Graland Today - February - March 2018

August-October 2017

By Martin Twarogowski, Charles C. Gates Director of Innovative Learning

In 2011, General Electric conducted a study on the role of innovation in global business by interviewing over 1,000 executives across 12 countries.

For those familiar with Graland’s Gates Invention and Innovation Program, their survey results should not be surprising: • 95% of respondents believe that innovation will be the main factor in creating a more competitive economy • 88% said that innovation is the best job creator in their country continued on page 12

Today

The Innovation Imperative

By Josh Cobb, Head of School

This article on innovation is the second in a series Josh is writing about his strategic focus for 2017-18. Watch for part 3 on inspiration in the next Graland Today.

The current thinking on innovation often comes with a fitting analogy for Graland: climbing mountains.

The recent book, The Other Side of Innovation: Solving the Execution Challenge by Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble, begins with a story of mountain climbers, who after feeling the exhilaration of summiting, are faced with the daunting prospect of descent. The purpose of this metaphorical narrative is to show the two sides of innovation: the excitement of the initial big idea and the somewhat less exciting but equally necessary implementation. To the authors, true innovation takes both ideation and implementation.

Tim Fish, chief innovation officer at the National Association of Independent Schools, also uses the mountain climbing analogy when describing a school’s journey to innovation. In his presentations, he introduces the concept of the second summit. continued on page 8

IN THIS ISSUE:

Gates Program Inspires SchoolWide Learning

February-March 2018

Save the Dates Page 9 Tech Learning Page 13 Lower School Sock Hop Page 14 Classroom Innovation Page 4

Gates Program Page 6

graland.org/golf

Cover Photo: In science, second graders developed and tested hand pollinators that can do the work of bees. The design thinking challenge allowed them to create, test and revise their project for better outcomes.

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9th Annual Eagle Invitational

[Students] didn’t mind struggling and even failing, and they were able to reflect on how their teamwork helped them be successful.

- Heidi Byzcko, see page 5

Join us for a day on the links and support the Graland Parent Association’s biggest fundraiser of the year! Sponsorships are available ranging from Eagle Title Sponsor to individual golfer.

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Graland Today is a monthly publication of Graland Country Day School Volume 6, Issue 3 Send correspondence to: Associate Director of Communications Graland Country Day School 55 Clermont Street Denver, CO 80220 communications@graland.org graland.org

At Graland Country Day School it is our mission to:

GRALAND COMMUNITY

Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament Friday, May 18 / 8:30 a.m. shotgun start* CommonGround Golf Course in Lowry (10300 E. Golfers Way) Dust off those golf clubs and take a swing or two -- it’s time to register for the Eagle Invitational! Go online today to sign up as an individual or foursome and enjoy scramble play plus breakfast, lunch, beverages on the course and a chance to win great prizes!

Achieve intellectual excellence, build strong character, enrich learning through the arts and athletics, and prepare our students to be engaged citizens and thoughtful leaders.

Graland’s Guiding Principles Pursue Excellence Guide Critical Thinking Instill Integrity Inspire Leadership Promote Independence Stimulate Innovation Honor Individuality Cultivate Compassion Embrace Experiences Celebrate Perseverance Value Tradition Build Community

Ascende Omnem Montem

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*Rain date: Wednesday, May 23.

GRALAND STUDENTS

Junior Eagle Invitational Thursday, May 17 / 3:30-6:30 p.m.

CommonGround Golf Course in Lowry Compete in the junior version of the Eagle Invitational and take a shot at great prizes -- not to mention bragging rights!

Players must have golf experience and be able to carry their own clubs, keep proper score and navigate the course.

Graland’s Future Inventors

By Nan Remington, Head of Lower School

While checking out the new Lower School playground, I had a discussion with a group of second-graders about what kind of jobs they would like to have in the future. I was expecting the usual “firefighter,” “teacher” or “race car driver.” But what I heard surprised me.

Both boys and girls were very enthusiastic about an occupation that wasn’t on my radar. It was the job of “inventor.” When I asked them what they would like to invent, the response was, “Whatever we need, Mrs. Remington!”

Future Employability These students are right in line with the type of employees that economists, business leaders, and technology companies are seeking: employees that can offer value that goes beyond the traditional skills of showing up on time and following a set of instructions. Employers are now looking for people who can think independently as they identify and solve increasingly complex problems. A 2016 World Economic Forum report predicts, “In 2020 more than one-third (36 percent) of all jobs across all industries are expected to require complex problemsolving as one of their core skills.” Surprisingly, the report also states, “By one popular estimate, 65 percent of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.”

Industries, and chief compliance officer at Aerdron. I see these skills being developed daily throughout Graland with Morning Meetings, advisories, Tinker Time in the Gates Innovation Lab, project-based pursuits such as the Gates Invention and Innovation Program, and service-learning experiences.

In our Lower School classrooms students are learning to collaborate, take turns and negotiate with peers through dynamic classroom approaches. They are listening carefully to their peers to solve a problem together. They are learning to effectively communicate their ideas. Some are learning to slow down and enjoy the process, and others are practicing how to observe, learn and apply their knowledge to new situations.

Author Thomas Friedman, a columnist with the New York Times, feels “the only way to equip children for the future of work is develop their imagination, creativity, and emotional intelligence. If the world is changing, the best thing we can do is equip them for change. They need to be emotionally resilient with a habit of self-directed lifelong learning.”

Graland students view themselves as scientists, writers, mathematicians and problem-solvers. Now, through their innovative experiences at Graland, they can confidently add “inventor” to their list of skills and talents.

Nan uses her master’s degree in educational psychology to support young students and their families in finding the best path for a positive elementary education. Outside of school, she hikes, reads and spends time with her grandchildren.

A Case for Soft Skills Graland’s teachers create a school experience that allows students to develop the needed skills for careers in the future. Critical thinking, collaboration, experimentation, perseverance and empathy are all a part of an innovation curriculum that provides students the opportunities to solve problems. From preschool through Grade 8, students learn the principles of design thinking to solve problems. The process is similar to what companies and organizations are utilizing to find solutions to the challenges their companies are facing.

An innovative approach to learning develops those “soft skills” that aren’t measured on standardized tests or through a traditional grading system. “Creativity, the capacity to think differently, and soft skills which complement academic abilities are essential ingredients of innovation—a dish best seasoned with a healthy dose of motivation,” states Balvinder Singh Powar, professor at IE Business School, board member at Booster Space Graland Today

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Lower School News

Innovation in the Classroom

By Katie Stratman, Grade 2 Teacher

It’s hard to engage in a conversation about the future of the education system in America these days without hearing the word “innovation.”

Innovation schools are popping up all around, books about incorporating innovation in the classroom are everywhere and it seems that if your school isn’t innovating, it isn’t doing what’s best for students. As an educator who has always loved to incorporate the latest technology into the classroom and is always interested in changing up the way I teach, I was immediately on board when I heard this new and exciting term used around school. Eagerly, I started incorporating iPads in my lessons more often, looked for new apps for students to demonstrate their learning, and wanted to be upto-date on the latest and greatest in technology. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I learned that innovation isn’t just about using technology. In fact, using technology is only a small, and not always necessary, aspect of innovation.

To embark on my journey toward incorporating innovation in the classroom, I joined an innovation mini-cohort led by Elizabeth Leddy and Martin Twarogowski and started reading the book Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner. Through these outlets, I learned that being innovative is about developing a growth mindset 4

where mistakes are valued and perseverance is more important than success. Discovering this thrilled me as I realized that I could start to build innovators in my classroom using picture books, paper and pencil, discussions and many other tools that are readily available and don’t need to be plugged in. In our first innovation mini-cohort meeting, I learned that the key skills of innovators are: empathy, creative thinking, critical thinking, grit/perseverance, experimentation and collaboration.

My first lesson designed with innovation in mind was focused on Social Studies. I laid out all my Social Studies resources, determined the goal for the lesson and put the list of innovation skills next to me. Not only was I pleased to find how easily Social Studies and innovation skills overlap, but I was also excited by the idea of making Denver’s history come alive for the students.

First, the students had to develop empathy for the experience of the Native Americans living in this area in the 1800s. Then, they had to research what life was like for them and come up with thoughtful questions that would help them improve their lives. Finally, they had to work together with a partner and create a tool to help the Native Americans survive. The students were given paper

bags, straws, foam, packing peanuts and yarn to create a prototype of their tool. It was hard to choose which was my favorite part of the project. I loved hearing the students’ questions about life for the Native Americans in the 1800s. The ideas they came up with as tools for indigenous peoples to use were so creative and focused around a true understanding of their needs. However, preparing for students’ own ideas not working out was probably the most beneficial piece of the lesson for all of us. We discussed how often our first ideas don’t work and how that doesn’t mean they were bad, but that they need adjusting. Throughout the lesson students tried and failed, adjusted, readjusted, talked, problem solved, and tried again and again to create the best tool.

Teaching with innovation isn’t revolutionary. It doesn’t require hours of planning and research. What it does require, however, is the willingness to not know the answer, to help students learn the value of failure and to be open to engaging in conversations about the ways life is different for everyone. When we nurture these skills in our students, we are creating innovators.

With a master’s degree in reading and curriculum instruction, Katie joined the Graland faculty in 2010. She is originally from Cincinnati and says that Graland is a place where talented teachers, amazing families and hard-working students make teaching a great experience.

Making the Most of the Makerspace

By Ashleigh Finn, Lead Librarian, and Elizabeth Leddy, Innovative Learning Specialist

Since opening the Corkins Center just over a year ago, teachers and students have enjoyed incredible resources like the Gates Innovation Lab, Borgen Family Makerspace and Hunt Family Learning Commons. Thanks to these amazing new spaces, we were able to introduce an activity that has generated a lot of excitement for See developing innovation: Tinker Time.

Twa Martin With this excitement, we wanted to give teachers ro cove gowski’s the resources and ability to teach innovation skills rs independently, in addition to Tinker Time and the mor tory for ea Gates Program. Using a summer grant from Graland, Tinke bout we created 10 makerspace lesson plans for the Lower r Tim e.

School that focus on the six innovation skills. Our Makerspace Kits are accessible, easy to use and need minimal prep work. An emphasis on sustainability means that the materials in the kits can be reused. Each one follows a “recipe” for success by stating clearly: • Appropriate grade level • Subject area • Ideas for using the lesson (small groups, whole class, buddy activity) • Innovation skills highlighted • Best location for the lesson (Borgen Family Makerspace, Gates Innovation Lab and/or the classroom).

After introducing Makerspace Kits in September, classroom teachers quickly adopted the lessons and incorporated them into their teaching. “What I loved most about the kit was the fact that students began to recognize that failure was necessary to succeed,” shares Jackie Senkosky, Grade 2 support teacher. “I continued to challenge them as they continued to succeed, and that motivated them to work even harder.

They absolutely loved it.”

Our kits also focus on differentiation, allowing a variety of thinkers and learners to be successful. First grade teacher Heidi Byzcko shares, “It was so simple to set up, but it was a powerful and fun exploration for our class. The best part by far was the amount of collaboration and perseverance it promoted among the students. Instead of giving up or fighting with one another, I watched as our little groups became critical thinkers, planners, problem solvers and communicators, all while giggling away and taking a lot of pride in the project. They didn’t mind struggling and even failing, and they were able to reflect on how their teamwork helped them be successful.”

We will continue adding kits to our collection with the ultimate goal of empowering teachers to incorporate more innovation lessons into their classrooms and their curriculum.

A makerspace provides creative ways for students to invent, tinker, explore and discover as they engage in hands-on science and engineering challenges.

Ashleigh and Elizabeth collaborate to bring innovation to Lower School students through literacy and hands-on tinkering. With a combined total of three master’s degrees and two bachelor’s, these educators are well equipped to continue impacting student learning in exciting new ways!

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Middle School News

Designs of the Heart

By Andy Dodge, Co-Director of Gates Invention and Innovation Program

All children are natural inventors, but empathy is a learned trait. This has become a core belief of the Gates Invention and Innovation Program at Graland.

For the past 18 years the Gates program has sparked the kind of learning that ignites young minds by providing students with an authentic opportunity to solve real world problems with an original working invention of their own design. Inventors are encouraged to tinker, create, innovate and to explore the imaginative depths of their own ideas. Such an approach develops critical thinking, creative problem solving, collaboration, risk taking and perseverance (grit). These qualities are currently considered among the most essential indicators of future success. However, we as Gates coaches, know that this process is at its best when the inventor works, fails, struggles and ultimately perseveres in a genuine effort to serve others.

Understanding Empathy Like our students, Gates coaches are innovators too, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our program to ensure that our student inventors get the most from their experience. During a reflection meeting a few years ago, coaches reviewed the elements of design thinking and saw that we had an opportunity to grow in the area of empathy.

Empathy is a central element of the program, and is in fact the genesis of design thinking. To better understand a situation and to see where improvements can be made, one has to “see” the problem from multiple perspectives, and ask questions to clarify and guide the decisions that lead to new solutions. Empathy clarifies, illuminates and guides the problem that an inventor is trying to solve. It is also key to monitoring the outcome of their project, allowing the inventor to check for success or shortcomings based on the thoughts, 6

feelings and reactions of those for whom the product is intended.

The first step toward increasing empathy is drawing students’ attention to the troubles of others. We begin each Gates season with activities that encourage inventors to look at different situations and challenges from multiple perspectives, and then to interview people. Inventors are sent out into the world to talk with people about various “experiences,” and to then break down the feelings and thoughts that different people have about the same experience. While this can be a lofty conversation, it can also be as simple as talking about breakfast, and discovering that not everyone experiences their morning meal in the same way. Such activities help students to resist “singlesolution thinking” and the tunnel vision that can plague those focused on a sole remedy to their own particular problem.

Students in Grades 7/8 are emboldened in this process through work with the Empathy Field Guide from the Institute of Design at Stanford. They learn to build rapport, understand the user and to dig for stories and feelings. These are used in turn to inform important decisions in the ideation and design process.

Employing Empathy Gates coaches know that when focused on others, inventors tend to see more divergent opportunities, persist through obstacles, and have a strong desire to persevere, feeling that they owe it to

someone else to do their best to make things better. This determination inspires students in making sure their projects are practical, thoroughly functional and polished, and gives them a real audience to confirm that things work, and that they have addressed the needs of their constituents.

Examples abound. This year fifth grader Sloane Thompson is developing a self-medication system to increase the independence of those who suffer from multiple sclerosis. Max and Amelia Birner (6) are developing a method to make outdoor staircases safer. And eighth grader Grace Dale is working on a biodegradable fish hook, in order to minimize dangerous trash from fishing, while her classmate, Millie Brophy (8), is developing an outdoor water shower purification system that will filter out a common parasitic worm found in the bathing water of many third world countries.

These and other examples promote in young people the belief and understanding that their own unique ideas not only have merit and value, but are indeed the very substance of hope in helping to change the lives of others.

A Graland Master Teacher, Andy co-leads and coaches in the Gates program and teaches Grade 5 science. He has a master’s degree in educational leadership and enjoys martial arts (black belt), beekeeping and cycling.

Citizens of the Digital World

By Betsy Metcalfe, Wellness Teacher

The next time you are out in public, take a look around. On the light rail, in the doctor’s waiting room, inside restaurants, in the check-out line ... everywhere people are looking down at the their devices to access text messages, websites, music, maps.

Even toddlers know how to pull up online games or songs to entertain themselves. We are saturated by all that technology offers us.

And while there is so much that is positive about these tools, from connecting with friends and family to the instant availability of information, it is important that kids are taught how to protect themselves from some of the potential dangers when online.

For this reason, the Middle School wellness curriculum begins each year with a digital life unit covering safety, security and citizenship. The goal is to “empower students to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions online” using curriculum from Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

As the curriculum builds upon lessons from previous years, students are armed with tools, skills and resources to avoid potential online pitfalls, and they learn how to handle difficulties should they occur. We spend time discussing how to handle mean or scary messages through blocking, reporting and seeking assistance from trusted adults. Likewise, they can use these same tools to act as upstanders to friends who may be experiencing cyberbullying or any unkindness in the digital world.

It’s now common practices for secondary schools, colleges, universities and employers to access online profiles as they evaluate candidates so we also focus on the concept of the digital footprint. Students learn to monitor their online profiles to ensure the content reflects their individual values and character.

Because opportunities for online connections are continually changing -- think of multiplayer role-playing games, for example -- it is important to hold conversations around digital citizenship both in and out of the classroom. I recommend commonsensemedia.org for great advice and resources that will help you build a relationship of trust with your children. Kids will make mistakes and as adults we can guide them through the sometimes challenging and murky waters of the digital world.

Betsy wears many hats at Graland: wellness teacher, eighth grade advisor, co-chair of the Peer Leaders Program and trip leader for the Grade 8 Civil Rights Trip. She has a master’s degree in curriculum and development with a concentration in conflict resolution.

Take the Critical Thinking Challenge

By Marti Champion, Head of Middle School

“Google it!”

Who knew a phrase that didn’t exist just decades ago could change the way we operate almost on a daily basis? In a day and age when access to anything we want is virtually at our fingertips, it’s much easier to “Google it!” than take the challenge to think critically.

In our success-driven culture, it takes courage to try something new and risk failing. However, if we were to “Google it,” history shows that failure was a change agent in the world of innovation. But, not without the critical thinking that took place before and after that said failure.

Critical thinking can be defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Innovation is borne from critical thinking when we take our approaches out of the box and open our minds to solving problems in new ways. One way Graland recognizes critical thinking skills in our students is through the Middle School’s Grading Purpose Statement. We ask middle schoolers to go beyond rote memorization and regurgitation and we empower them “to better understand, articulate, and take responsibility for their progression toward mastering learning objectives.”

It is with a critical eye we are asking students to look at their progress. Yes, grades are important, but a Graland education is about learning how not to simply “do school” to get the grade. We anticipate there will be times when children fail; they will struggle and have to pick themselves up and persevere to achieve a more successful result. These experiences are how they learn to think and figure things out for themselves.

It’s certainly easier to “Google it,” but developing the ability to think critically will help students be innovators who can impact the future in incredible ways.

Marti has a master’s degree in curriculum and pedagogy from the University of Colorado-Denver. A former English teacher and Denver native, she loves chocolate, tennis and Sunday dinners with the family.

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continued from page 1

The Innovation Imperative

Once a school has followed a concept to a certain stage, there is a slight descent as the school implements changes and readies itself for the more arduous and possibly more rewarding climb to a second peak. When I review Graland’s history, I see many examples of first, second and even third summits. Georgia Nelson’s initial intention to create a school that was counter to the “school as factory” model of that time was a premise that she followed over several summits, creating the foundation of Graland as a dynamic learning environment that fostered lifelong athletes, artists, scholars and leaders.

Today, influenced by provocative and substantial thinkers on this topic — Alan November, Yong Zhao and Tony Wagner, to name a few — we begin our own path to implementation. In his works, Creating Innovators and Most Likely to Succeed, Wagner details a clear roadmap to educational transformation. In Creating Innovators, he establishes that schools with a culture of innovation “are organized around the values of: collaboration, multidisciplinary learning, thoughtful risk-taking, trial and error, creating, and intrinsic motivation: play, passion and purpose.”

Interestingly, those values, as essential as they are, don’t always translate into change. A tradition of stagnation often smothers any possible revolution in schools.

Motivated by this lack of traction, Wagner and his coauthor Ted Dintersmith stress the necessity of change in their latest book, Most Likely to Succeed. They powerfully summarize the current educational crisis: “Today’s youth live in a world brimming with opportunity. Some will create, catalyze, and capitalize on a dynamic world hungry for innovation. Others will be left behind. Students who only know how to perform well

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in today’s education system — get good grades and test scores, and earn degrees — will no longer be those who are most likely to succeed. Thriving in the twenty-first century will require real competencies, far more than academic credentials.” Wagner and Dintersmith forcefully and convincingly argue for the urgent need for change. We can no longer just be intrigued by the idea of innovation. We must implement it.

Throughout their book, Wagner and Dintersmith define the skills students will need to thrive in this century and provide strategies to foster those competencies. First, they expand the definition of innovation beyond the “bells and whistles” of technology: “The impact of innovation on education isn’t in using technology to deliver obsolete education experiences. It lies in understanding what skills students need in the innovation era and constructing classroom experiences that promote skills that matter.”

The authors believe that these experiences should help students develop the “will to ask new questions, solve new problems, and create new knowledge.” Only by fostering intrinsic motivation will schools achieve what the authors see as the true purpose of schools: “to tap into the passions of students, help them develop critical skills and decisive life advantages, and inspire them.” This purpose doesn’t differ much from how Ms. Nelson envisioned and executed a Graland education many years ago.

More recently, Graland has pursued another version of that same vision, one symbolized by the Corkins Center and the Gates Invention and Innovation Program. The Corkins Center is a place devoted to the values of innovation that Wagner described in Creating Innovators, as well as the tenets of design thinking. It emphasizes collaboration, experimentation and

creation. It promotes empathy as the catalyst for creativity. It helps students find play, purpose and passion. As we implement the ideas of Wagner and others, I see the Corkins Center and what it represents as both an achievement, a summit, as well as the next mountain on the horizon that continues to inspire us to fully embrace those principles.

As we embark on this journey to the next summit, Govindarajan and Trimble help us simplify and broaden our definition of innovation: “An innovation initiative is any project that is new to you and has an uncertain outcome.” Our educators are not just applying design thinking in the Gates Lab, they are applying it to tasks as disparate as schedule redesign and service learning. They are envisioning our students as social innovators and encouraging them to tackle far-reaching global problems. They are inspiring our students, from as young as three, to engage in daily challenges that require both intellect and character, that build resilience and resourcefulness. Fundamentally, it is the work of educators, day in and day out, that guarantees that we implement the powerful idea and make it sustainable over many summits. While you read through this issue, you will see us strive to follow the school’s motto, Ascende Omnem Montem, as we create a culture of innovation for our students and their future success.

With a master’s degree in private school leadership from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center, Josh is embracing his new role as Head of School. Be sure to join his first Book Club on Feb. 8 (6-7 p.m.)

Save the Date Friday, April 20 2017-2018

Grandparents & Special Friends Day Invitation to follow

Not sure if Graland can get in touch with you?

Contact Jeri Volpe ( jvolpe@graland.org or 303-399-8370) to share your contact information and receive event invitations and further information.

in the Hunt Family Learning Commons to discuss All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

Alumni Reunion Save the Dates Friday, May 18 - Sunday, May 20

Please watch for invitations to follow and visit our reunion website: graland.org/reunion. For questions, contact Kristin Eklund ’88 Weber (kweber@graland.org or 303.398.3623).

Friday, May 18 9th Annual Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament (graland.org/golf) Alumni Pub Crawl

Saturday, May 19 Signature alumni reunion party for all alumni 21+ Celebrating milestone years for the classes of: 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008

Sunday, May 20 Family picnic for all alumni and kickball game for the classes of 2010-2017

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Development News MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT

Support Graland in a tax-efficient manner GIVING HOW-TO: Appreciated Stock Don’t overlook the benefits of gifting appreciated stock. With the stock market at historic highs, donors should consider making a new gift or fulfilling a pledge with appreciated stock instead of cash. If you have gift stock that has increased in value since you bought it (more than a year ago), you can take a charitable deduction (if you itemize) for the stock’s fair market value on the day you made the gift. Additionally, you will avoid capital gains taxes on the increase in value of the shares gifted. For those age 70 ½ and older who are considering a gift to Graland, think about gifting your required mandatory distribution (RMD) from your IRA tax-free.

Gifts of Appreciated Stock

Donor Tax deduction

no capital gains tax

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Graland sells securities immediately Donor dollars go right to work for students teachers and programs

GRALAND

COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Q&A with the Director of Development

With Thanks

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$$$

Appreciated Stock

Thank you to Graland parent Jason R. Graybill, CFA, for sharing his expertise for this article.

The Gates Corporation, led by Graland parent Ivo Jurek, recently supported innovative learning with a $50,000 grant to purchase new equipment for the Gates Innovation Lab including a 3D printer and large format printer. Here’s more from Tom Pitstick, chief marketing officer: “Gates has been an important innovator since 1911; a core value we share with Graland is our desire to stay curious. Graland is setting the right foundation for students to be curious and develop ideas. We support your philosophy to instill this at a young age and believe there is a correlation between innovation and success. Innovation is a mindset; one of curiosity and risk taking. We want to inspire kids to get into the fields of engineering and science which is good for Denver, Gates and the world.”

Thank you to the innovators at the Gates Corporation for their generous support!

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Question: How does giving to Graland support

innovative learning?

Jessica Goski: Innovation touches every student at

Graland from the youngest preschooler to the graduating class of 2018!

Here are some examples of how your gift goes to work to support our exceptional programming: •

Creative use of the digital media studio ranging from Grade 5 musical to Lower School dance videos and news reports

• •

Tinker Time supplies (see page 5) The new recording studio in the Hamilton-Reiman Building (see page 13) Classroom tools like Smart Boards, iPad carts, educational apps and 1:1 devices in the Middle School Cross-curricular projects such as the art, math and science collaboration Middle School film class Professional development funding for teachers who want to be more innovative in their curriculum and projects

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• • •

Alumni News

David McMurtry ‘94 Honored at Annual Party At this fall’s annual Alumni Cocktail Party, alumni and their parents joined faculty (past and present) in the Corkins Center to visit with each other and celebrate the 2017 Nancy Nye ‘39 Priest Alumni Award honoree, David McMurtry ’94. Mrs. Priest was in attendance greeting everyone with her characteristic warmth and enthusiasm.

David was introduced by Mr. Hickey and Mrs. Hanson, both of whom spoke warmly of him as a student and as an adult. David then reflected on the incredible relationships he built as a child and expressed sincere gratitude to both his late mother, Lynn McMurtry, and the late Mrs. Glasscock. A dyslexic student, David described the challenges of Graland’s rigorous academics and his appreciation for teachers like Mrs. Priest and her experiential approach.

Now a motivational speaker and the

co-owner/operator of a Goddard School in Denver with his wife Alison, David was recently the featured speaker at a Middle School assembly. He facilitated an enthusiastic, interactive and personal conversation about attitude and the

choices we make about how we show up in the world.

Congratulations to David and thank you to all who came to reconnect and celebrate.

The Winding Path to Success

By Kristin Eklund ‘88 Weber, Associate Director of Alumni Relations

We all know the value of reading, but Nicole Malo ‘94 can confidently say a book changed her life and set her on the path to becoming a successful city planner.

Aside from an interest in sustainability cultivated at Graland and a concern for human health, Nicole was unsure about what she wanted to be when she grew up. An impactful study abroad experience in Spain gave her a new perspective on the planning of cities and she soon transferred to the University of Miami, located in a diverse, multilingual city, to continue learning new patterns of culture and design. Classes in geography, economic development and urban design led to a bachelor’s degree but, she says humbly, “I graduated without understanding how to translate my education into a career.”

Fortunately, Nicole’s next move became clear when she was gifted a book that recognizes how environmentally sensitive practices, policies and technology are both valuable and profitable.

As she studied the concepts in Natural Capitalism: The Next Industrial Revolution, she discovered how to merge her personal interests with her professional aspirations. Boldly, Nicole walked into the city planning office in Key West and applied for an entry level position.

She got the job and, as part of a small team, she was exposed to the broad swath of city planning issues: “I learned how to apply the principles of the book and my travels to gain support

for those sustainability interests and write effective policy to enforce them. I could see my direct impact on building esthetic, green footprint, water conservation, affordable housing, walkability, hazard mitigation, park improvements, and historic preservation.”

After more than seven years in this role, Nicole returned to Denver and opened her own land use consulting firm, CityGal Solutions, where she leverages her strengths in strategic planning and visioning, relationship building and public engagement for her clients. “I learned a great deal about the importance of collaboration at Graland,” she says. “Successful projects are always a result of working with a range of expertise and vision.

The community engagement and outreach piece of what I do demands empathizing with others about their own diverse needs and incorporating that into a vision. Listening to the community’s ideas and concerns and responding to those needs is a fulfilling challenge, one that I love to lean into. One of the most important lessons from the book that I have strived to apply is that profitability and being a steward of our environment are not mutually exclusive.”

Although it took years of experimentation to identify her professional passion, Nicole is grateful for the life experiences that led to a successful career where she positively impacts both the Denver environment and the quality of life of its residents.

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continued from page 1

Gates Program Inspires School-Wide Learning

• More than 70% agreed that creativity, collaboration and empathy are among the most important factors for helping companies innovate.

Middle schoolers have been learning and practicing innovation skills for more than 18 years in the Gates program. As we were dreaming of the possibilities the Corkins Center would bring us, it became quite clear that what we know and value about the Gates program needed to be shared and integrated throughout the entire school. Over the past year, we have continued to tinker with incorporating innovation skills into our everyday classroom curriculum. With the help and vision of our innovative learning specialist, Elizabeth Leddy, we have identified six skills that we believe are essential to innovation.

1. Empathy: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

2. Creative Thinking: Go outside the box.

3. Critical Thinking: Use existing knowledge and new information to solve problems. Ask good questions.

4. Grit/Perseverance: Keep trying. Push through failures.

5. Experimentation: Try, fix, try some more.

6. Collaboration: Work together, share, listen, communicate.

Understand your own strengths and weaknesses while embracing others.

Tinker Time Develops Innovation Skills Each of these skills is learned and practiced by students during their innovation sessions, called Tinker Time, where they participate in intentionally-designed challenges sequentially ordered by difficulty. For example, a low-level grit challenge might ask students to simply build their favorite fruit out of LEGOSTM. This may seem like a simple task, however perseverance is required to overcome the limitation that the bricks are odd-shaped, blocky and red, when all you really want to do is build a banana!

On the other, more difficult end of the grit spectrum, students build a mini Rube Goldberg contraption with marble mazes and dominos. If you’ve ever tried the “line ‘em up and knock ‘em down” domino game, you know it is arguably the most frustrating activity you have ever done in your life. We put this activity at a high grit level and do not introduce it until students have practiced persevering through adversity with less frustrating challenges.

One of the most important components of these challenges is reflection. Students think about the day’s challenge and articulate which of the innovation skills they used and how. It’s pretty amazing listening to a pair of kindergartners debate the difference between creative and critical thinking and why it was an important part of the challenge.

Transferring Tinker Time to the Classroom Once students and teachers have gone through the gauntlet of tinker challenges, they start applying these newly learned and practiced skills in their classrooms, taking advantage of their new innovation vocabulary. Recently teachers participating in the program have begun working with Mrs. Leddy to evaluate how they can add innovation and design thinking elements to existing lessons in all subject areas.

As we rotate classes through Tinker Time in the lab, other students benefit from the new Makerspace Kits (see article on page 5). Lower School students are also getting plenty of practice with innovation skills during science class. For several years, Graland’s science teachers have been engaging students with their engineering design projects all of which incorporate the six innovation skills.

During the past year as we have experimented with Tinker Time, I realized that these concepts are not anything new for Graland. In my nine years of witnessing my own children make their way through Graland, I have seen each of our six innovation skills practiced daily in one form or another. Tinker Time has helped us define and create universal vocabulary for concepts we have been implementing all along. It also has formalized essential skill development with intentionality.

Among Graland’s guiding principles is “Stimulate Innovation” and we are making it our goal to create innovators who have the necessary skills to be successful in the competitive economy of the future.

Martin is a native of Fort Collins with three children at Graland. His favorite part of working at Graland is the students -- watching them tackle challenges with confidence and grit. Ask him about his favorite camping spots in Colorado.

12

Tech Takes Learning to New Levels

By Mimi McMann, Associate Director of Communications

Teachers throughout Graland are embracing the tech revolution in education! With access to smart tools like iPads and advanced equipment like a recording studio, students are gaining experience and new media skills that prepare them for future challenges at school and on the job. Here are some examples of how tech lessons are engaging students in productive learning at Graland.

Music + Tech Aptly named, Music Tech allows students to blend two favorite subjects into one engaging class. During a recent lesson, seventh graders arranged music for classic rock tunes like Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles and Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen. With teacher Justin Miera, they learned basic guitar chords and recorded each other playing guitar to the songs. Then they laid their guitar track down over the song’s MIDI track, adding bass notes with a keyboard.

“It was fun to learn how to use all the equipment to record each other,” says Sara Burke (7). “We also worked together to help each other. When someone was playing, other kids were the recording engineers.”

Music Tech 8’s rock arrangement project had eighth graders also recording acoustic guitar and electronic bass tracks to match the tempo and key of downloaded MIDI files. They then mixed all the tracks together. Taking the lesson further, a group of students created a mock radio show called Route 66 Radio.

They acted as DJs to describe their arrangements and play their music.

Two Music Tech students took their new skills and applied them to Spanish class. When eighth graders John Drumm and Mack Swett were tasked with making a video to demonstrate their knowledge of Spanish grammar, they collaborated with their classmates to write, record and mix a Spanish rap song which was, as you can imagine, a hit with their peers and teachers.

Social Studies + Spanish Speaking of Spanish, teacher Christi James designed a creative lesson using multiple technology tools to complement a social studies unit in Grade 3.

Earlier in the year, students learned about the animals that are native to Colorado and researched facts such as habitat, diet and predators. Logan Gadbury found out that skunks are nocturnal animals in the Colorado foothills and that “their spray is called ‘musk.’” He was surprised to learn that skunks are omnivores; they eat anything small enough to fit in their mouths.

Using a shoebox, he created a diorama of the skunk’s life zone and filled it with trees and several clay skunks lounging near a stream.

Taking these skunk facts over to his world language class, Logan learned new Spanish vocabulary such as “Es de color negro y blanco” and the term for a skunk’s habitat, los matorrales montañosos. He wrote a script in Spanish about the skunk, practiced it on his own and with others, and finally recited it in front of the green screen while Señora James recorded him on an iPad. Then, he merged a photo of his diorama with his video recording to place himself in the foothills scene. This

“movie magic” was achieved with an app called Green Screen.

Señora James then took the lesson one step further and encouraged her students to create their own fantasy creatures known as alebrijes in Mexican folk art.

They used their animal vocabulary in Spanish to “build,” name and describe an animal from their imaginations. They rendered their alebrijes using a medium of their choice: digitally, artistically or manually using LEGOSTM or other materials.

“I’ve found that learning these skills and using new technology result in more engaging presentations and more impactful collaboration,” says Señora James. “Online games, for example, support differentiation as students work at their own pace to practice their pronunciation and progress to more difficult lessons when they are ready. The technology piece allows me to use my time more efficiently and reinforces the visual aspects of language learning.”

There are many more ways students and teachers are showing their creativity through innovative projects and lessons.

We’re proud to show how Graland is using its tools and facilities to enhance learning and engage our learners.

Graland Today

I 13

50s Fun at the Lower School Sock Hop

By Mimi McMann, Associate Director of Communications

While it’s great to be a kid pretty much year-round, one of the highlights of spring for our younger students is the Lower School Sock Hop, a rockin’ 50s party complete with food, DJ, crafting and a photo booth with props. It’s an afternoon of fun designed for students in Preschool to Grade 4. No big kids allowed!

An event that serves more than 400 children and another hundred or so adults is no easy feat. Enter cochairs Emily McGee and Caro Williams and their large team of volunteers.

“We started planning in December but the handson work kicks off 24 hours ahead of the Sock Hop,” says Caro. “There are about 40 parent volunteers who transform the gymnasium into a fantastic 50s party. It’s really a collaborative effort between parents and the staff who support us at Graland, especially the facilities department.”

The Sock Hop is held on a half-day Friday (March 2), allowing for parents and guardians to pick up their children after dismissal and head straight to the dance.

All children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone who attends the event for free.

No 50s party is complete without a diner, which back in the day was a popular social spot for youngsters. The Sock Hop Diner fits the bill with burgers, hot dogs, potato chips, fruit and veggies. Frosted Rice KrispieTM treats in themed shapes are a particular hit. Last year, 200 of the desserts sold out in a heartbeat.

Part of the fun is the chance to dress up in costume, and new this year there’s a donation bin in the Georgia Nelson Building basement where families can donate gently used 50s attire to help out a fellow parent. Costumes from the bin are available on a first-come, first-served basis so if you have something, drop it off. If you need something, pick it up!

We say “no big kids allowed,” but make an exception for a fun group of eighth graders who volunteer to manage activity stations and work the dance floor to get the younger students moving and grooving. “Having the older students there is a big hit with the kids,” says Emily. “It’s a great way for eighth graders to give back and also to get a last experience with the Sock Hop before they graduate.”

Parents can also sign up to volunteer for the Sock Hop through the GPA Resource Board under the Topics tab. Caro and Emily welcome your help with setup, breakdown or event management.

“The Sock Hop is a super great opportunity to get to know parents from other classes and it is such a fun event,” shares Emily. “I was hooked when I saw the joy and happiness that it brings to the kids.”

See you at the Sock Hop! 14

The Sock Hop is Rockin’ Friday, Mar. 2 • 12-1:30 p.m.

Hamilton Gymnasium

This 50s-style event is for students in Preschool-Grade 4 only, accompanying adults and younger siblings.* graland.org/sockhop *Adult chaperones are required; adults and younger siblings (2 and under) are free. This event is funded by ticket sales which also provide a small donation back to the GPA.

Upcoming GPA Events February Feb. 2: GPA General Meeting, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Caulkins Boardroom Feb. 8: PEN Book Club with Josh, 6-7 p.m., Hunt Family Learning Commons

Join Josh Cobb as he hosts his first Book Club as Head of School! The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr tells the powerful, intersecting tales of a blind French girl and a German orphan boy during World War II. Please join Mr. Cobb as he draws on his experience as a literature teacher, an educator and a parent to facilitate a conversation on the universal dilemma of parenting—how do we choose the right balance of structure and freedom to raise healthy and resourceful adults?

March March 2: GPA General Meeting, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Caulkins Boardroom March 2: Lower School Sock Hop, 12-1:30 p.m., Hamilton Gymnasium March 6: PEN Speaker, Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, 6:30-8 p.m. in Fries Family Theater March 14-16: Spring Book Fair in Hunt Family Learning Commons

Go Graland: Visit the Graland Store!

Thursdays throughout the school year 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Hamilton Reiman Building Show your school spirit with cozy comfort wear like hoodies, super soft tees and lounge pants from the Graland Store. There’s something for every budget ... stop by and take a look!

Reading is Fun: Shop the Spring Book Fair March 14-16 Hunt Family Learning Commons The Book Fair starts after school on Wednesday and continues during parent/student/teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday. Watch Graland Online for details!

Parent Education Network (PEN) Presents:

Dr. Sheryl Zeigler: “Parental Burnout”

Tuesday, March 6 6:30-8 p.m. • Fries Family Theater Over the course of more than 10 years, Dr. Ziegler has led 10,000+ face-to-face sessions focused on parental burnout and its related issues, including anxiety, depression and divorce. She will examine the modern epidemic among parents who put their children’s happiness above their own and other related issues, empowering her audience with strategies based on research for alleviating this condition and restoring a parent’s self-worth while keeping kids healthy in the process.

Dr. Ziegler, a psychologist specializing in children and families, founded and operates The Child and Family Therapy Center at Lowry. She is the author of Mommy Burnout - How Addressing Yours Will Make You a Better Mother and Create a Better Life for Your Children and serves as the “go-to” family and parenting expert with weekly appearances on news programs for Denver’s local Fox, NBC and CW networks.

April April 6: GPA General Meeting, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Corkins Center April 6: Spring Art Show and Ice Cream Social, 3:15-5 p.m.

GPA Council Nominations Serving on the Graland Parent Association Council is a fun and rewarding way to get more involved at Graland. Online nominations begin in March, so consider nominating yourself (or another parent/guardian) for a leadership position. In the meantime, reach out to GPA President Kim Montgomery or any of the current Council members to learn more.

Graland Today

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NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 2006

Graland Country Day School 55 Clermont Street Denver, CO 80220 303.399.0390 graland.org

Community Calendar February

8 Book Club with Josh (see page 15)

19 Presidents Day (no school) 20 Professional Development Day

(no school for students)

21 Grade 7 Memory Box Project

March

YOU’RE INVITED:

Gates Expo Thursday, March 8 1-3 p.m. • Hamilton Gymnasium Come see the culmination of this year’s Gates Invention and Innovation Program -- the Gates Expo. Inspired inventors used empathy and critical thinking to develop brand new products that solve everyday problems. Cruise around the gym, talk to inventors and prepare to be wowed!

6 PEN Speaker Dr. Sheryl Ziegler (see page 15) 8 Gates Expo

14 Grade 4 Musical 15-16 Student-led Conferences and GPA Book Fair

23 Noon Dismissal for Spring Break

April

(Mar. 23-Apr. 2)

3 School Resumes 6 Spring Art Show & Ice Cream Social

Stay Connected and GoGraland!

1 16

Join us on

2

Update your contact information. graland.org/stayconnected

3

Visit campus for a community event.

Please recycle this publication or view it online at graland.org in the news section.