Highlights A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNAE, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LAUREL SCHOOL
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WINTER 2023 | The Launchpad • Department Chair Spotlights • Alumnae Spotlight: Lauren Kilbride '14 • Class Notes
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Laurel girls today. Leaders tomorrow.
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IN THIS ISSUE A Message from Ann V. Klotz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A Message from Board of Trustees Chair Megan Lum Mehalko ’83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Launchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Department Chair Spotlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Student Spotlight: Shaliz Bazldjoo ’24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Alumnae Spotlight: Lauren Kilbride ’14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Class News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
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MISSION STATEMENT
To inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world. Highlights | WINTER 2023 HEAD OF SCHOOL Ann V. Klotz DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Maegan Ruhlman Cross ’03 CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR Jessica Allen EDITOR Sarah Hibshman Miller ’98 ALUMNAE EDITOR Julie Donahue ’79 DESIGN AND LAYOUT Laurel School PHOTOGRAPHY Kimberly Dailey, Neal McDaniel, Mock Tuna PRESIDENT, ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION Maia Hunt-Ledford Rucker ’97 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES Megan Lum Mehalko ’83 Highlights is published by Laurel School for alumnae, parents and friends. Submit address changes to the Development Office at 216.455.3096 or bGreen@LaurelSchool.org Laurel School is an independent day school for girls, Kindergarten through Grade 12, with coeducational programs for 18 months–four-yearolds. We are proud to be an inclusive and equitable school community, and we actively seek a diverse student body and faculty without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, handicap or disability or sexual orientation. LAUREL VALUES STATEMENT: Committed to building a just and inclusive world, Laurel girls are courageous, creative, ethical and compassionate. LAURELSCHOOL.ORG 2
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Dream. Dare. Do. Highlights | WINTER 2023
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A MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL ANN V. KLOTZ
Dear Laurel Community, What a wonderful time I have had leading Laurel School. During my first visit in the fall of 2003, I knew this was the school I hoped to serve. Today, I write to tell you that I will retire in June 2025. It has been my privilege to lead the finest girls’ school in the nation over the past twenty years. Laurel has an exceptional faculty and staff, wonderful parents, wise trustees, formidable alums, and girls and little boys who fill my heart with joy. We are a school that strives to live our mission and values. As I think back over my tenure, memories of beloved ceremonies and traditions swim up: all-school assemblies when we gather in the Tippit Gym, Junior Chapel, Song Contest, Green & White Day, and Commencement. I feel a thrill at the hush in the Chapel that precedes every Senior Speech, a surge of happiness when I watch our enthusiastic fans cheer on Gators in every sport. When the little ones come Trick or Treating to Lyman House or stop to admire Seth’s annual holiday lawn display, I smile. I recall, too, the difficult moments that our community has endured together with grace and resilience. For me, school has always been about relationships and community. Learning is fundamental, of course, but so much that happens in and beyond the classroom is the result of connection and curiosity. I am glad to have been a teaching head, to have taught English and directed plays and advised a cohort of Seniors, to have shared in the day-to-day work of school with my colleagues on the faculty and staff. I love greeting children as they spill from their cars in the morning and visiting with our older girls, who come to my office for a piece of candy and a quick chat. To have mentored men and women who have gone on to lead other schools has been an honor—their success is glory to Laurel. When colleagues from other schools visit to find out more about Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls or our programming at Butler, I feel enormous pride. And I am filled with gratitude for those whose generosity has allowed us to renovate and build and dream. While our students’ public successes are cause for celebration— prizes won, publications, honors, awards and college
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placement—I am proud, too, of quiet triumphs: a Ninth Grader’s perseverance in a tough class; a Middle Schooler’s kindness to a peer; a Fifth Grader who faces her fears on the Adventure Course, supported by her classmates; an Early Learner who enters her classroom without tears. During my tenure, we have developed and refined many strategic initiatives. We have been on the cutting edge of girls’ school education with the establishment of Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls, One Schoolhouse, and the Environmental Justice Semester. We’ve learned, too, how restorative practice helps students listen and build bridges even when they are in conflict. LCRG has deepened our understanding about the relationship between wellbeing and achievement for girls, about what girls need to thrive. And we have leveraged our understanding of the value of the natural world as a teacher for children of all ages and are so fortunate to have the Butler Campus as a key component of every child’s Laurel experience. Our school today has built on the work of those who came before us. We are not the school Jennie Prentiss founded, yet that which is essential endures. We value excellent teaching. We care enormously about our students and are committed to giving them an incomparable education. We are called to raise up generations who will claim their voices and use their gifts to better our complicated world. Our alums live lives of integrity, optimism, curiosity, compassion, and purpose, inspiring those students still with us at Lyman Circle and at Butler. I hope Jennie Prentiss, Sarah Lyman, Edna Lake, and all who came before me would be proud; I know those who follow me will continue the good work underway. Over the next eighteen months, I will savor my time with our students and faculty, parents and alums, doing all I can to prepare for Laurel’s next head of school, who will be so lucky to lead this remarkable school. Warmly,
A MESSAGE FROM BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR MEGAN LUM MEHALKO ’83
Dear Laurel Friends, With profound gratitude for her leadership, the Board of Trustees has accepted Ann V. Klotz’s decision to retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Laurel’s mission to inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world was articulated by Ann and affirmed by the Board early in her headship. That mission has been Ann’s guiding light throughout her time at Laurel. In 2004, when Ann came to Laurel with her young family, the Board of Trustees charged her with developing a curricular vision for what was then called the Fairmount Campus. The transformation of the now 150-acre Butler Campus into an experiential learning environment unlike any other in Northeast Ohio, while fully respecting our role as stewards of the land, is remarkable. Thanks to the generosity of donors who believed in Laurel and in Ann’s vision and leadership, Butler is home to amazing spaces that support a robust Outdoor Prekindergarten, Grades 3-5 and the Environmental Justice Semester, as well as many Laurel athletes. And there is more to come with the Ruhlman Family Center under construction very soon! During Ann’s tenure, renovations at the Lyman Campus included adding an elevator to increase accessibility and renovations or enhancements to the second and third floors, our Dining Room, Early Childhood classrooms, the Tippit Gymnasium and the locker rooms. The next phase of our Capital Campaign will address renovating the North Wing, which houses Grades 6-8, and Ann is committed to fundraising for this next phase during her remaining time at Laurel. While physical enhancements are critical to an institution, especially one in its 127th year, the successful future of any school also depends on a vibrant and relevant academic program. In 2007, Ann co-founded Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls (LCRG) and not only are the tenets of LCRG—resilience, self-care, purpose and ownership of learning—the pillars of our program, but schools around the country look to Laurel as the experts in how girls learn best. Stemming from Ann’s leadership, Laurel’s current strategic plan, Beyond the Circle: Empowering Girls, Changing the World, speaks to the fundamental character of Laurel and where its focus lies.
An innovator who believes passionately in the public purpose of private education, Ann established the NorthStar Collaborative, a partnership with Warner Girls Leadership Academy in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and just this fall, thanks to a matching grant from the E.E. Ford Foundation, launched our Environmental Justice Semester for girls in Grades 10 and 11— from Laurel and beyond. At heart, Ann is an educator who knows every child by name and who centers every decision around what is best for the girls. An advisor, drama and English teacher, her commitment to the social and emotional wellbeing of the girls and young women (not to mention the small boys!) who found their voices at Laurel during her tenure will ultimately be her greatest legacy. For many of those girls, a Laurel education would not have been possible were it not for Ann’s decision to institute tuition assistance as early as the primary years—Laurel was the first CCIS (Cleveland Council of Independent Schools) school to offer financial aid to students before the traditional Seventh Grade entry point, a prime example of her commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. In the coming months, the Board of Trustees’ most important work will be to find a worthy successor to Ann—a new head who will embrace and continue Laurel’s mission. Board Vice Chair Carey Jaros ’96 and Board Secretary Susan Shons Luria ’85 are leading a search committee who, with the assistance of Nat Conard and Pilar Cabeza de Vaca of Educators Collaborative, will identify exceptional candidates with vision, intellect and a commitment to girls’ education, candidates with the capacity to build on Laurel School’s long held national reputation. Carey and Susan will share more information on the search process with the community next week. Change often brings trepidation. But, change also brings opportunity. With Ann’s continued support of Laurel, we will be focused on the opportunity ahead. Between now and June 2025, I know that Laurel remains in her extraordinary care. With Gator gratitude,
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LAUREL SCHOOL CURRICULUM
The Launchpad Preparing Laurel Girls to Soar After Graduation By Sarah Hibshman Miller '98
Front row (left to right): Tami Perkins, Hillary Teague, Andrew Cruse. Back row (left to right): Joe Corsaro, Kimberly Corrigan, Howard Schott
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The college guidance program at Laurel has long had a reputation for being robust. Experiential learning opportunities through the Capstone Experience and Protégé Career Exploration Program are nothing new and students have been partaking in entrepreneurship courses and extracurricular opportunities for many years. Each of these programs and supports on their own provides opportunities for students to hone in on their passions and explore unique opportunities to shine as they look toward applying to college and beyond. When these programs work in concert with one another, students have the benefit of truly understanding how they can apply new skills—often passions—to their resumes to help set them apart in the college application process. In 2021 Laurel created “The Launchpad” to bring College Guidance, entrepreneurship, and other signature programming together under one roof, so to speak. Faculty in these areas now work collaboratively to “launch” students in the right direction as they look toward their future, keeping their passions central to the process.
Tami Perkins leads Laurel’s Protégé Career Exploration Program, which is available to Upper School students beginning in their second semester of Ninth Grade. Protégé helps students identify what they like, and dislike, about specific career paths. Students start by sharing a specific career they wish to explore and Mrs. Perkins works to broaden it. “We refer to this as starting at the bottom of the funnel where it is narrow and working our way up,” she said.
“Protégé gives students clarity and understanding as they think about what they want to do when they leave Laurel.”
Howard Schott works with Laurel students on long-term projects through the Capstone Experience, which begins in Tenth Grade. Typically, these are very motivated students who love to learn and want to commit to a two-year learning project that involves working with a mentor—sometimes outside of Laurel—to pursue a passion. Students have written books, designed nature playscapes, explored how to fundraise, built telescopes for astronomy research, and more. Laurel’s Capstone Experience gives students the opportunity to delve deep into something that interests them and explore what it might be like to work in that particular area in the real world. This learning process is not your typical classroom learning. “So much about education is linear—point A to point B,” commented Mr. Schott. “Capstone shows that there is more than one path to success. That work in the real world is much more circular and interactive. Capstone also is about working on a long-term project and how you adapt to any changes along the way.” Every year there are several students whose Protégé or Capstone work falls under STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) and Kimberly Corrigan, Director of STEAM Engagement, plays a vital role in fostering confidence and empowering them to reach new heights beyond the confines of the school environment. Mrs. Corrigan says that “To achieve this, there must be a strong collaboration between our staff and faculty experts within the Launchpad. This ultimately paves the way to a meaningful and intentional experience for
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The Launchpad Preparing Laurel Girls to Soar After Graduation
students to pursue their career interests with the guidance of encouraging adults—a winning combo for successful programming.” Mrs. Corrigan serves as an advisor and sounding board partner with both Mrs. Perkins and Mr. Schott as they navigate student projects in STEAM fields. For example, one student is interested in a biomedical engineering project and plans to enter science fairs once her prototype is complete. Mrs. Corrigan has supported this student in her efforts to connect with professionals within the community and refine her scientific communication to a larger audience. Other examples of STEAM work coming out of the Launchpad include two Upper School students who are partnering with NASA Glenn professionals to complete a semester-long comprehensive project: one project involving modeling power management and distribution on the International Space Station (ISS), and the other consisting of a water quality assessment of a Butler Campus pond. Laurel’s partnership with Case Western Reserve University is also strong, and with Mrs. Corrigan’s support, has allowed several students to tackle experimental physics, theoretical physics, and material science research investigations under the guidance of a Ph.D. mentor.
Joe Corsaro is the Entrepreneurship Program Leader, which includes programming related to business or entrepreneurship. Mr. Corsaro wears many hats. He teaches 8
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a Principles of Economics elective for Eleventh and Twelfth Graders, works with students to manage One Coffee Circle, a hugely successful student-run cafe that serves a variety of coffee and other beverages as well as merchandise, moderates the Student Investment Committee, which manages a fund of $15K, and works with many students on their own businesses or other side projects. “The goal is to meet each girl where she is,” said Mr. Corsaro. While students are not required to participate in any of the Signature Programming offered at Laurel, there is a great deal of interest, with more than 50 students working together on One Coffee Circle, as just one example. The Launchpad is about helping students create their narratives and providing a space to discover and explore their interests. The Protégé Career Exploration Program is connected to all of that. In some cases, a student will complete a Protégé that leads them to Capstone. In other cases, Capstone students will use Protégé to deepen their understanding of their existing Capstone Project. Sometimes a Capstone or Protégé student will work with Mr. Corsaro to uncover a business grant opportunity to apply to their work. Each area of programming under the Launchpad interconnects and can lead to additional opportunities for students throughout their Upper School careers. All along the way, Andrew Cruse and Hillary Teague, who lead Laurel’s College Guidance program, are working hand-in-hand with their Launchpad colleagues to ensure that whatever
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opportunities students pursue, they are thinking about how to apply it to college. “College guidance is the last stop but it is also the thread that weaves everything together,” said Mrs. Teague. “All of the other Launchpad programming leads up to helping students to differentiate themselves when presenting themselves to colleges. The work we are doing with our Launchpad colleagues is ensuring we understand the path students want to take,” continued Mr. Cruse.
Everything Launchpad faculty do is with intention, and with the goal of supporting students on their path to success once they leave Laurel, and it is a collaborative process. Laurel is excited to implement this model for all Upper School students and set them on an early path to long-term success. L
If Ms. Perkins is working with a Protégé student who has her heart set on a particular career path, College Guidance might offer insight early on in that process to help identify which schools support that academic path. The Launchpad Primer Series began during the 2023-2024 school year, presenting skills that are so important for students as they move through Upper School, into college, and beyond. Students attend six sessions throughout the year focused on topics like goal setting and communication. The first series was a session about how to give presentations. It truly is an art! Students learned how to create compelling content, make visual aids, practice their stage presence, and more. During the session, each member of the Launchpad presented to illustrate how best to co-present.
Go GREEN! Go White! Go Digital! With Laurel’s commitment to sustainability, we are exploring eco-friendly alternatives for the production of Highlights. As we move towards a greener future, expect one of the three issues of Highlights per year to be delivered to you electronically. Our first digital issue will be the Spring/Summer 2024 issue. LAUREL ALUMNAE, don’t miss an issue! Make sure we have your current email address on file. Scan the QR code or email alumnae@LaurelSchool.org with updates.
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LAUREL FACULTY
SPOTLIGHTS GETTING TO KNOW LAUREL’S DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
Elen Roberts, History Department Chair Elen Roberts has been with Laurel School for nine years and has 14 years of teaching experience. While her curriculum changes from year to year, Mrs. Roberts is currently teaching Social Studies 8 and Feminism & Gender through American History in the Upper School. Her passion for history ties into her love for a good story. “I see history as storytelling,” she said. “Narratives are so important in shaping how we think about who we are as people, as individuals, as a culture, and as a society. . . the whole thing about lenses and choices is fascinating to me.” At Laurel, students from a young age become civically engaged and are urged to become careful and critical observers of history and the world around them. Mrs. Roberts said, “Using a thematic approach, students explore
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a variety of primary and secondary sources, analyze different accounts from underrepresented voices in history, consider multiple perspectives, discuss current events, and make deep connections between history then and humanity now.” Mrs. Roberts and her colleagues act more as facilitators, encouraging students how to think versus what to think. “Our focus is on how to think like a historian, read like a historian, and write like a historian. These skills deepen even further in Upper School, as students learn and practice how to research, engage, evaluate, and write like critical historians and consumers,” she continued. Pulling from LCRG research, engaging in civil discourse is a cornerstone of every Social Studies and History classroom at Laurel. “Now, more than ever, it is our responsibility that Laurel girls graduate from our program feeling confident in using their voices to engage with those they disagree or are challenged by in ways that are meaningful, productive, and move the conversation forward,” said Mrs. Roberts.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Taylor Kaar, Science Department Chair While Taylor Kaar says he has been paid to teach in one form or another since the age of 14, he has 11 years of “traditional classroom teaching” experience, all at Laurel where he teaches physics. Mr. Kaar’s passion for science stems from his parents and their devotion to exposing him to the myriad forms of science from a young age. “Paleontology and ecology were early loves of mine. From there physics and astronomy became big passions by middle school. All of this was fed by a healthy diet of science fiction literature, which helped expand the bounds of what I thought was possible while I was still learning the fundamentals.” When talking about the philosophy behind the teaching of science at Laurel, Mr. Kaar says, “Our job is to help foster a curiosity about the world around us, how it works, how humans have impacted it, and how we can continue to improve it. In all grades, the most important thing is handson exposure to scientific phenomena.” While this looks very different across K-12, the approach is steady. “Laurel teachers all approach our scientists with respect for and
genuine interest in what they are thinking and how they are approaching an experience,” he said. “This helps to foster a brave learning environment where students are more willing to experiment and be wrong.” Science is a collaborative effort— one where we instill a mindset of sharing and communicating ideas to improve one’s understanding. When it comes to science, there is no better example of the authentic implementation of LCRG research than what takes place at Laurel’s Butler Campus. Mr. Kaar commented, “In Grades 3-5, students are continuously confronted with authentic learning environments through the outdoor campus. Third Grade studies macroinvertebrates and has to struggle with the challenges of using life research specimens. Fourth Grade's dynamic use of both the garden and the high tunnel helps students understand that just because you put in the work and do everything ‘right’, sometimes you don’t get the results you hope for. In turn, this process helps grow their understanding, iterate on their designs, and improve their process as they go. Fifth Grade’s collaborative and crosscurricular lessons on Indigenous peoples help students to see that science is a binding understanding of the world around us and the interactions that both connect us and miss us.”
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Faculty Spotlights Getting to Know Laurel School’s Department Chairs
Amanda Love, Physical Education Department Chair For Amanda Love, who has been a teacher for 28 years (seven at Laurel!), her love for physical education (PE) was a result of the many sports she played growing up. “When other kids were going to summer camp, I went to sports camp and spent weeks playing basketball, soccer, and figure skating,” she recalled. Sports was a common theme for Ms. Love through middle and high school. In her senior year, she created and coached the school’s first 7th and 8th grade girls’ basketball team as her independent study. She then went on to play soccer at Georgetown’s School of Languages and Linguistics and later received her Masters in Curriculum Design in Physical Education. She has been teaching ever since! At Laurel, PE is required for Early Learners through Grade 8.
Kate Webb, English Department Chair Kate Webb has been at Laurel for eight years and brings 13 years of teaching experience to the table, teaching English in both Middle and Upper School. As English Department Chair, Ms. Webb ensures students across divisions learn to read, write, and think critically. “We read a variety of texts from a range of genres and classifications, and our program is designed so that students are asked to express their ideas clearly and creatively through writing, close reading, and speaking tasks,” she said. While there is some focus on textual analysis in the classroom, Laurel's English teachers also guide students in their writing of narratives, poems, fiction, and expository pieces. Feedback from teachers and peers is key to the learning process. “One of our goals is for students to be equipped with the tools and language needed to hold high-level, collegial conversations about their and others’ writing,” Ms. Webb continued. When it comes to LCRG research, many themes are incorporated into Laurel’s English curriculum. Ms. Webb remarked, “Teachers are not only intentional about including a variety of texts and voices into our curriculum, we are also thoughtful about how to facilitate meaningful—and sometimes uncomfortable— conversations that surface in classes. In this effort, the work coming out of LCRG has been key in Laurel’s efforts to provide students with tools for civil discourse.” English faculty also employ 12
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“While many of our units embrace traditional sports and games, the world of PE is changing and it is not what adults in our community may have experienced,” said Ms. Love. “Mixed in with some of these sports units are other units that focus on social and emotional learning (SEL), teamwork, kindness, and sportsmanship. We also focus on more lifelong activities like fitness, golf, flag football, cornhole, pickleball, badminton, biking, and new this year, archery.” Ms. Love says “Our department is unique in that we see kids over an extended number of years as they move through the divisions we teach. We focus a great deal on growth mindset—one of LCRG’s five pillars of resilience—starting with students in Early Childhood. In Kindergarten we ramp it up quite a bit and see ourselves as facilitators in our student’s journey. As students get older, we do a lot to infuse curriculum with activities and tenets of Project Adventure so that the foundations of growth mindset, challenge by choice, and self-care are touched on repeatedly”.
all parts of the learning cycle—preparation, practice, application, and reflection—in their work. Reflective work in particular allows student learning to be long-lasting and memorable; it also aligns with the LCRG-designed Ownership of Learning self-assessment tools, particularly as it relates to metacognition. Ms. Webb’s passion for English started at an early age when her parents (both teachers!) took her to the library every weekend and her grandparents instilled in her a love of reading. With teachers who challenged her to expand her writing with poems and narrative pieces, she ended up competing in Power of the Pen in middle school. A member of her high school Speech and Debate team, Ms. Webb competed in the United States Extemporaneous Speaking category, which required her to write 30-minute speeches on the spot. She loves passing along her love for writing to her Laurel students and takes great pride in coaching our award-winning interscholastic competitive writing team, JustWrite Ohio.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
Dr. Matthew Kennedy, Mathematics Department Chair Dr. Matthew Kennedy has been at Laurel for seven years but has 22 years of teaching experience under his belt. An assistant professor at The Ohio State University Medical School, Dr. Kennedy moved on to teach at another private school before finding his place as department chair of the mathematics department at Laurel where he oversees math curriculum across all divisions and teaches math in the Upper School.
Dr. Kennedy has a true passion for mathematics and the way it is taught. From a young age, he remembers enjoying puzzles and working to figure things out. “I’ve always liked to explore and play games and my family fostered that. I love music, math, and science,” he said. “I bring my passion to the classroom. We have fun doing hard things—this makes you persevere, work harder, and feel more connected. That is the goal here at Laurel.”
“Mathematics is not siloed here at Laurel,” Dr. Kennedy said of the philosophy behind Laurel’s K-12 math curriculum. “We want to explore the world around us not just learn from a textbook. Math is a tool to be able to do that. It supports the sciences and extends theoretical thinking and how to contemplate things. If you can model a situation or some application in terms of math and explain it, you know something. It is about developing the concepts behind math.” When asked how research from Laurel’s Center for Research on Girls (LCRG) weaves into the math curriculum, Dr. Kennedy stated that “Ownership of learning, resilience, engaging in civil discourse . . . these threads run through all K-12 math classes in every thing we do. These LCRG principles come into play when teachers think about their learning, reflect on what they are doing, and how they are learning the information. Throughout the year we ask if students are developing the right strategies to learn better? It is about so much more than memorizing.” Highlights | WINTER 2023
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Faculty Spotlights Getting to Know Laurel School’s Department Chairs
Catherine Butler, Visual Arts Department Chair Catherine Butler has been teaching students of all ages in some capacity since she was in art school. Whether it has been through the Cleveland Museum of Art, college, community art centers, or artist residencies in schools, Ms. Butler is a seasoned art teacher. This is her 15th year at Laurel. She recalled vividly her mother hanging a big roll of paper across one of the dining room walls where she and her brother were always allowed to draw with crayons. “When I was older I would receive art kits of materials, often with books with step-by-step how-to-draw projects. My dad would always do the projects, while I drew whatever I wanted to,” she said. At Laurel, Ms. Butler oversees the Visual Arts Department. She says, “Laurel teachers are committed to the development of individual visual voices and learning styles while fostering an accepting community and providing a safe space for students to express themselves. Students have exposure to a variety of media, and information about artists, and cultures from around the world throughout the curriculum. They also have 14
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opportunities to take a deep dive into an area of interest. All visual arts faculty are working artists, providing role models, and connection to the greater Cleveland arts community. Process is at the heart of the experience as students realize their artwork is a vehicle for communicating thoughts and feelings. Field trips and visiting artists enhance the curriculum.” The visual art program throughout all divisions at Laurel promotes aspects of the five pillars of resilience as described by LCRG. These include purpose, self-care, creativity, relationships, and a growth mindset. In Visual Art, students learn by doing and teachers offer opportunities to experiment and unleash their creativity in a safe and nurturing environment. This helps students build relationships with their teachers and their peers. Visual art classes also provide a place to be “in the zone,” completely absorbed in the process of making art. Visual Art also plays an important role in expanding critical-thinking skills. When working with various media, students build a growth mindset through learning from their perceived mistakes and using what they learn to revise and refine the work they are doing. They develop a sense of purpose as they grow their skills and confidence working in various media.
Dr. John Paul Aldrup-MacDonald, World Languages Department Chair Dr. John Paul Aldrup-MacDonald joined Laurel for the 20202021 school year as a Latin teacher and took on the role of World Languages Department Chair starting in the 2021-2022 school year. He oversees languages across all divisions from Kindergarten to Grade 12. This includes French and Spanish in Grades K-12, Latin in Grades 7-12, and Chinese in Grades 9-12. He has more than 15 years of teaching experience but disliked language learning until late in high school when a teacher gifted him a copy of Pablo Neruda’s sonnets. He said “I realized, upon trying to work through them, that language was the key to a wish I had wished since I was a young child: that other worlds existed, and that there was some magic through which I could visit them. I discovered that there are as many worlds as there are cultures, and that language is the magic of traveling through them. It is no accident that most magic is done through language because language IS magic!” When it comes to applying LCRG research to language learning, Dr. Aldrup-MacDonald highlighted his colleague Karl Frerichs, who joined Laurel part-time this year to teach Latin. “Mr. Frerichs recognized early on in the year that students
crave agency and that they need the right conditions in which they can achieve the growth mindset that we know is central to learning. To foster this in a class with a lot of anxious testtakers, he invented what he calls a ‘leave-behind’: a quiz that the individual student can either leave behind for a grade or take away at no penalty to their grade. Thus, students get some agency in their assessment and also some responsibility as well, since they have to determine their level of confidence in their mastery.” He went on to say “I think this little classroom procedure dovetails so well with what we know about girls' learning from LCRG that I immediately adopted it in my classes.”
as performing arts teacher ever since and is now Department Chair. Mrs. Sector says “I love music so much, it just ‘clicks’ for me. I love how fun it is, how hard it is, and how good I feel when I learn something incredibly difficult. That’s also why I love teaching! I get to be goofy and creative at my job. I have worked as a professional classical musician for years, and continue to do so, but nothing beats teaching Middle School music!”
Kristen Sector, Performing Arts Department Chair (6-12) Kristen Sector first started teaching in 2009 and came to Laurel in 2015. Despite a short one-year hiatus, she has enjoyed her role
As in every department at Laurel, the Performing Arts curriculum is grounded in research from LCRG. For example, the Sixth Grade performing arts classes that Eugene Sumlin (who teaches drama) and Mrs. Sector (band and choir) teach are focused on building artistic habits, grounded in LCRG research on executive functioning. She said “We coach students on effective practice strategies when learning lines or a new song. Re-reading your monologue is not going to help you perform it as much as speaking it again and again in different ways. When the girls prepare for their annual performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, they set short-term goals and long-term plans; practice inhibition and flexibility; and strengthen their working memory. Rehearsals are for learning, so when you mess up, you get to try it again the next day.” L
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Shaliz Bazldjoo '24 Writes Her Path to Success By Sarah Hibshman Miller '98
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haliz Bazldjoo ‘24 has seen her fair share of success throughout her years as a Laurel student. This year she and six of her classmates were named National Merit Semifinalists, awarded to students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. As a member of the Model United Nations (UN) team in Ninth through Eleventh Grade, Shaliz participated in a host of conferences. When asked what spurred her interest in Model UN, she said, “I’ve always been fascinated by world events and politics—perhaps because most of my family lives outside of the U.S.—so it was something I wanted to try from the very beginning.”
In addition to her extracurricular and academic successes, Shaliz learned early that she had both a gift and a passion for writing. In Eighth Grade she took home first place at a regional Power of the Pen writing competition and also received a state-level Humor Award for a piece she wrote during that tournament. That piece was published in “The Book of Winners” alongside other award-winning writing from that event.
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As a Junior, Shaliz and five of her classmates competed in the Division II JustWrite Ohio writing competition where they took an impressive second place overall at the State Tournament in May 2023. JustWrite Ohio awards its highest honors to just two students in the state and Shaliz received the 2023 Excellence in Poetry Award. It is worth noting that classmate Karma Abboud ‘24 received the other highest honor—the 2023 Nikki Delamotte Award for Outstanding Narrative Writing. Throughout Upper School, Shaliz also has entered her writing in the Scholastics Art and Writing Awards where she has received a total of three Gold Keys, three Silver Keys, and two Best-of-Category Awards. But among her many accomplishments, being named a 2023 YoungArts Finalist was a highlight for Shaliz. YoungArts is a national program for young artists of different disciplines, be it writing, dance, music, visual arts and more. Every year hundreds of winners are selected among these categories from thousands of applicants. This includes a group of only 100 finalists who are chosen to attend an arts immersion week in Miami at the YoungArts headquarters. Shaliz submitted her Capstone Project to the competition on a whim—a novel focused on the history of LGBTQ+. She knew of the selectivity of YoungArts and did not expect to be selected. Laurel’s Capstone Scholars Project provides enterprising and motivated students the opportunity to engage in personally meaningful work that tackles real-world challenges and creates
The week in Miami for YoungArts was incredible; there were 20 of us there in the writing category, and I’m still in touch with the friends I made there, despite most of them being in college now. I did experience quite a bit of anxiety/ impostor syndrome reading my work on a stage in front of so many people, but I think I’ve become a better person on the other side of it. YoungArts is also really the thing that made me realize I want to study writing in college, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful.
real-world solutions. This applicant-only program is a two-year process where Capstone Scholars develop skills and outlooks that set them up for success in college and beyond. Projects focus on intensive research, collaboration, internships, and more. Of her Capstone Project, Shaliz said that her “interest in this topic arose from current events taking place toward the end of my Sophomore year, and although the planning stage was long and mucky and full of scrapped ideas, inspiration struck me in early August of my Junior year, and suddenly I'd hammered out the first 30 pages.” She went on to say that, “Completing the rest of the novel was at times a breeze, at times a slog, and at times just a mess of plotholes, inaccuracies, and characters pushing each other off balconies—and I had to do a ton of historical research to even make it that far—but in the end this novel will
always be dear to me and is certainly the most important project I have worked on in Upper School.” Shaliz is now working with a developmental editor to revise her manuscript and hopefully query for publication before graduation. When asked what inspires her writing, Shaliz said that she has “often been inspired by historical events, figures and policies. There are just so many stories of people throughout time that aren’t really told, and I think they make for interesting and natural roots to branch new fiction off of.” Shaliz is also editor-in-chief of a literary magazine called Polyphony Lit! After her English teacher, Ms. Caitlin Moury, encouraged her to sign up for the publication’s summer program, Shaliz joined the magazine permanently. She says, “It operates internationally and does amazing work, even beyond
its main seasonal volumes of student fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. In the past year, we’ve worked on an anti-war blog series with a Ukranian student group and developed creative writing lesson plans for school classrooms in Pakistan.” After nearly 13 years at Laurel, Shaliz is getting ready to graduate in June. She plans to study creative writing in college and already has ideas for future projects to which she hopes to dedicate lots of her time. As for a favorite Laurel memory, Shaliz says, “This is a hard one because I’ve been here since Preschool. My mind immediately flits to midterms/ finals week last year, when my friends and I would find an empty classroom to watch TV shows between exams. But really, I can think of great memories from just last week in Physics class, all the way back to Third Grade reading. At Laurel, fond memories surround me!” L
Highlights | WINTER 2023
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ALUMNAE SPOTLIGHT
Lauren Kilbride '14 Connects the Dots Between Laurel Experience and Career with Mattel By Sarah Hibshman Miller '98
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auren Kilbride ‘14 has been a Coordinator with Mattel Films, the film production division of Mattel, since early 2022 and was fortunate enough to have an inside look at the recent production of The Barbie Movie. “When I joined Mattel The Barbie Movie was already in post production, which is the editing phase,” she recalled. “I remember sitting at my desk reading the script and just sobbing. It was such an interesting take. For me, thematically, it's about how in a vacuum— in Barbie world—she is perfect, she can do anything, have any job, have great friends, anything is possible in Barbie World. It’s only when Barbie comes to our world where she becomes less perfect. In a revolutionary world Barbie can reclaim herself.” Lauren attended Laurel for Upper School. She didn’t anticipate coming to a school like Laurel but fell in love with it on her first visit. She recalled feeling like Laurel was a place where she could do anything she set her mind to. Anything was possible for a Laurel Girl. “I do not think I would be in Los Angeles if not for Laurel. I owe so much of where I am now to the opportunities that Laurel made me see that I have. The abilities I have, what was available to me, and all of the opportunities I could harness,” she said.
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After graduating from Laurel, Lauren attended film school at the University of Southern California. She studied in the screen writing program and graduated in 2019, immediately going to work at an agency that managed writers and directors. From there Lauren started working in TV writer’s rooms where she had the opportunity to work on shows like Law and Order: Organized Crime and The L Word: Generation Q. Despite her love of the TV writing world, Lauren heard of an opportunity working for Mattel's growing Films Division and decided to explore it. It turned out to be a great fit. The Barbie Movie was the first film to be produced by the Division. “Greta Gerwig is someone I am a huge fan of but I wasn’t sure what a Greta Gerwig Barbie movie would be like,” she recalled. “I was so impressed with Mattel's handling of their intellectual property or IP (toys, games, etc.), including Barbie, their largest property. Other companies often handle their IP materials to make money but Mattel seemed to deeply care about making the movie deep and interesting, and tying IP into that mission,” she continued. As a Coordinator, one of Lauren’s roles is to review Mattel’s giant catalog of IP and help determine if anything might make for another great movie. Think “Hot Wheels” and “Polly Pocket” as some of the next big ideas. As for The Barbie Movie, Lauren definitely sees how the movie and its themes have shaped, and will continue to shape, the future for women. “As far as what Greta Gerwig did with the theme—patriarchy and girlhood—and infuse that into this doll or toy and think about it in an interesting way that speaks to women and really the population as a whole, it is definitely going to help change the course of history, movies, and even toys,” said Lauren.
Lauren is still in touch with many fellow classmates and has received a lot of positive feedback from the women in her life. “It made me so happy to see Ms. Klotz compare the themes in the movie to life at Laurel,” she said, recalling a recent communication about the movie and its correlation to the Laurel Community from Head of School Ann V. Klotz. “I grew up with the idea that I can be anything and do anything, and that is from my time at Laurel.” It truly is a Barbie World.
Laurel Head of School Ann V. Klotz reflected on Barbie World in a blog published on her own site, www.annvklotz.com. Below is an excerpt. “Dressed in the requisite pink, my son, Atticus, 19, and I went to The Barbie Movie. I was curious, skeptical at the beginning, totally hooked as Barbie encountered surly Sasha and her mom, the complicated and wonderful Gloria, who was, in fact, glorious. Atticus reported to his older sisters that I cried the whole time, which is not accurate, but I did cry. So much of what Gloria said as she deprogrammed Barbies hypnotized by Ken’s adoption of a patriarchy in Barbieland resonated. Gloria’s monologue mirrored conversations I have had for decades with girls and women as a teacher, mother and friend. It is complicated to be female. There are paradoxes that feel impossible to navigate, contradictions, judgments, societal norms, pressure. I felt as if I knew the words America Ferrera would speak before she uttered them.”
the same qualifications and doing the same work. Then, they return from college and say, ‘Ms. Klotz, you were right— people ARE sexist.’ There is no joy in being right. . .” “For many of the girls in the school I lead, The Barbie Movie may seem like an innocuous parody of times long past—for me and for women my age and older, not so much. But part of why the movie may feel more entertaining than revolutionary is because of the work we do at Laurel every day. Our students come of age in a school that encourages them to be their authentic selves, that encourages them to dream, dare, do, to explore possibilities, to reject anyone who tries to diminish them or judge them. . .what would have happened to Barbie if she had been a Laurel girl?”
“I have spent most of my life as a teacher in girls’ schools, encouraging girls and young women to use their voices. I’ve reminded legions of girls that they have a right to be at every table and reminded them, too, that they have access to an exceptional eduction. ‘Of those to whom much is given, much is expected,’ my mother used to say. Sometimes I say, ‘Carry as you climb; women need to lift up other women, not tear them down.’ Sometimes, the girls in my classes roll their eyes as I talk about the fact that we are not yet on a level playing field in terms of men and women being paid equally for having Highlights | WINTER 2023
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LEGACY for LAUREL
A PROMISE for THE FUTURE As alumnae, parents, and friends who love Laurel School, we have the power to strengthen and protect the School’s future. A planned gift is simply a gift promised in the future, and it’s easy to designate Laurel School or any of its programs or spaces as a recipient of a gift in your estate. By designating Laurel in your estate plans, you will join over 250 dedicated community members as a member of Legacy for Laurel, which allows us to recognize you appropriately for your generosity, foresight and dedication. Additionally, you’ll be invited to special Legacy events that will connect you with other supporters and where you can be recognized for your important commitment to our future. We welcome the opportunity to discuss with you the School’s programs and goals to help you decide on a purpose that would be meaningful to you or your family.
INTERESTED? Here are the steps to follow: • Contact your attorney and your financial advisor to let them know you are considering a planned gift to Laurel School. They can best assist you in determining what type of gift suits your personal and financial circumstances. • Contact Maegan Ruhlman Cross ‘03, Director of Development, at 216.455.3031 or mCross@LaurelSchool.org to let us know your intentions. We’ll be happy to send you further Legacy for Laurel information. • Be sure to talk with your family and friends about your plans and personal wishes in addressing family needs as well as your legacy gifts.
Legacy for Laurel supporters in the present honor Laurel's past by planning for the School’s future. Over the years, much of the School's financial stability has stemmed from bequests and other planned gifts.
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CLEVELAND, OHIO PERMIT NO. 701 Laurel School 1 Lyman Circle Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED FOR PARENTS OF ALUMNAE: If this magazine is addressed to a daughter who no longer lives at home, kindly call us with the correct address: 216-464-1420
“The thing most worthwhile in life is to have a vision and to see it shape into reality.” Sarah E. Lyman A gift from an IRA can help shape Laurel’s reality.
Consider an IRA Charitable Rollover to Laurel School this year When you choose to make a qualified charitable distribution directly from your IRA to Laurel School, you can enjoy several advantages: • • • • •
The gift is included in your required minimum distribution and does not count toward your gross income: all gifts are non-taxed rollovers. The process is straightforward, with the financial institution directly transferring the funds to Laurel School, making it easy and convenient for you. An IRA donation is a simple, hassle-free way for you to have a positive impact at Laurel School. By reducing the size of your IRA through charitable giving, you may potentially reduce the estate-tax burden on your heirs. Traditional IRA donations may be made any time during the course of the year.
Eligibility requirements for benefits under the IRA Charitable Rollover: • • •
You must be at least 70 ½ years old when you make the gift. You must make an outright gift directly from your traditional IRA to Laurel School. The sum of your IRA gifts cannot total more than $100,000 per year. If a married couple files jointly, each may contribute up to $100,000!
