VOL. 7 • SPRING 2015
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CARDINAL Classroom Technology Gets a Boost By Dr. Michael Pratt, Head of School
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he faculty and I are deeply grateful for our parents’ generosity at our fabulous Gala. The Parent Gift this year was devoted to classroom technology, and our parents donated over $64,000 to fund iPads, laptops, and SMART tables for our students. A special thank you is in order to Susan Cervantes, who made the case for the impact that these tools will have on teaching and learning.
At the risk of betraying my age, I entered the teaching profession at the point of transition from the mimeograph machine to the copier. There were no laptops, iPads, smartphones, electronic boards — nothing of the sort. Universities had mainframe computers using punch cards, but computing played little role in pre-collegiate education. Some years later, I had the privilege of working on a task force that wrote
the funding guidelines for the National Endowment for the Humanities initial teaching with technology initiative. This was at a time when we were first imagining how technology could impact the classroom experience.
Fast forward twenty years, it is now hard to imagine teaching and learning without access to technology. From virtual tours of every museum in the world, to links to archival collections on every
IT’S SUMMER CAMP SEASON! By Fr. John Taylor
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erving campers in both Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Camp Stevens is located in Julian, California in the beautiful mountains of San Diego County. This year there is a special Epic two-week adventure for older and teen campers. Camp Stevens has many programs for adults as well as for families. Adult programs include Adult and Family Eastern Sierra Basecamp Backpacking (July), a young women’s backpacking weekend (August), and a Baja trek (October). Family programs include Sequoia Family Camp (July), “Hoes Down” family harvest weekend (October), and Thanksgiving Family Camp (November). Be sure to pick up a brochure in the church entryway or visit www.campstevens.org to explore all the offerings. In addition, you can learn more about Camp Stevens on You Tube! Go to youtube.com/campstevens and see a week of summer camp in action. n
imaginable topic, to computer aided design, to self-paced review and testing, technology is transforming the ways that our students learn. As our STEAM initiative evolves, fresh technology will become increasingly important. Your support ensures that St. John’s students and teachers will have the tools they need to expand the boundaries of learning.
When word first emerged of the success of the Parent Gift, several parents who were not able to attend the Gala asked if they could still participate in the gift. The answer is a resounding Yes! Simply visit the Gala website at www.stjohns-es.org/gala. Every gift to fund technology will enable the School to continue to innovate. Again, I thank you for your support in helping our school offer the strongest program possible. n
ACADEMICS/STEAM STEAM DAY 2015
On March 5, St. John’s Episcopal School students worked in teams to design and build STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) projects that integrate concepts from all educational disciplines as the culmination of weeks of study and research across subject areas. Local professional engineers along with engineering students from Crean Lutheran High School were on hand to encourage critical thinking and inspire students as they worked through the building process.
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Photo Credit: B. Keene Photography
t. John’s launched its STEAM initiative this year, which provides students with an innovative and engaging method of learning. Teaching students through this projectbased learning approach encourages students to think creatively and critically while also helping them understand the connections between different academic subjects and real-world application of those concepts. The goal is to ignite curiosity and encourage disying again tr is covery in order to develop M A E “ST ing to do y r .t students who are life-long … in a and ag me.” ti h c learners. The STEAM inia e s new thing , s tiative integrates and emo tr u — Abe Bo phasizes the disciplines it 1st Grade covers, beginning as early as the early childhood program for three-year-olds.
Students in the early childhood program through 8th Grade discovered innovative ways of problem-solving through real-life applications. Projects varied based upon the concepts studied in each grade. Kindergarten students applied their knowledge of structure and function to build traps to catch and hold leprechauns. Fourth Grade students studied forces of motion by building load-bearing rolling vehicles that could withstand various terrains. Eighth Grade students constructed rockets through a strategic approach to problem solving using the steps: ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve. After launching their rockets they then assessed their and design, identified and is a fun STEAM ond “ o t made improvements, way b am. g in g n e ur te chall and re-launched to check with yo t c s e n n our fail and co for greater distances. ugh at y la o y t a n w ter It’s fu The day concluded with er a bet d discov n zzle.” a u p a closing ceremony that your e lv o s to Grade celebrated students’ hard iller, 4th M a v A — work and praised the support of faculty and staff. n
Street Hockey Arrives at St. John’s
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hrough PE teacher Hillary Olson’s collaboration with the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation & Education) program, we are excited to announce the addition of street hockey to PE classes. The award-winning Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program was developed by the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Club in 2005 with the goal of making a positive impact with youth in local schools and hockey communities throughout Southern California. The program is designed to teach students the fundamentals of hockey, the importance of healthy and active living, positive character traits, and reward youth for their dedication of pursuing academic excellence.
Through this partnership the Ducks have donated 50 hockey sticks (right and left handed), two goals, two sets of goalie equipment (including chest protectors, legs pads, helmets, goalie gloves, and goalie sticks), and 50 no bounce hockey balls to St. John’s. Students in Grades K-5 have already begun to enjoy the new equipment and Mrs. Olson is excited to find new ways to engage students’ minds and bodies to promote a healthy way of life. n
LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
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hroughout the year, St. John’s students participate in various experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom in an effort to apply what they have learned to real-life
opportunities. Globetrekker Day took place on February 27 for 1st Grade students and the STEAM theme was titled “Our World.” Students learned about the seven continents, paying special attention to the people, animals, and landmarks of each. Our 4th Grade students travelled to Sacramento to explore many famous landmarks, such as our State Capitol and the Railroad Museum, while our 2nd Grade students visited the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles as part of their unit of study on dinosaurs. Fifth Grade students were transported back in time during the Walk Through the American Revolution program. Dressed in colonial costumes students reenacted cultural traditions and significant events of this historical period. n
Petting Zoo
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his April, the Early Childhood Division parking lot was transformed into Old McDonald’s Farm. Our little ones enjoyed hands-on interaction with adorable farm animals including sheep, chickens, and ducks. The visit was a culmination of the month-long study of farm life, ecology, and the Easter season. The STEAM approach was incorporated through farm-related literature, music, art, Earth Day studies, and science activities including planting seeds. n
PROUD TO BE A CARDINAL Creativity on Display
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ongratulations to our budding artists who took home awards in recent OC art contests. Fifth Grade students Vicki Burch, Jade Kahl, and Brooke Cressy won 2nd Place in the Muzeo’s TrashARTist Challenge in Anaheim for a castle they created in art class using only recyclable materials. Their piece was featured on display in the Muzeo Museum throughout the month of March.
Our Cardinals had an impressive showing at the recent Imaginology Youth Competition at the OC Fair, bringing home 15 blue ribbons, 18 red ribbons, 9 white ribbons, and 30 scholastic awards. Sydney Timmons and Maddie Browning won the blue ribbon and were named Division Winners (Grades 5-6) in the Upcycle It competition for their Minion piece.
Thirty St. John’s students were selected to participate in the Imagination Celebration and have their work displayed at South Coast Plaza as part of 1,000 Pieces of Art. Caden Jones received the additional honor of being selected to have his piece featured at the Festival of Arts Junior Art Exhibit over the summer. We are so proud of our students’ creativity and artistic talents! n
BYE BYE BIRDIE
Athletics Update
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ongratulations to the extraordinary cast and crew for their talented performance in Bye Bye Birdie in April!
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he track team soared at the St. Mary’s Invitational Track Meet in April! St. John’s athletes earned 65 medals for 1st through 4th places, of which 21 were 1st place medals. Two of our athletes, 4th Grade student Derek Smith and 7th Grade student Jordyn Gather, both took home first place medals in all of their events including the 100, long jump, 200, and 4x100.
Co-ed soccer is practicing hard for their playoffs on May 11 and the boys’ volleyball season is off to a great start. Be sure to come out and cheer on your Cardinals at all of our upcoming games and track meets! n
A huge thank you to Lori Aitken, Melissa Bonhall, Austen Courter, Adam Cowlin, Creative Kids Playhouse, Mollee Elniski, Suzy Hardy, Mindy Jankanish, Julie Johnson, Jade Kahl, Hannah Leisegang, Lane Lindeman, Phil Lisle, Alex Lopez, Sarah Ma, Anjali Madisetti, Taylor Magee, Lynne Murphy, Fernando Pedraza, Elizabeth Ramirez, Ernie Ramirez, Maureen Russell, Emma Scharf, Michele Sheehy-Bowren, Ramez Shohdy, Melissa Strodtbeck and all the staff, faculty, families, and friends for going above and beyond and helping to put this production together. n
Octothorpes Take 1st and 2nd Place at Sage Hill
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UPCOMING EVENTS
ongratulations to the Octothorpes for their achievements in the 5th Annual Sage Hill Mathematics Invitational. Two 8th Grade teams competed in six different math categories against various middle school teams from independent schools throughout Southern California. The Invitational was composed of an individual mental math competition and team competitions in data analysis, logic and reasoning, geometry, algebra and an engineering challenge. Thank you to Mrs. Hardy, our math club advisor, who worked closely with the students while they prepared. We are so proud of our students’ hard work and congratulate them on their accomplishments! n
w May 14: Middle Division Spring Concert 6:00 p.m. w May 20: 3rd/4th Grade Recorder
and Ukulele Concert 2:00 p.m. w May 21: Cardinal Field Day Cardinal Field Day 2015 is gearing up to be a day of spirited athleticism and fun! Join us for a day of school spirit, friendly rivalries, and exciting track and field action. See the schedule for the day at www.stjohns-es.org/cfd. w May 28: K-5 Spring Sing 6:00 p.m. w June 10: 8th Grade Commencement 5:30 p.m. in the Church w June 11: Last Day of School – Happy Summer!
St. John’s Boasts Two of the Top 25 Teachers of Orange County!
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cience teacher, Erin Kolk and math and technology teacher, Suzy Hardy have been named two of the Top 25 Teachers in Orange County by Parenting OC Magazine. This is a prestigious award given to the most dedicated teachers who go above and beyond for their students and school. We are so very proud of them! n
Giving Back to Our Community
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iving importance to the sense of community has always been a hallmark of the Middle Division program. Service learning encourages responsible citizenship and seeks to deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Eighth Grade students continued their Middle Division service learning curriculum with a trip to Santa Ana to volunteer at the Catholic Worker Organization. Students participated in groups to help with food preparation and distribution to needy individuals.
We are excited that students in our Upper Elementary Division were able to participate in meaningful service learning this year. This spring, 5th Grade students volunteered their time to support the Rancho Santa Margarita Food Pantry, which serves over 100 families and seniors in need each month. Students worked cooperatively in pairs and small groups to sort food, guide food choices, and assist people in line and to their cars.
St. John’s Cardinals are making a difference in our community through service — way to go! n
Reflections from 5th Grade
I learned: w “It feels good to help other people.” w “No matter who you are, or what you do, you can still make a difference.” w “I am incredibly lucky to have the privileges that I have.”
ST. JOHN’S COMMUNITY The 2015 Gala Masquerade Ball was Magical
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Photo Credit: B. Keene Photography
n Saturday, March 28, nearly 200 St. John’s parents gathered at the luxurious St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort for the St. John’s Gala – Masquerade Ball, our annual dinner and auction fundraiser. Guests donned beautiful masks and Venetian-style fashion, enjoying a night of camaraderie and fundraising. Guests bid on exceptional packages in both the Silent and Live Auctions, bidding to win items from trips to Acapulco and Maui to VIP access to sporting events and concerts. The event was highlighted by a series of special performances. Music teachers Madyson Boyd and Austen Courter performed a moving duet of Phantom of the Opera that set the tone for the evening. Members of the Arthur Murray dance studio turned up the heat with an exciting dance number, followed by
Thanks
portion of the event supported technology in the classroom to further enhance St. John’s STEAM initiative and will be used to purchase a SMART table for the ECC, iPads for Elementary classrooms, and laptops for the Middle Division.
a surprise swing dance from St. John’s Head of School, Dr. Michael Pratt. An interactive SMART table was on display to demonstrate how technology can be used in the classroom to impact and motivate student learning. A special
Your Support Makes a Difference!
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huge thank you to all our families who donated to the 2015 Gala Parent Gift and contributed in the 100 Yard Dash. Through your support we raised nearly $71,562 to go towards our Technology and Athletics programs! n
ST. JOHNS GALA
The night also featured an Opportunity Drawing where one lucky winner took home a stunning, 18k white gold pendent necklace donated by the Hassine Family and Nuggets and Carats. As the evening progressed, guests danced and sang to music provided by DJ Omar Khan.
The evening was a great success and raised over $225,000 for St. John’s. A special thank you goes out to everyone who came out and enjoyed the event in support of St. John’s and to Jackie Abdi, Event Chair, and the entire Gala Committee for coordinating this spectacular night. n
ST. JOHN’S SUPERSTARS
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rawn to the ocean since the age of two, 8th grade student and St. John’s “lifer” Bailey Kotez, like most Orange County kids, enjoys all that our coastline has to offer. Snorkeling at age 6 and body boarding at 11 meant many carefree days spent exploring the beauty and freedom of the ocean, but it was the gift of a GoPro camera for a trip to Hawaii in 2013 that changed the game for this young student.
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nyone who knows 7th Grade student Isabela Barrera knows her to be a dedicated student, a kind and loyal friend, and a committed representative for her classmates as a member of St. John’s Student Council. However, most may not know that she is also headed to New Orleans this June to compete with her team in the USA Volleyball Girls Junior Olympic National Championship. Starting four years ago as a libero (defensive specialist) on the court, Isabella now plays the outside hitter position with her newly formed club team A4 Volley in Foothill Ranch. The friendship and camaraderie of the sport, the adventure of traveling for tournaments, and the ability to partake in both the indoor and outdoor game fuel her love of volleyball. n
Do you have a St. John’s superstar? Let us know at announcements@stjohns-es.org.
Santa Margarita Catholic High School is proud to support Inspired by award winning wave photographer Clark Little, Bailey began shooting pictures of the ocean and a passion was born. Fearless and determined, nothing will stop him from capturing the perfect and unique shot whether it be in the curl, beneath the wave or crashing head on. Today, Bailey uses a Canon 60D camera with a 50mm lens encased in a custom SPL water housing weighing in at approximately ten pounds of equipment. During a typical three hour shoot, Bailey will capture as many as 4000 pictures which he then downloads to color and contrast edit his work. This discerning photographer will then settle on only a few dozen select photos. Bailey’s passion for photography extends beyond the ocean. When a trek to the beach isn’t in the cards, he explores long-term exposure photography, capturing scenes of speeding cars and experimenting with steel wool photography. With St. John’s Middle Division graduation and his start to high school, Bailey looks to the future with plans to become a professional photographer. To see more of Bailey’s photography, visit his Instagram:@baileykphoto.
St. John’s Episcopal School
53 CIF championships, 183 league champions and 1987 8 state championships since
Class of 20 14: $33.2 mill ion in scho larship offe 91% attend rs; a four-yea r university
2014 M.A.C.Y. award for Best Musical; 60 arts courses available
Find it here
■ Academics for every type of learner ■ 19 Advanced Placement courses ■ One-to-One tablet PC program ■ Faith-based education ■ Character-building Christian service program ■ Orange County’s only Catholic IB World High School ■ Bus route serving South Orange County ■ Eight counselors
Santa Margarita Catholic High School diocese of orange school www.smhs.org/admissions • 949-766-6080
My St. John’s Story
By Kristen Lanham – Mother of Christopher ’11 and Alexander ‘15
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verything has to come to an end, sometime.” — L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz.
With Christopher’s graduation in 2011 came the bittersweet realization that they would never again have these days on a campus … together. Of course, we still had our family and our friends, our community and the village that sustains us, but this shared experience as brothers would be no more. As Alexander continued on his own through upper elementary and the middle school, there have been common classes and teachers, sports teams and scouts, and even the position of 8th Grade Chaplain, a common foundation shared… together, even when apart.
It seems only fitting to begin with a quote from the Wizard of Oz as both of our boys participated in the St. John’s production in 2010. Then again, that’s how we’ve done most things at St. John’s… together. Together as a family, together with friends, together with our community of school and church, because above all, St. John’s defines community.
As I toured the Preschool in 2000, I felt instantly at home. It was as if somehow I already knew that this place would become a second home to our boys, a foundation for their futures and a place where they could grow and thrive … together. Christopher was just 3 and Alexander a newborn in a baby bucket, but together we walked in and out of Hunsaker Hall each day. At a neighbor’s invitation, we soon tried the church on for size. Even with services in a nontraditional gym, the Headmaster and several teachers attended regularly and it was clear that this was where we belonged. It was a way of life where the very same adults that they saw on campus during the week worshipped alongside them in the “pews” (ok, they might have been folding chairs at that time), a place where our boys would learn that Christian values and teachings were a part of their everyday, not just Sundays.
As the years progressed, Christopher moved across the bark chips (who remembers those?) to Kindergarten and on to Sillers Hall and at last came the time for Alexander to “officially” start Preschool. Cardinella was one of his first words. He had been coming to meetings on campus forever for one committee or another and knew where every staff member had a treat or a book stashed to occupy him and was even an honorary VBS participant for opening and closing songs from the time he could walk, special little t-shirt and all. In spite of everything and his own treasured time in Preschool, he was never more excited than his first day of Kindergarten, to at last wear the same uniform as his brother and go to school… together.
Alexander graduates this June to begin St. Margaret’s where he will again continue on his own because Christopher is graduating from St. Margaret’s and leaving for Northwestern University in the fall … so far from together. As a family, we are closing a 15-year chapter of our time at St. John’s Episcopal School. Those years have sustained us in successes and sorrows, through triumphs and tragedies because through it all, it’s always about community. It’s about volunteering; it’s about participating; it’s about making the most of each day and making a difference in those days. It’s about the lifelong friends we’ve made along the way in fellow parents, faculty and staff. It’s about being… together in our everyday, no matter where we may be. After all, we’ll still have our Sundays. n
WHAT IS YOUR ST. JOHN’S STORY? Do you have a unique experience that your child or family would like to share in the next newsletter? Send your story to announcements@stjohns-es.org.