by admin on June 30, 2009
By Megan R.
On Saturday, June 13, the Family Foundation School Venture Crew and Boy Scouts troop 174 volunteered at the Callicoon Fire Department’s pancake breakfast. While the firemen cooked the food, the students served it to attending locals. “The community showed a tremendous amount of support,” said Venture Crew quartermaster, Andrew S. The line grew outside of the fire house during the entire breakfast. Each person waited patiently to give their support to the fire department, as well as eat a good meal. It was a chance for FFS students to practice their twelfth step by giving back to the local community, and have fun while doing it. “It was a lot of hard work, but it paid off. Even though I didn’t know these people, it still felt good helping them out,” said Boy Scout Christian H.
by admin on June 30, 2009
By Austin C.
Admissions
FFS welcomed five new families in May, and five in June. In May FFS hosted visits from Dr. Jim Roche, an education consultant, and two representatives from Winston Preparatory private day school in Manhattan. In May, Jeff Brain, Vice President for External Affairs and Director of Admissions, visited Summit Oaks Hospital and High Focus treatment centers in New Jersey, the eating disorder clinic of Sheppard Pratt Hospital in Baltimore, Md., and attended a school connection conference in Baltimore.
In June Brain attended an open house at a new intensive outpatient program for adolescents in Manhattan, Center for Living, and Cumberland Heights Hospital in Nashville, Tn. A week after Brain’s visit, a Cumberland Heights representative came to visit FFS. Brain also attended a conference in New Jersey on co-occurring disorders in adolescents, and the annual meeting of the New York Boarding School Association.
Performing Arts
The performing arts department just completed “a very successful competition and Family Day performance,” according to Tom Kovaleski, chairman of the performing arts department. In The North American Music Festival, The Family School’s show choir finished in first place. The men’s chorus received a Superior rating and the women’s and mixed chorus received Excellent ratings. The performing arts department spent much of June in preparation for the choral performance in the graduation ceremonies. Kovaleski and Geer are also in the process of selecting the fall musical and preparing for the upcoming auditions.
Athletics
The athletics department has focused on getting students up and active this month. They have incorporated activities such as hiking, running, fishing, etc. into the A and B activity periods. Carlton Williams heads the running activity; Willy Williamson leads powerwalking; Alex Carroll, Audra Towsley, and Katie Scutt direct the hikes; and Vinny Picece directs fishing. Physical education classes are doing outdoor softball. The softball season officially ended (see Lady Falcons, pg. 16) following the close of the golf team’s season. Now the athletics department is preparing for soccer season. Tryouts begin Saturday, July 18, and will continue every Saturday until the team is picked. August 17 is the first day of practice. Bill Musgrove is the head coach of the boy’s team, with Williams assisting. Scott MacDonald will be coaching the girls’ team, with Donna Broce stepping in as assistant coach.
Maintenance
The maintenance team has been working on the new dorm, inside on rainy days and outside on nice days. They took two weeks off to get “a few odds and ends fixed up around campus,” according to Ed Anderson, maintenance superintendent; they then continued work on the dorm. This time of year the maintenance interns and summer workers spend their time mowing the lawn and keeping up the campus grounds.
Administration
The administrative team has spent June coming up with new, creative ways to strengthen the spirit of FFS for the students remaining after graduation. This graduating class is one of the largest FFS has had; after June will be a “great time for renewal” according to Dr. Rita Argiros, Vice President of Administrative Affairs. Many staff members and alumni with 12-Step backgrounds have volunteered to speak at the Sunday night AA meetings on campus in order to create a bridge between the way the school used to be and the way it is now. Mike Argiros, President of FFS, has been promoting cleanliness around campus, while Rita Argiros and staff member Tommy Cummings have been emphasizing the importance of being active. The administrative team as a whole has been spreading the necessity of leading by example to the students. The new work study interns have been meeting with their bosses to gain an understanding of what they will be expected to do next semester and have been emerging as next semester’s leaders.
by admin on June 29, 2009
By Henry W. and Austin C.
The Family Foundation School chapel was filled with the sound of music and worship on the final day of May. Father Stephen Morris invited his friend Father John Zharsky, a Greek Orthodox priest, to come and lead a special service for the students.
“This is the third time Father Zharsky has come to the school to lead us in prayer. He’s a good friend to our community, has a deep interest in our recovery, and prays for us. We’re glad and grateful to have him as our friend,” explained Father Stephen.
The service that Father Zharsky and his cantor Gabriel Monforte led is called the Akathist, and is entirely sung.
The Akathist was composed when Constantinople was under siege by the Moors. The people gathered in Hagia Sofia (Holy Wisdom) prayed the Akathist, standing all night, and the city was saved from the Muslim attack.
Catholics devote the month of May to Mary, so Father Stephen, Father Zharsky, and Monforte thought the Akathist would be an appropriate way to close Mary’s month.
Father Zharsky was quite impressed with the students’ participation in the service. He commented, “All the students during the service were very prayerful, and after the service were very respectful. I could see the faith in their eyes. I’m so grateful for the experience.”
by admin on June 28, 2009
By Henry W.
Reverends Ralph and Liz Groskoph invited Central New York Diocesan Bishop Skip Adams to spend lunch with students from The Family Foundation School, on Tuesday, June 9. A number of students signed up to eat lunch with the bishop, as well as ask him about his life and his work.
After lunch, Bishop Adams shared an inspirational movie regarding missions to El Salvador. The purpose of the trip to El Salvador, referred to as the Mission of Miracles, is to provide medical assistance to the locals of numerous villages around the country. The mission usually lasts one week, from Sunday to Sunday.
The first official Mission of Miracles to El Salvador was in November 2003. It was a medical mission of eight people, including doctors, nurses, and a translator. The trip was organized by the bishop’s wife, Bonnie Adams.
“It [the mission] evolved out of a relationship with Bishop Martin Barahona. We began to talk about the lack of medical care available,” said Bishop Adams. The mission provided a huge amount of medical care.
Increasingly larger teams have gone back each year to help the El Salvador locals. “Their needs are so great and there are very few physicians down there…If we want to make a difference we have to go every year,” explained the bishop.
The people in the nine local villages suffer from lasting effects of civil war and natural disasters, which cause ongoing poverty throughout the country. Bishop Adams explained that “it can be very overwhelming…but it is a very moving experience.”
He continues to go every year, with his most recent trip this past January. He expects to return to El Salvador around the same time next January. “I hope that I can continue to develop relationships [with the locals] and continue to help them,” he said.
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