Volume 38
Issue 1
Winter 2017
Kindergarten Sunflower Studies: Cultivating Science, Art, Poetry, Creativity, and Imagination through Sunflowers Submitted by Uchenna Ogu and Katie Malone, Kindergarten Faculty
As part of their Sunflower Study, Kindergarten students used loose parts to create sunflower stories.
Kindergarten projects are a part of an emergent curriculum, one where both teachers and children have the ability to make decisions that inform learning. When Delilah brought in a sunflower harvested from her garden, it captivated the Kindergarten children’s interest and imagination: Where had it come from? How did Delilah harvest it? How many seeds? After a science discussion, teachers introduced the Mary Oliver poem, The Sunflowers. Inspired by the poem and Delilah’s sunflower, children looked closely at a sunflower and drew and painted their observations. In addition, children investigated the life cycle of a sunflower by pretending to be a sunflower plant, growing and changing from seed to plant, and back to seed again. Excitement continued to spark with a line from the poem: “Don’t be afraid to ask them questions!” Children shared what questions they would like to ask the sunflowers, if they could:
How long do your roots grow? Can we sleep in your leaves? Can we be your friend? Next, children illustrated their questions, and ideas continued to flow when students made a second draft on larger paper. During a recent brainstorm session, children joyfully shared ideas for next steps…planting sunflower seeds, how to plant and keep seeds alive during the winter, and creating a sunflower movie. Below is an excerpt from our conversation: Malachy: Maybe we could make a movie, and the whole school could come and watch it. August: That is the best idea ever! Samantha: We could add words! We could add words on the screen, and they could say our questions to the sunflowers. James: When we do the show, we could use a recording camera… Teachers: How could we make the sunflowers move in a video? Think about Sam’s question, “Can you travel over mountains?” How could we make that work? Henry: Maybe we could put little puppet strings on the bottom of the sunflower and lower it onto the white mountain, and then we could move them and do a video camera. Jackson: Maybe we could do a string and pull it so it would be like the sunflower is climbing it. We could hold the other side of the string. Going forward, teachers and students will design backdrops, props, and other moving parts for the video. Students will visit the new TCS recording studio to explore options for the project. Using the equipment available, including a green screen, students will collaborate, allowing their sunflower questions come to life. n
Winter 2017
Every Voice (Vote) Matters Submitted by Dr. Kevin Navarro, Assistant Head of School Standing up to have our voices heard is a critical part of our national fabric. It is also a critical part of The College School experience for our students – we believe every voice matters. From our youngest Preschool students to our oldest Eighth Grade students, what they have to say, what they think, and how they choose to express themselves matters.
to name the new dragon. Middle School teacher Lori Knoblauch and her US Government and Constitution class took on designing and leading the election process. The class organized themselves into three political parties, and each party worked to develop potential names for the dragon. Names needed to be representative of The College School community, gender neutral, and befitting of a magnificent dragon like ours. Each political party worked their names through their nominating convention, where a final “candidate” was selected. The three candidates were: 1. JP—in honor of Jan Phillips (our influential past director and teacher for 35 years), JP is a celebration of the roots and foundations of The College School as an experiential and hands-on school. 2. Ember—like the ember of a campfire, part of The College School will always be with us, even when we leave, ready to be rekindled into an everlasting flame. 3. Haven—creating and maintaining safe physical and emotional spaces for everyone at The College School, Haven stands guard to keep us safe.
This past November, we wanted all our students to engage the fall election process in an age-appropriate and meaningful way. For this election year in particular, when it seemed our national candidates, political parties, and citizens were having a difficult time engaging in civil discourse, it didn’t seem the best idea to have a school-wide presidential mock-election. If we were going to have a vote on something, we wanted to ensure that we had an experience that helped teach children the real value of voting, of discussing ideas, of disagreeing, and of finding common ground. So, we opted instead to have a school-wide election on a different topic than a presidential or gubernatorial race: we decided to have a dragon vote! Yes, a dragon vote. You may have read or seen that this fall we created a new play space on the field: a cement sculpture of a 30-foot long dragon on which children can climb, explore, and frolic. We decided to have an election where the entire student, faculty, and staff community was able vote
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around a shared conversation, they taught all our students important lessons about voting, and they helped us all reflect on what it means to be active and engaged citizens. In the end, there were 286 valid student, faculty, and staff votes cast, which represented 96% of our registered voters. At the end of that day, the US Government and Constitution students proudly announced to our school community that 58% of votes were cast for the name Ember. Some children were excited, some disappointed. We had worked to prepare the children for possible outcomes. In the end, we were able to come together to celebrate that we had a name for our new dragon. Processing the national election was a bigger challenge. Just as with the dragon election, students, faculty, and staff had many different emotions. We were impressed with how the students were understanding and supportive of each other throughout the day. Our faculty and staff also sat together that day for a community lunch for us to process our own thoughts and feelings. Every day at The College School, we work to empower all voices in our school community and for everyone to
The Middle School class spent several weeks campaigning for their candidates, meeting with every single grade in the school to introduce their candidate names, officially registering voters, and talking about why they were having an election. Teachers followed up with age-appropriate conversations and took advantage of many teachable moments. Our dragon vote connected the Through a school-wide election of our playspace dragon, middle schoolers helped our entire school in a fun, school reflect on what it means to be an active and engaged citizen. positive way, and put us all on equal footing, as each of us had feel supported whatever their feelings or only the one vote. views might be. Our shared experience The final vote was held on Tuesday, of voting to name the dragon was one November 8, in The Kent Family Theater. of many ways we teach the concepts of Lori and her class ran a fantastic election; citizenship and community-building to we couldn’t be more pleased with their our students at The College School. n work. They united our entire community
Winter 2017
A Home at TCS Submitted by Jill Hammer, TCS Parent
Our Water, Our World: Second Grade Studies Our Interconnectedness with Water Submitted by Emily Figley and Suzie Schmidt, Second Grade Faculty Every year, second graders participate in a science theme of Water. We began our unit by exploring the flow of water and different ways humans and animals can impact waterways within the Mississippi River Basin. One thing we learned is that macroinvertebrates— organisms without backbones that live in water and are visible to the human eye— are a great indicator of creek health. We are a member of the Missouri Department of Conservation Stream Team, and we are charged with monitoring the macroinvertebrate population of Sandy Creek at the LaBarque Campus. Twice a year, we head out to LaBarque with Tim Wood, our Sustainability Coordinator and in-house macroinvertebrate expert, armed with kicknets, water shoes, and the “riffle dance.” The students get to work collecting and identifying what we find in the creek. Back at school, we analyze the information and create a report to share with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Throughout the unit, students learn about the interdependent relationships in
ecosystems. We study the parts of a creek, the biodiversity of creek beds, and how natural and man-made events impact the natural world. This ecosystem exploration will carry us into our next unit, exploring Missouri habitats and wildlife. n
As parents, we all want what’s best for our children. For me, that meant changing jobs, leaving a city and friends I loved, and relocating to St. Louis—all because I believed so much in The College School’s philosophy. Three and a half years ago, I was working nonstop as a producer in Los Angeles. I loved the work, but knew it wouldn’t be sustainable once Mila was born, especially as a single parent. When she was eight months old, I started researching schools, and fell in love with The College School. About 45 days from my initial search and inquiry of the school, I put my condo on the market, searched real estate in St. Louis, and we moved. Fast forward to this fall, and Mila is thriving in her Big Bend classroom. Even on the weekends, she asks me if she can go to school! She loves it, and I’ve seen her grow academically and socially. Not only has Mila found a home at TCS, I have too. Through volunteer activities and opportunities to meet fellow parents, I’ve started to build my own circle of friends here in St. Louis, and for that, I’m grateful. In TCS, I was looking for a school that was open-minded, committed to diversity, and focused on experiential learning. It has been that and more for our small family. n
Second Grade students journal during their macroinvertebrate study at LaBarque Campus.
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Winter 2017
Why I Said Yes to TCS Submitted by Kathy Casso, TCS Board President After retiring from a 26-year career at Anheuser-Busch, I decided that giving my time and expertise to things I cared about passionately would be next for me. As fate would have it, the opportunity for Board President presented itself. My kids were starting Fourth Grade, which would mark our seventh year at the school. Our journey had been nothing but exceptional, making us big advocates and a very involved family. And now, for me, to be given the chance to more deeply engage in a leadership role was an absolute privilege. And so, I agreed with great excitement and devotion. As one can imagine, the responsibilities of Board President are extensive and diverse. The fundamentals include harnessing the time, talents, and relationships of the Trustee and Committee members, to assist the Head
Kathy, her partner Jody, and their children. of School with the mission and goals, longrange planning, and ensuring financial stability, both short- and long-term. Done right, the Board President should also have a strong relationship with faculty and staff, as they are the heart and soul of the school and provide an expertise found nowhere else in the organization. Beyond that, the role can and should serve in an
even broader context to include strategic work in identifying macro-issues that could impact the long-term viability of the school. Working in this role has given me a level of understanding I would not have had otherwise, and from my standpoint, the view is positive. The school, while solidly rooted in its founding principles in experiential education, is also in a continual state of transformation in an effort to stay relevant, evolve, and grow with the ever-changing world around us. Through the steady leadership of the Head of School and the innovative spirit of faculty and staff, TCS continues to provide a wide-ranging, highly-relevant educational experience for our children. To say I am proud to help lead the collective efforts of this dynamic team would be a huge understatement. n
Middle School Students Interview Our New Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion Submitted by Vincent Flewellen, Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Middle School students Georgia, Isaac, Jacquelyn, Khadijah, Mac, Maria, Megan, Sophie, and Zachary Jacquelyn: Why do you think diversity and inclusion is important? Vincent: Simply, I think it is the right thing to do. Our society, and TCS in particular, has to continue to tackle the inequities that have existed for hundreds of years. When we create an inclusive school, every member of our community can show up as they are and who they are, regardless of their identity. Additionally, the ability of schools like TCS to serve and support the needs of students and families who are racially and ethnically diverse, identify as LGBT, come from any manner of faith and political ideology, or have any sort of ability difference gives us the opportunity to respond to the whole child and the reality of the world at a time in which we are dismantling old expectations.
Vincent Flewellen, Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, discusses personal attitudes, beliefs, and biases with Middle School students in the class Culture and Identity Within.
Isaac: What sparked your interest in diversity and inclusion? Vincent: I think growing up “different” and recognizing that difference sparked my interest. I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood in the Central West End. I
attended a diverse neighborhood Catholic elementary school, St. Roch. I wanted to attend a public school for Middle School and High School, and went to Wydown Middle School and Clayton High School (CHS) in Clayton, both of which had just
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began their voluntary desegregation program. My other black classmates and I were brought into a school to “diversify” classrooms. We were the diversity program. continued on next page
Winter 2017 Interview
continued from previous page I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Clayton, but I also noticed that it lacked the diversity I knew in my neighborhood and St. Roch. As a result, while at CHS I formed the Organization for Black Awareness (OBA). OBA was responsible for highlighting the contributions of Americans who were black and biracial, supporting my schoolmates and their families, and providing a safe space for us to gather. OBA both validated our own identities and informed our teachers, administrators, and classmates about the contributions of our people. Georgia: What does the word diversity mean to you? Vincent: Obviously, diversity means “different,” right? But let me take it a step further. I think that simply having a school with a group of racially or socioeconomically diverse people means nothing. Diversity needs to become an action word—recognizing, validating, or celebrating. Which is what, I guess, I like about the other word of my title of diversity AND inclusion—the inclusion indicates action. Sophie: As Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion, what is it exactly that you do here? Vincent: Well as students in my Cultures and Identities Within class, I teach social justice theme related classes, right? I also teach Gender Studies and
Culture Clash in Middle School. I am responsible for leading TCS’s diversity and inclusion strategic direction in partnership with faculty, staff, and the Board to make sure we are always considering how the decisions we make recognize, validate, and celebrate diversity and inclusion. I also work with and support teachers as they create curriculum and have conversations that speak to diversity. Additionally, I support our hiring and recruitment processes and provide leadership for our Board and Parent D&I Committees and the student-led Diversity Council. Khadijah: How have you felt oppressed now or in the past? Vincent: I am not sure if it is as much oppression as just being stereotyped. I vividly recall times in which mall security or store employees followed me. I also recall being pulled over by police and being asked why I was in a particular Clayton or Ladue neighborhood, only to respond that I was leaving a friend’s home during my time as a student at Clayton High School or leaving my classroom at night as a teacher at Ladue Middle School or MICDS. Maria: How do you approach teaching diversity, culture, sexual identity, and politics here at TCS, topics that are typically avoided at other schools? Vincent: Because TCS is very intentional about developing empathetic, caring, and supportive students and, again, is very thoughtful about creating safe spaces, having those types of
conversations are less challenging here. I think that one of the differentiating aspects of TCS is that we prepare students to engage in critical and courageous conversations early. By the time they arrive in the Middle School, students are able to think outside of themselves. They are able to respectfully and compassionately engage in highly sensitive conversations. Other schools do not have TCS students, which may be a reason they avoid the conversations. Megan: Why did you decide to come to TCS? Vincent: After working for years as a classroom teacher, I was looking for a change. I wanted to work for an organization where I could bring about change and have a deeper and wider impact than just within my classroom. I wanted to help lead the redesign and shaping of an organization’s culture, particularly as it related to social justice issues and D&I work. So while the TCS Search Committee was interviewing me to determine if I was a fit for them, I was also interviewing to see if TCS was a good fit for me. TCS is a place willing to walk the walk and talk the talk—even when the conversations become difficult or challenging. We are not going to steer away from those conversations, just because it is easy to do so. We are going to face them head on because it is the right thing to do. After all we are TCS. We can be the thought-leader on authentic, integrated, and meaningful D&I work within independent schools. n
The Jan Phillips Learning Center: Construction Nearing Completion! Please mark your calendars for the grand opening celebration of the Jan Phillips Learning Center on Saturday, May 20, 2017. See the unique features of this Living Building Challenge structure (to date only ten exist in the world) and see how we are using our 28-acre LaBarque Campus. Formal invitation to follow. n
Architect’s rendering
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Winter 2017
New Faculty and Staff Submitted by Dr. Kevin Navarro, Assistant Head of School This fall, as two of our faculty and staff members moved out of state and one took another job, we unexpectedly found ourselves with three openings. As usual when we have an opening at The College School, we are flooded with resumes of educators who are eager to join our learning community. While mid-year hires can be more difficult, we could not be more pleased with the three faculty and staff members who joined our community. Please join us in welcoming them! Vincent Flewellen Associate Director of Diversity and Inclusion Vincent has a tremendous wealth of experience and training within both education and diversity/inclusion work. His undergraduate degree in Elementary Education is from Maryville University and his Master’s of Social Work is from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Professionally, he has both classroom experience and administrative/leadership experience around diversity and inclusion
work. He taught Middle School at both Ladue Middle School and Mary Institute Country Day School, and he also teaches a graduate-level class at Washington University on Social Justice and Human Diversity at the Brown School. His middle school classroom work on diversity and inclusion issues has been featured on St. Louis Public Radio and Voice of America. He has been a diversity education consultant for myriad schools including John Burroughs, Forsyth School, New City School, and Kirkwood School District. He was also previously the Director of Development for Neighborhood Houses and the Managing Director of Programs for Teach for America. Vincent started with us in October.
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Mike Lagow Middle School Math Mike taught Middle School math with us before he moved to Florida with his wife and three children three years ago. When he moved, we had the good fortune to hire Sam Hahn. And when Sam moved to Iowa this fall, we were very fortunate to welcome Mike back. Mike originally came to us a veteran teacher with over ten years teaching middle school Math in Focus at an independent school in Florida, very similar to The College School. He was instrumental in helping
Brenda Knispel First Grade Faculty Brenda earned her post-degree certification in early childhood education, birth through third grade, at University of Missouri—St. Louis and did her undergraduate work at Sheffield Hallam University, England. Last year she worked in the Ritenour School district in a Second Grade classroom and before that in a First Grade classroom. Born in Kenya and having lived in Zimbabwe and Tanzania, she and her husband moved to the United States in 2002 for his job as a chemistry teacher at John Burroughs School. Their two boys (5th and 6th grades) are at their local school this year. Brenda brings with her to The College School an easy smile, a calm presence, a global perspective, and an authentic love of children. Brenda is leading the First Grade Language Arts curriculum, while Melissa continues to lead the Math in Focus curriculum. Brenda started with us the last week of August.
us learn about and ultimately adopt Math in Focus at The College School. Mike is a retired Naval Officer, having graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, US Navy Flight School in Pensacola, FL, and US Navy Warfare Officer School in Newport, RI. After he transitioned into the classroom, along with loving to teach math, Mike has also become a skilled and dedicated soccer coach in the St. Louis area. Mike teaches 7th Grade Math and 7th Grade Pre Algebra, as well as academic lab classes and morning math support sessions. Mike started with us the middle of November. n
Winter 2017
Wagon Train Leads to Greater Understanding of Social Issues of Poverty and Empowerment Submitted by Penny Allen, Third Grade Faculty In its 29th year at The College School, the Wagon Train of Food has become a much anticipated event. In November the halls become filled with posters, wagons, and cans of food. On the last Friday before Fall Break, everyone gathers in the Theater for a quick assembly to send off the second, third, and sixth graders, along with their teachers and parents, to pull wagons of food to the Emmanuel Church Food Center. But there is more to the Wagon Train than what the public sees. The Second and Third Grade Curriculum includes: • conversations about what it means to be in need • creation of posters • writing promotional messages for the TCS community and the broader community • learning about nutrition and healthy food choices • using a variety of resources to understand more about hunger and poverty • loaning to Kiva Microfunds to support low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries • a reflection on the experience using the “what, so what, and now what” protocol Below are a few of the reflections our students had during the “what, so what, and now what” conversations: Why do some people need help from a food pantry and/or what are some causes of poverty? “They could need help from a food
Second and Third Grade’s Wagon Train of Food gave more than 5,500 cans to the Emmanuel Church Food Center, and was a study in poverty and empowerment. pantry, because they might not have a job or get a low salary. . . they could get sick and might not have enough money for medical treatments and could get fired!”—Noah What are some things or actions that can help end poverty and/or hunger? “You could donate food, money, or clean water. Or you could loan money to people like on KIVA.”—Luke What are some skills needed or other things you should think about to be a person that starts and runs a business?
“Being an entrepreneur is hard. By starting, you’ll have to take risks in your business. You’ll have to hire a lot of people to work for you.”—Jonah How can your voice or actions help to make a better community? “You can help with solutions to problems. Every little solution can add up to a big solution. (For example) We need to watch how much food we are buying for ourselves and make sure we can share it. We can try and not drive our cars as much because that can pollute the air.”— Hadley n
Duke University TIP Program Recognizes TCS Seventh Graders The prestigious Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) recognized 18 of our seventh graders, 62% of the class, for the 2016-2017 school year. Students qualify for this special recognition by scoring in the top 5% of students nationally on their standardized testing. At The College School, Middle School students sit for the CTAP 5 Exam, offered
through Educational Records Bureau (ERB) each fall. Duke TIP looks specifically at the Sixth Grade scores as part of their Seventh Grade Talent Search, which spans a ten-state area. Congratulations to the recognized students: Thomas, Khadijah, Ethan, Julien, Tariq, Isabella, Marshall, Kara, Colton, Bryce, Graham, Wolfy, Julia, Anna, Grace, Maren, Lizzie, and Tommie. n
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Preschool through Eighth Grade 7825 Big Bend Blvd. Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 962-9355 www.thecollegeschool.org
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Upcoming Events 4/5 Play Performance Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17 Third Grade River City Market Day Friday, March 10, 1:00–2:30 PM Grandparents and Special Friends Day Tuesday, April 4, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Gala and Auction: The Journey Saturday, April 8, 6:00–10:00 PM Middle School Shakespeare Performance Tuesday, May 16, 7:00–9:00 PM Summer Camps Begin June 5
Summer Camp
Registration for Summer Adventure Day Camps & Expeditions Opens End of January www.thecollegeschool.org/summer