Report
The Ridge
November 2013
Goals and Criteria offer a countercultural response to the underlying noise of the world I just returned from a meeting of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools, an association of Catholic independent schools and the United States Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart, which includes the 22 U.S. schools and two Canadian Sacred Heart schools. Heads of school and board chairs from the schools gather twice a year for conversation, formation and professional development as school leadership. Once a group exclusively comprised of Religious of the Sacred Heart (RSCJs), the Network is now predominantly composed of lay people charged with remaining faithful to the educational mission of the Society. A colleague from another school shared with me a story that continues to intrigue me. It was about a discussion he had with his daughter, who had just started high school. During a break on the first day at her new school, a bunch of girls gathered around the new ninth-grader and asked her a simple question: “What kind of music do you like?” After hearing of her preference for country music, the girls all laughed and walked away; and the new girl realized she had just failed her first high school test. That night when she asked her father what she could have done differently, his initial advice was, “Well, you might have said you liked heavy metal or rap or reggae or something edgy.” But after thinking a bit more, he told her that she had actually handled things in exactly the right way, that it was good to have been honest. It was in that spirit of honesty that he told her that he himself had been a very uncool kid, that her mom had also been a very uncool adolescent and that she should try to accept the fact that she was from a very long line of very uncool people. He wasn’t sure he had helped relieve her anxiety, but he kept thinking she had done the right thing. The next day my colleague found himself in an eighth-grade English class where students were engaged in an exercise on courage.
One boy wrote a short reflection about a time he stumbled upon a violent scene at night when he was alone in a dark alley, in a big city far from home. The other students listened closely as he read his story, and they seemed to grow even more respectful as he talked about his own sense of fear. The author confessed that he still wondered about how he had handled himself that dark night. A few boys nodded their heads in silent agreement, and as they did, he could almost see them put themselves in that alley, as they tried to figure out what they themselves might have done. My colleague kept thinking back to the advice he had given his own daughter. He realized that courage comes in many different moments, regardless of whether you are a boy in a dark alley or the new girl at school. I find myself wondering about the difference, too. We are all shaped by the culture that surrounds us, a culture that quietly tells us how real men should behave and what real girls should be like. Hiding vulnerability is often at the core. At times, this is the hidden curriculum of our culture. What I truly respect about Sacred Heart schools is that we offer a countercultural response to the underlying noise of the world: the Goals and Criteria. These timeless values cross lines of religion, race, identity and culture; they naturally lead us to be compelled to action. Your daughter is growing in her understanding of these ideals every day that she come to this campus, interacts with her teachers, enjoys the company of her classmates and remains open to her spiritual and academic journey as a child of the Sacred Heart. We are glad she is with us and delighted she brings you along to school from time to time … even if you do like country music. Mark Pierotti Head of School
The More the Merrier: FR special events designed to celebrate all families Regina Mooney, Ph.D. Director of Institutional Advancement
We are sometimes asked why we host a Father/Daughter/
In other families a parent lives far away from the home base
Special Guest Breakfast or Grandparents and Special Guests
because of a work necessity and, therefore, is unable to
Afternoon here at Forest Ridge. “What do you mean by
attend special parent events. Or perhaps the configuration
special guest? Why isn’t it just Father/Daughter Breakfast?“
of family means that an older sibling assumes a parental
“What about mothers, and what if there is no father or
role. There are other permutations of family one can think
grandparent in the family unit?” Why don’t we just say,
of that mean the notion of parents and family is sometimes
“We’re hosting a breakfast and bring whomever you want”?
a complex configuration.
Each of these questions has been voiced more than once
Here at Forest Ridge we pride ourselves on respecting how
each year, so it’s probably time to offer the explanation that
each family constructs and defines itself. So when we have
led to the name. Let’s acknowledge one fact before getting
events designed to bring one parent or the other on campus
started: Most of the time in most of our families, it is the
in a specific way, we want our invitation to reflect the
mothers who are coming to campus, volunteering daily and
inclusiveness we intend. A student and her parents or
staying involved on a regular basis. Yes, there are notable
guardians are, then, the ones to decide who should
exceptions, but mothers are generally on campus more than
accompany her to any special event.
fathers or guardians. The original Father/Daughter Breakfast idea was conceived to give fathers a specific
The simple truth is that we want to include the adults the
occasion to come to campus and to provide them more
students want to include. We also want to create the special
visibility here. The Grandparents and Special Guests
time and space for fathers, father figures and grandparents
Afternoon offered an opportunity for extended family
as well as mothers and mother figures to be here with their
members to participate in the school lives of their Forest
daughters and granddaughters. We want the decision of
Ridge students.
what that will look like to be determined by each family. Hence, the inclusive designation Special Guest. We will
In this day and age, families are complex units that often,
continue to create events that bring together different
but not always, include both a father and a mother. A child
classes, teams, clubs and family members. You, the family,
is the consistent element of the family unit, but sometimes
will decide which ones to attend and who to bring. And we
neither father nor mother is present in the designation of
will be happy to see each and every one of you at whichever
family. Some children are parented by a grandmother or
events you choose.
grandfather, aunt or close family friend. Sometimes a child may want both her father and stepfather to attend an event.
2 The Ridge Report
FR community helps nurture healthy, personal growth Alicia BallĂŠ HS Dean of Faculty
Having recently joined the Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart faculty, I feel tremendous appreciation for the many gestures of welcome members of the community extended to me over the past few months. Although it was bittersweet to say goodbye to my former colleagues, students and their families in the Lake Washington School District, I was immediately welcomed by the incredible warmth of the Forest Ridge community. The kindness this community extended to me has eased the period of adjustment that comes with any transition.
As I reflect on my first days at Forest Ridge in early July, I recall many seemingly simple but vitally important gestures of kindness. From the moment I walked into my office, finding it freshly painted, to the first student who stopped by simply to introduce herself before the start of school, it was instantly clear that I had joined an incredible community. The thoughtfulness of others in simply preparing for my arrival communicated a strong message of welcome. Shortly after my arrival, I observed numerous ways that my new colleagues, students and their families contribute to building a strong sense of community at Forest Ridge. Throughout the summer I saw students and faculty harvesting the garden and donating freshly picked beans to the Cathedral Kitchen at St. James in Seattle. In the following days, I met others working in the theater. Not long after, I encountered other students and faculty members decorating the hallways with photographs and handmade posters. The teamwork of a strong community was evident in the many efforts made to clearly welcome everyone to the start of a new school year. Although those warm summer days feel distant now that the seasons have changed, I find myself not only
reflecting on my own transition this summer but realizing the role community plays during any period of change. Having worked with high school students for many years now, I have seen the many passages that each student faces during high school. There are the obvious and shared transitions, such as becoming a high school student or, later on, preparing for graduation. However, there are other subtle yet important transitions, such as learning how to make good personal choices about what classes to take or developing resilience when struggling to learn a new concept. In just a few short months here at Forest Ridge, it is already clear to me that our community is a remarkable source of strength for students as they navigate the many changes and choices that all teenagers face. In the hallways and classrooms, I often see students and faculty members express this strength through gestures of support. Most recently, I heard this support conveyed in the form of good advice from one student to another — that getting plenty of sleep is important to her well-being. Days later, I observed a teacher carefully listening to a student as she contemplated how to create more balance in her life without giving up the things she truly loves.
As each girl encounters periods of transition, our community offers tremendous support in nurturing healthy, personal growth.
The Ridge Report 3
The Courage to Get Messy
Jenny McGovern Director of Middle School Curriculum and Assessment
When is the last time you took time to tinker, to play around with an idea or with some materials without particularly knowing what the end result would be? Whether you are tinkering with Lego engineering or a new soup recipe, the opportunity to learn as you go, take a risk on a project that might fail or an experiment that builds creativity and knowledge. Tinkering requires engagement and persistence and allows us to make our learning completely relevant and personal to our own needs in the moment; and it may feel messy in the middle of the process before we know the end result. Forest Ridge students love to learn. They jump into discussions eagerly, share their opinions on what they’ve read and apply formulas to solve problems in math and science. However, when faced with open-ended problems, many student shy away from the challenge. Some students hesitate to jump into the messiness of learning. When we hear statements such as, “I can’t think of anything to write about” or see students alter data to fit their hypothesis after doing a lab in science because the actual data did not support their hypotheses, what we are observing is the fear of taking risks and being wrong. As with most skills, risk-taking gets easier with practice.
As much as we might like to, teachers and parents cannot transfer their knowledge to a student, but we can create an environment that allows a girl to develop her own thinking patterns. Through tinkering, students have the opportunity to create their own thinking patterns around a topic in response to the inquiry they are doing. Students are comfortable following predictable steps to solve problems, but do they have a creative design process that helps them follow a winding path? Learning structured steps of brainstorming, evaluating, prototyping, tinkering and reflecting can help students move forward, even when they do not know their final destination.
Classroom learning often looks like a sequential supply of knowledge that results in a product. Many classroom lessons are taught sequentially with a patient building of skills. This is particularly effective when students need to see a clear connection between ideas or need to understand the steps of a process. Life outside school is often driven by a demand for knowledge. In other words, we seek specific skills or knowledge that we need as we work to achieve a goal, complete a project or integrate new concept or tool. Students at Forest Ridge have opportunities to experience both of these types of learning; teachers look for opportunities to create classroom environments that allow students to define their own goals and then acquire knowledge relevant to them.
As parents and teachers, we can help girls get comfortable with getting messy by coaching them through a learning opportunity. When your daughter doesn’t know the “right” answer, acknowledge the open-endedness of a problem. When she feels stuck, ask her what she’s tried so far and what she’s learned in the process. Praise failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, recently mentioned in a CNBC interview that her father frequently asked her and her brother, “What have you failed at this week?” He taught his children that not trying was the only failure worth worrying about. This perspective gave Ms. Blakely the courage to try out new ideas and take risks.
Create opportunities for your daughter to experiment, take risks and make messes, and encourage her to approach these opportunities with curiosity, patience and flexibility. These are the attitudes she will need as a lifelong, independent learner willing to engage with life’s messiness. 4 The Ridge Report
Centenary celebration of the life of
Janet Erskine Stuart “Your life is a sacred journey. It is about change, growth, discovery, movement and transformation. ... It is continuously expanding your vision of what is possible, stretching your soul, teaching you to see clearly and deeply, helping you to listen to your intuition.” — Janet Erskine Stuart
On Oct. 21, all 22 Sacred Heart schools in the United
Her quest led her to the Catholic Church when she was
States (and two schools in Canada) participated in a
22 years old. She later joined religious life with the Society
network-wide webcast to kick off Janet Erskine Stuart’s
of the Sacred Heart. Because of her natural gifts, she served
centenary celebration. The webcast was based at Stuart
in a variety of leadership roles within the order, including
Hall High School in San Francisco. It featured messages
Superior General in 1911. She is credited with modern-
from Sacred Heart leaders, an opportunity to pray and sing
izing Sacred Heart spirituality through her writing.
together and a moment of espacio, meaning space. In addition, schools were invited to decorate prayer flags with
My favorite quote from Mother Stuart is the following:
words and images of peace for our world. These flags were
“We must remember that each one of our children is
blessed during the ceremony, and everyone who watched
destined for a mission in life. Neither we nor they can
the webcast was invited to extend their hands in blessing.
know what it is, but we must know and make them believe
The flags will be redistributed in the coming weeks so that
that each one has a mission in life and that she is bound to
schools can enjoy the work of another school in the
find out what it is, that there is some special work for God
network. In preparation for the webcast, our community
which will remain undone unless she does it, some place
took time over the past month to learn about the life of
in life which no one else can fill.” I find this quote to be
Janet Erskine Stuart. Forest Ridge faculty and staff
deeply inspiring for our work with young people. It is
members spent time during their October meeting
both rewarding and challenging to get to know each child
reflecting on quotes from her writing. Students learned
in our care — her hopes, dreams and gifts. We are called to
about her as part of chapel education and in religion class.
do so in an effort to help our students fulfill their individual destiny.
Who was Janet Erskine Stuart? I look forward to sharing more of Janet Erskine Stuart was born in England in 1857 the
Mother Stuart’s words with you in
youngest of 13 children, to an Anglican rector and his wife.
the coming year!
At the tender age of six, one of Janet’s brothers asked her a question that would send her on a theological quest to discover Truth. He posited to her that every rational
Tanya Lange Campus Minister
creature has a purpose and asked Janet if she knew hers.
The Ridge Report 5
Women as Global Leaders: When life, leadership and passion meet A prospective parent once asked me to explain the concept of a global woman leader. “Help me see it,” he asked me, and I stopped in my tracks. Kisha X. Palmer Director of Women As Global Leaders
“I guess it’s not what you think,” I responded. “It’s not Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama or Indira Gandhi or Angela Merkel or Mother Teresa or even Shakira.” He laughed at the last name. “No, really. Shakira does a lot of work advocating for early childhood education in Colombia.” He blinked, and I continued. “For me, global is the word I use to signify a diverse community. Global is your block, your workplace, your city, your state, your birthday party. Global is where two or more people from different backgrounds come together for a moment, a project or a lifetime. And a female leader in that context is a woman who knows her own values, passions and strengths and who can flex in any environment to build bridges of understanding for a purpose.” I was reminded of this conversation most recently while scoping our Global Health partnership with Somos Amigos Medical Missions in Naranjito, Dominican Republic. High School Faculty Cheri Higman and I joined a team of medical and administrative volunteers to work in a health clinic in the mountains there. We went together with a commitment to find ways for the students to engage in relationship and service with a new community. During the days, Cheri and I worked alongside U.S. volunteers, Naranjito residents and volunteers from nearby Haiti. Our sometimes difficult hours were brightened by our moments of connection. During these seven days I was humbled by my own perceptions of leadership, and I was inspired by the strength and resilience of women I met from the community who lead through adversity toward the goal of healthy families. Every day I was forced to flex my own skills to accomplish the tasks at hand in a community I know very little about. And throughout each day I was rewarded with human connections and exquisite moments of grace. I know our students will have equal moments of connection and leadership growth when they participate in this opportunity during the next academic year.
6 The Ridge Report
Busy months for Parent Association
Happy autumn! It’s hard to believe it is November and the semester is over. The hustle and bustle of the holidays and colder weather are right around the corner. Here are some Parent Association highlights from a warmer October. Our Oct. 3 Parent Advisory Meeting was packed with information. We heard updates from Director of Middle School Julie Grasseschi, Director of High School Carola Wittmann and Head of School Mark Pierotti as well as from Director of Institutional Advancement Regina Mooney. We thank all of the parent guests who attended, and we look forward to seeing you at future meetings. MS Father/Daughter Game Night 2.0, Oct. 18, was a great success; more than 150 guests attended. We were fortunate to have been able to reschedule this fun evening after a power outage in September forced us to cancel. The lights stayed on, and everyone had a great time playing casino games and dodge ball. We heard many dads say that their daughters took to the casino tables quite easily. Hmm.
The big hit of the evening was the opportunity to pose for three caricature artists who quickly drew animated renderings of the girls and their guests. These made for memorable party favors the girls will cherish. (We will too, as you can see from the image above!) Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who made this event a success. We have an active Book Club led by parent volunteer Donna Young. The group met on Oct. 24 and discussed WILD: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed. The club will meet again on Nov. 21 and discuss Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. All parents are welcome to join this club. And, really, isn’t this a great time of year to cozy up with a good book?
The PA will sponsor the following events in November and December. Nov. 4 - A PPLE Brunch for faculty and staff hosted by the 10thgrade class (it was delicious!)
Nov. 21 - B ook Club meeting in the Ackerley Conference Rooms. Everyone is welcome!
Nov. 12 - State of the School address from the Head of School and PA General Membership Meeting 7:00–8:30 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Center.
Dec. 20 - F aculty and Staff Christmas Holiday Luncheon hosted by the PA and the 11th-grade class.
To all Forest Ridge parents: We look forward to meeting you in the near future at one of these events. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the Parent Association or if you are interested in volunteering your time and talents. We would love to meet you! Parent Association Co-Presidents Molly McConkey frpahspres@forestridge.org Roopa Satagopan frpamspres@forestridge.org
The Ridge Report 7
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