Parts of a Whole

SCD

PARTS OF A WHOLE

SPRING 2017

SEATTLE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

DEAR SCDS FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, Photo credit: Libby Lewis

EDITOR Andrea Sanders DESIGN/PRODUCTION Christa Fleming Design CONTRIBUTORS Abigail Assadi, Brian Crawford, Sheena McFerran, Michael G. Murphy, Meredith Olson, Erin Perry, Andrea Sanders, Joseph Tchen, and Elena Weitz COVER The “Collaborative Cubist” cover art was part of a Picasso unit where 8th graders combined their facial features with those of their classmates. This issue’s featured oil pastel compilation was crafted by: Ari Rose-Marquez, Liya Miksovsky and Tomas Kisielius (“Woman in a French Café”); Joanna Biehl, Calista BurkeConte, and Zelia Egan (“Split Personality”); Ella Payne, Axel Andrews, Peter Osborne, and Anya Shukla (“The Specimen”).

KINETICS is produced by the

SCDS Advancement Office for its current—and former—families and friends. Inquiries may be sent to: andreasanders@seattlecountryday.org

Kinetics is Digital!

Read the latest issue of Kinetics on your phone, computer, or tablet: www.seattlecountryday.org/Kinetics

THE SCDS MISSION

A school’s culture can be a tricky characteristic to describe. To prospective students, families, and staff looking for the best “fit,” culture is often those unseen and unwritten nuances found beyond the school’s mission, website, or admissions materials.

Todd Rose’s recent book, The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness, was a fascinating and compelling read for me. As I read, I kept applying some of Rose’s provocative insights toward the SCDS learning culture I know and cherish. Allow me to share four examples: 1). Instead of viewing talent as a scarce commodity, schools ought to nurture excellence in every student. One of SCDS’s core values is being child-centered.

Yes, students need to be “highly capable” to gain admission, yet not every student is highly capable in every domain. At SCDS, we can teach to—and accentuate—a child’s strengths while also attending to skills that need shoring up.

2). Human potential is not nearly as limited as the systems we have put in place assume. SCDS does not adhere to traditional letter-grade report cards for a number of reasons. One is that teachers are allowed and encouraged to use multiple forms of evaluation when assessing student growth. Demonstration of knowledge and its creative application may be shown and judged in more than one way.

3). In our jobs, and in school, we are told there is one right way to get things done, and if we pursue an alternative course, we are often told that we are misguided, naïve, or just plain wrong. Excellence, too often, is not prioritized over conforming to the system. Here is where SCDS shines: With our pedagogical emphasis on inquiry, we ask and encourage students to revel in the problem-solving process where there may be multiple (or new!) ways to solve a problem. This habit of thinking and creative problem-solving, nurtured over time in challenging yet age-appropriate ways, provides joy and confidence for tackling the next challenge ahead!

4). Instead of trying to be like everyone else, only better, students should strive to be the very best version of themselves. Authenticity is another core value of SCDS. Our culture says: Be yourself, with your own interesting ideas, unique sense of humor, and individuality. When SCDS students see themselves accepted and valued for whom they truly are, a certain inner confidence always shines through.

Inspiring gifted children to reach their potential through inquiry, curiosity, and wonder.

Whether reading about pentagon-inspired tessellations, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC), or civil discourse, I hope this spring edition of Kinetics serves to shed further light on the creative problem-solving which shapes SCDS’s learning culture.

www.seattlecountryday.org

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Sincerely,

Michael G. Murphy

A closer look at the 15th convex pentagons that were used to create the 8th grade tessellated coffee table.

Photo credit: SCDS Advancement Office

Algorithms and Art Integrate in Modern

Tessellation Quilts.

What common elements do these objects share?

They are real-world examples of tessellation.

Fish scales.

Honeycombs.

“Nothing is art if it does not come from nature.”

—Antoni Gaudí

Defined as an arrangement of shapes that closely fit together in a repeated pattern, tessellations typically take the form of polygons and never possess gaps.

They are symmetric and seamless. SCDS students have the opportunity to learn about tessellation in 3rd, 6th, and 8th grades, however this year’s study takes on special significance as 8th graders travel to Barcelona, Spain. While there, they will study the work of famed mosaic artist Antoni Gaudí.

The 8th graders’ tessellation study will also result in a gift back to the school—a coffee table set to reside in the Middle School that will utilize architectural inspiration from Gaudí, while applying a specific pattern of tessellation discovered by University of Washington, Bothell mathematicians. Mathematics Professors and Research Co-Directors Casey Mann and Jennifer McLoud-Mann, along with undergraduate researcher David Von Derau, used a complex system of algorithms to discover the first new convex pentagon

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Eighth grade students work closely to piece together their convex pentagons.

able to tile a plane in about 30 years. In Mann’s words, “It is important for children to learn early on that math takes many forms.” Mann went on to elaborate that “Mathematics is not just a complicated bunch of symbols. There are accessible, creative, and fun ways to explore [mathematics].”

The UW Bothell mathematicians newlydiscovered pentagon serves as inspiration for the 8th grade class coffee table. The table will not only form the shape of one of these individual pentagons, but the top will don a tessellation of this 15th convex pentagon.

Each of the pentagons was assigned to a student to fill with tinier pentagons in the color patterns and design of their choosing, comprising an approximate total of 1,500 acrylic pentagon tiles. “The idea is to show students that math is not just equations on a page,” Grades 6/8 Math Teacher Eddie Feeley said. “This is an art project, certainly, but it is very much based in math.”

An 8th grade student focuses on completing his tessellation.

“The idea is to show students that math is not just equations on a page.”

Photo credits: SCDS Advancement Office

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—Grades 6/8 Math Teacher Eddie Feeley

An SCDS 8th grader works with Mr. Smoker to weld the tessellated coffee table frame.

Building a piece of furniture is no easy feat, even for those with years of experience; but building a mosaiccentric coffee table with a complex and artistic welded metal frame? It is something most of us probably don’t have on our resumes. “Some of the students seemed a little overwhelmed with the idea at first. Many of them started thinking of the complex logistics and felt like they couldn’t build a whole table,” Feeley expressed.

“But they can all work together to build part of the table. Each student has a role to contribute; everyone is coming together to build one thing.”

Students also have the opportunity to work closely with Grade 6 Geography/Life Skills Teacher and Grade 7 Social Studies Teacher Jason Smoker to craft the table structure by welding the frame. “One of the beautiful things about sculpture, or a craft, is that it forces you to come up with creative solutions based on how the material acts and reacts,” Mr. Smoker explained. “In welding and construction, oftentimes the material demands a creative solution; a physical constraint that forces you to problem-solve in creative ways.”

So, how can SCDS math students use their knack for inquiry and curiosity to explore the vastly varied world of mathematics? “It comes down to persistence and hard work,” Mann said. McLoud-Mann chimed in by saying, “There is a lot of math yet to be discovered!

It is not a field where the answers come easily and in a short amount of time. There are times when every mathematician feels completely lost, but hard work pays off. Math holds a lot of challenges which is exciting.”

SCDS 8th graders will culminate their tessellation study in Barcelona, Spain this spring and see some of Gaudí’s architecture. His masterpiece, the still-incomplete

“In welding and construction, oftentimes the material demands a creative solution.”

—Grade 6 Geography/Life Skills Teacher and Grade 7 Social Studies Teacher Jason Smoker

Sagrada Família, is the most-visited monument in Spain and will serve as inspiration for the base of the table. “Gaudí is famous for his unconventional style, inspired by Art Nouveau and neo-gothic movements,” Grades 4-8 Art Teacher Megan Hosch-Schmitt explained. “I like to look at famous artists by asking students to evaluate why this artist is famous and what methods of art made them extraordinary.”

Through the cooperative spirit of SCDS teachers and cross-curriculum inquiry-based work, SCDS 8th graders will have the opportunity to learn about the mathematical necessity and real-world applications of tessellations, as well as the artistic applications of tessellations. “I think any time you can have a hands-on approach where students can actually feel the process of creating the whole object, it becomes more of an intimate relationship,” Smoker said. “It is something that they can have ownership of and participate in. The word I would use is connection. They have a stronger connection to the piece; it is not some abstract thing created in another room. They are part of a whole.”

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I like debate because it educates me on important issues in the world and it means I learn both sides of the issue, not just the one that I initially believed was right.”

–GRADE 7 STUDENT OWEN SNYDER-SMITH

Tuesday Afternoons Photo credits: SCDS Advancement Office

(L to R): Grade 7 students Elena Weitz and Abigail Assadi take a break at the final SCDS Debate Tournament.

By SCDS Grade 7 students Abigail Assadi and Elena Weitz

It’s Tuesday afternoon. Twenty middle school students start to trickle into Mr. Crawford’s Language Arts classroom with binders, pens, pencils, and new research to share.

“Everyone! Listen up!” We halt our conversations as we eagerly await the next topic—“It’s time to debate zoo’s doing more harm than good.”

SCDS has a great debate program. We get to debate such a large range of topics—some serious, and some frivolous. Some of our favorites have been about factory farming, second amendment rights, and paradoxes. Teams of three then argue head-to-head by refuting opponents’ points and stating claims. And to show off our skills, the SCDS Debate Club participates in three tournaments, the most recent of which included 15 independent schools. For every tournament, Mr. Crawford, our debate coach, assigns different teams. The jumbling of students is essential because we can learn to work with a diverse set of people, each with unique qualities. As 8th grader Carter Vu says, “I love debate because it promotes friendships and mentoring across grades 6 through 8.”

The tension is high at tournaments. It’s not the same type of tension that we see at Debate Club on Tuesday afternoons. At tournaments, everybody wants to win, and everyone sticks strictly to the Claim, Backup, Significance (C.B.S.) format to make the most effective speech. C.B.S. is an important element for creating a strong argument because well thought-out speeches with ample factual support are much more impactful. In the end, a team must convince the judge that its arguments and claims are more significant than an opposing team’s arguments.

Joining the SCDS Debate Team was a beneficial step toward improving our writing and public speaking skills, while learning how to make a difference in society. The ability to understand both sides of an argument is strongly enforced in SCDS Debate. Arguing is only one aspect of debate, and taking part in a group conversation is another valuable aspect. To hold a productive group conversation—especially if there is a disagreement—we need to be capable of keeping ourselves composed. Around this year’s presidential election, this skill was essential. During a class discussion centered on an article from The New York Times’ Upfront magazine, we voiced our opinions, but were respectful of everyone’s beliefs as to not be exclusive.

“I like debate because it educates me on important issues in the world and it means I learn both sides of the issue, not just the one that I initially believed was right,” says 7th grader Owen Snyder-Smith.

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“Especially in our current political climate, it is important that we learn how to see from someone else’s point of view, how to articulate our opinions, and how to respectfully disagree. Our generation will take the world forward, and we need to understand how to challenge our beliefs respectfully, but with no less passion before we can take those steps to move forward,” states 8th grader Tamarin Camp. As Camp says, debate expands our understanding and viewpoints about politics and teaches us to consider every aspect of a problem. Civil discourse is a SCDS alumni judges are poised crucial tool to help us communicate. Many to hear closing arguments in a international issues lack civil discourse, final round of debate. and by learning how to use it, our world will be improved. SCDS values inclusion, diversity, and equality, and civil discourse serves as the glue that holds these values together. At SCDS, we use civil discourse to partake in conversations and discussions alongside our peers and teachers without letting our emotions get in the way. SCDS is open to the importance of varied opinion, which helps create a welcoming and inclusive community.

In 7th grade, unexpected essays appear much more frequently. Luckily, our debate experience has helped us. Last year, we were instructed to write an in-class essay about a children’s book. The structure of debate speeches and persuasive essays are nearly identical, so we could utilize our speaking experience to aid in writing. In tournaments, we encounter impromptu topics—we don’t know what the topic is until 30 minutes before the actual debate. Because we have had some practice with impromptu topics, our timed essays have become much more coherent. “Debate helps my writing because it teaches you how to be concise and organized. It teaches you to consider each word you’re going to use and think about whether it works well or not. If not for debate, my writing would be unclear and wouldn’t be nearly as good as it is now, even though I still can improve,” explains 7th grader Avi Berman.

Not only has debate improved our writing, it has also improved our ability to give effective presentations and to hold meaningful conversations with others. Debate is a fundamental part of keeping up with a rapidly developing society. Civil discourse is the future of a peaceful world. Though they are both useful separately, to make a true impact in our world, we need to use debate and civil discourse as one powerful tool.

“Ok, everyone. Sign out before you leave!” We flick the last remaining illuminated lights off.

The door locks. Our thunderous footsteps crashing down upon the cement stairs can be heard from the Multipurpose Room. We joke about our favorite arguments from the silly topics we were assigned and are scooped up into cars that quickly zoom away. Until next Tuesday.

The SCDS Debate Team gathers at the final debate tournament held at SCDS.

Debate has helped me decide what I want to be in life. It has helped my public speaking skills and my confidence. Without debate, my perspective on different issues would not be as open or inclusive.”

–GRADE 7 STUDENT AMELIA WORTHINGTON

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NAIS People of Color Conference Fosters Growth on SCDS Campus

A closer look at The Level Playing Field in the Lower School building—an interactive display spurring meaningful conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in an everchanging visual format.

Photo credits: SCDS Advancement Office

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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During the month of December, while the SCDS community prepares for Winter Break, a group of SCDS teachers and administrators have had the opportunity to attend the National Association of Independent School’s (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) for the past three years.

“The power of being able to send a cohort of faculty and administrators to a professional development opportunity that aligns with the strategic plan and mission of the school is an important way to bring about real and applicable change.”

Educators from across the country join one another for a few days of collaboration, inquiry, and learning.

The conference is full of workshops, affinity group sessions, activities, film screenings, and more; it is a place for equity to be put into practice in the fastgrowing and ever-diversifying independent school community. “The things SCDS faculty and staff learn at PoCC have informed our current direction: working within the entire community to provide growth experiences for our faculty, staff, student body, and parent population,” SCDS Grades 7-8 Social Studies Teacher Mary Lowry said. “The PoCC has given us the opportunity to work across Divisions on issues of equity, inclusion, and social justice.”

The 2016 conference was in Atlanta, GA and the theme was Advancing Human and Civil Rights: Fulfilling the Dream Together. Primarily inspired by the transformative work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the conference featured a variety of speakers including Bryan Stevenson, founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and Rinku Sen, Executive Director of Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation. “Oftentimes, ideas related to social change and diversity carry a ‘separate-but-equal’ label as if they only belong in social studies curriculum. However, true implementation requires a complete mindset shift in the inspiration behind why and how you teach,” SCDS Grade 2 Teacher Annie Kim said. “Equity and inclusivity should be embedded in the art of how we teach and can be incorporated in math, science, writing, P.E., technology, lunchtime, everything really!”

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has been deftly woven into the fabric of our school’s unique inquirybased approach to education. It makes sense that the next step to raising our collective equity and inclusion

—SCDS Intermediate and Middle School Head and Director of Professional Growth Grades K-8 Dan Sweeney

SCDS faculty and staff who have attended the PoCC over the past three years gather in the SCDS courtyard.

(L to R): Brenda Ajbour, Kathy McCann, Moriah Grey, Mary Lowry, Dion Cook, Evelyn Cook, Alice Baggett, Annie Kim, Duffy Lord, and Dan Sweeney.

Not pictured: Joseph Tchen.

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“Faculty who attend the conference bring back new ideas and perspectives that aid in deepening our conversations here at SCDS. We return to SCDS renewed, empowered, and united.”

—Teaching Assistant and Grades 4-5 Drama Teacher Evelyn Cook

SCDS teachers and staff from the 2016 People of Color Conference (PoCC) gather in Atlanta, GA. (L to R): Dan Sweeney, Joseph Tchen, Moriah Grey, Annie Kim, Evelyn Cook, and Dion Cook.

Photo credit: SCDS Advancement Office

consciousness on campus, is to be exposed to more of the ideas, realities, and hard questions that the PoCC presents to our attending faculty and staff each year. “Attending the PoCC has helped us understand the complexities we face as an institution wanting to make progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. It’s not just about admitting more children of color, hiring more diverse faculty, or adopting an ‘anti bias’ curriculum, though those things are important,” Grades K-3 Technology Teacher and Co-Chair of the 2016-2017 SCDS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Alice Baggett said. “Truly embracing DEI for SCDS is a monumental undertaking which will push us all out of our comfort zones as we examine and rework our biases, assumptions, and philosophies. It is good and necessary work. But it is not easy work.”

Professional development opportunities are important for SCDS faculty and staff. However, the true test of whether ideas and information have really ‘stuck’ lies in actions taken after the learning takes place. It is one thing to gain knowledge and hold it in your mind, but another thing entirely to act upon that knowledge in a transformative way. “Going to the PoCC has helped me be more open to taking risks as a teacher. I know I will make mistakes and I won’t always say the right thing, but I am pushing past that fear to have those difficult conversations. My students teach me a lot every day and remind me that we are all on this journey together,” Grade 3 Teacher Duffy Lord said.

Action can be scary because it holds unknowns. How will parents and teachers react to new curriculum ideas? How will students react to tough questions and uncomfortable

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conversations? Often, when looking at the various avenues for action, independent school teachers and administrators discuss and hone in on the ‘payoff’. Will the payoff be greater than the potential pitfalls? When it comes to DEI and SEL work at SCDS, action is necessary and has been bolstered by community support and feedback. “As a direct result of attending the 2015 PoCC, I leveraged a workshop entitled Seeking Cultural Competence in Hiring: Practical Methods and Strategies for Identifying the Administrators, Staff, and Faculty Needed in 21st Century Independent Schools to create a different approach to hiring at SCDS,” Intermediate and Middle School Head and Director of Professional Growth Grades K-8th Dan Sweeney said. “This approach is more transparent and inclusive, including outreach to a much wider section of places to look for potential faculty and staff.”

At SCDS, we strongly believe that the payoff is worth any potential stumbling along the way because progress is made by moving forward. Just like SCDS students, we must ask questions and suss potential answers through trial and error in order to find the best paths to success for all people involved.

“SCDS’s work in diversity, equity, and inclusion is an institutional and strategic priority,” Head of School Michael G. Murphy emphasized. “The PoCC provides our faculty and staff leaders in this area with more tools, ideas, and resources to advance work on our campus in our own customized way. We see the conference as a wise investment in professional growth, not just for attendees, but for our school community.”

DIVING DEEPER:

Reflections from PoCC Three-Year Faculty Attendee Joseph Tchen, Grades 4-5 Drama Teacher, Grade 7 Language Arts Teacher, and Grade 8 Technology Teacher The NAIS PoCC is unlike any professional conference that I’ve ever attended. I vividly recall the first time I attended the conference in 2014 and sat in the massive main conference room with educators from around the country, high-school students, and firebrand speakers who waxed lyrical on social justice topics. I’ll never forget the opening speaker my first year, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. A professor of sociology at Georgetown University and radio personality, Dr. Dyson took to the stage and started his keynote in a predictable fashion with opening remarks and an insightful introduction before transitioning his entire address to an impassioned call to action with regard to the horrific events in Ferguson, MO and Michael Brown.

He then spoke of Eric Garner’s infamous line as Garner was brutally executed: “I can’t breathe.” Dr. Dyson was broaching political topics, and the audience reaction was electric. It was the first time that I realized the distinction between professional and personal is a facade. How could the personal not inform the professional? And, conversely, how could the professional not inform the personal? To ask the two to live as separate entities is to ask people to construct a wall within themselves.

As the conference continued, I immersed myself in workshops that encouraged educators to consider the intersection of our many identities. It wasn’t until my first affinity group meeting that I fully understood what ‘intersection’ meant. I am the product of a French/British mother, and a Vietnamese/Chinese/French father. Affinity groups are generally spaces where like-raced people gather. Of course, I didn’t expect there to be an affinity group specifically geared toward my particular blend of ethnic backgrounds, so I found myself at the multi-cultural affinity group.

As I entered the room, I felt a heavy weight descend upon me. I had made a mistake. Surely, a group of ‘mixed’ people could find no such affinity—we were white and Asian, black and white, Latino and black, and every other rainbow assortment. The lead facilitator on the team invited the group to stand. She exhorted us to remain silent and mill about the room. The only thing that she asked was that we made direct, sustained eye contact with as many people as we could while shuffling around the cramped space. As we began to squeeze through the narrow chair-lined aisles, I was immediately struck by how varied the faces in the room were. Grief stricken, stolid, apprehensive, joyful, quizzical, no two faces exactly the same. The few minutes stretched on for an eternity, but a pattern began to emerge. These faces, at once

anonymous, seemed to soften, melt, and blend together the longer we sustained the activity. Once the activity concluded, the room was steeped in a heavy silence. The facilitator asked us to reflect on what words come to mind for the term ‘multi-racial’ and to vocalize a single word.

Slowly, voices began to rend the silence: “Other.” “Beautiful.” “Mixed.” “Ugly.” Each term landing or glancing off that wall we had all built.

There was no judgement, just the acceptance of the echoes into those walls and minds around me. And then something entirely unexpected happened. Two voices in union—from opposite ends of the room—clear, confident, and full of assurance, consumed the room: “Bridge.”

Even typing that phrase years after the fact, removed from that space, tears well in my eyes. In a singular moment, the bricks of the wall I had for so long secretly constructed tumbled down. And in that same moment, the bricks, the understanding of my otherness that had oh-so-subtly been forced upon me, became an expansive bridge between myself and every human in that room. Not simply fellow educators, these were now my family. In that crowded room, in that conference, in a room full of strangers, I felt at home. My head and my heart were in harmony for the first time in a long time.

And that is the epitome of the PoCC experience. It connects us to an integral part of our identity. Even in the safety of my family, I had never been in a room where literally every other person shared a feeling of otherness (admitted or suppressed) with regards to their racial identity. Perhaps it is a feeling that many people experience at a much more formative time in their lives.

For me, PoCC was instrumental in that awakening and connection. Every subsequent year has held similar revelations and refreshed my spirits. Moments of emotional catharsis remind us of how tense we are as we navigate our multiple identities. They are a deep, full inhale when we’re silently screaming, “I can’t breathe!”

Through inquiry, we invite students to use those bricks to build bridges and not walls. Inquiry is to academic intelligence as empathy is to emotional intelligence. We cannot inspire gifted students with inquiry, curiosity, and wonder in the narrowly defined intellectual realm. If SEL has shown us anything, it is that we have a responsibility to the whole student—messy, complex feelings and all.

PoCC is the bridge between our multiple identities: as scholars, as females and males, as members of religious communities or not, as citizens, and as humans.

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MISSION

Inspiring gifted children to reach their potential through inquiry, curiosity, and wonder.

Head of School, Michael G. Murphy, enjoys this past November’s spoken word poetry presentation by visiting artist, Sarah Kay. Photo credit: SCDS Advancement Office

VISION

Cultivating the next generation of creative problem solvers for tomorrow’s complex problems.

CORE VALUES STUDENT-CENTERED

Students are the center of a dynamic and collaborative learning, inquiry, and discovery process.

WHOLE PERSON

We focus not only on intellectual growth, but on character growth, attending to the social, ethical, and emotional needs of students.

SPIRIT OF INQUIRY

Curiosity and inquiry are the foundation of the learning process, as students and educators explore divergent paths to generate innovative solutions.

RELATIONSHIPS

Our collaborative culture builds trusting relationships, embraces a wide diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, and fosters a spirit of group innovation.

AUTHENTICITY

Trust, honesty, and truthfulness to self are critical components to intellectual growth and personal discovery.

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HEAD OF SCHOOL MICHAEL G. MURPHY

Retiring IN JUNE 2018

“Being a part of this dynamic learning environment—which encourages students to be their authentic selves with keen curiosity, robust wonder, and acumen for problem-solving— has been truly fulfilling. Add to this a creative faculty and dedicated staff which supports our unique learning culture, and one has a sterling educational community.”

–MICHAEL G. MURPHY, HEAD OF SCHOOL This past November—following over a decade of leadership and growth at Seattle Country Day School—Head of School Michael G. Murphy announced plans for his retirement. At the culmination of his final year at SCDS (June 2018), Mr. Murphy will have served as Head of School for 14 years in addition to spending over 40 years of devoted service in the education sector. Until his retirement at the end of June 2018, Mr. Murphy will continue to guide and lead our school.

HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH COMMITTEE

Kirsten Camp

TRUSTEE AND COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Ramona Emerson

BOARD PRESIDENT AND COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR

Kristina Ota Belfiore TRUSTEE

Sarah Leung ’90 TRUSTEE

Vickie Madriaga SCDS FACULTY

Quinn Thomsen SCDS FACULTY

Frank Woodruff TRUSTEE

Liane Yuh Grade 7 students watch their laser-cut creations take shape with Head of School, Michael G. Murphy.

Photo credit: Libby Lewis

NEXT STEPS… Seattle Country Day School is in a place of strength as it readies itself for the next successor. The community is confident that the process will result in an exceptional next Head of School who will thoughtfully encourage continued growth and development, as Mr. Murphy has done over his tenure. Such ample notice has provided SCDS the gift of time to prepare for the transition while concurrently creating a welcoming climate for the incoming Head.

Known for its ‘institution-centered’ approach, Brigham Hill Consultancy was selected this past January to assist with the search process. Brigham Hill has extensive experience conducting similar searches for independent schools across the nation, including several here in Seattle. Following the onset of the partnership, Brigham Hill held a series of open forums to provide SCDS parents, faculty, and staff opportunities to ask questions and share insight to strengthen the search process. An online survey seeking such input was also provided.

The Board of Trustees and the Head of School Search Committee, co-chaired by Board President Ramona Emerson and Trustee Kirsten Camp, aim to have a new Head of School identified over the course of the 2017-2018 school year. The committee— comprised of current board members, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and alumni parents—will continue to seek input from the SCDS community during this search.

In Mr. Murphy’s words, he feels “most fortunate to work at a school which truly lives its mission.” Mr. Murphy often reminds departing students, faculty, and staff “It’s never goodbye, but see you later.” We trust that ultimately will prove to be true for Mr. Murphy as well. However, in the meantime, it is “business as usual!”

SCDS ADMINISTRATOR

2016-2017 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Ramona Emerson PRESIDENT

Natalie Stephens VICE PRESIDENT

Sarah Leung ‘90 SECRETARY

Frank Woodruff TREASURER

Annika Andrews Kristina Ota Belfiore Joanna Lin Black Kirsten Camp Lisa Narodick Colton ‘89 Janet Frink Rudy Gadre ‘83 Bharathi Jagadeesh Len Jordan Michael G. Murphy EX OFFICIO

Ryan Schofield Tsering Yuthok Short Chris Tessin Jarvis Weld Sandi Wollum

Current families can access additional information via the website’s Parent Portal. Updates will also be shared with the broader SCDS community in the fall edition of Kinetics.

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AROUND

CAMPUS

DIVERSITY BOOK SERIES SCDS faculty and staff read a variety of books last summer with diversity, equity, and inclusivity functioning as the focus. SCDS’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee organized faculty-facilitated book discussions with parents this past fall and winter to foster deeper dialogue on: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates; Waking Up White by Debby Irving; and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

NEW FACE ON CAMPUS SCDS was excited

to welcome a new face to campus this fall.

Administrative Assistant Maria Harris is a graduate of Portland State University. Harris has held several program positions with nonprofits including the YMCA of Greater Seattle and the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA). She has also been a volunteer ombudsman for the U.S. Coast Guard serving as a liaison for command and family members.

Photo credits: SCDS Advancement Office

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ENGINEERING EVENT This year’s annual Engineering Event let “Tall Ships” set sail. Students measured, tested, glued, and problem-solved their way through weeks of ship-building preparations for the November 2016 launch that was bursting at the seams with creativity, inquiry, and milestones achieved!

SINGAPORE DELEGATION This past December 2016, SCDS hosted

a delegation from Singapore’s education ministry for classroom visits, a presentation from Head of School Michael G. Murphy, and brief Q&A session. Mr. Ng Chee Meng, Singapore’s Acting Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister of State for Transport, and his delegation were visiting select Washington schools.

Photo credit: SCDS Advancement Office

Photo credit: Heather Bioren

YEUNG SISTERS’ BALLOON ADVENTURES This past January 2017, Rebecca ’19 and Kimberly Yeung ’21 were featured on “That’s Amazing,” produced by The Weather Channel and Great Big Story. The sisters’ science adventures, from their garage to the White House, were chronicled and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/Mq-4XA6pbBQ?t=20m7s

Photo credit: Winston Yeung

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE (FLL) SCDS FLL

teams—The TecHeads 2.0 (grade 7 students) and The Cats of Hammock (grade 5 students)—advanced to the semifinal tournament in January 2017.

The TecHeads 2.0 won the Champion’s Award and advanced to the Washington State Championship tournament in February. Pictured: TecHeads 2.0 (L to R): Thomas Bioren, Chirag Verma ‘18, Ella Allgor, Mira Shupe.

DESTINATION IMAGINATION (DI)

SCDS 6th grade DI team, A Reference to Popular Culture, took first in the Middle School technical challenge at a DI tournament this past March 2017. SCDS 4th grade team, Radioactive Lightbulbs, took first in the Elementary School scientific challenge. Both teams qualified for the DI State tournament in April.

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DOC O’S BOOKS

You may have seen a teacher cloaked in a white lab coat walking around campus or teaching about the wonders of science. She may have told your child that “Z is for Zorro” or reminded you to “Never trust a science teacher!” Dr. Meredith Olson, or ‘Doc O’ as she is lovingly referred to on campus, is a fixture in the fabric of SCDS. Did you know that Doc O has published a set of books with the intention of allowing interested parties to peek behind the wizard’s curtain? The book series is called Raising Interesting People (www.docosbooks.com) and there are currently four books in the collection with the intent to add more. We hope you will join us and dive into Doc O’s books or have her sign your copy when you’re next on campus!

What was the impetus for writing these books?

“I wrote little books because I thought it would be wonderful if a child could remember ‘Why do I have fond memories of it being a formative time in my life? What actually was going on?’ I wrote the books so that I could share why I did what I did and what I was thinking when I was trying to craft those favorite lessons.”

“You might say, ‘Who is your audience?’ when you start writing, but I didn’t know who my audience was when I started! I just knew that most people in the school probably don’t know why I structure things the way I do. So, I wondered if I could capture on paper my daily thoughts as to why I lead the orchestra this specific way and why I know when it works and when it doesn’t.”

Why the title, Raising Interesting People? “I didn’t know what to call it, so my first rendition was Cultivating.

I’m not trying to simply teach the children. I am trying to plant a seed and see if it will grow. These seeds are college-level work so it doesn’t matter if it grows but it matters that it has a chance to develop.”

“I’m not really trying to make little scientists but I do want them to understand the scientific method as a part of being a citizen or getting data and listening to other people’s data and respecting other people’s point of view and making your own conclusions. What I really want is to raise interesting people. To give them substance to talk about—so the rest of the books are called Raising Interesting…not children, because these children grow up pretty fast so Raising Interesting People. How do I help them make connections? That’s where I find the joy.”

Who is your hero? “My hero is Mary Poppins— practically perfect. This reminds me of one of my lessons many students will remember, ‘All science is based on a sugar cube.’ Students come back every year waiting for sugar cube day and all of the 8th graders come trouncing down here to get their one sugar cube a year and they can get it if they say to me ‘All science is based on a sugar cube.’ A sugar cube is practically the size of a cubic centimeter; it’s much tastier, like ‘a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’. It’s the fundamental unit of density and specific gravity and of specific heat and even of how continents move.”

Photo credit: Libby Lewis

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A lot of the lessons you teach contain college-level theories and information? What would you say to people who might think, “Oh, these children are too young to learn that!”? “You can teach many things to children if you do it in an age-appropriate way. They are little learning machines. If you create an environment with all the safety protocols in place and all of the childappropriate ways of dialogue in place, then miracles happen. It’s absolutely amazing.”

CLASS

NOTES ED PETERSEN ’85 started Wrench.

Specializing as a full-service auto shop without the actual shop, Wrench offers everything from brake jobs and tune ups to oil changes. As Petersen will tell you, “The building block of any startup is inquiry-based learning. At SCDS you learn how this process works at a young age and, most importantly, you learn to enjoy it.” More information can be found at: www.getwrench.com

ANTOINETTE (TONI SWENSSON) HIPPE ‘93 is preparing for another festival season

with her henna business. She spent the winter teaching technique and business classes to henna artists from all over the world, at conferences in California, Chicago, and New Jersey. Hippe’s henna studio has been open in Greenlake since 2011. She lives in Greenwood with her husband and two cats.

ANDREW GOODRICH ’95

and his wife Jennifer welcomed their son Gabriel this past October 2016. He joins his almost three-year-old brother Graham.

ROBIN SALANT ’85

is grateful for visiting SCDS this past year with alums John Tocher ‘86, Konrad Schroder ‘86, Tyler Moriguchi ‘87, Jeff Jorgenson ‘88, and many others. To see the school and Doc O, amazing as ever, was meaningful as she begins her educational search for her daughter in Memphis. Salant will be living in Bend, OR from July through October, while her husband, Erik, is programming the BendFilm Festival. Alumni, please reach out if you find yourself in this beautiful riverside spot. Or submit your film!

KATHERINE (RAFF) COLE ’87

is the Executive Producer of “The Four Top,” a national foodand-beverage podcast presented by OPB. You can hear it on NPR One, iTunes, or your favorite podcast app. Just in time for rosé season, Cole has a new book out: Rosé All Day. Look for it at your favorite local bookstore or online.

ANDY SCHOCKEN ’88 visited the

SCDS campus to speak to current students about the process of creating films and his recent documentary ”Song of Lahore.”

This film is Schocken’s directorial debut and examines the lives of Pakistan’s classical musicians.

CATHERINE (KATIE) PRENTKE ’95 married Robert English last September in the Cotswolds (in England). She is the Chief Marketing Officer for Nutmeg.com in London. Her husband is British and a graduate of Oxford.

ELLIOTT BRUEGGEMAN ’97 is a Director of Software Engineering for McGraw-Hill Education, bringing digital learning solutions to students and teachers worldwide.

He and his wife Amanda have their hands full raising two inquisitive children, a three-year-old boy, and a one-year-old girl.

LIZ (PRENTKE) YINGST ’98 and

her husband Stu are the proud parents of Benjamin Richard Yingst, who was born in December 2015.

Yingst resigned as the senior buyer at the fashion house Valentino and now works as a fashion consultant in New York City.

JOANNA BINNEY ’99 has been dancing with Jose Mateo

Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, MA for nine years, but plans to move to New York City this summer to start her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Columbia University in the fall. She is excited to be back in school and to explore Manhattan, and hopes to get to Seattle for a clinical internship.

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LAUREL STEWART ’01 has lived in Ithaca, NY for seven years, where she enjoys the vibrant community that comes with small-town living. She recently started a new job at Parasoft Corporation, where she is the Director of Digital Marketing. She makes frequent visits to headquarters, so if there are any SCDS transplants in the L.A. area, she’d love to say “Hi!” Stewart also teaches yoga and enjoys hiking travel adventures. She is pictured on a recent hut-to-hut-snowshoe-backpacking trip in Colorado’s San Juan mountain range.

CONOR MYHRVOLD ‘03 is coming up on

three years with Uber in San Francisco; he runs their engineering blog (eng.uber.com) and open source software initiatives. He became a volunteer elephant seal tour guide at Año Nuevo State Park, leading people to see this great, big, floppy animal when they come ashore twice a year!

CONOR HANIFY ’10

was elected to the Middlebury College Computer Science Student Advisory Committee. In this role, he deals with broadening communication between students and professors and assists in evaluating applicants for faculty positions. He was appointed Director of Technology for the Middlebury Student Government Association, as well as elected Treasurer of the Men’s Frisbee Team.

WALKER FRANKENBERG ‘14, ETHAN FRINK ‘15, JOHN RANDOLPH ‘13, BEN LEWIS ‘13, and JACK MELIN ’13 competed on the

Lakeside Lions’ Ultimate team at the State Championship on Saturday, October 29, 2016. They won 15-9 against Cleveland High School.

IN MEMORIAM:

MICHAEL ROYZEN ’14 spends

nights working on his iOS applications, which have had nearly 25,000 downloads.

His application, Ryde, warns when to leave to get to a particular place on-time based on general traffic patterns. RecipeReadr, another one of Royzen’s applications, allows complete voice control for reading recipes while you cook. RecipeReadr was featured by Yahoo and by BGR. He was recently one of approximately 300 high school and college students around the world hand-selected by Apple to attend the World Wide Developers Conference.

KYLE HOWE ’17

recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Howe is in his final year at Crocker Middle School in Hillsborough, CA. He is actively involved in crew and student council, where he is currently serving as his school’s Vice President.

He continues to keep in touch with many of his friends from SCDS and encourages those in the Bay Area to stop by for a visit.

ALLISON DOYLE BASS ‘91 (October 17, 1977 – April 28, 2016) was born in Seattle, WA to loving and proud parents, Mike and Roberta Doyle. She spent her early years attending Seattle Country Day School (1984-1989) prior to attending Lakeside (1989-1993) and the Bush School (1993-1995). Allison went on to attend Washington and Lee University ’99 and began work in the financial services industry in Seattle. Shortly thereafter, she made the decision to focus on the education sector and took a position at Seattle Country Day School as the Assistant Director of Development. Her attention to detail, dedication, and organization was unparalleled. In the words of Head of School Michael G. Murphy, “Allison was a loyal and dependable member of the SCDS Development Office whose passion for SCDS—especially its alumni—advanced the school in many positive and longstanding ways.” Allison also led the work to create and develop SCDS’s first website. She was an advocate for education and went on to obtain her master’s degree in education policy from the University of Washington. Allison will be greatly missed by the entire Seattle Country Day School community. Memorial contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

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STAY CONNECTED Network and reconnect with former classmates and keep your contact information up-to-date by visiting the SCDS Alumni Directory: www.seattlecountryday.org/AlumniDirectory Photo credits: SCDS Advancement Office

TURKEY SCRAMBLE HIGHLIGHTS: Alumni spanning class years 1985 to 2016 gathered for the 2nd Annual SCDS Alumni Turkey Scramble November 25, 2016! With over 30 alum, parents of alum, faculty, and friends in attendance, three bags of foodstuffs were donated, two gallons of coffee were consumed, 84 mini donuts were devoured, and one Seattle Cascades mascot, Casey the Sasquatch, made an appearance. A big thank you to Zahlen Titcomb ‘96 and Xtehn Titcomb ’98 for making this event possible. We hope to catch you at the next Turkey Scramble—November 24, 2017!

PLUG IN TODAY!

The SCDS Alumni Council is Growing!

Interested in reconnecting with former classmates? Receiving news on the next campus event?

Contact SCDS Class Agents via the connect tab of the SCDS website. Don’t see your year listed? Email us for information on becoming a Class Agent: alumni@seattlecountryday.org 1981: Anastacia Sims Dillon 1983: Rudy Gadre and Jason Froggatt 1985: Karim Lessard and Wendy McDermott 1988: Carolyn Holtzen 1989: Lisa Narodick Colton 1990: Sarah Leung 1991: Catherine Burns Humbert 1993: Josh Donion 1996: Chris Loeffler 2000: Sam Fisher and Emily Hamilton 2001: Laurel Stewart 2005: Matthew Bateman and Devon Thorsell 2012: Emma Gautier

ALUMNI WINTERIM SUCCESS: With 45 alum and alum parent

attendees, this year’s Alumni Winterim Day—held January 27, 2017— saw no shortage of smiles, ski slope shenanigans, and memories shared! From donuts and coffee in the morning to bowls of chili in the afternoon, the day was full of Yowie-wearing Wildcats of all ages. Keep your eyes peeled for information on SCDS’s 4th annual Alumni Winterim Day forthcoming fall 2017.

2013: Emily Jordan and Emma Engle 2014: Cole Graham and Emmy Hunt 2015: Emerson McMullen

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Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6244 Seattle, WA

2619 4th Avenue N Seattle, WA 98109 206-284-6220 www.seattlecountryday.org

Kinetics /k ’nediks/ Kinesis comes from the Greek word for motion, and “kinetics” is used in the vernacular to describe mechanics associated with the forces that cause motions of bodies. At SCDS, we’re all about energy and active learning.

Every day, SCDS teachers engage students’ minds and bodies through inquiry-based teaching. e

DIVERSITY STATEMENT SCDS actively

seeks to increase the breadth of diversity and inclusion in our entire community: the gifted children at the center of a dynamic learning process, their families, and our faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees.

We aspire to include a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives; to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of differences; and to cultivate diverse thinking essential for creative problem-solving.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/DiversityatSCDS

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT Seattle Country Day School strives to maintain a diverse school community. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies.

SCDS students and staff take pause after loading donated clothing intended for Wellspring Family Services.

Photo credit: SCDS Advancement Office

Building partnerships is a service-related theme that surfaces throughout the year for SCDS students grades K-8. A few examples of service activity this year include: Marra Farm: Creating 50 laser-cut signs for produce on the farm and planting 50 kale seedlings to be shared with families-in-need.

Northwest Harvest: Packaging 28,000 pounds of beans to provide approximately 21,535 meals for working poor families in the region.

Operation Sack Lunch: Serving 125 meals to people who are homeless.

Queen Anne Food Bank: Donating 1,181 pounds of food during the November food drive, providing 984 sack lunches.

UNICEF: Raising $825 for Syrian refugees in the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.

Wellspring Family Services (Baby Boutique): Donating and loading 600 pieces of clothing.

Westside Baby: Sorting formula for 200 baby meals and 50 outfits.