LINK summer ’18

pg. 6 Ripple Effect: Lab pg. 26 From Where I Sit: Inside the Issue / School’s Library of Water Dr. Robert Lane

Expanding Conversations pg.10 pg. 12 Around Diversity Struts and Frets

the lab school of washington 4759 reservoir road, nw washington, dc 20007-1921 | 202.965.6600 | www.labschool.org “I have thought a lot about how Lab has helped us. I’m not surprised how Lab changed our son, but more by how much I have been changed. My perspective on learning differences changed, and also my perspective on all that my son is capable of achieving.” ­— father of lab school senior summer Table of Contents 2018

FEATURES The Lab School of Head of School Washington Katherine Schantz pg. 6 Ripple Effect: Lab School’s Library of Board of Trustees Water 2017-2018 Director of Institutional pg. 8 Graduation 2018 Advancement Bill Tennis, Chair Marty Cathcart pg. 10 Expanding Conversations Around Diversity Kate Fulton, Vice Chair John Jonas, Vice Chair pg. 12 Struts and Frets Editor/Director of Mike Tongour, Secretary Communications Victoria Tilney McDonough pg. 14 The Many Sides of History, Susan Hutton, Treasurer One Story at a Time Mimi Dawson, Immediate Past Chair Design pg. 16 All the World’s a Stage Oliver Munday

pg. 18 A Journey of 1,000 Miles Starts Mike Beach with a Single Step Mac Bernstein Principal Photography Patricia Brown pg. 21 Welcome: Amy Oswalt ImageLink Nancy Bubes

pg. 22 Retirement 2018 Davis Camalier Art Coleman pg. 24 Freeze Frame Ashley Dabbiere

pg. 25 The Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation Martha Bridge Denckla Awards 2018 Sheila Feinberg Linda Fisher

Leah Gambal www.labschool.org IN EVERY ISSUE Allyn Kilsheimer Hal Malchow pg. 26 From Where I Sit Lori Soto

pg. 27 Why I Teach Brian Thompson Ryan Wade pg. 28 Shorts

pg. 30 Student Profile

pg. 31 Sports

pg. 38 Alumni RIPPLE EFFECT: Lab School’s Library of Water

“Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.”—margaret atwood

Most of us know that a human body is composed of 60 percent their collecting big jugs of water from these sources that would later water. Our brains and hearts are 73 percent water. So it comes as become part of the LSW Library of Water. little surprise that when most of us are near water of any kind — an ocean, river, creek, puddle, or pot of water – our cells breathe While teaching her students about perspective taking, different deeply in recognition, in timeless kinship. And the poets in all of us kinds of poetry, the importance of research, biographical writing, reawaken, full of breath and breathlessness all at once. descriptive language, and the power of verbs, Ms. Young reached out to the Lab community asking for small samples of water Intermediate Writer’s Studio Teacher Amy Young, a poet in her collected from anywhere … near or far from home or work, on own right, helped awaken the poets in her students as well as weekend trips or during far-flung travel. “I would be thrilled to many of us in and beyond the Lab community with her Lab School find these baggies of water on my desk with haikus or short poems Library of Water project. This past fall, while on an Edith and attached to them,” says Ms. Young who also recorded the date, Herbert Lehman Foundation fellowship in Iceland, she visited place, and weather, when possible, for each sample. “I received the former town library in Stykkishólmur, which is now The many from staff and faculty, and of course students.” During the Library of Water, a permanent installation by American Artist Roni collection process, she was reminded that many people are afraid Horn. It contains 24 floor-to-ceiling glass columns of water from of poetry, afraid they won’t understand it, or certainly not be able Iceland’s 24 glaciers (since the installation was created, one glacier to write it. The haiku — a Japanese form of poetry with 17 syllables has melted). Carved into the rubberized floor around these majestic in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images columns is a field of English and Icelandic words related to the from nature — is accessible to writers of all levels as it is a snapshot weather — inside and outside. of words and sounds, a glimpse, a blink, a click of an aperture. She received more than 60 water samples and poems. “The kids Inspired by Iceland’s Library of Water, Ms. Young devised got really creative. One of my favorites was about water from an a curriculum for her writing students around what she had aquifer,” she says. “If students were hesitant but wanted to share experienced at the museum and on the raw, sublime terrain of the a water sample and an idea, we’d talk about the melted ice or “Land of Fire and Ice” with Intermediate’s theme of the year — dishwater from the kitchen sink that they had collected, brainstorm Water and Perspective Taking. words and phrases from what they saw or smelled, touched or tasted, and write something together, giving the final haiku an During the year, students wrote about their childhood extra layer of shared experience.” chronologically through water, bringing to the surface vivid memories of tub time, running under the sprinkler, their first dive, The LSW Library of Water, which displayed in the Gallery on washing the dog … all the ways that water plays an integral part of the Reservoir Campus, was like stepping out of Lab and into our lives and in our memories. They listened to part of a series on nature, into a collective portrait of the community, into time National Public Radio about the revitalization of DC’s Anacostia and timelessness, memory, story. Jars of all sizes were placed in River and talked about the politics of water … how certain bodies of and around the room, displayed with their corresponding haiku water are kept clean and vital while others are ignored, or how all or poem. The exhibit, artfully designed with the collaborative people should have access to clean water but sadly, many do not. work of Intermediate Art Teacher Sara Hawkins and Junior And as Ms. Young so fluidly wrote, “The exhibit reflects human High Art Teacher Laurie Herrmann and Intermediate Science uses of water across the globe and honors waters close to home. The On a field trip to the Potomac River, Rock Creek Park, and the Teachers Jonathan Alexis and Steve Wolfe, also included short poems accompanying the water samples speak of the universality of Anacostia, students learned about perspective taking by writing perspective-taking essays from the field trip that were hung on the home, the joys and travails of family, adventure and memories, and from the point of view of a twig or river stone, and using all their walls, map cards in envelopes on the big jugs of water with facts of the wonder this simple but necessary substance can inspire.” senses to create verbal snapshots of what they saw, heard, and felt about each body of water, and an enormous world map with flags in these places. A mini writing retreat, the field trip also included marking all the spots from which water was taken for the project.

6 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 7 College Acceptances for Guilford College Pennsylvania College Virginia Commonwealth University Hampshire College of Technology Virginia Wesleyan University the Class of 2017 Hawaii Pacific University Radford University Washington College Ringling College of Art High Point University (2) West Virginia University and Design Hobart and William Smith West Virginia Wesleyan College Adelphi University Roger Williams University June 8, 2018 Colleges Westminster College (MO) Graduation American University (2) Hollins University St. Joseph’s University Cabrini University Savannah College of Art Ithaca College Boldface denotes matriculation Catholic University of America and Design (3) Jacksonville University Champlain College Shepherd University LaSalle University Christopher Newport University Skidmore College Lesley University Clark University St. Edward’s University Longwood University College of Wooster St. Mary’s College of Maryland Loyola University Chicago Columbia College Chicago Temple University (2) Lynn University Connecticut College Union College Manhattan College Davis & Elkins College University of Arizona Marist College Dean College (2) University of Connecticut Marymount University (2) DePaul University University of Iowa Maryville University DeSales University University of Mary McDaniel College Dickinson College Washington Mount St. Mary’s University Duquesne University University of New Haven Muhlenberg College Eckerd College University of New Mexico Muskingum University Flagler College University of San Francisco Northern Virginia Florida Gulf Coast University University of Tampa Community College (2) George Mason University Old Dominion University University of Vermont Goucher College Vassar College

“All your life, you may have been looking up at others, those wired for school, for whom everything has been easier. But you have a special set of wings, wings designed for this Class of 2018 First row seated, left to right: Michael Turner, Patrick Greenwalt, John Davis FitzGerald, Thomas Gustafson, Nathaniel Hutton, Riley Norton, Charles Herman, David Smith, John McKnight; special landscape in which we live Second row, standing, left to right:, Anna Hollingsworth, Jacqueline Lamb, Jamie Mitchell, Barrett Griffin, Tova Zurn-Galinsky, Sayaka Yamamoto, Samuel Adcock, Joseph Tecce, Eric Blowers, Zachary Kennedy-Noce; Third row, top, left to right: Jaleel Ali, Baxter Nichols, Halle Greenblatt, Lia Medley, Kathleen Snee, Connor Tweddle, Elizabeth Speck, Drew Imparato, Emily Trepacz, Emma Farley, Emilie today. You are going to fly higher, Berley. Missing: Louis Kutyla. and faster, while others look up from

Academic Achievement Latin IV – Nathaniel Hutton Special Recognition Benjamin Coleman-Lyon below….When you do, you may Awards 2017-2018 Rhetoric – John Davis FitzGerald Halle Greenblatt Community Service Nathaniel Hutton discover that you have become that Other Awards Patrick Greenwalt Nola James Senior Awards, June 2017 Ethan Kabati hero [who succeeds despite great The John Otto Award for History Model UN Raphael Katkov English 12 – Elizabeth Speck Jacqueline Lamb John Davis FitzGerald Lia Medley adversity] that everyone loves. Probability/Statistics – Genevieve Paliga Jacqueline Lamb Senior Thesis Award Yearbook Belen Riberas Because being that hero is exactly Trigonometry/Pre-Calc – Baxter Nichols Jaleel Ali Elizabeth Speck Baxter Nichols Yosias Zelalem who you are wired to be.” Earth Science – Charles Herman Tide Turners Tim Danos Music Award Physics – Emily Trepacz Michael Turner David Smith Alumni Representatives —Alumni Parent, Trustee, DC History – Charles Herman Lia Medley Government – Nathaniel Hutton Admissions Ambassadors Joseph Tecce and Graduation Spanish III – Baxter Nichols Samuel Adcock Spanish IV – Anna Hollingsworth Speaker Hal Malchow Karim Angulo

8 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 9 EXPANDING CONVERSATIONS AROUND DIVERSITY

National Conference to Lab Roundtable

“We’re not at a diversity conference to feel comfortable,” says Most often, significant change happens slowly, but we do know This year, for the first time, The Lab School presented at the lot of things.” Junior High Substitute Teacher Gaia Baytop: “The Genevieve Paliga ‘20. “We’re there to feel uncomfortable and to get that one person can make a difference. After this year’s conference, conference. Ms. Shepard, Director of Admissions Dr. Robert energy was just electric! All I could think was that this was the down to the roots of problems of inequality, to see how we can learn to High School Teacher Jewell Watson-Hellkamp said, “I Lane, and Mr. Lanier addressed their audience with “Language, first time I had been in a room with so many other black people at make change that will impact our communities and our lives.” walked away from the weekend feeling an urgent responsibility Labels, and Power: The Intersection of ‘LD’ and Students of one time. That’s big.” to take care of our students of color, especially the girls who Color in Independent Schools.” In their talk, they asked their For the past seven years, groups of 10-15 High School students and face additional issues because of their gender.” In March, she audience members to challenge their thinking around students of Head of School Katherine Schantz, who has spearheaded Lab’s faculty from Lab have participated in the annual People of Color launched the Lab Supports Women’s Club. (See page 28 for more color labeled “learning disabled” and how students of color can expanding participation in conferences like PoCC/SDLC, added Conference (PoCC), which runs concurrently with the Student on this club.) Ethan Feinberg ‘19, who attended the two previous be doubly affected in the federal special education system. They her point of view at the roundtable: “Attending PoCC is like being Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC). PoCC/SDLC are the years, took what he learned from his experiences and headed also talked about the scientific, historical, and political voices in inside — actually experiencing — all the books and articles we’ve flagship events of the National Association of Independent Schools’ up the High School Diversity Club. Now in its second year, co- special education, including a discussion of civil rights legislation been reading on the subject of diversity. What was especially commitment to equity and justice in teaching and learning. chaired by him and Belen Riberas ‘19, the club is expanding as an inspiration for disability rights legislation. The Lab trio also valuable to me was being with our black colleagues who will be its reach to the Junior High in an attempt to engage Junior High presented about The Lab School, itself — where differences such among the leaders who truly take this movement somewhere As is the case every year, the students and faculty who attended the as well as High School students in thinking more about themselves as ADHD and dyslexia are seen as engines of innovative thinking important. It’s an honor to be there as an ally, and the feeling of conference returned to school transformed, emotional, and ready and their concerns for their community. As part of the new Junior and catalysts for empowering students of color and all students growth and movement was palpable.” to apply what they learned in new ways. So much so, in fact, that High and High School Bridge Initiative, the joint Diversity Club with differences. “We wanted to consider the Medical Model of the group — headed up by High School History Teacher James kicked off its first meeting looking at the definition of diversity, disability, which casts the student or individual as the problem To watch the Roundtable video, go to our Diversity, Equity, and Bullock, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity and other topics surrounding diversity such as race and gender, and the medical field as the savior, as opposed to the Social Model, Inclusivity webpage at www.labschool.org/DEI. Yvette Shepard, and Associate Head of High School Chris white privilege, and sexual orientation. “It felt good to see young which views the student’s environment and societal attitudes Lanier — planned a roundtable to further discuss their people taking the reins and saying, ‘This is what I am going to do as the obstacles to participation in society and the changing of experiences from the conference and to have these conversations when I get back to school,’ or ‘This is what I’m going to work at organizations’ procedures and practices as a solution. Through videotaped to share with the greater Lab community. to change in the community where I live,’” High School Science one lens, society remains unchanged; through the other, society Teacher Darrel Parker shared at the roundtable. evolves,” says Dr. Lane. “Someone used the word ‘urgency’ today and that really resonated with me. It’s obvious that something needs to be done and I think Jones-Whitley added, “Usually when you talk about diversity, Other comments from the roundtable kicked up more conver- our position as teachers is a powerful one,” said Intermediate it’s the things that separate you, but at PoCC/SDLC, it’s so much sation: Josias Zelalem ‘19: “More and more, I understand Assistant Teacher Chidiki Jones-Whitley at the round- more about what bonds you to everyone else. That’s something that we can’t pretend that our schools are not political spaces.” table, himself a graduate of Lab. “We are in the right space to affect you can learn and bring with you home, to school, and into Associate Director of Athletics Tanya Rorie-Bryan: “When I our students’ lives, and I don’t mean simply making them read your community.” was approached about going to the conference, I scoffed at it. I black poetry or focus on topics we think are relevant. Having an know about these issues, I said, I don’t need it. But I left a different open mind and being able to listen to and understand different person and I think if I had heard what these speakers and other people from different walks of life is probably the greatest gift we participants had to say earlier in my life, it might have changed a can give our students.”

10 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 11 Struts and Frets

Teaching Shakespeare at Lab from Elementary through High School

If there is one quote almost every student at The Lab School of student went to see Hamlet with her family at the Kennedy Center, Washington can relate to, it’s from Hamlet, “This above all: to and the pride in her voice when she talked about the playwright thine own self be true.” We all learn differently, we all have our ‘she knew all about’ was priceless.” challenges, our high and low points, and as it has been proved at Lab, everyone — whether a first year student at Foxhall or a As the students spiral up in the curriculum, they build on what college-bound senior — can access and even revel in the works of they have already learned. In Intermediate, with Theater Teacher William Shakespeare. Amal Saade, students start to delve into the verse of Shakespeare, the meter and rhythm, understanding with more ease the “Teaching Shakespeare to students of all ages is quintessentially meaning of the words. Ms. Saade starts teaching her students Lab. Shakespeare is meant to be spoken, to be experienced. It is about Elizabethan England, the Globe Theatre, in what sort of life not meant to be read, solo, like a novel or manual,” says Head of and times Shakespeare lived, and the facts — limited that they Performing Arts Shaun Miskell. “Starting with the youngest are — about Shakespeare himself. “It’s fun to see the students kids on up, we focus on plot and character, on the emotions and who have been in Renaissance Club make connections between reactions of the characters in any given scene, and the arc of the what they have learned there and what they start to know about story. And because we start teaching Shakespeare at a young Shakespeare and Elizabethan England, as well as what knowledge By the time students reach Junior High and High School, their age, our students aren’t afraid of it, it’s just another part of their they brought with them from Elementary,” says Ms. Saade. “The knowledge, skills, and insights around Shakespeare and his experience like God’s Club or learning about Newton’s laws of students also start to love the language. We come up with lists language become more sophisticated. In addition to the tragedies, motion.” of 1,000s of words, which Shakespeare himself coined — elbow, bedazzled, cold-blooded, excitement, and (believe it or not) skim the older students start to also tackle Shakespeare’s comedies, some of which, ironically, have more complex plots and more As the Performing Arts teacher in Elementary, Sally Kiernan milk — and from there, in groups, the students create short nuanced characters … and some of the best roles ever written has found that if you hold students — even the youngest — to scenes, with character and setting, conflict and resolution, around for women, though they were originally written for men playing high standards, they rise to meet them, especially in the arts. The one of these words and the other groups have to guess. The women. “If taught intentionally, Shakespeare is hard to resist. I kids get really into Shakespeare because we spend a lot of time language becomes familiar and enjoyable; it’s always gratifying mean, who doesn’t want to swing a sword, die a romantically tragic talking about the stories and the characters. We play games and hearing them use the words outside of class or telling their friends death on stage, investigate themes around war, intrigue, jealousy, do interactive activities online such as on The Globe Theatre’s that they came directly from Shakespeare.” murder, or play a character whose words fill a room with beauty website, and when each student gets a character, we talk about and emotion?” asks Mr. Miskell rhetorically. “I have seen student what motivates that character, and we bring in experiences When working up to the performances, two each fall and spring, after student go from being terrified that Shakespeare would from our own lives, which nuances their understanding of their Ms. Saade says they focus on the story first, getting the students not be something they could handle to feeling, ‘If I can master characters’ actions and motives.” excited about the themes, the characters, and the action. “You can see them getting more and more comfortable with Shakespeare. Shakespeare, I can master anything!’” Mr. Miskell remembers a student, he had years back who invited him to his Eagle Scout This spring, the Elementary Shakespeare performance was They love to make connections between the stories and their induction ceremony. “At the end of his talk, he thanked his based on MacBeth. By year’s end, the students were so immersed experiences in the real world, or in small facts like that of parents, his scout leader, and then said, ‘I also want to thank my in the story and the characters that rehearsing in costume and Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at 11 years old. ‘Sounds a high school theater teacher who gave me Shakespeare, and I’ll collaborating on the set as an ensemble came naturally. “My lot like Hamlet … maybe Hamlet is based on his own son?’ one always have that.’ Isn’t that something?” students come to think of Shakespeare as a friend almost. They student pointed out. Another student reported that ‘Oh, woe is don’t find the stories odd or boring; in fact, they think they are me,’ (also a quote from Hamlet) was on the box of his MacDonald’s cool … especially when they manifest big emotions like fear and Happy Meal!” the need for revenge,” says Ms. Kiernan. “And they own it. One

12 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 13

the Statue of Freedom which stands atop the dome of the United The students did some gravestone rubbings, which caused more the many sides States Capitol among others outrage at society’s inequality. “At Mt. Zion, we couldn’t rub some of the stones because the names had almost disappeared, The class turned its research into stories and art in the form of and since there were no paths, you didn’t know if you were of history, call boxes — inspired by the Fire/Police call boxes around the kneeling over the bodies,” a student reported. Another student city. The students’ shoebox call boxes included images, drawings, talked about the power of names, and the fact that some of the sculptures, and essays about their chosen person or place, which stones were reused … erasing a name to reprocess the stone with one story at were then placed all around the school in an effort to share with the name of another deceased person. “Your name is your legacy. the Lab community the stories so rarely told about DC history. There is great power in your name. Being labeled with your slave “Using art and creating the call boxes expanded the students’ owner’s last name, or having your real name lost in time is very sad.” a time interest in their specific topic,” says Ms. Krieck who worked with Junior High Art Teacher Laurie Herrmann on the project. “It “People in power are the ones telling the stories and writing the was exciting to see the kids’ growing understanding that history history books,” another student noted astutely. “That makes is often told from one, dominant perspective, omitting the many me more curious to know what happened on the other side of other, equally important stories and points of view.” history.” Still another chimed in, “There seem to be three sides to a story — two versions and one truth. It makes you wonder.” As part of their study, the Democracy students took various walking tours of DC that culminated at the two cemeteries mentioned above. Clearly, they were moved by what they saw. “Ms. K talked about Mt. Zion and showed us pictures, but I wasn’t quite prepared to see it in person,” said one student. “It was heartbreaking to see the graves in such disrepair, and forgotten.”

From where they stood at Mt. Zion graveyard in the Georgetown the various compromises made at the Constitutional Convention neighborhood of Washington, DC, they could see the pristine Oak in 1787, which counted the enslaved communities of America as Hill Cemetery less than a quarter of a mile away. Under their feet 40 percent less valuable than “all other persons.” In recognition lay a scrabble of unkempt grass and overgrown weeds. Unlike of this founding clause in the Constitution, students worked the cemetery up on the ridge where a mostly white elite is buried, on elevating the stories that are not often told about Black at the predominantly black cemetery Mt. Zion, there were no Americans, specifically focusing on the African-American history paths, no pampered plantings or flowers, no historic mausoleums of DC and the DC metro area. Student projects included Emma or chapels. Instead, all around them endured a jumble of Brown, an educator and activist for racial equality who headed up headstones, which stood, lay, or slanted every which way, some the first public school in DC for black students; Freedman Village, almost sunken into the earth, others on top of each other like a a camp of former slaves established by the government during the mouthful of neglected, broken teeth. Civil War era; Lillian Evanti Tibbs, the first African-American woman to sing opera with an organized company in Europe; and Students in Junior High Social Studies Teacher Caitlin Krieck’s Philip Reid, a slave who played a key role in the construction of Democracy class were studying the 3/5ths Compromise — one of

14 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 15 “We are excited to design an intimate and professional space with one of our main objectives being to focus on state-of-the-art acoustics. The theater — which will seat approximately 270 people — will allow for actors to be mic’ed or not mic’ed based on the All the World’s age group and production,” says Ms. Schmickel, whose firm has designed dozens of private and public school theaters, including “We are incredibly excited about the DC’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts. “We are also fashioning our design for the lobby of the new theater and the gym, which Sally L. Smith Center for the Arts will be compatible but also differentiated so that when you are coming to a play, you are entering a theater space, and when a Stage where we can provide our students you’re attending a basketball or volleyball game, you are entering with an innovative performing a sports arena.” Phase II of the Reservoir Campus Redesign is Fully Afoot! “Already we have been able to create vital arts centers on the first and visual arts program central to floor of the High School and in the new Ceramics Studio,” says Head of School Katherine Schantz, “and now we are excited our mission. The arts are not just to turn our attention to creating more hubs for dynamic arts- centered learning in the forthcoming theater and in the middle for the ‘artsy’ kids. Think math, school.” engineering, set design; the arts help students problem solve and think analytically … crucial life skills.”

—head of visual arts mark jarvis

cox graae + spack architects

Picture a production of Romeo and Juliet with a real balcony for That space is where the pool currently sits. It was only after that illustrious scene. Picture a proscenium stage where music, thorough and careful research into every option for the Sally L. sounds, and voices are nuanced from a fully enclosed control room Smith Center for the Arts that the optimal solution — for and where a cat walk allows students to nuance the ultramodern accommodating our students’ creativity and our project-based light system from above. Picture a costume space not only for method of teaching as well as wisely managing our finances — was storage but for creation. And imagine, adjacent to the theater, a decided. And Lab’s Swim Team will not miss any opportunities; new, bigger music room and an innovative set design shop. the team will use the pool at the University of the District of Columbia for at least the following year, a less-than-15-minute Phase II of the Reservoir campus redesign is underway. drive away from The Lab School. “Designing new spaces on small urban campuses is always a challenge, but having a specific space and shape can also be a “This is The Lab School! Arts are part of our core mission,” says plus as we know our limitations and can get creative within Head of Performing Arts Shaun Miskell. “We have stretched cox graae + spack architects those limitations,” says Joanna Schmickel, principal at cox creativity to incredible lengths in the Kelly Theater, but to have a graae + spack architects. full-sized theater with cutting-edge sound, lighting, and set design to fully realize the educational opportunities that the dramatic arts provide is going to be a game changer!”

16 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 17 a journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step

“It was my first time snorkeling and there was so much to see,” says Riley Moran ’20. “The number of different corals and fish was amazing, and learning about conservation, which I’m really belize interested in, while being in the field brought the issues to life.”

Traveling to Belize, a nation on the eastern coast of Central America, with Caribbean Sea shorelines to the east and dense jungles to the west, the Tide Turners group studied endangered species conservation science, with a special focus on snorkeling Belize photos by Charles Herman ‘18 the second largest barrier reef in the world at the Turneffe Atoll Marine Research Station.

Students helped scientists there collect observational data on the bottlenose dolphin population in the area, who are an indicator species for the health of the reef system. Our young scientists also studied biodiversity on the reef and how and why plastic pollution is so prevalent.

germany & poland

The Lab group arrived in Frankfurt, then headed to Berlin where more than 300,000 Polish Jews were rounded up before where their docket was full, visiting Brandenburg Gate being sent to concentration camps during the Holocaust,” says (pictured above), Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Associate Head of Junior High and Global Education Coordinator Tiergarten, the Pergamom Museum as well as Checkpoint Charlie Grayson Isenberg. and sections of the Berlin Wall. Lastly, the group traveled to Krakow to tour the city then The group also took a bunker tour of Berlin and learned about the visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. “Despite secret tunnels that were used during both WWII and the Cold the emotional impact of the places we visited, we enjoyed the War. The group then traveled to Warsaw, Poland and toured the architecture, culture, and food in these historic places,” adds Warsaw Ghetto and visited the POLIN Museum to learn about Grayson. the history of Polish Jews. “Our guide shared stories of courage, bravery, and unbelievable sadness as we walked the streets

18 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 19 WELCOME

AMY

OSWALT

Amy Oswalt, Lab’s new Head of Elementary, came from a family of educators. So, of course, when she was pondering career paths, teaching was out. What young person wants to follow in her parents’ footsteps? Sometimes, though, it’s just in one’s blood.

In undergraduate school, Ms. Oswalt majored in linguistics. “I loved the logic, the sort of ‘math with words,’ the fact that language, dialects, and syntax are descriptive, not prescriptive,” she says “In particular, I enjoyed patterns and figuring out how they worked.” In a roundabout way, Ms. Oswalt’s love of patterns and fitting pieces together brought her to where she is now in the Ohio public school system, where she honed her skills and has been for the past few decades of her life: working with developing IEPs, differentiating instruction, designing data- different kinds of learners and designing curricula that work for based instruction for math, reading, and language arts, and each of their learning challenges and styles. collaborating with and mentoring teachers.

“I find it so disappointing to hear people say about a student, Since accepting the job at Lab, Ms. Oswalt keeps hearing the same ‘Oh, he’s just lazy’ or ‘She’s not trying hard enough.’ I mean, why response from friends, family, and colleagues. “When I describe would a student go to school just to be lazy? If a student is ‘lazy’ The Lab School to them, they respond with, ‘That is the perfect or ‘not trying hard enough,’ it’s usually a result of some sort of place for you!’ I agree! It feels like all the pieces of my life and barrier like the school system failing them, or not recognizing that work have come together to prepare me for this position at Lab. I the student needs to learn in a different way,” says Ms. Oswalt can’t wait to dig right in,” she says. who has a Master of Education in Special Education from Ohio State University and a Master of Art in Educational Leadership Rural Ohio to Urban DC? “Sure, I grew up in the country and through Concordia University in Chicago. “How about we use have been there for many years, but my tour of rural America is would explore in the field. Then each field group split off from hand signals or talk about short vowels differently and see if over,” she laughs, excited for the move with her husband, two the main group to do some of their exploration or research with reading becomes easier for that child? No matter how old you are dogs, three cats, and two lizards. “I’ve worked in various cities one of the Teton Science School graduate students. After dinner, or how you learn, before you can do anything, you have to believe over the years, and am looking forward to being in an urban area under a river of stars, students continued with their studies as you have the capacity to do it. Once that belief is there, you can with a wider range of people and more options for leisure time tetons they learned about the uniqueness of the area. figure out the method. I have seen kids soar once they developed — museums, outdoor activities, and cultural events. And, I’m a little self-belief and were presented with strategies for learning hoping to ride my electric bike to and from work. People think Many of our students experienced the Rocky Mountains for the tailored for them.” you’re a really fast cyclist when you have an electric bike, but first time and by the end of the week they were able to talk about During the first week in March, 8th grade students attended the you’re not. We all need our work arounds, right?” plant and animal adaptations, identify various animal tracks in 14th annual trip to the Teton Science School in Jackson Hole, For the last six years, Ms. Oswalt has been the head of school the snow, and share unique features of Aspen groves and how Wyoming. This year marked the Teton Science School’s 50th at Discovery, located in rural Ohio. As Lab Head of School glaciers formed the Tetons and the surrounding moraines. “It was year in operation and it continued to demonstrate its power in Katherine Schantz describes her: “Amy is known as a an amazing experience to watch our students come together as a transforming students, all with a stunning backdrop of the Rocky leader with a focus on student learning, a strategic and future- community, support one another as they climbed hills on cross- Mountains. oriented thinker, and an energetic, creative individual with a country skis for the first time, and celebrate their achievements deep appreciation for the arts and project-based learning.” An together,” says Head of Junior High Jessica Lux. Students spent the week exploring various aspects of the Greater International Baccalaureate (IB) school, Discovery is a lot like Lab Yellowstone Area on snowshoes, cross country skis, and in the in that it respects its students for their individuality and helps laboratory/museum. Each day began with a science lesson to ignite in them a love of learning through creative instruction help students acclimate to the area or learn about something they that works best for how they learn. Before Discovery School, Ms. Oswalt served for 11 years as an intervention specialist

20 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 21 RETIREMENT WE WILL MISS YOU!

Kathy Frank Evelyn John Briançon Cappello Novins Racette

For Kathy Briançon, it When Frank Cappello Since coming to Lab in When John Racette’s wife all started with her love of came to Lab 28 years ago as 1985, Evelyn Novins has accepted a job in DC in 1997, reading. Her 24-year tenure an Art teacher, there was no served as an Intermediate he perused The Washington at Lab began in 1993 when photography program. He classroom teacher, a tutor Post. Moving from Albany, she was a tutor/trainee in started the curriculum with trainer, librarian, and as a NY near where he grew up, the classroom, then after she one film camera, and later, one reading specialist. “In the he applied for five jobs as a graduated from American digital camera — one of the long time I have been here, I high school math teacher. “I University’s Master of Arts in first — and a computer. When was able to tackle a variety of was offered all of them, but Special Education: Learning the Athletics and Arts Wing positions but I always felt that Lab definitely seemed like Disabilities program, she opened in 2000, he helped because of Lab’s extremely the coolest place,” he says. taught high school reading design the classroom spaces, robust program — speech Twenty-one years later, he for nine years before taking over the Internship program. “It’s assemble the furniture, and took on most of the technology set and language, occupational therapy, and psychology in addition still thinks so. The teaching jobs he had before Lab — working in always fun to discover what the juniors are interested in and up — from running cat five cables to installing data cards — since to Lab’s unique ways of teaching academics to students with a New York state public school where he was not allowed to veer finding an internship for them that clicks,” says Ms. Briançon, there was no Tech Department at the time. Over the years, his learning differences — that we were able to help lots of different from the prescribed lesson plans and at a residential center for Lab’s internship coordinator. “The year-long internship is not students have benefited from inspired classes and also from kids. I was only a small part of a huge effort, but I liked that,” adjudicated girls where behavioral problems took more energy only a way for our students to acquire skills they might not get his experience as a professional artist whose work is primarily she says. She also served for a number of years as an adjunct than teaching algebra or trigonometry — were certainly less in academic classes, but it’s also a formalized way to have a job, abstract painting/photography based on natural forces like professor in American University’s Master of Arts in Special cool, and less creative. “I have always loved Lab’s philosophy of probably their first job, but with a lot of support from us and from geology, space, physics, and astronomy. Education: Learning Disabilities program where she enjoyed teaching creatively, and the fact that the administration is willing their employer. And the amount of growth in these kids from seeing young teachers embracing education for students with to let you try what you want to try in the classroom. I’ve been September to May is incredible to see.” “When I started at Lab, I certainly didn’t envision staying for 28 learning differences. grateful for the autonomy we have to create our curricula every years,” he says. “But I have enjoyed the creative freedom we are year, based on our students and what projects and approaches we For Ms. Briançon, one of the best parts of being at Lab for almost given here in the classroom, the collaboration with other teachers “My favorite part of working at Lab was the underlying premise want to try.” a quarter century has been the community. “Lab attracts people and professional artists, and it has been satisfying to develop a that all the kids could learn; we just had to figure out how to teach who really want to work together. There is no competition, and college-like curriculum for my students.” them. I liked collaborating with other teachers, which has always Mr. Racette is also grateful for the flexibility at Lab. “When my year after year, the creativity around here is astonishing,” she been encouraged here, and working closely with artists helped all kids were young, I was able to work mornings and have the says. After his retirement, Mr. Cappello will have more than weekends of us see strengths in our students that may have been otherwise afternoons at home to take care them. And with my health issues, and summers for his own art, as well as for his music. He plays overlooked,” she says. “And I will always remember [School I had to take a year off twice, but each time Lab took me back. Ms. Briançon also tutored adults in the Lab Night School. “I met the sax and the flute primarily, though he has more than 20 Founder] Sally Smith for creating a space where kids with They certainly didn’t have to do that,” he says. “Lab feels like a some really neat people from all walks of life. Teaching adults instruments at home. He’s hoping to put a band together. “I have learning differences could thrive.” family. Everyone genuinely cares about the students and each is so different from teaching young students; both come with tried to pass onto my students my passion for the free-form and other. People look after each other … I mean, not many places wonderful rewards,” she says. In addition to traveling during improvisational nature of art and music. The possibilities are After 33 years at Lab, Ms. Novins is turning her attention to have colleagues who readily donate their sick leave to each other.” retirement, Ms. Briançon also plans to devote a good deal of her endless.” leisure activities and a new career. She acquired her real estate time volunteering — to start, teaching reading to adults and kids license in Virginia several years ago and plans to join her Looking forward to not having to rise at 5:30am every morning, and cooking for the homeless. husband’s practice. She’s also planning to care for her two little Mr. Racette plans to spend extended time at the beach near his grandchildren and continue with travel to Costa Rica and Spain, wife’s and his other home in Chincoteague, and also at their place canoeing in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, and biking on in the Adirondacks. “My wife works for herself, so can work Georgia’s Jekyll Island. wherever we are,” he says. “I’m looking forward to whatever the days bring. We’ll keep busy, do whatever strikes our fancy.”

22 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 23 Freeze Frame THE EDITH AND HERBERT LEHMAN FOUNDATION AWARDS 2018

Nineteenth Century British Statesman Benjamin Disraeli astutely noted, — has made it possible for teachers from The Lab School of Washington to “In the past, my junior year students have written final essays “Travel teaches tolerance.” And, “Like all great travelers, I have seen more travel and enhance their areas of study so that they can use their deepened that bring together the themes and issues like race, war, and than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” For the last eight knowledge and experiences to enrich what they teach their students in the gender about which they learned in literature with the history years, The Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation — whose mission classroom. they were taught in Mr. Bullock’s [High School History Teacher it is to support children in learning, the arts, and character development James Bullock] class,” explains Ms. Sherman. “This year, they worked in groups of three or four, collaborating on videos that would tell the story of the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow and the Great Migration, and repression of women in Victorian times, for example. The process was quite similar to writing a story or essay — going through all the intellectual connections and ensuring 1 that their video stories covered the elements of good writing like character, story arc, cliff hangers, and transitions — but we also 5 worked hard on group dynamics.” 3 2 4 Fifty percent of each group’s final project grade reflected the 6 creativity and content of the video while the other fifty percent was based on group dynamics. “There is something powerful about working in a group on a creative project. I think individual students are sometimes surprised where group dynamics can take them,” says Ms. Sherman. “I saw leaders emerge. I saw students who knew where their strengths and interests lay whether drafting the narrative script, conducting research, editing the final video, or writing an original score, and others who found their voice — and the voices of their peers — in new and unexpected ways.” Head of Performing Arts Shaun Miskell and Lab’s indomitable Technology Department were also on hand to help students with the iMovie software while producing their videos.

After the film festival — complete with voting cards, popcorn, and Twizzlers — adrenaline ran high. “They were genuinely proud of their hard work, not only on the literature and history from the Think Cannes or Sundance. Putting aside all the designer frippery year that resonated with them, but also with the outcome of their and celebrity silliness, these film festivals are all about stories and creative collaboration,” says Ms. Sherman of her students. “There how to tell them. This year for the first time, High School English was definitely a high level of buzz during the whole process.” Literature Teacher Jennifer Sherman and her students held their own mini film festival, showcasing their culminating projects. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The challenge: How to pull together into a three-minute video all High School History Intermediate Science Heading to Greece and Elementary Classroom Heading to England, During Spring Break, that you learned from the poems of Langston Hughes, the lyrics of Teacher James Teacher Jonathan Rome to explore the Teacher Bryan High School English High School Social Billie Holiday’s famous protest song, “Strange Fruit,” the powerful Bullock is voyaging Alexis is attending the roots and traditions Riha is traveling to Teacher Lauren Studies Teacher prose about the psychological toll of war from Stephen Crane (The to Ghana to enhance Smithsonian Science of democracy, Junior Japan to study the Jacob is attending Jewell Watson- Red Badge of Courage) and Tim O’Brien (The Things They Carried), his already in-depth Education Academies High School Social creative process of the English Literature Hellkamp travelled and the honest observations of Painter Jacob Lawrence’s Migration teaching about the for Teachers to Studies Teacher origami as an art form Summer School at to Germany to Series? How to tell a story through images and photographs, slave trade in his US participate in the Caitlin Krieck will and its integration the University of explore Berlin’s music, and voice over that synthesizes not only historical events of History course. Energy’s Innovations study the origins into mathematical Oxford. Of particular historical museums a certain time but that also creatively captures that culture — the and Implications and of voting, the court understandings interest to Ms. Jacob and landmarks and sights and sounds, the smells and tastes, and the innovations and the Earth’s History system, the law, and of geometric is the Anglo-Saxon landmarks to enhance the cruelties of a changing landscape? and Global Change other hallmarks of form, design, and Literature and Culture the curriculum of courses. democracy. three-dimensional class. her Ancient World construction. History course.

24 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 25 Lauren Jacob, From Where I Sit Why I Teach High School English Dr. Robert Lane, EdD, Director of Admissions Teacher

When Dr. Robert Lane, EdD), he says he did know what it felt like, as a kid, to be different. At age 10, when human experiences — no matter how diametrically different — become director of Admissions, was “Sports were painful for me. I was so clumsy, and no matter how High School English shared experiences? a kid, he and his mother used many lessons I took, nothing stuck. I never felt right,” he says. As Teacher Lauren to head to the boardwalk on an only child, Dr. Lane loved to spend his time nosing through the Jacob first saw “Teaching these difficult texts is about creating a framework so the Jersey Shore. Sure, there World Book Encyclopedias, which his grandmother gave him for divers practicing students can digest the material and relate to the characters, stories, was the sea and the sand, and his tenth birthday. “And I was always big! In all my class photos I at her town pool, and time periods from their modern point of view. Like diving, all those deliciously wicked look like I was held back two years, a good eight inches taller than she thought that there are steps and processes, and there is that rush of adrenaline, greasy, sugary treats, but for everyone else, and with very uncool glasses,” he laughs. “When spinning and that thrill when students recognize the nexus between literature the two of them it was the I was born at 12.5 lbs. and 24 inches — the largest baby born on flipping through and real life.” stories. “We’d sit on a bench record at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, NJ, a claim to the air looked Speaking of processes, Ms. Jacob guides her seniors through a year- and make up stories about fame I held till I was in high school — my mother asked, ‘Is it a boy fun. She’d been a long thesis project, which includes many steps like honing an idea, the people going by. Names or a girl?’ and the doctor said, ‘Good lord, it’s a darn two gymnast for most of interviewing an expert in that given field, researching and citing and backstories, quirks and month old!’” her childhood until more than 15 primary and secondary sources, writing and editing confessions; we’d bring these then, but there was a final expository paper, crafting an original project, creating a people to life like a good writer does in a novel,” he says. After graduate school, where Dr. Lane reveled in the study of something cerebral neuropsychology and learning differences education, he returned about diving — related slideshow and poster, and giving a final presentation. “It’s It turns out that the common denominator throughout his career for 11 years to act as Kildonan’s academic dean and de facto head needing to know a long process and there are definitely ups and downs. That said, so far as a teacher, academic dean, and now, at Lab, as director of the high school. “I am so grateful that during my doctoral work how to move one’s when it’s all said and done, the students not only understand of Admissions is his deep interest in people and relationships. In I had two professors who had totally different takes on teaching body in multiple that to produce something of worth takes time, motivation, and college as a biology-turned-English major, Dr. Lane fancied he students with learning differences. Learning in depth about both ways at one time tenacity, but with that hard work comes great pride,” she says. might be a professor — sporting tweed jackets with leather elbow models — the medical model that says that this child with LD is in order to hit the sweet spot on the diving board and coordinate This year, topics ran the gamut from the impact of therapy dogs patches, reading the great works in front of a fire, dog at his side broken and needs to be fixed, and the socio-cultural model that that with hitting the dive. Mastering her favorite dives — gainers, on autistic communities and the connections between Confederate ... the whole shebang—but instead he was drawn to independent says the environment is what needs to be fixed or altered, not twisters, and arm stands — was a process, a dissection of physical monuments in the United States and those of Apartheid in Africa, schools. “Back before the internet, I pulled out the fat Peterson’s the child — changed me,” he says. “Because I was at Columbia’s and mental steps, a leap of faith. to the growing influence of CAD/CAM technology in the medical Guide to Independent Schools and applied to 85 schools in New Teachers College, I became a great fan of the educator John Dewey industry (think: customized implants, artificial joints, and tissue England. His first call came from Kildonan, a school, like Lab, for (on whose model the Lab School is structured) who promoted a At Lab, Ms. Jacob teaches her High School English students about engineering). students with learning differences. “I told the head that I didn’t progressive education based on a variety of authentic learning the importance of process, of steps and building blocks, and even Recently, while poolside in her role as Lab’s assistant swimming know a thing about dyslexia, and he said, ‘All the better. We would experiences that engage the natural curiosity of children. Our of those leaps of faith when they are poring over texts like Beowulf, coach, an Intermediate student asked her if it was too early to rather teach you than have to undo certain pre-taught methods,’” students are so much more than students who experience MacBeth, or Adrienne Rich’s striking poem “Cartographies of start thinking about her Senior Thesis topic. “I had to laugh — in says Dr. Lane. “I fell in love with Kildonan. It was such a great difficulty with reading and writing.” Silence.” a good way!” smiles Ms. Jacob. “I mean, it was another example of experience teaching at a rural boarding school as you get to know why I love to work at Lab. In addition to collaborating with really the kids in so many settings … the classroom, the sports field, A call from a headhunter, an interview with his former colleague When she started her freshman year at the University of cool people and being able to participate outside the classroom in goofing off with their friends, crying from homesickness.” Ms. Schantz, a desire for city life for him and his husband, Jerry, Connecticut, Ms. Jacob thought she wanted to be an elementary and voilà: Dr. Lane landed at Lab in 2013 as director of Admissions. math teacher. Barely a semester passed before she changed her activities like the Diversity Club, I have the honor of teaching these During his first three years teaching there, Lab Head of School “Admissions is all about figuring out relationships and systems. tune. “I missed reading and talking about books. For me, the idea amazing kids and witnessing their academic and social growth day Katherine Schantz was Kildonan’s academic dean. “I’ll always It’s been a perfect fit for me,” says Dr. Lane, whom one parent of digging deeply into the human condition is endlessly fascinating; by day, step by step.” remember asking her if I could teach Gloria Naylor’s The Women he toured told him his title ought to be Lab’s “Director of First and what better way to do that than through literature?” of Brewster Place instead of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, which was Impressions.’’ one of three texts one of my classes was reading that had a male After teaching in charter and public schools, and with an MSEd protagonist. My class that year was mostly girls, and frankly, I “The full value of Lab cannot be measured. For our students, being under her belt, she landed at Lab. “I wanted a new experience, a find Holden Caulfield rather unpalatable. ‘Let me read it over the in a school where they feel ‘normal,’ where they can concentrate new place, and more creative freedom in the classroom,” she says. weekend,’ she said. Monday, she handed me the Naylor book and on learning and figuring out who they want to be instead of “I am in my element working with high school students with whom said, ‘Definitely!’” says Dr. Lane. “I loved Katherine’s flexibility expending their cognitive energy on pretending they can read or I can propose complex questions and have in-depth conversations. and her support. Little did I know to what extent our paths would being anxious about how well they can write, is huge. We truly Whether reading Diaz, Adichie, or Chaucer, at the core of all my cross again.” change lives here. Most schools cannot say that the way we can classes are those questions about the human condition — Does the here at Lab,” he says. “My job in Admissions is so much more human condition exist? How does it affect and connect us? How do most Although Dr. Lane would come to understand the nuances of the interesting because Lab is unique. It’s an easy ‘sell’ for me because academic and social brain of students with learning differences I see, I understand, and I believe in the incredible transformations in far more complex ways during his graduate work (EdM and I witness on a daily basis.”

26 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 27 SHORTS

WORKING WITH FINE METALS

A blank page. A slab of stone or marble. A sheet of silver, a jumble of copper filaments. All of these materials are LET’S SUPPORT WOMEN waiting for the passion of a writer or artist to In December 2016, when High School Social Studies Teacher BUILDING, THROWING, FLYING, transform the unformed Jewell Watson-Hellkamp attended the People of Color/ FLOATING into something Student Diversity Leadership Conference, she and one of the beautiful, ethereal, THE CONTAGION OF KINDNESS Lab students, also attending, stayed up late talking about the Kids love to build — whether constructing a catapult out of soup cans, shocking, informative, challenges of being a girl in high school. “There are so many plastic spoons, and popsicle sticks, designing a carrier out of recycled perhaps also functional. It’s an understatement to say that kindness matters! Since issues that young (and older!) girls have to contend with — materials to protect an egg from a two-story fall from a window, the start of the year, Lab’s Intermediate division has been body image, self-esteem, slut shaming, sexism, racism, you or figuring out how to move a ping pong ball in a container down a That is just what focusing on positive sportsmanship, encouraging kindness name it,” she says. “When I returned from the conference, I zip line in fewer than four seconds. Such are examples of students’ students in High toward one another, and building empathy. The division knew we had to do something for our high school girls.” Ms. projects researched, built, tested, and documented in Elementary School Art Teacher wanted to systematize their efforts and found The Middle Watson-Hellkamp pitched the the idea of a girls’ club — a new Science Teacher Lynn Gudhus’ class during their eight-week unit on Rebecca Alberts’ School Kindness Project, a national month-long effort iteration of the Lab School Women’s Group — to some of her engineering. Silversmithing/ female colleagues and put together a detailed and structured to incorporate kindness into the school day and make kindness a practical, commonplace skill. Jewelry Making class plan to present to Head of High School Lisa McMahon, who The goals of the unit are to cover elementary engineering standards have been doing immediately responded, “Go for it!” and study the scientific method through a multi-step process that As part of the initiative, Writer’s Studio Teacher Amy since she launched it moves from starting with a question — for example, “How can we Young and Intermediate Art Teacher Sara Hawkins two years ago. Every piece the students make starts with a design. Launched in February 2017, The Let’s Support Women Club build a carrier to keep an egg safe when thrown out a window?” — and banded together with their students on several interrelated Students sketch ideas, use math and engineering skills to figure out — which now includes three faculty advisors, Ms. Watson- ending with a formal test and review of the hypothesis. how their piece will have form and function, and they learn how to HellKamp, English Teacher Lauren Jacob, and High School projects, all in the name of kindness. To start, the writers in Ms. Young’s class donned their reporters’ hats and created use metalwork tools, including tiny jewelers’ saws and hammers, Full-Time Substitute Teacher and Testing Coordinator “In addition to all the good science stuff that occurs along the way like a bulletin board newspaper called The Thoughtful Telegraph soldering picks, shaping, buffing, and enameling tools, and files. “We Christine Molishas as well as almost 20 girls and male learning how to make observations or build a prototype, the students and wrote articles shining a light on the culture of start by looking at influences — other artists’ designs, designs from allies — meets weekly to discuss issues that girls, and from a are practicing executive functioning skills as well as absorbing and kindness at Lab. different nationalities, or simply what’s around us in nature or our different perspective, boys, have to deal with. acquiring social skills,” says Ms. Gudhus (AKA: Miss Gravity). “‘What community,” says Ms. Alberts. “From there, students can create a do we do when we want to quit because we are frustrated?’ or ‘What In addition, the students awarded medals of kindness to design from what interests them and make it their own. “It’s unfortunate that girls today are still experiencing some does it mean to be a gracious winner or loser?’ There are myriad individuals in the Lab community — from a student friend of the same things we experienced in high school,” says Ms. opportunities during the work process when the students are laboring who cheered up a nervous thespian before a big show to a “What I like about this class is that is involves a lot of both skill and Jacob. “But I’m glad that through this club, they have a place to over their own experiments to ask questions like these and grow member of Facilities who extends warm welcomes every design building. Working with fine metals like silver, copper, and process it.” emotionally as well as academically.” brass — all with different properties of strength and durability — morning to the arriving students and staff. is definitely a unique skill set,” she says. “It also has a vocational In addition to their weekly meetings, the LSW Club took a And in true Lab fashion, the engineering unit offers the opportunity Made with metal embossing techniques, the medals, created edge. The class is a good example of learning to make something field trip to see an installation by Artist Georgia Saxelby at the for rich collaboration between Science and Occupational Therapy and by Ms. Hawkins’ art students, were presented in person to that is both aesthetic and functional, and it also offers the kids solid Phillips Collection called “To Future Women,” an interactive Speech-Language Special Services. “The OTs and SLPs play a huge each recipient accompanied by a personalized award letter experience in a makerspace.” artwork marking the first anniversary of the 2017 Women’s role in helping the kids build their visual and spatial skills, step-by- from one of the writing students. March, that invites participants throughout America and step executive function, oral communication skills, and emotional Seeing some of the completed pieces, it’s hard to imagine that beyond to write a letter to women in 20 years. The club also intelligence during all the steps of learning the scientific method “In a complex world where things can often seem confusing students who had no previous experience with silversmithing or spearheaded Lab’s ENOUGH: The National School Walkout to through these building projects,” says Ms. Gudhus. and frightening, acts of kindness are a reminder of the jewelry making had created them. There is a necklace with a silver show support for their fellow students, nationwide, in the call good we all have inside us. It has been scientifically proven pendant designed to resemble a sand dollar, a pair of earrings and a to end school violence. “At the final Engineering fair, I heard one student tell her mom: ‘Miss that kindness is contagious and that acts of gratitude and matching necklace, rather avant garde, created with a grape motif of Gravity wouldn’t give me the answers. She really pushed me, and I’m kindness can have positive health benefits,” says Ms. various metals, and and a chunky silver ring with a mountain range “Our students are passionate about making their world glad she did. I figured it out all on my own and learned that I can do Young. “The kids studied quotes and read facts about buffed around it, giving it a feeling of peace and gentle subtlety. a better, safer and more equal place,” says Ms. Watson- more than I thought I could’,” says Ms. Gudhus, smiling. “That’s about kindness, and I think this project has helped them see HellKamp. “I’ve been blown away by the students’ effort as good as it gets!” “It’s exciting to watch my students take a design challenge and learn to raise awareness around challenging issues and their outside what is normally their comfort zone.” as they go, through all the steps, until they have created — from willingness to share their personal experiences with the goal something unformed — a piece that is unique and all their own.” of learning from each other.”

28 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 29 Student SPORTS Profile Kaelin Friedenson

After napping and sitting propped between his father’s legs as a toddler in his parents’ kayaks, Kaelin Friedenson, an 8th grader at The Lab School, graduated to his own kayak and paddle. He was three. He’s been kayaking ever since, and is now one of the top kayakers for his age group in the country.

Kaelin’s father, Eric Friedenson, a long-time kayaker, Benjamin Garris ’19 introduced his passion of being on the river to his wife, Aileen Caitlin Green ‘19 Mannix, and then to his children, Kaelin and Trogon Friedenson, also a Lab School student. “Kaelin would just follow how we have been successful in and outside school, then it rubs off on these little his dad, paddling and running rapids on the Potomac. He’s in It’s not easy being a rising high school junior kids, and they start to feel less alone and more empowered.” his element being out on the river, kayaking and doing tricks, on an unfamiliar college campus several jumping off rocks, and taking his friends out with him,” says Ms. states away from home attending a week-long The art projects keep everyone’s hands busy, which seems to make it easier to freestyle at the US National Championships and had six top- Mannix. “It’s in his soul, his cells.” intensive leadership training program with talk and share feelings. Meeting every Tuesday, the pairs in the Stoddert art room five finishes in the European Junior Cup. This past December, work on themed projects that include one or two main objectives like self-esteem, hundreds of strangers. But that is just what Kaelin started competing when he was around 8 years old. he attended an invitation-only event in Uganda, Africa, a metacognition, community, or self-advocacy. Under Ben and Caitlin’s guidance, Benjamin Garris ’19 and Caitlin Green ‘19 He competes in four disciplines: kayak slalom racing (K1); competition that mixed kayak racing and freestyle. Of the 30 this year’s group made several projects, including Grit Kits, decorated containers did at Brown University in Providence, Rhode canoe slalom racing (C1), which is the same as kayak slalom athletes in attendance, several had medaled at the men’s world that hold creative symbols of supportive family and friends, revered teachers, or Island, the summer before their junior year. — navigating a kayak through a course of hanging downstream championships, and two were juniors — Kaelin and a boy from loved activities that remind the artists of what motivates them; Utility Belts with Along with several hundred other high school or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible — France. Kaelin came in twelfth out of 30. useful “tools’ that directly relate to the students’ challenges at school; and capes and and college students in training, Ben and Caitlin but kneeling and using a paddle with one blade instead of two; costumes decorated with badges and emblems representing who and what they “I love kayaking! It feels like I’ve been doing it my whole life ... were learning the ins and outs of being co- boatercross, where 4-6 paddlers at a time race through extreme want to be when they grow up. I can’t remember not kayaking,” says Kaelin. “I also enjoy all leaders for The Lab School chapter of Eye to whitewater; and freestyle kayaking, which involves doing tricks Eye — a highly successful national mentoring the people I get to hang out with from different communities, “It’s amazing to see how much the mentees change, emotionally, in a short time. and technical moves, like those of skaters and snowboarders, movement that pairs kids who have learning and traveling the world. Like in Uganda, I really got to push And it’s gratifying to witness firsthand how one person can make a change. I mean, while in river rapids. differences like dyslexia and ADHD with the limits of what I can do. And hanging out with some of these if I can help one young kid learn about their LD in a way that helps them deal with it college and high school mentors who have been “Kaelin wasn’t interested in competing at first,” says Ms. Mannix. famous people from the kayaking world is amazing. They’re their whole life, well, that’s pretty powerful,” says Caitlin. similarly diagnosed. They developed leadership “But he got hooked. He’s been competing for a long time now and great mentors and teachers for me, almost like sets of second and skills through workshops and community third parents. I learn so much from them beyond kayaking. Life It’s not lost on both of these earnest juniors that the Eye to Eye relationships the is quite well accomplished. He’s found his niche.” When he was building activities and heard from leading role lessons, you know?” group forms are two-way streets. The more the high school students can put their 11, Kaelin competed in US freestyle national championships and models from the national stage. found himself in the semifinals of the U18 class. He competed in experiences, challenges, and needs into words so that their young charges relate at This summer, as part of the US Whitewater Slalom Team, the Junior Olympics, winning gold medals in freestyle, slalom, their own level, the better self-advocates they, themselves, become. Kaelin is heading to the International Canoe Federation World In its third year as an Eye to Eye chapter and and downriver. Last year, he won gold in slalom and bronze in chosen to be the first DC-area high school Championships in Italy where he will compete in C1. He will Although Ben and Caitlin — amazingly — already know what they want to study chapter for the organization, Lab is matched also compete in the European Canoe Association Junior Slalom in college (Ben, hospitality management and event planning; Caitlin, elementary with DC’s Stoddert Elementary School. “The art Cup in K1. Next year, he hopes to compete in the slalom World education integrated with business), they are reveling in the present, helping other projects we make are vehicles for the pairs of Championships in Brazil and the Freestyle world Championships kids — their high school mentor peers and their young Elementary mentees — one mentors and mentees to connect to each other, in Spain. “I’m really excited to get out on the water and see what art project, one shared story, one laugh at a time. to talk and share their experiences, and better I can do,” says Kaelin. From there? Kaelin has his eye on the 2024 or 2028 Olympics. Suffice it to say, we’ll all be watching. understand what a learning difference is, even To learn more about Eye to Eye, go to: eyetoeyenational.org. if we don’t use those specific terms,” says Ben. “It’s difficult for 3rd or 4th graders to find words around their learning struggles. If we, as the mentors, can share our own struggles and show

30 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 31 Alumni Feature: Chidiki Jones- ALUMNI Update Whitley ‘13

He says he doesn’t have a secret sauce, but he says it with a smile. Chidiki Jones-Whitley ’13 — now an assistant teacher in Intermediate at The Lab School — does admit that having Alumni Feature: attended Lab from 8th through 12th grades has provided him with a certain insight. “I see a lot of myself in these kids, but Emily Keller ‘14 they have their own personalities and world outlooks, too, of course,” he says. “What I learned as a student here is that the for velocity? No, but I can tell you all about the earth’s rotation. teachers, the staff, and the other students … everyone at Lab Having similar challenges to my students helps me understand genuinely understands your differences, but more importantly, them and teach them in ways they can learn and respect. “I’m a Lab lifer. I grew up at Lab,” says Emily Keller ’14 they understand that each kid is different and so are his or her enthusiastically. “Since I started when I was six, I thought all learning differences. None of us is the same, and we are taught “Not liking reading is a lot different from not being able to read schools were like Lab. To me as a child, Lab was a magical place accordingly.” without a lot of effort and frustration. Books, the internet, where I learned about the stratosphere and exosphere through everything … not feeling like you have easy access like everyone song, and about the middle ages and Renaissance by role playing Chidiki was happy at the school he went to before Lab. It was a else is miserable. You feel like you’re missing out on so many people from those eras. My parents would have meetings with the small, close-knit community. He had gobs of friends and no one things,” says Chidiki who plans to pursue his master’s degree in head of Elementary [then, Neela Seldin] and every meeting she mocked him for his learning challenges. “I was just Chidiki,” he social work in the next few years. “But once you get that boost would turn to my parents and say ‘Now, let’s talk about our says. But as he got older and the academic challenges intensified, of confidence, once you are given tools like speech to text, audio Emily …’ Teachers and staff were always there for you, rooting for Model UN that influenced her the most. “With Tide Turners, I he realized that although some of his teachers were trained in books, or closed caption technology, everything changes. It’s such you. I mean, Pat [Front Desk Receptionist Patricia Murray] saw went to the whale and turtle conservation camps, which definitely special education, they were not set up for his “level of dyslexia.” a gift to help open up the world to our students in ways that work us grow up from six to 18! The sense of family and community at had a big impact on me. Tide Turners plus my work in Model UN He says that around 6th grade, his skills were not improving. for them.” Lab is so special. I’m not sure I’ll ever have that experience again.” shaped how I thought about my future. It made me realize I was interested in social justice issues.” He felt like he was stagnating. And although it was very tough to leave the friends he had had since kindergarten, he knew As a student, among other memorable opportunities, Chidiki at- Emily is a model of someone whose life’s trajectory could have attending Lab would be a better fit. “Coming back here to teach, tended the People of Color Conference/Student Diversity Leader- been something entirely different. Slow to walk, talk, ride a bike … Emily graduated from Marist College this spring with a major you get an even better understanding of just how much Lab does ship Conference (see page 10) and Lab’s first High School interna- Emily says she was slow to learn everything as a little kid. When in Communications and a minor in Political Science. During for its students — and their whole families. Being understood and tional trip … to China. “They were mind-blowing!” he says. “Lab her pre-school teacher mentioned The Lab School to Emily’s her junior year abroad, she spent her first semester in London, accepted for all of your strengths and weaknesses is incredibly is in a position to offer these amazing opportunities and privileges mother, they visited, and that was it. Her path shifted, and she interning at Results UK where she worked in the field on issues powerful. Lab hooks you up with the assistive technologies that as part of learning. It’s difficult to put into words the power of started to thrive. of world hunger from parliamentary and grassroots approaches. Second semester, she attended university in Sydney, Australia. work for you, and the teachers are committed to figuring out, for these experiences.” each student, what strategies become academic game changers,” In 8th grade, when several of her friends decided to leave for he says. “At Lab, I went from being a new student who couldn’t Thoughtfully, Chidiki adds, “I know a lot of people talk about other high schools, Emily struggled with the decision to stay or Newly graduated, Emily is wasting no time following her dream of keep up to being top of my class, which opened up so much more their LD like a superpower. For me, it’s not. But knowing go. “I questioned staying, mostly because it seemed some of my producing global campaigns around issues of equality — women’s brain energy and time for extra-curriculars like tennis, lacrosse, yourself and focusing on what you are good at, what makes you friends were moving on and I was being left behind,” she says. rights, world hunger, genocide. In September, she will begin graduate school at New York City’s New School, in the School debate, and theater. Before Lab, it was just school, dinner, two-to- happy, well, that’s a whole other kind of power.” “But I did my own research on other schools and what they could three hours of painful homework, then bed.” offer me versus what Lab could offer me, and then I worked with of Public Engagement. “During high school at Lab, my peers Dr. Stixrud [ , clinical neuropsychologist motivated me to push myself. We learned together that although William Stixrud, PhD Chidiki recalls that, at first, as a new teacher, he was a bit nervous whose work focuses on the teenage brain]. I redid my testing and we have LD, we can do anything we put our minds to, and there about interacting with students in the classroom. “Would I seem I visited other schools. At the end of it all, Dr. Stixrud and my should be no stigma around learning differently. Being at Lab was gruff or authoritarian? Would I know how to relate to them?” parents told me it was my decision. I realized I wanted to stay. I empowering,” she says. “I want to bring my strengths and skills to he says. He needn’t have worried, as he slipped right into his had good grades, I was on the road to getting into a good college, groups of people around the world who need help amplifying their new role with seeming ease, especially since he had an already and I was involved in lots of extra-curricular activities. And at voices for justice and equality.” deep understanding of the challenges faced by students with Lab, I learned to focus on my strengths and self-advocate. I’m so learning differences. “There is nothing ‘assistant’ about being glad I made that decision!” an assistant teacher here at Lab,” he laughs. “You jump right in, feet first; it’s fantastic. I am definitely best suited collaborating Emily has many fond memories from her 13 years at Lab. She with others.” And despite what he says, Chidiki’s secret sauce played lacrosse and volleyball, was involved in theater, and made frequently comes into play. “I know what it’s like to have a hard life-long friends. But it was her involvement in Tide Turners and time remembering facts but on the flip side easily seeing how things relate to each other. Can I remember the exact equation

32 the link | summer 2018 the lab school of washington 33 Class of 2014 Send your Class Notes information and photos to: class notes Caroline Hubley will graduate in December 2018 www.labschool.org/alumniupdate, or In some instances, alumni graduated from a high school other than The Lab School. They are listed by their high school graduation year. from Landmark College with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio/3D [email protected], or Modeling, and is spending a three-week intensive Victoria Tilney McDonough, Director of Communications Class of 2000 Class of 2002 Class of 2010 Class of 2012 study abroad program with Landmark in New Zealand. The Lab School of Washington Michael Buckman is working IN MEMORIAM 4759 Reservoir Road, NW in real estate with Long and Marilena Siegel graduated Foster in Washington, DC. summa cum laude from Washington, DC 20007 Davidson College. She plans 202.944.2212 Mary Miskell Belanger to teach in Brooklyn and work recently lauched a blog called on her master’s degree in Follow The Lab School of Washington! Culinary Mary (culinarymary. education. com). David Walters graduated this Class of 2003 May from Ursinus College, and this fall will start teaching in For the last eight years, Charles Harlem through City Year. White has been with the US Secret Service Uniformed Brian David Hill ’00 Class of 2016 Division. died unexpectedly in February 2018 in Reston, Nicolai Werner graduated Class of 2006 Virginia. Brian was born this spring with an Associate’s Degree from Mitchell College. on August 9, 1982 in This spring, Tim Danos Sarah Mishkin will be He will be attending the Washington DC, where defended his MPA Capstone starting graduate school in University of Vermont in he attended the Lab project, which was a policy fall 2018 at Lesley University the fall. School of Washington. brief on college counseling in Cambridge, MA, for a From 1993 to 1996, he in the state of Delaware, and master’s degree in Early Reuben Forman recently lived with his family graduated from University of Childhood Education. She started a job in DC Mayor in Ankara, Turkey. On Delaware with an Master of received her BA with honors in Muriel Bowser’s office, working his return to the US, Public Administration with a Communications from Curry in community outreach. Brian graduated from focus on Community Nonprofit College in December 2015. Newport High School Leadership. He said, “I acknow- Sarah has been working as an Melanie Kent is loving her where he took special ledged Trudy Fleisher [Lab’s assistant teacher at the Frances new job at Reston Children’s interest in science, College Counselor] in my Jacobsen Early Childhood Center where she is a teacher in writing, and art. Brian presentation. Certainly, without Center in Boston and will the two-year olds’ classroom. obtained his BS degree her and other great teachers at continue there while she in biology from the Lab, I doubt I would be where I College of New Jersey attends graduate school. One of am today.” Class of 2017 in 2005, and later Sarah’s long-held dreams came true this spring when the Caps obtained certificates Daniel Kelley is a graduate won the Stanley Cup. Telma Fitzgerald continued to in biotechnology and of Mount St. Mary’s College pursue her passion for drawing phlebotomy from and is working as a group during her freshman year at Montgomery College. sales manager at Marriott Savannah College of Art. International in in Washington, DC.

Class of 2008

Andy Thomas recently fin- ished his second year of law school at American University Class of 2013 and, during the summer, will be working at Banner & Witcoff as Bryan Bradley is an associate a research intern for their video application developer for HM game division. Health Solutions, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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