NEWSLETTER FOR P ARENTS, STU
DENTS, AL
UMNI FA
MILIES,
GRAND
PAREN T
S AND
FRIEN
Annual Report
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20142015
Fall 2015
CELEBRATING
30 Years OF EXCELLENCE!
FALL 2015 CONTENTS
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2 Letter from the Head of School
3-4 The History of Open Window School 1985-2015
5-6 Traditions
7-9 Alumni Scene
10 Meet the New Teachers
11-14 Annual Report
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 1
A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Friends of Open Window School, One of my favorite places on the Open Window School campus is located adjacent to our still relatively new school garden. It is called “Wilder’s Wall,” and it was built to honor my predecessor, Wilder Dominick, who served as Open Window’s Head of School for fifteen years.
On the wall are four logos that chronicle the development of our school over the past thirty years. Two represent Open Window when it was an elementary school. The third, the launching of our middle school in 2007. Originally named “Vista,” the middle school had its own logo and colors. The fourth and final logo is our current one, which was adopted in 2012, uniting our lower and middle schools with a common identity, school colors, and, of course, Rufus the bobcat. It represents the school’s commitment to an integrated, comprehensive, K-8 educational program designed to meet the intellectual and social-emotional needs of gifted learners, guiding and supporting them from childhood through adolescence. I sometimes wonder what the founders of our school would think about how Open Window has grown over the past thirty years. What began as a small school, serving only very young children in quite modest facilities, has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading independent schools. Thanks to the generosity of our families, we have a beautiful campus on Cougar Mountain and provide our talented teachers with the very best resources. Our eighth grade graduates are sought by the finest independent high schools and public school programs. While much has changed, however, the underlying philosophy of the school has remained constant. We still believe that our students are “Children First, Gifted Second” and that the most important characteristic of the school is that it is for “Gifted Kids Who Love to Learn.” In selecting our 30th Anniversary Logo, we choose three words that embody our commitment—Challenge, Engage, and Nurture. Gifted students need to be intellectually challenged in order to reach their true potential. We strive to find that “just right” level of learning that stretches but does not frustrate. Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process and learning activities mirror authentic, real-world tasks. We never lose sight of the fact that even our eldest eighth graders are far from finished products. We nurture our students’ potential, build strong relationships, and guide them in developing the social and emotional skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Open Window students are eager to learn, caring toward others, determined to play a role in serving their community, and most of all, skilled problem-solvers. There is much to celebrate as we look back upon our first thirty years. On behalf of today’s students and staff, I want to thank all of those whose vision, hard work, and generosity have helped make Open Window School what it is today. As proud as I am of our past, I’m confident that our future entails even greater accomplishments. Thank you for being part of that journey.
Sincerely,
Jeff Stroebel, Head of School
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 2
History
The
BY ANN BERNER COUNSELL, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
of Open Window School Mary Ann Simpson and Jean Booker are the two educators who started Open Window School, along with dedicated parents of preschoolers who wanted to provide an education for their gifted children.
1985-2004 Open Window School was incorporated in 1985 and located in the Newport Hills area of Bellevue. The school sub-leased space from the Lake Heights YMCA in an elementary school building that was not being used by the Bellevue School District. In 1997, Wilder Dominick became the Head of School.
1999-2004 The Board of Trustees had a dream to build a permanent home for Open Window that had additional space to expand the enrollment from 150 to 315 students and add a middle school. Wilder Dominick and Dan Vradenburg, who was the Board president, got to know Ann and Ted Leber, who are the original owners of the 7.65 acre Cougar Mountain property. They lived in the Farmhouse for over 55 years and raised five kids on the property. Wilder and Dan sat on the Farmhouse porch telling Ann and Ted about Open Window and the kinds of students who attend. After several visits, Ann and Ted decided that they wanted to sell the property to Open Window, so we could build a new campus and permanent home. Ground was broken in 2003; the campus was dedicated and opened the doors in 2004.
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 3
2006 The Farmhouse was remodeled to house Administrative staff for our growing school.
2007 The first class of sixth graders started at Open Window School and were the first class of eighth graders to graduate in 2010.
2011 Robinson Hall was expanded, and the Bue Commons was created for more space for the growing middle school; an artificial turf field was installed, the playground was expanded and the Robinson turnaround was created.
2012 Wilder Dominick retired after 15 years as Head of School and Wilder’s Wall was dedicated to her. Jeff Stroebel became Head of School.
2015 Open Window School proudly celebrates its 30th Anniversary.
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 4
30
YEARS OF
Traditions A tradition is defined as the transmission of customs from generation to generation. As we look back on our 30 years as a school, we see proud traditions emerge. One especially important tradition at Open Window School has been to engage our students in authentic learning. Whether in their classrooms, outdoors at IslandWood, or in Costa Rica, Open Window students have gained experience solving real world problems and practicing the habits of adult professionals. A commitment to service and giving is another important tradition formed in our 30 years, apparent when our community meets up on a weekend for Positive Impact Projects; with annual giving campaigns including the Annual Fund, the Auction, and the Capital Campaigns that made our beautiful campus possible; with the volunteer spirit our families bring to support our school each day; and with the middle school partnerships with area nonprofits. Lastly, the importance of play; the essence of our tagline, “Children First, Gifted Second,� is the inspiration for many Open Window traditions from celebrating Halloween to Field Day.
AUTHENTIC LEARNING
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 5
GIVING
PLAY
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 6
ALUMNI SCENE 2015 On a sunny day in June alumni gathered outside of Robinson Hall to catch up with old friends, eat ice cream, celebrate high school graduates, welcome newest alumni, and share stories about the past, present and future.
High School Graduates CLASS OF 2015 Mike Bartell Emory University — Received two all-time school records for Ultimate Frisbee for assists and blocks. Andrew Caplan Syracuse University — Volunteered with 7th grade drama class last year at Open Window. Joe Costello Occidental College, Chemistry & football Juliana DeVaan Columbia University, Classics & Dance Renata Drucker Claremont McKenna College, Bio-medical engineering — Started a non-profit called Ballet Esperanza teaching underprivileged/ impoverished kids ballet in Brazil. Raised money to provide a scholarship to a student to study ballet in Seattle. Jonathan Heckerman Stanford University Maddie Lee Claremont McKenna College — Served on the Internship Council on American-Islamic relations through her school. Nate Lee University of Colorado Boulder, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Honors Program — Senior Project at SAAS was to work at Boeing Airplane Services Innovation Center where he helped an engineer with data analysis, learned Java Script usage and modeled fuel production equation. Henry Pratt Trinity University, Swimming Grant Rayfield Purdue University Nick Rollman Colorado School of the Mines Hudson Stuck California Polytechnic State University, Considering Engineering Steven Tuttle University of Washington Engineering, WA Aerospace Scholars — Achieved the highest rank in Boy Scouts, an Eagle Scout with 3 palms, Silver, Gold and Bronze. Waverly Woodley University of Colorado Boulder
CLASS OF 2016 Eastside Catholic senior TJ Mandelkorn is a National Merit Semi-finalist. Overlake senior Colin Acton started the FTC Robotics Club last year and won two awards in the regional competition. SAAS senior Aiden Wood had an internship this summer at Microsoft. Overlake senior Tyler Nelson plays varsity tennis at Overlake. Interlake senior Tay Aras is involved in robotics and soccer. Bush School senior Madeline Dalton is involved in musical theatre, and has performed in 23 shows at Youth Theatre Northwest. Interlake senior Mallika Wagle has an International Baccalaureate Internship with University of Washington.
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 7
CLASS OF 2017 SAAS junior Arielle Isaacs & graduate Nate Lee ’15 worked together on the SAAS 14-15 Robotics Team which went to Super Regionals in California. Overlake junior Elle Parks is playing tennis and doing theatre. She also volunteers at Evergreen Hospital. Mercer Island junior Noah Funk is on Mercer Island High School Golf Team. Ari Goertzel & Emily Zhai were both in the UW Early Entrance Program and are now sophomores in college. Lakeside junior Ethan Falicov is playing tennis.
CLASS OF 2018 Lakeside sophomore Rachel Lau spoke at the TEDX in Fall 2014 SAAS sophomore Turner Riley took some classes at DigiPen this summer and is playing Ultimate Frisbee at SAAS. Overlake sophomore Jessica Northey took drama classes at Studio East this summer, plus saw three musicals, one play and a ballet on a trip to NYC. Overlake sophomore Weston Kennedy competed at the World Piping Championship with the Northwest Junior Pipe Band in Glasgow, Scotland this summer where they placed sixth overall in the Novice Juvenile division at the World Championships. Northwest Junior Pipe Band is the best youth band in the world outside of Scotland.
Grads & Post Grads Sophomore at Whitman College Aly Counsell spent nine weeks this past summer in Senegal participating in the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and visiting her Senegalese families from her past two visits. She is living in the Global Awareness Interest house this semester at Whitman. Sophomore at Georgia Tech Matthew Kennedy participates in the Georgia Tech Flying Club and Wreck Racing (building racecars), and had two technology internships. Maile Wong, Bachelor of Arts, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wellesley College with a major in Theatre Studies and Psychology with Departmental Honors.
If you have alumni news to share, please post to our Facebook alumni group or send us an email at alumni@ows.org.
Join our alumni Facebook group, Open Window School Alumni Follow us on Instagram @OWSBobcat, #owsalumni OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 8
Welcome Newest Alumni!
2015
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL GRADUATING EIGHTH GRADERS
CLASS OF OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 9
MEET THE NEW TEACHERS Each year we welcome new members into our Open Window School community. Though every teacher joins us with the experience and credentials that make them a perfect fit for our students, they also come with unique experiences and interesting backgrounds. These are a few things our newest teachers would love to share: DAVID HAMANN, INNOVATION & TECH LAB TEACHER Mr. Hamann operated a nuclear accelerator at the University of Washington when he was a student. He has also built giant robots that help assemble airplanes. Last spring, his students won the Skills USA State Championship 2015 for Interactive Application Development. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live on a sailboat, ask Mr. Hamann. He lived aboard a sailboat on Lake Union in Seattle.
SEAN PATCH, MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER Living on a boat is a popular theme this year. Ask Mr. Patch what it is like to live on a boat in New York City. He has designed and built his own shark cage for a shark dive. Mr. Patch is the proud father of 2 kids, Zoe and Charlie.
KATYA PALLADINA, K-8 ART TEACHER After volunteering in the hospital in the Philippines as a photographer/videographer Ms. Palladina made a documentary with her friend called, “A Hospital in the Pines” which has won awards in film festivals. www.facebook.com/ahospitalinthepines You can experience Ms. Palladina’s photography at the Sammamish Art Fair. This will be her 9th year participating. Do you like boats? Ask Ms. Palladina about the cedar strip paddle board and skin-on-frame kayak she made.
DAN GULOTTA, MIDDLE SCHOOL HUMANITIES TEACHER Mr. Gulotta recently returned from living abroad in Kenya with his wife and two boys, Eric and Owen, where he taught at a boy’s shelter. Mr. Gu (as he is affectionately known) is a returning faculty member, teaching Humanities at Open Window School from 2009 to 2012. On a complete tangent, if you like running, ask Mr. Gu about the time he ran 50 miles in one day across the Olympic Peninsula. SUKY KANG, MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER Ms. Kang grew up in New Orleans and was a senior in high school during Hurricane Katrina. During this time she attended schools in four different cities in two months and ended up teaching in one of these schools. She is an art history buff and loves to travel to see museums around the world, having been to 15 countries so far. Last, if you are looking for a great traditional New Orleans recipe, ask Ms. Kang. She loves cooking traditional food from her native town. BRIAN PRESTON, MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER Mr. Preston has taught overseas in both Italy and China, from which he most recently returned to the states. He is from the east coast, near Pittsburg. He plays rugby and is a big sports fan, and though risky to admit in Seahawks territory, loves his Steelers. Hiking and fishing are activities Mr. Preston enjoys, which makes the Northwest a great place to be. If you know a great fishing hole or hike that can’t be missed, be sure to let Mr. Preston know. MANDI DAVIS, LOWER SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER Ms. Davis just moved cross-country from Wisconsin. She is also excited to explore hiking in the northwest and loves to salsa dance. After a childhood in the Midwest near Chicago, she had an opportunity to study in both Spain and Mexico, then taught English in Ecuador.
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2015 | PAGE 10
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NEWSLETTER FOR P ARENTS, STU
DENTS, AL
UMNI FA
MILIES,
GRAND
PAREN T
S AND
FRIEN
Fall 2015 EDITOR:
Carolyn Lucas COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTORS:
Jeff Stroebel HEAD OF SCHOOL
Ann Berner Counsell DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Marja Ziuzin CFO PHOTOS:
Cover and many archived photos credited to Merrill Images Talented parent contributors from 1985-2015 Faculty & Staff 1985-2015 DESIGN:
Christa Fleming
2015
Fall Calendar
OCTOBER 9 OCTOBER 10 OCTOBER 14 OCTOBER 22-23 OCTOBER 26-30 NOVEMBER 7 NOVEMBER 11 NOVEMBER 14 NOVEMBER 23 NOVEMBER 24-27 DECEMBER 2-7 DECEMBER 21-JANUARY 1
NWAIS Fall Educators’ Conference: No School 30th Anniversary Carnival Lower School Guys & Donuts Parent/ Teacher Conferences: No School Spirit Week Fall Chess Tournament Veterans’ Day: Regular School Admissions Open House Teacher In Service: No School Thanksgiving Break: No School Holiday Online Auction Winter Break: No School
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