G E WO O D D E HIGH SCHOOL N E W S F O R A L U M N I , F A M I LY A N D F R I E N D S
CRUSADER CONNECTION edgewoodhs.org
SUMMER 2019
COMMITMENT to DIVERSITY, INCLUSION and JUSTICE
The 2018-2019 school year began with
the creation and presentation of a “power standard,” a concept introduced by new principal, Beth Steffen. A power standard, more overarching than an initiative, is rooted in a school’s mission and helps to frame its culture and community. “Smart, practical, novel and effective,” according to Steffen, power standards are a means to synthesize multiple initiatives and draw on an institution’s shared values. “Truth and justice are complex,” she says, and the school has made advances in its efforts to understand better the issues and improve the learning environment for all. Last summer, the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), composed of leaders from every academic area of the school, met to discuss, write and revise Edgewood’s power standard. It was shared with the entire school in August and has been put into practice over the course of the year. Faculty and staff members attended “Learning Labs” in which faculty volunteered to present a lesson incorporating the power standard into their instruction, with a preview for participants, followed by
Grounded in our mission, we are committed to fostering Justice through Inclusion and Diversity. Our educational practices empower students to elevate the dignity of others by: • Engaging with people from diverse perspectives and experiences • Collaborating with others to analyze complex issues • Holding themselves and others accountable through speech and actions
Edgewood sponsored a student-led “dignity summit” attended by one grade level at a time to discuss and reflect on the ways in which they interact with others. “When someone’s dignity is being violated, whether because of ethnicity, gender, religion or other characteristics, that person’s ability to learn is impacted,” notes Steffen. Students were asked to find ways
observation and then discussion afterwards in which the presenting teacher received objective feedback based on what was seen by those who sat in on the lesson. In response to the power standard implementation and concern that students are reading less, Edgewood also initiated an “all-school read.” Last year’s book was Dear Martin. This summer, the EHS community is reading Spare Parts, a true story of immigrant boys who enter
CRUSADER
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a robotics competition against some of the nation’s most distinguished schools, including universities. One of the four boys, Oscar Vazquez, will be coming to EHS in September to speak in classes and at a community-wide presentation. Lorem ipsum
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118 New EHS Alumni Walk Out Bishop’s Doors • 61% wore high honors cords for g.p.a. of 3.75 or higher U Mreceived MER 2019 • SN ix National Scholarship Finalists S(two CO N E CMerit TIO N scholarships) and and three Commended Students • 28,500 service hours to community and school • 16 State Athletic Championships and 27 Conference titles • 30+ Jerry Awards for musical theatre excellence • 92% of the seniors will be going directly on to college • $11M in total scholarship offers; $3.8M in accepted scholarships • Accepted at more than 170 different colleges and universities • 40 students have chosen to attend Top 100 colleges and universities; among them are 27 students (more than 20%) who will head to University of Wisconsin-Madison
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