The Academy - Summer 2013

Acade m y

norfolk academy magazine

Global Perspectives Vierzig Jahre Zusammen Studio & Stage Students Get White-Glove Treatment From the Classroom The AP disconnect In the Game So You Want to be a college Athlete?

The Savage Chronicles The Best Teacher I ever had

summer 2013

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table of [ CONTENTS ]

Summer 2013 Headmaster

Dennis G. Manning Director of Communications

Betsy Wardell Guzik ’89 Associate Director of Communications

Kathy Finney Editorial Board

Ruth Payne Acra ’86 Gary Laws Preston Moore Ron Newman Jay Rainey Dr. David Rezelman Toy Savage ’71 Gigi Cooke Tysinger ’87 Sean Wetmore ’86 Student Editors

Cross Birdsong ’18 Deni Budman ’16 Ben Klebanoff ’15 Matthew Leon ’13 Patrick McElroy ’19 Wyatt Miller ’16 Banning Stiffler ’15 Hannah Towler ’18 Grace Webb ’13 Sarah Yue ’19 Photography

Bob Handelman Stephanie Oberlander Woody Poole Alumni and Staff Submissions Design

Cheney & Company

Global Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

— An Auspicious Beginning — Vierzig Jahre Zusammen updates from the Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Studio & stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

— White-Glove Treatment in the Perrel Art Gallery — The First George B. Powell Lecture From the classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

— The AP Disconnect — Fifth Grade Science: Learning by Doing — First Grade Math: Variety + Challenge = Fun — Learning to Serve — Summer Reading In the game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

— So You Want to be a College Athlete? the Savage chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

— The Best Teacher I Ever Had Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

— The Gift of Teaching — Innocence Paw prints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

— History Lessons — Getting to Know Our Teachers — Questions for Our Teachers Lives of Consequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

— The Unstoppable Eva Colen alumni highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Visit norfolkacademy.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos.

You will also find direct links to all of our social networking communities.

Norfolk Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, or other school-administered programs.

— Alumni Fun — On the Road class notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

— Class notes — Weddings and In memoriam On the cover: Middle School Director Gary Laws with Royster Student

Council President Aneesh Dhawan ‘16.

from the [ h e a d MASTER ]

Dear Friends, Our seniors have earned and accepted their diplomas. Our first graders are seasoned Bulldogs—with our boy/girl of the day program, each has already had seven public speaking engagements notched into their proverbial belts. It is our great pleasure as much as it is our responsibility to launch our students on to the next phases in their lives.

Another summer is slipping by, and we will soon turn our full attention to a new school year. This is the life of a school. We have our beginnings, our endings, and our yearly renewal as the beauty, rhythm and wonder of the academic cycle continues. Ours is the calling to grow children. We are serious and silly—and utterly enchanted with helping children become their best selves.

In this issue of Academy, I admit, we focus inward. We prod, examine and celebrate the components of an Academy education.

Herein, you will find familiar voices and new ones. I believe you will come to understand why many of our faculty would not imagine a different calling—and also what could happen if they did!

Our faculty have continued their outsidethe-classroom work to help develop the academic, athletic and arts programs that become the lives and heritage of Academy students and their families.

This year we mark the 40th Anniversary of our partnership with Copernicus-Gymnasium in Löningen, Germany, and also the

launch of a new exchange with our partners at Beijing No. 101. Relationships are at the very foundation of our mission and our daily school lives—and to help these relationships flourish over generations and across the world is a 21st century goal for many schools.

We are 40 years committed and eager to forge onward.

What is so strikingly unique about our community, very near where our still-young country sprang to New World–life, is our unrelenting dedication to the ties that bind us together and our commitment to shoulder the exploration of what could be. In 1728 we were chartered to begin a school. Now, in 2013, we are surely ready to call upon the leaders formed by the Academy to embrace courage and create the future of Tidewater. Our teachers are dedicated to their work because they know that our students will become the future—as informed, ethical and active leaders. This is the most important moral and civic service we could all be about.

Dennis G. Manning

Headmaster

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[ GLOBAL ] perspectives

An Auspicious Beginning Norfolk Academy welcomes the first group of exchange students from Beijing 101, one of the leading secondary schools in Beijing. above Norfolk

Academy student hosts greet their new friends from Beijing.

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China holds a unique position in our world today. The Economist finds that China has surpassed the United States on well over half of its 21 leading economic indicators, ranging from manufacturing output, exports, fixed investments, and energy, to copper and steel consumption. It is predicted that China will surpass the U.S. on the remaining economic indicators by 2014. The Economist Intelligence Unit projects that China’s gross domestic product will match that of the United States by 2021, and some leading global economists speculate this monumental event could occur as early as 2018. Facing this clear rise in China’s importance and influence, our graduates must be able to understand and navigate Chinese culture and work successfully alongside prominent Chinese companies and leaders.

Building on the knowledge and competency we have gained from 40 successful years in partnership with Copernicus-Gymnasium in Löningen, we believe that a cultural exchange with a school in China will be

the ideal way to help prepare our graduates for success in the years ahead. We are delighted to share the details of our first student exchange between Norfolk Academy and Beijing 101, one of the leading secondary schools in Beijing.

Our Chinese exchange program has been several years in the making. Alongside other exceptional secondary schools in the United States, Europe and the rest of the world seeking similar connections, we sought the ideal partner for Norfolk Academy to help create a cultural bridge to the East. At the same time, China’s equally prestigious schools were looking to build bridges west. This natural nexus of mutual interests led to the creation of the World Leading Schools Association. WLSA is dedicated to promoting educational exchange and cooperation between secondary schools in China and the rest of the world.

Our student exchange program launched this January with the arrival of fifteen Chinese students and two chaperones from Beijing 101. Our host families met

them, bearing signs and welcoming smiles. The initial moments of trepidation as the Chinese students walked down the gateway at the Norfolk International Airport quickly gave way to a melodious hum of teenagers talking, laughing and sharing: a testament to the power of youth and the ease with which such culturally diverse groups can quickly find common ground in music, fashion, technology and sports. A casual observer would have thought this was a group of well-acquainted old friends.

The two-week visit by the Chinese students was tailored to focus on the Norfolk Academy academic process, while also immersing students in Virginia’s history and American culture. While at Norfolk Academy, each of the visiting students followed an individually tailored schedule and participated fully in the academic days. They had specific teachers and courses and even completed homework!

The exchange group also had an opportunity to experience daily American teenage life, eating at local restaurants, attending an ODU men’s basketball game, and shopping at MacArthur Mall. They were also treated to an amazing glass blowing demonstration sponsored by the Chrysler Museum, and toured downtown Norfolk, with visits to Nauticus and the USS Wisconsin. And as luck would have it, they were able to participate in the truly American phenomenon of the Super Bowl.

Our unique region and the role that it played in shaping American governance and culture provided ample discussion material for this budding cultural exchange. The Monday of their arrival, our visiting students joined the Upper School in the Tunstall Seminar, viewing Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, and participating afterward in group discussions of the movie and the impact of the life of Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment were critical parts of the active discussion and exploration of this monumental period in American history.

Visits to Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg and Charlottesville highlighted Virginia’s role in the foundation of our country. The Chinese students stopped at Jamestown Church, the site where the House of Burgesses, the first legislature of freely elected representatives in America, met. They also visited The College of William and Mary, where Thomas Jefferson developed the beliefs he later chartered in the Declaration of Independence. The visits provided an authentic backdrop for our later discussion about the importance and

The initial moments of trepidation as the Chinese students walked down the gateway at the Norfolk International Airport quickly gave way to a melodious hum of teenagers talking, laughing and sharing: a testament to the power of youth and the ease with which such culturally diverse groups can quickly find common ground in music, fashion, technology and sports. A casual observer would have thought this was a group of well-acquainted old friends. influence of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in America’s Revolution.

While on campus, both the Chinese students and their chaperones participated in the normal day-to-day rhythms of Upper School life. The chaperones were greatly impressed with Norfolk Academy’s teaching methodology, and held sessions with teachers across all disciplines, discussing course content and lesson plans.

Dr. Wenzhong Kang, a social science teacher at Beijing 101, was especially moved by his observations of Academy teachers and their interaction with students. He admired how Norfolk Academy “teaches the students to think, encourages them to be creative and doesn’t spoon-feed them.” Dr. Kang offered that the educational style in Beijing focuses on informative lectures and the student’s ability to memorize that information.

The Chinese teachers returned home furnished with course syllabi in math, science, government and history. In fact, they were so impressed with our approach to government that they took home our government textbook! We believe this exchange will have a lasting effect on the educational development process not only for this handful of students and teachers who visited, but for the entire Beijing 101 community.

After a fulfilling and enriching two weeks, it was time to return home. But the excitement wasn’t over quite yet. Many of you may recall “Nemo,” a blizzard of epic proportions, the first of the year and the largest of its kind, which was rolling toward the Northeast just as our visitors were planning to leave—with a layover in Newark, New Jersey. Authorities cancelled all flights out of Newark the evening before the storm as a safety precaution. As the leading edge of the storm started to batter the region with gale force winds and driving

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[ GLOBAL ] perspectives

rain, Norfolk Academy’s own Chris Nelson, along with the Chinese chaperones, worked to reroute the group through Dulles and San Francisco and on to Beijing.

The new flight plans meant our friends would have to leave seven hours earlier than originally scheduled.

The community rallied quickly. Faculty stood in the torrential downpour directing host families to the front of the incoming car pool line to the waiting bus.

Amidst the chaos and din of morning drop-off, Chinese

and NA students shared last tearful goodbyes, oblivious to the winds and rain. How close their friendships had become and how much they had in common were obvious as they made promises to continue the journey they had begun together.

Arriving safely at the airport just in time to make their flight, our Chinese partners took a moment before boarding the plane to film a heartfelt goodbye to Norfolk Academy students, families and faculty. Dr. Kang closed with an observation on the cyclical nature of the growing relationship between Norfolk Academy and Beijing 101: “This is just a new beginning. I believe there is still great possibility for cooperation between our schools. I believe that the mutual understanding will serve as a boosting force for our cooperation. Welcome to Beijing!”

In June, our students will travel to Beijing to continue to work on this important cultural bridge. ◆ Bernie McMahon, co-director of the Chinese Exchange Program, Upper School Spanish teacher

top Students visited important historical sites throughout the region. below Cheering on the ODU basketball

team

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40 Vierzig Jahre Zusammen:

Years Together

Norfolk Academy and Copernicus-Gymnasium Löningen In the fall of 1973, Mr. Massey, headmaster of Nor-

folk Academy, received a letter from Helen Warriner, the Virginia State supervisor of foreign languages, asking us to participate in a West German and U.S. high school exchange program supported and sponsored by the nonprofit CIEE , Council on International Educational Exchange. He discussed this proposal with B. Lovitt, the director of the Royster Girls’ Division, and then she and I went to work filling out the paperwork and sent it off to New York City and the folks at CIEE .

In a small town in northwestern West Germany, roughly 90 miles from the Dutch border and about two to three hours’ autobahn ride southwest of the cities of Bremen and Hamburg (if a German is at the wheel), a young teacher/administrator was also tackling the same paperwork. Our two schools were matched up in New York City, and Jürgen Wiehe and Katherine Holmes, both 33, started corresponding with each other about the first exchange visits. “Dear Madam” and “Dear Sir” were soon replaced with first names and “du.”

Jürgen and his first group of 15 students arrived at the Norfolk airport in mid-March 1974, and we brought

them all to the Refectory for a late supper with their host students. “T” Massey, Patty Masterson and I had very carefully smeared mayonnaise on the bread for sandwiches, not knowing that Germans prefer butter on their sandwiches and mayo on french fries. This was the first of many cultural differences both partners in the Exchange would learn over the years. Jürgen gave a kind of “senior speech” during our introductory chapel the next day. He talked about how close Russian tanks were to the border of his state of Lower Saxony. Indeed, it was still the Cold War and West Germany was in a very precarious geo-political situation. During this first half of the very first exchange, many friendships were begun and some still are going on to this day.

For example, Stefan Kröger and Patrick Masterson ’75 and their families have all been several times to their exchange partners’ homes. For some years now, the second generation of families on both sides of the Atlantic have been participants in this exchange.

Our first group of exchange students traveled over the big pond three months later: 15 students and one teacher. On that first visit to Löningen, one of our

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excursions was to the port city of Hamburg and visits to its famous harbor and Hagenbeck’s Zoo. Then we strolled along the Reeperbahn, the infamous red-light district. I remember young Grover Outland saying, “This should all be torn down.” While I was trying to explain to Grover about cultural differences, I noticed that Beth Massey, the headmaster’s daughter, was missing. It looked like a one-time exchange at that moment.

Luckily, we retrieved her from a sleazy-looking “venue,” and she never left my sight after that.

The three-week sojourn in Germany consists of two main sections: the home-school stay and then a week of bus travel through scenic and historic parts of Germany. The home-school stay provides many opportunities for our students to participate in family life and classes at the Gymnasium. During this two-week period, our partner school takes us on a trip to Berlin accompanied by our host students.

The week of travel is designed to expose our students to historical and cultural sites of import, such as the city of Cologne, founded by the Romans, the Rhine valley, the university town of Heidelberg and the walled medieval village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Participants experience sleeping in youth hostels or small family-run inns. During this week of travel, our Academy students continue to practice their linguistic skills with local merchants and others and, I am strongly convinced, leave behind a very favorable impression of American teenagers.

Over the 40 years of exchanges, teachers and administrators from both schools have supported the program by acting as hosts and/or by chaperoning our students. It is so important to have other adults join the program and make it truly a school-wide exchange. Bill Miller resuscitated his college German and led an early

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group; Patty Masterson sat through and participated in all activities and requirements for German 1 and 11 and then chaperoned two different years. Rachel and Bud Hopkins accompanied our student groups on several occasions and also hosted. John and Barbara Tucker helped me shepherd the group in 1983 and it was her first airplane trip ever. Other former and current faculty members who have supported the Exchange are “T” and J.B. Massey, Beth and Dennis Manning, Linda and Ron Gorsline, Lisa Marie Priddy and Dave Rezelmann, Meg Mann, Cecil Mays, Staci Nelson and, of course, Chris Nelson, who has chaperoned and hosted the most of all.

On two occasions, NA arts groups have traveled to our partner city and school: Chorus director Frank Whitman and singers included Copernicus-Gymnasium Löningen in its tour of Europe in 1994. During the German Exchange visit in 2002, Headmaster Jürgen Wiehe was in the audience during a performance of And Then They Came For Me: Remembering Anne Frank by our Academy Players and directed by Ron Newman.

After seeing this moving production, Jürgen invited the company and crew to Germany and they performed it in Löningen and at several other schools in the area.

Through the years families have been the backbone of our Exchange. Academy parents have generously opened their doors and lives and welcomed hundreds of young German teenagers to share home and hearth.

Thank you so very much, dear parents. ◆

above (from left)

Steve Zahn and Lynn Barco on the 1983 Exchange trip to Germany; Melissa Clark, John Nusbaum and Anne Via at Heidelberg Castle; Steve Zahn ‘climbs’ the Berlin Wall below Grace Milteer, Steve Zahn and Lynn Barco; Maraya Goyer, Grace Milteer, Gabe Halko; Students at the Siegfried Memorial, Ruedesheim

Katherine Holmes, Foreign Language Department Chair and Upper School German teacher

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from the [ CENTER ]

Updates Chesapeake Bay Fellows With eleven total Chesapeake Bay Fellows (six 10th graders and five 9th graders) learning, doing and leading on campus and in the community, change is afoot.

After a meaningful summer excursion, our newest class of fellows hit the ground running with cool and different fall projects, studying everything from efforts to replenish sea grasses to daily life on Tangier Island.

This group has read and discussed Aldo Leopold’s seminal environmental work, A Sand County Almanac, engaged in community service work with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and worked with Lower School classes to educate future fellows on the issues associated with the Bay. Each week this cohort meets with Mr. Nelson during lunch to discuss a relevant article or two, hear from a guest speaker or collaborate and share about one of their projects. We are excited about the momentum and energy this group has brought to the program.

Following an interesting transition to the Upper School, our second year Chesapeake Bay Fellows have gained serious momentum in the new year. Each fellow is engaged in a year two project. Topics include a composting program for Lower School lunches; growing and testing oyster populations in various local rivers; piloting an elementary school Chesapeake Bay curriculum in the local public schools; and revitalizing and growing our school garden. This cohort has read and discussed an important book on leadership by Alfred Lansing entitled Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage and are each choosing a book for the group to read and discuss.

from the Center for Civic and Global Leadership

Both cohorts enjoyed talks this winter by alumnus Chris McKinnon from Lynnhaven River Now and Robin Dunbar with Elizabeth River Project. We continue to be thankful for our wonderful partnerships with all of these organizations.

The CB Fellows also hosted an evening program (sponsored by Ran Randolph and family—thank you!) for all members of the Center for Civic and Global Leadership with author and environmental lawyer Jay Leutze, who discussed his book Stand Up That Mountain. Mr. Leutze is a tremendous example to all of our students about the power of committing to a moral cause. ◆

International Relations Fellows Our five International Relations Fellows have been working incredibly hard this year to learn about the many issues facing our world.

Following a very positive community service stint with the World Affairs Council, our fellows were asked to prepare and deliver a talk regarding China’s growing role in Africa (weather conspired against us, but the fellows learned a lot in preparation). Roughly twice a week, the IR Fellows meet with Dr. Rezelman to discuss and present articles from the Journal of Foreign Affairs. Article titles have included (among many others): “Revenge of the Kurds,” “Let Women Fight,” “Mexico’s Age of Agreement” and “Afghan Endgame.”

The IR Fellows also hosted an evening program for all members of the Center for Civic and Global Leadership with Julius Johnson, Afghanistan field training coordinator, U.S. State Department—it was an evening to remember! ◆

Global Health Fellows Our six Global Health Fellows have brought an incredible spirit and energy to the task of improving global health. Following a meaningful community service experience with Operation Blessing, International, the fellows worked hard to raise awareness and funds, as well as develop and pilot a hand-washing curriculum, for sanitation efforts afoot within the school systems in Peru. Our fellows were tapped to be leaders in these efforts and they came through with flying colors, rallying the community to help in their efforts. The fellows have also attended a mission debrief at Physicians for Peace. The Global Health Fellows meet at least twice a week with Ms. Massey to lead discussions on case studies that they have all read. Topics have included (among others) Eradicating Smallpox, Preventing HIV in Thailand, Controlling Tuberculosis in China and Controlling Chagas Disease in South America. Individual fellows present these topics to the entire cohort and field questions. After investigating the “Treating Cataracts in India” case, the fellows visited Virginia Eye Consultants to observe cataract surgeries in person. ◆

Fellows in all three programs hosted the first Fellows Symposium in May. During a poster session, each fellow presented his or her investigations and plans for future work.

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STUDIO

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White-Glove Treatment Students get a behind-the-scenes view of the Perrel Art Gallery

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Only in Japan: Woodblock Prints from the George B. Powell ’57 Collection

With his museum curator’s cotton gloves in

hand, 9th grader Will Whitmore stared appraisingly at Ando Hiroshige’s 19th-century woodblock print “Nihon Bridge,” a comic depiction of a fleet-footed dog escaping over a footbridge, a gleaming red carp in his jaws as the fishmonger follows in hot pursuit. “What do you think we’d see if we took the print off the wall and out of the frame?” he asked. Then after a moment’s reflection, he answered his own question. He thought the blues would be brighter.

So off the wall and out of the frame it came, as he and a few of his classmates put on their white gloves and gathered to see if he was right. They passed the mulberry-paper print from hand to hand, tilting it this way and that in the light, just as a teenager would have done in Tokugawa-era Japan before bringing it home from the shop where it had been painstakingly made and displayed. Yes, they agreed, the blues were deeper, and there were very gentle gradations of tone where the sky met the distant horizon. There seemed to be a lot of space behind that bridge.

The first element that catches our eye in a work of art is only the initial step in a rewarding process of patient “slow looking.” A delightful, even surprising, detail might shift the scene from charming to hilarious: As the students looked more closely at the Hiroshige woodcut, attracted by the vibrant blues and bold diagonal lines, they saw the fishmonger’s sandaled heel sharply bearing down on another slippery fish—a misstep that in the blink of an eye would surely land him in a pratfall!

Later, as students milled around the gallery, magnifying glasses in hand, Joe Benedetto stopped in front of Tsukioka Kogyo’s elegant “Pilgrimage to Sumiyoshi” from the series “One Hundred Noh Plays” (1926). Once it was out of the frame, Joe thoughtfully shifted the featherweight print this way and that. The light from intricately embossed and stenciled patterns in silver, copper and gold flickered over the flowing silk garments of the actors depicted in a production from The Tales of Genji. The delicate metalwork added an inviting visual intimacy to the restrained and stately figures.

Now there were broad smiles all around: Together we had discovered unexpected details of texture and surface sheen.

Throughout that autumn day, the Perrel Art Gallery in the Tucker Arts Center was alive with activity as Ms. Elizabeth Johnson’s 9th grade English students scoured the walls of the large exhibit, “Only in Japan: Woodblock Prints from the George B. Powell ’57 Collection.” They were engaged in an exercise of close scrutiny as they searched for prints that would inspire them to write a sonnet. The knowledge was still fresh in their minds of the poetic form in which the volta (or turn) links contrasting states of mind, actions or events expressed in verse. Ms. Johnson and I looked at each other: Here was an opportunity for interdisciplinary thinking. Could the students discover in an artist’s picture those particular details that trigger a similar shift in a viewer’s engagement and insight?

Before they left the gallery, Will, Joe and their freshman classmates made mental notes of their discoveries.

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facing page Ando

Hiroshige II, “Nihon Bridge” (comic scene of dog stealing fish)” from the series “Famous Scenes of Edo”, ca. 1850s above (L–R)

Ms. Johnson’s English students in the gallery exhibit, “Only in Japan,” with Dr. Hennessey; George Powell with Dr. Julie Davis, guest speaker from the University of Pennsylvania

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Though our appearances and behavior may set us apart Our worlds connect in places beyond our reach.

Our Japanese heritage and culture for a start: Another similarity is the emotions of the heart And though the fences of society are difficult to breach, I knew we would meet again as I watched you depart.

Excerpt from a sonnet

by Marlina Mejia ’15.

Her poem was inspired

by Mizuno Toshika’s “Ladies Chatting over the Fence…” (1905).

Their next step would be to visit the Academy’s website and click on the George B. Powell Collection. Ms. Johnson’s sonnet project, now in its third year, takes full advantage of the site. After studying the actual prints in person, her students could see “their” prints online as they worked to perfect the drafts of their sonnets.

The website, www.norfolkacademy.org (click arts/ collections), is an ongoing labor of love on the part of George Powell, his circle of Asian art scholars, and a team at Norfolk Academy that includes webmaster Ed Patterson, Carter Hall ’13 and Perrel Art Gallery curator Leslie Hennessey. It makes available the complete set of illustrations and descriptive texts of the woodblock prints residing at our school since 2006, when George Powell offered some of his extensive collection to Norfolk Academy for the exhibition “Tradition & Transformation: Japanese Woodcut Prints.” The prints illustrate the history, politics, theater, music, art, legends, philosophy and pastimes of a complex society from the 18th through the early 20th centuries during its remarkable shift from isolation to world engagement. With great generosity, on the occasion of his 50th reunion, George Powell then made a gift to his alma mater of the prints to support the teaching and study of the centuries-old interaction of Eastern and Western cultures. It all began with a school pilot project that included 9th grade teachers Mike Horstman (history) and Gertrude Gaba (studio art). The initial set of prints has since expanded to include various Asian artifacts, beautiful and informative books, and other educational materials that support Mr. Powell’s deeply informed and passionate commitment to educate American students about Asia and our own changing world.

Throughout the fall semester, classes came to the gallery to view “Only in Japan.” When Caroline Bisi’s 8th grade drama students entered the exhibit, they

could not wait to circle though the display. They were studying Noh, kabuki and bunraku (puppet) theater, had just seen a film about Japanese performance techniques, and were making elaborate masks of their own that would soon go on display in the Grandy corridor near the refectory. Ms. Bisi set an energetic pace, asking the students to find the prints with Noh theater scenes, to find the kabuki actor portraits and then to explain the meaning of the red and blue stripes on the performers’ faces. Where was the slow-walking Noh actor in “Chikanobu’s Noh Performance at the Aoyama Palace for the Meiji Emperor” (1878)? Then they paired off, instructing each other in the roles of the puppeteers in a bright red print of a bunraku performance. They laughed as they read the text panels describing the illustrated antics of kabuki fan clubs and the publicity-savvy actors they adored. In a time of YouTube and iPhones, who would have expected cheers from the class as we carefully unframed Toyokuni’s 1878 “Shintomi Theater in Edo (Tokyo)” to discover that two sets of curtains at the center of this large triptych actually lift, revealing the musicians and then the actors onstage as the vast audience settles into its seats?

Our art students had their own reasons to visit the exhibit. Erin Valentine’s Upper School studio artists looked closely at the placement of falling leaves and a beautiful witch’s flowing hair in Yoshitoshi’s “Tari No Koremachi Vanquishes the Demon on Mount Togakushi” from the series “New Forms of Thirty-Six Strange Things (1890).” They were about to draw careful and detailed illustrations in pen and marker of favorite books they had read. Just how did Yoshitoshi direct our gaze from the drifting leaves to the monstrous face reflected in a bowl and to the warrior’s fist clenched tightly around the sword tucked away at his side? How did such an apparently pastoral scene shift

The First George B. Powell lecture

It was standing room only in Landmark Hall last January 30 for the inaugural George B. Powell ’57 Family Lecture. Student Fellows with the Center for Civic and the Global Leadership joined Upper and Middle School classes in International Relations, Political Science, World Cultures, Studio Art, Italian Language and Art History, giving their undivided attention to Dr. Julie Nelson Davis, associate professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her talk, “Magnificent Impressions: Japanese Prints from the George Powell Collection in Context,”

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had everyone spellbound.

Captain George Powell, who retired to San Diego after a legal career in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps with assignments in East Asia and Hawaii, was the honored guest in an audience of family members, friends, many Norfolk Academy faculty and staff and Headmaster Dennis Manning. Also attending were former Headmaster John Tucker and his wife, Barbara, and visitors from Old Dominion University and the Chrysler Museum Docent program. Everyone watched and listened with

fascination as Prof. Davis showed beautiful slides of woodblock prints, introducing her audience to the urban culture, political history and painstaking technique of this fascinating art form, with a focus on images from Norfolk Academy’s own Powell Collection. After her lecture, probing questions to Dr. Davis and to Mr. Powell made clear how much the students appreciated the presentation. Outside Landmark, the departing crowd lingered in the Batten Library corridor, talking enthusiastically about the colorful Powell Collection prints on display.

in an instant to impending violent action? There was no doubt: The warrior would behead the girl who is not what she seems to be.

Gertrude Gaba’s Middle School studio classes wanted to better understand the woodblock process.

They knew it was painstaking and takes many steps, because they had made their own three-color linoleum prints for Ms. Gaba, who knows woodblock technique very well. We took the cherry wood key block off the wall and passed it around, amazed at the precision and detail of the raised ridges that are left after the rest of the wood has been carved away. They were designed to hold the black ink outlines and patterns that would give definition in the final print to each of the color areas that would be carved one block at a time, then inked and pressed to make these vibrant images we saw on the gallery walls all around us. “What’s it like to make prints?” we asked the students. “It’s really hard, tedious even!” some of them said. Others insisted just as vigorously that it’s really fun.

As the exhibit entered its final weeks, students with an active interest in world cultures and history came to the gallery ready to engage with the prints and to ask questions about a once-closed Asian society’s responses to the influence of the West. Mike Horstman’s World History freshmen, Upper School members of Dave Rezelman’s International Relations classes, and the International Relations Fellows from the Center for Civic and Global Leadership examined images depicting the traditional society of the Tokugawa shogunate, Commo-

dore Matthew Perry’s Expedition to Japan in 1853, and the Imperial Meiji Restoration’s remarkable policies of reform. Hugely popular woodblock prints, initially concerned with ephemeral middle-class pleasures, were now also used by the government to guide an ancient feudal society to a modern national identity. There in the middle of the gallery, we began asking each other questions. How did these colorful, stylish pictures help people to see their traditional bonds and imagine their common future? Then we took it a step further. In our own era of rapid transition, what are Americans reaffirming from our past, and how do we see our future in a changing world?

For more than three months, “Only in Japan” attracted visitors of all ages. For the girls in the Lower School, passing through the Tucker Arts Center on their way back to class after lunch in the refectory, there were prints of children making origami toys or playing cards, while the boys stared at grimacing warriors or young men in voluminous robes and exotic footgear playing kickball. Time and time again, the young students wanted to know more about Japan and about George Powell and his beautiful collection. Then they would go back to their classrooms to write thank you notes to a man who had once been a student at Norfolk Academy and who cared so much about their school. ◆

Mizuno Toshikata, “Ladies Chatting over the Fence at the Door” from the series “Contemporary Beauties”, 1905

Dr. Leslie Hennessey, Perrel Arts Gallery, Visual Arts Coordinator; Art History, Upper School

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from the [ CLASSROOM ]

The AP Disconnect On January 17, Dartmouth College made headlines by announcing that,

beginning with the Class of 2018, it would no longer offer undergraduate credit for scores earned on College Board Advanced Placement examinations.

Like the (short-lived) elimination of early admission programs at Harvard, Princeton and UVA in 2006 and the removal of an SAT or ACT requirement for admission to Wake Forest in 2008, Dartmouth’s AP policy shift was newsworthy in that it occurred at a “top tier” national university. If both “Dartmouth” and “AP ” are by-words for academic excellence in the United States, how can we explain this apparent disconnect between the two?

Dartmouth’s decision was not an impulsive one, according to Michael Mastanduno, dean of faculty of Arts & Sciences. “Our policy modification,” he explained on Dartmouth’s website in the wake of the decision, “is the outcome of many years of faculty discussion and dialogue regarding the nature and scope of coursework at Dartmouth.” Reportedly, this “discussion and dialogue” included consideration of an experiment conducted by the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, which administered a condensed Psych 1 final exam to incoming students who had earned a 5 (the highest possible score) on the AP Psychology exam and found that “90 percent failed the Dartmouth test.” Furthermore, according to the New York Times, Dartmouth “couldn’t detect any difference whatsoever” in success in Psych 1 between students who had scored a 5 on the AP and students who had never taken AP Psychology in high school.

This criticism—that AP coursework and exam performance are not sufficiently correlated with undergraduate coursework at selective colleges and universities—has been growing louder in recent years. In a column in The Chronicle of Higher Education that appeared just three days before the news from Dartmouth broke, Rob Jenkins asked, “Can we please dispense with the fiction that Advanced Placement courses in any way resemble college courses?” A few months before that, John Tierney, a former independent school teacher and

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Boston College professor, wrote an article for The Atlantic titled, pugnaciously, “AP Classes Are a Scam.” During an appearance on NPR ’s Talk of the Nation shortly thereafter, Tierney described AP programs as “sacred cows” that are “venerated and not frequently enough subject to scrutiny,” despite numerous independent studies conducted in the past two decades that question “this assertion of comparability” to introductory college courses.

Any balanced consideration of the AP program, however, must also include a discussion of college affordability. The cost of a bachelor’s degree has increased more than tenfold since 1980. If tuition increases had simply kept pace with inflation over the same period, the average cost of two semesters at a four-year public college or university would only be $6,900 in today’s dollars. In reality, of course, that figure now approaches $20,000—and far more students take five or six years to graduate than did their counterparts in previous generations. Kate Lyon, a 2005 Dartmouth graduate, told the Associated Press that Dartmouth’s decision “seems to show very little regard for the fact that students struggle to pay for college” and said that her own family saved about $15,000 thanks to AP credits.

Dean Mastanduno argues that the new policy “does not alter [Dartmouth’s] strong commitment to affordability” and notes that “Dartmouth’s need-blind financial aid program currently meets 100 percent of demonstrated need.” He allows, however, that Dartmouth students “interested in accelerating their time to degree completion” will comprise only “a small number” of students who will only be able to graduate “one term early.”

Whether Dartmouth’s decision will prove a bellwether or an anomaly among American colleges and universities remains to be seen. Closer to home, it bears noting that at UVA , a score of 4 on any one of 22 AP exams will still earn an incoming freshman—for-

give me, an incoming First Year!—an average of 4.5 credits toward graduation, and many other schools to which Norfolk Academy students traditionally matriculate are similarly “AP friendly.” Acknowledging the availability of such credit-bearing opportunities to our graduates, our Upper School faculty have become much more intentional in recent years in promoting AP exams among students likely to earn high scores.

Every January, teachers receive the results of a multipleregression analysis that predicts AP performance for current students by comparing their first-semester grades and best PSAT or SAT scores to the grades and test scores earned by Norfolk Academy AP examinees in prior years. The predictions are hardly perfect (they are precise in 30–40% of cases and accurate within one point in 90–95% of cases), but they serve as a starting point for individual conversations between students and teachers about AP exam readiness.

By giving these score predictions and follow-on deliberations more emphasis in recent years, we have generated stepped-up AP subscription rates, from 94 students writing 185 exams in 2010, to 124 students writing 255 exams in 2011, to 150 students writing 276 exams in 2012, to 170 students writing 311 exams in 2013. Moreover, this expansion in AP participation has not corresponded with a decrease in scores; on the contrary, Norfolk Academy continues to outperform all other schools in Hampton Roads, with 89% of exams in 2012 earning scores of 3 or higher. Three of our teachers also serve as AP exam readers for the College Board: David Kidd (English Literature), Natasha Naujoks (European History) and Warren Warsaw (French Language and Culture).

At the same time that Norfolk Academy has become more AP exam friendly, we have remained decidedly AP curriculum neutral. In 2007, the College Board instituted the AP Audit, requiring schools that offer AP -designated courses to submit syllabi for approved use of that trademark. As we note on the School Profile that accompanies every senior’s college applications, “Norfolk Academy does not participate in the Advanced Placement Audit, and we designate none of our courses

If both “Dartmouth” and “AP” are by-words for academic excellence in the United States, how can we explain this apparent disconnect between the two?

as AP . All departments offer courses that extend well beyond the normal secondary school level in terms of rigor and depth.” It is this latter commitment to a strong curriculum that aligns us with the spirit, if not the letter, of the AP program. While we are not willing to have the College Board dictate to us what constitutes, say, an Advanced Physics course or a United States History course, we are nevertheless very interested, as are they, in preparing students for college-level concepts and work expectations.

In 2010, Harvard Education Press published AP : A Critical Examination of the Advanced Placement Program, a collection of studies that in many ways challenges conventional notions about AP . (The belief that AP credits often yield substantial reductions in tuition costs, for example, is found to have little support in fact.) Yet despite the critical point of view that distinguishes his work, co-editor Philip Sadler of Harvard observes the following: “Advanced Placement courses offer you an opportunity to study a subject in a very rigorous and demanding fashion. You will probably be in a class that has fewer students, those students will likely have stronger backgrounds, and there will be fewer student discipline issues than you have experienced in other courses. Your teacher will have a strong subject matter background and excellent teaching skills.”

In many ways, Sadler is describing our core aspirations for the day-to-day academic experience of all students at Norfolk Academy: children serious about learning being guided by a faculty serious about teaching. It’s just that we don’t call what we do “Advanced Placement.” We call it, simply, “school.” ◆ Jay Rainey, Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs

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from the [ CLASSROOM ]

Fifth Grade Science:

First Grade Math:

Learning by Doing

Variety + Challenge = Fun

The Fifth Grade has revamped the science curriculum to entail a more hands-on, inquiry-based method of teaching. Meeting once a week, each class spends half of a school day in the science room articulating a question, designing experiments to answer that question, and then sharing their results in a science forum. The year begins with physical science, which the students find accessible in terms of both visualization and manipulation. Experiments include analyses of vehicles on ramps, friction experiments and the “Egg-cellent Egg-drop,” and culminate in a four-week-long investigation of each student’s favorite childhood toy. Students learn to evaluate the relationship between detergent strength and soap bubble size, Slinky length and stairdescending prowess, and yo-yo weight and winding speed. The most memorable experiments this year tested the perfect Beyblade design as well as numerous paper airplane and Nerf gun constructions.

After holiday break, we begin our exploration of chemistry. Each student has the opportunity to design and create his or her own density columns, as well as puzzle through the concept of how metal boats can float. The chemistry unit ends with a phenomenal visit from a Jefferson Lab scientist, featuring eye-popping dry ice and states-of-matter demonstrations.

In the spring, we investigate the water cycle as well as microscopic biology. We model the water cycle through a science mystery project set in the town of Fruitvale. Students learn about concentration, ground water movement and hydrology en route to discovering who polluted the water supply of Fruitvale. The year then concludes with investigations of cells, including close looks at pond water, onions cells and cheek cells.

We are so excited to offer these exploration opportunities to our older Lower School students as they begin to anticipate their transition to the Middle School. These efforts combine the “exposure” approach of earlier grades with the emphasis on inquiry and data analysis in a variety of fields—physical, chemical, geological and biological—that will characterize these boys’ and girls’ experiences with science in years to come. Even in this inaugural year, the new curriculum is already a great success. Go science!

As a student walks through the hallways of Norfolk Academy, he sees numbers everywhere. He might take a moment to enjoy a bulletin board, peer up at the time, check out a book by looking up the call number, or peek through a resource classroom window on his way to class each morning. The excitement in a first grader’s eyes and heart is hard to miss when it is his turn to be Boy of the Day—or her turn to be Girl of the Day! As they fix the calendar, add a penny to the class bank, work on their place values by bundling Popsicle sticks to count the number of school days, share about the day being odd or even, record the temperature, and compare the weather on our classroom graph, students are exploring their knowledge of math every day.

Our Lower School math curriculum at Norfolk Academy spirals through many core topics, including simple addition and subtraction, patterns, counting and exchanging money, telling time, measurement, simple fractions and geometric shapes. Because we draw students from several dozen kindergartens throughout Hampton Roads, we teach math through varied approaches to fit the individual needs and background of each learner. Each day our students use tactile manipulatives, enrichment games and basic fact practice to help them grow into math masters and grasp concepts at the highest level they can reach. The children are exposed to classroom SmartBoards and iPads during each day’s math lesson; they love to explore using these great tools. Our first graders have even had the pleasure of dancing with Mr. Elbert Watson in the Johnson Theatre ballet studio to further explore measurement, patterns and clocks! Each day finds a large portion of time dedicated to math instruction at Norfolk Academy, and it is a thrill to watch each child grow and learn through our efforts at constant exposure to math in our world.

Charlie Knape, Lower School Teaching Associate

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Jacquie Evelyn, First Grade teacher

There is no extra in these curricular programs, but a belief Learning to Serve The Middle School is a unique place. Teeming with energy, it is a hive for development. It is brimming with students who are forming and transforming ideas about who they are, and it is tethered by teachers and coaches who create experiences to shape who they might become.

To the casual observer, the procession of Middle School students arriving onto campus in the morning can appear slightly awkward. Students tend to pour out of buses and carpools with friends and siblings, slide into book bags straps, hoist athletic gear, and steady themselves to manage musical instrument cases or group projects. There are rarely free hands. But after a few steps, they balance themselves and find a purposeful stride alongside friends as they head toward the building. Interestingly, through this ritual, students impart a sense of community and familiarity to our mornings, a shared experience through which we connect as the Middle School begins its day.

On Wednesday afternoons, I have a unique vantage point to watch these same students find their way from lunch and through the archway to a different arrangement of buses and carpool vehicles as they make their way off campus to our community service partners.

Though they are free of book bags and athletic gear, it is easy to detect morning-like levels of energy and companionship. What resonates with me as they leave for community service on these afternoons is how cheerful, engaged and selfless our students are. They find a purposeful stride, alongside friends, not only as they are heading into the comfort of our campus, but also, and more important, as they move away from it and into a much larger and more complex community that is in many ways far less familiar. Our students’ understanding of the importance of and commitment to service is revealed in the enthusiasm with which they approach this responsibility. Put simply, leaders serve.

The Royster community service program is distinctive in that it affords every student the opportunity to serve away from the school campus after lunch each Wednesday afternoon throughout the grade level season. Our students serve 15 local agencies and the Norfolk Academy Lower School in myriad ways, from tutoring kindergarten and elementary school students in math and reading to playing games with seniors in an assisted living facility. By the end of the 9th grade year, each Middle School student will have made nearly 25 service visits to our agency partners. By committing to a

that they are the unique and authentic opportunities that develop strong minds and bodies and cultivate habits that move students toward lives of purpose. formal service program in each grade in the Middle School, we strive to live by our belief that the habit of service is more fully developed over time. Beginning in 2011, and in connection with Norfolk Academy’s Center for Civic and Global Leadership and the three 9th grade Fellows programs, the community service program has partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Operation Blessing, and the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads to offer unique service opportunities to Middle School Fellows. We are privileged to serve with each of our partners and pursue opportunities and collaborations that will provide a broad range of meaningful service experiences for our students.

The Middle School community service program began in 1988, and as it moves toward its 25th year, we recommit ourselves to the tenets of the program, the powerful experiences it provides our students, and the community agencies and lives it touches. Patty Masterson, former Norfolk Academy English teacher, wrote eloquently about our system of honor. Her words, in fact, describe each of the mission-driven Middle School student programs that provide scaffolding to navigate these formative years: arts, athletics and service. They are “not an addition to, but an element of, Norfolk Academy’s commitment to excellence.” There is no “extra” in these curricular programs, but a belief that they are the unique and authentic opportunities that develop strong minds and bodies and cultivate habits that move students toward lives of purpose.

In his October 2012 Harvard Business Review blog post “How to Let Purpose Find You,” Umair Haque writes poignantly: “Finding your purpose is not a phase of life—but a way of living.” The lives of our students are made more meaningful and given greater purpose by serving others. Community service, then, is not a stage of our experience in the Middle School, but one of the foundations on which the Middle School experience is fashioned and one that we hope, in no small part, shapes who our students will become. ◆

Royster Community Service Locations 2012–2013 •

Operation Smile, Norfolk (12 students)

•

Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Norfolk (5 CBF Fellows)

•

Operation Blessing, Virginia Beach (6 Global Health Fellows)

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World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach (5 International Relations Fellows)

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ODU Child Study Center, Norfolk (4 students)

•

St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children, Norfolk (6 students)

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Consulate Health Care, Norfolk (8 students)

•

Norfolk Academy Lower School, Norfolk (6 students)

Norfolk Public Schools

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Little Creek Elementary (17 students)

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Chesterfield Academy (10 students)

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Mary Calcott Elementary (12 students)

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Monroe Elementary (12 students)

•

Ocean View Elementary (12 students)

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Sewell’s Point Elementary (4 students)

Virginia Beach Public Schools

•

Shelton Park Elementary (10 students)

• Brian Jarvis, Director of Student Programs, Middle School

Norfolk Academy magazine

Diamond Springs Elementary (15 students)

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from the [ CLASSROOM ]

Summer Reading

Batten Librarians Elizabeth Bain and Lynn Paul share a few “picks” from the Best Books of 2012.

Nonfiction

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo Annawadi is a makeshift settlement of the very poor in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport.

As India starts to prosper, Annawadians are electric with hope. Then the unthinkable occurs. As their individual hopes intersect with the greatest global truths, this true story reveals the contours of a competitive age.

Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic, by David Quammen Examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called “spillover”— where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans—and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic.

Fiction

Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple Bernadette Fox disappears. To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents and secret correspondence. With the story of Bernadette and her daughter, the author has created a very funny, yet touching, satire about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter’s role in an absurd world.

The Inner Circle, by Brad Meltzer Beecher White, a young archivist working at the National Archives, and Clementine Kaye, Beecher’s first childhood crush, find themselves suddenly entangled in a web of deception, conspiracy and murder centered on a dictionary that belonged to George Washington.

Running the Rift: A Novel, by Naomi Benaron This is a stunning and gorgeous novel that—through the story of one unforgettable boy and his love of running— explores the unraveling of Rwanda, its tentative new beginning, and the love that binds its people together.

Age of Miracles: A Novel, by Karen Thompson Walker Something has happened to the rotation of the earth, and life will never be the same. Spellbinding and haunting, this is a beautiful novel of catastrophe and survival, growth and change; the story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in an extraordinary time. ◆

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in the [ GAME ]

So You Want to be a College Athlete?

Seeking an athletic scholarship is a worthy goal, but receiving one is the exception and not the rule.

Norfolk Academy is blessed with a tradition of excellence both in the classroom and on

the field, and while all of our graduates continue their academic careers in college, many have continued their athletic careers at the collegiate level as well. For some, the ability to play at the collegiate level has opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed.

For others that ability has allowed them to continue playing the sport they love while competing at the highest possible level. With careful attention to the recruiting process, those student-athletes who have wanted to play in college have been able to do so.

In the last decade, however, the athletic recruiting process (in conjunction with a more selective admissions process) has changed dramatically, becoming both more competitive and more complicated. Given the new challenges facing Norfolk Academy’s studentathletes who want to play in college, it is not unreasonable to ask, “In 2013, what does it take to be a college

athlete and how does someone go about becoming one?”

The answer starts with a brutally honest assessment of GAM e (a variant of GAME , posited by athleticscholarships.net in their Guide to College Recruiting)—Grades, Ability, Motivation and exposure—four components without which the recruiting process will be unfulfilling as well as unsuccessful.

Grades: College coaches are searching for recruits who fit their institution’s academic profile. The NCAA imposes some baseline standards, some conferences impose others, but individual colleges and universities

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above: Dani Johnson ’11

was a three-season athlete while at Norfolk Academy, and now plays D1 women’s soccer at Davidson.

Right: Eric Gorsline ’10

is a two-sport athlete for Hampden-Sydney College, where he plays D3 lacrosse and football.

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set their own academic benchmarks for qualified student-athletes. Coaches use grade point average, standardized test scores and curriculum rigor to determine if a student-athlete is qualified and that the fit is right: The higher your level of academic achievement in high school, the broader your range of available collegiate options. Keep hitting the books.

Ability: Regardless of the sport, college coaches are looking for outstanding athletes with exceptional sport-specific skills who have demonstrated competitiveness in their chosen sport as well as in other sports. They will evaluate potential recruits on things measurable: height, weight, 40-yard dash time, vertical jump or a maximum lift in the weight room; as well as on things subjective: skill level, field sense and understanding of the game. College coaches will spend hours evaluating potential recruits live at clinics and camps or on film to determine if they have the skills and athleticism needed to contribute to a college team.

Coaches expect a truly top prospect to have athleticism and sport-specific skills superior to their peers. Division 1 prospects should be able to dominate their competition at the state level. Division 3 prospects should be able to dominate their competition at the conference level. Hone your skills and work on becoming a better athlete.

Motivation: Talent alone is insufficient. During the recruiting process, college coaches will do their due diligence to find out if you possess the motivation to find success at the next level. They want to see evidence of toughness, persistence, competitiveness and intensity in all their recruits, and they want to see a demonstrated work ethic and commitment to their sport. They

want young men and women with strong character and the desire to lead. Successful college athletes are motivated to be the very best that they can be. Be one of those young men or women.

Exposure: Without grades, ability and motivation, exposure is worthless. With them, it is essential.

You must be proactive in your college search and you must be a self-promoter. You cannot afford to sit on your hands and wait for college coaches to come and find you. It is your responsibility to communicate with college coaches through letters and emails, fill out online questionnaires, and attend camps and clinics to be assured that recruiters know everything about you.

Even if college coaches have seen you live in action, it is in your best interest to create and distribute a highlight

In the last decade athletic recruiting has changed dramatically, becoming both more competitive and more complicated. Given the new challenges it is reasonable to ask, “In 2013, what does it take to be a college athlete?”

film that shows the very best of your skills. Start by casting a “wide net” and get your information out to as many schools as possible.

High school athletes, even those with GAM e, should be aware of the reality of athletic scholarships— they are hard to get. Only Division 1 and Division 2 institutions are allowed to award scholarships, and the NCAA sets sport-specific limits on the number of scholarships which can be offered. With the exception of football, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, most of those scholarships are only partial— the average grant-in-aid being about $10,000 per year.

Some Division 1 schools (including the Ivy League) and all Division 3 schools do not award athletic scholarships, but do provide sufficient financial aid based

on a family’s demonstrated need. Seeking an athletic scholarship is a worthy endeavor, but receiving one is the exception and not the rule.

Intercollegiate athletics can make your college experience. You will be tested, you will make lifelong friends and you will contribute to your school in ways that few others can. If you want to be an intercollegiate athlete, you must work to make it happen. But for now, cherish your journey at Norfolk Academy. Own a relentless work ethic in the classroom and on the field and help to make Norfolk Academy the best that it can be.

Go Bulldogs! ◆ Varsity Lacrosse Coach Tom Duquette and Varsity Football Coach Steve Monninger

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THE

savage

CHRONICLES

The Best Teacher I Ever Had As the school year comes to a close, I find myself thinking about a school year many decades ago. More specifically, I find myself thinking about the best teacher I ever had, Charles J. Cumiskey, Jr. At Norfolk Academy and elsewhere , I have learned from many superb teachers. In my teaching style, I pick and choose from the techniques employed by a range of men and women over my years. Bob “Boomer” Scott, who taught Contracts at the University of Virginia Law School and subsequently became Law School Dean, was the best I ever saw at listening intently to a student answer while formulating his next question in response. Every time I launch into a Socratic exchange in my Senior Politics class, I remember the Boomer and try to do what he did. From Sheldon Hackney, then provost of Princeton University as well as teacher of a course in Southern History, I learned that lessons can be conveyed more powerfully by not using words. Sometimes, a song or an image—or even a taste—gets to an intellectual point more perfectly.

And from Mr. MacConochie, I learned that the love of words is never unmanly. It is in fact okay for a guy to like Emily Dickinson.

But Mr. Cumiskey was the best. In 1965 he was head of the Lower School, the baseball coach, and the math teacher for the 6th and 7th grades. With only one section per grade level in those days, there was no need for designations such as “6A,” much less “4GB.” Mr. Cumiskey had been a catcher in college, and a very good one. He still could peg a ball from home to second base on a line and on the bag. (I’ll return to this in a moment.) He was diminutive, and like a good catcher, solidly built. And also like a good catcher, his voice commanded attention from those around him.

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Mr. Cumiskey loved teaching, and I believe he loved all of his students. He would nickname each of us, not right away, but as the year progressed. As much because I was a year young for my grade as for my fivefoot-tall-mother’s genes, I was noticeably shorter than my classmates. Mr. Cumiskey set upon “Toe-High” as my moniker. I wasn’t even “knee-high to a grasshopper,” he said, I was “toe-high to a tadpole.” I loved the play on my unusual first name, and smiled every time he used it. In the nicknaming and in countless other ways, he communicated his joy at working with young people with crystal clarity. He was boundlessly enthusiastic, clear and demanding. His math class was seldom easy, but it was never dull.

He and his wife even sponsored what we called “cotillion.” Upon the merger with Country Day School in 1966, he saw an opportunity to break the ice between 8th grade girls and boys. So on Saturday evenings we met in the dance room with a simple stereo. For the first hour, he and Eileen (that’s Mrs. Cumiskey to you, young man) taught us ballroom dancing. For the second hour it was “our” dancing to “Let’s Twist Again” or “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.” All the boys became nervous when he put on a slow song like “Willow Weep for Me” or, worse yet, “Unchained Melody.” You know it’s love when a grown man gives up Saturday nights to teach 13-year-olds to two-step and then watch them fumble and lurch trying to do the Watusi.

Mr. Cumiskey was not afraid to be physical. Don’t get me wrong—I am dead set against any form of

Toy Savage with Mr. and Mrs. Cumisky at Homecoming 2012.

corporal punishment, and don’t buy the argument that it builds a bond of trust between student and teacher.

But in his case, it was so clear from the start how much he cared about you and how much he wanted you to succeed, that he could do stuff we might frown on today. For instance, just suppose you turned your head to speak to the boy in the seat behind you; within an instant an eraser would ping off the back of your skull, throwing a halo of chalk dust and leaving you marked for the rest of class. It didn’t hurt except for the embarrassment, and with that catcher’s arm he never missed.

Of course, he only had to throw erasers once or maybe twice in early September to stop the practice of turning around in your seat until at least Christmas.

He also knew when to quit kidding and get tough.

Faculty have all read “NurtureShock,” the latest science on over-managing kids as they grow up. It has as one of its premises that kids lie to parents and teachers because they so deeply value their relationships, and fear that admitting some error or omission might jeopardize that relationship. With Mr. Cumiskey it cut the other way. We all adored him so much that few of us wanted even to put ourselves in the position to lie.

When he asked you a direct question you gave him a direct answer, simply because it was Mr. Cumiskey. You couldn’t lie to him.

Finally, he was very, very good at getting angry. I committed some transgression in his 6th grade math class, and he sent me to his office to wait for him until

class was over. I’d like to say that the anticipation of his reprimand was worse than the actual thing, but no, they were both pretty bad. So on top of not being able to fib, there was a positive element of danger in his class that helped keep us in line. I’m not sure I ever transgressed again when he was about.

It’s probably overkill to say that Charlie Cumiskey was the perfect teacher, but he comes as close as anyone I’ve ever seen. He lives in Georgia now, paterfamilias to a very large collection of children and grandchildren. He comes to Norfolk from time to time for important school occasions. When last I saw him at last year’s Homecoming, he was doing great. There is a part of me that laments not getting to know him better now that I am all grown up, but another, larger part prefers to enjoy the memory of how much I learned from him as a child.

Some time ago, in making remarks to a group of alumni when he was present, I called him “the best teacher I ever had.” I watched the tears come to his eyes. There it is. Forty years later, praise from a former student about his qualities as a teacher can make him emotional. That’s why we love you, Mr. Cumiskey. You always cared. You still do. ◆ Toy Savage ’71 This piece first appeared on Toy Savage’s blog,The Savage Chronicles.To see the latest posts, visit thesavagechronicles.org.

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[ CHA P EL ]

To have been sculpted by our models and heroes from the past and to be polished by innocent and brilliant new eyes is a gift received by all who teach.

The Gift of Teaching Teachers are supposed to know some-

thing. The finest ones among us are seen as purveyors of wisdom, or at least knowledge.

But I’ve often wondered, if you add it all up, if students have any idea how much we learn from them.

Sometimes we are presented with beautiful examples of exactly what not to do. This is when it is incumbent upon us to enter our corrective mode. This is when, through whatever means seem right at the time, our extraordinary faculty puts its hands on a child and turns him in a different direction.

Sometimes this course correction can involve simply data, or stuff. No, that answer is incorrect; here is the correct one. At other times, these corrections may be of a more personal and substantive nature: “Let’s think about it,” “Let’s talk about it,” or even, the typically unanswerable Middle School question, “What were you thinking?” Assuredly our institution has put extraordinary models in front of our

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students—men and women who embody the highest intellectual, physical and spiritual qualities. Simply by being who they are, they provide examples which we hope our children will emulate.

On the other hand, when it comes to learning, I have frequently thought that we profit as least as much from our relationships with students as they might. After a significant time in this enterprise I find myself constantly surprised and left with a sense of awe concerning our students. To talk to young people is to see the world through constantly new and energetic eyes. To watch our young people engage with ideas and the world around them can’t help but educate a teacher.

To discuss with a young man, the captain of his team, whether or not he should miss a game in order to attend a religious retreat, cannot help but touch the teacher. To witness a young man understand and struggle with his responsibilities to his teammates, and at

the same time exercise complete seriousness of purpose in his spiritual growth, is a profound gift, and one that cannot help but affect a person. To watch a young woman appreciate the glories of technology and express her concerns for its dangers, in a painting that evinces innocence and wisdom, must affect the teacher profoundly.

To have been sculpted by our models and heroes from the past and to be polished by innocent and brilliant new eyes is a gift received by all who teach. To see the world through young eyes cannot help but make us better people. As we call upon our students to be the best that they can be, the interaction calls upon us to do the same. Certainly, teachers are people who are supposed to know something. Equally as certainly, teachers are people who learn from their students every day. ◆ Gary Laws, Director of the Middle School

Innocence To be a child for a day would be the

greatest gift: Everything is new and interesting. Children wonder, they are curious about the world, they see things in the best light because society hasn’t yet corrupted their opinions. Children are more creative; their field of imagination has not been narrowed by the ideal thoughts of other people. The littlest things make them happy. For instance, a family orders a new television. While the adults are excited about what is in the box, the children just want the box. The box could turn into anything for them; it could be a house, a castle or a fort. Hours of time could be spent building and playing in their new fort, and their ideas just expand from that one box. While the children are playing with the box and enjoying themselves, the adults are just sitting there watching television.

Adults lose their innocence when society corrupts them into doing other things.

Technology is partly responsible for this corruption. Although it offers many learning opportunities; it also has its contradictions. Technology makes it harder to grow up because it causes a child to have to worry about so many more things than children did 50 years ago, when there was only simple technology. Being a kid myself, I wish there were not so much technology. It creates an addiction. Addictions cause an unhealthy obsession over something that detracts from the time you could otherwise spend on more sentimental things. Kids could otherwise go outside and play, or work on a passion like art, or music or sports. Technology usually wins and most of the time, stresses everyone out. In my painting, instead of Googling something, or Facebooking someone, I decided to do something I love to do instead. By just doing this project it represents a component of the solution to the addiction of technology.

I painted a picture for a few hours.

Instead of wasting time on the computer,

I actually made something. Society shaped technology to fit itself, but the opposite has happened; technology has begun to shape our society. Gandhi felt that factories could turn people into human machines. He was absolutely right in saying this. We overuse technology and therefore misuse it. While the people making the technology become machines, the people using it become no better.

Handmade sentimental items are much more important, and I think that is what Gandhi was trying to conclude.

Technology causes children to lose their innocence because they could just look something up on the Internet instead of getting the full effect. They will never attain the experience of discovering for themselves; they miss out on the journey if they skip ahead to the destination. But as they say, “It’s about the journey, not the destination,” and by just skipping over the journey, it denotes that the destination is more important than the journey. If children lose the journey, how will they discover themselves?

By going out and learning through hands-on experiences is how people become

who they are. They learn more from the journey than the destination. To miss out on the journey is to miss out on a learning experience. Technology takes away part of that growing up, that necessary key component.

In my painting, the apple represents temptation (like in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve); the baby looking at it with amazement signifies our addiction to the temptation of technology. Our addiction is the apple; we put those things we are tempted with before the things that are more important, that actually make you genuinely happy. In her left eye, very discreetly, there are children playing.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and while the baby may be tempted by an outside factor, what she really wants to do is play. We are blinded by temptation to technology and therefore miss out on innocence. Innocence is a gift, and it should not be wasted. ◆ Katie Bonner ’16 composed this essay as part of a timed exam and created the painting below for Mr. Laws’ history class.

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paw PRI N T S

History Lessons

I never was too interested in history. That is, until the ninth grade when I took Mr. Horstman’s World Cultures class.

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These three teachers didn’t just teach me history; they taught me how to enjoy history. In 20 years, I I immediately was enthralled by his attention-

may not remember who Louis XIV

grabbing stories. Every day I found myself eager to attend his next class. Whenever I fell behind or struggled with the material, Mr. Horstman was more than happy to meet with me during a free bell to explain. Soon, I was in his office multiple times a week just to talk. He recommended books, and we discussed them. His kindness and willingness to help struck me, and I was sad to move on when the year ended.

As sophomore year rolled around, so did Modern European History. I was skeptical that I would ever have another teacher like Mr. Horstman, who could make me want to learn history so much. I was wrong. Mr. Oberdorfer’s quirky sense of humor made MEH interesting. The year started off exactly where we had stopped in Mr. Horstman’s class. Coming from Mr. Horstman’s class, I felt completely prepared for European History.

And Mr. Oberdorfer’s jokes and antics encouraged me to learn the material. When I struggled, Mr. Oberdorfer would discuss the information and gladly helped me. As we learned about Napoleon Bonaparte, Mr. Oberdorfer explained his appreciation for the French ruler.

And then when I reached my junior year, I was met by another view of Napoleon by Mr. Oberdorfer’s office mate and top rival on the Napoleonic issue. Dr. Rezelman’s ironic and witty jokes made U.S. history entertaining. Dazzling laser light shows and the daily dice roll encouraged me to do my homework and study, and my grades reflected my interest in the class. After every test he was happy to explain my grade and help me to master any information that I could not grasp. Dr. Rezelman taught me how to sensibly argue with others using my now vast knowledge of American history. I enjoy arguing over scholarly topics with him to this day. He explained why he viewed Napoleon in a negative light, and I learned of his ongoing friendly feud with Mr. Oberdorfer. Dr. Rezelman proudly sipped out of his “I Love

or Samuel Gompers were, but I will never forget how these teachers changed how I view history.

Napoleon” coffee mug, a gift from the European History teacher. I joined in on these academic arguments and many others on Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferso and many other important historical figures. By learning how to argue, I was encouraged to actually learn the material so that I could conduct worthwhile conversations with others.

These three teachers didn’t just teach me history; they taught me how to enjoy history. In 20 years, I may not remember who Louis XIV or Samuel Gompers were, but I will never forget how these teachers changed how I view history. I no longer see history as another senseless chore of a class. I now see it as an engaging review of our past. I can now participate in and even win debates about history. Using my now vast knowledge of world cultures, European history, and U.S. history, I feel confident enough to competently converse with others.

After all, as Mr. Horstman taught us, George Santayana explained that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Not only do I now respect and admire history, but I am now considering majoring in some sort of history in college. If not for these three teachers, I would not be the young man I am today. I learned work ethic, patience and more about history than onc can imagine. They have changed my life for the better, and I know that my life would be very different if I had had different teachers. I look forward to winning some more arguments once I return from college. ◆ Matthew Leon ’13

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paw PRI N T S

Getting to Know Our Teachers For this issue of Paw Prints, we decided to interview a few of our teachers to find out more about who they are and what keeps them going.

What age student is your favorite to work with? What is it like to see your students as they grow up at Norfolk Academy?

Also, it’s nice because the pressure of college isn’t a factor yet, so they are less stressed. It’s great that we are all together throughout their whole experience, potentially from 1st grade to 12th grade. Because of this, I think of NA as an extension of my family!

can do anything they put their minds to doing—that there are really no limitations today for girls. It’s so rewarding to find that even as young as 9 and 10 years old, my girls get that concept, and hopefully they remember that.

What is the most memorable or rewarding moment of your teaching career?

Ms. Simone Ms. Smack Ms. Simone: When Mr. Tucker called

years ago to tell me that my teaching assignment was 4th grade girls, I was so thrilled because it really is my favorite year. This is my 17th year in 4GB, and it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. People ask, “Don’t you get tired of the same thing?” The answer is no, because it’s not at all the same thing—every year is different because every class is different. It’s been so much fun to watch the girls grow and develop into young women. It’s cool to see them become more confident and get involved in all the opportunities here at NA. Mr. Hall: I have only taught 6th grade, but I’ve coached others. So I would probably say that 6th grade is my favorite.

Through coaching, I get to see them again.

That’s why I like teaching a younger grade. I get to watch them grow up.

Ms. Glassman: I love teaching middle schoolers because they are still willing to take risks in the classroom and they change so much throughout the three years.

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Mr. Blythe Mr. Blythe: When you’ve worked with someone for a long time on something and it finally clicks and the student just gets it—that’s awesome.

Ms. Johnson: Just watching you guys being successful in things, whether that’s in English class where you improve because I did something that helped you or watching you play sports or seeing you in the musical or dance. There’s just something really cool about knowing you and then getting to watch you succeed or perform. That makes me proud of you every time I see you.

Ms. Simone: “Girl power” is our mantra, and Rosie the Riveter is our mascot, and I think it’s important for a teacher like me to impart to her students the notion that they

Ms. Smack: I love just simple sounds like “Ohhhhh!” That’s my favorite sound, because you can tell when all of a sudden that light bulb goes on.

What are some of the most difficult parts of your job?

Ms. Johnson: When you guys don’t do well on a test, I’m sad. Or when I see that things are difficult for you, it makes me want to help you. In some ways, it’s hard because I have to be the adult.

Ms. Smack: Some of the hardest moments are when I realize that the year is over, and my relationship with the kids will change. Then I think, “Ooh gosh, we didn’t get to do this, this or this…” And I realize that we just won’t ever have this group assembled again as we do now. So I think saying goodbyes are often very hard.

Mr. Blythe: The biggest challenge for me is trying to find a balance in life. We

work in so many areas that it is sometimes difficult to be efficient at everything I do. One concept that helps me focus is to keep people important, no matter what I do.

community and gives kids different role models that aren’t just academic: athletic, arts, etc. There aren’t really any drawbacks; the benefits outweigh them.”

What are some of the things that you have learned from your students over the years?

Mr. Kastrounis: There are a lot of adults that don’t think students can handle certain conversations—topics that they don’t have very strong opinions about or that they don’t know how to think about yet. After being in the classroom with Norfolk Academy Mr. Hall Mr. Hall: That’s hard. I want to give personal attention to every kid individually.

They all learn differently and I can’t always do what’s best for every single person because they are all so different. Time is a challenge.

What are the benefits and challenges of working with students both in and outside of the classroom?

Ms. Glassman: I love working with students both in and outside of the classroom because I get to see all the different sides of them, and they get to see the different sides of me. It helps us appreciate each other more.

Also, it gives me a chance to meet every student in some way. Nothing about what we do and who we are is isolated.

Mr. Kastrounis: The biggest benefits are the face-time with students, always being around them, and being able to act as a source of encouragement for them.

The biggest challenges are developing leaders and teaching toughness. On the field toughness is the challenge. Developing a competitive edge is something that is hard to teach, but it is something that a coach wants for all his or her athletes.

Mr. Hall: There are many benefits. I get to see all sides of the students and how they excel in other arenas. I get to know them in different ways. I think it builds school

Mr. Kastrounis

6th graders, seeing the way that they think and learn, I know that some are very capable of having very grown-up conversations. Sixth graders still have a lot of things to figure out, but they get it. They’re smart, and they know more than they think they know—not just about the content, but about life. They continue to surprise me.

Ms. Johnson: You put yourself out there in ways that adults don’t. You’re not afraid to try things that might not work; you take a lot of risks. As we get older, we tend not to try things as much because there’s this scary notion that we won’t be good at it or that somebody else has been doing it for a long time, and students aren’t intimidated by that. You get excited about everything.

Just being around you has taught me that the more excited I can get about something, the better my life will be. Being a teacher is a ridiculous amount of fun! I get to work with

Ms. Johnson

a subject I like and then just hang out all day with people who are energetic and happy to be where they are.

Ms. Simone: I certainly have learned patience. I’ve learned to appreciate all their differences and just how important it is to be a good role model for my students and to encourage them.

Mr. Hall: A lot. Sixth graders are always positive, they keep laughing. Adults are more serious, but kids laugh and that teaches me to live in the moment. Students live in the “right now.” They remind me to be youthful and just have fun.

Ms. glassman Ms. Glassman: Everything from patience and gratitude to more concrete things like using different apps—and of course the Harlem Shake!

Faculty interviews conducted by: Grace Webb ’13, Ben Klebanoff ’15, Banning Stiffler ’15, Deni Budman ’16, Wyatt Miller ’16, Cross Birdsong ’18

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paw PRI N T S

Where in the World?

If you had to get lost in one place in the world, where would it be?

Questions for Our Teachers This spring we sent out a fun survey to our faculty and asked two very important questions. This is what we learned.

All of our English faculty in the Middle and Upper School would be living in Europe—in non-English speaking countries. Hmmmmm.

Ms. Priddy would like to get lost in London, but she’d have to find her husband, Dr. Rezelman, in a history book. While he would also like to get lost in London he’ll have lived there in the 1600’s!

Apparently, many of our faculty have Hobbit-fever. You will find eight of them in New Zealand.

Coach Tom Duquette and Mr. Savage will be in Ireland. Step dancing, perhaps?

Look for Mr. Horstman in Bavaria, Ms. Mays in Paris, and Ms. Moore somewhere in Italy (you can stay with Ms. Smack in Rome while you’re searching).

We have ten tropical island castaways— five of whom will be in the South Pacific.

Mr. Warsaw will be in Jerusalem.

Ms. Klewans will be in New York City.

Mr. Fowler will be in Zion National Park, while Mr. Newman will be in a different sort of park—Disney World!

Coach Runzo will be in the Congo with Bear Grylls. Don’t forget the anti-venom!

Paw Prints’ student editors: Matthew Leon ’13, Grace Webb ’13, Ben Klebanoff ’15, Banning Stiffler ’15, Deni Budman ’16, Wyatt Miller ’16, Cross Birdsong ’18, Hannah Towler ’18, Patrick Mcelroy ’19, Sarah Yue ’19

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If you weren’t a teacher?

If you had to do something other than teach, what would you want to do?

Fourteen of our faculty are destined for stardom as actors, directors, dancers, singers, musicians, talk-show hosts or voice-over talent. Apparently, one of our teachers wants to be Justin Timberlake.

Nine would travel the world while writing, filming, educating or helping people in need.

Seven will be authors, journalists or screenwriters.

Six will be involved in professional athletics. Three of them will be professional race-car drivers.

Five will be busy solving mysteries. We cannot reveal their identities.

Four would go into science or medicine —a marine microbiologist (cheating, Dr. Affronti!), a botanist, a medical researcher and a nurse.

Two would go into law. Mays & Zito sounds like a formidable firm!

Mr. Acra will be a shepherd, and Ms. Holmes will be the flock’s vet.

Two will be entrepreneurs—stay at Ms. Duquette’s Bed and Breakfast and buy your clothes from Dr. Lonergan’s boutique!

Two can’t imagine doing anything but teaching.

One wants to be a student again.

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lives of [ CONSEQUENCE ]

The Unstoppable

Eva Colen “At first, I felt like I was failing every day. I had this huge sense of possibility and a big vision for transforming these students’ lives.

I couldn’t reach them, couldn’t get them to invest.”

Perched at a worktop in one of Richmond’s new

collaborative workspaces, Eva Colen ’02 engages in conversation with the confidence and sophistication of a veteran stateswoman. Articulate and convincing, Eva is the rare young leader whose passion and profession dovetail into what she describes as a single, achievable purpose: ending educational inequality in Virginia.

While many nod in agreement that all children should have access to an excellent education, few put aside complaints or politics to look for solutions and act.

Meet Eva. Fresh off victory in the General Assembly, Eva championed legislation that provides provisional teacher licensure for participants in Teach For America, a national nonprofit organization that recruits highachieving college graduates to teach in impoverished public schools. As regional director for recruitment for Teach For America, Eva manages a team that meets with college students in Virginia and West Virginia to recruit new teachers. Last year, her team added nearly 300 new teachers to the Teach For America corps, a 10,000-member troop that operates in 46 urban and rural regions across the country. The only catch: Current requirements for teaching in Virginia prevent

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Teach For America teachers from being hired by school districts in the state.

Undaunted, Eva met with parents, civic groups and legislators to tell her story and ultimately garner support that led to a change in the state requirements. She describes the bill (HB 2084/SB 1175), signed into law by Governor McDonnell in March, as her “side project,” and she is already hard at work to find partnering school districts where Teach For America can have the greatest impact. “It’s easy for those who have had the good fortune of an excellent education to forget the history that has perpetuated inequality in the system. Yet with our leadership, thousands of children across the state can get the education they deserve.”

In 2006, after graduating from Columbia University, Eva joined Teach For America to teach high school English in northwest Philadelphia. The experience, she acknowledges, was humbling and, indeed, life changing. “At first, I felt like I was failing every day. I had this huge sense of possibility and a big vision for transforming these students’ lives. I couldn’t reach them, couldn’t get them to invest.” Yet by rethinking her approach and learning from other teachers, Eva galvanized her students’ trust. After two years, 70 percent were achieving

at or beyond grade level. Seven joined her after school to learn Latin— for fun. She engaged their families and employers. “I connected to them and understood the challenges of the poverty they faced every day. I learned to be comfortable being completely uncomfortable.”

Teach For America holds to the premise that teaching as leadership will produce real education reform. The dual mission emphasizes grassroots change. Challenge motivated young people to teach for two years in a low-income community, and they will see firsthand the real issues facing education. Continue to invest in their leadership through ongoing training and career development, and they will broaden their impact. The organization, recently recognized on Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for a third consecutive year, now boasts more than 28,000 alumni nationwide who work in a variety of professions at every level to shape education policy and practice.

For the unstoppable Eva Colen, the opportunities are infinite.

She was recently selected to be an Emerging Public Leaders Fellow through an independent nonprofit organization that focuses on leadership development and advocacy. That she is the youngest fellow in the yearlong part-time program only adds to her understanding that she is part of something much bigger than herself. Her success in the General Assembly aside, Eva remains committed to Teach For America and particularly to reforming education in Virginia from the ground up. Her next “side project”—fueling the revitalization of inner-city Richmond—is decidedly bold. With other young innovators in Richmond, Eva is promoting an effort that positions the state capital as a hub for creativity and economic growth; a place where young professionals gather to share ideas and raise their families; a place that builds the next generation of leaders by engaging them in the transformation of the city and, ultimately, its neighborhood schools.

Such relentless enthusiasm for civic engagement evolved through experience and support that Eva appreciates in her family and her own school experience. “I used to be just a crazy activist protesting anything,” Eva admits, “Now, I see myself as an informed citizen sharing a vision with leaders of my generation so that together we can effect real change. I’m hopeful.”

Eva graduated cum laude from Norfolk Academy in 2002 and attended Columbia University, where she graduated with a double major in classics and women & gender studies. She earned a master’s degree in urban education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008. Her two brothers also attended Norfolk Academy. Henry ’03 graduates from the University of Virginia Medical School this spring, and David ’08 is completing a master of business administration at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. ◆

In June, Eva was named the managing director of Community Engagement—Virginia for Teach For America. She will be working over the next 6–8 months to open a new Teach For America placement region in Virginia, and will transition to the position of Executive Director of Teach For America —Virginia in the spring of 2014.

Gigi Tysinger ’87

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[ ALUMNI ] highlights

Fine Arts Reunion

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Your support makes the difference

Help prepare our future leaders by making your Annual Giving gift to Norfolk Academy today.

Visit norfolkacademy.org/giving to pledge or make a gift.

Text to Pledge!

Text “1728, your name and your pledge� to 313131. (Please do not include any commas.)

Preston Moore, Director of Annual Giving, 757-452-6767 or pmoore@norfolkacademy.org

Rise to the Trustee Challenge.

Make your gift to Norfolk Academy today! www.norfolkacademy.org/giving

What is a Charitable Gift Annuity?

A Charitable Gift Annuity is a legal contract in which Norfolk Academy, in return for a gift of cash or stock, commits to pay you, the donor, a specified sum every year for as long as you live.

The annuity rate varies with age: the older you are, the higher the rate. If funded with appreciated securities, capital gains are spread out over your expected lifetime. Additionally, you receive a charitable deduction the year you make the gift.

It is a great way to make a gift to Norfolk Academy and receive income for the rest of your life.

Here’s an example:

John Q. Donor, age 70 Gift: $10,000 Annuity rate: 5.1% *** Charitable deduction: $3,582 Annual income: $510

single life gift Annuity Rates * Age

Rate

Payment **

60 65 70 75 80 85 90+

4.4% 4.7 5.1 5.8 6.8 7.8 9.0

$ 440 $ 470 $ 510 $ 580 $ 680 $ 780 $ 900

* Effective January 1, 2012 (subject to change) ** Based on a $10,000 gift

For information on how you can give a Charitable Gift Annuity to Norfolk Academy, please contact:

*** Based on age (see table)

Your gift provides for Norfolk Academy’s future and for your own. It will help ensure the quality of the Academy experience for future generations. Membership in The 1728 Society accompanies all planned gifts.

M.B. Walker III ’59 Director of Planned Giving Norfolk Academy 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502 Tel: (757) 461-6236 • Fax: (757) 455-3181 bwalker@norfolkacademy.org

Planned Gifts. Gifts that give back. www.norfolkacademy.org/giving

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