The Marker 2022 by Mark Day School

THE

MARKER

THE MARK DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

SPRING 2022

OUR MISSION Mark Day School discovers and nurtures what is finest in each child in a vibrant, inclusive learning community. Innovative and full of heart, Mark Day School strives to develop well-rounded critical thinkers in a challenging program that fosters academic excellence and responsible world citizenship.

LETTER FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL JOE HARVEY In Keep Going, Austin Kleon writes, “Forget the noun, do the verb.” He emphasizes doing art over being an artist and writing over being a writer. In a blog post from 2018, he explores the deep historical roots of that idea, quoting from, among others, Stephen Fry and R. Buckminster Fuller. From Fry, “We are not nouns, we are verbs. I am not a thing—an actor, a writer—I am a person who does things—I write, I act—and I never know what I am going to do next. I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun.” And from Fuller, “I live on earth at present, and I don’t know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing—a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process—an integral function of the universe.” This focus on verbs unites our work at Mark Day School. In many ways it serves as a through line for much of our school’s history; it lives each day via our pursuit of thoughtful innovation—something that has been a centerpiece of the very successful CAIS re-accreditation process of the past 18 months, of our engagement as a whole community in the school’s strategic planning effort, and in continuing to advance mis-

sion-driven, research-backed learning for students and professional teachers alike. I love that our mission statement is full of action verbs. It leads, most powerfully, with “discovers” and “nurtures,” two actions that reflect the work we do with students, the work we do as teachers, and the work that students themselves are challenged to do each day. There is an integrity, or wholeness, in the way that the mission statement matches up with the most important work we do as a school. The mission statement makes it clear that the object of that discovering and nurturing is already inside our students, and that our work together is to increasingly bring those inherent qualities to light, and to build out from there. The mission insists on another critically important piece of the school, and the setting for that good work: “a vibrant and inclusive learning community.” We do not cite Scott Page’s work in the mission statement, but we well could: we know, and Page’s research—among many others—affirms, that diversity and inclusion are prerequisites for excellence, that those conditions add immensely to every person’s experience, to the development of critical

thinking and perspective taking and creativity, just to name several. Another piece of research that echoes Kleon’s insistence on verbs, not nouns, comes from Dr. Carol Dweck and her team, and the research they developed on the power of a growth mindset. At its core, a growth mindset (as opposed to a fixed mindset) is a belief and an understanding that the brain is malleable, and that we can improve. In that context, mistakes are expected, and actually necessary, waypoints on the way to improvement. Taking risks becomes easier because one’s actions do not determine what kind of noun one might be; instead of thinking, “I am good at math,” consider, “I enjoy math.” The latter frees us up to enjoy getting stuck! It enables us to enjoy tougher problems, ones where we get to return multiple times, sometimes after sleeping on them, to discover what might become visible that was not before.

Austin Kleon cites one more writer in his exploration of verbs vs. nouns, one that fits the Mark Day approach as well as any other. In All About Love, bell hooks writes, “The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet all the more astute theorists of love acknowledge that we would all love better if we used it as a verb.” What underpins so much of what we do together as families and a school, focused on children, is love. Look through that lens to understand the pillars of character, the mission-based belief that our job as educators is to “discover and nurture” what is inside each young person and to build from there, the reciprocal nature of our local and global partnerships, and much more. Forget the noun; do the verb!

Joe Harvey Head of School

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There T here is an integrity, or wholeness, in the way that the mission statement matches up with the most important work we do as a school.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 07 09 11 13 17 21 33 39 51 57 59 65 67

News & Highlights Retirements Teacher Feature: Geneva Conway Planning for the Future of Mark Day Returning to the Outdoors “We Are All Artists” Making Connections There’s No Place Like Home Upper Division Lits Block Learning That Makes Sense Backstage Pass Where Are They Now? Alumni News High School & College Matriculation

EDITORIAL & DESIGN Sophie Shulman’02 / Director of Communications PHOTOGRAPHY Cali Godley / Photographer + Sophie Shulman / Director of Communications ALUMNI NEWS Christine Maguire / Associate Director of Development PRINTING Chromagraphics / chromaprints.com

NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS 2021-22

SCHOOL SPORTS RESUME!

Since school closed for distance learning in March 2020, school sports have been under strict guidance by Public Health. Beginning this fall, sports at Mark Day resumed, adhering to the proper health and safety protocols. In the fall, we cheered on cross country, volleyball, and flag football. In the winter, we welcomed basketball games. And in the spring, students participated in golf and track and field. We are so excited to re-introduce our school sports!

RUNNING FOR FUN—AND A GOOD CAUSE

This year, our community came together for the 17th annual Fun Run, a multi-course race for a good cause. The event raised about $17,000 for eSibonisweni’s Girls’ Scholarship Program. Thanks for all who came out, dressed up, ran, and supported this important program at our partner school in South Africa. 2

OUR SKYLION GETS ITS WINGS

Why doesn’t our skylion, the school mascot, have wings? It’s a question that led 5th graders Cici, Lucy, and Charlotte to embark on a project with 7th grade science teacher Christine Metzger to resolve the conundrum. As a knitter since a young age, Ms. Metzger was on board. “When we first met, they showed me what they had been working on,” she says. “I suggested that making the wings out of fabric would be sturdier. We decided that we would have a standing meeting on Fridays at lunch so we could work on the wings.” After making a few drafts of the pattern on butcher paper and settling on a design, they selected a fabric in school colors, blue and gold. They also brainstormed the attachment so the wings could be easily taken on and off. Thank you, Cici, Lucy, Charlotte and Ms. Metzger for giving our skylion wings! 3

FIRST IN-PERSON ASSEMBLY IN ALMOST 19 MONTHS

On Tuesday, October 18, our whole community gathered for the first in-person assembly in a year and a half! For many new students, even those who joined Mark Day last school year, it was their first in-person assembly ever. We celebrated with some announcements and a joke assembly. It was so great to come back together in our amphitheater as a community! 4

K-8 BUDDIES BACK TOGETHER

Kindergartners and 8th graders were excited to come together in person this year. With strict health and safety protocols in place during the 2020-21 school year, K-8 buddies were only able to get to know each other virtually via Zoom. But this year, starting with the picnic prior to the start of school, students have been getting together regularly to read books, participate in activities, play, and deepen their relationships.

SPRING FUNDRAISER

This year, we were thrilled to gather in person for the Spring Fundraiser, “Happy Together,” at HopMonk Tavern in Novato on March 26th—the first in-person fundraiser since 2019. More than 300 parents, guardians, faculty, and staff attended the “come as you are” party that was free to

attend, thanks to our generous sponsors. We net more than $280,000 through sponsorships, the online and live auctions, and the Fund-a-Need (which grossed $138,000). Thank you to all who attended, donated, and volunteered!

RETIRING FROM MARK DAY SCHOOL Norm Lyons has been teaching at Mark Day for the past 20 years. He loves mathematics, and that has come through so clearly in his work with Mark Day students. In addition to teaching algebra and enriched algebra to 7th and 8th graders, Norm has also led the Mathletes, collaborated with teachers of younger students to bring new math challenges to their classrooms, accompanied 7th graders to Yosemite on outdoor ed, held the role of Admission Director for one year, coached basketball, and emceed the popular Faculty/Staff Fun Fest in support of eSibonisweni and Kliptown Youth Program. His students, whether from this year or from more than a decade ago, talk about the impact of Mr. Lyons’ teaching—particularly what they learned in striving to meet his high standards. Beyond mathematics, Mr. Lyons simply loves to learn. He has been a strong proponent of Mark Day’s global partnerships, including in particular our partnerships with eSibonisweni and KYP in South Africa. Tori Truss has been an outstanding drama teacher and director for our co-curricular theater program over her 11 years at Mark Day, directing 16 productions over that span! Through lines for Ms. Truss’s run at Mark Day have been creativity, a wonderful sense of humor, her commitment to inclusion, equity, and justice, and, most of all, empathy. For Ms. Truss, drama class and the co-curricular productions have been arenas to advance empathy; she is tireless in encouraging students truly to listen to one another, to try on a new perspective, to ask for what they need, to be ready to say “yes” and to support one another. After a 40-year teaching career (32 years of which were spent at Mark Day), 4th grade teacher Donna Young will take her teaching in a new direction at the end of this school year, branching out on her own as “a learning coach working with individual students, helping them learn how to learn and better utilize their executive functioning skills.” In the classroom, Donna beautifully combines high standards and whole hearted support for each child. She has been a strong supporter of Mark Day’s global partnerships and helps to bring the mission goal of “responsible world citizenship” to life in other ways with the 4th graders as well, leading 4th grade Adopt-a-Family and the KIVA project that generates micro-loans to support entrepreneurship particularly among women around the world. 7

TEACHER FEATURE

GENEVA CONWAY

1ST GRADE TEACHER In her 37th year at Mark Day School, 1st grade teacher Geneva Conway is a beloved member of our community. She’s held many different positions at Mark Day, and loves her students dearly. How long have you been working at Mark Day School?

What is your favorite part about teaching 1st graders?

This is my 37th year teaching at Mark Day School. I started in September 1985.

The “Ah, ha!” moments as these learners begin to discover their skills and apply them. I’m excited by their sense of wide-eyed wonder and curiosity, followed by the squeals of joy when they make a discovery.

What are the different positions you’ve held at Mark Day since you started? I taught 3rd grade for 17 years, and I was simultaneously the Division Coordinator for Lower School for 10 of those years. I was also Acting Head of Lower School for one year. Currently, I am in my 19th year of teaching 1st grade. What’s kept you at Mark Day for so many years? One of the many reasons I have been committed to Mark Day School for so many years is the strong sense of community and belonging that is truly “full of heart.” I have developed lasting friendships and strong partnerships with my colleagues and my students’ families, and a sense of fun and joy permeates the campus! Another reason is the incredible opportunities for professional growth that I have engaged in over the years, locally and nationally, which have kept me current with educational research and curriculum and have supported my strong desire to improve and enrich my curriculum. As I often say, “I don’t go to work, I go to school!” I am always learning right alongside my students!

What is your favorite 1st grade project, lesson, unit, or activity? If I must choose just one, I would choose our immigration unit, “Coming to America.” As we focus as a school on diversity and inclusion, this unit is designed to help students learn about the history of immigration in America, which in turn may help them to understand current and future immigration issues. As the students engage in activities that encourage them to share their heritage, they learn about and begin to appreciate the differences and similarities among us. What is something the Mark Day community might not know about you? I am the granddaughter of one of the founders of San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf. What are your favorite things to do outside of school? My favorite thing to do is simply hang out with family and friends! I also enjoy taking nature walks, playing cards and board games, reading historical fiction, and walking on the beach. 10

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF MARK DAY Engaging in the California Association of Independent Schools’ Self-Study Process Mark Day School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). As part of CAIS accreditation, the school engages in a rigorous self-study to review and clarify our purpose and goals every seven years, followed by a visit from a team sent by CAIS to see the school in action. One of the hallmarks of Mark Day School is thoughtful innovation, the constant commitment to research, reflection, evaluation, and improvement. As a member of the California Association of Independent Schools, we are required to engage in a rigorous accreditation process every seven years. The process begins with a thorough self-study of every aspect of the school--our mission, the educational program, the student learning experience, faculty and pedagogy, climate and community, operations, administration, governance, and more. Another important section is called “Self-Assessment, Decision Making, and Change,” a category that CAIS uses to evaluate how well a school understands its own strengths and areas for growth, makes decisions based on a variety of data, and adapts and evolves. It is an area that is a meaningful focus, always, at Mark Day, and one of the school’s strengths. We actually began the CAIS self-study process in March 2020, one week prior to closing campus for distance learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, faculty were simultane11

ously meeting in focus groups to discuss their assigned questions for the self-study while also learning how to use Zoom and other technology tools that would become critical for the months that followed. When we transitioned to distance learning, we paused our work on the CAIS self-study to focus on continuing to uphold our mission from a distance, and then during hybrid in-person learning. In 2020 CAIS paused accreditation activity for one year to give all CAIS schools the ability to focus on teaching and learning in the pandemic. When we revisited our work in spring 2021, our initial co-chairs, Assistant Head and Director of Educational Design and Innovation Bonnie Nishihara and Head of Grades K-4 Thad Reichley, needed to focus their time and energy on our curricular program and two new co-chairs took the helm: Fernanda Pernambuco, Director of Partnerships, Equity, and Inclusion, and Suzanne Alpert, 8th grade science teacher. At Mark Day, collective work such as the CAIS self-study is process-oriented and involves voices from all different constituencies in our community. Faculty were heavily involved in the exploration phase of our self-study and had multiple opportunities to lend their thoughts and perspectives to the responses. We also held open forums for parents and guardians to provide input on some of the questions, and faculty gathered perspectives from students as well. All of these contributions were incorporated into the final written self-study.

In early Fall 2021, a steering committee was formed to ensure the self-study was accurate and captured the details as well as the big picture, and to finish the final draft of the self-study, 122 pages in all. Led by Ms. Pernambuco and Ms. Alpert, the committee included faculty members Christine Metzger (7th/8th grade science teacher), Karen Klier (art teacher), and Silvia Buckley (Spanish teacher and faculty representative to the Board) and administrators Joe Harvey (Head of School), Bonnie Nishihara (Assistant Head and Director of Educational Design and Innovation), Dave Hickman (Head of Grades 5-8), Thad Reichley (Head of Grades K-4), Wendy Levine (Director of Development), and Sophie Shulman (Director of Communications). A final full faculty/staff meeting was dedicated to looking at the self-study as a whole group and providing any remaining comments.

Head of School Joe Harvey gets to know new students during lunch on the quad.

The process culminated with welcoming a Visiting Committee of administrators from CAIS schools around the state to our campus. For three days, they were able to see, firsthand, what we documented in our self-study, ask questions of many different individuals and groups including faculty, staff, administrators, parents and guardians, students, and Board members, and offer feedback and recommendations following their visit. Several of Mark Day’s administrators have served on visiting committees for other schools. For a number of years Joe Harvey served as a member and then chair of the CAIS Elementary Board of Standards, the body that reads and evaluates all of the visiting committee reports, and that makes recommendations on the status of accreditation to the CAIS Board, which votes on the entire slate in June of each year. More to come! Completing our self-study was a major effort, and a vital step in sustaining and strengthening the school. Thank you to all who were involved in this important process. 12

RETURNING TO THE OUTDOORS

description of photo, which will most likely be of Yosemite trip

For 3rd through 8th graders, outdoor education is an important part of Mark Day School’s program. It allows students opportunities to learn off campus, immerse themselves in the natural world, build deeper relationships with one another, and take on the challenges of new experiences. We were fortunate to offer outdoor ed in person this year, with some modifications to adhere to health protoThe year began with 7th graders traveling to Yosemite for the much-anticipated and memorable backpacking trip in September. Every student was tested for COVID-19 on campus prior to departure. Sixth graders followed suit the following week to rock climb at Pinnacles National Park. In the spring, 5th graders went to Point Reyes, and 3rd and 4th graders embarked on local day trips. During outdoor ed, students develop self-reliance, independence, cooperation, and trust. They gain an appreciation of wilderness areas, insight into human interdependence with the environment, and awareness of the delicate ecological balance. Trained outdoor educators lead the students in fun and challenging activities. In some cases, teachers integrate students’ outdoor experience with the science and history curricula.

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3RD GRADE CHINA CAMP In the spring, 3rd graders visited China Camp state park for a day trip led by Eva Geisse, alum from the class of 2009 and former science support teacher. Students hiked the park and visited an estuary to culminate their year-long unit on Marin County.

4TH GRADE SAN FRANCISCO

5TH GRADE POINT REYES

In previous years, 4th graders travel to Coloma Outdoor Discovery School. However, this year, they took an all-day trip to San Francisco that integrated history and science. Students visited the Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, and Golden Gate Bridge, participated in Gold Rush activities and bonded as a group.

In the spring, 5th graders traveled to Point Reyes for three days of camping, hiking, kayaking, and exploring the natural landscape that we are lucky enough to call our “backyard.” Students were also able to enhance their learning about local geography, collaborate with others, and overcome challenges as a team.

6TH GRADE PINNACLES In the fall, 6th graders traveled by bus to Pinnacles National Park to camp, hike, and rock climb. For many, rock climbing presents an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone to try something new and challenging. It also required collaboration, and team-building, a theme built in to activities throughout the trip as well. At Pinnacles, students learned about the geography and natural surroundings that comprise Pinnacles National Park.

7TH GRADE YOSEMITE

8TH GRADE DESCHUTES RIVER

The 7th grade backpacking trip in Yosemite is an outdoor ed experience students look forward to—sometimes with nervous excitement—from their early years at Mark Day. It’s an iconic trip that encourages students to step out of their comfort zones, since many students have never backpacked before. When they arrived, students camped in the valley for the first night before breaking into smaller groups and hiking different routes carrying their tents, sleeping bags, food, and other necessary supplies. Guided by Naturalists at Large, students learned about the natural world and connected more deeply with themselves and each other.

The 8th grade trip in the spring is a much-anticipated whole-class bonding experience and celebration of their impending graduation. In May, students flew to Oregon and took a bus to the Deschutes River, where they broke into groups and began learning how to prepare to travel down the river. The day after arrival, they packed their belongings in water-tight bags and climbed onto several rafts. Along the way, they worked as a team to navigate rapids and set up camp along the banks of the Deschutes River. Each student had an important role to play every day, whether it was preparing dinner, packing the raft, or directing the team through rapids.

“We Are All Artists” Empowering students through creative exploration

hen presented with a blank canvas, there is a wide range of reactions that can occur. Some may squeal with glee, pick up a paint brush, and dive right in. Others might stare at the daunting white canvas with dread. Many adults move through life saying, “I’m not creative” and “I can’t draw.” But in Karen Klier’s art classroom at Mark Day School, she wants every student to see themselves as artists regardless of skills or experience. “Society has a lot to say about who gets to be an artist, what art gets shown, and what craft means,” says Karen, who has taught at Mark Day since 2002. “I want to empower students to see themselves as artists—to believe that they get to decide who they are—and feel like they can make art regardless of natural inclination.” Art education at Mark Day starts with encouraging students to become comfortable using materials and making their own creative choices. Starting in Kindergarten, students create in a variety of art mediums such as painting with tempura and watercolor paints and working with clay and plaster to make sculptures. Students also experiment with printmaking, sewing, and drawing using oil and chalk pastels. The core materials students employ are used across all grades; it is their manipulation and the sophistication of the project that changes with maturity. As students get older, they study various artists and their subject matters,. For example, 1st graders learn about the figurative paper cut-outs

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‘While it’s important that students learn basic skills in art, it’s even more important for them to feel engaged and connected to their work.’...Balancing lessons with individual exploration is key to developing a sense of freedom in creation that Karen hopes will stick with students long after they graduate.

created by Henri Matisse and then create their own, and 3rd graders study the work of Norval Morrisseau and then create layered paper collages of birds. Fourth graders use acrylic paint by making puppets and masks during their Trickster Tales unit. In the past, 5th grade students have completed a similar project based on what they learned through this 4th grade project during which they plastered a partner’s face to create a mask that they then paint and decorate with the theme of the “Inner Self.” Karen also says, “Having a working kiln is a great asset to the art program. Students learn to emboss, pull, and pinch out forms using clay and add parts to the whole in their ceramic work.” This year, the 4th grade students created words in sign language, forming the letters in clay. By 6th grade, students are more comfortable expressing themselves in the variety of mediums that they have been exposed to in earlier grades. In 7th and 8th grade, art is not part of the general curriculum but offered as an elective. Previous classes have included experimenting with different mediums in honor of Vik Muniz, creating a series of story paintings like Jacob Lawrence, and making ceramic totems that decorate the campus. Exposing students to different kinds of art and artists expands their own ideas about art. Through this varied exposure, students are bound to find something they will connect with. For example, one student may find inspiration in working with clay, while another might feel more creatively free making abstract art. “Students learn that much of the art we see today was created through people playing around with a medium without direction,” says Karen. “That mindset is a little different from their other more academic classes, so sometimes it’s difficult to adjust to.” Since art can be such a personal endeavor, Karen tries to implement differentiation into lessons as much as possible. For example, one of her students who is color blind had a trickier time with color mixing, but tapped into his love for science by making a five-foot rocket made out of plaster. “While it’s important that students learn basic skills in art, it’s even more

important for them to feel engaged and connected to their work,” Karen says. “There is flexibility in the curriculum to allow them to pursue their own choices, whether it’s completing a project in a slightly different way or diving into a side project.” Balancing lessons with individual exploration is key to developing a sense of freedom in creation that Karen hopes will stick with students long after they graduate. Teaching art during a normal school day has its challenges, particularly when time limits the creative process. “Students will mix paint to create a specific color and may not finish their art before class ends,” says Karen. “And then it’s time to clean up and it’s impossible to mix the same exact color next time.” For many projects, it’s also a balance between giving instructions and allowing students to follow their creative inclinations. Karen says, “I want every project to be successful, but also recognize that for the project to be successful, students need to experience it themselves.” At Mark Day, the art room is a place where imperfection is celebrated. Some students find it easy to make a mess and explore as they go; others find this format anxiety-producing. No matter where they are and how they feel about art, Karen encourages all students to be courageous and do their best. “Art is about being fearless,” says Karen. “It’s about throwing yourself into it, having fun, and trying.” She recognizes that not all kids find the same enjoyment in creating art, and that’s okay. “We display everybody’s work in the same way. For example, when the class is learning how to paint trees in watercolor, we post the finished pieces on display as our attempt at watercolor trees. When you walk into a gallery or museum, no one likes all of it. We are drawn to different types of art, so it follows that we shouldn’t be worried about making the same art. All of us have the ability to make art—even the kids who walk in and hate it. It’s about embracing the vulnerable side to all of us,” says Karen.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Multidisciplinary curriculum and the skills it teaches to young students living in an ever-evolving and complex world.

The world is a complex place, even before a global pandemic, civilian flights to space, and Instagram filters. And its complexity is only growing. What is key to understanding the world in which we live—and becoming a positively contributing member—is a deep recognition that its systems are interconnected. At Mark Day School, learning to recognize and operate within these interrelated systems is central to the development of our curriculum across grades and subjects. “Preparing students to thrive today and in the future has always been a priority,” says Dave Hickman, Head of Grades 5-8. “Teaching foundational literacies like math and history as individual subjects is not adequate on its own anymore. Students must be able to make connections across subjects and have a genuine curiosity about the ways in which our world is complex. Being able to approach issues and challenges with a broader perspective is essential to success in any work environment, social setting, and community.” What does this look like in the classroom? It’s studying wildfire ecology alongside pandemics. In math, it’s layering in discussions of data about cell phone usage across ages. It’s examining inequality today through an

historical context. And it’s reading texts that elevate diverse voices and experiences. “This kind of knowledge is a lifelong endeavor,” Dave explains. “What we are instilling in students is a deep sense of the limitlessness of curiosity and imagination. We want students to ask themselves, ‘I learned this, and it makes me wonder about that.’ This kind of mindset leads to addressing a real problem or solution in the world around us, whether that’s within a work team at Google or in the county in which we live.” To achieve this level of complexity in our curriculum, we implemented four cross-disciplinary literacies and seven metacognitive skills in addition to the seven foundational literacies. Below are projects or units that exemplify multidisciplinary learning and the literacies and skills students are learning simultaneously.

Interwoven into curriculum at Mark Day are foundational literacies, cross-disciplinary literacies, and metacognitive skills to reflect the complexity of the real world. FOUNDATIONAL LITERACIES

CROSSDISCIPLINARY LITERACIES

METACOGNITIVE SKILLS

7TH GRADE DEEP DIVE SCIENCE

MATH

THE ARTS

MEDIA & INFO LITERACY

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LITERACY

CROSSCULTURAL LITERACY

CURIOSITY

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY

The 7th grade Deep Dive is a week-long minicourse during which students focus their studies on a particular topic. During Deep Dive week, which occurs during the spring, foundational courses like math and English are suspended to create the time to focus on their topic of choice. The purpose of the Deep Dive is to create an in-depth, student-centered experience on a relevant topic. “We want students to experience having agency in their learning,” says Dave. “And Deep Dive week is a way to give them even more freedom to explore their own curiosities.” Students begin by selecting from a slate of offerings that span subjects from math and social justice to art and SEL; each course is co-designed by different teachers. Though the courses offered change every year, they weave together different

literacies, subjects, and skills. In many cases, the topics evolve based on what’s happening in the world. In June 2021, courses included: The Math-Music Connection, where students studied the mathematical aspects of music and then created their own instruments based on the math of sound waves; The Birds, an examination of Alfred Hitchcock’s film and development of an inspired dramatic performance; Bad Science, Bad Movies, during which students examined the science behind bad Hollywood disaster movies; The Story of Me, a student-driven exploration of identity through art and storytelling; and Book and Bake Around the World, which focused on food, stories, and cultures from different countries. 26

3RD GRADE BIOGRAPHY PROJECT ENGLISH

SOCIAL STUDIES

CREATIVITY

CRITICAL THINKING

THE ARTS

For second-semester 3rd graders, diving into the world of nonfiction is a new endeavor. In the first half of the school year, students study fiction and the common elements found in such stories like the climax and protagonist. They use this knowledge to first examine how nonfiction is different. “Beginning in the second semester, students start developing the kind of abstract and critical thinking students need to understand nonfiction books,” says Courtney Coghlan, 3rd Grade Teacher. “They are able to understand the stories on a deeper level beyond just the facts.” After reading Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges, an American Civil Rights activist, students select one person, either a woman or person of color, on whom to focus their research. We get to study many white, male figures who have played important roles in our nation’s history and literature—George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Neil Armstrong, and John Glenn, to name several— and this project offers an opportunity for students to expand their knowledge of influential figures, to widen the circle to include women and people from other races and ethnicities. “The students get really excited when I tell them they are going to become experts about their notable figure,” says Courtney. “I tell them they will know more about that person than anyone else in the class, and that idea is 27

MEDIA & INFO LITERACY

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LITERACY

CROSSCULTURAL LITERACY

really exciting to them.” They begin by reading that person’s biography and noting main facts via a series of questions they must answer. They also visit the Learning Commons, where they are guided by Director of the Learning Commons Anna Gonzalez to identify missing facts, consult different sources via the school’s library databases, and sort through conflicting information. Following their research, students apply creativity to write a speech and create a visual element to their presentation. The project culminates in a presentation in front of the class and, historically, parents, guardians, and faculty/staff. Students are encouraged to become familiar with their speeches without memorizing them, and practice speech-making skills that include eye contact with the audience, articulation, and volume. This year, students incorporated the green screen in the Digital Media Lab to enhance their presentations. The 3rd grade biography project lays a solid foundation for future research, in addition to a new appreciation for different kinds of writing. “After this project, students have such a fondness for biographies,” says Courtney. “During independent reading time, I’ll often put out biographies in addition to fiction choices and so many students reach for those biographies.”

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‘The students get really excited when I tell them they are going to become experts about their notable figure...I tell them they will know more about that person than anyone else in the class, and that idea is really exciting to them.’”

6TH GRADE PYRAMID PROJECT MATH

HISTORY

CROSSCULTURAL LITERACY

While studying Egypt in history, 6th graders take a unique look at Egyptian pyramids. “They focus on the Egyptian achievements that enabled humans to create these amazing structures,” says Beckie Mejia, 6th grade teacher. “Students learn that successful pyramids required a complex combination of math, astronomy, and religious practices. Egyptians were the first people to use the stars to keep time and place their pyramids in a geographically safe area.” Once students have a foundation of understanding, they participate in an activity to build a hypothetical pyramid that would survive ancient Egypt. They must select the right constellation, prayers, mathematical equations, and more—and many students are surprised to find their pyramid did not survive the test of time. They also take a virtual tour of an historically accurate pyramid through a video game

COLLABORATION

CREATIVITY

CRITICAL THINKING

and make observations. Then, they apply what they’ve learned to build a scale model of a pyramid in math class. They start with the dimensions of one of the ancient pyramids in Egypt, and measure and cut the triangles using thick paper. “Students use the pythagorean theorem to find out how high the triangle needs to be to make the correct height,” says Beth Bonzell, 6th grade math teacher. “Then, they choose the scale for their model by comparing the size of the Mark Day School gym, which is a familiar structure. It really makes a bigger impact on the students to have this reference.” Students learn how precise the math must be for the pyramid to be successful, which emphasizes just how impressive it was for the Egyptians to build pyramids in a time when the engineering we know today didn’t exist.

2ND GRADE NUTRITION UNIT SCIENCE

SOCIAL STUDIES

THE ARTS

ECOLITERACY

CROSSCULTURAL LITERACY

CURIOSITY

CRITICAL THINKING

In the fall, 2nd graders dive into their studies of nutrition. “At this age, students are just becoming advocates for themselves and understanding their own choices,” says Ashleigh Brody, 2nd grade teacher. “It’s a great moment in their development to teach them how to make healthy choices and why that’s important.” As they learn about food groups, nutrition labels, ‘eating the rainbow,’ and more, students are simultaneously learning a host of other skills. For example, the nutrition unit ties in well with their studies of different countries around the world. In 2nd grade, virtually exploring the world is a significant part of the curriculum. This year, students learned about India, Japan, and Kenya— the culture, the food, the geography, and more. These cross-cultural studies teach students about differences and similarities and expand their view of the world, and food is a huge part of that. They also incorporate writing by keeping a food journal, science by learning how the body processes food, and art by creating beautiful watercolor paintings of fruits and vegetables. There is also a social and emotional literacy (SEL) component when students consider overcoming fears by trying new foods, and an eco-literacy element when they examine food waste. “One day, we collect the food waste at the end of lunch, sit in a circle, and take a look at what we have,” says Ashleigh. “Students identify what can go in the compost to help our environment, and work with Garden Teacher David St. Martin to determine how compost can help our school garden.

1ST GRADE MARINE MAMMAL UNIT SCIENCE

ENGLISH

ECOLITERACY

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LITERACY

CRITICAL THINKING

CREATIVITY

COLLABORATION

Living on the California coast, the study of mammals is particularly relevant and exciting for 1st grade students. In the spring, 1st graders begin by learning about the six classifications of animals and then dive deeper in mammals—and marine mammals—specifically. “We focus on the importance of our marine mammals and protecting our oceans,” says Lisa Becker, 1st grade teacher. The unit, which spans several weeks, is founded in project-based learning and incorporates reading and writing, research, and a combination of whole-class, partner, and individual work. “When we look at endangered mammals, students get to choose which animals to focus on from an updated list,” says Geneva Conway, 1st grade teacher. “They collect facts from different sources and create a project that will help teach others about endangered

mammals.” In the past, projects included a riddle book and a game board. It’s not the first time 1st graders have engaged in research; in the fall, they were first introduced to research during their redworms unit. The biggest component of students’ study of endangered marine mammals is eco-literacy. “Students are learning about the impact humans have on endangered mammals, like when litter ends up in our oceans,” says Lisa. “They are also considering what they can do to help our oceans and marine wildlife.” While the pandemic has impacted the feasibility of some activities like visiting the Marine Mammal Center and taking a field trip to participate in a beach clean-up, students still enjoy their virtual deep dive into our oceans. Other activities include reading books, watching videos and movies, learning about other rehabilitation centers in California, taking a virtual field trip to watch humpback whales in their natural habitat in Maui, and meeting alum Ava Salmi ‘11 to talk about sea levels and the ecosystem in California.

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The unit, which spans several weeks, is founded in project-based learning and incorporates reading and writing research, and a combination of whole-class, partner, and individual work.” 32

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOURTH GRADERS LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY AND SCIENCE OF CALIFORNIA THROUGH HANDS-ON AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES

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n many ways, 4th grade is a pivotal year for young students. They move from the lower school to the upper school, focus on taking more ownership of their learning, and switch classrooms for foundational literacies instead of learning all subjects in the same homeroom. In addition to building new skills as learners throughout the year, 4th graders also tackle a big subject that hits close to home—the study of California.

The study of California spans the entire school year, with corresponding activities in history and science. For example, while students are learning about the first people in California in history class, they are also examining geologic time in science class. When they study the history of the gold rush, students are also exploring the environmental effects of the gold rush on the land, environment, and the people from a scientific perspective. Examining the history and science of California through multiple perspectives is also an important part of the curriculum. “Some topics in science, like geology for example, can seem unfamiliar and abstract to students,” says Sam Blattner, 4th grade teacher. “Learning about them in the context of what they know—their own environment—makes it easier for

them to connect with the curriculum and bring it to life in a more tangible way.” Along the way, students are engaged in hands-on activities that integrate creativity, collaboration, the practice of developing good study habits, and public speaking.

MAPPING THE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF EARLY CALIFORNIA What better way to begin learning about the history of California than through the movie Ice Age? The movie depicts a cast of characters migrating south in a prehistoric world rife with danger and majestic creatures. It serves as an entertaining introduction to a world much different from the one students know today. “We start by separating fact from fiction,” says Donna Young, 4th grade teacher. “Students learn how to read a source paper and annotate it, an important part of transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn.” While students 34

are conducting research about the first migration to California, including the route and timeline, they cement their new knowledge by making a map, acting out the story, and creating a comic strip. In addition to these multidisciplinary projects, students also tap into more traditional study habits like utilizing flashcards and engaging in partner work to review for upcoming assessments. In science, students learn about the four regions of California—desert, mountain, coastal, and valley— and their major characteristics. Students learn how land use has changed over time from a scientific standpoint. “We talk about how we need each of the regions for different things,” says Sam. “It ties in well with history from the perspective of native Californians and what they used to establish life here.” In a culminating project that combines active listening, attention to detail, science, and art, 4th graders gradually build a map of California piece by piece. The unique part of the project is that students don’t initially realize that what they’re building is a detailed map of California until most of the pieces come together. “In the end, it’s a piece of artwork that’s frame worthy,” says Sam.

EXPLORING CALIFORNIA’S NATURAL RESOURCES When students study the Coast Miwok in history, a primary focus is on the use of natural resources— specifically, how the Coast Miwok utilized the land compared with how we do so today. “They quickly understand that people from a long time ago were much better at taking care of the Earth than we are,” says Donna. “They learn that there was a period of time when the land around us was much more healthy and vibrant and we can learn from the Coast Miwok about how to respect the land around us.” Students examine the Coast Miwok’s deep appreciation for what they took from the Earth, including plants and animals, and study the different ways tribes lived off the land depending on where they resided geographically. They also take a field trip to the Museum of the American Indian in Novato, a natural site of the Coast Miwok, and apply their presentation skills to demonstrate what they’ve learned in front of their peers. In science, students examine the Earth from a different perspective—it’s geological processes. “We focus

on major plate boundaries in California and on earthquakes and volcanoes, for example,” says Sam. Students also learn about igneous and metamorphic rocks and how rocks change based on the movement of tectonic plates. This part of the curriculum is very tactile; students have the opportunity to participate in a rock “show and tell” where they can touch and physically compare different rocks. In the “mock rocks lab,” 4th graders engage in a hands-on experiment where they are provided with a mystery rock and must determine, through a series of examinations based on their new knowledge, the mineral components it’s composed of. The rocks are handmade by Sam himself, and serve as models for students to observe sedimentation, weathering and erosion, and salt crystals. They also look at part of their rock under a microscope to identify different minerals. “The goal is for students to determine all of the different parts that make up this sedimentary rock,” says Sam. “At the end, students will build an ingredient list of sorts.” Ingredients might include flour, sand, salt, coarse pebbles, and food coloring.

STUDYING HISTORY AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES As students learn about California’s explorers, they examine the idea that stories cannot be told from just one perspective. “We analyze different artwork from multiple parties involved in the exploration of California and talk about their different approaches to taking care of the land,” says Donna. Students also listen closely to the song “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas to better understand the perspective of a Native 36

American woman during that time. “The song is in such opposition to the artistic depictions of what Columbus looked like when he landed,” says Donna. They also tap into their creativity to create a pop-up book to summarize what they’ve learned from their class lessons and their own research of source papers, like the risks and dangers the explorers faced and the clash between the Native Americans and Europeans. How different groups of people used the land is a theme carried over in science as well. “We study how environmentalists and other scientists are helping us realize that we need to use natural resources in a sustainable way,” says Sam. Students examine how decomposition is an important process for the Earth and the environment. In previous years, 4th graders have collected lunch leftovers from other students to use for composting in the garden. This year, they will be visiting the Mark Day organic garden frequently to tend to the compost pile and grow vegetable starts to then sell to raise money for KIVA as part of community engagement. Based on what they’ve learned about our local environment, students select vegetable starts that will grow and thrive successfully. In many ways, they will be using the land much like the Coast Miwok did, with the same appreciation.

MAKING CONNECTIONS Why are the history and science curriculum so intricately tied throughout the year? “Everything connects,” Donna explains. “You can’t understand and appreciate our state of California without examining its history and the science behind its environment.” When students learn to make connections in the classroom, it expands the way they look at themselves, others, and the world around them. And their excitement about history and science carries forward well beyond their years at Mark Day.

Upper Division Lits Block Teaching CrossDisciplinary Literacies in the 7th and 8th Grades With a world that is constantly changing—a fact no better exemplified than through the COVID-19 pandemic—it follows that education must also evolve. Undoubtedly, what people need in order to thrive and succeed in today’s world is quite different from what they needed a decade ago (or, arguably, even one year ago). At Mark Day School, we’ve known for years, much further back than the pandemic, that foundational literacies like English and math are important but they are not enough to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and awareness they need to succeed in the current century. In 2012, we developed and implemented four cross-disciplinary literacies that have become an interwoven part of Mark Day School’s curriculum across grades and subjects. Social and emotional literacy, cross-cultural literacy, media and informa39

tion literacy, and eco-literacy are crucial elements of our academic program that prepare students for what they will face now and in the future. Though these cross-disciplinary literacies are interwoven beginning in Kindergarten, the 7th and 8th grade Literacies Block, or Lits Block, program was originally conceived in 2015 as a way to more directly teach these literacies to Upper Division students. Lits Block is team taught, meaning the series of units are developed and instructed by a team of Upper Division teachers and administrators. Each cross-disciplinary literacy is given equal measure over the course of the year, and lessons are largely driven by the questions: What do students need most, right now? And how can we equip students for their future through pursuing our cross-disciplinary long-term transfer goals? As is the case with most of Mark Day’s curriculum, some of the literacies are integrated so students are learning how these topics intersect in everyday life.

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Following are the units taught to 7th and 8th graders during the 2021-22 school year, which offer a deeper

Each cross-disciplinary literacy is given equal measure over the course of the year, and lessons are largely driven by the questions: What do students need most, right now? And how can we equip students for their future through pursuing our cross-disciplinary long-term transfer goals?

dive into the thoughtful study of this ever-changing world in which we live.

Climate Justice Initially developed by former science support specialist and alum Eva Geisse ‘09, the Climate Justice unit is rooted in eco-literacy, with some cross-cultural connections. During the classes, students learn about the science behind and the impact of climate change through the lens of intersectionality and environmental racism. “Many students have never considered environmentalism through a justice lens before,” says Leila Sinclaire, 6th grade English teacher and 7th grade history teacher, who is now leading the unit. “A primary focus of the class is examining how com-

munities that are hit hardest by the effects of climate change are often the ones that are least contributing to it.” For example, using the California wildfires as a case study, students discuss why wildfires are getting worse, and how it’s disproportionately impacting communities of people of color. Vital to understanding climate change is understanding the science behind it. Students learn about greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels, and what happens when humans take advantage of these natural resources. Then, students explore how these issues intersect. “Environmentalism isn’t just for people who love the Earth,” Leila explains. “It’s for people who love the Earth, animals, humans, and all other species.” Framing the issue in this way helps students 42

recognize that it’s everyone’s responsibility to acknowledge and address climate justice. Students also learn from Leah Thomas, an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator who is “passionate about advocating for and exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism.” They explore her website to educate themselves about marginalized communities who are greatly affected by climate change. They also investigate how, in many cases, people can “buy” their way out of

environmental vulnerabilities and those who can’t and suffer the consequences. At the end of the unit, students are encouraged to pledge to help in ways that feel right to them. They ask themselves, how can I help those in need? “I don’t want them to leave feeling hopeless,” says Leila. “I want them to feel empowered and capable of enacting change, and also have a deeper understanding that climate change is a social justice issue.”

Media & Information Literacy In the current century, media is pervasive—particularly for young teens who are immersed in online gaming and social media. Teaching 7th and 8th graders how to be responsible online citizens is imperative for success in many areas of their lives. In 7th grade, one of the topics they examine is persuasion in different forms of media like advertisements and political campaigns. Specifically, they learn that media is a construction based on others’ very intentional choices—about images, video clips, and messaging—to reach a certain outcome. “I want students to understand that media is created to capture people’s attention,” says Bonnie Nishihara, Assistant Head and Director of Educational Design and Innovation. “We begin by looking at more old-fashioned ways of taking advantage of how the human brain works, like with newspaper ads. And then we move to more modern and familiar mechanisms like social media. In all cases, a form of media is being programmed to manipulate users.” Students look at the messages these various forms of media intend to convey to audiences, which may not be their more direct and primary message. Using this same lens, students look at the curated nature of more modern media like Instagram as well. Students gain a deeper understanding about their own digital footprints. They are encouraged to consider whether anything they put online is truly private, even though it may feel private in the context of a closed group or direct message. “We read articles about real life situations about teens their age facing serious consequences for their online choices,” says Bonnie. “For example, there’s one story students read about kids admitted to Harvard who had a secret Facebook group sharing racist memes. Harvard found out, and their admission was rescinded.” These real-life stories emphasize the impact of choices made online for themselves and others.

Another topic students dive into is fact checking. Bonnie utilizes resources like MediaWise, an organization funded by Google that runs within the Poynter Institute for Truth and Journalism. Students use these resources—such as a video series featuring student fact checkers that have gone viral—as a model for learning about, and not falling for, misinformation. They then select an image or video they’ve come across on social media and must fact check it themselves. In 8th grade, their first media and information literacy unit revolves around a TED Talk called “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Students explore the question raised in the TED Talk, which is: why do we believe so many single stories? They examine different explanations, such as neuroscience, power, and media representation. In January, 8th graders take a series of MTI (media, technology and innovation) classes to explore and become familiar with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects in preparation for Media Literacy Week in February. During these technical workshops, students use existing footage to learn how to edit green screen backgrounds, add music, and utilize other features that will help them take advantage of these digital tools. During Media Literacy Week, students collaborate in small groups to select a topic, analyze how that topic is represented in the media, and create a video, print, or audio project to express their own educated opinion.

Financial Literacy Though 7th graders aren’t working full-time jobs with a mortgage and kids, a basic understanding of financial literacy will come in handy sooner than it may seem. Particularly for students who live in one of the wealthiest areas in the country, they likely have absorbed many ideas about money already. A relatively new unit to the Lits Block program, it begins with the simple idea that we think differently 44

about money we earn than money we’re given. In our consumer-driven culture, money represents time and value, and we spend it on things we care about. Money is, in many ways, power. “The primary purpose of the unit is to start getting students thinking about what they value now and what they might value later, whether it’s going to college, buying a new video game, or having a family,” says Dave. “In most of those cases, money is required to make these things happen. So even if those goals are far into the future, students can become good stewards of their money--however much that is--now.” Students learn about opportunity cost, needs versus wants, budgeting, credit ratings, credit cards, and basic investing. “These students are going to get credit card offers when they’re eighteen--just a few years away,” Dave Hickman, Head of Grades 5-8, says. “If they know that credit cards can work for or against them before they open a credit card, they’ll be better equipped to make smart choices about their purchases.” Though students may have limited real-world experience with managing money, Dave observes that they come up with some interesting questions. “Most kids have some income either through family chores, neighborhood jobs, babysitting, or working at a camp. I hope this course helps students think more deeply about money and lays the foundation for applying these skills for the rest of their lives.”

Leadership “Everyone leads,” believes Joe Harvey, Head of School. And who better to learn about leadership from than Mark Day School’s leader, Joe himself? During this two-class unit, students explore leadership, 45

starting by considering together what makes a strong leader and what makes a strong member of a group or team. The list is remarkably similar. The lessons come from Joe’s experience with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a non-profit outdoor education school that teaches, among other outdoor-related skills, leadership in the setting of extended wilderness expeditions. “NOLS emphasizes the responsibility that every member of a group has in the group’s success. We all have the ability and responsibility to shape what is happening around us—often more than we may realize.” Students consider ways that groups make decisions, guided by their leaders, and how a group’s level of knowledge or experience about a topic and the urgency of the situation lead to different methods of decision-making and communication. The NOLS approach, and these lessons, aim to broaden the model of leadership and to reinforce the idea that students are encountering leadership opportunities all the time. Those opportunities can take many different shapes. Joe says, “Becoming aware of those opportunities as they emerge is an important part of stepping into the role of a leader—something we expect from all of our students.”

Public Speaking Public speaking continues to be one of the country’s top fears—beating out drowning, zombies, and heights. At Mark Day School, though, public speaking practice starts in the early months of Kindergarten when students share their New Year’s resolutions at an all-school assembly. It’s a big moment for these five- and six-year-olds. They stand in front of the microphone in front of over 400 people,

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‘Being a leader and being a productive member of a group share similar traits in their construction. We all have the ability and responsibility to shape what’s happening around us—maybe more than we realize.’”

speak from memory, and hear their voice echo across the amphitheater or gym. For many people six times their age, this would be a terrifying moment. (More terrifying, apparently, than being chased by a zombie during the apocalypse.) Opportunities to practice public speaking abound in every grade. Students share projects in front of classmates, offer feedback in group settings, and make announcements at assembly about sports games. By the time students get to 7th grade, they are ready to dive deeper into speech creation and presentation in the form of a public speaking unit taught by Dave Hickman. They are tasked with developing a speech on a topic that’s meaningful to them. There are no prompts, just guidance through the process, and students do not use visual aides, slides, or notes of any kind. “The purpose is for students to build confidence as a public speaker,” says Dave. “And to learn that if you care deeply about the topic, your audience will, too.” Students take inspiration from several examples they examine in class, including videos of students their age giving speeches about a wide variety of topics at competitions. They analyze these students’ intonations, body language, and opening and closing lines and identify specific skills and tactics they can learn and practice to build an effective speech. Then they practice their speeches in small groups to gather peer feedback and make revisions before presenting them in front of the whole class. Some also elect to give their speech at assembly. “The unit is a great growth mindset moment,” says Dave. “Students are able to recognize that they can engage with something really intimidating, practice, and get better.” The experience also offers students skills they can apply outside of class. As Dave says, “public speaking arises more than one might think. Even talking to a small group of people counts as public speaking. It’s about getting your point across effectively when you have something valuable to say, and how you make an impression on your audience.”

Health & Wellness The health and wellness program spans multiple units during 7th and 8th grade, with courses selected according to developmental appropriateness. Over the

course of two years, students dive into topics related to identity, puberty, healthy relationships, stress, sex education, and drugs and alcohol. “Many students are in the midst of puberty and exploring relationships, as well as figuring out who they are,” says Gaelle Gordon, Director of Student Life. “The health and wellness units give them the language and the tools to help them navigate these new—and sometimes challenging—situations.” During the classes on personal identity, students explore who they are and their values. It’s also tied into relationships and relationship dynamics, including how to identify healthy relationships versus unhealthy relationships and seek and provide consent. Also closely tied to identity is understanding the three dimensions of gender during which students hear from Marin Academy students. In 8th grade, students dive deeper into romantic relationships and sex education. They welcome a guest speaker, Zach Laurie from Roots to Branches, who talks about drugs and alcohol—specifically, what they do to the brain and how to make smart decisions. Students also learn about managing depression and anxiety and participate in Open Session, during which students can anonymously contribute group discussion topics and seek support and advice from their peers about challenges and concerns they are facing. “These conversations are so important before students enter high school,” says Gaelle. “They provide a foundation for students to better understand themselves and others, and how to communicate what they want and value.”

Visual Literacy Visual communications is a useful skill employed in a variety of industries, from Google to Tesla to Facebook. The ability to relay information with images is applicable even when taking notes during a lecture. In this unit, Dave Hickman and Fernanda Pernambuco, Director of Partnerships, Equity, and Inclusion, teach 8th grade students about sketchnoting, a creative process to record thoughts using illustration, symbols, structures, and texts. Students see examples and explore the impact of different fonts, sizes, and styles. Students learn about the creation and use of

icons in place of words and developing a visual path. They also analyze flow charts and practice making visual metaphors. Students also learn along the way that visual literacy has little to do with being an artist and more about being a critical and creative thinker and communicator. Then the really fun part begins, starting with a set of colorful markers. Armed with the basic “visual vocabulary” they learned early on in the unit, students are tasked with creating a sketchnoted poster of their own Mark Day School journey. They focus on including meaningful moments and figures, and how their journey might be communicated in the form of a metaphor—i.e. a winding road, an athlete kicking a soccer ball down a field, or a climber scaling a mountain. “It’s a fun way to reflect at the end of the school year,” says Dave. “It also ties in with the speeches they are writing for graduation.” At the end of the unit, the students’ posters become a special keepsake to remind them about their time at Mark Day.

Eco Design Responsible world citizenship is a core value of Mark Day School. Like the other cross-disciplinary literacies, eco-literacy is woven into daily life on campus, from composting to caring for our school chickens to growing vegetables in the organic garden. Taught by David St. Martin and Tatian Greenleaf, the Eco Design units for 7th and 8th graders teach students how to find durable uses for single-use non-recyclables. A significant part of the process of creation is design thinking, which students are first introduced to starting in Kindergarten at Mark Day. Design thinking is the process of defining the problem they’re trying to solve, empathizing with the people they’re aiming to help, brainstorming, iterating through different experiments, building a prototype, and getting feedback—and it’s used in many successful companies like Google and Facebook. In this unit, when students are asked to creatively repurpose old materials into something new, design thinking is pivotal to moving through the process. “What we see sometimes,

especially in the real world, is that people will get stuck on a single idea and stick with it even though it’s not working,” says David. “But design thinking encourages students to understand that they can explore an unknown avenue and abandon it if it’s not working. They are evaluating the potential of an idea and it’s okay to switch plans or make adjustments no matter how far they are in the process.” This year, students were tasked with creating a durable and useful product using thermoplastics and number seven plastics, which are all non-recyclable and include products like coffee bags and plastic bags that many electronics come in. To start, students explore the material they’ve selected. “Students are experimenting with familiar materials while using tools to innovate the way those materials can be combined,” says Tatian. “Their first assignment is to take that material and discover what they can do with it. What happens when they fuse it, for example? What happens if they press the materials together at a particular heat level?” They have access to the myriad of tools in our Creativity Lab to fuse, press, and clamp these materials. Students also keep journals that detail what they’ve discovered and note the various ‘recipes’ for what they’re creating. These recipes can also help future students so they aren’t working from scratch. Once they’ve collected enough data to make an informed decision, they move on to create a prototype. Some students, for example, repurposed old vinyl fundraising banners to create belts, purses, and wallets. They are encouraged to consider if people would actually use it and if it’s at least as good as what’s already available for consumers. They also conduct testing to determine if it will hold up with use. At the end of the unit, students present their process, findings, and results. “They aren’t being evaluated on whether or not they created something successfully,” says Tatian. “It’s about their process—how they assessed experiments, how they validated their ideas, and how they talked about their failures and lessons 49

learned.” It’s a chance for students to explore their creativity and have fun with minimal facilitation by David and Tatian and a lot of freedom to make their own decisions. And, along the way, they are gaining a deeper understanding about trash and recycling, particularly in Marin County. Tatian adds that with this knowledge, “students learn about the impact of the products we use on our environment and how we can repurpose these materials instead of throwing them away. It encourages a different perspective on our consumer culture and how we can live our lives in service of the environment.”

Racial Literacy In this cross-cultural literacy unit, students explore the definition of race and how race is a social construct. They also examine the relationship between historical events, pseudoscientific ideologies, and current perspectives, as well as implicit bias and how it shapes our understanding of ourselves and others. “We start by prompting students to think about their own social identities,” says Fernanda. “We examine how these social identities based on gender, sexuality, race, religion, socioeconomic status, and others impact their lives every day, and acknowledge the system of oppression that targets particular groups.” Beginning in the Lower School, students explore their identities through self-portraits and family histories, but as they get older, the intention is to expand the curriculum to provide more historical context around concepts like oppression, prejudice, implicit bias, and social constructs and offer the opportunity to reflect on their own identity. During this Lits Block unit, students learn to understand these social categorizations as interconnected—that one cannot analyze an event or experience through only one lens because they are all part of one’s perspective. “We want students to complete this unit with a deeper sense—and ownership and pride—of their own identity,” says Fernanda. “As they move on to high school and beyond, they will encounter more choices and

meet different people and really confront who they are. Having a deeper understanding of themselves will help them move through experiences with more confidence and better able to relate to others.”

What’s Next? Lits Block is a dynamic program designed by a team of eight core faculty members and administrators. The team meets weekly, and one question they persistently ask is, “are we teaching the literacies students need?”

Through this lens, the team designs new units and phases out less relevant ones as those needs change. Last year, for example, the team introduced units on gender identity and fact-checking in 7th grade, and moved the gender identity unit earlier in the year to arm students with knowledge and awareness. This year, the team is designing units on climate action and “allyship” for social justice to respond to the ongoing crises in our world today and to equip and empower our students to be aware and active citizens in their communities. 50

LEARNING THAT MAKES Teaching reaching and writing through a multisensory approach in Kindergarten

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“We sing and dance our way through the day.”

t’s a common phrase for Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Southern, who finds herself doing just that when teaching reading and writing. For young students who generally have a short attention span, teaching through music and movement is a particularly effective strategy to engage students and make learning fun. At Mark Day School, best practices in teaching and learning are often rooted in research—specifically, the science of how the human brain works. And the concept of multisensory education is well-supported in the academic world. Engaging multiple areas of the brain simultaneously is a proven strategy to help students learn. When it comes to teaching young students how to read and write, studies show that when students’ brains are engaged using multiple senses, they remember content and directions better. The concept of multisensory learning refers to teaching a lesson that engages two or more senses like hearing (music), touch (hands-on materials), and sight (videos or pictures) and it’s based on the neuroscience behind how humans learn. According to their study Benefits of Multisensory Learning, Ladan Shams and 53

Aaron R. Seitz state that “the human brain has evolved to develop, learn, and operate optimally in multisensory environments.” The reading and writing program in Kindergarten at Mark Day is founded in multisensory learning. “All of our lessons are visual, kinesthetic, and auditory,” says Jennifer. “Students are learning the material with automaticity and retention through music and movement. Using sight, hearing, movement, and touch gives children more than one way to connect with what they are learning.” Jennifer, along with Kindergarten teacher Hannah Reilly, utilize a number of multisensory methods and programs to develop the curriculum. The Heidi Butkus Sounds Fun Phonics Program, for example, is designed for musical, active learners and helps students learn to read. Other reading programs include the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Program and the Fountas and Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, Word Study System. For writing, Jennifer and Hannah implement the Step Up to Writing program, which involves creating a power outline, stoplight, and human paragraph to learn how to construct a paragraph, and Learning Without Tears to

help “nurture writing automaticity through direct, explicit instruction along with guided and independent practice.”

Forming Letters and Numbers “Learning correct letter and number formation is a key foundational skill for teaching reading and writing skills,” says Hannah. When learning letters, Kindergartners don’t just write them on lined paper—they form them with playdough, blocks, and chalk. They also work as a class to engage with an interactive digital program that involves music, animated characters, and hands-on participation in creating letters. Animated videos that integrate catchy songs engage students in multiple ways that simply writing out letters with a pencil on paper does not. In Centers, a part of the school day during which students rotate through different activities in small groups, students use additional manipulatives like sand trays and tactile letters

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All of our lessons are visual, kinesthetic, and auditory...Using sight, hearing, movement, and touch gives children more than one way to connect with what they’re learning.”

to practice correct letter and number formation. “In addition to practicing with paper and pencil, we know that the more hands-on experiences and songs for teaching correct letter and number formation are more effective for retention,” says Jennifer.

Developing Power Outlines For students who are five and six years old, the concept of a paragraph is new. Kindergartners begin by learning that a paragraph is simply a group of sentences about one topic or main idea. Kindergartners then learn how to construct a paragraph by breaking down its parts, including a topic sentence, transition, and go-back or conclusion. To introduce a visual component to the lessons, these parts are associated with the colors of a stoplight—green means “go” or “give me a topic sentence,” yellow means “slow down” or “tell me more—give a detail, reason or fact, use a transition word” and red means “stop” or “explain with an example.” In the human paragraph activity, five students line up in front of the class and are each assigned different parts of a paragraph using necklaces with color-coded construction paper. The first person offers a topic sentence, like “I have many favorite foods.” The next student will offer a transition—“First, I like strawberries.” Each student physically stomps their foot on the ground to indicate the period in their sentence as a kinesthetic reminder. Several more students make additional transitions, and the last student in the line will give the conclusion—“All in all, I like many different foods.” Teaching writing in this way helps students remember how to construct a paragraph.

Learning Through Phonics Every week, Kindergartners focus on letter and sound correspondence, sight words, spelling patterns, and word families. Through music and movement, students learn hand gestures to accompany each letter of the alphabet and its corresponding sound. A favorite song in Kindergarten to reinforce letter and sound correspondence is Action Alphabet, a song that teaches letter sounds with hand motions. Whole-class learning is supplemented with various games and activities that are more individualized during Centers. Throughout the year, Jennifer and Hannah continually assess both formally and informally and individualize instruction for each student’s abilities. Through Centers and small group instruction, they use educational games and hands-on materials to create a strong foundation in phonemic awareness and phonics. For example, if a student is struggling with letter identification, they can pull a letter-specific game or activity off the shelf and will make that a primary focus during Centers to improve that particular skill. The skills students learn in Kindergarten set the foundation for future learning and skill building. The better they are able to retain their new knowledge through music and movement, the more success they will have as they continue to learn and grow.

We know that the more hands-on experiences and songs for teaching correct letter and number formation are more effective for retention.”

BACKSTAGE PASS MARK DAY SCHOOL’S THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS 2021-22

CHATEAU LA ROACH PHOTOS BY JESSICA LIFLAND & ETHAN KAPLAN

OLIVER,JR. PHOTOS BY AMITY W. ‘22

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Have you ever wondered where your former classmates are in the world? Or what your Kindergarten buddy does for a living? We caught up with five alumni to talk about what they’ve been up to since they graduated Mark Day School years—and decades—ago.

ROMEO MAYS ‘13 STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS After graduating from Mark Day School in 2013, Romeo continued his education at Saint Patrick Saint Vincent High School and Dominican University. He currently resides in Redlands, CA, where he is a full-time student getting his masters in Organizational Leadership. And next year, he will be transitioning to medical school with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. “Getting my masters degree allowed me to play an extra year of collegiate basketball while also giving me a leg up for my medical school application,” says Romeo. “I love that I have been given the opportunity to learn in new ways, apply myself to con-

cepts I was not familiar with, and meet some amazing people along the way.” When he thinks of his time at Mark Day, Romeo says, “What stands out most to me is all the time I spent at After School Club. I will never forget when Ms. Bendenelli taught me how to tie my shoe after school in Kindergarten and all of the kickball, basketball, and capture the flag games we played.” He continues, “Mark Day School gave me the discipline and work ethic to achieve any goal I set out for. Without being intellectually stimulated and challenged as I was, I would not be the student that I am today.” 60

says Cole. “My goal is to make a positive impact on the educational experience of the next generation just like my teachers, administrators, coaches, and classmates did for me.”

COLE STEVENS ‘08 STUDENT LIFE ASSOCIATE AT THE BAY SCHOOL OF SAN FRANCISCO After graduating from Mark Day, Cole attended The Bay School of San Francisco, followed by Colby College, where he studied geology and studio art and served on the crew team for four years. Upon graduation, Cole set off to the Appalachian Trail to hike 2,192 miles in 147 days. “My trail name was Pole Runner because I had a bad habit of forgetting my trekking poles,” says Cole. “My ultimate goal is to become one of the less than 600 people to ever complete the American Triple Crown of Hiking, which consists of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. One down, two to go!” In 2014, Cole returned to his alma mater, The Bay School of San Francisco, to join the Student Life department. In his role, he manages many aspects of student life, including events, traditions, clubs, student leadership, yearbook, and student newspaper. He also coaches ultimate frisbee and teaches school acculturation and geology classes to students. “Through education, I have had the opportunity to enjoy some amazing experiences and form important lifelong relationships that have helped shape who I am,” 61

Cole lives in the Presidio in San Francisco, where you can find him rock climbing at Planet Granite and training for his next adventure. He also enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, making linocut prints, and golfing. He also just became an uncle; his sister Leila, another Mark Day grad from the class of 2005, welcomed a daughter in February. He’s also currently training for a 10,000-mile bike ride across America starting this July. He remembers his time at Mark Day School fondly. “Who could forget Mr. Evans’s awesome colored water science demonstration that always stumped the class?” he says, also recalling the holiday celebration sing-a-long with the Doobie Brothers, Ms. Young’s patience helping him correct his homework, track meets, and Mr. Forrester DJ’ing the school dances. He also remembers “the glow we all had during graduation prep and the sense of accomplishment after giving my speech.” He attributes Mark Day’s curriculum to laying the foundation of true academic rigor. “Because of Mark Day, I was more prepared mentally and physically for high school, college, and beyond that I could have ever realized at the time. Also, my classmates were totally amazing and incredibly high-caliber people who have already gone on to do some amazing things.”

PINTHIP ZOOK ‘98 PROGRAM MANAGER FOR EMPLOYEE CONNECTION & EXPERIENCE AT ROBERT HALF After graduating from Marin Catholic and Saint Mary’s College, Pinthip remained on the east coast for awhile before returning to the Bay Area, where she currently resides. As a Program Manager for Employee Connection and Experience at Robert Half, Pinthip plans corporate events and activities for employees ranging from small scale programs to large internal event conferences. “I provide opportunities for employees at the company to connect, grow, and thrive by creating moments that matter,” she says. “I love being able to bring ideas and visions to life and add little touches and details to enhance the experience, whether it’s a party, wedding, or conference.”

Pinthip met her husband during college and have been married for 13 years. They have two sons, 5-year-old Colten and 8-year-old Bryce, and a pet named Lily. “I have so many memories of Mark Day School, like attending Just Imagine Club and chess club, playing the bells and recorders in music, and being a fairy in the play Sleeping Beauty,” she says. What tops the list is her trip to France with Mr. Spencer’s French class. “And of course the morning smiles and hugs with Mr. Kerby.” She says, “The school really provided me with a strong educational foundation and helped cultivate a love for school and learning. I had the best teachers who were all so supportive and loving and genuinely wanted all their students to succeed. It was such a warm community with wonderful teachers, staff, and families and set the tone for my educational journey for years to come.”

SPENCER PETRAS ‘14 STUDENT AND ATHLETE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA Spencer first discovered his love for football in 7th grade at Mark Day School when he played at lunch and recess on the blacktop. He carried this passion through to Marin Catholic and then the University of Iowa, where he’s currently working towards a master’s degree in Sports and Recreation Management and serving as starting quarterback for the University’s football team. “I love the comradery and the ability to improve,” says Spencer. “The game of football is impossible to master, like every sport, and every day presents a new opportu-

nity for growth. It truly never gets boring, and there’s nothing better than playing in front of 70,000 fans every Saturday in the fall.” Outside of football and his master’s degree education, Spencer enjoys playing the guitar, reading, and spending time with friends. “Post college, I hope to have a career in the NFL,” he says. “And hopefully followed by a career as a football coach.” Spencer’s fondest memories of Mark Day School are his former teachers: Ms. Sigler, Mr. Hickman, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Cunningham. He touts Mark Day not only as setting a foundation for academic success but also for giving him the opportunity to explore his love for sports that he dedicates his life to today.

MEGHAN SCHAFER FRASER ‘88 BREEDING STOCK COORDINATOR AT GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND “I have always wanted a career working with animals,” says Meghan, who currently helps select new breeder dogs at Guide Dogs for the Blind and place them with local families to live as pets during their breeding career. After graduating from Marin Catholic in 1992, Wheaton College in 1996, and the Exotic Animal Training and Management program at Moorpark College in 1998, Meghan worked as an animal trainer for film and television in Los Angeles for 17 years. “After we had our daughter Violet, we decided to move back to Marin to be near family,” Meghan explains. It was the job at Guide Dogs for the Blind that sealed the deal for her. “It’s very rewarding to be part of their mission and such a lovely community of people to work with. And of course, working with dogs and puppies every day just never gets old.” Meghan currently lives in Petaluma with her husband Jonas, daughter Violet (who is a current student at Mark Day School!), two dogs, two chickens, two turtles, and five fish. “We love living in Petaluma and spending a lot of our weekends walking downtown to enjoy the shops and food. We also enjoy heading out to the coast with the dogs to camp, hike, or walk on the beach.”

As a current parent to a Mark Day student, Meghan is happy to continue her involvement with Mark Day. When she thinks back to her own time at the school, her fondest memory is its supportive family-feel. “I loved being there and I loved the faculty and staff and felt that they loved me, too,” says Meghan. “My science teacher Sam Migliaccio was one of the most amazing and influential people in my early education.” She believes that Mark Day inspired her to take pride in her school work and excel in whatever she set out to do. “It gave me a strong foundation of study skills, independence, empathy, and the drive to want to succeed and do something I loved in my life.”

ALUMNI NEWS Mary Clare Hubert Bly ‘87 is a Program Assistant at the Marin Community Foundation. She and her husband live in San Rafael with their son Angus. She can’t believe that he is an 8th grader and already graduating from Mark Day School in June 2022. She shares that her brother George Hubert ‘84 is an architect in Sacramento and just got remarried at the end of April. His daughter is in her final year of a nursing program at the University of Victoria. Kendal Becker Hamann ‘89 is an endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa where she has practiced medicine since 2007. She and her husband live in Penngrove with their two teenagers. Carina Schorske ‘01 is a contributing writer for the NY Times magazine and lives in San Juan Puerto Rico, where she works as a translator. Her article “Dancing Through New York in a Summer of Joy and Grief” was in the September issue and her first book, The Other Island is forthcoming from Riverhead. Michelle Markle ‘04 graduated with a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) from the University of Pittsburgh in August 2021 and is now working as a Nurse Practitioner at a Family Practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On April 16, 2022, she married (after a year delay due to Covid) her best friend, Jake, whom she met in Pittsburgh. 65

When Jessica Cohen ‘06 left New York after the pandemic hit and Broadway shut down, her successful professional career as a dancer was put on hold, but it didn’t stop her creativity. She quickly switched gears, contacted a friend and mentor, and together they wrote and directed “Busted,” an eight-minute short, filmed in Sausalito on September 8, 2020. It features Cohen as Jess, an out-of-work millennial Broadway dancer who on a whim buys an old Volkswagen bus from a 20-something man played by Joseph Walsh to explore van life, a minimalistic lifestyle popular with millennials. It doesn’t take her too long to realize she’s clueless about how to even start. The short was featured at the 2022 SF Independent Film Festival. Chris Broderick ‘06 shared that he is moving from the Bay Area to Austin, Texas to open an office for Parallel Advisors where he is the Research and Trading Director. He is engaged to be married in April 2023. Classmate David Purcell ‘06 will be a groomsman. Lauren Perry-Carrera ’10 left her investment banking job and started a podcast called “For a Living” about people pursuing alternative jobs, outside of the traditional 9:00am-5:00pm schedule. She interviews guests who have chosen to take diverse and interesting life paths and in the process is searching for her own path. She emphasizes the importance of finding joy in life vs seeking success and share the process of finding your authentic self with listeners. She’s loved having this creative outlet and sharing her journey with folks! Here is the show link: https://open. spotify.com/show/0XtL37eTNd9skVeFni4CDP?si=6112036a6fab4d17. Dylan Woodhead ‘12 was part of the US Olympic water polo team in Beijing last summer.

Marielle Lyons ‘13 was accepted to the U.S. Fullbright Program and will be an English teaching assistant at a school in La Rioja, Spain from September 2022 to June 2023. She will serve as a resource person in conversation groups, provide small group tutorials, serve as an attendant in language laboratories, design motivational activities, promote critical and scientific thinking, and give presentations related to American culture at extracurricular events. Taylor Powers ‘14 will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Reno and will be off to Nursing School next year. Besides finishing her studies, she is doing an internship with Girls on the Run, working with underserved 3rd to 5th grade girls to build self-confidence and team-building through running. She will be running a couple of ultramarathons herself and plans to take full advantage of Lake Tahoe and other travel. This summer, Taylor will be getting her EMT license. She is having a great time in her senior year. Davis Crowe ‘15 is a junior at the University of Rochester majoring in Film Studies and minoring in Computer Science.

he placed 3rd in the 200 Breast for UCSB at their division one conference meet in February 2022. Sophia Bromberg ‘18 tried out on The Voice last fall, and three judges turned their chairs for a chance to coach her to victory. She chose Ariana Grande as her coach. Glenn Powers ‘21 is finishing up his freshman year at Marin Catholic and is loving it! He ran Cross Country for the school and is currently running the 1600M and 800M in Track and Field. This spring, he plans on getting his learner’s permit.

Jack Millar ‘21, Body Ransom ‘21, Glenn Powers ‘21, and Will Silloway ‘21 met up at Marin Catholic’s mother-son dance.

Corban McIntosh ‘16 achieved a lifetime goal of making the cut to qualify for Olympic Trials in the 100 Breast and went to Omaha in June 2021. And, 66

COLLEGE MATRICULATION Joao Alencar: University of Michigan Molly Biggs: Washington & Lee Sophia Bromberg: UC Berkeley Lindsay Eiseman: Georgetown University Samantha Elegant: Washington University in St. Louis Keira Engdahl: Pepperdine University Moss Will Fallat: College of Marin Antoine Habis: University of Wyoming Jed Harvey: Gap Year, then Clark University Maddy Jannes: UC Berkeley Danielle Kent: Loyola Marymount Nicole Kobalter: University of Richmond Charles Legge: Santa Clara University Andrew Ling: University of San Diego Lucas Metzger: Columbia University Cristina Murdick: University of Michigan Sadie Noonan: Scripps College Matthew Palmateer: Pacific University Lilah Parker: Tufts University Elia Reichardt: The Clark Honors College at University of Oregon Chiara Savage Schwartz: Stanford University Mia Strassman: University of Rochester Ellie Sutro: Stanford University Amelia Thommes: Cal Poly Natalie Tress: Tulane University Aydin Ulubay: UC Berkeley Sabrina Wolfson: Duke University

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2022! Archie Williams High School (2) The Branson School (9) The Lawrenceville School (1) Marin Academy (16) Marin Catholic (4) Marin School of the Arts (2) Medical Career Pathway Program - Novato High School (1) Oakton High School (Virginia) (1) Redwood High School (1) Sage Hill School (1) San Domenico (10) San Rafael High School (1) Sonoma Academy (1) Tamalpais High School (2) Terra Linda High School (1) Urban School of San Francisco (1) 68

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Parents of alumni: Please forward this publication. If your child no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Development Office at 415.472.8000 or alumni@markdayschool.org.