Fall 2019 FALL 2019 in This Issue
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
LabLifethe magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Fall 2019 FALL 2019 in this issue FEATURES DEPARTMENTS 20 Celebrating Half 03 In the Halls a Century of Rites 04 The Bookshelf of May 11 Sports Highlights 26 Taking a Purposeful 15 Behind the Scenes LabLife Break Before 16 Alumni Weekend College 2019 30 Getting Their Feet in 37 Alumni Notes the Door 46 Alumni in Action 34 LabArts Has Earned its Place as a Full- Blown Lab Tradition FROM DIRECTOR CHARLIE ABELMANN At Lab, we embrace lifelong Summer is learning and support all a teaching members of our community and learning in their continued pursuit of recharge knowledge. Dear Friends, companies were possible because Hosting a two-day Collaborative realize our mission, both in and Lab is part of the University for Academic, Social and out of the classroom, of “igniting At Lab, the summer offers and that connection enhances Emotional Learning (CASEL) and nurturing an enduring opportunities for adults and kids so much of the Lab experience. Summer Institute. Attended spirit of scholarship, curiosity, to connect to new experiences It was exciting for me to visit by the 30+ faculty, staff, creativity, and confidence” in and to have a teaching and Facebook with our students and administrators, and parents who each student. learning recharge. learn about the importance of make up Lab’s new Wellness teamwork and interdisciplinary Councils, this customized We welcome your engagement Nearly 1,000 children attended thinking as we listened to our program will help the Councils with Lab and hope you will one of our mission-driven hosts talk about their jobs. support social-emotional share your expertise, time, and Summer Lab programs. These learning and health and resources to help Lab continue programs have the added benefit The summer also offers an wellness at Lab, and plan for the to be a first choice for so many. of helping our students connect important time for Laboratory upcoming school year. Our admission yield rate this to new friends as many campers Schools teachers to connect year was nearly universal, which and summer school students do with one another around Collaborating around curriculum. is a testament to the passion not attend Lab during the school special projects or to recharge Computer Science (CS) faculty people bring to Lab when they year. A large number even come their practice by participating worked together to review and join our community. We are from abroad for an immersive in professional development re-articulate the scope and thrilled to have you all as part Lab experience. activities. Over break, Lab sequence of CS education at Lab of the Lab family and I am had more than 150 educators from grades N–12. excited to be working with the More than 50 U-Highers engaged in a wide range of provost’s office in new ways to had the chance to participate Developing lesson plans that activities including: leverage Vivian Meier photos strengthen our partnership with in a Summer Link science, the University’s departments, humanities, or civic engagement Attending the Harvard Graduate from the UChicago Special Collections Research Center to programs, and other K–12 activity, almost all of which School of Education Project initiatives. are made possible by a Zero Institute to consider what teach preschoolers lessons that University of Chicago professor, is required to create a powerful cross social-emotional learning, Welcome to the new school year department, graduate, or a learning experience in the fine art, and writing. and thank you for all you do to local employer. Another 17 21st century. In a Project Zero At Lab, we embrace lifelong support Lab. High School students went to classroom, teachers are learners learning and support all Best, the Bay Area as Lab piloted an who model intellectual curiosity members of our community age-appropriate version of the and rigor, interdisciplinary in their continued pursuit of UChicago undergrad program and collaborative inquiry, and knowledge. By doing so, we are Charlie Abelmann called Career Treks. Our visits to sensitivity to the ethical and better able to ensure that we Wag Hotels, Google, and other aesthetic dimensions of learning. LabLife, published twice Editor Design Lab Notes Correspondents Please send comments or Reproduction in whole or a year, is written for the Catherine Braendel, ’81, Janice Clark Dozens of diligent alumni updated contact information part, without permission of University of Chicago to [email protected], the publisher, is prohibited. MLA’19 agents Laboratory Schools’ Contributors Photography or call 773-702-0578. community of alumni, parents, Anna Johnson Publisher faculty, and staff. Megan E. Doherty, AM’05, Chris Kirzeder University of Chicago Volume 13, Number 1 PhD’10 Kathryn Smidstra Laboratory Schools Director Heather Preston 1362 E. 59th Street © 2019 by the University of Charles H. Abelmann Paul Schellinger Chicago, IL 60637 Chicago Laboratory Schools www.ucls.uchicago.edu 02 LabLife Fall 2019 InIn thethe HallsHalls Kids in the Kitchen PA grant helps teachers expand curriculum which we were able to do Kids learn One further byproduct thanks to a grant from the of the program involves Parents’ Association.” This knife skills, publishing a cookbook— has allowed the program to with a twist. While making expand its scope to include the difference gingerbread, for example, field trips, a food drive, and between tasting students wrote “fractured guest chef demonstrations. gingerbread tales,” adapting Students use a different and eating, and classic fairy tales and changing main ingredient every month, how to read a them according to the learn about how it grows, its students’ imaginations. “No one is born a great cook; nutritional values, and then recipe. “It’s been a truly well- one learns by doing.” Those use it in the food preparation. rounded program, with an “It’s an integrated program,” emphasis on making in all its are Julia Child’s words, but Kitchen are in a leading role Johnson noted. “There’s math forms,” Johnson noted. “It they sum up Lab’s approach for collecting food and seeing involved, and science. The has also been wonderful to very well and could have been it delivered to the depository kids have to read a recipe involve parents who might spoken by Dewey himself. for distribution. Eli Johnson carefully, and collaborate not otherwise be able to get ’s second-graders “I’ve been very impressed and work as a group.” They directly involved in their not only learned the iconic by how independent the also learn knife skills, the children’s education. They can chef’s quote; they put it into kids become in their cooking difference between tasting help shop for food, or come action in the Kids in the skills,” Johnson said. “They and eating, and how to read to the classroom and help Kitchen program that Johnson need adult supervision less a recipe. prepare it.” and second-grade teacher and less. It’s a very organic Another important Catie Gillespie are sponsoring. and authentic way to teach aspect of the program is its “We’ve been cooking kids how to work together, involvement with the Chicago with kids in our classroom and it definitely fits Dewey’s Food Depository. While all for a solid 10 years,” Johnson idea of learning by doing.” second-graders participate in noted. “This year we wanted to take it to another level, this food drive, Kids in the LabLife Fall 2019 03 THE BOOKSHELF Recommended reading Members of the sixth grade Sutherland Committee review this year’s winner, Where Ocean Meets Sky, by Eric Fan and Terry Fan As told to LabLife by sixth Ocean Meets Sky is about a to win. The pictures and the It’s almost like grade students Sebastian Gans, boy who goes on an adventure text work together to really Maxine Hurst, Ayush Mishra, through his imagination. immerse you in this adventure. the text becomes Sonakshi Mutreja, and The story takes place on It’s almost like the text becomes part of the image Zane Reese what would have been the part of the image in a way— e call them grandfather’s 92nd birthday. they work hand-in-hand to in a way—they picture Finn decides to build a boat create this magical place. The work hand-in- books, but to honor his grandfather. magical sense shows up on they are While he is in the workshop so many pages, and it’s just hand to create this not only (where he spent many days beautiful and there is so magical place. for little kids. There’s lots and with his grandfather) he falls much detail. lots of meaning behind picture asleep and has a dream about If we just had the books if you really look into it, a special, magical realm that text it would not be truly Even the construction of the because the authors have put his grandfather had described representative. The pictures book adds to the story. When a lot of time and thought into to him many times: the place help show how big Finn’s you take off the dust jacket their work. No matter what where ocean meets sky. imagination is and they give you see magical images (all of your age is, you can really feel We were part of the group a real sense of trueness to his them are in the book) and it is with the character. that “fought” for this book imagination. golden and it glimmers. The FROM THE SYLLABI Ocean Meets Sky by Eric and Students as real-world literary Terry Fan won Best Overall and and art critics: Best Illustration.