hers, ver Stops
FACULTY
Notes Sarah Mentzer, second from right in the front row, sitting in front of the mosaic mural installation
In September, Upper School director of college counseling
This summer, Upper School history teacher Jennifer
Leigh Morgan traveled to the National Association of College
Ripel will participate in the Walden Woods Project, a six-day,
Admissions Counselors Annual Conference in Toronto,
interdisciplinary, professional development seminar for high
Canada, with admissions officers and college counselors from
school teachers. The workshop takes place at Walden Pond
around the globe to discuss trends in college admissions. The
State Reservation in Concord, Massachusetts, and focuses
conference covered changes to the Common Application and
on the writings of Henry David Thoreau and his philosophies
potential changes to the PSAT and SAT tests coming in the
relating to social reform and environmental issues. In
fall of 2015 and spring 2016, respectively.
addition to daily discussions with the group, participants will hear from experts in the areas of natural history, writing,
Lower School librarian and reading teacher Heather
literary analysis, art and the environment.
Brooks is currently enrolled in the second class of her doctoral program at the University of Delaware. Pursuing her
Lower School art teacher Sarah Mentzer participated in a
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, she expects to graduate in
workshop with Isaiah Zagar, famed mosaic mural artist and
four to six years by taking one class each semester. “I want to
creator of the Philadelphia Magic Gardens, in October. She
stay current with the best teaching and learning practices,”
worked in collaboration with Zagar and other artists and
she said. “It is important to see how other schools are
educators to complete a large-scale mosaic mural installation
working through complex educational problems, because it
in South Philadelphia.
helps to define our own strategies at Tatnall. I hope to inspire my students and daughter to love learning and be active
Preschool associate teacher Karen Stratman completed the Delaware Nature Society’s Teacher Naturalist Series in
participants in their own growth.”
December. The 60-hour course included the following topics In her seventh appearance at the Wilmington Art Loop,
of the Piedmont region: mammals, terrestrial ecosystems,
Preschool art teacher Cyntaya Welch was featured in April
reptiles and amphibians, birds, insects, wildflowers, trees and
when her artwork was featured, as well as the work of Tatnall
shrubs and aquatic ecosystems.
preschool artists making their Art Loop debut. The students joined Welch in displaying their 3-D recycled sculptural paintings at the downtown Wilmington Library.
Upper and Middle School choral teacher Noelle Levy took part in the Ladybug Festival, the annual all-female music night, at World Café Live at the Queen in March. The event,
Cross country and track and
dubbed “Ladyfingers,” featured Levy, along with six other
field head coach Patrick Castagno
talented local musicians who took turns playing a concert for
delivered a presentation to coaches
a packed house on a baby grand piano.
from across the world on program Stephanie Silverman’s best
development for his respective sports
practice presentation, “Strategies
during the International Coaching Enrichment Certification Program at
Pat Castagno
for Success: Implementing
the University of Delaware. Created by the United States
Technology-Based Art Practices
Olympic Committee and the University of Delaware, this
into the Secondary Curriculum,”
program provides national-level coaches the opportunity
was accepted for inclusion in the
to develop proficiency in the areas of sport sciences, talent
National Art Education Association’s
identification, athlete development, coaching education,
2014 convention. The proposal
coaching management, grass roots sport development and
process is highly competitive. Silverman’s presentation
the ethical aspects of coaching across all sports and levels.
highlighted how she incorporates technology and digital art-making tools to enhance and extend the studio art experience in the Upper School’s Fine Arts program. Spring | 21