New Hires

Maintenance Supervisor Trip joined the TCS Community in 2022 and has almost 20 years of experience in maintenance and HVAC.

Assistant Maintenance Supervisor Andre joined the Maintenance staff in October 2021 and has more than 14 years of maintenance and custodial experience.

Executive Chef, FLIK Independent School Dining Abhi joined FLIK, TCS’s dining service, in January. He has worked at several local restaurants. After completing school, he had the opportunity to work in Chicago at GreenRiver, a Michelin Star Restaurant. After returning to St. Louis, he started his career with FLIK at Washington University supporting the Knight Banquets Centre. Feeding Those In Need Continued from page 1 but thousands of others were not nearly as lucky. Although metropolitan New Orleans was largely spared from the most devastating impacts of Ida, many surrounding, lower-lying areas sustained massive damage. Thousands of homes were decimated, and innumerable others severely damaged. Water, gas, and electrical lines were destroyed in many areas, and it would be weeks before many communities saw a return to these essential services. The storm damaged many bridges, severing the only land passage to some communities. Debris was rampant, with fallen trees obstructing roadways and hindering restoration efforts. Beyond the physical impact, the food supply came to a standstill, creating additional challenges for rescue workers and residents returning home. This was the scene in New Orleans when I arrived, one all-too-well remembered by residents who lived through Hurricane Katrina. Living out of my aunt’s house, I began to work with an organization that, by the

After his time working with time I arrived, had already been on the ground working for more than

WCK, Elliott embarked on a week. World Central Kitchen (WCK), a charity founded by celebrity creating his own line of hot chef José Andrés, rapidly mobilizes teams to respond to disasters with sauces. warm meals when they’re needed most. The organization arrived just days after the hurricane, bringing with them two trucks outfitted with mass-production kitchens. Setting up operations in a local culinary school, the WCK team began hiring local chefs, many of whom couldn’t return to their restaurants for weeks after the hurricane. In the days immediately following Ida, the team produced upwards of 30,000 meals a day for the New Orleans community. Everyone on the WCK team worked nearly 20 hours a day producing, delivering, and preparing each meal from scratch. Seeing the passion of everyone on the team, fueled by Monster Energy and donuts, was incredibly inspiring during such a dark period. I was lucky enough to lend a helping hand, starting as a volunteer and eventually being hired by WCK to work with their team during their time in New Orleans. By the end of their work in NOLA, WCK had served 500,000+ meals to a community slowly picking up the pieces. WCK was not the only organization that deployed in the aftermath of Ida. The Cajun Navy made it possible for WCK to access communities whose bridges had collapsed, taking speed boats full of food across the bayou. Operation BBQ Relief, Mercy Chefs, and others also mobilized with a relentless passion to ensure everyone in the community had a hot meal. Countless others assisted with removing debris, draining water from houses, covering damaged roofs with tarps, and clearing blocked roadways. Seeing so many from New Orleans and around the U.S. act with such genuine care was incredibly inspiring and humanizing. Fast forward several weeks, I had never driven a commercial truck before the 600 mile trip to Del Rio, Texas, and I quickly learned that my Prius handles very differently than a 7-ton kitchen-on-wheels. Luckily, the trip to Texas was without incident, and 13 hours later we arrived at the dusty border town suddenly home to 15,000 Haitian migrants. When the WCK team asked me to join their team in Texas, I instantly agreed. Food prepared by WCK staff Driven by a combination of political instability, natural disasters, pov- for distribution in New Orleans erty, and violence, thousands of migrants were making the yearslong trek through Central and South America towards the US. Many of those seeking asylum crossed in the same area near Del Rio and were now being detained under a bridge by U.S. Customs & Border Protection. When I arrived at the encampment, the conditions were squalid. Many were living in makeshift shacks fashioned from sticks found on the ground, without access to fresh food, water, or sanitary conditions. Thousands of migrants were crowded under the bridge, piled on top of each other in a manner more reminiscent of cattle than human beings. WCK went to work preparing thousands of hot meals a day, full of nutritious, fresh ingredients that were a far cry from the provided Army MRE rations. Burned into my memory are the grateful, tired faces of thousands of young children, infants, mothers, and families receiving hot food for the first time in days. In such a devastating situation, I was grateful for the ability to recognize their humanity in a small way. I hope that WCK was able to show them that despite their legal status, their dignity as humans remains unchanged. Each time a disaster occurs and people are in need, WCK responds immediately despite innumerable challenges. At the time of writing, WCK is at the Ukraine-Poland border serving thousands of daily meals to refugees. They responded to the earthquake in Tonga and continue to provide meals for the food-insecure here in the US. WCK is an organization worthy of your support if you are able and worthy of admiration from all of us. Working with WCK reminded me that in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the power of communities is the ability to support each other, our neighbors both known and unknown.

By Jordan Struckman, Visual Arts Specialist

Making art has always been my favorite pastime, from creating crayon portraits of princesses in Kindergarten to taking a clay wheel class as an adult. Since childhood, I have felt that art is a meaningful communication tool and that the act of making art can positively impact my mood and community. With a background in studio art and art therapy, I have been deeply inspired by engaging in and leading art experiences in schools, hospitals, museums, and summer camps. I’ve also been witness to powerful connections that happen when a group might otherwise struggle to find harmony. This journey has led me to become an art therapist who teaches art at The College School. Some of you may wonder, what is art therapy and how does it come into play during art class? Art therapy is meeting individually or in a group with a masters-level professional and using art supplies like pencils, paint, clay, and collage to heal, share, and grow through life experiences. The American Art Therapy Association states: “Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience, and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.” I have discovered a lot of overlap between the goals of art therapy and The College School. TCS values every voice, taking risks in a safe environment, reflecting on experiences, and building an inclusive and diverse community with social-emotional character. For me, bringing art therapy practices to a classroom setting relieves pressure from the end product and places emphasis on community building, the learning environment, and the creative process. My classroom routine is designed to achieve two main goals: learning and promoting overall wellness. We start each day with circle time and a “question of the day.” This time is also used to forecast events, ask initial questions, and introduce new artists and projects. We often study artists that faced mental or physical exceptionalities, such as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Chuck Close, and discover ways that art helped them cope and share their life experiences. Then we dive into studio time, where we practice new techniques and use inspiration from various artists, cultural traditions, periods, and styles to create individualized pieces. We discuss compassionate critiquing skills that can be used to provide classmates with feedback. When interpersonal conflicts and upset feelings inevitably arise, we utilize art and words to work through them and build upon our social-emotional toolkit. We end with three “shout-outs” for classmates who have shown kindness, supreme effort, or notable positive actions during class. While there can never be a guaranteed “safe place,” my intention is that kids can count on a warm and positive experience in art class. When TCS students graduate, I want them to see art as a lifelong practice. All too often I hear adults say “I am not good at art, my art teacher heavily criticized my work, I have not made art since I was a kid.” It saddens me that many believe art-making is only worthwhile if you are skilled enough to impress others and gain fame and fortune for your art. Art is for everyone, and everyone is an artist in their own capacity–for work or play. Regardless of where my students’ journeys lead, I hope that they continue to value art-making as an expressive outlet and a joyful activity to engage in throughout their lives. I have only just gotten started at TCS and imagine many exciting possibilities for the future of my classroom and teaching career. Every day is incredibly rewarding and brings new opportunities for connection and expression. I am grateful to take part in these artful experiences and to have joined this wonderful community of learners.

was a place we could call home. Fast forward almost 20 years, a relocation and return to St. Louis, and a second child, and we are still a part of The College School community. Our youngest is currently in Eighth Grade at TCS and thinking about what high school to attend. Although her path forward may be a different high school than her brother chose, we are confident knowing the education our kids received at The College School has taught them to be curious learners, and it has helped them develop a level of emotional IQ that is so needed today. For many of us in the African American community, a non-traditional approach to education may feel unorthodox or just plain weird. You may be thinking, “We don’t camp” and “The College School’s approach to educating kids is different than my experiences.” This may be true (it was for us) but come check it out before discounting. Your next question might be, “How many people of color attend The College School?” You might be shocked to learn that The College School has 30% students of color, making it one of the most diverse independent schools in the area. The College School is proud of its diversity numbers, and they haven’t happened without intentionality. When Jemal served on The Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2011, improving the school’s diversity was in its early stages. Over the years, training, administrative leadership, and community involvement have pushed The College School’s diversity numbers to all-time highs. But our journey is not over. We continue to take steps to make this unique educational opportunity accessible, and we hope that through outreach and education other families of all types of backgrounds will make TCS their home. Even though this is the last year our kids will be attending school on either of the College School campuses, our commitment as a family continues. I am currently serving my first year as the Chair of the Board of Trustees and will continue through 2023 — an honor that I proudly undertake. As the first African American female chair, I look forward to taking the stage when our daughter, along with the entire Eighth Grade class, gives their graduation speeches — a time-honored tradition at the school. The confidence my children have gained and the growth our family has experienced with The College School community are unparalleled. We understand that the best way to learn and retain information is by doing. Experience is the best teacher. Experiential learning is what The College School is all about.