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Faculty Travel Grants Provide for Summer Adventures

Bill Hritz in the deserted village on Achill Island, a community which was destroyed by the potato famines of the mid-19th century.

This summer five BB&N faculty members were recipients of summer travel grants from the School, and took full advantage by visiting an array of fascinating places.  Given out annually by the Board of Trustees, summer study and travel grants provide the School’s teachers with well deserved resources to travel and explore areas of interest which they might not otherwise be able to do.

Upper School English Teacher Althea Cranston used her grant to travel to County Wicklow, Ireland for a “summer school” devoted to studying the life and works of playwright J.M. Synge. 

“The school took place on an old five-hundred acre estate…where experts on Synge from Ireland and the U.K. gave lectures on such topics as the playwright’s use of folklore and the influence of Greek theatre on the works of Yeats and Synge,” said Cranston.  “Students came from all over the world…to talk Synge, visit some sites that inspired his plays, and enjoy the hospitality and the ‘craic’ (good company and storytelling) of the Wicklow locals who organize this annual gathering.”

Upper School math teacher and Tenth Grade Dean Peggy Payne and her family took in the sights of the Pacific Northwest.

“We flew in to Portland, Oregon, where we rented a car to make our big loop north to Seattle, then west to the ocean, where we dipped our toes in the frigid waters of the Pacific for the first time,” said Payne.

Amidst hikes, city tours, exploring dunes and learning all about local salmon, Payne managed to pick out a few favorite memories:  “We wished that we could have spent more time along the way, but two spots really stood out for us:  Mount Rainier and Crater Lake…it was peaceful, beautiful, and an area to which we’d love to return.”

Grade 4 Teacher Bill Hritz and his husband narrowly survived their trip to Ireland noting the “white knuckle driving on the too-narrow roads,” but came away from the experience with no regrets. 

“From the youthful buzz of Dublin to the desolate beauty of Connemara to the majestic Cliffs of Moher, the balance of culture, history and the natural beauty of the island was, for me, ideal,” said Hritz, who took the time to visit numerous historical spots of interest such as Achill Island, and the Port Cohb Heritage Center.

“It is my hope that the photos, books, music, and information I acquired during the trip will help to enliven the social studies program for my students,” said Hritz.

A hearty ‘uerukamu honba!’ or ‘welcome home!’ to Lower School Technology Coordinator Colm Eliet, who spent two weeks in Japan this summer.

Eliet stayed in Tokyo for the first week where he and his wife explored the culturally chic and fascinating city, and managed a day trip to Mt. Fuji and Kamakura.  The second week they turned their attention to the older and more traditional city of Kyoto.

“We visited Nijo and Himeji castles, and some of the temples and shrines surrounding Kyoto,” said Eliet.  “The gardens in Kyoto were spectacular and we came home with pictures of them…which have inspired plans for our backyard next spring.”

As an avid outdoors person who grew up on a sheep farm, Middle School English Teacher Rachel Jamison had always dreamed of visiting New Zealand.  So she knew exactly what to do with her travel grant.

“I got the opportunity to closely explore the Maori culture and some of its early settlements on the north island in the towns of Rotorua and Waitiangi,” explained Jamison.  “Along with exploring the native culture, I kayaked the Tasman Sea and hiked in Abel Tasman National Park, hiked to Franz Josef Glacier, relaxed in salt water pools, and camped on the beach several nights.”

Jamison was also able to take many great photos, and explore some of the sites from the filming of the Lord of the Rings movies.  Although she saw some tremendous sights, she did not report seeing any hobbits.