wildwood.outreach.center by Steve Barrett, DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH, TEACHING, AND LEARNING R EACH and OUTREACH IN THE FIELD RESONANCE: LandMaRk hiGh SChOOL, nEW YORk CitY our.work.with.Landmark.is.ongoing.. The Year From.the.first.visit.in.April,.it.was. clear.that.students.at.this.small,. urban.public.high.school.benefit. from.a.highly.engaged.and.reform- in Focus minded.teacher.corps..Landmark’s. dynamic.and.dedicated.educators. don’t.always.agree.on.exactly.how. In just the past year, the Wildwood Outreach Center has to.best.serve.their.students,.and.the. offered training, insights, and consultancy to teachers and spirited.and.thoughtful.debate.here. leaders from nearly 60 schools, both public and private, is.invigorating..Even.more.impressive:. spread across 15 states and scattered around the world. In.a.very.challenging.environment,. these.teachers.are.not.only.engaged. /Summer 2013 What we are learning from the growing reach of our but.also.positive.and.very.optimistic. Outreach Center is clear: The Wildwood approach works. about.the.opportunities.for.their. students..It.would.be.impossible. Landmark High School in New York City’s Chelsea not.to.be.inspired.by.this.group.. Our Wildwood Wildwood’s.work.with.the.full.faculty. 8/9 neighborhood and Sugar Bowl Academy, educating competitive skiers in the High Sierra, are very different focused.on.setting.goals.for.the. places, serving very different populations. But they have school’s.existing.advisory.program.. Wildwood in common: This year, the schools turned to us to After.15.years.of.growing.advisory,. the.leadership.team.is.pausing.to. help strengthen their programs by providing professional assess.the.program.and.assign.tasks. development to their teacher corps around advisory. We for.strengthening.what.they.have.. made trips this year to these and other schools, while Landmark.High.uses.Wildwood’s. dozens more came to Los Angeles to observe and learn Advisory Toolkit and.shares. from us. Wildwood’s.belief.in.the.value.of. helping.students.foster.relationships. The exchange of ideas with so many educators from such a with.influential.adults.and.keeping. wide range of settings is invaluable for us at Wildwood and advisory.central.to.their.school’s. often critical to the schools we work with. educational.mission..We.began.our. work.by.talking.about.wishes.for.a.re- envisioned.advisory,.and.by.the.end. “Our school visited over To capture the scope of our work, of.the.sessions.in.April,.we.developed. twenty schools last year, check out this sampling of the including a few in Finland. Wildwood Outreach Center’s year an.action.plan.to.make.it.happen. Wildwood has been very of service. influential in our thinking about our future school— especially your approach to advisory, and your connections between the habits of Mind and heart SUGaR BOWL AcadEMY, and your assessments.” —Tico Oms, Middle School Deputy Principal, Singapore American School nORdEn, CaLiF. WORKSHOPS At.this.school.for.high.school.students. AT WILDWOOD who.are.also.competitive.skiers,. academics.and.advisory.are.often. Never Too YOUnG: compressed.because.the.ski.season. EnGaGinG ELEMEntary-aGE SOCiaL ActiViSM is.long.and.the.school.year.is.shorter. Wildwood.2nd.grade.teacher.Monique.Marshall,.a.highly.sought-after. than.what’s.typical..But.the.very. speaker.on.student.activism.and.multiculturalism,.presented.this. unusual.students.at.this.school—some. workshop.she.developed.to.more.than.a.dozen.public.and.private. boarders.and.some.day.students— elementary.educators.in.early.May..The.daylong.session.is.founded. know.how.to.concentrate.and.get. on.Wildwood’s.philosophy.that.adults.need.to.be.in.touch.with.their. the.job.done..The.level.of.intensity. own.multicultural.identities.before.they.can.skillfully.lead.students.to. at.Sugar Bowl is.palpable..Because. investigate.their.own. students.need.to.squeeze.a.lot.in.and. using.creative.tools,.including.the.“doll.stories”.(see.page.3).she. work.very.efficiently,.often.from.the. developed,.Monique.shows.educators.how.they.can.help.their.students. road,.they.focus..They.do.their.work. access.and.discuss.their.feelings.on.a.wide.array.of.topics,.from. and.stay.in.touch.with.their.teachers,. multiculturalism.in.society.to.social.conflicts.in.the.classroom. coaches,.and.advisors.using.school. This.unique,.interactive.workshop.builds.on.Monique’s.years.of. iPads..Given.the.enormous.amount.of. experience.engaging.young.students.in.meaningful,.socially.conscious. time.kids.spend.training,.it’s.critical. conversations.and.actions. that.teachers.and.coaches.act.as. Public.school.participation.at.Monique’s.workshop.was. advisors.at.Sugar.Bowl.to.ensure. complemented.by.some.of.Los.Angeles’.other.independent.schools,. that.the.students.aren’t.caught.in.the. including.Brentwood School, Campbell hall, Crossroads School,.and middle.of.competing.demands.for. the Buckley School. their.time..Sugar.Bowl’s.challenges. are.somewhat.unique.but.point.at.the. Chalk talk: fundamental.value.of.advisory..In.this. a silent conversation setting,.staying.connected.is.even. investigating identity. more.critical.because.students.are. so.often.away.from.their.instructors. and.peers..Sugar.Bowl.is.especially. interested.in.Wildwood’s.model.that. puts.an.advisor.at.the.center.of. each.student’s.academic.and.social/ emotional.experience,.which.they.see. as.acutely.important.for.kids.who. are.high.achievers,.often.away.from. home..Because.of.our.consulting.work,. Sugar.Bowl.is.not.only.strengthening. its.advisory.program,.but.it.also. will.be.building.in.more.advisory. time.when.students.are.on.campus. and.showcasing.advisory.as.a.key. component.of.their.students’.success. when.talking.with.prospective.families.. Beyond thE FinaL ExaM: Participants from Sugar StUdEnt GatewaYS and ExhiBitiOnS Bowl academy generating The.practice.of.students.presenting.and.defending.their.learning.and. advisory goals. growth.through.Gateways.and.Exhibitions.is.integral.to.the.Wildwood. Landmark high School in the experience..It’s.also.gradually.gaining.traction.as.many.educators.begin. Bayard Rustin Educational to.sincerely.question.the.value.of.traditional.tests.on.paper.as.the. Complex. only.measure.of.student.learning..In.May,.the.outreach.center.hosted. educators.from.three.Los.Angeles-area.schools—two.public.and.one. VISITING private—that.are.moving.toward.this.style.of.meaningful.assessment:. EDUCATOR Ánimo inglewood Charter high School, UCLa Community School,.and. Marymount high School..By.discussing.the.philosophy.and.best.practices. ExPERiEnCinG a WiLdWOOd daY: for.these.student.presentations.and.then.sitting.in.on.the.day’s.offerings,. anGELa FaSiCk, LaUREL SChOOL our.guests.saw.an.authentic.mix.of.students,.not.a.hand-picked.slate..It. In.late.April,.the.outreach.center.hosted. was.refreshing.to.see.how.impressed.our.guests.were.with.our.random. Angela.Fasick,.director.of.studies.at. sample..Especially.dazzling.was.a.Gateway.presentation.by.10th.grader. Laurel School,.a.117-year-old.independent. noah.G.,.who.used.calculus.as.his.theme.to.illuminate.his.coursework.and. day.school.for.girls.in.Shaker.Heights,. what.he.sees.as.the.elegance.of.calculus.in.measuring.rates.of.change. ohio..She.was.visiting.to.tour.Wildwood’s. as.a.metaphor.for.life..our.guests.were.also.struck.by.one.12th.grader’s. middle.and.upper.school.campus.to.gain. ability.to.honestly.confront.his.struggles.with.procrastination.while.his. insights.about.what.was.going.on.at. teachers.and.family.closely.questioned.how.he’d.manage.in.college.. a.school.nationally.considered.to.be.a. The.ability.to.reflect.openly.was.surprising.to.our.guests,.although.at. leading.innovator..Her.particular.interest. Wildwood,.we.routinely.expect.students.to.assess.themselves.honestly.as. was.in.our.science.program..She.came.to. a.tool.essential.to.personal.growth. us.at.the.recommendation.of.Pat.Bassett,. the.outgoing.president.of.the.national. adVisory iS ESSEntiaL 201: Association.of.Independent.Schools. /Summer 2013 BlueprintS for BUiLdinG a MEaninGFUL PROGRaM (nAIS)..The.tour.included.middle.school. Santa Clarita Valley international Charter School in.castaic,.calif.,. science.and.team-taught.humanities. and.Francis Parker School.in.San.Diego.sent.teachers.for.our.April. classes,.both.of.which.illustrated. workshop.focused.on.analyzing.and.strengthening.advisory.programs. Wildwood’s.strong.interdisciplinary. Our Wildwood already.in.place..After.observing.advisory.at.Wildwood.and.having.lunch. approach..Angela.was.especially. 10/11 and.conversation.with.students,.we.worked.in.teams.to.conduct.a.SWoT. impressed.by.the.cross-disciplinary. survey:.identifying.each.of.their.programs’.strengths,.weaknesses,. student.engagement.in.Deborah.orlik’s. opportunities,.and.threats..This.protocol.ultimately.clarifies.advisory. 7th.grade.life.sciences.class..Students. program.goals.to.ensure.that.outcomes.for.the.day.are.very.concrete.and. here.were.absorbed.in.one.of.three. constructive..Participants.from.both.schools.developed.a.take-away.plan. projects—working.with.various.animal. to.strengthen.and.sustain.their.schools’.programs.. skulls.to.study.their.diets;.studying. fish.anatomy.as.part.of.a.project.that. integrates.ceramics;.or.training.classroom. rats.to.perform.various.tasks.on.wooden. apparatuses.the.students.constructed.for. “Especially dazzling was them..Deborah.explained.that.the.variety. a Gateway presentation by 10th grader anticipates.the.fact.that.students.work. at.individual.paces,.so.she.differentiates. Noah G., who used calculus as his the.classroom.experience.to.meet.each. student’s.needs.. theme to illuminate his coursework . We.always.request.feedback.so. and what he sees as the elegance of Wildwood.can.learn.from.how.visitors. see.us..Angela’s.take-aways:.She.found. calculus in measuring rates of change Wildwood.students.genuinely.engaged.in. a.wide.variety.of.work,.as.our.teachers. as a metaphor for life.” constantly.fine-tune.their.instruction.to. meet.students’.varying.needs. a dvisory activity with faculty at the american School Foundation, Mexico City. W ILDWOOD OUTREACH campbell.Hall,.Los.Angeles CENTER CLIENT LIST center.for.Early.Education,.West.Hollywood,.calif.