T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R S T. L U K E ’ S S C H O O L
Welcome to 377, The Magazine for St. Luke’s School. The mission of this publication is to bring you new perspectives on life and learning on the Hilltop through a particular topic lens. In this issue, we celebrate Service. Look for the to identify stories that oer more at www.stlukesct.org.
“Embrace the wonderful irony that through service to others you will find true personal fulfillment.”
These were my parting words to St. Luke’s 2011 graduates. The message rings down our hallways and across the Hilltop.At St. Luke’s, we “raise” students with the knowledge—based on experience—that a key to fulfillment is service. To make a difference, a student need not be a CEO, or president of the student body, or captain of the team, or the smartest student in the classroom.You need simply be a good person, doing the things that actually make a difference, in your neighborhood or on the world stage. In the pages that follow, you will find many examples of St. Luke’s students, teachers and alumni honoring and giving meaning to our school’s motto: “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.” Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg.There are so many more wonderful stories of service to share. In fact, if you would like to share your own story of service, please email us at communications@stlukesct.org. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Mark Davis, Head of School
SLS alumna and math teaching fellow, Susan Garnett, spent last summer working with Richard’s Rwanda Impuhwe (“Compassion”): “I went to support young Rwandan girls who need education and health care. These children have almost nothing. So many were left without parents after the 1994 genocide. Yet every day they showed up so happy about the chance to be at school. I learned from them.”
Every year, SLS 7th graders engage in classroom and service activities that raise the question, “What do you need to survive and thrive?” Last year students worked in Darien’s Person-to-Person (seen here) and several other charitable organizations. This year, Jennifer Pokorney, Director of Middle School Curriculum, says the focus will be on women and education: “As part of our American Values in the Global World curriculum, we will look at how education impacts women and culture. First we’ll look at the history of women and education in the U.S. and then we’ll expand our lens to include a global perspective.”
For the past several summers, Kai and Kamau Burton have volunteered for the Horizons enrichment program in Westport, serving students from Bridgeport. Kai shared her feelings about the experience: “It’s a privilege to be able to work with such amazing children in a program that helps close the educational achievement gap lost over the summer.” “Not only am I doing things I love—helping 8th grade students with video projects, algebra, dance choreography, yoga, swimming, and drama—but I can watch and help children in my community learn, grow, and aspire to be the best they can be.” Kamau added, “Kai and I played guitar along with the kids singing…. It is both moving and personal when you see that the students respond to the passion you’ve passed onto them with enthusiasm and unending curiosity.”
This past October, Jackson Prince trekked into the mountains of Nepal with Next Generation Nepal, a group that fights child trafficking:“The fresh smell of the open air, and the rustling rice fields below… so peaceful and so simple. Up until that point, I’d seen everything from the outside looking in. But there was a subtle turning point where I became an insider looking out. I could see that I was in a culture, thousands of miles away from home, where people enjoy the subtleties of life and cherish every moment together. And I love it.”
This summer, English teacher Lisa Goldschmidt went to Oaxaca, Mexico to provide a community meal for a desperately poor village. This was her second trip to the region with Simply Smiles, an organization that builds culturally respectful relationships and small, sustainable economies.“I was blown away by the change in one starving, sleepy child I remembered from last year,” said Lisa.“After a year of a regular diet, he is now a brighteyed, energetic boy who enjoys the luxury of picking carrots out of his soup. How marvelously normal! In just one trip, our group improved the daily lives of 800 people, some of whom walked hours for that meal. I can’t wait to return in June 2012 with a team of students from St. Luke’s and Rangitoto College in Auckland, New Zealand.”
A Two Way
Street… St. Luke’s Waterside Summer Program
“Waterside is one of the finest examples of a mutually beneficial service learning project.” Kate Parker-Burgard
For the past five years, St. Luke’s has partnered with Waterside School in Stamford to bring students a summer experience not soon to be forgotten. Waterside students in grades 1-5 attend a six-week summer program, held partly at Waterside and partly at St. Luke’s. Each day is a combination of serious academics with an afternoon of sports, art, nature, and the muchbeloved waterslide.
“I love being a part of their lives.” Ann Abbott Freeman
Every year thirty to forty St. Luke’s Upper School students volunteer as teacher aides and recreation supervisors for anywhere from one to four weeks.The Center for Leadership’s Kate Parker-Burgard, Director of Character Education, calls the program “one of the finest examples of a mutually beneficial service learning project. Our kids learn about themselves and make connections with kids from different backgrounds and cultures.This enriches their experience of the community and their world considerably.” Ann Abbott Freeman ’13 has volunteered forWaterside for the past two summers: “I will definitely volunteer again. I like the program because it’s a combination of giving back to the community and being with children.You get to form personal relationships and actually watch the kids grow. You find out how special each child is as an individual. I love being part of their lives, even if it’s only for a few weeks during the summer.”
Students Teaching Students As part of the 2011 St. Luke’s Waterside Summer Program, SLS students Ernst Angrand ’12 and Sam Posner ’12 introduced Waterside students to game development, teaching simple game design and programming fundamentals.
Mark Chuhta, Assistant Head of Middle School, is the co-director of St. Luke’s Waterside Summer Program (along with Waterside’s Jamel Keels). Mark has seen many volunteers rise to the challenges a Waterside summer presents: “Students that volunteer for Waterside always say it’s hard work but very, very rewarding. We give them a lot of responsibility and they run with it. Khori Davis (’11) is a great example of a kid that thrived. He loved the kids and they loved him. They brought out the best in each other. That’s what this program is all about.”
For both boys, it was their first summer volunteering withWaterside. Sam wrote about the experience on his website and in an article that appeared on a gaming website: “Limitation, they say, breeds creativity… while often frustrated in their efforts to create complex stories, many students put limited mechanics to intriguing use, creating engaging meta and social gameplay within simple games.” Looking back on the summer, Sam commented: “The most exciting thing of all was when they were playing each others games.The kids would really want to show each other what they had done. I also liked being able to share something I find really interesting and help other people see why it’s interesting. It was great when a kid said I get it now.”
NicaPhoto is a non-profit organization that brings youth in Nagarote, Nicaragua a safe educational space and help with schoolwork, arts, life skills, food and clothing. The St. Luke’s Art Department works with NicaPhoto as part of an artistic exchange and service project. Students and faculty donate artwork to raise funds at the annual non-profit holiday boutique and SLS students send Nagarote students materials that they need every day, such as sneakers, cleats and school supplies. “Our Parents Association also provided a very generous donation to NicaPhoto,” said photography teacher Jeorge Yankura. “These funds will help with rent, utilities, supplies and other daily expenses.”
The Center for Leadership launched its first Service Symposium on November 11, 2011. Upper School students and faculty attended the mini-conference, which included a keynote presentation from Simply Smiles founder Bryan Nurnberger. Students selected two workshops from among more than twenty organizations represented. Many St. Luke’s students and parents were among the presenters. “This symposium allowed us to dig deep on service learning,” said the CFL’s Director of Character Education, Kate Parker Burgard. “We wanted to get students really fired up and expose them to the many different ways an individual can get involved in service.”
“It’s my favorite day of the whole year. Nothing is better.”That’s how SLS Director of Athletics Kevin Butler describes the annual Special Olympics Basketball Tournament hosted by SLS. The last tournament held in March 20ll included over 75 special Olympian athletes playing a total of 14 games. “There are so many reasons to be inspired by this Special Olympics event,” Kate Parker-Burgard, the CFL’s Director of Character Education noted, “starting with the commitment of our student volunteers.”The Student Service Board of student leaders organizes the basketball event every spring and helps recruit volunteers. SLS spring varsity coaches also support the tournament by cancelling practices so that their teams can be on hand to support the visiting players.
Many Saturday mornings during the school year, you will find Sheetal student teaching at the Fairfield Math Club. The club was started by students for students. Their mission is to prepare members for nationally acclaimed math contests and help raise money for community charities. Over the years, Sheetal moved from Math Club student to teacher and now observes: “It is such a pleasure to develop relationships with so many of the kids–and see them respond and get excited, and feel so proud of themselves.”
Margot Stluka is attending Gettysburg College. This summer, Margot was selected for the school’s prestigious social justice internship. She elected to go to Uganda where she joined the Kitovu Mobile Aids Organization working with HIV positive orphans: “I learned more about the ‘real world’ (in Uganda) in two weeks than I have in the last 20 years. Just seeing how oblivious I was to such simple things as hot water, power, healthcare, and food to eat. It is quite amazing how easy it is to pretend that poor people don’t exist. I know the images from Uganda will remain as constant reminders of the reality of the world and most of its people. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to see, live, and learn from culturally strong and independent Ugandans. These people are really trying to change their lives, even with all odds against them, and are in turn changing all of ours!"
Every year, St. Luke’s seniors embrace Midnight Run’s central theme of sharing and caring as they collect, organize and distribute as much warm clothing, personal care items and food goods as they can gather for two weeks. The senior class makes treks into New York City where they seek out homeless individuals in need of the goods shared by the SLS community. US Health and Wellness Coordinator Camille DeMarco-Havens is the chief organizer of our Midnight Run: “The students wish they could do more but I tell them even one day of kindness means so much.”
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Let us know what you think at communications@stlukesct.org Editor: Nancy Troeger Production Director: Jane Ahrens Photography Director: DesirĂŠe Smock Design: Peapod Design 12/2011/#5/Service Learning