Inspire Spring 2013 Vol. 4 Issue 2

THE EASTSIDE PREPARATORY SCHOOL MAGAZINE: SPRING 2013 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 2

...Students to Create a Better World

Integration

EASTSIDE PREP MAGAZINE STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Vickie Baldwin

MANAGING EDITOR

Tina Hadden

GRAPHIC DESIGNER and LAYOUT EDITOR

Josh Huisenga

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Amis Balcomb, Vickie Baldwin, Daria Brandt, Roberta Christensen, Michael Connelly, Jennifer Cross, Paul David, Lauren Formo, Kelly Fox, Bekah Friedberg, Paul Hagen, Amy Hallman, Barbie Hull, Matthew Kruse, Elin Kuffner, Lifetouch, Jane Lin, Cascade Lineback, Marnie Manning, Katia Nalimova, Kirsten Pike, Ana Safavi COPY EDITORS

Laurie Benaloh, Lauren Formo, Allison Luhrs, Karen Mills, Dr. Elena Olsen WEB EDITORS

Jonathan Briggs, Jennifer Cross

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM HEAD OF SCHOOL

Terry Macaluso, PhD DEAN OF STUDENTS

Jeff Adair

DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Vickie Baldwin

Director of Athletics

Doug Blair, JD

CHIEF OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

Andrew Boyd, CPA

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

Jonathan Briggs

ACADEMIC DEAN

Matt Delaney

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION

Lauren Formo

UPPER SCHOOL HEAD

Bart Gummere

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Kelly Moore, PhD

MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

Sam Uzwack

2012-2013 BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS PRESIDENT

Rob Short

SECRETARY

Stacy Graven TREASURER

Sasha Press

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Byron Bishop

Read EASTSIDE PREP MAGAZINE ONLINE

www.eastsideprep.org/epsmag

CONTACT EASTSIDE PREP MAGAZINE

magazine@eastsideprep.org

EASTSIDE PREP MAGAZINE is published two times a year by Eastside Preparatory School. It is mailed to all current families, employees and donors. To remove or change your mailing address, to submit a letter to the editor, to suggest a topic for an article, or to submit text or photographs for AlumNotes, contact magazine@eastsideprep.org.

© Copyright 2013, Eastside Preparatory School

I

n addition to focusing on integration, this issue of Inspire is a bit of an amalgamation, itself. From College Counseling to Flamenco—this issue has it all!

Integration is our mantra at EPS. We think about it. We talk about it. We practice it. It’s one of the things that makes teaching and learning at EPS engaging—and a little unpredictable. It’s engaging because every integration is a discovery; and it’s unpredictable because every integration produces a different result. Throughout this issue you’ll read quotations from students reflecting on their experiences as well as articles written by educators who spend time thinking about how best to help students achieve deep understanding through integration.

One component of integration that we don’t talk about frequently is the kind of integration that takes place outside the classroom.

Throughout this issue you’ll learn about activities and events that transport EPS students to places and situations that call on them to do their own integrating. For more on this topic, look at the article on Education Beyond the Classroom, written by Jeff Adair, who leads that program.

In a different form of education that takes place outside the conventional classroom, pay attention to the piece on the new Community

Respect Forum. Visiting speakers provide perspectives and provocations that invite students to think broadly about issues that impact them, personally.

One major “integration experience” at EPS is the college search.

Look on page 24 for information about the EPS College Counseling program, and about where our students are going. You’ll be impressed!

Finally, and sadly, we report the passing of Andrew Lewis, former trustee and parent of Peter Lewis, Class of 2012. Andrew will be missed by a great many of us who were his friends and admirers.

Terry Macaluso, PhD, Head of School

Contents

Luca and Sarah (both Class of 2020) plant a tree at Watershed Park during an EBC Service Learning Day.

Spring 2013 | Volume 4 | Issue 2 Contributors

4

The End of Control, and the Liberation of Knowledge

5

The Many Meanings of integration

8

“How do you see integration being displayed at Eastside Prep?”

9

Alumni Outreach

29

Lifers

30

Eagle Recognition

32

Student Government at EPS

33

EPS Student Mentoring Program

34

Crossword Clue

35

Drawing Connections to Deepen Understanding

11

Guess Whose Photos Winner

36

Education Beyond the Classroom

13

New Faces at EPS

37

Community Respect Forum

15

Strategic Plan

39

What’s on Your Bookshelf?

17

Trustee Profiles

40

EPS Events

18

Board of Trustees Breakfast

41

The Hundred Dresses: A F&PA integration

20

EPSummer

42

Course Highlights: New Electives

23

Upcoming Events

44

College Counseling at Eastside Prep

24

in Memoriam: Andrew Lewis

46

Alumni Update

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Contributors Jeff Adair joined Eastside Prep in the fall of 2004, and quickly became a presence across many academic disciplines.

He currently serves as the Dean of Students and teaches history.

Vickie Baldwin joined Eastside Prep as the Director of Institutional Advancement in 2011. Vickie also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Inspire and is the liaison to the Parent Association.

Akshay Chalana is a current EPS student and a member of the Class of 2015. In this issue of Inspire, Akshay shares insight into Student Government.

Roberta Christensen joined Eastside Prep in March of 2012. She teaches Upper and Middle School students in public speaking and Stagecraft classes, among others. Roberta also manages the Commons Theatre.

Matt Delaney joined the faculty of Eastside Prep in August of 2007. He spent the previous seven years teaching history, political science, English and media studies. Matt presently teaches history and social sciences in the Upper School in addition to being the Academic Dean and a College Counselor.

Becca Fine is a member of Eastside Prep's first graduating class. She will be graduating from Dickinson College this year with a major in Political Science and a double minor in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Becca shares about a recent alumni event as well as providing updates of other EPS alumni in this issue of Inspire.

Wendy Lawrence was one of the four founding faculty at Eastside Prep.

She started as a science teacher and three years later she became the head of the Middle School. Wendy recently

moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, but is still very much connected to Eastside Prep. Wendy blogs at TheFamilyThatReadsTogether.com.

Dr. Terry Macaluso has been a division head and a head of school in four independent day schools, including Lakeside School in Seattle, over a 35-year career. In 2002, she guided the Founding Board of Trustees from the earliest discussions about EPS. Terry has been Eastside Prep's Head of School since spring, 2004.

Dr. Kelly Moore joined Eastside Prep in 2009 as the school’s Director of Counseling and Learning Resources.

She has worked with adolescents and families for almost 20 years in schools, in-patient psychiatric hospitals, and most recently in private practice. Kelly is currently Eastside Prep’s Director of Student Support Services.

Dr. Elena Olsen joined EPS after nine years of teaching at the University of Washington. At Eastside Prep, Elena teaches Upper School English and is part of the College Counseling team.

Ana Safavi joined Eastside Prep in 2008 and is EPS’s Student Life Coordinator. In her role, she coordinates all of the school’s community events including our spring all-school event, Continuation and Graduation. Ana also works extensively with our Dean of Students in planning assemblies, Fall Overnights, EBC Week, socials and all other student activities.

Andy Slater joined the Eastside Prep faculty as a science teacher in 2012.

Prior to beginning his teaching career, Andy worked as an analytical chemist in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries for 11 years.

The End of Control, and the Liberation of Knowledge

By Terry Macaluso, PhD, Head of School

I

n the 13 th century, when Bologna, Paris and Oxford were the original hosts for what would later become “the university,” the academic disciplines were organized to reflect the ancient order of knowledge. The trivium—grammar, rhetoric and dialectical reasoning— and the quadrivium—music, astronomy, geometry and arithmetic—composed the knowledge there was to master. Mastery was the objective, and life in the medieval university was designed around the academic day.

“Masters taught in two ways: the lectio (reading) when they read aloud and painstakingly explained an authoritative text while the students listened passively, and the disputatio (oral disputation), in which students themselves played an active role in debate. During the high scholastic period (1250 – 1350), scholasticism expanded beyond theology into many other fields. Its ultimate aim was to produce a systematic body of knowledge in every important arena of intellectual enquiry.”

- Janin Hunt, The University in Medieval Life, 1179 – 1499, McFarland and Company, (2008).

A representation of The University of Paris in the 13th Century

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The intent, then, was to create a system for organizing knowledge.

And one had to go to the university to get it. Time was spent in classrooms listening to lectures, and memorizing them. One literally absorbed the words of the Master, and was himself considered a Master when he could deliver that same lecture without aid.

The learner was a human recorder.

There was no other way to transmit knowledge—apart from acquiring individually created, hand copied texts, which took months and years to complete. The academic disciplines were absolute, and everything of import emanated from them. Areas of interest and import, such as theology and law, followed the same rules of order inherent in the fundamental categories of knowledge.

Mr. Adair holds class outdoors.

“The greatest virtue of the medieval scholastic system was that it stabilized and systematized knowledge of theology and law, which were the subjects of greatest importance for the creation of a fairly orderly and basically hopeful society. …The role of the schools was fundamental to their whole effort since they produced the systematic body of doctrine on which a way of life and a body of works of piety and devotion, and of imaginative force, were created which can never lose their power to attract, however much they may lose their power to convince.”

– R.W. Southern, Scholastic Humanism and the Unification of Europe: The Heroic Age, Wiley-Blackwell; Volume II (2001).

“Stability and systemization” were said to be “necessary for an orderly and hopeful society.” Why? How does that notion fit with our own society and time? Or does it?

In the 13th century, knowledge was available to the men (usually second and third sons who were not favored by the practice of primogeniture) who were fluent in Latin and had wealth adequate to sustain a life of intellectual pursuit. The social hierarchy of the time depended on the cooperative fulfillment of specific 6

roles, i.e., farmers farmed, nobles ruled, and the church was the repository for all knowledge. There was—in a word—control. Everything was controlled. The entire social order was a masterpiece of manipulation.

Fast forward 700 years. A few things have changed. For example, control has a very different meaning in our society than it did 700 years ago. It’s not so much that the medieval period had a better plan for managing society; there just wasn’t a way for anyone who was NOT part of

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

the church’s organizational structure to have access to information. The church “owned” information—in much the same way that schools and universities have been thought to be the repositories of knowledge in our own time. One might even make the case that every society that’s ever been controlled throughout human history has become so as a consequence of limiting access to information.

Knowledge is power.

Knowledge is still power. The difference in our social hierarchy today is that knowledge isn’t controlled or owned by anyone—not the monarch, not the church, and—most definitely—not the university.

What’s a school for if you don’t have to go there to get information?

What if everything you need to know is available to you without assistance from another person? How should the experience of schooling change as a result of this liberation?

Disciplines are organizing principles. We still like to categorize information in disciplines because

it’s easier to describe what we know and know how to do. A teacher of physics has a particular place in a school program—but all that means is that the school has someone who has studied physics. That same person could, as easily, be a poet, or a musician. The discipline no longer defines the individual—it only characterizes an area of expertise. That expertise in the hands and hearts of curious and cooperative faculty leads, naturally, to what we now refer to as integrative programming. Good integrative curricula are the natural by-product of genuinely curious teachers who regard their roles as learners—alongside their students.

“Integration” became a popular topic about a decade ago or more, and like many popular topics, schools jumped on it. Mission statements everywhere were revised to include the words, “interdisciplinary or integration” as indicators of progressive pedagogy. But then in many schools quick to pick up the language… nothing happened. Integration is not an easy strategy to adopt.

In order to integrate across disciplines, the teacher has to do a few

What’s a school for if you don’t have to go there to get information?

What if everything you need to know is available to you without assistance from another person? How should the experience of schooling change as a result of this liberation? things not traditionally associated with teaching: 1. S/he has to talk to teachers in other disciplines—people who know things s/he doesn’t.

2. S/he has to listen to other teachers in other disciplines—people who think about teaching differently from the way s/he does.

3. S/he has to give up control in the classroom in order to be open to an integrated method.

There it is again—control.

In the 13th century, the church lost control. In the 21st century we just have to understand that we do not have control—over information or ideas or learning. We don’t control what our students read. We don’t control what they think or imagine. We

Guest instructor Blake Cisneros gives a drum lesson to 8th-grade students during their annual Nigerian Festival which accompanies a Literary Thinking unit on Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, and a Historical Thinking unit on colonialism in Africa.

don’t control what they watch on any of many screens—or what they listen to. We learn with them. The teacher’s advantage is that s/he has been “at it” for a while longer than the student. The teacher has acquired more language, more connections, more practice at asking questions.

That’s what integration is. It’s the liberation of knowledge—and of the teacher. It’s the end of control … and the beginning of learning. But even more importantly, integration of disciplines and a transition to a more topic-focused method of organizing knowledge liberates the student.

The tools are now in the hands of the students. They can acquire any information they care to pursue. In fact, there’s no real need to partner with a teacher… unless, of course, one is interested in turning all that information into knowledge. 

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The Many Meanings of Integration

By Wendy Lawrence, Founding Faculty (with help from some

friends in various industries, as well as Wikipedia, The Economist, brainyquotes.com, and Ms. Behrmann’s Advanced Calculus class)

T

he English noun integration comes from the French intégration which is from the Latin integrationem meaning renewal or restoration. That noun comes from the Latin verb integrare (to make whole) which comes from the noun integer (whole). At some point in the late 1500's, the English word integer started to mean “whole number,” instead of just “whole” like its Latin counterpart.

Integration

in·te·gra·tion /‚inti’grāSHәn/ 1. The act of making something whole.

2. To join with something else; unite.

To make part of a larger unit.

Integer is made from the Latin roots in- (not) and tangere (touch). As in “not touched,” “untouched,” “unchanged,” “fresh,” “whole,” “pure.” So, according to etymology, Eastside Prep is engaged in the pursuit of knowledge in its most pure, untouched form. How cool is that?

But we are talking about integration, right? The Latin root -ate means to make. And -tion means “the act of.” Integrate thus means to make something whole and the noun, integration would be the act of making something whole. 

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nge a r o the ut this r o f Look througho for et RE k I c P a S r b of IN s f t o e issue onal nugg i . addit tegration in

Natalie, Class of 2019 "In Literary Thinking and history, we are studying the Greeks. For a materials project, we are splitting the work between Environmental Practices, science (ST1), and history (HT1). Eastside Prep is AWESOME!!!!!!!"

Kieran, Class of 2014 "I notice quite a lot of integration between classes. We have learned about ancestry in both American History and Biology. In history, your ancestry can determine your social class level. In Biology, we learned about how our ancestry makes us and other people who we are."

Nathan, Class of 2017 "I see integration between Historical Thinking 3 and Literary Thinking 3. In both classes, we have been studying African culture (specifically Nigerian culture), and we have actually combined both classes into one large period for additional time. I have also seen integration between religion in history and literature, as we learned about eastern philosophy through multiple mediums in both classes."

“How do you see integration being displayed at Eastside Prep?”

We asked EPS students of all ages to describe for us how they have seen integration displayed at Eastside Prep. Here are a few of their responses.

Jill, Class of 2015 "We did an integrated paper for Renaissance History and Shakespeare classes, where we wrote a letter from Machiavelli (who we studied in Renaissance) to King Henry (who we read about in Shakespeare)."

Piper, Class of 2020 "In science, we combined art with science, to make comics about imaginary animals. We used our science skills and art skills."

Conrad, Class of 2013 "I routinely see integration between English and history classes, as well as between math and science classes. My Spanish teachers frequently design projects to integrate with other classes. I have also observed student-initiated integration. A student in my Mythology in Film class made a connection to an English class, and topics covered in various English and history classes commonly appear in my Advanced Spanish: Literature class. I myself did my final presentation for last trimester’s philosophy class on connections between existentialism and formal logic."

Alexander, Class of 2018 "I am currently working on a project that integrates Literary Thinking, Historical Thinking, and Information Literacy. The project is a research (Information Literacy) paper (Literary Thinking) on a topic that relates to the history of America (Historical Thinking)."

Teis, Class of 2016 "History and literature are integrated, but they do come in pairs so that should be expected. There’s some integration between physics and math, both algebra and geometry, like when we did work with parabolas to model the motion of objects through the air."

Peter, Class of 2019 "On the materials project, we had to study about our materials in the historical aspect, but we also had to integrate the scientific aspect into our research."

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Izzi, Class of 2015 "Classes sharing topics and projects—in Renaissance History, we studied Machiavelli, and in Shakespeare, we read Henry IV Part 1. We then wrote a paper on what Machiavelli’s advice to King Henry IV would be, connecting the two topics and integrating history and literature, giving us a deeper understanding of both." 郑杰文 Jamin, Class of 2017 "In many cases, I see integration between history and literature. For example, in Literary Thinking we discussed ancient Chinese philosophies, Taoism in particular. In history at the same time, we started a book on Taoism, and studied the importance of the different Chinese philosophies in influencing ancient China."

Diane, Class of 2013 "My Advanced Biology class right now is doing a long research project and the documentary film class is filming us talking about our projects. Also, in my Statistics independent study I’m analyzing data for my science project.

In addition, Mr. Cruz came into our class today to talk about how to speak in front of a camera."

Emma, Class of 2018 "Integration has been displayed in several, smaller ways at EPS (such as a similar topic being discussed in two classes). One of the most prominent and most recent examples is the big research project that’s coming up. So far, it has spanned three classes (Information Literacy, Literary Thinking 2, and Historical Thinking 2)."

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Neha, Class of 2020 "Sometimes in English and History we use integration. For example, for our Explorer Projects the presenting part was English but the content was history. Also in Spanish sometimes we use song or acting to practice our words. This is an example of an integration between Spanish and the performing arts."

Conor, Class of 2020 "In English we discussed things that would be in geography, like when we were reading a book that took place in Africa, we talked about what the different places were and why they were there."

Katia, Class of 2014 "We have seen integration between American Literature and US History, when we were working on The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in American Literature and talking about Indian reservations and the Indian Removal Act in history."

Emma, Class of 2016 "One integration is the Stagecraft and art classes that work on providing the set and backdrops for the school play productions."

Sadie, Class of 2017 "In Literary Thinking we were reading Things Fall Apart and then in history we learned about Africa. So both English and history kind of tied in to each other. I like it when we learn about the same thing in two different classes. It makes it a lot easier to understand what we are learning about and to keep track with the work."

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

Drawing Connections to Deepen Understanding

by Matt Delaney, Academic Dean

A

s a high school junior I sat through an American History class that was heavy on fact and light on analysis and meaning. What passed for a history course was a steady march through historical minutiae from 1776 to the early 1970's (if my instructor could make it that far). The class was a mile wide in content and an inch deep in thinking. “Learning” consisted of what could be held in short-term memory and regurgitated on an exam (and then quickly forgotten). As a sixteen-year old, if I wanted to find any deeper meaning in the content or connect the content to my life, that had to be done on my own time.

In contrast to the traditional, long march of information that students are led through in many schools, in EPS classrooms we use critical thinking and relevance as starting points to drive content and help students establish lasting meaning. We know they learn best when the following conditions are present:

Mr. Delaney engages students in his 11th-grade United States History class.

• when students have an already established interest in a topic or skill; • when students are inspired by someone else’s interest in, passion for, or skill connected to a topic; • when students can relate a topic or skill to something they are already interested in or know well; • when students can see that a topic or skill is relevant to understanding the larger world beyond the walls of EPS.

Ms. Mills and Lauren ('18) at the Kirkland Library during a field trip for Information Literacy.

From grades five through twelve, we work to create and cultivate the previous conditions to find a middle ground between the mile of content and the inch of thinking. Teachers create classroom experiences and use materials that encourage students to make connections between their coursework, their passions and interests, relevant material in other courses, and the world outside EPS. The result is courses like our current American History offering (that follows the same chronological progression I trudged through years ago), where the goal is meaning not minutiae—meaning rooted in integrated understanding and fueled by inter-disciplinary teaching and learning.

Three Levels Of Integration We recognize that each EPS student is unique and interesting. From that basis we work to make sure that each of them is deeply interested: in their individual experiences, in their academic course work, and in the world around them.

Through integration they leverage these connections to deepen their understanding daily.

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What Integration Looks Like

Loren (‘15) and Connor (‘15) experiment in Chemistry.

Middle School: 7th Grade • Courses: Historical Thinking 2, Literary Thinking 2, Information Literacy • Project: Research Papers and EPS Avatari Most 7th graders do not rise in the morning and exclaim, “Today, I will do a research project, and therefore, today will be a good day!”

While a multi-step project that lasts eight weeks does not always inspire morning excitement, it is incredibly worthwhile. Work like this is difficult, requires a sustained effort,

Mr. Briggs' Avatari

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and asks students to see how many smaller steps build into the creation of a larger product—all skills they will use repeatedly during their academic and professional careers, and personal relationships.

Over the past three years, 7thgrade teachers involved in this project have developed a gaming system to engage students and to help each student visualize their own learning over time. In this integrated experience, students select their research topics based on their interests. Then, as they build different parts of their research projects, they gain points which they can use to build their own digital avatars (the EPS Avatari). Through this process they literally map their learning progression as their avatars develop, and by participating in gamelike scenarios, sustain their engagement. The more accessories that their avatars gain, the farther students have advanced in their research process.

Upper School: 11th Grade • Courses: American Literature, Biology, American History • Project: How Has Race Been Used Over Time?

This is the type of question that wasn’t asked in my high school American History course. EPS 11th graders in their American Literature, Biology, and U.S. History courses define the concept of race and investigate its relevance in the past, present, and future of American society. Students consider how race has contributed to the

{

Connor ('18) researches his project at the local library.

shape of history and literature, and how the term is relevant to modern science.

Initially, there is no formal link established between these three classes, with the term race referenced in different contexts in each class. Two to three weeks into the trimester we start to see student eyebrows raising, and whispers emerge, “Didn’t we talk about the difference between race and ethnicity in Biology class?”

As study becomes more focused, students construct multi-cultural autobiographies in which they reflect on the role of race in their own lives and how that contributes to how they think about themselves and others.

Discussions connect to the world beyond EPS as students think about demographic shifts in the Greater Seattle Area since the 1960’s, and discuss the rise of the Latino voting block in U.S. presidential politics. In Biology they wrestle with the unsettled science of DNA mapping and its ability to identify and/or predict race. 

If you are building a space ship, integration is a crucial part of ATLO (Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations) and involves integrating all of your subsystems and experiments into one phenomenally cool vehicle for space exploration.

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

Education Beyond the Classroom

By Jeff Adair, Dean of Students

W

hat MotIVatEs a studEnt oR anY of us toWaRd personal growth? according to daniel Pink, author of Drive: the Surprising Facts about What Motivates Us, it’s the presence of “autonomy, mastery, and purpose.” at EPs we know that students learn best when they are able to direct their own learning, achieve an increasing sense of expertise, and believe that their endeavors mean something.

We achieve these goals through experiential education, through placing students in real world scenarios that challenge them to, as theatre director Michael cruz says, “learn from your edge.” another way to describe this concept is with the idea of the “growth zone.” The growth zone is the mental space where students learn best. Learning through experience is incorporated into our classrooms daily. Whether it is learning how to use a drill press in stagecraft or stand in the spotlight in acting class, teachers create a space where students learn and grow because they feel safe to challenge themselves, knowing that failure is possible yet not the opposite of success.

Through experiential education, EPs strives to avoid the undesirable alternatives to the growth zone. one is the “comfort zone,” where mental stagnation often occurs, and the other is the “danger zone,” where students shut down out of anxiety. as a student, PE was always my comfort zone, history my “challenge zone” and chemistry, the most dangerous of zones. The word Stoichiometry still sends shivers down my spine. These

Above: Fifth-grade students enjoy a group belay during their Fall Overnight trip to Challenges Northwest.

Below: Charleigh ('20), Veronica ('19) and Sydney ('20) transport blankets made for the Humane Society during a Service Learning Day.

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Above: Fina (‘16) practices her archery skills on a Fall Overnight trip.

Below: Seniors take at break at the top of Little Si.

zones are relative to every individual, of course, but the good news is that EPS teachers believe growth zones can be achieved for every student in every subject. This makes the teacher-student relationship at EPS all the more important.

Education Beyond the Classroom (EBC) program, which includes fall overnights, service learning, EBC week and EPSummer, takes this growth zone concept a step further, integrating classroom learning with an authentic experience in our neighborhood, our region or our world.

EBC focuses on autonomy, giving students the ability to choose their own adventure; on mastery, giving students the ability to pursue their passions; and on purpose, connecting 14

their learning experience to the world around them. While EBC is “beyond the classroom,” the chain of cognition is never broken. The Costa Rican jungle, in a sense, is a meaningful continuum of the textbook or the Bunsen burner. Each classroom tool is combined with a real world tool to enhance “growth zone” learning.

The Middle School EBC trip to Ashland is another example of integrated learning from the classroom to the theatre. Forty 7th- and 8th-grade students have elected to spend a week at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival viewing plays, taking classes including stage combat and stage make-up, and spending time with their classmates.

This experience will undoubtedly serve as a culminating event for their classroom experiences in Literary Thinking and Acting 1, among other courses.

We’re also introducing Make@ EPS, a physical and digital playground for the "maker" in all of us. Make@ EPS will provide the tools and “just in time” training to enable members of the EPS community to tinker, design, and make the next great invention, or just the next great tchotchke. Make@ EPS is more STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) than STEM. True makers are resourceful and resilient, so we’ll focus on developing skills and attitudes as much as learning to use specific tools (which include a laser cutter/engraver, two 3D printers, a vinyl cutter, microcontrollers, and countless hand tools).

There are no goals, no grades, and no guarantees of success, but failing has never been this much fun.

The most moving example of the value of integration came out of our last Service Learning Day. After Operation Sack Lunch, a 5thgrade student remarked to his parents that “homeless people are just people without homes…they’re not bad or scary.” That revelation is as authentic

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

as it gets. He and his classmates had recently learned about some of the social issues of homelessness in the classroom and in Advisory. However, it was his autonomous “Aha!” moment beyond the classroom that really brought the experience home.

The growth zone must always have a challenge to overcome. In this case, it was his fear of the unknown that he overcame, undoubtedly “growing” from the process.

Whether doing a project in physics, serving at Food Lifeline or scaling the peaks of Smith Rock during EBC week, the integration of experiential education in the classroom and the EBC program offers autonomy, mastery and purpose for every EPS student. It promotes learning in the “growth zone.” It encourages students to “learn from their edge.” 

Above: Upper School students and and Ms. Behrmann at Operation Sack Lunch Below: Jacob (‘18) climbs the wall at the 7th-grade overnight at Camp Seymour.

Community Respect Forum

By Kelly Moore, PhD, Director of Student Support Services

W

e take immense pride in the sense of community we have cultivated in Eastside Prep’s first ten years.

It is something we never take for granted.

In fact, as we grow and develop, the conversation often circles back to musings about how we can maintain the respectful culture that exists among our student, faculty and parent communities. As a way to intentionally keep this conversation alive and present for us, we began what we now call the Community Respect Forum (CRF). As a starting point, we created the following vision:

The purpose of the CRF is to ensure the health of the EPS culture through educational, organizational, and experiential opportunities that support community consciousness and acceptance of differences among the members of our school community.

The aim of the CRF is to provide a forum for the discussion of and education about topics of importance to individuals in the EPS community.

Consistent with the EPS mission, the CRF exists to promote the development of a safe and accepting community for all who wish to teach and to learn here.

Katie LeClerc Greer, internet safety expert; Megan Kennedy, mental health therapist; and Daniel Conroy, founder of AIM House

The forum consists of self-selected faculty and Senior Leadership Team members who want to be part of this discussion and planning of events. We are committed to highlighting any issue we feel can contribute to a more inclusive environment. Some of the issues we raised this year are related to bullying, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, addictions, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) and learning differences.

Following are highlights of some of the events we have planned or are currently in development.

Cyberbullying and Internet Safety Katie LeClerc Greer, an expert in internet safety visited our school last fall to discuss the ins and outs of how our kids interact in cyberspace.

Tailoring her talk in a developmentally appropriate way, Katie had students and parents alike engaged in lively discussion about issues of privacy, respect and safety with regards to online communication. She shared reallife stories of what happens when cyber-bullying goes extreme and also informed students of ways to protect themselves and when to get help for others. She helped parents navigate the confusing world of privacy settings INSPIRE Spring 2013

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and encouraged them to know their children’s passwords and have stringent limits on exposure to public access to our children.

Drug Use and Abuse Daniel Conroy, Founder of AIM House, a live-in mentoring program for young adults ages 18 to 21, visited EPS on Tuesday, December 4th. He spoke to Upper School students during assembly and to parents that evening. Daniel discussed the latest trends and data on substance use and abuse, how to talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol, how to use connected parenting to delay or avoid drug and alcohol use and common pitfalls parents make regarding alcohol and drugs.

PNAIS Student Diversity Leadership Retreat On February 8th and 9th, eight Upper School students, along with Dr. Dartt, Dr. Olsen and myself attended a two-day leadership retreat put on by the Pacific northwest Association of Independent Schools (PnAIS). The conference was entitled Who Am I? Who Are You? Who Are We?: How Our Differences Strengthen Our Communities. It focused on building skills around facilitating difficult conversations with peers. Participants were able to practice these developing skills by discussing issues of: identity and multiple identities, privilege and how students use that privilege. Also discussed were topics such as having and facilitating difficult conversations, developing curiosity, and welcoming the opportunity to be around others who have opposing views and understanding bias. Many of the students who attended the conference are also our student mentors. The hope is that these students will be able to share much of what they learned at the conference through their work with our Middle School students. We are also hopeful it will continue to spark discussion among our student body and faculty alike.

Gender and Sexual Diversity The CRF has met with Megan Kennedy, a film producer and mental health therapist at Youth Eastside Services to discuss how we can use her film Put This on the Map to continue conversations around issues of gender and sexual diversity. We are also planning on hosting a screening of Put This on the Map for our faculty followed by a Q&A with Ms. Kennedy.

Learning Differences In the fall we will host a screening of a new film entitled The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia by James Redford. “This film provides personal and uplifting accounts of the dyslexic experience from children, experts and iconic leaders, such as Sir Richard Branson and financier Charles Schwab. Directed by James Redford, the film not only clears up the misconceptions about the condition, but also paints a picture of hope for all who struggle with it.” Learn more at thebigpicturemovie.com/synopsis

as we grow and develop, we hope the cRf becomes one vehicle to keep alive the inclusiveness and welcoming spirit that founded EPs. Including parents, students and teachers ensures the themes are integrated not only in the classroom, but on the sports court and at the dinner table alike.  16

EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

What’s on Your Bookshelf?

Compiled by Vickie Baldwin, Director of Institutional Advancement

I

N THIS ISSUE OF INSPIRE, we begin a new series to examine the bookshelves of the faculty and staff of Eastside Prep.

Dr. Terry Macaluso is the first to provide us with a list of the novels, biographies and other volumes that have caught her eye recently.

Dinner with Churchill: Policy-Making at the Dinner Table, Cita Stelzer The author examines Winston Churchill through key dinners held before, during and after World War II. Dinner with Churchill draws on diaries of guests and other sources to examine important conferences which Churchill used as a stage to display his brilliant conversational talents, to glean gossip and diplomatic insights, and to argue for the many policies he espoused over a long life and distinguished career.

Market Education: The Unknown History, Andrew Coulson

as discontent with public education continues to rise, Andrew Coulson explores educational problems by examining what people want from their school systems and then sets out to compare school systems of ancient and modern civilizations. Market Education provides an outline for educational reform to make schools more flexible, innovative, and responsive.

May We Be Forgiven, A.M. Homes

After a shocking act of violence, Harold Silver, a historian and Nixon scholar, finds himself suddenly

playing parent to his brother’s two adolescent children in the suburbs of New York. As Harry builds a family created by choice rather than biology, we become all the more aware of the ways in which our history, both personal and political, can become our destiny and either compel us to repeat our errors or to be the catalyst for change.

The Measure of Civilization: How Social Development Decides the Fate of Nations, ian Morris

The Measure of Civilization examines the questions of how civilizations develop and why the West became so powerful. Author Ian Morris provides tools for assessing the long term growth of societies as well as fresh perspectives for thinking about the twenty-first century.

Mortality, Christopher Hitchens Bestselling author Christopher Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2010 and lost his battle to the disease in 2011.

In Mortality, Hitchens describes not only his illness and coming to terms with death, but how disease changes our relationship to the world around us.

To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, Daniel Pink Daniel Pink, the bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind, suggests that we are all engaged in selling each day and offers a fresh look at the art and science of

Some book descriptions are based on reviews and summaries found on Amazon.com.

selling. To Sell is Human is a perceptive and practical book that will change how you see the world and transform what you do at work, at school, and at home.

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, Jon Meacham Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham examines the political genius of Thomas Jefferson, an extraordinary man full of contradictions who led the country through a time of partisanship, economic change and external threats. The book scrutinizes Jefferson, who excelled as both a philosopher and a politician.

Triburbia, Karl Taro Greenfeld A group of diverse fathers meet each morning at a local Tribeca coffee shop after walking their children to their exclusive school.

Triburbia follows the linked stories of these fathers, their wives and children, through the course of a school year as they discover the hard truths and welcome surprises that accompany family, marriage and real estate at midlife.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Rachel Joyce Recently retired, Harold Fry leaves his small English village and his wife after receiving a letter from Queenie Hennesey, a woman he hasn’t heard from in twenty years.

Harold sets out across the countryside to see Queenie, meeting remarkable characters along the way. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a charming, humorous novel with profound insight into the thoughts and feelings we all bury deep within our hearts.

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Spirit Week students took spirit Week to heart this year and went above and beyond in their endorsement of activities such as Pajama day and twin day.

Ice Cream Social an EPs tradition, the Ice cream social is a celebration of the return to school and the end of the first day of classes.

Fall Harvest This year, for the first time, the fall harvest event was held on campus at the Levinger-Poole commons. a record number of parents and faculty/staff gathered to celebrate the EPs community.

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EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

Halloween Bowling students and parents alike enjoy this combination of costumes and bowling each year (although it’s hard to understand how bowling is accomplished in some of the costumes).

S P E TS

n E EV

Assemblies assemblies this year have featured both fun and interesting topics. The holiday fun assembly included games as well as musical entertainment. guest speaker/internet sensation Matt harding presented his “Where in the [heck] is Matt?� video and then agreed to dance with EPs students and faculty.

Faculty/Student Volleyball another EPs tradition, students challenge faculty members to a volleyball match each year. similarly, we had our first student/faculty mixed-teams basketball tournament this year.

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The Hundred

Dresses:

A Fine and Performing Arts Integration

By Roberta Christensen, Theatre Manager and Faculty Member

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A

play, as an art form, is by nature integrated. A playwright sits alone in a room scribing with a feather pen, or at a typewriter punching away, or at his or her keyboard tapping letters into place to create a script. A director reads it, is moved by it, and wants to stage it.

Notices are posted for auditions and actors feeling a connection with the piece or feeling like they have something to offer that creative process, show up and give it a shot. Actors are cast and the rehearsals begin in a process that involves folding it all together. The director then meets with stagecraft (sets, scenic art, lights, sound, props, hair/makeup and costumes) and visual and audible creatively start to fill in all the blanks. Many players, many parts, all are united for the collective good of a finished product. Simple, right? Now fold in education, a short work day, homework, small budgets and young people with a whole lot of heart and you have one mighty task at hand. It’s theatre. It’s intention, vision, necessity, collaboration, finished product, and success. It’s integration in its purest form.

this the major project for the new Stagecraft Program, and launch the first play in the new Levinger-Poole Commons Theatre with full technical theatre support: sets, lights, props, etc. How do you get students to want to do that much work? Explain that this is the first time the Stagecraft class will be held solely responsible for getting the show on stage AND they get to cut things with sharp tools…after careful testing and training, of course! One key element in this spectacle called The Hundred Dresses? One hundred painted dresses. I love to paint, but launching a venue and teaching a new curriculum leaves very little time. And wouldn’t it be great to call upon Visual Arts students who love painting AND have the time and resources to accomplish such a feat? Note to self, email Ms. Balcomb to set up production meeting—re: have her students join forces with Stagecraft to create an incredible, multi-dimensional set.

INTENTION.

Day 1: Mr. Cruz and I met to discuss the script of the Middle School play—The Hundred Dresses. We have collectively decided it best to make

Day 10: We are finally done reading the script. But, before we can build the show, we have to break the show down. Today, based on direction from

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

Haneen (‘ 13) creates one of the dresses for the set.

Ms. Christensen and Braydon (‘15) review saw safety while Lennard (‘15) looks on.

Mr. Cruz and his desired staging areas, we divided the set into small parts that teams of students will tackle designing. This is split between the two sections—Middle and Upper School. Great news—Ms. Balcomb and her art students have eagerly accepted our invitation to join forces. After designs are complete, it has been decided that Middle School will take on the bulk of the build and meet with Ms. Balcomb’s “H” period Advanced Drawing and Painting class to discuss and create the dresses.

And, Upper School will handle finishing touches and scenic art. Upper Schoolers will be taking the lead from Middle Schoolers…hmmm, this should prove to be very interesting. VISION.

Day 17: Designs are complete and the Middle

Schoolers just hosted their first production meeting with the Drawing and Painting class. It’s so fun to watch Middle School students step up to the challenge of communicating with Upper School kids and not feel intimidated. We pre-planned the meeting yesterday, in preparation, and they did everything we talked about. They were articulate

of their vision and expressed their very big need for help with creating 100 individual pieces of art.

Recognizing the amount of work to be done, as they would be taking on all other technical aspects of the show, they found there was just no way they could do it all themselves. They were respectful of the artists they had access to, recognizing their talents and feeling cool enough to call upon them. Stagecraft students presented the set and all of their research boards to the art students to give them an overview of the entire show. Art students had questions about dimensions and color schemes. The costume team provided visuals and details of what the 1930’s girls were wearing, and explained this should be used as inspiration in painting the dresses. Stagecraft had questions about paperweight and finish on the dress panels, and art students had ideas of how that could work.

Great, productive meeting. Everyone left buzzing about the magnitude of work on this project and that, together, we really are going to take it all on.

NECESSITY and COLLABORATION.

Day 23 - 26: We were just delivered 117 dresses.

Ms. Balcomb said her students wanted to give us

Stagecraft students hard at work on the set for The Hundred Dresses

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extra dresses so we had choices and Middle School Stagecraft loved being able to sort through and pick “the very best.” The Upper School Stagecraft just cleaned up the final day of the paint call and the set on stage is done. I just tied up the rigging for the hundred dress reveal and we are good to go. We have just wrapped our last technical rehearsal. Actors and backstage crew have locked down working together to get the scene changes done quickly and safely. It’s always surprising to me, and never less than amazing, when two distinct sides of a project come together to make the show great. Thankfully there isn’t an “us/tech” and “them/actors” vibe and they did that all on their own. I’ve heard them talking about this being the first show in the new space. I heard a lot of “we got this.” Opening night is upon us and the work of many young minds has fallen into place. FINISHED PRODUCT.

Day 27: The Fine and Performing Arts team just met and discussed our first show of the year.

We talked through coming together in a united front. We smiled… a lot.

Day 28: Just emailed the division heads and Head of School. They can’t know fully, if we don’t tell them directly.

Dr. Macaluso, Mr. Gummere, and Mr. Uzwack, I just wanted to make sure you had a moment to reserve your seats for one of the three performances this week.

I also wanted to share with you the extent of discipline integration. This production is all four arms of the F&PA working their magic. If you wanted to showcase your Fine and Performing Arts program at EPS, this show—in the new space—is a prime example of great work. As you know, Mr. Cruz directed the show with a very young cast, most of whom have not acted before, and the Middle School actors have raised the bar for those following them. We introduced two new Stagecraft classes to the production process wherein THEY actually researched, designed and created every element you see on stage—sets, lights, props, and sound. not only is this show integrated, I have Upper School kids being led by Middle School kids on the backstage crew. Beyond our classroom, we met with Ms. Balcomb’s H period Advanced Drawing and Painting class in a student-led, integrated production meeting that defined the creation of 100 dresses. Actually, they created 117 so we could have backups. This was no easy task and they did it well in advance of their deadline so that Stagecraft could have time to work with those elements. And finally, Mr. Kruse offered musical support to our solo performer who will be singing live on stage the next three days.

100 dresses, 62 EPS students, all four arms of Fine and Performing Arts, a couple of tired EPS faculty, and one amazing show! SUCCESS.

Mr. Cruz poses with the completed set of The Hundred Dresses.

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EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

Course Highlights: New Electives Compiled by Vickie Baldwin, Director of Institutional Advancement

T

his year we are pleased to begin three new (or in the case of Stagecraft, dramatically revised) elective offerings at Eastside Prep.

Flamenco Instructor Emma Ferguson began flamenco as a college freshman with little dance background but now has over 12 years of dance experience, including professional performances on stage in popular venues in New York and Philadelphia. “What flamenco does is grab you by the insides and it doesn’t let go, so I kept going, all the way to Spain, and I hope some of our students will, too.”

Flamenco is technique and choreography and counting and breathing, but it’s also a philosophy of life connected to a long history of integrated cultures in southern Spain. Emma states, “the most important thing our flamenco students do is learn to make big mistakes and make them with our whole being, fearlessly.”

Stagecraft The year was 1988 and a very young, naïve girl stepped into her high school theatre for the first time, late to her first Stagecraft class. Over 30 professional and educational productions, five regional theatres and 20 local theatres, an international tour, two smashed thumbs and 25 years later, Roberta Christensen stepped into the Levinger-Poole Commons Theatre to teach her first stagecraft class. The

new EPS Stagecraft course challenges students with a rigorous course study in collaboration, fundamental scene design, the use of power tools, and set construction culminating in the production of EPS main stage shows. “I am blown away by EPS students and how they have stepped up to the challenge of this new course. Stagecraft isn’t just hammering nails into wood to create a backdrop for actors. It’s math, science, English and various languages, and trouble shooting and problem solving and communication all rolled into one.” Stagecraft is offered to 7th-12th graders, but the Set Shop is open to any EPS student after school, any time (with adult supervision)!

Yoga

Other electives new to EPS: • Advanced Creative Writing: Genre Study • Advanced Computer Programming • Advanced Web Design • Business and Commerce • EPS Seminar: What is Happiness?

• EPS Seminar: Should Public Policy Aim to Produce Happiness?

• EPS Seminar: Thinking About Nature • Physical Meets Digital

“Bringing yoga to Eastside Prep as a PE elective has been a real treat,” says instructor Cascade Lineback. “The students are eager to learn and they ask great questions, which has helped me develop as an instructor. It is fun to see their strength and flexibility grow over the course of each trimester.” Cascade has been practicing yoga regularly since 2006 and gained her teacher certification in 2012. In addition to the physical practice, Cascade has enjoyed introducing the students to the philosophy and history of yoga in her class. Though the course is focused on Vinyasa yoga (linking breath, movement and mind through a series of dynamic postures), students have explored other traditions and have had the opportunity to take field trips to yoga studios in the area and enjoy guest teachers in their class.

Top: Taylor (‘14) performs flamenco during the fall F&PA Showcase. Middle: Sky (‘16) works on the set for Tartuffe. Bottom: Lara (‘16) and Charlotte (‘15) in Yoga class.

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College Counseling at Eastside Prep

by Elena Olsen, PhD, English Teacher and College Counselor

Integration and Culmination

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he halls are quiet at 4:12 on a Thursday afternoon— most Upper School students have headed home or left for sports or other activities. Normally, a student working with me in my office at this hour would be either sitting quietly taking a make-up quiz, or would be squirming in her seat—internally if not externally—eager to flee school grounds and not return until 7:50 the following morning. But the 12th-grade student sitting across from me is not making up a quiz or meeting with me about a paper or exam. Yet she has been engaged in conversation with me for the past 56 minutes and has been focused intently on that conversation and on the two notebook pages between us on the table, filled with multi-colored notes. And I am the one taking notes as she talks—she is the guide of our conversation, the mediator and instructor of my thoughts. She has glanced at the clock, but only to ask me hurriedly, “Do you have to leave, or can we keep going?”

The most surprising thing about this scene is that it repeats often between early October and Winter Break.

While it is true that by the time they have reached their 12th-grade

“I love that the progression of the college search and application are formulaic, and that we get to help each student (and family) create their own story within the context of that progression.”

Dr. Olsen and Nathan (‘13) review college options.

- Matt Delaney

“I like the moment when a student can connect to an idea that puts her in a position of strength – an idea for the essay, or a moment of realization that makes him or her stand strong in who he or she is. I love to see this happen for a student.” - Lauren Formo

year, students at Eastside Preparatory School are quite comfortable conversing with their teachers, it is not a love of literature or philosophy that keeps many seniors engaged in deep conversation with me and other adults during fall and winter terms. It is, rather, the beast known as the College Essay.

The College Application Essay is something like the grindstone of gore and fire that Dickens describes as part of the French Revolution in A Tale of Two Cities: it is a long, bloody process to write about oneself in a way that is specific but comprehensive, compelling but not cloying, positive but not arrogant, grammatically correct down to the last space after a period, and—honest. But this process also encapsulates the philosophy and strength of the EPS College Counseling program: individualized but comprehensive in scope, and integrated on both literal and figurative levels.

EPS students tour Harvard

89 3 7 75 33 27 40 7

students will have graduated in the classes 20092013, including...

Merit Scholar winners, one additional finalist, and one pending finalist this year.

In that time... have been commended students.

% attend a university outside Washington state % are east of the Mississippi River % attend a university of 10,000 or more undergraduate students (they don’t all go small)

colleges received visits from EPS counselors in 2012-2013

is the average number of applications submitted per graduate

The middle 50% of EPS student SAT scores fall within these ranges and percentiles.*

Critical Reading: Eastside Prep’s College Counseling team is able to provide this kind of counseling for every senior in part because of who we are. The college counselors at EPS are Matt Delaney, Lauren Formo, Bart Gummere, and myself; Mr. Delaney and Ms. Formo work as a team with half of the senior class, Mr. Gummere and I work with the other half. Each of us works with students in more than one capacity at school and by the time a junior sets up his/her first appointment with us, we all know that student extraordinarily well. Ms. Formo has met with most of them during the EPS admissions process. Mr. Gummere, as Upper School Head, knows every student

550-700 65th-95th Percentiles

530-690

Math:

53rd-92nd Percentiles

Writing:

520-660 58th-92nd Percentiles

*25% of scores exceed these ranges.

INSPIRE Spring 2013

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in the classroom and outside of the classroom, having rafted with them down a river or hiked with them in the Cascades. I may have coached them in Middle School cross country, or worked with them in the Inclusivity Club or literary magazine. Both Mr. Delaney and I teach the year-long American studies program and thus know every rising senior extraordinarily well as a student; Mr. Delaney The EPS college counseling team: Lauren Formo, is Academic Dean and thus brings a Matt Delaney, Bart Gummere and Elena Olsen deep understanding of our curriculum and courses to meetings with Our program is founded upon valuing the student as college representatives and students. This is not a norm at the driver of the college search and application process. many schools, where college counselors don’t really get to The empowering process of each student making his or know students until their 11th-grade year.

In this sense, the College Counseling program is natu- her college choice is ultimately more important than what rally integrated on many levels: counselors bring integrated that choice is. We focus conversations not on “the best” experience from inside and outside EPS walls to their schools to which the student “should” apply. Our job is to students and an integrated understanding of their stuhelp students navigate the search process to end up with a dents. The college search and application process requires list of six to ten schools, any of which he or she would be students to reflect on and use their critical thinking skills, happy to attend, and which will yield choices. What counts expressed most directly in that beastly college essay, which in receiving a “good college education” is the well-being of is, ultimately, along with their senior project, the culminat- the student attending and the engagement of that student ing expression of those thinking skills. in her education on that campus. Ultimately, because our process is student-driven and centered on meeting students where they are, it is one that ends up being truly affirming, for both students and families.

“One of my favorite aspects of being a college counselor is that I love connecting with students individually as well as in the classroom, and in this particular capacity I get to connect with them and their families as they reflect on and express their own best selves.” - Elena Olsen Students are the Drivers

At Eastside Prep, the student really is in the driver’s seat— which is not without its challenges for everyone involved.

It is difficult for students to step into that role and for parents to step out of that role. Our approach in helping Eastside Prep seniors find colleges that “fit” is entirely guided by our understanding of our roles as guides and sounding-boards.

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Timeline The following narrative timeline consists of broad-stroke descriptions. Some specific details are ommitted, including information students receive in their junior year about events, testing, and exact timing of the application process.

9th and 10th grade In the 9th-grade year, students focus on transitioning to Upper School and developing study habits that will make their high school and college careers smooth. The best college preparation for students during the 9th- and 10th-grade years is to focus on coursework, get involved in activities they enjoy, and try out new experiences, too.

Students and parents often ask about what or how many extra-curricular activities students should be involved in.

The answer is—there is no “right” number or type of activity. Colleges do not want a student who has a long list of activities and volunteer hours, but who cannot articulate a meaningful interest in any of them. They want students who are engaged, who have active minds, and use their

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

time productively inside and outside of the classroom. Students should spend their 9th- and 10th-grade years exploring and discovering what they enjoy, what intrigues them, what challenges them.

The EPS 5th-grade question, “Who Am I?” is a good one to return to. Counselors are happy to meet with students and parents any time during these years.

“When I began in the college admissions field at age 24, I felt connected to the kids and unaware of what parents go through; over the years I have grown to appreciate how difficult a parenting moment this is, not only to get through the college application process, but also to deal with the last year of having your son or daughter at home. I spend almost as much time now working with parents as with students.” - Bart Gummere

11th grade During the 11th-grade year students begin thinking in more specific ways about the college application and search process. In the fall, students are assigned to a counselor team and meet as a class with all four counselors and are instructed in using Naviance, the online system we use for the search and application process. Students are encouraged to attend the SAIS College Fair, where 150 colleges are present to meet with students from Seattle-area independent schools. Juniors initiate their “colleges I’m interested in list” and individual and family meetings begin after students complete an in-depth survey that prompts them to reflect on their school career, what they might want in college, and on who they are and what matters to them. A campus visit is highly recommended—just getting onto a college campus, regardless of whether it is a school of interest, is invaluable in beginning to get a feel for likes and dislikes.

12th grade The balance of application-writing and coursework make fall and winter terms busy for students—but it is an exciting time for everyone. Students begin to hone in on schools of interest, and individual, family, and group meetings guide this process as well as the application and essay-writing process (counselors host “work parties” during fall term which are specifically geared toward the application and essay). Students should also take advantage of the college representative visits on our campus—we have college admissions officers on campus most days during the early fall. One of the most difficult parts of senior year is actually not the busy fall and winter, but the months of February and March, when most students are waiting to hear from schools. And—though most seniors don’t believe us when we say this in August before their senior year— the most difficult period of the whole year for many students is late April, when they have received decisions from all colleges and it is THEIR turn to make their final decision.

Reflection

College Counselor Matt Delaney tours students at Amherst College.

So, what is happening with that student sitting with a college counselor long after her friends have gone home? For every student, the essay or some other aspect of the college process brings meaningful self-realization that endures, no matter what the future brings.

It is this that makes us love our jobs, and that makes the challenges of self-reflection worth it. By the end of their senior year, whatever awaits them, Eastside Prep students understand more about their “homes”—present and future—and are equipped to navigate within and beyond them.  INSPIRE Spring 2013

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Alumni Update Alumni Intern Becca Fine with a friend at Dickinson

Compiled by Becca Fine (’09), Alumni Relations Intern Conor Beckerman I’m taking the year off from Columbia, but returning in September. I’ll probably major in Comparative Literature with French and Italian, with a concentration in Linguistics. I’m currently attending one class at the UW (French 102), and working part-time at a vegan restaurant in U. Village (The Veggie Grill). I spend most of my free time fencing and/or refereeing fencing, and travel a couple times a month to other cities to referee.

Grant Bishop Since graduating EPS in 2011 I have been attending the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. At the end of last semester I declared my major as Metallurgical & Materials Engineering. Outside of school I have been enjoying the natural beauty of the Rockies and continuing in my hobby of photography, including expanding into large format and running a darkroom. My summer plans are still very tentative, but will likely involve classes for most of the time. I also plan on spending a few weeks in Seattle, including attending my sister Casey’s graduation from EPS. Emma Bobola I am a sophomore at Northeastern University and am majoring in Chemical Engineering. I started 28

engineering after spending a semester at an engineering school in Australia.

I’ve worked in labs with small organic chemistry sets working in milliliters and in labs with giant mixing vats working with liters of fluid at a time.

But by far the best is meeting people from all over the world. It’s amazing some of the stories you’ll hear.

Matthew Melrose Hello EPS! Over the past few months I have been balancing a single piano class at Bellevue College with spur of the moment roadtrips down the west coast. I am planning to return to Western Washington University in the spring to study cognitive neuroscience and psychopharmacology.

Rachael Decker I’m an English major and a Theatre minor at Willamette University. This semester, I’m trying something new for me: I just joined a sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and I’ve been busy getting involved. I’m also in Voce Femminile, Willamette’s women’s choir, for my fourth consecutive semester. I recently started serving on our council as a representative for my residence hall.

I’m hoping that my application to study abroad in London will be accepted, and if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be spending a semester there sometime next year!

Jemma Mercer I graduated in 2012. I am now a freshman at Willamette University. I’m not quite sure what my major will be yet but so far I’m leaning towards psychology.

Zach Fine Hey EPS! Right now I’m studying Computer Science at the University of Texas. But when I’m not studying I make sure I’m at all the football games cheering for my Longhorns or playing intermural football, basketball, or baseball! Hook ’em!

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

David O’Hara The big thing I’ve been up to is I’ve just been hired as the Co-Campus Manager of a marketing company out of Boston. We run promotions for clients who are trying to sell their products to Penn State students. My job is to set up, staff, and manage promotions that we run both on and off campus. I’m also directing a melodrama in a few weeks.

William Poole As a senior studying biological physics, I was able to organize an independent study which aims to construct a systems level mathematical model of the female reproductive endocrine system. In this project, I am working

Alumni Outreach

By Becca Fine (’09), Alumni Relations Intern

W EPS alums gather at the first Alumni Lunch event held in the Levinger-Poole Commons.

with a professor of cell biology as well as a medical doctor.

The hope is to construct a model that accurately represents the biophysical processes that occur on a physiological and molecular level. If the model works, we should then be able to use it to help better understand different clinical conditions related to fertility and to develop new clinical diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Jeanine Reina I go to Illinois Wesleyan University and am a double major in Theatre Arts and Environmental Studies. I am a member of Alpha Gamma Delta, and am in the rock climbing club, and part of an organization called Best Buddies. Also, this summer I am working on finding a job in Los Angeles!

Victoria Silver I’m working towards my sociology degree and considering a minor in either education or psychology. I am also working in childcare at the local YMCA and volunteering at Amy’s Place (a local shelter for homeless teens). I am in the process of applying to be a peer health educator at Western, a program in which “students help students maximize health, well-being, and success,” specifically in the Body Empowerment and Sexual Health programs.

Eric Wu I am at Santa Clara University in the California Bay Area and my major is Theatre Arts. I’m loaded down with extracurriculars right now including (gasp) Christian Life Community, Core Christian Fellowship, Alpha Omega, gospel choir, my first performance in the theatre department as Trent Conway in Six Degrees of Separation, dorm hall events and the community council and finally hospitality at the mission church.

hen the idea of an alumni lunch was pitched to the now growing student alumni base, I was very excited. Not only had EPS physically changed over the threeand-a-half years I have been back at college, but administration, faculty, and students for that matter consisted of many faces that were new to me. The alumni lunch seemed like a great way for the alumni to catch up with each other and their former teachers, as well as meet the new staff. I had to say, my guess was that maybe 30 would show up, and it would be a pretty low key event. All in all I was proven wrong as the final tally ended up being over 40. We were all able to hear about each other’s majors, internships, extracurricular activities, etc.

We were able to talk with our former teachers about our new academic endeavors. We were even treated to food in the new cafeteria!

Ultimately though, we got to reconnect with the place that had encouraged us to become so academically innovative. I can’t emphasize enough how great it was to see the place that made us such unique and driven leaders. Seeing the new students roam the campus was a new experience for all the alumni as it showed the new steps EPS has taken while we have been gone. The alumni though have been just as actively changing. Many have taken on independent study projects, are participating in a variety of clubs and organizations, and have become leaders within their new academic institutions. Being able to see everyone together once again was priceless, and proved that no matter how far and wide we had gone, we were still an EPS community.

This is largely why I was so excited to be given the opportunity to work with alumni outreach. I know while being in college I have lost contact with many of my peers. I think the alumni lunch is just the first step. I hope to start a quarterly newsletter so the alumni can continue to hear about future EPS updates. Further, I will be helping plan future alumni events to encourage a close connection with EPS, especially as EPS’s first graduating class will graduate from college this spring. Hopefully as we begin our next adventure, EPS will continue to be a strong part of our lives.

INSPIRE Spring 2013

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LIFERS

EPS Lifers in the Class of 2013: (rear) Diane Halcousis and Chris Smith; (front) Conrad Parker, Charleen Stickel and Zach Daniel

By Wendy Lawrence, Founding Faculty Zach Daniel Zach daniel remembers one of his early EPs projects as “an unfairly difficult point-and-click game based on tom sawyer.” and speaking of unfairly difficult, Zach, whose three words to describe himself were only two (rational and irrational), displays self-reflection rare for an upper school senior when it comes to his growth from Middle to upper school. “I don’t know how anyone put up with that kid. I’m glad they did, though, because now I have the privilege of not being him.” Zach’s goal for life after EPs is to “make art” and his senior Project sounds like a good 30

start. he’s producing a comic he calls “post-postmodern era” which he regularly updates with “poorly-drawn abstractions of the truth.” his favorite examples of integration were two recent classes, Postmodern Literature and Existential Philosophy. “Both were great classes on their own, but together…just…yes. Best classes ever.”

Diane Halcoussis When diane halcoussis thinks about her final year at EPs, she says “I feel ready to go out into the world and be an excellent citizen.” Being a Lifer means diane has seen some significant growth. she remembers a time when she knew the name of every person in the school community, but she

EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

EPS Seniors in it for the Long Haul estimates she only knows about half now. She has grown, too, of course. “When I was younger, I would jump into any conversation, even if I was completely wrong. Now I still join conversations, but I am much more equipped to handle them. I can justify my opinions with evidence and knowledge.” The integrated curriculum seems to have spawned an integrated career goal: if forced to choose “one” thing, she says “my dream would be to travel around the world working as an anesthesiologist and then write a book about that.”

by Ms. Behrmann. He finished the material before the end of the school year and in his next year moved on to an independent study in Abstract Algebra.

Chris Smith From the very beginning, Chris Smith “felt camaraderie amongst my peers.” For him, EPS was immediately “a place where I could grow as a person.” When Chris received permission to use his laptop at school (before the Middle School laptop program), “the responsibility was a leap of faith on the school’s part, but the knowledge the tool gave me access to was astounding. It’s always been something I enjoy using.” When he In Mathematics, Integration is a way to find the area thinks about the integrated curriculum, Chris is most thankful that “the school has always between a function (line, parabola, curve, etc.) and had a deep technological element in everything the x-axis. The integral is found by dividing the space we do and because of that I feel like I am very between the function and the axis into an infinite prepared to enter today’s more tech-oriented number of tiny rectangles and then adding the area of career paths.” Even though his teachers are different now than when he joined the school in those rectangles. Luckily, there’s an algorithm for that, 6th grade, Chris loves that the school has always or calculus would be a really long course. had “an amazing group of people that really want to see the best in every student.”

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Green’s Theorem allows us to find the area of an object just by measuring the circumference of it in a special way

Conrad Parker Since Conrad Parker’s first days, “classes, programs, tools, and spaces have all come and gone. The EPS experience is constantly evolving, and I am proud of the school’s openness to change.” As he nears his graduation, Conrad feels “a growing sense of responsibility for the school,” and acts on that. He’s even documenting the school’s history for his Senior Project. Throughout his tenure, he’s been grateful for the school’s flexibility. When his Calculus course loomed ahead, he was nervous (and not for the usual reasons). He thought he already knew a lot of the material, and he was right. Conrad was able to test out of the course and go straight into Advanced Algebra, a class of three students who partially taught themselves and were partially coached

Charleen Stickel Describing her path through Eastside Prep, Charleen Stickel says, “When I came to EPS I was very judgmental, as in I used to come to snap decisions about people based on what I thought I knew. I’ve become more openminded; it now takes some evidence to back up any ideas I might have and I’ve learned to take my own opinions less seriously.” Charleen has been as involved in EPS as a 24-hour day lets her get. She’s passionate about theatre, doing at least one school play a year, attends all the dances, and participates in the Inclusivity Club. She also makes a priority to spend time with her friends. When asked what she wants to do after Eastside Prep, she has two answers.

Pragmatically, she intends to graduate from college with a science major, spending her free time with archery, bowhunting, and perhaps some dogs. But really? “I want to be one of the first colonists on Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons).” Either way, she hopes to “change the world with science.”  INSPIRE Spring 2013

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Eagle Recognition Eastside Prep students receive recognition for their achievements inside and outside the classroom.

Jenna (‘19) was awarded fifth place at the National Bouldering Competition in Colorado Springs, CO. Akshay (‘15) was honored as Bellevue Rotary Student of the Month in January.

Steven (‘14) was selected to play with the Fryz elite Ultimate Frisbee club.

Derek (‘13) was recently invited to play with the Philharmonia Northwest.

Max (‘14) was selected to play with the Fryz elite Ultimate Frisbee team.

Jameson (‘13) was recognized as Bellevue Rotary Student of the Month in November.

Nels (‘16) was selected to play with the Fryz elite Ultimate Frisbee club.

Katie (‘14) was the champion at multiple national and state horse shows in 2012.

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Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

Student Government at EPS

By Akshay Chalana, Student Government Vice President

W

hen I was first elected to Student Government at the beginning of last year, neither I nor the group that elected me realized the potential that Student Government truly had. At the time, Student Government was going through a massive phase of transition during which a brand new committee system was being implemented, making the group more effective and efficient than ever before. Not only was it now capable of continuing its job of helping plan events such as dances and parties, but it could now work towards much greater goals, such as arranging assemblies, addressing issues raised by students, and working to further strengthen the connection between the school leadership and the student body.

Having inherited a government that had achieved such great things, Derek Gibbon, the current Student

Government president, and I had the immense job of trying to take it to the next level. As with the school as a whole, the key was to increase integration. For Student Government, integration means stretching ourselves out so as to better connect with both school leadership and the student body. So far for us, this has meant increasing the level on which the student body is informed, through the use of Canvas, the Student Squawk (our weekly newsletter), several bulletin boards, announcements at assembly and lunch, and consistent meetings with both school leadership and students. A perfect example of this is the recent “town hall meetings” we had with each of the Upper School grades. We prepared a list of questions to address and gathered feedback in an environment in which students were encouraged to share any opinions. These questions addressed everything from the new system of spring trips to dances and spirit days. Having gathered these opinions, we immediately addressed those that directly applied to Student Government. We had a meeting with Mr. Gummere to discuss the ideas that more generally applied to school policies. We believe that these town hall meetings are the perfect opportunity to gather honest opinions from students. Thus, the key from now on is to further increase the frequency of Derek (‘13) and Akshay (‘15), Student Government President and Vice President

9th grade representative Ellie (’16) and Student Government President Derek (’13) at a Student Government meeting

these meetings, and use the opinions gained to truly influence what we do as a Student Government.

As we work to further integrate the school into a cohesive body, the hardest part will be realizing that we can’t please everybody. However, learning this is why Student Government is so important. It is an opportunity for us to try to make a difference while learning how this can actually be possible. Perhaps the progress we make will be left as our legacy at this school and remembered for many years to come. Perhaps we will revolutionize the role which students have in engaging the school.  INSPIRE Spring 2013

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EPS Student Mentoring Program

By Andy Slater, Upper School Science and Mentoring Program Facilitator

o

n JanuaRY 23 Rd, a gRouP of nervous but excited upper school students facilitated their very first mentoring session with the Middle school advisories. This was a big moment for them and for EPs, as the session marked the start of the EPs student Mentoring Program.

The student Mentoring Program was established to provide Middle schoolers with the opportunity to talk about issues that are affecting them. often, students find it difficult to talk about these issues with teachers or parents, and it’s been a long time since teachers or parents have been 11 or 13 years old. an upper school student can remember more vividly what Middle school was like. also, as parents and teachers, we have a tendency to try and fix problems rather than just listen. another benefit of the program is the sense of pride for both the mentors and mentees. for the mentors, helping to establish a program such as this is a unique opportunity and they can help shape the program for the rest of their EPs career. for the mentees, knowing that what they are going through is normal and has been experienced by most, if not all, upper school students will support their social and emotional growth.

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Mentors Kaitlin (‘15) and Fina (‘16) lead a session with their 5th- and 6th-grade advisory.

There are very welcome sideeffects of the mentoring program.

The first is that it will build more of a connection between the upper school and Middle school. on January 23rd after the first mentoring session, the buzz during Middle school lunch was all about how cool upper school students were for spending time in their advisories. The hope is that in years to come, the Middle school students that were wowed by their mentors will become mentors themselves. What a legacy for the mentors to leave behind and what a goal for mentees to live for!

The mentors prepared for this experience by attending a training session on January 12th run by dr. Moore, dr. dartt and myself

EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

Upper School mentors at a debriefing meeting

(you don’t have to be a doctor, but it helps!). Mentors were taught some basic skills which would prepare them for their first advisory meeting. It was an eye-opening experience for the mentors as they learned how difficult it can be to get and keep a group’s attention. so much so that a couple of mentors were amazed that teachers could do it every day! some of the skills we learned about were active listening, group facilitation, empathy and red light/green light topics. a handful of the mentors also attended a PnaIs Inclusivity retreat to further their training.

Moving forward, the program will evolve and improve. our next steps are to increase the meeting opportunities with advisories to twice a month, provide a more rigorous training over the summer and eventually offer a mentoring class to provide ongoing training and support. The good doctors and I are very excited and proud to be part of this program and we look forward to watching it develop. 

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1

Cross Word Clue

5 17 15

GUESSING GAME

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We selected 20 words from different articles in this issue to form a crossword puzzle. Enjoy reading this magazine and then try your hand at solving the clues for an opportunity to win!

Go to http://bit.ly/14Erk9q to play. The person with the most number of correct answers will win an Amazon gift card. Responses must be entered by June 1, 2013. Only students, parents, and alumni may submit entries. EPS employees (and relatives) are not eligible.

ACROSS 1. Name of the Upper School student organization that helps in planning and staging student activities.

5. ____ Critically is one important element of the EPS mission .

6. ____ Wisely is one important element of the EPS mission .

7. A mentoring program that allows older students to serve as mentors to younger students 10. Last name of the current Head of School

12. Program that helps Upper School students in their search of college education 13. Course that covers the fundamentals of technical theatre. It teaches basic set design and construction, basic light design concepts 15. Name of the EPS program that allows a teacher to work with a group of students in a mentoring capacity 18. Last name of the current head of the Middle School 19. Group of students who graduate from school

DOWN 2. One of Eastside Prep’s core values defined as the interest in and respect for the contributions of others in relation to one’s own 3. ____ Respect Forum: recently-formed group of faculty tasked to ensure the EPS community is welcoming to all 4. The EPS version of digital avatar 5. This year’s Upper School play production 8. ____ Compassionately is one important element of the EPS mission .

9. Act or instance of combining or organizing into a whole 11. ____ Responsibly is one important element of the EPS mission 14. Last name of the current head of the Upper School 16. Every spring, EPS students take part in a wide variety of experiential activities meant to challenge their comfort zone and enhance their learning experience both on and off campus.

17. EPS program that aims to foster meaningful and memorable learning experiences for students during the summer

INSPIRE Spring 2013

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And the winners are…

The last Inspire magazine featured the “Guess Whose Photo” survey which challenged our community members to match middle school era photos to the correct faculty or staff member. Many attempted the challenge and although there were quite a few correct answers, two answered the most questions correctly. The brother and sister duo of Connor (‘18) and Sophie (’20) received an almost perfect score by answering 17 out of 18 correctly and are each the recipients of $50 Amazon gift cards. Congratulations Connor and Sophie!

Mr. Gummere awards the prize for the Guessing Game to Connor (‘18) and Sophie (‘20).

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Terry Macaluso

Jessica Heaton

Doug Blair

Andrew Boyd

Patricia Friel

Amis Balcomb

Jonathan Briggs

Janelle Panday

Tobias Tillemans

Jack Nolan

Melissa Hayes

Kirsten Pike

Jeff Adair

Paul Hagen

Adam Waltzer

Bart Gummere

Matt Delaney

Adrienne Behrmann

EASTSIDE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 10 Years and Counting

New Faces at EPS Student Support Staff

Robin Christy and Tracy Ritter

Robin Christy is a Learning Support Instructor at Eastside Prep. “EPS’s commitment to serving a diversity of learners in its community while maintaining a high level of academic rigor is awesome!” On a daily basis, she helps students “keep track of the myriad assignments and responsibilities that are part of the EPS experience. We work on developing systems for staying on track, breaking down large projects into manageable chunks and learning how and when to contact teachers for clarification.” She loves “watching students take ownership of their learning. It is inspiring to see them reach out and make connections with other students, teachers, and staff and begin to forge their own path.”

Christy began her professional career as a field biologist before becoming more and more involved in

her own children’s education. “Two of my three kids have learning and attention issues which has led our family to pursue a variety of different modes of education from homeschooling to public school to private school.” Through these personal experiences, Robin became fascinated with teaching and learning, especially with regards to kids with learning differences. She has held a number of teaching positions, worked with school groups at Woodland Park Zoo, and spent seven years working with one of the area’s leading disability experts. Christy has an MS in Wildlife Biology and is currently working toward an MEd at the UW. “I love the outdoors and have already had the chance to go on an EPS snowshoeing adventure.” Along with her husband Kevin and three children, Amelia (19), Isabel (17), and Stewart (14), she lives in “a funky little house on Mercer Island with a big garden and an aging poodle named Gus.” Tracy Ritter is a part-time Student Support Services Assistant. She joined EPS in November working with Dr. Kelly Moore directly and also with the team as a whole. Before EPS, Ritter

By Wendy Lawrence, Founding Faculty

worked as a supervisor of a team of 19 people in the claims call center at Nationwide Insurance and later worked as a business analyst for two senior leaders. She brings extensive experience managing people, projects, and tasks. Ritter originally heard about EPS from her sister, Kerri, who works at the front desk in the Admissions office. “One thing I love about EPS is the people! Everyone here really cares about the students, their jobs, and the people they work with. I see examples of it everyday and it truly makes EPS special. When asked about integration in her job, Ritter compares her two work experiences. “I found that working at a big corporation, it was easy to only interact with people from your team.” Which made it harder to see the “bigger picture.” But at EPS, she eats lunch with other staff, faculty, and students, and works with people from all different teams.

Ritter and her high school sweetheart Jeff celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary this year. They have two daughters, Karah (10) and Katie (5).

They moved to Seattle this fall from Columbus, OH, and are excited to explore all that Seattle and the surrounding region have to offer. They have just purchased a home in the area and, once settled, will be getting a puppy they’ve promised their girls.

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New Faces at EPS Facilities and Food Anairis (Ana) Aleman works as a cashier in the Eagle Cafe, but you’ll also see her helping in the kitchen, and watching Middle Schoolers in the Commons after school, hanging out and helping with homework. Ana says the positive environment “makes me enjoy my job. Everyone is so happy to be here. I see no negativity happening here.” Ana has two girls and a boy on the way in June 2013. She loves being a mother and working with kids. She also enjoys playing basketball and softball.

Mike Kapa is a dishwasher and prep cook at Eastside Prep. He’s worked both jobs at a hotel and was drawn to EPS when a fellow employee told him what a great place it is to work. Like everything else at EPS, Mike’s job is

integrated into the whole picture: he works closely with other teams such as security and maintenance, and he is constantly hearing great feedback about the food from the staff and teachers. When he’s not at EPS, Mike spends time with his wife and young son, who likes to build Legos. They also host shelter cats and spend time outside whether fishing, camping, or swimming.

Adam Szlendak started as a dishwasher at EPS in September 2012.

He’s also worked as a fisherman and came to the United States from Poland. His job also involves cooking, which is something he also does at home, making meals for his family.

He loves exercising and weightlifting.

New Commons staff members Adam Szlendak, Ana Aleman and Mike Kapa

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Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

By Wendy Lawrence, Founding Faculty

New facilities staff member Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards can be found behind the wheel of one of the Eastside Prep vehicles, driving our kids to sports games or field trips. If he’s not there, he might be supervising the sport court. Steve is an easy-going guy who likes to laugh and smile with his new co-workers and students. At home, Steve spends a lot of time with his own 12-year-old son, playing and watching sports. 

Strategic Plan

E

very few years, the board of an organization must put aside their day-to-day work and look to the future. The EPS Board of Trustees is no exception and this year the trustees took on the task of planning for Eastside Prep 2020. The goal behind a Strategic Plan is to confirm the existing mission and

values of the organization, consider the future needs and goals and then outline the steps to achieve those goals.

Below is the basic outline of the recently adopted Strategic Plan for Eastside Prep. The Board, faculty and staff of EPS will now begin the work of implementing the steps to make these goals a reality.

EASTSIDE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 2013 - 2020 Vision

Inspire students to create a better world

Mission

Guide students to think critically, act responsibly, lead compassionately, and innovate wisely

Values

Resilience

Capacity to manage ambiguity, and to respond constructively to failure

Achievement

Support the development of rational and creative thinking in pursuit of personal accomplishment and capacity for competitiveness on an international level

Empathy

Respect and identify with and feel supportively responsive to others and to their situations

Collaboration

Interest in and respect for the contributions of others in relation to one’s own

Self-Knowledge

Analytical awareness of one’s strengths, weaknesses and inclinations

Culture Community

1.0 Support and strengthen the culture of achievement and accomplishment within a culture of mutual respect and personal regard by enrolling no more students than can be supported and encouraged as directed by the EPS mission 2.0 Attract, retain and professionally develop faculty and staff who embrace EPS values, comprehend and support the EPS mission, and who have potential and desire to further the school’s mission 3.0 Develop a Teacher Intern Program to build teaching capacity for new teachers, to provide leadership opportunities for veteran teachers, and to contribute to the advancement of the prevention 4.0 Recruit, admit, and retain students who are able to participate, fully, in EPS programs, and whose families are willing to contribute to the continuing growth and development of the school 5.0 Establish financial equilibrium with an enrollment of 300 students and 75 employees up to 400 - 450 students and 85 - 90 employees

Curriculum

6.0 Investigate uses of time and space that transcend the traditional concept of “the American classroom;” develop schedules and uses of existing facilities that enable each divisional student experience to meet— as closely as possible—individual learning needs as well as those of each division 7.0 Develop a Tech-Ed Think Tank to investigate, nationally and regionally, the ways in which new technologies can improve instruction and learning for secondary-school-aged students 8.0 Develop EPS metrics on the basis of which student success can be documented, to enhance student learning, and to prepare for the PNAIS self-study to be undertaken in 2016-2017

Campus

9.0 Develop a campus master plan within the context of current codes, financial opportunities, and the requirements of a school the size of EPS

Capital

10.0 Conduct a capital campaign leading to the ownership of the campus and enabling the construction of the campus based on the master plan

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Trustee Profiles

By Wendy Lawrence, Founding Faculty

Kathy Weber joined the EPS community when she was looking for an educational hub for her son. She began volunteering with the school immediately. She was a PA President and is now in her third year as a member of the Board of Trustees.

She chairs the Institutional Advancement Committee and loves the “questions we ask ourselves and the conversations we have with each other as we navigate the various possible futures.” Kathy loves working in a place that sees “education as a place for innovation.” Kathy has worked in our local community in business for over 30 years. A passionate observer and advocate for the “right things,” Weber enjoys challenging the status quo.

Weber is currently developing an iPhone app that will be a new way to share, recommend, and remember books (see BooksILove.com). It’s an endeavor that integrates a personal passion for books with her business instinct and a belief in the importance of societal discourse. Weber is also busy with family life. As the mother of four, she is helping to plan a wedding, looking forward to a new grandchild in May, and waiting to see where 40

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"The highest responsibility of philosophers is to serve as the guardians and integrators of human knowledge." - Ayn Rand, philosopher

David, her youngest in 11th grade at Eastside Prep, will head to college. Annabelle, her golden retriever, also keeps her company. Excited about homegrown food, Weber has seven kinds of fruit trees and recently helped pass legislation to legalize backyard chickens in Kirkland, which means fresh eggs daily at her house!

Phillip Swan joined the EPS Board in September 2010.

Swan has built several profitable businesses that have become leaders in their field. He now leverages those skills to helping secure annual and capital funds for EPS, a community he joined when both of his sons were accepted in 2009. “My wife Tracy researched every independent school and there was only one school for us: EPS.” As a board member, he’s excited to watch the physical piece of the school grow, and hopes to see a new science lab

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

and “maybe, just maybe, a new gym and sports facilities.”

Swan’s kids are deeply immersed in the integrated curriculum at EPS, but Swan has been integrating all along: “From day one in all of the businesses that I have been involved in, we have had integrated processes and lines of communication so that the left arm knows what the right arm is doing. It is critical for our success, and I am frankly very proud of our school walking the walk when it comes to integrated curriculum. I hear this word bandied around other independent schools, but don’t really see how they are implementing it.”

When it comes to his family, he says his son and he are “adrenaline junkies.” “There is no car too fast, no roller coaster too wild, no slope too steep for us.” When in the military, Swan says he “was lucky enough to have a few aircraft carrier takeoffs, high velocity flights and landings in an F-4 and F-14. There is some adrenaline for you!” His other passion is outdoor barbecuing and grilling. He has recipes if you want them—they’ve already been tested on his favorite guinea pigs, his family.

Dev Stahlkopf joined the board in 2006.

She is an Associate General Counsel at Microsoft, leading the company’s Employment Law Group. Before becoming an attorney, Dev spent six years teaching philosophy to undergrads. “Education is near and dear to my heart,” says Dev, and she’s enjoyed her position on the board, helping the school “identify and navigate some of the legal challenges associated with growing and operating an independent school.” Stahlkopf came to EPS impressed with the way the school lived its mission and its values, and she practices integration in her own work as well. “In my experience, success often requires the ability to operate outside the boundaries of your primary domain. In my role at Microsoft I draw upon many fields of study, such as economics, mathematics, psychology, and political science. EPS students are well served by developing the ability to understand and solve problems from different perspectives and across disciplines.”

Stahlkopf met her husband Bill in law school and together they are raising their two sons, Dylan (10 years old and a soon-to-be 5th grader at EPS) and Jackson (8), and a Cheasapeake Bay Retriever (1). Together, her family loves paddle boarding, wake surfing, jogging, and swimming with their dog.

Founding faculty/staff members Jeff Sanderson and Karen Mills with Upper School Head Bart Gummere

Board of Trustees Breakfast Members of the Eastside Prep Board of Trustees were pleased to welcome current and former Board members for a breakfast reception in the Levinger-Poole Commons on December 6th. Former Board members had a chance to tour the Commons, learn about the continued growth of Eastside Prep and a few even took the opportunity to tour some classrooms during their visit.

Current Trustee Kathy Weber, former Trustee Debbie Johnson and PA President Desiree Eden at the Board breakfast

INSPIRE Spring 2013

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EPSummer

By Ana Safavi, Student Life Coordinator

a

t EastsIdE PREP, thE EPsuMMER Program exists to foster meaningful and memorable learning experiences for students. our courses are designed to be hands-on so that learning engages both mind and body. Whether out in the wilderness on a mountaineering experience or using microcontrollers in the new Make @ EPs lab, students are presented with opportunities to lead and innovate.

EPsummer has evolved and grown over time along with the needs of our school population. We have taken the program from four opportunities to 14. We also saw the opportunity to offer off campus experiences to different parts of the united states and the world including experiences to denmark, Ecuador, costa Rica and Ireland. along with offcampus offerings, we have explored programs with a heavier academic element. over the last few years we have offered upper school writing workshops, Middle school fish biology and KEYtIME typing.

Plans are currently in the works for a more robust academic selection in the summer of 2014, including “for credit� programs. our current EPsummer offerings allow students to take their hobbies and particular interests to the next level. We offer a variety of programs for different age groups, from animation to theatre to fashion design to mountaineering. The EPs campus will be packed full of students all summer long both learning and developing skills to continue their passions. our on-campus summer experiences, available to both Eastside Prep students and non-EPsers alike, provide the opportunity for our students to bring siblings or friends to EPs. since off-campus programs involve overnight stays and travel, these adventures are available only to EPs students. Limiting participation in these trips helps the chaperones know the preferences, needs and limitations of each student traveling.

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EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

This year marks the return of many popular opportunities such as white water rafting on the lower salmon River. We will also continue to offer four separate iPad & clay animation courses along with two sessions of Keytime typing. The Keytime class provides additional skills that will be helpful for students learning to use their laptops on a daily basis.

Parents and students will also find some exciting new programs offered this year. new on-campus experiences include a Theatre camp, fashion design and craft Week and Make@EPs. new off-campus trips include travel to both alaska and cambodia!

This year, we’re also introducing our new online registration and payment options for added convenience. to find out more information about the offerings this summer and to register for any of our programs, please visit summer.eastsideprep.org. If you have any questions, please contact us at epsummer@eastsideprep.org or 425-882-5668 x 359.

Opposite page: Top, Rafters on the Salmon River in 2012; Bottom, Students hike at Mt. Dickerman This page, clockwise from top left: Director Meghan Arnette works with EPS students on a play production; Connor (’18) and friends enjoy Clay Animation; Students hiking near Colchuck Lake

INSPIRE spring 2013

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Upcoming F

ollowing are some of the upcoming events at Eastside Prep. Events open to the public have short descriptions while the ones without are exclusive to the EPS Community. For a complete listing of EPS activities and events, visit our website (www.eastsideprep. org/calendar) and filter All-School Events category.

MAY 7, 8 new parent orientation

EPS 101 for parents new to EPS (by invitation only)

14 Senior Project Presentations

Once Upon A Mattress, music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, book

by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer and Dean Fuller; presented by EPS Middle School and Upper School students.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s, The Princess and The Pea. This lively musical takes a rollicking spin on the classic story of royal courtship and re-imagines the road to happily ever after. Directed

by Michael Cruz. Musical direction by Matthew Kruse.

Reservations are required to attend the performance. Contact the director of the production to reserve a seat mcruz@eastsideprep.org.

17 TEDxEastsidePrep 10 am to 4pm

7pm, Levinger-Poole Theatre

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4pm to 5:30pm, Levinger-Poole Theatre

Showcases highlight our students’ work each trimester in music, art, dance and theatre classes. Come and celebrate our students’ artistic talents and hard work this winter trimester.

30 All School Community BBQ

2pm, Levinger-Poole Commons A culmination of our Senior Project process, the Class of 2013 will share their independent work in both presentation and exhibit form. All EPS students, parents and alumni are invited to attend.

21-23 All School Musical

30 Fine and Performing Arts Showcase

5:30pm to 7:30pm, EPS campus

Forge an idea, craft a theory, build consensus, form an opinion. Making and the mind are linked through our actions and our metaphors. TEDxEastsidePrep 2013 seeks to construct a conversation exploring the link between what we think and what we make. To learn more about this event, visit www.tedxeastsideprep.com. (limited seating capacity)

Eastside Preparatory School 10 Years and Counting

Current and newly-admitted families are invited to join us for our All School Community BBQ for the opportunity to enjoy time with our incredible community. At Eastside Prep, we place a high value on community and this event allows families to get to know one another and to spend time with our

Events faculty and staff. Come hungry as we will enjoy some good ol’ fashioned BBQ provided by our amazing kitchen team.

There will also be face painting, climbing wall action and lots of laughs. This is an event you will not want to miss!

We look forward to seeing you on May 30th! Questions? Please contact Ana Safavi, Student Life Coordinator (asafavi@ eastsideprep.org)

20 Middle School Continuation Ceremony

EPS campus (by invitation only)

Memorial for former Trustee and alumni parent Andrew Lewis 2pm to 4pm, Levinger-Poole Commons

The EPS community is invited to attend a memorial for Andrew Lewis in the Levinger-Poole Commons.

3-4 Parent-StudentAdvisor Conferences

Parents and students meet with the student’s advisor to discuss the upcoming school year.

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JUNE 2

SEPTEMBER

First Day of School

10 New Parent Dinner

21 Graduation Ceremony Kirkland Performance Center (by invitation only)

JULY- AUGUST EPSummer Camps

June 30 to August 23 EPS has many offerings this year allowing students to choose what would best suit their interests and schedule. Details can be found on our website (www. summer.eastsideprep.org) or on page 42 of this magazine. Off-campus experiences are exclusively for EPS students; on-campus programs are open to the public. LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE. Email epsummer@eastsideprep.org if you have any questions.

Parents new to EPS are invited to a special welcoming event to discuss school culture and ask questions.

11-12 Fall Orientation Trips

Students travel on age-appropriate trips to build relationships with faculty, advisors and fellow students.

26 Back to School Night

An opportunity for parents to meet each of their student’s teachers while following their child’s daily schedule.

INSPIRE Spring 2013

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Andrew Lewis with wife Maaike and son Peter at Peter’s graduation from EPS

In MEMoRIaM:

andrew lewis “When he walked into a room, Andy always had a smile and a laugh.

He was board vice president and chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee, so Andy and I spent a lot of time together. Between meetings we would talk about many things. We agreed on almost everything except birds (he loved them and I’m phobic). I was impressed by many things about Andy. He asked good questions. He was perceptive, tactful and empathetic. He was always willing to step forward when asked. He wasn’t afraid of trying new things. He was very close to his son Peter and spoke of him with love and pride. And that is most important. After all, we worked so hard to make Eastside Prep a success for our kids.”

Janet levinger, EPS Trustee Emerita

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EaStSIdE PREPaRatoRy School 10 Years and counting

“I was fortunate to get to know Andrew when we both served on the board of our children’s school. Here, I saw his passion and love for his community and his family.

“Andrew was a man that was large in stature, voice, and heart. My thoughts and prayers go to his wife Maaike, son Peter and his entire family. He will be missed by all of us who were fortunate to have known him.” suzan delbene, US House of Representatives Former EPS Trustee

a

ndREW LEWIs, EastsIdE Preparatory school trustee and friend, passed away suddenly on february 23, 2013. andrew was married to Maaike Baker; their son, Peter, was a member of the EPs class of 2012. as a trustee, andrew was invited to present his son’s diploma at commencement last June, and he did it with the same energy and joy that he brought to every endeavor. andrew had many friends and colleagues in seattle—some of whom were also members of the EPs Board:

“When I first met Maaike and Andrew—in the summer of 2005, just before Peter joined EPS as a 6th grader—I knew they were people I would want to come to know. I was eager to get one of them on the board, and Andrew accepted the challenge. He did all the things trustees do—and well—but what I most appreciated about him was his confidence that anything could be figured out. No matter the problem, Andrew’s first response was a jovial, stress debunking laugh. That was typically followed by three or four fabulously satirical statements designed to keep the laughter alive. Then—when everyone had relaxed—he would pose a question that would, inevitably, lead us to the answer we sought.

“Andrew was smart, and funny, and wise. He was patient when it made sense to be—and he was impatient when that made sense. He was a good friend, a wise colleague, and a man whose absence will be felt in many corners of our community for a painfully long time.”

EPS Board of Trustees at 2010 graduation

Andrew Lewis with faculty members and fellow parents at the Senior Dinner in 2012

terry Macaluso, PhD, Head of School EPS Board of Trustees at 2012 graduation

“Every time Andrew entered a room he filled it with his passion for and commitment to the school. For a few years Andrew held the toughest job on the board—leading our fundraising efforts. He was always serious when the task required it and quick to see the humor or absurdity in our task when the committee needed it.

The school will always be in his debt.” byron bishop, Trustee, Former President EPS Board of Trustees

“When he told me of his background in biochemistry, I asked Andy if he would talk to my biology classes about designer proteins. The following day I received a brain dump in the form of a very, very long PowerPoint presentation with embedded animations, videos and colorful images. It seems Andy had been up all night and his passion for the topic was evident in slides with titles like, ‘Proteins: Nature’s Robots’ and ‘Mo’ Cool Things About Proteins.’ I suggested he pare down the presentation a bit and a week or two later, he came into class with his wonderful exuberance. Playing to the crowd (and skipping a few of the slides), Andy reached the students with his sense of humor and his evident enthusiasm for science. Hearing of Andy’s passing left me feeling empty. He enriched our community with his wit and willingness to share his perspectives. He will be greatly missed. My heart goes out to Maaike and Peter.”

Adam waltzer, Science Teacher, Eastside Prep

10613 NE 38th Place Kirkland, WA 98033

Call us today at 425 822-5668 or visit www.eastsideprep.org

Photograph by EPS student Marnie (’16)