Congressional School Magazine for Alumni, Parents, and Friends: Spring 2019
NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL APPOINTED! Check out the back cover.
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DID YOU
KNOW
2 Spring 2018
Service Learning continues at Congressional as students use their classroom knowledge to better our campus and community. Third grade has been planting trees and flowers as a part of their science unit.
Table of Contents
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Features 12 On a Journey 18 Up for Debate 20 Leveraging Learning 22 World Languages: Middle School to High School 26 STEM Across the Grades 30 World Art 36 Celebrating 30 Years with Infants and Toddlers
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Departments FROM THE INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL ACADEMICS 6 8 11
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Congressional Shark Tank A Grade Looking Forward From Tot to Top
THE ARTS 28 33
A Beautiful Display of Research Youth Speak Summit
AROUND CAMPUS 34 35
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Blue Blocks and Future Design Labs Faculty Accolades
COLTS ATHLETICS 38 39 40 42
Think Pink Invitational and CAC Champions Coach Laws Leads the CAC Athletics Beyond Congressional Homecoming 2019
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ALUMNI 44 46 47 48
Congratulations, Class of 2018! Welcome Back, Jessica Edwards ’13 A World Champion Class Notes
On the Cover:
Seventh graders, Ben Berol ’21 and Jack Dunn ’21, in their robotics elective. Coding at Congressional begins as early as junior kindergarten with formal instruction beginning in kindergarten. Congressional School Magazine 3
FROM THE INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dear Congressional Friends, The theme of this issue is transitions. Transition is about change and about moving on, or in the case of Congressional School, moving forward. Couple this with our balanced, researchbased program that offers advanced academics in a student-centered, active learning environment, and you have this wonderful mixture of the best of innovative and traditional approaches. As a school we continue to foster a growth mindset where students are challenged to think critically, take risks, and reach their full potential. Providing this rich environment, our faculty are always looking to challenge and support our students. If a student is ready for more, we’re ready to challenge them. If a student needs extra support, we’re here to support them and move forward. We have continued to build a network of teaching and learning support both for faculty and students. Under the direction of Dr. Silvia Moore and with the support of Reading Specialist, Stefanie Hjalmervik, the Learning Center is partnering with teachers to ensure that every student is fully supported. Our Math Specialist, Dr. Penni Ross is providing extra challenge to students who are ready. STEM Educator, Carlos Hernandez, is working with teachers in all grades to integrate STEM initiatives throughout the curriculum, and School Counselor, Rebecca Ginnetti, provides socialemotional support and education across the school. We’ve picked a few key transition areas and examined ways in which our faculty are working to ensure that our students are ready to move ahead. Each step along the educational journey adds another layer of knowledge, skills, and experience upon which our students can draw at each grade level. When our graduates enter high school, they leave us fully prepared for the rigors and challenges awaiting them. Our recently published Portrait of a Graduate articulates our aspirations as we prepare students to be great thinkers and leaders who will positively impact their world. Every child is unique. Every child has talents. Every child has room to stretch and grow. Our goal is to help each Congressional student be the best that they can be. Keeping young minds open to possibilities is very important. Our message is simple: Don’t be limited by what you think you can do—reach further, keep trying, and you will be amazed at what you can achieve.
Andrea Weiss Interim Head of School
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Our mission is to provide an inspirational and challenging student-centered educational experience within our diverse and supportive community where children question, collaborate, create, and lead. Congressional admits children of any race, color, creed, and national or ethnic origin.
Congressional School Leadership Team Andrea Weiss Interim Head of School Director of Innovation and Learning
Brent Hinrichs Assistant Head for Academics and Director of Lower and Middle School
Chris Pryor Assistant Head for Advancement
Kim O’Neil Director of Early Childhood and Primary School
Tavis Laws Director of Athletics and Physical Education
Silvia Moore Director of Learning Center Grades 5-8 Learning Specialist
Gretchen Herbst Director of Admission and Financial Aid
Alyce Penn Director of Communication
Tinelle Davies Director of Human Resources
Lisa Singleton Director of Finance and Operations
Dan O’Neil Director of Auxiliary Programs
Ali Sheibani Director of Technology
Magazine Designer Ru Buttner 2018-2019 Board of Trustees Daniel Timm, Board Chair Michael Gilbert, Vice Chair Curtis Anderson, Treasurer Alejandra Almonte, Secretary Sandra Buteau Thomas L. Coolidge Kristen Griest Bud Harrell Damian Jones Juanita Koilpillai Justin Miller Andrea Weiss, Interim Head of School Todd West William W. Devers, Founding Family and Chair Emeritus Gretchen Devers, Founding Family Lindsey Devers-Basileo, Founding Family
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ACADEMICS
Congressional Shark Tank
Entrepreneurship has been the focus of the 8th grade Financial Literacy class this year. Dividing into pairs, students created ideas for profit or non-profit companies that introduce either a novel product or service to the community. They identified a problem to solve, their target market, the solutions, and their competitive advantage. Once market research was completed, the students presented their unique pitch to a panel of judges who carefully listened and asked probing questions. The results were several exciting and innovative ideas!
Shop Keepers Preschool’s Community Helpers unit coincided with learning about working to earn money to buy things you need. Enter Shopkeepers Day: pet, grocery, and fashion stores plus a cafe and book store open for business. After selecting items to purchase, students counted out pennies to pay, which let them practice their counting, too!
Joining a Book Club
Writing in Clay
As a part of their studies of Mesopotamia, 2nd grade has been learning about cuneiform—one of the earliest forms of writing. To mimic the way the Sumerian’s wrote, they collected clay from the creek, created tablets, and used tools to press cuneiform numbers and letters into the clay.
Fourth graders are loving new book club meetings! They divided into groups, chose their books, and have each been assigned two different roles, which allows for each student to contribute to their group in a unique way: Imaginative Illustrator, Word Wizard, Character Catcher, Star Summarizer, Discussion Leader, and Real-Life Connector. 6
Spring 2019
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ACADEMICS
Off to Chincoteague
During the last week in October, our 7th graders headed to the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, located in Wallops Island, Virginia where they participated in hands-on environmental education and research. NASA’s restricted Wallops Island is home to one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. The students visited the salt marsh on Wallops Island to conduct a field study of its wildlife, food sources, marsh formation, and tidal zonation. This was 7th grade’s first year experiencing this trip!
Learning through Critique The ability to confidently present to an audience is a quality that we strive to foster in our students. To enhance their learning, 5th grade students were tasked with evaluating presentations recorded from Mr. Bowley’s previous speech classes, rating the verbal and non-verbal techniques used, and presenting their findings.
DID YOU
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KNOW
Happy Fairytale Day!
A beloved annual tradition in jr. kindergarten is Fairytale Day. After spending a month studying fairytales and their lessons, students come dressed as their favorite fairytale characters. They read each other stories, ballroom danced, and revealed their written and illustrated fairytale. A fun, creative day, perfect for our young learners who still believe in magic, fairy tales, and pixie dust!
Students of all ages are continuing to read every day with kindergarten through 8th grade reading for a full 30 minutes. We’re striving to instill a love of reading and build a culture of readers, thinkers, and leaders.
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A Grade Looking Every grade presents a milestone that students (and often parents) look forward to as they move through the grades. The
journey through Congressional School is marked with many milestones - some big, some small – yet each a significant marker symbolizing learning and growth. The following timeline highlights just a few of the special moments on the Congressional journey from cradle to commencement.
KINDERGARTEN
PRESCHOOL EARLY CHILDHOOD • The journey begins • First friendships are made • Early developmental milestones • Specials classes begin: Music, PE, and Library
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Enter Primary School Join buddy program Participate in field trips Perform in concerts Love Shack Café (Valentine’s Day) • Introduction to Spanish and French
JR. KINDERGARTEN • Little School leaders • Foundations for Singapore Math • Daily writing centers and projects • Jump the Fence Ceremony
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First year in the Big School Uniforms begin Specialized world language Specialty art class begins Coding begins as a part of library curriculum • Optional singing role in middle school musical
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Forward...
ACADEMICS
GRADE 3 GRADE 1 • Begin using individual desks • Writer’s Celebrations and Writing Portfolios • Formal instruction of ukelele chords in music • Building Museum trip and community collaboration project
GRADE 2 • Endangered Species Research Project • Interdisciplinary Grain of Rice project (math and reading) • Project-based dive into Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Enter Lower School • Specialized curriculum begins (rotating classes for different subjects) • 1:1 Chromebook Program • Migration Day with 5th grade
GRADE 4 • First time as older student buddies • Science fair judged participation • Geography Bee participation • Cardboard Arcade • Famous Historical Figures Wax Museum
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A Grade Looking Forward...
GRADE 5 • • • • • • • •
Enter Middle School JV athletic teams 1:1 devices to take home Middle School hangouts Financial Literacy Speech and Drama Student Council Antietam/Heifer Global Village overnight trip • Musical cast and crew participation
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GRADE 8 GRADE 7 GRADE 6 • Choice electives begin (Design Lab, Technical Theater, Outdoor Ed, Mixed Media, Chorale, Robotics, and more) • Roller Coaster Project • Green Bank overnight trip
• Latin added to world language options • Lead Thanksgiving food drive • Debates begin in Speech and Drama • Varsity athletic teams • Chincoteague Bay multi-night research trip • High school search begins
• Capstone project • Leaders in the School • 8th grade privileges (hoodies, student council co-chair eligibility, etc.) • Lifer Recognition • Kings Dominion Trip • Class Gift • Williamsburg overnight trip • Commencement
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From Tot to Top ACADEMICS
“Lifer” is our term of endearment for students who begin with us in kindergarten (or earlier) and continue their journey with us through graduation. This year, amongst our 12 eighth grade lifers are two students who have been with us from the very beginning. Jack Joiner and Ella Windisch joined us as infants, and it’s been a pleasure to be alongside them as they’ve grown over the years. We asked both of them to share their earliest memories with us and photos from their youngest years on campus. We learned that not only did they begin at Congressional around the same time but they actually share the same birthday! (Ella and Jack celebrating with cake in the photo below.)
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I remember a lot from my time at Congressional, but the earliest thing I can remember is getting to play basketball. I used to get so excited and looked forward to getting to play during P.E. That excitement has continued through all four years of middle school. I have enjoyed just the experience of getting to play, be part of team, and learning how to win and lose together.
“ Ella Windisch ’19
Jack Joiner ’19 I remember a lot of fun and hilarious times. I remember playing on the Little School playground, riding the tricycles in circles around the playscape. I remember Mrs. Welty, one of my absolute favorite teachers, who always made time for me. I still have the books she gave me, and she is the teacher who helped me find my love of reading. I also remember that Jack would steal my Cheerios or whatever food I had.
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Transitions at Congressional School
on a journey
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ready for preschool We often talk about preschool as the benchmark for when Congressional’s academic program begins. But there’s a whole lot of learning and development going on in the Early Childhood program, and by the time our little friends reach the Dragonflies and Fireflies rooms their learning environment is very similar to that of preschool. Our Early Childhood classes are designed to be much more than just childcare. The children are introduced to the fundamentals of learning, the building blocks for the more focused foundation of literacy, emerging mathematics, and hands-on science they will encounter in preschool.
curriculum highlight
“Our learning environment is modeled on preschool.” says Dragonflies Lead Teacher, Alexis Eggleston. “Daily activities are designed to build skills in a number of broad categories including language development, academics, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and social-emotional development. The children move between activity centers,
ACADEMICS similar to those in the preschool classroom, and engage in lots of creative play, which is an important aspect of learning at this age,” states Alexis. Our young “friends” are having so much fun engaging in active play that they don’t even realize they are learning.
It’s never too soon to capture the curiosity that is innately present in very young children, and teachers aim to turn every moment into a learning opportunity. Sabrina Enders, Fireflies Lead Teacher, states, “The students get really excited about learning. They love to count, and music is also a favorite. We also work on a ‘sound of the week’ theme and work through the alphabet one week at a time.” The depth of learning and development in the Early Childhood classrooms is often much deeper than meets the eye. The teachers plan learning strategies and goals when developing daily activities. The children’s work that comes home at the end of the day may look simple, but taking a peek behind the basic shapes on the paper can reveal a range of learning objectives.
The Dragonflies learned about Arctic animals in January. It was their theme for the week. After learning about penguins, the students had the opportunity to create their own. The results were amazing. What were the learning objectives? • • • •
Follow step-by-step instructions Identify the colors within the project Eye-hand coordination (place the colored pieces in the appropriate place on the paper) Fine motor skills (grasp the small pieces of paper)
The Fireflies’ sound of the week in mid-January was the letter P. All week the students worked on activities relating to the letter. During their weekly sound sharing activity, the students brought something from home that began with the letter P and took turns sharing with the class. They also did crafting activities (pom pom painting, etc.) What were the learning objectives? • • • •
Public speaking Recognizing sounds associated with letters Fine motor skills using glue & scissors Following guided instructions
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READY FOR KINDERGARTEN By: Allison Watson, Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher
I didn’t always want to become a teacher. That being said, my heart has always been one that desired to make a difference in the lives of humans. My original plan for my life was to join the medical field as a Nurse or Physician’s Assistant. Clearly that was not what was purposed for me, and I believe much of that is attributed to my time spent with children through various camps, church events, being a nanny and aunt, and so on. Although it took me longer to discover than I would have liked, it did became clear to me that my heart’s desire to make a difference was going to lead me in an altered direction. Throughout my time spent with these children, I was drawn to their psychological development I observed as they grew, learned, made mistakes, struggled, and thrived. I watched each day as they had experiences that would impact who they became as people in our world. This passion and curiosity I found within myself, specifically for psychology and education, led me to minor in psychology as I pursued higher degrees in Education and Teaching. Preschool, junior kindergarten, and kindergarten are some of the most important and formative years in a child’s social-emotional development. Although academic curriculum is significant and a focus at Congressional, we also put an emphasis on the social-emotional development of our students in order to better prepare them to move from the Little School to kindergarten and beyond. Margaret Mead, a well-known anthropologist said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
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committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” This sentiment is one that sticks in my mind daily as I do my very best to help bring out the best parts of students as they grow and face the challenges of development and social situations. I firmly believe that each of my students is going to do great and mighty things in their lifetimes and it is my job to use the short amount of time I have with them to prepare them to be kind, independent, generous, and intelligent citizens.
ACADEMICS
In junior kindergarten our days are full of fun and learning, both of which create many opportunities for socialemotional growth. If you have children you know that each day comes with a new set of triumphs and challenges. It is the same within our classrooms and we work diligently to be intentional about celebrating both. We believe this is one specific way to help students transition from Early Childhood into Primary School. Every stage of life comes with triumphs and challenges and talking through those moments with students, whether as a group or individually, teaches them
the skills needed to handle those situations with grace, kindness, and a positive outlook. Specific ways we foster social-emotional growth may include, taking personal responsibility for actions, teaching them to make eye contact when speaking with or apologizing to a friend, using constructive words and shaking hands when a problem has been resolved, feeling pride in their hearts when they accomplish something difficult, and reminding them that mistakes help us to grow and become better and wiser people.
“I truly love education and the wonderful opportunities I have each day to teach, encourage, observe and love these children. It is my deepest hope that through everything we do here at Congressional School, our students learn that kindness, independence, and generosity are just as important as intelligence.� Congressional School Magazine 15
M
iddle school is a big deal for students. It is the last step before high school and the significance of the educational journey becomes even more apparent as the transition to high school gets that much closer. One of the biggest differences for students in middle school is changing classes throughout the day. After being homeroom-based for so many years, moving from class to class can challenge students’ organizational skills as they learn to become accustomed to having classes with many different teachers. This year in lower school (Grades 3 & 4), the teachers have shifted to a specialized teaching model, similar to middle school, in which the students
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ready for transition between teachers based on subject area. For example, in 4th grade, Tim Smith is now specializing in math and science and teaches those subjects to all 4th graders, not just his own class. Likewise, 4th grade teacher, Emily Manes, is specializing in language arts and social studies. In 3rd grade, Todd Friedman specializes in math and science and Amanda Sullivan in language arts and social studies. This new format has been a big hit with the students and teachers this year, and by the time this year’s 4th graders move up to middle school next year, moving from class-toclass based on subject area will be a breeze.
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ACADEMICS
MIDDLE SCHOOL “With our new model of specialization, I’m able to get to know students in both homerooms on a deeper level. Additionally, my individual lessons are enhanced because I can devote more time to preparing fewer classes.”
“I love this teaching model; It allows us to focus on specialty subject areas and the students have the benefit of consistency in teaching throughout the grade.” - Tim Smith, Grade 4 Teacher
- Amanda Sullivan, Grade 3 Teacher
“It is special to get to know all students in the grade that much better by working with them every day.” - Todd Friedman, Grade 3 Teacher
“The specialized format has allowed me to teach to my passions and personal expertise as a teacher, which really helps the students to get excited about the content that we’re learning.” - Emily Manes, Grade 4 Teacher Congressional School Magazine 17
UP FOR DEBATE Through Congressional’s Speech and Drama curriculum, middle school students engage in specialized training to refine critical public speaking skills that they will carry forward into high school, college, and their careers.
While Congressional students practice public speaking skills at all age levels (even in the Early Childhood Program) the first formal instruction begins in 5th grade when students work on verbal and nonverbal communication techniques and learn more about the use of voice and body through dramatic improvisations, broadcast journalism, and other public speaking opportunities.
“They get to vote on the topics, and once selected, they are randomly assigned to the debate teams,” states Derek Bowley, Middle School Speech and Drama Teacher. The debate teams include the Proposition Team and the Opposition Team, each with three student members. “The teams have about four weeks to prepare for the debates, including two class periods. The rest of the preparation is done outside of class,” states Mr. Bowley.
In 7th grade, formal team debates are added to the Speech and Drama curriculum as the students venture into the world of persuasive speaking. Building on their public speaking experience in the previous two years, the 7th and 8th graders participate in parliamentary-style debates using the Middle School Public Debate Program (MSPDP) format.
“The students work on skills such as how to formulate and refute arguments. They learn that it isn’t enough to only research their own side of the debate; they must also anticipate the arguments the opposing team might put forward,” states Mr. Bowley. “They learn to think on their feet, and how to take notes during the debates to prompt them to offer counter arguments based on what the opposing team has presented.”
The debate topics can be rigorous in nature, but students have some buy-in on the topics to be tackled.
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ACADEMICS
On the day of the debates, the members of the Proposition and Opposition Teams take turns to present constructive and rebuttal speeches, each of which is timed. • • • • • •
First Speaker, Proposition Team First Speaker, Opposition Team Second Speaker, Proposition Team Second Speaker, Opposition Team Rebuttal Speaker, Opposition Team Rebuttal Speaker, Proposition Team
5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes 3 minutes 3 minutes
During the debates the students are encouraged to use parliamentary procedures called Heckling and Point of Information. Responsible heckling involves team members interrupting a speaker during a presentation by applauding, cheering, or slapping a hand on a desk to show support for team members or opponents. A request by a team member to a speaker to use some of their speaking time to make a point is called a Point of Information. The speaker can either accept or reject the request and the interruption can last no longer than 15 seconds. Anyone who has watched debates in the British Houses of Parliament will know that these techniques can make a debate very entertaining! At Congressional, the student debates are watched by a panel of faculty judges who use a rubric to provide
feedback and determine which teams won. Students who are not participating in a debate also practice being judges using the same rubric, although their score is not used to determine the winning team. “Once the debates are over, the learning continues,” said Mr. Bowley. “We talk as a group about who the students think won the debates and why. There’s a lot of reflection and self-evaluation. I ask them if they agree with the judge’s feedback, and to talk about what they might have done differently.”
DEBATE TEAM COMING SOON TO CONGRESSIONAL! Congressional School will have its very own competitive debate team next year! The team, coached by Mr. Bowley, will compete with other middle schools in the Nation’s Capital Debate League. More details will be shared soon!
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LEVERAGING LEARNING Talk to Congressional teachers about their classroom lessons and you will hear a regular theme—their lessons incorporate activities designed to reach a variety of learning styles. We want all of our students to be successful in Congressional’s rigorous academic program, and that means tailoring learning to meet each student’s individual needs. To that end, we have continued to grow our team of specialized academic professionals who are collaborating with teachers to ensure our students achieve social, emotional, and academic success.
DR. SILVIA MOORE Dr. Silvia Moore joined us this year as the new Director of Learning Center and is working closely with students and faculty to develop individualized instructional plans for students to successfully navigate Congressional School’s challenging curriculum. In addition, Dr. Moore is working to support the entire Congressional School community with parent education workshops and professional development opportunities. Her most recent workshop was entitled, Helping Students Study Smarter, Not More, with productive strategies for parents to support their students’ efforts to plan, organize, and initiate academic tasks independently.
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ACADEMICS
DR. PENNI ROSS Dr. Penni Ross is Congressional’s Math Specialist with a focus on enhancing teaching and learning, and assessing mathematics curriculum to boost student achievement. She is an experienced math teacher, consultant, and trainer, and works with teachers to help develop lesson plans and supplement learning to prepare students for the rigor of middle school math.
STEFANIE HJALMERVIK Stefanie Hjalmervik is our Learning Specialist working with students in kindergarten - 3rd grade. When working with whole groups of students in the classroom, Stefanie focuses on word study, reading, and writing activities. For students who need additional support, she works with them individually or in small groups to boost their reading, writing, and word study. Stefanie also collaborates with teachers on lessons and strategies to support students in the classroom.
REBECCA GINNETTI Rebecca Ginnetti joined our faculty as our parttime Counselor working with students across the grades. She previously taught Health and Human Development classes to Congressional students in Grades 4-8 for the past five years. At the beginning of the year, Rebecca took the time to visit classrooms to get to know all the students. Since then, she has had meetings with different grade levels to talk about age appropriate topics such as kindness in action and conflict resolution, and has hosted “lunch bunch” meetings to guide and support students on a more personal level.
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World Languages: From Middle to High School Middle School brings a number of changes for students, and world language is one of them. Not only are high school level curricula introduced, but Latin is also provided as an opportunity to our seventh and eighth grade students. We asked our three middle school language teachers—Mar Ramirez, John Cavanaugh, and Isabelle Rovinsky—to tell us about the nuances of middle school world languages and how they differ from lower grades and prepare for higher ones.
Español
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One significant transition in middle school “In 7th grade they read biographies, and in 8th world language is that the instructional hours they read literary text. One of my goals is to increase as the students embark on a study establish a Spanish library for the students.” of the target language that culminates in up to two years of high-school level work. World languages offer a perfect opportunity “High school Spanish I is taught in 5th and for project-based learning. “The students 6th grade,” says Mar Ramirez, Middle School work on lots of projects to help reinforce Spanish Teacher. “Spanish II is taught in 7th their language skills,” says Sra. Ramirez. “One favorite in 6th grade is a collaborative and 8th grades.” project where the students create a poster In middle school, while the younger grades’ of comic strips written in Spanish to explain practice of learning in context is continued, the novel they recently read. The students the students also begin to study grammar and also put on plays based on their readings and to recognize the grammatical terms. “We use have created sports brochures and animal the Auténtico text in middle school Spanish. adoption materials as ways to practice the It is written by native speakers for native language using real-world application. My goal speakers and offers students opportunities in class is to communicate 90% in Spanish. At for real world application of their Spanish first, the students might have trouble tuning skills,” says Sra. Ramirez. in, but after a while they get used to it and it becomes easier for them and they enjoy The students read a lot in the target language it. Then they don’t want to communicate in in middle school, especially in 7th and 8th English at all.” grades.“The students read at least four books each year in 7th and 8th grade,” she says. congressionalschool.org
ACADEMICS
Latine Latin is a grammar language, so naturally grammar is the biggest focus in Mr. Cavanaugh’s 7th and 8th grade Latin classes. “We spend a lot of time looking at root words,” says Mr. Cavanaugh. “Latin is the root of all Romance languages, and the students spend much of their time translating. They read a story in class, then translate it into English.”
he says.They also watch video documentaries about Vesuvius, gladiators, and a particularly fun one about Merlin. As with all the Congressional world language programs, the students’ study of Latin is at a high school level. “I recently moved the Latin program up a notch,” states Mr. Cavanaugh. “I realized the students were ready, so now by the end of eighth grade the students will have completed both Volume I and II of the Cambridge textbooks and a portion of Volume III.”
The students use the secondary school Cambridge series textbook which is available in hard copy and online. “Cambridge offers many online activities that my students work on,” states Mr. Cavanaugh. They also use Kahoot!, a game-based platform that the Why study Latin? Mr. Cavanaugh can cite students love. It’s a highly collaborative online many reasons, but he recently found a Ted tool that links to the student’s Chromebooks. Talk that he highly recommends. “I can’t It covers everything from vocabulary to explain it any better than Ryan Sellers,” says grammar to culture. The kids love it because Mr. Cavanaugh. People should check out his they collect points. “It has a competitive side Ted Talk.” To watch the short (9+ minute) to it that the students enjoy. They’re very presentation, Google “The Value of Latin Ryan Sellers.” competitive,” he says with a laugh. How do you teach Latin culture? Well, as the 7th & 8th grade History Teacher, this is no problem for Mr. Cavanaugh. “The students learn about Roman culture, which is particularly good in 7th grade because it complements their study of world history,”
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Our middle school Spanish and French students will have taken two years of high school level curriculum by the time they graduate. Latin students will leave having taken one year.
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Français
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Lower School offers a very strong foundation Project based learning is also a big part of in French with learning in context and lots the middle school learning environment and of hands-on activity. Once in middle school, the students will be assigned a project about the students begin learning about grammar— every 4-6 weeks. Sample projects include content they will need to know in high school. family trees in 5th grade, 6th graders record Isabelle Rovinsky, Middle School French a weather forecast, 7th graders perform a Teacher, says. “I begin by posting the day’s restaurant skit, and, one of Mme. Rovinsky’s agenda on the board, that way the students favorites, the 8th grade videos about their know what to expect. We begin with a morning routine at home to demonstrate warm up and dialogue with the teacher and the use of reflexive verbs.“The students did a sometimes we will play a game. Each activity great job and the videos were very funny and lasts about five to ten minutes, and the pace entertaining,” saya Mme. Rovinskey. All the is quick so the students remain engaged. I projects are adapted to the students’ levels, like to mix it up with visual, written, and and by 8th grade their use of the language is verbal activities. Students learn differently, and more detailed and complex. by mixing it up I can make sure I reach all learners. My goal is for the students to feel “I build cultural lessons into the classes as well. comfortable conversing in French and to not We had fun during the French elections — be afraid to make mistakes. I remind them the students presented arguments and voted. that I speak English as a second language so Another project the students enjoy is during the 7th grade house unit.The students create I understand the difficulties.” a flyer for a house that is for sale in which “As in the lower school grades, we play games they describe the house, its rooms, and to help reinforce the language skills in a fun neighborhood. The idea behind the projects way,” says Mme. Rovinsky. is for the students to show what they have retained and learned. If what the students are doing is fun, they won’t feel like they are working that hard, yet they are learning a lot.” Both our middle school French and Spanish teachers are native speakers. Mme. Rovinsky is from France, and Sra. Ramirez is from Spain!
RUN WITH THE COLTS
The Congressional Fund
Our school’s vision is to ignite the spark in young learners to become great thinkers and leaders who will positively impact our world. Generous support from the Congressional community ensures that we are able to encourage to explore the family, world,travel, develop leadership skills,else discover We want toour hearyoung aboutlearners your accomplishments, work, and anything hidden talents, pursue creative endeavors, you might want to share with us! Visit www.congressionalschool.org/alumni. and blaze their own path. 50 Spring 2018
Make Your Gift Today! www.congressionalschool.org/give
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Thank you for your investment in the Congressional School community! Congressional School Magazine 25
S T EM
Carlos Hernandez, STEM Educator
through the Grades
Carlos Hernandez joined Congressional School in the fall as our STEM Educator. Since then, he has been busy partnering with faculty to infuse and embed STEM initiatives into classes. He is also currently teaching an Innovation elective for 5th graders, and a Design Lab elective for students in 6th-8th grades. His daughter, Ana, is a second grader at Congressional this year. Below are examples of the types of activities Mr. Hernandez has been working on with students across campus.
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At the Little School, preschool and junior kindergarten students have planted various bulbs for the spring and used their engineering skills to build several structures with our brand new Imagination Playground blocks. The students have also made pinecone bird feeders and have taken some nature walks around campus.
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Kindergar ten students first learned about what scientists and engineers do and practiced using several different paper towers to see which shape would hold the most books. Students have also been learning about their five senses, animal homes, and the environment, seasons, and the weather.
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In first grade, students have learned about the needs of living things and planted lima bean plants. Students were able to see the plants grow and took care of the plants as they developed. Students have also learned about the human ear and how sound travels.
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ACADEMICS
Second grade students began the school year by using the scientific method to conduct an experiment on which type of water would cause plants to grow the tallest. From there, students learned about the environment and food chains. Students then researched and created 3D shoebox biomes. Currently, we are learning about the properties of matter and have worked on many hands-on activities for this lesson.
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Fifth grade Innovation elective students have worked on various design challenges such as building wind powered cars, aluminum foil boats, and tower structures.They have also worked on coding. Students have learned about algorithms, programming, loops, and debugging. Hour of code has quickly become one of the students’ favorite activities. Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade Design Lab elective students have worked on a variety of activities. Students have built catapults from everyday items and created unique kinetic sculptures. 8th grade students are currently working on building a scale model for an outdoor science classroom.
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“I am so thrilled to be working with our students at Congressional. Their curiosity and willingness to experiment with different ideas truly is inspirational. Children are naturally curious about their world and ask deep questions about phenomena around them. It has been a pleasure working with each and everyone of them. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year and all the fun activities planned!” - Carlos Hernandez
Congressional School Magazine 27
THE ARTS A Beautiful Display of Research Ms. Mankar and Ms. Fitzpatrick teamed up to give students an opportunity to combine science research and visual communication. 6th grade students studied climate change in Ms. Mankar’s class, did their own research, and then graphed the data that they collected. They worked in art class to turn their graphs into artwork that conveys their findings. Students are learning how using both approaches can make data more meaningful to the viewer!
With kindergarten studying shapes in math, Mondrian seemed like the perfect connection for interdisciplinary learning with art class. Students loved replicating the artist’s use of shape and color in their own collage masterpieces!
Strumming Along with a New Instrument Third graders walked into music class and their faces lit up when they heard they would be starting to play the new ukuleles that were on display. This is was Ms. Bicksel’s first time introducing the instrument to students at Congressional. Ms. Bicksel, our Early Childhood Grade 3 Music Teacher, says, “Ukuleles are wonderful instruments to reinforce many musical concepts taught in the classroom—a great way to spark interest, enhance curriculum, and have fun!” 28 Spring 2019
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THE ARTS
Making a Musical Each year, our musical is eagerly anticipated by our whole community—but it’s no small task to complete! Drama practices, chorus practice, set building and painting, costume designing, sound and lighting training, and so much more. We’re so proud of their latest performance of Into the Woods JR and are thankful for all the people who helped make it possible!
The Importance of Practice
Did you know that practicing drawing daily builds skills? Not only that, students begin to observe the world around them more closely and stretch their imaginations. Middle school art classes begin with a daily practice every art period, no matter what they are doing.
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One of our middle school electives offered is “Jam Sesh.” Students who choose the elective form a band, choosing a name, logo and song to perform while tapping into the various strengths of the band members.
Congressional School Magazine 29
30 Spring 2019
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THE ARTS
Ms. Philip introduces students to art with a global perspective. Chinese Porcelain
indergarten students are gathered in the art studio watching a demonstration by their teacher, Sarah Philip, on the technique of Gond Painting (Indian tribal and folk art). The tools and materials they need have already been placed on the tables, and after the demonstration the students waste no time getting to work on their own creations.
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“This year, I decided to deliver the curriculum with a broader world view,” states Ms. Philip. “We’re taking the perspective of what art looks like around the world and the commonalities between them. In November, students studied art from different countries in Africa.They looked at animals, Kente cloth, mud cloth, and a small sculpture from Ancient Egypt. “Sometimes I select the region based on the time of year. I timed Mexico for late October to coincide with the Day of the Dead. In February, we’ll focus on African American artists. My hope is that each month, the students will gain a greater understanding of world art and can recognize artwork from different areas. I want them to be able to talk about the differences in artwork from around the world, as well as the commonalities.” “Collaboration and problem solving also come in to play in the projects we do,” states Ms. Philip.
Mexican Amate Bark Painting
Aboriginal Dot Paintings
“Sometimes we create things that I’ve never made before. The students have to help me figure it out and put their problem solving and collaboration skills to work.” Joomchi-Korean Paper Felting
Congressional School Magazine 31
African Art Share Day
wants students to feel represented by the art and to feel connected to it. To help achieve that, she begins each new unit with an art share day when students may bring in a piece of art, a craft, or a piece of artwork that they made outside of school that represents the region or continent of study.
Ms. Philip
“If the student has traveled, if they have something that tells a story about the area, they can bring it in. This way the students are represented in the classroom through art,” says Ms. Philip.
Australian Koala Paintings
Great Barrier Reef Paintings
Ancient Egyptian Animal Sculptures
Mali Mud Cloth with African Symbols
“I want students to feel represented by art and feel connected to it.” 32 Spring 2019
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THE ARTS
Youth Speak Summit In 2015, Middle School Art Teacher, Kate Fitzpatrick, was awarded a scholarship by the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program, and in 2016, the scholarship took her to Chennai, India where she spent four months researching the challenges of bringing art education to marginalized youth throughout the state of Tamil Nadu. In December 2018, Ms. Fitzpatrick was invited back to India to participate in the Youth Speaks Summit in Chennai, southern India. The two-day summit was an initiative between the U.S. Consulate and the Nalandaway Foundation that brought 800 young people together to share ideas and challenges through presentations, workshops, contests, and art. Ms. Fitzpatrick’s workshop focused on empowerment through visual art and mindfulness, in which she explored subtle movement and artistic practices to ease tension, refocus the mind, and ignite creative thinking. “The Youth Speak Summit was a unique
place where young community leaders from all over south India were able to share and learn from each other,” said Ms. Fitzpatrick. “Because many of these young people are dealing with unique challenges, I provided an art and yoga workshop where students could learn about self care. The response was amazing, and I think they came away with some tools that can have a positive effect on their well-being. You can’t take care of others without taking care of yourself.” Ms. Fitzpatrick also made a presentation at the University of Madras’ Loyola College undergraduate education program in Chennai. In her presentation entitled, ‘Art Education for a Holistic Curriculum,’ Ms. Fitzpatrick discussed a brief history of Art education in the United States, how programs and educators assess art, how art bridges the achievement gap, and contemporary art education practices in the classroom. Her presentation provided attendees with examples of art lessons that were integrated into other academic areas of the curriculum.
“You can’t take care of others without taking care of yourself.” - Kate Fitzpatrick, Middle School Art Teacher
Congressional School Magazine 33
AROUND CAMPUS
Blue Blocks & Future Design Labs The entirety of 2018 Gala proceeds were dedicated to STEM initiatives across campus. In the fall, the Little School purchased fun, engineering blocks from Imagination Playground, and our young learners have loved the freedom and creativity these tools provide as they design their own environments! This upcoming spring/early summer we will be installing two state-of-the-art design labs in the Big School for use by all students. These labs have been designed with flexibility in mind. The furniture will be movable and the electrical outlets will originate in the ceiling to reach all corners of the labs. The labs will be equipped with our interactive white boards, a surround sound system, laser cutter, 3D printers, a green screen, and all types of construction tools.
Community Recognition
We are very proud of the challenging curriculum and enriching experience we are able to provide to our students and love seeing it recognized in our community. This fall and winter, Congressional was voted Best K-8 Private School and Best Day Camp in Arlington Magazine as well as Best Day Care, Preschool, and Private School in the Falls Church News Press. In addition, Patcraft Commercial Carpet and Flooring designated Congressional School a “School of the Future� and we won an InspirED Brilliance Award for our 2017 Top 10 video. Go Colts! 34 Spring 2019
School of Future Award congressionalschool.org
AROUND CAMPUS
Faculty
Accolades NAIS Annual Conference Denise Yassine was chosen to present about a “Blueprint for a More Sustainable School.”
iTheatrics iTheatrics, the company that develops our Broadway Junior shows, invited Derek Bowley to join them as a music director and teacher for a week-long musical theater VAIS Festival of the Arts summer camp in Ningbo, China. Derek Bowley, Sarah Philip, and Kate Fitzpatrick each led a session in the VAIS Student Festival of the Arts for students attending from across Virginia.
Arlington Magazine Andrea Weiss, Interim Head of School and Director of Innovation and Learning, was interviewed about Congressional School’s use of technology in the classroom.
Leading Learning VAIS Conference Denise Yassine, Amanda Sullivan, and Laura Short presented on the topic of “Better Together” and their collaboration on their cross-grade-level Migration Day project.
VAIS Accreditation Visit Kim O’Neil participated in an accreditation visit for a school in Warrenton, VA.
Northern Virginia Magazine Janet Turk and Maura Rice were featured in an article entitled “All they Really Need to Know They’ll Learn in Kindergarten.”
VAIS Winter Magazine Maura Rice and Evie Hinrichs were both published in The Virginia Association of Independent School’s Winter Magazine about active learning in their classrooms.
VAIS Math Curriculum Audit Dr. Penni Ross, Primary and Lower School Math Specialist, and Andrea Weiss, Interim Head of School, were invited to participate in a recent math curriculum audit for another private school in Tacoma, WA.
Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue Conference Dan O’Neil attended SPARC in Arizona where he organized four presentations.
ACA Tristate Camp Conference Gene Giammittorio presented on after school activity programming. Congressional School Magazine 35
Celebrating
30 YEARS
with Infant and Toddlers 36 Spring 2019
This year, Congressional School is celebrating 30 years of providing outstanding childcare services to the community. Our Early Childhood program (known back then as the Infant and Toddler Center) began in the late 1980’s as a service for faculty and staff and has since grown from two sections to five. Grouped by age, each Early Childhood class is affectionately named after bugs with the Busy Bees being the youngest (0-6 months) and the Ladybugs, Butterflies, Fireflies and Dragonflies ranging in age from seven to 36 months. The first spark of curiosity and excitement for learning begins at a very young age. Our nurturing Early Childhood program enjoys an abundance of resources made available as a result of its connection to the broader school community. Our youngest babies enjoy music lessons from a dedicated music teacher, and they absolutely love it! Learning is everywhere in Early Childhood and we celebrate every age level and developmental milestone. By the time our youngest Colts reach age three, they are more than ready for the challenges of preschool, where Congressional’s academic program begins in earnest.
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AROUND CAMPUS
A Word from Two of our Veteran Early Childhood Teachers Gladys Popovics Lead Teacher, Busy Bees (6 Weeks - 6 Months) Joined in 2009 “Infancy is a wondrous time of life. Working with infants, having a front row seat to observe and assist the tremendous developmental changes that take place in this earliest stage of life can be extremely rewarding. Aspects of a child’s development flow from meaningful interactions with those charged with his/ her care. It is through this interaction that deep bonds of affection are formed between a child and the teachers. As these bonds form, we get to know each child’s unique personality and their ways of communicating. It is important to balance the children’s schedule so that they get adequate sleep, food, and movement or exploration time to fill their ‘curious appetite. Having worked with the little ones since my son started kindergarten at Congressional in 2009, I have always endeavored to give the children placed in my care the very best care that I can. My son, Chris, graduated from Congressional in 2018, very well prepared for high school and our plan is to do the same for all the children in our care.”
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Congressional’s Early Childhood Program was voted best Daycare in Falls Church by the readers of Falls Church News Press!
Mirtha Caycho Lead Teacher, Butterflies (16 months - 20 months) Joined in 1997 “When I was a child I always wanted to be a teacher. Years passed, and I graduated in Early Childhood Education in my native country (Peru) but I never had the opportunity to work with kids there. When I came to the United States, I had the opportunity to work at Congressional School in the infant and toddler program; it was the most amazing experience, and I’m still here today. The opportunity to watch the children play, learn, and grow is something that I would never change.”
Congressional School Magazine 37
COLTS ATHLETICS
TH NK P NK
congressional
Cross Country Invitational
Hosting the Think Pink Invitational
Congressional School hosted its 5th annual Think Pink Cross Country Invitational in October. This year, 14 teams, including our own JV and Varsity teams, competed on our 1.3 mile course on campus. From the four races, one Varsity runner and two JV runners received individual awards, and both of our JV teams received team trophies. Congrats to Coach Laws, Coach Rose, Coach Kim, Coach B, and all of our runners for such a successful event.
Meet our CAC Champions For the second year in a row, our school hosted the Capital Athletic Conference tournaments for JV and Varsity basketball. Coming into the tournament as the first seed, our Varsity Girls emerged victorious. Be sure to congratulate them if you see them around campus!
Follow Coach Laws on Twitter: @TLawsColts
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COLTS ATHLETICS
Coach Laws Leads the Capital Athletic Conference For many years, Congressional has participated in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC), the interscholastic athletic league made up of several independent schools from around the DC area. Tavis Laws, Congressional’s Director of Athletics and Physical Education, was recently named CAC President. Here’s what he had to say about the league and the opportunity to lead it: “As a league, we are looking for areas of opportunity to best serve all our member schools. My goal right now is to observe and to collaboratively talk about ways we can continue to make the league better. I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the league and to help get its name out there. Among my future goals is to give the league a social media presence, and to find more ways to highlight and celebrate student athletic accomplishments.”
GO COLTS! Congressional School Magazine 39
RYAN ERNEST ’17 Can the discipline and lessons learned in athletics translate into academic success? Ryan Ernest ’17 believes so. We recently caught up with Ryan, a sophomore at Bishop O’Connell High School. Here’s what he had to tell us: In what sports do you participate at Bishop O’Connell? I am running Cross Country and have been on the JV team since starting at Bishop O’Connell. Last year I was awarded a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) medal, coming in 10th place among freshman from 12 area Catholic high schools. To what would you attribute your athletic success? Practice is a key component to succeeding in a sport. If you don’t practice, you won’t be good. When did you start your running career? I ran my first 5K in 4th grade, competing in two races before joining Congressional in 5th grade. I then started training with Coach Jackie Rose on the Congressional cross country and track teams. What do you think makes Congressional’s athletic program strong? Congressional coaches taught us the value of personal commitment, good health, and focusing totally on athletic improvement. What’s the best advice you’ve received from one of your coaches at Congressional? Coach Kim said to plot your running strategy, and Coach Rose always said to keep improving, moving forward. Thank you to Coach Laws for his leadership and bringing the possibility of doing all sports into reach throughout my whole time at Congressional. Do you have any advice for aspiring younger Colts athletes? The practice you are receiving is not difficult; just put your mind to your goal and it will be easy. Do the summer practice your high school will give you. It seems like a lot of practice—you really will do a 5k every day. In what ways do you feel Congressional prepared you academically and athletically for high school? Congressional helped me academically because the teachers really cared about each student’s success. In athletics, I learned how to show up on time, be ready for practice, run hard, and prepare to win. The same formula also works for studying and doing well academically.
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Lily Rathbun ’16
James Englander ’14
Caitlyn Carlton ’14
Elias Nezam ’14
The Madeira School ’20
St. Anslem’s Abbey School ’18
Oakton High School ’18
“I play three varsity sports: field hockey, swimming, and lacrosse. I made state both years in swimming and received 7th in both of my events last year.”
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ’22
University of Tennessee ’22
British International School of Washington ’18
“I was awarded a varsity letter in Cross Country.”
“I was varsity soccer captain, Second Team all district, 2 time state soccer championship, 2 district championships, Super Y National Champions.”
University of Toronto ’22 “I played varsity as a freshman. I was Vice-captain of the soccer team in 11th grade. Captain of the soccer team in 12th grade.”
ATHLETICS BEYOND CONGRESSIONAL “Middle school athletics is a time for exploration and an opportunity to go into a sport in depth. We encourage students to try different things, to find what they are best at and enjoy the most. We’ve had many students go on to pursue a sport in high school after discovering it and developing a passion for it at Congressional.”
91%
of our young alumni have gone on to participate in athletics in high school in recent years.
- Tavis Laws, Director of Athletics and Physical Education Congressional School Magazine 41
HOMECOMIING
JANUARY 11, 2019
36 Spring 2018
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COLTS ATHLETICS
Congressional School Magazine 37
ALUMNI
The Class of 2018 What are they up to now? Ian Balutis, Gonzaga College High School “Ian continues to excel with great grades in Honors Biology, Honors English, Latin, and all his other subjects. He trains after school with the coaches for the basketball and crew teams.”
Maizah Johnson, St. Margaret’s School “Maizah is being challenged everyday in class while still having fun. She is freshman class president and captain of her basketball team.”
Mia Pisani, James Madison High School “Mia enjoyed playing field hockey for the first time, and is continuing her love of lacrosse as well. This summer, her Cardinal team came in second at the US Lacrosse U14 National Championship!”
Marin Hoang, Madeira School “Marin made the Varsity soccer team. She is also continuing to raise awareness about her capstone project from 8th grade.” 44 Spring 2019
Sara Auer, Washington International School “Sara is really enjoying her new friend group made of students from a variety of different nationalities. Her favorite subjects are geography and vocal music.”
Patrick Barry, Gonzaga College High School “Patrick is taking several academically challenging courses: Honors English, Honors Biology, and Honors Algebra II/Trig. After school, he serves the community by helping package leftover meals and delivering them to those who need support.”
Spencer Bloom, Flint Hill School “Spencer made the Flint Hill Headmaster’s List—receiving straight A’s the 1st Semester. Being on the robotics team, he finished as the Finalist Alliance Captain in the 2019 Virginia First Tech Challenge Robotics Qualifier.”
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ALUMNI
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We recently published our Portrait of a Graduate on our website. Check out what makes a Congressional School graduate at congressionalschool.org/portrait-of-a-graduate.
Class of 2018 High School Matriculations Amsterdam International School (The Netherlands) Bishop O’Connell High School Falls Church High School Flint Hill School Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School Gonzaga College High School Holton-Arms School Kopernikus Gymnasium (Germany)
Madeira School Madison High School Marshall High School Perkiomen School (PA) The Pre-Governor’s School at Osbourn Park St. Margaret’s School St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Washington International School Woodberry Forest School W. T. Woodson High School
Congressional School Magazine 45
Alumni SPOTLIGHT
Welcome Back, Jessica Edwards! Jessica Edwards ’13 was invited back to Congressional last June as our alumni speaker at our 2018 Commencement ceremony. An active member of our community, having participated in the school musicals, soccer, basketball, softball, Model United Nations, Student Council, Math Counts, and Yearbook, Jessica Edwards ’13 is remembered fondly by her former faculty members. Eighth grade English Teacher, Mrs. Lelchitski, wrote in her high school recommendation for Jessica that she “is a conscientious student who consistently produces outstanding work. She is prepared and engaged every day and has no trouble balancing her busy extracurricular life with academic excellence.” Following graduation from Congressional School, Jessica matriculated to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria where she continued to be involved in many leadership and extracurricular activities. Today, Jessica is a sophomore at Harvard College (the undergraduate liberal arts college of Harvard University) in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is pursuing a degree in Computer Science. In addition to her studies, Jessica is the Outreach Director
Jessica’s Reflections on Congressional School “I know that our successes would not have been possible if not for the Congressional community composed of supportive peers and excellent teachers who shaped our high school experiences and beyond. When you go to a school like Congressional, it’s inevitable that you’ll be a part of a close-knit community.”
Jessica’s Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2018 “Your experiences from the Congressional community will help serve as the foundation for your continuous exploration and growth. You are blessed to be graduating from this school and are now and always will be part of a supportive community that will celebrate your successes long after you leave this stage today... ...as you leave and go off to a new school, maybe for the first time in ten years if you’re like I was, think about what you are passionate about, but also try to pursue opportunities that are challenging and new. Take calculated risks, because these experiences and new perspectives may prove to be amazing!” 46 Spring 2019
Jessica visiting our students and faculty last spring.
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ALUMNI
Alumni SPOTLIGHT
A WORLD CHAMPION This past summer, Justin Bonomo ’00 became the “winningest poker player ever” after winning the World Series of Poker. As of July 2018, this 33-yearold had won 43 million dollars, which means he has won more money through poker tournaments than anyone in history.
“I went to Congressional for 10 straight years, so to say it had a formative impact on my life would be an understatement. I feel very privileged to have had such an excellent education, backed by endless support, love, and opportunity. Thank you to everyone involved in my huge headstart in life. I am eternally grateful. “
Has your life changed since you achieved your recent success as the ‘winningest poker player ever’? “My day to day life is more of the same, but people definitely treat me differently. I’m held to higher standards which is both flattering and stressful. I also get far more photo and autograph requests now than before. I enjoy them, though. They are infrequent enough to be a nice reminder of what I’ve accomplished without being any kind of regular hassle.” How does your family feel about your career and ensuing success? “My family has been incredibly supportive my entire career. My dad saw the parallels with my mind for math and strategy games and always knew I would succeed at poker. My mom may have doubted the odds at the very beginning, but now she’s my #1 biggest fan!” What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now? “In 10 years I plan to be semi retired. I’ll still play some poker because I love the game, but I won’t be working as hard or traveling as much as I am now. I hope to settle down in California or maybe Vancouver. I might become involved in some entrepreneurial or tech endeavor if the right opportunity presents itself. I’m not tied to any specific life plan, though. I’m open to whatever comes my way!” What aspects of your Congressional School education would you say have helped you the most in high school and beyond? “Congressional gave me a very well rounded, solid education. Math was my favorite, and Mrs. Mercer was always great. She would see that I would always finish early and give me extra puzzles or challenges to do if I wanted. Mr. Cavanaugh was fantastic, too. His ability to turn history alive with his stories helped us all become interested in what many kids find boring.” Congressional School Magazine 47
class notes
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’09
John Massoud states, “2018 was a big year for me. I was elected to the Town Council of Strasburg and also became the Vice Chairman of the 6th Congressional District Republican Committee.” This makes Mr. Massoud the 2nd senior Republican in the Shenandoah and Roanoke Valley and Lynchburg.
Rajeev Bhagowalia has been accepted into medical school. He graduated from Emory University with a B.Sc. in Biology in 2017 and is currently attending Harvard University pursuing his Masters. He will start medical school in Fall 2019 and hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon. Raj wishes to thank Congressional faculty and staff for all their encouragement and support along the way toward his dream of becoming a doctor.
’01 Edy Rameika ’86 (pictured above) presenting on Congressional’s campus for Founders Day 2019.
’86
Dianna Rodriguez Marlowe lives in Arlington with her husband, two kids, and their beagle. In her spare time she has been coaching tee-ball, volunteering as the Parent Group Coordinator at Westover Baptist Preschool, coordinating with the steering committee for MOPS at Columbia Baptist, and has been working for First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation for five years as a Corporate Paralegal.
Edy Rameika attended Congressional in kindergarten through 12th grade and graduated in 1986. Now her two grandchildren attend in kindergarten and 2nd grade.
’15
Dan Huynh is a senior at St. Alban’s School, and he will be accepting his Navy ROTC scholarship and attending Yale in the fall.
’15 ’96
Benjamin Bonomo was a student at Congressional for eight years before graduating in 1996 and matriculating to Flint Hill School. He later attended Carnegie Mellon University for Computational Biology. He remembers Congressional fondly including “all of the great people—students and teachers,” and states that “the teachers at Congressional helped me to think critically and taught me how to work diligently to attain goals.”
48 Spring 2019
’05
Nelson Carr announced in August 2018 his engagement to long-time girlfriend, Phoebe Windebank. They are planning a fall wedding in October 2019 and currently live in Durham, England. Nelson is a Senior Estates Surveyor in the Acquisitions and Disposals Team at the Department of Defense in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Phoebe is an Assistant Psychologist.
Nico Ozioli states, “I’m a senior at Bishop O’Connell, and I’ve had some great experiences throughout my four years. After having great success at the national level with my high school crew team, I have committed to rowing at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. I’m looking forward to signing with Trinity this spring, as well as starting my college career there in the fall of 2019.”
Connect With Us: #congressionalschool congressionalschool.org
ALUMNI
’16
Amara Eley attends The Madeira School and has continued to grow academically. She enjoys the boarding school environment as it gives plenty of time to complete assignments and more time to hang out with friends. Amara is a three sport varsity athlete (soccer, basketball, and softball) and also a member of many clubs after school. As a junior, she has begun her college planning process and is very excited to begin submitting applications.
’16
Derik Mejia is a junior at Bishop O’Connell. He continues to excel academically, earning First Honors in his classes including Anatomy and Physiology Honors, Algebra 2 and Trig Honors, and English Honors. Derik is interested in pursuing a pre-med degree in college, and in preparation, he has joined the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department EMT training program.
’16
Lyric Thornton is a junior at The Madeira School and is working hard to balance the course work and to also make time for fun. She has made new friends but also still maintains contact with some friends from Congressional School. She was on the yearbook staff her freshman and sophomore years and also played Varsity Softball both years. She is a boarder and also a residence assistant (RA), helping boarders to adjust to dormitory life and to feel a part of the Madeira community. She recalls being helped by an RA herself and wants to help other students feel welcome. She is taking AP Latin and credits Mr. Cavanaugh for her love of the language. She’s continuing on the path to success that Congressional helped her discover.
’17
Sam Moritzkat is a sophomore at Gonzaga College High School. In addition to playing lacrosse, Sam is also swimming and diving. He also is in Model UN, debate, and plays guitar for the band.
We love welcoming alumni each summer as camp staff! Top Photo: Ryan Gallagher ‘15, Lorenzo Proano ‘14, Leonardo Proano ‘13, Amir Faris ‘13, James Englander ‘14, Charles Haver ‘15. Middle Photo: Lora Ivy ‘15, Katie Joiner ‘15, Lily Rathbun ‘16. Bottom Photo: Julian Anderson ‘12, Eric Creely ‘12, Patrick Reilly ‘12.
A Trip Down Memory Lane Phillip Brant ’64 recalls how a simple comment from his Congressional School kindergarten teacher left a lasting impression. Although he only attended Congressional for Kindergarten, Phillip Brant has very distinct memories of the school that have stayed with him through the years. He attended Congressional’s Kindergarten starting in the Fall Term of 1951. This was when the school was located in General Patton’s former estate home in Arlington, close to Arlington National Cemetery. He remembers his mother dropping him off at the school, walking past the imposing stone front of the building and into the school, and finding his way to his classroom down the hall. He recounts the enormity of the change that he felt when he started school, leaving the comfort and familiarity of home. Phillip’s Kindergarten teacher, Zelda Smith, left a big impression on him. Zelda, who was a Kindergarten teacher at Congressional for many years, would lead her students in song each day, and Phillip remembers that one day she took him aside and told him “You know, you have a fine voice. If you would sing louder you would be amazed at how well you sing.” Those words were magic to Phillip’s ears. He left school that day with a spring in his step, and the next day in school he sang loudly, bellowing out the song at the top of his voice. “That experience raised my whole self-confidence in general,” said Phillip. Is there any lesson from this that Phillip still carries with him? Yes, there is. He says,
“You’ll never know what you might achieve if you don’t try” and “There is no time like the present.” Congressional School Magazine 49
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Interested in Sponsoring our 80th Year? Join us as a Congressional School Sponsor for the 2019-2020 school year, our 80th anniversary year. CONTACT: Chris Pryor, Assistant Head for Advancement 703-533-8167 cpryor@congressionalschool.org www.congressionalschool.org/sponsorships
INTRODUCING DR. EDWIN GORDON Congressional School’s 11th Head of School On March 21, our Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Edwin Gordon as our new Head of School to begin on July 1, 2019. Learn More: congressionalschool.org/head-of-school-search