The Sage September 2014

education is life itself - john dewey

Back to School!

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back cover: “Une Cathédrale en France” by Alexandra Rugg sage ridge school 2515 crossbow court, reno nevada 89511 775.852.6222 www.sageridge.org facebook www.facebook.com/sageridge twitter @sageridgeschool for submissions, please email robin monteith at rmonteith@sageridge.org co-editors robin monteith & jill strawder-bubala

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Table of Contents September 2014

4

Thinking Out Loud

A monthly note from Headmaster Norm Colb

6

Say Hello!

Get to know a little about our fabulous new faculty

10

The Road to Edinburgh

Reflections on the two year journey to the world famous Fringe Festival

12

16

20

A monthly column by Celeste Barnaby reflecting on life as a college freshman

Alumni spotlight story featuring Emily Pierce and her summer research project at Pepperdine University

Confused about the dress code and uniforms in general? Get answers here.

Notes from the Front

Emily Loves Grunion

What’s in a Uniform?

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THINKING OUT LOUD

Opening The Door & Welcoming You In If you had sat at the Colb kitchen table three decades ago, here’s what you might have heard: “So, how was school today?” “OK, I guess” “Anything interesting happen?” “No” “Anything you’d like to share?” “Not really” Six hours spent in school and this was the full report!

But I had other sources of information: I worked in the schools my children attended and so I knew much more about what was going on than I could have possibly gleaned from my children.

Unless you are the few faculty members who are also parents in the school, your knowledge about your child’s experience is probably limited. This is especially true if your children are anything like mine (I used to joke that my sons shared information as though each word cost them $5.00.) Edline obviously helps, as do Open School Days, Back to School Night, email exchanges, and Student Led Conferences.

Despite all of these opportunities, what you are able to learn is almost certainly a small fraction of what actually takes place.

Here’s why this matters: The chances are that the more you know about the school, the more excited you will be about your children’s experience. And, of course, your excitement is contagious. After all, even when they are rolling their eyes, children are very sensitive to their 4 THE SAGE September 2014

parents’ values. The more you like a school, the more likely it is that your children will take advantage of everything the school has to offer.

I mention all of this by way of introducing a number of exciting developments that await you this year – developments that will give you the opportunity to learn quite a bit more about the school to which you have entrusted your children. Let me start with the magazine you are now reading. In it you will find descriptions of exciting units of study, glimpses into classroom interactions and information about our single most important asset – our superb faculty and staff. The magazine will also keep you informed about the issues being deliberated by the PAC, events being sponsored by the Parent Association, and new programs the faculty is considering to expand our students’ opportunities.

We plan to publish the magazine approximately once a month, or nine times a year. I hope you will find it so engaging and informative that you will become avid readers.

The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is also changing its meetings so that you can learn more about the school and provide a venue in

which you can suggest ways that Sage Ridge can become an even better school than it is already.

Here are the changes PAC is making: • All of its meetings will be open to you.

• Four of the meetings (those that are scheduled to start at 4:00pm) will feature members of the faculty addressing a common theme. Possible topics include the use of technology, the role of research, and how the curriculum promotes positive values. The first PAC meeting is of particular interest as it will give you the opportunity to meet our six new faculty members.

It is scheduled for 6 pm on Thursday September 18.

Volunteering also gives you exceptional opportunities to see the school in action.

I encourage you to visit the Parent Association (PA) Volunteer page on the SRS website and then to pitch in as often as you can.

There is so much the faculty and I want you to know about what goes on in this very special school. I hope you will become regular readers of our new magazine and that you will take advantage of all of the opportunities you have to learn more about your children’s experience.

I look forward to seeing you soon and often. Until then, please accept my very best wishes.

All the best,

Norman M. Colb Head of School

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“I’ve been teaching at the college level, but wanted to spend more time building relationships with my students.

Most private schools offer that opportunity, but the students at Sage Ridge are very impressive.”

“I love the feeling of master-

“I had been teaching part time at UNR and I wanted to be fully immersed in teaching. I also wanted to be more involved with my students’ college preparation and did not feel I had those kinds of opportunities at the University level.”

ing challenging skills, and I want students around me to constantly experience the same cool feeling!”

Ann Bollesen Sage Ridge’s new Grade 5 teacher hails from Seattle, Washington and has lived in Reno for four years. Mrs. Ann Bollesen focuses her teaching on the concept that learning is a lifelong process. The University of Washington graduate believes “teachers must be devout about inspiring young people to continually expand their minds.”

Mrs. Bollesen believes teachers must “walk the walk” with their students and learn and grow right along with them. An avid sports fan, Mrs. Bollesen spends her time outside the classroom with her husband and two children or reading a good mystery book. She is a confessed chocolate addict and enjoys trying new foods.

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Dr. Jacqueline Grant Jodi Campbell The comments, “I hate history” or “History is boring” are a challenge to Jodi Campbell. Ms. Campbell, who moved to Reno this month from “a tiny town in the tiny state of Delaware,” wants to show her students that history can be fascinating and that they should not make assumptions without taking a closer look at history. Ms. Campbell teaches Ancient and Medieval History, Modern European History, and AP European History. She studied at Dickinson College, the University of Delaware, and is working on her doctorate degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario. A beach lover, Ms. Campbell enjoys spending time at Tahoe and recently learned to paddleboard.

Jacqueline Grant serves as the History Department Chair and teaches AP and College Prep U.S. History, and Senior Seminar. Dr. Grant attended boarding schools growing up in Jamaica, West Indies, before migrating with her family to the United States after she graduated from high school.

She studied at the University of Miami in Florida, from which she earned her doctorate degree, and at the University of Nevada Reno.

Say Hello to our new sage ridge faculty

“The confidence I see in the students here is evidence that the school is educating the whole child and preparing them for fulfilling futures.”

“Everyone (is) so friendly at Sage Ridge! And the kids work really hard.”

“(Sage Ridge) is hands down the best school in Reno for students aiming to start their university careers and professional training with a very solid academic foundation and can do attitude.”

Dr. Chris von Nagy

Angela Kelly New physics teacher Angela Kelly will be teaching science through ‘doing’ this year. She believes students learn best when they are participating in the learning instead of just listening to her lecture. Mrs. Kelly, a Bennington, Vermont, native, moved to Reno from upstate New York. She studied at Siena College in New York and at Castleton State College in Vermont and teaches Conceptual Physics, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics C. For fun outside of the classroom, Mrs. Kelly reads, travels, and plays with her dogs.

Chris von Nagy grew up hiking the San Gabriel Mountains outside Los Angeles. From there he studied at UC Berkeley and Tulane University in New Orleans where his studies focused on Mesoamerican anthropology, geoarchaeology, GIS studies, and ceramic studies.

Before finding his way to Reno and Sage Ridge, Dr. von Nagy lived in Mexico, Spain, and Washington, D.C. He teaches Robotics and wants to inspire students through “hands-on and guided work.” Dr. von Nagy is “currently using robotic drone technology for remote sensing at a site called Oxotititlan Cave in Mexico which has Mexico’s earliest mural art dating to the first millennium BC.” It is no surprise that Dr. von Nagy loves to travel to faraway places to sample the local cuisine and pursue active archaeological research.

Jess Weems Ms. Weems is from Western Massachusetts and came to Sage Ridge because during her visit to the school she found that “it is a place where the faculty and staff care for students.” Ms. Weems studied at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and teaches Grades 5 and 6 Science and Coding for Grades 5-8. Her life philosophy is that “life and learning are an adventure and staying curious about how the world works is the best way to go through life.” When she is not teaching, you might find Ms. Weems hiking, making art, traveling, trying new restaurants, and exploring the Truckee Meadows.

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from the Divisional Directors Greetings, At Sage Ridge, we are constantly making improvements and adjustments to our programs based on what is best for our student body. Last year, I met with our outstanding Arts Department to discuss how to offer choice in the arts and more elective options for students in an improved electives rotation.

In the past, Sage Ridge offered three arts elective classes to Middle School students: choir, theatre, and studio art. In addition to choir, theatre, and studio art electives, we have added computer coding (Grades 5-8), musical instruments (Grade 5), and health and fitness (Grades 7 and 8).

Instead of just two elective classes per year, our Grade 5 students now take four classes per year: theatre, choir, computer coding, and instruments. The Grade 6 students also take four classes: studio art, choir, computer coding, and theatre. These classes are a semester long and meet every other day.

Students in Grades 7 and 8 this year chose their electives from the following options: computer coding, health and fitness, theatre, choir, and studio art.

Students take two electives for the entire school year and classes meet every other day.

At Sage Ridge, we take pride in self-evaluation and program improvement and look forward to seeing the positive impact of change in our school.

AJ Long Middle School Director

Welcome back!

At the end of each school year, our focus turns to the senior class as we celebrate their accomplishments and ultimately get ready to say goodbye to them. Students and faculty head out to enjoy their summer breaks and for part of the summer I come to work in a very strange environment - a quiet school building! I don’t think I will ever get used to that quiet. So as August rolls around, I look forward to the hallways filling again. First come the bustling faculty members who are busy getting their rooms ready and their lesson plans in order.

Then, the hallways fill. The freshman are wide-eyed and excited for the next stage of their lives. The sophomores, some without even knowing it, are about to engage in a year of transition and growth. The juniors will soon be working diligently and wearing their badge of “junior year” honor on their sleeves. And then there are the seniors - the class that we will say goodbye to in the spring. Soon, we will feel nostalgia for those days when they were the wide-eyed freshmen or the transitional sophomores.

Each year tends to go by so quickly and brings so many reasons to celebrate all the students that we are blessed to work with on a daily basis. I am so glad they are back and that the sound of their learning and growing is filling the quiet school building again. I look forward to what is to come this year and hope you are as well!

Nicole Taucare Upper School Director

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Joshua Zebrack

Harris Hurley

Grade 6

Zoe Klenke

Lauren Arnold

Spencer Abts

Aryan Shukla

Trent Blair

Nate Evans

Grade 8

Jade Brazelton

Blair Hall

Clay Bollesen

Zora Bubala

Charles Holder

Claire Grady

Jordan Burns

Nicholas Partridge

Marco Saurez

Grade 5 Eric Albregts

Ava Carlstrom

A Big Welcome to our Newest Scorpions!

Rachael Christensen

Cooper Cross Arabella Cullen Sebastian Dehnadi Alexander Dixon Kyle Dixson Ariana Garcia Wesley Hall Michael Haran Jonah Henry Jessica Kurowski Neil Macartney Gilbert Patterson Alexander Power Daria Prewitt Christina Prisock

Alyssa Robbins

Grade 9

Isabella Stadler

Karl Goebel

Grade 7

Anjing Li

William Ross

Caroline Baughman

Xizhong (Leo) Li

Ella Ryan

Nicole Chen

Ross MacNeil

Elissa Simons

Caleb DeKay

Stephanie Smittkamp

Alyssa Wachsman

Kiera Dyson

Xun (Russell) Zedong

Sapna Wolf

Siena Hall

Lyu (Vic) Zhong

Dane Quackenbush

Kaitlin Robbins Sarah Ross

Grade 10 Louis Cahsell Junying (Tiger) Chen Petra Gelu Ragya Kaul

Grade 11 Lucca da Costa Mega Avi Upadhyay

We’re delighted you have joined our community and look forward to a year of adventures, learning and growth.

Welcome aboard, Scorpions!

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Lessons L

On The

It’s 6:59am on a Tuesday morning in late July and I’m heaving suitcase after suitcase into my neighbors’ cars, wondering how in the world we are going to manage getting all of this gear to Scotland.

Will the sombrero fit in the overhead bin? Did we remember to pack Elvis’ rhinestone studded cape? Do we have the miner’s gold nugget and our makeshift time machine, otherwise known as a hula hoop? Like so many moments before in this almost two year long journey, I decide to just trust in our people and the process and enjoy the ride.

Back in the Fall of 2012, when Sage Ridge Productions, the afterschool arm of the Sage Ridge Theater program, was nominated by UNR professor, Rob Gander, for a spot at the Fringe Festival with the American High School Theater Festival, we were hard at work on a production of “The Crucible.” A large cast, period costumes and cleverly designed sets were requiring lots of time, energy and support. So the nomination itself, while flattering, didn’t receive a lot of attention at that point.

After the fall production dust settled and we had a chance to look over the nomination packet and realize the magnitude of the opportunity for the kids, we set to work, crafting response after response to the multitude of questions on the lengthy application. Mr. Cameron Crain, the Sage Ridge theater teacher and SRS Productions director, and I, realized pretty quickly that whether or not SRS would be awarded a performance slot, the reflection necessary to answer the questions about the mission of the current theater program and his vision for the future, was an immensely valuable exercise. Once complete, we neatly packaged up the applications, and sent them off to the panel for judging.

April 2013 rolled around and now, instead of being surrounded by drab linen and all shades of brown paint, we were immersed in a sea of pink, hard at work for the opening of “Legally Blonde.” The magnitude of the show was overwhelming and was pushing all of us to our limits.

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Learned

e Road To Scotland

I remember clearly, sitting at my sewing machine, being near tears, wondering how a piece of pink satin could be getting the better of me with such ease, when Cam tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You look like you could use some good news.” I could only nod. “We’re in!” he said. A mere 48 schools from across the United States would receive a spot at the largest performing arts festival in the world, the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and our very own little SRS was one of them.

The disbelief turned into elation turned into oh-my-gosh-are-you-kidding-me-can-wedo-this adrenaline powered alarm. While the opportunity for the kids and the program was huge, so was the immensity of the project. It would require not only a focused and sustained fundraising effort, but creative ingenuity, marketing

prowess, logistics management, scheduling finesse and a whole lot of elbow grease. We talked it over, decided that we needed to give it a try, got the requisite approvals and set about putting together a strategic plan.

From the beginning, we felt strongly that the learning opportunities existed along the path of the entire journey, not just the (cont'd on page 25)

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NOTES FROM THE FRONT... life as a college freshman

by Celeste Barnaby When I got my early accep tance from Wesleyan University in December, the last inkling of interest I had in high school fluttered off into the aether. I was ready to yell “kiss my grits!” and speed out to central Connecticut on a motorcycle. Senioritis coursed through my veins in dangerously high quantities. Simply put, I was so over this place.

Now, as I sit between two half-packed suitcases and next to a pile of dorm decorations, my feelings have changed somewhat. While I’m still incredibly excited to get to campus this week, I don’t have the same exhausted apathy that I did last semester. In fact, I will even condescend to admit that there may be some things I will miss about high school, and about Sage Ridge in particular. Here are just a few of those things, in no particular order.

1. Knowing Everybody Some students look at a small liberal arts college like Wesleyan and are utterly shocked by how small it is. I did not have this reaction. Two thousand students is minuscule compared to a public university attended by over 50,000, but it’s still about 25 times larger than Sage Ridge.

At Sage Ridge, it is literally impossible not to know everyone in your grade. I knew at least the names of almost everyone in the high school as well. Though going

to a school with such a small student body did come with its own set of challenges, it also allowed me to be a part of a unique and close-knit community.

With around 500 in my class at Wes, I won’t get that same sense of camaraderie with my peers. I’ll have to make a greater effort to forge meaningful connections with people.

I’m excited to be able to meet so many new people from all around the world, yet also a little sad about leaving the ol’ class of 2014 behind.

2. Getting to Try Anything In my time at Sage Ridge, I was encouraged by my peers and teachers to try everything from theater to cross country to debate. Because there was such an inviting environment, I wound up leaving my comfort zone and trying stuff I wouldn’t have otherwise. There will still be ample opportunity to try new things at college; I’ll have to be more self-motivated than in high school.

I’ll probably also have to contend with more intense auditions and tryouts.

3. Being an Upperclassmen Yep, there’s no denying that seniors are the coolest and most chill people at a school. Though I was a member of this elite group just a few months ago, I’ll now be a doe-eyed, vaguely-confused, lanyard-wielding fresh-

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man. All my coolness, gone, before my eyes!

I am, of course, joking about seniors being cool and freshmen being lame. Anyone who devotes time to figuring out how cool people are probably is not very cool themselves.

Still, there is a learning curve to being a freshman, as are there perks to being a senior.

While I am going to miss these components of high school, the things I’ll miss pale in comparison to the things I’m looking forward to.

And I’ll be detailing the new experiences, opportunities, and obstacles I encounter in the upcoming year right here in this column. Check back next month to see what fun and/or wacky shenanigans I get into my first month at college!

Peace out, Celeste Barnaby, Wesleyan University Class of 2018

Scorpion Sports

Spotlight recruiting class was nationally recognized and included the Conference USA Freshman of the Year. Amy has also coached at Binghamton University, Nicholls State University, and College of the Southwest.

Amy Williamson Amy will begin her first season as the Head Coach of the Upper School Girls Varsity/JV Volleyball Team this coming 2014-15 school year.

Amy is currently the Head Volleyball Coach of Lassen Community College and the Associate Director of Youth Programs at NNJ Volleyball.

Amy spent 2012 and the Spring of 2013 at the University of Nevada, Reno where she worked with the defensive specialists, liberos, and passers. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Amy was the recruiting coordinator for the Wolf Pack and helped to recruit over 10 top student-athletes. Prior to her time at UNR, Amy spent three years at Tulane University where she was the Head Coach of the sand volleyball team and Associate Head Coach of the indoor squad.

Amy was an Assistant Coach for the Tulane squad that qualified for the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Her 2010

Collegiately, Amy played at the University of Tennessee where she helped the Lady Vols to the NCAA Tournament as a junior and a senior.

In 2004, she was named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-SEC, and honorable mention AVCA All-American. She earned MVP honors at the 2004 SEC Tournament after leading Tennessee to victory. Amy was a three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, earned All-American honors as a prep athlete, was named the 2001 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, and was listed in the “Fab 50” in Volleyball Magazine.

Amy attended Penn State before transferring to Tennessee. After her time at Tennessee, Amy played professional volleyball in Indonesia, Puerto Rico, and in the United States.

Amy completed her bachelor’s degree in advertising from Tennessee.

Keri Trachok Keri started running at age 13 and has not stopped since. She started competing her freshman year of high school in Track and Field under Coach VanCleve. From that point on, she com-

peted each year in both Cross Country and Track and Field. During this time she was Most Valuable Runner, Team Captain, and Upper School Female Athlete of the Year both in her junior and senior year. She earned three State Runner up Titles (in the 4x800) and one state championship (4x400).

After running at Sage Ridge, Keri went on to compete at Hamilton College for her freshman cross-country season. She then transferred to University of Nevada where she trained and ran on both the cross country and track team. Due to a back injury, Keri had to quit the team her junior year of college, and instead became the Assistant Coach for two seasons at Sage Ridge School.

After graduating with at degree in Psychology from the University, Keri moved to Chico, CA where she worked in a local running store and coached adults to run 5ks and 10ks.

After that she got her Level 1 USA Track and Field Coaching Certification and moved to Boston, MA. In Boston she worked at a running store and helped out during the Boston Marathon. She is now back in Reno and will be attending graduate school at University of Nevada.

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Education In The News Traditional bullying involves an imbalance of power between an aggressor and the victim, with the aggressor employing verbal (name-calling, threats), physical (hitting), or psychological (rumors, shunning, exclusion) tactics. Bullying involves very personal contact.

Cyberbullying is quite another animal. The behavior is similar in many respects and yet more pernicious because of the often anonymous use of computers and other electronic devices to attack others in a relentless fashion, twenty-four hours a day, and for the whole world to see.

New York provides an illustrative example. In 2012, it amended its laws to prohibit bullying by “any form of electronic communication,” including any off-campus activities that “foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment, where it is foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach school property.” The state did not criminalize bullying behaviors; instead, it incorporated educational penalties such as suspension from school.

Cyberbullying: Courts Try to Protect Students and Free Speech

It has proven particularly challenging to police. The U.S. Supreme Court held schools have a compelling interest in protecting children from harmful publications and materials. But that interest has to be balanced with the student’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech. Typically that limits the government’s ability to punish its citizens for their thoughts.

To be sure, the freedom of speech does not directly arise in the context of a private school. They are not government entities subject to the First Amendment’s limitations on government conduct. The association of school and student arises from a voluntarily, contractual agreement. But in evaluating the punishment levied by a private school, one can expect a similar balancing of the extent of conduct and reasonableness of the punishment.

A New York county took a different path, making cyberbullying a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Shortly thereafter, the county was presented with an anonymous Facebook account posting photos of high school students and intimate information about them. The content was deemed vulgar and offensive, prompting threats of physical harm.

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A high school student was charged and pleaded guilty to cyberbullying. On appeal earlier this year, the New York Court of Appeals found the student’s communications “were repulsive and harmful to the subjects of his rants, and potentially created a risk of physical or emotional injury based on the private nature of the comments.” But the court looked at the county’s law, which went far beyond communications involving cyberbullying of children. The law could make illegal a range of communications about personal information among adults and businesses unrelated to cyberbullying. The court found the law was unconstitutional as overbroad and vague, and it overturned the student’s conviction.

The decision was not unanimous. Two judges argued that the posts were not protected by the student’s freedom of speech because they did not serve any legitimate purpose. Although those judges were in the minority, expect similar evaluations of student speech to come up again in the future.

Lou Bubala, an attorney with Kaempfer Crowell, writes this column to highlight developing educational issues in the courts. The column is drawn from the work of his friend, Kevin McDowell, who writes for the National Council of State Education Attorneys. Disclaimer: The views expressed are not those of Sage Ridge School, Lou, Kevin or his employer, the State of Indiana.

COLLEGE

COUNSELING

This fall, almost 22 million young people will head back to school at their college or university campuses. 20 of those students are the 2014 graduates of Sage Ridge School - students who are attending 16 schools in 12 states and two countries. For them, the journey through the college application and selection process is over. For Sage Ridge students entering Grade 12, the process is just beginning.

This fall marks a major turning point in their lives as they look beyond high school and begin their college applications. This is both an exciting time and a

period of reflection and gravitas.

To assist seniors and their parents in the college application process and help them over a range of hurdles, both personal and practical, I have prepared a timeline of key activities for them to follow in the form of a checklist. (This is not a substitute for in-person meetings and one-on-one consultations, and my door is always open for those.)

A portion of the full-year checklist below delineates what seniors need to be doing this month. I will

what to do this month

a

Build a list of colleges and research these schools online, through mailed materials and college guides

aBrainstorm essay topics

and begin rough draft; review Common Application Essay Prompts carefully

a

Schedule an appointment with your college counselor for a senior meeting

follow up in future editions of “The Sage” with more items for seniors to follow as they approach their college search and applications.

I am available to meet with students and parents of any grade level at SRS, and specifically will address the college counseling needs of students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 via email and in person throughout the school year, through special announcements, group meetings, and related programs. For a copy of the college counseling checklist for all high school grades, please swing by my office to pick one up (they are in a wall-mounted paper holder) or email me and I’ll send you an electronic version.

Rob Lamb, Director of College Counseling, can be reached at 775.852.6222 x 510 or at RLamb@sageridge.org

a

Plan and make final college visits, with interviews when available

a

Research scholarship and financial aid options

aTurn in Senior Transcript ReaUpdate your extracurricular quest Form/College Application

activities list/resume in preparation for completing applications

a

Register for the fall SAT, SAT Subject Tests and/or ACT Test(s), if needed

a

Take September ACT test, if applicable

List to college counselor if you haven’t already done so

a

Attend the meetings with college representatives visiting SRS (students only)

a

Use Teacher Recommendation Request Form to ask two teachers to write rec letters on your behalf

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The Road Beyond... ...life after Sage R

California Grunions, sleek

and iridescent fish, accomplish an almost unbelievable feat that makes for a fascinating site each year during the spring and summer months on the beaches from the San Francisco Bay to Baja.

The females swim up to the beach on breaking waves after high tide to burrow in the sand and lay eggs. They dig into the sand until only their heads are exposed and they are upright and erect. The males, who are just slightly smaller than the females and who also swim ashore with the wave breaks, curve around the females and release their milt, or fish sperm. The milt slides down the females until it reaches the up to 3,000 eggs she has deposited in her nest. The males might visit and deposit milt with as many as eight females before retreating to the sea.

The female grunion must twist and wriggle free from the sand and their nest before making the way back to the ocean on a wave. A California Grunion spawning, which only occurs three or four nights after the highest tides with the full or new moons, might involve thousands of fish in a several hour period. Amazingly, the females complete the process in just about 30 seconds. The grunion eggs sit above the water line and develop into embryos in about eight to 10 days. The eggs then hatch in about one minute but only when they are

agitated by sea water.

This hatching trait is unique to California Grunion and Sage

to work with Dr. Karen Martin on Marine Biology: Physiology and Ecology of the California Grunion in an Ecosystem under Stress.

As a participant in the National Science Foundation program Emily earned a stipend, free room and board, and time with professors and in the lab.

The lab is a familiar place to Emily, who says she spends up to 60 hours a week in the lab working on her research, classwork, or setting up labs as part of her job during the school year as a teaching assistant for natural science general education classes.

Ridge Alumni Emily Pierce (’12) is working to understand it.

Emily, who gets excited and moves to the edge of her seat when she talks about science, is a junior at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. This summer she earned one of the coveted positions in the university’s SURB, Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology program. Of the six possible research focuses, Miss Pierce chose

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“I don’t sleep much,” she says with a smile and eagerness reminiscent of someone who knows something about success and hard work.

Feeling at ease in the lab comes naturally to her after her time at Sage Ridge taking Advanced Placement science classes. Emily says that both her writing coursework at Sage Ridge and her lab experience give her an edge in college.

“Wow,” she thought during her freshman year, “you want us to

..

Ridge

Emily Pierce Sage Ridge class of 2012

write a thesis; we did that and learned that at Sage Ridge,” Emily said.

Thesis writing is just one skill Emily notes as a valuable part of the Sage Ridge experience.

Maybe even more importantly, she says, Sage Ridge taught her “not to procrastinate.” Emily came to Sage Ridge as a middle school student who did not want to go to public school and was afraid of big high schools. She visited Sage Ridge, felt at home and knew it was a “safe place to have academic conversations and take academic risks.”

Sage Ridge grad, Emily Pierce, earned a prestigious National Science Foundation summer research fellowship at Pepperdine University

“Transitioning to Sage Ridge was like a breath of fresh air,” says Emily, who remembers herself as a unique kid with snails for pets. It was sometime in her preteen years that this unique kid visited Sea World with her family and spotted a sea cucumber in a tide pool touch tank.

She remembers staring at it for what seemed like a very long time and thinking that it was wonderful and amazing. Emily recalls telling her parents to look at it, but also remembers that it did not have the same effect on them as it did

on her. They did not understand her excitement and awe. It changed her life, it seems, for from this moment she knew she wanted to work in marine science. A Grade 5 essay on whales solidified Emily’s commitment to marine biology and she hopes to continue in the field until she earns her doctoral degree.

Her ultimate goal, Emily says, is to publish science research.

Her research and writing this summer focused on the California Grunion, Leuresthes tenuis, a member of the teleost (ray-finned fish from commercial to aquarium fish) group of fish and its unique hatching habits. Most fish egg cues to hatch are developmentally determined or are prompted by a lack of oxygen in still water. In the California Grunion, however, hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen, slows the hatching process. Emily suspects that enzymes, or proteins, are working to aid the fish in hatching from their eggs and that they are already somewhat ready to hatch when the stimulus occurs.

Emily is a confident young scientist but says she was not always so outgoing. She credits Sage Ridge with bringing her out of her shell.

“Doing theatre at Sage Ridge helped me come out of my shell and helped me become the person I am today,” she says. Mr. (continued on page 19)

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Meet Your Board Robert Cashell, Jr. (Rob) graduated from Pepperdine University in 1987 and has been the President of Northpointe Sierra, Inc. since 1989 operating casinos in several truck stops throughout the state of Nevada. Rob is the President of Robert Parker, Inc. which is the owner of the Topaz Lodge in Gardnerville, Nevada, a business that began operation in 1952. The company also owns and operates the Winners Inn and Pete’s Gambling Hall both of which are located in Winnemucca, Nevada. Rob is also a shareholder and Managing Member of Longley Partners which conducts retail petroleum and convenience store operations in northern Nevada.

Rob is a member of the Board of Directors of Station Casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is also a shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Heritage Bancorp and Heritage Bank of Nevada.

He is actively involved in the truck stop and casino industries as well as the local community where he has served on several boards and committees, including: National Association of Truck Stop Owners (NATSO) – 2nd generation Board Member Professional Transportation Partners (PTP) – Former Advisory Board Member America’s Best Truck Stops (AmBest) – Former Board Member/Marketing Committee Chair Western Association of Truck Stop Operator’s (WATSO) – Former Board Member Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) – Former Board Member Nevada Casino Self-Insured Group (NCNSIG) – Founding Board Member/Former Chairman Nevada Museum of Art – Former Member Board of Trustees Independent Gaming Operator’s Coalition (IGO) – Board of Trustees Rob has served on the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2006 and is currently in his fifth year as the Board Chairman. He has previously served as vice president of the board and chaired the Leadership Committee. He and his wife Ermelinda have two children both of which have attended Sage Ridge School and one is currently a sophomore in the upper school.

(Emily Pierce, cont’d from page 19)

Cameron Crain, Sage Ridge Theatre Director, says Emily gave as much to the theatre program as it gave to her.

“By her junior year she was emerging as a leader of the theatre program. By her senior year, she was clearly the big sister. Everyone loved her, respected her and looked to her for guidance. Thankfully, she embraced the role of mentor, especially towards the younger students,” he said. “We owe much of our recent success to Emily Pierce.”

Emily credits Mr. Crain with teaching her the importance of “doing well, working hard, and being present mentally and emotionally.” Ms. Laurie Bissonette, she says, helped feed her science knowledge and prepared her for her college science classes. She remembers looking at one of her college science books and thinking, “I’ve got this.”

This fall, the thespian scientist has a full load taking classes and working with Dr. Martin on more marine science research. One of Emily’s starring roles in the lab is to continue her investigation of the disappearing ochre sea stars.

18 THE SAGE September 2014

The purple sea stars, commonly found in coastal tidal pools, are vanishing at an alarming rate. Earlier this year Emily began monitoring several tide pools and is working to answer the why and how of what scientists are calling sea star wasting syndrome.

“She searches for answers through experimentation, like someone on a scavenger hunt,” Ms. Bissonette says. She is the ‘why’ girl – the perfect science student.”

No doubt the ‘why girl’ will shed some light on the plight of the ochre sea stars.

Parent Association News SRS Parents Book Group with Norm Colb Letting Go with Love and Confidence by Kenneth Ginsburg M.D. will be the subject of this fall's book group meeting on September 18th at 7:30pm. From cell phone use and dating, to bullying and anxiety, the book deals with virtually every issue parents are sure to face through their children's middle and high school years.

You are sure to find this book highly readable and both wise and practical.

Please join us as we discuss our reading and share perspectives and ideas about how to guide our students into competent young adulthood.

Volunteer Opportunities Be sure to check out the volunteer opportunities available to all Sage Ridge parents. You’ll find complete details on the website at www.sageridge.org, Once on the home page, click on the Parents tab, then the Volunteer Opportunities tab on the right side of the page. There you’ll find a list of events and activities with the name and contact info for the person leading the event, as well as a “sign up here” link that will take you directly to the digital event sign up sheet.

If you have any questions about a particular event or activity, please don’t hesitate to contact the event coordinator.

We’re grateful for your time and participation!

2014-15 Sage Ridge Directory Ads Available If you would like to advertise in the 2014-2015 Sage Ridge Directory, we have space available! The ad fees/ donations help offset the cost of printing. Ads are subject to space limitations and approval by the Head of School.

A business card and/or half page ad cost is $50.00 and the size is approximately 4.25” horizontal by 3” vertical.

A full page ad is $100 and the size is approximately 4.25” horizontal by 7.75” vertical.

Ad are in black and white. Jpegs and PDF’s can be sent to vivianmleal@gmail.com. Business cards may also be used as art and can be left with Katie in the front office.

Deadline for ads is September 25th.

Checks can be made out to Sage Ridge School Parent Association and will not be cashed until the directory is printed in October. Thank you for your support!

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The Student Union

It was not until 1987, when the first public school in America – Cherry Hill Elementary School in Baltimore – implemented a school uniform policy. Long Beach (CA) Unified School District followed suit in 1994 and was the first urban public school district to mandate uniforms in some of its schools. Also notable was in 2000 when the Philadelphia Board of Education instituted a school uniform policy for 200,000 students.

Today, public schools in 21 states and the District of Columbia have some sort of public school uniform policy.

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"

T

he thought of school uniforms can bring to mind images of elitist, privileged children clad in plaid skirts, ties, and blazers strolling through a grassy lawn surrounded by ivy-covered buildings. Interestingly, the school uniforms now worn in public and private schools around the world have humble roots at Christ’s Church Hospital in 16th century England. The poor children who attended school at Christ’s Hospital were given tunic-like cloaks and eventually pants to wear during the school day. Some scholars report that the decision was one of economics as it was cost effective to make one style of clothing that could be reproduced for many students, but others note that the uniform was a mark of social status – low social status. Over time, the school uniform continued to be a marker of social status as they eventually identified students who were able to attend elite private and parochial schools. With the onset of World War II in England, the subsequent push for more personal rights and freedoms, and continued protests from students, many English schools relaxed their school uniform policies.

What's In a ress ys are D s are a d s e n d e W emale " when f y a lazer, d s e n d We ue SR S b l b a r a to we aki t and kh required r i h s s s e wh ite dr bottoms.

burgundy or black polos

no bare tummies

skirts should be fingertip length

a Uniform?

On Dress Wednesday males are , required a blue SR to wear S blazer, wh ite dre sh irt, kh ss aki botto ms and a Everybod t ie. y needs t o wear dress sho es!

shirts must be tucked in

khaki bottoms

shoes must be tied

Here in Washoe County, roughly a third of the district’s 102 schools have a uniform policy.

Nationally, just over 20 percent of all students wear uniforms to their schools on a daily basis, and the percentage is rising each year. Soon after the monumental Long Beach uniform ruling, the school uniform movement received a boost when President Clinton mentioned in his 1996 Inaugural Address the benefits of school uniforms, citing a report published by the National Center for Education Statistics. The next month, he directed the Federal Education Department to distribute guidelines to the country’s 16,000 school districts on how they might legally enforce uniform policies to bring “discipline and learning back in our schools.”

While the poor British school children of the 16th century wore uniforms out of necessity and the children in California began wearing them 20 years ago to decrease violence and altercations between its students, at Sage Ridge School the students wear school uniforms to honor the long-time tradition of private school uniforms and the SRS uniform policy is “intended to keep the learning environment free from distraction. It is also intended to dignify both the individual and the school, which is a professional learning environment where students are expected to conduct themselves and dress professionally.”

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Moments: Back to School BBQ August 25, 2014

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Mark these dates on your

Calendar 9/18

SRS Parent Book Group 7:30pm in the library

9/30

Back to School Nite 5:30pm

10/16

SRS Productions presents Almost Maine Crossbow Stage 10/16-17 7pm

10/24

SRS Productions presents Almost Maine Crossbow Stage 10/24-25 7pm

10/31

No School

10/30

All School Coffee House Great Space 8:05am

11/6

Student Led Conferences 11/6-7 (early release)

11/14

Soupapalooza Crossbow loft 6pm

11/26

SRS Thanksgiving Feast Great space 11:45am

12/4

Winter concert 7pm Location TBA

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of note

After School Study Hall is held daily from 3:30 - 6pm in the SRS Library. Cost is $15 per day and is available to all students on a drop-in basis.

Pillar Praise goes out to Micky Massa for her act of generosity.

Micky gave up her own Junior Assembly bid so that another student would be able to go to the JA dance.

Teacher of the Year Congratulations go out to our very own Kate Eisele who was voted one of the best middle school teachers in Reno by Reno News & Review.

The Future of Genomic Medicine Conference is open to 10th, 11th and 12th graders.

The conference, held in La Jolla, California, March 5-6, 2015, gives students the opportunity to delve into the hot topics of microbiome, genomic-guided drug therapies and genomic analytics. A limited number of student registration spots are available this year, so if you are interested in attending, you should contact Ms. Bissonette as soon as possible.

Congratulations go out to Persiana Saffari for her 2014-15 National Society of High School Scholars scholarship award.

Parents of Gifted Kids Support Groups, led by Monica Joyner, MA, MFT-I, NCC, are starting soon. Share with other parents of gifted children in an open communication setting. For more information, please contact Ms. Joyner at 775-525-1363 or via email at mjoyner@joynercounseling.com.

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Join Subaru and his Sage Ridge Buddies for the Nevada Day Classic on November 1 in Carson City. The 2 mile or 8K walk/ run will benefit Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sage Ridge is a sponsor of the event. In case you’re not familiar with Subaru, he was the black lab that did much of his guide dog training at SRS with his coaches, Spencer and Mikaela Lang. You can find out more about this program and the event at the school assembly on Monday, October 13 at 10:05am in the Great Space.

Congrats to Courtney Leonard who was Little Pickle Press’ Featured Young Writer of the Month in August for her article “Making a Difference in Nicaragua.”

(Edinburgh cont'd from page 11)

final two weeks in Edinburgh.

After much consideration, Cameron decided to bring an original production about Nevada to the Fringe because the festival highly values new and original work, and because it enabled us to bring the often misunderstood story of Nevada to the world stage. The students were involved in the evolution of the play from the very start, researching characters and working with the former state archivist, Guy Rocha. Cam will be the first to tell you that the students challenged him every step of the way, and there were many – ahem – animated conversations about the what and why of plot elements and character traits.

In the end, a dedicated and inspired group of SRS students, parents and faculty worked thousands of hours at 11 events, wrote countless grants, created a play from scratch, kept the faith and made it happen.

The school project was featured in six television news segments, a generous Reno News and Review story, a couple of radio interviews and a front page story in the Reno Gazette-Journal weekend section.

The students performed to a standing room only crowd as part of Artown, busked on the famed Mile in Edinburgh and gave four performances in the historic Church Hill Theatre. But most importantly, they learned that problem solving can be uncomfortable, that grit and determination are priceless, that supporting and honoring your team is paramount, that being part of a team is a rich and rewarding experience that also demands patience and tolerance, that voicing and sharing your passion inspires others, and that when you dream big and dare to be bold, amazing things can happen.

As it turns out, that sombrero fit in the overhead bin -- with a little room to spare.

-rm

Cam's Less

ons from th

e Road to E

d

inburgh 1. Trust. Trust your idea. Th ink it throug Sunday to m h 50 ways fr ake sure th om at it sticks, b that it will w ut have the ork. faith 2. Collabora te. Share yo ur vision wit and trust. E h those you mbrace the admire ir passion, ta tion. Conne le nts and ded cting make s you strong icaer.

3. Delegate . Empower others to do technicians more. Enga to help imp ge lement you one says “h r ideas. Wh ow can I he en somelp?” have a Get your te n answer fo am working r them. !

4. Release.

Let go if som ething is fee Change th ling forced. e date. Pla n a new ev foundation e n t. for support.

Pick a diffe rent If an idea is it and crea not working te a new o , dump ne.

5. Gratitude . Stay humb le and grate say thank y ful. Remem ou. Say it e ber to very time so time. And m m e one helps. ean it. They Every will believe others belie you. When ving in you y o a u nd feeling c idea, every onnected to get thing has a way of com your ing togethe r.

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