23 minute read
School News
UPDATE ON THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY
May 20, 2022
Dear Gilman Community, In October, I announced the retirement at the end of this school year of Johnnie Foreman, our longtime Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity (CIE). In that letter, I explained that our search for a new director was already underway, with an eye toward naming the new person by spring break of this year. Spring break has clearly come and gone and, while we have interviewed some strong candidates, we have not yet found the right person for the job. Recognizing the importance of supporting our CIE efforts while the search continues, we are taking the following steps: Joe Valentine-White, Assistant Director of Community, Inclusion, and Equity, will serve as interim director during the next school year. Tangie Mason, administrative assistant for the CIE Office, will continue to support the office and all of its efforts. A number of teachers in each division have been working closely with Johnnie for several years as part of his CIE Executive Committee, and we plan to name them CIE Division Coordinators, titles that these teachers will hold in addition to their regular teaching positions. These new roles, which are permanent and have been recommended as part of our commitment to CIE regardless of the search timeline, help to formalize a stronger structure for our CIE work, particularly as it pertains to faculty professional development and student programming. We will share those teachers’ names as we start the new school year. Peter Kwiterovich, Assistant Head of School, and Shonique Alexander, Assistant Head of School for Pre-k–8, will lend their support to the CIE office next year. Both have already been working closely with Johnnie and team. Finally, and while I will certainly respect his retirement, Johnnie reminds me that he is a call away, and he will serve in a consulting role next year.
Working with the search advisory committee and others, I will continue to identify and interview candidates, now with an eye on a start date of July 1, 2023. While I had certainly hoped to name Johnnie’s successor by spring break, I firmly believe — and the advisory committee agrees — that the top priority is finding the best person for this important role, even if it means extending the timeline. I remain excited about this search and where it will ultimately take us as a school.
These steps will allow us to continue our search for a new director as thoughtfully as possible while supporting the ongoing efforts and operation of the CIE Office. When there is more news to share, I will certainly do so. In the meantime, I wish everyone a successful close to the school year.
Sincerely,
Henry P. A. Smyth Headmaster In Tuo Lumine Lumen
BRYN HOLMES PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR; NED EMALA NAMED ASSISTANT AD
After serving for four years as the Assistant Athletics Director at Gilman, Bryn Holmes has been promoted to Associate Athletics Director. Holmes also teaches math in the Middle School and is the varsity wrestling head coach.
“I am excited to take on more responsibilities in the athletics department. Obviously, with a legend like Lori Bristow retiring, I have some big shoes to fill. With that said, I feel extremely lucky to be working with Russell Wrenn during this role change. He has been and, I’m sure, will continue to be a great mentor,” Holmes said.
Replacing Holmes as Assistant Athletics Director is Ned Emala ʼ13, completing the athletic department’s leadership team.
Emala played football, squash, and lacrosse as a Greyhound and played four years of football at Dickinson College. Following a few years of work outside of education, he joined the faculty in 2019 as a Foreman Fellow. Emala currently teaches Art History and World Cultures in the Upper School, and he coaches varsity football, JV squash, and JV lacrosse. In his new role as assistant AD, Emala will continue to teach and coach.
Bryn Holmes
“I am truly honored to take on this new role,” Emala said. “I really believe in Gilman’s commitment to creating an environment where our athletes can develop and grow a strong sense of character, learn how to be men of integrity, and, while striving for success, conduct themselves with honor and respect on and off the field.”
Ned Emala ʼ13
KATIE THOMAS NAMED ASSISTANT HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL
Fifth grade teacher Katie Thomas has worked tirelessly to support Gilman’s mission through her extensive work on committees, task forces, and teams. “Katie is well known across divisions and throughout the Gilman community as a leader and collaborator, and she will help advance the Lower School’s goals and, undoubtedly, help forge our path forward,” said Head of Lower School Linda Fussell.
In her new role, Thomas will work collaboratively with Fussell to provide leadership, structure, and support in all aspects of the Lower School, focusing on curriculum development and implementation.
Thomas spent nine years teaching in the Baltimore County Public School System at Padonia International School before joining the Gilman faculty in 2012. She graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in elementary education, and she earned a Gifted and Talented Education Certificate and an M.S. in human resource development: educational leadership from Towson University.
dig nitas
humilitas virtus
h onest a s
excellentia
Lower School Builds Community Through House Program
Think Harry Potter without the magic. That’s how one staff member described the house program initiative that got underway at Gilman Lower School in the 2021‑2022 school year.
Instead of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, houses are named with Latin words that correspond with the “Gilman Five” — Honor, Integrity, Respect, Humility, and Excellence — words that comprise the code of ethical conduct at the School.
The House system is designed to build a sense of belonging in an inclusive, caring, and supportive environment. Lower School faculty, staff, and students in all grades are sorted into five “houses,” where members build community with one another. The system includes athletic, academic, and artistic pursuits and promotes self-esteem, self-identity, belonging, and pride. Age is no barrier to collaboration: Younger students look up to older students and older students support the younger ones. Through shared goals, Gilman’s house program promotes deeply meaningful relationships and connections.
VIRTUAL
Author Visits
There was such an overwhelming positive response to the virtual author visits that came out of the 2020‑2021 school year during the pandemic that the Gilman libraries decided to keep it going! Below are some of the guests boys heard from this school year.
SEPTEMBER 2021
Middle School: author Stacy Mcanulty OCTOBER 2021
Middle School: author Christina Soontornvat
Photo provided by Erin Entrada Kelly
Middle School: author Erin Entrada Kelly NOVEMBER 2021 lower School: author Jerry Pallotta
DECEMBER 2021
Third Grade: author Tonya duncan Ellis
JANUARY 2022
Second Grade: author adrea Theodore and illustrator Erin K. Robinson
Third and Fourth Grades: author Matthew Swanson and illustrator Robbi Behr
MARCH 2022
Seventh Grade: author nancy B. Kennedy APRIL 2022
lower School: Poet Janet wong (above)
Second Grade: Poet laura Shovan (below)
Photo by Linda Joy Burke
Pictured left to right: Board of Trustees President-Elect Andy Brooks, Director of College Counseling Sarah Ross, Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania and Carey Lecture speaker Whitney Soule, Head of School Henry P. A. Smyth, Chairman and President of the W. P. Carey Foundation and Gilman Trustee William P. Carey II, and Executive Director of the Carey Foundation Juliana Harris.
FRANCIS J. CAREY, JR. LECTURE: Whitney Soule
Whitney Soule, vice provost and dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, visited the Upper School on Thursday, October 14, 2021, for the second annual Francis J. Carey, Jr. Lecture, which is designed to connect Gilman students and the School community to deans of admission at leading colleges and universities.
Soule spoke to the student-filled auditorium on the topic of applying to college during a pandemic. She talked about the history of the test-optional concept — an idea that has been around for a while but picked up momentum only in the last decade, and especially since the emergence of COVID-19.
With regard to extracurricular activities, Soule reminded the seniors in the audience, “The people reading your applications, like me, also had our experiences altered, interrupted, stopped … We understand what the pandemic has done.” She emphasized that applicants will not be compared to one another on the basis of who achieved the most or who suffered the most during the last year. “We are looking at each of you as individuals.”
Soule also provided guidance on writing, advising the boys to “show yourself” through their college essays. “Do not write what you think we want to hear …. Write what you have to say,” she said. She told them to, above all else, be authentic.
When choosing where to apply, she said, “The best education you can possibly undertake in college is one at a place that suits you.” She encouraged boys to work with their college counselors to develop a list that is right for them.
“Respect the tremendous opportunity of your education at Gilman. … To be in this school where those who teach you and support you and challenge you are close enough to you on a regular basis to know you … This is a gift.”
Watch the lecture at gilman.edu/careylecture.
H. K. DOUGLAS COTTON LECTURE: Greg Bader and Arif Joshi
Head of School Henry P. A. Smyth introduced the 40th H. K. Douglas Cotton Lecture on Wednesday, April 6, reminding the students of the lecture’s origins in 1979. Mr. Cotton thought “it was important for Gilman students to be exposed to the world of business.”
The first speaker, Greg Bader ’93, shared, “When I was back at Gilman, one of my absolute passions was baseball.” He always knew he wanted to make a career in baseball, but with limited athletic abilities, he wasn’t quite sure how he would make that happen.
Nevertheless, he has worked for the Baltimore Orioles since 1994. Now he is senior vice president of administration and experience, but he didn’t start out in that role, of course. His first job with the organization was as a public relations intern, a “great break” he got after his freshman year in college through a Gilman classmate’s father. Bader had been nice to this classmate, helping him with his math work in the sixth grade, he said, reflecting on how this simple act of kindness came back to pay him in spades.
His internship responsibilities included clipping articles about the Orioles and then creating photocopied packets of those clips for the executives. “I took this clip thing very seriously,” he remembered. He offered students advice about entry-level or menial jobs like that one: “If you’re given an opportunity to work in the place you love … do the job.”
“Twenty-eight years later, I’m going back to the ballpark that I came to as a freshman in college, and I get to have that same kind of excitement level,” he said. In his current position, Bader is one of five on a senior leadership team running the day-to-day business operations of the club. He doesn’t clip articles anymore; rather, he is involved in business strategy, marketing and advertising, special events, and creative content development.
He emphasized the importance of his Gilman education in getting him to where he is today, and he listed several members of the Orioles organization who are fellow Gilman alumni. Every spring, they host a Gilman student for his Senior Encounter.
“Last time I was here,” he said, standing at the podium in the Alumni Auditorium, “I gave my senior speech about setting your own path and expectations.” He had the same message for the students in front of him at the Cotton Lecture: “Chart your own path … if you can find your passion and make a career out of it, it’s a heck of a lot of fun.”
The second speaker, Arif Joshi ’94, managing director at Lazard Asset Management in New York, said that after listening to Bader, he realized what he needed to share with the students. “While Greg ran towards something, I ran away. And where I found myself was on Wall Street.” He explained that he comes from a family “full of doctors” but had no interest in following in their footsteps. “I knew exactly what I didn’t want,” he said.
He ended up applying early to the Wharton School of Business only because he heard another Gilman student had done so. His first job out of college was in an emerging markets fund. It was only after six months of working there that he realized emerging markets were about bonds — and not stocks as he previously had thought. “I got to where I am today by not knowing what I wanted to do,” as well as “a little bit of luck, and a lot of hard work,” he said.
He explained what he does in his current job — investing wealthy institutions’ and individuals’ money around the world — and said he prepared a speech on “how to make you guys rich,” both financially and in terms of character.
On the financial front, he talked about real estate and explained how buying a house can generate wealth over time as the property appreciates. Then he talked about the stock market and how “you want to be buying when others are selling and selling when others are buying.”
When it comes to becoming rich in character, Joshi recommended investing time and effort into relationships with “people different from you,” noting that the core interests of most people around the world are the same.
“The goal of immersing yourself in other people’s life stories is to build bridges,” he said. “I would encourage all of you guys to say yes” — to community service, to organized sports, to studying abroad, to hosting an exchange student, and other opportunities that arise. “Say yes to anything that will help you hear someone else’s perspective.”
Watch the lecture at gilman.edu/cottonlecture.
Greg Bader ʼ93 Arif Joshi ʼ94
Tania James with Tickner Writing Fellow Sam Cheney
MOUNTCASTLE LECTURE: Tania James
Upper School English teacher Patrick Hastings introduced the esteemed speaker for 2022 and gave background information on the annual Mountcastle Lecture series.
Tania James is the author of three highly praised works of fiction: the novels “The Tusk That Did the Damage” and “Atlas of Unknowns,” and the short-story collection “Aerogrammes and Other Stories.” Her most recent book, “The Tusk That Did the Damage,” was named a Best Book of 2015 by The San Francisco Chronicle, The Guardian, and NPR, shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize, and was named a New York Times Editor’s Choice.
James shared with the students that she typically writes fiction, but for this lecture, she read to them a personal essay entitled, “Guilt and Hope and Fruit and Cake.” Written in the second person as if a letter to her former self, the essay took the audience on a journey beginning with James finding out she was accepted to college.
The essay paints a picture of James as she begins college and meets friends, figures out a major, and observes her mother’s bewilderment at her wanting to study filmmaking. She goes on to graduate school to pursue creative writing. Her mother wants to know “what her plan is.” She attempts to join the workforce. She acquires a literary agent.
Later on, she grieves the loss of her grandfather and is asked to write a eulogy, since, after all, she’s the writer of the family. After the wake for her grandfather, she sees she has missed calls from her agent. She finally has an editor who wants to publish her book. Upon hearing the news, her mother bursts into tears and says, “You have no idea what you put me through.” The essay circles back to her relationship with her mother several times, closing with the realization that “this is the gift of loving and being loved. This is the curse and the cake.”
Following the reading, James answered a few questions from students about her process of coming up with ideas for fictional stories and how writing personal stories feels like a “journey of confusion” for her. She said she usually experiences writer’s block not when she begins to write but rather when she’s trying to end a story.
After assembly, Tickner Writing Fellow Sam Cheney led a discussion with James and interested students in the library.
Watch the lecture at gilman.edu/mountcastle.
Triple the Spirit
Triple the Spirit brought together students from Gilman, The Bryn Mawr School, and Roland Park Country School on Wednesday, April 13. From cheering on the tri-school teams to enjoying good food and conversation and even a fun game of four square at Gilman Lower School, it was a shining example of what our one community in three schools is all about.
Wellness: WE’RE IN IT TOGETHER
“During the pandemic, people were struggling, and many were coping with that on their own. I wanted to find a way to connect them to resources and make wellness visible and fun,” said Director of Wellness and Support Christina Kim.
That’s how she started thinking about the idea for the Wellness Fair at the beginning of the school year. Kim partnered with both the parent wellness committee and the faculty and staff wellness committee to plan the event, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 3 and 4. The groups were very enthusiastic. “Parents were an integral part of organizing and executing the two days,” she said.
The fair brought a wide variety of vendors promoting different aspects of wellness to campus. “Having vendors talk about different kinds of wellness expanded people’s understanding of what types of resources are out there. All students, as well as faculty and staff, were invited to participate in health and wellness activities and learn strategies for healthier lifestyle choices,” Kim said.
Dozens of representatives from local businesses sat at vendor tables educating the Gilman community about mental health, physical fitness, financial wellness, healthy sleep, dental hygiene, and more. A food truck offered healthy smoothies to attendees. “Vendors were really excited to be there because they hadn’t been able to attend a fair in a long time.” In addition to vendors, Upper School student leaders from Peer Ed, the Mindfulness Club, and One Love, as well as Gilman faculty also represented booths on wellness.
Everyone who visited was given a wellness card to take to different stations to get stamped. Fully stamped cards could be submitted for raffle prizes. Vendors commented that the students who stopped by their stations didn’t just get their cards stamped; they were engaged in the educational components, too. Faculty and staff had an opportunity to visit booths to learn more about their HR benefits and get biometric screenings.
Now that the event is over, Kim is looking ahead to what the future may hold for the Wellness Fair. “Maybe it can expand beyond Gilman. It could include families and more community members. This was just a start,” she said.
Kim hopes the message people took away from the event is that wellness is fun and important, and there are people available to help. “We’re in it together.”
FOCUS ON WELLNESS
With the addition of Director of Wellness and Support Christina Kim in the 2021-2022 school year, the entire school community engaged in new wellness initiatives.
Bestselling author Dr. Michael Thompson visited Gilman over two days in March and gave engaging talks to students, parents, faculty, and staff.
The parent wellness committee formed this year and took its efforts to the next level. In addition to planning the Wellness Fair, the committee created resources for parents on topics of wellness and distributed them through social media.
In partnership with research organization Authentic Connections, Gilman surveyed students, parents, faculty, and staff. The results provided insights into the factors most impacting students’ well-being, ways in which students feel most supported, and potential areas of improvement.
Parents gathered via Zoom in April for an evening with psychiatrist Dr. Arman Taghizadeh ʼ95, aka “Dr. T,” as he guided parents to identify the pressures students face, recognize potential mental health vulnerabilities, and understand the psychological impact of using intentional language to support children. Dr. T also joined Gilman at the Wellness Fair.
Math department head and track coach Jeff Gouline realized that athletes need support not only in physical fitness but also in mental wellness and growth mindset. So he developed a character education curriculum to help students overcome performance pressure and develop resilience.
Three Gilman teachers attended “RULER” professional development from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, regulating).
What’s the Buzz?
Jason Park ’23 was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan to serve on the Maryland Youth Advisory Council for a second year. The group of 23 high school and college students from 10 Maryland counties will give feedback and recommendations regarding public policies and programs that affect their future.
During his first year on the council, Park says they focused on improving youth mental health and providing resources to youth during the pandemic. “We also worked for major legislation in Maryland, such as protecting the voting rights of all counties’ student members of the board and providing free hygiene products in public school bathrooms across Maryland.”
Park was also elected as secretary of the council. “With this position, I will act as a liaison between young people in Maryland and the policymakers of their communities by speaking about possible solutions to the problems affecting youth in Maryland.”
arjun narasimhan ’23 attended the high school competition at the Biomedical Engineering Society's (BMES) National Conference in Orlando, Florida, one of only 20 participants chosen to present in person. More than 5,000 conference attendees had the opportunity to view his presentation. Narasimhan says he “was proud to represent Gilman” as he met leaders in the field of biomedical engineering.
Justin wang ’22 was announced as the winner of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for Maryland’s Third District.
The competition recognizes the inspiring work of young artists from each congressional district and showcases the creativity of our nation’s future artists. As the winner, Wang’s artwork will be displayed in the underground tunnel leading from the Cannon House Office Building to the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. for a period of one year.
GILMAN ROBOTICS TEAMS VICTORIOUS AT COMPETITION
Three of the five Gilman robotics teams came away with awards at the First Chesapeake FIRST Tech Challenge Laurel Qualifier competition on Saturday, February 5. The Upper School FIRST Tech Challenge team, DéJàva, was runnerup for the most prestigious honor, the Inspire Award. DéJàva also won the Connect Award, and they came in second place for the Think Award.
The eighth grade FIRST Tech Challenge team, CyberDogs, won the Judge’s Choice Award. The CyberDogs also came in third place for the Design Award.
The seventh grade FIRST Lego League (FLL) team, CyberHounds, won the Judge’s Choice Award for their competition.
A huge congratulations to the students and their coaches — Elana Resnick and Lynn Nichols for the Upper School teams; Katie Schmidt and Lynn Nichols for the Middle School teams — on their hard work and success!
FIFTH GRADER PERFORMS VIOLIN CONCERT TO BENEFIT KENNEDY KRIEGER INSTITUTE
Fifth grader Matthew S. and his older sister Maggie, both accomplished violinists, have been performing benefit concerts for many years. Together, they have raised around $30,000 to benefit nonprofit organizations for children, such as Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI). They debuted at Carnegie Hall in May and took the stage together again in Baltimore in June to perform for an audience of philanthropists and peers.
RESOLVED: GILMAN STUDENTS WIN POLICY DEBATE
danny Gallagher ’23 and James Mackrell ’23 won the varsity policy debate at the Pennsbury Falcon Invitational on Friday, February 4. The tournament is part of the National Circuit for high school debate. This win awarded the Gilman juniors a bid to the Tournament of Champions on April 23. Their topic was whether or not the U.S. federal government should substantially increase its protection of water resources in the United States.
SIX STUDENTS SELECTED FOR 2022 ALL-STATE CHORUSES
Out of 1,900 students from across the state auditioning this year, all six of Gilman’s auditioning choral students were selected for the 2022 All-State Junior and Senior Chorus.
In order from left to right:
Teddy Martin, Junior All-State tenor Jackson heether, Junior All-State baritone Morgan Fanyo-Tabak, Senior All-State tenor dominic Yap, Senior All-State bass Sanjay Geevarghese, Senior All-State tenor Sammy Jin, Senior All-State tenor
FOURTH GRADERS WIN TWO AWARDS AT ROBOTICS COMPETITION
Sunny Legend Robot, the robotics team formed by fourth graders Ethan S. and Gavi w., along with another friend, came away with two achievements from the First Lego League Qualifier event at Rockville Science Center on Saturday, February 19, a competition for children ages 9-16. In their first-ever robotics contest, they won first place for the Robot Performance Award. They also won second place for the Champion Award. These wins advanced the team to the Maryland State Tournament, which was held in March. There, they won the First Robot Performance Award!
