News From Prep

Assembly Honors Intellectual Enthusiasm, Service, and Leadership

An annual tradition, the last assembly of the year is an upper school awards ceremony that honors faculty and students for a variety of accomplishments and pursuits. The awards are fully in keeping with the school mission of engendering “a lifelong embrace of education, a devotion to community, and a full and responsible life.”

The ceremony began with three special awards. The Class of 1987 Award was given to English teacher Patrick Ferry and the Detoy Award was given to Director of Technology Sylvie Andrews. The third award, the J.P. Blecksmith Memorial Award, was given to Casey Cousineau ’13.

The class of 1987 was the last class at Flintridge that began in sixth grade. The class decided that its legacy would be this faculty appreciation award. Nominated by faculty and voted on by the student body, this year’s recipient of the Class of 1987 Award was Patrick Ferry, a 15 year veteran of the English Department, who teaches Stagecraft and has also taught Spanish while serving on the Admissions Committee. Starting in the fall, he will oversee a comprehensive focus on Flintridge Prep’s engagement with greater Los Angeles.

“I’d like to say I was surprised to receive this award,” Mr. Ferry quipped, “but I’d be lying. I saw my wife standing in the back of the auditorium and figured I must have won something. I am deeply thankful for the honor.”

The Detoy is the highest honor that a faculty member can receive. It is given to a member of the faculty or staff who has made a significant impact on the Flintridge community over a number of years. Anyone (parents, faculty, and staff) can nominate someone for the honor, but the recipient must have worked for the school for at least five years. Peter Bachmann described this year’s recipient, Director of Technology Sylvie Andrews, as one of the school’s “quiet heroes, who, without undue fuss or fanfare, gives of herself to assure the daily success of school life.” Ms. Andrews has been a teacher, a coach, and deeply immersed in many human development programs, while also overseeing several overlapping technology projects for the school.

After the ceremony, Sylvie commented, “If I know anything about lifelong commitment to an institution, or about emotional and physical stamina, it's because of my grandmother, Dawn Cobb, who worked for fifty years at Poly. She has taught me that the boundaries of our family extend beyond just our relatives, and that giving of oneself to the support and development of young people is one of the best things we can do.”

The administration secretly invited Mrs. Cobb, who is 89 years young, to the ceremony. “It meant so much to have my hero in the audience!” Sylvie said. The thoughtfulness of this gesture was an “example of the kind of care and support that we give each other here at Prep.”

The J.P. Blecksmith Memorial Award is given to a rising senior who embodies the qualities of leadership, scholarship, athletic commitment, personal integrity, mentorship, and public service personified by James Patrick Blecksmith ’99 (Naval Academy ’04), who gave his life for his country in Iraq in 2004. This year’s recipient, Casey Cousineau, is an active member of ACL, MSU, Student Senate, and the Conduct Review Committee. She is a distinguished soccer goal keeper who has been recognized as league MVP. Next year, she will be Assistant Commissioner General.

Following the special awards, achievements in community service were recognized. Then each department head presented awards to the outstanding scholars in every field of study. A primary requirement for the academic awards is not mere achievement, but a genuine love of learning in a given subject area.

According to tradition, the assembly concluded with transitions. The senior class president and other members of the student senate were presented to the upper school student body at the end of the awards ceremony. Jack Purvis ’12 swore in C.J. Harris ’13 as the new senior class president. Commissioner General Kimberly Ostiller ’12, Assistant Commissioner General Kira Lee ’12, and Commissioner of Projects Monica Cho ’12 were recognized for their service to the school and Kimberly installed Commissioner General Kaitlyn Kelleher ’13, Assistant Commissioner General Casey Cousineau ’13, and Commissioner of Projects and Publicity Callan Gies ’13.

Then, a moment Flintridge Prep students imagine for years occurred. The class of 2013 was granted its full status as seniors, and with that, they took off running for their first legal step onto the Senior Patio and Lawn. The Senior Patio and Senior Lawn are sacred, and this rite of passage is the final senior privilege that the junior class receives. There was much rejoicing, and many parents of the class of 2013 were present for the celebration.

Click for a complete list of upper school awards and recipients for 2012.

Special Awards
Class of 1987 Award: Patrick Ferry
Detoy Award: Sylvie Andrews
J.P. Blecksmith Memorial Award: Casey Cousineau

Community Service Awards
9th grade community service: Bryce Lew
10th grade community service: Melissa Kim
11th grade community service: Casey Cousineau

History Awards
Sophomore Award: William Newman
Dartmouth Book Award: Arnesh Nagavalli
The Dartmouth Book Award is given to the junior history student who, by his or her academic achievements, personal example, leadership and service, best typifies the ideals of Flintridge Preparatory School. This year, the award is presented to:

Math Awards
Sophomore Award: Roya Gheissari
Junior Award: Brian Khin

English Awards
Sophomore Award: Tyler Crissman

Brown Book Award
Joseph Bettman
From the Alumni Association of Brown University, the Brown Book Award honors a member of the junior class who combines academic excellence with clarity in written and spoken expression.
NCTE Writing Award Nominee: Natalie Rose Schwartz

 
World Languages Awards
French: Lydia Linna
Latin: Matthew O’Hagan
Spanish: Joanne Jang

Fine Arts Awards Visual Arts Photography: Marisa Alfaro
Drawing and Painting: Emma Wood
Ceramics: Leanne Norden

Performing Arts Awards 
Sophomore: Mimi Klein
Junior: Young-In Kim

Science Awards
High School Science Fair Award Winners
Danny Weitekamp – 1st place
Robby Carroll & C.J. Harris – 2nd place
Eric Fung – 3rd place
Shaneli Jain – Honorable Mention
Jeffrey Wang – Best of Fair
Sophomore: Eric Fung
Bausch & Lomb Award: John Henry Kurtz
The University of Rochester Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award is presented annually to a member of the junior class. The recipient of this award, if selected as a Bausch & Lomb scholar, will receive a $24,000 scholarship ($6,000 annually).
 

Fathers Club Pursuit of Excellence Awards
The Fathers Club has established an annual award to be given to students whose work reflects sincere effort and excellence in the pursuit of education. To be eligible for this award, a student must have demonstrated an enthusiasm for learning.
This year’s recipients are:
9th Grade: Elizabeth (Betsy) Roy
10th Grade: Graham (Grady) Willard
11th Grade: Matthew O’Hagan

Amherst Book Prize: Christine Kazanchian
The Amherst Book Prize is awarded to a sophomore who demonstrates genuine intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning.

Princeton Book Award: Chadd Cosse
The Princeton Book Award is presented to a junior in recognition of academic excellence, extracurricular achievement in the area of service, and personal character.

Harvard Prize Book Award: C.J. Harris
The Harvard Prize Book Award is awarded to an outstanding junior who best combines scholastic ability, high character and extracurricular involvement.

Student Leadership Award: Kimberly Ostiller
The student leadership award is given to that student who has been extraordinary in his or her role in promoting the ideals of student government at Flintridge. In addition, this individual must have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the community of the school.