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LINK summer ’17 pg. 6 Einstein Walks pg. 22 From Where I Sit: Inside the Issue / Diana Meltzer 50th Year Celebration pg.20 pg. 25 Tugging on the Special Feature Heartstrings the lab school of washington 4759 reservoir road, nw washington, dc 20007-1921 | 202.965.6600 | www.labschool.org “It’s a learning difference, not a disability. I just need to find a new road to take. Not the road … the highway everyone else is taking. I need to take one of the side roads to get there, but I’m going to get there just like everyone else.” — Lab School Student summer Table of Contents 2017 FEATURES The Lab School of Head of School Washington pg. 6 Einstein Walks Katherine Schantz Board of Trustees 2016-2017 pg. 8 State of Mind Director of Institutional Advancement pg. 10 What Do You Want to Be When You Bill Tennis, Chair Grow Up? Marty Cathcart Kate Fulton, Vice Chair pg. 12 The Lab Globetrotters John Jonas, Vice Chair Editor/Director of Mike Tongour, Secretary Communications pg. 14 Building Bridges: An Illustration of The Lab Victoria Tilney McDonough School Way Susan Hutton, Treasurer pg. 16 Power of Art 2017: Why Arts Matter Mimi Dawson, Immediate Past Chair Design pg. 18 Not Joshin’ You Oliver Munday Mike Beach pg. 20 50th Year Celebration Special Feature: Mac Bernstein Principal A 360-Degree Perspective of The Lab School Photography of Washington Patricia Brown ImageLink Nancy Bubes pg. 26 Graduation 2017 Bruce Weller Davis Camalier pg. 38 The Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation Art Coleman Awards 2017 Cover Ashley Dabbiere Bruce Weller Martha Bridge Denckla IN EVERY ISSUE Sheila Feinberg www.labschool.org Linda Fisher pg. 22 From Where I Sit Leah Gambal pg. 23 Why I Teach Lilibet Hagel Allyn Kilsheimer pg. 24 Shorts Hal Malchow pg. 28 Student Profile Lori Soto Brian Thompson pg. 29 Sports Ryan Wade pg. 31 Alumni Through the brilliance of an Intermediate musical that EINSTEIN brings science to life, we learn the importance of curiosity and creativity. WALKS There’s a saying that goes: “Entertain all ideas for one shall be isms, Darwin’s theory of evolution, George Washington Carver’s king.” That’s just what Intermediate Science Teacher Steve Wolfe breakthrough about photosynthesis, and more. did this past year. “My family and I became obsessed with the “To see my original idea transform into a production put on by 45 Hamilton soundtrack. I was amazed by my own children’s enthusiastic students (who, starting in January, worked with Mr. knowledge of that part of US history after listening to the songs Wolfe during their lunch breaks) and witness the joy on the faces just a few times,” he says. “The music is entertaining and fun, but of the entire audience as well as the actors and tech crew was one of more importantly, it makes academic content accessible to scores the best parts for me,” says Mr. Wolfe. “The project taught me that of children and adults in a unique and fun way.” Emulating Lin- it’s not about fitting the arts into content, but rather fitting content Manuel Miranda, the actor, playwright, and composer behind into the arts.” Hamilton, Mr. Wolfe created his musical production, Einstein Hawkins’ class. The scientist panels were put together by class- Walks — a celebration of science and the important contributions The show exemplifies Lab’s emphasis on cross-curricular room teachers and their students, and the parents of the main of historic figures in the field. Above all, it highlighted the collaboration. The animal masks were created in Intermediate scientists took an active role in helping their children learn about importance of daydreams, imagination, and creativity; a perfect Visual Arts Teacher Ashley Sullivan’s class and the electron the scientist they were playing and the style of clothing worn dur- example of what The Lab School is all about. shirts were made in Art and Academic Club Teacher Sara ing that historic period. And of course, High School Music Teacher Sean Rozsics and two of his advanced music students joined Mr. It all starts with Einstein, sporting his fabulously frowzy white Wolfe, who played the keyboard, and the actors who sang the hair, walking along, licking an ice cream cone, and daydreaming. absolutely clever and unforgettable songs. “Singing in front of an “What if …” he thinks to himself as thoughts about the nature and audience is no easy task,” says Mr. Wolfe. “To see my students behavior of light, space, time, and gravity twirl in his brain. Then perform the songs in such a beautiful way and to see the audience he comes across a group of young scholars who go wild at the sight moved emotionally by their performance were wonderful and of their favorite scientific celebrity. He tells them that he was not powerful surprises.” always successful in school, but that by letting his mind wander during his walks, he realized that “curiosity and creativity were far It’s hard not to agree with Head of Visual Arts Mark Jarvis who more important than knowledge.” after the show said, “Steve Wolfe is a force of nature!” Running with this theme, Einstein has seven “dreams” where he Leaving the theater, students, teachers, and family members found goes back in time and meets famous scientists who changed the themselves humming bits of the songs, including the paramount world — from Sir Isaac Newton and Galileo to Nikola Tesla and “Ein-nnn-stein, just a man with a curious mind … Ein-nnn-stein …” Madame Curie. Through conversations, experiments, and songs, No doubt, those of us who saw the show will never forget what each dream brings to life that scientist’s ideas. By play’s end, we Einstein and these other famous scientists did to change the world. know all about Linnaeus’ system of classifying and naming organ- To see a video of “Einstein Walks,” go to www.labschool.org/page/einstein-walks. 6 the link | summer 2017 the lab school of washington 7 State of Mind Researchers at George Washington University are partnering with The Lab School to better understand how optimism, mindset, and grit can affect students’ lives in the short and long term. It is said that there are glass-half-full people and glass-half-empty and learnable. “For example, contrary to popular belief, you are not people. But what if both groups could be taught to see the glass as born an Eeyore or a Pollyanna, predestined in life to be either a entirely full — full of water and air, no matter the proportions? pessimist or an optimist. Optimism can be learned,” she says. “And this is important because research indicates that children and Elizabeth Tuckwiller, PhD, assistant professor, Special Educa- adolescents without disabilities who have higher levels of optimism tion and Disability Studies at George Washington University’s miss fewer days of school and are less likely to engage in risky Graduate School of Education and Human Development, and her behavior, like drug use. But there is far less research on the role team are collaborating with The Lab School High School on a study “Dr. Tuckwiller reached out to us to be the pilot school for the graduate research assistants, all confidential and done with consent of optimism for kids with learning differences. What role might to understand how students’ optimism, grit, self-determination, study,” says High School Internship Coordinator Kathy Briançon, from students and their parents. “The study is in its preliminary learned optimism play in their outcomes?” and thoughts about learning (mindset) are related to their academic who is Lab’s point person for the study. “Once we met her and stages; we are in Wave 2 data collection with Lab and will soon add performance and plans post-high school. talked with her, there was no way we wouldn’t participate! At Lab, other schools,” she says. “Right now, we are collecting data and we have thought a great deal about what allows some students to optimizing our instruments and data collection approach. Ulti- “Through my work in special ed and counseling psychology, I be- thrive after high school. In fact, Trudy Fleisher [Lab’s college mately, our goal is to develop a curriculum that will help students came quite disillusioned to see, time and time again, that the focus advisor] and I have been conducting a sort of informal study by understand habits of mind and skills related to positively-oriented for kids with learning challenges seemed to be placed on what they visiting several of our alumni at their colleges to see what is constructs such as optimism, grit, mindset, and other qualities couldn’t do instead of what they could do,” says Dr. Tuckwiller. working well and less well for them. So, this collaboration with through short online training modules, stories and examples, and “I dug around in the research and found that there was a missing GW has come at a perfect time.” mentorships. piece in the non-academic sphere of special education … that there was next to nothing on the role of positive psychology variables “Many of the students involved have said that they want to be a part “There are neuroimaging studies which provide evidence that posi- such as optimism or grit in outcomes for students with learning of the study for as long as they are needed; they hope to play a role tive thoughts and emotions are associated with changes in the brain. differences.” in developing this important work,” says Head of High School If kids learn about these studies, then they can begin to understand Lisa McMahon.