THIS IS SURRATTS FOUNDATION E-NOTICE 2013-10 OF OCTOBER 1, 2013

Hello Hornets:

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, and the tireless efforts of our volunteers, the Foundation has had an extremely busy and successful start to the 2013-2014 school year.  Special thanks go to the early 2013 Campaign donors listed below, and to faculty liaison Natarsha Mathis and Board member Donald Knight, PhD (92) for all of their efforts to make 2013-2014 the most successful year in the Foundation's 15-year history.

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1.  FOUNDATION FUNDS AUTISM DEPARTMENT FIELD TRIP.  The Foundation had the privilege of funding a field trip by the students, parents and teachers from the School's autism department to Towson University on September 19.  (TU is nationally and internationally known for its Hussman Center for Adults with Autism.)  The visit kicked-off with a presentation by the students to the Foundation of a lovely (and large!) thank you card with nice messages from each member of the group.  A highlight of the visit was a very warmly received presentation about dorm life at TU from Foundation Board member Donald Walker (01), the Assistant Director of Residence Life at TU!  The students and parents especially appreciated Donald's offer to serve as a personal Surrattsville contact at the University to assist them with any dorm life (and other) questions they have about TU.

The Foundation's youtube channel features a new "program" about this recent adventure by these great Surrattsville students.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CToCMn5F_PE)

2.  FOUNDATION FUNDS CG&D LIBRARY AND READING CHAIR.  The Foundation recently learned that the Child Growth and Development Program at the School, that provides an excellent opportunity for Surrattsville students to learn about careers in the child development program through hands-on activities with pre-schoolers, had no significant library resources.  To remedy this, the Foundation provided a grant to purchase a library of age-appropriate books for the program, and a nice rocking chair for the student readers.

Best wishes to these hard-working Surrattsville students and their early reader education efforts!

3.  FOUNDATION PROVIDES MATCHING GRANT FOR BAND AUXILIARY UNIFORMS.   Surrattsville's award winning band program includes as one of its components an outstanding Marching Band Auxiliary.  Last year, the Auxiliary's uniforms reached the end of their useful life, so the Band Boosters recently raised funds for the replacement of the uniforms.  The Foundation then matched those funds, resulting in a total amount sufficient to replace the uniforms.

More information about these musical Hornets can be found on the Band Program's official site at https://sites.google.com/a/pgcps.org/surrattsvillebands/.

4.  FOUNDATION FUNDS VOLLEYBALL TEAM EQUIPMENT.  Some of our long-time readers will remember when the Foundation stepped-in several years ago to provide needed equipment for the Softball Team at the School.  Last month, the Foundation learned of a similar unfunded need by the Volleyball Team, and provided a grant to provide the equipment the team requires to compete this year.  Best of luck to these very talented scholar-athletes!

5.  FOUNDATION FUNDS MUCH-NEEDED RESOURCES FOR LIBRARY.  The Foundation's last grant to help jump-start the 2013-2014 school year went to the Media Center.  (Our more mature readers know it as "the library.")  The Foundation learned that the School's World Book Encyclopedias and World Almanacs were woefully out-of-date, and provided a grant to replace them with current volumes.  (Some Foundation Board members were surprised and pleased to learn that high school students still use books – and even encyclopedias and almanacs – in connection with their studies!)

6.  UPDATE ON FOUNDATION ATTEMPT TO SET NEW RECORD.  As noted in our last e-Notice, the Foundation is hoping to set an all-time fund raising record with the 2013 Annual Campaign (which now is in full swing).  Donating is easy, and no donation is too small (or large) to make a real positive difference in the lives of the great kids at Surratts.  (Those $5 and $10 donations really add up after a while.)  We're noting that many of this year's donors are specifically earmarking their donations for special Foundation funds like the Charlie Waddell Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Principals/Faculty/Staff Memory fund, and the like, and many donors are using their donations as a way to remember classmates, schoolmates and staff members who had a major impact on their lives.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to the many early, and generous, donors listed below, and we thank all of you in advance for considering making a contribution to this year's effort.  (Because the Foundation has been so active in making grants last year and this year, we'll need to rely on the generosity of the Foundation's donors to refresh our funds so we can continue to advance the mission of the Foundation.)

Donating is very, very easy:  just mail in the Donor Form at the end of this email, or donate only through paypay at www.surrattsville.org.

7.  LETTERPERSON'S JACKETS ON SALE AT SCHOOL.  The School has informed us that it once again is selling Varsity Jackets to students and alumni.  The jackets are of the traditional wool and leather variety, green with white sleeves and green and white trim on the collar, cuff and hem, with Hornet logo, Class year and an embroidered name.  The jackets cost $250 for S, M, L and XL, and $255 for 2XL, 3XL and 4XL.  (Tall sizes are available at an additional fee.  Please contact LaKeshia Myers @ 301-599-2453 or  LaKeshia.Myers@pgcps.org with any questions or to place an order.

8.  STUNNING NEW PHOTOS ON FOUNDATION'S FACEBOOK GROUP.  Thanks to the work of Shelby Lee Oppermann (79), Greg Laxton (80), Debi Caputo Rosen (71), Evan Vutsinas (76), and others, there is a large collection of wonderful new historical photos with Surrattsville themes on the Foundation's Facebook Group, "Surrattsville Alumni."  These include photos from Surrattsville's various theatrical events over the years, photos of the gone-but-not-forgotten Ranch Drive-In, photos of beloved teachers, and the like.

9.  SEEKING 70 BOOMERANG.  Pat McArthur (70) is seeking a paper or digital copy of the 1970 Boomerang.  Please send Pat an email at patmcArthur@hotmail.com if you have a lead on one.

10.  FOUNDATION'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL CONTINUES TO ADD CONTENT.  As noted above, one of the new programs on the Foundation's youtube channel this month is a program on the Autism Department's trip to Towson University.  Another new program features the Foundation's participation in the 2013 Back-to-School Night activities at the School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZKDUSIfApw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUJBiUH49oYAmsczyuPCTI3Q).

The channel also is always looking for additional content to add.  (There's a rumor that there might be some digital copies of drama productions at Surrattsville that might be suitable to include.  Naturally, we'd love to have those treasures!)

Please become a subscriber to the channel, take a moment to view the programs on the channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/SurrattsvilleFDN, and let us know if you have access to any content that could be added.

11.  74 GRAD LENDS MEDICAL TALENTS TO A VERY GOOD CAUSE.  We received this very interesting email from Bert Randlett (73):

"Thought this item about C. R. Anderegg (74), a Seattle area periodontist, might be a nice bit for the next e-Notice.  Bert          

"Here is a story about Shakare, a 13 year old who had a special oral health case where the enamel was not fully present on most of her teeth.  Our dentist believed this was due to an early childhood illness or possibly from antibiotics at an early age.
 
Some of her teeth looked like brown fangs to be exact and she we so embarrassed to open her mouth.  She couldn’t even smile.  It was kind of shocking to see the teeth.  According to Dr. Hansen, without help she would lose her teeth within six to 12 months.  
 
But one of our project coordinators, Tom Saller, along with Jamaican Sistah Nicole, watched a TV program about Shakare.  With open hearts, Tom and Sistah Nicole came to me to see if we could help.  I said “Of course.”  So Tom called the reporter and arranged to have Shakare come all the way from Kingston, Jamaica (five hours) to our clinic to see Dr. C. R. Anderegg (a member of the GreatShape! Board), and his good friend Dr. Neil Hansen.  
 
The team spent nearly four hours with Shakare, saved her teeth with restorations and gave her back her beautiful smile and her confidence.  To top it off, it was Shakare’s birthday!   We are now making arrangements to have some of these teeth crowned for long term health. This is why we do what we do.  

One Love, "Papa Joe,"  Joseph Wright, Executive Director,  Great Shape! Inc., www.gsjamaica.org"

[And Bert sent this link to a very nice Jamaican TV news feature story about Shakare and

 C.R.:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouBoXakV7z0&feature=share&list=UUungvaPJaa_kDLxZBYXzpsQ]

Thanks to Bert for sending along this inspiring story!

12.  NEED FOR GENTLY USED STRING INSTRUMENTS.  For the first time (at least in a quite a few years), Surrattsville now has an orchestra program to accompany its various (and award-winning) band programs.  The School is in need of "gently used" string instruments for the new orchestra.  Please send me an email at hsmith@smithdowney.com if you have a violin, viola, cello or double bass collecting dust in a closet that you'd like to donate to this very good musical cause.

13.  TARGET PURCHASES BENEFIT SCHOOL.  A Surrattsville parent has informed us that Target stores currently have a fund raiser benefiting local schools.  (We imagine this might be similar to the long-running Giant Food program that makes grants to local schools based on "designated purchases" at their stores.)  Interested shoppers can go to givewith.target.com to learn more about this fund raising effort for Surrattsville.

14.  DIGITIZATION OF FOUNDATION ARCHIVES.  As many of our readers know – and as all recent visitors to the Foundation's "Surrattsville Alumni" Facebook Group have seen – the Foundation's Historian and Archivist, Shelby Lee Oppermann (79), has largely single-handedly saved from destruction, collected and made presentable a virtual treasure trove of Surrattsville-related historical items.  Shelby now hopes to digitize those priceless artifacts to ensure their survival into perpetuity.  Here's a message from Shelby:

"We're hoping to find someone with the capabilities to professionally digitize all our Foundation memorabilia.  I will get as much up on Facebook as the material will allow, but a professional job would be really nice.  I also want to see if anyone in our Surrattsville community would be able to take the Foundation's oral history interviews off of the digital tape recorder and the cassette recorder, enhance them, and take out background noises (though the live episode of "Hornetman" recorded in the background of some interviews from the Y2K reunion was pretty funny!).  I did have the digital tape recorder downloaded onto a CD last year.  I am having fun uploading and describing the pictures, and reading all the comments.  In addition to the Surrattsville Alumni Facebook Group, I have been uploading onto various Facebook groups like "If you grew up in Clinton you remember," "Clinton Volunteer Fire Department," and the various elementary school pages.  Shelby"

[If you might be able to assist in this important conservation effort, please send me an email at hsmith@smithdowney.com.]

15.  CLASSES OF 83/84/85 REUNION.  We received this notice from the Classes of 83, 84 and 85:  "Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 11, 2014 for our Classes of 83/84/85 Reunion.  Please email Debbie O’Clair MacKenzie at Debbiemackenzie45@yahoo.com to be placed on the mailing list (if you have not already received the “save the date” email).  If you have questions about the event, contact your Class representative:

1983—Becky delVillar Levin:  bdellevin@gmail.com

1984—Gary Stallings:  gstallings@yahoo.com

1985—MaryBeth Klick:  mbklick@aol.com"

16.  REQUEST FOR NAMING ASSISTANCE ON FALLEN HEROES PLAQUE FOR LEGACY HALL.  As reported previously, thanks to the efforts of Bob Jeter (64), the Foundation is preparing a Fallen Heroes plaque to hang in the Legacy Hall that will contain the names and Class years of Hornets who died while serving in the military or as first responders (or later from service-related injuries).  Please contact Bob at bobjeter@verizon.net if you know of any Hornets who should be honored in this way.  In addition, Bob is asking for your thoughts on an appropriate title for this plaque, so please send him an email if you have any ideas.

[Ed note:  Photos of the Legacy Wall can be found on the Foundation's web site at www.surrattsville.org.]

17.  STILL SEEKING WEB SITE DESIGN ASSISTANCE.  The Foundation continues to seek members of the Surrattsville community with web site design skills to volunteer to assist with some changes being contemplated for our web site at surrattsville.org.   Please send me an email at hsmith@smithdowney.com if you'd consider donating your skills to this effort.

18.  CLASS OF 64 50 YEAR REUNION.   We received this announcement about the Class of 64's upcoming golden event:  "The Class of 1964 is planning a 50th reunion in Ocean City for late September 2014.  It might seem a long way off, but we all know how fast time goes by.  We need to firm up a place, reserve a block of rooms to set aside, and determine how much space we will need.   Please email Ginger Trapanotto, gingersnap699@gmail.com or Phil Foster, fosterphilip6@gmail.com if you (alone or with a guest) are interested in attending.   Also, if you know the whereabouts of any former classmate, please ask him/her to email one of us or you can forward the information to us.  We appreciate any help you can provide and the "committee" is looking forward to re-visiting the 60s with everyone."

19.  FOUNDATION FACEBOOK PRESENCE CONTINUES TO GROW.  The Foundation's Facebook Group – called "Surrattsville Alumni" – continues to grow, and is now has over 1600 members.  This is a great, and free, way for folks to stay in touch.  Similarly, the Class-specific Facebook Groups – that have names like "Surrattsville 1969" and the like -- continue to grow.  These Facebook Groups are becoming an increasingly active way for folks to share memories and news updates of interest to the Surrattsville community.  Please consider joining the Surrattsville Alumni Group, and your own Class-specific Group.

Here's hoping you're enjoying a great start to a beautiful Fall season!

All the best, Henry Smith (71)

In Memoriam

MIKE WEBB (71) died from complications from a fall at his home in Chula Vista, CA.  Mike was a musician at Surrattsville, playing trumpet in one of Butch Mortimer’s great Hornet bands, and graduated from Mississippi State University.  He became a Navy pilot, and is buried at Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery in San Diego, CA.  He is survived by son John, his sister Pat McArthur (70), and his former wife Davee Kaplan.

MARY WATSON CROWLEY (37) died in her residence at the Charlotte Hall Veterans' Home.  Mary was the next-to-last known survivor of the Surrattsville Class of 1937.  Mary is survived by her classmate (and active Foundation participant), Billie Barr Gwynn Winstead (37).

MANY THANKS TO THESE GENEROUS DONORS TO THE 2013 CAMPAIGN!

• Patricia Becker Oles (71)
• Steve Profilet (71)
• Vicki Forsht Williams (65 and former faculty), In memory of Eugene Colgan and Richard      Mortimer
• Nancy Miller (67)
• Vicky Simontacchi Young (57), In memory of Richard C. Mortimer (57, former faculty)
• Bob Marr (71)
• Debbie Cox Marr (72)
• Mark Scoville (74), In memory of Mike Helfrich (74) and Nancy Maddox (74)
• Rick Torrecarion (74), In loving memory of Patsy Torrecarion (76)
• Linda Dorsey Blum (66)
• Nancy Lapin LoBianco (65), In memory of Tony Marchetti (65)
• Sandra Smith Simmons (70)
• Duke Coleman (53), In memory of Donald England (53)
• Lois Barrett Hessberg (70)
• Lee Hessberg (68)
• Donna Rae Sturtevant Smith (70), In memory of Cliff Hersey
• Henry Smith (71), In memory of Cliff Hersey
• Sandra Smith Simmons (70)
• Donald Knight (92)
• David Cranford (90)
• Vera Twigg
• Paul Monaghan (59)
• Melissa Gilcrest (69)
• Deborah Caputo Rosen (71)
• Nancy Oursler Maynard (65), In memory of Cliff Hersey
• Judy Miller (70)
• Mike Blair (71)
• Larry Romjue (57), In memory of Lois Marie Osgood (57) – "It's not for me to say," Johnny Mathis
• Leslie St. Clair (70), In memory of Bob Mahler (70) and Georgy Stevens (70)
• Anne Noyes (former faculty), In memory of Lillian Holland
• Helen Bovbjerg Niedung (54)
• J. Paul Rickett (69)
• Gloria Blandford Rickett (71)
• Marge and Bill Allen (parents)
• Coach Lew Jenkins (former faculty)
• Dan Bayne (71), for the Charlie Waddell Memorial Scholarship Fund
• Sherry Dodson Brunett (69)