The Compass Winter 2018

THE

COMPASS

A MAGAZINE FOR THE WINDWARD SCHOOL COMMUNITY | WINTER 2018

The Compass The Compass is published twice a year by the School’s Communications Office.

It is a magazine for The Windward School community.

Note: At The Windward School, alumni class years are the same as their high school graduation year.

Dr. John J. Russell Head of School Jonathan Rosenshine Associate Head of School Maureen Sweeney Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions

THE

COMPASS

A MAGAZINE FOR THE WINDWARD SCHOOL COMMUNITY | WINTER 2018

Stephen Littell Assistant Head of School and Director of Finance and Operations Editor/Director of Communications Heather Pray Contributing Writers Laura Bottari, Ellen Bowman, Katherine Kaneko, Jessica Mangano, Heather Pray, Dr. John J. Russell, Victoria Scarinci, Danielle Scorrano, Lori Squillante Contributing Photographers Laura Bellizzi, Abby DeLuca, Lauren Gentile, Sophia Hsu, Marilyn Hunt, ToniAnn Hutchison, Jill LeVine, Staci Marlowe, Donna Mueller, Heather Pray, Amanda Rathbun, Lilyan Sands, Victoria Scarinci, Danielle Scorrano, Lori Squillante, Jason Steiker, Andrea Tolliver

Monday, March 19 – Friday, March 30 Spring Break (School resumes on Monday, April 2) Monday, March 19 – Friday, March 23 Marchmester Wednesday, April 25 Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture Presented by Laurie J. Cutting, PhD Location: Westchester Middle School 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 10 Grandparents and Special Persons Day, Westchester Lower School Grades 1-3 Friday, May 11 Grandparents and Special Persons Day, Westchester Lower School Grade 4

Design Thomas A. Hein

Monday, May 14 Grandparents and Special Persons Day, Manhattan Lower School Grades 2-4

The Windward School thewindwardschool.org

Wednesday, May 30 Five- and Ten-Year Alumni Reunion: Classes ’08 and ‘13

Thursday, June 7 Windward Parents Association Open Meeting & Closing Lunch w/ Alumni Panel Location: Coveleigh Club Thursday, June 14 Manhattan Lower School Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony Westchester Lower School Grade 4 Moving Up Ceremony Graduation & Commencement Ceremony Location: Westchester Middle School Tuesday, June 19 Windward Classic Golf and Tennis Outing Location: Quaker Ridge Golf Club Monday, July 2 – July 27 (no class July 4) The Windward School Summer Program Locations: Westchester Middle School and Manhattan Campuses Please check the website calendar for any schedule changes at thewindwardschool.org/calendar

CONTENTS 4

From the Head of School

22

Sports at Windward

5

From the President of the Board of Trustees

24

News Around the School

6

Axel Getz ’14: Pushing Limits and Succeeding

26

Reflections on My First Year

9

Not Your Parents’ Math

27

Faculty News & Milestones

14

Transform Lives: Give Today!

28

Windward Parents Association

15

Faculty Q&A: Doug Dalessandro

30

Back-to-School Picnic Photos

17

The Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture

32

Leadership Donors Reception at Stone Barns

18

Westchester Lower School Photos

34

Alumni Homecoming Photos

instagram.com/TheWindwardSchool

19

Manhattan Lower School Photos

35

Fall Alumni Gathering

twitter.com/Windward_School

20

Westchester Middle School Photos

36

Alumni News & Notes

21

Manhattan Middle School Photos

On the cover: Laura Bottari, Westchester Middle School Math Coordinator, observes as a middle-school student completes an algebraic equation on the interactive whiteboard.

On this page: Katherine Murphy, Manhattan Lower School Teacher, and a student high-five during math class.

Follow us!

facebook.com/TheWindwardSchool

from the

Head of School

John J. Russell, Ed.D. Head of School

The Windward School has an unwavering commitment to transforming the lives of students who are challenged by language-based learning disabilities.

The School’s dedication to helping more deserving students has fueled its recent evolution. In 1994, The Windward School expanded its original school building in order to better meet the growing demand for access to its research-based program.

The expansion of the building at 13 Windward Avenue enabled 275 students to obtain the education they needed and deserved. In 2002, the School opened a second campus on West Red Oak Lane campus, which allowed just over 400 students to experience the transformative effect of a Windward education. As Windward has grown, so has its reputation as one of the premier institutions for students with language-based learning disabilities. This, in turn, has fueled even greater demand for seats at Windward.

With the addition of an eighth-grade class at our Manhattan campus this year, Windward teachers will be able to transform the lives of 862 students.

Throughout this unprecedented growth, Windward has remained committed to its research-based instructional practices and its core values; our scientifically validated program is being delivered to the same exacting standards as it always has. The Windward School remains one school with one mission, and now it is located on three campuses.

Windward is much more than its instructional program and facilities. What makes our school stellar is our teachers’ ability to ensure the academic success of students while promoting their social and emotional well-being. The faculty and staff at The Windward School take this belief to heart, and each day they work with dedication not only to help our students navigate their academic subjects but also to equip them with the skills necessary for a successful adult life. In this edition

4 | The Compass Winter 2018

of The Compass, Jessica Mangano provides a first-hand account of the intense and comprehensive professional development program that all Windward teachers undergo in their journey from assistant to master teacher.

Our faculty understands that their influence on students does not end when the final bell rings; it lasts lifelong. The Alumni Notes section chronicles the postWindward experiences of our talented alumni and provides vivid examples of the lasting impact of a Windward education. In the profile of this year’s alumni keynote graduation speaker, Axel Getz describes his journey from struggling reader to graduate of one of America’s most prestigious universities.

Axel and his fellow alumni are adamant in their convictions that Windward and the quality of the education it provides were paramount to their success.

Windward is widely known for the strength of its language arts program, but as you will read in the article about Windward’s math program and the interview with Doug Dalessandro, our students also excel in math and science.

The full breadth of our students’ experiences at Windward are captured in the photographs from our three campuses and in the short news pieces about the myriad of activities that take place at the School.

I am thrilled that this year Windward will be educating the most students in its 91-year history. As you peruse this issue of The Compass, please do so knowing that the School remains unwavering in its dedication to them and its long-cherished belief that a Windward education can unlock talent and intellect, unleash potential, and make any dream come true.

from the

President of the Board of Trustees

Ellen Bowman President, Board of Trustees I am writing to share with you a few of the exciting initiatives that the Board of Trustees has been engaged in this year.

NEW TRUSTEES This July, we welcomed Arthur Ceria, Peter D’Avanzo, David Friedland, and Nicholas Van Amburg to the Board of Trustees. In addition to being passionate supporters of Windward, each of them brings a set of professional experiences and skills that will be invaluable as the Board develops a new strategic plan that will shape the future of the School.

LEADERSHIP DONORS RECEPTION On a beautiful fall evening in early October, members of the Board thanked many leading supporters of The Windward School at a reception at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Over 150 people joined Dr. Russell, Head of School, and the Board of Trustees in celebrating the impressive success of fundraising efforts for the 2016-17 school year. The spectacular evening was hosted by former board president and trustee emerita, Devon Fredericks, and her husband Eli Zabar. You can see photos from this evening on page 32. The School is fortunate to have such a committed and generous community supporting it – thank you!

GIVING DAY I am pleased to report that the School’s second giving day was its most successful. On Tuesday, November 28, current parents, board members, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, students, friends, and faculty and staff members came together for #WindwardGIVES and raised over $750,000 to help transform the lives of our students. The Board of Trustees matched every dollar up to $250,000. Thanks to a match provided by an anonymous alumni donor, alumni had the opportunity to triple the impact of their donations. We are continually grateful for your support and hope you will join us for the next giving day in fall of 2018.

STRATEGIC PLANNING The Board of Trustees is hard at work creating an updated strategic plan for The Windward School. This new plan will take us into the School’s centennial celebration and, as always, this plan will honor our mission and our desire to help more students. The Board held a two-day retreat in November, where we discussed key areas including succession planning, developing a new vision for The Windward School, the future of Windward Teacher Training Institute (WTTI), technology, and communications.

The Board is working hand in hand with the administrative team to develop a strong strategic plan for Windward with the goal of finalizing it before the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.

HEAD OF SCHOOL SEARCH AND NEW ROLE FOR DR. RUSSELL In mid-January, every member of the Windward community should have received An Announcement from the Head of School and the Board of Trustees President. In this mailed piece, Dr. Russell announced that he would assume a new role at the School after the 2018-2019 school year, and a search committee, with the

assistance of the search firm Spencer Stuart, would take on the task of finding a new Head of School. While finding a new Head of School is not an easy task, we are delighted that Dr. Russell will remain closely involved with the Board and the School. We are thrilled with the new initiatives that Dr. Russell will be working on, and we will keep the Windward community informed as the search progresses.

THE WINDWARD SCHOOL BENEFIT Every two years, we look forward to The Windward School Benefit, and the one held on Saturday, March 10 was no different. Please join the board in celebrating our honorees Anderson Cooper, Christine and Stephen A. Schwarzman, and Dr. Sally and Dr. Bennett Shaywitz. The evening is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the School. Our website and social media will feature fun post-event coverage, and there will be more to see in the August issue of The Compass.

I am always in awe of the incredible work that our community does for the School. The Windward School would not be where it is without our hard-working faculty and staff members; our dedicated parents, guardians, and grandparents; our impressive alumni; and so many more that have brought the School to where it is today. I look forward to our continued work together and to sharing more with you soon.

thewindwardschool.org | 5

A XE L G E T Z ’ 1 4 :

Pushing Limits and Succeeding

By Katherine Kaneko Editor’s note: Axel Getz ’14 will speak at The Windward School 2018 Graduation and Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, June 14.

When Axel Getz clicked his boots into his ski bindings at the start of the Beirkebeinerrennet in the small town of Rena, Norway, he was probably not thinking of the parallels between his own story and the history of this famous 54 kilometer cross-country ski marathon.

But the story of the race mirrors Axel’s own journey with dyslexia, supported by powerful allies including family, friends, and The Windward School. In the beginning of the 13th century, a civil war between the Baglers and the Birkebeiners broke out over the kingdom of Norway. The Birkebeiner king had been assassinated, and his infant son soon became the Baglers’ next target. The baby’s escape, on the backs of two skiers across punishing terrain in a raging blizzard, is commemorated every year in Norway with the gruelling Birkebeinerrennet, which follows their route. Similar to preparing for and competing in this race, Axel’s journey with dyslexia has required many hours of intense training, practice, commitment, and support.

When Axel was in first grade, his teachers at Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS) recommended that he be tested for dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

The school was already supporting Axel and some of his classmates by offering special tutoring in a separate classroom, but Axel was young enough that he did not see himself as different. As a happy and creative first grader, he wasn’t aware of his dyslexia. “A little kid isn’t thinking of academic performance,” he recalls. Axel’s good fortune to be identified with dyslexia at such a young age was the first part of his journey towards success. “Looking back,” he says, “I was blessed to be diagnosed early and very lucky to be able to go to Windward.

6 | The Compass Winter 2018

feel safe when he left the lower school to attend Westchester Middle School; and the constant encouragement from teachers like Robin Travers, who urged Axel “to think I could do anything, that I was smart and worth it, and that I had to give everything that I’ve got.”

Axel has been all over the world. Here he is in Paris during a trip with his mother.

I don’t know where I’d be without it.” On the first day of second grade, Axel expected to arrive at GCDS as he had for the past two years, yet much to his surprise, instead of GCDS, he was dropped off at Windward and told that this was now his new school.

Undaunted, Axel went through the doors of this new environment and remembers that “the first day of school went very well.”

The seven years of his time at Windward continued in the same vein. A few of Axel’s fond memories of being at Windward include gaining inspiration from teachers like Patricia Gay, who imparted an interest in world history that continues to motivate him today; feeling the warmth and compassion from teachers like Marsha Finkelstein, whose extraordinary kindness made Axel

Windward imparted academic skills and lit a creative fire that continues to be an integral part of him today; Axel’s experience at Windward left him with “a toolkit for everyday life that is so important to hold onto and use.” He continues, “the skills Windward gives you evens out your playing field. And beyond that, it’s a program that shouldn’t just be specific to people with learning disabilities – it helps everyone.” After he left Windward, Axel recognized that a learning disability can make an individual feel inadequate in comparison to his or her peers without learning disabilities, “but when you go back to the outlines and skills you learned at Windward, it provides comfort and stability and reminds you that you are not inadequate, that you can do it.”

At Windward, Axel was part of the student council; participated in the newly established WE CARE program that raised global awareness and tolerance; and received the Dr. James Van Amburg Award, which is named after a former head of school and is given to students nominated by the faculty for academic excellence and exemplary involvement in the School. Axel’s teachers still remember him as a dedicated member of the Windward community, a diligent student, and a happy and thoughtful friend.

Most importantly, they remember Axel as someone unafraid to take risks, unafraid to challenge himself and to carry the weight of that challenge through to completion.

As a result of his education at Windward, Axel is an advocate of “going and talking to professors and making sure you are visible, especially when you’re dyslexic in an intense

academic institution.” The supportive and protective environment of Windward and the partnerships with his teachers showed Axel that “you don’t need to go through it alone; you can go out and seek help; and you definitely have a reason to ask for it.

Tell them about yourself and your way of learning.”

After Windward, Axel attended Proctor Academy, a boarding school in Andover, New Hampshire. The moment Axel stepped on the Proctor Academy campus, he immediately felt that it was a friendly and kind place, like Windward. He saw it as a great next step. Proctor was a place where Axel felt he could get used to a world that was not Windward, a world where he had to explain to others about his learning differences and advocate for himself, where not every class supported him in his disability. Axel knew that the goal of Windward’s support system was for students to internalize the skills and strategies that would give them independence and success in a world not designed for individuals who learned differently. And clearly, Axel’s years at Windward and his own desire to explore the places that some might shy away from allowed him to thrive at Proctor. During his time there, he was elected vice president of the school and president of both the Gay-Straight Alliance and the Eco-Reps.

He also earned the dance award, the pottery award, the Colby Book Prize award, the Aldo Leopold Award for environmental work, the Actions Speak Louder Than Words award, the Alice S. Fowler Award for the student that gave the most to Proctor in their fourth year, and the award for which Axel is most proud – the English Award. English was the most challenging subject for Axel, and winning the English Award was a personal success for him – the winning of a long race that had begun back in the first grade.

Proctor is also where Axel began his lifelong love of cross-country skiing.

A downhill racer all his life, Axel joined the Nordic team on a whim, not realizing that cross-country skiing is one of the most athletic and challenging sports there is. Through the intense training and long races, Axel developed not just strength but community – a key component to his success in many of the challenges he already faced. Cross-country skiing took him to

Axel spent the beginning of 2018 in Taiwan. Here he is at a night market in Taipei in front of the original Taiwanese flag at the National Museum.

beautiful wilderness untrammelled by the public and offered him opportunities to tap hidden reserves of physical and mental endurance. As a junior, Axel travelled with his team to Norway to race the Birkebeinerrennet as one of the few foreign competitors who ski the race. Cross-country ski racing is an intense endeavour, with the skier struggling with natural elements and physical exertion. The sport inspires devotion because of its challenges, and simply completing the race is considered to be a major achievement, a testament to one’s will and commitment. Axel has a willingness to put himself in uncomfortable situations that challenge and push his limits, and his completion of the Birkebeinerrennet is just one such accomplishment, joining a list of many honors he earned at Windward, Proctor Academy, and, eventually, Brown University.

Early in his time at Proctor, Axel identified Brown University as the college he wanted to attend. He knew that Brown’s open curriculum would be a good personal challenge where he would find success. He applied early decision and gained admittance.

The transition to Brown, however, would

not be as easy as it had been at Windward or Proctor. The support network he had in high school disappeared. He also felt uncertain that he would meet many students with the same disabilities as he had. In addition, the atmosphere was intensely academic, rigorous, and fast-paced. Determined, Axel turned to what had worked for him in his past challenges – his advisor. Thanks to the support of this powerful ally, he weathered the challenges of much larger classes and less available professors. In spite of the initial difficulties, it was an exciting time for him to begin learning things at a college level, and he soon adjusted, pulling in strong grades by the end of the first semester.

Axel realized that he was able to adapt quickly by “going back again to what I learned at Windward, where the skills they teach you change how you think and how you approach a problem. I had a lot of tools to choose from in my repertoire of academic skills.”

At Brown, Axel was more explicitly aware of his dyslexia than he had been at Proctor, especially when he took his first mid-term exam for his environmental thewindwardschool.org | 7

with Axel rowing in the second seat, his boat won the Summer Eights, a four-to-five day regatta on the Isis River that has been a part of Oxford culture for more than 200 years.

Axel’s journey through his year at Oxford progressed smoothly, and he returned to Brown buzzing with the energy and expansiveness that living in another country can inspire.

While at Oxford, Axel competed in the Summer Eights regatta where his team won Blades for St. Peter’s College.

science class. He went to Brown’s center for students with learning disabilities to take the exam and discovered that out of the 180 people who were taking the course, there was only one other person who had been granted extra time along with him. It was an illuminating moment for Axel, who suddenly saw the impact of his education at Windward from a completely different perspective. Axel felt the full force of his journey with dyslexia and became even more keenly aware of the support structure that had helped him realize his abundant gifts at an institution like Brown.

While an undergraduate, Axel applied to the highly competitive yearabroad program at Oxford University. To be considered for the program, applicants must maintain a 3.75 GPA or higher, complete multiple sit-down interviews with representatives from the University, and submit a thousand-word statement of purpose. He was selected along with two other students from Brown, and in his junior year, Axel matriculated at St. Peter’s College at Oxford University. He saw Oxford as a necessary step to push himself as an academic (“a scary proposition for someone with dyslexia,” he notes), given that they were writing 2,500-word papers once or twice a week.

8 | The Compass Winter 2018

The first time Axel turned in a paper to his professor in Chinese archaeology, it was returned to him with five pages of mark ups so dense, they almost equalled the length of his original paper.

He recognizes that “when a teacher gives you pages full of red marks, it can hurt, but it’s also a learning opportunity. You do it every week at Oxford, and you get these thoughtful and really beneficial comments on your papers – it makes a difference.

Quality and frequency of critiques makes a difference.”

There was also the vaunted tutorial system at Oxford, where Axel had to read and defend his paper to the professor in a one-on-one session that could last over an hour. The professor would attempt to find holes in the paper, and Axel would defend his reasoning and his arguments in an exercise that not only served to sharpen his analytical and verbal skills but also heightened his ability to see flaws and errors in his own writing. Axel found the academic environment and the social culture of Oxford’s colleges invigorating as well.

The university was cosmopolitan, with many different cultures and perspectives. Waking up at six a.m., he rowed crew for two and a half hour practices four-to-five days a week.

It was an excellent way to meet people, and

Back at Brown, Axel maintains a 3.9 GPA as a major in environmental science and archaeology. He spent the beginning of 2018 in Taiwan on a study comparing how Taiwanese and American museums represent indigenous people and how best to de-colonize museums so that they more authentically represent these minority cultures. His senior thesis is on the military archaeology complex, specifically how archaeologists can be legitimizing factors for occupying military forces and how military occupation can contribute to the looting and damage of archaeological sites. Axel’s other passion is dance, and he is member of the Attitude Dance company, a lyrical, jazz, and modern dance company, which practices three times a week for three-hour practices.

This semester he will be choreographing a dance piece for the first time, a challenge that thrills him and demands many further hours outside of the classroom. In order to manage the stress of writing his thesis and managing so many other important projects, Axel makes use of Brown’s writing center, which he has found helpful.

Throughout his life’s journey Axel has held many roles such as rower, skier, academic, dancer, artist, potter, advocate, mentor, and writer – just to name some of the recent ones. He is no stranger to the commitment it takes to traverse the figurative mountains placed in his path. He carries the weight of knowing that he will always need to advocate for himself due to his dyslexia, but it has in no way stopped him from achieving an impressive array of experiences and accolades. If there is ever a moment when Axel may need that extra push, he knows he can always turn to his community of family and friends and to the lessons he learned from Windward.

t o N Your Parents’

Math

As the world becomes more complex and technologically driven, the need to understand mathematical concepts and to apply them to everyday activities increases.

From planning vacations, to shopping at the grocery store, to making schedules, and many other daily tasks, we apply mathematics more often than we realize.

Math is not just in daily life activities, either. According to the Skills, Technology, and Management Practices 2016 study by M. J. Handel, 94% of workers perform some form of math application in their jobs. While most people end up using division, fractions, and multiplication more so than Algebra 2, Handel and others agree that completing advanced math courses has clear benefits in helping students succeed in college and get good jobs.

The way you might have learned math is most likely not the way your children are learning it, especially if they are attending The Windward School. By integrating direct instruction, a research-based teaching method with specific multisensory teaching strategies, Windward’s math program ensures that students learn in an engaging and optimally challenging classroom environment that enables them to succeed in mainstream classrooms.

The Windward School Math Program— Research-Based & Comprehensive Although The Windward School operates on three campuses, the math department functions as a cohesive unit providing a strong academic curriculum that adheres to both New York State standards and the specific needs of Windward students.

At Windward, math lessons are created to teach computation and application skills, enhance conceptual understanding, and develop each child’s ability to communicate using the language of math. Using a multisensory curriculum that enhances students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, the math program is designed to give each student the skills necessary to be successful in a mainstream math class. Classes are grouped homogenously with approximately 6-12 students per group. Grouping this way allows teachers to introduce skills and tailor instruction so that students can learn at an appropriate pace.

Through direct instruction, homogenous grouping, and deliberate planning of the language component of each lesson, teachers build a solid foundation of basic concepts, computation, and number sense. The language of math is taught using techniques from the Windward Language Arts Program. Similar to a language arts class, math teachers intentionally plan questions and comments to check for understanding, to foster discussion, and to connect concepts to real-world applications. Since linguistic struggles are common for Windward students, direct instruction in solving word thewindwardschool.org | 9

The CPA Approach is highly effective in teaching math concepts and is based on the work of psychologist Jerome Bruner. This is an example used for younger students in first grade.

problems is part of every unit. Teachers emphasize vocabulary in each topic, and oral explanations are components of daily class discussions. Math units reinforce foundational skills to build number sense, procedural fluency, and math problem-solving skills.

Multisensory is Appropriate for All, Essential for Windward Students Similar to the methodology employed in the language arts program, all math groups receive multisensory, direct instruction, which allows students to learn concepts using more than one sense at a time in a clear, explicit manner.

Multisensory instruction uses specific senses including visual (language we see), auditory (language we hear), and kinesthetictactile pathways (language symbols we feel). Manipulatives, kinesthetic activities, mnemonics, literature, and technology are integrated into daily instruction to promote student engagement and retention of math concepts. Using multiple senses simultaneously enhances retention of written language and concepts. “Multisensory learning is particularly helpful for students with language-based learning disabilities. Since many of our students have trouble with visual or auditory processing, it makes it hard for them to learn information through only reading or listening. By incorporating more senses, students are given more ways to connect with what they are learning,� explains Lori Squillante, Westchester Lower School Math Coordinator. Windward teachers use lessons that encourage real-world applications of mathematics while developing skills in a sequential, structured manner.

The CPA Approach One of the specific multisensory approaches to teaching math at The Windward School is through the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. CPA is a threestep instructional approach that is highly effective in teaching 10 | The Compass Winter 2018

A Westchester Lower School math student uses discs to help learn place value.

math concepts and is based on the work of psychologist Jerome Bruner. This approach to teaching mathematics provides students with a deeper understanding of math concepts so that they gain greater conceptual knowledge, rather than just procedural knowledge.

Windward teachers employ concrete representations to introduce new concepts to students using manipulatives that can be moved, grouped, and rearranged to illustrate a given problem.

Manipulatives are widely used in grades 1-5 to introduce major mathematical concepts; however, certain types of manipulatives continue to be incorporated in higher grades, too.

The pictorial stage, or the seeing stage, involves using images to represent objects to solve a math problem. These images include, but are not limited to, diagrams, bar models, charts, and other types of graphical representations. Middle school teachers usually begin lessons at the pictorial stage but may use concrete examples depending on their math group’s previous knowledge.

In the abstract stage of the CPA approach, also known as the symbolic stage, numbers and symbols are used to solve math problems.

Since CPA is a gradual, systematic approach, each stage builds upon the previous one and is usually taught in sequence. If at any point a student struggles with the way a math concept is presented, the teacher will go back to the previous

A key component of direct instruction teaching is “teacher-directed.” The teacher is the driving force behind the lesson, and all students are facing the teacher and the interactive board.

stage and reinforce its foundation. Throughout CPA, teachers provide an appropriate number of examples to ensure students’ understanding.

Mathematics teachers need to organize content into concepts and provide instruction that allows students to process the new learning in meaningful and efficient ways” (Jordan, Miller, & Mercer, 1998). By using the CPA approach, students learn math concepts in a structured way and are able to build better connections when moving through the stages of the approach.

Practice Makes Permanent Research shows that combining the direct instruction teaching model with multisensory methods results in many benefits to student learning. Among the strengths of direct instruction are additional time for students to practice their skills and teaching that is thoughtful and organized. “The (direct instruction) program works across various sites and types of children…It produces positive achievement benefits in all subject areas – reading, language, math, and spelling. It produces superior results for basic skills and for higher-order cognitive skills in reading and math. It produces the strongest positive selfesteem…” (Adams, 1996).

Multisensory Teaching Strategies Visual and symbolic representations are powerful tools for developing students’ number sense and for communicating mathematical concepts. By incorporating the CPA approach and direct instruction, students are able to make connections and develop concrete understanding.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommends the use of manipulatives in teaching mathematical concepts at all grade levels. “At Windward, we use manipulatives to give students a concrete example of the concept before moving on to the other stages. Also, we have a variety of manipulatives that can be used throughout all the grades,” says Victoria Scarinci, The Windward School Manhattan Campus Math Coordinator. The multisensory teaching strategies used at Windward include base ten blocks, which are used in the lower schools to help build number sense and an understanding of place value. As students continue to build their conceptal foundation, teachers introduce fraction strips to help students explore fraction concepts and numerical operations.

To learn about properties of two-dimensional figures and how to calculate area and perimeter, students will use geoboards to help visualize these concepts. Geoboards continue to be used in middle school for geometry and for calculation of slope. To

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learn about three-dimensional figures, geometric nets are used.

Interactive whiteboards help teachers of all grade levels to actively engage students in problem solving through kinesthetic and visual means. Virtual manipulatives are introduced in conjunction with interactive whiteboard activities, so students can see mathematical relationships by manipulating different objects using a computer mouse. Bulletin boards are another visual tool created to aid in students’ understanding. These are only a few of the hands-on, multisensory tools used to help students make connections and develop understandings of mathematical concepts.

A Visual Solution to Word Problems One of the most important multisensory teaching strategies used throughout all grades at Windward is model drawing. Since word problems can be challenging for all students, but particularly for students with language-based learning disabilities, it is important to incorporate a variety of strategies to help students learn to solve multi-step word problems while building their confidence in this area. Although The Windward School teaches several different problem-solving strategies to decipher and solve word problems, the model drawing has proven to be particularly effective for our students.

Model drawing, often called “bar modeling,” is a systematic method of representing word problems and number relationships that is explicitly taught beginning in second grade and extending all the way to secondary algebra. In the CPA

A student at Manhattan Lower School uses base ten blocks to understand place value. This manipulative is an example of the concrete and abstract stages of CPA.

approach, it falls under “pictorial” and is a step-by-step approach to problem solving where students draw rectangular “bars” to represent the relationship between the known and the unknown numerical quantities in word problems. Model drawing appeals to learners who benefit from creating a picture to understand written words. It also includes very clear and specific steps to help keep students organized and consistent in their approach to problem solving. “By using model drawing, students are able to visualize the problem and know what operations to perform by using the rectangular bars to identify the unknown quantity.

This means students are viewing problems from an algebraic perspective, even in the early elementary years,” says Laura Bottari, Westchester Middle School Math Coordinator. To see an example of model drawing, watch this video as Laura Bottari explains bar modeling to her eighth-grade class: bit.ly/WindwardModelDrawing

Moving the Needle & Building a Mathematical Toolbox

Math bulletin boards not only aid in students’ understanding but also in teachers’ approaches to concepts in class.

12 | The Compass Winter 2018

Upon entrance to Windward, students’ skills in language arts and mathematics are assessed using achievement tests. In the past, the Stanford Achievement Test was administered to students in second through eighth grade. More recently, it has been replaced by the Iowa Assessments. Analysis of results (see Figure 1) on standardized tests administered upon entrance reveals that over the period of 2005 to 2017, 36% of

Figure 1: This graphic represents the entrance-exit math computation scores of 1,589 Windward students from 2005-2017.

This Manhattan Middle School eighth-grade student is using a geoboard to calculate slope.

students new to Windward scored below average, 53% scored average, and only 11% of students scored above average in math computation. Achievement tests administered at outplacement, however, produced starkly different results: 9% of students scored below average, 57% scored average, and 34% of students scored above average in math computation. This means that 91% of Windward students were performing in the average to above average range in math computation prior to leaving Windward.

A similar result occurred in students’ abilities to learn strategies for math problem solving (see Figure 2). Students’ scores upon entrance were 48% below average, 43% average, and 9% above average. Just prior to being mainstreamed, the results showed only 12% of students below average, 49% average, and 39% above average in their abilities to solve word problems.

Overall, 88% of Windward students were performing in the average to above average range in math problem solving.

The Windward School’s math program is intentionally grounded in research. The structured curriculum, multisensory instructional model, and diagnostic teaching methods create a strong foundation of mathematical concepts reinforcing and building upon new skills as students progress in their mathematics education. Ultimately, the program ensures students build a toolbox of mathematical strategies to be engaged and successful learners in both Windward classrooms and the mainstreams schools they attend once leaving Windward.

Figure 2: This graphic shows the entrance-exit math problem-solving scores of 1,589 Windward students from 2005-2017.

References Adams, G. L., & Engelmann, S. (1996). Research on direct instruction: 25 years beyond DISTAR. Seattle, WA: Educational Achievement System.

Handel, M. J. (2016). What do people do at work? Journal for Labour Market Research,49(2), 177-197. doi:10.1007/s12651-016-0213-1 Jordan, LuAnn; Miller, M. David; Mercer, Cecil D. The Effects of Concrete to Semiconcrete to Abstract Instruction in the Acquisition and Retention of Fraction Concepts and Skills.

Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v9 n3 p115-22 Fall 1998-Win 1999 Morin, J., & Samuelson, V. M. (2015). Count on It: Congruent Manipulative Displays. Teaching Children Mathematics, 21(6), 362. doi:10.5951/teacchilmath.21.6.0362

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Transform Lives

Give Today!

Support the proven Windward Way by making a donation to the 2017-18 Annual Fund. Make a gift by June 30, 2018! thewindwardschool.org/give Your support directly impacts every student’s ability to reach their full academic potential.

Faculty

Q&A

DOUG DALESSANDRO

Doug Dalessandro, Coordinator of Science for Grades 1-9, joined The Windward School in 2008. Prior to arriving at Windward, he taught in a New York City public school. Mr. Dalessandro holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry from Vassar College and earned a Master of Science Education in Middle School Science from City College of New York. During his ten years at Windward, he has assisted and taught sixth- and seventh-grade science, coached basketball and lacrosse, ran the meteorology club, founded and directed Marchmester, and assisted with theater productions.

The Compass (TC): How did you become interested in science?

School. As I researched the School, I connected with its commitment to excellence in education, the opportunities through its professional development program, and the tremendous resources available for teachers.

I knew The Windward School was the place I wanted to be.

Mr. Dalessandro: I have always been interested in science – from childhood to adulthood. As a young child, I enjoyed exploring my backyard, catching frogs, tracking the weather, and other sciencerelated activities. I entered Vassar as pre-med, and that concentration gave me exposure to chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, and psychology. I have also consistently enjoyed the critical thinking aspect of science: being able to solve problems and find solutions. There's a tremendous need for science in our society, specifically for solving the many challenges that our society faces.

TC: What motivated you to become a science educator?

Mr. Dalessandro: I can pinpoint a period in my life where I enjoyed not just science, but education in science. My sixth-grade science teacher, Mr. Oliver, had a wonderful way of directly engaging his students in science activities and hands-on manipulation of materials. Specifically, I remember an activity in which we grew a plant and charted its life cycle. I enjoyed taking the time to write observations down and reflect on them. I think that's what sparked my interest. Later on, I had the opportunity to work at a summer camp in Rhinebeck, New York and lead activities for children. That experience showed me that I could have a positive impact on a young person’s life and made me

TC: What do you hope your students gain from having you as their teacher?

Doug Dalessandro has been at Windward for 10 years and is currently Coordinator of Science for Grades 1-9.

redirect my college path from pre-medicine to education.

Being able to play a role in children’s development and inspire them to achieve what they are capable of doing really helped me find my calling. Plus, I like that there is a vast range of science disciplines one can explore.

TC: What interested you in teaching at Windward?

Mr. Dalessandro: After finishing the year in a New York City public school, I learned about an opportunity at The Windward

Mr. Dalessandro: I hope my students gain confidence in themselves by being able to find information that’s needed to think critically and to follow and pursue their passions in science. One of the most rewarding moments is when my students present questions that allow me to develop lessons to further inspire them or answer their questions. I enjoy nurturing their curiosities and making it fun. We teach at a very deliberate pace in our science classrooms with the goal of instilling confidence in students with academic skills that will allow them to successfully transition into their mainstream schools. I enjoy designing lessons with our student’s input so they can better relate to the material and can feel motivated to find the answers as to why different phenomena may be happening.

TC: What is your favorite lesson you look forward to each year?

Mr. Dalessandro: At the end of seventh grade, students perform a frog dissection.

The reason why we do dissections in class is to study anatomy and compare it to other thewindwardschool.org | 15

TC: How does The Windward School Science Program set itself apart from other schools?

Students in seventh grade create 3-D visual representations of cells as part of their science curriculum.

bodily structures, like those of humans.

For example, when we focus on the frog's digestive system, we compare it to the human digestive system. It is a lesson that every student remembers!

Another favorite project is when seventh graders create a 3-D visual representation of a cell. Students are tasked with creating a model of a cell, so they can study something that is much smaller to the naked eye. No two projects are identical. Students add their own creativity and make their projects come to life.

TC: As coordinator of science for grades 1-9, what does your position entail?

Mr. Dalessandro: I have the responsibilities of mentoring teachers, developing and reviewing lesson plans, reviewing the scope and sequence of the curriculum, and fostering collaboration among the members of the science department. With three campuses, it’s very important to ensure that all our teachers are consistent in content, implementation, and resources. I know what is being taught in each classroom, and I also make sure that materials are accessible so students can learn and perform hands-on activities and scientific investigations.

TC: Speaking of all three campuses, how do you ensure The Windward School’s direct instruction, multisensory approach is replicated across all science classes?

Mr. Dalessandro: I think the best way to do this is by meeting with teachers and encouraging reflection. By doing this, we are all able to work together to see what went well and what didn’t go well and use that knowledge to make lessons even better. It is extremely helpful to use past science lessons as a model for successful future ones.

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Mr. Dalessandro: At Windward, we are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and each campus has fully-functional science labs. Also, one of the outstanding aspects of The Windward School is its community–it’s like no other. While our faculty come from diverse backgrounds, we share a common professional development experience because we have all experienced training and professional development through the Windward Teacher Training Institute. This common experience helps us work together and dedicate ourselves to help our students be successful and to encourage them to do their very best. We are also very fortunate to have a very capable group of resilient students who consistently come to class eager to learn something new and want to flourish.

TC: How does the professional development program compare to other places?

Mr. Dalessandro: There’s no comparison to the professional development that Windward teachers receive. Going through the assistant-teacher program and being able to assist a lead teacher in the classroom were tremendous for my professional growth. The dedication of time and the method by which teachers are trained at The Windward School has made me the educator I am today.

TC: What are some opportunities Windward students have to learn science outside of their classroom curriculum?

Mr. Dalessandro: The School offers clubs and activities on each campus for interested students to engage with science.

Each campus has different opportunities including a meteorology club (with its own meteorology station), a computer coding club, an engineering club, an adventures in science after-school program, and a Lego club where they learn about an animal and then build it with Legos. For example, before learning to build a monarch butterfly, students learned about its adaptations, its life-cycle, and its habitat.

TC: Speaking of extra-curricular activities, tell us more about Marchmester.

Mr. Dalessandro: Marchmester started when we went to a two-week spring break period. The idea was to put together a program that would allow students to come to campus to participate in unique extracurricular activities that wouldn't necessarily take place during the course of a normal school day. For example, students can participate in a cooking class, a dance class, additional theater and art activities, and other courses that we aren’t able to fit into the schedule during regular school hours.

The students are in a comfortable setting, and they are able to pursue their interest in something new and develop new friendships.

It is amazing what they can accomplish in one week!

TC: When you’re not at school, what activities do you enjoy?

Mr. Dalessandro: My wife Rosalie and I have three children, and we all share a love of science. I met my wife when we were both earning our masters degrees. Our son Avery is four and a half, and then we have Aurora (2 ½) and Astrid (six months old).

I enjoy swimming and getting outside and investigating nature and animal behavior. I also enjoy hiking, golf, and movies–especially under-the-radar and independent films.

TC: Are there any inspirational words you would like to share?

Mr. Dalessandro: Isaac Newton said, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."

What he meant was that everything that he was able to develop or further along was a result of the lessons of the people in the past. I think that directly goes into my experience as an educator and coming to Windward. It also relates to being able to continue to teach in the classroom and collaborate with teachers and learn from their successes. I owe who I am today to the tremendous amount of collaboration within the science department and the fact that the teachers are extremely willing to work together for the good of our students.

THE ROBERT J. SCHWARTZ MEMORIAL LECTURE

The Windward School Windward Teacher Training Institute

Educational Neuroscience: How Cognitive Neuroscience Can Inform Approaches to Learning —Presented by— Laurie E. Cutting, PhD, Guest Lecturer

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

R.S.V.P. online at thewindwardschool.org/lecture The Windward School Westchester Middle School | 40 West Red Oak Lane | White Plains, NY 10604

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SPORTS

AT THE WINDWARD SCHOOL Manhattan Middle School and Westchester Middle School’s fall and winter sports seasons were overwhelmingly successful. Students developed strong bonds with their coaches and established close-knit friendships with each other.

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News Around the School

A brief recap of some of the many activities that happened during the fall/winter term.

Renowned Psychologist Shares Insights on Raising Children in the Digital Age at Annual Windward Fall Community Lecture

Dr. John J. Russell, Sandra Schwarz, Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair, Maureen Sweeney, and Jon Rosenshine at the fall community lecture this past November at Westchester Middle School.

On Thursday, November 2, Catherine Steiner-Adair, PhD, school consultant and award-winning clinical psychologist, delivered The Windward School’s annual fall community lecture titled Healthy Connections in the Digital Age at The Windward School’s Westchester Middle School campus. More than 400 people listened in as Dr. Steiner-Adair offered

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strategies to help parents and guardians navigate the challenges of the digital world. From discussing her award-winning book The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age (2013, HarperCollins), Dr. SteinerAdair made it clear how imperative it is to be aware about the effects of technology on children and our own lives. As Dr.

Steiner-Adair states in her book, she is far from anti-technology. Rather, digital platforms can continue to enhance our children’s and our own lives when we are empowered and educated about healthy and balanced ways to use them.

—adapted from an article by Danielle Scorrano

Laurie Cutting, PhD, to Speak at The Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lecture on April 25

New Parent Portal Launched

Laurie Cutting, PhD, to speak at Windward on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

On Wednesday, April 25, Laurie E. Cutting, PhD, will present the annual Schwartz Memorial Lecture, “Educational Neuroscience: How Cognitive Neuroscience Can Inform Approaches to Learning.” Educational neuroscience is an emerging field of research that draws upon the disciplines of cognitive neuroscience, education, and psychology, with the goal of examining neurobiological processes as related to education. In this lecture, the neural mechanisms of reading,mathematics, and attention will be discussed, as well as insights about how this emerging field can influence instructional practice. In addition, neurobiological approaches that may inform and refine our understanding of how to identify and treat reading difficulties will be discussed.

R.S.V.P. at thewindwardschool.org/lecture

Current parents can log into the portal and retrieve their username/password at portal.thewindwardschool.org

This past fall, The Windward School introduced a parent portal for current parents and guardians. The parent portal is an excellent tool to have at your fingertips to find out what is happening in each division and to stay on track with all the events on all three campuses. It is not only mobile-friendly, but also a great way to stay organized. You can set alerts for specific events, see the most up-to-date information in the family directory, view the calendar for the entire School (or just your division), and register for upcoming events. It’s also the new repository for forms and includes quick links to the photo gallery, SpiritWear form, lunch menus, and much more! Log on at portal.thewindwardschool.org

The Windward School Summer Program Comes to Manhattan The Windward School Summer Program will open an additional campus on the Manhattan campus for its four-week program, July 2-July 27. The Summer Program will host students entering grades 3-9 at the Westchester Middle School campus in White Plains and will host students entering grades 3-8 at the Manhattan campus on the Upper East Side. The summer program is open to Windward and non-Windward students and follows the School’s research-based, multisensory curriculum when structuring its academic offerings. Students may choose to spend either the morning or full day with the morning session featuring enrichment and academic courses and the afternoon featuring a variety of activities including sports and art.

The Windward School’s Summer Program will be available for non-Windward and Windward students entering grades 3-9 in Westchester and Manhattan.

To learn more, visit thewindwardschool.org/summerprogram

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Reflections on My First Year — By Jessica Mangano — This speech was given at The Windward School’s Faculty and Staff Orientation at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Windward! My name is Jessica Mangano, and I am in my second year at the Manhattan campus. I am extremely excited to have been asked to contribute to your orientation as you embark on your Windward journey.

Before I begin with a reflection on my firstyear experience, I would like to give you a brief summary of my background.

From a young age, I knew I wanted to work with children, and more specifically, children with learning issues. Growing up, I witnessed my twin sister struggle with a language-based learning disability. Each day, she would come home, sit down to do her homework, and after four to five hours of stress on both her and my parents, her homework would be barely done, or more often, not fully completed. Thanks to various tutors, teachers, and support, my sister was able to succeed and attend an excellent college. Through my sister, I learned that despite a variety of language barriers, she was able to grasp the concept of language arts through specialized communication and unwavering support.

My journey continued as I graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in hearing and speech sciences.

However, I didn’t believe speech pathology was my true calling. While I enjoyed my time working with early intervention-aged children in one-on-one speech therapy sessions, I saw my true self in a classroom setting. When my college friend, and now colleague, told me about The Windward School, a school for children with languagebased learning disabilities, I felt that it would be the perfect fit. Not only did my studies provide me with a great deal of knowledge about language, I also had the life lesson of growing up with a sibling who has a similar profile to Windward students. Like my sister, our students are smart, but they need an academic program and trained teachers 26 | The Compass Winter 2018

who will help them reach their potential.

Windward afforded me the opportunity to learn how to effectively teach students who require a more specific approach, and I am now preparing to go forward to earn a master’s degree at Hunter College in general and special education with a specification in learning disabilities and behavior disorders.

Even though my background had been working with younger children, I was assigned to the sixth-grade team. I was initially terrified, intimidated, and I wasn’t sure if all of my students would be taller than me or just some. Yet as soon as the first day of school was over, none of that mattered. I saw how much the students at

“

Windward challenges me to become a forever learner and reminds me to model that mindset for my students.

”

Windward treasured us as teachers, and I saw that it was here that they could feel safe and learn to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. Although I was the teacher, I was also the learner. I learned the Windward Way, the importance of patience, and how having an open mind toward new experiences isn’t just necessary, it is vital!

While I loved working with my sixthgrade students tremendously, I still missed working with younger children. Through the support from the assistant teacher staff developer and the administration, we were able to come up with an ideal plan for this upcoming year. I will be an assistant in a

third-grade language arts group, and I will also be a lead math teacher for many of my previous students who are now in the seventh grade!

Throughout the year you will experience challenges, but there will be multiple people to guide you and offer you support. Working at Windward is a commitment to being part of a community that exists to empower each of its members to stretch themselves intellectually. If you aren’t already, you will be amazed by the passion, dedication, and skill each person brings to this school. I have never worked in a place where I was so valued for my individual strengths and supported through my individual weaknesses. Windward challenges me to become a forever learner and reminds me to model that mindset for my students.

I have also gotten to have the unique experience of getting to know students from every grade. The time I elect to spend with the students outside of the classroom allows me to appreciate them as individuals.

This year, I volunteered for various optional field trips and spent every Friday afternoon playing tennis at Randall’s Island with students of all ages. Nothing made my week more complete than playing against my sixthgrade students. This opportunity enabled me to be a teacher, a confidante, a coach, and a mentor. It reminded me that our students must never be defined by their struggles and that part of our job is to remind them that they are, in fact, so much more!

This year you will work hard, laugh, learn, and grow. You will be reminded to be open-minded to trying new experiences, and you will come to see that Windward is more than just a school; it’s a family. Each of the faculty standing before you today, along with those who you will soon meet, are confident that you bring something unique to the Windward community, and more importantly, to the lives of our students. I wish each and every one of you a wonderful school year and great success. Welcome to Windward!

Faculty News & Milestones Raising Awareness On Dyslexia In October, Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School, joined the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity for the event “Overcoming Dyslexia: What it Takes to Succeed” in Washington, D.C., that featured speakers including Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Co-Director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity and author of Overcoming Dyslexia; members of Congress; educators; advocates; and individuals who have overcome dyslexia in their own lives and careers including Windward alumni parent and Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City, Dr. Tyler Lucas (Skye ’17, Hayden ’24). The bipartisan event called for better support of dyslexic children with all speakers acknowledging that raising awareness about what it means to be dyslexic is critical.

L to R, back row: Dr. John J. Russell, Head of The Windward School; Dr. Laura Cassidy, Co-Founder of the Louisiana Key Academy; Doug Phelps, Head of the Park Century School; Lane McIntyre, Head of the Oakwood School. L to R, front row: Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Co-Director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity; and Katherine Schantz, Head of the Lab School of Washington.

Six Windward Delegates Attend NAIS People of Color Conference Five Windward faculty members (Ricardo Maxwell-Ordain, Helen Prichett, Sumana Shankar, Amanda Singleton, and Alexandra Stevenson) were part of the nearly 6,000 educators and students to come together in Anaheim, California, to explore the theme: Voices for Equity and Justice Now and in Every Generation: Lead, Learn, Rededicate, and Deliver. The mission of the conference is to provide a safe space for leadership and professional development and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools.

PoCC equips educators at every level, from teachers to trustees, with knowledge, skills, and experiences to improve and enhance the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in their schools, as well as the attending academic, social-emotional, and workplace performance outcomes for students and adults alike.

Windward Teacher Co-Presents at State Science Conference

Windward Attends IDA Annual International Conference

Karen Ralph, a Westchester Middle School teacher, attended and co-presented at the 122nd Annual Conference of Science Teachers Assocation of New York State (STANYS) this past November. Her workshop “Phenomenal Phenomena” introduced how to use phenomenon to engage students in scientific discussions. It showed middle school teachers from around New York how the science and engineering practices of “asking questions” and “modeling” can be used to help understand a phenomenon while engaging students in scientific discovery.

Dr. John J. Russell, Head of School; Jon Rosenshine, Associate Head of School; Jill Fedele, Coordinator of Middle School Language Arts, and Danielle Scorrano, Windward Research Associate, attended International Dyslexia Association's (IDA) Annual International Conference held in Atlanta, GA this past November. This conference is the premier professional development conference dedicated to reading, literacy, and learning. The conference brings in experts from all over the world to educate attendees on the latest research, remediation, and more.

Windward Teacher to Compete on Jeopardy!

Hannah Ewing, a Westchester Middle School teacher, was a contestant on the March 8 episode of Jeopardy!. Congratulations, Hannah, on a job well done!

New Babies!

1. Carly Lillo, an admissions staff member, welcomed Jack Rutherford on April 10, 2017.

2. Carrie Minio, a Westchester Lower School faculty member, welcomed Rory Amelia on April 19, 2017.

3. Christine Teahan, a Westchester Middle School faculty member and Windward Summer Program Co-Director, welcomed Abigail Rose on June 23, 2017.

4. Sean Cioffi, a Westchester Middle School faculty member, welcomed Nathaniel Thomas on November 25, 2017.

Windward Faculty Visit Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University, invited Betsy Duffy, Director of Language Arts & Instruction; Alexis Pochna, Westchester Lower School Division Head; and Danielle Scorrano, Manhattan Middle School Teacher and Windward Research Associate, for a tour of her lab this past October. Dr. Eden and her team shared their studies about dyslexia, math, and reading. The day culminated with a tour and discussion at The Lab School of Washington.

(L to R) Danielle Scorrano, Alexis Pochna, Dr. Guinevere Eden, and Betsy Duffy at Georgetown in Washington, D.C.

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THANK YOU WINDWARD PARENTS ASSOCIATION The Windward Parents Association (WPA) is a constant presence throughout the school year on all three campuses. The WPA helps contribute to building community by hosting and contributing to numerous events for Windward students, parents/guardians, faculty, and staff members to enjoy.

with each campus’s photo day and book fair. And if the Windward logo adorns any of your child’s or your clothing and accessories, it is thanks to the WPA volunteers for ordering, organizing, and delivering each family’s order. You will also find WPA members at parent coffees and the many other school events, too.

Just in the first half of the school year, the WPA Board of Directors and members are busy welcoming Windward parents and guardians to the Westchester and Manhattan WPA Opening Breakfasts; hosting the annual Back-to-School Picnic; planning and organizing faculty and staff appreciation breakfasts and holiday lunches on all three campuses; coordinating grade-level parties for students to interact with their classmates and for parents and guardians to meet other parents and guardians in their child’s grade; and assisting

WPA-sponsored activities for the secondhalf of the year include sponsorship of the ice skating party, Dream Big, and author visits; coordinating the mentor breakfast program for incoming families; hosting faculty and staff appreciation breakfasts; and much more. If you would like to learn more about the WPA, email wpa@thewindwardschool.org or visit thewindwardschool.org/wpa. Current parents can find more information on the main page of the parent portal.

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SAVE THE

DATE Thursday June 7, 2018

WPA Closing Luncheon with Alumni Panel

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BACK-TO-SCHOOL —PICNIC — More than 1200 Windward community members joined us for the annual Backto-School Picnic organized by the Windward Parents Association. It was a huge success, and it was a great day to enjoy friends, food, fun, and games. See more pictures here: bit.ly/backtoschoolpicnic2017

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LEADERSHIP DONORS RECEPTION AT

—STONE BARNS— On a beautiful fall evening in early October, we honored many leading supporters of The Windward School at a reception at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Over 150 people joined Dr. Russell, Head of School, and the Board of Trustees in celebrating the fundraising success of the 2016-17 school year. The spectacular evening was hosted by former board president and trustee emerita, Devon Fredericks, and her husband Eli Zabar. The School is fortunate to have such a committed and generous community supporting it – thank you!

Dr. John J. Russell with current and past trustees: Mark Goldberg, Patty Wolff, Mike Salzer, Tom Flanagan, Devon Fredericks, Nick Finn, Mark Ellman, Tim Jones, Ellen Bowman

Current Windward Board President, Ellen Bowman, with past board presidents, Tom Flanagan and Devon Fredericks

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Jennifer Charrington, Brandi Beck, Laurie Grasso Turk

Devon Fredericks, Ellen Bowman, Lori Garbin

Andy Feldman, Maureen Sweeney, Mindy Feldman

Stanley Epstein, Sylvia Epstein

Laura Chapey, Patty Wolff, Russell Wolff

Dana Adler, Jane Fragner, Staci Marlowe, Steve Marlowe, Paul Fragner, James Adler

Jeffrey Overman, Jaime Overman, Natasha Thomas, Blair Thomas

Lisa Sternberg, Stuart Sternberg

Nan Levy, Peter Levy, Adrienne Flanagan

Maureen Sweeney, Anthony Coschigano

Tom Kuhn, Dr. John J. Russell

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Windward alumni and their families joined faculty and staff for the annual Windward Alumni Homecoming this past October. Alumni reunited with old friends and connected with their former teachers while enjoying bbq, pizza, ice cream, and more.

The afternoon also featured the first-ever soccer game between Westchester Middle School and Manhattan Middle School teams. For more pictures, visit here: bit.ly/windwardhomecoming2017

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Hally Gordon ’12, Carly Bernstein ’12, Laura Kehoe ’12, Emma Claire K. Badner ’12, Lily Roberts ’12

Maureen Sweeney, Ted Moy ’87

Michael Stewart ’09, Becky Fradkin ’09, Maureen Sweeney

Rachel Ballen ’07, Michaela Lynch ‘07

Connor O’Leary ’09, David Schutzbank ’08, Evan Cygler ’06

Windward alumni over 21 joined us on the Manhattan campus for a fall alumni happy hour. Trustee Denis J. O’Leary III ’06 welcomed alumni to the campus. The evening included reconnecting with friends and faculty and touring the building with Dr. Russell, Ms. Sweeney, Ms. Zuckerwise, and Mr. Bloom ’13.

Before the night was over, each attendee received our new alumni swag, “Windward Alumni” t-shirts. To view more photos from the evening, visit bit.ly/windwardfallalumnihappyhour2017

Jacob Silberstein ’13, Leslie Zuckerwise

Nick Hertz ’04, Austin Engros ’11, Denis O’Leary III ’06, Thomas Hayes ’07

Matthew Bloom ’13, Anabelle Florio ’13, Larke Nimocks ’13, Alexa Leopold ’13

Denis O’Leary III ’06, Evan Cygler ’06

Brian Boehlert ’05, Daniel Broome ’05, John Ongaro ’09, Michael Stewart ’09

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Alumni News & Notes Note: At The Windward School, alumni class years are the same as their high school graduation year.

To submit an update, a change of address or to share your Windward memories, please email development@thewindwardschool.org or visit thewindwardschool.org/alumni

works with top companies, as well as other clients, to help them grow their business using Yankee Stadium as a platform and business tool.

2006

2009 Anelise Feinstein ‘09 is earning a graduate degree at Hunter College in early childhood education. She is also the creator and owner of FeinPrint, a comic series.

Tyler Scott ’09 is the athletic director and a physical education teacher at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in High Point, NC. He is recently engaged to Lindsay Kremer.

1995

Oliver Zabar ’09 and his family hosted a Windward alumni reunion in Manhattan at Eli’s Night Shift (79th & 3rd) last June.

More than 40 alumni attended this inaugural summer event. View photos at bit.ly/WindwardAlumni2017

2010

Rich Seidman ’95 is a proud 1995 graduate of The Windward School’s former high school. After graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art (BFA) and Syracuse Graduate School of Education (Master of Arts in Education), he has worked at the Churchill School in NYC since 2001. He is now in his 17th year of teaching as the elementary school art teacher. Rich is married and has two wonderful kids (ages 9 and 4). He and his family recently bought a home in Carmel, NY, where they all enjoy the great outdoors, which makes up for the long commute to the City.

2005 Max Esh ’05 attended The Windward School for grades 7, 8, and 9 and then went on to York Prep in NYC. He now works as the senior specialist for the New York Yankees premium sales & service department. He

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Alexander Dettmer ’06 had a wonderful 2017, both personally and professionally.

Professionally, Alex’s real estate development company completed its first new construction home in Philadelphia and will list it for sale in the first quarter of 2018. Personally, Alex finished off the year by proposing to his girlfriend of 3.5 years while on vacation in Lake Tahoe, CA.

2008 Scott Oltman ’08 currently works at Ineo Global Mobility in Wilton, CT, as a tax analyst. He got married this past August.

Adam Weiner ‘08 lives in Bangor, ME, with his wife and new baby boy, Wilder. He is an elementary and middle school teacher. His experience at Windward has proven to be an invaluable tool as he embarks on his own teaching career.

Nick LaSorsa ’10 attended Windward from 2000 to 2006 and left to attend Scarsdale High School. He graduated from Adelphi University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Currently, Nick works in the automotive industry.

2011 Caroline Bronston ’11 currently works as a nursery school teacher at the Day School at Christ & Saint Stephen’s and is the assistant site director at Wingspan Arts’ after-school program.

India Campbell ’11 is getting her masters in elementary education at Adelphi University.

She hopes to become certified to teach special education. She currently lives in Manhattan.

Tina Hinman ’11 is currently attending The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and is studying to complete the MD/PhD program. Tina was recently profiled in the Spring 2017 issue of The Beacon. Read it online at bit.ly/TheBeaconAlumniProfile

2013

2017

Daniel Abromowitz ’13 is an alumnus of Macalester College, a top 25 liberal arts college in St. Paul, MN, where he majored in media and cultural studies and minored in geography, American studies, and creative writing. At Macalester, he was a two-year starter on the football team, garnering the honors of Academic All-Conference and admission into the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society for the Class of 2017. He currently resides in St. Paul and works for a brokerage firm called AEI Capital Corporation as an acquisitions associate. Additionally, he recently had a short story published in Aethlon.

Jacob Silberstein ’13 is currently pursuing a degree in sustainable development at Columbia University. He also tutors an elementary school student in reading through Reading Partners NYC and is a regular volunteer at a shelter for the homeless in Upper Manhattan.

2014 Axel Getz ‘14 recently received a scholarship to travel to Taiwan this winter to learn more about how museums are colonial entities and how to best decolonize them. He is working on his applications for Oxford and Cambridge to study archaeology.

Axel hopes to continue his mission to one day work to preserve cultural heritage in an ethical and productive way. Axel will also be the main speaker at The Windward School’s 2018 Commencement on June 14, 2018.

Read more about Axel on page 6.

2015 Caroline Ricke ‘15 is currently studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She enjoys the school and running.

Melissa Strauss ’15 is a junior at Dickinson College and is majoring in women and gender studies with minors in Africana studies and Judaic studies. Melissa interns at Safe Harbor, a homeless shelter and provider of social services in the Carlisle community. She also works for Dickinson’s office of disabilities and is an assistant sports trainer for Dickinson’s sports medicine department, where she works with many different athletes.

2016 Jonah Dubin ’16 just completed his first semester at Carnegie Mellon, where he’s enrolled in the five-year architecture program. He’s working very hard, but enjoying the effort. He also loves Pittsburgh.

Daniel Tanenbaum ‘16 is a sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis and is studying political science and business. He is involved in the school’s government as a senator and runs an on-campus discount card business. He is also a member of the Wash U Club Tennis Team.

Elizabeth Chirls ’17 graduated from Birch Wathen Lenox High School and is currently attending Indiana University as a direct admit scholar to the school of education, specifically to the Teaching All Learners program. Her goal is to work with special needs children, either in education or occupational therapy. She’s been working with children on the autism spectrum for the last six years.

Jon Greenberg ’17 graduated from The Masters School in the spring of 2017 and started at the University of Vermont (UVM) in the fall. He is very interested in art and theater arts. He has continued fencing, which he began at Masters. He has bumped into other Windward alums at UVM, and in large part, credits his success to The Windward School.

Noam Josse ’17 recently graduated from Yeshiva University High School for Boys. He was accepted into the Yeshiva University Honors Program but plans to delay matriculation for a year to study at Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel. He will start at Yeshiva University in the fall of 2018.

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Luc Ayoub ’18 continues to flourish at Greenwich High School. He has been named to the honor roll six out of seven semesters, is a member of the National Honor Society and a 2x winner of the Science, Math, & Technology Award. He has played varsity lacrosse since freshman year, has earned all FCIAC honors as a defenseman junior year, and his teammates voted him a captain for his senior-year season.

Jessica Rice ’17 attended DwightEnglewood High School after leaving Windward in 2013. At Dwight-Englewood, she was able to cultivate her academic passions, including an extensive array of fine arts courses. She is currently studying in Jerusalem on an academic gap year program called Kivunim, designed for college students seeking to experience Israel and explore their Jewish heritage abroad. Kivunim provides an intensive experiential encounter through travel to several countries in Europe, North Africa, and India. As an aspiring artist, Jessica looks forward to interacting and observing these other cultures—their rich and unique art, architecture, music, and history. She eagerly anticipates beginning her college experience at The University of Michigan’s Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design in the fall of 2018.

2018

Noah Bailey ’18 just received the Rensselaer Medal Award for high achievement in math and science and will be attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a mechanical engineering major this fall.

Katie Gallagher ’18 is completing her senior year at Greenwich High School. Katie played varsity soccer all four years and is captain of the team this year. She was also a varsity track athlete for all four years and is an all-FCIAC state athlete. Recently, Katie was admitted to Villanova University in the Class of 2022. She credits much of her academic success to the support she received at Windward, and, in particular, Ms. RuthAnne Mahoney who always encouraged Katie to never give up!

Thomas Levinsohn ’18 was accepted to Boston University and will be attending in the fall of 2018. He is very thankful to his teachers and the staff at The Windward School.

Olivia Linnartz ’18 continues to enjoy her time at Holy Child and looks forward to attending Denison University in August.

Christopher Celli ’18 will graduate from Walsingham Academy in May and will be attending The Citadel in Charleston, SC. He is planning on majoring in international business. Chris has been part of Leadership Initiatives, an organization that helps small business development in Nigeria.

Christopher attributes his success to the education he received during his time at The Windward School.

Salim Fabio ’18 will graduate in May from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH. Salim is an honor roll student and has excelled in theater arts. In 2017, he performed the lead role of Sky Masters in Guys and Dolls.

He holds two campus-wide leadership

38 | The Compass Winter 2018

positions and has represented the Student Diversity Leadership Council at the People of Color Conference for the last two years in Atlanta and Anaheim. Salim will attend college in the fall of 2018 and is awaiting final decisions from several colleges. He will always fondly remember and reflect upon his five years at The Windward School.

Katharine Mannix ’18 is a senior at The Ursuline School and plays field hockey.

Last spring, she received the Jane & James

Murray Scholarship for Students in the reading and language program. In the fall, she will attend Providence College.

Dillon Potter ‘18 will graduate from Salisbury Boarding School this spring.

classmates with certificates of admission in person. The Windward School highly recommended Brewster Academy for Brice after he graduated from Windward, and Brice is grateful for all of the amazing guidance.

2019 Timmy O’Hare ‘19 is heavily involved in student government at The Harvey School and acts as an ambassador to visitors. He credits his academic success to Windward.

Brody Selman ‘19 is currently attending Don Bosco Preperatory School. He credits Windward for changing his life.

2020 Emmanuel Soto Ruiz ‘18 was recently accepted to the College of Arts and Science at NYU. He will study biology on the pre-med track.

transition has been pretty smooth, all good things.”

Ahmed Kiel-Kamil ‘20 currently attends Birch Wathen Lenox School and is in the highest level English class.

Remy Mastey ‘20 attends Solomon Schechter School and says, “I miss all my Windward teachers so much, but I have been doing well at my new school.”

2021 Sophia Ceparano ’21 attends Mahwah High School and is on the soccer and basketball teams.

Juliana Curreri ‘21 attends Scarsdale High School and is on the vollyball team.

Lola Flamenbaum ’21 is a freshman at The Harvey School and is excited to report that she made honor roll for her first trimester.

She continues her backstage drama work by being a member of the crew of Harvey’s performance of Working. She is also the only female member of the Harvey Varsity Ski Team.

Zachary Hart ‘21 attends Irvington High School and is doing well in school.

Adina Weinbaum ‘21 recently performed in Fiddler on the Roof at Scarsdale High School.

2022

Brice Scanlon ’18 was recently accepted to Hobart College. A representative from the college came to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, where Brice attends high school, to present him and two of his

Jamie Beer ’20 attends HAFTR High School in Long Island and plays on the JV basketball team. This summer, she plans to go on a trip to Israel to work in a camp for kids who have siblings with cancer. She still keeps in touch with Windward classmates like Sofia, Bryanna, Nya, and many more.

Sander Peters ‘22 currently attends The Masters School and plays on the soccer team.

Chris Gallucci ‘20 currently runs cross country and track at New Rochelle High School.

Gordon Dewey ’23 is in middle school at Mott Hall II and is on the math team and Model UN. At the end of sixth grade, Gordon was awarded the Mott Hall Two-lian, for the student that best represents the values of the school.

Gidon Katz ‘20 attends Solomon Schechter School and says, “School is good. The

2023

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thewindwardschool.org

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Tuesday, June 19, 2018 Quaker Ridge Golf Club (Scarsdale, NY)

Benefiting Windward teacher professional development at Windward Teacher Training Institute For sponsorship information and more details visit thewindwardschool.org/windwardclassic or contact Michelle Spino Andruss at msandruss@thewindwardschool.org or (914) 949-6968, ext. 2270.