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150 Around Campus
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CALCULATIONS YIELD ALL-SCHOOL 150TH PHOTO
At the start of the year, a colleague in the Communications Department asked if I could help with some calculations for an all-school photo with everyone forming a 150 in honor of our sesquicentennial celebration. My first thought was that this would be a great “problem” for my Algebra II Honors students to solve. And it turned out they were up for the challenge!
The students quickly began to assemble a list of all of the questions they would need to explore to decide the scale of the number frame. How many people would be in the photo? Where should the photo be taken? Our first thought was the football field, and we decided our unit of measure would be yards. We needed to know how many people could comfortably occupy a square yard; so we broke out the masking tape and had the class “occupy” a square yard. We quickly concluded that the football field was unnecessarily large and wondered if we could use the Rosenberg Campus Green. Because that space did not come with well-marked dimensions, we borrowed a few long measuring tapes from the Science Department and headed out to the Green.
Students double- and triple-checked their measurements and wrestled with concerns about choosing a “people density” that would allow them to stand comfortably and also account for the variable sizes of the participants. They also considered the following questions. What font made the most sense to mark out the numbers? How should the number frame be placed in a photogenic way? Where will the sun be during the photo?
All levels of math came into play as the class worked toward a recommendation. The students discussed and agreed on appropriate units and rounding guidelines, built scale models, calculated area, and solved many equations. Ultimately, this “problem” also gave the class a chance to take their learning off the page, get outside, and feel connected with their new peers (and teacher!) as we worked toward a common end.
The cover of this issue of McDonogh Magazine is the result of the Algebra II Honors students’ problem-solving skills. Their calculations confirmed and supported the work of the Grounds Crew who painted an outline of the numbers on the Rosenberg Campus Green.
—Lacey Fredericks, Upper School mathematics teacher
FACULTY ART SHOW SHOWCASES TALENT OF CURRENT AND FORMER TEACHERS
Each year, the Tuttle Gallery features a slate of exhibitions by contemporary artists so students can learn about their processes and be inspired by their work. To kick off the series, it has become tradition for the visual arts teachers from each division to share their work with the McDonogh community in the annual Faculty Art Show. In celebration of McDonogh’s 150th Anniversary, beloved past faculty members Jon Detwiler, Jeanne Mulligan, Oletha DeVane, Beckie Lamborn, Joan Newcomer, Leslie Portney, and Match Zimmerman were invited to participate in the show alongside current faculty.
The exhibition served as a poignant tribute to the School’s rich history of fostering the arts, showcasing a diverse range of works and artistic voices that created a dynamic dialogue between the gifted educators. On the evening of Thursday, September 7, an artists’ reception brought together colleagues past and present to celebrate their shared commitment to nurturing creativity within the McDonogh community—a tradition they all agree should carry on for another 150 years.
—Dave Radford, Tuttle Gallery director
150 YEARS OF MCDONOGH’S BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Inspired by publicity for the School’s 150th Anniversary, seniors taking my Advanced History Research and Methodology course decided to create a lesson for current students about the changes and continuities of the buildings and grounds on McDonogh’s campus. They started with a visit to the new Wilson | Young Archives and Special Collections on the very first day it was open to the public. After culling through hundreds of old photographs pulled by Director of Archives and Special Collections Chris Ameduri, they conducted research and wrote accurate captions for the photos.
The upper schoolers then developed informative, age-appropriate PowerPoint presentations for students in each division. The special project not only enriched the creators’ learning experience but also proved to be valuable for those who interacted with the lessons.
—Ane Lintvedt, Upper School history teacher
ELABORATE TRAIN GARDEN BRINGS CAMPUS TO LIFE
To celebrate McDonogh’s 150th Anniversary, the Lower School undertook an exciting project in the fall to create a 96-square-foot train garden of McDonogh’s campus, encompassing all the buildings and athletic fields.
Inspired by the trains that once brought the first McDonogh students to campus, the train garden felt like a great way to honor McDonogh’s past and present. To learn more about the history and experiences of those early years at McDonogh, fourth-grade students visited the Wilson | Young Archives and Special Collections and looked at primary resources including photographs, articles from The Week, and yearbooks. Third graders began lessons on mapping and architecture, and the project quickly evolved to engage every grade in the Lower School.
Utilizing various materials such as 3D-printed models, stitched felt, pipe cleaners, natural wood, rocks, popsicle sticks, and more, the students brought the campus to life. The buildings were laser cut with impressive detail thanks to collaboration with Upper School visual arts teacher Dave Radford and students from his photography classes. Images of Lower School students can be found on train cars and in the stands in John McDonogh Stadium. Meaningful details include flagpoles with 150th Anniversary flags, handwritten and wood-burned signs in the front of each facility, many of the School’s monuments and statues, and illuminated interiors for each building.
As the project continues to unfold this year, we’re eager to expand, adding more features and involving additional classes. Our hope is that this project will become a tradition for years to come!
—Jake Trout, Lower School engineering and innovation teacher, and Katie McGrain, Lower School librarian
HOUSES DECORATE DOORS
At the beginning of the academic year, the Middle School kicked off the House System, a time-honored program designed to cultivate a sense of community and belonging while nurturing leadership and service among students. There are eight Houses, each with a mix of middle schoolers in fifth grade through eighth grade. Throughout the school year, the Houses participate in academic, athletic, and artistic activities that build character and encourage collaboration. On a Friday afternoon in October, the Houses gathered to celebrate McDonogh’s 150th Anniversary with a door decorating contest. Each House was given materials and three doors throughout the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Building to decorate in honor of the sesquicentennial. Students energetically collaborated using streamers, balloons, and other decorations to fill the halls with orange and black McDonogh spirit. House Four won the contest! —Kathryn O’Neill, Middle School dean of students
150 REASONS WHY I LOVE MCDONOGH
The bulletin board outside my office is my passion project that I look forward to creating each month. I strive to have either an enticing theme that provides educational content or something that is interactive for the Upper School community to enjoy. In honor of Spirit Week 2023 and the 150th Anniversary celebration, I invited community members to write 150 reasons why they love McDonogh. With Sharpies and festive black and orange decorations, the board provided a depository for people to add their thoughts. What I enjoyed most was watching the list grow throughout the weeks of November with contributions from students and faculty. Notes highlighted spaces on campus, events and traditions, and special people who make this place uniquely McDonogh.
—Merritt Livermore ’91, Head of Upper School
