Experience Magazine - Summer 2018

SUMMER

2018

experience

Celebrating Service Day of Giving Adds a New Twist to Langley’s Tradition of Service

In this issue 1

Head of School’s Message

2

Feature Story: Faculty Further Their Craft Through Professional Development

8

Langley’s 75th Birthday Continues

10

Celebrating Faculty Excellence

14

Campus Happenings

20

Class of 2018 Graduation

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Alumni News

26

Alumni Profile: Anita Patel ’97

Where vital academics meet a deep respect for childhood Preschool through grade 8 in Northern Virginia

27

Development Update

1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22101 (703) 356-1920 www.langleyschool.org

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The Last Word by Mark Loach

experience is published twice a year for alumni, families, and friends of The Langley School Head of School Dr. Elinor Scully Editor & Designer Sharon Vipperman, Director of Marketing & Communications

Head of School’s Message

Dear Langley friends...

I hope you are enjoying the summer months. In June, we wrapped up a milestone school year, marking Langley’s 75th anniversary. For 10 months, our community joyously celebrated Langley’s deep respect for childhood and commitment to the foundational years in a student’s life through the lens of Langley’s past, present, and future.

For the first time, we hosted a Day of Giving during which

With this rich history to guide us, and our teachers and

the entire Langley community gathered to pack 75,000

community to inspire us, we continue to make major

meals for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. This event not

strides on our five-year strategic plan. In this issue, you’ll

only brought the Langley family together in the Solomon

discover how our teachers are perfecting their instructional

Athletic Center, but it also aligned with Langley’s values

skills in inquiry-based pedagogy and teaching our students

of service learning, compassion, and community. We also

to be socially and emotionally competent. You’ll also read

hosted a Celebration of Music event to honor the decades

about Langley’s commitment to our biggest asset – our

of music instruction at Langley that have enriched stu-

faculty – particularly in a time of growing demands on

dent lives; see page 11 for a look at Band Director Chuck

teachers and nationwide teacher shortages.

Schmidt’s 25 years at Langley. And we capped off the year with a 75th-themed spring auction, “Bright Past, Brilliant

I thank you for your contributions to Langley’s history and

Future,” where we celebrated the philanthropic spirit of

appreciate your support of our goals and long-term plans

our community and raised record-breaking funds in sup-

moving forward.

port of our programs and faculty (see page 27).

Warm regards, Through the many 75th anniversary events and gatherings (see page 8), the most moving moments centered on our people: our students whose wonder and growth inspire our work; our alumni who are making notable impacts on

Dr. Elinor Scully

today’s world (visit our new Alumni Profiles page at www.

Head of School

langleyschool.org); our parent community who believes in and supports Langley’s mission; and our faculty and staff who have impacted thousands of students for the better.

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FEATURE STORY:

Furthering Their Craft:

Faculty Grow Through Professional Development As part of Langley’s strategic plan, we continue to invest in professional development for our faculty, ensuring they are positioned to further academic excellence while building a strong foundation of social and emotional competency in our students. During the 2017-2018 school year, faculty took part in more than 140 hours of on-campus training on a variety of topics that included inquiry-based learning, emotional intelligence, and equity and inclusion.

Whether learning from experts or from each other, our teachers honed their craft, grew personally and professionally, and implemented new techniques and strategies to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.

Ensuring Academic Excellence Through Inquiry At Langley, we believe children learn best by using a range of strategies to answer essential questions and present evidence-based opinions. Rather than rote memorization and teacher lectures, our inquiry-based curriculum emphasizes hands-on experiences that foster critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity – skills our students will need to flourish in today’s changing world.

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SUMMER: The Middle School faculty read Trevor MacKenzie’s Dive Into Inquiry, while the Primary and Lower School faculty read Curious Classroom by Harvey Daniels.

They discussed the books and their classroom applications during division meetings.

OCTOBER: During the school’s first all-day professional development session of the year, faculty focused on the four types of inquiry: structured, controlled, guided, and free. Teachers also collaborated in grade-level or departmental teams to reflect on and refine current units of instruction with the goal of making more elements of controlled, guided, and free inquiry a part of student learning.

APRIL: Faculty shared some of their innovative curricular and pedagogical strategies that fostered student learning through inquiry. In particular, Langley’s kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and science and math specialists presented a variety of topics ranging from using art in thematic units, to the simulation of a Colonial classroom, to effective questioning techniques in a mathematics classroom.

UP NEXT: Langley will continue our work as a leader in inquiry-based learning as we partner with Diana Laufenberg, a nationally recognized expert in the field of inquiry learning, during planned professional development days.

Developing Emotional Intelligence

Creating an Inclusive Environment

With the addition of our new director of social and emotional learning, Dr. Sarah Sumwalt, we have begun to build a unique social-emotional learning (SEL) program that works in tandem with the academic curriculum to foster students’ emotional intelligence, cultural responsiveness, and health and wellness. Named “REACH” (Raising Emotional Acuity, Cultural Competence, and Healthy Behaviors), this one-of-a-kind program is being implemented throughout all grade levels across Langley’s Arc of Development.

Creating an environment in which children feel represented and included is essential for effective learning. As a result of our work on diversity and inclusion this year, 90 percent of faculty reported implementing new techniques or strategies in the classroom.

An important component of our REACH curriculum is RULER, a program out of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, which we introduced during 2017-2018.

RULER, which stands for Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions, focuses on developing students’ emotional intelligence and includes a set of tools that Langley is using to meet students’ ageappropriate needs.

AUGUST: We focused specifically on two of RULER’s four anchor tools: the Emotional Charter and the Mood Meter.

Faculty and staff created their own emotional charter to represent our healthy school climate. After reviewing principles of the Mood Meter, a visual tool for identifying and labeling emotions according to the domains of energy and pleasantness, faculty and staff were tasked with implementing the Mood Meter in their spaces in unique ways.

MAY: Teachers from different divisions and disciplines shared how they implemented the Mood Meter in their classrooms, helping students build emotional awareness, expand emotional vocabulary, and identify strategies to shift their emotional state.

UP NEXT: We will continue this work next year as we strive to more formally implement REACH and utilize the RULER anchor tools across all grades.

SEL @ = The Langley School

SUMMER: Faculty and staff read Blindspot, a book that explores hidden biases. Throughout the course of the school year, faculty and staff attended five separate professional development sessions to discuss Blindspot and to apply the insights gained from the book to their practice.

JANUARY: Faculty and staff practiced uncovering and countering blind spots via case study analysis. In small groups, they worked through examples of everyday scenarios to determine what blind spots might be present and brainstormed how to resist or reframe those potential biases. Faculty and staff then applied this work to their physical spaces by “walking the walls,” looking for how inclusive and representative their classrooms and offices were for everyone who entered them, and what messages their materials, pictures, and art represented.

FEBRUARY: Faculty began working on report card narratives with the goal of analyzing how written feedback to students and parents might contain unintentional bias.

Teachers worked to make feedback more specific and to include solution-focused language with strategies that teachers, students, and families can use to address areas of concern.

MAY: Faculty and staff developed individual professional goals about how they could continue to understand their own blind spots and how those blind spots affect their work.

UP NEXT: We will use these goals as the basis for continued diversity and inclusion work during the upcoming year.

Raising Emotional Acuity, Cultural Responsiveness, Healthy Behaviors

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EQUITY & INCLUSION:

Report Card Analysis

By Dr. Sarah Sumwalt, Director of Social & Emotional Learning As part of Langley’s diversity and inclusion work this year, faculty engaged in a conversation and review of their report card narratives. We discussed and practiced strategies for ensuring that the language we use to describe students reflects their strengths and their individual learning styles and includes examples that are specific and relevant. We also talked about how to be aware of and change language that may unintentionally categorize a student, and instead incorporate concrete behavioral examples along with specific strategies for improvement.

All faculty examined several of their own report card narratives, making improvements where they saw fit. The feedback from faculty following the workshop was that it was extremely beneficial as a point of reflection and that it helped them to create even stronger narratives. We will continue to use professional development opportunities to ensure that our teaching, interactions, and feedback best reflect our deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and the whole child.

Professional Development in Action After more than 140 hours of on-campus professional development this year, see how our teachers are putting these new strategies into practice.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING:

Grade 1 Community Unit

By Langley’s Grade 1 Teachers

In first-grade social studies, students explored the questions, “What is a community?” “What makes a community safe and fun?” and “How is my community similar to or different from others?” We approached the unit this year through an inquiry model. To set the stage, students started the year learning about their classroom and school communities and their role to uphold values that ensure everyone feels safe and respected.

THE PROJECT: Our essential questions followed the “guided” inquiry model as students were tasked to collaborate in pairs and groups to design and build their own community out of recycled materials. They had to choose what they would start building and find others who were interested in the same project. The design process challenged them to assess what materials were available and which would serve their purpose best.

After getting together as a class to map out and share what our community had so far, students were also called upon to rethink and revise based on important components we were missing. This sparked conversations around the needs and wants of a community and the goods and services found there. In teams, they were able to address these needs (houses, grocery store, hospital) and wants

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(toy store, art gallery, pet store). This unit also brought up conversations about communities that are different from our own and the importance of volunteering to help those in need.

THE OUTCOME: In using the inquiry model this year, we noticed that student engagement in this unit was at an all-time high. Students were asking every day when they would be able to work on their community again and they were very proud of their work. We also noticed that first-graders developed a stronger understanding of not only who community helpers are and what they do, but also why they are an integral part of a successful community and the planning that must take place in order for these services to impact citizens’ daily lives.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING:

World Language “At Home” Unit

By Langley’s World Language Teachers

THE PROJECT: Our seventh-grade world language students started off the school year with their At Home unit.

In past years, we decided as a department which vocabulary words the students were going to study, but this year we gave the students the chance to brainstorm vocabulary related to the parts of the home that are most important to them. We used the list that the students devised as our vocabulary for the unit.

We then gave the students the opportunity to construct a house. Each student picked a room of their choice and created a version of it inside a shoebox. They had to research and label furniture and other items of importance in the target language within their rooms. Then they worked together to join all of their shoeboxes into one large house and added details such as a roof, an exterior, and landscaping. After completing the construction process, the students wrote paragraphs comparing their own houses to the “class house.” They also created moveable miniature versions of themselves as well as miniature props that they placed in different locations of the class house, and they used these creations as the basis for written work and oral practice relating to who does which activities in which parts of the home. We followed these activities with a research project that required the students to find and

present information about houses of famous individuals from different countries and cultures, using the vocabulary and grammatical structures that they had acquired thus far.

THE OUTCOME: We found that the students appreciated learning personalized vocabulary that they could use to describe what was important to them. They also loved the opportunity to get creative with the language and their room projects. We discovered that inquiry-based learning in the world language classroom allows the students to take more control of their learning in a subject area that is traditionally highly structured. They were also far more motivated to search for new words and phrases on their own, and such motivation is necessary to solidify and promote second language acquisition on a long-term scale.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:

Jackson Pollock Mood Portraits

By Paige Dunn, Art Teacher

I wanted to introduce the Mood Meter in a kindergarten art lesson this year to help students identify and become aware of their moods while they are creating art. The Mood Meter was helpful in allowing students to understand that their mood can have a big influence on their artwork.

THE PROJECT: Students discovered how to create different facial expressions through changing the shapes and lines of their facial features. They explored how their faces changed when looking at themselves in a mirror. Then we learned about the Mood Meter and each artist identified his or her portrait’s expression with a color on the Mood Meter. At first it was challenging for some students

to fill their faces in with colors from the Mood Meter, but through this lesson each artist learned that you can portray yourself from the inside, not just the outside.

The final step of this project was focused on the work of Jackson Pollock who became famous for taking a risk by throwing paint on a canvas. I wanted to encourage our kindergarten artists to take a risk and create their hair in the style of Jackson Pollock using straws and watercolor paint.

THE OUTCOME: One of the main goals of this project was for students to understand it is easier to take risks when creating art if you are open to mistakes or failures.

Some of the students had a hard time making their hair crazy or coloring their faces blue, but they learned to let go and just try it and the end result was pretty amazing. Each portrait was original and unique; they undeniably portray each artist’s character.

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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:

Emotional Symphony Improv

By Joanna Edie, Drama Teacher

THE PROJECT: With my seventh-grade drama students, I started a class by showing the Mood Meter and checking in with them to see where each child was on the spectrum of energy vs. pleasantness. Then we continued with our improv lesson for the day, which included a game called “Emotional Symphony.”

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING:

Kindergarten Colonial Unit

By Langley’s Kindergarten Teachers

The kindergarten team is committed to transitioning monthly unit explorations from the traditional, teacher-led method into an inquiry-based approach. Research tells us students have deeper, more advanced understanding of subject matter when they are highly engaged through a student-driven, hands-on learning experience. Our classrooms have transformed into spaces where students take risks, ask questions, and engage with materials through diverse mediums.

THE PROJECT: Our first renovation was our November unit in which kindergartners explored early American settlers. In the past, our instruction often culminated in a “craftivity” in hopes students would take home their newfound knowledge and share with their families. This method has since shifted. We now strive to pair meaningful read-alouds with experiences for our students to further their understanding of the past. Students scrunch together in a recreated Mayflower ship to further comprehend the conditions of the Pilgrim voyage from Great Britain. Our classroom then transforms into a Colonial schoolhouse where students are using quill pens and scrolls to complete lessons lit by candlelight.

THE OUTCOME: We’ve seen student interest, initiative, and engagement take off. Students are role-playing the Mayflower voyage during free-choice time and teaching parents about life as a Colonial American kindergartner during carpool pick-up. This powerful shift in instruction has cultivated an environment where lasting connections are made and student curiosity is ignited.

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I passed out a list of emotions related to each color on the Mood Meter – red, yellow, blue, or green – which helped give students ideas for emotions to call out as suggestions for the performers on stage.

Our student actors then had to improvise acting out each emotion, ranging from angry, annoyed, or exhilarated to fatigued, contemplative, or surprised.

I encouraged students to try exploring an emotion in each color range of the Mood Meter to get an idea of how each range of emotions might look and feel.

THE OUTCOME: Having the students act out these emotions helped bring the Mood Meter to life in a way that simply discussing it could not. Using the vocabulary surrounding each emotion helped them articulate language that they can use for any future conflict resolution or emotional learning.

By becoming more aware of their emotions through this activity, students may be able to more easily find strategies to shift their mood during the school day.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING:

Grade 4 Geography & Culture Unit

By Langley’s Grade 4 Teachers

The theme for fourth-grade social studies is world geography and global cultures. Students consider the essential questions “How does where we live influence how we live?” and “What influences how cultures evolve?” while learning about South America, Asia, and Africa. Over the past three years, the fourth-grade team has revised our units to incorporate inquiry learning into our curriculum.

THE PROJECT: To begin our unit on the geography and cultures of Africa, students first developed an understanding of the primary geographic features of Africa by working in small groups to create thematic maps of the continent.

We then presented the students with images of six artifacts created by different cultural groups. Students used the “I see, I think, I wonder” framework to observe each image closely and write down what they noticed, what they thought, and what they wondered. Students then took on the role of archaeologists, working in teams to determine the location of dig sites where the artifacts had been found. Each team formulated five or six open-ended questions that they wished to investigate about the artifact and the culture that created it. Students conducted research using nonfiction books and websites.

During a field trip to the National Museum of African Art, students were able to observe artifacts similar to those they were investigating in class firsthand. Our field trip also allowed students to notice how museums educate their visitors about the objects on display. Back at school, each team created a replica of their artifact as well as a museum display to showcase all that they learned about the object and the ethnic group that made it.

THE OUTCOME: Our shift to an inquiry-led approach has heightened student engagement and excitement about social studies. The fourth-graders demonstrated greater motivation to discover information about the artifacts because they were seeking the answers to questions that they had raised. They eagerly anticipated the opportunity to take charge of their learning and demonstrate their knowledge through hands-on activities.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING:

Math in Focus Last fall, Langley introduced a new mathematics program, Math in Focus, for grades K-5 that provides students with a more inquiry-based approach that builds confidence, deep mathematical understanding, and a motivation for problem-solving. This program aligns with national research that privileges deep understanding of mathematical concepts and flexibility in thinking over rote memorization of formulas and single strategies for solutions. Throughout the year, our homeroom teachers and math specialists took part in numerous on-campus professional development sessions with Shelly DuBose, a national expert in Math in Focus training, to help them skillfully guide their students through this new curriculum.

Whether working with our faculty on strategies for specific Math in Focus lessons, conducting demo lessons with our students, or running a hands-on math night for our parents, Shelly made the transition to Math in Focus smooth and exciting. Instead of focusing on memorization and answer-driven outcomes, our K-5 faculty now has the tools to empower students to strategically problem-solve and focus on the overall mathematical process – a technique

that has already led to increased student engagement and mathematical understanding.

“After using the Math in Focus curriculum this past year, I found that my fifth-grade students exhibited a gritty persistence to work through the toughest of math problems. Every child was fully engaged and loved the work,” says fifthgrade teacher Hally Brewster. “Other math curriculums are often very structured and focus on the end result of a right or wrong answer, while Math in Focus encourages kids to focus on how they get to that answer and the deeper meaning and concepts behind the math.”

THE OUTCOME: Since launching Math in Focus, our students have used concrete, pictorial, and abstract strategies to develop a deeper understanding of math concepts, as reflected in Langley’s ERB math scores which placed above national benchmarks last spring.

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75TH ANNIVERSARY:

Langley’s 75th Birthday Continues The Langley School’s 75th birthday celebration continued throughout the second half of the school year with the Langley Celebration of Music: Past, Present, & Pops in February, our first-ever Day of Giving in March, and our 75th anniversary auction in April. These events celebrated Langley’s legacy and brought together both current and past members of our community.

Celebrating Service: In honor of Langley’s tradition of service, more than 500 students, parents, teachers, alumni, and friends came together for Langley’s first-ever Day of Giving on Saturday, March 17 to pack 75,000 meals for the people of Puerto Rico who were impacted by Hurricane Maria. To cover the cost of each 25-cent meal, the school raised $18,750, including more than $6,400 raised by our students in quarter collections. The event received media coverage on three local TV networks and in several newspapers. The meal-packing was the culmination of our inaugural Week of Giving during which the Langley community collected hundreds of baby products, children’s books, school supplies, toiletries, nonperishable foods, and more for five student-led donation drives benefiting a range of organizations.

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Celebrating Music: As part of our 75th Anniversary Committee efforts, we honored the school's long tradition of making music at the Langley Celebration of Music: Past, Present, & Pops on February 22. Current families, alumni, past parents, and past faculty joined us for a fabulous Broadway-themed concert featuring our Middle School musicians followed by a dessert reception. We recognized the contributions of our music faculty through the years, including current faculty Dana Litke, Sheila Malcolm, Chuck Schmidt, and Soo You, and celebrated Mr. Schmidt's 25th year at Langley.

Celebrating Our Community: On Saturday, April 28, past and present members of the Langley community came together to celebrate our 75th anniversary auction, “Bright Past, Brilliant Future.” This record-breaking event raised nearly $300,000, including nearly $180,000 for faculty excellence during “Raise the Paddle.” See page 27 for a detailed recap of this wonderful evening.

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Celebrating Faculty Excellence At The Langley School, our faculty are the heart and soul of all that we do. Beautiful buildings, state-of-the-art technologies, and a robust, inquiry-based curriculum would have no impact on children without dedicated, talented faculty who inspire their learning.

Our faculty is made up of a diverse group of experts who are committed to helping young people grow academically, socially, and emotionally while nurturing and supporting every child. They come from different backgrounds and generations, and bring their own unique experiences and talents. They are lifelong learners and innovators who are motivated by a growth mindset, always looking to hone their craft and find new ways to meet each child at his or her level. They empower students to ask questions and find solutions as they prepare them to be independent, curious learners and thinkers.

As teacher shortages and strikes continue to make national news, Langley is committed to ensuring we recognize, support, and promote faculty excellence as part of our strategic plan. And we applaud our community for raising nearly $180,000 for our faculty during the “Raise the Paddle� portion of our spring auction in April.

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:

25 Years of Making Music with Chuck Schmidt Stroll through the music hallway on the second floor of Langley’s Sherman Arts Center and you’ll see pennants from colleges around the country. From Harvard University to Cornell University, these pennants signify the schools where our alumni have performed in collegiate music groups through the years. This wall of honor is a testament to the strength of our music program and the impact Band Director Chuck Schmidt has had on nearly every student during his 25 years at Langley.

The son of two college music professors and a talented trombone player himself, Mr. Schmidt first arrived at Langley in 1992, ready to lead the school’s existing band program. During his tenure, Langley’s music program has grown and flourished with the addition of strings, more robust choral offerings, a Middle School Pops Concert, and a yearly Middle School spring musical complete with a student pit orchestra for which he arranges music.

“I’m proud of the fact that 40 to 50 percent of our students choose to continue performing in one of our music groups once they reach Middle School even though it’s not required,” Mr. Schmidt says, noting that the diversity of music offerings appeals to more students. “I think it shows that our kids enjoy being part of an ensemble where they perform together as a team. And it reflects on the dedication and talent of the wonderful music faculty I’ve been privileged to work with through the years.”

“Whether my students continue playing music or not, my goal has always been to teach them that they can build any skill if they put their mind to it.”

Always looking for new ways to inspire his students, Mr. Schmidt shifted his music classes to a more experiential approach when he and music teacher Sheila Malcolm introduced World Music Drumming about 10 years ago.

“World Music Drumming is a great way to get every student, regardless of musical ability, to have fun making music while learning about other cultures and working as a group,” he says. Mr. Schmidt also added computer-based music composition to the curriculum, allowing students the creative freedom to compose music online, and next year he plans to introduce the ukulele to his eighth-graders as yet another avenue for them to make music.

The community celebrated Mr. Schmidt’s 25th anniversary at the Pops Concert in February. See page 9 for photos and details.

Mr. Schmidt is also proud to have been involved in designing the school’s Jeffrey J. Sherman Arts Center which opened in 2008 and adds that the building’s professional sound and lighting capabilities, wonderful acoustics, and state-of-the-art auditorium have had a huge impact on the quality of the music program.

As for Mr. Schmidt’s favorite musical moment each year, it’s tough to choose. From proudly watching fourth-graders perform their very first concert to capping off the year on the annual Middle School music trip, there are many high points. But probably his most anticipated time of year revolves around the Middle School drama productions – a play in the fall and a musical in the spring. “Our artistic production staff is a fabulous team of faculty who help more than 60 Middle School students present a full production,” says Mr. Schmidt, who designs sound and lighting and arranges music for each show. “My student pit ensemble has evolved into the most advanced, challenging, and rewarding experience to which a Langley instrumentalist can aspire.”

While much has changed at Langley during his 25 years (the campus has grown and the faculty is more diverse), Mr. Schmidt notes that the special community here remains constant. “What I love most about Langley is the community. You can’t have a bad day without somebody noticing,” he says.

“Whether my students continue playing music or not (and I hope they do!), my goal has always been to teach them that they can build any skill if they put their mind to it,” he adds. “With an instrument, it’s easy to see that time and effort pay off as you improve musically, but the theory really applies to any skill in life.”

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Celebrating 5 Years...

Caroline Cook, Grade 4 Teacher

What’s your favorite fourth-grade tradition? The African Artifact Museum. As the culminating event for our inquiryled unit on African culture, this project is fun and engaging and gives students the opportunity to synthesize all they have learned about the ways that geography and culture impact one another.

Taylor Renaud, Math Teacher

What’s the most important skill you hope your students learn? I hope Middle School math students learn to appreciate the value of their mistakes and use them to improve their understanding.

Jessica Robinson, Grade 3 Teacher

What’s the biggest strength of our P.E. program? We meet children where they are developmentally and provide a safe space for them to grow in skills, strength, and confidence.

What unit do you most enjoy teaching? The Reading Workshop Character Study unit. It gives students the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of their characters, embarking on an emotional and intellectual journey and learning lessons alongside them.

Val Harnisch, Preschool Teacher

Elinor Scully, Head of School

Patty Dokken, Physical Education Teacher

What’s the best thing about preschool at Langley?

The amazing group of children I get to see and teach every day. Their laughter is contagious, their smiles are many, and their hugs are endless!

What’s the best part of your work day? Any time I get to interact with students. I especially enjoy meeting with my student advisors and impromptu discussions with students who stop by my office to share ideas or suggestions.

Amy Jones, Director of Academic Resource

What’s the most significant change you’ve made to Langley’s Resource Department? I have facilitated close communication among members of our department, division directors, counselors, and parents. Our department is also working to use data to drive our academic support.

Devon McEnroe, Social Studies Teacher

What do you like most about working at Langley? I get to witness the incredible development of children on a daily and yearly basis. Seeing each grade develop year to year in maturity, knowledge, leadership, and confidence is exciting.

Stephie Meadows, Kindergarten Teacher

What’s your favorite Langley tradition? Without a doubt, it’s the Fall Fair. It brings the Langley community together in a fun and festive way and highlights the spirit of Langley.

Happy Anniversary!

We deeply value the experience of our veteran faculty and staff, as well as the fresh viewpoints of the newer members of our community.

Congratulations to these faculty and staff who reached important milestones this year, serving Langley for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 years!

Celebrating 15 Years...

Mary Klinedinst, Preschool Assistant Teacher What’s your favorite class field trip? I always enjoy the first field trip of each year. For most of our preschoolers, it’s the first time they have been on a school bus. When the doors of the bus open, the excitement in their eyes is priceless. It never gets old to see and feel their joy!

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Ryan McKinney, Science Teacher

What life lessons do you hope your students learn through science? I hope my students leave Langley confident enough to use the scientific process to objectively help explore and learn about how our planet works. I’d like them to be able to use the engineering and design process to develop new and innovative ways to protect natural resources and provide for the good of all living things.

Celebrating 10 Years...

Celebrating 20 Years...

Karen Duvall, Director of Summer Studio & Enrichment

George Daily, Technologist

What’s the most significant change you’ve made to Summer Studio? I think adding our Destination Traveler camps has been a very positive addition to Summer Studio. These camps give children the chance to explore new activities and adventures off campus during daily field trips.

Leslie Hettinger, Head of Primary School

What’s your favorite memory from the Primary School? The division-wide spiral unit performance brings me joy and fills me with such pride, allowing me to witness the substantial growth that has occurred in each student. It’s powerful to see even the shyest of students stand confidently on a big auditorium stage to sing and dance for a large audience.

Kathleen Jennings, Reading Specialist

What aspect of your job do you like best? I love the fact that I get to work with students across the Lower School, spanning grades 1-5. It’s exciting to see the growth in my students – not just throughout a single school year, but throughout their entire time in the Lower School.

Emily O’Grady, Instructional Technologist

What’s your favorite technology project? I love doing coding projects with students, like the math games the first-graders coded with Scratch Jr. Once the students understood the basic concepts of the blockly language, they designed games with questions and responses. My favorite part is watching the students teach each other tricks and give constructive feedback.

Walter Saravia, Maintenance Technician

What’s the best thing about working at Langley?

I like working with our maintenance staff, and I especially enjoy doing painting projects around campus.

Mary Worthington, Director of Admission & Financial Aid

What’s your favorite stop on your tours of campus?

I enjoy stopping in the Middle School where our students go out of their way to explain what they are doing in class. Prospective parents are always impressed with how thoughtful and confident they are.

What do you most like about being part of the Langley community? The people here at Langley make good days better and bad days not so bad. The community is very supportive.

Mark Loach, Grade 5 Teacher

What do you most enjoy about coaching soccer at Langley?

Soccer has been an invaluable way for me to connect with students. I like the way we are a team and solve a collective problem. Together, we win and lose, dealing respectfully with the responsibility of victory and defeat.

Elena Meschieri, Director of Web & Social Media

What’s your favorite Langley memory? The whitewater rafting excursion during my first trip to Costa Rica with the eighth grade was truly unforgettable! At the end of our adventure, we discovered that the river had become filled with thousands of water plants which prevented us from getting to the coast. We quickly came up with a strategy, making a train with the boats and paddling in unison to cut through the plants. It took us almost an hour, but we were finally able to get to the coast. It was the perfect lesson in teamwork!

Celebrating 25 Years...

Chuck Schmidt, Band Director/ Instrumental Music Teacher

What is your proudest Langley moment? In 2016, on the music trip to NYC, students from our spring musical had the chance to perform a song on the stage of the Apollo Theater. Even though they hadn’t performed it for over a month, they had so much energy, such a great vocal sound, and they remembered all their choreography. It was such a magical musical moment.

Celebrating 30 Years...

Kurt Klunder, Network Administrator

Which new technology has had the biggest impact on Langley during your 30 years here? The networking and Internet connectivity throughout the entire campus which occurred in 1996. We started with small peer-to-peer networks and AOL dial-up modems, and now have the entire campus networked with high-speed Internet and e-mail accounts for everyone.

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Campus Happenings

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Gaining Confidence on Stage

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1. From wonderful acting and singing to stunning sets and costumes, the Middle School spring musical, “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” played to sold-out audiences during its threenight run.

3. As part of their integrated study of Asia, fourth-graders presented an “arts share” in which they performed a play based on a Chinese folktale, performed Asian folk songs, and displayed the Chinese opera masks they created.

2. Primary Schoolers capped off their spiral unit focused on outer space with an out-of-this-world performance featuring space-themed songs and dances.

4. Langley first-graders shared their impressive knowledge of Australia during their Down Under Extravaganza performance. During this integrated unit, students learned about the geography and animals of the continent and studied Aboriginal cultures.

SUMMER 2018

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5. The second grade explored their own stories through an ancestry project, shared foods from their country of origin at a Heritage Luncheon, and performed songs and immigration plays based on historical fiction.

6. First- and second-grade students presented “A World in Harmony,” a musical journey through 12 nations featuring songs, dances, and facts highlighting these cultures.

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7. The annual third-grade play took the form of a popular game show, with students hosting their own version of “Are You Smarter Than a Third-Grader?” Students developed trivia questions, served in a variety of roles including hosts, judges, and expert panelists, and created their own public service announcements.

8. During their performance of the musical, “Dig It,” Langley fifth-graders entertained audience members with a highenergy show filled with singing, dancing, and a journey through history.

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Learning by Doing

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1. Innovation and creativity were on display as hundreds of students and parents came out to Langley’s STEAM Fair which included a new “reverse engineering” area where students took apart everyday objects.

3. Third-graders took part in a hands-on immersion into the Colonial era during their Colonial Craft Day, sampling foods, creating crafts, and playing games that were a part of Colonial American history.

2. Kindergartners enhanced their study of the rainforest when they met and touched rainforest reptiles, including a milk snake, boa constrictor, gecko, turtle, and lizards.

4. Preschool students got into the Olympic spirit when they participated in their own version of the Winter Games, competing in mock athletic events, parading around campus with Olympic “torches,” and enjoying their moment of glory during a gold medal ceremony.

SUMMER 2018

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Campus Happenings

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Honoring Academic Achievements 5. Congratulations to fifth-grader Lucas Flaherty who won Langley’s 2018 National Geographic Bee. Lucas competed against nine other Langley students in grades 4-8 during this annual geography challenge that takes place in schools around the country.

6. Middle Schoolers competed in Independent School Mathematics Association of Greater Washington math meets throughout the year which helped them learn to solve real-world problems, develop flexible mathematical thinking, and build confidence.

7. Four Langley sixth-graders competed in the Fairfax County Science and Engineering Fair at George Mason University this spring. Special kudos to Oliver Thomas who was awarded an honorable mention for his physics project.

8. Congratulations to fifth-grader Cecelia Ye, the 2018 recipient of The Langley School Children’s Story Award. All fifth-grade students produced very polished stories after completing the rigorous steps of drafting, editing, storyboarding, and conferencing.

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Broadening Perspectives Through Assemblies

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1. Denis McDonough, former chief of staff to President Obama, visited Langley to talk about his role in the White House, the executive branch, and the importance of valuing differing opinions.

3. During his captivating and humorous presentations to grades JK-5, award-winning children’s author/illustrator Peter Brown discussed how his early interest in drawing, stories, and animals sparked his career.

2. At the Lunar New Year assembly, students were introduced to Langley’s new Chinese dragon which was donated

by Langley parents Vanessa Lim and Nariman Modanlou.

Eighth-grade Chinese language students performed a thrilling dragon dance to showcase Chinese culture.

4. Students in grades 1-8 took an imaginary journey through time during the “Immigrant Quilt” assembly with storyteller Arianna Ross as she told the stories of immigrants from a variety of backgrounds and generations.

SUMMER 2018

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Showcasing School Spirit 5. In honor of the special bonds they developed this year, our kindergarten and eighth-grade buddies joined together to create a colorful leopard paw print mural on the wall outside the Primary School entrance.

7. On May 2, Langley hosted the annual Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) track and field meet. For the fifth consecutive year, Langley came in first place and took the league title, making it our 13th title in the last 15 years.

6. Students took part in one of Langley’s favorite end-ofyear traditions – Field Day! They ran, tossed, caught, and jumped their way through a rotation of 10 creative events.

8. Students showed their Langley spirit during our 75th anniversary “I Live Langley” photo contest which featured 75-themed categories like 75-inspired food creations and 75 in nature.

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GRADUATION:

Langley Says Farewell to Class of 2018 Members of the Class of 2018 capped off their Langley experience during a memorable graduation ceremony on June 8, with graduates sharing poignant memories of their time here. Filled with confidence, poise, and self-awareness, these young people grew tremendously throughout the high school placement process as they identified and chose their best-fit schools.

Below is the list of high schools where our graduates were accepted, with asterisks marking the schools they will attend in the fall.

Bishop O’Connell High School The Bullis School* Cate School (CA) Connolly School of the Holy Child* Duke Ellington School Edmund Burke School Episcopal High School Fairfax Christian School* The Field School Flint Hill School* Georgetown Day School* Georgetown Preparatory School* Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School* Gonzaga College High School* Herndon High School* Holton-Arms School The Hotchkiss School Landon School* Langley High School* Loudoun School for the Gifted Madeira School* Maret School McLean High School* Mercersburg Academy (PA)*

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SUMMER 2018

National Cathedral School* Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)* Oakcrest School Oakton High School* Paul VI Catholic High School* Phillips Academy Andover (MA) Phillips Exeter Academy (NH) The Potomac School* Sage Hill School (CA)* Santa Margarita Catholic High School (CA) Sidwell Friends School* St. Albans School St. Andrew’s Episcopal School St. Andrew’s School (DE) St. Margaret’s Episcopal School (CA) St. Paul’s School (NH)* St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School Shady Side Academy (PA) Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart* Tabor Academy (MA) Thomas Edison High School, Global STEM Challenges Program* *Denotes high schools our graduates will attend this fall

REUNION:

Class of 2014 Reunites Before College Langley’s Class of 2014, now high school graduates, gathered on May 23 for a family reunion that also included parents and faculty. Alumni enjoyed catching up with each other and sharing their plans for the fall. Below are just some of the top colleges and universities the Class of 2014 will attend: Brown University Bucknell University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University College of William & Mary Davidson College Duke University Florida State University Georgetown University Harvard University Sarah Lawrence College Stanford University Tufts University University of Chicago University of Michigan University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill University of Pennsylvania University of South Carolina Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech

A large group of parents from the Class of 2014 also returned for the reunion. After raising their children together at Langley during such formative years, they have a special bond with each other and the school.

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Alumni News Submit your news and update your contact information online at www.langleyschool.org/community/alumni.

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Amy Hoffheimer Carroll graduated from Davidson College in 1993 and Emory University in 1998 with a master’s in physical therapy.

She and her husband live in Charlotte, NC, with their two children: Noah (17) and Annie (15). Amy works part-time as a physical therapist at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. In her free time, she enjoys running (she qualified for the Boston Marathon!), playing with her two dogs, and traveling with family.

Liz Keller-Tripp works as artistic administrator for Silkroad, a nonprofit founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma that promotes cross-cultural understanding, learning, and innovation through the arts. Earlier this year, she stopped by Langley to surprise her former music teacher Chuck Schmidt, sit in with a band class, and present Langley students with a memento from Silkroad.

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Rebecca Grad is an artist who donated one of her “spill art” creations to Langley’s 75th anniversary auction. “It is my privilege to donate a piece of my work to the school that fostered my creativity in countless ways!” she says.

Claire McDonald recently started working at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, MO, as a communications associate. She notes, “As I do jazz research for upcoming exhibitions and articles, or even as I walk through our permanent exhibition, I’m flooded with memories of middle school music classes at Langley.”

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1999 Sarah Duncan welcomed her daughter, Nell McCrae Duncan Larson, this spring. She is a trial attorney at the Department of Justice and loves living in Old Town Alexandria with her husband, dog, and newborn.

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Kevin Pulliam graduated from the University of Notre Dame where he was the captain of the men’s varsity cross country team. He also ran varsity indoor and outdoor track.

Kevin earned a degree in engineering and will continue on to graduate school.

Kian Alikhani is completing his B.S. in computer science at Case Western Reserve University. He is currently working as a summer intern at IBM in San Francisco.

Moriah Ratner recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in photojournalism. This summer, her photos have been featured in The Washington Post and National Geographic.

Mary Grace Sheers was one of 16 University of Virginia students to receive a Fulbright Scholarship. She graduated from UVA in May as a political and social thought major with a focus on disability theory and education policy. As a Fulbright scholar, Mary will be an English teaching assistant in Thailand. She plans to work as a teacher, administrator, and curriculum coordinator for students who speak languages other than English in the U.S.

2012 Bijan Alikhani will graduate next December from Brandeis University with a double major in political science and economics.

Tom Pulliam finished his second year at the University of Virginia where he is studying statistics and computer science. He is a member of the men’s rugby team.

2014 Kathryn Sandercock, who just graduated from Bishop O’Connell High School, was named to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I First-Team All-State Team in softball. She plans to pitch at Florida State University on scholarship where she will be a redshirt freshman.

Alumni Take Part in Langley’s Day of Giving During Langley’s Day of Giving on March 17 (see page 8 for details), the following alumni and past parents participated in our community meal-packing event, stopping by our alumni breakfast and lounge to reconnect.

Kent Arnold ’73 (pictured at right) Emily Bratti ’16 Sandro Dussek ’17 Peggy Reizes Evans ’85 Elizabeth Crocker Greenberg ’89 Laila Dastur Haksar ’97 Kathleen Jennings ’00 Joel & Ricki Kanter (past parents) Andrew Kaplan ’87 Karen Kaplan (past parent) Lucy Mackall ’72

Paul Martorana ’86 Doug Newburg ’71 Gerald Pierce ’99 Kathy Rolston ’72 Ashleigh Rabbitt Sekoski ’90 Ileen Shefferman (past parent) Tyler Swain ’16 Mary Tenny ’71 Emily Wallach ’13 Jasmine Zamani ’92

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Ian Singer is excited to attend Stanford University in the fall.

Maria Urban just finished her freshman year at The Potomac School where she plays softball. This spring, she was named to the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I First-Team All-State Team.

Katie Warner recently graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and will be attending Sarah Lawrence College in the fall with a Dean’s List scholarship. She was recently selected for the DC Public Schools’ Global Education 2018 World Language High School Student of the Year Award for her work in Italian. Katie hopes to become a professional actress, a director, and an American Sign Language interpreter.

2016 Nikki Debayo-Doherty, a rising junior at The Potomac School, has committed to play soccer and continue her studies at Yale University in the fall of 2020.

IN MEMORIAM Andrew Gentry ’09 passed away on December 6, 2017, at the age of 22. He was a communications major at the University of Kentucky and planned on graduating this summer.

Your Feedback Matters As We Connect with Our Past...

Langley’s 75th anniversary year has been a busy one for the Alumni Office. In addition to celebrating this important milestone, our community of alumni and their families came together throughout the year to reconnect and enhance the bonds that have endured for decades.

For taking part in Langley’s recent alumni survey, Sally Stouffer ’15 was the lucky winner of our prize – a Starbucks gift card – which she shared with Maddie Leisenring ’15.

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SUMMER 2018

In an effort to ensure that alumni and past families stay connected to Langley and to one another, a task force was established to invite ideas, solicit feedback, and offer suggestions for meaningful events and programs.

We have been analyzing this information and creating a program we hope appeals to alumni across generations.

This past spring, we commissioned a survey that was sent to alumni via e-mail. We are grateful for the more

than 100 responses we received from alumni ranging in age from 14 to 72! Former Langley parents were also surveyed through a series of focus groups, as we know that long-lasting bonds are enjoyed by many Langley families.

These outreach tools provided critical information to move forward with our programs, and to hear your Langley stories. Thank you to everyone who responded and shared your ideas for ensuring the success of our programs for the next 75 years.

If you did not receive the survey and would like to share your views, please contact Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Peggy Reizes Evans ’85 at (703) 3561920, ext. 871 or pevans@langleyschool.org. We look forward to introducing our new alumni programs in the months ahead, and we invite you to call, e-mail, or stop by and visit at any time.

Past Faculty Updates This spring, several Langley staff members visited Billie Close, former third-grade teacher and head of Lower School, prior to her move to Connecticut. She enjoyed visiting with her former student, Peggy Reizes Evans ’85, now a current Langley parent and the school’s director of annual giving and alumni relations. “I will truly miss all the Langley friends who have been such a happy and important part of my and my family’s life,” Billie says.

Former art teacher Cathy Stube has fond memories of her nearly 20 years at Langley. She enjoys spending time with her two granddaughters, Soleil and Siena, using her creative energies through art, knitting, cooking, and gardening, and traveling to new places with her husband.

Photo at right: Billie Close with Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Peggy Reizes Evans ’85

Reconnecting with the PALS Family

Each year, Langley’s current and former PALS chairs gather for lunch. It’s a great way for these Langley parent leaders to connect with each other and the school. Attending the lunch this spring were (pictured from bottom left): Beth Coakley, Cindy O’Kane, Pat Silverman, I-Min Chao, Leslie Powers, Jenny Weisberg, Bonnie Clarke, Nancy Catron, Lee Cook, Head of School Elinor Scully, and Sally Marvin.

Returning to Their Roots

Nine Langley alumni are serving as counselors during Langley’s Summer Studio program this summer, sharing their love of Langley with our campers.

Counselors include: Manu Kini ’16, Narayan Kini ’16, Nikki Debayo-Doherty ’16, Gigi Jacobsen ’16, Caroline Morin ’13, Lucy Dabadie ’13, Sebastian Aguilar ’15, Cameron Clarke ’14, and Rhett Rezendes ’14.

Sharing Their Expertise

Alumni Takahiro Nakamura ’06 and CJ David ’05 returned to Langley on February 3 to serve as judges for our Middle School Science Fair which was part of Langley’s school-wide STEAM Fair.

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ALUMNI PROFILE:

Dr. Anita Patel ’97 Working with critically ill children in a pediatric ICU takes a special talent. The hours are long, the atmosphere is stressful, and the emotional toll of losing a young patient can be difficult to handle. But for Dr. Anita Patel – a critical care specialist at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC – there’s no place she would rather be.

“I always knew I wanted to work with kids, but I didn’t think being a pediatrician in an office was for me,” she says. “I love doing procedures and I thrive on the atmosphere of the ICU. I’m at my calmest in the middle of a code or when dealing with a family during their hardest time.”

As an attending physician in her second year at Children’s, Dr. Patel works demanding rotations of seven straight days on plus 30-40 overnight shifts during the year.

A yoga instructor and advocate She and her team treat the sickest of self-care, Dr. Patel urges the kids from the ER, with respiratory medical community to care for failure, sepsis infections, and bone themselves. marrow transplants being some of the more common cases she sees. While there are many demanding aspects to the job, she values the deep relationships she has with her patients and their families.

“Finding resilience in horrible situations can be tough sometimes and it can take its toll on even the best doctors,” says Dr. Patel, who has become a vocal advocate for physician self-care. “As physicians, we need to find strategies to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others.” She began using yoga as a way to center herself while dealing with the pressures of medical school and is now a yoga instructor at the hospital. To help spread her message, Dr. Patel recently launched two Instagram accounts targeting the medical community that promote the importance of self-care. With more than 8,500 followers and growing, she hopes to leverage these new online communities by writing a self-care book for doctors someday.

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While she enjoys her clinical work with patients, Dr. Patel’s other love is medical research. “There are so many issues with the way we treat patients,” she says. “I feel I have a responsibility to advance the medical field and leave it better than when I entered it.”

To that end, she recently applied for and received a prestigious National Institutes of Health grant, an honor typically reserved for more senior doctors. The grant will allow her to study the long-term effects and consequences of how pain medication and sedation are administered to critically ill children. While this practice has been studied in adults,

“The work ethic I cultivated [at Langley] made everything else I did from then on that much easier.” there is no protocol for its use in children. A consequence of weak evidence-based practices for sedation and analgesia administration to critically ill children is the rate of unintended adverse events, including tolerance, withdrawal, and delirium, she notes. Through her research, Dr. Patel hopes to end the significant morbidity associated with this pervasive treatment provided to critically ill children.

Whether treating patients or conducting research, Dr. Patel’s lifelong love of science is at the heart of her work. And that passion was nurtured and developed during her eight years at Langley. “I will never forget science teacher Henry Cole!

His science classes were so much fun,” she recalls, noting that the one-on-one attention she received from Langley teachers created a nurturing atmosphere that prepared her better than many of her high school peers.

She credits the work ethic she first learned at Langley with helping her succeed at the Madeira School, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia Medical School. “At Langley, it was cool to be smart. Everyone worked hard from first grade on, and the work ethic I cultivated there made everything else I did from then on that much easier,” says Dr. Patel.

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE:

75th Anniversary Auction Ensures a “Brilliant” Future Saturday, April 28 was an amazing night for the Langley community. More than 320 parents, faculty, staff, past parents, alumni, and friends of the school gathered at the Hyatt Regency Tysons for Langley’s 75th anniversary auction, “Bright Past, Brilliant Future.” The event celebrated Langley’s enduring tradition of shared connections and excellence and raised funds to ensure that outstanding teaching and learning remain at the heart of a Langley education for the next 75 years.

Congratulations and thank you to co-chairs Willow Marr and Ashleigh Rabbitt Sekoski ’90 and their committee for putting together a magical event that exceeded our ambitious goals. We are grateful to these remarkable parent volunteers as well as the many, many members of the community who sponsored, donated, hosted a Great Gathering, supported a Fun with Faculty event, bid, attended, “raised a paddle,” and otherwise went “all in” for Langley.

Guests at the 75th anniversary auction enjoyed colleagues and friends, fine food, silent and live auctions, raffles, live entertainment, and dancing. Past parent and current Langley grandparent Linda Rabbitt inspired guests with her heartfelt remarks. Her words, and the incredible show of generosity and spirit during the live auction’s “Raise the Paddle for Faculty Excellence,” were highlights of the evening.

The event raised nearly $300,000, including nearly $180,000 for faculty excellence – our largest total ever.

These funds will strengthen every aspect of Langley and will undoubtedly ensure a brilliant future for the students of today and for generations to come.

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DEVELOPMENT UPDATE:

The Langley Fund by the Numbers • $715,806 Raised • 461 Total Gifts “The Langley Fund adds to the budget and makes unique experiences possible, from funding PALS speakers to overnight field trips to all the other moments that make Langley a truly special place.”

-Elizabeth Crocker Greenberg ’89 and Sallie Hess, 2017-2018 Co-Chairs of The Langley Fund

• 100% Faculty/Staff Participation • 77% Current Parent Participation • 86 Donors Celebrated Our 75th Anniversary by Giving a Gift in a Denomination of 75

• 67 Alumni & Past Family Gifts

Inspiring our students to do extraordinary things.

Research shows that the most important factor in students’ outcomes is their teachers’ ability to help them discover and believe in their own potential.

Your gifts to Langley allow us to invest in teachers who are experts in their fields and possess the insight and empathy to draw out every child’s singular gifts.

Thank you for choosing to support our most important resource: our people.

For more information about supporting faculty initiatives, please contact Head of Development Jinene Christian at (703) 848-2785 or jchristian@langleyschool.org.

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SUMMER 2018

The Last Word

by Mark Loach, Grade 5 Teacher

Were you a member of Team Oxford or Team Cambridge?

I’m sure many of our alumni recall taking part in the fifthgrade Langley Cricket Challenge, learning the terminology and rules during P.E. classes and lunch breaks as we prepared for this exciting day in the spring.

This year, Langley celebrated the 20th anniversary of this fifth-grade tradition that teaches our students the game of cricket, but more importantly, the values that go along with this unique, global sport.

Since I first arrived at Langley in 1997, the faculty has always been encouraged to provide learning experiences that enrich, differentiate, and extend. So when I suggested introducing our fifth grade to a bat and ball game called cricket 20 years ago, the idea was welcomed with open arms by then head of school, Betty Brown.

I believe that expanding children’s understanding and perspective of the world is a crucial ingredient to learning.

Every teacher develops their own style and skills, and draws from their own experiences to achieve this end. By sharing these perspectives and interests with our students, children learn more about the world and, most importantly, how to thrive in a global environment.

But cricket is also an avenue for us to teach students about Langley’s core values of respect, kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, and citizenship in a real-world setting. For me, the game fully embodies the noble concept of fair play and decency without compromising competitiveness and

the value of teamwork and team spirit. Cricket provides a backdrop of a competitive situation, but places a higher value on the way that the game is played.

In cricket, winning and losing can take on a different meaning: play hard, do your absolute best to win the game, be resilient, make the best of yourself and your teammates, play with respect and honesty, be a good citizen, never give up, avoid temptation, and refrain from allowing the pressure of winning to stop you from doing what you know to be right.

These values were on full display two years ago when my father visited from England and officially opened Langley’s 18th Cricket Challenge. I remember the entire body of fifth-grade students stood in line, shoulder to shoulder. My father, doing the dignitary honors, chatted and shook hands with each child just a few minutes prior to the first bowl. I was impressed with the politeness and respect each child gave my father as he spoke to them. As the cricket day unfolded, more Langley values became very evident as the students performed with great sportsmanship and teamwork.

The same has been true of each fifth-grade class over the last 20 years. The children never fail to impress me with how willing they are to try something new and to appreciate other cultures and traditions. And, whether they realize it or not, they all come out of this unique experience as better people, ready and able to display the values this great game of cricket epitomizes.

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Where vital academics meet a deep respect for childhood Preschool through grade 8 in Northern Virginia 1411 Balls Hill Road, McLean, Virginia 22101-3415 www.langleyschool.org (703) 356-1920

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Visit Our New Online Home for Alumni... www.langleyschool.org/community/alumni Want to update your contact information, submit a class note for the magazine, contact a class representative, or read about your fellow alumni? Visit Langley’s new alumni page!

You’ll find online update forms, a calendar of upcoming alumni events, alumni profiles, links to our social media sites, and more.

Let’s keep in touch...connect with Langley online today!

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