock tradition was launched, as American Thanksgiving was, for the first time, shared with the entire staff and student body with a traditional lunch (baked chicken instead of turkey, yummy sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and several other delicious dishes) in the school cafeteria. Too soon, the Christmas season began with the Christmas Chapel and the advent service at Christ Church, at which our musicians played a major part.

DECEMBER The semester rushed toward its conclusion in December with more Christmas events, such as a breakfast and carol-singing for the middle school and the Santa breakfast, when the dining room was turned into a veritable fantasy grotto for the elementary school's farewell event of the season. The last event of Drama Weekend: Twelve Angry Men Mohamed Talzeen and Mohamed Sharif at Habitat for Humanity site Elementary School: Santa's Breakfast Inter-house Sports Day the semester is the staff banquet, where staff members have an opportunity to say farewell to each other before they scatter around the world to visit families or enjoy exotic vacations. This year, as well as the traditional carol singing, the entertainment included a movement from an original composition, "The First String Quartet," written by music teacher Zingrin Shishak '97. As ever, 2006 was a packed year with its blend of highlights and challenges. That's Woodstock-a good place to be!