Wonder Magazine, Spring 2023

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Finding Joy

What does joy look like? What does it sound like? Everyone at SCDS has their own answer to this question, and I certainly have mine.

I can see joy at work as Intermediate School students build their own mini-golf course, and I can hear it during a game of Lower School freeze tag in the courtyard. Sometimes, joy is quiet — a student curled up in a corner, reading the book they just found at the book fair; sometimes, joy is about concentration, the total focus a student applies to an art project or a math problem.

Although joy can spring to life suddenly and surprisingly, joy is often the reward of exploration and effort. As you will see in this issue of Wonder magazine, our community is finding joy in a multitude of places. These include the Antarctic, the baseball diamond, and the classroom, where we seek excellence, foster teamwork, and even share difficult truths.

And as we seek it, we find it. I hope you find some joy in reading this issue.

WONDER

Seattle Country Day School’s Magazine Spring 2023

Kimberly A. Zaidberg Head of School

Head of School

Kimberly A. Zaidberg

President, Board of Trustees

Ryan Schofield

President, Parent Council

Kristie Pate

DEDICATED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION

SCDS actively seeks to increase the breadth of diversity and inclusion in our entire community: the gifted children at the center of a dynamic learning process, their families, and our faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees. We aspire to include a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives; to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of differences; and to cultivate diverse thinking essential for creative problem-solving.

We recognize that diversity encompasses all socioeconomic, ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds, family structures, gender and sexual identifications, and religious communities. In the spirit of true inquiry, we embrace this journey as an essential learning opportunity.

Editor

Delia Ward (deliaward@seattlecountryday.org)

Design/Production

Christa Fleming Design

Photography

Christian Hagenlocher

Libby Lewis Photography

SCDS Photographers

Printing

AAA Printing

Thank You

To Polly Freeman and the many people in the SCDS community who contributed to this issue

This magazine was produced with recycled, FSC-certified paper.

We affirm our belief that increasing and sustaining diversity and inclusiveness helps us to fulfill our mission of inspiring gifted children to reach their potential through inquiry, curiosity, and wonder. In support of our mission, we believe in continually examining all aspects of our school, including our curriculum, hiring practices, admissions procedures, communications, outreach, and professional development.

We pledge to attract, embrace, and support a diverse community; to foster an environment of authenticity and inclusion; to empower compassionate problem-solvers and risk-takers; and to inspire one another to better the world for all.

WE’RE WONDERING ABOUT…

The Stretch

I had my own personal Winterim this spring: a 10-day backcountry skiing touring trip. This trip definitely stretched me, and while I missed my family, I learned the valuable lesson that I was capable of more than I realized.

This experience made me think about SCDS, our community’s strength, and our potential. As we consider the school today, the Board of Trustees is energized by the school’s direction. As we plan for the future, we know that the school has the capacity and the vision to continue to stretch in thoughtful, strategic ways.

I am excited for our future! For now, as we complete another school year, I wish you a wonderful summer.

Ryan Schofield President, SCDS Board of Trustees

Our commitment to non-discrimination. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, or other legally protected status in the administration of its hiring policies, employment practices, educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid and loan programs, or athletic, extracurricular, or other school-administered programs.

Photo: Christian Hagenlocher

TRUE SOUTH

When Christian Hagenlocher was young, his family moved from place to place, following his father’s career as a Navy pilot. Christian, now a Middle School science teacher at SCDS, found a source of consistent companionship in the great outdoors.

Sparking curiosity with the Antarctic wilderness

“My passion for birds grew out of that endless time I spent exploring, questioning, and observing the outside,” Christian says. “I also like finding things — that joy of discovery and solving a puzzle.”

When Christian discovered penguins, he also found Antarctica, the only continent with no permanent human habitation. “It’s kind of the last wilderness on earth,” he says. This winter, Christian fulfilled a long-held dream of visiting the continent — and he’s using it to shape a brand-new elective for SCDS students.

A grant and an opportunity

In May 2022, auction donors raised their paddles for a Summer Inquiry Grant at SCDS. These grants allow employees to explore interesting topics, with one primary stipulation: That they share what they learn with the SCDS community. Christian promptly applied for funds to visit Antarctica.

With the grant’s support, Christian booked passage on a ship called the MV Island Sky. He, his friend Matt, and their fellow passengers were invited to help the other people on the boat — experts in fields that included history, ornithology, and geology — with their research. In December, the ship left Ushuaia, Argentina, for a multi-day journey that promised to yield insights into some of Christian’s personal and professional interests, including birds and climate change, and provide interesting material for SCDS classes.

“When I’m learning something, I’m also thinking, ‘How can I share this with my students?’” Christian says. “With my new Polar Science elective class, I’m going to help students experience what it’s like to be in the Antarctic and Arctic.”

“My experience in Antarctica has made me an ambassador for the Antarctic,” Christian says. “I think teaching this class is a way of fulfilling that role. You can’t protect a place unless you care about it.”

ON THE MV ISLAND SKY

The MV Island Sky, a ship Christian describes as a cross between a floating hotel and a research station, sailed from Argentina. It traveled through the Drake Passage, across the Southern Ocean, and around the Antarctic Peninsula. Here are his impressions.

Adjusting Expectations. Before I left, I read “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing. It really framed what it would’ve been like to go to Antarctica without the modern conveniences of technology — it put the ruggedness and the danger of the place in context. And that helped me realize that, if things didn’t go according to plan, that was normal.

Citizen-Scientists: Birds. Matt and I spent most of the three-day voyage from Argentina to Antarctica standing on the back of the ship collecting data on seabird diversity and distribution. We identified bird species, activity, behavior, feeding habits, weather,

and location while crossing the Drake Passage. This data was given to eBird at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which supports science, conservation, and education.

Penguins vs. Snow. It turns out that climate change doesn’t always mean warmer temperatures and more

melting. Antarctica received more snow than normal this year, which is related to changing temperatures. And with more snowfall, the snow took longer to melt. This means that the penguins were trying to reproduce and nest on snow, rather than on land, which affects their breeding success.

The Magic of Rongé Island. Antarctica was experiencing pretty close to 24 hours of sunlight when we decided to do an overnight camping trip on Rongé Island. We watched the light change as the sun moved across the sky. The ice cracked, and we could hear mountain avalanches; we watched icebergs float by. We also left room for seals, who laid claim to the best camping spots on the ice.

CitizenScientists: Clouds. Ice covers almost all of Antarctica. If it’s cloudy, it’s hard for NASA and Argos satellites to be certain about ground conditions, because everything’s white. So, Matt and I spent some time cloud-watching. We’d sync up with the satellites’ timing and give our observations of cloud type, direction, and altitude. This data helps scientists determine the accuracy of satellite observations and track climate change.

Sharing with students

Having had a wonderful experience in the Antarctic — and having taken a brief trip to the Arctic in fall 2022 — Christian is creating a Polar Science elective for Middle School students this spring. His goal is not only to impart knowledge, but also to have students experience what a polar region (and polar experimentation) feels like.

“I want to give them as many opportunities to have ‘aha’ moments as I did when I was in those places,” Christian says. Accordingly, he’s sharing some of the bird- and cloud-focused data he collected, so students can examine it. Christian is helping the students investigate the relationships among the salinity, density, and temperature of water. He’s working with a local restaurant to arrange a trip to a deep freezer, where the students can experience sub-zero temperatures and conduct experiments. Christian is also planning an optional “polar plunge” so that students can experience a version of how seals, penguins, and other well-insulated animals live in polar regions.

At bottom, Christian is hoping that this class will spark curiosity and caring about other places, just as his curiosity was sparked by bird books when he was a child.

“My experience in Antarctica has made me an ambassador for the Antarctic,” Christian says. “I think teaching this class is a way of fulfilling that role. You can’t protect a place unless you care about it.”

Nature photos: Christian Hagenlocher.

If you’d like to see more of his beautiful photographs,

visit thebirdingproject.com/polarproject.

If you’d like to learn more about eBird at Cornell, visit ebird.org.

“When I’m learning something, I’m also thinking, ‘How can I share this with my students?’” Christian says. “With my new Polar Science elective class, I’m going to help students experience what it’s like to be in the Antarctic and Arctic.”

INQUIRY IN THE POLAR SCIENCE ELECTIVE

It’s Friday afternoon, and Christian Hagenlocher begins his Polar Science class with a classic gambit. “Imagine that aliens from outer space have demanded a drink of the coldest water on the planet,” Christian says. “Where do you think they should go?”

Students group together to discuss the question then bunch up at the front of the classroom to tally their results. Most students think the coldest water will be found in the South or North Poles, though there were also votes for Baffin Bay, the Mariana Trench, and a laboratory at Cornell.

Even after the votes are tallied, however, Christian doesn’t reveal the answer. Rather, in true inquirybased fashion, he has students conduct an experiment in water density that uses differing levels of salinity to create layers of colored water. The students team up, filling beakers with water,

sharing the salt cannister, and trading bottles of food coloring. There’s a lot of laughter — and a lot of interest in the project.

You might wonder where all this is leading. It turns out that the coldest water on the planet is found in Antarctica, and that salinity plays a big role. “When sea water turns into sea ice, it releases the salt back into the water,” Christian explains. The result is that increasingly salty, dense, and very cold water — with temperatures lower than 32°F — accumulates below Antarctic glaciers.

“We’re going to take this exploration of temperature and salinity into a discussion about how melting freshwater glaciers impact ocean chemistry and, eventually, the food web,” says Christian. “Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems are both affected by these changes.”

MAJOR LEAGUE

Pey-Lin Carroll remembers sitting next to John Savage, the baseball coach at UCLA, at an invitation-only summer baseball showcase. A few months earlier, her son, Corbin (then a sophomore at Lakeside School), had committed to attending and playing ball for UCLA.

Then Corbin came up to bat. His swing connected, and he flew around the bases. It was a triple. Coach Savage, who must have been making some quick mental calculations, turned to Pey-Lin. “Be ready,” he said.

Be ready for scouts. Be ready for offers. And, as it turned out, be ready for Corbin to be drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2019, right out of high school.

Time for dabbling

When it comes to sports, Corbin, who graduated from SCDS in 2015, tried a little bit of everything.

“My parents said, ‘Okay, you’re doing these sports,’” says Corbin. “I think I did soccer, baseball, and tennis, cross-country here at SCDS, which was awesome. Maybe one or two more.”

His parents felt confident about his academic path at SCDS, but they wanted to provide some balance — and a sense of a broader community — through physical activity. “We did

Little League with him, all the sports that he wanted to dabble in,” says Pey-Lin.

Just before 10th grade, Corbin realized he wanted to focus on baseball, and his family was all in. Corbin’s younger sister, Campbell, attended his games. His father, Brant, provided encouragement. For a time, Pey-Lin managed the uniforms for roughly 15 City Baseball club teams.

“At one point, our house looked like a uniform shop,” she says.

Loving the game

Corbin admits that he was an athletic youngster, and sports were relatively easy for him. But the sport of baseball, especially in the major leagues, is (forgive the pun) a different ballgame.

Corbin Carroll ’15 and Pey-Lin Carroll talk teamwork

“It is such a hard game, and there’s so much failure, and I think that there’s not a lot of immediate cause and effect,” he says. “You’ve got to create this body of work and know that it’s going to pay off over time.”

The challenges of baseball, in fact, remind Corbin of SCDS.

“I remember math in sixth grade, just having a tough time. The way I learned to work through hard times like those — I feel like it 100% translates in a game like baseball,” Corbin says.

Baseball, like learning, is a long game. It’s creative, it’s analytical, and you have to commit. “You just have to love the game,” says Corbin. “If you don’t love it, the things that should come easily, and need to come easily, won’t.”

The player and the team

It’s been an exciting year for Corbin. He was promoted to the major leagues in August 2022 and now plays outfield for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was ranked No. 1 out of 100 MLB prospects for 2023 by journalist Keith Law of The Athletic. Corbin is also in contention for National League Rookie of the Year. So, he seems like the right person to ask: What makes a good baseball player?

“It kind of goes without saying, but there’s a certain level of talent,” Corbin says. “Then there’s the discipline piece. It’s that cherry on top: taking the love for the game and turning it into something special.”

You also need your team. “I’d say the winning teams I’ve been on… it’s about making sure that everyone feels included. It’s about having that guy who’s cracking jokes and making it feel like a group,” says Corbin. “The term that comes to mind for me is collective effervescence… creating something bigger than a group of people.”

Teamwork is also important to schools. The Carrolls still fondly remember SCDS teacher Mark Holtzen, who looked past Corbin’s third-grade

misspellings to focus on the content of his writing. Mark also encouraged Corbin when the student transformed a one-sheet assignment into a 14-sheet project that rolled out into the school hallway.

“People do better when they feel supported,” Corbin says. “If you can create that feeling of support and of ‘I’ve got your back, and I know you’ve got mine,’ that’s where special things happen.”

The podcast. When Corbin was in town this winter, he did two interviews: one for Wonder magazine and one for Johnny Ni, an eighth-grader who took part in our podcasting elective this year. Johnny then submitted his project — a podcast about young athletes, injury, and career longevity — to The New York Times Annual Student Podcast Contest and the NPR Student Podcast Contest Challenge. You can listen to “Sports Injury and Mental Health:

Featuring MLB Star Corbin Carroll” via the QR code.

Photos: Libby Lewis Photography

“The winning teams I’ve been on…it’s about making sure that everyone feels included.”

Corbin Carroll ’15

Corbin and Pey-Lin visit Robyn Filimaua’s kindergarten class.

WILDCAT TERRITORY

A quick glimpse of the past few months, featuring various SCDS Wildcats

THE SWEENEY BUILDING. In January, our community came together to dedicate the Daniel B. Sweeney Middle School Building and to remember our colleague and friend.

LUNAR NEW YEAR. We celebrated the Year of the Rabbit and the Year of the Cat with food, poetry, martial arts demonstrations, dances, and more.

THE ENGINEERING EVENT. The annual running of the rigs continues! This year, students took on the theme of folding and, of course, the challenge of locomotion.

(Photo: Libby Lewis Photography)

CHECKMATE. After a two-year hiatus, the Parent Council-sponsored, multi-school chess tournament made a triumphant return, with 27 SCDS students in attendance.

(Photo: Nidhi Jayadevan)

INVENTORS’ QUEST. Intermediate School students were offered a new course this year: Inventors’ Quest, a class that helps foster invention (such as the creation of an educational board game, pictured) and problem-solving.

PARTNERING WITH DAYBREAK STAR. “We still have our traditions. And we are still here.” So says Matthew Sam-Thornhill, a program manager for United Indians of All Tribes, housed at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center. Third-graders spent several hours at the center, which included watching traditional dance performances, learning about herbs, and absorbing the center’s civil rights movement-era history. (Photo: Vickie Madriaga)

DON’T SPARE THE FROSTING. Just before winter break, our K and 8 buddies got together in a delightful tradition: building and decorating gingerbread houses.

THE GREAT MAKER CAPER. This spring, the community raised more than $345,900 for our students and our school at the Great Maker Caper, an evening of Roaring 20s-style frolic and mystery. Pictured: auctioneer Matt Lorch and emcee Mona Lee Locke. (Photo: Nataworry Photography)

ON THE BALL. Class of 2022 grads Matthew, Asher, and Peter returned to the SCDS gym to help coach boys’ basketball this fall. Thanks, alums! Go, Wildcats!

GREAT DESTINATIONS

At SCDS, excellent trips

Dublin. Belfast. County

Galway and County Clare. Then back to Dublin. That’s the high-level itinerary of the eighth-grade’s class trip to Ireland this year, and SCDS teachers spent winter and spring preparing.

Not only do these overnight excursions take an enormous amount of trip planning, but they also take a great deal of curriculum planning. The trips are designed to enhance what the students have learned during the year, especially in the third trimester. Mary Lowry, the eighth-grade social studies teacher at Seattle Country Day School, is excited about the trip and the classroom experiences that precede them. “I’m looking forward to all the Irish folklore and culture and music,” she says. “Their history. Their story.”

At the beginning

The overnight trip program began decades ago, when Doc O (aka science teacher Meredith Olson) was the head of the Middle School. Then, the school enrolled approximately 80 students. The program grew and changed over the years, just as the student population did, with former Middle School Head Dan Sweeney making changes to the program that persist today.

“When Dan was in middle school, he went on a trip to Egypt,” says Eddie Feeley, math teacher. “It made such an impression that he wanted to do

DESTINATIONS begin

in the classroom

“Ireland is an amazing place to go for an English class because it has a really rich and deep literary legacy,” says Chase Ferree, the school’s eighth-grade language arts teacher. “Irish literature is full of amazing poets, novelists, and playwrights.”

Revolutionary poetry

It’s late March, and Chase’s desk is crowded with books. There’s a copy of “Ulysses” by James Joyce. There’s a book of Irish legends, and an edition of “The Aran Islands” by J.M. Synge. The topic of today’s eighth-grade class, however, is W.B. Yeats.

something similar at SCDS.” With Dan’s leadership, the Middle School trips now closely link curriculum to trip destinations for grades 6, 7, and 8. In addition, the oldest students began to venture farther afield, to international destinations such as Iceland, Vietnam, and Spain.

This year, SCDS sixth-graders went to Monterey, California. The seventhgraders traveled to Washington, D.C. And the school’s 47 eighth-graders are headed to the Emerald Isle.

So many options

Planning the eighth-grade trip starts at least a year before the plane leaves the tarmac. It begins with brainstorming sessions in the Middle School, where teachers take into account the safety, learning opportunities, and costs of visiting various destinations. When teachers get further along in the planning, they also take the personality of the class into account.

“Sometimes, we say, ‘Gosh, this class would not want tons of museum experiences,’” says Mary. “Or maybe they would.” Last year, for instance, when the sports-loving Class of 2022 visited Germany, teachers arranged a trip to the Allianz Arena outside Munich.

This year, it seems, the students like a little bit of everything. They will be exploring the amazing basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway. They’re taking a tour of Trinity College (where the Book of Kells, a priceless medieval manuscript, resides) as well as the Dublinia, a museum where students can dive into Dublin’s Viking roots. On one day, they’ll visit the Crumlin Road Gaol (which once housed Éamon de Valera, president of Sinn Féin and of Ireland); on another, they’ll commune with nature at Connemara National Park.

They’re also attending an interactive workshop at the famous Abbey Theatre.

Chase sets the context by distributing a handbill, circa April 1916, on the creation of a provisional Irish government in the face of British occupation. Then there’s a short video clip on the Easter Rising, which took place the same month. Students spend several minutes discussing nationalism,

oppression, and the failure of the rebellion, then move on to Yeats himself: Anglo-Irish poet, member of the landed gentry, and unlikely supporter of the Irish revolution. Yeats’ poem, “Easter, 1916,” is an elegy for the rebels in his circle.

The students examine the piece, evaluating how Yeats felt about the people he was memorializing. They consider other elements of the poem, such as change, the passage of time, and the presence of a stone, steady and constant, in stanza three.

“What does the stone mean?” asks Chase.

“Grief,” answers Declan.

“I’ve wondered if the stone represents the government structure?” says Chase. “Everything’s changing around it. But I’m not sure.”

Finally, in the back row, Eva raises her hand, with a comment that addresses how Yeats — and artists and historians — balance the personal with the tides of history.

“I noticed there’s a small picture and a big picture in the poem,” Eva says. “In any war or conflict, there’s always a big picture and a small picture.”

The full picture

In planning their curriculum, Chase and the other eighth-grade teachers are keeping the big picture and the small picture in mind. They want to pique the students’ interest and ask bigger questions — sometimes through a very specific lens.

“Oppression and revolution translate across time,” says Mary, who is teaching the students about Celtic culture, English plantations under the reign of Elizabeth I, and The Troubles, among many other topics. “We can focus on individuals, living seemingly normal lives, who turn into revolutionaries and lead struggles. I think that topic resonates well with kids.”

While Mary and Chase’s classes in social studies and language arts, respectively, are the curricular backbone of this voyage to Ireland, other teachers are incorporating the trip into their planning, too. Art teacher Megan Hosch-Schmitt will introduce her classes to pastel artists and drawing techniques in preparation for an excursion to the National Gallery of Ireland, while Jasmine Baker, SCDS’s eighth-grade science teacher, intends to dig into Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen that helped trigger the Irish potato famine.

Then, once they come back from the trip, the students — as a way to express what they’ve learned — will complete one final “showcase” project. This year, students are researching a historical event, a cultural practice, or a piece of art and literature, then choosing a creative way to present their findings: a performance, perhaps, or a piece of writing.

“These class trips allow students to really feel history and culture,” says Chase, “and the showcase helps them to reflect on their learning experiences in unexpected and memorable ways.”

Dedicated to the memory of Dan Sweeney

Photos of Ireland, Unsplash: Cliffs of Moher (Lukas Bato), Giant’s Causeway (Patrick Metzdorf), Trinity College Dublin (Stephen Bergin), Titanic Belfast Museum (K. Mitch Hodge)

COMING OF AGE ON THE CLASS TRIP

Last year, SCDS eighth-graders and their teachers visited Germany and Austria, a trip that included the concentration camp memorial at Dachau and the Berlin Wall, among other resonant historical sites. But the sobering moments were leavened by joyful ones: the “Sound

of Music” tour in Salzburg, for instance, and the bike ride in Munich. The trip brought people closer together, notes Sasha Girsky ’22, in part because students weren’t allowed to bring cell phones. “A lot of people bought cards at a souvenir shop. We taught each other how to play games, and that was quality time together,” she says.

Varun Iyer ’22, feels a great deal of gratitude for the experience. “I think taking a group of eighth-graders all the way across the world to study such a heavy topic is a huge feat,” he says. “The trip also gave us a sense of closure. It was a happy ending to a long nine years.”

SASHA. I had never taken an international trip, and this trip proved to me that I was ready for ninth grade — I had proved to myself that I could be on my own.

VARUN. On a family trip, I wouldn’t have gone to all these WWII history museums and other places that deal with mature topics. I really enjoyed that.

VARUN. It was unbelievably deep. I still think about it almost every single day. During a speech unit this year, I wrote my speech about walking through Dachau. SASHA. Learning about more heavy topics in class — it’s easy to detach yourself and tune out. But when you’re there, you are forced to internalize it and understand what’s going on.

SASHA. I did my showcase project on the seizure of Leningrad, and I chose the topic because my family is from Russia. Then I learned that my great-grandmother actually escaped the seizure of Leningrad!

SASHA. I noticed there’s a much bigger emphasis on public transportation — whether it’s bikes, or the train, or the S-Bahn.

VARUN. When I came back from the trip, I found a book of the “Sound of Music” songs for flute. I memorized every single song.

BERLIN

MUNICH

DACHAU SALZBURG

IN MEMORIAM Daniel B. Sweeney

On December 2, 2022, Seattle Country Day School lost a treasured colleague, advocate, and friend.

Daniel B. Sweeney graduated cum laude from Kenyon College in 1997. He worked in politics and media for a time, then pursued a teaching and administrative career. In 2010, Dan came to SCDS to take on the role of head of the Middle School, later adding the titles of director of professional growth and director of innovation. Dan also served as a consultant and board member for the Institute for Social and Emotional Learning.

His professional accomplishments were considerable, and he had the courage of his convictions: a profound belief in our students’ and our school’s capacity for growth, learning, and change. “Dan was fearless, and he used his personal and professional capital to help others,” recalls Kim Zaidberg, SCDS’s head of school. A few days before his death, in fact, Dan could be found writing high-school recommendation letters for the eighth-grade class.

He was legendary among the Middle School students, who recall this tall, imposing administrator with a certain amount of awe. Dan was also greatly admired by the Middle School teachers. “Dan’s pride in our team of colleagues made me feel so lucky to be a part of SCDS,” says art teacher Meg Hosch-Schmitt. “He thought what we do in the classroom was pure magic.”

Shortly before Dan passed away from colon cancer, the SCDS Board of Trustees signed a proclamation to name the Daniel B. Sweeney Middle School Building. This proclamation recognized Dan’s years of dedicated service to his students and his passion for education, and we know that the Sweeney Building — with all the magic that name contains — will help us remember this generous, formidable, funny, and committed man.

“Dan was fearless, and he used his personal and professional capital to help others.”

Kimberly A. Zaidberg Head of School

EVERYDAY EMPATHY

Passing the mic and telling our stories

Most of us are drawn to stories — their narrative drive, their ability to harness metaphor. But when DEI Director Lily Medina went to a storytelling conference called Roots. Wounds. Words. last summer, she was searching for something specific: tools to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at SCDS.

“At school, we’re working to decenter dominant group narratives that only teach one perspective,” Lily says. “We need to pass the mic to people who experience the inequity we’re striving to change.”

After the conference, Lily created a workshop for parents called Everyday Empathy: Using Storytelling at Home, at Work, and at School. The first workshops included parents who were involved in RIPPLES (Race in Parent Learning Circles) or who’d attended Courageous Conversation, a session on race that SCDS brings to campus every year.

Although parent Min Song expected Everyday Empathy to give her some tools, she wasn’t expecting the depth of trust and community. “People felt safe to share their feelings — both the pain from past harms and the joy from their cultures,” says Min. “I instantly felt connected to parents I just met.”

Min and fellow attendees practiced empathy and active listening. They experimented with oral storytelling styles and relayed, in writing, an “aha” moment in the development of their own racial consciousness. It turns out that storytelling about race has two very distinct benefits: one for the storyteller, one for their audience.

“One of the most important ways for people to heal wounds caused by racism is to be allowed to share their stories in a safe and brave space,” says Lily. The other benefit is that stories can move a listener from passive empathy (based on intellect or emotion) to empathy based on compassion — a state of mind more closely linked to taking action.

Min appreciates Everyday Empathy and the various ways that SCDS is promoting DEI. “SCDS has the courage to create authentic and safe spaces for students and parents, to support not just representation but also active inclusion,” she says. “It gives me hope for a more compassionate society.”

Generosity in action

Lily received a Summer Inquiry Grant — funded by the raise-thepaddle contributors at our 2022 auction — to attend the Roots. Wounds. Words. conference.

“SCDS has the courage to create authentic and safe spaces for students and parents, to support not just representation but also active inclusion.”

Min Song, SCDS Parent

Photo: Libby Lewis Photography

MARCH WISDOM

Girls’ basketball at SCDS

During March Madness, we gather around our screens. We root for our teams, and we monitor our brackets. Clearly, basketball is all about winning. Or is it?

“In our second game, multiple players on our grades 5/6 team passed up consecutive open layups,” says Jie Ren, one of SCDS’s basketball coaches. Why did they pass on their layups? “In order to give their teammates opportunities to score their first basket ever,” she says.

There’s no question that the girls’ basketball teams at SCDS had a great and winning season this year. They have energy and drive. Importantly, they also possess a strong and generous sense of team.

When asked about basketball, Audrey (grade 5), says she likes everything — shooting, passing, dribbling. But the best part is the other players. “There’s a lot of teamwork in it,” she says. You can see this teamwork reflected in the encompassing way that SCDS approaches the entire basketball program across multiple teams and genders.

“On all our teams, we’re using the same philosophies, language, and terminology, and the teams had very similar game plans,” says Davis Jones, a faculty member and basketball coach. “Each team can support one another and see that they all run the same plays. It’s an inclusive approach, and we’re proud of the program.”

What do our students think about when they play basketball? Nora (grade 6) has some good advice for other players. “Not many people think about warming up and stretching, but, to many players like me, it’s essential,” she says. Caroline (grade 7) enjoys the game’s excitement. “I love the thrill of scoring points, dribbling up the court — and when we make an amazing play and we score off of it,” she says.

The scores were good this spring. One of the reasons is that Davis and Jie stay late, working with students who want to hone their skills. “The people who embraced those extra opportunities had more confidence

in their own abilities,” says Davis. “They saw clear examples of hard work paying off.”

Basketball — and the work ethic, accountability, and discipline that accompanied it — meant a great deal to Jie as a youth. “It has brought me lifelong friends and years of joy…I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not picked up a basketball when I was in fifth grade,” she says.

Anvi (grade 8) reflects for a minute about what she loves most about the game. At first, playing basketball was discouraging; when she played her older brother, she’d always lose by a significant margin. But she kept working and training.

“What I love most about basketball is the way it challenges me,” Anvi says. “It constantly challenges me to improve, to learn from the wins and the losses, and to be a better player, teammate, and leader.”

It’s been a fantastic year for the talented, disc-loving faculty at SCDS. Last summer in Limerick, Ireland, social studies teacher Lexi Garrity (left), math teacher Stephen Gussin (right), and their team (SOS) placed third in the mixed teams category in the World Masters Ultimate Club Championships. In addition, Lexi and her club team, Seattle Mixtape, won the national and world Ultimate Club Championships in the same year (aka “the double peak”), and her professional team, the Seattle Tempest, was undefeated in the inaugural season of the Western

A HIGH-FLYING YEAR

Ultimate League. We also learned that social studies teacher Mary Lowry (middle) recently collected a third major honor: She’s now in the Freestyle Disc Hall of Fame, as well as the USA Ultimate Hall of Fame and the DiscNW Hall of Fame.

Not only are these three great at their games — they’re also super-focused on the next generation. “Playing Ultimate shaped my values and made me aware of my privilege,” says Lexi, who focuses on social justice in her classes. Mary, who has coached Ultimate at SCDS for years, also helped the sport take root locally.

“I’m very, very proud of having helped create the youth division of DiscNW and getting Spring Reign [a youth tournament] off the ground,” says Mary. “So much of teaching seems like coaching,” says Stephen. “You have to be self-aware and aware of the impact your actions have on the larger community. Each role helps me be better at the other.”

Photo: Libby Lewis Photography

DIFFERENTIATING UP

When we saw Richard M. Cash, Ed.D., present at the National Association for Gifted Children in 2022, we knew we wanted him to work with faculty at SCDS. Dr. Cash, who received the National Association for Gifted Children’s Early Leader Award, has more bona fides than we can relay in a short introduction. He’s also a riveting instructor. “Dr. Cash is always on the move, making everyone feel included,” says Cyndi Herron, SCDS’s director of teaching and learning and interim Middle School head. Here’s an excerpt from our conversation with Dr. Cash.

What is differentiation in the classroom? It’s about creating opportunities for kids to have different experiences on the way to a learning goal; it’s a more flexible classroom. Imagine learning about cell systems. I might give kids who are hypercreative some pipe cleaners and Styrofoam balls and have them create a model, while the more linear kids might enjoy drawing or creating a cause-and-effect diagram. They’re all getting to the same destination.

Can you talk about concrete and abstract learning? Conceptual learning comes in stages. So, if I ask a young child for an example of a cycle, they might say “bicycle,” a very concrete answer. A few years later, they might say “life cycle” or “water cycle,” a more abstract concept. As they get older, they may answer “the economic cycle,” a very abstract concept.

Are gifted children better at abstraction? Gifted kids possess neural efficiency. They pick up factual knowledge and procedural (howto) knowledge quickly. Abstracting information and making crosscurricular connections is much easier for them. On average, everyone arrives at metaphysical cognition —

thinking theoretically, philosophically, theologically — around 28 or after. Gifted children get there at a much younger age; their brains make more connections more readily, and they think more globally.

What are universal concepts, and how can teachers use them?

Universal concepts are big and overarching and allow kids to make connections. Take “change,” for example. I could talk about changing my clothes or the changes in a piece of music. When teachers present students with an abstract question around a universal concept like change, children can organize their memories and knowledge and start making cross-curricular connections. They can problem-solve and think more critically and creatively. When done correctly, this type of inquiry is a sophisticated part of differentiation.

Explain magnifying glasses, teddy bears, slinkies, and paperclips?

These are four learning types or preferences. While everyone is a composite of all four, the preferences can be a useful lens for teachers in setting up environments that capitalize on student strengths. Magnifying glasses love debate and analysis, while teddy bears focus on

feelings and behaviors. Slinkies are creatives who enjoy doing projects their own way, while paperclips are linear and orderly.

You’ve developed four pillars of instruction for gifted students?

Yes. There’s accelerated pacing, depth of content, sophisticated levels of advanced thinking, and unique products with value beyond the classroom. Additionally, teachers must help gifted children to ask good questions. Some gifted students think that asking questions makes them seem unintelligent. Students also need a rubric for achievement, but one without a ceiling. This is hard for gifted kids, because they’ve learned they only need to reach a certain level to succeed. When we take the ceiling away, who knows where they can go?

What are your hopes for gifted students? Are schools torturing their kids by making them sit at a desk 6.5 hours a day, or are they giving them rich life experiences that foster engagement, creativity, and happiness? That’s what I love seeing about programs for gifted kids. They have intellectual peers, they have people who challenge them, and they learn the value of working hard.

What did teachers think about the Differentiating Up sessions? Here are a few takeaways.

Learning is cyclical. “Dr. Cash inspired us to rethink our curricular approach — to think of curriculum as intertwined and cyclical, rather than linear. We discussed how to make it more authentic and inspiring to students. This concept resonated strongly with our team, and we are excited about the possibilities it affords!” —Mary Lee Dula, Grade 2

Essential questions = essential tools. “It can be easy to fall back on making unit-focused questions instead of essential questions. Talking to Dr. Cash and using his book has been helpful for me in developing essential questions to guide student learning.”

—Lexi Garrity, Social Studies, Grades 4–5

Different approaches. “In homerooms, we discussed the four categories [learning types] of paperclip, teddy bear, etc. Students self-identified, and it was useful for them to realize that different students come at work, problems, and conversations in different ways.”

—Chris Haren, Math, Grades 4–5

Going deep. “When I try to design a unit now, I think about the deeper concepts first. What’s race, what’s culture, what’s ethnicity, what’s country? Then I can either develop very simple language to talk about a topic for beginning students — like, do we know how many ethnic groups there are in China? — or have advanced-level students do a research project on ethnicity.” —Xiaoling Mo, Mandarin, Grades 2–8

OUR GRADUATES

Seattle Country Day School would like to congratulate this year’s graduates: the Class of 2023, proceeding to high school, and the Class of 2019, attending college and pursuing other adventures. Below, we list the fine institutions they will be attending (as of our publication date).

Class of 2023

The Bush School

The Downtown School

Eastside Preparatory School

Holy Names Academy

Lake Washington School District

Lakeside School

The Northwest School

The Overlake School

Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS)

Seattle Preparatory School

Seattle Public Schools

University Prep

Class of 2019

Brown University

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Colorado College

Cornell University

Florida State University

The George Washington University

Georgetown University

Loyola Marymount University

Santa Clara University

Scripps College

Seattle University

Simon Fraser University/ Zhejiang University*

Syracuse University

Tufts University

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, San Diego

The University of Chicago

University of Hawai‘i

The University of Texas at Austin

Wesleyan University

Williams College

*Dual-degree program

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Send your updates to alumni@seattlecountryday.org Entries may be edited for length or content.

SCDS CLASS AGENTS

Lauren Selig ’90 writes, “Hanging with my kids (Avery and Pasha) at the Academy Awards parties.”

Lauren, an entrepreneur and executive producer, is the founder of Shake and Bake Productions, an investment and production firm.

Jessica Chin ’14 graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in cyber operations in 2022, and she is training at Pensacola in order to become a naval flight officer.

Noah Parker ’14 graduated from the University of Washington in June 2022 with a degree in electrical engineering and began his master’s degree at Columbia University, focusing on neuroengineering.

Eli Colton ’18 writes, “I have been taking a gap year in Israel before starting college at Tulane in the fall. For the past few months, I’ve been living in Jerusalem and volunteering as a medic assistant with Magen David Adom ambulances. Recently, we were called to help a Spanishspeaking tourist who had fallen

in the Old City, and I was able to translate between the patient and the medics on the ambulance (shout out to Ms. Ayala!). In addition to great medical training, I’ve learned so much about teamwork, staying focused in intense situations, and how to help our patients remain calm when they are in pain or scared. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Griffin Gadre ’22 writes, “As I am still in high school, I haven’t been up to much. However, this year I decided to attend a boarding school in Hawaii. I was an extra in a movie called “Here Awhile” and got second place in states for the U.S. History Bowl. That’s been about it!”

Viv Tynes ’22 sent us a picture and this note: “This is a caricature drawn of my friend and I at Comic Con. I’m on the right, cosplaying as a Loki from the TV series of the same name.” In March, language arts teacher Chase Ferree saw this very same alum onstage at a reading at Hugo House on Capitol Hill: Viv is among the poets featured in Hugo’s new youth literary journal, Misty Mint Magazine, Vol. 1.

Interested in joining SCDS’s Alumni Council? Curious to learn more about the class agent program? Contact your class agent via the “Life After SCDS” tab on the school’s website or email alumni@seattlecountryday.org.

Bree Miksovsky ’22

Matteo Montague ’22

Maddie Schofield ’21

Brady Tessin ’21

Delphine Mock ’20

Cole Pepin ’20

Kyle Cassidy ’19

Kat Lord-Krause ’19

Avi Berman ’18

Lauren White ’18

Andrew Levinger ’17

Blake Weld ’17

Nathan Burke ’16

Suzanna Graham ’16

Jane Lord-Krause ’16

Emme McMullen ’15

Hayden Ratliff ’15

Cole Graham ’14

Emmy Hunt ’14

Emma Engle ’13

Emily Jordan ’13

Katie Rodihan ’06

Devon Emily Thorsell ’05

Laurel Stewart ’01

Sam Fisher ’00

Emily Hamilton ’00

Chris Loeffler ’96

Josh Donion ’93

Amanda Carr ’92

Catherine (Burns) Humbert ’91

Sarah Leung ’90

Lisa (Narodick) Colton ’89

Carolyn Holtzen ’88

Karim Lessard ’85

Wendy McDermott ’85

Jason Froggatt ’83

Anastacia (Sims) Dillon ’81

Rachel Tillman ’79

THE GALLERY

1 Finley, Grade 8. Middle School students combined realism and fiction (and, in this case, a love of oranges and collage) into portraits made with a grid technique.

2 Ellia, Kindergarten. Inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, students made their own patterned paintings.

3 Dasch, Petra, and Sanjay, Grade 5. Students explored pop art and its historical significance, examining Andy Warhol’s soup-can artwork to gain inspiration for their own variations.

4 Milo, Grade 8. A mixed-media shadow box created in the printmakingcollage class.

5 Wenyin, Grade 1. This student imagined “a pink star on earth” when making felt art. The class was studying Alma Thomas, whose art responds to nature and the cosmos.

6 Aiden, Grade 2. The second grade engineered its own combination animals in papier-mâché. This is a piranhascorpion-spider.

Student art and other projects

2619 4th Avenue N Seattle, WA 98109

(206) 284-6220

seattlecountryday.org

SEATTLE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

Inspiring gifted children to reach their potential through inquiry, curiosity, and wonder

For more information admissions@seattlecountryday.org development@seattlecountryday.org alumni@seattlecountryday.org