Update Upper School Curriculum Enhancements

Goal two of the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan “seeks to further enhance the student experience by increasing college readiness and career exposure” by creating a stronger alignment between our curriculum and the college preparatory process. In light of this, there have been some exciting ongoing changes within the Upper School curriculum.

By Shoshana Krieger-Joven

By default, all of our classes, starting in 9th grade and even earlier, will be informed by the IB philosophy, cultivating a greater love of learning, fostering critical thinking skills, and making connections across disciplines and to the real world.

these efforts have been focused in three primary directions: Increased flexibility and expanded options within elective areas, expanding options in the form of “Senior Seminars,” and further emphasizing the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

Starting from 9th grade, students now have access to almost the full range of our elective options, and the “Arts” graduation requirement has been reframed as a “Creative Thinking” requirement. Students can take classes across the Visual Arts, the Performing Arts, and Computer Science in any combination. Additionally, many of those classes are now being offered on a semester basis, allowing students to take three or four electives in a single year and explore their interests earlier and in more depth than ever before. Students can truly highlight their personal strengths and interests while supporting their extracurricular activities and adding a greater range to their curriculum beyond the core classes.

Our English and History departments have developed Senior Seminars to provide even more college preparatory options for our students who are not enrolled in IB English or History. These classes are taught on a semester basis at a pace and level of rigor that mimics what they might find in a college class. Seniors take two Seminars per year in English, and can choose to take at least one History Seminar as an extension of their graduation requirement. The range of topics covered gives students more voice in creating a meaningful academic experience, and the one-semester structure allows for even greater flexibility. Colleges value the way that these classes highlight specific student interests and give students early exposure to the pace of a college class.

As we build a more robust IB curriculum, more students will be able to engage with the program. While this naturally necessitates pulling back on the AP curriculum, doing so will raise the quality of all of our classes across the IB, Advanced, and College Preparatory levels. By default, all of our classes, starting in 9th grade and even earlier, will be informed by the IB philosophy, cultivating a greater love of learning, fostering critical thinking skills, and making connections across disciplines and to the real world. Colleges will know that every student’s grades mean more than having produced correct answers a certain number of times.

The best college results stem from building a curriculum that most enhances a student’s strengths and interests. We encourage students who want a deeper challenge to consider engaging with the IB program in some capacity, but not every student will be successful at that level. It is important to note that all of our classes are designed to prepare students for a rigorous college education. With the increased availability of unique electives and Senior Seminars tailored to different interests and strengths, students at all levels of our curriculum can build a varied and compelling transcript that will represent them well in the college process.

By Eden White

Imagine this movie premise:

acharismatic teenager, let’s say Jane—ordinarily outgoing and vivacious—is asked to speak about a vital subject she is passionate about in front of the entire high school student body. Her immediate response? “No way! NO ONE WOULD LISTEN, EVERYONE WOULD LAUGH, MY FRIENDS WOULD TEASE ME, THAT’S HORRIFYING.” The personal narrative and emotional angst goes on.

Once Jane returns home that evening, she struggles with the decision not to speak but feels too paralyzed to change it. She dreams of being able to share her truths, to be admired and supported by her peers. Jane fantasizes about feeling empowered through her talents, would give anything to share them and be received safely, and know, somehow know, that she is special. If only everyone understood—if only her community truly saw her for all she was. If only there were a safe place among her peers, teachers, and students who seemed so different and didn’t pay her much attention. If only… continued on next page

Deans Corner: The CoffeeHouse

this year, Portledge introduced four deans to the Upper School, creating what has become known to students as the Dean Team: Shoshana Krieger-Joven, Shelly Kaye, Eden White, and Gregory Barton (in order, as pictured above). This new program was put in place out of a desire to maintain what is so special about Portledge. To that end, the Deans have helped enhance initiatives in community service, character formation, college counseling, student leadership, and student enjoyment, all of which are also part of the three-year Strategic Plan.

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Welcome to the Portledge CoffeeHouse. An initiative suggested by Chris Disimile and created and cultivated by the Dean Team, Portledge CoffeeHouse by design would only have three rules:

1. THIS IS A “SHARE,” not a “SHOW.”

2. NO BOOING or heckling— CHEERING ONLY.

3. NO PARENTS ALLOWED. This was for the students.

We asked Upper School students to volunteer or share something in a casual setting that they were proud of or wanted to explore further. A song, a piece of art, spoken word poetry, anything that represented them in a way others may not know them. We assured the students there would be no room for critique, only support. The first ever Portledge CoffeeHouse Evening was not a concert, a performance, or an exam. It was not something to put on their college resume or something to be judged. There were no deadlines or rubrics other than to be present and support everyone in the room. What a concept!

The first CoffeeHouse was met with huge success. With a total of 50 students and many supportive faculty who attended by choice, the magic began. Students who are not necessarily in band, orchestra, or theater stood up to share their talents-—and were met each time with thunderous applause. The order of those who shared was pulled out of a hat, no best, no worst, no curated list to ensure a perfect set list. Even some Lower School children of faculty were in attendance, soaking up the beautiful, supportive energy in the room and learning what it feels like when big kids and grown-ups support one another. And if that wasn’t enough of a success…

Then came the second one, which nearly doubled in size. Bahnik Hall was filled to capacity with students ranging from athletes who started a band to students who had never stepped onto a stage before. Some are even in the midst of writing rock operas for IB Music.

But the Deans worried. Would this change the dynamic from last time? Would so many different types of kids create a vastly different feeling from the first CoffeeHouse? Would students back out because they felt intimidated by those students they ordinarily were afraid to share in front of?

Absolutely not. It was bigger, better, and even more supportive—more erupting cheers and standing ovations for each and every student: soccer players playing instruments who had never played music; musicians who had never seen athletes play the saxophone, and students who never knew they were poets but had something important to say.

Most importantly, let’s not forget the real-life Jane referenced in the movie script above. Who was so afraid to speak in front of her peers and agonized about it.

“Jane” got up tentatively as her name was pulled and announced. Legs shaking, the music began, and Jane began to sing. By the second line, she sang like her life depended on it. A

As the final note came, the room was silent and completely still; everyone had steadfastly hung onto every note and lyric, suspended in awe. Tears streamed from students’ and teachers’ faces alike. ” song from The Color Purple entitled “I’m Here.” She was strong, beautiful, vulnerable, real, committed, and lifted by her community.

As the final note came, the room was silent and completely still; everyone had steadfastly hung onto every note and lyric, suspended in awe. Tears streamed from students’ and teachers’ faces alike, and at the end, Jane was seen and heard like never before. The room erupted as one. Hearts burst universally in

Bahnik Hall that evening. Students who had barely acknowledged each other before the event with anything other than a nod of their heads left together, complimenting one another and begging to do it again.

No more fantasizing about being a unified community, no more movie scripts of teenagers wishing they mattered and could be heard. This is the real-life movie our students are creating for themselves. This is Portledge.

Ramsey C. ’23 has volunteered over 400+ hours at HorseAbility since her sophomore year at Portledge, and is a trained miniature horse handler. In April, HorseAbility brought two miniature horses to campus as a part of Ramsey’s senior project. Before their visit, Ramsey presented to the Middle School students about hippotherapy and equine therapy.

Stella G. ’24 spent the spring semester in Colorado, gaining real-world experience, including a 12-day and 14-day expedition in Utah. The latter of which she led!

We are delighted to share that Stephanie A. ’27 sang at the Apollo Theater in October!

Luke F. ’23 & Ming Rui (Abby) J. ’23 were both selected as National Merit Scholarship Competition Semifinalists. In February, it was announced that Luke had advanced on as a finalist and was featured in the Long Island Herald. This is a remarkable academic achievement for them both.

Special congratulations to Bonnie H. ’27, who is the youngest artist ever to have a solo exhibition at the Nassau Museum of Art. In December, Bonnie opened her exhibit, Young Art World, to a packed house, including several notable figures who spoke about her achievement. Additionally, state congressmen and local politicians sent letters of congratulations in her honor.

Chris H. ’24 was accepted to join the All-Eastern Orchestra Ensemble in 2023 in Rochester, NY. Students selected to perform in the 2023 All-Eastern Honors Ensembles will be the most musically talented high school students in the Eastern region of the United States and come from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe.

Aidan K. ’24 won two gold keys, two silver keys, and two honorable mentions in the New York regional competition for Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. His two gold key works were judged for the national competition.

In August of 2022, Chelsea H. ’25 started The Chelsea Foundation in an effort to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome stray dogs in Georgetown, Guyana, where her family is from. Chelsea visits Guyana two to three times a year and for a month in the summers. On her visits, she noticed the abundance of malnourished stray dogs, and this inspired her to make a change.

“I know I can’t solve the problem, but I want to try,” she said. And so she did! Giving back to the Guyana community is important to Chelsea, and she plans to keep this work going for her senior project and beyond. Learn more about The Chelsea Foundation at https://thechelseafoundation.net/

Tyler W. ’23 and Luca W. ’23 produced, scored, and starred in Neither Here Nor There, a contemporary Rock Opera. The show featured about a dozen other student musicians and was a rousing success!

Jessica Z. ’27 won first place in the Island Symphony Orchestra’s Young Performers Competition. The final round was on February 26th, and Jessica played Beethoven’s Concerto No 1. In April, she played the whole Concerto with the Island Symphony Orchestra.

The Athletic & Wellness Center represents a bold, school-wide commitment to develop and maintain healthy habits, experiences, and the education needed for our students to achieve a balanced and successful life.

What are the uses of the expanded multi-purpose court?

Primarily, this expansive space will be used by the whole school for the purpose of athletics and physical education. During the winter months, we will be able to hold multiple concurrent practices for basketball and combine these activities with other team sports’ needs. The space is also designed so that during inclement weather, soccer, baseball, and lacrosse can hold indoor practices in the fall and spring. The space itself is approximately 8,000 square feet, allowing it to be divided in two. The adjacent locker rooms will allow for separate changing rooms for home and visiting teams and office spaces and rooms for referees to use prior to games.

The building will also provide an exciting opportunity for summer program use. Once the building is complete, we intend to return with our summer programming (summer of 2024), and the Athletic and Wellness Center will be at the heart of that relaunch.

What will the new fitness center feature, and what is the approximate sq. footage?

Spanning almost 1,300 square feet, the new fitness center will be equipped with the latest in personal training equipment as well as a weight and conditioning space. This facility will allow individual athletes to train in specific areas of need and provide the opportunity for teams to work out together if the weather is inclement.

Currently, the Athletic Hall of Fame is housed in the T-area of the Wellington Gym. The lobby of the AWC will be the new home of the Athletic Hall of Fame.

We are excited to recognize our alumni and their athletic legacy in this new space, honoring our past as we celebrate our future.

Who will work in the office spaces?

The office spaces on both floors of the building will be more or less dedicated to members of the Athletic Department. The Athletic Director will have a dedicated space and will provide an administrative presence in the building during the school day. Other staff members will have office spaces as part of the classrooms housed in the technology and innovation wing adjacent to the multipurpose area.

What is happening in the Innovation Wing?

One of the most exciting opportunities presented by the building is that it allows us to continue to expand our STEAM offerings significantly. Our Science, Robotics, and Mathematics teams have all been incredibly successful in Long Island competitions in recent years, and this facility represents the evolution of those programs. In conjunction with professional development, workshops, and new materials and technology, these spaces will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that will enhance the learning profile of all students.

There are four classrooms on the upper level of the building. What classes will be offered in these spaces? Can you explain the technology that we will have in these spaces?

Each class will have a dedicated purpose. The new science laboratory will allow us to focus on our anatomy and physiology offerings and provide space for our International Baccalaureate Biology program. With time, this lab will also house the Anatomage Table allowing for highly sophisticated simulations regarding work on the human anatomy. This will be particularly attractive to those students who may be thinking about a career in medicine or science.

In addition, we are adding an immersive interactive space. This high-tech classroom space will house our Artificial Intelligence research laboratory and also allow for a classroom where scientific research is of central importance.

The third classroom will be dedicated to teaching health and wellness in a more traditional sense. Students will be taught to build wellness skills, manage stress, and develop mental and emotional wellness; the importance of nutrition and a physically active lifestyle; and how to make good decisions regarding drug and alcohol use. Eventually, there will be sections taught regarding entrepreneurial skills and leadership development in this classroom, connecting the current International Baccalaureate offering in Economics and the Peer Leadership Program to be launched in Fall of 2023.

Finally, the largest classroom space will house the Mindfulness area. Here students and faculty will work on techniques designed to help them prepare for high-stakes testing and other stressful tasks, as well as yoga and other mindfulness practices using our RULER curriculum, which was developed at Yale University and is currently being introduced in the Lower and Middle Schools, and has been successfully used in Upper School.

What are the new wellness offerings in the Athletic and Wellness facility?

As mentioned, the new building allows us to offer many new courses. Highly trained and qualified individuals will teach each. Our wellness curriculum is being developed and will be launched as part of a new department whose dedicated focus will be on this area of school life. The Peer Leadership Program, the RULER mindfulness program, and a new Physical Education curriculum are some specific ways in which this is currently happening.

The construction timing of the building could not be better as we all recognize that much needs to be done following the very difficult time we have all experienced with the recent pandemic. Much work is ahead of us as we attempt to restore the wellness of our children. These programs will, in turn, better prepare students for success in college. While Portledge remains committed to high levels of academic rigor, we also recognize that the so-called soft skills are also very important to success in school and life beyond.

This building is the architectural representation of a vision that focuses on student learning and how this connects to their well-being. The impact of these programs on students will be pronounced. As a result of the wellness programming, they will be more adaptable, calmer under stress, better able to communicate their needs, more confident, more creative, more decisive, innovative, and purposeful in their approach to life.