TEACHERS REMEMBERED
B
A DAY IN THE LIFE
B
ALUMNI REUNITE
THE MAGAZINE OF LAUSANNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL / spring 2013 Vol. 6 Issue 1
One School One Team One Day
Fr om th e He a d m a s t e r Schools and school cultures are either authentic or inauthentic. I believe that Lausanne and its positive school culture is steadfastly authentic. Authenticity comes not only from accountability but also through the endeavor of continual evaluation and improvement, a willingness to admit errors when made and ultimately doing what you say you do. At Lausanne, there is a clear and definitive process that results in a high level of authenticity and ultimately trust. Much of this process is unseen, yet it exists in the form of preplanning and post evaluation. It is in the classroom that a school’s as well as a teacher’s authenticity is tested. Let me describe two scenarios to you. In the first scenario, the teacher is standing at the front of the classroom; he or she is lecturing, writing on the board; students sit passively in rows, appearing to listen. In such regurgitative learning environments, students with strong short term memories excel. All the information shared in the lesson comes from the adult. Any questions posed by the adult to the students are closed-ended, requiring one- or two-word responses, and any formal assessment will be closed-ended in the form of true/false, matching or multiple choice questions. In the second scenario, students in the classroom are working in collaborative groups; they are discussing, analyzing and researching. The teacher quietly moves from group to group, facilitating and guiding. Assessments are open-ended, requiring lengthy responses supported by fact. Likewise, formal assessments are open-ended, often extended essay-based or presentation-based. Clearly, these two scenarios reflect a traditional classroom environment followed by an innovative classroom environment. I would offer that the traditional classroom environment offers little substance in the form of process, as teachers are not required to change their methods or practices over the years, often utilizing the same lesson plans and assessments from one year to the next. While such an environment might look highly structured and authentic to the observer, in reality the structure and adult accountability is minimal, as the teacher/director prefers to utilize authority and tenure over a substantive student-centered process. In the innovative classroom, there is a deep and highly structured substantive process that enables the teacher to facilitate rather than to direct. In essence, this is The Lausanne Way. For the success of our students, the process must be authentic and must hold teachers and students accountable. Both teachers and students acknowledge the benefits of their interdependence and by doing so produce, in my opinion, a more authentic learning environment and a more well-rounded student. We are most fortunate that as a consequence of our authenticity, there is a high level of consumer and prospective consumer trust and confidence in Lausanne. In short, we do what we say we do, and we hold ourselves accountable for doing so. Enjoy reading about the results of our process throughout the following pages.
F ro m th e E d ito r
6
M A GAZINE
spring
2013
DEPARTMENTS 1 2 26 28 30
From the Editor Looking Back Lausanne Highlights The Road Ahead Class Notes
F E A T U R E
6 A Day in the Life
On the cover: The Lausanne Lynx boys division 2A state champions share their trophy with younger students during recess. Anna Chachanidze ‘26 returns a great smile!
Lausanne Magazine is a publication of Lausanne Collegiate School whose mission is to prepare each of its students for college and for life in a global environment. EDITOR
Laura S. Trott Director of Marketing and Communications ltrott@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1003 ART DIRECTOR
Alison Johnson Charles CLASS NOTES AND ALUMNI NEWS
Karon Nash Director of Alumni Relations knash@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1008 PHOTOGRAPHY
Brian Johnson Laura S. Trott Michael Christopher Assistant Headmaster—School Advancement Lausanne Collegiate School 1381 W. Massey Rd., Memphis, TN 38120 901.474.1000 www.lausanneschool.com
Stuart McCathie Headmaster
6
March 2013 will be a month long remembered at Lausanne While always an energizing month, March 2013 has been downright electric as we’ve celebrated the growing list of successes of our students and alumni. At the end of February, our Upper School Knowledge Bowl team ushered us into the excitement by winning the WREG-Channel 3 sponsored championship with wins over Memphis University School (MUS), Collierville, Houston and West Memphis. Their win was followed by our boys varsity basketball team’s steady road to the state championship, where they beat Evangelical Christian School (ECS) in the Division 2-A finals, 67–43, taking home the team’s first state championship title. After the game, senior Cameron Payne was named the tournament’s most valuable player as well as Mr. Basketball 2013, having been voted “the best” basketball player in Tennessee by coaches and sports journalists from across the state. The Lausanne cheerleaders were honored with the tournament’s overall spirit award and Head Coach Kenneth White was named Best Coach. While the Lynx were making history in Nashville, our students in Memphis were dominating the National History Day West Tennessee Regional Contest at the University of Memphis, with eighteen projects representing the work of thirty-eight students advancing to the state competition. The same day, four teams of Lower and Middle School students competed at the regional Destination Imagination competition, and all advanced to the state championship. In addition, The Dark
Magic Brainstormers team won an additional award, The DaVinci Award, for exceptional creativity in their solution. The next morning, the Commercial Appeal named senior and International Baccalaureate diploma candidate Roy Lan an Academic All-Star. Roy is one of our three National Merit Scholarship Finalists, along with Maria Xie and Carter Blalack, and celebrated with Chisom Oraedu, who was named a National Achievement Finalist. Our “One School – One Team – One Day” magazine theme stems not only from the amazing support our school community shared with the Lausanne Lynx during the state championship competitions but also from the incredible feats our students can accomplish on any given day at any given time. In the feature section, we’ve attempted to capture a “Day in the Life” of a Lausanne student to give you a glimpse of all the extraordinary things that can happen at Lausanne within a typical day. I have the privilege of walking through our hallways daily and seeing our students in action firsthand. I wanted you, too, to witness the joy and creativity of our students, the kindness and support of our faculty, the everyday achievements in the classroom, the amazing discussions and presentations taking place, the global mindedness, the friendships and the fun! The feat of capturing the spirit of Lausanne in an instant could not have been accomplished without the team of administrators, teachers and students who helped brainstorm this project and
the photography of Michael Christopher and Brian Johnson. The editorial assistance of Lausanne’s very own Jessica Ke ’11 was invaluable. Jessica spent her winter break away from Dartmouth in communications and marketing internships with Lausanne and Doug Carpenter & Associates. Her insightful contributions and love for her alma mater are evident throughout this magazine. I love hearing what our alumni have done with their lives (see page 25), and I cannot wait to see what this particular Portrait of a Lausanne Graduate does with hers! Get ready, my friends, because if you thought the first part of the year at Lausanne was exciting (see page 26 for highlights), just wait until April and May as our list of college acceptances and scholarships grows and our students finish special projects and garner awards. Keep up with us on our website, www. lausanneschool.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Better yet, come celebrate with us during any of our upcoming events and find out for yourself what can happen at Lausanne on any given day!
Best regards,
Laura S. Trott
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 1
Looking Ba c k
“We forge meaningful relationships.” By Jessica Ke ’11
The Lausanne Way, as a formal document, was introduced when I was at the end of my Lausanne career. Posters went up, the website was updated, and suddenly, the school that I had attended since sixth grade had a new mantra. As I scrutinized the new publications, wary of any change to this school that I had grown to love, I realized that, while I had never seen them this eloquently expressed, these seven points had been an integral part of my entire Lausanne experience. The wording was unfamiliar, but I was no stranger to the concepts.
Tiffany Xiang Li, Jessica Ke, Laura Vang, Claire Rabinowitz and Erin Anderson, all 2011 graduates.
T HE L AUSAN N E WAY We create a joyful and challenging learning process. We encourage continual self-reflection. We provide opportunities to succeed. We embrace global mindedness. We forge meaningful relationships. We build character through service to others. We empower individuals to seek their own journeys.
2 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
The point that struck me most was number five: “We forge meaningful relationships.” While at Lausanne, my peers and I formed friendships that I know will last a lifetime. However, I also found different, equally important relationships: those with my teachers. Looking back, what stands out most about my Lausanne experience is the teachers who inspired me to succeed. A good teacher gives you facts and figures in a comprehensible way, but a truly memorable teacher guides you in the pursuit of your own interests. He or she lets you make your own mistakes and is there to help you get back up and start again. My teachers during my time at Lausanne did not simply hand me information—they showed me how to find it myself, and they encouraged me to follow my own interests. These teacherstudent relationships are founded on mutual respect. My teachers believed that I was capable of finding answers for myself, and this in turn inspired me to do just that. They shared their passions with us and encouraged us to find and grasp our own.
I remember my Lausanne teachers even now. Their reflections can be seen everywhere in my life after Lausanne. Wandering through Beijing, I remember how Madame Marcia Planchon first showed me the wonder of languages and inspired me to study abroad. When I hear music, I recall Mrs. Terri Green showing me how to play my first shaky notes on the clarinet. Strolling around the college campus I now call home, I am grateful for the wise words of our college advisor Mrs. Tela Thigpen. My Lausanne teachers have played a major role in the way I see
Celebrate Jary Berry! Give a gift for each year she has enriched our lives. $1 per year ($38*) or $2 per year ($76*) or $3 per year ($114*) m/giveonline www.lausanneschool.co Library *Your gift will support Jary’s
the world; because of their encouragement and inspiration, I am motivated to seek my own knowledge on my college campus, at my internships and even around the world. Arriving at college over a year ago, I had no idea what I wanted to study. After the initial period of soul-searching introspection known to all college freshmen, I realized that my passion didn’t lie in one particular discipline or major. I wanted to study people: how they interact with others, what they do and how they make their choices. Because of this and because my Lausanne teachers taught me to pursue my own interests, I decided to combine the economics major Dartmouth offers with a sociology major, creating a curriculum suited to my interests. I love the way that I can study the same topic in an economics class and a sociology class but come at the subject in two entirely different ways. Being a Lausanne student taught me that there is more than one way to approach an issue and that having multiple perspectives and approaches is an incredibly valuable learning technique. My Lausanne teachers showed me how to look at a piece of information from several different angles and then synthesize the gleaned information into one coherent idea. When I come back to Memphis these days, I still visit Lausanne, and I notice the changes that have come about in my absence: a new cafeteria, unfamiliar faculty and students who look younger and younger. However, I still recognize the atmosphere of love, respect and commitment that our faculty forms for its students. That is one thing that has not changed, and that is what keeps me coming back.
Librarian Jary Berry is Retiring After 38 years of serving Lausanne’s students and teachers, beloved librarian Jary Berry has decided to retire at the end of this school year. Over the years, Mrs. Berry has made several moves as the library expanded from a hallway on the second floor of the Edward Jappe wing to the William W. Goodman library to the slightly bigger (35,000 sq. ft.) and beautiful library space we have today. As Stuart McCathie shared in his announcement letter to the faculty and staff, “The technology revolution has radically changed the way our students access knowledge, transforming the library from a repository of books to a gateway for information exchange. Through it all, Jary has been a beloved resource for our children, captivating generations of young minds through the stories she tells from her ever present rocking chair.” In thanksgiving for her many years of service Mrs. Berry and her husband were given a trip to Costa Rica over spring break to a resort destination graciously donated to Lausanne by one of our Lausanne families. Prior to her fun in the sun, Mrs. Barry sat down with us to answer some questions about her time at Lausanne. What has changed the most during your time at Lausanne? The campus! It was a boarding school when I came here. What has remained constant? The faculty. The faculty has always been excellent. Looking back at your time at Lausanne, what are some of your favorite moments? Graduation is always good. I love watching kids that I’ve known for 14 or 15 years graduate. What do you do in a typical day? Everything! I help kids and teachers find materials, read to Lower School students and give impromptu library use lessons. I also order new materials. Reading to kids is my favorite time; everyone should be read to. What is your favorite book? It’s hard to choose. One that always pops into my head is Charlotte’s Web. What about retirement are you looking forward to? Not waking up at 5:30 a.m.! And just doing something different, doing something not as structured. What will you miss most about Lausanne? The faculty and the kids. Jary Berry will remain at Lausanne until May. If you’d like to tell her how she influenced your Lausanne experience, please e-mail her at jberry@lausanneschool.com.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 3
During our alumni weekend homecoming events last fall, we asked our graduates to reflect on teachers who had inspired them during their time at Lausanne as well as some of their favorite memories with them. Photographs in order of reference.
Fred Blackmon, Assistant Head of Upper School Earlier this year, Assistant Head of Upper School Mr. Fred Blackmon and his wife Ellen returned to their home state of Alabama. After completing her radiology fellowship, Ellen received an offer to practice closer to their families and give their son Fred, III the opportunity to be closer to his grandparents. Mr. Blackmon has made regular trips to Lausanne since his move and continues to support the school in any way he can with his #365mindset and #blueandgoldforever commitment. In celebration of his eleven and a half years at Lausanne, students and faculty honored Mr. Blackmon during a special Upper School convocation last fall, and we took the time to ask him about his Lausanne experience. What has changed the most during your time at Lausanne? The student culture. When I first arrived, the students weren’t quite as proud and excited to be Lausanne students as they are now. There wasn’t the same school spirit or support for peers that you now find at Lausanne. Now the students love the school! What has remained the same? Faculty-student relationships. These were strong long before I got here! Just ask any alum; their teachers will be what they most often talk about when they come back. It’s that student-centeredness that makes Lausanne so unique. What are some of the things you love most about Lausanne? Students first. Everybody else second. What was a typical day at Lausanne like for you? Tons of fun! First a good morning e-mail to faculty, then carpool duty and greeting people as they showed up at school, and after that, meeting with and talking to kids, faculty, parents and staff all day long. It was constant interactions with people. Looking back at your time at Lausanne, what are some of your favorite moments? The first football game on our home field, the opening of the new gym and library, graduation every year (especially after you’ve been there a few years and you really get to see the process), admissions (getting more people wanting to come than we have space for and being able to admit the people who really want to be with us), the birth of 365, and especially Mr. Brewster agreeing to take over as the Assistant Head of Upper School! What is ‘365’ and what does it mean to you? The 365 concept is a daily commitment to better yourself, however you personally define that. It’s about constant self-improvement and never being satisfied. I’m particularly proud of 365 because lots of students and teachers adopted the idea and made it their own. It means something different to each person. What will you miss most about Lausanne? The kids and the people who work there. Also, the culture. Everyone at Lausanne shares at least one thing: we all choose to be there. This gives the school the great family feeling that it has because we all love the same place.
4 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
“
Dancing in Swan Lake under the direction of Mrs. Erin Baker is a favorite Lausanne memory of Mary Lindsay Andrews Dickinson ’62.
Cecelia Block Johnson ’65, Gay Graeber Stubbs ’65 and Murray Smith Johnson ’65 all listed Ms. Elizabeth Lunz as one of their favorite Lausanne English teachers.
Claire O’Callaghan Johnson ’48 says her senior sponsor and history teacher Mrs. Mary Lucas Butler “was (her) mentor— very earnest and ambitious. She occasionally let (Claire) ‘take’ her class to teach.”
Mrs. Marion Majors’s English classes inspired Janet Bogle ’67, who wrote, “I am a Victorian novel freak because of her!“
Mr. Walter Coppedge, Lausanne’s headmaster from 1960 to 1965, was mentioned by several alumni including Keith Dockery Derbes ’62, Sally Goodman Graflund ‘62 and Charlotte Hays ’65. Gretchen Winbigler Sachs ’64 wrote about his “respect for individuals and for women.” She also shared, “Mr. Coppedge was interested in ideas and encouraged creativity whatever the source. He conveyed the joy of learning and appreciation of beauty.” “Mr. Walter Coppedge changed our world,” wrote Susan Tucker Kuhnel ’63. “He brought in erudite speakers and opened a world we had not yet explored. We are all indebted to him.” Clara Yerger ’63 also shared, “Mr. Coppedge helped me formulate my beliefs and ideas regarding the world.” Mrs. Jane Dutcher, inducted into the Faculty Hall of Fame in 2009, was listed by former colleague Mary Jo Mayton and Sally Goodman Graflund ’62 for her development of the early childhood program at Lausanne and her study of the Montessori method. Sally, Dawne Dickey Davis ’82 and Elisa Blatteis ’80 also listed Lower School teachers Mrs. Alyce “Poohie” Burr ’59, Mrs. Mary Jo Mayton and Mrs. Ginny Cochran as particularly inspiring and empowering. History teacher Mrs. Lore Hisky was “so funny and exciting,” said Betsy Goodman Belz ’62. Ann Small Rives ’62 found Dr. Theodore Johnson’s English literature classes “inspiring.”
Sally Goodman Graflund ’62 and Cecelia Block Johnson ’65 both reflected on their classes with Latin teacher Mrs. Frances Martin.
“All my Lausanne teachers were special,” wrote Courtney Robison Semisch ’87.
ries have special memo We know you each u. hers who inspired yo of the Lausanne teac ar about them. We would love to he n Nash at Please contact Karo .1008 hool.com or 901.484 knash@lausannesc ne stories. to share your Lausan
Sixth grade teacher Mrs. C.H. McNeese gave Mary Lindsay Andrews Dickinson ’62 a “love of poetry.” Susan Tucker Kuhnel ‘63 also remembered Mrs. McNeese fondly sharing, “She gave us confidence by having us write stories and read them to the class. She was a kind and brilliant teacher and mentor at a very important time in our lives.” Pattye Runyan Suffren ’67 says her favorite teacher was Mr. André Suffren, who taught her French to fluency.. Sally DePriest Whitehorn ’82 credits English teacher Mrs. Shirley Warfield with her own “command of English and strong writing skills.” Dawn Dickey Davis ’82 and Elisa Blatteis ’80 also had fun reminiscing about Mrs. Warfield and their senior class trips, which she chaperoned. Mrs. Christa Warner, a mathematics and science teacher, “was open to various ways of problem solving,” writes Gretchen Winbigler Sachs ’64. “She was tolerant but disciplined. She made math fun.” Margaret Colbert Brown ’64 also wrote about Mrs. Warner, sharing, “She was my idol—beautiful, smart, gentle.” Mrs. Elsie Yeates and her chemistry classes inspired Ann Small Rives ‘62 to major in biochemistry. Mrs. Yeates was also fondly remembered by Gay Graeber Stubbs ’65.
Molly Cook, Director of Admissions After 14 years of exemplary and dedicated service to Lausanne as the Director of Admissions, Molly Cook is taking her leave at the end of the school year to work with her family’s business. In her fourteen-year tenure, the school’s enrollment has doubled, student placement at Lausanne is now at a premium, and the marketing efforts led by Mrs. Cook have established a solid reputation for Lausanne within the Mid-South community and beyond. Her energy and creativity have not only greatly assisted Lausanne but also the Memphis Association of Independent Schools, where she has been instrumental in developing the successful MAIS Fair to raise awareness about the benefits of independent school education. We look forward to celebrating Mrs. Cook’s new chapter in life with her this spring. In the meantime, if you would like to reach out to her with a note of thanks or appreciation, please e-mail her at mcook@ lausanneschool.com through the end of May.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 5
Lausan n e To d a y
A Day in the Life How long has it been since you walked the hallways of Lausanne Collegiate School? Perhaps some of you explored our campus just this week while on your very first admissions tour. For others, it’s been a while, maybe even since you graduated decades ago. However long it’s been, we can guarantee that you didn’t see it all. On any given day, at any given moment, anywhere on campus, so many exciting things are taking place—too many for one person to take in alone. We want to give you a peek into a typical (but oh so extraordinary) day at Lausanne through many different sets of eyes. We hope you can feel the energy, enthusiasm and kindness of our students and faculty just by looking through this article. Now imagine experiencing that in person, and you’ll get a true sense of what it’s like to be a student at Lausanne. It’s the Lausanne Way in action! In January, we chose a random Friday (the 11th) to follow six different students around campus, capturing not only what they were directly experiencing but also what was taking place around them. The following pages will provide you with a glimpse into the life of a Lausanne student through the eyes of a junior kindergartener in Lausanne’s early childhood program, a third grader in our Lower School, a fifth grader at the beginning of her Middle School experience and an eighth grader ending his. We will also follow two Upper School students, a tenth grader prepping for his last two years at Lausanne and an eleventh grade International Baccalaureate student preparing for the college application process. We think you’ll be amazed by, proud of and enthusiastic about what you discover through their typical Lausanne experiences.
6 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Hannah Miller – JK 7:30 a.m. Early Room in the Classr oom 8:00 a.m. School Begins: Open Cente rs 8:15 a.m. Morni ng Meeting 8:45 a.m. Snack 9:00 a.m. Plann ed & Free Centers 9:20 a.m. Spanish 10:05 a.m. JK Re cess 10:25 a.m. Special s: Music, Art or P.E . 11:00 a.m. Lunch 11:35 a.m. Projec t Approach 12:00 p.m. Mand arin 12:15 p.m. Projec t: Instructional Tim e 12:45 p.m. JK Re cess 1:15 p.m. Rest Tim e 2:30 p.m. Pack Up & Wrap Up 3:00 p.m. End of the Day
H
in junior k annah Miller,
der gart
third grader
Ryan Hof – 3rd 7:30 a.m. Early Room in the Library 8:00 a.m. Daily Schedule Review & Class Jobs
e ne r
Meet Hannah Miller. This is her first year at Lausanne. Hannah is five and loves art—painting, coloring, drawing, you name it! She is also very active and loves taking gymnastics and going to the park; she’s getting very good at rollerskating. Hannah has been especially excited about learning how to read this year. After completing a new story, Hannah has fun sharing the tale with her classmates and her family. Her favorite books are Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, I Broke My Trunk, We are in a Book! and all of the Dr. Seuss and Pete the Cat books. She also enjoys creating addition and subtraction story problems using animals. Hannah uses her vivid imagination to provide her classmates with engaging scenarios while practicing her math skills. She loves her Mandarin and Spanish classes at Lausanne but says that her favorites are music, art and P.E. Hannah became an expert at using the hammer during the junior kindergarteners’ recent tool project in which she created a cheetah. Her family says they love everything about Lausanne
Ryan Hof,
and were originally drawn to it for its exceptional academic program and because it was not religiously affiliated. When asked what she loves most about Lausanne, Hannah says her teacher Mrs. Roberson and her classmates! Our third grader, Ryan Hof, is in his second year at Lausanne. His older brother, Ethan, is a fifth grader. Having boys with very different personalities and needs, the Hofs chose Lausanne for its diversity, academic standards and philosophy that encourages creative thinking. Ryan loves to read. Some of his favorite books include Percy Jackson and The Lightening Thief and The Kane Chronicles. Rick Riordan is his favorite author. He also loves science and is particularly drawn to the subjects of astronomy and marine biology. One of Ryan’s favorite responsibilities in the classroom has been as the computer technology assistant. With a one-to-one personal laptop program in the Middle and Upper Schools, Lausanne provides two-to-one student classroom laptop stations in addition to Promethean smart boards
8:15 a.m. Spanish 8:40 a.m. Writer’s Workshop 9:40 a.m. Reader’s Workshop 10:15 a.m. Math Centers 11:00 a.m. Lunch 11:35 a.m. 3rd Grade Recess 12:00 p.m. Spelling 12:45 p.m. Mandarin 1:00 p.m. City Project 2:00 p.m. Specials: Music, Art or P.E. 2:50 p.m. Pack Up & go 3:00 p.m. End of the Day/Sibling Room
throughout the Lower School to aid our youngest students in their projects and online learning. Ryan loves the responsibility of taking care of the classroom technology and is very knowledgeable about the different types of computers available to him. His favorite time of day is lunch, when he gets to visit with all of his friends from the three different third grade classes. He is already playing basketball for Lausanne and is also interested in hockey and soccer. He’s trying out for track this spring, too! A big fan of the outdoors, Ryan likes to read and play outside, especially games such as tag, hide and seek and nature hunts.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 7
Jesse Neloms – 8th Day 6 of 7-day Rotat ion 7:30 Zero Hour 8:30 a.m. School Begins: Period 6 – English 9:20 a.m. Period 7 – Social Studies 10:10 a.m. Break 10:25 a.m. Period 1 – Science 11:15 a.m. Period 2 – Spanish 1 Hono rs 12:05 p.m. Lunch 12:35 p.m. House Activity 1:00 p.m. Period 3 – P.E. 1:50 p.m. Period 4 – Fine Arts (Study Skills) 2:40 p.m. Period 5 – Algebra I 3:30 p.m. End of the Day/Basketball Practice
Jacqueline Lee – 5th Day 6 of 7-day Rotation 7:30 Zero Hour 8:30 a.m. School Begins: Period 6 – Fine Arts (Music) 9:20 a.m. Period 7 – P.E. 10:10 a.m. Break 10:25 a.m. Period 1 – Spanish 11:15 a.m. Period 2 – English 12:05 p.m. Lunch 12:35 p.m. House Activity 1:00 p.m. Period 3 – Science 1:50 p.m. Period 4 – Math 2:40 p.m. Period 5 – Social Studies 3:30 p.m. End of the Day/Advisory Room
Jacqueline Lee
, fifth grader
Jacqueline Lee, a fifth grader, has been at Lausanne for seven years. She loves how nice the teachers are and says, “Different teachers start becoming your friends over the years. You can talk to them about anything, and it creates a real support system.” Science has always been one of her favorite subjects. “Dr. Frassinelli (Lower School science) has always been fun,” says Jacqueline, “and so is Mr. Stevens,” her fifth grade science teacher. Jacqueline wasn’t quite sure what to expect of the Middle School’s House System when she began the new school year, but after joining the house of Lendenwood, she has found that participation in the houses is really fun and teaches students a lot about teamwork. Jacqueline and the rest of the Middle School students have been evenly divided into Middle School houses including Lendenwood, Monmouth, Cottingham and Massey. The house system provides students and teachers across grades five through eight a common identity and activities outside the academic arena through various competitions that promote school spirit.
8 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Jesse Neloms, eighth grader
Jacqueline’s parents chose Lausanne because of its healthy, safe and diverse learning environment. They were looking for a school that not only educates children but also helps them grow into good citizens while genuinely caring for them and guiding them toward developing their individual talents. After school on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Jacqueline swims on the Collierville swim team. She also enjoys playing the piano, which she has been studying for the past six years. Jesse Neloms, an eighth grader, is in the House of Monmouth. He has jumped right into his first year at Lausanne, playing both football and basketball for the Lynx. Jesse and his parents chose Lausanne for its rigorous academic program, diversity and basketball program. When asked what he loves most about Lausanne, Jesse shares, “The college atmosphere, laptops instead of books, the close relationships with my teachers and the lifelong friendships I have built with my friends from countries all over the world.” Jesse goes on to write, “I have been to four private
schools since JK and I feel like I have been here at Lausanne forever. I get to take Spanish with the high school students and even earn two credits as an eighth grader in honors algebra and honors Spanish to apply to my college applications. I play on the junior varsity and varsity basketball teams. It’s a lot to juggle, keeping my grades up and practicing five days a week. My advisor, Mrs. (Michelle) Martin; my history teacher, Ms. (Rachel) Hammons; and my mom make sure I stay on track. When I found out I was visiting Lausanne last year, I wasn’t excited. After the first visit, I wanted to transfer (to Lausanne) immediately! My goal at Lausanne is to attend the college of my choice on an academic and sports scholarship!” Sophomore Max Privette started his Lausanne journey at the age of three in The Cottage, the school’s former early childhood program. His brother Chance, a senior, is a 15-year Lausanne student, and his eldest brother John Paul’s daughter Sonia is now in her second year at Lausanne as a junior kindergartner. Max is a well-rounded student who
Max Privette – 10th Day 6 of 7-day Rotation 7:30 Zero Hour 8:30 a.m. School Begins: Period 6 – Algebra II 9:20 a.m. Period 7 – Art II 10:10 a.m. Break 10:25 a.m. Period 1 – Study Hall 11:15 a.m. Period 2 – Modern World History 12:05 p.m. Advisory 12:35 p.m. Lunch 1:00 p.m. Period 3 – Chemistry 1:50 p.m. Period 4 – French III 2:40 p.m. Period 5 – Honors English 10 3:30 p.m. End of the Day
h Rishika Singh – 11t ay Rotation 7-d of 6 Day r Zero Hou 7:30 ins: 8:30 a.m. School Beg HL Period 6 – IB Physics Lab SL lish Eng IB 9:20 a.m. Period 7 – 10:10 a.m. Break IB Spanish SL 10:25 a.m. Period 1 – IB Mathematics HL – 2 iod Per . 11:15 a.m 12:05 p.m. Advisory 12:35 p.m. Lunch IB Economics SL 1:00 p.m. Period 3 – IB Chemistry HL 1:50 p.m. Period 4 – IB Theory of Knowledge 2:40 p.m. Period 5 – Day the 3:30 p.m. End of
Max Privette, sophomor
balances his academic load with commitments to football, swimming and soccer. He’s in the midst of soccer season at Lausanne right now and has also increased his weightlifting schedule to prepare for football in the fall. One of Max’s favorite subjects is art. In fact, he is writing his upcoming Capstone essay, a 10th grade year-long research project and paper, about John D. Rockefeller and Cornelius Vanderbilt in an effort to explicate how their business prowess helped to reshape America after the Civil War. Max also serves as a Lausanne Ambassador and participates in Model Congress. As an ambassador, he is always ready to help serve as a buddy to a prospective student and to talk with prospective parents about what he loves about Lausanne. In response to a question about what his family loves most about Lausanne, his mother Terri shared, “Number one is the diversity and the all-accepting atmosphere for the person who thinks outside of the box. You don’t have to have a certain shape or size or religion or color to feel like you fit in here. We’ve always been able to
e
Rishika Singh,
build very close relationships with the other families. The kids are allowed to be who they are, to work in their arts and to work in their sports and of course to accelerate in academics. It’s cool to be smart at Lausanne. We have always felt there was someone standing by to meet our kids’ needs. Knowing that you’ve got people who are accessible and flexible, who are watching your children’s backs, is very comforting.” Junior Rishika Singh has a long list of club and extracurricular activities in addition to her student participation in the International Baccalaureate Programme. Like Max, she is a Lausanne Ambassador. Additionally, she is on the executive board of PAL (Partners At Lausanne), mentoring young Lausanne students, and the secretary and treasurer for Lausanne’s HOSA club (Health Occupation Students of America). During her six years at Lausanne, she has run on the cross country team and participated in Model United Nations, the Debate Club, Key Club (raising funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the MidSouth), Science Bowl,
junior
Invisible Children Club and Biology Olympiad. Rishika says she chose to participate in the International Baccalaureate because she “believed it was an interesting program that would not only challenge me but also open many opportunities for me down the road and prepare me for life in a globally diverse world. The IB programme offered me the classes I was looking for at a higher caliber than the Honors or AP, and this would help prepare me for college. Although the IB is very challenging, I have been enjoying it.” Rishka’s sister, Nuper, an eighth grader, is also at Lausanne. As a family, they share, “We all chose Lausanne not only for its variety of courses but because the atmosphere of the school seemed great. The students all seemed friendly and the teachers seemed engaged and helpful. [We] have found that our first impression of Lausanne was accurate, as [we] have met interesting people here and the teachers are all supportive and knowledgeable.”
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 9
7:30–8:30 a.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2013
Early Room
ZERO HOUR carpool
morning meeting
workout room
Capstone thesis project
International Baccalaureate physics lab
Blue Heron Café It’s 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 11, 2013 and there are already hundreds of people on Lausanne Collegiate School’s campus to start their day. Teachers and administrators are happily greeting children in carpool with waves and smiles setting the tone for a new school day. Athletes are getting an early workout in the weight room or on the fields, while sounds of the Lynx Line drums can be heard in their morning
10 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
center work
library
practice. Middle & Upper School students are taking advantage of Zero Hour before classes begin, meeting with teachers for reviews and advanced academic challenges such as International Baccalaureate physics lab experiments or a discussion of a Capstone thesis project. Parents walk hand-in-hand with their young students to their classrooms to see what new projects were explored the day before, while other students gather in the library and the Blue Heron Café to catch up with friends or take some time for extra study. Lausanne is already bustling
with energy by the time Lower School classes begin at 8:00 a.m. Children skip into their early childhood classrooms (PK, JK and SK), unloading their bags and beginning their classroom routines, which add responsibilities and independence in each grade level. Junior kindergartener Hannah Miller ’26 is greeted at the door by her teacher, Mrs. Lindy Roberson, and joins her classmates engaged in individual center work such as computer challenges or art projects. They eagerly start their morning meeting, which
begins with singing fun and reviews of sight words and numbers. Students have the opportunity to showcase their leadership skills and receive one-on-one attention from the teacher as they review the day’s agenda. Meanwhile, third grader Ryan Hof ’22 has led the early group of students representing grades one through four from their early morning time in the library and has the proud responsibility of turning in their attendance sheet to Ms. Debbie Campbell in the Lower School office. To celebrate their winter
sports participation, Ryan and his teammates are wearing their Lynx basketball uniforms. The other Lower School athletes are also proudly sporting their teams’ uniforms. Ryan makes his way upstairs with his friends to Mr. Nick Ray’s classroom, where he too will review the day’s agenda as well as have the opportunity to listen with classmates to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 11
8:30–9:30 a.m.
There are no bells to alert our Middle & Upper School students to the beginnings of their 8:30 a.m. classes. This element of the collegiate liberal arts atmosphere at Lausanne provides young students with early responsibilities, building self-confidence and respect of others. Fifth grader Jacqueline Lee ’20 arrives and glimpses the blue and gold pansies surrounding the fountain in front of the new indoor athletics complex as she
12 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
heads to the arts wing, which now resides in the old library in the Norfleet gymnasium. Her day begins with music exercises with Mrs. Cynthia Romoff, the director of The Conservatory at Lausanne. After practicing a Kenyan rhythm game, the students begin brainstorming what they will bring to the next class to build their own rhythm instruments as part of their recycled music project. Eighth grader Jesse Neloms ’17 is now in class with Mrs. Ginger Reese and is participating in a round table discussion of poetry with his classmates.
After meeting with Mr. Michael Naya to discuss his Capstone project, sophomore Max Privette ’15 can be found in Mrs. Melinda Wilder’s Algebra II class reviewing this week’s algebraic problems. Junior Rishika Singh ’14 is still in the International Baccalaureate physics lab, where she has been since the beginning of Zero Hour. The hour-anda-half length of this lab has allowed time for both lecture and complicated labs, including two video analysis experiments solving for potential energy, kinetic energy and total energy and evaluating
graphs for force verses time. Rishika knows these types of experiments will give her an edge when approaching complex problems on the ACT. Walking through the hallways of our Lower School, one will find our learning specialists and counselors working in specialized break-out groups with students. Other classes are engaged in activities and specials classes, such as today’s lesson with Dr. John Frassinelli, featuring a study of the sun’s rotation and creation of individual sundials in anticipation of the installation of the
school’s new sundial in Dedication Circle near the Lower School playgrounds. It’s January, so Ryan and the other third graders are ready for their mid-year math assessment. Hannah and her friends busily move around their colorful early childhood room from center to center, which continues to foster their fascination with their recent project on tools during which they designed and created their own objects such as airplanes and houses. There is also special time to practice reading or math skills on the carpet with Mrs. Roberson
and to climb into the classroom tree house for some quiet time curled up on pillows to read a new book.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 13
9:30–10:30 a.m.
I.B. English tricycles library dimensional drawings mid-morning break
social studies Physical Education Class 14 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
snack
independent reading
recess! Art II
Jacqueline has walked across campus to the new indoor athletics complex for her physical education class, an integral part of Lausanne’s wellness program for Lower and Middle School students. Jesse has moved to his social studies class, where students are discussing the role of government in societies with Ms. Rachel Hammons.
Max and the rest of his classmates in Art II with Mr. Michael Naya are spread out across the Upper School working on dimensional drawings of hallways. Rishika and her International Baccalaureate cohort have just begun a study of The Canterbury Tales in IB English with Ms. Brenda Robinette, complete with a Middle English reading of the prologue by classmate Shayel Patnaik ’14. After several activities, our youngest students take a break to enjoy the sunshine outside and ride tricycles during recess. The playgrounds are a little wet today from the rain, but fortunately there
are a lot of ways to have fun outside with chalk and blocks. Ryan and his classmates are curled up all over the classroom for some independent reading time, and our Middle and Upper School students are taking some time out with friends during their mid-morning break. Several head outside to soak up the sunshine and to take a respite from the winter weather, while many others make their way to the new library for a snack in the Blue Heron Café. Through the windows to the Lower School section of the library, the first graders can be seen picking out new reading books. w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 15
10:30–11:30 a.m.
After independent reading in their classroom, Ryan and his friends break into groups to rotate through three different math games. It’s amazing how much fun learning can be! Hannah is singing along with Ms. Tara West and her class in their specials music rotation. Lower School students rotate through a series of specials classes each day that includes physical education, art class, music class and daily Mandarin and
16 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Spanish classes. Lausanne was the first school in the Mid-South to introduce a Mandarin program for its students. Additionally, first through fourth graders rotate through Dr. John Frassenelli’s science lab and he makes special visits to the library and early childhood classrooms to assist students with their individual projects. After break, our Middle and Upper School students kick back into high gear. Jacqueline has made her way to Mr. Josh Savage’s classroom for Spanish. After a Friday pop quiz, students have fun
watching previously submitted Spanish videos, which they researched online. In Mrs. Michelle Martin’s Middle School science classroom, Jesse is in a heated match of chemistry poker in which he and classmates balance chemical equations and take score! While Rishika and her classmates describe artwork in Spanish in one-on-one interviews with Señora Carolina Larrumbe-Harbor as part of their International Baccalaureate Spanish assessment, one of the junior kindergarten classes is downstairs in the Norfleet gymnasium enjoying a round of games
with a parachute during P.E. Across the hall from the Senior Commons, Max is meeting with one of his small groups during a study hall opportunity. At 11:00 a.m., the third grade classes are some of the first Lower School students to eat lunch in the newly renovated Tully Dining Hall, while Hannah and her friends enjoy the lunch delivered to their classrooms. Ryan’s table is abuzz with new ideas for the online game they are designing. They say to be on the lookout for news about Kunga soon!
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 17
Robotics Mandarin
snack
Spanish 1 Honors
city project Creativity, Action, Service
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
An exciting presentation is made to the junior kindergarteners after lunch; they are delighted to find out they will be studying puppets when Freddy the Puppet makes a personal appearance and announces the project himself! Each trimester, our early childhood students discuss their interests and choose a new project of study through the Project Approach. Each project engages students in observational drawings, research, thoughtful discussion and self-reflection on the subject as well as lessons from experts and group and individual presentations. The first through fourth grade trimester projects are pre-determined and the curriculum is designed around their special project and organized team times. The second graders have kicked off their robotics project and have special expert speakers visiting today from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad to demonstrate one of the robots they use when detecting and disarming bombs. Ryan and the rest of the third graders are participating in the City Project, which provides an in-depth study of the structure of cities by focusing on Memphis. Already this trimester, they have enjoyed an architectural tour of downtown Memphis and created a class
18 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
puppets
origins
fossils
project approach International Film Night
marketplace during their study of economics. Soon they will begin the creation of their city landmarks and cityscape while studying the government system and historical actions that have had lasting effects on the community. In the meantime, they are outside on the playground for recess! Before Hannah and her class begin instructional time with their puppets, Ms. Nancy Li meets with them for their daily Mandarin class. As Jacqueline walks towards her English class with Mrs. Kathleen Plyler, she notices in one direction the sixth graders working on a monetary study with Mrs. Julie Cooper as they create their own currency for their world projects and, in the other, Mrs. Teresa Yarwood’s science classroom where students are getting ready to create fossils. Jacqueline and her classmates are beginning their study of Maniac Magee, tying into the fifth grade thematic study of origins by tackling the roots of racial prejudice, discrimination and homelessness. The Middle School thematic approach will challenge them throughout their time at Lausanne, further tying in the themes of connections, conflict and paradigms in subsequent grades and throughout all of their academic classes. Jesse has walked to the international languages suite where he studies Spanish
Modern World history 1 Honors with Señora Chary Jara. Spanish is all one can hear from this classroom as both students and teacher converse completely in the language. Jesse will be able to apply this advanced course to his high school transcript. Max has started his afternoon round of classes with Mr. Tyler Orf in modern world history where they are debating the influence of British colonial rule in India. Rishika is back in the classroom with Mr. Kevin Jenkins (yes, he’s back!) discussing derivatives for International Baccalaureate mathematics. Before lunch, Rishika and the IB cohort gather in the International Baccalaureate lounge for advisory to discuss their C.A.S. projects (Creativity, Action, Service), including the seniors’ upcoming International Film Night featuring India. Across the hallway, students meet with their college advisors to review any upcoming application needs, and from the bulletin board outside their office, the numbers of college acceptances rolling in for the class of 2013 can be seen. In the upstairs hallway, the senior IB students are turning in their IB extended essays to Ms. Robinette, while Max is in his advisory next door with Dr. Todd Romoff, who is helping some students review various math questions.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 19
While Hannah enjoys her second recess along with some of our PK students who are busily drawing chalk outlines of one another, Ryan and the third graders are across from the playground in the Elder Performing Arts Center preparing for next week’s Lower School Spanish assembly, which features songs and dances from Spanishspeaking countries of the world.
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Tully Dining Hall
chemistry
Fine Arts
lower school writer’s workshop daily team meetings
Rest time Mandarin Recess
“Minute to Win It” House Competition
20 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
HOUSE CUP
I.B. economics Spanish assembly
Afterward, Ryan is back in the classroom for his Mandarin class with Mrs. Sarah Li, and Hannah and the rest of the students in early childhood classrooms settle down for rest time. While the Lower School wing gets quieter, the Middle and Upper School students rotate through Tully Dining Hall and take advantage of the additional seating now available in the Alumni Dining Room expansion. Today’s menu includes baked ham, oven roasted potatoes, carrots and mixed vegetables in the first hot line; a stir fry bar with four different options; chicken pesto, cheese or pepperoni pizza; and a variety of fresh fruits, salads and sandwiches on the deli and salad bar and in the refrigerators. After lunchtime catching up with friends, the Middle School students break into their grade level house groups
for Friday’s “Minute to Win It!” house competition. Today’s competition involves students balancing dice on popsicle sticks in preparation for a longer series of silly games to win points for her houses. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the prized Middle School House Cup. After her house activity, Jacqueline makes her way back upstairs for fun with Mr. Gary Stevens in science class. While the seventh and eighth graders move into their physical education and fine arts classes, their teachers take time for their daily team meetings to talk through how each student in their grade level is doing academically, socially and emotionally and, if need be, create action plans for student support. Max is in a chemistry class in Shockey Hall, while Rishika is studying International Baccalaureate economics.
Ryan returns to the classroom for some independent writing as part of the Lower School’s Writers Workshop, where he is challenged to be a keen observer and to add details to his writing to bring richer descriptions and deeper meaning.
Students are asked to first think of a person, place or thing that matters to them (seed). Then, to develop the seed, students “zoom in” on a situation or example that proves or supports why that topic matters to them and describe it in a vivid way. Through their writing, they share the “movie,” so to speak, by including sensory details and emotions. For example, a typical third of fourth grader may want to tell the story of an afternoon skating with Dad. To stretch them from writing something like, “I went to the skating rink with Dad. We went around and around listening to music. He tried to dance and skate at the same time so he fell down. It was really funny!” Lausanne teachers challenge students to think more about what was going on internally and externally. For example: “When we walked into the skating rink, I noticed the colored flashing lights and smelled buttery popcorn. It was kind of chilly because I felt the wind as all the people skated by. On the inside I felt warm though because I was happy. I’ve been waiting on this Saturday for weeks, just me and Dad...”
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 21
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Hannah is sound asleep. During his afternoon snack, Ryan is enjoying listening to a friend’s show and tell presentation about the structure of the human heart as well as viewing one friend’s pictures of her holiday vacation to Antarctica to see the penguins. Afterward, they have fun hopping from place to place as they challenge themselves with different rhythms in their music class with Ms. Tara West in Rodgers Auditorium. Several students walk into Jacqueline’s next class laughing and wearing crowns
22 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
on their heads from their recent celebration of Kings’ Day in French class. There are high fives and choruses of “Yes!” as a recent math quiz is passed out prior to beginning work with an online math program with Mrs. Lynn McGoff, better known to her students as Beyoncé. From down the hallway you can hear cheers again as second graders manage to pick up pieces of ice with strings during their ice and salt science experiment. Jesse is participating in a study and life skills discussion with Mrs. Romoff in the arts wing. After talking through the
differences between positive and negative risks, students take time to journal about the ways to channel energy to make positive differences in their lives as well as to think through some of the ways that using energy inappropriately might lead to negative effects. Max and his classmates are acting out French plays with Madame Marcia Planchon in French III. Max is pretty sure that the classes earlier in the day had more exciting costumes but shares they still had a lot of fun acting out a play about a cloth merchant who
was cheated out of his money by a scheming lawyer and his wife.
Rishika and the IB cohort are talking through the effects of energy loss or gains in IB chemistry with Mr. Mark Page in Shockey as well as conducting experiments measuring various pressures and temperatures to evaluate levels of energy.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 23
Alumni, now it’s your turn! We want to know
WHAT YOU DO on a typical day.
2:30–3:30 p.m.
sday, June 26. On k your calendars for Wedne Alumni, we hope you will mar you doing something e take a photograph or two of that day, please have someon g, where you are and doin a description of what you’re typical and send it to us with representing a wide ures pict n to collect high resolutio what time it is. We’re hoping of you and your loved ones . Perhaps you’ll have a picture range of classes and activities e of employment or at trip. Take a picture at your plac at an event or at school or on a easel or at the podium. You might take a picture at your school or where you volunteer. s spend their days. uate grad anne ples of how our Laus We can’t wait to see more exam t issue! So just ures we collect in our nex We plan to feature the pict (like our founding 26 (as in our founder) and remember...J for June or Jett project. te dua gra life of a Lausanne date 1926) for our day in the any questions about this t@lausanneschool.com, with Please e-mail Laura Trott, ltrot e 26 to Laura at the Jun ail or mail your pictures on event. You can also plan to e-m phis, TN, 38120. Mem d, Roa 1381 West Massey above address or to the school,
Hannah and her friends have had a good rest, and Hannah proudly displays her completed tools project from the last trimester as she jumps in the car with her mom at 3:00 p.m. Ryan and his third grade class are packing up for the end of the day. He takes off for the sibling room where he plays games with friends and works on art projects while he waits for his brother, Ethan, to finish his classes at 3:30 p.m.
24 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Our Middle and Upper School students have one more class to close out the day. Jacqueline is pretending to be a news reporter in the year 1776 and is writing an article about independence in her history class with Ms. Sara Schneider. Jesse and his classmates are reviewing algebraic problems with Mr. Dean Wheaton in algebra while Max is in an English 10 Honors class discussing Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. Max and
his friends collaborated on questions engaging a critical understanding of character Reverend Homer A. Barbee’s sermon as well as how his name is an allusion to the Greek poet Homer. The societal blindness reflected by the novel provides a direct parallel to Homer’s own physical blindness. The International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class does not meet on Fridays, so Rishika and the IB cohort are finishing up their day in the IB lounge reviewing. As an International Baccalaureate student, Rishika will take
two years of TOK in addition to completing an extended essay and participating in a creativity, action and service project (C.A.S.). At the end of her senior year, she will take a series of externally moderated exams, making her eligible for an IB diploma in addition to her Lausanne diploma and making her a stand out to colleges and universities. After finishing up in the IB lounge, Rishika meets up with her sister Nupur, who was hanging out with other eighth graders in the Blue Heron Café before heading home for the weekend.
Jacqueline studies with friends in Mrs. Plyler’s classroom and then heads out for a swim practice, while Jesse finishes up his algebra and makes his way to the gym to get taped up before his varsity basketball practice. Max has an off day from his various practices and workouts and heads out with his brother at the close of the day. There are still hundreds of people on campus for after-school enrichment programs, practices on the fields and in the Elder Performing Arts Center, studies in the libraries and late afternoon
meetings. It will be hours before the campus shuts down, and when the sun comes up, Saturday will promise even more school activities. After chasing students across campus for hours on Friday and capturing those final shots of the afternoon, photographers Michael Christopher, Brian Johnson and Laura Trott breathe a sigh of relief as they compare photographs with a smile and a nod to our typical day at Lausanne.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 25
Lausanne Highlights AUGUST 2012
Past Lausanne Parent Connections executive president Cindy Finestone was presented with the 2012 Lausanne Way Award during the annual Lausanne Leadership party at the beginning of the school year.
DECEMBER 2012
Congratulations to our undefeated Middle School volleyball team! In addition to having a perfect season, they took second in the Shelby 7/8 tournament. OCTOBER 2012
SEPTEMBER 2012
Lausanne Lower School students showed off their Mandarin skills at a special Mandarin Assembly in September. The JK–4th graders performed songs and dances, recited poetry and engaged in dialogue—all in Mandarin!
Fun was had by all at this year’s annual Fall Carnival and Scholastic Book Fair hosted by Lausanne Parent Connections! Congratulations to Lausanne parent Teresa Devlin and Lausanne Upper School teacher Jonas Holdeman, who were the women’s and men’s champions at the Peter Kling ’86 Memorial Pumpkin Run/Walk 5K that morning.
After auditioning with hundreds of other high school students, Sabaa Sharma ’13 and Jon Mathias ’14 were chosen to sing in the All West Tennessee Honors Choir. Sabaa was awarded the honor of second chair soprano and first chair in All State Choir and Jon was awarded the honor of seventeenth chair second bass in All West. Sabaa was later recognized for her musical and academic talents by the Commercial Appeal as an Academic All-Star. Maliah Mayweather ’17 was chosen to sing in the All Southwest Tennessee Junior High Honor Choir as well.
Lausanne’s Upper School Key Club hosted an all-school pep rally to announce the granting of Wish Kid Jyrik’s wish to go to Disney World through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish representatives were on hand to help with our special announcement after Jyrik was cheered on in a mock basketball game between our JK students and varsity basketball players and later named MVP of the game.
Elizabeth Dang ’18 won this year’s All School Scipps Spelling Bee with the word “exfoliate” after surviving 23 rounds and a very competitive field. She then went on to win the Memphis-Shelby Country Spelling Bee as well and will be representing the region in Washington, D.C. later this year.
The Lausanne Collegiate School students participating in the regional HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) Competition did very well. Fifteen students participated, earning 13 ribbons. Ribbons were given for 1st–5th places. Those who earned 1st–3rd places moved on to the state HOSA competition.
Lausanne Collegiate School students Allion Kerr ’18, Alisha Pershad ’18, Abigail Grayson ’16, Madison Tallant ’15, Ara Hanissian ’17, Anita Pershad ’15, Keyuree Satam ’14 and Elizabeth Dia ’14 were incredibly successful in the University of Memphis Wordsmith Tournament and annual writing contest for 7th–12th grade Mid-South students. Our team won the 11th grade trophy as well as numerous individual ribbons.
NOVEMBER 2012
Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams headed to the state meet this fall, with the Lausanne boys’ team taking home 4th place.
Sonia Agarwal ’16 was one of the winners of the Nanowrimo Competition, which challenged participants to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel in the month of November. Sonia completed her novel, “The Tura Experiment,” which is now available for purchase on Amazon.
After a rigorous audition process, a record 18 Middle and Upper School students earned places in the All West Tennessee Honor Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Band. These students attended a three-day clinic and participated in the All West Tennessee Concerts. FEBRUARY 2013
High School Musical, Jr. was a big hit! The performance was put on by some of our talented Middle School students under the direction of Estes Hammons.
JANUARY 2013
For the second consecutive year, fifty percent of our entire seventh grade class qualified for the prestigious Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) based on their sixth grade ERB CTP4 scores. To qualify for this distinction, students must score at or above the 95th percentile in one or more of the subtests (Verbal Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Writing Mechanics, Writing Concepts and Skills, Quantitative Reasoning and/or Mathematics).
Lausanne Upper School thespians put on a timely and haunting production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” the week of Halloween.
This year’s Senior Kindergarten Artists at Play event for parents and students featured the food, music, culture and art of Ireland.
Leah Sherman ‘14 won 1st place in Novice Prose Interpretation at the Middle College High School’s Speech and Debate Tournament.
It is rare for a student to receive a perfect score on either the SAT or the ACT, but Keyuree Satam ’14 has managed to achieve both! As a sophomore, Keyuree received a perfect 36 on her ACT, and this fall she received a similarly perfect 2400 on her SAT.
Ten Lausanne students were recognized at this year’s Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards, an annual competitive exhibition of 7th–12th grade students’ artwork. Veera Rajamaa ‘15, who studies with Kathryn Manzo, received a Gold Key award for her painting A New Kind of Fish.
Maddie Spence ’14 was named a national semifinalist in the Dear Mr. President Essay Contest, sponsored by Rand McNally, for her essay “Bring Our Troops Home.“ Maddie’s essay, along with all the other national semifinalists’ essays will be published in a NOOK ebook which will be made available through Barnes & Noble this spring.
s can be found on the More information about any of these event om. Lausanne Web site, www.lausanneschool.c usannecollegiateschool; Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/la r follow us on and/o ; chool YouTube, www.youtube.com/lausannes Twitter, @lausanneschool for even more!
26 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Lausanne’s 7/8 girls team won the Shelby 7/8 Basketball Championship in a thrilling overtime win vs Tipton Rosemark, who entered the game with a record of 23-2. Megan Lambert ‘17 and McKenzie Baker ‘17 were named to the All-Tournament Team and Katherine DelPriore ‘17 was named the MVP of the Shelby 7/8.
Several Upper School students in the HandiCapable Club supported the Special Olympics by taking the Polar Bear Plunge! The event, held at Mud Island River Park, featured participants jumping into the Wolf River in the middle of winter to raise money for the non-profit. Zoie Brown ‘15, Sarah Younes ‘15, Anita Pershad ‘15, Christine Odom ‘15, Pheobe O’Connor Law ‘16 and Alexus Fraser ‘15 took the plunge, as did Mavis Negroni (not pictured) as part of the Lausanne team. Additionally, our students won the award for Largest Sum Raised by a Team with a total of $6,231 raised.
International Bacclaureate Visual Arts II student and senior J.W. Mutin’s ‘13 lamp design, East Meets West, was chosen as one of ten national finalists in an annual competition held by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). One very cool feature of the lamp is the hidden door in its base, concealing a charging station chamber for a variety of electronics.
Eighth grader Rishab Jain ‘17 was a state semifinalist and one of the top 25 finalists in the 2013 Tennessee National Geographic Bee, sponsored by National Geographic, Google and Plum Creek.
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 27
T he Ro a d Ah e a d
It was still there. After my parents passed away, my brothers and I sorted through their possessions. Among the clutter of over 40 years of marriage, we found a box with carefully preserved clay impressions of our hands.
Recently the Lausanne Legacy Society, comprised of all of our parents of alumni, former trustees and alumni who currently have children at Lausanne, was formed in celebration of the impact each member has made on his or her children and the history of our school. Like the clay handprint, these individuals have left their unique marks on the school’s history, which can be remembered and celebrated through the successes of their children and the prominence and success of Lausanne today. 28 L A U S A N N E s p r i n g 2 0 1 3
Naturally, I kept my personalized archeological relic from going into the trash pile. Here was physical proof, after all, that I had actually grown larger than my size at age 6 (if only a little). And here also was something to which I could relate very deeply—a physical remembrance of something my parents held very dear to them. So now I keep it carefully preserved in my attic alongside a box containing clay impressions of my sons’ and daughter’s hands. Each of these holds the same meaning for us that I am sure ours did for my parents. When I hold these amateurlooking artifacts in my hand the memories they evoke are deeply compelling and meaningful. I am transported back to the days when my children were little, evoking seldomaccessed but deeply pleasant memories. For a moment, the unrelenting passage of time is frozen and I am able to relive that precious time with my children. Put side by side, the impressions of my hands and those of my children and now, happily, my grandchildren, form a chain of memories that represents three generations of my family. Each is linked to the other through common experiences and a shared heritage. It is a legacy to be celebrated and cherished. So, here’s an answer to a question you might not have even thought to ask: why do we put all of those annual giving plaques around campus?
Like our children’s clay impressions, they form a chain of memories created for our children by our parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni and friends. This legacy of giving has enabled Lausanne to thrive and grow. A legacy to be celebrated and cherished. Recently the Lausanne Legacy Society, comprised of all of our parents of alumni, former trustees and alumni who currently have children at Lausanne, was formed in celebration of the impact each member has made on his or her children and the history of our school. Like the clay handprint, these individuals have left their unique marks on the school’s history, which can be remembered and celebrated through the success of their children and the prominence and successes of Lausanne today. Together, like the chain formed by laying the handprints side by side or viewing the row of annual giving plaques, they link us to our storied past and our boundless future. So next time you are in the breezeway outside the Upper School or the new Library, take a minute to read the names on the plaques and be thankful for those who gave of themselves for the benefit of our children. Imagine what the future will hold when others are reading those names. Will yours be among them?
What will be your Lausanne Legacy?
Michael Christopher Assistant Headmaster—School Advancement
w w w . l a u s a n n e s c h o o l . c o m 29
NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT NO. 1419
Marketing & Communications Office 1381 West Massey Road Memphis, TN 38120
EXPLORE SUMMERS @ LAUSANNE 2013
Summers @ Lausanne welcomes both current students and guests. Each week, campers are entertained and challenged by exciting and creative
Dates: May 28–July 26 (no camp July 15–19)
View the full brochure and register online at www.lausanneschoool.com/summer. 7:30–9:00 a.m.
BeforeCare ($5/day)
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Various Camps: Arts, Academics, Athletics, etc. ($125–$150/week)
enrichment as well as classic summer camp activities.
12:00–12:30 p.m. Lunch
(provided for campers in morning and afternoon camps)
12:30–4:00 p.m. Camp
Lausanne Collegiate School ($95/week)
From Musical Theater Bootcamp to Super Spy
4:00–6:00 p.m.
AfterCare ($10/day)
Academy, American Girl Doll Camp to Treasure Hunting, Gymnastics to Basketball...we have it all!
Lausanne Summer Camps (Rising JK–12th Grades) | 1381 W. Massey Road Memphis, TN | summers@lausanneschool.com | www.lausanneschool.com/summer