Welcome to
Areté
March 2016, our aspirations Classical Greek for excellence, justice, or virtue, the concept of areté nicely captures for children at Moses Brown. We seek to foster the inner promise in all students, and promote habits of mind, body, and spirit that prepare our graduates to do both well and good in the world.
The Secret to a Successful College Outcome Know Thyself
By Matt Glendinning Over the span of the next few weeks, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors — including the wonderful Class of 2016 at MB — will learn the results of their college applications. If I could offer them one piece of advice as they weigh options and think about the future, it would be this: Know Thyself. This timeless exhortation, uttered 2,500 years ago by the oracle at Delphi, provides a potent antidote to a college process that can be toxically competitive. The active ingredient, so to speak, is to focus more on fit than on reputation. The challenge, of course, is that adolescents don’t always know themselves well. Take me, for example. In 1982 I turned down a potential scholarship at a local public university in order to attend an Ivy League college. The education I received there was first-rate but the social scene challenging, and as a result I struggled to develop a real sense of belonging. Having done little research about the school, the mismatch was entirely my fault. Today, a quarter of all college freshmen in America change their mind about their intended field of study, while one-third of college students transfer to a different school at least once before graduating. It seems that many teenagers, buffeted by an array of pressures and expectations, are choosing schools for the wrong reasons.
The most powerful of these may be the lure of prestige, the understandable (but often beguiling) hope of attending one of the nation’s “best” schools. But when methods for identifying such schools are dubious, the criteria arbitrary, and the research constantly in flux, what does best even mean? Eighteen years ago, a study from the RAND Corporation and Cornell University found that alumni of the most selective colleges were earning 40% more per year on average than graduates of the least selective ones. Seeming to validate the prestigious reputation of these “best” schools, this caused a lot of buzz in the press. The next year, though, economists from Princeton and the Mellon Foundation looked at the same data in a different way, concluding that it didn’t reflect the value added by the schools themselves, but the innate abilities of the students. In other words, those students likely would have excelled as adults no matter where they went to college. If such efforts to rank order schools are invariably flawed, a more useful way of thinking emerged from a recent study by Gallup and Purdue University. It found that the kind of college experience you have is more important than where you have it. Studying overseas at some point, for example, or having at least one professor as a mentor, turn out to be far more impactful on future happiness than the particular school you attend. Another factor complicating the college search for teenagers is that many parents continued inside
More Than a Book:
Seventh Graders Dive into Immersive Curriculum with To Kill a Mockingbird Books can be captivating — To Kill a Mockingbird especially. And for several weeks this year, it took over the seventh grade curriculum. In addition to reading and discussing this piece of powerful literature, students explored relevant context in math and social studies classes: What is money? How do markets function? What were the Roaring ’20s and Great Depression really like? How did the country respond? Middle school English and math faculty partnered together to create an immersive two-week curriculum to prepare students to read Harper Lee’s classic novel, ensuring they understood the conditions relevant to the book’s storyline. They also delved into varied topics — from the stock market boom and crash, to Jim Crow laws and jazz. They shared their findings in a class-wide, invitation-only speakeasy. This cross-disciplinary unit provided many pathways to the material for students, no matter what their interests. For some, it contextualized literature with math — for others, it did the reverse. And across the seventh grade, students got a deeper look at how all of the liberal arts work together.
Areté, March 2016 unwittingly carry outdated assumptions about colleges and universities. Take the University of Miami, for example. Widely perceived as a party-heavy football school in the ’70s and ’80s, today U. of Miami is a world-class research university that produced nine Fulbright scholars last year and received more than 33,000 applications for 2,000 spots. Recognizing the high caliber of the school today, 20 MB graduates have attended in recent years.
from front
In light of this ever-shifting landscape, Moses Brown is committed to helping students develop both academic knowledge and self-knowledge. We do that by immersing students in a nurturing environment shaped by Quaker values, engaging them in a vast array of subjects and activities, and helping them realize that inner character is just as important as external achievement. It’s exciting to see the resulting selfdiscovery that MB students experience. Stephen Estrada ’16, for example, had this to say in a recent college essay:
With many having experienced this kind of transformation, our seniors generally make great college choices that match their values and aspirations. When we asked several recent classes, for example, 85-90% reported having been admitted to one of their top choices; and our sense is that relatively few graduates overall end up transferring elsewhere. To me, these are signs of students who have had a chance to discover their unique identity, passion, and talents. Inspiring students to recognize and celebrate that inner promise, both in themselves and others, is the fundamental mission of Moses Brown School. And in challenging students to reach their full potential, we open up a world of options for college and life beyond.
Matt Glendinning mglendinning@mosesbrown.org
. e m d e s fu n o c l oo h c S n w ro B s e A t first, M os re e h w l oo h c s e l d id m c i l o th a I ha d gra dua ted froml u ea aCcco la d es a nd a chievements. I was taug ht to va fa cts a nd pro cesses, a nd rep ea ted T here, I mem orizednts. I came to va l u e the l et ter in red them o n assessme eas in the essay benea th it. ink m ore tha n the id , s m or if n u r a e w ot n id d e l op But M B was dif ferenetir: pfierst names, and explanations teachers went by thfacts. I had to learn how to think not weighed more than t and wrong but of how and why. I just in terms of righ at I learned to conversations wit h learned to apply whand to reflections about recent world friends during lu nch ride home, instead of just tests. issues during a bus e b to , y it n u m om c a of t r a p a M B taug ht me to bperecia te the va l u e of co nversa tio n engag ed, a nd to ap , I enjo y l earning for its ow n sake a nd discussio n. N owot hers n ot for ou r a ccomp lishments, a nd see myself a nd , mem bers of a commu nit y . bu t for w ha t w e are S tephen Estrada ’16
A View from the Moses Brown College Counseling Office By Helen Burke Montague
Director of College Counseling When I returned to Moses Brown last summer, I met with a student who had recently returned from his first official college visit. His richlychronicled visit detailed the students he met, expressed wonderment at the resources available on the campus, and reflected his delight at the ease of access to programs and opportunities he could not have imagined. His special culinary shout-out to the local sub shop describing in delicious detail “the best steak and cheese sub [he’d] ever eaten” was authentic and powerful and an equally important component of his visit. This brief exchange was compelling and made me know I was back home. His experience was consistent with our Quaker school philosophy, in which the Moses Brown College Counseling Office seeks to nurture the students’ Inner Light through the college process. We encourage students to reflect deeply about their values and priorities as well as their talents and gifts in order to identify the institutions that best match their personal, educational, and professional goals. The College Counseling program at Moses Brown is highly personalized, with each student assigned a counselor in the junior year who works with and supports the student and family through individual meetings and workshops throughout the junior and senior year. As college counselors, we listen to and learn from the students, bringing our expertise to bear as we collaborate on all aspects of the college process. Having visited hundreds of colleges, we serve as a student’s personal college shopper, often posing fresh suggestions that align well with a student’s aspirations. For students in 2016, the college process is often layered and nuanced. Elements such as course selection and rigor, application plans, testing policies, demonstrated interest, and the barrage of unsolicited communication via email and social media can sometimes confuse and discourage students. We work with students where they are, guiding and encouraging, allowing students to take the lead. Open communication and frequent meetings put the student at the center of the process, creating an environment of honesty and trust, and allowing for greater self- discovery. The college application process at Moses Brown encourages reflection as a part of deeper self-knowledge. Through writing and discussion, students have opportunities to learn more about their values, explore their interests and ideas, and develop greater confidence in their abilities. It is precisely this Inner Light that will guide students as they depar t Moses Brown School and transition to their chosen college campus.
March 2016, Areté the problems simpler to understand and find solutions to.” “Math can be applied to a lot of different things,” says math teacher Abbie Isom. “Math and science is a traditional pairing — we wanted to try something different and explore the relationship between math and humanities. Global studies is a focus at MB — it only made sense to look in that direction.” Combining math and humanities also means there are fewer “boxes,” so students and teachers can break out of preconceived roles. The course shows students what they can do with math by applying it to other areas of interest.
Plotting for Change
Understanding Global Issues Through Mathematics and Humanities In the age of pandemics and big data, can math skills help students understand world issues? Part of a new series of team-taught interdisciplinary courses in the upper school, a new course taught by Beth Lantz and Abigail Isom is doing just that, helping students develop global awareness through mathematical modeling. Topics as broad as math and global study could go many ways and at times, the class does, whether it’s discussing the Zika virus or
Teachers Abbie and Beth say they want students to develop empathy and advocacy, using data to strengthen and inform their arguments. UN goals serve as a framework for the course, encouraging students to think big. “If we expect students to cross oceans, and have empathy for people once there, they need to practice skills that are needed here,” says Beth.
Senior Isabelle “Izzy” Robinson appreciates the approach: “Math and data are important because they’re factual, accurate, and examining healthcare costs. The new elective track progress and history. However, in order to comprehend the true value of data, we need started in January, funded by a Swan Grant. to understand what these numbers represent. Grace “Racy” Moran ’17 loves the class: “We Humanities allow us to put a face and name discuss and research current issues that are to the numbers. Learning personal stories and present in our daily lives,” she says. “I look making human connections let us analyze data forward to class because we discuss issues, with empathy. This class covers difficult issues such as gender inequality, that we experience. — however, we’re encouraged to view each Comparing the stories and facts we hear in the topic with empathy and compassion. This has news to math models showing the progress been the most important lesson so far.” or deterioration of a particular region make
Celebrating Every Child
Personalized Work Trays in Pre-primary With dice, LEGOs, and cars, pre-primary teachers Allie Spurling ’96 and Megan Bissett create personalized work trays — math and letter activities tailored to each student — with great success. The trays grew out of the need for differentiation in the classroom: while some students walk in knowing all of their letters and sounds, others are still working on identifying letters outside of their names. “It’s about the individual child — the whole child,” says Allie. “It’s about meeting them where they are.” At the beginning of the year, each child has their own tray with a number of different activities. The activities range from identifying letters and numbers to number organization. A child who can already identify letters, letter sounds, and word sounds may get a box with a sheet for a dice game called “Real Word, Alien Word,” while a child who grasps both numbers and letters might receive a letter coding activity.
overwhelmed.” As they gather skills with letters and numbers, they can start to play games together, sharing what they’ve learned. All of the activities in these boxes are handmade by Allie and Megan. Most activities have multiple levels so that children can do the same activity as a friend, but at their own level. The activities also provide variety and adaptability for different learning styles. Megan points out that because the trays vary in challenge and skill, everyone can be excited about the process. “We can celebrate where they are and make them feel good about it,” she says, “and that’s my favorite part.”
The work trays help the teachers constantly assess students’ progress. At this age, children are constantly growing, learning, and shuffling around information. The teachers also have check-ins with the nursery and kindergarten classrooms and receive support “If we started at this level, the children would from MB’s language arts coordinator Karen look at us like we’re crazy,” says Allie. “But Van Tienhoven and math coordinator Susan because we started so far back in the process, Pirruccello-McClellan. The meetings help they can do an activity like coding and not be them to develop new plans and activities
Pre-primary students play a letter-matching game together. for students, and because they’re constantly re-assessing, they know exactly where the opportunities for growth are. While the pedagogical methods may be sophisticated, to the kids it’s just good fun. “We have them all fooled,” says Allie. “They think it’s all a game. If you give them a ten-frame and some bears, they’re raring to go.”
Moses Brown School 250 Lloyd Avenue, Providence RI 02906
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Providence, RI Permit No. 3264
This quarterly print publication is designed to share ongoing strategic updates from MB’s Head of School and compelling stories of growth and progress from across our campus.
MB Believes IS COMING TO YOU! Washington, D.C. April 26
MARCH 2016
KNOW THYSELF A PUBLICATION FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL MATT GLENDINNING
Areté, March 2016