FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
KENT DENVER SCHOOL
PERSPECTIVE August 2019
W ELCOME B AC K! WHY 2019-20 WILL BE AN AMAZING SCHOOL YEAR, p.3
AUGUST 2019
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TRIBUTE
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KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
All Photos Courtesy Kent Denver Photo Library
Tribute
What differentiates Kent Denver from other schools? It’s you! STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF and ALUMNI make an indelible imprint every day. We learn together. We compete together. We eat, play and laugh together. We celebrate successes together, and we stand together as one when challenges arise. We continually look for ways to support each other and our school, building and strengthening an exceptional learning community that is redefining education in Colorado‌and across the nation. Thank you for being a member of Kent Denver!
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
KENT DENVER SCHOOL
PERSPECTIVE August 2019
From the Head of School W E L C O M E T O A G R E AT S C H O O L Y E A R
Features
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BUILDING A HEALTHY LEARNING COMMUNITY
School is fun, exciting and an important part of growing up, but sometimes taking new classes, making new friends or trying new sports can also be a little scary. Learn about the many wellness and support resources available every day for Kent Denver students and families.
06 ENHANCING OUR LEGACY Students often achieve, then surpass, their own expectations when they belong to a learning community that defies intellectual and creative limits. Here’s how Kent Denver’s seven-year, liberal arts program provides a comprehensive foundation for higher education…and life.
A DRIVING FORCE 08 ATHLETICS: AT KENT DENVER
Golfer Charlotte Hillary ’20 is passionate about her studies and her sport. Discover why she—and her parents—say Kent Denver’s world-class academics and collegial golf team are a winning combination.
10 YAY HOMECOMING! This year’s Homecoming promises to be spectacular as more students, families and alumni than ever are expected to attend. Enjoy a walk down memory lane with these fun photos from last year’s event.
Departments 2 Tribute 3 From the Head of School 9 Parent to Parent
Dear Parents and Guardians, I’ve never been more excited to welcome families back to campus. This is going to be an extraordinary school year! As I write this, the new Scobie Center for Student Life, the Athletic Administrative Suite, and the Upper School Impact Studios that will be home to the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurial Education and the Rollins Center for Technology and Design are all on schedule to be completed this school year. Together, they provide spaces for students and families to meet and work with teachers, counselors and coaches that are unparalleled in our school’s history. These enhancements—along with a new Middle School building, newly renovated Visual Arts Building, new north Upper School classroom building and new south Upper School classroom building—are essential for our school to continue providing the best college preparatory learning experience in the Rocky Mountain West. And while I’m delighted by the recognition for excellence our Middle School has earned and enjoy accolades such as Colorado’s #1 high school for STEM and Colorado’s #1 independent high school, the distinction I value most is for our school to remain the learning community of choice for world-class teachers and thoughtful, empowered students, each of whom is committed to having a positive impact on the world and on each other. With your support, we will soon conclude The Next 100 Years Campaign that funded both the enhancements you’ve seen so far and those still to come throughout this school year. Additional details about how to participate will arrive in your home mailbox in coming weeks. Of course, no celebration of the coming school year would be complete without a last, fond farewell to our most recent graduates. The Class of 2019 comprised exceptional school leaders who modeled living purposeful, values-driven lives for younger students. I am certain they will go on to distinguish themselves at the 76 colleges and universities they will attend. The Class of 2019 set a high bar for their successors, both in terms of demonstrating effective, collaborative student leadership and in creating a positive, fun theme for our tradition of Opening Day celebrations. Like you, I can’t wait to see what the Class of 2020 creates. I’ll see you in a few days!
Rand Harrington, Ph.D. Head of School
AUGUST 2019
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Photo: M. Dickamn ’94
F E AT U R E
B U I L DI NG A H EALTHY L E ARN ING C O M M U N I T Y BY JAN THOMAS ‘76
Making friends, taking new or advanced classes, trying a different sport or playing a familiar sport at a higher level all require stepping outside your comfort zone. It’s fun, exciting and an important part of growing up...but it can also be a little scary. Addressing issues before they impact students’ lives is one of the top priorities for Kent Denver’s student services program. The program works in close partnership with parents and with the school’s academic departments to provide a number of options for students and families. “One of the first things parents learn when their children enroll in Kent Denver is that we are committed to educating and supporting the whole child—not just the mind, but the body and heart as well,” says Priscilla Scobie, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs. “We’re also dedicated to collaborating with our Parent Association to offer timely, relevant information about wellness to our families and to bring nationally recognized experts to campus for parent education events.” Support includes school counselors, a learning specialist, a comprehensive dean and advisory system, events for parents, and even a school therapy dog.
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WELLNESS Kent Denver also provides an intentional focus on wellness that begins the moment students arrive on campus for the first time. “Our wellness programs are always improving because we believe there is no endpoint in helping our students build the social and emotional skills necessary for happy, balanced and productive lives,” Ms. Scobie says. A Centers for Disease Control report noted that “children and adolescents who do not get the recommended amount of sleep for their age are at increased risk for chronic conditions... as well as...poor academic performance.” “We take information such as this very seriously,” Ms. Scobie says. “One of the many benefits of the new schedule we’ll introduce this fall is that there will be late starts on Wednesdays and Fridays. Students will have two opportunities each week to get extra sleep.” Stepping away from the screen and engaging with people in real life is another approach Kent Denver encourages. With a 200+ acre campus, common areas for each grade and an open door policy for all teachers and administrators, there are plenty of locations for students to interact—and there will be another great space when the Scobie Center for Student Life opens this fall! The Center, which was funded by generous donations to The Next 100 Years Campaign, will provide new offices for the wellness staff and an expansive meeting space for students, families and counselors.
A HEALTHY LEARNING COMMUNITY
BY THE NUMBERS Kent Denver’s student services resources include: Photo: L. Mortell
2.5 School Counselors
ACADEMICS
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Our seven-year, liberal arts program provides a comprehensive foundation for higher education. We aspire to equip each student with the scholarship, character, focus and grit to excel here—then successfully navigate the transition from our community to college, and from college to a full, meaningful, self-determined life.
We supplement academic learning with support services that enhance aspects of school life that impact academic performance, such as admissions, student and faculty wellness, and recommendations Kent Denver received when the school joined Stanford University’s Challenge Success program.
Jackie Dauw, B.A., M.A., LPC, Sarah Pool, B.S., M.A., and Chelsea Ammons ‘09, B.A., M.A. help address the psychological needs of students in grades 6-12. Ms. Dauw and Ms. Pool provide developmentally appropriate support and consultation for students, parents and faculty such as shortterm counseling, crisis intervention and assessment, referrals for mental health providers and services, coordination with outside mental health providers, and management of student mental health support with accommodations as needed.
1 Learning Specialist
Carolyn Dutton, B.S., M.A., offers academic support and resources to ensure students of all learning styles find academic success. Ms. Dutton provides homework, testtaking and organizational strategies and referrals for testing to identify potential learning challenges. She also develops student support plans with appropriate accommodations based on documented learning challenges.
2 Middle School Deans
Adrian Barnes, B.A., M.Ed., and Apryl Doyle, B.A., B.A., work together to manage the advisory curriculum and provide support for students and advisors. The two-dean system for grades 6–8 ensures both access and consistency. While each student will have a lead dean for all three years, both deans are accessible to all students throughout their Middle School experience.
4 Upper School Deans
Bradley Jackson, B.A., B.A., M.Ed., Dean of the Class of 2020; Krista Sharbeck, B.A., M.Ed., Dean of the Class of 2021; Danny Barocas, B.A., M.A., Dean of the Class of 2022; and Wes Ballantyne, B.A., M.A., Dean of the Class of 2023 will remain with their students from 9th grade through graduation. Deans forge a close bond with each student and provide both a compassionate ear when students need to talk and guidance as students mature and address increasingly complex issues.
70+ Advisors
Photo: C. MacKay
Photo: C. MacKay
Virtually every full-time teacher serves as an advisor. In this capacity, they meet with students individually and in small groups and also collaborate with their advisees’ teachers, class deans and parents to monitor students’ well-being and academic progress.
And Nellie!
Nellie is an Australian Labradoodle trained to serve as a therapy dog. She joined the Student Wellness team in 2016.
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F E AT U R E
WHERE WILL A KENT DENVER STUDENT’S JOURNEY LEAD?
T H E P O S S IB IL IT IES A R E EN D L ES S BY JAN THOMAS ‘76
Students often achieve, then surpass, their own expectations when they belong to a learning community that defies intellectual and creative limits. Kent Denver’s seven-year, liberal arts program provides a comprehensive foundation for higher education and life.
“Our goal is to equip each student with the scholarship, character, focus and perseverance to excel here and then successfully navigate the transition from our community to college, and from college to a full, meaningful, self-determined life,” says Upper School Director Eric Chandler, Ph.D.
“At Kent Denver, we have come to understand that student wellness is central to the entire educational enterprise,” Chandler adds. “To achieve this, we brought all aspects of school life and wellness that impact academic performance under the direction of Priscilla Scobie, Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs.”
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Photo: M. Dickman ’94
Academic department chairs, faculty, advisors, deans and coaches work together to support and encourage student progress in all realms. This network reflects the commitment to ensuring all Kent Denver students are surrounded by adults who know them by name, who greet them every day with a smile and who are actively invested in them as learners and doers.
THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS
LEARNING SPACES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY AND BEYOND In 2018, Kent Denver began to unveil a dramatic Campus Transformation fueled by The Next 100 Years Campaign.
Photo: M. Dickman ’94
A new Middle School building opened in April 2018. In a letter to parents sent following the building’s grand opening, Middle School Director Carrie Green wrote, “Community is exposed in our new building in a way I have never seen before. The new building elevates, articulates and celebrates community. Our spaces, and how we move between them, are now continual opportunities for connection....There is movement in our new building like no other I’ve experienced. All wings connect to pathways that enable circular, lateral, vertical and linear movement. These pathways mean that our students and faculty have multiple ways to reach their destinations, which I believe serves as a beautiful metaphor for creating space for multiple perspectives to exist simultaneously.” Photo: L. Mortell
A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 6–12 “Our students are empathetic, concerned, engaged and thoughtful. They want an excellent education, and they hold us as educators to a very high standard that we are committed to meeting and exceeding,” Chandler says. Kent Denver’s education begins in the Middle School with a program that uses personalized attention and a broad curriculum of traditional and experiential offerings, fine arts, community service, class trips, electives and athletics to address the unique academic, artistic, physical, creative and moral development of students in grades 6–8.
In January 2019, the school opened a new Visual Arts building that provides 11,000 square feet of renovated space for 6–12 visual arts; spacious, natural light-filled studios for ceramics, metals, photography and drawing and painting and an impact studio for middle-schoolers that houses resources for design/build, robotics, 3D printing and more.
Thus, through a carefully designed structure at each grade level, Kent Denver provides a natural, developmentallyappropriate transition from elementary school to middle school and beyond. “When students arrive in Upper School, they experience classes that fulfill course recommendations for admission to the most demanding U.S. colleges,” Chandler says.
The new north Upper School classroom building opened less than four months later, providing 10 new classrooms for the math and world languages departments as well as new community spaces, a new Admission Office and College Counseling Center, and the Bruce McGrath Welcome Center.
Kent Denver’s most recent graduates, the Class of 2019, were offered admission to 164 colleges and universities. “I believe it’s true that every student has a voice and is an active, empowered learner here,” Chandler says. “Our philosophy is to give students ample opportunities to develop their abilities to research, explore, reason and debate. We don’t teach them what to think; we give the opportunity to think.”
Photo: J. Thomas ’76
Still to come are the Scobie Center for Student Life, a fully renovated south Upper School classroom building for the English and history departments, a new athletic administrative suite, and a new Upper School Impact Studio that provides designated space for the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurial Education and the Rollins Center for Technology and Design. “Many schools are faced with the realization that students absorb and process information much differently than they did as recently as 10 years ago,” Chandler says. “One of the things that makes me most proud to be a member of Kent Denver is that we recognized that fact—and then we made the decision to fundamentally transform our learning spaces to support the way students learn today.”
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F E AT U R E
AT HLE TI C S: A D R I V I N G F ORCE AT K E NT DE N VER BY LISA MORTELL
our varsity programs or trying a completely new sport in the Middle or Upper School, we know our students are benefiting greatly from our athletics programs.” This fall, Kent Denver’s new Athletics Administrative Suite will open as part of Campus Transformations fueled by The Next 100 Years Campaign. These new spaces will give students a place to meet with coaches, study and connect with teammates and friends, further enhancing the key relationships between athletics and academics in the Kent Denver experience. Photo: L. Mortell
Golfer Charlotte Hillary ’20 has a long list of accomplishments on the local and national stage. During the 2019 academic year, Charlotte competed in six national events and four invitationals against the top junior players in the world, finishing 15th out of 72 in the Rolex Tournament of Champions last fall. As part of Kent Denver’s team during the spring interscholastic season, she was the 3A individual state runner-up—helping the Sun Devils to a second-place finish overall—and shot an astonishing 7-under-par round of 64 in the regionals. While golf is known as an individual sport and Hillary competes solo at top-level amateur tournaments, being part of a team at Kent Denver means something special. “Being on a team is so much fun, especially at Kent Denver with schoolmates who have become my teammates. They are so supportive and loving after a bad day, and they are there with me celebrating after a good day,” she raves. “We all got so close through golf this year and I know I will have these relationships forever.” For Charlotte’s parents, Anne and Jim Hillary, Kent Denver’s dedication to both athletics and academics are what truly set the school apart. “Kids here can pursue athletics at a top level and be prepared for D1 competition in college while also getting an outstanding education,” Anne explains. “In our travels to national tournaments, we have seen firsthand that it is not always the case.” The valuable lessons that Charlotte Hillary credits to her involvement in competitive sports—including patience, persistence and lifelong friendships—are among the many reasons that athletics is an important part of the Kent Denver experience. “With 67 teams competing in approximately 900 games in 19 different sports each year, there has never been a better time to be an athlete at Kent Denver,” says Head of School Rand Harrington. “Athletics help students develop resilience, teamwork, physical fitness and the ability to perform under pressure. Whether they are achieving at the highest levels of
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PA R E N T T O PA R E N T
Why We Gave to The Next 100 Years Campaign: A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T H E H O FA M I L Y BY LISA MORTELL
Like many KDS parents, Michael and Felicia Ho extensively researched Denver’s public and private high school options before selecting Kent Denver for their son, Grant ’19. With only one other student from his middle school joining him in the ninth grade, the Hos described this choice as a “leap of faith” inspired by Kent Denver’s highly personal admission process and outstanding reputation.
he was even admitted to giving him opportunities to grow in and out of the classroom once he arrived. It was clear that Kent Denver could really see who Grant was and who he could become, and everyone—teachers, advisors, coaches—worked with him to help him get there. It has been the same for Max, and we look forward to Megan starting her Kent Denver journey in August.
Over the past four years, Felicia and Michael have been delighted to witness Grant—and now his younger brother, Max ’21—blossom at Kent Denver. Seeing Grant transformed from a shy ninth-grader to a senior elected by the student body as their representative to the Board of Trustees exemplifies how much Kent Denver inspired their son to grow, and they have similarly enjoyed seeing Max blazing his own path at KDS.
How has Kent Denver impacted your family? Kent Denver really impressed us from day one. It came down to the intentionality of everything the school did, from creating an environment where Grant felt welcome before
Why did you decide to contribute to The Next 100 Years Campaign? Private high school for three kids is a big investment, and we have many other causes and nonprofit organizations that are important to us. However, we chose to make a very meaningful gift to The Next 100 Years Campaign because we could see the amazing impact that Kent Denver is having on our children, and we want to make sure this is a place that will continue to change lives long after our kids graduate. Over Kent Denver’s history, other families have stepped up to participate in efforts resulting in buildings like the Duncan Center, Student Center for the Arts, Schaden Dining Hall and Yates Pavilion. How do you see yourself in this continuum of giving?
Photo: L. Mortell
Inspired by their sons’ experiences and excited about the arrival of their daughter, Megan, who will join the ninth-grade this fall, Michael and Felicia made a multi-year gift to The Next 100 Years Campaign. They recently sat down with Perspective to discuss their family’s decision to play a meaningful role in Kent Denver’s future.
of children. In terms of facilities, we appreciate that the school is innovative in how they are designing and building these spaces and programs to provide the type of education we all hope our kids can have.
There have been a lot of changes on campus over your four years at Kent Denver. What are you most excited about? We are most excited that the school leadership—along with trustees, parents and supporters— have the vision to look forward and figure out how to best use Kent Denver’s resources to lead the way educationally and in the development
We know that our kids will be on campus for a relatively short time, but they will be alumni for their entire lives. The supporters who helped create these spaces for our kids provided such a gift to our family, and we want to leave a legacy and provide that same gift for students in the future.
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YAY HOMECOMING!
Photo: L. Mortell
Photo: J. Dahlen
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Photo: J. Dahlen ’19
Photo: A. Goldb
oldblatt ’19 Photo: A. G
latt ’19
YAY H O M E C O M I N G !
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KENT DENVER SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
Photo: J. Dahlen ’19
Photo: J. Dahlen
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Photo: J. Dahlen
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Photo: J. Dahlen ’19
Photo: J. Dahlen
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Photo: J. Dahlen
Look for updates in Connection, Kent Denver’s weekly e-newsletter for parents.
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Homecoming 2019, Saturday, Oct. 12!
Photo: J. Dahlen
And be sure to Save the Date:
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Homecoming is always a terrific celebration of school spirit, athletic performances and sportsmanship, both on-campus and away. Game schedules for this year’s event were being finalized as this issue of Perspective went to press, so enjoy these fun memories while we await details.
“See you soon!” - Kent Denver Faculty
Here are just a few of the teachers who can’t wait for the new school year to begin. Photo: L. Mortell
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KENT DENVER SCHOOL
PERSPECTIVE 4000 East Quincy Avenue • Englewood, CO 80113-4916 Change Service Requested
You never know what awaits on Opening Day! Be sure to arrive by 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Photo: L. Mortell *Check the Back-to-School Planner sent earlier this summer for details about other activities, including Middle School Orientation and sports practices, that occur before Opening Day.
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