JOURNEYS AND STORIES: Two Eagle Hill Families Share Their Stories…Seeing Yourself in What You Read
Preparing for the Next Part of Your Academic Journey…2018 Annual Benefit…Alumni Stories & More… eaglehillschool.org |
@eaglehillgreenwich EHSGreenwich
Spring 2018
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CONTENTS 3
LETTERS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL A Long Journey
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FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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FROM THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION Why Kung Fu Mom Volunteers for EHS
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NEWS FROM THE HILL FALL ACTIVITIES
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FALL ATHLETICS & AWARDS
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LOWER SCHOOL INDEPENDENT READING Book Reports With a Twist!
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UPPER SCHOOL LA PROGRAM Preparing EHS Students for the Next Part of Their Academic Journey
FEATURES 11
Our Journey. Our Story. Our Odyssey. 2018 Annual Benefit
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Eagle Hill Stories Every EHS Journey Is Unique: The MacNaughton and Stein Families Share Theirs.
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Seeing Yourself in Literature–and in Life
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ALUMNI STORIES ASHLEY MUDGE ‘97 HENRY ZUCKERBERG ‘13 RITA DATTERO ‘11
FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
A Long Journey
THIS YEAR WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE journey of our school, as well as the journeys of our students, their families, and the adults in the lives of our young people. It has caused me to reflect about my own personal and professional journey, particularly the years I’ve spent involved in education and schools. I have indeed been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach and lead in a variety of educational settings. I have taught and led at every level (elementary, middle, high school, and college), and in four states and five school districts before coming to Eagle Hill. Each school I have worked in or visited has affected me in profound ways, making me the educator I am today. Schools are places where I’m very comfortable, my home away from home, but also places that excite and challenge me. Each school is both the same and different from the ones before, and I’ve gained so much invaluable experience from each, as well as experience and knowledge that I’ve been able to carry with me from one school to the next. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that one of my five grandchildren has a similar passion for education. When I visit her, 3
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we spend hours playing school - me trying to be a good student and she very much in control of her classroom. When she visits me, we make a weekend visit to Eagle Hill where she goes from classroom to classroom looking at everything with interest and asking endless questions about the teachers and students. We often stop in one of our classrooms for her to teach a lesson to her patient Mom and Grammie. My husband and I love to travel. Wherever we go, he knows that I’m going to spend at least one day visiting a school. These visits are ones I cherish and, whether there’s a language barrier or not, I am welcomed and feel right at home. In recent years, I have visited a preschool and middle/high school in India and three very different schools in Kenya. Each time I have been encouraged to work with the children alongside their teacher. Nine years ago, my educational journey brought me to Eagle Hill, a small school with a huge mission. It was immediately clear to me that the faculty and staff were the most talented, dedicated, and hard-working professionals with whom
I had ever worked. Their passion for helping children with a variety of complex learning challenges become successful learners was so refreshing and exciting to me. Their determination to make this happen for each child was inspiring. Then I met the parents of our students and I found some of the most courageous and determined individuals who supported their children all the way. Our Board of Trustees was a group of talented, successful and highly intelligent people who were also dedicated to the mission of our school, an incredible group of individuals, who always made decisions based on what was right for our students. They continue to encourage me to be visionary, to take on challenges that will strengthen our school, and to be confident that I have their support in any endeavor. Perhaps the proudest part of my journey has been bringing more talented professionals to Eagle Hill to join us in the important work we do. So much has been accomplished during my time here, developing the Foundations Program for students 5-7 years old; providing a fullyear After School Enrichment Program so that students could benefit from a longer day of activities and be a part of our residential program through dinner; expanding our Summer Program to include an Afternoon Activities Program for students in our Summer Academic Program; researching international options for students with learning differences and establishing a summer program in London, England and one in Singapore beginning this summer; renovating the Griffin Academic Building and Hardwick House to make them more effective environments for teaching and learning; beautifying our campus and refurbishing the playing field; bringing needed structure, policies, and procedures to an organization that had grown in size and scope; growing
2017-2018 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
FROM THE BOARD
BOARD CHAIR Jeremy Henderson
our endowment and strengthening our financial practices to ensure that our school would be strong and flourishing not only now but into the future. For me, it has been an incredible journey, one that has challenged me in many rewarding ways, expanded my thinking about education, and made me feel so fortunate that I could be part of a school where every decision is based on what is best for children. Over the years, the encouragement, warmth, and respect that has come my way from my colleagues at Eagle Hill, parents, and the children are forever imprinted on my mind and in my heart. As I write this letter, I am about to leave for Spring Break. I’ll be travelling to Vietnam and Cambodia with my husband. Of course, it wouldn’t be a successful vacation for me if I didn’t have plans to visit a school … which I do! I look forward to sharing some teaching time with a teacher in Cambodia and am bringing along some Eagle Hill pencils to leave a little touch of our special school there! DR. MARJORIE E. CASTRO
BOARD MEMBERS Kim Augustine Sonja Bartlett Patrick Brogan ‘87 Joe Burton ‘90 Lisa Eatroff Dana Fields Amy Jo Frischling Allen Haight Patsy Howard Derrel Mason, Esq. Lisa Miller Patricia Murphy Mark Plaumann, Vice Chair David Portny Kathleen Doody Redmond, Secretary Drew Saunders ‘88 Lydia Soifer, Ph.D. Roxanne Vanderbilt Barbara Walsh James Wendorf Joe Zimmel, Treasurer EX-OFFICIO Dr. Marjorie E. Castro
EAGLE HILL NEWS Eagle Hill News is published two times a year (fall and spring) by the Development Office of Eagle Hill School. DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Lisa Ferraro l.ferraro@eaglehill.org COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Phil Pineau p.pineau@eaglehill.org SPECIAL EVENTS MANAGER Cindy Ruiz c.ruiz@eaglehill.org PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY Maria DiPalma Dan Harkins Jenn Harkins Phil Pineau Rhonda Spevak Chris Taggart
The Balancing Act AMONG THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ primary responsibilities is ensuring the continued financial security of the school. Our Finance Committee spends countless hours during the year reviewing the operating budget, assessing the performance of our endowment portfolio, looking at necessary capital expenditures, and managing our cash flows. We work very closely with the Business Office, led by our hard-working and dynamic Business Manager, Tom Lasley. It is fair to say that no part of our Board meeting agendas requires more time than financial items. The single most important part of guaranteeing future financial viability is the need to balance tuition (approximately 90% of our annual income) with compensation and benefits (approximately 70% of our annual expenses). This balancing act is typical of almost every private school, except for those with unusually large endowments which are able to draw substantial portions of their operating budgets from endowment income. At Eagle Hill, the Board takes this responsibility very seriously — we strive every year to keep faculty salaries as competitive as possible while attempting to limit tuition increases as much as we can. Achieving both of these goals is essential to the school’s health. I am proud of the hard work that goes into this process, and I am pleased to report that Eagle Hill’s endowment has grown meaningfully over the past few years. While, at the same time, we have managed to balance reasonable tuition increases with necessary increases in salaries and benefits. Our unique educational program rests on a firm foundation that should ensure its continued success well into the future. Nevertheless, we took on a substantial amount of debt in order to finish work on our extensive campus renovation project, the wonderful benefits of which are being enjoyed by students and their teachers and coaches every day. We depend on the generosity of parents, alumni, alumni parents, and friends to help us defray the cost of this debt and other ongoing and critical capital expenditures. Thank you in advance for your generous response to solicitations you may receive for the Eagle Hill Fund. Truly, I can think of no better cause! JEREMY HENDERSON, CHAIR
SPRING 2018 2016
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PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS FROM THE HILL
CREATIVITY AND DEVOTIONAL PRACTICE
Why Kung Fu Mom Volunteers for EHS By Roxanne Vanderbilt, President 2017-2018
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often muse on my volunteer work for Eagle Hill School, alongside lessons gleaned from Shaolin Chuan Fa. Honing what my Sifus extoll as “closing out daylight,” I stay the course when meeting challenges, rather than jump ship. In running a volunteer
organization, tackling conundrums big and small, and bringing people together who might otherwise not have shared a lunch table in a former life, is particularly rewarding.
efforts are not lost to stagnation and entropy. What, might you wonder, do I make of change when life presents us with more challenging issues? Take ADHD, for one.
I learned in the early weeks of my tenure as PA President that the single most-important aspect of my role is that of a community builder. I also discovered that volunteer work animates my creative side. My devotion and care of the Parents Association is done with a purposeful embrace of a growth mindset, which can be likened to an experience we all know and enjoy. Play with the ocean’s waves on a beach, and your feet will sink into the sand. Step to another point on the shore, and you will see the dissolving impression you left behind while espying the new one you are making. In the end, you never lose contact with the waves, but are rewarded with a different point of view.
I did not know that I would have a child with ADHD. William, now 10, is in his fifth year at EHS. Similarly, I could not have imagined that I would need to be educated on how to parent a child with ADHD, but, I did, and do. Daily. (See you at the next upcoming Parent Seminar or Speaker Series event, on that note.) I did not wish for the struggle to find mostly-adequate medications to assuage the most disabling aspects of William’s off-thecharts hyperactivity and impulsivity. Ongoing. (“We’ll resume trials of Strattera in 2018…”) I didn’t want the tacit criticism brought on by everyday errands like a trip to the grocery store with William and his fellow EHS/ADHDgal-pal in tow, sometimes under the influence of medication, and sometimes not. (I no longer heed the looks from shoppers when
Different viewpoints and change can be true allies to innovation, ensuring that collective 5
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one kid performs handstands on the floor of the supermarket while I make a desperate grab for the bananas.) Earlier in life, I didn’t foresee that my mother would get sick with cancer, forcing me to resign from my job at the Metropolitan Museum just weeks after William’s birth. It would have been impossible for me to work full-time while traveling regularly to and from California to care for her and my demented
At Eagle Hill, there are multiple avenues to learning and healing, whether you are a parent or a child. father, all while raising an infant. I struggled on my path forward, feeling adrift while squaring with my beloved mother’s advancing death. After her passing, I could not have predicted the complexities in finding an appropriate treatment plan and educational setting for William, diagnosed with ADHD at age four-and-three-quarters.
ACTIVITIES
Which brings me, William, and my family to our story at Eagle Hill. Getting to know the community of parents and children who, like us, have undergone similar, seismic shifts in their expectations about what life had in store for them, was a revelation. At Eagle Hill, there are multiple avenues to learning and healing, whether you are a parent or a child. As I mentioned above, in addition to becoming more mindful of my parenting style, my understanding of my creative self has evolved, too. While I didn’t have a job when we started at Eagle Hill (and still don’t), I pursued volunteer opportunities with zeal, channeling my professional inclinations and non-profit experience. I now recognize how creativity influences the volunteer work I do for EHS, a labor of love in service to the patient and extraordinary people who work their hardest to bring out the best in our children’s potential. Volunteering for Eagle Hill brings me a sense of wholeness; I am a grateful and passionate advocate for the teaching and learning that takes place at Eagle Hill, in addition to being a worker bee to serve the Parents Association.
FALL ACTIVITIES By Jeff Leonard, Director, Athletics & Activities
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etween the hours of 2 and 4 p.m., Eagle Hill students have a combination of a one hour proctored study hall and one hour of supervised afternoon activity. Those students who do not play on an interscholastic sports team have a range of physical and non-physical activity choices. During the fall season, we offered Hip Hop, Karate, Sports Class, Fitness, Basketball, PE, Ultimate Frisbee, Yoga, Flag Football, Gymnastics, Run/Walk Club, Art, Gardening/Nature Study, Drama/Theater/Improvisation, Digital Photography, Legos, Computer Coding, Sewing, and Movie Review Club. We also continued our long tradition of community service by encouraging students, with the help of faculty, to volunteer their time at programs such as Sweet Readers, Neighbor to Neighbor, Adopt-A-Dog, and the St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen. Many thanks to these organizations and our generous faculty for helping teach our students the importance of giving back!
My volunteer work for EHS is constantly evolving. At mid-year as I write this article, it is already shape-shifting, readying to welcome and assist the incoming PA President for the 2018-2019 school year. Of course, while I don’t yet have a picture of the next chapter in my life, I look forward to tackling new roles and responsibilities as I continue to serve on the Eagle Hill School Board of Trustees. I hope, in sharing this with you, that you will be inspired to become more involved in the Parents Association. At a minimum, volunteering at Eagle Hill is probably good for your chi. I know it is good for mine, helping to keep my world in balance.
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ATHLETICS
FALL 2017 ATHLETICS
JULIANA’S STORY
By Jeff Leonard, Director, Athletics & Activities
By Ed Moore, Head Field Hockey Coach
THE FALL OF 2017 saw the completion of our major construction projects with the unveiling of the Burton Family Field. Our newly renovated athletic field is a larger playing surface with much-improved drainage which has greatly increased our ability to utilize the space after wet weather. We were able to open the field for use on October 10 and had a field hockey or soccer game on the field nearly every day for the remainder of the fall season. During the fall athletic season, we fielded a total of five teams – Coed Cross Country, Coed Varsity Soccer, Coed JV Soccer, Coed JJV Soccer, and Girls Field Hockey. All games were played within the Fairchester Athletic Association. Team awards ceremonies were held before Thanksgiving break and award winners for individual teams are noted at right.
“I don’t play sports, Mr. Moore, but Mr. Leonard is making me!”
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It was a big risk for Juliana Cenzi to play Field Hockey for Eagle Hill in the fall of 2017 - but she wound up taking home the Most Improved Player award for the season, and there were moments when Juliana was the best player on the field.
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For Juliana, playing sports has become more than winning awards. Now, it’s about being on a team. What did being on a team bring Juliana? It brought her new friendships. Additionally, Juliana began to work on her leadership skills, discovering that she has a wealth of abilities as a leader on and off the field. In short, Juliana’s is not a singular story. Many athletes at Eagle Hill have similar experiences when they take the risk, play a sport, and discover important aspects of themselves. This is especially true for so many girls who start the year with the Field Hockey program - developing lasting friendships, leadership skills, and a love of sports that will last a lifetime.
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LOWER SCHOOL
LOWER SCHOOL INDEPENDENT READING
Book Reports With a Twist By Liza Jarombek, Lower School Advisor
FALL TEAM AWARDS VARSITY SOCCER Most Improved: Justin MacKechnie Most Valuable: Cal Hamerman Dave Kates Coaches Award: Lauren Russell
FIELD HOCKEY Most Improved: Juliana Cenzi and Emma Denich Most Valuable: Logan Heinman Dave Kates Coaches Award: Nicolle Pechman and Sophia Schwartzman
CROSS COUNTRY Most Improved: Alex Carlin Most Valuable: Jack Sibery and Rijk Shupe Dave Kates Coaches Award: Stella Greenberg
JUNIOR VARSITY SOCCER Most Improved: Andrew Stein Most Valuable: Chris Mora Dave Kates Coaches Award: Ben Ruddy and Brett Libertoff
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he goal of our independent reading program at Eagle Hill School is to instill a love of reading, even in our most reluctant readers. Students are assigned independent reading each day, and tutorial teachers spend time choosing just the right book for each individual student. Whether the book is read aloud by an adult or read independently, the time spent reading has a positive impact on the development of our students’ reading skills in both the areas of decoding and comprehension. Daily reading reinforces the skills which are directly instructed in the classroom and are necessary to becoming a competent, fluent reader. Teachers play an integral part in this process, providing encouragement and motivation. Students enjoy sharing their favorite parts of the book with their families and peers, and soon one sees others reading that same book. We thank our families for the support that they provide in making this reading program a success for their child. In tutorial classes, students in Lower School started working on a cereal box book project based on their independent reading book. Each side of the box included a different component - including a cover (e.g. title, author, illustration); an ingredients list (e.g. characters and description of each character); and a short summary of the book. Families joined their child’s tutorial classes in January to assemble the various components and later put the finishing touches on their creative project for homework.
Students returned the completed cereal box book projects to school. The children had the opportunity to share their project with their classmates and with students in other classes as well. Shortly after, these innovative projects decorated the Lower School Curriculum Center. This book project incorporated various skills which are directly instructed in tutorial class. Students first read the book, and often provided short updates to their teachers on what they had been reading. Teachers then worked on brainstorming ideas with students in order to complete a short outline which was used to complete a summary of the book. For some of our tutorial groups, an emphasis was also placed on study skills such as time management. Skills from other classes were also reinforced when completing this project. Students wrote character descriptions, a process which was recently instructed during the descriptive unit in writing classes. In literature classes, students refer to the ‘plot mountain’ when summarizing a book. During the summer, students spend time each day reading which will help to maintain their reading skills. As a part of our student’s summer homework packet in the Lower School, each student will complete a similar cereal box book project on a different book. We look forward to children bringing their completed cereal box book projects with them on their first day back to school in September! SPRING 2018 . 8
UPPER SCHOOL
LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM
Preparing Eagle Hill Students for the Next Part of Their Academic Journey By Alexandra Connolly and Maria DiPalma Upper School Teachers
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E
ven when we started our teaching careers 32 years ago, language arts classes were a “big deal”; although, way back then they were aptly named transitional classes. At that time, the “transitional class” was only for
Upper School students who were definitely slated to graduate at the end of that particular year. While it’s still a class designated for Upper School students, as educational practices, curriculum, and even the name has evolved, one constant remains – language arts is very much a transitional class geared toward preparing students for life beyond Eagle Hill. While language arts classes meet twice a day with one period focusing on literature and the other on grammar and composition, the ultimate goal is the integration of the curriculum. Often times as the year moves along and skills begin to merge, students wonder, “Are we ‘doing’ literature or grammar right now?” In addition to the language arts class, a child’s entire program changes as they progress towards graduation, with the goal being to provide a forum for students that is similar in nature to a traditional program. Students take tests and quizzes, do projects and write compositions, and receive grades. Sounds pretty traditional, right? So, how then do we get students to the point where they’re ready to transition to the next step and be successful at their next school? The academic and social journey of a language arts student begins on day one of the school year. Initially the student’s program change is barely noticeable, but as expectations rise throughout the year, not only in the LA class, but across the board, children learn how to manage the integral parts of their various classes and increased work load. In addition to the consistency of the language arts teacher, the program is built around a language arts team. This team consists of all of the child’s teachers, the Placement Office, and members of the Speech and Language and Psychological Services Departments. Members of these departments help students manage the stress that’s associated with increased expectations by pushing into LA classes to talk with students about the transition process. The team meets every six weeks to collaborate and set global academic and affective goals. While the team sets global goals, students identify individual goals to work on and also develop action plans to achieve them.
So, how then do we get students to the point where they’re ready to transition to the next step and be successful at their next school? In addition to the academic goals that the child’s LA team prepares for them, the most exhilarating aspect of the program for the students might be the status associated with being in the language arts program. This ‘rite of passage’ empowers students and sets the tone for a more rigorous academic year. Students engage in more interactive, project based learning and gain the listening and expressive language skills needed to negotiate these tasks. These cooperative activities are designed to strengthen interpersonal skills necessary for success. In addition, these activities help foster the shift from teacher driven instruction to student inquiry based learning. Finally, the language arts program helps students to shed the compartmentalized perception they have of education and see how the skills they have learned can be integrated into any and all programs they may encounter in the future.
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Our Journey. Our Story. Our Odyssey...
David and Alyssa Portny
Kimberly Woody, Tiffany and Vincent Briganti
Steve and Michelle Hayes
Benefit Chair Sonia Sandhu, Committee Members Meghann Smith (L) and Sharon French (center)
Alumni Speaker Maggie Evans (center), her grandparents Charles and Ida Lee (left), her sister Sarah Evans, and her mother Dana Lee (right)
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Lisa Miller, Dana Fields, and Dr. Lydia Soifer
2018 Annual Benefit
Benefit Chair Sonia Sandhu and Dr. Castro
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n March 3, we celebrated “Our Journey, Our Story, Our Odyssey” – a fitting theme for all of us at Eagle Hill. Discovering learning differences in our children and having to search for the best place for them to thrive is an emotional journey and one that tests the resolve of the strongest parents. Eagle Hill has not only been a wonderful learning environment for my daughter Rani, but it has also been an environment that has allowed me to grow as a parent in this community. I know you all have had odysseys much like mine. Some of my closest friendships were made here at Eagle Hill where parents feel comfortable sharing their stories in a supportive community.
Roxanne Vanderbilt, Cliff Lanier, and Dr. Castro
This incredible evening simply wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication that our committee chairs and volunteers have brought to the creation of this event—my heartfelt appreciation to you all. We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the teachers, administration, and staff - without whom Eagle Hill simply could not exist. Your generosity and devotion to providing the best possible education to our children is what makes our community truly special.
Thasunda and Richard Duckett
Thanks to the generous contributions at this year’s Benefit, Eagle Hill School can continue to bloom with the expertise, tools, and services that make this school an ideal place for our children! I look forward to watching their journey! With thanks to all, Sonia Kaur Sandhu 2018 Benefit Chair
Son Sup ia and R per and ani at Bing Sund o 20 ay 18
Patty and Jeff Murphy SPRING 2018 . 12
Eagle Hill is, by definition, a transitional school. After students graduate–whether they are here for two years, nine years, or somewhere in between–they are ready to begin the next chapter in their academic story. For many families at Eagle Hill, the journey to find the best learning environment for their child starts long before their child is enrolled at Eagle Hill, and rarely does that journey follow a straight linear route. Just as each student here at EHS learns differently, each family has followed a different path that led them to Eagle Hill School. Eagle Hill News would like to thank the Stein and MacNaughton families for sharing their stories... 13
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Our Stories
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The MacNaughton’s Story
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tuart MacNaughton struggled academically at his local public school for kindergarten and first grade. In those two years, he hadn’t learned to read, struggled with basic math concepts, and had poor working memory. He found it difficult to follow a teacher’s lesson plan, and found many of the assignments overwhelming. Writing, in particular, was a challenge for Stuart. After being diagnosed with brain cancer as a toddler, Stuart experienced significant nerve damage that affected his vision which forced him to adapt and become left-handed. Despite the school’s best efforts to provide the support he needed - Stuart was pulled out of class multiple times a day for one-on-one academic intervention – his academic growth was slow. Stuart’s parents, Dana and Robert, could see the emotional toll the lack of academic progress was having on their son. “He was acutely aware how easily reading came to his classmates,” Dana recalled. “He dreaded going to school each day and homework took hours and often ended in tears.” Even getting pulled out of class, which was supposed to be academically beneficial, was impacting Stuart negatively, as it disrupted the normal classroom routine. “At seven years old, Stuart felt self-conscious, defeated, and had no confidence. We knew we had to make a change.” For the MacNaughtons, Eagle Hill School seemed like a perfect fit for their son. “Eagle Hill appealed to us immediately because it seemed like every student struggled with similar issues as Stuart – having dyslexia or poor working memory was the norm, not the exception,” Dana explained. “We knew that he needed a supportive and nurturing environment in which the teacher-student
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The Stein’s Story
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eff and Julie Stein have two children - Ryder, 12, is a current Eagle Hill student, who started in January 2017. Karly, now 15, graduated in June 2017. The two siblings have different learning challenges, and very different personalities. “Karly has a very charismatic, bubbly, and extroverted personality,” Julie said. “She can often come across as overly confident – but this is a learned defense mechanism to compensate for her anxiety and learning differences.” Ryder, on the other hand, “has a much quieter, laid back, and reserved personality.” For both Karly and Ryder Stein, their local public school “made learning nearly impossible.” Karly struggled academically during elementary school. “She was always described by her teachers as chatty and as being easily distracted. She would do just about anything to avoid finishing her school work.” As time progressed, Karly’s personality seemed to shift. She was anxious about going to school – where she was being teased – and seemed less social. Jeff and Julie had a feeling that the change in mood and in Karly’s behavior at school was about more than just not wanting to do the work, and they were right. After testing, Karly was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety. “By the middle of fifth grade, we knew we needed to find a different environment for her,” Julie explained. “We heard about Eagle Hill from friends in our community who knew of the school and raved about the program.” Karly was accepted into Eagle Hill and started in September 2014. Ryder had an equally challenging first few years. At 14 months old, Ryder was diagnosed with severe airborne food allergies, making day-to-day outings problematic and dangerous. By age two-and-a-half, he was diagnosed with an
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THE MACNAUGHTON’S STORY CONTINUED
“ The faculty’s level of commitment and depth of experience is unmatched, and there is a level of trust that’s forged between the students, teachers, and families that is truly special. Each child is challenged and carefully nurtured, and they will leave Eagle Hill with the skills and self-confidence that will help them succeed wherever they go.” ratio would allow for individualized attention and instruction. Eagle Hill ticked every box.” Stuart enrolled at Eagle Hill for September 2014, entering into the Lower School. It was immediately clear to Dana, Robert, and Stuart that Eagle Hill was the right school for their family. “That first fall, I distinctly remember speaking with a few other moms and breaking down into tears. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off our shoulders and that Stuart was in the right place.” Dana and Robert found that, just a few weeks into starting at Eagle Hill, there was no fighting about going to school in the morning or crying when it was time to do homework. The academic team at Eagle Hill had figured out and implemented the strategies Stuart needed to succeed as a student. Assignments were broken down into several steps, and checklists were created so that Stuart could track as each step was completed, allowing him to work at his own pace, instead of trying to keep up with the class of 25 at public school. In class, Stuart needed verbal and visual prompts, and he was encouraged to speak up if he didn’t understand an assignment. “Repetition, organization, consistency, and motivation are key,” Dana explained. Dana and Robert could see the progress Stuart was making, and so could Stuart. He was proud of his work and, by the end of his first year, he was overheard (“on several occasions”!) letting his friends and family know how much he loved Eagle Hill. Since then, the MacNaughtons have continued to see Stuart’s confidence grow. Despite his challenges with writing, it’s now his favorite class at school. Despite not considering himself “sporty”, Stuart has thrived in Mr. Hanrahan’s motor training class, and is even on the Wrestling Team this school year. A far cry from the student who dreaded going to school every morning, Dana said: “Stuart is thriving at EHS! He’s making great progress academically, he’s made tons of friends, and he is confident. I would say that sending him to Eagle Hill was the best decision we could have made for him.”
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THE STEIN’S STORY CONTINUED
anxiety disorder due to his allergies. For Ryder, the outside world had become a dangerous place. At preschool, Ryder was often too scared to enter the classroom, and was assigned a Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT), who was with him at all times. In those early school years, “the focus for Ryder was getting him less anxious and comfortable being in a classroom setting and in the presence of peers, as opposed to the pre-academic and academic content being taught,” Julie said. “Therefore, academically speaking, Ryder has always been behind the eight ball.” Though Ryder continued to receive individualized support in elementary school, each year became more and more challenging, and he fell further and further behind, despite having what the school considered to be an appropriate IEP. His easy-going, reserved personality meant he was well-behaved in class, but Ryder was often “unable to focus…and, rather than be disruptive, he would just stay quiet, shut down, and tune out what the teachers were saying.” Jeff and Julie had Ryder undergo a full private psycho-educational evaluation. The results found that he had ADHD, anxiety, and dyslexia. Julie and Jeff immediately started making calls to Eagle Hill, where Karly had already been a student for two years. Unsure if Ryder would be able to start mid-year, Julie and Jeff anxiously waited for a call from Tom Cone, Director of Admissions and Placement. There were two available openings, although it wasn’t immediately clear that Ryder ‘fit’ either spot. “It wasn’t just about accepting Ryder and putting him in a classroom. EHS had to consider all the current students, their classroom makeup, and Ryder’s individualized profile to ensure not just a placement, but the appropriate placement for all involved,” Julie explained. When the call accepting Ryder into the Lower School came,
the relief was immense. “I hung up the phone and sobbed from happiness and gratitude,” Julie recalled. After only three days at Eagle Hill, Ryder thanked Julie for “sending me somewhere where I can learn. I’m really not stupid!” For the next six months, Ryder and Karly attended Eagle Hill together. Though this may have been a problem for some siblings, that wasn’t the case for the Steins. “Having Karly and Ryder overlap was priceless for both of them. Karly truly looked after Ryder, introduced him to all her teachers, and always kept an eye out for him. Karly is much of the reason that Ryder’s mid-year transition went as smoothly as it did.” For the first time, Karly and Ryder were at a school where they felt valued by their teachers and peers and felt capable academically. Being in the appropriate academic environment had other benefits too, as the Steins saw Karly and Ryder develop increased self-esteem, a desire to take risks, and generally become happier children. Both Karly and Ryder found success at Eagle Hill in and out of the classroom - joining the Field Hockey and Ice Hockey teams, respectively. Julie became increasingly active by volunteering for the Parents Association, eventually joining the Executive Board. “I’m in awe of how dedicated the PA is to providing unique and meaningful opportunities for our students and their families,” Julie told Eagle Hill News. “I’m honored to be a part of it.” According to the Steins, Karly’s, and then Ryder’s, acceptance to Eagle Hill changed their lives. “If you have a child with LD, sending your child to Eagle Hill is unequivocally the best gift you can give him or her. The Eagle Hill experience is lifechanging – not only for the child – but for the family as well.”
“When graduation was approaching, I went through a series of mixed emotions. On one hand, I felt fully prepared and excited to start high school, but, on the other hand, I was nervous to leave somewhere I felt so safe and happy. My three years at EHS taught me strategies for in and out of the classroom, as well as ways to cope with my anxiety. EHS showed me how strong and capable I am. After leaving EHS I now feel confident in my ability to be successful in and out of the classroom. If I could give one piece of advice to graduating students, I would tell them to take advantage of this amazing place while you can.” – Karly Stein, Class of 2017.
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Seeing Yourself in Literature – and Life By Ann Chase-Karel, EHS Library Director
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TORIES ARE POWERFUL. They teach, entertain, and inspire. Before families had easy access to books, stories were a way to instruct youngsters and pass
on values. When the tortoise wins the race in “The Tortoise and the Hare,� the message that hard work and persistence are cherished traits is clear. When Anansi the spider gets into trouble children always laugh, but understand that his behavior is unacceptable. (continued)
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Some of our Students’ Favorite Books PICTURE BOOKS In those ways, and others, stories can play a useful part in the emotional development of your child. “Through folktales, a child can encounter danger, overcome obstacles, and share adventures…all at a safe distance,” says author Margaret Read McDonald in The Parent’s Guide to Storytelling. “Psychologists suggest that such stories help children gain confidence in their own ability to handle frightening and difficult situations because they provide models for encountering and overcoming adversity.”
Thank You, Mr Falker and Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco When Patricia Polacco came to visit EHS, she had almost everyone – teachers and students alike – in tears as she described her struggles growing up with dyslexia. Both of these books discuss those challenges, and the teachers who changed her life.
SERIES BOOKS
The Here’s Hank and Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Henry Winkler, better known to fans of the TV show Happy Days as “The Fonz”, struggled with dyslexia growing up. (His three children also have learning disabilities.) He wanted to provide students with a “hero” who has dyslexia, so he has co-authored two books series, both of which feature main characters with dyslexia. The type in the “Here’s Hank” series uses the Dyslexie font, which is designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia. This website will give you more information: https://www.dyslexiefont.com/. 21
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Information told in a story sticks in your mind more easily than dry facts. Many of our teachers (even in Upper School) introduce a new unit by reading a picture book: this sets a tone and creates momentum for information to come. Stories also stretch the imagination and build vocabulary. Sometimes reading is a great escape. On a dark winter night, there is no better way to forget the cold than to fall into a delicious mystery or an adventure set on a tropical island. (Can you feel your toes in the sand?) But other times we want to see ourselves in the books we read. Stories are important ways to try things on, figure things out, or dream about possibilities. Eagle Hill students, in particular, want to know how other kids face teasing on the playground or feeling like they can’t keep up socially or academically with younger siblings. They want to read about worries that they can’t verbalize, or just don’t want to talk about with anyone – yet. They want to know that someone else feels like they do, and that they’re not alone in the world. Over and over I hear, “I want to read about a kid like me.” We have a large selection of books about students who face all types of learning, medical, and behavioral challenges As the Librarian, I work hard to select books that reflect and honor the range of experiences that our students have. Very often, students come to our school having had bad experiences with books and reading. In September I often hear, “I hate reading!” or “You’ll never find a book I like!” Very often that just means, “I’ve been embarrassed in front of my classmates, time after time,” or “I don’t want to read ‘baby’ books.” I always tread carefully and work closely with the tutorial teacher to try to lure the student to print. Over the years, we have built a collection full of high-interest, low-reading-level books, short
CHAPTER BOOKS books full of action and adventure, graphic novels of all levels, and non-fiction such as Weird but True and Guinness Book of World Records that students can pore over, picking out words they know, and gleaning information from the colorful photos and drawings. All of these are books that “speak” to kids that “hate” to read. We also have many audiobooks, for students that prefer those.
Over and over I hear, “I want to read about a kid like me.” I also carefully choose authors and illustrators who have struggled in some way to visit and talk to our students. Lauren Tarshis, who came to Eagle Hill in December this year, didn’t finish reading her first book until she was in high school. She is now the author of 16 books in the wildly popular “I Survived” series (and others). She never could have imagined herself as a writer and editor when she was a student. What a great role model: a struggling student who now finds joy in researching and writing the kinds of books she would have liked to read. Other author/illustrators who have visited Eagle Hill include Brian Pinkney, who is still so ADHD that he has two desks in his office so he can roll his chair back and forth between them. Janet Tashjian’s son has Asperger’s syndrome, and learned vocabulary words by drawing pictures on index cards. Undeterred by his challenges, he and his mom turned those stacks of cards into the “My Life As A…” series. (My Life as a Youtuber will be published in April, and I have a long list of students who can’t wait to read it!) And, of course, Patricia Polacco is well-known for the challenges she faced growing up with dyslexia. My hope is that by meeting these authors/illustrators and hearing how they overcame their significant challenges will be inspiring, and will reinforce for our students that they have many options that they might not be able to imagine right now. These authors – and many others – tell important stories that will help our children figure out their place in the world and dream about what’s to come.
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mulally Hunt Ally, who moves a lot, has been able to hide her learning disability from teachers by being the class clown. Finally, she lands in a class where her teacher understands her and other students are struggling, too. This book captures what having a learning disability feels like.
Rules by Cynthia Lord Catherine’s brother has autism, and family life revolves around him. She struggles with her conflicting feelings of loving him, but also being embarrassed by him. Meeting some new friends gives her a new perspective. Everyone can relate to the themes of feeling different and wanting acceptance.
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Alumni PROFILES
Ashley Mudge ‘97
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agle Hill News caught up with Ashley Mudge, a former student and teacher at EHS who is now the owner of a gift boutique called Because I Like U. After three years of having a store in Lancaster, PA, Ashley is moving to New Jersey and continuing her business online – www.becauseilikeu.com
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO EAGLE HILL? I was having a difficult time learning to read. At my prior school, I was often pulled out of class to work on my reading skills, but the process wasn’t clicking. My parents decided that I should visit EHS for the day, and my mom still remembers to this day that when I got into the car, I said, “Mom, I have to go to this place, there are kids just like me here.” I felt like EHS was a place where I was comfortable and that I could be successful. WHAT DID YOU LEARN AT EAGLE HILL THAT HELPED YOU MANAGE YOUR LEARNING DIFFERENCES? I learned that it is okay to make mistakes, and everything isn’t going to be perfect, and that’s okay. Also, study skills was one of the most helpful classes that I took during my time at EHS. All through high school and even in college, I used the different tools and organizational skills, which EHS taught me. BEYOND ACADEMICS, WHAT DID YOU DO OR TRY AT EAGLE HILL THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE AT ANOTHER SCHOOL? During my time at EHS, I played soccer and basketball. I continued to play both sports all throughout high school. I loved playing on the JJV soccer team at EHS, and if it wasn’t for those earlier years on that team, I don’t think I would have tried out for a variety sport in high school. On the JJV team I learned to enjoy the sport, made great friendships with my teammates and coaches, and learned a number of important skills. I also participated in the Eagle Hill talent show, which is something very much outside of my comfort zone, but because I felt supported by the community, I was able to get on that stage with my friends. TELL US ABOUT YOUR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AFTER EAGLE HILL. After Eagle Hill, I attended Rumsey Hall, a junior boarding school in Washington Depot, Connecticut, for eighth and ninth grade. Rumsey Hall was a great transition school before 23
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Ashley and her family
I went to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where I received my high school diploma. After high school, I thought that I would go to a smaller liberal arts school in New England, but I attended American University in Washington D.C., where I majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education. Seven years later, I would attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, when I decided to make a career change. Lastly, in 2014, I attended the Start-Up Institute in Jackson, Wyoming. The Start-Up Institute, an intensive entrepreneurship program, is designed
It is so rewarding to persevere and accomplish something you didn’t think you could! to provide students with proven tools, frameworks, and hands-on experiential, practical courses dedicated to working on and launching your own business idea. AND YOU CAME BACK AND TAUGHT AT EAGLE HILL, RIGHT? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? I came back to EHS to start my teaching career because I wanted to learn from the best, and again, felt like it was a place where I could be successful. I was able to have amazing people like Maureen Dumser, Abby Hanrahan, Dave Sylvestro, Maria DiPalma, Liza Jarombek, and Jenn Harkins be my mentors. It was also amazing to be on the other side and to
A Visit from Henry Zuckerberg ‘13
Ashley at her store Because I like U
help students who were struggling to find success in school. I could easily relate to my students, as I had gone through similar struggles. TELL US ABOUT YOU NOW - WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LANCASTER? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN A SHOP? I moved to Lancaster to be closer to my sister, brother-in-law, and two nieces. It also felt like a good fit for my business, Because I Like U, a gift boutique to find unique gifts. Because I Like U began when I would go into stores and I would be uninspired. I started the business by writing a blog about different gift ideas. There were more and more people who wanted to buy the items that I was sharing. After gaining a following, I started my own online store and taking part in a few trade shows. I had a great response and started looking for a brick and mortar location. It has always been a dream of mine to have a store, and I have learned so much owning my own business. ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR CURRENT EAGLE HILL STUDENTS? Never give up. There have been many times in my life when I thought I wouldn’t be able to do something and wanted to give up, but I was able to persevere and it is so rewarding to accomplish something you didn’t think you were going to be able to. Lastly, don’t let your disability define who you are - it is only one part of who you are. As a kid, I focused on my disability, but as an adult, I don’t think about it much and when I do I think it makes me special.
L to R: US Teacher Alex Connolly, EHS Alum Henry Zuckerberg, Director of Admissions and Placement Tom Cone, Henry’s Mom Charlotte Triefus, and Co-Director of Admissions and Placement Brian Dayton
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or many students, knowing that graduation is approaching is an exciting, but nerve-wracking time. To put this year’s upcoming graduates at ease, they got some advice from someone who had been in their shoes before. Henry Zuckerberg graduated from Eagle Hill in 2013 and, after studying in London during the fall of 2017, is now a freshman at Hamilton College. Looking back at his own graduation from Eagle Hill, Henry shared that he was both nervous and excited to be moving on to a new school, and that it was the skills he learned at Eagle Hill that allowed him to be successful in high school. That’s not to say that there he didn’t struggle at all as a student. Henry explained that it took him longer to read books than many of his high school classmates, and that he often took advantage of the resource center at school. “You’re going to have to fall back on what you learned here – skills like note-taking, tracking the speaker, and self-advocating,” Henry told the Upper School students. Using those skills, Henry explained, brought him from “a place of doubt to a place of confidence.”
Eagle Hill opened the world to me...
For Henry, success in school began when he learned to accept himself and his learning challenges and learning style. He encouraged our current students to do the same as they embark on the next step in their academic journey. SPRING 2018 . 24
Alumni PROFILES
Rita Dattero ‘11
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ur daughter, Rita, was diagnosed with dyslexia in the first grade. She still recalls taking a reading test, with her palms sweating and face turning red, looking around the room wondering if her classmates could see that she didn’t know what to do. We wanted her to feel successful, not broken, and therefore made the decision to bite the bullet and apply to Eagle Hill for second grade. We now know that it was the best decision we could have made for her. She attended Eagle Hill for four years, beginning in 2007, and returned to our public school for sixth grade. Certainly, the transition back was difficult, but the combination of her newly developed learning skills, IEP accommodations, and consistent tutoring made it possible. However, what truly propelled Rita forward was the confidence and tenacity that she gained at Eagle Hill. Eagle Hill taught her to advocate for herself and, when she was emotionally
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ready, she did just that. Rita took ownership of her own education. She began to seek the resources available to her at school, such as extra help sessions, and finally accepted that though she had to work harder than everyone else, she was just as capable. Rita is a senior in high school now. We are happy to say that she exceeded our expectations during the college application process. She earned good scores on the ACT. Most notable is that she scored in the top 5% of all ACT test-takers for reading. We strongly believe that this is because Eagle Hill taught her how to read in a way that made sense to her. Rita will be attending Providence College in the fall and was even awarded a leadership scholarship. She will be majoring in special education. We will forever be grateful to Eagle Hill’s teachers for the strong foundation that they provided our daughter. They gave Rita the academic and emotional tools to learn successfully. —Enza & John Dattero
EAGLE HILL SCHOOL SUMMER 2018
Make this summer the one that changes their lives.
SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAM FOR AGES 5-14
SUMMER AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES PROGRAM FOR AGES 5-14
Monday to Friday, July 2-27, 2018 8 a.m.-1 p.m. | No class on July 4
Monday to Friday, July 2–27, 2018 1-3:30 p.m. | No class on July 4
This program immerses children in an environment specifically tailored to meet their academic needs.
A fun midday program with beach outings, games, field trips, music, and more!
APPLY NOW! eaglehillschool.org/summer-program EAGLE HILL ALSO OFFERS TWO INTERNATIONAL SUMMER ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. In addition to our program in LONDON, returning for a fourth summer, we are proud to announce the introduction of a program in SINGAPORE in partnership with the Singapore American School. To learn more about our international presence, go to: www.eaglehillschool.org/international-programs
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