LampPost Spring 2021

Spring 2021 | The Lamplighter School

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R E L A Y ER S T H G I L P IN C M A th A n nivers a r y 2020

Spring 2021 | The Lamplighter School

Our Mission

Dedicated to igniting the potential of each child, Lamplighter engages children in the joy of learning through intellectual discovery in a creative, inclusive, and collaborative environment.

ART | DESIGN Ana Bohanan, Creative Director WRITERS & EDITORS Landy Fox, Communications Coordinator Nick Leggatt, Communications Editor CONTRIBUTORS Cindy Connolly, Associate Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER Larry Sengbush Contact Us Send story ideas to Landy Fox | lfox@thelamplighterschool.org Deadline for articles, photographs, and news for the Fall 2021 issue is October 1, 2021.

SPRING 2021

LAMPLIGHTER LAYERS

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RETIREMENT ALL STARS

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STATEMENT OF INCLUSION A community of varied voices will strengthen the education of Lamplighter students and enrich the lives of all of its members. Lamplighter will, therefore, strive for the lamps that we light to reflect the ever-changing community in which we reside. We value individuality and encourage all children to reach their potential, while respecting their similarities and differences. We are united in purpose and committed to working together to accomplish the mission of The Lamplighter School.

Head Lines

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LPA Board

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Cover Story

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Faculty & Staff Stories

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Partner Profile

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Barnyard Buzz

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Senior Salute

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Spirit Award

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Alumni Now

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SENIOR REFLECTIONS

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NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT The Lamplighter School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid program, athletic and other schooladministered programs, or the employment of staff.

HEADLINES Dear Lamplighter Community, This May is very different from one year ago. The uncertainty, apprehension, and fear that gripped us over the past year has subsided and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel has been seen. We are headed towards brighter days. Thank you to every member of The Lamplighter School community.

In looking back over the past year, we are overwhelmed by the unquestionable strength and character of the Lamplighter community. Your outpouring of support for our plans to open school both in-person and virtually and to stay the course was deeply appreciated. Your messages of gratitude, acts of generosity, and words of encouragement were powerful affirmations to our team of dedicated faculty and staff. The positive energy that we received had a direct correlation to our unwavering commitment to provide the very best education to our students.

In looking back over the past year, we are overwhelmed by the unquestionable strength and character of the Lamplighter community.

Strong schools have faculty members who are bold in their plans for each student. The Lamplighter faculty and staff acted courageously in their determination to provide the very best learning environment possible during a global pandemic.

During the times when the uncertainty was the greatest, the faculty remained calm and confident as we redoubled our efforts to seek answers and clarity in order to provide exactly what was needed for each student.

Strong schools have active and engaged Board of Trustees, Parent Associations, and Alumni Associations to represent every constituency group. A special thank you to Board Chair Doug MacMahon, Board Vice Chair Flauren Fagadau Bender ’90, LPA President David Guedry, LPA President-Elect Meredith Wrighton, Alumni Association President Matthew Miller ’88, and incoming Alumni Association President Joe Unis ’96 for working closely with the school leadership team during our most challenging days. Your wise counsel and unwavering support were felt throughout the School.

In the coming weeks and months, this experience will recede further into the rearview mirror. I am hopeful that when we look back, it will be with immense pride at how The Lamplighter School community responded to a global pandemic. I believe that we did so courageously and armed with the very best counsel available to make clear and thoughtful decisions.

As our community prepares for a well-deserved summer break, please know that we will have new opportunities and challenges ahead, but as a community we are ready to meet each moment.

Enjoy a good summer vacation!

In Lamplighter Spirit,

Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill Catherine M. Rose Head of School

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Dear Lamplighter Families, At this time last year when parents were eagerly jumping into their roles with the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) Board, the pandemic was just taking hold of our everyday life, including the way we educated our kids. Although we had little certainty about much of anything, I nevertheless had, and still have, much to be thankful for.

Unwavering. That was the word I used in a communication last year to new families to describe the commitment Dr. Hill, her leadership team, and our fantastic Lamplighter faculty and staff had (and continue to have) in ensuring our children were learning, exploring, and reaching for the sky in the most joyful and safest environment possible. It’s been a master class in how to respond when life throws you a curve. Think. Be creative. Challenge. Adapt. All while staying committed to your values. It’s what we teach our kids. And it’s been a pleasure to watch up close. Thank you, Dr. Hill.

Unwavering also applies to the commitment of the LPA Board and the Lamplighter parent community. I proudly watched a large, diverse group of parents put egos and self-interests aside, and come together with the sole goal of doing what the LPA is designed to do – support the School we love. Day after day, these parents gave of their most precious resource – their time – having to adjust on the fly, often with little advance notice, to the twists and turns brought about by the pandemic. The “work” was done with joy, creativity, dedication, and a lot of laughter (thank you, Meredith).

It has been my joy to serve with you on the LPA Board.

While many of our traditional LPA undertakings had to be cancelled for the safety of our kids and faculty, we had successful ventures throughout the year, the success of which required dozens of parents planning, re-planning and then wholly reimagining the activity, with dozens more devoting the necessary resources to ensure success. For instance: • The Auction team completely revamped and then expertly and successfully staged the traditional LPA Auction (thank you Melanie, Allison, and team); • The faculty and staff were made to feel our deep appreciation even when we couldn’t say so in person (great job Sarah, Cat, and Kate); and • Programming was developed and creatively packaged (in some awfully cute ways) by our Cultural Awareness and International Night teams for use by our faculty and students (kudos to Sue, Katrina, Naisha, Danielle, and Joe).

I want to also recognize and thank Clayton Hollingsworth and his team for their invaluable assistance in helping the LPA run smoothly, and particularly Taylor Cornell Good ’92, our Parent Relations Coordinator, who patiently listened to my never-ending questions and requests. Thank you, Taylor.

And, finally, the LPA is in terrific hands with Meredith Wrighton as the incoming President and Stephanie Fine as the incoming President-Elect. Both are high energy, have terrific ideas, absolutely love this School, and, simply, get things done. Yep, unwavering commitment. I can’t wait to see where they take us over my next two years as a Lamplighter parent. Jump on board with whatever time and talent you can share. It promises to be a great ride.

Sincerely,

David Guedry 2020-2021 LPA President

LPA BOARD

LAMPLIGHTER PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION 2020–2021 BOARD Executive President President-Elect President Advisor Secretary Treasurer Treasurer-Elect VP Communications VP Volunteers VP Volunteers-Elect VP Auction Co-Chairs

David Guedry Meredith Wrighton Margaret Morse Carolyn Johnson Brooke Hopkins Sujit Sahadevan Amy Weselka Stephanie Fine Megahn Collins Melanie Jabbour Allison Williams Bronwyn Levitan Nina Sachse

VP Carnival Co-Chairs Standing and Special Committee Chairs Auction – Data Auction – Socials Auction – School Projects Auction – Solicitations Auction – Underwriting Community Outreach Cultural Awareness Dads’ Program Coordinators Faculty & Staff Appreciation Fourth Grade Yearbook International Night Media Center Open House New Family Coordinators Spirit Store Manager Spirit Store

Grade Level Coordinators Fourth Grade Third Grade Second Grade First Grade T1 Kindergarten Pre-K All Day Pre-K AM Pre-K PM

Lauryn Bloom Caroline Wagner Lilly Albritton ’91 Ashley Ruggeri Leslie Johnson Barrell Jones Janel Perez Billie Jean Langham Mary Catherine Unis Sue Chu Katrina Harper Brock Bizzell Scott Kennedy Kate Dicker Sarah Pearson Reidy ’90 Cat Socha Lori Bennett Natalie Johnson Danielle Cate Naisha Covarrubias Joe Urso Courtney Case Katie Oudt Christina Casey Catherine Lee Stacie Spears Dana Rumbauskas Julie Ahmed Caroline Belanger Devon Conrad Christy Brown Elisha Scott Ali Robins Bincy Bizzell Treasure Hickman Staci Cohen Lucy Morton Linda Tarlecki Angelique Waddell Elizabeth Parsons

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LAMPLIGHTER LAYERS CELEBRATES FIFTY EGGCELLENT YEARS! On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the Lamplighter School celebrated the 50th anniversary of its student-run corporation, The Lamplighter Layers, with a combined on-campus and virtual get-together of students and alumni.

The Beginnings For fifty years, the Lamplighter Layers, a chicken-raising and egg-selling program that is unique in the Dallas area, has taught generations of Lamplighter students confidence, cooperation, business skills, the value of charity, and a sense of community.

The Lamplighter Layers Corporation was born in the fall of 1970, when the School’s co-founder Sandy Swain had the sudden inspiration to help enable students to sell eggs from chickens they raised themselves. Working with Lamplighter parent and trustee Judge Robert Porter, Ms. Swain created the business with the goals of providing young students with the opportunity to practice cooperation, communication, respect, and responsibility in an entrepreneurial format. The Lamplighter fourth graders who graduated in 1971 were the inaugural members.

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The business was set up as a corporation from the start.

Students were allowed to buy shares in the business, and officers were elected at the beginning of the school year. The names and duties of these officers has changed over the years, but the dedication to improving the business has stayed the same. The dividends of the business were split at the end of the school year, or used to pay for something such as an offcampus outing for the class.

Since its beginnings, Lamplighter Layers has continued to develop and grow to better meet the needs of the fourth graders and our community. The business has grown with the School’s mission, supporting and enriching studies in not only math but science, literacy, and the fine arts. While Lamplighter Layers has its origins in tradition, the future of the corporation is as unique as each fourth-grade class that runs it.

COVERSTORY The business has grown with the School’s mission, supporting and enriching studies in not only math but science, literacy, and the fine arts. While Lamplighter Layers has its origins in tradition, the future of the corporation is as unique as each fourth-grade class that runs it.

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COVERSTORY

Lamplighter Layers THROUGH THE YEARS

Layers Today The corporation is modeled on standard business structure and practices, even incorporating Robert’s Rules of Order to guide monthly meetings in which egg production, finances, marketing, and philanthropy are discussed. Freshly laid eggs are collected and sold on Fridays during carpool pickup. The current price is $5 per dozen eggs. Reports are given to the entire class about the current value of the stock, income, expenses, sales, egg production, and what they would like see happen to the end of the year dividends. Current officers of the corporation include President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Historian.

Several years ago, a fourth grade teacher who had come from the business world suggested that the members of Layers be divided into four committees in order to more efficiently accomplish the assigned tasks and allow all students to be more fully involved in the workings of the company. This was agreed upon, and today the communications committee, the production committee, the finance committee, and the dividend committee all work together to make the corporation more efficient.

All fourth grade faculty members are available as resources, but the operation of the business is the responsibility of the students. From writing reports and electing officers, to calculating profits and stock values, Lamplighter Layers provides students many opportunities to apply academic skills to a hands-on exploration of a business, as well as real-life experience in dealing with unexpected problems.

For example, the chickens produce green, brown, and white eggs. “The distribution of colors provides excellent opportunities to ask math questions about percentages, fractions, and probability,” notes Kathey Tobey Beddow ’63, Fourth Grade Math Teacher. “Some years, the flocks have been very finicky. For example, they won’t lay eggs when it is really cold outside. The kids learn about the effects of weather and the environment on egg production.”

For the day-to-day work of taking care of the chickens, there are six crews, each with an elected crew leader. Each crew handles all aspects of the chicken’s care for a week at a time. The leaders assign jobs (such as feeding, egg collecting, washing and filling water buckets, egg cleaning and preparation, recording data on to the computer, and sales) to members of the crew. The students follow all health regulations and wear protective gloves, masks, and aprons when working with the chickens.

In order to calculate income, students must also account for their expenses, which include a monthly “bill” to the school which covers feed and use of the barn/coop area. (The bill does not actually include all of the costs of running the program but is a valuable lesson in understanding business.)

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The year-end dividends usually range from $600 to $2,000. In 2005, the then-president of Lamplighter Layers, Ryan Eichenwald ’05, proposed that Lamplighter Layers give a percentage of their dividends to a charity of the stockholders’ choosing instead of keeping all the dividends for themselves. This started a precedent that has continued every year since. Since then, the Layers corporation has given its dividends to various charities, including UNICEF, the World Wildlife Fund, and others. Last year the senior class was very aware that many families struggled to put food on the table due to the coronavirus pandemic; the class voted to donate nearly two thousand dollars to Chalk for Change, a local charity that benefits the North Texas Food Bank, run by Lamplighter young alumni Isabella Dickason ’16, Trevor Godkin ’16, Quinn Graves ’16, and Stella Wrubel ’16.

This constant dedication to business acumen, responsibility, and community outreach was recognized in 2017, when Lamplighter Layers was awarded the Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education by the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge.

Lamplighter Layers remains a favorite memory for many Lamplighter graduates. “I was a crew leader and remember that it was difficult at first to assign jobs to my crew members. Eventually I understood that just as they needed to perform their tasks, leading the crew was mine,” reminisces Anne Yarbrough ’81, current Lamplighter Third Grade Teacher and former student. “The experience helped me comprehend how I would apply what I was currently learning to what I would need in the real world. Finally, I understood why I needed to be able to do things like division or give a report.”

The Celebration The 50th anniversary of Lamplighter Layers was celebrated at The Lamplighter School by the current fourth graders and their teachers, and over Zoom by dozens of alumni who served in Lamplighter Layers, including many members of the class of 1971.

Kathey Tobey Beddow ’63, Fourth Grade Math Teacher, jokingly described herself as the “chicken whisperer” in a memorable speech on the history of the Layers corporation.

She remarked that being a member of the Lamplighter Layers Corporation teaches young people the importance of working together, being responsible, solving social problems, using math to predict egg production, and above all giving back to the community. Mrs. Beddow said that running the Layers corporation “is one of the most wonderful experiences that a fourth grader can have, and one which is unique to Lamplighter.”

In her well-received speech, Mrs. Beddow also noted that in addition to math and business skills, the Layers experience teaches real-world responsibility and caring. “As parents are responsible for their children,” she said, “so are the fourth graders responsible for the chickens. They make sure the chickens are safe, well fed, watered and cared for. The students also must learn to problem solve, to make sure their chickens don’t bully each other or pull feathers out. Last but not least, it teaches fourth graders the importance of giving back to their community.”

After the speech, attendees got to observe a Lamplighter Layers meeting in progress, and heard about the terrific egg production the seniors have gotten this year. Over 2,000 eggs were collected as of December, at an average rate of 33 eggs a day from 35 hens! As the production committee noted, “If we have happy healthy chickens, we will have good egg production.” Katie Helfrich ’21 gave a tour of the LPA Barn and demonstrated weighing an egg, using the “Incredible Egg Scale” inscribed with weight classifications from Pee Wee to Over the Top. Lamplighter alumni from the class of ’71 and later years added their own remembrances via Zoom. Margaret Johansen Hirsch ’89 recalled, “in the other grades, watching fourth graders, you couldn’t wait to be there. Then when we were in fourth grade, we got to watch those adorable little chickens come out . . . we treated them like our own babies. We collected about 25 eggs a day, and felt the pride of selling them in line. At that point we still kept our dividends and I got a very large five dollar 12

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dividend, which I was very excited about. It was magical.”

When asked if the students named their chickens when she was at Lamplighter, she replied, “No, but we should have!”

She also talked about watching chicks hatch from eggs in third grade: “There was a big incubator. You could go by and put your hands on it and feel how warm it was. You could see cracks and little beaks would poke out and it was a big excitement for us.” Today’s third grade classes go through very similar experiences! (see sidebar) While the Layers corporation still has officers such as president, secretary, and treasurer, Liz Cullum Helfrich ’90, who was the secretary for her class, recalled that there was once a “sergeant-at-arms” whose role was to call on others who wished to speak during business meetings. Otherwise, she said, “in a lot of ways, it was very similar. We collected the eggs and rotated our jobs, and washed the eggs inside, and measured them, and put them in cartons.”

Lamplighter Layers Corporation teaches young people the importance of working together, being responsible, solving social problems, using math to predict egg production, and above all giving back to the community.

Eric Lombardi ’73 declared that he loved his teachers at Lamplighter so much that he became one, and even brought a similar idea to Fort Worth Country Day, where he is Head of School. “We don’t have a barn,” he said, “but we do sell eggs, and I wear my chicken tie on Fridays. I don’t know if we’re the first school to copy Lamplighter but that’s a real sign of flattery!”

And Julie Hyland Ambler ’71 remembered her enthusiasm for the chickens and for the dividends! “As city students, chickens were new to most of us. It was very exciting, learning the business side and being with the chickens. I remember using our proceeds to take our class to Six Flags for the day.” She also shared that one day while collecting eggs, “I was so excited to get to my task I fell on the sidewalk and got a scar on my knee. And to this day when I see that scar, I smile and think of that day and how excited I was . . .

I can’t say Lamplighter without smiling. It was a wonderful, wonderful school experience.”

Handing Over the Business To ensure that Lamplighter Layers remains in good hands after each senior class graduation, introducing the next generation of caretakers to the business begins in third grade. Each year, Lamplighter’s third grade students research, choose, and help to rear chicks from several breeds. The breeds they select come from Murray McMurray Hatchery in Iowa. The students use research skills to build criteria for a healthy and productive flock, and then vote on the results. The eggs that arrive are put in an incubator, and a countdown of 21 days is eagerly watched until new-born chicks begin to peck their way out of the eggs. By the end of the school year, the chickens are old enough to be carried by the students to the barn. When third graders graduate to fourth grade, they assume leadership of the Lamplighter Layers Corporation already familiar with the criteria that make a bird a good egg producer.

FACULTY&STAFF STORIES

RETIREMENT

ALL STARS A QUARTET OF LAMPLIGHTER LEGENDS RETIRE

Four shining stars of the Lamplighter community with a combined experience of 107 years are headed for retirement this fall: Environmental Science Teacher Linda Cauley, Media Center Coordinator Patricia Vermillion, Database Manager Kathryn Szwejkowski, and Early Childhood Teacher Sue McCullough. Fortunately for LampPost readers and posterity, this quartet of superstars had a chance to talk about their time at Lamplighter and share their favorite memories of the school!

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“Each and every day, rain or shine, with her signature hat on, Mrs. Cauley was followed by a line of curious and happy children on her famous nature walks. During these outdoor adventures, Mrs. Cauley taught students how to engage their senses and to appreciate the natural world around them. She is a master teacher who planted the seed of respect for the environment in every child she taught.”

– Judith Mullens, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning - Early Childhood

company chose Linda as a model teacher for the lessons she outlined on their software. Teachers located around the world have examined her lessons, and Atlas uses her documents to show how teachers can detail what they teach.”

LINDA CAULEY | 33 YEARS

Few Lamplighter classes are looked forward to with such eagerness as Environmental Science, taught by Linda Cauley.

Whether it’s first thing in the morning or afternoon when the day is nearly done, students from Pre-K to fourth grade avidly anticipate leaving their classrooms and getting outside to gather at the butterfly gardens, the creek, the greenhouse, the LPA Barn, the compost piles, the grade-level gardens, the bird-watching wall, or anywhere else on Lamplighter’s 12-acre campus that Cauley can find inspiration in nature. Rain or shine, every day of the week Cauley can be seen leading a line of excited students down a path to observe clouds, collect rocks, spy on birds, plant seeds, and more.

Science Teacher Bill Burton notes, “One of the things I appreciate about Linda’s teaching is that she takes the time to appreciate little details. I often see her leading a class from her homeroom to the outdoor location where her class will take place. Along the way, Linda will stop to point out a small detail to the class such as the song of a bird or the growth of the plant. By taking the time to appreciate little moments and little details, she brings the gigantic natural world down to scale and perspective so it can be accessible to all students.”

Early Childhood Science Teacher Eva McKee agrees, “She has taught all of us to be gardeners, has the best collection of nature samples that she happily shares with classroom teachers, and is always willing to help out wherever needed.”

Vicki Raney, who was Assistant Head of Academics at Lamplighter for 19 years, knows Linda well. “Linda Cauley is a lovely person, a great colleague, and a friend,” she says.

“Linda works extremely hard to ensure that her lessons are robust, hands-on, interesting, fun, strategically aligned, and challenging to each and every student. Additionally, I have never known a teacher who designs and documents every lesson in such great detail. Rubicon Atlas curriculum mapping

When did you start at Lamplighter?

I started in 1988, the same year as Sue McCullough. I taught Pre-K back then. Lamplighter had three Pre-K classes, set up differently than today. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were the four-year-old classes. The three-year-olds attended on Tuesday and Thursday. And every day in the afternoon was a mixed threes and fours class. That added up to 55 conferences!

I stayed at Lamplighter because I like the people. The teachers were all great, the supervisors were helpful. You didn’t get as many materials as you do now, but they were always listening and encouraged kids to get outside. They had a fabulous playground. In a lot of places, the kids stay in one place, but at Lamplighter the kids get used to dealing with lots of teachers and dealing with other sets of kids early, and that gives them tools to adapt and understand a wider variety of personalities.

How did you make the change to being a Science teacher?

I have a Montessori background and always had science tables in my Pre-K room. So, Pat Mattingly pulled me in the office and said Becky Christensen, the science teacher then, was retiring, and she thought because of those science tables that I’d like to take her place. The idea of doing environmental science kind of intrigued me. I had these great teachers like Becky at Lamplighter, giants whose work I could build on, but I was still scared. I knew I could teach them, but I was worried about taking care of all the gardens. I had gardens at home but taking care of one at school is a little different! I had to learn to coordinate a lot, the bird observation area, the butterfly garden. But I’m a kind of organized person, so it all came together. I was lucky to have Becky as a mentor.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Lamplighter?

There were a couple of kids out by the herb garden. It was a sunny fall day and there was a little black bee buzzing around, and it lands on this boy’s ear and climbs in his ear. I said, “freeze!” We had told them about bees, that he thinks your ear is a flower, so just leave it. He stood there so still, and he was so brave. The bee didn’t come out, so I gave his lobe a little tug and it flew right out.

I’ll also always remember how the kids look forward to me coming because they like to get out and move around outside.

That gets me energized too. It might even be the last, eighth class of the day and you’re dragging, but the kids are all eager and it gets your adrenaline running.

What Lamplighter tradition will you miss the most?

Halloween Parade. That’s always hilarious. We used to sing outside on Halloween with everyone dressed up. And Carnival is always a fun time. Senior Graduation is a special time too.

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SUE McCULLOUGH | 33 YEARS

For over three decades, Sue McCullough has been the cheerful face of Lamplighter’s Pre-K “Hug ’em In” carpool. McCullough’s deep resounding croak in her role as Freddy Frog has delighted generations of children, and she brings a smile to her adult colleagues by presenting each one, without fail, a dollar and a card on their birthday. Whether it’s Marvelous Monday, Wacky Wednesday, or Fantastic Friday, McCullough makes every day of the school week brighter with her positive attitude. Chief Operating Officer Marynell Murphy says, “When you say the name Sue McCullough, you instantly think of a happy, loving, caring, and friendly person whose love of children is boundless.

Sue was the first person I remember meeting when I started at Lamplighter. She came right up to me and introduced herself and thus began a friendship of a lifetime. No one will ever brighten carpool like Sue can. Over her time at Lamplighter, she has opened over half a million car doors, welcoming children to memories that will last a lifetime!”

“I’ve known Sue now for 30 years.

In all that time, Sue has been a true friend, confidant, spiritual angel, and mentor.” – Liz Curlin, Pre-K Teacher Pre-K Teacher Cheryl Shulman praises McCullough’s affability and willingness to help. “Sue loves being outside during carpool both in the morning and in the afternoon. She loves to see the children and their parents. She is always willing to help out anywhere, and was a floater during FunCamp offering breaks to teachers, or even taking their class for the day if a sub was not available.” Pre-K Teacher Liz Curlin noted, “I’ve known Sue now for 30 years. In all that time, Sue has been a true friend, confidant, spiritual angel, and mentor. We have survived and thrived through this life together. The sounds of her voice will echo long after she leaves these hallowed grounds. I will forever hear the ribbet of Freddy Frog, and Sue’s many sayings: how was your weekend, Hon?, I could sure eat a steak and baked potato, here’s a dollar, buy yourself a Coke, If God willing and the creek don’t rise, and all the talks we had about our families.

Sue will be missed beyond measure. She filled my heart and the hearts of so many. God bless and Godspeed.”

Clayton Hollingsworth, Chief Advancement Officer, recalled that “On my first day of school at Lamplighter, I watched Sue ‘hug ’em in’ for the 30th year in a row. Three years later, I look forward to seeing her in the Advancement Office as part of our team. She has reached out to hundreds of alums to reconnect them with Lamplighter. She’s simply the best. Just before the tornado last year, I borrowed her Hockaday yearbook to scan a picture. Thankfully, I didn’t give it back to her when I said I would. Shortly thereafter, the tornado blew her home away but I still had her yearbook. I’d like to think I was able to save a little piece of Sue’s history.”

When did you start at Lamplighter?

I started the same year as Linda Cauley, 1988, and have been here 33 years. When I started, I hadn’t even finished college yet. I had always wanted to teach Pre-K, so I came over to Lamplighter and they let me help in the classroom when I hadn’t had the degree. I had two years of college. Pat Mattingly took me aside and said, “If you complete your degree at Collin County College, I’ll hire you as an assistant teacher.”

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I loved Lamplighter because of how they taught each individual child. They had centers with different ways to reach a child how he or she learns. Some kids want to read a book, some kids want to roll dice, some want to measure rice. Lamplighter gives them all opportunities to learn. Everything was visible and touchable, and Lamplighter was one of the first schools to do that. If children feel successful and comfortable in how they’re learning, they learn. And that’s what put Lamplighter on the map: using a child’s own learning style and letting him or her be successful in learning.

How did you hear of Lamplighter?

My husband at the time was an OB/GYN, and he kept hearing that these brand new parents were going out and rushing to get their babies on the Lamplighter waiting list as soon as they were born. So, naturally I had to find out what this was all about. When I went to interview, they only had four questions: where are you from, where did you go to school, what does your husband do, and where will he practice medicine? That was a different era!

What is your favorite memory of your time at Lamplighter?

There was a teacher who had a ski sock full of marbles, and the kids would sit in the well and she’d have them close their eyes and she’d put the marbles in a can one by one, and have them count in their heads by the sound. I loved that because it showed the kids not just math, but how to listen and pay attention. My other memory is of Freddy Frog. You know how the teachers would use bunny ears to have kids quiet down, to stop and listen to what’s happening like a rabbit? I tried that, and nothing happened. So I knew I had to try something and I made a sound I’d never made before and it went “ribbit!” The kids all stopped and I said in wonder, “Did you hear that frog?

He said it’s time to go to the well and listen.” And it worked!

And Liz Curlin bought me the first and only Freddy Frog that I still have and use and love to this day.

Linda Cauley, Sue McCullough, Jezabel Guadalupe, and Kathryn Szwejkowski

“It has been such a pleasure and an honor working with Kathryn throughout the years.

Her dedication, commitment to detail, and peaceful spirit have made an indelible mark on the Lamplighter community.”

– Jacquelyn Wilcox, Director of Admission and Placement

KATHRYN SZWEJKOWSKI | 22 YEARS

Teachers are the most visible employees of a school, but every school is dependent on a staff that may not get as much recognition as the faculty. Database Manager Kathryn Szwejkowski is one of those people whose work is often unseen, but which is so vitally important to the efficient running of Lamplighter. Unfailingly pleasant and reserved, Szwejkowski adds cheer to the quieter rooms upstairs. Marynell Murphy puts it this way: “When you think of a behind the scenes person who is a ‘silent hero,’ I think of Kathryn Szwejkowski. Being a Database Manager takes a person whose attention to detail is perfection. Kathryn has quietly served the school for 22 years, making sure our database is accurate and beyond question.

Her soft-spoken demeanor lends itself to someone that does not desire the limelight but whose work ethic will be missed by our community. Kathryn’s shoes will be quite hard to fill but I know she will enjoy her free time with her husband, John and daughter, Jennifer.”

Again and again, colleagues remark that Szwejkowski’s work ethic and precision make her an exemplary team member.

Director of Admission and Placement Jacquelyn Wilcox says, “It has been such a pleasure and an honor working with Kathryn throughout the years. Her dedication, commitment to detail, and peaceful spirit have made an indelible mark on the Lamplighter community.” Communications Coordinator Landy Fox agrees, saying, “I always enjoyed working with Kathryn through the years because I always had 100% confidence in her work product. Her thoroughness and attention to detail is top notch, and she is always so pleasant to work with. She is a kind soul who is so dedicated to her job and to Lamplighter.”

When did you start at Lamplighter?

I started working at Lamplighter in 1999. I have been amazed by the beautiful surrounding nature and architecture of the campus. Two big changes were the construction of a new barn and the Eastin Family Innovation Lab. Inside the School, I have really enjoyed over time the various displayed artwork and other projects created by the students.

For those who might not know, what do you do?

During my years at Lamplighter, I have primarily assisted in the admission and enrollment processes. This has included generating reports, lists, and labels in response to requests from staff and faculty members.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Lamplighter?

My favorite memory of Lamplighter is all the wonderful and caring people whom I have met and worked with through the years. One of my favorite traditions is the Hootenanny and hearing the children sing with enthusiasm. During my years here, the Lamplighter community has continued to celebrate the joy and love of learning!

What traditions will you miss the most?

Two activities that I found to be very sweet are the Kindergarten Square-Dancing event and the children’s selection of interesting and creative names for the barn animals.

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PATRICIA VERMILLION | 19 YEARS

Generations of Lamplighter students have looked forward to their trip to the Erik Jonsson Media Center to hear Patricia Vermillion read them a story or teach a lesson on how to use research materials. Her title has changed from Librarian to Media Center Coordinator over the years, but whatever you call her, she has helped countless students with everything from checking out their first book to finding something to read when they don’t quite know yet what it is they like. While students are searching for books, or as Vermillion calls it, “shopping,” she quietly goes around making recommendations and helping students navigate the sometimes bewildering shelves. And, of course, Vermillion’s side job as a published children’s author is a source of great pride to the Lamplighter community!

She helps the adults in Lamplighter just as much as the children. Fourth Grade Teacher Jody Stout says,“I am so grateful for the years of co-teaching with Patricia. As a colleague and a mentor, she has tirelessly met me with ideas and resources.

Through great books, delightfully creative strategies, and some of the most useful and dynamic tools, she has, for more than 15 years, helped me build roads to my students’ interests and imagination. Patricia has always had the book I want or the tech tool I didn’t yet know I needed. But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from Patricia is that building relationships with and among community members is the starting point for all meaningful progress in the art of information dissemination.”

“Through great books, delightfully creative strategies, and some of the most useful and dynamic tools, she has, for more than 15 years, helped me build roads to my students’ interests and imagination.” – Jody Stout, Fourth Grade Teacher Patrons of the Media Center always notice the framed drawings hung on the walls done by visiting authors and illustrators.

There too Vermillion has a key role. Vicki Raney recalls that “Patricia was absolutely magical when it came to securing the latest award-winning author to visit Lamplighter. We discussed who she might invite, but always at least a year in advance of the actual date. Patricia had her librarian finger on the pulse of which author wrote the very best book each year, contacted her or him far in advance, and had the contract signed just as they won the Caldecott or Newbery awards. I will never know how she managed this magic trick so many years in a row, but Lamplighter students and faculty always had the best authors visiting our campus.”

When did you start at Lamplighter?

I began my career at Lamplighter nineteen years ago while still working on my Master’s degree, so that would have been in 2002. I wasn’t familiar with The Lamplighter School at the time. While researching a project for my Master of Library Science degree at the University of North Texas, Lamplighter appeared in my search. I read on the website they were hiring a librarian assistant so I called, but learned that they had stopped accepting applications. The librarian at that time, Jennifer Coleman, asked me to come for an interview anyway, so I did — and I was hired! I became the head librarian in 2004.

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How has the Erik Jonsson Media Center changed?

In the physical sense, over the years we’ve added technology such as iPads, laptops, an interactive electronic display for teaching, and have expanded the genres to include Series, Graphic Novels, Spanish, and even a Dr. Who section. We’ve also added an office for the assistant.

In terms of the way our approach to teaching has changed, our movable technology allows students to collaborate in groups using iPads and Mac computers. We teach students search strategies for locating library materials and placing book requests on hold via the library online catalog. But one thing that has not changed is our students’ love of reading and lifelong learning.

What Lamplighter tradition will you miss the most?

I missed it this year: My coffee pot and all the friends who came to visit, drink coffee, and collaborate — what a happy way to start each morning! The tradition I’ll miss the most is the Erik Jonsson Media Center Open House, when parents come to purchase new books in honor of Lamplighter teachers. Often students play piano or violin for the event and perform with such pride. There is always a little magic in the air at the Open House.

What are you planning on doing after Lamplighter?

My children already have plans for me, and it includes babysitting my eight grandchildren! I also plan to continue writing books. Lily Thompson, a TCU graphic artist, is in the process of completing the art work for my next book, A Reading Partner for Emerald. It’s about a Lamplighter lizard who lived in our library (honestly!). In the story, Emerald is searching for someone to read with. Hopefully, Emerald will live on the Lamplighter Media Center shelf along with Hound Dawg and my Texas armadillos. That way, a piece of me will remain with Lamplighter, just as my love and appreciation for Lamplighter will remain with me.

FACULTY&STAFFSTORIES

LAMPLIGHTER

MILESTONES At the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, Lamplighter honored the following employees with service awards.

Congratulations to these individuals who have been a part of the School’s faculty and staff for 5, 10, 15, and 20 years!

20 YEARS Amy Brown ’78 Transitional First Grade Teacher

April Seeds

Cheryl Shulman

Reagan Tate

Bill Burton

Ana Casanova

Early Childhood Physical Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher Education Teacher Early Childhood FunCamp Director

15 YEARS Ed Goff

10 YEARS

June Landry

IT Manager

Reading Specialist, Kindergarten Teacher

Leslie Bledsoe

Ana Bohanan

Lower School Alternate Teacher

Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill

Creative Director

Catherine M. Rose Head of School

Science Teacher and Science Curriculum Coordinator

Judith Mullens

Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning - Early Childhood

First Grade Teacher

Jacquelyn Wilcox

Director of Admission and Placement

5 YEARS Jo Davenport Fourth Grade Math Teacher

Carolyn Finnegan Fourth Grade Language Arts Teacher

Dan Knudsen

Facilities Engineer

Anita Orozco

Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Jay Valentine

Technology Specialist

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T ECH T RU CK GOES VIRTUAL In collaboration with Perot Museum of Nature and Science and United to Learn

Once a month, eleven Lamplighter Seniors eagerly log into Zoom to work on an engineering or design project. They’re building robots, working on coding and gaming, designing 3D objects, and more, and it’s all done from home.

The Perot Tech Truck, in partnership with United to Learn, has brought STEM challenges to Lamplighter for three years now.

Of course, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the truck visits have been reimagined. No longer do the students sit at tables and work alongside one another. Now they log in once a month, on Saturdays, and build at home while guided by instructors during the hour-long lesson. The Perot drops off a kit of the needed materials to each student the week before the meeting. While the Perot Truck “visit” is therefore currently less socially interactive, one thing that hasn’t changed is how engaged and enthusiastic the fourth graders are.

Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning - Lower School Stephen Scott notes, “Lamplighter Seniors had an overwhelming interest in this opportunity and filled all the available slots quickly. Our fourth graders can be recognized on these Zoom calls for their active engagement and the creative problem solving that is always on display.”

Auxiliary Programs Coordinator Shari Krage, who supervises the program for Lamplighter, has been amazed by the fourth graders’ engagement. “The kids are super innovative,” she says. “I look at the Ziploc bag of parts and I can’t for the life of me imagine what it could be used for, but the fourth graders dump it out and go to town. They have creative ideas about what to do with these parts before they even get instructions!” She is continually surprised and pleased at the designs the fourth graders come up with.

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The fourth graders themselves are equally enthusiastic.

Eloise Morton ’21 likes how hands-on the projects are.

“They give you the supplies and ideas and really help you go through the project. And they are very open to new ideas.” Vivian Trowbridge ’21 cites the Perot instructors’ dedication and patience as high points: “They are very helpful in explaining the project and the challenge on Zoom to make sure you got it right.”

Benjamin Adashek ’21 agrees, “I like it because they would teach you how the mechanics worked for whatever we were building, and after they taught you how it worked, they would help you build it and show you each step. Even if you make mistakes or something they were ready to help you all over Zoom. They would look at what you built. You could hold up what you had done and they would give you some type of feedback. Even after class ended if you had a question, the instructors would stick around so you could get it answered.”

Matthew Fay ’21, who created a robot with two rotating “arms” in the back that propel it forwards, says, “I enjoy the Tech Truck because I like building things and get to play with technology.” Matthew’s mother, Kristin Fay reports, “Matthew has enjoyed the Perot Tech Truck. It’s been very challenging but he’s learning problem solving and some resilience.”

Perhaps by next year the Perot Tech Truck visits will consist of actual visits once more. The social aspect, when children from various schools and backgrounds sit and work together, is undoubtedly a vital part of the program. However, in this time of social distancing, the Perot team has delivered quality STEM programming that is enthusiastically embraced by Lamplighter students, staff, and parents. As Stephen Scott says, “Lamplighter is proud to maintain this partnership with the Perot Museum.”

PARTNERPROFILE

EXPLORING THE GLOBE

During this school year, Lamplighter had the opportunity to partner with Earth X to bring unique science lessons to campus. Earth X, an international nonprofit environmental organization, hosts the annual Earth Day Expo Texas at Fair Park, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. In addition to sponsoring community events that promote environmental awareness and inspire people to take action towards a more sustainable future, the organization also provides education resources to schools. Enter the Omniglobe! This 32” spherical projection device, which can display geophysical, social, political, historical, and astronomical data, made two trips to Lamplighter during the second semester of the school year.

The Omniglobe first arrived on the Lamplighter campus on January 25 and was positioned inside the well in the Klyde Warren Auditorium for one week. Kindergarten and Transitional First Grade (T1) classes took turns visiting the Omniglobe and taking part in special science lessons led by Early Childhood Science Teacher Eva McKee, Kindergarten Teacher Katherine Roberts, and Assistant Librarian Jordan Palefsky. Students gathered around the globe and explored the solar system via the high-tech spherical HD projector. These early childhood students used personal passport booklets to document the planets and their characteristics, complete with drawings of the planets, the sun, the moon, and even the asteroid belt! Science Teacher Eva McKee shared her enthusiasm for this teaching tool by noting, “The Omniglobe allowed us to see 3D images of the planets, moon, and sun, and helped guide our drawings.

Students enjoyed our daily trips to the auditorium to explore the solar system!” Kindergarten Teacher Katherine Roberts further commented that the Omniglobe provided an opportunity to “integrate space into the Kindergarten literacy, math, and science curriculum throughout the week.” Roberts went on to explain that the timing of the Omniglobe’s arrival was significant in that it took place “leading up to the exciting Perseverance Rover landing on Mars in February.”

The Omniglobe returned to Lamplighter in late March to expand these exceptional science lessons to our Lower School students. Environmental Science Teacher Linda Cauley and Lower School Science Teacher Bill Burton also taught lessons using the Omniglobe as a focal point for instruction. Lessons included discussions on how the tectonic plates have moved to develop continents, as well as an examination of the timeline of the earth’s living and non-living elements.

This unique teaching tool was developed at ARC Science from the ground up to provide the very best spherical display solution. The patents include a reflective dispersion optics, the coupling of two HD projectors for the highest possible resolution, and EC (Enhanced Contrast) screen technology to achieve exceptional image contrast. Through Lamplighter’s partnership with Earth X, the School was able to bring this cutting-edge technology to campus to teach and inspire our students. Astronomy and geology never looked so vivid!

BARNYARDBUZZ

Second Grade Pioneers

Wagons, and Hardships, and Travel Oh, my!

On January 15, second grade’s annual Pioneer Unit culminated, as it has for more than twenty years, in the Pioneer Journey.

The Pioneer Journey is a tradition at Lamplighter that’s eagerly anticipated by children and teachers alike. On this special day, second graders are partnered with their fellow students into “families” who then work together to plan a reenactment of the movement of pioneers to the west circa 1855. The School’s playground is transformed into the Oregon Trail, complete with stand-in landmarks and hypothetical challenges. Students dress up as pioneers (girls in dresses, bonnets, prairie skirts, and boots; boys in jeans, white button-down shirts, bandanas, boots, and cowboy hats), load their wagons, and end their journey in either California or Oregon (conveniently located at the end of the Ring Road). Since the journey takes place outdoors, this year’s hybrid learners were able to go on the journey with their classmates.

To prepare for this year’s journey, students engaged in a variety of lessons that incorporated all facets of the Lamplighter curriculum, from social-emotional to academics to art to physical education. The students also enjoyed an optional field trip to Dallas Heritage Village, an open-air museum depicting pioneer life in Texas, which every student attended.

Over the course of the unit, second graders read pioneer stories, learned pioneer songs, drew self-portraits, designed posters to persuade others to travel with them for land, gold, 22

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money, and to seek a new life, and made a map of the Oregon Trail. The class read-aloud was Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail, “which the students just loved,” noted Second Grade Teacher Gabriela Saldana Parkes. Students also studied the history and formation of important landmarks, milestone locations, and “rest stops” along the way. P.E. Teacher Kathy Ritz even taught the students about pioneer-era games such as marbles, pick-up sticks, ring toss, and jacks.

The second grade “families” soon realized they had to utilize many social-emotional skills to solve the problems of the journey. For example, implementing compromise and negotiation was essential in determining what went into the wagon. Second Grade Teacher Lakeshia Peters said the students learned to talk with each other “about how they are going to pack their wagon with what they need first, and then to discuss what they want. They learned how to disagree and problem solve.” The students also had to agree on which destination was best for their particular family, Oregon or California. Second Grade Teacher Savannah Seifert Poston ’03 explained, “When it’s time to decide whether to go to Oregon or California, the pioneers have what we call ‘the parting of the ways.’ The families have to weigh their options and decide what would be best for the families depending on their jobs. For example, farmers might decide to go to Oregon where there’s open land.

Shopkeepers might decide to go to California because there are more opportunities to sell in the towns there.”

Lamplighter alumna and Third Grade Teacher, Anne Yarbrough ’81, (above left) and at her Pioneer Day in second grade, 1979 (inset).

Math skills were required when the families began to plan their wagons. They had to load the items they needed and wanted without overloading the wagon. To represent this challenge, second grade math teachers introduced the concept of BWUs (Bulk Weight Units), representing a combination of a given item’s size and weight. The pioneers were allowed to pack only 2,000 BWUs in each of their wagons, so compromise as well as operational skills were needed to efficiently pack for the journey. As Ms. Peters put it, “The students were putting themselves in the pioneers’ shoes and really thinking about how they could pack their wagons and have their animals survive.”

Traditionally, the journey ends with a feast incorporating homemade recipes made by the students’ own hands. However, with current safety measures in mind, cornbread and dried fruit were made by teachers at home this year. The young pioneers did learn to churn their own butter and make dolls out of corn husks. In all, this year’s Pioneer Journey was a resounding success. One of the highlights of the Lamplighter experience, it teaches students to solve real-world problems though personal experience wrapped in the wonder of imagination and play.

During the journey, students wrote journal entries along the way to describe what they encountered. In addition, Mrs. Poston said, “This year we wanted to integrate more writing into the unit. So, to prepare for the journey, the kids wrote their own guide books to the trail. They included advice for their fellow pioneers, such as what do to if you encounter harsh weather or what to do if you contract a disease in the wilderness.”

Resources to Explore

One hardship of the trail became quite real during the journey.

The wind blew very hard while the students pulled their wagons across the field. According to Ms. Parkes, “Bonnets and hats were flying everywhere. It really was a challenge and the kids were exhausted by the end!”

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon by Paul Erickson

If your child wants to read more about how the West was won on their own, we recommend these books: Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails by Verla Kay Dandelion by Eve Bunting

Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson

Great Pioneer Projects you can Build Yourself by Rachel Dickinson You Wouldn’t Want to Be an American Pioneer:

A Wilderness You’d Rather Not Tame by Jacqueline Morley

Dear Levi: Letters from the Overland Trail by Elvira Woodruff

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BARNYARDBUZZ

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LAMPPOST Kathleen Sheridan displaying her Bascetta Star origami creation.

FOLDING FUN INTO MATH VIRTUAL MATH NIGHT WITH KATHLEEN SHERIDAN

of Origami and You

THE LAMPLIGHTER SCHOOL’S

TRADITIONAL MATH NIGHT WAS

HELD VIRTUALLY OVER ZOOM THIS YEAR. OVER TWO DAYS, THE THIRD AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS

AND TEACHERS MET WITH HOST

KATHLEEN SHERIDAN OF ORIGAMI AND YOU. MRS. SHERIDAN, A

SECONDARY SPANISH TEACHER

FOR 18 YEARS, BEGAN TEACHING ORIGAMI FULL TIME IN 2014. SHE WAS ELECTED TO THE BOARD

OF DIRECTORS OF ORIGAMI USA

(OUSA) IN 2015, AND CURRENTLY HOSTS A RECURRING ORIGAMI

WORKSHOP AT THE MUSEUM OF

MATH IN NEW YORK CITY CALLED FOLDING FRIDAYS.

On January 21, around 40 fourth grade students joined the fourth-grade faculty and Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning - Lower School Stephen Scott in exploring hands-on how “the magic of paper folding” and math skills overlap. Mrs. Sheridan began the session by explaining that origami makes our lives better by teaching us to focus on detail and rewards our patience. She then shared examples of origami, including the “Bascetta Star” created by Paolo Bascetta, an Italian artist.

Her example of the star contains 30 pieces of origami paper!

Other examples of origami craft included Carmen Sprung’s fortune teller (an intricate version of the paper fortune tellers popular with third and fourth graders), the basic origami crane, a lotus flower, a snail, boxes, magic tricks with folding a dollar bill, and a panda envelope with origami pencils. Mrs. Sheridan said she is often asked, “What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever folded?” The answer, to the delight of the fourth graders, is a miniature Yoda.

During the session, she led Lamplighter fourth graders in making a paper penguin, by Shoko Aoyagi, a noted Japanese origami artist. This exercise reinforced lots of lessons with fractions. Mrs. Sheridan added differentiation to the lesson, repeating the original instructions while showing those students who had already moved on how they could make several and stack them. “Be as precise as you can, but you don’t have to be perfect,” was her instruction, advice that serves students and adults alike in every aspect of their lives, not just origami or math.

One week later, on January 28, with Mr. Scott again observing, third grade students and faculty joined Mrs. Sheridan in a different origami lesson. After it was mentioned that she had been a Spanish teacher, she asked, in Spanish, if she should do the entire lesson solely in Spanish, but there were not many takers for this suggestion! Her project for the third graders was to make a paper spinner that sits inside a frame; the total piece is made of three pieces of paper. Although this seemed to be fairly complex, Mrs. Sheridan assured the third graders that they would do fine and she guaranteed that everyone’s spinner would spin.

She delighted the third graders with her humor and light tone.

Early on, she introduced a fold she likes to call the blintz, named after the pancake in which the four corners of the pastry are brought to the center. After a few demonstrations, Mrs. Sheridan joked, “Don’t tell me you’re sick of blintzes yet, because we’re going to make a lot of blintz folds tonight. You’re going to learn to love the blintz!” When some of the students saw that their spinner handle didn’t look like her example, she assured them that it was because their work was newer.

Or as she put it, “Your handle that was just born isn’t staying together like mine.”

Making “addition folds” (straight across sides) and “multiplication folds” (diagonal across the corners, the third graders powered through the hour of origami. They especially enjoyed it when Mrs. Sheridan revealed that while folding, she liked to sing, “Let’s blintz again, like we did last summer” to the tune of “Let’s Twist Again”

by Chubby Checker. As several of the kids piped up, “Blintz is now stuck in my head!” Both Math Night sessions were memorable and fun events, highlighting once again how powerful a role the wonder of play can have in learning.

FOUR TIMES THE FUN!

DOOLEY AUTHOR SERIES — virtual format —

Reimagined Dooley Author Series gave Lamplighter students the opportunity to connect with four amazing children’s authors and illustrators!

During the 2020-2021 school year, Lamplighter students enjoyed four opportunities to learn from and visit with wellknown and highly respected children’s authors and illustrators from across the country. These visits were made possible through Lamplighter’s Dooley Author Series, a program that brings award-winning authors and illustrators to our school each year. In a typical year, Lamplighter welcomes one, or possibly two, authors/illustrators through this endowed program. However, the global pandemic gave Lamplighter the opportunity to reformat the event this year and connect our students with not one, not two, but four amazing children’s authors and illustrators! These special virtual guests were Jason Chin of Vermont, Victoria Jamieson of Pennsylvania, Todd Parr of California, and Catherine Stier of San Antonio, Texas.

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The Series kicked off in January with a virtual visit with author/ illustrator JASON CHIN, whose book Grand Canyon received a 2018 Caldecott Honor and a Sibert Honor, and won the 2018 Orbis Pictus award. Chin met virtually with Lamplighter third graders in a series of four intimate sessions, one with each classroom. Chin began his presentation by reflecting on his beginnings in the field of writing and illustrating as a young child. When he was just two years old, his parents gave him lots of crayons and markers and he soon discovered that he liked to take his scribbles and make them look like something. “It all happened because I liked what I was doing, so I did it a lot, and I got better at it,” noted Chin. Through the years, he took writing and illustrating classes, met other artists, got lots of advice, but “it boils down to the fact that I liked doing it,” said Chin.

BARNYARDBUZZ Chin then shared his process for creating books, emphasizing the importance of the first step: lots of research!

He underscored the importance of conducting extensive research and using reliable sources to gather information when writing non-fiction, warning students not to trust everything they read on the Internet. “I have to be 100% sure that everything I put in my books is true,” said Chin, “therefore, in general, I find the best, most accurate and trustworthy information comes from other books.” Chin went on to explain his rigid process in checking and verifying facts, noting that he never puts a fact in one of his books unless it has been confirmed by multiple sources. As the author of books relating to science and nature, Chin also emphasized that “even science changes, so you have to check your facts.”

Chin went on to explain his drawing process, which begins with a storyboard, including sketches for each page, then evolves to more detailed drawings which are eventually placed into a “book dummy.” He then adds watercolor to the drawings, and later lines things up using Adobe PhotoShop to make everything just right. Chin also took time to answer many questions posed by the students and concluded with his final advice: “Find a way to do things you like! When you run into stumbling blocks, don’t get too frustrated. Always remember that your teachers want the best for your book and your writing.”

Lamplighter’s second visitor in this year’s Dooley Author Series was TODD PARR, the author and illustrator of more than 40 children’s books. The Berkeley, Californiabased guest hosted five virtual classroom sessions for Kindergarten and Transitional First Grade (T1) students in late March.

Parr kicked off each session by reading his newest book, The Spring Book, which celebrates the special things that happen during spring, both in nature and through annual traditions like St. Patrick’s Day and International Women’s Day. He then explained his process for writing and illustrating books, which starts with an idea. He then develops that idea using a computer and a tablet to add colors and words. Parr emphasized that anyone can create a book, remarking, “all you need is an idea!”

Parr’s visits with the students included ample time for Q&A which revealed how he got his start in writing and illustrating

(through a love of painting), his favorite types of books (cookbooks), as well as his favorite author (Mo Willems).

He concluded the sessions by reading another one of his books, The Kindness Book, noting that “it’s for everyone, even grown-ups, who sometimes need a reminder, too.”

The next guest in the 2020-2021 Dooley Author Series was Pennsylvania-based VICTORIA JAMIESON whose graphic novel Roller Girl is a Newbery Honor winner. Lamplighter fourth graders welcomed Jamieson virtually for a fun, interactive visit in early April. Like Chin and Parr, Jamieson also walked students through her writing and illustrating process for creating books. Jamieson highlighted the importance of starting with a topic that is important to you. In her case, she was extremely passionate about roller derby. Jamieson remarked, “people got tired of hearing me talk about roller derby, so I decided to write about it,” which then became her awardwinning book, Roller Girl. She went on to explain the inspiration for her books, which are all fiction, but based on real life experiences, such as moving to a new state and losing her best friend.

Jamieson also shared highlights from her other books, All’s Faire in Middle School, which touches on the notion of feeling lost when moving to a new school, and When Stars Are Scattered, which focuses on two brothers growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya. These more mature themes in some ways connected with our Lamplighter Seniors who will soon move on to new schools, just like the main character in All’s Faire in Middle School.

Fourth grade students also engaged in a drawing exercise led by Jamieson during the session. She shared the “mitten method,” a technique to draw hands, as well as her process for drawing emotions on the faces of her book characters which involves watching herself do all types of expressions in the mirror.

At the end of the session, Jamieson encouraged students to create their own books, reminding them that “the joy of making books is that all you need is paper and pencil.”

The final guest in this year’s Dooley Author Series, CATHERINE STIER, came to Lamplighter virtually on April 19-20 during National Park Week. The San Antonio-based author of award-winning children’s books helped our first- and

second-grade students celebrate and appreciate nature through her special presentations. Stier kicked off each session by reading If I Were A Park Ranger, her book that not only recognizes the extensive work of park rangers, but also celebrates the wide variety of National Parks throughout the United States. Stier cited her inspiration for the book by recounting her first family trip to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which led to a lifetime appreciation for animals, the environment, and our country’s natural and historical heritage.

During her virtual visit, Stier also shared images of National Parks and conducted a “Guess the National Park” game. Students enthusiastically answered multiple choice questions which highlighted several National Parks and inspired students to think about traveling to these beautiful and iconic destinations. In conjunction with the National Park game, Stier also emphasized some of the wonderful benefits of spending time in nature, including the ability to inspire creativity in art and the possibility that it can even make you a nicer person!

“THE DOOLEY AUTHORS SELECTED BY PATRICIA VERMILLION HAVE BEEN JOYOUS OCCASIONS FOR STUDENTS, STAFF, AND OUR FAMILY.”

– Marilyn Halpin, co-founder of the Dooley Author Series with daughter Elizabeth Dooley McLamb ’87

The Dooley Author Series was created through an endowment established in 2011 by Lamplighter alumni parent Marilyn Halpin and her daughter Elizabeth Dooley McLamb ’87 in memory of Elizabeth’s father, Robert T. Halpin, Sr. Mrs. Halpin now resides in Austin, Texas and was able to make a special appearance via Zoom during Jason Chin’s visit with Lamplighter third graders.

Long-time Media Center Coordinator Patricia Vermillion reflected on this year’s reimagined Dooley Author Series, remarking, “We could not have guessed that the Zoom format would have such a benefit, but the result was a much more intimate experience for the kids because the authors visited with them just one classroom or grade-level at a time. Each student felt individually recognized by their visitors.”

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LAMPLIGHTER GIVES BACK

PEANUT T BUTTER

Supporting the Community through Local Partnerships Each year, the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) partners with the School to organize events and initiatives that provide support to nonprofit organizations within the greater Dallas community.

These efforts offer students hands-on learning experiences that connect to the School’s academic and social-emotional curriculum and allow our families structured ways to take part in serving the local community. Some of these initiatives are also sponsored by the Lamplighter Green Team, a group of faculty and staff members whose mission is to create awareness about environmental challenges and take action to reduce the carbon footprints of the School and the community at large.

Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, Lamplighter built upon its existing partnerships to continue community outreach efforts with local organizations including Family Gateway, United to Learn, and the North Texas Food Bank. Some of these initiatives, such as snack bag assembly for Family Gateway, have become long-running traditions that students take part in every year, while others, such as the Coin Drive (also in support of Family Gateway) were instituted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BAG IT!

Snack Back Assembly for Family Gateway Each year, third and fourth grade students are offered a designated day to arrive early to school to participate in a hands-on assembly line to create snack bags for the children served by Family Gateway. Lamplighter students enthusiastically take part in this active project to create more than 400 snack bags for the local homeless shelter and this year was no different! The assembly lines were socially distanced in Cook Gym, but the excitement and energy among the students matched the previous years of this ongoing tradition.

400 FAMILY GATEWAY

SNACK BAGS DELIVERED TO

homeless shelter for families

$536.06 COLLECTED IN COINS

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FAMILY GATEWAY VISIT www.familygateway.org 28

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2,250 2,000 1,167

ITEMS COLLECTED FOR FOOD DRIVE

POUNDS

MEALS

BARNYARDBUZZ CHA-CHING!

Coin Drive for Family Gateway During the month of December, Lamplighter conducted a coin drive to support families served by Family Gateway homeless shelter. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Family Gateway’s shelter was full and many families were displaced to various hotels; the families in hotels needed quarters for their laundry. To assist these families in need, Lamplighter collected all types of coins in buckets over a two-week period. After the School received the coins, Kindergarten students sorted them as part of the lessons on money in their math curriculum. At the conclusion of the coin drive, the School had raised $536.06! All of the coins were taken to a bank, converted to rolls of quarters, and delivered to Family Gateway.

LOAD ’EM UP!

Food Drive for the North Texas Food Bank The Lamplighter Green Team spearheaded an effort to continue the School’s annual food drive benefitting the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB). The effort was led by Lamplighter’s IT Manager Ed Goff, who is also a member of the Green Team. This year’s food drive took place over a three-week period leading up to Spring Break. At the conclusion of the drive, the Lamplighter community had collected 2,250 items totaling 2,000 pounds, which the NTFB calculated to equal 1,667 meals! The organization was very grateful for Lamplighter’s donation and said that our students should be really proud of collecting so many items.

WORKING AT WITHERS! Community Campus Day with United to Learn United to Learn, a long-time partner of The Lamplighter School, hosted its annual Community Campus Day early this spring. Now in its fourth year, Community Campus Day is a coordinated plan to implement 39 improvement and beautification projects across Dallas ISD elementary schools. The Lamplighter School served as a sponsor for the event, and parents and students in our community joined together to volunteer for this effort. The volunteers from Lamplighter took part in hands-on projects on Saturday, March 27 at nearby Withers Elementary to build and repair cabinets and freshen up walls with a new coat of paint in the teacher’s lounge. United to Learn Founder and Chief Executive Officer Abigail Williams commented to Alex Macon of D Magazine on the impact of these efforts at DISD schools, stating, “From the moment a student walks in the classroom they can see and feel that they are valued and their education is important.”

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CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Celebrating Countries and Cultures Around the World The pandemic didn’t stop Lamplighter from finding ways to continue spreading the message of cultural awareness! By building upon its partnership with the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA), the School was able to offer many opportunities throughout the school year for students to engage in meaningful activities and events which acknowledged and celebrated countries and cultures throughout the world. These educational activities and celebrations took place during the school day and were made possible through support and extensive resources provided by the LPA. Celebrations during the second semester of the 20202021 school year included Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and Mardi Gras. The year-long programming around cultural awareness culminated with International Day in late April. Lamplighter extends its deep gratitude to 2020-2021 LPA Cultural Awareness Co-Chairs Sue Chu and Katrina Harper for their support throughout the year to help our students discover and appreciate the range of cultures around the globe.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Welcome the Year of the Ox! Lamplighter celebrated Lunar New Year in early February with books, crafts, and activities commemorating this cultural event.

The LPA was instrumental in making this a special day for students by providing decorations, activity-based lessons, and video messages to use in the classrooms.

Early Childhood classrooms made paper lanterns, practiced writing Chinese characters, and learned how to draw an ox. The LPA also provided unique Lunar New Year gifts of red envelopes and plushies for all Lamplighter students. These favors were loved by the students and made for excellent mementos of this cultural celebration at school.

MARDI GRAS

The Texas winter snow storm shut down our school for a full week in mid-February, but that didn’t stop our students from celebrating Fat Tuesday! In a belated celebration, first graders enjoyed jazz music, beads, King Cake on a stick, and a mini version of a “second line” Mardi Gras parade! The first graders paraded around the Eastin Family Innovation Lab while students in other grades cheered them on and enjoyed the festive music. Early Childhood students also participated in Mardi Gras activities in their classrooms with beads, costumes, and a variety of games.

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BARNYARDBUZZ BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month was celebrated at Lamplighter throughout the month of February with academic resources provided by the School’s classroom teachers and librarians, combined with enriching videos provided by parent and student volunteers. LPA Cultural Awareness Co-Chair Katrina Harper coordinated a library of videos featuring current Lamplighter students.

Each video lesson spotlighted a historical figure, such as inventor and engineer Lonnie Johnson, artist Alma Johnson, ballerina Raven Wilkinson, poet Amanda Gorman, and NASA Engineer Mary W. Jackson. During the grade-level lessons, students had the opportunity to learn from their own classmates about the impact and significance of these individuals.

In late February, Black History Month culminated with a virtual performance by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, a local organization that has been coming to Lamplighter for many years. Students enjoyed a special performance titled “Reminisce: A Tribute to the Civil Rights Era.” These captivating dances, accompanied by powerful music and voice overlays of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., filled our classrooms with joy and inspiration.

Each spring, the LPA sponsors International Night, an evening event that allows families to “tour” the world, sample food, participate in craft projects, and enjoy live entertainment. This year’s event was converted to International Day, which provided the students with an opportunity to celebrate countries and cultures during the school day.

International Day took place on April 22 and kicked off with the Parade of Nations, a Lamplighter tradition that officially signals the opening of the annual cultural celebration. Students in Pre-K through third grade assembled around the Lamplighter playground early in the morning to watch the Seniors in the iconic parade.

Members of the Lamplighter Class of 2021 donned country sashes and carried flags while bagpiper Don Shannon led the parade around the playground and around the Murray Swain Ring Road.

Students returned to their classrooms to enjoy various activities and lessons related to International Day. In advance of the event, LPA parent volunteers provided a myriad of resources, including instructional videos, for teachers to share with students in their classrooms throughout the day. The countries featured in the LPA resources included Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, Greece, India, Iran, Panama, Romania, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. At the end of the day, students left school with new knowledge of these unique countries and an appreciation for the distinct cultures both within the Lamplighter community and beyond.

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The love for our school glows with love and light even when Wrighton, moved online! – Meredith LPA President-Elect

We Love Lamplighter Auction Co-Chairs Melanie Jabbour and Allison Williams For a complete list of Auction Committee Chairs, see page 5.

The Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) is instrumental in planning, coordinating, and lending support to our school no matter what external challenges come our way! This year presented many new obstacles that persisted throughout the school year, yet our LPA volunteers found unique and creative ways to reimagine events while still capturing many of the beloved traditions that are a part of the Association’s 53-year history. The annual LPA Auction is a key example of the hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm among our parent volunteers. This signature event, which serves as the LPA’s primary fundraising effort benefitting the School, was a huge success thanks to the tremendous support of many LPA leaders and volunteers.

The 2021 Auction, We Love Lamplighter, was Co-Chaired by Lamplighter parents Melanie Jabbour and Allison Williams.

Through the support of LPA President David Guedry, LPA President-Elect Meredith Wrighton, and a committee of devoted and creative volunteers, the team executed an 11-day online 32

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auction as well as several communitybuilding events. These special events included three Auction Socials: Socially Distanced Tennis 105, a Yoga Sculpt Class, and a Virtual Hootenanny. Each event brought Lamplighter families together, either virtually or in an outdoor setting, to celebrate and connect with members of our community. The Auction Committee also hosted a virtual VIP Reception to thank underwriters and sponsors for their support of this important fundraiser. The VIP Reception was presented by two Lamplighter parents, Roni Proter and Alex Snodgrass.

Professionally, Proter and Snodgrass are thought leaders in the culinary arts who graciously shared their expertise with our community to lead participants in a class on how to prepare a charcuterie board and a specialty cocktail.

The online auction featured a wide variety of items including sports tickets, travel opportunities, one-of-a-kind artwork, exquisite jewelry, food and wine, and photography packages, plus a variety of unique school offerings such as Head of School for the Day, a Fast Pass for

carpool, Grand Marshall of the Senior Parade, and Flash Reporter experiences.

And of course, the Auction wouldn’t have been complete without the beloved Class Pets, Class Baskets, and Class Projects! These special items up for bid and for sale support the School while offering more fun ways to celebrate the work and interests of our early childhood and elementary students.

The success of this reimagined event reflects not only the hard work of the LPA but the power of our community.

“I think this Auction just goes to show how strong the Lamplighter Spirit is in our community,” LPA President-Elect Meredith Wrighton stated. “The love for our school glows with love and light even when moved online!” Proceeds from this year’s Auction will be used for one or more projects that involve a significant upgrade to the School’s campus. Lamplighter extends its heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the Auction underwriters and sponsors, as well as the fabulous LPA Auction Committee, for making this year’s reimagined event a resounding success!

WE GOT THE BLEAT! Goat Brushing for Early Childhood Ask people outside the Lamplighter community to name one thing they know about our School, and most likely they’ll smile and say something about the farm animals. Our distinctive red barn, and the chickens, cow, donkey, and goats who reside there, are some of the most unique and special things about Lamplighter.

These animals not only provide students with a connection to nature, but also offer vast learning opportunities for our students. This starts with our youngest learners as they feed Cheerios to the chickens and observe and talk to the cow, donkey, and goats in the animal pen each school day.

This year, Judith Mullens, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning – Early Childhood, coordinated a new learning opportunity for our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Transitional First Grade (T1) students to interact with the animals. With the help of Science Teacher Eva McKee, Facilities Manager Dwayne Spencer and Chief Operations Officer Marynell Murphy, Lamplighter implemented hands-on goat brushing sessions for our Early Childhood students. Each class began by watching a training video about caring for goats and reviewing the safe ways to interact with this type of animal. Each student then had the chance to brush “Marshmallow,” the brown goat on the Lamplighter farm. These intimate sessions were part of Lamplighter’s socialemotional curriculum about empathy, combined with academic lessons about science. “Marshmallow” loved being pampered by the students as much as they loved brushing him, and he even got to enjoy some special treats from Mr. Spencer to reward his peaceful and cooperative behavior!

EASTIN FAMILY INNOVATION LAB RECEIVES ARCHITECTURAL ACCOLADES

Lamplighter Recognized by AIA Dallas and Texas Architect Magazine Throughout the past four years, our students, faculty, and staff have had the unique opportunity to experience the function and beauty of the Eastin Family Innovation Lab, the newest addition to the Lamplighter campus. Since its grand opening during the Fall of 2017, the building has become a hub for innovative teaching and learning and has provided creative, flexible spaces for our School’s STEM curriculum and integrated learning. From the woodworking studio and teaching kitchen to the expansive classrooms and teaching porches, the new educational spaces in and around the Innovation Lab have helped Lamplighter’s facilities and programming reach new heights in hands-on learning.

And this year, the Innovation Lab served another valuable role. While the global pandemic forced the School to rework many aspects of its campus in 2020, having access to the 10,000-square foot space enabled Lamplighter to create a safe in-person learning environment for our students. Taking advantage of the Innovation Lab’s flexible spaces, the School converted the interiors of the building to homeroom classrooms for first graders.

This allowed the School to spread out grade levels and make social distancing possible in day-to-day learning.

Outside the Lamplighter community, the Eastin Family Innovation Lab has received notable awards and recognition from prestigious architectural organizations and publications. This winter, Texas Architect magazine featured the Innovation Lab on the cover of its November/December 2020 issue which highlighted Lamplighter in its Pre-K-12 Schools Portfolio.

In addition, in early 2021, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dallas recognized the Eastin Family Innovation Lab as part of The Lamplighter School’s architectural landscape with an AIA Dallas Community Honor Award. This award is bestowed on persons, firms, corporations, or associations for meritorious work in their respective fields and that have contributed to the architectural and artistic quality of life in Dallas. Lamplighter was honored during a virtual “Celebrate Architecture” presentation among architects, officials, organizations, and professionals that continue our city’s tradition of design excellence.

CLASS OF 2021 Seniors love Lamplighter because...

Ariel Adashek

Benjamin Adashek

Juan Daniel Aguilar

Miles Aisner

Mia Alexander

Sasha Awad

“…it feels like a second home to me.”

“…you will always have someone to be your friend.”

“…the teachers are very nice and there are unique traditions.”

“…of the great friends you make and how nice the teachers are.”

“…I get to see my good friends.”

“…it’s creative.”

Brooke Backofen

Olivia Bechtold

Maxwell Bennett

Lola Bonfield

Lydia Bowen

Emerson Brown

“…I love how everyone is so kind.”

“…all of the faculty and staff are so warm and welcoming.”

“…there are fun traditions.”

“…it’s unique from other schools which makes it fun.”

“…everyone is friendly and nice.”

“…I love crew and working for Lamplighter Layers.”

Frances Cate

Blake Clark

Stella Deskins

Quinlan Dicker

Nick Eastin

Matthew Fay

“…I can be myself.”

“…we get to learn in a fun way.”

“…on my first day my teachers gave me hugs when I got out of the car.”

“…I learned a lot of stuff, and all the teachers are nice.”

“…it is fun and inviting.”

“…the teachers are not strict and they are inclusive.”

Jules Fine

Sierra Fisher

Jack Mason Giambrone

Piper Glowacki

Scarlett Harper

Katie Helfrich

“…you can always find friends really fast..”

“…everyone is included.”

“…I get to learn a lot and it’s a really good school.”

“…it is such a creative place.”

“…it is like a second home - when you walk in you feel loved by every person you walk past.”

“…I make so many good friends here.”

Annaliese Johnson

Sidney Johnson

Baer Kelly

William Kennedy

Bela Koganti

Sara Mamtani

“…the community is so loving and how many teachers there are.”

“…the teachers are very caring and they will always help you.”

“…it is always a warming community and a good learning environment.”

“…the teachers are nice.”

“…I’ve made so many amazing friends.”

“…everyone is kind to me.”

London McKnight

Xander McNeil

Olivia Medland

Pruitt Menter

Olive Montgomery

Eloise Morton

“…all the friends and activities.”

“…my teachers, my friends, and the animals.”

“…it is such a welcoming community.”

“…it is a safe place and everyone is very kind.”

“…there is so much to do around the campus.”

“…all of the loving teachers.”

Charlie Perez

Dorian Rawlings

Evie Rodakis

Milan Sahadevan

Isaiah Scott

Kysar Shalabi

“…the people are nice.”

“…it’s really just a great place to express creativity.”

“…I have so many friends here.”

“…it has so many helpful and kind students and teachers.”

“…everyone is so welcoming.”

Elliott Thomas

Blake Tierney

Vivian Trowbridge

Louis Turcotte

Lillian Wages

“…the people are nice.”

“…the teachers are nice and the playground is better than others.”

“…it has great teachers and it’s so friendly.”

“…I get to play basketball with all my friends.”

Liam Walkowiak

James Weselka

Hollis Wrighton

Evan Yoffee

“…it is welcoming and gets to your heart.”

“…it has great teachers, fun activities, and a good education.”

“…the teachers always are at the door to welcome you and give you a hug.”

“…I get to take care of the chickens.”

“…everyone in the community is very nice and caring.”

“…the teachers are very nice, and I love the playground.”

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LAMPLIGHTER LEGACY Celebrating our Multi-Generational Lamplighter Families

Since 1953,

The Lamplighter School has been a special place of learning and discovery for early childhood and elementary school students. Now that the School has completed its 68th year as an educational institution, our community has the privilege of welcoming our second (and sometimes third) generation of students. Many Lamplighter alumni choose to send their own children to Lamplighter to build upon their educational experiences and continue their legacy at the School.

As part of our annual Senior Salute, we celebrate our multigenerational families at the School. Three members of the Class of 2021 have a parent who also attended Lamplighter.

And although the world has changed since the 1980s and early 1990s, many of the traditions and unique campus features at Lamplighter remain the same. Lamplighter parents and alumni Steven Clark ’88, Nathan Dicker ’88, and Liz Cullum Helfrich ’90 reflect on their memories and what it’s like to observe the next generation of students.

LIZ CULLUM HELFRICH ’90 NATHAN DICKER ’88

STEVEN CLARK ’88

WITH BLAKE CLARK ’21 “I really loved watching Blake in the All School Program over the years.

Every time I sat in the well in the auditorium, I was reminded of all the times my parents watched me in the All School Program. Sometimes I used to look down where I was sitting and marvel that the essence of Lamplighter hadn’t really changed in 30 years. I sit watching my son sing and perform, a proud Dad sitting in the same spot that my parents once sat in as they looked upon me just as proud.”

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WITH QUINLAN DICKER ’21 “When I reflect upon my time at Lamplighter as a young boy, I recall it being this world of wonder and adventure for me. The outdoor grounds of Lamplighter provided a wonderful place to safely play and explore. My memories of my time there are some of the happiest moments of my childhood, be it interacting with the animals or riding tricycles with the other kids or playing in the little playhouses that used to surround the ring that goes around what is now the main play area of the playground. I am so thankful that my own son has been able to experience this unique and wonderful world and I know he will look back on his time here with the same fervor that I do. Thank you, Lamplighter and staff, for the place you have created. We will miss you!”

WITH KATIE HELFRICH ’21 “As a parent, I could not wait to send my girls to Lamplighter. The first day I drove the Ring Road, I got chills! I’m so happy Katie got to experience so many great Lamplighter traditions from when I was a student - Lamplighter Layers, Carnival, square dancing, playing on the playground hill, and doing Hootenanies in the big well.

Lamplighter is such a special place!”

SENIOR SALUTE CLASS of

2O21

fun facts

51 SENIORS HOOTENANNIES, CARNIVAL & LAMPLIGHTER LAYERS

SENIOR PARENT REFLECTION

by Roni Kelly and Daphna Yoffe

Our journey at Lamplighter began 10 years ago. We could have never anticipated the impact the School and the community would have on our families. Senior cousins Baer and Evan (along with their brothers Kessler and Asher) have attended Lamplighter together since Pre-K. Watching all four boys share their experiences of performing in the Kindergarten Square Dance, running through the playground tunnel, singing in the All School Program, and dressing up for Pioneer Day has been our family’s greatest joy. We have created and formed lasting memories together as mothers, sisters, boys, and families.

Lamplighter is special in more ways than we could have ever imagined. The wells and building’s architecture truly did make our small children feel big. Roaring fireplaces and Hootenannies developed a strong sense of community.

The seed of entrepreneurship was planted in Pre-K with the Farmer’s Market and culminated in the leadership and responsibility of the fourth grade’s Layers Corporation.

Even their interest in voting and advocacy began when they elected names for the barnyard animals and then finally had the chance to run for office themselves in fourth grade.

The fact that both boys are so different in personality and interests and yet they’ve grown and thrived in their own ways proves that Lamplighter cultivates an environment where individuality and creativity are celebrated and encouraged.

This chapter of early childhood learning flies by in an instant.

It seems like yesterday that our boys were feeding the chickens Cheerios, and now they are collecting and selling their eggs as part of the Lamplighter Layers.

The saying ‘it takes a village’ could not be truer of the Lamplighter community. Each teacher, faculty member, classmate, and family stood alongside us to celebrate happy milestones with enthusiasm and were also there to wrap their arms around our family during tragedy. During Baer’s most challenging times, arriving at school with his friends and teachers and cousins made him feel safe and loved. We will be forever grateful to the Lamplighter community for the grace, support, and warmth they shared with our entire family.

There are so many things we will miss about Lamplighter, especially the Hootenannies that left us teary-eyed every time we saw the entire school come together to sing “Lamplighter Spirit,” our picnics together on the lawn after the Halloween Parade, and representing Israel at International Night. Mostly though, we will miss sharing all these experiences together as sisters and cousins.

ARE THEIR THREE FAVORITE LAMPLIGHTER TRADITIONS

3

FAVORITE SUBJECTS

SPORT COURT SWINGS & SOCCER

MATH P.E. SCIENCE

ARE FAVORITES ON THE LAMPLIGHTER

PLAYGROUND

FAVORITE LUNCH ITEMS

C O O K I E S SANDWICHES CHIPS

SUSHI FAVORITE PLACES ON THE LAMPLIGHTER CAMPUS

6,735

EGGS COLLECTED THIS YEAR *as of April 30

Honoring LAMPLIGHTER SPIRIT The 2020-2021 Lamplighter Alumni Council is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Lamplighter Spirit Award Shonn Brown, Joe Eastin, and Sarah Weinberg The Lamplighter Spirit Award was established in 2003 on the occasion of the School’s 50th anniversary, and is presented annually by the Lamplighter Alumni Association. Candidates for the Lamplighter Spirit Award are nominated by members of the community and chosen on the basis of how closely they embody and reflect the characteristics of Lamplighter Spirit. Recipients are lifelong learners, are dedicated to supporting the School and its mission, and have made a lasting impact on generations of Lamplighter students.

SHONN BROWN

Shonn Brown has been a part of the Lamplighter community since 2006 as a parent, alumni parent, trustee, and volunteer. She served on the Board of Trustees from 2013-2019 following her contributions to the 2012-2017 Strategic Plan: Lighting Our Path.

Shonn was a member of the Governance Committee for all six years of her trustee service, and she also served two years on the Executive Committee.

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Shonn and her husband Clarence are the parents of three Lamplighter alumni: Evan Brown ’13, Ryan Brown ’16, and Lily Brown ’18. As a parent, Brown was active in the Lamplighter Parents’ Association (LPA) and served in leadership roles including Community Outreach Chair and New Families Chair.

Professionally, Brown is a seasoned litigation and trial attorney with more than 20 years of experience. She is currently Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Kimberly-Clark Corporation. She was recognized by D CEO as one of the top 500 business leaders in Dallas and by the Dallas Business Journal for both their Top Women in Business and Top Minorities in Business awards.

Lamplighter alumni parent and former Trustee Toby Purdy noted that she “exemplifies the spirit of Lamplighter in what she does in her everyday life, from her executive office at a Fortune

100 company to serving as Chair of The Texas Women’s Foundation, to working on that special art project with one of her three lovely children. Nothing can ever replace the impact Mrs. Brown has on her family, but a close second is her unwavering commitment to the Dallas community.” Purdy recalled how, after seven African-American teens, among them three Lamplighter alums, were inappropriately singled out at a local fast food restaurant, Shonn led the charge to bring awareness of the issue to the community, to organize a peaceful car rally in support of the boys, and to use her voice to secure a meeting with the restaurant executives about diversity and inclusion training. As Purdy noted, Brown’s “ability to bring like- and unlike-minded people together for the betterment of others is a ‘super power’ that she leverages when making Dallas a better place for all.”

SPIRITAWARD JOE EASTIN

this campaign resulted in the naming of the Eastin Family Innovation Lab. Presently, Joe and his wife Monica are the honorary chairs of the current Bright Future Campaign.

The Eastins have four children, including Lamplighter alumni Kate Eastin ’16 and Alex Eastin ’18, and current Lamplighter Senior Nick Eastin ’21.

Joe Eastin has been a part of the Lamplighter community since 2009 as a parent, alumni parent, trustee, and philanthropist. His service on the Board of Trustees began in 2014 and has included leadership as the Chair of the Advancement Committee, as well as membership on the Campaign and Construction Committees for the Igniting Young Minds Campaign. Joe and his family’s generous support of

SARAH WEINBERG

Sarah Weinberg has been a part of the Lamplighter community for 20 years as a parent, alumni parent, trustee, and volunteer. She served on the Lamplighter Board of Trustees for ten years from 2009-2019. Throughout her board service, she held many leadership roles, including officer positions as Board Chair, Board Vice Chair, and Treasurer, as well as Chair of the Executive, Finance, Investment, and Governance Committees.

Sarah is the parent of three Lamplighter alumni: Sloane Castleman ’08, Shea Castleman ’11, and John Weinberg ’17.

As a Lamplighter parent, Weinberg

In 2001, Eastin co-founded and has served as Chief Executive Officer of ISN, a global leader in contractor and supplier management. Joe currently serves on the Americas Board at his alma mater, the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as several boards at his undergraduate alma mater, Oklahoma State University, having established The Eastin ISN Center for Career Readiness there. He is an inductee into both the Oklahoma State Spears School of Business Hall of Fame and Oklahoma State University Hall of Fame.

“Mr. Eastin embodies Lamplighter Spirit in his deep care for the academic program,” remarked Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School.

“His family has been associated with Lamplighter for 12 years. During the admission season, Mr. Eastin is consistently on the lookout for good candidates to attend Lamplighter. He refers many friends and associates to the Director of Admission whom he believes are a good fit for our community.” Noting that the School is currently working on ways to partner with MIT, Dr. Hill added that “Mr. Eastin has been central as the School seeks new partnerships.”

was active in the LPA, serving on the Annual Fund Committee for six years and as Luminary Society Chair.

Weinberg was also part of the Head of School Search Committee in 2009-2010 which brought Dr. Hill to Lamplighter.

former Trustee, agreed, stating that “During her tenure, the School enjoyed stability and prosperity and helped integrate the Eastin Family Innovation Lab into the Lamplighter curriculum and community.”

Professionally, Weinberg has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Most recently, she served as Chief Strategy Officer for United to Learn, a long-term partner organization of Lamplighter.

Jennifer Karol, a former Trustee who was honored with the Lamplighter Spirit Award in 2020, praised Weinberg’s willingness to serve on any and every Committee in order to learn new things and take on new challenges.

“Sarah created and implemented the Investment Committee. She was instrumental in both Strategic Plans which helped move Lamplighter forward in STEM curriculum that was crucial to our school’s relevance in the Dallas Community, and also maintaining its leadership within the NAIS Community. Her leadership skills were outstanding and inclusive, and she remains held in the highest regard by her peers. Sarah has given almost 20 years of devotion and commitment to keep Lamplighter’s mission strong for years to come.”

2019 Lamplighter Spirit Award recipient and former Trustee Catherine M. Rose said that “Sarah embodies Lamplighter’s commitment to experiential, lifelong learning. When she served the school as a Trustee, Board Chair, and just as a parent, she was committed fully to its mission and always put the students first with love and conviction. Her commitment to the fiscal health of the school is underappreciated. Her skillset and expertise in financial planning have put Lamplighter on strong footing, even during tough times.” Alex Sharma, another Spirit Award recipient and

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FROM OLD FRIENDS

Annual Alumni Days Welcomes Six Former Students Back to Lamplighter

Lamplighter’s annual Alumni Days offer the chance for our students to connect with Lamplighter alumni and learn about their unique career paths, hobbies and interests, or to hear stories of what Lamplighter was like many years ago.

The School continued this annual tradition during the 20202021 school year, but introduced the virtual format in order to expand involvement to alumni across the nation and to maintain the School’s health and safety protocols. Through the virtual format used in most visits, students had the opportunity to learn from six former Lamplighter students from four different decades, living across the nation.

This year’s series of alumni visits kicked off with a fan favorite, Dr. Matt Miller ’88 and his signature presentation about being a veterinarian. In addition to serving as the 2020-2021 Alumni Council President, Miller generously offers his time each year to share his career as a veterinarian with our students. Our first-grade students were the lucky participants in this fun, interactive presentation about what it takes to become a vet and what this career path often entails. Miller shared the extensive schooling required to become a vet and talked about the type of work that he does today, including his work with cats, dogs, and guinea pigs. The highlights of the visit included his X-ray shots of objects inside animals’ bodies, as well as the extensive Q&A session that our students love to engage in about the world of veterinary science. It wouldn’t be surprising if more than one first grader went home that day dreaming of being a veterinarian like Dr. Miller!

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Next up was Kathryn Nelson ’93, an interior designer and current Alumni Council member, who returned to Lamplighter virtually this year as part of Alumni Days. Nelson visited a Kindergarten classroom and read two books about dinosaurs to the class to tie in with their studies of dinosaurs and learning the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. Nelson also shared memories of her time as a Lamplighter student including her work as Secretary of the Lamplighter Layers Corporation during fourth grade. She recalled using a Polaroid camera to take pictures of students with chickens to document her class’s work. Nelson also reminisced about playing the ukulele, participating in Hootenannies, and her favorite class at Lamplighter, Life Science, which she described as teaching “so many important things to know as a grown up” — including how to check the oil in a car!

Alumni Days continued with virtual visits from two young alumni from the Class of 2012, Campbell Crates ’12 and Kirsten Kirk ’12, both of whom have a passion for singing. These Lamplighter alums joined students in the Klyde Warren Auditorium via Zoom and shared updates about their career pursuits in both singing and in education. Crates is currently a singer, songwriter, and actress who started producing music at age 12. She began her presentation by singing an original song titled “Ghost Town,” noting that the Lamplighter students were among some of the first people to hear the song as it was only written one month prior! Crates then led the students in a songwriting exercise involving rhyming and creative word choice. She also recalled how she got her start in music and how Lamplighter helped spark her creative juices to become a musician. Crates referenced the beloved Hootenannies as well as the tremendous support and inspiration from her Lamplighter teachers which helped set her on a path to building a career in the field of music and performing.

Kirk’s visit with students highlighted both her singing career as well as her current endeavor in education. Following high school graduation, she decided to participate in City Year, a program sponsored by AmeriCorps that offers young adults the chance to devote a year to full-time community service. During this one-year assignment, Kirk is serving as an Assistant Teacher in third grade for a Dallas ISD school. She noted that most of her students do not speak English,

ALUMNINOW

so she is drawing upon her studies of Spanish which began at Lamplighter.

Kirk is also a professional singer who performs at restaurants, cafes, and weddings. She has participated in several musicals through the years and is now writing her own songs. During the visit, Kirk took the students on a virtual tour of her home studio, displaying her extensive home equipment that she uses to make music. Her visit with the students concluded with a very special performance of the iconic school song, “Lamplighter Spirit,” which was an incredibly moving experience for our students, faculty, and staff. The audience was so impressed! As Kirk parted ways with the students, she mentioned that some day she would like to teach fourth grade at Lamplighter after working on her singing career!

Through the Alumni Days virtual visits, Lamplighter was also able to welcome Katie Payne ’06 from Washington, DC to our Klyde Warren Auditorium. Payne is currently working as a scheduler for U.S. Representative Colin Allred, whose district includes the area of Dallas where The Lamplighter School is located. In her presentation to fourth-grade students, Payne described her job by relating it to several core values that she learned at Lamplighter including: collaboration, confidence in problem solving, curiosity, and community. In describing her job and its requirements, she related her Lamplighter experiences, such as Lamplighter Layers, working together in the classroom wells, project-based learning combining all subjects, and

“Be really open-minded and be flexible with all opportunities that come your way.” helping the community through outreach efforts and partnerships with non-profit organizations. Payne also reflected on her favorite Lamplighter memory – the Senior Opera – as well as her early interest in government and politics, noting that she chose to study former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for biography assignments in school. She left students with the following words of advice: “Be really open-minded and be flexible with all opportunities that come your way.”

Alumni Days concluded this year with an outdoor, in-person visit for first graders with Lamplighter alumna and staff member Taylor Cornell Good ’92.

Good currently serves as the Parent Relations Coordinator for the School, and, outside of work, pursues her passion for animals. Her presentation began with an explanation of her work at the School partnering with parent volunteers to bring special programs and events, like the Carnival and Auction, to the Lamplighter community. Her visit with first graders included a guest appearance by “Wilder” the duck, one of Good’s many pets on her mini urban farm that includes dozens of chickens, pullets and baby chicks, four ducks, a cat, and 10 fancy goldfish.

First grade students enthusiastically observed “Wilder” on a picnic blanket while Good shared a variety of fun facts about ducks including that they sleep with one eye open, that they can turn off one side of their brain at a time, and that they love to put their food in water. She also shared the types of foods that ducks enjoy such as kale, strawberries, baby tomatoes, swiss chard, mango, and green beans. Good attributes her passion for animals in part to her early experiences at Lamplighter with its on-campus farm animals. She shared that she hopes the students will find something they are passionate about and will keep reading and learning all about this topic. She concluded her visit by saying, “I hope you always love learning… that is what life is all about!”

“I hope you always love learning...that is what life is all about!”

Though the talks were varied, one constant in our past graduates’ visits was connecting their current positions with their formative experiences at Lamplighter. Whether talking about the barn animals, Spanish, the arts, or the School’s core values, the visitors stressed that Lamplighter’s programs helped serve as the foundation of their professional goals. This year’s Alumni Days therefore showed our current students not only the day-to-day details of several professions, but how what they learn today can shape their future.

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Graduates on the go 1967

Risa Weinberger ’67 is an environmental engineer and has a small engineering consulting firm in Dallas, specializing in solid waste management, particularly organic waste and composting. This is her 42nd year in this field! Risa also has two grown children. When not working as an engineering consultant, Risa stays busy taking care of her historic home, built in 1915. “There is always SOMETHING to do, so it has become quite a hobby,” shares Risa. She can still name all of her classmates from her fourth-grade class taught by a very young Miss Moazzami (Ms. Sheila McCartor). She has great memories from her years on the Churchill Way campus.

1977

Robert Brooker ’77 recently published his first book which he co-translated from Hungarian. The book was a Hungarian bestseller in the 1920s and 1930s about the interpretation of dreams. More information can be found at https://www.bossbooks.com/ dreams.html.

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Robert donated The Robert E. Brooker III Collection of American Legal and Land Use Documents, 1713-1945 to the Boston College Law School. It has recently been digitized and is searchable. The collection allows us to witness legal history in action. Robert is Chair of WIN-911, the most widely used alarm notification platform which protects 17,000 facilities in 70 countries on six continents, ranging from water treatment plants to food process facilities.

1980

Mandy Ginsberg ’80 was recently the keynote speaker at the 2021 US India Chamber of Commerce (USICOC) Annual Women’s Conference. Mandy is the former CEO of match.com and is currently on the Board of Directors of thredUP, an online consignment retailer whose mission is to inspire a new generation of consumers and brands to think secondhand first. Mandy and her family reside in Dallas.

1989

1993

Margaret Johansen Hirsch ’89 was interviewed in mysweetcharity.com about her volunteer work with United to Learn. She named several of her most impactful teachers, including Lamplighter’s Ms. Castle in Kindergarten and Ms. Leventhal in fourth grade.

These teachers taught her to find joy in learning. United to Learn addresses opportunity gaps with research-driven, district-aligned programming across 47 Dallas ISD elementary schools. Together with fellow Lamplighter alumna Flauren Fagadau Bender ’90, Margaret serves as a partner school liaison for Withers Elementary through her work with United to Learn.

Merritt Denton Russ ’93 and her husband Taylor welcomed their third child, Ann “Annie” Russ on November 16, 2020. Annie joins big sister Caroline and big brother Jack.

1990

Sean Leatherbury ’94 and his husband of seven years, Stephen Welsh, just marked their first year in Dublin, Ireland. Sean is a professor at University College of Dublin teaching (virtual) classes on Byzantine and Late Roman art while trying to finish a second book on Syrian art and mosaics.

Sean credits his love of art to his days at Lamplighter.

He majored in Art History at Yale, and graduated in 2009 with honors. Sean attended Oxford University, focusing on Byzantine Art History and mosaics, earning both his Master’s and his Doctorate.

His doctorate thesis became the basis for his first book, Inscribing Faith in Late Antiquity, published in 2019.

Jason Thumlert ’90 is a real estate developer and principal at Endeavor Real Estate Group in Austin. He is married to Lindley Bain of Dallas who is a family law attorney at GoransonBain Ausley. They have two children, Willa (5) and Bain (3).

1994

ALUMNINOW

1995

Jane Rozelle Humphrey ’95

and husband Matt happily announce the arrival of their first daughter, Rosie Ruth Humphrey. Rosie is happy, healthy, and already filled with Lamplighter Spirit! Her parents are over the moon with joy. Jane is the Editor-in-Chief at Modern Luxury magazine.

2009

Jared Steinhart ’09 had the honor of serving as one of three student speakers at the commencement for the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan. After graduation, Jared will live in Los Angeles and will work in product marketing for Red Bull.

1999

Taylor Gromatzky Somerford ’99

and her husband Brian welcomed their first child, Steven James Somerford, on November 12, 2020. Taylor is a realtor with Dave Perry-Miller as part of the Gromatzky Group. Taylor and her family live in Dallas.

Benjamin Stromberg ’09 is in his last semester at Texas A&M where he is a platoon leader in the Corps of Cadets and the commander of the Corps Golf Team. After graduation in June, he will start work in Dallas with AON doing commercial risk management. During the pandemic, Benjamin founded his own company, GolfRoots LLC, whose mission is to eliminate barriers to entry into golf by selling affordable used sets to novices, young professionals, deal-hunters, and everyone in between. In addition, GolfRoots connects novices with teachers and instructors, and offers resources to learn while providing guides on the best places to play for the right cost.

2012

Campbell Crates ’12 recorded her first studio album which was released in March. In addition, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, she has released five singles and has received 150,000 streams on Spotify for her song “All Year Baby.” Campbell is currently preparing to start filming a pilot for a new TV show in which she plays the younger version of one of the main characters. She will also write the score and theme song for the show. Campbell will also be staring in an upcoming podcast thriller where she will be co-writing the score with her producer Scott Byrne. Recently she filmed a music video for “Edge of the World,” one of the songs off her upcoming album, Age of Exploration.

2013

Lamplighter Class of 2013 students who are now high school seniors – Clockwise from bottom left: Lydia Williams ’13, McMillian High School; Jared Shaw ’13, Shelton School; M.J. Ward ’13, Greenhill School; Evan Brown ’13, Parish Episcopal School; Zöe Purdy ’13, Greenhill School; and Jillian Martin ’13, The Hockaday School.

Dulany Bloom ’13, a senior at Greenhill School, had her work on display at the Third Annual Dallas Young Artists Exhibition held at Blue Print Gallery in Dallas.

Charlotte Brown ’13, a junior at Greenhill School, was honored at the 2020 International Student Competition, which is hosted by the Texas Photographic Society, one of the largest photographic societies in the world. Charlotte placed second in the People/ Portraits category.

Evan Brown ’13, a senior at Parish Episcopal School, was recently honored with the Gloria H. Snyder award for outstanding service. This award is given to a student at Parish who demonstrates significant participation in the life of the School and outstanding special service to the School and the community at large. Evan was also selected to deliver the Senior Address at Parish’s Senior Dinner with parents and graduates.

Audrey Goff ’13 is a senior at Richardson High School. She will be attending The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Radio, Film, and Technology.

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Anagha Gouru ’13, a senior at Greenhill School, earned second chair French horn on the Texas Music Educators Association/ Association of Texas Small School Bands (TMEA/ATSSB) 3A All-State Band. Anagha is twotime award winner.

Jillian Martin ’13, a senior at The Hockaday School, was awarded The Civics Unplugged Fellowship which is a four-month civic leadership program that empowers high school students with the tools, training, and community to build the future of democracy.

2017

Nicholas Dickason ’17 and Amar Kakkar ’17, both eighth graders at St. Mark’s School of Texas, competed in the virtual Caledonia Classic Certamen.

Both boys are members of the Middle School Latin team that won three straight contests, advancing to the finals where they handily defeated teams from Klein Collins and St. Andrews.

2018

2014

Timmy Nadolsky ’14, a junior at Greenhill School, earned first chair bass clarinet on the Texas Music Educators Association/ Association of Texas Small School Bands (TMEA/ATSSB) 3A All-State Band.

2015

Ross Cunningham ’15, a sophomore at St. Mark’s School of Texas, earned a spot in the Texas Private School Music Educator Association’s (TPSMEA) 2021 All-State Choir.

Rivers Glover ’15 is a sophomore at Parish Episcopal School. She was recently inducted into the National Latin Honor Society and received a Silver Medal and maxima cum laude rating on the National Latin Exam. For the last two years, Rivers has been a member of the Parish Mars Rover team. In April, they were thrilled to win 1st place in the high school division of NASA’s annual human powered rover competition, with over 100 teams participating worldwide!

Akash Raghunathan ’15, a sophomore at St. Mark’s School of Texas, earned a spot in the Texas Private School Music Educator Association’s (TPSMEA) 2021 All-State Orchestra. Akash plays the violin.

Solar-powered birdbath donated by Girl Scout Troop #4536 now sits on the west side of the Eastin Family Innovation Lab.

Savannah Johnson ‘18, currently in 7th grade at Parish Episcopal School, was selected to play on the Solar ECNL U13 soccer team for the 2020-21 season. Her team is ranked in the top 10 in the country.

ALUMNI SPIRIT

YOUR ENGAGEMENT COUNTS!

GO!

GIVE!

LEAD!

SEND AN EMAIL TO ADVANCEMENT at advancement@thelamplighterschool.org Zettie Niven ’18 is a seventh grader at Parish Episcopal School and Alexis Pabst ’18 is a seventh grader at Alcuin School.

Evans Senvalds ’18, a seventh grader at Greenhill School, was a member of the Greenhill “A” Team that won the 2020 Big Tex Quiz Bowl Virtual Tournament.

by October 1, 2021 to submit entries for the Alumni Now section of the Fall 2021 LampPost.

Parents: If this issue is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent residence in your home, please email the correct address to advancement@thelamplighterschool.org

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A GIFT FROM GIRL SCOUT TROOP #4536 New Birdbath Adorns Campus and Allows More Birdwatching Thanks to the generosity of a local Girl Scout troop, The Lamplighter School campus now includes a stunning new feature — a 21” diameter solar-powered birdbath. The birdbath was donated by Girl Scout Troop #4536 and installed on campus this spring. It sits on the west side of the Eastin Family Innovation Lab near the Ananya ’16 and Aashna ’19 Jain Teaching Porch.

When the pandemic swept the globe last spring, Girl Scout Troop #4536, comprised of mostly current Lamplighter fourth graders, had to cancel their spring campout. Now left with funds generated from cookie sales during early 2020, the troop had to decide how to reallocate the money. Girl Scout Troop Leader Liz Cullum Helfrich ’90 notes that “a huge part of our focus as a troop is on volunteering and philanthropy.” With this as their guiding principle, the troop came together (virtually) and voted to use their cookie money to help animals. Because the Girl Scouts organization prefers that the girls do something that makes a “permanent” change, the troop considered ideas that would make a long-term impact. The idea of donating a birdbath to Lamplighter was selected because it could last for many years versus donating bird seed or something that would be used up quickly.

so no wiring is required. This generous gift is particularly appreciated by Lamplighter Environmental Science Teacher Linda Cauley, who shares that she “had been wanting another birdbath on campus where the children could see it in the prairie area.” Cauley notes that since “birds are attracted to moving water,” the solar-powered fountain will help create a new bird-watching area on campus. Until recently, the School had only one birdbath on campus near the bird observation area, which is located across the Murray Swain Ring Road. And while significant to the environmental science curriculum, the original birdbath was not easily accessible by students. The new birdbath donated by the Girl Scout troop was placed in an area which will get a lot of sun to power the pump, and will be more visible to students working in and around the Innovation Lab or wandering through the prairie.

Lamplighter extends its gratitude to Girl Scout Troop #4536 for their generous and thoughtful gift to the School. Not only will it enhance the science curriculum for our students, but it will also be enjoyed by many students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors for many years to come!

After some initial research, the troop selected a two-tiered solar-powered birdbath with decorative turtles to donate to the School. The water in the bird birdbath recirculates via a small pump discretely placed under the solar panel, LAMPPOST

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IN MEMORIAM

Margaret Jonsson Rogers January 25, 2021 LaJean Jenkins Mother of alumna and former staff member Hilary Jenkins ’78 January 2, 2021 Brett A. Kirstein Father of Graham Kirstein ’08 and Duncan Kirstein ’11 March 10, 2021 Omar Nawaz Husband of Lamplighter parent Stephanie Nawaz; father of Kamran Nawaz ’22 and Micah Nawaz ’25 March 21, 2021 Gene Autrey Niven Father of alumni parent Norry Niven; grandfather of McLain Niven ’15 and Zettie Niven ’18 January 16, 2021 Barbara Lynn Benjamin Rabin Mother of former Trustee and alumni parent Andy Rabin; grandmother of Reece Rabin ’10, Alex Rabin ’12, and Cooper Rabin ’16 November 24, 2020 Barbara Wood Scott ’76 Lamplighter alumna; sister of David Wood ’74 December 13, 2020 Dorys S. Sussman Mother of Lamplighter Trustee and alumni parent Bobby Sussman and alumni parent Ronnie Sussman; grandmother of Layton Sussman ’08, Samuel Sussman ’10, Evan Sussman ’13, and Reed Sussman ’16 December 30, 2020

Margaret Ellen Jonsson Rogers was born in Dallas, Texas, on August 7, 1938, to John Erik Jonsson and Margaret Fonde Jonsson. Growing up, Margaret developed a talent for drawing. Later, her experienced artist’s eye led her to curate her own collection of fine art. She was also a skilled ice skater, training with Olympic coaches in Colorado. Some of her other hobbies included tennis, gardening, cooking, and reading. After graduating from The Hockaday School, she attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Throughout her full life, Rogers’ priority was always her children and grandchildren who felt her love, cherished her creative spirit, and followed her playful lead.

Margaret Jonsson Rogers and her father, former Mayor of Dallas J. Erik Jonsson, were instrumental in working with The Lamplighter School’s founders, Natalie Murray and Sandy Swain, to build the School’s current campus on Inwood Road. Rogers was a founding member of The Lamplighter School Board of Trustees in the late 1960s and served as Board Chair from 1986-1988. She was named a Life Trustee in 2003.

Her family’s extraordinary generosity to The Lamplighter School provided the funding for two lasting institutions. One is the Erik Jonsson Media Center, which opened in 1988, and has become an iconic part of the Lamplighter campus. In addition, The Margaret Jonsson Family Foundation Endowed Fund, established in 2007, provides essential support to supplement resources available to the School. This fund continues to provide essential partnerships and special programming for generations of Lamplighter students. Her family also named the Jonsson Garden which sits on the interior of the Lamplighter campus.

Rogers was the proud parent of three Lamplighter alumni: former Trustee Laura Charlton Cole ’71, Emily Charlton Corrigan ’73, and Erik Charlton ’77. Her son-in-law David Corrigan ’68 is also a Lamplighter alumnus, past Board Chair, and Life Trustee. In addition, Mrs. Rogers was the grandparent of seven Lamplighter alumni: Margaret Corrigan ’01, Allen Corrigan ’03, Kelly Cole ’03, Harris Corrigan ’06, Anna Cole ’07, James Rogers ’11, and Robert Rogers ’14.

In addition to serving The Lamplighter School as Board Chair and Life Trustee, Rogers was a founding board member of The Episcopal School of Dallas and was the first woman to serve on a national U.S. bank board.

She was also a board member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the National Gallery of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, and The Dallas Foundation.

She supported several organizations dedicated to improving the health of the community, including UCLA Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical School, and Charlton Methodist Hospital.

Margaret Rogers leaves an incredible and lasting legacy to The Lamplighter School through her service, philanthropy, and extensive family of Lamplighter alumni. Her leadership and devotion to our beloved School is a wonderful example of the Lamplighter spirit. Her kindness, responsibility, sense of community, and vision will be deeply missed.

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UNWAVERING COMMITMENT

TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

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