By Kristin R.

Alongside the bittersweet mood that sweeps over the school every graduation comes a wave of excitement for the new upcoming graduates. At this time of year, internship applications have been turned in, reviewed, and finally, the interns of June 2012 have been selected.

The internship program is a great way to keep seniors busy since most of them already have the credits required to graduate, and it is also a taste of a real job experience. This includes the angry bosses, coffee breaks in the office, and holding themselves accountable at all times to the responsibilities of their jobs. “I am so excited for the opportunity to gain work experience, I have been looking forward to having an internship my entire stay,” said senior Daniel M.  Students who were assigned positions have been training with the previous groups of interns and their new bosses since the jobs were given out.

Interns receive tuition credit for their work in addition to gaining important life skills. “Training in itself has been so much work already, but I’m happy I’ll have something to stay focused on since I’m finished with school,” said Foundation Intern RJ O. The June class is definitely eager to begin the semester ahead, and we all have our fingers crossed for success.

By Kristin

FFS students enjoyed a special Christmas presentation when the Hancock Community Choir came to the school for a Christmas Cantata called Child of Hope. Directed by Brenda Rood and accompanied by FFS alumna Carmen Scott, the show gave a Christmas message of encouragement and peace.

The presentation blended familiar carols with new music, with a narrative in between. FFS students Zoe D’Angelo and Alex Hays participated in the chorus.

“We had two hour rehearsals every Sunday for months. Sometimes I would be tempted to just give it up, but it was really worth it in the end. The effort we all put into the performance definitely paid off,” said D’Angelo.

The two FFS students participating shared the spotlight, singing the Christmas classic “Silent Night” as a duet.

The chorus as a whole was an incredibly diverse group, which made it very special. Participants’ ages ranged from as young as twelve to senior citizens. Grandparents sang next to their grandchildren in worship, and relatives watched from the audience as well. The beautiful show left FFS students speechless, enamored with the powerful spiritual message and hearts full of Christmas spirit.

By Becca W.
The much-hyped new Tim Janis musical, “Night of the Shepherds,” premiered at The Family School’s Family Day on Saturday, December 10. Mystical, inspiring, yet just entertaining enough to keep the audience engaged, the production was all it was anticipated to be and more.

The play was preceded by a jazz ensemble playing “Christmastime Is Here” and three dance numbers. Two of the dances were classically Christmas-themed (jazz and tap) and one of which was not holiday-themed but, because of its music and costume choice, had an almost Middle Eastern tone (ballet/modern). These set the mood for the main attraction and whetted the audience’s palate for entertainment.

After the dancers and jazz ensemble were finished performing, the real magic began. The curtain opened to a beautifully ethereal desert scene with ambient music piercing the silence, which carried Anna’s delicate, breathy voice hauntingly. The backdrop, a glowing indigo sky over the silhouette of an Arabian city, contrasted with the set, which was minimalistic (little more than a few rocks) and allowed for much interpretation. This juxtaposition, along with the richly-hued Arabian-style costumes, made the dazzling projection all the more aesthetically enchanting.

The plot, accessing a wide range of emotions with dexterity and élan, managed to be both comical and heartrending while still maintaining a vividly optimistic thread of hope and spirituality throughout. The audience went wild watching the nefarious gypsy Abdul (Lars) in his devious get-rich-quick scheme. They giggled at his giddy, subservient sidekick (Brian), and roared with applause and laughter as Ray Vincent stole the show singing in a hilarious, stylized falsetto.

However, the show switched emotional gears swiftly and successfully: as quickly as one polarized sentiment was achieved, it went the complete other direction and nearly induced tears! Audience members gasped with horror when Abdul sold the camel (George “Holt”) to the three wise kings and embezzled the profits for himself; they wrung their hands when Baba, the lamb (Zoe), was (almost) fatally injured; there were even some tears when Anna was forced to sing against her will for Cæsar’s men and a band of Romans. Another difficult achievement Janis managed was to induce acute and diverse feelings in the audience without sullying them with leftover poignancy or humor. Mood shifts occurred cleanly and smoothly.

Lars, the outsourced professional talent, gave an incredible performance and was a huge asset to the show. With an electric stage presence, intricate hand movements, precision and clarity of speech, a powerful stride, and impossibly detailed facial expressions, he delivered all and more of what would be expected of a professional and more.

Though it culminated and concluded with the birth of Christ, Night of the Shepherds delved into more universal issues: for instance, the value of friendship and faith, and how hatred—even justified hatred—corrodes the heart of anyone who harbors it. Janis’ decision to transfer the focus from the messenger (Jesus) to his true message (peace, love, and kindness), was both tasteful and ingenious, spreading the spirit of Christmas. By expanding the play’s underlying meaning to a universal idea, Janis was able to effectively communicate the crux of Jesus’ teachings without bringing the controversy of religion into the equation.

“I am so blessed by [the students’] skill and talent. I am honored to have this musical presented for the first time here,” Janis said. The feeling is mutual: FFS feels blessed to have been in the presence of such talent as well and was glad to share the afternoon watching such a special performance.

By Jerzey J.

Leading lines, framing, depth, and exposure-aperture… These are some of the things that 23 Boy Scouts from Troops 74 and 174 learned about when they traveled to Kopernik Observatory in Vestal, N.Y. Kopernik Observatory is a science center which opened in 1974 and provides scouts an opportunity to work on various merit badges. On November 4 seven scouts from Hancock Troop 74 and 16 scouts from FFS Troop 174 joined forces to earn their photography merit badge.

Dr. Nicholas enthusiastically explained the various functions of a camera. Scouts were then given a camera of their own which they used to create a story using the “photojournalistic technique” to document the event.

The photos were compiled using PowerPoint and were presented at the following scout meeting.

Although earning the badge was fun – perhaps the highlight of the trip for these teenagers was a late-night stop at McDonalds. Interestingly, the manager of the McDonalds they stopped at was a former Boy Scout himself and is currently a scout leader. He quizzed them on Boy Scout trivia and rewarded correct answers with a McFlurry.

The room filled with laughter as scouts presented their comically amusing PowerPoints. “Trips like this have helped the other scouts gain enthusiasm to attain more merit badges. I’m pleased with the overall turnout of this trip and I look forward to spending more time with my brothers,” said Troop 174 member, Holt.

By Ron R.

Weeks of preparation culminated with a plethora of groundbreaking talents exhibited on stage as FFS students performed in a school-wide talent show. Acts ranged from ballet and jazz dances to an exotic drum ensemble. To assure top quality performances professionals were called in to help.

Ron V., Family School student Ray’s father and professional drummer, visited FFS to host a drum workshop where he taught a group of nine students a song which involved a variety of exotic instruments from around the world. Ron multitasked by conducting the performance on stage while playing a drum of his own. “I didn’t really know what to expect when I started the workshop. Although there were a lot of very simple instruments and it sounded chaotic when we were putting it together, I still really felt the music and was moved by it,” said drum ensemble member Sam.

Some of the other performances included; a solo ballet act by Anna; a solo Italian opera performance by Desiree; a duet performance of “For Good” from the Broadway show Wicked by Sam and Kristin; a jazz dance by Sam and Anna; two songs performed on the guitar with a backup singer and bongo drums by Sean, Jameson, and Thomas; a guitar player singing with a backup bongo drums by Brian and Rhett; and the crowd pleasing drum circle conducted by Ron.

After the performances came to an end the crowd expressed their appreciation with long, drawn-out applause for the musicians and artists who participated. Talent show performer Kristin commented as she walked off the stage, “It was great to be able to see people show their talents. I didn’t know the kids here had so much talent.”

Graduation is coming!

On January 13th, and 14th The Family Foundation School December 2012 graduates will be taking the next step on their journey. Pictures for the upcoming graduation program were taken, here is a sneak preview of what might appear.

By Ron R.

Carlton W., FFS Athletic Director, will be taking students in record numbers to a skate park located at nearby French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts Summer Camp.

During the summer, camp was in session and FFS student skaters had to make do with the flat outdoor basketball court at the school. For most skaters, this offered no real challenge.

Carlton will be transporting up to 20 interested students every Tuesday and Thursday.

“We are eternally grateful that French Woods camp owner, Ron S., lets us use his facilities. I’m looking forward to the increased skill in the skateboarders at FFS and hoping that the enthusiasm stays at an all time high,” said FFS student skater, Ron R.

By Becca W.

Activities Director Paul G. and Admissions Counselor Chris S. shook up the annual Halloween routine and transformed the holiday into an entire weekend event. With the help of the kitchen staff, set designer Pam A., Christopher S.’s catering crew, and a few hardworking students, The Family School dressed up as “Ablewarts” (a spoof on the Harry Potter series’ famed boarding school Hogwarts) for an entire weekend of holiday fun.

The festivities really began earlier in the week, when Hagrid (Paul G. dressed up in a wild wig and fake beard) got up in front of the entire student body to announce the beginning of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Each of the four families chose a “Champion” (Tim R. from Talbot House, Maurissa H. from Mann House, George L. from Betton House, and Joe T. from Lake House) and all the Champions had to complete a set of five physical and mental challenges before the school-wide competition began that weekend. Additionally, all four FFS families adopted different names, to add a fittingly Halloween-esque element of disguise. Talbot House became “House of the Black Raven”; Mann House translated “House of Truth” into Latin and became “Casa de Verum” for the weekend; Lake House channeled Lackawanna University and became “Lackamawanna”; and Betton House became “Talindor,” inspired by Harry Potter’s House at Hogwarts, Gryffindor.

The room that was ordinarily the gymnasium was magically transfigured into the Great Hall on Friday, October 28. The walls were decorated to look like stone, floating candles twinkled from the ceiling and the lights were dimmed to set the eerie mood. The entire school enjoyed Friday night dinner at long tables set up underneath banners bearing each family’s initials. A purple and gold hexagonal box containing a chocolate frog (homemade by Paul G.) and a trading card bearing a picture of an FFS staff member was laid out in front of each seat at every table. Christopher S.’s catering crew, decked out in burlap like the house-elves of the Harry Potter series, served dinner to the young witches and wizards of Ablewarts Academy.

For the evening activity, the students watched Alejandro Amenábar’s psychological thriller The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, a suspenseful film which brings up questions of mortality and the dire consequences of selective vision. Everyone jumped out of their seats, and many students (and staff members) actually screamed!

On Saturday, the students ate all three meals in the Great Hall. During the afternoon, the students prepared their Halloween costumes and carved pumpkins for the Jack-O’-Lantern contest in the traditional spirit of the holiday. The evening feast was a special event, and for dessert, everyone enjoyed a delicious Harry Potter-themed Paul G. concoction: “Beerless Butterbeer!” The sweet treat was made of butterscotch and vanilla ice cream in a chocolate bowl topped with oodles of butterscotch syrup. Every witch and wizard was also provided with a shot of cream soda, which foamed and fizzed when poured over the sundae. After the dinner, the students split off to their houses to get ready for the night’s Halloween party.

Costumed students filed into the Great Hall, eager for the celebration to begin. Lively music filled the hall, and chairs were set up into oval configurations under each banner, foreshadowing one of the night’s activities. To kick off the evening, however, the Ablewarts witches and wizards showed off their creative ensembles in a costume fashion show.

A faux stone castle threshold was set up on the stage, and one by one, students climbed the stairs and modeled their elaborate getups. The costumes ranged from glamorous to gruesome, including a mob of Occupy Wall Street protestors, mad scientists, a giant baby in a pillowcase diaper, Iron Man, and 80s gym teachers. At the end of the show, Shane M. and Andrew D. judged the winners. Paul G. announced the awards: a pair of glittering mermaids, Talbot House’s Celise F. and Shannon S., won Most Creative; Talbot House’s Alex H., dressed as a cardboard box, won Best Costume Of The Night; Best Impression went to Lake House’s Sean D., who dressed as staff member Chris S.; and Talboteer Kevin D. won Scariest Costume with his creepy clown outfit.

After the costume contest, there was a quick break to enjoy the refreshments that were set up on a table in front of the stage. There were seasonal treats like cinnamon donuts, spiced apple cider, and hot fruit tea prepared by America R., as well as buttery bowls of popcorn and (of course) mounds of candy. Partygoers milled around the Great Hall and enjoyed their snacks, then went on to the next activity, musical chairs.

The four ovals of chairs set up under the house banners were then put to their purpose. The music played and the kids orbited the chairs. Round by round, the playing population thinned; finally, each family was left with one member (Tim R. from Talbot House, Tarek M. from Lake House, Keith F. from Betton House, and David R. from Mann House). Each house’s last member competed in a smaller circle, contending to be the last student standing. Tim R., Talbot House Champion, ended up winning that competition and therefore earning more points for the House of the Black Raven.

After another snack break, it was time for a drier, less messy adaptation of the classic Halloween game of bobbing for apples. Apples were stuck on Popsicle sticks which hung from long strings attached to the ceiling. Blindfolded players (“Gnawers”) were spun around until they were dizzy and helped by partners (“Guiders”) who directed them how to take a bite out of the hanging apple. For Talbot House, RJ O. gnawed and Zoe D. guided; for Betton House, Adam B. guided and Zach E. gnawed; from Mann House, Stephen R. gnawed and George L. guided; and Lake House’s gnawer was Jameson R., while its guider was Dan F. Jameson won this competition, and points were awarded to Lackamawanna.

The last and most elaborate competition of the night was an epic no-holds-barred battle between all four House Champions at the video game Rock Band. Each Champion chose an instrument on which to compete: Tim chose guitar, Joe T. chose bass, George L. chose drums, and Maurissa chose vocals. Each round, a different Champion chose the song and difficulty level. Students in the audience were very excited to listen to music and had a great time dancing and singing along.

For the final round, Tim R., the leading House Champion, had to face a new, more daunting opponent head-to-head: Harry Potter villainess Bellatrix Lestrange (otherwise known as Rock Band pro Carmen S. in an elaborate and terrifying getup). During the first round, she was able to choose the first song, while Tim chose the level; the second round, however, this was reversed. First, they juked it out to The Guess Who song American Woman; next, they competed to Santeria by Sublime, much to the audience’s glee. The games were intense, and both Bellatrix and Tim played hard; however, the House of the Black Raven Champion emerged victorious.

The next day, the entire school gathered in the gym for the all-day Quidditch competition, a magical sport from the Harry Potter series in which players compete on brooms. Ablewarts students played so hard that many of the brooms actually got dented! Talbot House, the House of the Black Raven, won this part of the competition, as well as the Jack-O’-Lantern contest, securing its win of the 2011 FFS Tri-Wizard Tournament.

By Becca W.

FedSAR, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization of independent Search and Rescue (SAR) teams that make themselves available to any official agency to assist in searches for lost or missing persons in New York state or the northeast, holds the annual SAR conference called the ComFed. This year, The Family School’s Dog Corps was able to attend.

Nine SAR teams (seven from New York State, one from Pennsylvania, and one from New Jersey) attended this year’s convention, with a total of 67 trainers and 42 dogs present.

Being at ComFed granted the Dog Corps members access to a higher level of SAR than they had been exposed to before. Students were able to attend workshops alongside members of professional SAR teams, where they gained more sophisticated knowledge and granted them the opportunity to hone their skills and learn new techniques.

Members of Dog Corps also had the opportunity to get certified in SAR. Dan D., Ryan C., Chris B., and Lucas V. all received Class DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) Basic certifications, which verify that the holders have the basic knowledge in SAR and the skills necessary  to assist in conducting search missions. Adam B. received a certification in Crime Scene Preservation.

FFS staff member Jennifer C. said, “It went very smoothly and everybody enjoyed themselves. We will do it again.”

“At the ComFED, there was always something to do,” said Adam B. “I found myself constantly walking dogs, training dogs, or being of service to other trainers. I was always hanging around people and always happy. I had a great time; I can’t think of anything else that could possibly compare with my experience at ComFED. I’ve been to many events and had a lot of fun in my life, but I’ve never felt such comraderie as when I was constantly with the dogs. I’m glad I was able to truly understand why people say that dogs are man’s best friend.”

In true Family School spirit, the Dog Corps attendees took the principles of charity, service, and unselfishness with them. In addition to walking and working with the SAR dogs, they helped set up for and clean up after the convention. Everyone is excited for the upcoming COMFED taking place next year.

“This experience made me want to seek out conventions like this to go to when I leave,” said Dog Corps member, Dan D.

By Cameron S.

Matt A. has been diligently working on an Eagle Scout project for the past couple of months. His project is to build a memorial for Terry M.
It consists of a St. Francis of Assisi statue, benches, flower beds, and a rock garden. Matt said, “I want to do this because after I leave, barely anyone will have actually known Terry, and this memorial is a way to remember his ways and teachings.” Terry was Matt’s sponsor and he chose the St. Francis statue because Terry was a secular Franciscan.

Fewer than 2% of scouts attain an Eagle rank, and it is a privilege and honor to achieve. Matt joined Troop 174 at The Family School at the beginning of his stay. Throughout his scouting career at FFS he has completed much of his Life Scout rank along with Eagle Scout required merit badges. “I’m trying to get as many merit badges as I can right now. I only have a few less than Scott C. (Scoutmaster),” said Matt.

Matt was temporarily dismissed from the troop because of difficulties he was having with his program, so his project’s progress was hindered. He had almost given up, but continued his project even if he would not be able to attain his Eagle Scout rank. “This project isn’t for me, it’s for Terry,” he said. So far he has created the base for the statue and has finished the rock garden and benches.

Matt has been receiving a lot of support from his peers and the staff.  Eric A., maintenance staff, and Drew D., alumnus and  staff member, have been particularly instrumental in helping him continue out his project.