Spring 2020, "The Next 100 Years"

Page 1

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   1


m a d e yo u lo o k

R A I N V I L L A G E Last fall, artist-in-residence Soo Hong spent three weeks creating a watery art installation that reflected themes of identity, belonging, and sense of place. The collaboration — the first of its kind at Lakeside, organized by visual arts teacher Jacob Foran — transformed the gallery space in the Pigott Family Arts Center. Eighty-eight ceramic raindrops, designed and 3D-printed by students, flowed along the base of the 96-foot-long mural, each as individual as its maker.

SEE A SLIDE SHOW of the making of the installation: lakesideschool.org/magazine

L AKESIDE MAGAZINE STAFF E D I T O R Jim Collins | A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S N E W S Kelly

Poort | W R I T E R S Amanda Darling, Jim Collins, Leslie Schuyler, Mike Lengel | A R T D I R E C T O R Carol Nakagawa | C O N T R I B U T I N G P H O T O G R A P H E R S Tom Reese, Clayton

Christy, Paul Dudley, Katie M. Simmons | C O P Y E D I T O R Mark Watanabe Lakeside magazine is published twice yearly by the communications office of Lakeside School. Views presented in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the school.

Photos: Tom Reese


contents C O V E R S T O R Y

A L U M N I N E W S

T H E C E N T E N N I A L PA RT 2

Class Connections 3 7

The Next 100 Years

2020 Bay Area Reunion 4 8

Lakeside’s Re-envisioning 1 8 • By Eric Hudson

In Memoriam 5 1

Forecast: Avalanche Science 2 4   • By Jim Collins

Diversity Celebration 5 0

Cover illustration by Fred Birchman

The Futurists 2 8

Head Note 2  Poetry: “The Essay” 3 6 Essay: “Art Lessons” 5 6 I N S I D E L A K E S I D E

Learning in the Time of COVID-19 3 Campus Briefs 4 Elaine Christensen ’82 Departs 5 Student Showcase 6 Transition at the Top of the Middle School 7 Lakeside Sketchbook 8 The Class of 2020 1 0 - 1 1

Writer/director Weston Gaylord '11 sees the future at the intersection of live performance and virtual reality. PAG E 2 8

Sports Roundup  1 2 Faculty Notes   1 3 Syllabus, Refugees 1 4 Farewells 1 5 TA L K TO U S We welcome your suggestions and letters. Reach us at magazine@lakesideschool.org; via social media; or Lakeside Magazine, 14050 1st Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125-3099. FIND US Facebook facebook.com/lakesideschool Twitter twitter.com/lakesideschool Instagram @Lakeside.Lions

Photo: Darragh Dandurand Illustration by Xxxx xxxx

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   1


he ad note

What the Future Needs Now E A R LY I N O U R R E M O T E L E A R N I N G this spring, I sat in on a weekly online yoga class

for students, faculty, and staff taught by our wellness teacher, and on a precalculus class mostly made up of juniors and taught by a member of the Upper School math department. I did some of the yoga exercises while sitting at my desk and found them remarkably relaxing, to the point of wanting to take a nap! I am not a yoga regular, but I found it was very effectively taught online. I did continue to drop into the class. Although the math students were thoroughly engaged in their precalculus, I didn’t continue that one. Math has never been my strong suit. Like many students in the country, Lakeside students continued their learning remotely this spring. Over the past two years, we have been planning a major shift in how we teach Lakeside students, moving from a curriculum driven substantially by content to one driven by competencies and mindsets. Our students will, of course, still need to learn and know content, but — with the proliferation of facts and information increasingly available at the click of a computer — not as much as they have in the past. We are sorting out which content is foundational to understanding and which can be learned when and if it is needed. Interestingly, the rapid shift to remote learning has accelerated this process. Faculty, while teaching the concepts necessary to an understanding of their fields, are eliminating less important content when possible. We know that Lakeside students will graduate into a world very different from today. A current 5th grader, for example, will graduate from college in 2031 and enter a world in which artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, and now the coronavirus pandemic have fundamentally changed the landscape for them. Fifty percent of the jobs they will have do not even exist yet, and once-stable professions such as medicine, law, insurance, business, banking, social work, and so on will be done in substantially different ways. Some current professions will cease to exist altogether. In this new context, it will be important that our students know what to do when they do not know what to do — that they have competencies and mindsets they can apply in any setting. 2   L AKESIDE

So, as Lakeside has done for the past 100 years, we are, even in these very uncertain times, preparing our students to thrive in the world of the future. We are doing this by teaching the competencies and mindsets that will allow them to make good decisions in both their personal and professional lives in a rapidly changing world. Take good care everyone, take care of one another, and stay healthy! BERNIE NOE • HEAD OF SCHOOL

Illustration by Fred Birchman


inside l ake side

Learning in the Time of COVID-19 “A quickly evolving situation … Unprecedented … Out of an abundance of caution … "

T

H E S E P H R A S E S resounded in our email inboxes and social media feeds earlier this year, as news spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Even for a school that has responded to numerous crises in its 100-year history, COVID-19 was utterly new: an international pandemic with Seattle becoming “ground zero” in the virus’s spread in the United States. By the end of February, Lakeside administrators and the school’s Medical Advisory Board were making difficult decisions to cancel events and fast-track plans for the possibility of school closure and pivot to remote learning, while Lakeside teachers and staff were working to maintain normalcy for students. The decision to close — originally through April 3 — was shared with families on March 8. In announcing Lakeside’s proactive closure, Head of School Bernie Noe wrote to the community: “This decision was not made lightly. It was informed not only by our priority to protect the health and safety of our students and employees but also by our communal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19.” Five days later, Gov. Jay Inslee ordered all Washington schools to close through April 24. In the blur of days that followed, positive cases in the Seattle area and around the country threatened to overwhelm health care systems, and COVID-19-related death totals rose exponentially. New phrases — “flattening the curve,” “social distancing” — entered our daily conversation. At Lakeside, two pedagogical terms quickly entered the lexicon: synchronous and asynchronous. “Synchronous instruction means that a class of students comes together at the same time, sharing an experience and

With the extra time and flexibility afforded by Lakeside’s shift to remote learning, 3D art student Hari K. ’21 completed a visually rich 40-second animation of a deserted lunar environment.

learning in community,” explained Academic Dean Hans de Grys. “Asynchronous instruction covers a range of activities where a student doesn’t have to be in the same place at the same time as their classmates. Students work at their own pace, in their own space, and sometimes on assignments of their own choosing.” During the first two weeks of remote school, Lakeside focused on providing quality asynchronous instruction: carefully crafted experiences with explicit guidelines, structures, and supports. Then, with a structure in place and with people feeling more comfortable with online teaching tools, teachers folded in increased amounts of synchronous learning. Those first weeks of the closure were also a time of intense technology and student and family support. By April 6, the gravity of the pandemic had become clear. Gov. Inslee extended the on-site closure of

all schools through the end of the school year. In a video message that went out to students and parents and guardians, Noe recognized how hard this message would be on students — especially to seniors who would miss out on the traditional rites of passage of senior spring. Standing alone in front of Bliss Hall, Noe said, movingly, “To all of you: We can’t be with you in person — but we are with you virtually, we are with you in spirit. We are here for you, and we want to help you in any way that we can. We will get through this together.” Lakeside shifted gears. What had started as a sprint turned into a marathon. The faculty would now spend a total of 12 weeks teaching students remotely. In addition to classwork, students, teachers, and staff connected through synchronous advisory meetings, clubs, activities, and affinity groups. Parents and guardians were ( C O N T I N U E D O N N E X T PA G E )

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   3


inside l ake side C O V I D -1 9 ( C O N T I N U E D )

Campus Briefs C A R E E R D AY

I

n February, Lakeside hosted the region’s first-ever independent school diversity career fair. Seventeen schools and more than 100 educators — from the greater Seattle area and as far away as Portland, Oregon — shared experiences and information for people of color interested in working in independent schools. During the half-day session, attendees heard first-hand descriptions of working life and learned about topics such as compensation and benefits, mentorship and support programs, and opportunities for professional development. During the “hiring fair” part of the event, attendees had the chance to network with schools, learn about job postings, and share résumés.

N AT I O N A L M E D A L I S T S

T

hree Lakeside students received national awards in the Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards. Junior Anya S. ’21 received a National Gold Medal for her essay, “The White Man,” in the personal essay and memoir category. Also in the personal essay and memoir category, Gabi G. ’24 was awarded a National Gold Medal for her essay, “This Is Not What I Signed Up For,” and Iris O. ’24 received a National Silver Medal for her es-

say, “Ear-iss; A Blank Slate.” The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for students in grades 7 to 12. This year, students submitted more than 350,000 works of visual art and writing.

N EW ST U D E N T G ROU P S

T

his school year, the number of affinity and alliance offerings doubled with the recognition of three new student groups: the South Asian Affinity Group, an Interfaith and Spirituality affinity group, and an anti-racist student alliance group. The creation of the spirituality group — which had been requested by students — reflected a departure from school policy prohibiting faith-based clubs on campus. In his letter to the community announcing the change, Bernie Noe wrote, “We cannot be a truly inclusive school if students cannot bring their whole selves to school every day, and their religious identity is, of course, part of their whole self. We do expect this new policy will be complicated from time to time because we will not allow views to be espoused at school which are inimical to our mission, and we will work with those complications when they arise. That is life in a democratic society…”

offered a webinar series “Parenting in the age of COVID-19,” presented by Lakeside’s student and family support team; virtual Q&As with administrators; and grade-level check-ins. Meanwhile, both teachers and students took advantage of the circumstance that had been forced on them. History teacher Mary Anne Christy, with the help of Kelly Poort in the alumni relations office, recruited six attorneys and a federal judge from within the Lakeside alumni community to serve as online coaches for small teams of students in Christy’s class’s moot court. Students dove deep into projects that captured their interest. The switch to remote learning accelerated the school’s re-envisioning of its curriculum. It quickly became clear how essential it was for students — ­­ as well as adults — ­­ to demonstrate resilience, unstructured problem-solving, and collaboration and leadership, as well as a mindset of growth and learning. All the competencies and mindsets were on full display at the close of the academic year ­­— from determining an equitable grading practice, to safely celebrating the Class of 2020 with a creative drive-in graduation (see Pages 8-9), to planning for reopening Lakeside in the fall, in what is anticipated to be a blended-learning model, with students on campus sometimes and working remotely at other times. It is hard to know what exactly the future will bring. But Noe is clear that Lakeside’s mission has remained its North Star. “Everyone at the school,” he said, “is still making every effort to nurture ethical spirits in our students, to develop the meaning and value of community, and to inspire a love of learning.” — Amanda Darling, Director of Commnunications

4   L AKESIDE


Elaine Christensen ’82 to Head Open Window School

E

L A I N E C H R I S T E N S E N ’ 8 2 walked onto Lakeside’s campus as a high school freshman in the fall of 1978. Fourteen years later, she returned to Lakeside to teach English and lead the school’s community service program (precursor of service learning), and, eager “to be of use,” she jumped on opportunities when they arose. She discovered she had a talent for the big-picture vision and attention to detail required of education administrators. She became dean of students, assistant and associate director of the Upper School. Then, rising above five sitting middle school principals who had emerged through a national search, she was named director of Lakeside’s Middle School in 2012. At the end of the current school year, Christensen walked away from Lakeside onto a new campus into a new opportunity, as the head of Open Window School, an independent K-8 school in Bellevue. Christensen’s impact on Lakeside will be felt by generations of students to come. “Because I was an administrator for 20 years,” she says, “I got to lead or be a part of creating a lot of facets of Lakeside that are now a part of the culture.” In partnership with colleagues and students, Christensen helped Lakeside shape its commitment to service and service learning; draft Lakeside’s mission statement; institute the house system and the Judicial Committee; define the May Day and “Senior Run Through” rituals and the way we do prom; establish the system we use for student clubs; reinvigorate the school’s rowing program; and kick-start the current re-envisioning initiative. “It’s an amazing place to be a part of,” she says, “and I take so much with me. I’m grateful for what I’ve learned about leadership and about how important our core values are … for all the students, and colleagues, and parents … so many people I’ve met along the way.” As an alum, the parent of alums, and the partner of Upper School English teacher Erik Christensen, her ties to Lakeside will remain strong. In making the announcement to the school community, Head of School Bernie Noe said, “Elaine is a high-integrity person who, for the past 27 years, has devoted her time and energy to making Lakeside School the best it can be for our students, parents and guardians, and faculty and staff. It has been a privilege to work with her.”

Elaine Christensen has been a Lakeside student, teacher, coach, administrator, and parent. Some scenes: On stage (third from left). Cheering with family. Below, with rowing coaches (second from right).

— Leslie Schuyler Archivist, Jane Williams ’60 Archives at Lakeside

Photos from the Lakeside Archives and courtesy of Elaine Christensen ’82

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   5


inside l ake side

STUDENT SHOWCASE

David’s Artist Statement W E W E R E A L L B O R N D R E A M I N G . And while they motivate and

push us, there is a dark side to dreams: the more connected the world becomes, the more the world seems to grow; and the more it grows, the more our already seemingly small existence shrinks and the distance between us and our aspirations lengthens. But despite all this, we still hold on to them closely and tenaciously. And we are trying. Believe me, we are trying. As we write our dreams onto paper boxes and release them to sea to wait for the universe’s response, it’s clear: we’re lost. We save our fortunes from fortune cookies, we live vicariously through Hollywood’s heroes, and we play games where we can try to be a hero as many times as we need. We still dream. We still care. We just don’t know what to do after that. We were all born dreaming, yes. But we were also born into a world against our dreams — into a world where we have to fight and push to keep our dreams burning and unsmothered. Those of us whom you call lazy? Apathetic? A slacker? They are the ones who are, quite understandably, too scared or who fell short in a world that looms over them more than ever. And sometimes those are the ones who dreamed the biggest.

6   L AKESIDE

PA P E R D R E A M S Some 2,200 students took up The New York Times on its second annual challenge to “show us your generation” — to photograph aspects of teenage life that push back against stereotypes and make the portrait of Generation Z more interesting, nuanced, complete, or real. And for the second year in a row, a Lakeside photography student’s image and artist’s statement were published along with the contest’s 15 winners. David C. ’22 captured this luminous moment at Seattle’s annual Water Lantern Festival on Green Lake.

Photo: David C. ’22


Middle School Welcomes Reem Abu Rahmeh

R

E E M A B U R A H M E H has been hired as the director of Lakeside Middle School. She brings with her a wealth of experience and a global perspective. She was the founding dean of the middle school at King’s Academy, an independent, coeducational boarding and day school in Madaba, Jordan. King’s Academy was started in 2007 by King Abdullah II to be a school for leaders from across the Middle East. Abu Rahmeh brings, as well, a familiarity with Lakeside’s approach and philosophy. Along with Lakeside, King’s Academy was a founding member of the Global Online Academy. When the school decided in 2015 to expand to include younger students, Abu Rahmeh used Lakeside’s mission-based model for inspiration to help design, establish, and launch the academy’s new division for 7th and 8th grades. As a trained pianist, chamber musician, and founding faculty member, Abu Rahmeh established a music program at the new academy, expanding it from six musicians to more than 70 by the school’s third year. At that

time, she was tapped to become the freshman class dean and associate dean of students, taking a place on the school’s leadership team. Her experience with boarding students, she says, has taught her to understand education beyond the walls of the classroom, “to think of the whole student, how to support students in all aspects of their lives.” In accepting the position at Lakeside, Abu Rahmeh says she was especially excited about the school’s work on equity and inclusion and its new initiative focusing on competencies and mindsets. “People here are so dedicated to moving forward,” she says, “even at a school that’s a hundred years old. I want to be a part of that.” She assumed her new role on July 1.

Wellesley L. Wilson to Lead Admissions and Financial Aid

I

Wellesley Wilson, photographed at Lakeside’s Middle School campus in December, 2019. Bottom photo: Tom Reese

N E A R LY J U N E , Wellesley L. Wilson began her new role as Lakeside’s director of admissions and financial aid. She fills a position left open by Booth Kyle’s departure in 2019 to become head of Indian Creek School in Maryland. In an email to faculty and staff announcing the hire, Head of School Bernie Noe wrote, “From the moment the search committee first met Wellesley, we were all impressed with her thorough knowledge of the admissions process, her sensitivity, and her respect for all applicants.” For her part, Wilson says, “The ethical and personal-responsibility dimensions of the program were really important to me in the interviewing process. I respect the framework for the education here.” Wilson comes to Lakeside from a similar position at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, a grade 5 to 12 girls school of 717 stu-

dents. Over five years at Harpeth Hall, Wilson increased the upper school admission yield by 20%, increased enrollment of students of color by 42%, and developed a strategic admissions outreach program, among other accomplishments. From 2008 to 2015, Wilson directed upper school admissions at her alma mater, the Maret School, an independent coeducational school in Washington, D.C. An avid reader and podcast listener (history-themed programs such as “The Dollop” and “Lore” are current favorites), Wilson says she’s excited about coming to a new part of the country. Lakeside School and its community may be the biggest draw, but not the only one. “I grew up in the D.C. area,” says Wilson “I went to school at Bowdoin and Georgetown. I’m not sure I realized how important it was to me to be near water.” S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   7


8   L AKESIDE


inside l ake side LAKESIDE SKETCHBOOK

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   9


inside l ake side

CLASS PORTRAIT

S E N I O R W A L L For the past 15 years, as a collective graduation gift, Lakeside’s Parents and Guardians

Association has arranged a black-and-white photo exhibit of the senior class on a wall in the Wright Community Center. This year, along with so much else, the senior spring tradition was forced to adapt. Photographer Katie M. Simmons took the images and made them available, instead, as a digital portrait of the entire class.

10   L AKESIDE


Class of 2020 College Choices

Class of 2020

BY THE NUMBERS

W H E N C O V I D - 1 9 caused colleges to close in mid-March, seniors were final-

izing their college choices. Unable to visit the schools, they participated in virtual open houses and spoke with Lakeside alumni. They chose colleges during unprecedented uncertainty. Would campuses open in the fall? Would freshmen begin college over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Hangouts? While answers are only starting to surface, it’s clear that the college experience, at least this fall, will look very different from prior years — and that the class of 2020 will need to harness its resilience and nimbleness to ensure a successful transition to college. — Ari Worthman, director of college counseling

Barnard College 1

Occidental College 1

Bates College 1

Pitzer College 2

Boston College 1

Pomona College 2

Boston University 1

Princeton University

Bowdoin College 3

Purdue University 1

Brown University 3

Santa Clara University

Carleton College 2

Scripps College 3

Carnegie Mellon University

1

Stanford University

7

Case Western Reserve University

2

Swarthmore College

1

Chapman University

2

Syracuse University

1

Claremont McKenna College

3

Texas Christian University

1

Colby College 1 Colorado College 1 Columbia University

1

Dartmouth College 4 Davidson College 1 Duke University 3 Fordham University

1

Georgetown University

1

Gonzaga University

1

Harvard University 4 Harvey Mudd College

2

Hillsdale College 1 Juilliard School 1 Louisiana State University

1

Loyola Marymount University

4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5

3 2

Tufts University 3 United States Military Academy 1 University of California (Berkeley)

8 2

Lakeside football seniors received All-Metro League recognition. One was named the league’s most valuable offensive player. seniors won awards in the statewide Spanish writing competition (one for poetry and one for prose).

22,450

milliliters of homemade biodiesel fuel were synthesized by seniors in O-Chem from soybean oil and potassium methoxide — enough to power one of our school buses.

1

University of California (Los Angeles) 2 University of Chicago

1

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1 University of Michigan

1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1

University of Oxford

1

University of Pennsylvania

1

University of Southern California

3

University of St. Andrews

1

University of Vermont

3

University of Virginia

1

University of Washington

8

Middlebury College

4

Vassar College 1

New York University - NYC

4

Washington University in St Louis

New York University - Shanghai

1

Wellesley College 2

Northeastern University

1

Williams College 3

Northwestern University

4

Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1

Oberlin College 1

Yale University 4

5

8

regulars met for Sunday night swing dancing at the Century Ballroom on Capitol Hill.

15,522

service learning hours were completed by the senior class as of May 1, an average of 114 service hours per student; 602.5 hours were completed by one senior alone (Alice Wang ’20). S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   11


inside l ake side AT H L E T I C S

Girls Soccer, Swimming Teams Rule Metro League BY MIKE LENGEL

I

T W O U L D B E S A F E to say that on the soccer field last fall, not much made it past sophomore goalkeeper Hannah D. ’22. Goals? Nope. On the season, she racked up 13 individual shutouts in 22 games, posting a remarkable .236 goals-against average (the average number of goals she allowed per game). Awards? She snatched them up, too. Her stellar work in the net made her the Metro League’s Mountain Division Most Valuable Player and the Star Times Goalkeeper of the Year. The Lions finished with 18 wins against just two losses and had 12 All-Metro League team nominations. They picked up their second consecutive Metro League title along

the way on a 35-yard, game-winning free kick by Nina C. ’22. (Watch that stunning goal here: https://bit. ly/2yNHB4y). Program head and varsity coach Derrek Falor was named Metro League Coach of the Year for his team’s efforts. Lakeside went on to take fourth place in the Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) state tournament. Along with Hannah, Lily S. ’21, Kara O. ’22, and Laurel Ovenell ’20 were selected to the 2019 Washington State Soccer Coaches Association All-State Team. In the pool, the Lions girls swim and dive team made waves of their own, winning an unmatched sixth consecutive Metro League title. Sophomore Mackenzie M. ’22 took

home the individual Metro trophy in the 100-butterfly, and senior Nathalie Valdman ’20 won both the 100and 200-yard freestyle with times of 1:50.5 and 52.09, respectively. Nathalie would go on to capture WIAA state titles in the 200- and 500-freestyle, at 1:48.92 and 4:52.80, respectively, both times marked as the second-fastest in state history. Elsewhere in the fall, junior golfer Kevin H. ’21 lifted the individual Metro League trophy (the fourth consecutive Lakeside boy to win the title); senior Fred Liu ’20 set four new school cross-country records on his way to taking third place in Metro and 17th at state; senior football player Eli Trop ’20 was named the Metro League’s Sound Division Offensive MVP, thanks to 1,119 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on the season; and freshman volleyball player Rebecca DeP. P. ’23 earned a spot on the All-Metro team. When fall gave way to winter, it was the boys swim and dive team’s turn to make a splash. Every Lakeside

Left to right: Stalwart keeper Hannah Dickinson ’22, school record-setter Fred Liu ’20, wrestling co-captain (and academic state champion) Liz Bowen ’20.

12   L AKESIDE

Photos: Clayton Christy | Collage: Mike Lengel


Follow Lakeside Athletics on Facebook on Twitter at @LakesideLions

swimmer on the roster qualified for the Metro League championship meet, and of the 56 total events where a Lion made an appearance, 44 resulted in personal bests for Lion swimmers. Senior Alex Baker '20 captured the individual Metro League trophy for the 100-butterfly event, clocking in at 51.54 seconds. The team took second in the Metro League and swam to a fifth-place finish in the state. The wrestling team’s roster size continued to expand, putting 30 wrestlers on the mat this season. For the second year in a row, both the boys and girls teams were WIAA Academic State champions, with team GPAs of 3.62 and 3.838, respectively. Senior co-captains Liz Bowen ’20 and Bryent Takayama ’20 were individual academic state champions, and both represented Lakeside in the WIAA state tournament at the Tacoma Dome. Girls basketball had another strong season, earning fourth place in the Metro League, their best finish since the 2014-2015 season, while boys basketball made a statement and notched a win in the Metro League tournament. Unfortunately, the Lions' spring athletics season was over before it officially began as the Metro League, the WIAA, and all other youth and professional leagues around the world shut down operations because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an unprecedented ending to Lakeside’s historic centennial year. Mike Lengel is the assistant director of athletics at Lakeside School. Photo: Shaya Bendix Lyon

Merissa Reed

FACULTY NOTES

News and sightings from outside the classroom

Middle School history teacher Merissa Reed received the University of Chicago’s 2019 Outstanding Educator Award. Each year, the university invites its first-year students to nominate a former teacher who “influenced them, challenged them, or helped them along the path toward intellectual growth.” A letter by Alexander Prakash '19 — whose passion for law was sparked by Reed’s 7th-grade history class — won the nomination from among the hundreds of letters submitted for the honor. Following a Metro League championship and a fourth place state finish, girls soccer coach Derrek Falor was named 2019 Metro League Mountain Division Coach of the Year, while Chris Hartley was the Metro League Athletic Director of the Year. In December, as chair of the National Association of Independent Schools’ executive committee, Head of School Bernie Noe delivered the opening remarks at the association’s annual People of Color Conference, held this year in Seattle. Lakeside presenters and panelists at the conference included Debbie Bensadon, Felicia Wilks, Yvette Avila, Heather Butler, Dave Miller, and Fakhereddine Berrada. Led by choir teacher Mary Clementi, the 23 students of the Lakeside Concert Choir performed on stage before more than 1,000 conference attendees from all over the world. Lakeside’s concert band director, Nse Ekpo, was welcomed as the new Heather Bentley (left), with conductor of the Issaquah Kin of the Moon. Philharmonic Orchestra. Ekpo, whose first conducting experience was at his own high school graduation, has a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of South Carolina and has conducted internationally with the Beijing Opera Theater, the University of Washington Wind Ensemble, and the Pazardjik Symphony Orchestra in Pazardjik, Bulgaria. Middle School music teacher Heather Bentley had an extraordinary 16-day run in February. The composer, improviser, and concert violinist/violist had three of her original compositions performed and a first album released — with four different ensembles. Seattle’s Thalia Symphony performed Bentley’s “Laniakea” at Benaroya Hall. The North Corner Chamber Orchestra presented Bentley’s glass-blowing-inspired “Hot Shop.” Bentley’s own Cornish faculty chamber troupe, Kin of the Moon, performed her piece, “Winter Walks on the Moon.” And her improvisation group, Cha, celebrated the release of its first album, “Remembering Backward,” with a party at Gallery 1412 in Seattle’s Central District. Retiring Upper School English teacher Brian Culhane had three poems accepted by the Hudson Review. His poem “The Essay” appears on Page 36 of this issue.

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   13


inside l ake side SYLLABUS

E482 Literary Explorations: A Quest for Queer Literature

T

H E E L E C T I V E “ Q 4 Q ,” as I’ve dubbed it, was inspired by an independent study with two students in the Class of 2016, Lulu Klebanoff and Meg Ruppel. The course seeks to fill the absences of LGBTQ+ literature in our regular English courses and electives. I intentionally

designed the course so that LGBTQ+ students could see themselves clearly reflected in our curriculum and in our departmental priority to ensure that all students here feel valued and validated. Members of the class research and present papers on the works in our reading list or use the list as a jumping-off point — continuing the quest to find boundary-breaking LGBTQ+ novels, stories, plays, poems, and essays that, as students have said, provide both maps and models. Readings in the course have included James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room,” “Tony Kushner’s Angels in America,” Michael Cunningham’s “The Hours,” Daisy Hernandez’s “A Cup of Water Under My Bed,” Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart,” Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple,” Jeanette Winterson’s “Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal,” Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” and “Blues Divine,” a powerful poetry collection by Lakeside alum Storme Webber ’77. Future iterations of the course might bring in Alexander Chee’s “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel,” Ivan Coyote’s “Tomboy Survival Guide,” Patricia Highsmith’s “The Price of Salt,” Jamie O’Neill’s “At Swim, Two Boys,” Ocean Vuong’s “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” the novel and film version of André Aciman’s “Call Me By Your Name,” and Barry Jenkins’ film “Moonlight.” The titles in this course are eclectic and wide-ranging, drawn from diverse eras and traditions. Some of the authors will be familiar to Lakeside students; most will be new. Beyond the themes of gender, sexuality, and identity, the works share one important quality: distinct literary merit.

THE REFUGEE PROJECT

F

O R T H E PA S T two years, a joint project between the 6th-grade social studies class taught by Judy Rogers and the art class taught by Suzanne Granger has brought a small measure of joy to children living in Zaatari, the world’s largest camp for Syrian refugees. The idea for the project, facilitated by the nonprofit group The Memory Project, is disarmingly simple: provide American students with photos of refugee children, have the students draw portraits based on the photos, and distribute the portraits back at the refugee camps, where they become a rare and sometimes only keepsake of childhood. 14   L AKESIDE

The nonprofit describes its work as promoting intercultural awareness, friendship, and kindness among children around the world through the universal language of art. At Lakeside, the project accomplishes that and more. Rogers has adjusted her social studies unit on immigration and refugees to use Syria and Zaatari as examples

— Lindsay Aegerter, Upper School English Teacher

­ the photos the students receive put — a human face on the humanitarian crisis. In her art class, Granger has replaced her self-portrait unit with portraiture made from the refugee photos — seamlessly transferring her teaching of the skills of value and proportion and shading. “The students know their paintings will be gifts, which raises the stakes, and the engagement,” says Granger. The Lakeside students have only the photo to work with, plus the name, age, and favorite color of the child. “Over two months, though,” says Granger, “the students stare into the eyes of these refugees. By the end, it feels like they almost know them.” Illustration: Fred Birchman (Syllabus)


I’m interested in leadership, in role models, the whole picture.…” — Sandy Schneider

The Faculty Class of 2020 Five veteran faculty members hang up their whistles and put down their chalk Sandy Schneider

Physical Education Teacher, Coach 1979–2020

S

H E ’ L L B E R E M E M B E R E D for her basketball teams, the 56game winning streak, the five state championships. In 2016, she was inducted into the Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. She came out of retirement not once, but three times, because her passion for coaching and shaping young lives wouldn’t stop burning. “When Sandy Schneider came back after her last retirement,” said Chris Hartley, Lakeside director of athletics, “I knew I would see incredible planning and execution. I knew I would

see someone who connected deeply with her athletes. What I didn’t think I would see is a hall-of-fame coach reinvent how she would teach the game of basketball. She embarked on a new system with the idea that this was a whole new set of athletes, and that there had been great progress in teaching fundamentals and strategy of the game. She truly modeled the commitment to always be the best possible version of herself.” Schneider showed up early and stayed late, putting in time that her players and PE students never saw, but which made a difference. She was a great, supportive listener and an inspiring speaker. Junior basketball co-captain Sara Wetstone ’94 once said to a newspaper reporter, “When

Portrait by Katie M. Simmons and Barry Wong’s photo students, 2016

Sandy talks to us, sometimes I think I’m going to start crying, I’m so impressed.” Said longtime assistant coach Kivonne Tucker, “Sandy works the kids. She yells at the kids. But she’ll bend over backwards for them, and the kids know that.” Schneider was a child of Title IX, a multi-sport college athlete who championed children and the potential of girls to become strong, confident young women. She was outspoken about sexism and unfairness in the world of sport. She fought against the notion that men were more qualified than women to coach. “Male coaches are interested in basketball,” she said. “I’m interested in leadership, in role models, the whole picture. It’s way bigger than basketball.” When Schneider retired at the end of the 2020 school year, it was for the last time. This past spring, dealing with remote teaching and recovery from a broken kneecap, Schneider didn’t miss a day, never complained, showed up at every meeting looking forward and working hard for the kids. Middle School colleague Tom Rona said, “Sandy’s tireless efforts helped students and athletes grow into good people. Her devotion to Lakeside made her an awesome contributor to our community for four decades.”

Kivonne Tucker

Physical Education Teacher, Coach 1986–2020

I

N J A N U A R Y this year, an email from Kivonne Tucker and Sandy Schneider went out to their Lakeside colleagues: “After 70 years of service at Lakeside School and 82 years of teaching, Kivonne and Sandy are hanging up their whistles. Between us, we have been the MS and US Athletic Directors; taught Grade 5-10 PE, Health, & Life Skills; coached US and MS basketball, softball, track, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country. We’ve S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   15


RETIREES

I started working when I was about 6 years old. It’s time to take a break and see where life takes me.” — Kivonne Tucker

traveled with Lakeside students to Germany, Japan, China, Thailand, Utah, Alaska, California, Arizona, Spokane, and the Tacoma Dome many, many times. We’ve walked the boardwalk at the beach, and cherished our time with the Makah people. We’ve loved the ride (but we are tired of driving the bus)!” It was signed by both women, but the warmth and humor were Tucker signatures. She was built for teaching wellness and physical education because she cared about the well-being of her students, and she knew how to reach them. Her purple hair and painted-art nails threw kids off-balance and made her approachable. She gave out thoughtful gifts and timely snacks and beautifully handmade cards. They all meant the same thing. Concern. Connection. “Kivonne,” says English teacher Erik Christensen, her co-advisor, “is one of the most kind-hearted people I know … a life-cheerleader … a force for good.” “I wish I had started at Lakeside earlier,” says PE colleague Jeff Kim, “so I could have worked with Kivonne longer.”

Scott Jamieson

Middle School Science Teacher 1985–2020

S

C O T T J A M I E S O N honed the craft of teaching 6th-

grade science students into a fine art. He fervently believed in hands-on learning. He taught his students human evolution through skull replicas, density through sink/float contests, and engineering by designing and constructing hydraulic creatures. When he kept his classroom open during lunch period for students who wanted extra engineering time, he routinely had 30 or 40 students happily giving up lunch for that extra time. The students loved the glass-blowing, especially, and Jamieson’s Hal16   L AKESIDE

I paid for room and board in grad school by being a teaching assistant. Those experiences were transformative for me. They made it clear that my calling was in teaching.” — Scott Jamieson

loween science unit was legendary. His room reflected the man himself: full of interesting ideas, warm ambience, and an atmosphere of trust and respect. When the new Middle School was built in 1999, Jamieson insisted that his classroom have extra cubbies, so that every student had a place to store various projects and lab equipment. He arranged his classroom differently than any other in the Middle School, with twice as many chairs as students: One set of chairs was in a circle at the front where students talked together with their teacher about science; the other set was at lab tables where students did experiments and activities in pairs. “I liked to give students a lot of responsibility,” says Jamieson, “and I held them to high standards for learning and interacting with one another.”

Brian Culhane

Upper School English Teacher 1995–2020

B

R I A N C U L H A N E was an erudite teacher from the old school who insisted on precision of the English language. In his classes on Victorian literature or the Heroic Tradition, he’d ut-


Early in my career, I discovered that I possess a passion of equal importance to that of teaching math: working with young people as they form who they want to be in this world.” —Angie Orr

I learned about Lakeside from my thesis advisor, Hazard Adams ’43. He suggested that I apply. Not only had he gone here, but his father had been the Head. I was totally bowled over by the academic level of the students and felt immediately at home here.” — Brian Culhane

ter “internecine” or maybe “persiflage,” notice the slightest tilt of the head of a confused student, and pause the discussion to enlighten the class with etymology. (Serendipity? Invented by Horace Walpole in a fairy tale about three princes who, through a series of fortuitous accidents, discover a lost camel on the island of Serendip, an old Persian name for Sri Lanka.…) His vocabulary was prodigious and a source of awe and amusement among his colleagues in the English department. He quoted Frost and Chaucer and Milton at length, and urged his students to memorize poems, recalls Michael Edmonson ’16, “not to impress others, but rather to store them as companions for long walks at night,” perhaps as a stay against loneliness. He favored chalk and puns and tweed jackets. His cramped office overflowed with memorabilia and piles of books. He called it “the Bat Cave.” He relished sharing with students what it meant to be human.

Angie Orr

Upper School Math Teacher 2000–2020

W

AT C H I N G A N G I E O R R teach students for whom math has been a challenging and not always positive experience is to see a textbook demonstration of scaffolding, participation, and Photos: Tom Reese

inclusiveness. Her reverence for math is part of her approach. “As a young person,” Orr says, “I realized the importance of the role mathematical thinking plays in comprehending the world around us, participating in our democracy, and analyzing information to make good choices for our families, and communities. Math intersects with issues of equity and social justice. I wanted to become an educator because I love math and love working with young people and believe that they all are capable of learning math at high levels, given the right amount of challenge and support for their individual needs.” Her gifts include empathy and caring, a healthy sense of humor and a huge heart. Says colleague Ben McKinley, “Angie works her magic with any level of student, but her unending patience puts her at the top of her profession for working with the students who struggle with math. She connects with them, and they keep coming back for more of her wisdom and gentle touch.” One of her classes became such a safe space and a tight-knit community that the students got together and took Orr out to breakfast for her birthday as a gesture of appreciation. McKinley points to the same unending, unconditional love Orr showed her students that she has for her own children. “We are losing a star teacher and a beautiful human being,” he says.

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   17


LAKESIDE’S RE-

Our goal is to do what Lakeside has done so well for 100 years: prepare our students to live joyful lives of meaning and service in the world they find when they graduate.” — Bernie Noe, Head of School

18   L AKESIDE


-ENVISIONING

BY E R I C H U D S O N | I L LU S T R AT I O N S BY A L A N L E E

Preparing students now for the needs of the next century places Lakeside at the center of a critical conversation happening in education: Is school designed for the way people learn?

T

H I N K A B O U T something you know how to do well — so well that doing this thing can feel easy, almost automatic. What is this skill? How did you become good at it? How do you know you’re good at it? Now, think about something new that you’re still trying to learn. What does it feel like to learn something new? What is hard about it? Exciting? What motivates you to take on the challenge of learning this new thing? Your answers to these questions get at the heart of how people learn. Your answers might involve emotions like curiosity, joy, frustration, or determination. They might include mentors, or books, or practice, or hours of YouTube videos. They might include stories of victories, or failed attempts, or praise, or criticism. What has surprised me over the years of asking this question is that one answer comes up a lot less often than you would think: school. When considering the future of school, it’s important to think separately about two concepts that often get conflated: education and learning. Learning is not education; it is the goal of education. Learning is a complex endeavor, a stew of cognition and emotion that happen when we make the effort to try something new, react to and remember elements of that experience, try again, and develop over time a refined

understanding and mastery of that thing. Successful learning depends on intrinsic motivation, on our internal desire to know and do more. Education is the formal system we have designed to help people — in particular, young people — learn. Traditionally, it involves a number of design elements that, when taken together, add up to what most of us would recognize as a school: a building or buildings divided into rooms in which there are seats occupied by students led by a teacher. Any number of other elements might be included: a whiteboard, writing utensils, notebooks, posters, perhaps technology like a projector and laptops, etc. Students move through days according to a set schedule. They receive instruction and work through curriculum designed by teachers. They move through years according to set grade levels. They mark educational transitions with grades and transcripts and diplomas. Lakeside’s re-envisioning project places the school at the center of an important conversation happening in education right now: Is school designed for the way people learn? Education is changing because the world is changing. The core demand of our global society is that we adapt to, navigate, and create new networks of people and information. The value of “content” and “knowledge” is shifting constantly, and the ability to learn quickly, in a variety of contexts, with new tools, is more important than ever. The question being asked of us is no longer, “What do you know?” but “How do you learn?” The role of education has always been to create safe, supportive, engaging environments where learners can develop the skills necessary to succeed in the world. But what should those environments look like, especially now, when the world is changing so quickly and so radically? The COVID-19 crisis has made this conversation S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   19


RE-ENVISIONING (CONTINUED)

Teaching for the Next Century

L

AKESIDE’S RE-ENVISIONING

encompasses a set of projects exploring new ways to answer the question: Within the frame-

work of Lakeside’s mission and values, how do we best teach students to make good decisions and act on them? The exploration has been animated by research suggesting a vastly different world our graduates will enter in the coming decades. Over the past two years, we have narrowed our focus to six specific competencies and seven mindsets we believe our school should focus on teaching students during the course of their time here. We believe these are critically important for students to engage in during grades 5 to 12 in preparation for their future educational goals and to lead personal and professional lives of purpose. Learn more at lakesideschool.org/re-envisioning. COMPETENCIES ( W H AT G R A D U AT E S CAN DO)

Cognitive Flexibility Content knowledge acquisition • Cross-disciplinary thinking • Courage in the face of the unknown • Letting go of work and starting over • Discernment

Collaboration and Leadership Accountability • Taking initiative • Conflict resolution • Being a team player • Feedback

Communication and Listening Active listening • Speaking and presenting • Active reading • Compelling writing and visual communications • Articulating multiple perspectives

20   L AKESIDE

not just important, but urgent. How are we to think about campus, classroom, and curriculum when our commonly shared notions no longer apply? Are schools prepared for a world that will ask us — and, as we’ve seen recently, sometimes require us — to think more flexibly about when, where, and how students learn? As part of Lakeside’s current re-envisioning project, its articulation of competencies and mindsets has helped the school make meaningful strides towards answering these questions. The competencies and mindsets capture a vision that focuses on learning outcomes that matter far beyond school, opening a number of exciting new possibilities for how students might demonstrate those outcomes.

Why Pursue Competencies and Mindsets?

P

lacing mastery of relevant, demonstrable skills at the center of the learning experience is at once progressive and traditional. The model may feel new because it is so different from the current norm, but successful competency-based learning (as it is widely known) is rooted in the centuries-old apprenticeship model, where learning happened through authentic practice supported by a master mentor. Efforts to bring more authenticity to the school experiences have been going on for decades, from “competency-based learning” as defined by the Aurora Institute, to “deeper learning” as defined by the Hewlett Foundation, to “21st century skills” popularized by organizations like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), to “mastery learning” as defined by the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC). The MTC’s main project is creating a digital transcript that replaces grades and traditional time-in-the-classroom-based “units of credit” with more competency-based, evidence-driven credits. The project has galvanized many independent schools to confront how high stakes their own cultures had become, especially in relation to college admissions. Questions of student wellness, grade inflation, competition, the relationship between rigor and pace, etc. have driven independent schools to reflect on the learning outcomes they truly value and how well (or not) their students’ experiences align with those outcomes. My own organization, Global Online Academy (GOA), which Lakeside helped found in 2011, has been working on competency-based learning in our online courses since 2016. Three pillars define the value of competency-based learning and our purpose in pursuing it. 1. Agency A Learners have agency when they can exert control over their own learning. The researcher Camille Farrington (University of Chicago) identifies four mindsets that must be in place for students to take ownership of learning. Students must believe:

• They belong in their academic community. • They have the potential to succeed in this community.


• The work they do has meaning and value. • That, with effort, their abilities and intelligence can grow. At the core of agency is intrinsic motivation, an essential element of lifelong learning. Intrinsic motivation also fuels many of the skills that researchers like Angela Duckworth, Carol Dweck, and others have identified as essential for success in the world beyond school, competencies that Lakeside has articulated as “Resilience,” “Cognitive Flexibility,” and “Growth and Learning.” The essential question that drives prioritizing agency in school: Do learners have the opportunity to make important decisions part of the learning process? 2. Equity A Modern competency-based learning emerged decades ago in innovative public schools as a way to fight systemic inequities in the American educational system. In an equitable educational environment, all students are known deeply, are empowered to learn, and are provided the support they need to meet high expectations. Schools that prioritize equity intentionally nurture a sense of belonging and positive self-concept by prioritizing psychological safety for all students and educators. Academic programs are focused on individualized learning plans, time and space for reassessment, recognition and celebration of students’ unique experiences and backgrounds, and development of cultural competency. Among Lakeside’s mindsets is “Equity and Inclusion,” but in reality all of its competencies and mindsets are critical to equitable and inclusive learning environments. The essential question that drives prioritizing equity in school: Do we know and celebrate all learners enough to provide them with the resources and support they need to learn deeply? 3. TransferA In cognitive science terms, transfer is the ability to take knowledge gained in one context and apply it in a new context. It is evidence of learning. In practical terms, it is the difference between simply remembering something and remembering something in order to use it successfully. We memorize vocabulary as part of improving language skills, but we transfer that knowledge when we integrate those new words into conversation or writing. We study formulas and equations in math and science, but we transfer that knowledge when we apply them to an experiment or problem we’ve never seen before. In terms of Lakeside’s competencies and mindsets, think about “Cognitive Flexibility,” “Unstructured Problem Solving,” and “Introspection and Emotional Intelligence,” three skills that require awareness of not just what you have learned, but how to use it. The essential question that drives prioritizing transfer in school: Do learners have the time, space, and support they need to apply content to novel problems, situations, or contexts? In short, we want students to do cognitively complex work that matters to them and to the world for which we are preparing

Introspection and Emotional Intelligence Empathy • Self-awareness • Mindfulness • Emotional regulation • Values-based decision-making

Resilience Learning from mistakes • Taking responsibility for mistakes • Grit

Unstructured Problem-Solving Creativity and imagination • Critical analysis • Research skills

M I N D S E T S ( W H O G R A D U AT E S A R E )

Equity and Inclusion Lakesiders acting with an equity and inclusion mindset: Are aware of their biases; Engage with and seek to understand experiences and perspectives unlike their own; Respect and accept individuals for who they are; Act as an ally and advocate for others, including marginalized people or communities, and seek to include those who are left out; Replace judgment and assumptions with curiosity and inquiry; Confront unfairness and discrimination; Understand systems of power, privilege, and oppression and work to dismantle those systems.

Ethical Lakesiders acting with an ethical mindset: Reflect and take appropriate action when they have done something wrong and seek to repair harm done; Reflect and find an appropriate way to take thoughtful action against unethical or illegal behavior in others, whether on or off campus or online; Speak up and defend the rights and safety of themselves and others; Resist and take action to stop language or behavior that denigrates the identity, character, or physical

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   21


RE-ENVISIONING (CONTINUED)

well-being of themselves or others; Use technology responsibly and ethically; Do not seek unfair or dishonest advantage for themselves; Seek opportunities both large and small to make the world a better place for others.

them. By identifying competencies and mindsets that support agency, equity, and transfer, we can make decisions about content, curriculum, and learning experiences that ensure students are practicing skills they’ll need for the rest of their lives.

Global

H

Lakesiders acting with a global mindset: Regularly explore current and historical global events, making relevant connections with course content and in their daily lives; Perceive and claim their own culture and the complex and interrelated components of identity; Demonstrate respect for other cultures within and beyond the Lakeside community by bringing curiosity, openness, sensitivity, and empathy to interactions with and about people from other cultures; Recognize and adjust to cultural cues to aid in communication and connection with people from cultures similar to and different from their own; Critically examine cultural bias, both their own and that of others, as well as the impacts of cultural biases and practices; Learn and use additional languages.

Growth and Learning Lakesiders acting with a growth and learning mindset: Are committed to lifelong learning; Measure progress and success through effort and growth; Set concrete and realistic expectations for improvement; Seek clarification and guidance to improve; Are open to varied points of view, solutions, or endpoints; Embrace critique, multiple iterations, and reflection as part of the learning process; Celebrate and take inspiration from others’ successes and growth; Are self-motivated to learn deeply, build new skills, and explore nuances; Identify their own learning styles and have the humility to make adaptations accordingly.

Piloting the Change ere is the unique leadership opportunity Lakeside has: to show other schools, especially independent schools, how to operationalize competencies and mindsets in a forward-looking model that places agency, equity, and transfer at the center of the student experience. Lakeside’s re-envisioning project is wellnamed. While the mission and core values that define the institution remain the same, the school experience — specifically, the way students learn — may look different in a way that might be new for many of us. The school has already completed a critical first step: be clear about the demonstrable skills and mindsets students should practice to support agency, equity, and transfer. The multipronged, research-based effort Lakeside underwent to arrive at its competencies and mindsets captures the spirit of this work. Lakeside looked beyond its own campus to learn about what the modern world needs from Lakeside graduates. By articulating learning outcomes that align with relevant, real-world needs and to research into how people learn, Lakeside is ensuring that durable, transferable skills will be at the center of its re-envisioning. These competencies and mindsets are now the North Star of the program. Much as Lakeside’s mission drives institutional decisions and direction, these competencies and mindsets will now drive the decisions educators and students make about when, where, why, and how learning happens. Instead of merely sorting learning experiences by academic department, course topic, or grade level, it’s possible to imagine other ways to align competencies and mindsets to learning experiences: interdisciplinary projects, experiential education, community-based work, professional experiences, global learning, and more. Figuring out what these competencies and mindsets could look like at Lakeside is the work of the “vanguard group,” a team of educators from many different parts of the school who are piloting competencies and mindsets with their students. My colleague Bonnie Lathram and I have been working with this group since October 2019. We’ve focused on a few essential skills for the teacher in a competency-based learning environment: • Considering how using the competencies and mindsets affects feedback and assessment. • Designing rubrics that help students understand and monitor their learning against the competencies and mindsets. • (Re)designing learning experiences aligned to the competencies and mindsets. • Reflecting and discussing our own learning in a way that will benefit the rest of our Lakeside colleagues. The vanguard group includes teachers from different academic

22   L AKESIDE


departments, from both the Middle School and the Upper School and from the athletic department. They have been gathering with us in person and online to identify and deploy pilot projects, as well as reflect on what they’ve learned. They are sharing artifacts and stories with each other, and they are strategizing on the best ways to share their learning with the rest of their colleagues. A few examples of projects teachers are piloting using the competencies and mindsets: Upper School history teacher Mary Anne Christy used them to assess a mock trial of Abraham Lincoln; math teacher James Lajoie asked his calculus students to design snowflakes that demonstrated their understanding of polar curves; baseball program head Kellen Sundin studied how to embed the competencies into coaching conversations with players; and Middle School teachers Heather Butler and Matt Huston used them in their popular micromuseum project to help students track and reflect on their progress. The vanguard group is leading Lakeside in a critical component of a successful re-envisioning: breaking down traditional silos in schools. As Academic Dean Hans de Grys wrote in a recent update to the faculty, “Teaching competencies, mindsets, and skills will fall on the whole school. Teachers, advisors, administrators, staff, instructors, and coaches should embrace this framework and strive to make it relevant in their areas…. We are in this together.” The work ahead is challenging but exciting. Lakeside is preparing to pilot a new schedule with longer blocks for different kinds of learning experiences. It is considering a new “intensive” period called Lion Term, during which students can spend a few weeks investigating one topic deeply rather than spread themselves across multiple courses. Competencies and mindsets will become part of Lakeside’s Global Service Learning Program, as well as co- and extracurricular work. In short, this work will bring, as de Grys said, “cool experiences into the mainstream.” How will the school know if this is working? Teachers and administrators will need to look to Lakeside students. Can the school connect their work and behavior to the core principles of agency, equity, and transfer? Are they using the language of Lakeside’s competencies and mindsets in talking about what and how they learn? Do the educational, professional, and personal paths they pursue beyond Lakeside reflect the school’s commitment to nurturing these competencies and mindsets in all students? In his book “An Ethic of Excellence,” educator Ron Berger writes, “The most important assessment that goes on in a school isn’t done to students but goes on inside students.” The power in Lakeside’s competencies and mindsets lies in their potential to empower students to lead their own learning and produce interesting, meaningful work that matters to them, to Lakeside, and to the world beyond. Eric Hudson, a consultant and educator who has taught at the middle school, high school, and college levels, is director of learning and design at Global Online Academy. He writes and speaks frequently about the changing roles of teachers and students in a modern world.

Healthy Lakesiders acting with a healthy mindset; Prioritize mental, physical, emotional, and social health over competition, grades, appearance, socially fitting in, and technology and media use; Prioritize sleep; Use effective stress-management tools; Engage in a consistent program of nutrition, hydration, movement, play, exercise, and personal reflective practice; Use available resources for information and guidance on making healthy choices; connect with teachers, advisors, coaches, or counselors, as well as personal resources like family, friends, doctors, and faith communities; Explore interests and passions, and embrace joy, fun, and positivity.

Service Lakesiders acting with a service mindset: Have the humility to ask, listen, and do what is needed; Collaborate in ways that build mutual trust and reciprocal relationships; Purposefully choose their own types of service, considering the impacts on self, others, community, and world; Bring passion, open-mindedness, and strong ethics to all acts of service; Actively share their time, ideas, work, encouragement, or other contributions; Reflect on what is learned during and after a service experience, exploring and defining personally what makes service meaningful; Engage in service projects with local, regional, national, or global communities.

Sustainability Lakesiders acting with a sustainability mindset: Consider the impact of their daily actions on our natural world and make choices that support its health and long-term viability; Make choices that support long-term sustainable use of environmental, economic, and social resources; Advocate for specific projects in the school or community that promote behaviors to strengthen aspects of sustainability in our community.

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   23 It takes a village

21


F OSR IN I DEECLAASKTE :S I D E

AVALANCHE SCIENCE How one physics elective connects students with the real world — and shows where learning at Lakeside is headed.

BY J I M CO L L I N S | P H OTO S BY J I M M E Y E R S

E

V E N B E L O W T R E E L I N E , in the shelter of spruce and fir, the deep winter snow of the Cascade Range slides unevenly to the call of gravity, and releases lessons no student can learn in a classroom. On a warming, sun-dappled Thursday in early March — three days before Lakeside will announce its closure in the face of the spreading coronavirus pandemic — Mike Town’s advanced physics class divides into four teams along a snowshoe trail just out of Snoqualmie Pass, 60 miles east of Seattle, and digs into the snowpack. As snow pit No. 1 takes shape, Elise Chan ’20 records data in a notebook while her teammates take turns with the shovel. Elevation: 2,619 feet. Aspect: 69° NE. Snow depth:

24   L AKESIDE

120 cm. Lakeside School has been putting significant energy into forecasting the kind of education its students will need to thrive in an unstable future. Here, in an ancient landscape, surrounded by natural elements, the avalanche science unit of one upper-level science elective reveals a glimpse of what that future education will look like. Town, who has extensive fieldwork experience in Antarctica, Ellesmere Island, and Greenland, had considered creating a unit for his students on polar ice and snow. But he opted, instead, for regional field science because it would give students visceral access to the academic material. Mid-latitude snowpacks gave Town a regionally relevant way to


teach physics and engineering concepts such as force, shear, and stress as they apply to inclined planes, friction, conservation of energy, and momentum. In an article for The Avalanche Review, Town described the four-month unit he created for students to model an avalanche at a local mountain pass: “The models of simple and intermediate complexity put in perspective just how fast and far avalanches can run.” The unit does more than put students in their place — and teaches more than

Students in Lakeside’s yearlong advanced physics elective snowshoe into their work site in Snoqualmie Pass. Their research will connect them to the larger scientific community — and could inform decisions about public safety. S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   25


AVA L A N C H E ( C O N T I N U E D )

Physics teacher Mike Town, right, demonstrates a technique for collecting snow. Looking on is senior Elise Chan ’20, an experienced outdoorsperson who volunteers with King County Search & Rescue.

26   L AKESIDE

science. Working in the field, students are exposed to unstructured problem-solving and the need to adapt, in real time, to an imperfect, dynamic physical world. This is their second day at the field site, following months of scaffolding and preparation back in the classroom. Students have read avalanche reports, watched video, learned the underlying science of snow temperature and density, studied computer models, heard presentations from guest experts, been introduced to tools and equipment. In a simulation involving cardboard boxes spread around the football field on campus, they’ve learned how to locate “buried” avalanche beacons. They’ve been involved in trip planning and logistics and a gear shakedown, already tipping into the collaboration and group decision-making required by projects in the real world. Elise’s snow pit teammate, Jad Gorman ’20, inserts a plastic card into the top of the exposed back wall and slowly slides it downward, inserting a wooden tongue depressor at each change in the snowpack’s hardness. The card reveals four distinct layers. Town snowshoes over from one of the other snow pits and demonstrates the use of an ice saw. The team members take turns carving a vertical, three-dimensional column of snow. They do a “pat test” from the top of the column, looking for sudden releases at weak layers in the snow. They weigh a snow sample, separate and gauge the size of individual snow crystals, take temperature readings, enter all of the data in their notebooks. “You guys are cruising,” Town tells them. “The second time out always goes faster.” He mentions later how fieldwork gives students a sensory understanding of the quantitative science. And how important that second day in the field is to students’ confidence and comfort levels. “There’s less instruc-


With 6,278-foot Snoqualmie Mountain looming behind them, Lakeside students line up for “class” at the start of their second day in the field.

tion needed on the second day,” he says. “The level of questioning gets deeper. There are fewer mistakes — and they’re different mistakes than the ones on the first day, which proves that learning is happening.” The students will take their field observations back to the classroom, where they’ll correct and calibrate data. Their work will become part of a growing body of science coming out of Town’s classroom that has expanded over the past couple of years to include data collected on campus and on Mount Baker from remote temperature sensors planted during Lakeside’s annual outdoors trip. The ongoing record from Mount Baker — the first systematic study of its kind on that iconic glacier — will help shed light on the effects of the changing climate. The Snoqualmie fieldwork, meanwhile, informs Town’s work with students in the Lakeside Summer Research Institute. In 2019, LSRI students in that program analyzed Lakeside-produced data with weather records and avalanche forecasts from the U.S. Forest Service’s Northwest Avalanche Center. Town

took three of the LSRI researchers to the annual Northwest Snow and Avalanche Workshop, where they took part in a high-level exchange of ideas and information. Liz Riggs Meder, director of recreation programs at the American Institute for Avalanche Research, has worked closely with Town’s class over the past three or four years. “This unit might seem like a small niche,” she says. “But it involves applied physics, civil engineering, decision-making, cognitive processing, risk assess-

ment. It connects students with ideas and opportunities in a way that pure science just can’t. That connection is invaluable.” The service angle isn’t lost on Town, an ardent backcountry skier concerned about safety and an environmentalist interested in stewardship. He points to something deeper. “I want my students to get an emotional connection to snowy mountains,” he says, “to see them as an approachable place to be protected, rather than an intimidating place to be tamed.” Senior Grace Harrington ’20 shows off the weight of a snow sample. Among the detailed measurements the students take from their snow pits: hardness, temperature, compression strength, and crystal size.

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   27


W E S T O N G AY L O R D ’ 1 1 Independent Writer and Director • Intersection of Technology and Storytelling BACKGROUND // Theater training, play-

writing, degree in symbolic systems, with a focus in human-computer interaction.

HIS QUESTION // How can augmented and virtual reality help deepen the emotional experience of live performance?

THE WORK // Writes, directs, and designs immersive staged productions. Recently co-wrote and developed Chained: A Victorian Nightmare, which blended real-time motion capture, room-scale VR, and live theater in an inventive adaptation of the classic Dickens ghost story.

S I X F O RWA R D LOOKING ALUMS,

UNCONSTRAINED BY C U R R E N T

ASSUMPTIONS, OFFER A VIEW

FROM OUTSIDE T H E B OX.

THE

FUTURISTS

28   L AKESIDE


THE FUTURE // Technologically, VR today is an isolating experience. VR needs to overcome its current inability to comfortably put people into the same virtual space. When that gets figured out, there will be a flowering of powerful, shared artistic experiences.

IN HIS WORDS // “It’s a dead-end trying to digitally recreate the fidelity of the natural

world. But used as a tool — the way a microphone, or good lighting, or live music is a tool — virtual reality can deepen people’s connection through art.”

Photo: Darragh Dandurand

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   29


THE

FUTURISTS

C AT H E R I N E O L S S O N ’ 0 8 Senior Program Associate, Open Philanthropy • Potential Risks from Advanced Artificial Intelligence

BACKGROUND // Research

Software Engineer, previously worked at Google Brain and OpenAI, degrees in computer science, brain & cognitive science, and neuroscience.

HER QUESTION // If you

imagine a future in which systems are powerful enough that companies can use virtual staff to do knowledge work, these systems might be put in charge of important business or policy processes at large scale. If any of those systems put the full weight of their intelligence behind a course of action that’s a big mistake, will the resulting mess be beyond human beings’ ability to halt the cascading disruption?

THE WORK // Grantmaker

at Open Philanthropy. Funds technical research that could make us better prepared for the possible AI future.

THE FUTURE // New para-

digms in machine learning will emerge, and we will need new research leading to insights for how we might predict, understand, and supervise more-advanced systems.

IN HER WORDS // “It’s

important to recognize that technological accident risks threaten all of us collectively. A parochial, nationalistic, or adversarial lens is not the way forward. Global collaboration will be crucial.”

30   L AKESIDE

Photo: Jason Arthurs


I A N M C K AY ’ 0 6 Chemical Engineer, Technology Investor, Entrepreneur • Battery Chemistry BACKGROUND // Co-founder of Open Water Power (now part

THE FUTURE // We’ve developed energy-dense batteries

HIS QUESTION // How can we safely create more powerful

IN HIS WORDS // “A tricky thing about batteries: They’re

of L3 Harris) and Form Energy; lead inventor of an aluminumbased, underwater battery that provides 10 times the energy of lithium-ion batteries; degrees in chemical and mechanical engineering. batteries?

THE WORK // Independent engineer doing research in energy storage chemistries and catalyst materials used in batteries.

Illustration by Xxxx xxxx

that breathe salt water. The real room for growth is in lithium, magnesium, or aluminum air-breathing chemistries, but the chemistry problems are ferociously hard — that’s probably decades away. more like bombs or rockets than like engines. All the oxidizing and reducing material is gathered in one place. The greater the intrinsic energy density, the more explosive and unsafe they become.”

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   31


THE

FUTURISTS

TESS RINEARSON ’11 Vice-President of Engineering, Tendermint Core •Blockchain Technology, Cryptocurrency, Future of Digital Transactions BACKGROUND // Software engineer, studied computer science.

HER QUESTION // How do we create a more democratic, more transparent, auditable financial system?

THE WORK // Currently working on

“consensus algorithms,” the difficult mechanism by which a decentralized network agrees on the value and validity of a transaction.

transactions require verifying by hand, paying middle agents, and physically trucking dollars.

THE FUTURE // We’ll have much

frankly, feels like black magic. It’s people making up new math to solve some of these issues.”

safer and more efficient Fintech than today’s antiquated system where

IN HER WORDS // “Some of this,

Photo: courtesy Tess Rinearson 32   L AKESIDE


N I C K D O N A L D ’07 Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer at Farmshelf • Distributed Agriculture BACKGROUND // Software engineer, con-

sumer goods consultant, degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology.

HIS QUESTION // How can we expand

easy access to nutritious food while dramatically reducing carbon footprint, water use, and food waste?

THE WORK // Co-founded Farmshelf

(2016), a manufacturer of self-contained,

hydroponics-based “growing shelves” that can be operated anywhere there’s an electrical outlet and Wi-Fi. Current offerings include leafy greens, herbs, edible flowers, and cherry tomatoes.

THE FUTURE // Currently, some 160

Farmshelf systems are in use in restaurants and institutional kitchens in urban centers from New York to San Francisco. In the future, these growing shelves could be

scaled for home use and available wherever people live — including food deserts where fresh food is hard to come by.

IN HIS WORDS // "This type of grow-

ing your own is so much more efficient than traditional farming — energy-wise, transportation-wise, nutrition-wise. Some day, these shelves could be as ubiquitous in people’s homes as refrigerators are today.”

Photo: Johannes Kroemer

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   33


THE

FUTURISTS

DANIEL K AN ’05 Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer • Cruise Self-Driving Automobiles BACKGROUND // Entrepreneur, co-founded EXEC (an on-demand

THE FUTURE // Once human beings are out of the equation,

HIS QUESTION // How do you solve for the inefficiencies in a

self-driving cars will remove the inefficiency from the system, leading to cleaner air, more green space and wider sidewalks replacing current road widths, cheaper transportation costs, and dramatically fewer car-related injuries and deaths.

house cleaning service), degrees in economics and psychology.

transportation system that has a billion parking spaces for 250 million cars, and cars are in use just 10% of the time? How do you make safer a system that currently has 40,000-traffic related deaths each year?

THE WORK // Co-founder of Cruise Automation, developer of

autonomous vehicle technology, which was acquired by General Motors for $1B in 2016. 34   L AKESIDE

IN HIS WORDS // “The breakthrough will occur when people accept cars with no drivers — no co-pilots, no backups. Until this happens, we’re still in R&D. Once this happens, it will be about scale.”


S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   35


p o e t ry

The Essay I have asked my students once again to write on a theme. The subject is not the end of the summer, Though summer has once again ended and they are here. The subject is not even the throes of adolescence, Or the Shakespearean sonnet’s use of the couplet. No, theirs is such a dark and rich theme that their essays Will look at first like Kafka’s diaries — with self-portraits, Wraiths or ominous clocks lodged in the margins. I want each to follow the footsteps of the psychopomp And find the Gates of Horn that so many have stood before. Should they be frightened, the pure ether may calm them, Moving over their hot foreheads with a mother’s touch. I watch them now bend low to their work, smudging ink, Capitalizing proper nouns, stopping only to hurry forward, Their nibs heavy oars, their scribbling an awkward rowing. The dread of conclusions scrunches their shoulders. One girl wearing her hair up for the very first time Raises her hand and, at my nod, walks up to my desk. She has finished first. Her paragraphs have the weight Of Etruscan tombs, and her face is that same shade of rose That glimmers in the background of Pompeian frescoes. I accept that her script is cuneiform and that a grave puzzle Awaits my midnight’s musing. For hers is the lost language Of the young, a smooth stone I weigh in my palm, and let go. — BRIAN CULHANE

Brian Culhane retired in June as English teacher at the Upper School. This poem, dedicated to longtime Lakeside teacher Tom Doelger, first appeared in a 2015 issue of Parnassus: Poetry in Review.

36   L AKESIDE


CLASS CONNECTIONS WORDSMITHS:

As a senior, Tatler editor-in-chief Lee Clifford (above, right)

gave her friend Shannon Fitzgerald her first freelance assignment: predicting where their Class of 1994 classmates would be in 25 years. A quarter-century

Class of 1994

later, that editor-writer relationship remains a part of their friendship. In the past year, Lee, a finance editor at Fortune magazine, has assigned Shannon, a financial-journalist-turned-freelance-writer, articles about the cult following of Allbirds shoes, what the Halloween candy you hand out says about you, and the Lakeside lecture given last October by returning alum Bill Gates ’73. “Shannon’s

TO R E A D A RT I C L E S BY S H A N N O N:

fortune.com/author/ sfitzgerald75/

is one of the fresh new voices I’m bringing to Fortune,” says Lee. Says Shannon, “When it comes to ideas and writing, I trust Lee more than anyone.”

Photos: Andrea Vodickova (Fitzgerald), Kelly Allison (Clifford)

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   37


CLASS CONNECTIONS

Peter Steinbrueck ’75, Marianne Minor ’75, Tico McNutt ’75, Vicki Weeks ’73, David Jones ’74, and Lisa Haug ’75 gathered for dinner in January.

1971

Daniel Asia was recently nominated to serve a six-year term as a member of the National Council on the Arts. He is a professor of composition and head of the music composition program at the University of Arizona. Daniel is also founder and director of the university's American Culture and Ideas Initiative, which celebrates the impact of fine arts in American culture.

1959

Richard Beeson shares, “I just published a 10th anniversary edition of my novel “Seduction of a Wanton Dreamer,” and it was just included in the list of Notables for 2019 by Shelf Unbound, an online literary magazine.”

1973

In May, Hal Foster received Princeton University’s Howard T. Behrman Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities. A professor of art and archaeology, he joined the Princeton faculty in 1997. “Hal’s generosity both intellectual and personal, his wisdom in matters scholarly and institutional, his productivity and openness to new ideas and approaches — all that and more define Hal as the most important art historian of his generation in the United States and one of the most distinguished members of the Princeton community,” wrote a colleague in nominating him for the award.

Daniel Asia ’71 was recently nominated to serve as a member of the National Council on the Arts. Lakesiders in Sun Valley! From left, Ted Andrews ’72, Steve Ahmann ’76, Bruce Bailey ’59, Bill Campbell ’75, Jeff Mason ’75, Deane Minor ’74, Thatcher Bailey ’72.

1974

After hearing Lakeside junior Denisse A. ’21 speak at the T.J. Vassar ’68 Alumni Diversity Celebration at Wing Luke Museum in January, Paul Kurose invited her to join him to speak at the North Seattle College Day of

S E N D U S Y O U R U P D AT E S : Events big and small, personal or professional, chance meet-

ings, fun adventures … they’re all of interest. Share your baby announcement and photo, and we’ll outfit your little lion with a Lakeside bib. Photo guidelines: High resolution, ideally 1 MB or larger. If sending from a smartphone, be sure to select “original size.” Email notes and photos to alumni@lakesideschool.org by Sept. 4, 2020, for the Fall/Winter issue.

38   L AKESIDE

Photo: University of Arizona (Asia)


1978 The two-hour “Nova” special “Polar Extremes” on PBS follows Kirk Johnson on “an epic adventure through time at the polar extremes of our planet.” Kirk is the director of the National Museum of Natural History. Remembrance program on Feb. 19. The Day of Remembrance commemorates the Feb. 19, 1942, signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which led to the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese American citizens and legal residents during World War II. The theme for this year’s program, “Never Again Is Now!,” was chosen to remind us to never again judge an entire group by reason of race, religion, or national origin to be a threat to national security.

1980

See “On the Shelf” for news from Anne Brandzel Devereux-Mills. An accomplished CEO, entrepreneur and documentary film executive, Anne is the founder of Parlay House, a modern “salon” designed to spark authentic conversations and build meaningful, supportive relationships across a diverse range of women. It currently has over 5,000 participants and operates in seven cities across the U.S. and Europe. She has

Back to school Kwame drops in

been honored by a range of organizations, including SHE-CAN, Advertising Women of New York, The All-Stars Foundation, Project Kesher, and Worldwide Women.

1984

Paul Johnson was on campus at the University of Southern California to begin his doctoral program last summer and was treated to an awesome VIP tour by USC senior Madeline Walsh ’16. Paul and Maddie’s father,

board decks constructed in the Lakeside workshop by Town’s advanced physics students. The

In a campus reunion of

donated boards would go

sorts, Kwame Salmi-

on to be tricked out with

Adubofour ’14 stopped by

trucks and wheels, then

Lakeside this past winter

used in Skate Like a Girl’s

and reconnected with Up-

after-school programs

per School science teacher

and given to low-in-

Mike Town, the advisor of

come families. A few of

the student skateboarding

the coolest ones would

club Kwame had founded as a senior. The visit, though,

be sold at the nonprofit’s annual auction in support of its

wasn’t purely social: As co-director of the Seattle-based

mission to empower young individuals — especially girls —

nonprofit Skate Like a Girl, Kwame was collecting 30 skate-

with confidence, resilience, and a sense of community.

Photos: NOVA/WGBH (Johnson), Tom Reese (Salmi-Abudofour)

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   39


CLASS CONNECTIONS Bill Walsh, were classmates at Lakeside and remain great friends today.

1989

See “On the Shelf” for news from Asha Vassar Youmans and Ned Baldwin.

1994

Wendy Weiden married Paul Jackson outside Petaluma, California, on Oct. 5. Lakesiders in attendance included David Weiden ’90, Andrea Freimuth Carter, Amy Zubko, Amy Finkel, Sarah Reseburg Tycast, and Shannon Fitzgerald.

1995

Matt Diggs lives in West Seattle with wife Naomi, a physician, and children Daniel (7) and Amaya (4). After 12 years as an assistant U.S. attorney in Seattle, Matt recently left the U.S. Attorney’s Office to join the white collar, investigations and government controversies practice group at Davis Wright Tremaine.

1996

Casey Schuchart shared with the alumni office that classmate Saunder Jurriaans has been composing music for film and television. With his composing partner, Danny Bensi, he has composed music for over 100 television shows and movies, including “Boy Erased,” “Ozark,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “The OA,” and “Chef’s Table.”

2000 A Club Northwest profile of Laura Matsen Ko gave readers a glimpse of her “go-go-go life.” A busy orthopedic surgeon and mother of two, Laura recently won the women’s 35-39 championship at the USAC Cyclocross Nationals in Fort Steilacoom, Washington. The pair first began playing music together in 2001, when they formed the instrumental rock band Priestbird.

1997

In January, Saint Mary's College announced the hiring of Theresa Wagner Romagnolo as the new head women's soccer coach.

1998

See “On the Shelf” for news from Wesley Dean Irwin. In addition, the second edition of "King Tiny Hands," the first book in The Adventures of Aleia series, is available with all new illustrations. The first edition was illustrated by the well-known Seattle muralist Ryan "Henry" Ward. The latest three Adventures of Aleia books were illustrated by artist Brittany Wilde, former Lakeside Middle School administrative assistant. All books in the Aleia series are available on Amazon. You can reach Wes at info@kingtinyhands.com.

1999 Maddie Walsh ’16, left, and Paul Johnson ’84 flash the “Fight On” symbol at USC.

40   L AKESIDE

Lauren Deal Yelish and Shane Yelish welcomed their third child last June. Natalie

Photo: Patrik Zuest (Ko)

was born June 3, 2019, just in time to crash the Class of ’99’s 20th reunion. She joins Cole (age 5) and Taylor (age 3). Natalie is grandchild No. 7 of 8 for Penny and Mick Deal ’68.

2002

Mark Middaugh and his wife, Brandon, welcomed a little lion, Davis, last year. Mark is a public defender with King County, and Davis Middaugh, son of Mark Middaugh ’02 and his wife, Brandon.


’94 classmates at Wendy Weiden’s wedding, from left, Andrea Freimuth Carter, Amy Zubko, Amy Finkel, Wendy, Sarah Reseburg Tycast, and Shannon Fitzgerald. Brandon is the director of Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund.

2003

Mary Schuchart Wurdeman married Michael Wurdeman on April 27, 2019, at Smoke Tree Ranch in Palm Springs, California. Lakeside alumni family and friends who were part of the wedding party included Casey Schuchart ’96, Daniel Levin, Amy Schuchart Stonehocker ’98, Julia Wright Anderson ’04, Lucy Strong Burkland ’04, Liz Morbeck Kelton, and Glenna Wiley. Julia Sarewitz was the officiant. Smoke Tree Ranch has been a vacation destination for Mary and her family for decades.

2004

On the shelf “How to Dress an Egg” Ned Baldwin ’89, a home cook who became a chef and New York City restaurant owner, prepares a feast of simple master recipes spiced with inventive variations. One reviewer noted that the recipes “slant toward comfort food” — a welcome approach for these uncomfortable stay-at-home times. “Tiny Imperfections” Asha Vassar Youmans ’89, a longtime teacher and observer of young people, co-authors a debut work of adult fiction

See “On the Shelf” for news from Mary Kuder.

set in the high-stakes, over-the-top

2006

After five years in New England, Sheridan Reiger, his wife, Sarah, and newborn baby Maeve are coming home to Seattle. Sheridan will be taking a job as a faculty hospitalist at UW Medical Center, while Sarah undertakes a residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington. They are very excited to be back in Seattle. Will Scott completed the two-year U.S.-KOREA NextGen Scholars Program with the Center for Strategic International Studies. The Lauren Deal Yelish ’99 and her husband, Shane, welcome baby Natalie, pictured here with her siblings, in June 2019.

world of San Francisco’s elite private schools. Race, romance, status, stubborn kids, pushy parents: What could possibly go wrong? “The Adventures of Aleia: Aleia Goes to Space!”

Wesley Dean Irwin ’98 turns to space exploration and the cosmic power of a young girl’s imagination in this third book in the “Aleia” series. “The Parlay Effect: How Female Connection Can Change the World”

Anne Brandzel Devereux-Mills ’80 is the founder of Parlay House, an empowering place where women gather and share their stories. Her new book, based on insights she’s gained over eight years of gatherings, shows how small acts can lead to happier people and healthier communities. “Black Bean Brownies” Mary Kuder ’04 shows the journey from farm to table and the joy of plant-based eating in this book full of rhyming couplets and fun illustrations.

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   41


CLASS CONNECTIONS program allows “emerging scholars with an interest in Korean studies to develop public policy skills as they are called upon to provide commentary and expertise on issues related to Korea.” Will’s involvement follows several semesters teaching computer science in Pyongyang. Will works in computer security at Protocol Labs.

2008

In her 7th grade class at The Evergreen School, Kiki Contreras hosts a “Scientist of the Month” program in which she invites scientists into her classroom (either in person or via Skype) to discuss their research and what it's like to be a scientist. In November, she put out a call on the alumni Facebook group to alumni scientists. “I'm looking for more scientists who would be interested in participating, particularly members of groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. It's important to me that all my stu-

dents have the opportunity to see themselves as future scientists.” Past visitors have included Peri Sasnett ’07, Kelvin Bates, Catherine Olsson, Arthur McCray ’14, Mary Fesalbon ’14, and Briana Abrahms ’04. Alumni scientists interested in participating are encouraged to reach out to Kiki.

2009

In 2019, Owen Wurzbacher received an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar and the winner of the Alexander A. Robichek Award for Outstanding Achievement in Finance. While at Stanford, he also received an M.A. in education. Owen now lives in Boston with his wife, Hillary, and their Bernese mountain dog, Ruth. He is a managing director at HighSage Ventures and a member of the Boston Leadership Council at YearUp.

2010

Julia Drachman shares, “My boyfriend and I recently started a company called Bad Cat Media to create games, podcasts, and other types of media down the road. Our first podcast was a collaboration with my brother, Benjamin ’13, called ‘The Attempt,’ and it told the story of his attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail during the summer of 2019. I'd love to talk with other Lakeside alumni in podcast production and game design so please feel free to reach out!”

2011

Nick Busto ’11, left, and Race Porter in their limited collection of overalls.

42   L AKESIDE

On Valentine’s Day, Nick Busto and Race Porter (son of Lakeside physical education teacher Doug Porter ’80) teamed up to design a limited collection of stylish, comfortable overalls that raise awareness of mental health. Rahlies, Busto's overalls company, is a brand built around

fun and good times with friends. It has the mantra, “Good times, overall.” HOMS, Porter's apparel brand, encourages customers to be true to themselves as individuals and creates clothing that allows people to express themselves. The collaboration offered one design — the signature white Rahlies overalls with the HOMS broken heart logo printed across them — and the partnership brought together two Seattle clothing companies for a great cause, recognizing that Valentine's Day can evoke a full spectrum of feelings, and they are all OK.

2012 Adrian Rodrigues shared, “I co-founded AskNot with a friend from college when we first saw political division, self-segregation, and civic apathy as threats to our country’s health. We hoped then — and still believe now — that nonprofit national service groups like AskNot can provide the antidote to this crisis. Our mission is simple: to foster the next generation of civic leaders through a year of service and scholarship. We pair students with four different nonprofits over a 12-month period, and we supplement these nonprofit internships with an academic curriculum rooted in American history and political philosophy. The program


The artist

2013 Julia Schlaepfer plays the role of Alice Charles in the Netflix Originals TV Series “The Politician.” Created by Ryan Murphy and starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Platt, the show was nominated for two Golden Globe awards after its first season. is completely free, and financial assistance was available to those who needed it. After three years, we launched our program with an inaugural cohort of 11 AskNot Fellows! They came from three Seattle-area high schools (including eight from Lakeside!) and performed hundreds of service hours with Seattle-area nonprofit organizations that addressed issues ranging from homelessness to environmental conservation. Their local civic engagement paralleled a weekly seminar, held in a Lakeside classroom on Sundays, that covered topics from Federalist No. 78 and Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan to the District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court opinion. We are so excited to see what our fellows accomplish in the future, and we hope AskNot continues to grow!” Learn more at asknotamerica.org.

2013 Lakeside girls lacrosse head coach Jamie Asaka ’96 and varsity assistant coach Kaylee Best shared, “Lakeside girl’s lacrosse (LGL) has been a program in which alumnae and current players have always connected through their passion for the game, their appreciation for their teammates, and their Lion Pride. In light of the cancellation of the 2020 season, alums ranging from Class of 2005 to 2015 decided to share their sentiments with the 2020 LGL team. Sharing funny memories, lessons learned, and their positive experiences of the program on and off the field, alums hoped to encourage the current team that they, too, would still come away from this “season” with the essence of LGL: teamwork, positivity and lifelong relationships, regardless of their time on the field be-

Photo: courtesy Netflix (Schlaepfer)

“Verdin,” 2019, multimedia: graphics and acrylic on paper and canvas, 15" x 21."

Layers As a young man, Christopher J. Pirtle ’81 was called “C.J.,” which got shortened to “Siege,” the name he goes by as a professional artist. It’s an apt name for the intense process by which he makes his art. Siege works on distressed paper layered over stretched canvas, often incorporating graphic elements in the composition’s background, as well as its foreground. He paints, scratches, scrapes, and attacks the layers — occasionally with an industrial belt sander — to build up the images and colors in his paintings. A graduate of The Evergreen State College with a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, the Seattle-based artist has shown and placed his paintings around the country, including at the American Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the adidas corporate headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Much of his work reflects a passion for motorcycle and automobile racing, though lately, Siege says, “I seem to have a penchant for bridges, boats, and birds.” This painting, “Verdin,” was part of an exhibition this past January at the University Business Center in Seattle. See more at wischt.com/FA.htm

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   43


CLASS CONNECTIONS ing cut short. We are so thankful for their uplifting tributes.” In October, Nadja Redmond joined the Marguerite Casey Foundation as social media specialist and a Philanthropy Northwest Momentum Fellow. The two-year Momentum Fellowship, administered by  Philanthropy Northwest, helps develop future philanthropic leaders of color through hands-on learning and training, support from coaches, professional development, networking, and peer learning opportunities. Isa Gutierrez, a reporter with NBCLX based out of New York, was recently nominated for an Emmy in the News Specialty Report/Education category for a piece she did as a reporter at NBC Connecticut last year about high levels of PCB, a dangerous chemical, in Hartford Public Schools.

2015

In January, Wallis Lapsley was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the second round of the MLS draft. A global disease biology major at the University of California, Davis, Wallis was named Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, and selected All-Big West First Team and USC All-Far West Region Second Team in 2019.

2016

See 1984 for a note on Madeline Walsh.

2017

Lakeside athletics No. 1 supporter, Bruce

Paul Rothrock '17

44   L AKESIDE

Alumni Basketball Tournament 2020 In January, alums returned to campus for the 26th annual Alumni Basketball Tournament. In the end Sam Fein ’10, Alexander Albrecht ’19, Chris Dickinson ’90, Isaiah de la Fuente ’16, Kirill Buskirk ’16, and Sean Whitsitt ’05 were victorious, beating the coaches 29-16. Shout out to Bruce Bailey ’59 for organizing another fantastic tournament.

Bailey ’59, shared, “Paul Rothrock scored a goal for his Georgetown Hoya soccer team that yesterday won the men's NCAA Division 1 National Championship, beating the University of Virginia 4-3 on penalty kicks. It was the first such championship for Georgetown, who earlier in the tournament eliminated the University of Washington.”

2018

Isobel Williamson, a sophomore in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program at the University of Washington, was awarded the 2019 Mary Gates Achievement Scholarship. The scholarship is given to one IHP student annually, based on academic excellence in their freshman year.

Wallis Lapsley '15

Photos: Georgetown Athletics Communications (Rothrock); Wayne Tilcock | AggiePhoto.com (Lapsley)


Alumni respond to COVID-19

April 17, 2020, Dr. Fred Buckner ’79 receives a nose swab from a colleague as they work as part of a team of University of Washington medical providers testing for the new coronavirus at Queen Anne Healthcare.

Lakeside alumni around the country stepped up in various ways in the face of COVID-19. Below is a sampling of stories posted to the alumni Facebook group.

received more and more of these video gifts (including from Lakeside

of Washington, who is treating

alums, Lakeside students, kids of

COVID-19 patients, was interviewed

alums, and former faculty, Hana

for the Slate podcast "The Gist" in

Rubin ’93, Linda Hartzell, Tia K.

March.

’21, Ryan Link ’91, Martha Brockenbrough ’88, Laura Sherman McKean

❚ Sheltering at home, music producer

’88 , and John Brockenbrough ’87),

Gen Rubin ’88 and his musical

we realized we had to put them all

family wrote and performed the

together in one 83-person compi-

song “Give a Little Love” and then

“What started as a simple song of Photo: Associated Press (Buckner)

most unexpected experiences of to virtually duet with us, and as we

diseases doctor at the University

to the world” online. Gen shared,

our stairs turned into one of the our lives. Friends and family began

❚ Fred Buckner ’79, an infectious

posted their “musical love letter

hope that our family recorded on

Gen Rubin ’88 and family with some of the 80plus collaborators on their Stairwell Sessions song “Give a Little Love.”

lation and also attached the song to Seattle Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. “Give a Little Love”

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   45


CLASS CONNECTIONS

❚ Leah Aegerter ’13 was working as a digital fabrication lab technician at Anderson Ranch Arts Center (a visual arts community in Aspen, Colorado, that provides workshops, artists’ residencies, exhibitions, lectures, public events, and community outreach programs) when COVID-19 hit the United States. With the ranch closed to the public, she quickly began putting her digital fabrication skills to work creating personal protective equipment. “I’m grateful to help out,” Aegerter shared in an interview with the Aspen Times. “You can definitely feel powerless, even though staying home is a great contribution too at this point. It’s always great to feel useful. I’m lucky to have resources at Anderson Ranch to be able to do that.” ❚ On March 19, Rachel Popkin ’04, a senior product manager at Google, launched #findthemasks, a global mapLeah Aegerter ’13 fashions a face shield on her home 3D printer.

ping tool and interactive directory for PPE needs. The site shows visitors organizations nearby, what equipment

took on its own life and has changed ours, inspiring us to do more work for the community with our music.” Learn more at facebook.com/groups/givealittlelovetoday. ❚ Michael Chiu ’82 put his sewing machine away after sewing only one face mask. Instead, he chose to design, fabricate, validate, and post an open source plan for a globally scalable Ultra-Violet Germicidal Irradiation device to decontaminate N95 masks. Word got out about the Mikey Box, and Michael was absorbed into a working group of

they need, and how to donate. After receiving a text from a friend in the Bay Area about the shortage of masks, Rachel realized they had a box of N95 masks in the basement from the wildfires in Washington two years earlier. They shared with Geekwire, “My thinking was, during this shortage if we can just connect those supplies that already exist, that are already close to the points where the hospitals need them, with the health care workers, we can cover a gap until the regular supply chain is able to provide.”

engineers from the UW and private industry. The group is designing a similar UVGI device for Seattle firefighters and first responders in the rest of King County. Learn more at uvmikeybox.com. ❚ Apparel and accessories supplier SanMar Corporation, led by President Jeremy Lott ’95, announced in late March that it was part of a coalition of apparel companies working to produce PPE. The company retooled their manufacturing capabilities to switch from making T-shirts to making masks, gowns, and other PPE. The coalition includes Hanesbrands, Fruit of the Loom, Parkdale Mills, and others. Jeremy joined Lakeside’s virtual Upper School assembly in early May to talk with the students about the process of retooling their manufacturing and working with the White House, FEMA, and HHS. 46   L AKESIDE

Jeremy Lott ’95, president of apparel supplier SanMar Corporation, on MSNBC to talk about their transition from making T-shirts to making PPE.


made 19,000 face shields for 77 institutions themselves, partnered with larger companies to make 600,000 face shields, made 56 intubation boxes for distribution around the country, supported 323 days of fair labor for those out of work, created COVID-19 maps featured in Time magazine, and much more. Visit somethinglabs.org to learn more. ❚ Bill Gates ’73 played a prominent role in the fight against COVID-19, as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pivoted quickly from other projects to address the crisis. On Feb. 5, the foundation announced an immediate commitment of up to $100 million for the global response and, in April, pledged an additional $150 million. On April 23, he published an 11-page memo about what's needed to combat this crisis. You can read “The first modern pandemic: The scientific advances we need to stop COVID-19” at gatesnotes. com/Health/Pandemic-Innovation. As the crisis spread across the country, Bill became a trusted public face of the Sam Haynor ’04, back right, and some “blisteringly talented” Bay Area friends show off their open-source face shield design.

necessary response, appearing on national television, in op-ed pieces, newspapers, and magazine interviews, championing the need for data sharing, accelerated research

❚ Sam Haynor ’04 and friends created open-source designs for laser-cut face shields, CNC face shields, intubation

on treatments and vaccines, government funding, and collaboration.

boxes, and PAPR masks, with all designs posted to their website so others could easily create them, too. Sam shared in March, “One of my housemates and dear friends is an ER doctor at San Francisco General Hospital, and she came home one night in tears. She showed me pictures of what her colleagues were using for personal

Bill Gates ’73, standing behind glass, holds a sign of the times.

protective equipment, and I think by now, many people have seen similar things in the media. Coke bottles cut in two. Folder dividers held up with scrunchies. I am lucky in that I get to work on designing and building new exhibits for a science museum. I have access to a shop, to materials, and a lot of talented colleagues. So we assembled a crew of four blisteringly talented engineers, two of which had just come from medical engineering, and one who just started that day. We're releasing everything open source because, hey, we at least gotta do something.” At the end of April, the team had created National Institutes of Health-approved face shield designs, Photo: Courtesy Gates Foundation (Gates)

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   47


ALUMNI RE CEP TIO NS

2 0 2 0 R E C E P T I O N | H O T E L Z E T TA 2008 classmates, from left, Kelly Van Arsdale, Susanne Fortunato, Lauren McAndrews, and Brett Eisenhart.

BAY AREA

from around the Bay Area gathered in The Playroom at Hotel Zetta for an evening of Lakeside merriment with friends old and new. Head of School Bernie Noe shared student stories from the year and plans for the school. With humor and enthusiasm, Upper School chemistry teacher Dan Jewett illustrated how the competencies and mindsets that are the focus of the school’s Re-envisioning effort are already at work in the classroom. One alum later noted that the highlight of the evening was “Mr. Jewett's joke about trigonal planar molecules.” I N L AT E J A N U A R Y, A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

Read Moore ’83, left, and Jon Wright ’86.

— Kelly Poort 48   LA L AK KE ES S II D D EE 48   L A K ES I D E


M O R E P H OTOS

lakesideschool.org/alumni

Above: Jade Blake-Whitney ’11, left, and Head of School Bernie Noe. Below: 2014 classmates Kathleen Malloch, left, and Gaby Joseph.

Helena Eitel ’13, Julia Laurence ’13, Francis Wilson ’13, and Nancy Liu point out favorites on the album cover wall.

m' meSeru rm S pSrpi rnignS gp• •r SiSnuugm m 22 00 m2e0r   49


ALUM NI RE CEP TIO NS 5 T H A N N U A L T. J . VA S S A R ’ 6 8 A L U M N I D I V E R S I T Y C E L E B R AT I O N

Brianna Reynaud Jensen ’96, left, and Darin Reynaud-Knapp ’98, with Brianna’s son, Mason.

M O R E P H OTOS

lakesideschool.org/alumni

alumni, faculty, friends, and members of the Vassar family returned to Wing Luke Museum for the fifth annual T.J. Vassar ’68 Alumni Diversity Celebration. Guests toured the museum’s exhibits then gathered in the Ford Foundation Community Hall for Lakeside updates from Head of School Bernie Noe and Jamie Asaka ’96, director of family and student support services/director of equity and inclusion. The program concluded with powerful remarks from Denisse A. ’21 and Danielle T. ’21 reflecting on their experiences as students of color at Lakeside. I N J A N U A R Y,

— Kelly Poort Clockwise from top, Alumni Board Member T.J. Vassar III ’94, Isaiah Vassar, Anaya Vassar, Talia Page, and Lelan Bell ’19.

50   LA L AK KE ES S II D D EE 50   L A K ES I D E

From top, from left: Alumni Board President Elizabeth Richardson Vigdor ’85, Maki Arakawa ’93, Tyler Moriguchi ’91, and Michelle Chang Chen ’90; Gary Asaka ’68, Asha Vassar Youmans ’89, and Jamie Asaka ’96, director of family and student support services/ director of equity and inclusion; Lakeside Trustee Brandon Vaughan ’06; Middle School Assistant Director Robert Blackwell, Denisse A. ’21, Danielle T. ’21, and Upper School Assistant Director Betty Benson.


i n memori a m

ST. NICHOLAS ALUMNAE Barbara Prentice Blethen ’38 • April 11, 2020 Barbara Prentice Blethen passed away at the age of 99. A lifelong resident of Seattle, she was born Aug. 14, 1920, to Gordon and Vera Prentice. Barbara was married to former Seattle Times Publisher John A. “Jack” Blethen until his death in 1993. She was also preceded in death by her son, Alden J. “Buster” Blethen, in 2006. She attended Anne Wright Seminary, graduated from St. Nicholas School and then traveled to New York to attend Finch College. Barbara’s memberships include the Anna McMillan Children’s Hospital Guild; past chairman of Symphoneve; past president of Lakeside School Mother’s Club; past member of Junior League; Garden Club of America, Arboretum Unit No. 33; Broadmoor Golf Club; Seattle Tennis Club; and the Sunset Club. During World War II, Barbara was a volunteer with the Interceptor Command and the blood bank. She is survived by son John P. Blethen (Amber); daughter-in-law Deborah Blethen; grandchildren Kerry Blethen Quinn (Rafe); Jessica Dewbrey (Dave); Courtney Blethen Riffkin (Jay); Kelley Brenton and eight great-grandchildren. Remembrances may be sent to The Hereditary Disease Foundation www.hdfoundation.org. Janet Barker Footh ’50 • March 31, 2020 Janet Barker Footh died in her home surrounded by family. Born in Seattle on May 25, 1932, to Stuart and Katherine Barker, Janet attended St. Nicholas School and the University of Washington. Fond of social activities, she was a member of the Seattle Tennis Club, Sunset Club, and Seattle Garden Club, to name a few. While apres-skiing in White Pass, Janet met her future husband, Douglas Footh, and set the tone for a lifetime of adventures. They were married on Feb. 26, 1958, in Palm Springs, California, so her brother, Stuart Barker Jr., on leave from the Navy, could attend. Janet began her sailing career with Doug in their Blanchard Senior Knockabout. She later won second place at the National Women’s Sailing Championship in 1965 and skippered all-women racing crews around Puget Sound in the 1970s. She spent decades of happy summers cruising with family and friends on Norwester, their Kettenburg 50, in Desolation Sound. Janet was an active member of the National Society of Colonial Dames and formed lasting friendships with her Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters. A trailblazer, she was a founding member of the women’s masters rowing program coached by Dick Erickson known as Dick’s Chicks. In addition, she started the women’s rowing

I F Y O U H AV E A R E M E M B R A N C E

program at the Seattle Yacht Club, where she continued to coxswain. Passionate about horticulture, Janet earned the designation of master gardener and enjoyed tending a large garden on Lopez Island. She loved to play a round of golf, followed by a good game of bridge. A quintessential lady, Janet will be remembered by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her for her elegant style and self-deprecating humor. Janet is survived by her husband of 62 years, Douglas Footh; sons Charles Footh (Ruth) and James Footh (Sarah); grandchildren Sarah, Jane, Peter, and Julia. Janet Edmiston Smith ’53 • September 29, 2019 Jan Smith passed away peacefully in her Hawaiian home with family by her side. Born on Easter 1935 in Portland, Oregon, she lived in Seattle; New York City; Sanford, Florida; Bellevue; Stamford Connecticut; Phoenix, Maryland.; Bainbridge Island; Silverdale; Lynnwood; and, finally, Molokai, Hawaii. Known as Jannie to her family, she was the daughter of Robert and Inez Edmiston. Raised in Seattle with her older sister, Anne, Jan graduated from St. Nicholas School in 1953 and was a Seattle debutante and a Kappa Alpha Theta University of Washington alumna. Married in 1957 to Bob Lewis, they had four (according to her ) “handsome, smart, and beautiful children” — Kevin, Rob, Julie, and Scott. A member of the Seattle Tennis Club, the Junior League of Seattle, and the Children’s Orthopedic Guild, Jan enjoyed acting in neighborhood theaters and was accomplished in cross stitch and miniatures. Jan was stylish and smart, and her humor was her trademark, endearing those who laughed along with her. She is survived by Kevin and Jamie Lewis, Susan Lewis, Julie and Dallas Jacobs, and Scott Lewis; grandchildren Matt, Nick, Casey, Michelle, Jon, Lauren, and Reagan; and great-grandson Luke. Jannie and the laughter she so generously shared with those around her will be greatly missed. Janet Stimson Snead ’68 • November 19, 2019 Janet Stimson Snead passed away peacefully at her home in Shoreline. She was born on Aug. 26, 1949, the eldest daughter of Thomas David Stimson and Grettabelle Stimson. Janet attended St. Nicholas School and the University of Washington before becoming a member of the Equity Actors’ Association, performing in theaters throughout the West Coast. A few of her definitive roles performed locally include Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady,” Vera Claythorne in “Ten Little Indians,” Polly Peacham in “Three Penny Opera,” and Ado Annie in “Oklahoma,” at the Cirque Theater, Tacoma Actors Guild, Skid Road Theater, and Sound Expression Theater, respectively.

to share about a St. Nicholas alumna or Lakeside alumna/

alumnus for the next issue of the magazine, please email the alumni relations office at alumni@lakesideschool.org or call 206-368-3606. The following are reprints of paid notices or remembrances submitted by family members. All remembrances are subject to editing for length and clarity. The submission deadline for the fall issue is Sept. 4, 2020. S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   51


IN MEMORIAM Upon the birth of her son, Stimson Snead, she retired from performing but continued her artistic career composing songs and musicals, and writing and illustrating children’s books. She completed seven musicals, five song cycles and three children’s books, samples of which can be heard on her website, stimsonbookandsong.com. She was a loving mother and aunt, and beloved to her family, friends, and artistic collaborators. She will be deeply missed by her surviving sister and brother, and her son. She was laid to rest at Calvary Catholic Cemetery beside her father and mother. Remembrances may be donated in Janet’s name to St. Luke Parish in Shoreline.

LAKESIDE ALUMNI Harry Stuchell ’42 • January 29, 2020 Harry William Stuchell Sr. passed away peacefully at home. He was born April 24, 1924, at General Hospital in Everett. He attended the University of Washington and pledged Delta Tau Delta fraternity. In 1943, Harry enrolled in the Army Air Corps and graduated as a 2nd llieutenant. There, he found a lifelong love of flying. Family friends since birth, Harry and Carol Carpenter dated in high school and were married in 1946. They were happily married for 64 years. He is preceded in death by wife, Carol; parents, Edwin and Neva Stuchell; sister, Phylis Stuchell; son, Harry Stuchell Jr. (Sandy); sons-in-law: Carl Chapman and Paul Kniest; and granddaughter-in-law, Melissa Peterson. Harry worked at Eclipse Mill, the family business, until it burned down in 1962. After the fire, he continued in the lumber business with interests in mills in Eastern Washington and Oregon. He later founded Stuchell Enterprises and enjoyed working well into his 90s. Harry was a devoted family man. He led by example and was always there for people, most of all, his family. Happy memories were made at Priest Point, Tulalip Shores, and many family trips. While he enjoyed a number of activities, including golf, singing, and dancing, one of his favorites was skippering his boat, the Eclipse. Harry was a strong community supporter. He served on several local boards and supported many local charities. He was a longtime member of Hoo Hoo International, Everett Golf and Country Club, and First Presbyterian Church of Everett. He is survived by his children: Jean (Bill) Messner, Dawn Stuchell, Barb (Rick) Johnson, Linda Chapman, Debbie (Randy) Roberts, and Nancy Kniest; his grandchildren: Matt (Heather) Peterson, Monica (Scott) Bouwens, Becky Carter, DJ (Hallie) Peterson, Jeana Bruns, Andy Messner, Brian (Stefanie) Stuchell, Anne (Ryan) Haines, Megan (Adam) Wickstead, Angela (Reggie) Jackson, Dana (Kyle) Auslund, Holly (John) Appelgate, Eric Chapman, Carol (Matt) Schreifels, Jeff (Renae) Chapman, Jenny Chapman, Chris (Danielle) Roberts, Evan (Sara) Roberts, Emily Roberts, Marissa (Mark) Jagnow, Zack Kniest, Lianne Kniest, Haley Kniest; and 31 great-grandchildren. Bruce Hanson ’57 • October 21, 2019 After Lakeside, Bruce Hanson graduated from Stanford University in 1961 and Stanford Law School in 1964. Following graduation, he

52   L AKESIDE

returned to Seattle to raise his family and practice law for more than 50 years. Bruce is survived by his wife, Linda Hanson, and his two daughters, Sara Hanson Cook ’86 and Mia Hanson Wise ’87. Joe Clark ’59 • March 30, 2020 S.B.J. “Joe” Clark was born on Sept. 9, 1941, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Joe had been flying his Gamebird the morning of March 30 and, upon returning, suffered a fall. Joe’s parents were C. Spencer and Myra Clark. He is survived by two sisters, Maggie Clark and Linda Helsell of Seattle. His younger brother, Charles Clark, passed away in 2012. He is survived by nieces and a nephew, Chelsea Clark, Ingrid Jarvis, Alexa McIntyre, and Spencer Helsell, and nine great-nieces and great-nephews. They all called him “Uncle Joe.” Joe’s godson, Chase Englehart, was a very close friend to Joe and is also a partner in a few of Joe’s businesses. He has always been considered a member of Joe’s family. Joe grew up in Seattle and attended Lakeside School. He graduated from Riddely, a prep school in Canada. Joe attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg and learned to fly while a student there. Aviation became the most important aspect of his life. In the 1960s, Joe worked at Raisbeck Engineering, an aviation company in Seattle, as a salesman. He founded Jet Air, a Learjet distributor for Washington and British Columbia, and he co-founded Horizon Air, which later was purchased by Alaska Airlines. Joe, Clay Lacy, and Bruce McCaw were instrumental in organizing the Friendship Foundation, which set an around-the-world record in a Boeing 747 as a charity flight to benefit children. Joe, along with his longtime friend, Dennis Washington, founded Aviation Partners in Seattle, leaders in advanced winglet technology. A joint venture with the Boeing Company formed Aviation Partners Boeing, also in Seattle. Joe was the board chairman. The winglets have provided substantial benefits to the airlines by reducing drag, saving fuel. To date, over 10 billion gallons of fuel have been saved. Joe Clark changed the face of aviation. He sat on the board of the Museum of Flight, Horatio Alger Association, and Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He was very deserving of the many awards and accolades he received throughout his aviation career. Thomas Paul ’60 • February 24, 2020 Thomas “Tim” Covour Paul was born in Seattle and spent his childhood on Capitol Hill, where Volunteer Park was his playground. It was at his family cabin on Mission Beach where Tim developed his love of fishing and boating in those early days. Tim graduated from Lakeside School and went on to graduate from the University of Puget Sound. He followed his father’s footsteps into banking at Seafirst Bank. Taking a break from banking, Tim found himself looking at an opportunity to buy Seattle Injector Company, a diesel fuel injection parts and repair business. He took the leap and with his brothers bought the business, not knowing anything about it. Together, Tim, and Jamie learned the industry, and the company grew with Tim at the helm. As the business developed, they decided to spin off the parts business, creating Power Distributing in addition to Seattle Injector. Power Distributing supplied diesel parts throughout the Pacific Northwest.


Tim retired from the business in 2004. In 1979, Tim bought a fishing cabin with Skip Hackman on Sonora Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island. Many summers were spent fishing, crabbing, boating, enjoying the natural beauty, and, of course, having lots of parties with friends and family. In 1989, Tim met Debbie Haigh and his bachelor days were over. Tim and Debbie were married in 1991 and enjoyed over 31 years together. Tim and Debbie traveled to Italy; Switzerland; Greece; New York; Palm Springs, Calif.; and Scottsdale, Ariz., with yearly trips to Hawaii. While in Hawaii celebrating the couple’s 27th wedding anniversary, Tim suffered a massive stroke. He was able to spend the last three years at home with Debbie and with the help of his wonderful caregivers, Stephanie, Michele, and Caroline. Tim died peacefully at home with Debbie by his side. Tim had a great sense of humor and was a generous, giving man and a loving husband who will be greatly missed. Tim leaves behind his wife, Debbie, his stepdaughter, Jennifer Haigh Shetterly (Jason), and step-grandchildren Connor, Skylar, and Mason, who knew him as Papa. He also leaves behind his brother, Hartley (Betty); his brother-in-law Charlie Pelly; sister-in-law Sallie Nicholls Paul; and four nieces and a nephew, Mary Pelly Fitzgerald (Greg), Cameron Pelly (Amy), Kellsey Paul Perkins (Carl), and Katie Paul Misiewicz (Marc). Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Mary Paul; sister, Jennifer Pelly; and brother, Jamie Paul. Donations may be made in Tim’s name to EvergreenHealth Foundation. Larry Banks ’63 • August 27, 2019 A. Lawrence “Larry” Banks Jr. passed away at the age of 74. He was with his wife, Susan, and all of his children when he passed. Larry was a pioneer in the long-term care insurance business in Los Angeles, where he and his family resided since 1979. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susan; his children, Peter (Julia), Matt (Lisa), Daniel (Karen), and Meredith (Sean); and nine grandchildren, all of whom were the apples of his eye. Robert Saunders ’68 • April 27, 2020 Rob Saunders, 69, died in Hopkinton, Mass., from complications related to COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease. Rob was born on Aug. 28, 1950, in Seattle. He graduated from Lakeside School and went on to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a BFA in 1973. He spent his junior year abroad in Italy, where he fell in love with the country and pledged to return. Rob discovered music at a very young age, and from that time on it played a leading role in his life. He was an exceptionally gifted musician and could play a variety of instruments, but he went on to become a master of the guitar. In his 20s he returned to Italy, where he lived for seven years. He earned his MFA in printmaking from Rosary College at Villa Schifanoia in Florence, while supporting himself as a musician and busking his way around Europe during vacations. He discovered a love for bluegrass, was a member of the Angel Band, and released a record called “All

the Good Times.” He developed a passion for Italian culture, became a master of “slow eating” and learned Italian, which he spoke for the rest of his life at every opportunity. Rob was a talented artist as well as a musician, and decided to pursue graphic design and illustration as a career. Upon returning to the United States in 1980, he settled in Brookline, Mass. He started his own business as an illustrator and went on to do work for popular magazines and newspapers over the next 25 years. He married Maureen Giovannini and had one daughter, Olivia. Rob was a founding member of bands such as The Half Tones, Harmony Gritz, and Sinti Rhythm. He often was considered the life of the party and played with friends any chance he could get, especially getting into the music of Django Reinhardt and gypsy jazz. In 2011, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He continued playing music and learned to play the bass ukulele when the guitar became too difficult. His first grandchild was born in 2015 and his second in 2017, and he greatly enjoyed spending time with them. He is survived by daughter Olivia (Ryan) Peters of Natick, Mass., grandchildren Adrienne and Vincent, sister Susan Blackman of Portland, Oregon, nephews Eli (Haley) Blackman of Portland and Amos (Shannon) Blackman of Seattle, niece Adriane Blackman of Portland, and several great-nieces and great-nephews. Donations in Rob’s memory may be made to the Brookline Music School. Don Axworthy ’75 • September 19, 2019 Don Axworthy, “Ax” to his friends, passed away after a brief but intense battle with pancreatic cancer. The son of Don and Helen Axworthy, Don attended Lakeside, then earned B.S. degrees in chemistry and biology at Western Washington University. Don went on to do graduate research at the University of Washington and, concurrently, began working at NeoRx from 1987 to 2002. Don devoted his life’s work to curing cancer. His industry experience includes section head of pharmacology at NeoRx, chief scientific officer of Aletheon Pharmaceuticals, and a staff scientist in the lab of Dr. Oliver Press at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He had over 30 years of experience in the field of targeted cancer therapies. As the inventor of 20 U.S. or foreign patents, Don was one of the leading authorities on the application of multistep radioisotope targeting for the treatment of cancer. Personally, Don was a fun-loving, devoted father, who enjoyed the outdoors and live music, and lived his daily life to the fullest with his close partner, Adrienne Widick. He leaves behind his daughter, Taylor Axworthy; son, Christopher S. Axworthy; his grandson, Jaxxon Axworthy; and his two brothers, Christopher L. Axworthy and Charles Axworthy, He also leaves behind a huge group of classmates, friends, colleagues, and students who will miss him dearly. Stephanie Dassel Barden ’83 • September 9, 2019 Hope Roberts ’86 • April 19, 2020 Hope Nicole Roberts, 51, of Seattle, died unexpectedly after a cardiac arrest. Hope was born on May 23, 1968, in Seattle. She was a graduate of Lakeside and had degrees in accounting, finance, and commerce. She was the co-founder and vice president of SeattleFin-

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   53


IN MEMORIAM Tech & HR Financials. In addition to her professional accomplishments and business savvy, Hope was an accomplished gardener, mystery novel enthusiast, runner, exceptional chef, and perpetual “projector,” who was always working on her house. Anyone who had the opportunity to taste her ribs would attest that grilling was her specialty. She was a caring neighbor and friend, and an active West Seattle community member. She doted on her Labradors, Corbin and Balou, and her cat, Addy. Hope is survived by her aunt, Debra Kloehn; her father, Earl Freeman, and his partner, Michelle; her Uncle Roy and Aunt Sedonia; numerous cousins; and her “adopted” mom and sister, Diana Perey Winburn and Page Perey. She is preceded in death by her mother, Mardi Roberts. A celebration of life is planned for a later date. For online condolences visit Evergeen Washelli Funeral Home and Cemetery. Ben Wyde ’07 • February 28, 2020 Ben Wyde passed away suddenly on Feb. 28, 2020. Ben won two national championships in a form of chess known as bughouse and two state team chess titles while at Lakeside. He enjoyed teaching chess to others, especially those younger than himself. Ben loved listening to and talking about all sorts of music. Several friends described him as a music aficionado. He studied many different artists and styles of music and could talk about them for hours. Ben loved making art and was very creative. His early artistic endeavors included cartooning, drawing, and painting. In college his art became more complex and included woodworking, jewelry making, candle making, graphic design, and 3D printing. Ben was a talented writer and a clear, concise, and persuasive speaker. He was funny, quick to smile, charming, authentic, intelligent, charismatic, caring, and so much more. Ben is survived by his brother, David Wyde; his mother, Roberta Kraus Wyde; and his father, Richard Wyde.

FORMER FACULTY & STAFF Don Anderson • December 18, 2019 Don Anderson was born in Seattle on June 21, 1932. He always had a passion for sports and was a gifted athlete himself, participating in football, basketball, and baseball throughout his school years. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1950 and then served on U.S. Navy patrol and reconnaissance aircraft during the Korean War. He attended the University of Washington, earning a B.A. in physical education and a master’s in education. In 1956, Anderson began his teaching and coaching career at Lakeside, serving as director of athletics and coach, while also teaching geography. While at Lakeside, Anderson coached basketball, baseball, and football, but it was football where he had unprecedented success. Lakeside teams went undefeated in five of his 12 seasons, which included a historic 34-game winning streak from 1957 through 1961. But the success of athletic teams was only one reason Don was so admired. His former players describe him as an approachable yet deeply respected mentor who built strong and lasting relationships with his players that reached beyond the playing fields. The Class 54   L AKESIDE

of 1959 dedicated the Numidian to Anderson, saying “Along with his skill as a coach, we will remember his understanding of our other problems and his sincere desire to see us excel in all fields of school life. He joked with us frequently but reprimanded us when necessary. He was only interested in seeing us do as well individually, as he has coached us to do as a team.” In 1968, Anderson left Lakeside to expand his football coaching experience, first with the semipro Spokane Shockers and then at Northern Arizona University before returning to Spokane in 1973 to work as a teacher and coach at Gonzaga Preparatory School. For nearly a quarter-century, Anderson’s Gonzaga Prep teams dominated the Greater Spokane League, winning 15 GSL championships and state championships in 1982 and 1987. His overall coaching record at Lakeside and Gonzaga Prep was 269 wins, 63 losses, and 4 ties. He was inducted into the Washington State Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1995. Don is survived by his daughter, Linda Olson (Mark); his son, Tod Anderson (Ann); his sister, Patricia Clementz (Mike); and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A celebration of life is planned for Don at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane from 3:30 to 6:15p.m. Sept. 12. For more insights and information on Don and his life, visit the Lakeside archives on the school webpage and find the article “Coach Anderson: Game plan focuses on relationships,” which includes a link to a video interview that Bruce Bailey ’59 did with coach. Mirta Blat • October 19, 2019 Mirta Blat, beloved mother, grandmother, friend, colleague, and teacher, passed away peacefully in her own home, surrounded by family. The third of four daughters, Mirta was born in Chascomus, Argentina, to the only Jewish family in town. Her family moved to Buenos Aires when she was 10. From earliest childhood, Mirta worked with her parents in the family’s clothing stores. Despite her long days in the stores, Mirta was determined to pursue higher education, earning a teaching degree and later a juris doctorate from the University of Belgrano. In 1981, she, her ex-husband, George, and their two older children, Guido and Cinthia, moved to the United States and settled in Edmonds, Washington, where their youngest child, Jessica, was born. Because her legal training couldn’t be transferred to the U.S., Mirta returned to teaching, finding work as a Spanish teacher at Blessed Sacrament and later Bertschi. In 1990, she moved on to become Lakeside Middle School’s first Spanish language teacher, and she remained there for the rest of her career, serving for decades as the head of the Middle School languages department. Teaching was a true calling for Mirta, and she excelled at it. Throughout her long career, she sustained a deep passion for her profession. She loved honing her skills through training and conferences and was always reading up on learning, brain development, and cognitive styles. Ever seeking new ways to enhance students’ learning, she kept her classes fun, student-centered, and interactive. Mirta belonged equally to her worlds in the United States and Argentina. Loyal to her core, she kept in close touch with her family and many friends in Argentina, returning to visit them every summer. She was also a world traveler and loved languages. She was fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and was learning Italian. After she and George divorced in 2002, Mirta moved first to Mercer Island then to Kirkland in 2010, where she spent the rest of her life. She thought of her home in Kirkland as her


“retreat,” a peaceful little spot all her own. Mirta enjoyed cooking for her family, especially traditional Argentine foods like empanadas and milanesas. (She was always trying to figure out how to cook eggplants.) Mirta also enjoyed painting, spy novels, cooking shows, and exploring new technologies. She loved animated movies like “Coco” and “Zootopia.” Most of all, she loved spending time with her young granddaughter, Natalie, who knew her as “Abi” for Abuela, and on whom she gifted a never-ending stream of coats, socks, shoes, and onesies. She liked to tell her stories about a little girl named Natalie who loved blueberries. Mirta is survived by her son, Guido, of Portland, Ore.; daughter, Cinthia; son-in-law, Michael; and granddaughter, Natalie, of San Francisco; her youngest daughter, Jessica; and daughter-in-law, Judy, of Seattle; one surviving sister, Irma; two nieces, Andrea and Brenda; her former husband, George; and countless colleagues, students, and friends. She will be greatly missed. Donations in Mirta’s honor can be made to the Rainier Scholars Fund. Please identify that the gift is in Mirta’s memory under the “Comments” section of the form. Ken Van Dyke • February 4, 2020 Kenneth Van Dyke was born in Olympia, the son of Edward August Van Dyke and Adeline Genevieve Van Dyke. Ken was surrounded by family as he succumbed to a three-year battle with cancer. Devoted to his faith and unwavering desire to be in the service of others, Ken spent 11 years at St. Edward’s Seminary before pursuing a life in education, leading to a long 40-year career at Lakeside School, endearingly known by his students as KVD. Ken’s passion for enriching the lives of those around him was boundless, while his ceaseless fascination with words always left one with an alluring desire to know more. Whether challenging his Latin students with lines from Cicero, sailing the Aegean, or translating the scriptures at St. Peters, Ken was a lifelong learner, traveler, and lover of the classics. Much of Ken’s adult life continued to reflect his vast appreciation for the arts. He was continuously involved in the Seattle Opera, an avid patron of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and a longtime member of Seattle Men’s Chorus. Ken is survived by his son, Donald Van Dyke (Jenn), and grandson, Diedric; his siblings, Charlotte Van Dyke, Mary Gulla (Joe), Barbara Van Dyke Shuman (Jim), and Ann Strandberg (Lars); nieces and nephews; and many grand-nieces and grand-nephews. All will miss Ken’s sense of humor, creative cooking, and extraordinary capacity to support and guide those in need. Betty Jo Wright • March 8, 2020 Betty Jo Wright enjoyed a full and productive life with Jim, her late husband. She grew up in Long Beach, Calif., but found her calling in the Pacific Northwest, residing in Portland, Seattle, and Anacortes. She was a gifted educator and held several positions, including principal. She worked in the Lakeside development office for eight years. Jim and Betty enjoyed many activities, including boating, traveling, and photography. She published a book on their adventures traveling to Princess Louisa Inlet in British Columbia aboard a 16-foot outboard motorboat. She assisted with the preservation of Chatterbox Falls, British Columbia, one her favorite places on Earth. Betty is survived by her sister, Mary Margaret Caddle, and her family, as well as many loving friends.

2019-2020 ST. NICHOLAS | LAKESIDE

ALUMNI BOARD

❚Elizabeth Richardson Vigdor ’85 President ❚Claudia Hung ’89 Immediate Past President ❚Teal Luthy Miller ’87 Mission and Governance Chair ❚Casey Schuchart ’96 Activities Chair ❚Nicholas Stevens ’06 Connections Chair ❚Kelly Poort Alumni Office Liaison

MEMBERS ❚Bruce Bailey ’59 Honorary Lifetime Member ❚Teryn Allen Bench ’04 ❚Kate Coxon ’01 ❚Stephanie Saad Cuthbertson ’94 ❚Calder Gillin ’98 ❚Gigi Ryan Gilman ’80 ❚Ellis Hazard ’10 ❚Brianna Reynaud Jensen ’96 ❚Dahlia Liao Mak ’92 ❚David Mandley ’99 ❚Jacki Mena ’08 ❚Mark Middaugh ’02 ❚Elliott Okantey ’05 ❚Cooper Offenbecher ’00 ❚Brian Park ’88 ❚Piper Pettersen ’03 ❚Reid Rader ’03 ❚Scott Reed ’85 ❚Liza Shoenfeld ’05 ❚Nina Smith ’76 ❚TJ Vassar ’94 S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   55


e s s ay

Art Lessons

I

H AV E B E E N at Lakeside for 18 years and

it is time to graduate.

It is with a heavy heart that I leave this supportive, megatalented community. It feels utterly foolish to walk away from the best job in the city a clay person could ask for. Yet I know I cannot make the art that is in me if I stay. And I am passionate about developing the nonprofit organization I co-founded with my partner, which supports artists in their creative process. The growth of our Rockland Residency will require my energy, along with skills Lakeside has taught me about bullet points, collaboration, mentoring, and equity. The most important life lesson I take away from this place is understanding what it means to be white in America. I am so grateful for the strong voices I came to admire here: Antonio Hopson, who ensured that

we have done and all we continue to do with more grace than when we began. Because of my experience here, it is part of Rockland’s mission to offer opportunity to traditionally

Lakeside’s mission would include diversity,

marginalized groups.

not just global service. Kim-An Lieberman,

In the first half of my teaching career, before

the poet responsible for expanding Lake-

having children, I defined myself as an artist

side’s affinity groups, who was gentle and

who teaches. I encouraged students to wit-

wise as she challenged our community to

ness my creative process and help me install

explore buried racist belief systems. Unlike

exhibitions. I did the same for them, going

Kim-An, I took years to find my voice, to be-

beyond the classroom to support their ideas

lieve what I had to say had value. T.J. Vas-

and their art. If a student needed to “pit

sar ’68, Crystal McGuigan, Jamie Asa-

fire” a large clay piece, I drove them to

ka ’96, Debbie Bensadon, and others

Golden Gardens beach to dig a hole

who have all played such key roles

in the sand and fire the clay for four

in the effort we call “Our Work To-

hours. I instituted professional-

gether.” I have seen the trajectory

style gallery receptions during

of this diversity work. I am proud

activity periods.  My expectations

of Lakeside for its courage and for all

were high for both work and play. We

56   L AKESIDE

Portrait by Katie M. Simmons and Barry Wong’s photo students, 2016


had “Open Studio Nights” where we got messy until 10 p.m. while baking nachos and pizza in the kilns. We took field trips and welcomed guest artists — all to knock down the brick and mortar separating school from the real world, a philosophy that supported our students’ global experiences. While my self-definition expanded after becoming a parent, so, too, has my awareness of the impact art has on students’ lives. I’ve seen more and more students choosing to be in the studio because they need it. They need it to balance the rigor and the expectations. The ones who really know themselves have been unwilling to give up their art class for a “free” period, which in theory would alleviate their stress by allowing them time to work more. It’s actually the art class — being hyperpresent in the moment — that alleviates stress. Parents have confided in me, saying they would never ask their children to quit art to make room for something else deemed more “worthy.” They have cried with gratitude for the joyful space we’ve provided their struggling students.  I will miss the teaching space where art brought us all together — whoever we were, wherever we came from. I will miss this amazing, funny, capable, generous community. I will miss the joys and struggles of working so intimately with young artists. I will forever feel gratitude for having had the opportunity.

— JODI ROCKWELL

Upper School Visual Arts Teacher 2002-2020

S p r i n g • S u m m e r 2 0 2 0   57


14050 1st Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98125-3099 lakesideschool.org


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.