Woodstock CT Café

Submitted by ‘A Student.’

September 18, 2008

Dear Woodstock Academy Community,

Headmaster Richard Foye has informed the Board of Trustees of his intent to retire at the end of the 2008-2009 academic year.

Headmaster Foye has dedicated thirty-five years to the betterment of students. His belief in opportunities for young people has been a guiding principle in his tenure as a classroom teacher and, ultimately, as an administrator.

Woodstock Academy has benefited from the leadership of Headmaster Foye. The Bracken Memorial Library underwent an extensive renovation to become an outstanding center of academic life. We created a Strategic Plan that will carry us forward for the next five to seven years. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation process was completed in a timely and thoughtful manner. We examined our academic and athletic spaces to prepare for the future. Headmaster Foye has worked tirelessly to enhance “the Academy difference”.

While the Board will miss the leadership, enthusiasm, and integrity that Headmaster Foye brings to the position, we wish him all the best in this next phase of his life. We will be working with him to ensure a smooth transition for the future. I will keep you informed of this process over the coming months through newsletters and press releases.

Again, please join me in thanking Headmaster Foye for his commitment to the Academy and his dedication to students.

Sincerely,

Sandra Fredrickson, President
Woodstock Academy Board of Trustees

This announcement was made on WINY this morning (9/17) on the 11 am news. There is nothing posted at the Academy website or in the Norwich Bull at this time. The Cafe has no other source of this information to verify this announcement at this stage – only that this statement was made on WINY news. Admin

This statement was submitted by ‘An RTC Member’ but the Cafe Admin cannot verify that this is actually true.

Your argument (talking to ’Blade’) lacks some basic logic and instead of providing solutions to the problem you seek to blame and name call. While I understand your visceral response to the issues we face, it is important to put the problems into perspective and from there begin to take some leadership in addressing them to the core. On one hand many of the contributors here tout themselves as pro-education and on the other hand they seek to thwart the progress of our high school, going so far as to condemn a Science Center project which should be a communities pride and joy. I think that this is the wrong approach. I am reminded of one Andy Griffith Show where Barney Fife is in charge and everyone is shooting in the wrong direction.

Growth seems to me inevitable and the fact of the matter is that the Academy does need to prepare for growth…whether it be newly expanded playing fields which they so desperately need or the meritous Science Center project which could be a shining star for our community who’s students will face many global challenges that merit a high level of scientific scholar. I’m not sure if anyone has noticed but America has slipped in their competetive edge in both Math and Science when compared to other countries. Taking back America’s competetive edge doesn’t begin in Washington D.C., it begins in our hometowns through a renewed committment to education.

So what must be made clear is that the costs of these initiatives that prepare us for the future must be supported by the taxpayers. And we must be reminded that the problem isn’t the Academy expansion in and of itself, but it is the expansion at the expense of other town needs, such as the K-8 school system which legitimately will need to maintain, improve, and expand as well. It is a shame when this fact is lost in the argument and that the idea of Academy expansion becomes an anathema rather than a cause for excitement. Read the rest of this entry »