2020 Orchard Spring/Summer Almanac

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

ALMANAC THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS & FRIENDS • SUMMER 2020

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Orchard families participated in an end-of-the-year car parade to celebrate all of the hard work being done during remote learning. Learn more on page 28.

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL 2019–2020 BOARD OF GOVERNORS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

PRESIDENT Philip Genetos

CHAIR Colleen O’Brien

VICE PRESIDENT Julie Manning Magid

VICE CHAIR Dawn Batson

TREASURER Betsy Dustman

TREASURER Jordan Kraner

SECRETARY Suzie Fehsenfeld

SECRETARY Jim Combs

Dan Appel ’69 Marcha Bennett Jonathan L. Birge ’53 Mary Caito William “Bo” Elder Jr. ’65 Dan Elsener Linda Hamilton Scott Hirschman Sue Lerchen Kevin Martin Cathy Rooney

Lesley Akosa Andrew Appel ’95 James Betley ’85 Tina Korty Rich Michal Mandy Moore Ayana Rowley ’95 Kristy Sherman ’88 Jennifer Shin Adrianne (Glidewell) Smith ’94 Brandon Sorge Kurt Weiper Meredith (Thornburgh) White ’97

TRUSTEE REPRESENTATIVE Colleen O’Brien HONORARY GOVERNORS Dr. Eric Yancy James Kemper Dr. Gwen Fountain Diana Leslie Needham S. Hurst HEAD OF SCHOOL (non-voting) Sherri C. Helvie, Ph.D.

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL ALMANAC PUBLISHED BY The Orchard School

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Anne Whisler PHOTOGRAPHY James Layne CONTRIBUTORS James Layne Sherri C. Helvie, Ph.D. Lisa Pryor Anne Whisler Kelsey Schlarb Karrie Zuccarello Nicole Keller

PRESIDENT, PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION Megan Van Valer ALUMNI HERITAGE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE Matt Edwards ’92

The Orchard Almanac is published for and

HEAD OF SCHOOL (non-voting) Sherri C. Helvie, Ph.D.

distributed to alumni, parents, and friends of The Orchard School and is produced twice a year. To submit news, contact communications@orchard.org or 317.251.9253.

All photos by James Layne, Marketing & PR Coordinator

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL ALMANAC CONTENTS A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE ORCHARD EXPERIENCE

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

ORCHARD’S DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION BLOG: “2020 VISION: EDUCATE, LISTEN, ACTION”

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PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SNAPSHOT: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SNAPSHOT: MIDDLE SCHOOL

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CHANGE MAKER: GREG DUGDALE ’09

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REMOTE LEARNING AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

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CHANGE MAKER: LEAH LOVELY ’09

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL: SOCIALLY DISTANCED BUT CONTINUALLY CONNECTED

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CHANGE MAKER: JESSICA LINDEMAN ’97

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CLASS OF 2020

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GREEN & GOLD DAY OF CARING

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

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LEAVE YOUR LEGACY AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

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CELEBRATING DEB THORNBURGH & JULIE WINGATE THE ORCHARD SCHOOL HOSTS THE 15TH ANNUAL STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION SNAPSHOT: EARLY CHILDHOOD

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MESSAGE FROM SHERRI C. HELVIE, Ph.D., HEAD OF THE ORCHARD SCHOOL Dear Orchard Friends and Families, It has been an unprecedented spring and summer as we have concluded our 2019–2020 school year. Although a few months ago we were not imagining that we would be creating so many new ways to teach, learn, work, and maintain our connections in response to a global pandemic, at The Orchard School we worked together as a community to honor school traditions and create new ways to celebrate our students and their accomplishments. Our students, and most especially our graduates, demonstrated extraordinary creativity and resilience. We could not be more proud of Orchard’s class of 2020, who modeled for all of us how to face the unknown with courage, compassion, and love.

When we transitioned to Orchard’s remote learning plan in response to COVID-19, our entire faculty and staff focused on maintaining as many routines and practices as possible for our students and families as we moved forward, together. The lessons we planned, the messages we shared, and all of our daily work was grounded in maintaining the love, connection, and learning that makes our school such a special place.

Thank you for all that you have done to help us stay true to our mission and values as we responded to a public health crisis, and its impact on our school and our city.

Parents, trustees, governors, alumni, teachers, staff, and students came together to help our Orchard community, and people across Indianapolis. Our Green and Gold Day of Caring raised over $90,000 to support emergency financial aid for Orchard families whose livelihoods were impacted by the governor’s stay-at-home order. Our students and families wrote over 500 lunchbox letters for the Patachou Foundation, and assembled and donated activity care packages for residents at Wheeler Mission. I am grateful for the extraordinary care and kindness of our entire school in coming together to support those in need during unprecedented circumstances.

As we turn our attention to welcoming our students back to campus this fall, we have been especially grateful for our outdoor spaces at Orchard. We are very excited to share that due to the generosity of our donors, we have nearly reached our fundraising goal to break ground on three new natural playgrounds this summer. Orchard’s capital campaign, “Celebrating our Roots: Cultivating for the Future,” has been generously supported by many donors and tireless volunteers, including our Capital Campaign Cabinet. The playgrounds will be built over the summer in time to welcome back students to campus, and we’re very excited to know that these spaces can be a part of our collective planning to support playing, teaching, and learning. The playground designs, which include new elements and equipment that promote creative play and exploration, also include three amphitheaters with ample seating that we will be able to utilize as additional outdoor teaching spaces. We will be working across the summer to complete the project in time for the first day of school on Aug. 18. Many, many thanks to our donors who have made this possible, and to our Orchard community for its deep commitment to philanthropy in support of students.

We look forward to welcoming our students back to campus in August to begin Orchard’s 98th year! Thank you for your partnership as we continue to pursue our mission, vision, and values, and strive every day to ensure joyful learning for the children in our care.

Sincerely,

Sherri C. Helvie, Ph.D. Head of School

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S TEACHERS CAME TOGETHER TO PUT A REMOTE LEARNING PLAN IN PLACE. THANKS TO ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK, REMOTE LEARNING WAS A SUCCESS! FIRST GRADE TEACHERS

SECOND GRADE TEACHERS

EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

THIRD GRADE TEACHERS

FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS

KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS

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ORCHARD’S DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION BLOG: “2020 VISION: EDUCATE, LISTEN, ACTION” Welcome to Orchard’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Blog. Below is the most recent post, “2020 Vision: Educate, Listen, Action” by Lisa Pryor.

As I sit in my backyard, roughly one mile from downtown Indianapolis, I have been able to see and hear some of the events taking place as individuals protest and others “riot.” I can frequently hear the circling of helicopters monitoring the situation. At times, I hear loud booming sounds… I really don’t want to know their source. While riding my bike last night, I rode past countless police officers as they blocked off the streets leading to the heart of downtown. This all seems surreal in some ways and, honestly, it seems long overdue in other ways.

During the faculty and staff in-service day back in January, I presented a workshop entitled “Orchard 2020 and Beyond: Change Your Focus, Change Your Life.” During the workshop we, as a whole, discussed what it would take to create a utopian state within our own walls. We discussed the best and brightest parts of our dear Orchard community–the loving, caring, inclusive, magical place that we have all come to know and love. However, we also discussed some of the roadblocks that hinder us from achieving our goal of creating the best, most inclusive, and loving place possible. I believe that our roadblocks are very similar to those we face as a nation.

When you think about the term 20/20 vision, what comes to mind? It is said to mean a normal visual acuity, the clarity and sharpness of vision while standing at 20 feet away. Some people believe that 20/20 vision is “perfect.” It is the best of the best and, if you have 20/20 vision, you can see “perfectly.” However, despite the thoughts surrounding the meaning of 20/20 vision, it is actually said that 20/20 vision is only a measurement and it does not mean “perfect” vision. So, what does this have to do with listening to helicopters and hearing the loud booming sounds coming from downtown Indianapolis amidst the protesting surrounding yet another killing of an unarmed black man? Is there a possibility that some of us have been walking around claiming to have 20/20 or “perfect” vision when thinking about our implicit bias when, in actuality, we are not perfect and have more work to do? Is it possible that sometimes we are happy to post a black square to social media, but we are unknowingly engaging in the very behaviors we claim to stand in solidarity against? When your 20/20 vision is distorted by red-colored glasses, is it still 20/20 vision? Is it possible that we are gauging our vision as “perfect” in relation to a measurement from 20 feet away, and this is actually a 401-foot issue (1619–2020)?

My assertion is this: 2020 has actually shown us a 20/20 view of the systemic injustices in this country. From healthcare to police brutality, we have gotten a very acute and clear glimpse of where we are as a nation.

This is not new; our awareness around it is being heightened. While I personally may not be able to make 6

huge changes on a national level, I can control myself and my actions. I can take on the work necessary to create the most inclusive, aware, caring, empathetic, loving community that I can to help create change for myself, my family, my friends, The Orchard School community, the city of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana, and the nation. What we do on a small scale matters to the larger, greater good. The ripple effect will change a nation.

What to do, what to do? The first step is we must continue to educate ourselves. Education about the history of this nation, about the construct of “race,” about the systemic structures put in place to oppress Black people every day. From the word “negro” to the housing market. From slavery to Black Wall Street. If we view these protests as isolated uprisings tied to one or two “bad apples” in the bunch, we miss the point.

This isn’t about a bad apple; this is about a basket with clear flaws carrying the entire bunch. This is about putting a “bad apple” next to one that isn’t and watching the unintended results of creating another “bad apple.” And, this really isn’t about police; it’s about the creation of a system carrying out the very intentions of its design.

The next step is to listen. Listen to the voices of those who have been oppressed. Hear the pain without trying to explain it away or to fix it. Create a container for the hurt to have a safe space to be released and let it be. This takes doing your own work first. Commit to change and take action. Send email, call senators, buy from Black-owned businesses, highlight Black voices on your own platforms. Do not reduce this cry for justice to only the time frame of the protests demanding for our voices to be heard.

We must improve our vision. We must do what it takes to actually see more clearly, not just profess that our vision is already clear. What support do you need? Are you willing to take the initiative to get it and claim your place in creating a better world? We need you.

As my cousin reminded me today, “sometimes we forget that progress is not supposed to be easy.” It’s the uncomfortable state of our nation, our communities, our school, our homes today. It is bound to lead you to become more educated or to you educating someone else. I challenge you to listen with empathy. I challenge you to turn this knowledge and awareness into action again and again and again.

Love to all,

Lisa L. Pryor Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Click here to read more blog posts about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Orchard School.

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LEADERS. SCHOLARS. ARTISTS.

CHANGE MAKERS. THIS IS WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.

Photos on opposite page left to right, top to bottom: MADELINE HUDSON ’12 • LAURA KLEINMAN ’99 • JESSICA LINDEMAN ’97 • MICHAEL SCANLON ’00 CAROLINE RETTIG ’15 • GREG DUGDALE ’09 • AARON BANKS ’11 • ODETTE ZERO ’09 PARKER HERSHBERGER ’14 • KATIE MITZELL FAGAN ’02 • ADRIANNE SLASH ’98 • CHRISTOPHER KIRLES ’97 RACHEL BATES ’17 • WESTON MATATALL ’15 • LEAH LOVELY ’09 • JACOB ROOKSBY ’96 8

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GREG DUGDALE ’09 INTERVIEWED BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

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WORKS AT RALPH LAUREN CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY “EVERY ONE OF MY TEACHERS AT ORCHARD CAME UP WITH SOME WAY TO NURTURE MY CREATIVITY.”

The Orchard School recently caught up with Greg Dugdale ’09 to talk about his forever love of fashion and how his time at Orchard taught him to pursue his passions.

THERE WAS A NEW YORK FASHION WEEK EXPERIENCE OFFERED DURING THE ORCHARD AUCTION THIS YEAR. AND YOUR FORMER FIRST GRADE TEACHER/CURRENT MULTIAGE TEACHER, ELIZABETH PHILPOTT NAME-DROPPED YOU WHILE PROMOTING THE TRIP. SHE EVEN HELD UP A BAG SHE BOUGHT FROM YOU! HAVE YOU BEEN DESIGNING SINCE FIRST GRADE? I have been creating since I can remember. My parents were really supportive and signed me up for all different kinds of art classes to explore my interests! Fifth grade is really when I started to construct garments.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON HOW ORCHARD TEACHERS HONORED AND FOSTERED YOUR LOVE OF ART AND DESIGNING? Every one of my teachers at Orchard came up with some way to nurture my creativity. Throughout my time at Orchard, Gail Emerich fostered my love for art in all aspects. She taught me how to knit...I was so bad at it in the beginning. I don’t know how she stayed so calm teaching me! She also taught me how to dye with Kool-Aid, sculpt with clay, use watercolors, and many other artistic techniques.

In seventh or eighth grade I remember Mrs. (Terri) Wallace letting us create something that tied back

to one of the books we read over the year. I made a dress; one side of it was neckties.

Spirit week was the best week at Orchard. I made outfits to coordinate with the days and had so much fun!

NOW YOU WORK IN NEW YORK CITY AT ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL BRANDS IN FASHION. THAT MUST FEEL LIKE A DREAM COME TRUE. Being in New York City and working for Ralph Lauren is just the beginning for me. It is part of the dream, but there are many other parts of the dream that are yet to come.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? In my role as Assistant for Raw Materials for the Polo Factory Store (a Ralph Lauren outlet), I work with designers to select fabric for garments. I also assist with some fabrications for the Parent Line, which is what you see in stores. A typical day for me involves color approvals (known as lab dips) for fabrics before they go into bulk production. I also liaise with partners overseas, oversee fittings, submit fabric development packages, and source local fabrics for prototype samples, which are garment mock ups made in advance of production.

FINALLY, WE ALL NEED TO KNOW, HAVE YOU MET RALPH LAUREN HIMSELF? I wish I could say I’ve met him, but I have only seen him in passing. I did say hi to him once and he said hi back!

A FEW YEARS AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE ORCHARD SCHOOL, YOU WON A VERY PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FROM SCHOLASTIC. OUT OF 1,600+ STUDENTS NATIONALLY, YOU WERE ONE OF THE 15 CREATIVE TEENS WHO RECEIVED THE PORTFOLIO GOLD AWARD FOR YOUR PIECE CALLED ”PINNED.” WHAT DID THE AWARD ENTAIL? Being a Scholastic Award recipient was a dream come true. There was a recognition ceremony at Carnegie Hall, where I met Meryl Streep, who announced my award!

My entire portfolio went on a world tour, and I earned a monetary scholarship for college.

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GREG LOVELY LEAH DUGDALE ’09’09

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

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GRADUATE OF THE ORCHARD SCHOOL RECEIVES UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI’S OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD IN SCHOOL COUNSELING

Leah Lovely ’09 is the 2019–20 master’s recipient of the Outstanding Award in Student Counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout her experiences within the school counseling program, Leah has made it a priority to grow as a counselor and individual while working to build rapport with students, collaborate with key stakeholders, and establish lasting relationships with her peers.

Leah serves on the executive board for the Upsilon Chi Chi chapter of Chi Sigma Iota as the School Counseling Liaison. She was also selected to be a fellow in the PRI-Care Fellowship Program, where she has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout the program.

Upon graduation, Leah plans to begin her career as an elementary or middle school counselor in the Cincinnati area. Way to go, Leah!

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GREG DUGDALE JESSICA LINDEMAN ’09 ’97

BY JAMES LAYNE, INTERVIEWED

BY JAMES MARKETING LAYNE, & PR MARKETING COORDINATOR & PR COORDINATOR

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CHOSEN FOR INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL’S FORTY UNDER 40 HONOR. ”ORCHARD HELPED BY ALLOWING ME TO FOLLOW MY OWN PATH, THINK CREATIVELY, AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY.” Earlier this year, Indianapolis Business Journal released its 2020 class of Forty Under 40. This list highlights rising stars in the Indianapolis community. The Orchard School is thrilled to see that Jessica Lindemann ’97 made the list!

After graduating from Orchard, Jessica had quite an impressive educational journey. She followed up her time at North Central High School by attending Indiana University and graduating with the highest distinction. After that, Jessica left the Hoosier State for the Bay State where she earned her J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School. She was also a notes editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Today, Jessica works in Indianapolis as a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. For five consecutive years, she has been selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers. According to the Super Lawyers website, ”This peer designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. The Rising Stars selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors.”

Catch up with Jessica in our Q&A below as we discuss lifelong skills she learned at Orchard, her time at Harvard, and much more.

CONGRATS ON YOUR RECENT FORTY UNDER 40 AWARD! Thank you! It is obviously a huge honor, and I felt humbled to see the achievements of my fellow award winners.

THE ’90s SEEM LIKE A SPECIAL DECADE FOR ORCHARD. QUITE A FEW ALUMS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD HAVE RECEIVED THIS HONOR. DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE FROM YOUR CLASS OR THAT DECADE? I am not surprised that there have been other successful alums – we had a great class. Orchard encourages creative and outside-the-box thinking as well as relationship building, and I think those skills often translate to success in various endeavors.

Meredith White (Thornburg), who was my best friend during my Orchard days, is my partner at Barnes. She was actually my first connection with the firm when we moved back to Indianapolis.

There are a number of Orchard grads from my class and my sister’s class who are either lawyers in town or have kids around the same age and live in the same area, so I run into a number of Orchard folks fairly often.

HOW DOES ORCHARD’S PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION STILL IMPACT YOUR LIFE TODAY? I think Orchard helped by allowing me to follow my own path, think creatively, and work collaboratively.

The focus on athletics and the outdoors has also stayed with me my entire life. Although I have no memory of it, apparently I used to walk in circles in the classroom (something I imagine only Orchard would allow). Now I have a treadmill desk at work, so apparently things haven’t changed that much.

Orchard instilled a deep sense of commitment to the community that sticks with me today. I try to help out where I can and really value serving others.

YOU GRADUATED FROM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, J.D., MAGNA CUM LAUDE. ORCHARD AND HARVARD SHARE PARALLEL PHILOSOPHIES IN MISSION STATEMENTS. DID YOU NOTICE A CORRELATION BETWEEN YOUR FOUNDATIONAL EDUATION AND YOUR FINAL FORMAL EDUCATION? Both places valued questioning at a deep level, emphasized the importance of different perspectives, and valued commitment to service.

A lot of law involves looking creatively at new problems, and I think Orchard equipped me well to do that.

THE FORTY UNDER 40 AWARDS ARE ALWAYS ANNOUNCED AROUND THE SAME TIME AS ORCHARD’S PANCAKE BREAKFAST. DO YOU REMEMBER TAPPING TREES AT ORCHARD? ALSO, MRS. SHELLHAAS SAYS HELLO! I not only remember the trees, my family tries to make it back for the Pancake Breakfast every year.

We were there this year and loved visiting with former classmates as well as friends who are not affiliated with the school!

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE TO ORCHARD’S CLASS OF 2020?

Try to enjoy the process of learning. Take some risks–explore things that interest you, even if they are hard.

Value, appreciate, and work to maintain the relationships you build with your classmates and this community.

You are very fortuate to have this education as a foundation, and with that comes the responsibility to continue learning, growing, and giving back to your community in whatever way speaks to you.

Click here to read Jessica’s interview with the IBJ.

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GREG DUGDALE ’09 CELEBRATING DEB THORNBURGH

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

In late December, The Orchard School’s Development Director Deb Thornburgh stepped down from her role to explore a new chapter filled with happy family and life transitions, including a local move into a new home, and a family wedding on the horizon. While you may know Deb most recently as our development director, she has been with us at The Orchard School in many key roles over the years: as a parent and a grandparent; as a co-chair of The Orchard School’s garden show Orchard in Bloom; as president of the Parents' Association; and as the founder and director of the Imagine Program, the program component of our school’s Dignity Center. Deb’s first job at Orchard was to oversee the implementation of the Dignity Center, so it was very fitting to celebrate her one last time in that same space! Thank for all of your hard work for The Orchard School, Deb!

2020 RETIREMENT NEWS For 32 years, Julie Wingate has introduced preschool students to progressive education. She’s touched the lives of countless Orchard families, colleagues, and friends. Click here to read her farewell letter to The Orchard School family and look for a full story on her incredible career in the fall/winter Orchard Almanac.

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL HOSTS THE 15TH ANNUAL STUDENT DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

BY LISA PRYOR, DEAN OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

On March 6, the Indianapolis Area Private Schools Diversity Consortium held the 15th Annual Student Diversity Leadership Conference in the Steve Thompson Gym at The Orchard School. Students from Orchard, University High School, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, St. Richard’s Episcopal School, Park Tudor, and Cathedral High School attended the studentled conference.

The conference kicked off with keynote speaker David Gibson Jr., who is one of the nation’s most powerful voices of inspiration as founder of EiAM, Elevation Is A Must. He is on a mission to help leaders envision greater possibilities and experience greater realities. You can read more about David here.

Students led breakout sessions designed to help them make an impact on their school communities; it was great to see Orchard graduates leading some of these sessions!

Click here to read more and see videos and photos.

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GREG DUGDALE ’09 ORCHARD’S ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

It was a beautiful March morning for pancakes! More than 600 people came to the Pancake Breakfast hosted by The Orchard School’s Alumni Heritage Association.

From alumni to current students, and from faculty and staff to friends of the school, thank you for supporting Orchard and spending your Sunday morning with us. We hope you enjoyed the perfect weather, tours of the new Orchard Makerspace, and lots of pancakes soaked with syrup gathered and created by students from The Orchard School.

That’s a wrap for the first Pancake Breakfast of the decade. See you next year, Owls!

Click here to view more photos from the 2020 Pancake Breakfast.

After you watch the video and see the photos, find out how syrup is made at The Orchard School!

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MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE PARTIED AT THE WILLOWS TO SUPPORT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL Thank you for making The Orchard School’s 2020 Auction One Great Night! Orchard Owls rocked The Willows on Friday, Feb. 7, with more than 300 people dancing to the best music (Dave & Rae!) and the most clever auction assistants ever, Multiage Preschool teacher Elizabeth Philpott and brand-new sixth grade English teacher Scott Meyer. Way to go, Orchard!

More than 40 Orchard teachers and staff attended for free thanks to our $5,000 teacher and table sponsors Brooksource, Alyce and LG Edwards, Larry Howald Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing; and Lumina Foundation, plus presenting sponsor The National Bank of Indianapolis and Diamond Capital Management supports every effort, all year long of The Orchard School Parents’ Association.

We also got a chance to honor those who’ve given so much to The Orchard School, the winners of The Orchard School Heritage Awards for 2019–2020: Karen Dean, Gordon H. Thompson LIfetime Achievement; Ann Merkel of The National Bank of Indianapolis and Diamond Capital Management, Distinguished Friend; Rick Roberts, Bruce A. Chalker ’65 Distinguished Volunteer, and Alyce Edwards, Exemplar of Excellence. Distinguished Alumna Mary Bookwalter ’62 and Distinguished G.O.L.D. (Graduate of the Last Decade) Sophia Pruitt ’17 where honored in October.

Click here to read more and view photos.

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HANDS-ON. EXPERIENTIAL.

STUDENT-CENTERED. THIS IS PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL HERE’S THE SCOOP: ORCHARD PRESCHOOL TEACHERS SPRINKLE ACADEMICS THROUGHOUT STUDENT-LED PROJECT

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

One of the most important things you can do for preschool-age children is to honor their natural curiosity.

This will spark a love of learning that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The best way to ensure this happens on a daily basis is to have incredible teachers.

Whenever we ask alumni what they miss the most about their time at Orchard, they almost always say their teachers. Here we shine a light on what can happen when you create a classroom environment where students feel like their voices are heard and they’re part of the learning process.

Students in Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Lapworth-Kuehl’s preschool classroom have been playing “ice cream shop” during recess for so long that it was time to put the cherry on top and make it an official business!

Orchard teachers keep a close eye on benchmarks, but they also understand each child is different, so the curricular journey has to be able to flex from time to time, leaving room to discover students’ passions.

Because when students love what they’re doing, the sky’s the limit when teachers integrate academics.

Ice cream quickly became the talk of the town for this particular classroom. Here are some #OnlyatOrchard ways that teachers sprinkled academics throughout the process for the students.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL TENETS OF PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION

DRAMATIC PLAY Students used a wood-framed house like an ice cream shop during outdoor recess. This was a fun addition to the mix!

COMMUNITY At this age, students are just starting to grasp that the world is bigger than their everyday surroundings. This was a perfect opportunity to take a field trip to Graeter’s Ice Cream. Before the trip, students thought of essential questions they would need to know in order to open and operate a shop in their classroom.

ART/LITERACY After the name Rainbow Sparkle Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop was voted as the winner, it was time to create a logo, table settings, and menus! Students loved designing these products while learning how to spell their favorite flavors, such as rainbow sherbet and cotton candy. Yum!

SCIENCE/MATH Students made homemade ice cream with science teacher Mrs. Prusinski! They learned what ingredients were needed and how to measure them appropriately.

MATH/SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL During morning meeting, students gathered together to count and sort favorite flavors. They also voted on a name for the shop!

And, as always, all voices were heard!

MATH Sorting favorite flavors from their field trip! Can’t go wrong with chocolate chip...

MATH Running a cash register is important for any shop. The group decided that each item would be one dollar. This made for age-appropriate addition and subtraction problems when customers came to the window.

The shop sold bowls or cones, three flavors of ice cream, and three different toppings.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS, READ ALL THE PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION TENETS, AND WATCH 23 THE CLASS PROMOTIONAL VIDEO.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL Orchard Students Plant 1,000 Tulips to Make a Positive Impact in the Community

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR & VICKI PRUSINSKI, ORCHARD SCIENCE TEACHER

Earlier this year, Orchard science teacher Mrs. Prusinski challenged first graders to think of ways they could help the community. One idea that emerged was that flowers would make people feel happy. The group decided to do a beautification project with tulips! They found space in The Orchard School’s parking lot to plant 1,000 tulips. They sketched a plan, did the math, and dug their hands in the dirt to lay the groundwork for a beautiful display.

Originally, these flowers were going to be distributed to teachers during Teacher & Staff Appreciation Day; instead they were delivered to residents of a local nursing home.

What a lovely way to help our larger Indianapolis community and to share the love that continues to make The Orchard School such a special place.

We are all in this together!

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

After the first frost of fall, students Next the first graders measured the bed to determine how many tulip bulbs cleared the bed of last year's would be needed. Their answer, “One thousand tulip bulbs!� Students set down a annuals. grid and planted bulbs with the proper space for them to grow.

In early February, the first of the bulbs emerged and by March the bed was greening. On Monday, March 30, the first bloom appeared! The bed continued to bloom throughout the spring.

In March, students thought it would be fun to give some of the flowers to people who might not be able to get to The Orchard School to see the blooms. After school had to close, science teacher Mrs. Prusinski and first grade teacher Mrs. Vorenberg completed the final step: they harvested a small section of the flowerbed and created 17 bouquets to take to Hooverwood Living. A student made a few signs to convey heart-felt messages from fellow classmates along with the results of their project.

They grew so fast!

Click here to see more photos from the first grade tulip project.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL Classroom Pop-In: The Science of Creating Clean Water

BY JAMES LAYNE, MARKETING & PR COORDINATOR

Students in Mr. Mitchell’s sixth-grade science class are full of energy for this lesson. Their excitement spills into the hallway as joyful oohs and aahs pour out of their classroom. This is always a good sign at The Orchard School, and it is the perfect moment for an #OrchardClassroomPopIn! Two seconds after walking in the door, a student with an out-of-breath smile asks, “Is this water cleaner than hers!? Come on…I NEED to know!” Then another student announces with confidence to the entire classroom, “First try! HA!” These students are knee-deep in a water study after Mr. Mitchell showed the award-winning documentary, Who Owns Water. The film is about three southern states in a battle over the fresh water of the Chattahoochee River, and it is a kick-off to Mr. Mitchell’s study of water and water scarcity.

This afternoon, students are designing a water purification system to make muddy water as clean as possible by using basic materials from around the classroom. Everyone races to score a number four on Mr. Mitchell’s rubric, meaning the water is completely clean. And nobody wants to score a one, meaning three-fourths of the dirt remains.

Diving into trial and error can be very frustrating, especially for middle school-age children, but activities like this can help keep students engaged and coming back for more. “It’s OK for you to try something more than 10 times,” Mr. Mitchell said. “That’s science!”

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MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

Click here to see more photos from the middle school water project.

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PROGRESSIVE. ENGAGING.

CONNECTED. THIS IS REMOTE LEARNING AT ORCHARD. On March 11, The Orchard School made a proactive decision to close school and launch remote learning to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff, and students from COVID-19. Teachers worked hard to refine and expand remote learning plans that align with our mission to develop and educate the whole child.

Our model might have looked different during these times, but our ability to adapt and learn did not. The opportunity to innovate while supporting the greater good provided positive learning moments for everyone during this temporary chapter.

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Left: Early Childhood & Elementary School Director Hal Schwartz delivers a remote learning podcast.

March 12: Teachers and teams join together to refine The Orchard School’s remote learning plan.

Left: People of Color | LGBTQIA+ Student Union Zoom meeting with Orchard’s Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lisa Pryor.

Look for more information about Remote Learning at The Orchard School in our fall-winter Almanac.

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL COMMUNITY STAYED SOCIALLY DISTANCED BUT CONTINUALLY

CONNECTED In true Orchard fashion, our amazing community embraced this unique and uncertain time with love and compassion.

Teachers and administators went above and beyond to maintain connections with students and the community.

Clap Along as Orchard Teachers Share the ‘Happy’ with Lip-Sync Video on Teacher Appreciation Day We all know teachers at The Orchard School are the best, but did you know they’re also excellent lipsyncers?

This video embodies the fun-loving spirit that we all appreciate about Orchard teachers. And in true Orchard fashion, they did this for their students.

Watch now.

Orchard’s Tech Director Helps Develop 3D-Printed Split Ventilator Systems With Doctors at IU Health Dr. Tobin Greensweig of Indiana University Health is working to prepare for what he believes will be an inevitable need. “As COVID-19 cases pile up, including at the Indiana University hospitals, our team has been working incredibly hard to get a safe and effective split ventilator system ready to ventilate multiple patients with a single ventilator,” Greensweig published in his blog on March 30.

Read more.

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Orchard EC-ES Director Debut’s “Remotefun” Inspired by George Ezra’s “Shotgun” Early Childhood and Elementary School Director Hal Schwartz figured we could all use some fun so he wrote a little song for the Orchard community. The song is called “Remotefun,” and it was inspired by “Shotgun” by George Ezra.

Rumor has it that Hal is officially working on his NOW: That’s What I Call Quarantine, Vol. 1 CD. We’ll keep you posted!

Watch now.

New Podcast from The Orchard School’s Directors Hal Schwartz and Angie Brothers, “Directors Unite!”

The Orchard School’s Director of Early Childhood and Elementary School Hal Schwartz and Director of Middle School Angie Brothers team up to discuss life and school under quarantine. They also answer some questions from their listeners and, as always, find a way to sprinkle a little fun into the mix!

Watch now.

Last Day of School Parade On May 20, The Orchard School took inspiration from the big race as families cruised in an Orchard Car Parade on our “track” around the bell tower.

More than 300 Orchard families came to the end-of-the year celebration! Cruisers decked out their cars in green and gold decorations, while signs displayed messages of love for teachers and the school we all miss so much.

Read more.

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CLASS OF

2020

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The end of the school year was anything but normal for The Orchard School’s class of 2020.

Look for a full story in the fall-winter Almanac about these graduating eighth graders, their year-end celebrations, and a first-of-its-kind graduation at Tibbs Drive-In Theater.

Please join us in celebrating each student in The Orchard School’s Class of 2020: Jonah Ardayfio

Ethan Evans

Ian Kuchinski

Hanna Barr

Lucas Ferrugia

Neiman Kumler

Julian Bell

Alia Garron

Emma Laborsky

Myles Berry

Grant Goodburn

John McLaughlin

Katy Bethanis

Pablo Gudino-Martinez

Crew Morgan

Charles Boldt

Ben Haneline

Lila Nanagas

Aiden Brown

Katy Jayne Hague

Elise Pierle

Anna Brown

Paola Henriquez

Cat Pless

Sabien Cain

Evangeline Herron

Katie Polston

Michael Campbell

Von Holden

Rishab Prakash

Danny Cardwell

Ben Holmes

Katie Pritchard

Braden Carlock

Jack Holtrup

Sam Sherman

Atticus Caress

Zane Kampmeier

Mariana Spalding-Price

Kiehl Christopher

Will Kerker

Muiz Rana

Katie Cotterill

Josie Killian

Rachel Rodecap

Peyton Cummings

Josie Kirk

Josie Studley

Claire Curran

Zoe Koeberlein

Tailor Taylor

Giada Eberflus

Kate Koschnick

Cameron Todd

Ava Esteb

Lukas Kraft

Isabella Wilburn

Visit orchard.org/orchardgrads2020 for more about the class of 2020.

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Across our country and city, families are suffering the effects of economic hardship.

We want to help our Orchard community and our greater Indianapolis community.

We knew The Orchard School community would rally together to help support Orchard families in need, but your generosity blew us away. You helped THANK YOU raise more than $90,000 on Green & ORCHARD COMMUNITY! Gold Day of Caring on May 20! The funds Thanks to our generous raised during Green & Gold Day of Caring community, we reached our will provide tuition assistance for current $60,000 goal in record time! We families whose economic circumstances increased our goal to $80,000 in may have changed due to the global hopes we could continue to raise pandemic. funds to help Orchard families in need.

We’re thankful to our dollar-for-dollar

BY THE END OF THE DAY, THE ORCHARD COMMUNITY RAISED

matching gift donors who generously offered $40,000! Matching gifts were made possible by Matt & Emily Huntley, Mary Lou Hurst, Will Lawson & Stephanie Goodrid Lawson, three anonymous donors, and jointly by the Board of Governors and Board of Trustees.

MORE THAN $90,000.

Another special thank-you goes to Orchard’s Alumni Heritage Association for their generous gift of $5,000 on Green & Gold Day of Caring. Thank you for your continued support of Orchard!

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The Orchard School’s Day of Caring Crushed Two Goals

and Raised More Than $90,000

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THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CAPITAL CAMPAIGN !!

ED ND

U

F LY R A E

N

NATURAL PLAYGROUND UPGRADE FACILITIES

NATURAL PLAYGROUND

Keeping with one of Orchard’s main tenets, the playground will feature natural materials and be oriented toward the creative exploration of nature.

92%

$1,200,000 RAISED $1,310,000 NEEDED

SUPPORT FOR FACULTY INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE By investing in our teachers through this permanently endowed fund, we will ensure that Orchard remains competitive in recruiting the very best talent while providing continuededucation and leadership opportunities.

to goal

SUPPORT FOR FACULTY

33% to goal

$1,171,573.74 RAISED $3,500,000 NEEDED

ACCESS FOR STUDENTS INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE This fund will offer families an Orchard education by breaking down financial barriers. The investment income generated from gifts to this fund will allow the school to be responsive to the needs of today and tomorrow.

SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

31% to goal

$927,632.14 RAISED $3,000,000 NEEDED

!

ED!

LY

FUL

D FUN

FRED LORENZ MAKERSPACE UPGRADE FACILITIES

FRED LORENZ MAKERSPACE

The Makerspace will mark a return to the work of beloved legendary shop teacher Fred Lorenz, who helped to empower generations of Orchard students by giving them the tools and support to design and build their visions.

108%

$1,614,532.72 RAISED $1,500,000 NEEDED

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of goal

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

GREEN INITIATIVES UPGRADE FACILITIES

GREEN INITIATIVES

“Nature as Teacher” is one of The Orchard School’s most treasured guiding principles.

To ensure that all aspects of our school reflect this foundational value, Orchard is in need of capital support for a sustainable campus.

10%

$51,355.47 RAISED $500,000 NEEDED

TEC

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS UPGRADE FACILITIES

TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS

Orchard is committed to expanding and enhancing security features to remain safe, user-friendly, and updated at all times.

69%

$208,368.02 RAISED $300,000 NEEDED

LY

FUL

to goal

!!

FU

ED ND

to goal

GENERAL ENDOWMENT INVEST IN THE FUTURE

GENERAL ENDOWMENT

Gifts to the general endowment help to offset the school’s budget by providing muchneeded, reliable operating support year after year.

103%

$1,025,140.28 RAISED $1,000,000 NEEDED

AREA OF GREATEST NEED INVEST IN THE FUTURE Gifts designated to the area of greatest need will allow the school to advance any area of the campaign when and where it is needed.

$1,830,002.49 RAISED

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of goal

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL’S CAPITAL CAMPAIGN We have reached our fundraising goal to break ground on three new natural playgrounds this summer! ​ The Orchard School’s 43 acres have always been an invaluable resource in our teaching and learning, and key to our commitment to “Nature as Teacher.” As we look ahead to the future, our outdoor spaces and expanding practices of integrating outdoor education into our program will be more important than ever as we plan for a return to school that is guided by public health and safety guidelines.

We’re all very excited to know that these spaces can be a part of our collective planning to support playing, teaching, and learning in the fall. The playground designs, which include new elements and equipment that promote creative play and exploration, also include three amphitheaters with ample seating that we will be able to utilize as additional outdoor teaching spaces. We will be working across the summer to complete the project in time for the first day of school on Aug. 18. Many, many thanks to our donors who have made this possible, and to our Orchard community for its deep commitment to philanthropy in support of students.

You’ll have a chance to leave your mark on the playground! This summer, we’ll offer special opportunities to contribute to the completion of the project and even to name playground pieces for your family! Be on the lookout for more information.

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS

MIDDLEMIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS

CLIMBING WALL HILL WITH SLIDE AND ROCK CLIMB

CLIMBING WALL

CLIMBING WALL CLIMBING WALL CLIMBING WALL CLIMBING WALL

HILL WITH SLIDE AND ROCK CLIMB

HILL WITH SLIDE AND ROCK CLIMB HILL WITH SLIDE ANDROCK ROCK CLIMB CLIMBING WALL HILL HILL WITH SLIDE CLIMB WITH SLIDE ANDAND ROCK CLIMB CLIMBING WALLWITH SEATING UPDATE PLANTER BOXES AND ADDED COLOR HILL WITH SLIDE AND ROCK CLIMB

WALL

GAGA PIT

UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING AND ADDED COLOR

GAGA PIT UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING GAGA PIT PIT UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING GAGA UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH GAGA SEATING AND ADDED COLOR PIT UPDATEAND PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING ADDED AND ADDED COLOR ANDCOLOR ADDED COLOR ANDGAGA ADDEDPIT COLOR

UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING AND ADDED COLOR

GAGA PIT

GAGA PIT

GAGA PIT

UPDATE PLANTER BOXES WITH SEATING AND ADDED COLOR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM OUTDOOR CLASSROOM OUTDOOR CLASSROOM OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY ELEMENTS

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL SUNDIAL ANALEMMATIC

TABLETABLE TENNIS TENNIS

TABLE TENNIS TABLETABLE TENNIS TENNIS

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

TABLE TENNIS

TABLE TENNIS

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

TABLE TENNIS

LANTER BOXES WITH SEATING D COLOR

HILL WITH SLIDE AND ROCK CLIMB

TREE DECK

TREE DECK

TREE DECK

GAGA PIT ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

TREE DECK

CLIMBING WALL FOUR SQUARE FOUR SQUARE

FOUR SQUARE

FOUR SQUARE FOUR SQUARE

FOUR SQUARE

FOUR SQUARE

CORN HOLE

CORN HOLE BOXES WITH SEATING CORN HOLE UPDATE PLANTER

AND ADDED CORN HOLE COLOR

CORN HOLE CORN HOLE

CORN HOLE

GAME TABLES GAGA PIT GAME TABLES

GAME TABLES

GAME TABLES GAME TABLES

GAME TABLES

CORN HOLE

GAME TABLES

GAME TABLES

GAZEBO

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

C SUNDIAL

TREE DECK

TREE DECK TREE DECK TREE DECK TREE DECK

TABLE TENNIS

DECK GAMETREE TABLES

ANALEMMATIC SUNDIAL

GAZEBO

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TREE DECK

GAZEBO GAZEBO

GAZEBO

GAZEBO

GAZEBO

GAZEBO

GAZEBO

LEAVE YOUR LEGACY AT

THE ORCHARD SCHOOL

The Gordon H. Thompson Society, named for our beloved head of school who served for 45 years, recognizes donors who have included Orchard in their estate or life-income plans. By informing the school of your plans, you help the school’s strategic planning and ensure that your intentions are understood and fulfilled.

Have you considered The Orchard School in your estate plans?

Contact Karrie Zuccarello at kzuccarello@orchard.org for more information about leaving your legacy at The Orchard School.

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Orchard families enjoyed a car parade around the green to celebrate the last day of school on May 20.

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