Campus Currents

BACK TO SCHOOL STAYING SAFE What does it take to keep school safe during the pandemic? Hiring 24 new teachers and a third nurse. Patience. Persistence. Cooperation. And stuff. To In September, after a spring during which teaching and learning create outdoor spaces for classes, meetings, and so happened remotely, Penn Charter welcomed students back to that students could sit socially distanced and remove their masks to eat lunch, Penn Charter rented tents. campus for the first time in six months. THE SCHOOL INVESTED IN:

Grades pre-K to 8 returned to campus in person, except for about two dozen students whose families chose to have children learn remotely for medical or personal reasons. The Upper School returned in a “hybrid” model so that students could remain socially distanced in classrooms and hallways: the Blue team learned on campus one week while the Yellow team conferenced into classes from home— and then the teams alternated the following week.

Adults reimagined their work. College counselors met students and parents online and hosted more than 100 virtual visits from college admissions representatives. Instrumental and choral groups met virtually for sectional rehearsals and collaborated on concert music by recording their parts separately at home so ensemble directors could edit them together. Lower School teachers identified and then learned a collection of new technology tools and apps, from FlipGrid to SeeSaw. The PC Parent Community held its opening meeting of the year on Zoom and captured a record 180 visitors, more than four times the usual turnout. Everyone learned to recharge laptops and phones overnight.

Throughout it all, the community cooperated to mitigate the novel coronavirus with hand hygiene, social distancing and masks.

Stay safe, PC!

• 17 tents

• two bathroom trailers

• 44 air purifiers • 90 hand sanitizer stations

• over 20,000 ounces of hand sanitizer

• 10 portable sinks • 3 electrostatic cleaners and 24 gallons of

Vital Oxide spray cleaner • over 250 gallons of spray liquid cleaner • 110 canisters of wet wipes • 260 boxes of dry wipes • 600 feet of floor tape • 84 acrylic dividers • 1,464 additional hours of daytime cleaning

RUN FOR PEACE GOES VIRTUAL, GLOBAL

When it came time to start planning this year’s Run for Peace, Cathy Grimes and her team were faced with a dilemma: completely reimagine the event in light of new covid-19 restrictions, or call it off.

“Cancelling didn’t seem like the right thing to do,” said Grimes, who for 15 years has worked with PC’s Development Office to organize the community 5K that honors her late brother, Peter K. Ortale OPC ’83, and Kenny Caldwell OPC ’89, both victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. “These days we’re all more isolated than usual, and giving people an opportunity to come together and be part of something bigger than themselves felt important.”

It was Grimes who suggested a virtual race as a safe alternative: Runners could set their own course wherever they are in the world and connect with others taking part in the event through social media. Elsie Caldwell, Kenny’s mother, and the co-planners at PC liked the idea, and Grimes was able to mine experience she gained developing a virtual 5K at her workplace in May 2020.

A Run for Peace webpage on penncharter.com served as a hub for the event, with instructions for the day, links to PC social media feeds, and a gallery of messages from friends and former teachers remembering Caldwell and Ortale. To help foster a sense of community across the digital divide, the planning team sent out Run for Peace neck gaiters and encouraged runners to pose for photos wearing them.

On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 12, the @PennCharterOPC Twitter and Instagram accounts kicked off a roughly 24-hour race period with a photo slideshow, narrated by Grimes, welcoming everyone to the event. “Today, just like in the days after 9/11," she said in the voiceover, “we're reminded of what matters most: family, friends, health and home. These are our greatest sources of strength.”

So how did this year’s online iteration hold up?

“We basically went from ‘almost cancelled’ to ‘overwhelming success,’” said Chris Rahill OPC ’99, director of alumni relations and leadership giving. Registration surged to an all-time high of 215 as runners reported in from across the United States and internationally from Italy, England and Japan. The event raised more than $17,000 for two scholarship funds created in memory of Caldwell and Ortale, a significant achievement even by the standards of previous years.

After that enthusiastic response, Rahill expects the run will always maintain a virtual component going forward. “It opened the door for a much bigger network of friends and family to get involved, which was awesome.”

To Elsie Caldwell, the global showing of support was “a beautiful way to honor the memory of Peter and Kenny and all the victims of 9/11,” even though she missed having the opportunity to spend a Saturday morning with her “extended family at Penn Charter.” In a typical year, Caldwell would be handing out water bottles at the finish line or walking part of the racecourse with her friend Jack Rogers Hon. 1689, PC’s chief development officer. The Caldwells showed up strong for 2020's virtual run, represented by Elsie’s son Leon OPC ’87 and a cluster of nieces, nephews and grandchildren.

With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaching, Caldwell, like Grimes, is pleased to see that the run has become a time-tested PC tradition. And when it’s safe to gather again at the starting line on School House Lane—while simultaneously welcoming a mass of virtual supporters—she suspects the Run for Peace will be “elevated to a whole new level.” PC

BOO!

PC seniors gathered for a class breakfast and Halloween celebration on the morning of Friday, Oct. 30 after rainy weather prompted the cancellation of a socially-distant parade scheduled to take place on Perrott Field.

The Class of 2021 came decked out in their best costumes to revel in the festive music, friendly competition and full spread of breakfast fare that awaited them in the Field House, expertly decorated by PC staff.

Halloween-themed games included a toilet paper mummy relay and, for those not already filled up on bagels and breakfast sandwiches, a hands-free eating contest with Fruit by the Foot candy. After the fun, students assembled on the bleachers, separated into Blue-Yellow cohorts and still in costume, for an unusually colorful class portrait that will be unveiled in the 2021 Class Record. PC

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: THROUGHLINES IN CURRICULUM

At Penn Charter, the past, present and future of indigenous peoples are interwoven throughout pre-K to 12 learning. Not just a day of education and awareness, but a thread that connects across disciplines. When Lower School students study identity and voice in language arts and social studies, they use primary sources, reading authentic voices to learn more about indigenous peoples’ past and present. Encounter, historical fiction told from the perspective of a boy of the Taíno people indigenous to the Carribean and Florida, informs their discussion of Columbus. Students look at a map of federally recognized tribes and discuss how indigenous names and culture are present in their daily lives. Fifth graders learn about the origins of lacrosse and explore the Native American roots of the game that many students play today. Third grade meets a scholar of Lenape culture as part of their study of Pennsylvania and investigation of William Penn’s Walking Purchase, a discredited land deal between the Penn family and the Lenape.

A visitor to Lower School last fall, sharing Lenape history, stories and contemporary life with students.

In Middle School, after reading multiple articles, reviewing definitions of indigenous and colonization, and discussing what they know about early Americans and Columbus, students practiced their evidence-based

While in third grade, the Class of 2028, now in fifth grade, studied artifacts and objects from indigenous culture. persuasive writing in an exercise to explain how they think Penn Charter could mark the second Monday in October, historically observed as Columbus Day. In keeping with the idea that indigenous people are not just in the past, they read the work of current U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, the first Native American to hold that distinction. Seventh grade students, in their research on Canada, study the Inuit and other First Nations. Middle School students also will dive into learning about the history and contemporary lives of Native American tribes in the American southwest, in preparation for a future seventh grade signature trip.

In Upper School U.S. History, Josh Oberfield picks up the thread that Lower School teacher Naveena Bembry begins in fifth grade: Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears. And further solidifying the idea of voice and which perspectives are presented or erased, the interdisciplinary American Studies class is reading Ghost River, a graphic novel told from the perspective of the Conestoga tribe about the 1763 massacre by colonists. Social Studies courses throughout Upper School include discussion of Native American history, contributions and contemporary culture. Social Studies Department Chair Brooke Stratton said of Advanced Placement U.S. History, “Indigenous people are a throughline throughout the course and as actors, not just a footnote.”

“We shift the paradigm,” Bembry said, explaining how students strengthen their understanding that indigenous cultures have thousand-year histories but are very much alive, contemporary and connected to students’ lives. PC

134TH

GIRLS TENNIS

On an unusually warm and sunny November afternoon, gIrls tennis played hard in doubles and singles, but came out with one win, by sophomore Lexi Bari (front, second from right). Bari won in a third-set tiebreaker.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Captain Drew Gillespie ran a strong 18:06 in the 5K race to lead the team to a tight 27-28 victory over GA. A truly historic PC/GA face-off morphed from a single day to a covid-safer week of competitions. Both schools were gratified that the 134th PC/GA football game, the longest continuous high school football rivalry in the country, went forward. The streak is unbroken!

That 134th game turned out to be an instant classic. Late in the fourth quarter, PC went ahead for the first time, 22-21, on a deep fade pass from quarterback Colin Schumm into the hands of receiver Aaron Maione, who ran it in for the touchdown.

Back in possession, GA marched down the field, but stalled. Fourth down and three, the Patriots lined up, with 9.5 seconds on the clock, for what looked like a sure field goal to win. But Maione charged around the GA defenders and blocked the kick.

QUAKERS WIN!

FOOTBALL

Aaron Maione won the Geis Trophy for his stellar performance in the 134th PC/GA football game.

Maione was honored with the Geis Trophy, and the football victory— combined with PC wins in boys and girls water polo, girls soccer and boys cross country—captured the 2020 PC/GA Competition Cup.

Because of covid-19, the games were played with very, very limited spectators (essential school personnel and three guests for each senior player). We missed seeing the thousands of spirited fans who turn out for this rivalry! PC

View photos and livestream of competitions; hyperlinks at penncharter.com/pcga

FIELD HOCKEY

Playing in a misty rain, junior Amanda Ehrenhalt (pictured) scored PC’s lone goal on a tip from freshman Lara Scott. In a tense game all the way through, Penn Charter’s exceptional defending and goalkeeping held a strong GA team to two goals.

GIRLS WATER POLO

Led by senior and MVP-winner Simone Perry (pictured with coach Brian Hecker), PC’s girls water polo squad dominated and had a significant lead by halftime. Out-swimming, out-passing, out-defending and out-scoring GA throughout the game, PC maintained possession and worked the clock in the final quarter. At the buzzer, the team celebrated with sustained splashes as opposed to hugs on the deck.

BOYS WATER POLO

Having watched the girls win handily, the boys water polo team was ready to bring the Competition Cup tally to a 3-3 tie, and that they did! Down early, the Quakers battled back and won. Backed by outstanding goalkeeping by junior Henry Davis with 18 saves, the team peppered in the goals in the third quarter, ultimately pulling ahead. Senior Max Ehinger (pictured with coach Bobby Wurtz OPC '12) scored six goals and was named MVP for his productive offense.

GIRLS SOCCER

Kicking things off on a rainy but warm day two of PC/GA Week, MVP Kait Haughey (pictured, a senior), scored quickly in the early minutes of the game. Sophomore Gracie Shoup and senior Janae Stewart picked up the other two goals for PC. A strong midfield and back line kept the ball in GA territory much of the game. The win put PC on the board in the hunt for the Competition Cup.

BOYS SOCCER

The Quakers worked hard to defend their territory against a strong GA team. Senior Augustus Smith (pictured with coach Bob DiBenedetto) received the James H. Rumpp OPC ’55 Memorial Soccer Award for his exceptional play in midfield.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

Girls cross country had a tough loss, falling to GA 20-38. Pictured: Elena Coupas (left) and Julia Dolce, both juniors.

COMPETITION CUP SCORE PC:5 GA:4

SPORT SCORE MVP

Boys Soccer Girls Tennis 0-3 GA Augustus Smith, Rumpp Trophy 1-6 GA

Girls Soccer Field Hockey

3-1 PC Kait Haughey 1-2 GA Golf Rained out Girls Water Polo 14-2 PC Simone Perry Boys Water Polo 12-6 PC Max Ehinger Boys Cross Country 27-28 PC Girls Cross Country 20-38 GA Football 22-21 PC Aaron Maione, Geis Trophy