Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2008 | Page 2

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Postcripts

Thornton Academy
Fall 2008
Vol. 43, No. 2
Postcripts is published twice
a year for Thornton Academy
alumni and friends. Its production
is made possible through gifts
to the Thornton Fund. Address
alumni news to:
Postscripts
Thornton Academy
438 Main St.
Saco, ME 04072-1595

Opening our School to Students
from Around the World
By Carl J. Stasio, Jr.
Headmaster

Thornton Academy is

always be committed

a school that is in healthy

– the students of Saco,

transition from the way

Dayton, Arundel and the

things were to the way

surrounding communities

things will be, yet it never

of southern Maine.

devalues the past in order

By adding a boarding

to embellish the future.

school program we will

COVER PHOTO: This aerial picture
of Thornton Academy’s campus
was taken Oct. 17 during the
groundbreaking ceremony for
the new residence hall. Students
linked hands around the area
where the building is under
construction. Photo courtesy
John Apte with Aerial Advertising
Works.

A visiting team of edu-

be able to provide all of

cators wrote these words

our students – both our

fourteen years ago after

students from our tradi-

spending just three days

tional sending commu-

on the Thornton campus. I

Edited & Designed by:
Jennifer Hass
Development Director:
Lisa Morin
Development Staff:
Mary Nasse
Barbara Martin
Caron Smith Pelletier ’98

nities and our students

remain impressed that such

from around the country
and the world – with invaluable opportuni-

was so readily discernable. Over the years

ties to learn together, spend their adoles-

Thornton has indeed successfully balanced

cence together, and leave this place with a

the traditions of our past with each new

level of academic, social and cultural knowl-

phase in the life of this school. We are in
TRUSTEES:
Vangel Cotsis ’85
Brian Dallaire ’75
Philip D. Fearon ’70
Dennis Flaherty
Bernard Gaines ’65
Stephen Garland ’64
Robert Gowen
Kenneth Janson ’72
William D. Johnson
William S. Kany ’77
Karen B. Lovell
Joyce Haley-Martin ’75
James E. Nelson ’67 (President)
Eric A. Purvis ’81
Paul Remmes
Kathleen Boutet Santamore ’80
Joan Vachon Victor ’48
Mark G. Willett ’65

an essential core truth about our school

edge that, although very hard to come by

the midst of doing so again as we add a

in northern New England, is critically impor-

residential life program at Thornton Acad-

tant to living in our inter-connected world.

emy.

Perhaps you already know that our Main

Friday, October 17 was one of the most

Street campus is not the site of the original Thornton Academy. The “old Thorn-

backdrop for the groundbreaking ceremony

ton Academy,” which sadly burned to the

for Thornton Academy’s first-ever dormi-

ground in 1848, was located somewhere in

tory. The construction of this residence

the vicinity of Fairfield School. The com-

hall will allow us to invite the attendance

munity sorely missed this school. The

of students from every corner of our state,

school’s reopening in 1889, following the

our country and even the world. We felt
ALUMNI BOARD:
Kathy Allen ’72
Patricia Martin Beaudoin ’71
(President)
Todd M. Davis ’81
Lauren Chenard Folsom ’75
Scott Gallant ’86
Kenneth Janson ’72
Vera Gallant Kalagias ‘80
Debra Ketchum ’75
Melody Jordan Laskey ’79
Anthony M. LeBlanc ’88
David K. LePauloue ’84
Susan Willey Marston ’78
Mary Ann Stickles Martin’ 78
George Mendros ‘76
Richard Milliard ’66
Richard Parker ’60
Kathleen Boutet Santamore ’80
Allen R. Sicard ’75
Sue Mondor Spath ’67
Giselle Tardiff ’90

beautiful fall days in my memory, a perfect

completion of the Main Building, brought

honored that so many alumni/ae, parents,

much satisfaction in the area. A trustee of

community supporters and trustees were

that time, James Garland, promised that

on hand to mark this momentous occasion

Thornton would be “a bright light to illu-

with us. As you can see in the aerial photo

minate and stimulate the minds of genera-

on this issue of Postscripts, everyone pres-

tions to come.”

ent received a good sense of the scope of

To illuminate and stimulate the minds of

the building project when nearly 200 stu-

generations to come, to prepare students

dents linked hands to outline the footprint

for a changing world through instilling the

of the new dorm.

practice of lifelong learning, has always

Preparing students for a changing world

been the mission of Thornton Academy. By

Academy for nearly two hundred years. If

haling from geography as diverse as Mexi-

we sincerely believe in the value of life-

co, China, Korea and Jamaica, we re-commit

long learning, this new venture is a crucial

ourselves to that mission. As I know you

step. We are very excited by the prospect

have heard me say countless times before,
education really is all about everything.

dents to whom we have always been ab-

Starting soon, “everything” will f inally en-

solutely committed, and to whom we will



opening this campus to residential students

of broadening the perspective for the stu-

Corrections will appear in this
space as needed. Please bring
errors to our attention by calling
207-282-3361, ext. 321 or by
e-mailing jennifer.hass@thornton.
saco.org.

has been the central purpose of Thornton

compass “everywhere” and “everyone.”

POSTSCRIPTS * FALL 2008