Top of the Class

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

List highlights Collegiate’s biggest achievements of 2019

The following list is from the State of the School letter Dec. 3, 2019.

I am constantly reminded of how thankful I am to serve as Head of School at Topeka Collegiate.

Each year, I gain a stronger understanding of what this community means to the city of Topeka, our families and — most importantly — what it means to our students.

In turn, I can’t even begin to describe what this community means to me, as a mother and as a member of the leadership team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve.

As we look back on 2019, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what is most important — the activities and accomplishments that matter. As such, I put together a “Top Ten List” of Topeka Collegiate’s outstanding achievements. These are the activities that should make all of us proud to be lifelong Eagles.

1

Designing “Beyond the Book” experiences Where else do students get

Topeka Collegiate eighth graders visited Hawaii in 2019 as part of their ecological studies.

to go to Hawaii to bring their oceanography research to life? This year’s eighth graders were thrilled to experience the Big Island — and now they have memories for a lifetime!

At Topeka Collegiate, we weave powerful learning experiences into every classroom curriculum. And while it is certainly rare that a ‘field trip’ goes all the way to Hawaii - every single excursion is designed to enhance learning.

From marking butterflies at the Kansas Historical Museum to participating in a public reading of the Constitution of the United States, our students have participated in thirteen field trips in the first half of the school year. We’ve also hosted, on average, one guest speaker per week to visit our campus and share their real-world experiences with our students.

2Hosting significant community events on campus Which brings me to one of our most recent Beyond the Book experiences: hosting Sonia Manzano. For the

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p FAMILIAR FACE Practicing what she preaches

Former teacher volunteers to teach kids about sharing, caring

For the past 24 years, Jane Greene (alumni parent, past board member and former faculty member) has volunteered her time and talent to share the Green Circle program with Topeka Collegiate third graders.

Green Circle, a program created in 1948, teaches students lessons of caring, sharing, kindness and inclusion.

“It presents beautiful scenarios for discussion of feeling ‘inside the circle and outside the circle,’ how it feels when you are treated kindly and unkindly and how others would want to be treated,” Greene explained.

A simple green felt board and large circle, representing a “circle of caring and sharing” set the stage for Jane’s discussions with students. Multicolored human figures, also made of felt, help the students visually see the impact of someone feeling included or excluded from one’s “circle of caring and sharing.”

“I think my favorite part is talking about skin color in the segment where we discuss how we are all different. I ask students to look around the room and find someone with the exact same

Former teacher and board member Jane Green has volunteered to share the Green Circle program with Collegiate students for the past 24 years.

skin color. Two students come to the front of the room, pull up their sleeves and place the underside of their arms together. It’s never a match and I have them sit down,” said Greene. “After several attempts I then ask the students, ‘how many people would be in your circle of caring and sharing if you only had people with the exact same skin color in your circle?’ The answer is one, themselves.”

Teaching Green Circle began with Topeka Collegiate school founder, Susan Garlinghouse (“as so many wonderful things do” — Jane added!). The Center for Peace and Justice sponsored a program at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library to train educators to teach Green Circle. Jane recalled there being a large group in attendance, and several of the attendees began presenting at local public schools and Topeka Collegiate. Unfortunately, the Center of Peace and Justice dropped their sponsorship and over time all of the other facilitators stopped visiting schools. Topeka Collegiate is the only school Jane Greene continues to visit.

“Jane has been an impactful role model to my students because she really listens to them,” said Marilyn Kido, third grade teacher. “She spends a lot of time asking about their feelings when we feel included and when we feel excluded. She shows them how many times our actions are affected by our feelings. She does an amazing job of sharing how our actions and emotions are connected.”

Green Circle is another tool that students can add to their character trait base and Social-Emotional Learning.

“Personally, (teaching Green Circle) has been very gratifying. I walk down the halls at Topeka Collegiate and older students will greet me warmly, remembering Green Circle,” Greene recalled. “I’ve run into high school students who recognize me as the person that taught Green Circle. Each year I hope the class will have a meaningful experience, and I leave each session wondering who may have had more fun, me or the students.”

Thank you, Jane, for your dedication to Topeka Collegiate and our students!

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