Green & White Magazine

GREEN GRE GR EEN&WHITE MAGAZINE

OU R FA VO RIT E

WHITFIELD

TRADITIONS PAGE 4

CARDBOARD

CUISINE! PAGE 6

DID YOU

KNOW?

PAGE 10

Roving

Robots

PAGE 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT’S HOT INSIDE?

4 6 8 12 16 18 20 WHITFIELD TRADITIONS

THE DIFFERENCE 11 SPOT How sharp are your skills?

GREEN GRE GR EEN&WHITE MAGAZINE A Magazine for Future Whitfield Warriors

Check out some of our favorite school traditions!

CARDBOARD CUISINE From the imagination of Whitfield’s 3D Studio: Sculpture class

BOOK CLUB

What did you read last summer?

14 CONNECTING WITH CULTURE Tips for creating your own culture.

FAVORITE CLASSES

WHITFIELD SCHOOL offers a robust liberal-arts curriculum embedded in a foundational character education program. In a small school community built on kindness and trust, Whitfield inspires a diverse student body to live lives of curiosity, integrity, and purpose. The school endeavors to empower young people to be thoughtful, principled citizens of the world.

How do yours compare?

EDITOR’S NOTE

ROVING ROBOTS

Head of School

See what Upper School students in Principles of Engineering & Design are up to!

ESPORTS!

Chris Cunningham, Ph.D.

Director of Admissions Lisa Trout

GETTING INVOLVED

Take a quiz to see how you can get involved at Whitfield.

Director of Communications & Marketing Erin Walsh

Graphic Designer Brad Glotfelty | Brad Alan Co.

WELCOME! Dear Future Warrior, The thought of switching schools is probably both exciting and scary! You are not the first person to have both of those feelings at the same time, and I guarantee you won’t be the last. My advice to you is to embrace both the excitement and the fear. Learn everything you can about your future school: visit, ask questions, look for people who have the same interests, look for people who have different interests. I hope this magazine helps you get to know Whitfield better, and while you are reading it, it quiets some of the scary, and builds some of the excitement.

Sincerely, Mrs. Walsh

O U R FA VO R IT E

WHITFIELD

TRASH CAN BAND

TRADITIONS

LIP SYNCS On the Friday of Homecoming weekend, representatives from each grade level perform a song and dance routine in front of the school community and a panel of judges.

Made entirely of trash cans, this co-ed percussion group performs throughout the school year during all-school assemblies and for special events.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE

SCHOOL TRADITION? ____________________

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OL DOG O H C S ’S D L WHITFIE

rs ago, a a e y 0 2 t u Abo g decided o d s ’ r o b h w neig was his ne ld e fi it h W that ’s current ld e fi it h W . home even year s a is g o d school ver named ie r t e R n e old Gold find her n a c u o Y .

Sunshine e hallway h t in g in p slee f school o d a e h e h between t ipal’s offices. inc and the pr

SH BACK-TO-SCHOOL BA t of

e star In celebration of th e community the school year, th s to enjoy gathers on campu , and fall BBQ, carnival games sport exhibitions.

SPIRIT WEEK

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Traditionally taking place during the fall semester, Spirit Week consists of themed dress up days, daily assemblies, and grade level competitions.

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D R A O B D R A C

TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR OWN

!

E N I S CUI

CARDBOARD CUISINE!

T C E J O R P E R U T P L U C A CREATIVE S

are dedicated to Whitfield School’s SAGE Dining Services Students in Whitfield’s 3D Studio: Sculpture class recently took on a challenging and creative project: staff--thank you for all that you do!” creating food sculptures out of cardboard.

The sculptures were displayed throughout the school The project was inspired by a classic sculpture exercise: for all to enjoy. They were a hit with students, staff, and visitors alike. taking an ordinary object and scaling it up or down.

Students were asked to brainstorm food, or food-related If you’re looking for a creative and challenging project to items, that they would like to create. After sketching out try, why not give cardboard cuisine a try? You might be their ideas, they started building their sculptures out of surprised at what you can create! cardboard.

1

Start by brainstorming some ideas for what you want to make.

2

Sketch out your ideas before you start building.

3

Use a variety of materials to decorate your sculptures.

4

Consider the principles of sculpture, such as scale, space, and texture.

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Have fun and be creative!

The students used a variety of materials to decorate their sculptures, including paint, paper, glitter, and markers. They also had to consider the principles of sculpture, such as scale, space, and texture.

THE STUDENTS HAD TO REALLY PROBLEM-SOLVE WITH THIS PROJECT

The results were amazing! Students created a variety of realistic and creative food sculptures, including a slice of pepperoni pizza, a hunk of cheese, a raspberry pie, a Bomb Pop, a slice of cheese garlic bread, a blood orange, and a biscuit breakfast sandwich.

“The students had to really problem-solve with this project,” said faculty member Curtis Erlinger. “I didn’t give them solutions, but I did give them a lot of materials and encouraged them to play with their food. These works 6

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BOOK

CLUB

Whitfield students love to read!

Last summer, each grade was assigned a book to read as a class. Have you read any of these books? If so, can you answer the questions here?

7th Grade | The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Questions to consider while reading: • What adjectives would you use to describe Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch?(adjectives can also be traits) • Which character(s) do you see as a hero? Why? • How do the characters’ traditions, customs, and beliefs affect them?

• In what way does the government and the geography of Panem affect the characters?

11th Grade | Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

9th Grade | The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Questions to consider while reading: • Have you ever had a recurring dream? What was it about?

What do you think it meant?

• What is your “Personal Legend”?

• What does it mean to live a good life?

Questions to consider while reading: • How do you define success? In what ways does society define success?

• To what extent should we pursue our personal happiness at any cost?

• How do we create our own identity through our actions, interests, values and beliefs?

• What is the purpose of education and what is our responsibility to our own education?

• What is American society and what does its literature say about its people?

My Summer

1. ______________

Reading Lis

t

________________

________

2. ______________

________________

3. ____________

_______

________________

6th Grade: Pax by Sara Pennybaker

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Questions to consider while reading: r and Pax. How has that connection • Think about the connection between Pete se Pax? developed over the years? Why must Peter relea about what war costs” (p. 130).

• Vola tells Peter, “People should tell the truth in this book pay?

What costs of war does each of the characters wild foxes? Why did they accept him?

• What happened when Pax met the other How did meeting them change Pax? the book from alternating points of • Why do you think the author chose to write story? view? How did that help you understand the

8th Grade | Touching Sp

irit Bear by Ben Michaelso

n Questions to consider wh ile reading: • What factors shape Cole’ s identity?

• How does Cole’s experience change his character: how he sees himself as an individual as well as par t of a community?

• How would you describe Cole’s need for both love and power as it plays out in the book?

• What are your thoughts on Circle Justice?

GREEN & WHITE MAGAZINE

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4. ______________ 5. ______________

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10th Grade | Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Questions to consider while reading: • In what ways is the author caught in a cycle of poverty?

• How is the author’s race tied to his sense of identity and community?

• How does the author use humor to heal?

• What roles do love and faith play in the story?

6. ______________

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7. ______________

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WHAT DID YOU READ LAST SUMMER?

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DID YOU

KNOW?

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!

Can you spot 7 differences between the photos below?

Circle the differences.

ed in 1952. d n u fo as w ld e fi it Wh ent is 425 m ll ro n e e g ra e v Whitfield’s a 6-12. students in grades s size is 14. s la c e g ra e v a ’s Whitfied come from 147.

Whitfield students a schools. re a is u o L t.

S t n differe e from 61. m o c ts n e d u st ld e Whitfi area zip codes. is u o L t.

S t n re e diff average of 85. an lls ro n e ld e fi it h W very year. new students e

8 Whitfield has won 3 s, and 93 ip h s n io p m a h c state nships. district champio have won 184 ts n e d u st ld e fi it h W medals. individual state d9 rts, 26 clubs, an o p s 8 1 rs e ff o ld Whitfie affinity groups. students identify as ’s ld e fi it h W f o % 38 people of color. faculty have ’s ld e fi it h W f o % 5 7 es. advanced degre

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WINNIE MURPHY ‘26

L A E V RE “ s e s s a l C e it r o v a Their F

“

DERRICK PALMER ‘25

h. Mrs. My favorite class is Spanis She always Gassner makes class fun!. hold your at th es ti vi ti ac t en er ff di s ha

“

cause I like to be cs vi Ci is s as cl e rit vo fa My and engage in talk about current events

“

to support our opinions on topics and to help

lively discussions.

better express our thoughts and to understand

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any past experience to enjoy this class.

GRACE COOPERSTEIN ‘25

supported by the teacher and she made the

each other.

don’t have to be good at acting or have had

“

My favorite class is English because I felt

assignments. We were able to use resources

short skits which are really fun. Also, you

attention.

MASON ODOM ‘28

class fun! I also liked the projects and the

hands- on activities like improv games and

“

s t n e d u t S d l Whitfie

My favorite class is theater. We do a lot of

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Word Connecting with Culture In Elements of Social Studies, sixth grade students learn about the different branches of the social sciences. They use primary and secondary sources to research and discover why and how the past affects our world today. They also strengthen essential skills like literacy, writing, collaboration, presentation, critical thinking, and research.

As part of their unit on sociology, students engage in the Create a Culture project. Working in small groups, they research specific elements of existing cultures, such as language, art, religion, government, economic systems, social structure, and traditions. After completing their research, each group develops a new “fictional” culture and makes a presentation in class.

Faculty member Mary Schnitzler designed the project to help students gain a better understanding of what makes up culture and society. She also wanted to lay a foundation for their work ahead in this year’s World Cultures class.

“After we completed the Create a Culture project, we read Lois Lowry’s The Giver and used a sociological lens for our analysis,” said Ms. Schnitzler. “As students 14

e l b m Scra

studied the characters’ beliefs and values, they applied what they learned about the elements of culture.”

The Create a Culture project is a great way to learn about different cultures and how they work. It’s also a lot of fun! If you’re interested in learning more about culture, you can talk to your teacher or librarian. You can also find some great resources online.

Here are some tips for creating your own culture: •

Start by brainstorming some ideas for the different elements of your culture. What language will your people speak? What kind of art will they create?

What will their religion be like?

•

Once you have some ideas, do some research to learn more about different cultures. This will help you to flesh out your own culture and make it more realistic.

•

Be creative! Don’t be afraid to come up with something that is unique and different.

•

Have fun! Creating a culture is a great way to learn about the world and to express your own creativity.

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Roving

s t o b Ro

APRIL IS ON THE MARCH

By Tomas Casado ‘27

Upper School students in Principles of Engineering and Design made Mars rover prototypes using TETRIX programmable robotics kits.

The students used TETRIX programmable robotics kits to build their rovers. These kits are a great way to learn about engineering, coding, and space exploration. They come with everything you need to build a robot, including motors, sensors, and a controller.

The students worked in small groups to design and build their rovers. They had the creative freedom to add moveable components, scoops, or cameras to their designs. They also had to code their rovers to execute a series of tasks.

After the students built their rovers, they tested them on an obstacle course that represented the environment on Mars. The obstacle course included things like rocks, sand, and hills. The students had to make sure their rovers could navigate the obstacle course without getting stuck or breaking down.

The students also created a PR campaign to promote their designs to the public. They wrote press releases, made videos, and gave presentations.

Finally, each student wrote a formal research paper about their rover. The research paper included information about the environment on Mars, the materials used to build the rover, and the cost of the project.

This project was a great way for the students to learn about engineering, coding, space exploration, and public relations. It was also a lot of fun!

Want to learn more?

You can find more information about this project on the TETRIX website: https://www.tetrixrobotics.com/.

You can also find more information about Mars rovers on the NASA website: https://mars.nasa.gov/.

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April is on the march It’s appeleting into a green arch It grows into a flower, everlasting life of bees Until they see the grundendull, until they see me A flower it once, a flower it will, But a flower for now it grows a bill The show is rain,is what they have to say That brings the life of many, here with us today The rock rolls, will it ever stop Momentum says no, until it will drop.

It tumbles forward, left, front, and right.

But never behind you, for the rock is time.

Time moves on, and the flowers die.

But they know they’ll be back, So they never once cry

5-4-3-2-1

MINDFULNESS THROUGH THE SENSES

By Ginny Fendell, Director of Health and Wellness

Practicing mindfulness doesn’t have to be complicated! It simply involves “noticing” what is happening in the present moment. Sometimes our attention is jumping all over the place like a monkey, so practicing mindfulness is a way to tame that “monkey mind” and train it to focus on what we want it to pay attention to. We do that by using our five senses: seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, and tasting.

Try it out!

Start by looking around wherever you are and notice: 5 things you can see that you’ve never noticed before 4 things you can feel with your hands

LOVE

3 things you can hear, near and far sounds

Love is confusing But with families Siblings Grandparents Parents Love is not hard You will always love them You might fight Or get mad But your love for them Is always in your heart As their love for you Is in theirs

2 things you can smell right now 1 thing you that you can taste You did it! What did you notice?

Share this practice with a friend or family member to see if you noticed similar or different things.

By Molly Rufkahr ‘28

Thomas’ and Molly’s poems originally appeared in the 20222023 edition of Perspectives, Whitfield’s student art and literary publication.

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... s r e h c a e T ld e Whitfi

! s U e k i L ’re Just

They

Lisa Barry Jenkins - Director of Technology Biggest Fear: Spiders Pet Peeve: Slow internet Driving Song: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey

Miller Boyd, Ph.D. - History Department Favorite Animal: Great Dane Favorite Flavor: Butter Pet Peeve: Cruelty to others

Cipriano Casado - World Languages Department Biggest Fear: Frogs Favorite Flavor: Vinegar Dream Job: Teaching

S E H C N U A L L D E I F T WHI

M A R G O R P S ESPORT

I

In January 2022, Whitfield launched our new esports program! Esports, or electronic sports, elevates single player video gaming to another level with organized competitive gameplay between two teams. Participants are supervised by a coach, attend team strategy meetings, practices, and official matches. Students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of roles including Varsity and JV game players, assistant coaches, play-byplay announcers, graphic designers, and video editors.

Much more than just video gaming, esports requires players to develop

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and strengthen their teamwork, communication, critical and strategic thinking, creativity, sportsmanship, and leadership skills. Participants also practice and develop STEM skills by analyzing data, game statistics, and strategies. In addition, there are growing opportunities for esport scholarships at the collegiate level and an expanding variety of esportsrelated careers.

More than 70 students—30 Middle School and 40 Upper School—engaged in this popular new program. Their roles include game players, team managers, play-by-play announcers, graphic designers, and video editors.

Whitfield teams practice every day and play against state-wide

REALLY?!?!

Ashley Eggebrecht -English Department Favorite Animal: Snow leopard Dream Place to Live: Vail, CO Dream Job: Teaching

competition through the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation (MOSEF) league.

Whitfield Esports Games and Coaches General Manager: Lisa Barry Jenkins Coaches: Andrew Asikainen, Brandon Haynes, and Heather Lavezzi Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Middle School/rated E for everyone) Rocket League (Middle School/ rated E for everyone) Overwatch (Upper School/rated T for Teens age 13+) Valorant (Upper School/rated T for Teens age 13+)

Amber Odom - Admissions Office Favorite Book: Charlotte’s Web Dream Place to Live: Hawaii Pet Peeve: People facetiming in public with no headphones

Chris Sellers - Science Department Favorite Animal: Tiger shark Dream Job: Teaching Favorite Spirit Day: Green & White Day

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HOW TO GET

INVOLVED AT

There are so many ways to get involved at Whitfield! This quiz is just a starting point to help narrow down your areas of interest. Check out all of the clubs, affinity groups, and sports Whitfield has to offer.

WHITFIELD

Take the quiz below to learn more about how to get involved in Whitfield’s many after school clubs, affinity groups, and athletics.

Question 1: What do you enjoy doing for fun?

A. Playing sports B. Singing, dancing, or acting C. Hanging out with friends and family D. Volunteering or helping others E. All of the above

Question 2: What are your strengths?

A. I’m athletic and competitive.

B. I’m creative and expressive.

C. I’m good at making friends and getting along with people.

D. I’m good at organizing and leading others.

E. All of the above.

Question 3: What are your interests?

A. Playing sports, hiking, biking, etc.

B. Singing, dancing, acting, theater, etc.

C. Volunteering, social justice, allyship, etc.

D. Student government, debate, leadership, etc.

E. All of the above.

Question 4: What are your goals for the future?

A. To be a varsity athlete.

B. To be a prominently featured singer, dancer, or actor.

C. To make a difference in your community through volunteering and/or social justice work.

D. To be a leader in student government or a club.

E. All of the above.

Question 5: What are you passionate about?

A. Winning and competing.

B. Expressing myself creatively.

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Middle School Athletics Baseball- boys Basketball- boys, girls Cross Country- boys, girls Field Hockey- girls Lacrosse- girls Soccer- boys, girls Volleyball- boys, girls Wrestling- boys

C. Helping others and making a difference.

D. Organizing and leading others.

E. All of the above.

Question 6: What are you good at working with?

A. My body (hand/eye coordination) and physical skills.

B. My voice, coordination, and facial expressions.

C. Other people and relationships.

D. Ideas, concepts, and problems.

E. All of the above.

Question 7: What do you like to do in your free time?

A. Play sports, go to the gym, or be active.

B. Sing, dance, act, or watch movies and TV. C. Hang out with friends and family, volunteer, or do community service.

D. Organize events, plan meetings, or lead projects.

E. All of the above.

Question 8: What do you think is the most important thing in life?

Upper School Athletics Baseball- boys Basketball- boys, girls Cross Country- coed Field Hockey- girls Football (cooperative with Principia School)- boys Golf- boys, girls Lacrosse- girls Soccer-boys, girls Tennis- boys, girls Track & Field- boys, girls Volleyball- boys, girls Wrestling-boys

Student Clubs

Affinity Groups

Admissions Club Book Clubs Business and Entrepreneurship Club Climbing Club College Counseling Crew Community Service Club Debate Club Diversity Council Esports Fashion Club Film Club Fishing Club Garden Club Green Scene (spirit club) Library Advisory Council Math Club Mindfulness and Meditation Club Model UN Ping Pong Club Perspectives (literary magazine) Student Council Technology Student Association (TSA) Thespian Society Yearbook

Asian Student Union (ASU) Black Student Union (BSU) Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Hispanic Student Association (HSA) International Student Union (ISU) Jewish Student Union (JSU) Muslim Student Union (MSU) Women’s Alliance

A. Winning and being the best.

B. Expressing myself creatively and authentically.

C. Helping others and making a difference in the world.

D. Leading and organizing others.

E. All of the above.

Results: Mostly A’s: Athletics/Esports Mostly B’s: Performing and Dramatic Arts Mostly C’s: Student Interest Clubs Mostly D’s: Student Council and Service E’s: Try them all!

EXPLORE O UR STUDENT L IFE!

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WHITFIELD ADMISSIONS WHITFIELD SCHOOL is an independent middle and high school which means there is an application process in order to attend. You apply to Whitfield one year before you would like to start school. For example, if you want to start attending Whitfield in 7th grade, you would start the application process when you are in 6th grade. The best way to start the application process is to visit the school! Ask your parents to help you explore the admissions section of Whitfield’s website to learn more about what is required as well as opportunities to visit: www.whitfieldschool.org/admission.

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WHITFIELD SCHOOL Co-educational | College Preparatory | Grades 6-12 175 South Mason Road St. Louis, Missouri 63141 (314) 415-5141