The Joys of Reading Read Library Opens Change is Good

Newsletter march 2008 The Joys of Reading Read Library Opens Paul Chapman, Head of School By Mary Goglio and Elizabeth Price Patel, HRS Librarian...
Author: Isabel Flynn
1 downloads 0 Views 2MB Size
Newsletter

march 2008

The Joys of Reading

Read Library Opens

Paul Chapman, Head of School

By Mary Goglio and Elizabeth Price Patel, HRS Librarians

This February we opened our beautiful new Read Library and

At Head-Royce, while we have two libraries, we have a single goal: to encourage and support excitement for lifelong learning. Rest assured, the librarians are always available to help find an article online, the perfect quote from a reference book, or a good read in the stacks. But your librarians also want to promote the library—and information literacy in general—as a way to aid in the search or the answers to more of life’s questions. Everyone searches for information in dozens of little ways every day. We wake up, plug in, log on, “Google it,” etc. The need for information extends beyond high school or receipt of a college diploma. We want to give students from kindergarten through twelfth grade the tools required to meet these needs for the rest of their lives. Now with our new Read Library open for business, we have an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the The main entrance and façade of Read Library HRS community.

were reminded how central reading is to our students’ learning. The new facility provides a comfortable and cozy place for learning. Its central location will surely make Read Library the heart of our School and our academic program. We look forward to seeing you at the official dedication of Read Library on the morning of Tuesday, March 18. Sitting in the library shortly after its opening, I reflected on my own lifelong love of reading and was filled with memories. My grandmother often came to Chicago from her home in Virginia to visit and our time together would be filled with her reading stories to me. There was that moment in my first grade reading circle when I felt awkward when called upon to read out loud, but as I gained confidence in my new skill, I began to read voraciously in elementary school; I savored books about my heroes like Abe Lincoln, Boy Frontiersman, stories of adventure like Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki and the Civil War saga told by Bruce Catton. Reading has a powerful ability to create empathy as I discovered in middle school when I read Exodus by Leon Uris and learned about the Holocaust, or when I read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night and saw how mental illness can affect a family. In college I found an unheated, empty garret room at the top of my dormitory where I read Crime and Punishment and Great Expectations. Over the years, I made a point of studying in nearly all of the university’s several dozen libraries. Some of my personal favorites from this school year include Richard Preston’s The Wild Trees, about the Redwoods of Northern California, Mysteries First graders Sammy Shrestha and Tai Owen of the Middle Ages: discover the joys of reading in the Lower School The Rise of Feminism, Library. Science and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe, and Ian McEwan’s Atonement. For me, reading has been one of my greatest pleasures in life. It has opened new vistas and given me hope. Our Lower School learning specialist Kristi Farnham Thompson recently sent me an article entitled “You Are What You Read,” by Maryanne Wolf from the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University (Tufts Magazine, Summer 2007). “Literacy changes us forever, both intellectually and biologically,” she writes. “Reading ...continued next page

Change is Good Our new library now has a space within it dedicated to library instruction. This important change will help us to achieve the goal that unites the two Head-Royce libraries. As we create curriculum, and guide and instruct students at all levels, we continue to ask how can we develop information literacies necessary for our students. Research tools change, but the key elements of the thinking/inquiry processes remain the same and must be introduced, reinforced, and mastered at various levels. Our hope is that the new Read Library will be the locus where tools and thinking come together. The central location on campus increases its accessibility and its fabulous natural light and attractive study space will enhance the library experience for our school and its guests. The versatility of the layout allows for library instruction, as well as silent and group work. We can now better accommodate more learning styles and study needs. And to further complement the physical design, technology has been so cleanly integrated that print to paperless transitions are seamless. One thing we had not anticipated when we started writing this article was that the beauty, order, and layout of the space would have such a large impact on students’ interaction with it and ...continued next page

Joys of Reading

...continued from previous page

is a kind of sanctuary where human beings have access to thousands of different realities they might otherwise never encounter or understand.” She illustrates the complex development of this vital skill, observing that “much of what our ancestors learned to do over the course of about two thousand years our young children must learn to do in about two thousand days, the brief span from birth until first grade.” Naturally, our faculty devotes considerable time to helping our students develop the skill of reading with understanding, discernment and comprehension. School is a language-rich environment and our focus on small classes and individual attention enables us to help every student achieve mastery. In recent years the creation of our Learning Resources Team, consisting of our learning specialists, counselors, division heads and academic dean, has created a support group to help all students maximize their learning. It is our vision that all students will become independent learners who are fluent readers filled with a lifelong passion for learning. Indeed we are especially grateful to the Parents Association Committee called Readers for Life and the biannual book fair they sponsor and we are eager for an expanded Friends of the Library Committee to engage our parents in supporting the work of our librarians. Their good efforts will help our kids celebrate books in even more ways. We hope you will visit the new Read Library often and join in our celebration of reading.

.

Read Library Opens

...continued from previous page

each other. Much to our delight, on opening day, they were visibly impressed with what they saw. They gravitated to different areas looking for the place that was theirs. It’s too soon to say for certain, but they seemed to function at a different level because they were in a splendid space. Our critical constituency—students—seems to really like the space. Day one: So far, so good.

Building Knowledge We are providing the Lower School with an early start on how to use the library. In kindergarten, we talk about how every book in the library lives at a certain “address” on our shelves. In the later grades, we introduce more online tools. In all grades, we promote the library as a place to ask good questions and find good answers. By the time our students reach Middle School, they can find their way around any library and are ready to tackle all the great resources our new Read Library has to offer. The sophistication of library instruction correlates with the complexity of projects. Seventh grade begins problem/solution essays where the paper goes beyond a stream of facts. Writers are asked to select personal problems and develop their own conclusions about the best way to tackle serious issues. To support this exploration, the library works with classroom teachers, developing a research scaffold that students can use to brainstorm, gather information, evaluate resources, and develop appropriate bibliographies. By ninth grade, students have the foundation they need for the library/information skills portion of Freshman Seminar. Through involvement in several large projects, they are behaving—and thinking—like researchers. They are developing a greater knowledge of reference databases, learning advance searching techniques for any online site, scrutinizing resources more closely, and

Heart & Soul Fund: An Update

Parent Participation as of February 29, 2008: 67% Please join us as we strive to reach 100% by June 30!

Participation percentages by class: Kindergarten: 80% 1st Grade: 87% 2nd Grade: 59% 3rd Grade: 53% 4th Grade: 69% 5th Grade: 69% 6th Grade: 53%

7th Grade: 63% 8th Grade: 71% 9th Grade: 67% 10th Grade: 67% 11th Grade: 61% 12th Grade (Endowed Senior Class Fund)

Haven’t given yet? Make your gift online: www.headroyce.org/giving or contact Jill Davis, Director of Annual Giving, 510-531-1300 x2148. Thank you for your support!

Steven and Mary Read, past parents in whose honor the Library has been named.

thinking more strategically about using the best information tools— print or electronic—for any job. The more of these tools our students are exposed to, master, and incorporate into their studies at Head Royce, the more likely they are to be savvy, discriminating, efficient users of high quality information for the rest of their lives.

See for Yourself There have been several studies the past few years solidifying the connection between great school library media programs and academic excellence. We’ve spent many years building a program for a space like this which we hope will be both inviting and invigorating. With thanks to everyone who has contributed to the library’s relocation, we are pleased to open our doors and invite the HRS community to explore the many joys of our beautiful new home.

.

A Global Family’s Tradition Andrei Ferrera, Director of Publications When Wendell Goddard left Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1964 to fly home to his native Michigan, he had no idea when he would return. More than forty years later, Goddard was back in Chiang Mai, this time, sharing the experience with his teenaged son, Geoffrey, a sophomore at Head-Royce. Last summer, Geoffrey was one of 16 HRS students participating in a three-week study trip to Thailand, Tibet, and China. One of the stops in Thailand was a visit to Prince Royal’s College, the same school where Geoffrey’s father had taught English in 1963 and 1964. Wendell Goddard was just 18 years old when he arrived in Chiang Mai. He grew up in a family that traveled often. “My family was very supportive of the notion of seeing the world and, in particular, getting involved in another culture.” Two weeks after graduating from Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he was in a classroom in Chiang Mai teaching English to 8th graders and seniors. Living in a house on campus with three other Americans, Wendell kept busy both in and outside of the classroom. “We hosted a weekly dinner and cultural discussion group, where we talked about Thai and American customs, and our religious differences and similarities,” he says. He also led a poetry group, chaperoned many school trips, and played soccer frequently with the students. “I came to Thailand because the year was certain to be a great experience. And it was far better that I ever imagined.” As Wendell recalls, it was sometime in 2002 that he noticed a small article in the Head-Royce newsletWendell Goddard with some of his ter, advertising the School’s students, spring 1964. plans for a travel-study trip to the far reaches of the globe. “I was amazed to learn of this travel program,” Wendell says, “and that our students were going to visit Prince Royal’s College — where I had taught!” Wendell contacted Guybe Slangen, who heads the School’s Global Education program and leads the Asia study trip. “Guybe arranged for me to come to campus to speak to the kids. I wanted to tell them what a great opportunity it was to be able to go abroad.” A few years later, Geoffrey, now in high school, had signed up for the Asia trip for summer 2007. Wendell and his wife Dessa decided this was an opportunity not to be missed. They made plans to meet Geoffrey when the group was scheduled to be in Thailand. After journeying through China and Tibet, Geoffrey met his parents in Chiang Mai. At Prince Royal’s College, as part of his homecoming, Wendell gave an hour-long talk to the students and teachers, reliving his days there and sharing some of his old photos. Before his return last summer, Wendell had contacted many of his former students, some of whom returned to Chiang Mai to see him.

“Students came from all over to see me, and that was very moving. One of my former students said to me, ‘Thank you for teaching me English. It has made what I do possible.’ This showed me that, even after all this time, I had made strong connections.” Geoffrey’s visit to Thailand continues a long family tradition. His grandfather, Wendell’s father, had traveled through the country (then called Siam) in 1928. “Being there with Geoffrey was a wonderful occasion, considering my father had traveled here in his twenties, and I spent a year here as a young man. Geoffrey is the third generation.” According to Slangen, the Goddards’ experience very closely matches the School’s Global Educa- Geoffrey Goddard ’10 in Thailand with his parents, Dessa and Wendell Goddard. tion mission. “The story of Wendell and his connections with his students is a great example of what we’re trying to do here,” says Slangen. “…to instill in our students an appreciation for the diverse cultures around the world.” The day they arrived at Prince Royal’s College, the students enjoyed a festive lunch with their hosts. They later participated in cultural arts lessons, and observed a rice planting demonstration. Geoffrey says it was very special to be at Prince Royal’s College, where his dad had spent such a formative year as an 18-year old. “I had heard my dad talk often about his time in Thailand. So being there with him really brought his experiences to life,” Geoffrey says. One memory of Thailand that stands out for Geoffrey took place in a small village. “We were at a Thai school, where we had been giving English lessons. A few of us met up with some other kids playing soccer. We joined in their game and we all got to know each other a little bit. It was a great day.” Geoffrey says he would certainly recommend the Global Education trips to other Head-Royce students. “Traveling abroad is important because it broadens your views of the world and gives you a sense of what life is like for people in other cultures and other countries; and at the same time, you’re experiencing these new and exciting things with your friends. I also feel that it’s made me more open to taking on new experiences.” Back home in Berkeley, the Goddards have been a host family for students from China, Costa Rica, and several countries in Europe. “Obviously, being 18 and out of high school and teaching in Chiang Mai had a profound impact on my life,” Wendell says. “It gave me a global perspective. For our son to have a similar opportunity, although briefly and at an earlier age, was very gratifying for us.”

.

Ten Reasons to Celebrate the New Read Library Crystal Land, Assistant Head of School & Academic Dean In late February, the School opened the new Read Library, a space that will be well-used and long-appreciated. In a day of innovative technology and constant communication, the library has evolved from its role of the past—a place to check out books—to a vibrant center of teaching and learning. The poet Billy Collins reminds us of the importance of libraries in his poem, “Books.” From the heart of this dark, evacuated campus I can hear the library humming in the night, a choir of authors murmuring inside their books along the unlit, alphabetical shelves, Giovanni Pontano next to Pope, Dumas next to his son, each one stitched together in his own private coat, together forming a low, gigantic chord of language. As we begin many years of listening to the “choir of authors” in our new space, here are 10 reasons to celebrate Read Library. 1. It’s the heart of the school both intellectually and physically. At the completion of the Master Plan, Read Library will serve as the physical epicenter of the School, as well as the center for our exchange of ideas. 2. The location is strategically placed between the Middle and Upper Schools providing easy access to over 500 6th-12th grade students and over 100 faculty members. 3. The design is spectacular: with high-vaulted ceilings, large windows and an aesthetically pleasing layout, the library is a place where we will want to spend our time. 4. Students will use the space for studying in groups or individually. With comfortable reading nooks and attractive study tables, the library will serve as a hub for the exchange of ideas. 5. It’s an open and inviting place for all in our larger community: parents, students, faculty, alums, and community members will find an open door for school events, parent coffees, and group meetings. 6. It provides us with tools for today and tomorrow. Through our extensive electronic databases, newspapers, periodicals and other resources, it offers users a trove of tools to better understand our world. 7. It’s a home for our 15,000 volumes, 13 desktop computers, 20 laptops for check out, 13 or so tables for group or individual study, one room reserved for quiet reflection, and many couches and chairs for relaxation. 8. The librarians are outstanding stewards of thinking and learning. Mary Goglio and Elizabeth Price Patel encourage curiosity and provide multiple paths to find answers and create questions.

9. Perhaps, most important: it’s filled with books. There is nothing like perusing a bookshelf looking for just the right book to read for school or for pleasure. Nothing will ever replace the joy of turning page after page while reading a good story. From E.B. White to Charlotte Bronte and from Robert Frost to W.E.B DuBois, there is a novel, poetry collection, biography or essay collection for anyone interested in opening the cover of a book. 10. Finally, Cicero said: A room without books is like a body without a soul. So, it’s time to enter our new room and start browsing to Yuji Winet ’08 studying in the new Read Library. feed our souls.

.

Campaign Reaches $14.8 Million! Since July 1, 2005, Head-Royce School has raised more than $14,875,000 for Building on Excellence, the Campaign for the 21st Century — representing more than $14 million for capital projects and $875,000 for our growing endowment. We have received gifts from the broad HRS community and are grateful to everyone who has helped make this project a success. We are pleased to recognize support from all constituencies in the chart below.

Alumni — 5% Trustees — 24%

Past Parents & Past Trustees — 9%

Parents — 23%

Estates — 4%

Grandparents — 11% Foundations — 24%

Signature Stones Helping Pave the Way for Students at

Head-Royce School

Head-Royce School welcomes your participation in an exciting new program that offers you a unique opportunity to support the School, while honoring your family, loved ones, teachers, or friends in a very special way. To commemorate the completion of Phase I of the School’s $31.1 million Master Plan and to support the anticipated completion of Phase II in fall 2008, we have established the “Signature Stones” program. View of the Courtyard looking east towards the new Upper School.

These attractive, 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" x 2" concrete paving stones will be installed in the spacious new Courtyard, located in the heart of the campus between the new Upper School Building and the new Library (examples of the concrete stones can be seen in the Courtyard adjacent to the World Languages Building). Your personalized message will be engraved on the stone and become part of the School’s most extensive transformation ever!

Donors making gifts of $1,000 or more to Building on Excellence: The Campaign for the 21st Century, which support the Master Plan, will be acknowledged through this fun and lasting recognition. Your gift will help ensure that we raise the remaining funds needed to complete Phase II projects, which include the new Upper School Building and conversion of the current Middle School to a second Upper School Building. Together, these facilities will provide over 41,000 square-feet of space, featuring 24 classrooms, six science laboratories, offices and a new 100-seat Café. Also included is the renovation of the current Upper School to a new Middle School. Help make these wonderful new improvements possible by making a tax-deductible donation today! This special opportunity is available only from January 1 through April 15, 2008.

r Yes, I would like to support

Building on Excellence: The Campaign for the 21st Century Name Address City/ State/Zip Phone E-mail

1 — — — — — — — — — — — —  — — — —  — —  —  — 

My check for $_____________ is enclosed. Please make payable to Head-Royce School. Please charge my:

Please engrave my personalized Signature Stone as follows: (Maximum lines 5. Maximum characters per line 20, including spaces and punctuation. Inscriptions will be in all capital letters and will be automatically centered.) Engraved Signature Stones will be the same paver type as those installed at the main entrance of campus.

r Visa

r MasterCard

2 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —  — — — — —  3 — — — — — — — — —  — — —  — — —  —  — — — —  r AmEx

Account Number Expiration Date

4 — — — — — — — — — — — —  — — — —  —  — — —  5 — — — — — — — — — — — —  — — — —  —  — — — 

Name on Card (print) Signature If you would like to participate in the Signature Stones program and make your contribution in installments, you may make a multi-year pledge payable by 6/30/10. Please enclose your first payment (minimum $333) with your form and indicate below the date and amount of future installments. $__________ ___ /___ /2009 $__________ ___ / ___ /2010 Donor signature (required) ________________________________ Date __________________ If honoring a relative or friend, please provide the name and address of the person to whom an acknowledgement should be sent.

Name

Please detach this form and mail to: Head-Royce School 4315 Lincoln Avenue Oakland CA 94602

(One form per paver order please; see HRS web site to download additional forms.)

Pavers are installed in the order they are received. We cannot guarantee paver placement. You will receive an acknowledgement letter that includes confirmation of your inscription. Head-Royce School reserves the right to request engraving changes or deny submissions. For questions or information, including named gift opportunities, please contact the Development Office at 510-531-1300 x2182.

Address City, State, Zip r I do not wish to participate in the program but would like to make a donation of $__________.

To contribute online and reserve your Signature Stone, go to www.headroyce.org/stones

Thank you for your support!

A Message from the President of the HRS Alumni Council Just before the winter holidays, I received an unexpected but welcome phone call from a fellow Head-Royce graduate who had worked for me during his senior project. He called to inquire if I could meet with him to discuss his summer plans. Specifically, he was looking for a summer internship between his junior and senior year of college. We met for lunch and as we discussed his summer plans, I became Tim Ripsteen ’93 aware of not only the connection I made with this particular alum, but also my reconnection to the School. Beyond possibly making a difference in the summer career of a fellow alum, I felt a further connection to the school—a sense that I had, in some minute way, had augmented the school curriculum. I am fairly certain the School does not offer a course titled, “do’s and don’ts for interviews and career paths,” but it might be a good idea for a senior elective. As president or the Alumni Association, I hope that all alumni who seek reconnection with the school find it. It’s my mission and that of the Alumni Council to facilitate connections for our alumni. To that end, I have a few suggestions for alumni to reacquaint themselves with the School. Perhaps you want to start off slow—visit campus, attend an athletic event, come to the reunion, or peruse our web site to glimpse of the School today; these are all excellent ways to reconnect with your alma mater. I especially encourage the alumni to come back to campus and see the amazing transformation underway. The new entrance, new World Languages Building, and new library give an excellent glimpse of what’s still to come. I think you will find that the new campus will give you a great sense of pride, just as our current students and recent alumni give us pride in our school. For those a bit more daring who would like to dive deep into reconnecting, I recommend making yourself available as a supervisor to participate in the senior projects that begin again on May 5 (for more info, see www.headroyce.org/seniorprojects). For those of you who did not have senior projects when you attended Head-Royce, the concept is simple: seniors go out into the world for four weeks during their second semester in search of an internship. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of mentoring three seniors in their projects. The seniors impress me with their intelligence and maturity—a level far superior to my own at their age. With each senior project, I feel as if I am dipping my toe back into campus life. It’s a nice reminder of what it was like to be a student at Head-Royce. I look forward to my next senior project student and encourage my fellow alumni to get involved.

su

richment ca r en mp e mm

A summer program for students entering grades K-12. Programs are from 8:30 am to 6 pm. An ideal program for working parents during summer. * * * * * * * * * *

Academics Sports Tennis Swimming Arts & Crafts Computer Science Performing Arts Physical Education Extended Care Algebra I & II (for credit) For a free catalog, please call our Summer Program Office, 510.531.1300, x2500. www.headroyce.org/summerprogram

We are proud to announce recipients of the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award: Brenden Holland ’81 & Daniel Rubinoff ’88 and the 2008 Founders Award: Cece McEneany Pereira ’58 & Frankie Hayden Rhodes ’58

Saturday march 29th 2008 C.E.

Alumni Reunion Weekend 2008

This year, the Centennial Class of 1988 celebrates their 20th reunion.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Alumni Day at Head-Royce School

Alumni Reunion Luncheon

Light lunch with faculty, Alumni-Student Panel, Class Visits, Roundtable with Head of School Tours of Campus and Construction Annual Maypole Dances

Claremont Hotel, Berkeley Honoring Classes ending in 8 or 3 and the Class of 2008 Alumni from all classes are welcome

Alumni: To become a class reunion chair or to volunteer, contact Betsy Ringrose ’85, 510 531-1300 x2191, [email protected]. Formal invitations will be mailed March 15.

4315 Lincoln Avenue Oakland, CA 94602 www.headroyce.org Address Service Requested

Read Library Dedication Tuesday, March 18 8 – 9:30 am

Printed with soy-based inks on 50% recycled paper that includes up to 30% post-consumer waste.

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage

paid

Permit 2693 Oakland, CA

Suggest Documents