News for Collegiate School Families and Friends
Digging Deep
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Spring 2014
Project-based learning helps students understand units of study in depth.
earning by doing is not a new concept—Confucius, Aristotle, Socrates and John Dewey all advocated for doing, questioning and researching real-world challenges as a way of achieving a thorough understanding of subject matter. And it’s never been more relevant to preparing students for a future where collaborative teamwork is a mainstay of the workplace. With a new modern name, project-based learning (PBL), this method has been embraced by educators who are seeing that students retain what they learn better when they’re inspired to discover, dig deep and ultimately share with others their findings. To develop expertise in using PBL in the classroom, a group of our Lower School teachers met monthly to discuss their initial efforts, kept a blog of their progress, worked with a facilitator and attended a workshop with educator Diana Laufenberg. “Three sets of teachers have visited the Duke School in Durham, NC to observe their PBL program in action,” says Lower School Head Jill Hunter. “That has been really helpful.” 2nd Grade teacher Jessica Catoggio explains the process that involves discovery, research and sharing: “During our big units of inquiry including oceans, birds and rain forests, the class spends about two weeks learning a general overview of the topic. This learning is done whole-group and exposes the students to habitats, climates, animals, etc. During this time, the children keep individual notes about facts and tidbits that interest them. Following the twoweek overview, they pick one of their interesting facts and develop a question
Jessica Catoggio’s 2nd Grade class studied flight and the anatomy of bird wings. Based on what they learned, the students built their own birds and launched them on test flights in the Lower School garden.
that they are interested finding an answer to by studying it further. “The next two weeks are spent researching and hopefully answering their question by reading books and websites on the topic. Research is closely supervised, and the children’s learning is guided by asking probing questions throughout the research process. Once their questions have been answered, the children choose how to demonstrate their learning. Choices often include, but are not limited to, building a habitat, writing a non-fiction book, creating a creature out of recyclable material, or a technology project. Regardless of the way in which the learning is demonstrated, the unit is project-based, but, more importantly, it is choice-based. The children are studying what they are interested in, they are guiding their own learning and their engagement and interest in these topics is so very exciting! At the end of each of these units, the children share their final products with an audience. Our audiences have included parents, administrators,
other 2nd Grade classes and even Kindergartners. Having the opportunity to teach others what they have learned is such a powerful piece of the project-based process for these 2nd Graders!” Sarah Williamson, a 1st Grade teacher who has implemented PBL, likes the impact the process makes on the student. “It allows the children to have ownership of their learning. They are able to select a specific topic that they want to research … by having a choice, they are able to really play to their strengths.” Though PBL is being used in Upper and Middle Schools, too, every grade level in the Lower School is using it and finding that it makes a difference in their curriculum and engages students on a new level. “The role for project-based learning in the Lower School is that it gets students thinking in a much deeper way,” says Dr. Hunter. “They learn how to learn as they research a question that intrigues them. Being able to find the answers to big questions is an important skill to have.”
From the Head of School
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couple weeks ago, Thomas Friedman used his Sunday New York Times column to report on a conversation with Google Senior Vice President Lazlo Bock. The article was entitled, “How to Get a Job at Google” and started with this hand grenade: “GPA’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless … we found that they don’t predict anything.” When the chief hiring officer of one of the world’s most watched and successful companies pitches academic performance out the window, it is a good time to read on and find out what is on his mind. It turns out that Bock’s priorities focus more on the qualities of a candidate’s intellect rather than the raw horsepower. Likewise, the nature of an applicant’s character, and especially the capacity for humility and good judgment, count for more than brazen confidence or a strong will. To put a finer point on Google’s hiring process, Bock identified five specific attributes that Google looks for in a prospective employee: 1. The ability to think and process on the fly. 2. The ability to exercise leadership without necessarily holding a position or title. Bock calls this “emergent leadership.” 3. Humility, which is a precondition for learning from failure.
4. A sense of responsibility. 5. The absence of expertise. Bock implies that expertise in a field often exists in an inverse relationship to curiosity. And that prevents employees from seeing new solutions to old problems. Now, not everyone wants to go to work for Google nor should they. But there are a few important ways that Bock’s list connects to wider trends in our culture and workplaces. First, there is an emerging interest in confirmed and tested skills and less willingness to allow degrees serve as proxies. Google does not hire on a hunch or a pedigree—they assess these attributes using structured behavioral interviews. When the Institute for the Future visited us in the fall, they spoke to this trend and the way it shows up in places online like Mozilla Open Badges, a website that facilitates the development of “reputation metrics” desired by employers. Take a look at openbadges.org. Bock’s third attribute—humility— presupposes failure. The ability and willingness to manage and learn from failure has almost become a cliche in the most innovative companies in the world. Stories abound of tech firms who look for failure and recovery on the resumes of job seekers. An unblemished record signals risk aversion and that means limitations on innovation, the lifeblood of companies that operate at the edges of the economy. Finally, and maybe most interesting, is
Bock’s devaluing of expertise. In a world where a smartphone can provide ready access to the answers to almost any question, expertise—when understood as mastery of a field—is under siege. Add to that the rapid obsolescence of what we labored to learn through our formal education and expertise suddenly is not all it is cracked up to be. Bock’s observations, and the larger patterns they represent, provide ample support for the Lower School’s projectbased learning (this Paw Print’s cover story), the Middle School’s 8th Grade Envision Richmond initiative and the Upper School’s vibrant Senior Seminar offerings. In fact, we now have two bricks-andmortar examples—in the Sharp Academic Commons and the renovated ReedGumenick Library—that demonstrate how a building can encourage the kind of teaching and learning that will shape the kind of job seekers that a place like Google is after. Maybe it’s not a Google employee but their next competitor who is somewhere on Collegiate’s campus tinkering in a maker space. That should make even Lazlo Bock sit up and pay attention.
Sign Up for Summer Quest! Registration for Summer Quest 2014 is now open, and it is already proving to be Another Summer Better than Others. We are currently experiencing record registration numbers, and camps are filling up quickly so make sure to reserve your spot today. This year we are offering more than 100 summer programs for 3-year-olds through adults. Programs range from academics, arts, and enrichment to sports and much more. With over 41 years of experience, Summer Quest knows what it takes to create summer memories that will last a lifetime. Questions? Visit us at www.collegiate-fac.org/summer or call 741-9714.
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Keith Evans Head of School
Campus Conversation Student Diversity Leadership Conference will speak about what they have learned about microaggressions. The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27, 6:30-7:30pm in the Craigie Board Room in the Sharp Academic Commons. There is limited space available; please RSVP by March 20. Please email Erica Coffey (ecoffey@ collegiate-va.org) to reserve your space, and please indicate if you need childcare during the meeting.
Spring Fever Frenzy at the Cougar Shop Middle School girls enjoyed some time in the snow — weather conditions have kept us home quite a few days this winter.
College Fair to be Held in April
The Richmond Area Independent Schools (RAIS) College Fair will be held at Collegiate on Thursday, April 24 in the Seal Athletics Center and Jacobs Gym, 7-9pm. Admission representatives from 175 colleges from around the nation and the world will be here to talk to students and their parents. The fair is sponsored by Collegiate and nine other independent schools in the Richmond area. While targeted for juniors and their families, interested sophomores are also welcome to attend. Questions? Contact our College Counseling Office at 741-9742.
Coaching Coaches
Recently, Director of Development Michael Brost announced that Collegiate has received a $50,000 challenge grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation (New York). This grant is to be used for coaching professional development, the facilitation of speakers to assist our coaches and athletes, and the training and mentoring of our coaches across all sports and levels. In order to receive this generous grant, Collegiate must raise $100,000 in new gifts designated for this program by Dec. 31, 2014. When successful, Collegiate will be able to use $150,000 to improve the growth opportunities for our coaches. Please consider a gift by Dec. 31, 2014. Your contribution will be matched by the
Ford Foundation. Thank you in advance for your interest and support of our School. Go Cougars!
From the Athletics Office…
Fall practices for all varsity and JV teams will begin on Monday, August 12, 2014 at 8am. If your son or daughter plans to try-out for a varsity or JV sport, please know that they are expected to attend all practices throughout the pre-season. This is a crucial time for our athletes with regards to heat acclimatization and for coaches to determine their rosters. Download the practice schedule from the Athletics News page on our website for your reference.
The Cougar Shop has a fever, and the only prescription is … well, loads of new gear for spring of course! We are excited to introduce new spring must-haves including Boxercraft shorts in bright colors for girls, Under Armour shorts in new patterns for boys, Nike golf polos for men, and by popular demand, Spirit Football Jerseys for women. We also have our fun in the sun favorite items including cornhole games, jump ropes, sunglasses, croakies and Lilly Pulitzer beach bags. With graduation around the corner, stop by to check out our selection of ties, new styles of graduation frames, class of 2014 teddy bears, pewter keepsakes made continued on page 9
Kaleidoscope Meeting Scheduled
Kaleidoscope is an opportunity for parents to have open discussions about various aspects of diversity. Any parent who wants to come and learn, discuss, or listen is invited to attend. Our next meeting is about microaggressions, the intentional or unintentional negative slights or insults sometimes made towards people based on race, religion, socio-economic status, ability, gender, sexual orientation, age, or ethnicity. We will discuss how they affect our students and what we can do to limit them. Several students who attended the
Chaired by parents Laura and Michael Bland ’83, this year’s Winter Party & Auction, “New York, New York!,” was held on Feb. 22 at the Westin Hotel. Over 250 guests came out to shop the silent auction in our Central Park setting, listen to music of the Sinatra era, visit with friends and raise their paddles to support Collegiate. The evening was a huge success, and the proceeds will support the Centennial Campaign. Put Feb. 21, 2015 on your calendars and celebrate 100 years of Collegiate at the Winter Party & Auction featuring the band Three Sheets To The Wind at the John Marshall downtown! Spring 2014 | 3
Listed below are a few of the many highlights 2014 Village Green Fair Packet Your packet—available on paper or online at www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/packet—has all of the information you and your family need. By now, your family should have received your ONLINE VGF Packet. If you didn’t get yours, please email Sterling Coulbourn (coulbourns@verizon.net) or Jeannie Schutt (theschutts@verizon.net) or visit www.collegiate-va.org/VGF.
Spirit Night – Chipotle at Stony Point on Sunday, March 30
Join Us for
Take a night off from cooking and support your school at the same time! Join us Sunday, March 30 from 4-9pm. Just mention “Collegiate-VGF” and 50% of your sales will be donated back to Collegiate!
Village Green Fair 2014
Get Your Ticket Punch Cards for VGF Games and Inflatables!
on April 11 & 12!
VGF Co-Chairs, Sterling Coulbourn & Jeannie Schutt and this year’s Committee Chairs are confident that you and your family will have a wonderful time! VGF is one of Collegiate’s largest fundraisers and is made possible by you, the parents! Thank you for organizing, volunteering, baking, shopping and MOST importantly, being with us on Fair Day. With your support, VGF will be a fabulous, fun-filled weekend. Fair weekend begins with Friday Frolic—Shops on the Green, on April 11 from 10am-4pm. Bring your friends and shop the Cougar Market books, toys, and clothes sale, the fabulous Garden Shoppe, the Silent Auction, and some of the finest vendors on the East Coast. Take a break and enjoy lunch under the tent from Culinary Connection. The day of the Fair is Saturday, April 12 from 9am-3pm. Start the morning by participating in the Fun Run and then race over to the field for games, inflatables, and yummy fair food. Don’t forget to register for the always exciting and competitive Dodgeball tournament and Lip Sync contest. Meet under the Lunch Tent for many culinary options. Back this year, Grover Jones Catering serving their famous Oyster PoBoys and delicious chicken sandwiches. Also available grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, and pizza. One thing is for sure—you won’t go home hungry. 4 | Paw Print
Each Punch Card will be worth 20 tickets. Order by April 4 and SAVE 20%! www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/tickets
Order your Village Green Fair T-Shirt
VGF T-shirts, designed by fellow Collegiate students, can be worn during Fair Week, April 7-11. So, get on board and place your order by March 28 at www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/tshirts.
Garden Shoppe and Plant Pre-orders Spring is just around the corner! Be sure to check out the Garden Shoppe online and order your plants by March 25. www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/thegardenshoppe
Sponsored by the Parents’ Association, proceeds from VGF, our largest fundraiser, are given back to Collegiate to fund programs and projects that directly benefit the entire Collegiate community. Last year we supported the Faculty Professional Development Endowment, upgraded the projector and wireless microphones in Oates Theater and contributed to an endowment for framing and display of student artwork in the Sharp Academic Commons.
which can be found at Collegiate’s 2014 Village Green Fair: Honor Your Cougar Tell your favorite student, friend, teacher, or coach that you think they are winners with a VGF Honor Sign. Signs should be preordered by March 28. Check your packet for order forms or order online at www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/honorsigns.
Shop ’til you Drop New this year! - Shops Off the Green on April 1 & 2 Go shopping at select local retailers and they will donate 15% of your purchase to Collegiate! Visit VGF website for details. Join us Friday and Saturday in West Gym and Estes. Don’t miss the books, toys, and clothes bargains at the Cougar Market. Explore a wide array of unique & original vendors selling jewelry, clothing, gift items and more at the Shops on the Green. Check out the Silent Auction and place your bid to win something spectacular. Don’t shop hungry!! On Friday, bring a friend for lunch under the tent. Choose from a wide variety of sandwiches and salad from Culinary Connections. Check your online packet and pre-order by April 4 at www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/fridayfrolic.
2014 Due Dates • Plant Pre-Orders
March 25
• Chipotle at Stony Point Spirit Night
March 30
• T-Shirt Orders
March 28
• Honor Signs
March 28
• Portico’s Orders
March 28
Take a little bit of VGF home with you … Order Portico’s Delicious Gourmet Dinners
• Register for April 4 Fun Run & Lip Sync
Fill your freezer with Penne Alla Vodka, Chicken Parmigiano, or your Portico’s favorite. Place your order by March 28, so you don’t miss out. www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/portico
• Friday Lunch Under the Tent Order
April 4
• Pre-order Fair Tickets
April 4
• Register for Dodge Ball
April 8
VGF Bake Sale We need you!! All parents are asked to contribute to the Bake Sale. Please check your packet or the VGF website for details on what you are asked to bring. Drop off is during carpool on Friday, April 11 from 7:45-8:15am. www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/bakesale
Links at www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/
NEW This Year! VGF Bike Raffle Win a shiny Cougar-yellow beach cruiser by entering this year’s NEW VGF Bike Raffle! Just $10 a ticket. Check the website (www.collegiate-va.org/vgf/raffle) or your packet for details. If you have questions, contact Sterling Coulbourn (coulbourns@verizon.net) or Jeannie Schutt (theschutts@veizon.net). VGF Carwash Enjoy a day at the Fair and a clean car while supporting your school at the same time!! From 8:30am - 12 noon, student volunteers will be washing cars on campus behind the Seal Athletics Center for a minimal donation! Our Parents’ Association volunteers make all the difference! Thank you to the volunteers who made our fall special events such a success. Cougar Pause, Concessions, Book Fairs, Tea Towel sales, ‘Tis the Season… and the Cougar Classic would not have been possible without you! We look forward to working with you during our Spring Concessions, Book Fairs, and the Village Green Fair!
Don’t Miss the Bus! Join in on other VGF FUN! • Fun Run – Racers get awesome swag and more! • Dodgeball – 3rd-12th Grade boys and girls welcome! • Lip Sync – Perform your best without singing a note! Spring 2014 | 5
Spring Upper School Parent Events
From the Upper School
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class periods. And the list goes on, long enough that we were able to spend four hours of a professional development day recently absorbing volumes of research on daily schedules, teaching, student outcomes, and fluctuations in stress levels throughout the school year—all of it, to some degree, tied to how time is meted out. The revelations above and the things left unsaid are not to suggest that we are not doing right by our students with our current schedule—we have too many quantifiable measures to prove otherwise. Instead, it offers a glimpse into what makes Collegiate a leading edge educational institution—our willingness to always look ahead in an effort to improve on what we already do so well. As we delve into our discussions over the next few weeks and months, and we debate how best to organize our time to serve the students in our care, rest assured that alterations and adjustments to our daily schedule may impact the way we organize our academic and co-curricular programs, but they will never affect the core values of our institution. How we distribute our time is a reflection of what we value most, and however our time is ultimately parceled out, we will never lose sight of the core fabric or the enduring values of our school.
5/4/14
ihere does the time go? A question usually reserved for love ballads and Lifetime Original Movies is now front and center in our minds in the Upper School. And the mood is not wistful and weepy, but practical and pragmatic. Working on a campus flush with cutting edge educational spaces, technological wonder and aesthetic beauty that inspires, we paused and asked ourselves, “Are we using our campus to its potential?” If we want to continue to embrace the 21st-century skills of collaborative, project-based learning, and critical, flexible thinking, what, if anything might be holding us back? The simple answer to explore: Time. Time. It’s a small word but a significant commodity in the life of a school. The schedule drives the program, and, as our Upper School program and outcome goals have shifted dramatically over the past decade, it’s worth pondering if a daily schedule crafted over 20 years ago is still up to the task. Research strongly suggests that first thing in the morning is the least effective time for the majority of adolescents to learn, and yet, under our current schedule our first two periods of the day never rotate. This leaves kids to take the same two classes, every day, all year, in arguably the least effective learning period of their day. Research also suggests that longer class periods promote more effective teaching and allow for more flexible, student-centered, collaborative learning opportunities—one of our stated goals— and yet we stick with 40- and 45-minute
5/12/14
US-China Relationships Topic of New Senior Seminar
4/3/14
Conference Day
4/3–5/14
US Spring Play
4/7/14
ARTWALK
4/9/14
MS/US Jazz Concert
4/16/14
Bagels with Ben
4/16/14
MS/US Spring Choral Concert
4/23/14
MS/US Spring Instrumental Concert
4/26/14
Percussion Studio Recital
4/27/14
US Piano Recital
4/30/14
US Guitar Concert
5/2/14
Special Olympics
5/3/14
Dance Concert
Ben Rein Upper School Head
Strings Studio Recital Senior Projects Begin
5/19–20/14
US Book Fair
6/3/14
Senior Softball Game • Pops Concert
6/6/14
Commencement This info may change. Check the Calendar on our website for most current details on date and time. 6 | Paw Print
Next year, Collegiate will offer a new Senior Seminar class called “International Emerging Leaders: Asia Seminar.” Students in this spring semester initiative of the International Emerging Leaders program will engage in a comprehensive collaboration with our partner school in Yangzhou, China. The course will focus on examining the economic ties between the U.S. and China and how this essential relationship impacts the global economy. Students will also explore current political, cultural and ethical issues arising
from an in-depth study of this topic through discussion, debate, film, and a series of guest speakers. Technology will foster an on-going collaboration with students in China, but Collegiate students will also prepare for a 10-day trip to China designed to challenge them with the nuance and complexity of experiencing China firsthand. In addition, a delegation from our partner school in Yangzhou will spend 10 days on Collegiate’s campus during this semester, and students in this seminar
UVA Dean of Admission Greg Roberts guides juniors through a mock admission committee exercise.
Director of Economics Education Cathy Melton and Director of Global Education Clare Sisisky visited Beijing New Oriental Foreign Language School in December.
will use design thinking to create meaningful education programs for our whole campus during their visit. This seminar is a partnership between Global Education and Economic Education, and is funded through the E. Angus Powell Endowment for Economics. Plans for the class were made in early December when Collegiate’s Director of Global Education Clare Sisisky and Director of Economics Education Cathy Melton spent a week in Yangzhou, China at Beijing New Oriental Foreign Language School. They met with the school’s leadership including Director of International Education Angel Yu and their Academic Director of their internationally focused high school program, Jenny Jia, to discuss the collaboration. “We discussed the best model for collaborating for a whole semester, a first for both schools, along with the goals and objectives of the program,” says Ms. Sisisky. “We were hosted for several outings by the family of Collegiate exchange student for 2013, Lihan Ni. Collegiate’s partnership with BNOFLS at Yangzhou has been growing in strength since it first began in 2006, with numerous programs and visits. This unique collaboration will not only be a new venture in this partnership but we will also serve as a model for other schools around the world.”
Eight deans from college admission offices in Virginia and beyond visited on Feb. 7 to meet with juniors for an application workshop and serve on a panel for an evening program for parents. Our guests were Barry Bradberry, Associate Dean of Admissions & Financial Planning, Elon University (NC); Henry Broaddus, Associate Provost for Enrollment & Dean of Admission, College of William & Mary (VA); Amy Jarich, Assistant Vice Chancellor & Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Univ. of California-Berkeley (CA); Mildred Johnson, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment & Director of Admission, Virginia Tech (VA); Michael Kabbaz, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, Miami University (OH); James Pennix, Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Management, Radford University (VA); Greg Roberts, Dean of Admission, University of Virginia (VA); and Gil Villanueva, Assistant Vice President & Dean of Admission, University of Richmond (VA). Forming mock admission committees, they provided a true insider’s view into the selection process, leading small groups of juniors in deciding whom to admit, deny, and waitlist amongst a group of four complete applications. Along the way, they offered tips that ranged from how to write effective essays to do’s and don’ts in approaching the application process.
A Cougar spent time during Freshman Service Week with children at Southside Child Development Center.
Freshman Service Community Freshman Service Week was cut short this year due to weather conditions, but students found that time spent volunteering were worth the effort. “Given we only had three days, the response was still overwhelmingly positive!” says Andrea Miller, Upper School coordinator of the program. “We had 21 locations this year, with three new
additions — Johnson Elementary School, Blackwell Elementary School and the Collegiate School Aquatics Center. “Many students were disappointed they were unable to finish out the week. A handful of them were planning to return to their sites on the first day of our Spring Break to say goodbye and spend some more time with their new friends.” Spring 2014 | 7
Spring Middle School Parent Events 4/3/14
Conference Day
4/7/14
ARTWALK
4/9/14
8th Grade Parent Education: Parenting for a High School Social Life
4/9/14
MS/US Jazz Concert
4/17/14
Cub Sports Introduction and Overview
4/16/14
MS/US Spring Choral Concert
4/23/14
MS/US Spring Instrumental Concert
In the Middle School
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ollegiate was a good school when I arrived as a neophyte teacher in 1979. It has gotten progressively better thanks largely to generations of talented faculty who have the best interests of their students as their primary motivation. They have done a masterful job of maintaining those traditional aspects that are the foundation of Collegiate while embracing new ideas necessitated by our changing understanding of the world and learning. As I write, Middle School teachers are busy teaching fundamentals while incorporating more inquiry-based lessons which allows students to take on more responsibility and to shape their learning. They are exploring new schedules with the goal of creating longer class periods and blocks of time that facilitate this kind of teaching and learning. They have developed a set of learning principles (Inquiry, Active Engagement, Skill Development, Problem Solving, Communication, Reflection) to promote an even more focused approach to ‘thinking’ that will further our students’ abilities to identify problems and develop
solutions. They are embracing new technologies that open avenues not once considered. The impetus behind these efforts is a robust professional development program that affords teachers the opportunity to grow in the same ways we hope that our students will under our guidance. There is a strong culture among our faculty to continue to hone their craft which means that they are constantly evaluating their curriculum and teaching methods. Our students benefit from these efforts developing new ways of thinking while mastering those enduring skills and concepts required for future study. It is both a privilege and inspirational to work with a group of teachers who are so motivated. They love their students and helping them to grow in every aspect. It is this dedication that advances our evolution as a Middle School.
Charlie Blair Middle School Head
4/26/14
Percussion Studio Recital
5/3/14
Dance Concert
5/4/14
Strings Studio Recital
5/6–7/14
MS Book Fair
5/8/14
MS Guitar Concert
5/13/14
MS Piano Recitals
6/5/14
8th Grade Graduation
This info may change. Check the Calendar on our website for most current details on date and time. 8 | Paw Print
Middle School students recently dressed like their favorite book characters including Katniss from Hunger Games, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Day from Legend, and many others. Bella Zeballos, Christopher Grainer, Claire Shaia, Hayden Johnson, Lloyd Woods, Varun Natarajan, Connor Little and Nichole Gould all won costume awards. Mrs. Thomas’s advisory took possession of Anon the Owl (which means they have read the most pages thus far this year). The Middle Schoolers are at 1,234,568 pages and trying to get to 2 million!
Chris Rylander, author of the Fourth Stall series of books, visited with Middle School students on March 5 and discussed the process of writing in assemblies and lunchtime Q&A sessions. Students from Anna Julia Cooper School joined in as well. Thanks are due to the Whitfield family for funding Mr. Rylander’s visit.
Campus Conversation (cont.) in Virginia and many more graduation gifts. Visit us at VGF on April 11 and 12. Make a purchase of $25 or more and you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a Collegiate golf bag. Friday Frolic hours are 10am-4pm. VGF hours on Saturday are 9am-3pm.
International Activity
Upper School Model United Nations Conference at Georgetown in Qatar (February): Five students and two trip leaders attended, and senior Phillip Colon won an award for Outstanding Delegate. http://collegiatemun.wordpress.com/ Middle School French Exchange with St. Denis in Loches, France (Spring Break): We hosted students in February and they hosted 12 of our students and two teachers in return. Upper School Spain Exchange with Colegio Alminar in Seville, Spain (Spring Break): Nine students and two trip leaders visited our partner school in Seville. Upper School Model UN Conference at Liceo Foscarini in Venice, Italy (March): Fourteen students and two trip leaders will make this first visit to our partner school in Venice as will students from our partner school in Mexico Colegio Carol Baur. Global Education Benchmark Group Conference (April 25-16): Collegiate will host this group of 130 school leaders from around the country.
The School for Ethics and Global Leadership’s home page.
D.C. Semester Informs, Educates Two juniors, Allie Douma and Isaiah Fleming-Klink, are spending the semester in Washington, D.C. at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL). According to their site, SEGL “is a selective, semester-long residential program for motivated high school juniors from across the United States. Students are
selected for their outstanding character, promise for leadership, and scholastic ability. SEGL provides students with a unique curriculum emphasizing ethical thinking skills, leadership development, and international affairs. The location in Washington, DC and the affiliations with noted institutions and individuals ensure the students have access to the best our nation’s capital has to offer.” “Collegiate students who attend the semester-long program at SEGL in DC are committed to exploring the world and their role in it,” says Collegiate Director of Global Education Clare Sisisky. “They come back as leaders, ready to elevate discussion about global issues in the classroom and with a strong connection to our global education program. This program is an incredible growth opportunity for the right student, as they engage not only with their peers from around the nation but with the top thought-leaders in international affairs from around the world.” Isaiah reports, “My time so far here at SEGL has been a fantastic learning experience, one in which I’ve gotten to experience the best DC has to offer— AIPAC, the Supreme Court, and Georgetown law; I look forward to incorporating some of these ideas into the Collegiate community.”
Lost, Found and Donated
Collegiate is now participating in a new outreach program at St. Andrew’s School that was recently started by Collegiate parent and St. Andrew’s employee Emily DuBose. “It came to my attention this year that a couple of our St. Andrew’s families were without heat and some were without coats,” says Mrs. DuBose. “It was with this in mind that the idea came to fruition.” A newly established St. Andrew’s School store, called The Otter Closet, is now selling donated coats, mittens, scarves, blankets and sweatshirts, all priced $1-$5, and all Collegiate lost and found items that are not claimed will be given to The Otter Closet from now on. “Our families will have the opportunity to buy what they need knowing that the money raised will serve others. Fifty percent of profit will go back to St. Andrew’s’ needs, and 50 percent will go to a school-selected charity in the community. Students will help staff the store along with community volunteers. We will develop and economics lesson into the program as well.”
A proud Cougar displays the certificate she received for her Scholastic Art Competition Gold Key Award-winning mixed media entry.
Twenty-eight Students Win Scholastic Art Recognition
Congratulations to Collegiate’s Scholastic Art Award Winners! The VMFA describes the Scholastic competition as “the nation’s largest, longest-running, and most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual arts. Nearly 200,000 students will accept the challenge to go beyond the classroom assignment, creating daring and innovative works. They will submit their best pieces for review by panels of art professionals, and compete for recognition, scholarships, and exhibition opportunities.” Regional level winners are given American Vision, Gold Key Silver Key or Honorable Mention status. Gold Keys winners and American Visions nominees go on to the national level. Their work goes to New York to be judged nationally. Typically about 50 regional entries go on to the national level, and about 10 typically win national awards.
Gold Key: Gwin Sinnott - Ceramics & Glass, Peter Finley - Painting, Mia Jackson Mixed Media, Payton Reed - Drawing, Kristie Turkal - Mixed Media, William Dabney - Digital Art
Silver Key: Jane Fergusson - 2 Keys for 2 Drawings, Tate Swarzschild - Drawing, Erin Cross - Mixed Media, Virginia Zhang Mixed Media, Aven Jones - 2 Keys for 2 Photographs, Annie Hawthorne - Ceramics & Glass, Carly Hayes - Ceramics & Glass
Honorable Mentions: Will Cricchi Ceramic & Glass, Jordan Marcus - Ceramic continued on back cover Spring 2014 | 9
Spring Lower School Parent Events 4/3/14
Conference Day
4/7/14
ARTWALK
4/10/14 First Grade Play 4/23/14 Parent Education
for Rising 1st Grade Parents
4/24/14 4th Grade Science Festival Fall 2011 | 97 4/24/14 Parent Education
for Rising 2nd Grade Parents
5/1/14
3rd Grade Colonial Day
5/3/14
Dance Concert
5/6/14
Parent Education for Rising 3rd Grade Parents
5/7/14
Parent Education for Rising 4th Grade Parents
5/7/14
LS Piano Recital
5/8/14
Parent Education: Simplifying Summer Ideas to Keep School Skills Sharp During the Summer Weeks
5/12–16/14
In the Lower School
G
eography. What does that make you think of from your own years in school? Dry, dull, memorization? Not so in the Lower School. Each January for the last three years, we have reserved a huge map of a different continent from National Geographic. This year the 26 x 26 foot map of Europe has taken up residence on the Estes Multipurpose Building stage. A trunk also comes with pictures, activities and games that get students looking at the map from different perspectives. Classes have two opportunities over two weeks to explore the map. The first thing they all do is take off their shoes as they are “walking” all over Europe. The tactile experience where they actually are using their sock feet to explore is rather cool. Next, children are given a card with a specific feature to locate. They explore cities, rivers, boundaries, water features, and physical features to name just a few. They cover the entire map, making interesting observations as they go. One little boy was quick to show his friends where his grandparents lived in Germany! Older students walk the lines of
latitude and longitude and get a much clearer picture of how those lines work. Sometimes small teams work together. A Simon Says game has them making a circle around the country of Iceland or standing on the prime meridian and facing east. I watched a 1st Grade relay with four teams. The teacher said to the first child in each line, “stand on a river” and the next four had to stand on the capital of a country in Europe. First team to find all of those items was the winner. Students will likely remember many of these features because of this experience with the giant map. We had the continent of Africa our first year and North America last year. Our plan is to continue each January so that maps and their geography spark an interest with our students. We are deciding right now which continent will be unrolled next January! Stay tuned.
Jill Hunter Lower School Head
LS Spring Book Fair
5/15/14 LS Spring Choral Concert 5/22/14 Field Day 5/30/14 LS Graduation This info may change. Check the Calendar on our website for most current details on date and time. 10 | Paw Print
Margaux Devos, one of the six French students who visited our Middle School in February, helped students in Mrs. Huber’s class make Valentines (in French). Our visitors stayed with Collegiate students, attended class and participated in the 8th Grade Play. On March 6, Middle School French teachers Maria Benson and Monica Johnston departed for France with our guests and 12 Collegiate students for a stay in Loches during our Spring Break.
Condolences Arthur Douglass, Jr., father of Mary Rose Woo, and grandfather of Slade Woo ’19, died November 5, 2013. Gulli Viktoria Falkehag, mother of Ingrid Buell, and grandmother of Ben ’15 and Greer Buell ’19, died November 8, 2013. Gerald Riendeau, father of Patrick Riendeau, and grandfather of Pearse Riendeau ’22, died November 9, 2013. Vivian Murad, mother of Lisa Zasler, and grandmother of Maia ’23 and Maytal Zasler ’25 died November 16, 2013. Ruth Kreuter, mother of Georgia Lawrence, and grandmother of Sully Lawrence ’15, died November 24, 2013. 2nd Graders display their wares to be sold in April to raise funds for textbooks for students in Cameroon.
Social Entrepreneurship: Pagne Products for Books Since September, 2nd Graders have attended an extra monthly art/global education class called Studio Two. You may have heard about our long-distance friendship with African students, or bits and pieces about Cameroon, or even about my visit there over the holidays. My daughter, a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Youth Development and working at Jam’s Primary Bilingual Academy, and I have facilitated a crosscultural connection between our students, and the experience has been rich! Each month, students on both sides of the ocean have been introduced to an aspect of the others’ lives (geography/ climate, school, family, celebrations) and have engaged in parallel art projects. We’ve shared photos, messages and drawings. Collegiate 2nd Graders made rainbow band friendship bracelets that I took over in my suitcase. (And I brought back quite a bit of pagne, the boldly colored and patterned cloth seen across West Africa— more on that later.) The students at Jam’s Academy squeeze three or four at a time into simple wooden bench-like desks. The school rooms have no electricity or running water. Light filters in through windows cut in the cinderblock walls. Teachers present lessons on a blackboard at the front, while students write on individual slates with chalk, often with a
80:1 student-teacher ratio. While in Cameroon, I met with the school administrator who expressed that their biggest need was for textbooks and workbooks, of which they have none. We looked at some textbooks when I was there, and my daughter and the school administrator have followed up with research on the books most relevant and available for their needs. The textbooks would be property of the school and used year after year, while the workbooks would be only for next year. These could all be purchased for the equivalent of $2,500. With that goal in mind, and a few sample art projects made from pagne, I broached the subject with my 2nd Graders. They jumped at the idea, and have been eagerly wrapping pagne frames, weaving pagne strips and considering when they can squeeze in some morning art time to make more pagne products. As our inventory increases, we are starting to plan a sale, to be held both online and before and after school from the art room. Stay tuned for information about a late April African Market! We could use a few adult helpers, mostly for finish work on the frames. If you have some available time, either for athome or at-school help, please contact me at hsmith@collegiate-va.org – thank you. — Holly Smith, art teacher
Harold (Ken) Warner, father of Paul Warner, and grandfather of Sophia Warner ’21, died December 3, 2013. John Lapetina, father of Joanne Lapetina, and grandfather of Sophia ’19 and Ethan Clark ’21, died January 13, 2014. Mildred Norman, mother of Upper School English teacher, Mil Norman-Risch and grandmother of Melanie ’09 and Chris Risch ’11, died January 22, 2014. John Bagby, III, father of Lee Viverette, and grandfather of Courtney ’13 and Steele Viverette ’18 died January 24, 2014. Dale Lynn Hart, mother of Upper School physics teacher Ryan Hart, died January 27, 2014. Howard Beard, father of Aaron Ball, and grandfather of Maddie Ball ’21, died February 6, 2014. Kim Newlen, wife of Middle School faculty member Mark Newlen, and mother of Kali Newlen ’10, died February 8, 2014.
Collegiate’s Jazz Band invited musicians from Trinity Episcopal School and Steward School to join them at a Winter Jazz Jam concert on Feb. 3. Spring 2014 | 11
103 North Mooreland Road • Richmond, Virginia 23229 (804) 740-7077 Fax (804) 741-9797 www.collegiate-va.org
103 North Mooreland Road Richmond, Virginia 23229 www.collegiate-va.org
Keith A. Evans, Head of School Phyllis Palmiero, Vice President-Finance Amanda Little Surgner ’83, Vice President-Advancement Ben Rein, Head of Upper School Charles L. Blair, Jr., Head of Middle School Dr. Jill Hunter, Head of Lower School David Colón, Academic Dean Karen Doxey, Director of Athletics PAW PRINT is published multiple times throughout the year. Elizabeth Cogar ’77, editor phone : 741-9781 e-mail : ecogar@collegiate-va.org Beth Flippo Hutchins ’88 and Marguerite Bostic, Parents’ Association Correspondents PAW PRINT may be read online at www.collegiate-va.org Collegiate School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin in the administration of its educational, admission, scholarship or employment policies, or any other programs administered by the school.
Campus Conversation (cont.) & Glass, Aven Jones - 3 Mentions for 3 Photographs, Jack Maraghy Mixed Media, Kyle Mosman - Art Portfolio, Ellie White - Photography, John Cantor - Painting, Max Gordon - Drawing, Virginia Harris Painting, Elizabeth Sutton - Mixed Media, Kristie Turkal - Mixed Media, Sawyer Gaffney - Drawing, Sam Hunter - Sculpture, Willie Hunter - Sculpture, Quinn Schebell - Sculpture
Recording Secretary - Heyden Wittmann Upper School Coordinator - Rosemary Kulp Middle School Coordinator - Sarah Doerfler Lower School Coordinator - Jennifer Ruth Treasurer - JoAnn Adrales Ruh
Scholastic Gold Key Exhibition will be on display at the VMFA from March 1 - April 15, 2014, and an online exhibition featuring the work of all 2013-14 Scholastic Award recipients can be viewed beginning April 1, 2014 on the VMFA website; visit: www.VMFA.museum/Learn.
Officers Elected in May 2013 for Two-Year Terms
Parents’ Association Officers Nominated
I a m pleased to present the slate of officers nominated by the Parents’ Association Nominating Committee. Each will serve on the PA Executive Committee for the 2014-2015 school year. This slate will be voted on at the PA Spring Coffee, scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2014, in the Sharp Academic Commons at 8:15am. All parents are invited to attend this meeting of the Parents’ Association for an overview of the year and the welcoming of the new officers. Refreshments will be available at 8am.
Proposed Slate of Officers Vice President/President-Elect - Jill Mountcastle Corresponding Secretary - Karen Johnson
Vice President/President-Elect - Kim Johnson Upper School Coordinator - Kellie Hilb Middle School Coordinator - Ann Stoever Lower School Coordinator - Charla Eastep In addition to the above officers the current Vice President/ President Elect has appointed the following PA Coordinators to serve one-year terms on the PA Executive Committee for the 2014-2015 school year: Village Green Fair - Angie Hutchison & MH Bartzen Special Events - KaCey Felts & Sharon Seward Fine Arts - Jenn Cornell Campus Support Coordinator - Jane Woods I encourage everyone to join us on May 13. The fellowship of Collegiate parents enriches our shared journey. — Anne Weldon Griffin Immediate Past President, Parents’ Association Nominating Committee Chair