View THE
NEWSLETTER FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, ALUMNI FAMILIES, GRANDPARENTS AND FRIENDS
Fall 2020 View & Annual Report 2019-2020
#BobcatNimble
Dear Open Window community, I began my official tenure as Head of School on July 1, 2020, excited to get started in a leadership role at a school I so respect and admire. It is now October, and I am even more enthusiastic and optimistic than I was three months ago. The Open Window faculty, staff, and leadership have responded to the unprecedented challenge of operating a school in a pandemic with innovation, flexibility, a collaborative spirit, incredible hard work, and an unwavering commitment to the school’s mission. Open Window School nurtures and inspires students of high intellectual potential. This is why we are here. In my first few days on the job, we established the hashtag #BobcatNimble as a mantra to demonstrate the flexibility that will be required of us this year. With the mission as our guide and North Star, we committed to designing a program that offers the intellectual and academic challenge our students and families seek, while maintaining our strong commitment to the social and emotional well-being of our students. It quickly became clear that the pandemic was here to stay for
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the fall, so we needed to figure out how to offer “the whole program,” and do it in distance mode instead of on campus. Everyone rose to the challenge. In Distance Program Mode, we are offering a full slate, including core classes plus advisory, science, innovation and technology, library, music, Spanish, drama, PE, community meetings, after-school activities, recess, and our full SEL curriculum. Teachers have immersed themselves in professional development so they can deliver content and foster engagement over Zoom. Our technology team configured, distributed, and now maintains, and supports over 400 devices and all the software programs being used by students, teachers, administrators at a level never seen before. The Parent Association has re-invented community events, holding grade-level summer “picnics” virtually and offering PA meetings over Zoom which have enabled more people to participate. At every level, OWS is responding to the pandemic-related challenges by being #BobcatNimble and #OWSBobcatStrong.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Meet Elaine Christensen 3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 5 Joyful Kindergarten 7 Interview with OWS Class of 2016 (2020 High School Graduates)
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@OWSBobcat
At the same time, we are preparing for the joyful day when we welcome the community back to campus. There are new safety protocols and procedures related to Covid-19. Classrooms have been reconfigured so that all desks are six feet apart. We have hired additional personnel so our kindergarteners and first graders have a lead teacher with every nine students. We have also created the role of Covid Coordinator, responsible for all elements of our preparation and response to the virus, and added to our counseling staff to support students in this challenging time. The year began in Distance Program Mode and we will move to Hybrid Program Mode once it is feasible to do so. I am so proud of what we have done, what we are offering to families, and where we are headed. In the midst of all of this, I wanted to learn more about the legacy of the school in order to see what remains true even now. I reached out to Dr. Nancy Robinson, co-founder of the Robinson School at the University of Washington, honorary Open Window School board member, and the person for whom Robinson Hall is named, and Wilder Dominick, head of Open Window School from 1997 to 2012. I shared our Fall 2020 Reopening Plan with them and asked for feedback. Both spoke eloquently about the value and importance of a school that serves specifically gifted students; both expressed gratitude for Jeff Stroebel’s leadership; both
10 Reinventing School 14 Middle School Head Erin Wallace 15 Meet our New Faculty and Staff 17 Annual Report 2019-2020 22 Dedicating the Bobcat facebook.com/OpenWindowSchool
@OWSBobcat
are optimistic about the direction the school is headed. I share this to reinforce that our legacy is strong and our future is bright. In this issue of The View you will learn about how we are reinventing school, from new curriculum to rethinking our physical spaces. You will learn about being an incoming kindergartener and find out where a few of our Open Window alumni will be this next year. And of course, we always dedicate our fall issue to thanking you, our incredible OWS community, for your generosity. Your gifts of time and resources and your commitment to the school have enabled us to provide an exceptional program for our students and to quickly adapt to our ever-changing environment. I am honored to serve as Head of School at this wonderful place. I hope to connect with all of you soon. #BobcatNimble #OWSBobcatStrong
All good things—
Elaine Christensen Head of School
“I am confident that the school is prepared to address the complexities and potential difficulties that lie ahead. I commend the Coronavirus Task Force for developing an impressive program which allows for valuable face to face learning while reducing risks. It puts student welfare first while upholding the school’s Core Values.” —Wilder Dominick, Former Head of School “We are so lucky to have talented, innovative, and caring educators who clearly “get” our students — and the mission of OWS! It’s times like these that tell us who the school, the school community, and our leaders really are!” —Dr. Nancy Robinson, Honorary Trustee
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THE IMPORTANCE OF
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion
AND
AT OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL
Open Window families were out this spring and summer voicing their hope for change.
by Elaine Christensen, Head of School
OUR DIVERSITY COMMITMENT Schools are bastions of hope. It is the responsibility of teachers and school leaders to help every single one of our students believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values. Open Window School strives to be a culture where all students feel they belong; in age-appropriate ways, we teach about identity, bias, systems of privilege, immigration, and historical events that have set us back or moved us forward. The definition of diversity to which we aspire is broad, encompassing gender, sexual orientation, political ideology, socioeconomic status, and more. Let me focus here, though, on race and racism, a topic that is heavily on the minds of our students today. At Open Window, we want students to be able to name and claim race and ethnicity as core elements of their identities. Our curriculum is designed to help students understand American history from all sides. Biases are not weaknesses; they are a fact of life. Every single one of us has them. Our own race and ethnicity impact the experiences we have, and, in America, there are dangers connected to being Black that, as a white person, I can acknowledge but never fully understand. I believe that Black Lives Matter. Anti-racism is not a political or social stand, it is an acknowledgement of systems of privilege and oppression that have shaped America and a commitment to the belief that we can do better. Diversity work is measured by the action an institution takes. The commitment of Open Window School to diversity, equity, and inclusion starts with the Board of Trustees which established last year a Board-level Diversity Committee and approved a six-point Diversity Strategic Plan to guide our institutional work going forward. The implementation of this plan is one of my primary goals for 2020-21.
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At Open Window School, in furtherance of our mission and core values, we embrace both our commonalities and the complex range of differences that enrich our school. We are committed to building a community guided by the following questions: Is it welcoming? Is it inclusive? Is it respectful?
Community Conversations We will continue to offer opportunities for the entire community to engage in conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
DIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN
1
Seek to identify and address challenges and barriers (which may include fear, privilege, and lack of engagement) that the school faces in achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
2
Work effectively with the individual differences of groups of varying socioeconomic status and further focus on attracting and supporting socioeconomically diverse families.
3
For the benefit of the whole community, continue to develop a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment by building cultural awareness and integrating multiculturalism into the curriculum and the school day.
4
Develop and implement strategies to create, retain, and support diverse enrollment, including existing identifying groups which include age, ability/disability, ethnicity, family makeup, gender, linguistic difference, race, religion, sexual orientation and including those groups who have been historically underrepresented in independent schools and gifted programs.
5
Develop and implement strategies to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and staff.
6
Identify or develop tools to monitor and measure progress.
•D iversity Roundtables take place every other month and are led by our director of diversity and inclusion, Rasha Sachdeva. All families, faculty, and staff are invited to join these discussions. •S eattle-area diversity consultant, educator, and activist Rosetta Lee will address the community this spring around the topic of identity. She will also hold a special session for staff on inclusive classroom practices. •O ur All-School Community Book Read, How To be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi will be followed by virtual discussions this fall.
“Being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination.” —Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
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Welcome
K I N D E R G A RT EN CLASS OF 2029
by Calley Hart, Director of Admissions and Marketing
“I always tell people, I’m so lucky because I get to work with the happiest people at the school — kindergarteners bring such joy to everything!” says kindergarten teacher Esther Magnotti.
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Kindergarten is a special time at Open Window School. It is when many of our students begin their nine-year journey as Bobcats. While this year will be different than any of us imagined, the magic of a kindergarten class is still there, whether on Zoom during Distance Program Mode, or when their laughter can be heard on campus in small groups when we are able to shift into Hybrid Program Mode. Knowing that any in-person learning would have to take place in small groups, every student at Open Window has been placed into a small cohort of nine to eleven within their class or grade. Our youngest students also need the most support when we are learning virtually, so Open Window took it a step further. Our kindergarten students were divided into four unique classes with nine students and one lead teacher per class. As kindergarten teacher Kim Workman said, “With such a small class, I am really looking forward to getting to know my students and their families better. What a great opportunity to build even stronger relationships.”
Once classes were announced in mid-August, our kindergarten parent coordinators jumped into action, planning physically distanced activities separated by class for families who were able to attend. Activities included a dance circle, sidewalk chalk, and plenty of bubble wands on the field and covered play area. The fun allowed our incoming kindergarteners and their parents to start to build those social connections that will see them through not only this year, but the rest of their time at Open Window. While there are sure to be hitches, such as WiFi connectivity issues or students who might be hard to understand because of their masks, there was still much excitement on the first day of school, from both teachers and students. The children were engaged and excited, and more than one parent commented that the day flew by. Ms. Magnotti put it best when she said, “When I look at things in the bigger picture, I am really looking forward to this group graduating in eighth grade and saying ‘wow, this is how they started’ and to look at their journey. To know that we survived this together and came together as a community gives me a lot of optimism and purpose. I know I am doing a part in helping nine families get through this crazy time in a really unique and special way, and that is a gift.”
M S . G R A N S T RO M
M S . MAGNOTTI
M S . TA U S C H E C K
M S . WORKMAN
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Interview WITH
Alumni Class 2020 OF
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES by Molly Rubin, Director of Development
Though we were not able to get together for our annual Alumni Ice Cream Reunion this summer, I reached out to check in with a couple of our alumni who graduated from high school in 2020. Anna Bencke
hat are you doing for W the 2020-21 school year? Anna Bencke: I am going to Brown University to study applied math. Brown’s freshmen are doing a spring and summer semester this COVID year, so I don’t start until the end of January. I will take one class online this fall, mostly for fun. Kamie Sullivan: I’m super excited to attend UCLA this fall! Unfortunately, all of my classes will be online, so I will be taking them in my bedroom at home.
Describe an average day this fall. Kamie Sullivan: Classes haven’t started yet, but I expect that once they do, my fall will consist of a combination of studying and spending time with friends/family, whether that’s on zoom or in person. Anna Bencke: I don’t have a typical college student schedule yet because I’m not technically starting college this fall! Three to four days a week I have work in the morning or afternoon, or I tutor kids in math. Starting next week, I’ll have an online math class for Brown three mornings a week for the fall semester. I exercise and try to see my boyfriend. I have dinner with my family and then work on my puzzles.
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hat’s a silver lining of the W pandemic for you? Anna Bencke: The pandemic has given me the opportunity to become more independent and develop new hobbies. Kamie Sullivan: I don’t have to say goodbye to all of my friends here in Seattle just yet because most of us are not moving away for the fall.
escribe a happy memory from D Open Window. Kamie Sullivan: Getting to become so close with all of my friends there and really feeling like I was part of a tight-knit community, which often times was more like a family.
ow did Open Window prepare H you for your future? Kamie Sullivan: The rigorous classes helped teach me study skills like time management. I also learned so much about my own selfworth through witnessing what I was capable of accomplishing even at a young age. Anna Bencke: Open Window helped me be more organized in my daily life. It also gave me an incredibly strong research, grammar, and trigonometry background (odd subjects, but they really did help).
hat was your favorite W experience you had as a student at Open Window? Anna Bencke: Either the odd, artistic projects for humanities or the Costa Rica homestay. Kamie Sullivan: All of the cool projects and trips we experienced! Whether it was building rockets in Project Week or visiting a farm at Farm Camp, I always felt like I was learning and reshaping the way I perceived my world. Not to mention how much fun I had doing all of this!
Kamie Sullivan
OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL CLASS OF 2016 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Boston College Brown Case Western Colorado School of the Mines Duke Harvard Northwestern Pitzer Rochester Institute of Technology San Diego State University Santa Clara Scripps Stanford University of California Los Angeles University of California Santa Barbara University of Colorado at Boulder University of Southern California University of Vermont Washington State University Western Washington University
If we have missed your school, please email development@ows.org and let us know your plans for the 2020-2021 school year.
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The Open Window Fund 2020-2021
This is a most unusual year, but despite the many unknowns, we are certain of key truths—the quality of an Open Window education, the hard work of our teachers, and the strength of our community. That never wavers. We look to our community to stand strong and donate to The Open Window Fund. Distance learning costs as much as pre-pandemic school, and tuition does not cover it all. We look to you to ensure the consistent support of our students and families in these unprecedented times. Help us continue our excellent school, together in strength and quality, by supporting the Open Window Fund today.
Grateful for you, our community openwindowschool.org/giving
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Reinventing School:
#BobcatNimble Looks Like…
ABBEY SANDUSKY, MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATE TEACHER
JASON ERMER, MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER
I will be supporting my advisees in developing a personalized self-care plan. They will evaluate their stressors and coping strategies; identify self-care practices they would like to implement as well as obstacles they may anticipate; and reflect on their plan periodically and readjust as needed. COREY PAULSON, EIGHTH GRADE HUMANITIES
We are studying the election as part of our government unit, and we are pairing up with TVW to interview those who are running for office, as well as reporters who are covering the campaign. Additionally, we are reading the nonfiction book Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi to discuss how the narrative of American history is taught and how to discuss controversial and engaging topics with those who may not agree with us. RANDY HOLLINGER, K-4 SCIENCE TEACHER
Students will do virtual presentations to get certified with ‘special animal pick-up’ on Wednesdays. They will also be building a home science lab with digital microscope presentation devices and separate lab cams for specimens and looking for solutions to the cricket shortages from Covid-19. MARISSA SANDBERG, FIRST GRADE TEACHER
Traditionally, students have set goals, or “Hopes and Dreams,” to kick off the year across the lower school, with an eye for working together to achieve those goals. This year, first graders got to choose how they wanted to represent those goals—everything from drawings to miniatures to Minecraft creations—and add them to a collaborative, digital class book, created by them and easily shared with the broader community. ZOE WILSON, K-8 DRAMA TEACHER AND ARTS AND MOVEMENT COORDINATOR
Fifth graders will be performing the Zoom show, "Dr. Evil and the Pigeons with Lasers" in early November. Second graders will create an environmental superhero and fight off villains through dramatic adventures.
Astra and Lothar from Arithmetiquities, arithmetiquities.org
Pre-algebra students will embark on an epic mathematical adventure through the Problem-Solving Journal. Each week of the PSJ, a challenging mathematical puzzle tells the next serialized chapter in the ongoing tale of a band of quirky heroes on a quest to collect a set of mathemagical artifacts.
ELLIOTT SKOPIN, SCIENCE TEACHER SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADES
For seventh grade science, we will begin the year exploring how our habits and actions impact the function and architecture of our brains. We will reflect on our own experiences with sleep, exercise, stress, and life in the digital landscape and will create a game-plan for how best to boost our brainpower. Our eighth grade biologists will begin the year exploring life on a cellular level. We will investigate the often-unseen critters that exist all around us and will look to the complexity of flora that populate our very own bodies. ANDREW MECHLING, SCIENCE TEACHER FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADES
Fifth graders will make and test solar ovens. They will get to cook a S'more at home in their own ovens. Sixth graders will build and test flying machines while learning about the history and possible future of flight and innovation. This winter, all middle school students will take part in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition (the world's largest K-12 STEM scholarship competition). DAVID HAMANN, MIDDLE SCHOOL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TEACHER
The MS ITL has embraced remote learning, to give students a chance to participate in real world engineering, as we build our own version of an nasa.gov actual working Mission Control System for controlling remote robotic rovers from the students’ homes. Students will explore the Deep Space Network (DSN), talk about how NASA communicates, and generate ideas about how our Mission Control will communicate with the rovers on campus.
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Campus Spaces RETHINKING OUR
D U R I N G C OV I D
The game changed for schools across the Pacific NW in March 2020, as we all suddenly closed for an undetermined amount of time under conditions not fully understood. While we have now had a few months to learn more about COVID-19 and various prevention methods, information still changes frequently. Facilities teams have all been forced to work quickly without the full picture, to reimagine our campuses in this new world. At Open Window School, our team tackled this challenge by focusing on building a framework for assessing and decision making, understanding that the evolving landscape would force us to be #BobcatNimble this year. Knowing it was impossible and unrealistic to implement every strategy against this pandemic, the high-level goal was to make the best, most effective decisions possible, always keeping in mind current data and recommendations.
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WE STARTED BY ASSESSING WHICH FEATURES OF OUR CAMPUS ALREADY MET HEALTH-DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES: •A ir-handling systems with economizers to maximize outside air •O pening windows in our classrooms (yep, heard it before!) •S inks in each of our classrooms •U se of Clorox wipes in classrooms (already stocked and in-use) …AND AREAS IN WHICH WE FELT THERE WAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: • I ncreased sanitizing schedule of frequent-touch surfaces in common areas •F ilter upgrades in our HVAC systems •A ddition of pump bottles of hand sanitizer in all classrooms •U pdating our cleaning program to one on the EPA “safer chemicals list” due to increased use • I dentification of companies that could assist with immediate campus-wide deep cleaning if needed
FINALLY, WE MADE SEVERAL INVESTMENTS IN CAMPUS MODIFICATIONS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY AND BE USEFUL NO MATTER WHAT DIRECTION THIS PANDEMIC JOURNEY TOOK: •C ounter shields at main reception areas •A dry-mist disinfection system for thorough disinfection of spaces if needed •R emoval of student cubbies in Lower School hallways to allow better distancing •A ddition touch-free sanitizer stations at exterior doors in all campus buildings •N ew signage for handwashing at restroom exits, social distancing reminders at main entrances, and portable signage for potential on-campus events
THE MOVE TO HYBRID PROGRAM MODE It was also important to manage changes within our campus buildings to match up with the Hybrid Program Mode developed by our Education Team, in alignment with our Coronavirus Task Force and Admin Team recommendations. Preparation for moving to Hybrid Program Mode essentially doubled the number of elementary level classrooms by decreasing occupancy to 9-10 students each. This meant a classroom move prior to the start of the 2020-21 school year for all but four of our faculty, and several staff members. The rush was on to purge everything we no longer needed! Which meeting rooms, now unusable for gatherings, could become classrooms? Suddenly, the number of students in each classroom needed to drive furniture decisions (desks or tables?) based on what option would best allow 6’ spacing between all students. Desks and tables needed to be raised or lowered depending on the grade level. Velcro spot markers suddenly became critical to identify the 6’ spacing required between students, teacher desks, and teaching areas along whiteboards. The team helped identify portable teacher carts that would allow our specialist teachers to move from room to room so our students could stay put.
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Meet Ken Fox, Facilities Manager at Open Window School Ken Fox joined Open Window School in December of 2019, just before the pandemic hit in full force. He enjoys being part of the community at Open Window, and is happy to be back in education where he can use his skills and experience to help to ensure that our faculty and staff can educate the next generation in the best environment possible. Ken has more than 20 years in Facilities Management with experience in manufacturing, healthcare, and education, including 5 years as Director of Facilities for another independent school in Sammamish where he had the opportunity to open a new 50-acre campus. He and his wife Tara (an eighth-grade math teacher in the Tahoma School District) spend most of their time raising and wrangling their three children (Brian, Myla, and Kevin). We had to minimize excess furniture in all spaces (never has our gym been so full!) Suddenly the beautiful outdoor spaces on our campus became more valuable, as we explored the addition of more picnic tables, event tents on the field, and other ways to better utilize outdoor areas to minimize risk. AND NOW, THE RUSH OF ACTIVITY HAS SUBSIDED AS WE START SCHOOL IN DISTANCE PROGRAM MODE (DPM). Our new visitor policies are ready, while masks and hand sanitizer and touchless thermometers occupy store-rooms — awaiting campus occupants. The buildings sit quiet, ready for the transition to Hybrid Program Mode. And we look forward to the sounds of K-8 students on campus again soon.
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Ken Fox and family
Erin Wallace BECOMES
Erin Wallace and her daughter in the kitchen
Middle School Head There’s a theme that runs through Erin Wallace’s professional and personal life: Identify the problem, learn all you can, and then innovate a solution, involving all involved. The new Head of Middle School follows that path even in the kitchen. “My favorite thing to do is cooking,” said Ms. Wallace. “I look to expand my horizons, cooking cuisine I’ve never done before. And then I set myself challenges. I’m always trying to recreate restaurant recipes that are our family’s favorites. Right now, (my daughter) Ally and I have been trying to recreate the amazing spring rolls of our favorite Thai restaurant in New York.” With more than 30 years’ experience in education, including 25-plus years in gifted education, Ms. Wallace is uniquely poised to take Open Window’s middle school to the next level. “I’m looking to innovate inside the middle school,” she said. “Increasing a focus on service is one priority for me. I’m asking teachers to be leaders in developing authentic service opportunities for all grade levels.” “Another priority is diversity. We want the kids to learn the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion through collaborative projects in which the kids learn by doing.” Ms. Wallace’s experience with gifted children began with her own. When her 24-year-old daughter, Sierra, was born, “we discovered, quite soon, that she was extremely gifted, and really saw the world in a very different way,” said Ms. Wallace. “I started learning about giftedness so I could help her.”
As a parent, she began to learn about and advocate for gifted children. She joined, and soon led, a chapter of AGATE (the Association for Gifted and Talented Education) in New York State. She took courses with Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) parent trainers and ran parent groups on various topics. She became such an expert that the school district tapped her to be the liaison to the board to guide teachers and the development of gifted education curriculum. She even won an award for advocating for gifted kids. Soon she started teaching again at a K-8 independent school in New York, where she also trained with the associate head of school to move into that role. “I learned about running a school: curriculum development, teacher coaching, student support services, finance, the board, and fundraising,” she said. When Ms. Wallace and her family moved back to the Pacific Northwest, she applied to Open Window and was hired as a Spanish teacher. In a short time, she became dean of students for the middle school and worked closely with former Middle School Head Mike Montgomery. With her extensive background and experience in gifted education, we are fortunate to have Erin step in to lead the middle school.
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(AN D WELCOME BACK) TO OPEN W INDOW FAC ULTY AND STAFF
Welcome 15 | OPEN WINDOW SCHOOL | THE VIEW | FALL 2020
CAITLIN AMBLER, SECOND GRADE ASSOCIATE TEACHER AND OWS ALUM
Caitlin is working as an associate teacher with Ms. Hange in second grade this year. She is excited to return to Open Window School after graduating with the OWS class of 2012 (with colleague and fellow alum TJ.) She explains, “much of why I decided to become a teacher, I owe to many of the incredible teachers I had throughout my five years as a student at OWS.” She still finds herself talking about her experiences at Islandwood, OPI, sailing the Salish Sea, and traveling to Costa Rica. She sees OWS as special place for children to grow as well-rounded learners and global citizens.
TJ and Caitlin on their Costa Rica Hallmark trip.
TJ MANDELKORN, FOURTH GRADE ASSOCIATE TEACHER AND OWS ALUM
TJ is joining Ms. Dyer as fourth grade associate teacher. He also attended OWS and graduated with the class of 2012. His favorite memories were dissecting a cow’s eye with Mr. M in science and playing mathketball with Ms. von Naumann in math.
JENNIFER LAMKINS, ASSISTANT TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
LIESEL BENECKE, MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATE TEACHER
Liesel will be working as a middle school associate teacher in fifth and sixth grade science this year with Mr. Mechling. One of her favorite memories from middle school was, “when I went on a field trip to an interactive children’s museum in St. Louis. I loved having the whole day to explore the exhibits with my friends. There was something fascinating and silly about touching a Tesla ball and feeling my hair stand on end!”
Jennifer joins our tech team this year as Assistant Technology Director. She brings much expertise and knowledge around technology in education and is a wonderful addition to our team. Jennifer does not have a specific favorite grade from her time as a student, but says, “I remember teachers, the ones who nourished and fed my curiosity to learn and create.” ACACIA PROTSMAN, MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATE TEACHER
Acacia also joined the Open Window team in the spring. She will be working with Ms. Paulson in eighth grade humanities. Her favorite memory from eighth grade was her trip to Washington, D.C. She especially enjoyed
KELLY CROWE-YRARRÁZAVAL, MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR
Kelly is our new Middle School Counselor, joining a dynamic team of three, with Kristen Kennebrew (Lower School Counselor) and Lauren Hutchinson (K-8 Mental Health Specialist). Her favorite grade was seventh grade because of a most memorable drama teacher who helped develop her self-confidence in both acting and life. HENRY HARPER, MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATE TEACHER
Henry started with Open Window in the spring just before we swiftly moved into distance learning. This year, he will be working with Ms. Northrup in fifth grade humanities. What he remembers fondly about his time as a student were, in his words, “the car rides across town to school with my mom and sister throughout elementary, middle, and high school. We would listen to music and sing our hearts out, quiz each other for spelling tests and history quizzes, and talk about what was going on with our friends and classmates.”
visiting museums and seeing the Declaration of Independence and would love to go back.
ERIN SATTLER, SECOND GRADE ASSOCIATE TEACHER
Erin joins Ms. Spadoni as an associate teacher in second grade this year. Her favorite memory from second grade was studying the rainforest and solar systems. “I have very vivid memories of the crafts and activities we did in class and it was always so engaging and fun,” she explains.
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DEDICAT I O N O F T H E
Bobcat Statue TO JEF F S T RO E B E L
The hero of the day was relaxed and smiling throughout, as Open Window School dedicated a new bobcat statue to former Head of School Jeff Stroebel. “I can’t come up with the words to describe how cool this is,” said Mr. Stroebel, as he looked over the large bronze Rufus the Bobcat, which greets all newcomers to the campus between the Main Office and the Gym. Chad Fletcher, president of the school’s board of trustees, read the dedication engraved upon the statue as he celebrated Mr. Stroebel’s eight years at the school. “Rufus the Bobcat. In appreciation of Jeff Stroebel. Head of School, 2012-2020. With his integrity, investment in innovation, and leadership in gifted education, Jeff cultivated an exceptional community,” said Mr. Fletcher. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done for Open Window.”
Elaine Christensen, our new Head of School, agreed. “Already, we’ve had many first-day photos of kindergarteners taken with this statue,” she said. “Rituals will come about over the years, with photos and more to include this bobcat. This is something the community will enjoy for years to come.” More than 20 staff, teachers, and board members attended, physically distanced and very happy to celebrate Mr. Stroebel and to admire the elegant statue. Board trustee William Kennedy came to mark the occasion. “I’m very pleased with how it turned out,” he said. “William found the perfect bronze bobcat, made by an artist in Colorado,” said Mr. Fletcher. Wearing his retirement well with an OWS face mask on, Mr. Stroebel cut a red ribbon with oversized scissors to mark the occasion, then took a walk with Ms. Christensen to review and admire campus improvements and preparations for small-group teaching on campus during the pandemic. Rufus stayed put, to welcome new and veteran families of Open Window School.
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FALL 2020
EDITOR
Carolyn Lucas
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS OFFICES
Annual Report CONTRIBUTORS
Elaine Christensen HEAD OF SCHOOL
Rasha Sachdeva DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Calley Hart DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS AND MARKETING
Molly Rubin DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Angie Hurlock DIRECTOR OF PARENT RELATIONS & SPECIAL EVENTS
Ken Fox FACILITIES MANAGER
Faculty and Staff Members PHOTO CREDITS
Sheila Addlemen/ Grey Sky Productions OWS Vidigami Photo Community Ken Fox DESIGN
Christa Fleming
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