Summer 2015
50 years of Progressive education 1965 to 2015 - St. Francis School.
IN THIS ISSUE New Spaces Big Hearts Alumni Profile: Archie Douglass G’71 Anatomy of a Classroom
By Alexandra S. Thurstone G ’80, ’84, Head of School
new spaces I want to share news on two exciting initiatives (one on each campus) that will continue the transformation of St. Francis School! First is a project on the Downtown Campus. We are currently working on acquiring additional space in the front of the 233 W. Broadway Building on the first and ground floors. This additional space would allow us to occupy the entire first floor and most of the ground floor. One of the most important aspects of this new space is that it includes the main entrance to the 233 W. Broadway Building, which comes with a great deal more visibility for the School. As most of you probably know, the High School’s entrance was on Broadway for the first 25 or so years of its existence, and then when we renovated the facilities, it moved to 3rd Street. While we did not think this was a big deal, it turned out to have a major impact on our visibility, and in terms of people simply realizing that a school exists in this building.
These spaces would significantly enhance the student experience at the High School and bring the energy of the student body front and center so that it will be clear that a school exists at 3rd and Broadway. Wyvern Report
When we found out we might acquire this space, we got together with our architects Lake-Flato to help us think through how to best utilize it to enhance what we already have at the High School. The primary focus of the additional space on the first floor will be to enhance our student gathering and multi-purpose spaces. The Commons Room will move up to the first floor in one of the large ballrooms and it will become more of a “student center” like one would find on a college campus. It will include comfortable furniture, tables and chairs, game tables, computing spaces, a large screen, and a kitchen/cafe area. This new Commons Room will be used exclusively as a student space, rather than partly existing for students but also partly being used to serve the many other needs of the school as it does now, because it is our one very large gathering space. The other large ballroom space on the first floor will be converted into the “Space for Thought”. This would be a true multi-purpose space and would allow for many uses, including lectures and presentations; our many events (Grandparents’ Day lunch, Admissions Open House, New Parent Dinner, etc.); Board and faculty meetings; exams; and more. Both of these spaces would significantly enhance the student experience at the High School and bring the energy of the student body front and center so that it will be clear that a school exists at 3rd and Broadway. The renovation will also provide some additional administrative offices; enhanced and reconfigured science labs; and a more functional faculty/staff lounge for our deserving faculty. In addition, these changes will allow the basement space to be a dedicated theater and music space so that we can improve what we can accomplish with our already outstanding programs in the arts. It will also allow for additional athletic spaces on the ground floor, which will improve what we can do in Fitness class and in training our varsity teams.
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Middle School Natural Playground Student Commons Room
The Space for Thought
The exciting news on this is that the timeline is relatively short. We are working on the acquisition, which should happen within the next six months, and as soon as it does, we plan to begin construction. That means a completion date by the end of the 2015-16 school year is our target. The second project on the horizon is a playground/obstacle course for Middle Schoolers. The Preschool and Lower School both got new playgrounds last summer, but the Middle School has never really had a playground per se. However, in talking to Middle School students, there was a great deal of interest in spaces in which they could run, jump, play, and generally expend energy all the way through Middle School. So we had meetings with Middle School students and with the PE teachers, and we asked Dave Dornick, who designed our gorgeous natural playgrounds for PS and LS, to design a plan for the Middle School. He came up with a magnificent plan (see
pictures) that will be situated behind the play shelter and adjacent to the back part of the gym. The great news here is that we’ve already found the generous donors who want to make this happen for our Middle School families, so construction will occur in its entirety this summer and the playground will be ready for the start of school in August. As both of these projects demonstrate, we continue to make progress on our Master Plan thanks to the wonderful momentum in our Capital Campaign. If we have not yet spoken to you about the Campaign and there’s a project in which you are interested, please contact Siofra Rucker (srucker@ stfrancisschool.org) and we’ll get together and find a way to get you involved. We will be asking for much broader support of the Downtown Campus project soon, as we did with the 100 Wyverns campaign for the Goshen gym, so there will be many ways to get involved with this important project soon.
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By Síofra Rucker G’84, Director of Advancement
hearts
The word philanthropy comes from the Greek philía + anthropos, meaning love + human being. Philanthropy is more than writing a check, it is also volunteering, community building, and helping move a project forward. Wyvern Report
This spring has brought some incredible progress in our Capital Campaign. The catalyst for this most recent increase in our fundraising is simple: some very big hearts. In February, Ginny Frazier, our Board Vice-Chair and one of our Capital Campaign Chairs, hatched a bold plan to move our fundraising forward in a big way. First, she and Rachael Hicks doubled their Capital Campaign gift and pledged an additional $500,000 gift to be matched by our Board. Because Ginny loves games, she added an additional challenge to our Board: while our Board internally matches her $500,000 with their own donations, we must also raise $1,000,000 from other donors to match the Board’s giving. That is a good way to turn $500,000 into $2,000,000!
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Their gift has galvanized our fundraising. I want to highlight two recent major gifts here which show a lot of heart. Viki and Paul Diaz, parents of rising senior Alec Diaz ‘16, made a substantial gift of $350,000 as part of Ginny’s matching game. This gift comprises $100,000 directed toward the upcoming High School expansion and the balance, $250,000, going towards our endowment to support scholarships at The Learning Center. Currently, our endowment only funds tuition assistance, but the Diaz gift allows us to fund scholarships to The Learning Center. The $250,000 will be invested with the rest of our endowment and a portion of the income (4%) will provide approximately $10,000 a year in TLC scholarships. Viki and Paul know how The Learning Center can transform a child’s education and their gift helps so many more children who could not otherwise afford it. Major gifts to our endowment are the single most transformational gifts a donor can make; this one is absolutely game-changing.
Another recent gift came from an alum family, the Joys. Catherine and Jim Joy are alum parents four times over. Their children, Alex G’04, ‘08, Charlie G’05, ‘09, Caitlin G’07, ‘11 and Chris ‘06 spent many years Goshen and Downtown. The four Joy children were very happy to see how “their school” is doing and were a big part of this decision to make this major gift of $100,000 which went towards to match. They especially were excited to see the new future home for ULS - Underground Lifting Society, for those of you who may not know about this august group, of which all four of the Joys were part - on the ground floor of the High School. Jim Joy told me when he saw the plans for the High School expansion that he wanted to go back to high school and do it all over again! These two major gifts and others have brought our total raised so far to $6,200,000 towards our $12,000,000 goal. That is some significant progress for a school our size. Philanthropy at this level takes some very big hearts and St. Francis families are showing that heart. Thank you!
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Archie D Briefly describe your career after leaving St. Francis I attended preschool and kindergarten at St. Francis before it added grades. Having been part of the inaugural 3rd grade in the fall of 1965, I left SFS in the spring of 1971, after 8th grade. I went on to four years of boarding school at St. Paul’s School (Concord, NH), then to Yale University, from which I graduated in 1979 with a B.A. in History. After brief stints in wilderness conservation and banking in California, I returned to New England and began work back at St. Paul’s in 1985, staying for 11 years as history teacher, coach, dorm master and director of college counseling. I earned an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1991. Then … 1996-2001: Upper School Head, Landon School (Bethesda, MD) 2001-09: Headmaster, The Montgomery Academy (AL); also served on Board of Trustees of Southern Association of Independent Schools 2009-13: Principal, Pacific Collegiate Charter School (Santa Cruz, CA) 2013-14: Interim Head of School, Upland Country Day School (Kennett Square, PA) 2014-present: Head of School, Greenwood School (Mill Valley, CA)
I loved its smallness, the intimacy, the familiarity. It always felt very safe. Sports were a big part of my day, and there was also a wonderful art program, led by Susan Davenport and Sue Brown. Wyvern Report
Looking back at your time at St. Francis, what stands out? I loved its smallness, the intimacy, the familiarity. It always felt very safe. Sports were a big part of my day, and there was also a wonderful art program, led by Susan Davenport and Sue Brown. I remember when we moved from the church in Harrods Creek out to Goshen; that was a mindblowing change. I remember really great drama productions that Mr. Gupton oversaw. Do you recall a specific teacher or friend who influenced you in some way? Mrs. Graves, my 3rd grade teacher, was amazing - so tough and firm, but also so loving. I can still hear her drilling us with our multiplication tables: “Six eights are 48…” over and over. Ed Toone: Coach and history teacher, a fabulous role model, and his wife was also so kind. Headmaster Frank Cayce was so full of fun; every now and then he would come around and announce “Fool’s Friday” and we would just play all day and have a picnic. Lisa Rose, later Lisa Glenn, was a fantastic, passionate, funny English teacher, Ed Gupton was the best French teacher I ever had. Mary Bruce Smith (now Rae-Grant, I believe), a classmate at SFS for six years (and probably preschool and kindergarten also, though I can’t recall), was also in the same residential college at Yale for four more years. So many others…
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Douglass G’71 How was your experience at St. Francis a factor in determining your career path? Well, I suppose that in making school fun and showing me I could be good at it, St. Francis made the prospect of life and work within a school community attractive. What are the highlights of your career thus far? During eight years as a school head in Alabama, I worked to increase - significantly - the number and percentage of nonwhite students attending The Montgomery Academy; I am most proud of that sustained stand for diversity. I also led school through a rigorous strategic and master planning process that generated a $13 million capital campaign, changed the campus appearance of the school, built a theater, and transformed the high school curriculum. What are you currently working on/as? I have just finished my first year as Head of Greenwood School in Mill Valley, CA. The school is a small (125 students) Preschool-8th grade day school, about 20 years old. It has grown out of a parent co-op into a respected local institution that incorporates the wisdom of Waldorf philosophy with best contemporary educational practices. My challenge is to take it to “the next level,” which will hopefully include accreditation, NAIS membership, increased enrollment, and significantly enhanced financial stability. How do you define success? Two ways: 1) The sense of fulfillment I feel after doing my best at something. 2) Looking at my two sons and feeling nothing but pride and happiness at the young men they have become.
Art teacher Susan Davenport and students.
Note to Alumni Parents: If you are receiving mail that is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer resides at home, please notify Callie Gray in the Alumni Office, CGray@StFrancisSchool.org, of his/her contact information, including mailing address, email address, and/or cell phone, so we can keep him/her in the loop on Wyvern happenings.
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Spotlight Michelle Jones ’15
Michelle Jones’ most recently-collected accolade is being named the “Mayor’s Outstanding Senior” from St. Francis School, and really this is but a culmination of all she has accomplished in her four years at SFS.
Beneath the unassuming demeanor of Michelle Jones lies a quick brain and fierce competitive spirit, the likes of which are not often seen (particularly in tandem). Michelle flew through four years of math (Geometry through AP Calculus BC) in two years as a 9th and 10th grader, much as she flew through the air during her gymnastics routines en route to two state championships. Flying - though this time on buzzers - was once again her usual speed as she starred on the Quick Recall team, captaining the team in her senior year and leading it to an undefeated regular season, a league tournament championship, and a State Governor’s Cup berth. Michelle propelled the Math League team to multiple first-places finishes and was part of this year’s Science Olympiad team that qualified for State and finished 10th overall there. She’s also volunteered extensively, particularly during the summers, as an aide at Girl Scout camp. It is important to note about Michelle that when she found out this article was being written, she cringed, much as she did when we nominated her for and she was named one of Louisville Magazine’s “Super Kids” earlier this year. She wants to be the best, but on her own terms and so that she knows it, not for external accolades or praise. Her Senior Project was titled “On the Solution of a Limited Class of Transcendental Systems,” written as a journal article to be submitted to math publications. The Project earned Honors, a distinction which will please Michelle because she knows that is the level of work of which she is capable, but one which she will feel no need to to have publicized to others. And finally, to finish painting a quick but apt portrait of Michelle, a student who stands out even among St. Francis’ best and brightest, there is a line on her resume, nearly hidden by all the academic and athletic achievements, that notes her interest in sewing, culminating in her successful creation of an eight-foot-long stuffed squid (see picture above). Michelle Jones - mathematician and scholar extraordinaire, fiery competitor, lover of squid, headed to Yale, ready to take on the world.
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Susan Hershberg ’81 Every year we have the distinct pleasure of honoring one of our St. Francis School graduates. We are truly fortunate to have such an amazing pool of Wyverns to choose from who continually support the school and our mission, while also demonstrating the qualities of a St. Francis graduate years after they leave our halls. This year, we honored Susan Hershberg from the Class of 1981 as the 2014-15 Alumna of the Year.
Susan claims that she is not an entrepreneur, but that she has found success through that same passion ignited during her time at St. Francis. This passion has been sustained not only through her cooking, baking, and catering business, but also through her connections with people.
Susan has been a self-proclaimed “hard worker” from the get-go, beginning from her start at St. Francis, where she was introduced to issues that ignited her passion for social justice. Her fervor for academics and social advocacy only continued to blossom throughout her education at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history in just three years. Post-college, Susan’s enthusiasm for learning and humanity led her to travel, including spending time in Asia. Later, her passion for and fluency in Spanish enabled her to serve as a translator across both Central America and the United States. When Susan decided it was time to come back to her roots in Louisville, she created a successful career from her undeniable love of cooking and baking. Susan claims that she is not an entrepreneur, but that she has found success through that same passion ignited during her time at St. Francis. This passion has been sustained not only through her cooking, baking, and catering business, but also through her connections with people. It is evident in everything that she does for St. Francis and is also represented through her contributions to the local community of Louisville. Susan has been instrumental to the great success we’ve enjoyed at our galas, “Our Good Earth” and Imagine!, as she has helped us develop the menus and ensure that the food at these events is one of the major benefits guests receive by coming – this fare is far from the “rubber chicken” one gets at many large events! She has also provided the food and service at the most competitive pricing possible because she’s an alumna, which means she helped us raise more money for our extracurricular programming and our Scholarship fund each year. We are thrilled to recognize Susan as the 2014-15 Alumna of the Year!
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Sarah (Glenn) Kelty G’99, ’03 recalls very fond memories of her days at St. Francis School - so fond that she went on to become a teacher herself. Sarah is currently teaching (elementary special education) in Jefferson County Public Schools. She received a master’s degree from Indiana University Southeast in elementary education and a dual certification for regular education and special education from Bellarmine University. Stewart Pugsley ’06 has done a lot in the rather short time since graduating from SFS. Post-St. Francis, she went to Fordham University in New York City. After graduation from Fordham, she went on to work at an outdoor science school in the San Bernardino Mountains of California, teaching 5th and 6th grade science. She then spent a month walking across Spain from the Pyrenees to the ocean on the Camino de Santiago. After this adventure, Stewart moved to Boston to attend North Bennet Street School, where she studied carpentry and woodworking; she also started her master’s degree at Lesley University for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Most recently, Stewart became engaged to Peter Collins, an actor, and moved to Chicago, where she is working at custom furniture company Pinetree Furniture. Stewart also started a blog about women in the trades called “A Hard Hat Life”.
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Mara Bartlett-Asenjo ’07 is one well-rounded alumna! During most of the year, Mara lives in New Orleans with her partner, Justin. She escapes swampy Louisiana for the summer months and heads to Alaska. While in Alaska, Mara works at an artist retreat center/wilderness retreat (www.chulitnalodge. com) doing various things like housekeeping, keeping general order on the property, and beer brewing! The retreat center is completely off the grid, meaning they get most of their power from solar energy and a diesel generator, and the water comes right out of the creek. Mara describes this as a lifechanging experience. Mara also keeps herself busy as a talented photographer (visit her website at www.maraceleste.com); she recently had a photo featured in National Geographic (photo 1)! While in New Orleans, Mara works at a nonprofit called T.R.E.E. (Teaching Responsible Earth Education, www.treetalk.org) as an earth educator. There, they stay busy doing a wide range of things such as taking groups of students into the forest and teaching them about earth science and systems. (www.treetalk.org). Kazia Cumbler ’95, her husband, John, and her 5-year-old daughter, Rae, welcomed a baby girl, Sonny Clare, to the family on January 19th. Rae
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Volunteer Spotlight: Andi McLeroy “Why I Volunteer”
stays busy with school, Sonny Clare is busy being a growing baby, John is a film composer, and Kazia runs a mothers’ group called “Mama Needs a Drink” (www.mamaneedsadrinkla.com). The group is based out of Santa Monica, CA and brings speakers into the community to talk about “mama health and wellness,” as well as baby enrichment health and wellness. Orlando Grimany Calas ’06, who with his wife Emily welcomed a baby girl to his family in October, has now also welcomed a delicious new Clifton restaurant, Tropicuba! Check out more about Tropicuba www.trobicubalouisville.com here (image 2). As part of the Kentucky to the World series, alumnus Sander (“Sandy”) Florman ’85 (photo 3) presented a lecture on “Life Saving Organ Transplants - Ethics, Politics & Technology” at the Henry Clay building on March 12th. Many students, staff and faculty, and alumni were able to attend the event thanks to Sandy’s generosity. Sandy is an international leader in organ transplants and makes us proud to call him one of our own! Taylor Koczot G’06 graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, last May with a major in Art History and minors in French and Film Studies. During her senior year, she started working at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art as the Collections Assistant for a little over a year. Taylor moved back to Louisville early this spring and will attend Bank Street College in New York City beginning this fall for a master’s in Museum Education. After graduating from Evergreen State College in 2012, Sam Kaviar ’04 won a Fulbright Scholarship, one of the nation’s highest scholarship honors in the sciences and humanities, to study the pygmy sloth (photo 4). Sam leads a group of researchers to the Island of Escudo, near the coast of Panama, to research the pygmy sloths while promoting science education in some very rural and underserved indigenous communities. Congratulations to Lyla Wasz-Piper ’11, who was a member of the Harvard Mock Trial team that won the National Championship for the first time in Harvard history. Lyla graduated from Harvard this spring and is moving to New York City to work as a legal assistant in the Financial Institutions division at Davis Polk. Congratulations to Myra Holloway ’93 and her husband, Chad, on the birth of their baby girl, Dahlia Lorraine Holloway, born January 3rd (photo 5). Congratulations to Ashlee Swift ’09 on the birth of her baby girl Aubree on April 8th (photo 6).
“I volunteer for St. Francis because I love the school and have seen the impact it has made on my children’s lives. The SFS community has helped to instill in them a love of learning, compassion for others, and openness to diverse ideas. SFS is our home away from home, and we truly consider it a part of our extended family! I enjoy working with the wonderful staff, faculty, parents and students, listening to ideas and executing projects. Volunteering as the PA President on the Goshen Campus has allowed me to do all those things, and I am humbly honored to serve in this role.” -Andi McLeroy
If you are not receiving emails from the school, update your contact information by emailing Callie Gray, Director of Alumni Relations, CGray@StFrancisSchool.org.
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Class of 2015 Enrollments and Acceptances
Kendall Johnson
Grand Canyon University, Bellarmine University, Fordham University, University of Louisville, Olivet Nazarene University, University of Oregon
Gaby Jones
Columbia College-Chicago
Grace Jones
Ohio Wesleyan University, Earlham College, Bellarmine University, Eckerd College, Emerson College, Guilford College, Transylvania University
Michelle Jones
Yale University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, Vanderbilt University, Washington University, University of Chicago
Alyssa Kaplan
University of Arizona
Chris Kessler
Denison University, The College of Wooster, Pace University, Wofford College
Ciana Lancaster
Furman University, Centre College, Denison University, DePauw University, Eckerd College, Hanover College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Miami University (OH), Transylvania University, Wittenberg University, Wofford College, The College of Wooster
The Class of 2015
Fatima Adam
Gap year
Jovanni Ahmad
Centre College, Bellarmine University, Purdue University, Hanover College, Butler University, The College of Wooster, University of Kentucky
Ben Anderson
University of Louisville, Washington University, Macalester College, University of Richmond, Vassar College, Northwestern University, Indiana University, Middlebury College
Jamie Anderson
Vassar College
Stanley Baker
University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Miami University (OH), DePaul University
Ben Bass
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Bard College, Point Park University, Ohio University, Memphis College of Art, University of Louisville
Lucia Burton
Earlham College, Centre College, Hanover College, University of Louisville
Sarah Clark
Gap year
Savannah Cornett
Hampshire College
Jordan Lyons
Chris Edelen
Northern Kentucky University, Murray State University, Western Kentucky University, University of Louisville
University of Louisville, Bellarmine University, Hanover College, Western Kentucky University
Allyson Majors
Howard University, Clark Atlanta University, Tennessee State University
Tinsley Nugent
University of California-Santa Cruz, University of California-Santa Barbara, Carleton College
Annabelle Qiu
Drexel University, Columbia College-Chicago, Pace University, Miami University (OH)
Grace Riely
The College of Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan University, Earlham College, St. Joseph University, University of Louisville, Transylvania University, Wittenberg University, Xavier University, Western Kentucky University, Hanover College, Ohio Wesleyan University
Lily Tierney
Eckerd College, Goucher College, Pace University
Nina Erbes
Mount Holyoke College, Centre College, Macalester College, Barnard College, Lawrence University, New College of Florida, University of Kentucky, Western Kentucky University
Anna Finkelstein
Villanova University, University of Miami, Santa Clara University, Loyola University Chicago
Ellie Gagnon
Wofford College, Hanover College, Roanoke College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Centre College
Thomas Hall
St. Louis University, University of Louisville
Ray Harbin
University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Wilmington College, Bellarmine University
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Awards Assembly 2015 at the Downtown Campus BOOK AWARDS
NATIONAL SOCIETY OF ARTS AND LETTERS AWARDS
Bryn Mawr Book Award (purposeful young woman) Rosemary DeMarco
Smith Book Award (excellence in English) Rose Gilbert
Dartmouth Book Award (excellence in Languages) Nan Elpers
University of Louisville Yarmuth Book Award (excellence in Community Service) Olivia Ford
Excellence in Photography Graciella Kamar
University of Kentucky Book Award (excellence in Leadership) Charley Drew-Wolak
Overall Excellence in the Arts Sarah Clark
Hampden-Sydney Book Award (purposeful young man) David Borders Harvard Book Award (excellence in Math) Lucy Lv Princeton Book Award (excellence in Science) Sam Borden
University of Virginia Book Award (excellence in History) Sam Edwards-Kuhn
Excellence in Studio Art Madison Ebel
Excellence in Music Jonny Simpson
U.S. ARMY SCHOLAR/ATHLETE AWARDS
Jamie Anderson Anna Finkelstein
Yale University Book Award (excellence in English) Zoë Koss
High School Graduation Awards Phi Beta Kappa Award Highest Grade Point Average
Michelle Jones
Bs during their junior and senior years at St. Francis School
Awarded to the student who has been a friend to all in the graduating class
Ben Anderson, Jamie Anderson, Lucia Burton, Savannah Cornett, Anna Finkelstein, Michelle Jones, Allyson Majors, Tinsley Nugent
Grace Jones
Senior Project Honors
Caroline Mercer English Prize
Students who achieved the highest possible grade on their Senior Projects, a graduation requirement at St. Francis School
Class of ‘93 Esprit de Corps
Presented for excellence in English
Jordan Lyons Thomas H. Pike Award Awarded to the student who best exemplifies the qualities most cherished by founding Head Tom Pike and the St. Francis community
Ben Anderson Head of School Award Presented to the student who has made the greatest contribution to school life, considering all aspects
Anna Finkelstein Honors Graduates Students who have received all As and
Jamie Anderson, Lucia Burton, Savannah Cornett, Michelle Jones, Chris Kessler St. Francis AP Scholars The distinction of AP Scholar at St. Francis recognizes those students who have challenged themselves to take the most rigorous and broad academic program in high school. These students must have taken a minimum of four AP courses and exams - one each in English or history, science or mathematics, and world language, plus one additional - while maintaining
an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Jamie Anderson, Anna Finkelstein, Michelle Jones, Jordan Lyons, Tinsley Nugent Mayor’s Outstanding Senior An award presented to one student from each of the local public and private high schools, recognizing the student’s academic achievements, civic activism, and/or success at overcoming challenges.
Michelle Jones Rotary Club “Unsung Hero” An award presented to one student from each of the local public and private high schools, recognizing that student’s commitment to giving to others, being active in civic activities, and never seeking the limelight.
Jordan Lyons St. Francis “Lifer” Attended St. Francis continuously from Preschool through 12th grade:
Anna Finkelstein
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Goshen Campus Class Day Awards/8th Grade Graduation The Edward Y. Mason, Jr. Athletics Award is given annually to the 8th graders who show sportsmanship, enthusiasm, and dedication to St. Francis athletics.
Mary Claire Duncan, Meredith Fleming, Arabella Maki, Maggie McGraw, Angus Middleton, Clay Smedley, Grayson Smith, Reid Varda, Alexa Von Feldt, Wyatt Ware, Avery Wilson, Alan Ziegler The Russell D. Herr Art Award is given annually to the 8th graders who have shown excellence in the fine arts.
Goshen Campus Graduation 2015
Chloe Church, Abby Waggener The Ed Gupton Drama Project Award is given to those students who have demonstrated a passion for, and commitment to, the dramatic process during their middle school years. They have set aside personal ego and realized “The play’s the thing” and they are merely a contributor to a larger artistic whole.
Lucy Biberman, Colby Boyd, Chloe Church, Scout Grass, Chris Hammond, Caden Kirby, Arabella Maki, Maggie McGraw, Clay Smedley, Sean Sullivan, Abby Waggener The Volunteer Service Award is given annually to 8th graders in appreciation of dedicated volunteer service.
Jennifer Johnson, Erin Lyons, Margaret Mundt, Olivia Zimmerman The Eagle Award is given annually to 8th graders who have demonstrated the motivation and perseverance necessary for achieving extraordinary progress in attaining academic success. Clay Smedley, Wyatt Ware The Spirit of St. Francis Award honors 8th graders whose character reflects the spirit of St. Francis, who exemplify the school’s values, and whose conduct, in the words of St. Francis, “lights the day” for others.
The Head of School Award is given annually to the person(s) making the greatest contribution to the school in character, leadership, scholarship, consideration for others, and excellence in everyday school life.
Chloe Church The Cassie Stevens Memorial Award was created by the Goshen Campus Class of 2014 in honor of Cassie Stevens, a former member of the class who moved away from Louisville after the 5th grade and lost her courageous battle with cancer in 2013. The award is given to the current 5th grade student who consistently greets the world with a smile and places others’ needs before his/her own. This student is not afraid to be him/ herself and harbors a refreshing spark of individuality. S/he seeks to find the brightness in life and the beauty in everyone. In short, s/he has found a love of life, like Cassie Stevens. We present this award with the hope that by honoring her special qualities, we can carry on her light.
Riley Elliot
The Frank Q. Cayce Scholarship Award is given by the Middle School faculty to the 7th grade student(s) who have demonstrated throughout the year the highest scholarship work.
Aidan Campbell, Lorenzo Mahoney, Drew Perkins Goshen Campus St. Francis “Lifers” Attended St. Francis continuously from Preschool through 8th grade:
Evie Boland, Chris Hammond, Arabella Maki, Maggie McGraw, and Wyatt Ware Attended St. Francis continuously from Kindergarten through 8th grade:
Sydney Lattis and Avery Wilson
Arabella Maki, Maggie McGraw, Sean Sullivan
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Hewn from the Mountain By Kim Hales, Director of Development
This year, one of the grants provided by our Parent Association was a set of classroom ukuleles for the Middle School music classes. A strong Middle School music program must consist of a balance of music performance topics/repertoire and music theory/history topics. In order to provide that music performance experience, Middle/High School music teacher Bob Bertke believes every single student should learn a melodic instrument. He says, “For some, that means learning a band instrument. For others, that means developing an awkward relationship with the recorder.” For most of the last 100 years, the recorder has been the only option, until now. This PA grant allowed Bob to replace the recorder with ukuleles as the classroom melodic instrument of choice for the general music classes. The advantages are: 1. The ukulele isn’t a recorder (Bob: “Seriously, does anybody love the sound of a recorder?”) 2. The uke is every bit as approachable an instrument 3. Students can play melody as well as accompaniment 4. Students can accompany themselves while singing 5. Students can play music more relevant to their own time and culture Nationally, several other schools are beginning to make this switch, and the results are wonderful. Student retention levels are high, even when music courses become optional. More students are signing up and learning band instruments and the guitar due to having a great experience on their first instrument. Bob has begun work on an article for publication about ukuleles in the classroom and reports high student enthusiasm in the first weeks of use. To make this even more of a St. Francis project, Bob sourced the ukes from a nearby Goshen alum, Tom McShane. Tom is the owner of Hewn from the Mountain Music Cafe in Crestwood. He performs a wide variety of music, ranging from Celtic to classical, and his store reflects that as well. Hewn from the Mountain has some of the area’s finest instruments for sale, many of which are hand-built by Tom. In the fall, Tom is planning to perform on our Goshen Campus, and you won’t want to miss out on this fun event!
2015-16
I am so excited to be a part of the St. Francis family. My first few months have been a whirlwind of learning what an amazing place this school is. Part of what makes St. Francis extraordinary is the support of the community. Many of you know how important the Annual Fund is, and the parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends who support this effort year after year are what make St. Francis exceptional. Without the generous support of all in our community, including you, the hallmarks of a St. Francis education wouldn’t be possible: small class sizes, low student-teacher ratios, exemplary scholarship and financial aid programs, comprehensive learning resources, a diverse student body, and a truly outstanding faculty and staff. Our Annual Fund for 2014-15 fund exceeded our budget of $320,000 and reached $340,000! I hope we can continue to grow that number, allowing us to do so much more! Thank you to those of you who donated! You made it happen, and of course we hope you will continue to support St. Francis. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the upcoming school year! Save the date for: “Our Good Earth” - October 10th, 2015 in the fields of the Goshen Campus 20th Anniversary Imagine! Art Auction and Scholarship Fundraiser - January 30th, 2016 at the Tim Faulkner Gallery in Portland (downtown Louisville)
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of a classroom David Word High School Biology/ Environmental Science Teacher
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Science teacher David Word shepherds students through Biology, AP Biology, and AP Environmental Studies, along with electives such as Vertebrate Zoology, Local Flora, and Anatomy and Physiology. He is the resident nature expert, from the snakes in his classroom to the hikes and canoe trips he organizes as Outdoor Activities Club maven. David also coordinates the High School’s Community Service program, organizing groups of students and faculty for some 16 sites this year.
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1 “This is a part of a tree that Mortada Al Majedi ‘12 brought in. I use it for beginning of the year discussions about ‘What is biology? What is life?’ We could spend months on that piece of wood.”
2 “Chris Kessler ’15 gave me the dinosaur and Truman Baize ’16 added the tiny army man in its mouth.” 2b The alligator is of the Caiman species. 2c The stack of CDs is from David’s advisee group. “Kids bring in music
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about different themes and then the others guess who brought it. Themes are things like ‘reminds you of home,’ ‘summer,’ and ‘guilty pleasure.’”
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3 Col. Mustard, the snake. 4 David uses these replica skulls of chimpanzees, gorillas, and early hominids to show evolution and human development.
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Patrick Donovan G ’79 ’83 Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher
As an alumnus, alumni parent, and current parent, Middle School Language Arts and Social Studies Teacher Patrick Donovan knows and loves St. Francis from many facets. In addition to teaching, he leads the Outdoor Education program, including the week-long Big South Fork backpacking and camping trip. He also initiated the popular 8th grade Capstone Projects that have become a rite of passage. 1a On a Big South Fork trip nine years ago Patrick backpacked out a student, Chelsea Sullivan, G’06 carrying her for several miles after she broke her ankle. Chelsea Sullivan’s grateful parents gave Patrick the walking stick.
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1b A Goshen grad of 1979, Patrick keeps his graduation abacus on his desk.
2 Patrick’s love of poetry is evidenced by the annual National Poetry Month posters in his room,
3 along with a great line drawing of Oscar Wilde. 4a These well-used dictionaries are key to group reading. 4b “Part of the 8th grade curriculum focuses on mountaintop removal; students read Missing Mountains and Lost Mountain and discuss the impacts of mountaintop removal on Kentucky.” 5 Patrick’s wall features a few “no whining” and “no
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drama” stickers. “This is middle school after all; they need reminders,” he says.
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of a classroom Kim Aberle Lower School Music Teacher
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Believing that every child is a musician, Music Teacher Kim Aberle has brought out the best in her students over her 25 year teaching career. In addition to teaching Lower School Music classes, Kim formed the now bursting-at-the-seams Lower School Choir which has performed for a variety of audiences, including the High School, nursing homes, and for community holiday events. Music plays on in the summer for Kim as she helps run our two wildly popular musical theatre summer camps. During the year Kim works individually with students through piano lessons and voice coaching for students trying out for All-State Choir. 1 “I’m playing alto, the 2nd graders are playing soprano. All the notes make harmony and they compose their own melody. Carl Orff believed children are very capable of creating music.” 1a “The gong is for accent and exploring sound waves and sound. The children put their finger tips lightly on it to feel the sound.”
2 “All the children feel successful. They enjoy
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themselves with the Orff instruments and sing while doing it. I tell each of them ‘You are a musician.’”
3 3rd graders planting luffa seeds with Kim and Garden Coordinator Christine Brinkmann. The luffa vines will grow over the arch this summer, they’ll dry on the vine, and next November the students will harvest them. The seeds will stay inside and the children will make a percussion instrument with Kim.
4 Musicians playing a game with their xylophones.
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David Beard Preschool 3s Teacher
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David Beard has guided young children for 15 years in and out of the classroom. David is often found behind a camera lens capturing one of the many discoveries occurring in his classroom or outside on the Goshen campus. David’s interest in Natural Playgrounds began back when he first started at the Preschool at our old Harrods Creek location. The Preschool already had a nice traditional playground, large, with a sandbox, big climber, swings, and pea-gravel everywhere. “Just outside the back fence was a small woods the preschoolers would often go stare at and throw things into. I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would notice if the kids and I were to make a small opening in the fence,” mused David. 1 David, and his camera, on the “mountain top” of the Preschool’s natural playground.
2 David walking back from a trip to the pond with his students. “Nearly everything that children can do inside, they can do outside as well,” says David.
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3 David photographed these three Preschoolers as they climbed to the top of the “mountain” on the Natural Playground.
4 David captured this preschooler exploring the branches of a large shrub. 5 A preschooler, photographed by David, getting up close and personal with nature.
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We THINK; therefore we are St. Francis. 233 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
50 years of Progressive education 1965 to 2015 - St. Francis School.
IN THIS ISSUE New Spaces Big Hearts Alumni Profile: Archie Douglass G’71
Anatomy of a Classroom www.StFrancisSchool.org