The Spring Independent 2022

The Independent

SPRING 2022

Cardinal Chatter

What are you looking forward to at SPS next year?

As we close the book on another monumental year and prepare for all the wonderful things that summer brings, these students share what they are already looking forward to for next school year.

“ I am looking forward to having more responsibility as an Upper Schooler, and for longer Declamation expectations.”

AIDEN, FOURTH GRADE

“ I am looking forward to going on more field trips around the city!”

ALEXANDROS, SIXTH GRADE

“ More advanced art projects and reading new books.”

PHOENIX, FOURTH GRADE

“ I can’t wait to have homework!”

“ New and harder math problems” DELILAH & ALESSIA, FIRST GRADE

LUCA, KINDERGARTEN

These Fifth Graders share what sports they are excited to compete in as Sixth Graders next year: ASHA - Basketball; RAINA - Basketball; ARIANA - Track; ANJA - Basketball; SERAPHINE - Cross Country and Track

“ Our goal is to get better at spelling, writing and reading!”

ETTA, QUINN, LILLIAN & AANYA, KINDERGARTEN

“ Learning how to write in cursive.”

ATHENA, SECOND GRADE

“ I want to keep working on my art, making better and more realistic looking pictures.”

KATHERINE, SECOND GRADE

“ We finally get to use the zipline on the monkey bars” KAJE, KINDERGARTEN

“ I am looking forward to being able to run for Student Government President!”

WOLF, FIFTH GRADE

“ I am excited about the Third Grade puppet show.”

ANDRÉS, SECOND GRADE

The Gift of Gardening Year Round Rise Gardens Made Possible by a Generous Grant from the Bergman Foundation

Redesigning the Outdoor Garden Space

Upper Schoolers Aim for Better Form and Function

Earlier this Winter, SPS was the recipient of a generous grant from The Bergman Foundation, which made it possible for each classroom to enjoy a Rise Garden as a supplemental educational tool to engage students in conversations regarding environmental impact and sustainability in our science curriculum. The Early Childhood & Lower School Science room also received a larger multi-tiered garden installation to further engross our younger learners.

Now, gardens are bursting with life! Current herbs growing in the Rise Gardens are basil, cilantro, sage, and parsley. Salad greens are also thriving, including Bronze Arrowhead lettuce, Paris Island Cos lettuce, Mizuna Mustard, and arugula. Tomatoes by the dozens can even be seen in Ms. McKean’s science room.

Extending the growing seasons through indoor gardening has helped students learn the many benefits of urban gardening all winter, despite harsh weather conditions. Growing and harvesting these greens has fostered a love and interest for healthy homegrown produce in students and has opened up the door for larger conversations concerning sustainability and the environment.

The Rise Gardens have been successful at every grade level, with teachers integrating the gardens in their curriculum as well as incorporating the ongoing garden tending into weekly classroom responsibilities of the students. Thanks to this generous grant, students have had the opportunity to grow, harvest, and experience gardening year-round.

Spring plans are also in full bloom at the Wiggins Field garden space. One of the Upper School Arts Block offerings for the final term this year is School Garden Redesign, where students are reimagining the communal garden space and getting their hands dirty executing their big plans for a more functional and more beautiful outdoor area with Ms. McKean’s guidance.

The Garden Redesign team will be creating a clearly defined and contained digging area, with spots for holding digging tools and a sign with digging guidelines. Plans are also underway for a new garden bed, a birdhouse, and a seating and gathering area.

The remaining old garden bed will be given new life as well and students will be choosing which greens they’d like to plant in it. A mud kitchen will complete the transformation, giving younger students an area to play and explore the Earth.

Students in Ms. Goodman’s First Grade classroom harvesting and eating some of their greens this past March.

Through this special project, students are learning important lessons about the planning process and the value of good time management. Additionally, the garden redesign is a perfect real-life application of what students are learning in Math class, as a prior knowledge of measurement formulas is essential to create the hexagonal digging area that is anticipated. This redesign is a benefit to the entire school and we are excited to see the final result!

The Kindergarten’s School Bus Project From Black History Month to Changemakers, Students Learn the Importance of Courage and Compassion During Black History Month, SPS students at every grade level participated in conversations and activities regarding the triumphs and adversities of prominent Black figures throughout history. In Kindergarten, Mrs. Innocent and Ms. Haskell utilized a variety of mediums to engage their students in meaningful discussions in order to teach them some very important lessons in history.

Rosa Parks once said, “To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step.” After learning about Rosa and her strength to stand up for what was right, students were inspired to design a replica of the Montgomery bus on which she refused to give up her seat to a white man in December of 1955. Each Kindergarten student painted a silhouette to act as a “passenger” on the bus, which was displayed outside of the

classroom. The project successfully incorporated elements of the SPS Racial Literacy curriculum, as students mixed paint to find the color closest to their skin’s for their silhouette as an exercise in distinguishing differences in skin color and celebrating individuality.

Teachers also facilitated discussions on historical events and the importance of standing up for what you believe in and doing what is right. “It is very rewarding to see my students carrying on conversations beyond my guided discussion with them,” said Rosalee Innocent. “They are providing solutions and learning how to lead their thoughts to change. They’re taking key principles they’ve learned and considering them through a racial lense.” Rosalee emphasized the importance of introducing messages of courage and allyship to students at a young age, and carrying these teachings through year after year, so they can become compassionate changemakers in their communities.

Through their Changemakers Project, which highlights the accomplishments of women and BIPOC in past and presentday, Kindergarten students continued to learn about the accomplishments and advocacy of Black individuals such as Martin Luther King, Amanda Gorman, Mae Jemison, Langston Hughes, Alvin Ailey and Faith Ringold.

Weaving together the Racial Literacy and Character Strong curriculums, topics like these and others are reinforced and expanded on each year so that students might leave St. Peter’s School one day with the tools and inspiration to stand up for change and become advocates for themselves and others.

Upper School Holocaust Presentation David Tuck Shares His Experience of Persecution by the Nazis In March of this year, our Upper School students had the honor of hearing a presentation from Holocaust survivor, David Tuck, who spoke on his experiences as a teenager in Poland during the persecution of Jews by Nazis during World War II. While revisiting the more somber parts of history can be difficult, David’s story and so many others like his are extremely important to tell, because they encourage students to understand the past as a means to create a better future.

In preparation for Mr. Tuck’s presentation and guided by our faculty, students studied European maps illustrating Jewish populations pre-war and the locations of Ghettos during German occupation to gain historical context. Students also reflected on the Holocaust’s impact through a gallery walk that featured the stories of individuals and families, important literature, and FAQs. Our community was honored to have had the opportunity to hear Mr. Tuck’s story, which was underscored by his message about the importance of education and always doing your best. To learn more about David Tuck, stories of other survivors, and the work being done by the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center, visit HAMEC.org.

Loose Parts Project in the Prekindergarten Promoting Individual Imagination and Group Collaboration Unstructured play provides a multitude of benefits for our littlest learners in Early Childhood. Students get to do what they love most – play with friends – while they learn to explore their curiosities, think creatively, and work collaboratively. Prekindergarten teacher Ms. Karpman has been engaging her students in “Loose Parts,” an activity that uses everyday materials during an uninstructed play session to help children develop their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills.

Loose Parts uses natural and synthetic materials during playtime, including sticks, stones, beads, pipe cleaners, aluminum cans, leaves, and any other child-safe objects that can be sourced easily within the school. There are limitless possibilities for how children can play with these items and exploring each and every thinkable avenue is highly encouraged. One child may create an imaginative world in which a small twig found outdoors is a flying broomstick that allows them to travel across the world; another may use plastic flowers and bread ties to create a beautiful crown.

This Spring, Kelsey took Loose Parts a step further. Fifth Grade students were invited into the classroom to partner with Prekindergarteners to create a project representative of their school experience at St. Peter’s. Collaborative efforts were mutually beneficial, as Fifth Graders further developed their leadership skills by facilitating the activity while Prekindergarteners were exposed to model behavior and encouragement from the older students.

The groups used pipe cleaners, feathers, popsicle sticks, string, pinecones, rocks, and sticks in their projects, rearranging and recreating each item’s purpose to tell a much larger story of their experiences at the school. Some students fashioned actual keys on a home they had constructed to represent the SPS School Keys while others used the items to express their love of their school’s community in the form of colorful robots. The final Loose Parts projects were on display for everyone to see in the west stairwell for the final weeks of school.

Loose Parts has proven to be a wonderful tool for encouraging imaginative play and productive problem solving, all while honoring the richness of childhood.

Class of 2022

High School Matriculation Quinn Addison William Bozzelli Chase Carle Max Cordaro Connor Cusack Jared Eizen Deyon Fullard Liam Haines Lily Lokoff Noah Rice Lydia Singer Bailey Spivey Kiran Viswanath Addie Whitham

Friends’ Central St. Joseph’s Prep St. Joseph’s Prep Penn Charter Germantown Friends Penn Charter Friends Select Penn Charter Penn Charter Friends Select Shipley School Friends Select Germantown Friends Academy in Manayunk

National History Day

Eighth Grade Accomplishments & Awards The National History Day competition is an opportunity for students to participate in genuine historical work, doing extensive research with both primary and secondary sources, and present their findings in a paper, documentary, website, exhibit or performance. This year’s theme was Debate and Diplomacy and every student worked incredibly hard to complete their projects.

While some students decided not to compete this year, the following students submitted to the local competition held in March and earned accolades and honors!

DEYON FULLARD & BAILEY SPIVEY

LIAM HAINES & MAX CORDARO

1st Place for their Documentary “’Let That Caged Black Man Start Thinking’: Malcolm X at the Oxford Union”

2nd Place for their Documentary “Did The Tiananmen Square Incident Negatively Affect Diplomatic Relations With America?”

CONNOR CUSACK

WILLIAM BOZZELLI

Honorable Mention for his paper “A Story of Failed Diplomacy: Fear of Communist Influence Leads to Peril in Latin America”

Honorable Mention for his paper “Grand Slams and Strikeouts: How Baseball United Two Divided Countries”

George Washington Carver Science Fair Seventh Grade Successes City-wide and a Regional Win

George Carver Science Fair is one of the oldest and largest urban science fairs in the United States. Each year, 4th through 12th graders from various public, charter, Parochial, private, and home schools across Philadelphia participate in this fair, preparing and presenting projects for consideration by the panel of judges. Congratulations to our Seventh Graders for all of their hard work and dedication that went into this competition, which was held at Temple University on March 1.

Jacob Weisgold

Which Moisturizer Works Best to Keep Skin Moist?

1st Place, Consumer Science Category

Mae Iannotti

Investigating Inattentional Blindness 2nd Place, Behavioral and Social Science Category

Ines Balti

What Melts Ice the Fastest; Salt, Sugar or Sand?

Honorable Mention, Chemistry Category

Zoe Biles

What Seeds Do Birds Prefer to Eat?

Lara Bross What is the Best Way To Communicate Data Graphically Meadow Preno

Bath Bomb Science

Rogue McKinney Shaping Your Thoughts Lola Bambe

How Different Liquids Affect The Growth of Plants

After placing in the city-wide fair Jacob and Mae advanced to join the Delaware Valley Science Fair which was held on April 6.

Mae won first place in the Behavioral and Social Science Category for her project: Investigating Inattentional Blindness. Brava Mae!

SPS Student Government

Events and Initiatives Led by Lucy Ewing and Ellie Pak The SPS Student Government has been quite busy this year!

Every Wednesday, students meet to brainstorm ideas that would benefit the school’s community and as representatives of their peers, make decisions on which activities and events to execute. Members of Student Government then take on the responsibility to plan and organize initiatives that include hosting social events, boosting school spirit, encouraging philanthropic involvement, and amplifying student voices.

Parents’ Association Appreciation Helping to Bring Back the Spirit of Community

We are so appreciative to our Parents’ Association for working hard to restore so much of what makes the St. Peter’s School experience so special – our sense of community! While navigating current pandemic circumstances, the PA, led by Emily McHose P’31 ’28 and Beth Hollinger P’30 ’27 planned the triumphant return of events from the Harvest Festival and Auction and an in-person Scholastic Book Fair. The PA also introduced new and instant classics like the Wiggins Field Movie Night and Ice Skating Sunday, as well as the Speaker Series, which provides families with engaging topics related to children and parenting.

Other initiatives like the Thanksgiving Food Drive and the Winter Clothing Drive gave families an opportunity to come together and provide much needed resources to families in need.

And lastly, thank you to the Faculty And Staff Appreciation (FASA) committee for their initiatives throughout the year showing gratitude to our teachers and staff, with delicious meals and treats along with notes and cards from the heart.

2021-2022 PA OFFICERS

2021-2022 EVENTS & PROGRAM CHAIRS

President: Emily McHose P’28 ’31

Harvest Festival Chair: Suzanne O’Brien P’20 ’22

Vice-President: Beth Hollinger P’27 ’30

Book Fair: Sharon Jayakumar P’27 ’30 Jodi Lokoff P’17 ’22 Janet Reynolds P’30

ECD & Lower School Class Parent Coordinator: Lauren Lipani P’27 ’29 Upper School Class Parent Coordinator: Amber King P’25 ’27 Secretary: Alison Dorsey P’28 ’31

Auction Chair: Brittney Katsoff P’29 Faculty and Staff Appreciation (FASA): Julia Limongello P’32 Regina Mullen P’28 Laura Spina P’28 Speaker Series Chair: Carrie Konold P’25 ’28

Lucy Ewing and Ellie Pak and were voted to President and Vice President for the 2021-2022 school year and have spearheaded many of the Student Government’s activities.

One of the year’s most popular events was the Spring Upper School dance. “I think it was a huge success,” noted Ellie when recalling the event. According to the executive leaders, many Student Government members stepped up in big ways during the planning process by printing posters, creating playlists, decorating the Theater, and cleaning up afterward.

Student Government also led a school-wide project, Pulling for the House, where faculty and staff were in competition with students to see who could collect the most aluminum flip tabs.

This initiative led to the collection of thousands of tabs that were then donated to The Ronald McDonald House to help raise funds for families of seriously ill children.

“Joining Student Government and becoming President really took me out of my comfort zone and helped bring up my confidence,” Lucy commented. “It also gave me the opportunity to make a lot of new friends at school and talk to students in other grades.” St. Peter’s School Student Government allows our students to share ideas, interests, and concerns within the school while cultivating their communication, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills.

Thank you to Lucy and Ellie for their leadership this year!

Don’t Forget to Give!

The SPS Fund st-peters-school.org/donate

Preschool (Age 3) through Eighth Grade 319 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 | 215.925.3963 | st-peters-school.org