THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL - honoring the journey of each child
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
MARCH. 2021
THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL
honoring the journey of each child
Dear Families,
The Marylhurst School
values your feedback! This
coming Wednesday, March
10, we will be asking you to
take a brief survey to tell us
about your experience with
our school. To ensure we
continue to provide high
quality, rigorous learning
experiences that meet the
needs of our learners and
prepare them for life beyond
TMS, we need your feedback.
The survey will begin on March 10 and close on
It's
March 19. You will be able to take the survey online at
survey
home. More information to come! time!
We thank you in advance for your thoughtful
responses. If you have any questions about the survey
administration, please don’t hesitate to contact us at
admin@themarylhurstschool.org.
Thank you,
Jasmine and Sheila
PAGE 1 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL
HERONS - CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT
Teacher Mary and Teacher Emily
Update on Leadership and Legacy Projects: The eighth graders are making
steady progress on their Leadership and Legacy projects. Each is managing
meetings with their mentor and beginning to craft their nascent final projects.
Below, is a summary from our February meeting:
Celia is creating a video documentary on the social injustices in education
exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. She has created release forms,
communicated with teachers from different institutions, organized meetings
with her mentor, written a script and interview questioawq2ns, researched
film festivals for possible submission, and begun recording. She is planning
to film the drop-off routine of the fourth through eighth grades.
Hanna is creating a full length CD of original compositions. She continues
to watch tutorials, schedule meetings with her mentor, has completed the
composition of her songs, toured a recording studio as arranged by Sheila
Walker, is fine-tuning her guitar skills, and plans to begin recording in
February.
Lan Yu is focused on the mental health of teens and the intersection of art
therapy as support. She has written a rough draft of the pamphlet she will
leave behind which is focused on the mental health of young teens. She
reports that she is working on several mandalas (a spiritual and ritual
symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe), continues to
organize meetings with her mentor and to read relevant books and articles,
and is beginning to reach out to other experts in the field.
Mateo demonstrated remarkable flexibility and resilience when he had to
find another mentor late this past fall. He is happily working again with a
mentor in his chosen field of study-- woodworking by hand. Mateo has
selected wood for his project and continues to sketch out designs and frame
his ideas.
PAGE 2 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL
Cont. on page 3
Humanities
Winter Term, in middle school, is always busy,
and this year is no different. It is a bridge term
of both deepening and lengthening
understandings. It is always busy and multi-
layered. Leaving Uruk and the ancient
Mesopotamian hero Gilgamesh behind, students
are putting their understanding of culture to use
as they encounter medieval China, the Mongol
Empire, the rich religions and philosophies of the
time, and fascinating historic leaders.
Social Studies
The power of story to connect us, across time and geography, has been the central theme of this
year. Finishing Fall Term with their culminating event, “Uruk: Once Upon a Time in 3500 BCE,”
students have traveled east, along the Silk Routes to study the Analects and the teachings of
Confucius.
Understanding the central role that Confucianism plays in the social and political structure of both
ancient and modern China is fundamental. One way students engaged with the core text from the
Analects was to choose a Confucius saying and then rewrite it as a haiku, a tweet, and the text of a
Tik Tok posting. For example,
“If you make a mistake and do not correct it,
this is called a mistake."
Recently, students visited the Genghis Khan exhibit at OMSI ”Never blame others
through a virtual tour. But wait! Wasn’t Genghis Khan a when it is not them at fault.
Mongolian leader who united more of the Earth’s land mass
It’s not them, but you."
than any other leader in human history? Yes, but-- Genghis
-Thomas
Khan did conquer more than twice as much land as any
other person in history, bringing Eastern and Western
civilizations into contact in the process.
Another story, another perspective leads to deeper understanding. Heron students are now
reading about 13th century China and comparing the negative and positive qualities of leaders
from the past to those of the present. The question remains, “How do you understand and judge
the sum total of a person’s actions?”
PAGE 3 THE MARYLHURSTS SCHOOL
PAGE 4 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL
A Note from the Board of Trustees
The Site Committee continues to work to prepare the school for fall--the land use
application for Heron Creek is moving forward with Clackamas County and the sale of
Home Base is on track to close this spring or early summer.
The Board is putting the final touches on the 2020-2021 State of the School report, an
annual report card on the five pillars of the school: community, finance, faculty and staff,
programming and curriculum and facilities. Coming soon!
Finally, the Board is looking to add trustees and committee members, especially members of
our community with experience in development and fundraising, finance, construction,
project management, HR, education, strategic planning and executive non profit
management. Maybe you have these skills or know someone who does? The Board is
composed of both parents and individuals from the greater community.
Curious about the Board of Trustees, Board Committees or interested in joining our
team? Please feel free to reach out to one of us. We will provide regular updates to
the community in this newsletter about the financial and long range, strategic
planning work that we do.
2020/2021 Board Members:
Jasmine Fullman, President
Erin Russell, Vice President
Susan Zettergren, Secretary
Scott Sandie, Treasurer
Michael Hyde, Member at Large
Debbie Pearson, Member at Large
Fred Wienberg, Member at Large
Becca Yates, Member at Large
Meghan Yates, Member at Large
Administration and Teacher reps:
Sheila Walker, Head of School
Jessica Bernert, Primary Teacher Rep.
Erin Kinney, Preschool Teacher Rep.
PAGE 5 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOL
Outdoor Trips
In past years we have partnered with
Peter Green, from POST 58, in leading
our four day outdoor excursions. Again,
like so much this year, we couldn’t
predict if spring conditions would allow
for a camping trip. However, the
experience of being outside, learning
about oneself, and deepening an
appreciation for those with whom you
share an adventure remains central to
what we do. Flex. This winter Peter and
David O’Connor, who is an advisor with
POST, are leading three outdoor
experiences.
"
This February students enjoyed an afternoon hiking the Angel’s Rest trail in the Columbia River
Gorge March’s hike is an exploration of Portland’s Forest Park, and in April students will be bike
riding through the Gorge on the old highway. We will share updates on Herons in the outdoors,
and are grateful to have Peter and David to partner with. If interested, check out POST 58 here:
https://www.post58.org/
Science Fair
Every winter, students from the Herons’ class begin the process of scientific exploration by asking
questions about the world around them. They then design, carry out, and analyze data from an
independent investigation that is entirely of their own creation.
On March 31, students will present their findings to
members of the community, including volunteer
student judges from Reed College, at our Virtual
Science Fair. Some students will go on to present
their work at a state level competition, the
Northwest Science Expo, in mid-April. Stay tuned
to learn about western red cedar death in the
Pacific Northwest, birdseed preference of backyard
birds, the effect of temperature on dye diffusion,
and so much more!
PAGE 6 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOLLiteracy
Writing this term has centered on I Dream poems (see Black History Month) and learning how to
write a formal essay using MLA. As one alum recently noted, “It might be the most important thing
you learn.” Students read “The Lottery'' by Shirley Jackson and were asked to choose from one of
four questions about the value of traditions and create an argument using evidence from the story.
“Conformity is going along with societal standards, norms, and traditions. When people conform
to traditions they often do not look past the “but we have always done this” mindset. If one digs
deeper and really considers how the tradition is going to affect the lives of others they can properly
evaluate it.” (Celia) “The Lottery'' fits into a broader range of short stories the students have read
this year, from Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” to Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day.”
Beginning this spring each student will write their own short story based on their exposure to, and
analysis of, this unique genre. In reading group the sixth graders are reading Where the Mountain
Meets the Moon by Grace Lin, and will use this story to better understand the role of folktales in
creating and passing along cultural norms. The seventh and eighth grade students are currently
reading Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean. Using the story of Haoyou (the young male
protagonist), the setting of a 13th century sea port, journeys to Xanadu and the Mongol capital
Dagu, this lively story invites students to engage in conversations on the overlapping religious and
political tenets of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Black History Month
February is designated as Black History Month. Yes, hopefully that is changing and focusing
on Black history can be a focus all year, not just for one month. These are the conversations
we have with students. While this year we have had less time to do the in-depth dive we usually
do into Black poets, social justice advocates, musicians, writers and so much more, we did look
at the inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. As in all things
this year we are looking for the story behind the story. It is a habit of curiosity and inquiry. We
were led to “I Dream a World” by Langston Hughes, predating King’s speech. After learning a
bit about Hughes, each student wrote their own I Dream a World poem. These works, by middle
school students, are especially poignant given the current state of their world. However, their
optimism and commitment to a shared future inspires. The poem below is a compilation of a
line from each of the student’s poems. We leave you with their wisdom.
PAGE 7 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOLWe Dream A World
By: The Heron Class
We dream a world where the earth prospers with love,and animals and humans have
companionship.A world where trees grow openly, air is free, and we can laugh boastfully.
Where people can just take two minutes to pick up their trash from the ground, to put in the garbage
can,because we live on this planet like everyone else.
We dream a world where one day wooly mammoths will return from their graves, stars will shine
brightly, and the clouds will roll like waves.
We dream a world that has much beauty,and where we’re all educated. A world where every decision
is well calculated,and where we wish to keep the hope of the future.
We dream a world where our leaders understand that humans cannot be contraband.Where the
evilness of profiting off of people’s insecurities is not a valuable marketing strategy.
We dream a world where fact lies in the infinite boundaries of science, just waiting to be
discovered.Where health grows, not heat, at the end of climate change. A world where we can study
our past to change our future.
We dream of a world where girls are unafraid to wear skirts in public, where they have no need for
hotlines, those numbers you dial for protection and security.Where no haters come to hate and
where no racists come to be fake.
We dream a world without the pollution of time, the depletion of things we can’t repair, the growing
scars of the world.A world with full bellies and blue seas. Where different is good. We dream a world
as open as the sky is large.
We dream of a life where people help each other, where we are all friends. And, where we are friends
with our enemies.We dream of a world without hatred or dividing by different beliefs. For a time
when we are all equal - and color doesn’t define us.
We dream a world where one day we won’t all disagree, and where all can get together without
troubles. A world where every living soul can rest their weary heads, and feel safe and peaceful as
they drift into sleep.
We dream a world where we are all born with the same chance to have a good life. We dream a world
where positivity will shine like the first golden rays of dawn
Don’t be the last person to help it out.
PAGE 8 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOLDesign Studio
Art remains central to the work of middle school aged
students. We have used our time on campus to explore
different mediums of expression, and most recently it
is clay. Using clay, and the natural environment of
Heron Creek, students are learning to express their
understanding of the world around them. In the
coming weeks students will learn to create a tile, use
joining techniques, create impressions in clay, and
take on a larger project designed around the idea of
transformation through story.
Out of Eden Learn
This month, for the first time, the middle school
students have joined a walking party through the
organization Out of Eden Learns. This is a joint
venture through the Harvard Graduate School of
Education’s Project Zero and the National Geographic
Society. Heron students recently heard about journalist Hi, I'm 13 and am in Oregon U.S.A.
and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek, who I'm really excited for my first
engaged in a 21,000-mile ‘Out of Eden’ walk following experience on Out of Eden, and to
the ancient pathways of human migration. The Heron get to know this walking party!.....
middle schoolers have been grouped in a walking party
with students from Stowe, Vermont; Singapore; America has been going through a
Bellpuig, Spain; Gainesville, Florida; Raleigh, North difficult time lately, so I am looking
Carolina; and Athens, Greece. They are currently forward to sharing my experience
introducing themselves and getting to know the other and learning about yours. It has
students in their walking party. The goal is for been a difficult time, so I think that
students to slow down, share their stories, and to makes it the perfect time to connect
connect. The next footstep Herons will be pondering is with people outside of our bubble's
“Connecting Everyday Objects to Bigger Systems.” If we live in.
interested in learning more about this project go to:
Hanna 8th Grade
https://learn.outofedenwalk.com/about/ Stay tuned for
footstep updates from the Heron students.
PAGE 9 THE MARYLHURST SCHOOLYou can also read
