THE PEGASUS SCHOOL
ISSUE 10 / FALL 2015
The
Study of
Us
MISSION STATEMENT The Pegasus School is dedicated to academic excellence and to the development of lifelong learners who are confident, caring, and courageous. COMMUNITY VALUES • Responsibility • Kindness • Teamwork • Generosity • Creativity • Curiosity • Courage • Integrity • Perseverance
Pegasus students love to learn, to be challenged, and to work hard; they are bright and motivated; they are joyful; they grow in both intellect and empathy. Pegasus teachers love to teach; they are flexible, creative, collaborative, and innovative; they foster each student’s individual gifts and passions; they educate the mind and the heart. Pegasus parents value education; they work closely with the school in a partnership based on thoughtful communication and mutual respect.
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THE PEGASUS SCHOOL
PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE • Academically Confident • Well Balanced • Critical Thinker • Exceptional Communicator • Collaborative Leader • Responsible Citizen • Environmentally Conscious • Technologically Adept • Economically Astute • Versed in the Arts • Globally Aware
Fall 2015 www.thepegasusschool.org EditorIAL BOARD Nancy Conklin, Director of Admission Rick Davitt, Photographer Sue Harrison, Director of Advancement Karla Joyce, Writer Jason Lopez, Head of School Shalini Mattina, Assoc. Director of Advancement, Communications & Web Master Marrie Stone, Writer Nancy Wilder, Middle School English Teacher Writers Karla Joyce Benjamin Jenkins Marrie Stone Jason Lopez Contributing Writers Clair Blundell Diem-Trang Dang Sharon Goldhamer Shalini Mattina Jasmine Mirhashemi Julia Ostmann Tricia Starkenburg
Table of Contents FEATURES
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Prove It
24
The “I”s Have It
5
Head’s Message
Printing
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At the Heart of
Orange County Printing
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Program: A Child Shall Lead Them
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Student Spotlight: A Little Slice of Pi
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Program: Onboarding the Pegasus Way
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Faculty Focus: The Pied Piper of Pegasus
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Insight: The Art of Enchantment
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Insight: How We Connect
30
Those Who Soar: The Goul Triplets, Colt Peterson
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Alumni Connections
36
Mark Your Calendar
CREATIVE Direction AND DESIGN Shalini Mattina Photographer Rick Davitt
Pegasus Magazine is published twice yearly by the Office of Advancement at The Pegasus School. It is archived at thepegasusschool.org/about/publications We welcome your feedback! Please address queries and comments to Shalini Mattina smattina@thepegasusschool.org
PEGASUS NOW
PEGASUS MAGAZINE FALL 2015
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THE PEGASUS SCHOOL
HEAD’S MESSAGE
What
Binds Us
Together
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss
I
love Mondays. I bet you don’t hear that very often, and I must admit that it is new to my vocabulary since arriving at Pegasus. On Monday mornings, I get the wonderful opportunity to greet students and faculty at the gate. Many of you have seen me, probably somewhere between a smile and a laugh, because of what I get to see for that brief 45-minute period. Employees are bouncing in, children are literally running into school. Over my career, I have stood at the doorway to many a school and while I have often seen students speed out of school, I believe this is the first school where I am reminding students to, “slow down,” on their way in! However, it’s not just the enthusiasm that brings my smile, but rather, it is the great diversity of students and employees that I see that make me smile. It is their uniqueness and moreover, their appreciation for one another, that makes me giggle at times. For as different as we are, I hear the comments and the greetings and it is clear — we all need every one else to make us a better team. In her feature article, “Prove It,” Karla Joyce describes the need for people to work together cooperatively. I believe that the Pegasus community members have the quality of teamwork upon entry, or we grow this skill over the years. Appreciation for and collaboration with one another is simply ubiquitous inside the gates of Pegasus. In the article, “A Child Shall Lead Them,” Diem-Trang Dang discusses a few of the lessons our students have bestowed upon our faculty over the years, and we see that collaboration happens in many ways. The question may come to mind, if we are a community of unique individuals, “what is more important in the end — the strength of the community or the individual?” In her feature article, “The ‘I’s Have It,” Marrie Stone addresses this question in sharing feedback from teachers on the challenges and successes of each student, individually and when collaborating with their classmates. I also observe the various ways in which our teachers contribute and blend their work within their teams, their divisions and throughout the entire school. There is nothing more satisfying to me than seeing the teacher who may be the shining star of one aspect of our school, act in a supporting role for another program, led by another teacher. Teachers and volunteers model our school’s community values to students and families daily and students gain their skills over their time at Pegasus. Ultimately, it is the community that helps the individuals understand this balance. In her article, “Onboarding the Pegasus Way,” Tricia Starkenberg shares details on how we become a part of the whole at Pegasus, for both teachers and students alike. How ironic it is that our uniqueness is the secret sauce that gives Pegasus its incredible flavor, but our appreciation for the community is what binds us together. This combination is no accident. In fact, it is very intentional. It is comforting to know that we keep, or sometimes revive, practices that are a tradition of the Pegasus Community, like the faculty’s common endeavor of a shared summer read. Clair Blundell, middle school English teacher, describes her experience with the 2015 summer read in her article, “The Art of Enchantment.” Her experience differed from the majority. Again, the juxtaposition of the individual and the community is evident — an intersection which perfectly demonstrates the special nature of The Pegasus School. I believe your read of the Pegasus Magazine will have you appreciating our Pegasus Community in greater detail — and in your own unique way.
Jason Lopez Head of School PEGASUS MAGAZINE fALL 2015
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