2020 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage was completed for the 2020 form plaque early last summer. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2020 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• The center features the COVID-19 virus  – the most significant event of the 2019/2020 school year
• The top of the design shows a flock of flying pelicans, representing the distance learning that was a result of COVID-19, and that “pelicans fly together”
• The bottom left is the open book with the initials of 14th Rector Kathleen Carroll Giles, representing the beginning of her term as rector
• The bottom right features a horseshoe magnet and a door to represent the magnets that were added to the doors in the dorms
• In the 3 lower corners of the quatrefoil are three books to represent the three rectors that served in the four years that the Form of 2020 was at SPS – the book on the left has the Roman numeral XIII to represent the 13th Rector Hirschfeld, the book on the right has the Roman numeral XIV for 14th Rector Giles, and the book at the bottom has the letter “I” for interim rector Richards

This design has been used to create the wood carving of the 2020 form plaque. I will document the carving process in an upcoming post.

2000 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2000 form plaque. I worked with a representative from the Form of 2000 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Center: An oak tree represents the 2000 class gift of an oak tree, planted near the chapel
• Upper Left: A nutcracker represents the 20th anniversary performance of the Nutcracker Ballet, which was choreographed by Lisa de Ribère
• Background: The crossed crew oars with a “W” pennant flag represent the victories at the Worcester Regatta by both the girls and boys crews
• Center Right: Two Roman numerals “MM” (2000) represent the beginning of the new millennium

This design is being used to create the wood carving of the 2000 form plaque. I will document the carving process in an upcoming post.

2019 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage was completed for the 2019 form plaque early last summer. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2019 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper left: Shows a shirt with a multi-gender symbol on it, representing the updating of the school dress code to apply equally to all students regardless of gender identity.
• Upper right corner: Shows a rose window, representing the catastrophic fire of Notre Dame cathedral.
• Upper center: Shows the Hugh Camp Cup, with Roman numerals III, IV, V, VI, representing that the cup was won by a member of the Form of 2019 each of their four years.
• Lower left: A football celebrates the 8 – 0 winning season for the football team.
• Lower center: A closed book with the School shield, with a bookmark bearing the initials A C R, represents the service of Amy C. Richards as Interim Rector.
• Lower right: A female symbol stylized into the letter S and C, represents the first time in SPS history that both the President and Vice President of the Student Council were female.
• Lower background: Shows crossed oars from the new rowing tanks that opened during the 2018/2019 school year.

This design has been used to create the wood carving of the 2019 form plaque. I will document the carving process in an upcoming post.

2018 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2018 form plaque. I worked with the student council officers from the Form of 2018 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper left corner: The book from the school shield is shown closed and inscribed with the initials MGH to represent the end of Michael Hirschfeld’s rectorship
• Upper center and right corner: Features a dorm with a lock and key, representing the addition of locks to the dorm rooms during the school year
• Lower left: Shows the number 6 springing up from a trampoline to represent the 6^th Form class trip to Skyzone that took place at the beginning of the year
• Lower center: Features a banner with the Me Too hashtag to represent the international viral movement that began in the fall, addressing the widespread prevalence of sexual harassment and assault
• Lower right: Shows the New Chapel tower with a clock set to 8:30 to represent the later start time for morning chapel

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 2018 plaque.

2017 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2017 form plaque. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2017 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper left corner: Features the Isthmian shield to celebrate their win of the Club Cup competition
• Upper right corner: Shows the Democratic donkey and Republican elephant butting heads – to reflect the contentious election last fall and the partisan politics that have followed
• Center: A ribbon is inscribed with the form word “Resilience” – given to the Form as they began their 3^rd Form year
• Lower:  A scenic view of the back of the new student center featuring the dam in the background and the patio with fire pit and chairs
• Bottom border: An alphabet border- reflecting the change in the traditional gender-binary graduation procession to an alphabetical one

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 2017 plaque.

1992 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 1992 form plaque. I worked with representatives from the Form of 1992 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Left: A large gavel represents a successful year for the SPS Debate team
• Right: Crossed oars represent an eventful Crew season for both girls and boys teams
• Center Top: A closed book with the initials C. H. C. representing the end of Charles Halsey Clark’s tenure as Rector
• Center Bottom: A sickle and hammer symbol broken in many pieces, with the letters USSR, representing the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 1992 plaque.

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2007 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2007 form plaque. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2007 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper left corner: The Henley shield, commemorating the boys and girls crew team trip to England to compete in the Henley Royal Regatta
• Upper right corner: Commemorating the release of the first iPhone
• Center: The earth, shown enveloped in the arrow symbol for recycling, represents the beginning of the Environmental Stewardship program at SPS
• Lower: Hargate is shown with an “Open” banner on the roof, commemorating the reopening of the building after extensive repairs from the damage caused during the Mother’s Day flood of 2006
• Center left and right: Initials “X” and “C” commemorate the success of the girls and boys cross country teams that year

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 2007 plaque.

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2009 Plaque Progress: Design Complete

The design stage is complete for the 2009 form plaque. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2009 to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• The upper left corner has the Democratic donkey symbol with President Obama’s initials to represent his win of the 2008 General Election
• The upper right corner has the Lion Capital of Ashoka to represent India Week
• Across the bottom edge is the arrow representing the cross country team’s win at the New England championships
• The center of the design features a polar bear supporting the earth to represent the Environmental Stewardship/Environmental Values Statement that were adopted that year as well as the Earth Day event

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 2009 plaque.

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2016 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2016 form plaque. I worked with representatives from the Form of 2016 during the school year to come up with a list of events, and the following were chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper Left: Puzzle pieces with the letters “SPS” represent the first SPS Puzzle Hunt day
• Upper Right: A baseball bat, a section of track, and a hockey stick, spell out the letters “ISL” to mark the decision to end membership in the Independent School League after the 2016-17 school year
• Center: A Bald Eagle and a Cuban Trogon bird (the national bird of Cuba) perch together on an olive branch to represent the normalization of relations between the governments of Cuba and the United States
• Bottom Left and Right: Tuck and Hargate, shown with a double ended arrow between them, represents the renovations begun this spring that will result in the exchange of functions between these two buildings.

I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the Form Plaque Project blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page when I begin working on the carving process of the 2016 plaque

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2002 Plaque Progress: Design Completed

The design stage is complete for the 2002 form plaque. I worked with members of the Form of 2002 to come up with a list of events, and the following was chosen by them to represent their 6th Form experiences at SPS:

• Upper Left: The Stanley Cup representing the visit it made to SPS in November of 2001
• Upper Right: Lower School Boathouse and dock which was torn down that year
• Center Left and Right: Two NH songbirds on either side of the design representing the donation of SPS land to the Audubon Society for use as a bird sanctuary
• Bottom Left and Right: The Manhattan skyline with the World Trade Center towers intact, to commemorate the September 11th terrorist attack

When I begin working on the carving of the 2002 plaque I will be posting photos of the carving process here on the blog and on the Form Plaque Project Facebook page.

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