Willows Voice Winter 2017- 2018

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The Power of Words

Reading & Writing Workshop The Power of

Design Thinking & Empathy

www.thewillows.org

The Power of

Mastery The Power of

Your Voice

THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

power table of contents 1

Message from Lisa Rosenstein Head of School Knowledge is Power

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The Power of Words

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Power of Design Thinking & Empathy

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The Power of Mastery

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The Power of Light Building Lamps is an Illuminating Experience

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The Power of Partnerships

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A Powerful Mini “Orff”estra The Power of Music in our Lower School

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STEAM2

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BIG Ideas Build Dreams

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The Power of Building

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Ideas@TheWillows Learning In Action

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Power of Innovation

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The Power of Teamwork and Collaboration!

Part of a Winning, Trusting Team

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The Power of Emotions The Tools to Empower Our Students

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Power of Inclusivity

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The Power of Your Voice Empowering Our Students • 7th Grade Memphis Trip

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The Power of Understanding Real-World Experiences Empower & Educate

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Alumni Happenings

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Alumni Connections

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Alumni Spotlight Elizabeth Yale Marsh ´00, Tess Murdoch ´03, ‘Max Curtis ´06 ‘

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Alumni in Brief

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The Willows is committed to a balanced yet demanding progressive curriculum rooted in experiential learning and social values. We teach and model a zest for learning and the courage to take risks. We challenge children to challenge themselves and set high standards for academic excellence, which they pursue with energy and joy. We nurture a sense of compassion and community that begins at home, reinforcing what it means to be a respectful, involved citizen-of-the-world.

We believe that great minds grow in a near-infinite variety of ways. In the spirit of the willow tree itself, our “great minds” are flexible, resilient, and beautiful at every stage of development.

The Willows Online WEBSITE: www.thewillows.org TWITTER: @WillowsSchool INSTAGRAM: WillowsCommSchool FACEBOOK: The Willows Community School WISDOM OF THE WILLOWS BLOG: thewillowsblog.wordpress.com/

knowledge is power

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MESSAGE FROM LISA ROSENSTEIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

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nowledge is power

“Knowledge is power” is a popular proverb attributed to British scientist Francis Bacon in 1597. Knowledge is powerful because it emPOWERS students. The more you learn and imbibe, the more you grow, and the greater your power. Education and the thirst for knowledge transform lives.

This extraordinarily powerful learning and deep thinking takes place daily at The Willows.

A Willows education inspires, motivates, changes lives, opens our students to endless possibilities, and propels them to achieve their dreams.

Lisa Rosenstein Head of School The Willows Community School

“The measure of a man is what he does with power.”

–Plato

A powerful education is not rote learning or students passively listening to a lecture, but that which empowers students and compels them to investigate, to uncover, to question, and to take ownership of their learning. A Willows education unlocks learning and empowers individual students to not only gain knowledge, acquire understanding, and master skills, but to deeply experience and engage each and every day. Our students are active participants in the classroom, inspired to construct meaning in their learning.

Our curriculum is centered on the experiential exploration of each discipline to actively interest our students and promote critical thinking hand-in-hand with skill mastery. Our faculty is also empowered to grow, learn, and create dynamic classrooms that are alive with the joy of learning and the discovery that knowledge and understanding are indeed power.

We also teach our students to use their knowledge and power for good. Power has both positive and negative connotations, and in our world today and throughout history, we see many examples of the abuse of power–power that dominates or destroys. This possible abuse of power illuminates why it is so important to teach our children to use their power to help others and benefit mankind. Aristotle wrote, “What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.” All Willows students from developmental kindergarten through eighth grade learn to develop the power of understanding and their innate power of choice. Our Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence RULER approach is used daily in all our classrooms to help our community understand each other, express themselves, develop empathy, and soar intellectually and emotionally.

We are dedicated to developing the whole person and potential–academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. The finest education enables a student to understand and use their knowledge to take action and make their learning their own, and to contribute meaningfully to the world around them. This Willows education transforms into personal, life-long learning and gives students true power by awakening them to the infinite opportunities that the world holds for them.

This is true education. This is a Willows education. This is education that grows great minds, as well as hearts. This is knowledge that is power!

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

The Power of Words Words, spoken, written, or read, are powerful tools that can inspire or impair, help or hinder, and most definitely change lives. Literacy is a key to learning. Books, speeches, simple conversations have limitless power, and at The Willows, we want our students to master words and use them with fluency and wisdom.

WRITING WORKSHOP In 2012, faculty member Dakota Smith, who has taught every grade from first through fifth grade, attended the Summer Writing Institute at Columbia University as part of our ongoing Professional Development program.

“The Writing Workshop model was perfect for The Willows,” relates Dakota.

“It is student-centered, but also provides structure and clear goals.

The craft of writing is now explicitly taught everyday in our classrooms.”

our students are working like professional writers, who read in volume, write constantly, and edit.”

Calkins’ method has Writing Workshop Essentials that form the basis of her program and are the foundation of Writing Workshop at The Willows.

These Essentials include: • “Writing needs to be taught like any other basic skill, with explicit instruction and ample opportunity for practice”

WORDS, SPOKEN, WRITTEN, OR READ, ARE POWERFUL TOOLS THAT CAN INSPIRE OR IMPAIR, HELP OR HINDER, AND MOST DEFINITELY CHANGE LIVES. LITERACY IS A KEY TO LEARNING. To achieve this goal, our writing and reading curriculum is a strong, comprehensive program, which uses The Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University based on the renowned Lucy Calkins book, Guide to the Writing Workshop (Readingandwritingproject.org).

For the past few years, we have sent teachers to attend intensive conferences at Columbia Teacher’s College and have witnessed great success with the implementation of this curricula in our classrooms.

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“When we were selecting a writing curriculum, a major criteria was that the program actually ‘teach’ the writing as opposed to simply ‘assigning’ writing,” explains Terri Baird, Director of Teaching and Learning. “We were seeking a program that taught writing techniques and strategies that allowed us to build a continuum from developmental kindergarten and kindergarten through 8th grade. The Lucy Calkins’ Writing Workshop offered this exact trajectory and combined with Reading Workshop,

• “ Children deserve to write for a real purpose, to write the kinds of texts that they see in the world and to write for an audience of readers.”

• “ Children invest themselves in their writing when they choose topics that are important to them.”

• “ To write well, children need opportunities to read and to hear texts read, and to read as writers.”

In Writing Workshop, our students write three main types of writing– narrative, informational, and persuasive.

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Each of these is taught each year building upon the skills from the preceding year. Students are taught strategies to discover topics they are passionate about and write because they have something to say not simply because a topic is assigned.

“We teach our students how to explicitly write each genre of writing,” continues Dakota. “We cover how to organize and focus their topics, write paragraphs, use examples, synthesize ideas, and use vivid, descriptive language.

We’re demystifying the writing process and giving students the expectation that they will revise and create several drafts when they write.”

Terri Baird points out that students also review mentor texts by master

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authors to examine how writers communicate, “To write well, children need opportunities to read and to hear texts read, and to read as writers.”

And they practice, writing, reading, writing more, revising, finally editing, and then sharing their work with our community. They are developing the habits of real-life writers working consistently each day.

Ongoing assessment is also a major part of the Writing Workshop with teachers holding writing conferences with each student and offering feedback. However, students do all their own revisions and use checklists and charts to progress towards their goals.

Writing Workshop has truly empowered our students to find their passions and to communicate their own ideas.

They are learning from the youngest age how to express themselves and actually use their words.

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Play on Words!

During Intersession, our youngest students in DK through second grade participated in a class called Power of Play–Handball, which centered on learning through play. Students learned how to play handball, a very popular game on our yard, complete with all the rules and tricks of the game. Then they created handball manuals by writing and editing, and working on multiple drafts. They learned how to write a sentence with punctuation and correct spacing between words using non-conventional spelling (inventive spelling) and correct spelling (conventional spelling).

Students wrote and drew diagrams to accurately depict their explanations and illustrated their work. Then they created a handball video to share with the school.

“Our hopes were to raise recognition and awareness of this wonderful game all ages can play on our yard,” says Kindergarten teacher Brent Weiss. “And along the way further develop writing and language arts skills and impart sportsmanship, cooperation, and problem solving.

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READING WORKSHOP Reading and Writing Workshop go hand-in-hand and are coordinated in the classroom. Students read in the same genre that they are working on in Writing Workshop. For example, if the writing assignment is a narrative, students may be reading a memoir or fiction written in the first person.

The Reading Workshop structure begins with a mini-lesson in which the teacher teaches a specific skill.

Then students independently practice reading at their own level identifying the skill in the books they are reading.

With our youngest readers, students are taught decoding strategies to break words down and then practice these in their own independent reading books.

The model is to identify a skill and then practice it independently. The same format applies to all grades but becomes more sophisticated as students decode and make connections.

Students in the Lower School also experience read-aloud books selected for each unit. They discuss the various parts of the book such as visualizing the setting, and then, as a class, go back and closely investigate what the author is doing well and use it in their own writing. “For example if an author is using metaphors strongly in the read-aloud book, students will then look for samples of metaphors in their independent reading.,” explains Dakota.

Teachers also conduct teacherdirected reading groups to help students gain fluency and comprehension skills.

MIDDLE SCHOOL READING AND WRITING WORKSHOP Reading and Writing Workshop is also being implemented in the Middle School spearheaded by Core teachers Steve Futterman and Lillian Mingail, who attended the Columbia Reading and Writing Workshop Summer Institute in 2015.

“Reading Workshop in the Middle School has resulted in more reading and more importantly ‘purposeful reading,” points out Lil Mingail.

“We used to teach ‘books’ now we are teaching reading.”

In the same fashion as the Lower School, in the Middle School, teachers conduct a lesson teaching a reading strategy and then the students apply the strategy to their independent reading books. Along with the books the class is reading, students choose additional independent reading books and always have an independent read going. The result? Students are more

engaged because rather than just being assigned a book to read, they have a choice and are reading with a goal.

Writing Workshop in the Middle School addresses all levels of writing and all the different types of writing.

Students also explore how genres are used for different purposes and audiences.

Assessment is also a strong feature of the Reading and Writing Workshop series. There are benchmarks and checklists for every grade so teachers are able to challenge students, and teachers are able to evaluate where a student is on a continuum. For example, on the first day of a new unit, students write an on-demand writing piece, which is used as a benchmark for continual assessment and then used to compare to a student’s written piece at the end of a unit or year. Similarly, a student’s independent reading level is determined by an evaluation of oral reading and comprehension. These assessments provide valuable

information about a child’s literacy skills and allow teachers to determine each student’s independent reading and writing level.

“In Writing Workshop there is constant interaction and feedback between the teacher and the student,” says Lil. “This is very helpful for assessment.”

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Wouldn’t it be great if words really could never hurt you? However, words can hurt or help us depending on how they are used. Perhaps more importantly, words can help us explain ourselves to others and to better understand others.

communicators and exhibiting greater student well being.

The Feeling Words Curriculum is used throughout our school, DK-8, and is strategically integrated into our curriculum. Steve Futterman, seventh grade Core teacher, developed curriculum incorporating both the RULER Feeling Words and Writing Workshop in a study of The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time, which perfectly illustrates the integration of both of these approaches.

and motifs are noticeable without being heavy-handed, and its thematic ideas are plentiful and in many cases debatable. However, it was this year, after infusing the RULER Program into our curriculum that the students were able to appreciate the text on another level. Suddenly, the book was less a murder mystery about a boy on the other side of the world who saw life through a particular lens, and more about a boy who, because of his emotional limitations, struggles to

Our emotional intelligence work with the RULER approach from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and specifically its Feeling Words Curriculum promotes understanding, empathy, and wellbeing as one of the goals. By using vocabulary to explicitly express feelings our DK-8 students are becoming more competent

Steve writes: “For a number of years in the 7th grade, we have been teaching the book A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. It has always been a book worth teaching.

The novel is adored by students, its plot is sophisticated yet accessible, its characters are complex, its symbols

successfully make choices and engage with his family and the world at large.

Before the school year began, we put a word wall up in our classroom that contained the 7th grade feeling words, and as we read Curious Incident, it became customary to reference the wall. Initially, we would ask the students questions like, “Which feeling

FEELING WORDS CURRICULUM

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word do you think best describes Christopher before he hits the police officer?” Later, however, the students would reference the wall without prompting. During a discussion, we might hear the students’ debate whether Christopher’s father lied to him because he was feeling vindictive or impulsive.

We incorporated the RULER Program into our writing assignments as well. Essay prompts often came back to the feeling words. One week, students addressed the prompt, “Choose a 7th grade feeling word that you feel best describes a character in Curious Incident and find two examples from the text that back up your word choice.” As the year progressed, the prompts became more sophisticated. For example, “Find a

moment in the text when you disagreed with a character’s actions. Then do the following: 1) Explain using a 7th grade feeling word what emotion led him or her to act badly; 2) Talk about what feeling word would have led to better behavior and what the character could have done to get him or herself into that emotional space; 3) Discuss how the character’s behavior would have shifted had he or she done a better job with emotional regulation; and finally 4) Predict how changing that one response would alter subsequent events in the text.

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These types of discussions and prompts have continued in our study of George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. Moreover, emotional intelligence has come into regular play during our social studies units. Whether we are discussing Stalin’s ambition, Czar Nicholas’ arrogance, or the emotional state of modern politicians, the students are more easily connecting to the material than in years past. These historical figures are no longer just characters in a textbook or newspaper article, but also human beings who, just like a seventh grader, make both good and bad decisions that often come from an emotional place.”

AT THE WILLOWS, OUR COMMUNITY IS LEARNING AND PRACTICING MORE ABOUT THE POWER OF WORDS TO EMPOWER OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.

A Schaffer Paragraph Assignment about a Feeling Word by 7th Grade Core Student: One feeling word that describes Christopher from The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time would be ambitious. One example to prove this would be when Christopher tells the reader, “I think I would make a very good astronaut” (50). The profession of astronaut is one of the hardest professions, and at a young age, having Christopher have such a hard goal means that he is ambitious. Christopher has many reasons on how he would be a good astronaut, which implies that he has thought about this career path often. Another quote that represents this is later in the story: “I also like The Hound of the Baskervilles because I like Sherlock Holmes and I think that if I were a proper detective he is the kind of detective I would be.” (73). Since Sherlock Holmes is one of the greatest fictional detectives (some would argue the greatest) then Christopher is saying that he would be a very good detective. Seeing as Christopher spends most of the book being a detective and trying to find out who killed Wellington, then I think that Christopher is very ambitious about wanting to be a detective. Having an ambitious character is an important thing in many murder mysteries, because it shows that they will not give up, and that they have strong feelings for what they do.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

Power of Design

Thinking & Empathy

At The Willows, we adapt the Stanford University d.School Design methodology and design cycle throughout our grade levels and across disciplines. Our students apply these steps to creatively problem solve, think critically, and dive deeply into analytical thinking, questioning, and designing with a purpose.

Design thinking emphasizes empathy (with the user at the heart of the design), creativity, teamwork, building prototypes, and finding solutions to all types of problems.

All of the resources of our STEAM2 , makerLabs, and designLab are always available during this process.

Second Grade Mini-Lamps Light Up the makerLabs (Inspired by the Middle School Lamp Project) The design thinking process is enlightening for even our youngest students. After the impact and success of the Middle School Lamps class during Intersession, Middle School Dean and Maker teacher Doug Klier decided to have his second grade maker class design mini lamps mirroring the middle school design process. The students studied a circuitry unit and then took an in-school field trip to the Middle School to observe the blueprints, plans, and the actual lamps. Next they embarked on the design process by first answering a few questions from a developmentally appropriate design plan: What does your lamp do? Is it a nightlight, flashlight, decoration?

Who are you designing for? How should the lamp make you feel when using it? Then, students made notes, drew designs, selected materials, and began creating, sharing, and adapting their ideas. The lamps ranged from stuffed animals table lamps to nightlights to a bookmark lamp that were practical, whimsical, and all extremely imaginative. “The beauty of this project was that focusing on the design process develops a set of skills the students can apply to many future projects,” says Doug. “They are so proud of their outcomes, but the outcome is not as important as how they got there.”

(Read about Middle School Lamp Building on page 14)

UNDERSTAND What can you discover about the problem

through investigation and research?

EMPATHIZE Who is the user or audience that you are

designing for?

DEFINE How can you analyze the data and identify a point

of view based on user needs and your insight?

IDEATE What ideas can you brainstorm to find a

creative solution?

PROTOTYPE Can you turn these ideas into a real

solution by building one or more to show?

TEST Can you evaluate these models with potential users

and collect their feedback?

REBUILD AND RETEST How can you analyze the test

results and data and improve your model or solution?

“We also teach that it is okay and necessary to fail,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. And, of course, “radical collaboration” is required for successful problem solving with the d.School method. We too promote the sharing of ideas and collaboration among our students, encouraging them to learn from others and embrace diverse viewpoints.

Sparking thought and teaching students how to think, analyze, and generate ideas was at the core of these “design thinking” projects.

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“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”

— Robert Frost

5th Grade at the Intersection of Design and Robotics!

In the fifth grade Maker classes, students took part in a design and robotics unit that covered the study of a design problem involving traffic in an intersection nearby The Willows. The problem: confusion and lack of clarity on how traffic should proceed since there are no yellow or green lights but only flashing red lights and a sign reading RIGHT TURN ONLY. “I gave my students an annotated version of Stanford’s d.school design thinking diagram, explains Jo Ben Whittenburg, Dean of Interdisiplinary Studies, “and asked them questions about how they thought drivers, people walking or cycling would feel and what changes to the design they would recommend.” In preparation students walked to the intersection to observe traffic behavior, collected data about the intersection in observation recordings, and initiated some possible solutions. Then students began the design process to create prototypes of a new intersection. To do this, they programmed LEGO EV3 Mindstorm robotic vehicles, representing “cars” in the new traffic systems and tested their new intersection designs by ‘driving’ the cars through their new designs, making design improvements as they proceeded.

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Middle School Architectural Class Brings Design Thinking to Life

by Working with an Architect/Designer Ten Middle School students (nine eighth graders and one sixth grader) participated in a workshop with architect Justin Beadle of the San Francisco architectural firm, Thing One; Doug Klier, Middle School Dean; and Middle School teacher Bobby Hamm to design an outdoor classroom apparatus to use in the space between Willows 4 and Willows 6. They met for two full-day workshops with Justin and often skyped with him to ask questions. Students used the design thinking process working with Justin’s methodology focusing on: USERS TYPE

the type of people that use the space

Precedent research and programming that will be done in space

FEELINGS SITE

How people want to feel when they are in the space

How the site should look including measurements, diagrams, models, photography

Students interviewed teachers and students in DK and kindergarten, who would be using the space the most, and collaborated to construct 2D and 3D models and create blueprints and the finished designs of multi-purpose furniture. The class culminated with two students, Emerson and Roman, presenting their work and ultimate designs to Head of School Lisa Rosenstein for approval to be built, and approval was enthusiastically given. A model was constructed by Juan and Eladio in our Facilities Department.

The multi-purpose furniture was designed to function ideally for collaborative work. The furniture reconfigures to allow for theater style seating and group desks.

All three of these projects engaged our students in a real-world problem solving experience using design thinking, maker, science, technology, and creativity.

Our approach to problem solving starts with empathy and empowers our students to apply their knowledge, skills, and imagination to solve challenges within our inquiry-based curriculum.

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The Power of

Mastery “The interaction of knowledge and skills with experience is key to learning,” wrote John Dewey, American philosopher and educator, whose philosophy is one of the foundations of The Willows educational program.

At The Willows, foundational skills, critical thinking, and hands-on activities equal powerful learning. Skill development evolves with the student along a continuum from developmental kindergarten to 8th grade. We give our students strategies and time to master vital skills in various disciplines. Then, when the skills are well-honed or second nature, they put these skills into practice individually and collaboratively as they apply what they learn. Their adeptness and fluency with skills is a key to understanding and allows them to progress and grow as learners. They use their skills to analyze and unlock higher knowledge.

“In our approach to mastery, we first establish what we want our students to achieve and how we help them master these skills,” points out Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “We want them to develop a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset, as Carol Dweck defines it in a paper, ‘Mindsets and Math/

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Science Achievement’, ‘students’ mindsets play a key role in their math and science achievement. Students who believe that intelligence or math and science ability is simply a fixed trait (a fixed mindset) are at a significant disadvantage compared to students who believe that their abilities can be developed (a growth mindset).’ We want our students to work hard, persevere, master skills, and always have a growth mindset concerning every discipline and subject.”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines mastery as “knowledge and skill that allows you to do, use, or understand something very well” and as having “power of command or control.” The power of mastery is key to learning.

“We continually reflect on our goals with mastering skills asking, ‘What does mastery look like? What are our expectations for our students? How do we move students along to achieve these goals and master skills?’” explains Director of Teaching and Learning Terri Baird. “We constantly assess where the students are in all our different disciplines.”

“Mastery demands practice, effort, and the ability to tolerate struggle,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School.

“Every discipline requires practice. We see mastery in all aspects of student life–in the classroom, on the athletic field, in the art studio, and in music classes. Our students practice constantly, often struggling to reach their goals.”

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“Students may have innate abilities, but practice is still crucial,” says Athletic Director Marc Weiss. “They have to bring their individual skills to the team and the game, no matter what sport.” In this sense, practice is at the heart of and requisite in skill mastery.

Our students are on an educational trajectory from DK through eighth grade carefully designed for them to garner more skills and knowledge so they are equipped to think critically and innovatively to solve problems.

Middle School Dean Doug Klier also points out that, “Mastery is not just about academic skills.

When our eighth graders leave us, we want them to gain confidence and master social and emotional issues.

We want them to be successful collaborators, who present

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themselves with confidence–to be able to master communications and be able to express themselves and deal confidently with teachers and fellow students. Basically, we want them to master all the skills that prepare them for life.”

Sometimes students may struggle with developing certain skills, but the effort pays off when they succeed.

Then, students can soar as they apply what they have learned.

Awardwinning gymnast Simone Biles says ”Practice creates confidence.

Confidence empowers you.” Skill mastery and understanding empowers our students propelling them into confident, deeper levels of learning.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

WINSTON CHURCHILL // British Prime Minister

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The Power of Light Building Lamps is an Illuminating Experience

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The halls of our Middle School were aglow with light and creativity during Family Education Night. Why? Because approximately 50 lamps designed by Middle School students during the 2017Intersession, the annual two-week period when the school focuses on one theme in an in-depth, multi-age, cross-disciplinary study, were on display.

The Power of Lamps class, where the lamps were created, was the idea of Electronic Music Teacher Greg Blum and Middle School Science and Math Teacher Elizabeth Stocksdale, who had been inspired by their professional development experience attending the Windward School Design and Maker Class Colloquium. “Both Greg and I participated in a few workshops at Windward that emphasized circuitry, LEDs, and other electronic components,” explains Liz. “In one class Greg made a lamp. We thought teaching students how to build a lamp would be a strong connection to our theme of ‘power’ and allow students to engage in design

thinking–our ultimate goal.”

The lamps class received an overwhelming response with 70 students signing up for the class. Middle School faculty members Paul Casillas, Steve Futterman, Liz Ganem, Stuart Knox, Jane Lewine, and Mike Stocksdale were recruited to assist in the teaching.

Before building their own lamps, the class broadened their view of lamps as being more than the simple light on your desk. They explored the history of lamps by studying actual lamps or slides of lamps, and also the different types of lamps such as the aesthetic or practical. Students toured The Willows campus to identify 10 different versions of light and described what materials were used, how the light was powered,

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and the light’s purpose.

To prepare, the class discussed currents and safety components and then used electrical engineering techniques to create a circuit and connect wires to a plug or socket.

Then, the design thinking and creative process began. Students, working individually or in a small group, moved from their creative vision to a real lamp, starting with empathy as they identified who the lamp’s user would be.

Next they brainstormed creative ideas calling on their artistic expression.

They put together a materials and procedure list, and created a formal blueprint or schematic from two different perspectives, labeling all the components and describing step-by-step how they would put their lamp together. Then they built their lamps through trial and error, overcoming issues to reach a finished product.

The blueprint was redesigned as changes were made to their lamp construction.

“Our students journeyed through the process of creation from initial excitement and energy, to problem solving, to ‘pit of despair,’ to rethinking and redesigning, to finished product, they were ultimately proud of,” continues Liz. “Ultimately

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they saw that they could create something they never thought possible.”

As a culmination, students built a step-by-step instructional DIY website (posted via Google Sites) detailing how to build their lamps and describing their experience.

During this project students developed many skills including: • Collaboration • Making a simple circuit to power a lightbulb • Technology: web site development • Creative expression • Budgeting for materials and using found materials • Utilizing handsaws, hand drills, jigsaws, power drills, glasscutters, sanders, screwdrivers, wire strippers/cutters, pliers • Connecting wires, sockets, plugs, and switches to create a working light The Lamps project was an enlightening experience showcasing design thinking in action!

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The P WER of Partnerships Two (or more) are better than one! That is the philosophy behind The Willows’ myriad of partnerships that strengthen and extend our program. Collaboration and community have always been hallmarks of The Willows philosophy. Our Core Values state, “We build bridges culturally and educationally by seeking ways to partner with our neighbors and engage globally. The word “community” is indeed an intentional and integral part of our name.” Here are a few of our illustrious partners that we are currently engaging with.

YALE CENTER FOR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

FOSTER CARE COUNTS (www.fostercarecounts.org)

For the past two years, The Willows has partnered with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence integrating their RULER approach into the fabric of our classroom curriculum.

Students and faculty use this uniquely effective social emotional approach to manage and communicate feelings and build strong connections. The implementation is enhancing student well-being, which ultimately leads to better academic performance.

The Willows partners with Foster Care Counts, a non-profit dedicated to helping foster youth receive the education and resources they need to be successful and to improve the lives of children in foster care and their families. Each year on Mothers’ Day since 2014, The Willows has hosted the annual Foster Mother’s Day celebration on our campus celebrating hundreds of foster families.

YOUNG STORYTELLERS

COMMON SENSE MEDIA

Throughout the year, we partner with Common Sense to help our students, faculty, and families build the skills needed to learn, work, and thrive in our ever-evolving media and technology world. As the digital landscape changes, Common Sense offers us workshops, speakers, and collateral materials covering the latest developments.

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Young Storytellers is a wonderful non-profit that promotes literacy through storytelling. Coinciding with our mission, The Willows has developed a special partnership with Young Storytellers by offering an enrichment class for fourth and fifth grade students that mirrors the Young Storytellers Script to Stage program. Students write an original screenplay that is brought to life on stage with professional actors. The proceeds from this class are donated to the Young Storytellers Foundation. Each year the Young Storyteller’s annual fundraiser is held at The Willows featuring exciting Hollywood talent, animation stations, and storytelling activities.

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ATLIS, ASSOCIATION OF TECHNOLOGY LEADERS IN SCHOOLS & EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY RECRUITING

DIGITAL DRAGON (www.digitaldragon.com)

Gabe Lucas, a technology leader in the education field and co-founder and Board Chair of ATLIS, is a strategic partner of The Willows consulting on all technology and technology education. This year Gabe has assessed our Tech Ed Department in a targeted, cost-effective way allowing us to reorganize and make lasting improvements to our technology program and use our technology experts in the optimum way.

Digital Dragon, a children’s technology, digital design, and coding educational company taught a two-month Scratch Computer Programming course to Willows second grade students. Students worked with Scratch to create and program individual 2D video games and gain fluency before moving on to more elaborate programming.

“We are reaping the benefits of our K:8, 1:1 laptop program,” remarks Doug Klier, Middle School Dean and member of The Willows’ Ed Tech/STEAM2 Faculty Team. “The students bring their laptops to our makerLab2, save their projects, and return each week to program more.”

The first stages of the course are designed to build fluency and then they will move on to more elaborate programming.

Sharing Our Expertise We also seek to partner with other schools and national educational organizations by sharing our expertise and experiences to benefit others through presentations at various events, organizations, and conferences. Some of the presentations this year included:

The Willows Receives Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Commendation for Continued Support of Foster Care Counts The Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County awarded The Willows Community School a commendation for hosting the Foster Care Counts Foster Mother’s Day and partnering with the Los Angeles County Department

Cathy Leverkus, Director of Library Services, and Terri Baird, Director of Teaching and Learning, presented Harvest the Possibilities: Connect. Collaborate. Grow. at the California School Library Association in Sonoma, California in February 2017, and at Association of Independent School Librarians in New Orleans, Louisiana in March 2017. They also presented: Administration, Teacher and Librarian Collaboration to the Independent School Library Exchange.

Terri Baird along with faculty members Steve Futterman, and Liz Ganem presented at the Milken Community Schools Playful Learning Summit in Los Angeles in October 2017.

of Children and Family Services. The commendation recognized The Willows as a model community partner for welcoming the Foster Mother’s Day event onto its campus and the commitment of The Willows and its representatives to support foster youth and families.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas,accompanied by Foster Care Counts Founder Jeanne Kriser Pritzker, presented the award to The Willows Head of School Lisa Rosenstein during a Board of Supervisors meeting.

“We are tremendously grateful to Jeanne Pritzker and the entire Foster Care Counts organization for giving us this opportunity to serve such a vital organization,” says Lisa Rosenstein. “Community is part of our name, and we are dedicated to helping the children and families of Los Angeles. We thank the Board of Supervisors for this recognition of our commitment to Los Angeles.”

As an example of the leadership opportunities in our Middle School, two Willows students, Mila L. and Ben S., joined Middle School Dean Doug Klier and Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies JoBen Whittenburg to present a workshop entitled, “VEX Robotics,” at the Windward School Design and Maker Class Colloquium. Several of our students participated in the Yale University workshop, Game Design with Students: Sprinting to Emotionally Intelligent Solutions, exploring how students design and create games to learn about emotional intelligence using the four-day Sprint design model used by Google Ventures.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

Each Willows student–even our very youngest–is a musician!

An overarching goal of the Music Department is to give each child the chance to discover the joy of being a musician. “Beginning in developmental kindergarten, we immediately put a melody instrument such as a xylophone or glockenspiel in each student’s hands,” says Kristie Toomath, Director of the Music Department. “We want every student to develop the basic skills to make and enjoy music.” To foster these innate abilities, we use the Orff-Schulwerk approach as a foundation for our music curriculum.

The Orff approach, developed by Carl Orff (a composer and musician) and Gunild Keetman (a choreographer and dancer), builds musicianship through the integration of music, movement, speech, and drama. The approach is considered a model for optimal learning in 21st century classrooms. Students learn to participate fully in the musical experience by learning to listen, and to play, individually and in an ensemble. Imitation, experimentation, and personal expression occur naturally.

With Orff instruments (xylophones, metallaphones, glockenspiels) as well as drums, recorders, and other percussion instruments in hand, our students deeply experience music as they build foundational skills. The playful yet artful Orff approach also encourages students to bring themselves to their music. Students feel the internal pulse of music through song, speech, body percussion, creative movement, improvisation, dance, composition, and self-expression. “Music begins inside human beings, and so must any instruction . . . Listening to one’s own heart-beat and breathing.” stated Carl Orff.

The Willows musical program is strategically designed to offer developmentally appropriate musical experiences at each grade level that build upon the previous years. The goal is to stretch student abilities and introduce opportunities for them to recognize the power and passion of music.

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knowledge is power

K-2

DK

POWER

Music Class

Melody Instruments

Music Class | Xylophone

Choir

3-5

MUSIC CLASS | RECORDER | CHOIR ELECTRONIC MUSIC (GARAGE BAND)

5

Middle SCHOOL

Guitar | Choir | Songwriting (ProLogic) | Rock Band

UKELELE

If We Build It...Music Will Come!

KINDERGARTEN MUSIC WALL-A RECYCLED SYMPHONY OF SOUND

At first glance, it may look like a collection of random items, but this Kindergarten Music Wall is a powerful music maker! During Intersession kindergarteners studied the science of sound focusing on the elements of pitch, rhythm, and volume; constructed and played musical instruments from various cultures; and explored the relationship between music and movement. They delved into what makes music so powerful by interpreting the lyrics of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke,” and plotting themselves on a life-size RULER Mood Meter while listening to songs. A beautiful result was the Music Wall assembled by the student from gathered materials.

Skills Acquired: • Collaboration

• Dance and rhythm

• Problem solving

• Using a hammer and nails

• Scientific reasoning

•P laying wind and percussion instruments

• Patience and listening • Self-reflection • Thoughtful inquiry

• Art and crafting

KINDERGARTEN CONCLUSION:

Music is a language we all understand.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

STEAM

2

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DOUG KLIER // Middle School Dean & AND CASEY Y. // 2nd grade student

JO BEN WHITTENBURG // Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies & CHARLOTTE S. & FILIZ F. // 4th grade students

FIDGET SPINNER MAKER PROJECT

LOS ANGELES LANDMARK PROJECT

“ Our Maker curriculum emphasizes creativity and persistence, all part of The Willows “can do” philosophy. A good project is also a relevant one. Fidget spinners are a popular toy, so I challenged our students to make their own fidget spinner. They learned quite a bit about science concepts, but also saw the mechanics and physics behind a current toy. We structure projects so students develop new skills, while also thinking deeply about the subject matter.

Fidget spinners gave them a glimpse into the logic and practicality behind an everyday toy–and empowered them to know that they could create their own version.” Doug Klier

“ True to The Willows constructivist and progressive traditions, we are not just talking or teaching about design thinking–we are actually designing, and cultivating young designers in the process. I see myself as a coach or a guide providing assistance, resources, and encouragement throughout the design process.” Jo Ben

knowledge is power

BOBBY HAMM // Middle School Teacher & MARCUS K . // 7th grade student

WENDY AMSTER // Dean of Educational Technology & ELIZA KAPLAN // 8th grade student (2017 graduate now attending The Marlborough School)

Programming with Vex Robotics encourages problem solving, teamwork and leadership opportunities. Marcus mastered the building and programming components and shared his expertise by teaching a mini-lesson to other students and troubleshooting issues.

THYMIO

“ Our designLab in the Middle School is a hub of learning and a hub of growth. Each day there are new opportunities for me to grow as a teacher and for The Willows to be functioning in the new global climate. Our students are thinking about what they can invent, how to make it, and then while they are making it, they are learning more about self-expression and empathy.” Bobby Hamm (Bobby visited

POWER

“ Thymio allows students to enter at their comfort zone and quickly see the connection to text-based programming. It is exciting to watch the students who have done robotics delve into more sophisticated programming. They started analyzing, manipulating, and creating their own text-based programs. So, Thymio gave them exposure and experience coding closer to what a computer scientist would do. This answered my attempts to have Middle School students programming on a more sophisticated level.“ Wendy Amster

Stanford University’s d.School last spring with a group of Willows teachers and returned inspired to redesign a space in our Middle School creating our new designLab.)

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“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin “One of the dreams of our Board of Trustees has been securing the future of our school. We have been actively striving to accomplish this as we secure the footprint of The Willows and ensure that our unique educational program and campus are sustained now and into the future. With your support, this dream is a tangible reality.

Eric Silverman // Current Parent, Alumni Parent, and Co-Chair, The Willows Board of Trustees

WARNER DRIVE

4

6

Gymnasium & Theatre

Purchased in 2016

(Music, Performing Arts) Leased in 2003 // Purchased in 2017

7

1

Big Ideas Build Dreams

Lower Elementary

Purchased in 2016

(Music, Performing Arts) Leased in 1994//Purchased in 2009

An ambitious & bold campaign to secure The Willow footprint, enhance our educational program, better equip our campus, and impact every student in every grade now and in the years ahead.

n it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”

– Goethe

2 Middle School

5 Dedicated Sports Courts &

(Library Media Center, designLab)

Warner Drive Additional Parking

Leased in 1998 // Purchased in 2009

Purchased in 2009 // Completed in 2013

3 Uper Elementary (makerLabs, STEAM2Lab) Leased in 2000 // 30 yr. lease + options

HIGUERA STREET Since 1994 when our founders had the bold dream of creating a new school, a long-term vision has always been to own our properties and create one unified campus that secures the future of our school. This dream of cementing our footprint and sustaining The Willows unique educational program into the future is now becoming a reality in less than 25 years. We are forwarding our mission to continuously enhance our safe, nurturing environment that promotes learning and listening from all sides.

• Purchase of the adjacent property on the west side of Willows 1, which will become Willows 7 to complete our CUP with Culver City before the entitlements expired • Our dream for this property is to create a multi-purpose field and flexible, outdoor space for group activities and outdoor learning • Purchase of Willows 4, which houses our gym, theater, music department, and administrative offices.

• Envisioning the next phase of our Master

Plan with the renovation of Willows 6 to create a cutting-edge innovation space and cross-disciplinary learning environment emphasizing STEAM2 and design thinking to nourish creativity, collaboration, and endless possibilities for our students, the designers, doers, and leaders of tomorrow.

Ideas rarely become realities without inspired, passionate partners who take steps to transform dreams. We commend and thank our Board of Trustees and parent community for boldly stepping forward to build these ideas into dreams.

Walk through the atriums in both our Lower and Upper Elementary buildings and you are almost certain to see some type of active construction happening–towering structures of wooden blocks and ramps, car racetracks, roller coasters, and even a tipi once a year.

A more sophisticated level of construction continues in the Middle School where students are building mousetrap cars, cellular chargers, and other amazing inventions.

“Building” from early childhood through eighth grade and beyond in developmentally appropriate and challenging ways allows students to construct their knowledge and promotes engineering, math, and scientific reasoning by engaging students in active experiences.

Here are three ways that we have engaged students in building or constructing projects that illustrate how a constructivist approach deepens and becomes more complicated and challenging as the child moves through our grades.

LOWER ELEMENTARY In developmental kindergarten through second grade, block and ramp activities promote critical thinking and reasoning about objects and how they work as students employ engineering and science concepts such as force and motion, math skills: measurement, estimation, spatial relationships, and scientific reasoning as they test their structures.

Play and exploration with building materials develop these skills alongside imagination, cooperation, and collaboration. Block building

is a simple yet complicated process. Teachers create an environment for investigation, experimenting, and testing ideas, as students are encouraged to build and rebuild through trial and error.

Knowing that teachers need to have a complete working knowledge of materials and processes to support their students, a professional development block building workshop with Dr. Beth Van Meeteren from the University of Northern Iowa, and Peggy Ashbrook, early childhood educator and author of Science is Simple, was conducted with our faculty and the children in our Lower Elementary.

The Workshop focused on Ramps and Pathways, their STEM curriculum that involves inclined planes and movement of objects. First, our teachers received training and then participated in a hands-on workshop with our students led by these educators from Ramps and Pathways.

Children used a variety of wooden blocks to build a base ramp structure. Then they used cove molding of differing lengths that served as tracks for marbles of various sizes. This workshop gave children endless possibilities to create, think, test their structures, and make any necessary adjustments in order to ultimately create a successful structure for the marble.

“Part of the beauty of Ramps and Pathways is the nature of materials and the experience of making mistakes that students can learn from,” explains Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “Our DK-2 students engaged in reasoning centering on physics and engineering design as

they tried to figure out how to achieve an exciting result by building structures with pathways for marbles and other objects that roll. This was play of the highest nature.”

“We enjoyed presenting the Ramps & Pathways module to The Willows Lower School faculty,” remarks Peggy Ashbrook. “Willows teachers are obviously interested in growing as teachers and display the traits of lifelong learners.”

UPPER ELEMENTARY Tipi Time for the 3rd Grade One of the most popular traditions and signature events at The Willows is the annual building of “the Tipi,” constructed from paper bags. The tipi was first built two decades ago so the lesson plans have been tried and tested to the expert level. Students, teachers, and parent volunteers collaborate to build an example of this classic Native American home out of recycled grocery store brown paper bags, which are ultimately decorated with Native American pictographs and symbols. Students practice many skills as they work together including math and measurement as they build from blueprints, cutting the paper bags and then using fine motor skills to sew them together.

MIDDLE SCHOOL The Science of Power is Powerful Science

Middle School students explored the scientific concept of power learning how motors and generators work and then using this knowledge to build their own simple but very powerful USB phone/ device charger.

Using all the electronic parts of a MintyBoost kit and some soldering, students assembled the circuitry into creative tins such as an Altoids mint tin. The phone charger component of the class built upon the concepts students had already learned in the study of batteries, while simultaneously developing the skill of soldering a circuit board. The class also delved into the world of programming, simple machines and chain reactions using VEX and Lego robotics kits. In addition to soldering and programming, skills such as following detailed instructions, problem solving, and troubleshooting were put into action.

“Overall, we wanted students to come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of how energy in the form of electricity is generated and stored,” explains Middle School Dean and class teacher Doug Klier.

“This seems to be something so totally ubiquitous and at the same time very much taken for granted. We rely so heavily on storage of electricity through batteries (computers, phones, iPads, etc.,) and advances in this area will greatly affect future technologies.”

Daily, throughout the School, in classes like these, we are building the deep thinkers, designers, innovators, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow!

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

IDEAS@ THE WILLOWS

Learning in Action

A network of shared ideas that leads back to the classroom, into the home, and out into the world.

Ideas@The Willows is a collaborative community generating and exchanging ideas to enhance the knowledge of parents, expand the vision of educators, engage life-long learners, enlighten our community, and enrich the classroom experience.

Our speaker events, workshops, film screenings, panels, partnerships, mentoring, research, and inquiry are intentionally designed to continue the education and empower the growth of great minds.

ACCLAIMED SPEAKER SERIES, FILM SCREENINGS, WORKSHOPS, AND PARENT EDUCATION EVENTS:

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Ron Lieber, the award-winning “Your Money” Columnist for The New York Times and author of the instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who are Grounded, Generous, and Smart About Money presented a talk, “How, When and Why to Talk to Kids About Money,” and conducted a Q & A and book signing. A personal finance expert and father, Lieber offered exceptional insight and practical guidance on every aspect of finance from the tooth fairy to checking accounts.

Daniel J. Siegel, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, Founding Co-Director of the Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute, and author of three New York Times bestselling books, The Whole-Brain Child, No-Drama Discipline, and Brainstorm, offered a crowd of more than 750 people representing 224 schools, universities, and organizations sage advice on “How to Develop a Resilient Mind in Children.”

Marc Brackett, Ph.D., Director, and Robin Stern, Ph.D., Associate Director, of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Co-Developers of RULER, an evidence-based approach designed to teach social and emotional intelligence skills, returned to share strategies on The Art of Understanding & Repairing Our Differences: How to Have Difficult Conversations Using Emotional Intelligence. This interactive workshop offered tips for all ages and suggestions for conversation starters with children and teens.

Vicki Abeles, the creator of the award-winning film Race to Nowhere screened and discussed her latest film, Beyond Measure, a documentary film of inspiring stories from the forefront of innovation in education, that offers a positive picture of what’s possible in American education when communities decide they are ready for change. The film was followed by a Q & A and book signing of her book, Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation.”

knowledge is power

Betsy Brown Braun, child development and behavior specialist and best selling author of Just Tell Me What to Say and You’re Not the Boss of Me, was the guest speaker at our Parent Breakfast. With over 40 years experience in public and private early childhood, elementary, and parent education, she offered tips to relieve parental anxiety.

Common Sense LA: “Notes to My Middle School Self” Panel showcased both Willows alumni currently in high school and the Common Sense LA Teen Council members, who shared their candid opinions and experiences with social media, offering advice to parents on how to manage the good, bad, and realities of social media during middle school. The teen panel was moderated by Sarah Bowman, Regional Director of Common Sense, Los Angeles. The successful goal of this event was to calm the fear of parents who find the digital landscape daunting, to strengthen the home/school connection and promote responsible social media use and online behavior.

Dr. Jennie Grammer and Dr. Patricia Tan from the UCLA Education and Psychology Department conducted a workshop with an early childhood focus, “Helping Children Regulate Their Emotions: Emotion Regulation and Executive Functioning.” They offered ideas to our own parents and preschool parents and educators to help children express their feelings in constructive ways and harness their emotions to accomplish their goals.

POWER

Our social media and digital conversation continued with the screening of Screenagers, the award-winning documentary by primary care physician and filmmaker Delaney Ruston, followed by a Social Media & Screen Time Panel including Willows parent Nate Blue, Detective, Investigations Unit (SVU) ICAC Task Force, Rialto Police and Nate Blue Consolidated Consulting; Lisa Solomon, Regional Coordinator, Common Sense Media; Wendy Amster, Willows Dean of Educational Technology; and Christina Kim, Willows Director of Student Life. The film and panel offered suggestions for dealing with the effects of screen-time, mental health, safety, and friction between parents and children caused by our new digital world.

Nancy Jo Sales, an award-winning Vanity Fair journalist and author, presented a talk on the use of social media by young people and the challenges they are facing, entitled “American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers,” the title of her newest book.

Aaron Schiller, Consultant and Chief Field Trainer for the Yale University Emotional Intelligence Lab, conducted a workshop, A Parenting Approach: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in our Children. Aaron was traveling across the U.S. with his family in an Airstream Travel Trailer visiting schools and sharing his passion, creativity, and expertise along the way.

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POWER OF INNOVATION

knowledge is power

POWER

“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories.”

Laurie Anderson // Performance Artist/Experimental Musician

INNOVATIVE INTEGRATION Original Song & Honors Dancers Unite for an Empowering Performance All the musical elements come together in our innovative Middle School Songwriting class that each student takes.

In this advanced electronic music course, students explore many different genres of music and work in Logic Pro to create sophisticated compositions. Working individually or collaboratively, by the end of the class, students will have composed and recorded a song. At our annual Family Arts Night, innovation and integration was showcased as the Honors Dancers performed to a composition created by seventh grade student Kofi G. in the Songwriting Class.

VIDEO ESSAYS— AN INNOVATIVE FORM OF RESEARCH PAPER As an alternative to a typical research paper, Brian Tousey, eighth grade teacher, designed a “Video Essay” project for his class asking them to create a video essay about a figure or event from the Civil Rights Movement. “Why not try to do something that speaks to the times and to my students’ skills and interests,” says Brian. “I hoped that if I give these kids an opportunity to try something different, they would surprise me with the results.”

Brian was pleased that this was a valid research project.

Students were inspired by working in a new medium, but still used thoughtful research techniques and developed a thesis to clearly convey, defend, and support. His concern melted as he watched the films such as one film about Plessy vs. Ferguson that used an iPad’s time-lapse feature, vocal narration, and the student’s artistic talents to create a clear and concise lesson.

“When the finished products began pouring in, I was floored at how good, how professional, they were . . . I probably shouldn’t have been,” continues Brian. “These kids are constantly and consistently barraged with media, and as a result have become experts by osmosis.”

“So is the takeaway that students no longer need to write essays?” asks Brian. “Absolutely not. Video essays should be a complement rather than a replacement; and opportunity for students to learn how to develop a thesis with valid support in a new, different way.”

In Brian’s innovative approach, he moved “scholarship beyond simply creating knowledge to implementing an aesthetic, poetic function.”

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

The Power of Teamwork and Collaboration!

Part of a Winning, Trusting Team A S D I G I TA L T E C H N O L O G Y E N A B L E S MORE AND MORE SHARING IN OUR M O D E R N S O C I E T Y, R AC H E L B OT S M A N , A N E X P E RT O N A N E W E R A O F T RU S T, S AY S I N H E R T E D TA L K “ T RU S T I S T H E N E W C U R R E N C Y. . . we’ve actually wired our world to share, whether that’s our neighborhood, our school, our office or our Facebook network, and that’s creating an economy of “what’s mine is yours.” This is not a new concept at The Willows! Since our founding over two decades ago, collaboration and trust have been the cornerstones of our community.

Cooperation among students, teachers, and staff and a strong home-school partnership and parent volunteer base are essentials to our program.

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knowledge is power

In her new book What’s Mine is Yours due out in the fall, Ms. Botsman states that our society is changing from “Generation Me to Generation We.” We at The Willows have a head start on this new cultural and economic force since “we not me” has always been a principle motivation at our School.

POWER

C O L L A B O R AT I O N A N D T RU S T A R E I L L U S T R AT E D AT T H E W I L L OW S T H RO U G H T E A M T E AC H I N G .

J E N D OY L E A N D M A R I S S A W E I S S , O N E O F O U R T H I R D A N D F O U RT H G R A D E L O O P T E AC H I N G T E A M S , SHARED THEIR INSIGHT AND T H O U G H T S O N T H E TO P I C O F COLLABORATION AND TRUST WORKING A S A T E A M I N T H E C L A S S RO O M .

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

How long have you been teaching together? Did it take long to adjust to working together?

MARISSA: We have been teaching together for 11 years. This will be our 12th year teaching together. It did not take long to adjust to teaching together. When I started teaching in the classroom at The Willows, Jen had already been here for 2 years. For half a year before I started teaching with her, I was able to observe all day in her classroom. I learned so much from just watching Jen teach. As soon as we met, when I was interviewed, we immediately clicked and really wanted to work together. It sounds cheesy but it’s truly like we knew right away that we would make a good team.

JEN: We began working together in fifth grade and then in the third to fourth grade loop. I don’t remember any adjustment. It has always just seemed easy and natural, like it was meant to be.

What is the benefit of having two teachers in a classroom for the students? For the teachers?

MARISSA: The benefit of having two teachers in the classroom is very beneficial for the students. There is always one of us available to help a student who may not understand what is being taught or who needs extra support. Team teaching is so special and important because it helps us meets everyone’s needs. For instance, one of us can pull out a group in math that needs more assistance or challenge. We are always evaluating how we are best meeting their needs.

JEN: Exactly, we can’t see, notice, or hear everything so it helps to have another set of eyes, as well as someone to bounce ideas off of, discuss lessons, students, and opinions. Team teaching allows us to provide individualized attention and know the kids better socially, emotionally, and academically. We are able to take more time to resolve any problems. Students and parents both connect with us in different ways so it helps to be able to develop connections with everyone. It also helps emotionally for the teacher to know that they are supported. We are there for each other.

Teaching can feel isolating and to have another adult to talk to really helps.

MARISSA: Team teaching for teachers is not only simply more fun and exciting but it’s such a learning experience for us everyday. We learn from each other and balance out our strengths. We have been teaching together for so long that we can finish each other’s thoughts and sentences. We can literally read each other’s minds!

How does your partnership work? How do you collaborate? Do you have different areas of expertise?

MARISSA: Lisa Rosenstein always jokes that team teaching is like a marriage but it’s actually true. The whole classroom operates like a family and is stronger when a partnership is more cohesive and collaborative. We are always open to listening to each other’s ideas. Jen brings a wonderful perspective because she has an Ed therapy background, and I bring a different perspective having a child psychology background. One of the key elements to a teaching partnership is communication. If one of us talks to a parent or a student about something, whether it’s academically or socially related, we always tell each other. It’s so important for each of us to know everything going on with each student, so we are both really good at communicating everything to one another.

MARISSA: Besides our different education backgrounds, we do have different areas of expertise. Jen is really good at helping students who have learning challenges. I’m good at challenging kids who need to be pushed. We both are good at doing the other as well, but I think that is where we lean on each other.

JEN: Right! Marissa has a background in therapy, and that really helps with difficult situations, conflict resolution with kids and parents. I have a background in educational therapy, so I feel comfortable with students with learning differences. Marissa is really good at math, problem solving, and editing, so she usually winds up working with the kids that need challenges. I work with the students that have academic challenges.

MARISSA: We also are both highly involved in other aspects of the school. Jen is very involved in technology and is an expert, and I am involved in dance and the performing arts. I think we are both able to bring these strengths into the classroom and it helps us to bond differently with the students.

JEN: Marissa’s dance also allows her to connect with kids in a different way and develop deeper relationships with them—especially through the years.

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knowledge is power

POWER

PARTNER UP!

MARISSA: We are also both very interested in mindfulness and emotional intelligence. We often discuss how to bring these programs into the classroom in the most effective way and lean on our colleagues who are experts in these areas.

How does having two teachers help curriculum design and student assessment?

MARISSA: We generate ideas, discuss lesson plans, and together create the best program possible for student success. Assessment is one of the areas where two teachers help the most. For example, when we do reading assessments we meet individually with each student and read with him or her. One of us assesses and one stays with the class. We switch off roles. With math and reading, having two teachers is essential to meet everyone’s needs. There is usually a set of students who need extra help and a set who need more challenges. We can only do this with two teachers in the room. We also are able to say to each other, “Jen, I’m worried about so and so’s reading. Can you sit with him and see if you think the same thing?”

We have two opinions and two people to observe.

Phil Lee teaching soldering in the Middle School

Phil Lee, Kindergarten Teacher, and Doug Klier, Middle School Dean and ED Tech/ STEAM2 Teacher, partnered up to combine skills and sharing expertise to make a dynamic project happen.

Phil and Doug, who collaborated this year to further The Willows maker and woodworking initiatives, serve as a fabulous illustration of Willows teachers’ partnerships and mentorships.

“Middle School students were creating battery-powered phone chargers starting

JEN: It really comes down to the relationship with each child, and the level of trust you have developed with a child. Each of us has a different connection with students, so it helps to have that perspective when assessing students.

Do you debate with one another if you don’t agree on an approach?

JEN: Yes, but we usually agree about most things. We both feel comfortable sharing exactly how we feel without worrying about any judgment or criticism. That’s the piece that develops over the years of working together. It is the knowledge that we always trust each other. I think it has also developed because of having gone through so many life events both happy and challenging. You just learn to know each other so well. If anything comes up either work related or personal, we know we can always talk to each other.

with a beginner kit that was actually quite sophisticated,” explains Doug. “Especially the soldering. I was aware that Phil knew how to solder. His father had Phil and his brothers attend electronics camps as kids. So, I called on him for assistance.” Phil and Doug taught a series of tutorials to the middle school students to practice and build skills. Then four students confident enough started the project and became assistants with the project.

“I could not have done this project without Phil’s experience and expertise,” continues Doug. “We are going to continue to collaborate on future circuitry and electronics projects, as well as woodworking.”

MARISSA: We are constantly sharing insights and opinions. We have never been shy about this with one another. And if we ever have a question about something that we can’t help each other with we ask Terri Baird, Director of Teaching and Learning.

We have so much respect for each other both inside and outside the classroom. It may be hard to believe but we have never had an argument in all of these years. We have never been angry at each other. When we see things differently we listen to each other. We are open to what the other says. And if we don’t agree we really find it easy to compromise. It sounds like I’m making this up, but it’s true. Jen truly is one of the most incredible teachers and people I know. She has always been there for me personally and professionally. I’m so grateful and lucky to work with her everyday and to have her as a friend. She is really like family to me. I love teaching with her and hope we will be teaching partners for another 12 years!

ARE WE COMPLACENT ABOUT TRUST AND COMMUNITY? ABSOLUTELY NOT! We constantly devote time and energy to building trust within our community. Two teachers in a classroom allow The Willows to conduct powerful Professional Development all year long at our monthly Learning Lunches. One Learning Lunch focused on the topic of “trust.” Faculty watched a TED talk by Marc Slors entitled “Cultivating Trust,” where Slors points out that trust is a “vital component of successful human communities.”

Visit our Willows Blog, (www.thewillowsblog.com) Wisdom at The Willows, a true collaboration of faculty and administrators sharing their knowledge and reflecting on topics to inspire and motivate others and influence education and learning in our world.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

The Power of Emotions T h e

T o o l s

t o

E m p o w e r

O u r

S t u d e n t s

As we enter our third year implementing the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s RULER approach, we are making immense progress in integrating the RULER tools in all of our classes and helping our students to better express empathy and understanding to everyone they encounter. The RULER approach is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that helps schools integrate the teaching and practice of emotional intelligence into the daily life of a school and reduces problematic behavior and enhances academic achievement.

RULER has been a natural fit with our community and philosophy and is strengthening our students, faculty, administration, and families with anchor tools, strategies and a unified language used to identify and regulate emotions.

Our school culture is one of care. We feel that the more secure and cared for a child is, the better able the child is to navigate their world and happily succeed in school and life.

Our RULER Team led by Christina Kim, Director of Student Life, includes Michael Lin, Developmental Kindergarten Teacher; Andrea Passarella, First and Second Grade Loop Teacher; Alex Wolfe, Fifth Grade Teacher; and Steve Futterman, Middle School Teacher; Jen Doyle, Third and Fourth Grade Loop; Brent Weiss, Kindergarten Teacher; and Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School.

Our RULER team works in their classroom and with other teachers, integrating the RULER Anchor Tools into the curriculum in all classrooms. Our implementation began with the four Anchor Tools: CHARTER A mission statement, developed collaboratively,

that reflects the desired emotions in the school, classroom, and home. The process includes identifying feelings everyone wants to experience (e.g., inspired, content) and generating corresponding behaviors that foster them (e.g. respect, understanding).

MOOD METER A tool for developing emotional intelligence

skills by building greater self-and social awareness and emotional regulation strategies. It also enhances student engagement by helping teachers link specific emotions to different learning activities.

META-MOMENT A process to improve reflective practices

and self-regulation by recognizing “triggers” and responding to challenging emotions. Strategies include cultivating one’s “best self.”

BLUEPRINT A problem-solving tool for complex

interpersonal situations designed to build empathy, promote perspective-taking, develop conflict resolution skills, and reduce bullying.

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Examples of Class Charters:

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Our additional advanced RULER tool is the Feeling Words Curriculum, which builds a rich, expressive vocabulary to use in relation to emotional experiences that are embedded into school curriculum.

green/yellow quadrant on the Mood Meter. The Wheel of Choices has helped students understand that they have a choice in their actions and empowers students to choose their behaviors to correspond to how they are feeling rather than just reacting to situations.

All of these tools and strategies are being integrated into our curriculum and the daily life of our School. Here are some of the ways The Willows is adapting the RULER approach.

• Class Charters are displayed in each classroom and in the Middle School, where students in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th came together during Middle School Retreat to create the Middle School Charter, allowing for multi-grade conversations on ways to build a positive and safe learning community.

Our students and faculty continually reference the Charter in classes, in conversations, and at assemblies.

• An “idea wall” is used by Chirstina Kim, Director of Student Life. Students from our Lower School usually write and draw on the wall, constructing a mood meter, working with blueprint, and labeling emotions so they have another way to express themselves. Her idea wall has become an often-used tool.

• DK and K students regularly use the Wheel of Choices to utilize effective strategies to move from the red/blue to the

• Third grade uses regulating strategies to deal with testing taking anxiety during standardized tests.

• Seventh grade students used the Feeling Words Curriculum and the Personal Association Project to explore the Power of Emotions through activities focusing on self-reflection, personal storytelling, and artistic expression. Together they thought about the word ecstatic. Then they wrote in their journals and using the Creative Connections Project they created abstract drawings to showcase “ecstatic.”

• Teachers continually model the use of regulating strategies with the Meta-Moment to encourage students to use effective coping strategies to manage their own emotions successfully.

The Home-School partnership is also an important way to use RULER and involve adults actively in their children’s school life.

In the home-school partnership, students become “teachers” as they introduce feeling words to their family and ask them to share a story related to the word. This encourages discussions of personal feelings and helps to address student needs.

“ When we first started implementing RULER, I was not fully on board. I felt that RULER didn’t seem natural or organic because of the colors and terminology. However, once I put RULER in play in the classroom, and at home raising two boys under the age of six, I saw the incredible value of RULER in action. In the classroom, I noticed that implementing RULER has made students become more aware of their classmates and more empathetic. RULER also gives kids in my class and my boys at home a vocabulary to pinpoint how they are feeling–not just sad, but more descriptive words like nervous or worried. I am fully on board now!”

— Brent Weiss // Kindergarten Teacher

(See page 6 to read about the seventh grade use of the Feeling Words Curriculum with a study of The Curious Incident of the the Dog in the Night-time)

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

Power of Inclusivity/Diversity “ EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD.” Nelson Mandela, South African politician/revolutionary

Our community is a diverse, inclusive group from many walks of life and cultures united by our love for our children and our School. We strive to empower our children with a sense of empathy and understanding for each other and everyone they meet. We hope to instill in them respect and responsibility to the community of our school and the community beyond our walls. We believe that our differences strengthen and unite our school.

We are dedicated to continually enhancing our multicultural environment by promoting a culture of inclusion and nurturing equitable relationships at all levels across our campus. As a result, our students appreciate individual differences and experience themselves both as individuals and as part of a team. We extend our borders beyond our campus and embrace the world. We build bridges culturally and educationally by seeking ways to partner with our neighbors and engage globally.

Our commitment to inclusivity and diversity is a continual priority and takes many forms across our entire community.

The Middle School African American Cultural Exchange (AACE) Elective class, brought Middle School students together to discuss the impact of cultural identity in our society. Through discussions of history, current events, social media, music, and other

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cultural influences, the class explored the multicultural self discovering what it means to be African American, Asian American, and other identities that make us who we are individually and as a community. Eighth grade student Rhea, who proposed the class, co-facilitated the class with fellow 8th grade student Aidan under the guidance of Director of Student Life Christina Kim and Associate Director of Admissions Erica Warren. The class visited the California African American Museum (caamuseum.org) focusing on a variety of exhibits, such as Derrick Adams: Network, No Justice, No Peace: LA 1992, that highlighted contemporary artists whose work delves into pertinent themes such as identity, race, gender, and history. Then students took part in an art workshop to create sculptures inspired by the experience. “ A.A.C.E. Club has been a very fun class for me to be a part of because it’s such an open and accepting space” Aidan – Vistamar Freshman “ The elective was really inclusive. The museum showed me new things that I didn’t even know happened.” Bella – 7th grade student In the spirit of collaboration, the elective truly enriched the understanding of power in diversity while students learned more about the world around us and ourselves.

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CONFERENCES 2017 Empowerment & Engagement Conference for African American Girls and for African American Boys Seven Willows Middle School students attended the Empowerment and Engagement Conference for African American Girls or the Empowerment & Engagement Conference for African American Boys. The conference, which included workshops, guest speakers, and group sessions, aimed to provide young women and young men with an opportunity to learn strategies for developing leadership skills and attaining success. The conferences offered our students numerous opportunities to network, share stories, and learn tangible future skills.

“ Thank you so very much for making it possible for my [child] to attend the conference. It was a wonderful opportunity in two ways: First, it gave [her] the opportunity to attend a seminar about what being a leader does and doesn’t mean. As she is entering her teen years soon, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

SoCAL POCIS Faculty, staff, and parents participated in professional development through SoCAL POCIS throughout the 2016-2017 school year, exploring topics like Student Voices, Rethinking Diversity, and Parent Voices.

These workshops allowed participants to engage in meaningful dialogue and activities in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

POCC Conferences At the 2017 NAIS People of Color Conference in Anaheim, Christina Kim, Steve Futterman, Michael Lin, as well as Trustees and current parents Bridgette Blue and Tessa Posnansky presented Going Deeper with Difficult Conversations through a Social Emotional Learning Approach, a one-hour workshop. Selected from more than 300 submissions, the presentation had an overflowing audience of 200+ with many people having to be turned away.

Second, . . . she had an opportunity to interact with her classmates outside of class. . . Once again, thank you for giving us the opportunity, and thank you for all that you and your colleagues are doing for our kids. “ Willows Parent

Pollyanna Conference 2017 www.pollyannainc.org.

In November 2017, 14 members of our community including administrators, alumni, diversity coordinators, faculty, parent trustees, and students in grades 8-12, participated in the Pollyanna Conference on Race, Privilege, and Community Building held at HarvardWestlake School. The conference has a unique structure which encourages advancing the diversity discussion at schools by breaking each school’s pod into workshops by constituency, and then reuniting in a discussion of next steps. The mission of Pollyanna is to create a platform “where groups of people can explore together diversity, inclusion and equity; and share ideas, experiences and knowledge in order to become change agents in theirimmediate communities.”

Lisa Rosenstein, Elizabeth Stocksdale, and Christina Kim also presented Service Learning for Middle School: Authentic cultural experiences that build empathy and shape future leaders at the 2017 POCC. This workshop focused on The Willows service learning trip to Arizona with the Me to We organization.

(Read about this trip on p. 50)

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

CULTURAL PROGRAMMING CULTURAL PROGRAMMING & VISITING AUTHORS

Each year our Cultural Programming Committee and our Director of Library Services Cathy Leverkus arrange a wide array of multicultural performances, conferences, and readings to our campus, bringing the world outside our walls inside The Willows to enrich our program.

Diane Ferlatte, Award-winning International Storyteller shared her unique storytelling. “The right story at the right time will enrich [your] day, and even make the world a little better place.�

Annual Multi-Cultural Evening Our annual Celebration of Family & Culture is a special evening of festivities celebrating the diversity of our families and the power of community.

Kwame Alexander, the 2015 Newbery award-winning author of Crossover and New York Times bestselling author of 21 books, visited The Willows with musician and poet Randy Preston. The power of poetry and writing became evident as Mr. Alexander engaged the students and even teachers in rapping and spoken word poetry.

Mexican Dance Troupe

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knowledge is power

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A S S E M B L I E S THE POWER WITHIN OUR OWN HALLWAYS

Assemblies are opportunities for our students to share, shine, and discover more about each other and the world. Faculty and administration also discover how incredible our students and our colleagues are and begin to recognize the struggles and accomplishments of people right next to us.

Veterans Day Assembly 2016 “Each one of us can be kind and respectful and a good listener. Each of us can be a change-maker, adding to positivity in the world in our own way by talking to and understanding, uniting people with different opinions.” (from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, RULER article “For families: How to respond to our young people.”)

At our recent Veterans Day Assembly, it was clear that our eighth grade students would indeed be “change-makers.” Their empathy for and understanding of others was apparent in a video they created about their Washington D.C. trip that included visits to national monuments and a silent drama tableau set to “Imagine”

by John Lennon.

Faculty and student presenters referenced the Charter and the Mood Meter talking about building a positive community and the feelings related to the immigrant story.

The presentations by our eighth graders and faculty member Lumpee Le both included tools of the RULER approach. The silent tableau by our eighth grade students used themes from their Class Charter that states how we want to feel at school each day and ways in which we can affect change within our community to work through conflict. Faculty member Lumpee Lee, who was born in Thailand and whose parents were refugees from Vietnam, shared his personal story. He discussed freedom of speech and human rights and expressed gratitude for the veterans who fought for freedom in a foreign place to assure that his family could come to the U.S. Lumpee then connected to our RULER approach through the use of a Mood Meter, another RULER tool, by asking how the students thought the veterans might feel as young people being away from their families, fighting for freedom in another country. Students then plotted the

emotions of the soldiers on the mood meter and shared feeling words.

Empathy–the ability to identify with other people and their struggles–on the part of our students and faculty, was vivid.

The assembly ended with our Middle School Honors Choir singing an inspiring rendition of “America the Beautiful” accompanied by a student on guitar. The assembly was a beautiful expression of empathy and understanding and also illustrated the many benefits of integrating our RULER Emotional Intelligence program throughout our school.

Martin Luther King Assembly 2017 Our student driven Martin Luther King Assembly 2017 concluded with this statement by an 8th grade student presenter:

“ Although Martin Luther King’s movement led to many improvements in our country, there is still clearly a lot of work left to do.

We can do our part each and every day here at school by following our classroom charters, by treating each other with respect and by embracing, respecting and honoring peoples’ differences.”

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

The Power of Your Voice EMPOWERING OUR STUDENTS • 7TH GRADE MEMPHIS TRIP

If you disrespect anybody that you run in to how in the world do you think anybody’s s’posed to respect you “Respect Yourself” –The Staple Singers

“We nurture a sense of compassion and community that begins at home, reinforcing what it means to be a respectful, involved citizen-of-the-world.” –from The Willows Philosophy.

Self-expression. Character. Empathy. We are devoted to tapping into our students’ imaginations and hearts so that they may discover their unique talents and passions, express themselves, and grow in countless ways. We want each child to find and use his or her voice and to accomplish this we create a safe environment where students can thrive as an individual and a valued member of our community and feel empowered to be and express themselves. As we state in our mission, we know that each child brings an “extraordinary gift” to our community, and our job is to develop each gift.

We also place emphasis on character, respect, and understanding knowing that the development of an individual and the definition of a truly “great mind” includes character and heart.

Expressing one’s voice, character, and empathy–the ability to identify with other people and their struggles–on the part of our students and faculty, was vivid in preparing students for the annual seventh grade trip to Memphis, Tennessee, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

Part of the seventh grade Core (the integration of history and English) curriculum focuses on American History and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s, preparing student for further Civil Rights study in eighth grade. As a culmination of their studies students, faculty, and administration embark on a trip to see first hand places that they studied.

The seventh grade examined the concepts of diversity and discrimination while interviewing an adult on these topics and writing argumentative essays on such subjects as, “should controversial speakers be allowed to address students on campus” and “should undocumented immigrants be deported.”

They also touch upon the themes of society and the individual, the oppression of one group over others, and those moments when people take action to change the status quo.

Students read the non-fiction book “Warriors Don’t Cry— The Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s Central High” by Melba Pattillo Beals that chronicles her experience at Central High integrating excerpts from her journal as a teen. Then, students actually visited Central High in Little Rock to see where the events of the book happened.

This brought learning to life in a powerful way.

Lilian Mingail, seventh grade CORE teacher states: “Together with my teaching partner, Steve Futterman, I am

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tasked each year with preparing our 7th graders for their upcoming trip to Memphis and Little Rock by bringing to life the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s and by encouraging the students to consider its relevance to the divisiveness and unrest that seem to be permeating our country right now.”

Lillian attended the Facing History and Ourselves “The Sounds of Change” workshop and brought back an approach through music. One of the keys to this preparation was the study of the music of the era that played a significant role in evoking social change. She explains: “We delved deeply into several classic soul songs, placing them within the context of the African Americans’ struggle to gain equality and examining how the stories of the artists, the music, and the lyrics provide a window into the ways that music can both inspire and reflect social change. The idea is to give our students the opportunity to engage deeply with the music by exploring each song’s social and political commentary. We extended the curriculum to further our students’ comprehension of not only the history that they will encounter on our trip to the South, but also of the complexities that characterize the contemporary American experience.”

Students analyzed the lyrics of “Soul Man” in the context of the Detroit Riots, compared and contrasted Otis Redding’s “Respect” with the Staple Singers’ “If You’re Ready.” Then, they visited the legendary Stax Records in Memphis to see where much Soul Music originated.

Through the study of other voices, our students discover more about themselves and find their own voice and ability to deal with each other and these important issues still facing our country and world.

“The preparation for the trip ensures its meaningful success,” says Head of School Lisa Rosenstein. “The trip presents a marvelous opportunity to approach the topics of diversity, microagressions, racial insensitivities, and inclusivity using empathy and understanding. It is a unifying and eye-opening experience for our students.”

A parent of one of the seventh grade students wrote, “a life changing trip such as this is a gift that they [the students] will carry with them forever.

It is with true joy that we join our students on a journey of self-discovery and understanding, empowering each of them to flourish, find their true voice, understand and support others, and make an impact on the world.

SAMPLING OF SITES VISITED: knowledge is power

Clinton Museum

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National Civil Rights Museum Sun Studios Withers Collection Museum & Gallery Full Gospel Tabernacle– Al Green’s Church Central High School (Little Rock) STAX Museum of American Soul Music Graceland

THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

THE POWER OF UNDERSTANDING

Real-World Experiences Empower & Educate The Middle School Community Service Learning Trip

eal-world experiences bring The Willows’ unique blend of challenging academics, hands-on learning, and social emotional development to powerful life. We know that our students learn best and flourish when they have authentic experiences in the community and world around them. Engaging with a larger community allows our students to gain an understanding of other people and walks of life, and to see how they may apply their knowledge and problem solving to issues.

For these reasons, our students constantly go outside the walls of The Willows and into other communities to gain perspective on their own lives.

They see first-hand how they can actively fit into and impact our interrelated world.

The first Willows Community Service Learning (CSL) Trip, Arizona –Sustainability in the Community, was inaugurated this year in partnership with Education First and the ME to WE Organization.

Eight students, chaperoned by Director or Student Life Christina Kim and Middle School Teacher Elizabeth Stocksdale, headed to the foothills of the Patagonia Mountains in Arizona where they explored the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center. The trip focused on how “surrounding ‘border towns’” address hardships, as well as environmental and immigration issues, and how to build the skills to combat and change these problems.

“Our students had an amazing and productive outdoor adventure,” says Elizabeth Stocksdale.

“They discovered so much about themselves as they explored this new environment, participated in survival training and sustainability workshops, and volunteered in the area.”

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Student experiences ranged from early morning chores such as feeding chickens (where they learned about permaculture and how they accomplished three tasks from one: feeding the chickens, enriching the soil, and growing plants) to manual labor to add pipes to a grey water system to visiting the Border Patrol. The following are excerpts from the Service Learning Trip 2017 Student Blog.

“ Today we visited many places that had connections with the border and the cultural issues behind the border. We were able to ask questions of amazing bilingual students and two Border Patrol Agents. The Border Patrol Agents answered our questions about immigration, the wall, and their jobs. The Border Patrol Agents were very open to us even talking about our current president, and what they would do with the money proposed to use to build the wall running along the border . . . we were able to walk next to the border and see into Mexico. Mexico actually had shops right across from the 18-foot fence that divides the two countries. We were able to see a family having a conversation with the border in between them. This was such a heartfelt moment and really made us aware of the struggle that family’s go through when in this situation. This was definitely something that will always stick with us throughout our lives and we will always relate this experience when talking about border issues and political discussions.”

“ Everyone in our group was able to touch the fence dividing these countries, and some even stuck their hands through into Mexico. This was such a once in a lifetime experience that we had the privilege of enduring.”

Of a hike in Patagonia students blogged “ All of us were able to learn so many new things about traditional farming, new agriculture, and different endangered species that are migrating from Mexico into Arizona. The hike was about three miles, and we talked about how it would feel to be in an immigrant’s shoes.”

Of the Deep Dirt Farm Institute

“ We went to Deep Dirt Farms, which is owned by Kate Tirion.

Kate’s farm has been improving in sustainability and up-cycling. We got to do some work pulling out weeds and building a water slower so when floods come the water will get slowed and help build up the ground.”

Upon their return, students reflected on their trip, and created individual actions plans for using what they learned. The trip was not just an opportunity to hike in Patagonia and experience the outdoors but an eye-opening, transformative, real-world educational experience for everyone involved.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

Alumni Happenings Powering Up Our Alumni

The Willows Class of 2013 Alumni Reunion-Powerful Reconnecting!

Alumni from the Class of 2013 and their parents gathered on The Willows campus with Willows administration and faculty to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni graduating high school and heading off to college and beyond!

Common Sense Teen Panel “Notes to My Middle School Self” featured Willows Alums Three Willows High school age alumni, Brian Dawson ‘13, Vistamar School; Talia Goodman ’13, Archer School; and Koroosh Hadavi ‘13, Windward School joined the Common Sense Teen Panel to share their experiences with social media and offer advice on how to manage the digital landscape of middle and high school.

The Alumni High School Panel Our annual Alumni Panel featured Willows alumni; Brian Wogensen of The Archer School for Girls; and Jeremy Fassler ’04, Northwestern University and Harvard University (MFA).

Grace Fetterman ’08 and Jack Bush ’07 Present at Our New Parent Evening Grace Fetterman and Jack Bush returned to The Willows to tell our new parent families all about their lives after The Willows. Grace was joined by Middle School teacher Steve Futterman, and Jack by Middle School Dean Doug Klier, who were mentors during their time at The Willows.

ALUMNI CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

The Second Alumni Professional Panel and Networking Event for Alumni Empowering our Alumni on their Career Paths More than 100 alumni and alumni parents attended our Second Annual Professional Panel for Alumni in June. The panel, moderated

by Erwin More, Co-Chair of The Willows Board of Governors, included Dave Cowling, Joe Meltzer, Shari Rosenthal, Marlene King, Mina LeFevre, and Philippe Browning. Gary Yale, Co-Chair of The Willows Board of Governors, was also in attendance. The event is a joint production of The Willows Alumni Office and The Willows Board of Governors.

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Class of 1996 // Aaron Berger Class of 1999 // Jared Ross Class of 2000 // Class of 2001 // Igor Kleyman Class of 2003 // Amanda Gottesman and Casey Baird Class of 2004 // Sami Hauser (Green), Seth Mumy and Richard Vishnevsky Class of 2005 // Charlotte Fassler, Greg Powell and Maddy McNamara Class of 2006 // Class of 2007 // Jack Bush and Kit Landry Class of 2008 // Grace Fetterman and Wynn Haimer Class of 2009 // Willa Baigelman Class of 2010 // Sarah Bush and Taylor Tabb Class of 2011 // Autumn Henry and Thomas Eisenman Class of 2012 // Anna Eisenman and Evan Hasencamp Class of 2013 // Annie Schindel and Ethan Russo Class of 2014 // Chloe Weisberg and Milan Michaud Class of 2015 // Lucie O’Brien, Jenna Soong, Nick Green and Lucas Kirk Class of 2016 // Aidan and Ben Osterman

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Alumni Happenings you have changed, and the people you inspired along the way will forever be touched.” —Zach Hauptman ‘17

Alumni Send Retiring Teacher Ronit Liberman Off in Style Four alumni, Louis Greenwald, Stella Josefsberg, Leonard Murray in person, and Zach Hauptman, who wrote a message, honored Ronit, retiring first and second grade loop teacher at a recent faculty celebration. All four had been in Ronit’s class. Here are some of their remarks.

“ I remember the excitement Ronit had every single step, every single time we did something in class . . . she has impacted me, my life, and . . . has positively affected every single other kid who walked into her class, just like me! Ronit, I don’t know what I would do without you. And even though your teaching career is coming to an end, the lives

“ I can honestly say that you are one of the most influential parts of my growing up. I remember getting a hello and a hug everyday . . . We wrote journals in Ronit’s class and here is one of my entries from the prompt: Who is the most important person you know and why? I wrote, ‘Ronit is very important to me because she helps me to do what I am supposed to do.

She helps me through life!’ When I’m much older and telling my kids about my childhood, I will mention my teacher, Ronit.

Thank you for your patience and thank you for your unconditional love.” —Stella Josefsberg ‘15

“ The beautiful thing about you and The Willows, is that long after those two years in your class, you continued to be a teacher, a mentor and support me.” —Leonard Murray ‘13

“ I was talking to Brent the other day and he told me, Ronit taught over 800 students, Over 800 students! And, I thought the entire time that I was the only student she had! Thank you for everything you do. Thank you on behalf of all the other students you’ve done so much for, and honestly, if any one deserves to retire early, it’s you!” —Louie Greenwald ‘11

Alumni in

JEREMY FASSLER ’04 appeared on Jeopardy on June 19, 2017. He is shown

DAISY HAMEL-BUFFA ’09 has a new

here with show host Alex Trebek.

single “Overtime” that was number 11 on the United States Viral 50 on Spotify.

LEO BRISTOW ‘15 played for the Swedish National 18U team in the European Championship in Gijon, Spain. He was the youngest player in the tournament.

ABBY BERGMAN ’10 swam the

JAMES WU ’09 graduated from Cornell

challenging Catalina crossing summer of

University and worked as a Product Design

2016. Leaving Catalina immediately after

intern at Apple.

midnight, Abby swam 20 miles to Rancho

QUINN BRODY ‘10 was drafted in the

Palos Verde. She spent 10 straight hours

SAM GREISMAN’S ’02 screenplay titled

in the ocean. During the summer 2017,

Major League Baseball (MLB) drafts in the

“On the Sidelines” received a nomination at

Abby swam The English Channel.

third round by the New York Mets.

The Austin Film Festival.

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THE WILLOWS winter 2017-2018

Alumni Connections Powerful Friendships

Annie Schindel, Anabella Ronson Benenati, Hannah Greenwald, and Talia Goodman, four Willows alums from the Class of 2013, who have been together since kindergarten and now graduated from the Archer School for Girls are shown l to r in this photo from Archer Senior Day. Missing in the photo: Aggie Alperovich and Avery Bush

Bronson Green ‘06, Site Operations Manager, New England Patriots, arranged a behind the scenes tour of Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, for our fifth grade class as part of their Boston trip. He is shown here with Lisa Rosenstein during the tour!

Anthony and Christian Isbell ‘10 are shown here with their mother, alumni parent, Kim Payne at our Annual Gala.

A very special congratulations to our alumni from The Willows Class of 2013 for their 2016-17 induction in the Windward School National Honor Society. Every one of our alumni from the Class of 2013 attending Windward School were inducted: Koorosh Hadavi ‘13, Kasey Arko ‘13, Olivia Benun ‘13, Naomi Nicholas ‘13, Zach Elbaum ‘13, Jordan Sacks ‘13 and Matthew Perlow ‘13.

Alumni Dance Troupe

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2016 Annual vs. Alumni vs. Faculty Basketball Game & Pizza Social

Igor Kleyman ‘01 has joined The Willows Board of Trustees as the first alum to represent the alumni community. He is shown here with his wife Ellie Kleyman.

Brian Dawson ’13, Connor Wilhelm ’06, Matt Avolio ’06, Seth Mumy ’04, Brian Bernstein ’02, Nikolai Beshkov ’07, Manuel Ramos ‘01

Alumni Spotlight Elizabeth Yale Marsh ’00

Emmy Award-Winning Producer Elizabeth Yale ‘00 GIVES Back!

Elizabeth Yale, Class of 2000, is the Co-Executive Producer of GIVE, a new series that won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series and shown on NBC-TV on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m. GIVE is part of a new three hour Saturday programming block, The More You Know, telling inspiring stories about the environment, social change, health and wellness, and community engagement.

GIVE will introduce viewers to the world of philanthropy through the stories of small charities making a big impact. The series features NBC News correspondent and founder of UNICEF’s Next Generation Jenna Bush Hager, esteemed actor/producer/humanitarian Blair Underwood, and passionate celebrity philanthropists from the worlds of film, television, music, sports, and business. In each episode, an inspiring celebrity ambassador will visit two separate charities that use innovation, best practices, and dedication for change in their communities and the world. With the help of some of the country’s top foundations, audiences will be introduced to inspiring individuals through the eyes of our celebrity ambassadors.

Liz is an entertainment producer of scripted and unscripted TV, films, books, branded, and digital for Bungalow Media + Entertainment (www.bungalowentertainment.com), Executive Producers of GIVE. She has also worked for Radical Media where she helped develop shows for Showtime, MTV, Sundance, OWN, History, and Bravo among others.

In addition, she has held positions at Endeavor Talent Agency and New Line Cinema. She currently serves on the board of UNICEF’s Next Generation and is the Founder and Advisor of the Harvard-Westlake Film Festival.

“ I was so fortunate to go to a school where the act of creation was encouraged. Our teachers wanted us to explore and try new things instead of focusing on being perfect.”

Tess Murdoch ‘03–Design, Art, Creativity, Maker & Entrepreneurship Meet in Her New Textile Venture, New Hue Textile Studio Tess is now a co-owner of New Hue Textile Studio and one of the eight co-owners of Textiles West, a burgeoning organization aiming to inspire awareness, participation, and appreciation of textile and fiber arts in Colorado Springs.

Textiles West has an innovation/maker space lab. To read an article about Tess’s textile work in the Colorado Springs Independent visit: https://www.csindy.com/Abstractions/archives/2017/06/29/textiles-west-fills-community-fiber-art-organization-void

Max Curtis ‘06 Takes Gaming to a New Level in Las Vegas Max Curtis ‘06 is the manager of The Downtown Underground in the Downtown Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, a fresh gaming hub for a new generation of young adults featuring eSports and skill-based games. The Underground offers a gaming extravaganza with top tier computers, gaming consoles paired with a huge flat screen TV, weekly tournaments and competitions and prizes. Max has spearheaded the operation and has been renovating and revamping the space to make it appealing to casual and professional players.

The Willows Class of 2013 College Acceptances Congratulations to the alumni from the Class of 2013 on their college acceptances. Our alumni will be attending the following colleges and universities:

Barnard College Boston College Boston Conservatory Boston University Boston University School of Theatre Brown University California State University, Northridge Colorado College Cornell University Emerson College George Washington University Harvard University Kenyon College Lafayette College Loyola Marymount University New York University Northeastern University Northern Arizona University Oberlin College University of Pennsylvania Regis University Rice University San Diego State University Santa Monica College School of Visual Arts St. Olaf College Stanford University Syracuse University Tulane University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, San Diego University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Denver University of Illinois University of La Verne University of Michigan University of Oregon University of Portland University of Southern California University of Texas at Austin Vanderbilt University Washington University Wesleyan University Yale University

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Alumni In Brief Marlon Rabenreither ’03, who goes by the name Gold Star, released a new Album, “Big Blue” at the end of March 2017. “Big Blue” is a follow up to his first release “Dark Days.” The new album has a strong connection to Los Angeles. The city gives his songs a geographic touch point and context.

Marlon writes, lives, and records in Big Blue, a 1910 Craftsman style house in Hollywood. “Songwriting is different for every song, each one is its own riddle,” says Marlon. Read a featured article on Marlon in RAVLEIN: Gold Star on His Album Big Blue (http://ravelinmagazine.com/posts/gold-star-on-his-album-big-blue/)

Jordan Saks ‘13 is attending Oberlin College in Ohio and playing on the basketball team. He plans on studying music as his major. From an article in the Official Athletics Site of Oberlin College: “Jordan Sacks from Los Angeles, California, is the fourth player from the Windward School to join the men’s basketball team since 2011. As a senior, he received second-team All-Gold Coast League honors as his team reached the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA Quarterfinals. In three of his four seasons, Windward has made deep playoff runs and experienced success in various tournaments.”

Nick Green ‘15, a junior at the Buckley School, was accepted at the highly competitive Telluride Association Sophomore Seminar (TASS) Program. Nick had the opportunity to experience six weeks of all-expenses-paid college-level courses in black and ethnic studies to inspire young people to explore the culture, politics, and history of people of African descent as well as other topics. He is one of 56 students accepted from over 1,000 applications from across the U.S. and abroad.

Sarah Bush ’10, a fourth year biomedical engineering major at Georgia Tech, worked on a team project making it to the semifinals round of the Inventure Prize, the nation’s largest undergraduate invention competition. The project was TINA (Tampon Insertion Aid) designed to help women with Multiple Sclerosis and arthritis and C6-7 tetraplegics with limited hand strength and finger flexibility.

Eli Linnetz ‘05 directed the music videos for Kanye West’s “Famous and Fade” and has been heralded in Interview magazine as “a really interesting new artist working in chorus with the singer . . . When fielding questions about his life or work, the now-25-year-old native of Venice Beach, who studied screenwriting at USC and assisted David Mamet during the run of his play “Race”, Linnetz will answer, as often as not, with a vibey non sequitur wrapped in an enigma and powdered with irony. But lest you take that as typical millennial posturing—all apathy and winking shrugs—Linnetz is very clear that he cares about what he does, who it affects, and what it’s all for.”

To read the complete interview visit http://www. interviewmagazine.com/culture/eli-russell-linnetz#_.

Brian Dawson ’13 was described in Vistamar School Daily Breeze as “a scoring machine for the Vistamar boys basketball team for the past four years,” and lauded by his coach: “The large number of points he’s scored are a testament to his relentless drive and work ethic,” Vistamar coach David Polett said. “He is a dedicated student of the game and his leadership, poise and toughness have led our program to new heights.” Brian is attending Regis University in Denver. He also recently participated in The Willows/Common Sense Media Social Media Panel this past spring.

Alumni In Brief Jordan Bryan ‘07, is working at the Broad Institute doing cutting-edge research. Jordan and his team recently published a piece on cancer research in Nature Genetics Magazine entitled, “Computational correction of copy number effect improves specificity of CRISPR–Cas9 essentiality screens in cancer cells. The team used math to correct for the fact that when genes are cut/spliced for research, there is physical damage done to the area of the cuts and this damage creates “noise” around the real effects of the gene manipulation.

Wilder Buchanan ’12, a senior at Loyola High School and a member of the Loyola Robotics team, initiated a program at Loyola that offers training in robotics at high schools in the Compton and Inglewood School districts that are unable to offer robotics due to lack of resources. Wilder set up 10 teams in five high schools with the assistance of other students at Loyola High School. These students, who are members of a FIRST Tech Challenge team established by Wilder, are training teachers. This program allows Wilder to combine his interest in robotics, mechanics, and community service.

The Willows Class of 2017 Secondary School Acceptances We are proud to share the success of our eighth graders during this year’s secondary school admissions process.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017 for their acceptances to the finest, most competitive independent schools in the Los Angeles area.

Our students’ success speaks to the academic and socio-developmental strength of our DK-8 educational program.

Archer School for Girls Areté Preparatory Academy Brentwood School Buckley School Campbell Hall Cate School Crespi Carmelite High School Crossroads School deToledo High School Geffen Academy at UCLA Marlborough School

Jacob Goodman ’11, a junior at the University of Chicago and a

Marymount High School

graduate of Harvard-Westlake School, returned for two weeks in summer to create art installations for the annual Willows still life that represented the “power of nature.” Jacob directed a Shakespearean play at the University of Chicago and reminisced about his part in The Willows’ graduation play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the inspiration and support he received from teachers, and how The Willows prepared him for college and beyond.

Milken Community School

Jack Bush ’07 completed his master’s in electrical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He worked as a paid intern on the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is now working full time at JPL. Jack is shown here with our Middle School students and Willows Dean of Educational Technology Wendy Amster when he hosted our students on a field trip to JPL. Jack graduated from Loyola High School and The Georgia Institute of Technology.

Annie Schindel ’13 was interviewed in Substream Magazine for her song writing in an article ”Prepare to fall in love with the acoustic-pop of Annie Schindel.”

The article states, ”There is no minimum age requirements for talent. Annie Schindel is just 17 years old, but already she is writing with a wit and perspective on life well beyond her years.” Annie now attends Northwestern University. Read the full article at http://substreammagazine.com/2016/06/discover-annie-schindel/

For more alumni news visit Willows Alumni Online www.thewillows.org/Alumni-News Facebook: www.facebook.com/willows.alum Instagram: willowsalumni

New Roads School Oakwood School Oaks Christian School Star Prep Academy St. Monica Catholic High School Thacher School Tree Academy Vistamar School Wildwood School Windward School

“ Academic achievements, creative abilities, critical thinking skills, and character are the keys to the success of our eighth grade students and our alumni,” says Lisa Rosenstein, Head of School. “We congratulate them as they go forward as confident, well-prepared individuals with a true passion for learning.”

PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE

PAI D LOS ANGELES, CA PERMIT NO.

–Joseph Campbell

Seek to know the power that is within you.”

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