Professional Development

TOP OF THEIR GAME: Faculty Enjoy Professional Development

Bolles faculty and staff from all four campuses have been engaged in training workshops, professional development opportunities and other strength-building courses this summer and fall. The learning experiences, always embraced and encouraged by Bolles administrators, are made possible by the community’s generous support of The Bolles Fund and other philanthropic vehicles like the Ottenstroer fellowships offered each year. The annual fund has provided more than $200,000 a year for professional development during the past three years — roughly 20 percent of the total income from The Bolles Fund is reinvested in faculty and staff by way of expanding their professional opportunities. Here are a few examples of faculty who are finding new ways to inspire student learning and enhance their own approach to education — and what they’re taking away from their experiences:

Kelly Lipscomb

Grade 7 U.S. History Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus Course: Teaching While White & From Ally to Accomplice: September 28–29, October 5–6, Online via ZOOM “In my 8 years as an educator, I have never attended a more engaging, relevant, and interactive workshop. I was able to collaborate with educators around the nation to discuss tough topics, and how to teach them in age-appropriate ways. I recommend all teachers take the time to engage in this relevant training!”

Kila McCann

Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Courses/Professional Development: Enrollment Management Association Annual Conference (Seattle) September 2021; FCIS Annual Conference — Orlando — November 2021; Erdmann Institute Annual Admission Event — Maine — June 2021 “It was a great team building event for members of the Bolles Admission Team — Kila McCann, Liz Mundin, Mark Frampton and Shelly Lenhart. The EMA Annual Conference is a wonderful opportunity for admission professionals to learn about national trends, resources that support the profession, acquire knowledge about best practices and provides a wonderful opportunity for admission professionals to network with one another.”

“As a new administrator to Bolles and as someone who has not worked within the Florida independent school community, attending the FCIS Annual Conference provided a pathway for me to network with other admission professionals, heads of school and other administrators. It was wonderful to see the collegiality among Florida Independent Schools.”

“Erdmann Institute, formerly Essex Institute, was founded by David Erdmann, former dean of admission at Rollins College, to provide an intimate environment for admission professionals to learn from one another, support one another, serve as mentors and organically share best practices. This was especially beneficial to me as I transitioned to The Bolles School community amidst the height of COVID. The support, insight and advice I gleaned from colleagues from across the United States helped me to feel confident and at ease as I settled into my role at Bolles.”

Upper School English teacher Course: Diversity Initiative at Riverside Presbyterian Day School “One thing I took from the seminars was that I can enhance inclusion by attending students’ extracurricular events, and to that end, I have made this inclusion method one of my formal goals this year. So far, I’ve attended two events that showcased the talents of many of my students: the Fall Coffee House and the all-school play, The Little Mermaid, and I’ve promised my tennis players to attend some of their matches in the spring.”

Chris Gebauer

Upper School History Teacher Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus Course: Teaching While White and Professional Development trip to California “I found the workshops to be engaging which enabled participants the opportunity to develop skills for discussing challenging topics and the expansion of one’s understanding of often misunderstood ideas. I also took a professional development trip this summer to expand my knowledge on various religions in Los Angeles, California and Yosemite National Park over a week in late June. This was an incredible experience that the School provided and supported me through. I had the opportunity to visit and learn about the Church of Scientology, various shrines dedicated to Hinduism, Buddhism and Daoism, and capped off the trip by visiting Yosemite National Park sleeping in the valley under Half Dome.”

Jennifer Gomez

Upper School History Teacher Course: “The History of American Protest” “Over the summer I attended a virtual Gilder Lehrman summer seminar for teachers, “The History of American Protest” led by Harvard professor, John Stauffer. This intensive course examined the tradition of protest literature in the United States from the American Revolution to the present. The primary focus was on civil rights (starting with abolition), women’s rights, and workers’ rights. This seminar provided me with a wealth of knowledge that I’ve been able to incorporate into my US History curriculum. Just last week, students analyzed multiple pictures of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who utilized photography as a powerful form of protest. I’ve also incorporated multiple lesson plans shared by teachers around the US who attended the conference. One lesson I am most excited about is a Spotify project which will link the concept of “protest literature” to modern songs. I am grateful Bolles offered me this professional development opportunity to hone my craft; the students are the beneficiaries.”

Victoria Gafford

Physical Education Teacher Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Course/professional development: Adventure Curriculum for Physical Education hosted by the Project Adventure Organization. “Adventure activities, in which students have a shared goal, can effectively teach motor skills while also developing social competence. Social competency increases the ability to understand different viewpoints and manage immediate emotional responses when facing challenges. Regularly providing a time for reflection is also vital to help the students make connections and apply key concepts.”

Pamela Clubb

English Department Chair Course: Creating Equity, Inclusion and Harmony in the Classroom “During the summer, I attended a workshop titled “Creating Equity, Inclusion, and Harmony in the Classroom” for high school teachers and administrators. Rosetta Lee, a diversity trainer and master teacher, lead a workshop at Riverside Presbyterian Day School on July 9–10. I joined educators for a collaborative training experience to understand the importance of diversity, to provide equity within a classroom, and to create an inclusive environment for students, focusing on the best practices and strategies for educators to use in the classroom. The workshop also provided me an opportunity to engage in conversations with teachers that are interested in DEI work. During this workshop, Ms. Lee shared her vast knowledge, teaching practices and educational materials with educators.”

Stacey Hendershot

Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Head Course: FCIS Annual Convention — Facing Forward: Leveraging Courage and Curiosity November 3–5 “The convention's focus this year was approaching the future with courage, curiosity and compassion. Renowned independent school gurus Michael Thompson and Rob Evans led a pre-conference workshop that focused on working with Today's Independent School Parents. It was a great opportunity to meet with leaders from other independent schools across Florida and hear more about the challenges that they are facing. "Lead by Listening" was a powerful message and I was able to attend workshops that focused on moral courage, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It was an inspiring conference, filled with the message of hope and embracing different perspectives.”

Kim Loving and Kathy Bole

Grade 2 Teachers Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Course/professional development: Collaborative Classroom workshop “Kathy Bole and I attended a Collaborative Classroom workshop at our campus on November 9 and observed the program at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa on November 12. It was very helpful to see the program in action. We were able to talk to many professionals about the timing, organization and implementation of the program. We have come back knowing how to teach the program so that our students can develop a love for reading and writing.”

Traci Salari

Learning Specialist Bolles Lower School Whitehurst Campus Course: Dyslexia Association Conference and Dyslexia Practicum Course. “I attended the International Dyslexia Association conference in the fall and have recently finished a dyslexia practicum course and have graduated with my dyslexia certificate from the University of Florida. I’m currently in the Special Education doctorate program at UF where my specialization is dyslexia and reading disorders. I’ve finished my specialization courses already. My UF coursework and the IDA conference both equipped me to better meet the needs of our diverse group of learners through the implementation of scientifically based reading research. The research to practice gap is closing in this area which makes brain research and the science of reading an exciting field of study. The knowledge I have gained has allowed me to be a stronger voice for children and their families.”

New Chapter for Bolles Library

It’s a new chapter in the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus Library! Librarian Christina Karvounis hosted ribbon-cutting events throughout the day October 19 to introduce students to the newly refurbished campus library.

Each class enjoyed their own personal ribbon-cutting event, complete with red ribbon and large scissors, before settling into their new book reading “amphitheater” near the library entrance. After reading a special library-themed book to students, Karvounis reviewed library policies before taking them on a brief tour of their newly remodeled space. The library now includes curved shelving spaces that can be reconfigured, as well as cozy reading nooks and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy books. Each visit ended with time for students to peruse the collection of 7,000 books and check out their selections.

The library has been limited in recent school years due to COVID policies and the refurbishment. Karvounis said it was exciting for students who had enjoyed the library in years past to see the changes. By all accounts, the Bulldogs were thrilled to be back in the shelves once again!

The mission of the Bolles Lower School Library program is to ensure children grow as global and empathetic citizens by becoming engaged and enchanted by print and digital literature, growing as effective users of information and deepening their critical thinking and research skills.

Bolles Delegates: Small Choices Help Mitigate Climate Change

In early November, Bolles students were invited to participate virtually in the COP26 conference — a global discussion about climate change that engaged leaders, thinkers, activists and educators all over the world in dialogue on how to be better stewards of the environment. An upshot of the experience is the recent formation of The Bolles Delegates, a collective of upper and middle school student leaders who participated in the conference and want to help affect change in the Bolles community. The delegates are planning several initiatives to demonstrate how small-scale choices can make a meaningful difference in humanity’s bid to mitigate a global-scale crisis.

Middle school members of The Bolles Delegates are eighth graders George Dovellos ’26, Bubbie Brown ’26, Nishta Jijosh ’26, Victoria Edgar ’26, Meghanne Posick ’26 and Ethan Bathala ’26 with faculty support from science teachers Josh Pearson and Betsy Bailey. The upper school delegates include Jaden Taher ’25, Yasmeen Ibrahim ’22, Dylan Camarda ’22, Noah MacGregor ’22, Peter Rohan ’24, Camden Pao ’22, Grace Arnett ’24, Dalia Ibrahim ’23, Lance Adams ’23 and Minji Lee ’22 with faculty support from English teacher Marie Kervin.

During the COP26 conference, students took part in a global discussion about climate change, heard youth activists speak, listened to the discussion about the future of climate technology and had the opportunity to attend a Zoom call with Montague Jones, a climate change delegate. He attended the Blue Zone which is a United Nations-managed space that hosted the negotiations between world leaders. Jones mentioned how important students are to the debate and how they cannot allow age or agencies to be barriers to direct action.

The delegates attended three events: “From Climate Change to Change-Making: Firing Up Youth Activism;” “Climate Change Will Be Bigger Than the Internet Revolution:” and “Reboot the Future: How do We Move Faster Together?”

One of the most important discussions students engaged in was the growing dialogue among youth and adult activists. Student leaders enjoyed an inspiring discussion in the weeks following the conference about their priorities as individuals within The Bolles School and what they envisioned for the Bolles community. That discussion included the topic of eco-anxiety, the feeling held by many youth that the future of the planet already is a lost cause.

“The Bolles Delegates are working to fight that notion and open up a dialogue in our community about climate change, its effects and how the Bulldogs can help,” said Gracie Arnett, who, along with delegate peers, made an impassioned presentation to Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges in early November about ways Bolles leaders can help students drive necessary change. “We want to start a community-wide conversation about climate impacts and help people realize that every change, big or small, that each person makes is a step in the right direction.”

The students have made personal pledges devoting themselves to the issue because “we have the opportunity to develop solutions and be the voice of problem solvers for our school, the city of Jacksonville, the state of Florida, the United States and the planet,” said. “The human spirit wants to develop solutions to problems and not be told that it is too late or that we have no power to find a solution. As a group, we truly believe that it is not too late for our planet and that even as high school students, we have the ability to make impactful and meaningful changes.”

Several initiatives have come out of the discussions including the group’s first-ever thrift exchange clothing sale, held December 3 in conjunction with the Bolles Parent Association’s uniform resale in Davis Gym. The group has been collecting gently used items in good condition to promote a reduce and reuse mentality on campus. The delegates hope to have similar sales throughout the school year on Fridays. The students also are advocating more opportunities for electric vehicle use and recharge stations on campus and other ways the School can reduce its impact on the environment.

In the meantime, delegates have established an Instagram page to share their ideas and progress with the community.