Spring 2015 Magazine by St. Mary's School

S P R I N G 2015 MAG A Z I N E FOR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, ALUMNI, AND SUPPORTERS OF ST. MARY’S SCHOOL

COMMITTED TO INNOVATIVE THINKING

TABLE M

SPRING 2015

CONTENTS

What’s

INSIDE

MANAGING EDITOR Virtue Byrd CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Virtue Byrd Carole Blake Nancy Fries Karla Joyce Erfan Mojaddam Doug Patterson Shelia Raffat

Head Master’s Letter............................................................................................................ 2 Cover Story: Inquiry Finds it’s Form in a Library............................................................... 4 Introducing the Global Classroom...................................................................................... 8 A Successful Model: BYOD................................................................................................. 12 Beauty and the Beast......................................................................................................... 14 Cultivating a Growth Mindset............................................................................................ 16

Marrie Stone Sharon Taylor

How Mindfulness Can Improve Learning........................................................................ 18

ART DIRECTION AND DESIGN

Innovation Outdoors.......................................................................................................... 20

k.j. schultz design CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Rick Davitt

Innovation Through Music................................................................................................. 22 Legacy Leadership Award.................................................................................................. 24 Our Alumni.......................................................................................................................... 26

ST. MARY’S MAGAZINE is published two times a year for families, friends, alumni and supporters of St. Mary’s School. WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK. Please address questions and comments to Virtue Byrd at virtue.byrd@smaa.org ALUMNI: We enjoy hearing from you. Please send us your latest news and notes: alum@smaa.org Join St. Mary’s community online by becoming a friend on Facebook. St. Mary’s School 7 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo California 92656 USA www.smaa.org 949.448.9027 ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

Headmaster’s

LETTER In this issue, you will see tangible evidence of our commitment to creativity and innovative thinking. Each and every day, we provide opportunities for our students to not only think about the world, but to go out into the world and creatively solve its problems.

Dear Members of the St. Mary’s Community, Creativity. Some feel they have it, some don’t. Creativity goes beyond artistic ability or an eye for design. The ability to demonstrate creativity and imagination through our thinking and our approach to problems and dilemmas is crucial as we build creative capacity in our students. Creative thinking is at the heart of innovation, and our commitment to innovation is visible in all that we do at St. Mary’s. Evidence of creativity must be considered as we re-imagine our library space, classroom configuration and areas to play, imagine, construct and dream.

In this issue, you will see tangible evidence of our commitment to creativity and innovative thinking. Each and every day, we provide opportunities for our students to not only think about the world, but to go out into the world and creatively solve its problems. Our expansion of international field study

opportunities is just one example of teaching creative thinking skills. Through their world classrooms, our students learn how to apply creative thinking skills and find innovative solutions to world issues.

There are many more examples of creativity and innovation throughout the magazine. Enjoy all that we have to share.

“Creativity goes beyond artistic ability or an eye for design.”

Sincerely,

Sharon Taylor Head of School

ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

COVER

STORY

Inquiry

Finds its Form in a Library In less than a year, St. Mary’s “Innovative Spaces Initiative” will have delivered a living-breathing learning space at the heart of its campus.

Written by

KARLA JOYCE

t. Mary’s Head of School, Sharon Taylor, arrived in her post at a pivotal point in the school’s development. A revamped vision plan had only just started the conversation about the school’s next twenty-plus years and included, hypothetically, the renovation and expansion of its current facilities. It was big-picture stuff that would understandably take time, a lengthy values-based debate, and extensive planning. But the role of director is that of both visionary and everyday architect, the person tasked with the daily realization of a school’s educational philosophy through missiondriven curriculum, a nurtured faculty, and well-stocked learning spaces. So, naturally, Taylor was inclined to start something.

“What can we do now?” she wondered. That simple inquiry inspired a seven-month string of events that delivered the St. Mary’s community to its joyous moment this past March, at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, when the annual Fund-A-Need appeal raised 100% of the money needed to transform an old-school library into an innovative learning hub. To punctuate the obvious, St. Mary’s achievement in less than a year is simply stunning. But this is not a story about a library, or the snapshot of Phase One in a potential facilities overhaul. This is the story of IB education as it manifests in our community. When information spurs a question, begets discussion, inspires exploration, and incites action… that is IB at work.

THE BOOK IN THE BEGINNING

IB has always championed a stance of critical engagement with challenging ideas. So last fall when a St. Mary’s School parent offered up the cutting-edge notions and initiatives found in the book The Third Teacher to Taylor “to think about,” she politely accepted. The book explores the critical link between a school environment and how children learn, and offers 79 practical design ideas to transform teaching and learning. The author’s challenge administrators, teachers and parents to look at their current learning spaces with 21st century eyes, and ask: “Do they work for what we know about learning today, or just for what we knew about learning in the past?” The book taps an array of experts from artists and scientists to philosophers and teachers for their perspective on modern education, as it exists in the standard school setting. Sir Ken Robinson, for example, is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity and innovation in education. He reminds us that

public education “came about primarily to meet the needs of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries.” The learning structure, he points out, embodies the interests of industry with its strong sense of conformity and a pedagogy based on the idea of transmission, where teachers teach and students learn. “The typical classrooms arrangement – students sitting facing the front of a room, where someone is speaking to them – represents that.” Meanwhile, educators everywhere are starting to ascribe to the principles of Howard Gardner and the likes that dispute the existence of a uniform cognitive capacity, one that can be trained and assessed with standardized practices. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences identifies nine distinct aptitudes (like visual, verbal, and kinesthetic, to name a few) that can work independently or together in any brain. Each person, according to Gardner, has a different intellectual composition, like a fingerprint.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs

“What would school look like,” the book invites us to wonder, “If we took seriously the fact that there are differences between children?” To an art teacher that might mean an environment rich in evocative objects to trigger active learning, while an environmental science teacher would likely plant a garden. Would disciplines overlap more liberally to acknowledge the connectedness of humanity? Would we prepare kids better for a future filled with tough decisions and a tome of potential destinies if we give them a bigger say in school today? Would we paint puffy clouds in our corridors and add loungers, inviting reflection? Taylor took these ideas on a walk through St. Mary’s, her eyes opened.

ENVISIONING INNOVATIVE SPACES

“The world is moving at an amazing pace,” she wrote to her faculty at the start of the new school year. “We cannot imagine today the way our world will change, but that world will present challenges and opportunities that demand creativity and ingenuity, responsibility and compassion. If we consider the fact that environment is our children’s third teacher, it is crucial that the learning environment we create for our students should cultivate their ability to be innovative, flexible, and autonomous. Do our spaces at St. Mary’s do that?”

The exercise evolved. Together, Taylor and her teachers played with the idea of assigning innovation, and all that implies, to a physical space. She asked them to reimagine the classrooms, hallways, play areas, study facilities, and gathering spaces at St. Mary’s with innovation in mind. “If you could design an ideal environment, what would need to change?” she asked. Interestingly, the teachers imagined a space that would foster the very level of collaboration they were achieving in this process, one that “makes innovation intentional” and “gives kids time to ponder.”

And just like that, she started something.

Recognizing that teachers contribute to only a portion of student learning, Taylor invited members of the greater St. Mary’s community to enter the conversation. Design ideas multiplied. One parent envisioned “a glass wall in classrooms, to see out.” “Ditch the lockers,” was a recurrent theme. “Let’s build meeting

In September 2014, Taylor shared the book with her teachers and challenged them to look at their learning spaces. At the same time, she lobbed the concept of innovation itself onto the table and sat back. For weeks, rooms full of educators shared ideas and unique impressions based on personal experiences and mutual IB values and narrowed down a definition. Innovation is “creating something better, solving problems, exploring.” It is the act of “putting ideas into practice” and a process that “begins with inquiry and ends with action.” It is an invitation to students to “go out into the world and solve problems.”

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spaces in the third and fourth grade hallways,” someone suggested to rounds of agreement: “Benches in the hallways, definitely.” What each of these ideas had in common was a nook, or fixture, or physical path that beckons collaboration. Many of those in attendance referenced an incident that had occurred earlier in the school year. By accident, a table had been left in the middle school hallway for over a month. During that time, students were drawn to it like bees to a hive, heads huddled over a book or sharing the space to share ideas. David Radcliffe, VP of Google’s Workplace Services, calls these casual collisions. “You can’t schedule innovation or idea generation. But you can create little opportunities for creative people to come together.” Eventually, that table was retrieved and returned to its proper place and the kids went back to class, but the episode resonated. “It was never a conversation about a library,” Taylor says now. But the summary of several months of collaboration and communication yielded a picture of an innovative learning space that required centrality, inclusiveness, and the scaffolding for multiple, multidimensional activities. The Innovative Spaces Initiative, as it was dubbed, generated a collective image of a space where students could gather to share

resources and knowledge, work on projects, invent, network and build. The space would be designed to encourage and support self-directed learning, with access to hands-on materials and a “workshop for tinkering.” It would be a hub, an imagination hotbed, and a flexibly configured learning center.

It would be, they all agreed: a re-envisioned library.

THE IB HUB

The hub was expected to be a gamechanger, which meant it had to be remarkable. Existing library stacks would be reduced by half and shortened, to visually open the room and make a statement. “Physical reading materials exist primarily in the younger years,” says Virtue Byrd, Director of Communications. “But that’s not how older kids get information anymore.” As such, there would be a vast expansion of technology-based resources in the new space, allowing students to access an ever-changing, higher quality of materials. Furniture would be sized for individual users and be agile and cozy. Glass walls and large, picture windows would let natural light flow freely into private meeting rooms, a dedicated think tank and collaboration circles, leaving the colorful fixtures – oversized, overhead – to light up faces

like pop art. The space would be designed inch-by-inch to address differences in development stages and learning styles, to invite collaboration, encourage reflection and inspire imagination, and to support the objectives of IB learning. The excitement generated by the identification and detailed development of St. Mary’s inaugural Innovative Space sparked progress, and swiftly. In January 2015, the Advancement Office named ‘Innovative Spaces’ as the Fund-a-Need recipient for the spring gala. By February, a dedicated group of teachers, leaders and parents was created to assist architects with the contextual foundation for renderings. Throughout March, Taylor invited potential patrons to sneak peeks of the new space via computer generated imagery, and staged a series of screenings in the existing library for St. Mary’s families. And on March 21st, Taylor stood before her community with the clear message: “It’s time to re-imagine our library and make way for a modern IB Hub to meet the needs of our students.” The school had collected $200,000 in seed funds prior to the event; it would need $300,000 more to break proverbial ground. By the end of the evening, merely months from conception, the goal was reached.

It was a marvel akin to learning itself.

DREAM BIG AND BE BRAVE

The inspiration for St. Mary’s Innovative Spaces Initiative, The Third Teacher, sends its readers back into the world with this brazen postscript: “When designing schools, don’t let today’s reality limit tomorrow’s possibilities.” The Innovative Spaces Initiative was never about bricks and mortar. It was about engaging the hearts and minds of the St. Mary’s stakeholders in the dialogue of a new way of looking at learning.

Next fall, St. Mary’s School will unveil its commitment to innovative thinking.

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Introducing the

GLOBAL CLASSROOM St. Mary’s Expands Its International Field Studies Written by

MARRIE STONE

Learning to become a global citizen means immersing oneself not just in books, but also in another country’s culture

arlier this year, four planes carrying 39 St. Mary’s middle school students touched down on three different continents. For the first time, St. Mary’s expanded its international field studies program beyond the borders of Italy to include Costa Rica, Hong Kong and France. The students challenged themselves to apply the principles their international baccalaureate education had taught them—risk-taking, open-mindedness, inquisitiveness, and communication, to name a few. Learning to become a global citizen means immersing oneself not just in books, but also in another country’s culture, to experience language as it’s spoken and cuisine as it’s consumed. It’s participating in cultural mores and customs. It goes beyond recognizing monuments and churches, but standing in them and praying in them. It means walking the streets and feeling the soil. It requires students to take the leap and inhabit another way of life.

Shrinking the world while expanding an individual’s mind makes many more things possible.

TAKING RISKS AND REAPING REWARDS

It’s scary, at the age of 12 or 13, to leave parents and the comfort of a familiar home behind, board a plane, and hand oneself over to the unknown. More than three-dozen St. Mary’s students took that risk, and it will likely pay dividends for the rest of their lives. Many students now say they’re waiting for the chance to go back, or go elsewhere, or both. They caught the international travel bug. They found there’s no substitute for the sensation of wrapping your hands around a cow’s udders, or extracting a snail from its shell and putting it on your tongue. A turmeric seed pulled from the earth, split open, smelled, tasted, rubbed on the skin—these aren’t experiences students can get inside an American classroom. In Costa Rica, ten students lived for ten days in big cities, small villages, in the shadow of a volcano, on a sustainable farm, in the rainforest, and at the top of a mountain. They learned what it meant to live ‘green,’ taking fruits and vegetables from the land, eating only meats that didn’t require the heavy grazing of animals, drinking only water or juices derived from local resources. They used machetes to chop sugar cane, and passed it through a mill to extract juice they shared with local children. They collaborated in the building of a play structure. They painted buildings, carried buckets of water, planted seeds, and donated supplies.

Living with a foreign family requires a leap of faith, a shedding of routine, and an embrace of the unknown.

In Italy, twelve students left not only their parents and homes, but also each other. They separated in Milan to live with local families for a week, sleeping and eating in their homes, taking part in their daily lives. Dinners were late, and bed times even later, which was an adjustment. Living with a foreign family requires a leap of faith, a shedding of routine, and an embrace of the unknown. In Hong Kong, students traded their parents’ SUVs and minivans for public transportation— trains, metros, buses, cable cars, taxis and even a ferry. “Some of these kids had never been on a metro,” says Olivia Chang, Chinese Teacher. “Even the process of buying a ticket and sliding it into a machine was new to them.” Taking risks and venturing onto unfamiliar ground gets easier over time. It’s a skill. Practice may not eliminate fear, but it provides an experience to draw from the next time. The kids in Costa Rica had two opportunities to milk a cow. “By the second time,” Arturo Valdez, Language Acquisition Department Chair says, “they knew exactly what they were doing.”

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10 10

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower were there to be climbed, the Champs-Elysees there to be walked.

CULTIVATING AN OPEN MIND

Being a global citizen also demands the acceptance of people and their way of life—their language, culture, cuisine, religion, politics, and history—and experiencing the differences. It’s a mindset that bridges the gaps between us and shrinks the world. In China, the students learned about Buddhism. They hiked 288 stairs to see Tian Ten, the world’s largest Buddha statute. Some ate chicken feet, they all tried their hand at Chinese cooking, and they immersed themselves in a world far different than their own. “Hong Kong is an enormous, fast-paced city,” says Chang. “Most students aren’t used to that intensity, but they quickly assimilated. One student even said he could see himself moving there someday.”

St. Mary’s students are not only learning foreign languages; they’re learning valuable communication skills.

“We had a mantra throughout the trip,” says French teacher Ludivine Forte. “It’s not ‘weird.’ It’s ‘different.’” Some of those differences they liked—baguettes, crepes, and patisseries— and some they found difficult to navigate—lack of public restrooms. “Our students went to Costa Rica expecting to effect a change on the students there,” says Valdez. “They brought supplies to donate—clothing, backpacks, and sporting equipment. They took along a microscope to share. But in the end, they all said they were the ones who changed. And this surprised them all.” One of the most moving examples happened towards the end of the Costa Rican trip. “In Costa Rica, their national anthem is taken seriously. People regard the performance as a very somber moment,” says Valdez. “The crowd is silent and respectful. Our students saw that and felt it for the first time. They became equally reverential when singing The Star Spangled Banner. It was very moving to watch.” Opening oneself to change, allowing for the opportunity to see the world from a new perspective, to see oneself from a new perspective, is one of the central tenets of an IB education. Shrinking the world while expanding an individual’s mind makes many more things possible.

THE ENQUIRING INTELLECTUAL

In Europe, as in Costa Rica, the students moved around. Region to region, and city to city, they explored various ways of life. Through their travels, they were able to draw connections. “Hey!” one student remarked in France. “This is where Louis XIV lived, we saw the place where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillontined. In Italy, standing in the

center of the Roman Colosseum or in the middle of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, history was made tangible. The Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Eiffel Tower were there to be climbed, the Champs-Elysees there to be walked. All these interactions paved the way for questions. “We never jump in with answers,” says Valdez. “Instead, we ask them questions. And those questions encourage them to ask more questions.” In this way, an IB education is a lifetime education. It teaches critical thinking and inspires critical inquiry—a 21st century skill that will serve these students a lifetime.

THE ART OF COMMUNICATION

On a busy Hong Kong street, in a bustling open market, a student pointed to a fruit and said “green” in Mandarin. Then he turned to Mrs. Chang, his Chinese instructor, and said, “I used my color words!” Expressing yourself—making yourself known, understood and heard— isn’t easy, even in English. St. Mary’s students are not only learning foreign languages; they’re learning valuable communication skills. Those skills go beyond the boundaries of mere nouns and verbs. In France and Costa Rica, where the languages felt less impenetrable and where children, in some cases, had studied French or Spanish longer, conversations could be had in the native tongue. Students could not only understand what was being said, but they could participate. They ordered meals, talked with locals and, in France, even shared their stereotypes of one another. By the end of the week, both Valdez and Forte said the students’ language skills had markedly improved. “It’s amazing what a short period of immersion can do,” says Valdez.

As St. Mary’s opens its classroom doors to the world, our students will continue to have access to a vast array of new opportunities.

In Italy, communication skills were tested when students moved into host family homes. “Even if the conversations are in English, it’s challenging to be honest enough to get your needs met when you’re living with a host family,” says Heidi Galloway, Middle School Language and Literature Department Chair. “Delicate conversations are difficult. Students must carefully articulate their desires, and have the courage to ask for something they need, or clarification of things they don’t understand.” As St. Mary’s opens its classroom doors to the world, our students will continue to have access to a vast array of new opportunities. Nothing better tests a student’s skills than doing, engaging, and participating. The chance to interact at an international level will bring all the principles of an IB education to life. And St. Mary’s future will be brighter because of it.

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A Successful Model BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

his school year brings to a close the first year

of implementing a one-toone device program for Middle School. The goal was to provide our Middle School students reliable access to digital information, media and collaboration tools throughout the day to achieve full potential of the IB curriculum. Our teachers were already integrating technology into their teaching using carts of laptops, iPads and Chromebooks. However, the school wanted to ensure that each student had access to a learning device at all times throughout the day.

“Schools are realizing that this model allows them to focus their funds on improving their network infrastructure, curriculum and professional development for teachers”

WHY BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE?

The decision process to implement the Bring Your Own Device Program (BYOD) included visiting schools throughout California that had recently embarked on a similar journey to learn from their experiences. We also increased our commitment to professional development in educational technology for our teachers to help them better understand a one-toone school environment. It was ultimately decided that a BYOD model, or Bring Your Own Device, was the most suitable structure for St. Mary’s for the following reasons:

Our technology vision is to prepare our students for the real world. The real world is not an Apple world or a Windows world or a Google world. The real world is a diverse environment with multiple devices and operating systems. It is crucial for our students to be exposed to a range of tools so they can assess the value and challenges of each one. A BYOD environment helps students build those skills.

BYOD makes more financial sense for our school and our families. Schools are not able to purchase a device for each student every year, therefore most one-toone schools require all families to purchase a specific type of device. However, a BYOD model allows students to bring in their existing mobile devices, without requiring them to purchase an additional one.

BYOD is the future for schools. With advancements in technology and digital content, we believe that more schools will follow this forward-thinking approach. A recent Horizon Report on education has BYOD as an emerging innovation among educational institutions. In the past, a one-to-one program required a school to provide an identical device to every student to ensure that all students had access to the same tools, software and apps. Recent developments in cloud-based content, higher battery-life and more secure wireless connections have opened the door for a more sustainable BYOD model.

YEAR IN REVIEW

We began our BYOD in the beginning of the school year for Grades 6, 7 and 8. It has been an overall successful implementation and learning experience. Students are utilizing their devices daily to research, collaborate and create content in all subjects. In a recent survey of our Middle School students, 94% of them agreed that having reliable access to a device at school has improved their ability to learn. Although the survey results were overwhelmingly positive, it has also provided us feedback to make adjustments in future years.

Interest in BYOD has continued to develop in independent schools. Erfan Mojaddam, St. Mary’s Director of Technology, recently led a presentation on BYOD at the Association for Technology Leaders in Independent Schools conference in San Francisco. Half of the attendees in the session were members of traditional one-to-one schools looking to implement a BYOD approach. “Schools are realizing that this model allows them to focus their funds on improving their network infrastructure, curriculum and professional development for teachers”, says Mr. Mojaddam. He continues, “Implementing a successful BYOD program isn’t without its set of challenges that require meticulous planning and constant assessment. However, it’s a more sustainable one-toone model and can provide students a more tech-diverse learning environment that emulates life beyond school walls and prepares them for challenges in the real world.”

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St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of

Disney Channel and the Disney Theatrical Group featured our students, as they prepared for the production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr., in a mini documentary promoting arts and student-driven creativity. The documentary will begin airing on the Disney Channel this summer. It focuses on the creative, collaborative, student-centered work that we celebrate here at St. Mary’s. It also highlights the many benefits of musical theater, including rehearsing, designing and performing. Many of the 86 members of the St. Mary’s cast and crew were involved in the filming of this documentary on May 2, 2015.

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Cultivating a

GROWTH MINDSET By

DOUG PATTERSON

hristopher Burton (not his real name) was told he was off-thecharts smart all through grade school, so his mother, Kelly, was surprised when his grades started slipping in seventh grade. “I realized he had no idea how to work hard,” says Kelly. “He saw himself as smart, so he never thought he had to put forth any effort.” Research suggests Christopher might have been harmed more than helped by being told he was smart. It is amazing the power words have, and for children in particular. As parents, we don’t always realize the impact of the words that we choose to use. Researchers have long investigated reinforcement of behaviors, with either positive or negative statements, but now it is looking like this can be more subtly conveyed with the attributes we choose to highlight in our children. The conundrum is this: If a child is smart, we may tell him or her, when they have achieved something, how they have succeeded because they are smart. However, as they come to believe this is true, they may adopt a perspective that the world will be at their feet, because they have been gifted with something extraordinary in their intelligence. Thus they passively wait for more good fortune to come their way, instead of seeking out opportunities, rising to challenges, and creating solutions. Psychologist Carol Dweck conducted studies with children about this phenomenon. As explained by Po Bronson in New York Magazine, researchers would take a single fifth-grade child out of a classroom for a non-verbal IQ test in puzzle form, easy enough that all students did well. Some were praised for intelligence, and others for effort. During the second round of tests, which were offered a choice of a test the kids were told would be harder but they would learn a lot from attempting or an easy test like the first, the results were striking: Of those students praised for their effort, 90% chose the harder test that they would learn from. However, of those students praised for being smart, a majority chose the easy test. They weren’t up for the challenge.

Does this necessarily lead directly to a conclusion that telling children they are smart is a way to de-motivate them? Perhaps not. But Dweck conducted this same sort of study in different settings, with different controls, and found the same results. She was surprised at the consistency of the results. ‘“When we praise children for their intelligence,” Dweck wrote in her study summary, “we tell them that this is the name of the game: Look smart, don’t risk making mistakes.”’ (Bronson 2007). Furthermore, those children who were praised for effort seemed to grow their skills along with their successes. They were more engaged, more passionate, and continued on to accept further challenges. Whereas “smart” implied the students had no control over a situation and de-incentivized them, “clever” gave them potential, autonomy, and the driving force to move forward. She describes this situation as a “fixed” mindset versus a “growth” mindset. The gist of it is, in the former, intelligence is in fixed supply, and people avoid judgment as any negative feedback would apply to what they feel is their core value or quality. If they fail, they are inherently worthless. But in the growth mindset, new challenges are appreciated as opportunity to augment skills and knowledge. The belief that everyone can get better is an empowering quality, one that gives children permission to try new things, break barriers, and innovate new solutions. So, whether you believe in growth mindset or want to learn more, maybe we should consider: what messages do we send to children with choice of words? And can we make a difference by shifting our focus from achieved – to achievable? Want to learn more? Check out this TED Talk given by Carol Dweck in November of 2014, entitled, “The Power of Believing that You Can Improve,” found at http://www.ted.com. Read the full article by Po Bronson in New York Magazine, entitled, “How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The inverse Power of Praise” at http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/index1.html.

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HOW MINDFULNESS Can Improve Learning By

DR. CARMEN ANDERSEN

t. Mary’s strives to provide students with innovative educational experiences. We are invested in helping students learn for the sake of learning. We encourage students to ask questions, test

hypotheses, and “dig in” rather than simply regurgitate information. Our aim is to inspire students to be life-long learners, which we do by considering current educational trends and re-evaluating what we

Show your children that you embrace stillness by taking the time to be still with them. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds roll by or sit and watch the ocean. Take in the sights and scents around you.

can do to enhance children’s learning experiences. Such curiosity, in conjunction with interest from parents, led me to the growing body of research addressing mindfulness in education. How can we improve upon students’ capacity to learn? Mindfulness may be the key. Toward that aim, I am researching mindfulness activities for the classroom, which will be available for teachers to begin implementing in the fall. Over the last decade research has uncovered the potential benefits of mindfulness on students’ physical health, psychological wellbeing, social skills, impulse control, and academic performance. One study even found that practicing mindfulness for as little as 30 minutes per day for 8 weeks may increase the density of gray matter in one’s brain, the region of the brain linked to learning, memory, emotional regulation, and density (Holzel, et al., 2011). As a result, some are even viewing mindfulness programs as a prerequisite for learning to occur. So just what is mindfulness? Ellen Langer, who developed the concept of mindful learning defines mindfulness as, “A flexible state of mind in which we are actively engaged in the present, noticing new things and sensitive to context.” (Langer, 2000). Just think about how much more engaged we’d be in our daily lives if we noticed novelty on a regular basis. Over time many of us lose wonderment for the world around us, because we get caught up in the daily grind, are so over scheduled that there’s barely time to breathe, and may have come to value productivity over self-care. Stop for a moment and recall the last time something fascinated you. I mean really fascinated you to the point that you stopped in your tracks to focus on that very thing. I observed this happen last week when some of our kindergarten students were mesmerized by the height of a jumping grasshopper or a few weeks back when some preschool students were captivated by burrowing rolie polies. In these situations the engagement with the environment happened naturally and rather unintentionally. However, it is exactly the kind of mindfulness we’d like to cultivate in an intentional way.

Children can use mindfulness to learn how to re-focus their attention on the present moment, find something interesting in topics they may have written off as uninteresting, and let go of emotions that get in the way of learning. It is a tool that may enhance our students’ problem solving capabilities. Just imagine how wonderful it would be if our students could effectively work through test anxiety or let go of conflicts that happened on the playground as they transition back into the classroom. What can you do? Teach your children to take a few deep breaths when their emotions overwhelm them so that they begin to learn impulse control. Have them clear their minds and focus on their breath while doing this exercise. Show your children that you embrace stillness by taking the time to be still with them. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds roll by or sit and watch the ocean. Take in the sights and scents around you. If you have difficulty sitting still, take a quiet walk and focus on the rhythm of your breath or sign your child up for a children’s yoga class. Offer a perspective that is contrary to the busyness that surrounds them. You and your children may be healthier and happier as a result. Resources Holzel, B., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. (2011). Mindfulness Practice Leads to Increases in Regional Brain Gray Matter Density. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. Volume 191, (1), 36-43. Langer, E.J. (2000). Mindful Learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Volume 9 (6), 220-223.

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Innovation OUTDOORS By

SHEILA RAFAT

he outdoor classroom is a place of wonder and investigation. Process is as important as content to skill development. Children learn as much from peers, the environment, and the program’s vision as from the content of teacher facilitated curricular content. Studies have provided convincing evidence that the way people feel in pleasing, natural environments improves information recall, creative problem solving, and creativity. Early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder. Wonder is important, as it is a motivator for life-long learning. The Early Education Program Outdoor Space is an extension of our classrooms. This re-imagined innovative space is considered an additional space for learning, with its own unique curriculum and talented teachers to facilitate the adventure! Our outdoor classroom addresses 21st century learning for the child as a whole (physically, emotionally, cognitively, and socially). Outdoor Curriculum Teachers understand children’s developmental needs and recognize their curiosities by offering many opportunities for children to learn about themselves, each other, and their environment. The curriculum offers planned activities, as well as opportunities for rich, spontaneous ideas to emerge from interactions that occur while outside. Teachers closely observe children playing and learning, and by listening to children’s authentic inquiries, teachers are better able to plan effective curricular experiences. We use the outdoors effectively as a learning space by preparing it to maximize learning opportunities. Diverse settings within the environment extend child investigation, encourage spontaneous exploration and movement, and enrich interactions. Diverse materials provide children with stimuli for new discoveries and new ways of expressing themselves. The goal and purpose of early childhood education is to provide children with the appropriate experiences and innovative environments to help them develop thinking dispositions that encourage life-long learning. While engaged outside, children are learning how the universe works. Creating innovative environments that foster the acquisition of thinking dispositions is critical to a child’s future learning potential. Without the foundational prerequisites of wonder, curiosity, and discovery, children may find it difficult to approach academic subjects or may lose sight of the joy of learning. Early childhood is the time for all children to practice and master these positive dispositions; the environment plays a powerful role in fostering dispositions that encourage life-long learners.

“Science at work, the girls were using droppers filled with color paint and oil mixed to see how it floats in the water table, they laughed as they discovered oil and water do not mix” — Kelly Halbeck, Outdoor Curriculum Teacher

Our outdoor classroom is more than just a playground; it is a research environment. In addition to play equipment and mature trees, we have incorporated additional activity settings to increase play and learning opportunities. The activity settings on our playground add value by being designed to support specific play and learning activities; for example, water play, sensory, and art centers. The addition of the edible garden, potted flowers, and rocks further increases play and learning value by connecting children with nature, which in turn supports healthy child development. Including vegetables, fruits, and herbs in the child-centered garden adds even more value by helping children understand the connection between healthy eating and the Earth as our source of food. According to Reggio Children, “Nature provides a blank canvas of open-ended opportunities to think, create, and investigate.”

Outdoor Curriculum and Innovative Spaces Foster: • Development of dispositions, such as creativity, risk-taking, collaboration, and development of feelings or attitudes such as empathy, confidence, appreciation, enthusiasm, and caring • 21st century skills, such as critical thinking & reasoning, information literacy, collaboration, self-direction, innovation and invention • Learning “practical life skills” using inquiry-based approaches– children work to solve real problems, with real people, in the real world • Increasing knowledge and understanding about the world • Technology literacy–understand the nature of the technology, master the skills needed and apply those skills at an age-appropriate level

ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

Innovation Through Music — DAVID MILLER

CAROLE BLAKE

avid Miller’s musical career began almost before he was born. David’s earliest

memories always include the sound of soul, rhythm and blues, or rock ‘n’ roll music playing in the background. David’s Mother was a violinist, educated at the Danish Royal Academy of Music. She filled their home with music while she painted. Her young son used everyday items, like a Frisbee or a cat tree, to play the tambourine and drums. It was David’s mother who inspired him to become the accomplished musician he is today.

David Miller performed in “See Jane Sing” with the Tony Guerrero Quintet on May 1 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. “See Jane Sing” will be performed again on October 3 at the Carpenter Center in Long Beach.

In sixth grade, David began music lessons on the saxophone. The defining moment of David’s career came with the introduction of a guitar program in the rock band at the middle school he attended. While birthday shopping for a guitar with his mother, and trying out a variety of instruments, David found a new interest in the bass. Strumming on the bass to play Summer Lovin’ from Grease was electrifying in David’s ears and solidified his life-long love for this instrument. It was at this moment that David identified his life’s dream – to become a musician. For this shy middle school boy, there was now an identity and a purpose. Performing gave David self confidence, and he continued to practice four to five hours every day after school. There was no question that David would continue his love for music and performing throughout his life. He received a BFA from The New School for Social Research in New York. His first professional tour was with the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1995. In 2010, he traveled to Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt as a Cultural Ambassador for the US State Department. While there, he participated in musical workshops with Egyptian school students, master classes with local musicians, and performed with the Royal Crown Revue Band at the second annual Cairo International Jazz Festival.

After meeting his wife and returning to California, David continued his education at California Institute of the Arts where he received an MFA. When his son Dane was born, David knew he would teach music so that he could inspire young people with his joy of music and performance. David earned his teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach while continuing to work as a jazz musician. More recently, David joined the Tony Guerrero Jazz Band and performs with Jane Lynch, who since 2009 has played Sue Sylvester, the main antagonist and cheerleading coach on the award-winning series, Glee. David now shares his passion for music with students at St. Mary’s. As David says, “Putting a piece of music together first requires students to be able to play the correct notes and rhythms, what I call ‘nuts and bolts.’ Once that is established, we can begin to create beautiful music by playing with proper dynamics, phrasing, intonation and balance. I want my students to connect to the music emotionally and to play with passion and commitment. This is the process by which we realize that goal.”

ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

LEGACY Leadership Award

very year, St. Mary’s School presents a Legacy Leadership Award that honors a St. Mary’s eighth grade student who demonstrates superior leadership skill, evidence of service, and civic responsibility. The competition focuses on four main principles called the “Four Aces”, which form the cornerstones of a strong community: Attitude, Commitment, Engagement and Service. Each student in the competition writes two essays and is interviewed individually by a panel of judges representing local community and business leaders.

This year 13 finalists were named for this prestigious award including • Alex Audette, Newport Beach • Isabella Blake, Laguna Niguel • Allie Boyce, Orange • Michael Cullen, San Juan Capistrano • Daniel Gamini, Laguna Niguel • John Grayson, Aliso Viejo • Angeliki Harris, Corona Del Mar • Brianna Jahangiri, San Juan Capistrano • Grant Kinsey, San Juan Capistrano • Kelly Lester, Newport Beach • Ashkaan Mahjoob, Laguna Hills • Cammi Phillips, Aliso Viejo • Matthew Querner, Laguna Niguel

Q&A WITH ALEX AUDETTE Q: You’ve been involved in so many activities: NCL, St. Mary’s Sports

This year’s winner, Alex Audette, was announced at the leadership awards ceremony on Feb. 6, 2015, in front of more than 1,000 students, parents, and members of the community. Audette’s aptitude for leadership and service far exceeds her years. In addition to serving as Chaplain of St. Mary’s ASB, Alex has been involved with yearbook, chorus, and the school’s lacrosse, volleyball, and soccer teams. In regards to her on-campus visibility, Alex explained, “I know [my classmates] can see that I am not at all a shy person, and I’m not afraid to use the voice inside of me, whether that means cheering them on, or making a game plan to get us out of bad situations. I show them that I will never give up.” Outside of school, Alex has used her voice as a champion for charitable causes across Orange County, participating in fundraiser walks benefitting cancer and juvenile diabetes research and hosting holiday carnivals for the Riverside School of the Deaf. This year, Alex even donated 8 inches of her own hair for Locks of Love and is an active member of National Charity League. Most recently, Alex was the face of the anti-cyberbullying campaign founded by her sister Taylor, called “SayIt2MyFace.” The campaign culminated in a flashmob dance at the University of Southern California, which Alex was instrumental in planning and executing. Even with a busy schedule and a wide array of interests, Alex stands behind her service and community involvement as an invaluable learning experience. “I didn’t want to just be a leader of one thing, but a leader in life.”

Teams, your sister’s anti-cyberbullying campaign. Which experience was the most rewarding for you and why? A: The anti-cyberbullying campaign I created with my sister was incredibly rewarding. I really enjoyed all of the fun events like the flashmob on USC’s campus, but what inspired me the most was the feedback we got on our Facebook page from kids who were affected by cyberbullying. There are people who feel so alone, and it meant a lot to create a community where they could see other people care about them.

Q: How does it feel to receive the Legacy Leadership award? What were

your first thoughts when you won? A: When they opened the envelope with us on stage, I thought I saw my last name, but I didn’t believe it until they read my name. I was in shock. I was so happy to be honored.

Q: What is your favorite thing about St. Mary’s? Are there any special moments that stand out to you?

A: I love St. Mary’s School because they let you be yourself and encourage

you to become a leader on campus, like through ASB or the school ambassadors. It’s funny because my mom and I talk about how she hated middle school, but St. Mary’s is such a strong community. I can’t even think about graduating.

Q: Thinking WAY in the future, have you thought about what you might

want to do as a career “when you grow up”? Do you think leadership will always be a part of your life? A: Right now, I’m just looking ahead to high school, and I want to be really involved in clubs and ASB in high school. At some point in my career, I’d love to do another big awareness campaign or something involving the entertainment industry.

Q: When it comes to leadership and community service, who is one of your role models?

A: My grandpa inspires me the most because growing up he didn’t have the

greatest life. He worked so hard and started a business so that his family could have a better life and more opportunities. He was the person who showed me that hard work can really pay off.

Q: Do you think that winning the Legacy Leadership award makes you an inspiration to younger students?

A: I hope that I can inspire my classmates to become leaders on campus and not be afraid to go out for the Legacy Leadership award. Don’t be afraid of failure.

Q: What advice would you give to other people your age who want to become leaders?

A: If you feel like you’re too young to be a leader, it helps to remember that

everyone has to start somewhere. Everyone has a voice, so just be yourself and use that voice.

*From the Newport Beach Independent Newspaper* February 23, 2015 ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

Keeping Up with

OUR ALUMNI

We love when our Alumni make us proud, which they often do.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Class of 2003 Mickey Ricketts ‘03 attended Aliso Niguel High School and in 2014

Class of 2005

graduated from California Maritime

Lauren Cullen ’05 was the 2005

Academy with a Bachelor of Science in

St. Mary’s Legacy Award

Mechanical Engineering and a Coast

recipient.

Guard Third Assistant Engineer’s license.

She attended Santa Margarita

He currently works as a third assistant

Catholic High School and in

engineer on the RSS Sikuliaq for the

2013 graduated from Loyola

University of Alaska Fairbanks. Mickey

Marymount University with a

has had the opportunity to travel on cruises from South Korea to

degree in Psychology and a

the Panama Canal.

Class of 2004 Michael Mann ‘04 attended Mater Dei High School and in 2012 graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and currently works as a Supply Chain Analyst for Solar Flare Communications in Irvine.

minor in Studio Arts. Lauren moved to Chicago to work with AmeriCorps, City Year. For 11 intensive months, she served as a small group intervention instructor, and a behavior and attendance coach to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students in a south-side Chicago public school. Lauren also served on Corps Council, providing Corps-experience feedback and solutions through nation-wide collaboration within the organization. She also served on the Service Reserves for City Year and aided in the development and execution of over 10 physical service projects aimed at engaging both community and corporate partnerships. Lauren’s education at LMU, coupled with her experience with City Year, has ignited her passion for education equity and reform. Lauren currently works as an Executive Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Programs for three charter schools including Opportunities for Learning, Options for Youth, and Pathways in Education. These three schools offer an intensive independent study program enhanced with blended learning options and extracurricular activities.

Class of 2006

Class of 2008

Kaelie Mann ‘06 attended Mater Dei High School and in 2014 graduated magna cum laude from the Boston Conservatory with

Kyle Spierkel ‘08 graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High

a Bachelor of Fine Art in Dance. She is currently living her life-long

School in 2012. He is now a junior at the University of Washington

dream of dancing with the Nashville Ballet.

in Seattle studying Business Administration.

Kyle Sullivan ’06 attended Laguna Hills High School and in 2014 graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz with a

Class of 2009

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: Video Game Design. Kyle currently works as a Quality Assurance Engineer at Blizzard

Madeline Chadwell ‘09 is in her second year at Boston College

Entertainment in Irvine.

Carroll School of Management. This summer she will join her philosophy professor and ten classmates for two weeks to hike the

Laura Wilke ’06 attended Dana Hills High School and in 2014

250-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain. Upon her return to Boston,

graduated with honors from the University of California, San

she will intern at Accenture. In the fall, Madie will head to Hong

Diego, with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics. She

Kong for a semester to study business.

played NCAA DIV II Women’s Tennis all four years of college. Laura currently works as an Analyst at the ORCA Division of Metron, Inc. in

Johnny Gavin ’09 graduated from La Costa Canyon High School in

San Diego.

2013. He plays Division II Lacrosse at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida where he is majoring in Entrepreneurship.

Class of 2007

John Lindegren ’09 graduated from JSerra Catholic High School in 2013. He is majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State

Emily Chadwell ‘07 will graduate in May from the University of

University.

Alabama with a double major in History and Secondary Education, finishing on the Dean’s List. She will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall where she plans to earn a master’s degree

Class of 2010

in History. Samantha Novak ’10 was valedictorian Casey McKenna Miller Mims ’07 was St. Mary’s class valedictorian

at Dana Hills High School in 2014. She

and in 2011 graduated with honors in academics and athletics from

currently works part time while attending

JSerra Catholic High School. She received a swimming scholarship to

Saddleback Community College with

attend the University of California at Berkeley and swims on Cal’s #1

plans to transfer to California State

NCAA Women’s Championship Swimming Team. Casey has studied

University, Fullerton and major in

abroad in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg, and spent

Mechanical Engineering. Samantha’s goal

a summer interning in New York City with Scholastic, Inc. Casey

is to work in the maintenance and safety

will graduate with honors and athletic awards in May, 2015 with a

field in the theme park industry, and

degree in Psychology. She will attend Hastings Law School in San

ultimately, to design roller coasters for theme parks around

Francisco in the fall.

the world.

ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

Class of 2011

Class of 2012 Erik Juliusson ’11 will graduate in June

Frances Gargano ’12 is a junior at Santa

from Laguna Beach High School. He

Margarita Catholic High School. She is a

received a swimming scholarship to

member of the SM Pep Squad and was

Purdue University where he plans to

on the Cheer Team during her freshman

study Industrial Design. He won CIF in

and sophomore years before switching

individual swimming events in 2013 and

to Song Team for her junior and senior

2014 and anticipates excellent scores in

years. This summer Frances will travel

2015. He is on track to break Olympic

to New York where she was accepted

trial qualifying times this summer before

into the Joffrey Ballet Contemporary and

heading off to Purdue. We look forward to watching him in the 2016

Jazz Summer Intensive. Joffrey Ballet also selected Frances to attend

Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha NE.

their four-year training program following high school graduation. Frances is also interested in auditioning for the Alvin Ailey Dance

Dylan Kinney ’11 will graduate in May

Program at Fordham University and Marymount Manhattan College

from Santa Margarita Catholic High

to earn a BFA in Dance.

School. He plans to study Marketing at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad

Lauren Walker ’12 is a junior at Santa

School of Business in the fall.

Margarita Catholic High School and an International Baccalaureate Full Diploma Candidate. This fall she will serve as the National Honor Society Secretary and Treasurer and has received First Honors

Ryan Simmons ’11 will graduate in June

and California Scholarship Federation

from Dana Hills High School where he

recognition for all three years. Lauren

was a long snapper for the football team.

has traveled to London and Paris for

He received several offers to play football

Model United Nations and is actively involved in ASB, Mock Trial,

in college, but recently committed to San

Link Crew, and Ambassador Programs. She is a member of the

Diego State University.

National Charity League and has received two SMCHS Coeur a Coeur Leadership in Service Awards and two National President’s Volunteer Service Awards. Lauren is the student leader of the World Affairs Council and is also a member of the Next Step Mentor Program. She recently attended a Community Anti-Drug Coalitions

Kristen Walker ’11 will graduate in

of America National Leadership Forum in Washington D.C. as a

May from Santa Margarita Catholic High

guest of the Orange County Sheriff Department.

School as an International Baccalaureate Full Diploma Candidate and will attend Washington University in St. Louis, MO

Class of 2013

on a full academic scholarship. Kristen plans to major in Global Health and the

Jared Rodriguez ’13 is finishing his

Environment on a pre-medical track.

sophomore year at Santa Margarita

Kristen received the National Hispanic

Catholic High School. This summer

Recognition Program Scholar Award from the College Board and

Jared received a highly competitive

has received First Honors and California Scholarship Federation

scholarship to attend Berklee College of

recognition for four years. She served as National Honor Society

Music in Boston for their 5-week summer

Secretary, Link Crew Leader, Ambassador, and a four-year member

performance program.

of ASB. Kristen is also a member of the National Charity League. She has received two SMCHS Coeur a Coeur Leadership in Service awards and a National President’s Volunteer Service Award. Kristen currently works for Dr. Yolanda P. Gomez and is a volunteer at UC Irvine Medical Center.

ST. MARY’S SPRING 2015 MAGAZINE

St. Mary’s School 7 Pursuit Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 www.smaa.org

Save the date for the 2015

The 2015 St. Mary’s Golf Classic, a day of fun and fellowship, will be held at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club on Monday, September 28, 2015. Be sure to mark it on your calendar! DATE: Monday, September 28, 2015 TIME: 9 am registration; 11:30am shotgun start LOCATION: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club GOLF FEE: $250 per player

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