Jan 23 09 Friday Bulletin

Atheneum School Friday Bulletin January 23, 2009 Announcements and Reminders: This month has brought us three outstanding guest speakers, each a true leader in his field! •Early in January, Retired General Joseph Ralston spoke to us about his role during his appointment as the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. He presented an engaging talk about the development of NATO, the principles of its operation and its role in the world, and the differences between NATO and the United Nations. General Ralston matched our student in his responding to questions. We hope that he will to Atheneum when he is back from his traveling. •Willie Hensley came to speak to us with his newly released book, a memoir, Fifty Miles From Tomorrow. Willie was born in Kotzebue, a small community in Northwest Alaska about 40 miles above the Arctic Circle. His family lived on the Noatak River delta and lived in the traditional way. While a college student at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks (1966), he wrote a paper titled "What Rights to Land have the Alaska Natives: The Primary Issue"- This was the catalyst that moved the land claims issue from idea to action and launched Mr. Hensley into an active public life that continues to shape our state. A member of many boards, and a founder of NANA Regional Corporation, Mr. Hensley talked about the importance of language and story in shaping our lives. •Cal Williams, a civil rights activist, who as a young man was at the mall in Washington DC to hear Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech, came to tell us stories about being black and growing up in Louisiana during the 1950’s. Raised by women in his family as the men were just coming back from WWII and would later go on to serve in Korea, he felt that his mother and grandmother really shaped his life with values that might otherwise have been secondary. “I was so lucky,” was the genuine refrain we heard the morning of his talk. Cal talked about his own training to become a non-violent activist, which he undertook after a tour in Vietnam. “You can be taught to be non-violent. It takes practice!” 

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We are very fortunate to have the guest speaker program that David Hoffman founded at Atheneum a year and a half ago! It gives students and faculty the opportunity to be in the presence of people from many walks of life who are passionate about what they do and inspire others to go forward with their own lives. Our thanks to parents Gail Johnson, Ed Cullinane, and staff member Gary Holthaus for scheduling these speakers. Coming to speak to us in the near future is David Hoffman who has returned to Alaska from several weeks in Liberia where he is involved in community organization and the structuring of micro financing.

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Thanks to parents, staff and students who attended Tuesday night’s PTSA meeting. The meeting focused on two items of business, The Annual Auction and Student Recital on February 13 and student recruitment. Our PTSA meets the third Monday of each month! The next meeting is February 16 at 7:00pm. Please plan to attend!

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This semester, we welcome new students and their families: Matison Deaton, 11 , Pamela Jones, th th 9 , and Kody Conner, 8 . We are happy to have you as part of the Atheneum Community!

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Staff and students are working on the Spring 2009 Iceland Trip Proposal and plan to have it ready to view next week!

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Finally, as this historic week comes to an end, several faculty members and students who attended Arun Gandhi’s talk “Lessons From My Grandfather” are still conversing about the parallels between the non-violence movement of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King. Coaching groups on the inauguration speech of Barrack Obama will concluded with an all school seminar scheduled on Monday morning!

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Parents: Friday Evaluations of students go home today. Please bring in those auction items and turn in your sold tickets!

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Have a wonderful week ahead!

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