ISW Welcomes Kristin Doherty
We are very pleased to announce that ISW has hired Kristin Doherty to teach Humanities and to serve as the Cross-Curricular Writing Coach in our High School program next year!
Kristin Doherty earned her BA in English Literature and Masters in Education at George Mason University as well as a second graduate degree, an MFA, at Spalding University. A certified teacher, Kristin has taught at all levels--elementary, middle, high school, and community college. Currently, she is teaching English in a school in Mexico. Kristin is a published author and an adventure sports enthusiast. She lives in Winchester with her husband.
Kristin has been considered a student/parent/teacher favorite everywhere she has worked. She is tremendously excited to join the faculty of a progressive school where she has the freedom to create curriculum that meets students' needs and where she can help students develop their writing skills across all disciplines. We are thrilled to welcome Kristin to ISW!
Do I really have to do a science fair project?
I had a fascinating conversation with a student yesterday. Our Middle Schoolers are preparing for our in-house science fair (with a few selected to move on to regional competition), and this young lady wondered, “If I don’t plan to be a scientist, why should I have to do a science fair project?” Great question. At ISW, we actually encourage students to question us. (Sometimes this requires the adults to think harder than the students do.) While there are certainly many students for whom the science fair is the first step in a career in science, for many others, it isn’t really about the final product. It is about the process: creating the hypothesis, working out an appropriate procedure, collecting data, and drawing conclusions.
As adults, we use this process almost unconsciously. When we were about to renovate our house, for instance, I had to choose a paint for the kitchen. I checked out Sherwin Williams’ options and chose what I thought was the perfect green. However, I wanted to be sure we had the right color, so I got samples of several greens similar to the one I thought would be perfect. Then I painted big squares of color on sheets of heavy duty paper and carried them around the house to see the samples in different lights. I was surprised to find that my initial favorite wasn’t the one I liked best once the test panels were created. I asked each of my daughters and my husband to follow the same procedure and then to vote secretly. Amazingly, we each choose the same color. Was this science? No, definitely not. It was an exercise in aesthetics, probably closer to art. But it is still an excellent example of proceeding through a decision in a logical way—creating a hypothesis, collecting data, and drawing conclusions.
So, my precious Middle Schooler, do you really need to do a science fair project? Yes. You will use the skills you acquire in the process long after that trifold has turned to dust in the landfill.
Claire
January 16, 2014
Musings on Our Winter Concert
Congratulations to ISW's students on a wonderful concert! We also owe our Performing Arts faculty, Brigitte DeHaven, Heather Butler, Kate Gregori, and Todd Apple, a huge round of applause.
17 December 2013
Opening Remarks 2013
Welcome, welcome! Welcome back to our returning families! And a hearty welcome to our new families. Welcome back, teachers!
A couple of weeks ago, I was working on clearing out our family’s storage unit. Buried in a giant pile of photographs was this story, dated 1956. Here’s this teacher with her second grade class. And guess what she’s doing? Turns out her second graders could do math on a worksheet, but they had no idea how to translate those worksheet skills to the real world. Students, raise your hands. How many of you have ever paid for something at the store? How many of you know how to make change? Do you know how much will your money buy and what things cost?
Armed with these questions, this teacher went to local businesses and found people to build a tiny version of a market in her classroom. Other businesses donated boxes and cans of food. The article explains that, “Each morning a [student] shopkeeper is appointed and he—or she, as the case may be—appoints a [student] telephone clerk and a [student] delivery boy. The merchandise must be dusted and arranged. Later, during activity period, the [student] shoppers arrive in relays. There is a coin phone where [student] customers may call to place their orders and the cash register rings [too].”
Super cool, huh? So there I was in the family storage unit, covered in dust and exceedingly grumpy, when I get to this wonderful, inspiring article. It turns out the dark-haired lady at the edge of the photograph was Joan Sproul, my mother.
Even in the 1950s, first rate teachers took a progressive approach to teaching. Imagine that! As a matter of fact, the idea that experience is the best teacher is as old as time and almost totally forgotten in most American schools today.
One easy way to tell what schools really value is to ask where they allocate time and resources. At ISW, we are out on field trips almost every Friday afternoon and our classrooms are filled with hands-on activities and projects that bring learning off the worksheet and into life. It is certainly important to get ideas on paper and worksheets have their place in building skills, but in the end, you haven’t truly mastered anything until you can apply the skill in the real world. This is the essence of progressive education. ISW may be relatively young, but we descend from a tradition that is, arguably, older than the idea of school itself.
And now, before we get any older, it is time to begin this school year…
Kindergartners, Lowers, Uppers, Middles, thank you for your excitement, your inspiration and your trust. This school is, as always, our gift to one another. Welcome to the new school year.
The ABCs of ISW
At ISW, we have a tradition of listing our favorite things about the school year. Our Head of School, Claire McDonald, reads them at our closing ceremonies, which we held last night. Here's the 2012-13 rendition:
A is for Alejandro, Armando, Andrew, Anise, Art, and filming the Aeneid.
B is for Ben, Bob, Bill, Beth, Brendan, Ms. Becky, someone whose initials spell Birdy, the fabulous Butler boys, Black Friars, and, my personal favorite, being here with everyone.
C is for Celia, Ms. Chantal, Ms. Christy, Ms. Claire, Camp Paddy Run, CATs, Cooking, and Camera—specifically Ming’s, which is everywhere.
D is for Ms. Diane, two Mr. Daves, Dr. Bryan, Dr. Page, and DI.
E is for Ellen, Elizabeth, Emerson, two Erins (Gilbert and Sullivan), and electricity.
F is for “Focus!” It’s also for field trips, free dress days, Faith, 4H, fish tank, and frindles.
G is for Gerry, Gayle, two Graces, and a new garden.
H is for Havana, Ms. Heather, hikes, hermit crabs, Habitat for Humanity Art Show (which we have won two out of three years), and the hotel where we stayed for DI States.
I is for the Italian dinner for the Ks and, of course, for the “independent” in ISW.
J is for two Jameses, two Johns, two Josephs, Jack, Javier, and Jazzercise—a favorite hangout for both students and teachers.
K is for Kerry, Kurt, Kate, and Kay.
L is for Liana, Lilah, Lenore, laptops, Leif Ericson, Lords and Ladies, and Landers—small, medium and large.
M is for Mary Joanna Ming McDonald, Mavis Murdock, a Mariana and a Mariana (with the same birthdays), Ms. Meghan, Ms. Mary, Ms. Meredith, Mr. Matt, Mr. Mark, Mr. Mike, McDeath the Musical, Metal-detecting, Medal-winning (and we did a lot of that!), Math, Music, Mediaspace, and Monday Morning Meeting.
N is for Nula, Nature, and Mr. Neil.
O is for “Oh, no, I forgot my homework!”
P is for the Powerhouse Powell boys, Performing Arts, and of course Poetry Panel.
R is for Ms. Rebecca, Ms. Rosemary, and the return of Ms. Erin.
Q is for quiet, which is in short supply at ISW.
S is for Sadie, Sydney, Ms. Susan, Scott “Safety is my middle name” Shoup, Spanish, Safari Park, Spring Fest, Select, Starbase, and Summer.
T is for Mr. Tony, Mr. Tom, Ms. Tracy, Mr.Todd, Thanksgiving, and Two Cities (as in A Tale of).
U is for U make me LOL.
V is for Ms. Victoria, Valentine’s Day, and Mr. Todd’s Volcano.
W is for a Wayside Christmas and working together.
X is for the x-axis and 10 (but only if you read Roman numerals).
Y is for our inaugural yearbook and four letter words that start with Y and end with A, like Yona and Yoga.
Z is for Azzy, Zoo, Ziplines, and my wish that all of you take on this summer with Zeal!
Welcome, Todd Apple!
We are very pleased to announce that ISW has hired Todd Apple to teach in our Upper Elementary and Middle School programs next year.
Todd is an 11 year veteran of the Air Force and Air National Guard and a graduate of the University of Maryland University College with a BS in Management Studies. Over the past 25 years, he has lived in numerous countries and has been a director and participant in community theater all over the world. In 2005, Todd served as the PK-5th grade music teacher and the middle and high school drama and music teacher for two years at the International School of Panama. After Panama, Todd dedicated four years as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math instructor for 5th graders with the Department of Defense Starbase program both in West Virginia and Hawaii. Since 2008, Todd and his wife, Theresa, have run their own youth nonprofit, Apple Creative Theater, focusing on theater with children 10-18 years old.
We got to know Todd this year when he served as a long-term substitute for a faculty member on maternity leave. He did an amazing job with very little notice when the maternity leave commenced far earlier than expected. He has earned our respect and gratitude! Next year at ISW, Todd will be teaching science and working with our humanities and performing arts programs. Adults and students alike are very excited to see what Mr. Todd brings to our little school next year.
Top of the list? Kindness
In preparation for our high school planning retreat, we did some focus groups—with parents, with current college students, and with our own ISW students. Though I enjoyed all of the groups, my conversation with our own upper elementary and middle school students was, by far, my favorite. We asked our students several open-ended questions; their answers are revealing about who we are as a school community. You can learn a lot about a school by talking with students!
First, we asked our students, “What characterizes an ISW education?” We recorded all the answers on the white board, and then each student placed stars by top three responses. Here are the results:
- Creative/artistic/musical (11)
- Fun/cool (9)
- Small (7)
- Strong academic subjects: math and history (7)
- Friendly/socially easy/happy/loving (6)
- Hands-on, experimental (6)
- Inspirational/ new hope (4)
- Dreams (3)
- Peaceful/calm (3)
We also asked our students to paint a word portrait of an ISW graduate. In other words, "Who do you hope to be when you graduate from ISW’s high school program?" Again, the results speak volumes about who we are as a community:
- Kind, never bullies (6)
- Good face-to-face skills (4)
- Mature, responsible, knows what is appropriate when and where (4)
- Physically fit (4)
- Smart, strong academics (4)
- Respectful (3)
- Ready to live with others (2)
- Has a good plan for life (2)
I was so proud to see “kind” at the top of the list! We have some wise, “old souls” here at ISW. How lucky I am to work with such amazing young human beings every day.
Claire McDonald
Envisioning High School
February 6, 2013
This weekend, The Independent School of Winchester is privileged to host local and national education and business experts for our Re-envisioning High School event. Building on the foundation of ISW’s elementary and middle school, the group is charged with creating a model for ISW’s progressive high school program, which will open Fall 2014.
The group includes ISW Board members, who are responsible for charting the long term trajectory of our school, as well as many of our fabulous teachers who are in the trenches every day--inventing and often reinventing our program. We have professors who are leading the charge toward experiential, hands-on learning in subjects from math to music. We have people with experience in the business world, in theater, in science education, and in school administration.
It promises to be an exciting weekend. Stay tuned for more details!
Curious about who is attending? Check out the list!
Our Facilitator:
Lynne D. Myavec is well into her third decade of working in schools – the great majority of those years spent in independent schools in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri, Michigan and Pennsylvania; she has taught grades 1-11 and served in administrative roles for grades PreK-12. While her academic background and classroom experiences have been largely in the sciences (pre-med) and English, she has enjoyed work in social studies and math, as well. Lynne has twice served as Assistant Head of School (Community School in St. Louis and University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan), allowing her to gain a perspective on the academic, physical and social-emotional development of children from their early childhood years to college entrance. Lynne is currently serving as Middle School Head at The Agnes Irwin School in Philadelphia; she is the very proud mother of adult twins and housemother to five high school girls from China.
Presenters:
Bob McDonald has worked in business, technology, and education for over 20 years. He taught at an alternative high school in Baltimore and later became Chair of the History Department at the prestigious Cranbrook Schools in Michigan. Bob has been involved in educational technology since the early 1990s–wiring classrooms, bringing the internet to students, and beta-testing interactive technologies. Most recently, he has worked for Moodlerooms and Kaltura, organizations that provide educational technology to colleges, universities, and corporations worldwide. Bob earned a BBA in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MLA from Loyola University Maryland. He is married to Claire McDonald, and together they live with their three daughters, all ISW students, in Gainesboro.
Claire McDonald, Ph.D. is ISW’s Founding Head of School and the architect of ISW’s innovative structure. Claire’s entire adult life has been spent working with students, families and schools. She has worked in independent schools in Maryland, Michigan and Virginia, co-founded two non-profits, consulted on college placement, and taught history and economics to students of all ages. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William and Mary, Claire holds a doctorate in economics and brings to the retreat many years experience in high school administration. She served as the Dean of Students at The Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Head of the Upper School at University Liggett in Grosse Pointe, MI, and College Counseling Consultant at Cranbrook Schools. Claire is married to Bob McDonald and is the mother of their three daughters, all of whom attend ISW.
Tom Murdock holds a BA in English from Princeton University. For 15 years he engaged students as a classroom teacher, a boarding school adviser, a wilderness expedition leader, and an English department Chair at Cranbrook Schools as well as St. Paul’s School. He has also served as administrator of a number of writing and art programs. Tom is Co-founder of Moodlerooms, an organization that provides Moodle, an open source learning management system, to schools, universities and corporations worldwide. He is currently VP of Marketing. Tom and his wife, Faith Shearin, have a daughter who attends ISW.
Participants:
Charles Todd Apple is an 11 year veteran of the Air Force and Air National Guard and a graduate of the University of Maryland University College with a BS in Management Studies. Over the past 25 years, he has lived in numerous countries and has been a director and participant in community theater all over the world. In 2005, Todd had the honor of being the PK-5th grade music teacher and the middle and high school drama and music teacher for two years at the International School of Panama. After Panama, Todd dedicated 4 years as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math instructor for 5th grade with the Department of Defense Starbase program both in West Virginia and Hawaii. Since 2008, Todd and his wife, Theresa, have run their own youth nonprofit, Apple Creative Theater, focusing on theater by children 10-18 years old. He and his wife, Theresa, have two children who both attend Admiral Byrd Middle School.
Laura Champe Mitchell is the Co-Director of The Meadow School, a private, progressive preschool and elementary school located on a small suburban microfarm in the close-in suburbs of metro DC. The Meadow School uses arts and environmental science as its primary contexts for its project and inquiry approach to learning. Laura's career has always included direct or indirect connection to the world of education, from her early years as a high school teacher for the Close Up Foundation to many years spent in the world of adult education and training, to her current role co-founding and managing all aspects of running a school. Laura has a BA from William and Mary. Laura, her husband, and two sons (who both attend the Meadow School), live in Annandale, Virginia.
Brigitte DeHaven graduated from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a BA in music education and math education. She has worked in education in a variety of roles–classroom teacher, piano/vocal instructor, choral/theatre director and homeschooler–for more than twenty years. Brigitte is ISW’s Math Coordinator and Performing Arts Director. Brigitte lives in Cross Junction with her husband, John Britto, and their daughter, who is an ISW Middle School student.
Erin Gilbert earned a BA in Elementary Education from Fairmont State University, an MA in Special Education from West Virginia University, and a Virginia teaching license. She has worked as a teacher in many school settings as well as after-school and summer learning programs. Erin has also held several education leadership positions, including director of professional development at The National Summer Learning Association at Johns Hopkins University, Lead English teacher at a local middle school, and Site Coordinator for Energy Express. She currently teaches Upper Elementary Humanities, serves as Director of Summer Programs, is embarking on a new grant-writing position at the school. She lives with her husband and young daughter in Winchester.
Kate Gregori joined ISW’s Board of Directors in 2012. She has been working with non-profits for many years. Kate leads ISW’s development efforts, and she pioneered Clues and Blues in the Fall of 2012. She also volunteers with several local charities and civic groups and served as the Board President and Co-Founder of the Stillbrave Childhood Cancer Foundation. She currently resides in Winchester with her partner, Brendan McGowan, and their three children. Their son attends Kindergarten at ISW.
Rebecca Lloyd graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BS in geology. Becky has taught students of all ages, and she brings to ISW a background rich in hands-on, experiential learning. She served as a program presenter at Blandy Experimental Farms and at Oak Hart Farms, and she has worked in secondary schools teaching a wide variety of science classes. Becky teaches Middle School and Kindergarten science at ISW. Becky and her husband reside with their daughter, an ISW Kindergartner, in Inwood.
Susan Nyberg is the Chair of ISW’s Board of Directors. In addition to leading the Board, she also leads our marketing and external relations efforts. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of Evansville and a Master’s in higher education administration from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Susan’s career has focused on education–from college admissions to continuing education to career development. As an ISW parent/teacher, Susan coaches Destination Imagination. She and her husband, Kurt Nyberg, have a daughter in ISW’s Middle School.
Bill Old’s involvement with education began almost sixty years ago with a job as a camp counselor in New Hampshire. He ultimately became the camp director of Kabeyun, a residential camp for boys. After graduating from college, Bill began teaching elementary school at Potomac School in McLean, VA. In 1968, he became headmaster of The Hill School, Middleburg, VA. He subsequently became headmaster of The Episcopal Day School, Jackson, Tennessee and then Powhatan School in Boyce, VA. In 1985, he left education and worked in the financial services industry as a financial advisor until his retirement in 2007. Since retirement he has returned to working with children as a swimming instructor with the City of Winchester. Most recently he has been running a swimming program for children at ISW. Bill holds a B.A. degree in English from the Virginia Military Institute and a Master of the Arts of Teaching degree from the University of Memphis.
Diane Sheehey holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts University and a JD from Hastings College of the Law. She worked for the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. before joining the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the US Army. She freelanced as a legal writer while raising her three daughters and then made a career switch to teaching in 2003. Diane teaches Humanities and coordinates the Middle School program at ISW. Diane and her husband, Matthew Page Jones, MD, live with their daughters, one of whom is an ISW Middle School student, on a small working farm in Clarke County.
Stephanie Standerfer is currently an Associate Professor of Music Education as well as the Coordinator of Conservatory Assessment at the Shenandoah University Conservatory. She has given national presentations for the American Educational Research Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Society for Music Teacher Education, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as well as other division and state conferences. Her research is published in several national journals. She received a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado in Boulder and taught in public schools for nine years. She also holds Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education specializing in the Social Foundations of Education. While at UVa, she worked for the Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Reform with Dr. Daniel Duke, and the National Center for Gifted and Talented with Drs. Carolyn Callahan and Carol Tomlinson.
Corrine Taylor earned a B.A. in economics from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s degree and Doctorate, also in economics, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1998, she joined the faculty at Wellesley College, and for the last twelve years she has directed Wellesley’s Quantitative Reasoning Program. She served as President of the National Numeracy Network from 2007-2011. Professor Taylor has led QR workshops, given invited lectures and keynote addresses, and served as a consultant to college and universities that are developing new QR initiatives. She has also led professional development workshops for secondary school teachers who wish to employ a QR approach in their classrooms.
Election day thoughts
You might have heard that there is an election being held today. Many of you (who watch TV or listen to the radio or use computers or ever leave your home) know that Virginia is considered to be a battleground state. You may also have noticed (especially if you happen to be on Facebook) that people are getting pretty worked up about this election. And they should be. Much is at stake.
One of things about ISW that makes me proudest is that, in these days of sharply drawn political lines, the student and adult members of our little community, which is incredibly diverse, move forward with tremendous respect for one another. We are all over the map politically; we come from many religious traditions; and yet we are united about a few key things. We believe that every student should learn at his or her own pace and that education ought to be both rigorous and, dare I say it, fun. We believe that no one should be glued to a seat in a classroom. We believe we should experience the world with all our senses and that we should go out into that world frequently. And we believe that you are never too young or too old to make a contribution to the world.
This has been a challenging and important election season. Would that we could find a way to bring ISW’s core values—respect, responsibility, integrity, empathy, and commitment to education—to our larger national conversations. With a little luck, one day our students will bring the lessons in civility that they learned here at ISW and at home to the larger world.
What's Cooking at ISW?
ISW is always brimming over with exciting events—proving over and over that excellence and rigor don’t have to be painful. As a matter of fact, there is a great deal of research that young brains are most open and receptive when they are challenged in a pleasant way.
Here’s a little sampling of our week:
- The butterflies are here! Our Lowers are very excited about studying them as part of our Smithsonian/NSF curriculum.
- Middle Schoolers planned and cooked a full Indian meal to celebrate their study of The Silk Road with Humanities teacher Diane Sheehey. Math specialist Brigitte DeHaven led this effort as a Quantitative Reasoning project—applying math to real world problems.
- Our Kindergartners have begun their study of community by creating a flag that represents themselves. Some of the themes they touched on were taking care of each other, friendship, playing nice, and having fun. They are very proud of the new flag hanging in the classroom. They also began making a giant map in the room. They started with drawing a picture of their bedrooms, then made a house and the bedrooms inside, and today they will make a piece of land to for their homes. Eventually they will add their roads, counties, states, country, continent, planet, and universe.
- Our 7th grade Algebra students were treated to a Skype session with Jerald Murdock, a Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching, a Woodrow Wilson fellow, former President of the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the author of our newly-adopted Algebra program, and the grandfather of one of our newest students. Jerald plans to “drop in” via Skype as a guest teacher frequently!
- The teachers are very excited to have Ed Mayhew joining us Friday afternoon to train our faculty about how to integrate movement into the classroom experience. Turns out that students learn better when they move, and there are some terrific, ingenious ways to get them moving while continuing working on academics. Read about Ed’s approach here:
http://www.nvdaily.com/lifestyle/2012/10/winchester-author-promotes-fitness-in-area-schools.php
And finally, this week even the adults get in on the “learning can be fun” theme with our unique fundraiser, Clues and Blues, this Saturday. For more information about that check out ISW’s FaceBook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Independent-School-of-Winchester/215591988461816
Or check out our Clues and Blues page: https://www.facebook.com/CluesAndBlues