1968 Magazine | Spring/Summer 2023

Progressive Growth.

Edmund Burke School Magazine

STEVE’S STUDY STEVE’S STUDY STEVE’S STUDY

Dear Burke Community,

Throughout my career as an educator, have heard this question most predictably: “So, is the school year winding down?”

This could not be further from the experience of working in schools. In May, the cadence of daily routines starts to quicken, the special events and performances increase in frequency, and everyone feels the activity and the momentum building toward a joyous crescendo.

Then, at some point after Graduation and Moving Up, a hush quickly descends, like the closing of a curtain, as the school shifts into a slower, summer rhythm.

Even as this year is ending, our eyes are on the future. Who will be joining our community next year? What campus improvements will we make? What new electives or programs will launch? These are the questions that we are asking–and answering–as we look to the summer months.

This summer we will also re-activate our strategic planning process, which will inspire questions about who we are as a school and who we aspire to be.

At our core, we are a progressive school. In these pages, we explore how progressive education began and how it looks in practice today.

How do we put students at the center of our work? How are we activating their critical thinking muscles in all arenas of their school experience? How do we inspire them to be civically engaged and invested in bettering our world?

As John Dewey stated, the progressive educator’s duty is to prepare students “not for the world of the past, not for our world but for their world — the world of the future.”

As we close out one school year and look ahead to a new one, we also should ask, “how are we creating time for relaxation, reading, creativity, family, and unplugged communion with the natural world?” I hope healthy doses of all of those activities are part of your summer rhythms.

Have a great summer, Burke!

In peace and partnership,

Steve McManus Head of School

SPRING RETROSPECTIVE

As the weather warms and the days lengthen on Upton Street, those small signals of spring start to crop up.

Lunch on the 4th floor terrace requires serious sunglasses. Crowds lessen in the halls as class trips and excursions pack the calendar. Concerts and events fill our evenings, from soon-to-be 9th graders gathering for “The Amazing Race” to the Middle School selling out a run of Legally Blonde Jr

In spring 2020, our senior class was midway through freshman year when a global pandemic put an indefinite pause on all traditions and routines. In spring 2021, they sat at desks spaced six feet apart and got reacquainted during mask breaks. And in spring 2022, an act of violence brought everything to a painful halt again.

This spring, reassuring routines and light-hearted traditions were finally back – from visiting colleges to taking AP exams, from embarking on the full Senior Project experience to playing tug-of-war with the juniors during their penultimate week of classes.

These seniors in particular have endured more than their share of history, yet the kindness and spirit of the Class of 2023 prevail. Even their senior prank, wherein they pitched tents and set up a campsite in the Atrium, spoke of cohesion, of solidarity.

Alumni, we know you will give this class the warmest welcome into your midst.

And we hope to see you all back on campus for more of the Burke revelry and irreverence that we have greatly missed.

“So what is progressive education?”

THEN

Ask a dozen people to define “progressive education” and, perhaps appropriately, you may receive a dozen different answers – from the strictly pedagogical to the wholly political, from the pithy to the ponderous.

Often, we define “progressive education” by what it is not.

In the mid-19th century, secondary school curricula often centered on classical Greek and Latin texts and preparation for a select few universities. Generally, “white males […] filled seats in classrooms and were therefore the beneficiaries of classical learning.” By design, schools were hierarchical and exclusionary.

Progressive education was to be the opposite.

In 1916, progressive reformer John Dewey published Democracy in Education in which he “enunciated the principle of growth as the essence of educational activity;” in short, education (and thus growth) was not about mastering specific skills or completing specific tasks: “growth was its own end.”3

An ally of Hull House founder Jane Addams, Dewey also believed that schools were key to ongoing social reform in America. In school, young people should explore, debate, and practice democracy, in collaboration with faculty. Curriculum should align with the “real-life occupational and democratic experiences of the surrounding society.”4 And, schools should be nothing like monarchies. Collaborative, democratic laboratories were more apt – ones where research topics “evolv[ed] from children’s interests and needs.”5

Think fewer desks in rows, fewer textbooks and less rote memorization. More time outside, more open-ended conversation and hands-on exploration. In short, “American progressives rejected the formalism and routines of traditional schools.”2

Following World War I, when progressive reforms had stalled, Caroline Pratt developed a “play-oriented curriculum at a private school” in Greenwich Village. Pratt championed the development of individual creativity and potential, which in turn would benefit society as a whole; however, she also eschewed Dewey’s civic and social mindset.6

In the 1920s, “reconstructionist and child-centered progressives continued to differ on education’s social and political role,” and the extent to which schools should (or could) remain “ideologically neutral.” Even the most virulent reformers were themselves inconsistent, often remaining “basically silent on the issue of race.”8

From today’s vantage point, one hundred years later, this question of the educational and the political looms large. In short, even progressive education’s initial champions did not agree on what it means and how it should play out, or stay out of in a burgeoning democracy.

Contemporary progressive schools draw from the same deep pool of ideas, but priorities and practices can vary significantly among institutions. Some may draw from Dewey and others from Pratt; some from William Kilpatricks’ “project method” and others from Francis Parker’s focus on students’ “own interests and curiosities.”9

In 1770, British statesman Edmund Burke wrote, “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one.”10 This text is often cited as the inspiration for the phrase, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

When founding Edmund Burke School in 1968, Dick Roth and Jean Mooskin connected this social imperative with Dewey’s social engagement.

From the offset, civic engagement and a democratic, participatory approach to education were high priorities. At Burke, students would be active participants in their education and in their communities – and encouraged to explore, iterate, and continually grow.

Today, those values are reflected in Burke’s “Portrait of a Graduate” which focuses on authentic self-actualization and ethical active citizenship. The Portrait also acknowledges an uncertain future, striving to equip students with curiosity, creativity, and adaptability.

Progressivism also informs day-to-day choices, ones that students associate with Burke long after they have graduated:

• students and teachers are on a first-name basis to lessen hierarchy in the classroom

• the “no cut” policy in performing arts and athletics encourages continual exploration and risk-taking

• students engage in service and civic engagement curriculum specific to their grade level

• teachers incorporate the capital city and its resources into their coursework

• faculty and staff keep their doors open literally and figuratively

• our open campus gives high school students autonomy and responsibility for their time

• clubs and affinity groups are all student-led and managed

• school traditions are appreciated but not fixed students can change and develop them over time

• from middle school passion projects to senior projects students have great flexibility in what they research and how they present it – and what comes next

Broadly, progressive education creates space where students’ voices matter, where they can ask strange and unsettling questions, where they can catalyze change and truly participate in some of the most formative years of their lives.

Ella

John

Caroline

William Kilpatrick (1871-1965)

”… Burke places the intellectual, physical and creative lives of our students at the center of all our efforts. Our teachers know, respect and appreciate their students as individual, unique learners, and nurture their social and emotional well-being.” - Our Educational Philosophy (excerpt)

PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION ON THE ROAD

“[Francis] Parker believed that “children learned most effectively and enjoyably when they were able to explore the objects and situations in their immediate environments [...] He emphasized conducting field trips to community resources, such as parks, zoos, museums and art galleries.”.

“Experiences that take place outside of the confines of the classroom walls have a range of benefits [...] When we do this, we encounter the world as a whole and are forced to engage multiple modalities, no matter which pair of disciplinary “lenses” we intended to wear.”

With most pandemic-era restrictions lifted, faculty and students could once more draw on the myriad resources – cultural, historical, scientific – in our region. This school year, travel and exploration were again consistent, inherent components of student life.

[ List of trips: bit.ly/burketrips ]

Francis W. Parker (1837-1902)

Flagg Young (1845-1918)

Dewey (1859-1952)

Pratt (1867-1954)

Among the most seasoned travelers were 11th and 12th graders in Maureen’s Advanced Art History course, who dedicated 1-2 classes each month to a gallery venture.

In October, students visited the Contemporary Art Museum of Arlington for a private viewing of Lex Marie’s “Let them kids be kids,” focused on the Black childhood. A mixed media artist, Marie talked about her process, answered questions, and brought students into her studio.

In March, students delved into the museum formation process. At the National Museum of the American Indian, they observed educational material, architectural plans, and curatorial notes, which informed their Indigenous Americas project: creating their own museum to house an unique Indigenous American collection of art and architecture.

Other trips included a study of linear perspective (a technique revived by Brunelleschi in the early 1400) at the National Gallery’s Italian Renaissance wing and modern art in the East Wing, including works by Alma Thomas and Cy Twombly.

CASE IN POINT: HISTORY BEYOND DC

For the first time since 2019, the 8th grade traveled to Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma, Alabama, for a four-day immersion in the Civil Rights Movement in the American South. Not only does the trip give full life to the US History curriculum, students also develop connections to current social issues and build community with their peers and teachers.

On the first day, students and teachers visited 16th St. Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and Bethel Baptist Church, before meeting with Civil Rights speakers Dr. Martha Bouyer and Dr. Carolyn McKinstry, who survived the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in 1963.

The next day, students walked to and over Edmund Pettus Bridge (the site of Bloody Sunday in 1965 and a key point on the Selma to Montgomery Marches), then visited the National Voting Rights Museum and Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State. The third day included the Rosa Parks Museum and Library, Civil Rights Memorial at Southern Poverty Law Center, the Alabama State Capitol, and Freedom Rides Museum.

Before returning home to DC, the group delved into The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration at Equal Justice Initiative, “situated on a site in Montgomery where Black people were forced to labor in bondage.” Sasha F. ‘27 voiced a reflective refrain heard from many students, that it was “the best museum I’ve ever been to.”3

Explore: https://museumandmemorial.eji.org/museum

“So what is progressive education ?”

Photograph by Pan L. ‘23

COMMEMORATION

On Friday, April 21, Burke reached the one-year mark since last spring’s shooting, which occurred during dismissal on Friday, April 22, 2022. In the months before, students and adults discussed how we might approach that day and how we could incorporate the breadth of experiences among both returning and new students. Rather than hold a formal ceremony or large community event, we chose to redesign the school day, offering different programming based on the grade level and plenty of choices for students. That day drew upon two principles:

• Centering student voices and ideas in the design of the day

• Providing different options and opportunities to engage, depending on what each student, faculty, and staff member might need

To that end, Burke did not hold classes or extracurriculars on April 21, and shifted dismissal from its usual time. Instead, each division had its own distinct programming.

Middle School dedicated the day to field trips:

6th grade: a full day on the water, in a research vessel and in flatwater canoes, thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Arthur Sherwood Environmental Education Center in Maryland

7th grade: a morning down at Peirce Mill crafting land art with rocks, sticks, and found materials and an afternoon at Sportrock, run by Sean Taft-Morales ‘05

8th grade: a pre-planned, four-day trip to Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama, as part of their study of the Civil Rights Movement (see pg. 6)

High Schools students had an abundance of choice in how they spent the day. First, all high school students and faculty gathered for a morning assembly, with a performance by the Advanced Chorus and remarks from Officer Tony Harris.

Next, high schoolers chose three different activities from among a range of options:

• Art-Making

• Chair Yoga

• Cooking and Baking

• Letter writing and Advocacy

• Music Jam Session

• Nature Activities in Rock Creek Park

• Photography

• Processing space with One Common Unity

• Pulling invasive plants

• Sports and Games in the Gym

• Tabletop / board games

To close out the day, students gathered for lunch at Howard Field – the same place where we ceremonially re-opened school last spring.

BY MEL A. ‘26

OUR CANDLE

April 22 was, at first, any other day. It was Friday. remember lingering in a classroom, waiting for a friend to finish packing up. was standing in the doorway when the shots rang out and the glass broke. remember the panic and confusion briefly paralyzing me. Seven of us rushed behind the teacher’s desk and two of us hid in an empty closet. We waited. A few of us texted and tried to call loved ones. All we could do was sit in our growing fear and wait. I clutched my hamsa and my friend’s hand and prayed. I prayed: “God if someone in this room has to get shot, let it be me. God, give me the strength to protect them if it comes down to it. God, give us the strength to survive.”

My small class was rushed down to the theater hours later. Huddled in a corner with our other classmates, we were still terrified. To this day vividly remember a small puddle of blood that sat next to on the floor. I closed my eyes and felt myself begin to shake. I could not recall the frantic thoughts had in those moments if I tried.

In that small closed off theater we only had each other. We attempted to comfort one another, not fully knowing what was waiting for us outside. We were alone in that darkness for what felt like ages, with nothing but a candle to fend off the monsters. But we made that candle blaze on as bright as we could. We held that candle high even when the hot wax dripped down and burned our hands.

We survived that day. By some miracle we all survived. But many of us were shattered and damaged beyond belief. Some of us mentally and a few of us physically. And many of us are still wounded. There is no shame in that. There is no shame in our scars. That pain is proof that we are still alive. That we can still fight. That we can still heal. Our school is still standing. We are still here. And in this past year, we as a community have grown and changed.

We have new faces. New friends. And while they might not have experienced the full force of this horrific moment in our school’s history, they too were affected. And they have their own scars to bear. We should welcome and accept their scars as they should for ours.

We might never fully go back to the way we were. But that is okay. We just need to be each other’s shoulder to lean on like last year on April 22, 2022. Going forward believe there is something we need to remember: We can’t fix the pain. We can’t stop the guilt and sorrow. But we can together make it bearable. We can keep the candle burning.

To this day, when I see friends or extended family who I have not seen since the shooting last April 22, and they ask how am doing, they literally always say, “I am sure you’re tired of talking about it,” and always reply, “I never get tired of talking about it and telling my story.”

I also never get tired of hearing other people’s stories, most of which I have not heard yet. It still impresses me how many different experiences there were and how terrifying it was from so many different perspectives.

It is important that people hear every story about those affected by gun violence, because the impact has a ripple effect, reaching many besides the immediate victims. Perhaps if enough people tell their stories, society will finally do something about it, similar to how society came together to change our tolerance of drunk driving and smoking. I finished teaching that day at 2 PM, and on any other Friday I would have left for home, but I had offered to cover the last 15 minutes of last period for a colleague who had an early dismissal for sports. After the class ended I was about to put my key in the door to the band room, and I heard what sounded like a bunch of fireworks going off on the bridge about 25 feet away. My first thought was: “Yesterday was senior prank day and this is someone doing one last end-of-the-week prank.”

Almost immediately, there was another burst of noise and could see the glass flying on the bridge through the head of school’s office’s open door. Past Head of School Damian Jones ran out into the commons and yelled to take cover. I quickly opened the door, and some passing students also took cover in the band room. Thankfully, they remembered the protocol we practiced and we barricaded the doors with heavy guitar amps. We were lucky that we had phones and were able to call family, and we were also able to peek out on Connecticut Avenue to see the instantaneous response from multiple law enforcement agencies.

I will be forever grateful that no one was killed and so few were hit, but the thought of the trauma for those who were struck, especially Officer Tony Harris, remains intense. find it helpful and important that I tell my story to whoever will listen. Not only does telling my story bring awareness, but it also lets others know that they are not alone. Your stories are important and I hope that you will tell yours as often as you can.

BY JOHN HOWARD P’11, ‘14 OUR STORIES

These first-person articles originally appeared in The Cageliner (April 2023) as part of the student-run newspaper’s commemoration of April 22. The Cageliner’s 2022-23 Editorial Board, including Riley D. ‘24, Alex B. ‘24, and Aaron H. ‘25, oversaw and edited this issue.

J.D. SAND (DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS)

Burke Tenure: 2009-2023

This past spring, J.D. was appointed the Athletic Director at Dwight Englewood School, a PK-12 independent school of 1,000 students in northern New Jersey. J.D. started teaching at Burke in 2009 and has led the athletics program since 2014 – always ensuring that student athletes are supported in their growth and progress, offering an invaluable voice at the leadership table, and navigating innumerable complexities associated with sports during the pandemic.

Congratulations to J.D., and we will miss your wisdom, spirit, and indefatigable good humor.

We hope to see you on the court again soon.

LIZ RINGENBERG (PERFORMING ARTS FACULTY)

Burke Tenure: 2018-2023

In her five years leading the vocal music program, Liz has directed myriad choruses, concerts, and musicals from Urinetown to The Lion King She has traveled with Burke singers to the National Cathedral and Capital One Arena, to Hershey Park and New York City. And she has gone above and beyond many times, from playing the violin during virtual graduation in 2020 to editing a 2-hour “hybrid” musical in 2021. We will miss your talents, artistry, and profound care for your students.

JAMES ROBERTS (DIRECTOR OF AUXILIARY PROGRAMS / ADMISSIONS ASSOCIATE)

Burke Tenure: 2022-2023

James joined Burke during a record-setting year for Admissions, juggling tours and interviews along with summer and rental programming. Our best wishes as James moves on to a new role at St. Andrew’s Episocial School.

IN MEMORIAM

CLASS NOTES

Daniel Raymont ‘87, “a character actor whose career is on the rise” (Colby News) recently appeared in “The Mosquito Coast” on Apple TV+ and ¡Que Viva México! on Netflix. Read the full profile from his alma mater, Colby College: [ bit.ly/BurkeDanielR ]

Alex White ‘03 recently married a Bay Area local at a “10-person Covid wedding officiated by a rabbi/coworker/friend/Boomer.” Alex teaches Math and Computer Science at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay in San Francisco. He intends to bring back Elvish at JCHS, based on the curriculum he taught at Burke in 2010-11. His 9th grade computer science class is “the direct brainchild descendant of a computer organization course that Burke students requested in 2011-12.”

Benjamin Sussman ‘09 recently completed his Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree, with a focus in Digital Archivism, from Catholic University. He currently works at Georgetown University Medical Center as a certified librarian.

Kristin Wallace ‘10 reports, “my first episode of Baby Shark’s Big Show premiered on Nickelodeon on January 6!” In addition to writing for Nickelodeon Animation, Kristin also wrote and starred in White Time which had an encore run at The Elysian in Los Angeles this past January.

Faith Snyderman ‘12, an opera singer and concert soloist, was Washington Jewish Week’s cover story on April 12, 2023. Faith’s recently performed the roles of Agnes Smith Lewis & Leah in Geniza: Hidden Fragments by composer Rabbi Arnold Saltzman here in DC.

Zach Werb ‘14 writes, “While at Burke spent a lot of time in Allen’s media class. His production classes really helped me get a basic grasp on film techniques and inspired me to grow in this career. Since graduating from Burke and University of Redlands, I’ve had multiple internships at Paramount Pictures and spent a couple of years at YouTube Originals. Most recently, for almost two years. I have been working on Avatar 2 as a post-production coordinator.”

Isabel Albores ‘19 (Williams College ‘23) played a key role in opening the college’s new Bouldering Barn this past spring. According to The Williams Record, “[Isabel] is a part of the [Williams Outdoor Club] board, the Williams Climbing Club (WCC), and the design team for the project.”

BRUCE MCKENZIE (SCHOOL NURSE)

Burke Tenure: 2021-23

FAREWELLS & RETIREMENTS

During Bruce’s tenure, students often seemed to enjoy their visits to the Nurse’s Office on the 1st floor, where he would provide sage advice and cringe-worthy jokes in addition to first aid. We are forever grateful to Bruce for guiding us through the last two years of the pandemic with care and good humor. We wish him well as he moves into providing full-time home hospice care.

Alice Crafford ‘21 (Carnegie Mellon ‘25) joined a meeting of Burke’s Science Club before Spring Break and talked about studying Astrophysics and Mathematics. She explained that Carnegie Mellon was “a lot of work, and that’s what wanted: to be a good scientist, contribute to the world, and do important research.”

Kyra Layman ‘21 (Macalester College ‘25) has co-authored “Pinkwashing Power: Performative Action in LGBTQ Rights Legislation in Germany, Mexico, and Nicaragua,” which was selected for publication in the Tri-Co Law Review (Winter 2023).

Lena Streitweiser ‘22 (Trinity College Dublin / Columbia ‘26) was among the winners in the 2023 Japan International Film Festival’s Student Film / United States category for her short film “Unprompted,” featuring Ellen C. ‘23. Congratulations!

On Saturday, May 13 Pam Herath (past Director of Athletics and Dean of Students) married the love of her life, Lana Lloyd, in Frederick, MD. Past and current teachers, staff, and students were in attendance, including DJ Nu Life / Malcolm Jones ‘05, Chris Richardson, Jeremy Edwards, Stacy Smith, Taylor S. ‘26, Becca Seidel-Nini, and Walter Ailes.

Photo Credits: Zach Werb, Stacy Smith,

Claartje Rathjens Bertaut passed away peacefully at age 91 on December 4, 2022. “Once her children reached school age, Claartje enjoyed a 35+ year career teaching and tutoring math and science to middle and high school students, including 25 years at the Edmund Burke School.”

Matt Mirsky ‘07 passed away unexpectedly and tragically on February 13, 2023. The son of Richard Mirsky and Donna Orem (past President of Burke’s Board of Trustees), Matt was a talented musician, drummer, bassist, and dedicated member of many Burke bands, as well as an artist. Matt’s magnetic personality and smile made him a well loved member of our community.

Pictured: Burke Band album cover design by Matt in 2007

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ALUMNI WEEKEND ‘23

SAVE THE DATE!

Friday, September 29 & Saturday, September 30

Welcoming all alumni, past faculty, and past staff members!

Let’s hear it for classes of ...

1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2018

who will be celebrating milestone reunions this year!

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs

Jennifer Kozak Rawlings, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

Susan Kay Jones, Assistant Director of Development, Advancement Services

Kate Maskarinec, Assistant Director of Development, Special Events

Office of Communications

Julia Harman Cain, Director of Communications and Marketing

Jadéa Asante, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing

Our Mission

Burke consciously brings together students who are different from one another in many ways, actively engages them in their own education, holds them to high expectations, gives them power and responsibility, and supports and advances their growth as skilled and independent thinkers who step forward to make positive contributions to the world in which they live.

Equity and Inclusion at Burke

Burke respects the dignity and humanity of our students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and trustees, as well as our broader community. We embrace a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. We strive to cultivate understanding and appreciation of diversity that includes, but is not limited to, age, ability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, gender identity, political perspectives, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We acknowledge and encourage differences of opinions, ideas, and interests, and we expect thoughtful discussion and civil engagement.

Burke affirms the individual worth of all community members, and we challenge behaviors that demean, marginalize, or exclude others. Our goal is to maintain a diverse school community that exemplifies these values and to fulfill our commitment to equity and inclusion consistently in all areas of school and community life.

Address 4101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 Website www.burkeschool.org

Phone 202-362-8882 Social @edmundburkeschool Alumni Email alumni@burkeschool.org

1968: Edmund Burke School Magazine is produced by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs and the Office of Communications and Marketing for alumni, parents and friends of the School. Letters and comments are welcome. The editors express their appreciation to all the writers and photographers who contributed to this issue of 1968

SAVE THE DATES

August 19 - Burke Community Day at the Washington Nationals

August 30 - Back to School Gathering for Parents + Students

September 29-20 - Alumni Weekend & Reunion for ‘3 & ‘8 Classes

October 6-7 - Homecoming Weekend for Students

October 21 - Admissions Open House for Prospective Families

November 10 - Grandparents & Grandfriends Day

December 6 - Day of Giving

December 9 - Admissions Open House for Prospective Families

December 14 - Family Holiday Party

January 3 - Alumni Holiday Party

Head of School

1968 Edmund Burke School Magazine

Board of Trustees

2022-2023

4101 Connecticut Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20008

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING BURKE!

We are grateful for all of the ways that you support Burke throughout the year!

We are especially thankful to all those who made a financial contribution during the 2022-23 fundraising year. As you know, your support goes directly toward making Burke the special place that it is and ensuring that all of our students have access to a Burke education. We simply couldn’t do it without you!

If you forgot to give this past yearor want to be among the first to pledge your support to Burke during the 2023-24 fundraising yearplease use the QR code to give online, or visit www.burkeschool.org/give.