Voyager 2016

Voyager 2016

Technology’s Limitless Possibilities at Kent Place

By Julie Gentile, Director of Studies

I

n The Peanuts Movie, an early scene set within a series of vignettes gives viewers a glimpse of Charlie Brown gazing out his classroom window toward a simple Schulz skyline, one filled with puffy clouds. Brown’s teacher’s voice calls his attention back into the classroom.

Classic Schulz reminds many of us of a time when the sole purpose of a cloud might be a sudden rain burst, maybe shade from a too bright sun, perhaps a creative distraction for a student looking out the window at “dragons” or “bears.” But there was no place for a cloud in Charlie Brown’s school.

At KPS, a teacher will very likely direct her students toward “the cloud” rather than away from it.

From our youngest learners to our oldest, all of our students have access to a vast array of technological tools — many of which are available in “the cloud.” Our learning-management system, MyKPS, is a connection to countless programs and apps. To maximize these opportunities, faculty in all divisions participate in yearly on-campus and off-campus professional development to keep them abreast of new technological resources that will enhance student learning. As a result, students benefit from lessons and assignments that have been developed using iPhones, video and voice recordings, digital portfolios, analysis of social media and online collaboration.

A sampling of our many resources. . .

MyKPS (learning-management system) GAFE (Google Apps for Education) Atlas Rubicon (curriculum mapping) Naviance (college admissions)

Library Resources (See full article, page 6) JSTOR EBSCO Follett Shelf platform New York Times online OverDrive (online books) World Book Student

iPad Apps TeachMe series LetterSchool Book Creator BrainPOP Jr. Splash Math Whacky Math Puppet Pals Scratch Jr. Raz-Kids Educreations

Chrome Apps Kahoot Tynker: Learn to Code Quizlet Newsela WeVideo BrainPOP KidBlog Bookopolis Padlet VoiceThread StudentCreated.TV

Online School for Girls At Kent Place, students are guided to use these and other resources in developmentally appropriate ways. Within each grade-level technology class or seminar, as well as integrated into daily classroom practice, all students learn: • to save, organize and store their files • to effectively care for and use hardware (e.g., iPads, Chromebooks and laptops) • to access software (apps and programs) that will best support their learning • to communicate and collaborate online

• digital citizenship (e-mail and blog etiquette, online safety and proper use of social media, for example) • coding • when to put away technology if it does not enhance the learning environment

What we want to tell you about in this issue of Voyager is the technological resources KPS students have at their fingertips and the ways in which our teachers (with more than a decade and half of technology-integration experience) are intentional and thoughtful about how the technology that surrounds us can maximize the learning of each student.

We chose “Technology” as the theme precisely because its pervasive presence in all aspects of life has an impact on our children’s learning environment. As parents and educators, we must remain informed of this ever-changing environment — as we would in any other environment — so we can serve as guides while our children learn to navigate it.

Just as Charlie Brown’s daydream is made more exciting by the Red Baron’s plane zooming across the screen, so does our students’ thinking expand in today’s educational landscape, in which using technology is as much a habit as is looking at the sky. V Resources and Additional Reading “What Is Cloud Computing?” Griffith, Eric. PC Magazine, April 17, 2015.

“How to Provide Kids with Screen Time That Supports Learning.” Kris, Deborah Famer. Mindshift. KQED News, November 11, 2015.

“Beyond ‘Turn It Off ’: How to Advise Families on Media Use.” Brown, Ari; Donald L. Shifrin; and David L. Hill. AAP Gateway. American Academy of Pediatrics, September 28, 2015.

The Center for Innovation: An Interactive Hub

By Sue Bosland, Head of School

T

he National Association of Independent Schools’ Trend Book is published annually — and this year, for the first time in a long time, technology was not highlighted as a trend. It has become so well integrated as a tool in everyone’s life that, although it remains important, technology is now considered an expectation and a central aspect of a top educational experience.

We are due to launch the construction for our Center for Innovation in June. Technology will be seamlessly integrated into the infrastructure of the center’s teaching and learning spaces and our one-on-one laptop program will continue to provide, with access anywhere on campus, mobility and versatility to all of our students.

The new building will house our Technology Center, which will offer hardware and software support, a place to study and work on projects and a “Genius Bar” setup where our girls and young women can work, get assistance and Skype across the world. In addition, we are planning a media studio, which will have the capability to support film and photography.

The proximity of the Technology Center to the Library and Information Center will give students extended resources for research and collaborative projects, as well as individually focused scholarly pursuits. The Innovation Lab, next door to the Tech Center, will enable the integration of technology with engineering, prototyping, designing, constructing and discovering within a lab and workshop environment.

As always, technology will be an important part of a multifaceted Kent Place School education, but we will also maintain its proper use, highly valuing integrity as we utilize the Internet to extend our educational experiences way beyond the classroom walls.

Proposed Innovation Lab

At the same time, we will continue to value the teaching and learning that occur outside the realm of technology.

Ultimately, we are thrilled to gain exciting new spaces on campus for our students to further integrate technology with their academic pursuits. We look forward to updating you on the progress of the Center for Innovation design as we move through the school year. V

As always, technology will be an important part of a multifaceted Kent Place School education, but we will also maintain its proper use, highly valuing integrity as we utilize the Internet to extend our educational experiences way beyond the classroom walls.

Proposed aerial view of STEM classrooms

Proposed view of visual-arts studios

Proposed covered entryway to the Center for Innovation

For updated Phase III campaign information, please snap the following QR code with your smartphone or visit www.kentplace.org/campaign.

Architect’s rendering of the Center for Innovation

Page 2

What’s Next?

By Kimberly Pearson, Director of Technology

S

elf-driving cars, customer-service robots, drones — these are just some of the futuristic applications of technology we hear about in the news.

But are they really futuristic or could these be common in the next five or ten years? Will we need taxis or Uber? Will we be able to find a specific product in a store by asking a robot? Could our Amazon packages be delivered to our front doors by drones?

There’s much to ponder about the economic impact of these technologies, but technology is having an equal impact on education as well. At educational technology conferences, an imperative to prepare our students for jobs yet to be created is at the forefront.

Technology is embedded in everything we do, and we embrace it. We use it to create, communicate, collaborate, research and think critically in school, in our personal lives and professionally. If you remember your history, we’re living in the industrial revolution all over again, but instead of replacing looms with sewing machines, we’re replacing people with robots.

In today’s workforce, it’s an advantage to have an understanding of many aspects of technology, but you’ll receive on-the-job training if necessary.

Soon, though, that understanding will be expected, and prospective employers will want to hear specifics about your programming and robotics know-how. A deep background in both of these areas will be essential for careers, because many jobs will be performed by robots. (Don’t worry; this won’t be quite the case tomorrow.)

In June 2015, an important piece of legislation about technology was passed by the New Jersey House and sent before the governor. S-2032/ A-3440 requires the State Board of Education to develop rigorous guidelines for computer-science curricula and for school districts to incorporate in grades six through 12. For Kent Place, this is just part of the fabric of our technical education and we have already surpassed the guidelines.

Courses in computer science have been part of our Upper School curriculum since 2000.

Meet the Robo-Dragons’ first robot, #10300.

For Kent Place, this [new legislation] is just part of the fabric of our technical education and we have already surpassed the guidelines. Courses in computer science have been part of our Upper School curriculum since 2000.

Fun with Bee-Bot in Kindergarten Hour of Code Week at Kent Place

As a leader in education for girls and young women, we at KPS make it a priority to expose our students early and throughout their time here to programming and robotics — to ensure that they see themselves as innovators.

In 2011, the Technology Department wanted to increase the offerings of computer science in grades K–12. With the support of a Halsey Grant, the

department wrote a curriculum that would expand the Primary, Middle, and Upper School programming units in computer classes and a ninth-grade seminar. In the past three years, we have implemented the expansion of robotics in the Primary and Middle Schools and launched the Upper School robotics team, the Robo-Dragons.

This has inspired our drive for other future initiatives: • to add a FIRST Lego League Robotics team for students in grades four through eight • to organize a Girls Who Code club and/or a summer immersion program on campus • to augment the afterschool enrichment offerings in programming and robotics for Kindergarten through sixth grade • to add courses and units that support STEM subjects from JPK through 12th grade • to review course credits in the Upper School and incorporate more options for these classes to count toward graduation requirements With the increase in space and the dedicated environment of the Center for Innovation, the opportunities Kent Place can provide will be limitless. V

Middle Schoolers hard at work coding.

Page 3

Technology & Health and Wellness: Building a Toolkit for Digital Citizenship

By Marni Endlich, Middle School Instructional Technology Coordinator; and Joan Wilson, Middle and Upper School Social Worker and Health Education Teacher

A

s society embraces the technological advancements of the 21st century, it’s become essential for educators to help students secure their place as digital citizens. Success in the digital world calls for certain standards of behavior. Our first step is to introduce Middle School students to the concept of digital citizenship and what it means to be a “good citizen” by addressing the Kent Place School Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

As an integral part of the Middle School Honor Code, every student must sign an Acknowledgment and Agreement Form, which requires adherence to the guidelines of the AUP. As noted in the Kent Place School Handbook for Students and Parents 2015–2016 (page 19), in addition to following a comprehensive set of guidelines, students are expected to “always use polite and appropriate language in e-mail messages” and to “use good judgment and common sense when communicating on the Internet and on any social media.”

At all grade levels, we address digital citizenship throughout the year.

Beginning in sixth grade, students engage in various activities during which they consider what it means to be a digital citizen. They brainstorm to create a list of what they consider important rules: “Do not share personal information,” for example; “Do not post mean comments on other people’s photos on social media”; “Be respectful online.” They then decide on their most important rule and, with Scratch Programming, create an animated publicservice announcement.

In order to help students understand these standards, they work in small advisory groups to discuss scenarios that would be in violation of the AUP. These exercises enable students to strategize and create plans for navigating these questionable, technology-related situations.

In the seventh grade, students examine how digital citizenry affects their daily life. Through record keeping, they maintain a media log to help them track and reflect on their personal use of technology. Each conducts a Google search of her name — and becomes aware of the ease of accessibility to her identity. As a culmination of their technology inquiry, our girls put on a presentation that summarizes their digital footprint on society.

Together the Technology Department and the Health and Wellness Department utilize an interdisciplinary approach to address the psychosocial impact of being a digital citizen. In health class, students explore the topic of self-esteem and how the various media influence one’s sense of self.

Teens often feel pressure to meet unrealistic expectations of physical perfection, and their view of themselves can become distorted. We address this through discussions and group activities by which students discover how easy it is to alter a picture. They learn to scrutinize what they see in the media and question authenticity. The girls create scrapbooks about their “Best Fake Vacation” by using Photoshop to edit images and insert themselves into places they have never visited.

With serious concern for the devastating effects of cyberbullying, in the eighth grade our emphasis is to define and then practice appropriate, responsible behavior regarding social media and other forms of electronic communication. In order to fully understand the scope and power of abuse of technology, students investigate a recent news event involving cyberbullying or another irresponsible use of technology. They present the event, reflect on the behavior and offer recommendations for alternative actions that would result in a favorable outcome.

Also in the eighth grade, students come up with similes that represent their digital life and incorporate responsible use of technology. One eighth-grader described her digital life with this simile: “It’s like a bottle of glue: keeps the bonds strong with friends near and far.”

The collaboration between the Health and Wellness Department and the Technology Department provides a unique interdisciplinary curriculum for students to learn how to navigate the complexities of the digital revolution with the same bravery, brilliance and integrity they display in all other aspects of their KPS life. V

As part of a unit on cybersafety, students research real-world cyber situations taken straight from the news. Presentations are created to address cyberbullying, safety on social media and other areas of concern that arise through the use of technology. Eighth-graders Maddie Canfield and Kiley Parker made a presentation on the topic “Hate on Facebook.” To view this assignment, please snap the QR code with your smartphone or visit bit.ly/1Qf8XjZ.

Check Out What Our Students Are Doing . . .

Robotics Team

Liberty Science Center competition

Westfield Wrangler competition

Page 4

Technology Advisory Council Kent Place has registered the Robo-Dragons, its new robotics team, with FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). This is a student-centered program designed to encourage young people to pursue careers in STEM subjects. Teams vie in head-to-head competitions at scrimmages, meets and qualifiers with a chance to advance to the FTC World Championship.

This year’s challenge, called First Res-Q, requires us to build a robot and program it in JAVA to move. Through FTC competitions, students apply engineering principles and experience realworld math and science to equip themselves with problem-solving skills that will bring benefits far into the future.

The Robo-Dragons logo was designed by Evelyn Shi ’17.

The Technology Advisory Council is a group of dedicated scholar-leaders and teachers who work together to guide all members of our community Juniors Samantha Silverstein and to reach our Evelyn Shi, co-leaders full potential in the field of technology and provide tips and strategies to make our world easier — and more comprehensive. The Council also encourages the discovery of innovations in the technology industry. In the past, it has provided support for new transitions in the use of software and hardware.

Now it organizes STEM week, the goal of which is to bring attention to the importance of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to strengthen the community’s enthusiasm for those fields. This year, the Technology Advisory Council hopes to become even more accessible, and to maximize the creative ways we use technology for lessons and learning.

Backstage at the Theater: Technology Plays a Starring Role

By Keri Lesnik, Primary and Middle School Theater Teacher

K

ent Place School’s Theater Department is known for its professional, artistic and often thought-provoking performances. Audiences enjoy watching students of all ages onstage at the Hyde and Watson Theatre.

Behind the actresses and the directors and the carefully rehearsed scenes, however, are some unsung heroes.

Although technology is certainly useful and often necessary for work on a production, it’s also important daily in our acting and playwriting courses.

Having access to Google Drive during their classes has radically changed the way instructors collaborate with their students. At Kent Place, where theater students are often creating their own performance pieces, the ability to be working on their own laptop while simultaneously writing a piece together as a class is quite extraordinary. Many of our theater students, from our sixthgrade playwrights to the seniors in the advanced theater course, are using this format for script writing.

There’s been a huge surge in interest in working backstage for our upcoming production of Shrek the Musical. In fact, so many girls in the Middle School were clamoring for positions that we decided to put together a stagemanagement team rather than cast a single stage manager, as we’ve usually done. This group will coordinate all aspects of the production. Members of the team will manage rehearsals, actors, props and costumes. In addition, they’ll learn how to program and operate the light and sound equipment.

Eighth-grader Sara Wheatley, lead stage manager for Shrek the Musical Jr., learns to use the light and sound equipment in the theater.

Stage managers are involved in a production from the first rehearsal through the final curtain call. For the elaborate Shrek, the stage-management team must understand the myriad technical and artistic elements that will create a memorable production.

These are the students whose interests lie in what goes on backstage. Not only are these students keeping costumes, props and actors in order, but they’re also learning the intricate technology involved in putting on a show.

In fact, technology is a vital component of theater today.

Theater is a vehicle of communication and collaboration. Performers bring their magic to inhabit their roles; the backstage crew bring the magic of technology. Both make contributions that bring down the house. V

Technological elements such as lighting and digital projections can elevate the quality of a performance. At Kent Place, students who decide to work backstage have the opportunity to learn how to program and operate our computerized light board. Access to this advanced lighting capability enables them to create special effects that would otherwise be impossible. They can quickly establish nighttime with the addition of a looming moon or gleaming stars. The illusion of swirling water or a forest filled with majestic trees is created with the suggestive power of stage lighting.

KENT PLACE MIDDLE SCHOOL Proudly Presents:

Along with sophisticated lighting equipment, the theater houses an elaborate digital projection system. This makes it possible for students taking film courses to watch movies as they were intended to be seen: with a widescreen view and stereophonic sound. A projector can also serve as a visual aid when a script calls for an unusually large image, such as the giant People magazine that descended onto the stage in last spring’s Middle School production of What Andy Warhol Never Told Me.

Friday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. • Saturday, May 14, at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased online at kpsshrek.brownpapertickets.com

Technology Interns

Middle School Minecraft Club

Over the summer, the Technology Office works with two student interns. The interns learn how to image, configure and erase the hard drives of MacBooks, Chromebooks and Windows computers. In preparation for Seniors Katrina Peterson and the upcoming Tiana Woods, 2015 interns school year, they unbox and image numerous student machines.

Interns also digitally design name tags for each student’s laptop case and package older equipment to be shipped back to the leasing company.

“I’m extremely grateful for the experience,” says Tiana Woods ’16, “as the internship taught me more about technology and helped me to become more organized, disciplined and a better problem-solver.”

New this year is the Minecraft Club. Minecraft is a computer game during which you dig (mine) and build (craft) different kinds of 3D blocks within a large world of varying terrains and habitats. The idea for the club came from three dedicated Minecraft sixth-graders, who wanted to introduce the game to their classmates and play with their experienced peers. To provide a safe environment, KPS purchased a subscription to TeacherGaming, which provides a way for us to interact only with our girls. Approximately 20 Middle Schoolers attend weekly club meetings, which began with a tutorial created by Minecraft Edu.

2015–2016 Minecraft Club members

Page 5

Quiet: Technology at Work in the Libraries

By John Walz, Middle and Upper School Head Librarian

V

isitors to the Kent Place libraries might not immediately recognize that technology has fueled a sea change in their role and capabilities. On the surface, our libraries are the familiar places that many of us grew up with: bright, inviting, quiet spaces featuring stacks of books, tables for students to work at and comfortable seating. But below that surface, a revolution has taken place.

The beauty of the future library is that it will accommodate both the informational possibilities that technology facilitates and the essential characteristics of a library as a place in which students are welcome to sit quietly and to think deeply.

The careful observer may have noticed that over time, the space dedicated to the libraries’ print collection has decreased. The print collection of the Middle and Upper School library is approximately half the size it was 15 years ago. What isn’t visible, however, is the great store of resources that are delivered electronically.

Log on to the library’s homepage and you’ll find links to databases providing access to age-appropriate reference sources (World Book Student), academic journals (JSTOR and EBSCO’s Academic Search Premier), streaming video (Discovery Streaming and BrainPOP), music (Naxos Music Library) and other specialized content. EBSCO’s High School eBook Collection doubles the size of the Middle and Upper School’s nonfiction book collection: it provides access to almost 8,000 titles from university presses and well-regarded publishers such as Perseus Books and Sage Publications.

This academic year, we’ve introduced Middle and Upper School students to the library’s OverDrive collection, which provides easy access to fiction that can be read on anything from the Middle School Chromebooks and Upper School laptops to phones, iPads and e-readers.

Another visible change in the Primary Library this year is the addition of a wall-mounted flat-screen television. The librarian can connect faculty and student devices to the TV’s screen, which provides more-streamlined presentations.

How will the new Phase III Middle and Upper School library space reflect these changes? Expect to see increasingly less shelving for print resources, particularly of reference and nonfiction.

Look for a larger number of small-group spaces and areas we can easily reconfigure in which students can collaborate, using a wider array of technological tools to access and share information as well as to create and display the results of their work.

Seventy percent of the library’s materials budget is now dedicated to providing access to these online resources.

Senior Corinne Russell works in the Nicholas Conover English Library.

Not everything will be different: you’ll see many familiar sights as well.

Indicators are that print is still the format of preference for many users, especially for immersive experiences such as fiction reading and in-depth research.

As such, you’ll find print collections of both fiction and nonfiction, as well as varied work surfaces and seating options to accommodate students’ study preferences, and the vaulted space that gives the library its sense of sanctuary.

The beauty of the future library is that it will accommodate both the informational possibilities that technology facilitates and the essential characteristics of a library as a place in which students are welcome to sit quietly and to think deeply. V

The Library is an active place for study.

Another sign of the shift is the fact that the librarian is not always at his or her desk. The librarian’s role as gatekeeper — determining which information resources are valuable — has changed to that of instructor, teaching students to become their own gatekeepers, and as such a librarian may be found in a classroom as well as behind the reference desk.

Learning to identify and evaluate the source of a website is a key component of the sixth-grade technology curriculum. The goal is to help students ensure that their work builds “on the shoulders of giants,” to use Isaac Newton’s phrase. And that work continues in the seventh-grade Documentary course, as students fine-tune their ability to identify the most important resources on a particular topic and use online tools to manage the information they have gathered. These skills will be important throughout their academic career.

Fiction and literature have also seen the impact of technological change, as all of our electronic devices have become e-readers. The Primary Library pioneered the school’s entry into e-book fiction when in spring 2014 it introduced the Follett Shelf platform to the fifth grade, thus enabling Primary students to read books either through their browser or by downloading them onto a Kindle or Nook.

Page 6

Rendering of the proposed Media Center

For updated Phase III campaign information, please snap the following QR code with your smartphone or visit www.kentplace.org/campaign.

Coding in the Upper School: Solving Problems the Computer Way

By Judith Bianco, Upper School Instructional Technology Coordinator

I

n 2002, the Upper School offered one computer-programming class with coding in one language; one student enrolled in it. The 1:1 laptop program was in its infancy; students brought home their KPS Apple laptops but coded on Windows desktop machines at school.

Times have changed.

In 2015–16, we offer three courses, the Month of Code, and the Robotics Team. The 1:1 laptop program is now 24/7 year-round. Coding resources, such as Code Academy and Coding.bat, are available and accessible to students online. Most notably, our students now actively want to solve problems — relevant problems — with coding.

AP Computer Science students discuss and refine their code.

The past two years have seen tremendous public interest in and advocacy for coding, and our students are asking for ways to code. Recently Caroline Schiavo ’15 (see the article on page 9) proposed and completed the first independent study with coding: Solving an Engineering Problem Using Google SketchUp and Ruby Programming Tools.

We base all our programming courses — the trimester Introduction to Programming and the full-year Computer Programming and Advanced Placement Computer Science — on computational thinking and design thinking. Computational thinking is a problem-solving approach that uses computers to solve problems. We develop skills in data collection, analysis and representation; problem decomposition; abstraction; algorithms and procedures; pattern recognition and generalization; automation; simulation; and parallelization. Design thinking uses the Software Development Life Cycle for needs analysis, designing an algorithm, developing code, testing code and maintenance.

Introduction to Programming and Computer Programming begin by decomposing a problem into data, processes and program flow. Both courses start with visual programming environments, Scratch and AppInventor, and then transfer to Python and Java. Once students grasp the foundations, they code simulations that solve problems of their own selection. Recent creations were a road-test driving simulation, a relaxation app and a means to donate funds to typhoon victims.

Advanced Placement courses are changing to appeal more to girls. In 2014–2015, the AP Computer Science course, which uses Java code, has been revised from one required simulation to allowing teachers to select meaningful, relevant labs for their students. Last year we used a chatbot program, a photo-manipulation program and a card-game simulation.

In 2016–2017, we plan to offer the new AP Computer Science Principles course. Students will work with computer tools and processes used in many professions and learn how to use computing creatively to solve relevant, real-world issues. Schools will be able to select a programming language or languages. Students will then develop a portfolio with their code artifacts to be submitted for the AP Exam.

In the Upper School, we expanded the international Week of Code to last for the month of December. We introduce all ninth-graders to the basics of

Monique Kalu ’16 shows her code to fellow students at the Software Showcase during the Month of Code.

creating variables that hold data and selecting program flow: sequence, decision and repetition. The girls use the visual environment Blockly and then Python. This experience — highly successful — has significantly increased enrollment in our programming courses.

Coding is an exciting gateway to delve deeper into problem solving. It’s real world and exciting. Our students want to code anytime, anywhere, and the Web-based tools now present opportunities for them to satisfy that desire.

With the skills of computational and design thinking, our students can solve problems with computers by coding in any language. V Resources AP Computer Science Principles, https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ ap-computer-science-principles AP Computer Science, https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-computer-science-a Code Academy, https://www.codecademy.com/ Coding.bat, http://codingbat.com/ http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~CompThink/ http://www.cs4fn.org/computationalthinking/

CODING FOR ALL @ KPS Grade

Curriculum

Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9

Pre-programming in Bee-Bot Pre-programming in the Foos App Pre-programming in Scratch Jr. Basic Animation in Scratch Games Creation in Scratch WeDo Lego Robotics in Scratch Advanced Animation in Scratch Advanced Game Creation in Scratch Game Creation in Blockly Game Creation in Blockly Chat Bot in Python

Elective Courses Middle School

Trimester

Upper School

Trimester Full Year

Robotics Engineering Level I Robotics Engineering Level II Web Development App Development Introduction to Computer Programming Computer Science Principles (AP option) AP Computer Science

Page 7

3D Printing in Primary School

By Rebecca Van Ry, Primary School Science Teacher

W

hat if you could come up with your own idea for an invention, design it and then watch it come to life just hours later? This is the exciting reality for Kent Place Primary School students. Through the use of CAD programs and our 3D Printer, our young engineers fabricated their own projects right here at school.

A beloved tradition in our third-grade Science program has always been the Invention Design Project. During this unit, the girls engage in the engineering-design process to create an invention that integrates a working simple machine. In the past, they designed a scale blueprint of their project, incorporating measurements and different views of their invention. Last year, the girls took their project a step further with our new printing technology.

They designed a part for their invention using TinkerCad software. This process involves converting measurement units, understanding how to design in three dimensions by using different planes and angles, learning how to apply the various features of a CAD program and determining the printability of their design. There was no shortage of creativity in their blueprints: they designed custom seats for a toy car, for example; doors for vehicles; car bodies; elevators; hooks; pulleys; and even custom signage. These eager engineers were then able to see their digital project print out before their eyes.

Children are naturally scientists and engineers. Exposing them to 3D design ignites a passion for exploration. on rocket-body length, total weight and fin placement to design a mini– model rocket that could be launched using an engine made from a film canister. These girls also used TinkerCad to design their rockets and print the plans. There was always a crowd around the 3D printer to see how a body tube was coming out or if the fins were printing in the correct position.

It was a tense moment when the rockets launched and the girls observed whether their designs had accounted for the rockets’ weight, engine thrust and gravity. Imagine how thrilling it was when all of the rockets got off the ground — and made it safely back to Earth!

These unique forays into the world of technology flourish at Kent Place because our Primary School teachers themselves are excited about STEM projects. They collaborate to plan units that utilize the ever-expanding variety of technology available so our girls can experience engineering and design processes firsthand.

Children are naturally scientists and engineers.

Exposing them to 3D design ignites a passion for exploration, and we find that our young students are happy to act as ambassadors: to spread the word about what they’ve learned and what they’ve accomplished, with the goal of inspiring other girls to experiment and embrace experiences in STEM fields. V

Lucy Bashforth ’24 presents her elevator car.

After the girls fit these printed parts into the balsa models they constructed with our woodworking tools, their final projects — among them pulley systems, marble games, transport systems and helpful home gadgets — were complete and ready for action.

The girls’ enthusiasm for the design process was electric as they tested their prototypes, asked questions, made revisions and then retested their modifications to ensure that they had improved the invention. Having the technology to make custom pieces gave them the chance to engineer complex designs they would otherwise not have been able to create.

The 3D fun didn’t stop there. Girls in other grades participated in a STEM afterschool-enrichment program: they experimented with variables to determine how NASA engineers design rockets capable of sending rovers to other planets. Their culminating project was to use the data they collected

Construction of the third-grade inventions

Page 8

A TinkerCad design comes to life.

Blended Learning and Flipping the Classroom: A Teacher’s Perspective

By Rose Chaffee-Cohen, Upper School Science Teacher

S

tudents have certainly embraced the omnipresence of technology in their daily lives, but they aren’t the only ones. The KPS teachers’ instructional toolkit has expanded and now class websites, online-discussion forums, virtual simulations and video lessons have become the norm — to the betterment of student learning. “Blended learning” is the umbrella term to describe a class in which part of the instruction is delivered through online teaching tools, which give students some control over the time, place and pace at which they participate in these lessons.

One form of blended learning is called “flipping the classroom.” Lectures traditionally delivered in the physical class space move into the realm of homework: that is, what’s usually thought of as class work is homework; practice and application, usually accomplished at home, then take place in class.

For example, a teacher may assign homework that asks students to navigate a simulation of a chemistry concept, such as the gas laws, and then to participate in an online-discussion forum as a class. This initiates the engagement with a new concept and lays the groundwork for practicing gas-law problems during in-class time, when the teacher can support students as questions arise.

One of the benefits of this model is that instead of the possibility of a student giving up when she hits a roadblock during the old homework phase, the more challenging part of the lesson is aided by the teacher’s presence and by other classmates, who can collaborate. Another advantage is that students can also work at their own pace through the lecture or simulation; they may pause to take notes, rewind to a particular segment or return to the online resource to review the material.

I started using a flipped model for a few of my units in AP Environmental Science, which reviewed concepts that had been introduced in biology and chemistry courses. I reasoned that because these topics weren’t foreign to the students, they could watch some short video lectures at home to refresh their content knowledge and then in class we would apply that to some interesting and engaging lab investigations and somewhat more challenging problem-solving activities.

Flipping the classroom also meant that I could take students into the field — several of my videos took place outside, where I could show them examples of ecological concepts in action. Other videos utilized screen shots of lecture slides and diagrams, videos from other sources that I had curated and even self-quizzes that were embedded into the videos; I tried to provide a variety of ways to engage students in the content.

Online lectures, simulations, discussions and other tools aren’t a replacement for the dynamic and personal learning experiences that happen in a physical classroom. Teachers still have an important role in developing a comprehensive curriculum and fostering curiosity, collaboration, resilience and character within their students. Blended learning, however, gives teachers the opportunity to introduce students to a world beyond the walls of their school, to create assignments that can be tailored to students’ learning style, and to challenge students with intellectually rigorous activities — and provide guidance along the way. V

Go Back to School with Mrs. Chaffee-Cohen Snap the following QR code with your smartphone or visit bit.ly/1OB8eUO. Mrs. Chaffee-Cohen’s video was created for her AP Environmental Science class as a way to review some concepts they encountered in Biology I but that needed to be refreshed. She chose to record the video in the field to engage students with real examples and to encourage them to look for evidence in their own environments.

Technology and the Pursuit of Dreams: Reflections from a College Freshman

By Caroline Schiavo ’15

T

echnology is prevalent in our society. Kent Place has given me the tools to succeed in tech fields through AP Computer Science; by approving my senior-year independent study, Solving an Engineering Problem Using Google SketchUp and Ruby Programming; and by extending a number of interesting opportunities. Kent Place taught me to take ownership of my education and to turn my words, thoughts and dreams into actions by tinkering and creating new content.

I’m constantly asked: Is an independent study worth the effort? Would I learn that anything is possible if I work hard and persevere? At KPS, I wasn’t scared; I was anxious, but driven with this milestone within my reach. My independent study challenged and increased my intellectual growth, and it made the impossible seem possible.

Robotics Team, the Robo-Dragons. I’ve recently implemented some Engineering Week ideas for GW’s annual E-week and E-ball.

This time last year, I sat down to write an essay about why computer science should be included as a core academic subject in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. Today I can proudly sit down and write that the House and Senate unanimously passed an amendment to make computer science a building block for STEM subject matter.

Through the various opportunities at KPS, I learned a programming language. I learned to persevere. I learned building a network of advocates is important. I learned I could find my passion at Kent Place.

And I can continue that at GW.

Caroline at The George Washington University My education at KPS inspired me to pursue electriNow, in college, I’m designing a robot — the Electrical cal engineering at GW with an energy option. I see Engineering Destroyer — that follows an S-path based myself in five years working on the power grid and energy policy for the on the coding instructions I program, such as speed, turning and light sensors.

Department of Energy. I’m minoring in sustainability; this will educate me I’ll be presenting this project, along with other research in a similar format, as on the concepts of clean energy and sustainability development, which, my independent study. according to the United Nations’ Brundtland Report, is “development that The George Washington University has a technology club similar to the one meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future I spearheaded at Kent Place (the Technology Advisory Council). I’ve already generations to meet their own needs.” started to incorporate some of the ideas from that organization at KPS into Perhaps my path will change, but it’s comforting and rewarding to know that GW’s Tech Collective. My idea for the Upper School’s first Engineers Week KPS gave me the resources and confidence to pursue my dreams. V led the way for the encouragement of students at Kent Place to pursue engineering in college and also sparked the creation of the Upper School

Page 9

From Grand Concepts to Tiny Spaces: Creativity in Three Dimensions By Ken Weathersby, Upper School Visual Arts Teacher

O

ur Visual Arts Department embraces an ever-expanding range of technology for use in design thinking, problem solving and exploring creativity. Our students tackle their projects from many angles, and learn to fully express their artistry by moving fluidly among digital, handmade and conceptual approaches.

Working digitally — in design, printing, editing photos and making movies — is the latest cutting-edge technology we use in our program. Software such as SketchUp, Photoshop and iMovie are among the digital tools we use every day along with the time-honored ones: charcoal, paint and canvas, for example.

Students create three-dimensional designs with SketchUp, which enables them to rotate and zoom in to work in a variety of scales, from the overview to fine detail. Girls in the 11th grade use it (in combination with different kinds of hand building and traditional sketching) to develop work for the Portfolio Art assignment called Living Cube.

This architectural project is about creating a livable space, a house or apartment, within an area that is radically small (six feet by six feet by six feet); it calls for maximum creativity to conceive an inhabitable place on such a minimal scale. Using SketchUp, girls can build and instantly modify a 3D rendering of their cube to scale and in proportion as they think through and answer the questions that arise from the challenge: What furnishings and utilities do I actually need, and how can they be most efficient?

What materials, colors and textures will improve my design?

When every inch counts, how can I most creatively organize space?

of a few hundred square feet but was still impressively disciplined about being sustainable within such a small footprint.

She completed more than a dozen unique, fully developed plans for architectural projects in this vein. Her 3D digital renderings demonstrated thoughtful structural considerations and showed interior and exterior aesthetic-design features in detail. This student was also one of the first in Upper School art to put our 3D printer to work, printing tangible objects from her designs.

Photoshop has been an important tool in our digital photography classes for years; from Photo I onward, students use its substantial editing power for almost every photography project. Recently, though, it has proved to be an excellent medium for teaching color theory.

AP Portfolio Art students get a rigorous college-level experience of Bauhaus-style color concepts as they experiment with the seven specific types of color contrast. Unlike the way this was conventionally taught in a university setting, via a laborious, technically difficult process with paper and paint, Photoshop is an accurate and rapid medium for understanding how color perception actually works. With it, our girls can quickly test many variations and find both imaginative and time-honored solutions to color problems.

Students use technology to swiftly try various solutions and consider the results.

One student was inspired to delve deeper into Living Cube and created a yearlong AP Portfolio Art project that was a sustained study of tinyhouse design. Her digitally created constructions grew from the original six-by-six-by-six assignment to spaces

“Tiny House Design” exterior view of digital house designed in SketchUp, by AP Portfolio Art student Alexa Corey ’15

“Living Cube,” a 3D foamcore architectural model with correct-to-scale figure of the artist, by AP Portfolio Art student Melissa Schaaf ’13

We’re always adding approaches and modifying existing ones, with the result that our students have access to the full palette of creative mediums and ideas, from the traditional to the most modern. V

Hardcover or Digital? Finding Balance Most of our classrooms continue to use hardcover textbooks for their studies, but many departments integrate digital books — or e-books — to provide additional activities and information that students can access right within the pages of a lesson. Many e-books also offer self-assessments, listening exercises and videos that can be retrieved at any time.

CLASSES CURRENTLY USING E-BOOKS Chinese V French 6–8, I–III, V AP French Spanish 6–8, I–III, V History 9 and 10 Biology AP Biology AP Chemistry

Pre-Algebra MS Algebra MS Advanced Algebra Functions and Trigonometry Geometry MS, US Precalculus Applied Calculus AP Statistics AP Calculus BC

“With the interactive features built into our newest math e-books, students can get immediate feedback on their work. With hints, additional examples and mini-experiments they can conduct, the e-book facilitates independent learning and the development of new understandings at the students’ own pace.”

—Ralph Pantozzi, chair of the Mathematics Department

Page 10

“Using eBooks in World Language helps students learn better because they have both audio and video components in addition to traditional written ones. Students can practice repeating vocabulary in the first years of language study, and in more advanced eBooks, they can actually respond to an entire series of conversation prompts in an authentic way. Interactive activities enable students to know what they understand and which areas need review, as they get instant feedback. My students also love the fact that they have access all the time and never need to carry around a heavy book in their backpack.”

—Katharine MacCornack, chair of the World Language Department

The Smartphone Goes to School: One Teacher’s Lessons Learned — and Taught

By Wendy Hall, Middle School Science Teacher

I

wasn’t born in the digital age and constantly feel as if I’m playing catchup with all the latest technology, but three years ago, I finally purchased a smartphone. I was instantly amazed at what it could do. After just a few days, I was hooked and, with my teacher hat on, I began to think about how it could fit into the classroom. I wanted to use it not as a gimmick but rather as a learning tool. Thus began my journey to incorporate the phone into lessons.

First I went to some workshops for some tips and strategies, and I “played” a lot with it, just as the kids do. When I discovered a few interesting apps, it was time to forge ahead. I knew not every student would own a smartphone, so it would be best to design lessons that could be completed in groups.

Middle Schoolers participate in a QR-code science scavenger hunt.

The idea was to modify an existing lesson and achieve the same objectives but in a new, 21st-century way. A small-group lesson that seemed adaptable took a full class period and for the most part was done with pen and paper. This lesson could be transformed into a scavenger hunt involving QR codes.

This is what I came up with: Using one or two phones, student groups would move throughout the building looking for QR codes I’d planted.

When they arrived at each destination, they would use their smartphones to scan the code, which would pull up videos, images and text targeting the information at the heart of the lesson.

from students: I can survey them on their understanding or poll for an opinion.

I also use this app to collect data at the end of class as an exit ticket.

Finding ways to incorporate the phone into lessons has become a collaborative effort. Students often tell me about apps and games they think will be interesting in the classroom. Now I have them utilize the stopwatch, camera, video recorder and audio recorder to collect data. They may be asked to listen to a Podcast such as Science Friday or to view the sky with the Sky View app.

The QR-code scavenger hunt had a few glitches, but the objectives of the lesson were met, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the girls used their phones respectfully.

Something serendipitous happened when my smartphone came to school: It became an extension of my classroom. Students always have their phones; why not take advantage of that? With encouragement, they’ve been known to observe and film science phenomena they see outside of the classroom. It thrills me to see what they discover and to know that they’re on the lookout for things related to science — and excited about showing their discoveries to their classmates.

Since that first QR-code lesson, I’ve found other ways to integrate the phone.

I often use a student-response system called Socrative, which is available for both smartphones and computers. This app enables me to get real-time data

I’m enjoying this journey and continue to learn and grow. The phone and I are meeting my objectives as a teacher and the girls are using a tool they’re comfortable with, a tool of their generation. V

When I introduced this to a class, jaws dropped and eyes lit up; the girls were on the edge of their seats and raring to go.

Q&A with Kim Pearson Director of Technology and Chair of the Technology Department As the DOT, what’s your primary responsibility?

As DOT, I have two roles that intersect.

I oversee the technology curriculum for K–12 to ensure that it meets the needs of our students and faculty and I oversee the school infrastructure, networking, support and hardware. I manage a department of seven talented techies who make it all happen.

Do you teach any classes?

I teach Robotics Engineering I and II, in Kim Pearson grades 7 and 8. This course introduces students to the variety of engineering principles raised by the design, construction and programming of a robot. As students progress through level I and II, they program the robot to move forward and back plus utilize sensors.

I’m also the coach of the Robo-Dragons, the Upper School robotics team.

This is our rookie year! [For more about the Robo-Dragons, see page 4.]

During the summer, I’m a co-instructor for WaterBotics, a one-week program that engages students in science and technology learning through the design and creation of underwater robots. Students solve interesting underwater problems based on real-world situations, such as rescuing people in trouble, cleaning up pollution, making waterways safe and collecting samples from the watery depths.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I’m a teacher at heart, so when I’m able, I enjoy being in the classroom. This gives me the opportunity to use the same tools that my colleagues are using, which is a benefit because I can speak from experience when training.

Regarding technology, what has impressed you most about our students?

Their passion, energy and thoughtful contributions. The student voice is present in many of the initiatives and changes we’ve made throughout the program.

What are you most proud about in relation to KPS and technology?

Hmmm … that’s a tough one. I’ve been through so many rollouts during my 18 years here: Outlook to FirstClass to Google, Gradebooks in FAWeb to OnRecord, Daisy Chain Intranet to MyKPS. I’m always striving to find a better, more efficient, more meaningful way of integrating technology. But when a faculty member tells me after a training session how thrilled he/she is to bring a technology tool back to the classroom, I feel proud that I’ve made a difference in our learning environment..

What’s one piece of technology you couldn’t live without?

My iPhone. Mobility is key in my life as a working mother.

Tell me an interesting fact or story about you that our campus wouldn’t know about.

I was originally hired as the Middle School technology coordinator so that the Upper School could start a Computer Science AP course. Hiring me allowed for an Upper School technology-coordinator position and opened the option for Kent Place to think about a 1:1 program in our future.

What do you think makes Kent Place unique?

Technology’s impact on education here is visible as you walk across campus or into a classroom. It’s a natural part of the school culture, and we embrace it. We were one of the first schools in New Jersey to start a laptop program.

Providing students with a computer in a 1:1 setting was just one of the ways we could inspire women to consider a career in the field. Kent Place has always committed to women, technology and innovation.

You’ve been at KPS for 18 years, which makes you probably one of the longest-working female independent school DOTs in the nation. What excites you about coming to work every day?

I’m part of the information age, envisioning every day what might be next around the bend in education: STEM, MakerSpace, 1:1 program, robotics, programming, and so on. It is a very fast-paced field and I embrace change and problem solving. I enjoy helping users connect with it in meaningful ways daily. It’s exciting to just think about all the new opportunities our students will have with the upcoming Center for Innovation. It’s such a vital time in the school’s history! V Page 11

Our Girls Are Never Too Young to Create with Technology

By Sue Tracy, Primary School Instructional Technology Coordinator

T

hese days we hear a lot about screen time and how much is the right amount for children. Kids today are inundated with video games and media apps such as YouTube and Netflix. Because they navigate their way to these sites with such ease, it’s understandable for us to think that children are tech-savvy. Passively viewing technology, and actively learning from and engaging with technology, however, are two very different things. With every development and every new application, students need more guidance and knowledge than ever.

Problem Solving and Coding

Problem solving and coding play a big role in the technology curriculum.

Beginning in the early grades, we introduce our young learners to Scratch Jr. This iPad app teaches basic coding concepts in a fun and creative way. In third grade, the girls advance to apps such as Scratch for programming, and by the middle of fourth grade, they’re creating original games and mazes.

Kent Place provides technology education, and formal exposure to a variety of digital tools and applications as early as Preschool. Our Junior Pre-K and Pre-K boys and girls, for example, use iPads to reinforce emergent literacy and math applications and to practice developmentally-appropriate skills such as letter formation. The increased infusion and integration of technology across the K-5 curriculum advances progressively as our girls reach the upper grades of the Primary School.

Creative Expression

In the early grades, we use technology mostly for creative expression. The app Pixie 4 combines creativity tools with word-processing and multimedia tools so children can incorporate illustrations with text, short stories and slide First-graders Skylar Taketa, Ayushi Wadhwa and Quinn shows. The app contains a voice Reynolds create antonym books using Pixie 4. recorder, so our youngest students are able to narrate their stories, convert them into movies and send them home via e-mail. Our families enjoy listening to their children’s illustrated stories, and often save them as digital mementos.

Literacy

The students in Kindergarten through second grade use a fabulous app called Raz Kids, which helps support their literacy development. The app offers a wide array of leveled storybooks: our girls may make selections to be read to them or to read independently. The girls are exposed to both fiction and nonfiction stories, and they earn motivational rewards as they progress through the application.

Literacy continues to play a major role in the technology curriculum through the middle elementary years, when the girls use an app called Storybird.

First they collect artwork, contributed by artists from all over the world, that they’d like to use in their stories, and this art acts as a springboard for the girls to set their ideas into motion. The girls can read each other’s stories from any device, among them their classroom set of iPads. They can also give feedback on one another’s stories. This process sets the tone for how our girls should comment on postings in a public venue when they get older.

Digital Writing and Keyboarding

The girls’ technology education takes a big leap in the third grade, when they move to our 1:1 Chromebook program. (This was recently introduced in the fourth and fifth grades as well.) Each girl receives a Chromebook for use during the school day. On them, they compose, edit, save and organize their work digitally using Google Drive.

The Chromebooks have been key in enabling teachers to infuse technology into the curriculum. For example, in the fourth grade, rather than recording their daily reading onto paper logs, the girls use the Chromebook app Bookopolis. With Fourth-grader Carly Frith works on her Chromebook. it, they post teacher-approved reviews for everyone else to read, and as inspiration for their classmates to read books they’ve enjoyed and recommended.

The girls are also blogging as a form of digital writing. KidBlog, another Chromebook app, is a platform for students to express themselves to their peers in a controlled, teacher-monitored environment. Our third-graders are using the site to post their original writing pieces, to respond to writing prompts to display their original artwork, and to post comments on each other’s work.

Because our girls use digital tools for so much of their writing, keyboarding is a crucial skill. In third grade, students begin formal instruction with Type to Learn. They practice both in school and at home to help them achieve the proficiency that will be of benefit for the rest of their academic lives, and in their careers as well.

Page 12

Fifth-graders Malin Phelan and Sara Shee present their invented Lego vehicles.

Another problem-solving tool is TinkerCad, an online app used to design, create and even print three-dimensional models. Our third graders apply their measurement and spatial skills in TinkerCad to design creative bubble wands for themselves and for their Kindergarten little sisters. The third graders and their little sisters then put their designs to the test at an outdoor bubble party.

Digital Safety and Citizenship

We discuss digital safety and citizenship in all grades, but we emphasize them in the fourth. During this year, the girls learn the importance of keeping passwords private, to be wary of advertisements and not to give out any personal information. They learn how to look for the author or publisher of a website to understand the writer’s purpose and perspective. The girls also learn what constitutes plagiarism and why it’s important always to cite their sources. We talk about the fact that they can’t always believe what they read on the Internet — an important lesson for elementary learners because they usually rely on the validity of any written text, whether it’s in a digital format or in print.

Fifth Grade: A Culminating Year

In the fifth grade — the final year of Primary School — our girls get their own e-mail accounts and spend the first trimester learning how to be responsible users of e-mail and Google Drive. With that foundation, they continue to learn more advanced skills in Google apps with emphasis on Docs, Sheets and Slides.

During the second and third trimesters, the girls participate in either of two main units of study: Persuasive Presentations and Lego Robotics. Persuasive Presentations is a project whereby students must develop and support a thesis statement and demonstrate it to the class using Prezi, an online digitalpresentation tool. They incorporate video and images to evoke emotion and just enough text to complement the girls’ oral work. The girls must also present both sides of an argument and then defend one of them. Among past topics are “It’s Important for Girls to Attend An All-Girls School,” “Women Deserve Equal Pay,” “Stop the Photoshop,” “All Students Should Learn to Code,” and “Elephant Tusks Should Decorate Elephants, Not Humans”; these are examples of issues that resonated with the girls.

In Lego Robotics, girls extend their coding skills to program their own creations. In all projects, they work in teams to collaborate as they plan, design and build. Their first project is to program Lego’s Hungry Alligator to open and close its mouth. Their next project is one they choose from the Lego book: Drumming Monkeys, perhaps, or the Spinning Birds. The third project calls for our students to create an original Lego vehicle, one that can stop and go with the use of sensors and motors.

The girls get a real sense of engineering and design as they navigate the challenges.

These are some of the ways in which the Primary School employs technology as a tool for learning. Many are STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities that promote critical-thinking skills in a manner that’s fun but also makes learning meaningful. We want to inspire the girls to use technology to be creative, to be digital writers, to be problem-solvers and to be coders. In short, we want our girls to be producers of technology, not just consumers of it. V

Our Newest Global Partners

By Nathan Lutz, Global Learning Coordinator and Primary School French Teacher

The mission of our Global Learning Program is to empower young women as leaders who understand, evaluate and take action in response to the challenges and opportunities of an interconnected world. To accomplish this, we have defined four key components that will shape the growth of the exciting global initiatives already under way on- and off-campus. These initiatives are Community Service, Global Curriculum, Partnerships and Travel.

Under the pillar of Partnerships, for example, you’ll find Kent Place girls engaged in a variety of activities that enable them to work with, exchange ideas with and build knowledge with communities around the globe. We’ve designed our efforts to connect learning in a stimulating way and to create educational environments that prepare all students to succeed in our diverse and technologically advanced society. Together, our young leaders will work to find new and innovative approaches and solutions to our world’s pressing problems.

T

his fall, the Primary School launched two afterschool enrichment courses: Global Storybook Engineers and Global Minecraft Builders.

Global Storybook Engineers is for girls in kindergarten through grade two.

Students read a popular multicultural folktale, such as Strega Nonal (an Italian story about a witch and her helper), Jabutí the Tortoise (a mythological story from the Amazon) or Monkey (about the exploits of a trickster in India).

From there, they must create an alternate solution to the story’s ending.

To accomplish that, the girls learn the components of what’s called “design thinking” — that is, empathy with an audience, definition of the problem, a solution, the prototype and testing. Says Claire Cherill ’26, “Sometimes it’s frustrating because the thing you want to make fails. But that’s part of the process. If it doesn’t work, you try again.”

What we as teachers especially appreciate about this course is that it pairs literacy with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes. Research shows that when STEM problems have a narrative, real-life story to them, students working on them are more engaged, and that when students are reading to solve real-world problems, such as how to engineer their own designs, there’s a boost in literacy.

To make it even more interesting, our KPS girls are paired with a sister school, Seeds of Hope, in Huaraz, Peru (http://seedsofhoperu.blogspot.pe/).

Each week, the girls make and exchange videos during which they discuss their problems and their solutions. These partnerships were put together by Level Up Village, whose mission is to use technology and training programs to build a global learning community. Founded in 2012, LUV fosters relationships between more than 95 schools in the United States and more than 30 global partner organizations in 23 countries in the developing world. Each participating US school directly sponsors a global partner school through the “take a class, give a class” model: a portion of the tuition delivers the same class to students at one of LUV’s global partners, many of whose families live on less than two dollars a day.

“We’re proud to bring together students from US schools with peers from our global partner organizations,” says Amy McCooe, a cofounder of Level Up Village.

“Although their lives may be very different, they soon discover that they have a lot in common and much to learn from each other.”

In fact, many of LUV’s partner schools serve girls who would not normally get an education. As a result, Kent Place’s involvement in LUV courses helps Michelle Obama’s #62milliongirls initiative,

Guided by a Level Up Village staff member, Ava Burroughs ‘25 chooses a block to build a firehouse.

which fights to provide education for girls who for economic or other reasons are not able to go to school.

Global Minecraft Builders is designed for students in children in grades three, four and five. In this course, our girls learn about urban planning and the mathematical principles that drive it through the popular game Minecraft.

By the end of the course, they will have built a Utopian city in collaboration with their global partner using the program Minecraft. As with Storybook Engineers, Global Minecraft Builders calls for students to make weekly video messages to exchange with their partners, who are constructing the same Utopian city. Kent Place is paired with students at the Science League in Sweileh, Jordan (http://www.scs.jo), which has been serving students at refugee camps in Jordan (among them Syrian and Palestinian children) as well as other groups in the country who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford opportunities to learn anything science related.

What we as teachers especially appreciate about this course is that it pairs literacy with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes.

“In Minecraft,” says Lauren Pence ’25, “you get to learn how to build things using geometry. . . . My partner and I discovered that we like to build the same things. We’re making a garden together.”

Says Sofia Wanosky ’25, “I really like how you get to make a new friend across the world, and that you get to work together on the same project.

We’re making a house.”

Lauren Pence ’25 builds a community in Minecraft.

Through the partnerships we have with Seeds of Hope and the Science League, we hope to broaden perspectives and dissolve borders. Never have intercultural fluency, global citizenship and acquisition of critical-thinking skills been so easily within our students’ reach. V Page 13

“Smart Creatives” and the Students of Tomorrow, Today

By Timothy Maset, Upper School History Teacher

A

lmost 50 years ago, in 1969, Peter Drucker, the management consultant who called himself a “social ecologist,” wrote about the difference between “knowledge workers” and “manual workers,” and in essence predicted the next 40 years of changes in the workplace. Back then, he saw the ever-increasing importance of knowledge as an economic resource.

Today, we’re seeing another fundamental change: one driven by technology. Google executive Eric Schmidt has identified the people companies need most in their workforce: namely, individuals he terms “smart creatives.”

These people are capable of creating meaning from data, identifying and solving problems and driving innovation.

Our school’s commitment to integrate into our classrooms the newest and best modern technologies has fundamentally altered the dynamics of how our students learn. But even more important, technology at KPS is helping our young women become “smart creatives,” women with the skills, experiences and characteristics they’ll need in order to thrive in their careers.

Just how does technology fit in?

Efficiency is one of the hallmarks of learning, and MyKPS and Google technologies have immeasurably improved efficiency for teachers and students alike.

Teachers and students are linked in the learning process in ways never before possible. Class materials are always accessible through shared files: students can access their class resources to review, complete or even get ahead on their schoolwork on any computer, anywhere and at anytime. By saving and uploading work into their Google Drive folder, students never have to worry about forgetting work at home or in school — it’s never more than a click away.

Now let’s address the “smart” in “smart creatives.”

The Kent Place “smart” creative possesses the analytical and research skills to develop the factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with problems and materials. She assesses materials — their relevance to a problem, their reliability and their importance — and weighs that evidence when interpreting data to make and defend an argument.

Using their computers as a portal to the digital world, KPS students have universal access to learning resources that transcend the classroom. Articles, videos and audio files from the world’s best news sources, such as the New York Times (every Upper School student can get an academic pass to access that site for free), are invaluable across academic disciplines. Through their laptops, KPS students have unlimited access to digital databases, such as EBSCO, Academic Search Premier and JSTOR, typically available only through the libraries of major research universities.

In the history classroom, for example, teachers present photographs, political cartoons and even music to build a deeper understanding of the past. Using the annotation feature on MyKPS, Google Drive and OneNote, students can “write” directly on these digital documents (similarly, teachers can “write” directly on students’ digital work in Word files, Google Docs, Jpegs and PDFs). Through the use of cutting-edge educational tools such as ELMO document cameras, which can project an image of whatever is underneath

it (eliminating the need for overhead transparencies), students disseminate their insights to the entire class, which means one girl’s learning is every girl’s learning.

Peer-to-peer learning and collaboration with advanced technology mean that students can engage in long-term academic projects. Whether it’s a summer experience with the Girls’ Leadership Institute or a historical performance of Aaron Burr at the National History Day 2015 U.S. National Competition, Kent Place students with access to data are doing incredible work in and out of the classroom. When information, whether it’s historical or the most current, is at their fingertips, our girls are being trained and, more importantly training themselves in the skills in demand during the 21st century: investigation, inquiry, discovery, self-starting and independence.

But what about the “creatives”?

Creativity is the ability to overcome and solve problems to drive innovation.

“Creatives” understand that there’s often more than one right answer to a problem or more than one way to overcome an obstacle. They are willing to explore the boundaries of what we know to create meaning from confusion and, in so doing, bring to light new understandings about, and solutions to, obstacles and problems.

At Kent Place, creativity is a whole-school goal centered on design thinking.

Middle School students study geography and cultural patterns in “Culture Island” as they design and create their own civilization. The “Greatest Pharaoh” and the “Leadership Project” ask our Middle School girls to identify characteristics of “greatness” and “leadership” as they begin to create their own, authentic connections with those concepts in their lives. History classrooms incorporate all kinds of media into activities, introducing content for creative analysis that goes beyond strictly “fact-based” recall questions.

Students devise their own propaganda, write fictionalized versions of events and movements in history, put on their own news show (either written or filmed), counter-factually explain what would have happened if key moments in history unfolded differently, and collect music from an era they believe best captures that period of history and explain why.

Our “smart creatives” access data they use to predict and solve economic and ethical problems at the forefront of today’s innovation. Followed in more than 100 countries, Kent Place’s “Econlife” offers insightful commentary and analysis of real-world economic issues by creatively employing economic analysis to understand the world around us. Kent Place’s Bioethics Project, in which our girls work in conjunction with the prestigious Hastings Institute, confronts the ethical implications of developments in health, medicine and the environment; Kent Place students help create the framework of ethical debate surrounding cutting-edge innovation.

The only limit on a student’s learning is her imagination; technology breaks down barriers confining her development. Through a comprehensive, design-thinking curriculum, Kent Place girls are “smart creatives” who are empowered to take responsibility for their own learning and utilize those skills to become lifelong learners. This puts our girls in the best position not only to be active students at the best colleges and universities, but also to live the “smart creative” experience needed for tomorrow’s economy today. V

Meet the Technology Department Larry Adebayo Network & Systems Administrator Years at KPS: 7 Judy Bianco Upper School Instructional Technology Coordinator Years at KPS: 13 Chris Brandel Systems & Support Specialist Years at KPS: 8 Marni Endlich Middle School Instructional Technology Coordinator Years at KPS: 5 Clockwise, from left: Larry Adebayo, Marni Endlich, Robert Wiggins, Kim Pearson, Chris Brandel, Chris Lee, Judy Bianco and Sue Tracy

Page 14

Chris Lee Media Specialist Years at KPS: 6 Kim Pearson Director of Technology Department Chair Years at KPS: 18 Sue Tracy Primary School Instructional Technology Coordinator Years at KPS: 14 Robert Wiggins Systems & Support Specialist Years at KPS: 7

News & Views The Ethics Institute: A Parent’s-Eye View

By Dr. Sai Jambunathan P ’19

M

y introduction to the Ethics Institute at Kent Place School was through the Admission Office. Ms. Julia Wall had sent an e-mail inviting prospective families to attend the Bioethics Symposium.

I was thoroughly impressed by the student presenters, who were poised, articulate and passionate about the work they were doing. Their topics — for example, Genetic Diagnosis: The Role of the Doctor in the DecisionMaking Process; and Selection of the Best Possible Child — are ones we as adults don’t think about. As I listened to the young women, I was amazed by the work they had done to blend theory, research and practice. By the end of the morning session, I had made up my mind to send my daughter to KPS (if she was admitted!) just so she could participate in the variety of activities at the Ethics Institute and get a strong foundation for ethical decision making throughout her life.

Parent education is an important component of the Ethics Institute, and I’ve participated in journal-article discussions and parent-education workshops.

After each event, I walk away feeling invigorated, and I think about my own parenting style and what “ethical decision making” means to me in my role as a parent.

The workshops Dr. Karen Rezach and Dr. Eva Lazar run are outstanding, and as leaders they do a wonderful job of presenting information rooted in research and practice. They’re also cognizant of the need to address diversity and cultural issues related to ethical decision making. The hands-on activities and small-group discussions they facilitate enable the parent learners to reflect on and practice what they’re learning at the workshops.

COMING THIS SUMMER FROM EIKPS

Ethical Leadership & Entrepreneurship June 20–30 Ethical Leadership & Entrepreneurship is a coed summer program for students entering grades 10–12. This innovative hands-on learning opportunity provides students with the opportunity to take an idea for a business, process their own reflections about effective business practices and sound ethical choices, and turn a basic idea into a plan for corporate success. For more information, please visit www.kentplace.org/ethics.

During visits to schools in an array of urban and suburban environments, when I advocate for the programs, without fail the administrators want very much to bring them into their schools.

As a teacher educator, I believe the skill of ethical decision making is a necessity for every instructor. I’m delighted and honored to be a part of this vibrant group, and to bring a piece of KPS into the greater world. V

Recently, I volunteered to be part of the Parent Taskforce of the Ethics Institute, whose primary purpose is to be advocates for the Ethics Institute.

We’re an enthusiastic and passionate team of parents who go out into our communities to promote our programs.

The Art of Dance: Museum Showcases KPS Dance

F

or more than a year, LeAnn Yannelli has been curating a dance series for the Hudson River Museum, in Yonkers, New York, to coincide with the photographer Jordan Matter’s “Dancers Among Us” exhibit.

In October 2014, the museum’s director of education and the curator of the exhibit asked Yannelli, chair of our Dance Department, to participate. After months of research, she assembled a roster of performers and choreographers from high schools, colleges, conservatories and professional companies, along with choreographers who were former performers, some from the professional dance companies of Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey and Pilobolus.

“I thoroughly enjoyed performing at the Hudson River Museum and bringing Jordan Matter’s magnificent photos to life,” said junior Alliastar Regan. “It was inspiring to see other companies dance and participate in our joint passion.

I’m grateful that Mrs. Yannelli was able to share this opportunity with the Kent Place Chamber Dancers.” V

In fall 2014, the program launched when Jordan Matter photographed Emily Tevebaugh ’15. Afterward, a docent training, led by Yannelli as an artist in residence and assisted by 2015 alumnae Monika Paliwoda and Emily Tevebaugh, took place at the museum.

In October, when Matter’s exhibit opened, Kent Place Chamber Dancers Blythe Dewling ’18, Polly McCumber ’18, Katrina Peterson ’16, Alliastar Regan ’17 and Tiana Woods ’16 took part in a series of pop-up performances scattered throughout the various galleries. Later that month, those Chamber Dancers, with the addition of Libby Owen ’18, performed an original piece — “Water’s Edge” — that Yannelli had choreographed. Question-and-answer sessions with the audience followed each performance.

In November and December, also at the museum, all 11 Chamber Dancers, with Yannelli and alumnae Shannon Barry O’Grady ’94 and Emma Forstenhausler ’13, participated in community outreach programs, such as workshops and lecture demonstrations and a Junior Docent training, for Yonkers public school students.

“I’m delighted to be able to share and showcase the Kent Place dance program with the greater community, particularly in an alternative space like the Hudson River Museum,” Yannelli said. “I’m also pleased to have the opportunity to engage our dance students and alumnae in community outreach.”

Page 15

The Penelopiad: Upper School Winter Play In early March, the Kent Place Upper School performed the revisionist play The Penelopiad to a sold-out crowd. The Penelopiad is a new and unorthodox retelling of the story of Penelope and Odysseus, adapted by Margaret Atwood from her novel of the same name. Centering on a seemingly insignificant event in Homer’s The Odyssey, this dramatic version of the story of Odysseus’s return to his wife and son was first developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2007.

Drama Department Chair Bob Pridham directed the play, and gave great insight into the production process and the creativity exemplified by the entire cast and crew. “The play came to us by recommendation from members of our English Department,” said Mr. Pridham, “who introduce our students to Homer’s The Odyssey in the ninth grade. The play itself is quite new and has not had many productions. Kent Place is among the first high schools in the United States to be given permission to present it. Rehearsals were a process of discovery for students and the director: the author employed many styles of theater in telling her story, and we were constantly challenged by the need to respond to all of the different insights at work in the play. We were especially fortunate to have senior Ashley Villarreal in this production: taking inspiration from the lyrics provided in the text, Ashley created all of the original a cappella choral music that was performed in the play.”

Bronwyn Olstein ’16

Jayla Creekmur ’19 in the original dance she choreographed for The Penelopiad.

“Rehearsals were a process of discovery for students and the director.”

Sofia Tartaglia ’19, Sofi Faris ’18 and the rest of the cast of The Penelopiad

Cast and crew members of The Penelopiad: Amara Balan ’16, Lauren Burr ’16, Anjolie Charlot ’18, Jayla Creekmur ’19, Sophie Dewar ’16, Erin DuCharme ’19, Sophia Fanelle ’19, Sofi Faris ’18, Molly Gump ’16, Anna Hogarth ’19, Sabrina Hunte ’16, Leah Miller ’19, Erynn Murphy ’17, Sophia Narciso ’17, Bronwyn Olstein ’16, Gaby Parlapiano ’16, Nicole Pavese ’19, Lily Peterson ’16, Sarah Sadlock ’19, Noa Segal ’17, Sofia Tartaglia ’19, Ashley Villarreal ’16, and Mary Woodall ’18. Costumes were designed by Judith Mulder, with settings by Danielle Newbury.

Sabrina Hunte ’16 with cast members

The cast of The Penelopiad

Page 16

Ashley Villarreal ’16

KPS Upper School Academic Achievements NATIONAL AP SCHOLARS Zoe Denenberg ’15, Elizabeth Fountain ’15 and Jessica Li ’15 AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTION Amara Balan ’16, Sarah Chin ’15, Alexa Corey ’15, Zoe Denenberg ’15, Isabelle Donatelli ’15, Elizabeth Fountain ’15, Abigail Fournier ’15, Elizabeth Fournier ’15, Julia Greenberg ’16, Alyssa Hwang ’16, Madhuri Kannambadi ’15, Alexis Kim ’15, Jessica Li ’15, Carly Mantay ’15, Madison Mastrangelo ’15, Gabriela Mottesi ’15, Sarah Pavlak ’15, Kristen Plate ’15, Astha Puri ’15, Elizabeth Sciales ’15, Lauren Soderberg ’15, Emily Tevebaugh ’15, Claudia Torres ’15, Isabelle Vicens ’15 and Laura Whelan ’15 AP SCHOLARS WITH HONOR Alexandra Aronson ’15, Amanda Donoghue ’16, Elizabeth Fallon ’16, Molly Gilbert ’15, Claire Hagerstrom ’15, Lillian Higgins ’16, Alessandra Leong ’15, Hanaa Malik ’15, Daniela Moreira ’16, Halle O’Hern ’16, Olivia Parker ’15, Katrina Peterson ’16, Olivia Peterson ’16, Erica Rego ’15, Marshea Robinson ’15, Caroline Samuelson ’15, Radhika Siva ’16, Morgan Strong ’16, Sophie Vigeland ’15, Adrienne Wolff ’15 and Elizabeth Yoss ’16

• • • •

June 13 – August 19 Coed, Ages 3 – 15 June & August Mini-Camps Extended Care & Afternoon Clinics • Creative Arts Workshop • Day Camps • Preschool Camps • Summer Academy • CIT Programs

For Open House & registration information visit our website!

AP SCHOLARS Carolyn Bailey ’16, Sarah Barry ’16, Hazel Bess ’15, Ivanka Bhambhani ’15, Kathleen Brody ’15, Camille Brzechffa ’16, Lauren Burr ’16, Ariana Cacoulidis ’16, Alaina Cohen ’16, Sophie Dewar ’16, Danielle DiTommaso ’16, Claire Eckles ’16, Abigail Espiritu ’15, Mariella Evangelista ’16, Samantha Gingerella ’15, Tyler Goodwin ’16, Allison Herr ’16, Sara Hull ’16, Kayla Jackson ’15, Lauren Johnson ’16, Sarah Brigid Konefal ’16, Reeve Lanigan ’15, Victoria Lynott ’15, Orna Madigan ’15, Kathleen McAloon ’16, Katherine Moore-Gillon ’15, Olivia Mukherjee ’16, Joannah Otis ’16, Catherine Owen ’15, Oluwabunmi Oyenusi ’16, Monika Paliwoda ’15, Zoe Pappas ’15, Maya Ramakrishnan ’16, Sara Ramaswamy ’15, Priyanka Ray ’16, Madeline Reynolds ’16, Noelle Rosa ’15, Claudia Rose ’15, Corinne Russell ’16, Anna Salamone ’16, Lisa Sangree ’16, Lillian Schiffer ’15, Caroline Shepanzyk ’16, Mary Sullivan ’15, Ashley Villarreal ’16, Madeline Warner ’15 and Amber Williams ’15 2016 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FINALIST Amara Balan ’16 COMMENDED STUDENTS Sarah Barry ’16, Amanda Donoghue ’16, Claire Eckles ’16, Alyssa Hwang ’16, Monique Kalu ’16, Olivia Mukherjee ’16, Halle O’Hern ’16, Madeline Reynolds ’16, Corinne Russell ’16 and Laura Whelan ’16

have a vision take risks make decisions get organized resolve conflicts set goals

Girls’ Leadership Institute July 18 – July 29, 2016

The Girls’ Leadership Institute (GLI) is a unique summer program for girls entering seventh or eighth grade to explore their leadership potential and strengthen their confidence and self-esteem. Each girl will discover and develop her own unique leadership style through a broad range of hands-on activities.

The Institute, a two-week summer enrichment program, takes place Monday through Friday on the centrally located campus of Kent Place School in Summit, NJ. Each day begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 4:00 p.m.

Summit, NJ (908) 273-0900, ext. 297

www.kentplace.org/summercamp

For further information, please visit www.kentplace.org/gli or contact the Directors of Girls’ Leadership Institute, Holly Doyle and Erin Hennessy, at (908) 273-0900, ext. 303 or e-mail leadership@kentplace.org. Join the conversation using the hashtag #GLI2016.

Page 17

Engineering Week 2016 Kent Place recently celebrated Engineering Week with events planned across divisions to encourage students to embrace engineering as a field of study or a career choice and to expose them to more STEM-based curriculum. Maura Crowe and Suzanne Carreno-Powers, STEM coordinators, helped organize all the activities.

First-graders designed, tested and rebuilt mini-boats during science class.

The Kent Place chapter of the National Science Honor Society invited Dr. Dean Eppler to speak to students in each division. Here, he gives a presentation for Middle Schoolers about his experience working with NASA on spacesuit development and testing.

“Sometimes it takes only one moment or one experience to ignite a lifelong passion. Engineering Week strives to provide our girls with exposure to the excitement and possibilities within the engineering world.”

—Suzanne Carreno-Powers Lego Robotics classes were very popular with our fifth-graders.

Students connected with Dr. Kate Medicus, research and design team leader at Optimax, about her experience as a mechanical engineer and her current research in optical engineering.

An early-morning Engineering Design Challenge for our Upper School advisory groups: Make a tall, self-standing tower using only newspaper, tape and scissors.

Members of our Upper School Robo-Dragons team presented to each division about their experiences building and racing their robot, which they named Jonathan.

A Robotics Engineering Level 1 student presented her culminating challenge, synchronized-dancing robots.

Upper Schoolers participated in a rubber-band car race in the Great Room.

Learn. Explore. Discover.

Have you seen the new STEM pages on our website? Please snap the QR code with your smartphone or visit www.kentplace.org/STEM.

Page 18

Our Middle School students from the Science Olympiad and STEM elective classes compete in a Rube Goldberg competition.

J

im Flakker, Chair of the Science Department, recently announced plans to implement the Kent Place Space Program.

The school is set to take part in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), a national education program that will engage hundreds of our students in real microgravity-experiment design.

X

It’s a “Go”: Student-Designed Experiment to Be Tested in Space

Kent Place Around the world

!

Iceland Rome

Yellowstone

0 This opportunity gives them an obvious role in America’s space program.

Students in grades 5–12 will write proposals for experiments to be conducted at the International Space Station (ISS). The young women will work in research teams of three to five to come up with the best experiment to be tested in space.

Mr. Flakker coordinated the school’s participation in the program, and hopes that it will set the girls on a trajectory of excellence. “This program provides our students with the most realistic scientific work experience I’ve ever come across,” he said. “This competition mimics the process of scientists responding to a call for proposals and provides two unique educational opportunities.” Students must first pose an interesting scientific question regarding the nature of the physical, chemical or biological system, then through collaboration, they must engineer an experiment that can answer that question within the experiment specifications and operational constraints. We’re helping our students develop the skills necessary to become leaders in the next-generation workforce.”

We’re helping our students develop the skills necessary to become leaders in the next-generation workforce.

Review of all proposals culminates when the SSEP National Step 2 Review Board meets at the Smithsonian, in Washington, D.C., to select one flight experiment for each participating community. All will be part of a commercial spaceflight payload for SSEP Mission 10 to the ISS. They will launch on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in Florida, and be operated in low Earth orbit by an astronaut.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC. This on-orbit educational research opportunity is enabled through NanoRacks, which is working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a national library. V

We’re planning three trips for Middle and Upper School students. Please follow their adventures via our school blog, at blogs.kentplace.org/global.

X

Kent Place School has secured a flight-certified mini-laboratory from SSEP. The initiative will immerse students in scientific research and proposal writing. The formal call for proposals mirrors how professional researchers secure limited assets, and will thus expose students to a crucial aspect of a career in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

#

Iceland: Exploring the Land of Fire and Ice June 2016 This interdisciplinary trip to Iceland will focus on its science, geography, literature and culture. The country is a perfect example of rich tradition and global innovation working in tandem. Known as the “land of fire and ice,” Iceland is a living laboratory: Because of often-violent forces of nature, beautiful and vast geographic elements — spouting geysers, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, deserts and mountains, for example — dot the nation. Various aspects of our studies come to life, among them the rock cycle, weathering and erosion. Iceland is also a leader in sustainable energy. And though the land itself is relatively young, its culture is rich in art and a legacy of prose and poetry dating back to the 12th century. Iceland is also known for its high degree of gender equality: women serve in leadership positions throughout the government and in business. This is a Middle School trip.

Rome: A Passion for Song June 2016 Kent Place Singers and Chamber Singers will travel to Rome to participate in a festival chorus of the highest caliber. Under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson, singers will rehearse for festival performances, a highlight of which will be a sung mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. We’ve also arranged our own private performances in stunning venues to showcase the outstanding talent and commitment of our singers. In addition to the musical extravaganza, students will have ample time for daily excursions, sightseeing, historic walks and, of course, all the fun that comes with sampling Italy’s spectacular cuisine. This is an Upper School trip.

Yellowstone: Wildlife Ecology and Conservation August 2016 On this seven-day trip, our girls will experience Yellowstone National Park — the world’s first national preserve — as students, tourists and ecologists. During this one-of-a-kind, leave-no-trace camping trip, they’ll work with primary researchers to collect data on important projects. They’ll also have a lasting impact on wildlife by helping with habitat restoration and improving migratory pathways. In addition, they’ll examine such geothermal features as geysers, mud pots and colored water. Our girls will meet the specialists who reintroduced wolves to Yellowstone and will raft down the Yellowstone River. The instructors, who are with Ecology Project International, have an amazing curriculum that focuses on interactive learning. This is a Middle School trip.

Page 19

2016

Kent Place School 42 Norwood Avenue Summit, NJ 07901 www.kentplace.org

Voyager BRAVE BRILLIANT GIRLS

Explore KPS with Your Daughter Day Saturday, May 21, at 10:00 a.m.

AND

Please help to spread the word to friends, colleagues and relatives!

Register online at www.kentplace.org/admission or call (908) 273-0900, ext. 265.

Voyager Credits Editor Rachel Naggar

Professional Photography Vinny Carchietta Will Hauser Mark Wyville

Contributors Julie Gentile Abrina Hyatt ’11 Kimberly Pearson Doris Troy

Design Abbie Moore Design Printing

Direct comments about Voyager to the editor, at (908) 273-0900, ext. 217, or naggarr@kentplace.org.

Continue the conversation using the hashtag #kpsvoyager.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

New Brunswick, NJ Permit No. 1

A S C HO O L F O R