FALL
Patterns
2012
The Magazine of St. Martin’s Episcopal School
21st Century Education New campus dedication • Teachers’ summer education • Alumni News • Voices
Save the dates for Grandparents’ Days!
Early Childhood Grandparents’ Day Chapel, November 20 9:15 - Registration 9:30 - Chapel Service Begins 10:00 - Reception and Program following in Gable Hall, light breakfast will be served
Elementary School Grandparents’ Day, November 21 9:00 - Registration and Breakfast Reception 9:30 - Program 10:30 - Dismissal and opportunity to shop at the Book Fair
Please contact Tina Haas for more information at (404) 228-0711 or thaas@stmartinschool.org.
Patterns Editor Christina Mimms Director of Communications
Contributors The Rev. Dr. James Hamner IV Blythe Marsau Dr. Mary McPherson Kathleen Pease Printing: Brandon’s Printing Photography: Mark Adams Christina Mimms Robin Nelson Administration The Rev. Dr. James E. Hamner IV Headmaster Cindy Alexander Principal, Early Childhood Dr. Mary McPherson Principal, Elementary School James “Skeeter” Lee Principal, Middle School
The Rev. Dr. John McCard Church Rector Patterns is published quarterly by St. Martin’s Episcopal School. Please direct any letters, comments or news items to: St. Martin’s Episcopal School 3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Rd. Atlanta, GA 30319 Attn: Christina Mimms (404) 237-4260 www.stmartinschool.org cmimms@stmartinschool.org
Mission Statement : St. Martin’s Episcopal School is dedicated to providing a quality education of the whole person in a loving, Christian atmosphere, which fosters lifelong learning.
contents
FALL
2012
departments
2 3 6 13 16 8
letters
From the Headmaster and the Editor seen & heard
News and happenings in the school community in class
Learn, do, teach, inspire: Teachers gain insight at conference class notes
News from SMES alumni
voices
A life-saving gift
features f e at u r e
21st Century Education
letters from the headmaster Our school year started with our grand and festive celebrations showcasing the completion of our new Middle School building and the extensive renovations to our existing facilities. This was an historic and transformative moment in the life of our school, one made possible by the generosity and commitment of so many persons. Enjoy reading about these activities in this edition of Patterns as well as seeing our online photos and reading construction stories on our Web site. This past summer, our faculty and administration read several books and articles on 21st Century learning, a broad topic which covers everything from the use of technology in learning and teaching to inspiring and modeling innovative learning in the classroom. We are spending a good deal of time this year in conversation with one another about these important topics as well as in discuss-
from the editor Welcome to the new Patterns! We have a great new look for our now-quarterly magazine, as well as several new sections inside: • Seen & Heard contains short news stories and coverage of campus events. • In Class highlights our academic side, with a short feature about faculty or a spotlight on a particular class or methodology. • Class Notes have a new look. Check here for all our great alumni news. On the very last page of the magazine, you will find Voices, which is a meaningful piece contributed by a faculty member, an alumna or alumnus, or possibly a student. This first one brought tears to my eyes, and I hope our
2
Fall 2012
ing these themes with other independent schools regionally and nationwide. During this school year, we will discuss and showcase how such themes are affecting our life at St. Martin’s. We are blessed with skilled, experienced teachers whose infectious love of learning drives their own professional development as well as catalyzing the learning of our students. Our increasingly complex and globalized world will require much of the next generations, both in knowledge and wisdom. We want our students to be very well prepared for the next stages of their educational journey, both to high school and beyond. SMES remains deeply committed to helping create young persons of intelligence, character, spiritual awareness and understanding. I look forward to seeing you on campus this fall at our many activities and events. I thank you for your interest and support of our school which makes it a special environment to live and work in.
readers will enjoy it as much. At the very least, I think you will say “Wow.” Each issue also will have at least one feature story about our school, teachers, students or a subject important to our community. Redesigning the magazine now made perfect sense, going along with everything else new and different at our school this year. I want to thank my colleagues Suzanne Ford, Blythe Marsau, Elizabeth Oswald and Susan Potenza for serving on our magazine redesign committee and contributing their great ideas to the process. Enjoy our new look and our new content, and feel free to send me your thoughts or ideas for articles or other news you would like to see in our magazine.
= st. martin’s episcopal school
seen&heard SMES dedicates new campus What started as a dream a number of years ago finally became reality when St. Martin’s joyfully opened its new Middle School building and newly renovated campus on August 22. Long in need of more space to better support student learning and extracurricular activities, the enhancements on campus positively affect every single student, from their science classes to technology classes to lunch and even recess. The dedication ceremony included remarks, prayers and recognitions from Headmaster the Rev. Dr. James Hamner, immediate past Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Jodie Guest, Bishop of Atlanta the Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, Chaplain Edith Woodling, Church Rector the Rev. Dr. John McCard, and Capital Campaign Chairs Mark and Christy Roberts. The event was well attended by parents, faculty, administrators, trustees, church vestry members, former teachers and alumni parents. With great excitement, the ribbon was cut and visitors toured the new building and campus. Many “wows” could also be heard as parents visited the new science labs, the renovated library and even the new Commons, which can now hold 200 students at one time. A separate dedication event for the students was held on Friday, August 24. All students and teachers received blue T-shirts with the rendering of the new school facade on the back. Dr. Guest and Mr. and Mrs. Roberts also addressed the students, thanking students’ families for their support and speaking on the importance of philanthropy. Dr. Hamner, Dr. Guest and Mr. and Mrs. Roberts also visited Early Childhood students to welcome them to a new school year and to the new spaces. Welcome home, Warriors!
Dr. McCard, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, Dr. Guest, Bishop Alexander and Dr. Hamner cut the ribbon to open the new campus.
Top: Bishop Alexander gives a blessing to the new campus. Middle: The Nama family outside the newly renamed Mary Ann Nama Administrative Suite, in recognition of her 35+ years of service to the school. Bottom: Students pray at the August 24 assembly. patterns
= Fall 2012
3
SMES hosts singer Trace Adkins for national TV project St. Martin’s was honored to host well-known country singer/songwriter Trace Adkins, along with Karen Harris, founder and president of Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta, for a special presentation about children and allergies.
SMES hosts boarding school forum for 8th grade St. Martin’s held its first-ever Boarding School Forum for 8th graders and their parents on Sept. 7. Representatives from nine Southeastern boarding schools such as Baylor School, Darlington School and the Asheville School participated in a panel discussion and Q&A session, then allowed students and parents to visit their displays for more information. The event was organized by Director of High School Placement Jan Swoope and is expected to become an annual event.
Welcome to the city of Brookhaven St. Martin’s may soon be known as a school in the city of Brookhaven, as plans are proceeding for Brookhaven to become a city on Dec. 17. Gov. Nathan Deal formed the Brookhaven Commission earlier this fall, and St. Martin’s has hosted the commission meetings. Commission members have much work to complete before the Nov. 6 elections of a mayor and city council representatives, where SMES families might see some familiar faces. Former SMES parent Rebecca Chase Williams and current parent Bridget O’Donnell seek city council seats in the election.
4
Fall 2012
Harris is a parent of a young child with severe food allergies, as is Adkins. His family does a lot of outreach work with food allergy organizations. Food Allergy Kids of Atlanta is a local nonprofit organization that supports parents of food allergic children and also serves as advocates in the community. Harris frequently holds educational presentations in schools. Harris was recognized by Adkins for his latest project, a TV show on the GAC network called “Great American Heroes.” On his most recent tour, which included a stop in Atlanta last May, Adkins made time to meet local “heroes,” aka “ordinary people who do extraordinary things.” The Atlanta episode of “Great American Heroes,” which was partially filmed at St. Martin’s, aired on the GAC channel on Sept. 12. The show featured SMES Pre-K teacher Sarah Knight giving Adkins a “shot” with an Epipen tester, and Adkins and Harris chatting with Pat England’s 4th grade class (now 5th graders, photo at left).
8th grader enjoys summer leadership program Eighth grader Jack Randolph had the opportunity to walk the same school halls as his great-grandfather this past summer. He spent two weeks at the McCallie School in Chattanooga (where his great-granddad was a class of 1938 graduate) as part of the Character and Leader Community Program. The program is offered to 8th and 9th grade boys with a demonstrated talent for leadership and concerns about community issues. Jack lived in the dorm with two roommates and also met students from all over the U.S. and other countries. Their counselors were current McCallie students. After daily breakfast in the dining hall, students participated in a meeting about leadership and then took part in different activities, such as hiking, rafting or other on-campus activities. Students also had to write a paper. “The best part was making new friends and being with different people,” Jack said. He has kept up with many of his new McCallie friends and is considering applying there for high school. McCallie serves about 900 boys in its boarding and day programs.
= st. martin’s episcopal school
seen & heard
7th graders qualify for Duke TIP In the annual Duke University Talent Identification Program, 39 SMES 7th graders qualified, based on their ERB test scores. Students must score in the 95th percentile or higher on standardized tests to qualify. These students are invited to take either the ACT or SAT test. Congratulations! Charlie Albert Kimberly Amacher Jake Anderson Watson Coker Anna Crofton Katie Crofton Paul Danner Diane DeLany Paige Demba Joey Ferguson Davis Hatcher Charlie Henning Charlotte Hermann Kaitlyn Hoad Alyssa Holmes Eleanor Hopkins Gabi Johnson Erika Kaivani Ashlyn Kelly Weldon Kolker Canon Lynch Brady Mast Matt Morris Coleman Murphy Landyn Murphy Charlie Nicholson Knox Pittman Ansley Reese Molly Richardson Marin Shaw Maggie Sjostrom Lindsay Smoak Kate Snyder Julia Steck Phillip Thornton Sarah Van Duser Evelyn Vaughn Kathleen Weber
3rd graders get fit with Atlanta Falcons St. Martin’s welcomed the Atlanta Falcons Gatorade Junior Training Camp on Oct. 2 for an athletic program with Falcons players and staff and the 3rd grade. Players Garrett Reynolds, Travian Robertson, Robert McClain, Pat Schiller, Robert James, Jonathan Massaquoi, Lamar Holmes, Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith and Terrence Johnson put the students through five drill stations. The stations were somewhat similar to real NFL drills, including a quarterback station, a running back station, an obstacle course and a quarterback-running back setup. “My favorite part is just to be with the kids and do real drills from practice with them,” said Travian Robertson. “It’s always fun to get out in the community and work with kids,” said Jacquizz Rodgers. “The best part of the day was seeing the kids’ faces just beaming,” said P.E. teacher Ellen Kufel. “The equipment was top-notch, the Falcons staff were organized and the players were amazing. The event exceeded all my expectations for a fun day of fitness.” The Falcons Gatorade Junior Training Camp is a community program geared toward 3rd-5th graders that teaches the importance of proper football technique and promotes safe, physical activity. The camps visit schools and youth centers throughout the school year.
Mission trip takes teacher to Nicaragua While most families were packing up for summer vacations at the beach or other exciting destinations, Beginners teacher Mary Ann McCormick, her husband Kevin and daughter Ellie were on their way to Nicaragua to volunteer for a week with Amigos for Christ. They met up with their older daughter Caitlin (far left in photo above), who has lived and worked there since graduating from college. She helped the women in the villages to start a business making beaded jewelry from recycled materials. The McCormicks worked in the local orphanage and in several villages, performing tasks such as digging ditches for a water pipeline, collecting chickens and doing other manual labor. They slept in bunk beds in cinder-block barracks, took cold showers and enjoyed mostly beans and rice for meals. They did pack peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from home. Every night, the volunteers came together for a devotional with prayers and music. “The best part was being with Caitlin and seeing how she has lived there and meeting the people she works with,” McCormick said. “Also, the children there are so happy and free. But there is no break from the heat.”
patterns
= Fall 2012
5
“They don’t just tell you about things,” said sharry shepard. “You do the activity yourself.”
6
Fall 2012
= st. martin’s episcopal school
in class Faculty Profile:
Learn, do, teach, inspire By Christina Mimms, Editor
Teachers from three divisions go back to school for new inspirations. 50 years. 450 schools. Dana Hall School. Wellesley, Mass. And St. Martin’s Episcopal School. When St. Martin’s teachers Sharry Shepard, Wade Hanse and Alan Shafir arrived in Wellesley this past summer for the annual Math & Science Teacher Workshop at Dana Hall School, they weren’t quite sure what to expect. They knew that the dormitory at the 131-year-old all girls boarding and day school would serve as home for the week. (Shafir and Hanse even chose to room together.) They knew the food would not be as good as that of Sage Dining Services at SMES. And they knew that they knew very little about each other. Middle School science teacher Shafir, 5th grade teacher Shepard and thenEarly Childhood science assistant Hanse rarely, if ever, crossed paths. By the end of the week-long seminar, though, the three became good friends, mingled with colleagues from across the country, soaked up all the charm of the small New England town and, more importantly, stepped away with exciting new ideas for their classes. With two morning sessions, lunch on campus, an afternoon session, dinner and an evening session, the conference was jampacked with activity. For Hanse as the new Elementary School science teacher, the seminar was crucial. “After the Dana Hall program, any anxiety I had turned to excitement. I got so many different ideas and practiced gradeappropriate ways to teach different topics.
Alan and I talked a lot about ways I can introduce subjects in Elementary School and then he can take them to a more advanced level in Middle School.” The teachers participated in numerous interactive and hands-on lessons in their allday sessions. Critical thinking methods played a key role in the experiments. “It’s a questionbased approach instead of an assignmentbased approach,” Hanse explained. “It’s not just a teacher saying ‘Do this’ but ‘How do you...’ or ‘Can you...”. “Everything is goal oriented,” Shafir added. “We want students to discover and find their passion.” Shepard participated in the math teacher program with about 100 other teachers, with whom she really enjoyed collaborating. “The interaction was the best part,” she said. “We learned lots of new math activities from some wonderful instructors. And they don’t just tell you about things, you do the activity yourself.” In a very useful session, the teachers discussed their favorite classroom iPad apps. Shepard, who just received her school iPad last year, was able to download their suggestions on the spot. Each participant also received a large notebook with information about trends, samples of math games and other classroom activities. And while the three were happy to leave dorm life behind, they were ecstatic to come home with new ideas for teaching, new ways to inspire their students and new methods to develop their lifelong skills.
Top: Wade Hanse and Alan Shafir use a displacement method to calculate the weight of a liter of air. Bottom: The science teachers after completing a study on the New England coast.
patterns
= Fall 2012
7
feature
21st Century
Education By Dr. Mary McPherson & Blythe Marsau
Preparing students for a successful future in a global environment requires skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication and more.
E Above: Second grader Isabella Halkos and Kindergartener Eva McLaren enjoy time as reading buddies in collaborative learning.
8
Fall 2012
ighth graders watch in anticipation as the REM bot they have worked hard to build and program makes its way through a maze. The questions race through their minds ... will it make it through without touching lines, what can I fine tune in the programming to make it better, should it turn at a 90 degree angle, are we ready to move to maze number two? These are the types of critical questions SMES students are learning to work through and develop answers or solutions for — 8th graders working to solve these types of engineering problems and meeting a deadline to prove their solutions. Each grade level builds upon the crucial skills that are being applied in the 8th grade Robotics example above. This is just one example of how education has changed over the years. The world changes constantly, and students today will live a different social and work environment than many of their parents. With this change in the environment comes a different approach to teaching and learning. In the last few years, a great deal of attention has
= st. martin’s episcopal school
been paid to the teaching of 21st Century skills. What is becoming clearer as children grow up and graduate from high school and college is that they are competing not with their own American peers for jobs, but with well educated young people from around the world. As author Tony Wagner explains in his book “The Global Achievement Gap,” the shift to a global work environment has created a very different social and work reality for students, and education must respond to those changes so that students can continue to compete and be productive in this 21st Century environment.
The 4 Cs
The skills that fall under the umbrella of 21st Century learning are critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, effective oral and written communication, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity. In reading the literature on 21st Century skills and learning over the last five years, it became apparent that the skills highlighted are really not new and can actually be distilled down
into a much more concise list which are called the Four Cs: collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. These are skills that have always been important in education; they just were not the top priority. Twenty-first Century theorists and educators do argue that the overemphasis of these skills could potentially lead to a neglect of the teaching of core content. St. Martin’s strives to maintain a balance in instruction between teaching 21st Century skills while arming students with the crucial content they will need to apply those skills. The shift in focusing on 21st Century skills/learning has taken place in response to a change in the American economy from a manufacturing and agricultural system to one that is mostly based on intellectual commodities. Historically, American education was based on hard skills such as the act of doing reading, writing and arithmetic, and the emphasis on students being able to routinely follow a process without the understanding behind the process. Now the emphasis is on intellectual and creative abilities, which means young people must
have the ability to think critically about situations, develop multiple solutions and effectively present those in an oral and written form. St. Martin’s faculty and administration have been on the forefront of integrating 21st Century learning in the classroom as well as throughout extracurricular activities. It is an ongoing conversation in full faculty, division and grade level meetings so that teachers can share how they are meeting the needs of students so that they will be productive citizens as they continue to grow and develop into active young men and women. In addition to the four Cs, St. Martin’s adds an important fifth “C” of character development and citizenship. In a world that is significantly global in nature and with research pointing out that today’s generation of students will be much more socially minded than previous generations, it is crucial that students learn to take care of each other and the world. Gone are the days when the focus on the individual was of utmost importance. Pat Bassett, president of the National Association of Independent Schools, agrees with adding character but he
The Cs of 21st Century Learning Collaboration Communication Creativity Critical thinking Character
patterns
= Fall 2012
9
Above left, 4th grade science students test how many metal washers their newspaper bridge can support in a study of weights. Above right, Middle School Spanish teacher Thais Diaz demonstrates singular, plural, male and female nouns with a group of students.
goes even further in adding “cosmopolitanism,” which is instilling in students the skills and understanding to live and work in a global society.
Character: The fifth ‘C’
At St. Martin’s, developing students of character is a key component within the school’s belief system. Character is reinforced throughout a student’s time at St. Martin’s, from Elizabeth Barton’s guidance classes where students are learning to be “bucket fillers” as they practice kindness toward one another to Christina Johnson’s guidance classes and Patti
Pitoscia’s leadership classes, where the importance of being a person of character is woven throughout the program’s curriculum. The ability to empathize with others and understand another’s perspective is critical. Students hear these words in chapel and in their religion classes weekly as well. SMES is a school community that worships together in chapel, as this provides the foundation upon which students’ spiritual growth and character develops. Another program that builds on the character “C” is the buddy pro-
Sixth and 7th grade students worship alongside 1st and 3rd graders in chapel.
10
Fall 2012
= st. martin’s episcopal school
gram, one of St. Martin’s oldest and most treasured endeavors. It crosses all grade levels and divisions and truly teaches students to care for one another and to be role models and leaders. Teachers create collaborative opportunities for students of different grades to work with each other either through reading, writing, science, chapel or math. The buddy program allows older students to act as mentors to younger students and helps build those critical skills of being a leader and taking care of one another. “The older students feel empowered to be helping the younger students, and the younger students feel more connected,” said Early Childhood Principal Cindy Alexander. “The buddy program makes St. Martin’s feel like a family school.” The newest buddy program was implemented last year as teachers realized that 6th graders would be a perfect match for 1st graders as they learned the routines of Elementary and Middle School chapel services. This year 7th graders were paired with 3rd graders and the school continued fostering the collaboration and mentorship of the 5th graders by the 8th graders. St. Martin’s configuration as a 3-year-old through 8th grade school allows for a more authentic collaborative environment among students. This collaborative learning space starts and expands in each teacher’s classroom as students learn how to work together to
feature
come to solutions of problems that have been presented in class.
‘C’ them in action
The Early Childhood science lab also provides a wonderful illustration of a collaborative learning space. Young scientists use some combination of the four Cs every week in their science classes. As one class discovers, through trial and error, how to maximize the soda blast when adding a Mentos mint to a bottle of soda, another class climbs into the “bat cave” with tiny bats hanging from the ceiling to understand a bat’s habitat. Teacher Elizabeth Beckwith leads learning in her classroom with hands-on activities each week, which allows for collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication, often all in one lesson. The same is true in the Elementary science lab, where teacher Wade Hanse offers more challenges to his students. “Critical thinking is the gear system that drives imagination into scientific practice,” he said. “The Elementary lab and its activities are designed to challenge students to problem solve and to work together. If we can turn the competitive nature of early education into more of an atmosphere of collaboration, I feel that students will be better prepared for the demands of life after academia.” Some of the ES science activities have included: 2nd grade Mars rover designs, 3rd grade tower builds, and 4th and 5th grade newspaper bridge projects. These activities allowed students to work as a team and use their problem-solving skills. “I was pleased with the way the students took to their fabrications with such enthusiasm,” Hanse said. “I felt that these activities would jump start their critical thinking, and I was really impressed by them.”
Kindergarten journals highlight ‘C’ skills How do Kindergarteners take part in 21st Century learning? For students who are still learning how to read, write and even tie shoes, it seems like a lofty aspiration. But really, they do it each day as they work in small groups or centers (collaborate and communicate), draw pictures to accompany words they are learning (creativity), use critical thinking skills to solve a problem and build character through guidance class and other classroom activities. They may not realize all that they are learning when they are working on different classroom projects, but it is a goal of Early Childhood to start instilling the “C” skills that students will need later in their academic careers, and in life. Kindergarten teacher Shauna Finch came back from the summer National Kindergarten Teacher Conference with a host of ideas for her classroom. The 14 sessions she attended included “7 Brain-Friendly Ways to Engage Kindergarteners,” “An Eclectic Approach to Promoting Handwriting Skills,” “Games That Build Critical Thinking” and “Engaging Journal Activities for Boosting Kindergarteners’ Writing Skills.”
“My favorites were the handwriting session and the journaling activities,” Finch said. “The instructors gave such valuable insight.” Most of the instructors were veteran teachers, occupational therapists or other educational experts. Finch is already incorporating her newfound activities in her classroom. Students are doing a variety of journaling projects to help them with sight words and color words. Journals exemplify many of the “C” skills. For example, students have a “flip book” with a different color on each page. They draw a picture of an object that matches the color, such as a red apple or a blue fish. With journals, students have an opportunity to be creative as well as think critically. Other journals require students to collect objects to place in Ziploc bags inside their journals. The objects accompany the words or the lesson in the journal. Students will also have the opportunity to take their journals home. “Sharing their journals with their families then makes it an interactive activity for parents,” Finch said. — Christina Mimms
Technology: A ‘C’ partner
St. Martin’s has been a leader in technology integration for many years and to deny that technology has a profound
Judson DiVenere and Jacob Dorris check a color chart for objects for their color journals. patterns
= Fall 2012
11
feature
Play + passion + purpose = a goal for each student, from 3 years old to 8th grade
effect on student learning and potential productivity in society would be naive. St. Martin’s faculty have worked tirelessly to provide instruction to students in the best way to use technology to promote 21st Century learning. The school’s focus on technology education has always been to teach students how to use technology to educate themselves. The best way to do that is to integrate technology into the curriculum and not to teach it as a separate subject. Teachers openly encourage students to use technology as a collaborative tool with their teachers and each other. It is also an invaluable communication tool with email and message boards. One of the most useful technology innovations over the last several years is Google Docs. Google Docs is being used with students in 4th-8th grades as a collaborative tool as they are able to work on documents, spreadsheets, presentations and drawings in real time. It is phenomenal to be working on a document and see someone else adding to that document at the same time, all with automatic changes and the ability to share it with anyone at any time. This advancement is a long way from emailing attachments and hoping the correct version makes it to the final! This year, students in 4th-8th grades
12
Winter 2012
also have received @stmartinschool.org email addresses that allow them to email their teachers and each other if needed for group projects. Email and the use of Google Docs are helping students’ organizational skills and providing a better connection between schoolwork and homework. Seventh grader Sarah Van Duser is using Google Docs not just for homework assignments but also to confer with The Shield advisors on her newspaper articles. She has used her SMES email to contact her teachers with homework questions as well. “I think it’s better because we can contact other people and send stuff to them,” she said. “It’s faster and more productive.” The teaching of 21st Century skills goes well beyond the core subjects of language arts, math, science and social studies. The school encourages parents to spend time in co-curricular classes where participants will be inundated with remarkable lessons which incorporate creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. Just visit a 4th grade Speech and Drama class, where the students perform a skit that they wrote in front of a live audience. The confidence with which they speak
= st. martin’s episcopal school
and the collaborative effort that went into creating the skit are apparent. Or sing with the Elementary School Chorus and feel the spirit which comes through in the song and movement taking place in the classroom. Follow Thais Diaz’s or Shirley Carroll’s Middle School Foreign Language classes where the app Puppet Pals HD is being used to create incredible stories using the language of French or Spanish to stretch the bounds of their understanding and application of a foreign language. At St. Martin’s, 21st Century learning is woven seamlessly throughout the curriculum and is an everyday part of the education process. In fact, the school considers these “five” Cs not 21st Century skills, but life skills. These are skills that students needed to be productive citizens in 1959 when the school opened its preschool and they are just as important in 2012. St. Martin’s takes pride in providing an environment which allows students to, as Tony Wagner describes in his book “Creating Innovators,” turn play into passion, which sets the stage for purpose as they enter high school and college. St. Martin’s is dedicated to instilling in students these 21st Century “life” skills. Students will turn play into passion and later turn passion into purpose. To view a video of the robotics class, please scan the QR code with your smartphone.
class notes Crane MetaMarketing Ltd. in Alpharetta. She is a graduate of Woodward Academy and Elon University. Mary and her husband Jonathan recently purchased a home in Atlanta. Kate Barney is working at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a high-end restaurant in New York, located on Rockefeller property in Tarrytown. She went to graduate school in Italy and earned a degree in gastronomic sciences.
1999 Laura Fortuna works for the Will Barney ’95 married Caroline Ross at The Home Ranch in Steamboat Springs, Colo., on June 9, 2012. They live in Chicago, where Will is an equity derivatives trader.
1996 Betsy Martin Turner was or-
dained as Pastor of Tallapoosa Presbyterian Church on Oct. 7.
1997 Mary Sessions Newman has
relocated from Tennessee to Georgia, where she is working as a program manager for
International Rescue Committee, an international relief and development organization with operations in 40 countries. She lives in New York.
2000 Claire Boozer is in graduate
school at George Washington University for a Master’s in public health. She also has an internship at Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. She graduated from University of Georgia and Marist.
2002 Amanda McDowell is in law
school at the University of Georgia. She graduated from Georgia Tech and Marist.
2003
Mary Evelyn Gray ’03, traveled to Yosemite National Park over the summer.
Mike Jeffers graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in June. He received a B.S. and a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer’s 3rd
Mate license. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and is training in the Army Flight School at Ft. Rucker, Ala. He will be in the Special Operations Aviation Regiment (known as SOAR). “We thought it appropriate that you know of Mike’s success because SMES was a big part of it ... especially the ‘extra attention’ offered by Miss P on occasion!” said Don & Christa Jeffers in a letter to the school. “Proud hardly covers it, but we are.” Jamie Germano graduated in December 2011 from Colgate University. He played four years of varsity football as offensive guard and started 22 straight games. He also was selected to First Team All-Patriot League. He is now employed by GRI USA, a medical manufacturing firm with facilities in the U.S., China and Europe.
2004 Caitlin Heaton was inducted
Kip Thompson ’03 was featured in an advertisement for the Emory University Winship Cancer Institute’s 5K run in October.
2008 At her graduation from Pace
Academy, Hannah Hoff received the Frank D. Kaley Award, which is Pace’s highest award, given in honor of the school’s first headmaster. This award is presented to two senior students who, throughout their high school careers at Pace, have exhibited outstanding achievement in all areas of school life. She also received the Career Contribution to the
into the University of Georgia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award for History, awarded by the Dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences to the student with the highest grade point average and commitment to the university, at the Presidential Honors Ceremony. She graduated summa cum laude from UGA in May and started Wake Forest University Hannah Hoff ’08 with Pace headmaster Fred law school this fall. Assaf (left) and members of the Kaley family.
patterns
= Fall 2012
13
class notes
of William & Mary, where she recently pledged Chi Omega. At Marist’s graduation in May, Lauren Buss received the Sedes Sapientiae Award, which is the school’s highest honor. It is given by a faculty Class of 2008 alumnae and new University vote to the senior exof Alabama freshmen Katie Oates, Morgan celling in scholarship, Waikel, Haley Smith and Taylor Armstrong. loyalty and service Morgan was recently was initiated into and who epitomizes Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Haley pledged the Marist values. Lauren received the Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Katie and Guidon Award for Taylor pledged Kappa Delta. serving as yearbook editor and an award Arts Award, which is awarded for the National to seniors who have particiSpanish exam. She also was pated in a minimum of eight a National Merit Scholar. She extracurricular programs or is attending the University of productions sponsored by the Georgia, where she pledged Visual and Performing Arts Chi Omega this fall. Department, and who have participated in these activities Patrick Corbett graduated during each of their senior from Pace Academy and is years. She also was a member attending the University of of the Cum Laude Society, the Virginia. He was a member of National Honor Society and the Cum Laude Society, the the Orkin Scholars Society. National Honor Society and Hannah and her family took the Orkin Scholars Society. a trip to France over the sumHe received the Daughters mer. She attends the College of the American Revolution Citizenship Award, which is presented to the Pace senior who best exemplifies the highest ideals of individual responsibility. Consideration Please send your is given to honor, service, leadership and patriotism news and updates to while setting a standard of alumni@stmartinschool.org academic strength. He also Photos also welcome! received the Charlie Owen Pace Academy Letter Blanket, which is awarded to seniors Visit our Alumni pages online who have earned either four at www.stmartinschool.org letters in a single competitive activity or six letters in a and on Facebook and Twitter! combination of competitive activities. He played varsity football and tennis.
Keep in touch!
14
Fall 2012
= st. martin’s episcopal school
Morgan Waikel was named to the 2012 AllAcademic Team by the Georgia chapter of U.S. Lacrosse. She played defense for St. Pius. She attends University of Alabama, where she recently was initiated into Alpha Delta Pi. Liam Green graduated from Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio on June 3. He received the Charles B. Bolton Award, the highest honor given to a graduating senior. The award is presented Liam Green ’08 spoke at his graduation to the student whose from Hawken School in Ohio. actions, behavior and achievements best exemplify the school motto “that each generation introduce its successor Katherine Baumstark to a higher plane of life.” The attends Marist. She is a memrecipient is chosen by the facber of the National Honor Soulty of the school. Liam was ciety, Spanish National Honor also chosen by his peers to Society and the National speak at graduation. Liam was Charity League. She is captain a captain of Hawken’s football of the varsity football cheerand baseball teams. He is atleading squad and served as a tending Tulane University. school retreat leader. She also is active in YoungLife. Sarah Johnson attends University of Georgia, where she Kate Hults attends Marist, recently pledged Chi Omega. where she co-founded a chapter of GirlTalk, which is program for high school girls to mentor middle school girls. She is taking AP English this year and is looking at colleges in Southeast and Texas.
2009
Olivia Haas ’10 tours Alquezar, Spain. She is spending this school year in Spain.
At the fall academic honors program at Marist, seniors Eric Erwood and John Stathis were recognized for making the dean’s list. Anna Akins, Katherine Baumstark, Victor Corrigan, Jack Croft, Andy Culley, Grant Harrell, Kate Hults and Maria Rubiano made the honor roll.
2010 Olivia Haas is spending this year in Zara-
Patti Pitoscia takes lead of alumni relations
goza, Spain with the School Year Abroad program. She is living with a Spanish host family and going to school with approximately 65 other American students. All of her classes are taught in Spanish, except for English and Math. She attends Westminster. St. Pius players Blaine Boaz and Jennifer Leib, both ’10, with their AAA state championship tennis trophy.
Brendan Phillips competed for Marist on “High Q,” the high school quiz bowl program on WSB TV. He is on the honor roll.
David Marsau was recognized in the Reporter Newspapers’ high school football preview. He plays offensive line and defensive end for St. Pius’ varsity team.
Marist students Emily Britt and Mary Helen Kelly are on the dean’s list. Kirstie Caverhill, Kendall Chadwick, Elizabeth Kelly, Jack Larkin and Carole Ann Morris are on the honor roll.
John Stathis received the University of Pennsylvania book award at Marist’s academic honors program. The award is given to a student who is enrolled in advanced math and three additional AP classes and ranks in the top five percent of the class. The student also must be a recognized leader in one or more other areas of school life, and must demonstrate high personal and academic integrity and be highly respected by peers and faculty.
Jack Larkin helped the Marist golf team win the AAAA state championship in May. He shot a team-low round of 72. He was featured as the Athlete of the Week in the Neighbor Newspapers in May. St. Pius students Dave DeLany and Emma Duke received bronze medals for their achievement on the 2012 National Spanish exam. Blaine Boaz was featured as the Athlete of the Week in the Neighbor Newspapers in May. She is on the St. Pius varsity tennis team, which won the AAA state championship last spring. Camilla Grayson plays varsity volleyball at Lovett. She made straight As in her classes last year and also received the Athlete of the Year award.
2011 Julia Beck plays basket-
ball at Pace. She is one of Alumni William Boor ’10, Julia Beck ’11, Kate Hults ’09 and Davis two sophomores on the Price ’09 spoke at the 6th grade parent luncheon on Oct. 12. Pace newspaper staff.
St. Martin’s is delighted to announce that “Miss P” has moved to a new position at school as Alumni Coordinator. She will be responsible for working on alumni events, managing alumni contact information, gathering alumni news and corresponding with alumni. Pitoscia also plans to get alumni more involved with current SMES programs such as the Golf Tournament and Tennis Round Robin. In the future, she hopes to develop alumni athletic events and a speaker series, and may plan SMES alumni events at different college campuses. Pitoscia continues her work as Dean of Students for St. Martin’s, but has “retired” as Athletic Director. She started at SMES in 1987 as P.E. teacher and launched the athletic program in 1992. She coached just about every sport at one time or another, and was a founding member of the Metro Atlanta Athletic Conference, in which SMES sports teams compete. Since the founding in 2006, 21 SMES teams have won the conference championships. “I’m excited about reconnecting with the alumni and reconnecting them with St. Martin’s,” Pitoscia said. “I look forward to them rejoining us as parents in the future, and tapping into their adult skills.” Pitoscia’s office is in the new Middle School building. Contact her at (404) 228-0717 or ppitoscia@stmartin school. org.
voices
kathleen pease, 5th grade teacher “What did you do this summer?” As I returned from summer break and greeted my St. Martin’s family, I listened to others share their summer adventures, but I did not have a simple answer to this common question. The shortest response I came up with was, “Um, well, I donated a kidney to my cousin’s boyfriend in June and I spent the following weeks recovering.” I was hesitant to write a column describing my kidney donation experience. However, I didn’t want to miss the chance to share this incredible opportunity and possibly reach a member of our community who might face a similar circumstance. The story began for me in the summer of 2011. I knew that my cousin Amanda’s boyfriend Nick was very sick. He was living with polycystic kidney disease and needed a transplant. I learned that Nick’s blood type was O+ (the same as mine), and a small part of me wondered if I would be able to help him. This thought stayed in the back of my mind for months, but I never took it seriously until another friend had a kidney transplant last December. One of his nurses at Emory Hospital was the donor. As I learned about this incredible story, I immediately thought of Nick. I realized that maybe I could play a small part in giving him a chance for a healthy life. Last January, I began testing at Piedmont Transplant Institute to see if I was a match for Nick. I received the “green light” in April and we scheduled the transplant for June 22. The surgeries were successful, and within a day, Nick had the kidney function of a “normal” person. During my surgery and recovery, I was overwhelmed by the support of my family, coworkers and friends. The cards, flowers and meals were such a comfort to me. Of course, the greatest gift was knowing that Nick was on his way to living the healthy life that he missed out on for so long. People often ask, “How could you have donated to someone who is not even really in your family?” or “What if down the road, someone in your immediate family needs a kidney?” All I can say is that the facts were very clear to me: There was someone who needed a kidney now, and I was healthy enough to give him one of mine. James 2 says, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” I knew that I was being called to action and that I could help Nick in a way no one else could. The kidney transplant absolutely changed Nick’s life, but many people may not realize just how much it changed mine, too. For information about becoming a living donor, Ms. Pease is happy to answer any questions. Contact her at kpease@stmartinschool.org.
16
Fall 2012
= st. martin’s episcopal school
Welcome new faculty! St. Martin’s welcomed 22 new faculty members this year. Several new teachers were hired especially for our expanded Middle School. Elizabeth Barton – Early Childhood guidance counselor Keller Blincoe – 1st grade assistant Christie Blomeyer – 3rd grade assistant Amy Brown – Receptionist Brandon Collins – Middle School science & religion teacher Mary Daigle – 4th grade teacher Kaitlin Duffy – 2nd grade assistant Katie Grice – 2nd grade assistant Marie Jaeger – Middle School English & social studies teacher
Pearson Matthews – Kindergarten assistant Mark McDaniel – Athletic Director Elizabeth McKenzie – Beginners assistant Ahmed Najm – Middle School math, science & social studies teacher Isoline Northcutt – Pre-1st assistant Emilie Parker – Middle School English & religion teacher Whitney Pierce – Early Childhood & Elementary School religion teacher Lisa Reeves – Early Childhood science assistant Ashley Self – 2nd grade assistant Becky Stewart – Librarian Alex Thacker – 4th grade assistant Patty Walter – 1st grade assistant Maggie Yancey – Kindergarten assistant
Alumni save the dates! * Holiday Social for Classes 1994-2008 (college alumni and older) on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, 4:30-6:30 pm, on campus. * The Red & Blue Alumni Social for the Classes of 2010-2012 will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2013, 6:30-8:00 p.m. on campus. * The Senior Dinner for the Class of 2008 and their parents will be held on Sunday, April 28, 2013, 5:30-7:00 p.m. on campus. Invitations for these events will be mailed to alumni and on our Alumni Facebook page. Please make sure we have your current contact information on file.
patterns
= Fall 2012
17
St. Martin’s Episcopal School 3110-A Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30319
Fall 2012 Students have enjoyed a variety of activities and events at St. Martin’s this fall. Middle Schoolers took their annual retreat to Camp WinShape (top left), Kindergarten students visited Dr. Hamner in his office (left), 8th graders took part in the first-ever boarding school forum at SMES (bottom left), families from all divisions enjoyed the 10th Annual PTO Family Fun Run (bottom center) and Lindsey Smith hangs on to the mechanical bull at the Fall Festival (bottom right).