Celebrating Our Ties to Westminster… Past, Present & Future
field trips
Beyond the classroom walls
Most of us have fond memories of field trips when we were in lower and middle school. To our young minds, they were a fun opportunity for escaping the “boredom” of the everyday classroom. As adults, we also realize how much learning actually occurred as we experienced, touched and soaked in the culturally enriching sights and sounds that comprised our environments. Field Two of last year’s kindergarten boys explore aviation during their visit to Science trips can be a good Museum Oklahoma. way for children to make meaningful connections between subjects being studied in the classroom and the Letter from your editor 2 real world. They provide a happy change in From the desk of Bob Vernon 9 routine, a kick-off for a project or study topic, Class of 2016 14 or closure to content previously learned. They also help build relationships between chilGenerations report 15 dren, teachers and parents. Field trips provide Oklahoma Nights auction 16 a safe way for young children to explore their Grandparents’ and community while reminding us all how imSpecial Friends’ Day 17 portant we are in each other’s lives. College plans for class of 2012 18 As educators know, it can be difficult to find the time and resources necessary for field Teachers retire 20 trips. At Westminster School, we continue to Over 21 Get-together 24 make it an important part of our curriculum. Class notes 26 From museums to outdoor activities, Westminster students take the information they Class of 1996 reunion learn in the classroom and experience learnback cover ing in ways that will last them a lifetime. continued page 2
FALL 2016
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Field Trips from page 1
Kindergarten field trips empower the child’s learning experience. They are fascinating and exciting, and provide safe, meaningful and fun ways for the child to explore, wonder and connect with reality from experiencing science exhibits to exploring and enjoying nature and animal life. After studying dinosaurs at the beginning of the year, kindergarten children took
Letter from your editor…
a trip to Science Museum Oklahoma where they explored fossils. They also experienced a planetarium show, which was a great introduction to constellations. An excursion to the Children’s Theater to see Charlotte’s Web also tied in with classroom activities, including the formation and sequence of a story, a comparison of how different versions
Thank you for reading the Retrospective! While fall signals the beginning of the new school year and all the excitement that comes with a fresh start, this year’s cover story is a look back at some favorite field trips taken during the past year by students in different grades. I am sure you will remember visiting some of these places yourself– either from your own Westminster School experience or your children’s days here. You may have even been a parent chaperone along for one of these fun-filled days. Field trips gave me some of my favorite memories as a student. I always loved visiting new places and expanding my learning in different ways. Now that my own children are school aged, I can also see that same enthusiasm in them. On a field trip morning, they wake up eager to get to Rebecca and her husband Steve with their school and head to an exciting new destination. three beautiful children. Their daughter is in seventh grade and the boys are second graders. They come home exhausted, but with stories about everything from early days in Oklahoma to medieval costumes to tropical flowers and plants. I hope you enjoy reading this and the other stories in this issue, and that it takes some of you on a pleasant walk down memory lane as it has me. As always, the Retrospective is the work of many people. It simply would not get done without the help of many individuals. Grade level teaching teams helped author the cover story on field trips…too many to mention by name but I hope you all know how much I appreciate your efforts. Each team offers a unique perspective on important aspects of the trips they took with their students. I also have to say a big thank you to Denise York who makes the newsletter worth reading. Her graphic design work is unmatched. Thank you for working so tirelessly on this project year after year. We hope you like our updated look! It is always a pleasure to hear from you. Stay in touch and happy fall!
Fondly, Rebecca Vernon Skarky ‘92
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can be imagined and participating appropriately as an audience. Many of the kindergarten children had heard the classic story during chapter time and this opportunity gave them another chance to revisit the tender and endearing tale of a child, a pig and a clever spider–helping to spark a love of literature, storytelling and listening to endure a lifetime. This particular field trip was a quick ride to Oklahoma City University which enabled teachers and children to use the energy and time left that afternoon to discuss the morning’s experience. It also provided a nice opportunity for the children to be a part of the audience as a group and appreciate the singing, costumes, clever plot twists and child-friendly theater experience. Nature day is unique, for it exposes children to an entire day outside. The kindergartners have the opportunity to figure out how to stay warm or cool depending on the weather. The nature scavenger hunt challenges children to look for soft, spiky, hard and slimy things. Chapter time is experienced on the grass with the sweet smell of soil and grass. Nature offers so many ways to play, feel, learn and connect. First graders traveled to Harn Homestead early in the year. The social studies curriculum
is primarily based around the question, “How has the way people lived changed over time?” Through experiences at the Harn Homestead, children were introduced to the way people lived when Oklahoma began. Children worked in a barn using tools to grind corn, make rope and keep a barn in working order. The students also got to milk a model cow. While at the Harn Homestead, some time was spent in a one-room school as students experienced what it was like to go to school when everyone was together. After spending time in the classroom, the students also played games from that time period. This field trip provided the groundwork for conversations throughout the year about how life in Oklahoma has changed. Another science and social studies focus for first grade is learning about various biomes, which made the Myriad Gardens a perfect destination for their second field trip. One of the biomes students explore is the rainforest. The botanical gardens is an excellent place for children to observe the plants and atmosphere in a rain forest. While at the Myriad Gardens, the students also attended two different classes where they learned more about the various plants and animals living in the rainforest biome. One of the main goals of this unit of study is to teach how important the rainforest is and how many things–plants, animals and people–depend on the rainforest. Early in the school year, second graders spent several weeks studying the animal kingdom. The children learned how scientists classify animals and then visited the zoo to practice using visual clues to classify animals. The children used a map of the zoo to help them decide where they might find a certain type of animal. Because several of them are quite familiar with our zoo, they were able to discuss places they remembered seeing certain animals such Two first graders from last year experience a as amphibians or birds, and then territorial schoolhouse at Harn Homestead. seek them out using the map. After
4 returning from the zoo, they discussed what types of animals they found. This year, they discovered that our zoo had very few invertebrates on display. Then the children explored the Museum of Osteology where they learned more about vertebrates. They discovered that herbivores have flat teeth and eye sockets placed to the sides of their heads. At the end of
Former third grade students explore a tool used by the Plains Indians at the Sam Noble Museum.
Second graders from last year leave the walls of their classroom to study teeth and classify carnivores at the Museum of Osteology.
this study, the children created displays to teach interesting things they learned about animals. Second grade also visited Will Rogers Park and toured the grounds with naturalist Kenton Peters. The children observed a variety of plants that grow throughout the winter season and those growing in green houses that would be planted outside once spring arrived. Poet Pat Webb worked with the children to write poems based on the nature they had experienced. She specifically encouraged them to stop and use all five senses. Did they smell a particular scent in the herb garden? Did they feel interesting textures as they touched bark or cactus spines? Did they hear the sounds of the fountain in the pond or the wind through the trees? Then the children put their words to paper and wrote lovely poems reflecting their memories of the park… “Trees with cinnamon secrets. Lemon herbs that smelled like spring.” Third grade students had the opportunity to study ancient cultures as part of their curriculum and through class field trips. As they traveled to the Sam Noble Museum in Norman,
student teams were able to participate in an archaeological lab environment. Each team evaluated, analyzed and measured different artifacts from the Plains Indian culture and reported on their artifact to the class. Additionally, third graders traveled to the Mabee Gerrer Museum in Shawnee where students viewed exhibits, participated in ancient Egyptian activities and viewed Oklahoma’s only mummy as part of the Egyptian collection. These trips enrich students, as they make connections to the ancient cultures they study and understand how scientists can learn about these civilizations through examining the artifacts left behind. Next, students traveled to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge where they studied several biomes. The grass prairie biome of the refuge provided firsthand experience with the local plant and animal populations, specifically, exposure to native grazing animals such as American Bison and the historical legacy species, the Texas Longhorn. Lastly, students traveled to the Arbuckles of southern Oklahoma to Camp Classen. This three-day, two-night trip included students, teachers and Westminster parent volunteers. Students had many exciting learning experiences such as canoeing, fishing, archery, nature hikes, science exploration, team building, problem solving and so much more. Camp Classen functions
5 as an outdoor school for children, which helps them understand diversity among biomes, the importance of natural habitats and our responsibility to them, and how students truly can make a difference in the care and future of these natural habitats.
Last year’s fourth grade girls package bread boxes for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma during a class field trip.
Fourth graders embarked on several field trips throughout the year which reinforced concepts taught in the classroom and provided an enjoyable “break” from the typical school day. In the fall, students explored numerous concepts relating to nutrition and the question, “What does it mean to be healthy?” A community service portion of this science unit included fourth graders coordinating Westminster’s annual food drive. Students travelled to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, where they learned sobering facts about hunger in our state and then packed nearly 13,500 pounds of food–the equivalent of 11,203 meals for hungry Oklahomans. In December, fourth graders travelled to the National Severe Storms Lab in Norman as part of their unit on weather. Touring the facility and listening to guest speakers reinforced their investigation of the question, “Why does the weather change and how does it impact our lives?” In February, students took their annual trek to a professional music studio, where they recorded the sound
track for this year’s production of The Jungle Book. This interdisciplinary project results in students being actively involved in not only performing the play’s music, but also creating the play’s scenery, promotional materials, acting and singing. Lastly, in April, students travelled to the Oklahoma History Center as part of their Oklahoma social studies unit, designed to promote an understanding of the people and events that have shaped our great state. Exploring in small groups, students completed activities in galleries throughout the museum that helped them understand the Oklahoma unit’s question, “Which is more important to the success of the state: people or events?” In the fall, fifth graders went on two field trips. Their first field trip was part of an interdisciplinary unit involving math and art. They visited Brickopolis to kick off the miniature golf project. Students measured the area and perimeter of a particular hole and searched for different key features and angles they wanted to incorporate into their projects. Exploring different sculptures downtown provided students the inspiration to guide the building of their own miniature golf course structures. In December,
Two former fifth grade boys use an iPad to take photographs of different angle measurements to prepare for their miniature golf project as part of their math class.
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the students worked hard and had some fun! Fifth graders volunteered their time working at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma in the morning, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Joey’s Pizza and topped off the day with a movie at Cinemark Tinseltown! In April, students had the privilege of visiting the printmaking studio at Artspace at Untitled Gallery. This trip was the culmination of a collaborative project involving language arts, technology and art. Using their new photography skills, students captured inspiring images, wrote poetry and designed a dry point etching. Students used a professional printmaking process and created lasting works of art. In May, fifth graders had two field trips. They visited UCO’s forensic science department where they learned about real crime scene investigations. Students used their forensic skills to figure out Coach Johnson “whodunit” during Mystery Festival in science leads students class. The last field trip was an enjoyable day through a celebrating the school year and having fun with discussion each other. They travelled to OU’s One Store pertaining where students explored the latest advances to practical in technology. Finally, delivering Read-a-Thon mathematical checks to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the concepts related Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, and Pets and to the Gaylord Family Oklahoma People was the highlight of the day. Memorial Sixth graders visited Norman in December Stadium. and participated in several activities relating to
art, math and social studies. At the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, the students were able to visit the imperial Roman sculpture exhibit, Immortales: The Hall of Emperors of the Capitoline Museums. It was an opportunity for the students to experience tangible materials from the ancient Roman world. The 20 pieces came directly from the Capitoline Museum in Rome and were to be returned directly there. By observing the sculpted busts of emperors, empresses and patricians, students were able to see and better understand permutations of Roman government as well as how personalities affect portraiture and positions of leadership. The assignment built critical reading and thinking skills as the
“Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” John Dewey
students participated in a tour, viewed sculptures up close, and discussed the differences in sculptural representation of distinguished individuals for Roman audiences. In addition to viewing the Roman sculpture exhibit, students also experienced Enter the Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers. This exhibit highlighted the many printmaking styles of native artists from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. The exhibit coincided with the start of sixth grade’s printmaking unit in visual art as well as their studies of indigenous cultures across the globe. Students viewed the artwork and were inspired to create printmaking pieces of their own in the art room. After spending the morning in the museum, the students walked to the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and were allowed to go onto the field. While listening to former OU Assistant Football Coach Merv Johnson talk about the stadium,
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students used the “see, think, wonder” visible thinking strategy to generate more questions about various structures, elevations and areas in the stadium, as well as the mathematics necessary to create the large space. After a tour of the facility, students were asked to design their own math problems that would address an interesting question about the stadium. In January, students walked through the neighborhood to visit Emanuel Synagogue and ask questions of Rabbi Abby Johnson. The rabbi answered many questions about Judaism, which is studied during the social studies unit on monotheistic religions of the Mediterranean region. The rabbi showed students sacred components of Jewish practice and discussed the architecture of the synagogue. A highlight was seeing a handmade Torah and hearing the rabbi chant in Hebrew. The students enjoyed the nice walk and the opportunity to think about what makes a space sacred, comparing it to Greek and Roman temples they’d studied earlier in the year, as well as to think about how and where other faiths worship. In April, students and chaperones enjoyed visiting The Medieval Fair of Norman which connected to the spring curriculum themes presented in English, social studies and science. Students were asked to observe and document the differences and similarities in clothing, technology, weaponry, food and entertainment in the medieval times versus today. For science, the students were asked to find examples of simple machines, including levers, pulleys, screws, wheels and axles, and wedges. They were excited to see how many of these machines at the fair correlated with what they had studied and made in class. Assignments prepared for the fair kept students busy and gave them an opportunity to ask questions of people they maybe wouldn’t normally talk to. It also gave them a purpose at the fair, which opened their eyes to see things more clearly and thoroughly than they might otherwise have done. Students came back having witnessed blacksmithing, jousting, acrobatics and a human chess game as they stepped back in time
for a day of revels (and funnel cake). At Martin Nature Park, seventh graders connected nature to the science curriculum while exploring plant life cycles, plant anatomy and symbiotic relationships. Students also learned about the impact of human activity on the environment. In addition to its connection with the science curriculum, the Martin Nature Park field trip allowed students to practice their Spanish vocabulary words and also connected to several themes found in Hatchet (the novel students read in CORE), such as problemsolving strategies, self discovery and perseverance. Students were encouraged to use nature as inspiration for their writing in English as well. Putting their civics knowledge into action during their field trip to Oklahoma’s Capitol, students experienced first-hand what it’s like to pass a bill into law. Students were given a bill to research, and then they broke into committees
and debated the bill on the state Senate floor and in the House of Representatives. Students also visited the Oklahoma Supreme Court and listened to a Supreme Court Justice speak about how the court system works and how their decisions can impact others’ lives. By volunteering at Infant Crisis Services, seventh graders saw first-hand how their service for others impacts their own community. Students learned the value of volunteer work and the importance of having empathy for those
Three girls from last year’s seventh grade class sort toddler clothes at Infant Crisis Services.
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Last year’s eighth grade students enjoy their interactions with Spanishspeaking staff at a local restaurant.
who are less fortunate and for those who need a helping hand. The Infant Crisis Services field trip also connected to the human sexuality unit seventh graders study in science. Building a business from the ground up is one of the highlights of seventh grade, so on this field trip students got to learn from others who have started their own business, from small shops to large corporations. Students visited The Oklahoman and the Scott Sabolich Prosthetics & Research Center, and they discovered the workload involved in creating a business as well as what it takes to make a business successful. Students gained insight into how to do inventory, price products, determine sale prices and set price per unit. They tied the experience of starting a business to the seventh grade math curriculum. “¡No Inglés! ¡No Inglés!” A chorus of gleeful disapproval erupted as a student in the eighth grade inadvertently let slip a few words of English on the bus. They were headed to La Catrina, the restaurant where Westminster eighth graders ordered in Spanish; conversed with wait staff, friends and teachers in Spanish; and received and paid their check in Spanish. The goal
of the trip is to answer one of their overarching essential questions: “What are my options when I can’t fall back on my native language?” Those options included talking around unknown words, asking servers and verifying uncertain vocabulary with friends. The trip was generally successful. Early feedback indicated that the food was pretty good, that the Jarritos (Mexican soft drinks) were a hit and that the horchata and jamaica caused a few grimaces but also gained some new fans. The sopapillas were a huge hit, but waiting for all the checks to be processed was not. Although students did hear “¡No Inglés!” a few more times in the restaurant, they generally got into the spirit of the event and spoke largely in Spanish. Some translated for their teachers. Others were surprised to learn that Westminster’s faculty includes more Spanish speakers than just those who teach the language. From students asking the servers in Spanish how long the restaurant has been in operation, or what jamaica was (hibiscus-flower juice) and then ordering it, students were able to get out of their comfort zone just a bit while being supported by their friends.
letter
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From the desk of Bob Vernon
Let me confess at the outset that I’ve given this same graduation speech for 37 years. In the first part I explain what really stands out about this graduating class and how this class has internalized what I often refer to as the triangle for success–working hard, thinking well, working well with others–and also how they have demonstrated a growth mindset–the willingness to challenge themselves and the ability to learn from their mistakes. In the second part, I offer a little perspective and advice to our graduates as they leave the safety and security of Westminster and take another step on their life’s journey. I will often use their words so they can explain who they are and how they see their world. I have taken their words from several sources–English letters, extra credit history stories and my final exam. They’ve given me lots of ideas, words and feelings as they’ve explained all that they have learned at Westminster School through the years. One of the most important things they’ve learned is that mistakes are our best teachers… and I might add, like all teenagers, they’ve had a chance to learn that lesson a lot. For example, one wrote, “In sixth grade, my friend and I were in the boys’ locker room when he pulled a chocolate milk out of his pocket. He looked down at it, laughed, and said, ‘Let’s punt this.’ I laughed too and then he stepped into the stall and dropkicked his milk. It showered all over the stall’s ceiling, walls and floor. We started cracking up. Then Mr. Baird walked in and made him spend the entire PE class cleaning it up.” What did he learn from this? I suspect he learned, among other things, that boys’ locker room stalls are nasty and disgusting places. Speaking of bathroom lessons, one girl learned that when putting down a recently cleaned toilet seat, it is better to gently lower it, even if you have to touch it, rather than kicking it down with your foot. Why? Because when you kick it down and
break it, your best friend runs back to class telling everyone that you broke the toilet seat. Generally, as you might expect, the boys tend to have more opportunities to learn than the girls. One explained how he came up with a great idea after the plant project in seventh grade ended. He wrote, “My idea was to take my friend’s pumpkin and dunk it over the upstairs railing into the trash can in the commons below. I had a bunch of my friends around me, and we all thought it was a great idea. I threw it over the railing hard. It hit the side of the trash can, rimmed out… and broke. It splattered everywhere.” I asked him what he had learned from the episode. His answer? To shoot better. Learning from their mistakes is obviously a process, but I think he missed more than the basket. Although most of these stories feature silly behavior, some of them weren’t so funny when they happened. “In fourth grade,” one girl wrote, “I was a rather innocent child who still wore frilly dresses. One night I watched my first PG-13 movie. It was restricted due to language. I didn’t know what any of the vulgar words meant, so I thought they were okay. The next day, Mr. Evans had my class do a NeuroNet exercise where the lady said a letter and Mr. Evans pointed at one of us and we had to say the first word that came to mind. Mr. Evans pointed to me as the NeuroNet lady said, “F,” and with my new vocabulary from the PG-13 movie, I dropped a large, proud f-bomb. Not knowing what it meant, I didn’t understand why everyone was laughing. Mr. Evans was shocked, and I can still see his expression. After I found out what it meant, I started crying.” So what did she continued page 10
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learn from this? Well, first I’m sure she’ll never use profanity again, but even more importantly I doubt she’ll ever slip into the lazy habit of repeating things she doesn’t understand. And then there was the time in third grade when one of the boys went up against one of the girls on the blue basketball court. She stuffed him, he fell hard onto the blue court, and went to the nurse in tears. He learned two important lessons that day. The first was how to twist and turn around the basket to get your shot off. The reason I know he learned that was because I watched his dominant performances the last two years, weaving around opposing players from the left baseline as the boys won the state championship. The second lesson is one that all boys eventually have to learn, and the sooner they learn it, the happier they’ll be. Don’t mess with girls. I might add, this lesson was reinforced at last weekend’s lock-in when one girl took the dare and chomped down a dead June bug for two bucks.
It’s hard to get people to listen and try to understand the beliefs of the other side. Comments during our discussions such as “How can you think that?” and “Are you insane?” are good indicators of kids struggling in stage three. But it’s not just kids who get stuck in stage three. Most Americans are stuck there, too. The Class of 2016 is funny and fun-loving, but they are also hard working, dedicated and organized. Every May I ask the eighth graders to complete two surveys. One measures their grittiness, and this survey showed that this class is diligent, hard working and determined to finish whatever it starts. Those survey results came as no surprise to me. Each of this year’s graduates had 169 graded history assignments; that’s over 8,000 assignments of which fewer than 400 were unsatisfactory. On average that’s less than 5% of all their assignments. That’s impressive.
As you well know, however, they don’t do it without complaint. One student estimated his homework load at 420 hours this year and went on to explain that this “epic amount of homework” forced him not to do many things he would normally do as a child–like go dove hunting. Another wrote me a letter as part of an English assignment, beginning it with, “I am writing this under command of the very thing I wish to limit, if not abolish: homework.” He proceeded to lay out the history of homework, his arguments against it and his proposal to limit it. He concluded his letter with, “I place a starting offer of doing eight hours of homework a week.” But my favorite Class of 2016 complaint about homework was actually contained in a newly coined word–“Stressminster.” I have to admit I’d take that word a little more seriously if this fun-loving group didn’t always seem to be having such a good time. Thinking back to our triangle of success, the Class of 2016 not only has the determination to work hard, but the willingness to work well with each other. In fact, how they described their class…even more than loud and crazy and funny…was supportive. I mentioned I gave them two surveys in May, and while one measured their grit, the other evaluated our school’s culture. They scored 4.38 out of 5.00 for “I feel a part of the school community,” even higher than the 4.36 they scored on “I work hard on my school work”…and both of those scores were record highs. Their comments and actions, however, are even more persuasive than those numbers. As one of them wrote, “A word I would use to sum up my class is family. Though some people have been here longer than others, we accept everyone. I remember during fall Field Day this year, the whole eighth grade was taking a picture and someone randomly broke into song. They started singing ‘Lean On Me,’ and soon the whole grade joined. All of a sudden, someone in the back row
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fell causing everyone to fall on each other. It was really funny, but at the same time it made me sad because I thought about how things will soon be different as our family separates next year.” And they are in fact separating. These 49 kids graduating tonight will attend 12 different high schools. That too is a record. Another graduate reinforced how these kids work so well together. “The Class of 2016 is very unified. We are like one big family because we all stick together, and we all support each other. When something happens to one of us, we fight it together. Sure there’s drama, but at the end of the day, we are a strong group of kids who can change the world.” Still another wrote, “Our class is awesome. The girls fight, the boys fight, we are rude to each other, we get into disagreements, but in the end it only makes us all stronger. We are one; we are united. The boys and girls aren’t afraid of each other; we aren’t afraid to be close. We all trust each other, and even though the boys can’t admit it out loud, we all care for each other. We are really fun, too. I cannot remember the last time I made it through a whole class without laughing. Our friends and teachers have the ability to put a smile on our faces, even when we know we have three hours of homework that night….I never thought I’d say this, but I am going to miss all the homework, the quizzes, the tests, the papers, the discussions, the projects and most of all the hard core teaching. Every little thing Westminster does is to help each and every one of us become better.” A boy described the class this way, “Everyone in our class is a good person. There are no real bullies or jerks; everyone gets along. I hate to say it, but it’s almost utopian. I mean, we have our drama but everyone knows how to treat each other, and that is so great. If I had to characterize the class, I’d call us motivated, ambitious, confident, caring, and trustworthy, but most importantly, I’d call us
a team. Everyone looks out for one another no matter what. We are like one of those sculptures in a park where all of the kids are linking arms in a circle, skipping around, and enjoying each other’s company. I know that may sound cheesy, but that’s just how this class is.” But perhaps the comment that expressed this feeling of family, team, unity, and support most poignantly was also the shortest. He simply wrote, “Westminster allowed me to be me.” So whether you see the Class of 2016 as more of a family or a team, it’s a group that not only enjoys each other, but is always supportive of each other. And that’s how I would best describe the Class of 2016–SUPPORTIVE. The Stressminster Class of 2016 has clearly mastered much of the triangle of success. As I’ve said, they work hard and they work well together, but what about the last leg? Do they think well? Perhaps the more important question is, “What does it mean to think well?” I would suggest thinking well encompasses four stages of growth. In the first stage you have to decide for yourself what you believe. In the second stage, you have to be willing to affirm your beliefs to others. In the third stage, you have to listen and try to understand the beliefs of those with whom you disagree. And in the final stage, you have to act on and live according to your beliefs. Based on that definition of thinking well, it seems clear that every student in the Class of 2016 has mastered the first two stages. They have opinions and they’ve expressed them every Tuesday and Thursday in my class. They proudly placed themselves on the liberalconservative continuum on my white board for open house. They can tell you the social and political beliefs of most if not all of their classmates. And if you’re still not convinced they have the confidence to air their opinions, on last year’s non-snow day in March, they published a twitter page, “#freewms,” and expressed their continued page 12
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outrage at being the only school in Oklahoma City to be in session. These kids are more than willing to let you know what they think. But the third stage of thinking well is tougher. It’s hard to get people to listen and try to understand the beliefs of the other side. Comments during our discussions such as “How can you think that?” and “You don’t make any sense!” and “Are you insane?” are good indicators of kids struggling in stage three. But it’s not just kids who get stuck in stage three. Most Americans are stuck there, too. One reason we are stuck is that as a country we are more polarized and more individualized than ever before. Easy mobility, new technology and increased affluence have allowed us to structure and tailor our lives so that we can encounter who we want and what we want when we want. We now live in a giant feedback loop that isolates, insulates and protects us from all sorts of confrontation and dissonance. This social insulation is a problem because mixed company moderates; like-minded company polarizes. Heterogeneous communities restrain group excesses; homogeneous communities push them to the extreme. Why? Because members are forced to conform to the group norm…or risk being ostracized. Think about this question. Do opposites really attract? Well at least socially and politically, they don’t. For example, we know that freshmen who join fraternities are more socially and politically conservative than freshmen who don’t. We also know that three years later, senior fraternity members are even more conservative than they were as freshmen. Living in a conservative fraternity house with other conservatives for three years makes individuals more conservative, even when they are part of a liberal college campus. And college campuses are liberal. In 2014 liberal professors outnumbered conservative professors 5:1. According to Nicholas Kristoff of
the NYT, twice as many social science professors identify as Marxist as identify as Republican. And the result of this homogenization of academic thought is not good. It’s led to an obsession with microaggressions–small actions or words that don’t seem to be bad but are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless. For example, “America is the land of opportunity” could be perceived as a microaggression by a poor and struggling American. It has also led to trigger warnings (alerts warning of the possibility of a strong emotional response to a book, story, video, or the like so that people can have time to protect themselves emotionally). An example might be a photo of a lynching at a KKK rally a century ago. When I was in college at Yale, there were no such things as microaggressions or trigger warnings. The purpose of the university was to teach kids to think…not what to think, but how to think. Its goal was not to protect kids but to challenge them. It sought to force us to question our values and beliefs. Fast forward to Yale 2015. Last fall the university sent an e-mail to all students reminding them to avoid insensitive choices and to be thoughtful and culturally aware in selecting their Halloween costumes–a day I can assure you we were totally unaware of when I was a student. A professor responded noting, “If you don’t like a costume someone is wearing, look away, or tell them you are offended. Talk to each other. After all, free speech and the ability to tolerate offense are the hallmarks of a free and open society.” So what do you think the response was to the professor? Was he applauded or condemned? The students and faculty went ballistic. Ultimately, he resigned. This is a problem because when we surround ourselves with people who think just like we do, when some ideas and perspectives are absent or not allowed during discussions, when free speech and expression are
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limited, then classrooms become echo chambers rather than sounding boards–and it’s much harder to understand the many sides of difficult issues. Working with other people makes all of us better, but working with people who don’t think exactly like us makes us not only better, but smarter. This isolation, polarization and homogenization of thought is an even bigger problem because it disrespects kids. The kids on this stage tonight are incredibly confident and capable young people. You heard what they wrote about each other. Sure there is drama, but they don’t need our protection. They need our respect. They need an opportunity to explore their ideas, to make mistakes…and to learn from them, and they need to be able to learn from each other. They need an opportunity to argue, to express themselves, and even to get angry and say hateful things to each other on occasion. All of that takes practice, and I’m proud that we have given them that opportunity throughout their years at Westminster. There is clearly a problem in America’s once glorious system of education. Microaggressions, however, are not the problem, and required trigger warnings are not the solution. On the other hand, isolation, insulation, and polarization are significant problems, and the triangle of success–working hard, working collaboratively, and thinking well–are solutions. Another solution is the development of a growth mindset which encourages kids to take risks, supports them when they make mistakes, challenges them to decide, discuss and defend their ideas, and gives them the freedom and opportunity to think for themselves. One of our graduates tonight expressed her thoughts on these ideas much more eloquently than can I. She wrote, “If I were to say that Westminster has taught me one thing, it is to have a growth mindset. I have learned to
open my mind to everything. I have learned to respect others’ opinions and statements. I have learned that others might see something that I don’t. I have learned that I am not the smartest, and I am okay with that. During discussions, I never get mad at someone who I don’t agree with or tell them they are wrong. I accept that we are two totally different people and that they have every right to believe what they believe and so do I. I believe that every person in our graduating class agrees with that.” Most schools create all kinds of documents to illustrate what they do. They have statements detailing their mission, vision, philosophy, and most importantly a portrait of their graduates. Ours simply reads: “Westminster graduates are confident and connected people who think well, work hard, and work well with others.” The Stressminster Class of 2016 is confident and willing to take risks. It is connected and supportive of each other. It is opinionated, hard working and collaborative. It is determined to express itself and insistent that others can, too. It is a perfect illustration of our Portrait of a Westminster Graduate, and I am so very proud of these kids tonight. They are ready for high school where they will be incredibly successful…and they will also continue to support each other, no matter where they go. But before we send them on, I want to give one of them the last word, and here is what she has to say. “The Class of 2016 is a team. Classmates may disagree and argue, but when it gets down to it, each and every one of us always has a shoulder to lean on. I know that after the last song has played, after the final tears are shed, when there’s not a car left in the circle drive, we will still remember Westminster…and Westminster will still remember us.” Indeed we will.
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graduates Eighth grade class of 2016
Congratulations to the Class of 2016! The lock-in has now become the enjoyable new event that occurs the weekend before graduation. Again, this year, it did not disappoint. Trivia, volleyball, hide and seek, karaoke, and taking pictures in the photo booth were just a few of the attractions. The Class of 2016 spent the following weekend enjoying dinner at the Beacon Club on Friday evening. Graduation was held Saturday night, followed by a reception and graduation dance. Here are the high school choices to date for the Class of 2016: Bishop McGuinness (17), Casady (10), Heritage Hall (9), Classen (3), Harding (3), Mount Saint Mary’s (2), Oklahoma Christian (1), Odyssey Leadership Academy (1), Edmond Memorial (1), Edmond Santa Fe (1), and Deer Creek (1). Jack Abernathy Morgan Andrews Gwyneth Atkinson Daly Barnett Kemberly Barrios Sam Bass Cooper Bates Ryder Bates Aaron Beck Olivia Brinkman Brooks Coats
Ford Collier Heidi Cook Rae Davies Sean Dobson Kevin Garcia Mary George Keagan German Christopher Hendee Zane Hermen Grace Hickey William Hoch
Henry Johnston Cooper Jones Alyson Kennedy Morgan Kennedy Abi Kerber Dylan Lewis Tyler Marchant Pierce Mattingly Kennedy Mattocks Maddie McClurg Meghan McDaniel
Aly Meyer Abby Mitchell Lauren Paque Jack Pitman Blake Reynolds Riley Richardson Charlie Robinson Annakate Ross Caroline Sabolich Madelyn Sabolich Abi Siatkowski
Grace Starr Ben Tawwater Bella Trachtenberg Oliver Wu Anna Young
generation The Westminster legacy…
Aaron Ahpeatone ’91 Jessica (Jones) Azparren ’92 Cody Barnett ’83 Burke (Duncan) Beck ’95 Charles Blackwood Emily Blaschke ’93 Jon Blaschke ’89 Stephanie (Schroer) Buckley ’89 Bailey (Schnebel) Coleman ’00 Susannah (Lambird) Collier ’85 Lauren (Keller) Corbyn ’94 Anna Covington ’99 Sarah (James) Dorr ’88 Ashley (Hessel) Duncan ’85 Kraettli Epperson ’87 Susan (McMurry) Foubert ’89 Laura (Shelley) Furnish ’93 Bill Godfrey ’91 Diane (Russell) Harbison ’81 Samia (Moses) Harroz ’91 Bill Hart ’85 Ross Hazelwood ’99 Dan Johnson ’91 Greg Johnson ’91 Brooke (Blood) Jones ’91 Travis Kanaly ’90 Sam Kerr Laura (James) Kirkpatrick ’93 Brad Lamprich ’94 Jennifer (Davis) Lee ’82 Tracey (Cheek) Love ’85 David Luke ’90
Bauer (5-Day) Connor (first) Evelyn (fifth) Andrew (seventh) Dylan (eighth) Duncan (3-Day) Pacey (fifth) Harper (5-Day) Nils (fourth) Sophia (sixth) Carson (third) Nash (kindergarten) Coffey (fourth) Price (sixth) Sloane (5-Day) Ellen (first) Malou (kindergarten) Derby (fourth) Davis (eighth) Sally (eighth) Ella (first) Zoe (fifth) William (first) Meg (third) Calen (fourth) Camden (seventh) Tucker (fifth) Molly (eighth) Thomas (seventh) Jude (first) Zara (fourth) Joseph (seventh) Mae (3-Day) Claire (third) Edie (3-Day) Anna (5-Day) Kate (5-Day) Luke (3-Day) Polly (3-Day) Cohen (kindergarten) Elliott (third) Camryn (first) Beckham (first) Ayden (fourth) Sam (third) Carter (5-day) Evie (sixth) Michaela (fourth) Jacob (sixth) Ann Claire (second) Hattie (sixth)
John Makipour ’93 Debbie (Chansolme) Margo ’87 Adam Maxey ’88 Molly (Pickrell) McBride ’91 Andrea (Digilio) Miller ’85 Keith Mitchell DJ Morgan ’92 Josh Neikirk ’94 Bobby Nelson ’89 Michael Nichols Amy O’Neil ’81 Daniel O’Neil ’90 Diana Hampton ’80 Brooke (Thompson) Peyton ’88 Amy Rappaport ’92 Stacy Rappaport ’94 Ruth Ann (Waldo) Regens ’93 Jacob Reeves ’94 Jessica (Braver) Reineke ’97 Tim Rice ’85 Chase Schnebel ’97 Ross See ’95 Elizabeth (Taylor) Semtner ’95 Chris Shadid ’87 Derek Shadid Edward Shadid Michael Shelley ’97 Rebecca (Vernon) Skarky ’92 Michael Smith ’92 Ginny (Gilliland) Starr ’88 Victor Stolbach ’99 Darren Tawwater ’86 Drew Wendelken ’91 Marjorie (Howard) Wetwiska ’98
Barnett (first) Sam (third) Will (seventh) Jake (eighth) Marie (kindergarten) Lucy (first) Sarah (seventh) Brady (first) Jack (sixth) Ethan (first) Robert (first) Charlotte (third) Louisa (first) Henry (second) Talon (eighth) Scoutleigh (kindergarten) Carolina (sixth) Isabella (eighth) Clara (fifth) Carter (seventh) Preston (sixth) Cameron (kindergarten) James (3-Day) Hannah (kindergarten) Leah (second) Braver (kindergarten) Carson (eighth) Hudson (5-Day) Macy-Dean (5-Day) Sylvie (5-Day) Zach (3-Day) Milo (kindergarten) Lena (fourth) Stella (kindergarten) Cole (second) Zane (sixth) Susie (first) Will (second) Jack (second) Kate (seventh) Kaitlyn (5-Day) Ryan (first) Sydney (fifth) Dannyn (5-Day) Alex (third) Zachary (fourth) Graham (seventh) Grace (5-Day) Harper (first) Ben (3-Day) Jack (first)
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auction Polly Black with Adam ’88 and Jenny Maxey
Oklahoma Nights
Josh ’94 and Amanda Neikirk, and Laurin and Nick Hickman
Westminster School held its annual auction on Saturday, April 2, 2016, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The theme for this year’s auction was “Oklahoma Nights.” Many alums volunteered their time and talents in preparation for the auction. At the event, alums enjoyed dinner, live music from Oklahoma’s musical ambassador Kyle Dillingham and Horseshoe Road, and of course the silent and live auctions. Net proceeds from the auction benefit the school’s operational budget, as well as the Financial Aid and Faculty/Staff Endowments at the School. Thank you to all of our alums who supported and/or attended the auction this year. We hope to see everyone next year for the 2017 Westminster Auction–West by Westminster(WestxWestminster)!
Mandy Godfrey and Jessica (Braver) Reineke ’97
Melissa Meyers, Sarah Pugh, Alison and Jon Makipour ’93
Brad ’94 and Mindy Lamprich
Jordan Stabinski, Mark and Molly (Pickrell) McBride ’91, Eric Stabinski, Scott and Emmy Potter
memories Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day
A favorite day for children and grandparents alike is Westminster’s annual Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, which was held on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. Smiling Primary and Lower Division children proudly welcomed their visitors for the morning to show their grandparents and special friends their art, writing, projects and other works in classrooms and throughout the building.
Sonya Porter and her special third grader
Susan Wendelken with her 5-Day grandaughter Marsha and Al Keller with their 5-Day grandaughter
Paul and Bev Kanaly with their first grade grandaughter
A second grade girl with her grandparents John and Sharon Reeves
A first grader with grandparents Carla and Nelson Pickrell
Brock Schnebel and kindergartner
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18
new beginni Class of 2012 celebrates exciting possibilities
Katie Cassidy and Mary Puls
Isaac Kabrick and Jack Robinson
Seniors from Westminster School’s Class of 2012 gathered at the home of Jenny and Ricky Dunning on April 24, 2016. College t-shirts were proudly sported of the university each would be attending this fall. It was the perfect evening for eating Mexican food and Westminster sugar cookies, talking about funny memories, catching up and visiting about all of the exciting times to come! There were 45 seniors in attendance, most of them with their parents, and they all enjoyed the Jack Dunn, Lizzie Cassidy, Annie Dunn and chance to celebrate. Congrats, Class of Maren Anderson 2012!
Olivia Taylor, Claire Abbott, Nathan Creamer, Leighton Gelnar, Colton Gelnar, Grace Griffin and Rachel Puls
Rebecca Puls, Dylan Dobson and Jack Robinson
2012
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ngs
(top, left) Ian Self, Cole McDaniel, Andrew McDonald, Thayer Thompson, Jack Trachtenberg (bottom) Mitch Beck, Hank Kennedy, David Price, Blake Brigham
Fiona Rendon, Isaac Kabrick and Kaitlyn Hoover
Lizzie Cassidy, Annie Dunn and Maren Anderson (top) Ella Dunning, Laurel Krous, Olivia Beall, Marnie Harper, (bottom) Hanna Castro, Claire Cameron
Caitlin Fuller, Lauren Elliott, Lily Hahn and Hannah Parker
Hannah Parker, Lauren Elliott, Lily Hahn and Anna Mann Taylor McLain, Amanda Lewis and Maggie Fletcher Caitlin Fuller, Will Harlow and Jack Dunn
Mary Puls, Lizzie Cassidy, Annie Dunn, Marnie Harper, Katie Cassidy and Grace Griffin
Julianne Thrower, Olivia Beall, Claire Cameron, Hanna Castro and Ella Dunning
Warren
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Linda
Westminster School recently said goodbye to some wonderfully dedicated teachers. In honoring Linda Warren, Patti Laws, Toni Moses and Cathy Waldo, head of school Bob Vernon shared excerpts from his retirement speeches for each faculty member.
There are several things I will always remember about Linda Warren. She loved her students passionately. She never failed to deflect all the praise of her as an inspiring teacher to her young artists. She never hesitated to tell their parents and grandparents how truly special they were. Art summer school always meant we ate better in the administration building. Linda’s homemade, scratch tortillas coated with cinnamon sugar are legendary. Linda loved telling her young artists this: “Two times a day is the
Mrs. Warren works with her artists.
Banner hanging in the art room
Westminster Way.” In other words, sketching twice a day for two minutes will make you a better artist. She also explained art to them in a way they never forgot: “Art is ideas plus feelings.” Or put another way, (Head) + (Heart) = Art. Linda Warren taught each child that he/she was a capable artist. She taught children to respect each other’s art with their end of class gallery walks where she noticed special features of each piece. She created a special atmosphere which validated the importance of children’s art during Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day, end of year Open House, and our all lower school art shows. Ceramic pieces and third grade portraits were treasures. She encouraged children to draw because drawing is art that could be created anywhere. It is not too messy or too expensive. It is immediate. It can be a response of a stimulus. Thanks to Linda’s work with the architects, the lower division art room is visually appealing with a lot of natural light, and a patio for working outside.
21 When former students were asked what they remembered about long-time teacher Patty Laws, much of it involved food. (I might add that one of my fondest memories of Patty was a chocolate pecan pie she once made for a Primary Christmas party.) From what I understand, 5-Day snacks often centered on Cheerios and cold milk, and what a delicious snack it seems to have been. Memories were also shared about coffee grinding and carrot peeling and Patty’s legendary talent as a baker of breads. When it came to pets, children remembered a salamander named Jelly and a nameless guinea pig. Playdough seems to have been a big hit as was the red wheel barrow on the 3-Day playground. But one of the things young children remembered most was learning how to put on a coat. It wasn’t Montessori, but I suspect Patty has given a thousand lessons in how to put on a coat. Lay the coat down on its back. Have the shoulders at your feet. Put your arms through, and voila, flip it over your head. As good and easy as chocolate pecan pie.
P a t t y
Laws
Patty came to Westminster as a volunteer to help her son Gabe who is deaf with his teachers. Gabe is now a 32 year old IT Director and hasn’t needed Patty’s help for quite a few years. Fortunately, there were many other children who have, and Patty was always there to give it. Teaching very young children is always full of surprises. I remember an “Intro to 3-Day” class a decade or so ago when, according to ReJeania, the toddlers had totally defeated Patty and her by the end of that first day. So complete was their surrender that Patty and ReJeania were sitting exhausted against the wall while a couple of the toddlers practiced pouring… by pouring apple juice on them. Now I don’t know the truth of that story, but I have been told reliably that Patty is famous for her tranquility when faced with bodily fluids. And we all know that little kids have a disgusting preoccupation with bodily fluids. No matter what she confronts, her reaction is always the same–no reaction.
Patty Laws is also well known for being unwilling to ever stay home. Even as her friends and colleagues encourage her to go home when she is sick, her response is always the same, “I won’t feel any better at home. I might as well be here.” One day, however, Patty did submit and go home. What could possibly have convinced her to forsake her children? Apparently, Patty, while trying to move it, had dropped a gallon of green paint in the 5-Day bathroom. The can exploded and went everywhere–floor, walls, ceiling, and Patty…Patty’s nice clothes, Patty’s pretty face and Patty’s lovely blonde hair… all green. It must have been an amazing sight. What I will most remember about Patty is the gift of insight she gave the philosophy upon which a Westminster education is built. It’s not strictly Montessori or Coalition or Understanding by Design. It’s the idea that kids from their earliest days need to be given the opportunity to make decisions. When my granddaughter was in 3-Day, Patty explained how three year olds are introduced to decision-making so that by the time they are eighth graders, they can sit and discuss and argue comfortably. It all starts with a simple question. Do you want peanut butter and a cracker? Do you want a top on your cracker? Do you want peanut butter or just a cracker? You get to decide…and that emphasis on thinking and deciding underlies a Westminster education all the way through our school. Patty Laws has been a shining star in Westminster’s Primary School since 1989. We will miss her very much, but we were so lucky to have had her for all these years. Parting time is always hard, but Dr. Seuss gave us some good advice for when we have to face it. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” And we are so glad it did.
Mrs. Laws looks on as a child works a puzzle.
Moses
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Toni
Kindergartners celebrate Mrs. Moses in the final show of the year.
Here is a fact I suspect very few of you know. Toni Moses may be the only teacher to ever teach in all three divisions at Westminster School. I don’t remember how it happened, but I do remember why. In the late 1980’s, I hired Toni Moses to teach French in the middle school. A small group of kids had transferred to Westminster when St. John’s closed its middle division, and we needed to create a special language section for them. Toni later taught second grade and then went back to become a kindergarten teacher…and brought us her children. Samia graduated in 1991 and Anthony in 1994, and Toni has been able to teach all three of Samia’s children at Westminster. Toni is also quite the cook. When I asked my grandchildren what they remembered about Mrs. Moses, there were three themes–cooking, French and flags. They remembered carrot peeling and apple coring and especially the pumpkin bread and gingerbread people they made at Christmas. And best of all, Toni sent the recipe home with the kids for Christmas so they could make their own. I, of course, remember Toni’s delicious baklava which she so generously shared, and her primary friends salivate over her tabouli and hummus.
Flag work was the big thing, especially with my grandsons, and all of them remembered the countries whose flags they drew. Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Italy, Nigeria, Paraguay, South Korea, Tonga. But what really impressed their father was when he and the boys went to a basketball game at a Catholic School gym. Just inside the building, the boys simultaneously pointed to the flag hanging on the wall and said, “That’s the Vatican City flag.” It certainly was. My grandchildren shared their fond memories of Toni with me, but Toni’s grandchildren created their memories with her. Joseph and Zara never called their grandmother anything but Mrs. Moses when they were in her class. Jude, on the other hand, called Toni, Teta. Teta, as I understand it, means grandmother in Lebanese. As the year went on and the other children in the yellow circle continued to hear Jude call Toni Teta, a couple of them also started to call her Teta. Before the end of the year, every child in her circle called Toni Teta, grandmother. And Toni willingly served as a wonderful surrogate grandmother with hugs and affection galore for those children and many more.
This is the time of year I talk a lot about the triangle of success–working hard, thinking well, and working well with others. As I was thinking about what Cathy Waldo has meant to our School for the last 40 years, that triangle of success kept creeping into my thoughts. First of all, Cathy is a community builder. She greets every child every morning with a cheerful “Hi” and sends them off every afternoon with a friendly “Bye.” She regularly pushes in to read with first and second graders. She sends a birthday card to each lower school faculty member and provides a Someplace Else lunch each Thanksgiving and a catered lunch each work week to thank her faculty and staff for all they do. And every Christmas she and her family go above and beyond to host our faculty and staff Christmas party at their home. From sending her husband and son-in-law to collect a wonderful assortment of specialty sodas and beers to the beauty and warmth of her home complete with shuffle board table, Cathy throws a party where all of the members of our school community can relax and celebrate the holiday. Cathy is literally a politician in the old fashioned sense–she gets things done. She was elected to the Nichols Hills City Council and would have been the city’s next mayor when I asked her to take over the lower school 20 years ago. Some people may only see Cathy as she drags the cones out to the carpool line every day to start and end the day. But Cathy Waldo does far more than that. She is a very hard worker. What is amazing to remember is that for many years Cathy served as both the director of the largest division of Westminster School and also as the lower school fifth grade language arts teacher. That’s about two and a half full time jobs for one person. It is no wonder that
A fourth grader surprises Mrs. Waldo with a flower during the last week of school.
she spent every weekend planning and grading assignments, every holiday reading and editing report cards, every spring interviewing and hiring new teachers, and every summer overseeing the refurbishment of an antiquated lower school facility. Cathy is also very bright. A Duke alum, she has attended many workshops to learn new ways of managing and teaching. When she was teaching fifth grade, Cathy attended the Williamsburg Teacher Institute. As a division director, she graduated from the Harvard Principal’s Center. Cathy investigated NeuroNet and brought it to Westminster to improve the automaticity of our youngest children. She has attended all sorts of other conferences on everything from critical friends to technology for younger children. She reads constantly and buys novels and other literature to enrich lower school teaching units as well as professional development materials for her faculty. Most importantly, Cathy has nurtured the lower school over the last two decades. She led and developed a professional faculty of childhood specialists. No one would ever doubt Cathy’s vision and ability to accomplish whatever she thinks is best for children. Cathy also enhanced the lower school through her lobbying for a new facility. More than anyone, Cathy Waldo built the lower school building where so many wonderful things happen for Westminster children every day. Thank you, Cathy, for all that you have done for the faculty, families and children of Westminster School. Not only have you made my job easier, but you’ve made all of our lives better.
Waldo Cathy
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24
cheers! Alumni Over 21 Get-together
West was the destination of choice on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, as alums gathered for the annual Over 21 celebration. Weather in Oklahoma City was somewhat treacherous as the city received an uncharacteristically early ice storm. Even with icy roads, the group enjoyed grabbing a bite to eat, chatting with friends and warming up by the fireplace.
Dylan Leslie ’04 and Reilly Smith ’04
Alyson and Anthony Moses ’94
Rich Johnson and Lauren Ottaway ’00
Mary Ellen (White) Baker ’04 and Isabelle Stewart ’04
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Greg Brindley ’01 and E.J. Reshef ‘03
John Ragsdale ’02 and Biz Klessig Neal and Jordan (Thompson) Arakawa ’00
(below) Matt Beadles ’96, Rob Orsburn and Theresa (Beadles) Orsburn ’96
Olivia Branscum ’07 and Liz Brindley ’07
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classnotes In the news… 1987
Amy (Brown) Upchurch and her husband Kyle are living in Oklahoma City, where she is a librarian and he works in horticulture. They have two children, Gavin and Adrian.
1989
David and Rachel Hager welcomed their son Owen this spring. Infant son of David Hager ’89
Whitney (Johnson) Williams ’95 with husband Chase and sons
1991
Corbin See and his wife Sara are living and working in Dallas.
1995
Dan Johnson ’91 and Corbin See ’91 with their families
Whitney (Johnson) Williams writes, “Chase started his own energy company with his dad about five years ago, which is why we moved to Tulsa. I am an artist in my spare time. We have two boys. Zane just turned five and Colt is one. Zane attends school at Monte Cassino. We love living in the beautiful Maple Ridge area down the street from Utica Square.”
1996
Lindsay Bendorf married Sanford Epstein on May 29, 2016, in Oklahoma City.
Michelle (Golsen) Pratt welcomed her daughter, Parker Hawley Pratt on Oct. 2, 2015. She weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces. Michelle (Golsen) Pratt ’95 with her daughter Lindsay (Bendorf) Epstein ’96 and Sanford Epstein
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1997
Elizabeth Alfson is working as a psychiatrist in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Neil Crittenden is living in Oklahoma City and has started his practice at Integris Baptist Medical Center with the gastroenterology group called DDSI. He has a two year old son. Class of 1996 girls: Lauren (Kickingbird) Walters, Kate Richard, Lindsay (Bendorf) Epstein, Krysten (Sullivan) Tidwell and Amy (Smith) Sargeant
Lauren (Kickingbird) Walters lives in Edmond with her husband Lyle and two-year old son, Harrison. She is working as a registered nurse.
Michael Shelley and his wife, Kacky, welcomed their third child. Caroline Elizabeth joined big sister Susie (first grade at Westminster) and John on Sept. 23, 2015. They reside in Oklahoma City where Michael is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley.
Tyler and Jessica Morey welcomed their son Miles on Jan. 4, 2016. Infant son of Jessica and Tyler Morey ’96 The three children of Kacky and Michael Shelley ’97
David Rubenstein lives in San Antonio with his three year old son, Sammy. Krysten (Sullivan) Tidwell writes, “In August, Jet turned five and Kolbie turned one. We love living in Frisco, Texas, but I’ll always be an Oklahoma girl at heart! (Sometimes it’s weird trying to wrap my brain around the fact that both my kids are Texans!) Taking pictures of your kids in the Texas bluebonnets each spring is a tradition down here, so this is ours from this year.”
Children of Krysten (Sullivan) Tidwell ’96
1999
Jeremy Almon is working as an anesthesiologist in Oklahoma, where he and his wife Amy have a two-year old daughter, Kinsley. Brooke (Belanger) Storer completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the OU Health Sciences Center and joined a practice on the Mercy campus. Erika (Braver) Mattison married Nathan Mattison ’96 on July 11, 2015. The couple resides in Oklahoma City. Macey Stapleton was honored with the Young Alumni Achievement Award at Casady. Macey is an international development professional and Middle East specialist with USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives in Turkey.
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2000
Houston Huff and wife Christiana have three children…Hayden, Greyson and Evan. Houston is a stay-at-home dad. He enjoys playing with his kids, watching political shows and the History Channel.
2001
Ryanne (Elmer) Brown completed her doctorate of optometry degree from Northeastern State University College of Optometry in 2015 with honors. She is practicing at Oklahoma City Vision Source.
Jay White ’01 with wife Emily and their son
Jay White writes, “My wife Emily and I welcomed our son Ford into the world on Jan. 31, 2015. Emily has stayed at home with Ford full time. I currently work in the corporate finance group at Warwick Energy, an energy private equity company based in Oklahoma City. Emily attended the University of Central Oklahoma with a focus on early childhood development, and I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in petroleum economics.”
2002
Christina (Jacob) Smith writes, “I graduated from the University of Tulsa in 2010 with degrees in political science and sociology. I then went to grad school at OU and earned a Master of Public Administration and loved every minute of grad school. After graduating, I also married my best friend, Drew Smith. We met in college. While in grad school, I worked in Tulsa at a nonprofit helping manage a federal grant for about a year, and then Drew and I went to work as community development missionaries in Madagascar. We were there for two years and helped local villages with water, farming and missions projects. It was quite the experience and we learned (and grew!) a lot. We returned to the United States in March 2014 and moved back to Drew’s home state of Arkansas. He worked at a church for a year and now is a housing case manager for a local nonprofit, and I found a job with the Arkansas Service Commission, which is the funding source for the federal AmeriCorps volunteer programs in Arkansas. I am in charge of the monitoring and compliance of our sub-grantees, and I love it. I have also been selected to be a ‘featured blogger’ for the national government knowledge network, GovLoop.”
2003
Elizabeth (Geren) Roberts writes, “Chris and I were recently married in Riviera Maya, Mexico, on August 22, 2015! We were fortunate to have
Johanna Blanchard is working as a social worker in Oklahoma City. Martin and Alex Buchanan welcomed a son, Cash, in November. The family resides in Oklahoma City.
Martin Buchanan ’02 with wife Alex and their Members of the Class of 1996 son
Chris and Elizabeth (Geren) Roberts ’03
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seventy friends and family celebrate with us. We are happily living in Oklahoma City and are both working in commercial real estate. The Westminster community lost one of its former leaders to pancreatic cancer in July, 2015, but ReJeania Steiner’s spirit and vision will continue through the tireless efforts of the Primary Division teachers and administrators.”
2005
Kelley (Byers) Wise is married to Katie Wise. They live in Oklahoma City where Kelley is working as a paralegal. Jillian Neville was named among the most beautiful list in the The Hill–a newspaper reporting politics and business on Capitol Hill.
2006
Emily (Hudiburg) Wayman writes, “On May 23, 2015, I married Larson Wayman. We met at Baylor University, and he is from Waco, Texas. We currently live in Houston while Larson is attending dental school at the University of Texas Health Science Center. I am a third grade teacher at Roberts IB World School in Houston Independent School district.”
Emily (Hudiburg) Wayman ’06 and Larsen Wayman
2007
Valerie Kastens is attending the OU College of Medicine.
2008
Allie Friedman writes, “I graduated in May from TCU with a B.S. degree in early childhood education, with an emphasis in special education. I hold my EC-6 certification and Special Education Supplemental Certification with the state of Texas. Currently, I have started an accelerated masters program, which would allow me to obtain my M.S. in education. The degree is curriculum instruction: language and literacy.”
2012
Lauren Elliott, Gabby Jones, Anna Mann and Mary Puls were 2016 inductees into the cum laude society at Casady School. Lily Hahn, Will Harlow and Fiona Rendon were 2015 inductees. Class of 2012 girls: Fiona Rendon, Lauren Elliott, Lily Hahn, Gabby Jones, (front) Mary Puls, Anna Mann
Maren Anderson was a National Merit Finalist and the salutatorian at Bishop McGuinness. She received the President’s Award for Excellence, Senior Leadership Award, and was an Oklahoma Academic Scholar. Maren was the vice president of student council, president of Olympics and the president of Big Sis Little Sis. Maren Anderson ’12
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Claire Abbott was named a challenge scholar and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award at Heritage Hall. Rachel Bornstein was a member of National Honors Society at Mount St. Mary High School. She received the Spanish National Honors Award for Excellence. Blake Brigham was awarded the Pop Murray Award at Heritage Hall. Ella Dunning received a State of Oklahoma Regents Scholarship, University of Oklahoma Regents Scholarship, President’s Leadership Scholarship and was a Presidential Scholar. Lily Hahn received the Summa Cum Laude Award at Casady for maintaining the highest scholastic average throughout her high school years.
Class of 2012 boys: Jack Robinson, Thayer Thompson, Will Harlow, Jack Dunn and Jack Trachtenberg
Fiona Rendon ’12, Isaac Kabrick ’12 and Maren Anderson ’12
Amanda Lewis was the Camino Club president, Clancy Club vice president, Embrace co-president, and the recipient of the Stephen Parson Award for Dedicated Service and the Outstanding Senior Ambassador Award. Anna Mann received the Patrick S. Nagle Poetry Award at Casady, given to a student who has written poetry of superior quality during the year. She also received the Ena Cochran Award, which is given to the girl in her class who has demonstrated consideration for others, through sympathy, friendship and her dependable loyalty and repeated acts of service. Each recipient is chosen by her respective classmates. Anna received the Trustees’ Award, which is given to a student based on character, loyalty and service. Fiona Rendon was a National Merit Finalist, National Hispanic Scholar, and Art Club president. She also received the Roy C. Lytle and Joanne Lytle Award, which is given to the senior girl who uses her athletic and scholastic talents and leaves the school better for her presence. Julianne Thrower was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award at Heritage Hall. She was a member of the 5A championship-winning cheer squad, and she will be a collegiate cheerleader at Baylor.
Will Harlow was awarded the Judge Clarence M. Mills Scholar Award for a demonstrated achievement and proficiency in a foreign language, as well as the Dartmouth Cup for contribution to athletic life, through ability, good sportsmanship and team spirit.
Maren Anderson, Claire Cameron, Marnie Harper and Laurel Krous were members of the Bishop McGuinness senior homecoming court.
Gabrielle Jones received The Chilton Powell Award for Talent in recognition of creative and independent talent at Casady. Isaac Kabrick was a National Merit Finalist and a member of the Youth Council of Oklahoma City. He was an Eagle Scout, debate national qualifier, a member of National Honor Society and was on the Principal’s honor roll.
Class of 2012 girls: Claire Cameron, Marnie Harper, Maren Anderson and Laurel Krous
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2013
Alex Best has been selected by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation for its Teen Leaders in Philanthropy class. He was also selected as a Boys’ State delegate.
Class of 2013 alums: Gracie Pitman, Mason McClintock, Riley Stayton, Ryan Callahan, Ellie Dunn, (front row) Brayden McCaleb, Brett Reynolds, Alex Bleakley and Sam Hill
Ryan Callahan was recognized as the most improved basketball player at Casady. Olivia Derryberry is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Spanish National Honor Society. She is a student ambassador for Bishop McGuinness and student council junior class senator. Olivia is secretary for the Economics Club as well as a member of Big Sis Lil Sis. She plays soccer and runs cross country at Bishop McGuinness, is treasurer and event committee member for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Teen Board and is a teen board member for Infant Crisis Services. She was selected by the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation for its Teen Leaders in Philanthropy class. Mi’Angila Graham was awarded the Margaret Lytle Griner Award, which is given to a rising senior girl who shows integrity, has shown leadership skills and has been significantly involved in her class or school activities. Madison Hart qualified for the Speech and Debate Association national tournament. Jarett Lewis was selected as a Boys’ State delegate. Sally Merrill was selected for the Infant Crisis Teen Board and was a member of the Bishop McGuinness junior homecoming court Kate Vesper was selected as a Girls’ State delegate, a member of the Bishop McGuinness junior homecoming court, and was elected Kate Vesper ’13 and Sally Merrill ’13 as the student council vice president.
2014
Ellie Baze has been selected by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation for its Teen Leaders in Philanthropy class. Ellen DeGiusti and Anna Medley were members of the Bishop McGuinness cheerleading squad. Caleb Killebrew was a member of the state championship winning golf team at Bishop McGuinness. Kate Abernathy, Ellie Baze, Jillian Crotts, Ellen DeGiusti, Maddie Gee, Anna Medley, Ava Prentice, Ashley Raupe and Emma Stenseth were American Heart Association Sweethearts.
Class of 2014 girls: Maddie Gee, Anna Medley, (in front) Kate Abernathy, Ellie Baze and Ellen DeGiusti
2015
Jose Alberola was awarded the Vanderbilt University Award, which is given to a boy in the freshman class at Casady who displays outstanding personal character and intellectual promise. Sophie DeMarco, Julia Love, Mollie Pitman and Parker Poarch were members of the Bishop McGuinness pom squad.
Class of 2015 girls: Parker Poarch, Julia Love, Payton Bell, Sophie DeMarco and Mollie Pitman
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The mission of the Westminster Alumni Council is to foster ongoing friendships among former students and to encourage a continuing relationship with the School. In addition, we wish to preserve and celebrate Westminster’s child-friendly environment and the innovation and excellence that characterize the Westminster experience.
The Class of 1996 enjoyed reminiscing about the mid-90’s during their 20 year reunion, May 14. RJ’s Supper Club served as the perfect landing spot for the group, which shared entertaining stories and laughed about fun memories from earlier days. Jonathan Stranger ’96, chef and co-owner of Ludivine and RJs, hosted the group. Camden Dunning, Nathan Mattison and Jon Fowler helped plan and organize the event.
Class of 1996
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