DOMINIC GASPER

Prince leads a student tour of the Art Institue of Chicago.

where student work was placed on tables and chairs and then collected at the end of the evening. When we moved to our current location, it seemed like a paradise by contrast, even with the continued use of trailers, the famous orange and green carpets in the hallways, and the infamous gymnacafetorium. I don’t think any of us could have imagined the fantastic facility that the school occupies today, including terrific Science, Art, and Music rooms, a Media Center, flexible spaces for discovery and after-school activities, a beautiful theater, an entire wing for Early Childhood, the outdoor track and playgrounds, and a spectacular gym where the basketballs and volleyballs don’t get stuck in the ceiling joists. I believe that our students received an excellent education even in

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Tribute to Lauren Ditchley

At the beginning of the new school year, Sycamore faculty and staff thoughtfully participated in a tribute to Sycamore art teacher, Lauren Ditchley, who passed away unexpectedly at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Lauren brought creative energy to the art department and her involvement in the Indianapolis art community was far reaching. Lauren was very passionate about social practice art and community art— creating art to bring a community together. She started a Sycamore tradition in 2016 with our 8th graders—the Object (Self) Portraits. These were non-traditional self-portraits as students chose something to hold in their hands that helped define them or gave us a glimpse into their interests, talents, and personality. Lauren would photograph their hands holding the object. This was meant to also serve as a personal photographic time capsule of reflection that asked, “What might you want your future self to remember about your current self?”

Faculty and staff at Sycamore honored her and celebrated her art and passion for photography by taking their own versions of her great photographs at the beginning of the school year.

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our earliest years, but no one would argue that teachers can simply do far more with the current amenities. Of course, Sycamore’s technology has developed over the years as well. (It’s probably come even further in the short time since I retired.) Long gone are the days when grade cards and essays were written by hand and “robots” referred to machines made in labs and written about in sci-fi stories. Among the things that have not changed but have certainly developed is the Board of Trustees’ support for the faculty and staff. I remember a retreat that was held not long after our move to 64th Street that focused on long-range planning. One of the participants commented that the aspirations we had ultimately listed regarding pay and benefits were highly unlikely ever to be realized. Fundraising was practically nonexistent during our earliest years, and most non-public schools had neither retirement programs nor health coverage. Needless to say, Sycamore far exceeded any of our expectations. The same is true of the wonderful support given by the Sycamore School Association after it was founded. Teachers’ week, the winter auction, Grandparents’ Day, materials for classrooms - the benefits are too numerous to list here. The administration, staff, and faculty are also among those factors that have always been excellent but have grown larger and even better over the years. Sycamore added people to lead after-school programs, expanded its support for the students’ social-emotional as well as physical well-being, and started a band under the auspices of the amazing Paula Fair, (will those of us who were here ever forget when that band played Carnegie Hall?), developed an entire Technology Department, expanded its Physical Educational options, added EC, LS, and MS heads, a wide variety of support staff for teachers, and created a position that helped plan field trips among other things. Originally we had only teachers, a Head of School, a Curriculum Coordinator, and a secretary. Of course, one of the reasons for this increased faculty and staff is the wonderful growth of our student body. When Sycamore started, we had five grades, only one class per grade, and fewer students per class. Eventually, we were able to add grades and students per class. Sycamore has always had the feeling of a family, and that continues to this day. We have always communicated with parents and the community, but in 1985, none of us could have predicted doing so through text, email, YouTube, or Zoom. The insistence upon high standards has never changed; if anything, each successive year, Sycamore raises the bar, and the curriculum becomes more outstanding. One of the greatest advantages a student obtains by attending Sycamore is to be surrounded by other gifted kids, and this has become even more true, as the baseline for entry rose from our earliest years. I’m sure I have omitted something important, and, if so, I apologize. You may have noticed I mentioned almost no names. If I started listing all the special founders, faculty, leadership, and staff down through the years, not only would I inevitably leave out some important individuals, but the length of this article would probably double because I have been blessed to work with and for some amazing individuals. My experience throughout the 35 years I spent at the school was extraordinary. I was privileged to work with amazing parents, students, and colleagues, and that is something that never changed. •