14 minute read
Campus News
Welcome to Diversity University 2018
On February 9, 2018, Norwood’s faculty took o their teacher hats, put on their student hats, and spent the afternoon at Diversity University, a series of discussion groups thoughtfully planned by members of the Diversity Leadership Council (DLC). Held annually, Diversity University presents an opportunity to explore topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in small seminarstyle “classes.”
According to Billy Vargas, Norwood’s director of diversity, equity, and community, the overall goal of Diversity University is to facilitate open, honest, and respectful dialogue around how diversity-related issues connect with our work as educators and to reflect on how our own experiences and realities interact with these considerations. “Our Diversity University program gives us focused time to explore di erence, as well as sources of inequality in society. It encourages vibrant intellectual discussion, collaboration, and a great exchange of ideas,” shared Billy.
This year, faculty members, along with the many sta members who participated, were asked to choose from five di erent discussion groups, each one structured around the viewing of a video. Topics included:
n What defines home? What does it mean to belong?
n Overcoming challenge and recognizing diverse abilities n Being color blind vs. color brave n LGBTQ spectrum and discrimination n Rethinking poverty
Each video served as a starting point for the discussions. “I’m really proud of—but not surprised by—the thoughtful, respectful, and meaningful dialogue around these complex issues,” said Billy. “These topics can be di cult to unpack and discuss, and this work helps all of us navigate them more e ectively. We are fortunate to be a part of a school community that values and honors diverse experiences and perspectives, and is committed to doing the work to promote opportunity and justice for all.”
NORWOOD’S DIVERSITY UNIVERSITY SESSIONS RELY ON THESE TIPS FOR RESPECTFUL AND EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE: Speak from the “I” perspective. Listen for understanding. Respect di erent realities. Share airtime. Take risks and lean in. Be fully present.
FALL PLAY
The Phantom Tollbooth
Milo is bored. He mopes. He’s in the doldrums. He thinks everything is a waste of time— including the process of learning and seeking knowledge. Until he unexpectedly receives a magical tollbooth and a map of the Lands Beyond. Thinking he has nothing better to do, he drives through the tollbooth in his toy car and finds himself on an educational journey filled with wacky characters and important life lessons.
On November 17 and 18, 2018, Norwood’s seventh and eighth graders did a magnificent job bringing Milo’s adventure to life in this year’s fall play, The Phantom Tollbooth, by Susan Nanus. Based on the beloved children’s novel by Norman Juster, the performance was packed with wordplay and puns that were both funny and insightful. Fantastic costumes, a creative set, special e ects, and plenty of action enhanced Milo’s story as he rescued Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason from the Land of Ignorance. Along the way, he picks up valuable knowledge and skills that will forever change the way he approaches life.
Congratulations to the entire cast and crew on three fantastic performances and to their magical director, Middle School Drama Teacher Emily Nichols, as well as to costume designer Claudia Sorenson, set designer Amanda Cannell-Boone, and lighting designer Kirby Mahoney.
A NORWOOD FIRST!
Seventh- and eighth-grade members of the Middle School String Orchestra got a taste of what it’s like to be a professional musician with back-to-back gigs! During the busy holiday period, these young musicians went from the always-impressive Grandparents and Special Guests Day Concert to the Middle School Winter Festival Concert a few weeks later, and then to a special “pop-up” concert at the Library of Congress the very next day! It was a quick turnaround, but how do you pass up an invitation to play in the beautiful Great Hall of the Thomas Je erson Building of the largest library in the world?
According to Middle School Strings Teacher Stephen Czarkowski, Norwood performed as part of a series of 30-minute lunchtime popup concerts hosted by the Library of Congress during the holiday season. “To perform in this hall and to see the students’ reactions to the
SPRING MUSICAL:
At the time of publication, Norwood’s seventh and eighth graders were hard at work on the 2018 spring musical, Mary Poppins. Look for photos in the fall issue of the Norwood Magazine.
4
5
6
1, 2, 3 & 4 Scenes from the fall play, The Phantom Tollbooth. 5 The Middle School String Orchestra at the Library of Congress. 6 The Middle School Robotics Team shows o their trophy at a FIRST LEGO League tournament.
enthusiastic applause we received was an experience I will never forget, and I’m sure our students won’t either,” said Stephen. “Plus, it was quite an honor to be the first school invited to perform in this new series of concerts.”
FIRST LEGO LEAGUE
Robotics Team Makes a Big Splash at its First Tournaments
Last fall, 17 enthusiastic students in grades 5-8 formed Norwood’s first Robotics Club, under the guidance of the Technology O ce: Juan Ramirez, Jose Melendez, and Stephen Rowley. The initial goal was to prepare for and experience their first tournament in January: the FIRST LEGO League Maryland Qualifying Tournament at the Rockville Science Center.
Clearly, they were well prepared! Split into two teams to meet the tournament’s 10-person team maximum, the new Robotics Club placed second and eighth out of 24 teams from middle school and tech clubs in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The team that placed second qualified for the state tournament on February 24 at the University of MarylandBaltimore County, competing against more than 70 teams for top honors at the Maryland FIRST LEGO League Championship. According to Juan Ramirez, Norwood’s director of technology, the championship was an excellent experience for the team. “Despite some glitches with the robot—it happens!—the team persevered and earned the Judges’ Award for their fantastic project presentation.”
FIRST LEGO League challenges students to think like scientists and engineers. Teams of up to 10 players focus on team-building, problem-solving, creativity, and analytical-thinking to develop solutions to a problem currently facing the world. Each September, a new theme/challenge is unveiled to FLL teams worldwide. This year’s theme, hydro dynamics, had teams exploring the location, use, storage, and movement of water. “Each team had to come up with a specific challenge, solve it, and develop a compelling presentation for the tournament judges,” explained Juan. The teams were also required to build, program, test, and refine a fully autonomous robot using LEGO Mindstorms technology. FLL teams are evaluated on their presentation, teamwork, robot design, and robot performance.
“We are so proud of what these students were able to accomplish during this pilot year,” continued Juan. “From the very beginning, the team has worked really hard, supported one another, and enthusiastically embraced the theme and challenge. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future!”
Watch the play:
vimeo.com/norwoodschool
SHARING A MEAL TO
Connect, understand, and grow together
Food, glorious food. It celebrates. It comforts. It connects. So it’s no surprise that food is the common ingredient in two new programs at Norwood School: “A Seat at the Table” and “Dinner and Dialogue.” The first is designed to give parents a casual and intimate setting for sharing thoughts about topics pertaining to diversity and inclusion, while the second program brings teachers together to talk about professional development. Both encourage thoughtful conversation, open eyes to di erent perspectives and experiences, and nourish the soul.
A Seat at the Table
Sponsored by the Parent Forum for Identity, Diversity, and Inclusion, this dinner series brings together a
small group of parents in a family’s home for a casual evening of dinner and dialogue. Questions and topics are suggested, such as: What is the most out-of-character choice you have ever made? What is your favorite book and why? What is the community that influenced you the most when growing up? If you could teach your child one thing about diversity what would it be? How does identity matter in today’s America? Has your sense of cultural identity changed since becoming a parent?
“The purpose of these dinners is for parents, who may or may not know one another, to enjoy a meal together, celebrate di erences, share di erent perspectives, and maybe learn something about themselves,” said co- chairs Humaira Fazili, Cathy Goldwyn, and Clair Koroma. “It’s been a wonderful way to bring people together and create new friendships.”
Dinner and Dialogue
Led by Mike Risen, director of curriculum and instruction, the Dinner and Dialogue events begin in the Norwood kitchen where approximately 10 teachers put on their chef’s aprons and spend the first part of the evening chopping and dicing and cooking their own meal. Fortunately, they admit, participants are guided by Norwood chef, Jose Del Cid, who plans each dinner and oversees the cooking. When dinner is ready, teachers sit down at a common table, enjoy their meal, and engage in a robust conversation about professional development. Head of School Matthew Gould attends each dinner, facilitates the dialogues—and occasionally lends his skills in the kitchen.
“These dinners are a great opportunity to come together over a delicious meal and further explore our essential PD question for the year, ‘How can we improve our inclusive teaching practices,’” explained Mike. “People are relaxed and having fun, and the conversation and fresh ideas just flow. It’s the perfect recipe for success.”
“A SEAT AT THE TABLE” GROUND RULES: Be respectful. Be honest. Drop all assumptions. Do not judge others. All conversations are confidential. Have fun!
Blue Hawk Athletics
FALL & WINTER HIGHLIGHTS
Boys Soccer
The varsity conference team finished the season with a winning record and had their best performance at the Norwood Invitational to win the tournament. The independent team also finished the season with a winning record, beating Bullis with a last-second goal in one of the most exciting games of the season. The JV conference team finished as champions of the Woods Invitational after playing a tough game against the home team. The JV independent team improved their skills throughout the season, enjoying an awesome comeback win against Lowell.
1
Girls Soccer
The varsity conference team finished with a 9-2-1 record with notable wins against Holton, Holy Child, and Stone Ridge. They were also winners of the Norwood Invitational beating St Patrick’s in the championship game. The varsity independent team had an excellent season, finishing with a 5-1-1 record and closing out the season with a strong win against Georgetown Day. The JV team enjoyed an exciting season and finished second in the Woods Invitational. The highlight, however, was beating Lowell in the semifinals in a shoot-out.
Cross Country
Throughout an excellent crosscountry season, the varsity and JV teams worked diligently to improve their individual times. They also worked closely with their coaches to develop a strategy for each race. Runners competed in meets at Bullis, Landon, and WES. They concluded the season with the Norwood Invitational, where 150 runners from eight di erent schools competed on our campus. Both the boys and girls team finished fourth in the team scoring.
Field Hockey
The varsity team showed tremendous growth this year, improving both skills, field positioning, and game performance. With many new players to the team, the girls—beginners and more experienced players—came together as a strong team both on and o the field.
Volleyball
Varsity volleyball had an outstanding season. The girls improved their bump, pass, and set skills, and put them to use in some competitive matches that were decided in the final few points. They had some thrilling wins against Holton, Langley, and Stone Ridge, and finished in third in the Norwood Invitational. It has been exciting to see the volleyball program continue to grow.
Summit
Summit enjoyed a busy fall and winter. On campus, Summit students have been shooting arrows in archery, practicing belaying, and building campfires. Trips have included outdoor rock-climbing, indoor climbing and bouldering, and hiking the Billy Goat and Cabin John trails. In all, there have been 28 Summit trips during the fall and winter! Throughout the program, varsity students serve as leaders and are responsible for guiding a one-hour class on campus and a three-hour o -campus trip.
Boys Basketball
The varsity conference team experienced a hard-fought season
5 6
2 7
1 Norwood parents gather for a photo at one of this year’s “A Seat at the Table” events. 2 The varsity girls conference basketball team won the Norwood Invitational championship game. 3 The varsity boys conference soccer team with their championship trophy. 4, 5, 6 & 7 William Stixrud, Ned Johnson, Ali Michael, and Bonnie Zucker headlined this year’s Spring Speakers Series.
and came out of it with a 12-2 record and an exciting championship win at the Norwood Invitational by beating Woods in a back-and-forth game. The varsity independent blue team improved throughout the season and closed out with a win at Woods. The varsity independent white team enjoyed a great comeback win at Bullis. The JV conference team went undefeated and were champions of the Norwood Invitational. The JV independent blue and white teams showed great improvement throughout the season, both enjoying some incredible competition and strong wins.
Girls Basketball
The varsity conference team had a sensational season, finishing with a 11-3 record, which included big wins over Stone Ridge, Bullis, and Sidwell. They also beat Woods in an exhilarating game to win the Norwood Invitational. The varsity independent team also enjoyed a winning record with wins against WES, Holton, and St. Andrews in their best games of the season. The JV conference team finished with a 5-3 record and were runners-up in the Norwood Invitational. The JV independent blue and white teams worked hard throughout the season to improve their skills, both teams enjoying some exciting games.
Strength & Conditioning
With a new curriculum in place, students were challenged to improve their strength with body-weight workouts in the Fitness Center. Conditioning and cardio workouts were added and varied from interval training to group workout videos to outdoor running. Students also enjoyed options such as yoga, dance, and group games. Overall, they learned new techniques, added to their understanding of fitness, and enjoyed a fun and e ective variety of activities.
Follow us on Twitter
@BlueHawkSports
Spring Speaker Series
During March and April, Norwood welcomed four speakers—Bill Stixrud, Ned Johnson, Ali Michael, and Bonnie Zucker—to share their wisdom on three important topics for today’s parents and educators: motivation and stress, understanding racial bias, and children and anxiety.
Bill Stixrud & Ned Johnson “The Self-Driven Child: How a Sense of Control Makes Kids Motivated and StressResistant” (March 12, 2018)
Bill Stixrud, Ph.D., is a clinical neuropsychologist and director of The Stixrud Group. Ned Johnson is founder and president of PrepMatters. Together, they wrote the book, The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives (Viking Books).
Takeaway: Many well-meaning parents try to micromanage every aspect of their children’s lives. However, when children feel they don’t have any say in decisions, or in their lives for that matter, they are denied the opportunities to find meaningful paths for themselves. Additionally, they feel less motivated when they think someone else is responsible, and a low sense of control leads to greater stress and anxiety. Children need the freedom to navigate on their own in order to grow into stronger, more confident and resilient human beings.
Ali Michael
“Building a Healthy Multiracial Community: Why Talking with White Children about Race Matters” (April 9, 2018)
Ali Michael, Ph.D., is the cofounder and director of the Race Institute for K-12 Educators and author of Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Inquiry and Education (Teachers College Press, 2015), winner of the 2017 Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Award.
Takeaway: Remember that talking about race is not racist. Help your child develop critical skills for consuming media and observing the world around them. Recognize that racism impacts everyone, and therefore anti-racist action is relevant to all of us. The goal is to help children develop a positive racial identity.
Bonnie Zucker
“Children and Anxiety” (April 10, 2018)
Bonnie Zucker, Psy.D., specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults and utilizes a cognitive-behavioral (CBT) approach. Dr. Zucker is the author of Anxiety-Free Kids: An Interactive Guide for Parents and Children (Prufrock Press).
Takeaway: When it comes to dealing with the behavioral manifestations of anxiety (typically avoidance), have your child list all of their anxiety-provoking situations and put them into a “ladder.” Starting with the easiest items on the bottom, have them “face their fears” one by one, gradually becoming desensitized to each one. Remember: You must face your fears to overcome them.
