Highlander Summer 2011

a school garden growing sustainability & community

alumni thrive at college

A Culture of Thinking is Growing at St. Margaret’s

day in the life of lower school

summer 2011

departments

volume 23, number 2 summer 2011

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Guideposts

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Faculty Profiles

Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut discusses what

Acquaint yourself with two of St. Margaret’s

cultivates St. Margaret’s dynamic learning culture

exceptional and gifted faculty members

News & Notes

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Class Notes

Get the scoop on what’s been happening at

Learn about the lives of fellow alumni,

St. Margaret’s lately

including “Notable” highlights

A Day in the Life Of . . .

Lower School

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A tribute to retiring grade 2 teacher Carolyn Franck

See how Lower School students spend their days throughout the week

Looking Back

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Looking Forward An update on St. Margaret’s campus

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By the Numbers The composition of St. Margaret’s Episcopal

development plan and a spotlight on the Building on the Promise capital campaign Chairs Trace and Lauren Chalmers

School community

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Open Spaces: Student Short Story and Artwork Showcasing award-winning student writing and visual arts talent

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Side by Side Student and teacher discuss the grade 7 research unit and this year’s topic:

features

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Internet Neutrality

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A Culture of Thinking

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Student profiles illustrate St. Margaret’s culture of thinking

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Marcus D. Hurlbut, Headmaster Highlander magazine is published by the Communications and Marketing Office as a St. Margaret’s Episcopal School community magazine.

Editorial Director

Anne Mack Editor

Nicole Peddy

A School Garden Growing Sustainability and Community

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The building and future of St. Margaret’s school-wide garden

Thriving in College

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Alumni from the Class of 2010 reflect on their first year of college

Copy Editor

Jennifer Perez Editorial Board

Jeannine Clarke, Jeneen Graham, Stephen Harrington, Marcus D. Hurlbut, Anne Mack, Nicole Peddy Contributors

Roland Allen, Lora Allison, Ingrid Andrews, David Beshk, Anna Brower, Jamie Bunch, Clayton Chalmers, Lauren Chalmers, Trace Chalmers, Justin Cheng, Blakely Collier, Lori Donchak, Lore Fredette, Melody Hernandez, Fredrick Hudoff, Carol Ann Ingalls, Marcus D. Hurlbut, Jeni Johnson, Marisa Jue, Matt Kanan, Spencer Keane, Spencer Kushner, Anne Mack, Regina McDuffie, Peighton McRobie, Lisa Merryman, Joanne Pate, Jennifer Perez, Jennifer Ross-Viola, Darcy Rice, Austin Russell, Shannon Russell, Michele Silverman, Ian Tacquard, David Weaver Please send comments, questions, letters and submissions for “Open Spaces” to:

Highlander magazine St. Margaret’s Episcopal School 31641 La Novia San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-2752 (949) 661-0108 communications@smes.org; www.smes.org Please include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number with your letter or submission.

Letters and “Open Spaces” may be edited for content and grammar.

St. Margaret’s publishes responsibly. Highlander magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper that contains 25 percent postconsumer recycled content, using soy-based inks made from renewable resources such as natural pigments and vegetable oils.

Finding Something Unexpected

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The process and achievements of alumnus

Highlander, Volume 23, Number 2. Summer 2011.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational or hiring policies, admissions policies, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs.

Matt Kanan’s budding career as a researcher

and experimentalist

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ON THE COVER

St. Margaret’s school-wide garden—a living, outdoor learning laboratory on campus for students, teachers and families. Inside front: More than 400 Lower School students took over Gateway Field for this year’s Tartan Trot jog-a-thon on April 1.

Inside back: On the last day of the 2010-2011 school year, seniors signed a structural beam that was hoisted during the topping out ceremony marking the highest point of construction of the Performing Arts Center.

G U I D E P O S T S

By Marcus D. Hurlbut, Headmaster t. Margaret’s embraces and inspires thinkers!

Our coordinated Preschool through grade 12 curriculum engages every student in learning, creative and critical thinking, decision making and problem solving. By connecting new knowledge with the depth and range of previous experiences, our curriculum prepares our students to be future leaders and moral citizens of tomorrow.

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We are pleased to present you with the summer 2011 Highlander magazine bringing to life on its pages our vibrant, nurturing community through feature stories on our innovative and talented students and faculty, alumni and faculty profiles, student works and notable accomplishments.

This publication will provide a snapshot of what makes up our close-knit community, our thinking-based learning approach and how we incorporate differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each individual learner.

alumnus who is conducting research and inspiring and leading a group of graduate students at Stanford University to develop a process that will allow us not to have to rely on plants to convert sunlight into fuel.

St. Margaret’s stands as a guidepost for its students, families, faculty and staff. It is a safe and nurturing environment where all are encouraged and inspired to explore and empowered to take risks. It is our curriculum and our meaningful thought that cultivates our dynamic learning environment.

Throughout this publication, you will read about outstanding models of our culture of thinking, see the inspired mentality that has built our school-wide garden—a living, outdoor learning laboratory on campus for students, teachers and families; a dedicated senior’s initiation of a student-driven costume design program on campus; a sophomore who challenged his creativity, innovation and critical-thinking skills to invent two patent-pending systems; and witness an

“St. Margaret’s stands as a guidepost for its students, families, faculty and staff. It is a safe and nurturing environment where all are encouraged and inspired to explore and empowered to take risks. It is our curriculum and our meaningful thought that cultivates our dynamic learning environment.”

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N E W S

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N OT E S

St. Margaret’s JETS Team Takes First Place at Competition Eight St Margaret’s students traveled to University of Southern California to compete in the 2011 Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) in March. The students finished as the top team in their school level division, took first place over all teams competing at USC and took first place in Division 2 for all of California. The JETS TEAMS program is an annual high school competition challenging students to work collaboratively and apply their math and science knowledge in practical, creative ways to solve real everyday engineering challenges.

St. Margaret’s Concert Band Performs in the CAIS Honor Band In February, St. Margaret’s Band Director Chris Carbajal and 16 Middle and Upper School band students attended the California Association of Independent School’s Seventh Annual Southern Section Honor Music Festival at the Viewpoint School in Calabasas. The festival included band, strings orchestra and chorus elements. Three members of the St. Margaret’s percussion section were also asked to accompany the honor string orchestra on John Williams’ Trilogy.

A Lesson in Constitutional Law with Erwin Chemerinsky

In December, renowned constitutional law scholar and Founding Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law Erwin Chemerinsky spoke to St. Margaret’s Middle and Upper School students about the U.S. Constitution.

Prior to his presentation, Mr. Chemerinsky met with Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut’s constitutional law class for a more intimate discussion. Students asked about his recently published book, his teachings and his recent court cases.

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Johnny Li Visits the White House, is Named CA State Science Fair Student of the Year and Qualifies for the 2011 U.S. Physics Team In March, senior Johnny Li was one of 40 high school 2011 Intel Science Talent Search finalists invited to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Barack Obama. While in D.C., he also had the opportunity to meet with scientists and publicly display his work titled, “Effects of Cell Compressibility, Motility and Contact Inhibition on the Growth of Tumor Cell Cluster.” In May, Johnny was named California State Science Fair Student of the Year and also qualified for the 2011 U.S. Physics Team. His Upper School career concluded as the Class of 2011 Valedictorian.

Cum Laude Society Inducts 19 St. Margaret’s Students

In February, 20 St Margaret’s student artists were represented at the opening reception of the Youth Artist Society Gallery at the Laguna Beach Art Museum. Student artwork was on display from February 27 – May 15. St. Margaret’s students grappled with the complex idea of cultural identity and explored cultural identifiers they connected strongly with such as: family, heritage, race, aesthetics, age, religion, ethnicity, location and gender. The artwork was completed by students in introductory photography and Advanced Placement 2D design.

In April, seven juniors and 12 seniors were inducted into the Cum Laude Society, an international honors organization for which only a small percentage of high school juniors and seniors are qualified. St. Margaret’s is one of only 370 chapters throughout the world, and the only Cum Laude school in Orange County.

Seniors Named Jr. Dignitaries for the 2011 Swallows Day Parade

New Music Workstations Provide State-of-the-Art Technology

Hannah Hess and Colin Shaffer, two seniors with leading athletic and academic records, served for the first time as Jr. Dignitaries for the 2011 Swallows’ Day Parade held in March. Hannah, Miss Fiesta, and Colin, Jr. Señor San Juan, represented the Fiesta Association and St. Margaret’s.

Thanks to the Parent Teacher Fellowship’s generous grant, the new music technology workstations for the music department were installed in early 2011. Three cutting-edge iMac computers with a range of digital audio software provided students with tools for practicing their ensemble parts, composition and training in music theory.

Workstations were used by the Upper School orchestra to work on the score for the musical theatre production of Jane Eyre, and by the Lower School orchestras.

Robotics Week Inspires Students to Explore Abstract Learning In-depth exploratory learning launched in early February as students started using engaging technology to learn programming, engineering and robotics, while also applying the concepts of math and design. Through this, students learned important engineering, math and computer science concepts as well as creative problem solving and working collaboratively. The programs in place include the introduction of PicoCrickets to grade 3 students, Bee-Bots in kindergarten and grade 1, and Middle School students designing games using Scratch. summer 2011

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To read more St. Margaret’s news, visit Tartan Today online at tartantoday.org

Student Artwork Displayed at Laguna Beach Art Museum

N E W S

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(Continued)

In Egypt, By Egypt, For Egypt St. Margaret’s Trustee Dr. Mohamed El-Erian visited St. Margaret’s in the spring to speak with Upper School students about the revolution in Egypt. Dr. El-Erian drew upon his personal and international business experience to explain the sudden and tumultuous turn of events in the country with a riveting presentation entitled, “Egypt’s Uprising: Its Meaning and What Comes Next.” Dr. El-Erian’s eloquent speech gave the students an inside look at the power of Egypt’s revolution and the force of determined citizens.

St. Margaret’s Community and the PTF Celebrates Tartans on Broadway and the 30th Annual Library Luncheon This year’s Spring Fundraiser, “Tartans on Broadway,” included a special presentation by Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut who issued the Treasured Tartan Award to past Parent Teacher Fellowship President Kelly Collier. Alumna Paige Selby also attended the event and talked about the Fund a Need initiative, a new robotics, engineering and innovation studio. Event Chair Lisa Payne, along with her committee and all the countless volunteers executed a successful event.

May marked the 30th anniversary of the longest standing PTF tradition, the Library Luncheon.

This year’s British-inspired Library Luncheon: “A Royal Celebration,” took place at Blenheim Farms. The event was able to raise funds for faculty and staff grants thanks to the commitment and dedication of Event Chair Nancy Patch, Co-Chair and PTF President Tricia Raymund, table hostesses and the gentlemen of St. Margaret’s, who volunteered as table servers for the event.

Jane Eyre Receives High Praise from MACY’s Awards Founder and St. Margaret’s Theatre Program Captures 17 Cappies Nominations St. Margaret’s Upper School performing arts presented five sold-out performances of Jane Eyre in April. After the final performance, Lee Childress, renowned theater expert and founder of the MACY’s Awards for achievements in excellence in high school musical theater, commended the entire cast for their superb performance.

A month later, the Orange County Cappies announced the nominees and commendees for the 2010-11 theatre season.

St. Margaret’s received 17 nominations for Blithe Spirit and Jane Eyre in performing, design, technical and critical categories.

Additionally, out of 33 schools, St. Margaret’s was the only school nominated for both Best Play and Best Musical.

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Grade 8 Students Win Top Honors at Orange County Science and Engineering Fair and Middle School Student Wins First Place at California State Science Fair Each year, grade 8 students are required to create a project and participate in St. Margaret’s Science Fair in February. Ten out of the top 25 students went on to participate in this year’s Orange County Science and Engineering Fair.

In May, David Weaver, grade 8, placed first in the Fluid/Aerodynamics/ Thermophysics category of the California State Science Fair for his project: “A Wind Turbines Ability to Power a Car’s Electrical Components and Reduce its Carbon Footprint.” He was awarded a gold medal and qualified to enter the Broadcom MASTERS™ (math, applied science, technology, and engineering for rising stars), the national science, technology, engineering and math competition for U.S. students in grades 6, 7 and 8.

To read more St. Margaret’s news, visit Tartan Today online at tartantoday.org

From the Sports Field St. Margaret’s athletics program had many accomplishments this year including The Orange County Register ranking it third in the county among the top 25 athletic programs. Additional accomplishments include:

Tartan Wrestling Team The last time the Tartan wrestling program had individuals qualify for the post season CIF tournament was during the 2007-2008 season. This year, four students qualified for post season competition: seniors Charles Cox and Kyle Larrabee, sophomore David Sparks and junior Nicolas Toubia.

Tartan Girls’ Soccer Team Makes History In March, the girls’ varsity soccer team won its first CIF Championship in St. Margaret’s history. The team recorded the most wins in a season (26) for any St. Margaret’s soccer team and had the longest consecutive unbeaten streak in Orange County (25 matches). Varsity Girls’ Head Coach Johnny Marmelstein was also awarded Girls’ Soccer Orange County Register Coach of the Year.

Girls’ Lacrosse Captures Division 2 South County Championship In May, the St. Margaret’s girls’ lacrosse team captured the U.S. Lacrosse Division 2 Consolation South County Championship.

The team defeated the number one seed Capistrano Valley High School Cougars 13-12.

Track & Field CIF Finals The St. Margaret’s track and field team claimed two League Championships in May. The girls’ team defended its title, finishing 128 points ahead of the second place team. Following League Finals, a record 21 Tartans advanced to CIF Prelims.

Tartan Lacrosse Notches 100th Win The St. Margaret’s boys’ lacrosse team captured its 100th program victory in March with a win against Tesoro High School. The Orange County Register also named Coach Manning as the 2011 Boys’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year.

Swimming and Diving Athletes Win League The Tartan aquatics team completed its regular season at the Academy League Swimming and Diving Finals in May. Nearly all of the swimmers, on both the varsity and junior varsity teams posted personal season records.

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A DAY I N T H E L I F E L OW E R S C H O O L

O F. . .

By Nicole Peddy

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n the Lower School, the day begins with students and teachers meeting in the classroom at 8 a.m. to welcome and greet each other and organize the day. They convene and walk together to Lower School Chapel.

The daily Chapel service is a gathering of the entire student body. It’s a time of daily centering, spiritual reflection, song and convocation. Led by school chaplains, this purposeful start to the day allows students to understand and explore traditions, character and develop a sense of community and camaraderie.

Teachers lead their students back to their classrooms to focus on growth, learning and well-being, especially in four core aspects of child development: academic, social, emotional and spiritual.

A rich and comprehensive Lower School curriculum of reading, writing, math, science, social studies, visual and performing arts, social sciences, physical education, computer literacy, science, foreign language and an understanding of faith traditions well prepares them for future success in St. Margaret’s rigorous college-preparatory curriculum.

Critical-thinking, creativity, problem solving, exploration and collaboration skills are nurtured in every subject through a focus on enduring understandings and essential questions.

The St. Margaret’s Lower School has small classes, with a teacher-to-student ratio of 10:1. This enables teachers to differentiate instruction—to know every student and meet and support them where they are in their learning. The Lower School is structured on a six-day schedule to support

8:10—8:30 a.m.

> > 8 a.m.

Instruction begins. Students are gathered by their teachers from the Lower School playground and escorted to their classrooms for a day of instruction.

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Chapel. Students of all faiths and denominations come together four times weekly to explore common bonds, create awareness of the needs of others and deepen relationships.

8:35—9:55 a.m.

Students in grades 1 - 3 participate in English language arts instruction in their respective classrooms.

the breadth of the curriculum offerings. The schedule also allows for grade-level planning to ensure consistency in instruction and support of every student. Faculty, teaching assistants, Library and Student Academic Support Center educators strive to create a physically and emotionally safe environment where students are motivated to learn and empowered to take risks because they feel comfortable and loved.

“Our expert faculty use differentiated instruction to meet the needs of the various individual learners in their classrooms,” said Academic Dean and Lower School Principal Dr. Regina McDuffie. “Teachers differentiate for learning ability and learning style by using assessments before instruction to get to know what students are interested in, how they approach learning and where they are developmentally.” For additional information, see Dr. McDuffie’s article, “What is Differentiated Instruction?” in the March/April 2011 Tartan newsletter.

The reading and writing instruction is conducted within small groups allowing students to read and write at their own instructional level and be appropriately supported, one-onone with their teacher. Math incorporates both the learning of traditional skills as well as conceptual understanding. In addition to Chapel services four times a week, students attend Christian life skills class each week to develop spiritual awareness, deepen their relationship with God, build moral character and learn about other faiths and cultures. Beginning in kindergarten, Lower School students are also introduced to the Spanish language through conversational and academic Spanish. The curriculum sets a solid grounding for success in foreign language study throughout their lives and inspires understanding, excitement and confidence about foreign language and other cultures.

In addition to expansive technology resources to support student learning and skills across all subject areas, students are engaged in technology through learning programming,

>> House Leagues The St. Margaret’s House League system was established in the British tradition of longstanding teams that encourage team spirit and support. Children entering the Lower School are placed on one of four teams and usually remain on the same team throughout their Lower School years. House League teams accumulate points in athletic, service and citizenship competitions, and compete for rewards such as free-dress days.

Physical Education Students attend physical education classes two to three days a week. During these periods, students will develop sportsmanship, teamwork, and leadership abilities through developmentally appropriate competition.

10—10:45 a.m.

Recess. After a morning of classroom time, kindergarten students venture outdoors to enjoy the Lower School playground during recess. This is a time for students to use their social skills while engaging in games and activities.

10:10—11:45 a.m.

Students in grades 1 - 3 embark on instruction in special subjects including: art, Christian life skills, library, music, science, physical education and Spanish.

10:30—11:00 a.m.

Grade 5 students continue their morning instruction with one of the following: math, reading, science, social studies or writing.

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engineering and robotics, while applying the concepts of math, science and design. Through these programs, students cultivate challenging engineering, math and computer science concepts, as well as creative problem solving and working collaboratively supporting our 21st century learning initiative.

This year, the Lower School introduced robotics programs: PicoCrickets in grade 3, and Bee-Bots in kindergarten and grade 1. Additionally, next year, students in grades 2-4 will be working in a small Lower School garden growing seedlings for the larger school garden (see “A School Garden Growing Sustainability and Community” on page 23). They will learn about composting, water sources, the implication of water on our food, garden-to-table concepts, develop naturalist intelligence and an appreciation for the Earth.

As the day comes to a close at 3 p.m., students pack their bags before heading home or perhaps to an after-school club such as art, choir, chess, computers, cooking, dance, drama, foreign language, sports, math or science where learning continues with St. Margaret’s faculty. ●

“Our STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program is aimed at helping to prepare our students for the demands of our rapidly changing world,” said Dr. McDuffie.

“We want to introduce engineering concepts as early as possible and make our students aware of their role in environmental sustainability. We accomplish this in many ways but we are particularly excited about our new ecology and robotics programs.”

Music and Choir For kindergarten-grade 3, children develop their music awareness through singing, movement and understanding of basic music concepts and terminology. The concert band and orchestra programs is open to grades 4 and 5 and introduces students to the technical fundamentals of playing a musical instrument, along with reading music. The choir program exposes students to a variety of music and provides a fun, quality musical experience.

Participation in the after-school Piper’s Choir program is available, as well as beginning choir for grades 4 and 5.

Drama The Lower School theatre program is a process-oriented, experientially-based program available to students in grades 1-5. Educational theatre at St. Margaret’s reflects the school’s core values where inclusion and participation are emphasized. The annual Lower School musical provides the framework for teaching theatre at this age level. All Lower School students who audition are cast in the play.

Technology Lab Lower School students learn to use technology as an effective tool promoting critical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication, collaboration and productivity to prepare them to be lifelong learners and global citizens in the 21st century.

Computer instruction in kindergarten-grade 2 has an emphasis on technology skill development. Grades 3-5 begin digital media literacy while increasing their exposure to emerging technologies.

10:45 a.m.—12:15 p.m.

1:15—2:30 p.m.

Kindergarten students take this time to focus on special subjects such as computers, social studies and Spanish.

Kindergarten students participate in math and social science instruction, as well as have a short rest.

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12:15—1:00 p.m.

1—3 p.m.

Lunch for Lower School students is staggered throughout the day. Students sit together by classroom, and have a PTF hot lunch or a lunch they have brought from home on the Lower School picnic tables. Grade 5 students have lunch during this time.

Grade 4 students spend their afternoon filled with special subjects including: art, music, science, physical education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) instruction.

A Culture of Thinking Culture of

By Academic Dean and Lower School Principal Dr. Regina McDuffie

Thinking-based learning is essential for our students as the 21st century challenges its future leaders to be reflective about their own learning process as they tackle complex problems collaboratively and creatively. Some might think that asking students to engage in activities that require them to think critically is sufficient for learning how to think, but that is not the case. In order to develop a thinking culture in a school, teachers need to go beyond activities and build specific opportunities into the curriculum where students reflect upon and assess their thinking. Students need to be taught what course of action might be best given the specific problem they are trying to solve so they can eventually direct their own thinking.

I can remember as a student encountering problems that I couldn’t solve. Often the response from teachers or sometimes my parents would be, “think harder, you can figure it out.”

This response is problematic because it didn’t provide me with deliberate and explicit instruction. A better response would be: How did you attempt to solve the problem? What strategies did you use? What thought process or pattern occurred in your head when you were trying to solve the problem? Can you restate the problem and possible solutions?

What would result from these solutions? Which result do you think is best?

Research suggests that in performing any thinking task the most skillful thinkers “deliberately guide their own use of productive mental behaviors and skillful thinking procedures to think about relevant and significant content in order to complete the thinking task effectively.” (Swartz et. al, 2008).

Over the past three years, St. Margaret’s has collaborated with

University of California, Irvine on a 21st century learning research study. As a result of this study we learned that teachers at St. Margaret’s regularly emphasized what the UCI researchers call, “expert thinking skills,” such as problem solving, synthesis, evaluation and self-reflection. Expert thinking is an important concept because it requires students to problem solve like experts in the field. Essentially, students are asked to think strategically about problems the way an expert would—like a scientist, think like an historian or an engineer.

As we all know, problems of the 21st century cannot be solved by solely individual experts instead, teamwork is often needed to come to a solution. A second finding of the UCI research team is that classroom activities at St. Margaret’s regularly provided students the ability to work independently

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and collaboratively in a creative manner. We want our St. Margaret’s graduates to take on leadership roles in industry, science, technology, politics, etc… In order to do this, we need to teach them to generate new ideas and add to the current knowledge base. It is through learning how to think both critically and creatively that our students will be leaders.

The following profiles on St. Margaret’s students and their projects illustrate a thinking culture. These students have explored subject matter for which they had interest and passion. They tackled complex areas of study and problems, brought new perspective and original thought and creative ideas, executed a strategic thinking process to create solutions, test their work and preserve through setbacks. Blakely, Austin, Peighton, Clayton and Mrs. Fredette’s P4 class, are exemplary models of our culture of thinking.

Telling Her Story Through Costumes

By Nicole Peddy For many people being the president of their high school student body would be the highlight of their school career, but for senior Blakely Collier, there is so much more. Blakely has made an impact on the theatre stage, within student life, on the golf course, and as a prominent voice in the St. Margaret’s community. At this year’s Upper School Awards ceremony, she was given The Bishop’s Award – awarded to the senior who has set an example of overall achievement, combining an excellent academic record with exemplary service to the school. Having attended St. Margaret’s since kindergarten, this fall Blakely will move on to lend her talents to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

“Blakely is hands-down the most talented student I have ever encountered,” said Lora Allison, director of community life.

“She is creative, selfless, dedicated and driven. Blakely has the ability to inspire students, juggle many things in an effortless way, and lead by example. Many aspects of the Associated Student Body rely on Blakely’s ability to carry out a plan or to dream up a concept. Quite simply, she doesn’t disappoint.

She does all of this while maintaining a keen perspective and has the ability to work equally well with adults and students.”

Throughout her years at St. Margaret’s, Blakely has served the student body with endless determination. She was St. Margaret’s Associated Student Body president this past school year, part of the girls’ varsity golf team, and spent a fourth season as lead costumer for the Arts. Through her many accomplishments Blakely will be remembered, but her pioneering of a student-driven costume design program will be her most significant legacy.

“I’ve always been interested in sewing and putting clothes together,” said Blakely. “I asked my parents for a sewing machine when I was 10 years old.”

Starting as an actor in Lower and Middle School productions, Blakely’s worldview soon expanded and she decided that she wanted to assist in creating the vision of a production rather than performing onstage. Her first experiences in costumes came while she was in Middle School, under the direction of Costume Designer Melinda Keane. She helped sew for Lower School productions of Annie, jr. and Cinderella, and the Middle School production of Seussical.

During Blakely’s freshman year, she designed and built her first solo production, The Crucible.

“My first impression of Blakely’s design work was that she had a clear understanding of the role that costume plays in telling the story. Her enthusiasm for the work, plus her proven expertise while she was still in Middle School, made me willing to give her the responsibility of the entire costume design for The Crucible,” said Darcy Rice, director of the Arts at St. Margaret’s.

Later that year, Blakely assisted Mrs. Keane on the very complex costumes of Les Misérables. Blakely went on to design costumes for Metamorphoses, Children of Eden, Children of a Lesser God, Into the Woods, Blithe Spirit and Jane Eyre. She earned Cappie nominations for her work on Metamorphoses and Into the Woods. This year, Blakely won a Cappie for Best Costumes for her work on Jane Eyre. The Cappies is a national program that recognizes achievement in high school arts and drama programs.

“Blakely’s vision for costume design comes out of her great love for theatre. She understands the collaborative nature of the art, and sees her costume work as an integrated part of the production as a whole,” said Mr. Rice. “She is able to incorporate the director’s vision, the scenic and lighting designers’ concepts and the needs of the actors into her personal artistic vision for the production.”

Over the past four years, Blakely has built hundreds of costume pieces on her own for Upper School plays and musicals, as well as creatively pulling and combining items from St. Margaret’s costume collection to outfit the actors in the annual 24-Hour Playwriting Festival and Upper School Studio Plays. Blakely has also produced two fashion shows for St. Margaret’s annual Coffee House Cabaret.

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“Blakely understands the important distinction between costume and clothing, and her creative design work has always taken the particular needs of each production in mind,” said Mr. Rice.

Prior to Blakely, costumes for St. Margaret’s Upper School productions were primarily designed and made by parent volunteers. Now, a student-driven costume design program, inspired by Blakely and her interests, is in place at St. Margaret’s. Mrs. Keane is currently mentoring several younger students in the art of costume design.

“St. Margaret’s has given me opportunity, support and encouragement from the faculty and staff to step out, try new things and start programs that don’t already exist,” said Blakely.

By grade 7, Austin took his newly acquired computer skills beyond the classroom. Out of “necessity,” he decided to research ways to convert his Nintendo DS into a cell phone.

“When I asked for a cell phone, my parents said no, but they jokingly told me that I was free to invent one,” said Austin.

After three months of research and development, Austin found success. While riding home on the St. Margaret’s bus, he called his mother from the converted Nintendo DS device. “At first my mom didn’t believe me, but then I explained to her how I wrote some code to modify its functions,” said Austin.

By the time Austin was 12 years old he wanted to explore the engineering side of technology. He began to study software systems as well as hardware. He soon collaborated with various groups online in order to learn coding. He became a member of the Windows 7 Beta development team, and was tasked with testing and “de-bugging” codes.

Austin took an analytical approach to problem solving by studying irregular patterns in the coding, and comparing his results with other programmers online.

Although Austin worked on many projects at home, it was the Grade 8 Science Fair that allowed him to demonstrate his thinking skills to others. His project was an underground water recycling device that connects to a municipal water supply and can be operated remotely. The system recycled more than 95 percent of the water tested, and controlled drainage runoff to environmentally sensitive areas. Austin won first place at the California State Science Fair, and currently has a patent pending on the system.

Born to be an Inventor Sophomore Austin Russell was born to be an inventor; he spends most of his spare time searching for ways to improve lives through innovative technology. St. Margaret’s 21st century approach to teaching has allowed a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) student such as Austin to explore his area of passion and challenge his creativity, innovation and critical-thinking skills.

“For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in engineering and technology,” said Austin. “When I was in preschool, I was experimenting with water and prisms, and also spent many weekends at the Discovery Science Center.

Our class was asked by the teacher, ‘Who do you admire most?’ When I answered, ‘Bill Gates,’ most of the students looked confused and said, ‘Who is that?!’”

Austin joined St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in the sixth grade because he wanted to be challenged in science and math. St. Margaret’s was able to provide this opportunity to Austin with hands-on challenges that encouraged criticalthinking skills. Austin’s first challenge was in Mr. Dylan Wade’s grade 6 science classroom where students were asked to create an earthquake proof building. Working with newly learned math skills and architectural research, Austin’s group won the challenge by collaborating and designing a structure that would withstand the force of an earthquake.

In grade 8, Austin participated in a video game programming class taught by Director of Academic Information Technology Lynn Ozonian. In the Upper School, Austin began working with the digital media department, and learned how to operate the video equipment. This coming school year, Austin will learn additional programming in the Advanced Placement computer science course.

This past school year, the science department encouraged Austin to compete with the St. Margaret’s team in the 2011 National Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) challenge. His science teacher, Mr. Joe Ingalls, traveled with the team to University of Southern California, where they won first place in their division for the state of California. In April, Science Department Chair Dr. Jennifer Ross-Viola sponsored Austin and his newest invention – a pocket-sized computer that projects a virtual Windows 7 interactive screen onto any surface – at the Orange County Science & Engineering Fair. Austin won first place, the United States Navy Scholarship Award, and a special award from the International Society for Optics and Photonics. Austin combined numerous technologies and used the calculus he learned at St. Margaret’s to create algorithms and modify software. He currently has a second patent pending on this system.

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“When Austin first described his invention to me, I thought, ‘that seems like a pretty cool idea,’” said Dr. Ross-Viola.

“But, when he brought it in to demonstrate it to the science department, we were all completely astounded. He projected a virtual keyboard onto the classroom desk and then began typing on it. The words he was typing began appearing on the screen of his Bluetooth-enabled phone. It’s really quite amazing.”

Today, Austin is being sponsored by companies such as Intel to build a supercomputer that will increase the computer processing speed of DNA sequencing and analysis via 3D modeling. When asked about his future plans, Austin said, “I would like to use the skills that I have learned at St. Margaret’s to continue creating solutions for real-world problems.”

The Emerging of an Award-Winning Writer Grade 8 student Peighton McRobie’s creativity shines through when she puts a pen to paper or sits in front of her keyboard. Her writing inspiration comes from renowned author Ray Bradbury, best known for his novel Fahrenheit 451, and from the sights, sounds and conversations that surround her. She relishes in Bradbury’s writing: “rich, descriptive and filled with emotion.”

“An idea will come to me and I dig deeper to find a unique way to write it,” said Peighton. “I like to write analytical things, but put my own twist on it.”

In the past two years, Peighton has become an accomplished, award-winning writer. In grade 7, she was awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition, one of the most prestigious national competitions dating back to 1923. The competition received more than 165,000 submissions last year. Middle School English Teacher Lori Donchak nominated Peighton’s essay titled, “Beauty in a Shopping Bag.” Jurors looked for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and emergence of a personal vision.

“Peighton brings an exceptionally fresh voice to her written work,” said Mrs. Donchak. “She writes with energy and insight. Her eye for detail is spectacular and causes a reader to instantly be involved. I had the good fortune to see Peighton’s talent come through in reflective writing, analytical essays and, of course, creative writing. The high caliber is consistent.”

This school year, Peighton was among only 111 grade 8 students from across the United States to receive the highest honor from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The competition asked students to respond to a specific theme in an effort to standardize writing for evaluation. Peighton submitted her essay titled, “Magic Bus,” that, according to Peighton, “discusses who you are and what makes you who you are.” To see an excerpt from Peighton’s essay visit page 18.

“Peighton is such a successful writer because writing is ‘play’ for her,” said Middle School English Teacher and English Department Chair Jeni Johnson. “She fully invests herself in the writing process and produces draft after draft of a piece until it is polished. She’s attentive to details of word choice and voice. Also, she seeks out feedback and is receptive to coaching. In short, she’s an English teacher’s dream!”

Additionally, this year Peighton’s anonymous essay was selected for the annual grade 8 Tomb of the Unknowns essay contest. As one of two contest winners, Peighton was honored with laying a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery during the grade 8 trip to Washington D.C. in May. A total of four students laid the wreath, the student council president and vice president, as well as the two essay contest winners. A total of 19 essays were submitted by grade 8 students this year, the most to date. St. Margaret’s English and history teachers, together with Middle School Director of Community Service and Activities Mrs. Amanda Hudson, read the essays and selected the winners. Peighton’s essay was written for the men who were not recognized. She described one soldier’s passion for serving his country and the honor she would feel to lay the wreath at the site.

“In addition to her skill in writing, Peighton is just a great girl – she’s kind and supportive to her classmates, respectful of her parents and teachers, and always models the highest ethical standards,” said Ms. Johnson.

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“Clayton has always been a creative and inspiring young person. I am constantly amazed at the ways he conceptualizes complex concepts as to create ownership of the ideas. His ability to engage in philosophical discussions that range from politics and environmental studies to cars and sports is way beyond his years! I am excited to see the impact he will continue to have on our world,” said Clayton’s grade 5 teacher David Beshk.

Currently, Clayton is looking for a truck that was made in 1979, the year St. Margaret’s Episcopal School opened its doors. The truck will be restored with private funds and housed at a private home or the garage of an experienced restoration company.

The Tartan Truck is projected to have several uses including carrying all of the heavy band instruments onto the field for sporting events; a focal point for band formations, utilized during rallies, home games and homecoming; and as an exceptional source of school spirit.

A Lower School Student’s Mind at Work

“We plan to purchase the truck and then start modernizing it with an alternative fuel source,” said Clayton. “We have already spoken with several of St. Margaret’s interested science students and parents who are willing to help with the reconstruction of the truck’s engine and fuel source.

Once the inside of the truck is transformed, we will start branding the outside so it will truly be a traveling symbol of St. Margaret’s.”

Born with a curiosity for learning, Clayton Chalmers, grade 5, approaches and conceptualizes problems in new, innovative ways. He played the Tin Man in the 2011 Lower School play, Wizard of Oz, plays drums for the Tartan Marching Band, has an affinity for politics, social and environmental issues and has been part of the St. Margaret’s community since grade 1. This year, Clayton’s naturally inquisitive nature led him to come up with the idea for the Tartan Truck— an alternative fuel truck designed as a symbol of the St. Margaret’s community.

“I think it’s wonderful that Clayton is taking the initiative to convert a truck into an alternative fuel vehicle,” said Science Department Chair Dr. Jennifer Ross-Viola. “This should be an inspirational vehicle on many levels, from cheering on the spirit at Tartan events to helping our campus move forward with its sustainability initiatives. Of course, the most important way that this truck can inspire is by encouraging more students to get involved in science projects—this one or others.”

“I noticed a need for a school symbol that would set the stage for what St. Margaret’s is all about: innovation, science, history and community,” said Clayton.

A mentoring program with St. Margaret’s Middle and Upper School science students is also in the works. The students will be instrumental in the “greening” of the truck. They will collaborate with each other and possibly professionals in overhauling the truck’s engine.

Clayton has a long-standing love for cars and trucks. The idea for the Tartan Truck came while Clayton chatted with his parents about the commonality of branded trucks used as school symbols throughout time. Clayton picked up a replica of a University of California, Los Angeles (his father’s alma mater) hot rod truck with a barbeque on the back as his mother told him, “When I was in high school, we had trucks that the homecoming queens rode in on.”

Clayton hopes to have the truck completed by St. Margaret’s 2012 Homecoming celebration.

Through this depiction, plus the thought that Clayton could one day play his drums on the Tartan Field instead of in the stands, came the foundation for the Tartan Truck. Clayton began to do some preliminary research on what type of truck would be needed, how and where it would be restored, and how St. Margaret’s students could be involved and equip the truck with an alternative fuel engine.

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Recycling Lesson Turns Preschoolers into Environmentalists and Enthusiastic Learners

By Anne Mack

tally. They didn’t stop at the borders of the Preschool. As citizens of the St. Margaret’s community, they decided to explore the entire campus conducting a recycling audit.

The process took several weeks. They visited the Lower School, Middle School, business offices and made their way to the Upper School where they saw firsthand the big kids taking their responsibility seriously and recycling, just like them.

Teaching her new class about recycling is a project Preschool teacher Lore Fredette has explored every year for the past 10 years at St. Margaret’s. She begins by explaining what they do with trash, lunch leftovers, empty cans, used plastic, and the location of trash cans and recycle bins as a part of classroom etiquette and school culture. Students are expected to throw away their trash, recycle appropriate items, not be “litterbugs” and find ways to reuse materials.

While her Room 8 students are always engaged in the subject, she did not anticipate the enthusiasm and yearlong class project that would unfold this year. “I think it was a combination of interest-level, opportunity for cross-curricular learning and the school’s heightened focus on recycling and sustainability that laid the perfect foundation,” said Mrs. Fredette.

From the early discussions about recycling, the class’ focus evolved into an immersion of learning about “reduce, reuse and recycle.” They read books on the subject, sang songs, learned new words and how to write them. They had discussions about how to put their learning to work. When they saw litter, Mrs. Fredette says, they perceived it as an offense against the community and sought ways to right the wrong.

The students were engaged, passionate and learned the big concepts of waste, responsibility and community.

They learned about reusing and composting and putting their unused lunch scraps, like apples and carrots, to work to feed their Room 8 pets Henny Penny (the Preschool chicken), Mr. Squeakers (Guinea pig) and Mr. Bitey Man (hamster) and the earthworms in the composter. With Mrs. Shelley Harmon, motor development specialist, who also runs the Preschool garden project, they learned the process of composting for enriching the garden soil. Back in the classroom, the young scientists learned the anatomy of earthworms, including that the worms have five hearts!

Next, the young conservationists took it upon themselves to count recycle bins. Soon they were seeking blue bins throughout the Preschool and adding them to their running

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“Recycling and sustainability ignited a passion in Room 8.

They took seriously its importance in our community and their part in making sure it happened. When they saw others, including adults and older students, doing their part too, it got them more excited,” said Mrs. Fredette. “It didn’t stop at school. Many parents said their children were raising the topic at the dinner table and at bedtime educating their families about ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ at home, too.”

Room 8 also engaged in planting and cultivating strawberries, carrots, radishes and snap peas. They learned plant lifecycles and how to be patient through the growing season. They visited the campus garden, learned about soil mixing and took note that their enthusiasm was shared by others. They tasted what they grew, fed some to their Preschool pets and made vegetable soup in class; using everything they grew.

Mrs. Fredette kept their interest piqued when she unloaded a stockpile of recyclable materials, including cardboard, wood pieces, paper towel rolls, boxes, cans, etc. and asked the children what they should make with the recycled materials.

They knew exactly what they wanted to do: build St. Margaret’s campus in recycled materials.

“The art project was a wonderful exercise in collaboration, creativity and problem solving. They had to decide, negotiate and compromise. They designed and built elaborate structures; they cut, glued and painted for weeks. They took the massive project outside and students from other classes got involved.

Ultimately, it made the learning even better,” said Mrs. Fredette.

Preschool Director Ingrid Andrews said, “Community is a core value of a St. Margaret’s education and these students embraced it. Their work was about community, recycling, responsibility, but at the heart of this project and their entire school year was nurturing their passion for learning. They gained new skills in literacy, math, science exploration, critical thinking, socialization, problem solving and conflict resolution. The list goes on and on.”

At the end of the year, Mrs. Fredette responded to a request from the St. Margaret’s Library to exhibit “green” projects during Earth Week. “I am very proud of the students.

They were eager, motivated and passionate about their new discoveries and focused on their work,” said Mrs. Fredette.

“The Library exhibition of the recycled art project was a very special and unexpected recognition for the class. It reinforced their place in the school and let them know that their work had real meaning and value to our community.” ●

B Y

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School is an inclusive, nurturing, close-knit

T H E

N U M B E R S

community—a vibrant

family of students, parents, educators and friends from different backgrounds, family structures, cultures and faiths. We believe our differences make a stronger community, help us to learn and grow, and ultimately guide lives of respect, understanding and service to one another. The St. Margaret’s community comes together in shared purpose to prepare our students to be productive, healthy and happy children today and moral citizens tomorrow. Take a look at a few aspects of our special community…by the numbers.

21 25% 51% 49% 33 911 125 18% 329

Faith backgrounds

of students are of color

of students are female

of students are male

Surrounding communities where our families live

Families

Students who ride the bus to school

of students receive some level of financial aid, totaling $2.9 million

Families who have more than one child attending St. Margaret’s

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O P E N

S PA C E S

Magic Bus

By Peighton McRobie, Grade 8

Received the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Award for Outstanding Writing

I

unconsciously found myself humming the tune to Magic Bus by The Who. The stone cold metal of the bus window made contact with my aching head, pulling me back into reality. The crisp air seeped through the slimmest crack that the window left open and stung my ears. I quickly lost focus. Mornings on the school bus consisted of the moans and groans of tired teens and toddlers, while icy air fogged up of the windows, on which cranky first graders would doodle away their fatigue.

As I sat there, alone, in my own long seat, I stared out the window into the deceiving mist that wrapped around the nearest light post, swallowing it into nothingness. The bitter mist bit at my bare fingertips. I put my hands together, rubbing away the numbness. I was miserable.

The cold wasn’t my friend, and seeing as it was a spine chilling forty degrees beyond the rusting metal of the school bus, I wasn’t in good company. The doors whacked open, allowing for each kid to enter its cold haze. I peered around the towering seat in front of me, eyeing each person getting on the bus. Making the name to face connection as we made eye contact, their droopy eyes barely open, and their movements were stiff as statures. A girl plopped down in the seat next to mine, her expression tired, yet wearily happy. She beamed as she leaned against the window, her warm breath visible in the crisp air. It led me to think how she could be smiling in spite of how tired she seemed. Then she spoke, “I’m so happy we don’t have a test today. I was up till twelve watching reruns of Friends.” I smiled at the thought of sharing her weariness, relief at not having a test, while also admiring her brave choice to procrastinate and her affinity for 90’s sitcoms.

The moan and screech of the bus’ engine never failed to spook me while it pulled away from the waving parents, sipping their coffee, longing to be back in their warm cars.

The tires rolled and rolled and I was happy to be finally on our way. One stop closer to the heated classrooms at school.

As we were stopped at the stop light across from the lonely beach in middle of town, seagulls hovering in the salty air and early morning runners becoming mere blurs of colorful beings, I noticed a homeless man standing idly across the street. He was devoid of expression aimlessly moving his

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shopping cart full of miscellaneous scraps. Back and forth, back and forth. He jumped in anxiety as people passed him, not even acknowledging his existence.

A runner stopped near this homeless man. This runner looked at him, his eyes filled with genuine concern. He looked determined to help in anyway he could and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. I situated myself for a clearer view, wiping away the fog on the window, which clouded the scene.

This nameless runner reached into his pocket, and while I expected him to generously give the man some spare change, he merely offered him an apple. The homeless man looked up at his nameless friend and smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen. I grinned myself thinking that the slightest thing could change someone’s life. It could supply them with the hope that someone would be there for them. The tiny light ahead turned green and we continued to the next stop.

We pulled onto the corner where twenty some students were lined up, silenced by the cold, waiting for our arrival. They approached the corner at the sight of us, waving goodbye to their parents and refusing their goodbye kisses and hugs out of pure embarrassment.

The doors slowly swung open and the line of students swarmed into the entrance, instantly filling the once empty bus with the squeals and giggles of preschoolers reuniting with their friends after a whopping twelve hours. Then, the older and intimidating high schoolers boarded and ventured toward their normal spots in the back. Okay, I don’t care how much they say that they are just people like you and me, they’re menacing. Their territorial and judgmental instincts immediately make you feel lower than them, and their short fuses make Freddie Kruger look like the Easter Bunny.

Although, one high schooler, sympathetic to those younger kids surrounding her, peacefully waded her way through the shrieking kindergarteners without hissing “Shut up!” or “Get off the bus”. She actually looked upon them with an empathy that was lost in the other high schoolers. Instead of frowning and ignoring them, she just smiled, even as they pawed at her lunch bag, hungry for more sugar.

To continue reading Peighton’s essay, and view writing pieces from St. Margaret’s Middle School 2010-11 Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition winners, visit Tartan Today at tartantoday.org and search “Arts and Writing Competition” or scan this QR tag.

By David Weaver, Grade 8 National Silver Medal Winner for the 2010-11 Scholastic Art and Writing Award Competition Water Hawthorne flower at Mission San Juan Capistrano

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S I D E

B Y

S I D E

The Essential Question: Why Research?

B y L o r i D o n c h a k , M i d d l e S c h o o l E n g l i s h Te a c h e r

N

ever doubt the power of collaboration.

At St. Margaret’s, the grade 7 research unit is a notable example of this. As part of the English curriculum, Library Director Darla Magana, English Department Chair Jeni Johnson and grade 7 English teacher Lori Donchak work together to introduce grade 7 students to the range of skills involved in the research process.

Why grade 7? Early adolescence is marked by many cognitive milestones, including the ability to think abstractly and tolerate ambiguity, walk in someone else’s shoes and distinguish opinion from fact. It is the perfect time to introduce the skills and rigor needed to be an effective researcher.

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Each year, a different research topic is selected. Over a period of 12 weeks, students move through a three phase process: Presearch, Research and Create. The process culminates in debate, using the Lincoln-Douglas debate format. Topics are chosen so students can find evidence to argue either side of the issue, with preference for topics that pique curiosity among young researchers.

Grade 7 Research Topics 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Internet Neutrality United Nations Healthcare NASA Mandatory Military Draft

The Research Process

There is no doubt that the grade 7 research experience is transformative. In Upper School, many grade 7 veterans excel as part of St. Margaret’s speech and debate team.

“Debate in and of itself is a very difficult activity,” said David Freed, grade 10, varsity co-captain of St. Margaret’s speech and debate team. “The debates that go on during grade 7 help get students interested and spark a fire.”

There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing students internalize and carry forward valuable skill sets such as those required for effective research. ●

Presearch invites students to brainstorm the topic. Students ask questions, hypothesize, define terms and share opinions.

Research exposes students to the variety of resources available for fact-finding. Student teams gain hands-on experience exploring traditional resources such as books, transcripts, websites and newspapers, as well as blogs and social media.

Importantly, students determine how credible each resource type is. Because St. Margaret’s Library subscribes to several high quality electronic databases, students learn to navigate Social Issues Research Studies (SIRS), ProQuest and eLibrary to find reliable information. Instilling effective data collection habits is a priority. Students learn to take notes with an eye for facts that will be useful ammunition for their debates.

St. Margaret’s Upper School Speech and Debate Team

The Create phase exposes students to outlining and analytical writing. By now, students have a sense for which side of the topic they believe is most compelling. However, they are asked to write a separate essay for each side of the argument.

For many students, stepping away from their own beliefs to see another side of an issue is the most challenging part of the unit.

Debate day is the prize. Students debate in front of a panel of judges who assess teamwork, ability to use evidence to advance an argument, presentation skills and persuasion. The highest scoring students advance to a final debate, an event attended by all Middle School students.

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Forever Changed

By Fredrick Hudoff, Grade 7

A

ttention grade 6 students… Prepare for the unit of your lives! That might be one impression you hear from the majority of students participating in the grade 7 research unit. Another impression might be, “I’m taking debate in high school,” or “When can we do this again?” These thoughts fluttered through my mind as the grade 7 research unit reached its nail-biting conclusion. This prominent unit lasted approximately three months and ended with its traditional, infamous and highly anticipated final debate. All in all, the unit will forever change the lives of grade 7 students.

Leadership. The value of feeling strongly about something.

Working hard. Public speaking. These are many of the things I discovered as I moved through the unit, including defeating the butterflies in my stomach and pride towards accomplishing something that I worked so hard on. Nothing in my previous English career could have matched up with this palette of experiences and discoveries. This experience truly inspired me and my fellow grade 7 students to want to become judges, lawyers and even researchers. The unique and sparkling look in the students’ eyes as they hurried to find out if they made the final debate really describes how much this research unit meant to us, and how it changed us.

Resolved: The government should increase regulations to ensure net neutrality for its citizens.

The first exercise we did in the research unit was to ponder what the word “regulations” meant, and how it affects us and our community. Although the relevance of this exercise may not have been evident at that moment, I really appreciated it as I began to study and research regulations towards the end of the unit.

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The research challenge was to acquaint grade 7 students with enough background information to become mini experts on a topic. Net neutrality was a topic that at first strained our minds to their full extent. Many students eagerly accepted the challenge and began researching the topic from the get-go, while other students were skeptical and intimidated by the monstrous topic. But, once the students anticipated the thrill of debating in a formal fashion, the real adrenaline kicked in.

Sprinkled in the research recipe was vocabulary building. In their personal glossary, each student wrote down challenging or poignant words from research articles. I found that the vocabulary fit hand in hand with the debate. As I began to craft my final speech, a lot of the words I was learning began to appear in my work.

Finally, after all of our work and preparation, the “real deal” approached us. Some were nervous. Some were confident.

Some felt as though they just wanted to get it over with, and some couldn’t believe that they were actually ready to debate.

I believe that no matter what the feelings were, everyone succeeded because of the rigorous preparation. We performed with valiant and chivalrous efforts, and in the end, we were forever changed. ●

A School Garden

Growing

Sustainability and Community

By Anne Mack

Director of Community Life Lora Allison and Science Department Chair Dr. Jennifer Ross-Viola took to heart the growing interest among the St. Margaret’s community for green initiatives and brought to life a project that’s not only a personal passion, but a living, outdoor learning laboratory on campus for students, teachers and families.

“It’s one of the things I love most about teaching at St. Margaret’s,” said Dr. Ross-Viola. “The school community values and trusts in our ideas. When we brought forth the initial concept for a school-wide garden, the only answer we heard, over and over was a resounding and enthusiastic ‘YES’.”

other conversations, case studies and events that served as ongoing inspiration. Dr. Ross-Viola attended a green schools conference. Mrs. Allison attended a service learning conference where responsibility was a focal topic. They also participated in events and classes at the new Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

Inspiration and Vision Several years ago, Mrs. Allison, Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut and other school leaders attended the National Association of Independent Schools conference where school garden projects were presented as examples of experiential education. That led to a series of “what if ” conversations with Dr. Ross-Viola that evolved into a plan. They also credit

Mrs. Allison explained, “I feel there were several paths crossing and timely events that kept our conversation going and enabled the evolution of our idea. Marc [Hurlbut] launched a sustainability committee of faculty and staff to

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explore what we should and could be doing at St. Margaret’s to be green. Additionally, the school received a generous donation of a greenhouse from St. Margaret’s parent Mrs. Rhonda Parks. The greenhouse was already being used by the Lower School science classes, but we saw a greater opportunity with the adjacent unused land. The wheels were in motion and we said, ‘let’s go for it!’”

Mrs. Allison and Dr. Ross-Viola envisioned a community learning space to explore environmental science, nature, green living, develop a stronger commitment to sustainable initiatives and responsibility to the larger community.

“St. Margaret’s also values leadership, of all kinds. We saw an opportunity for our community to serve as a model for ongoing discovery and innovation, as well as to provide leadership roles for students to serve as teachers on topics of sustainability,” said Mrs. Allison.

They researched other successful community and school garden projects, including the pioneering Edible Schoolyard

by Alice Waters in Berkeley, Calif. They brought in additional educators from the Sustainability Committee, including Preschool Perceptual Motor Specialist Mrs. Shelley Harmon, who created the existing Preschool garden. Mrs. Allison and Dr. Ross-Viola saw the engagement and hands-on student learning of the Preschool garden as a model to be extended to all students at the school.

They also consulted with outside experts, including Ryan Wanamaker, director of garden and farms, from Camp Stevens Episcopal Camp and Conference Center. “Camp Stevens is at the very forefront of best practices in gardening and sustainable living, and they grow more than 50 percent of the food that is served each day at the center. We have partnered with Camp Stevens for years and it was natural to work with them on this project,” said Mrs. Allison.

They found that their passion was shared everywhere they turned and momentum was on their side. “Continually, we were told to think big and we were provided the support and the resources to implement our plan,” said Dr. Ross-Viola.

Call and They Will Come Build “We originally looked to hire an outside consultant who would design and build the garden for us and guide us on how to get started with our programs,” said Mrs. Allison.

“The more research and planning we did and votes of confidence we received from our colleagues, we quickly realized that we wanted the design and effort to be our own, and to be representative of all who will use it in the future.”

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In the early hours of March 25, an empty plot of land sat at the northeast corner of the campus. The unused land adjacent to the greenhouse was a gradual slope with rocky, uncultivated soil. The plan: transform the area into planters and raised beds in one school day, so that students across all divisions could begin to utilize the space immediately.

Mrs. Allison and Dr. Ross-Viola issued a call for help to their colleagues across the school: “On Friday, March 25, we will hold a work day to transform the garden. If you would like to join this effort, we have support from our headmaster and principals to allow you to participate. If you can join us for just a few hours, that would be great.You do not have to be a “gardener,” just someone who wants to spend a day outside doing a fun project!”

Again, they received enthusiasm and many ‘yes’ answers; however, when they arrived on campus that morning the forecast wasn’t as clear. “It was pouring rain! We thought, ‘we are sunk!’ We are going to be out there ourselves, knee deep in organic soil,” laughed Dr. Ross-Viola as she remembered.

Despite the wet and muddy conditions, the St. Margaret’s community showed up. Teachers, students, the maintenance crew and staff from every division of the school came out to build the garden. Teachers brought their classes, advisors brought their advisories, and coaches brought their teams.

“It was amazing,” said Mrs. Allison. “We got right to work, but several times, Jen and I looked at each other throughout the day and were filled with emotion, gratitude and inspiration from our students and friends who were helping us bring the garden to life for the community.”

Equipped with building supplies, gardening tools, rubber gloves and rain boots, snacks, lively music and the passion of their leaders, the team of workers graded and cultivated the soil; built five, 6 feet by 6 feet and four, 4 feet by 4 feet raised wood planters; created pathways and even began planting vegetables and perennials.

“Some of the project ideas include tying natural elements to the curriculum where possible, for example studying maize in history or soil testing in science. We will create a compositing center. Have art classes design elements including tiles and sculptures. Create a St. Margaret’s farm stand, have students grow and create meals with the harvest, provide produce for the school’s future kitchen and dining hall, and donate what we can to Father Serra’s Food Pantry in San Juan Capistrano,” said Dr. Ross-Viola.

Realizing the Potential Academic Dean and Lower School Principal Dr. Regina McDuffie saw early on the potential of their idea and has been an ongoing supporter of the project. “The garden and greenhouse combine sciences, environmental stewardship, literacy, sociology and social development and service learning with students from every division in hands-on projects to cultivate and grow plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables to produce a harvest,” said Dr. McDuffie. “It’s a cross-curricular, 21st century learning program that has limitless possibilities. It has already engaged our students’ passions and commitment to service and community.”

In the weeks following the construction day, many students and teachers continued work on walkways, galvanized planters and planting, and classes from every division of the school started to come and utilize the space. Lower School Science teacher Ms. Morgan Young’s first grade class harvested lettuce and learned about seeds. Preschool teacher Lore Fredette’s P4 class learned about soil mixing. Led by Upper School students Heather Hughes and Gabi Carpenter, third grade students made wildflower seed balls for beautification of vacant community land. Mrs. Beatriz Jacobsen’s Spanish 4 class used the garden as space for practicing plant identification and conversations in Spanish.

Mrs. Allison explained her hope for the impact and meaning the garden could have to the community, “We’ve created something that’s as big as we imagined, but it’s educational and practical. As a result, we’ve already seen the vision play out in the projects that have arisen by interest in the space and the resources it provides. It’s a place that doesn’t belong to one division of the school or one department. It’s a community space. It’s an art lab as much as it’s a science lab.

It’s a meditative space as much as it is a place for social interaction. It’s for learning and discovery, for teaching and leading.” ● Visit the garden blog for ongoing news and photos: www.smesgarden.posterous.com.

Next Year The Lower School will launch a new ecology curriculum for students in grades 2–4, taught by their classroom teachers and Upper School students. Students will work in a new Lower School satellite garden, built this summer by Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano faculty and staff as a service project to grow seedlings for the school garden, learn about composting, water sources, garden-to-table concepts, and develop naturalist intelligence and an appreciation for the Earth.

Mrs. Harmon will manage and oversee the ongoing maintenance of the school garden.

Garden Builders In late April, Mrs. Allison and Dr. Ross-Viola took a group of student leaders interested in continuing their work on the garden to Camp Stevens for a two-day retreat. Camp Stevens tailored the program for St. Margaret’s to teach how to further develop the garden as an ongoing education and resource center and how to be ecological stewards and pass the lessons forward. In May, senior Daniel Golly conducted his Independent Senior Project in the garden installing an irrigation system and tended to the early crops to be shared with the community.

Diosa Adams Lora Allison Janice Avalone Mike Avalone Edgar Barriga Daniel Blume Lisa Bourguignon Victoria Davidson P.J. Elliot Lara Farhadi

Lori Fava Lore Fredette Josh Friedman Shelley Harmon Heather Hughes Donna Jacobsen Rian Otto Steve Sherman Jennifer Ross-Viola Thomas Wu

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FA C U LT Y

P R O F I L E S

Jamie Bunch

By Michele Silverman Jamie Bunch was in her sophomore English class in high school when she realized her calling to become a teacher. The combination of Hamlet and her high school English teacher, Mrs. Connor, lit the spark. “We read Hamlet; the way Mrs. Connor taught it with passion, inspired me and made me think, ‘This is exactly what I want to do.’”

Jamie followed her new passion while a student at a private high school in Central California. She studied English with Mrs. Connor and seized the opportunity to learn from this mentor. “I was never told that I was good at reading and writing until Mrs. Connor.” The roots for Jamie’s love for literature, teaching and even her future husband, Chad, grew from her experiences in high school.

As an undergraduate at California State University, Sacramento, Jamie requested and obtained permission to take graduate courses. She took every course offered on Emily Dickinson—there were nine. Jamie admits, “I’m obsessed with anything and everything Dickinson.” During this time, another English teacher proved influential to Jamie, her professor, Linda Palmer. “Everything I do well, I’m just trying to live up to [Professor Palmer’s] standards. Every day I ask myself, ‘Is this what she would have done?’ She really fashioned me into the teacher I am today.”

After marrying Chad in 1998, Jamie earned her master’s degree from CSU Sacramento in American literature with an emphasis in creative writing and rhetoric and composition.

Her thesis was a multi-disciplinary approach to Emily Dickinson. Her teaching career blossomed as she joined the ranks of community college lecturers who taught writing, literature and critical thinking classes.

Since 2007, Jamie has taught in St. Margaret’s Upper School.

“When I realized the academic freedom I would be given here, that I would be teaching American literature and the class sizes would be ideal, I said ‘Yes’ to St. Margaret’s.”

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Jamie loves American literature, and her goal is to make these writers’ ideas come to life in the minds of her students. Jamie and her students explore common American themes of individualism, hope and self-reliance. As Victoria Davidson, Class of 2011, says, “Ms. Bunch’s passion for literature is contagious. She teaches that classic stories and modern novels alike are chock-full of philosophy, history, and descriptions of the human condition, which constantly opens our minds to new ideas and questions our own beliefs.” Jamie nominated Victoria Davidson and Natalie Hiles for the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in Writing last year while they were enrolled in her English III Honors course. Both students received awards from this prestigious national writing competition that publicly recognizes some of the best student writers in the nation.

About her English I and English III Honors students, Jamie says, “I’ve never worked with such talent in my life. I love my students; they are amazing. I ask for something and they give more than 10 times my expectations.”

Jamie thinks of herself as a very rigorous teacher. “I demand a lot of my students, but I demand as much from myself. I try very hard to honor student voices and make student voices the center of my class every day. I set a fast pace so students feel like they are learning something new every day and give them as much autonomy as possible.”

English Department Chair Jeni Johnson offers a peek into Jamie’s classroom. “When I enter Jamie’s classroom, I am always impressed. Students take ownership of their learning and are actively engaged, generally neck-deep in an intense discussion built around the literature and related philosophy.

Students have developed the language necessary for having these high-level discussions because Jamie has done an excellent job organizing her course material so students are well-prepared to meet her expectations.”

Jamie has an impact on her students every day. Natalie Hiles, Class of 2011, says, “I have never had a teacher like Ms. Bunch. She inspires her students to be better learners and her teaching goes way beyond the classroom. Whenever a paper is assigned, she makes herself available for conferences and always comments on multiple drafts to best teach us how to improve our writing skills. I have never seen a teacher so committed to helping her students improve their writing and critical thinking skills.”

Victoria Davidson adds, “Ms. Bunch molded me into the confident writer I am today by always challenging me and expecting more from my writing. Had I not taken Ms. Bunch's English III Honors course, there is a very good chance I would not be planning to major in English at Whitman.”

Beyond the classroom, Jamie renews her spirit by literally diving into nature. She and Chad, certified scuba divers, enjoy going on dive trips, surfing and hiking. “I’m a very driven, hard worker, so the downtime is important. I love being out in nature. It’s a way to sort of unwind, put things in perspective.”

When asked to choose a favorite poem, Jamie quickly alights on Emily Dickinson’s “I dwell in Possibility” (sic). The poem, Jamie explains, compares writing poetry to living in a house made out of nature, a house that is open to the trees and sky. It is a double metaphor – nature is a house, and dwelling in that house is like writing poetry. “I do feel that way in nature. There is a sense that more is possible in nature.

I can process all I read and study when I am in nature.” As one who meets Jamie can easily observe, she is that spark dwelling in possibility.

Anna Brower

By Michele Silverman

St. Margaret’s kindergarten teacher Anna Brower helps her students learn basic concepts such as what it means to be a student and to be part of a community and a family. Being a student means being an active participant, a caring, respectful friend, and exhibiting positive social skills. “I feel like the most important part of kindergarten is the social growth and being part of a community. It’s important to teach them that the world is bigger than themselves.”

One example of helping students learn to think of others was when Anna collaborated with a student’s parent to contact a local animal shelter and find out how the students could help animals in the local community. Anna and her students decided to collect towels for their “furry friends” at a local animal shelter. The service project was a valuable learning experience that included the opportunity for Anna’s students to welcome a representative from the shelter and a rescued dog.

Anna says the students greatly enjoyed branching out beyond the local community as well. They concluded the school year with a fun project that got them thinking about animals in vastly diverse locations. Led by Anna, the kindergarten

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After graduating from St. Margaret’s, Anna earned a degree in education and political science from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Instead of jumping directly into education, Anna tested the waters in business by working for a consulting firm in Irvine, calif. She quickly decided it was not for her. “It was good, I met my husband there, but it was not for me.” While working there, she heard that a teaching assistant job was open at St. Margaret’s. She started in that role, which convinced her that teaching was her true mission.

teaching team incorporated 21st century skills such as problem solving, collaborating and being responsible for completing assigned roles. The student teams worked together to learn about animal habitats and to create posters to share their learning with others. In reflecting on the overall experience, Anna says, “It went so much more smoothly than I could have imagined. The students were all engaged. It helped them think beyond themselves and to think critically.”

These memorable teaching and learning moments are the result of who Anna is as an educator. “She is so open to sharing ideas and herself with colleagues and students,” Kindergarten teacher Katy Desmond says. “In a strong team, all the members bring important things to the table. Anna is intelligent, professional, kind, giving and strong. The qualities that make her a great teacher make her a great colleague and friend.”

Academic Dean and Lower School Principal Dr. Regina McDuffie says, “She’s extremely professional and dedicated in all aspects of her role as a St. Margaret’s teacher. In many ways, you would think she’s a 20-year veteran with her level of skill, understanding, professionalism and classroom expertise.”

Many people at St. Margaret’s remember the days when Anna was a student. Her own kindergarten experience started in 1986 when she was a student of Margaret Thornton. Twenty years later, Anna joined the St. Margaret’s community again, but this time as a kindergarten teacher. Not only had she come full circle, she was hired to fill the big shoes of Ms. Thornton who was retiring.

What brought Anna back to St. Margaret’s as a teacher was her love for kids and the sense of community she felt at St. Margaret’s. “St. Margaret’s was like a second home for all of my childhood. I always felt a special connection. Even as our community has grown, we still have that central theme of love and support for one another.”

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While working as a teaching assistant in the Lower School at St. Margaret’s, Anna earned her teaching credential and master’s degree in education from Pepperdine University.

Dr. McDuffie says, “Anna was a standout even in her early days as a teaching assistant. She was exceptional then, with so much promise and potential, and she is exceptional now.

Anna is kind, loving, supportive and soft spoken. She naturally relates to children and they love her. These are essential qualities for an early childhood educator, but her true strength as a teacher is her understanding and focus on the developmental level of her students. She is always thinking about new ways to teach students with unique learning styles and students at different levels.

“Anna is exceptionally dedicated to her students, the school and to her profession. She is a quiet, humble leader among the faculty with whom she has earned trust and respect.

In addition to teaching, Anna is also the Lower School community service director. Within this role, she integrates the character counts, buddy and community service programs to make a more meaningful and cohesive program for faculty to implement and ultimately for student learning.”

Anna says she loves working with children and learning alongside them. “We work hard and have high expectations for ourselves and our students, which allows for continual growth and challenge.”

The students respond to Anna’s open and loving teaching approach. Lauren Groux, Anna’s teaching assistant, says, “There are so many reasons I love walking into her classroom every morning, especially seeing how she gives her all.” ●

Thriving in College Class of 2010 Alumni Share Reflections on Their Freshman Year

I

am writing this introduction during the week leading up to the Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2011. The timing is important because there are a lot of hugs and big smiles, especially among parents as they share how hopeful they are for their children’s futures.

One parent summed it up at this year’s Senior Banquet when he recalled my remarks at the college counseling launch midway through his daughter’s junior year assuring parents that their children would have great college choices at the end of the college process, and that they’d be prepared to move on when they reached graduation. This parent told me that even though he will miss his daughter when she leaves home in August, he knows that she has made a good choice in a college and that she is ready.

This is the second year we have asked St. Margaret’s alumni to write about their first year in college. The four students featured in this article represent the successful experiences of 95 St. Margaret’s alumni from the Class of 2010 who enrolled in 68 colleges and universities across the country last year. I know that I speak for my colleagues who came to know these students over the years, St. Margaret’s beams with pride as we hear of the accomplishments of our alumni.

Roland Allen Director of College Counseling

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University of California, Berkeley

Justin Cheng, University of California, Berkeley

Spencer Keane, Emerson College

If I could describe college in six words it would be: massive extension of summer, but better. I am currently a freshman at University of California, Berkeley and I can’t believe I only have a little over a month left of my first year in college. I still remember the anxiety and sleepless nights I had exactly one year ago when waiting for college decisions and studying for Advanced Placement exams. I remember being confused on which side of my head to place the graduation tassel when walking past a sea of excited family members and friends on graduation day. I remember college move-in day and being overwhelmed by the numerous emotions everyone was facing as students tried to set good first impressions while saying goodbye to loved ones.

Looking back now, I can’t believe how much college has helped me develop as a person since those momentous events. Going from a class of 95 to a class of more than 6,000 students, Berkeley has given me countless opportunities to meet new people and develop relationships that will last forever. From observing students take over academic buildings in protest of the budget cuts to striking up calculus conversations with a street person on Telegraph Avenue, I’ve gained unique experiences I thought I would never encounter during my days in high school.

Emerson College

Overall, my first year in college has been one of the most memorable times in my life and I look forward to the remaining three years to come.

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With only four weeks of school left, I look back at the year and see how quickly it has gone by. From the moment I set foot on the Emerson College campus, I was a welcome part of the community. I walked into my new home, The Little Building, to cheers and praise from junior and senior orientation leaders who were thrilled to see a new student at their beloved school. My roommates and I hit it off right away and I soon had a tight-knit group of friends.

But, what about the classes? Well, to be honest, classes are often the smallest part of the experience here at Emerson College. Classes offer a way to learn about a topic and meet other interested students so that you can go and use what you learned outside the classroom. Be it film, theater, writing, acting, lighting or music/sound design, there is always a student only a few rooms away that can offer their expertise on whatever project you are working on. I have learned a plethora of video production skills this year including rudimentary animation and sound design, editing, shot composition and screenwriting. I even taught myself some very basic computer generated 3D modeling. I have used these skills to create an animated short, a five-minute film project, and a few scripts, characters and scenes.

Often times our small film production group, LB7 Productions (Little Building 7th Floor), will be walking through Boston late at night and rattle off movie ideas, interesting shots, funny lines and film scenarios. At this point we stop, look at each other and ask, “When did this become our life?” It is a life we all love and embrace fully.

New York University

Melody Hernandez, New York University

I cannot believe I am halfway through my second semester at New York University. I remember visiting the crazy neighbor of Greenwich Village last April and wondering how I would survive amongst the hustle and bustle. It was quite a transition from the lovely bubble of Orange County, but it was well worth it.

Being a student at Tisch School of The Arts has allowed me to encounter some of the most motivated, talented people I have ever met.

I am fortunate to have attended St. Margaret’s because it got me in the habit of working hard.

People here really have an unbelievable work ethic.

As of now, I am exploring music in all its different aspects. Within The Clive Davis School of Recorded Music, I am taking courses in music business, engineering the record, audio ear training, music theory and songwriting. When I am not studying music in class I hop on the subway to intern at Imagem Music Publishing as an assistant to the creative director in the pop department.

Living in this city has allowed me the opportunity to meet some amazing songwriters and artists that have solidified my decision of pursuing music in college. I remember two years ago singing “Better in Time” by Leona Lewis at St. Margaret’s Coffee House Cabaret, and about a month ago I went to pizza with Andrea Martin, the girl who wrote it.

Marisa Jue, University of San Francisco It is difficult to believe that I have only two more months left in my freshman year here at the University of San Francisco.

My first semester was a whirlwind of new experiences, including life in the dorms, cafeteria food and different types of classes. So far, all of my classes have been manageable, and I like to think that the education I received at St. Margaret’s has well prepared me for the work I am now doing in college.

Upon deciding to attend University of San Francisco, I joined the great books program known as the St. Ignatius Institute. The Institute is essentially a living-learning community in which we live together, take the same classes, and host events and outings. I can’t imagine my college experience outside of the context of the Institute; it has become another family for me.

Everyone is friendly and supportive, especially the professors.

Every day the professors push us to get out of our comfort zones and to do the best that we possibly can, whether that is through applying for national honors societies or campaigning to stop human trafficking. I am getting the opportunity to explore every interest I could possibly have from adding a minor in fine arts to participating in the student worship choir. In fact, ignoring the many distractions that this amazing city has to offer has been the most difficult thing so far.

Marisa has blogged about her first year of college at the University of San Francisco: http://littlegirl-inabigcity.blogspot.com/

The hardest part has definitely been keeping focused and learning to say “no” to going out. Be it a comedy club, a concert, a fair, all-you-can-eat pizza in Little Italy…there is always something going on. The energy in this city is rather hard to put in words, but it is not hard to feel amongst 1,634,795 people living in the city of Manhattan alone. The fact that NYU’s campus is not very central (it is spread out from First Street to 23rd Street) is a bit intimidating, but meeting people has not been very difficult.

I am fortunate to have made very close friends with the rest of floor 22 in my dorm building, along with the other 32 people in my department. I also have found a mini-family at Liberty Church and Hill Song Church New York. Although I periodically complain about my newfound pasty white skin and lack of authentic Mexican food in the area, I know I could not have made a better college decision. No doubt this past year has been one of the best.

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Finding Something Unexpected

By Nicole Peddy

A fixture in the halls of Stanford University’s chemistry department, Class of 1996 Valedictorian Matt Kanan has immersed himself in the field of researching inorganic and organic chemistry.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the lab of Daniel Nocera, professor of energy and professor of chemistry at MIT, focusing on developing catalysts for energy conversion processes.

“

“Over the course of my graduate work, I became very interested in catalysis,” said Matt. “At MIT, I developed a new catalyst for ‘water oxidation,’ a reaction in which H2O is transformed into O2 at an electrode with the release of electrons and protons that can be used to make H2 at another electrode. The overall process of electrolyzing water has been around for a very long time, but doing it efficiently and at a low enough cost that it could be used for large-scale energy storage has been an elusive goal.”

“When I left St. Margaret's I had a vague notion that I wanted to be a researcher, but I had relatively little insight into what research actually entailed. I knew that a career in research would require an enormous amount of additional learning, however I was so excited to start college, I didn’t think much further than the first semester,” said Matt.

After St. Margaret’s, Matt graduated from Rice University with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and went on to graduate school at Harvard University where he worked in the lab of David Liu, professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Harvard University, at the interface between organic chemistry and molecular biology. He defended his thesis, “The Development and Application of a Selection–Based Approach to Reaction Discovery,” in the spring of 2005 and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at

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With Matt’s new discovery, he was able to broaden the scope and pioneer a new area of research being performed by the inorganic chemistry and physical chemistry team at MIT. With the findings, Matt also assisted in starting a new company with his MIT advisor called Sun Catalytix—an energy storage and renewable fuels technology company founded to commercialize groundbreaking science. The company utilizes nature as an inspiration and seeks to combine sunlight and water to provide affordable, highly distributed renewable energy.

In the winter of 2009, Matt started at Stanford University as an assistant professor in the chemistry department. He has constructed a research group of graduate and undergraduate students to work on several major problems in catalysis—the science of discovering materials and molecules that enable otherwise impossible (or impossibly slow) chemical reactions.

“In one effort, we develop inorganic materials that convert electricity, water and CO2 into O2 and a carbon-based fuel. Efficient catalysts for these reactions are critical to the development of viable ‘artificial photosynthesis’—a process in which sunlight is used as the sole energy input into the production of synthetic fuels. In a second effort, we ask the

question: can an externally applied electric field control the reactivity of a catalyst? Using custom small electrode interfaces, we study the effects of strong electric fields on small molecules and solid-state catalysts and exploit these effects to promote selective reactions. Our vision is that electric field control could ultimately transform the way in which chemists synthesize new molecules,” said Matt.

The group ultimately hopes to create a process that will allow us not to have to rely on plants to convert sunlight into fuel, or to rely on the fuel stored in the ground––the fossil fuels currently used for energy—but actually take sunlight, for example and use that to drive a reaction that synthesizes a chemical fuel. A few of the group’s key ideas in both areas have recently come to fruition and they are excited to publish these results soon. Matt hopes to present the unpublished work at a conference in Puerto Rico in August.

As a professor, Matt looks back at the teachers that influenced him while he attended St. Margaret’s.

“Several teachers had a profound impact on me. They encouraged me directly, but what resonated the most with me was their own passion for their subjects,” said Matt. “They taught because they loved interacting with students and because it enabled them to engage their subjects constantly.

Seeing their passion made me realize that there was an incredible richness to what they were teaching long before I knew enough to appreciate it firsthand.”

students complained about the workload or the difficulty of the class, Matt explained to them how much time he put into the class to be successful. He would study 3-4 hours per week–that was over and above the time required to complete the reading and written assignments. Through it all he was always positive, upbeat and willing to jump in and help others through the difficult patches. He was a very special student.”

The world of research is a competitive business, especially at Stanford University. Matt’s passion has led him through many great discoveries; as his journey continues, he hopes to progress in his work and inspire his students to inquire about the unknown.

“As an experimentalist, you start with an idea that is based on any combination of reasoning, intuition or guessing and then you try to test that idea by making a measurement.

It is tremendously exciting to see the first experimental evidence that your idea is correct or on the right track–so exciting that you can develop a remarkable tolerance for the frustration associated with being wrong many, many more times than you're right,” said Matt. “Perhaps the only thing more exciting than finding validation of your idea in an experiment is finding something unexpected that's more interesting than what you were looking for in the first place.

Seeing ideas—usually my students’ ideas rather than mine now—come to fruition and occasionally seeing something unexpected present itself are what make my job more exciting for me than anything else I can imagine doing.” ●

Matt enjoyed school and learning new things. He mentions that he was, “drawn to the idea of studying something fundamental.” He talks about Dr. Robert Johnson teaching him the power of learning by reading, which, he says may be the most important lesson he learned in high school. He says Ms. Cindy Duim and Mrs. Carol Ann Ingalls gave him a foundation in math and science that he has relied on ever since and says that he has, “known no one whose creativity in the classroom matched that of Mr. Larry Rice.”

“I was fortunate to have interactions with these extraordinary teachers because it unlocked a desire to learn that determined the way that I have approached education and my work ever since. I was sufficiently inspired in high school to be forever thrilled about learning and adding to what is known,” said Matt.

“Matt was in my first Advanced Placement biology class. I remember how dedicated he was to his studies,” said Upper School Biology teacher Carol Ann Ingalls. “He took AP biology, I believe, without taking either biology or chemistry first, both of which are prerequisites now. When other

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C L A S S

Class of

N OT E S

1987

................................

Class of

1992

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Matt Brown Matt is a partner with the Orange County law firm of Brown & Streza LLP. He received his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of California, Davis and his Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Emily Acosta (Withers) Since graduation in 1987, Emily has lived in Venezuela with AFS Intercultural Programs for a year, moved to Colorado, completed her master’s degree at the University of Denver, traveled the world, and married and raised two beautiful boys. She’s even been back to St. Margaret’s Chapel for the wedding of classmate Valerie Scruggs Potvin (Class of 1987).

Emily currently lives in Denver, Colorado and would like to meet up with any St. Margaret’s alumni in the area. If you’re interested, please contact the Alumni Office to get in touch.

Class of

In 2011, Matt was selected for OC METRO magazine’s annual 40 Under 40 issue. In 2010, Matt was named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Orange Coast Magazine and in 2008 he was named a Southern California Super Lawyers-Rising Star by Los Angeles Magazine.

Matt is a charter member of University of California, Irvine’s Center for Investment and Wealth Management, and a charter member of Kingdom Advisors. He lives in Ladera Ranch with his wife Julie and their three sons Michael, Ryan and Kevin.

1988

................................

Eric Westendorf Eric moved from Orange County to Seattle seven years ago to run a division of Nuveen Investments, a Chicago-based asset management firm, to call on clientele in six Northwestern states. In his free time, he is training for his seventh Ironman triathlon. When not in training, he enjoys socializing with his brothers David (Class of 1986) and Ryan (Class of 1991) and their four girls, along with his mom and dad when he can get back to California. He keeps in touch with Damian Jones (Class of 1988), Joe Kennedy (Class of 1987), the Khachigian sisters: Merissa (Class of 1988) and Kristy (Class of 1989), Sam Levinson (Class of 1988) and Mr. David Boyle.

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Hilary Albers Bush Hilary lives in Kingwood, Texas with her husband Matthew.

The newest edition to their family is John Matthew Bush, born December 31, 2010. He joins his brother James (2) in making a very happy and busy Tartan home. Hilary is an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves currently assigned to Military Sealift Command Pacific Headquarters. She was promoted to the rank of Commander on August 1, 2011.

Her husband is an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marines and is currently deployed off the Horn of Africa as Captain of the USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3).

Class of

1997

................................

Josh Del Pino Josh received his Master of Arts in Asia Pacific studies from the University of San Francisco in May 2010. After graduation, he returned to Japan to teach English in Japanese public schools where he also volunteered as an editorial associate with the Japanese Policy Research Institute.

Recently, Josh was fortunate enough to travel to Kyoto and Nara where he enjoyed the beautiful sights and rich history.

Class of

1998

................................

Kristin Ahmer (Gottwald) Kristin lives in beautiful San Clemente with her husband Mike and their two-year-old son Will. After a few years in apparel production, Kristin is now a busy stay-at-home mom running her own business, The Sili Company. The company has a newly launched patent pending product, The Sili Squeeze™ that allows infants to enjoy delicious blends of freshly pureed food, in addition to ready-made favorites like yogurt and applesauce, while on-the-go.

Florrie Willis (Hallenbeck) In May 2010, Florrie and her husband Patrick moved from Philadelphia to Tampa, Florida where she works for Lincoln Financial Group. She and Patrick married in November at St. Margaret's. They moved into a new house in Tampa at the end of June.

Class of

1999

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Jonathan Rettinger Jonathan graduated from the University of Rochester in 2003, and this year completed his Master of Business Administration from University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business. In 2009, Jonathan started his company TechnoBuffalo, a website with one focus, “to help you get the most out of your tech lifestyle.” In 2011, Jonathan was selected for OC METRO magazine's annual 40 Under 40 issue.

Class of

2001

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Jake Bullock Jake lives in Ladera Ranch with his wife Keri (Van Der Wall, Class of 2000.) The newest addition to the Bullock family is Zachary John Stephen Bullock, born February 9, 2011.

He joins his brother Jacob Jr. who will be three in August.

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Class of 2001, Continued Omar Shaban Omar just completed his Master of Business Administration at the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business. After two great years of business school that included studying abroad in Lebanon, China and Chile, Omar is now getting ready to work for McKesson starting September 2011. Over the next two years, Omar will be working in McKesson’s finance rotational development program while traveling between San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta and Richmond.

Class of

2007

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Michelle Wolff Michelle and Derek Jones had their first child Joaquin Stephen Wolff Jones on April 21, 2011. They live in Durham, North Carolina where Michelle is getting her Ph.D in theology at Duke University.

Class of

2005

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William Ary William received his Bachelor of Science in psychobiology from University of California, Los Angeles in 2009. He then finished his Master of Business Administration in 2010 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Currently, William is attending San Diego State University for his next degree, a master’s in evolutionary biology.

Nicole Marie Hughes This year, Nicole expanded her event planning company Showdown Event Design, into Beverly Hills with support from the loves of her life, John Rivera and their miniature pinscher Rex. Having recently produced a successful celebrity fundraiser in conjunction with the MTV Video Music Awards, she is excited to debut her second company Showdown PR with support from several Hollywood charities.

William Allan Jacobson William just completed his first year of dental school at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He will graduate from the four year program in 2014 and plans to return to sunny California.

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Natalie Bonhall Natalie spent the 2010-11 school year abroad, studying international politics at Leeds Metropolitan University in England. During this time, she took some memorable trips around England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. She will graduate this year from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in international relations.

Alexandra Trimble Alexandra graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in business and marketing on June 11, 2011. She plans to work in the San Jose area after graduation.

Her brother Sam Trimble (Class of 2001) just finished his first year at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business Master of Business Administration program. He worked at Wells Fargo in Orange County and San Francisco for five years after graduating from Dickinson College. Her sister Suzanne Trimble (Class of 2004) is now living in Boston and coaching volleyball as the second assistant to the head coach of Harvard University’s women’s volleyball team.

Class of

2009

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Ryan Jong Ryan is a coxswain for Boston College’s varsity men's crew team. In April, his boat won gold at the 2011 Knecht Cup on the Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey. He is also a runner of the 2011 Boston Marathon and will be interning at HFP Capital Markets in New York City over the summer.

Lauren Reiterman This year, Lauren had the opportunity to live and work in France. She began her solo trip in Paris and eventually landed in Burgundy where she worked at a restaurant in the beautiful French countryside. Her proudest moment was during her third day into the trip, while in the Latin Quarter a Parisian asked, “You are not from Paris?” The struggle of learning a second language in school is well worth it when a native doesn't notice. Lauren hopes to continue creating a life where she can both travel and work as she finishes her college career over the next few years.

N OTA B L E

Eunice Chung Eunice studied abroad in Shanghai, China this past spring semester to further her business degree studies and improve her Chinese for her minor degree. She also interned in the marketing and commercial property department at Knight Frank. Throughout the semester, she traveled to eight different cities/provinces in China. A highlight from one of her trips was riding camels and sleeping in tents in the middle of Gobi Desert.

Spencer Kushner A member of St. Margaret’s Class of 2009, Spencer Kushner currently attends the College of William & Mary where he is majoring in finance, a member of the men’s golf team and a Student-Athlete Advisory Council representative. After learning his girlfriend was diagnosed with breast cancer, he decided the best way he could help was to start a philanthropy.

Over the 2010 winter break, he began conducting research and called the Susan G. Komen Foundation in Virginia; the idea for “Tribe Birdies for Breast Cancer” was born.

>>

Alyssa Hopper Alyssa was recently honored as a participant in the 2011 Fred L. Emerson Gallery Student Art Invitational at Hamilton College. Each year, Hamilton College features 16 students at their annual exhibition. Pieces on display include photography, video, sculpture, drawing, painting and mixed media from all academic levels. Alyssa’s work will be on display throughout the month of August.

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Spencer. “Our initial outreach was to friends, family and local businesses. Next year, we are hoping to branch out among the student body and launch an automated program via the Web.” William & Mary’s women’s golf team plans to join the effort this fall and the team has approached the business school to help with marketing support to make this a campus and community-wide initiative.

“St. Margaret’s taught me that anyone can take initiative and make something happen, it’s not hard to do,” said Spencer.

“This insight has stayed with me and given me the wherewithal to know I could make this idea a success. Hearing the stories of breast cancer survivors or those going through treatment is so powerful, it helps us realize why we’re doing this and that we’re making a difference.” ● Spencer spent much of December, January and early February developing the philanthropy’s mission, setting up emails to distribute, conducting research with different cancer societies, creating presentations about where raised money would go, how to donate, the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s involvement and coordinating with the William & Mary athletics department.

“The athletics department at William & Mary was very instrumental in helping to move ‘Tribe Birdies for Breast Cancer’ forward,” said Spencer. “The philanthropy’s main mission is to raise charitable donations for the Susan G. Komen Foundation through the William & Mary golf program. All proceeds from our fundraisers go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund research and educational programs for Breast Cancer Awareness.”

After developing the initial logistics of the philanthropy’s fundraiser, Spencer enlisted help from his nine golf teammates.

Donations to “Tribe Birdies for Breast Cancer” are made on a per birdie basis. A dollar amount can be pledged for each birdie made by the men’s golf team throughout the season, or a flat rate donation can be made. At the end of the season, all of the birdies are totaled and the donations are given to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The success of the team directly correlates with the fundraising efforts.

“We launched ‘Tribe Birdies for Breast Cancer’ in midFebruary and raised $15,000 in less than two months,” said

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Class of

2010

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Alexis Moore Alexis lives in Dana Point and is currently attending Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga. She recently vacationed in Cancun, Mexico with her boyfriend and his family to celebrate the completion of her freshman year.

A L U M N I

Parents of Alumni (PAL)

U P DAT E S

College Care Packages

Sunday Social On the warm evening of April 17, the Parents of Alumni Association (PAL) hosted the Sunday Social at St. Margaret’s Fountain Courtyard. Parents from across St. Margaret’s 32-year history gathered to greet old friends and make new ones. The evening was graciously co-chaired by Karen Kushner and Denise McGraw who transformed the beloved Fountain Courtyard into a relaxing lounge. Guests enjoyed tray passed hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and a signature Tartan-tini.

In April, PAL started a new tradition: the Alumni College Care Package Project. The project involved the many hands of Tartan alumni parent volunteers obtaining college addresses, acquiring “necessary” college provisions: gum, candy, granola bars, popcorn, Top Ramen, a first aid kit, a Frisbee, lip balm, luggage tags and hot chocolate; and assembling and mailing to four years of St. Margaret’s alumni currently in college. The task seemed daunting but in the end, parent volunteers completed nearly 200 packages in less than three hours, each with a handwritten note. The project stayed on task under the leadership of Program Chair Donna Toubia who guided an eager group of volunteers wanting to work together. Thank you to all the volunteers who made it possible to ship these packages across the country and even to France and Japan, they were very well-received by all St. Margaret’s young scholars.

2010-2011 Parents of Alumni Association President President-Elect Communications & Publicity Community Service & Programs PAL Coffee PAL Sunday Social Alumni Care Packages

Barbara Massrey Carolyn Westendorf Kathy Brown Kelly Collier Lulu Hallenbeck Karen Kushner Denise McGraw Donna Toubia

If you are interested in getting involved in the Parents of Alumni Association, please contact Ian Tacquard at ian.tacquard@smes.org or 949.661.0108 ext. 247.

summer 2011

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Tartan Alumni Association (TAA)

Introducing the Tartan Alumni Association’s new President Todd Newman: Dr. Stephen Todd Newman grew up in Laguna Hills and attended St. Margaret’s from grades 9-12, graduating with the Class of 1991. While attending St. Margaret’s, Todd was Associated Student Body president, a three-sport varsity letterman, member of the 1990 CIF Championship football team, and an ambassador to Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s visit to the United States. Todd’s three siblings also graduated from St. Margaret’s: The Reverend Ryan D. Newman (Class of 1994) helped start Special Camp for Special Kids and is currently chief operating officer and head chaplain at Campbell Hall School in North Hollywood; Erin Newman Armstrong (Class of 1998) is a cardiac ICU nurse at Mission Hospital; Michael Newman (Class of 2008) is an English major at the University of San Francisco. Their mother, Charlotte Newman, volunteers in St. Margaret’s Advancement Office and continues to actively support the school, as she has done for the past 20 years.

After graduation, Todd continued his studies at the University of Southern California, graduating in the Order of the Torch with a bachelor’s degree in biology. After conducting several years of research on Alzheimer’s disease at Harvard University, Todd decided to attend Boston University School of Medicine (his grandfather’s alma mater). Doctor of Medicine in hand, Todd moved back to sunny California for his internship in surgery and his residency in anesthesia and critical care at University of California, Los Angeles. In 2007, Todd found his way back to Orange County when he joined Newport Harbor Anesthesia Consultants at Hoag Hospital.

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Todd is married to Laura Hunt Newman, a graduate of Williams College and former management consultant with Monitor Group. Their two children attend St. Margaret’s – Charlotte is in grade 1 and Luke is in preschool. The Newman’s live in Ladera Ranch with their new Great Dane puppy Sebastian.

In his role as Alumni President, Todd will focus his time and energy on strengthening the base of alumni that are actively involved in the St. Margaret’s network. Building on the hard work of former presidents Ryan Westendorf (close friend and former classmate) and Ashley Scott Meggers, Todd hopes to boost participation at annual events like Homecoming, the Alumni Christmas Party and the All Alumni Reunion. His goal is to broaden alumni engagement with the school, and to encourage time and talent contributions that will lead to greater leadership roles for alumni over time. Along those lines, Todd will continue to serve as team doctor to St. Margaret’s varsity football team, a role he has enjoyed for the past five years.

All Alumni Reunion Following St. Margaret’s 2011 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 11, more than 100 alumni gathered at El Adobe De Capistrano Restaurant for the first All Alumni Reunion. St. Margaret’s alumni of all ages came together to reconnect and share stories. Classes ending in ones and sixes celebrated milestone reunion years including the Class of 1986 celebrating the school’s first 25 year class reunion.

L O O K I N G

B A C K

Once a Tartan, Always a Tartan Mrs. Carolyn Franck retired from teaching this June after spending 23 years inspiring second graders at St. Margaret’s. She was frequently approached to consider teaching a different grade level, but always declined saying, “Second grade is the best; the children are sweet, trusting and so eager to learn. I love them.” Her students knew she felt this way about them, and they did not forget her when they advanced to Middle and Upper School. She was frequently asked to attend their graduation ceremonies.

In reflecting on her time at St. Margaret’s, Carolyn treasures the memories of wonderful friendships, supportive parents, and camaraderie among the teachers and staff. Carolyn’s daughter, Jenny, graduated in the Class of 1996, which gave her the opportunity to see the Tartan community as a very connected family.

Carolyn plans to retire in small increments and will be available to substitute in the Lower School starting this fall.

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summer 2011

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L O O K I N G

F O RWA R D

Spotlight Trace and Lauren Chalmers Building on the Promise capital campaign Chairs Trace and Lauren Chalmers are devoted parents of three St. Margaret’s students and tireless supporters of the school. They have served the campaign as its leaders since 2010 and have generously committed to seeing the campaign through to its completion next year. “We believe strongly in the quality and breadth of the St. Margaret’s curriculum and programs, which is why we joined the community when we moved to Orange County five years ago,” said Lauren.

I

t’s hard to miss the rapid progress on the St. Margaret’s campus development master plan, which was featured in the summer 2010 issue of the Highlander. Since then, the school officially broke ground on the construction of the new, 45,000-squarefoot Performing Arts Center in November. The foundation was graded, prepared and 1,500 cubic yards of concrete foundation were poured. More than 24,000 feet of conduit was installed underground for the electrical and cable lines to support the range of sound, lighting, audio-visual recording and mixing resources for technical learning of the arts. More than 400,000 tons of structural steel was erected with a topping out ceremony held on the last day of the 2010-2011 school year, marking the highest point of construction of the building. Structural walls have begun to take shape and the imposing presence that the center will hold on campus is clear. The new Performing Arts Center is on schedule (and budget!) to open in June 2012 bringing world-class, dedicated theatre, music, dance rehearsal and performance learning facilities to St. Margaret’s students for years to come.

Additionally, new parking lots and driveways have been created in the northeast corner of the campus and in the lot at the corner of La Novia and Calle Arroyo adjacent to the Lower School for better access and traffic flow to campus for families and employees beginning next school year.

The visible signs are everywhere…we have made significant progress on our campus master plan this year!

The St. Margaret’s community has generously donated nearly $20 million to the Building on the Promise capital campaign. The campaign enters its final year in 20112012 with a goal to raise an additional $8 million. Building on the Promise is funding the Performing Arts Center, new Middle School campus, redesigning of Sillers Hall as a full-service, health-conscious kitchen and dining hall and renovation and expansion of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church sanctuary and the Fountain Courtyard.

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Trace added, “We are extremely committed to this effort because we know our outstanding programs, faculty and most importantly students need the new resources these facilities will provide. It’s not only for our children; this effort is for all students for generations to come.

“We also feel deep gratitude to the many parents who came before us and built the beautiful campus we enjoy today. We truly believe it is our responsibility to carry on their efforts.”

Executive Director of Advancement Steve Harrington said of the Chalmers, “I can’t possibly thank Trace and Lauren enough for their unwavering partnership and generous support of Building on the Promise. They have given in every way possible. They have brought great leadership, strategic focus and ideas, dedicated countless hours to meetings, conversations and events, and been resounding advocates. They have infused tremendous enthusiasm and passion into this effort. So much momentum and progress is due to their hard work and support and we are extremely grateful.”

Trace and Lauren are the proud parents of St. Margaret’s students Grace, grade 8, Clayton, grade 5, and Cameron, grade P4.

“. . . to educate the hearts and minds of young people for lives of learning, leadership and service.”

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