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SOLIDARITY PROJECT

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BOB MOORTHY

BOB MOORTHY

3RD GRADERS ROTATE THROUGH 6 STATIONS 1. Empathy Building 2. Not-so-Random

Acts of Kindness 3. Definitions of Rude,

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Mean, and Bullying 4. Being an Upstander 5. Collaborative

Problem Solving 6. Celebrating Each

Other and Our

Differences

Now in its fifth year, the Solidarity Project at Sycamore is an initiative for 3rd Grade students to build a spirit of kindness, foster a collaborative environment, teach respect for differences, and nurture the value of looking out for one another.

Dr. Samantha Outcalt, Sycamore’s

Psychologist, says the original inspiration for the idea came from the teachers and staff seeing a need to equip 3rd Grade students with the skills to address and prevent bullying behavior. “We looked into multiple programs and determined that there wasn’t a suitable curriculum for gifted students focused on this topic,” Outcalt says. “Glenna Lykens (the Head of Lower

School at the time) and I decided that we needed to create our own Sycamore initiative. I curated multiple evidence-based methods for preventing bullying and empowering kids to stand up for themselves and others, and then we shaped them to fit the specific needs of our unique population of students.” The title “Solidarity Project” highlights the idea that students are all in this together, working as one team, and looking out for one another as a means of nurturing our collective community. “Our intention, at its core, is skill building,” Outcalt says. “We want to teach skills and create opportunities for kids to practice skills that they will carry with them throughout their school experiences and lives. Although we were motivated by the prevention of bullying, the interpersonal and group skills that we cover are critical in a variety of scenarios and environments.” She says the goals are to build a spirit of kindness among the grade levels in addition to fostering a collaborative environment where students honor each others’ differences. “We want to cultivate a value of looking out for one another. The Solidarity Project is just one piece of Sycamore’s broader emphasis on social and emotional intelligence, which aims to position students to lead ‘responsible,

SOLIDARITY PROJECT

constructive, fulfilling lives’, as is written as part of our mission statement.” Gifted kids tend to have unique emotional and social characteristics. Outcalt says they feel and care deeply, crave strong attachments with others, and have a rich capacity for empathy. “Sometimes we then mistakenly expect them to navigate peer relationships easily and successfully. But it’s complicated. Those characteristics don’t automatically translate to skillful handling of complex moments like when a best friend turns on you, peers are vying for popularity, or classmates become academically competitive with each other. Gifted students feel more confident in their interpersonal skills when they have an opportunity to learn and practice what to do when social challenges present themselves.” In the program, 3rd Graders start and end the day together as a whole grade level, but in between, they rotate through six stations of the Solidarity Project: Empathy Building; Not-so-Random Acts of Kindness; Definitions of Rude, Mean, and Bullying; Being an Upstander; Collaborative Problem Solving; and Celebrating Each Other and Our Differences. “At these stations, students work through hands-on activities, role-playing, gross motor games, focused discussion, and other avenues for skills practice, all with a focus on building solidarity,” says Outcalt. “Each station has a maximum of seven students at a time, so they have abundant opportunity for meaningful exploration of each topic.” Outcalt says the program has improved each year as they make small adjustments to a station or adapt to questions and feedback that emerge from students. Her vision is for the program to grow beyond the current grade-level focus. “I would like to build additional opportunities to reinforce the concept of solidarity in older grade levels after the students move beyond 3rd Grade.” •

by Mary O’Malley

Dominic Gasper

Sycamore Class of 2023 Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Recipient

During his first year at Sycamore as a Seventh Grader, Dominic Gasper already made a name for himself, a name that can be added to a short list of an esteemed group of

Sycamore alumni. Brian Liu, 2016;

Emma Hermacinski, 2018; Nate Liang, 2020; and Emily Hackwelder, 2020, were all recipients of the Caroline D. Bradley

Scholarship. Dominic is the fifth Sycamore student to be awarded this prestigious honor within the past five years.

This full four-year, merit-based high school scholarship is awarded annually to a maximum of 30 students from across the nation and can be used nationally for any high school that best fits the scholar’s intellectual, academic, and personal needs.

It enables high-ability middle school students to explore and have access to unlimited high school opportunities. A

Caroline D. Bradley Scholar represents the highest ideals of scholarship, character, leadership, and community service.

Additionally, the Institute for Educational

Advancement, which hosts the scholarship, provides individualized educational counseling from high school selection to college applications. Following a rigorous application process, only 27 class of 2027

CDB Scholars were selected from a large nationwide pool of highly qualified,

[ CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ] I would encourage all Seventh Graders to apply. The application does take some time and work to pull everything together, but it is a lot of the same stuff you will be pulling together the next year for your high school applications anyway.

DOMINIC

[ CONTINUED FROM PREVOUS PAGE ]

Dominic

accomplished applicants. Dominic is the only student from Indiana on the list. When asked what this means for him specifically, Dominic shares, “The most obvious answer is that my full high school tuition will be paid for by the Bradley Foundation at the Institute for Educational Advancement, which is amazing. The less obvious answer is that the scholarship will also provide me with access to a community of current and former scholars. Beginning next year, I will meet with them in person once a year for a weekend conference in Pasadena, California. In addition, the program directors for the scholarship also help with finding the right high school for me and provide academic counseling during high school and through the college search and selection process.” “To apply, I had to take the SSAT (Secondary School Aptitude Test), provide a copy of my report cards and NWEA scores from the last several years, provide information about extracurricular activities, provide information about honors and awards, answer several shortanswer questions, write three essays, and provide a work sample. For my work sample, I provided a video of a 3-D video game that I designed from code that I taught myself when I was bored during COVID. I also needed two recommendation letters from Mr. Young and Coach Brannigan and the Parents’ Statement. I submitted all of that in April, and then I received a phone call in May telling me that the program directors wanted to interview me in Indianapolis. Just before Labor Day, I received another phone call informing me that I was being awarded a scholarship.” Dominic’s Seventh and Eighth Grade History Teacher, Tony Young, in his recommendation for the scholarship endorsed Dominic saying, “In addition to his abilities as a student, Dominic is a leader in his class. He and a few of his business partners started and operated an after-school activity to engage younger students in the fundamentals of basketball. He played a key role in the design and launch of the business. It was quite impressive to watch his engagement and development throughout the design process.” It is evident that during the short time that he has been at Sycamore School, Dominic has flourished. Here is his Sycamore story: The summer before Sixth Grade the Gaspers moved to the north side of Indianapolis where he attended a public school. That fall his parents took him to Sycamore’s Open House. At that time he explains, “I was taking a bus to the high school for math and going to another grade for science, so everything always felt disjointed.” After a shadow visit in January of Sixth Grade, Dominic decided not to

FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT

The program, which began in 2002 and is generously funded by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, is one of the few merit-based, need-blind scholarships of its kind in the United States. To date, IEA has awarded more than 350 scholarships to gifted learners and alumni who are already making their mark on the world. Currently, there are 225 alumni, 125 of whom have graduated from college and are in the workforce, attending graduate school, or participating in international service and fellowship programs.

switch schools because he had already made friends at the public school and thought that everything would improve when the COVID restrictions lessened. At the beginning of Seventh Grade, however, he continues, “It became apparent that COVID wasn’t the problem, and that’s when I decided to switch.” Middle School Coordinator, Linda Mihm, relays, “While I’ve never had the pleasure of teaching Dominic, I see him often during social time before and after school and at lunch. You can tell a great deal about a person when you see how they interact with others in unstructured time, and it’s easy to see that he is a kind and friendly young man. He possesses a great sense of humor that is well-balanced with a mature outlook. When hanging out with his friends, and there are many of them, Dominic exchanges barbs with the best of them but in the most consistently positive of ways. I’m also his supervising ‘teacher’ for his Indiana Online Chinese courses. He is impressively independent with that work and has clearly learned a great deal through that endeavor.” “It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and one that is not easily earned,” says Middle School Language Arts teacher Beth Simpson. “In June, Dominic and his family informed us that he was a CDB semifinalist and had scheduled his interview. Mr. (Duane) Emery and I met with him to practice interviewing, and I enjoyed learning about his educational journey and what this scholarship would mean to him and his family. After struggling to find a school that could meet his needs, Dominic joined Sycamore as a Seventh Grader and appreciates the rigor, opportunities, and like-minded peers. Having the opportunity to find the absolute best high school fit will be invaluable, and I am excited to see what Dominic and his family choose.” Dominic is keeping an open mind regarding his secondary education choice and has shadowed a few area high schools. He offers this advice: “I would encourage all Seventh Graders to apply. The application does take some time and work to pull everything together, but it is a lot of the same stuff you will be pulling together the next year for your high school applications anyway.” There is no doubt that Dominic made the right choice coming to Sycamore not only because of the academics but also, and just as importantly, because of the people, both students and staff, who share his interests. “It’s been easy to make friends. The teachers are great and the classes are interesting and fun. We’re always learning something new,” he concludes. Dominic is on the short list of Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship recipients, and we are all glad he is on the Eighth Grade class list of students. •

In addition to his abilities as a student, Dominic is a leader in his class. He and a few of his business partners started and operated an after-school activity to engage younger students in the fundamentals of basketball. He played a key role in the design and launch of the business. It was quite impressive to watch his engagement and development throughout the design process.

PART OF 8TH GRADE TEACHER, TONY YOUNG’S SCHOLARSHIP ENDORSEMENT FOR DOMINIC

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