Walden

Standing on the thick yellow sand

The wind blowing in my face

My mind begins to flow as planned

As I believe I'm in space

The ripple of the water pushing towards my feet

The way Fitz was looking at me

I was surely in the hot seat

Pine needles falling down

The trees slowly started turning brown

We all picked up rocks to skip

And suddenly Malcolm decided to take a dip

Many people call it home

To me, it surely looked like Rome

The pond is full of history

Located in Concord, it's always a mystery

Who was this man they called Thoreau

Said he lived in cabin during the snow

Writing about the place he loved

A serene he would never get rid of

This man was said to be the best

Known as the man who has been blessed

His name was Henry David Thoreau

And Walden Pond was his home.

(Walden Pond home of David Thoreau)

Quote of the Day

Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.

-Nelson Mandela

One in a Million

"You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation."

--Brigham Young

Malala Yousafzai is known for her education and women’s rights activism in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, were the Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. 

In early 2009, at the age of 11 Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym (fake name) for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls.

The following summer, a New York Times documentary was filmed about her life as the Pakistani military intervened in the region.

On 9 October 2012, Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus. The attack sparked global support for worldwide access education opportunities for girls including the creation of Malala Day July 12.

Last academic year, our diversity committee launched a public awareness project in support of education for girls and the Malala Fund.

Students campaigned and educated us about gender discrimination and also raised money for Malala’s medical care.

She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the 2013 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European Parliament, the 2013 Clinton Global Citizen Awards from the Clinton Foundation; and was nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize.

And on Saturday October 12th the Fenn Boys attended a conversation with Malala herself at the Boston College High School.

Talking to some of the boys who went said they loved it. Malala who is just sixteen (about our age) has changed this world and gotten people to think in a different way about education.

Her story is fascinating and in just a few bullet points we were able to recap what she said that day.

Malala

Favorite show Ugly Betty

Told Obama to send books and Pencils to Pakistan rather than guns and weapons

Pakistan is our home

Swat where she lives is its her paradise

2007 Terrorism took full force

2009 Terrorists stopped girls from going to school

and soon after that it became worse because they blew up schools every time a girl tried going

A total of 400 schools were destroyed

“Grew up in School.”

loved school because she was learning but not about math and science but about basic equality of life

Learned how to be kind to everyone

Education is imp because we are not only building our own future but the future of Pakistan

Imp to struggle, raise your voice, and freedom will come

God made me as high as the sky

When I was shot I did not know that the world was praying for me

Taliban are not thinking

Education is Education and the Taliban will never take it away from us

I am certainly not afraid of the Taliban nor am I afraid of death

Wherever I go I want to make a change for girls around the world.

(Malala at BC. High School on Saturday Oct 12th) 

Quote of the Day

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

-Benjamin Franklin 

Pen To Paper Begins

        On Friday, Fenn seniors had there first Pen to Paper meeting. Pen to Paper is a time during Global Study Hall where the senior class gets invited to the Head Masters house for cookies brownies and other tasty treats.
        Mrs. Ward the Head Master's spouse gathers the kids in the living room and talks about everyday life. On most occasions though she will pick out a poem and read it to them and the class will have the opportunity to ponder over it for a few minutes. Most of the time the poem will be related to things they are doing in school for example sports, academics etc.
     The program was started just a few years a go by senior Gates Dupont who had a passion for writing poetry and expressing his feelings in words. He later went to the Concord Academy School where he is right now.
      The most exciting part of the program is that towards the end of the year, the seniors split up into groups and get to right there own poetry. They later have a whole day off where they have a competition for which group can recite their best poem and who is dressed the best. The competition is called The Poetry Slam and is arguably the best day the seniors have.
     Although the class had there first meeting just yesterday the boys already enjoyed it and cannot wait for their next meeting Friday

Seniors during Poetry Slam: Left to Right (Marcus M, Leo S, Odom S)

Poetry Slam: Left to Right (Will H, James S, Reid S)

Quote of the Day

If you haven't got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. 

-Bob Hope 

Youth in Philanthropy

On Tuesday September 24th the Fenn ninth grade boys had their first meeting for the Youth in Philanthropy (YIC) group. YIP is where the Fenn boys learn about various areas of philanthropy (which includes not just giving away money, but volunteerism, advocacy etc.) and non-profit organizations. Ultimately the ninth graders who participate in this program will donate approximately 9,000 dollars to a few non-profit organizations they select in the Metro West area.  They meet every Tuesday just before school and plan on doing the same throughout the year. Towards the end of the program the boys who participated in YIP will be giving a check to the non-profit organizations they select in All School Meeting. Kindly look forward for more updates on how things are going in YIP.

Last years Youth and Philanthropy Group