School of Thought
By Sarah Dudley
21 Oct 2008
What city do you live in? What neighborhood?
I live at The Forman School, a boarding school in Litchfield, Connecticut, USA. It is its own microcosm of activity- a bubble, if you will- located on a 100 + acre campus in a rural county of Connecticut.
What are some adjectives that describe your neighborhood?
Forman has a student body of about 180 kids grades 9-12, 160 of them boarding students. Its small. The town of Litchfield is an upper- middle class mix of artists, outdoor lovers, celebs and wealthy New Yorkers looking for a country retreat. There is also a mysterious hippie influence mixed in.
How long have you lived there, and what brought you there?
Since my husband and I moved here just over a year ago, I have been taken with the beauty of the campus and the surrounding acreage and immediately began documenting the small beauties and characteristics that I am so lucky to be surrounded with every day.
What is your favorite thing about this place? Your least favorite?
I love the kids- its niche population being kids with dyslexia and ADHD, they are crafty and keep you on your toes. This can be a good thing and a bad thing.
Do you feel that you belong there?
This is my first year as a teacher- flying solo. I think I like it. Im pretty shy and hate public speaking even in front of people I know, so every day is a challenge. Its getting easier, however, and I think Im doing ok.
What is the most common misconception about where you live?
People think that because its a school for kids with learning differences that its a school for kids who are mentally handicapped. This could not be further from the truth. They are smart. Probably smarter than I am. The mission of the school is to give these kids the tools to work around their difficulties and overcome an entire lifetime of people assuming they're stupid because they dont fit the educational mold according to society. The longer I'm here, the more I realize that EVERYone learns differently.
What is a special fact about your city that you have to live there to know?
The large tree in the center of the green is known as the "Graduation Tree". It is goodness knows how old, many of its branches being supported by cables crisscrossing throughout the tree. Every May the graduation ceremony is held beneath the tree.
What aspect of your city do you secretly love?
I actually really love living around 180 teenagers. Sure, sometimes you do want to pull your hair out, run and hide, but really, it keeps me active, social, and happy.
Anything else you'd like to add?
It was tough to narrow the beauty of the place down to 10 photos (all of which were taken on campus), when I pass at least that many on my way to class every morning. I feel lucky to be here, and I hope my photos do the place justice. Enjoy. ;)
10 responses
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Angelo Narciso gave props (26 Oct 2008):
lovely story, awesome pictures, beautiful home!
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dominic serrao gave props (27 Oct 2008):
Wonderful story! great photos... I have always associated rich fall colors with Litchfield, CT. Got my vote!!
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Sherry Davis Johnson gave props (6 Nov 2008):
This is a beaufitul photo essay and story. I vote yes!
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William Garvey gave props (13 Nov 2008):
What a beautiful picture of hope you have painted with your story. Great job.
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Billy Houckham said (21 Nov 2008):
It's got to be good it held my attention.
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Ben Shipley gave props (21 Nov 2008):
Great story, well told!
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Sandy Tyler gave props (2 Dec 2008):
Great story, got my vote! I am pretty close to you, I live on the NY side of where NY,Mass and Conn come together. Love the area!!
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A F gave props (13 Dec 2008):
nice work
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StaceyJane gave props (28 Feb 2009):
Beautiful photos, and I enjoyed reading the story too!
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John Linton gave props (18 Oct 2009):
Hell YEAH! Rad!
