FALL 2016 PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine Worldly Pursuits HOW PDS HAS BECOME A LEADER IN GLOBAL EDUCATION inside The Center of Innovation Innovative Learning Options A NetWORK of Success Alumni Chapters Keep Connections feature feature 2 page Center of 10 Innovation Creative approaches page help faculty achieve goals Worldly Pursuits PROVIDENCE DAY SCHOOL PROVIDENCE DAY MAGAZINE MAGAZINE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PDS becomes a leader EDITORIAL STAFF in Global Education Glyn Cowlishaw, Ed.D. Karen Brand Meggan Barber Cecil Stodghill Head of School Director of Strategic Marketing and Director of the Annual Fund Director of Admissions and Communications Enrollment Management Jeffrey Appel Nancy Beatty Associate Head of School for Kevin Murray Director of Athletics Derrick Willard Institutional Advancement Managing Editor of Publications and Assistant Head of School for Social Media Maria Buoy, Parent Academic Affairs Derrick Willard Assitant Head of School for Sean Johnson Danielle Ferguson Academic Affairs Creative Services Manager Director of Multicultural Affairs and Social Responsibility Kristen Kral Mike McCarn Assistant Head of School for Photographer Katie Kirkland Finance and Risk Management Associate Director of Global Education Providence Day Magazine is published Jen Duvall by the PDS Strategic Marketing and Web and Digital Content Manager Communications Office. The written and visual content of this magazine is protected by copyright. No part of this Contributing Writer magazine may be reproduced without Nancy Beatty the written consent of Providence Day Director of Athletics School. FALL 2016 PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine Worldly Pursuits HOW PDS HAS BECOME A LEADER IN GLOBAL On the Cover EDUCATION In our commitment to developing global citizens and leaders, Providence Day School’s TK through inside The Center of Innovation 12th grade curriculum includes learning about other countries, cultures and global issues; attending Innovative Learning Options multicultural events; receiving leadership training; and having opportunities to participate in A NetWORK of Success Alumni Chapters Keep Connections international travel and exchanges. See our coverage starting on page 10. alumni 22 page NetWORK of Success The Next Chapter Program provides alumni Chapters keep internships for alumni alumni connected feature 24 page 18 page More Content Drew Wozniak ’03 helps motivate alumni page 4 Meet the new Board of Trustees page 16 King Library transformed into innovative space page 20 Problems to Positives Classes give students Tiffany Mitchell ’12 excels on and off court page 26 real-world skills Updates on alumni near and far page 30 PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine The CENTER of Innovation CREATIVE Faculty and staff wanting to develop or implement development is a process-driven phase where we seek to new concepts or approaches that enhance teaching and design, prototype, re-iterate and implement solutions.” APPROACHES learning now have a go-to resource at “the Center” of their Impact development may be the most important phase, EMPLOYED TO instructional goals. noted Scully. The Center for the Art & Science of Teaching, Learning “Here we strive to collect data, stories, artifacts and more HELP FACULTY & Entrepreneurship isn’t a physical place, yet it abounds that helps us determine the impact of the implemented ACHIEVE GOALS with tools and possibilities. It is a collective of skilled solution,” he said. “It is our hope that impact development personnel committed to one of Providence Day’s core will lead to the opportunity to share our lessons learned tenets — inspiring and supporting others. with others.” More specifcally, the group is tasked with empowering their fellow faculty and staff to “take action to close the CENTRIFUGAL MOTION gap between who we are and who we aspire to be” — the The Center’s origins started with the idea that the Center’s mantra. Technology team needed to re-purpose and re-focus on The Center’s support is administered in three specifc something “beyond just the tech tools,” said Scully, if they phases of innovating — opportunity development, were to continue assisting PDS in becoming a world-class solution development and impact development. These educational institution. are infuenced by the principles and practices of human- “We were rapidly growing to where we needed to focus centered design, a design and management framework that on the intentional and deliberate use of tech tools to create develops solutions to problems by involving the human the learning spaces necessary to support our students,” he perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process. said. “This led to multiple conversations over the last four “Opportunity development actively encourages to fve years about the needs of our community and how to our faculty and staff to seek to better understand any best serve them.” opportunities for growth,” said Matt Scully, Digital Conversations ensued with school leaders, Board of Integration and Innovation director. “Solution Trustee members and outside organizations that primarily WEB EXTRA Read more about the 2016 6th-grade capstone experience 2 at http://bit.ly/PDS6Capstone feature Three-phase Approach at the Center The Center has developed a three-phase approach to supporting innovation in all facets of the PDS community. 1 Opportunity development: Working with teachers, school leaders and staff to identify and understand growth opportunities. 2 Solution development: A team-oriented, collaborative approach to designing and implementing new innovations or solutions. 3 Impact development: Collecting data and stories to understand the effects and outcomes of the implemented solution. focused on the question that became the essence of the Joining them in the Center are P.E. teacher Emily Center’s mantra: “How do we mind the gap between who Carrara as Community Strategist, who will be focused on we are and who we aspire to be?” human-centered design; and English teacher Ryan Welsh A shift was needed, said Scully, “to become more as Design Strategist, who will be focused on design thinking innovative by focusing on the instructional strategies. We — design-specifc cognitive activities applied during the must be intentional, deliberate and disciplined in how we process of designing. pursue our aspirations.” Additionally, all faculty and staff are part of the Center, The Center, then, is the attempt to re-purpose existing said Scully. When an opportunity for growth and innovation resources and personnel to create mechanisms that can arises, a group of faculty and staff will be convened to help support faculty and staff in designing, implementing and develop solutions and assist with the implementation. assessing innovative new approaches that narrow the gap. “It will be different groups for different opportunities,” Hence Scully’s title change from Director of Technology said Scully. to Digital Integration and Innovation. In his redefned role, Thus far the Center has supported several projects, Scully focuses on coordinating the Center and developing including last year’s 6th grade capstone experience, which innovative opportunities and partnerships with organizations resulted in 6th-graders participating in a collaborative, that can help PDS and its partners reach desired goals. problem-solving event instead of exams to end their frst PDS’s Instructional Technology Specialists Shannon year in Middle School. Welton and Susan Stiefel are now Instructional Strategists “Through such projects, the Center has helped the who will focus on supporting faculty in achieving their Providence Day School community embrace opportunities instructional goals. for innovation, partnerships and collaborative thought,” “The changes in titles mirror the changes to job said Carrara. responsibilities that free these roles to support our faculty “We anticipate the Center will be partnering with each in any element of crafting new instructional opportunities division to engage in yearlong projects to support each — from iPads to crayons,” said Scully. division’s instructional goals and needs,” said Scully. “We were rapidly growing to where we needed to focus on the intentional and deliberate use of tech tools to create the learning spaces necessary to support our students.” — Matt Scully, Digital Integration and Innovation director PROVIDENCE DAY Magazine The Gift of Giving Back Drew Wozniak’s Efforts Helped Increase Alumni Giving 4 community DREW WOZNIAK ’03 BELIEVES IN PROVIDENCE DAY SCHOOL. him in touch with Development Director Lynette Allison. Wozniak, a senior management associate with Carolinas It was during a subsequent meeting that Wozniak eagerly HealthCare System, feels the quality of the school’s education volunteered to become the new Alumni Giving chair. and the caliber of alumni it produces are unrivaled. And within two years, Wozniak led the charge, along “A substantial part of my personal and professional with a team of alumni and faculy, that elevated alumni success today can be traced back to knowledge I gained giving participation to a whopping 25.7 percent, surpassing and relationships I made at PDS,” he said. “To this day, I all other Charlotte-area independent schools. reach out to my friends from PDS more than any other peer “Drew was instrumental with increasing alumni giving,” group. Many of the brightest people I know are fellow PDS said Allison. “We couldn’t have achieved the milestone of classmates.” 25.7 percent participation without his leadership.” So it was to Wozniak’s dismay that he learned his fellow