Landmark’s News in Brief

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❱❱ SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Landmark’s News in Brief |

SPORTS FACULTY THE ARTS STUDENTS SERVICE ALUMNI | RESOURCES

Science Fair—30 Years Strong

More than 50 budding scientists participated in the High School’s 30th annual Science Fair in February.

The innovative projects included testing the efficacy of ski wax on ski performance at varying temperatures, assessing whether the size and number of holes placed in the cap of a Coke bottle affects the distance the soda would be propelled when Mentos candies were added to the liquid, determining how music genres of rap, easy listening, rock, or pop affect concentration, and much more.

Christina Scanlon, assistant head of the science department, said, “The day was a great way for students to share a self-directed project that they developed and fine-tuned over two months. And it was great to see how proud they were of the hard work they invested in their projects.”

Judges evaluated each student’s use of the scientific method, content, oral presentation, and display.

This year’s winners were: 1st place:

Running and Memory, Emily V.

2nd place:

Which Golf Ball Will Perform the Best?, Ethan C.

3rd place:

AI vs. Humans, Matt F.

❱❱ SHOWING THE LOVE

High School Video Tribute to Annie Elso

Our beloved High School crossing guard, Annie Elso, learns the name of every student, faculty, and staff member before the first leaf falls in September, and she greets each with a smile, hug, or compliment with every trek up or down the hill. Soon after the campuses closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, senior Margaret Hamilton created a video of Annie’s biggest fans showing gratitude and sending her warm wishes. Thank you, Margaret!

check it out! Reply

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The Landmark School Alumni

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PANDEMIC

PIVOT

Making Music

Rising sophomore Jack Bram ends the 2019–2020 school year with a first-ever Virtual Night of Music. Check it out on page. 79.

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Landmark’s News in Brief

Math Day

Competition was fierce at February’s Math Day! Landmark High School students were tasked with building a table out of one full newspaper and a half roll of masking tape. The class that constructed the tallest table that supported the most textbooks won bragging rights. Students used a formula that incorporated both the height and the number of textbooks that the structure could hold. Each class had 35 minutes to design

a picture frame

and build their tables.

Citizen Bee

Landmark High School students prevailed over the faculty team, 20–19, in the annual Citizen Bee, a friendly trivia match that pits a team of student Citizen Bee All Stars against faculty polymaths. In an equally close competition, Mr. Murphy’s economics class defeated Ms. Morrow’s psychology class, 22–21, in the championship round of the Citizen Bee.

Less Is More

For 24 hours in late winter, students in Jennifer Kuhns’s Environmental Science classes carried They didn’t recycle, compost, or use trash bins.

“The exercise helped make them mindful of the amount of waste they produce, the environmental impact, and how small behavioral changes can have a lasting effect on the economy as well as the environment,” said Mrs. Kuhns.

Her eighth period class produced an impressively small amount of trash: a few napkins and tissues, disposable cups,

Students pose in

every bit of trash they produced.

to highlight their individuality.

a soda can, a banana peel, and paper. The students reported making conscious decisions to produce less trash. For example, some didn’t use paper towels to dry their hands, others forced themselves to clean their plates, while another used a metal coffee filter rather than a paper one. The students didn’t seem to see these changes as difficult, except maybe the student who forced down a less-than-palatable hamburger.

Identity Day

In March, the Landmark Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and the International Group observed Landmark’s fourth annual Identity Day, a daylong celebration during which students dressed in clothing that represented their identity. Other events included a student panel in the Performing Arts Center, a photobooth, and delectable tres leches (three

milk) cake provided by SAGE Dining Services.

The student panel opened with a quote from Catherine Burns, artistic director of the Moth Radio Hour, that reflected the intention of Identity Day. “Sometimes it is easier to make sense of the world one story at a time. And when we dare to listen, we remember there is no ‘other,’ there is only us, and what we have in common will always be greater than what separates us.”

Members of the student panel answered questions about race, gender, and sexuality. The students said they welcome questions from others about their ethnicity or sexual orientation as long as they are asked respectfully.

Ethan Kerr ’21, who is Mexican, said he encourages peers to ask him questions about his heritage if they are mindful of the questions they pose. For example, he said he gets frustrated when people ask him, “Are you legal?” or “What’s your immigration status?”

“This event was a great way to celebrate and build awareness of the varied identities and experiences within our community,” said Jennifer Moy, an academic advisor and organizer of Identity Day. “The student panel did a fantastic job articulating those experiences, both shared and unique. The hope was to create more dialogue around identity and inclusion and to expand all of our individual perspectives by initiating the conversation and being authentic with one another.”

Beverly Public Library Poetry Contest Finalists

Congratulations to Landmark’s Morgan Frazier ’20 and Miles Renney ’20 for being selected as finalists in this year’s Beverly Public Library poetry contest. Reply Listen as Morgan reads her poem “March Bands Parade” and Mile’s reads his poem “Sahara.”

Judge Jeff Karp P ’23 providing a virtual lesson on the Massachusetts court system.

COMMUNITY SERVICE ALL STARS Each semester, Rev. Bill Ferguson recognizes students who have gone above and beyond in the community service program. Typically, an All Star would accumulate 50 hours or more of service, but because time on campus was cut short, he made 30 hours the minimum for All Stars.

2019–2020 ALL STARS Gavin Colby ’21 Thomas Covey ’22 Ellie Crisafulli ’21 Margaret Hamilton ’20 Katya Leikikh ’20 James McCarthy ’20 Luca Miranda ’20 Gio Pandiscio ’23 Erik Schneider ’22 Mark Silva ’22 Liz Theriault ’20 Judge Karp

Superior Court Judge Jeff Karp P’23 had planned to speak to High School students on campus in the spring, but no one skipped a beat when the session went virtual. More than 20 students, faculty, and staff attended a virtual visit and presentation by Judge Karp. The judge started off his talk by sharing a bit about his personal story as a student who struggled in school. He credits his success to “a lot of hard work and some lucky breaks,” leading to a career as an assistant district attorney, a lawyer in a private firm, and ultimately a judgeship on the Massachusetts Superior Court.

He expounded on the structure of the federal and state courts, the difference between trial and appellate courts, as well as civil and criminal cases over which he presides in the Essex County system. Judge Karp also explained how juries are selected and discussed the importance of serving on a jury, a system brought to the colony of Massachusetts by the pilgrims in 1630.

The students asked several challenging questions about how the prison and court systems are functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic and what some of the hardest decisions were that he’s had to make since assuming the role in 2017.

Judge Karp provided honest answers to even the trickiest questions, suggesting that being a judge carries a great deal of responsibility and can, at times, be a lonely job. “Every day you are confronted by having to make life-altering decisions that directly impact human lives.”

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Landmark’s News in Brief

Virtual Alumni Panel

The Guidance Department hosted its first-ever Alumni panel for juniors and seniors in May. Alumni Emmy MacMannis ’18, Evan Graham ’18, and Jack Anastopoulos ’18 attended the session and fielded questions from 25 Landmark juniors and seniors. The alumni represented a variety of experiences and schools. Their thoughtful answers and comments gave students an honest and insightful perspective on the transition from Landmark School to college.

Cultural Diversity Day

The International Group geared up for World Cultural Diversity Day, celebrated on May 21, by discussing how our heritage impacts our dayto-day lives and surveying members of the High School about their heritage and culture. Nearly 30 ethnicities were represented among the 56 respondents.

Alumni Meet and Share

A group of alumni joined an Early Childhood Education (ECE) class via Google Meet to talk about their transition to college after Landmark and how their time in the ECE class helped point them toward their current career path. They’re all studying or working in the field of early childhood, education, or social work. Thank you, Landmark Alumni!

Alumni share their experience with students in an Early Childhood Education class.

Jamie Bergin ’14 Tori Clark ’14 Katie Goldberg’15 Lizzie MacMannis ’18 Matt McDonald ’12 Mike Santana ’14 Josie Steere ’19

Petway Award

The Petway Family Faculty Development Fund awards a grant to a faculty member to produce curriculum that will benefit Landmark students. This year, there were two recipients.

Erin Brewer plans to develop a workbook of mindfulness activities that can be used by academic advisors, teachers, and others. “The Curriculum Committee recognized that this spring has been challenging for our students and felt strongly that they would benefit from this resource,” said Suzanne Crossman, head of the Transition and Guidance Department and Curriculum Committee member. “The tool provided will give faculty useful resources to support the social-emotional learning for students.” Brianna (Brie) Tzortzis will be working to develop a curriculum on Collaborative Strategic Reading. Brie will adapt this program and develop materials to be used by Landmark faculty to explicitly teach comprehension strategies at the word and whole-text levels. Both projects will be developed to be accessible for in-person or remote teaching. Congratulations Erin and Brie!

PANDEMIC

PIVOT

S T A Y I N G S A N E

Play Reply check it out!

Staying Sane During the Pandemic

Landmark School teachers and administrators shared suggestions about how they maintained their sanity and found ways to relax and de-stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out their video.

EMS Digital Art

In February, the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Mass., featured the work of students in Gemma Flavin’s Digital Art classes. The students and their guests were treated to an opening reception in the museum. The professionally matted works graced an entire wall of the museum’s Activities Room. Students proudly discussed their artwork with parents, friends, and community members, explaining the medium and the inspiration behind their creativity while nibbling on cookies baked for the occasion by Elementary• Middle School’s chef, Tom Pepin.

Students in the Digital Art classes use iPads and 3D drawing pens to create artwork that teaches traditional art skills and techniques as well as animation, green screen, and 3D hand-printing techniques. They work with various iPad apps in a work-flow model, moving from app to app, learning how to create, manipulate, save, and ultimately upload final images to an online art gallery Artsonia. Reply

Aaron O. ’26, whose drawing featured a black-and-white collage of random objects with his name written in cursive over the items, said, “I took all the thoughts in my head and let them pour out onto my paper.” He used a stylus and an iPad to create his work. He was experimenting with a layering tool in the app.

“I am so proud of my students for creating such fantastic digital artwork,” said Mrs. Flavin. “Due to our small class sizes and the powerful technology we have in our classroom, each of my first semester students had the opportunity to be represented at the show.”

Aaron O. ‘26 poses in front of his original digital artwork at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Mass.

❱❱ NEW WORLDL

Live Morning Meeting

Our live Morning Meetings Reply on Wednesday were a resounding success for faculty and students alike throughout the final quarter of school. They were hosted by Mr. Kahn, Mr. Swanson, Ms. Joly Lowdermilk, Mr. Pulkkinen, Ms. Schwechheimer, Ms. Triback, and others in a Google Meet at 12 noon. With planned themes, students and faculty in attendance contributed their thoughts informally, solved a weekly riddle, and engaged in a brief meditation practice with Ms. Polvinen to close the session. Topics were wide ranging, from positivity and food during COVID-19, to signs of summer, ice cream, and donuts—but the main idea was always good spirit and great company.

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Landmark’s News in Brief

❱❱ LIBRARIAN’S DESK

Suggestions from Our Librarians

FROM AMY VELING HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

In the wake of the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and the outcry of national protests, the High School is using the summer reading assignment as an opportunity to ask our students and faculty to explore new points of view.

Landmark High School librarian, Amy Veling, worked with Landmark’s Diversity and Inclusion Advocates to curate a summer reading list Reply focused on books that present a diverse array of perspectives. All students are encouraged to choose a book that will add to their understanding of the world around them. We encourage parents to take part.

FROM LINDA SYLVESTER EMS LIBRARIAN For Students:

The Aurora County All-Stars, by Deborah Wiles Here in the Real World, by Sara Pennypacker The Story That Cannot Be Told, by Kasper J. Kramer 13 Buildings Children Should Know, by Annette Roeder 13 Architects Children Should Know, by Florian Heine Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, by Kelly Starling Lyons Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond, by Jan and Sandra Greenberg

An EMS student gets a close-up shot of a robin’s nest as part of Lauri Johnson’s photo assignment. Capturing Early Signs of Spring

In April, Elementary•Middle School teacher Lauri Johnson encouraged students to shift from the computer screen and get outside to capture the beauty that comes with the emergence of spring. Every two weeks, she sent them a photo assignment and a photo tip, and students submitted their images to a shared website.

Speaking of Spring…

In the early days of remote learning, EMS teacher, Mr. McKernan, encouraged students to dust off their bikes and take a ride! He— along with a few helpers—made a video with tips to get bikes ready for the season.

Not to be outdone, Mr. Pickwick showed students how to tune up a lawn mower. Students have no excuse to stay inside—or shun yardwork.

Start Your Engines

EMS teacher Kristine Stark read If I Built A Car by Chris Van Dusen and asked students to design their own car. Take a look at the super creative designs elementary students submitted. Want to hear Ms. Stark read it again? Check it out! Reply

The Sound of Music

Students in Deirdre Mulligan’s science class created their own musical instruments with materials they found at home as a culminating project to their unit on sound. Reply Take a look at their innovative work.

Poetry Challenge

To celebrate April’s National Poetry Month, Hazel Crowley challenged Elementary•Middle School faculty and students to get their creative juices flowing and write poems. She provided a prompt, such as writing about hope or in the style of Ezra Pound. The submissions were bursting with thought and creativity!

The More Things Change...

While students and teachers worked from home this spring and in an effort to provide a sense of continuity, faculty maintained long-held traditions, such as Purple Day and Birthday Boards.

High School teachers donned purple clothing to celebrate Purple Thursday, a weekly tradition started by Assistant Math Department Head Michael Orie in 2005. Teachers shared photos of themselves in purple attire—not necessarily in dress code!

The Elementary•Middle School maintained the beloved tradition of creating a Birthday Board each month to showcase the students and faculty who celebrated a birthday that month. Mr. Pickwick, known for his creative and intricate Birthday Boards, did not disappoint.

The Eighth Grade Leadership Program thrived remotely in the spring. Students met weekly via Google Meet to talk about what they missed at EMS, how they were staying socially connected, and brainstormed plans for the first-ever, remote Transition Reply Ceremony. Their plan to give each eighth grader a class sweatshirt also came to fruition, as a faculty member personally delivered a sweatshirt to each student (socially distanced, of course!).

As a class, they leave a legacy of being inclusive, hardworking, and persevering through this challenging time, and the videos they created to thank EMS staff, which were featured at the transition ceremony, will live as an excellent reminder of their dedication to Landmark School.

Kiki Finn’21 (left) and Cameron Minster ‘25 (right) were this year’s Winter Photo Contest Winners.

Winter Photo Contest

The Winter of 2020 did not deliver the usual drama with mounds of white, fluffy snow, the excitement of an oncoming blizzard, or even a snow day. It was gray, dry, and frankly a little dull. But the photos submitted for this year’s Winter Photo Contest were anything but boring.

This year’s EMS winner was Cameron Minster ’25, and the High School winner was Keandra (Kiki) Finn ’21.

Photos were reviewed by a jury of faculty and staff representing the EMS, High School, and Administration and were judged on composition, technical skill, and originality. Landmark’s Winter Photo Contest has been running for the past seven years and is sponsored by the school’s Marketing and Communication Department.

GOES VIRTUAL