Eton School Connect: A Magazine for the Eton School Community Spring 2017 Vol. 1 No. 1

Connect

Spring 2017 Vol 1 | Issue 1

A Magazine for the Eton School Community

In This Issue Sensorial Curriculum and STEM Education Salmon in the Classroom A Space that Truly Belongs to Them Students Connect with Communities

The Surface Pro: A New Learning Tool Neuroscience Connections I am Becoming‌ Annual Report & Alumni Update

Mission Statement We at Eton School commit to educate the whole child and honor the diversity of each individual Intellectually by

Board of Trustees President: Viki Dragich Vice President: Diana Butler Treasurer: Peter Roppo Secretary: Judi Hoskins Beth Bazley Bob Frangooles Minnu Kotha Nasreen Shamsuddin Ex Officio Members Russell Smith Head of School Lubdha Khandelwal Eton Parent Council President

facilitating collaborative and independent learning teaching academic skills in the context of cosmic education developing higher order thinking through a vigorous curriculum giving meaningful evaluation Emotionally by promoting unconditional acceptance and respect of self assisting personal growth supporting the partnership of school and home providing a nurturing environment Socially by promoting unconditional acceptance and respect of others teaching communication and cooperation skills fostering positive group interaction cultivating a sense of responsibility and empathy Physically by

Connect A Magazine for the Eton School Community Spring 2017 Volume 1 Issue 1

Š 2017 Eton School

Eton School

2701 Bellevue-Redmond Road Bellevue, WA 98008 425.881.4230 www.etonschool.org

recognizing the interdependence of mind and body teaching respect and care for the body assisting in the refining and strengthening of physical skills valuing the need for purposeful movement Spiritually by inspiring a love of learning encouraging self-determination developing and nurturing global awareness sharing joy, beauty and a reverence for life We support this Mission by providing developmentally designed programs and methodologies based on Montessori philosophy and educational research. We dedicate ourselves to lifelong learning.

Dear Eton Community, Over time, an organization develops patterns of communication.

Paradoxically, those patterns of communication are a product of the organization’s culture while also helping shape and define that culture.

In the years since my arrival at Eton School, we have taken steps each year to create and cultivate proactive, transparent, and collaborative communication.

The importance of this effort led us to create the new position of Communications and Marketing Director, filled by Alice McNeer. With her invaluable help, we launched a new website filled with photographs, videos, and material showcasing the value of an Eton School education and the warmth of our community. That site now includes dynamic class pages that share events and activities with parents and families. The Community Connection provides a weekly newsletter to families of happenings on campus, highlighting assemblies, field trips, class experiences, and community events. These items are included with important calendar reminders.

We have also instituted new traditions on campus to encourage greater family participation and involvement and create additional opportunities for personal interaction. First Thursday Coffees provide a forum for parents to meet one another and talk about volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, etc. The Eton Parent Council has developed a robust series of evening meetings with Parent Learning Events that provide informational talks on topics relating to education, child development, and parenting.

As we undertake another new step, we welcome you to the first issue of our new magazine, Connect. This publication is intended to provide an entertaining insight into the events happening in and around the Eton School Community and afford readers a look into the lives of our students and the Eton School educational philosophy. We hope you enjoy it!

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, Head of School

Connect Contributors Susan Baccellieri

Poppy Louthan

Susan is the Lead Teacher for Pre-elementary and teaches in Mezzo C.

As the Teacher‑Librarian, Poppy teaches all levels and works with the eighth-grade students on their final project.

Sonja Everson

Monica Maling

Sonja is the Lead Teacher for Upper Elementary and teaches fourth grade.

Monica is the Development Director and previously taught Upper Elementary and was the Support Staff Coordinator.

Kris Meyer Gaskins

Jason Mallon

Kris is the Head of Preelementary and Lower Elementary. Previously, Kris taught Pre‑elementary and Lower Elementary.

Jason is the Chief Financial Officer for Eton School and he also serves on the board of trustees for Spruce Street School.

Cherie Goetz

Alice McNeer

Cherie is the Admission Director for Eton School.

Alice is the Communications and Marketing Director.

Previously, she was the Teacher-Librarian.

Angela Kim

Laura Moore

Angela is the Lead Teacher for Lower Elementary and teaches in Room 3.

Laura is the Lead Teacher for Middle School and teaches Math and Science for sixth through eighth grade.

In This Issue...

Sensorial Curriculum and STEM Education

by Susan Baccellieri........................................................................................................................................................................... 4

The Surface Pro: A New Learning Tool

by Angela Kim........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Salmon in the Classroom

by Sonja Everson.................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Neuroscience Connections

by Laura Moore................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

A Space that Truly Belongs to Them

by Poppy Louthan............................................................................................................................................................................ 12

I am Becoming‌

by Kris Meyer Gaskins................................................................................................................................................................ 14

Students Connect with Communities: Global and Local......................................................................... 15

Annual Report 2016 FY: Sustainability and Improvements

by Jason Mallon.................................................................................................................................................................................. 16

Financial Aid: Working with Families

by Cherie Goetz............................................................................................................................................................................... 17

You are Essential to Our Program

by Monica Maling.............................................................................................................................................................................. 18

2016 Fiscal Year: Thank You for Your Donation............................................................................................... 19

Life-Long Learners Alumni Update........................................................................................................................................................................................ 20

Pre-elementary (Age 3 through Kindergarten)

Sensorial Curriculum and STEM Education

by Susan Baccellieri

Pre-elementary Lead Teacher

STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, is a learning model at the forefront of educational advancement for the past four to five years. Schools across the country are adapting philosophies, programs, specifically designed classrooms, and specially trained teachers to support this model. After reading the following definition of STEM, this is definitely understandable.

STEM Education is more than just presentation and dissemination of information and cultivation of techniques. It is a process for teaching and learning that offers students opportunities to make sense of the world and take charge of their learning, rather than learning isolated bits and pieces of content.

In the STEM environment, there is less emphasis on activities that demonstrate science content and a greater focus on those activities that allow students to engage in real world problems and experiences through project-based, experiential learning activities that lead to higher level thinking. ~Education.com October 23, 2013 The students and teachers in Eton’s Pre-elementary program have been supporting this model since the school’s founding in 1978, and Montessori environments everywhere have been supporting this model for over one hundred years! This is especially evident through the work the children do with the Montessori

4 | Eton School

Spring 2017

Sensorial materials. The following is a brief introduction to the Sensorial materials written by Dr. Maria Montessori in 1949.

Our sensorial material provides a kind of guide to observation, for it classifies the impressions that each sense can receive: the colors, notes, noises, forms and sizes, touch-sensations, odors and tastes. This undoubtedly is also a form of culture, for it leads us to pay attention both to ourselves and to our surroundings. ~The Absorbent Mind 1949 A major similarity between these two descriptors is the stress on allowing students to engage in the real world. Every activity and exercise in a Montessori environment relates and integrates with another curriculum area, and it is the Sensorial area activities that integrate the student with their world. Learning through their senses, the students are exposed to universal truths; longest/shortest, biggest/smallest, thickest/thinnest, roughest/ smoothest, darkest/lightest, the examples are limitless. These are truths that the students discover through exploration and discovery, through trial

and error. These are truths that carry through every curriculum area, through higher levels of thinking and indeed they define our culture.

Pinterest sights are full of STEM activities. Some are even labeled as Montessori STEM activities.

These fun experiments are delightful! Depending on the age of the child, most often these activities must be adult inspired and led. And after the Ah-ha moment, the activity is completed and cleaned up.

The materials in the Pre-elementary classrooms naturally invite the child and most importantly, the child will choose to work with them repeatedly. The children independently interact with these materials to discover patterns and designs using from ten to one hundred pieces of equipment. These patterns and designs are based on the discriminatory relationships among all of these materials. Children learn to make their own decisions and, again to follow the STEM definition of taking charge of their own learning, can comprehend their own instincts effectively. It is one thing to make sense of one’s world. However, doing this while developing life-long skills such as concentration, strong-problem solving, independence, selfcontrol and confidence is the natural blend of a STEM and Montessori education.

VOL 1 NO. 1

Connect | 5

Lower Elementary (Grade 1 through Grade 3)

The Surface Pro: A New Learning Tool

by Angela Kim

Lower Elementary Lead Teacher

At Eton School, students are encouraged to be creative thinkers, inspired collaborators, and future innovators through an interdisciplinary approach to learning. In Lower Elementary, our technology program is integrated into all areas of the curriculum. The different technology devices serve as educational tools to help students gain information and enhance their learning.

Students begin with Keyboard Wizards, electronic keyboards designed to practice finger placement and keyboarding skills starting with the home row keys. From there, they move on to Mac laptops. The sequenced lessons start with how to hold and carry a machine safely. This leads to logging in, opening a program, and creating research presentations on topics of interest using Microsoft Office. This year, each Lower Elementary classroom received Microsoft Surface Pros as additional learning tools.

The Surface Pro positively lends itself to group lessons and individual use. Students often have spontaneous questions, and quickly pulling up images on an easily accessible tablet, helps the students have an instant and much greater understanding of the topic. This sparks even more interest, leading them to want to do further research. In addition, students are learning how to use the Microsoft Edge web browser.

6 | Eton School

Spring 2017

The highlighter and writing tool on the Surface Pro are handy and aid students with research projects.

While reading information about their topics on approved websites, the amount of information to look at can be overwhelming. With the highlighter tool, students identify important information as they read and make notes in the margins with the pen. Then, when they are ready to write or type, they can easily go back to what they have highlighted or written right on the screen. This helps the students better organize and track information on text-heavy pages.

The students also use Surface Pros for dictionary activities. Although everyone learns how to use a printed dictionary, the Surface Pro supplements this learning in a fun way. They can study words further by using the web dictionary and finding, for example, the etymology of a word. Students also highlight or zoom in on specific information using their fingers.

The new Surface Pros have enabled us to expand the ways we use technology within our program.

They are becoming as essential as pencils and paper.

Most importantly, they are an important tool in supplementing learning in the our diverse, dynamic, and integrated curriculum.

VOL 1 NO. 1

Connect | 7

Upper Elementary (Grade 4 through Grade 5)

Salmon in the Classroom

by Sonja Everson

Upper Elementary Lead Teacher

Students access a deeper understanding when their learning has a direct application to a real-world problem, and the students of Eton School’s Upper Elementary Program are in a unique position to positively impact one of the world’s most extreme migratory species, the Pacific salmon. In 2016, over 80,000 salmon passed through Seattle’s Ballard Locks to make their way up through the Cedar River watershed, passing right through our neighborhood parks and waterways. While this number at first glance appears large, it represents a trending decline in a run that only a decade ago was averaging well over 300,000 fish per year. The life of a salmon is not easy, and Eton’s students have an opportunity to assist in its continued existence.

It is in the fourth- and fifth-grade STEAM classroom where one of nature’s most spectacular journeys starts with the arrival of 150 coho salmon eggs from the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Students are in charge of hatching and raising these eggs into healthy fry. Then in early spring, the students host a community event to release the salmon they raised into Kelsey Creek, sending the tiny fish out to make their way to the Pacific Ocean and back again.

This hands-on experience, a teaching method that is deeply rooted in Eton’s mission, allows students to establish a direct connection to this amazing species while simultaneously building important 21st century skills.

8 | Eton School

Spring 2017

the loss of salmon would be catastrophic up and down the food chain. In turn, the fourth- and fifth-grade students give presentations to the younger students with the aim of inspiring future conservationists.

Throughout this project, students collaborate in teams to monitor the water quality of the tank and help the classroom system mimic nature’s natural processes. They keep track of the nitrogen cycle by testing the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Students make sure the fish stay at the cozy temperature of 47 degrees Fahrenheit and, once the fish develop mouths and a digestive tract, they ensure that the salmon are well fed.

Students are given a front row seat to witness the development of this amazing animal and its anatomy. In connection with raising and observing the salmon in the classroom, students dissect a thirty pound sockeye salmon. This practical experience helps students to fully appreciate nature’s penchant for efficiency; they connect how a salmon’s heart is close to its gills to help with the transfer of oxygen, similar to how the human heart is next to the lungs.

Students can read that a salmon’s tongue is spiked, but nothing compares to being able to see and feel it to understand how difficult it would be to escape if you were a squid in a salmon’s grasp.

When the day arrives to release the salmon, the Eton Stewards are committed to educating the public about ways to reduce the stress placed on this keystone species. Eton families attending the event will have the opportunity to participate in games designed and built by the fourth- and fifth- grade students to teach about ways to help our local ecosystem. Younger children will get to walk down to the creek side with a student escort and release a little fry into the water, offering a piece of advice before they do. You can always see the pride on the fourth- and fifth-grade students’ faces when a little preschooler whispers to her fish, “Watch out for orcas,” before she lets it plop out of the cup and into Kelsey Creek.

While raising the salmon and educating the public, Eton’s fourth- and fifth-grade students understand and apply their knowledge to the health of our ecosystem with direct and positive consequences.

The students take this responsibility very seriously.

Their understanding is deepened from this real‑world experience, and its effects are long-lasting.

To help prepare for the salmons’ eventual release, fourth- and fifth-grade students learn about the riparian and Puget Sound ecosystems and the salmons’ vital role in its health. Over 130 separate species in these ecosystems are documented to rely on the nutrients provided by salmon. Eton School partners with many local organizations to participate in field trips to hatcheries and rivers to assist with restoration efforts. They hear from local scientists to learn about efforts being made to protect the Pacific salmon because, as the students truly begin to understand, VOL 1 NO. 1

Connect | 9

Middle School (Grade 6 through Grade 8)

Neuroscience Connections

by Laura Moore

Middle School Lead Teacher

The human brain is a spongy, three-pound mass of tissue and the most complex living structure in the known universe. In every human body, over 100 billion nerve cells grow and connect forming electrochemical highways to direct movement, emotions and decision-making. Neuroscientists study how groups of neurons interact within systems to drive thought and behavior. Through two programs that partner University of Washington research scientists with middle school, our students have the opportunity to become neuroscientists in the classroom and study the fastest growing discipline in biology.

Our sixth-grade students participate in the National Institute of Health funded project, Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience, which fuses neuroscience investigations with the neuroactive properties of plants. The research and investigations of each project are carefully designed by neuroscience researchers to help the students appreciate the integral role of neuroscience in their lives. Students research the medicinal properties of more than ten plants with known neuroactive compounds including coffee, tobacco, and valerian. Next they extract plant chemicals to study their effects on model organisms in the lab.

These lab investigations bring into the classroom broad, intense topics of discussion and exploration including neurological disorders, neuroethics and ideas for innovative treatment options. Curiosity is rewarded as students

10 | Eton School

Spring 2017

carry out their own investigations by hypothesizing and then testing how the plant chemicals affect the response behavior of model organisms. Students immerse Lumbriculus worms in different plant extracts and measure the change in heart rate. They test various chemical extracts on the regeneration rate of a planaria flatworm. They test antibacterial properties of garlic and compare results to those of penicillin. Then the students extend their findings into the research of human stem cells and regeneration.

The sixth-grade students also study the neural‑electrical activity of nerve signals in a cockroach lab, using SpikerBox technology to ‘listen in’ on nerve action potential. They learn the mechanism of how a chemical extracted from cayenne pepper interferes with a particular neurotransmitter and results in pain relief. They test the effects of capsaicin on cockroach legs and use a bio amplifier to literally see and hear the change in nerve transmission that eventually leads to pain reduction.

The culmination of our neuroscience studies for all students is a field trip to the University of Washington. While on the campus, students participate in activities that continue to extend their learning. The students interact with the current research projects being developed in the University of Washington labs by teams of researchers, who take time to discuss with them about their careers in science and engineering.

Through these enriched, connected experiences in science, technology and engineering, our students acquire a heightened awareness of the need for innovative technology in treating neurological disorders, and an appreciation for the importance of an informed public regarding issues relating to health and medicine.

This work is further extended into our seventh and eighth grade science studies through two units that include neural engineering and neuroethics.

Students play a game to grasp the history and evolving sensitivity of conducting research on living organisms. In addition, they investigate case studies and federal laws concerning the ethics of research on animal and human subjects. The study culminates in a design challenge using Arduinos to simulate an artificial neural network where students apply their engineering work to projects involving artificial intelligence.

VOL 1 NO. 1

Connect | 11

Library (Grade P3 through Grade 8)

A Space that Truly Belongs to Them

by Poppy Louthan Teacher-Librarian

My job as the librarian at Eton School is to facilitate a space that represents the intersection of curriculum and free choice. It’s a place where ideas are born, where authors are met, where databases are explored, and more. Our library sits at the entryway of our school, and we are going to build a space that is welcoming and vibrant, and one that supports all our students, from the three-year-olds to those in eighth grade.

Each week, the Pre-Elementary students leave their classrooms and make the trip up to the library. I welcome them into their library by showing them I love and honor their curiosity, I believe in their ideas, and I support that curiosity and those ideas with stories and books. We ask questions and share observations. We read together and talk about big ideas. As we read about and meet new characters, we begin to learn about empathy and the world around us. All of this happens while building vocabularies, recognizing words and letters, thinking like biologists, laughing like humorists, and journeying through new lands.

With Lower Elementary students, we build on that love of stories and nurture it into a love of reading, asking questions, and gathering information. These students have developed a greater sense of empathy, and it is vital that we seize this opportunity. We do this through the books we read: by talking about the characters, by trying to imagine ourselves in their positions, by connecting to them, by cheering for them, and by loving them.

12 | Eton School

Spring 2017

Through meeting these fictional characters, we learn how to make connections with real people, even when we do not know or understand everything about their lives.

When they enter Upper Elementary, it is as if a light bulb has been turned on. The students realize that they live in a world that is full of information, and they are beginning to understand that they are citizens of the world. We take them from being lovers of stories and books to understanding that there are authors, artists, researchers, and editors behind those books and stories, who are making careful choices with the intention of changing the world in their own small way. They are introducing characters, facts, and scientific concepts to these students, who are then inspired to become more thoughtful, generous, brave, and brilliant. As they share their perspectives with one another, they allow their viewpoints to shift and broaden.

When they enter Middle School, our students feel empowered and brave, but it is important for us to remember how fragile these years can be for them.

These students are journeying from childhood to

VOL 1 NO. 1

young adulthood, and we owe it to them to listen to their ideas, to honor their successes, and to encourage their growth and improvement. Now is when it becomes vital for our students to see the importance of sifting through the world of information that exists out there. They must learn the essential skill of validating the information they access as consumers and how to differentiate between fact and fiction. This is also when we start to see them become the authors of their own stories and sharers of their own ideas. Through learning standards of digital citizenship and etiquette, they discover how to ensure that their messages and ideas are valued and taken seriously. They see the connection between giving others proper credit for their ideas, so that their own ideas and contributions, too, will be credited to them.

In today’s information-soaked reality, I provide a space that supports all of this big learning.

At this moment, the library is a combination of limited shelving options and a retrofitted lower elementary classroom. We plan to build a more fluid space where ideas can flow freely from student to student. I would like our younger students to feel like the library is a place for them, as well as provide a place for the older students to gather and socialize or study during their recess period or after school. I would like our shelving and other furniture to be movable and more easily adjusted so we can continue to grow and improve our library collection in ways that support our rich diversity of cultures, interests, and curricular needs. We need to create a space that can accommodate new ideas and technologies as they arrive, while remaining a space where every student knows they are not only welcome, but that the space truly belongs to them.

Connect | 13

Professional Development put on by the Autism Center at the University of Washington. Other workshops and webinars included topics such as A Toolkit for New Teachers, Having Difficult Conversations, Quantifying 21st Century Learning Skills, Intro to Python, Makerspace Environments, Code.org, Retaining Third Year Students, Learning Differences, Sowing the Seeds of Neuroscience, Brain Development and Executive Function, and more.

I am Becoming…

by Kris Meyer Gaskins

Head of Pre‑elementary and Lower Elementary

The professional development program at Eton School is alive, vibrant, actively funded, and supported. Through Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS), American Montessori Society (AMS), Independent School Management (ISM), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), colleges, and universities, faculty and staff have access to on‑demand webinars, graduate classes, workshops, and conferences. Teachers also participate in professional development opportunities in many other local venues such as the IslandWood Summer Institute, the Seattle Aquarium, the Issaquah Hatchery, the Seattle Art Museum, Microsoft, and more. The list is long and the types of learning experiences are vast and varied catering to general and targeted areas of interest.

Just last year, the Pre-elementary and Lower Elementary teachers attended an AMS webinar on Effective Parent Conferences right before the October conferences. Later in the year, a speaker came to talk to the faculty about strategies to help children develop social skills and emotional intelligence. Every year, several of the Montessori assistant teachers attend a day and a half workshop on being an effective Montessori assistant teacher through Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (MEIPN) in Bothell. A group of faculty attended an autism symposium last summer

14 | Eton School

This year, several of the Upper Elementary and Middle School teachers had the opportunity to take part in the online Math course, How to Learn Math for Teachers, through Stanford University.

The Montessori teachers in Pre-elementary and Lower Elementary attended refresher workshops on advanced math activities targeting specific age groups. Middle School students are immersed in the new Big History Project due to the work done over the summer to prepare for this expansive learning experience, and an Upper Elementary teacher is working with Microsoft to introduce BCC Micro:bit technology. From March 9 through March 12, the Montessori teachers, as well as faculty who work with students in Pre-elementary and Lower Elementary, are attending the national AMS conference in San Diego. This is an amazing opportunity to network, attend workshops, learn, and grow. Needless to say, our faculty purposefully learn to enrich student experiences and learning.

Over the doors of the Main building is the aphorism, “I Am Becoming…” Originally created

by Eton School’s founder and former Head of School, it is an adage that describes the belief that everyone continues to grow through learning and experiences that expand and enrich our lives and professions. This belief continues to be part of the Eton School tradition. The last sentence of the Eton School Mission Statement, “We dedicate ourselves to lifelong learning,” is a powerful statement made by the faculty and staff. Learning is an on-going process and is valued. As we grow professionally, we are better able to teach and guide the young minds under our care. An educated, enthusiastic teacher is a passionate teacher, and a passionate teacher inspires students to embrace learning.

Spring 2017

Students Connect with Communities: Global and Local

Three students from each Pre-elementary class pose with the check representing the $867.23 raised by all Pre-elementary students during trick-or-treat for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)

At an assembly on December 16, 2016, the Lower Elementary students proudly presented a check to Heifer International for over $1,065.20! A generous donor matched the amount raised by the students and Heifer International received a total of $2,130.40!

The children learned that the donations collected will provide countless children with clean water, nutrition, medicine, immunization and education.

What a great way to build empathy and compassion and the children discovered they have a permanent impact on the world.

On Sunday, December 4, 2016, families from Mezzo 3 gathered together at the Kirkland Library to create compassionate kits to hand out to those in need in the community. Besides donating the basic items such as socks, hats, lip balm, snack bars and more, the children created cards to go into each kit.

With an idea from Arjun V., Student Council started a two week drive for oral health. Members researched the cost of fillings and x-rays as opposed to preventative care (toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss), created a PowerPoint about oral hygiene and Hopelink, and then shared it with fellow Upper Elementary and Middle School students.

During the drive, students collected hundreds of tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and a bit of money to pay for dental fees. All of the proceeds from the drive went to Hopelink to assist those in need within our local community.

VOL 1 NO. 1

Students and families from Room 3 volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul food bank in Georgetown the day after Thanksgiving. They helped sort food into crates and then the children handed out food to the homeless with big smiles and conversation.

Connect | 15

2016 Annual Report

2016 FY: Sustainability and Improvements

by Jason Mallon

Chief Financial Officer

For some in the community, this is the first communication you will be receiving from me, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Eton. I have spent my career dedicated to number crunching and assessing the financial health of organizations as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), whether it was a company with a balance sheet in excess of $2 billion or a small not-for-profit that struggled to clear $500k in revenue during a given year.

During my time in CPA land, independent schools continually struck a chord with me, which led me to take my next steps and join the Eton team.

school to focus on other objectives, such as updating the current campus. Over the last 18 months, members of the school’s facilities department have done an excellent job managing a volume of projects required to maintain and update our campus. Here are the highlights of their hard work:

When I started in June of 2015, one of my priorities was to continue building a foundation that ensured the long-term sustainability of Eton. The challenge of balancing the long-term and short-term needs in a school’s life cycle is essential in creating an environment that allows children to shine, and the Eton community has embraced this challenge. From a financial operations standpoint there were many achievements for the Fiscal Year from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 (2016 FY), some that were obvious and some not so much.

The above financial milestones listed are critical to the success of Eton, but also important to the long‑term health of the school is thoughtful management of the day-to-day operations (see the 2016 FY results below and on the next page). The school had a fantastic year with ending net income of $526k. As a not-for-profit, any net income/surplus at the end of the fiscal year is put right back to work for the school. Our current strategy is to allocate the surplus to our reserves, which are crucial to creating a fiscally responsible organization, and among other things allows the school to remain financially nimble during difficult economic periods. The 2016 FY resulted in the ability to make many school-wide improvements, and to build the current financial foundation, which allows the Eton community to continue to flourish.

The biggest achievement that allowed Eton to take a giant leap forward in sustainability was restructuring its debt. This resulted in a positive net cash flow for the school of $16k a month. This achievement, along with others, has allowed the

*Includes after-school classes, summer program, and miscellaneous revenue.

16 | Eton School

• Mezzo playground installation.

• New artificial turf on the Main Building playfield.

• New fence and retaining wall along backside of the Mezzo parking lot.

• New furniture in the classrooms for students.

**Includes loss on extinguishment of debt, IT expenses, fundraising expenses, employee training, and miscellaneous expenses.

Spring 2017

2016 Annual Report The charts on the previous page do a great job of listing expenses by their nature (e.g. Payroll, Facilities, Depreciation), but it is also important to take a step back and digest expenses from a different perspective. Below is a pie chart that summarizes the expenses by their function (i.e. Educational Program, Management and General, and Fundraising). In the 2016 FY,

74% of our expenses went towards Eton’s Educational Program. In comparing Eton’s percentage of expenses on Educational Program to the industry average, the school is right around the average of 73%. The total percentage of expenses spent on Educational Program for a select number of independent schools in our region ranged between 58% and 86%.

Financial Aid: Working with Families

by Cherie Goetz

Admission Director

Financial Aid plays an important role at independent, not-for-profit schools. Nationally, 22% of students enrolled in independent schools receive financial aid, and the typical school devotes between 10% and 13% of its tuition revenue to financial aid. As a not‑for‑profit, Eton School makes a determined effort to expand its financial aid program to increase both the number of families able to benefit and the resources available.

One misconception regarding financial aid is that eligibility is based solely on the income level of the family. At Eton School, the determination for financial aid is based on the family’s financial VOL 1 NO. 1

position, which considers several data points including income, assets, and expenses. To assist in gathering the financial data for families, Eton School utilizes the online Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) application process through Independent School Management (ISM).

Eton School is committed to working with families and encourages any family that feels it cannot afford the full cost of tuition, to complete the financial aid application process. Additional information on Eton School’s financial aid policy and procedure is available on our website. If you have any questions, please contact Eton’s Admission Office.

Connect | 17

2016 Annual Report

You are Essential to Our Program

by Monica Maling

Development Director

It all starts with you. You are the ones volunteering in the classroom helping teachers and students.

You are the ones driving on field trips, planning classroom parties, sharing your culture, and supporting school events. You are the ones who attend parent conferences, come in for Montessori Moments, and drop in for a cup of coffee and chat at the First Thursday Coffees. You are essential to the growth of our community spirit.

It has been extremely rewarding to witness the growth and strengthening of the Eton School community over the past five years! Along with giving your time, you also give financially and play a key role in the development and growth of our culture of philanthropy. Like other independent schools, Eton relies on tuition and fundraising to deliver an exceptional educational experience for your child and your child’s classmates. Each time you make a tax-deductible donation to our Annual Fund, you invest in their education and therefore, a piece of the future.

Since its inception in 2010, participation in the Annual Fund has increased because of people like you. For the last two years, the Eton Faculty and Staff have reached 100% participation in making a gift to the Annual Fund. In the last three years, parents like you have volunteered for the Annual Fund campaign drive to share how the Annual Fund supports students and strengthens the school program. Volunteers stand out at morning drop‑off to hand out items and chat with fellow parents about the importance of the Annual Fund. Thanks to all these efforts both the participation and the amount donated continue to increase.

a celebration of Eton School. At the December 2015 Gala, the auctioneer led the guests in an entertaining game of “Heads or Tails” and auctioned off a stay at Great Wolf Lodge, a private flight around the Puget Sound in a Cesna, and a spa package at Alderbrook Resort. In the live auction portion of the Gala, you support the school by contributing to the Raise-the-Paddle, which targets funding a specific area of the school program, the auctioneer gave away a bottle of locally produced fine wine to the last contributor to the Raise-the-Paddle. This led to a competitive and fun game as guests watched each other and strategized to be the last donor. One donor patiently waited to raise her bid card at the right moment and her strategy paid off as she became the lucky winner!

When you volunteer here at school, make a gift to the Annual Fund or attend the Eton Community Gala, you help provide materials, resources and activities for students to make their Eton experience richer and even more meaningful. Your gift also allows our faculty to pursue professional development opportunities, which enrich and expand their profession. We are incredibly grateful to you and all families for investing and supporting Eton School in delivering an education in which students learn, grow, and thrive!

Every year, you attend the Eton Community Gala, which is a very important fundraising event that supports the school program and benefits every student. The Gala is a wonderful evening with dinner, a silent auction, a live auction and

18 | Eton School

Spring 2017

2016 Annual Report

2016 Fiscal Year: Thank You for Your Donation Eton Families Anonymous (9) Henry Albrecht and Christine Wertheimer Mahadev Alladi and Vandana Gummuluru Bilal Aslam and Olga Ivanova Michael Barta and Cynthia Shelly Peter Bleszynski and Robyn Sambo Daniel and Stephanie Brown Prashant Chahar and Saranpreet Kaur David and Julia Charter Peter Chin and Myong Park Gagan and Rashmi Chopra Timothy and Marnie Craycroft Agustin Da Fieno Manuvir Das and Payal Goorha Munindra Das and Sanghmitra Gite Jeff and Diane Davis Kannan Dhanasekaran and Subathra Selvaraj Alexander and Franziska Eckerlin Tim Fang and Jennifer Sun Robert Frangooles and Anne Pace Sandip Ganguly and Dipanwita Sarkar Arif and Nausheena Ghouse Boris and Mitchelle Gonsalves Sriram Govindarajan and Rukmani Gopalan Miguel Guerrero and Violeta Arroyo Mario Guimaraes and Suzana Canuto Amit and Harini Gupta Tom Hansen and Kiruthika Selvamani Peichong He and Yinghuan Sun Magnus and Heather Hedlund Gabriel and Raluca Hera Eric and Noah Heutchy Aaron Holm and Saira Khan Brian Hondowicz and Audrey Park Bruce and Bridget Horne Rob Horwitz and Jodi Minkin Blair and Kathleen Hotchkies Chang Huang and Yan Shen Grant and Jeri Johnson VOL 1 NO. 1

Apoorva and Manasa Kancharla Brett and Lori Kilty Emre Kok and Gaye Oncul Kok Ganapathy Krishnamoorthy and Gayathri Venkataraman Eugene Kuerner and Sally Salas Kuerner Anjani Kumar and Aarti Bhargava David and Maria Langworthy Alex and Lydia Lee Shawn Lee and Yoo Jeong Kim David and KC Lemson Kirill Levanidov and Nadia Levanidova Junyan Li and Yi Wu Weipeng Liu and Xiuyu Zhou Ian and Poppy Louthan Monica Maling Michael and Lin Marcelais Relja and Ivana Markovic Maxim Mazeev and Nadejda Poliakova Nadeem and Uzma Merchant Ivan Mladenov and Irena Andonova Cristina Nardini Thomas Nguyen and Linda Ho Gor Nishanov and Anzhela Nishanova Kip Olson and Martha Riggers Joseph and Michelle O’Malley Andrei Pascovici and Qun Guo Kunal Patel and Nayana Singh Rahul and Aruna Patil Rihui Peng Pedro Perez and Kathryn Stone Perez Ari and Pamela Pernick Pascal Pinck and Erika Flesher Alexey Poyarkov and Nuriya Ismagilova Alex Raizman and Shuang Yang Filippo and Christina Randazzo Khurram and Nikki Rehman Sushant Rewaskar and Uttara Korad Ted and Julia Roberts Michael Robinson and Susan Shin Robinson

Jason and Rebecca Rogers Peter Roppo and Berengaria Winkler Roppo David and Patricia Sauntry Dhigha and Agnita Sekaran Arvind Shyamsundar and Gita Arvind Mohit Singh and Ankita Kumar Douglas and Tia Smith Desney Tan and Angela Ting Yu Tan and Guo Liu Yi Tang and Hui Sun Derrick and Roxana Tzau Fei Wang and Juan Tian Jinghui Wang and Yiman Huang Brad Weed and Susan Pappalardo Dan and Ally Weisman Harald and Hejina Winkmann Patrick and Kristin Wyatt Chen Xia and Mengke Li Xichun Xu and Jianghong Yan Yongliang Yang and Yuan Zhang Xin Ye and Yi Wang Kevin and Nancy Yim Jinbai Yin and Lan Tang Joerg Zender and Kirsten Steinhauer‑Zender Wei Zhang and Chunping Li Minyi Zhong and Jiayin Tian Alumni Families Neel and Smita Jain Steve and Sue Petitpas Ken and Annette Young Corporate Donors Google Microsoft T-Mobile Eton Faculty and Staff 100% Participation Eton Board of Trustees 100% Participation

Connect | 19

Alumni Update Nellie Sommer began playing the bassoon right after she graduated from Veladare in 2006, and now she is pursuing a career as a professional musician.

After several transformative years in the Seattle Youth Symphony, Nellie received a full scholarship to Indiana University (IU), home of the largest music school in the country. After graduating from IU, Nellie earned her masters degree at Yale, and has recently returned to IU for additional studies before applying to doctoral programs. One of her favorite things about being a musician is traveling—she recently toured Puerto Rico with an orchestra—but she is always happy to return home for opportunities to play with the Seattle Symphony or the 5th Avenue Theatre. Nellie loves playing in orchestra, playing chamber music, teaching, and arranging music, and she is looking forward to a varied and exciting career as a bassoonist.

Literacy Source, a nonprofit that provides free English classes to refugees, immigrants, and other adults in need of specific tutoring. Being at Eton School has been her favorite job so far. She is teaching Latin and language skills to fourth- through eighth- grade students, and the curiosity and passion of the Eton School community continues to inspire her every day!

When Anne Gaskins graduated from Eton School, little did she know that she would be back, years later, as a teacher.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French Language and Literature from Whitman College.

She chose to specialize in the study of languages because the classes reminded her of her Montessori background: interweaving the study of language with the study of history, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. Languages are essentially interdisciplinary, like a Montessori education. The study of all of these disciplines together enriched her understanding of the French language, French culture, and world history.

In her free time, Vera volunteers at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital and with a local organization that helps formerly incarcerated women and their families.

Moving to St. Louis really inspired her to look into the social determinants of health. She is especially interested in how poverty, education, race and incarceration affect the health and healthcare of individuals and families.

She also spent time lobbying for health policies like medicaid expansion and pro-women’s health legislation, and she is interested in how policy shapes access to and cost of healthcare. Vera is currently applying to medical school and has a keen interest in working with medically underserved communities.

Vera Schulte is graduating from Washington University in St. Louis this May with a degree in Physics and minors in Music and German. While there, she founded a student group that advocates for reproductive rights and justice in the St. Louis region. Vera worked for three semesters as an introductory physics laboratory teaching assistant. She also took an internship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center here in Seattle last summer where she studied breast cancer metastasis in mouse brain micro environments.

Vera always knew that she wanted to pursue science as a course of studies. In fact, she dressed up as Marie Curie and Elizabeth Blackwell for the Eton School Historical Halloweens in first and second grade! She thinks that one of the greatest things about medicine is that it is both a science and an art, so it affords her the Anne spent the years between Whitman College incredible opportunity to pursue both of her passions: and Eton in various teaching positions. She taught developing longitudinal relationships with people and middle and high school in France and French immersion kindergarten. She then became a certified lifelong learning of the physical sciences. She also still plays the piano when she has the time and loves going instructor of English as a Second Language, and hiking and backpacking with her family! taught adults from a variety of backgrounds at

20 | Eton School

Spring 2017

ETON SCHOOL

Summer Program June 19 through August 25 2017 C a m ps - M o n t e ss o ri C l as s e s - C hi l d c a r e Registration is Open www.etonschool.org/student-life/summer-program

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 1319048

2701 Bellevue-Redmond RD Bellevue, WA 98008

Vision In educating the whole child, Eton School inspires creative, confident thinkers who have an enduring passion for learning and are poised to contribute to the world.

www.etonschool.org