Smooth

schools'

transitions

expected

By Linda Lemmon

Town Crier Editor

WOODSTOCK --- Woodstock Academy and Hyde-Woodstock school officials expect smooth transitions for the 2017-2018 school year. Woodstock Academy officials last week announced that the academy will be purchasing the 127-acre Hyde campus down the street. 

Woodstock Academy Christopher Sandford said that the "due diligence" phase of the purchase should be finished in December. That includes legal, financial, environmental and other items.

Sandford said that some of the due diligence items are already done, such as the environmental, so he sees "no problem" with the Academy taking occupancy in June and getting the campus ready for students in the fall of 2017.  

Likewise, in a letter to members of the Hyde community, Hyde expects to consolidate the two campuses into a single campus at Bath, Maine.  The Woodstock campus of Hyde opened in 1996. Hyde-Bath officials said that Hyde is "an idea first and a place second. Our senior leadership team and Board of Governors share a strong belief that this transition will serve to strengthen that idea while enriching our educational excellence and securing our financial well-being as we prepare to meet the future."  Hyde officials are committed to making the transition a smooth one. In addition, Hyde officials said they expect some of the Connecticut faculty, coaches, etc. to transfer to Maine and added that the academy intends "to make every effort to offer employment to those not transferring to Maine."

Sandford said,  the campus "has a number of highlights, including: a gymnasium with a basketball court, locker rooms, wrestling room, and fitness center; a 1,018-seat auditorium; three dormitories; a dining hall; a turf field that allows for night games; an eight-lane track; residential houses; classrooms; and offices.  The facilities at the Hyde School’s campus provide all of the strategic priorities outlined by both our faculty/staff, and the Board of Trustees.  This acquisition provides increased opportunities now, while realizing major long-term construction savings." The Woodstock Academy’s Board President Christine Swenson said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and allows us to fulfill every part of our strategic plan to move our school forward. We are beyond grateful and excited to be able to provide these new facilities to our faculty, staff, students, and our larger community.”

Holly Singleton, associate headmaster, said the addition of 25 classroom spaces will provide most faculty his/her own classroom and create more specialized education spaces, thereby having a significant impact on educational programming."  The academy intends to continue its capital campaign for a new science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics center. The campuses  are 2.2 miles apart and shuttle buses will run between the campuses during the day. Time between classes will increase. 

Sandford said one of the most exciting aspects for the local community is the space the school will have to form additional partnerships, Current ideas include summer activities and camps, senior programming and fine arts programming in what will become the academy's new performing arts center. Sandford said the Performing Arts of Northeast Connecticut and its Community Cultural Committee will still have access to the auditorium and the academy is hoping to expand cultural offerings in the region.

The Hyde campus has 250 dorm rooms which would allow for expansion of the student population, Sandford said.  Currently the Academy has 1055 students. Of that 92 are international, 21 are paid and 942 are from the sending towns.  Sandford said the academy is not looking at that big an increase in (international) students, "but it does provide us with more flexibility." Asked if the tuition for sending towns might increase, Sandford said "if there is (an increase) it would be a small one."

Sandford said the process started in March when one of the Board of Director members at the academy came to the board with the idea of buying the Hyde school campus. 

Asked what the best part of this is, Sandford said it's the excitement of the fourth largest historic expansion of the school. First was the school's opening in 1801; second was the new building in 1873, third was a 1992 expansion and this marks the fourth.

 

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Bedazzled

This shag bark hickory in East Woodstock shimmers with a bright red vine. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

Football Wrap-up

Light action 

as teams take 

mandatory 

CIAC break

By Ron P. Coderre

Plainfield High School and Woodstock Academy were the only two high school football teams to see action last week.  The reason for the light schedule is a mandatory break week imposed as a safety measure by the Connecticut schoolboy ruling authority the CIAC.

Plainfield, which was off the previous week, came back to the gridiron with a vengeance.  Coach Pat Smith’s Panthers handled a very good Thames River team with a solid defensive effort.  The Panthers completely shut down the visitors, winning 35-0.

Homecoming weekend had Woodstock Academy in a 3 p.m. contest against Woonsocket, R.I.  The Acads didn’t have any problem in generating offense, scoring 36 points.  The visitors from the Ocean State however, scored more points and went home with a win. 

Prep schools, Hyde School-Woodstock and Pomfret School were in action.  The Hyde Wolfpack entertained Tabor Academy, while the Golden Griffins of Pomfret School traveled to The Gunnery School on the New York border for and 8-man football encounter.

The preps came out of the weekend on the losing end of the equation as both teams lost.  Hyde was in its game but Pomfret was beaten big time.

Plainfield Panthers Roar 

Past Thames River

Plainfield used a ferocious defense to contain a strong Thames River Crusaders offense in its game in Plainfield.  The Panthers D dominated the contest, shutting out the Crusaders 35-0.

The Panthers roared out to a 21-0 first period lead and were never headed for the remaining 36 minutes.  Kyle Holt started the scoring parade with a 5-yard touchdown run.  Cam Gonzales, who ran for 116 yards on 13 carries, then scored the first of his two touchdowns of the game.  He scored on a two-yard blast.  Gonzales followed that TD up by opening the second half scoring with a 20-yard tally.

The first half scoring ended when quarterback Marcus Robinson found Nick Burlingame in the end zone on a short one-yard pass.

Devin McGale closed out the scoring with a 5-yard TD run.  McGale was 8-61 for the game.  Signal caller, Robinson, was 6-of-11 in the air for 76 yards and a touchdown.  The win evens Plainfield’s record at 2-2.

The Panthers travel to Central Falls, Rhode Island on Friday for a 6 p.m. encounter under the arcs against the Ocean State entry.    

Woodstock Loses Another High Scoring Affair

The change in the coaching staff at Woodstock Academy has infused a positive attitude in the Centaurs football fortunes.  The team, under coach Darryl Daleen, has been in all five of its games this season.  They’ve also proven they can put points on the board.  The kink in the armor appears to be the defense.

On Homecoming Weekend in front of an enthusiastic crowd the Acads once again fell in a high-scoring affair.  This week they were victims of Woonsocket High School, which walked off with a 43-36 victory.

The loss drops the Centaurs to 2-3 on the season.  The team is off next week and returns to action on Saturday, October 22 at home when it entertains Vinal Tech/East Hampton/Goodwin Tech in a 1 p.m. encounter.

Hyde Disappoints Against Tabor

Trailing only 6-0 at intermission, the Hyde-Woodstock Wolfpack was unable to generate enough offense to emerge victorious in its game against visiting Tabor Academy.  The Pack lost 18-6, dropping to 2-1 on the season.

The lone Hyde score came when Jordan Knight picked up a fumble and rumbled 55 yards with the pigskin to paydirt.  The fumble was caused by former Killingly High School standout big Josh Angell, who is playing a postseason year at the Woodstock school.

Pomfret Gunned Down By Gunnery

Pomfret School made another long football trip last weekend as it competes for the first season in a four-school 8-man football league.  The Golden Griffins traveled to Washington, Connecticut for a contest against The Gunnery School only to be dropped by the Gunners 40-6.

Josh Kuffour was the lone bright spot for the Griffs as he tallied a fourth quarter touchdown from 3 yards out.  Kuffour had 84 yards on 16 carries for his day’s work.

Pomfret is 0-2 on the season but will have another shot at Gunnery later in the season.  According to the original release on the new eight-man league ,the four participants are scheduled to face each other twice during the season.

 

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