Graland Today - Winter 2018

August-October 2017

Peer Cohorts Help Faculty Grow

By Gail Sonnesyn, Associate Head of School

Being the professionals they are, Graland faculty are eager to receive feedback and want it from multiple sources.

This truth was gleaned from a faculty survey completed in 2017 as a task force delved into creating a more effective faculty evaluation system, now being implemented as part of Graland’s new Faculty Growth Feedback Model. It includes both a formal evaluation process and a continued on page 14

Today

Collaboration, the Ally of Improvement

By Josh Cobb, Head of School

When I started at Graland, I felt pretty good about myself. I loved teaching literature and composition to my ninth-grade students. I was passionate and proud of my reading list that included classical masters like Homer and Shakespeare, and more contemporary literary geniuses—Toni Morrison and Isabelle Allende.

I was also fulfilled by having the autonomy to try and refine innovative teaching practices. Overall, I was very confident in what was happening within my classroom.

This confidence grew over the years and most times it was a benefit, but at others it drifted into arrogance and stifled my ability to grow. Specifically, I found that my deep devotion to my discipline and my righteousness about what and how I taught hindered my flexibility when I was asked to cooperate with initiatives that went on outside my classroom. I sometimes resisted the ideas of continued on page 18

IN THIS ISSUE:

Who Knew Feedback Could Be So Complex?

Winter 2019

AIM Results Page 7 Bird Lovers Page 10 GPA Page 12 ECLC Page 4

Innovation Page 8

“

Creative and critical thinking are skills that indeed can be taught, fostered, and grown given an environment in which to do so.

”

- Jorge Chavez, see story page 8

Graland Today is a monthly publication of Graland Country Day School Volume 7, Issue 2 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: 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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Get Involved!

Board Seeks Nominees Nominations for the Graland Board of Trustees will open in February, so now is the time to consider whether you can recommend someone who is interested in serving beginning with the 2019-20 school year. Generally, board involvement initiates at the board subcommittee level as an entry point to trusteeship. The goal is to ensure that the board possesses diverse skill sets, backgrounds and interests.

Our vibrant and dynamic community has many skills, strengths and talents that would benefit the school. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Nominating Chair Sureel Choksi.

Self-nominations are welcome!

Board s ion nominatue are d March 1

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 Nominating Chair Erin Autrey or GPA President Kate Gulick.

GPA nominatio ns begin in March

Perspective on Discipline

By Marti Champion, Head of Middle School

As a school in the 21st century, we have the moral obligation to grow our students’ intellect and character. As a society, we tend to be more forgiving in the world of academia. When a person earns a bad grade, they may be given a chance for a “re-do” to prove their knowledge. With character, the margin for error is very small.

One minor gaffe, and the options for a “re-do” are limited, making it difficult to recover as quickly as if it were a bad grade.

Both parents and teachers alike have the same goal. As Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of How to Raise an Adult, states, all of us want “our kids to learn and grow, to better themselves, and to develop.” As partners in raising children, we work hard to place them in situations that help “build real and lasting self esteem.” We have a duty to cultivate engaged positive members of society who know that their “worth comes not from [their] GPA but from [their] character, which is [their] degree of kindness, generosity, fairness and willingness to work hard, among other things.” Because “...childhood is the training ground where mistakes are made [and] lessons are learned…” we are obligated to work together to hold our children accountable for their actions.

As an educator, I lead from a space of growth. Middle School is the space where children push the limits. It’s all age-appropriate and somewhat expected as they individuate through healthy adolescent development. With this in mind, it is important that we work with students to grow their capacity for empathy and learn to take another’s perspective in order to acknowledge their impact on others. We challenge ourselves to do what Michele Borba, author of Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World, calls “look[ing] for those discipline moments when we can help our children grasp how their actions affect others so it stretches their empathy and one day they can act right without our guidance.”

This approach does not look like the discipline practices we recognize from our youth. We are not in the business of shaming

or humiliating students or damaging their self-esteem. We work hard to focus on the behavior rather than the person. At Graland, we pride ourselves on being thorough, and our process is all about perspective taking.

When we learn about a student’s actions that have caused harm in our community, we follow a protocol that we believe is firm and fair. Although it contains elements of restorative justice, an act of repairing the harm that occurred with misbehavior, we work hard to seek all perspectives which is an imperative.

We have a reflection period that requires any who have violated Graland’s Guiding Principles (see page 2) to describe the incident from their perspective using “I Statements.” Students are expected to recount the event while also taking ownership for their part. They are also asked to reflect on one of the Graland Guidelines (Safety, Respect, Honesty and Responsibility) that they violated and think of those who are owed an apology.

Finally, students are asked to think about next steps. What steps can be taken to learn from, grow, and prevent a similar mistake?

Finally, and most importantly, what support is needed from adults or friends along the way?

Inherent in the system above is a clear sense of accountability to the community. With each transgression, the student has to reflect on their impact on the community and strive to reconcile that impact. After an opportunity for repair is presented and taken, we hope that this perspective taking will help to flex the empathy muscle each student possesses. This exercise is meant to give students pause before they act, flexing that empathy muscle, if you will. Yes, there are times when students need more than one “re-do” and to be reminded that infractions that harm the community have consequences. Each case deserves its own process, and the consequences from reflection to suspension are meant to reaffirm Graland’s values while also committing ourselves to the growth and education of our students.

A former English teacher, Marti has a master’s degree in curriculum and pedagogy from the University of Colorado-Denver. She comes from a close-knit Denver family and has a nephew in Graland’s kindergarten program. Marti loves singing, tennis and Sunday dinners with the family.

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ECLC News

New Director Leads ECLC: Carol Fowler

Building Blocks Form Math Foundation

By Lisa Palmer, ECLC Lead Teacher

Rhombus? Vertices?

Subitizing? These highlevel mathematical terms are not typically associated with an early childhood math program.

However, studies show that a child’s math skills at kindergarten entry are a better predictor of future academic success than reading skills, social skills or the ability to focus.

Building Blocks is the math curriculum used in the McCaffrey Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC). It was developed by learning experts Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama, along with their colleagues, at the Marsico Institute for Early Learning, which is part of the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.

“Building Blocks is designed to enable all young children to build solid content knowledge and develop higher-order thinking,” say the authors. “Based on theory and research on early childhood learning and teaching, Building Blocks’ basic approach is finding the 4

mathematics in, and developing mathematics from, children’s activity.

The materials are designed to help children extend and mathematize their everyday activities, from building blocks to art to songs and stories.”

We began using the Building Blocks curriculum in the ECLC during the 2017-18 school year. What I appreciate most about this program is that it acknowledges the importance of math in the early years and allows students to feel empowered in their understanding of math. This is why we use accurate mathematical terms such as rhombus, a shape commonly referred to as a diamond; vertices, the angles in a given shape; or subitizing, the ability to automatically recognize a small quantity without having to count. In my time using this program, I have seen a huge jump in my students’ mathematical abilities, enjoyment and interest.

But does this love of math continue on into kindergarten? Our kindergarten

teachers say that students who experienced this program in Pre-K last year can articulate their math thinking earlier in the year, they are able to utilize more effective strategies, there is improvement in their flexibility and an overall increase in their enjoyment of math.

It is essential that math is embedded into the everyday lives of young children.

Just as we are told about the importance of reading to young children every day, we should also expose them to mathematical concepts every day. It has been incredibly rewarding for me to use the Building Blocks math curriculum in my classroom and see both a love of math and a truly strong mathematical foundation blossom in my young students.

Lead preschool teacher Lisa Palmer started working with Graland’s youngest students in the Early Childhood Learning Center in 2013.

A famous 80s band once sang, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” For Carol Fowler, a career change that took her from working as the director of an early childhood education program to a desk job produced just such a light bulb moment. “I missed working with children, families and teachers,” she says. “That’s when I saw the job posting at Graland.”

Carol is the new director of the Ronni McCaffrey Early Childhood Learning Center, a place where she feels honored to be part of the leadership team. “Starting from day one when I interviewed with Parthenia Williams and Nan Remington, I wanted to join this program,” she shares. “This is not only a beautiful campus, but the teachers and staff are valued and respected.”

Overseeing a uniquely qualified staff, Carol makes it a point to get into the preschool and prekindergarten classes frequently to observe and assist teachers. Her focus is on delivering a high-quality early childhood program that addresses and nurtures the whole child. “The wholechild approach fosters all areas of children’s development and learning – from social-emotional and cognitive skills to literacy, math, and science understanding – and offers a powerful, supportive approach as preschool children transition to kindergarten,” Carol says.

“Graland teachers are experts in educating young children,” she explains, “but we also know that parents are their own child’s expert. We partner together to make sure children get a good start to their education.”

Her approach to leading the ECLC is simple: Do what’s

best for the children. “Little people are my passion,” she says.

“If we are doing our jobs right and providing the most positive learning environment possible, every child will leave at the end of the day feeling successful and loved.”

Carol is a native of Texas who joined Graland in 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&MCommerce and is certified as an early childhood education director with decades of experience in teaching young people.

Summer Fun at Graland!

Graland summer camps are open to any child who wants to learn and grow during the warm summer months. Camps run from 9AM to Noon each week day. We hope to see you for summer fun at Graland! graland.org/summerfun July 29 - August 2 and August 5-9

Check out our camp partners who will use the Graland campus to offer many more options for campers as young as 3. These camps start as early as June 10: •

Challenger Soccer (June 10-14; Aug. 5-9) challenger.configio.com

•

Up with People theater camp (June 24-28; July 22-26) upwithpeoplejr.org

•

Jewish Community Center (June 10 - Aug. 2) jccdenver.org/family/camp-shai

A native of San Francisco, she has a master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

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Building a Healthy, Diverse Community Takes Time and Effort

By Oscar Gonzalez, Director of Equity and Inclusivity

A Trend Toward Project-Based Learning

By Mimi McMann, Associate Director of Communications

Faculty from Grade 7, Grade 4 and the drama department traveled to California recently to attend a conference on projectbased learning, a teaching technique that guides students in identifying a real-world problem and developing its solution. One of the benefits of project-based learning is that it allows students to demonstrate knowledge as they progress through the unit of study, not just in a culminating project or assessment.

Coming back to Graland from High Tech High (HTH), these educators were inspired to enhance and further develop their lessons. In the Lower School, Katie Stone, Grade 4, committed to giving her students more intrinsic motivation to do their best work. Based on Ron Berger’s Hierarchy of Audience, she is implementing ways for students to present to outside audiences, a strategy that can increase their engagement and improve the quality of their work.

“If I ask my students to write a reflection about their field trip to AmeriTowne, their level of effort will change if I tell them that I will be reading the reflection, or that Mr. Cobb will read it or imagine if we chose a few reflections for Young Americans Bank to publish in their newsletter,” she explains.

Grade 7 science teacher, Steve Collins, also found inspiration for planning his everyday lessons. An activity they practiced at the conference involved writing down all the possible components and ideas for a project onto notecards and then organizing the notecards in different chronological sequences. “It allowed me to rapidly experiment with different ways of running a project and explore choices 6

of what to include,” he says. “It forced me to pay attention to the pace of student engagement and made me recognize the importance of having a compelling launch. It also emphasized the need to include meaningful, empathic interactions with experts and primary sources.”

One Middle School trip that will be impacted by this professional development experience is the Grade 7 adventure to Washington DC. During the conference, the teaching team re-envisioned how the trip can evolve into an even more student-centered experience. Their ideas were put to the test with the chance to get peer feedback from other attendees in a workshop designed to help them further “tune” the project. “The panel asked clarifying and probing questions, and then offered feedback and suggested tweaks,” Mr. Collins says. “It was amazing how helpful the tuning was and how much better the project was by the end.”

Drama and filmmaking teacher Dan O’Neill’s “ah-ha” moment came when he learned new strategies for getting students intrigued from the first moments of launching a new project. “The conference inspired me to make a big splash at the beginning of a project to grab their attention, and then space out the ‘wow’ elements throughout to keep them engaged,” he shared. In a drama classroom, this might mean offering acting students interim opportunities to perform a scene from an upcoming musical, or taking them off campus to see a live performance.

Over in the seventh grade math classroom, David Hill was impressed with two aspects of his conference experience:

the emphasis on intentional creation of authentic work and the culture of collaboration which is both alive and growing at Graland.

“Student engagement in work that matters to them is a fundamental design principle for developing HTH-inspired project-based curriculum,” he says. “Kids connect their work to the world outside of school and, in so doing, they create meaningful and beautiful products.

The process and discipline involved in accomplishing original, elegant work that students are proud of requires passion, extensive critique and multiple revisions.”

Like Ms. Stone, Dr. Hill believes a profound learning experience can come from doing a job really well for a broad audience, especially when the project demands relevant and consequential material.

Universally, the teachers who attended HTH felt fortunate to be there as individual learners, but more so as members of a group investing together in providing the best learning opportunities for students. Activities like a “dialogical interview” in which they listened actively and sought to understand one another was one exercise that set the table for building a culture of collaboration that is already impacting student learning in new and significant ways.

The conference was hosted by High Tech High, a network of charter schools serving K-12 that also provides professional development to educators. Participants from Graland included Steve Collins, Kelly Gaudet, David Hill, Dan O’Neill, Emma Perkinson, Kai Sionas and Katie Stone.

Schools aren’t just about the three “R’s” of reading, writing, and arithmetic; we must also create a safe, supportive environment for students to grow. To manifest the benefits of diversity, individuals need to feel safe and valued enough to bring their authentic selves to a community where they can share ideas, explore themes as they see them, challenge ideas, and present different viewpoints to the table.

In May 2018, Graland administered the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) to compare data about our efforts in these areas to AIM results from 2008 and 2015. Students, parents, trustees, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni participated, providing feedback from a broad range of experiences. AIM is an assessment tool offered by the National Association of Independent Schools.

AIM results are reported back as Healthy, Priority Concerns, and High Priority Concerns.

Healthy scores are issues on which our school is doing comparatively well but where programs and initiatives should be continued or expanded to provide support. Some of our Healthy scores include: • I feel proud being associated with this school.

• In my opinion, diversity in the curriculum is important to excellence in the education provided by the school.

• The school has a commitment to ethical values and character development.

Priority Concerns are issues in need of improvement that should be addressed in future plans, and High Priority Concerns should be remediated as soon as possible.

Some feedback that falls into these categories are: • Faculty and Administrators reflect the diversity of the student body.

• Trustees reflect the diversity of the student body.

• Multiculturalism is embedded into every aspect of the curriculum. continued on page 16

E&I Highlights in 2018*

Board • The addition of SCAC Chair as an ex-officio member of the Graland Board of Trustees • Board retreat with Rosetta Lee, “Cross Cultural Communication and Cultural Competency” Faculty • Diversity and Equity Cohorts, and parallel learning for administrators • “Implicit Bias” training for new faculty/staff • “Diversity, Inclusivity, Multiculturalism, and Equity” learning labs for faculty • NAIS People of Color Conference and DIME PD workshops • A partnership with NEMNET Minority Recruitment to review hiring practices GPA & Adult Community • E&I training and the addition of E&I Ambassador leadership role • Alumni Association’s commitment to foster inclusivity • Ongoing work of School Climate Advisory Committee to the Head of School Students • Character Task Force to identify character traits to explicitly teach and measure • Literacy Task Force dedicated to reviewing and identifying diverse literature options • Student groups centered on fostering community • Students Taking Action and Making Progress Conference (STAMP) * Please contact Oscar for a more comprehensive list of achievements. ogonzalez@graland.org Graland Today

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Middle School News

From Empathy to Innovation

By Jorge Chavez, Innovation Specialist

Innovation is an interesting word being thrown around these days. For many, it may mean learning how to code in the newest languages, or learning to use the newest technologies. Is it creating the newest invention for human consumption? A lot of people tend to think of Steve Jobs when they think of innovators. Certainly, his contributions to our way of life should not be undersold. We can also look toward historical innovators like Nikola Tesla, who, while focused on product invention and patent acquisition, also looked into invention as a method to further humanity.

Innovation is not only a method of inventing for consumption, but as a way to create for human impact. Our Gates Invention and Innovation Program, for example, has asked students in recent years to consider what they can create, through invention or innovative ideas, that will bring long-lasting impact to our society.

Many of the products that do well in today’s market, and certainly as we move towards a more global economy, will succeed based on their overall benefits to humanity.

That is our challenge as educators. Not only are we tasked with making sure that students are mastering the concepts necessary for advancement, but we are also charged with ensuring that students show interest in caring for others; that they understand their place within a community outside of Graland as well. Projects built upon empathy and collaboration will help strengthen the skills necessary to succeed in this environment. Creative and critical thinking are skills that indeed can be taught, fostered, and grown given an environment in which to do so.

Students are more engaged when they are involved with hands-on, project based learning (see story on page 6). STEM is a now-familiar catch phrase referencing activities that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math. We are now looking to integrate STEM activities into content that students are already comfortable in, because it allows them to have a baseline understanding of the concepts so that they may be creative and productive in whatever new activity they engage in.

That is my task; that is my challenge: to introduce elements of design thinking and innovative ideas in collaboration with the already excellent education that exists in the middle school classroom. Design thinking involves looking at problems through an empathetic viewpoint. It isn’t simply solving a problem, but rather, “How can I be helpful by solving their problem?” Students then iterate multiple solutions, gather feedback and continue to improve upon their proposed solution until they have achieved completion of the task at hand.

This kind of thinking occurs all over campus: Over in the PE department, I recently worked with teachers on design thinking strategies so they can use those strategies with their students as they create new games to play with their buddies.

Having students think about the impact of their work — whether it is through self-reflection, 8

ideation that helps the lives of others, or global awareness with a hope for change — really strengthens the impact of their work. It allows not only for a higher quality product, but it also includes an element of personal agency to their work; students see themselves and their efforts in their work. Finished products are true identity in action.

What does this look like in the classroom? Maybe we strengthen an understanding of ratios through an activity, such as physically creating gears out of cardboard. Or perhaps students use the Gates Lab in the Corkins Center to create a tablet that displays their personal understanding of amendments in the United States constitution. Long term projects, like the eighth grade capstone project, look to employ elements of design thinking to further engage student investment and agency as they propose steps towards solving UN Sustainable Development Goals. Teachers are learning to use technologies such as the Makerbot 3D printer and Epilog Laser cutter in order to bring challenging projects and activities into the classroom.

Through discussion, inquiry, and challenge, Graland educators do a great job of presenting methods to innovate. As the years progress, I hope to not only boost these skills by presenting ideas and coaching teachers, but also to strengthen our community to look at innovation and invention through an empathetic lens, and ask, “How can we truly empathize with people in or around our neighborhood, locally and globally, in order to create and innovate in a way that impacts us all for the better?”

Jorge Chavez joined Graland in 2009 with dual degrees in Spanish and computer applications and a master’s degree in mathematics instruction and curriculum. This year, he accepted a new role as an innovation specialist working closely with middle school faculty. He is also an advisor and Gates co-director.

Integrated Learning Connects Students with Seniors

By Kelly Gaudet, Grade 7 English Teacher

To know seventh grade at Graland is to know the significance of the phrases “Memory Box,” “Sunrise,” “Jiminy Wicket,” and “Intergenerational unit.”

Different concepts, yes, but with the commonality of integrating within our year-long service learning program both in and out of the classrooms.

For the past six years, Graland seventh graders have worked alongside Sunrise Senior Living and Jiminy Wicket to cultivate relationships between students and seniors. Many residents of Sunrise suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of memory loss. Monthly visits to Sunrise enable students to engage with the elderly living there: playing Bingo, making crafts, sharing personal narratives, and playing croquet. Each visit to Sunrise is special in its own way; one of the most rewarding aspects is seeing our students cultivate the skill of learning to adapt to various scenarios. If someone does not want to make a craft, how should they navigate that? If a senior would rather watch croquet than play, how should students facilitate helping them sit comfortably and watch?

Jiminy Wicket, founded by James Creasey, is a Denver-based program that originated through James’s own efforts to connect with his late father, whose dementia made it increasingly difficult to engage effectively with family and friends. Through croquet, he discovered a low stakes, fun way to connect and wanted to share this experience with other families impacted by dementia.

At the start of seventh grade, students and advisors travel to Washington Park for a morning of croquet instruction. After learning the fundamentals of play, kids compete against one another and practice gracious sportsmanship. Transferring those newly acquired skills to Sunrise, students invite willing seniors to partner in a game. There is arguably no greater thrill than watching Graland seventh graders guide seniors through the game, cheer in earnest, and bring smiles to seniors’ faces.

In January, English class centers around small group studies of four novels: Pop, What Flowers Remember, Hour of the Bees, and The Cay. Each novel features a relationship between a teenager and a senior. With the exception of The Cay, each senior suffers from some form of dementia, leading to, in some cases, death.

To explore such realistic stories with beautiful intergenerational relationships at their core elevates the caliber of our literature study in an authentic, powerful way. Students’ emotional reactions to unexpected endings nurtures an empathy we so often hope for in today’s generation of kids.

Inspired by memory boxes hanging outside each senior’s room at Sunrise, students are asked at the start of the year to choose an honoree—typically a grandparent—about whom to construct their own memory box guided by art teacher Cathy Naughton. Memory boxes serve as visual compilations of photographs, mementos, and other aspects of the honorees’ lives. These are supplemented by biographies written after students conduct a thorough interview of each honoree or a family member closest to them. At our culminating event mid-February, memory boxes and biographies are on display for families to see and celebrate.

In science class with Mr. Collins, students explore how mammal brains are organized and put together; learn the primary jobs of different regions of the human brain; make labelled diagrams of neurons and synapses; and review the history of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, they learn how medical science is working to better understand the disease and develop drugs to slow and/or reverse its effects. Kids brainstorm questions related to Alzheimer’s and conduct research to obtain answers. Finally, they create PSAs to share their research with a broader community, with the aim of increasing awareness about the disease.

The beauty of this comprehensive, authentic project is difficult to capture on paper. At an age where students can so easily be lost inside themselves, they instead learn to step back, to consider those lives lived before their own, and to appreciate the countless stories that surround them.

Grade 7 English teacher Kelly Gaudet brings east coast style to her role in the Middle School. She is originally from Hanover, N.H., and graduated from Middlebury College with an English major (creative writing focus) and Italian minor. Her master’s degree in teaching is from Manhattanville College in New York. Kelly enjoys reading, skiing, running, and spending time with her children Charlotte ‘18 and Henry, a student at Graland.

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Lower School News

First Graders Become Bird Enthusiasts

By Mimi McMann, Associate Director of Communications

With binoculars held tightly to their faces, first graders scanned the clear blue sky, searching intently. Immersed in discovery at Barr Lake Bird Sanctuary, they might spot a turkey vulture, common nighthawk or belted kingfisher. They could set their sights on nests lodged high in the cottonwood trees. They might find owl pellets and crack them open to see what a predatory bird had for dinner. They could watch a researcher weigh, measure and band a migratory bird making its way south to a Spanish speaking country. So many possibilities, so many opportunities.

To understand the scope and purpose of their field trip, we have to take a look back at summer 2018, when four teachers were awarded a summer grant and spent a total of more than 30 hours designing a comprehensive lesson on birds, including previewing the Barr Lake experience. Led by first grade classroom teacher, Lisa Ross, students are seeing the concept take flight this year.

Bird Anatomy and Habitats You could argue that the whole idea was hatched in the science classroom, where Michelle Benge has been teaching first graders about bird anatomy and habitats for years.

“The summer grant allowed us the time to get together and plan out how we could teach lessons about birds across different disciplines,” Ms. Benge says. “My part focuses on the characteristics of birds—they have feathers, wings, they’re warm blooded, they have beaks instead of teeth. We learn that birds’ feet tell us where they live and their beaks tell us what they eat.”

To demonstrate this lesson, Ms. Benge takes students into the Gates Innovation Lab where they design and build bird beaks that can pick up small objects like dry beans or pasta using materials like plastic utensils, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and rubber bands. Per the engineering design method, they tested the beaks and then followed up with changes to improve their designs.

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The lessons don’t stop there. Students apply empathy to a discussion about injured birds after hearing Bob Graham’s book, How to Heal a Broken Wing. They go back to the Gates Lab and use the engineering design process to design and build bird nests.

They dissect chicken eggs to identify the parts of an egg, like the yolk, chalazae and albumen. They study habitat, adaptations, migration and camouflage. The science unit culminates in a January visit to the Denver Zoo’s Bird House to see these creatures live. From peacocks to penguins, the zoo trip allows students to observe a wide variety of birds in different environments as they take note of birds’ feet, beaks and the sounds of their voices.

The result of this in-depth knowledge, combined with their learning in other disciplines and from other teachers, is a deeper understanding of birds. For Ms. Benge, the experience collaborating with her peers was invaluable.

“Having the support of my colleagues and being able to bounce ideas around was so helpful,” she shares. “There was a sense that we were all invested in working toward the same goal and I loved how thoughtful and intentional the planning process was. I’m excited to see how the bird unit turns out and to reflect together on how we can make it better next year.”

Pájaro Kelly Viseur says she jumped at the chance to write brand new Spanish curriculum that complements the bird unit. “I love birds and have kept parakeets as pets,” she says. “It’s also fortuitous that our school mascot is an eagle, because I can tie that into my teaching in a lot of ways.”

During her bird unit, one of Señora Viseur’s main objectives was for students to identify countries that speak Spanish, especially in Central and South

America where birds often migrate. “I love the geography piece, because first graders don’t have much experience reading maps,” she says. “They really get the concept that birds want to go where it is warm and there is good food.”

A portion of the summer grant work was also focused on developing an index of common terms and skills that teachers can use in Spanish that will reinforce language arts skills in English. Employing this strategy across disciplines has improved overall teaching quality. Señora Viseur believes “layering” the unit on birds by teaching it from different angles is the best approach for long-term retention of key concepts.

“First graders often come in and teach me things they have learned about birds from another teacher,” she shares. “It’s like poetry when it all comes together for them, and it’s invigorating for me to create new, cohesive lesson plans that support their other learning in meaningful ways.”

Birds and Art Given her last name, it’s no surprise that art teacher Andrea Crane wanted in on the bird unit action.

She normally teaches birds as an art subject to Graland second graders, but has shifted her curriculum to complement the first grade focus.

After reading a book about birds to her first graders, Mrs. Crane guided them in sculpting three-dimensional birds out of papiermâché and paper clay. Then, students learned to mix paint before creating a habitat for their birds on canvas and gluing their sculptures onto the multimedia piece. “It’s fun for me to participate in this project with other teachers and to hear kids using their bird vocabulary in a different context,” she shares.

“I’m constantly surprised by the things they say!”

Empathy and Service Christi James, coordinator of Graland’s service learning program, is the one who gave wings to the project. Over the summer, she met with each of the teachers involved to brainstorm and finalize ways to strategically connect the individual lessons and to integrate service opportunities throughout the year.

“What I like best about this unit is the complete buy-in from staff, teachers, kids and families,” she says. “Personally, this program resonates with me because caring for birds is a metaphor for caring for one another. It’s a very rich, multidimensional learning opportunity.”

Mrs. James is the point of contact for the Bird Conservatory of the Rockies, a nonprofit organization based at Barr Lake State Park that has a Graland connection: Former Graland finance director Mary Ann Murphy now works for the conservatory, and helped facilitate the initial contact. As teachers toured the grounds and facilities during the summer, they discovered a well-developed education program perfectly suited to complement Graland’s first grade bird unit. A visit with students in October will be followed in the spring by an

excursion when children will volunteer to plant noninvasive species, paint bird feeders and nesting boxes, and complete other helpful tasks. Educators from the conservatory are also planning a visit to Graland for a bird festival still in the planning stages.

Bird Paradise Sitting on 1,900 acres, Barr Lake State Park is a short drive north of Denver where 346 species of birds make their homes and numerous other migratory birds rest and refuel. Its cottonwood trees, grasslands and marshes make it an ideal bird habitat and research hub for ornithologists. On a visit to the sanctuary earlier this year, students spent more than an hour in the fresh air gaining knowledge about concepts of bird biology and conservation. Have you ever seen a ruby-crowned kinglet get its “bracelet” so researchers can track its migratory patterns? First graders have.

Now, they are taking their learning and applying it close to home by working to make Graland a more bird-friendly campus.

Guided by Sarah Shutts, groundskeeper, students are learning about some of the dangers on campus, such as clear windows that reflect open skies, and the opportunities to provide food and water sources for local birds. Together, they will determine some solutions and work with administrators to get those approved and implemented.

One of the benefits of the unit, says Mrs. James, is that it requires students—and teachers—to slow down, to be still and quiet, and to go outside where they can observe wildlife. “Our busy lives are programmed from morning to night,” she says.

“This unit has inspired me to look at other ways I can help students connect with nature.”

Eagle Eyes The mother hen of the whole project, Mrs. Ross, says first graders were hooked from the moment the school mascot, the Graland Eagle, entered their classrooms to help kick off the unit. “When kids get excited about something, they gravitate to it,” she explains. “Their curiosity and intrinsic motivation to learn more and more about this subject is driving our instruction.”

Besides the specials classes, students get exposure to bird themes in literacy, math and other classroom lessons. In small groups, they will use the library to research a specific bird species to gain more in-depth knowledge before writing a group report.

Mrs. Ross and other teachers have noticed that students are more observant of their surroundings. “We’ll catch them having organic conversations about birds and using their vocabulary to talk about the different species they’ve seen at home or around Graland and how they work together as a community,” she shares. “It’s so fun to watch them dive deep and really see the connections between the different lessons.”

Graland Today

I 11

PEN CO-SPONSORS WENDY MOGEL

CELEBRATION OF CULTURES FAMILY DINNER Thursday, Jan. 31 Anschutz Commons Seatings at 5 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. FREE It’s back! The GPA presents the Celebration of Cultures Family Dinner, a communitywide event where every Graland family, teacher and staff member is welcome to enjoy food from around the world. Be sure to sign up for one of the seating options and bring a dish to share that celebrates your cultural heritage!

Friday, Mar. 8 Denver Academy

GET READY TO ROCK AT THE SOCK HOP!

Friday, Mar. 1 • 12-1:30 p.m.

Hamilton Gymnasium The annual 50s-style party for Lower School students is coming soon and will have all the usual favorites: DJ and rockin’ dance tunes, art stations, hula hoop, photo booth and, of course, the Diner! Tickets go on sale in February and please remember, all students must be accompanied by an adult. Watch Graland Online for more details! graland.org/sockhop

Mar. 13-15 Hunt Family Learning Commons Join us for the 2019 Graland Book Fair! While you’re on campus for spring conferences, stop by and shop our extensive inventory of books for all ages. Your purchases will benefit the programs and activities of the Graland Parent Association. Thank you in advance for doing your book shopping at the Graland Book Fair! graland.org/bookfair

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graland.org/PEN

GPA GENERAL MEETINGS Monthly on Fridays • 8:15 a.m.

graland.org/culturesdinner

THE NEED TO READ: SPRING BOOK FAIR

Internationally acclaimed psychologist and author Dr. Wendy Mogel is the featured speaker at the Denver Academy Symposium on Teaching and Learning, an event co-sponsored

by Graland’s Parent Education Network. This event is free for Graland parents/guardians but seating is limited. Watch for information on reserving a spot starting in January.

SPRING ART SHOW AND ICE CREAM SOCIAL Friday, Apr. 5 • 3:15-5 p.m.

Join student artists for our annual celebration of creativity and talent! All students will have art from this year displayed throughout campus for your enjoyment. If you are unable to attend, you can still view the art until April 12. GPA volunteers will serve up ice cream and popsicles, including gluten free and dairy free options. See you there!

Your Graland Parent Association President, Kate Gulick, invites you to attend monthly general meetings throughout the school year. You’ll get updates on GPA activities, learn about opportunities to volunteer and hear news from school administrators.

Each month, you’ll also hear from a faculty member or team about the great work they do with and for our kids!

Jan. 11: Featuring Faces of Faculty Nanette Newman, and Head of School Josh Cobb in the West Mezzanine Classroom (upstairs in the Corkins Center)

10TH ANNUAL

EAGLE INVITATIONAL Join us for a day on the links and support the Graland Parent Association’s biggest fundraiser of the year!

Now acc ep tournam ting ent sponsors Contact at all levels! even Tricia Yo t chairs Andi Fre ussi or ye graland r, or visit .org/golf .

graland.org/golf

GRALAND COMMUNITY EAGLE INVITATIONAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Friday, May 17 • 8 a.m. shotgun start* CommonGround Golf Course in Lowry (10300 E. Golfers Way)

Before you know it, we will be swinging our clubs in the Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament!

Go online today to see the sponsorship options and sign up as an individual or foursome to enjoy scramble play plus breakfast, lunch, beverages on the course and a chance to win great prizes! *Rain date: Wednesday, May 22.

GRALAND STUDENTS JUNIOR EAGLE INVITATIONAL

Thursday, May 16 • 3:30-6:30 p.m.

CommonGround Golf Course in Lowry (10300 E. Golfers Way) Graland students can 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.

Feb. 1: Featuring Faces of Faculty Kelly Viseur, Michelle Benge, Christi James and Lisa Ross in the West Mezzanine Classroom (upstairs in the Corkins Center) Mar. 1: Faces of Faculty to be determined; meeting is in the Caulkins Boardroom (upstairs in the Georgia Nelson Building)

Graland Today

I 13

Professional Development News

Alumni News

continued from page 1

Who Knew Feedback Could Be So Complex? Peer Cohorts Help Us Grow

relationship between the feedback giver professional development model we call and receiver. Others are stimulated by the “peer cohorts” which was created in part content of the information shared and to satisfy faculty’s thirst for feedback. our belief that what the feedback giver According to Douglas Stone and Sheila is telling us simply is not true. Finally, Heen, authors of the book Thanks for the Feedback, “Feedback-seeking behavior - as it’s called in the research literature - has been linked to higher job satisfaction, greater creativity “I know the fourth-grade on the job, faster adaptation in a new organization or role, and lower team really well, but getting turnover,” all things we value as a to know faculty from other areas school. helps me have a ‘whole school’ Graland’s peer cohort model mentality. Peer cohorts build includes goal setting, peer a sense of community among observations, non-evaluative peer feedback and reflection. Each teachers and our interactions cohort includes five cross-divisional contribute to a positive climate educators, ensuring teachers receive and culture at Graland.” feedback from a variety of voices and perspectives. Throughout the

- Courtney Menk, year, each member visits the other Grade 4 Teacher members’ classrooms, sharing what they appreciated about the lesson, feedback sometimes stirs insecurities what they noticed (factual) and any we have about ourselves; that self-doubt questions that arose. Grade 5 science can inhibit our ability to even hear what teacher Andy Dodge has found value in his peer cohort stating, “For the first time another person is saying, effectively blocking our own growth. Teachers at ever, I’m receiving input from an unlikely Graland are learning the importance of group; yet because we trust one another, managing their own feedback resistance the feedback feels genuine. There is no and how to lean into the conversation judgment.” with confidence and curiosity.

As Andy noted, relational trust is Although teachers give feedback to critical when it comes to being open to students all the time, there is a sense of learning from colleagues. To support vulnerability that goes along with opening the success of the peer cohorts, time our professional practice up to critique on professional development days is from colleagues even after we’ve come to dedicated to building relationships and understand our personal trigger points. learning how best to receive feedback University of Houston Graduate College from others. As it turns out, receiving of Social Work research professor Brené feedback is more complicated than giving Brown has spent her career researching it. Stone and Heen point out that there vulnerability, courage, shame and are barriers that inhibit one’s ability to hear and internalize feedback from others. empathy. She notes, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, The authors call these “triggers.”

Certain triggers are activated due to the and change.” Due to the support, ideas,

14

feedback and encouragement faculty receive from fellow teachers, we believe peer cohorts will ultimately build teachers’ confidence to be even more collaborative, innovative and creative in the classroom.

Third grade teacher Cole Hamilton welcomes the feedback: “The most valuable piece of the peer cohort for me has been reexamining my practice through someone else’s lens. We all have blind spots in our teaching, and sometimes the best way to find them is to invite someone into your space whose day-to-day classroom experience is miles different from your own so they can shine a light right on it. There’s no telling what a kindergarten teacher, an art teacher or a middle school science teacher will see during the same lesson in my room, but you can be sure they’ll all see something different and worth thinking about.”

Graland’s peer cohorts were created for three reasons: to build a stronger professional culture grounded in growth and collaboration; to give faculty the opportunity to engage in frequent conversation about their teaching practice; and to allow for more feedback, from more people, more often. Peer cohorts and our focus on feedback help us, as educators, continue to hone our professional craft and also push our comfort levels as we come to better understand ourselves as learners as well as feedback givers and receivers.

With a master’s degree in curriculum

Alumna Honored with Nancy Nye Priest Award When alumna Margaret Hoover ’93 arrived in town to receive the Nancy Nye Priest Award from the Alumni Association, she graciously made time to visit campus and speak with seventh graders about her career as a political commentator.

The host of PBS’ Firing Line, Margaret sits down each week to discuss current events with those who influence public policy and public affairs. Her forte is facilitating civil and respectful dialogue, especially when she and her guests disagree.

“To prepare,” she says, “I read everything. I read Supreme Court decisions and the writings of prominent thinkers on both sides of the issue. It comes back to my Graland education when I learned to love learning. It’s the gift that continues to play out in my life.”

Describing her career journey as a staffer in the DC office of a Florida congressman to work in the White House, Department of Homeland Security and on the Giuliani presidential campaign, Margaret gained the experience and savvy to become a respected political commentator, a job she says she “fell into.”

She is also an author who wrote American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party, a work that draws on the beliefs of her great-grandfather, President Herbert Hoover.

In addition to her full-time job, Margaret is an advocate for women’s and LGBTQ rights. She helped found the American Unity Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cause of freedom for gay and lesbian Americans.

Her parting advice to students was, “Don’t plan your life. Go where your passions are.”

At the Alumni Cocktail Party, 126 alumni, current faculty and former faculty joined Margaret at the festive event hosted by the Alumni Association. Mrs. Priest was in attendance to see

Margaret accept the award for her exemplary contributions to the global community.

In her remarks, Margaret said, “This is honestly the most extraordinary honor I’ve ever received. I owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs. Priest and the entire Graland community for making a huge impact on me that transcends my years at Graland and continues to define me today.”

Josh Cobb, Head of School, participated in a Firing Line-like interview with Margaret during which he shared his vision for the school. “We are dedicated to valuing teachers more and using our resources to make sure they can focus on teaching and on being the best teachers they can be.” Mr. Cobb also referenced the need to promote acceptance in the world following recent hate crimes, saying, “We need to honor our students as individuals and model respect so they carry that forward. There is immense value in appreciating our shared humanity.”

Thank you to Alumni President Christina Freyer ’97 Walker and Kristin Eklund ’88 Weber, director of alumni relations, for their work in bringing Margaret back to campus.

and instruction from the University of Colorado, Gail Sonnesyn manages Graland’s professional development and faculty recruitment efforts while assisting the Head of School in day-to-day school affairs.

Her twin daughters, Sara and Megan Hill, graduated from Graland in 2012 and are now college juniors.

Graland Today

I 15

continued from page 7

Building a Healthy, Diverse Community Takes Time and Effort

In 2008, our overall school morale was reported as a Priority concern, and thanks to community-wide efforts, this score has improved to Healthy since 2015. On the other hand, overall satisfaction with Multiculturalism and Inclusivity continues to be a Priority concern, demonstrating there is still room for improvement.

Student Results NAIS offers a young student version of the assessment which we administered to Grades 4-5. Older middle schoolers, Grades 6-8, took the same survey as the adults. Student results followed the same trends as the other constituents in the survey and indicated that students are proud to be associated with Graland.

They noted that Graland is a great place to learn, they learn to treat others well, and adults help kids. The survey also gave us a baseline for kindness and respect within our community which will allow us to continue our work on building strong character.

Generally, there was a lot of growth from 2008 to 2015 which informed much action; just in the last year, we have achieved many exciting accomplishments.

We know diversity “in the room” isn’t enough. Individuals need to feel safe and valued enough to bring every aspect of themselves to the table -- their diverse beliefs, backgrounds, and ideologies -- as diversity is critical to the exploration of ideas.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the comprehensive AIM survey so that we could evaluate our school culture as it relates to topics of diversity, inclusivity and multiculturalism. As a result, we are thoughtful, knowledgeable, and working from a place of strength.

We are not complacent, content, or unguided.

Oscar Gonzalez has a bachelor’s degree in English from Northwestern University and leads diversity efforts across the board at Graland. He spends his free time skiing, playing basketball and reading to his daughter. Oscar also co-chairs the annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference for the National Association of Independent Schools.

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Development News

Parents’ Planning Creates a Meaningful Legacy Summer is often a time when the pace slows on campus, so you can imagine the energy shift when two alumni graciously stopped by with a gift to Graland from their parents’ charitable remainder trust. Jaynn and Walter Emery thoughtfully structured their estate plans in such a way as to leave a gift for their heirs as well as for organizations that were important to them.

Enclosed with the generous donation was a letter from the couple’s three children, Vicki Emery ‘66, Roe Emery ’63 and Sloan Emery ’69 Schwindt: “It is our pleasure to give this money to Graland in our parents’ names. Graland holds a unique place in our family’s history. My sisters and I graduated from Graland. We agree that our Graland education could never be surpassed or replaced ... certainly some of the best years of our lives!”

As an unrestricted gift, the funds have been applied to a new endowment dedicated to ensuring teacher salaries are fair, competitive and aligned with our school values, according to Kristin Eklund ’88 Weber, associate director of development for major gifts and planned giving. The Emery siblings were thrilled to know their parents are one of the early contributors toward this endowed fund.

“The entire Emery family shares in the excitement of being part of the future changes and development of Graland,” said Vicki. Her daughter, Alexis Wilson ‘96 Weightman, is the current parent of a kindergartner, making this student the third generation in the Emery family line to attend Graland. She, and many others, will see a direct impact from the Emery’s generosity.

A charitable remainder trust is a tax-exempt irrevocable trust designed to reduce the taxable income of individuals by first dispersing income to the beneficiaries of the trust for a specified period of time and then donating the remainder of the trust to the designated charity. To learn more about the many ways you can make an impact at Graland, contact Kristin at kweber@graland.org or 303-398-3623.



Model volunteerism. How about modeling volunteerism

with your children? The GPA has several upcoming Bingo nights at the Ronald McDonald House where families and children of all ages can give back by creating a fun evening for families in need. See the GPA button on the website for more information.



Show your appreciation.

“Thank you” can be an

incredibly powerful phrase,



Spend time with the “wise and wonderful” generation.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is April 12 ... school will dismiss at noon so why not plan a memorable weekend for your older family and friends? Quality time with loved ones is a priceless gift for older and younger generations.

Resolve to have an Amazing Year!

With the new year upon us, it’s time to make resolutions that will not only positively impact your life, but also the lives of others. Here are some ideas to keep the spirit of giving alive in 2019 by sharing time, talent and treasure!

especially if the person whom



Donate to a food bank.

More than 50 percent

of food bank donations come in during the holidays, but the need for food donations can actually be greater during other seasons. Throughout 2019, continue to think of those who are hungry year-round. Middle School students and their families are invited to volunteer

you are thanking really needs to

at Food Bank of the Rockies

hear it, or isn’t expecting it. As

through activities scheduled

we launch a year of celebrating

by the GPA on professional

our faculty, a thoughtful note or

development days. See the GPA

gesture to your child’s teacher

button on the website for more

will be much appreciated. Share

information.

your gratitude with others and encourage your family members to do the same!

By Jessica Goski, Director of Development



Participate. Graland continues to strive for 100% parent participation in the Annual Fund, in addition to broad participation by GPA, alumni and

Graland Country Day School

Save the Date 2018-2019

Grandparents & Special Friends Day Friday, April 12, 2019

others in the school community. Every gift, of every size truly matters and makes a difference. Graland celebrates the 65% of parents who have participated this year (at the time of print). If you would like to make a gift or pledge today (payable by June 30, 2019) please visit graland.org/donate.

Colorado Gives Day - Wow! Graland is incredibly grateful to those who made a gift to the annual fund on Colorado Gives Day in December. We received over $100,000 in donations during this state-wide philanthropic effort, and on behalf of Graland’s students, teachers and programs, we can’t thank you enough!

Graland Today

I 17

continued from page 1

Collaboration, the Ally of Improvement

my colleagues if they proposed something that would disrupt the vastly important work that was occurring in my classroom. My arrogance curbed my collaboration, impeded my growth, and ultimately impacted the student experience.

Fortunately, I had two mentors, John Threlkeld and Tony Catanese, who had the courage to address those moments when I opposed the innovation of others because I considered what I was doing as somehow superior to their proposal. These Graland teachers were masters at what they did in the classroom, math and theater, respectively, but they were also skilled leaders who taught me to see the benefit of interdisciplinary connections between the academic disciplines and between the arts and academics.

More importantly, they showed me how fulfilling it was to work together to create a program geared to foster both the intellect and character of students. They were a constant reminder of the quote from Anthony Alvarado, “Isolation is the enemy of improvement.”

I first read this quote in The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner, a book that detailed the seven survival skills students would need to thrive in the world. One of these skills was “collaboration across networks and leading by influence.” In talking to numerous CEOs, Wagner learned that the world needs “young people who work effectively with others and understand and respect differences—not just in our country but around the world.” In his next book, Creating Innovators, Wagner again stressed the importance of collaboration and its impact on innovation, stating that one essential quality of a successful innovator is “collaboration, which begins with listening to and learning from others who have perspectives and expertise that are very different from your own.” Since Wagner’s books were published in 2008 and 2012 respectively, the focus on collaboration has only increased. In a 2018 study on the future of work by ICC (Innovate, Coach, Consult), the top two most valuable skills were leadership agility and coordinating with others.

At Graland, collaboration, one of our six Innovation Skills, often happens between students during discussions, cooperative challenges, and group projects. Throughout these activities, students reflect on their strengths and their weaknesses as collaborators. These experiences are vital to students growing up to succeed in the world. Equally important is the effective

collaboration between teachers. Students notice this collaboration, they sense strong teamwork between their teachers, and they are influenced by those exemplars.

Over this past year, we have heightened our emphasis on collaboration. Gail Sonnesyn, Associate Head of School, has helped facilitate peer cohorts that bring together teachers from all realms of the school to support each other’s professional growth.

She has also encouraged groups of teachers to attend professional development together; recently the seventh grade MESH (Math, English, Science and History) team attended a learning opportunity at High Tech High and have returned invigorated to initiate change together. Finally, the collaborative summer grant program, also directed by Gail, has led to an interdisciplinary project in first grade which unites specialists in Science and Spanish with classroom teachers to promote an integrated and engaging program for students that includes service learning.

All of these examples are detailed in this issue of Graland Today, showing our commitment to faculty cooperation and our belief that teamwork enhances student learning.

Admittedly, early in my career at Graland, I, at times, displayed a resistance to collaboration. It seemed easier to go it alone. Still, over my time here and thanks to several mentors, I have learned that the most fulfilling accomplishments come through working together, specifically, the collective pursuit of fostering student growth. It takes courage to commit to others, to listen openly, to demonstrate flexibility, to engage in conflict, to sacrifice individual goals for the goals of the team, and to build trust over time. Just like with innovation, it takes shedding your pride and embracing the progress that comes from the act of collaboration, because in the end the objective is not simply professional development, it is the growth of the students as they cultivate the social-emotional and intellectual skills necessary to thrive in school, in work, and in life.

Celebrating Faculty in 2019

Teacher Appreciation Month is annually recognized in May, but with incredible teachers like ours, we can’t wait to celebrate them! Starting in January, let’s go the extra mile and show our appreciation for the Graland teachers at the core of our program who impact students every day.

Josh Cobb joined Graland in 2002 as a seasoned educator with 20 years of experience teaching history, English and drama. Now the Head of School, he invites you to join his Book Club discussion on January 15 (6:30-7:30 p.m.) in the Hunt Family Learning Commons featuring The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Join the Celebration!

Every day we will share a story about how Graland teachers impact student learning. graland.org/celebratefaculty

facebook.com/graland.org

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instagram.com/gralandcountrydayschool

Graland Today

I 19

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 January

Explore the Gates Expo on March 7!

After months of work, inventors in the Gates program are excited to share their innovations with you! Please join them and the entire Graland community on Thursday, March 7, 1-3 p.m. in the Hamilton Gymnasium for Gates Expo 2019. Students will present and demonstrate their ideas and ideations. We know you’ll be impressed!

15 PEN Book Club with Josh

21 School Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 31 Celebration of Cultures Dinner

February

18 School Holiday, Presidents Day 19 Professional Development Day

20 Grade 7 Memory Box Event

March

1 Lower School Sock Hop

7 Gates Expo

8 PEN Event, Dr. Wendy Mogel 13-15 Spring Book Fair 25-29 Spring Break

Stay Connected and GoGraland!

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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.