The View, Summer 2016

NEWSLETTER FOR P ARENTS, STU

Summer 2016 INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Arts &

Humanities

DENTS, AL

UMNI FA

MILIES,

GRAND

PAREN T

S AND

FRIEN

DS

SUMMER 2016 CONTENTS

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2 Letter from the Head of School

3-4 Middle School Arts & Movement

5-6 How to Put on a Production

7-8 Making History Real

9-10 Material World 11-14 Spotlight on Humanities

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 1

A LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Friends of Open Window School, As the 2015-16 school year comes to a close, it is a joy to reflect back on our 30th Anniversary Year. Our program continues to grow, providing Open Window students amazing opportunities.

We have had media coverage throughout the year highlighting our project to develop microgravity experiments for the International Space Station. As one local reporter noted: “You might assume these students belong to a graduate science program or are attending a top university.” Located in one of the top technology regions in the world, it is no surprise that Open Window is recognized as a leader in applying technology as a key tool in creating engaging, authentic learning opportunities for our students. This spring, our Director of Innovation and Technology, Adrienne Gifford was recognized as the Northwest Council for Computer Education’s Outstanding Technology Leader of the Year.

With each of these accomplishments comes a corresponding challenge. When you receive accolades in one area of your program, inevitably someone forms an erroneous assumption that the program is not outstanding in other areas as well. I am so glad that this issue of The View concludes our 30th Anniversary Year with a focus on the Arts and Humanities. In a rapidly changing world, we cannot be certain what skills our students will need in the future, therefore, excellence in gifted education requires that Open Window students be exposed to as many different educational experiences as possible. While no school can offer everything, in line with the goals set forth in our strategic plan, we have worked to advance and broaden our entire K-8 program. I am grateful for the support this effort has received from our community. Our Fund-A-Wish project to transform our lower school computer lab and art room into more flexible,

interactive spaces set a record, raising almost $150,000 at the Auction.

When they return to school next September, our students will be greeted with completely renovated spaces that will inspire new learning opportunities.

Building upon our strong lower school arts program, our middle school students have been offered more choices in the areas of arts and movement this year. Similar to college, there are requirements to ensure that students gain experience in all areas, but students have had the opportunity to select areas of interest in which to gain greater experience. Whether electing more physical education, music, drawing instruction, or the opportunity to act in a musical, students have immersed themselves in experiences of their own choosing, developing talents that inspire confidence and open up new opportunities.

Education continues to change as we enable students to maximize their potential and thrive. Over the past five years, Open Window has closely focused on authenticity or “experiential learning.” We provide students the opportunity to learn by doing the work of real, adult professionals. This issue of The View highlights some of those opportunities as our students have performed on stage, influenced public policy by interacting with the state legislature through a lobbyist, and written complete novels.

This program growth would not be possible without the strong support of our current and alumni families. As this school year comes to a close, we say goodbye to Ann Berner Counsell, our first Director of Development. For seventeen years, Ann has been a vital part of our school’s growth. We wish her well as she and her family relocate to their new home in Walla Walla and welcome our new development leadership team of Molly Rubin and Angie Hurlock. Molly and Angie are deeply rooted in our community and have contributed enormously as parents and volunteers. I look forward to working with them as we continue to expand opportunities for our children.

Sincerely,

Jeff Stroebel, Head of School

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 2

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Arts&Movement

BY MIKE MONTGOMERY, MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

Early adolescence marks the perfect confluence of boundless enthusiasm for new opportunities coupled with the maturity to dive deep into content and the skills to express themselves as young adults. This is especially true for the gifted adolescents. We have always strived to create an in-depth, experiential, and well-rounded experience for students, and the most important change to the Middle School this year was to our Arts classes. To encourage students to try new forms of expression and to help them follow their passion for the Arts at a deeper level, we departed from “grade-level specific” classes and moved to “content offerings” where students expressed their preferences.

In order to ensure that our students have a well-rounded experience, our Arts classes are divided into three divisions: Music Arts, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts and Movement. Our fifth and sixth grade students are required to take two music arts, two visual arts, and two performing arts/movement selections during these two years. Our seventh and eighth grade students are required to take one of each class type over their last two years, which allows them take more courses within their passions.

Over the summer, our Arts and Movement teachers create a menu of classes for students to rank at the start of the school year. We work hard to give students their highest choices while still creating well-balanced classes. Each class is eleven weeks long, which provides time to go into depth for each subject, especially for those classes that meet for double periods.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 3

EXPLORATORY CLASSES In addition to our Arts classes, we also offer Exploratory Classes for one period a week. These short courses are specifically designed to provide a taste of particular topic that students may not have been exposed to before. Although not limited to any topic, these classes often contain Arts components. Similar to the Arts classes, students share their rankings for each five-week session and we work hard to balance their preference with creating balanced classes.

In the first semester, our fifth and sixth grade students are taught by our Arts teachers, K-4 Spanish teacher Mandi Davis, and our illustrious Middle School teachers with such topics as Mexican folk art, ukulele, printmaking, ballet, and even rugby culture through world geography. The seventh and eighth grade students are taught by either Open Window teachers or by eighth grade students who have prepared a short course on a particular passion. The topics are endless; students have taught Roman architecture, Minecraft, woodworking, introduction to marketing and product design, rocketry, musical theater, tap dance, film-making, mindfulness, lacrosse, jewelry-making, and so many more.

In second semester, all of our teachers are available for a full range of offerings with topics such as creative writing, clown class, knitting, microwave cooking, competitive math, watercolor painting, and even black holes.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 4

HOW TO PUT ON A

PRODUCTION

BY LISA EDWARDS, DRAMA TEACHER AND ARTS & MOVEMENT COORDINATOR

“How do you do it?”

This is the question I get asked the most after every performance here at Open Window School.

While every show is different, the performance process is similar for everyone, kindergarten through eighth grade. Using our spring seventh and eighth grade production of Annie Jr. as an example I want to explain exactly what goes into a performance here at Open Window.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 5

JANUARY

STEP 1: CHOOSE A SHOW!

MARCH

STEP 2: AUDITIONS

When thinking about a middle school musical I solicit feedback from the students about shows they would be interested in doing. I also consider the group of students who will be acting in the show. Another consideration is content; I aim to produce shows that are appropriate for a K-8 audience. I love seeing our kindergarteners in the audience watching the eighth graders perform.

Auditioning is scary! I’ve been doing it for 25 years, and it’s still scary. Lower school students do not have to audition for shows. In third and fourth grade I do ask them for information about the type of role they would be interested in playing for casting purposes. Once a student reaches middle school, I try to create a safe space to take the risk of auditioning. I provide the student with positive feedback after each audition and congratulate them on stepping outside of their comfort zone.

STEP 3: MAKE CASTING DECISIONS AND ANNOUNCE CAST LIST I have the wonderful problem of too much talent here at Open Window. Casting is bound to lead to disappointment for some students, and that is the hardest part of my job. I truly believe in the old theatre adage, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” It is one of my goals to create an environment in which every role is seen as important, whether lead or ensemble, but it is often hard for kids to understand this. We spend a great deal of time in drama classes and rehearsals for shows working on different ways to create and portray characters when you are not speaking. I love to hear my soloists belting and nailing every note, but I am most proud when I see my ensemble in character and reacting to the action of a scene.

MAY

APRIL

STEP 4: REHEARSALS I see my actors once a week. For this production it was 90 minutes every Wednesday. Every minute of each rehearsal is priceless. I start with blocking rehearsals- entrances and exits, when to move, why to move, and where to move. Then we get into more character development and acting. With a musical, we also devote rehearsal time to learning the music and choreography. I love to employ students as choreographers whenever possible; many of them have a lot more dance training than I do. Students also take on the roles of Stage Manager, Set Designers, Prop Designers, Costume Designers and Lighting Designers. If a student is not rehearsing a scene, he or she is busy with a behind the scenes job. While rehearsals are happening here at school, I am also reaching out to the parents for help with making/gathering all of the props and costumes our designers decide on. I wouldn’t be able to do these shows without the support from the parent community.

STEP 5: PANIC! Hallmark trips! All of my actors are gone!

STEP 6: SCHEDULE EXTRA REHEARSALS With only twenty days until opening, things got really busy. I decided to offer additional after school rehearsals for the cast of Annie Jr. Luckily, many of the cast chose to make these non-mandatory rehearsals a priority, and we were able to accomplish a great deal.

STEP 7: MARKETING Working with Sarah Campbell-Harris and Heather Law, posters were designed and displayed all around campus along with the large banner near the turn-around at Robinson Hall. We also created on-line ticketing for the show.

STEP 8: COLLECT PROPS AND COSTUMES As opening night got closer, we had to make sure we had everything. There are always last minute trips to thrift stores and craft stores, but it all starts to come together.

STEP 9: DRESS REHEARSAL This is our chance to do the whole show on stage, in costume, with full lights, sets and props, without an audience.

STEP 10: SHOWTIME! We have two shows in a day, a whole school student matinee and an evening performance for families and friends.

STEP 11: RELAX… …and reflect on how incredible the kids were and wonder why we only performed twice!

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 6

MAKING

BY LAURA SIMEON, DIVERSITY COORDINATOR & LLC DIRECTOR

HISTORYREAL BUILDING PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT During our Diversity Round Table meetings it became clear that there was a desire in Lower School for a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day assembly that would deepen students’ understanding of the day. Merging our monthly Social-Emotional Learning traits with our ongoing Diversity Book Club (in which teachers across grade levels read and talked about the same picture book each month), we came up with a plan to infuse dynamism into this important event.

Between September and January, each month’s SEL trait was paired with a book about an aspect of civil rights that would help students understand how broad – in time, geography, topic and impact – these movements have been. I prepared age-appropriate questions that would facilitate discussion, clarify students’ understanding of events, and help them make personal connections to the topics.

In addition to new assembly performances, each class proudly displayed on their bulletin board civil rights-related projects linked to one of the monthly traits. The shared experience and common reference points provided by the books made this approach even more meaningful.

Fourth grade’s timeline project was a particularly wonderful example of the profound learning experiences to emerge from our new approach. Erica Mahoney and Maggie Van Cise began by talking in depth with students about the events of the 1950s and 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Each student brought home a timeline of significant events from this era upon which they layered events from their family histories, for example births, graduations and weddings. This simple act sparked a sudden shift: events that previously belonged to the distant past now felt personally relevant and meaningful.

One pleasant surprise was the discovery that many of our students’ families had a personal connection to civil rights movements in the US and abroad.

We welcomed a visit from Nolan Daniels’ grandfather, Dr. Roger Daniels, who described his involvement as a faculty member in the first political protests at UCLA and his role advising Dr. King in the strategic use of sit-ins in Selma. Mrs. Van Cise’s father, Mike Keegan, also spoke with students about what it was like to be a teacher in Washington, DC during this time period, aware that history was unfolding before his eyes. These presentations led to conversations about the reasons why some students’ families emigrated to the US, the purpose of studying history, how we can use our newfound insights to make the future better, and ongoing civil rights movements in the US today.

Fourth grade is an ideal year for a project such as this. It is an age when children are developmentally ready to grasp the momentous power of these events and are able apply what they learn in a more sophisticated way than before. Many experienced uncomfortable reactions, voicing how upset and angry they felt over these injustices. Feeling discomfort was a sign that learning was happening, that students were engaging with the content of the lessons. Many of them had experienced discomfort while grappling with other intellectually challenging topics, but perhaps were not accustomed to experiencing this reaction to history.

Teachers reassured them that this reaction was normal and healthy – indeed, it would be far more concerning if they were not upset by what they learned.

Our hope is that the seeds of empathy planted in this lesson will remain with our students for years to come, providing them with a framework for better understanding and influencing the world around them.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 7

RESPONSIBILITY Student Personal Civil Rights Timeline

Special guest Mike Keegan speaks to students about his experience during the Civil Rights Movement

CURIOSITY

PERSEVERANCE

Fourth grade led MLK Day Assembly

THIS FEBRUARY, FIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS represented Open Window School at the NWAIS Student Diversity Leadership Retreat at University Prep. The theme was “Youth in Action: Finding Your Voice” and through a combination of inspirational guest speakers and sessions led by NWAIS high school students, participants were supported in developing ways to make their school communities more inclusive.

Our students formed a diversity club that meets weekly and seeks to engage students across grades 5-8 in greater awareness and action towards inclusivity.

PATIENCE

EMPATHY & COMPASSION OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 8

Material

World

BY IAN MCCULLOUGH, THIRD GRADE TEACHER

More information about this unique book: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html

Students had a very special assignment to complete this year, one of our favorites. In class, we explored photojournalist Peter Menzel’s Material World, a book featuring photographs and descriptions of families from all over the world. The photos show families posing outside of their homes surrounded by all of their possessions (with their most important possessions front and center.) It’s an amazing book in its stark representation of diversity in people, cultures, landscape and material wealth.

It easily raises intriguing questions about the values of different cultures and the complexities of defining material prosperity. From another perspective, it also celebrates the similarities between human cultures that are oceans apart.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 9

In class, we used poster-size pictures from Material World to prompt personal observations and group discussions about a wide variety of cultural elements.

Students were assigned their own Material World project: a photograph of themselves surrounding by their own prized personal possessions. This was only the initial assignment for this unit of study. Later in November and December, families of third graders took part in an expanded decision-making process for a second photo portraying family members and valuable possessions.

As a class, we shared our My Culture photos. Students loved seeing what their peers chose to represent what they value most. Students then turned their attention to writing detailed descriptions of each special item. Besides seeing students’ growth as writers, it was a wonderful chance to learn even more about their personal values and interests.

MY CULTURE PHOTO #1

MY CULTURE PHOTO #2

Behind me is the cabinet. We use it to put some things that are special and some things we just don't have anywhere to put them. I chose to put it in my picture because my grandma gave it to my family.

My first item in my culture photo is my stuffed giraffe named Gi. Gi is in between my Mom and my Grandma. Gi is special to me because I got it when I was about 6 months old. That is why Gi is really important to me.

In the center is the table. It is round so you can easily talk to everyone at the table. We also got it from my grandma. It is important to me because when we eat dinner at our house we usually eat there.

My book is to the left of me and in front of my Mom. The reason I put my book in the picture is because I love reading. The reason I love reading is because I can create my own movie in my mind which is really fun.

In the center of the picture is a figure of a girl from the Tang dynasty. We got it when we went to a show in China. It's special to me because we don't go there often and our last name is Tang.

My stuffed Pokemon Pacham is just to the left of my book and right in front of my book. The reason I put him in the photo was because Pokemon are important to me and stuffed animals are, too.

I'm wearing a Chinese dress. I received it when we went to one of my relative's apartment in China. It is special to me because it is the only one I have.

My next item is a baseball mitt. My baseball mitt is very special to me because my Uncle Meatball wore it when he played baseball. Also, I wore it when our team got third place in spring ball. In spring ball I played every position but catcher.

To your right of the girl are chopsticks and a spoon. Chinese people use chopsticks more than spoons and forks. I chose to put them in my picture because when we eat Chinese food, we usually eat with chopsticks.

Next to the chopsticks and spoon is Chinese food. The food is dumplings and meat buns. I chose them because I like to eat them.

To your left of the girl is a teapot and two cups. We use them to drink tea. They are meaningful to me because I like to drink tea.

On the right of the food is a lion. In kindergarten I went to a different school and my mom came to visit my class. I think she told us a story about it then she told everyone what Chinese zodiac animal year they were born in. It is important to me because I really like it and the lion can sort of walk.

In front of me is my stuffed animal pig. I have had it since I was born. I named my stuffed animal Piggy because it is a pig. I never travel without Piggy because I can't sleep without Piggy.

My next item is my brown belt. It is to the right of my stuffed Pokemon, and my book. The reason it is important to me is because I have been taking martial arts lessons for about five and a half years and I am one belt away from being a black belt.

My next item is one of my soccer pictures. The reason it is important to me is because the team beat their goal for that season. Our goal was to win at least one game in the season. Also, because I am the hat tricker of hat tricks. I got four hat tricks in that one season.

My second to last item is my R.C. the Chevanator. It is on the left next to my dented dog. The Chevanator is important to me because I got it for Christmas when I was about four years old and it used to break a lot. Now that it has really strong parts, it hasn't broken in a while.

My final item is my dog. He is next to my foot, and his name is Benzo. The reason he is important to me is because we rescued him when I was two and a half years old. He is also special to me to me because he is a living thing and all living things are important to me.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 10

SPOTLIGHT ON

HUMANITIES Experiential Learning in Humanities

BY JENNY NORTHRUP, FIFTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

“Give me an alpha!” a trio of voices rang out in the classroom. “Alpha!” their peers responded, enthusiasm bubbling in their voices. The Greek simulation had begun. Prior to this class, fifth graders had been divided into five different groups, or poleis, each named after an ancient Greek citystate. They began the simulation by reading about their polis and gathering important historical information. Using this material, students created a polis identity. Students from Sparta, for example, formulated identities that highlighted their militaristic tendencies, while students from Athens touted their cultural achievements. Each polis then presented their identity to the class, along with a banner that the polis members had designed and created together. The banners were hung above where the city-states met in the room, serving as a symbol of polis pride and uniting the students beneath it.

The fifth graders spent the rest of the unit in these groups, working together to complete various activities and learning about the ancient Greek world.

I am passionate about teaching ancient history, but I know from experience that some students are disinterested in learning about a time period so far removed from their own lives. This disinterest can prevent them from seeing the connection between these ancient cultures and their own world.

Discovering experiential curriculum has changed the way that I teach certain units in ancient history. Using simulations to teach about different periods throughout ancient history means that students are actively involved in their learning, rather than simply obtaining information by reading words on a page and viewing images in a textbook. They are experiencing the curriculum in a way that brings the ancient world to life, and allows them to play an active role in the events that shaped their own world.

The Greek simulation has allowed students to play the role of ancient Greek architects, politicians and Greek Olympians. They experienced the triumph of winning a political debate and the despair of having a Greek god exact vengeance on their polis. They have learned how to work with one another, overcoming disagreements and combining different ideas to successfully construct a Greek temple. Above all, they remained engaged in the curriculum. The quote by Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn,” perfectly sums up the importance of teaching history through experiential curriculum. Students were actively involved, learning valuable information and skills while creating memories that will last through middle school and beyond.

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 11

Young Novelists

BY DAN GULOTTA, SIXTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

The air on Cougar Mountain was getting crisp, the leaves were changing color, and echoes of the Monster Mash resonated in the Open Window gymnasium. It was time to put away the Halloween costumes, remove all distractions, and switch off inner editors.

November and National Novel-Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) had arrived, and Open Window sixth grade students braced for the challenge ahead—writing a novel in 30 days.

In the beginning, confidence was high, and we heard boasts of grandeur and word count. Three weeks later, many boasts had turned to moans, cries and sleepwalking with laptops in hand; yet these steadfast middle school students persisted. Some early doubters even exceeded their expectations, shouting “I can do this!” as they blew past their perceived limitations. All students deserve praise not only for their own efforts, but for the support they gave to their classmates. They consistently provided words of encouragement, suggestions and advice, and sometimes a paper bag to breathe in.

Finally, it was December, and one last challenge lay ahead. Students volunteered to share a portion of their novels at a NaNoWriMo celebration in January. Students bravely stood in front of their families, friends, teachers and fellow novelists and recited a favorite section of their story. Everyone was proud to hear our poised, articulate and very creative Open Window sixth graders.

At the end of our NaNoWriMo celebration, I shared a quote from one of our writers, Evelyn Drake. She writes in her book, “It was the best day of my life, and why wouldn’t it be? I got a family I didn’t know I had. What could be better than that?” The middle school students listed below are part of a new family—a family of novelists.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS ON AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT! Caitlin Blanksteen, Makenna Gary, Ryder Gwinn, Karin Hellevik, Blake Hobbs, Jacob Huffaker, Chelsea Inagawa, Olivia Kaiser, Rasan Kamkolkar, Mick Knappenberger, Anika Mehta, Skyler Morris, Andrew Myerson, Max Schrider, Ved Thiru, Sydney Yeh, Maia Breslin, Nirekh Dasika, Elsa Dittmeier, Evelyn Drake, Isabelle Escalona, Jack Fletcher, Ben Gallop, Rohan Ganesh, Sawyer Hoffman, Ela Karki, Oliver Kher, Dylan King, Jack Lieberman, Samantha O’Connor, Reagan Tidwell

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 12

SPOTLIGHT ON

HUMANITIES

What We Will—

The Seventh-Grade Journey through Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

BY ROBIN RUSSELL, SEVENTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

“I heard you were saucy at my gates.”

Olivia, Act 1, scene 5

“My determinate voyage is mere extravagancy.”

Sebastian, Act 2, scene 1 Designing multifaceted curriculum establishes many access points through which every student can be wholeheartedly invited to the table. This spring, seventh graders encountered the classic romantic comedy What You Will, more commonly known as Twelfth Night. For a month, they explored the nuances of language, witnessed the world behind the scenes, deliberated over theatrical interpretations and engaged in heated discussions. In our own production, each student performed a role on stage and held a position off stage, resulting in an entirely student-run show.

“Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit.”

Feste, Act 2, scene 2

Taking on roles proved to be a time where students could explore other dimensions (often deep-seated) of their own identity.

Risk-taking abounded, whether that meant wearing eyeliner or battling a sewing machine.

“O time, thou must untangle this, not I. It is too hard a knot for me t’untie.”

Viola, Act 2, scene 2 At the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, students attended a design workshop on sets, sound, costumes and lighting. In our production, students served in every backstage position, from Makeup Technician to Props Manager to Lighting Director. Everyone supervised and/ or was supervised by a peer – an excellent opportunity to apply what they had learned about work styles, communication, project management and synergy.

“If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.” Fabian, Act 3, scene 4 Through Socratic Seminars, students practice the skills necessary for civil discourse. Over the course of this year, hearing “I respectfully disagree,” “Building on what they said,” “What evidence do you have to support that?” and “We should let someone else speak,” have become our norm.

Here are some of our excerpts from our discussion of the question: What was the strongest love portrayed in Twelfth Night?

“I think the strongest love in Twelfth Night is Orsino’s desperate love for Orsino.” —Lindsay “Olivia proposed marriage to escape her sadness.” —Connor “Viola was just waiting for a coincidence to happen.” —Sage “Love means continuing to love someone even after they make mistakes.” —Lily “There’s a difference between risking the law and risking your life.” —Quincy

“I am indeed not her fool, but her corrupter of words.” Feste, Act III, scene 1 “O, had I but followed the arts!” Sir Andrew, Act 1, Scene 3 True empowerment requires adults to set aside our own vision and ego. My students know that when I say, “You’re in charge. It’s your decision,” the onus is truly on their shoulders. My faith in them engenders their faith in me.

In the culminating assignment (a paper in response to the prompt: How has the play and our journey resonated with you and your life?) Sydney wrote, “I enjoy trying to destroy the stereotype of girls being less capable with math and engineering, which parallels Mariah’s blatant disregard of standards set for women in the 1600s.”

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 13

I’m Just a Bill

BY COREY PAULSON, EIGHTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

This year, the eighth graders have been learning about government, both federal and state. In order to develop our understanding of how the Washington State Legislature works, we participated in numerous activities from a Mock Legislative Committee to attempting to balance the Washington State budget. The most exciting opportunity came from partnering with TVW, which covers all legislative and judicial actions in Olympia. They partnered our class with a contract lobbyist in Olympia to help our class choose a bill to follow from the hopper to the governor’s desk. We chose well, and this bill SB 6194, which deals with charter schools, has the involvement of all three branches of government. For six weeks, we met with Jim Hedrick virtually, asking questions about the legislative process, the committees, the politics involved and the charter school bill in particular. They learned how to use the Legislative Branch’s website, which is the public’s portal to the intricacies of the government. Also through this, they learned how to read a fiscal note, the bill digest written by the non-partisan legislative staff, and also the bill itself.

We ended up our study of the legislative process with writing a persuasive essay on whether Governor Inslee should sign the bill that was at the time, sitting on his desk. When Mr. Hedrick came to visit, the students had persuasive arguments on both sides.

The bill ended up passing through the legislature, where it sat on Governor Inslee’s desk for 20 days. He did not sign it, but according to the Washington Constitution, bills that are not signed or vetoed by the Governor, become law. Therefore, charter schools are allowed to remain functioning in Washington State. This was the first time in over 30 years that a Governor has allowed a bill to become a law without his signature.

I encourage you to visit the Capitol Classroom website for our class to view the sessions. It is www.teachwithtvw.org/2016-capitol-classroom-open-window-school/

OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | SUMMER 2016 | PAGE 14

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NEWSLETTER FOR P ARENTS, STU

Summer 2016 EDITOR:

Carolyn Lucas COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTORS:

Jeff Stroebel HEAD OF SCHOOL

Mike Montgomery MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

Lisa Edwards PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER

Laura Simeon DIVERSITY COORDINATOR AND LLC DIRECTOR

Ian McCullough THIRD GRADE TEACHER

Jenny Northrup FIFTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

Dan Gulotta

2015-2016

SIXTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

PERFORMANCES

Robin Russell SEVENTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER

Corey Paulson EIGHTH GRADE HUMANITIES TEACHER PHOTOS:

Cover credit, Linda Inagawa Parent contributors Faculty & staff contributors DESIGN:

Christa Fleming

Summer Calendar July 5 Aug 5 Sept 1 Sept 1 Sept 2 Sept 6

Summer Program Begins!

Last Day of Summer Program Middle School Orientation, 8:30AM New Parent Orientation, 6PM K-8 Walk Through First Day of School

DENTS, AL

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MILIES,

GRAND

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