2017-18 State of the school
Creativity AND Problem Solving
Tinkering
buzz Around Innovation
6th Grade Science
Douglas Award
The Little Mermaid
Retirements
Remembering Clara Allen
Summit news ISSUE 9
WINTER 2017
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Inside this issue: 4 Driving a Culture of Innovation:
Design and technology studios
7 Tinkering: Building a foundation
for creativity and problem solving
10 The Buzz Around Innovation 12 The Little Mermaid 15 Susan Schambach, Winner
of the Marian Millaway ’69 Douglas Award for Faculty Excellence
16 Remembering Clara Allen 19 Innovation through Simplification:
Creating a seamless curriculum across sixth grade science
22 Retirements 24 2017-18 State of the School
Summit News ISSUE 9 Winter 2017 Summit School | 2100 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106 | 336.722.2777 | summitschool.com photography: Martin Tucker | writing: Amy Hughes | design: One Hero Creative, Inc. | editor: Nancy Tuohy Summit School admits students of any race, religion, color, and national or ethnic origin.
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A message from the Head of School
Innovation is integral to Summit's past, present and future. Summit is where arts, innovation and education come together in the inspiring learning of students. At Summit, we position children to make the future. That is the soul of innovation—creating something new, original or improved that adds unique value to or meets a deep need in the world, both within and beyond Summit’s campus. The images, stories and reports in the pages that follow offer an answer to this question: How do we prepare children for a future we can’t imagine much less predict? In fact, as you read these articles a unique lexicon of learning emerges: • Culture of Innovation
• Voice
• Curiosity
• Question and reasoning
• Studio Experience
• Courage
• Passion
• Risk
• Design
• Coding
• Mindfulness
• Tinkering
• Collaboration
• Creativity
• Confidence
• Learning from mistakes
• Engineering
• Imagine and envision
“The school stands by us and supports us. We all believe in learning, exploring and not necessarily having the right answers. Everyone has a voice and a part to play, and that is so important to the creative process and as a life lesson.” — Kianna Scanlon, Upper School drama teacher
“I want students to walk away with skills that they can apply to anything in the future—perseverance, the confidence to verbalize their thoughts, and to make connections with people and ideas. If we can do that, then we have been successful.”
What do Arduino microcontrollers, puppeteers, animation, simple machines, Super Sidekick: The Musical, media arts, coding, costume club, an illuminated trident, simple robots, tinkering, beekeeping, The Little Mermaid, and mechanical octopus legs have in common? They represent some of the processes and products of the design thinking through which students imagine, plan, create, and improve. They are what we mean when we say that students don’t learn simply or solely by doing. Rather, at Summit, students learn by thinking about what they are doing. The following insights from teachers point to the power and impact of our approach to learning:
— Shannon Pylant, sixth grade science teacher
But perhaps Upper School design teacher Steve Harberger says it best (page 6), capturing both the inspiration and aspiration of Summit, “To be fearless problem solvers. That’s what I want for students.” That is inspiring learning. Thank you for all you do to make inspiring learning possible.
Onward and Upward,
“We gather with the children and ask them to look into their hearts and heads, and then create. Their eyes light up and that freedom leads to the most amazing outcomes.”
Michael Ebeling Head of Summit School
— Jennifer Sparnicht, second grade assistant and tinkering teacher
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Driving a Culture of Innovation
How the design and technology studios stretch the boundaries of learning
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It is the expectation of curiosity and the acknowledgment of limitless possibilities that has extended the curriculum of Summit students to not only include core classes, but also a set of classes referred to as the studio experience in the areas of Arts and Design. These “studio” classes are designed to provide students an opportunity 1) to explore the world within a fertile learning environment, 2) to accept when things don’t go as planned, and, 3) let’s be honest, to gain experience using some pretty cool toys.
t Summit School we often quote John Dewey who said, “education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” We believe in meeting the child where he is in his journey and opening his mind to thinking creatively, reasoning systematically, and working collaboratively. This helps children not only evolve as students but as a human beings. Our work to teach the Whole Child includes the topics you might expect in a school setting – math, science, reading, foreign language. But even those classes are not taught in the way you might expect. You may hear a student at Summit ask ‘Why?’ and instead of giving them the answer, the teacher may respond, ‘What makes you say that?’ or, ‘What are you curious about here?’.
And the coolest toys can be found in the Design and Technology department. That’s also where you will find Chris Culp ’82, Director of Technology, who has been with Summit for 22 years. He also happens to be an alum.
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“The resources that our students have access to and the environment that they get to work in is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Culp. “That is what drew me back, and I am grateful because this is by far the best teaching experience in my career.”
Said House, “If a student cannot let go of something that happened earlier in the day, then they won’t be able to focus on the activity at hand. Mindfulness is just another tool at our disposal to help teach the whole child.” Students in the Lower School Design and Technology Studio learn to be active creators with technology rather than passive consumers of technology. House and Rogers believe that lays a foundation for a healthy use of technology. Technology and design go hand in hand throughout the curriculum. As students travel from First through Fourth Grades they tackle progressively more challenging projects in design, animation, coding, programming, and robotics. Design lessons help students gain understanding of structures and simple engineering. One of the culminating projects in Fourth Grade is building a car powered by a balloon. This requires students to apply what they’ve learned previously about wheel and axle assemblies and balloon propulsion.
Culp also seems to have a talent for recruiting great teachers. Steve Harberger, another teacher in the Upper School Design and Technology Studio, and Stephanie Rogers in the Lower School Design and Technology Studio, are here because of Culp. “My role grew organically at Summit. I had a successful career in industrial design. One day Chris called and said he wanted to do a lesson on Arduino microcontrollers and asked if I would design it. So I did, and I sent it to him,” said Harberger. “He called me back and asked me if I would teach it. Here I am five years later.” Adds Rogers, “I had a career in sales and marketing and was a stay-at-home mom when Chris asked me to do some parttime teaching. I thought he was crazy, but I’m glad I said yes!”
Collaboration is an essential part of the design process. Much of the work is done in randomly chosen pairs. This pushes students to work with people with whom they may not typically engage. As a result, they find out unique things about new people and learn to appreciate other ideas and viewpoints.
Like teachers throughout Summit School, the Design and Technology team appreciates that the spirit of innovation and continued learning not only applies to the students, but to the faculty as well. Through Summit’s Center for Excellence and Innovation, teachers are engaged in leading edge professional learning opportunities. These opportunities are mission aligned and connect to the Progressive principles upon which Summit was founded, yet interpreted in modern ways reflecting current understandings of how the children learn.
Beyond the classwork, Rogers and House want to empower their students by helping them to think on their own, not to expect to be told what to do. That leads to a whole new level of questioning and reasoning. Students become more comfortable with ambiguity, and they learn to ask questions of each other without being confrontational.
“So much of the work that we do gets treated like the lone wolf in a traditional school setting,” said Harberger. “Here, it is a very authentic and natural part of what’s going on across Summit.”
Said Rogers, “If they’re asking questions, that means they are thinking and learning. That’s all we can ask.” Once students reach Fifth Grade, their Design and Technology experience moves into the hands of teachers like Harberger, who says that the curriculum depends on where the student is in their progression.
The innovation in Design and Technology starts in the Lower School with Karen House, a beloved Summit teacher for 32 years, and Stephanie Rogers, her teaching partner. When students walk into the Lower School Design and Technology Studio (Grades 1-4), they will find that the lights are off, soothing music is playing, and a calming image is on the screen at the front of the classroom. Students sit quietly and find their anchor spots (breath). Both Rogers and House believe in the importance of mindfulness in their teaching practice. It helps the children to be more open to learning.
For example, fifth graders get a broad brush on 2-D and 3-D design, electronics and circuitry. In Sixth Grade, which Harberger co-teaches with Jared Taylor, students have the opportunity to build simple robots and work to get the robot to do more and more as the activity continues. It is all about the coding, not the robot. Seventh graders spend time building projects such as Arduino
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“This student could program and code with his eyes closed. My job as his teacher was to guide him to challenge himself,” said Culp. “What if you also built the cabinet for the game so people could actually stand and play it like they used to?”
microcontrollers and learning how to program them with C programming language. By the time students reach Eighth Grade, Harberger’s class and other Arts and Design classes become electives. Harberger hopes his students choose to stay, but whenever they leave, he wants them to be comfortable in new, unknown situations.
One simple question pushed this student outside of his comfort zone and netted a better result. Adds Culp, “He had to engage with other instructors in other disciplines – Steve Harberger for help with 3-D printing and circuitry, facilities to help cut the wood for the cabinet. The student ended up also making a cocktail table version which was sold at the Summit Gala last spring.”
“To be fearless problem solvers. That’s what I want for them.” In addition to his responsibility for all things technical, Chris Culp also teaches ninth graders in the Upper School Design and Technology studio.
This year’s projects include a pinball machine, a battle bot, and a standing desk for a teacher built by a student who taught himself to use AutoCAD software.
As a part of the class, students are required to come up with an idea for something they want to create or build. They come up with a proposal, which Culp reviews and approves, and then they begin the development process. Students source materials, make prototypes, test and retest, and ultimately end up with a finished product. For example, last year, Culp had a student who wanted to re-create the 1980’s arcade games many of the current Summit parents remember playing as children – Pac Man, Space Invaders, and many more. Culp liked the idea, but asked the student to go a step further.
Why is this culture of innovation so important to Summit students and faculty? “Our students have a sense of ability to do anything they want to do,” said Culp. “It is because we have instilled in them that it is good to fail, fail often and fail early. They know how to back up, take a breath, take a break, and then move on. There are adults who have yet to learn this lesson.” Adds Harberger, “Our students are learning traditional educational things like science and math through hands-on assignments in class. It’s not always overt, but it’s there.” Harberger also talked about the importance of critical thinking, problem solving, and building confidence – and not just in Design and Technology. “There is a lot of continuity across many different dimensions within Summit. We are a community that supports each other and feels appreciated for what we do.” Karen House summed it up the best, however. “We love our jobs. And we ask ourselves constantly – we get paid to do this?”
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Tinkering: Building a foundation for
CREATIVITY & PROBLEM SOLVING “To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” - Thomas Edison
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alking into Bebe Krewson's and Jennifer Sparnicht's studio classrooms in the Lower School may feel like walking into a well-organized junk shop. Your eye travels over mason jars and plastic bins, filled with colorful, and shiny objects. Shelving and hooks hold bits and baubles. The studios are packed with PVC pipes, popsicle sticks, pom poms, marbles, and magnets. These and much more; collected, scavenged, donated, and recycled by the friends and families of Summit School. To the eye of a second or third grader however, these are rooms where the only limits are those of their imagination.
Tinkering was added last year as a formal studio class for second and third grade students at Summit School. It is also offered on a smaller scale in Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and some fourth grade classrooms. Summit's tinkering program has it roots in the Harvard Project Zero 'Agency by Design' program which explores three core maker capacities: looking closely, exploring complexity, and finding opportunity. Summit teachers, including Krewson and Sparnicht, have presented their work with tinkering during conferences and workshops hosted by Summit’s Center for Excellence and Innovation as well at several other regional professional conferences.
You have entered the Tinkering Rooms. Tinkering is best defined as purposeful play that fosters creativity and discovery in children. Students in these classes would probably describe it as their favorite time of the day because for 45 minutes, they get to create whatever they want, using whatever they want from what is available around them.
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Students come to the Tinkering Rooms in five-day cycles for two weeks in studio groups. And they rotate through the class multiple times in a school year. During that time, the materials in the rooms are at their disposal to make as many somethings as they want, including:
refer to themselves), the students are given the gift of time to discover, innovate and invent. Student engagement is
• Make and Take, which are projects the students get to take home.
extremely high in the tinkering studios. They get to ask questions and investigate, which means they are learning along the way. Krewson and Sparnicht will often ask their own questions – What do you see? What do you think? What do you wonder? What is your plan?
• Take Apart, toys and electronics, which get recycled back into the tinkering supplies.
“Doing this kind of work at a younger age enhances their critical thinking and problem solving,” said Krewson. “Through the hands-on nature of tinkering, they learn to find success in the process, not only the finished product.”
• Make and Put Away, which use all materials in any non-permanent way and are put away when the class ends. These projects also tend to help the tentative tinkerer think and manipulate things before committing to a project.
It usually takes no time at all for students and parents to warm up to the idea of tinkering. Traditional educational environments have a lot of structure. There is a beginning and an end, with clear expectations, guidelines and grades. In a Progressive school like Summit with a tinkering
What students ultimately create is up to them. There are no rules (with the exception of safety rules); there are no instructions. More importantly, there is no right or wrong.
program, Krewson and Sparnicht get to witness creative effort and student willingness to be open to risk and whimsy. Along the way, these facilitators get to witness
“We often watch kids tinker for days with a project, sometimes frustrated with the way things are working (or not) and with what they view as mistakes,” said Sparnicht. “Over time, however, they realize that mistakes can take things to a different place. In fact, we celebrate mistakes, analyze them, and notice they can lead to something super cool.”
‘a-ha’ moments for their students, which end up being ‘a-ha’ moments for them as well. “I had one student who I was convinced did not like this class. He would come in, every day, head down, serious-faced. And he spent his time pushing together clay and odd objects with what appeared to be no specific intent. I asked myself
What can seem like unstructured play to the casual observer is actually quite the opposite. With Krewson and Sparnicht working as facilitators (which is how they
constantly, ‘what can I do to make his studio time better?’,” remembers Sparnicht. “And then I saw his mom in the hall and told her how much I enjoyed having him in tinkering and she said, ‘Oh my goodness, that is his favorite class!’” Sparnicht asked the mother to tell her what her child was saying. Turns out, he brought his project home and told his mom the elaborate story connected with his creation. The whole story was in his head, clear as day. Sparnicht learned just how deeply children think and care about their creations. They will share that thinking if asked.
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Adds Krewson, “Those are the moments where we really start to remember our job is to listen first – to understand, not to answer. We are very conscious about giving them the time to tell their story.”
tinkering is having on their child and want to extend the experience. And other classes are also requesting it, so Krewson and Sparnicht have created a mobile Tinkering Cart that can go from class to class. This is a good thing.
That student, by the way, became even more creative, more confident and more engaged in the process.
“Tinkering teaches students to take the time to think, ask questions, and solve problems. Those are skills that are applicable in multiple places for them right now and will serve them well down the road,” said Sparnicht.
“That was a big lightbulb moment for me as a teacher,” said Sparnicht.
Krewson and Sparnicht are often asked how tinkering differs from an art class. Art classes, they say, have a planned curriculum and often class-wide instructions, which is fun and fantastic. Tinkering classes offer children other opportunities to think for themselves, direct themselves, and express their creativity in their own unique way. Both classes are important to the development of the whole child.
Another student, new to Summit, was getting used to the idea of not being told exactly what to do having come from a more traditional school environment. Once she started on her first project, however, she was unstoppable. In each class, she continued to add and “embellish” – a term often used by Krewson and Sparnicht – until she had exactly what she wanted. And what did she create?
Looking from the outside in, people may wonder how tinkering can possibly work. Success at Summit starts with the teachers. They admit they are a good Yin and Yang – Krewson holds a masters degree in education; and Sparnicht, a Wake Forest graduate, is a teacher and a practicing artist. And both are firm believers in the Tinkering program and the long-term impact it can have on the development of their students.
“She made this beautiful, bedazzled vessel for her father to place all of his toiletries in, with organized compartments and precise beadwork. She worked on it so carefully and tirelessly. It was wonderful to behold. When I told her I wanted to share it as part of the Venture Café event at Summit in September, she beamed with pride and a newfound confidence,” said Sparnicht. That confidence is seen on a daily basis. As the school year progresses and students begin deeper exploration, you will often find classes spilling into the halls because there simply is not enough room for their imaginations.
The main reason the program is successful is because of their students. Said Krewson: “Some jump in right away. For others, it takes time. But at the end of the program, we watch them feel empowered to imagine and envision the transformation of repurposed goods into three dimensional illustrations of their thoughts and dreams. And that is why we do it.”
“I remember walking into the hall and seeing this elaborate series of PVC pipes that some students had put together. And I asked what it was and they replied, ‘It’s the sewage pipes under your house, Mrs. Krewson’. Well, of course it is. How could I have not seen that?” Krewson says with a smile.
Krewson and Sparnicht have big ideas of how to evolve the program. They want to introduce light, wind, water, and sound into their collection of resources. They hope to have a larger classroom at some point. They are even considering taking the class outside to see how the students might incorporate elements of nature into their creations.
Krewson and Sparnicht cannot count the number of times they have been called over to a table or into the hall by a student who says ‘watch this’. There was a group who set up an elaborate domino run in the hall. They experimented for days, trying, re-trying. The dominoes kept falling or not falling when they were supposed to fall. When it finally worked, it was a moment of ultimate satisfaction, a deep breath, and then that look of, okay, what’s next?
Whatever lies ahead for Tinkering, both Krewson and Sparnicht are grateful to be a part of it. “We gather with the children and ask them to look into their hearts and heads, and then create,” said Sparnicht. “Their eyes light up and that freedom leads to the most amazing outcomes, and it is a pleasure to be a part of it.”
Both teachers have been told stories by parents who have created tinkering spaces in their own homes because their children love it so much. Those parents see the impact
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pursue things that are different and innovative, and integrate them into the curriculum.”
hris Culp ’82, Director of Technology, has always had a cursory interest in bees—yes, the yellow and black striped buzzing insects that typically cause panic and fear wherever they fly. But not for Chris. And five years ago, he found out that he had a kindred spirit in fellow Summit teacher, Jason Felten.
Not only is innovation permitted, it is strongly encouraged. And they convinced the school of the need for a beekeeping class as part of Summit’s Afternoon Academy. The first class started in the fall of 2012 with an interested, but hesitant group of young beekeepers.
Felten completed intense coursework through the Forsyth County Beekeepers Association to learn more while Chris completed courses in Beekeeping and Bee Biology online through North Carolina State University. Shortly after that, they got their first hive and set it up on the grounds of Summit School.
“At first, a student will be sitting on the bench, removed from the hives, but they’re watching. They become increasingly more interested and engaged. And finally, they’re on their feet, in the middle of it, no longer afraid because they understand the bees, their purpose and how to handle them.”
“At first, it was just Jason and me trying something new, but as we watched the hive evolve, we realized that there are so many lessons to be learned from these miraculous creatures that we decided to share our knowledge,” said Culp. “And the great thing is that Summit gives its faculty permission to
Today, there are six hives at Summit. And Culp uses the proceeds from selling the honey and beeswax from the hives to reinvest in the program. They’ve added more equipment
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and protective suits that are perfectly sized for Summit’s aspiring beekeepers, including fifth grader, Grayson Linville. Grayson first noticed the hives while playing on the back playground at Summit when he was just eight years old. He asked a couple of questions and realized that like Culp, he was fascinated by bees. Grayson attended his first beekeeping class in the spring two years ago. He wanted to be in the fall class, but it was full. So he prepared ahead of time by researching online and watching YouTube videos. Grayson asked for his first hive for Christmas that year and Santa delivered. Since his very first class, Grayson’s passion for beekeeping has grown and so has his bank account. The honey and beeswax he gets from his hives at home have allowed him to start his own company called G-Money Honey, which he sells to some family and friends, but mostly at Colony Urban Farm in Winston-Salem. Grayson’s dad, Aubrey Linville ’92, said that beekeeping has become a family affair. It started initially because Grayson needed his dad to move the heavy equipment, but now it’s become a shared passion with the elder Linville working in collaboration with Colony Urban Farm to place hives on the roofs of some of Winston’s downtown buildings. This new venture, named Bee Our Future, is an effort to support pollinator populations and grow community awareness and education around environmental issues. Culp, Grayson, and Aubrey recently shared their experience as part of the Venture Café event held at Summit School. When asked what he liked most about bees, Grayson rattled off a number of facts about bees, including the fact that the queen bee can lay up to 2,000 eggs a day. When asked about his foray into entrepreneurship and whether or not he is reinvesting in his business, he answered very honestly.
packaging, and business expansion. “This is another great Summit example of learning by doing,” added Culp. “Who knew that beekeeping would provide so many real-world lessons and teachable moments?” The only downside of Grayson’s beekeeping adventures is that he’s discovered he’s allergic to bees. But not enough to give it up. His motto?
“Nah. I bought a guitar. Now I’m saving up for a kayak.” But make no mistake, Grayson is a budding entrepreneur. G-Money has a logo, which they used crowdsourcing to create. And there are subtle lessons in supply and demand,
“Stay calm and keep your gloves on.”
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INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION:
backstage engineering in
the little
Mermaid 12
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he Drama Department at Summit is known for putting on some incredible productions. But when students and faculty across disciplines and grade levels come together for a musical, it’s not only incredible, it’s magical. And that is exactly what happened with Summit School’s Fall 2016 production of The Little Mermaid.
from them, and success will follow. Our students had a great time being a part of this project.” And it didn’t stop there. “There are so many moments where we saw what Summit is all about in the production of this musical,” said Wild. “I remember Brad walking into Kianna’s office to say ‘I have some Styrofoam and plastic cups. I’m going to see what I can do with them’, which ended up being the beautiful coral that served as the backdrop for many of the scenes. In another moment, we’re struggling with the mermaid costumes because they were missing ‘something’ and it was a student who came up with the solution. ”
The show, which is based on the beloved Disney animated film, offered some interesting opportunities and challenges in terms of sets, props, costumes and characters, which is why Drama teacher, Kianna Scanlon, selected it. “If the Drama department had to do this musical on our own, it would not have happened,” said Scanlon. “Because we are surrounded by so many talented and creative people, we were able to tap into those resources and bring the show to life in so many new and innovative ways.”
What seems like a freeform creative project is actually a three-month process woven together with important lessons that fulfill each of the six promises made to Summit students and faculty. Scanlon dedicates time in the summer to thinking about the students she has had since the Fourth Grade and their personalities in determining what the major productions will be. In the case of The Little Mermaid, it was her rising eighth and ninth graders who had the most influence.
For previous productions, the Drama department has worked closely with the Choral department and an army of faculty volunteers, including art teacher Elizabeth Kerr Wild ’84, who has been largely responsible for creating costumes and working behind the scenes, and is a critical member of the team. Last spring, that army expanded and allowed other departments within the school to play a role and learn at the same time.
“It had been three years since we had done a musical,” remembers Scanlon. “They remembered how much they enjoyed watching it and how much the students enjoyed being a part of that. They wanted the same experience.”
Said Scanlon, “The culture of Summit allowed us to ask ‘What if?’ And people answered – people like Steve Harberger in Design and Technology, Elaine Phelps in Music, our Facilities team, and Brad Calhoun from the Art Department. And our students. Everyone brought something that made our Little Mermaid even better.”
Auditions start a few weeks before rehearsals. Typically, Scanlon has an idea of who she will cast in which role, but finds that she is often surprised as students develop their talents over the summer and new people join the school. Her biggest surprise this year?
Harberger’s eighth grade class was tasked with bringing several key prop elements to life. This included the magical necklace that holds Ariel’s voice and getting it to light up with the moods of the Sea Witch. Speaking of the Sea Witch, they also figured out how to create the articulated octopus legs that are a critical element of the character’s costume. And thanks to the work of Harberger’s and Calhoun’s students, the king of the mermaids was much more imposing sitting on a grand throne with an illuminated trident.
“Without a doubt, Ursula the Sea Witch. She was my biggest surprise and our biggest challenge.” Scanlon had two students who were perfect for the role. Rather than decide between them, the team put their own unique spin on the story and created a two-headed sea witch. This in turn created some unique challenges in terms of costuming, but it ended up being a favorite part of the show.
“The unique part of this assignment is that not only was there a deadline for the project, but things actually had to work the way they were intended to, or it would have been detrimental to the show because they were part of the story,” said Harberger. “This was a great real-world application of what we teach every day – collaborate, make mistakes, learn
“You have two actors for Ursula and two actors who are her pet eels. They had to communicate and move together to create this larger than life character. Once we figured out the costumes and the actors were in them, their posture changed and the characters came to life in a meaningful way.”
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“I can’t quite articulate the magic that happens,” said Scanlon. “The students run the show – all of the transitions, the lights, the sound. In fact, the faculty sit in the audience.”
Behind the scenes, it took four ninth grade actors, four eighth grade designers, two sixth grade puppeteers, three seventh grade Costume Club helpers and five teachers to bring Ursula to life. Scanlon believes it was worth it.
Wild agrees, “It’s hard to watch these shows and not get a little misty. You remember the stories in every moment about how they came to be. Somehow, it always comes together and it’s fantastic.”
“When Ursula came out, the actors made me believe there was a two-headed octopus and two eels on stage. Their characters really came to life.”
This year, the Drama department has a number of productions in the works, including Super Sidekick the Musical and Eighth Grade Night of Original Works. Scanlon likes to have a mix of very structured performances and some lower key performances to give all of the students an opportunity. In terms of what is ahead, Scanlon admits that the collaboration across departments that they experienced with The Little Mermaid has opened up a world of possibilities.
Facing challenges and finding solutions are key lessons in creating a stage production. Everyone has to be willing and open to trying something new and being comfortable if it doesn’t work out. Adds Wild: “We don’t have all of the answers. And it is good for our students to see that. When they see the teachers collaborating and questioning, it gives them the courage to do the same.” It is when the students find their voice and build
“So many students and faculty are interested in being part of the process now. I have even heard of an idea that came from one of Jared Taylor’s Media Arts sixth grade students that sounds fascinating,” said Scanlon. “So, who knows? You may be seeing a student produced and written production in the near future.”
their confidence that the teachers step back and the students take over.
Any production, and certainly one of the size and scale of The Little Mermaid, takes a lot of time and effort. Why do they do it? Both Scanlon and Wild agree that it is a labor of love. “I had a 15+ year career in New York as a clothing designer for a number of high profile brands, but it didn’t come close to providing the kind of satisfaction that being in this school and doing this kind of work does on a daily basis,” said Wild. “As faculty, we are encouraged to find things that fuel and feed us. I would say that being a part of this process has certainly done that ten-fold.” Adds Scanlon, “It is such a special thing that we get to do this. The school stands by us and supports us. We all believe in learning, exploring and not necessarily having the right answers. Everyone has a voice and a part to play, and that is so important to the creative process and as a life lesson.”
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SUSAN SCHAMBACH
Summit reaches back almost 40 years. She received her bachelor’s in biology and studio art from Smith College. She taught at Summit from 1977-1982 and joined the Triad Academy faculty in 2002, returning to Summit in 2012 with the merger. She has completed the Associate level OrtonGillingham training. She is a recipient of The Power of Art Award given by the Lab School of Washington, DC and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation for the innovative use of art in the teaching of students with learning disabilities.
Winner of the Marian Millaway ’69 Douglas Award for Faculty Excellence
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he Marian Millaway ’69 Douglas Award for Faculty Excellence was established in December 2000 with generous funding from Sandra Adams, Ann and Borden Hanes ’60, and Marian ’69 and Jim Douglas in response to the Great Expectations II Capital Campaign for faculty excellence. The endowment agreement reads: “Established by family and friends to honor Mrs. Douglas for her love of and dedication to Summit and to recognize her parents who made a Summit education a priority for their daughter, the fund rewards teachers whose excellence and enthusiasm spark the flame of learning in students.”
Triad Academy division director Carrie Malloy describes Susan as a “high energy teacher who works tirelessly to see that every child has success in her class. She places high value on professional development and actively seeks it out. On a regular basis, Susan creates collaborative teaching and learning opportunities both within and across divisions.” Chris Culp ’82 says, “She is an amazing teacher who meets each of her students where they are. She was my eighth grade IPS science teacher and my ninth grade biology teacher where I first learned to love science. This fall I was fortunate enough to work with her students and she helped me with an Afternoon Academy beekeeping class where I was reminded of the way she thoughtfully engages each student. One of the many benefits of working at Summit is to work with colleagues who give you the best examples of how to teach, allowing us daily to refine our craft. She is one of these teachers.”
Any teacher who has taught at Summit for five or more years is eligible for this award. Recipients must demonstrate the following:
Commitment to the teaching profession High expectations for students An ability to connect with students Involvement in the total school program
Thank you Susan for your continued service to your Summit students, old and young, and your colleagues!
Energy, excitement and passion for teaching Willingness to work with colleagues Loyalty to the school A desire to go beyond what is expected Congratulations to Susan Schambach, the recipient of the 2017 Marian Millaway ’69 Douglas Award for Excellence in Teaching. Susan is described by a peer as “an amazing communicator, tireless collaborator, gentle encourager. Her passion for Science is rivaled only by her love for her students.” She is the consummate educator, lifelong learner, and is the embodiment of the Portrait of a Summit Teacher. And, one never knows on the shores of what country her students’ “notes in a bottle” will be found. Since 2012, Susan has taught Lower School Science in the Triad Academy division at Summit. But her history with
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REMEMBERING
CL AR A ALLEN Ja n ua ry 14 , 192 1 – M ay 28, 2017
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lara Allen arrived at Summit in 1956 to teach First Grade and stayed for 34 years, the longest anyone has taught First Grade at Summit. Perhaps no one did it with more enthusiasm and care.
Clara expected a lot from her students and showed them that they all could succeed. For example, she was able, year after year, to have every student memorize the names of the United States presidents in order. All succeeded in a task that amazed their parents. The first grades also entertained the kindergartners and second and third graders with a Presidents Day presentation, boys as Presidents, girls as First Ladies. But in the 1970's, the preparation and presentation became Famous Americans Day, to provide greater diversity of roles for both girls and boys. Clara was ever ready to try a better way to help her charges.
She was in the vanguard of Wake Forest College people who joined Summit that fall as teachers/parents/students when the college moved to Reynolda Road. A graduate of Flora McDonald College (now St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC), she had already been teaching in public schools in Wilmington and the town of Wake Forest. At Summit, for the next three years she taught in the classroom next to Summit’s original first grade teacher, Miss Leta Christian, who retired after thirty years in 1959. From then on Clara Allen assumed the role of mentor to successive first grade teachers in the next room, helping them adjust to Summit’s unique ways.
Music and Primary Education had been her majors in college, and she pursued both fields actively. She served as a soprano soloist, in turn, at Centenary Methodist, Wake Forest Baptist, First Presbyterian, and Augsburg Lutheran churches. She sang in the Symphony Chorale and helped found Piedmont Chamber Singers. After retirement, Clara volunteered as a tutor at her retirement community. She took her enthusiasm for Summit with her everywhere. Through her activities outside school she attracted many others to Summit.
Any visitor to Clara’s classroom saw invitations to explore. She mentored often by example: her classroom was enlivened by special activity areas, cozy reading spaces, terrariums alive with critters. An annual spring event was her students’ wonder at the hundreds of tiny praying mantises which had emerged all at once from their dried foam egg sac, eventually to be released into the wild (Summit’s playground). Any day with Clara could bring wonderful surprises.
Her sense of the absurd and her impulse toward joy made her a lively and amusing companion. Clara took her vocations seriously, but not herself. She had a strong positive influence on the many hundreds of students she taught and on their families. As one of her co-teachers recalls: Clara invested a lot of herself in others’ children, as well as remaining a wise and caring friend to those with whom she taught and sang.
Clara’s husband, Charlie, professor of biology at Wake Forest, aided and abetted Clara’s work at Summit. In the late 1960's, over several weekends, the two of them designed and executed the painting of a four-colored proportioned map of the United States on a concrete play area below the first grade building, each state outlined. It was so large that a student could place both feet within Rhode Island. It was both a teaching tool and a place for play. (It was covered by a needed classroom in the late 1980s).
Even though the map has been covered up, and her voice quieted, her legacy at Summit is enduring for all who knew her.
By D O UG L E WIS , Head of School 1957– 1990 16
CL A R A A LLEN SCHOL A R SHIP FUND Mrs. Allen wished for memorial gifts to be designated to the Clara Allen Scholarship Fund. The fund was established in 1990 to honor Mrs. Allen and to provide financial aid for students. Memorial gifts may be payable to Summit School and sent to: Clara Allen Scholarship Fund, Summit School, 2100 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Clara Allen and Doug Lewis 17
Cara Byrum and Clara Allen
Clara Allen and Jeff Turner
Clara Allen and her 1970-71 First Grade
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Innovation through Simplification:
Creating a seamless curriculum across sixth grade science
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reate a program of active learning, individual instruction, and attention to the whole child.
That was the intention of Summit’s founding head, Louise Futrell, when she opened the school in 1933. Those beliefs are alive and well in the classrooms of sixth grade science teachers, Shannon Pylant and Leslie Russell. And never more evident than in their Simple Machines Rube Goldberg Project. Before we can talk about simple machines, we have to talk about the serendipitous meeting of two progressive teachers. Russell agreed. “All students, regardless of the program they are in at Summit, learn differently. That is what makes each of them unique and wonderful. As two teachers new to our positions, Shannon and I saw an opportunity to write a new story and take the road less traveled.” Pylant and Russell’s desire to collaborate was further supported by participation in the Center for Excellence and Innovation’s New Teacher Cohort, which brings new faculty together to study Progressive teaching principles.
Pylant was a long-term substitute teacher, working with science students from the Triad Academy division in Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades for the 2015-2016 school year. She saw what all teachers see when they begin to teach at Summit School: the opportunity to push creative boundaries and convention to reach and teach her students. Pylant was thrilled when she was offered a full-time position teaching sixth grade science classes for the 2016-2017 school year. In July of 2016, Pylant met Russell while cleaning and prepping their neighboring classrooms for the school year. Russell had been offered the position Pylant filled as a substitute and she wanted Pylant’s perspective on the role. That conversation proved to be the foundation for a unique approach that the two have adopted, together, in their sixth grade science classes this year.
Together, they created a curriculum that would work for both the Triad Academy division sixth grade science students and Pylant’s sixth grade Upper School science students for the current school year. For some parts of their studies the two classes do work independently. But for others, like a recent biomes project, the door between the two rooms opens and they become one class, working together toward a common goal. There are also tools that are used in one class that have become valuable to the other, like the ‘Study Buddy’.
“As a sub, I realized how fundamentally different the curriculum was in my sixth grade class versus the class on the other side of the wall,” said Pylant. “I truly believed that there was a better way to integrate the curriculum and still end with the same desired positive result.”
Russell’s Triad division students receive a Study Buddy two weeks before a scheduled test. This study guide walks them
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through what they’ve learned and is a simple outline of what they should be studying. Pylant’s students now use the same tool because, as she says, “Why wouldn’t they? It’s good, common sense teaching.”
a lever, a pulley, and a screw. Working in groups of two to three students, they build these machines, discover how they function, and ultimately create their own understanding. Once they understand simple machines, the ideation phase begins. It starts with writing. The students are required to articulate their idea in words, which is a process that is uncomfortable for some. But Pylant and Russell believe that integrating language development is an important part of this project and all of their lab work. They revisit this skill at the end when the team has to draw its conclusions.
The first few months of this new curriculum have netted some very positive results. Pylant and Russell have seen the building of confidence and understanding amongst the students. They are learning that people process things differently and have unique perspectives and talents that they bring to the table. For Pylant, this is a life lesson. “I want them to walk away with skills that they can apply to anything in the future – perseverance, the confidence to verbalize their thoughts and to make connections, with people and ideas. If we do that, then we have been successful.”
Learning, ideation and now, they build. “The students have to ultimately come up with a Rube Goldberg machine that is comprised of all six simple machines, designed to accomplish a specific task,” said Russell. “And the real challenge is that they can only work on the machine in class and only with the items provided to them.”
One of true tests of this unique teaching approach will come with a project that is part of the sixth grade signature unit surrounding The Invention of Hugo Cabret. For science, students will complete the Simple Machine Rube Goldberg project. Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. He is best known for creating extremely complicated machines in his cartoons that are meant to complete simple tasks. His work has inspired contests around the world and clearly school curricula. For Pylant’s and Russell’s students, the Simple Machine project, which happens over the course of six weeks starting in January, is designed to challenge their young scientists to: • Uncover how and why simple machines function while engineering simple machines with basic materials to accomplish a task.
• 560 Pylant-Russell Dollars
• 1 washer
• 2’ x 4’ pegboard
• 1 car
• 1 meter of yarn
• 1 spoon
• 1 clear cup
• 3 marbles
• 2 large popsicle sticks
• 2 pipe cleaners
• 1 Dixie cup
• 10 toothpicks
• 5 small popsicle sticks
• 5 large paperclips
• 5 straws
• 5 notecards (4x6)
Once the initial invention plans are approved, the students begin the building phase. “They suddenly realize how limited their resources are,” said Pylant.
• Maintain a budget.
“They’ll ask, ‘can I bring some colored duct tape from home’ or ‘can I bring some extra popsicle sticks’, but the answer is always no. We do have a teacher-run store, however, where they can purchase additional items, but the markup is a bit high.”
• Gain an understanding of group dynamics and the importance of collaboration. • Learn the importance of time management. This is one of those projects in which the two classes work independently of each other. However, they are using the same rubric, with the same set of supplies, and the same desired result. At the end, they will present their Rube Goldberg machines together.
For 400 Pylant-Russell bucks the students can purchase a plastic pulley or 80 for a spoon, and Q-tips at a bargain for 10 Pylant-Russell bucks. What is available in the store and their price changes based on supply and demand.
The project starts with learning about the six kinds of simple machines, all of which must ultimately be included in their end product – a wheel and axle, an inclined plane, a wedge,
“Being on a budget forces the students to be very thoughtful about their choices and work together,” said Russell. “They think they’re in science class, but they’re also learning about
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managing a budget, economics, and the dynamics of working on a diverse team, and I have to say – they become very resourceful.”
differences, no matter where we are, no matter what program we are in. A multi-dimensional teaching approach is best for all students and we know that will be shown in the results of this year’s Simple Machines Rube Goldberg project.”
When it comes to the teams, each student is required to evaluate his or her team members and themselves against a number of criteria including attendance, participation, listening skills, and group engagement. These evaluations are a part of the final grade. According to Pylant, peer evaluation is a new concept for many of the students, but one they handle very honestly and thoughtfully. “We know what is going on in each of the groups because we observe them on a daily basis. But what is important is that the students are the ones who have to articulate it. And once they say it, they get it out of their system and move forward — another great quality that will serve them well in the future.” As interesting as the Simple Machine project may sound, not every student loves the project. It is very challenging and there is a lot of failure that happens in the process. Accepting failure is one of the biggest lessons learned on the journey to build the simple machines. Pylant and Russell work hard throughout the project to keep the attitudes in their rooms positive. More importantly, they instill in their students the fact that the end game isn’t about success. It is about the process, the learning, and yes – the failure. Said Russell, “We constantly remind them that their machines are prototypes and that they may not work. To our students, FAIL means First Attempt in Learning.” The students begin to embrace that over time, but not everyone is necessarily onboard with this way of thinking. “At the end of the project, we have a showcase that parents are invited to where the students explain the path of their project, the simple machines that are a part of it, and how it all works together. And then they demonstrate it,” said Pylant, with a smile. “Sometimes, the machines do not work, which, frankly, is harder for the parents to accept.” Pylant and Russell are not fazed. They know that their students will come out on the other side in a better place. The peg boards covered in popsicle sticks, plastic cups, and yarn are representative of many weeks of hard work, occasional frustration, and ultimately, pride. Adds Russell, “We all have
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retirements
NANCY BRAMLETT Human Resources From Doug Johnson, Summit Maintenance Staff and son of Nancy: Nancy Bramlett started working at Summit School in 1992, I was just 11 years old. She was excited about this new journey. She met all kinds of new friends and in return so did I. Fast forward to 2006. I started my journey at Summit School. I didn’t know until [her retirement]… how many hearts mom had touched in the Summit community. I could walk down the hallway of any building and hear from staff and parents just how much they loved her. I always knew this about her because she helped guide me through countless issues in my life. Not many people get to work with a parent like I had the opportunity to do. It was also fun to see the smiles on [my children] Hunter ’18 and Georgia’s ’26 faces when they would see her in the hallways or at lunch. They always knew that she was just around the corner if they ever needed her. In some cases they would find her before finding me if they didn’t feel well, grandma’s love I guess! I’d like to thank Summit for the great opportunity to work with my rock, my friend and a hero. Have fun in retirement mom, you have earned it!! LOVE YOU!
Cheryl dickson Junior Kindergarten Teacher Cheryl is retiring after teaching at Summit since 1994. The 2013 recipient of the Marian Millaway ’69 Douglas Award for Excellence in Teaching, Cheryl is widely known, appreciated, and esteemed for her gentle ways, her loving spirit, her deep humility, her artistic vision, and the absolute magic she worked with her Junior Kindergarten children. In reflecting about her career, she writes: “Summit has been over and beyond anything I could have hoped for. Every minute has been precious.” Cheryl is looking forward to reading great books, traveling, and studying at Penland School of Crafts. Most importantly, she looks forward to holding her grandchildren Isabelle and Millie.
Christine gagnon Development After 24 years of serving as an integral member of the Summit development team, our friend and colleague Christine Gagnon retired in January 2017. While the nature of Christine’s important work required her to be largely “behind the scenes,” make no mistake: her presence was a gift to Summit for over two decades. Christine first joined the Summit community as mother of Denise Gagnon Faulhaber ’95 and Russ Gagnon ’97. Soon after, she began working in the school support office. And support the school is exactly what she has done, with a keen eye for detail and unwavering commitment to quality. By our best estimation, during her tenure, Christine processed more than 25,000 gifts totaling more than $21,000,000.
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kate helm First Grade Teacher Kate started her remarkable teaching career at Summit in 2002. In equal measure a master teacher, an extraordinary colleague, and a “student” of children’s learning, Kate is known for the joy and professionalism she brings to her teaching, never underestimating her students. This past summer Kate and her family moved to Indiana as Kate’s husband, Theo, assumed his new role as Director of Communications at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives. Kate reflects on her time at Summit: “Watching a child learn to read has been one of the great blessings of my life – it makes each year feel new. Parents trust us with their children, and Summit truly creates an atmosphere where families and teachers work together.” Summit has been a special place for Kate and her four children. They will carry Summit with them – in the friendships that will continue despite the miles, and in the spark that Summit has lit for all of them. Summit is filled with love and gratitude for the entire Helm family.
Becky Marion Afterschool After 17 wonderful years at Summit, Becky Marion retired this year. Former head of school Sandra Adams reflects: “I don’t know who enjoyed a snow day more—our students or Becky Marion. After a rare close of school announcement, it was not unusual for Becky to call me or write a note thanking me for extra time with her family. I expect Becky spent part of those days in her kitchen perfecting the culinary skills that brought many of us so much pleasure. Becky’s jams, jellies, and chow chow were well known and loved by many in the Summit community. Becky’s love for the earth, her warm, caring spirit, and the thoughtful way she engaged her charges in the Afterschool program will be long remembered by students and their parents. The twinkle in her eyes as she passed colleagues in the hall, always with a genuine, happy greeting, let others know she was happy to be part of the Summit family. Thank you, Becky, for loving our children.”
Susan pfaff Johnston Dining Room for Young Children “The Dining Room for Young Children is a special place. The bulletin boards and books teach them, maybe creating a few quiet moments before they leave and head off to their next thing. They learn about food and each other. I love it,” says Chef Susan Pfaff after 16 years at Summit. Indeed, the Anne Coggan Johnston Dining Room for Young Children is a special place. That ethos is a legacy of Susan and her husband Greg for which we are deeply grateful. For a combined 27 years, Susan and Greg have tended this “hearth” for a generation of our Junior Kindergarten through second grade students. Many parents are eternally grateful to their efforts to help young children discover a new favorite thing on their plate. Perhaps hundreds of children have assured Susan that “I don’t eat this!” but then they do. That connection and that kind of learning is part of the Pfaff’s legacy at Summit.
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State of the School
2017 – 2018
At Summit, we position our students to make the future. That requires the support, guidance and investment of every member of this special community. Because of your commitment Summit is thriving. This is evident in both large matters and small moments: • the school’s lowest attrition in our 84-year history (an astounding 3%) • 90% of faculty having attended Harvard’s Project Zero • our successful “week of giving” during which we raised $142,397 through 343 gifts • full enrollment in Grades 5 through 8, with a wait pool for our new Eaglets (3-year-old) program The reports that follow in this year's State of the School
• the adoption and ongoing implementation of our new
demonstrate Summit's clarity of vision and intentional
five-year Strategic Plan
delivery of Progressive education. This is supported
• Triad division faculty becoming one of the most highly
by curriculum design, pedagogical methodologies,
credentialed Orton-Gillingham faculties in the country
professional development, and administrative support. Thank you for being a part of the past, present, and
• leading edge workshops and conferences
future of Summit School.
(including Divergent Thinking Summit and Early Childhood Summit) hosted
Onward and Upward,
by Summit’s Center for Excellence and Innovation and involving Summit teachers and administrators as presenters
Michael Ebeling Head of Summit School
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Nancy Tuohy
ADVANCEMENT
The mission of our Summit School Advancement Office is to ensure the fulfillment of student potential. Summit Advancement is comprised of the Development, Admission, and Marketing offices.
week and our Quick Peaks video. Winter 2018 will see some enhancements to the Veracross portals, bringing easier navigation and access to important information. We recruit great families to Summit by way of reputation and visibility. Stories in the newspaper and other news outlets reflect our expert reputation as leaders in education. Look for our ads in a few local publications and in the playbills of many arts events.
Engagement in a community like Summit offers a unique gift in today's world where connection can be everywhere and nowhere all at once. Advancement work celebrates our community in the ways it communicates the successes of current students, achievements of faculty, and accomplishments of alumni. We connect by way of our website, Veracross, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our magazines: Summit News, Echoes, and Summit Support. Each week parents receive an email, This Week at Summit, with top level events and news, including photos from the
Lastly, our next Gala will occur in spring 2019. The Gala is much more than just a dinner and auction. It brings together Summit families of past, present, and future to celebrate a place we love because of what it gives our children.
Cindy Kluttz
Admission
Summit School enrollment is thriving, as evidenced by a robust enrollment filled with mission-aligned students and families. The Summit community becomes stronger with the addition of families who seek a challenging curriculum within a caring environment to help students develop their full potential. Strong retention rates, and the addition of 95 new students this year, led to a healthy school culture. Of particular note, Summit’s attrition rate this year was 3% - the smallest attrition rate documented in the school’s history.
Summit enrolls a diverse student population with students enrolled from 28 different zip codes and 13 distinct ethnic backgrounds. We strive to pursue inclusivity as an essential facet of the Summit community. Students of color comprise 17% of the overall student population, and 19.7% of the students enrolled at Summit receive need-based financial aid. In addition, Summit is proud to educate 124 children of alumni this year, evidence that the inspiring and innovative nature of the student experience is shared across generations of families in Winston-Salem.
Enrollment for the 2017-18 school year encompasses 627 students: 264 students in the Upper School, 279 students in the Lower School, and 84 students in the Early Childhood division. Within the Upper and Lower Schools, the Triad Academy division has an enrollment of 92 students. Eaglets, a pilot program for 3-year-olds, is enrolled to capacity in its inaugural year with 13 students and a wait pool for the class. Grade Five is enrolled to capacity with a wait pool, and Grades Six through Eight are full as well. Twice as many applications have been received for the 2018-19 school year as compared to this date last year. Due to large application numbers, the rising Eaglets class and the rising sixth grade class have wait pools established for the 2018-19 school year.
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Jeanne Sayers
Development for the school. Our next Gala will occur in spring 2019—please join us! We are proud that 100% of our board, 100% of our full time faculty and staff, and 100% of our graduating 9th grade class have participated in annual giving through the Summit Fund for the past two years. Our parent participation rate increased to 81% and alumni participation to 12%. In September 2016, we launched our inaugural Week of Giving Campaign in celebration of Founders Day. Our goal was to secure 150 gifts during the week, and was met with a $1,500 challenge issued by Lauren and Jim Dunn. Parent chairs exceeded our goal by 30% and raised $123,196. In September 2017, we set our sights higher with a goal to secure 250 gifts during the Week of Giving. The Douglas/Elster family issued a $5,000 challenge. We met the goal a day early, and ended the week having raised $142,397 through 343 gifts. A great way to kick off the new year!
Thanks to the generosity of our philanthropic community, Summit provides a robust student experience through exceptional educators. In 2016-17 we raised more than $1.3 million in support of Summit’s mission. Nearly 500 friends of Summit gathered for the Bow Ties and Bling Gala in March 2017, and collectively raised more than $220,000
Ken Shaw
Athletics
Summit Athletics is thriving thanks to the coaches' and students' commitment to Transformational Athletics. Transformational takes on several identities including a philosophy that finds the balance between competing to win and building character which enhances the student experience. It also means thinking ahead - what will our students look like in 5, 10, 20 years? What type of parent, spouse, employee, citizen, etc. will they be and how we can prepare them now for the journey ahead? Another thought process is finding balance among practice, games, the arts, and academics. Educating the whole child is very important to our work. These issues and so much more are what drive our thinking and our planning. We are intentional.
A few highlights from the past year include undefeated seasons from varsity field hockey, JV golf and boys tennis. Thanks to the Albright Family, we added a new football standard and safety netting on our south practice field. We’ve also had the opportunity to completely renovate the Gfeller Fitness Room with new flooring and modern equipment for both our students and faculty to enjoy. Finally, we added a permanent fence for our central game field. Thanks to all who continually support our program. Go Eagles!
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Kristin Reddington Bennett The Center for Excellence and Innovation’s (CEI) mission to support professional learning has been realized in a variety of ways over the past year. The following highlights demonstrate the growth and maturity of the strategic professional learning of our Summit educators:
Center for excellence & Innovation University our teachers are continually working to further develop deep knowledge of their content areas. • Our teachers led 27 sessions and workshops at regional and national conferences this year. This unprecedented number does not include the 24 teacher leaders who contributed to the CEI hosted events such as the Divergent Thinking Summit, Orton-Gillingham Associate Level Training, and Early Childhood Summit. This year, growth in our programming for public and independent school teachers in the region meant that we were able to serve more than 250 community teachers with our leading edge workshops and conferences.
• We have continued our work with understanding and applying Progressive education principles by continuing to attend Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero (PZ) conferences. With 25 faculty attending PZ workshops in Washington, DC and Pittsburgh last year, and two faculty attending the weeklong PZ Classroom Institute in Cambridge, MA, we can now celebrate that nearly 90% of our faculty have attended Project Zero.
• This summer saw the beginning of a curriculum development grants program. Teachers who worked on these grants spent time developing innovative curriculum. Some examples include deep work on the Upper School advisory program, an exploration of using drones and virtual reality in the classroom, a study of rhetorical grammar and its sequence, and the design of student portfolios for the studio program.
• In the past year more than 40 teachers either worked directly with an expert consultant or attended professional learning conferences related to their disciplines. From workshops on writing at the sentence level, to working with math consultants on differentiation and guided math, to attending Writing Workshop at Columbia
Chris Culp ’82
Technology
With the ever-changing landscape of computers and networks, Summit maintains its competitive advantage for our students. Over the last year, our students and families have benefitted from the following enhancements:
• Network printers upgraded to support Google direct printing in all buildings on campus-10 total • In Grades 1-5, grade level Chromebook banks to facilitate technology-assisted learning in the classroom
• 1-to-1 Chromebook program expanded from Grades 6-9
• Expansion of campus-wide Wi-Fi network with over 130 managed access points
• Veracross Parent Portal upgrades
• Expandable network backbone to the Internet
• Replacement of entire data infrastructure for academic and administrative networks
• Unlimited student data storage
• Google G. Suite for Education implemented for Grades 1-9
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Carter Sturkie
Finance & operations
Teachers are the single biggest variable in a student's success. Thus, salaries and benefits are by far the largest expense item in Summit’s operating budget. And rightfully so; attracting and developing world-class educators is a central tenet of Summit’s recently completed strategic plan. The school will continue to emphasize its efforts to honor the many talented educators who impact our students' lives each day by adopting a best practices compensation model. Our goal is to have a model that is compatible with the school’s mission and culture, externally competitive, internally fair, financially sustainable, and transparent to all employees. These efforts are an important part of our 5-year plan.
2016-17 Financial Highlights: • 64% of the budget (or almost $11 million) went towards salaries and benefits • Summit’s endowment assets benefited from a strong investment environment, posting a gain of over $2.1 million • Capital investment in long-term campus improvements of $438,750 • Healthy cash flow led to total debt reduction of $1.3 million • Bond debt stands at $12.8 million • Principal payment of $600,000 and interest expense of approximately $300,000 due in 2018
Joshua Keilty
Upper School
The promises of Summit reach their fullest expression in the Upper School. Scholarship at its Best requires continuous review and innovation. In support of our academic program, teachers work over the summer to provide new curriculum at every grade level. This summer produced work in technology integration, research into the best practices of social studies, and new experiences for advisory. This year we have improved the use of online reporting and expanded the role of the student advisor as guide and advocate.
integrate guitar, percussion, and digital music along with the occasional fiddle and trumpet. All elements of our fall musical Super Sidekick are created by students. The cast includes all the students who are building the set, fabricating props, and designing the lighting and sound in studio classes as rehearsals ramp up for those on stage. Our excitement for what we planned for this year will be exceeded only by what our students will bring to the table.
Upper School students initiate many opportunities for service learning across campus and in the community. This year, student groups are doing outreach to Veterans groups, working with underresourced students at Cook Elementary, and rebuilding bicycles for WinstonSalem families needing exercise and transportation. Responding to student and family interest in sixth and seventh grades, we created new studio experiences in both instrumental music and technical theater. With our new faculty, students are playing new instruments and building ensembles that
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Julie Smith
Lower School & Parent Learning
Our Lower School is a place where children are laying a foundation for their lives. As John Dewey has written, “Education is not preparation for life but life itself.”
Service Learning and Citizenship Our children are learning to be powerful contributors to our community. Real-world experiences allow them to feel the joy and impact of participating in service. Our service learning program touches Senior Services, Samaritan Inn,
Curriculum We continue to improve and refine each area of study. Our faculty leaders use their summers to study educational research and best practice. Currently, they are studying best practices in writing, math and reading to translate current research into the student experience. We use in-house assessments to ensure we are meeting the needs of all learners, with special focus on gifted education.
and H.O.P.E (Help Our People Eat). Students in all grades experience nature and plant food on our campus through a growing partnership with Minglewood Farms. Students in all grades visit area museums. This work during the last seven years has led to a comfort and deep knowledge of SECCA (Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art), Reynolda House Museum of
World Language teachers are looking at ways to allow students to deepen both their comprehension and their ability to speak Spanish and feel comfortable with oral expression. Being conversant in other languages is one important way for our students to become citizens of the world.
American Art, and Old Salem. Live music is part of all Lower School assemblies. We also bring local talent to Summit; to date we have had The Fletcher Opera and ensembles from The Winston-Salem Symphony.
Parent Learning We continue to have a robust set of offerings that help
Tinkering and Design studio teachers continue to embolden lower school students to explore innovative areas such as the maker movement, coding and three-dimensional thinking.
parents understand both their role at home and how Summit lives into its mission of educating the whole child. We are thrilled that our unique programming around this partnership will be featured in the upcoming issue of Independent School Magazine. This is a national publication put out by the National Association of Independent Schools. The article is titled, Beyond the Open House How Schools Make Parent Engagement Fun and Effective. This year we added more evening programing to meet the needs of working parents. We were delighted to receive input from many current parents about topics they would like to see explored. Some of our offerings include: • How To Raise An Adult book club • Local professionals speaking about anxiety, social media, and peer pressure • Our four-week Mindful Parenting course • Lectures about the literacy process
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Carrie Malloy
Triad Academy Division
The Triad Academy division holds a distinctive commitment to both Orton-Gillingham (O-G) and Progressive pedagogy. This results in an unparalleled learning experience for bright dyslexic students in our community. Our goal for each student is to close the literacy gap between performance and potential, and provide that child with the compensatory strategies necessary to be independent, successful learners in other divisions of Summit School.
Multi-sensory Math This year under the leadership of Parker Tegeler '02, Program Coordinator for Orton-Gillingham and Triad Academy Math, students are benefitting greatly from our own distinct multisensory math curriculum developed to accommodate their unique and diverse needs.
Our Faculty With two AOGPE (Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators) Fellows, four Fellows-inTraining, and over half of our faculty credentialed by the Academy at various levels of accreditation, our program features one of the most highly-credentialed OrtonGillingham faculties in the country, providing our students with an unparalleled quality of instruction.
Program highlights for the 2017-18 school year include the following:
Enrollment The Triad division has 92 full time students and three transitional students in grades second through eighth. Twenty new students have joined the division this year. With an established support system in place, fourteen students transitioned from the Triad division into other divisions of Summit School. Students and faculty seamlessly integrate with their peers and colleagues in the Lower and Upper School for programs like the Robotics and Fabrication Lab, the Tinkering Studio, and the service learning focus in our Big Friends/Little Friends program.
Community Involvement We have partnered with local pediatricians and psychologists to help them better understand and identify dyslexia in their patients. Our four Fellows-In-Training are mentoring teachers in the Crosswalk program at North Cross School in Roanoke, VA, and language tutorial teacher, Alyssa Hubbard, presented her recently published book Learn to Read and Spell with Miss Letterly to ReadWS tutors to provide them with an important resource for parents of students with dyslexia.
Camp Pathfinder For the third year, Camp Pathfinder provided one-on-one Orton-Gillingham tutoring for 50 summer campers. Students who participated in the program came from 22 schools in five surrounding counties. Additionally, we have trained 30 public school teachers at the Associate Level in Orton-Gillingham.
Professional Development This fall, Beth Moore and Diana Hanbury King, noted curriculum authors and Academy fellows, conducted workshops on early identification and K-2 literacy skills for our faculty. Seven members of our faculty will present break out sessions at the AOGPE national conference this spring.
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Jeff Turner
CO-CURRICULAR Programs
Afterschool 2017-2018
Afternoon Academy 2016-2017
Students - 209 Staff - 2 full-time and 9 part-time
Enrollment - 531 Students - 392 Classes - 76 Private Music Students - 87
The Summit Afterschool Program continues to live its mission to provide a safe and caring environment that flows from the academic day. Our dedicated staff inspires and engages the whole child, meets the needs of parents, and reflects the values of Summit School. Director Janice Weiss, Assistant Director Sarah Chrysson, and their staff continue to seek ways to enhance an already strong program. Recent innovations include multi-grade groupings and the addition of a second activity period to meet the needs of the 4th and 5th Graders.
Summit’s Afternoon Academy continues to offer optional after-school classes for JrK/Pre-K to 5th Grade students in a wide variety of subjects. Enrollment in our 2016-2017 classes was the highest yet and represents a 28% increase from our previous highest enrollment. Many new classes were introduced including Fishing, Boys Stitch Lab (sewing), Fun & Games, Volleyball, and Wrestling. We also saw the return of favorites including Beekeeping, Gymnastics, Cooking, Tae Kwon Do, and Chess.
Summit Summer 2017
Summit in the Innovation Quarter
Enrollment - 1376 Students - 734 Non Summit - 61% Teachers and Assistants - 99 Zip Codes - 50 Schools - 103
Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter has captured our attention. We are currently running our third IQ class in the Afternoon Academy. This experience includes touring IQ businesses and educational institutions. Summit recently hosted community events for two Innovation Quarter groups on our campus. The soon-to-be open public maker space known as Mixxer did some exploring in our maker spaces and held a planning session. The innovation and entrepreneurship group Venture Cafe’ partnered with Summit to present a Thursday gathering titled Generation Innovation: Children & Youth. These and other community partners, such as the National Cycling Center and the Center for Design Innovation, help us develop more opportunities for our students to connect with the world beyond Summit.
Summit Summer 2017 was a success on every level. Our enrollment statistics and number of students served were the highest in our 29 year history. We saw an increase in the number of out-of-town alums bringing their own children back to Winston-Salem. New camps included Girls Tech, Archery, A Week at the Museums, Drone Racing, Fishing, Mighty Structures, Sports Broadcasting, Escape from the Library, and IQ: Innovation Quarter. Registration will begin on February 1, 2018 for our 30th Summit Summer!
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