Highlander Spring 2014

spring 2014

MEET HEAD OF SCHOOL WILL MOSELEY

A R E I M A G I N E D L I B R A RY F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U RY

STEM Roots are Growing Deep at St. Margaret’s

departments

volume 26, number 1 spring 2014

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Guideposts

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Looking Forward

Head of School William N. Moseley introduces

A look at the 2014 Fund A Need STEM

the stories illustrated in the pages of the

Endowed Fund & Fellow

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News & Notes

Faculty Profiles Acquaint yourself with two of St. Margaret’s exceptional and gifted faculty members

Get the scoop on what’s been happening at St. Margaret’s lately

Side by Side

Class Notes and Alumni Updates

Director of Library Services Darla Magana,

Learn about the lives of your classmates and

along with Ava (Lower School), Hannah

updates from the Tartan Alumni Association

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(Middle School) and Rebekah (Upper School) Olsen, give a guided tour of St. Margaret’s new Library 47

Looking Back A tribute to former Middle School history teacher, dean of faculty and school archivist,

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Open Spaces: Student Short Story and Artwork

Mrs. Lisa Merryman

Showcasing award-winning student writing and visual arts talent

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Will Moseley: Living Lifelong Learning

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Head of School William N. Moseley’s journey to St. Margaret’s St. Margaret’s Episcopal School William N. Moseley, Head of School Highlander magazine is published by the Communications Office as a St. Margaret’s Episcopal School community magazine.

Editorial Director

Anne Dahlem Managing Editor

Nicole Peddy

STEM Roots are Growing Deep at St. Margaret’s

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Experience each division of

St. Margaret’s STEM curriculum and the evolution of the program

San Juan Capistrano’s First TEDxSJC Makes Exclamation Point with a Question Mark

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A look at the inaugural TEDxSanJuanCapistrano

Copy Editor

Jennifer Perez Editorial Board

Jeannine Clarke, Anne Dahlem, Dr. Jeneen Graham, William N. Moseley, Nicole Peddy Contributors

Ingrid Andrews, Stefani Baker, Colleen Beshk, Jennifer Blount, Megan Canright, Brendon Cheves, Jeannine Clarke, Anne Dahlem, Lara Farhadi, Dr. Jeneen Graham, James Harris, Eleanor Jones, Tony Jordan, Tait Lihme, Martin Lukac, Susie Maga, Darla Magana, Taylore McClurg, Anna McGregor, Barbara McMurray, William N. Moseley, Kristin Murray, Barbara Nelson, Ava Olsen, Hannah Olsen, Rebekah Olsen, Lynn Ozonian, Jennifer Perez, Londa Posvistak, Michele Silverman, Darcy Rice, Ian Tacquard, Kevin Verbael, Pam Virk, Shuqi Yang Please send comments, questions, letters and submissions for “Open Spaces” to:

Highlander magazine St. Margaret’s Episcopal School 31641 La Novia San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-2752 (949) 661-0108 communications@smes.org; www.smes.org Please include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number with your letter or submission.

Letters and “Open Spaces” may be edited for content and grammar.

at St. Margaret’s

St. Margaret’s publishes responsibly. Highlander magazine is printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper that contains 25 percent postconsumer recycled content, using soy-based inks made from renewable resources such as natural pigments and vegetable oils.

Branching Out in STEM

Highlander, Volume 26, Number 1. Spring 2014.

Four alumni represent graduates that have

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gone on to pursue careers in the STEM industry

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St. Margaret’s Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational or hiring policies, admissions policies, financial aid, athletic or other school-administered programs.

ON THE COVER

Working in the ICE Lab, Emerson Flornes, grade 6, is testing her “follow a dark line” program.

Inside front: Two Preschool students enjoy playing in the ECDC Outdoor Classroom. Inside back: Students take part in the inaugural Lower School Service Learning Day.

G U I D E P O S T S

By William N. Moseley, Head of School his has been an extraordinary year at St. Margaret’s, and I am grateful that you have welcomed me and my family with such warmth and sincerity to the Tartan community.

Getting to know our students and families inside the classroom and at our many school activities and events has deepened my love and commitment to this truly wonderful place. I am thrilled to present this edition of the Highlander magazine and the remarkable work of our students, faculty and alumni told through these stories.

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In this issue, we highlight STEM education at St. Margaret’s across the school and the exciting and limitless opportunities it is bringing our students. We explore St. Margaret’s new, reimagined 21st century Library, we look at our STEM curriculum from Preschool through grade 12, and touch base with Tartan alumni in STEM majors in college and professional careers. We also present a glimpse at the future of our STEM program through the new STEM Endowed Fund and Fellow that will direct and support further school-wide STEM curriculum innovation.

These are exciting advances in curriculum and student learning and achievement; it’s no better a time to be a Tartan.

Please enjoy the Highlander magazine.

“This has been an extraordinary year at St. Margaret’s, and I am grateful that you have welcomed me and my family with such warmth and sincerity to the Tartan community.”

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Executive Director of NAES Delivers Valuable Message to SMES Students Middle and Upper School students heard powerful messages of grace, community and leadership from Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools The Reverend Daniel R. Heischman, D. Min, during his visit in October. This was Fr. Heischman’s third visit to St. Margaret’s.

Lower, Middle and Upper School Students Excel in 65th Annual American Mathematics Contest Thirty-nine Lower, Middle and Upper School students and one visiting international student from China participated in the 65th Annual American Mathematics Contest (AMC) in February featuring challenging mathematics questions designed to engage students in problem solving. Drew Vollero, grade 7, was recognized for his performance for earning a score in the top five percent of the nation and competed in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination in March. Evan Lee, grade 5, earned commendation for his performance and received a Young Student Certificate of Achievement. Brian Lee, grade 12, Benjamin Wang, grade 11, and Natalie Yee, grade 7, all received recognition for earning some of the school’s top scores.

Lower School Teacher Jennifer Abbate Named Fulbright Scholar Grade 2 teacher Jennifer Abbate has been named a Fulbright scholar, the first in school history. From March to July of this year, Ms. Abbate will be teaching English and training elementary school teachers in Buenos Aires, Argentina public schools.

Drawing from a large application pool of candidates, the Fulbright Commission only offers 2-4 of these scholarships to U.S. elementary school teachers.

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Breakthrough SJC Completes Eighth Year with Largest Program to Date Breakthrough San Juan Capistrano celebrated its eighth year in 2013 with the theme “The Odds Will be Ever in Our Favor.” It is the largest program to date serving 84 students: 27 grade 7 students, 30 grade 8 students, and 27 College Bound students that transitioned to Breakthrough’s high school program in the fall.

Students Participate in San Juan Capistrano’s Winter Wonderland

Preschool Snow Days in February

Shortly before Christmas break, Middle and Upper School students helped make the City of San Juan Capistrano’s Winter Wonderland inaugural event a great success by performing carols, manning the Winter Wonderland Snow Area, helping at the kids’ craft area, as well as helping with set-up and teardown. Hundreds of people turned out, bringing exciting holiday bustle to the town.

The Early Childhood Development Center playground was transformed into a winter wonderland in February when 10 tons of snow was piped in forming a space for sliding, digging and snowman making. Students enjoyed songs and books about snow, learning what animals do in winter, tales of ski trips, estimations of melting, painting with ice cubes and snowflake cutting practice.

St. Margaret’s was once again selected to participate at the International Society of Technology Education (ISTE) conference held in San Antonio, Texas. Computer Science teacher Londa Posvistak, Lower School teacher Tess Posvistak and Director of Technology and Innovation Lynn Ozonian accompanied by four Lower School students demonstrated their latest robotic creations.

St. Margaret’s Jr. FIRST LEGO Teams Attend Annual Expo at LEGOLAND

To read more St. Margaret’s news, visit Tartan Today online at tartantoday.org.

Lower School Students Amaze at ISTE Conference

For the second consecutive year, both of St. Margaret’s Jr. FIRST LEGO teams, Team ICE and Team ICE Cubed, made their way to LEGOLAND® for the annual Jr. FIRST LEGO League Expo in early February. Both teams were successful at the exposition showcasing the “Tsunami Saver” and the “Tsunami Warning Search and Rescue” models they developed.

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St. Margaret’s Hosts Five Students from China in International Student Exchange Program As part of St. Margaret’s global education endeavors, five grade 10 students from Beijing High School #4 in Beijing, China, were hosted by St. Margaret’s families from January 13 – February 4 through an international student exchange program. In addition to the classroom visits, students experienced a hockey game, visited San Juan Capistrano’s Mission and downtown Laguna Beach, and participated in a community service project at Father Serra’s Pantry.

Three Middle School Students Move on to Orange County Spelling Bee The Middle School watched its top spellers compete in December for a chance to move on to the Orange County Spelling Bee. The competition was intense this year, taking four rounds to identify the three winners: Alice Na, grade 8; Thomas Hughes, grade 6; and Alette Segerstrom, grade 7.

STEM Experts Mentor Grade 8 Students for Science Fair Projects To prepare entries for the St. Margaret’s Annual Grade 8 Science Fair, students were paired with 12 STEM expert parents who have expertise in each project area, which are all of the categories of the Orange County Science and Engineering Fair. Parents helped students refine their questions, testing methods, and understanding of the science behind their projects.

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Wood Planters Grow Life Lessons in the Fourth Grade In February, grade 4 students completed a prosperous cycle of service and learning when they harvested radishes and spinach that were growing outside of their classrooms in time to deliver to Father Serra’s Pantry for distribution to needy families.

Early College Acceptance Letters Arrive for the Class of 2014

Students Take Part in Rigorous Research Summer Internships at UCI

The first round of the early college admission process in January, secured admission for 69 seniors to 64 colleges and universities. This represents 70 percent of students in the St. Margaret’s Class of 2014 with many Tartans receiving multiple acceptance letters. Members of the class have already been accepted to an impressive and diverse group of colleges and universities from across the country, including Columbia University, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, New York University, Swarthmore College, Trinity College and University of Pennsylvania.

For the ninth consecutive year, University of California, Irvine offered a rigorous research internship opportunity exclusively to St. Margaret’s students. Ten students experienced a summer of internships at UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering, and for the first time the Longhurst Research Lab in the Susan Samueli School of Integrative Medicine.

SMES Academic Decathlon Team Takes Third Place in Three Categories

The St. Margaret’s Debate Team’s second debate of the school year in November took home a third place victory overall and placed second in number of wins. Senior Katherine McBride also won best speaker for the St. Margaret’s team.

The team had its first debate of the year in October and took home a fourth place victory overall where freshman Tyler Genevay won 10th best speaker overall.

Comprised of three freshmen and six sophomores, St. Margaret’s Academic Decathlon Team took third place in engineering, philosophy and science in this year’s International da Vinci Decathlon.

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To read more St. Margaret’s news, visit Tartan Today online at tartantoday.org.

Tartan Debate Team Victorious in First Tournaments of the Year

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St. Margaret’s Students Take Top Awards in Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Competition Eighty-five Middle and Upper School students submitted art or writing pieces to this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing competition, one of the oldest and most prestigious writing competitions in the United States.

Regionally, 17 students were awarded either a Gold Key, Silver Key or honorable mention for their written work. Sixty-two students submitted 232 entries in the categories of drawing, mixed media, design, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, digital art and photography. Forty-six artists, grades 8 through 12, won awards, and the nine Gold Key recipients will advance for national jurying.

THE ARTS 11th Annual Coffee House Cabaret Presents Four Sold-Out Shows The 11th Annual Coffee House Cabaret featured four sold-out shows in January. The event presented a showcase of St. Margaret’s finest dance, vocal, instrumental, dramatic and visual artists.

A total of 62 acts auditioned for a sought-after spot and only 33 were chosen to perform. Thanks to the event Chairs Irene Martino and Kathy Victor, with a team of Parent Teacher Fellowship volunteers, the McGregor Family Theater was transformed into a Parisian cabaret-style show.

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William Rosenthal Named Broadcom MASTERS Semifinalist

2013-2014 PTF Parent Up Speaker Series

William Rosenthal, grade 9, was named a semifinalist in the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS Science and Engineering Competition in September for his project “The Effectiveness of Various Training Methods on Service Dogs.” A total of 300 semifinalists were selected nationwide from 253 middle schools. Semifinalists were selected from more than 1,695 applicants after rigorous judging by distinguished scientists, engineers and educators. Only seven Orange County middle school students received this honor.

The 2013-2014 PTF Parent Up Speaker Series included an impressive lineup of renowned speakers including Dr. Wendy Mogel, internationally acclaimed psychologist and bestselling author, who kicked off the series and spoke about the importance of raising self-reliant and resilient children. In November, Professor Carl Hobert, an internationally acclaimed author, discussed enriching and expanding global education. In January, author, award-winning educator and neuropsychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel discussed understanding our children’s brains to help them reach their best potential. And in February, Anousheh Ansari, the world’s first female private space explorer, discussed her inspirational story, as well as the latest developments in the exploration and commercialization of space.

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The Tartan football team played the East Valley Division CIFSouthern Section Championship game in early December against No. 1 seed, Jurupa Hills High School in Fontana, Calif. This is the first time the Tartans have been back in the championship game since winning the title in 2009.

The boys’ golf team made school history last spring in the post season at the Southern California Golf Association Championship where they finished seventh of 10 teams. Coach Parker was once again recognized as OC Register’s Golf Coach of the Year.

ATHLETICS

Boys Golf Makes School History

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Middle School Fall Sports Have Successful Season The 2013-2014 Middle School fall sports season had several teams experience first place finishes. Grade 6 Mountain “B” football team captured the league title with a record league best of 8-2. The Valley “B” girls volleyball team had an undefeated 10-0 season. The grade 7 and 8 “A” level teams also represented well in all leagues with the Mountain “A” football team capturing the league title. St. Margaret's Canyon “A” Blue team also brought home first place finishing with a 9-1 record. St. Margaret's other “A” teams also did well throughout the season with both Valley “A” volleyball teams competing for league titles and the Mountain “A” volleyball team reaching the quarterfinals of playoffs. Cross country competed in the world’s largest middle school invitation, the Mt. Sac Meet. The team performed well on the challenging course. In addition to a meet in San Diego, the team competed in the Annual Red versus Blue Meet at Salt Creek Beach.

With 14 teams and almost 200 students participating on Middle School teams, it was a successful fall season.

To read more St. Margaret’s news, visit Tartan Today online at tartantoday.org.

Tartan Football Plays CIF Championship

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Student Athletes Sign with Top Colleges on National Letter of Intent Day St. Margaret's celebrated National Letter of Intent Day in November and February with eight student athletes committing verbally to colleges. Senior Josh Davis signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his football career with NCAA Division I Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Josh is the first Tartan in recent history to earn a full scholarship to a Division I athletic program.

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Boys Soccer Wins CIF State Championship and Girls Soccer Wins CIF Championship Boys’ varsity soccer team won its third undefeated Academy League Championship in a row and went on to win the CIF State Championship.

Girls soccer bounced back from early season injuries and made a strong playoff run winning the CIF Championship.

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Boys and Girls Basketball Make CIF-SS Playoffs The boys’ and girls’ basketball playoff groupings were announced by the CIF-SS in February. The boys’ basketball team, who finished the regular season 21-3 and were undefeated Academy League Champions, were ranked ninth overall. Brent Cahill scored more than 1,000 career points as a Tartan. The girls’ basketball team was the 14th seed in its CIF-SS division.

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Will Moseley: Living Lifelong Learning

By Anne Dahlem

Most St. Margaret’s parents could relate to the experience of listening to Katy Perry music with their child begrudgingly as an act of parental fairness to answer the pleas from the backseat. Few parents, though, might say they do so with a mindset of learning about current music and possibly finding a new favorite artist.

“I have listened to Katy Perry with Brady with an open mind,” said St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Head of School William N. Moseley with a smile. “I am open to my children’s music and share some favorites, like the Zac Brown Band with my son Tyler. My experiences in Nashville taught me that.”

Not a country music fan before, Will developed a sincere appreciation for it and an openness to all kinds of music after

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living in Nashville, Tennessee for 12 years as the Head of School of Ensworth School.

“In Nashville, I was in the heart of country music and was exposed to some of the most talented artists I’ve ever encountered. I gained a true understanding of how educated and skilled the musicians are, and developed a real appreciation for the music. I love to find new interests and stay open to new things,” said Mr. Moseley.

“Will is very open to new ideas,” said Academic Dean Dr. Jeneen Graham. “He pulls from this incredible wealth of knowledge and experience, yet, he doesn’t come into a situation with his mind made up. He’s open to hearing other perspectives and learning from each new situation. He’s a true lifelong learner aspiring for the school to be the best it can be. It’s very exciting to work with him.”

The fit wasn’t right in Connecticut, and in 1995 off they went to La Jolla, California where Will accepted the position of Middle School principal at The Bishop’s School with their children, Tyler, 4 and Megan, 2, in tow.

“I was attracted to Bishop’s because it’s an Episcopal school.

And, when I left Ensworth I was only looking at Episcopal

“I love to find new interests and stay open to new things.”

“I have a deep connection to Ken Robinson’s and Dan Pink’s work and the influence of creativity and development of the right brain,” said Mr. Moseley.

It’s this spirit of creativity, a welcoming of new horizons and learning opportunities that seems to epitomize Will Moseley and what motivated him to first consider a job opportunity on the other side of the country.

California Dreamin’ He told his wife, Jenny, that he had to look at the new job opportunity located in Southern California, even if only for the professional learning experience. At home in New York City with their two small children, Jenny Moseley had a different thought: pursue the similar job opportunity in Connecticut that was close to home and family.

schools. That was critical for me,” he said. Will served at Bishop’s for five years.

A Vibrant Path to St. Margaret’s At the 2013-2014 St. Margaret’s All-School Opening Ceremony, the new Head of School Will Moseley welcomed the 1,252 students, 240 faculty and staff members, many parents and guests. “I am thrilled and honored to join this wonderful community that comes together in shared values to educate and support our students in their academic pursuits and passions. Everything I have done in my career has prepared me to be here with you today and I am looking forward to our work together ahead.”

Yet, at the conclusion of an intensive three-day visit and interview with the exciting West Coast independent school, Will gazed out at the magnificent Pacific Ocean and knew that if the school offered him the job, he wanted to accept it.

He was inspired by the school’s leadership team, its goals, potential for the future and his role in seeing that work through. The fit was right in California, he told her. There was tremendous opportunity to grow professionally and to be integral in developing and implementing major strategic goals of the institution. Moreover, Will was interested in a school with a faith-base to its educational program and the school in California was an Episcopal school and directly aligned with Will’s own outlook.

As a visual arts major at Lake Forest College in Illinois, Will had the chance to take a different career path. Will curated the college art gallery and had the chance to work on major art installations in the city of Chicago. He was offered a prestigious art internship in New York City.

“I have a passion for art, for creating something, whether it’s painting or drawing or pottery. I connect with the sense of developing the right brain skills that art exploration provides.

When I lived in New York, I would maintain a membership to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) just so I could go down there and see this one Hockney painting that inspired me. To see the brush strokes up close, to see the scale of the art, not looking at it in a book the size of a postage stamp, which is how you studied art history when I was in school.

We didn’t have the internet,” he chuckled.

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“Seeing a painting in person, gives you the opportunity to connect with the artist and get a sense of who they were when they painted it.”

Will could have gone right into a promising and rewarding art career. “There was a moment when I thought about it and could see that career path unfold, but I made a conscious decision early in life to pursue a career in education and I’ve never regretted it. It’s a tremendous blessing to spend your career in a school with young people and to be around learning every day.”

“My art background greatly influences me as an educator, though. It reminds me how important it is to create a safe environment for students to explore passions and to encourage our kids to take risks.”

Will was also influenced heavily by his own prep-school days at Westminster School, a small, private, highly selective boarding school in Connecticut. At Westminster, Will says that he experienced the kindness, care and dedication of talented and exceptional educators that continue to guide him today.

“My teachers at Westminster taught me to be responsible for my actions, to be a team player, and to demonstrate a concern for self and others. I strive to be a passionate, tolerant and respectful individual through the pursuit of excellence in every endeavor. Guided by these tenants of my outstanding Westminster education, my career in education has afforded me the opportunity to develop these qualities in students,” he said.

“When I look back to my days at Westminster, I realize that it was the attention paid to character development that made the difference. In my opinion, schools today must not shy away from their responsibilities in this arena. It is even more important today that a call for a return to civility be heard throughout the schoolhouse.”

“My art background greatly influences me as an educator, though. It reminds me how important it is to create a safe environment for students to explore passions and to encourage our kids to take risks.”

A Bite Out of the Apple Will began his career out of college teaching science at The Portledge School on Long Island in Locust Valley, New York.

Always looking for opportunities to grow, while on summer vacation his first year, Will offered the school administration to help in the admission office, which was typically closed.

“Jenny was working in the city and I had extra time on my hands. I thought I could help out the school and learn something new about school operations. I conducted tours of the school and interviews for the handful of students and parents who came through in the summer months. It was fun.

“I am excited by learning and growing. That’s what it’s all about for me. At the PTF parent talk with Dr. Siegel, when he talked about keeping your brain active, engaged, learning new things, I went home and told Jenny, that’s what it is for me. That piece he said about pruning the brain, I never want to do that.”

After three years at Portledge, Will met the new head of school for The Browning School, an independent college preparatory kindergarten through grade 12 school for boys in New York City steeped in history and tradition. The Browning School was looking for its next director of admission and though Will felt his admission experience was limited with only his summer work, the head was confident in Will telling him that, “we will be new together.”

A school with historically long wait lists in every grade, Will was challenged immediately with an unstable admission office that had been hit by turnover and unprecedented low performance the previous year. By the next fall, Will had turned around the office and once again Browning welcomed a full class of new students for the kindergarten class and had returned the first grade, and all grades to full enrollment.

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He credits his success to focusing on relationships. He walked to all the preschools in the neighborhood, the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and met with the teachers, school administrators and parents and talked about Browning creating renewed interest in a school most thought was unattainable for them, especially in grade 1. He built new relationships with all the preschools and their parents.

“I hosted a reception the night before admission decisions were mailed and invited all the parents of the students who applied. The turnout was incredible. It was a who’s-who of the East Side. It generated so much energy, excitement and goodwill for Browning with the exact families we wanted to join our school,” he said. “We enrolled nearly every family we extended a contract to for the fall.”

A Little Bit Country In 2000, when Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee, then a kindergarten through grade 8 school, went looking for its next leader, it had big plans for the future.

Will had the full support of his Bishop’s head of school who assured him that he was ready for the next level of leadership.

He counseled him to choose wisely making sure wherever he went, the school’s direction and goals were in line with his own values, strengths and aspirations.

“Will builds trust very quickly. He is authentic and always in professional mode. He puts relationships first and is very calm and even, and always greets you with a smile,” said Lower School Principal Jennifer Blount. “He listens and doesn’t come to a situation with a preset decision or agenda.

At the same time he’s very creative and offers wise guidance.

He helps people, in a very polite way, to grow professionally.

He values relationships and thinks about others and their time.”

After two years, Will’s success in the admission office of the school and contributions to the management of the school was clear, and he was appointed assistant head of school.

During this time, he pursued and completed a Master of Arts in independent school leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University Teachers College and realized he wanted to return to the academic side of the schoolhouse.

He transitioned to Middle School principal at Browning where there was a new challenge: bringing cohesiveness to the Middle School.

At the time, the Middle School classes and resources were physically scattered throughout the campus. The principal’s office was not anywhere near the students and classrooms.

“It was somewhat indicative of the program itself,” he said.

“Browning is located in an old New York brownstone. We moved all Middle School classes and student areas to adjoining floors and I carved out a small space from a large classroom and created the Middle School office. We pulled it all together and it wasn’t long before new levels of continuity in program and community were felt by students, faculty and parents. We had longtime faculty inquiring about teaching in the Middle School. It was an exciting transformation.”

It’s fair to say that Will was a valued and beloved leader at Browning. When he made the decision to move on from Browning to Bishop’s, the faculty and administration honored him with The William N. Moseley Award for a Middle School student whose kindness, sportsmanship, and hard work best reflect the mission of the school, which is still awarded each year.

In Ensworth School, Will found that perfect fit once again.

“The Board of Trustees talked about building a high school program grounded in research and best practice and this resonated greatly with me. The opportunity to use the latest research and implement integrated curriculum focusing on critical skills of creativity, collaboration, and a cross-disciplinary program was very appealing to me and right in line with my vision,” said Mr. Moseley. “It was a tremendous once-ina-lifetime, opportunity to be a part of this important, transformational work.

“We hired our department chairs a year in advance from all over the county. We did not use a standard blueprint for what a high school program looked like. We created a think tank and focused ourselves on looking forward and innovating.

We asked ourselves what should a superior Upper School academic program include and then we did it. We implemented the Harkness learning approach. We created a fitness program for every student that incorporated a health plan, core strength conditioning and flexibility. No initiative was spared.

“We did something truly important and groundbreaking in that work. There’s no doubt that we raised the quality of education in Nashville as a whole and beyond to new levels.”

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The work was exciting and well complemented Will’s natural desire to always grow and learn and make something better.

St. Margaret’s Athletics Director Susie Maga said, “Will is motivated by a sincere desire to continue to grow. He’s not interested in change for change sake. He listens and wants to learn about St. Margaret’s and what is best for this school and our students. He is focused on the right progress. Our Episcopal identity and mission statement are at the forefront of every conversation.”

Bringing together the best educators and creating the program at Ensworth was job number one, yet, ensuring that the facilities of the campus were in place and ready to support this leading-edge academic program was equally essential to seeing the vision through.

“The program and the facilities, both had to advance the state of education and break new ground,” he said.

“We started with an empty piece of land. We didn’t have one existing building. We had to build the entire campus. We weren’t going to build multipurpose spaces either and nor did we build one building at a time. The stars really aligned so we could see our plans through to the fullest,” he said.

Under Will’s leadership, Ensworth School embarked on an ambitious multi-year, multi-million dollar capital campaign to build an Upper School campus that included classroom buildings, state-of-the-art science and technology labs, a library, student commons, athletics facilities, including a fitness center, gymnasium, tennis facilities, football stadium and track and field facilities, a dining hall and a 640-seat theater for performing arts, as well as a new Middle School classroom building and student commons, and a new library.

The excitement and energy around the growth and future of the school and the new Upper School program was so high that $3.6 million in donations were made the day after the final Board vote to approve the projects. In three years, the school raised more than $60 million.

“Nashville is a town rich in tradition with high affinity for the school and community. The Ensworth community are people who love the school and feel a deep connection to making a difference, to being a part of something bigger than themselves, to making a permanent contribution that would live on past their immediate time at Ensworth, but forever.

So many people believed in the importance of the work we were doing and stepped forward to support it and help it get done.”

Mr. Moseley remembered the final preparations coming together, “We held our open house in January of that year.

It was cold and outdoors because the buildings were not completed. We had metal trash canisters with fires heating the way. The students wore hard hats and ate pizza in the future dining hall.”

In the fall of 2004, two years after the Board vote, Ensworth School opened its Upper School with a fully enrolled ninth grade.

“We were laying grass and new landscaping right up until the opening day of school. It was extraordinary,” he reminisced.

Proudly showing pictures of the Ensworth campus featured in an architectural book, Will noted the attention to the design of the facilities was always focused on the student and to support the program. “We built the Middle School campus with the student lounge in the open center of the building.

It allowed Middle School students to have their own space, yet adults were always all around them. A bit like riding your kids home in the car after an event. They are in the backseat talking and forget you are there supervising in the front seat.”

Will became an expert in things he never dreamed including building construction and complex financial business structures, which satisfied his deep love of learning and growing.

Another accomplishment that Will notes is that amongst the building efforts, the school’s endowment was made a priority.

In less than a decade, the school grew its endowment from $5 million to more than $70 million. A lasting legacy for which Will is very pleased, “It was important to build the endowment. To have that in place and continue growing forever for the school.”

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When Will opened the first faculty and staff meeting of the St. Margaret’s school year in August, all 240 pairs of undivided eyes and ears were on him. He offered an important greeting from the South African philosophy of Ubuntu, or human kindness. “I see you,” he said. Explaining that for the group assembled to be together in the work of the school, each role is vitally important and is seen and valued. “It is in seeing someone, that they exist, that they are valued and recognized,” Will explained.

Preschool Director Ingrid Andrews said, “Much has been said about this being Will’s listen and learn year and that’s truly what he is doing. He is getting to know us, our school, and guiding and making decisions based on the best interest of our school not from what he has done before. He is deeply committed to our Episcopal identity. He opens all meetings and gatherings with prayer.”

The Next Adventure According to Will, at some point, all institutions need new leadership. “It’s good for the school and it’s good for the leader.

“Ensworth was an incredible time and an incredible success.

I had been at Ensworth for nearly 12 incredible years.

Our daughter Megan was nearing graduation and I started thinking about the next adventure. I knew I needed to see through the first four years of the Upper School and at least one more. I saw that as a timeframe, not my life’s complete work,” said Mr. Moseley.

“There is a time when all schools have new leadership, too.

It’s a healthy part of the life of a school. We laid the foundation of the school, built the endowment, the school was seeing wonderful success for its students in college admission; the backbone was solid,” he said. “Things will change and that’s okay. It’s healthy and it was time to let the school walk on its own without me.”

Will learned about St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in early 2012. It was not the school’s previous success, while very impressive he noted, or the plans for the future that was exciting to him.

“It was the heart and soul of this school that drew me here.

I followed my faith and it was very important for me to be in a faith-based school again. What I get excited about and value is what I found at St. Margaret’s, in our mission and in our community. I remember my early conversations with Paul Heeschen and Mike Berchtold and I remember telling Jenny that this feels really good,” said Mr. Moseley.

Middle School Principal Jeannine Clarke said, “Will is a very genuine, warm and sincere person. He cares deeply about building relationships and knows how to thoughtfully build a school culture. While he is very intentional about getting to know our school in his first year, he is certainly not sitting back, he is a decision maker and a man of action. He has been leading and guiding us since the day he arrived, gathering all the information and offering wise guidance and making important decisions. I feel so fortunate to have him leading our school.”

“Will’s leadership approach has driven excitement and anticipation for the good things that he will lead, and I sense no anxiety in our community about the unknown,” said Upper School Principal Tony Jordan. “He is forward focused and when exploring decisions, initiatives and actions, he is about what can we do better.”

Mrs. Maga added, “I am excited about the unknown and have a great deal of trust in his leadership. I know something great is coming and it’s not scary, rather I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Mrs. Blount noted the creativity he brings to the table.

“He allows for all the ideas to be presented and he makes a recommendation that is so completely outside the box, something I hadn’t even considered, and at the same time pleasing to everyone. He is sincere to the process. He loves new ideas, research and looking outside for guidance. I know we are going to be constantly evolving and I am so excited to work with him.”

Dr. Graham offered a similar outlook. “I’m so excited to have him as a mentor and I am learning every day working with him. He has this wealth of knowledge and I find myself aspiring to be the best I can be.”

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In His Own Words “For me, I decided a long time ago to commit to always expanding my own horizons, otherwise I would have never left New York. And, every move was the right move.

Browning, Bishop’s, Ensworth, I have never left a school I didn’t love. Yet it’s that opportunity to continue to learn and grow that’s it for me and one I can’t miss out on. It’s nothing more than that. It’s a tremendous blessing to be in a school, a place of learning. Even in my short time at St. Andrew’s (Episcopal School in Boca Raton, Florida where Will served as interim head of school last year) with its similar Episcopal identity, it better prepared me to be here at St. Margaret’s.

“St. Margaret’s not only has a tremendous success story, but it continually strives to be better, to progress, to innovate. This community has high wishes and aspirations for the future and that’s very exciting,” he said.

“I want to be at St. Margaret’s as long as we have important work to do and to grow together,” he said. “New challenge, new work, new things to do, is what I love. It’s not about me.

It’s about the work and the goals of the school rooted in our Episcopal identity.”

He added, “We have to know who we are before we can move forward. We must be grounded in a true sense of self and that is our Episcopal identity.” Asked to offer a prayer for St. Margaret’s, Mr. Moseley easily offered the words of Marianne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

“That’s what we do as Episcopal school’s. We welcome and celebrate all people, all families from diverse backgrounds, all students and we let them all shine here. We want our students to be who they are and to shine,” he said. ●

“I want to be at St. Margaret’s as long as we have important work to do and to grow together.”

St. Margaret’s Installs Head of School William N. Moseley St. Margaret’s Episcopal School marked an historic day in November on Patron Saint of Education, St. Margaret’s Day for the 34-year-old school as fourth Head of School William Noyes Moseley was installed by The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, Bishop Diocesan of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and Chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees. More than 1,500 attended the ceremonious and jubilant change of leadership.

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S I D E

B Y

S I D E

A Reimagined Library for the 21st Century

By Darla Magana, Director of Library Services

L

ast summer, the St. Margaret's Episcopal School Library completed an extensive remodel funded through the Parent Teacher Fellowship Fund A Need, and designed and implemented through the team effort of myself, the Library team, Facilities and Construction Director Dick Jonovich, Project Architect and St. Margaret’s parent David Weaver, and project designers and St. Margaret’s parents Dominique O’Donnell and Lisa Thompson. The remodel culminated in a new Library that is inviting, comfortable, inspiring and flexible, serving every St. Margaret's student.

Walk through the front door of the Library and pass the display wall featuring new and interesting books. Peek behind the wall and see The Lounge, where small couches full of students have been configured to facilitate conversation and iPad sharing.

Travel deeper into the Library and you’ll find tables and chairs in a plethora of arrangement to facilitate all sorts of activities. In this learning common area, activities such as class instruction, large group presentations, and small group conversations happen continuously.

In the back of the Library there are two studio spaces. Studio A is fully equipped for media presentations and houses the Upper School film history course taught by Upper School Arts teacher and Technical Arts Coordinator Nicki Yokota.

Studio B is equipped with media creation software and tools.

Students use the studio spaces for studying, talking, tutoring, meeting, creating and watching.

The Retreat, also a new Library space this year, provides students with a silent study room, when additional focus is needed. Surrounded by inspirational quotes, the quiet room

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includes seven cubicle-type desks for added privacy. Students can grab a laptop out of a Library laptop cart or use their iPad, if needed. The Retreat is well used by Upper School students who appreciate that there is now a space on campus that is quiet and distraction free.

The heart of the Library is the Circulation Desk built by St. Margaret's parent Randy Miller. Centered between both sides of the Library, the Desk ensures that all learners have easy access to a librarian for quick help and support.

Behind the Circulation Desk sits the Lower School Library, a print rich, whimsical space. Large floor pillows invite students to grab their favorite book and settle in for a comfortable read. This year, iPads are used by students to find books and information. The technology adds fun and creativity to Library lessons. Within the Lower School Library is the Just Right Room, which houses a comfortable reading couch and a collection of books organized by reading level to aide our growing readers in finding just the right book. Also in the

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Lower School Library is the Learning Zone. Equipped with movable furniture, the space makes it easy for students to transition from learning at the story-time carpet to learning at the tables.

As you scan the Library you will see more than 26,000 book titles. Feeding students’ hearts and minds through access to good stories and quality information remains the Library’s main role on campus. Instructionally, the Library focuses on ensuring that students are able to access, evaluate, and ethically use a variety of resources. The remodeled Library offers students comfortable, convenient places to fall into a good book, yet access research materials around the globe through the Library’s robust digital collection.

Our reimagined Library is a forward thinking space offering students the space and tools to be collaborative and creative critical thinkers in the 21st century. The St. Margaret’s Library is a vital, essential learning space, the heartbeat of our learning community, now more than ever. ●

Mrs. Darla Magana asked frequent and regular users of the spaces and collections, the Olsen sisters, Ana, Hannah and Rebekah, to give a cross-divisional student perspective of the new Library.

By Ava Olsen, Grade 4

By Rebekah Olsen, Grade 9

The Lower School Library is a great place. I really like how there are iPads that you can use to find the books that you would like. If you don’t know what book you would like, you can look in Destiny Quest.

This is a special app on the library iPads with lists by reading level. Also, you can type in a subject and Destiny Quest will show you all the books in the Library about that subject.

The Library is one of my favorite places on campus. It is fun to go alone during a study block, pick up a book and plop down on a couch for a few minutes, or go with friends, grab a room and work on projects. And, it’s perfect for doing homework because the silent area has cubicles and is…well…silent (which is hard to find in some areas of campus).

I also like the “just right” room, which is a place where you can go to read quietly on a couch or a beanbag. For the fourth and fifth graders you can also join the BOB Club.

BOB stands for Battle of the Books and in this club there are 20 books that we read and we talk about them with the librarians during lunch on Wednesdays.

Since the recent remodel, several areas have changed for the better. The new, smaller rooms are perfect for getting together with partners and coordinating a Prezi or PowerPoint presentation for class. It’s easy to project the presentation on the wall and quickly do a rehearsal. Friends can even come in and be our audience! It’s great for practicing and it makes our in-class presentations much more polished (which makes our teachers happy). The smaller rooms also have whiteboard walls that are convenient for brainstorming, and one even has a green screen that is perfect for filming movie projects.

During our regular class, we go to the Library to check out books once a week. We also go once a week for a research session and we learn about how we can research many different subjects in our Library. I really enjoy our Library, and I look forward to going there every week. ●

By Hannah Olsen, Grade 7 As a Middle School student, I am very dependent on our school Library.

Since it has been renovated, it has become even more useable. It is now very interactive and has useful tools and new spaces. The new air printer has been a lifesaver as I often need to print straight from my iPad. Finding and checking out books by myself through the computer at the circulation desk is now a breeze.

The main area of the Library is ideal for collaborating with one or two friends on iPads or laptop computers. Also, on an iPad or laptop, you can access our new and improved eBook collection. I love the convenience of checking out, reading, and renewing or returning an amazing book all on my iPad. It makes for less walks over to the Library (which is a whole 3.5 minutes away) to return beloved but overdue books.

But, of course, I still enjoy checking out the “old-fashioned” ink and paper books, and our librarians have collected a wonderful selection, as well as being open to collecting some of my personal favorites. And, I can check them out myself just by finding my own name and ID number on the computer at the circulation desk and scanning the book’s barcode. The new Library is an amazing workspace for 21st century learning and I am thrilled to be able to enjoy it. ●

The new lounge is probably the most comfortable spot on campus. But, I have to say, my favorite thing from the renovation is The Study, one of the new mini-rooms. The Study has been the perfect place to meet with my friends and work on our research unit for debate in English class.

This room has whiteboard walls to help us with our thinking maps and an enormous touch screen computer that gives us access to the digital library database. The database has an endless supply of trustworthy and credible articles about every topic you can think of, literally at our fingertips! Also, my team likes to use The Study to work on our innovation unit for science class. We research our ideas on the computer and then it’s easy to brainstorm and map out what our project will look like on the whiteboard walls. For these and so many other reasons, our Library has become a very enriching and wonderful place. ●

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O P E N

S PA C E S

A Haunted Queen

By Eleanor Jones, Grade 8

I

t’s the middle of the night when I wake up. Outside, the rain is dumping buckets. When it rains in Southern California, it really rains. I'm incredibly disappointed.

My best friend Callie and her mom are taking me to stay at the Queen Mary for the whole weekend. The Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach Harbor about an hour away from us.

I throw back my covers, too excited to go back to sleep.

I try to think on the bright side of things. Since the Queen Mary is supposedly haunted, the rain will just make things even more interesting. I take a long, warm shower, then hop out and eat a breakfast of eggs and juice. As I’m braiding back my long, dark hair, I get a call from Callie.

Hours later, I’m standing in front of the biggest ship I’ve seen so far. I try and remember everything I know about her.

The RMS Queen Mary took her maiden voyage on May 27th 1936. John Brown and his company, in Scotland, built her. She is 1,019 feet long, and 181 feet high. The Queen Mary is one and a half times bigger than the Titanic, and was built sixteen years after the Titanic was. It had 27 boilers that were taken out when the ship was decommissioned in 1967. It’s now being used as a tourist attraction and a hotel.

“Earth to Aria!” Callie waves her hand in my face. “We just about left you behind!”

“Oh, hey. Sorry, I was just trying to get my facts in place.”

I smile, and pull my hood down as I board the ship. The elevator takes us up to the fourth floor, where we check in.

“I’m so excited for the ghost tour!” Callie practically squeals.

She grabs her bags and wheels them around the corner.

“You know ghosts aren’t real, right?” I run to catch up.

“Whatever you say, I just can’t wait until I see your face tonight when the ghosts come knocking,” she grins evilly.

“Alright girls, that’s enough. We need to hurry and put our stuff in our rooms. The tour starts at four,” Ms. Jamison smiles wearily.

We’re all standing in a small, dark room watching a video about the various “Ghost Encounters.” Callie is gripping my arm, and I’m smirking.

“It’s just a tourist scam, Callie. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” I try to reassure her.

“It’s still freaky,” she says, her blue eyes wide.

The guide leads us down a long hallway. The lights are flickering on and off. I have to admit, the effects are pretty good. The hallway opens out into a large open space. I look down over the railing. Below us, there’s an empty pool.

It looks to be about ten feet deep.

The guide starts his long speech about the ghosts and we tune in. “Legend has it, that a little girl was in here alone.

She was running through the pool area, and she slipped into the pool and drowned. Several people say they can still hear her screams whenever they come past here at night.

It has been said that she stays here because where she died has a significant emotional tie to her. Watch your steps, some uneven places will be coming up,” the guide says in a fake spooky voice. I can barely keep myself from laughing.

Callie sees my smile, and looks disgusted.

The lights shut off, and spooky music starts to play. A projector makes the pool below us look like water is actually in it. A light comes on in the corner. I look to see the gate that opens into the changing area swing open and closed.

An automated scream sounds, echoing off the high walls.

The lights flick on, and we continue to the “Grey Ghost Passageway.” The floor is indeed uneven, and a few people stumble. In the passage, the walls are decorated with what is supposed to look like human flesh. Things pop out at us, and tickle our feet. I hear Callie scream behind me, and this time I laugh. She grips my hand.

The next stop is Boiler Room One and Two. We watch another video about the various hauntings on the Queen Mary. While the video is playing, I look up at one of the catwalks. The air conditioning kicks up, and I get chilled.

I should have brought a jacket with me. I grumble in my head. Just as we’re starting to leave, I hear a thump, and a loud scream. A shiver travels down my spine. I glance back up at the catwalk. A shadow moves quickly over it. I shake my head, and tell myself it’s just my overactive imagination.

To continue reading Eleanor’s story, and view writing pieces from St. Margaret’s 2013-2014 Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition winners, visit Tartan Today at tartatoday.org and search “Scholastic Writing Competition” or scan this QR tag.

Open Spaces entry selected by St. Margaret’s Episcopal School English Department

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“Secondary Triad” By Shuqi Yang, Grade 11

Shuqi Yang’s drawing “Secondary Triad” was awarded the Silver Key in the 2014 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Originally from China, Shuqi came to study in America two and a half years ago. She has been taking art for two years at St. Margaret’s. Last year, she took Advanced Placement drawing and earned the highest score possible on her portfolio. This year, she is taking her second Advanced Placement class in 2D design.

In creating “Secondary Triad,” Shuqi selected a well composed view of the still life and used only three secondary colors: orange, green and purple. She layered the colors to create the desired values for the drawing.

“Her colored pencil drawing demonstrates an excellent understanding of drawing through successful articulation of the principles of design, well informed decision making and strong technical competence. Her drawing clearly engages the viewer,” said Upper and Middle School Art teacher Barbara Nelson.

Open Spaces entry selected by St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Arts Department

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TE M S STEM Roots are Growing Deep at St. Margaret’s

By Nicole Peddy

St. Margaret’s has become a major hub for the STEM education movement. At any given time you can walk into the labs and classrooms around campus and witness the blossoming of minds in action. Glimpse how the growing St. Margaret’s STEM program is cultivating budding scientists, mathematicians and engineers to become the future leaders in STEM fields.

Visit a Kindergarten or a grade 1 classroom and you will see students clustered in groups eagerly awaiting instruction on how to code their Bee Bot, a programmable floor robot that looks like a bee and is an age-appropriate tool for younger learners. Students create a basic program by entering commands to move the Bee Bot forward, backward, left and right to navigate to different squares on a floor mat that is designed to align with the curriculum for each grade.

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“The focus right now is to get familiar with the Bee Bot and introduce the concepts of robotics and programming, concentrating on getting the Bee Bot from point A to point B,” said Technology Innovation and STEM teacher Londa Posvistak. “Before you know it, students will be using the Bee Bots to make connections with the classroom curriculum working with math and English concepts.”

Drop into the ICE lab where grade 2 students are researching and learning about simple machines all around them.

Students build, test and observe simple machines with levers, pulleys, wheels and axels. This allows students to see the real-world application and also start noticing how powerful the combination of these simple machines can be together.

“STEM education at St. Margaret’s is not simply about adding more technology, coding, rigorous math, science and engineering to our curriculum, it’s also about understanding the mechanisms that drive students to be curious, to be inspired to solve a single, challenging problem and to think deeply about why innovation matters,” said Academic Dean Dr. Jeneen Graham.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is flourishing at St. Margaret’s. According to Director of Technology and Innovation and Computer Science Department Chair Lynn Ozonian, “Our STEM curriculum begins in Preschool where students observe, discuss and experience the world around us. The program takes students through Upper School where they can participate in STEM internships at a world-renowned university working in the lab alongside professors and researchers. In science, emphasis is placed on cultivating an environment of curiosity of the natural world and helping students develop scientific literacy.

Students learn that math is not an isolated discipline, but a tool necessary to understanding and applying to many other fields. In technology, emphasis is placed on experiential learning and developing computational thinking skills along with the integration of current and emerging technologies into established disciplines. And in engineering, the emphasis is on the development of solutions to problems in our manmade world by applying science, technology and math.

Underpinning each of these disciplines, teachers regularly emphasize collaboration with other students and use expert thinking skills, such as problem solving, synthesis, evaluation and self-reflection to think strategically about problems the way an expert would.”

skill and a logical thinking process. We envelop our students with math and science throughout the Lower School program and begin to explore engineering with simple machines and robotics. We give students license to create and dream, and they do.”

St. Margaret’s STEM curriculum was created so that each year builds upon previous knowledge and experience.

Students are continually developing problem solving and critical thinking skills emphasizing the engineering process through testing, adjusting and improving. During the engineering process, teachers respond to students’ inquiry with directed questions rather than answers. Teachers guide students to reflect and make connections to how what they are learning benefits society on a daily basis.

Students in grade 3 work on building various gear combinations ranging from basic to worm gears and rack and pinions. After each build process, the groups must make observations and complete journals where they are asked to identify the drive and driven gear, explain how gear ratios play a part in the speed, and lastly describe the input and output directions.

After each class meeting, the students are asked to look for gears around their community, highlighting the connection between classroom learning and the real world.

“The reason I like robotics is because of the building and the programming of whatever you want. For our spider we had to use complicated directions to make it, and I like that it was complicated,” said Johnathan Lee, grade 3.

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Dr. Graham continued, “What we know about learning is that students will persist through challenging course work if they believe the subject matter is important and relevant to not just their life, but to lives around the globe – and perhaps beyond. We begin this journey in the Preschool where we cultivate a child’s natural curiosity by letting them pursue their own paths and driving questions. As they linger to watch the flight of a butterfly or watch how colors change as bubbles become bigger and smaller or how certain block structures are more impenetrable to force, they formulate theories and more questions. This is the basis of scientific inquiry.

“For children, this kind of thinking is inborn and irresistible.

We continue our work by coding the Bee Bots to follow simple directions as early as Kindergarten. Coding is both a

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The grade 4 curriculum focuses on project builds that incorporate at least three simple machines per project. One project is the “Fishing Rod,” incorporating pulleys, gears, and a pawl and ratchet. Another project is the “Dogbot,” which introduces an additional challenge where students are asked to use a single motor to move multiple parts - making the tail wag, the eyes go up and down, and the mouth open and shut. These activities are constructed to force students to start applying their accumulated understanding.

The grade 5 curriculum is focused on exploration both historical and modern day. Using computer-aided design (CAD) software, students design a topographic model of one of the 13 original colonies, which correlates to their social studies curriculum. Each model is scaled, printed on a 3D printer, and assembled together to create a 3D map. Through a partnership between NASA and LEGO astronauts, grade 5 students explore the effects of microgravity on simple machines and robotics by building a trundle wheel, a measuring device used in space. After building the model, students use the trundle wheel to conduct tests and compare their observations with those of the astronauts on the International Space Station.

“This exercise offers students the opportunity to work with conversions, different units in the metric system, and to solve problems on the effectiveness of the trundle wheel on Earth versus the International Space Station,” said Mrs. Ozonian.

and engineering through designing and constructing a chair sturdy enough to sustain Mrs. Bear and large enough for her to fit. Grade 3 students must design and create a dwelling for the Indian tribe they are studying for the appropriate time period. The story Island of the Blue Dolphins has grade 4 students focused on designing a solution to help the young girl on the island get food, provide shelter or retrieve water.

In the novel, A Bridge to Terabithia, the two main characters must cross a creek and safely make it to the other side. With the use of LEGO pieces, along with arts and crafts materials, the grade 5 students create a way to make it across the creek.

The students are able to design any method to get over the bridge, but are required to research and design their model using an online resource approved by a teacher, similar to the planning stages that occur in a major construction project.

Student-Driven Exploration Moving into Middle School, grade 6 students are engaged in learning the basics of LEGO Mindstorms paired with NXT programming. Students pair up and build 20 different programs learning how to manipulate the robot in various ways. The class ends in an exciting robot race with a program students create on their own using the strategies and techniques learned throughout the project. Students are also introduced to Scratch, a programming language developed by MIT, which creates an environment where students must think in a completely new way by using a drag and drop interface of blocks of program code to make a character move across the screen.

“My favorite thing about STEM is that you get to try things that you really haven’t tried before like Scratch, Missing and robotics,” said Michael Stevenson, grade 6. “I think STEM is important because it is technology and we are going to use it in the future and we are going to need it to be successful.

My favorite part of STEM is robotics because it is innovation, new things.”

Expanding the STEM Equation “This year we are expanding our STEM curriculum with specialized projects that intertwine and make logical connections with other subjects such as language arts, social studies and art.” said Mrs. Ozonian. “In each of these projects, students collaborate and problem solve using the engineering design process to develop possible solutions.”

After reading the book A Chair for Mr. Bear, the grade 2 students review the problem that Mr. Bear is having and how they can come up with a solution incorporating math, art

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“My favorite part of STEM is that we get to be creative engineers and that puts us into the real world,” said LuLu Arundale, grade 6. “STEM is important in a school setting because we get to become that engineer and it will prepare us for the future, like designing in technology and creating and building because that is what our world is today.”

To bring current media to the classroom, this year, the grade 7 teaching team created a year-long innovation unit based on the exciting TV show Shark Tank. “The project gives students an opportunity to enhance their curiosity, creativity and passion by developing an innovation or invention and persuading a panel of “Shark Tank” members to invest in their product,” said Eric Harrington, grade 7 science teacher.

Prior to the project, students learn about innovations and inventions through their core content classes.

Demystifying Code In December, St. Margaret’s Lower and Middle School students, along with 5 million students in 35,000 schools across 167 countries, spent at least one hour focused on computer science education as part of the worldwide “Hour of Code,” a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code” and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, an innovator. Students worked through a variety of self-guided tutorials developed in collaboration with engineers from companies like Microsoft and Google. The campaign coincided with Computer Science Education Week 2013.

“This cross-curricular project incorporates participation by each class. Students use research to inspire and guide themselves while creating their own innovation or invention.

Projects must include a model or sketch of the invention, a poster or display board explaining the purpose of the innovation or invention and how it works, and a persuasive written speech explaining the invention or innovation, the problem it addresses, and why Shark Tank members should invest,” said Mr. Harrington.

Grade 7 students continue to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills using their iPads to explore an app called Tinkerbox, which gives them a complex machine that they need to fix using real-world physics and engineering.

They also solve puzzles by programming a robotic claw using an app called Cargo Bot. “In Middle School, we require students to be fluent with iPad technology and encourage them to use the tool in a way that fits them. Students have the opportunity to continue learning how to code through computer science classes. They marry technology with art and every other subject. Science and math remain exciting and student-centered, and increase in rigor,” said Dr. Jeneen Graham.

“The Hour of Code is a fantastic vehicle for demystifying the process of writing code. Many of our students, to their surprise, realized that they already knew how to code. In Kindergarten, our students begin the process of coding. We know that the key to getting kids excited about coding is starting early and then providing them plenty of opportunities to develop new skills as they grow. In addition to coding being a critical skill for the 21st century, there is promising research indicating that learning to code increases math achievement,” said Dr. Graham.

Mrs. Ozonian added, “Learning to code teaches a student how the technology that is all around us works and is created.

This is an increasingly important mindset in the 21st century.

Coding involves breaking down a problem into logical, stepby-step instructions, writing the instructions in a language the computer can understand, and then getting feedback from the computer to make sure it understood the instructions.

Coding teaches computational thinking skills, persistence, and shows students how they can create, not simply use, new technologies, leading them to see new technological solutions in the future.”

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Grade 8 students have the opportunity to take STEM elective classes focusing on sharpening their ability to problem solve and think. This year, students were introduced to programming using the game creation tool GameSalad. Students explored various ways they can manipulate objects to bring about different results.

“These explorations are individual and student driven – some students explore projectile motion, others animation, others timing mechanisms and scoring systems, etc.,” said Timothy Sinnott, computer science teacher. “In doing this, students are often faced with having to solve problems that require more advanced interactions between objects. Students began to understand that they are not limited to the tools that GameSalad provides and that they can extend to create more unique solutions.”

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STEM Discovery Continues After the School Bell STEM exploration continues for Lower and Middle School students during after school clubs. Currently, St. Margaret's offers Lower School students the following clubs in the STEM field: science, 3D printing and design, robotics, Club LEGO and ArtBots. Additional after school opportunities are now available for Middle School, which include coding using iPads and a special app to create games and learn the basics of a coding language.

Two new teams for the FIRST LEGO League were started this year, one with grade 4 and 5 students and one for Middle School students. Students will begin competing in challenges in the fall. The FIRST LEGO League is an international program that challenges students to solve specific tasks using LEGOs and robotics. The Junior FIRST LEGO League teams, Team ICE and Team ICE Cubed, just completed their third season. Ten students in grades 1, 2 and 3 make up the two teams.

Grade 3 student Aili McGregor has been a member of St. Margaret’s Junior FIRST LEGO League for three years.

Ali said, “I think it’s really great to work in a team and work together to build something. It’s fun when your idea(s) get approved and everyone works together to make it happen.”

“The unique thing about the Junior FIRST LEGO League program is that it forces the students to focus on a real-world problem and attempt to come up with a solution,” said Mrs. Posvistak. “Not only does this allow them to problem solve, but teaches the kids empathy and hopefully a continued desire to help others. Starting with the brainstorming process, students are encouraged to work together, culminating in a functioning model that demonstrates their perseverance and the LEGO League core values.”

The after school robotics clubs were implemented at St. Margaret’s three years ago and have grown exponentially, with each of them being fully enrolled each trimester.

In the ArtBots Club, students have the chance to use art and craft supplies combined with robotic components to create a model. The most popular model is a lamp, made out of Lysol wipe containers and a handmade lampshade. The students then use the Pico Cricket, a programmable robotic component, to light the lamp, and sensors to turn it on and off.

“Another project that was very successful last year was a dream house,” said Mrs. Posvistak. “Students combined arts and crafts to make a house, and Pico Crickets to make a doorbell, light and 3D printing to make furniture. This year we added the option of little bits, electronic circuits that use sensors and LED lights to enhance their projects.”

A Summer of STEM Exploration “We are very excited to be partnering with the i2 Camp this summer, and offering classes from grades 5 through 8. Each unique class runs for one week and is an amazing and multidisciplinary experience created by some of the world’s leading STEM organizations,” said Tait Lihme, director of summer school and extension programs.

The program at i2 Camp has been developed with the goal of engaging middle school students in the fields of STEM. The camp broadens a child’s exposure to STEM with a wide variety of new, innovative courses. The fun and intimate, hands-on activities of the courses strive to excite and inspire campers about STEM creating enthusiasm that will hopefully spill over to their schoolwork and school choices in future years.

Additionally, FABcamp, a hands-on summer experience for incoming grade 6 through 8 students is being offered this summer through University of California, Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Each week, UCI engineers will inspire campers’ imaginations with the opportunity to design, build and create projects from start to finish. Projects will emphasize STEM concepts and correlate with the Common Core Standards and the Framework for Next Generation Science Standards. Activities will emphasize 21st century skills such as critical thinking, communication and problem solving.

“The world of STEM is constantly evolving and to stay ahead of the curve requires constant attention to research and promising programs around the globe. We have very intentionally partnered with university leaders through the i2 STEM summer programs and the UCI Engineering FABcamp program,” said Dr. Graham.

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Paving a Path to College and Beyond “At the end of Middle School, students participate in their own original research and understand the power of a really good question and why variables must be controlled in order to find the answer. In the Upper School we dive into physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, math through multivariable calculus, environmental science, marine science and computer science, many of which are college-level classes. The rigor of these classes is undeniable, yet our students persist because they understand the relevance and importance of this work.

Due to the careful scaffolding of our programs and the desire to meet students where they are, we inspire many students to pursue STEM-related degrees and college majors. Recent alumni reports indicate that more than a quarter of our graduates have pursued STEM majors in college. We want to increase that number and to do that we need to increase opportunities and find new ways to engage our students, but never lose our focus on the natural curiosity that lies within all of our students,” said Dr. Graham.

Upper School students have the opportunity to take advanced science, technology, engineering and math classes throughout their four years including programming with robotics using the NAO Humanoid Robot, software engineering, marine science, astronomy and introduction to engineering. New courses next year include digital creations, blending 3D sculpture and animation, and mobile application programming. In addition to summer internship programs, students are also involved in many after school STEM clubs such as robotics, 3D printing, the math club Mu Alpha Theta, Technology Student Association Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) Competition for Science, and the environmental science SEEDS Club.

Currently, in the Upper School physics room and EDGE Lab students are busily working on a self-directed project to build a custom 3D printer from parts printed from a 3D printer.

Led by St. Margaret’s parent Brendon Cheves, six students are involved in the project, including one junior, four sophomores and a grade 7 student.

“The current goal is to be done building the printer by the end of the school year. We'll be using instructions from the internet in order to put it together,” said Mr. Cheves. “I’ve never built one before and neither have the kids, but it will be an adventure!”

Upper School students are continuously busy not only creating 3D printers, but constructing a solar powered box car, launching rockets high into the air on Chalmers Field, participating in university-level engineering and integrative medicine research summer internship programs at UCI, or building a hovercraft to demonstrate Newton’s Laws of Motion and learn about inertia, centripetal force, momentum and rotational dynamics.

In October, the Advanced Placement environmental science students took part in a field study to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, an event and competition held biennially. The U.S. Advanced Placement human geography classes learned about water in preparation for a Skype call with a school in Bailly-Romainvilliers, France as part of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 20/20 project on issues of the 21st century.

“Teachers and administrators act as lead learners and work to integrate the newest technology and teaching approaches into the classroom every day,” said Dr. Graham. “Through our student interns at UCI, we learn what is required for them to be successful in a research lab. Our program is and will be constantly evolving – that is the fun part!”

“I like the fact that STEM subjects give students the chance to see a glimpse of our future,” said Brian Lee, grade 12.

“Whether we want to become doctors, scientists, engineers or mathematicians, learning these subjects make our hearts flutter just by imagining ourselves in the near future using the newly acquired information in the real world.”

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TartanBots The St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Robotics Team, TartanBots, competed in 2012 with the excitement of several Upper School students and Upper School Science teacher Steve Harless and St. Margaret’s parent Brendon Cheves. The team’s first competition was the Los Angeles FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge. Over the course of the last year, the Tartan Robot, which the team created and built, has undergone six different versions to prepare for different competitive challenges. Students use Tetrix pieces, LEGO Mindstorm sensors and pieces printed from the EDGE Lab 3D printer to build their robot. Here is a look at TartanBots by the numbers:

8 Tournaments:

................................

4 Qualifying Tournaments entered:

Pasadena, Claremont, Antelope Valley and West Los Angeles

3 Regional Championship Tournaments entered: 1 World Championship Tournament: Southern Nevada, Los Angeles and South Carolina

St. Louis, Missouri

8 Awards:

................................

2 Judges Award Winner 1 Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) Design Award Winner 1 INSPIRE Award Winner 1 INSPIRE Award 2nd Place 2 First Place Winning Alliance Captain 1 Individual INSPIRE Award to Austin Russell

(Pasadena and Claremont)

(Southern Nevada)

(West Los Angeles) (South Carolina)

(West Los Angeles and South Carolina Tournaments)

(World Championship Tournament)

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●

L O O K I N G

F O RWA R D

The Future of STEM Education at St. Margaret’s

S

t. Margaret’s announced the creation of a dedicated STEM Endowed Fund and Fellow that will direct and support new school-wide STEM curriculum innovation. Working from the foundations and recommendations set by the school’s STEM Task Force, the STEM Endowed Fund will pave the future of the STEM curriculum expanding courses and experiences, including new courses in engineering, entrepreneurship, product design, software apps, robotics, deepening classroom instruction and facilitating new partnerships with universities and outside STEM experts.

Under the guidance of the STEM Fellow, the Fund provides the financial and programmatic resources to be available next year and every year in perpetuity.

The endowed fund will launch with more than $400,000 from funds raised at the 2014 All-School Spring Fundraiser in March. “We are thrilled by the outpouring of support for STEM education at St. Margaret’s. The endowed fund will ensure St. Margaret’s remains on the cutting edge of STEM education now and forever,” said Academic Dean Dr. Jeneen Graham.

This fund follows a host of significant STEM investments by the community over the last few years bringing new technological resources to St. Margaret’s students across the school, including the ICE Lab, engineering and robotics lab, the EDGE Lab, a modern fabrication lab, and the new, reimagined Library for the 21st-century student.

Why STEM Education “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Typical answers from young children include: doctor, engineer, scientist, astronaut, inventor. Music to any parent’s ears. What then is needed to nurture a child along a path to fuel those young dreams and transform them into real passions for a lifetime?

At St. Margaret’s, we know the answer resides in thoughtfully developed curriculum that exposes every child to STEM, and builds depth of understanding, passion and engagement for STEM study so they will persevere through increasingly challenging coursework.

St. Margaret’s STEM education is science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum and programs that start early in a child’s education, build on each other, are realworld and collaborative, work together across disciplines and in some cases, study more than one area in the same course.

Imagine computer programming without math. Working in a modern lab researching cancer growth without the ability to chart findings on your own self-written software application.

Or, today’s advances in minimallyinvasive surgery without the application of robotics. These intersections and crossovers naturally occur in STEM fields.

Students prepared for STEM careers are in high and growing demand among colleges and the industry, further STEM careers are projected to dominate the workforce of the future. A 2012 report by the U.S. Presidential Council of Science and Technology concluded that the need for STEM professionals will be significantly higher than the number of qualified workers over the next decade alone. The Bayer Corporation’s Facts of Science Education Survey said that Fortune 1000 companies are struggling to fill high paying jobs with qualified candidates. A recent report from ACT identified that there is a pool of untapped potential in students who have measured interest in STEM fields, but are choosing not to pursue STEM college majors due to lack of exposure and adequate preparation to succeed.

“We already have extensive STEM curriculum beginning in Preschool through grade 12. Further, our students have natural interest and skills in STEM areas. We have a responsibility to reach higher and continue to advance in STEM education,” said Dr. Graham.

“The technology that is at the heart of much of the growth in STEM education is consistently requiring upgrading and re-imagining, and this effort requires a lead educator who will bring new innovations to our curriculum. The endowed STEM fund fuels this work and allows it to continue to grow at the pace it needs.

“We want every St. Margaret’s student to have the preparation to choose a STEM career and the exposure to understand the exciting and limitless opportunities that await them.

With this new STEM initiative, they will,” said Dr. Graham.

If you are interested in supporting the STEM Endowed Fund and Fellow, please contact Director of Advancement Lara Farhadi at 949.661.0108, ext. 353, lara.farhadi@smes.org. ●

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San Juan Capistrano’s First TEDx Makes Exclamation Point with a Question Mark

By Anne Dahlem and Nicole Peddy

“Never Stop Questioning” was the theme of the inaugural TEDxSanJuanCapistrano and featured a compilation of innovators in arts, ecology, education, public purpose, science and technology. They presented throughout-provoking and energizing TED Talks to 100 attendees on November 1, 2013 in the St. Margaret’s Episcopal School McGregor Family Theater.

“The inaugural TEDxSanJuanCapistrano was remarkable; in many ways exactly what you would hope for, and greater than you would imagine. More than a group of speakers presenting to an audience, TEDxSJC is the community of people, innovators, businesses leaders, educators, students, who came together on a Friday night, deeply curious, hopeful and energized by the sharing of thought-provoking ideas,” said attendee Dr. Jeneen Graham.

“I know bringing the spirit of TED and ‘ideas worth sharing’ to our local community was the driving focus of the TEDx organizing team. Further, it is critical to nurturing lifelong learners that we inspire others to be curious and ask questions.

It is through curiosity and questions that our society grows and develops and a better future is created. TEDxSJC celebrated and held up the importance of questions, ideas and innovation and this notion resonated with the participants, most who stayed late into the night engaged in lively conversation,” continued Dr. Graham.

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The event theme was derived from Albert Einstein’s quote: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Attendees were treated to nine speakers with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise: Alan Cross, writer and producer; Kelly Dooley-Kalley, founder and designer, BodyRock Sport; William Fitzpatrick, renowned violist and educator; Paula Golden, executive director, Broadcom Foundation; Thomas Hughes, writer, scientist and grade 6 student; Michelle Khine, associate professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine School of Engineering; Johnny Li, mathematician and researcher at Harvard University; Evan Marks, founder and executive director, The Ecology Center; and Nanea Reeves, chief operating officer, Machinima, who each shared their big ideas stemming from their passions and dreams and how they imagine the future.

“By helping those around you ask the tough “why” questions – to go beyond waiting for the “right” answer from you –

empowers us all. Supervisors and subordinates. Teachers and students. Parents and children. Friends. Family. Asking “why” gives us an idea, a task, a relationship and brings to our lives even more meaning,” said TEDxSJC Speaker William Fitzpatrick.

During the discussion break, conversations between attendees were sparked by question boxes on each table. The question boxes facilitated attendees to engage in stimulating dialogue that challenged their own thinking and inspired others to never stop questioning. Questions on the boxes included: What's your biggest question in life? What's one new idea you’ve considered today? Why should we never stop questioning? How can you encourage others to be questioners?

Where/when do you like to ponder ideas? And, what is an idea you have that's worth spreading?

“Whenever you’re introducing an innovative idea into the marketplace, you’re going to hear NO a lot more than you hear YES. And, as I’ve learned, if it’s the other way around, chances are that what you’re doing is not innovative at all.

As an innovator, you must be prepared to relentlessly defend your ideas 24/7 and you must remain true to your vision, relentlessly question the status quo, and keep assessing, developing and refining what you see in here [pointing to her temple] and keep it moving to bring it here. That is what will distinguish you from your competitors,” said TEDxSJC Speaker Kelly Dooley-Kalley.

Attendees also had the opportunity to conduct their own orchestra of local musicians assembled by Capo Chamber Music Conductor Gene Wie, and listen to a youth jazz ensemble. Event caterer Sapphire Laguna used the theme to tell a story through an inventive menu of items that questioned convention. Shovels donned wheat grass nesting local vegetables and dips were offered to attendees as were invigorating signature lemonades with infused fresh herbs from a local school garden.

TEDxSJC attendee Liana Miller said, “The event inspired a dialog by simply asking, ‘why’ and ‘what if.’ We were challenged by the speakers to never stop questioning while in the process being inspired to reignite our imaginations, ask

ourselves if we’re capable of more and follow nature’s lead.

The brilliance behind TEDxSanJuanCapistrano is that the conversations and ideas presented by this diverse group of speakers found a unique forum for bubbling up to the top and being heard by an audience equally passionate about what they had to say. And, that is what TED is all about.”

In TEDxSJC Speaker Nanea Reeves’ impactful talk, she said, “Combining mindfulness with compassion allows me to change my behavior midstream – to give rather than take – to focus on my contribution rather than what I am not getting. Here is the secret – you will find that when you ask yourself to give more to others around you – the more successful you will be in life. If people feel better when you are around – they will hire you, promote you, they will invite you to their parties, they will marry you... and they will reach out to you first when they need a friend. And those are the moments I will be most proud of at the end of my journey. My success in life will be defined by what those around me felt about my contribution – did I make a difference in their lives?”

Attendee Heather Murray said, “The wealth of knowledge displayed from the diversely educated speakers, the level of energy and engagement from the dynamic group of attendees and perfect setting of questions, creativity and art, engendered a cutting-edge feel and excitement to the conversations happening all around.”

TEDxSanJuanCapistrano is an independently organized TEDx event. Tait Lihme, who was the lead organizer and moderated the program said, “As adults it is important to continue lives of learning. Not only is TEDxSanJuanCapistrano a great way to do that in and of itself, but it provides a strong foundation on which to develop other unique learning opportunities within the community.”

As guided by the TED organization, TEDxSanJuanCapistrano was an intimate event of 100 attendees and nine speakers in the St. Margaret’s Performing Arts Center’s McGregor Family Theater. Attendees were charged with engaging in the stimulating ideas shared through dialogue, challenging their own thinking, and inspiring others to never stop questioning. ●

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FA C U LT Y

P R O F I L E S

James Harris Upper School Teacher, History & Social Studies Chair

Upper School history teacher and History/Social Studies Department Chair James Harris is rather surprised at his career choice. “I was never the type growing up knowing I wanted to be a teacher,” he explained.

“But teaching turned out to be the intersection of my two keenest interests: history and learning. Teaching is a career that allows you to continue to learn about your subject, as well as the craft of teaching.”

enrolled at California State University, Long Beach. Then life delivered a slap shot. At 19, James was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and spent the next two years undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Cared for by his parents through this difficult phase, James emerged from it cancer-free. He completed his undergraduate studies at Saddleback College and earned a Bachelor of Arts at University of California, Irvine. He continued learning, attaining a teaching credential, then a master’s degree in history from UCI. He became fascinated with Chinese history and lived and taught English to youngsters in China for two years with his wife, Katie Harris, now a grade 7 St. Margaret’s teacher.

A St. Margaret’s Episcopal School alum, James noted: “I never expected to come back to St. Margaret’s to teach – anyone who knew me would never imagine this. But when my wife Katie and I returned from teaching and living in China in late 2007, the U.S. economy was in full collapse. I was looking for a teaching job, and the only full-time position available happened to be teaching history at St. Margaret’s. I got lucky enough to get the job!”

“What historians do is often seen merely as facts and dates – just learned information. What they actually do involves much more: finding sources, researching sources, debating, communicating someone’s findings. In a high school classroom, history is not just something you learn – it’s something you learn to do, through scholarship and research.”

Since age 15, James has been employed almost exclusively in jobs that involved working with adolescents and young adults. A diehard hockey fan, his first job was selling hockey equipment to teens. He refereed and coached hockey and soccer, had jobs at the YMCA, and worked with disadvantaged and at-risk youth and kids with disabilities at the Capistrano Unified School District.

Growing up in San Juan Capistrano, James attended Ambuehl Elementary School, then St. Margaret’s from grade 7 on. He

“The Advanced Placement world history course I teach is very demanding, with a lot of reading and analyzing of sources. I would not be doing my students any favors by assigning them less work – they would get to the May exam and be unprepared. I like to think that I have prepared them for the more challenging aspects of their college experience and careers,” he observed. “The things in life you are most proud of are those you worked at the hardest. I have high expectations of my students, but at the same time I am there to support them however I can.”

AP world history student Elizabeth Stephens concurred.

“Mr. Harris is so supportive and confident in his students.

He inspires us to do our best. He does not simply lecture. His lessons reflect his enthusiasm and passion for history, which instills a lasting and genuine interest in the subject. His love of history is infectious. His gift as a teacher makes his class a profoundly memorable part of my St. Margaret’s experience.”

Jack Cowan, grade 11, said, “Mr. Harris is eager to help us if we need it, but unafraid to let us fall on our faces to let us see where we tripped. In AP world history, Mr. Harris taught me that nothing good is achieved without hard work, and that even learning about yet another Mesopotamian

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Washington D.C. with 1,500 other scholars. He is a member of its kindergarten through grade 12 organizing committee, which works to increase the professional development and interaction between professional/university historians and high school history teachers.

“We work to bring the best of both worlds together – the cutting-edge scholarship of universities with the up-to-date teaching practices seen at high schools.”

city-state’s centralized, religious, patriarchal government can be exciting if you approach it that way.”

In recalling the instructors who most inspired him, James remembers St. Margaret’s history teacher Dr. Bob Johnson, “an endless library of history” in whose class “an A did not come cheaply.” Saddleback College’s Dr. Scott Howlett steered him toward teaching and attending UCI. Also influential were his UCI graduate advisor, Dr. Laura Mitchell, and Dr. Kenneth Pomeranz, who moved on from UCI to become a University of Chicago “rock star of history” and the president of the nationwide American Historical Association (AHA).

A member of the AHA for two years, James served on its 2014 program committee and attended its January meeting in

Who currently inspires James Harris? “My colleagues at St. Margaret’s. The teachers here work extremely hard to set up the experiences students have every day. Also, I am very impressed at the way the St. Margaret’s community rallies around a family when they’re in need. As I get older it becomes more meaningful. The word ‘community’ gets thrown around a lot, but when you see examples of it, it’s very noticeable.”

Besides family time, James’ favorite activities outside school are mountain biking the San Juan Trail and Los Angeles Kings hockey. He, Katie and daughter Lauryn, a Tartan preschooler, welcomed a new baby in March.

“This is a solid community with good people. I’m happy to bring my daughter to school here. I love the people I work with. I enjoy the students. Awards and recognition are fun, but making and keeping friends is the most important to me.

You can learn a lot from the people you work with.” ●

Colleen Beshk Lower School Kindergarten Teacher

When newly credentialed Colleen O’Leary took her cousin Bryan Harney’s tip and scheduled an interview at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School for a Lower School teaching position in 2006, she had little idea that, seven years later, much of her life would revolve around the campus.

“I had always known about the school, since former Headmaster Marc Campaigne was my Indian Princess chief,” she explained. “I had an offer from a public school district, but would not know the school and grade-level assignment until August. My cousin encouraged

me to apply to St. Margaret's, for interview experience. When I was offered a grade 3 teaching position, I came to meet the team. Susan Remsberg was one of the teachers at the time and it was her enthusiasm and kindness that led me to accept the position. It just seemed right.”

During her first week at the school, a date was arranged between her and the sole male classroom teacher, David Beshk.

She and David were married on August 1, 2009. “On August 2, we had a blessing and reception at St. Margaret's with our students and their families. Students from all divisions attended and sang the Claire Benediction. It was emotional, to say the least. Our daughter Heidi is in Mrs. Petrozzi’s Preschool 3 class, and Henry is in the Wee Tartan Center. David is a grade 5 teacher and Lower School Dean of Students.”

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Her goal in preparing her kindergarteners is to “guide them in gaining the foundational skills necessary for academic success. Beyond learning to read, write and compute, our students are learning persistence, acceptance, flexible thinking, and, most importantly, character. What I love most about St. Margaret’s is that I do not have to choose between maintaining high academic standards and high moral standards.

Students are equally educated in both their minds and hearts.”

Currently a Kindergarten teacher, Colleen has also taught grades 2, 3 and 4 at St. Margaret’s.

Colleen believes in encouraging leadership skills at a young age, and founded the Lower School Student Council in 2007, serving since as its advisor. Her involvement at St. Margaret’s is impressive. With Director of Library Services Darla Magana, Colleen has coached the Battle of the Books since 2007, taught afterschool athletic club and academic summer school courses, and acted as program coordinator for the Lower School Service Learning since 2012. She has been involved in the Annual Fund, served on the recent Headmaster Advisory Committee, as well as the 2008 principal search committee, performed second grade lead teacher duties, was a Master Teacher in 2009, a 2010 Student Leadership Task Force Committee member, and a grade-level mentor in 2012.

She attended San Clemente’s Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School for kindergarten through grade 8, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, and California State University, Fullerton as a liberal studies major. A songbird by nature, she was always drawn to participating in choirs and musicals, and often sang the national anthem before home games.

She frequently uses music to teach in her classroom.

“I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in first grade.

Well, a teacher or a Broadway actress,” she smiles. “I later realized that as a teacher, I would get to ‘sing’ to a captive audience. My first grade teacher, Mrs. Simmons, definitely inspired me. She treated every student with genuine kindness, and inspires me daily to do the same.

“In third grade, I wrote an essay about wanting to be a kindergarten teacher when I grew up. In sixth grade, I started my own babysitting business that continued through high school. I tutored throughout high school and college. I would do anything to be around kids.

“I believe strongly that students thrive in a structured and predictable environment that is also flexible, fun and forgiving. Above all, I hope that my students know that I care deeply about them,” she stated. “There is nothing more important to me than students feeling safe and loved.”

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Mary Sue Simmons, who taught first grade for 35 of her 45 years of teaching, recalled Colleen fondly. “Knowing that one of my students was inspired by me to become a teacher is such an honor. A teacher is not always sure he or she has succeeded inspiring students in this way. To know that Colleen has found the same inspiration and joy as a teacher makes me so happy. Colleen always possessed a lively and energetic spirit as a young child. It does not surprise me that she decided on teaching as her career and is so successful at it and loves it so much.”

Colleen added, “I am privileged to literally watch my students grow into adulthood. Each year, the former students get taller and more mature, but they always stop to say hello. A few even babysit for us now. Not every teacher gets to watch her babies become adults. I am so lucky!”

In her precious free time, Colleen enjoys being with her family, including both her and David’s nearby extended families. They love bike rides, bonfires, camping trips, and beach walks; Disneyland passes afford the Beshks the luxury of park visits in brief, meltdown-free chunks.

“On breaks, I read, on average, a book a day. There is nothing better than getting up without an alarm clock and reading until the rest of the house awakens.”

She played high school and college basketball and is currently training with her sister-in-law to run a half-marathon.

“I’m very proud of the relationships formed with students and the success of the Lower School Student Council and its growth in the past seven years. It is remarkable what 10 year olds can accomplish with a little guidance! Students have led three assemblies this year. The leadership is student-driven and student-created.

“Almost everyone goes into education wanting to make the world a better place. At St. Margaret’s, we strive to do so by creating intelligent, giving leaders,” she noted. ●

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Branching Out in STEM B y L y n n O z o n i a n , D i r e c t o r o f Te c h n o l o g y a n d I n n o v a t i o n a n d Computer Science Department Chair

For many years, St. Margaret’s Episcopal School has demonstrated a strong commitment to STEM education through the talented expertise of its faculty and a rich, comprehensive curriculum. As our world becomes increasingly dependent on STEM related fields, our graduates have the fundamental understandings and necessary foundation skills to adapt and flourish in our rapidly changing global economy.

The acronym STEM was coined in the early 2000s by the National Science Foundation and is used to refer to the four separate and district disciplines known as science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Today, the acronym STEM embodies not only each individual discipline, but emphasizes an interdisciplinary, real-world problem-based curriculum that builds critical and creative thinking skills along with the 21st century skills of teamwork, communications and leadership. STEM literacy offers students the ability to make sense of our human-made world and allows learners to apply their STEM knowledge to solve problems just as we do in the real world.

expanded curriculum in robotics and computer science. The alumni profiled in this article represent only a few of the graduates that have gone on to pursue careers in STEM fields. While these graduates did not have the opportunities provided by these new facilities and curriculum offerings, they were inspired by the STEM education they received during their time at St. Margaret’s, and were well-equipped to pursue a career in a STEM field. These alumni exemplify our commitment that every St. Margaret’s student has the preparation to choose a STEM career and the exposure to understand the exciting and limitless opportunities that await them.

The STEM education experience at St. Margaret’s has been transformed by the opening of the ICE Lab, EDGE Lab, and

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Taylore McClurg

By Nicole Peddy Taylore McClurg, a member of St. Margaret’s Class of 2002, is currently a business development engineer at SpaceX. Located in Hawthorne, Calif., and founded in 2002, SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company aims to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

Most recently at SpaceX, Taylore worked on a proposal for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

“Since retiring the space shuttles in 2011 and the cancellation of the shuttle’s replacement, the U.S. has been relying on Russian launch services and their Soyuz capsule to bring astronauts to and from the International Space Station. For the first time in history, NASA reached out to the commercial industry to restore manned spaceflight in the U.S. I was fortunate enough to coordinate my company’s proposal to NASA to compete for this program,” said Taylore. “Working on manned spaceflight and exploration has always been a dream of mine and now I’m actually doing it!” Taylore said the results of the project will be announced later this year.

After St. Margaret’s, Taylore attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she studied aerospace engineering for both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, emphasizing in spacecraft dynamics and controls. She received both degrees within five years’ time.

“For my thesis I turned a little wireless security camera into a star tracker for our spacecraft simulator. This allowed the spacecraft simulator to determine its orientation (where it’s pointed) by just taking a picture of a star field,” said Taylore.

Before graduating Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Taylore secured a job as a systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, a “leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in manned and unmanned aircraft, spacecraft, high-energy laser systems, microelectronics critical to keeping the world safe.” However, before officially starting at Northrop Grumman, Taylore spent seven months circumnavigating the globe.

“If you have a chance to travel and explore the world before starting your professional career, I highly recommend it,” said Taylore. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

When asked how St. Margaret’s prepared her for her current career, Taylore said, “The faculty at St. Margaret’s always pushed me to do better and to not give up when things got hard. I distinctly remember an Advanced Placement physics project on electromagnetics where I wanted to build a speaker out of household items, and Mr. Warren told me to push

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myself and figure out a way to create usable headphones instead. Through much trial and error I succeeded, and in turn learned how capable I really was. Being an engineer you need to have confidence in yourself and your abilities, and I started to learn that about myself at St. Margaret’s. And, the facilities at St. Margaret’s rival most Cal State schools, allowing me to work in labs and with equipment that I would continue to use in college.”

Taylore, who has always been interested in how things work, wanted to be an astronaut for as long as she can remember and was drawn to everything NASA. So much so that she was voted “Most Likely to Work for NASA” as a senior at St. Margaret's. “I’m pretty sure “Most Likely to Work for NASA” was a special category my fellow seniors created for me,” added Taylore.

As Taylore looks to the future, she’s excited for what comes next. “Working at SpaceX allows me to be at the cutting edge of space technology. Every day I walk out onto the factory floor to watch rockets and spacecraft getting built and assembled, knowing that this is the beginning of our efforts to send the human race to Mars and beyond. That is what I enjoy the most.

“My ultimate goal is to have an impact on the future of space travel. I want to live to see the first humans on Mars, so I’ve got to make sure we can get there.”

Martin Lukac, Ph.D. Martin Lukac is the chief technology officer and co-founder of Nexleaf Analytics, a nonprofit technology company based in Los Angeles that builds wirelessly connected devices and sensor technologies for critical public health and environmental interventions.

“Nithya Ramanathan and I co-founded Nexleaf,” said Martin. “We were in the same Ph.D. program and we had the same advisor, but we worked on different projects. Through contacts Nithya had, she found some opportunities to partner with researchers and other non-profits. She asked me to help out; we started Nexleaf, and began applying for funding with partners.”

A member of St. Margaret’s Class of 1998, Martin double majored and received his Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computer science from Haverford College, and his Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA. Martin developed, deployed and maintained one of the first large scale wireless seismic networks as part of his thesis. The system was deployed in Peru and Mexico for more than two years and spanned more than 250 km.

“Even though there were less than 50 students in my graduating class, St. Margaret’s was able to provide a large variety of advanced math and science courses,” said Martin, who started St. Margaret's in the second grade. “The curriculum, the small class sizes, the committed teachers helped keep me and my fellow students engaged and inspired.”

At Nexleaf, Martin leads all aspects of the technical design and architecture of the company’s sensing systems and connected devices. His work has led to one pending patent for measuring temperature using the headset jack on a cell phone, and several additional patents in the works.

Martin is currently working on two major projects: “Our ColdTrace project focuses on monitoring the supply chain for vaccines in developing countries. The overall goal is to help deliver more vaccines to children. Approximately 25 million children go unvaccinated each year (that’s 1 in 5 born), and perhaps 2.4 million die from vaccine-preventable diseases. The problem is that the storage, transport, and power infrastructure in many countries is unreliable, and these shortcomings can cause large loss of vaccines due to spoilage.

Many vaccines need to stay between 2°C and 8°C to remain effective, and if the temperature at which they are stored is too high or too low for too long, then there is a danger that the vaccines will spoil. We make a wireless device that monitors the temperature of vaccine refrigerators in clinics. The device sends out text message alerts to clinic staff when there are

problems and collects all the temperature data wirelessly.

We analyze the data along with ministries of health in order to identify where the infrastructure needs strengthening and where clinics could improve their practices.

“With our Climate Credit Pilot Project, we monitor the usage of improved cookstoves – stoves that are designed to significantly reduce the amount of soot and emissions that are released into the air. When compared to traditional cooking methods done over open fires, these improved stoves represent a beneficial alternative that can help reduce the sickness and diseases caused by indoor air pollution and help fight climate change.

“However, these stoves are not affordable for the more than 2.5 billion people living under $2 a day. We make a device that monitors the usage of cookstoves in a way that allows us to estimate the black carbon and CO2 emissions. With this data we are creating a system that will provide monetary rewards to women who adopt improved cookstoves and use them frequently. The system will pay women directly with funds from carbon markets so as to incentivize their longterm use of the stoves. This will allow women to finance the purchase of the stove, as well as encourage them to adopt a way of cooking which benefits both their own health and that of the environment.”

“I’m tremendously excited by the work in which I’m currently engaged. Nexleaf is reaching the point where our projects are starting to have measurable impact, and we think we have the right solutions to make them scale up in a way that reaches large numbers of people.

“I love that I am able to apply my education and experiences with wireless technology to make a difference in the world and to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” said Martin.

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Megan Canright

setting. The project involves environmental sampling for the bacteria in an attempt to identify the source of the infection outbreak. Another project she is working on involves an exposure assessment for students and faculty for formaldehyde during large animal dissections at a local community college.

The work involves collecting environmental samples to ensure compliance with California and federal regulations related to exposure. She also works with the college to develop and implement controls, such as ventilation or personal protective equipment, to reduce exposure.

As a senior project manager with Forensic Analytical, Megan Canright, St. Margaret’s alumna from the Class of 1999, has extensive experience in the development, management and implementation of environmental, health and safety programs in various industrial settings, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development, and consumer products industries. Megan has developed tailored environmental health and safety programs relative to industrial hygiene and risk assessment, laboratory and chemical safety, radiation safety, biological safety, contractor safety and management, ergonomics, and comprehensive environmental health and safety training programs for such companies as Novartis and Johnson & Johnson. As a certified industrial hygienist, Megan has also been involved with the setting of corporate internal exposure limits for active pharmaceutical ingredients and novel compounds for the pharmaceutical industry.

“St. Margaret’s led me to my career! I ran the hurdles in high school with the St. Margaret’s track team and my coach, Ben Kollmeyer, is an industrial hygienist,” said Megan. “I kept in contact with him throughout college as he also went to Cal and frequently attended football games. I graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in environmental science and a minor in forestry, hoping to join the California hot shots team, which is a group of elite wildland firefighters, during the fire season with the intention of performing fire-related research during the off season.

When I missed the try out cutoff due to the timing of my graduation, I started looking for a job to pass the time until the following fire season year. Ben suggested I apply for an internship at his company, Forensic Analytical.”

In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Megan also holds a Master of Public Health in industrial hygiene from University of California, Los Angeles.

Megan is currently working on an exposure assessment related to an outbreak of an infectious bacteria in a hospital

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“I’ve enjoyed seeing the results of my work come to fruition in the form of improved human health. In one particular instance, I helped to implement some local ventilation in a laboratory where scientists were complaining of health effects related to solvent exposure. Following implementation of the ventilation, the group noted significant improvements in their symptoms. It is rewarding to see these effects when I have the opportunity to follow my projects from start to finish. This is definitely the most rewarding aspect of my profession,” said Megan.

Interested in science since she was young, keeping the chemistry set that her parents bought her at the age of seven under her bed, Megan said, “The most valuable skill that I learned at St. Margaret’s was technical and professional writing skills. Through my various English courses, especially the honors and Advanced Placement courses with Steve Cullinan and Dallas Clemmons, I learned how to properly prepare a thesis and organize my thoughts using correct grammar and sentence structure. My science courses were heavy with technical writing, specifically formal lab write-ups. My teachers really took the time to read my papers and constructively criticize them. This was certainly the best gift they gave to me and was invaluable in shaping my writing skills for my profession.”

Kevin Verbael Valedictorian of St. Margaret's Class of 2006, Kevin Verbael is currently a technical consultant with Google. A graduate of Harvard University, Kevin received a bachelor’s degree, with honors, in economics and a minor in psychology.

During his time at Harvard, Kevin worked with Author, Experimental Psychologist, Cognitive Scientist and Linguist Steven Pinker on several research projects. One project in particular focused on research around indirect speech.

“We researched how people try to communicate indirectly,” said Kevin. “We looked at participants physiological responses and if speaking directly reduced those responses.” Kevin, who is interested in behavioral economics, works on the publisher-side of advertising at Google. “I enjoy looking

at simplifying internal processes and generating tools to help our customers directly.” Kevin helps publishers get implemented with Google’s top-level ad serving solution, DFP Premium, and works to improve internal processes to help the end users.

“I work with engineers to conduct and motivate aligning customer needs,” said Kevin. “I want to make it easier for customers to help themselves.” For Google, Kevin created a code base that was able to help and support clients to answer questions. “I figured out how our users use our product; what is going well and what can be improved.”

Prior to joining Google in 2011, Kevin handled product development and marketing for startup companies including Tiptap.com and Boomerangs.com. Kevin helped start Boomerangs.com with his father and brother while still attending St. Margaret’s. In addition to co-founding the independent online company that specializes in web design and generating original content and media, Kevin was also

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the lead web designer. TipTap.com was a start-up company Kevin joined shortly after graduating Harvard, and worked with some of the psychology researchers he met while at the university.

“I’m always looking to combine entrepreneurial and academic experiences toward creative approaches to solving problems, to working on projects with diverse teammates, to having a quantifiable impact within a corporation,” said Kevin.

At St. Margaret’s, Kevin had a passion for science and was involved in the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) team led by St. Margaret’s former Upper School science teacher Joe Ingalls. “Advanced Placement classes with the Ingalls gave me a strong math background and helped me through high school and my undergrad work; Mr. Sherman prepared me for thinking logically and learning code. I’m now looking into master’s programs in computer science,” said Kevin. “I’m very excited about the path I’ve taken. I feel as though I’ve made some impactful changes in my industry combining economics with the understanding of people, all in a science setting.”

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Anna McGregor As a junior at Stanford University, Anna McGregor is studying bioengineering. “One of the best things about my bioengineering major is its interdisciplinary nature that lets me combine math, computer science, chemistry, biology and physics with a creative, engineering mindset,” said Anna.

This past summer, Anna worked on a project developing a high throughput method to understand how a wide variety of proteins, that are expressed in neuron membranes, affect neuronal activity. Anna added, “We looked at cultures of neurons, each overexpressing one of 200 proteins, to better

understand how each of those proteins might affect the amount of calcium entering each neuron, and as a result, the activity of each neuron.”

Anna worked in the lab of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Thomas Sudhof, Avram Goldstein professor in the Stanford School of Medicine and professor, by courtesy, of neurology and of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

Currently working on an extension of her summer project, Anna is looking at some of the proteins that resulted in particularly low or high activity.

“I am looking at the amount of outgrowth and the number of synapses that develop in neurons with extra amounts of each of these proteins. Based on the results, I will look at specific classes of proteins to better understand what they do in neurons, and their connection to human disease,” said Anna.

“Overall, St. Margaret’s prepared me well for college,” said the St. Margaret's Class of 2011 alumna. “The biggest adjustments for me were adapting to the amount of independent work I ended up doing, and getting used to larger class sizes, especially in the introductory classes I took my freshman year.”

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Kristin Murray

“Advanced Placement credits from classes I took at St. Margaret’s have helped me to graduate in four years,” said Kristin. “A lot of engineers end up having to stay an extra year to complete their degrees, so I’m happy I’ll be done in four. I also participated in the University of California, Irvine engineering research program during the summer before my senior year at St. Margaret’s. I then returned to work in the same lab the summer after my freshman year in college.

Working at UCI not only gave me connections, but also a feel for what the lab environment is like. Without this experience, I would have been much less confident taking on a project of my own this past summer.” ● Kristin Murray, currently a junior attending Duke University and majoring in biomedical engineering (a combination of biology, electrical and mechanical engineering), works in Dr. Warren Grill’s neural prosthesis lab as a research assistant.

An alumna from St. Margaret’s Class of 2011, at the lab Kristin focuses on deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help relieve the gait symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

“DBS is already FDA approved and commonly used to treat the upper-body and tremor symptoms of Parkinson’s, however it is not used to help treat the problems with balance and walking that many Parkinson’s patients suffer from. Therefore my work is in studying the effects of stimulating a new region of the brain on these symptoms in a hemi-parkinsonian rat model. The rats are implanted with electrodes and later chemically lesioned in order to reproduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Various studies are then performed on these rats with stimulation on or off in order to quantify the effects of the stimulation,” said Kristin.

This past summer, Kristin was given the task of designing and building a new structure to perform gait-testing to validate the results from the rat treadmill tests. There is a concern with using a treadmill because studies have shown that humans with Parkinson’s are able to walk on a treadmill better than on the ground.

“I based my design off of various scientific studies that I researched and ended up building a wooden track that the rat would run through after painting their hind feet. After this track was built, I spent the rest of the summer training the rats to run in the track and then running tests with and without stimulation. Once I gathered the data, I wrote a code to measure the distance between each footprint, along with analyzing the differences between trials with and without stimulation. I am still currently working on gathering and analyzing more data to validate the use of the treadmill for experiments,” added Kristin.

In addition to working on the footprint test described above, Kristin also performs immunohistochemical staining on the rats’ brain slices. Kristin plans to continue working in the lab until she graduates next year. For this upcoming summer, she has an internship at Cook Medical’s endoscopy division where she will be working as a test engineer.

Meet other St. Margaret’s graduates who are currently working in STEM fields: Ross Barbieri, Class of 1986 Founder, Chief Technologist – Staffing Robot Donald Nawrocki, Class of 1989 Chief Information Officer – The Neat Company Craig Barbieri, Class of 1989 Design Technology Manager – Pennoni Associates Idris Nolan, Class of 1994 Web Production Manager – Plantronics Matt Kanan, Class of 1996 Associate Professor of Chemistry – Stanford University Gretchen Johnson, Class of 1999 Architect – AECOM Allison Pacourek, Class of 2000 Environmental Health and Safety Engineer – Broadcom Marissa Balak, Class of 2000 Scientist – Novartis AG Chris Manger, Class of 2001 Magento Programmer – Guidance Kolin Ozonian, Class of 2002 Global Business Line Leader – McKesson Provider Consulting Technologies Owen Richardson, Class of 2003 Technical Project Manager – Glassdoor Heather Forquer, Class of 2004 Research Scientist – California Department of Public Health Coleman Buffa, Class of 2005 Staff Geologist – The Source Group Ryan Ozonian, Class of 2005 President – Cyber Dust, Founder and CEO – Mention Mobile Heather Smith, Class of 2005 Scientist, New Technology Development – Ibis Biosciences/ Abbott Molecular Justin Lippert, Class of 2007 Mission Designer – 343 Industries Paige Selby, Class of 2008 Software Engineer – Raytheon Company List compiled from information provided by the St. Margaret’s Alumni Relations Office

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C L A S S

1987 ................................

N OT E S

2001 ................................

Class of

Class of

Francis Navarro Francis and his wife Jaye moved from Anchorage, Alaska to the St. Louis area to take an assignment at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. If you are in the area and want to catch up at a Cardinals game or while visiting the Arch, give them a ring.

Monique (Kettler) Siebenthal Monique and her husband Kurt welcomed daughter Peyton Raye on October 3, 2013. Monique is currently employed as a physical therapist.

Class of

1998

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2002 ................................

Class of

Daniel Rodrigues After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Tufts University and earning a doctorate in veterinary medicine from University of California, Davis, Daniel is currently practicing in Orange and Fullerton. He has recently returned from hiking and studying llamas in Patagonia.

1999 ................................

Class of

Megan (Canright) Rabinowitz Megan Canright married Dr. Michael Rabinowitz on August 17, 2013 in San Diego, Calif. Michael is the scientific director at Johnson & Johnson and Megan is a senior project manager with Forensic Analytical.

Michael Boyle In 2014, Michael and Rebecca will move from Naval Air Station Point Mugu to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada where Michael will be a weapons and tactics instructor.

(Lt. Michael Boyle is shown flying with Rear Admiral Smith, commander of Carrier Strike Group Three).

2003 ................................

Class of

Polly (Bendush) Erickson On March 9, 2013 Polly Bendush married Scott Erickson at a ceremony in Costa Mesa, Calif. Polly and Scott are living in Hermosa Beach where Polly works as a financial analyst for Chevron Corporation.

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2005 ................................

Class of

William Allen Jacobson William has just completed his master’s in public health at Case Western University. He is in a dual degree program and is continuing at the dental school. He plans to graduate in 2015 and looks forward to returning to the warmer climate of California.

2008 ................................

Class of

Colfax graduated from Columbia University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in computer science. Colfax is a financial software developer at Bloomberg in New York where he works on software development, testing, and delivery for the Bloomberg Terminal. He developed some innovative new functions for logging data within the Bloomberg Terminal, and these features were released to customers this fall. Before starting at Bloomberg, Colfax traveled around Europe with two friends for six weeks including two weeks doing hands-on work at a vineyard in Italy.

Paige Selby Paige graduated from the University of Southern California with honors in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in industrial and systems engineering. Paige is a software engineer at Raytheon in Boston, Mass. where she works on software verification, validations and development for large-scale aerospace projects. She was elected president of the Young Employees Success Network (YESNet) at Raytheon. Paige was pictured and interviewed in the “Top 100 Employers” supplement to the Wall Street Journal in September 2013.

Paige has a passion for inspiring the next STEM generation, especially female engineers.

She is actively involved in her communities by speaking to high schools about careers in engineering and volunteering in math and science education.

Paige was recently accepted into a Masters of Computer Science program at Brown University and will start in fall 2014.

One student is selected from each incoming class to receive a full-tuition scholarship for three years at USC Gould School of Law. Recipients also receive a summer fellowship that provides a guaranteed job in the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, following the first year of law school.

2009 ................................

Frank Rothman Scholars are selected entirely on the basis of merit. Criteria include strong undergraduate record, LSAT score, and additional accomplishments, such as publishing books and articles, running a business, inventing useful devices, and other similar, highly significant achievements.

Class of Tasha Pavlovich

Tasha graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston with a degree in public health. She is currently living and working in Charleston as a public health fellow for the university, as well as managing a farm-to-school program.

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N OTA B L E Rowly Rice University of Southern California Gould School of Law has officially announced alumnus Rowley Rice, Class of 2009, as the 2013 Frank Rothman Scholar.

“Being the Rothman Scholar is a great honor and I feel privileged and humbled to join the community,” Rowley said.

Rowley is a fifth-generation Trojan. He earned his bachelors in government and his masters in American government from Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also spent his junior year at the London School of Economics.

A L U M N I

2010 ................................

Class of

U P DAT E S

Board of Trustees, a student athletic liaison to the University Athletic Advisory Board, a student advisor representative to the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences of CMU and recently selected as one of 50 students to be involved in a high honors research program in his upcoming senior year. Additionally, Colin continues his success on the soccer field where he is the starting center mid-fielder for the university’s mens’ soccer team. He was just selected as team captain for the upcoming campaign and recognized as All League Scholar Athlete for the University Athletic Association.

He has participated in two NCAA tournaments and his team has shared or won first place in two of the three years.

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Chrissie Massrey Chrissie is currently a senior majoring in premed/child development at Tufts University in Boston and plays catcher for the Tufts University softball team. Pictured is the team after winning the NCAA Division III World Series completing an undefeated run through the 2013 NCAA Division III Championship, winning 6-5 over SUNY-Cortland to earn the Jumbo program’s first national championship. (Chrissie is the one wearing sunglasses)

Alumni Events

2011 ................................

Class of

2013 Tartan Tee-Off

Colin Shaffer Colin is in his junior year at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh where he is double majoring in ethics, history and public policy and business administration. Academically, he is on the Dean's High Honors Roll, achieved each and every semester. He is also a student representative to the University

On Monday, October 7, 2013 at El Niguel County Club, parents, alumni and parents of alumni participated in the 2013 Tartan Tee-Off Golf Tournament. Close to 100 golfers helped to raise more than $100,000 for St. Margaret’s financial aid. Alumni and parents of alumni are always invited to participate in the golf tournament. Please make sure to save the date for the 2014 Tartan Tee-Off Golf Tournament on Monday, October 6, 2014 at El Niguel Country Club – you can sign-up online at www.smes.org/teeoff.

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All Alumni Reunion On Saturday, June 1, 2013, immediately following the Alumni Revue, St. Margaret’s hosted the All Alumni Reunion in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center. The event attracted more than 300 guests including alumni, parents of alumni, faculty and staff. Tartan Alumni Association President Dr. S. Todd Newman, Class of 1991, presented retiring Headmaster Marcus D. Hurlbut with an honorary diploma from St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and officially welcomed him as a fellow Tartan.

Alumni Revue On June 1, 2013 the Hurlbut Theater was filled with laughter and music as 42 St. Margaret’s alumni took to the stage in a celebration of music, dance and memories. Alumni worked together on stage, in the band and behind the scenes to create a memorable one-time-only performance. The evening was more than a year in the making, reaching deeply into the Tartan alumni network from the Class of 1987 to the most recent graduates of the Class of 2012. Under the leadership of Alumni Revue Chair Chris Allen, Class of 1989, and Director of the Arts Darcy Rice, alumni were invited to participate via email invitations, Facebook and word-ofmouth. Once the cast list was finalized, the rehearsal process started by emailing sheet music and rehearsal tracks. The final production was staged and rehearsed in only three rehearsals, but the results were extraordinary.

Desiree Staples, Class of 2009, and currently in her final year in Northwestern University’s musical theater program, raved about her experience: “I had an amazing time in the Alumni Revue, getting to share the inspiring gift of song with the peers and teachers who made me who I am today - and see the St. Margaret’s arts stars of yesterday and today - under the incredible leadership of the one and only Darcy Rice is a memory I am so thankful for and will never forget.” Many other alumni expressed similar feelings during the festive post-party. The alumni who participated in creating the event and the friends and family in the audience found the evening a perfect end to the first year of programming in the spectacular new Performing Arts Center, and a true celebration of the tremendous legacy of the arts at St. Margaret’s.

To view the entire Alumni Revue photo gallery, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/stmargarets/sets/72157633970392705/, or scan this QR tag

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Summer 2013 Class Reunions

Alumni Christmas Party On Friday, December 20, 2013 the Tartan Alumni Association hosted the Annual Alumni Christmas Party at Marbella Country Club. Tartan Alumni Association President Dr. S. Todd Newman, Class of 1991, introduced St. Margaret’s Head of School Will Moseley to the attendees. Mr. Moseley said that he looks forward to other opportunities to meet Tartan alumni and hopes whenever alumni visit campus they will stop by his office and introduce themselves. The evening was a great time for classmates to reconnect and fellow Tartans to mingle. More than 200 alumni attended, making this another record event.

Reunions at St. Margaret’s are held every June on a Saturday, paired with the All Alumni Reunion typically on the Friday before. This year on Saturday, June 1, 2013, three classes celebrated their reunions: Class of 2008 celebrated its 5 Year Reunion Class of 2003 celebrated its 10 Year Reunion Class of 1998 Celebrated its 15 Year Reunion If you are interested in helping coordinate your upcoming class reunion, please contact the Alumni Office at 949.661.0108, ext. 247.

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Annual Fund Update!

Over the past three years, alumni participation has seen a steady climb from two percent to 4.2 percent to last year’s record-breaking 8.6 percent! We have doubled alumni participation two years in a row. Please remember that, regardless of the amount, every gift, every year makes a difference! Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Annual Fund so far. We have set another lofty goal for this year. We need YOU to help us break new records and reach 12 percent.

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Parents of Alumni Events PAL Spring Mingle On Saturday, April 20, 2013 the Parents of Alumni Association hosted the annual PAL Spring Mingle in St. Margaret's Fountain Courtyard. Guests enjoyed reconnecting with parents of alumni, and even a few alumni who attended with their parents. This unique event is designed to be an early-evening cocktail party so guests can make dinner plans following with other PALs they haven’t seen lately. We hope you will take this opportunity to reach out and connect with another PAL this spring!

PAL Brunch On Saturday, October 19, 2013 the Parents of Alumni Association hosted the annual PAL Brunch at the home of Peter and Yvonne Waller. The event was a great success with guests having the opportunity to meet new Head of School Will Moseley and his wife Jenny.

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PAL College Care Packs On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 the Parents of Alumni Association hosted the annual College Care Packs Assembly Day. With more than 45 parents in attendance to help, the process was speedy and fun!

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L O O K I N G

B A C K

St. Margaret’s Loses Matriarch, Elder, Historian: Lisa Merryman

By Anne Dahlem

S

t. Margaret’s Episcopal School lost a matriarch when beloved former Middle School history teacher, dean of faculty and current school archivist, Mrs. Lisa Merryman, passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2013.

Working at St. Margaret’s since the founding of the school, Lisa joined first as a substitute teacher and lunch duty attendant in 1979. At the beginning of the third school year, 1981-1982, Lisa was hired full-time as a Middle School faculty member, teaching history for many years, later becoming the history department chair.

In 1994, Lisa was appointed to a new post, dean of faculty, where she continued to serve on the academic affairs team involved with curricular decisions, as well as serving faculty as an advocate and school employee relations resource for development, employment matters and guidance.

Lisa created and implemented a faculty recognition program based on years of service and a new teacher mentoring program. “Lisa had a talent for recognizing the strengths and achievements of others and knowing the importance of that in our school. She had a very generous heart. She wrote a faculty glossary book of St. Margaret’s vocabulary to help new teachers assimilate. She implemented many programs and elements that built the culture of St. Margaret’s that we know today. There are so many vestiges there [at St. Margaret’s], that are her,” said David Boyle, former associate headmaster, who worked with Lisa since 1980.

Lisa Merryman with The Reverend Canon Ernest D. Sillers, founder of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Throughout her time as dean of faculty, Lisa continued to teach her immensely popular geography course in the Middle School, distinguished by her “draw the world” lesson, in addition to anthropology in the Upper School.

Mr. Boyle reminisced, “There are hundreds of adults who can pick up a cocktail napkin today and accurately draw the world in a moment because of her.”

In 2005, Lisa “semi-retired” and became the school’s first archivist and an on-call substitute. She also continued to teach a study skills course in the summer.

Lisa began the arduous process of assembling and cataloguing the historical records and artifacts of the school, though it

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wasn’t a complete start-from-scratch. Earlier in 1993, Lisa had authored the first history of the school in the book, Tartan Treasury, an anecdotal history of the first 14 years of the school.

“In some ways, Lisa was already the unofficial, self-appointed archivist of the school. By her own place in the history of the school and her special interest in its history, she took it upon herself to collect a lot of archival material over the years and compile the story. It was pretty clear that she would do this work. Nobody could have done it better,” said former Headmaster Marcus Hurlbut, who charged Lisa with starting the official school archives.

With the faithful volunteer support of Charlotte Newman, parent of four St. Margaret’s alumni, Lisa gathered materials from all over the school and from across the St. Margaret’s community to build a vital and relevant archive of the history of St. Margaret’s.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary, Lisa published her second book on the history of the school in 2005, the follow-up to Tartan Treasury, A Silver Thread in the Tartan, covering the years of 1993-2005.

“She recognized the materials that were important and had enduring value,” said Mr. Hurlbut. “She brought order to the materials that make up our history. She loved this work and she inherently knew its importance in gathering and protecting the history of the school. A hundred years from

now Lisa’s work will continue to be an invaluable resource to the school.”

Many students today will recall the videos that closed many all-school ceremonies that she produced. Further, each time a student or alumnus sings the alma mater, they are immediately connected to her legacy. Lisa wrote the alma mater lyrics and arranged the song with Mrs. Susan Remsberg.

Lisa authored two additional books in retirement, a character lessons children’s book called, The True Adventures of Holy Smoke: An Episcopal School Cat, based on the legend of the school cat Smokey, and Casa Romantica, a Spanish Home by the Sea, which she spent 18 months researching and writing during her volunteer work, including serving currently as vice president of the Board, with the history and cultural center in San Clemente, Calif., where she lived with her devoted husband Phil.

Head of School Will Moseley said, “Having only known Lisa for a short time, I already realized and valued the impact of her longtime work and dedication to the school. She and I met several times over the last few months, and she gave me history lessons on the school and the local community.

Recently she shared 100-year-old photos of the school campus location, as well as the story of the history of the school crest with me. She was our institutional memory and writer of our history. Her contributions to our school community are simply immeasurable and can be seen and felt everywhere. We will protect and advance her work as a way to honor all she did for St. Margaret’s.”

Lisa held a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is survived by her husband Phil, and her sons Peter Merryman and Mark Merryman, Class of 1992, her grandchildren, as well as extended family. ●

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