Graduation K–8 Model Core Values

IN THIS ISSUE

GraduationK–8 ModelCore Values

GREEN HEDGES SCHOOL

SUMMER 2010

Clippings is a publication by the Development Office of Green Hedges School.

Jennifer F. Letowt Chair, Board of Trustees

Robert E. Gregg, III Head of School

Cathy Voeks Director of Development

Contributors Ingrid Willenz-Isaacs

Photography Dorothy Campbell Janet Cummins

Zita GrayLisa Jung

Ana KirklandGretchen KomnikLifeTouch Events

Pam LucasMichelle O’Brien

Design Mari Foret

Your comments and suggestions are always welcomed and may be faxed

to: 703.938.1485 or emailed to [email protected].

Each GHS student is supported by hundreds of years of collective

experience and wisdom.

Green Hedges School does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin in the administration of its education policies.

school news

Core Values 11 Alumni 20

features

GREEN HEDGES SCHOOL

SUMMER 2010

Graduation 4 On Volunteering 7 K–8 Model 9

ANNUAL REPORT CORRECTION: Mr. and Mrs. Douglas E. Wolfe should have been listed as Melanie and Doug Wolfe.

CLIPPINGS | SUMMER 2010 3

Robert E. Gregg, IIIhead’s greeting

Bob Gregg poses with the “Head for the Day” auction winners Vale and Niki Tolpegin

for the 2010 Graduation Ceremony, I enjoyed considerable time reflecting on the extraordinary accomplishments of this year’s graduating class. The Green Hedges graduation tradition, whereby the Head of School spends a few minutes showcasing each class member’s individual contributions to the School, necessitated my careful observation of our 8th graders throughout the year. The collection of notes made since last summer and the year-long conversations I’d had with all faculty members, came together and enabled me to highlight how each of these extraordinary young men and women embodied all that we seek at GHS: the fulfillment of our Four Core Values.

To support student achievement of a school’s learning objectives, a good school identifies core values that serve as fundamental, categorical commitments to students and the school’s community. The school’s decision making and goal setting, be it individual or community-wide, must be made in alignment with these critical commitments. This edition of Clippings is dedicated to ways in which Green Hedges’ Core Values manifest themselves in the lives of our students and throughout our community. However, as I shared with the community at Graduation, there is no better example of this manifestation than the commitment and qualities within our recent graduates. We are enormously proud of our newest alums!

Every ten years, schools within the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) are comprehensively reviewed by visiting accreditation teams. At the five-year (halfway) point, schools also undergo a slightly less intense “check-up” of its progress since the formal evaluation. To simplify the extensive and scrupulous task in a nutshell, VAIS’ evaluation and accrediting teams measure the school’s entire operation and program against the school’s over-arching policies, namely its mission and core values.

In 2009–10, Green Hedges underwent its five-year evaluation, and we earned very high marks as evidenced by VAIS’ Board of Directors unanimous vote to confirm GHS’ continued full accreditation. VAIS’ Executive Director Dr. Sally Boese wrote, “The visiting team was most impressed with the alignment between the School’s mission, history and current practice, as well as the creative utilization of available campus space to carry out the program.” Needless to say, Green Hedges is proud of its accomplishments and its recognition as an effective and purposeful educational institution.

Green Hedges’ graduates carry forward wonderful skills and values in their lives as students and contributing members of society. Our Core Values—Achieve Distinction, Commit to Character, Explore Opportunities and Become Yourself prevail throughout an individual’s experience within the GHS community. The graduating class of 2010 is the School’s latest, wonderful testimony of this success.

S Iprepared

my remarks

4 GREEN HEDGES SCHOOL

CLASS GIFT OF 2010

Throughout the year, the

eighth grade students

engage in a variety of

fundraising initiatives

in order to present the

School with a class gift at

graduation time. Special

thanks to the Class of

2010 for their gift of

$4,000 which will be put

toward the installation of

an outdoor classroom.

Thomas Briggs1ST–8TH FLINT HILL SCHOOL

The most memorable times for me were the great trips that my class took, our class plays, and performing with the Jazz Band. The New York trip was my favorite —especially Banana Shpeel. It was one of the funniest things that I have ever seen. Thanks to Ms. Ramacci I was able to appreciate the work that goes into a funny production.

Emma Hilder5TH–8TH SOUTH LAKES HIGH SCHOOL

But now, for us actors, it seems as if the sets are being dismantled, the cast and crew are going their separate ways . . . All I have now to say is that I’ve had a wonderful, fantastic time shoot-ing our movie, that I can play in my head over and over again, and that it has been an absolute pleasure creating it with you all.

Geena MakLIFER WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

I’m really going to miss this place. I feel like my teachers have all become my aunts and uncles, my fellow students my brothers and sisters, and GHS has become my second home.

CLASS OF 2010

[ GRADUATION ]

Ian Farrow2ND–8TH THE IDEAL SCHOOLS

School has been tough and fun, and I am ready to move on. Green Hedges has taught me many life lessons that I will remember for a long time . . . (My) time has been awesome here, but I’m ready for high school . . . high school, here I come!

Kelly Fulton4TH–8TH FLINT HILL SCHOOL

So many great moments have filled my time here at Green Hedges, from fourth grade with Mrs. Creed to 8th grade with my graduating friends . . . My life is like a camera capturing all of the important moments I have had [here]. My camera holds lots of photos because I cannot even count all of the memories.


[ GRADUATION ]

Cameron Santoro1ST–8TH UNDECIDED

But most importantly, I actually learned some things the past eight years. I really appreciate all that the Green Hedges community has done for me and I’ve really grown a lot as an individual. The teachers have been really supportive of me and helped me move forward in school. I would also like to say that I’ve met a bunch of great friends over the past years and hopefully I will be able to stay in touch with them once we move forward into high school.

Seema Seth5TH–8TH SOUTH LAKES HIGH SCHOOL

I would like to thank all the people who made it so fun, especially all my teachers. When I en-tered middle school, it seemed like they wanted to kill me with homework, but they just wanted to ensure my future, so I thank them. I would also like to thank all of my classmates; without all the humor they have provided, I don’t think I could have survived middle school.

Anthony Skaff6TH–8TH SOUTH LAKES HIGH SCHOOL

I have been at Green Hedges for three phe-nomenal years. When I first stepped through the doors of Green Hedges, I immediately dis-covered that Green Hedges is a school like no other. A wonderful environment with sounds of friends laughing and teachers interacting filled the School. Without a doubt, I realized that this was the place to be, and so here I am now. My journey at Green Hedges was one to remember, and I will always remember my time here.

Lydia Warshaw5TH–8TH OAK HALL SCHOOL (FL)

I will leave with an open mind and a strong core of knowledge that will guide me through what-ever doors I may open next. So what made a dif-ference for me? Well it was going down the zip lines, getting a part in the play, learning the flute, and finishing that dreaded one mile run. My four years have been productive ones, because I now know exactly who I am and the things I like best. I also know without a doubt that I am ready to go to high school, fully prepared with all the knowledge and confidence I have gained from attending Green Hedges School.

Harrison Wilton1ST–8TH GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL

The people in my class are the best friends I could ask for . . . they’re there for me every step of the way . . . Another thing that made my Green Hedges experience so great was the teachers. So to all of my teachers out there, I want you to know that you guys made my time at GHS the best it could be, and for that, I thank you dearly.

Gates YoungLIFER EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL

In life there is a reason for everything. There was a reason 11 years ago that my parents decided to send me to Green Hedges. . . First grade was the year I met most of my friends that I still know today. It was also the year that Mrs. Dart and Mrs. Renshaw taught me to actually appreciate a good book like Charlotte’s Web. These past 11 years here have been great.

Graduates pause to praise their GHS education


[ REFLECTING ON 21 YEARS ]

What made you choose Green Hedges in the first place?

When Don and I moved here from Houston, Texas in January, 1989, we were looking for a Montessori program that would be comfortable for Gwendolyn (GHS ’98). Green Hedges was unique among the schools we visited because it offered a Montessori program followed by a Grade 1 classroom with Montessori materials that helped the students transition gradually to a more traditional classroom model. That was really our motivation. It was later that we met the Kilmers and began to appreciate the School’s philosophy.

Were you active in the School right from the start? At the beginning, we were “drop-off and pick-up only” parents. One time I had a concern, and the School addressed it. Then, as so often happens at Green Hedges, I was invited, drawn in, to be involved with activities at the School. Initially I helped cover books in the library and worked on auction acquisitions. Don served as PTO Treasurer and on both the Technology and Diversity Committees for the Board.

What has it been like to have four children go through the School? The School has given all four of our children a wonderful foundation from which to grow. We have enjoyed different vintages of the same project, many of which are still on display on the walls of our house. We have always felt the School has offered a safe, nurturing, and challenging program for each of our children. It has been an extension of our family. Of course, over the years, the School and its programs have matured, just as our children have matured.

What are examples of the things you have particularly valued? The special relationships and interactions between the older and younger students—, whether through reading together, going on field trips, helping with Book Fair wish lists, helping in carpool—they are all special and important. Gwendolyn found Middle School Advisory Groups to be helpful. The students could almost interact like brothers and sisters for each other.

And then there are the fundamentals of the academic curriculum. It is wonderful to see how the arts are interwoven with everything else that is taught at the School, and the importance of foreign languages. I have been amazed by some of the creative projects my kids have brought home, wondering, “Where did they get that talent from?!” One music teacher gave Gavin his first piano lessons. Her unconventional, but “hedgy” style inspired in Gavin a love for the piano and music that continues to be one of his passions.

The performances—class plays, Opening and Closing Assemblies each Monday and Friday, and especially the concerts and graduation—are all traditions that are very special and unique to Green Hedges. Where else would a Middle School student write an operetta that was performed voluntarily by a troupe of

WITH GHS PARENT & VOLUNTEER AILEEN MAK

Aileen Mak, mother of four children and employed as a computer scientist, has served as PTO President, Board member, and volunteer at Green Hedges. On June 11, her youngest child, Geena, graduated from the School. Taking time out from her many activities, the woman newly dubbed the “Fairy Godmother of Green Hedges” took time to reflect on her family’s 21 years at the School.

“More than physical or emotional, I’ll miss the School in a soulful way,” she said, and began reminiscing.


[ REFLECTING ON 21 YEARS ]

students? Where else would a rising Grade 4 student write a play and song to be performed by her Grade 5 class, accompanied by her father and some older students?

And what about your own involvement at the School? I was honored to serve on the Board of Trustees for seven years. Aside from that, most of the activities we’ve been involved with for the School have been family affairs. Besides after-school offerings like Study Hall, Neat Treats to Eat (which was Genny’s idea) and many other activities, such as cheerleading, knitting, and sewing, we’ve worked with the PTO on Supplies-in-a-Bag, ski trips, Bingo night, and the Family Fun Fair (now Dragon Fest); and worked on the auction (co-chairing for three years) for the last 15 years. We’ve also helped with class fundraising activities and dances.

As your children graduated from Green Hedges and began high school, college, and for the older ones, careers, what have been some of the lasting gifts? The first thing that comes to mind is a sense of confidence. They have had so many opportunities to lead and they are not hesitant to stand up for what is right. Our kids have a clear sense of their personal boundaries, and they feel good about themselves. Their adjustment to high school was amazingly easy.

They have also internalized the meaning of the Green Hedges Core Values. Gwen has her Silver Lining handmade crafts line, Genny has her job at Noblis in Health Innovations, Gavin orchestrated his dorm’s first “Fauquier’s Finest Awards Ceremony,” and Geena plays in several bands. Because of their proficiency in French (thanks to GHS teachers), Geena and Genny will travel to France for two weeks right after Geena’s graduation.

You have good reason to be proud of them. Is there a special moment of pride that stands out for you when you think about the School? Yes, for me the high point was this year’s Vienna Halloween Parade. Our little Jazz Band performed well that night, and they were rewarded by the Town of Vienna with the “Best Youth Performing Group” award as well as top honors for the parade “Best in Show”! It was amazing. Everything came together. (Pun for those in the know.) I was so proud of the group and GHS.

And now that you are leaving, what advice do you have for new Green Hedges parents? Two things. One is Frances Kilmer’s quote: “It is as necessary to wait with unhurried

confidence for a child’s achievement, as it is for a gardener to wait for a seed to sprout.” Be confident in their ability to grow. The other suggestion is, don’t be afraid to become involved. Not to be too involved with the details of your child’s homework and all that, but to be involved with the School, to be part of the School. You’ll benefit, the School will benefit, and your child will benefit.

Thank you, Aileen. Any last thoughts? Green Hedges is a very special place and will always hold a very special place in our hearts. It has inspired, challenged, and nurtured our children as well as Don and me. It’s been a great 21 years. I hope when we come back to visit, we can always instantly recognize what we so loved about our time here. And that we’ll say, “Yes, I remember this.”

The Mak family gathers on the front steps for a graduation photo op. ( Back row, l-r): Aileen and Don. (Front row, l-r): Gwendolyn ’98, Genevieve ’01, Gavin ’05, Geena ’10.


What do a guide at Quebec City’s Chateau Frontenac, an airline pilot, and the Department of Education have in common? Each of them, in their own way, recently took notice of the benefits of the kind of education provided at Green Hedges. The guide and airline pilot complimented the intellectual curiosity and exemplary grace of Middle School students during their recent spring trip to Canada. The Department of Education, along with non-profit groups such as California’s Rand Corporation, have published a series of findings analyzing the benefits of the K–Grade 8 educational model, reversing the previous trend that led to the creation of middle schools throughout the country.

Students attending schools based on the K–Grade 8 model tend to show competencies that translate into relative gains in academic, social, and emotional realms, and older schools like Green Hedges, that have maintained a consistent sense of purpose, show relatively stronger trends in these directions. Compared to students in separate middle schools, K–Grade 8 students show higher levels of achievement in math and reading, both in the short and long term, and display better self-esteem, leadership, and attitudes toward school, factors that also translate into achievement.

Not surprisingly, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) cites studies that parallel those focusing on public education, noting that students who undergo a transition from an elementary school to a separate middle school tend to experience a statistically significant achievement loss compared to those who continue in the same program through grades 7 and 8. Educators speculate that the time of earliest adolescence is a time of vulnerability, one that requires considerable intellectual and emotional effort. Perhaps diverting energy from this effort while adjusting to new schools is what accounts for the difference between the two groups of students.

The experience of students graduating from Green Hedges is consistent with the national research findings. Students who complete our program make successful adjustments to high school programs of various sizes, at times placing out of some required freshman classes, including foreign language and math. As is the norm, 100% of last year’s Green Hedges graduates who applied to independent schools were placed, with 80% of the graduates being accepted to every school to which they applied. High schools receiving Green Hedges graduates consistently commend the skill sets, study habits, energy levels, organization, and leadership of our students.

Research Backs K-8 Model Middle School students pose at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City during Spring Break.


[ K–8 MODEL ]

According to general research studies, one benefit of K–Grade 8 schools is that they offer a tightly knit community that supports the development of students. In the words of the researchers, older students in these settings “don’t have to be bad to be good.” Small by design, the Green Hedges’ program is tailored to provide leadership opportunities for its middle school students. Young adolescents take risks by learning new skills and accepting greater responsibilities in a setting where they are honored as the oldest students in the School. Anyone attending an assembly led by Green Hedges Grade 7 and 8 students or a workshop for younger students run by GHS Middle School students is made aware of the transformative benefits of responsibility and authentic leadership, benefits that could be lost in a school that includes a high school.

Although one automatically assumes that large schools offer a wider range of extracurricular activities, research indicates that levels of extracurricular participation are much higher and more varied in small schools than in large ones. Most of the older students at Green Hedges participate in two extracurricular sports, and, while achievement is celebrated, the emphasis is on team building and sportsmanship. Opportunities in music, visual arts, math, science, and technology also abound, and Green Hedges

teachers make themselves available outside classroom time to work individually with students in order to help them thrive. Parents form an integral part of the school community, helping in classrooms, organizing and supporting school activities, and serve as valuable ambassadors within the larger community. A recent volunteer appreciation celebration recognized 90% of the parent body for its participation.

Based on the research findings supporting the school model exemplified by Green Hedges, a number of school districts, including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and schools in Orange County, California, have reversed the trend that created middle schools during the 1970s and 1980s and are reverting back to a K–Grade 8 model. At Green Hedges, the emphasis has long been on learning for its own sake, and on the joy of the enterprise, in a nurturing setting. It is heartening to know that what works so well for our school also happens to be supported by current research in education.

Clockwise: A Middle School student reads to Montessori students; the GHS Jazz Band performs at the Founders’ Day Assembly, Montessori students look in the audience for their special guests on Grandparents’ Day.


LINKING FOUR CORE VALUES

There is a saying in the Jewish mystical tradition that every blade of grass has an angel that bends over it and whispers, “Grow, grow.” At Green Hedges, there is a “quiet curriculum,” one represented in part by Core Values that infuse all that happens on campus. Along with the explicit curriculum, these values and their expression help give Green Hedges its uniqueness. They set the tone in which learning takes place, so that one can almost imagine the campus filled with teachers who skillfully impart learning to students and all the while seem to whisper to them, “Grow, grow.”

This issue of Clippings examines the School’s four Core Values:

Achieve DistinctionCommit to CharacterExplore OpportunitiesBecome Yourself

Like drops of water rippling out in growing circles, the Core Values bring that which is most central into all aspects of school life.


Anyone who watched the 2010 Winter Olympic games

witnessed moments capturing the multiple meanings in the

ancient Greek word arête, which corresponds to the English

words excellence, goodness, and virtue. In its time, arête was

considered the fulfillment of one’s highest potential in

all arenas of life: athletic, intellectual, and spiritual. The

first of the four Core Values of Green Hedges, “Achieve

Distinction,” refers to this same kind of striving, to the

effort to do one’s utmost not only in order to achieve, but

also in order to bring forward one’s own particular gifts in

a way that serves and creates harmony.

Achieve Distinction

[ GHS CORE VALUES ]


ACHIEVE

The nobility of striving for personal and team excellence is seen at Green Hedges in the youngest children, in Montessori students who use fierce concentration to complete the developmental tasks that build a foundation for their later learning. The process is never grim and never imposed on the child. Rather, as Maria Montessori pointed out, “Any child who is self-sufficient . . . reflects in his joy and sense of achievement . . . which is derived from a sense of independence.” In Grade 1, The Little Engine That Could is a beloved story with which children identify. As they learn the personal relevance of literature, they also derive encouragement for their efforts.

Literature is one way of inculcating students with the value of arête, and by the time they reach the end of their elementary school education, students have had many opportunities to reflect on this value, incorporating it into theater productions and studying its historical context in social studies classes. Another learning dimension, the visual arts, represent an important component of life at Green

Hedges, and offer not only the exercise of self expression but also the challenge of problem solving in a nonverbal realm, along with the chance to contribute to class efforts such as when working on costumes and sets for a play. These, too, are playing fields for arête, as are challenges posed in mathematics by such learning tools as the Geometer’s Sketchpad, an interactive computer program that requires creative problem solving skills.

No less than their Olympic counterparts, Green Hedges students strive to do well on the actual athletic field, and to distinguish themselves by their sportsmanship and sense of fair play. As last year’s Dragons softball champions faced this year’s challenges, they supported each other and extended their good will to the opponents they faced, working on their interpersonal skills as assiduously as they did on their pitching, hitting, and throwing.

As students progress through the grades at Green Hedges, they study first one and then two foreign languages; participate in two bands, the Concert Band and the

award winning Jazz Band; and participate in math meets and in national foreign language competitions. Not everyone excels in every way, of course. Each person learns to admire and respect others for their unique skill sets. In a small, cohesive community, students learn to depend on others and thus complement their own talents.

One hallmark of the School is that the opportunities to excel are not defined by the examples cited above, which merely serve as signposts to students. Those who are motivated to do more or invent more, are encouraged to write a play, create a musical composition, write poetry, devise a science experiment, puzzle out a computer program: to achieve distinction in the realms of their choosing.

Dedicated to the memory of Karen Wiechelt, Green Hedges teacher who lived, and inspired, arête.

[ GHS CORE VALUES ]


My heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky:So was it when my life began;So is it now I am a man;So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!The child is father of the man:

~William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

The lines of poetry to the left, written when Wordsworth was 37 years old, allude not only to the unity of character from youth to adulthood, but also to the sense of wonder that, once awakened in childhood, may illuminate the whole of one’s life. The importance of early experiences for children causes parents and educators to appreciate the importance of foundations, much in the way a careful architect gives thought to the foundations of a building. So it is that children who learn trust and confidence, and who experience a sense of ease, are in a better position to take risks in learning, growing into adults who exhibit these same qualities. One of the Green Hedges core values is “Commit to Character.” What does that mean, in the context of our school?

It begins in Montessori, with Grace and Courtesy lessons that are part of the Practical Life section of the curriculum. Recognizing that ages 3 to 5 represent a sensitive period for the learning of good manners, the Montessori method incorporates these into the children’s day, beginning with such lessons as how to open and shut a door quietly, how to hand objects to another person, how to interrupt when necessary, and how to offer help. Other themes include offering a moment of kindness and appreciating one’s surroundings.

As students put these lessons into practice in the elementary grades, teachers continue blending and building on the first skills and introducing new ones, continuing to teach


what Maria Montessori called the “right rapport” between children and their environment, expanding that environment to include the community of the school. By Middle School, the Advisory Program involves mixed age groups of students from Grades 6–8 in discussions and exercises covering such topics as their most cherished values, the appropriate use of assertiveness, and the usefulness of self-assessment.

A glimpse into another program illustrates the importance of character development across the grades. Poised in front of a classroom of Grade 4 and 5 students, a team of Middle School facilitators encourages the younger students to discuss gratitude. The Grade 6, 7, and 8 students will help the younger students divide into small groups and brainstorm the many ways they have shown gratitude in their lives. According to Grade 6 student Dara Shahriari, “We asked the children what they knew about gratitude, but we did not tell them if they were wrong or right to encourage them to tell us what they thought it meant.” The restraint and regard captured in this observation points to the attitudes that all of the students have been observing and practicing.

In addition to discussing gratitude, students in grades 4 through 8 have examined other top-ics including marginalization, tolerance, and empathy. Before sessions, facilitators met with Dr. Catherine Waugh of the Character Education Leadership Project (CELP) to explore each topic first-hand and to plan their workshop leadership skills. Middle School students had a chance to rotate positions, at times actively leading groups and at other times acting as observers in the back of the room. A debriefing followed each session.

Along with formal character education programs like CELP and the Middle School Advisory Program, character education is woven into every aspect of the School. It is common for visitors to be taken aback by the courtesy of students who hold doors for them and in other small ways make them feel welcome. What the guests are witnessing is a grace that pervades the community, one that comes from a sense of shared pride and belonging. “We want them to become life-long learners, and life-long stewards of what is entrusted to them,” says Deborah Haag, Director of Studies. In order to help such a dream become reality, there is careful attention to giving students age-appropriate responsibilities. For example, Grade 3 students are in charge of recycling, and, according to Christine Horan, chair of the Community Services Committee, students are encouraged to initiate community service projects. “We want them to experience ownership of this process,” she says, noting that faculty continue searching for ways to augment the process.

Nowhere is the atmosphere of the School more visible than in Opening and Closing Assemblies, which serve as bookends to the week. From the time of the School’s founding, these gatherings have served to bring everyone together, to showcase works in progress, and to mark special occasions. This year, thanks to Music and Theater teacher Angela Ramacci, each month of the school year was dedicated to a particular theme such as respect, community, and kindness. These themes, extracted from the words of the School Creed, remind everyone of the touchstones of the School. As students make these themes a familiar part of their lives, they strengthen their core beliefs and values. In individual classrooms, in multi-grade gatherings, and in assemblies; through habit, play, and inspiration, the foundations of character are established.

“We want them to become life-long learners, and life-long stewards of what is entrusted to them.”

~Deborah Haag

Director of Studies

“We asked the children what they knew about gratitude, but we did not tell them if they were wrong or right to encourage them to tell us what they thought it meant.”

~Dara Shahriari

Grade 6 student

[ GHS CORE VALUES ]


When Green Hedges cofounder Frances Kilmer wrote that “Education should open the doors of a child’s mind to the delight of the unknown, the strange, the antique, the foreign, the new,” she was referring to a belief that is represented today by the Core Value “Explore Opportunities.” It is not possible to capture, in a few paragraphs, the myriad opportunities that Green Hedges students explore during a school year. Perhaps the best way is to begin with a by now familiar symbol, that of the circle, and follow it through its many recent permutations. This school year began with just such a circle, one formed by teachers at the School and pictured above. Each student at Green Hedges, said Director

of Studies Deborah Haag, stands in the center of a circle of teachers, supported by hundreds of years of collective experience and wisdom.

Where else do circles appear? After a tasty science lesson earlier this year, Grade 5 students might think of circles in relationship to cytoplasm, cell nuclei, and organelles. Using props like fruit roll ups and sprinkles and attaching them to round sugar cookies, they created models of cells and then had a chance to eat them. Grade 3 and Montessori students, on the other hand, might be reminded of a fundraiser they spearheaded for the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer research organization, an activity

Explore Opportunities


[ GHS CORE VALUES ]

suggested by the students themselves. Expanding that circle, making it larger, serves as a reminder that each March, on or near the date corresponding to the number 3.14 that represents Pi, Green Hedges celebrates geometry and its unique formulas for the circumference and area of a circle. This year’s festivities were part of March Math Madness, a series of events that included participating in World Maths Day (a British formulation for an online math contest involving over 200 countries), watching a mathemagician, writing for a numeracy magazine called The Mathgazine, and, of course, celebrating with a pie party.

A circle might also denote the lens of a camera. In case the Food Network is casting about for pilot episodes of a new series, its executives might want to contact Middle School French students, who starred in, produced, and edited a video of the Green Hedges tradition “Déjeuner chez Madame Woolard,” a cooking show involving French vocabulary, oral expression, applied technology, and Salade Niçoise, among other French specialties.

Consider the circle formed by an egg yolk, and its role in the spectacular Egg Drop contest, organized by Math teacher Alessandra King, who required students to drop a fresh chicken egg from 16 feet without breaking it. The fact that all of the students succeeded at this task (a couple of eggs did crack slightly) is more amazing given that students were permitted to use only five pieces of paper, ten plastic drinking straws, Scotch tape, and a container that could not surpass 20x30 centimeters. This project was modeled on one used in Advanced Placement high school physics classes.

Casting the circle a bit wider still, we note that students spent time playing music and listening to it, at school and at performing venues in northern Virginia; created works of art that are on display in the School and

in the community of Vienna; some of them worked with an artist in residence on their writing composition; some participated in field trips to places as disparate as The National Gallery and Hard Bargain Farm, an ecology teaching center. Many eagerly took part in the Library’s Star Reader Program. Some of the students ran intramural cross country races, played soccer, basketball and softball, or participated in the national program Girls On The Run, culminating in a 5K race in May. Some of the older students dissected frogs. Some of the younger ones released butterflies. Grade 2 even blasted off into outer space, identifying hemispheres and continents as they approached planet Earth during their return.

Aside from the many choices provided to students, perhaps what is most noteworthy is the delightful way in which all of these opportunities were presented. And while Green Hedges does not shy away from competition, what it most values is the effort and joy involved, the opportunity to explore, and a sense of inclusiveness.


[ GHS CORE VALUES ]

Certain words crop up frequently in conversations at Green Hedges. One of these is “authentic,” a word closely tied to the final Core Value, “Become Yourself.” The word is used, for example, to describe the spirituals sung during the Grade 4 play about the life of Martin Luther King Jr., We are the Dream, which were performed a capella, as they would have been during their historical period. The play itself is an examination of one man’s, and one people’s, effort to lead an authentic and free life in harrowing circumstances. Students, identifying with the characters they portrayed, found themselves embarked on a vicarious Hero’s Journey.

Truly becoming oneself is actually the goal of a lifetime, and the dignity of children embarking on that path is as much celebrated at Green Hedges as is their intellectual curiosity. We are the Dream carries a message of hope and responsibility, as well as an encounter with difficult realities that are sometimes part of growing up. Through their personal qualities and with the perspective of the Core Values, teachers at our school support students in traversing the developmental passages that are a part of growing up.

Listening to the speeches of any graduating class at Green Hedges, one can hear the threads of continuity that have been established, and can imagine their trajectory as the students step into the next part of their lives. “One of my favorite things as I moved from grade to grade was looking forward to the School’s traditions such as raising butterflies in first grade, the maypole dance in third…” ( Jensina Burstein, ’09) “Green Hedges taught me the value of hard work, and that you’re not finished when you lose, you’re finished when you quit.” (Paige Cole, ’08) “I will miss the closeness between teachers and students. I will miss the mutual respect between instructors and pupils.” (Daniel Rice, ’08) “Back then, I thought, ‘Why are we learning about the past if we’re only going to go through the future?’ Now I know there are many lessons to learn. By next year, Green Hedges will be in my past but yet still be my future.” ( Jonathan Dereje, ’08) “Green Hedges has given me the freedom to become an individual, mentally and physically.” (Deen Ismael, ’09) “It started with a macaroni necklace, and tonight it ends with a string of pearls.” (Gingy Dixon, ’08)

Each story told by a student is the story of their own Hero’s Journey, and the stories are part of what they carry forward into

BECOME Yourself


BECOME

the next stage of their lives. They have had opportunities to explore their talents and vulnerabilities, hone their skills, reflect on their experiences, and continue to explore. “Am I good at chess? Do I enjoy collage? What does it feel like to run lights and sound at assemblies? Would I be more comfortable delivering a prepared monologue, or leading improvisation games in front of an audience?” What is important is students have the possibility of exploring many options, always with the sense of unfolding from within. Through such experiences, through stretching their sense of identity, students metamorphose and grow. What is first experienced as strange or alien can be explored, and then incorporated or set aside, so that some of the new behaviors and skills can become part of each student’s authentic sense of self.

Remarking on what makes a Green Hedges education special, Head of School Bob Gregg recently observed, “Along the journey to ‘Become Yourself ’ a GHS student routinely steps out of his/her comfort zone in academic, social, artistic, and athletic arenas. Through this process, children discover their hidden talents which could go undetected in other schools.”

Truly becoming oneself is

actually the goal of a lifetime,

and the dignity of children

embarking on that path is

as much celebrated at Green

Hedges as is their intellectual

curiosity.

[ GHS CORE VALUES ]


Going to Green Hedges always feels a little like going home. Many of the people have changed, and I have changed, but the feeling I get when I walk through the front doors has stayed the same. As I visit each room, I am reminded of the many ways Green Hedges made a lasting impression on my life and provided me the foundation from which I continue to grow, and images from my growing up at the School come back to me:

MONTESSORI: Working with the Multiplication Board and Metal Insets; Peter Rabbit in a hutch.

GRADE 1: Practicing for our play, Pinocchio; the unit on clouds (cumulus, cirrus…); reading with Grade 8 students; The Painted Lady butterflies we hatched (larva, chrysalis…); I also remember the extra care I took when planting the lambs ears in Shirley Alcott’s memorial garden. Mrs. Dart explained the purpose of the garden and our important role as planters of the edging plants, these soft, delicate, and beautiful lambs ears. Each time I see that garden, that feeling of responsibility and purpose returns.

GRADE 2: Studying the Aborigines of Australia; working on a collaborative play, Alice in Wonderland, with the other Grade 2 class; Working with the Grade 7 students as we learned about each of the 50 states.

GRADE 3: A year of music. I remember singing many days in the classroom, and learning “We Are the World” along with the American Sign Language for the entire song. I can remember the joy of performing the song for the whole school at an assembly and I still remember the signs for the refrain; learning to play

recorders and read music as well. I believe that is where my love of and for music really began.

GRADE 4: Ancient civilizations. Mrs. Creed told us to write “Sumer” on our folder and I remember wondering if she knew summer has two “m”s. Making our own signature cylinders from clay, in the style of the ancient Sumerians. Years later, when my sister and I ran summer camp at Green Hedges, we turned our memories of that year into an entire week of activities and educational fun for campers.

GRADE 5: Some of us switched from French to Spanish and we all began taking Latin. What a change! The bar was being set higher, and we all rose to the challenge.

GRADE 6: The annual Middle School trip to Caroline Furnace, where we stayed in cabins and learned to live away from our parents and bond with our new community of middle schoolers and teachers. Advisory Groups, one of my most important experiences at Green Hedges. They were a safe and comfortable place to discuss things that were on our minds. We sixth graders had the benefit of the eighth graders’ perspectives and we looked up to them like older siblings.

GRADE 7: We put on a series of four plays, including The Adventures of Walter Mitty and an abridged version of Macbeth. That year was the first annual “Lock-in,” put on by some very brave teachers. We stayed up all night playing games, watching movies ,and generally having a blast, again bonding with our middle school community. By the time the end of the year rolled around, we were as sad and

GWENDOLYN MAK:

Twelve Years After Graduation

proud to see the eighth graders graduate as if we were sending our older siblings off to university.

GRADE 8: A year of responsibilities and emotions. As the seniors of the School, we held the esteemed positions of morning carpool assistance, masters of ceremonies for assemblies, lunch time milk distribution, and a variety of other tasks, including giving a class gift. Our class chose to leave the School new hand bells and fund a complete refurbishment for the entire school set as well as gloves and mats to ensure the continued protection of the bells. Our class loved music, performance, and the teamwork and dedication required to perform with the hand bells. Furthermore, Mrs. Kilmer had passed during our final year, and we were all very aware of her love for the bells.

Green Hedges School is where I grew up. It is a special place, and now that I am a teacher myself, I am always finding new reasons why it is so special. Though the faces and the space itself may change from year to year, each person who passes through the front doors of Kilmer Hall is invited to be a part of a wonderful community.

alumni profile


’012001 Ben Porter attends Prince George’s Community College where he is majoring in Theatre Sound and Stage Lighting.

’02Brian Porter attends Shepherd University where he is majoring in Elementary Educa-tion with a minor in Music Education.

’03Greg Raiffa will be a fourth year at UVA in the fall. He is majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

’04Garrett Porter attends University of Colorado where he is majoring in Agricultural Ecology.

’07Holly Williams writes, “Things are going well at my new school in Pomfret, CT. I have joined the dance company and am having a lot of fun with it! I miss GHS!.”

’09Earlier this year, Emily

Longtin competed in the 2009 Southern Region Oireachtas (pronounced Or-ack-tas) in Dallas. Emily finished 26th in her age group and qualified for the 2010 North American Irish Dance

Championship (Nationals). She competed at Nationals in early July in Orlando, FL.

Colbey Davies recently completed his fresh-man year at Flint Hill School. He played on the JV football team.

alumni news

[ ALUMNI NEWS ]

GHS recent grads and former students connect in Belgium, summer 2009.(l-r) Rachel Fleischer ’09, Eleanor Carr, Gingy Dixon ’08, Rachel Carr ’08, Peter Carr, and Chris Fleischer

Elena Cox ’06 and Christina Shintani ’06 return for a visit with Mrs. King and Mr. Marzolino.

Members from the Class of 2009 join us for the Winter Concert. (l-r) Jensina Burstein, Lauren Prisbe, Rachel Fleischer, and Lianne Provenzano


WHERE WILL THEY BE THIS FALL?

Class of 2006

(Back Row, l–r): ELENA COX, Flint Hill School, Virginia Tech • KATY

SEMONES, Connelly School of the Holy Child, Marymount University

• MALCOLM SUMMERS, Landon School, Ohio University • REECE

PELLEY, Darien High School, Clemson University • SAMMY OJJEH,

Paul VI Catholic High School, Old Dominion University • PAUL

ANDERSON, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology,

Oberlin College • BLAIR SPARKS JENET, Flint Hill School, University

of Virginia • ARIANE GUIRGUIS, Episcopal High School/James

Madison High Scool, James Madison University • RACHEL RICE,

Foxcroft School/James Madison High School, Virginia Intermont

University

(Front Row, l–r): BETHY DEREJE, The Madeira School/Langley High

School, Harvard University • CAMERON CONNELL, The Madeira

School, Colgate University • OLIVIA AREY, Flint Hill School, Virginia

Tech • OLIVIA VITO, Georgetown Day School, James Madison

University • DEVON DONOHUE, Foxcroft School, Kenyon College

• LINDSAY ALLARDYCE, Foxcroft School, Bucknell College •

CHRISTINA SHINTANI, Flint Hill School, University of Richmond •

ABBY CUMMINS, Annandale High School, New York University

IN MEMORY OF CHRIS CAMPBELL

Chris Luvaas Campbell, former Green Hedges School Board Member and current parent, died peacefully at his home in Oakton, Virginia surrounded by his friends and family on July 4, 2010 after a seven-year struggle with serious health issues that started with blood clots in his lungs, took him through a double-lung transplant and ended with brain cancer. Chris is survived by his beloved wife, Dorothy, and four amazing children; Taylour Ann (19), Steffen Luke (15), Cole James (11), and Cassie Theodora (7).

Chris, a graduate of Langley High School, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, spent his entire career in the local consulting industry. A man of deep faith, Chris was an active participant in his community, serving numerous community service organizations and coaching the soccer teams for each of his children in the Vienna Youth Soccer program. As Development Committee Chair of the Green Hedges Board of Trustees, Chris led the Annual Fund to 100% parent, returning faculty/staff, and Board participation. Chris also served as an integral member of the Finance Committee.

GHS is enormously grateful for Chris’ contributions and unwavering commitment to the School and its future, even throughout his significant health issues. Chris’ death is an immense loss for our community, but his legacy will continue to positively guide our school and community.

Donations can be made to Vienna Presbyterian Church Youth Ministries or Donate Life America (www.donatelife.net) in memory of Chris Campbell.

Gifts to GHS can be made online at www.greenhedges.org

Click on “Support GHS” and then “The Annual Fund”

Because of you, the GHS Annual Fundcontinues to be strong.

In addition to providing budgetary supportfor faculty salaries, financial aid, and

facilities maintenance, your Annual Fundcontribution has made a direct impact onour students’ learning experience through

increased funding for:Classroom Resources

Instructional TechnologyExperiential Learning

Assemblies & Guest SpeakersMuch, much more!

A full report of giving to Green Hedges will bepublished in the fall of 2010.

Thank you for your participation!

You Made a Difference!

2009–2010

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Jennifer F. Letowt, ChairBrig. Gen. Harry H. Bendorf

(USAF Ret.), Vice ChairSusan Thompson-Hoel, Treasurer

Deborah R. Young, Secretary

Seth AhlbornJames Blumenthal

Wayne BursteinRobert E. Gregg, III, Ex-Officio

Donald L. HavermannJ. Eric JosephLisa Malmud

Michelle E. O’BrienPrem J. Pillai

Gloria T. Runyon

415 Windover Avenue NWVienna, VA 22180 703.938.8323 | t 703.938.1485 | f www.greenhedges.org

MissionWe inspire young people of talent and promise to develop clear values, a desire for wisdom, and an appreciation for all endeavors which broaden the mind and enlighten the spirit.

Nonprofit Org.US Postage

PAIDSouthern MD

Permit No. 305

FSC INFO FPO

Graduation K–8 Model Core Values

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Transcript of Graduation K–8 Model Core Values