SCDS

»

SEATTLE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

WINTER 2008

Although the focus for the evening was on our beautiful 20,000 sq. ft. Middle School, other less visible but much-needed campus improvements included:

• Gutting, expanding, and redesigning the Library.

• Enlarging the Cafeteria.

• Replacing the roof on the original building.

• Upgrading electrical infrastructure throughout.

• Installing fire sprinklers in all classrooms and offices.

• Renovating space for two new 2nd-grade classrooms.

• Adding a new campus driveway and play area.

The facilities improvement project created an enhanced teaching space that serves school programs, thus sustaining SCDS into the future. Classroom size and flexible spaces do matter for they allow resourceful teachers to create the best learning environment possible for our active and inquisitive students.

Thanks to generous and loyal supporters, SCDS was able to complete these campus improvements using cash reserves, raising money through the A Place to Grow capital campaign, and opting for tax-exempt bond financing. The SCDS Board of Trustees believes that allotting approximately half the project’s capital cost to tuition-paying families over the next 20 years or so was a fair and equitable way to finance the project. Most independent schools operate this way to ensure intergenerational equity.

Just as current donors gave generously to make this project a reality, the future SCDS generation will also contribute to and support this extraordinary school. So many stories are being told — including many at November’s event — about how SCDS provided, and still provides, a transformational education experience.

It is our hope and expectation we will continue to do so for the next generation!

Dear Friends of SCDS,

In late November, we hosted 350 guests who came to celebrate the completion of our facilities improvement project and to tour the new Middle School Building and Library. Many SCDS folks — past and present parents, students, faculty, staff, and board members — as well as neighbors and fellow Seattle educators, had a great time sharing stories and reconnecting with dear friends and teachers.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOLEDITORJoan Hudson

CONTRIBUTORSScott AllenAllison (Doyle) Bass ‘91David EvansSue PisanoLisa CarrollMary LowryMichael MurphyMarianne PichaLeo Santiago

DESIGN/PRODUCTIONChrista Fleming Design

ON THE COVERThe new Middle School Building at left.

Kinetics is produced by Seattle Country Day School for its current and former families and friends. Inquiries may be sent to Seattle Country Day School, 2619 4th Avenue N, Seattle, WA, 98109.

THE SCDS MISSIONSeattle Country Day School is an independent kindergarten through 8th grade school committed to developing the abilities of children of high intellectual and creative promise. Using inquiry-based teaching strategies, SCDS pro-motes academic excellence and enthusiasm for learning. Within a nurturing environment, the school cultivates responsible behavior and honors each child.

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENTSeattle Country Day School strives to maintain a diverse school community. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admission, financial aid, or any other school-administered programs.

Best,

Michael G. Murphy, HEAD OF SCHOOL

PAGE 1WINTER 2008

PAGE 2

The entire school gathers on the new courtyard.

Large classrooms, fabulous science labs, big windows, and spaces to gather with friends. Real lockers instead of cubbies. Sweeping views toward the Olympics. What a wonderful new home for our middle school students and teachers. Just ask David Evans and Scott Allen, grades 8 and 6-7 math teachers respectively, who shared a classroom throughout last year. A friend couldn’t help but rib David, “What, they gave you a room?” Scott says, “I get to prep in my own space without a class happening at the same time. My head is so much clearer and my work more efficient.” According to Sue Pisano, 4-8 music specialist, the 4th and 5th graders love coming to the new space for music and art. And the Middle School’s multi-purpose room has already hosted guest speakers, admission tours, ski sales, and parties. Truly, we now have a place to grow.Brenda Ajbour’s grade 6 humanities classroom.

WE NOW HAVE:

PAGE 3WINTER 2008

MARIANNE PICHA, INTERIM MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD Ellie Peterson’s grade 6-7 science classroom and lab.

Members of Jeanne Peterson’s class being 7th graders on the rooftop terrace.

PAGE 4

Making it official: From left, Marianne Picha, Interim Middle Shool Head; Michael Murphy, Head of School; Rose Boyle, Leslie Magid Higgins & Pete Higgins, Campaign Chairs; and Jackie Bradley, K-3 Division Head. Not pictured: Mike Boyle, Campaign Chair.

Alum families turn out in force: From left, Pat and Virginia Sainsbury, Sandy Marks, Roberta Doyle.

PAGE 5WINTER 2008

Many people enjoy attending auctions, and it’s true that they’ve become part of our local culture. I think Seattleites share a strong ethic of charitable giving, and that people here are very generous. Non-profits that rely on auctions have clearly found that they are very effective fundraisers. And hey, it’s a good chance to get out and enjoy an evening for a good cause!

Yes, it’s okay. While we’d love to see 100% attendance, we would never expect that. No events are “one size fits all.” That being said, the auction still brings in nearly a quarter of a million dollars each year for the school.

Many people feel that they either can’t afford to attend the auction or that they can’t afford to purchase anything once they’re there. We have a “pay what you can” option for attending, so that the doors are open for every member of our school community.

Also, there are a number of silent auction items at prices for everyone’s budget. While the live auction does feature higher-priced items and an element of showmanship, it’s easy to sit back and take in the festivities. Cheer on those who are bidding and raising money for SCDS!

It’s a great way to meet people across all grades of the school. There are so many fantastic volunteers involved in the auction. They each bring unique talents, personalities and perspectives to the table. They give generously of their time and their energy. Auctions are major events and team efforts, to be sure.

Get involved! Give of your time, talent, or treasure. And come enjoy yourself on March 8!

Lisa and her husband Arnaud Gautier are parents of Emma, grade 4, and Elise, K.

Country Day Today! Chairs John and Megumi Haskin have presided over an annual fund campaign that has been the quickest out of the gate in SCDS history. A highlight of the ongoing efforts was Annual Giving Day, where parent volunteers collected donations in the carpool line at drop-off and pick-up, amidst live music and thank-you treats. Over $37,000 was collected on that day alone. In just two months the campaign is over 75% of the $360,000 goal. Part of that success has been a tremendous faculty participation rate of

98%. “We’re thrilled with the progress and proud of our community response,” says John, “but we’re still working hard to achieve the goal. We want the campaign to stay top-of-mind since it’s such a key element in supporting the school.” Please consider a gift to Seattle Country Day. Pledges are payable through May 31, 2008.

PAGE 6

Duffy loves being a teacher. She began this career later in life which has allowed her to use many various experiences in her teaching. When Duffy was a social worker she worked with children and adults with developmental and mental health issues. She also has a degree in horticulture and spent many years working at a nursery, and

growing a lot of diverse plants on her five acres in Duvall. Duffy used her certificate in wetland science and management to work as a scientist on Mt. Rainier one summer, studying wetlands and mollusks.

Building sand castles is Duffy’s newest fascination. She placed in the three competitions she entered last summer. “It is such a delicate medium,” she says, “and it is so satisfying building complex structures using only sand and water. I like watching the tide wash them away too. When it is too cold to build sand castles, I watercolor and I write.”

Duffy’s dream this summer is to be a volunteer teacher in northern India after she enters some sand castle competitions in Washington and Oregon.

Kyla was born and raised in Hawai`i on the island of O`ahu. She feels fortunate to have attended middle and high school at Kamehameha Schools where Hawaiian ancestry is an admission requirement. There, she took typical subjects such as Math, English, History but she also had unusual courses such as Hawaiian Culture and Hawaiian Chant and Dance. In both

of these classes, students had to chant in Hawaiian before their kumu (teacher) would let them enter the classroom!

After high school, she wanted to continue taking Hawaiian Language classes and knew she needed to stay in O’ahu to do that. Her MA from the University of Hawaii is in English, and during college she was particularly interested in writing. “At 19 I wrote a detective novel,” says Kyla, “which, of course, was never published, but was a lot of fun to write!” She has also entered a few fiction contests, winning a second-place award for one of her short stories. She thinks it’s important to have a creative outlet, and she’d like to write more fiction in the future.

Kyla relocated to Seattle after teaching literature at Saint Louis School and says, “Nui ko`u hoihoi no ke a`o `ana i keia kula maika`i”. (“I am very excited to be teaching at this great school.”)WEL

CO

ME

PAGE 7WINTER 2008

Ever since seeing the Wizard of Oz as a child, Sherri dreamed of riding in a hot-air balloon. There was a problem though: a lifelong fear of heights. This past summer, Sherri mustered her courage, climbed into that wicker basket and drifted high

into the sky for a fantastic experience. She compares teaching to her hot-air balloon guide. “He helped me feel safe and comfortable as I set out to fulfill my dream, and he helped me to understand how to have a successful ride. As a teacher, I get to do the same thing: help kids pursue their dreams with the sky as the limit.”

Sherri comes to SCDS with an M.A. in Education from Regis University and 25 years’ experience teaching in independent schools, most recently in Denver. She has taught previously in Washington, and among her many honors was a 1999 nomination for the KCTS Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Education.

Sherri is an avid reader of nonfiction and mysteries. Her husband, Dan, says she swims like a fish. When she’s not out doing laps in Lake Washington, she and Dan are on the dance floor, practicing their ballroom moves.

Kathy was born and raised in Texas. She earned a BS degree in Education from the University of Texas in El Paso and a Teaching Certificate from the State of Texas with endorsements in gifted education and mathematics. She taught in the El Paso School District while pursuing a Master’s degree in Education.

After moving to Washington in 1992, Kathy worked for Children’s World Learning Centers, where she developed on-site childcare

programs. The northwest programs were considered the best in the company. She was next employed by Nobel Learning Communities as a principal for one of their small private schools. Through her leadership the school’s enrollment grew 20%.

Kathy’s involvement in education includes work in the public sectors, volunteerism, and training of educators. She was involved with the Bethel School District and also served as a member of the State of Washington Legislative Childcare Coordination Committee. Kathy has also presented at state and national education conferences on topics such as “How to start a Before and After School Program”, and “Improving Student Achievement through the use of Technology.”

“I adore the great students and love teaching at SCDS,” says Crystal. She and her husband Alex Berezhnoy, relocated to Seattle last year from Minnesota, where she earned an MS in Education with an emphasis in Art Education from Winona State University. Alex is from Ukraine, and that has influenced Crystal’s outlook on the world. She has traveled there with him and now sees things from an insider’s perspective. Even though she doesn’t know the language, she feels like her life has been changed by the culture there and the unusual experiences that the vastness of Ukraine offered her.

Her artistic awareness was informed by ancient and new churches with golden domes — all built in the authentic style, and by endless fields of fiery sunflowers beneath blue skies. Says Crystal, “I now have an understanding of why the Ukrainian flag is blue and yellow!”

She met many wonderful people with whom she was able to communicate mostly through hand gestures, smiles, and nods. Next time she travels to Ukraine, she says she will be prepared through Rosetta Stone, and hopes their software is as wonderful as advertised!

PAGE 10

KWEILIN ’90 AND LI TSUN ’92 MOORE lived for a year in France, two years in China, and a year each in Ecuador and Japan to become flu-ent in French, Mandarin, Spanish, and Japanese. Kweilin returned to the U.S. to attend Harvard University and Harvard Business School. She is cur-rently living in Minneapolis with her husband, and has worked for McKinsey & Company, a management consult-ing firm, for four years. Li Tsun studied Electrical Engineering at Stanford, then completed a Masters in Computer Science and now works for Google in the San Francisco Bay area.

ADRIENNE HUGHES ’92 competed in swimming and water polo for Bainbridge High School, where she won four state championships, and competed in national tournaments in the US as well as in Canada and China. She went on to swim at Kenyon College in Ohio where she participated in the NCAA Championships her freshman year, but after an injury transferred to the University of Washington from which she graduated summa cum laude with BS degrees in molecular biology and psychology. After a year working at Fred Hutch, she entered the Ph.D. program in immunology at Stanford, where she also joined the triathlon and swim clubs. She plans to run the Rome marathon and swim in the Masters Championships in Perth this Spring.

RACHEL PESANDO ’92 writes, “after SCDS, I attended University Prep for grades 7-12 and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where I graduated in 2000. My college boy-friend, Mike, and I were married in June 2006 after his job at Amazon.com moved us through Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Happily, we are back in Seattle since February, and I gave birth to Hannah Claire Popchuk on June 2,

2007! I am cur-rently a stay-at-home mom and part-time online grad student in Higher Education through Drexel University.

LEA SUGIMURA ’93 works and lives in Manhattan, and recently joined New York Road Runners, organizer of the New York City Marathon and races throughout the year. Lea works with cli-ents such as Continental Airlines, Hugo Boss, ING, Poland Spring and Toyota to develop marketing partnerships.

ANTOINETTE SWENSSON ’93 showed her artwork in September at the Wayward Coffeehouse in Greenwood. She received extensive training as a henna artist in 2001 with Mehndi Madness, where she developed her style, strongly influenced by tradi-tional Indian and Middle Eastern henna

designs. Her love for this art form has continued to grow, and by transfer-ring to canvas and acrylic,

Antoinette has made permanent these traditionally temporary adornments. (More photos at www.antoin.net.)

ELIZABETH REPASS ’94 graduated from Yale’s School of Management and the Program for Social Enterprise, and is working as a major gifts officer for the US Fund for UNICEF in New York City.

JORDAN VOELKER ’95 earned a Masters in Music from the New England Conservatory and is currently a member of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. She also teaches violin and viola and performs violin, viola, and singing in other Boston area orchestras both tra-ditional and contemporary, including the vaudeville-style band, Beat Circus (www.beatcircus.net). She and Jason Potz of Cambridge, MA plan to be married in Seattle in May.

NICK GEBALLE ’96 graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Psychology and is now living in Washington, D.C. He works at a public opinion research firm, conducting polls and focus groups for Democratic candi-dates, corporations, unions, and other organizations.

KATIE KOTKINS ’96 is earning a Masters in Fundraising at NYU and working for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer in their fundraising department.

BEAU LEWIS ’96 launched his first music video last summer entitled Mac or PC. It can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkrn6ecxthM. While you’re at the site, you can also search for “Seattle Untimely,” a news spoof in which Beau plays Space Bear, the rapping weatherman/astrologist.

EBBY SUTHERS ’97 graduated from University of Washington with undergraduate degrees in Physics, Astronomy, and Russian. After a year tutoring high school math and science, she moved to Azerbaijan with the Peace Corps to teach English and lead programs to develop leadership in girls. Recently, she spent three months in Paris before joining the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington D.C. in March. Ebby was reminded of SCDS shortly after joining AAAS when one of the directors of the science education initiative asked one of the same questions Doc “O” had posed to her students! (“Where does a tree get its mass?”)

JAMIE NEILSON ’98 is currently working on a Ph.D. in Biomolecular Science and Engineering at UC-Santa Barbara in the group of Professor Daniel Morse. He recently received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship for his proposed research on the “Mechanism of Templating and Nanostructural Control of Inorganic Materials by the Mineral-Forming Protein, Silicatein.”

JAMES EBBERSON ‘99 graduated from Middlebury College with a major in English and minor in economics.

JENNIFER FIEGAL ’99 visited SCDS campus last Spring with SCDS Volleyball coach MIKKA MARGOLIS ’99. Jennifer works in clinical research at Children’s Hospital.

SHARE YOUR STORIES! SCDS wants to hear from our alums! If you have news or updates to share about yourself or a former SCDS student, please contact Allison Bass at allisonbass@seattlecountryday.org or call 206-691-2620.

PAGE 11WINTER 2008

CONOR MYHRVOLD ’03 and CAMERON MYHRVOLD ’03 displayed their national park nature photography at the National Parks Conservation Association in Pioneer Square in a show last summer titled Exposure.

SAM JOHNSON ’03 graduated from Seattle Academy and is a freshman at Columbia University. He writes that “Angular momentum is conserved, especially if you’re good at figure skating.”

MATTHEW BATEMAN ’04 visited Mr. Holtzen’s 3rd-grade class last Spring with peers from Garfield High School. Matthew and his classmates gave the SCDS students a lesson in oceanography.

Matthew Bateman (back row, center)

HANNAH NIEBULSKI ’04 a senior at Newport High School, last summer was selected to participate in the Legacy Heritage Internship for Young Scientists (LHIYS) as one of only 26 students throughout the United States and Canada. The students complete a rigorous six-week summer program in Israel, working with Israeli scientists in laboratories of the prestigious Hebrew

University of Jerusalem, touring Israel, and learning about their heritage. In return for the scholarship opportunity that enabled her summer research and travel, Hannah has organized and will deliver a 40-hour community service project.

REUNION! The class of 2003 reunited at Woodland Park this August before many of them left for college at schools around the country.

“If I do my job correctly, you won’t be able to stand your child by the end of the school year,” says ROD HUSTON ’92 to parents of his students at Fall Back-to-School Night. Harvard-Westlake School’s math teacher and 8th Grade Dean learned in Ms. Lowry’s social studies classes to appreciate asking the questions “Why are we doing it this way?”, and “What else could we try?” The importance of building strong arguments and defending solutions is something Mr. Huston impresses upon his own students.

With so much attention on our Middle School these days, we contacted Rod to get a different perspective from someone who also has middle school on his mind. Rod has been teaching 7th and 8th grade math at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles for the past seven years, and this year became a Dean for 231 8th graders.

Rod graduated from SCDS in 1992 and attended Lakeside High School, then Pomona College. His double-major in Pure Math and Political Science led to several job offers with technology companies. However, at the suggestion of a professor, Rod decided to teach math for a year while he figured out what he would do when he “grew up.”

By February of his first year, teaching Algebra II and Geometry to 7th, 8th, and 9th graders, Rod was hooked. “I

really enjoy working on a meaningful level with the students, whether it’s academic or social-emotional. Super-talented kids, excited by the learning process, are a joy to be around.”

Deanship brought new responsibilities working with students, teachers, and parents this year, but Rod’s favorite time of day is the Algebra 2 Honors class he teaches. He’s built a curriculum to incorporate non-traditional problem-solving strategies, a method he first remembers experiencing in science lab with Doc “O.”

When asked to share wisdom with current SCDS students, Rod replies, “Never stop learning. Never stop questioning. And while you should listen to others as much as possible, use their words as data to help you make your own informed decisions.”

ALU

MN

I PR

OFI

LE

IF YOU HAD ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD IT BE? That humanity would learn to live and let live.

IF YOU COULD NAME A NEW COUNTRY, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT? Wanka Tanka, Where the Buffalos Roam.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MANMADE THING? The printing press (which was modeled after the wine press.)

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AMERICAN PRESIDENT? John F. Kennedy.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE YOUR NAME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IT TO? Mica, because it’s a shiny but flaky rock.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE 13-YEARS OLD? A wildlife biologist, but at age 6 I wanted to be an airline hostess.

WHO DO YOU ADMIRE? Jimmy Carter.

IF YOU COULD LIVE AS AN ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? A howler monkey, because they are amazingly loud.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING A STUDENT EVER TAUGHT YOU? That there are multiple paths to achieve any goal and often children are emotionally stronger and wiser than adults.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES TEACHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I’d be an archaeologist.

WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE? Leave my mother’s bedside when she was recovering from cancer surgery.

WHO IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON ON YOUR LIFE? My parents.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST TRANSPORTATION FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL? European trains with sleeping cars.

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE GREATEST LIVING AMERICAN? Don’t you have to be dead to be great? Okay — Clint Eastwood because he is cool in any persona.

IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE? Thomas Jefferson.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO LEARN ABOUT A FRIEND? How they feel about Monty Python films.

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER-POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Eliminate pollution in all forms and distribute resources equally around the world.

PAGE 12

French philosopher

and writer Marcel

Proust was known

for his witty

answers to a

series of intriguing

questions, now

known as the Proust

Questionnaire. To

learn more about

our teachers, SCDS

8th-graders created

their own set of

faculty interview

questions.

In this issue, we interview MARY LOWRY, who teaches Social Studies for 7th – 8th grades, and has been at SCDS for 25 years. In addition to her teaching duties, Ms. Lowry has coached youth Ultimate Frisbee for 15 years.

SCDS

SEATTLE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

2619 4th Avenue NSeattle, WA 98109 206-284-6220www.seattlecountryday.orgRETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 6244

Seattle, WA

WINTER 2008»

SEATTLE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Kinetics MagazineKinesis comes from the Greek

word for motion, and “kinetics” is used in the vernacular to

describe mechanics associated with the forces that cause

motions of bodies. At SCDS, we’re all about energy and active learning. Every day,

SCDS teachers engage students’ minds and bodies through

inquiry-based teaching. Kinetics is our school magazine,

and the name reflects both our mission and the creativity

within our classrooms. We hope you enjoy this issue and feel the palpable buzz of SCDS

within these pages!

A new Las Vegas act? No! Just Parent Council members (from left to right) Nancy Senseney, Karen Kent, and Laura Kleisle (president) serving root beer floats to faculty and staff, providing a sweet and refreshing start to the school year. This is just one of many wonderful ways that our parent community supports SCDS.

THE BLUE HAND GROUP