Petroglyph THE ALEXANDER DAWSON SCHOOL FALL & WINTER 2014-15
From the HEADMASTER Q
uality teachers equal quality education. It is that simple and it is that difficult. Exemplary schools recognize that the greatest investment a school makes is in the faculty that it retains and develops to carry out its mission. Of all the resources that we put in place to support student learning, only teachers appreciate in value. This year marked the launch of our Dawson Teacher Academy, a unique and powerful commitment by our faculty to spend 14 days working in teams to improve the teaching and learning process at our school. At its core, the Academy is about improving student learning through teachers working interdependently to focus on what matters most in the classroom. We have set some ambitious goals to increase teacher capacity through collaborative teams, develop a more cohesive curriculum with high expectations, and establish a process for gathering data regularly to monitor student growth. Decades of research confirms that the biggest factor influencing student outcomes is the quality of instruction in the classroom. After reviewing over 500,000 studies of the effects of various influences on student achievement, researcher John Hattie concludes that in order to improve schools we should focus on the greatest source of variance that can make the difference – the teacher. A 2010 research brief produced by Stanford University’s School of Education confirms that, “Professional development policies and practices in high-achieving nations reflect many of the principles of effective professional learning
outlined by research, providing sustained and extensive opportunities to develop practices that go well beyond the traditional “one-shot” workshop approaches that are more commonly found in the United States.” Effective schools and effective teachers, combined with strong parent partnerships and support, are a powerful combination. There is a significant body of evidence demonstrating that those schools that invest in their faculty and allocate time for them to develop their skills have students who achieve superior results. One of the most respected researchers in education, Robert Marzano, has shown that students who enter a school at the 50th percentile and are paired with an average school and average teacher will leave at the 50th percentile after two years. However, students who are in a highly effective school with a highly effective teacher will be at the 96th percentile after the same two years. Over the past 15 months, my conversations with parents have confirmed something that I already knew: they want the educators in our school to be continually improving their craft so that they can fully meet the needs of our diverse learners. At Dawson, educators have made a commitment to their professional growth that will have a transformational effect on students. After all, that is why we are all here.
Dal Sohi, Headmaster
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DAWSON LEARNER PROFILE
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CELEBRATES COMMUNITY!
Lives compassionately and respectfully with others Develops sense of service and citizenry Engages actively in collaborative discussions and tasks Respects opinions and beliefs of others Manages emotions and solves problems
SAVORS LEARNING!
Develops curiosity and love of learning Demonstrates a growth mindset and perseveres when challenged Takes risks in learning and seizes opportunities for growth Accepts mistakes as part of the learning process Engages in classroom activities with confidence and enthusiasm
STRIVES FOR EXCELLENCE!
Seeks to develop mind, body, and character Creates work that is reflective of best effort Adjusts behaviors and actions based on feedback Reflects upon experiences and sets meaningful goals Manages time and materials to optimize learning
GROWTH MINDSET I
n June of 2014, just before the end of the school year,
build a growth mindset with every child.”
Headmaster Dal Sohi gave the faculty and staff of The
Alexander Dawson School a summer reading assignment. Each
So, what is a “growth mindset”? Simply put, when students,
of them received a copy of the groundbreaking book Mindset:
parents, and educators share a growth mindset, they understand
The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford
that intelligence and ability are not fixed traits, but instead
University, and strict instructions to, if nothing else, tackle
can be cultivated and developed with effort, perseverance
chapters that specifically addressed fixed and growth mindset in
and support. For educators specifically, this means that rather
education. In August, as summer vacation came to an end, the
than be concerned whether a student is “smart enough” – an
excitement of the coming school year palpable in the multitude
example of fixed mindset thinking – a growth mindset focuses
of preparations taking place across Dawson’s campus, there
instead on measuring student success through his or her record
was also another more subtle buzz: faculty in all divisions were
of hard work and improvement. For students, Dweck’s research
talking about the book, its powerful and eye-opening impact on their own thinking, and how Dawson
shows that those who learn to adopt a growth mindset show greater motivation in school, see challenges
as a whole planned to incorporate the vital lessons within. For many on campus, it was clear the concept of growth mindset struck a chord. “My goal was to start a conversation about what matters most in our
as opportunities, and tackle new tasks with
“There is a sweet spot in education, where educators provide the optimal environment, support and standards and students find the motivation and purpose to own their education and work hard for success.”
interactions with students. One of the things that I have noticed in my three decades as an educator is that there is something that sets apart highly successful
- Bob Lentz Co-founder and Chief of Innovation, Envision Education
students, something more than just intelligence or talent,” said Mr. Sohi. “I observed that some kids thrived on challenges, persevered to overcome obstacles, and
excitement and energy. Most importantly, these students do not get discouraged when success isn’t immediate, or when they experience a setback. For example: A student with a fixed mindset says: I am not good at math. It’s too hard for me and I don’t think I’ll ever understand it.
A student with a growth mindset says: Math is challenging, but if I work hard, I know I’ll get better at it. I just have to keep giving it my best effort and I’ll succeed.
saw failure as an opportunity to grow. When I read Carol
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Dweck’s book, it identified these qualities as a “growth mindset”
As Dweck states, “Students with a growth mindset are more
that was critical for success in school and in life. The evidence
likely to respond to initial obstacles by remaining involved,
was too compelling to ignore; I felt that we had an obligation to
trying new strategies, and using all the resources at their
think deeply about how we talked with students and to actively
disposal for learning.”
Dawson’s leadership team took Dweck’s book to heart and began
the Arts & Communications Strand, so he shifted the creative
implementing growth mindset strategies that complemented
control of their second semester class project to the students.
the goals of their specific divisions, as well as strategies that
Keilty views this as giving students the chance to take ownership
could be implemented school wide. Here’s a small sample of
of the planning process while also allowing them to focus on an
what growth mindset looks like on Dawson’s campus:
area of study they are passionate about. A team of mentors will help guide them along the way, but the ultimate design and
EARLY CHILDHOOD
implementation of the projects will belong to the students. This
Tara Williams, Head of Early Childhood, made implementing
approach to student learning and experience speaks directly to
growth mindset discussions daily in the classroom a part of her
many of the growth mindset lessons in Dweck’s book.
division’s overall school goals for the 2014-15 school year. She encourages her faculty to motivate and encourage EC students
ALL-SCHOOL COMMUNITY
by redirecting their negative self-talk, such as moving from “I
Mr. Sohi has made discussing growth mindset strategies a
can’t do it” to “I can try,” and beginning every morning meeting
regular part of his State of the School addresses, but asked
with “your mind is growing” and other positive affirmations.
Matt Merritt, Director of Education, to take it a step further and involve Dawson parents in the mindset conversation. As
LOWER SCHOOL
part of the Parents as Partners series, Merritt will be facilitating
Inspired by a Dawson student who showed a growth mindset
an interactive Dawson Parent Book Club in January of 2015
when faced with a personal challenge, Roxanne Stansbury,
for those parents who want to delve further into Mindset and
Head of Lower School, created an interactive bulletin board
discuss ideas and challenges with Dawson educators and each
about what it means to have a growth mindset, and then
other.
challenged Lower School students to identify examples in their life where they exhibited grit and stamina. Students were
Merritt says, “Dawson wants to be a school that promotes
encouraged to write their examples on leaves that were then
growth mindsets. It wants to be a place where all students
added to the bulletin board (see above). In addition, Dawson
believe their intelligence can grow and effort leads to success.
first graders rewrote the book “Alexander and the Terrible,
But the school cannot act alone – it needs the help of the
Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” from the point of view of
whole community. By engaging parents in the same discussions
a character with a growth mindset.
we are having as educators, we reinforce these lessons in our students and children and answer the question: How is Dawson
MIDDLE SCHOOL
developing a growth mindset learning environment, and what
Josh Keilty, Head of Middle School, decided he wanted eighth-
can parents do at home to promote a growth mindset in their
grade students to have a “culminating experience” as part of
children?” k
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ADAM MCDONALD “Don’t be afraid to be bold and share your talent.” -CLASS OF 2010
by Shea Phillips “I remember knowing that I wanted to perform no matter what,”
graders be the chorus,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh this is fun, this
said Dawson alumnus, Adam McDonald.
is something I want to do.’”
McDonald, currently a freshman at the Conservatory of Theatre
He developed his talent and love for theater arts by taking
Arts at Webster University, comes from a family
Advanced Choir and Musical Theater, two
of musicians and singers. His parents tell him
classes in which his favorite memories were
that when he was three years old he sang Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” from the movie Titanic perfectly. “I doubt that that’s true,” he laughs, “but I’ll go with yes, that was true.” McDonald enrolled at Dawson in Kindergarten,
“I was a very quiet kid (at) Dawson...going to LVA, I had to come into my own and find what works for me.”
and it was during his time in Lower School that
made with two of the most impactful teachers in McDonald’s childhood: Mrs. Shim in choir and Mrs. Block in musical theater. There was no question when he graduated from Dawson in 2010 that the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts (LVA) theater program would be the right fit for him in high school.
he first became interested in performing. When he was a senior at LVA, McDonald auditioned for the
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“I think fourth grade is when we did a show called Give My
Conservatory at Webster, a professional training program for
Regards to Broadway, where the teacher at the time had the fourth
theater students, and ultimately made the decision to move to the
High School Musical
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
St. Louis school sight-unseen. “Well, I didn’t visit [the school]
his early education provided a great foundation, specifically in
so I was a person that just kind of went and hoped for the best,”
core subjects such as Math and English.
McDonald said. “But what really makes me like it now is just the community that’s there, especially in the Conservatory because
“I know socially, for me, I was a very quiet kid back in my
everyone is very nice and humble.”
Dawson years, and then going to LVA, I had to come into my own and find what works for me,” he said about attending the
As a freshman majoring in theater arts, McDonald’s studies are
public magnet school.
focused on building the craft. “When you go to the Conservatory or college for theater, it’s more like, ‘I’m glad you have the passion
“Dawson is such a tight-knit community so you see the same
for it, but now it’s time for all the hard work,” he said.
people all the time. Then going to Las Vegas Academy, it was a much broader group of people,” he said. “You meet all these
McDonald is also a work-study student, and works as an usher at
different types of people from all walks of life and who go through
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, one of the two professional
all these different challenges at home. So it was just getting used
theatre companies integrated with the university. Looking beyond
to being more open myself.”
his first year at Webster, McDonald anticipates the opportunity to audition for the Conservatory and Repertory Theatre shows,
For graduating Dawson Bears, McDonald gives encouraging
and possibly becoming a performance major.
advice: Don’t be afraid to be bold and share your talent. In addition, “just remember to always be nice.”
For the Las Vegas native, moving out-of-state and away from family came with more pros than cons. “I think I was ready to
To quote his personal theme song, “Beautiful” by Carole King,
move to a different place and have new experiences,” he said.
“You’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
And while he misses his younger sister and parents, he enjoys
and show the world all the love in your heart, and then people
learning from different people in his new community, and
gonna treat you better and you’re going to find out that you’re
exploring a new city.
beautiful as you feel.” k
As he reflected on the nine years that he attended Dawson and his transition to high school and college, McDonald found that
Check out our Dawson Facebook page: facebook.com/alexanderdawson
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Greetings from...
P M A C VENS E T S By Ariana Sanatinia,
Class of’17
T
he October day in the California wilderness near San
classmates sitting atop the large rock. Then, one by one, we slowly
Diego was unbelievably gorgeous with bright blue skies,
started to head up the boulder, supporting each other and holding
pine trees, brown cabins, and the clean smell of wooded
onto the rope as tightly as we could. Now, it was my turn to go up.
nature. The hot sun glared down at us, but it felt wonderfully great. It was day two at Camp Stevens, our new home away from
As I ascended, my foot began to slip and skid and slide down Star
home in the foothills of San Diego, where we enjoyed an outdoor
Rock. Uh oh. In places the rock was as smooth as ice making for
adventure for a few days. It was unlike anything we experienced
very slippery footing. In other places, you could find a foothold.
back in Las Vegas.
One of my feet was secure while my other foot slipped. Luckily, I caught myself on a small ledge, and continued upwards. Soon
It was at Camp Stevens where our Dawson sixth-grade class
the trees I once was looking up at were now at my new level. It
learned new insights about each other and ourselves. Divided
was beautiful. Finally, I arrived at the top. I paused to take it all in.
into mini groups, we were given a series of challenges to figure out. A most memorable challenge was the encounter with the
The wind gracefully and gently blew my hair back and forth. I
rock that had a special name. After a 40-minute hike our group
was so high up! It was such a thing of beauty to view. The birds
took on the challenge of “Star Rock.” This 15-foot obstacle was a
soared right above my head and swooped their immense, grey
massive boulder; it was a huge, soaring rock surrounded by lush,
wings across the sky, tweeting their soothing melody. The sun
emerald green towering pine trees looking over a small clearing.
shone brightly in my eyes, slightly blinding me. Bright blue skies
The stone was the size of a giant’s living room chair. Our goal:
welcomed me, with not a single cloud hovering over me. The
get to the top, but how?
beige rock with a red tint felt smooth as I laid on it. I felt as if I was going to slide off, but I wasn’t worried. I didn’t want to climb
Gathering around the boulder, our group of fourteen “Bamboozled
down. Even though it seemed like hours of sitting on the steep
Bananas” discussed how to ascend the massive rock. We received
area, our time in the windy air now had to end. One by one,
a strong climbing rope with limited direction. We had to come up
everyone slowly filed down, while very carefully holding onto the
with our own plan. A few of us tried springing up the side of this
massive rock.
mini mountain, but we soon realized it was not a task done alone. It was way too dangerous. Several Bananas discussed a variety of
It was then my time to carefully stagger back down. Being one
options, really not sure what to do first. After plotting for several
of the last people to climb down the boulder, I shot a glance at
minutes we came up with a solid plan. Ben, our adult climbing
those who made it down before me. They ran around with glee
leader, nodded to us in agreement at our group’s decision. We
with the relief of solid ground. With no teamwork, it would have
were off.
been impossible to achieve our goal. Through this awesome and scary experience, I grew closer to the other Bamboozled Bananas.
With a great deal of effort three brave Bananas scaled to the
I quickly descended down the side of the sleek rock, missing the
top. From down below we tossed a sturdy rope up to those three
beauty of the top of our large new friend, Star Rock. k
Hiking in the beautiful Cuyamaca mountains.
Making dinner with harvested vegetables.
Group shot with teacher Denise Donohue.
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Greetings from...
714
By Kathryn Resnick,
Class of ’16
S
hortly after our bus rolled into San Diego, a sign appeared
out of a trash bag. In addition, we created our own survival kits
directing us to YMCA Surf Camp. The heavy feeling
and learned how to rescue a drowning victim. One of my least
of fatigue I felt from the six-hour bus ride was quickly
favorite activities was learning how to clean a cut using a dead
replaced by the feeling of anxious excitement. This trip, out of
pig’s foot. It was gross, slimy and had a horrible smell. However,
all the Middle School trips, was the one I was looking forward to
this skill came in handy when we had to save one of our critically
the most.
injured teachers. Yes, that’s right, an “injured” teacher.
I thought the first day would be consumed with boring
During our time at surf camp, we accumulated first aid supplies
introductions and going over the rules, but was pleasantly
and learned how to handle a medical emergency. Little did
surprised when we were offered a quick lunch and then a trip
we know that we were about to use those skills in a real-world
to the beach. As my classmates and I burst into the water, I felt
situation. On the calm and warm Thursday evening of our trip,
pure joy (and salt water) running through my veins. The feeling
Mr. Haugen was found laying on the ground after “falling off
intensified when we were told we were going to have our first
a three-story building.” After poking him with a stick a couple
surf lesson. Even though my surfboard was firmly buried in the
times, my group and I came to the conclusion that he was in
sand, it felt as if I was riding the biggest wave in the world. It was
terrible shape and needed immediate attention. Our job was to
even more exhilarating when I actually got in the water. After
stabilize him until the paramedics arrived. We splinted his arm
an hour or so of attempting to not fall off my surfboard, my
and cleaned his wounds with water. Luckily, Mr Haugen survived.
classmates and I were lured off the beach with the promise of a
And after a walk back to camp and a trip to the bathroom all of
special surprise after dinner. And special, it was!
his injuries magically healed. Imagine that!
After the sun set, we were split up into two teams; red and blue.
Surf Camp was not all work though. We learned how to boogie
Each team was given matching glow sticks. We were going to
board and buried each other in the sand. We enjoyed our time in
play Capture the Flag! The beach was marked off with different
the water, playing and exploring an environment not familiar to
colored glow sticks and was a radiant display of white, yellow and
our Vegas home. On the last night of this most amazing trip, Camp
pink. The red team, my amazing team, just happened to trounce
Surf staff prepared a bonfire for us, we made deliciously warm
the blue team with a score of seven to two. It was the perfect
s’mores, and played games on the stage. All of the student groups
ending to a great day.
had to perform tableaux of their favorite camp experiences. The tableaux were hysterical. Overall, attending Camp Surf was an
The next few days were just as exciting. We learned many outdoor
amazing experience. Some of my fondest memories were created
survival skills from splinting a broken arm to making a shelter
there, and I will keep them with me forever. k
Group shot at Camp Surf, San Diego.
Surfing lessons in the Pacific Ocean.
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D.C.
A Lincoln Memorial selfie.
A
Laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetary.
pproaching Washington, D.C. and the Holocaust
In front of Thomas Jefferson’s home.
general has changed.”
Museum, the bus fell silent, with some eighth graders in tears as classmate Dani Mason took the microphone
Tyler Tyndall said he really liked seeing the original colonization
to speak passionately about the importance of the museum,
of Virginia. “I liked visiting the Jamestown settlement because
prepping us for the visit. As the Dawson class of 2015 toured
it was interesting to learn about the first English settlement and
the museum, students viewed pictures from Nazi concentration
what they did on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
camps as well as the other artifacts that made the fact very clear that a tragedy like this cannot happen again. Walking down the
Students said the mixture of fun and enlightening activities
hallways, I could hear my classmates quietly crying at what they
made them realize they were on the trip of a lifetime. “I have
were seeing.
never been to Washington, D.C.; it was fun to see the different monuments and memorials. It was interesting to learn about
“I knew about the Holocaust because I grew up learning about
the history of our country,” Zen Charalambous, a newcomer to
it. I had an opportunity to express my emotions, teach society
Dawson this year, said.
that is not aware of this, and let the people know that this should not happen again,” Mason said about her speech on the bus.
Perhaps most importantly, these short five days really brought students together as a class and increased camaraderie. Although
Miranda Derossi said the museum made an impact on her.
the wake-up calls were early, everybody jumped out of bed,
“I was crying the entire time. I understood the gravity of the
happy to start the day.
Holocaust through the literature, but the museum made me actually feel the gravity. The Holocaust Museum caused me to
“The trip was awesome! It was my first time going so far away
be very upset, but it also gave me a chance to reflect on the reality
without my parents. I also got to spend time with classmates I
of the Holocaust,” she said.
didn’t know as well and got closer to everyone,” Aly Detaille said.
On the entire Virginia and D.C. trip, students came to realize
Kyle Costantian echoed Detaille’s thoughts. “I felt like the trip
the importance of learning about tragedies that have occurred
was amazing considering it’s the farthest from home I have ever
throughout our history and still continue to this day. Events like
been. The trip was informative as well as a great new experience,”
the Korean War, Vietnam War, and even the Holocaust had
he said.
contributions to our world in the past and could have implications for the future.
After this year all of us will diverge on different paths, but we will all share these memories of this amazing adventure to
As emotional as the trip often was, it included just as much
Washington, D.C. Ian Walton said, “It was a good experience
fun. Students debated which activity was their favorite. Josh
to become closer to everyone in our class and move forward as
Weidenfeld said, “I liked the Newseum because it was cool to see
friends throughout the year.” k
how broadcasting has evolved over the years and how news in 17
by Shea Phillips
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OUR
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Graduate Tributes Available Next Petroglyph! A
ttention Dawson parents! Graduate Tributes for students graduating in June of 2015 will be available in the Spring & Summer edition of Dawson’s Petroglyph magazine. These tributes make a wonderful keepsake for your Dawson graduate. For $50, we will create a 4”x6” tribute that can include up to two pictures and up to 30 words. This edition of the Petroglyph will also have the 2015 eighth-grade class portrait, the high schools they will be attending, and the winning graduation essays. Look for instructions on how to reserve ad space on the Dawson website in April, 2015. For more information, please contact the communications department at mgray@adsrm.org.
SAMPLE GRADUATE TRIBUTE
CONGRATS
Alex Smith! We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. Love, Mom & Dad 21
Student Photography
Untitled by Nicholas Oliveri & Alana Crompton, seventh grade
“Shoe Illusion” by Coby Sugars, seventh grade
“Cactus” by Tyler Tyndall, seventh grade
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“Stairs” by Aria Khiabani, eighth grade
Art & Performances
Kindergarten’s Fall Play
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10845 W. Desert Inn Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89135
Dawson Student Artwork
Top: Abstract by Dillon Phan, first grade Bottom: Abstract drawing by Peyton Bacosa, second grade
facebook.com/AlexanderDawsonSchool
“Steampunk Mannequin” by Holly Hoffbauer, eighth grade
Top: Portrait by Charlotte Wilkes, fifth grade Bottom: Sculpture by Cam Saxe, seventh grade
@DawsonSchool
For more information, please visit www.AlexanderDawsonSchool.org, or call (702) 949-3600