Form of 2019 Plaque

The upper left corner of the Form of 2019 plaque 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. The upper right corner shows a rose window, representing the catastrophic fire of Notre Dame cathedral in April of 2019. The 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. The lower left section of the plaque features a football with the numbers 8 – 0 to celebrate the undefeated winning season for the football team in the fall. The lower center shows a closed book with the SPS shield on the cover and a bookmark bearing the initials A C R, represents the service of Amy C. Richards as Interim Rector. The lower right section has a female symbol stylized into the letter S and C, to represent the first time in SPS history that both the President and Vice President of the Student Council were female. In the background of the lower section of the plaque two crossed oars celebrate the new rowing tanks that opened during the 2018/2019 school year.

2019 Plaque Progress: Carving Completed

 

The carving for the Form of 2019 plaque is now completed. The representatives from the Form of 2019 chose the following events to be illustrated on the plaque:

• 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.

Now that the carving process is completed, I will apply a painted finish to the plaque to have it ready to hang in it’s permanent place in the Friedman Community Center. Stay tuned for updates on the completion of the plaque!

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 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.

Upper right corner: Shows a rose window, representing the catastrophic fire of Notre Dame cathedral.

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.

The Form of 2002 Plaque

The bottom of the 2002 plaque shows the World Trade Center towers, depicting the memory of New York City skyline before it was forever changed by the 9/11 terrorist attack. Two New Hampshire songbirds perch on either side in the center, representing SPS’s donation of land to the neighboring Audubon Society for use as a bird sanctuary. The upper left features the Stanley Cup, commemorating the visit to SPS of this famous trophy. The upper right shows the Lower School Boathouse and dock, which was torn down that year.

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2002 Plaque Progress: Carving Completed

The carving is completed for the 2002 form plaque. The photos below show details of the completed carving with descriptions of the events illustrated.

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.

 

Lower Left: One of two NH songbirds (Nuthatch) on either side of the design representing the donation of SPS land to the Audubon Society for use as a bird sanctuary. Below the bird is the left half of the Manhattan skyline with the World Trade Center towers intact, to commemorate the September 11th terrorist attack.

 

Lower Right: One of two NH songbirds (Chickadee) on either side of the design representing the donation of SPS land to the Audubon Society for use as a bird sanctuary. Below the bird is the right half of the Manhattan skyline with the World Trade Center towers intact, to commemorate the September 11th terrorist attack.

This plaque will receive a painted finish, and when completed, will be on display in the Middle Dining Hall in Coit (New Upper) for Anniversary 2016/17 next June.

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The Form of 1991 Plaque

A ribbon with “O Ye Fire and Heat” wraps around the top edges of the plaque, referencing the inscription on the Powerhouse, revealed when the ivy was removed during building maintenance. To represent the Gulf War, the upper left features a shield with a map of Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The upper right shows the symbol for woman with “XX” in the center to commemorate the 20th anniversary of coeducation at SPS. A Cypress tree in the top center represents the performance “Cypress Trees” – produced and directed by members of the Form of 1991 – that reflected the emotional journey of women of color at SPS. The center features the Rectors’ Ruler with Charles Halsey Clark’s initials. The ruler was used to illustrate a talk he gave to the Sixth Form. The bottom features Ohrstrom Library, dedicated with much celebration in April 1991.

1991 Plaque Progress: Plaque Completed

The Form of 1991 plaque is now completed.  The photograph above shows the completed plaque with the stained finish to match the existing frame.

The completed framed plaque will be presented on Anniversary Weekend on Saturday June 4th.  Thank you to the representatives from the Form of 1991 for their help with this project – make sure to stop by the Upper to see your plaque if you are visiting that weekend!

1991 Plaque Progress: Carving Completed

The carving stage is completed for the Form of 1991 plaque. Below are some photos of the plaque, carved to illustrate the following events:

• Top Outer Edge: A ribbon bearing the inscription “O Ye Fire and Heat” from the Powerhouse – this inscription was revealed when the ivy was removed during building maintenance that year
• Upper Left: A shield with a map of Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia representing the Gulf War
• Upper Right: A women’s symbol with “XX” in the center to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of coeducation at SPS
• Upper Center: A bald cypress tree representing the program called “Cypress Trees” of poetry, music, and drama reflecting the emotional journey of women of color at St. Paul’s – produced and directed by members of the Form of 1991
• Center Horizontal:  The Rector’s ruler with the initials of the Reverend Dr. Charles Halsey Clark, Ninth Rector of SPS, celebrating a talk he gave to members of the 6^th Form in which he used the ruler to illustrate his message
• Bottom Left and Right:  Ohrstrom Library, which was dedicated in April of 1991

Now that the carving is completed, I will stain the wood to match the woodwork in the Lower Dining Hall, where it will hang when it is done. The finished plaque will be on display for Anniversary Weekend, June 3rd & 4th, 2016.

2015 Plaque Progress: Carving Completed

The carving for the Form of 2015 plaque is completed. Below are some detail images – with carved elements illustrating the following design themes:

• Upper Left: A cake with a vinyl record on top representing the Steve Aoki event
• Center: Mount Everest with the flag of Nepal on the summit representing the devastating earth quake in April of 2015
• Upper Right: A shield with the Isthmian symbol representing their win of the Club Cup
• Bottom Left: A laptop with a clock representing 24 hour access to the internet
• Bottom Right: A stack of alphabet blocks representing the four different academic schedules during the four years of the Form of 2015

I will now start working on the painted finish, and plan on having this plaque completed in time for Anniversary weekend at the end of May. More details to follow.

The Form of 2014 Plaque

The lower half of the plaque displays two penguins on a frozen pond. The penguin on the left, sporting formal attire with a red bow tie, represents the first-ever Senior Prom. The penguin on the right, with hockey stick and puck, represents the girls varsity hockey team’s invitation to play at Frozen Fenway in Boston. The background features three evergreen trees – Isthmian’s symbol – commemorating their win of the Club Cup. The upper half of the plaque features a ribbon banner with the words “Many more hills to climb,” an excerpt from the Nelson Mandela quote below. The initials “NRM” and the dates (1918–2013) mark his passing on December 5, 2013.

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.

From: Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, p. 554, Little, Brown & Company (1994).

 

The Form of 2010 Plaque

The central image of the plaque is a heart with a ribbon of musical notes commemorating the (S)P.S. I Love You musical event held at Ohrstrom Library on Valentine’s Day that year. The upper left corner shows a house on wheels, representing the brick faculty house moved to make room for the Lindsay Center for Mathematics and Science building. The upper right corner features a map of Haiti and the epicenter of the devastating earthquake that occurred on January 12, 2010. The bottom half of the plaque depicts a camera and a photograph with the initials “BC,” commemorating faculty member Brendan Cohen, who, in addition to being a favorite teacher, documented all four years of the Form of 2010 through his many photographs.