The opening of Innovation Alley marks the

next iteration of The Elisabeth Morrow School’s

commitment to creating the kind of learning

environment that children need to become truly well-

educated and equipped to take on the challenges

inherent in a world undergoing rapid change.

Innovation Alley includes several new spaces that

can be used in combination with one another or

separately, depending on the nature of the activity.

The furniture has wheels, allowing for flow between

the rooms and a variety of experiential learning

opportunities. The Kamiel Solarium is a community

space available for groups of various sizes and the

ColLABrium, a place for cooperative learning, will

include library/media studies and maker activities.

The library collection will be deployed throughout

Innovation Alley with the Romita-Cox Reading Pod

specifically celebrating independent reading and

storytelling. “The entire space provides the learning

environment, on demand, that kids need. Flexible

classrooms help students work collaboratively,

communicate and engage in critical thinking,” says

Rurik Nackerud, lower school technology integrator.

“Research shows that choice in how students learn

increases academic performance and engagement, and

promotes deeper, more invigorating conversations.”

Another key component of Innovation Alley is The

Mann Family Faculty Think Tank, where faculty

members from different disciplines have desk

space and the kind of open environment where

brainstorming can blossom. “We know that students

learn better when they can connect what they are

doing in one subject with what they are learning

in another subject,” says Sarah Rolle, director of

technology. “Having a shared space for teachers

increases everyone’s ability to collaborate and adds

great value to our students’ experiences.”

The Kamiel Solarium, ColLABrium, Romita-Cox Reading Pod and other new spaces within Innovation Alley support and advance our

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) curriculum.INNOVATION ALLEY by Jan Abernathy, Director of Marketing and Communications

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From exploring the science of sound in music

to bridge building as part of the Kidtown social

studies unit in first grade, Kara Gustafsson and Jane

Zagajeski, both science teachers, look forward to

developing how their discipline will interact with the

others. “This is in many ways just a continuation and

acceleration of what we had been doing for the past

year,” Ms. Gustafsson says. Ms. Zagajeski adds, “In

any quality science program, the integration of other

disciplines should occur as a matter of course.”

Little School math specialist Mary Ann Rota sees

Innovation Alley as a vehicle for showing students

that math even connects to the “A” in STEAM.

“Children need to realize that math is not just

the hour-long class that they have,” she says. “For

instance, when doing a simple painting, you have to

measure, you have to decide placement, you have to

organize and plan. I’m glad that so much more than

just the obvious connections between math, science

and technology are being made.”

Cindy Cohrs-Brandt, Little School librarian, likes

that information resources are now moveable,

meeting the children where the task is taking place.

“With information gathering being critical to almost

every project — whether students are studying the

monarch butterfly or how to build a machine — we

want to be able to make sure that they can quickly

find exactly what they are looking for,” she says.

And Spanish teacher Lourdes Gonzales has already

worked with several of her STEAM colleagues on

a monarch butterfly unit and later in the year will

connect with art teacher Samantha Smithline for a

study of the Aztecs. “The more you connect Spanish

with other disciplines, the greater the language

acquisition,” she says.

Even decorating the space — in its permanent and

temporary form — became a project for the team.

Ms. Smithline worked with Mx. Nackerud to graffiti

the temporary walls (which was documented on

video and shared with the school community).

They also will be using a vinyl cutter to design

images to put on the glass doors that connect

various rooms. “Students will make images

representative of the different seasons using the

vinyl cutter, which teaches them about positive

and negative space,” Ms. Smithline says.

Emily Spaeth, a music teacher as well

as a lower school parent, sees the

benefits for herself and her daughter.

“It’s key for students to see teachers

working together as a team and to

be able to model that — it shows

them that everyone brings different

strengths to a project. And my

daughter, Sage, is already coming

home speaking about how subjects

carry over from one class to another

— it’s those kinds of connections that

make learning stick.”

Adds Beth Brennan, lower school head,

“We’ve said for a long time that we are

preparing students for jobs that don’t

exist today — jobs we can’t even

imagine. Bringing collaborative spaces

for science, technology, engineering,

arts, and math to lower school students

will help them develop flexibility,

collaboration and other habits of mind that

are crucial to their future learning.”

The Mann Family Faculty Think TankCollaboration is a centerpiece of Innovation Alley. The Mann Family Faculty Think Tank provides dedicated space for EMS specialists in a wide array of subjects (math, science, reading, art, music, technology and more) to brainstorm and generate ideas that enrich the curriculum and make learning more meaningful for students.

Constructing a 3D printer in The Kamiel Solarium

A redesigned Little School lobby and reception desk

creates a welcoming sight for visitors and students alike

Enjoying library books in the ColLABrium

Working on art in The Kamiel Solarium

Upgrades to Morrow House

Improvements weren’t limited to Little School this year. Thanks to the generosity of donors to our Apple Tree Fund, as well as purchasers of items from the wish list created for the 85th anniversary gala, several important upgrades were made to Morrow House to enhance learning, create a greater sense of community and just spruce the place up a little bit.

This year, our oldest students were able to get new bottle-filling water fountains, Harkness tables, a redesigned student lounge and a new lunch room. Students love the Harkness tables, which are large ovals designed to facilitate open discussion. “It’s good because it’s easier to see your classmates and what they are trying to convey. It’s almost like being at home and everyone is talking to each other,”

says eighth grader Safia Singer-Pomerantz, who adds that students seem to contribute more when they are arranged around the table. “Last year, more teachers were leading discussions, and now we are.”

A central place to dine and build community was long missing at Morrow House, but with new furnishings, the Russell Berrie Music Room has been converted into a flexible multi-use community space, with ample opportunity for students to socialize indoors — and when the weather is favorable, outdoors as well. Eighth grader Lori Hashasian says, “Before, you were always just eating with people from your own advisory in a classroom. Now, you can eat lunch and socialize with other kids, inside and outside.” Adds fifth grader Benjamin Lefkowitz, who is new to Morrow House, “You don’t just see your grade at lunch. You get a chance to meet other people.”

The student lounge was also redecorated, and students are happy that it’s getting more use. “The couches are great and so are the high tables,” says Malachy Guzman, an eighth grader. “The room really gets used — I even see the teachers in there now.”

With the building’s new eco-friendly bottle-filling water fountains, students are staying hydrated and helping the environment by filling their EMS-issued water bottles. “Before, we always had to go to the gym to get water, but now we can have it on the go,” says Shira Mandelzis, a sixth grader.

While there are always improvements that can be made (students recently raised funds for a student lounge foosball table), the changes made over the summer are getting noticed, and increasing the satisfaction of all those who call the building their home on campus.

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