CS Spring 2014

CS

COMMUN ITY S CHOOL S P RING 2 0 1 4

m a g a z in e

Cutthroats

give back

Puppy Love snuggling shelter dogs Big Dreams, Big Screen

Documentary features adaptive athletes

Alumni in public Service

From Marines to Peace Corps

P H O T O GR A P H E R : T O M K INS O NP H O T O .C O M

Building Experience

demberghbrown.com

photography: hillary maybery

letter from the head of school

DEAR FRIENDS This has been a year of looking back, experiencing the present, and looking ahead.

Even as we celebrate our 40th anniversary as a school, we continue to live school life to its fullest through our unique educational program and by creating a future that is exciting and distinctive.

We are a multi-dimensional, vibrant community that relies on the commitment of every member: parents, past parents, faculty, students, board members, past board members, grandparents, alumni, and friends in the community. This “stew” of committed people is shaping our present and future in a profound way, and you will see members of that community featured in our “Founded in Philanthropy” article.

Judy Atkinson, one of our founders, spoke eloquently this fall about the beginnings of our school. Knowing our roots – our history – gives meaning and direction to the present. Community service and the importance of educating the whole person have always been fundamental pillars of a Community School education, and you’ll read about Idaho Gov. Butch Otter proclaiming Community School as the leading community service school in Idaho. You will also read how our school was chosen as part of a national study of fourteen schools that exemplify the development of charac-

ter strengths, including grit.

Community School’s existence has always been rooted in the generosity of others, and that generosity was shown again as parents, alumni, faculty, and other supporters stepped up and set a record in our 2013-2014 Annual Fund, with unrestricted gifts exceeding $652,000.

I could enumerate many more accomplishments of this remarkable community, but I simply want to express my gratitude.

We are easing our way to the end of a highly productive school year, and we can be proud.

Warm regards,

David Holmes Head of School

co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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contents departments 6 news + notes

School-wide news briefs and announcements

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from here...anywhere

Alumni gather locally; Cutthroats in public service

74 sun valley ski academy

Nordic team; meet the ski tutor; Special Olympics visit campus; new training center

78 parents’ association

Don’t miss this year’s Auction!

82 giving Annual Fund breaks records 84 class notes and memories

Check in with classmates and relive traditions

24 educational highlights

52 athletics

CS features

54 the arts

Community service coordinators; Mandarin takes off; eighth grade food unit; Q&A with new Middle School Head Sam Herrick Fall and winter sports wrap-up Musical performances inspire, and students turn ash to art

60 outdoor program

Ed Viesturs; fourth grade builds reed boats; safety comes first on trips

68 community service

Students win service award and help sagebrush

70 residential program

3 2 coast trip

Washington outdoor trip has links to curriculum

3 6 adapt to ascend

Students bring spotlight to Higher Ground

42 building character How Community School fosters grit and tenacity 4 6 rooted in philanthropy School rests on foundation of generosity ABOVE: From left, sophomore Athena Wang, junior Hannah Cobb, and freshman Adele Stireman

Favorite hot spots; home sweet home in the dorm walk dogs from the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley.

co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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Celebrating the Sun Valley lifestyle for over 50 years.

The Essence of Sun Valley.

Ketchum Store 500 N Main St 208 726 5282 www.store.silver-creek.com Photo courtesy of Sun Valley Company

CS m a g a z in e

HEAD OF SCHOOL David Holmes dholmes@communityschool.org ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL Ben Pettit bpettit@communityschool.org DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Becca Hemingway bhemingway@communityschool.org DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Kate Wutz kwutz@communityschool.org DIRECTOR OF alumni relations & EVENTS Krista Detwiler ’07 kdetwiler@communityschool.org Assistant director of Development Rachel Aanestad ’94 raanestad@communityschool.org ART DIRECTOR Britt Johnston britt@nimbuscreativegroup.com STAFF WRITER Robin Sias robin@mountaingirl.org ADVERTISING kwutz@communityschool.org © 2014 Community School, Sun Valley, Idaho All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Community School magazine is published at: Community School • One Community School Drive Sun Valley, Idaho 83353 • 208.622.3955 www.communityschool.org Postmaster, please send address changes to: Community School • PO Box 2118 • Sun Valley, ID 83353 Printed by Email feedback and comments to: Kate Wutz at kwutz@communityschool.org FRONT COVER: Junior boarding student Hannah Cobb shows shelter dog Hank some love in Hailey this spring. Photograph by Kristin Cheatwood.

BOARD

of directors Peggy Baker Bill Griffin Pirie Grossman Randi Kanellitsas Rob McGowan Jim Milgard Tory O’Connor ’85 John Perenchio Jake Peters Kirk Riedinger Steve Shafran Joan Swift Lisa Whorton David Holmes, ex-officio

Board Chair

Jay Hagenbuch Board Secretary Ellen Gillespie

Board Treasurer Guy Cherp

Emeritus Directors Barbara Boswell

Michael Engl

ABOVE: From left, ECC students Ruby Thurston and Kaya Eliason, junior Willis Sanchez-duPont, and ECC students Luke Stevenson and Liam Tempest learn about pyramids during a quiet morning in the Ali Lane Children’s Library. co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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news + notes

sChoolwide

briefs

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COMMUNITY SCHOOL Community School went all-out in September to celebrate a milestone — 40 years of providing students with a remarkable education.

A large-scale birthday party on Sept. 21 allowed Community School to celebrate its past and show appreciation for those who made the school what it is today. Since there were many people to thank, the festivities were nothing short of spectacular.

One of the guests of honor on campus that week was former math teacher Brian Clark. Brian was one of the school’s original faculty members, hired by founder Sam Hazard and his wife, Julie. Brian taught at Community School — then known as the Ketchum Sun Valley Community School, a.k.a. “Sam’s School” — from 1973 to 1983.

Judy Atkinson, one of the school’s founders, gave a keynote speech about why she worked so hard to make Community School a success. She said it began with her son Chip, who was unengaged at school until he began working with Sam and Julie Hazard at Hemingway Elementary. When Sam and Julie started Community School, Judy was instrumental in making that dream a reality, and Chip

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became one of the school’s first students. Judy’s children and grandchildren have all attended Community School, benefitting from a model of education that Sam put in place decades ago.

The chronicle of the school’s origins was shared throughout the evening through a video titled The Community School Story. Award-winning filmmaker, director, and producer Dave Butterfield of Diamond Sun Productions worked closely with the Community School Development Office last summer to create a 20-minute documentary featuring familiar faces from Community School’s 40 years of existence.

The documentary was shown several times during the evening, giving attendees a greater sense of the institution’s roots.

The event itself captured the essence of Community School’s long and storied history. Guests were able to pose with a giant wooden “40” as they arrived, covered with pictures of current Community School students and their birthday wishes for the school. The ever-inspired Maria Gerhardt decoupaged each photo by hand onto the wooden figures, preserving students’ wishes for the future.

Maria was also responsible for the creative

decorations that filled the gymnasium. As inspiration, she used the theme of “a walk down memory lane” to create a cobblestone pathway and street signs directing guests to different areas of the gym. The walls of the gym were transformed into an elaborate timeline, featuring more than 150 photos pulled from Community School archives. The timeline can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/l56jqa5 The evening was capped by Community School parent Tyia Wilson’s dulcet rendition of “Happy Birthday,” inspiring speeches by Board Chair Jay Hagenbuch and and Head of School David Holmes, a toast to the future, and Cutthroat cupcakes. Here’s to the next 40, Community School!

ABOVE (Clockwise from Left): A giant wooden number 40 greeted guests as they arrived at Community School’s birthday celebration; from left, Board Chair Jay Hagenbuch, founding board member Judy Atkinson, and Head of School David Holmes enjoy the festivities; from left, charter faculty member Brian Clark greeted Upper School math teacher Mike Wade, Community School’s longest-serving faculty member.

photography: christina carlson

COMMUNITY SCHOOL CELEBRATES A MILESTONE

news + notes

Board

update For the past two years, Community School has set enrollment records. The student body is approaching 400 students, while the school’s character and mission remain as central as ever. Community School is thriving, with an improving economy spurring local enrollment success and an increase in interest for the Sun Valley Ski Academy and Residential Program.

As a result, the Board and the school need to consider what steps should be taken to ensure Community School’s continued accommodation of this rate of growth as well as the overall quality of our program. Our buildings were designed for an enrollment of approximately 300 students; the 2013-2014 enrollment is 380 students. We expect

FROM Board Chair Jay Hagenbuch to see modest increases in that number over the next few years as we continue to recruit families locally, regionally, and internationally.

Community School is incredibly important to the economic health and vitality of the Wood River Valley. An increasing number of families, including many with primary school-aged children, are moving here from big cities to enroll their children in our school.

Why? Because Community School offers a fabulous experiential education that families are unlikely to find anywhere else, and the school is located in a small, friendly, safe, family-oriented, active, and physically beautiful community. Our graduates attend the colleges of their choice and go on to successful careers across the globe. “From

here…anywhere,” is not just a slogan — it’s a fact for our students.

Families considering Community School want to see the great educational opportunities we already offer, but will also want to see a commitment on the part of the school when it comes to accommodating the school’s future growth. As the year progresses, the board will continue to work with faculty, staff, Head of School David Holmes and other stakeholders to develop a plan that will ensure our future success as a school.

EMPTYING PANTRIES, FILLING OTHERS FOOD DRIVE HELPS LOCAL ORGANIZATION

Community School held one of its largest food drives ever this year, collecting more than 1,500 pounds of non-perishable goods for The Hunger Coalition.

Hunger Coalition Associate Director Naomi Spence said the school’s donation was one of the largest in the organization’s history.

“It’s filling up our empty shelves,” she said. “It’s all really quality, healthy food. It seems like a lot of thought was put into these donations.”

Spence said the food, which was collected in the month leading up to winter break, came at a perfect time to help those in need. Thanks to Community School, The Hunger Coalition was able to provide 1,187 meals this winter.

Elementary School Head Janet Salvoni said the effort that went into the food drive this year was “unbelievable.”

“I was stunned when I went around to each grade and saw the amount of support everyone put into

this drive,” she said. “It is truly impressive. Everyone is to be congratulated for their incredible service.”

The fourth grade class donated 230 items, the most of any grade. As a result, they won the coveted “Golden Can Award” as well as a pizza party. Even the ECC pitched in, collecting 111 cans.

Students collected a total of 1,700 items.

Head of School David Holmes said he was proud of “each and every one” of the students who donated to help hungry families. co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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news + notes

sChoolwide

briefs (continued)

Dawn Webber

Clarification

An article in the Fall 2013 edition of CS Magazine, “40 Years and Counting,” included quotes from a 1994 interview from former teacher Richard Hislaire. He would like to clarify that the interview reflected his feelings at that time, but does not reflect his current feelings regarding Community School.

new ROLES

You may have seen Dawn Webber’s smiling face in Kathy Gibson’s thirdgrade classroom, working tirelessly as the classroom assistant. Dawn previously worked in the school’s aftercare program, but her role has expanded this year.

Dawn moved to Sun Valley in 1990, marrying her husband, Brian, in 1995.

Her son, Keegan, is now in eighth grade at Community School.

“I can’t help but think how lucky we all are to live here and participate in a school that embraces all that this valley has to offer,” she said. “The best part of my new job is working with this creative, energetic group of students who bring something new to my life every day.”

GONE… AND BACK Erika Connelly ’03

Community School said “a tout a l’heure” to Middle School Physical Education teacher Erika Connelly during winter term. Between winter break and spring break, Erika had the opportunity to teach English to middle school students at the College les Garcins in Briancon, France. Community School welcomed Erika back in April with a resounding “accueillir à nouveau!”

MOVING ON

Shannon Finnegan

Jessie Curran ’08

Cutthroats welcomed Jessie Curran ’08 back to campus during winter term as a substitute for Middle School Physical Education and Enhancement teacher Erika Connelly. Jessie graduated from Community School in 2008 and the University of Virginia in 2012, where she majored in Spanish and Foreign Affairs.

Most recently, Jessie has been working at GirlSportWorks in Cusco, Peru. Both faculty and students were thrilled to have her back on campus.

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Community School welcomed new librarian Shannon Finnegan this fall, a Community School parent and lover of books and education. Shannon was an attorney with several San Francisco law firms and previously served as the executive director of the Wood River Arts Alliance.

Shannon is also the Vice President of the Papoose Club, a local organization that provides financial support to groups that support youth in the Wood River Valley.

Shannon lives in Sun Valley with her husband, Mike, her son, Aidan, and her two daughters, Tess and Tara, who are currently enrolled in the Upper School.

Jan Hayes

Community School Librarian Jan Hayes stepped down from her position over the summer, capping off 18 years of service to the school. Jan always had a ready smile and a story for the Elementary School students. Her knowledge of children’s literature is extensive, and she spent countless hours helping students find just the right book. Younger students looked forward to their weekly library times, and older students were thankful for her help with research projects. Her sons, David and John, graduated from Community School as well.

Proud supporter of the Cutthroats

“Community School fosters a life-long passion for learning in a very supportive school environment, in and out of the classroom”.

— Mike McCann

“CS’s outstanding independent education is an unique treasure of our community, and the reason many families have chosen to live in the Wood River Valley.”

Former Chairman of Community School Board

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news + notes

CS GOES GREEN GREEN TEAM URGES ENERGY CONSERVATION Community School’s Green Team, the crew of students responsible for ensuring Community School is being a good steward of the earth, swung into action the week of Feb. 10 to ensure every classroom and office in the school was dedicated to saving energy.

The theme of the week was energy conservation, and each day, members of the Green Team roamed the school implementing conservation measures. First, the team helped everyone set their desktop computers to go completely to sleep when not in use, an action Middle School teacher and Green Team adviser Scott Runkel said could save the school almost $2,000 next year.

The second order of business was to reset the thermostats in the building, reducing the “unoccupied” temperature to 55 degrees. The temperature will only reach that low at night and

on weekends, but Scott said the change should be enough to show a significant drop in the school’s utility bills.

The team also replaced 30 incandescent and halogen bulbs with high-efficiency LED bulbs.

“These bulbs are widely available, have a ridiculously long life, come in all shapes and sizes, and contain no mercury,” Scott said. “These bulbs will pay for themselves in a little over a year, saving the school $250 annually.”

The week also featured a screening of Trashed, a chilling documentary on the billion tons of waste that is thrown out each year. Students organized concession sales at the event to raise money for a water bottle filling station.

Community School also welcomed Steve Hawley, author of Recovering a Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Commu-

nities, to speak to the Middle and Upper Schools about his research on the decline of Northwest salmon and the efforts to restore the historic Stanley Basin salmon runs.

“We were so lucky to have Steve come and speak with our students,” said Upper School science teacher Hannes Thum ’03, who organized the lecture. “His message about conservation and restoring salmon runs was a great way to cap off the week.”

ABOVE (from Left): Eighth grade teacher and Green Team advisor Scott Runkel helps first grade students Matthew Carlin, Noah Nye Wenner, and Sawyer Vogel replace an incandescent bulb; author Steve Hawley discusses the decline of salmon in the Northwest, including in Idaho; from right to left, Green Team members Siena Polk, Joyce Chan, Hannah Cobb, and Sara Runkel sell concessions during Trashed. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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Elementary School News GONE TO THE BIRDS

FIFTH GRADE BUILDS NESTING BOXES The fifth grade class at Community School built approximately a dozen nesting boxes that they placed across the valley this winter in an effort to assuage the kestrel population’s decline.

The American Kestrel, also known as a sparrow hawk, is one of the most common raptors in North America. Representatives from The Peregrine Fund, a Boise-based organization dedicated to bird conservation, said during a December visit to the school that the species has struggled to overcome habitat loss and increased competition from non-native species such as the European starling. The visit was sponsored by Community School parents Deida and Duane Runswick.

After hearing the presentation, Bev McNeal’s class swung into action, building 18-inch nesting boxes and preparing to place them across the Wood River Valley to help mitigate the effects of habitat loss on the kestrel population. They will check the boxes for nests this spring.

COAT DRIVE

WARMS HEARTS During the weeks leading up to the

“The students created posters and volun-

holiday break, neither rain, nor snow,

teered to walk the car line after school, so

nor dark early-morning skies kept third

people were aware we were collecting.”

graders from their appointed rounds,

help of Mrs. G. and assistant teacher

winter accessories to donate to those in

Dawn Webber, sorted and folded dona-

need. During pick up and drop off times,

tions and put them in bags for transport.

students displayed handmade signs

Collected items were brought to Mountain

asking for coats, mittens, hats, sweat-

West Bank for distribution to families in

ers, scarves, and snow pants.

need in Blaine County. The group cele-

Their hard work paid off. This year, Kathy Gibson’s class collected more than 380 pieces of clothing to help keep people warm.

According to Mrs. G, the Winter Clothing

cake pops, and some rousing carols.

“We are always amazed at the generosity of our school population for this particular event,” Mrs. G. said. “It’s

many years.

apparent that people make considerate

project right before Thanksgiving,” she said.

c o m m u n itys c hool. or g

brated their hard work with hot chocolate,

Drive has been a third grade tradition for “We initially started talking about the

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In mid-December, the class, with the

soliciting donations of warm clothes and

choices about the clothing that is donated and how it will be used.”

ABOVE (from Left): Riley Berman ’09 expertly navigates the Janss Cup course, even with his fishtail dragging in the snow; From left to right, Hannes Thum ’03, Riley Berman ’09 (aka the Cutthroat), Hannah Young, David Holmes, Erika Connelly ’03, and eighth grader Matt O’Connor.

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NOW SCHEDULING FALL TREE CARE AND HOLIDAY LIGHT INSTALLATION

Caring for our community since 1997

Owners and proud Cutthroat parents Kris and Bill Josey (ISA Certified Arborist RM-0715)

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news + notes

middle School News HELPING HAITI

STUDENT SALES BENEFIT MICAH PROJECT

From left to right, eighth grade students Amelia Cookston, Kristina Poydenis, and Chloe Khosrowshahi sell apple-filled crepes to benefit the Haiti Micah Project.

The eighth grade sharpened their culinary skills this fall and winter while benefiting those in need in Haiti.

The Haiti Micah Project is an organization based in Mirebalalis, Haiti, that provides food, water, clothing, shelter, education, and other necessities for the street children in that town.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ketchum has partnered with the Haiti Micah Project to raise funds; when member Helen Morgus told Director of Student Life Chauncy Pogue and Middle School French teacher Nancy Parsons-Brown about the project, they knew the students at Community School would love to help.

The organization is headed by Father Joseph Constant, who visited the school in September, thanks to the efforts of Helen, Chauncy, and Nancy.

While learning Creole, the students also learned how they could help Father Joseph’s cause.

Mostly, that took the form of selling food to their hungry fellow students. Eighth graders took the

PROUD TO WEAR PINK

apples they had picked on their fall trip and decided to use them as crepe filling, selling crepes to benefit the program. Shortly after, the group held a baked potato — or “pomme de terre”— sale, using potatoes that had been given to them by a processing plant the students toured as part of the eighth grade Food Unit. The class also used the Middle School One-Act Play Festival as a chance to raise awareness about Father Joseph and his projects, showing a slideshow featuring the organization and selling baked goods in the foyer.

The class raised more than $700, enough to sponsor food, water, clothes, shelter, and education for a street child in Mirebalalis for one year.

Karen Wires, coordinator of the Sponsor A Child program, told students in a letter that she was touched by the class’s efforts to help children and raise awareness.

“The project cannot exist without generous donors such as you,” she said. “This is a wonderful tribute to Father Joseph and the children here.”

SIXTH GRADE SUPPORTS TONI’S FIGHT

When sixth grade teacher Toni Coleman was diagnosed with breast cancer in late October, Community School faculty, staff, and parents were stunned and saddened to hear that she would need to undergo chemotherapy. But students put feelings into action, wearing pink to school the next day as a show of support.

Toni (third from left, front row) said she was deeply touched by the students’ actions, and hoped to set a good example for them during a difficult time in her own life.

“Unfortunately, breast cancer is all too common, and many of us have been impacted by it, directly or indirectly,” she said. “I am hopeful that by putting a brave foot forward I can show students that, when the unexpected happens, we get on with life. We do what we have to do, and with grit, we persevere!”

Toni continued chemotherapy through February, but said being with her students was the best possible medicine.

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news + notes

Community School sophomores Emily Siegel, Olivia Ott, and Hannah Conn were inspired to educate the community about the plight of women and girls in the developing world by bringing a documentary about women and education to the school in October.

Girl Rising, according to its website, is a feature film that spotlights nine girls living in the developing world who confront tremendous challenges and overcome nearly impossible odds to pursue their dreams. Emily, Olivia, and Hannah were introduced to the film by Emily’s aunt, and worked with Director of Student Life Chauncy Pogue and local nonprofit organization Girls on the Run to show the film.

Olivia told a reporter from the Ketchum Keystone that she wanted to bring the film to Community School because of the story of Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old girl shot by the

Taliban for attending school.

“She was standing up for her rights for education in Pakistan,” she said. “This struck a cord with me because we’re the same age. I’ve been given so many opportunities, and I love to learn. The idea of girls not being allowed to go to school is heartbreaking. I could not imagine not being able to have an education.”

The screening was packed, with over 200 people filling the Community School theater. Hannah said she felt it was important for everyone in the community to become aware of the fact that not every woman has the same opportunities as those in the United States, and especially in the Wood River Valley.

“Living here, I don’t know a whole lot about the outside world,” she told the Ketchum Keystone.

“It’s important to learn more. This film has made me want to help these girls, especially after seeing how badly they want change.”

UP FOR DEBATE

BRAND-NEW TEAM ACHIEVES SUCCESS Community School’s nascent debate team is already a success, nabbing hardware at their very first competition in Eagle in January.

Junior Alex Harten placed first in Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate, a one-on-one debate format that focuses on the logic, ethics, and philosophy of a certain topic. Alex won by successfully arguing against the statement: “Developing countries should prioritize environmental protection over resource extraction when the two are in conflict.”

Seniors Nick Wright and Tara Smith placed fourth in Novice Public Forum Speech, freshman Tess Burchmore and junior Jake Whitlock placed fourth in Novice Public Forum Debate, and juniors Tara Burchmore and Anders Fortuin competed individually in Novice Lincoln Douglas Debate.

Tara started the team in November, drafting Upper School substitute teacher and renowned rhetorician Freddie Harris as coach. Director of Athletics Richard Whitelaw said the team presented themselves well.

“Our students are very talented,” Richard said. “The ‘gang of seven’ were all impeccably well-behaved, and they are a true credit to our school. The school is fortunate to have Freddie in our ranks, providing insight.”

The team’s final season results were not available as of press time.

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From left, junior Anders Fortuin, freshman Tess Burchmore, juniors Tara Burchmore and Alex Harten, seniors Tara Smith and Nick Wright, and junior Jake Whitlock prepare to dominate at the Mustang Mashup Debate Competition in Boise.

photography: CHRISTINA CARLSON

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upper School News

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Alumni

round-up Community School alumni were given a lot of opportunties to connect with the school over the past few months, the first of which was the Alumni Holiday Party in December. A record number of alumni enjoyed a gathering at Velocio in Ketchum, catching up with old friends. Alumna Aimee Christensen ’87 gave the inaugural “Alumni Leaders in Residence” lecture in February on sustainability, and seven alumni returned to campus to dispense college advice to juniors and seniors in January.

Top Row: From left, Mykala McCann, Yancey Caldwell ’04, Luc McCann ’04, Josh Kantor ’02, Liz Kantor, Jack Kantor (in carrier), and Megan McCann show off two major trends of the Alumni Holiday Party in December — babies and mustaches. Bottom Row (Left to Right): Aimee Christensen ’87 speaks to the Upper School in February as the first speaker in the Alumni Leaders in Residence lecture series; Elementary School teacher Kathy Gibson catches up with Natalie Goddard ’11; from left, Cameron Jenner ’13, Gunnar Ohlson ’13, and Hannah Robideaux ’13 give Upper School students college advice during the annual Alumni College Panel in January.

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CUTTHROATS in PUBLIC SERVICE

Giving to others is an integral part of a Community School education; it’s no wonder so many students go on to work for nonprofit organizations or serve others in some way. From aiding survivors of domestic violence and joining the Peace Corps to fighting for womens’ rights and saving rhinoceroses in Africa, Community School graduates have found a myriad of ways to give of them-

photographs courtesy of ANNIE ALCID ’03

selves to those in need.

Annie Alcid ’03

Annie Alcid ’03 is dedicated to breaking down boundaries. She’s currently a full-time graduate student at Georgetown University and conducting research on barriers to employment for women with disabilities.

Annie is a research analyst with Savan Group, a consulting firm specializing in government policy, standards, rulemaking, strategy and operations, and numerous other topics. She said that her research is different from most others in the way that it focuses on gender-related barriers, rather than on disability-specific obstacles.

“This study looks at women’s unique situations as mothers, daughters, and caretakers,” Annie said. “Their situations are complex.”

The study, though interesting, is only peripherally connected to Annie’s real passion — ensuring that young women have access to education in conflict-affected areas, the subject of her capstone project at Georgetown. She’s investigating what interventions have been taken in post-conflict

countries and areas affected by violence, such as Liberia, and seeing how those interventions have affected the ability of girls to attend school.

“How do you keep these kids in school, how do you keep schools a safe place for students?” she said. “For me, those are fascinating questions, and there aren’t enough people looking at that.”

Annie said she was inspired in her efforts by her time at Community School, mostly because it gave her a sense of the greater world and its needs.

“Ever since I was quite young, I knew there was a much bigger world beyond the Wood River Valley,” she said. “Bob Doyle (late Community School teacher) was the biggest inspiration for me, with his belief in service and serving others.

Every day, he practiced what he believed. He was my role model in my formative years, and he was the one who pushed me to go to Smith [College], because he said it would give me a much better idea of the wide world. I followed his advice and never looked back.”

Annie said she’s unsure of her post-graduation plans, but she knows that her life’s path lies in serving others, partially because of her time at Community School.

“The Wood River Valley is a great place to grow up, but it’s small,” she said. “It’s great that teachers remind students about the larger world and the greater diversity out there. It’s hard to find that in a little town, but it’s an integral part of a Community School education, getting out of your comfort zone.”

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from here... anywhere (continued)

photographs courtesy of Oey Parker’ 07/Esti McCoy ‘98

CUTTHROATS in PUBLIC SERVICE

Oey Parker ’07

Oey Parker ’07 is intimately aware of a fact only a few Americans realize — by 2015, the rhinoceros could be extinct due to illegal poaching.

Why? Because the rhinoceros horn is highly prized on the black market, worth more per kilogram than gold, platinum, and even cocaine.

Oey said the horn is highly sought-after by certain Asian communities that believe the horn serves as an upper, a cure for cancer, an aphrodisiac, a party drug, and even simply a status symbol.

As a result, crime syndicates have infiltrated South Africa and other African countries that have native rhino populations, illegally hunting them just for the horns — though, contrary to myth, the horns have no proven medical benefits.

Oey works for the International Anti-Poaching Federation, and said an average of three rhinoceroses are killed per day in South Africa for their horns — that’s 1,004 rhino killed in South Africa alone in 2013, an astronomical rise from 2009’s kill rate of 229.

Countries such as Mozambique have no regulations against poaching or infrastructure to fight it, so animals are regularly killed, even inside Kruger National Park.

“It’s really nasty there,” Oey said. “We saw two rhino there one day, but by the next day, they had been killed within the park. It’s like a hallway for poachers.”

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Oey currently is working to set up infrastructure within South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique for International Anti-Poaching Federation rangers to protect the rhinoceros from being hunted. The federation’s literature states that rhino are easy prey, due to their poor eyesight and tendency to be baited with food, and that most of them are still alive when their horns are cut off.

Her affinity for this type of work started when she was in third grade and discovered a National Geographic magazine that prominently featured the issue of gorilla poaching.

“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, that this actually happens,” she said. “I even wrote a poem about it for Ryan Waterfield’s English class much later. Animals are so helpless, and people just take advantage of that.”

After graduating from University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011 with degrees in Spanish and Psy-

chology, Oey moved to Boston and began working in event management. However, she said, she felt like something was missing.

“I wanted to do something that was meaningful,” she said.

Shortly thereafter, Oey’s father, a pilot, did some work for the federation, and Oey came along.

Immediately, she was struck by the work that the organization was doing, and she sought a way to help, joining the organization in 2013.

“I was in a transition stage, and I thought, ‘This is really cool,’” she said. “I get to live in a tent and save animals. That’s pretty much my dream.”

Oey credits Community School and former science teacher Harry Weekes for giving her a “conservation mindset,” and for helping her become aware of problems in the larger world.

“I’m always questioning what’s wrong, what’s right, and why,” she said. “And right now, I’m doing something that really needs to be done.”

from here... anywhere Chadd Montgomery ’02 Chadd Montogmery ’02 is currently training with the Marine Corps in Officer Candidate School. He sent the following message when asked why he wanted to be in the Marine Corps and how Community School prepared him for that mission. Chadd is expected to graduate in March. He expects to enter training and be placed on active duty for the next year before entering the reserves.

The Marine Corps’ values — Honor, Courage, Commitment — permeate everything in the organization. There is an obvious emphasis on character, morality, accountability, personal responsibility, and service.

I understood that the world would expect more from me as an Officer of Marines than it would otherwise and that I would be dedicating myself to selflessly serving and leading Marines.

Before I joined, I worked as an attorney for about two years in Syracuse, New York. I write this as a candidate, not a Marine, as I have not yet been offered (or accepted) a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. I wanted to be part of an elite organization that allowed me an opportunity to lead and work with exceptional people dedicated to helping others, required me to do so selflessly, and offered an exceptional challenge that demanded continuous personal growth and self-improvement.

It took more than three years to finally be accepted to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS).

The attrition rate will likely shrink our training company size from its starting strength of about 155 to around 120. Already, my platoon of 53 is down to 40 men and there are four weeks of training left.

The training is mentally, physically, and emotionally demanding. This is the hardest thing I have ever done. It makes studying for the bar exam seem fun in comparison. At OCS, you are always tired, sore, and hungry. In the winter, you are always cold. The misery index is high, but it weeds out the weak.

When you see a Marine Corps officer, you know that person has been pushed past their breaking point, several times, to earn their commission. They have operated on three hours of sleep per night, jumped and crawled through water with the air temperature in the low 40s, drilled in the cold with numb hands, marched for miles with a 60-pound pack, run every kind

of physical training in the worst conditions, been screened by their peers and by the OCS staff, conquered doubt and fear, and throughout all of it, they remained unselfishly devoted to the candidate on their right and left, putting that person’s needs above their own.

Community School’s focus on community service is deeply ingrained in me. Cutthroats serve their community because that is what we have been trained to do. It all started at Community School. That is where I was challenged, nurtured, trained, and sometimes disciplined by people who cared deeply about developing my character and making me a good citizen.

One of my greatest privileges was to be one of Bob Doyle’s scholars. Bob was a mentor and an inspiration whose impact on my life is insufficiently expressed with words. He nurtured my love of history, challenged me to be exceptional, showed me the value of humility and the power of compassion, and taught me that learning is a never-ending journey. Bob always used a yardstick as a prop as he led his “scholars” on an intellectual journey through history or economics. I still keep a yardstick in my home as a reminder that if I dedicate myself to being a fraction of the man Bob was, I will leave the world a better place than I found it.

Esti McCoy ’98 Esti McCoy ’98 is someone whom many Justin Russell ’93 women have seen on one of the worst (and

It’s hard to catch up with Justin Russell ’93 days of their lives — the (firstsometimes on the left),best) a Community School graduate turned course director for Outward Bound in day when they were the victim of domestic Oregon on the Deschutes River.

This summer, violence and law enforcement was calledheto was heading to scale Mount Jefferson with a few intervene. students before joining 34 students and 12 staff Esti on works as an river advocate the Domestic members a 22-day and with mountain trek.

Violence Intervention Hampshire “Jefferson is going to Program be prettyinfreaking magical,” said with a laugh hisistrip.

“As County,heMassachusetts.

The before program a parta course director, youthe sort of facilitate the magic, nership between Massachusetts Northwestand you see the kids when the magic has already ern District Attorney’s office and Safe Passage, happened, but you’re not usually actually there.” an organization that serves survivors of domestic violence as well as their children, friends, and families. While court advocates handle many such calls, domestic violence advocates support a victim either by phone or in person at the police station in the court advocates’ off-hours.

Once Esti meets the survivor, she swings into action, making sure the victim and any dependent children are safe, establishing restraining orders, and providing the person with resources and referrals for any further assistance.

(Continued on the next page)

c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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from here... anywhere CUTTHROATS in PUBLIC SERVICE

(continued)

“I try to establish trust as well as define the boundaries of what I can actually do,” she said.

“I also plant seeds of hope, and give them emergency numbers to keep with them in case they find themselves in a dangerous situation again.”

Esti also must stay up-to-date on changes in sexual assault laws and any status changes in the grants that fund the program, while constantly seeking ways to make the program more effective. She’s been working with victims of domestic abuse since she was an undergraduate, giving her a depth of experience upon which to draw. She started as a rape crisis counselor and educator at the Everywoman’s Center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and said she felt as though she had found her calling.

“I felt inspired to be a part of helping young women feel safe, supported, and empowered,” she said.

“Ever since, I have been passionate about raising awareness and reducing the occurrence of domestic violence.”

She continued to work at a crisis line for rape victims until she moved to New York City, applying to be an advocate with Safe Passage when she and her family moved back to Massachusetts five years ago.

Her passion for service was founded at Community School, and teacher Bob Doyle heavily influenced her career choices.

“Community School instilled in me an appreciation for giving back to the community, “ she said. “Throughout all the changes in my life, involvement in different forms of community service has been a constant.”

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photographs courtesy of Sara Alcid ’07 and bronwen raff ’09

Esti McCoy ’98 (continued)

Sara Alcid ’07 Cutthroat Sara Alcid ’07 is fighting against the war on women. As a programs and policy associate for the Reproductive Health Technologies Project in Washington, D.C., she works to build momentum and political will behind national legislation that would improve women’s access to reproductive healthcare.

In other words, she’s fighting to make it easier for all women — even those with low incomes — to gain access to birth control and prenatal care, as well as pushing for safe and effective assisted reproduction (think in vitro) and education regarding environmental risks during pregnancy. Though the project has a breadth of issues it covers, Sara said her work with “communities of color and low-income communities” is at the heart of the reproductive justice movement.

“Our nation’s legacy of socioeconomic inequality persists today and creates subsequent barriers that these communities face in accessing everything from family planning services to a good education,” she said.

Mostly, Sara focuses on the links between environmental factors and reproductive health, as well as finding ways to help all women gain better access to family planning, despite financial barriers or those posed by geography.

“My work days can involve everything from organizing Congressional briefings to managing the organization’s social media accounts,” she said.

Sara’s service doesn’t stop there. She is also a volunteer Fundraising and Events Coordinator at FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, a sexual violence prevention organization. The group works to promote the importance of sexual consent while sharing victims’ stories, making more victims feel empowered. Next summer, the group plans to blanket the National Mall in Washington, D.C., with a giant quilt that will tell the stories of survivors of rape and abuse and ensuring these survivors know they are not alone.

“We’re hoping the quilt will create a public space for healing and support, while sparking cultural change around the prevalence of rape,” Sara said.

Sara also writes for the Huffington Post and the website Everyday Feminism, covering topics such as gender, reproductive justice, and issues surrounding sexual orientation.

from here... anywhere

As a result of the attention her work has garnered, Sara was invited to be the keynote speaker at the University of Northern Colorado’s women’s conference in November 2013. Her speech focused on bridging the gap between academic study of women’s issues and more “everyday” feminism, as well as the ways in which identity can intersect with and impact personal activism.

Sara said her experience at Community School sparked her interest in politics — especially Phil Huss’ iconic Law and Literature class — and fostered her desire to lead. She started a chapter of Amnesty International and was a Community Service leader, and said that the school’s focus on the greater world gave her a different perspective on the place she lived.

“Most of all, Community School instilled a love of learning in me, which informs my work today, and leads me to do it with more compassion and accountability.”

Bronwen Raff ’09 Few women can claim to be as much of a “Jill of all trades” as Bronwen Raff ’09. After graduating from Tufts with a bachelor’s degree in Social Justice and Peace Studies, she immediately joined the Peace Corps and moved to the Dominican Republic in August 2013.

She works as a Community Health Volunteer, meaning that during the course of any given day, she teaches high school English, presents on HIV and AIDs in local health clinics, discusses the importance of breastfeeding with pregnant women, translates for medical missions in the area, develops youth group activities and games, and/or finds time for yoga, a run, or a cup of coffee with friends.

“No day is ever the same!” she said. “I love the freedom I have to create my own schedule.”

Her official goal is to create a youth group to teach sexual health and how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, in an attempt to lower the number of women in the country who give birth before the age of 19. That rate currently stands at 25 percent.

Another official goal is to form a women’s group to teach nutrition, hygiene, and sexual health.

However, Bronwen said that her real job has been to work with two youth groups, two women’s groups, teach three levels of English classes, visit women at home to urge them to use less oil and sugar in their cooking, start a fitness club and weight loss challenge, and launch a project to construct environmentally friendly stoves.

While her job is challenging, it’s also incredibly rewarding. She said her time at Community School gave her the leadership skills she needed.

“I was able to take on unique leadership opportunities that have served me well here as I lead sex-ed meetings, manage large groups, ask community members for help and mentor Dominican youth,” she said. “My experience in the Outdoor Program has allowed me to embrace an adventurous lifestyle, even living without electricity.

The drive and work ehtic I learned in Community School classrooms has helped me integrate into my community and find passion in the work I do.”

Bronwen’s brother, Henry, is an eighth-grade student at Community School. She said that while she admires her fellow volunteers’ determination and work ethic, Henry has been her life-long role model.

“He is the most compassionate, motivated, and positive kid I’ve ever met,” she said. “He inspires me every day to work hard, to believe in myself, to keep a positive attitude, and to set big goals.”

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educational highlights

FACULTY HELPS STUDENTS GIVE BACK Community service is one of the pillars of Community School’s mission. Collectively, students in kindergarten through twelfth grade devoted 5,850 hours to community service during the 2012-2013 school year. Coordinating these endeavors is a labor of love for Elementary School Head Janet Salvoni, sixth grade team teacher Toni Coleman, and Upper School math teacher Claire Cassidy.

ABOVE: From left to right, sixth grade team teacher Toni Coleman, Upper School math teacher Claire Cassidy, and Elementary School Head Janet Salvoni.

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photography: Christina Carlson

COORDINATING COMMUNITY SERVICE

“

It is so important for children to learn that we need to take care of each other and this earth. It is never too early to start practicing kindness, empathy, and stewardship.

Community School Magazine: What is the goal for community service in your division?

Toni Coleman: In the Middle and Upper Schools, the goal is 100 percent participation. Every student is expected to be involved in at least one service project during the year.

Janet Salvoni: Participation is key at the Elementary School, too. Each class, as a group, gets involved in projects they care about. The adoption of the WOW Projects last year (a county-wide initiative that empowers students to support local nonprofit organizations with their time, energy, ideas, and funds) really got the children thinking about needs in this community and how they can make a difference.

CSM: How did you come to take on this responsibility?

TC: I volunteered, of course!

JS: Community service has always been important to me, and it is something that I have tried to incorporate into each school year that I had a classroom.

For example, in third grade, my class partnered with “Coats for Kids” and collected warm clothing each fall. In first grade, we collected toys for a toy drive and stuffed animals for the animal shelter. When I became the Head of the Elementary School, it seemed a natural fit to coordinate efforts across the entire division.

Claire Cassidy: I was asked to coordinate this program. I have always been passionate about community service, so it was a job I was happy to take on.

CSM: Why is community service important to the students in your division?

CC: To quote Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

At a time when young people are transitioning to adulthood, learning about the joy of service to others helps them define what life is about.

TC: In Middle School, students begin to figure out who they are and how they fit in. By performing community service, helping others becomes a part of a student’s identity.

JS: It is so important for children to learn that we need to take care of each other and this earth. It is never too early to start practicing kindness, empathy, and stewardship.

CSM: Are students naturally enthusiastic or do they need to be coaxed?

JS: The kids in the Early Childhood Center and Elementary School are always excited to help others. In

—Janet Salvoni

fact, the faculty often has to help them narrow down their focus because they want to help everybody.

This leads to great conversations regarding resources and abilities.

CC: I have been truly amazed at the enthusiasm that there is for community service. Whenever I put out a request for volunteers, I am inundated with students who want to help.

TC: Many come in understanding that it is an expectation. A few need to be coaxed, but most just need to be reminded.

CSM: What are the biggest challenges you face in this role?

TC: The biggest obstacle is getting students to record and turn in their hours!

CC: For me, the biggest challenge is trying to do all this while still being a full-time math teacher. It’s a time-intensive job at the Upper School level – not just coordinating projects, but participating in them.

JS: At the Elementary School level, the challenges have more to do with the ages and abilities of the students. Not every nonprofit deals with topics that are appropriate or interesting to young children, nor is every opportunity accessible to a nine-year-old.

CSM: What is the most interesting or unusual project that has come across your desk?

CC: I enjoyed coordinating our Community Service Day project this fall, which involved seed collection as part of the restoration of our valley following last summer’s fires. I felt it was a unique opportunity to drive home community spirit in my students.

TC: The WOW Projects have sparked creative and exciting ideas at the Middle School level. Last year, they included designing and planting a pollinator garden, beginning construction of a boardwalk through Silver Creek Preserve, and extending the service of Idaho’s Bounty.

JS: This year, it’s been wonderful to watch the second graders work with the Wood River Ability Program. They screened a movie, Dolphin Tale, to bring awareness and to solicit donations to support the nonprofit’s work in the community. That same week, students worked with the group directly on Dollar and were able to try some adaptive gear.

”

TC: Through community service, students recognize that they can make a difference. Time spent improving the environment or the lives of others on a local level can build a sense of accomplishment that students can carry forward, inspiring possibilities wherever they go.

CC: Our students are some of the more fortunate young people in the country. Many will take on positions of great leadership in their future careers. I believe that with privilege, there comes a responsibility to assist the less fortunate.

“

To quote Winston Churchill, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ At a time when young people are transitioning to adulthood, learning about the joy of service to others helps them define what life is about.

—Claire Cassidy

”

CSM: Why is it important to have a culture of service at Community School?

JS: Children need to be invested in the world around them. Through these projects, our students learn the value of helping others and they learn to be thankful for the gifts in their own lives. co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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educational highlights

niaho!

STUDENTS SAY ‘HELLO’ TO MANDARIN

The sounds of Mandarin ring through the Elementary and Upper Schools each day, thanks to the new language program at Community School. Mandarin teacher Weixia Han said her students, who only started learning the language in September, have learned more than she would have thought possible.

ABOVE: Residential Coordinator Sarah Higgins, right, helps students send a Chinese lantern into the air as part of the school’s Lunar New Year celebrations.

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“They are learning so fast!” she said of her Elementary School students. “They remember all of the words to the songs, and even the two-yearolds can sing by themselves.”

Mandarin in the Early Childhood Center and Elementary School focuses on exposure, rather than a strict study of grammar and vocabulary.

“We do a lot of things like singing, activities, and games,” Weixia said.

By kindergarten, the students are learning basic calligraphy, or at least the concept of what certain symbols mean. Weixia said her older Elementary School students continually ask her if they can try more and more writing, eager to learn all they can.

The approach in Upper School is a more systematic study of the underpinnings of the language. Students will have gained the basics of writing, reading, listening, and speaking Mandarin by the end of the year.

“The goal of this year is to give them a solid foundation in all aspects of the language,” Weixia said.

Students practice calligraphy on something called a Magic Cloth. They use brushes to paint on the cloth with water — the characters turn dark at first, then slowly disappear over the course

of a few minutes, allowing the cloth to be used multiple times. Weixia said this method saves both paper and ink while the students are practicing. Once they are confident in the perfection of their work, the students switch to ink and rice paper, creating permanent characters suitable for display.

“The students did their final exams last term completely in the characters,” Weixia said. “I was so proud! They are doing really great, and they are such serious learners.”

The Mandarin program has brought two traditional Chinese festivals to school this year.

The first, the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a celebration of the harvest. Boarding students, Weixia, and the other “dorm parents” decorated the dorm for the occasion and also enjoyed traditional Chinese fare at a special dinner that night.

The second was a celebration of the Chinese New Year. Day and boarding students alike celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Horse with festivities both at the Residence Hall and on campus, with a special presentation at assembly and with a ceremonial releasing of Chinese sky lanterns painted with wishes from students.

The Mandarin program started last year thanks to the generosity of parents, alumni, and Community School supporters who gave so enthusiastically to the 2012-2013 Annual Fund that Community School was able to launch the program and hire Weixia to teach it.

SAVE THE DATE

ALL-ALUMNI REUNION AUGUST 1-2, 2014 SUN VALLEY

• • • • •

Alumni/Faculty Soccer Game Air Barn and Campus Tours All-Alumni BBQ River Rafting Adventure Milestone Reunion Parties*

* If your class is interested in having a 10, 20,or 30-year reunion party, please contact Krista for underwriting information at 208.622.3960 ext. 165 or kdetwiler@communityschool.org

edible

Spring 2014 • Number 6

Idaho South

®

Celebrating the food culture of Southern Idaho

The Strawberry Lady • State & Lemp Asparagus Hunting • RasberrYs • Clean Living

Member of Edible Communities

eat drink enlighten enrich

educational highlights

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

EIGHTH GRADErs LEARN WHAT’S ON THEIR PLATES What’s in your food? The eighth grade class at Community School can answer that question with certainty, and they launched a large-scale effort this year to ensure that the rest of the valley can, too.

This year, food education started with an eighth grade harvest of the planter boxes behind the Dumke Middle School building. The boxes served as incubators for zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, and more fresh produce items, all of which the previous eighth grade class had planted before classes ended in May. The new class was able to harvest the food in September while learning about plant reproduction and sustainable living. As part of the project, students took much of the food with them on their fall outdoor trip to Glacier National Park. All of the meals on that adventure focused on using the students’ sustainably grown food.

The eighth grade class also participated in National Food Day on Oct. 24. Nurture Idaho, a nonprofit organization that works to educate children about nutrition and healthy food choices, partnered with Community School and Theo Gund to host a public screening of “What’s on Your Plate?” The film, produced, written, and directed

by Catherine Gund, follows the journey of two 11-year-old girls who strive to discover where the food they eat comes from, how it’s cultivated, and how many miles it travels from harvest to plate.

The film’s companion book, copies of which were donated by Theo and Cat to Community School, includes healthy recipes that use fresh fruit and vegetables. Eighth graders used the book to prepare food from produce grown in the campus garden.

Students also proudly showed off the various

ways in which they’re attempting to grow fresh food throughout the year. Groups gave tours to interested participants, demonstrating everything from hoop gardens to seedlings cultivated in soda bottles.

Inspired by Food Day, eighth grade students decided to launch an inaugural Food Fest in November. The event included booths with samples of healthy food, cooking demonstrations, a lesson in how to build a cold frame, and the results of an extensive survey of Community School faculty, student, and staff eating habits.

Attendees could even purchase a special trail mix made by Community School students at the headquarters of Play Hard Give Back, a Ketchumbased company that sells trail mix and partners with athletes to give some of the proceeds to social causes around the world.

In addition to Play Hard Give Back, local sponsors for this event included A.C. Houston Lumber, Pk’s Ski and Sports, Glow Live Food Café, and Sagebrush Solar.

Left to Right: Eighth grader Henry Pollock and eighth grade teacher Scott Runkel man the taste-testing booth at the inaugural Food Fest; eighth graders Miren Sanchez-duPont and Grace Hoffman show off a hand-built cold frame. c om m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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educational highlights

“

Community School is a vibrant part of and contributor to the valley.

What happens at the school affects what happens in the town, and vice versa.

—Sam Herrick

”

Q&A

with SAM HERRICK NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

When former Middle School Head Ben Pettit was named Upper School Head earlier this year, a search committee immediately launched an effort to fill that vacancy. Sam Herrick, the current Dean of Student Life for kindergarten through eighth grade at the Live Oak School in San Francisco, was the committee’s unanimous first choice. Sam will start at Community School in July.

Above: New Middle School Head Sam Herrick, right, with his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Gus.

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Part of your “educational philosophy” is that effective school leaders must truly believe in the mission of the school. What about Community School’s mission resonated with you?

The inclusion of the word “integrity.” Integrity is vital for all students to understand and then to see how to apply it in their lives. I see students applying the concept of integrity in the decisions they make every day, allowing them to hold true to their personal values in the face of social influences.

How does Community School feel similar to your independent school experiences?

Community School is a vibrant part of and a contributor to the valley community. What happens at the school affects what happens in the town, and vice versa. This feels similar to my experience growing up on a school campus, where I was a member of the school community and the town community; distinct, but important to one another. I was able to develop meaningful relationships with other adults at school that were separate from my parents, allowing me to practice my independence. I also formed friendships with peers in town who remain my closest friends to date.

I am excited to focus all of my energy on supporting middle school students. During my visit, I was impressed by the students’ commitment to learning, the degree of autonomy they managed, and the articulate questions they asked of me. I am honored to be able to work with and continue to challenge active minds like these. I also hope to continue to bike to work every day!

What about the Sun Valley area particularly appeals to you?

The Wood River Valley is a stunning location. The daily and seasonal changes offer a variety of opportunities to play outdoors. I look forward to perfecting my tele turns on Baldy so that I can keep up with my wife, Elizabeth, who skis alpine! I love that in the summer I don’t have to drive a car as often, and I can take my son everywhere by bike.

In some ways, Ketchum reminds me of the community in which I grew up in Maine.

As a child I biked all over town, was friendly with most storeowners, and knew the best places to swim, hike, and jump my BMX. I am excited that our children will have the type of outdoor experiences growing up that Elizabeth and I had.

Your son, Gus, is obviously a major part of your life — and your second child will be, too! What do you hope they can gain from their eventual CS experiences?

We are excited for Gus to grow up in the Community School environs. Elizabeth and I want to raise Gus and his sibling in a community that appreciates and respects the outdoors and helps them to understand appropriate risks. We see the Community School program reflecting these concepts.

And we can’t wait to see Gus on the Magic Carpet next winter!

photograph Courtesy of Sam Herrick

What are you most excited about in your new role?

Looking for Real Estate?

Jed Gray

As a lifelong resident of Sun Valley, Jed has been in real estate since 1981. During that time he has served as President of the Sun Valley Board of Realtors and was a founding member of the Western Mountain Resort Alliance. He has done both sales and development throughout the Wood River Valley creating a wide range of experience and understanding of the entire Sun Valley real estate market.

Alex Higgins A TRADITION IN THE W O O D R I V E R VA L L E Y

A member of the California and Colorado bar, Alex moved to Sun Valley in 1976 and offers years of experience in the Sun Valley area real estate market. Involved in the community, Alex has served as President for the Sun Valley Board of Realtors, President of the board for the Montessori School, and Vice-President for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.

Tom Monge

Tom moved to Sun Valley in 1977 to open the first mortgage banking firm in the area. He also opened a real estate appraisal firm and a small real estate brokerage office. Tom joined Sun Valley Associates in 1996. Because of his background in all aspects of the real estate industry, Tom has long been one of the most noted and respected real estate experts in the valley.

Jim Figge

A Sun Valley devotee since 1976, Jim has served three terms as President of the Sun Valley Board of Realtors and Vice President of the Western Mountain Resort Alliance. His history here and travel experience give him a wealth of knowledge about other resorts and Sun Valley’s unique standing among them.

Jim and Barbara are grateful to be raising their three children in the Valley.

Terry Palmer

A former Olympic ski racer, Terry traveled the world racing before he settled in Sun Valley. Terry moved to the Wood River Valley in 1974 and he has practiced real estate in the Sun Valley area for over 14 years. Terry’s experience, local knowledge, love of the area, and commitment to service will more than satisfy your real estate needs.

Jason Buck

A Sun Valley resident since 1998, Jason moved here to work as a hunting, fly fishing, and rafting guide. His love of the outdoors led him to real estate. He enjoys working on recreational property transactions where his experiences provide him with valuable insights. Jason became a licensed Realtor in 2003, and is currently a board member for the Sun Valley Board of Realtors.

View all area listings at svassociates.com 208-622-4100 700 Sun Valley Road, Ketchum, ID 83340

CS coast trip

COAST

DREAMING OF THE

EXPLORING THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA

By Robin Sias

The coast of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is a magical, almost mythical, landscape: remote and isolated, with terrain that changes moment by moment according to the tides. Each fall, tenth graders travel to this wondrous place to backpack, explore, and experience one of Community School’s seminal Outdoor Program trips.

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The five-day, four-night sojourn takes place along the longest wilderness stretch in the Lower 48. Students navigate sweeps of sand between the Pacific Ocean and dramatic cliffs, stretches that are never the same twice. Even the names of the beaches are romantic: Rialto, Ozette, Shi Shi. It is an always-changing, unforgiving, and vanishing coastal environment.

“It is so dramatically different than any other Outdoor Program trip,” said Upper School English teacher Phil Huss, a 14-year veteran of this adventure. “We walk through a rainforest, camp on the beach. It’s rugged, wild, and remote. It is a challenging 20-mile hike complete with heavy backpacks and fickle weather.”

Phil first hoisted his backpack and laced up his hiking shoes on the shores of the Olympic Peninsula as a brand-new tenth grade English teacher. What keeps him coming back year after year?

“On Fall Campout or backpacking trips into the mountains or desert, you are usually

following a trail,” he said. “Your destination may be a lake or an established campground.

On the Coast Trip, it’s cliffs and beach, with a total dependence on the tides.”

It’s in the tides that Phil sees enchantment and opportunity.

“This is a student-led trip unlike any other,” he said. “Here, leadership has real meaning.

Students have to read the tide charts and understand potential danger spots. They need to know at all times exactly where they are on the map. If you miss a tide, you sit for eight hours and wait until you can cross.”

Outdoor Program Director Rob Landis agrees that the tides define this trip.

“There are many places along the coast that you simply can’t get through in high tide,” he said. “Reading tide charts is almost always a new skill for kids from the mountains, but they always take it seriously and do an excellent job.”

The dependence on the ocean granting pas-

sage puts students immediately in tune with their environment. Often, to accommodate the tides, the students get up at 5 a.m. to hike and watch the sun come up.

The beauty of the Coast Trip caught Upper School world language teacher Calysta Phillips’ imagination during her first excursion to this landscape two years ago.

“Words that come to mind are: magical, awesome, beautiful, unique, and so different from Idaho!” she said.

From the beaches to one of the last oldgrowth temperate rainforests in the country, there is spectacle at every turn. Upper School science teacher Paul Hartl, a 12-year veteran of this trip, added that it is a great opportunity for students to take responsibility for their own experience.

“We give them the maps and the tide charts and brief them on the novelties of coastal hiking. For the most part, we let them plan each day’s schedule, including how to navigate

opposite: Students hike along the coast during low tide; ABOVE: An example of the Washington wildlife students encounter on this seminal trip. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

33

CS coast trip

“

Sometimes they create a human chain across the water, passing the backpacks from one bank to the other and making it easier for the kids to cross.

Other years, they link arms and help support each other. They brainstorm on the spot.

—Phil Huss

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c o m m u n itys c hool. or g

”

some of the challenges,” he said.

Student responsibility extends to pacing the group, campsite selection, even cooking.

Every student has the chance to lead, which is made possible by breaking the class into small groups. On the first day, the class is split into four: two groups begin on the north side of the river that divides the trip, two on the south.

They pass at the halfway point, and the river offers another problem to be solved. With the burden of large backpacks, the broad river would be difficult to navigate individually, so each year, students devise ways to make the crossing possible and safe.

“Sometimes they create a human chain across the water, passing the backpacks from

one bank to the other and making it easier for the kids to cross,” Phil said. “Other years, they link arms and help support each other.

They brainstorm on the spot.”

The sheer physical demands of the Coast Trip also differentiate it from others. It’s the hardest hiking students do in the Outdoor Program, and students climb numerous rustic wooden ladders while carrying big packs.

“Did I mention it usually rains a lot on this trip?” Phil said. “But the group pulls each other up mentally and motivationally, and even the most tentative student is able to meet the physical demands of this trip.”

Everyone agrees that one other aspect of this trip makes it unforgettable: bonfires.

“One of my favorite moments of both trips was building huge bonfires on the beach,” Calysta said. “As you can imagine, kids love to build fires. Because of the tidal zones, we are able to build fires during low tide, and high tide washes them away. Students built huge fires several nights that were enormous... imagine four or five trees burning at once.”

It’s not just about the immediate physical experience that keeps this outdoor trip in students’ minds for years to come, though. Like all Community School Outdoor Program trips, this adventure has curricular ties once the group returns to Sun Valley.

In past years, teachers have linked environmental themes encountered on the Olympic Peninsula with the themes in James Duncan’s classic novel, The River Why. The experience has been used as an opportunity to develop non-fiction writing skills, and while on the adventure, students journal every day.

Walking through areas of forest that have been clear-cut offers opportunities to discuss environmental concerns and to talk about how this region became a national park.

Wandering along the Olympic Peninsula is dramatically removed from the every day.

Students often don’t see any other humans on this trip, instead encountering sea otters, seals, even whales and tide pools.

“Very few of our tenth graders have ever hiked a wild coast, with no roads, no elec-

tronics, and practically no sign of civilization other than the flotsam that washes up on the beach,” Paul said. “They hike mile after mile on sand, rocks, and around slippery rocky points with the surf washing up at their feet.

Seeing, hearing, and smelling the wildness of wind, fog, seabirds, seals; exploring tidal pools for starfish, sea anemones, mussels, and fish, all these things define the trip.

“Just when they’ve gotten used to the ocean, they dive into an untouched, monumentally quiet old-growth rain forest, with lush moss hanging from each branch and more lush moss underfoot,” he said. “Good weather brings out the forest’s beauty, but cloudy, foggy weather is even better, as it brings out the mystery and evokes thoughts of the native peoples that inhabited this wildness for so many thousands of years before we came to know it.”

Every year, the group returns to Sun Valley closer than before they left, the challenges, beauty, and opportunities binding them together. Calysta said her group last year solidified their bond through a potlatch, a Native American giving ceremony they had heard about from Rob. “Everyone picked names out of a hat, and we spent an afternoon creating gifts for one another,” she said. “That night, we sat in a circle, with a Nalgene fire (i.e. a flashlight in a bottle), and one by one, we gave our gift to

our chosen person and shared with the group what we appreciated about them. People gave shells, swords, hula skirts, sculptures. The messages they shared showed how much we had grown as a group in a short week. It also reflected the students’ ability to be sincere and to share of themselves on a deeper level, beyond the hilarity of the day-to-day shenanigans we experienced.”

Alumna Krista Detwiler ’07 said the Coast Trip was a seminal experience for her and many other students who deeply felt the magic and beauty of the coast.

“When anyone asks me what my favorite outdoor trip was, I don’t hesitate before saying, ‘Coast Trip,’” she said. “Not that the others aren’t amazing, challenging bonding experiences….There’s just something about the Coast Trip. No words can truly explain the feeling. I had never felt so small, and had never felt so profundly grateful to experience the earth’s natural beauty.”

opposite: The landscape of the Washington Coast is vastly different from what students have experienced in Idaho.

ABOVE (left to right): Students must learn to read tide charts and pitch their tents accordingly; heavy backpacks and an extensive amount of coastline hiking are major features of this outdoor trip. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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CS adapt to ascend

big d

ream

SIAS

There’s nothing more exciting for both budding cinematographers and seasoned professionals than seeing their work on the big screen. Students in teacher Peter Burke’s Video Production Upper School elective classes experienced that thrill as the documentary they produced, “Adapt to Ascend,” debuted at the Sun Valley Film Festival in March.

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big sc

reen

Now in its third year, the Sun Valley Film Festival was recognized as one of the “Great Places for a Film Festival,” by USA Today and is a jam-packed A-list event for movie lovers and filmmakers alike.

“When the opportunity arose for a real festival experience, I knew it was an amazing way to get the kids inspired and for all of their hard work to make sense in a real-world context,” Peter explained. “It was a can’t-miss opportunity.”

The documentary profiled Ketchum-based nonprofit organization Higher Ground, which offers award-winning outdoor programs to military veterans and provides a comprehensive

BY KATE WUTZ

recreation program for athletes with physical and developmental disabilities. The documentary focuses on the recreational program, and footage captures physically disabled adults careening around single track on adaptive mountain bikes and young people with cognitive disabilities learning to rock climb at an indoor climbing wall and downhill skiing at the Special Olympics Regional Games on Dollar Mountain.

According to Peta Verhaeghe, volunteer coordinator at Higher Ground, filming was an immersive, hands-on experience.

“The student filmmakers trained with our athletes and instructors to really understand the programs,” she said. “They undertook

photography: Kristin Cheatwood

BY ROBIN

s

M L FI L CA

STUDENTS

DEBUT

DOCUMENTARY

dryland training, learned about confidentiality issues, were coached in using person-first language, and learned how to belay our kids on the climbing wall. They cheered on the snow sport athletes during the regional competitions.

They became part of the team.”

Part of the reason students were so engaged in the endeavor is that, like many projects at Community School, creating this documentary was a student-led initiative.

“This fall, students in my class discussed possible projects for the term,” Peter said. “I wanted them to understand the entire process of video production, which is done more effectively through a longer collaborative project.

AT LO

We talked about what that could look like, and they decided they were most interested in making a documentary.”

The next step was to choose a subject.

The Advocates, Higher Ground, and Play Hard Give Back were all considered, but students were most drawn to Higher Ground.

They then had to conduct a pitch meeting, convincing Higher Ground to participate. It wasn’t a tough sell.

“We love that this project brought awareness to our recreation department,” said Cara Barrett, Higher Ground’s recreation program director. “Our amazing military program gets a lot of press, but our recreation program is a

OPPOSITE: Video Production students Todd Yu and Tara Smith adjust the settings on their camera in preparation for shooting on Dollar Mountain.

ABOVE: Senior Ethan Kjesbo nabs an action shot while riding the lifts.

FEST

huge part of our organization, and it’s exciting to tell people more about it. One of our core missions is community outreach, and what better way to get the word out than with the help of engaged, interested students who are working with differently-abled athletes close to their own age?”

Creating a documentary is a huge project with a steep learning curve, especially for students with limited production experience.

It was an ambitious choice, but Peter’s students were up to the challenge. In fact, the requirements fit well with his curricular goals.

“In this course, students are required to learn about scouting locations, lighting, sound, art c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

37

CS adapt to ascend

“In t his c o lighturse, st u goes in into g, sounddents ar maki e ng a, art direrequire d film c of antion, wrto learn y sor iting a abo ut t, the s piececreenplscouting s you ay, an loca see a d ever tions nd yo ythin , u don g els ’t se e tha e.”—P t

ABOVE: Volunteers work with a Higher Ground athlete on Dollar — a process that takes patience and gentle encouragement.

OPPOSITE: Ethan captures a joyous moment between athlete and volunteer.

38

c o m m u n itys c hool. or g

direction, writing a screenplay, and everything else that goes into making a film of any sort, the pieces you see and you don’t see,” Peter said. “I am really interested in getting the students to think about telling a story.”

More than 25 talented and dedicated students helped turn the idea of making a documentary into a bona fide entry in a bona fide film festival. Peter’s two sections of Video Production students split into groups, acting as film crew, sound technicians, story coordinators, researchers, and lighting technicians.

Senior Tara Smith signed up for the Video Production elective for the first time during the winter term without much experience, but she learned on her feet.

“I kind of helped out everywhere,” she said.

“I interviewed on some days. On others, I was the person holding the camera.”

Tara said this opportunity taught her a great deal. “I have learned so much, both on

urke

the technical side and how to comfortably interview people. I would say that learning the technical side is the hardest.”

It all came together, and Peter’s students were among the first group of entrants in the Future Filmmakers Forum competition, new this year to the festival. Judges for this category screened nearly 60 films submitted by middle and high school students from Idaho and around the nation. Entries were judged on the strength of the story, creativity and originality, and technical aspects.

Bex Wilkinson, a Community School parent and founding board member of the Sun Valley Film Festival, said she is thrilled to bring young talent to Ketchum and Sun Valley screens.

“I feel, and always have felt, that film is an important curricular component,” she said.

“Almost any student has access to producing, editing, and promoting their own films via the Internet, iPhone, YouTube, even Vine! It’s

photography: Kristin Cheatwood

eter B

t lmoes a . t n ponems via tnht m o c ar own filmporta l u c i urr g their as an i c t n d n a portpromotei mbracilkeinson m i n is aing, and film is .” —Bex W m l i s f hat ing, edittime thaatnd our t , t l c e d ave tfo prodVuine! Itn’s’s worl h s y s even ildre alwsa accesb , d h n a u a l, ent h , YouT ein our c e e f “I stud hone ation any rnet, iPmmunic Intee of co piec time that film is embraced as an important piece of communication in our children’s world and ours.”

She and Pirie Jones Grossman, another Community School parent and strong supporter of the arts, spearheaded the Future Filmmakers Forum to inspire youth in grades seven through twelve to seriously pursue the art of film.

“The student piece of the Film Festival is real and competitive,” Bex said. “Students must produce, write, edit, direct, and act in their films. They also have to apply to the Film Festival and be judged, which is not an easy task for anyone, no matter what age! I applaud any student who has taken the time to be part of this.”

All of this is music to the ears of Pirie, who was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Media Lab on campus.

“I’m excited,” she said. “Peter is taking what

the Media Lab and Video Production classes offer to the next level. For the kids participating in the Sun Valley Film Festival, it makes it real from beginning to end. They needed to come up with a creative concept, they pitched it, they made it happen, they saw the results in a real-world setting. These students were truly a part of something special.”

Pirie said creating and screening this documentary is an excellent example of the project-based learning that is the hallmark of a Community School education.

“Peter didn’t tell kids what to do,” she said.

“He made them think, to work for it. In the digital world we live in, a lot of things are already created for our children. In a process like making a documentary, nothing is pre-fabricated. They had to create this film, from the first frame to the last, by themselves.”

In conjunction with this project, Ben Rock, a Sun Valley Film Festival judge and one of the

original five students who created The Blair Witch Project in 1999, visited campus to talk with Peter’s classes.

“He explained how he and his friends made their dream a reality and how much hard work it took,” Pirie said. “He also explained how lucky these students are. Modern technology allows everyone to start to tell their story.

Today’s students couldn’t believe that Ben and his friends had to max out their personal credit cards to rent equipment and make the movie.”

The aspiring documentary filmmakers also benefitted from exposure to some of the talented parents at Community School and in the broader community.

“We screened a cut of the documentary with the students, Peter, and some mentors and parents involved in the film industry before the festival,” Pirie explained. “Students were able to get feedback from some top professionals in the industry.” c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

39

they n e get wh see how to e would kidsas awesom e th ed ay. It w excit e how the r pl ing e e atch ith ss e wa ed to ew.” —Tara Sm m want movi ect for ys a ing this ey alw the proj k h Roll credits: the following Video Production a T in m . wed e were e students shot, edited, and produced “Adapt to st joy e rvi w e bigg Ascend”: Gavin Blair, Samantha Bunting, Emi that e “Thee being int r e w Carr, Hannah Conn, Bobby Corker, Blake r y we the Deilke, Analena Deklotz, Lukas DeWolfe, Alex ppy ha visual media. We are always brainstorming Feldman, Autumn Fluetsch, John Garrett, Josh Going forward, there should be a lot more creativity generated in the Media Lab, located on the second floor of Engl Hall. Generous donations this fall provided the program with new camera equipment, and Peter’s class is so popular it now has a wait list.

“I want students to understand there’s much more to filmmaking than on-air talent, cinematographers, and directors – the people you hear the most about and see,” Peter said. “I would love to get sound mixers, color correctors, after-effects specialists, and editors to campus to explain their jobs and the opportunities that exist in all areas of filmmaking and

40

c o m m u n i t ys c hool. or g

how to grow the Media Lab and arts program at Community School.”

Pirie sees the Media Lab as a place where imaginations are encouraged to run free, where every student has a voice and a story to tell, and a place where great things will continue to happen.

For the students, working with athletes at Higher Ground was perhaps even more exciting and rewarding than seeing their names on screen.

“The biggest joy in the project for me was seeing how excited the kids would get when they were being interviewed,” Tara said. “They always wanted to watch the replay. It was awesome to see how happy they were that we were making this movie.”

Grassi, Jack Harris, Noa Hecht, Ethan Kjesbo, Evan Marks, Ava Mazzoni, Thomas O’Connor, Kendall Piggins, Ellie Polk, Tara Smith, J.D. Stark, Adele Stireman, Gil Viesturs, Jake Whitlock, and Todd Yu. The film can be viewed on the Community School Vimeo page, http://vimeo.com/ user4564508

ABOVE: Ethan captures a tender moment on the mountain between an athlete and senior Community School student Emi Carr.

photography: Kristin Cheatwood

CS adapt to ascend

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CS building character

they’ve got

grit

CURRICULUM FOSTERS CHARACTER STRENGTHS

There’s no doubt that Community School kids are tough as nails when it comes to the outdoors. By the time graduation rolls around, students

have hiked hundreds of miles, navigated canyons, splashed through whitewater, and slept outdoors in the snow — experiences few high school students, even in Idaho, can lay claim to. As a result of these arduous tasks, students learn the value of tenacity, realizing they can only see the view from the top of a mountain by climbing it.

ABOVE: Junior Josie Allison curls up in a snow cave that students built in the Community School common area to practice for an upcoming outdoor trip, during which they will build snow caves and sleep outside while learning about winter ecology. OPPOSITE: Upper School Spanish teacher Pilar Lindahl, right, shares a laugh with senior Allison Fluetsch, junior Cutter Gratwohl, and junior Claire Siderman during an advanced Spanish class.

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photography: christina carlson

By Kate Wutz

photography: christina carlson

“Grit,” or the notion of powering through an uncomfortable experience for the sake of a longterm goal, is something consciously fostered in through the Outdoor Program as well as in every Community School classroom.

Community School was chosen this fall as one of three independent schools included in a national study of “grit” and other non-cognitive skills conducted by Professor Angela Duckworth at the University of Pennsylvania.

Angela recently received the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” for her work, and her goal is to discover if qualities such as grit, self-control, social intelligence, gratitude, and curiosity can be taught. If she determines that this is possible, she’s determined to develop a curriculum to support that goal.

Community School Middle School students have been answering surveys designed to measure their character strengths and assess how those qualities change over the course of a year, and whether or not the scores on those tests differ among class levels.

Two major themes in Angela’s work are the concepts of grit and self-control. While grit is the long-term act of working toward a goal, self-control is the ability to make good decisions in the moment that contribute to that goal. In other words, self-control is deciding to study for an

upcoming Spanish quiz instead of having fun with friends; grit is the cumulative action of making that decision before every Spanish quiz in hopes of getting an “A” in the class.

But faculty and staff are already well aware that character strengths can be encouraged and fostered in the classroom, and are actively taking steps to ensure their classes mold students into better people.

Community School’s rigorous curriculum demands both grit and self-control in order for a student to succeed. Phil Huss, Upper School English Teacher, said his tenth graders are reading Heart of Darkness and Paradise Lost, two works that students might not otherwise encounter until college — and even then, they may struggle.

Students need self-control in order to closely read each chapter, but also need grit in order to keep studying each text and do well in the course.

Phil said teaching difficult texts shows a belief in students’ abilities, as well as the teacher’s willingness to ensure everyone understands the themes and ideas being discussed.

“We know this is going to be hard, and that’s okay,” he said he tells his students. “We’re not going to give up on you until you get it.”

But there’s no handholding in Phil’s class. He helps his students understand the material through detailed discussions of the reading, but then

administers extremely difficult quizzes in order to assess if the students are keeping up. He knows not all students will do well, but that’s the point.

“These ideas are hard, and I need to know what they’re having trouble understanding,” he said.

Quizzes are one example of “intentional obstacles” Phil uses in his classroom. The obstacles or difficulties are meant to challenge students and to push them harder, as well as to teach them the value of constructive criticism and how to surmount setbacks. For example, the students in his Law and Literature course must argue an assigned side of an issue before a panel of student justices, who then must make a ruling.

“Students know the justices’ roles are to poke holes in their arguments,” he said. “It takes incredible poise to walk into a situation where you know your argument won’t be well-received.”

A revision process is also embedded in other aspects of Phil’s classes. The idea of learning from mistakes, revising, and trying again is inherent in the Community School philosophy, so it’s no wonder Phil places such an emphasis on the process. All of his students schedule one-on-one conferences with him to discuss their work — a process that can be intimidating at first, but one that students gradually accept and even look forward to.

“The best students know they are going to revise, they’re going to get constructive criticism, co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

43

CS building character “Our students have studied the same subjects to the same or greater degree of difficulty as many other schools. The difference is, they have also learned why that material is important, how to bounce back from failure, and how to persevere in the face of obstacles.”

—David Holmes and they are going to make their papers better,” he said. “Students expect this now, and you can see them improving both within the process of writing one paper and over the entire course.”

Phil said he was inspired in his methods by veteran Upper School Spanish teacher Pilar Lindahl.

Pilar said she learns best by problem-solving and working through challenges, rather than memorizing information.

“That’s the way life is,” she said. “Always problem-solving. I try to present my students with situations and problems, and let them figure out the solutions and rules that apply. That way, when they learn something new, they make it their own discovery.”

Pilar is proud of the fact that her quizzes are epic, even legendary for being so.

“It’s like a marathon,” she said with a laugh. “I want to challenge everyone. I don’t make exams for them to fail, I make exams for the kids who can get an ‘A’ to get an ‘A.’ And if I give them an easy one, there’s nothing to learn from it.”

Pilar and Phil both view quizzes as another step in the learning process, not the culmination of that process. Their students are allowed to retake exams, but only after they have studied further and have learned from their mistakes. The two grades are then averaged, which means students can’t simply blow off studying for the first test.

“My students think, ‘Oh, I have to study a lot, because this quiz is going to be hard, and I need a decent grade,’” Pilar said. “But you have to give them more than one chance to learn something.

If I don’t let them retake these quizzes, they will never look at them again, and they will leave here with those mistakes.”

Underlying both Pilar and Phil’s classes is the

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need for respect on both sides. Phil says his students understand that assigning difficult reading material, or pushing them to revisit a paper, is a sign of respect, an indication that the teacher believes the student can master the topics at hand.

Pilar knows students must respect her and the material in order to do well in her class; of course, she also wants her students to become good people, and so she demands it in the classroom.

“I don’t have patience for people who don’t have respect,” she said.

Because Pilar needs her classroom to be a safe place for students to learn and to make mistakes, she cultivates a culture of caring. Students know they are expected to not interrupt, to not monopolize class time, and to help other students who may need it.

“It’s like being a mother,” she said with a laugh.

“You have an iron fist and a lot of love.”

All of this rigor and respect, however, does not completely define the picture of building character in the classroom. Upper School science teacher Hannes Thum ’03 said his experience as a student at Community School involved learning difficult material, but also gaining respect for other people’s viewpoints through passion for and personal engagement with the subject.

“I want my students to be able to understand big questions — bioethics, biotechnology, what it means for the world around them — not just have the teacher throwing material at them,” he said.

Hannes grades his students based on a rubric developed by former Community School science teacher Harry Weekes that incorporates academic requirements with understanding of the material, effort or care taken with each project, and whether the project was turned in on time with more

non-cognitive traits, such as creativity, self-motivation, the process itself, and the student’s reflection on the material. But he does not hold back on the subject matter; he pushes his students hard, urging them to ask big questions of people in the community, including about contentious issues such as creationism and wolf control.

“That takes grit, facing someone down and getting screamed at about wolves,” Hannes said.

“But I want students to understand the meat of things, what they mean to people outside the classroom.”

Hannes also ensures students learn about outdoor experiences before they depart for trips.

For example, the ninth grade learned how to build snow caves on campus the week before their winter trip, bringing to life classroom lessons about winter ecology — how organisms and ecosystems adjust to frigid temperatures.

“To learn winter ecology, you have to live it, you have to sleep in the snow and freeze your butt off,” he said. “Talking at kids doesn’t do anything.

It’s the least effective way to teach.”

Head of School David Holmes said Angela is intrigued by the way Community School’s curriculum meshes academic rigor with the development of grit, self-control, and personal passions.

“Angela recognizes that we don’t want students who are just book smart,” David said. “Our students have studied the same subjects to the same or greater degree of difficulty as many other schools. The difference is, they have also learned why that material is important, how to bounce back from failure, and how to persevere in the face of obstacles. As a result, we set our students up for success in college and in the larger world.”

photography: christina carlson

ABOVE: Phil Huss goes over a paper with sophomore Brooke Allen.

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CS rooted in philanthropy

BY kate wutz

46

c o m m u n ity s c hool. or g

founded on generosity The saying “it takes a village” is one

a plan for a school that would fol-

Community School takes to heart when

low a revolutionary way of teaching,

it comes to educating children, but it

a style that would be engaging and

has literally taken a village of gener-

exciting for its students and incor-

ous supporters to ensure Community

porate the outdoors in a brand-new

School’s existence. From its formation

way. At the same time, Ed and Carol

in 1973 to the most recent annual fund

Dumke, Dick and Betty Welch, Don

campaign, Community School has

and Judy Atkinson, and several other

relied on philanthropy for the ability to

families were looking for an alterna-

provide an exemplary education.

tive to both the under-funded public

In 1973, former Hemingway Elementary School Principal Sam Hazard had

schools and out-of-valley boarding schools for their children.

co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

47

CS rooted in philanthropy

ABOVE (left to right): Math teacher Brian Clark, 1979; Community School Campus, 1989; Julie Hazard, 1979.

ABOVE: The Middle School faculty reached 100 percent participation in the Annual Fund within hours this year, winning a faculty competition and spurring further participation among parents and other staff.

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c o m m u n i t ys c hool. or g

These families saw a kindred spirit in Sam, and agreed to help make his vision a reality.

Supported by Ebersol Gaines, Jack Hemingway, and the Dumke, Welch, Weekes, and Mortimer families, the Ketchum Sun Valley Community School opened to students in September 1973.

Tuition at the time was $1,500 per year, but half of the students in that first class received financial aid. As a result, the school relied on donations to cover the salaries of the three full-time staff members as well as materials and other overhead. The school moved from venue to venue, gratefully accepting the support of St. Thomas Episcopal Church and Sun Valley Co. before finding what would become a permanent home at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts campus on Trail Creek — the same campus the school inhabits today, thanks to the Janss family and the Center, which sold the school the land in the mid-1980s.

Community School has grown from 26 students to more than 380; however, like all other independent schools in the nation,

it relies on fundraising to ensure the school provides exceptional programs.

annual fund

Few people know that tuition revenue does not cover the entire cost of providing students with a Community School education. Tuition covers only part of the cost of keeping the lights on, providing competitive pay for teachers and other staff, and making programs such as athletics, the Outdoor Program, fine and performing arts, and financial aid possible.

As a result, each year Community School must raise enough money from generous supporters to fund “the gap.” Parents, alumni, friends of the school, and even faculty step up to the plate, providing enough funding to keep the programs going for another year.

“I like to think of the Annual Fund as the whipped cream on top of the sundae,” said former Annual Fund co-chair Scott Thomson. “It helps pay for the pieces that make Community School so unique — the arts, the Outdoor Program, languages, and profes-

meet the donor

because parents have returned to being the center of the process, leading the committee and the push for funding. Everyone responds when they see parents so involved.”

Scott said faculty involvement in the Annual Fund — which reached 100 percent within a day of the fund’s launch this year — speaks very highly of the success of these programs.

“The faculty gets it,” he said. “They are committed to the quality of their craft and the uniqueness of a Community School education. The Annual Fund is just one venue to demonstrate their commitment. The faculty speaks — no, shouts! — with one voice their belief in Community School and what it means to our kids.”

capital fundraising

Dorothy Usiskin

Generous Supporter of: Financial Aid Background: Dorothy became involved with the school when her grandchildren, Hayden, Wilson, and Blair Baker, enrolled at Community School. She said she first started financially supporting the school out of love for her grandchildren and her daughter, Board Director Peggy Baker. Though Dorothy has been generous to many causes, she said she feels it’s important to give to Community School’s financial aid fund in order to give children whose families can’t afford full tuition a chance to experience the wonderful education Community School has to offer.

“I love helping those who work hard,” she said.

“It’s crucial for Community School to continue financial aid in order to encourage diversity within the student body, and I love that the students who graduate from Community School have a global outlook and an appreciation for Idaho’s natural beauty.”

Dorothy said that though she splits her time between Florida and Chicago, she feels a special connection to Community School, and is thankful her grandchildren can attend.

sional development.”

Over the past two years, contributions to the Annual Fund have risen dramatically, from about $330,000 to more than $652,000 this year. Scott said this increase is a demonstration of a commitment to Community School’s quality of education.

“There is a clear relationship between the success of an Annual Fund and the commitment of the community,” he said. “I think the Annual Fund has become more successful

Most businesses have a budget line for capital depreciation, as a way of shoring up cash for facilities improvements and eventual replacement. But Community School — and most other independent schools — do not.

Providing for depreciation would necessitate the diversion of a significant portion of funds that could otherwise support the school’s

meet the donor

remarkable educational programming.

As a result, Community School must hold a capital campaign every few years in order to keep its facilities up-to-date. The previous campaign, chaired by former Board Chair Jack Bunce and steered by former Development Chair Kristin Orr ’80 and current Board Chair Jay Hagenbuch, raised more than $12 million to build the Upper School and Science buildings and provide for other renovations.

Every building on campus, including Engl Hall, the Dumke Middle School, the theater, the gymnasium, and the Elementary School, has been funded by countless magnanimous supporters over the school’s 40-year history.

Perhaps the school’s single largest donation has been that of the Sagewillow property, now home to the Community School Air Barn and the school’s soccer fields. Carol and Ed Dumke donated the 30-acre former ranch in Elkhorn to the school in 1998.

The facility is still viewed as a potential site for the school’s expansion, though it’s currently home to some of the most beautiful soccer fields in Idaho and the Community School Air Barn, a freestyle ski and snowboard training facility that has proven to be a crucial part of the Sun Valley Ski Academy.

Alex McCoy ’01

Generous Supporter of: Outdoor Program Background: Alex McCoy ’01 came to Community School as a seventh grade student in 1995 and immediately dove into the experience. Alex was captain of the varsity soccer and basketball teams, participated in theater — and, of course, participated in and led every outdoor trip he could.

Alex graduated in 2001, and has since been a generous donor to the Outdoor Program. When he got to college, he was able to compare his experiences with those of students from other private schools and discover how truly exemplary Community School is — especially the Outdoor Program.

“The Outdoor Program is an incredibly unique and special part of the Community School experience,” he said. “Participating in these trips had a profound impact on my confidence, leadership, and appreciation for the importance of teamwork.”

Alex said it’s important to him to ensure Community School’s future through donating and remaining involved, as it’s a way to maintain a connection among current and past students.

“A vibrant alumni community creates valuable networking opportunities that benefit both current and past students,” he said. “Regardless of the size of the donation, giving back to Community School demonstrates a commitment to that community.”

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CS rooted in philanthropy

meet the donors

restricted giving Restricted giving is a gift given to support a particular program or item that fits the school’s mission and that the school might not otherwise be able to offer. For example, upon visiting campus, many notice the large Promethean Boards at the front of the classrooms. These “smart boards” look like giant whiteboards, but actually are hightech computer projection systems that act as 21st-century blackboards. Many of those boards, which enable teachers to document all class notes, share them with students, and so much more, were gifts from generous parents and donors.

Of course, many restricted gifts go to support the Sun Valley Ski Academy’s program and athletes. But other restricted gifts help enhance various programs — the Outdoor Program is a popular choice — or bring presenters to the school. A visit from the Peregrine Fund, for example, was funded by

Elizabeth & Jack Bunce

Generous Supporters of: Sun Valley Ski Academy, Bob Doyle Excellence in Teaching Endowment, Annual Fund, Trail Creek Campaign Background: There are few campaigns that Jack and Elizabeth Bunce haven’t contributed to in a meaningful way. Jack became a Board Director in 2002, and later led the Trail Creek Campaign with Jay Hagenbuch and Kristen Orr ’80.

“Some of the facilities dated back to the mid1970s,” he said. “They were built when the school was a completely different entity. We needed to be able to accommodate growth.”

Jack became the Board Chair in 2008, and Jack and Elizabeth aided in launching the Sun Valley Ski Academy. They continue to be financial as well as boots-on-the-ground supporters.

Jack and Elizabeth are the founders of the Bob Doyle Excellence in Teaching Endowment, a fund meant to support the school’s faculty and inspire them to excellence.

“If the school has a weak faculty, there’s no chance that the school can be excellent,” Jack said. “It’s important to do what we can to support healthy salaries for the faculty.”

Elizabeth and Jack also started the David Nalen Scholarship, which goes to a deserving Sun Valley Ski Academy student. David was Elizabeth’s first husband, who passed away from cancer in 1995. Elizabeth and Jack started the scholarship in his honor.

Fun fact: Jack said he joined the board after “being cornered” by former Head of School Jon Maksik in the Atkinsons’ Market parking lot.

two generous parents, and helped students get up close and personal with four different birds of prey.

endowments Most independent schools have endow-

ments, invested funds designed to keep the principal intact while using a percentage of the investment income each year to support the school’s operating budget. Community School is relatively young as far as independent schools go, with a small alumni base.

Still, the school has built a general endowment of $3.2 million over the past 40 years, thanks to the generosity of parents, alumni, and friends of the school.

“As a newer school, we’ve placed a high priority on educational programs and keeping up with capital projects,” said Head of School David Holmes. “Building the endowment must be a major priority in coming years as we work to secure the future of the school.”

Some of Community School’s endowment funds are restricted to specific purposes. The school’s largest restricted endowment is the Great Day Fund, which promotes faculty excellence by providing additional compensation to outstanding teachers as well as professional development opportunities.

Currently, fifth grade teacher Bev McNeal posesses the “Great Day Chair,” a chair prominently placed in the classroom of each award recipient in turn.

Donors Jack and Elizabeth Bunce have set up another endowment designed to reward and retain the school’s incredible faculty, named after the late Bob Doyle, a legendary and influential Community School teacher.

planned giving For many independent schools, planned

giving is a substantial source of funding.

Generous supporters make provisions in their estate planning for the school through a variety of different giving vehicles, including bequests, charitable trusts, charitable annuities, and donations of real estate, retirement savings, and life insurance. These gifts often provide donors with significant tax benefits while also ensuring the long-term fiscal health of the school. Community School is working to increase awareness of different planned giving options, and has formed the Trail Creek Society as a way to honor those who have made provisions for the school in their estates. Former Board Chair Tom Unger’s generous posthumous gift was the inspiration behind the creation of this society.

parent volunteers Few activities would occur without

Community School parents. Many of the events parents and students enjoy — such as the Annual Auction, the Elementary School Read-A-Thon, and even the Golf and Tennis Scramble — are coordinated and executed by the school’s incredible parents.

“Parents do everything from flipping pancakes in the Elementary School Community Room to procuring donations such as the VIP Katy Perry tickets for this year’s auction,” said Community School Special Events Coordinator Krista Detwiler. “It would be impossible to execute the events we hold without them.

Our staff is so small that we rely on parents to do a lot of thankless tasks. We can’t thank them enough for all of their hard work.”

Parents donated nearly 15,000 hours to the school in the 2012-2013 school year, the equivalent of seven full-time employees.

meet the donors

Stephanie & Steve Shafran

Generous Supporters of: Sun Valley Ski Academy, Trail Creek Campaign Background: Steve learned about Community School in 2004, when he and his family moved to Ketchum from Hong Kong. The four Shafran children enrolled at Community School in 2004, and soon thereafter Steve became a member of the board. The family moved to Washington, D.C. in 2007, where Steve worked at the U.S. Treasury and Georgetown University. With two kids in college and the others in an East Coast boarding school, Steve returned to the valley in 2011.

That summer, Board Chair Joan Swift and Head of School David Holmes shared their vision of creating a residential program and the Sun Valley Ski Academy. Steve took the idea and ran with it, becoming instrumental in the creation of the SVSA. He served as its first executive director from 2011 until 2013. He and Stephanie, who married in 2012, have been donors and driving forces behind that program ever since.

Steve said that having a boarding program for the Upper School makes the experience of day students richer, as they’re exposed to other students from outside the Wood River Valley and all over the world.

“It brings in a diversity of opinions, and it brings new faces and friends to our kids who grew up here,” he said.

As a sign of his committment to the school and its residential program, Steve rejoined the board in 2013.

The boarding program’s goal is to help expand the Upper School to approximately 170 students, which Steve said will benefit the entire Wood River Valley as these students’ families come to visit — and maybe even decide to purchase second homes here. The program has been successful so far, he said, but needs more support if it’s going to continue to grow.

“There are a lot of funds to be raised, we need a permanent dormitory, and there are more students to be recruited and classrooms to be filled,” he said. “There’s no place for complacency.”

The Shafrans were also generous donors to the 2005 Trail Creek Campaign, a $12 million capital campaign that funded the new Upper School and Science buildings. He and Stephanie offer ongoing support to the school and the Sun Valley Ski Academy to this day, both as individuals and through the Shafran Family Foundation and the Otis Booth Foundation.

Fun fact: Stephanie and Steve were the inspiration for perhaps the most unique contribution in the school’s history. In honor of the Shafrans’ wedding in 2012, late Community School parent and supporter Bonni Curran and Sun Valley Ski Academy supporter Kipp Nelson organized a number of the Shafrans’ friends to contribute to the Sun Valley Ski Academy in lieu of more traditional gifts.

ABOVE: From left to right, last year’s Annual Auction and Fundraiser Co-Chairs Susie Ring and Robin Sias with Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events Krista Detwiler ’07 at the “Come As You Were” parent prom. Without parents as dedicated as these two, many school events simply would not happen.

meet the donor Kathryn Guylay

Parent Volunteer Background: Kathryn and her family moved to Sun Valley in 2011, and enrolled both of her children in Community School’s Elementary School. Kathryn was the executive director of Nurture, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to education about healthy eating, as well as a nutritional counselor. As a result, she almost immediately offered to hold healthy eating workshops at Community School, introducing children to new healthy foods and teaching them more nutritionally based ways of eating.

“I had come over from Nurture and totally believed in the curriculum and the approach,” she said. “I approached Kathy Gibson and just said, ‘I have this program and I’d like to volunteer.’ It was just the teachers and me forming this program.”

Soon, Kathryn and dedicated parent volunteer Chrissie Huss had succeeded in introducing the program to the fifth grade, then right on through the entire Elementary and Middle Schools.

“This program shows the power of parent passion, of their getting involved and just wanting the best for their children,” Kathryn said. “Every parent has different talents, and Community School is so open to that. I’m a nutritional counselor, so I do that, but all parents and their skills are welcomed with open arms.”

Fun fact: Kathryn’s first contribution to the school was a gift of a dozen slow cookers, which are still in use in the Residence Hall and the Middle School today.

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THe Trail Creek S o C i e t y

Since 1973, generous alumni, faculty, parents, and friends have ensured the continued strength of Community School by remembering the school in their estate planning. The Trail Creek Society honors those individuals who have put such plans in place.

By rememBering Community SChool in your planning, you BeCome a memBer of the trail Creek SoCiety.

to learn more, or to notify uS that you have made a proviSion, pleaSe ContaCt Becca Hemingway | Director of Development | 208.622.3960 ext. 164 | bhemingway@communityschool.org

thank you for your Support

athletics

CutthroatS

photography: Christina Carlson

FIGHT From the soccer pitch to the Fish Tank, dozens of Cutthroats shone during the fall and winter sports seasons.

The headline for the first half of the 2013-2014 school year might read, “Girls’ Soccer Captures Second in State Finals,” but there is much more to the story. With an undefeated regular season, the squad, led by senior captains Katie Feldman, Jordan Fitzgerald, and Erin Hennessy, and by veteran coaches Kelly Feldman and Erika Connelly, easily won their league.

“We scored 105 goals, and allowed only 11,” Kelly said. “We were undefeated in league play. We beat Wood River for the first time since 2002, only the fourth time in our 20-year history, with the first shutout in 17 years. We repeated as District Champions for the fifth consecutive year.”

The trip to the state tournament was the team’s 13th consecutive berth, and they finished in second place for the second time, losing to McCall 6-0.

“Even as the score mounted, the girls were positive and kept pushing and working for each other even in the face of a loss,” Kelly said. “The fact that they continued to play hard and with grace and sportsmanship despite the score speaks volumes about who they are. I have been so lucky and blessed to be able to coach these seniors for four years.”

Senior Hannah Dies scored 100 goals in her career and was one of 14 players chosen for the 2013 Girls’ Idaho High School All-State Soccer Team by

the Idaho High School Soccer Coaches Association.

The boys’ soccer squad also made it to the state championships before losing to Gooding, the eventual state champion.

“This league is very strong,” said Director of Athletics Richard Whitelaw. “With only two senior players, our boys’ team made a strong showing. The next years should be exciting for this squad.”

The team was captained by Jack Swanson and Will Harder and coached by Richard and Craig Maxwell.

In addition to their end-of-season standings, Cutthroat soccer players have plenty to be proud of. The girls’ squad won a IHSAA State Academic 3A trophy for achieving the highest cumulative grade point average in the state. Both teams received a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award, recognizing exceptional student athletes for excellence both on and off the field.

On the trails, Community School cross-country runners had a notable fall season. Three athletes made it to the state championships: junior Tara Burchmore and seniors Nate Nasvik and Nate Thomas. In the 2A class, Nate Nasvik finished 15th and Nate Thomas took 27th, while Tara ran strong to the 17th spot. Spurred on by the leadership and deep understanding of what it takes to go fast provided by coaches Rick Kapala, Ashley McQueen, and Katie Nasvik, the athletes had a successful year.

The girls’ volleyball season saw an infusion of

young players who focused on skill building. Kristyn Rutland coached the spirited team with help from assistant coach Lauren Beurgeau.

The boys’ basketball season wrapped at the end of February with some high points, including a made-for-the-movies finish at the game against the Jackpot Jaguars on February 10. With four seconds left on the clock, senior Taylor Adler released a three-pointer 25 feet from the basket. The Cutthroats came from behind to a 57-55 win, and the crowd went wild. Under the tutelage of coach Mike Payne, the squad made it to district tournaments and posted a solid season. With the graduation of seniors Taylor, Doug DuFur, Reed Roudabush, and Nick Krekow, it will be up to four strong sophomore players to carry this team into next year.

At the Middle School level, dozens of enthusiastic students participated in boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ cross country, and volleyball. Their continued participation will build strong Upper School teams in future years.

In an epic feat this fall, eighth grade cross-country runner Henry Raff notably came in second overall in the fall’s Baldy Hill Climb with a time of 41:27.

ABOVE (left to right): junior Will Harder maintains possession of the ball with some fancy footwork; senior Hannah Dies goes for another goal — one of 100 in her career. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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the arts

THEY GO

together

More than 30 Upper School students brought this story to life. The talented cast, to the theater in November. For three jam-packed nights, an enthusiastic audience was transported back to the 1950s, where teens, not so different from their modern-day counterparts, led by seniors Nick Wright as Danny, Hannah Dies as Sandy, Jamie Wygle as Kenickstumbled through the complexities of romance, friendship, fitting in, and growing up. ie, and Chloe Chrysikopolous as Rizzo, reinvented the show’s well-known numbers, “What made this show special is that it claiming them as their own. was chosen by the senior class,” said Patsy The Pink Ladies, played perfectly by Wygle, Community School speech and Arielle Rawlings, Tara Burchmore, and drama teacher, who co-directed Grease with Jolie Blair, and the T-Birds, depicted by her husband, Keith Moore. “After working with this incredible group of fun and talent- Doug DuFur, Reed Roudabush, and Sam Rogers, navigated the complicated waters ed actors for three years, we felt that they deserved to choose their show. This is a rare of senior year at Rydell High by relying opportunity for high school students to play heavily on comedy.

Nick said taking on the role of Danny characters that are the same age and dealing Zuko was a dream. with the same issues that the students them“Before we did Grease, we had begged selves are facing.”

Keith and Patsy to do it every year since “This year’s seniors are an unbelievable we were freshmen,” he said. “Our class has class in the performing arts,” Keith added. always been really into musical theater, and “We’ve had about 10 seniors who have done every musical during their high school years. this show gave us one last chance for a big To see the kids who came in as shy freshmen hurrah on stage. The Greasers are all my ABOVE (left to right): Seniors Reed Roudabush, Doug DuFur, Jamie Wygle, Nick Wright, and Sam Rogers belt out “Greased Lightnin’.” singing, dancing, and unabashedly acting out best friends in real life, and it was a bonus OPPOSITE: Senior Hannah Dies revels in Sandy’s “bad-girl” transformation. this story was amazing. They really bloomed.” to play best friends on stage and leave with

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c o m m u n i t ys c hool. or g

photography: Christina Carlson

Grease was the word as Community School brought one of the most popular musicals of all time

back stage

that memory.”

One of the highlights for the T-Birds, and the audience, was their rendition of “Greased Lightnin’,” complete with a moving vehicle. With irresistible choreography, contagious enthusiasm, and a lot of confidence, the bad boys brought down the house.

Also giving memorable performances were Upper School math teacher Connor Wade, who wowed with his vocal talent as the Teen Angel, and Evan Marks as the lovably geeky Eugene.

But it was not all seasoned actors in the show. The cast included three freshmen and senior Erin Hennessy, who had never performed in a musical.

“I always heard these hilarious stories from all of my friends about how much fun the plays are, and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said. “I was very nervous to audition, because I have never really acted before. I cannot sing for the life of me, but Patsy and Keith were

incredibly welcoming.”

With music direction from Brad Hershey, choreography and lighting design

by Hilarie Neely, costume design by Maria Gerhardt, and set design by Jamey Reynolds, Patsy Wygle, Keith Moore, and K.O. Ogilvie, it was a professional production from the first chord to the final encore.

In a school where students have so many other activities, these fall musicals always require a small leap of faith.

“We get the full cast for probably one dress rehearsal before we open,” Keith said with a laugh. “We have actors playing state finals in soccer one day and performing in the show the next. That’s one of the great things about this school: you don’t have to be an ‘actor’ or a ‘singer’ or in the ‘theater crowd’ to be a part of these productions.”

While the actors drenched in spotlights received enthusiastic rounds of applause, those running the spotlights deserve recognition, too. Behind the scenes of the fall musical, a dedicated group of stage hands, lighting designers, sound board maestros, and set designers put weeks of work into making the production a rousing success.

“The students love doing the technical work, and we count on them,” Keith said. “As with the on-stage cast, there were many seniors backstage this year who brought four years of experience to the production.”

Senior Nick Krekow took on sound design and operation for the show, a role he has enjoyed throughout his high school career.

“I was in charge of sound levels, creating and running special sound effects, and making sure the music levels were correct. I also helped create and run the visuals that were projected onto either the curtain or the backdrop,” Nick said.

He worked closely with lighting operator and fellow senior Ben Swift, the actors, Musical Director Brad Hershey, the musicians, and the stage crew to ensure every voice and every joke came through loud and clear.

“I really like being an ‘unseen’ part of the team of the cast, crew, and directors, one that is necessary to make the play come to life,” he said. “It’s fun to see all the moving parts come together to create a successful show. Working on the plays has also given me a great opportunity to spend time with, and get to know, kids from different grades.”

Miguel Gerhardt as sound operator, stage manager Marc Leroux, and stage crew Perry Boyle, Ethan Kjesbo, and Gavin Shipley were also integral members of the behind-the-scenes machine that made Grease a sold-out success. Carolina Mahedy and Hannah Conn worked as spotlight operators; Emi Carr, Whitney Engelmann, and Kelsey Syms worked hair and makeup magic.

“There can’t be a quality show without dedicated people making sure it all looks and sounds good and runs smoothly,” Keith said. “We are lucky to always find that kind of talent within the student body.”

Costume designer Maria Gerhardt puts the finishing touches on a skirt. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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of enhancing education in the Wood River Valley

821 students

Gallery Tours

142 students

In School Tours

134 students

Extended School Tours

34 students

Classroom Enrichment Projects

2500 students

Students on official school field trips to visit The Center Our Educational Outreach Team goes to schools to work in classrooms Follow up visits to classrooms for those who want a deeper understanding of the exhibition and topic after a field trip to The Center Hands-on classroom work developed with teachers to enhance curriculum

Residencies Musician’s residencies, performances and author visits introduce world-class artists to even the youngest members of our community

Number of students reached through The Center’s education programs September 2013 - February 2014

All in school programs are supported in large part by our members, donors and Wine Auction participants.

Learn more at sunvalleycenter.org

the arts

HICCUPS, HIJINKS & APPLAUSE

MIDDLE SCHOOL ONE-ACTS FIND APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE Community School’s theater was filled with the sounds of applause and laughter in November, when the Middle School Drama Club performed its 12th Annual One-Act Play Festival.

This year’s evening of comedy, titled Hiccups and Hijinks, featured short off-center skits that ranged in subjects from adolescent pranks to the pressures of being popular.

Middle School Drama Teacher Joel Vilinsky said the One-Act Play Festival is an incredible showcase for the courage and capabilities of his students.

“They risk working with people they barely know, give up their spare time to rehearse and memorize lines, and then stand up in front of a large crowd and perform, knowing they’re

ABOVE (left to right): Sixth grader Laine Allison and seventh grader Blake Letourneau search for clues about Paul McCartney’s possible death

flying without a net,” he said. “It’s worth it for them, knowing they’re entertaining people while embracing a new challenge.”

The festival is entirely student-driven, meaning that students choose (and often write) the plays as well as man the lights, work the sound system, act as stage crew, and even direct each performance. The production involves virtually the entire Middle School in some capacity.

A major hit this year was “The Big Human,” a student-written spoof of last year’s Middle School Musical, The Little Mermaid, Jr. The play was written by Kate Connelly and Elena Guylay, and followed the story of a young man named Tom (Andrew Garrett) who eschews the company of his mall-going female friends and falls in love with a mermaid (Arianna Carlson). To win her love, he must give up his hair to the sea witch, “Lursula” (Leyla Ba).

Another student-written play, “How to Be Popular in 10 Days,” featured three young girls (Addie Rafford, Grace Cleveland, and Sophie Harder) attempting to learn the rules of the “cool” social group by watching an obviously popular young woman (Kristina Poydenis) give advice through a DVD.

Levi Newhouse and Sammi Brunker shone in “The Advertising Agency,” a story about a salesman trying to decide how to promote an interesting product; Chloe Khosrowshahi and Jasper Mott showed off their puppetry skills in “Tongue-Tied,” about a couple that falls in love through sock puppets.

The evening’s subject matter ranged from Paul McCartney’s supposed death and learning a new language to cows, hiccups, human pyramids, and the confusion caused when family members have the same names. One play, entitled “Time Out,” even addressed the triumph of the human spirit, as a perpetually benched basketball player (Alex Stuessi) realized her dreams of making her coach (Libby Lindstrom) proud by actually playing — and scoring! — in her final game. Eliza Marks and Rachel Roudabush played the commentators during this clever piece with an unexpected ending.

Joel said the One-Act Play Festival is highly anticipated by both parents and students each year.

“It’s a ton of work, but the students love doing it,” he said. “They love writing the scripts, designing sets, and performing in front of their family and friends. And parents love seeing a final performance that exceeds their wildest expectations.” co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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Cox Business is proud to support the Community School Cox Business is proud to connect the minds of our children to the experiences that will make them our next great leaders.

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the arts

heALING IN

ASHES ABOVE: An example of the art that Elementary and Middle School students created after this summer’s fire. Students were encouraged to express their emotions through art, working through their sometimes-fraught memories.

STUDENTS CREATE ART FROM BEAVER CREEK FIRE

The Beaver Creek Fire that threatened the Wood River Valley in August may well be remembered as one of the seminal events of the 2013-14 school year. But students in the Elementary and Middle Schools turned devastation into beauty under the guidance of art teacher Cara Frost.

“Art class is about investigating the marks that have been left on our landscapes, in our minds, and in our dreams,” Cara said. “We discussed memories of sunsets, of smells, of sounds. Of listening for helicopters, sitting in traffic, and packing bags.”

Before school started, Cara ventured into Greenhorn Gulch, one of the areas hit hardest by the flames, and collected ashes as well as burnt sticks and twigs.

“The initial reaction from the students was about the smell of the ashes,” she said. “It was powerful and started a conversation right away about the smoke and stench. Some people thought it smelled like a campfire, good memories, while others were shaken at first.”

Young artists experimented with the ashes, becoming what Cara called “scientists, artists, and visual poets.” The work was highly individualized with no expressed goal for an end project.

“The question of how ash transforms was answered when we mixed it with paint, glue, chalk, glitter, wax, and oil,” Cara said. “The outcomes were unexpected, vulnerable, and seemed to retell the story of the summer. I love the idea of transformation; of old to new, ugly to beautiful, of the change that is sometimes needed, preparing us for the growth to come.”

A COLORFUL HOLIDAY STUDENTS PERFORM ‘COLORS OF WINTER’ A minimalist set, simple costumes, and evocative lighting set the tone for the Elementary School original holiday performance, Colors of Winter.

The play, directed by Peter Burke with musical direction from Alyssa Hershey and choreography and lighting design from Hilarie Neely, told the story of the season through the metaphor of colors that define a winter’s day.

Classes portrayed the purple of ice crystals, the red of holly berries, the pink of dawn, yellow of the sun, green of the forest, and white of snow. Each grade performed individual song and dance numbers and participated in ensemble pieces. New this year was the incorporation of poetry from James Joyce, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Robert Frost into the storyline.

Preparation for Colors of Winter began in October when children were introduced to the play’s theme and given their class color. “To create excitement, I hid the color all around campus and the students

Above: Second grade students sing about the colors of sunrise.

went on a scavenger hunt looking for items in that color,” Peter explained. “It got the kids invested in the project and it was really fun.”

Peter envisioned a structure giving equal time in the spotlight to each grade, allowing students from the youngest kindergartners to fifth graders to shine.

“What I think made it a success was that it allowed each child to be in more than just one song and one dance,” he said. “All the students were involved in the production from start to finish. There is so much talent and support at this school that it feels like we can do anything.” c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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outdoor program

NO SHORTCUTS to the

top ED VIESTURS DISCUSSES SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Top: Community School parent and world-class mountain climber Ed Viesturs works toward the Mount Everest summit. Bottom: Ed was a guest reader at the Elementary School’s Read-A-Thon in February, discussing the influence the book Annapurna had on his life and career.

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Last October, a man who stood on Mount Everest seven times stood in front of a crowd of 300 Community School supporters at the Sun Valley Opera House to share the secrets of his success.

Ed Viesturs, a Community School parent and worldclass mountain climber, is the only American to have climbed all of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Ed said during his speech that climbing without oxygen is far different than climbing with it. All climbers ascend and descend while working their way toward the summit, attempting to acclimate their bodies to the thinner air and high altitude, but climbers who go without oxygen are especially vulnerable.

However, he said, climbing without oxygen means climbing without a heavy tank or other heavy equipment. For him, he said, it’s a more organic experience — just him and the mountain, locked in a struggle for survival. Sometimes, he said, he didn’t make it to the top, because the risks were just too great.

The impetus for the discussion was the release of Ed’s new book, The Mountain: My Time on Everest.

He’s previously written three other bestsellers: No Shortcuts to the Top, K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain, and The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb

Annapurna — the World’s Deadliest Peak.

He was also featured in Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs Summits All Fourteen 8,000 Meter Giants, a book published by National Geographic documenting his quest to climb all 14 of the world’s highest peaks.

Ed offered to talk about his new book and discuss his summits of the mountain in a benefit for Community School’s Outdoor Program. He is a practiced corporate motivational speaker, and is skilled at drawing connections among lessons learned while climbing mountains and explaining how to transfer those experiences into other settings.

His main topics typically include risk management, leadership, teamwork, overcoming obstacles, and making decisions under pressure — all skills that transfer easily from basecamp to boardroom.

The lecture was followed by an intimate VIP reception at the Sun Valley Resort. Eddie Bauer was the main sponsor, donating backpacks, gift cards, and other items, ensuring that most of the ticket proceeds could go directly to the Outdoor Program. Sun Valley Company was also a generous supporter of the event.

Community School Outdoor Program Director Rob Landis said the evening was a great success, enabling the program to purchase 20 new avalanche beacons.

Though the school’s previous beacons were functional, they were outdated and in need of replacement.

“Avalanche beacons are essential gear for running winter trips,” Rob said. “With the generous support from Ed Viesturs, First Ascent, and all the community members who attended his presentation on climbing Everest, we were able to take a huge step forward.”

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outdoor program

SINK OR

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HANDS-ON HISTORY FOR FOURTH GRADERS

Groups of fourth graders, heads bent in a circle, brows furrowed in concentration, sat on the banks of the Snake River in September, carefully plaiting cattails into sturdy rope. Upstream, students canoed with teachers, harvesting stacks of long reeds that grow along the shore in Celebration Park, just south of Boise. During the course of the day, these bulrushes and cattails became the raw materials for the first reed canoes produced on the shores of the Snake River in approximately 100 years.

ABOVE (left to right): National Geographic Young Explorer Will Meadows, fourth grade teacher Trent Herbst, the entire fourth grade class, and Elementary School science teacher Bob Polk made two reed boats during their outdoor trip to the Snake River in September. OPPOSITE: The boats were fully functional, as shown by these students, who were able to float around (with supervision, of course).

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Teacher Trent Herbst cites this project as an example of “experiential archaeology,” which puts students in the place of the indigenous people that lived on the banks of the Snake River centuries ago — people who crafted reed canoes for transportation and for fishing. This two-day project became a two-month project that provided real-world study of threatened cultures, Idaho’s indigenous people, history, geography, ecology, and science.

The impressive reed boat that the students built at the end of their research was the result of a four-year-old dream that took root when Trent came across a reed canoe in a small, dusty museum in Murphy, Idaho.

“During one of our fall trips, we found a reed boat on top of a display case,” he recalled. “The placard simply said ‘Shoshone Boat.’ I was intrigued, to say the least. The boat looked like the reed boats that can be found on Lake Titicaca in Peru, and I instantly became obsessed.”

Trent’s initial research indicated that the native people of Idaho from the Pauite, Shoshone, and Bannock tribes constructed this type of reed canoe; however, there was no remaining documentation of how they did it. As a result, Trent realized that his students could

conduct primary research and possibly contribute to the scholarship on this topic.

“I couldn’t imagine a more authentic learning and research unit,” he said.

Trent corresponded with archaeologists from Boise State University and the rangers at Celebration Park, where he knew the right type of reed grew. His research led him to Ecuador in the summer of 2013, where he learned to build an 18-foot totora reed raft.

His research also led to a young man named Will Meadows, a National Geographic Young Explorer who researches and builds indigenous canoes around the world. Will was already traveling on a Watson Fellowship, building and studying traditional boats. Trent started emailing Will for advice about where he could research reed canoes; by the time the project came to fruition, he and Will had received a grant from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association that allowed Will to come to Community School for two weeks to help.

Will said he was fascinated by the idea of students learning this ancient art — so fascinated, in fact, that he wrote about it for the National Geographic Young Explorers blog and for the Wooden Canoe Heritage Journal, giving the students national exposure.

“Apart from the historical aspects, this project

teaches students that they really are capable,” Will said. “You can build things, and they work. The students were able to actually sit on a boat and float across a river, and it creates this culture of construction, not consumption. They start to realize that if they need something, they can create it, rather than going out and buying it and disposing of it later.”

However, Will and Trent didn’t simply show the students how to make an authentic boat. Instead, students were asked to try to build a vessel that floats using found materials in Celebration Park.

“It was 100 percent trial and error,” Trent said with a laugh. “They had to look around, use the tools at their disposal, and begin to imagine how to get from nothing to something.”

Trent, Will, and science teacher Bob Polk also worked together to turn the flora into their own floatable boats, modeling problem-solving, risk-taking and teamwork, which was a huge component of the project.

“Everyone wants to be a leader and to have his or her idea heard, but soon it becomes more collaborative,” Trent said. “A student who is normally quiet speaks up with a great fix to a problem. A child who talks a lot begins to listen more. It’s amazing to see

the process.”

The team launched two completed reed canoes into Snake River to the sound of cheers bouncing off the canyon walls. The boats remained buoyant as each student took a turn paddling from seated or standing positions, but the project had just begun. Back on terra firma, research began that would connect the students’ boat with Idaho’s history and threatened cultures. It was also the start of a scientific exploration of the materials used to build boats, the ecosystem of the Snake River, river currents, and the biology of native plants.

Each student spent weeks creating books detailing what they learned through their research — everything from seed dispersal patterns of bulrushes, the history of native Idaho tribes that would have built reed boats, and what those boats may have been used for. Thanks to Will’s experiences and their own research, students were able to make connections among the reed boats built by the Shoshone and Bannock tribes with other boats around the world.

As a culmination of the unit, students created an entire Smithsonian-style museum display for their final reed boat. They donated the boat and the display to Celebration Park, where it will help further educate

visitors about the Shoshone and Bannock tribes.

Trent said he hopes to continue research with a charter school on the Fort Hall Reservation, created for children of the Shoshone and Bannock tribes.

“The school is teaching the Shoshone and Bannock language, to keep it alive, along with cultural crafts,” he said. “It’s so important to show students that the way people innovated in the past is just as valuable as innovation today.”

The style of the project, too, is important. Trent said it’s crucial for children of the digital age to focus on one project for a length of time in an environment that is completely unplugged.

“There is no immediate gratification,” he said. “It takes perseverance and trial and error. Being on the river before the in-class learning started created an emotional attachment between the students and the project. I don’t think any of them will ever forget what they learned.”

And they learned more than how to build a boat; they learned about threatened cultures, including Idaho’s Native Americans, as well as the ecology and history of Southern Idaho and other skills such as how to conduct primary research, how to create an appealing and informative museum display, and how to communicate research to others who could benefit from it.

“Our work has become a resource for others to learn about reed boat building and the lost art,” Trent said. “Now, it’s less likely this craft will fade into cultural oblivion. We need to always have an appreciation for other cultures, old ways, and old traditions. Ancient wisdom should never be thrown away.”

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outdoor program

safety first INVISIBLE NET SUPPORTS OUTDOOR TRIPS Every time an outdoor trip leaves from the Community School parking lot — whether it’s first graders going on a snowshoe expedition or Upper School juniors heading out for their storied solo — countless hours have gone into ensuring the trip is both safe and meaningful. Community School’s vast preparedness protocols are largely invisible to parents, but are the top priority for faculty and staff.

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“When we go out on trips, we take students into uncertain territory, but safe territory,” said Rob Landis, head of the Outdoor Program and a highly regarded expert in the field of outdoor education. “For most students, these are unknown places: deserts, coastlines, and rock walls they have not explored before. But they are known to us, and every rapid, every switchback has been studied and traversed by faculty and staff. For students, the uncertainty provides opportunity. When they are safe but allowed to push themselves beyond their comfort zones and discover their potential, that’s where we see amazing personal growth.”

Community School outdoor trips challenge students to make informed decisions and

“

Taking students into places that allow them to take developmentally appropriate chances, with a huge invisible safety net in place, is an integral part of our trips if we want to meet the goals of learning and personal growth.

—Rob Landis

”

opposite: Sophomore Autumn Fluetsch safely drops into a glacier crevice under careful supervision and with all the correct gear; ABOVE: Students hike toward Mount Baker on an Outdoor Leadership Academy trip over the summer.

good choices. Active participation is required of each student in every phase of the trip. In the language of economics, these outdoor adventures teach students how to approach situations using a cost-benefit analysis model.

“If you put students in beautiful, wild places, filled with adrenaline-pumping opportunities, it is a great life skill to teach them to take a moment and literally look before they leap,” Rob said. “It sure looks fun to jump off that rock into the river, but they learn to think, ‘What’s under there? Is it safe? How do I determine that?’ They own their decisions — with faculty ability to veto. They are expected to weigh costs and benefits at every turn.”

Learning to consider inherent risks is an important life lesson, whether it is applied in daily activities, sports, or outdoor trips. Skiers are taught from an early age to look uphill before starting a run; student drivers are drilled not only in the rules of the road, but also in the possibility of someone suddenly slamming on their brakes.

In the outdoors, Community School students are taught the importance of map reading, of focusing when they are on belay, of understanding why it’s important to pack appropriate layers and check all equipment.

All of these challenges and new experiences have real-life consequences. If you don’t bring the right layers, you will be cold. If you can’t read the map, you can’t help determine how long it will take to get to camp.

But the consequences are mitigated by experienced, knowledgeable faculty members who teach and guide at every turn on the trail. These experiences allow for immediate feedback and discussion, and the process of good decision-making becomes highly relatable to students. There is nothing theoretical about standing beside a river before you get into a raft and discussing the best, safest line to take and areas to avoid; the uncertainty of the situation makes the stakes higher, and the students are more likely to make good decisions as a result.

“Students learn that being good decision makers is a respected and valued skill that enables them to go farther and enjoy more adventure,” Rob said. “It is a bit of an irony: taking calculated risks and learning to evaluate and manage them independently actually makes one much safer.

“We don’t really want everything to be easy in the outdoors. That doesn’t work in any learning environment, not even in the confines of a classroom. Taking students into places that allow them to take developmentally appropriate chances, with a huge invisible safety net in place, is an integral part of our trips if we want to meet the goals of learning and personal growth,” Rob said.

All of this truly matters for a school that spends two and a half weeks of each school year on outdoor programming. Preparedness and training are huge components of trip management for faculty and staff, but Rob and the faculty also bring students into the loop, giving them responsibility for preparing for the trip and paying attention to their own safety, as well as the safety of others.

For faculty members and other professionals who accompany outdoor trips, the stringent requirements and preparation that go into every Community School trip are bound into a thick, comprehensive manual.

This required reading details protocols on everything from First Aid instructions to communications plans. From risk-reward analysis to incident management, it’s all there.

But this manual did not come out of thin air — it’s based on universal industry standards, customized for the Community School experience. Faculty members are responsible for knowing the school’s policies and procedures on outdoor trips inside out.

“Well-planned and well-prepared trips c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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“

These trips teach students how to make good choices and decisions.

It provides a template for similar good decision-making in other aspects of their academic lives and home lives.

—Rob Landis

”

ABOVE (from left): Sophomore Autumn Fleutsch chooses to rest for a moment before climbing up a crevice; sophomore Max Tanous carefully navigates a river crossing.

tend to have fewer risk management issues,” Rob said.

To help accomplish the necessary preparation, all faculty take part in the Outdoor Program refresher course before each school year begins, preparing them for Fall Campout and the year’s upcoming trips. New faculty members attend an additional two day course on the Outdoor Program during orientation, in which fieldwork and real-life situations are explored.

“With new faculty members, we are also very cognizant of who they are teamed up with on their first trips,” Rob said. “We try to always have one experienced and Wilderness First Aid qualified teacher with each new teacher.”

In order to help faculty members remain qualified, highly trained, and up-to-date in the outdoors, some Community School summer programs bring the learning right to campus.

For instance, the Wilderness First Responder class, involving 80 hours of training, is a summer program offered at school every two years. A CPR course is offered every year, and certification is required of all faculty. This makes it easier for both faculty and interested students to earn important qualifications and also offsets the cost to take the courses.

The list of qualifications Community

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School faculty members have earned is impressive: 58 have CPR, 17 have Wilderness First Aid, 11 have Wilderness First Responder, six have Level 1 Avalanche, five have Level 2 Avalanche, and five have Swift Water Rescue Level IV. The staff also includes a CPR instructor and Outdoor Emergency Care Technician, a Whitewater Instructor Level IV, and a Swift Water Rescue Instructor. Faculty committed hundreds of hours to professional development and training in these areas last fall and winter.

Each trip that goes out has an incident officer and a backup incident officer at school.

Those point people are on call 24 hours a day to support those in the field, whether it’s to help solve a flat tire issue or to provide additional information to trip leaders. There are clear emergency plans and clear evacuation plans in place for each and every trip.

Many older Community School students are also highly qualified, with Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder qualifications. Senior Devon Sherrerd is even an EMT. With the advent of the Upper School Outdoor Leadership Academy three years ago, more and more students earn high-level qualifications that are useful to the entire

group on Outdoor Program adventures and aid in their own good decision-making.

The final variable in the equation is family involvement and participation in the process.

Families are informed about the trips through pre-trip safety meetings, risk assessment rubrics, and detailed itineraries.

“We are always happy to answer questions about a trip and encourage parents to really be familiar with where their child is going and what they are doing,” Rob said.

Of course, he said, it’s impossible to know exactly what each trip will hold — still, all of this preparation ensures the students on the trip have an incredible, as well as safe, experience.

“Part of what we do here is try to create a tolerance for adversity and uncertainty,” Rob said. “That is where you get growth. The unknown is unavoidable on the trail and in life. That’s a powerful lesson. These trips teach students how to make good choices and decisions. It provides a template for good decision-making in other aspects of their academic lives and home lives. Outdoor trips give us a vocabulary and a framework to talk about how to best approach uncertainty, providing a critical, and highly transferable, skill.”

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Student Conservation council

community service

SHINING

STARS

CS STUDENTS HONORED AT AWARDS

Community School was the top school recognized at the Governor’s Brightest Star Awards in November, an honor awarded to schools, businesses, and individuals who perform exemplary community service.

ABOVE: From left to right, senior Ben Swift, Head of School David Holmes, seniors Arielle Rawlings, Taylor Adler, and Devon Sherrerd, and Community Service Coordinator Claire Cassidy, head off to Boise to receive a state award for community service.

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Community School earned top honors in the “School” category, edging out the University of Idaho in Moscow, Village Charter School in Boise, and St. Joseph’s School, also in Boise.

The award considered the combined contributions of all members of a school’s community, including community service performed at the school, which is a registered nonprofit organization. Community School students, faculty, parents, and board members contributed nearly 25,000 hours of community service last year to local and global organizations.

Parents donated more than 11,000 hours to the school during the 2012-2013 school year, according to a study by the economic development group Sustain Blaine. Teachers volunteered 4,300 hours, both to the school and other organizations, while board members gave 3,360 hours.

Students, however, surpassed all but the parents, contributing nearly 6,000 hours to local organizations during this past school year.

Though many of those hours were contributed just through the school, some were carried out in collaboration with Project WOW, a movement dedicated to encouraging philanthropy in children.

Elementary School students made care packages for The Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence, an organization based in Hailey that serves women and children in abusive situations.

Younger students also helped to build outdoor shelters for the dogs housed at the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley, made a video supporting the work of Hailey-based conservation group the Wood River Land Trust, and created art to hang in the halls of St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center.

Older students have done everything from launch clubs to raise awareness of gender inequality and fair trade issues to making crepes to raise money for the Haiti Micah Project, which takes care of the needs of impoverished and undereducated children in Haiti.

“For our students, giving is second nature,” said Head of School David Holmes. “They hear about someone in need, and they not only have a desire to help, they have the leadership skills and motivation to go and do so. Our students serve more than willingly — they serve enthusiastically, knowing that they are helping to make a difference in the world.”

Community School senior Taylor Adler was also recognized in the “Student” category. Taylor designed and implemented a reusable container program in Sun Valley that has been used by Community School since its inception, significantly reducing lunchtime waste.

Additionally, Taylor helped form the Sun Valley Youth Commission, which advises the Sun Valley City Council regarding issues important to area youth. Taylor served as the president of that organization from May 2012 to April 2014.

saving the sagebrush

STUDENTS GATHER SEED FOR FIRE REHAB

CS Remembers

Bob Doyle ABOVE: Senior Erin Hennessy shows off the sagebrush seeds she collected near Sheep Bridge Canyon. The seeds will be used for fire rehab.

After the Beaver Creek Fire devastated the Wood River Valley this summer, Community School students sought a way to help the Wood River Valley heal.

One hundred and twenty-five Upper School students collected 3.25 million sagebrush seeds near Sheep Bridge Canyon, west of Timmerman Junction, in October as part of a partnership with the Wood River Land Trust.

Students spent approximately an hour picking flower heads from Wyoming big sagebrush in the area, collecting more than 36 pounds of material in large hoop-style nets. The material was refined to yield roughly 1.3 pounds of pure seed.

The seeds will be cultivated by a local nursery

and used in 2015 restoration efforts. Because it takes two years for sagebrush seeds to grow into seedlings large enough to compete with non-native species such as cheatgrass, the seedlings used this year were picked in 2012.

This restoration project was conducted in conjunction with Project WOW, an organization that fosters philanthropy in students by giving each child $25 to help support community organizations.

The students who participated in the sagebrush project not only gave their time, but also donated $3,250 to the Wood River Land Trust. The funds will be used to help the organization purchase seedlings for the U.S. Forest Service to use in post-fire restoration work this spring.

Community School teacher Bob Doyle’s name appears a lot in this magazine as a person who not only inspired excellence in others, but who pushed his students to selflessly give back.

Bob taught Upper School English and history at Community School from 1989 to 2003, inspiring his students to perform community service through his own example. His students say he was dedicated to ensuring they understood how large the world was outside the Wood River Valley, and how privileged they were to grow up in this environment.

Bob was the inspiration for the Bob Doyle Excellence in Teaching Endowment and is honored through the Bob Doyle Service Leader Award. This award is given to students who have given to the school and to the larger community through their exceptional volunteerism, and have demonstrated a strong desire to serve others. Last June, honors went to now-freshman Oliver Guy and now-senior Erin Hennessy.

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residential program

STEPS FROM WARM SPRINGS BOARDING STUDENTS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE HANGOUTS 1

2 TO Frenchman’s Hot Springs

Community School Residence Hall Favorite Part of Dorm Life

“The music sessions we have every once in a while. Many of the dorm students are very musically talented, and from time to time we like to jam out upstairs in the common area and just have a great time.”

— Josh Grassi, junior

“If you’re mature enough, you can learn to live an independent lifestyle where good habits become life skills.”

— Perry Boyle, junior

2

1

Frenchman’s Hot Springs Favorite Memory

“Last year, one of the first weeks moving in, two of the dorm parents took a van full of kids out to Frenchman’s Hot Springs. None of us had ever gone before, so not only did it take us more than an hour to even find them, all 15 of us were wandering around in the pitch black past curfew, wearing only swimsuits and, if we were lucky, a towel.”

— Kyla Miller, sophomore

3

Community School Campus Great Study Spot

“[The library is] a low-distraction environment equipped with a comfy chair and stable Internet access.”

— Perry Boyle, junior

4

Bald Mountain Favorite Ski Run

“I love the gradual steepness of College. It’s relentless, but not as relentless as Warm Springs. Over Thanksgiving break, Sun Valley Co. was generous enough to give the ski team all of College to train on for a week before the mountain opened. It was the best training yet.”

— Kyla Miller, sophomore

5

Prairie Creek Area Favorite Nordic Trails

“It’s beautiful, with a lot of longer-distance trails.”

— Hannah Cobb, junior

6

Johnny G’s Subshack Favorite Lunch Spot

“The tomato bisque we order to dip our sandwiches in is awesome.”

— Josh Grassi, junior

“I love the variety and how it is freshly made immediately after ordering.”

— Kyla Miller, sophomore

7

The Pioneer Great Place to Take Your Parents “Good steak and nice atmosphere.”

— Vincent Huang, junior

“It’s the authentic Idaho experience. My mother is a vegan, though, so she’d never go.”

— Perry Boyle, junior

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4

5 TO Prairie creek nordic trail

3

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MEGAN DAWSON DESIGN

Construction & Renovation Consultant + Interior Design megandawsondesign.com 208.721.0819

home

photography: Annie Deangelo

sweet home DORM LIFE REPLICATES FAMILY LIFE AT CS

To judge by the number of students hanging out on campus after hours, studying, chatting, or participating in activities, most Community School students view the campus as their home away from home. But Community School literally is a second home for 26 Upper School students who live at the Residence Hall for nine months of the year.

ABOVE LEFT: (Left to right) Boarding school students Delilah Thompson, J.D. Stark, Sebastian Mastor, Holland Stevens, Ashlee Weller, and Meredith Vandebunte gather for dinner time at the dorm.

ABOVE RIGHT: Just like at home, Sebastian is stuck with dish duty.

Community School’s boarding program started in 2011 as a way to accommodate the skiing and international student populations. Launched in conjunction with the Sun Valley Ski Academy, the program allowed students from across the country to study and ski in Sun Valley while living with other students from around the world.

This year, the student boarding program has grown to 26 students, half of whom are competitive snow sports athletes. The other half comprises domestic and international boarding students looking to experience an incredible education and enjoy everything Sun Valley has to offer.

Residential Coordinator Sarah Higgins took on that role this year after completing her Teacher Training Academy internship at Community School, and she has made an effort to make the dorm feel more like “home” for each student.

“Whether it’s a new freshman arriving at the school for the first time or a seasoned third-year boarder, all of our students get homesick sometimes,” she said.

“We do everything we can to create a comfortable, safe environment and help our students feel that this is truly their second home.”

All students are required to attend “family” dinner each night, coming down to the dorm’s dining hall for at least 20 minutes to eat, hang out, and talk about what happened at school that day. Often, Residence Hall Chef Douglas Durfey will concoct a dish that students have told them is their favorite — macaroni and cheese, for example.

Of course, just because the dorm has a chef doesn’t mean the students get out of chores. The dorm has a rotating “dish crew,” and each student is required to help clean up after dinner once a week. Students are also required to keep their rooms clean(ish), and are motivated by a weekly contest in which the “Golden Dustpan” award is given to the occupants of the tidiest dorm room.

Sarah said that the colorful flags decorating the dorm are meant to make students feel at home as well, representing the home countries of each student — China, Canada, the United States, Brazil, and the Philippines. Because so many of the international students are from China, the dorm is also decorated with a beautiful Chinese banner donated by last year’s seniors.

The trophy case in the Residence Hall foyer is filled with more than two dozen “family photos,” candid shots of each student that lives in the dorm, displayed as those pictures would be in their own homes.

“We want everyone visiting to be able to see all of the kids that live in the dorm,” Sarah said.

Sarah and the other dorm parents — interns in Community School’s Teacher Training Academy program — do all they can to encourage community in the dorm, making sure they all have one-on-one time with each student and even starting a student proctor program this year. Proctors are student leaders, usually juniors or seniors, who have lived in the dorm before and can help guide newer residents. Sarah said this program has lead to more student-to-student bonding.

“This has created such a big brother and big sister feeling in the house,” she said. “Though our students still get homesick every now and again, they know they have a strong support system here, both from the dorm parents and from each other. The dorm atmosphere really feels not only like a second home, but a second family.” c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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sun valley ski academy

students shine on

skinny skis As the last class of the day winds down during the winter term, members of the Sun Valley Ski Academy (SVSA) cross country skiing program are just getting started. After all, they can get from campus to the hut at Lake Creek, into their skis, and onto the snow in fewer than 30 minutes. Even in the dead of winter, that translates into at least three hours of daylight to train on some of the most beautiful trails in North America, with motivated, like-minded teammates and some of the finest coaches in the sport.

ABOVE: Sun Valley Ski Academy students Emily Siegel, left, and Annika Landis, center, drive for the finish line in this Dec. 15 Idaho Mountain Express photo.

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Fifteen Upper School students representing every class are members of the Comp (Competitive) Team and train with about the same number of skiers from other local high schools under the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/SVSA banner. This year’s squad enjoyed a very strong season, despite sparse early-season snow. Head coach and Nordic Program Director Rick Kapala said this was really only a question of convenience.

“We had to go up north to train, but enthusiasm was high, and we produced great results,” he said. “Even early in the season, from a competitive standpoint, we were on track.”

Being on track is no accident in this highly disciplined sport. By the time SVSA cross country skiers start the competition season, they have trained for months.

“The more serious competitors will go for

training volumes of about 60 hours a month in the summer,” Rick said. “In the winter, it drops to about 35 hours, because competitions for cross country skiers are physically debilitating. You need that recovery time to perform your best.”

Training schedules are meticulously planned

by Rick and fellow Comp Team coaches Ashley McQueen Knox and Tom Smith. The science of training plays into every workout, and some days focus on high-intensity workouts, some on technical components, and some on recovery. Coaching is a collaborative, yet highly individualized, effort, and Rick said each athlete’s daily workout differs based on what skills they’re working on, any upcoming races, and the other aspects on which they need to focus.

“Drive matters almost more than anything for success in this sport,” Rick said. “Achievement is heavily weighted toward each athlete’s personal work ethic, but it’s not all about the podium. We don’t stress winning ski races.

We stress the process. We stress enjoying the lifestyle. Through this sport, our kids continue to grow in physical and mental maturity. They train hard for a long period of time.”

photography: Willy Cook for the idaho mountain express

SVSA BOASTS EXEMPLARY NORDIC TEAM

Training is headquartered just north of Ketchum at a hut that only looks like a rustic cabin in the woods. In reality, it’s a sophisticated facility with weight training equipment, designated lockers, and a wax room. The hut is always open for athletes and is what Rick calls “the cultural locus for the program.”

“The kids seem to be there all the time, even when there’s no reason to be there,” he said with a laugh.

Rick is one of the country’s top coaches and part of the reason this program is so successful. Associated with the SVSEF Nordic Program for 26 of his 33 years coaching, he is a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend to his skiers. He has been named USSA Cross Country Coach of the Year three times in his career and coached internationally for the USA at World Juniors, World Championships, and the Polar Cup. He and the other coaches take the time to know each and every athlete.

Teachers at Community School are also integral in creating a supportive environment for SVSA cross country athletes. Senior Katie Feldman, a serious competitor on the team, said the creation of the SVSA has positively impacted her sport.

“The school’s flexible schedule has made a difference,” she said. “I took summer school my sophomore and junior years, and I was able to take extra courses during the fall and spring of my sophomore and junior years as well. That allowed me to drop classes my senior winter term, which was great. It allowed me to train in the mornings and afternoons, get my homework done, and actually go to bed at a reasonable time. The ability to rest and train definitely made a difference this season as I consistently posted my personal best-ever results. It’s great that I’m still able to take the most challenging classes available and keep up because the teachers are so willing to keep in touch and help out.”

Rick considers Community School and cross country skiing a great fit. Historically, there has always been strong support of Community School’s cross country athletes, but Rick said he thinks the SVSA has given the skiers well-deserved recognition.

“Many cross country skiers are very strong, committed students, as well as strong, committed athletes, and now SVSA offers institutionalized support of their schedules and goals,” he said. “SVSA has said openly to the entire community that this aspect of programming is really important.”

He added that other ski academies often provide a limited experience, just school and skiing, while Community School offers extracurricular activities such as music, arts, complementary sports, as well as a boarding program and full, rich, academic support — a real school experience.

Sun Valley has been dubbed Nordic Town USA and received the honor of being named the only Olympic and Paralympic cross country skiing training site in the nation. For cross country student athletes, it just doesn’t get any better. Even when snow doesn’t blanket the ground, there are hills to run up and down and miles of paths to roller ski.

In the winter months, few places boast the infrastructure Sun Valley does, with exceptional grooming, a proven program, excellent coaching, and training partners. The SVSEF is one of the most successful winter sports clubs in the United States and was recently recognized as the 2013 USSA Club of the Year.

Few organizations offer the support, understanding, and celebration of the cross country lifestyle than does the SVSA. Just ask the athletes – if you can catch them.

US

Junior Nationals

ABOVE: Freshman Peter Wolter, second from left, celebrates his team’s relay victory at U.S. Junior Nationals on March 3.

Cutthroats truly shone on their skinny skis during the March U.S. Junior Nationals. Freshman Peter Wolter came in fourth in the nation in the U16 classic race, later pushing his relay team to

photography: Willy Cook for the idaho mountain express

a first-place finish. Senior Sarah Williams made a strong showing in her first-ever Nationals appearance, placing 30th in the U20 class and helping her relay team finish ninth of a field of 15. Senior Katie Feldman’s team also finished ninth in a field of 22 teams in the U18 class, while she individually placed RIGHT: Senior Katie Feldman is out in front at the 2013 Winterstart Nordic Races on Dec. 15. Katie would place first in the 5K, followed closely by Community School students Annika Landis and Emily Siegel.

47th in a field of 81 in her classic race.

Congratulations, Cutthroats!

co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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Q&A

sun valley ski academy

WITH CAITLIN SKUFCA

SVSA’S TRAVELING TUTOR

Caitlin Skufca is the Sun Valley Ski Academy intern, hired through the Teacher Training Academy to help support competitive snow sports student athletes both on the road and at the dorm. Though her schedule has been packed this winter, she took time to answer a few questions about her role at Community School and why she loves what she does.

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How can you help ski students when they are on the road?

In the winter months, our skiers spend several days on the road, and occasionally, I am sent out with them.

We often have several groups of skiers out of school at once, so my travel schedule is based around the majority of students and what makes sense with the academic schedule. While traveling, I am available for academic support and I consistently proctor hotel-based study halls. Most student athletes from SVSA are taking science and math classes through the winter term, and as I have a science and math background, I’m more than able to help them with those and other subjects.

When I can’t help, I happily find them other resources.

When I am not on the trips, I am available to Skype with students to help catch them up on missed assignments

What are your responsibilities as a dorm parent?

When “on duty,” the morning begins with checking students and often waking up those who “forgot” to set their alarm. The morning continues with driving all the dorm students to school and spending the day working at school. In the afternoon, the students trickle back into the dorm after their after-school activities. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., and all residents are expected to attend. The dining hall then turns into a two-hour proctored study hall. The evening ends with check-ins, during which the two RAs on duty visit every room to say good night and make sure rooms are clean.

As the SVSA intern/dorm parent, I spend a lot of time with the skiers who are in the dorm. Since the snow has fallen, one of my responsibilities has been getting skiers and their equipment to one, two, or three practices a day. I have spent many hours driving down Warm Springs Road on the way to practice! It’s a great time to learn about and talk to each of the skiers.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

What is the most rewarding?

The most challenging part of the job is how demanding it is. I spend most of my time in the dorm, at school, or traveling with skiers. There is no real separation between my time and life in the dorm. But I love watching our students learn and grow! One of my favorite parts about the SVSA position is that I sometimes get to be out on the hill with the skiers. It is very refreshing to see them do something that they love.

What drew you to this clearly demanding job?

I remember Nancy Parsons-Brown saying that if I were hired, I would need to act as a sponge and soak up all the learning opportunities. The opportunities are endless, and there is a lot to learn about teaching, residential life, the ski world, the outdoors, Idaho...and the list could go on and on!

photography: Christina Carlson

and class time. Ultimately, I provide academic support for the students, but they have to be accountable and keep their grades up so they can continue to travel.

special olympics

photograph Courtesy of Sun Valley Ski education Foundation

Community School was honored to be a stop on the torch run when the Idaho State Special Olympic Games came to Dollar Mountain in Feburary. Above, Elementary School students exchange high-fives with a group of the athletes who participated in alpine skiing and snowboarding over the weekend; right, all of the students on campus (and even a few teachers) piled into a picture with the athletes and their escort, a detail from the Sun Valley Police Department.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS ENGL TRAINING CENTER UNVEILED

If living steps from the Warm Springs lift on Bald Mountain wasn’t the ultimate in convenience for Sun Valley Ski Academy (SVSA) residential program athletes, this winter, a beautiful training center also opened in Warm Springs Village.

The $700,000 renovation of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Engl Training Center is sure to inspire downhill, freestyle, snowboard, and cross country athletes. Sparkling clean and invitingly modern, the facility features spin bikes, Fitwalls, resistance training equipment, designated locker rooms, a tuning and wax room, and ski and boot storage. It is a place to gather, to work out, to spend time with teammates, friends, and coaches.

The new facility will act as home base for approximately 500 athletes, including all Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) teams and all SVSA students.

ABOVE: One of the new training rooms at Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Engl Training Center on Warm Springs Road in Ketchum.

Sun Valley Ski Academy students have full access to this and SVSEF’s other training facilities.

Rob Clayton, SVSEF executive director, spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony about the valley’s perfectly pitched vertical on Baldy, eye-popping Terrain Park and Olympic 22-foot superpipe on Dollar, and miles and miles of challenging and beautiful cross country trails.

He said the new center would help everyone training with the foundation to achieve their goals, pursue their dreams, and grow as citizens and athletes.

For members of the SVSA, the training facility is a welcome addition to the amazing resources available to them. From flexible course schedules to challenging college preparatory classes taught by supportive faculty, from the Community School Air Barn to the new Engl Training Center, all the pieces are in place to help winter sports student athletes succeed. c o m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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parents’ association

GET READY FOR

ANNUAL AUCTION GETS A NEW FORMAT

Get ready to party at the biggest event of the year — the Community School Annual Auction and Fundraiser, like you’ve never seen it before.

The Basics

“Club 40” Annual Auction and Fundraiser

• Saturday, April 12, 7 p.m.

• nexStage Theatre, Ketchum • Tickets $100

Purchase tickets and raffle tickets, participate in the silent auction, underwrite the event, or submit a dedication by visiting http://communityschool.maestroweb.com

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This year’s auction, “Club 40,” has taken on a new face and a new format, designed to be as much fun as possible while providing parents and other friends of the school with a chance to help support Community School’s exciting programs.

The auction will be held on Saturday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at nexStage Theatre on Main Street in Ketchum.

The venue will allow for a more intimate feeling than last year’s event, while still leaving plenty of room for dancing and revelry.

“Club 40” will evoke the feeling of a high-end nightclub on the Las Vegas strip, complete with a red carpet, bejeweled chandeliers, private lounge seating, table service for sponsors, dancing, a DJ, and surprise entertainment.

In short, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to slip on those stilettos, this is the event you’ve been waiting for.

The event usually starts earlier in the evening, but this year’s nightclub theme lent itself to a 7 p.m. start time and a compressed schedule. As a result, the silent auction will be entirely online this year, and supporters started bidding as early as March 24 at http://communityschool.maestroweb.com. Many auction items are only available online, including excellent wines, high-quality jewelry and apparel, and even shoots with local photographers.

The live auction, however, will be the same energetic, no-holds-barred competition to outbid everyone

else for the package of one’s choice. The packages this year should incite some fierce bidding from every corner.

The centerpiece of this year’s auction will be the Katy Perry Vegas Package, which includes two VIP tickets to Katy Perry’s Prismatic Tour stop at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a potential meetand-greet, two nights at the Wynn Encore, and two tickets to Le Rêve, a fantastical performance at Wynn Las Vegas’ Aqua Theater in the round.

For those not tempted by the thought of seeing Katy Perry live, the Argentinian Dove Hunt package might appeal. Donated by Miles and Miles Outfitters, the package includes three days of hunting for two in Cordoba Province, Argentina. Hunters will stay at Estancia La Catalina, a ranch house with all modern amenities — including a hot tub and spa.

After a full day of hunting, the lucky purchasers of this package can relax with cocktails in the spa or take advantage of the venue’s professional on-staff massage therapist before enjoying a gourmet meal featuring local Argentinian beef. The ranch is located near some of the world’s largest dove concentrations, ensuring a successful few days of hunting.

Karen Holzman, co-chair of this year’s auction committee, said she and Auction Co-Chair Elizabeth Lucas believe this will be a night to remember.

“Elizabeth and I are so excited for this party,” she said. “We want everyone to enjoy an evening with other parents of the school in a new venue with great music, food, drinks, having an incredible amount of fun — just what a nightclub should be!”

LU B C COMMUNITY SCHOOL Annual Auction and Fundraiser

Saturday, April 12 | 7:00 p.m. nexStage Theater Dancing | Drinks | Food | Fun Purchase tickets, tables, faculty sponsorships, and dedications, and

SHOP OUR ONLINE SILENT AUCTION communityschool.maestroweb.com

All proceeds benefit those who matter most — our students.

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Karen Holzman, Co-Chair | svskibum@gmail.com elizabetH lucas, Co-Chair | elizabeth@elizabethlucascompany.com

parents’ association

building community

PA EVENTS BRING SCHOOL TOGETHER The Parents’ Association was busy building community and raising money for the school during the fall and winter terms, hosting events that allowed both students and parents to have fun while giving back to the school.

ABOVE (left to right): Kindergartner Torin Vandenburgh and Early Childhood Center teacher Suzanne Buchanan check their cards for winning numbers; Head of School David Holmes dressed as Elvis to do the honors as master of ceremonies.

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The association kicked off the year with the annual Golf and Tennis Scramble on Oct. 6 at Bigwood Golf Course in Sun Valley. Far from an ordinary game of golf or tennis match, this annual event was a blast for all ages and included round robins, an alternating shot scramble, a delicious barbecue, and raffles. Co-chairs Elinor Janotta, Mimi Griswold, Lauren Street, and Sheri Thomas ensured the event went off without a hitch. Thanks to a great turnout and enthusiasm, the event raised more than $5,700.

Every child was a winner at Cutthroat Bingo Night on Dec. 6, when Athletic Director Richard Whitelaw called one number too many and every child won at once! Luckily, there were plenty of prizes to choose from, donated by a generous parent.

The evening included 13 rounds of bingo called by members of the faculty, many of whom took their jobs very seriously and even dressed up for the role. Art teacher Anne Aganon and Outdoor Program assistant Mike Schley pulled out the formal attire, while Head of School David Holmes resurrected his Elvis costume for his role as master of ceremonies.

Co-chairs Molly! Goodyear, Sheri Thomas, Julie LaFleur, and Tracey Caraluzzi were instrumental in this event’s success.

Though the Parents’ Association was busy preparing for April’s Annual Auction, they still found time to organize the Elementary School Read-AThon. Each child pledged to read a certain amount of minutes per week and asked parents and friends to sponsor their literary quests. From kindergarten to fifth grade, the students read a collective total of 60,544 minutes (1,009 hours of reading), raising approximately $7,400. Fourth grade student Carson Vogel blew away the competition by reading 2,004 minutes.

Other winners included Noah Nye Wenner, Annalena Brandt, and Alexandra Thomson in first grade; Finn Heekin, Chloe Vogel, and Alex Griffin in second; Gretel Huss, Matthew Letourneau, and Alex Khosrowshahi in third; Avery Griffin, Liesl Gerlach, and Braden Buchanan in fourth; and James Carlin, Nils Huss, and Lily Pogue in fifth grade.

For the first time, this year’s Read-A-Thon included two all-school parent activities, two book discussions held in Ketchum. Co-chairs Chrissie Huss and Paula Viesturs brought enthusiasm and creativity to this year’s event.

FURNISHINGS FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING

j ust add summer 200 South Main Trail Creek Village Ketchum, Idaho 208/622/0222 openroomfurniture.com

giving

ANNUAL FUND Surpasses EXPECTATIONS Community School families and friends proved in no uncertain terms that every fish in the school truly counts. To date, this year’s Annual Fund campaign raised $652,000, a new record, and a sum that will make a difference to each and every student.

TOP ROW: Assistant Head of School and Upper School Head Ben Pettit, Director of Development Becca Hemingway, Annual Fund Co-Chair Louise Stumph, class representatives Jeff Guylay and Mike Wolter, Head of School David Holmes, Annual Fund committee member Tory O’Connor ’85, and Annual Fund Co-Chair Pirie Jones Grossman.

BOTTOM ROW: Assistant Director of Development Rachel Aanestad ’94, Director of Alumni Relations Krista Detwiler ’07, Annual Fund committee member Peggy Baker, class representative Robin Sias, and Elementary School Head Janet Salvoni.

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“I am overwhelmed by the success of this year’s Annual Fund,” said Co-Chair Louise Stumph. “What I found striking was the immediate 100 percent commitment by the faculty and staff, the dedication of the Board and our challenge donors, and of course the unfaltering leadership of David Holmes and Becca Hemingway. To surpass our goal for the second year in a row really speaks to the positive energy of the school and the dedication of our parent body in making Community School an exceptional educational environment for our children.”

Current parents, faculty, administrators, grandparents, alumni, and friends of the school joined together this fall to meet three different challenges set during the course of the campaign.

“We are extremely grateful to our generous challenge donors,” said Becca Hemingway, Director of Development. “These incentives created excitement and motivated people to participate which impacted our success in a meaningful way.”

The first, the Running of the Trout $100,000 Matching Challenge encouraged early participation, sponsored by the “Champions of the Annual Fund,” who matched every donation dollar-for-dollar to $100,000. Every member of the Community School faculty took advantage of this challenge, reaching 100 percent participation within days. The Middle School faculty led the charge, reaching the participation goal within two hours of the challenge’s announcement.

The second, the Cutthroat Classroom Challenge, sponsored by a generous donor, rewarded 100 percent participation by class with a bonus donation. Ten classes in the Elementary, Middle, and Upper Schools boasted 100 percent participation, thereby earning $5,000 bonuses toward the Annual Fund.

An important and heartening third challenge was the Alumni $25,000 Cutthroat Challenge. To meet the requirement, 75 alumni had to pledge or donate to the Annual Fund before Dec. 31. In the end, more than 100 alumni stepped up. The amazing participation level marked a huge increase in participants from the prior two years, from 30 to 101.

Board Member Tory O’Connor ’85 said she credits Krista Detwiler ’07, Director of Alumni Relations and Events, for doing a sterling job in keeping alumni informed and excited about the school.

Annual Fund Co-Chair Pirie Jones Grossman said she was thrilled at how the campaign came together.

“It was an honor for me to work as co-chair of this critical fundraising project, because it allowed me the opportunity to have some wonderful conversations with parents and hear their visions and ideas for the school,” she said. “What truly astounded me was when the entire faculty stepped up first to give of their own money so that our children could have the best education possible. That dedication was humbling for me.”

The Annual Fund is not only critical in closing the tuition gap, the difference between tuition revenue and the actual operating budget of the school, but also in funding special programs and initiatives. The addition of Mandarin language in the Elementary and Upper School curricula this year, for example, was a direct result of last year’s successful Annual Fund campaign.

Professional development for our talented faculty is also a direct outcome of a healthy Annual Fund. First grade teacher Hannah Young recently participated in an Association of Experiential Education conference in Denver and wrote that she was motivated and inspired to keep learning and implementing experiential education in the classroom and in the outdoors.

“I took home many ideas, theories, activities, and programs that I am looking forward to sharing,” she said. “I kept thinking to myself how lucky I was to get a chance to be at the conference, how grateful I am to work at a school that supports its teachers’ professional learning.”

Returning committee members Peggy Baker, Tory Atkinson O’Connor ’85, Scott Thomson, and Lisa Whorton, and class representatives (in order of grade) Andrea Reid, Lynn Pattnosh, Betsey Thomson, Pia Ayliffe, Robin Sias, Kristin Morton, Laura and Scott Carlin, Lisa Whorton, Kathryn and Jeff Guylay, Tory Atkinson O’Connor ’85, Mike Wolter, Paula Viesturs, Andrea Nelson, and Bruce Rogers were commended by the Development Office for their dedication and hard work.

The result of this year’s Annual Fund is proof of what can happen when everyone pulls together to support an important common cause.

“Thank you to everyone who gave, pledged, and made sacrifices for our school,” Pirie said. “I can assure you, your donations are in good hands.”

The 2013-2014 Annual Fund will accept donations through June 30, 2014.

In the Heart of the Idaho Wilderness www.middleforklodge.com

class notes

class notes to submit Connect with your classmates and share your successes! Class notes are published twice a year, but

Class of

1983 1984

accepting submissions.

Class of

Email class notes to Director of

John Valenzuela John Valenzuela ’84, Richard Harrah ’85, and Brian Carney ’83 are bringing back their Pink Floyd tribute band this summer with some new band members and an entirely new show! Community School Upper School music teacher Brad Hershey will return as well on bass guitar, and the featured album this time around is “Animals.” Join them for a night of Pink Floyd music on Aug. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Wicked Spud and Aug. 7 at Mahoney’s.

kdetwiler@communityschool.org

Class of

1988

Susan Smith I was recently nominated to partnership at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, where my work focuses on the defense of catastrophic personal injury cases and complex toxic tort and environmental litigation.

Class of

1989

Tiffany Timmons-Regan I miss the Valley and all the wonderful people. If you ever come to Boulder, let me know.

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1990

Kira Sturney Keane Kira Sturney Keane is now a partner at The Learning Accelerator, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the implementation of blended learning in public schools in America. Check out the video Kira produced for TLA that explains it: http:// vimeo.com/78871778.

Community School is always

Alumni Relations Krista Detwiler at

Class of

Lauren Feinman Street Lauren and Baba Street are pictured with kids Cade (15) and Lola, a fifth grader at Community School.

James Tooley James Tooley ’90 and Nina Anderson Tooley ’94 are expecting their first child (a boy) in March.

Class of

1991

Alexander Maksik A Marker to Measure Drift was named a 2013 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It comes out in paperback on June 3, 2014.

Class of

1996

Patrick Holman May 11, 2013 marked the arrival of Valentina Irina Holman! She is 8 months old as I type this and doing super.

I have been working as a Technology VAR (Value Added Reseller) salesman for FusionStorm (www. fusionstorm.com) for the past 11 years. In 2014, I am launching a side business. It’s a Software As A Services (SAAS) web application that focuses on bringing the VAR sales process online. Think SalesForce, but specific to the VAR industry. It’s very much a utilitarian product aimed at middle man/reseller transactions, and it will solve a lot of common problems in my industry. We should have a live site by mid-February.

Check out www.AssetBox.IT I built, own, and rent a surf destination in Rio Nexpa, Mexico, too: www.olavaquero.com. If you like surfing, you should go there — it’s a paradise!

Robert “Rocky” Bryant I’m on a boat!

Also, available July 22 through Aug. 30, 2014: Quiet two-bedroom apartment in Barcelona’s Sant Antoni district. Faces away from the street for minimal noise and maximum sunlight. Fully furnished, balcony, A/C, washing machine, doorman, elevator. Close to Plaza Espanya for subways and regional trains out to beach towns up and down the coast. Fifteen-minute walk or three-minute subway to city center. Good for a couple and a child or a couple who wants a little extra space. $180-$245 per week, $900-$1,230 for the entire term.

Joe Littenberg Warming up with Ms. Marvel ’01 for the summer season with The Barcelona Taste, our food tour business (thebarcelonataste.com ahem, ahem!) and also chugging away with independent and local media in three languages with my other project, BCN MÉS (bcnmes.com). Long live print media, indie media, and delicious food (that last one we don’t need to worry about).

Class of

1999

Derek Osen Working in Afghanistan as a security contractor. This is my dog VBIED. Working on bringing him back to the USA.

Gifford Wilcox I’ve been living the nomad life, and I’ve settled in the Denver, Colorado, area for the time being. I’ve lived here since the summer of 2013 and I kill my time by chauffeuring pizzas to their doom as a “Delivery Expert” for Domino’s. I’m eager to travel again and look forward to some time in Europe later in the year.

Madeleine Weisz I am looking forward to graduating from UC Davis School of Law in May. Following graduation, I will be moving to Bozeman, Montana, in search of a job. I am excited to be headed back to the mountains.

Josh Kantor Jack Aron Kantor was born on Oct. 24, 2013.

Stats: 6 pounds, 6 ounces, 18 inches. We are hoping for a future Community School soccer player!

Class of

2004

Logan Koffler I recently moved on from my position on President Bill Clinton’s foreign policy team to build private sector experience with Teneo Strategy. In this new role, I am working with teams to advise clients on their international government affairs programs, among other strategy projects.

1998

Noah Levin In November 2013, my improv theater company hosted the first-ever Barcelona Improv Group International Festival. The five-day festival brought 80 performers from 13 countries to Barcelona for a long weekend of laughter and learning, attracting an audience of 500 spectators. It is Barcelona’s only English-language improv festival and was such a success that it will be continued annually.

2002

Tenaya (Plowman) Kolar We are loving being back in the Valley and looking forward to a new addition to the family arriving sometime near the end of March. Spent the summer remodeling our first home. Praying for snow!

Michael Burke I am doing well and enjoying married life with my husband Krys. I am still the resident professor and program director of the Trinity/La MaMa Performing Arts Program and adore my students. I recently wrapped a film by Jonathan Coauette, the acclaimed director of the documentary “Tarnation.” I am currently in rehearsals for my next commissioned solo performance art piece that explores the innocence of Michael Jackson (RIP) regarding the 100% false accusations of child abuse/molestation. This will be juxtaposed with modern dance choreography inspired by traditional Native American dance and text from 1970s couples’ guides to sex and sexuality.

Class of

Class of

Class of

2000

Colleen Enright Gilligan After seven fun-filled years, my husband and I decided to pack up and leave Sun Valley for bigger adventures. We’ve settled into the Oakland Hills and are loving our hidden gem within the big city. We miss our many friends and those who are like family in Sun Valley, but look forward to visiting often!

Montana Burns After many years in the making and approximately nine years of higher education, I am so pleased to announce the launch of my new practice, Atlas Acupuncture. In December, I graduated with a four-year Masters of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colorado. I promptly moved back to Vermont and began collaborating with a wonderful team called The Wellness Collective in Burlington’s beautiful arts district. If it had not been for Community School’s senior thesis and my Senior Project on Chinese Medicine, I may never have ended up here.

This pursuit of becoming a small business owner and a healthcare practitioner was the path I was meant to take. Thank you for all the encouragement, love, and support. I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the days to come!

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class notes Class of

2005

The Climate Reality Project is our biggest partner for this expedition and our main goal is to bring back stunning imagery and a media presentation that will bring awareness to climate change and Greenland’s receding ice sheet.

We have also partnered with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation — they have teamed us up with researchers from various universities for whom we will be collecting data while at sea and on the glacier.

Check out our website for more info: www. shiftingice.org.

Reed Boeger After three great years in Boston, I have made the jump to New York City. I am working at MakerBot (a manufacturer of 3D printers) in Brooklyn and am looking forward to some Big Apple adventures. I’ve already bumped into Logan Koffler ’04 and hope to run into more Community School alumni in the coming months!

Class of

Tesla Teitge I’m enjoying the humble “Fabled North Shore” of Oahu, Hawaii, and continuously learning and thriving as an emergency room nurse at Straub in Honolulu, Hawaii…. also, I’m engaged!

Scarlet Caldwell I have just returned to the Wood River Valley after living elsewhere for the last eight years. Most recently, I was living in South Lake Tahoe and working at a nonprofit agency that helped victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

My position as the Prevention Educator was very rewarding, teaching children between the ages of 6 and 15 about topics ranging from “stranger danger” to unhealthy vs. healthy relationships and self-defense. I am currently awaiting response from graduate programs and hoping to pursue a career in Mental Health and/or School Counseling. My partner of six years is currently in Moscow, Idaho, finishing a graduate program in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis on restoration. Together, we have every intention of eventually settling back down in Sun Valley.

Ashley Alfs 2013 held both professional and personal milestones for me. After four years with my first company, I moved away from the comfort of the large corporation and into a medical devise start up company specializing in MRI Guided Radio Therapy.

It was a challenge but something I think any business professional needs to do. I also became deeply engaged in the Cleveland community with groups such as Cleveland Bridge Builders, Toastmasters and Manufacturing Mart. It was a busy professional year, and, to add to it, my boyfriend of five years proposed in September while vacationing in Sun Valley. He couldn’t have picked a better place —

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right on top of Baldy! Shortly after our engagement, my fiancé took a job offer in Melbourne, Australia, which will take us across the pond for at least two years. We are currently in the process of packing up and preparing for the move to the other side of the world. I have left my job and will be going back for my MBA at one of the MBA programs in Melbourne starting this fall. Things couldn’t get any more exciting right now and if they did, it would probably be too much. I will spend some time with family and friends over the next month and head out in March to my next adventure.

Class of

2006

Teddy Minford I moved to New York City in June, and I’m working at Random House Publishing. So far, I’m LOVING it!

McKenna Peterson I am part of an all-female ski and sail expedition to Iceland and Greenland called Shifting Ice + Changing Tides.

On March 25, 2014, our group of five women will travel by sail boat from Iceland to Greenland and along the SW coast of Greenland, skiing first descents accessed by only human and wind power.

2012

Tim Kanellitsas Not much to report from TK’s corner — I am planning on double-majoring in International Business and Environmental Analysis (emphasis in policy), and minoring in Spanish. I’ve been trying to learn Spanish for more than a decade, and I still can’t figure it out....

Still playing tennis. Biggest lesson learned is that nobody comes out of the Wood River Valley good at tennis. We don’t even play the same sport as the Californian kids. I spend most of my time on the tennis team losing — I’m having a hell of a good time though.

I’ve also been a member of the Alumni Board as the student representative for a year. Responsibilities include reporting back to the Student Senate regarding our activity in addition to attending Pitzer board meetings and helping to accomplish various alumni-related projects.

Club involvement includes the Investment and Entrepreneurial Club, Fossil Fuel Divestment Club, Cooking Club, and “The Gentlemen’s Club Of Leisurely Activity” (golf). Other recreational activities include rock climbing and attempting to slack line.

Class of

2013

Ellie Swanson Life couldn’t be better; I’m thoroughly enjoying my first year at Colorado College. I recently joined the DIII Track & Field Team and I LOVE the high quality of the CC Outdoor Program.

Anonymous Cutthroat Livin’ the dream.

CUTTHROATS

REMEMBER FRIENDS WE’VE LOST THIS YEAR Bronwen Raff

Bonni Curran Alumni Parent and Supporter José Herrara Former Staff Member Sam Mott ’06 Former Student Torin Tucker ’10 Alumnus

Sam Mott ’06

Former student Sam Mott ’06 passed away in December 2013. He was 25 years old.

Torin Tucker ’10

Alumnus Torin Tucker died suddenly of a heart condition in February while competing in a 50k cross country ski race for Dartmouth. He was 20 years old.

Torin will be remembered as a person who was able to excel in all areas of his life, from academics to athletics and outdoor adventures. He truly embodied the Community School spirit, and made everyone’s experience a little brighter with his easy smile and giving personality.

Torin was memorialized at Dartmouth by the cross country ski team, who finished the race Torin could not complete. He was also remembered in a service on Community School’s campus in mid-February. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Sam was raised in Sun Valley, attending Community School from elementary school until he left to finish high school at Cate School in California. A voracious reader and lover of literature, Sam was admired for his dedication, poise, and teamwork.

A full-length obituary was printed in the Idaho Mountain Express and can be read at http:// tinyurl.com/sammott.

Sam was a truly beloved member of the Cutthroat community, and will always be in our hearts and minds.

co m m u n it ys ch o o l.o r g

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memories

CS traditions CUTTHROATS REMEMBER THEIR FAVORITE

Brian Bourgette ’84 I loved eating lunch in the hall and the Fall Campout.

John Valenzuela ’84 The water fight on the last day of school was always the best. Sitting around waiting to see who would launch the “first strike” was just as exciting as the battle itself, as you knew it was coming. I really hope this tradition still exists (and if not, then Mike Wade, I put it to you on the last day of school to grab a hose and start spraying people!)

Susan Smith ’88 Loved all of the “spring out” trips to the Utah desert and Pacific Northwest, as well as all of the Outdoor Program trips, for awakening my sense of adventure, forcing me out of my comfort zone, and expanding my sense of my own limitations.

Patrick Holman ’96 Camping trips — I wish I did more of that now. So awesome.

Jeremy Karassik ’96 I really enjoyed the class competitions. Class of ’96 generally won, and it was a great way to bond with your classmates.

Michael Burke ’96 Hanging out with Jordan, Aron, and Deborah Newlin.

Joe Littenberg ’98 Building the Snapple wall — a one-off tradition.

Never has a class come together so completely and so quickly over something so ludicrous.

Madeleine Weisz ’02 The Fall Campout was my favorite tradition because it was a great way to ease back into the school year, it was always fun to get to know people outside of your class, and it’s hard to beat exploring the mountains of Idaho.

Logan Koffler ’04 Community School’s Outdoor Program. Not only was this instrumental to my personal development, but also provided interesting talking points for job interviews and among work colleagues.

Montana Burns ’04 Every time I tell someone about my “awesome high school” they often have a hard time believing me. The class of 2004 was so fortunate to travel to the San Juan Islands in Washington for our Senior Quest. For me, that place will always remind me of the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the excitement of moving on to the next step, and the farewell of good friends.

Reed Boeger ’05 Gifford Wilcox ’02 Among the many special Community School I love the Outdoor Program and traditions, my favorite was Senior Speeches. It is have fond memories of it, even if I a unique and challenging experience, but one that didn’t always have fond thoughts showcases the diverse talents, interests, and opinduring the trips. I’m eager to go ions of the senior class (and something few other explore Canyonlands again! students can say they’ve done)!

Tiffany Timmons-Regan ’89 I remember so many great traditions, so it’s hard to pick one. One that impacted me the most is my Senior Project on aviation. Soaring over the skies of Idaho solo in a Cessna 172 built confidence, and getting my pilot’s license was a unique experience.

Lauren Feinman Street ’90 My favorite Community School tradition was listening to and participating in the Senior Project speeches. It was one of the most terrifying and exhilarating experiences of my life. I will forever be grateful to have made it through that 60 minutes or however long it was.

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c o m m u n itys c hool. or g

What was the course that most influenced you?

Did Phil Huss’ iconic Law and Literature course change your life? Or did you fall asleep in one of Mike Wade’s calculus classes and learn a valuable lesson? Tell us about it! Email your experiences to Director of Alumni Relations Krista Detwiler at kdetwiler@communityschool.org

LLC

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Stocking Cutthroat backpacks since 1973