LINK Winter/ Spring

winter/ LINK spring ’17 Gary Smith on His Mom, the From Where I Sit: pg. 9 pg. 34 Inside the Issue / Coal Chute, and the Moment Angelo Carmina He Learned to Read pg.12 A Collage of Memories and pg. 40 Alumni Feature: Anecdotes Ethan Kasnett ‘08 the lab school of washington 4759 reservoir road, nw washington, dc 20007-1921 | 202.965.6600 | www.labschool.org “Ah, the founding of The Lab School … the stars aligned as they so often do, when a great idea is birthed — right people, right time, an inspiring idea, and a brilliant and creative founder.” — dane nichols, former parent 50th Anniversary winter/spring Table of Contents 2017 FEATURES The Lab School of Head of School Washington Katherine Schantz pg. 8 The School that Sally Built Board of Trustees 2016-2017 pg. 9 Gary Smith on His Mom, the Coal Chute, and the Director of Institutional Advancement Moment He Learned to Read Bill Tennis, Chair Marty Cathcart Kate Fulton, Vice Chair pg. 10 Little Red Corvette John Jonas, Vice Chair pg. 11 Katherine Schantz on the Next 50 Years Mike Tongour, Secretary Editor/Director of Communications Susan Hutton, Treasurer Victoria Tilney McDonough pg. 12 A Collage of Memories and Anecdotes Mimi Dawson, Immediate Past Chair pg. 18 The Power of Play: Fifty Years of Design Academic Clubs Mike Beach Oliver Munday Mac Bernstein pg. 20 The Lab School’s Awards Gala: Then and Now Patricia Brown pg. 22 Posters, Publications, and Logos: Nancy Bubes Photography A Glimpse into the Past Davis Camalier Bruce Weller Art Coleman pg. 24 A Level Playing Field Ashley Dabbiere Photoshop Work pg. 25 More than a Word Martha Bridge Denckla Sheila Feinberg Alex Frederick Kimberly Sgroi pg. 26 With No Further Ado … Linda Fisher pg. 30 Highlights Leah Gambal Lilibet Hagel pg. 32 Waste Not, Want Not Allyn Kilsheimer Hal Malchow Lori Soto www.labschool.org IN EVERY ISSUE H. Brian Thompson Ryan Wade pg. 34 From Where I Sit pg. 35 Why I Teach pg. 36 Shorts pg. 38 Student Profile pg. 39 Alumni celebrating 5 0 1967 years of 2017 the lab school o f washington 6 the link | winter/spring 2017 the lab school of washington 7 Gary Smith on His Mom, the Coal Chute, and the Moment He Learned to Read ary Smith remembers when as a 9-year-old student at bang and crash and make the The Lab School, which was still in its original Phelps noise that didn’t even G Place location, he ditched class with his friend Charles. make sense. Little did “We found the coal chute and there we were, down and up, we know that we were school that down and up, down and up until a teacher found us covered in learning and retaining black soot,” he says. “On the way home in the car with mom, you what we learned along the can bet I got one of her 105 standard lectures …. As a kid, I was way. My mom knew what sally built a hyperactive little rug rat who thought he could get away with she was doing.” anything and everything — and tried — but I couldn’t with my t has been more than nine years since Lab School mom.” Gary remembers the day Founder Sally L. Smith died. The world has shifted in he learned to read. At I many ways — socially, politically, and technologically. Gary does recall, however, that it didn’t take long at The Lab 13 years old, something But if Mrs. Smith were still here today, one thing would not have School — the school started for him and others with learning finally clicked for good; changed: her passion for the mission of The Lab School. differences who were told at other schools that they could not in six months, he had learn — to start wondering each morning what cool things he’d jumped three grade levels. No doubt she would be thrilled to see that her school has grown get to learn that day. “My reading teacher took and thrived under Head of School Katherine Schantz who me to my mom’s office continues to thoughtfully guide Lab into the fast changing world “I had LD and ADHD. The Lab School changed my life. For the with the testing paper of 21st century education. She would be pleased to know that Lab first time, it was a place where everyone was just like me. We were in hand. She was on the continues to transform the lives of more students each year. And all class clowns and we phone but gave us that Mrs. Smith would be proud that the school she started — to fill all had ‘bladder problems’ ‘What did he do now?’ a need for her son and other struggling students like him who [Gary’s kindergarten look. I handed her the simply learned differently — is forging a deeper path in its role as teacher at his previous papers. She quickly got a thought leader in the field of learning differences education. school had asked his off the phone, screamed mother if he had bladder “Sally’s legacy is not just the kids and what she brought to the and jumped up to hug me, all of us laughing and crying,” says problems since he was world about learning disabilities; it’s the staff that were with her Gary. Forty-three years after that day, he has made up for lost always excusing himself for years,” says Head of Visual Arts Mark Jarvis. “She taught us time as a reader. “I especially love murder mysteries. Sometimes to the bathroom during how to teach these kids. She was really something.” I can guess who ‘done it’ before the end, but I love the twists and class. “If I couldn’t fake it turns the plots can take.” In addition to reading, Gary spends a lot in class, I’d hide out in the of his time writing, in particular a personal memoir of his life, but bathroom so no one would also stories for children, which he hopes to someday publish. know I couldn’t add 2+2 or recite the alphabet,” he In his apartment, Gary has a wall of photos of his mother and explains.]. The Lab School. “My mother gave my brain a life. She taught me — and all the kids at Lab — how to believe in ourselves,” he says. Gary loved the Academic Then, pointing to his brain and his heart, he adds, “She is in here, Clubs especially, because and in here … and I can hear her talking to me sometimes, saying, of the creativity of the lessons. “In Cave Club, I was Slimbo Limbo; “Oh, Gary, don’t be so melodramatic,’ then laughing that crazy, I became him the minute we put on our animal skins and started wonderful laugh of hers.” to act out our caveman stories. I loved Music, too, where we could 8 the link | winter/spring 2017 the lab school of washington 9 Little Red CORVETTE n 2009, when Katherine Schantz was offered the position of head of I school at Lab, she says she was drawn to the challenge. “Founder Sally Smith had a brilliant idea that she brought to the fore, and after her death, the school needed someone to keep it alive and thriving,” she says. “It was definitely a compelling challenge for me.” Ms. Schantz has been working with students with learning differences for more than 35 years. She is especially committed to the power of an arts-infused education to enhance the mind and help young learners form their identities. ost people who know The Lab School have seen it — “Sally was so giggly during the photoshoot; we all were. She just had the “famous” photo of Founder Sally L. Smith driving this bubbly contagious way about her. I’ll never forget the fun we M “I wanted to keep Sally’s pioneer spirit alive, but also work to usher the a 1957 red Corvette as if through the clouds, a vibrant had that day.” Laughing, Mr. Cohen adds, “And she did not want to school into 21st century learning,” she says. “The world of education is rapidly dotted green scarf tied around her neck and flapping behind her get out of that car!” changing and careers are now driven by globalization, technology, and new in the wind, her exuberant grin, red lip-sticked and stretched wide priorities. How we teach is crucial to helping unlock our students’ potential in with pure unmitigated joy. The photograph was taken for a coffee ways that will set them up for new directions in the future frontiers.” table book of photos and stories called Extraordinary Women: Fanta- sies Revealed: 58 Women of Accomplishment Portray Hidden Dreams and Looking forward to the next 50 years, Ms. Schantz says, “I want to see the Real Hopes written by Ilene Leventhal and Francine Levinson, and community at Lab continue to reach beyond the status quo. I also see us working Katherine photographed by Clay Blackmore. toward being even more progressive in our structures and actualizing our beliefs “I’m wondering how many people know the story behind the about how students learn, what’s important to learn, and what kind of learning photograph,” says Richie Cohen, former parent and current sticks.” Schantz grandfather of Intermediate student Devin Cohen. Mr. Cohen may be one of the few who do know the story. He was there … and he is As a thought leader in the field of learning differences education, The Lab School the owner of the vintage Corvette.

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