If you have decided to provide private music lessons for your child, CONGRATULATIONS! This is the first step to individual progress and success for your young musician.

As you look for a private music teacher, there are a few things you need to know before spending money on such an important aspect of musical training.  Some teachers will give lessons.  Others will give a child the proper foundation that is vital to becoming a strong musician.  Look for, and do not accept any less than, the following:

1. Long tones; tone production – Does the teacher spend time building lip muscles and breath control?
2. Technique - Does the teacher spend time building up finger dexterity to enable the student to play faster passages with ease?  Does the teacher show the student “how” to practice correctly to accomplish specific tasks?
3. Proper repertoire – Does the teacher provide a variety of music, including classics, etudes, and method books, to develop a student’s love of music?  The use of rock, jazz, and Broadway repertoire is fine for supplemental study, but under NO circumstances should be used for the entire lesson!
4. Modeling - Does the teacher actually play the instrument along with the student, at least for part of the lesson?  Students will learn so much more by watching someone else demonstrate proper posture, lip control, and good tone.  It is best to find a teacher whose primary instrument is the one your child plays!
5. Rudiments – For percussion instruments, rudiments are the key to everything!  Be certain that a percussion instructor places importance on these, as well as provides a variety of instruments for use during the lesson.  Percussionists should be well-rounded players who are able to read music, play the timpani, xylophone, and anything else that he/she may encounter in band music.

Keep in mind that above all, your child needs to be inspired by this person, and become self-motivated to practice without reminders.  Teachers should also make the learning process fun for the child.  If you are lucky enough to find all of this, you have found an ideal private teacher!

Should you have any questions regarding your own lesson experiences, feel free to contact me!

Two weeks ago, Dr. Temple Grandin came to speak to our Middle and Senior School students. Her film, Temple Grandin, won countless awards and she, herself, has earned accolades and honors among her peers in the field of animal science. Behind her fame, Grandin impresses many of us by being the person we aspire to be– brilliant, passionate, persevering, and successful– while, at the same time being the person many of us are afraid of becoming– eccentric, ostracized, and misunderstood. Any one of those latter qualities, on its own, could give rise to fear.  But Grandin owns her uniqueness in a way that radiates excellence, not exception. For a society that values individuality, we are so very quick to demand conformity.  But, as the title of her talk directed, we must embrace  “different kinds of minds.” Grandin encourages us to appreciate the gifts and talents of each individual because the only way to achieve great innovation is with the collaboration of individuals who think differently from one another.  Above all, her most important message to us?  “Do something real.”

A brilliant, bold, and sometimes bawdy poet, Hayes selected his works carefully for our young audience. Hayes interspersed readings of his poetry with stories of the risks he’s taken to follow his creative spirit and the inspirations that feed his poetic themes.  From going against the grain of a military career family and leaving behind talents in basketball to choosing poetry because the tools of the craft were more affordable, Hayes connected with students in a way that acknowledged the opportunity and angst of adolescent life.  In speaking to an age group that, developmentally, is struggling with identity and limits, Hayes described the exhilaration of writing within constraints and seeing what he can do when “pushed up against boundaries.”  His words resonated long after he left the stage and the auditorium cleared, leaving even the youngest among them wide-eyed and inspired.  His most important message to us?   “Create something.”

Both Grandin and Hayes faced limits.  And each, in his or her own way, found ways to embrace those limits and develop talents in ways that contribute to the world.  I took their collective message, “Create something real” as a call to action. As a teacher who is deeply committed to developing 21st Century skills in my students, I found the messages of collaboration, risk-taking, and authenticity inspiring. I believe, for our students to embody the tools for success in a 21st Century world, we need to celebrate and develop different kinds of minds and engender innovative thinking, by giving students opportunities to collaborate with others and contribute to their world in real ways.

On Thursday, February 2, at 7 pm in Gregg Theater, CMU professor and award-winning poet Terrance Hayes will read poems from his old and new published collections as part of the Sewickley Series. He will also present to Sewickley Academy Middle and Senior School students in an assembly during the day and conduct a poetry workshop with Academy and Summerbridge Pittsburgh students in the evening before his open-to-the-public reading.

Below is an excerpt from his collection titled ‘Lighthead,’ which won the 2010 National Book Award.

CARP POEM

After I have parked below the spray paint caked in the granite
grooves of the Frederick Douglass Middle School sign,
where men-size children loiter like shadows draped in outsize
denim, jerseys, braids, and boots that mean I am no longer young;
after I have made my way to the New Orleans Parish Jail down the block,
where the black prison guard wearing the same weariness
my prison guard father wears buzzes me in, I follow his pistol and shield
along each corridor trying not to look at the black men
boxed and bunked around me until I reach the tiny classroom
where two dozen black boys are dressed in jumpsuits orange as the carp
I saw in a pond once in Japan, so many fat, snaggletoothed fish
ganged in and lurching for food that a lightweight tourist could have crossed
the water on their backs so long as he had tiny rice balls or bread
to drop into the mouths below his footsteps, which I’m thinking
is how Jesus must have walked on the lake that day, the crackers and crumbs
falling from the folds of his robe, and how maybe it was the one fish
so hungry it leaped up his sleeve that he later miraculously changed
into a narrow loaf of bread, something that could stick to a believer’s ribs,
and don’t get me wrong, I’m a believer too, in the power of food at least,
having seen a footbridge of carp packed gill to gill, packed tighter
than a room of boy prisoners waiting to talk poetry with a young black poet,
packed so close they’d have eaten each other had there been nothing else to eat.

Please join us for A Night of Poetry!

This event is free and open to the public. REGISTER HERE.

Sewickley Academy Auction’s 25-year history is characterized by the dedication of volunteers and the entire school community! The first Auction was chaired by SA parents Patty Berini and Susie Elste with the theme: “Cocktails Under the Tent.” The event was held May 28, 1988, in the Senior School Courtyard. At that time, there were approximately 40 items up for bid and they raised $18,000! Today, auction volunteers collect 250-300 items, many advertisements, and corporate and personal sponsorships. Last year’s “I Heart SA Auction” netted $233,272. Over the past 25 years, auction events have raised $3,389,784 in support of our school!

Click the photo below to see a slideshow of past Auctions!

The 1997 board of trustees celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Auction.

If you have never been to the Auction, this is the year to be a part of this important school fundraiser. Join us for “The Silver Anniversary Auction” on February 11, 2012, at The Fairmont Pittsburgh!

Thank you to our 2012 sponsors! Click here to see who they are.

In December 2011, 11 representatives from Sewickley Academy, including faculty, staff, and students, attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) and the People of Color Conference (PoCC) in Philadelphia. SDLC convenes student leaders from across the U.S. and uses issues of personal identity and social justice to develop 21st century skills. PoCC is the flagship of the National Association of Independent School’s equity and justice initiatives and is a conference that provides social and professional support for people of color as they pursue strategies for success and leadership in independent schools.

Jappmann Monga ’14 attended the conference for the first time this year and shared her thoughts in a letter to SA’s Head of School Kolia O’Connor. Here is an excerpt from the letter.

“My name is Jappmann Monga. I am a sophomore at Sewickley Academy. Before coming to this conference, I felt that my life was incomplete. Through this conference, I realized that the missing component was pride in being diverse, being a true minority. Minority, a word that often radiates a negative connotation, used to intimidate me. I never thought I would overcome the shame I felt in being different. I was lacking that pride in my heritage and where I came from. This conference allowed me to meet and interact with many others like me of the same background and I got to discuss this issue as well as many other relating topics. I realized that I was not the only minority who felt deprived of their self-assurance as a person of color. I believe that no one should have to feel the way I did and that is why going to this conference has opened a new door for me to explore not only myself but new methods to ensure that my friends, peers, and teachers also feel proud, aware, and conscious of themselves and others of various ethnicities. I am different and I wish to spread the idea of difference being a specialtyso that people are not embarrassed to be diverse. I have learned to be confident in being an Indian girl and proud to be a minority because in the end, it doesn’t matter one’s color or creed; it only matters what one chooses to do in order to positively reflect the best person one can be by their personality and actions.”

Member of Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Forensics, the Science and  Engineering Teams, and the French and Italian Clubs?  She sure is.

Explore the Rock Mountains and Utah canyons on a month-long hiking adventure with the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado? Yes!

Write three books by the age of 17? Oh yes, she sure has.

Arianna Carley, a junior at Sewickley Academy, is certainly making her mark on the world … and she hasn’t even graduated high school yet!

Her first two books, Strega Unleashed and Obscuri Undone, are published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC, and her third book, On Our Own, is on its way to print.

Though she published her first two books under the pseudonym of “Arianna Nichola,” she is now openly talking about her interest in writing. Check out the article in the January 12th edition of the Sewickley Herald to read more about this unique and talented young lady: SA Student “Unleashes” Magical Books.

Sewickley Academy has a long-standing commitment to learning a second language, especially at a young age.  In the Lower School, French and Spanish classes meet every other day for 40 minutes.  Additionally, an after-school Chinese program for students in Grades 1 through 5 is offered. By the time the students complete fifth grade, many are reading, writing, and speaking at a basic conversational level.  They are then ready to continue more advanced study in the Middle and Senior Schools, or to change to another language option.

Research strongly suggests that the learning of a second language happens best at a young age. Some of this research is highlighted below:

• The period of early childhood is considered an optimal time to begin learning a second language, as the methods and materials used in early childhood classes appeal to a variety of learning styles and may make learning a second language easier. (Bialystok & Hakuta, 1994)
• Children in effective early second language programs show overall gains on standardized tests of basic skills, and derive additional cognitive, social and affective benefits. (Taylor-Ward, 2003)
• The integration of content and language learning and the development of positive attitudes toward people who speak other languages occur more easily when long, clearly defined sequences of second language instruction begin in early childhood and become an integral part of school learning. (Shrum & Gilsan, 2005)
• Early second language learning may result in improved phonological and phonemic awareness  (the ability to hear and distinguish sounds), two building blocks of literacy in one’s native language. (Bialystok, 2001)

So what can you do if your district does not offer an elementary second language program? Identify and work with other interested teachers and parents, perhaps through the PTA, to create an after-school program, a Saturday class program, or a summer camp in a second language.  These options can be a starting point for building interest and support for a second language program during the school day.

Small classes sizes, a truly dedicated faculty and staff, access to competitive sports teams, and world-class art programs are some of the many reasons that families choose independent schools each year. The decision to attend an independent school also includes the responsibility of the family to pay tuition. While independent schools recognize that the family has the primary responsibility to pay tuition, most schools have some sort of financial aid program to help families that would otherwise be unable to afford an independent school.

It’s true that the financial aid process can be confusing, forcing a family to learn a new vocabulary, pay attention to deadlines, and try to understand a completely foreign process. Financial aid at independent schools falls into one of two categories: merit scholarships and need-based financial aid. There are many differences between these two types of aid, and I’d like to help you better understand them.

Need-Based Financial Aid

The most common type of financial aid at independent schools is need-based financial aid. This type of aid is awarded to a family strictly based upon their financial need.

In order to determine a family’s financial need, most independent schools use a third-party need-based financial aid analysis service such as The Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST), School and Student Services by NAIS (SSS), and Private School Aid Service (PSAS).

Applying for need-based financial aid is usually a two-step process:

Step 1 – The family must complete the application with the third-party service.

Step 2 – The family must submit copies of their Federal Tax Return, State Tax Return, any tax return schedules, and all W2′s.

The financial aid service will then evaluate all of the information and make a recommendation indicating what a family should reasonably contribute toward tuition.

There are two important facts to remember with regard to need-based financial aid for all schools that are members of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). These are from the Principles of Good Practice for Financial Aid Administration created by NAIS:

1. The school continues to provide support to students as long as financial need is demonstrated. This means that you can expect to receive need-based financial aid for as long as a child is enrolled in school and the family continues to show a demonstrated financial need.

2. The school maintains the same standards of behavior and academic performance for recipients of financial aid as it does for non-recipients. This means that a school can not take away need-based financial aid as a result of poor behavior or poor grades. The only way an independent school can take away need-based financial aid is if a family fails to show a demonstrated financial need.

Merit Scholarships

Merit scholarships, on the other hand, are not dependent upon a family’s financial need. Merit scholarships are most commonly awarded one of two ways: a student’s connection with an affinity group or for a student’s academic, athletic, or artistic ability.

The most common type of merit scholarship is one that is given for a student’s academic, athletic, or artistic ability. The scholarship amounts vary by school but can range from $500 to full tuition. The dictionary defines ‘merit’ as “character or conduct deserving reward, honor, or esteem.” Independent schools attempt to identify students who, because of a special skill or ability, would be contributing members of that school’s community.

The second most common type of merit scholarship is one that is designed for a student who is connected with an affinity group or organization, e.g. a student could apply to receive a merit scholarship because a parent works at a local hospital.

Unlike need-based financial aid however, merit scholarships do not have to be given each year and most importantly, they can be taken away from a student for lack of performance.

Good luck as you begin your journey with financial aid, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments section below.

You have got to be kidding!

In case you missed the November 27 article in the New York Times about the use of blocks in early elementary classrooms, here’s the original article: With Blocks, Educators Go Back to Basics.

What have some schools discovered?  Kids can learn with blocks.  Wow, what will they think of next?  Not to put too fine a point on it, but since when did the development of a child’s gross and fine motor skills become a new discovery taking us “back to basics” as the subtitle of the article would have it.

And just in case you missed out on blocks yourself, the article points out that some schools are holding block workshops for parents!  Yes, parents!  Apparently this is so that over-achievers will be able to show their kids how to “play” with blocks.  This is exactly wrong.  This is the problem with too much of what goes on in American schooling.  We are so obsessed with kids getting the “right” answers and doing things the “right” way that we are prepared to squash every scintilla of creativity out of them.

Here is the proper way to use blocks with children: Have blocks.  Add children.  Leave alone to discover and play and learn (yes, they are learning without adult intervention!)

I am proud that Sewickley Academy does not have to “go back to basics” to create an environment in which children can explore and learn with blocks and many other manipulatives.  This is simply what our outstanding teachers do, each and every day.  Just don’t tell the kids who are having so much fun that they are learning; that might take the fun out of it.

Sarah Bachner has worn many hats at Summerbridge Pittsburgh over the years … student, alumna, Middle School director, and now executive director. Let’s see what she has to say about her long history with SB.

Blast from the past! Sarah Bachner with her Summerbridge 7th grade math teacher Cornell Woolridge in the summer of 1995.

What are some things that have changed at Summerbridge over the years and throughout your various roles?  What has stayed the same?

Students come and go. Teachers come and go. What stays core to Summerbridge is the spirit. I can’t think of another community that has such a shared commitment to being life-long learners.

What is most rewarding about your current role as executive director of a program that you hold so close your heart?

Nothing is more rewarding than hearing from a student (or teacher) who is realizing their potential. Seeing their hard work pay off in insurmountable ways is so moving to watch!  I’m just happy that we’re a stop on their path to success!

You recently attended the People of Color Conference (POCC) in Philadelphia.  What are some things that you learned that you want to bring to the SB program?

It’s really easy to fall into defining diversity as only white and black. POCC helped me strengthen my understanding that everyone has a story to tell, and that story is always more complex than the white or black surface. Diversity is a collection and celebration of all these stories that help shape our collective experience and understanding of our world. I will always encourage my students to share their stories, keep an open mind, and respect others’ stories and truths.

What are some new things in store for the 19th summer of Summerbridge?

We’re introducing a new writing curriculum! Strong writing skills will absolutely benefit our students. This new and exciting writing program will replace foreign language as a core academic subject. But don’t fret, linguaphiles; we’ll still offer foreign languages as academic electives!

On a personal note, Miss Sarah, as SB students call you, what are three things you just can’t live without?

1)      Music! My mom was an opera singer in her younger days, and I love to sing and listen to just about any type of music!
2)      Good books. I have to admit though, I’m a sucker for the vampire novels.
3)      Friends and family. There’s a proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the numerous people who helped, and continue to help, shape my journey.

On Monday morning after Lower School Assembly, Grade 1 students in Mrs. Hilberg’s science class got to meet Mr. Peepers, a three-day old baby chicken that hatched in the classroom’s incubator. The assignment was for students to first observe Mr. Peepers and then go back to their desks to write a few sentences about him and also draw a picture of the chick in their lab journals. Here is how Grade 1 scientists started off their week!

“Good morning, scientists!” exclaims Mrs. Hilberg to her class of excited students. They can hear their special guest “peeping” from a box in the front of the room.

After she passes out the student’s journals and explains the assignment, the scientists get down to business!

Meet Mr. Peepers!

Students were first dismissed by table to observe Mr. Peepers.

After observations, students went back to their desks to draw and write about Mr. Peepers in their lab journals.

At the end of class, students sat in a circle and Mr. Peepers walked around freely. Using the "two finger" rule, students were able to pet Mr. Peepers ... who thoroughly enjoyed all of the attention!

The following story was written by Sewickley Academy senior Caitlin Bungo who was one of the six finalists honored in the creative nonfiction category in the Ralph Munn Creative Writing Contest. Caitlin’s personal narrative about her volunteer experience at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank was selected from a few hundred entries from students from across the region.

I walked into a spacious, gloomy warehouse. Tall beams supported rows upon rows of worn, brown cardboard boxes. The cold, pale linoleum floors were accented with black rubber-scuffed markings. On the right was a line of brooms, dustpans, hoses, and buckets lying silently and motionless against the wall, exposing someone’s attempt to keep such a large room clean. A noisy group of women were working in an assembly line near the far wall, scooping what looked to be granola. All of the ladies were clad in matching bubblegum pink shirts paired with faded, flared jeans. Stretchy latex gloves accompanied their hands, while their hairnets assured that loose strands would stay in their appropriate places. The man next to me must’ve mistaken my prolonged staring as a sign of jealousy, reassuring me, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get one of those fancy hairnets, too.” I laughed.

Then, a tall, slender man sped his forklift over to the nine o’clock group that my sister, mom, and I were part of. Tiny white threads dragged freely from his frayed, boot-cut, Levi blue denim. His crewneck grey t-shirt was no longer capable of hiding the yellow-tinted sweat stains that sat comfortably under both armpits. He stopped inches away from an eager, elderly woman in the front and began his newcomers’ spiel.

“Thank you all for comin’ out to volunteer. For those of you who haven’t volunteered here before, this is the Greater Pittsburgh Community Foodbank. Today we’re repackaging meat. Keep your bird and pork separate from the beef; make sure to have about twenty pounds per box. The meat is frozen, so if you’d like some gloves, we have a few pairs over here. We’ll break at around … eleven.” So much for granola and hairnets, I thought to myself.

When we first began, giant cardboard boxes covered the floors surrounding the sorting tables. The top of one of these boxes was slightly pulled off, just enough for someone to peek inside. I could see the frosted clear film that was hastily wrapped around the packages of the assorted frozen meats. Let the fun begin. I reached in as deep as my golden suntanned arm could stretch. Grabbing the heaviest option available, I heaved the object labeled “SHANK” onto the table.

“Uh, Mom. What category would ‘shanks’ be under?” I questioned. “That’s a type of beef. It’s just a different part … sort of like a steak I think,” she stumbled through her explanation, not confident in her description of a shank. So they were just as unfamiliar to her as they were to me – surely not an average steak. Maybe the hot pink color of a rare filet mignon was now disguised under a brown-grey hue, the result of the freezing and re-freezing process the shank had suffered through. It was one of the larger portions of meat so I aligned it with the outer wall of my fresh, empty cardboard box. Time to pick out the next one. I extended my arm into the giant box again. The sensation of a young, ambitious child digging into a grab-bag full of toys overcame me for a split second, only to be replaced by a shock of reality: Chicken Gizzards. I studied the crisp white label again. Is it possible to feel good about ending world hunger when you have to feed people shanks and chicken gizzards? It was hard to believe. I tossed the bag of “chicken” into the box and placed it on the scale. Thank goodness, 20 pounds, I thought to myself.

With one box behind me, I made a new goal: try and make the most ideal variety of meat. Instead of blindly choosing, I became much more picky and exclusive. My fingers soon became numb from handling the icy, frosted packages. Reddish-brown droplets of questionable meat juices seeped through broken plastic, decorating my arms and my clean-bleached white shirt. I could not wait to take a long, scorching hot shower. Finally, by 1:00, we finished our hard day’s work.

The next day we traveled to a new location where we were going to distribute the food. Outside a long winding line full of people was waiting, single file, along a rusted, steel fence. They had patiently waited for hours, occupying the worn and crumbling sidewalk for much further than I could see. Since I had dealt with the meat production already, it only felt appropriate volunteering to stand at the meat station again. Over 50 people passed through with their biggest suitcase, duffle bag, or often, a plastic garbage bag, earnestly anticipating their share of food. Out of all those who passed through, there was one lady at the very end who wore grey tattered sweatpants that just barely swept the ground and a baggy, navy blue t-shirt. Her amber-colored earrings dangled from each lobe, accenting the patch of freckles that settled on the bridge of her dainty, pale nose. Glued to her leg was a young boy gazing upwards with the biggest and brightest blue eyes. I softly smiled at the two, and then turned around to pick out a package of meat for her. It hadn’t been until that moment that I realized we only had one left: chicken gizzard. All morning I tried to avoid giving it out, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would be left as an extra, sparing anyone from consuming such a thing.

My attempts had succeeded up to this point. I sighed as silently as I could, picked up the package and handed it to the woman. She graciously took it from my grasp and set it in her bag, not taking a moment to read what she’d received.

“God bless you,” she said to me with the most sincere smile. And what do you say?” she directed toward the little boy, without hesitating.

“Thank you,” he replied shyly, steadying his eyes on the ground. And they continued on their way. It was then that I realized, she didn’t care one bit what I put in her bag. She was thankful for even the smallest amount that she could get. Filet mignon or chicken gizzards, it made no difference.

What are Sewickley Academy Lower School students thankful for this year?

“I am thankful for my family and their health. I am also thankful for my good friends. I’m also thankful for the earth that is clean.”
– Elena Mohan, Grade 1

“Where would we be without names? I am truly thankful for names because instead of wonderful names we would say, ‘You, in the green shirt!’ I like our names because people’s names can be unique or the most common name on the planet. There would be no names for anything like video games and food and books. Nothing would have a name. Not even this story. But, there are millions and millions of names. Everything has a name. You can name a lot things too, from ladybugs to far away planets. That’s where we would be without names. My name is Jeb.”
- Jeb Stevenson, Grade 3

“I am thankful for my school. In my class I meet new friends every day, burst out laughing at Mr. Newman’s jokes, and keep hedgehogs on my desk (stuffed animal). One of my favorite things to play is hedgehog toss. Once we dressed the hedgehog up. We should make him look like a turkey. Outside of our classroom is the hallway of Sewickley Academy. The Academy is very committed. We have a Thanksgiving drive, recycling, Christmas drive, and much more. I am very thankful for my school and education.”
– Tonia Christou, Grade 5

“This year I am thankful for my uncle and my P.E. teacher. I’m thankful that I’m fortunate to have my family and friends. My school and teachers are great.”
– Zachary Elkin, Grade 2

“Some things that I am thankful for is my pet cat Francis, the chance that I get to go to school, and the earth because there is only a 99.9% chance that a place like earth will never happen again. Also, Mother Nature so the earth won’t get hot or too cold, and finally, a chance to live on this earth. I think that Thanksgiving is a very special holiday.”
– Paul Hansen, Grade 5

“I am thankful for food like Thanksgiving dinner. I am thankful that we get three or four meals a day that helps me get energy. Some grateful people may get one meal a day for many months or years. I am thankful that we can go to a store and get food there. I want to help the homeless and give them food, too. I am so lucky to have food every day.”
- Isabella Alvarado, Grade 3

“I am thankful for the food my mommy gives me and the pilgrims and the people that made Thanksgiving feasts and the people that don’t like Thanksgiving.”
– Sofia Harman, Grade 1

Happy Thanksgiving from Sewickley Academy!

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

Each year, Sewickley Academy honors those who serve our country at the school’s Veterans Day assembly.

This year’s honored speaker was veteran and Sewickley Academy alumna Leslie Lewis ’81, who was a member of one of the first classes of women admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, finished second in her class, and won a Marshall Scholarship, which enabled her to attend Oxford University in England. She is now a research librarian and member of the faculty at Duquesne University. She has two sons – a sophomore at Duquesne and a senior at Quaker Valley.

Below is an excerpt of Leslie’s Veterans Day address to Sewickley Academy students:

As a reference librarian, I get questions like: “Is it Veteran’s Day with an apostrophe s or Veterans’ Day with an s apostrophe?” And the answer to that would be … neither. It is Veterans Day – just the plural form: Veterans plus Day. And this is intentional. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, this is because Veterans Day is not a day that “belongs to” veterans, but rather a day for us to honor them and thank them for their service to our nation.

Veterans Day honors all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces – that means in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marines, and the Coast Guard.

And it means more than just those who have served in combat – those would be “combat veterans.” When thinking of the military, many people imagine war and combat soldiers. They do not realize that for combat units to function, they need lots of support and supplies and services. Traditionally, the military has had a lot of combat support and combat service support units. Nowadays, a lot of those services are contracted out, but if you run into veterans you will find not only infantrymen, Navy SEALS, fighter pilots, and Marines who stormed beaches, but also cooks, medics, mechanics, truck drivers, fuel handlers, helicopter crew chiefs, police, and administrative and logistics specialists. You will find doctors, nurses, lawyers, chaplains, and engineers. Many of you recently had the privilege of hearing Dr. Jim Bower, SA Class of ’80, speak as the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Jim is a veteran. He served as a Navy doctor.

Some veterans have served careers of 20 years or more; others, just one tour of duty; and many, permutations in between. Some were volunteers, some were drafted – depending on the era in which they served. Some were active duty service members, some served in the National Guard or Reserves, which are often called to active duty service, especially in this day and age. Some served in combat. Some served in peacekeeping missions. Some served in peace time. Some served in humanitarian or law enforcement missions, both overseas and right here at home in the U.S.

But all veterans share one thing in common. They have all served their country with honor and pride. And they all took oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States and defend their nation both at home and abroad. They have all worked long, hard hours and were often separated from their families and homes because of training or deployments. Even in peacetime, military service members make great personal sacrifices in order to do their duty.

Today, there are some 23 million veterans in America. Over 17 million of them (almost 75%) are over the age of 50. These veterans have served during many different eras and during many different conflicts. And in many different roles.

So, how do you know a veteran when you see one?  That is a good question. If you are out and about or at the airport or the mall and you see someone in uniform, you know they are serving their country in the military. But veterans look like ordinary, everyday citizens … because they are ordinary, everyday citizens … and they don’t often wear things to let you know who they are. That is why it is important to keep your eyes and ears open – and to listen to stories.

Today, we thank veterans like those who are sitting here on stage and the people for whom you raised your hands earlier and millions of other Americans. We need not limit our thanks to just one day of the year, though.  I challenge you – I challenge all of you, anytime you meet a veteran, to thank him or her for their service.  Not just because it is the right thing to do, but because you can. Because they are still here and standing right in front of you.

Most independent schools offer some sort of need-based financial aid as a way to help families who would be unable to attend the school otherwise. To ensure that you have the best chance in being considered for financial aid, it is always prudent to complete your financial aid application as early as possible. To that end, I’d like to offer five things to do before you apply for financial aid.

1. Introduce Yourself to the Financial Aid Director

2. Determine Deadlines

3. Determine Tax Year

4. Determine Required Documents

5. Complete Your Tax Return