LaureL LeafSpring 2014

An Education AboveTM

roland Park Counrty School

unique Partnership forgeS ProfeSSionaL DeveLoPment

For the past two years, Roland Park Country School has teamed up with Becton Dickinson (BD), a medical diagnostics company in Sparks, Maryland, to improve the way students learn science. In this partnership, expert scientists and master teachers collaborate to provide training workshops for Teach for America (TfA) in Baltimore. It is a prime example of how RPCS and other private institutions, as well as career professionals, can invest in education.

The partnership’s goal is to train new teachers in TfA how to incorporate inquiry and other “best practices” in science education into their classrooms. The BD scientists provide a model for scientific investigation, which they use in their daily jobs, and the RPCS faculty show how to use this investigation to help TfA corp members develop their own inquiry lessons. Upper School science teachers David Brock and Meredith Moore, along with Martha Barss, the Sustainability and Environmental Education Coordinator, are RPCS’s masterminds behind this partnership, which has provided Teach for America three workshops to date.

The program began when Steve Kaiser, a public relations professional and independent school parent, connected Becton Dickinson with Roland Park Country School. BD, which prides itself on being a socially responsible company, had historically been a monetary supporter of Teach for America but wanted to improve the quality of its contribution. Knowing that there might be untapped expertise in the independent school community, he used a Hopkins intern to explore science curricula and programs in the area independent schools. RPCS’s name kept coming up again and again for the quality of its science program and reputation for other private-public relationships, such as Growing Girls and Gardens, BEST, SuperKids, and most recently the Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School.

Steve requested a meeting with Upper School Head, Ereni Malfa, who asked veteran teacher David Brock to join the conversation. When asked which was a better use for BD’s money—equipment or professional development—both Ereni, a former Upper School science teacher, and David explained why funds spent on professional development would get more results.

“Apparently, I am quite enthusiastic when discussing science education,” David said. “Steve put me on the spot, wanting to know if I would spearhead the effort.”

Because of that conversation with Ereni and David, BD is taking a hands-on approach by getting involved in the teaching process. The TfA teachers can see how a local company is creating products that can relate to the content learned in the classroom. When you are faced with a new concept that doesn’t have relevancy, you are not likely to take interest in it. BD is helping to make those connections more transparent to the TfA teachers, and thus, excite them to see how science impacts things in everyday life.

With some of the area’s top science educators on board, Steve interviewed several current TfA corp members, asking what their biggest teaching challenge was. The response was clear: teaching inquiry within the limits of public education. A preliminary model was developed to employ BD scientists volunteering their time and RPCS faculty providing the educator training at two workshops, funded by BD, in January and February 2013—one for middle school and one for high school science teachers.

In January 2014, RPCS and BD again offered a workshop for TfA science teachers to help them learn how to translate a real world science activity (like those happening at BD) into an inquiry lesson where students are engaged in the processes and skills of a scientist while investigating a new situation.

“One of Steve Kaiser’s long-term goals is to expand this model of teaching into other disciplines,” David said, “So we are not just field-testing an idea for improving TfA science education—we’re laying potential groundwork for helping improve TfA teaching across the board.”

RPCS is pleased to be involved in this important partnership and professional development opportunity.

BD scientists use a process similar to paper chromatography to identify patients with the flu.

BD is taking a hands-

on approach by

getting involved in the

teaching process. The

TfA teachers can see

how a local company

is creating products

that can relate to the

content learned in the

classroom.

Martha Barss, Meredith Moore and David Brock participated in the workshop.

❧ Sixty-three members of the RPCS Community donated blood at the annual RPCS Blood Drive. The American Red Cross collected 50 pints, approximately enough to save 150 lives. Special thanks to Toby Rivkin, Upper School French and Ceramics, who organizes this annual event, which featured live music from Doug Forbes, Lower School Music (piano), Bill Souser, Upper School History (piano), Wanda Waller Middle School Music (piano), Lisa Diver, Upper School Music (piano and vocals), Semiquavers (vocals), and RPCS students Joanna Zhong, 2015 (piano), Sydney Stern, 2016 (guitar), and 9th Graders Claire Huppert, Hannah Song, and Courtney Wolf (vocals and piano).

❧ Several RPCS dancers performed for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala in November. The following students danced with Caitlin Cantrell, 2008 who was choreographer: seniors Ciara Johnson and Chey Pajardo; juniors Leigh Miller, Mary Bryan Owen and Lauren Pine; sophomores Molly Beidleman, Briana Davis, Asha Holmes, Katherine Jackson,

Ava Mandel and Jordan Tapp. Kerry Weir, 2008 also danced and Molly Ricely, 2006 was the JDRF Organizer.

❧ The following students attended the 20th Annual People of Color-Student Diversity Leadership Conference in December in National Harbor, Maryland: seniors Alexis Green and Toni-Ann Williams; juniors Tyla Hairston and Gurleen Ahuja; sophomores Bailey Andrews and Sydney Haywood. Hosted by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), The Student Diversity Leadership Conference is a multiracial, multicultural gathering of upper school student leaders from around the country. Participants examine issues of social justice, develop effective cross-cultural communication skills, practice expression through the arts, and learn networking principles and strategies.

❧ In the RPCS STEM Institute this year, juniors Meredith Kuser and Grace Laria were selected to present their research paper at the 24th Annual Maryland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Influences on Nitrate Leaching in the Soils of an Eastern Deciduous Forest: A Case Study examined a possible cause for the steadily declining nitrate levels found in one of the Environmental Science Summer Research Experience for Young Women’s microclimate research sites. In addition, two ninth graders were selected to attend a poster session presenting their research from fall semester. Sally Askew and Lexi Orlinsky authored The Effects of White Noise on Short Term Memory which explored how white noise can positively or negatively impact one’s ability to recall a sequence of colors. Hailey Morris and Marsi Salvatori authored Cell Phone Notification Impact on Short Term Memory which explored how iPhone ringtone and vibrational notification signals can positively or negatively impact one’s ability to recall a sequence of letters.

❧ The following RPCS STEM students were invited to hear Steve Wozniak speak at Stevenson University: senior Stephanie Altman; junior Mary Bryan Owen; sophomores Molly Baker, Lexi Cohen, Sarah Shmerler; freshmen Reilley Chamness, Ariel Egbunine, Cailin Gore, Valerie Hinkle, Juliette Knapp, Meredith Kuser, Rebecca Mathew, Lexi Orlinsky, Marsi Salvatori, Rebecca Sereboff, Julia Sturtz, and Courtney Wolf. The students were given a t-shirt for attending.

❧ The following students represented RPCS in the Middle School Traveling Art Show which was hosted at Gilman, Bryn Mawr, Friends, Roland Park Middle, St. Paul’s, Calvert and Boys’ Latin. They will also be attending the Fine Arts Festival in April. 6th Grade Karis Woo, Elizabeth Currie, Maeve Corcoran, Becca Sturtz, Mackenzie Pitruzzella, Jasmynn Moore, Elizabeth Goodale; 7th Grade Claire Thomas, Tory Fowler, Taja Washington, Kiki Shaw, Emory Gatchell, Kylie Anderson, Hannah Rhea; 8th Grade Emma Sunderland, Ava Drum, Nikki Goldstone, Kendall Ross, Alex Hopson, Payton Bennett, Laura Rockefeller, Allie Karaolis, Lacey Johnson and Charlotte McAleer.

RPCS dancers with Caitlin Cantrell at the JDRF Gala

&newS

❧

[continued on next page]

Sydney Stern, 2016

STEM presenters

STEM students

Each year, our community gathers at an All-School Convocation to celebrate and honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This tradition offers poignant and innovative content each year.

A highlight this year was the First Graders’ narration of The Colors of Us, by Karen Katz. This story explores the difference of skin tones and aligns each unique skin color with a color and object for example, a snickerdoodle or a chocolate chip cookie.

This Convocation features a keynote address by a prominent professional focusing on how they were influenced by Dr. King in their own life and work. RPCS welcomed attorney and author Mr. Larry Gibson to campus to share his experience writing Young Thurgood, a book that depicts the life of another prominent African American. Through photographs, Mr. Gibson brought to life the remarkable biography of Thurgood Marshall and taught us why “he was so famous.”

He declared Marshall to be one of the most important American lawyers in modern times and a

Baltimorean with deep roots in our own backyard. Another key component of the Convocation was the

reading of Chelsea Kovinsky, 2018’s winning Middle School essay, Who was Nelson Mandela? Like Dr. King and Thurgood Marshall, Mandela is a prominent African-American figure whose life echoes that of civil rights, compassion and justice. She explained, “his life continues to teach us much about how to pursue a better world. His example shows us how to have the strength to stand up for what we believe in and to have the courage to do what’s right. His journey through life also shows us that kindness and acceptance can and do make the world a better place.”

Before departing, each member of the RPCS community recited the Living the Dream Pledge to “make America and the world places where equality and justice, freedom and peace will grow and flourish.” With the knowledge and understanding of their lives and their work, the RPCS community is grateful to have such examples in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood

Marshall, Larry Gibson and Nelson Mandela.

the Color of us

Larry Gibson surrounded by RPCS students

They [Lower School

students] were so

fully committed to

the cause that they

were both the supply

and the demand.

“

”

Banding Together This past fall Lower School sisters Mary and Maggie Mazzulli wanted to organize a fundraiser. They loved weaving rubber bands into colorful bracelets and wanted to put their talents towards a good cause by selling the products. Their mother, Kelly Donovan-Mazzulli, 1994, advised her daughters to first increase their supply and see how many bracelets they could make. When Typhoon Haiyan hit, Mary and Maggie had their cause, and from then on, there was no stopping the girls.

Mary and Maggie and their Lower School peers immediately learned about the typhoon and its devastation through discussions at Morning Meetings, and they realized such a catastrophe required major community support. With the help of classmates Suzannah Figler and Abby McDonnell, Mary and Maggie spread the word and enlisted the help of the entire Lower School. Students swiftly and deftly crafted loom bracelets and brought them to school packed into baggies. Brothers, sisters, and cousins joined the cause and donated their bracelets until Mary, Maggie, Suzannah, and Abby had well over 500 bracelets to sell.

“My daughters could not have made enough bracelets, and we would not have made nearly as much money without the entire Lower School participating,” Kelly said.

Every morning for one week, the students set up a table before school and opened their business to the RPCS community. The logistics would have baffled economists.

“They were so fully committed to the cause that

they were both the supply and the demand,” said Beth Casey,

Head of the Lower School.Students would drop

off their bracelets at one end of the table, providing the supply, and then immediately head to the other end of the table to provide the demand and buy their classmates’ bracelets.

Most bracelets cost $1 or $2, and when the week was

over, with no more than four hours of business, the grand

total was calculated. They had raised $777 for victims of Typhoon

Haiyan. Adults were stunned.As word of the bracelet sale spread throughout

the school, the Admissions Office immediately placed a special order and bought a few dozen red and white bracelets to distribute to visiting students and applicants. The fundraising was contagious.

“The excitement transcended grade levels, from Kindergarten through Grade 5,” Beth said.

She described how they were not only excited about the bracelet making,

selling, and buying, but also about helping the children affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The project, before it even began, was always about helping others.

“This is a great example of how we can meet kids where they are and then take off,” Beth said.

The funds raised from the bracelet sale were combined with the donations from a school-wide coin drive. In total, $2653.08 was raised by the RPCS community and donated to the American Red Cross and UNICEF to help Typhoon Haiyan victims. The American Red Cross launched a family tracing service among other aid efforts and UNICEF collected donations to help provide children with shelter, clean water, nutrition and vaccines.

Varsity Indoor Soccer Indoor soccer won its first-ever IAAM Championship this winter. The team had an undefeated season and a 4-0 shutout of Key School in the championship game, where there was a great turnout of faculty, staff and students. Assistant coach Fitz Hardcastle said, “The team worked hard, and our strong individual skills coupled with a stifling defense made us hard to challenge. We were confident that even when the game was tough and physical, it was only a matter of time until we broke away because we knew how difficult it would be to score against us.”

Varsity Basketball The Varsity basketball team played one of its toughest schedules in school history and finished with an impressive 20-7 record and 12-2 mark in conference play. “To win 20 games with the schedule we played is quite an accomplishment,” said head coach Scott Buckley. The Reds advanced to the IAAM A Conference finals, falling to McDonogh 57-46 despite leading most of the game. They ended the season with a #3 ranking in both the Baltimore Sun and Varsity Sports Network polls. The Reds were led by captains Lindsay Edwards, 2014, and Michala Clay, 2014 (All-Tournament at the competitive Bulldog Bash).

Varsity SwimmingThe RPCS swimmers had an exciting finish to a successful season, missing a conference championship by only three points! It was the first year RPCS placed in the IAAM championships. In the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, RPCS finished first overall by dropping close to 10 seconds from their previous best time. The second place team was almost five seconds behind. Nine seniors including captains Anne Bailey, Abbey Muhly and Samantha Shawver provided great leadership for the team. As IAAM Conference finalists, the Reds made a notable turnaround from last season and their future is bright, as their four IAAM All-Stars are freshmen.

Varsity SquashLed by a young squad of mostly sophomores and juniors, Varsity squash had several exciting victories this season, including wins over the Potomac School, Bryn Mawr, Loyola Varsity Boys and Squashwise, the Baltimore Urban squash team. The Reds went 2-2 and finished in 23rd place at the US High School Team National Championship held this February in Philadelphia, where they competed against teams from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Varsity Winter TrackThe indoor track and field team had a solid season, competing against strong teams in its league. Three members of the all-varsity squad qualified to race in individual events at the championship meet: Emily Roebuck, 2016 in the 500m race, Claire Evans, 2016 in the 55m hurdles and Natalie Gallo, 2015 in the 300m dash. The team grew in size and depth this year, with plenty of new, younger runners lending their talents. Coach Janet Weller credited the captains (Gallo, Cece Finney, 2014 and Gretchen Herwig, 2015) for “helping to build a foundation of teamwork, motivation and camaraderie throughout the season.”

IAAM All-Conference Team MembersBasketball~Michala Clay, 2015

and Lindsey Edwards, 2015Indoor Soccer~Mackenzie Birely, 2015,

Toby Dubin, 2014 and Caitlin Curtis, 2015Swimming~Julia Ball, 2017, Erin Waire, 2017,

Laura Zollicoffer, 2017 and Marsi Salvatori, 2017

The Baltimore Sun All-MetroLindsey Edwards~First TeamMichala Clay~Second Team

wintersports wrap•up

❧ Congratulations to Prabnoor Kaur, 2018 who won the Middle School Spelling Bee and to Maeve Corcoran, 2020 who placed 2nd. After 43 rounds, the longest Middle School Spelling Bee, Prabnoor and Maeve will represent RPCS at the Baltimore Bee!

❧ Congratulations to Gretchen Herwig, 2015 who won the Finish Line, Achieving with a Learning Difference award and scholarship given by The International Dyslexia Association, Maryland Branch in November.

❧ Congratulations to sophomores Gabrielle Woolley and Katherine Jackson who both had their work published in TeenInk, a Boston-based magazine based in Boston and run by students that publishes high school writers in a paper publication and online. The magazine receives thousands of submissions each year, and RPCS is excited to have two selected.

❧ Congratulations to Casey Wong, 2016 who won the Girls Under 19 West Coast Junior Squash Championship Tour tournament in San Francisco in January. She is only 15, but this is the second time she has played in a GU19 JCT. This is one of the five major national squash tournaments. With this win, Casey is now the 7th ranked junior squash player in the country!

❧ Kudos to Ariana Rodriguez, 2016, who plays for Baltimore Elite volleyball club which won gold at their tournament in late January. Ariana plays on the 17 national team as a libero.

❧ Sophomores Emily Roebuck and Nora Feinberg, and freshman Kelly Fennessy won a gold medal with TNT Field Hockey Club at the Disney Field Hockey Showcase in February and Emily Roebuck won a second gold medal with TNT at the USA Field Hockey National Indoor Tournament in Virginia Beach in March.

❧ Congratulations to Sydney Haywood, 2016 who competed in the National American Miss Jr. Teen Competition in Annaheim, CA in November. National American Miss is the largest pageant in the nation for young women. Sydney was 1st Runner-up for spokesmodel.

❧ Kudos to Reagan Fresnel, 2014 for researching, reporting and editing a piece on the Lillie May Carroll Jackson School on ABC2News in January as part of her internship.

❧ Congratulations to Ava Todd, 2014 who has been named a Bryan Scholar at Davidson College. One of only two scholarships given to a scholar athlete in each class, the prestigious award recognizes that scholar athletes understand the importance of hard work, discipline, strong focus, and setting high goals. Ava will be playing tennis at Davidson next year.

❧ Congrats to Kate Jordan, 1998 who was highlighted in the Baltimore Business Journal as a top 40 under 40 in November.

❧ Kelsey Twist Schroeder, 2001 was one of the keynote speakers at the AIMS workshop to help develop leadership curriculum at Severn School in January. Kelsey speech was Learning to Lead: The Art and Practice of Teaching Leadership.

❧ Carla Spawn-van Berkum, 1977, Associate Head of School presented at the National Conference on Girls’ Education in Philadelphia in early February. Carla was on the panel The Power of Partnerships: Empowering Girls Together. Jean Waller Brune, Head of School presented at the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference in Orlando in late February. Jean was on the panel Partnerships 2.0: From Moral Imperative to Real-World Results. Both discussed how the charter school concept is an outgrowth of the decade long work of RPCS in community engagement.

❧ RPCS was accepted as a pilot member of The Governor’s Explore and Restore Your Schoolshed Initiative in the fall. This program supports Maryland schools as they adopt a local stream, measure and track its health, and carry out restoration projects that are themselves important environmental learning experiences. The RPCS Backwoods stream will be the study site and the Sixth Grade is the group who will be participating. As part of their integrated unit on water, they will measure stream health several times a year, enter the data into a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based mapping tool online, and carry out an action project related to the flow of water on campus. Martha Barss, Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator and Laurie Bacon, Middle School Science will be working together on this project. To support our stream work and action project RPCS has received a $1500 grant from Chesapeake Bay Trust.

&noteS

2014 Varsity Indoor Soccer team -IAAM champions

2014 Varsity Swimming team

The Athletic Hall of Fame Nominations due!

We look forward to honoring another outstanding group of athletes in the fall of 2014 at the next Athletic Hall of Fame Reception and Ceremony on Sunday, October 12, 2014. The Athletic Hall of Fame is intended to pay tribute and extend recognition to those individuals and/or teams who have made a significant contribution to RPCS athletics. If you would like to nominate an individual, coach and/or team to be a part of this prestigious group, please consider submitting a nomination form to the Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

Prabnoor Kaur and Maeve Corcoran

2014 Varsity Basketball team

April 27, 2014

Kelly Fennessy, Nora Feinberg and Emily Roebuck in Disney

the Color of us

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage

PAID Baltimore, MD

Permit No. 3621

LaureL LeafRoland Park Country School 5204 Roland Ave. Baltimore, MD 21210

Get the free mobile app at http://gettag.mobi

Spring 2014

Blythe Gemmill, 2025student artwork

The Laurel Leaf is published in the Spring, Summer and Fall for the Roland Park Country School community.

Head of School: Jean Waller Brune

Director of Marketing and Communication: Nancy Mugele

Director of Integrated Media Strategies: Kristin Raneri Nicolini, 1998

Assistant Director of Communication/Photography: Sarah Cody

Communication Associate: Kim Daly

Design: Brushwood Graphics Design Group

Printing: Mount Royal Printing

RPCS news is welcomed and should be sent to nicolinik@rpcs.org

www.rpcs.org

Save the Date: September 22, 2014

Jean Waller Brune, Head of Roland Park Country School, is pleased to announce that senior Ella Frankel was named a Finalist in the 2014 Competition for National Merit Scholarships. This distinction places Ella in a group of 15,000 students representing less than one percent of U.S. high school graduating seniors.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarship. These awards have been given to high school students since 1955. The privately funded competition selects winners based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments. Each year more than 1.3 million students in 21,000 U.S. high

schools enter the National Merit Scholarship Program competition as juniors by taking the PSAT’s.

The goal of the National Merit program is to focus public attention on one of the country’s most valuable resources—our academically talented students.

“Recognition of academically talented students and of the key role played by schools in their development is essential to the pursuit of educational excellence in our nation,” stated a spokesperson for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

national merit finalist

Ella Frankel

A Charitable Gift Annuity

can pay you income

during your lifetime.

RPCS now offers CGAs

through the Baltimore Community foundation.

For more information about making a deferred gift to RPCS,

contact Ginny Wood Delauney,

Director of Gift Planning, delauneyg@rpcs.org

or 410.323.500, ext. 3139.

planned giving

Elizabeth Currie, 2020