Only At Rowland Hall 2024

Dear Rowland Hall Community,

What a momentous year for our school! Two years after the launch of our extraordinary vision, Developing People the World Needs, we’re deep in the work of bringing to life this vision of what’s possible in education. Though I couldn’t possibly list every accomplishment of this school year, I want to highlight just a few of our notable achievements:

• The Lower School launched the 5-I Fifth-Grade Internship Program, connecting fifth graders with staff, administrative, and leadership teams for a yearlong authentic learning experience (see page 5).

• The Upper School introduced its first-ever engineering class—and had to add a second spring session to meet student demand (see page 9).

• This year's graduating class boasted the highest number of admits to highly selective colleges and universities of any graduating class in the past decade (check out a sampling on page 11). Additionally, 70% of graduates reported planning to pursue STEM majors in college and that Rowland Hall prepared them for these fields.

• Students helped lead diversity, equity, and inclusion work, participating in projects such as the eighth grade’s Resist: An Arts Cafe (see page 7); Weavers and Dreamers, our annual celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and the seventh grade’s Belonging Summit, where students connected with community members about the essential elements of belonging.

• We continued to build a community where everyone thrives—86% of families report feeling a sense of belonging at Rowland Hall.

• In April, we broke ground on the Richard R. Steiner Campus. Scheduled to open for the 2026–2027 school year, the Steiner Campus is designed for transformative education and will reunite all Rowland Hall students at one location for the first time since 1984.

• We launched the Center for Community Impact, which will educate, empower, and inspire students to become agents of positive change, as well as support our priority of being an indispensable partner to local educational institutions, nonprofits, and businesses (see page 10).

• Our Board of Trustees began strategic board realignment to better match the school's needs, thereby enhancing governance, diversity, and expertise.

I hope you enjoy this year’s highlights on the following pages and that as you read you feel a sense of pride in our school community. I am grateful to all who bring our vision to life, especially our dedicated faculty and staff, who create an extraordinary learning experience that prepares our students to be the people the world needs. We have much to celebrate—and much to look forward to.

With gratitude,

Mick Gee Head of School

ON THE COVER: Senior and AR Chemistry student Halle Baughman collects algae at the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility.

Did You Know?

In the 2023–2024 school year:

405 BEGINNING SCHOOL

1,008

blocks were used by 4PreK students in a model replica of the Utah State Capitol math story problems were solved by kindergartners

MIDDLE SCHOOL

52

58 elective choices were available for students

8

Salt Lake City community members were interviewed by eighth graders for Resist: An Arts Cafe

ATHLETICS

79%

5

LOWER SCHOOL

100

88

9

12

ARTS

students and six disciplines participated in Collage, an interdisciplinary Advanced Chamber Ensemble performance of Middle School and Upper School students participated on school sports teams

state championships were captured by our Upper School sports teams, making this the second year the school has hit this record (the first was 2007–2008)

pounds of puncturevine were gathered by fifth graders for the Jordan River Commission’s puncturevine eradication program

students presented and performed at Roar and Soar, the Lower School's weekly community assembly

UPPER SCHOOL ROWMARK

students were involved in Salt Lake City’s urban heat mapping campaign, from gathering temperature measurements to sharing results with the wider community

89%

85 students presented original research at professional science conferences in New Orleans and San Diego

of Middle School and Upper School students participated in the arts at school

podium finishes were claimed by Rowmark Ski Academy athletes

4

US National Championship titles were earned by Rowmark alums

Beginning School

YOUNG MINDS IN MOTION

Check Out What Our Mini Architects Can Do

Block structures are ever-present in Beginning School classrooms, but this year’s 4PreK students took them to new heights. This winter, 4PreK classes visited the Utah State Capitol to study its architectural features, from how its marble walls are built in a staggered pattern to how its pillars support ceiling and roof planks. Our budding architects then returned to campus to create their own models of the building. Working together, the students drew blueprints, decided which blocks and techniques they’d need to use, and got to work. The best part of the project? It went across the curriculum, encompassing fine-motor, math, and physics skills, and helping students learn to deal with setbacks. After all, what do you do if your model falls? You start again and don’t give up.

Tree Climbing: More Than Just Play

For beginning schoolers, a tree is never just a tree. It’s a mountain to be scaled. A secret hideaway. A new perspective on the world. Beyond a childhood pastime, though, tree climbing is a uniquely valuable way to support child development, and research has shown this one activity provides numerous benefits. Physically, it builds students’ endurance and strength while honing balance, coordination, spatial awareness, and proprioception (a fancy word that means awareness of your body’s position and movement in a space). Tree climbing is a safe way to develop risk tolerance and management (How high can I climb and feel safe to come back down?). It can even develop a child’s identity as an environmental steward (How do I climb this tree without harming it?). Tree-climbing benefits are so far-reaching, in fact, that the activity has become an enduring component of the Beginning School experience.

Lower School

EMPOWERING BRIGHT FUTURES

Successful Start to New Fifth-Grade Internship Program

This year, Rowland Hall fifth graders made a major difference across the school, thanks to the introduction of a new in-school leadership opportunity: the 5-I Fifth-Grade Internship Program. Rolled out in fall 2023, 5-I connects fifth graders with staff, administrative, and leadership teams for a yearlong authentic learning experience. In the program’s first year, 34 interns (more than half the fifth-grade class) supported 19 departments and teams across campus, making a real impact. Students planned, executed, and led events; tutored younger students; welcomed prospective families to campus; and provided behind-the-scenes support, among other tasks. Benefits for the fifth graders were as numerous as the projects. 5-I helped them stretch their leadership skills, explore their interests in a real-world environment, use their talents and knowledge, and learn the value of their voices.

Open Lab Hours Benefit Early STEM Learners

Since its opening in fall 2022, the McCarthey Campus’s TREC Lab (short for Technology, Robotics, Engineering, and Coding Lab) has been an exciting place for students to explore a variety of STEM projects in their specialty classes. This year, the lab expanded its offerings with Open Lab, free time set aside each week for students and classes who want to use the space to work on projects, access its tools and technology, or just enjoy free play with lab materials such as micro:bits, Scratch coding software, and 3D printers. This low-stakes, high-choice exploration time provides a new avenue for students to use the STEM-focused space, which helps our youngest tinkerers build familiarity with tech tools and their own capabilities, growing their confidence.

Middle School UNLEASHING POTENTIAL

Building a Better Bug Trap

From balsam woolly adelgids to fox squirrels, and field bindweed to quagga mussels, invasive species make life difficult for native species. This year, seventh-grade scientists took on the problem by designing and building traps that capture invasive insect species that compete for an ecosystem’s limited resources. Each student group picked a type of invasive insect, then, knowing all bugs can’t be caught the same way, began researching the best ways to capture their insects. This work was followed by a design-and-build process that resulted in early trap prototypes, which students then tested, adjusted, and perfected through the fall—just in time to present their designs to a real-world audience, University of Utah scientists, in November.

Curriculum Investments

Advanced Drawing and Painting

Arts in Action: Interdisciplinary Responses to Climate Science

Climate Science and Gardening

Designing and Building: Engineering with Toys and Clay

Fundamentals of Drawing and Painting

Introduction to App Development

Media Arts: Producing a Great Story

Physical Computing

Three-Dimensional Modeling and Printing with Robotic Explorations

Turning Resistance Into Art and Community

In honor of Black History Month, eighth graders examined the ideas of resistance and resilience through the work of Black activists. After meeting members of Utah’s Black community who visited campus to share their work, influences, and lives, students chose two activists to study—one from the present and one from the past. They examined what their subjects had in common, where their work or ideas differentiated, and how the idea of resistance in their activism may have morphed or changed over time. Students also chose the best creative methods to communicate the lives and impact of their subjects, including poetry, dance, art, and even cooking. Final projects were shared at Resist: An Arts Cafe, a special event at Publik Coffee that welcomed activists, families, faculty, and staff, strengthening connections between the school and our community.

Student Achievements and Accolades

• Three middle schoolers earned awards at the 2024 University of Utah Science and Engineering Fair: eighth grader Aimee Solzbacher, eighth grader Sophia Zhang, and sixth grader Lina Saleh

• Eighth grader JB Johnson de Lacy (pictured top right) was named a runner-up in the Inspired by Jane essay contest, held by the Natural History Museum of Utah in honor of Dr. Jane Goodall’s 90th birthday.

• Six Middle School debaters placed in this year’s Granite School District Debate Tournament: eighth graders Gregory House, Ada Tyser, and Reid Venkatesan (pictured center right), and seventh graders Scarlett Corey, Inaaya Syed, and Zoya Syed

• Seventh grader Deann Huang (pictured bottom right) participated in the Utah Symphony Salute to Youth solo competition, winning the Music Teachers National Association competition in the Junior Strings category and performing with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall in November. In April, Deann also won first place in the Prokofiev International Music Competition.

• Eighth graders Marin Bean and Andrea Sun and sixth grader Iris Ownbey were named to this year’s Utah All-State Junior High Orchestra. Marin and Andrea, along with eighth grader Isla McMahon, also participated at state in April, competing in the Chamber Orchestra category, where they received the highest rating possible. Additionally, Isla competed in and received the highest rating in the Piano Quartet category.

Upper School

LEADING THE WAY

Creating Knowledge Through Advanced Research Classes

This year’s Advanced Research (AR) courses have enabled students to dive into original research across a variety of topics. AR Chemistry students examined the unique ways algae is used as a wastewater treatment and a sustainable alternative in cement production, and presented their findings at the American Chemical Society’s spring conference. AR Biology students researched why androgen receptorlow triple-negative breast cancer is so aggressive, particularly for Black women, and worked to identify novel and actionable treatment targets. They presented their findings as a poster at the 2024 Annual Conference of the American Association of Cancer Research and submitted a journal manuscript for peer review. AR Humanities students pursued a range of research topics, crafting compelling, extensive arguments they then condensed into presentations for an end-of-semester mini-conference. And AR Debate students took on the International Public Policy Forum’s global essay contest for the first time, submitting and defending seven different essays on the topic of government-provided universal basic income—and advancing all the way to the Sweet 16 round, out of 311 schools from 26 countries. We look forward to continuing these classes and introducing AR Computational and Mathematical Sciences this fall.

New Courses

Advanced Research Biology

Advanced Research Debate

Advanced Research Humanities

Applied Forensics: Mock Trial and Model United Nations

AP World History: Modern

Biotechnology

Business and Finance

Entrepreneurship

History of Conspiracies: Pseudoscience and Propoganda

Impact Leadership Lab (independent study)

Integrated Engineering I and II

Media Arts

A Hands-on Approach to Engineering

In response to student interest, this year the Upper School launched its first lab-based engineering course that emphasizes the engineering design cycle while exploring a variety of fields: civil, mining, and chemical engineering in the fall, and mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering in the spring. To say the course was well-received is an understatement. The Upper School even had to add a second class this spring to meet demand. The appeal? The class’s hands-on nature, which emphasizes small-group work and allows students to lead their own learning. Best of all, because there are no prerequisites to the course, more students feel empowered to try out the subject, opening doors to those who may not have otherwise enrolled in engineering.

Student Achievements and Accolades

• Senior Gabriella Miranda (pictured top left) was named one of five National Student Poets, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work.

• Junior Erika Prasthofer and senior Nadia Scharfstein earned first and second place, respectively, in the Utah Poetry Ourselves Competition.

• Ten upper schoolers—seniors Mikko Anderson, Halle Baughman, Gabriella Miranda, Samuel Morse, Quinn Orgain, Marina Peng, and Sophie Zheng, and juniors Aiden Gandhi, Eli Hatton, and Evan Weinstein—earned awards at the 2024 University of Utah Science and Engineering Fair.

• Junior Sylvia Rae Twahirwa received a 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Leadership Award from the University of Utah.

• Seniors Marina Peng and Kai Thielking and junior Aiden Gandhi were among the finalists of this year's Westminster Honors College Civility Essay Contest (Marina and Aiden were later named honorable mention recipients).

• Junior Spencer Brady (pictured top center) won first prize in this year’s United Nations Association-Utah essay contest.

• Senior Sophia Baker (pictured top right) took third place in the 2023 David McCullough Essay Prize.

• Juniors Will Chin and Angus Hickman and sophomores Tallulah Proulx and Sarah McMahon were named to the 2024 Utah All-State High School Orchestra.

Rowland

Hall Launches

Center for Community Impact

In support of our strategic vision, this spring Rowland Hall launched the Center for Community Impact, a resource that will help to educate, empower, and inspire students to become agents of positive change in their communities. Through the Center, students will explore their civic responsibility and social consciousness as global citizens via meaningful and authentic engagement opportunities and educational resources.

The Center for Community Impact will also support Rowland Hall’s commitment to being an indispensable partner to educational institutions, nonprofits, and businesses in our region by facilitating collaboration between community partners and students, faculty, and families, and by promoting opportunities to address our most pressing community needs.

Internships FROM

CLASSROOM LEARNING TO AUTHENTIC LEARNING

Rowland Hall is proud to offer a robust summer internship program that helps students explore careers through practical experiences. Established in 2013, our internship program invites sophomores, juniors, and seniors to a variety of workplaces and encourages them to apply classroom learning to real-world tasks.

2024 INTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS

Alliance for a Better Utah: Legislative Activism

Culture, Community and Civic Engagement with the State of Utah

Kaysville Veterinary Hospital: Veterinary Medicine

Natural Smiles Dentistry: Dentistry

People's Health Clinic: Healthcare for Undocumented Residents

Rowland Hall: Social Media Management

Rowland Hall: Archivist

The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital: Biomechanics and Human Performance

The University of Utah: Cardiology and Research

The University of Utah: Chemistry

The University of Utah: Conservation Biology

The University of Utah: Functional Neuroimaging and Neuroscience

The University of Utah: Large Carnivore Ecology

The University of Utah: Neuroscience and Molecular Biology

The University of Utah: Urban Design/City Planning

Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement: Community Engagement

Utah Spine Medicine: Spine Medicine

Zartico: Data Science

Congratulations TO THE CLASS OF 2024

Congratulations to the class of 2024, who earned admission to 116 colleges and universities. This year's graduating class boasts the highest number of admits to highly selective colleges and universities (those with a 15% or lower admit rate) than any graduating class in the past decade. Below is a sampling of this year’s admit list; scan the QR code to view the full list.

Arizona State University (4)

Boston University

Brown University (2)

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (5)

Carnegie Mellon University (3)

Chapman University (6)

Claremont McKenna College (3)

Clemson University

Colorado School of Mines (2)

Columbia University

Cornell University (3)

Dartmouth College (RH ’23)

DePaul University

Drexel University (4)

Duke University

Emory University (3)

Fordham University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Harvey Mudd College

Johns Hopkins University

Loyola Marymount University (5)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2)

Northeastern University (5)

Northwestern University

Pomona College

Princeton University

Purdue University (3)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2)

Rice University (2)

San Diego State University (3)

Syracuse University (2)

Texas Christian University (2)

The University of British Columbia

The University of Edinburgh

The University of Utah (52)

University of California, Berkeley (4)

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, San Diego (4)

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Chicago

University of Colorado Boulder (14)

University of Michigan (3)

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Pennsylvania

University of San Diego (5)

University of Southern California (2)

University of Virginia

University of Washington (2)

University of Wisconsin–Madison (7)

Washington University in St. Louis (2)

Yale University