Norwood Magazine - Fall 2018

“The home-school partnership that is created at Norwood is genuine, and it is truly evident at this annual event.”

- Matthew A. Gould, Ph.D., Head of School

Dear Friends,

A wonderful tradition at Norwood School occurs each year in October— the annual Multicultural Festival, when the Norwood community gathers to celebrate the diverse world in which we live, as well as the variety of cultures represented among our own families. Members of our school community serve as “country captains,” sharing educational material, displays, native dress, art, music, dance, crafts, and food from the country they represent. The whole school is able to “take a trip around the world” in just 90 minutes! To watch our community—students, parents, teachers—come together in joy and celebration always makes for a truly magical experience.

But the Multicultural Festival is not just a great event. It symbolizes key elements of the Norwood School philosophy and represents important core values that we hold so dear. First and foremost, the Festival highlights knowledge. Our students learn about the various countries in depth. They come to understand the language, food, climate, customs, major religions, geography, and influential people of each particular region. Depth of understanding is a hallmark of Norwood School education and this certainly plays itself out each year at the Multicultural Festival.

Another key component to a Norwood School education is creativity. Creativity abounds at this particular

event. Food, performances, clothes, displays—each one brings a country to life and no two are the same! Creativity is incredibly important at Norwood as we believe it will be a crucial mindset for our students to carry with them into their later school years as well as into the future workplace. Creative minds are successful minds.

Anyone who has been involved in the planning of a large-scale event such as this one understands the importance of positive and productive collaboration This year’s leaders—Jonathan Beninson, Lida Beninson, Ashley Piraino, and Ikneet Sethi—brought together nearly 100 volunteers to make this community event a phenomenal success. When our student see adults model collaborative behavior, melding different perspectives and ideas, they begin to understand the infinite power of many minds working together.

The Multicultural Festival brings to life the power of our very unique school community. I am always delighted to see so many family members attend the event because I know how important it is for the children to see their parents at school. The home-school partnership that is created at Norwood is genuine, and it is truly evident at this annual event. It speaks to the wonderful diversity that exists within our school and how appreciative our families are of the rich diversity that works and plays together in this community.

Finally, an integral part of Norwood’s program is its emphasis on global education . With our country becoming more diverse and with our world becoming more interconnected, it is incumbent upon our school to appropriately prepare our students for life in this ever-changing world. The Multicultural Festival, I hope, helps to open our students’ eyes to the vast human diversity of our planet and broadens their perspective to a global one.

Whether they are on display at a community event like the Multicultural Festival or imparted by our talented teachers during a classroom lesson, these core values— knowledge, creativity, collaboration, community, and global education—guide our students throughout their Norwood experience and beyond, inspiring confident, compassionate, independent, and creative thinkers who embrace lifelong learning.

Yours sincerely, Matthew A. Gould, Ph.D. Head of School

Introducing Bridges in Mathematics

Norwood has a long history of continually reviewing and reevaluating every aspect of its curricula, typically on a rotating basis. After completing a review of the social studies curriculum in 2017, the School shifted its focus to the math program—particularly in grades K-5 where the current program, “Go Math,” was up for renewal—to identify a best-fit curriculum for Norwood’s child-centered and differentiated approach to teaching and learning. >

What we love about Bridges: Student-centered and highly differentiated / Rigorous and engaging / Offers more ways to stretch students’ thinking / Focused on reasoning, logic, and multiple approaches to solving a problem / Linguistically, visually, and kinesthetically rich / Develops proficiency with key skills and deep thinking about mathematical concepts / Allows students to make connections with new material by overlapping Work Place units / Encourages exploration and questioning / Utilizes lots of visual models and manipulatives / Extensive assessment / Easily and smoothly transitions to the Glencoe program taught in grades 6-8

A Math Text Review Task Force, led by math coordinators Fielding Winters in the Lower School and John Currie in the Middle School, spent a year researching programs, testing materials, and gathering feedback before unanimously landing on Bridges, a comprehensive, research-based K-5 curriculum. Fielding and John point out that Bridges is a natural fit for Norwood. Mike Risen, interim head of lower school and director of curriculum and instruction agrees. “Bridges and Norwood are pedagogically aligned,” says Mike. “The program is highly student-centered and allows for great differentiation. It feels a lot like our reading and writing workshops.”

Feedback from Norwood’s faculty who piloted the program last year was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers like the blend of direct instruction, structured investigation, and open

“

A GREAT NEXT STEP FOR NORWOOD

exploration that provides multiple paths to stretch students’ thinking— no matter where they are or how they learn. They also praise the rigor of the program and its emphasis on development of strong number sense and deep thinking. “Bridges is a pedagogically and visually rich curriculum,” explains Fielding Winters. “Students are exposed to concepts using visual models at the youngest of grades, with these models becoming increasingly abstract as students progress through the grades. The program places an emphasis on seeing patterns, reasoning about mathematics, and problem solving. At every grade level, students are presented with problems that have multiple entry points and that honor different ways to approach a solution, but which ultimately help students discover the most efficient and effective strategies.”

In addition, teachers are embracing the breadth of tools and scaffolding that support the curriculum. With a multisensory, hands-on approach, Bridges incorporates a variety of increasingly complex visual models, manipulatives, games, and activities— all of which are compelling and engaging to children. Learning is active and robust as students collaborate on problems, test conjectures, and move around the classroom. The program also provides many opportunities for students to talk about math, make observations, explain their thinking, and ask questions. These rich math explorations take place during what Bridges refers to as “Work Places” and “Number Corners” (see sidebar).

The structure of the program provides the time for extensive individual assessment and differentiation. While students engage in Work

Not only are students building skills, they’re learning how to apply a variety of strategies to solve complex problems. They’re becoming critical thinkers and problem solvers.”

-Mike Risen, Interim Head of Lower School and Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Place activities, teachers are able to move around the room, observing, challenging, and conferring with individual students and small groups. Further, every unit begins with a preassessment, includes a mid-unit check, and finishes with a post-assessment for each student. And throughout each unit, teachers have a clear idea of which skills or concepts are being reviewed, practiced, or extended to higher levels.

John Currie, middle school math coordinator, is impressed with the strength of the program in terms of developing the deep conceptual knowledge and strong number sense that lays the foundation for algebra and geometry in grades 6-8. “Students work through rich, interactive, and openended problems, which helps them to understand the power of math and its many applications,” John explains. As units overlap, students have the ability

to transfer their knowledge and apply it to new contexts. “The program takes them exactly where they need to be for when we shift over to the Glencoe program in sixth grade,” says John.

“Bridges is a great next step for Norwood’s math program,” says Mike Risen. “Not only are students building skills, they’re learning how to apply a variety of strategies to solve complex problems. They’re becoming critical thinkers and problem solvers.” Mike notes that Bridges is a complex and robust curriculum that is not easily implemented: “It requires skilled and talented teachers who inherently understand what this looks like in practice. We have those teachers. All around, this is an ideal fit for Norwood.”

Work Places: Choice, Collaboration, & Exploration

Several times a week, following a minilesson at the start of every class, students explore key skills and concepts at various “Work Places” set up around the classroom. Working individually or in pairs or small groups, students may choose from up to six Work Places—controlled choice that allows for student agency and selfdirected learning. Equally important, Work Places are a valuable time for authentic assessment as teachers move around the room, observing, questioning, and adding or removing scaffolding to make sure every student is challenged appropriately. In fact, one Bridges teacher describes it as an excellent time to “dipstick” for clarity and understanding. Work Place activities are thoughtfully designed and can reveal more about a student’s thinking and comprehension level than a written test.

Number Corner: Daily Math Workouts for Those Math Muscles

A Number Corner is an interactive bulletin board that revolves around the classroom calendar, providing skills practice and continual encounters with mathematical concepts. These short daily workouts are used to introduce, reinforce, and extend skills. Typically, students will participate in two to three Number Corner workouts per day as a warm-up before the main lesson of the day.

“It’s almost like math is woven in throughout the day, as the visual of the Number Corner is always present for students to think about,” Fielding Winters notes. In addition, a Number Corner Student Workbook supports these workouts with independent practice and engagement with the skills and concepts covered in the daily workouts.

Students work through rich, interactive, and open-ended problems, which helps them to understand the power of math and its many applications.”

-John Currie, Middle School Math Coordinator

It’s Just Another Manna Monday!

“It’s truly wonderful to see the entire school community embrace Manna and its mission and to be able to make a real impact in the fight against hunger.”

- Debbie Pakaluk, Service Learning Coordinator

A Manna Monday at Norwood is a day when the school community comes together to collect

donations

help Manna Food Center fight hunger in Montgomery County. As the premier food bank in the county, Manna provides food to 32,000 individuals each year and helps to

to soup kitchens, food pantries, and emergency shelters. Nearly every social service organization in Montgomery County relies on Manna to provide food to their clients.

But they can’t do it alone. With more than 63,000 county residents experiencing hunger and food insecurity, Manna relies on donations and volunteers to support their work. That’s where Norwood comes in. Six times a year, the School holds “Manna Monday” food drives—a day dedicated to bringing in healthy food donations for Manna. There’s even a little incentive for students, faculty, and staff: Anyone who contributes a healthy food item to the Manna collection bin gets a “Free Dress Day.” It’s a win-win deal: drop some cereal, rice, canned veggies or fruit into the bin to help feed hungry people in our area, and enjoy the day in your comfy clothes.

Norwood’s enthusiasm for helping Manna eliminate hunger isn’t limited to Manna Mondays. The community’s dedication is on full display on Field Days as well, when the blue team and the white team compete to see who can bring in the greatest number of food donations. Teams accrue points for every donation, which are added to the totals that determine the winner of the annual Blue/White Challenge.

Additionally, Norwood students can count themselves as part of the 40,000

volunteers who donated more than 70,000 hours of their time last year to help feed the hungry in Montgomery County. As one of the sites for Norwood’s service learning program, a team of eighth graders spends a morning at Manna on Service Days (which coincide with Manna Mondays) to sort food, check expiration dates, and pack boxes at the warehouse in Gaithersburg.

According to Debbie Pakaluk, service learning coordinator at Norwood, students and employees have collected nearly 50,000 pounds of food for Manna since 2007.

“It’s truly wonderful to see the entire school community embrace Manna and its mission and to be able to make a real impact in the fight against hunger. Everybody gets to participate—from our youngest students who are just beginning to grasp the meaning of our motto, ‘How you lead your life matters,’ to the oldest students who assist with some of the heavy lifting in the warehouse. And, of course, we couldn’t do it without our loyal parent volunteers who help collect, sort, and

box donations on Manna Mondays. It’s a real community effort.”

Since 1983, Manna has worked to fight hunger, instill hope, and transition recipients from a place of scarcity to prosperity. Since 1952, Norwood School has made character education and service learning an important aspect of its program. Today, this partnership provides a meaningful service experience for Norwood students, a common goal for our school community, and consistent support for an important need in our area. Another win-win.

Trailblazer

Back in the fall of 2015, when Mackenzie Kynoch arrived in Hanover, New Hampshire, for her first year at Dartmouth College, she became enthralled with the Appalachian Trail, a footpath that runs from Georgia to Maine and bisects Dartmouth’s campus along the way. Two and a half years later, in the spring of 2018, this avid backpacker, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of big challenges placed her foot on the trail as hiker #619 and didn’t look back for 2,190.9 miles.

When and where did you start and finish?

I started at Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia on March 28. I finished on Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park in Maine on September 2.

Did you have hiking companions?

I started the trail alone, but luckily was surrounded by other thru-hiking hopefuls. I had a “tramily,” a trail family, for about a month while I was in North Carolina and Virginia. A trail family is a group of people who decide to stick together, share motel rooms, and

generally just work together. I ended up having to hike faster, as I had a strict deadline to finish before my school started again. Afterwards, I employed the strategy of hiking with a family or group of people I liked for 4-5 days, and then I would hike on and make up miles for 2-3 days before temporarily joining a new family.

How did you prepare physically and mentally?

To be completely honest, I didn’t do a whole lot of preparation outside of logistics. I remained relatively active at school, but knew that the only way to truly get

in shape physically for the trail was simply to start hiking. Before starting, I removed quitting as an option.

Were you prepared?

I walked in assuming I knew what to do and what I needed, since I’d done backpacking trips before. I was totally wrong. A two-week backpacking trip and thru-hiking are completely different, which I learned very quickly. I replaced a lot of my gear as I hiked north, swapping out heavier gear for ultra-light gear. I also assumed that Georgia would be warm. Georgia in March in the mountains is not warm. At all. In fact, it was absolutely freezing. It frequently was under 20 degrees Fahrenheit at night, and I was in a hammock with a summer-weight sleeping bag, a mid-weight merino wool shirt, and a thin synthetic down puffy. I quickly learned my lesson about being prepared for unexpected weather, and about not underestimating how cold it can be in the mountains, regardless of the season.

Most difficult moment?

July 4 in Pennsylvania, during that horrible heat wave where the heat index was above 110 degrees every day for five days. Pennsylvania is known as “Rocksylvania” because the trail is littered with rocks. It’s almost impossible to set up a comfortable stride, and any time you break focus, you trip or fall. There were rattlesnakes everywhere, tons of bugs, and almost every water source at the time was dry. It was the fourth day of hiking in the oppressive heat, with gnats in my ears, eyes, mouth, and nose, and with bruises and cuts all over from numerous falls. I had a moment where I swatted away gnats for what felt like the millionth time, just to have them return again, and then tripped over a rock for the thousandth time, and I totally broke down. Luckily, there was a bed and breakfast only ten miles away, so I treated myself to a shower and air conditioning for a night, and was back on trail the next day with much higher spirits.

Happiest moment?

The day I entered the 100-mile wilderness, near Monson, Maine, the weather was absolutely perfect. It had been raining for weeks prior to this day, so the sun felt incredible, and it was my first day with dry boots basically since Massachusetts. There were very few people on trail with me at this point, since it was within 120 miles of the end. I happened upon a bench near a beautiful river, so I stopped and sat in the sun and sang along to my favorite songs for a couple hours. That’s the beauty of the trail—you can do whatever you like, whenever you like, and you find pleasure in the simplest things.

What did you miss the most? Sweatshirts and heavy ceramic mugs with non-instant coffee.

The term “trail magic” is used to describe random acts of kindness experienced along the trail. Did you find magic along the trail?

There was a ton of magic on trail. Every state had at least one. In New Jersey, I had at least one trail magic every day I was there. Every time I crossed a road or a parking lot, I would hold my breath in the hopes that someone would be there with a pick-me-up. On trail, you have to carry everything you eat, and your food options are quite limited. After a month or two, you really start to hate your trail food. You’re also always at a caloric deficit, usually a pretty significant one. This is all to say that being brought real, non-trail food by a stranger is absolutely one of the best things imaginable when you’re on trail.

Of the 2,000 or so people who voluntarily register as thru-hikers each year, only about 20% will finish. Why do you think you’re one of the 20%?

I think what set me apart from those who did not finish was my love of a challenge and my drive and determination. I walked onto the trail knowing it would be the

hardest thing I’d ever done, but I was eager to face that challenge. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I didn’t consider quitting an option. I frequently argued with myself to stop hiking for the day, or to spend an extra day in town, but I never considered stopping for good; it simply wasn’t an option.

How will you apply the lessons learned on the trail?

I had a lot of time to learn about myself on trail. It’s a hugely introspective journey, and I had the chance to catalogue my strengths and weaknesses. My most important takeaways were about what I need to be happy and healthy. My goal as I reintegrate into the “real world” is to maintain the mindfulness that I developed on trail. To that end, I’ve given myself what I call “daily minimums”: the list of things I need to do every day to serve as a sort of health and wellness foundation, so that I can remain healthy, happy, mindful, and present. I learned that I need very little to be happy, and that having less actually makes me happier, so I’ve worked to reduce my belongings to only those things I love. I learned that I perform best when I have concrete objectives in mind, so for every assignment and project, I’ve broken it down to concrete goals. Finally, I learned that fun and enjoyment are the necessary foundations of success, so I’ve endeavored to find ways to love what I’m doing, and to stop doing what I cannot find a way to enjoy.

What advice do you have for Norwood students who are thinking about taking on something new and challenging?

You cannot know what you are capable of until you take a risk and try. The most incredible and enriching experiences come from pushing yourself to failure.

What’s your next challenge?

Right now, my focus is on graduating. Beyond that, I’m planning my next thruhike on the Pacific Crest Trail.

NORWOOD’S NEW BOARD CHAIR: JENNIFER LUSTBADER

Looking ahead...

Jennifer Lustbader, Norwood’s new board chair, has been a dedicated trustee since 2014, playing a leadership role on both the Trustees Committee and the Executive Committee, as well as serving on the Strategic Planning Committee. Jenn began her career as a strategy consultant for Bain & Company and Mercer Management Consulting, focused on competitive assessments, benchmarking analyses, and key capability requirements for a diverse array of Fortune 1000 clients. She also worked as a corporate development manager at Mindsurf Networks, an education technology firm, and as a senior market research analyst at Capital One. Jenn graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She has been an active volunteer at Norwood for a decade, chairing both the Auction and The Norwood Fund and helping out with countless events and committees. Jenn and her husband, Mike, have two children, Daniel ’18 and Isabel ’21. >

A Q&A WITH JENNIFER LUSTBADER:

What motivates you to serve as the chair of Norwood’s board of trustees?

I have greatly enjoyed my role as a Norwood trustee for the past four years. Doing work on behalf of children—and in support of an institution and community that mean so much to my family—is incredibly rewarding. Serving as board chair allows me to participate in the life of the School in an especially meaningful and significant manner. I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside such a phenomenal group of trustees, who are hardworking, dedicated, and so generous with their time and expertise.

What is the role of the board of trustees?

In alignment with the National Association of Independent Schools, the Norwood board is the guardian of the School’s mission, responsible for ensuring relevance to the community it serves and for monitoring how well the School fulfills that mission. The board is responsible for hiring, supporting, and evaluating the head of school, and works in partnership with the head and other school administrators.

The day-to-day operations of the School are the head’s responsibility, while the board focuses on long-range and strategic issues. Finally, the board is a steward of the School’s resources; to this end, the board oversees the annual operating budget, actively supports fundraising, works to preserve the School’s capital assets and endowments, and engages in multi-year financial planning.

What are your short-term priorities?

During my first year as a Norwood trustee, I had the opportunity to participate in

the strategic planning process, which produced the plan “Our Children, Our Purpose” and charted the School’s course from the launch of the plan in 2016 until 2021. Over the past three years, it has been particularly rewarding to see many aspects of the plan become a reality. However, our work is not done yet, so when you ask about short-term priorities, I have to say that continuing to achieve the goals of the strategic plan, particularly in the area of fundraising, is a major focus. The ultimate objective of our fundraising initiatives is to substantially increase the endowment and continue to augment and improve the campus facilities, ensuring that Norwood delivers the best educational experience possible for children, with access to innovative resources, dynamic learning spaces, and exceptional teachers.

Another priority for the board is supporting the School in its work around child protection and safety to ensure that our policies, standards, and culture all serve the goal of protecting the well-being of our students. Additionally, we are focused on strengthening the governance function of the board through ongoing training, by onboarding trustees that reflect the diversity of our community and meet the needs of the board with respect to professional skills, and by implementing board processes that enhance our strategic effectiveness.

How do you feel about the future of the School?

This is an exciting time to be working on behalf of Norwood School. We are fortunate to be guided by our experienced and devoted head of school, Matthew Gould, who works tirelessly, along with

his outstanding leadership team and dedicated faculty, in support of our children and our community. It’s an honor to be part of a group of professionals who make every decision based on what’s best for children; children really are at the center of everything at Norwood. While there is much competition in the independent school space, especially in the greater D.C. market, this childcentered approach to education and our commitment to “knowing” each child is resonating with families. Demand for the School is strong and growing.

Through the many successes of Norwood graduates, we know that Norwood’s childcentered philosophy is working. Norwood students—including my son, Daniel, who graduated in June—consistently report that they are well prepared for the challenges of high school and beyond. They are lifelong learners who are confident and creative and curious—and who are leading lives that make a positive difference in our world.

I truly believe that Norwood School has a tremendous opportunity to establish itself as a nationally recognized leader among PK-8 independent schools—today and in the future.

Photo: Board Chair Jenn Lustbader with her husband, Mike, and children, Isabel and Daniel, celebrating Daniel’s graduation from Norwood in June.

Norwood Welcomes Five New Trustees

Norwood is fortunate to have an outstanding board of trustees that works tirelessly to support the School’s educational program and mission. This year, the board is pleased to welcome five new trustees, each of whom brings valuable expertise, knowledge, and a love for Norwood School: Jamie Groban, Susan Lee, Robby Miller, Elinor Scully, and Josh Spencer.

Jamie Groban is the current president of the Norwood Parents Association. Most recently, she was the director of development at Washington Hebrew Congregation. Before that, she worked at Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Inc. and Holy Cross Hospital. Jamie received an M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin. She has been an active volunteer at Norwood and Primary Day School and just completed four years on the Board of Directors of the Carrie Simon House. Jamie and her husband, Aaron, are parents of Ryan ’18, Adam ’20, Jack ’20, and Sara ’23.

Susan Lee is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of the international law firm Hogan Lovells. She advises innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on a range of legal and regulatory issues that arise in the development, approval, and marketing of diagnostic and therapeutic products and services. Prior to practicing law, Susan was a management consultant in the health care practice of McKinsey & Company (New York and D.C. offices) and served as the vice president of economic policy at a Washington, D.C. think tank. She grew up in Rhode Island and

graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Susan and her husband, Bowen Garrett, are parents of Kaitlyn ’23.

Robby Miller is the founder and president of Miller Corp., a vertically integrated developer, owner, and operator of real estate assets. He earned his degree in business administration with an emphasis in architectural engineering at Penn State University, followed by his MBA from the University of Maryland. He is a licensed real estate broker in Maryland and the District of Columbia, as well as a board member of the District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA) and currently serves on its executive committee. Robby has been actively involved with the Site and Facilities Committee at Norwood over the past several years. He and his wife, Meredith, are parents of Joey ’15 and Jamie ’20.

Elinor Scully, head of The Langley School in McLean, Virginia, is a nationally recognized expert in childhood and adolescent development. Dr. Scully came to Langley from the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., where she served as assistant head of school, director of the upper school, and then associate head of school. She began her career in 1991 as a

family life education teacher at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria, VA, subsequently taking positions as chair of the Family Life Education Department and associate director of the upper school before moving to NCS in 2005. She currently serves as president of the Elementary School Heads Association and is vice president of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools Board of Directors. Dr. Scully holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in education from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Josh Spencer has been with T. Rowe Price since 2004. He has been an investment analyst and portfolio manager and has served on numerous investment and leadership committees. Presently, he manages the T. Rowe Price Global Technology Fund and coleads the firm’s technology research efforts. Josh also worked at Fidelity Investments in Boston from 2000 until 2004. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in economics in 1994, Phi Beta Kappa honors. Subsequent to that, he earned an M.A. in economics and an MBA with a concentration in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago. Josh worked in consulting for three years in Washington, D.C. before completing his MBA. He and his wife, April, are parents of Ben ’24 and Sam ’22.

IN APPRECIATION

We are deeply grateful to the following departing trustees for their exceptional service, countless contributions, and unwavering dedication to Norwood.

Clarke

Susanna Jones

Mary Kwak (PA President, 2017-18)

2018-2019 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jennifer Lustbader, Chair

Matthew Gould, Head of School

Cliff Elmore, Vice Chair

Frazier Schulman, Treasurer

Chatice Yarborough, Secretary

Debra Barrett

Michelle Fling

Jamie Groban

Andrew Kay Serge Learsy

Susan Lee

Cheng Hoon Lim

Robert Miller

Del Renigar

Elinor Scully

Joshua Spencer

Jeffrey Spigel

Brad Steuart ’73

Betsy Turley ’71

Barbara Wiesel ’57

Steve Bauer

Andre Bhatia

Camper (Board Chair, 2016-18) Steve Jones

Josh Spencer

Elinor Scully

Robby Miller

Susan Lee Jamie Groban

Henderson & Hudnut Grants

A commitment to lifelong learning is just one of the hallmarks of an exceptional Norwood faculty. For nearly 40 years, two important endowment funds—the Welles and Lucia Henderson Fund and the Thomas Hudnut Fund—have provided support for exciting, rejuvenating, and inspiring faculty learning experiences outside the School’s normal professional development program. Congratulations to this year’s Henderson and Hudnut recipients, who used their grants to visit exciting places around the globe to deepen knowledge or simply to restore, renew, and gain inspiration.

2018 Henderson Grants

The Welles and Lucia Henderson Fund was established in the early 1980s to support proposals that will have a broad impact on student learning by enhancing and enriching existing curricula or initiating new curricular programs. This year’s awards were selected to deepen the implementation of our social studies program.

Kelly McDonough

Sixth Grade Homeroom Advisor

Travel to Rome and Florence to study Renaissance history.

Thenthia Taterway

Second Grade Homeroom Teacher

Travel throughout the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland.

Terri Woodard

Third Grade Homeroom Teacher

Travel to Juneau and Sitka, Alaska, to study the land and culture of the Tlingit.

2018 Hudnut Grants

The Thomas Hudnut Fund, also established in the early 1980s, supports faculty enrichment and renewal above and beyond normal professional development activities.

Theresa Leyva

Horizons at Norwood Students Are Ready for High School

A hush settles over Norwood in June, but not for long. Barely three weeks after Commencement, the middle school hallways fill once again with the sounds of students learning, creating, exploring, and reconnecting with friends.

Estefany, who looks forward to a career as a surgeon; and Rafael, a budding lawyer now attending St. John’s College High School.

Like all Horizons students, all four come from families whose income qualifies them for free or reducedprice meals. With roots in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Togo, and Mexico, the group also reflects the program’s diversity. Most Horizons students at Norwood are the children of immigrants, and many speak English as a second language.

Lower

School Music Teacher Italy

Naomi Manzella

Media Resource Specialist Scotland

Laura Prosen

Middle School Counselor Napa Valley

John Schmidt

Fifth Grade Homeroom Advisor

Rome

Every summer for the past nine years, Norwood has welcomed students from Horizons Greater Washington to spend six weeks on campus for a unique academic enrichment program. The partnership debuted in 2010, when Horizons at Norwood’s first class of first and second graders gathered in temporary quarters at Maret School. This fall, those first graders headed off to high school.

They include Aaron, who plays football at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and plans to become a veterinarian; Eileen, an avid reader who hopes to be an architect;

Eileen, Estefany, Aaron, and Rafael all count swimming and field trips among the highlights of their Horizons experience. Together the group has tackled new challenges like diving, zip-lining, and camping. At Assateague last year, they fished for crabs, harvested oysters, and cooked dinner over a fire before bunking down in tents for the night.

Academic experiences also rank high among their memories. Hands-on STEM projects are particular favorites, ranging from high-tech projects involving 3D

1 Sixth Grade Homeroom Advisor Kelly McDonough in Florence, Italy. 2 Lower School Music Teacher Theresa Leyva in Venice, Italy. 3 Media Resource Specialist Naomi Manzella visits the birthplace of Harry Potter in Edinburgh, Scotland. 4 Third Grade Homeroom Teacher Terri Woodard at the Mendenhall Glacier outside of Juneau, Alaska. 5 Three of our Horizons program’s first graduates express their gratitude for nine wonderful summers.

printing to low-tech engineering with recycled materials. In addition, Horizons’ emphasis on reading has left its mark. “When I first came, I just wanted to read picture books,” Rafael recalls. “I didn’t really want to work because it was summer, but the teachers said, ‘You should read this and you should read that,’ so I did, and I actually enjoyed it,” pointing to his current book, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

Stories like this underscore the importance of Horizons’ work. Typically, low-income students— who are less likely to participate in camp, family travel, and other enriching activities—fall back two to three months in reading and two months in math each summer. By fifth grade, cumulative summer learning loss can leave them two and a half to three years behind their higher-income peers.

In contrast, Horizons National, which coordinates a network of 58 Horizons sites in 18 states, reports that students gain 8-12 weeks in math and reading skills every summer. They discover new experiences and explore different environments. And unique to Horizons, every student learns to swim—overcoming fears, gaining self-confidence, and building resilience along the way.

It’s a program with many strands but a single, simple goal. “After nine years with Horizons,” explains Norwood site director Jeanne Simons, who teaches second grade at Norwood from September to June, “we want students to feel prepared to take on the challenges of high school and post-secondary education with confidence and enthusiasm—and ultimately to succeed in life.”

It’s a Celebration!

FACULTY AND STAFF HONORED FOR MILESTONE YEARS OF SERVICE

We are so appreciative of the talent and dedication of these outstanding educators and staff members who in 2018 reached milestones in their years of service to Norwood School. The following faculty and staff members were celebrated at Founder’s Day Chapel on May 18 with a special gift and enthusiastic applause.

5 Years

Sarah Boor Beanie Burr

Kate Courville Lan Jin Jessica Morataya Mike Risen

10 Years

Imalka Senadhira Victoria Wilbur

15 Years

Ellen Pulupa Lara Salyer

20 Years

Tara Reilly 25 Years Stan Smith 30 Years Jack McCune

SPRING MUSICAL Mary Poppins

Everyone’s practically perfect nanny, Mary Poppins, landed on the Norwood stage in the 2018 spring musical performed on May 4 and 5. With her magical umbrella, sunny attitude, and infinite wisdom, Mary—along with her best friend, Bert, and the dysfunctional Banks family—delivered a thoroughly entertaining musical adventure for the whole family.

From the Banks’s house at 19 Cherry Tree Lane to the sooty rooftops of London to a park filled with soaring kites, the production featured visually stunning backdrops against which nearly 80 seventh- and eighth-graders told the enchanting story of how “anything can happen if you let it.” The students’ acting, singing, and dancing was truly impressive, beautifully choreographed, and clear evidence of two months of seriously hard work, especially in show-stopping numbers like “ Step in Time,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and “Feed the Birds.”

According to the show’s director Emily Nichols, Mary Poppins is a technically demanding production, but one she knew the students would fully embrace. “Disney shows are big productions and this

SEE MORE!

View more Mary Poppins photos at: norwoodschool.smugmug.com/ May-2018

Watch the show: vimeo.com/norwoodschool

COMING UP NEXT!

ONCE UPON A PINE: THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

> November 16 & 17, 2018

was by far the most challenging show I’ve directed at Norwood,” she said. “I still can’t believe it is labeled as a ‘junior’ show. The music was difficult and there was so much choreography to learn. There was also a lot of ‘stage magic’ and quick set-change transitions.

“The process of putting on a musical is all about taking on the challenges and coming up with solutions. You have a vision, you have constraints, and then you figure it all out together. That’s what makes it so much fun—and in the end, I think it turned out pretty great.”

It did indeed. Mary Poppins was practically perfect in every way!

2018 SCIENCE THEME

Leonardo da Vinci’s Machines that Move

Leonardo da Vinci may be best known as the brilliant painter of famous works such as the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper,” but he was also a mastermind of scientific investigation, particularly in the area of mechanical engineering. His design ideas and machine inventions were considered vastly ahead of their time, and today we continue to recognize their brilliance.

Da Vinci’s knowledge of mechanical principles was celebrated in classrooms at Norwood as part of this year’s science theme. Students in grades K-6 explored mechanical engineering and specifically the machines designed and drawn by da Vinci. Sixth graders built models of some his designs, and fifth, fourth, and third graders used them as inspiration for solving problems involving wind and waterpower. Younger students investigated how humans can use wind to do work.

Just like the famous artist and inventor, Norwood students studied how the separate parts of a machine work and how they can be combined in different ways to create new machines. Working collaboratively in small groups, they designed and built an exciting array of turning windmills, sailing cars, and spinning pinwheels. The unit, which ran September and October, also introduced the principles of design thinking, such as interviewing, brainstorming, prototyping, iteration, and reflection.

Financial Competitions Enrich Learning

Need a hot stock tip or an innovative investment strategy? Look no further than Norwood’s Class of 2021, in which six financially savvy students won various divisions of the Stock Market Game and the InvestWrite writing competition during the 2017-2018 school year. Both programs are run annually in Norwood’s fifth-grade math classes.

“Besides improving their financial literacy and learning about the stock market, students learned how to research companies, read line graphs, apply their math skills to real-life situations, and work collaboratively towards a common goal,” said John Schmidt, fifthgrade homeroom advisor.

The Stock Market Game Sponsored by the Maryland Council on Economic Education, the Stock Market Game (SMG) is an educational simulation that teaches students about the stock markets, the U.S. economic system, and the global economy.

Teams and/or individuals create an account with a hypothetical $100,000 to invest in common stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market. Students conduct research through the SMG’s online data resources and on companies’ websites and annual reports to make decisions about what stocks to buy, sell, shortcover, or short-sell. During the 10-week simulation, teams can trade stocks on their Norwood computers. Portfolios are updated daily, allowing teams to see the

value of their current holdings, brokerage commissions, return on investment, team ranking, and other information.

Congratulations to the Profit Pandas—Cailan, PK, Sasha, and Yasmin—on placing first in the elementary school category in the central region of the Stock Market Game held this past spring. The team was honored at an awards ceremony at Towson University on May 16.

InvestWrite

This national writing competition is the writing component of the Stock Market Game. Sponsored by the SIMFA Foundation, the program challenges students to demonstrate their SMG learning experience by responding to a writing prompt that ties together their knowledge of financial terminology, research methods, and planning an investment strategy. Essays are scored in three rounds by a panel of volunteer judges from the financial services industry. Criteria include the author’s understanding of the subject matter, rationale, and writing style.

Congratulations to Henry, who placed ninth nationally in the fall 2017 competition, and Megan, who was the state winner in the spring 2018, both in the elementary school division. Dr. Cox from the Maryland Council on Economic Education visited Norwood last October to present Henry with his award.

“It was a very turbulent time to be in the market,” John Schmidt noted. “The Profit Pandas did a nice job of managing their portfolio, and Henry and Megan wrote excellent essays demonstrating their understanding of how to plan an effective investment management strategy.”

1 Fifth graders design “Machines that Move” during this year’s science theme unit. 2 After studying different kinds of wind and water turbines, fourth graders designed, built, and tested their own turbines in science class. 3 “The Profit Pandas” placed first in the elementary school category of the central region of the Stock Market Game. 4 Henry ’20 is congratulated by Michele Claeys, John Schmidt, his mom, and Dr. Cox from the Maryland Council on Economic Education for his success in the InvestWrite essay competition. 5 The Middle School String Orchestra performs at the Maryland State Middle School Orchestra Festival. 6 Jack, Daniel, and Riley (Class of 2018) pose after a successful run at the Northeast Regional Debate Tournament in New York.

More Awards & Accolades!

DEBATE TEAM

On May 5, 2018, in New York City, three eighth-grade members of the Norwood Debate Team competed in the Northeast Regional Debate Tournament, placing 14th out of 95 teams and tying for the top team-winning percentage. Congrats to Jack, Riley, and Daniel and to their coach, Mike Risen.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STRING ORCHESTRA

On May, 9, 2018, Norwood’s Middle School String Orchestra competed in the Maryland State Middle School Orchestra Festival and received the highest rating possible—a superior rating with straight 1’s. Bravo to all participating musicians and to their teacher, Stephen Czarkowski.

Class Day Remarks: Leaving Norwood...

“I will leave Norwood as a person socially conscious of the world around me, a person who strives to help the community one step at a time. I will leave as a person who understands how teamwork, understanding, and a sense of community can be beneficial to everyone. The values Norwood has instilled in me will be values that I will believe in for the rest of my life.” -EMMA VAUGHAN

GRETCHEN LAMKIN

Although this chapter in my life is ending, I am excited for the new adventures I get to experience in my future. Norwood has allowed me to take the next great leap, and I will never forget how Norwood opened its home to me. I especially thank Norwood for helping me to be to be brave. Brave enough to give this speech!

SAMMY HEMANN

I know we have made Norwood proud, but also, Norwood has made me proud. I love who I am and the experiences I’ve had. From Williamsburg to New York, from the classroom to the stage, from the concert hall to the athletic fields, I have taken everything from Norwood that I possibly can. I am infinitely thankful to you all for making this

possible. My innate fears could have derailed my journey. Instead, the great force of the Norwood community has set me on this promising path. I can’t wait to see where this journey leads, but I will forever remember where it all started—right here at Norwood.

REINA CHANG

Thank you, Norwood. Together with my classmates, I go into the future with a better sense of myself. Even if when I was five years old, I already knew what kind of person I was and who I wanted to be, through the joy, confidence, curiosity, inspiration, self-exploration, and the support you have provided, I have grown into a better, stronger, smarter, more compassionate person than I ever thought I could be. I have been tested—at different times over

the years, I felt tempted to not be true to myself and to conform to certain pressures—but you have taught me that the way I lead my life matters. The best path forward for all of us is to be true to ourselves, the values we have learned, and the people Norwood has helped us to be.

Class Day Awards

EIGHTH GRADE AWARDS

The Ronald B. Goyette Community Service Award

Mallory Herron

Riley Herron

Sam Schulman

Rebecca Share

The Faculty Prize for Leadership and School Spirit

Sheldon Mills

Jack Parsons

Caitlyn Topercer

The Head of School’s Prize for Academic Excellence

Christopher Brown Bobby Burr

Alida Camper

Louisa Cave

Anna Curran

Alex Delistathis

Ainsley Ganti

Sammy Hemann

The Head of School’s Prize continued...

Riley Herron

Jack Holland

Serena Hong

Maggie Koonce

Dylan Luchsinger

Daniel Lustbader

Linnaea McGuinness

Charlie Schulman

Rebecca Share

Julia Sherman

Maya Siegel

Tali Smith

Emma Vaughan

Oakley Winters

View more Class Day photos at: norwoodschool.smugmug.com/June-2018

Watch the event: vimeo.com/norwoodschool

The following awards were presented at the Middle School Athletic Banquet on May 24, 2018:

Coaches Spirit Award

Anna Curran

Trip Latimer

Summit Spirit Award

Dylan Luchsinger

Athletes of the Year

Linnaea McGuinness

Daniel Lustbader

Commencement Remarks: Be there for one another...

Remember what it feels like to be known and understood, and try to create that for other people in your life. -michele claeys, commencement

Hello and welcome, family, friends, faculty, staff, students, and almostgraduates! My remarks today are really for you, the Class of 2018. Thank you for four terrific years. I’ve learned so much about you, and also from you. In his Class Day speech, Sammy said that as a class, you’re the best we’ve ever seen. I have to say, you really are a special group, and I hope you recognize that and stay connected—to one another and also to us here at Norwood. Also, thank you for not following through with the food fight yesterday, or I would have had to rewrite this whole paragraph.

I first met most of you when you were third graders, the year I joined Norwood School with a third grader of my own. How fortunate she was to land in such a friendly, goofy, welcoming group of students. I vividly remember when you crossed over to the fifth- and sixthgrade hall to begin Middle School. You were still little, you sat up front in chapel—and you sang! You raced eagerly from class to class, bright-eyed and full of smiles for your teachers. This year, eighth grade, your last year at Norwood, you’ve lingered at your lockers a little longer, and you are basically still waking up in chapel. I have to crane my neck to look up at all of you who have grown taller than me, and you’ve perfected your eye-rolls —so much so that I recently asked to film one in slo-mo for posterity. You are not little any more. You are still goofy for sure—thank goodness—and you’re also highly capable, confident, creative, curious, self-aware, and ready to grapple with new challenges. As Gretchen noted, and demonstrated, in her remarks yesterday: you have even learned to be brave.

While in Middle School, some of you have experienced your greatest joys, the happiest moments of your life so far. And some of you have experienced your greatest sorrows. Some of you have had both, all right here in the last four years. Can I tell you something? There is more to come—more joy, more sorrow, more confusion, more awkwardness, many more challenges, and lots more success.

Through it all, remember what your incredible teachers at Norwood have taught you, including those times when they set their lessons aside. Remember that it’s okay to scrap your plans when something or someone needs attention. Remember what it feels like to be known and understood, and try to create that for other people in your life. Be there for one another.

Remember that you will be wrong sometimes. You will make mistakes, and that’s all part of living and learning. Remember that feeling uncomfortable is sometimes a warning you should heed, but it can also be an invitation. Like Sammy said, fear sometimes indicates a potential threat, but sometimes fear is an opportunity to lean in and learn more about yourself. Are you uncomfortable with something happening at a party? That might actually be a threat; get out of there and take a friend with you. Are you uncomfortable about differences of opinion in a conversation? Wait a second, check yourself, and consider sticking it out to see if you can make a connection, or deepen someone’s understanding, or maybe even your own.

Above all, as Reina said yesterday, remember that the best path forward is to be true to yourselves. Recognize

how powerful you are, and use that power to amplify one another’s voices. Demand a seat at the table for everybody. Because, as Emma told us, teamwork, understanding, and a sense of community are beneficial for all.

Since I have a little time left, I want to quickly revisit our last life skills class, where we talked about resilience. You defined resilience as strength plus flexibility, or perseverance and adaptability combined. As a class, you have shown yourselves to be quite resilient in a wide variety of situations. As you move into high school, I hope you will take with you the habit of checking in with yourself, to maintain resilience, and to know what you’re about. You’ll remember there are three questions that will help you, and your answers will change all the time. The first question to ask yourself: which of your own personal characteristics do you value? Next, what activities, roles, and relationships in your life bring you meaning, satisfaction, and joy? And finally, what mission, purpose, or community do you serve, and why is it important to you?

Class of 2018, all of us here are counting on you, and I wish you all the very best. Congratulations!

2018 Commencement

View more Commencement photos at: norwoodschool.smugmug.com/June-2018

Watch the event: vimeo.com/norwoodschool

“You have been stellar role models for the entire student body and an inspiration to us all. You have carried yourselves with maturity and with grace. The examples you set with your individual acts of thoughtfulness, kindness, and responsibility will not be forgotten.” -matthew gould, commencement

1989

Narda Quigley and her wife, Sarah Wahlberg, along with daughters, Nika (age 6) and Daria (age 2), just returned from a semester in Urbino, Italy, where Narda was teaching in a program for Villanova University. Narda is a professor of management at Villanova’s School of Business.

2002

Henry Mann married Jennifer Leigh Echelman on July 7, 2018, at The Roundhouse in Beacon, New York. Henry’s sister and brother-in-law, Karen Mann Mendelson ’05 and Josh Mendelson ’05, were in the wedding party.

Marshall Strother is finishing his fourth year of residency at the University of Pennsylvania’s Hospital of Pennsylvania.

2003

Genevieve Ryan is the founder of Real World Playbook (RWP), a company that provides online tools for college seniors and recent graduates to help them navigate such issues as personal finance, healthcare, retirement accounts, insurance, and filing taxes. RWP partners with colleges and universities through their career services departments.

2005

Matt Daley married Kristina Penny on June 17, 2018, in Takoma Park, Maryland. The couple live in New Haven, Connecticut, where Matt is finishing a second master’s degree (this one in organ performance and sacred music) at Yale University.

Evan Strother is moving from San Francisco to attend Wharton Business School in Philadelphia this fall.

2007

Bridget Morrison completed her job as a paralegal at Children’s Rights, a New York City-based legal non-profit that works to reform state foster care systems across the country. Bridget writes, “I am proud to have worked for an organization that says that we can—and must—do better by and for our nation’s most vulnerable children. Children’s Rights uses the law and advocacy to reform these systems and spawn better outcomes for children. There are approximately 500,000 children per year in foster care in this country, and the number is increasing as the opioid epidemic rages on. These children need advocates, and I’m so grateful to have been able to contribute to this cause for the past two years!”

Margaret Morrison is living in Honolulu, working as a scuba instructor and a biological

research assistant for the National Oceanic & Atmosphere Administration (NOAA). This past summer, she participated on a research team to collect census and life history data on the endangered Hawaiian monk seal on Laysan Island, a remote Hawaiian island.

2008

James Bradbury recently joined Google as part of the Google Brain team, a deep learning artificial intelligence research team formed in 2010.

2009

Woody Atwood graduated from the University of Chicago in June of 2017 with a double major in history and German. After traveling over the summer, he interned during the fall for the Helsinki Commission on Capitol Hill. In January, he started working for the Goethe-Institut, the Federal Republic of Germany’s

cultural institute, which promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange. In the next year or two, Woody will attend the Fletcher School at Tufts, where he plans to get a master’s degree in law and diplomacy.

Calvin Baker graduated with honors from Stanford University in June. He received a B.A. in analytic philosophy and international relations. Calvin was part of the interdisciplinary honors program in Ethics in Society, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, received the Mothershead Award for Outstanding Work in Moral Philosophy, and received the Robert M. Golden Medal for Excellence in the Humanities for his senior thesis, “Buddhist Wellbeing and Population Ethics.” Calvin currently assists a Stanford philosophy professor with research in moral philosophy and its applications for political economy.

Caroline Webster is living in New York City and working as a junior copywriter at a media agency.

2010

Claire Alcus graduated from Dartmouth College with a major in neuroscience and a minor in Spanish. She works as an analyst for MTS Health Partners, a boutique investment bank in New York focused on the healthcare sector.

Will Bradbury graduated from Stanford University in June with a B.A. in philosophy, with distinction, and a B.S. in computer science, with distinction. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society) and received the Suppes Award for

Excellence in Philosophy. After a trip to India with his girlfriend, Will started as a software engineer at Google.

Rachel Dan graduated from Oberlin College with degrees in neuroscience and creative writing. Her mom writes, “She is taking her time to decide which of her many passions to pursue.”

Maddie Freed graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in environmental science and entrepreneurship. She is living in Boston and working for Oracle’s business development program. While at Michigan, Maddie had an incredibly successful club lacrosse career. She writes, “The biggest news is another national title for the Michigan Club Lacrosse team. I was a starting midfielder for

the team, and we beat Brigham Young University 11-7 in the final. This is our second national championship win in four years, giving my senior class two national championship wins!”

Isaac Fried graduated from the University of Maryland last spring and is now working as a client associate at UBS Bank.

Anaka Hand graduated from Boston University and currently works at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate. She is a mental health specialist on an adult inpatient psychiatric unit focused on community reintegration. Anaka is applying to graduate schools for a directentry master’s degree program in which she will earn her

CLASS OF 2014

CLASS OF 2014 REUNION:

APRIL 26, 2018

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

CHOSEN BY THE CLASS OF 2014

Maggie Atwood College of Wooster

Will Atwood Syracuse University

Brooke Baragar

Wake Forest University

Oliver Black

University of San Francisco

Daniel Blanc

IMG Academy

Sophie Bloom

Pennsylvania State University

Audrey Bochi-Layec

Washington University

Emma Briskman

Elon University

Matthew Brunner

Wake Forest University

Evan Carcaterra

The Berklee School of Music (gap year in Italy)

Zenia Choksy Cornell University

Catherine Connell

Notre Dame University

Bridget Conway College of Charleston

Colin Corsini

Loyola University

Millie Elsey University of Edinburgh (Scotland)

Gracen Fling Spelman College

Emma Forde University of Michigan

Lily Forman Barnard College (gap year in New Zealand)

Cecilia Gichner Bates College

Grant Glazier

Carengie Mellon University

Rachel Gordon University of Michigan

Willem Grube

Gap year at the Universidad Complutense (Madrid)

Jackie Hardie University of Michigan

Zoe Holland Stevenson University

Julia Johnston University of Michigan

Jarett Jones

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Lucia Kindfuller

Northeastern University

Sarah Kohn

Vanderbilt University

Charlotte Koonce

Denison University

Ashley Korman University of Florida

Maddy Kramer Syracuse University

Steven Landry Tufts University

Yoonju Lee University of Maryland, College Park

Elea Levin

University of Wisconsin

Nathaniel Magnus Indiana University

Elie McCoy Ithaca College

Sloan Melnick

University of Maryland, College Park

Andrew Mister Villanova University

Eli Mitchell

Towson University

Kate Morris

Syracuse University

Alexander Morrison Roanoke College

Libby Mulligan

Furman University

Kathleen Neill Georgetown University

Afam Obioha Washington University

Lacey Ohr

University of Maryland, College Park

Sam Primis Northwestern University

Isabelle Ross

United States Naval Academy

Jake Scheumann

University of Colorado

Morgan Schwartz Babson College

William Schwartz

University of South Carolina

Zoe Schwartzberg

Tulane University

Katherine Shiff

Duke University

Peter Siegel Boston University

Harrison Smith Brown University

Brett Smith University of Michigan

Carter Steuart University of South Carolina

Tess Tamar

New York University

Madison Than University of Chicago

Myles Traver Elon University

Mackenzie Tucker Hood College

Alice Turley Gettysburg College

Mikah Walker Howard University

John Webster University of California, Los Angeles

Ava Weinreb Duke University

Matthew Welch

Rhodes College

Connor Westermann University of South Carolina

Kate Whatley Rhodes College

Maggie Whatley University of California, Davis

Olivia Williams Brown University

William Yanes Hillsdale College

Bennett Yang University of Maryland, College Park

We loved seeing a big group of alumni from the Class of 2014 during this exciting time in their lives, and we hope they will keep us posted on their news as they settle into college or begin gap year experiences.

Ezra Hollander graduated from Haverford College where he majored in anthropology and minored in education. After returning to his camp to run it this past summer, Ezra moved to D.C. to spend a year with Avodah, a Jewish service organization. He works at Food & Friends and looks forward to seeing Norwood’s eighth-grade volunteers when they visit.

Matthew Katzman graduated from Stanford University in June with an M.S. in computer science and a B.S. in math, with distinction, and departmental honors for his thesis. Matthew is currently studying for his Ph.D. in computer science theory at the University of Oxford.

Greer Korengold is a third grade teacher at one of Success Academy’s schools in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Success Academy is a 15,000-student charter system started by Eva Moskowitz. Greer says, “I am never bored and always exhausted.” Greer graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut this past May.

Andrew Lee received the 2018 Charles A. Sanders, M.D., Partnership Award from the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). The award honors persons and/or organizations that have made significant contributions to the FNIH’s work to build, implement, and nurture public-private

partnerships in support of the mission of the National Institutes of Health. The FNIH bestowed this year’s Partnership Award to Andrew for his unwavering commitment to advancing biomedical research on rare kidney cancers. In just two years, Andrew, who is the president and CEO of Driven to Cure, Inc., has developed a powerful grassroots movement that has increased visibility of rare kidney cancers and has raised funds for the FNIH to further cuttingedge research conducted by the National Cancer Institute.

Matthew Perlmutter graduated from the University of Maryland. He now works as a financial analyst at Newmark, Knight,

and Frank, a global commercial real-estate services firm.

Andrew Smith graduated from Tulane University and works for Clark Construction.

Emily Stoll graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Currently, she lives in Philadelphia and works for PwC in the healthcare consulting group.

Luke Woodard is hiking the length of the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,652-mile footpath that runs from Canada to Mexico. He carries everything on his back and camps out every night. The trip takes between four and five months, and Luke should reach the border of Mexico sometime in November.

2012Woods Connell, a junior at Yale University, was part of the USA men’s four with coxswain crew that won a gold medal at World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The event, held in Poznan, Poland July 25-29, attracted nearly 900 rowers from 55 countries. This was the first gold medal for the men’s four with coxswain in U.S. U23 history.

Frances Gichner is studying in Rome, Italy, for the semester. She is a classic civilization major at the University of Richmond. She spent the summer in Cyprus assisting a professor on an archeological dig focusing on Byzantine plaster. She will also be excavating at a site on the Palatine Hill in Rome.

Ellie Gill is studying photography and video at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City. She loves living in the East Village, not far from SVA’s campus, and working at SoulCycle in the Financial District.

1 Samuel Eszenyi ’17 and his father, Imre, enjoyed a visit with Dick Ewing, Norwood’s former head of school, in Sofia, Bulgaria, this summer. 2 Isabelle Ross ’14 is a member of the United States Naval Academy Class of 2022. 3 Connor Westermann (left) and Carter Steuart, both from the Class of 2014, are roommates at the University of South Carolina. 4 Annie Wiesel ’17 traveled with a veterinary clinic in Costa Rica this past summer. 5 Richard Latimer, Jr. ’80 and Richard (Trip) Latimer, III ’18 pose with their Norwood diplomas at the reception following Commencement on June 6.

Catie Mulligan is studying in Edinburgh, Scotland, and interning at Youth Scotland, a national youth work organization whose mission is to ensure better outcomes for young people in Scotland.

Sarah Naatz, who attends Villanova University, is spending her fall semester studying in London.

Elizabeth Webster is studying in Strasbourg, France, during the fall semester.

Lizzie Wiggins is enjoying her time at Haverford College and is considering a major in psychology with a health studies minor. She recently joined the Oxford Blues, Haverford’s longest standing all-women a cappella group.

2013

Susanna Bradbury is a sophomore at Stanford University and plans to double major in computer science and neurobiology.

2014

Rachel Gordon and Jackie Hardie are roommates this year at the University of Michigan.

Isabelle Ross is a member of the United States Naval Academy Class of 2022. After graduating with highest honors from The Hun School of Princeton on June 8, 2018, Isabelle took the USNA Oath of Office on Induction Day, June 28, and completed seven weeks of Plebe Summer on August 16. Isabelle loves playing on the Navy Women’s Ice Hockey team to balance her rigorous academic and military commitments.

Carter Steuart and Connor Westermann are first-year roommates at the University of South Carolina. Norwood friendships run deep!

2017

Samuel Eszenyi enjoyed a reunion with Norwood’s former head of school, Dick Ewing,

in Sofia, Bulgaria, where Dick serves as the president and head of school of the American College of Sofia. Samuel traveled to Bulgaria with his father, Imre.

Cate Schultz received an honorable mention in the third annual New York Times Student Review Contest. The contest challenges teenagers to go out and experience works of culture that are new to them and then write their reactions and opinions. Cate’s submission, “Chance the Rapper: An Artist Who Redefined His Artist,” was one of 20 mentions out of nearly 1,500 entries.

Annie Wiesel enjoyed a threeweek service trip to Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures. “We went around the country with a traveling veterinary clinic and assisted them in veterinary procedures,” she reports. “This experience was amazing, and I definitely would like to do a similar trip in the future.”

Norwood graduates from the Class of 2018 with their older Norwood alumni siblings on Commencement Day.

CLASS OF 2018 REUNION: OCTOBER 11, 2018

While they had only just left The Nest a few months ago, Blue Hawks from the Class of 2018 appear to be feeling at home at the 24 different high schools they attend.

WHERE OUR 2018 GRADS ARE GOING...

Adam Blayney Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

Sumner Bradley Holton-Arms School

Christopher Brown Walt Whitman High School

Bobby Burr The Kiski School (PA)

John Bailey Butswinkas Georgetown Preparatory School

Brianna Byrd Academy of the Holy Cross

Alida Camper Holton-Arms School

Catherine Carroll Potomac School

Louisa Cave

Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School

Reina Chiang

National Cathedral School

Claire Coleman Potomac School

Anna Curran

Walt Whitman High School

Alex Delistathis Potomac School

Sophia Denaro Holton-Arms School

Church Elmore Georgetown Preparatory School

Ava Eszenyi Episcopal High School (VA)

Annie Evans Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

Avi Fruman McLean High School (VA)

Ainsley Ganti Potomac School

Ryan Groban Potomac School

Lucas Harazmus Landon School

Nick Heiss Georgetown Preparatory School

Sammy Hemann Landon School

Mallory Herron Maret School

Riley Herron Maret School

Jack Holland St. Albans School

Serena Hong Holton-Arms School

Deon Johnson Landon School

Will Kay

Sidwell Friends School

Mira Khera Bullis School

Maggie Koonce Holton-Arms School

Gretchen Lamkin McLean School

Danae Latham Bullis School

Trip Latimer St. Albans School

Ryan Lee St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Dylan Luchsinger St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Daniel Lustbader Maret School

Bea Marcus

Walt Whitman High School

Linnaea McGuinness Maret School

Sheldon Mills

Georgetown Preparatory School

Sophia Papademetriou

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Jack Parsons

Thomas Wootton High School

Mariah Plummer

Seneca Valley High School

Katie Posner

Walt Whitman High School

Ally Ramirez

Thomas Wootton High School

Charlie Schulman Walt Whitman High School

Sam Schulman

Georgetown Preparatory School

Kyle Share

Walt Whitman High School

Rebecca Share

Garrison Forest School (MD)

Julia Sherman National Cathedral School

Maya Siegel

International School Basel (Switzerland)

Tali Smith

Holton-Arms School

Taylor Steuart Georgetown Preparatory School

Caitlyn Topercer Connelly School of the Holy Child

Bella Trizzino Holton-Arms School

Emma Vaughan Maret School

Gavin Vaughn Landon School

Maguire Wentz

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

Oakley Winters Georgetown Day School

Noah Yanowitch Potomac School

Alan Zhang

Georgetown Preparatory School

Norwood

Former Faculty & Staff News

Jay Briar, former middle school dean and math and history teacher, and his husband, Alvin Figer, welcomed a daughter, Taylor Figer Briar, born on July 24, 2018. Big brother Preston (age 4) is thrilled.

Sabine Farrar , former physical education teacher, reports that she enjoys being back in Germany after so many years abroad. She writes, “Since May of 2018 I have been back in my home country, Germany, now living in Stuttgart. In addition to substitute teaching at the International School of

Stuttgart, I continue to develop my business, Viking Walks, which I founded in 2016. In cooperation with my Norwegian business partner, I organize and guide group pilgrimages along the St. Olav Way, an ancient and amazing pilgrim path in Norway. Last year we started our first tour and this year I guided two pilgrimages, each 175 miles long. In 2014, I received a Hudnut Grant from Norwood to walk for the first time along the St. Olav Way together with my then 70-yearyoung aunt. Ever since, I have been hooked and have walked several pilgrimages on the St. Olav Way, including the entire path from Oslo to Trondheim (400 miles). Thank you, Norwood, for the grant, which opened an unexpected door into entrepreneurship for me.”

Mary Claire Steinbraker, former director of human resources, reports that her daughter and Norwood’s former school nurse, Claire DiPippo, gave birth to her third child, William Robert DiPippo, on Christmas Eve. Mary Claire’s youngest daughter, Marie, is expecting the Steinbrakers’ eighth grandchild in October. “My baby is expecting a baby! Where did the time go?” writes Mary Claire.

1 Sabine Farrar, former physical education teacher, is now living in Stuttgart, Germany. 2 Jay Briar, former middle school dean and history and math teacher, with his family: husband Alvin Figer, son Preston, and daughter Taylor, who was born on July 24, 2018

Lower