Volume 39
Issue 1
Winter 2018
Expressing Identity in Early Childhood By Sarah Hassing, Atelierista and Early Childhood Coordinator The construction of personal identity is an ongoing process that begins during childhood. This process takes shape over time as children learn about themselves through interactions with parents, teachers, peers, relatives, and other people who care for them. As children age and mature, the manner in which they perceive themselves is a function of their social experiences in correlation with constant self-examination. Everyone has unique characteristics, qualities, and gifts to offer and share. We consider children’s social-emotional development and their ability to gain a deeper awareness of themselves in relation to the world around them of utmost importance. When we ask children to create a self-portrait, we are asking them to examine their sense of self and make a statement about who they are at a specific moment in time.
We revisit self-portrait work with children often, in both Early Childhood classrooms and the Atelier, in order to honor each individual child’s continued growth and evolving identity. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach, we use many creative media, called “languages,” to explore identity, such as watercolor, clay, natural materials, oil pastels, and more. These ongoing experiences, which mark a child’s first years at The College School, enable our students to fully investigate who they are, what gifts they bring to their classroom families, and how they shine in their roles within the school community. Throughout this project, our youngest students’ voices, ideas, and senses of self are honored, listened to, and respected by peers, parents, and teachers. n
Early Childhood students use oil pastels in the Atelier while creating their self-portraits.
Students use natural materials to create images of self.
Winter 2018
Core To Our Mission By Vincent C. Flewellen, Director of Equity & Inclusion Diversity, as a term, often focuses solely on numbers. Inclusion, alternatively, focuses on quality: the quality of interactions between people of different genders, ethnicities, and races; the quality of programming, including curriculum, to ensure that all members of the school community are treated equitably; the quality of resources that encourage every member of the community to contribute fully; and the quality of programs that unleash the transformative power of different perspectives. Diversity of people and viewpoints is not the same as engagement among those people and viewpoints. Equity is not about everyone getting the same thing but rather, equity calls upon us to ensure through policy and practice that everyone gets what they need in order to improve the quality of their situation. Inclusion requires reconstructing practices, relationships, and ultimately, culture. The College School strives to empower students to, in the words of our Mission Statement, “engage deeply and be ready for what is next.” As a school community, we care deeply about diversity, equity and inclusivity, and we are committed to getting it right. As educators and social justice advocates, we understand the many benefits that come from being a truly inclusive environment. The benefits of an inclusive
Director of Equity & Inclusion, Vincent C. Flewellen, works with students during class. school include the promotion of crossracial understanding and breaking down racial stereotypes. At The College School, we are preparing our students to excel in a multiracial and multicultural workforce, opening doors to leadership, and preparing our nation’s next generation of intentional leaders and agents of change for all social identities. The College School is committed to being a heterogeneous and inclusive com-
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During Professional Development training, The College School Faculty and Staff participate in an exercise on understanding forms of privilege. munity of students and adults. We firmly believe that our students are better educated and, ultimately, prepared for success when our community of students, families, faculty, administration, and staff are diverse and inclusive. Providing a wide range of diverse perspectives and experiences is to the benefit of our entire community. Diversity cannot be the goal in and of itself. Our Office of Equity & Inclusion, in support of and in partnership with our Board of Trustees, Head of School, Board-Level Equity & Inclusion Committee, School-Wide Equity & Inclusion Committee, and the Middle School Diversity Council, creates and delivers programs and initiatives that help propel our diverse community forward on issues of equity and inclusion. As we continue to become a thought leader in proactively addressing issues of race, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and class, the Office of Equity & Inclusion will provide programs and resources that enhance our knowledge and encourage understanding of inclusivity. Our partnerships with external organizations such as the YWCA Metro St. Louis and their Witnessing Whiteness book study, WeStories, Crossroads Antiracism Organizing & Training, Educators for Social Justice, and Forward Through Ferguson are indicators of our commitment to increasing our knowledge and understanding.
Additionally, our faculty and staff are focused on deeply examining their practice and analyzing their own implicit bias. In the true tradition of self-reflection, this examination has resulted in strengthening our curriculum and practices in more intentional and thoughtful ways. Not only are issues of race, racial profiling, and racism being examined and discussed in our community, but we are also deliberately discussing, in professional development work and in classrooms, issues of sexism, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Through these conversations, we are creating an equitable and inclusive community by dismantling our personal biases and working to create spaces for our diverse students and all members of our community to feel embraced and celebrated. Our equity and inclusion work has come from every part of our community and aligns to the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice. Creating a more inclusive community, grounded in respect and celebration for individual and shared differences supports our Mission Statement and a core value of that statement. We will continue to create and promote engagement in courageous conversations with all members of our community. At times, this work will pose powerful questions that may challenge us—that is our hope. We encourage members of our community to be open to joining in these challenging and courageous conversations and discussions. n
Winter 2018
A Field Ecology Theme Reflection By Lizzie W., Eighth Grader
“What does this mean to you?” my teacher Kevin Roach asked us, as we watched the sunset on our final day of our field ecology trip. While attempting to answer this question, I found myself thinking back to some of my first days as a kindergartener here at The College School, going on Wilderness as a nervous sixth grader and the hard work I have not only put in this year but everything I worked for to get to this point. I asked myself this, “How have I grown as a person through my years here, and more specifically on this trip?” I found that throughout the trip, I learned a lot about myself and have grown as a scientist, as a leader, and as a team member. From the very beginning of the Eighth Grade Field Ecology Theme, and very obviously from the name of the theme, we as a class learned how to do science out in the field. From the beginning of the theme, I was selected to be a chemist. Now, I had known absolutely nothing about chemistry and I was working with people who had taken the chemistry class. Learning how to do the job, and in a sometimes unforgiving environment, was very difficult. But by the time the trip came around, (with the help of my teachers and classmates), I successfully learned how to do and understand the tests, how to make connections with different scientific teams about the ecosystem, and how to hypothesize based on our test results. Although I did experience success, I also did face a lot of challenges throughout the trip. During Field Ecology, there
Eighth Grader Lizzie W. are many challenges, sometimes part of the curriculum, and some unexpected ones along the way. One expected challenge was stepping up to be the “skipper,” or the “captain” of a boat during white-water rafting. This was very difficult for me because of the many different ob-
Eighth Graders reflect on their experience during Field Ecology, a core part of our experiential education curriculum.
stacles along the way – the very quickly moving water, the fact that my hands were very numb from swimming in the river while having to give instructions to my classmates on how to paddle in order to successfully make our way down the river. Another example was when we used the seine net to attempt to catch fish in the large ocean waves, and I was the anchor on one of the side poles. Simultaneously, I gave instructions to the people holding the net, while bracing then steadying myself for the large incoming waves. In each of these scenarios, I faced many challenges while having to retain a leadership position. I realized something about myself during this time. First, I get easily frustrated, and second, that working through tough challenges is something that I feel I’m good at, and something that makes me feel really great. Without these challenges, I wouldn’t feel as proud of myself. This made me very thankful, for the trip and the difficulties that come with it. I became thankful for the unexpected difficulties, and the small inconveniences soon disappeared. Sure, the sand in my Chacos gave me blisters; yeah, there were early mornings and late nights; and sure, it’s difficult to do site studies in the rain. But working through these difficulties makes me feel proud of myself, it builds my character, and it brings me closer to my classmates. n
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Winter 2018
150 and Counting… By Nikki Gamrath, Assistant Head of School People from all over the nation visit The College School each year. Administrators, veteran teachers, pre-service teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, practicum students, and university professors come to learn from us. So far this year, we have had over 150 visitors, who have made the trip to our campus to learn about what we do and how we do it. More specifically, they come to us to learn about experiential education and how we embed this teaching and learning methodology into our daily classroom curriculum. They also come seeking ways in which they can tailor their teacherpractice to be more project-based. Many teachers who visit inquire about how we make what we do so “student-centered” or “constructivist,” where students construct their own knowledge guided by a facilitator. I often hear, “I noticed how much freedom and independence your students and teachers have,” from our visitors.
Many visitors have a specific interest in our Early Childhood program. The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning is something we exemplify, and people from far and wide want to observe and learn from our expert Early Childhood teachers in action. In fact, our Early Childhood teachers hosted seven Webster University practicum graduate students this fall, and are considering hosting a student teacher from Lindenwood University this spring. Finally, many visitors come to see our LaBarque Campus and the student learning that takes place on site. Visiting teachers are intrigued (and a little bit jealous) by the learning opportunities offered at LaBarque for both teachers and students. Not only are they fascinated by the structure itself, but also by the ways in which our teachers utilize the landscape and integrate the LaBarque Campus into their respective grade-level themes. The College School is one of the only
Educators from the Experiential Education Exchange attend an event hosted at our LaBarque Campus. Participants included Fifth Grade teacher Scott McClintock and school parent and local educator Hope Gribble on the right.
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PreK-8 schools in the nation that effectively integrates experiential education into its curriculum. It is also one of the only schools in the nation that specifically names experiential education as part of our mission. This is why educators seek us out and want to learn from us. While we have embraced this kind of teaching and learning pedagogy for over 50 years, it is still cutting edge and beyond the mainstream standardization of education. We are truly practicing what we preach by “…exploring the world through authentic experiences, empowering students to engage deeply and be ready for what is next.” n
Winter 2018
Celebrating 30 Years: The Wagon Train of Food By Suzie Schmidt & Emily Figley, Second Grade Teachers On November 17, Second, Third, and Sixth Grade students traveled with nearly 50 wagons filled with non-perishable food items to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves for our 30th Annual Wagon Train of Food. The annual “wagon train” is a servicelearning activity that grew out of our curriculum over 30 years ago when Second, and Third Graders were studying various Native American tribes and learned the story of the Cherokee people’s Trail of Tears. Those Second and Third Graders collected food, clothing, and books, which were then taken to a Native American reservation. So much was collected, it was too heavy to ship, and a truck had to be rented. A parent volunteered to drive it across the country to a reservation. The project soon evolved to support the greater community as the food was transported in a “wagon train” to Emmanuel Food Center, located at Webster Groves’ Emmanuel Episcopal Church. B o b S h i l l i t o , d i re c t o r o f E m manuel Food Center, shares how The College School’s Wagon Train supports their mission, “The Emmanuel Food Center has been in operation since 1973, serving approximately 50 families each month. The College School has the longest tenure of external support to the Emmanuel Food Center, providing roughly one-third of annual donated food items. For 27 years The College School and Emmanuel have teamed to help improve
Our students share their thoughts on why The Wagon Train is an important project: Katie: “We do it to help our community be stronger so people won’t have to go a night or two or three without food.” Juniper: “To help people who can’t get food themselves because they may be older or are sick and need people to take care of them.” Charlie: “To make sure people aren’t hungry.” Akoi: “To make the community a better place.”
Third Graders pass cans to sorting tables during the food delivery at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves. the quality of life for many in Webster Groves.” The Wagon Train of Food project begins with a collaborative conversation between Second and Third Grade about food insecurity. Third Graders share a timeline of tasks required for the project and field any questions Second Graders may have. Using our new Recording Studio, Third Grade launches the project with the community by creating public service announcements (PSAs). These PSAs communicate the need for wagons and nonperishable food items. Second Grade counts and graphs each classroom’s food contributions, as well as the overall total number of items collected. Both grades practice writing and presentation skills as they create posters, infographics, and speeches to share with each classroom to ask for their help collecting food. On the day of The Wagon Train, Second, Third, and Sixth Grade students gather in the Theater and are surrounded by the entire school community. These students are sent off with their wagons full of food while the school sings “Over the River and Through the Woods.” Upon arrival at the Emmanuel Food Center, students pass the cans, hand over hand, from the wagons to the food sorting tables deep within the building. Here, the donated food is sorted, boxed, and finally
stored on the shelves of the Food Center. As educators, it is important that our students look closely and think deeply about their community. Our hope is to empower our students to take action when they recognize inequity. We believe that understanding, empathy, and inquisitiveness establishes an important foundation from which students learn to show up and speak up for the rights of all. Using the Wagon Train project as a model, we work to develop skills that our students can carry with them as they continue their roles of being active and engaged citizens of their community. We want them to notice, ask questions, and take action to enact change. n
During the walk to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves, students pull wagons filled with non-perishable food.
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Winter 2018
The College School Gains Notoriety with Three Area Awards By Jaclyn Stewart-Strothmann, Director of Institutional Advancement As a school founded on the rich tenants of sustainability and environmentalism, it is second nature for us to make responsible decisions around curriculum, facility improvements, and school culture. When we are recognized by the larger community for these efforts, it serves as an important reminder that we are often leading these efforts in the education space. Since the beginning of the school year, the Jan Phillips Learning Center and our school’s larger composting initiatives received recognition by three area organizations. Read more about each award below and know that we are thankful for your support. It takes energy, resources, and visionary leadership to keep our school on the progressive edge of both environmentalism and sustainability.
Building St. Louis Award, St. Louis Business Journal The Jan Phillips Learning Center
In October, The College School won the “Private Project Less than $10 million” category for the Jan Phillips Learning Center. The Building St. Louis Award was launched to recognize commercial real estate projects that have had a positive impact on the community by creating jobs and enhancing the business community. Tim Wood, Jan Phillips, and Joyce Buchheit attended the awards ceremony to accept the award on the school’s behalf.
excellence in providing solutions to unique obstacles and challenges specific to their project. This award is not given on beauty, but is based on achieving solutions during construction for the challenges faced by contractors.
Keystone Award: Project of the Year, Associated General Contractors of Missouri
Heart of the Community Award, Webster Groves-Rock Hill-Shrewsbury Chamber of Commerce
The Jan Phillips Learning Center
Outstanding Green Initiative, Classroom Composting
This November, the Jan Phillips Learning Center was awarded the “Keystone Project of the Year” award. This award honors the achievements of Missouri’s construction firms and their employees in building facilities that support and enhance the quality of life. A Keystone Award recipient exhibits
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In February, The College School will be presented with the Heart of the Community Award for Outstanding Green Initiative by the Webster Groves-Rock HillShrewsbury Chamber of Commerce. The Heart of the Community Award celebrates achievement in business and community
The Jan Phillips Learning Center has earned two awards since its grand opening in May 2017: the Building St. Louis award and the Keystone Project of the Year award. service for the municipalities of Webster Groves, Shrewsbury, and Rock Hill. The Outstanding Green Initiative award recognizes organizations who invest in new systems, and/or publicly advances and promotes sustainability in our community. Green Initiative award winners enhance the community’s reputation as a “green” place to live and work. n
Winter 2018
Penny Allen Named Inaugural Endowed Faculty Scholar By Jaclyn Stewart-Strothmann, Director of Institutional Advancement In October, the Kevin Navarro Endowed Faculty Scholar position was awarded to its first recipient, Third Grade teacher, Penny Allen. This endowed fund was established through the generosity of our school family at the school's annual auction this past April. This award recognizes a current full-time faculty member for outstanding contributions to the school community in teaching and school leadership, as demonstrated by Kevin Navarro’s work as a teacher and former Assistant Head of School from 1997–2017. During Penny's fourteen years at The College School, she has been dedicated to her students, their families, her colleagues, and the school community at large. She comes from a place of genuine care and kindness for all. Penny has exhibited excellence in teaching across multiple grades and disciplines from social-emotional learning, to themes, to middle school classes. Penny has also sought out a variety of leadership roles outside of the classroom as Social Studies Curriculum Strand Chair, Head of School Advisory Council member, Summer Camp Director, Faculty
Representative to the Board of Trustees, and co-chair of the ISACS reaccreditation steering committee. When communicating this news with the fund's namesake, Kevin Navarro shared: "I could not be more proud, pleased, and excited that Penny Allen is the award's first recipient. From her days in the Early Childhood program, to serving on leadership teams, to directing summer camp, to teaching in Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Middle School, Penny knows what it means to be a lifelong learner. She also knows what it means to be a TCS faculty member - she is a model of handson, experiential education in all that she does and all that she is. Congratulations to Penny, and we can't wait to see what you lead us towards next." Penny received multiple nominations for this award, here are some quotations from her colleagues: "Penny is respected by people in all categories within our community... she is someone who consistently considers the whole person when approaching a relationship..." "She is generous with her time and
Third Grade teacher Penny Allen is the first Kevin Navarro Endowed Faculty Scholar recipient. has a healthy positive attitude towards leading." "I think Penny has been there for our school in many ways. Doing whatever it takes to make our program successful and always thinking of the school first." Sincere congratulations to Penny and deep thanks for each family who made this opportunity possible. We look forward to updating you later this year with the impact this award is having on our students and our larger learning community. n
Performing Arts Classroom Dedicated to Travis Hanrahan ‘03 By Jaclyn Stewart-Strothmann, Director of Institutional Advancement Losing a member of our school community is always difficult, and we were tremendously saddened to learn of the passing of one our alumni, Travis Hanrahan, Class of 2003. From deep sorrow sprang a passionate effort to memorialize Travis’ legacy amongst his classmates. Spearheaded by Matthew Kincaid, Class of 2003, and Max Hillman, Class of 2003, a GoFundMe page was established, raising funds to commemorate Travis in a special way at our school. Within two days, the fund had surpassed $5,000 with gifts continuing to be made in Travis’ honor. On October 7, The College School officially dedicated the drama classroom as “The Travis Hanrahan Classroom for the Performing Arts.” Reflecting on his friendship with Travis, Matthew Kincaid shared, “I cannot think of a more genuine person, who deserves to be
remembered for the ways he touched all of our lives.” Travis joined The College School as a Sixth Grader and spent his Middle
On October 7, The College School community dedicated the existing performing arts classroom in Travis Hanrahan’s memory.
School career wowing us from the stage, and sharing his incredible personality with our teachers and his fellow classmates. He went on to share his energy and talents at Christian Brothers College High School, Webster University, and Meramec Junior College. For those of you who had the privilege of knowing Travis personally, you’ll remember him as a loving son to Joe and Patsy, close brother to Peter and Valerie, and beloved uncle to Poppy, Rosie, Wyatt, and Hailey. We thank the Class of 2003, the Hanrahan Family, and all the generous donors who made gifts to support this special memorial and have helped us keep Travis in our memories for years to come. n
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Preschool through Eighth Grade 7825 Big Bend Blvd. Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 962-9355 thecollegeschool.org
Upcoming Events Find out more information about these events on our website.
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Summer Camp
Film Screening: Most Likely to Succeed Monday, January 22, 6:30 PM-8:30 PM Annual Trivia Night Saturday, January 27, 6:00 PM Summer Camp Registration Opens to Public Saturday, January 27 Application Deadline for New Students Friday, February 2 4/5 Play Performance Wednesday and Thursday, February 14 and 15 Gala and Auction: Our Tapestry. Our Rhythm. Saturday, April 14, 6:00 PM-10:00 PM
Registration for Summer Adventure Day Camps & Expeditions Opens End of January www.thecollegeschool.org/summercamp