Winter 2014
Volume 23, Number 2
A New Learning Frontier Special Section: OUR Journey of Pride & Purpose
ABC
Table of Contents Winter 2014
SCIENCE at Canterbury PAGES 4-9
THE ARTS at Canterbury PAGES 10-17
SPECIAL SECTION Our Journey of Pride & Purpose PAGES 19-26
Scholar Athlete Society PAGES 28-30
Community Service PAGES 32-33
Professional Development PAGES 34-35
Mission The Canterbury School is dedicated to academic excellence within a caring and supportive community, emphasizing character, leadership and service.
EDUCATION
2013-14 Board of Trustees
2013-14 School Administration
Mr. Charles Idelson, Co-chair Mrs. Anna Smith, Co-chair Dr. Richard G. Lewis II, Vice-chair Mr. Michael Devito, Treasurer Mrs. Li-Su Javedan, Secretary
Head of School Mr. Tony Paulus
Ms. Kellie Burns Mr. Joe Catti Mr. Brian Fox Mr. Chauncey Goss Ms. Kathryn Kelly Dr. Lee Lucas Mr. David Lucas Mrs. Lori May (Parents’ Association Representative) Ms. Cora Molloy Mr. Brian C. O’Neill ’98 Mr. BJ Rosinus ’01 (Alumni Representative) Mr. Louis Rosellini Mr. James Sublett Mr. Nate Swan Ms. Monique Ward ’91
Lower School Director Mrs. Chérie L. Gluhm
Mr. Tony Paulus (Ex-officio – Head of School) Alumni PAGES 36-39
2
Honorary Life Members Mr. Albert Frierson Mr. James F. Garner Mrs. Susan T. Hamilton Mahan Mr. Robert Taylor
Upper School Director Mrs. Jo Marie De Angelo
Director of Development Mrs. Deborah Johnson Intermediate School & Middle School Director Mrs. Jacqueline Lentini Director of Student Life Mr. Phillip Morris Director of Admission Ms. Julie Peters Director of Finance & Operations Ms. Susan Ryan Director of Athletics Mr. Marc Taglieri Director of College Guidance Mrs. Melissa Wilson
From Tony Paulus, Head of School
One year ago, I proposed to our Board of Trustees that we initiate a strategic planning process. In particular, I recommended that a highly-respected organization, Independent School Management (ISM), serve as our consultant in the process. Our Board unanimously agreed, and with their full support, provided the financial investment to make it happen – personally. Last winter, ISM surveyed and interviewed members of each constituent group, including parents, students, faculty, trustees and senior administrators, and compiled a comprehensive Canterbury School Sustainability Study. This report was presented to members of our Board of Trustees and Senior Administrative Group on May 4, 2013. Members of our Board and Administration spent the summer reviewing the study, which looked at nearly every aspect of our School, from mission to program to operations. Then, from September 20-24, working with ISM consultant, Simon Jeynes, we developed our 2013-2019 Strategic Plan and Strategic Financial Plan. This was an exciting process in which we were able to look at our successes and opportunities. We must be continually work toward improvement in both our product and outcome. The Strategic Plan positions our work to meet and exceed expectations by being responsive to the dynamics of a new learning landscape.
Tony Paulus, Head of School
Canterbury School is in the final year of its first half century and will officially celebrate its 50th Anniversary next year. Thus the current school year, 2013-2014, will serve as the “Gateway” to our School’s second half century. By exercising discipline, perseverance, patience and focus, the effective implementation of our Strategic Plan and Strategic Financial Plan will help ensure that Canterbury School is a healthy, sustainable, vibrant school when our children’s children celebrate its Centennial Anniversary in 2064. In our student-centered school environment emphasizing academic excellence and character development, effective implementation of our Strategic Plan and Strategic Financial Plan will accomplish the following results:
» A vibrant, engaging, transformational learning environment » Substantial commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) » Conservative, responsible, transparent fiscal management » Well-maintained physical plant and learning environment » Effective, predictable enrollment management » A culture of inspired philanthropy to drive excellence This is an exciting time for Canterbury School and one that will surely help us write the next 50 years of excellence.
3
Canterbury Explores
STEM STEM, the current buzzword in education, is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s web site: “Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Even among those who do go on to pursue a college major in the STEM fields, only about half choose to work in a related career. The United States is falling behind internationally, ranking 25th in mathematics and 17th in science among industrialized nations. In our competitive global economy, this situation is unacceptable.” Carl Melamet, Science Department Chair and Upper School Science teacher, is leading the way, developing the vision for a full PreK12th grade STEM program at Canterbury. “We’re hearing in the media that there is a lack of preparation for STEM careers,” Melamet said. “But we felt we were a science and math school already. We want to create awareness, a natural curiosity in our students. How does that play into kids not being afraid of things like computers and circuit boards?” Head of School, Tony Paulus, agrees that Canterbury is a strong math and science school. “Our kids are very well positioned with college admissions and more than 10 percent of our senior class plans to enter the
4
PreK-12th
medical profession. What we want to do now is implement STEM in PreK through grade 12,” Paulus said. Cara Summit teaches Middle School Science. In the spring semester, she will launch a new course, Introduction to Engineering, for eighth graders. She describes the course as a way for students to learn to teach themselves and each other in a collaborative way. The class builds on concepts introduced to students in the Lower School. “We already utilize a little bit of robotics in kindergarten through third grade. In the engineering course, we’ll do several projects including building a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). Students have to build a ROV that’s powered by a 12-volt car battery. It has to be hydrodynamic – able to navigate through an underwater obstacle course. We have three ponds at the school and one is deep enough to submerge the ROV. Maneuverability is part of the assessment. Kids hear about STEM but they don’t really know what engineering is. If they know about it, they’ll get excited about it,” Summit said enthusiastically. “They’ll say, ‘I can do that!’ I’m very excited. I think it’s going to be awesome.” There is a great deal of student interest in Summit’s class. Twenty-four students are already enrolled and there is a waiting list. Mitch Vitale teaches Upper School Math and Computer Science. He said, “My students need to be able to exercise creativity and speak the computer programming language. For STEM they’ll need to be able to apply that to real life. We use computer programming pretty much everywhere now. Your computer, your phone, your car – you need some knowledge of programming for all of it.” As part of Canterbury’s STEM program, Melamet envisions a fabrication lab, or FabLab, which will be used in the overall curriculum by all departments as early as Fall 2014. He plans to visit a FabLab that was built in conjunction with Stanford University at Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. The equipment, including a 3-D printer and
vinyl cutter, is expensive and Canterbury will need additional funding to bring this vision to reality. Melamet said the success of Canterbury’s STEM program depends on everyone getting excited about it – students, teachers and parents. Parents must encourage student interest, teachers must be trained to use the FabLab equipment and the physical space must be created. He said, “All the pieces have to be in place to ensure the program’s continuity and longevity and all departments need to utilize the FabLab. An art class might want to create chess pieces they designed. A history class might want to build a model from the drawings of one of da Vinci’s machines. A biology class might want to make models of the human circulatory system. The creativity side of it plays right into the arts department. Maybe they’ll want to design and create a new musical instrument. STEM and the FabLab aren’t seen as something just for the science and math classes. They’re for all disciplines. It builds on the kind of problem solving skill building that starts in PreK.” Melamet paused, then smiled. “It’s how kids play if given the right tools. It’s building the best fort out of the couch cushions on a Saturday night. You have to be able to sit in there and bring stuff in and see the TV through the cracks between the cushions. Isn’t that STEM? All this is possible for the bright young minds of Canterbury students with the philanthropic support to make their dreams come true.” n
Source: www.ed.gov/stem 5
TAC-tile
Student Technology Advisory Committee
Brenden McHale
Mr. Jake Spanberger, President of Entech, is giving Canterbury students the opportunity to explore technology in a unique way. He has created the Technology Advisory Committee among upper school students to help get their perspective on what improvements need to be made on campus. Mr. Spanberger says, “The Student Tech Advisory Committee was developed to give students a voice in where Canterbury is with its technology and its future. With the help of the committee, we’ve added studentuse printers in the upper school, cleaned up wi-fi blind spots, and added Google Chrome and Firefox as web browsers on the thin clients. These changes all came from the input of the students. The ultimate goal of the committee is to create a well-rounded, user-friendly, advanced technology based environment at Canterbury. In addition, it is a great experience item on the students’
Language &
Technology
Mrs. Contreras and Ms. Ocando
6
college applications.” In the Technology Advisory Committee, students are able to get hands-on learning experience with technology hardware and software while enhancing their leadership skills for the future. The IT department at Canterbury realizes that technology is a thriving career field, and wants students to have an input on what improvements can be made to enhance their educational experience. Brendan McHale ’14 shared, “The Technology Advisory Committee has helped bridge the gap between faculty and students. It has helped accelerate student involvement and understanding technology at Canterbury, while simultaneously breaking down the barriers and developing better communication. The Committee is helping me prepare myself to be a leader in my future plans of studying Graphic Design.” n
Ms. Ocando, the Intermediate School Spanish teacher, is using her classroom as an innovative stepping stone for Canterbury’s Language Department. During her three-day National Institute: Cutting-Edge Technology to Enhance World Language Learning course this summer, she discovered how she could integrate technology to further her students’ learning experience. She has found that the Aurasma application is a creative way to capture the students’ attention and stimulate her curriculum. “Aurasma is a free application that can be downloaded onto any smart device. The application embeds a photo with a video. Aurasma allows students to take control of their educational experience by allowing them to be fully engaged with multimedia project development. This application allows me to help each student on a one-on-one basis with their progress in Spanish,” shared Ms. Ocando. Ms. Ocando and Mrs. Contreras have teamed up and combined their course curriculums to incorporate Spanish and Geography in one project. The 6th grade class chose a Latin American country to study. Students created project posters that contain different facts about the country’s culture and its geography. Students were encouraged to use this new application to be more creative and incorporate language arts, and social studies with technology. Sixth grader Mateo Devito shares, “Aurasma made the project clear and easy to comprehend. Aurasma gave me the opportunity to add a video of myself speaking Spanish without the pressure of public speaking.” Sixth grader Lily Pickett shares “Aurasma made learning Spanish fun and interesting. My favorite part about the project was being able to figure out how to use the application. I would like to be able to use Aurasma in more of my class projects.”
Field Study Mr. Mitch Vitale, Canterbury’s Upper School Math and CSE teacher, took his Introduction to Computer Science class to Saminco Inc. in Fort Myers for the day. Saminco Inc. designs and manufactures high power AC and DC motor control products. They supply the control for electric vehicles that haul 40+ tons of coal and miners safely in and out of coal mines. Students were able to test drive one of these vehicles to truly understand the benefits of computer science. “It was cool to drive a train created using electrical engineering and computer programming. I really enjoyed the hands-on experience this field trip offered me,” shared JT McGee ’15. Saminco Inc. is offering the senior class internship opportunities for their final project before graduation. “This internship allows students to shadow an employee at Saminco Inc., and will see and experience what a career in computer science can offer them.” Mr. Vitale shares, “Students need a break from the classroom and this field trip was the perfect opportunity to see Computer Science in action.” Introduction to Computer Science at Canterbury is opening students’ eyes to a wide array of opportunities in future careers by using technology. n
7
Science Night 2013
Curiosity & Questions “ I have no When students explore, they learn. During the 2013 Canterbury Science Night our students new heights. Student researchers investigated subjects including sleep, Alzheimer’s, special talents. reached compassion, blood transfusion substitutes, E.coli and acne. Canterbury Science Night provides I am only student scientists, researchers and inventors the opportunity to take the stage and showcase their research and celebrate their accomplishments. passionately Canterbury student performance in the field of science has earned a reputation within the region, curious.” state and nation. Two Canterbury students, Jamie Rubenstein ’04 and Sara Rose Langberg ’05, Albert Einstein
received the highest recognition for their scientific research at the Intel Science Talent Search, which is often referred to as the “Junior Nobel Prize.” “This is the best science night I have ever seen. More students participated; the projects were deep in thinking and inquiry thus making them extremely competitive. Winning projects were separated by two decimal points.” Kelly Etcheverry, Director of Upper School Independent Science Research “Science Night gives our students the opportunity to really think like scientists. During their time working on these projects, they will need to overcome adversity, demonstrate true grit, be organized and articulate.” Carl Melamet, Science Department Chair
2013 Science Night Awards Science Night 2013 by the Numbers: 12 Student Researchers in 1 grades 3-12 74 Projects 39 Judges 15 Winners from each of the Junior and Senior Divisions advance to the Thomas Alva Edison Regional Science and Inventors Fair at the Harborside Event Center on January 25th. 1 Dedicated Science Department supporting student inquiry and fueling curiosity.
8
JUNIOR DIVISION (Grades 6-8) Best of Fair Awards 1st Caylee Weintraub, 8th 2nd Kelly O’Conner, 8th 3rd Myesha Choudhury, 7th
SENIOR DIVISION (grades 9-12) Best of Fair Awards 1st Jay Chandar, 9th 2nd Sanim Choudhury, 11th 3rd Derek Wu, 12th and Suhas Penukonda, 12th
Selected to go to Thomas Alva Edison Regional Science Fair: Caylee Weintraub, 8th Kelly O’Connor, 8th Myesha Choudhury, 7th Ben Talmage, 6th Luke Long, 7th Daniel Blitz, 6th Virginia Waddell, 8th and Olivia DeLuca, 8th Maxine Arnheiter, 8th Emma Neill, 8th Sophia Ackerman, 8th Sara Perkins, 8th Lou-isa Cadiou, 7th Anna Kucera, 8th Michael Asorian, 8th Brett Burton, 7th and Maverick Kennedy, 7th
Selected to go to Thomas Alva Edison Regional Science Fair: Jay Chandar, 9th Sanim Choudhury, 11th Derek Wu, 12th and Suhas Penukonda, 12th Carver Sorensen, 12th and Nick Thompson, 12th Mason Brooke, 9th Sophia Ahad, 10th Alex Haiken, 9th Ahmed Ahad, 11th and Varun Varshney, 11th Niki Singh, 11th Natalie Henning, 10th and Madison Noall, 10th Jessica Castillo, 12th and Emma Wynekoop, 12th Evelyn Pizzolato-Murray, 10th Jonathan Hart, 12th and Rivka Hayes, 12th Adele Devito, 9th Emilee Cato, 9th
Sanim Choudhury, Jay Chandar, Derek Wu and Suhas Penukonda
Kelly O’Conner, Caylee Weintraub and Myesha Choudhury
2013 Science Fair participants
9
Excited About the “ Music and art are like language. The more you do at an early age, the easier it is for students to learn. The foundation continues to build.” Cathy Truesdale
10
Arts Department Chair Cathy Truesdale is brimming with enthusiasm as she describes the Lower School Arts Program. Her excitement is contagious and her delivery rapid-fire as she discusses the engaging activities students enjoy in her music classes and in Namita Singh’s art classes. “What they’re learning in the classroom corresponds to what they’re learning in art and music classes,” Ms. Truesdale said. “They’ll learn in Mrs. Singh’s class about colors and when they come to see me, I teach them a song about rainbow colors.” Ms. Truesdale describes Canterbury’s art program as cooperative and collaborative. She and Mrs. Singh work together to create similar and familiar environments in their classrooms. They work collaboratively to make their lessons carry over from music to art, so learning is seamless and natural for their students.
Artist of the Month
is a unique program in the Lower School Arts Department. In Mrs. Singh’s art class, students learn about a different artist each month, becoming familiar with that artist’s life and work. Students then create their own art in the style of the artist. In music class, Ms. Truesdale’s lesson dovetails with Mrs. Singh’s. She may introduce to students a piece of music written during the same period that the artist lived and worked. Lower School students participate in the performing arts, where lessons in following directions, socialization, and how to behave in large groups are incorporated seamlessly. Each grade level performs for others regularly, giving the children the self-confidence they need to succeed in school. In the spirit of collaboration, Upper School students demonstrate their instruments for Lower School students during field trips to the band room. Younger students interact with older students, asking questions about the instruments they play and the music they perform. Ms. Truesdale works diligently with teachers in other disciplines to integrate the Lower School Arts curriculum into the overall curriculum. Reading is often part of music class. As students learn in the classroom about the sounds of phonemes, Ms. Truesdale integrates those sounds into songs sung in music class. “Music and art are like language. The more you do at an early age, the easier it is for students to learn. The foundation continues to build,” Ms. Truesdale said. “It’s important that students understand culture, and the arts are a great way to learn about culture.” n
“I love Canterbury School because I like all the activities. My favorite activities are art, music, cub choir, the library and touch tank.” Lorelei DiSanto, Grade 2
< Second grade students worked on the Seahorse Dream project to benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital.
“ We know that my son is getting a great education! The program is well rounded; academics, foreign language, physical education and the arts are all included. He is excited to go to school every day.” Mr. and Mrs. Tarik Dekkar, parents of Ryan, Grade 2. 11
Our
Words ...
My American Dream Olivia Harris â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 My American dream is to succeed and move forward in my personal life and have a professional life that I am passionate about. I wish to create an exciting lifestyle, with the freedom to travel and constantly acquire new skills. Despite my shy appearance, I possess a hardworking attitude and the motivation to accomplish all of my dreams. Ever since I was a young girl, I have known that I wanted to be an artist. Art has always been an essential part of my identity; it is a way of life, a means to exploring oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own subconscious and the intrigues of the surrounding world. Practically any medium, be it photography, ceramics, or filmmaking, fascinates me. I have always tried to immerse myself in any creative opportunity I could find; I simply cannot imagine committing myself to one single art form. When I was four years old, I wanted to become a ballet dancer, and I held onto that initial dream until I was twelve. Yet throughout all my youth, I was constantly observing the world with wide eyes and sealed lips; this innate tendency to notice details helped me become interested in the visual arts, particularly drawing. I loved having the ability to translate whatever I was seeing or visualizing onto paper. Stories found in books and films always appealed to me, for I preferred to take refuge in my own imagination, and to crawl deep into my quiet self. My passion for the arts will surely continue into my future career. I am not certain what my profession will exactly be, but I hope it will entail the visual arts and filmmaking. At Pixar Animation Studios, I have become interested in the jobs of 2-D artists and storyboard artists; Pixar creates a rather congenial, collaborative environment for its employees, which I admire greatly. In the motion picture industry, behind-the-scenes work, like set dressing and costume design, has always appealed to me. It is the magic behind bringing a vision to life and subtly bewitching the audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye. Art will always be my passion, my method of self-expression, and my way to observe all the odd, little wonders of life. Although my exterior seems quite reserved and withdrawn, there is a pioneering, adventurous spirit inside of me. One of my greatest fears is to lead a stagnant, monotonous lifestyle and, in my final days to only hold the company of my regrets. I desire to travel far and wide throughout my lifetime, acquiring new friends and experiencing foreign cultures. One particular goal of mine is to become a foster owner for rescue dogs, namely Border Collies. This volunteer job involves temporarily caring for a dog while he or she is in a transition stage of adoption. Only certain people are qualified to foster specific dogs, depending on his or her size, activeness, health issues, etc. I have grown up with two Border Collies (I am rather partial towards their breed), and I would greatly enjoy helping them find safe homes. Throughout the rest of my life, I will strive to keep a healthy, active body and mind. I expect to read many books, continue my education, and constantly learn new skills in order to avoid monotony. I would like to explore my spirituality, learn how to deal with stress and anxiety, and maintain a peaceful lifestyle. I am particularly interested in studying the Buddhist faith and its beliefs in selfreliance and lasting happiness. I hope to remain in sound body and mind for decades to come.
12
A Moment in Serenity The yard behind my house is hardly cut off from modern society, but nature neither notices nor cares about the humans and their technology. The sounds in the world around me are of nature, except for a car idling in a neighbor’s driveway. I rest on the cinder block base of an old fire pit. My dog relaxes under the umbrage of the yard’s lone tree, but she starts up as a skittering lizard flashes past. The gecko does not stand a chance. In a bound, the dog lands on top of it, its paw pinning the flailing lizard to the sandy dirt, and the canine traps its prey in its jaws. Teeth pierce the gecko’s neck, but the gecko thrashes until death overcomes it. My proud pup stands guard over its quarry; she seems to smile, her tongue flopping. She does not eat the dead creature; she only nudges it occasionally with her nose. A small bird chirps from its hidden place in the tree. Its song is short and highpitched. No other bird replies, but this bird continues its lonely tune until it decides to fly off to another tree across the street. The only sound left is the breeze pushing through the trees and the panting of my dog. In the sand below my perch, fire ants run in busy circles, some now deciding to climb up the cinderblocks. Preferring to keep my legs, hands, and rear end bite-free, I abandon my post and flee to the safe comfort of my desk chair.
Michael E. Gasior ’16
The following poem was written by John Gamba, a freshman. The students were required to write a poem emulating the style of Emily Dickinson.
There is a certain Pitch of sound Heard as a hollow tune — It is the moan of the mountain valley The Anthem of a winter afternoon — The silent pines waver — As they surrender to the winter air, The white peaks shower splintery powder Into the valley with care — John Gamba ’17
The burning cold breeze sings like a lullaby To fox, elk, deer, and hare — They bed down for the night Amid the tranquil evening air — The Pitch abounds with wonders many Peace, balance, solitude, joy, and inner Zen The wind brings me pleasures — And memories like an affectionate friend.
13
Our
Zan by Mallory Pollock ’16
Pictures ...
Assignment:
Stop Action
“The students blew this one out of the park.” Mr. Daniel Percivall US Art
Stop Action by Veronika Grondzakova ’15 14
Veronika by Benjamin Juell ’15
Ta’Jerrica by Emily Schwartz ’17
Emily Wingenroth by Olivia Harris ’16 15
Our
Creations
Brendan McHale ’14
Students art produced in Mr. Grey’s Painting and Drawing classes.
Benedict Thiele ’16 16
Katy Matter ’17
Caroline Henning ’16
Michael Gasior ’16
Peyton Hornung ’17
17
Sam Lu
bner, G
rade 3
Colin Campbell, Grade 2
Elinor Rie n
zo, Grade 2
Kiran Shah, Grade 2
Elle Eisele, Grade 3
rade 2
Ella Barras, Grade 2 18
Steph
,G zastek en Kr
Our Journey of Pride & Purpose CANTERBURY SCHOOL STRATEGIC PLAN 2013-2019
Our Mission
The Canterbury School is dedicated to academic excellence within a caring and supportive community emphasizing character, leadership and service.
Our Vision
We strive to prepare students of ability, promise and diverse backgrounds for success in the art of leading a meaningful life.
Noah Schwartz ’24 and Michael Payson ’14 19
promâ&#x20AC;˘ise
[noun] : a reason to expect something especially: grounds for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence.
Our Promise The Canterbury Graduate:
>> will possess a commitment to inquiry and harness internal motivation and critical thinking skills to innovate, communicate, solve and understand;
>> will
pursue lifelong learning with an open mind, instinctively seeking connections between disciplines and cultures in a global context;
>> will
persevere in exploring opportunities and have the confidence to trust their judgment; they believe they can succeed at whatever they attempt and recognize failure as an opportunity;
>> will lead by inspiring others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more; they follow their hearts while maintaining personal integrity and empower others to do the same;
>> will
internalize an ongoing commitment to make the world a better place; they are empowered by altruism to promote fairness, justice, diversity, environmental stewardship and universal kindness.
Fulfilling Our Promise Founded in 1964, and grounded in the tenets of academic excellence, character, leadership and service, Canterbury School of Fort Myers has earned its stature as one of the finest college preparatory institutions in the nation. As Canterbury approaches its 50th anniversary, our mission and vision are clear. Our results, in the classroom, on the stage or field, and in our community, demonstrate a commitment to excellence that few schools can match. Our promise, fulfilled by the accomplishments of more than 1,000 Canterbury graduates around the world, is evidenced by our decades-long track record of producing students prepared for the highest levels of success in college, leadership, service and in life. While we celebrate these achievements, the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unwavering commitment to continuous improvement compels us to take the steps necessary to ensure the success of our students for the next 50 years and beyond.
20
Securing Our Future Throughout 2013, a dedicated group of Canterbury trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and parents undertook a comprehensive strategic planning process, which has helped define our strengths and challenges and, more importantly, reaffirm the vision we all share for our school, the quality of education it provides, and our mission to equip our children to lead meaningful and productive lives. Developed in collaboration with Independent School Management (ISM), the leading management support organization for independent schools in the United States and abroad, this visionary six-year Strategic Plan provides a thorough, data-based analysis of the school’s operations, finances, leadership, communications and community satisfaction. It also contains a Strategic Financial Plan that will serve as a responsible, pro-active and realistically attainable roadmap to a financially sound and sustainable future. The main goals of the Strategic Plan are: • Maintaining the Heart of Excellence: Students & Faculty • Investing in our Resources: Program & Facilities • Securing a Strong & Sustainable Future: Finances & Philanthropy
Dedicated, Highly Qualified Faculty For fifty years, Canterbury School has cultivated a dynamic, results – oriented environment that is committed to excellence. At the heart of that commitment is the personalized teaching and mentoring by our passionate and highly-qualified faculty. Recruiting, retaining and rewarding the highest caliber faculty is essential to enhancing the Canterbury experience. Like any great school, we must invest in the continual professional development of our faculty. Professional development enables the school to respond to emerging trends. It equips faculty with the latest knowledge and skills, kindles their own continued passion for learning, and ensures that Canterbury will maintain the highest level of teaching excellence for our students. The Strategic Plan provides for a significant investment over the next six years in Professional Development and Competitive Compensation programs that include: • A model faculty evaluation and performance assessment, developed by a group of our finest teachers, that will support and recognize characteristics of professional excellence – affirming our commitment to the highest level of excellence in the classroom. • Maintaining a benchmark for faculty salaries competitive with our peer independent schools. • Investing an additional $375,000 in faculty professional development resources which will achieve national best practices for investment in our faculty. • Recognizing the exceptional accomplishments of faculty members for their innovation and teaching excellence.
According to our school responses (students, faculty/ staff, parents, trustees and administration) to the April 2013 ISM Strategic Planning survey, our school’s strengths include:
> Mission and educational philosophy
> Deep respect for learning
and culture of academic rigor
> Safe and supportive learning environment
> Strong and dedicated faculty > Small class size > Strong sense of community, “family”
> Preparing well-rounded students
> Highly successful college counseling and graduate placement
> Individualized attention and programs
> A warm and nurturing school environment
> Developing students of
character, who lead and serve
21
ex•cel•lence
[noun] : extremely high quality a: the quality of being excellent b: an excellent or valuable quality : virtue
Kelly O’Connor ’18 and Cara Summit, MS Science
Characteristics of Professional Excellence In support of Canterbury School’s Mission Statement and its Portrait of a Graduate, our faculty will exhibit: Knowledge of Subject Matter • Demonstrates a deep and broad understanding of content • Possesses conceptual understanding • Understands vertical alignment and ensures students have the prerequisite skills for future education
The Habits of a Reflective Practitioner • Seeks self-awareness • Adds to repertoire of lessons • Pursues professional development based on current needs • Strives to be a life-long learner A Growth Mindset • Embraces risk taking and exhibits resiliency • Accepts the challenges of providing a rigorous curriculum • Inspires students to achieve goals • Motivates students to fulfill their intellectual curiosity and to develop the capacity to change and grow
INTEGRITY • Serves as a positive role model • Demonstrates trustworthiness and professionalism • Exhibits diligence and adaptability • Understands and accepts responsibility • Collaborates • Mentors and inspires colleagues • Communicates clearly and respectfully
Relational Awareness and Appreciation • Knows and respects students as individuals and as learners • Fosters students’ character development and acts as an advisor • Creates authentic opportunities for students to serve as leaders • Recognizes families as partners • Collaborates with colleagues • Serves as an ambassador for the school
22
Understanding of Pedagogy • Makes sound curricular choices • Establishes both long and short-term goals • Utilizes multiple paths to knowledge • Demonstrates preparedness and organization • Aligns assessment with instruction
The Art of Teaching • Designs intellectually stimulating lessons • Conveys knowledge in a meaningful and effective manner • Demonstrates flexibility and adapts instruction when necessary • Models appropriate discourse and questioning
Active Application of Knowledge • Encourages inquiry • Promotes critical and analytical thinking • Inspires innovation and creativity • Extends communication skills • Integrates learning across disciplines • Connects learning to life • Engages in learning, unlearning, relearning
Investing in Our Resources Program Innovation & Technology
The overarching goal of the six-year Strategic Plan is to prepare Canterbury students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The evolving dynamics of our global society are being driven by innovation and the application of new technologies. $1.2 million over the next six years will be dedicated to upgrading the school’s educational innovation in technology. The Strategic Plan will invest significant new resources to ensure that our students continue to be supported by a curriculum that is current, relevant and equipped with the tools to excel in a stateof-the-art learning environment. That investment includes: • Upgrading and enhancing school equipment, infrastructure and curriculum. • Recruiting a dedicated full-time Technology Integrated Specialist to guide all faculty eager to embrace technology integration in the classroom and all learning environments. • Creating and launching a PreK – 12th grade Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) curriculum that engages students in hands-on learning experiences. • Establishing a Student Advisory Technology Group, in partnership with our IT consulting firm Entech, to provide both student input and perspective in the development of technology initiatives. • Implementing our prestigious Edward E. Ford Foundation grant providing $100,000 in seed funding to innovate and expand cutting edge curricular offerings, which will dramatically impact our students’ learning experience and will include significant technology upgrades in the Lower School.
Marlena Elmore, MS Civics
Learning Environment We must provide for the continual maintenance and improvement of our campus as well as the quality of our program not only for today, but also for the future. $2.7 million over the next six years will be dedicated to ensuring our facilities continue to provide a safe, effective and dynamic learning environment for our students.
Enhancing Diversity In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, Canterbury recognizes the value of educating students in an economically, ethnically, and culturally diverse learning environment that includes global education. The school will continue to invest in the benefits of a diverse learning environment. A strong financial commitment to our Canterbury families includes investment in a need-based financial aid program that allows us to attract top students, making it possible for diverse missionappropriate students to attend Canterbury School. The returns on this investment can be seen in students who are compassionate, confident global citizens and scholars.
23
“Wisdom is skill in the art of living” David Lucas, Canterbury Trustee, Parent and Grandparent
Nick Grey, US Arts/Drama with the cast of “Exit the Body”
Building a Strong & Sustainable Future With the Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees and School Administration have taken the steps necessary to ensure the School’s financial strength and longterm sustainability. The Strategic Financial Plan (SFP) is the foundation that supports the main goals of the Strategic Plan. Through discipline, patience, focus and perseverance, the financial plan will provide the resources necessary to invest in new program initiatives, faculty professional development and campus improvements.
Finances & Tuition School revenues come from three sources: tuition, philanthropy, and endowment earnings. The most successful independent schools recognize that endowment earnings and philanthropy cannot be relied on to close the gap between the cost of tuition and the cost of educating its students. Instead, the true cost of education is covered by tuition. Philanthropy and endowment earnings are then used solely for student and program enhancements and for building cash reserves. The Strategic Financial Plan has been developed to provide balanced and fiscally responsible guidelines while providing the resources necessary to deliver the School’s mission to our students.
> Fiscal “best practices,” directed by the Strategic Plan, call for a full operational expense audit, management of capital improvements and expansion of cash reserves to protect the institution against a “rainy day,” or to take advantage of opportunities that may arise.
> Going forward, tuition will begin to reflect more accurately the true cost of a Canterbury education.
> Beginning with the 2014-15 budget, tuition rates will include many of the
“extras” currently added during the school year, such as school day field trips, grade-wide testing, prom/dances and other compulsory program activities. Enrollment contracts provided at the beginning of the year will include all anticipated annual expenses.
24
Optimum Enrollment Continuing to recruit the region’s most talented and motivated students is critical to Canterbury’s future as one of the nation’s elite college preparatory institutions. With a commitment to maintain optimal class sizes and student-teacher ratios, the Strategic Plan defines an enrollment plan that will recruit missionappropriate students who exhibit the potential to contribute to the strength of our student body.
True Philanthropy Philanthropy has built, sustained and transformed academic institutions throughout history. The Strategic Plan will position philanthropy in the future to become aspirational in nature, as it steadily lessens the school’s budgetary reliance on the Canterbury Fund and the annual Extravaganza.
Elijah Benzon ’14
Fundraising will be focused and prioritized to serve the strategic objectives of the entire school. The Canterbury Fund and Extravaganza will remain the centerpieces of our fundraising efforts providing the necessary resources to enrich and enhance the Canterbury educational experience. The Canterbury Fund allows for donors to identify an area of interest that matches their own. Gifts to the Canterbury Fund drive each of our mission tenets and specifically fulfill our commitment to: • • • • • •
Technology & Innovation Academic & Faculty Excellence Creative Spirit – The Arts Leadership & Service Physical Well Being (Athletics & PE) Need-based Financial Aid
100% of the funds raised in excess of the Canterbury Fund annual goal will be directed to a student enhancements list. This list will be established by Senior Administration to identify the needs and aspirations of our faculty and programs. Additionally, this list will provide opportunities for major gift consideration. It will provide our donors the opportunity to impact specific areas of interest that advance school objectives.
25
The Next 50 Years
OF Excellence
The 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a turning point for Canterbury School. A comprehensive, fiscally responsible and proactive approach to the evolving needs of our students, faculty and facilities and will enable us to move forward together as a community. By detailing the steps necessary to fulfill our promise to better prepare students to be successful in college and in their lives beyond, the Strategic Plan ensures that we will secure our future as a school,
where
extraordinary happens every day
8141 College Parkway | Fort Myers, Florida 33919 | P: (239) 481-4323 | F: (239) 481-8339 | CanterburyFortMyers.org
26
Summer Camp 2014
Offering Academic, Athletic and Day Camp Students, are you looking for ways to give yourself an edge for next year’s academic challenges? Check out Canterbury Summer School, which has many courses designed to enrich and broaden your knowledge and to refine your skills. Students can now earn credit for most Summer School courses. New programs include our for-credit, cross-curricular, Summer Independent Research course, which can be taken even if you leave Southwest Florida for the summer. Session Three, our two week summer academic “boot camp”, is designed to refresh and sharpen key academic skills just before the beginning of the next school year. Pursue your passions and prepare for academic excellence with Summer School 2014! Registration will soon be available online at:
www.canterburyfortmyers.org/SummerCamp
Field Day 2014 April 2nd
An All-School day dedicated to celebrating all that is Canterbury. Field Games, Festivities & Competition.
Go Cougars!
Mark Your Calendar!
Do Business at Home! Canterbury Connect will provide you with hundreds of business listings of fellow Canterbury family members and supporters of our School. Canterbury Connect offers complimentary business listings for our parents, faculty/staff, alumni and sponsors/supporters ($500 or greater). It’s a great way to do business and support those who support us.
You can find Canterbury Connect online or the printed version in your Parent Directory binder. It’s simple, easy and gives you an immediate connection.
www.canterburyfortmyers.org/CanterburyConnect 27
Scholar Athlete Society The Canterbury Scholar Athlete Society recognizes the athletic and academic accomplishments of student-athletes in grades ten through twelve. Student-athletes may apply no earlier than the spring of their sophomore year, and only after earning at least four Varsity letters in a minimum of two different sports. Any student who participates in only one sport will become eligible to apply only after earning a fourth Varsity letter in that sport. Varsity letters earned prior to entering ninth grade will not be accepted. The applicant must meet a minimum cumulative weighted grade point average of 3.0. Upon acceptance, members of the Canterbury Scholar Athlete Society are expected to be active supporters of school-wide athletic events. On occasion, members may be called upon to represent the school and athletic department at community and school events. The student applicant must be in good standing with the Canterbury School Honor Code, the Director of Student Life, and he/she must uphold the Four Pillars of Canterbury School.
Carol Galloway ’14
Jessie Blaze ’14
Role Models: My club coaches and the girls I know who have progressed to play at the college level, Christina Carracino ’10, Sami Blaze ’12 and Katie Mosher. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: Defeating LaBelle in a close five set match on Senior Night, winning the Big South National Qualifier in Atlanta and going to the Junior Olympics twice. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? Studying and doing homework in buses and cars and planning ahead of time to meet deadlines. How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? My experiences with team sports will affect my interactions with friends and family. I plan to play at the club or varsity level in college.
Role Models: My sister Sami Blaze ’12. She balances athletics, academics, and extra curricular activities extremely well. She is always positive and gives the best advice. She plays Division 1 college volleyball at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is not only my role model, but my best friend. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: I broke three Canterbury records for volleyball; 1st in career digs season and career record and 4th in career aces. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? To be a scholar athlete, you have to balance your academics with your sports. You must show good character, and always maintain a positive attitude. It takes good time management and being well organized. How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? I’m hoping to play volleyball in college. If I get the chance, I will bring all my memories and lessons I have learned from my coaches and teachers with me.
Sports: Volleyball and Tennis
Leadership Through Athletics
EDUCATION
28
Sports: Volleyball, Basketball and Softball
Katie Flaharty ’14
Michael Payson ’14
Alex Rabinowitz ’14
Role Models: Sarah Hall. She is an amazing runner and a great, healthy, well-rounded person. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: Scoring the winning penalty kick against South Florida Christian Academy in the District semi-final soccer game during my sophomore year. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? It takes dedication on the field and in the classroom. You need to make sure that you put your social life aside sometimes to focus on your team and your academics. How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? The balance between school and sports is important, especially with the academic rigor of Canterbury. I see myself taking the time management and leadership skills to college to play at the club level.
Role Models: My Mom and Dad. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: Being the only junior named to the News-Press allarea first team for lacrosse in the spring of 2013. I’m also proud of tying the school record in lacrosse for goals scored. My greatest accomplishment as a student is accumulating more than 350 community service hours as well as being a member of the Rho Kappa honor society and the Scholar-athlete Society. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? To be a Scholar Athlete, you must have the same competitive drive for both your sports and your academics. You have to not only succeed at both school and athletics but you have to want to be the best. Balancing is tough, but I work on school during free periods and after practice. During the day, school is the priority and then during practice, sports are the priority. Focusing 100% on each task during allotted times keeps me balanced. How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? Canterbury has taught me many values that can be taken beyond high school. Being on many teams will teach me how to work well with others and the leadership roles I have held on the golf course and soccer and lacrosse fields will help me be a better leader in college, graduate school, and the workplace.
Role Models: I have many role models, but one particular person I admire on the sports field is the second baseman for the Phillies, Chase Utley. Off the field, I admire both of my parents and my brother. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: My greatest accomplishment as an athlete was the football team’s state championship victory back in 2011. I will never forget anything that happened along that journey, or the people who were a part of it. The more I look back on it, the more I realize the significance it has had and will continue to have on my life. My greatest accomplishment as a student was winning the Citizenship Award. Doing well in school, or in anything else for that matter, is not as valuable if the meaningful people around you do not look favorably upon you. I know many other people who could have easily won this award, but it still is very warming to have been bestowed it. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? It takes a drive and a want to succeed. To be completely honest, and I’m sure many others would agree, we don’t find the balance, but the balance sort of finds us. Playing sports forces us as student athletes to stay on top of our work on a daily basis, thus creating more or less of a natural balance.
Sports: Cross Country, Soccer, Track & Field
Sports: Golf, Lacrosse, and Soccer
Sports: Football, Basketball, and Baseball
continued on next page> 29
Class of 2014 Scholar Athletes
Alex Rabinowitz continued How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? I see myself using what I have learned in school to try and better the lives of those who surround me. I am happy when those around me are happy, so I will do everything I can in my life to better the lives of others in whatever possible way I can.
Jessie Blaze Katie Flaharty Tyler Foor Carol Galloway Lila Gutstein Madi Hall Leili Molzan Michael Payson Suhas Penukonda Sam Persichilli Paige Pollock Alex Rabinowitz Moises Ruiz Carver Sorensen Olivia Streater Nicholas Thompson
Madi Hall ’14
Sports: Basketball and Swimming Role Models: One of my biggest role models is Mr. Morris. He is always there for anyone to talk to and he really understands the students. I respect him even more because he listens to what everyone has to say without jumping to conclusions and always has good intentions. Greatest Athletic Accomplishment: As an athlete, it was great to beat the record in the 200 yard freestyle relay with Olivia Streater, Karlie
Sunday, May 18th Crown Colony Golf Club
LF
C L AS
SI
C
G
O
CLUB
Presented by
R
ATHLETI
C
Cougar Golf Classic
COUGA
2014
Hosted by the Cougar Athletic Club For sponsorship, registration and additional information visit:
www.canterburyfortmyers.org/GolfClassic
30
Olmstead, and Kelly O’Connor. We’ve had our eye on that record for a while and finally beating it in my and Olivia’s last year swimming for Canterbury was really exciting for us. As a student, getting through junior year and all of my college apps was a big accomplishment. It took a lot of balancing and work to get through that along with everything else going on during the year. What does it take to be a Scholar Athlete? It’s easy to take on too many things at once, so it’s important to keep that in mind as a scholar athlete. It takes a lot of commitment to both the team and school work. It’s important to make sure you have time to do all of your work, even if that means on the bus rides home from games. Luckily, both the teachers and coaches understand everything we have going on. How do you see yourself using your experience beyond Canterbury? I think being a Scholar Athlete has helped me gain an appreciation for using sports as a way to release stress. Whenever I have a stressful day, I know I can get my mind off of it during a practice or game. After so many years of being an athlete at Canterbury, I have a very good understanding of how to balance my time between all the activities I want to be involved in.
31
Community Service at Canterbury “ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi
The Community Service Program at Canterbury School strives to develop a caring student community, individual and group leadership, and a fundamental sense of human altruism. Service is one of the four foundation tenets of Canterbury School. To help our students become responsible citizens who will lead and serve, Canterbury seeks to cultivate a habit of volunteerism, making service to others a part of each student’s way of life. Mr. Ian Cross, Canterbury’s Director of Community Service, in the Upper School, leads the school-wide volunteerism effort to address
the needs of the Fort Myers community as well as the greater world community. Each year, Canterbury School selects a number of school sponsored fund raising projects. Cultivating the attitude of community service starts in the Lower School. Lower School students view community
service as a way of living responsible lives. Service begins in the classroom, as students are encouraged to give support to peers. Respect and responsible behavior are nurtured in classroom activities and projects. Recycling is shared throughout the school. However, beginning in third grade the special responsibility of recycling all paper and plastic materials in the Lower School building is embraced. Lower School, Intermediate School and Middle School students partner together to reach out to others in the community. Service projects and the School’s annual Marathon have helped organizations such as the Grand Court Senior Living, Health Park Nursing Facility, Salvation Army Sock Drive, Nations Association Holiday Food Drive, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Barbara’s Friends, Magnolia Court, Hope for Haiti, Children’s Hospital, and Autism Speaks. In the Intermediate School, the Community Service Project co-chairs, Mrs. Shannon Frank and Mrs. Deborah Hall, coordinate the student outreach activities. Special programs in the Intermediate School include the Kindness Club coordinated by Ms. Evonne Clapper. The Club’s efforts have helped our community, near and far. This reinforces the idea that students are members of many communities: school, local, international, etc. The Buddy Reading Club provides the opportunity for our 4th and 5th graders to read to some of our younger students and provides an important connection for students across grade levels. Middle School students share in the School’s mission of service. Each year, Canterbury
“Canterbury is a very generous school. We have a food drive, sock drive and we stuff stockings. The stockings are where you put little gifts inside for needy children.” Cannon Creighton, Grade 3
32
The Kindness Club students demonstrate their willingness to volunteer to serve others and make our world a better community for all. Each Middle School student is required to accumulate ten community service hours each school year. Many opportunities for service are available in the Fort Myers area and within the school. Students are encouraged to give time to those people and organizations in need by Ms. Diane Amundson, MS Community Service Advisor. All Upper School students, who attend all four years at Canterbury, must give a minimum of fifty community service hours to qualify for graduation. All Upper School students have an annual community service requirement of ten hours in their freshman and sophomore years and fifteen in their junior and senior years. Most
students easily far surpass that commitment. Seniors with 400+ volunteer hours are recognized with the traditional silver cord worn at graduation. The rewards of community service are tremendous. Each act of generosity and hope has the potential of leaving a lasting imprint on both the student in service and the lives of people in need. By the end of their experience at Canterbury School, students have a strong sense of what it means to be good stewards of the earth and partners in their community. Ultimately, our lives are defined by the marks we leave in the hearts and minds of others. Canterbury students are the future leaders of our world, and the future is very bright indeed. n
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The focus on character, leadership and service in addition to education is what sets Canterbury apart. My boys have attended Canterbury since Pre-K and have benefited greatly academically, socially and emotionally. I have watched them grow and mature into intelligent, compassionate and responsible young men under the tutelage of challenging, caring and dedicated teachers at every grade.â&#x20AC;? Dr. Ann Shah Parent of Deven, Grade 5 and Kiran, Grade 2
2013 Marathon
Nations Association Holiday Food Drive 33
Carmona
Christensen
DeMars
Garner
Gilstad
Professional Development
Canterbury School has a strong commitment to professional development and the changes it is intended to manifest; a deepening of our faculty’s subject matter knowledge, sharpening of classroom teaching skills, improvement of technical knowledge and an understanding of innovative technology.
“Investing in people is our single greatest investment. Our teachers are avid and eager learners and their quest for new learning serves as a model for our student body. We must continue to support and develop our faculty who directly impact the learning journey of each of our students,” shared Tony Paulus. A recent report prepared by Regional Educational Laboratory at Edvance Research, Inc. finds that teachers who receive substantial professional development – an average of 49 hours – can boost their students’ achievement by about 21 percentile points.
Canterbury hosts
Here’s what our faculty thinks: Most recently, I’ve had the privilege of increasing my computer/tech knowledge through online webinars featuring iPad applications, using cloud-based programs, and digital publishing/ videography. These tools have been helpful in music classes by allowing students to create some of their own music. Drama classes have also used technology to create videos and we will be doing more work online to create mini-drama productions in the future. I am currently exploring podcasting and social media possibilities for the Arts Department. Ms. Catherine Truesdale Canterbury Arts Department Chair We attended a seminar last year led by Dr. Tim Razinski, a professor at Kent State University who specializes in struggling
The Gesell Institute
This summer, Canterbury School hosted the Gesell Institute of Child Development for three days of training on the use of the Gesell Developmental Observation, a revised assessment instrument and supporting materials. The objective of the revised instrument is to observe and record individual student responses to tasks organized by strands: Developmental; Letter/Numbers; Language/ Comprehension; Visual/Spatial Discrimination; Social Behavior/Emotional Development and Adaptive Skills. It also included parent input which enabled a more complete perspective of a child’s developmental age as compared to the child’s chronological age. Canterbury has used this tool for many years as part of the student assessment protocol. It provides reliable information on each child’s developmental age and enables us to better position students for long term success. The assessment is used in the Lower School with four and five year olds and extends observational capabilities through nine year olds, as well. “All children develop on a similar path and have unique tempos of growth as they pass through sequential stages of development,” was Dr. Gesell’s original tenet and the philosophy behind this nationally used assessment tool. The revised instrument honors a better understanding of the needs of the 21st Century child. Teachers reviewed, studied, and observed the ages and stages of child development. This knowledge creates a better understanding of how children’s development affects growth in all areas. It also provides insights for appropriate intervention over time. Children have not changed developmentally, but their learning environments have most definitely changed. Canterbury faculty were joined by several other faculty from Fort Myers and Atlanta, Georgia. n
34
Hall
Persichilli
Phimister
readers and writers. One of the activities he demonstrated, that we have used successfully in both our classrooms, is to mimic the phrased nature of text in a storybook and have the children rewrite the text following the pattern. This creative and generative response to a specific reading allows the students to create something new and different from what they have read within the structure of the story. “This is the ultimate form of understanding. When we can take what has been read or experienced and transform it,” stated Dr. Razinski. Karen Hall and Pat Renk 1st Grade Teachers What makes a Music and Movement teacher happy? Playing and singing with children who are excited about making music together. A diverse repertoire of songs and games can inspire curiosity and encourage exploration, but just like last year’s lunchbox, needs to be refreshed regularly. At the Orff Schulwerk Association’s annual conference in San Jose, California, I took workshops from some of the most talented Music and Movement educators. In Doug Goodkin’s Blues workshop, I learned really cool music that children can play on elementary instruments with very little training. Playing in an elementary xylophone orchestra with other teachers gave me the learning experience that Doug’s students at the San Francisco School regularly enjoy. Watching a master teacher giving a lesson is a live transmission of the process, from the introduction to the final wrap up. You can’t find that in a book or even in a video. It’s like watching any great artist work, they have perfected the art of teaching and there are so many things to learn from them. Taking these experiences back into the classroom took the shape
Renk
Truesdale
of Blues in the Percussion Ensemble, but more importantly, new teaching strategies and philosophy, and that’s what’s really cool about it. Susanna Wingenroth IS Art & Music Teacher Over the summer, my Pre-K4 colleagues and I were fortunate enough to attend the I Teach K! workshop in Las Vegas. This opportunity provided us with new tools to help take our literacy centers to the next step and gave the resources to help guide us along the way. We also gained ideas to help us integrate developmentally appropriate technology within our young classroom. The best part of our experience at the workshop was meeting very knowledgeable educators that provided us with blogs, web resources, and ongoing professional development opportunities to help us feel more connected to a larger network of educational experts. Danielle Christensen Pre-K4 Teacher Katie DeMars and Alicia Persichilli Pre-K4 Teacher Assistants We recently completed a six week online course entitled Creating Classroom Centers. The emphasis was on how to create and implement activities to enhance independent learning. The course also provided strategies on how to increase small group instruction time. Ideas on how to use technology to keep students engaged were also emphasized. We appreciate having this professional development opportunity. Kathy Gilstad and Ronda Garner Third Grade Teachers
Vollmer
Wingenroth
I had a great learning experience at the ACTFL Conference in Orlando recently. I learned about using Technology in the classroom in the 21st Century, utilizing the skills that our students come to class with already. Utilizing new technology in the classroom, combined with innovative teaching techniques maximizing classroom hands on learning time, were all new ways to integrate learning a language. Nayda Carmona MS Foreign Language Teacher I consider myself a good teacher, but I can always be better. Professional development opportunities support my efforts to improve as a teacher, a mentor, a colleague, and an administrator. With the funding that the school provides, I have been able to experience and learn in ways that would not otherwise be available to me. Craig Phimister US English Teacher Last summer, I won a competitive National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar grant. I attended the Landmarks of American History and Culture Program, Jump at the Sun: Zora Neale Hurston and Her Eatonville Roots. Grants are competitive and require an extensive application and a letter of recommendation from the Head of School. The information I gained was immediately used this past fall to prepare Marge Dougherty’s AP Literature students in their study of the book, “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” by Zora Neale Hurston. Mary Vollmer Ellenberg Library Librarian
35
Alumnus
Andrew Hoek
“ The individual support you get in school makes a huge difference. That is one aspect where Canterbury really excels.”
36
Thinks Outside the Box Alumnus Andrew Hoek ’03 likes to think outside the box and solve problems as managing partner of DeWitt Law Firm’s Tampa office. He credits Canterbury School with teaching him those skills. He works in general real estate law, including land use and environmental law, putting together deals that sometimes pose a challenge. After graduating from Canterbury in 2003, Hoek attended the University of Florida and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in business administration. At Florida State University’s College of Law, he earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, graduating cum laude. He excelled at writing, earning book awards and participating in work published in scholarly journals, and worked as a research assistant and legislative intern. “As an attorney, writing is such a big part of what I do,” Hoek said. “Karl Yergey was my U.S. History teacher when I was a sophomore at Canterbury. We had a big assignment for his class and I think that’s where I developed a passion for writing. I remember in college I threw a paper together. I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it. My professor told me how great it was and I was shocked. I thought it was a dud. The individual support you get in school makes a huge difference. That is one aspect where Canterbury really excels.” During his first year of law school, Hoek discovered something else about which he has a passion. Property Law was his favorite class, so he pursued a career in that field. The 2010 real estate market was sluggish, so he went back to school and earned a Master of Laws degree in environmental and land use law at University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. He landed a job at a real estate law firm and concentrated on condominium and homeowners’ association and land use law. That company later merged with DeWitt Law Firm. “My greater focus has been property development and the opportunities it offers,” Hoek said. “I’ve learned it’s possible to branch into other areas just by keeping your ears open and being open to opportunities.” Hoek is also a licensed real estate agent. He manages a title company and the real estate brokerage, Smith and Associates Real Estate, Inc., associated with the law firm. “If I get tired of one aspect of my job, I
can always get out in the field. I like to track inventory and go to open houses. I like to work with buyers and sellers and manage the process from appraisals and inspections to closings. And I’m starting to dabble in real estate as a personal investment.” Creative thinking and problem solving are the things Hoek likes best about his law career. “My favorite thing is putting tricky deals together. Land trust purchases, seller financing deals, commercial and residential short sales – these transactions allow me the opportunity to work from all sides, as an agent, lawyer and title agent. Sitting at the closing table after putting together a deal like that is what it’s all about.”
Canterbury instilled in Hoek the importance of character and commitment to service, even though it took time for him to better understand the significance of service. “I now see a need for community involvement. I sit on several boards and that’s a huge part of my life. Encouraging that from an early age is a wonderful thing, even though it might not hit home until later in life.” Hoek built relationships at Canterbury that are part of his network today. The tightknit group of friends he had in school has survived the test of time and now provides business opportunities. “I got a call from a classmate I hadn’t heard from in five years. He’s working in real estate now, too, and contacted me about doing some things together,” he said. “The network is still there. I still communicate with several teachers. They have always supported me. You’ve got to follow what’s important to you. It probably would have been easy for me to go down the medical career path because that’s what my family did but because of the support I got at home and at Canterbury, I learned to follow my instincts and take chances.” n
Alumni News
Your 2013/2014 Alumni Board (Left to Right) Elaine Sherer ’88 Susan Frantz ’03, Jake Weisberg ’05, Lauren Harris ’04, Brian O’Neill ’98, Erin Gebeau ’99, Danielle Komp Kagan ’02 and BJ Rosinus ’01. Not pictured Adam Finney ’99, Kori Ann Howell ’96, Lea Pascotto ’95, Ryan Sherry ’01 Kara Sweet ’99, Kelly Todd ’96, Corey Wilson ’96 and Janet Wilson ’86. Elaine Sherer ’88 and Como (5 year old Hanoverian Gelding) recently competed at the Regional Dressage Championships in Atlanta.
Kimberly Egolf ’01 has two published books and is currently working on her next release under the pen name of Kimberly Truesdale. Morgan (Macdermott) Boyd ’02 relocated to Tarpon Springs, FL with her family. Fiona will be 3 and Hugo 18 months in February 2014. Morgan is currently Quality Control Manager at Keymark Corporation. She is also a Surface Warfare Officer (LT) in the US Navy Reserve. Susan Frantz ’03 lives in Fort Myers and works at Frantz Eye Care as an online Marketing specialist. She is also a member of the Canterbury School Alumni Board.
Hap Pollard ’96 and his wife, Brooke Whiteside Pollard, welcomed a baby boy, Grayson Beckett Pollard, on July 31, 2013. Patricia Curtis ’97 is currently working for the Lee Memorial Health System as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse. Stacey Gorovoy ’98 and her husband Chad Kunc welcomed their son Luke Adam in October. Stacey is currently in practice with her father at Gorovoy MD Eye Specialists. Babies, babies, and more babies at the Fritz house. All four kids, Brett ’99, Tanner ’02, Tyler ’04 and Paige Fritz Stuckey ’05 had babies in 2013! Unfortunately, in October, Tanner was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Laura Hoyer-Booth ’03 completed her Masters in Business Administration at FGCU in 2011 and moved to Atlanta to work for AT&T. She recently became engaged to Jason Naylor and they are planning a destination wedding in Costa Rica next year. She relocated from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale and continues working for AT&T Mobility as Accessory Channel Manager-Dealer, E-Commerce. Marissa Rubenstein ’03 and her husband, Tamir Bergman, moved to Ithaca, NY in July where Tamir is studying for his MBA at Cornell. Marissa has a job as Assistant Director of Student Activities and Events for Cornell Business School.
Andrew Hoyer-Booth ’05 is pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee while working full time as Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association in Madison. Michael Rubenstein ’05 graduated from the University of Miami’s Schools of Law and Business with a JD/MBA in December 2012. He passed both the FL and NJ Bars in April 2013 and began working at the Bessemer Trust Company as an Associate Client Advisor in June 2013. Mikey and Mari married on October 20, 2013 in a quaint and lovely ceremony, and are expecting to add to their family a baby boy to join big brother Sean (4) on December 12, 2013.
Jaclyn Gorovoy ’04 is marrying her fiancé Jarrod next year. She is completing her Internal Medicine Internship at Largo Hospital. Next summer she will begin a 3 year residency at Johns Hopkins in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 37
Alumni News Emily Sardarian ’06 is working for Protiviti in Manhattan as a marketing associate. Protiviti is a risk and business consulting company located on Avenue of the Americas, near Rockefeller Center. Emily had her first full-page ad appear in the national publication “American Banker” this past October. The issue was highlighting the most successful women within the banking industry. Emily wrote the copy and designed the layout for the ad on behalf of her company, Protiviti, congratulating the women. The magazine held an event at the Waldorf Astoria in honor of successful women in Manhattan with Tim Geitner as the keynote speaker. Emily is enjoying her time working in the Big Apple/ New York and painting in her free time. One of her paintings sold last year for $6,000. David Frantz ’07 is finishing his 3rd year at Florida Coastal Law School. He will graduate in May 2014. He is still playing his guitar and singing on YouTube. Ashley Ernst ’08 is now engaged to her college sweetheart, Charlie Gorden. They plan to marry in the spring of 2015. Also, Ashley is graduating this semester. Her degree is a Bachelors of Science in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism from the University of Florida.
Nicole Perper ’08 graduated culinar y school and now is working on her business management degree at USF and has one semester left until graduation. She has been working at Jackson’s Bistro, which is an upscale waterfront restaurant. Jake Albion ’09 recently rented the Canterbury PAC for the company he works for called Thrive Media and they filmed a commercial for the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl campaign. Maria Avila Ocando ’09 is studying business marketing with a minor in management at FGCU. She currently works as the marketing coordinator for Dr. Rafael Alcalde, an oral surgeon in the Fort Myers area. She is also interning parttime at Canterbury in the Marketing and Communications Department. Samantha Felts ’09 and Chris Beasley ’09 will be married on December 21 at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva. They were Canterbury high school sweethearts. Hilary Freund ’09 graduated last May from the University of Miami with a business administration degree in marketing and management. She is now living in the Brickell area of Miami where she is the sales coordinator for Van Wagner. Savannah Golden ’09 lives in New York City and got her dream job in the music industry and now works for Universal Music Group. She is the Marketing Assistant for Island Def Jam Music Group and assists in the marketing and creative campaigns for Island Records artists such as Afrojack, Avicii, Cazzette, Justin Bieber, Snow Patrol and The Killers, to name a few. Sanja Hotic ’09 and her boyfriend traveled around Europe for a month this past summer. It was amazing visiting family and friends in England, France, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. In August, she became a member of the Class of 2017 at the Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, FL. More recently, she became the dermatology chair of the Medical Specialties Committee at the College of Medicine. Medical school has been everything Sanja hoped it would be and more. She is very happy to say that it’s going very well! Her
38
plans for next summer involve clinical or science research, and some traveling, if there is enough time, to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Jake Perper ’09 graduated from the University of Tampa with a B.S. in sports management. While in college he started his own website bears backer www.chicagonow. com/bears-backer/about/, and he has had the privilege of interviewing over 30 current and former players for his website. He has written for the Tampa Tribune, Naples Daily News, interned with WGN-TV in Chicago, IL, The Florida Everblades and DeBartlo Sports. He currently writes for the Naples Daily News and maintains his website. He is passionate about sports and loves every second of what he does. Amy Stapleton ‘09, graduated from The University of Georgia in May, 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. After she completed her 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification in Athens, GA, to become a yoga instructor, she moved to the Bonita Springs area and has teamed up with the owners of Redbox Photography and Ashley Brockinton Photography to pursue portrait and wedding photography and to design wedding albums for the clients. She continues to work as an independent freelance photographer, doing post-production work for other photographers in the area, and finding as much spare time as possible to instruct yoga for local studios, private clients, and LA Fitness locations. Her photography website is amystapletonphotography.com and her yoga website is theteeny yogini.wordpress.com Brittany Backstrand ’10 graduates in May with double majors in Marketing and Graphic Design. She had internships at Adidas as a graphic design intern during the summer of 2012, and Catalyze Marketing Consulting, a marketing startup, as an Account Manager during the summer of 2013. She is an Executive Board Member of the Notre Dame Student Union Board. Emmie Derbäck ’10 is a senior at Georgetown University studying Government, English, and Environmental Studies. This year, she is the President of the Ballroom Dance Team and the European Club, and she has enjoyed interning for a renewable energy nonprofit as well as working in marketing. One of her favorite moments this semester
was performing with the Ballroom Dance Team in a Latin showcase. She’s looking forward to what senior spring will bring! Julia Galmarini ’10 graduated in May with a Bachelors in Communication with a focus on Public Relations. Danny Hunt ’10 ran the Kona Marathon in Hawaii over the summer and finished in 4:52:13. He is getting ready to graduate from FGCU with a degree in Public Relations, where he has been interning with the athletic department. He is applying for Graduate Assistant positions at colleges in athletic programs and sports information.
Adrian Alea ’11 is in his Junior year, and has been accepted to Columbia’s Latin dance team, Sabor. Sabor specializes in Salsa, Bachata, Merengue and Dancehall. In addition to producing theater and giving tours, he has acted in a professional workshop and reading of a new play in development at the New George’s Theater called Blown Youth. This new play is a contemporary version of Hamlet with all the genders reversed. For the workshop and reading, he played the male version of Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest. It was an incredible opportunity and he had an amazing time working on it! Adrian is currently auditioning for summer acting intensives at various acting conservatories. Plus, he has declared his major to be Theatre and Dramatic Arts with an additional special concentration in Business Management. Canterbury alumni Robert Learsch ’11 just completed his first year at MIT, where he spent the summer working on state of the art protection gear for military personnel at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a United States Army facility, in Aberdeen, MD.
Alexis Macdermott ’11 is a junior at Duke University and will spend the spring semester studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A true Blue Devil Cameron Crazy, Alexis is hoping to also become a Wallace Wade Wacky, as she heads out to the Chick-fil-A Bowl New Year’s Eve in Atlanta when Coach Cutcliffe’s Duke football team plays Texas A&M. Sofia Shepard, ANG* ’11 is at the University of Florida, earning a B.S. in math and a B.A. in Spanish. She is looking at graduate programs in engineering, the business side of computer science, or an MBA. Since starting UF in 2011, she has been involved in Student Government, the Panhellenic community, and the collegiate March of Dimes, among other organizations. She’s been interning for the past two summers at a copper mine in the mountains of New Mexico in fields ranging from Civil Engineering to Environmental Engineering to Geology. Other than that, she is just trying to figure out what to do with her life and to find time to visit David in Hawaii!
speak Spanish and enjoy conversation about current affairs. Salsa nights are also tons of fun!!! Kiana hopes to start volunteering with a program called Big Brother, Big Sister where she will serve as a mentor for a young student at a local Charleston elementary school. Her favorite class thus far has been her International Studies class which focuses on globalization and its effects on the changing world. Kiana will continue her studies in Spanish and French and expects to major in International Business. On the weekends, Kiana enjoys walking around downtown Charleston and visiting all of the unique coffee shops. Wyatt Smith ’13 is the new lead singer for Duke University Small Town Records band, Möbius. Wyatt also has become the first Canterbury football player in school history to try out as a walk on and made the team. Wyatt is on the Duke University football team, #50, a Division 1 Atlantic Coastal Conference School.
Courtney Bagans ’12 will study engineering next semester. She is also going to sign up to study abroad in England over the summer. Jillian Gutstein ’12 ran a half marathon and is studying economics at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also working both as an economics tutor, and at the Penn Law School in marketing. Kiana Olmstead ’13 loves College of Charleston! She is playing on an intramural basketball team and is also playing club lacrosse. She is a member of the Hispanic Latino club as well as the Hispanic Club. Members of these clubs enjoy “Tertulia” nights which are held at the local Yo Burrito restaurant. Professors and students gather to
*Alumni Non-Grad 39
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID FORT MYERS, FL PERMIT NO. 94
The Canterbury School Corp. 8141 College Parkway Fort Myers, FL 33919
Education • Character • Leadership • Service SAVE THE DATE
2014 Extravaganza
March 15, 2014
Start Your Engines! Re-Enrollment
is just a Click Away!
2014 Extravaganza
Presented by
Celebrity Chefs, Live Entertainment by Alter Ego, Silent & Live Auctions, The Garage featuring exotic, antique and current model cars and much more! The Extravaganza benefits Canterbury School’s commitment to need-based financial aid, and the enrichment of academics, arts and athletic offerings. For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Deborah Johnson, at (239) 481-4323 Ext 206 or visit
www.Canterburyfortmyers.org/Extravaganza 2014/15 Canterbury Re-enrollment will now be available online. More information to follow.
“We are pleased to once again be the Presenting Sponsor for the 2014 Road to Success Extravaganza! We support Canterbury School’s commitment to academic excellence and ensuring our young people become service minded leaders of tomorrow.” Joseph R. Catti, President & CEO • FineMark National Bank & Trust