The Langley School Experience Winter 2017

WINTER

2017

experience

Where We’re Going

A Look At Langley’s Strategic Plan Page 2

In this issue 1 2

Head of School’s Message Feature Story: Langley’s Strategic Plan

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Teacher Voices & Perspectives

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Campus Happenings

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Community: Our Parents Live Langley, Too!

Head of School Dr. Elinor Scully

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Donor Profile: Past Parents Donate Piano

Editor & Designer Sharon Vipperman, Director of Marketing & Communications

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experience is published twice a year for alumni and friends of The Langley School

Philanthropy: Connecting Our Past, Present, & Future

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Class Notes

Where vital academics meet a deep respect for childhood Preschool through grade 8 in Northern Virginia

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Alumni Profile: Liz Keller-Tripp ’97

1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22101 (703) 356-1920 www.langleyschool.org

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The Last Word

Head of School’s Message

Dear Langley friends...

I hope your 2017 is off to a great start. I love the beginning of a new calendar year as it comes with fresh perspective, energy, and possibilities.

At Langley, the possibilities that lie ahead in the coming year are exciting. As outlined in recent editions of the Experience magazine, we are in the thick of our latest strategic plan. We have begun to implement large portions of our plan and are already seeing the impact of the work.

On page 2, you will find a detailed review of our continued commitment to academic excellence and social-emotional learning. This two-pronged focus aligns with Langley’s unwavering belief – and practice – that academics and social-emotional learning are mutually reinforcing and equally essential.

At the heart of this exciting strategic work and progress are the people. I am so proud of the way in which our faculty have openly embraced new teaching techniques and challenged themselves in their professional growth (see page 6). As I walk the halls of Langley, I see our bulletin boards adorned with essential questions that inspire creative and original student work, I hear our teachers asking students compelling questions that spark critical thinking and deep engagement, and I hear our students solving problems while developing vital academic skills. Our work is alive and impacting our students’ learning and experiences each day.

Alongside all of this work are Langley’s spirited and kindhearted parents who tirelessly commit time, energy, and financial support to Langley and to each other. Hundreds of parents continue to chair and volunteer at events like the Fall Fair, Grandparents & Special Friends Day, our annual Book Fair, and the holiday luncheon for our faculty and staff (see page 14). Parents – both past and present – are the thread woven throughout our work today and into the future, making Langley the special place that it is for our community.

While we are savoring many special moments this winter with our energetic and creative students, we also have much to look forward to, especially with Langley’s 75th anniversary celebrations starting this fall. Langley has had a rich, dynamic, and productive history which will continue in the decades ahead. The initiatives related to our 75th center on our commitment to being a leader in preschool through grade 8 education. We will be sharing more details about the celebrations soon.

Thank you for all you do to enhance and strengthen the Langley community.

Warm Regards,

Similarly, I am grateful to our Board of Trustees for the wisdom and support they are providing to Langley as they assist my administrative team and me in navigating many exciting, yet complex, decisions related to the third pillar of our strategic plan on sustainability. As we gain momentum around this pillar, the Board is helping to steward our financial and capital resources in preparation for the many future generations to come.

Dr. Elinor Scully Head of School

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FEATURE STORY:

Langley’s Strategic Plan: Where We Stand, Where We’re Going In fall 2015, Langley launched our most recent strategic plan which brought with it many exciting and important enhancements to our program. As we seek to maintain and advance our position as the regional leader in preschool through eighth grade education, we look to our strategic plan for continued guidance, inspiration, and milestones.

The Langley School’s Arc of Development recognizes that the steepest part of a child’s development comes early, and that while every child’s path is unique, there are predictable cognitive, emotional, and social milestones.

Through this ongoing process, we have committed to placing Langley’s Arc of Development – our school’s singular expertise in determining and meeting the appropriate developmental needs of specific age groups – at the center of everything we do. That’s why the components of the strategic plan reflect children’s specific developmental stages, from the playful, inquisitive early childhood years to the complex, yet invigorating, challenges of early adolescence. Below is an overview of the progress we’ve made in the past year as well as a preview of what’s ahead.

PILLAR ONE:

Ensuring Academic Excellence Ensuring that all Langley students achieve their highest potential for learning and growth means constantly working to perfect the art and science of teaching. To keep our dedicated, exceptionally skilled teachers at the forefront of their profession, we continually evaluate, improve, and introduce methods and practices to help teachers fully prepare students for high school, college, and beyond.

Langley’s inquiry-based curriculum harnesses students’ own interests and talents to foster critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity. Rather than rote memorization and finding a single, “right” answer, inquiry-based learning provides students with a range of strategies to answer essential questions and present evidence-based opinions, ensuring deep understanding and mastery. The program emphasizes hands-on experiences that allow students to test out possibilities, overcome and grow from failures, and reflect on not only what they have learned, but how.

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Pillar One includes five key strategies: 1. Furthering our systematic faculty professional development. To align with our teaching philosophy, the most recent professional development at Langley has intentionally focused on furthering inquiry-based instruction in the classroom and applying this philosophy to unit design.

Along with attending national conferences, this past year our teachers benefited from 30 hours of professional development on our campus. For example, all Langley faculty spent a day with nationally renowned inquiry-based learning expert Diana Laufenberg, who addressed the big ideas of process, student voice and choice, and answering questions with questions. Following such trainings, teachers applied their learning to their grade during grade-level and department meetings, focusing on real-life examples.

Grade-level team meetings explored various topics about differentiation, unit design, and inquiry.

2. Adopting a forward-thinking teacher feedback and coaching model. After evaluating several different approaches, Langley has adopted the Marshall Observation Method which involves frequent, short visits into a teacher’s classroom to provide timely and meaningful feedback that teachers can immediately incorporate into their lessons.

Following a pilot period this past year, Langley’s academic leaders implemented this method in fall 2016, with the goal of visiting each classroom at least eight times during the school year. Observers will look for specific attributes that support our developmentally calibrated, inquiry-based learning philosophy.

Following each classroom visit, the teacher and academic leader reflect on the areas of strength and growth of the lesson, focusing on recommendations for improvement.

This discussion continues throughout the year. At the middle and end of the year, the academic leader and teacher have a more formal conversation about best instructional practices.

3. Reviewing curriculum and textbooks. To ensure that our students and teachers have access to the most relevant content and materials, every core academic discipline at Langley will undergo a review every three to four years.

Task forces have already evaluated our math, literacy, and world languages programs. Reviewers examined the programs against best practice and top content standards, and conducted reviews of textbooks along with scope and sequence. They also benchmarked our students against national averages.

These reviews revealed that Langley students and programs perform at high levels in all categories. But like our students, we constantly strive to do even better. We will continue to make enhancements and adjustments and communicate with parents about changes as they unfold.

Details on the first review round can be found in Dr. Elinor Scully’s May 2016 State of the School presentation, available on Langley’s YouTube channel.

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4. Assessing and adjusting daily schedules.

Although we don’t always think of time as a factor in academic success, it actually plays a vital role. This year, Langley worked with ISM, a leader in independent school management, to review our schedule, after-school activities, and homework load. Our consultants proposed ways to better allocate time for productive learning by creating a more consistent pace to the day. This new schedule design reflects student, parent, and faculty feedback, industry best practices, and a growing body of research on cognitive brain patterns and impacts.

Among other adjustments, we intend to reduce the number of transitions per day, resulting in longer periods for experiential, inquiry-based learning and better student engagement. Additionally, we plan to increase recess and break times for students, provide a more consistent rhythm to the day, and create consistent lunch times for each grade level. These and other changes will begin during the 2017-2018 school year. More details will be coming soon – and we think our whole community will be very pleased.

5. Refining our teacher hiring model to align with Langley’s Arc of Development. Guided by our deep respect for early childhood, Langley has refined our hiring process to attract and retain top teachers with particular expertise in the arc. To accomplish this, we’ve expanded our scope for teacher recruitment, revised our interview questions to evaluate candidates for a growth mindset, and incorporated more authentic performance-based activities for candidates. As we know, teachers are critical to ensuring academic excellence.

Our faculty members have embraced these changes, and we’ve already seen a direct impact on our students. Learn more about their perspectives on page 6.

PILLAR TWO:

Articulating Our Social-Emotional Expertise At Langley, our close attention to students’ social and emotional growth leads to stronger academic performance.

Our students and community have long been known for their kindness, empathy, and sincere interest in others. But today’s environment makes even more social and emotional demands on young people. Instantaneous access to information through technology and social media; increased requirements for collaboration and communication skills in education and in the workplace; and growing complexities around gender, diversity, and globalism – all require that we consciously prepare our students to navigate and embrace constant change. With that in mind, we are introducing a social-emotional program connected to Langley’s Arc of Development. The program covers three domains: 1. Emotional intelligence – the ability to identify, regulate, and understand the emotions we experience and how those emotions affect our relationships with others; to develop empathy and to understand how our actions affect others; and to take responsibility for these powerful interpersonal dynamics.

2. Cultural competence – the ability to appreciate how identity – in both visible and non-visible aspects, including gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, socio-economic status, and ability – shapes how we feel about ourselves and others in the world, and to understand how bias affects those around us.

3. Health and wellness – the ability to understand and respect how our physical, emotional, and psychological being changes and evolves as we grow up, and to develop age-appropriate knowledge of anatomy, puberty, social dynamics, and responsible decision-making.

Tracking Our Progress Spring 2015

• Finished work on articulating our signature strengths • Set and communicated direction of our strategic plan

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Fall 2015

• Refreshed all materials to reflect our signature strengths • Established task forces to focus on parts of our strategic plan • Defined goals and timelines for each task force

Spring 2016

• Completed evaluation of math, literacy, and world languages curriculum • Piloted new teacher feedback model • Began professional development on inquiry-based learning • Communicated comprehensive social-emotional learning program

PILLAR THREE:

Investing in Sustainability We view this pillar as especially crucial in shaping and sustaining The Langley School, both today and in the future. Running a premier school like ours is expensive and complex, so Langley has commissioned external demographic research to fully analyze the market to guide our priorities and investments.

In the first year, we have started providing professional development to our faculty and staff in all three domains.

These trainings will help increase knowledge and provide a common language for social-emotional topics, allowing us to lead productive conversations with students at appropriate times.

On the student side, we will begin with targeted work in our seventh grade. We have introduced a seminar that meets regularly during the trimester on the overall topic of cultural competence, with specific topics chosen according to student interest. In life skills, students will tackle health and wellness subjects from drug and alcohol awareness to CPR training. On the subject of emotional intelligence, they will reflect upon their own learning styles and introversion/ extroversion, among other issues, and learn strategies to respond to them. Based on student, parent, and teacher feedback, we will expand this program to other grades.

Alongside this work, we are conducting extensive parent education. Dr. Scully kicked off our PALS speaker series on the topic in October. We will host speakers throughout the year on the topics of developing executive functioning skills, having comfortable and age-appropriate conversations about sexuality, and helping kids thrive and survive in a digital world.

Fall 2016

• Began new teacher feedback model school-wide • Consultant began schedule evaluation • Began formal professional development on social-emotional learning • Implemented new social-emotional seminar in seventh grade • Launched parent education on social-emotional learning

Spring 2017

Several task forces led by members of our Board of Trustees are currently evaluating and addressing critical and stimulating topics around the next capital campaign and philanthropy at Langley. The goal is to grow and steward Langley’s resources responsibly and plan for the future, while ensuring Langley remains an educational leader in our area.

You will hear a lot more on this pillar during the coming months, especially as we prepare for Langley’s 75th anniversary next school year.

We are thrilled by all the progress we’ve made in such a short time. We’re grateful to the many people supporting the strategic plan process, and proud of where our beloved school is headed. Best of all, we’ve seen for ourselves what these processes and commitments have already done for our teachers and students as they energetically investigate new ways to learn together. And it’s clear: our students can’t wait to come to school every day and find out what’s next.

• Communicate proposed changes to our schedule • Complete review of social studies curriculum • Implement changes to hiring practices • Propose plans and targets for sustainability focus areas

Fall 2017

• Implement revised schedule • Reflect on social-emotional learning program so far and communicate next steps • Langley’s 75th anniversary celebrations begin, alongside initiation of sustainability work

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Devon Davidson, Grade 5 Teacher What are the benefits of Langley’s new teacher feedback model? The observations allow for a more holistic approach to the feedback process. Having observers come into my classroom regularly gives them the chance to see authentic moments which help develop relevant feedback. One of the things I find most helpful in our post-observation conversations is the immediately applicable suggestions.

For example, I often design activities with a lot of collaboration and can sometimes leave out independent work. Last year, after one of my observation conversations, I felt reaffirmed that independent work is a necessary component of classwork and began incorporating it more regularly.

Mollie Morneau

Jr. Kindergarten Teacher What skills does the JK interdisciplinary ramp unit build?

In JK, we explore ramps as an interdisciplinary STEAM unit. We learn what defines a ramp by looking at pictures of structures like wheelchair ramps and walk around campus hunting for ramps.

Then the real hands-on work begins.

Over the course of several months, students build ramps and manipulate them to meet different goals. At first, they use blocks to understand the underlying physics and engineering principles of ramps. In later challenges, they build a ramp and use string to measure how far a toy car goes past the end of the ramp. We tape paper to ramps and use vehicles whose wheels are rolled in paint to create works of “ramp art.”

Throughout these interdisciplinary activities, students’ critical-thinking, observation, and problem-solving skills grow, along with their resilience. While we give the students guidelines and suggestions to jumpstart their play, there is plenty of room for their individual creativity and new ideas.

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Teacher Voices & Perspectives Langley has made exciting progress on the academic excellence pillar of our strategic plan and our faculty has embraced these forward-thinking initiatives with energy and passion.

Jessica Robinson Grade 3 Teacher

How did the Advanced Writing Institute influence your teaching?

Held at Columbia University’s Teachers College, the Advanced Writing Institute was a wonderful opportunity for me to delve deeply into effective strategies for teaching writing. I explored how to use different types of small groups, rubrics, and “mentor texts” to support and guide my teaching. After incorporating some of these strategies into my lessons, I’ve found that my students have taken more ownership of their writing, recognizing themselves as authors, gaining confidence, and developing greater writing stamina and quality.

Ryan McKinney Science Teacher

How has the new teacher feedback model enhanced a specific lesson?

Earlier this year, Phil Petru and Ryan Jefferson observed my sixth-grade Earth history lesson where students were learning about the geologic time scale. We talked about ways to bring the lesson to life even more clearly for the students. During that 10-minute meeting, they helped me support student learning by suggesting I change the timing of how and when I share fossils from each of the different time periods. This change forced students to make predictions before finding out the time period of each fossil, encouraging deeper levels of inquiry-based learning.

Alexandra Kingsley Kindergarten Teacher

Tell us about the Teachers College Writer’s Workshop you attended last June. This week-long workshop was geared toward educating kindergarten teachers to use Writer’s Workshop, a program which incorporates choice into students’ daily writing and instills a love of writing in young students. The information I learned has elevated my teaching this year and helped my students develop a sense of ownership as they choose what to write about, understand that they have a story to tell through writing, and gain confidence to share those stories with the world.

Inga Schoenbrun, Math Specialist What did you learn at the NCTM conference you attended?

Last spring, several Langley math teachers and I attended the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) conference in San Francisco which focused on “Building a Bridge to Student Success.”

We were all engrossed when Jo Boaler, professor of math education at Stanford University and co-founder of youcubed.org, spoke of the growth mindset and how our brains work differently when we believe in ourselves and believe we are capable of doing math. Her talk reinforced how critical it is for us to help kids believe this. Dan Meyer’s presentation, “Beyond Relevance and Real-World: Stronger Strategies for Student Engagement,” inspired me to decompose textbooks so students can engage with math through a more constructivist approach, allowing them to create and develop the mathematical questions to be answered and actively involving them in the process.

Joanna Edie, Drama Teacher

Paige Dunn, Art Teacher

How does your “selfie” project integrate across subject areas?

How has the new teacher feedback system helped you grow? The new system helps teachers

The eighth-grade teaching team created essential questions focused on identity, culture, and the power of a story to guide our curriculum in each subject area throughout the year. In our interdisciplinary unit with visual art, eighth-graders create an original “selfie” performance. Students explore their past, present, and future by interviewing a family member, re-enacting a moment from their lives, and choosing a song that says something important about them. The project concludes with students filming a performance, complete with costumes, props, sets, and lights.

The kids appreciate how open-ended and inquiry-based the assignment is.

Within some basic guidelines, I allow them to take the project in any direction that inspires them. As they get ready to leave Langley, I see the “selfie” project as both a graduation and a commencement – a product of their learning at Langley and also the beginning of their journey into adulthood.

grow to be the best they can be. These less formal observations have enabled me to realize small things in my teaching that I wouldn’t have noticed on my own. For example, thanks to feedback I received, I’ve learned to wait for a longer period of time before I call on students after asking a question. This technique allows the students time to think on a deeper level. It’s nice to have feedback that not only helps the students’ learning, but also helps my teaching style.

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Campus Happenings

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Learning Through Inquiry Clockwise from top left: 1. During three consecutive day trips around the DC area, sixth-graders dug for fossils, participated in museum exhibits, and took part in a ropes course.

2. During their capstone trip, eighth-graders spent a week in New Mexico where they immersed themselves in a different culture, took part in service learning activities, and developed valuable leadership skills.

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3. As part of their science unit on invertebrates, second-grade students explored Langley’s butterfly way station, a garden built by our Middle Schoolers to help increase the dwindling numbers of migrating Monarch butterflies.

4. The kindergarten class took their first field trip of the year to Butler’s Orchard for a class hayride, pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and jumbo slides where they learned about the natural world through hands-on experiences.

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5. Students in grades 4-8 learned firsthand what it’s like to be a writer when poet, educator, and New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander came to campus.

write with focus and voice, and edit and revise their work, our third-grade authors hosted a publishing party to share their creative works with parents and peers.

6. Students in grades 1-8 became engineers during a creative STEM challenge which involved building a bucket tower using straws, string, tape, and one small plastic cup.

8. After learning about farms and reading the book, Little Blue Truck, preschoolers made their own mud using household ingredients. Using toy trucks and farm animals, each child then brought the story to life in his or her own unique way.

7. After finishing a unit on personal narratives in which they learned to generate ideas through a multitude of strategies,

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Expressing Creativity & Spirit Clockwise from top left: 1. Featuring musicians in grades 3-8, holiday concerts spread festive cheer and showcased our students’ musical talents.

2. Langley’s soccer, volleyball, and cross country teams demonstrated their athletic abilities, teamwork, and good sportsmanship during the fall sports season. More than 65 percent of eligible students in grades 5-8 took part in interscholastic athletics this fall.

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3. The Sherman Arts Center rocked to rhythms from around the globe as seventh-graders learned drumming techniques with Langley’s artist-in-residence, Tom Teasley, a world percussionist, composer, and educator.

4. Twelve Langley students had their artwork on display at the MPAartfest, a community arts festival in McLean, where Langley also offered popular STEAM-based activities in our sponsor tent.

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Campus Happenings

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5. Students and teachers enjoyed dressing up in creative costumes for Langley’s annual Halloween celebrations and parades.

6. “I Live Langley” spirit filled the air during classroom visit day in September as students returned to campus for the start of the new school year.

7. Nearly 70 Middle Schoolers presented “Charlotte’s Web” on stage in November, a student-run production that included student leaders, actors, crew, and pit orchestra members.

8. Langley’s faculty and staff showed off their Langley pride during spirit days throughout the fall.

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Campus Happenings

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Building Community Clockwise from top left: 1. The buddy program – which pairs first- and fifth-graders and kindergartners and eighth-graders together – builds bonds across grade levels and gives our older students the opportunity to be role models for their younger friends.

2. Guests from around the world gathered for student musical performances during Grandparents & Special Friends Day on November 22.

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3. During Grandparents & Special Friends Day, guests took part in a variety of classroom projects with their students.

4. More than 1,000 attendees “Lived Langley” at the 62nd annual Fall Fair on November 5 as they enjoyed food, games, and fun.

5. Sixth-graders explored life in Langley’s Middle School during a special day-long orientation before the first day of school.

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6. On the day before winter break, Primary and Lower School students learned the value of giving back to the community as they created gift bags and notes of appreciation for local organizations during Langley’s Day of Service.

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8. Students, parents, and faculty nurtured their love of reading while shopping for their favorite books at Langley’s annual Book Fair in December.

7. During Langley’s Day of Service, Middle Schoolers filled shoe boxes with toiletries and other essential items before wrapping them for distribution to the homeless at So Others Might Eat (SOME).

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COMMUNITY:

Our Parents Live Langley, Too! Since The Langley School’s founding almost 75 years ago, parents have played a central role in the life of the school, partnering with teachers to help our students thrive and volunteering on campus to foster an inclusive, connected community – and in the process building lifelong friendships, setting an example of service for their children, and having lots of fun!

“After 11 years as a Langley volunteer, I have been motivated by many things – community building, connecting to other parents and to the school, giving back to the place that has nurtured my children and formed them into the beautiful young adults they are becoming. But nothing can beat the glow of pride on my kids’ faces when they see me working with the other parents and teachers on a volunteer project. That keeps me volunteering again and again.”

-Kelley Gillespie

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“I choose to volunteer at Langley because I believe the social and academic growth of our kids requires both the school and the parents to be actively involved. Langley fully embraces this belief and encourages parent participation!”

-Karen Stephenson “I volunteer primarily because I want to instill the duty of service to community in my child. But I also enjoy and appreciate tremendously the opportunity to see how our kids interact. I love their energy and the way they treat one another.” -Andrea Awad “What could be better than working on meaningful projects with dear friends, knowing that our collective efforts support the great mission of this school and our child’s experience here at Langley? For me, volunteering affirms my commitment to Langley, and I truly feel honored to be a part of it!” -Cindy O’Kane

“I find every opportunity to volunteer at Langley because I am a passionate believer in the importance of parent engagement in our school! Parent engagement and a desire to create a special learning environment was the foundation of The Langley School, and the school’s ongoing effort to meaningfully engage parents is a cornerstone to creating a wonderful learning community for our students. I have had a wonderful experience developing relationships with parents across the grades.”

-Denise Haselhorst

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DONOR PROFILE:

Bösendorfer Piano is Music to Our Ears Thanks to a generous donation from former Langley parents and grandparents Barbara Klein and George Green, our Sherman Arts Center is home to a magnificent Bösendorfer piano.

remained elusive. Following a visit to a local music store, George became captivated by a Bösendorfer, a marvelous instrument with an equally marvelous, yet prohibitive, price.

Barbara and George’s relationship with The Langley School stretches back more than 40 years, when Barbara’s children, Tom Klein ’80 and Allison (Klein) Johnson ’82, began junior kindergarten. At the time, Langley operated as a co-op, with parents responsible for painting, cleaning, and otherwise maintaining the school. Barbara noted with a laugh that she got to know other parents quite well while working side by side with them over the years. Langley, she recalled, “became like a second family to us.”

Sometime later, while scanning The Washington Post classified ads, George was stunned to see a Bösendorfer for sale in a first-come, first-served bankruptcy auction in Charlottesville. George and Barbara soon found themselves racing to the Merrifield Post Office with an offer before continuing to North Carolina for their son’s wedding.

Later that decade, George, an amateur pianist, was in search of a new concert grand piano. A number of Steinways and Baldwins crossed his path over the years, but “the one” Barbara and George with their granddaughter, McKenzie ’08 (above), and the piano they donated to Langley (below).

After learning that theirs was the winning bid, George and Barbara assumed ownership of the Bösendorfer, which they featured prominently in their new McLean home.

Over the years, they and their family enjoyed many gatherings at which George, as well as several hired pianists, allowed the Bösendorfer to shine.

In the meantime, their son, Tom, and his wife, Sheri, enrolled their daughters at Langley. McKenzie ’08 graduated from Cornell last spring and is working for AmeriCorps in Austin, TX, while applying to medical school. Emily ’12 began her freshman year at the University of Virginia this fall.

As George and Barbara prepared for a move to North Carolina, they began searching for their beloved Bösendorfer’s next home. Their primary concern was that the next owner would continue to play and enjoy the instrument. Since they had given another piano to Langley years earlier and have a strong multi-generational tie to the school, they contacted Langley and offered to donate the Bösendorfer.

In late October, the Bösendorfer concert grand piano arrived in Langley’s Sherman Arts Center. “The tone and sound quality of the piano will be a wonderful enhancement to our concerts and musical performances,” says Band Director Chuck Schmidt. “And the instrument is certain to be a draw for visiting musicians who come to campus to share their talents with our students.”

The Langley community is grateful to George and Barbara for this generous gift, which is indeed music to our ears.

For more information about philanthropy at Langley, please contact Head of Development Jinene Christian at (703) 8482785 or jchristian@langleyschool.org.

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secure feeling of the Langley community continued from my years as a student into adulthood, when I selected Langley for my children. Fortunately, my son and daughter have not been through much adversity, but if it were to happen, I know they would not go through it alone.

Peggy as a Langley student (left) and with her family today (right).

PHILANTHROPY AT LANGLEY:

Connecting Our Past, Present, & Future

by Peggy Evans ’85, Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations and Parent of Two Langley Students I have jumped out of the back seat at carpool, dropped my children off at carpool, and beginning this year, opened doors for others at carpool. From Langley student to alumna to parent to my new position as director of annual giving and alumni relations, I have lived Langley (much more than most!).

When I attended Langley, I didn’t give much thought to the strength of the academics, but focused instead on the wonderful experiences I was having, such as attending the Fall Fair, reading in the Castle Room, and playing outside at Field Day. Langley was a safe place for me during rough personal times in my childhood, as a school should be. The

While interviewing to join Langley’s staff, I was confident I had a lot to contribute because I knew the people, the culture, and the traditions that make Langley a wonderful place in which to go through childhood. It has been such an interesting experience to see the school as an insider, and to gain a much deeper understanding of the people who work so hard to educate and nurture the students – including my children – each day.

Since assuming my new responsibilities in July, my goal has been to bring The Langley Fund into the light.

Two-way communication is so key in the school/parent dynamic. I want parents to know what The Langley Fund is and why it is important to the school. In turn, I want to discover what drives people to give and respond to that feedback. As director of alumni relations, one of my goals is to implement a communication plan with alumni which connects them back to Langley and to one another. I can’t wait to see everyone for Langley’s 75th birthday next year.

In my prior career on Capitol Hill, I looked up at the Capitol dome each night on my way home, knowing I was making a difference. Now, when I open car doors to greet students, I feel the same way. I am fortunate to “live Langley” each day among our outstanding students, immensely talented faculty, and kind, supportive community. My new role is not just another job to me; it is my new Capitol dome.

Planning for the Future?

An estate gift to Langley can help you achieve your financial goals while establishing a lasting legacy. What about Langley is important to you? Include it in your will today and plan to have an impact on the students and teachers of tomorrow.

For more information, contact Head of Development Jinene Christian at (703) 848-2785 or jchristian@langleyschool.org

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Class Notes Submit your news and update your contact information online at www.langleyschool.org/community/alumni.

1981

Olivia Wills Kane works at Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School as the director of the St. Jane de Chantal Salesian Center where she works to expand the reach, scope, and solace of Salesian thought within and beyond campus.

1987

Wendy Weinberger is co-founder and managing partner of Illuminos LLC, an academic coaching and tutoring services organization for kids in grades K-12.

1999

Sarah Chuzi is in her second year of residency in internal medicine at Northwestern in Chicago. A graduate of Madeira School and Williams College, Sarah received her M.D. from Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern, Summa Cum Laude. In September 2017, she will celebrate two milestone events: her wedding to Alex Maturi and her promotion to chief resident.

2004

Amanda Chuzi is a senior legislative aide to Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, specializing in homeland security, space, and science and technology. She graduated from Sidwell Friends School and Tufts University, Magna Cum Laude, then served as statewide youth coordinator for Elizabeth Warren’s successful Senate campaign in Massachusetts.

2005

Graham Pittman graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2013. After college, he worked for the House Energy and Commerce Committee before beginning law school this year at the University of Virginia. He still keeps in touch with friends from Langley.

2006

Margo Thronson has her CPA license and works for Ernst & Young in McLean, VA. She attended The Potomac School and the College of William & Mary.

2000

Kate Hayes is a landscape architect in New York City, designing parks, plazas, and public spaces from initial concept through construction. She is a graduate of National Cathedral School and Stanford University.

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WINTER 2017

2008

Maggie Thompson graduated from Princeton University in May 2016 with a degree in astrophysics and a minor in astrobiology. She is spending a year as an astronomy researcher at the Carnegie Institute for Science in Washington, DC, focusing her research on Exoplanets using Carnegie’s telescopes in Las Campanas, Chile. Maggie plans to attend graduate school next year to pursue a Ph.D. in astronomy.

2012

Marissa Jacquemin is taking an educational gap year to learn Spanish in South America before attending the University of California-Davis.

Mitch Mendler is a freshman at Randolph Macon College where he plays baseball and is the recipient of the President’s Scholarship Award. At Flint Hill School, Mitch was All-Conference for baseball, received the school’s Athletics Husky Award, and played on Flint Hill’s MAC Conference champion baseball team for four years.

2013

Rayan Khosravi is a senior at St. Albans School in Washington, DC, where he was inducted into the Cum Laude Society, serves as chief editor of the school newspaper, and captains the varsity soccer team.

2014

Alex Debayo-Doherty, a junior at The Potomac School, received offers to play soccer and continue his studies at Georgetown University, MIT, Yale University, and Harvard University. He selected Harvard, and is the first recruit for the 2022 graduating class. Alex is grateful to the faculty and athletic staff at Langley who impacted him deeply.

2016

Camran Khosravi, a freshman at St. Albans School in Washington, DC, plays intramural sports and soccer for Bethesda Academy. He was also the recipient of the Lower School Sports Cup and was voted prefect last year and team captain of one of the two school-wide teams.

Remembering Grade 2 Teacher Roberta Tomczyk

by Jan Silvano, Head Librarian

There are many unquantifiable qualities that make a great teacher: warmth, humor, professionalism, creativity, and a deep understanding of young children, to name a few. Former Langley second-grade teacher Roberta Tomczyk, who passed away in June 2016, had these qualities in abundance.

Roberta began teaching second grade at Langley in 1983, a position she held until her retirement in 2001. Former Lower School Head Billy Close recalls Roberta’s fondness for teaching math with manipulatives, her love for literature, and her flair for reading instruction. Former Math Department Chair Penni Ross has fond memories of working with Roberta on the integrated “Gulliver’s Travels” unit, noting that they built Lilliput and Lilliputians to scale using milk cartons, popsicle sticks, and Play-Doh. Former Langley teacher and parent Kathy Pascal adds, “I feel so blessed that both of my children got to have one of the finest teachers I have ever known.”

Roberta’s interests were reflected in her units of study. Her second-graders participated in in-depth studies of pond life, explored fairy tales with the Snow Queen, studied the Underground Railroad, laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, and took her “Scary Survey,” to name a few.

On November 29, members of Roberta’s family and former Langley colleagues gathered in the Pat Bush Library to honor her legacy.

Roberta’s former colleagues and friends still meet monthly as the Food for Thought book club, and they miss Roberta’s presence very much. In celebration of her love of literature, they generously donated books to the Pat Bush Library collection in Roberta’s memory.

Special thanks to Langley’s Archives Office for assisting with the alumni section of the magazine.

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

Liz Keller-Tripp ’97 It’s normal to be nervous for a job interview. But when your interview is with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, there’s a whole new level of excitement involved. Five years ago, Liz Keller-Tripp applied for a position with Silkroad, a Boston-based nonprofit founded by Ma that promotes cross-cultural understanding, learning, and innovation through the arts. “I got all geared up to meet a celebrity, but Yo-Yo was so funny and down-to-earth that our hour-long interview wasn’t stressful at all,” recalls Liz, who landed the job and now works as Silkroad’s artistic administrator.

In this role, she tours nationally and internationally with the Silk Road Ensemble, a collective of world-class musicians who perform with instruments from across the globe, lead school workshops with younger audiences, and serve as resident artists at universities around the country. The goal? To encourage understanding, respect, curiosity, and a global perspective through music and the arts.

Organizing the group’s tours – from the performance concept and production elements to logistics and musician management – has earned Liz plenty of frequent flyer miles. She has traveled every month during 2016, visiting Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, California, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, among other places.

“The travel is one of the best parts of my job, along with the amazing enthusiasm of my colleagues,” she says. “I’ve always loved music, but was looking to expand my horizons beyond my classical training. The work we’re doing energizes me and helps me identify creative ways of thinking.”

fourth-grade band under Chuck Schmidt. She remembers choosing the flute because it was the “prettiest” instrument, and credits Langley and Mr. Schmidt for sparking her love of music.

During her four years at Langley, Liz recalls playing in the Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble, taking part in plays both as an actor and as a member of the tech crew, playing soccer, participating in the Spring Fair and Field Day, and eating pizza on Thursdays. “Langley was a really warm and happy place to be,” she adds. “My class was made up of some amazing kids with diverse interests, and that encouraged my global curiosity that I pride myself on now.”

Liz continued to nurture her passion for music at Langley High School, then earned a B.S. in arts management from Shenandoah Conservatory. She landed her first job in New York City at music publisher G. Schirmer Inc. where she promoted the work of contemporary composers. She then took a position with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, managing its artistic programs before moving to Boston to join Silkroad.

“Starting at Langley, my whole life has been about music in some way,” Liz says. “I just have to be around it whether I’m playing it, promoting it, or using it to spark new crosscultural understandings around the world.”

As Silkroad’s founder, Ma frequently tours with the ensemble and his visionary ideas and energy are infused throughout the organization. “It surprises most people to learn that Yo-Yo is a real goofball!” Liz laughs, noting that he is prone to backstage antics and jokes. “When you talk to him, you feel like you’re the only person in the room. He’s the warmest person I know.”

Liz credits Langley and Mr. Schmidt’s fourth-grade band class for

While she doesn’t perform as part of her job at Silkroad, Liz has played the flute in several volunteer orchestras and still enjoys playing socially – a skill she first learned in Langley’s

sparking her love of music.

Liz with friend and colleague Yo-Yo Ma

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WINTER 2017

The Last Word

by Kathleen Jennings ’00, Reading Specialist A true Langley lifer, that’s me. Not only was I a student at Langley for 11 years (preschool through eighth grade), but so far nearly all of my full-time teaching experience has been at The Langley School.

My first day of school was exciting, especially since I started Langley with a friend from daycare. He and I spent the next 11 years as friends as we moved from grade to grade.

In Primary School, my favorite place was the Castle Room in the library where Pat Bush and Pamela Duncan Edwards opened up a world of possibilities and wonder through the magic of books.

In Lower School, I remember waiting anxiously for big buddies to come, and feeling the same way once I became the big buddy. In second grade, I helped run the flea market and loved selling to kids throughout the whole school.

Only after I became a second-grade teacher did I fully understand what a huge undertaking this project really is!

One of my favorite parts of Lower School was the responsibility given to fifth-graders. At the time, fifth-graders were responsible for collecting pizza orders each Thursday, counting the money, placing the order, and delivering pizzas to all the classrooms. It was a fun, exhausting job, but I felt so accomplished at the end of the day.

In Middle School, the responsibilities ramped up as I learned to follow my passions. I joined the Middle School Chorus, edited the newspaper (Knapsack Notes), played basketball and lacrosse under Coach Gleason, and assisted T McKinley in directing the Middle School play. Chuck Schmidt was my advisor, and I adored Tuesday advisory lunches. I made friends across many grade levels and learned to appreciate the talents of others. I gained independence and took amazing trips – whitewater rafting in West Virginia, an overnight in New York, and especially a trip to Kenya led by social studies teacher Joseph Lekuton. These experiences prepared me for high school and beyond.

Throughout the years, Langley has grown and changed in many ways. The landscape of the school is very different since I first stepped onto the campus at age 3. As a student, I watched the Pat Bush Library and the Betty

Kathleen Jennings teaching at Langley (left) and on her first day as a Langley student (right).

“Langley taught me the importance of embracing the community around me, a value...which exists today in my relationships with Langley faculty, staff, students, and parents.”

Brown Lower School building built. As an alumna, I saw the transformation of the Solomon Athletic Center. As a faculty member, I experienced the thrill of opening the Jeffrey Sherman Arts Center and Doris Cottam Middle School.

It’s what hasn’t changed that kept me here as a student, brought me back for my senior project in high school, and eventually led me to Langley as a teacher. Langley’s sense of community pervades the campus, the alumni, the students, and the faculty and staff. As a student, I watched the community come together to support the family of a classmate following a tragedy. I formed lasting bonds with those students and teachers who supported me through those rocky middle school years. As a faculty member, I was welcomed with open arms and strict instructions to call my former teachers by their first names.

When asked what I love about Langley, my answer is invariably, “the community.” Langley taught me the importance of embracing the community around me, a value that has followed me through high school and college, and which exists today in my relationships with Langley faculty, staff, students, and parents.

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Where vital academics meet a deep respect for childhood Preschool through grade 8 in Northern Virginia 1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22101-3415 www.langleyschool.org (703) 356-1920

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2017

Academics + Arts + Field Trips + Robotics + Science + Service Learning + Sports + Technology

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