Mike Lackner (Director of Academic Technology), Ryan Bromwell (Science Department Chair), Match Zimmerman (Visual Arts Teacher), and Steve Morrill (Director of Technology) attended the National Educational Computing Conference in Denver from June 27 - 30. They were among 18,000+ educators and administrators to converge on the mile high city for this yearly international gathering of k-16 professionals.

All four of these gentlemen will spend time sharing what they learned with the Loyola Blakefield teaching community in hopes of continuing to introduce new technology intitiatives into our classrooms.

Three Loyola Blakefield seniors were recognized by the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the annual Distinctive Scholars Convocation on April 27, 2010 held at the Archbishop Spalding High School.  The Archdiocese of Baltimore Distinctive Scholars Convocation provides "rightful recognition of the academic achievements that [students] accomplished over the four years of their high school careers  The academic convocation applauds and affirms what is accomplished at each individual Catholic school and demonstrates the unity and common mission of the pursuit of academic excellence within the Archdiocese of Baltimore."  Loyola Blakefield students recognized were (from left to right) Matthew Gupana Alonsozana, Jonathan Alexander Franck, and Michael Conor Sheehey.

Through the efforts of Mr. Zach Dziedzic, History Department Chairman, Loyola welcomes two Kenyan students, Justus Ongera and Raphael Omondi Oduor, who will be visiting us for three weeks.  Justus and Raphael are seniors at a Jesuit founded school for AIDS-Orphans in Kibera, Kenya.  They will be participating in Model UN and shadowing seniors Mike Tich and Jack Ferrante.  Below are two emails that the boys sent to their hosts as they were preparing for their journeys.  I think you will learn a great deal about them through their own words:

I am Raphael a 2009 graduate in St Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School. A School that is under Christian Life Community back here in Kenya. I was born in April 21 in 1988. I have been brought up in a family of ten. I have eight sisters and two brothers. I being the elder of the two. I have a younger brother. I am the fifth born in our family. My mother is the one who tries to see that my younger siblings goes to School. This happened so after the tragic demise of my father in a road accident back in 1997. The school pays for my house rent and also takes care of my feeding programe in addition to my academic matters. I am looking forward to join University. It is my pleasure to communicate to you through e-mail. I would like to apologise for sending you an improper e-mail.Apart from this, I am also glad to visit you and be part of you in the Model U N. being that it will be my first time to take part in such an International conference , it is also  my joy to exchange culture with you. I will be very much grateful for your companionship and friendship that we will be enhancing and also creating.

I would like to express my commitment  to that conference  by informing you that I am  also doing more  research. Iam grateful for the document that you e-mailed me through  Zachary.I understand  that a life not well examined is worth not living. As we  trade in this valley  together am looking foward to hear from you.

Sincerely

Raphael omondi Oduor

Freshman parents are reminded that next week we will continue our four part series established to assist Loyola families successfully navigate freshman year. Each session will connect families to a variety of Loyola Blakefield resources to help them understand the needs of their freshman sons. The gatherings will be presentation as well as discussion based. All events will be held in the Bunting Dining Room in Knott Hall.  Please join us on February 17 at 6:30 PM  for “The Spiritual Life of Your Freshman."  During this session, families will be given the opportunity to learn about the ways in which they can partner with Loyola to support the spiritual needs of their sons. Facilitated by Joe Cordella (Director of Campus Ministry), Joe Michini, SJ (Chaplain), and Erin Warfield (Director of Ignatian Service).

Luke 1:68-79 concludes, the Lord will "guide our feet into the path of peace."  What a comforting image for us.  We are merely asked to follow and we will be taken care of.  This is a comforting image only if we trust in the goodness of the Lord.  In trying times, as we have recently experienced as a community, it is even more challenging to trsut that we are on a path to peace.  

I stand in awe at the mesmerizing genius of the landscape artists from the mid- nineteenth century Hudson River School movement. They were the artist counterparts to the Transcendentalist writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. As landscape artists, they portrayed the natural world in all its beauty and detail. They transported observers to locations not easily reached by human foot. They depicted nature as resourceful and life giving as well as threatening and unpredictable. 

One of my favorite pieces is The Beeches by Asher B. Durand. This is my tangible reminder of that path to peace. In this painting Durand portrays a shepherd returning to his village, which is presumably located along the upper Hudson River valley with a young sheep slung across his back and several others following behind. He and the heard are framed by towering and somewhat threatening beech trees. But in the distance, blue skies, an expansive landscape, and a town with church steeple emerging prominently on the horizon are prepared to welcome them home. These lost sheep are being brought out of the unknown forest and returned to the safety of the world from which they wandered.

We wander, physically as well as emotionally into the darkness. And that's OK, because, upon deeper reflection, there is much to learn from that journey. However, we must be willing to be carried, without resistance, back to the world in which we found comfort and peace.  

As we move together through a period of mourning we must be open and trusting in the ways the Lord beckons us to walk along the path to peace. Saint Ignatius invites us to see God in all things. Look to those around you - your peers, your parents, loved ones, teachers. God is working through them to guide your feet on a path to peace. Look for this, be open to this, and you will be comforted.   

This four part series will assist Loyola families successfully navigate freshman year. Each session will connect families to a variety of Loyola Blakefield resources to help them understand the needs of their freshman sons. The gatherings will be presentation as well as discussion based. All events will be held in the Bunting Dining Room in Knott Hall.  The schedule is as follows:
     

End of August - Freshman Parent Orientation Evening

December 9, 6:30 PM - "Your Son is a 9th Grade Don…Now What?” During this session, parents will be introduced to some of the issues and challenges facing parents of today’s ninth grader. Facilitated by Anthony Day (Upper School Principal), Terry Levering (Academic Assistant Principal), Brennan Prodey (Director Guidance), and Brett Lankford (9th & 10th grade counselor).

February 17, 6:30 PM - “The Spiritual Life of Your Freshman."  During this session, families will be given the opportunity to learn about the ways in which they can partner with Loyola to support the spiritual needs of their sons. Facilitated by Joe Cordella (Director of Campus Ministry), Joe Michini, SJ (Chaplain), and Erin Warfield (Director of Ignatian Service)

April 21, 6:30 PM - “Gearing Up…What’s Next?”  As we look to sophomore year, families will be given some direction on how to use the summer months to best prepare for this transition. Additionally, they will be given an idea on what to expect from a sophomore Don. Facilitated by Anthony Day, Kathy Mathias (Director of College Counseling), and Academic Department Chairs.

It is important that we provide you with some very important information in the event that Loyola Blakefield is forced to close unexpectedly for an extended period of time. Our plan is that the academic program will continue to move forward, albeit adjusted. Students will be expected to stay connected and continue academic work as assigned by their teachers during the school closure. Teachers will maintain their contact with students through NetClassroom. For the duration of the closure students should log on to the Online Campus Community and check both NetClassroom and Webmail at least twice daily to stay abreast of course related information and assignments.

Prior to any extended closure students and parents should complete suggested preparation checklist below to confirm that they can access the necessary technology resources while not in school. The helpdesk should be contacted ASAP for assistance in any related connection issues. Email helpdesk@loyolablakefield.org phone 443-841-3123.

In the event of a closure, families will be contacted via email or through our telephone alert system, which delivers a recorded message to your telephone.

Suggested Student Preparation Checklist:
1. Remember your network login and password. This is important so that you can access the Citrix Connection (remote access) and email from home.

2. Remember your NetClassroom / Online Campus Community (OCC) username and password. This is important so that you can access the OCC (school website) and the various helpful links on the landing page (i.e. NetClassroom, Webmail, Remote Access, Student Directory, etc.).

3. Be sure that you can access the Remote Access (Citrix) Portal from home to insure access to valuable resources such as Microsoft Office, Network Drives (storage space here at school), and shared Network Drives (i.e. W: drive, aka student common shared drive).

4. Make sure that you can access Office 07 files. You have several options on this front:
a. Order Office 2007 for the PC from Loyola Blakefield. More information available here:  http://loyolablakefield.org/Page.aspx?pid=637
b. If you have Office 2003 already simply download the free compatibility pack that will allow you to open and work with Office 2007 documents. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displayLang=en
c. Be sure to complete step #3 above and connect to your school network account using the remote access (citrix) portal. Here you will be able to use Office 07 software over the citrix connection.

5. Have a back up plan in place in case you are having technical difficulties at home with your available technology and Internet access
a. Know where your nearest public library is.
b. Could you access the computers at your parents place of work?
c. Do you have a neighbor or friend that you could use their computer?

 Loyola Blakefield was ranked among the top 25 Engineering source schools for the A. James Clark School for Engineering at the University of Maryland.  According to the citation: 

"Loyola Blakefield produces a large number of outstanding graduates who come to the Clark School well prepared to master our challenging curriculum and go on to success in industry, government and academia.  Your faculty and staff are doing an excellent job, providing rigorous science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs to prepare young men...for brilliant futures."

Congratulations goes out to the entire Loyola Blakefield teaching community!

I am pleased to announce that Loyola will be able to offer your son the full Microsoft Office 2007 Enterprise Suite at a substantial discount through the bookstore. The package includes all of the latest Office products: Office Word 2007, Office Excel 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Outlook 2007, Office Publisher 2007, Office Access 2007, Office InfoPath 2007, Office Groove 2007, Office OneNote 2007, and Office Communicator 2007. Your son will be eligible to purchase only one (1) copy for use at your home.

As you consider purchasing this software, you will want to verify that your home PC has the necessary system resources. You can consult Microsoft’s systems recommendations here:

The cost of the software will be $42.50. This price is good through October 31^st 2009. After that date the price will increase to $70. This increase is direct from Microsoft and not from Loyola.

If you would like to order a copy please click here. You will be notified when the disk arrives at Loyola and is ready to be picked up. We ask that you indicate your interest in the software by October 12^th so that we may place our order in plenty of time.

Purchasing the Office application is one way to guarantee that your son can practice what they have learned in class, and able to open documents teachers have posted in NetClassroom.

If you currently own an older version of Microsoft Office (Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003) at home and do not wish to purchase the new version, you can still open documents from Loyola by installing an Office Compatibility pack from Microsoft for free. The package will open documents created in the newer version of Office. 

The compatibility pack can be downloaded from Microsoft here. Please read the system requirements on this page before installing to make sure your computer will accept the compatibility pack.

Your son can also access the full Microsoft 2007 suite of products from home via Citrix, Loyola’s remote access gateway. Citrix works from both PC’s and Mac’s and allows you to run applications from the campus on your home computer. Citrix also allows you to save those documents to your H drive here at school. To access the Citrix login page please visit the Technology Resources page on the Loyola website. 

If you have questions about the program please contact Ms. Shannon McWilliams in the Helpdesk at 443-841-3123

I spent much of the summer reflecting on the previous year and considering ways in which we can enhance the Loyola experience for our Dons. In order to meet the evolving needs our Dons, we must be open to exploring ways in which to make the Loyola experience more meaningful within the context of 21st century teaching and learning. It has always been our responsibility to provide the experiences necessary to ensure that our Dons are committed to working for a just world, intellectually competent, religious, loving, open to growth, and dedicated to diversity. Therefore, it is only appropriate that the goals of Vision Millennial that you see below are framed by the Profile Graduate at Graduation.  Achieving the goals of Vision Millennial will be a formidable and on going task. Some of these goals will be reached within the year and others will take more time.  With that said, we as faculty, parents, and students alike, must partner in this endeavor if we are to effectively serve our students. We must be patient and willing to engage one another in conversation.  According to decree six from the thirty-fifth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, “Collaboration [is] at the heart of mission.” Through this effort we will continue to inform the community of the long term benefits of a 21st century Loyola Blakefield education.

Dedicated to Work for a Just World
• Create and sustain a Senior Service Mentor Program that invites students to formally reflect upon their service experience as well as domestic and global justice issues.
• Seek ways in which justice issues can be addressed across disciplines.
• Offer service opportunities for adult constituencies.

 

Dedicated to Academic Excellence
• Enroll interested and qualified students into the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy to provide a broad array of on-line learning opportunities.
• Further integrate project and computer based learning experiences into the classroom to enhance the current educational program.
• Design and implement a required summer enrichment project that invites students to reflect upon personal experiences within the context of literature, film, cultural excursions, service experiences, and prayer.
• Create a freshman program that will effectively transition students into the Loyola experience while continuing to challenge them intellectually, spiritually, and socially.

Religious
• Offer opportunities for class masses for which students prepare reflections on readings and other components of the liturgy.
• Partner with the Vocations Director for the Maryland and New York Provinces on programs which further introduce students to “Living as a Jesuit.”

Loving
• Continue to nurture an environment that supports and seeks to understand the learning needs of our diverse community.
• Create more opportunities for upper school students to develop long term relationships with middle school students.
• Create a culture among the student body where they assist one another in making sound decisions.

 

Open to Growth
• Create additional standing committees to further evaluate and assess the diverse needs of our student body.
• Develop an Ignatian Leadership program for students.
• Encourage and support the creation of new student clubs/activities which are directly aligned with the mission of Loyola Blakefield.

Dedicated to Diversity
• Introduce the Magis Program – an academic and leadership enrichment program that seeks to prepare middle school boys for admission into Loyola Blakefield as well as other competitive high schools in the Baltimore metropolitan area. (note: this program is geared toward boys whose families have significant financial need and who display strong academic and leadership potential)
• Create opportunities for interreligious experiences for students, parents, faculty, staff, and administration.

 

On behalf of the entire Blakefield community it is an honor to welcome the Dons of the class of 2013.  We are energized by your arrival and hope that you will grow to be men of conscience and compassion.

During orientation week, our newest Dons were introduced to the Loyola experience by bonding as a class on a campus wide scavenger hunt, assisting one another succeed on a ropes course, and using their hands to pick potatoes at First Fruits Farms whose produce directly serves local shelters and soup kitchens.

Over the summer Mr. Zachary Dziedzic, chairman of the History Department visited Kenya.  Below is his reflection on the experience:

   I recently had the opportunity to visit the staff and students of St. Aloysius, in Kibera, Kenya. St. Al’s is a school dedicated to the education of orphans, principally boys and girls who have lost one or both parents to AIDS, though recently there are some orphans from the recent post-election riots and violence. The school provides education, school uniforms, and meals during the school day. It was founded in 2003 by the local Christian Life Community, with the leadership of Fr. Terry Charlton, SJ and the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, and the support of generous donors and NGO’s. The school is located in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa and one of the largest in the world, just a few miles from the city center of Nairobi. Kibera is estimated to contain over a million inhabitants in an area of roughly 800 acres. Although the government scandalously ignores the plight of the residents of these slums, most international aid agencies and NGOs estimated the unemployment rate in Kibera to be over 70%, compared to 40% nationally. All agree that crime is the most serious challenge Kiberans face. 

   The residents of Kibera are technically illegally occupying land that belongs to the government, though they pay rent to local “landlords.” Most structures are built of scavenged materials and lack proper foundations. Most are built on top of refuse piles along the steep slopes of hills, which can have disastrous results in the wet season. There are no city services in the slum, so safe water and sanitation are difficult to obtain for the residents. (I can attest to the perilous nature of the steep and open ditches of raw sewage, as I fell in to one when the planking I was standing on collapsed under me, pitching me in.) The fact that these Kenyans have been left to fend for themselves in the most trying of conditions is even more galling when one learns that Kenyan Members of Parliament are paid more than Canadian MPs. Transparency International ranked Kenya 147th in the world for corruption. Somalia, by all accounts a failed state, is only a little lower down at 180.
Given these challenges, I was incredibly impressed by the dedication of the students and the staff. I visited with the students who had returned two weeks early at the end of their summer break to get a leg up on their studies, concrete evidence of their hunger for an education. The classrooms are very Spartan and remind one of the atmosphere of a traditional one-room schoolhouse. The school, like the dwellings around it, is of rough and simple construction, using concrete, corrugated steel and hand hewn timbers. Currently, the school is in two buildings that are roughly two hundred yards apart, though this is no easy journey over the open sewers and perilous footpaths. Soon, staff and students hope to move to a new building being constructed in another part of the slum, which will also allow the admittance of more students.

                                                         
   The students, like all Kenyans I met, were excited to know that I came from a place that is close to where Barack Obama lives, whom they universally acclaim as a son of Africa. All Kenyans wanted to know when the President would visit– though I also gathered that they supported the pressure that both Secretary Clinton and President Obama are putting on the Kenyan government to investigate the recent political violence as a precondition of a presidential goodwill tour. The students were engaged and polite, and one got the impression that though they were happy to meet us, they wanted to get back to their studies – which as a teacher I was more than happy to oblige.

 

   It is my hope that Loyola will host a handful of theses students to visit our school and participate in our Model United Nations program and the North American Model United Nations hosted by Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The opportunity to study, work, and reflect across cultures and toward a common cause is both the noblest means to and the highest end of Ignatian education. 
   One only wishes we had the resources to offer it to all the children of Kibera.

Upper School parents are reminded that on Thursday, September 17 Loyola Blakefield will be hosting its annual Back to School Night/Parent Walk Thru.  We strongly encourage parents to attend as they will be given the opportunity to meet their son's teachers and learn more about the classes in which they are registered.  The evening begins at 7PM and concludes at 9:30. 

This year we welcome five new members to the Blakefield community.  Combined, they have over 40 years of teaching experience.  Please join me in extending a warm welcome to each.

Mrs. Terry Darr (Upper School Librarian) attended the annual meeting of the American Library Association in Chicago, IL.While there, Mrs. Darr learned about the latest trends in information literacy instruction, information literacy assessments, the future of reference books and new ideas about utilizing the library catalog.

Beginning in September of 2009, Loyola Blakefield will introduce the Parent Literary Round Table, a quarterly parent book discussion group. This program is designed to offer upper school parents the opportunity to engage in dialogue on selected readings, experience literature in a way that will stimulate their minds, and simply enjoy one another’s company. Throughout the year I will share my reading selections on a quarterly basis. I will serve as the facilitator of these gatherings and provide some thoughts to ponder as you make your way through the novels. These thoughts will be used to guide our discussions.

The first selection is The Unyielding Clamor of the Night by Neil Bissoondath. In this novel “Arun, a young man set to inherit his family’s lucrative printing business, leaves his home in the prosperous north of his Southeast Asian island nation to teach in the devastated south, where a civil war between the military and rebel insurgents profoundly affects daily life. Idealistic and driven by a need to give meaning to his life, Arun relinquishes the trappings of wealth to dedicate himself to improving the lot of the country’s southern population” (inside jacket).

Mrs. Kathy Roder (Administrative Assistant to the Upper School Principal) and Mrs.Laurie Thompson (College Counselor) were the adult advisors on the summer service trip to the Romero Center in Camden, New Jersey from July 13 - 18. Along with 12 of our Dons, they had the opportunity to perform service at a number of places, including a homeless shelter, adult day care center, home for wheelchair-bound adults, a rehab center, and a food bank. It was a learning experience for all, as they practiced mainly "service of presence" by interacting and talking with the people at the various sites.

Mr. Tom Durkin (Chair of the English Department) attended the National Council of Teachers of English workshop on "Literacy For All in the 21st Century."  The conference, held in Columbia, South Carolina provided an opportunity to enrich the classroom with new student-centered projects. It is Mr. Durkin's hope that his classes will do a digital research project based on workshops he saw at the conference.

Mrs. Laurie Thompson (College Counselor) and Mrs. Yvette Jenkins (Administrative Assistant to Guidance) attended a conference entitled "Naviance Summer Institute" in Boston, Massachusetts on July 23-25th. Naviance is the web-based application Loyola uses to track and maintain all of our student data in the preparation and submission of college applications. The conference gave Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Jenkins the opportunity to learn new and innovative strategies for using Naviance for course, college and career advising. The primary focus of the College Counseling department has been the electronic college application capabilities so we can ultimately have a paperless college application process here at Loyola Blakefield.

Dr. Fred Wise (Religion Teacher) immersed himself in the Muslim community for four days by attending the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.  Dr. Wise expects that this experience will help him to better teach about Islam in his World Religions class.

Mr. John Feeley (English and Economics Teacher) took a "Teaching Advanced Placement Economics" course at Goucher College in June.

Mike Lackner, Director of Academic Technology, attended the National Educational Computing Conference in Washington DC in July. He was one of 18,000+ educators and administrators to converge on the capital for this yearly international gathering of k-16 professionals.

In a Spring blog entry I shared with the Loyola community a student initiated endeavor to raise awareness about the deadly affect malaria is having in Malawi, Africa.   The students of Loyola Blakefield raised $3,103.00 to buy malaria nets for the village of Kalimbira.  Earlier this summer a representative group from the "What's the Buzz" campaign, with whom Loyola collaborated, delivered the nets to the villagers.  This is a wonderful example of our mission at work - putting the needs of others before our own.  I applaud the entire Loyola Blakefield community for partnering to support such a wonderful effort.

Congratulations to the Loyola Blakefield class of 2009.  We wish you well as you move beyond the Halls of Wheeler, Burk, and Knott.  Always remember the importance of being a dreamer…imagine how you might contribute to the world you are so carefully looking upon. How you might be the one to save the environment, how you might be the one who restores ones faith in humanity, how you might be the one who puts the needs of others before your own, how you might be the one who cares for the sick and clothes the naked, how you might be the one who teaches the young, and how you might be the one who saves a life.  God bless you and keep you. You are fine young men with wonderful potential. The world is blessed to count you among her many sons.

 

The Loyola Blakefield class of 2009 was very successful in the college admissions process.  Our Dons will be attending a wide variety of colleges.  Below are the top schools in terms of the number of Loyola students who will be attending in the Fall.

Additionally, our highest academic achieving students will be attending the following colleges:

Boston College (3)
Boston University
Carnegie Mellon
Cornell
University of Maryland, College Park (2)
Franklin and Marshall
Georgetown
Harvard
Mount St. Mary’s
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
University of Virginia (2)
Wake Forest
Washington & Lee University

***** Please refer to our School Profile link in our "About" section to review all Loyola Blakefield college acceptances over the past two years.

On Wednesday evening, May 21st, Loyola Blakefield hosted a Multicultural Dinner.  This annual event celebrates the ethnic diversity of our community by welcoming the incoming ninth and sixth grade Dons, as well as recognizing the various achievements and accomplishments of our current students.   

On May 14, Loyola students in grades six through twelve were recognized in a full school assembly for their academic achievements.  The purpose of the assembly was to highlight academic excellence and to recognize extraordinary talent. 

Because of the success of those award recepients and all of our Dons we are a school of honorable and upstanding young men.  In the face of such achievements it is important that our young people remain ever humble and grateful for the gifts which God has bestowed upon them.  It is important that they be ever mindful of never resting and always seeking the MAGIS.

   

On May 13, six Upper School students were inducted into Loyola Blakefield's chapter of the National Honor Society for High School Students of German, Delta Epsilon Phi.  Congratulations to Cameron Alexander, Kevin Balhoff, Killian Gloth, Patrick McCabe, Connor McKeown, and Luke Sheehan.

  

 

Beginning in September of the 2009-2010 academic year, Loyola Blakefield will be introducing a school sweater to its dress code.  Students will have the option of wearing a Loyola Blakefield v-neck sweater in lieu of sports jackets every Friday (October - April) throughout the school year.  Only the official uniform sweater purchased at the Loyola Blakefield School Store will be permitted.  Students wearing any other sweater will be considered out of uniform and subject to disciplinary action.

In an effort to prepare for the influx of orders, please click below to fill out a brief survey.

SWEATER SURVEY

Three Loyola Blakefield seniors were recognized by the Archdiocese of Baltimore at the annual Distinctive Scholars Convocation on April 28, 2009 held at the Cardinal Gibbons School.  The Archdiocese of Baltimore Distinctive Scholars Convocation provides "rightful recognition of the academic achievements that [students] accomplished over the four years of their high school careers  The academic convocation applauds and affirms what is accomplished at each individual Catholic school and demonstrates the unity and common mission of the pursuit of academic excellence within the Archdiocese of Baltimore."  Loyola Blakefield students recognized were (from left to right) James Alexander Flick, David Scott Phillips, and Joshua Adam Thompson.

Over the past few weeks the buzz around campus has been about the importance of raising awareness and promoting justice. A group of seniors and juniors, along with Dr. Fred Wise of the Upper School Religion Department, are leading the charge on raising awareness about the deadly affect malaria is having on the community of the Mvunguti District in Malawi, Africa. In collaboration with Mrs. Cricket Barrazotto, founder of the “What’s the Buzz” campaign, Loyola Blakefield is seeking to raise $10,000 to buy malaria nets for the entire village of Mvunguti. More than simply a symbolic gesture, our Dons are animating the mission by saving lives. For more information on “What’s the Buzz,” please visit http://www.gods-economy.com/.

Beginning in September of 2009, Loyola Blakefield will introduce the Parent Literary Round Table, a quarterly parent book discussion group. This program is designed to offer upper school parents the opportunity to engage in dialogue on selected readings, experience literature in a way that will stimulate their minds, and simply enjoy one another’s company. Throughout the year I will share my reading selections on a quarterly basis. I will serve as the facilitator of these gatherings and provide some thoughts to ponder as you make your way through the novels. These thoughts will be used to guide our discussions.

The first selection, which I hope people will take the opportunity to read over the summer, is "The Unyielding Clamor of the Night" by Neil Bissoondath. In this novel “Arun, a young man set to inherit his family’s lucrative printing business, leaves his home in the prosperous north of his Southeast Asian island nation to teach in the devastated south, where a civil war between the military and rebel insurgents profoundly affects daily life. Idealistic and driven by a need to give meaning to his life, Arun relinquishes the trappings of wealth to dedicate himself to improving the lot of the country’s southern population” (inside jacket).

Those who are interested in participating in our first reading group, scheduled for Friday, September 25 at 7:00 PM, are asked to send an email to Mrs. Kathy Roeder at kroeder@loyolablakefield.org by June 15. Once registered, you will receive additional details over the next few months about the gathering.