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Q.E.D.

Special Edition
Atheneum School
15 yr. Anniversary an Independent School for grades 6-12 in Anchorage, Alaska

Spring 2010
Annual Fund

Special Interest:
Atheneum, Today’s Renewable Energy School
 Atheneum on the
Historic Iditarod Trail
In 2007, an alumni parent,
 What is music? Sandy Matthews, provided a
car and the funding for
 Partnering With BP to
Atheneum students to convert
install solar panels on top
the car to fully electric power.
of office buildings in the
lower 48 This exciting project became
the foundation for our studies
 Preparing Students to of all kinds of energy from
Study the Latest Technol- local and Native Alaskan vil-
ogy and the Classic Texts lage resources to worldwide
concerns. Atheneum style
 Seminars on The Kus- study of all sides and issues
kokwim and Yukon Rivers led to controversial ideas
about extractables, renew-
ables, and a 2009 trip to the
leading country in the world to Above: Working on Geodesic dome in The Renewable Energy class
Inside this issue: be off of oil, Iceland. With the
are Seiji Takagi, 8th grade and Brooke Poirot, 12th grade. Below: The
converted to fully electric 1968 Datsun Roadster taken for a spin by
immediate relevance and im- Linnaea DeVelice Ward (2007) and Austin Johnson (2009).
portance of this discussion in
Spring Intensive in 2 our state and world today, independent studies to sup-
Iceland 2009 Atheneum has incorporated port this topic. Last month
this study into our sciences when an Atheneum parent,
Guest Lecture 2 (well ahead of our new chem- Steve Poirot, was asked why a
Series company interested in install-
istry textbook that claims to
be green!). We added tutori- ing solar panels in Louisiana
Iceland Photo 3 als, two-week intensives, and should partner (cont. pg 5)
Collage

Atheneum is In- 3
vited to Louisiana Atheneum Extends Educational Program to Village Schools
April 2010
In the summer of 2006, Kevin by several Native villages. What
and Lydia led a group of we didn’t realize at the time was
From the Pens of 3
Atheneum students and alumni that this trip was the beginning
Students
on our first canoe float trip on of a new adventure for the
the Kuskokwim River in the inte- school! The next winter we be-
From Alumni 4 gan a relationship with the Idi-
rior of Alaska. (We had com-
From A Parent 4 pleted two different summer tarod School District whose
float trips from Eagle to Circle headquarters are in McGrath.
Remembering 4 The district includes seven
on The Yukon in past years).
Friend, Bill Fowler schools and 150 students along Students in Nikolai, AK, working on
Putting in at McGrath, we arrived
A Thank You
6 the Kuskokwim and Yukon Riv- their illustrated map of The Iditarod
in Aniak two weeks later. The
ers, spanning some 400 miles. Trail with Lydia Ossorgin (03-10).
trip was full of adventure and the
All seven schools are (cont. pg 5) Nikolai is the first Athabaskan village
experience brought us to pass
checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail.
Atheneum School
1920 W. Dimond Blvd.
Atheneum’s mission is to provide young people with the opportunity
and means to initiate and develop their own education. Students and faculty dis-
Anchorage, Alaska 99515 cuss original texts of literature, poetry, music, and history; reenact crucial scien-
tel: 907-344-2533 tific experiments and mathematical demonstrations; strengthen the integrity of
Fax: 907-349-3975 body and mind; and travel to destinations celebrated for their historical and cul-
Email: athenaeum.school@gmail.org tural significance. Every course of study challenges the students and faculty to
consider the principles of their learning and the relevance of these principles to
www.atheneum.org
their lives. In this way the program inspires the practice of not only the intellec-
tual virtues, but also personal and civic responsibility: the lifelong refinement of
We are forever grateful to Ted Collins of community and self.
Alaska and Oregon. Our relationship with Ted
goes back to The Alaska Paideia Project days
Our students represent the full spectrum of capabilities and interests, and
when he was a student at Steller Secondary at Atheneum they develop these to the fullest. Small classes, individualized study
School. Ted approached us several years ago plans, and a program that instills reading, writing, speaking, listening, and rea-
with a generous offer to help us build our web soning skills, and health of mind and body ensure a complete preparation for
site and to keep us up-to-date with the latest college and a life of continual growth in learning.
marketing trends. Thanks from all of us, Ted!
And as always, Happy Trails!

Atheneum Lecture Series


In 2007, friend David Hoffman started a lecture series that became a fast
and favorite event among students and staff. The purpose was twofold; to
introduce the school to a variety of community leaders and to introduce stu-
dents to people who were passionate about what they were doing! We have
had wonderful speakers such as mountaineer Charlie Sassara; civic entre-
preneur Eleanor Andrews; author of Fifty Miles From Tomorrow, Willie
Hensley; Alutiq mask carver, Perry Eaton; Dr. Wong, a leading physicist
from Stanford, University and many other inspiring speakers. This year we
have been very fortunate to welcome parent Mrs. Dianna Jensen who pre-
pared a wonderful organic raw foods meal for all of us to enjoy; Poet Gary
Holthaus introduced fellow writer Nancy Lord who spoke to us about writ-
ing; alumnus /businessman Chris Miller who talked to us about development
Top (Left): Parent, Mrs. Diana Jensen; Author Nancy Lord;
and recruitment; Alumnus/Entrepreneur/Adventurer Austin Johnson who
David Hoffman (rt). Bottom (Right): Alumni/Businessman,
talked to us about his incredible trip to Sweden to meet and speak with peo-
Chris Miller who holds a photo of himself as an Atheneum
ple in cutting edge development in the Renewable Energy field; and Cal Wil-
student; Poet, Gary Holthaus; Alumni/, Austin Johnson; Afri-
liams, an African American community activist who talked to us about his can American Leader, Cal Williams.
early and more recent experiences in the civil rights movement.

Atheneum Travels to Iceland to Study Renewable Energy March 2009

Another superhero Atheneum dents. With his guidance, we


parent, Meade Treadwell, paved decided to rent a van and small
the way for us to visit Iceland car to take 13 students all over
last year. He arranged for us to the country on our own. We
meet Iceland’s President when were so graciously accepted
he was here in Anchorage everywhere we went! We went
speaking at the World Affairs from huge greenhouses to hy-
Council. After his speech, Presi- drogen fueling stations, from
dent Grimsson met with a group geothermal plants to the Blue
of Atheneum students about the Lagoon, a resort healing spa in
possibilities of geothermal power the “tailings” of a geothermal
here in Anchorage. He also in- power plant. We traveled from
vited us to visit him at his resi- large , affluent, futuristic cities Atheneum students with President Grimsson
dence if we would come to his out to small remote fishing at his residence in Reykjavík, March 2009.
country to see the geothermal villages along glacial coastlines.
power in use there. We were When we visited President has no military or military budget. They pride themselves
very excited as we learned more Grimsson at his residence, we on going from a largely oil dependent country 40 years
about Iceland. Meade loaned us were shocked to find that there ago to a nearly self sufficient, peaceful, sustainable
books on the Viking Sagas, was no security , we just went country now. Iceland provided many such remarkable
helped arrange travel, and met up to his house and knocked advances and visions for Atheneum students to seminar
with inspired parents and stu- on the door! This country late into the evenings.
Photo Collage from our trip to Iceland. Students who participated in the Atheneum to Iceland Intensive: WenYin Metcalf, Seiji Takagi, Savannah
Echols, Chris Carson, Keenan Troll, Nicholas DeMolina, Brooke Poirot, Timothy Treadwell, Austin Johnson, Janelle Coy, Stephen Burgoyne, and Siena
Jensen and Katrina Burgoyne (alumna). Teachers and Atheneum founders, Kevin Holthaus and Lydia Ossorgin led this trip.

Atheneum Invited to BP in unique on that island smaller than Texas, as


were the sounds. You can look out the window
Louisiana and see farm houses and waterfalls, the sea
crashing and energy plants. When you open
Steve Poirot, activist Atheneum parent, has
the window though it is a whole new world. As
organized our next energy project for an
you kink your neck hoping to identify the birds
intensive this spring. BP leases a large
flying above you, just listen for their cry and
building in Louisiana on top of which they We Need Your Support! you can call them as the Icelanders do. Iceland
plan to install solar panels. When Steve told is a paradise for photographers and outdoors-
them about Atheneum’s renewable energy In these difficult economic times, all
men…if you have the right gear. You could be
programs, they were excited to involve the of our independent schools are on top of a mountain swimming in a hot river
school in their installation. We will help struggling. Many people are not under a bright blue sky, only for it to hail and
determine the financial benefits and costs, looking for options, or are not aware snow ten minutes later- quite an experience.
measure the energy potential, brainstorm of Atheneum’s financial assistance You need the right lens if you want to shoot
about possible uses of excess electricity, program. Our best marketing is far, and you need some water protection for
and write proposals for grants. Lead stu- always your “word of mouth” and it is your camera. Gear is crucial in the land of
dents will be flown down to do studies on more important than ever this year. snow and ice.
We are Alaskans though and we toughed it out.
site as well. We are excited to provide an- Our enrollment is below survival
(Sure we lost some stuff here and there, we
other hands on, real world project of such without your financial donations.
made it back in one piece!) At the end of the
magnitude for the students! Please spread the word and give to trip some lived by the slogan on a hat at the
help us build up our numbers and tourist trap, “Iceland, been there done that!”
From the Pens of Students continue providing amazing Some may think this while others hope to re-
Rain, sleet, snow and wind sums up our trip to educational opportunities for turn. Whatever the final idea about this trip is,
Iceland. Throw in a volcano, nice people, and a enthusiastic students! I believe that we can all come together to say
long van ride and you’ve hit the nail on the we had a great trip, made new friends, and
head. Between all of this though it was an discovered a self sustaining paradise.
experience that will live on in our lives to be- -Timothy Treadwell, Class of 2009
come lasting memories. The sights were

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