Spring Connection 2012 by Susie Steed

C ONNECTION W i c h i ta C o l l e g i at e S c h o o l

A Publication for Parents, Alumni & Friends Spring 2012

THE

LOVEOF

READING

WHAT’S INSIDE . . . From the Headmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Love of Reading Meet the Library Staff . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 Books our Faculty & Staff Love . . . 4-5 WCS Alumni Authors . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Reading and Romping . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Middle School Reading Club . . . 10-11 Middle School Academic Honors . . 14-15 Upper School Academic Honors . . . 16-18 Artistic Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-23 Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-27 Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-33

CONNECTION EDITORIAL STAFF Director of Admission & Communication Susie Steed • ssteed@wcsks.com • 771-2203 Director of Development & Alumni Relations Jodi Guillemette • jguillemette@wcsks.com • 771-2252 Assistant Director of Development & Alumni Relations Lisa Schooler • lschooler@wcsks.com • 771-2222 Graphic Design Kathy Talbot Rukes, Paper Panache Designs

PHOTOS AT LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM:

• Baseball legend Tommy Lasorda paid a surprise visit to the Middle School basketball practice! • Lower Schoolers share their love of reading with younger Spartans. • Colleagues joined Martha Leaf at the KAIRS banquet where Mrs. Leaf was named “Distinguished Teacher of the Year.” • A scene from the Middle School play “Is there a Comic in the House?” • Jonathan Dennill and India Cohmia visit with mentor Matthew Rumsey, Executive Director of Crown Uptown Theatre.

from the

HEADMASTER You are what you eat.

away challenged, thrilled, enlightened, or entertained, reading is a key portal into our lives.

How often have we heard that phrase, especially in today’s health-conscious world? Although At Collegiate, we want our students to be readnot likely to be exclusively true, like all axioms it ers. As we encourage them to be lifelong learners, prods us to consider our diet and our own outlook we know that much of their information will come on health. Allow me to take poetic license with through the written word. That is why we start at that phrase and, in light of the theme for this Con- a very young age with the basics for creating chilnection, The Love of Reading, let me say that “You dren who are proficient readers. Reading comes are what you read.” For some of us, that may make more easily to some than to others and at different us a newspaper or a magazine or an intense mys- ages, but the importance of reading will never lose tery story. It may make us a legal brief or a busi- its prominence in our classrooms. From learnness contract or a medical journal. Reading may ing the shapes of letters to hearing the phonetic spark our creativity, awaken our dreams, or touch sounds to connecting those two into words and then into sentences and ultiour very soul. It may bring mately into comprehension, expanded knowledge to our our teachers are masters at brains, a new perspective leading students through this to our opinions, or a wistful "Reading is an important process. There is an anonytear to our eyes. That is the influence on how we are shaped mous saying, “If you can power of the written word as individuals. Reading helps read, thank a teacher.” And as we experience, enjoy, and that is so true. digest what reading adds to to determine our character our lives. as we apply what we learn to Reading is an important whom we want to become. It influence on how we are Of course, nothing can take the place of the enthrallprovides a source of experiences shaped as individuals. Reading helps to determine our ing story orally related by a that allows us to gain from the character as we apply what masterful storyteller. Often wisdom of others and apply we learn to whom we want to that would have been on the it to our own lives." become. It provides a source lap of a parent or grandparof experiences that allows ent as they spun (and likely us to gain from the wisdom embellished) a tale of epic of others and apply it to our proportions or captivating enchantment. But since we can’t listen to every own lives. We hope that as you read this issue of story, books allow us to choose places and times The Connection, you will reflect on the importance and events to experience without ever leaving the of life-long learning and life-long reading. In an comfort of our easy chair. There is nothing like age in which John Naisbitt says, “We are drowna good book to whisk us away to places where ing in information but starved for knowledge,” we we have never been and may never go again. Al- hope that Collegiate students will find that knowlthough many people today are comfortable cud- edge through their love for reading. dling up with a Kindle, there is still something special about the feel of a book, the texture of the So to paraphrase where we started, we are what pages, and even the smell of that collection in our we read. hands. But whether it is paper or plastic, it is always the message, the story, the idea of the author that contains the power. And whether we come Tom Davis, Headmaster

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MEET THE LIBRARY STAFF O

ur library staff does a tremendous job of nurturing the love of reading in our students. They are the experts on finding the perfect book to mesmerize readers of all ages and abilities. They listen carefully to the interests of children and know the books in the library so well they are able to find perfect matches for their young patrons. Their nurturing presence with students invites them to discover the joy of a great book. You might find them in the depths of the Enchanted Library, throwing a luncheon for top Accelerated Reading students, or relaxing at a 5th Grade Poetry Coffee House. They teach students research skills, shelve books, read stories and shelve more books, explain the intricacies of the card catalogue, coordinate our Young Authors Day, and prepare lists of books for students to enjoy over the summer. Middle School Head Ann Rai, Early Childhood Head Becky O’Hearn, and Upper School Head Chris Ashbrook collaborated on this article and hope that you will take a few moments to get to know these fabulous ladies! Leslie Prechtel helps a student.

Leslie Prechtel - Head Librarian

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Where did you grow up? As an Army brat, I grew up all over the United States and Europe, but spent most of my life in the Washington, D.C. area. Did you like to read when you were a child? I had a wonderful second grade teacher who helped me develop my love of reading. I had an insatiable thirst for reading, so as I would finish a book, she would be ready to give me a new one. That same year I discovered the Book Mobile that came through our neighborhood. What is your educational background? I have a BA in Elementary Education and a Masters in Library Science. When did you begin working at Collegiate? We brought our daughter here 30 years ago for pre-school, but I didn’t start working here until 1992. Have you always worked in the library? When I first began to work here I was part-time in the Business Office and in the Library. The following year the library position at the Upper School opened up, so I applied and was lucky enough to get the job. With the encouragement of the Head Librarian, I decided to go back to school. When a full-time position became available, I once again applied and was fortunate enough to be hired. What other jobs have you held prior to this one? I have been a substitute teacher, an at-home-mom, a clerk in several gift shops, and my first job was as a lifeguard during the summer. What do you like most about working in the library? I like that I learn something new every day! There’s never a dull moment. What is your favorite book, and why? That’s a difficult question to answer because I’ve read so many wonderful books. I suppose I would say that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is my favorite. When I began to read it, I would read late into the night and then dream about everything I had just read. I think I made the movie in my head way before it was ever released. There was just something about the author’s writing style and her imagination that carried me away. If you could be a character in any book, who would you be, and why? I think I would be Stargirl, who is the main character in a book by the same name. She’s a unique nonconformist who lives life to its fullest.

Tonya Broberg - Library Assistant

Where did you grow up? Dodge City, Kansas What books did you learn to read first? I grew up with the Dick and Jane series Run Spot, Run! When did you begin working at Collegiate? Nine years ago in 2003 What do you like most about working in the library? I enjoy working with wonderful people like Leslie and Suzanne, and getting to know students from kindergarten through 8th grade is such a treat. What is your favorite book, and why? The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a beautiful story set in a train station with illustrations in black and white. It is the story behind today’s popular movie Hugo. If you could be a character in any book, who would you be? Why? I would be Georgina Hayes from the book How to Steal a Dog. Georgina’s family lives in a car and struggles to make ends meet. To survive they decide to steal a dog and ask for reward money. It’s truly eye opening what this young girl has to experience.

Library Assistant, Tonya Broberg

Suzanne Mattix – Early Chilhood Librarian

What is your earliest memory of reading as a child? My mother read to me all the time. She loved to read folktales and fairytales to me. This was way before Disney made them into movies. I have had an appreciation for a great story ever since. What books did you learn to read first? The Dick and Jane basal readers. I share a birthday with Dr. Seuss and have been a fan of his books for quite some time. I also had a cousin who had the entire Nancy Drew collection, and I thought she was like a rockstar. Who in your life modeled the joy of reading for you? My mother. She read to me daily, and I loved the bonding time I had with her and my sister as we read. I read to my boys and my grandchildren in the same way. What did you and your friends read for enjoyment in your teens? I loved biographies and historical fiction. I was infatuated with Grace Kelly and Dwight D. Eisenhower, so I read everything I could get my hands on about them. My friends and I read magazines like Seventeen, too. What are some of your favorites? I am a big Shocker and K-State fan. Tom Hanks is my Suzanne Mattix reads a story. favorite actor and I enjoy his movies. My favorite car of all time is the 1957 Chevy. What has been one of your funniest moments as a teacher? There have been hundreds of funny moments. On the first day of school last year, I invited a nervous little boy into the library to help ease his anxiety. He said, “You sure have a lot of books in here.” I responded by saying, “We sure do.” He said, “Are we going to read them all?” I responded, “We’re going to try.” His eyes became as big as saucers, and he said, “TODAY?” He made me laugh, and we had a great time trying to read them all each time he came to library. At the end of the day, how do you measure your success as a teacher? When I see children leave the library with a smile on each face, a book under their arm, and a skip in their step. My favorite words to hear from children are, “Read it again please.” Favorite Quote: “Children become readers on the laps of their parents.”

Amy Cunningham – Upper School Librarian

It’s not just a touch of British class that makes the library such a key cog in the machine that is the Upper School….It is the awesome amount of knowledge that Amy Cunningham possesses and her exceptional ability to communicate with students and colleagues alike. Born in Richmond, England (just outside of London), Mrs. Cunningham’s path to Wichita Collegiate is one of great adventure and fascinating stories. Mrs. Cunningham moved to New York at the age of 14, and after graduating from the Kew-Forest School, spent a year at Parsons School of Design before returning to England with her family. Working in London and then traveling in France, Amy returned to the States and soon was attending Kansas University. At KU, Amy earned degrees in Classical Languages, Classical Antiquities, and English Literature. While pursuing Amy Cunningham assists students in the library. this trifecta of degrees, she also had the wonderful opportunity to be a research assistant for Dr. Pamela Gordan. This experience led to a summer of study at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. After graduation Amy was awarded the National Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities, and she traveled to California where she studied in classics at UCLA. Fortunately for all of us at Collegiate, Amy and her husband Brian came to Wichita and started their wonderful family, which includes daughters Gwyneth and Rose as well as their son Jude. Amy’s extensive background in research, English, and the classics make her a perfect fit for Upper School students who are in need of guidance when writing papers. Not only does she know where to direct them, but she takes time and personal interest in each of her students, guiding them to write both intelligently and with a personal flare for what they are passionate about. One only has to glance at the Upper School library page on our website to see the amount of effort Amy gives to making sure our students have access to scholarly databases and the latest research. While she may not be a “digital native,” Amy has embraced what can be “gleaned from the screen” and her inquisitiveness, which is infectious, helps her stay current with what Web 2.0 tools can do for our school. Whether for Dr. Nixon’s research papers, the Good Life Paper, or the Chemistry Research class, Mrs. Cunningham is an invaluable resource for all. More important than all of the great work she does as our librarian, Mrs. Cunningham is a beacon of positive energy and school pride that buoys our students on a daily basis. Like my favorite poster that hangs in her library “Keep Calm and Carry On,” Amy cultivates an atmosphere in the library where one can relax, while sharing and discussing opinions. Students leave feeling energized and positive about the rest of the day. She is a Student Council sponsor extraordinaire and senior trip planning guru. All of us are thankful to have Mrs. Cunningham in the Upper School library and feel very fortunate to have this learned woman of the world on our faculty.

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beloved Books of the WCS Faculty & Staff

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n preparation for this issue of The Connection, we decided to ask our faculty and staff to tell us the names of their favorite books that they had read in the past year. We thought it would be fun to show the results as a wordle. Wordles are graphic representations of text. The more frequently a word appears, the greater prominence it is given in the wordle, or "word cloud." As you can see in the wordle on this page, The Help by Kathryn Stockett was the book listed most frequently by faculty and staff responding to the survey.

We also asked faculty and staff to tell us about the books that had a significant impact upon them and helped to form the persons they are today. Some of the books cited included Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plays, Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, the Chicken Soup for the Soul series by J. Canfield, Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, The Bible, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

A few of the faculty and staff elaborated on their selections: Dr. Seuss! When I was in grade school a teacher told me (and I have really been impacted by the William Allen White books the class) that I shared a birthday with Dr. Seuss. Wow! I sud- early in my teaching career. The ones that speak about someone denly felt important. I couldn't get enough of his books. I loved who sacrificed for others are very meaningful to me. The ones the language, imagination, rhyming and started making up my that talk about learning from the people and animals that we own words! Horton Hatches the Egg was my favorite. "I are lucky enough to meet hold a lot of value in how I view life. said what I meant and meant what I said, an elephant is faith- As a child the Laura Ingalls Wilder books were my favorites. ful 100%." I've tried to live my life as Horton, caring for others My third grade teacher started reading them to my class, and I and always trying to do what I say! I'm still reading Dr. Seuss couldn't get enough. I spent the rest of that year reading every and collecting WORDS. one of them. So began my love affair with children's literature Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens taught about facing and reading. In high school my sophomore English teacher inthe evil of the world and how good can overcome it. Much Ado troduced me to Dickens and Shakespeare. A Tale of Two Cities About Nothing by William Shakespeare demonstrates how and The Merchant of Venice were my favorites. That same incredible the English language is, and how it can be used! year my mother gave me my first Hemingway - For Whom The book The Blessing has helped me know that as a mom the Bell Tolls - which led me to the rest of Hemingway's books. and a teacher, I need to make sure those children in my care are So began my love of the classics. As an adult the Harry Potter series has had a profound impact on my life as well as the world receiving the blessing they need to have a healthy life. of children's literature. I can't quite put my finger on the exact The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama helped me redefine thing that made the series such a success. Was it the author's beauty. The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck contributed incredible writing style or the imaginative story itself? Who to my self-understanding and my spiritual growth. knows what exactly inspired and continues to inPlease Understand Me by Keirsey & Bates spire children and adults from around the world is an analysis of Jung's and Briggs's differto embrace this young orphan and follow his If we encounter a ent character and temperament types, which life as he grows up in the world of wizardry. man of rare intellect, taught me to value those different from myThe quality of children's literature certainwe should ask him what self. The Bible is as important in my life ly has improved over the last 13 years. J.K. books he reads. today as it was when I was a little girl. Rowling laid the ground work for authors ~Ralph Waldo Emerson and publishers to value children's literature I read Great Expectations by Charles and proved that it could be a profitable business. Dickens when I was a preteen. The story beautiI love watching each generation of readers as they fully illustrates how resilient the spirit of a child can be. Even in the worst of circumstances all anyone needs is one discover the series and wonder if I have ever read them and what person who truly loves and believes in them. (And that person did I think of them. Harry Potter continues to inspire young may not be the obvious one.) In The Story of Helen Keller readers and probably will for generations to come. I see myself when Anne Sullivan's fingers spelled "teacher" into Helen's as the scout searching for that next book that will continue to keep the inner fire burning in young readers. hand, I knew what I wanted to be. The Disappearing Spoon had great historical stories of sci- I enjoy books that have deeper meanings so The Chronicles entists and mathematicians. I was able to share the stories in of Narnia is high on my list. I usually read The Lion, the my classes and hopefully make my class lectures more interest- Witch, and the Wardrobe each year to my students and ing. The Drunkard Walking points out the randomness in love when they return to tell me they finished the series. Harry life and that some things happen that lead to a series of other Potter is right up there, too. (I even have my own wand!) things no one would have expected. This book reminded me of Education books on differentiated learners like Brain Rules the book, Serendipity - Accidental Discoveries. There are and The Dyslexic Advantage are what has made me the great stories from this book as well that I can share with my teacher I am today. I am always on the lookout for another book classes. Blink is great because it talks about if someone prac- that might open the door for that student I am trying to reach tices something enough, it will appear as a gut reaction to how in my classroom. to handle a situation or what to expect. I liked the story of the tennis coach knowing when his players might double fault the second they served. Practice makes perfect.

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AUTHOR! AUTHOR!

• HEAD LIBRARIAN LESLIE PRECHTEL VISITS WITH WCS ALUMNI AUTHORS •

eveloping a love of reading allows us to travel without ever leaving home, or to momentarily be swept away to different times and places, or to gather information on a topic of interest. For some the love of reading can lead to a career in writing. Many authors agree that a love of reading and writing go hand-in-hand. The Wichita Collegiate alumnae community boasts several authors of children’s literature. I recently communicated with three of them, Clare Vanderpool, Shannon Innes Young, and Rishi Reddi. I asked them about when they began to love reading, what books inspired them, and what or who at Collegiate had the greatest impact on them.

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or seven. As a child her favorite book was Baked Beans for Breakfast, which she thinks she borrowed from the Coleman Library at WCS. When I asked her about a book that had the most impact on her, she humbly talked about her book The Little Saguaro. She says, “The reason I say that is because I ate, slept, and drank that project for two years up until the time it was released. The experiences I've had reading the book and giving talks to schools over the years has been so rewarding.” One of Shannon’s goals as an author is to use a portion of the proceeds from her book sales to benefit children’s charities or literacy programs. The sales of The Little Saguaro benefited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum’s Laurel Clark Education Fund. As for her favorite books, it seems that she reads quite a variety from The Art of Racing in the Rain to nonfiction books that are for self-improvement or that are "goofy."

Clare Vanderpool lives here in Wichita with her family and is the 2011 recipient of the Newbery Award for her book Moon Over Manifest. Clare began reading when she was very young, enjoying such books as Harold and the Purple Crayon and Curious George, as well as many Dr. Seuss books. Books Rishi Reddi was born in India and has lived in England were her constant companions as she waited for her mother and the United States. Currently she lives in Massachusetts while she was shopping where she is an enor when she attended vironmental lawyer. one of her brother’s Rishi’s first book, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. Karma and Other Stories, basketball games. She even admits to smugwon the 2008 L.L. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” gling a book into a Winship – PEN/ New ~ Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! classroom or two and England Award. She reading while it was has also had several “I’ll tell you my secret about writing and my hidden behind the short stories published encouragement to young men and women: READ.” textbook. One of the in Best American Short ~ Maya Angelou books that influenced Stories 2005; some of Clare was Island of the her short stories have Blue Dolphins by Scott been read on National O'Dell. “It was a wonPublic Radio. Rishi derful story that I read as a young girl, and I couldn't help said that when she thinks back to her favorite books, the falling in love with the story, the character, and the writing. ones that come to mind are those that she read as a child. I'm sure it played a part in helping me decide to be a writer She said, “They are the ones that touched me when I was a of children's literature.” Judging from the books that she is young reader trying to make sense of the world: The Phantom reading and has read, Clare enjoys stories that contain solid Tollbooth by Norton Juster, because of the playful and adcharacters and are steeped in a connection to community. venturous way it deals with the difference between knowlClearly her writing has been influenced by the qualities that edge and wisdom; Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, because of she appreciates in other books, because her book contains what it says about loneliness and about friendship won and wonderful characters that are connected to or are search- lost; The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, not only because it was ing for a connection to community. I can’t wait for her next such a great story, but also because I was inspired that Ms. book, which she said will soon be published. Hinton wrote it while a teenager.” Rishi is currently reading a couple of historical works that are helping prepare her for Shannon Innes Young resides in Oregon with her family her next novel, which will be historical fiction. and her book, The Little Saguaro, earned the Independent Publisher’s award for bilingual fiction. Our third grade When asked about their Collegiate experiences, Clare and students might recognize Shannon as the author of Little Shannon identified Bunny Hill as being a person who played Brown Shoes, which is one of the books their teachers read a huge role in their lives. Shannon has a note of encouragewith them in class. Shannon began to read at a young age ment Mrs. Hill wrote to her parents when she was in sixth and became interested in writing when she was around six grade. She says, “Even today, when I hit a rough spot with

Clare Vanderpool

Shannon Innes Young

Alumni Favorites

my writing, I think back on those days and feel blessed to have had a teacher like her.” Clare remembers spending a terrific year in class with Mrs. Hill reading and discussing Willa Cather. Rishi remembers lessons she learned from her Humanities and English Literature teacher, Leonard Kupersmith. Rishi said, “He recognized and encouraged my love of literature and the writer's craft. Even now, when I am stuck at my keyboard trying to figure out the best way to state an idea, I will go back to some basic concepts that he taught me.” Clare also said that Collegiate allowed her to experience a wide variety of activities. Those experiences helped give her confidence to pursue her writing career. “The spirit at Collegiate was one that very much encouraged all of us to jump in, give it our best shot, and there was always the belief that we could do it! As a beginning writer with hopes of someday getting a book published, that spirit stayed with me. I figured I'll just jump in, give it my

Rishi Reddi

best shot, and maybe, if I keep at it, I'll do it! I'm incredibly grateful for my years at Collegiate.” Thank you to Clare, Shannon, and Rishi for lending their thoughts on the love of reading and writing. They began their love of reading at an early age and have carried it through to their adulthood. Their hope is to have as great an impact on this generation of young readers as the authors they read had on them. Maybe, one day another award-winning author will appear in a future Collegiate publication. The love of reading clearly inspired Clare, Shannon, and Rishi in their chosen professions. I think Clare said it best, “Good writing starts with good reading. And remember, variety is good. Read anything and everything from historical to contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, and fairytales. Learn from everything you read; the good, the bad, and the ugly.” ~ Leslie Prechtel, Head Librarian

Lisa Schooler recently posted a question on the alumni Facebook page, Proba Te Dignum, asking alumni to tell us about their favorite books that they read while at WCS. Hannah Davis, Class of 2006, recalls, “I still remember crying during Mrs. Bigler’s English class as I read the end of Of Mice and Men. Lenny!” Holly Messamore, Class of 2005, put in a plug for The Count of Monte Cristo. Like Holly, Sheila Abderhalden Krehbiel (1986), liked “The trifecta of adventure: The Count of Monte Cristo, and added Mutiny on the Bounty and The Scarlet Pimpernel.” Martha Carey, Class of 1976, also listed The Count of Monte Cristo as her favorite, adding, “No movie has ever done it justice.” Nathaniel “Jimbo” Diego (2002) fondly remembers The Plague by Camus read in sophomore English, and Watership Down in 6th grade literature class. “I agree! The Plague!” echoed Vivian Ritchie, Class of 2002. For Nicole Kukuruda (2005) it was a “toss up between The Trial of Socrates and Antony and Cleopatra.” James Chung (1984) listed his favorite as Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Sharer. He read it during his first year at Collegiate, and “realized I could get more out of fiction than I had been able to before arriving at WCS.”

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READing & ROMPing

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ne of our favorite Early Childhood activities each year is Read and Romp. Read and Romp is a collaborative effort between librarian Suzanne Mattix and physical education teacher Kathy Wagner that combines the love of reading with the joy of physical activity.

Rotating through ten stations, preschool and kindergarten students listened as volunteers read short books, then participated in fun activities geared toward each story. This year, students danced like chickens, swatted alphabet flies, went cross country skiing, matched shoes, and imitated animals. The complete list of books can be viewed on the Early Childhood P.E. webpage. Many of these books will be available at the Summer Reading Book Fair in the WCS library.

Whitney Ward leads students in moving around the playground like different animals that visited the playground in the book.

Kathy Wagner and Suzanne Mattix have organized Read and Romp for 14 years!

Jane Schulte reads the book Playground Days to Mrs. Drew’s kindergarten class.

"I have this belief that children become readers before they can read. They become hooked on books because they were read aloud to as a child."

Victoria Ruffin leads the students in the Chicken Dance.

~ Jacqueline Wilson

page Swatting at flies after listening to the book Shoo Fly.

Rebecca Gehrer reads Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee to Mrs. Flaten’s kindergartners.

One of Mrs. Flaten’s students tries out his “mop slipper” skis.

A DIFFERENT WAY TO READ

n March 7, preschool and kindergarten students were treated to a wonderful reading of author Marc Brown's book, Arthur's Eyes. Estin, a student from Wichita State University and an employee of Envision in Wichita, came to school to talk to the students about being visually impaired. Estin has been blind since he was a baby and has been speaking to students since he was in the second grade about the many challenges that he has overcome. Estin brought the book in Braille. It was fascinating to watch him move his fingers across the pages of the book and use his skills to read to the children. Estin also brought his seeing eye dog named Chester. He taught us that as long as a dog is wearing his harness, he is "on the job" and should only respond to the voice of the owner. After that experience, the students participated in some activities in physical education class to discover what it felt like to not be able to see. They learned that the senses of sound and touch are heightened due to the inability to see. It was a good experience for children to be made more aware of the gift of vision, but to also understand that the lack of vision simply makes people develop and use their other senses even more.

• Reading CLUB • L

et's see... What can I take this time as an elective in 5th and 6th grade? Drama....Entrepreneurship…Art…. I've got it! Reading Club!

Reading club is a popular Middle School elective offered to 5th and 6th grade students taught by 6th grade literature teacher Joe Gehrer. Students spend part of the hour reading a book of their choice, usually for the Accelerated Reader program. Mr. Gehrer also reads aloud to the students throughout the semester. First semester students spend time reading to students in the Early Childhood division. The students get to choose a book to read aloud and spend time practicing reading aloud before heading to the Early Childhood classes. The reading club class has also formed a partnership with Mrs. Mould’s 3rd grade class. Students are partnered together and spend time reading together from the 3rd grade curriculum. Second semester "Books are the quietest students have the opportunity to bring children’s books to life. and most constant of friends; Some students choose to act out their favorite children’s book, they are the most accessible and while some prefer making a digital picture book with their own wisest of counselors, and the most illustrations. The overall theme of the class is to foster an appatient of teachers." preciation for reading. page

We asked several members of the reading club what they particularly liked about the elective class.

~Charles W. Eliot

Laura May reported, "My favorite thing about reading club is I get lost in my book, and I don't want to stop reading. Reading club has affected my reading technique. I can understand what I'm reading, and it's not just a bunch of words in my head." Lucy Ramser explained that she wanted to join reading club because she thought she needed to improve her reading skills and learn to like reading better. Her strategy has worked! "Reading club makes me like reading so much more. Now I will read without any question!" she reports. Bailey Pangrac likes reading club because, "It's a way to get Accelerated Reader points and catch up on my reading." The fun projects are Mac Copeland's favorite things about reading club. Like Mac, Esther Beren likes the projects and what they get to do with the books. She loves to read and loves having more time during the day to read. She added, "The thing I liked about reading to the little kids was reading aloud, and it was just fun!" Sydni Phu's favorite project is making the children's books. "I liked reading to the littler kids because it has helped them learn more. Reading Club has also led to me reading more at home and enjoying reading more."

Kennedy Brandenburg also enjoys having additional time to read. "I never have enough time to read," said Kennedy, "with all of the homework and sports that I have after school. I love to read, and Reading Club gives me the opportunity to read for 45 minutes. I am LOVING the project we are working on right now. We got to choose a partner and make up an educational children’s book. My partner and I are creating a story about foods, and having lots of fun doing it!” Colin Egan liked Reading Club so much last year that he is taking it again this year. "I'm an avid reader," he said. "I can read for fun in Reading Club and not worry about homework. Reading Club has shown me new types of books. I like to read adventure and historical fiction books. I also liked reading to the younger kids because it gave me a chance to read out loud and in front of other people." Maeve Ashbrook is another second-year member of the Reading Club. "I did Reading Club last year, and I had so much fun! During class I remember always sharing laughs while we learned how to read aloud, read quietly, and learned how to solve logic problems! My favorite thing is the projects we do. They are great ways for you to use your creativity. I also love reading by myself at my own pace. Right now I am reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and there is NO WAY I would have finished it in at least a month without Reading Club. When I was working with the younger kids, I remember how much confidence I gained! They were always smiling. When I worked with the 3rd graders, I remember sharing laughs while reading and learning about Egypt! It was a great bonding experience since my sister was in that class, and I was paired with one of her best friends.” Carving out 45 minutes a day to read for pleasure is a great idea for all of us!

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Loving our libraries • A nnual F und Supports the Library Wish Lists •

Mrs. Mattix, Early Childhood Librarian

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e have 30,000+ books and the collections are growing! Leslie Prechtel will tell you our students certainly love to read. She can hardly keep popular books on the shelves because students can’t wait to turn the page of a good sequel. Parents and teachers check out books on a regular basis as well. With all these fabulous books, the next question is: Where do we put them?

graduate in size with each fruit eaten which is great for visual and tactile counting. It also clearly shows the hole a caterpillar will make in the various pieces of fruit, holes through which the readers can stick their fingers! Not something that could be done on a Kindle. Leslie stated that as students grow in their reading ability, they need solid guidance. She said, “A student in 3rd grade may ask me for a recommendation on a scary book. I need to be able to give them something that fulfills their expectations without really scaring them! In order to do that, I need the book so I can peruse chapters and review it thoroughly. A short summary on Amazon.com would never give me enough information to be sure I was offering the right book for that student. I make it my mission to get to know all my students' reading abilities and preferences so I can challenge them as well as guide them appropriately.”

This is one reason our Collegiate Annual Fund this year has earmarked $30,000 for stacks and equipment for all three libraries. With the rollout of our one-to-one tablet initiative, the Knorr Library in the Upper School will not Paulseen Library – Early Childhood need computer stations. In Shelving Units - $1,450 each their place our librarians Flat Screen - $2,000 want to purchase more taColeman Library – Lower & Middle School bles, chairs, and two study Desk Top Computers - $1,000 each carrels along with a projecDouble-Faced Shelving Units - $840 each tor and screen for group Shelving Adders - $630 each Computer Monitors - $150 each projects and presentations. Computer Keyboards - $106 each The Coleman Library in the Middle School and Paulseen Knorr Library – Upper School Projection System - $2,800 Library in Early Childhood Tables - $560 each need new stacks. With the Chairs - $240 each growing collections, they are Study Carrels - $456 each out of space! Study Carrel Adders - $455 each

Wichita Collegiate Annu al Fund Library Wish Lists

I met with Leslie Prechtel and Suzanne Mattix to talk about books and technology, specifically the Kindle and Nook. I wanted to know if they thought that libraries would eventually become a thing of the past with these new advances. Both said this type of technology makes reading convenient, but there is nothing like curling up with a good book! Suzanne explained, “It is very important during the early years to read with books because at that age no one knows if a child is an auditory, visual, or tactile learner. It is critical to engage all three learning styles so every student grasps the concepts.” She demonstrated by showing me The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. If you have the book, you know exactly what she is talking about. The way the pages are laid is important. They

Both Leslie and Suzanne also told me that some students are very intimidated by large books. When one of them hands a book to a student for the first time that is three or four inches thick, the student’s reaction is a wide-eyed, “I could never read all of that!” They encourage the student to take the book and try. More times than not, much to their own astonishment, the child conquers that monstrous book, which gives them an incredible feeling of accomplishment. This pride in reading their first large book would never happen with a Nook. The student wouldn’t realize the enormity of the task they completed because the size would not come across in the same way as a thick heavy book. I want to thank Leslie and Suzanne for talking with me. Knowing that our libraries are continually growing is very comfortMrs. Cunningham helps an Upper School student with a book.

Library volunteers act out Little Miss Muffet during the Enchanted Library.

"When I step into this library, I cannot understand why I ever step out of it."

Mrs. Cunningham with Trace.

~ Marie de Sevigne ing. Books are so important to encourage imagination, critical thinking skills, communication, and so much more. We are very blessed to have such fine teachers to guide our students through their adventures in reading. Leslie, Suzanne, and Amy are looking forward to all the growth and changes ahead for our school. They are thrilled that we have included their wish list in the Collegiate Annual Fund this year. We hope you will support our libraries by making a gift today at www.wcsks. com. All gifts are tax-deductible and your support is the catalyst that takes a good education and makes it into a great education for every child, every day!

Collegiate Cares

Happy reading!

Jodi Guillemette, CFRE Director of Development

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Students read under the "Circus Tent" as part of "Step Right Up and Read, Read, Read!"

Many thanks to all of the families who helped to show that Collegiate cares on Martin Luther King Day! Whether you donated materials, hosted a cookie-baking party, or helped with our projects in the Upper School Commons, we thank you! What did we accomplish? Becky Springer of the United Way summed up the afternoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities this way: Layettes for new moms served by the Treehouse 1,038 diapers = 86 happy moms with packs of 12 diapers apiece! 98 much-needed bibs 70 bottles 22 burp towels and 7 hats 32 blankets for snuggly warm babies 20 outfits 106 socks 25 toys 388 wipes Plus formula, sippy cups, and laundry detergent

Kits for homeless individuals served by the Salvation Army 189 hygiene kits 2 boxes of cereal 22 multi-packs of toothbrushes 12 rolls of toilet paper 8 boxes of tissues 131 individual packs of tissues Assorted bars of soap 31 combs Care packages for the Military 93 care packages to send overseas to our troops

Thank you again for helping us show how Collegiate Cares!

United Way 21 fleece blankets and 12 fleece pillows for Catholic Charities St. Anthony Family Shelter 17,500 magnets bundled in stacks of 25 for the Kansas Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Service League 12 cloth backpacks and 36 paper bags colored for USD 259 And last but not least, DOZENS upon DOZENS of cookies were baked and packaged for use by the Mental Health Association.

F I R S T SEM ESTE R MIDDLE SCHO OL

HIGH HONOR ROLL

• 5 th G R A DE • • 6 t h G RADE • • 7 t h GR ADE • • 8 t h GRA DE •

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Sterling Anderson Ashley Bajaj Sydney Beyer Lauren Caughlin Vasuma Chaparala Lauren Conrad Zoe Corrigan Julia Cox Rose Cunningham Mia Estivo Michael Feng Joshua Fernandes Gabe Fisher Hannah Geoffroy JeAnna Gregg Michael Harton Mackenzie Kemnitz Sophie Kemp Katie King Sydney Lair Kristen Leiker Claire Lieb Joseph Lindwall Vincent Lopez Samuel Majors Paxton Meares Elizabeth Meister Nicholas Murati Christina Naftzger Kim Nguyen Emily Odenwald Sydney O'Donnell Dominic Pavetto Londyn Phu Humza Razaq Zack Reddy Madison Reed Conor Reid-Tedesco Cole Runyan Carson Smith Hope Smith Addie Squires Caleb St. Germain Danni Varenhorst Abigail Wagle Houston Weimar Brianna Willis

Maeve Ashbrook Celia Babst Paymon Behzadpour Jack Bendell Esther Beren Kennedy Brandenburg Kathryn Bunting Anna Caughlin Sarah Chugg Lakelin Conrad Lauren Cusick Christopher Dailey Alexandra Davis Grant Deiter William DeVore Jackson Drake Nicholas DuPont Colin Egan Olivia Eubank Natalie Freed Ender Graham Kennedy Gray Ryan Hogan Zane Issa Laura Kingrey Thompson Knuth Libby Konecny Joey Le Lucy Lee Laura May Cody McNerney Christelle Nassif Christian Nassif Olivia Neidigh Cayden Nesmith Emma Parkhurst Myles Parkhurst Sydni Phu Lucie Ramser Ian Reddy Tiffany Ruan Austin Schwartz Brenden Schwartz Avasar Sheth Matthew Smith Sabrina White Adam Winter Nicole Withrow

Rafay Ali Matthew Bajaj Jewell Bolden Sutton Carder Conner Caughlin Taylor Cusick Adam Davies Nick DuBois Kevin Edwards John Egan Austin Gartner Conner Gartner Trent Gierhart Hunter Glass Jana Heady Jad Hourani Lauren Johnson Savannah Keezer Mahir Khan Peter Larsen Ellen Mines Max Murati Connor Oehmke Yen Pham Ben Saph Cole Schwartz Elley Smith Colton Sorlie Mitch Squires Sarah Vacek

Leen Bakdash Allie Brown Lillian Clark Shreeya Dalla Kathrine Do Noor Farhoud Austin Freed Dalia Hammouri Daniel Hogan Michael Holden Kendall Kilgore Amir Lankarani Livia Le Allie Lindwall William Locke Ally Lowden Kevin Mattar Hannah Osland Hasan Raffi Emily Ramsey Megan Robertson Emma Schmaltz Sophie Shawver Gracie Taylor Hanna Watson Marisa Zayat

Scholars’ Bowl Teams Earn Championships! On February 9, 7th and 8th grade teams participated in the Scholars’ Bowl Finals for the Catholic Schools League. Both teams earned first place finishes! Congratulations to 7th grade team members Conner Caughlin, Kevin Edwards, Cole Schwartz, Austin Gartner, and Adam Davies, and to 8th grade team members Gracie Taylor, Hanna Watson, Kendall Reed, Hasan Raffi, and Austin Freed. The teams are coached by 6th grade teacher Jamie Kennedy.

F IRS T S EM E STER MIDDLE SCHO OL

HONOR ROLL

• 5 th G R A DE • • 6 t h G RA DE • • 7 t h GR ADE • • 8 t h GRA DE • Jack Calvert Crey Clark Elizabeth Crosby Matthew Forrest Canon Nesmith Brayden Phipps Riley Ruffin Max Wheeler Elissa Zakharia

Dalton Cole Mac Copeland Surika Dennill Gabrielle Dobbs Ella Faulkner David Horsch Zaza Lorato Calli Pirner Isabeau Reesman Evan Rolfe Miles Ruffin Will Sahatjian Sadie Tolbert

Keandre Ashley Grace Ball Alex Bayless Greer Cody Sam Estivo Mac Foley Dayen Gierhart Kate Gondwe Morgan Keltner Kirby Krumsick Gabe Louis Winona McGregor Anthony Oyama John Powell Kursten Regehr Matt Regehr Bryce Runyan Elizabeth Schlatter Riley Sherwood Rylie Sollars Cody St. Germain Evan Voegeli Christina Walker Jules White

Levi Aldag Umama Ali Heba Alshamary Trey Bridwell Cameron Christian Vaughn Craddock Connor Devlin Madeline DeVore Caleb Egan Emilee Janicke Ruba Krichati Sam Lair Zoe Miller Carmen Mindt Andrew Murphy Jacob Newlin Alex Payne Kendall Reed Jalen Skar Bryanna Stocker Sean Sullivan Gage Walker

Science Olympiad

Smartans Robotics Team The Smartans competed in the Expert division in the Mindstorms Competition at WSU on Saturday, March 10, and brought home 1st place for the team display, 1st place for the oral presentation, and 2nd place overall. The Smartans are coached by Jessica Mallard, TJ Foley, Erich Gierhart, Patrick Mallard, Ian Mallard, and Maija Gierhart. The Sci-clones, our beginner level team coached by Joyann Brake and WSU mentors Keoki Waipa and Jake McNutt, competed against 18 other teams.

MATHCOUNTS On Saturday, February 4 the Middle School MATHCOUNTS team placed first in the Regional Meet at WSU. The members of the team are Hasan Raffi, Will Locke, Amir Lankarani, and Kevin Edwards. In the countdown round, Hasan placed second and Kevin placed 5th. Marissa Zayat, Connor Oehmke, Austin Gartner, Conner Gartner, Ellen Mines, and Mahir Khan participated as individuals. The team traveled with their coach, Mrs. Schwarz, to Salina on March 3 to compete at the State Meet.

Congratulations to the Middle School Science Olympiad Team for medaling in 15 out of 23 events at the Regional Competition in February. The Spartans, competing without three of their top team members who were competing at the State MATHCOUNTS competition, placed 5th overall. Team members and Coach Amy Dokken are looking forward to competing at State.

Geography & spelling beE Champs! “Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, is located in the Rhineland region of what country?” Congratulations to 7th grader Adam Davies for knowing that the correct answer was “Germany” and winning this year’s WCS Geography Bee! After winning the WCS Bee, Adam completed a 70-question test that qualified him for the State Bee. He was one of 100 students competing on March 30. He missed only one of eight questions in the preliminary round, and he was one of the ten students in the final round. Well done, Adam! Congratulations to 8th grader Hasan Raffi, winner of the 2011 WCS Spelling Bee! The competition was formidable and went into "overtime." Hasan's winning word was "vernacular." Kudos to Hasan and our other spectacular spellers!

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F I R S T SEM ESTE R HIG H SCHO OL

HIGH HONOR ROLL • 9 th GRADE • • 10 th GRADE • • 11 th GRADE • • 12 th GRADE •

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Sanjidah Ahmed Ahmed Alshamary Talah Bakdash Tamanna Basri Sam Beren Caroline Crosby Jemma Davies Corbett DiGiacomo Trent Edwards Amena Elamin Trevor Flamini Ellie Frank Maija Gierhart Caroline Go Karam Hamada Sarah Heady Mikey Hoekel Parth Khare Grace Kohn Ian Mallard Kara Maloney Jaya Mantovani James O’Neill Kara Patton Christy Peterson Maddie Reid-Tedesco Alisa Weatherman

Sara Ayesh Jake Barrett Abby Boyd Robert Braithwaite Seth Carder Shiv Dalla Julia Gurney Marcus Harton Paige Hidlay Kaylea Knappenberger Carolyn Lewelling Ayesha Mahomed Jennifer Mattar Ann McGuire Max Moxley Travis Osland Meagan Richardson Zack Schmaltz Micah Watson

Vafa Behzadpour Sophie Beren Amani Braxton Caroline Breit Dylan Bridwell Julie Brooks Mike Choi Nicole Farha Sage Farha Hassan Farhoud Jonathan Go Whitney Goldberg Molly Haines Sam Horner Faith Kim Brianna Lowden Hannah Melhorn Kate Nelson Ellen Oehmke Connor Robertson Forrest Short Jack Stewart Elly Vosburgh Rachel Wolansky April Yu

Zach Alvarez Charles Bradfield Trace Clark Kelsie Cole Tyler Dobbs Angelo Encapera James Engel Shahab Esfandiary Grace Farha Andrew Feist Tara Kneller Grace LeMaster Sydney Lower Hunter Morris Ellie Newlin Maggie Newlin Torrie Rupe Serjay Sambros Abby Senseney William Short Brianna Smalley Alex Tatro Nathan Templon

National Merit Scholars Congratulations to National Merit Semifinallists Zach Alvarez, Tyler Dobbs, and Nathan Templon; National Merit Commended Students Tara Kneller, Harrison Morris, Serjay Sambros, Abby Senseney, and Brianna Smalley; National Achievement Semifinalist Trace Clark; and National Hispanic Scholar Zach Alvarez for your recent honors! We are so proud of you!

Congratulations to Homecoming King Joey and Queen Sydney!

F IRS T S EM E STER H IG H SCHO OL

HONOR ROLL

• 9 th GRADE • • 10 th GRADE • • 11 th GRADE • • 12 th GRADE • Camron Chugg Jack Copher Essence Dickinson Lily Farha Claire Harpool Azim Kamalulrahim Bon Kyeung Ku Gabby McFarland Judy Obat Mike Park Andrew Steele Richard Sun Blake Wallace Jaques Williams

Will Baltzer Devin Clark Aaron Clothier Agnes Corrigan Rhichik Das Jamie Dimmitt Rachel Fernandes Eledria Franklin Davis Gibson Abbey Gluck Kate Holden Jordan Hull Lauren Hutchinson Maddie Janzen Diana Kim Christian Kraft Jack Naron David Scheffer Matt Sorlie Reagan Thorpe Brooke Weber Brooke Withrow

Ashleigh Bundy Cora Burgoyne Shelby Clothier Houston Cusick Keli Dunn Rob Egan Lindsay Funke Elizabeth Glimpse Alli Hatchett Wynn Hukle Riley Kemmer Maddie Lett Patrick Maloney Mary Meeker Elena Murati Nigel Murphy Markus Phox Amanda Polcheska Bell Schwartz Jerica Skar Israel Taylor Chrissy Waisner Katherine Walker Micah White

Shelby Breit Esther Cho Jonathan Dennill Collin Devlin Andrew Elkouri Perri Fisher Kayla Green Michael Hull Jillian Johnson Harrison Morris Drew Naron Joey O’Hara Rachel Park Josh Park Giovanni Pavetto Sophia Rush Adam Saidian Lily Shawver Anne Shin Tara Smart Scott Sullivan Veronica Taylor Huy Tran Lindsey Wells Hayley Worth

Scholars’ Bowl team Collegiate’s Upper School Scholars’ Bowl Team placed second at State! Team members include Amani Braxton, Tyler Dobbs, Nigel Murphy, Travis Osland, Serjay Sambros, and Nathan Templan. The team is coached by Rodney Wren.

Students Perform Well on National Exam The National Classical Etymology Exam, sponsored by the National Junior Classical League, is designed to test a student's ability to handle both Latin and Greek derivatives and their usage in the English language. This is the second year the exam has been offered, and over 4,000 students participated. Level One (grades 9 and 10) Gold Medal: Carolyn Lewelling, David Scheffer, Richard Sun Silver Medal: Tamanna Basri, Shiv Dalla, Sarah Heady, Jennifer Mattar Bronze Medal: Ian Mallard

Level Two (grades 11 and 12) Gold Medal: Sage Farha, Micah White Bronze Medal: Jack Stewart

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• Academic achievements •

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Debate and Forensics Teams

Journalism Students Qu alify for State

The National Forensics League has recognized the debate and forensics program at WCS as a member of the prestigious 100 Club, placing it among the top 10% of NFL chapters nationwide. In his notification letter to Coach Rodney Wren, NFL Executive Director Scott Winn stated, “Such a milestone is remarkable because it demonstrates outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills – including communication, research, listening, writing, and organization.” Congratulations to Mr. Wren and his students for earning this significant distinction! Coach Wren was also delighted to learn that four of his students have received Student Service Citations from the National Forensic League. Service Citations are awarded in recognition of outstanding service to speech and debate education. Students receive a Student Citation for every 100 service points earned through activities such as community speaking or outreach activities. A single act of service usually garners between two and five service points. Congratulations to Adam Saidian for earning a 2nd Degree Student Citation for more than 200 service points, and to Edgar Corrigan, Tara Kneller, and Giovanni Pavetto for earning 1st Degree Citations for more than 100 service points. The novice debaters traveled to Shawnee Mission West High School for the Novice State Debate Tournament. While none of the teams qualified to elimination rounds based on their preliminary round performance, there were two standouts from the six debaters that went. Out of 71 debate teams and 142 debaters from classes 6A through 1A, Jaya Mantovani was awarded 9th best speaker and Richard Sun was awarded 4th best speaker. The other debaters that represented WCS admirably were Caroline Go, Mike Park, Zak Roberts, and Rhichik Das.

Collegiate students competed in the 3A/4A Regional Journalism Contest that was held February 23 at Emporia State University, and qualified for State. Wynn Hukle qualified in the editorial writing contest by winning 3rd place and Joey O'Hara won first honorable mention in the editorial cartoon contest. Congratulations to our journalists! Good luck at State on May 5 at the University of Kansas!

Science Olympiad Collegiate’s Upper School Science Olympiad team is State bound after placing 3rd at the Regional tournament held on Saturday, March 3 at Newman University. The team was made up of 3 seniors, 3 sophomores, and 9 freshmen. The team medaled in 18 out of 23 events! Medal winners included: 1st place – Anatomy & Physiology: Sanjidah Ahmed and Tamanna Basri 1st place – Astronomy: Nathan Templon and Ben Meyer 1st place – Forestry: Maija Gierhart and Sarah Heady 2nd place – Dynamic Planet: Ben Meyer and Nathan Templon 2nd place – Sounds of Music: Nathan Templon and Richard Sun 3rd place – Disease Detectives: Sanjidah Ahmed and Sarah Heady 3rd place – Forensics: Talah Bakdash and Tamanna Basri 3rd place – Protein Modeling: Talah Bakdash and Sanjidah Ahmed 3rd place – Rock & Minerals: Mike Park and Maija Gierhart 4th place – Helicopters: Rhichik Das and Marcus Harton 4th place – Towers: Hayley Worth and Marcus Harton 5th place – Chemistry Lab: Hayley Worth and Jennifer Mattar 5th place – Microbe Mission: Jennifer Mattar and Talah Bakdash 5th place – Optics: Sarah Heady and Sanjidah Ahmed 5th place – Robot Arm: Ben Meyer and Ian Mallard 5th place – Technical Problem Solving: Ben Meyer and Nathan Templon 5th place – Thermodynamics: Nathan Templon and Ben Meyer 6th place – Remote Sensing: Rhichik Das and Richard Sun

Congratulations Spartans! Good luck at State!

Martha Leaf Named Distinguished Teacher of the Year Fifth grade history teacher Martha Leaf has been selected as the Distinguished Teacher of the Year for Independent Schools by the Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools (KAIRS). She was honored at the KAIRS banquet on February 6 with a contingent of her WCS colleagues in the audience. Martha has taught at WCS for ten years, nine years as a 2nd grade teacher and team leader before teaching at the fifth grade level this year. Martha's previous experience includes five years at the Chicago Lab School where she created integrated curriculum that challenged her students and allowed them to use higher-order thinking skills in new and engaging ways. In her nomination letter, Middle School Head Dr. Ann Rai commented that while she has been a presenter at two national conferences, "What is most impressive about Martha is not her national recognition, but her nurturing presence with students in the classroom every day. Martha knows how to encourage the student who needs extra help and how to engage the student who needs more of a challenge. She has a special ability to identify the specific gifts and talents of her students and help them develop these gifts in her classroom." We are so proud of Martha and are so pleased that KAIRs has recognized the special talents and skills we have always admired and appreciated here at WCS!

• ARTISTIC achievements • Students Honored for Scholastic Art Awards Seven Upper School art students have received awards and recognition for ten works of art in this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. Congratulations to the following students and to their teachers! Page Boleski (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) Gold Key Award for her photograph titled “Allyce” Jordan Hull (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) Gold Key Award for her photograph “Power” Gold Key Award for her photograph “The Flight” Gold Key Award for her photograph “Texture” Photograph titled “The Fight” Judy Obat (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) by Jordan Hull Honorable Mention for her photograph “Autumn” Joey O’Hara (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) Silver Key Award for his photograph “The World Spinnin’ Round” Amanda Polcheska (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) Silver Key Award for her photograph “The American Dream” Ashlee Ramos (Gary Buettgenbach, teacher) Honorable Mention for her photograph “Enchanted” Honorable mention for her photograph “Lively” Anne Shin (Marilen Morales, teacher) Gold Key for her digital artwork “Surrealism”

Middle School encore

Photograph titled “Allyce” by Page Boleski

Photograph titled “Autumn” by Judy Obat page

Photograph titled “The World Spinnin' Round” by Joey O'Hara

Encore traveled to SEAS (St. Elizabeth Ann Seton) school on January 30 to participate in the first Diocese of Wichita Choral Festival and Clinic. The group had prepared six pieces to perform with St. Francis, St. Thomas, and SEAS choirs. Encore also sang alone and were given an excellent adjudication. Thank you to Mr. David Craddock for helping at SEAS and to the parents who attended the final concert in the evening.

Students Honored as All-State Musicians Congratulations to the following students who were recently named to the All-State Honor Band or the All-State Honor Orchestra! 1-2-3-4A All-State Honor Band: Mike Choi, Clarinet and Faith Kim, Bass Clarinet All-State Honor Orchestra: Charles Bradfield, String Bass (3 Year All-State Musician) and Grace Bradfield, Violin KMEA South Central District High School Jazz Band: Jack Stewart, 1st Chair Trumpet

Photograph titled “The American Dream” by Amanda Polcheska

Photograph titled “Enchanted” by Ashlee Ramos

Photograph titled “Surrealism” by Anne Shin

MIDDLE SCHO OL PRESENTS:

Is there a comic in the house? BY BILLY ST. JOHN

Seven wildly funny comedians live in the boarding house owned by Shotzie Starr, who is also in the show business. The only "normal" resident is Shotzie's granddaughter whose pizza-delivering boyfriend is, of course, an aspiring comedian. Bumbling kidnappers crash their van and take refuge at Shotzieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with their victim, a haughty socialite. Hilarity breaks out when police surround the house and the comics are suddenly in the proximity of reporters' TV cameras. Photos courtesy of Jennifer White

Zack, Pepper, and Ed are three stand-up comics looking for a gig. page

Gloria Montez (Bryanna) entertains Pepper and fellow comics Ed Edwards (Caleb) and Zack Zaney (Vaughn).

Performing Gloria and Zack are amazed to see a kidnapping on TV.

Terri Collins (Taylor) and Pepper Russell (Grace) think about ordering a pizza for the stand-up comic guests at the Shotzie Boarding House.

Delilah Owens (Grace) discovers she has been playing Rummy and not Go Fish as she had thought. Hubby Phil Arnold (John) looks on with resignation.

Terri and Landlady Shotzie (Hanna) exchange an affectionate word.

Lenny Ganz (Jonathan) pretends to be the host of the party who shot himself in the earlobe. He makes up a fantastic story about the event, which is the longest monologue on record in a play! Looking on are cast members Zak, Tyler, Micah, Maddie, India, Trent, and Paige.

The four WCS seniors in Rumors: Jonathan, Tara, India, and Tyler.

The wives (Micah, Paige, and India) throw out one or two fingers to decide which of their husbands will impersonate Paigeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s husband in an elaborate scam to deceive the police. Ken Gorman tries to convince Officer Welch (Maddie) to go outside so the guests can get their story straight about the gunshot. Cassie Cooper (Tara) berates politician-husband Glenn Cooper (Mathew).

arts

UPPER SCHO OL'S

RUMORS

Ken Gorman (Trent) gets hysterical about Charlie, upstairs with a bullet hole in his earlobe.

BY NEIL SIMON The Upper School performed Rumors, a play written by Neil Simon in 1988. The play centers on a dinner party where four couples gather at the home of New York Deputy Mayor Charley and Myra Brock to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. After the couples arrive to discover that there are no servants, the hostess is missing, and the host has been injured, rumors abound as to what must have happened. Saturday theatre goers were invited to make an evening of it beginning with a delicious dinner from Ciao Italian Kitchen that was catered just outside of the Black Box Theatre. The cast and crew are featured left. Photos courtesy of Jennifer White

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the hills were alive with ...

The sound of music

his yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Upper School Dinner Theatre production was The Sound of Music. With a cast that included students from Lower School through Upper School and one kindergarten teacher as the Mother Abbess, the cast and crew presented a musical that was truly one of our favorite things. The cast is featured right.

Frau Schmidt (Sophie) helps get the Von Trapp children ready for the party.

Captain Georg Von Trapp (Hunter) and Rolf (Markus).

The Von Trapp Family Singers perform "Edelweiss."

"The Lonely Goatherd" sung by Maria (Lindsey), Brigitta (Meagan), and Louisa (Sarah).

Marta (Zoe) and Gretl (Emily) walk with Baroness Elsa Schrader (India) watched by Kurt (Mikey) and Liesl (Maddie).

Captain Von Trapp (Hunter) and Franz (Jonathan).

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â&#x20AC;˘ PERFORMING ARTS â&#x20AC;˘ page

Max Detweiller (Tyler), the Captain, and Baronness have fun with "No Way to Stop It."

Friedrich (Jonathan) and Kurt (Mikey) Von Trapp.

Kristen Anneler (Mother Abbess) with Nicole, Carolyn, and Micah.

The Von Trapp Family Singers entertain their guests with "So Long, Farewell."

Maria (Lindsey) and Captain Von Trapp (Hunter).

MIDDLE SCHO OL VOLLEYBALL

This season twelve outstanding student athletes came to volleyball practice excited and ready to work every day, demonstrating an incomparable work ethic, attitude, and sense of team that will undoubtedly contribute to future success both on and off the court. The season's highlight came in the post-season tournament when the eighth-seeded Spartans defeated the number one seed. A season's success can be measured in many ways: cheering each other on as a team, working hard in practice, and even winning the big game. By every measure, these athletes can be proud of their season.

â&#x20AC;˘ WCS

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MIDDLE SCHO OL CROSS COUNTRY Neither hotter-than-normal temperatures nor construction of the stadium and track project stopped the Middle School Cross Country team from its appointed rounds. It was too hot to run very far away from school and water sources, so we utilized the campus as much as we could. However, the addition of the 6th graders this year made for a much larger and more competitive team. Collegiate consistently walked away from competitions with top finishes. The Upper School has some excellent, upand-coming runners! We also were able to give novice runners, who had never run very far or raced in a competition, a great experience. Many of the runners on the team set personal records that they will be looking to break this next season!

MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS The WCS MS girls tennis team had unparalleled success this fall, as they marched through their season in undefeated fashion. Twenty-four girls played for the Spartans, and every girl won at least one match! The highlights of the season included an 18-0 whitewash of perennial power Independence and having two tournaments in which the Spartans finished 1st AND 2nd! Coach Dave Hawley loved this team and is excited for the future of Spartan tennis!

Middle school basketBALL

Tommy Lasorda Visits Collegiate

Kudos to our 7th grade boys basketball blue and gold squads for winning the regular season League Championships, and to the gold squad for also winning the post-season tournament. Baseball legend Tommy Lasorda visited Middle School boys’ basketball practice! Among the great words of wisdom he shared: "Play for the name on the front of your uniform, not the name on the back!" Following his pep talk, Mr. Lasorda was extremely gracious in posing for photos and autographing balls and bats. Later that week, Mr. Lasorda spoke to an Upper School assembly, telling the students to dream big dreams and not to let anyone stop them from achieving those dreams. What a fun, once-in-alifetime opportunity for our students.

ATHLETICS • UPPER SCHO OL FO OTBALL Someone once said that football is a game of inches. Spartan football 2011, in my mind anyway, will be the season of what almost was, an inch here or an inch there, and we could have made an even deeper run in the playoffs. We had a great summer of preparation, and on paper, we were the team to beat. However, as Coach Gehrer would remind us, “Proper preparation leads to success but does not guarantee it.” And games aren’t played on paper. We struggled to find our identity early, losing to a good Clearwater team and to the eventual 4A State Champion, Rose Hill. We began to turn the corner with a resounding victory over Wellington and a crushing victory over Andale 41-0. We rolled off 8 straight victories scoring over 40 points a game and limiting our opponents to less than 7 points per game. Finishing 8-3 we claimed another District and Bi-District championship, and our senior class finished with 40 victories in their four seasons as Spartans, including a 2009 State Championship. The great Vince Lombardi once said, “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” For these young men, that spirit, their will to win, and their will to excel will make them extremely successful men in the future no matter their individual paths. I sincerely hope that this group of players enjoyed their SPARTAN journey. They have left us all with unforgettable memories, proving themselves worthy time and time again. On a personal note, as I step aside from the head coaching position here at Collegiate, I want to thank all of those players, coaches, parents, teachers, and administrators that made my run so enjoyable. Thank you for all your support. ~ Coach Bill Messamore

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UPPER SCHOOL TENNIS

The WCS US tennis girls moved into 4A this year in stellar fashion. Led by two-time defending state doubles champions Jillian Johnson and Grace LeMaster, the Spartans took on all comers and emerged victorious in many big meets. Sophomore Brooke Withrow and senior Esther Cho anchored the singles positions in dominating fashion, and Keli Dunn and Lindsay Funke gave the Spartans two extremely gifted doubles teams. The women survived a daunting regional that featured 5 of the top 6 ranked teams in the state to qualify all six girls for 'the big dance' in Pratt. Adding to their previous wins at the Tournament of Champions, at the AVCTL League Meet, and at Regionals, the tennis women captured the State Title with a 23-point margin of victory. The entire season saw great progress from ALL the girls, as outstanding depth was built in for coming season.

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BOWLING TEAMS

The Spartan bowling team had twenty members this season, with twelve Varsity/JV boys and eight Varsity/JV girls. Led by co-captains senior Tara Smart and junior Jack Stewart, the team was a member of the AVCTL III & IV division. In addition to seven dual and tri meets, the team participated in the Bishop Carroll Invitational in early January, where the boys took 23rd place and the girls 19th place. The highlights of the season included attendance at the AVCTL League varsity and JV Tournament at North Rock Lanes and serving as the host school for the 5A1A Regional Bowling Tournament at The Alley Bowling Center February 22. The regional drew 144 participants from 12 area high schools and showcased many of the outstanding bowlers in the Wichita area. The Spartans, led by 2010 State Singles Champion Jack Stewart, were ready to challenge for a state tournament berth and bid for individual honors. Other members of boys varsity included: Stephen Huber, Matt Bloom, Jack Naron, Dusty Youngman, and Michael Park. The girls were led by Tara Smart, Sage Farha, and Alex Waldeck. At Regionals, Jack placed 4th and Stephen Huber placed 15th. Jack qualified for State, where he earned 4th place.

Girls GOLF

After two consecutive seasons with three and four golfers representing Wichita Collegiate School, the Spartans had one lone representative last fall – senior, Tara Kneller. Playing and practicing by oneself is not an easy task for any sport, but Tara held her own and will be remembered by Coach Hapward as a young woman who worked hard all season but came up a little short on getting to the state tournament. The girl’s varsity schedule consisted of eight tournaments including the AVCTL and regional tournaments. It is a grueling schedule with a tournament each week, daily practice at Crestview Country Club, and keeping up with calculus with Mr. Farmer. The good news? Golf is a lifetime sport, and Tara has a head start with “the game.”

SWIM TEAM

In only its fourth year as a program, the Wichita Collegiate boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; swim team has certainly made waves. The team has qualified swimmers for state each of the last three years. Two juniors, Sam Horner and Rhys Powell, led the team. They were joined by seven other swimmers: junior Dilawer Chahin; sophomores Jake Barrett, Ari Evans, Christian Kraft; and freshmen Mikey Hoeckel, Trent Pirner, and Andrew Steele. One of the highlights of the season was the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League meet where the Spartans had a top three medalist in all but one individual event and medaled in two out of the three relay events. Horner came away with two AVCTL League Championship titles in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events. He also holds the championship meet record in the 500-freestyle. Powell was a double medalist with second in the 100-yard freestyle and third in the 50yard freestyle. Pirner won bronze medals in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley. Barrett also picked up a third in the 100-yard backstroke. The foursome combined for a second place in the 400-yard freestyle relay and a third in the 200-yard medley relay. At State the four Spartans placed 9th out of 27 teams! The boys turned in strong performances with many personal best times. The team included Sam Horner, Jake Barrett, Phys Powell, Trent Pirner, and alternate Christian Kraft. Our swimmers qualified in seven events and made the medal stand in four of them. Junior Rhys Powell placed 6th in the 100-yard freestyle, junior Sam Horner placed 11th in the 200-yard freestyle, and freshman Trent Pirner took 9th in the 100-yard breaststroke. The relay team of Jake, Trent, Sam, and Rhys medaled in all three relays, placing 6th in the 200-yard medley relay, 7th in the 400-yard freestyle relay, and 8th in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

UPPER SCHO OL CROSS COUNTRY The 2011 Cross Country team faced some challenges with new coaches, new runners, and a new classification. Kristy Simcox was promoted from Assistant Coach to Head Coach and Megan Holmgren was brought in as Assistant Coach. There were five new members added to the team with various running experiences. The move up to 4A also brought new challenges to the team as it brought on a higher level of competition. All of the WCS cross country athletes had to deal with extreme temperatures as they prepared for the season as well as lack of a track to run on for the first few weeks. Even with these obstacles, the team as a whole improved with each race and saw great success. Sydney Lower and Ellie Newlin made All-League at the League Meet held by Circle. Sydney qualified for State with her performance at the Regional Meet in El Dorado, going on to run in Wamego. We are graduating four seniors: Grace Farha, Sydney Lower, Ellie Newlin, and Maggie Newlin. It was a fantastic season for the entire team, and we hope for more to come from those not graduating in 2012.

UPPER SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

ATHLETICS

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The Spartan volleyball team had two new additions to the staff this year with Lacey Kerbs as head coach and Destiny Clark as assistant coach. The girls on the team embraced their new coaches and had a successful season. The season ended with a disappointing loss first round of sub-state but the girls are not discouraged for what is possible next yearl! The ladies will be losing their only senior, Torrie Rupe, but with many returners coming back next year, they will be a force in the fall of 2012.

Alumni Giving

The Alumni Association set a goal for the 2011-2012 school year: to get 12% of alumni to support the alumni endowment. To date, 8% of alumni have given, as illusrtated in the graph below. Help us reach our goal and fill the Spartan head above.

Class of

PERCENTAGE OF Participation

2011 - 2012

12%

ALUMNI NEWS

s a student, I remember counting down with excitement to graduation day. As an alum, I’m counting up. Somehow the math isn’t nearly as much fun now – especially when it involves adding toes to fingers to make it all work.

But as the chronological gap widens, I hope you will keep Collegiate close in your heart. Neither age nor distance need be a barrier to continued involvement with your alma mater. “Once a Spartan, always a Spartan,” is a phrase that drives our focus and activity as an alumni board. To that end, the 2011-12 school year has been a busy one. Homecoming weekend featured reunions from the Classes of 1986, 1996, and 2000. Many of our alumni stopped in for a Saturday morning campus tour, marveling at some of the big changes that have taken place in their absence. The following Monday, the Wichita Country Club once again played host to our Alumni Golf Classic. With a record 25 hole sponsors, we were able to raise over $14,000 for the Alumni Endowment Fund, which provides need-based tuition assistance for our current Collegiate students. On Thanksgiving Friday, we enjoyed a grand hoops tradition, as the Spartan alums took on the current varsity in a friendly exhibition. To make the varsity feel good, the alums pretended to be rusty and horribly out of shape. They were very convincing.

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In early January, we took our phone-a-thon to a whole new level, enlisting help from many of the current faculty and students. With their assistance, we received 116 alumni pledges and are on pace for an Endowment record, having raised over $60,000! February marked the 21st year of our Mentor Day Program, pairing seniors with professionals from around the community and giving them the opportunity to sample life in a career of their choice. As part of the event, Meagan Hawley (Class of 1999) spoke to the entire Upper School student body, recounting some of her experiences working with orphan children in Africa. Alex Sappock (2000) was our keynote speaker at the Mentor Breakfast, reflecting on the phrase “Proba Te Dignum” and how Collegiate has helped him to “prove himself worthy” as an engineer in the highly competitive automotive industry. We continue to update our alumni blog (Proba Te Digital) with news and upcoming alumni events as well as our Facebook page, Proba Te Dignum, where we have almost 1100 friends. Be sure to check it out via the alumni link at wcsks.com. Once again, to those who served on the alumni board this year and to those who helped make all of these events and more such a great success – thank you! It’s been an outstanding year (even if its close makes us all another year older). Bryan Holmgren, Class of 2002 Alumni Board President

President Elect Jed Bond ’96 Immediate Past President Allan Dunne’91 Honorary Board Members Randy Love ’67 Randy Storms ’74

Board Members Phoebe Stokely Hart ’95 Adam Kennedy '00 Laura Brim Cusick ’88 Mallory Jones Farha ’01 Morgan Wilson Overman ’96 Aeramy Porter ‘93 Joey Ritchie ’04 Patrick Ritchie ’02 Missy Tidwell Stevens ’96

Out of Town Representatives Jewell Sparks ’88 Carrie Jablonski ‘94 Blaine Schultz ’89 Faculty Representative Jamie Kennedy Ex-Officio Members Tom Davis Lisa Schooler

ALUMNI BOARD

President Bryan Holmgren ‘02

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Lee Ancapera, Bob Hull, Nick Cusick ’88, and Perky Morris Bill Messamore, Marty Cornejo, Kurt Cornejo, and Gary Buettgenbach

page Joe Rothwell ’70, Marty Cornejo, Kurt Cornejo, and Patrick Ritchie ‘02

Jeff Mills’76, Paul Brito ’76, Rud Collins, and Bill Johnson Tyler Porter, Jed Bond ’96, Jad Munn, and Nick Esterline

First Place Team! Clarke Carnahan ’03, Joe Rheem ’01, Joey Ritchie ’04, and Spencer Christian ’05

Tim Green, Mariah Green ’10, Jackie Green, and Larry Dobbs

2011

HOMECOMING

Johnny Rothwell ‘02

Mr. Buettgenbach, Mrs. Stokley, Mrs. Thiel, Mrs. Mykel, and Mr. Farmer Mason and Jed Bond ‘96 page

Logan and Morgan Overman ’96 and Garrett Simon ’95

Melissa Murfin Mangan ’00 and Nicola Caldecott Lodes ‘00

Sheila Abderhalden Krehbiel ’86 with her daughter in the 5th grade Mars Probe

Gita Arab Noble '86 with Sage, Kelsey, Emma, and Ellie

American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina surprised Collegiate students with a concert on Homecoming Day and signed photos for many WCS fans.

MENTOR DAY

Bill Messamore and Mitch Fiegel visit with Meagan Hawlay ’99, who spoke at the Mentor Assembly about her experiences working with children in Africa.

Alex Sappok, who was the Valedictorian of the Class of 2000, went on to earn his masters and doctorate from MIT. Here, he meets with current WCS students interested in engineering.

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Class of 1976

Class of 1980

Last October the Class of 1976 celebrated its 35-year reunion with a dinner party at the home of Raul and Suzanne Brito. Pictured are: top row—Craig Slawson, Walter Berry, Bill Woolley, Jeff Mills, Marty Shawver, Raul Brito. Front row—Grace Kruger Adam, Chris Johnson, Anne Mohr Corriston.

Sara Jernigan is the owner of Jernigan Nutraceuticals and has been manufacturing and shipping products for 15 years. Their specialty is manufacturing remedies to help the body heal itself from Lyme disease. The website is www.jernigannutraceuticals.com.

Ann Mohr Corriston is the new executive director for Inter-Faith Ministries in Wichita, Kansas. Inter-Faith runs an inn for the homeless and the Safe Haven for mentally ill men, provides low-income housing to get people off the streets, and leads Operation Holiday for the needy at Christmas-time. She had most recently been Director of Community Relations for the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas.

Class of 1979 Paul Attwater III married Kim Dugger of Wichita on September 24, 2011. Kim is a graduate of Friends University and is a radio personality on KEYN and a corporate sales trainer for Mike Steven Auto Group. Paul is a graduate of Kansas State University and a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.

Class of 1983 R.C. Sproul, Jr.’s thirteenth book, The Call to Wonder: Loving God Like a Child, was published in March of 2012. For more information on his books, go to: http://www.amazon.com/R.C.-Sproul-Jr./e/ B004W80CDG. R.C.’s wife passed away on December 18 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Class of 1988 Jarrett Sanders has joined Kansas Truck Equipment Co., Inc., a final stage manufacturer for truck equipment in Wichita, as a Senior Sales Representative.

Class of 1990 Saudia Wadud is currently living in Tampa, Florida and is a Board Certified Art Therapist. She has a 15-month old daughter, Bimini Bijou Wadud.

Class of 1991 Justin Bowles is currently a Masters of Fine Art candidate at Memphis College of Art.

Class of 1992 Nicole Smith Bayles and husband Andrew moved to Memphis, Tennessee. She does Inside Sales for Belden, Inc. and Andrew works for Games Workshop as a Corporate Trainer. Their son, Alexander, has outgrown his prematurity; after starting off in the world at 2 pounds 13 ounces, he now weighs 30 pounds. Gwen Caldwell has taken the new position of Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, at the State Chamber of Oklahoma.

Class of 1994 Tyler Runner ’94 and Leia Pitcher ’96 were married in Cannon Beach, Oregon, in October 2009 and celebrated the birth of their first child, Maxwell Raye Runner on January 15, 2012. Max was 8 pounds, 4 ounces and long like his father. Tyler, who earned a graduate degree in architecture from Sci-arc in Los Angeles in 2003, owns Runner Design-Build in Eugene, and Leia is the Assistant Police Auditor for the City of Eugene.

Jordan Womble and his wife Amanda are proud to announce the arrival of their baby girl, Scarlett Blair. She was born on February 1, 2012 in Chicago, IL at 7 pounds 13 ounces and 19 iches long. Mom and baby are doing great.

Class of 2000 Kristen Marhaver finished her Ph.D. in Marine Biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in December of 2010. She then continued her research on coral larval behavior and microbial ecology as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Merced. Kristen is also working to change the way that scientific information is published, organized, and communicated. For this, she was invited to speak at Google headquarters in 2011 and she is a finalist for the 2012 TED Global Fellows. Kristen will present at conferences in Spain and Australia this summer before moving full-time to the island of Curacao in the southern Caribbean. At the CARMABI Research Station, she will continue her research, mentor visiting students, and work on local reef conservation projects.

Class of 1995 Lesley Durfee Edgemon and husband Keith welcomed their first child, Kimball Durfee Edgemon, on November 23, 2011 in Fairfax, Virginia. He weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces. page

Class of 2001

Michael Garvey married Lannette Jacobs of Wichita on November 5, 2011 at Blessed Sacrament in Wichita. The reception was at the Hotel Old Town, and featured a Star Trek Wedding cake and a disc golf groom’s cake. Guests danced until 9:00. Toasts were given by Jim Garvey, Daniel Jacobs, and the best man and maid of honor.

Class of 1998 Brad Eisel and spouse Katie welcomed twins Grace and Graham on November 11, 2010. John Stewart married Sarah Hope LeMee on August 27, 2011 at Tates Creek Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Hope is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Asbury Theological Seminary near Lexington, while John is a current faculty member of the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Department of the University of Kentucky Medical Center.

Class of 1999 Kathy Talbot Rukes, husband Brad, and son Jackson welcomed Ethan Atticus Rukes on January 9, 2012 at 2:07 am. Ethan was 8 pounds and 20 inches long.

Kristen DeBoise Burge married her husband Christopher Burge in October of 2008. They had their first son Ethan in March of 2010 and just this past January, gave birth to their second son, Grayson. Both Kristen and Christopher are attorneys in Washington. Jordan Harding married the love of his life, Julie Mann, in September of 2011. They met at KU and moved to New York City together almost 5 years ago. He is currently working as the Director of Event Strategy & Development for the Barclays Center, a brand new billion dollar arena opening September 2012 in Brooklyn. He is counting down the days to the Grand Opening, which kicks off with a run of concerts by Jay-Z. Sara Zafar has been working at Kansas Legal Services in the Hutchinson office since September 2010. She was engaged to Joshua Dutcher, also of Wichita, on November 12, 2011. They will be married October 13 at Exploration Place in Wichita. In March, Sara will be moving to Lawrence, Kansas, where they will reside.

Class of 2002 Dan Dakhil has joined CrossFirst Bank of Leawood in the Waterfront Branch as a business banker. Grant Nixon married Courtney Morris on August 13, 2011 at a beach wedding in Florida. They reside in Yukon, Oklahoma. Courtney is an M.D. Resident Physician at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and Grant is a Petroleum Landman with Reagan Resources in Oklahoma City. Curt Romig and wife Michelle announced the birth of their daughter, Isabella, on August 8, 2011. She weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces. They have returned from China, and Curt is now working as a pastor at First Free Church in Wichita.

Class of 2003 Ruse Brown is currently working as a Financial Advisor at UBS and is a partner in the Brown Investment Group Wilkins Flaming Group. On December 9, 2011 his team was named as one of Wichita’s Top Wealth Managers by the Wichita Business Journal. The accolade was reaffirmed on a national level by Barron’s on February 20, when they were officially named to Barron’s Top 1,000 Financial Advisors in the USA and listed as number 5 in the State of Kansas. Jessica Elkouri Harroz and husband Edward welcomed their baby girl, Gia Florence Harroz, on March 7 at 6:17 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 inches long. Natalie Houlik is engaged to Dustin Volz. Natalie is living in Dallas and is working for Goldman Sachs as an Executive Assistant and Dustin works for Marcus and Millchap as an Associate. They met at the University of Kansas. Their wedding date will be in the spring of 2013. Kelly Marhaver earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California in May 2011. She then took her talents to South Austin, accepting a position as a physical therapist with South Austin Rehab and Wound Clinic in Austin, Texas, the clinic in which she did her final rotation during PT school. Kelly’s primary focus as a therapist is treatment of orthopedic conditions and rehabilitation after surgery. She also has special training in treating patients with Parkinson’s Disease and enjoys working with these types of challenging PT cases. And, because she knows how they feel, Kelly also treats TMJ patients, to the delight of dentists across Texas.

Jackie Monger married SMSgt. David John Risnear on November 26, 2011. They are happily living outside of Washington, DC. Ashley Peterson married Robert Rescot at Holy Cross Lutheran Church on July 23, 2011. The couple resides in Munster, Indiana where they both are professors at Purdue Calumet University. Robert teaches engineering, and Ashley is a French professor. Patrick Toomey is currently attending Washburn Law School in Topeka.

Class of 2004 Michael Fowler and Patrick Toomey ’03 ran the North Face Endurance Challenge in Kansas City, Missouri on August 27-28, 2011. Patrick is second from left, then Michael, then Michael’s father Jay Fowler. Michael is currently attending Washburn Law School in Topeka, Kansas. Jamil Malone has joined the firm of Sullivan Higdon & Sink as a research assistant.

Class of 2005 Sheree Peterson is engaged to Ben Lutz. The wedding will be March 17 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. Sheree is currently a graduate student in Art History at the University of Kansas; she also works at the Spencer Museum of Art. Ben works as a commercial real estate appraiser for Cushman & Wakefield in Kansas City. Rachel Rice is engaged to Andrew Bennetch. The wedding will be in Fort Worth, Texas on November 10. Rachel is working in wardrobe at the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Anything Goes on Broadway in New York City.

Class of 2008 Kimberlee Alexander and Gideon Massey ’09 were married December 17, 2011. They will both graduate from Wichita State University in May 2012. Michael Malone has joined J.P. Weigand & Sons Inc. as a Commercial Sales Associate. His duties include sales and leasing of commercial real estate in and around the Wichita Metro area.

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9115 E. 13th Street | Wichita, KS 67206 (316) 634-0433 | wichitacollegiate.com

Dedication of the Spartan Stadium & Track

Return Service Requested

Former Trustees, Alumni, Alumni Parents, and current families joined together on Friday, September 9, to dedicate the wonderful new stadium and track facilities. This project has been on our master campus plan, and thanks to the generosity of anonymous donors, the project was tackled immediately after school ended in May. Work continued at a steady pace through the summer, and the stadium was ready for the first home football game on September 9 with Rose Hill.

Above: Spartan Stadium under the lights from a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view. Below: Markus Phox finds a hole and drives toward the goal line. Left: Spartan fans release blue and gold balloons celebrating the new stadium and track.

Our students and visitors have enjoyed playing on the new turf field and running on the new track this year. Because of the new track, WCS will be hosting the first track meet we have been able to have on campus in years! We are grateful for our donors, to Schafer Johnson Architects, Wildcat Construction, Sharp Construction, Delta Electric, MKEC, Field Turf, and Beynon Corporation for the wonderful work they did on this amazing addition to our campus!

Headmaster Tom Davis introduced and thanked representatives of various companies who played a role in the project. From left to right are Mikes Jones (Field Turf), Harm Wilson (Beynon Corporation), Greg Allison of Mid-Kansas Engineering Consultants/(MKEC), John Whittet of Delta Electric, Bill Hargrove of Sharp Construction, Cathy Spencer and Gary Holler of Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture, Howard Sherwood of Wildcat Construction, WCS Campus Facilities Manager Nick Cusick, Development Director Jodi Guillemette, and Headmaster Tom Davis.

The high-kicking Wichita Collegiate Spartan dance team performed at the half.

In honor of the wonderful job that Campus Facilities Manager Nick Cusick did in coordinating the entire project, Tom Davis and Jodi Guillemette surprised Nick by officially proclaiming one corner of the stadium as Cusickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner.