STILL OR UNSTILL? - Commonwealth Academy

COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY NEWS
DECEMBER 2014
2014–15, VOLUME I
INSIDE THIS ISSUE, PAGE 2:
STILL OR UNSTILL?
Mindfulness and Movement Facilitate Learning
PLUS:
In the Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Around C/A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Curriculum Highlights . . . . . . . . 15
Sports Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Support C/A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
EMPOWER THE CHILD. EMPOWER THE MIND.
STILL OR UNSTILL?
Mindfulness and Movement
Facilitate Learning
Which is the more essential tool for successful
learning: a quiet, focused, attentive mind or a
confidence-building, energy-efficient burst of
physical activity? Commonwealth Academy
teachers and students have discovered that
mindfulness and movement are equally
important when it comes to living our charge
to “Empower the Child…Empower the Mind.”
Studies have long shown that regular physical activity can make
a marked difference in a student’s academic performance. This is
particularly true of students who may grapple with issues of selfesteem, or who find themselves challenged by a surplus of restless
energy.
Newer are the studies that show that the practice of mindfulness
also provides significant academic enhancement. Students who are
taught how to quiet their minds, tune in to their surroundings, and
pay keen attention to what is going on inside them (and around
them), find it easier to focus on classwork and retain the lessons
they’ve learned.
“Educators, particularly in the LD field, are becoming evermore
aware of the interconnectedness of mind and body,” explains Head
of School Dr. Susan J. Johnson.
C/A’s empowering academic and social-emotional programs
provide students with myriad opportunities to engage in both
mindfulness and movement. The results to date have been
impressive.
(Left:) Lower School students practicing mindfulness strategies.
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COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
Students use various items (a ball, sand, or Play-Doh) to help them focus on their feelings and emotions in the present time by making connections between
their physical and emotional experiences, without being distracted by their surroundings. Once a certain sensation is identified, the student is able to
process that feeling or emotion or can use his or her awareness as a tool to work through the difficulties that might arise on an everyday basis.
MINDFULNESS
A chaotic mind is rarely a productive mind.
Chances are you’ve seen this yourself: the
days when you make careless mistakes or
feel particularly absentminded are the days
when your thoughts are strewn in dozens
of directions. This reality is manifold
for students with learning differences,
who often find it difficult to screen out
distractions—internal as well as external—
in order to focus fully on the task at hand.
Mindfulness exercises can help a young
person quiet their mind and harness their
nervous energy.
Dr. Johnson observes, “A restless body
means a cluttered mind.” Noting that
internal emotions, outside disruptions, the
transition from one task to another, and the
demands to process new material can be
overwhelming to some, she explains,
“We want our students to recognize their
many states of mind: when they are tense,
when they are relaxed. Most of all, we want
them to be prepared to take on the next
task. Quieting the body and mind plays a
large role in our students’ readiness to learn.”
Although the “The Mindful Classroom”
is a relative newcomer to educational
pedagogy, C/A has incorporated elements
of the practice into our program for
many years. Our tag line, “Empower
the Child…Empower the Mind,” was
developed long before the mindfulness
movement was introduced to schools
nationwide. From our inception, we
understood that we needed to empower
our students before learning could take
place. To this end, everything at C/A is
intentional: the quiet carpeted hallways,
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
Numerous studies have
shown that mindfulness
is a powerful tool for
combating multiple
mental and physical
problems and disorders,
for example, AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), mood
and anxiety disorders.”
~MindfulSchools.org
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We talked about
mindfulness and
meditation in psychology
class while finishing a
unit on sleep and states of
consciousness. Students
researched mindfulness
and relaxation techniques,
followed by a share-out
and mindfulness exercises.”
Here, students “Take
Five” (above) and listen
to a reading using guided
imagery, two techniques
used to practice
mindfulness in our
classrooms.
~Amy Littlefield, Department Chair, History
MINDFUL FAMILIES = SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS
C/A teachers have observed that their students
have an increased receptivity to the positive
effects of mindfulness when their parents
talk about the techniques and model mindful
behavior at home. Kidsrelaxation.com has
many suggestions for ways in which parents
and children of all ages can enjoy mindfulness
practice together. In the meantime, C/A
teachers offer a few tips of their own which they
frequently use in the classroom:
 Safe Space: Talk to your child about a safe
space where they feel secure and comfortable. Is
it a bed piled with stuff animals, the fort in the
back yard, or maybe your overstuffed sofa in the
family room? Help your child put words to the
feelings they have in their safe space; encourage
them to pay attention to their five senses. Explain
that your child can “go” to that safe space in their
minds when they are upset or anxious. They can
sit quietly and visualize the safe space, recreating
its sounds, smells, and touch sensations. This
mental visit will calm their bodies and minds,
helping to ground them.
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 Take Five: Hold up all fingers on one hand.
Breath slowly in as you count to five, curling one
finger at a time into your palm. Exhale naturally.
 Guided Imagery: As a poem is read aloud,
listeners close their eyes and follow with their
minds, creating colors, sounds, and smells that
heighten their imagination.
 Exercise in Positivity: How often do you let
yourself experience good things? Sometimes we
need help slowing down and giving ourselves
recognition. Following these steps can help.
1) Choose a good event. (A good grade,
saying “hi” to someone new, complimenting a
classmate.)
2) Ask yourself…. “Why was that experience
good? Why was it special? Why did it make me
feel special?”
3)What is happening right now?
4) Describe what it feels like (lightness,
excitement, happiness, pride, pleasure).
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
“I have started using some
mindfulness techniques in
music class. Students are
given a question to answer
and then answer it while
they work on balance.
Some days we balance
on one foot, other times
we use our bodies to stay
focused in one position.
The topics vary, but they
mostly deal with issues
that students are facing:
bullying, cyber-bullying,
stress, anger, etc.”
~ Santiago Sere, Lower School Teacher
Yoga, taught to Middle School students, embodies many of the same techniques taught in mindfulness.
the long passing periods for returning to
lockers, small classes that allow individual
voices to be heard, the C/A code of honor,
and daily opportunities for exercise. The
C/A environment is attentive to our
students’ needs; it is also comfortably
predictable, which lowers student stress
and anxiety.
Director of Counseling Services Steve
Maczynski has taken the lead on
expanding C/A’s mindfulness program.
“There is so much noise in our world, so
much channeling into us. We all have the
need to stop and check in with where
we are,” he explains. “Mindful exercises
center you and bring self awareness. This
is all about strengthening the power of
concentration which has an immediate
application to learning.”
Mr. Maczynski points out that
mindfulness is neither revolutionary
nor religious. Rather, it is an important
modality that students can use to
master their learning differences
and successfully solve problems.
He advocates for the practice to be
incorporated into all aspects of the C/A
curriculum, rather than being a standalone class or activity. While our teachers
have attended workshops on mindfulness,
Mr. Maczynski’s vision includes ongoing
professional development so that the
implementation of mindfulness in the
classroom becomes seamless. He urges
teachers to be creative and to incorporate
mindfulness into everyday experiences.
wanted to create a place where there was
a shift in energy from the hallways and
classrooms,” explains Ms. Lice. “Students
can decide on their own to drop in
anytime, without being compelled to do
so. It is important that students recognize
when they need to ‘take a break’ from this
hectic world.” This kind of self-initiation is
a pillar of mindfulness.
Director of Faculty and Curriculum
Development Tara Nappi believes that,
ultimately, mindfulness leads to healthier
social-emotional development. Once
children become aware of their own
emotions they begin to be mindful of
others. Often, students are surprised
to learn that their actions and words
have a direct impact on others. Through
mindfulness training young people learn
to “hear” or “get” what another student or
teacher is communicating to them. This is
the gateway to empathy.
In addition to this quiet space, Ms.
Merikas and Ms. Lice have introduced
mindfulness to Middle Schoolers during
their team-building groups, study skills
courses, and the new yoga elective.
Mindfulness axioms such as “Pay
Attention to Attention” and “Give Yourself
a Break” are often used as reminders
during times of transition (moving from
one class or topic to another) and before
tackling a test. Our counselors and faculty
are pleased with the early and rapid
response. Most students have exhibited
decreased stress and increased attention.
Some have also expressed meaningful
insights into their feelings, sensations, and
awareness of their environments.
Counselors Lauren Merikas and Gundega
Lice have created a space for mindfulness,
turning one of their offices into a calming
atmosphere with soothing lighting and
a welcoming homelike atmosphere. “We
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
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Whether engaged in JV or Varsity league athletics, PE class, recess, or unstructured free-play before
school in the Johnson Center, physical activity is an important way to relieve stress, refocus, and reenergize.
MOVEMENT
If you have not already done so, take ten
minutes and treat yourself to Dr. John J.
Ratey’s Ted Talk on “The Importance
of Exercise.” Then, lace up your tennis
shoes, grab your child by the hand, and
hit the playground, track, or gym. John
Ratey, author of the books Spark, Driven to
Distraction, Delivered from Distraction, and
Go Wild, was the keynote speaker at the
2014 Diamonds in the Rough Conference
held at C/A. He makes an irrefutable case
for the link between exercise and learning.
Ratey passionately proves that physical play
as well as more structured exercise serves
as vital modalities that stimulate the brain,
turning it on and firing it up so that minds of
all ages can learn.
The C/A school day is intentionally
designed to provide numerous periods of
movement, allowing students to refresh
and refocus. An important addition to our
movement mission is the recently opened
Susan J. Johnson Center (see p. 13), a gym
and performing arts center built to increase
daily opportunities for movement. With the
opening of the Johnson Center, Middle and
High School students now are able to come
to school early and meet up with friends to
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shoot hoops, kick balls, and generally start
their engines for a full day of learning.
The Johnson Center is also open prior
to Middle School advisory sessions, so
that students can burn off excess energy
and refocus their minds before returning
to class. In addition to daily P.E., Lower
School students also have a 30-minute
recess in the morning. These unstructured
breaks give younger students the chance
to blow off steam, bond with friends, and
reset their minds through movement. Free
play such as this is important; so are C/A’s
structured physical education classes, which
boost confidence, strengthen eye-hand
coordination and endurance, improve
strategic thinking, and foster sportsmanship
and collaboration. PE is part of the daily
curriculum in Lower and Middle School; it
is taught four times a week for freshmen and
sophomores. Older High School students
may choose a PE elective and are also
encouraged to participate in one of the C/A
no-cut sports teams: soccer, basketball, and
cross-country.
Every adult at C/A champions the beneficial
impact physical activity has on learning…
none more strongly than Coach Jeff Brown.
“Movement releases stress. It separates
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
the students from academics and lets
their minds go free.” Jeff spoke of a recent
situation when a freshman asked to be
excused from PE to finish a lengthy project.
Sensing that this student was anxious about
his work, Jeff declined the request, knowing
what he needed was to clear his mind. Once
on the field, the student became engaged.
Jeff observed that, little by little, the student’s
body was relaxing and losing stiffness. After
flag football, the student thanked Coach
Brown for making him play. This led to an
open conversation about how exercise can
be a stress reliever, helping you return to a
project with a fresh look, clear perspective,
and renewed energy. Coach Brown was
able to encourage the student to be mindful
of what he was feeling the next time a project
loomed, so he could choose what strategy to
employ to re-set his mind and body.
Movement releases stress. It
separates the students from
academics and lets their
minds go free.”
~Jeff Brown, Athletic Director
KILLING IT WITH THE KILN
Students of all ages have been creating clay masterpieces using C/A’s new kiln, housed in
the Johnson Center. High School students have concentrated on relief still life; Middle
School students have modeled Medieval castles, and Lower School students have crafted
wonderful animals and mugs.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
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...IN THE SPOTLIGHT
BLOGGING ABOUT C/A’S PROGRAM
WEDDING CRUISE
This section of our newsletter is typically
reserved to highlight accomplishments
and interests of our students and faculty
(and you will see many such shout-outs
below). But we couldn’t ignore some
recent press about C/A. After all, the
applause for our amazing program goes to
the entire community:
Lower School teacher
Robert Thompson was
married on October 9.
He and his wife, Amber,
cruised from Miami to
Cozumel and back after exchanging vows
on the ship.
Voted #14 in Best Private Special Needs
Schools in the Nation and Tops in the
DC Area
Pixologic Features C/A Students’ Work
on Website
It was so exciting to make the “front
page news” at Pixologic. You can read
an interview about how C/A students
use #ZBrush and #Sculptris to translate
their conceptual ideas into 3-D design at
pixologic.com. Congratulations to our
students for their great work and creativity
and to Maria Brinza, Ricardo Pontes,
Santiago Seré, Rose-Marie Parker, and
Evan Gropper for their inspired, visionary
teaching.
Masters in Special Education compiled
a list of the country’s 50 best private
schools serving special needs students,
ranking C/A #14—the highest ranked
school in the entire DC area. Wow! The
research team reviewing schools was led
by an educator and PhD candidate at
Purdue University. Final selections were
based on the presence of the following
characteristics and rank order by
consensus of the team:
1. The school has a rich curriculum based
on variety of offerings/tools to service its
students.
2. The school has a low student-teacher
ratio; many of the schools chosen have
a faculty of whom over 50% possess
Master’s degrees or above.
3. The school has won awards for teaching,
excellence, or architecture.
4. The school offers unique programs
which transcend the basic academic
curricula, like animal therapy, links to
colleges, online learning options, sports,
or art.
Sam Newby ’15 was awarded the National
Merit Scholarship
Program Letter of
Commendation for
outstanding performance
on the PSAT. Of the
more than 1.5 million
qualifying students, only about 50,000
nationwide achieve PSAT scores high
enough to qualify as commended
students, semifinalists, or finalists.
Congratulations, Sam!
MS SGA OFFICERS &
REPRESENTATIVES
SIXTH GRADERS ATTEND
CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
Congratulations to the Middle School
officers and representatives, elected at
the beginning of the school year. Officers
are Will Roellke ’19, President; Reagan
Feld ’20, Vice President; Chloe Sinder
’21, Secretary; Andrei Thompson ’20,
Treasurer; and Hazel Feldstein ’20,
Communications. Class representatives
are Aviva Pollack ’19, 8th Grade; Ewan
O’Donnell ’20, 7th grade; and Avi
Skolnick ’21, 6th grade.
Sixth graders Gabe Paier and Ian Vander
Schaaf observed the Congressional
Committee Hearing on the Science of
Dyslexia with International Dyslexia
Association’s President Hal Malchow.
At the hearing, they also met Chairman
of the House Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology Congressman
Lamar Smith; Director of the Center for
the Study of Learning Guinevere Eden;
Director for the Yale Center for Dyslexia
and Creativity Dr. Sally Shaywitz; and
(dyslexic) author and screenwriter Max
Brooks. C/A parents Elin Paier and Nancy
Hervey represented Virginia’s grassroots
parent organization Decoding Dyslexia.
To learn more, visit www.masters-inspecial-education.com.
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NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED
SCHOLAR
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
HILARY KRAUS ’15 SETS A HIGH BAR
FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
Hilary Kraus ’15 has
high expectations of
herself, setting a goal
to give 500 hours to
community service
during High School.
She worked with United Communities
Ministry in August to provide over a
dozen Alexandria students from low
income families with new backpacks
and grade appropriate school supplies.
Through the same organization, she tutors
a young Fairfax County student from
Ecuador for two hours each week. Good
luck in meeting your goal, Hilary!
received the award, she was asked to write
a second essay about how she felt. In it,
she noted, “I am really thankful for being
recognized for being myself.”
Two other C/A students (Chris Wong
’16 and Gabe Norris ’16) were also
nominated for this award last year for their
performance as top students. While only
Rachel received a scholarship, all three
will be published in the United States
Achievement Academy Yearbook. Great
work to all of you!
THE C/A DIRECTORY
IS ON EDLINE—AND
UPDATED FREQUENTLY
BORK EARNS EAGLE SCOUT
HE’S A SPEED CUBING WIZARD
Jason Hammerman ’16 participated in
the Fall 2014 Virginia Open competition,
sponsored by the World Cube
Association. Speed is key as competitors
are given an algorithm to solve. Jason’s
best time on the Rubik’s Cube was 24.23
seconds and 9.40 seconds on the 2x2
cube. Congratulations, Jason!
UNITED STATES ACHIEVEMENT
ACADEMY AWARDS
Congratulations go to
Rachel Skopp-Cardillo
’16, scholarship recipient
from the United States
Achievement Academy
for her academic
achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities, and an original essay.
The prompt asked her how she would
change the world; she wrote about her
dream of teaching children like herself
who have learning differences. Once she
Robert Bork ’16 earned Eagle Scout
and will attend his Court of Honor in the
spring. His project included construction
of two picnic tables with sun umbrellas
and two garden planters, which he and his
parents delivered to C/A in November.
Thank you for your generous gift, Robert,
and congratulations.
C/A STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT
LEARNING DIFFERENCES ON A NEW
WEBSITE: UNDERSTOOD.ORG
Thanks to a grant from the Poses Family
Foundation, WETA filmed clips of our
students for a new website which provides
experts and resources for families who
have a child with learning differences.
Three C/A students, Sam Gross ’16,
Merrill Hewitt ’21, and Gabby Stevenson
’17, were chosen to speak about their
educational experience. You can find their
clips in the section, “Through Your Child’s
Eyes.”
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
The C/A Directory is an up-to-date
living document reflecting newly
enrolled students and changes to
our families’ personal information.
You’ll find it on Edline’s homepage;
the date of the last update is noted
on the front cover.
If you prefer to have a hard copy,
self-print as many directories as
you need for your house, office, or
car. You can download the directory as a PDF and store it in a file
on your desktop, laptop, tablet
or smartphone, or send it to your
favorite cloud for access. Edits are
made on a regular basis, however,
so if you don’t access it through
Edline, do check back now and
then for the most current version.
When your personal information changes, please send an
email to Lisa Harrington, our C/A
Registrar at: Lisa_Harrington@
CommonwealthAcademy.org.
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FACULTY GRANTS
Three teachers, who received grants from
funds raised at the 2014 CARE Awards
presented a summary of their grant
experience at the fall donor dinner, held
each year to honor those who donate $500
or more to C/A.
WELCOME NEW FACULTY
ABOVE:  Lauren Merikas  Gundega Lice  Leonard Gjoni  Andrew Davie  Josh Hicks
 Megan Burgess  Geoffrey Stanton  Daniel Furman  Rebecca Stewart.
SIDE, from top: Amy Littlefield, Darlene Meggesto, Robert Thompson
SUMMER ENRICHMENT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
SUMMER IN HONG KONG
TEACHER EXCHANGE IN TAIWAN
Director of Counseling Services Steve
Maczynski completed a two-week teacher
exchange program in Taichung, Taiwan
in August. Serving as an instructor at
the National Taichung First Senior High
School, Mr. Maczynski taught a group of
high school students about international
“hot spots” as part of a foreign policy
seminar. This is the third year that he has
participated in the exchange, which is
largely funded by the Scholl Foundation.
Prior to his international travel, Mr.
Maczynski taught a three-week U.S.
foreign policy class at Georgetown
Preparatory School; C/A students and
peers from across the globe examined
current events in the Middle East. Three
of the students were from the National
Taichung First Senior High School.
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Middle School English
and Writing teacher
Andrew Davie spent
the summer in Hong
Kong, teaching at The
Community College
of City University. He spent part of last
year, and most of the summer, working
with Christian Action, a non-profit
organization, holding informal discussions
and organizing a book drive to benefit
asylum seekers.
Katie Theobald, chair of the science
department and coordinator of academic
support, traveled to Costa Rica to explore
international student travel and to enrich
the science curriculum.
Writing and math teacher Evan Gropper
attended the International Society for
Technology in Education Conference
to build content knowledge, learn new
strategies, and gain exposure to the most
timely and relevant topics and trends in
educational technology.
English and Writing teacher Matt Briggs
attended the Sewanee Writer’s Conference
to continue developing as a reader and
writer.
C/A SUMMER 2015
Courses for credit and help with summer math and reading
packets will be offered once again this year.
Courses for credit will include Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II,
and Pre-calculus, offered at 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. from
July 7–August 13.
Assistance with summer packets will be offered August 10–13,
from 12:30–3:00 p.m.
Check the website for more details and to enroll.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
1ST QUARTER HONOR ROLL
HIGH HONOR ROLL (all A’s)
Caroline Albert ’17, Eliza Anderson ’21,
My-Linh Aslanian ’20, Jakob Coray ’16,
Isabella Cress ’21, Noelle Crump ’19,
Alex Dertzbaugh ’18, Adam Dertzbaugh
’15, Reagan Feld ’20, Hazel Feldstein ’20,
Daniel Grossman ’20, Cecilia Harris ’19,
Samuel Johnson ’21, Gabriel Kimmel ’20,
Colin McDonald ’17, Lucille Soulliere ’20,
Christopher Wong ’16
HONOR ROLL WITH MERIT (A’s and A-’s)
Robert Bork ’16, Phoebe Gale ’21, Jason
Hammerman ’16, Caroline Hervey ’17,
Talia Jackson ’19, Juliet Landeck ’15,
Cavan Moriarty ’21, Sarah Mullins ’18,
Gabriel Norris ’16, Ewan O’Donnell ’20,
Gabriel Paier ’21, Harrison Rios ’18,
Gabriel Sutton ’18, Josh Tannenbaum ’19,
David Wuslich ’21, Max Zawitoski ’20
HONOR ROLL (A’s and B’s)
Andrew Boehme ’15, Aria Brauchli ’18,
Simon Brooke ’15, Justin Caramanica ’16,
Bea Cohen ’15, Colette Deller ’17, James
Edwards, Jr ’21, Forrest Ellis ’16, Samuel
Gotter ’16, Alexander Grant ’18, Maximus
Halim ’18, Seth Harding ’19, Michael
Hervey ’20, Priscilla Houck ’19, Julia
Jaseph ’16, John Jex ’18, Ian Johnson ’21,
Hilary Kraus ’15, Susannah Laane ’17,
Jacqueline Lamb ’18, Andrew Lee ’20,
Maxwell Leopold ’20, Michael Lipson
’21, Aidan Moser ’20, Joshua Nathan ’20,
Samuel Newby ’15, Andrew Olson ’21,
Sebastien Richard ’15, Gabriel Richards
’18, William Roellke ’19, Camille
Schmidt ’19, Avi Skolnick ’21, Rachel
Skopp-Cardillo ’16, Mena Spencer ’21,
Nicholas Starr ’21, Jack Thiessen ’21,
Frederick VanderPoel ’21, Mateo Ward
’20, Catherine Young ’21, Christopher
Young ’17
Congratulations to our Middle School (top) and High School (bottom) Honor Roll students!
HONOR ROLL SIBS
Great job to three pairs of siblings, all of whom earned Honor Roll: the Youngs,
Dertzbaughs, and Herveys. And thanks to The Hervey’s for their recent remark after their
children earned Honor Roll:
“Proof positive that the right school makes all the
difference. Our hats are off to you all.”
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
11
SPORTS ROUND UP
Varsity Soccer finished the fall season with
a 3–3 league record. In tournament action,
the Cougars fell to German School, the #1
seed, undefeated, and eventual champion.
Despite a disappointing finish, the team
competed with incredible heart and desire,
and represented the best of C/A.
Senior Robby West earned 1st team
All-League honors, as voted on by the
coaches. Our experienced defensive unit
(Simon Gervais ’15, Ned Goodnow ’15,
Cat Higgins ’17, and Ian Johnson ’21)
showed great strength and Robby West ’15,
Ben Aschmann ’17, David Mehlman ’18,
and Ben Van Hook ’17 led our offensive
attack.
The Cross Country team competed
in two league events and a conference
championship. Out of 95 runners, Lukas
Driessen ’16 finished a very impressive
4th overall. My-Linh Aslanian ’20 finished
first in the Middle School Girls division.
Garren Aberth ’19 and David Wuslich ’21
also competed with very respectable
finishes.
Basketball season is underway. In addition
to regular league games, the Girls and
Boys Varsity teams participated in the
Turkey Shootout Invitational tournament.
League play culminates in February.
ALUMNI NEWS
2005
Soraya Schwartz ’05 is an academic affairs
coordinator at the University of Phoenix.
RECENT VISITS
We are always so happy to welcome back
alumni on campus. Recent visits included:
Angela Bunker ’09, Chris Donilan ’14,
Timothy Drumtra ’13, Chris Foley ’10,
Natalie Gerdano ’13, Sebastien
Hopkinson ’12, Ellie Johnson ’14,
Madeline Junor ’14, Joey Keller ’13,
Taylor Lavelle ’13, Connor Marley ’13,
John Salmons ’09, Jed Stackhouse ’12,
and Trey Sutherland ’13.
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COLLEGE CORNER
More and more admissions representatives from collegiate STEM institutions have
accepted invitations to visit C/A. This fall, representatives from Purdue, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Georgia Tech, and Case
Western Reserve University met with C/A students in information sessions.
High School students interested in pursuing visual arts met with representatives from
SCAD, the Cleveland Institute of the Art, and Cooper Union where they learned about
portfolio development and more.
C/A students also continue to explore post-secondary options at schools represented
in “The Colleges that Change Lives.” High on the list are Goucher College, Washington
College, Juniata College, Kalamazoo College, and McDaniel College. Rising seniors
have visited these campuses and have cross-referenced overlapping schools such as
Washington and Jefferson College, Virginia Wesleyan, and St. Mary’s College.
Virginia colleges and universities continue to represent a key area of interest for current
seniors. Information sessions were held at C/A with representatives from the University
of Mary Washington and Christopher Newport University.
In addition to colleges visiting us, Director of Counseling Services Steve Maczynski
takes time to visit other schools. He attended seminars on the growth of STEM
instruction at the middle and high school levels throughout the United States at the
National Association for College Admissions Counselors annual conference. As part
of this training, he visited Purdue University, Rose-Hulman, and Indiana University in
Bloomington. And, when time permits, he enjoys nothing more than visiting alumni.
Over Thanksgiving break, Mr. Maczynski took time from his Florida vacation to see
Chris Donilon ’14, who is attending Lynn University.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
AROUND C/A
TERRI PILKERTON: Mindfulness Workshops
In October, Terri Pilkerton, counselor in training at ProjectSAFE,
introduced mindfulness and discussed its relevance to modern
parenting in a 90-minute workshop. She guided participants
through various exercises, including playful ones that parents
can do at home with their children. A second workshop was held
in December during which children and parents came to learn
mindfulness strategies.
KELLY DORFMAN:
The Connection
Between Nutrition
and Childhood
Ailments
SUSAN J. JOHNSON CENTER DEDICATION
The dedication of the Susan J. Johnson Center for athletics and
performing arts, named in honor of the Head of School for her
extraordinary vision and stalwart leadership since 2002, ushered
in the new school year with tremendous spirit and acclamation.
Our mascot, the C/A cougar, and Dr. Johnson led the cheers
as Lower School students marched into the Johnson Center to
celebrate the new facility. Alexandria’s Mayor William Euille,
Police Chief Earl Cook, and Assistant Fire Chief Byron Andrews
joined C/A parents, students, faculty, board members, and friends
in celebration. Basketballs autographed by Susan Johnson served
as a special door prize; the lucky winners were Andrew Boehme
’15, Gabe Brinza ’22, Mattias Camacho ’20, Josh Nathan ’20,
Nathan Noyes ’23, and Ethan Taylor ’17.
The Center has already proved invaluable this year, housing
several presentations and workshops, and providing onsite space
for PE, movement, and before school play as well as Cafe Night. It
also houses the art department’s new kiln.
RECENT PARENT WORKSHOPS
As part of our goal to support other organizations that serve
the families of children with learning disabilities, we offer our
building as a venue for informational talks and educational
workshops. This fall we hosted three such events:
JEROME J. SCHULTZ, PHD:
“Nowhere to Hide: The
Disturbing Impact of Stress
on the Brains of Students
with Learning Disabilities
and What We Can Do About
It. “
This informative presentation
in September by Dr. Schultz,
a clinical neuropsychologist
and faculty member of the Harvard Medical School, was
presented by The DC Capital Area Branch of the IDA and NoVa
CHADD and supported by Decoding Dyslexia.
This October
presentation was
sponsored by
CAPA and featured
Kelly Dorfman,
a nutrition
detective and author of a 2012 Gold Nautilus Award winning
book, Cure Your Child With Food: The Hidden Connection Between
Nutrition and Childhood Ailments. Ms. Dorfman specializes in
finding nutritional solutions to common ailments; in her talk,
she revealed hidden connections between nutrition and chronic
childhood ailments, and gave parents simple, straightforward
solutions they need to help their children thrive. You can learn
more in her book or through her articles and columns in the
Huffington Post and Living Without magazine.
C/A RECEIVES VAIS REACCREDITATION
It’s official! We are delighted to report that we received our letter
of reaccreditation in mid-December. The many months leading
up to the VAIS (Virginia Association of Independent Schools)
on-site visit were a time of deep reflection about the school,
its past, present, and future. It required the input of the board,
parents, students, alumni, faculty, and administrators and was an
extraordinary amount of work for the entire faculty and staff. But
it was a very rewarding process to stop and take stock—and carve
out the future vision of our school. The state of our school, caliber
of our students,
and generosity of
spirit of our many
constituents is
remarkable and
paved the way
to a successful
VAIS visit and
reaccreditation.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
The October visit
began on a Sunday
with an “Afternoon
13
at the Movies,” featuring a video highlighting important parts
of our program that the VAIS team might not see while visiting
our classrooms. (If you haven’t yet seen it, you’ll find it on our
YouTube channel; it’s titled Commonwealth Academy Up Close)
Students welcomed our guests with boxes of popcorn and Head
of School Dr. Susan Johnson gave an overview of the growth
of our program since our last accreditation. The VAIS team
was also welcomed to watch mini-videos talking about specific
aspects of our program. During the four-day visit, the VAIS team
interviewed members of the board, students, parents, faculty, and
administrators, and observed many of our classes.
One of the key facts about C/A that we wanted to make sure
VAIS understood was that we are constantly focused on our
mission. And they did. One of the remarks from the team leader
came in the form of highest praise, “This school is 100% mission
centered.” The feedback in our exit interview was overwhelmingly
positive. As a thank you, and in keeping with our theme, the VAIS
team made a movie for us. It included pictures of our school and
students featuring adjectives that they saw during their visit:
accommodating, welcoming, empowering, systematic, safe,
innovative, inclusive, supportive, warm, encouraging, challenging,
synergistic, student-centered, engaging, genuine, and creative. The
movie ended with a thank you and team member saying, “You left
me speechless.”
HALLOWEEN
Lower School students, dressed in costume, opened the annual
Halloween Cafe for their families, sharing Halloween math,
science, and language arts activities. Students wrote on a variety
of Halloween topics including interviews with ghosts and
vampires, monster in a jar, and mystery candy, to name a few.
Several classes performed short Halloween Readers Theater
scripts. Of course, the Halloween lanterns were awe-inspiring:
6 x 4 feet models they constructed using their STEAM skills.
Learning and refreshments were enjoyed by all.
MS and HS students enjoyed games and music at afternoon
parties. Many thanks to respective SGA members and parents for
decorations and food.
Thanks to all of you who completed surveys, provided insight into
our future vision, compiled statistics and documents, and helped
ready us for our successful reaccreditation.
TIM DENEVI
ON BEING
HYPER
On December
5, High School
students
welcomed “one of
their own,” Tim
Denevi, author
of the widelyacclaimed book
and personal memoir, Hyper. Denevi spoke about his life growing
up with ADHD and entertained students with readings from his
book about learning to drive and other excerpts. He left plenty
of time to answer a multitude of questions from his thoroughly
engaged audience, and took time for a student-author interview.
Many thanks to Mary McGann (parent of Jackie Lamb ’18) for
arranging his visit. If you haven’t already read his book, you will
not only discover a moving memoir, but an interesting history
of the diagnosis, which has led to today’s estimates of more than
four million children being medicated.
14
HONOR MONTH
Each November, C/A celebrates honor month, a time to discuss
the importance of academic honesty and to reflect on what honor
means to us as a community. This year, weekly topics included
Honor Month Kick Off , the John Walsh Plagiarism Scandal,
Student Pressure and Cheating, and Integrity and Being Honest
with You. The celebration ended with a final wrap up and the
traditional signing of the Honor Pledge.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHTS
MODEL OAS
Twenty High School students participated in the December
Model OAS conference in Washington, representing Argentina
and Belize. Throughout last quarter, OAS students have prepared
position papers, developed resolutions, and visited embassies.
During the conference, they engaged in several public speaking
opportunities and shared policy papers and briefings with
students from Georgetown Prep and Stoneridge. Many of these
students are earning a Global Learning & Humanities Certificate
in addition to their regular or advanced diploma and participate in
all three model organizations available for high school students:
Organization of American States (OAS) , United Nations, and the
Arab League.
Attendees at the conference included (back row, left to right):
Luke Ellis ’16, Chris Neureiter ’17, Christopher Wong ’16, Jared
Kleiman ’15 (head delegate, Argentina), Andrew Webb ’17, Jakob
Coray ’16, Colin Brooke ’15, Ben VanHook ’17, and Sam Newby ’15
(front row, left to right) Robert Bork ’16, Sam Gotter ’16, Juliet
Landeck ’15 (head delegate, Belize), Meagan O’Donnell ’16, Julia
Jaseph ’16, Lee Keller ’16, and Simon Brooke ’15
SNOW DAYS!
We follow Fairfax County Public Schools for full day
closings and opening delays. Shortly after Fairfax
County posts its decision online or announces it to the
news, we post the information on our website, Edline,
and Facebook, and send out phone, email, and/or text
alerts via Blackboard Connect. In the event that Fairfax
County Public Schools have a scheduled day off during
inclement weather, we follow Alexandria City Schools.
Ordinarily, we do not close early due to weather,
regardless of FCPS, and staff will supervise students
until the end of the regularly scheduled day. A
Blackboard Connect message will be sent if after school
activities or study halls are canceled. Of course, parents
are always welcome to pick up their child early if they
feel it is necessary during bad weather.
(not pictured) Adam Dertzbaugh ’15, Hilary Kraus ’15, Sebastien
Richard ’15, and Gabe Norris ’16
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
15
S.T.E.A.M. IN SPACE
Fifth graders became team builders and aerospace, systems,
and mechanical engineers as they completed STEAM (science,
technology, engineering, art and math) projects this quarter. This
project required a lot more than book knowledge: students developed
interpersonal, social, engineering, and project management skills.
They participated in a two-week team building course, working on
positive verbal and nonverbal communications skills and leadership
skills. They also learned the team process: know the rules and goals,
brainstorm, pick one idea, plan, do, and evaluate.
Their first STEAM project was Space Travel: Kerbal Space
Program. Students completed activities demonstrating Newton’s
Three Laws of Motion and Bernoulli’s principle and rocket flight.
In math class, students investigated the distance various planets
are from the sun and from each other, the speed with which each
planet travels through space, and the size of atoms in common
rocket fuel. They used scientific notation using positive and
negative exponents to write various notations and created a scaled
model of space stations to accurately demonstrate cubed feet and
volume measurements. In art class, students made a 3-D model
of a space station in a fictional solar system. In MacLab, students
used Kerbal Space Program, a space program simulator, to build
and launch rockets into orbit. As aerospace engineers, they tested
their rockets and then built better ones based on their observation
and growing knowledge about aerodynamics.
During the unit, students enjoyed a visit from space shuttle
astronaut and former navy test pilot Scott “Scooter” Altman.
Altman treated Lower and Middle School students to an exciting
talk about his training and experience as an astronaut. He flew
four shuttle missions and was the commander of the team sent
to repair NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Of course, his work as
part of the F-14 aircrew in the movie Top Gun is also pretty cool.
WRITING, TECHNOLOGY, AND FOOD
What better way to sharpen writing and technology skills in
a real-life application than to center a project around food?
That’s precisely what was presented to sixth and seventh grade
Writing students. Students envisioned a fictitious restaurant
and, capitalizing on their descriptive vocabulary, created mouth
watering menus, showcasing them using Google Presentation on
their Chromebooks.
One of the great benefits of an independent school is that faculty
have freedom to expand curriculum “on the spot,” taking cues
from their students. This is exactly what Writing teachers Andrew
Davie and Evan Gropper did when they saw how engaged their
students were in the restaurant project. Expanding on the project,
students used an Internet application to create original radio
commercials with music and voice tones. (These commercials
later led to their creating a commercial for Broadway Cafe.)
From there, the class hosted a pot-luck lunch, sharing select dishes
from their respective restaurants.
16
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
FROM COATS OF ARMS TO THEATRICAL FENCING
Playwright, thespian, and Middle School English teacher Bill
VanderClute guided his class through a project of creating
personal coats of arms to introduce the novel The Savage Damsel
and the Dwarf, then challenged them with scenework from the
book.
Mr. VanderClute designed the coats of arms project to improve
students understanding of symbols, and give them a chance
to think about what is important to them. Working within six
sections on their shields, each student was asked to create symbols
for:
• an animal that represents you
• your greatest accomplishment so far
• what you would like to accomplish in your life
• your most prized possession
• a symbol of your strength that is not an animal
• a picture of one or more important people in your life
While the goals of the project were met and the students enjoyed
it greatly, Mr. VanderClute also gained tremendous insight from
the project. “It gave me a chance to get to know things about
students that I didn’t have any idea about,” he said. “I have a
student who is wild about sea fishing, for example. Another
has won prizes for field hockey, and one wants to accomplish
interplanetary travel. I got to ask them questions like, ’What is
it about a penguin that you feel represents you?’ And I had the
opportunity to listen while a student explained why his younger
brother is the most important person in the world to him.”
After finishing the book, students built props, learned about
theatrical fencing, and directed and acted a scene from the novel.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
17
DIPLOMA CERTIFICATES
BROADEN STUDENT HORIZONS
NEW CERTIFICATE ADDED TO PROGRAM
C/A now offers four diploma certificates for graduating seniors.
The requirements for a Visual and Digital Arts certificate have
been finalized and can be found on our website (under High
School Curriculum) along with the requirements for STEM
Biomedical, STEM Engineering, and Global Learning and
Humanities. Currently, there are 25 High School students
pursuing one or more certificates.
One of the highlights of the program is the requirement of 240
hours of related, extra-curricular activities. Students have elected
to fill these hours in many ways including volunteer work,
participation in C/A or outside clubs, and summer programs.
What follows is a list of just some of the programs in which
students have participated and recounts of the recent field
experiences of two students.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Alexandria Torpedo Factory: Advanced Art Techniques
Brown University: Neuroscience in Action, Understanding
our Brains and Nervous Systems
Friends of the National Zoo: senior aide
Georgetown Preparatory School: US Foreign Policy, Focus on
the Middle East
Gettysburg College: Camp Psych
Georgetown University: Physics 1
George Washington University: Biology Laboratory
Internship
Marist College: Business Entrepreneurship
Pratt Institute: Introduction to Painting and Drawing
University of Maryland: Young Scholars Program, Discover
Engineering
University of North Carolina–Wilmington:
Marine Biology 1
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
internship
U.S. Naval Research Laboratories: internship
Virginia Commonwealth University:
Introduction to 2D and 3D Art
Yale Young Global Scholars Program
Where There Be Dragons: intensive Spanish in Guatemala
18
ROBERT BORK ’16:
YALE YOUNG GLOBAL
SCHOLARS PROGRAM:
Robert joined students from 46
countries at the highly competitive
and prestigious Yale Young Global
Scholars Program, held at Yale
University in June. Robert writes,
“the Yale Global Scholars Program
was an excellent experience in
college life, education both at home
and abroad, and was an amazing
multi-cultural experience. We were addressed by renown college
professors, scientists, experts in their fields, and global leaders. We
participated in seminars where we all contributed to interesting
conversations, expressing our own views and listening to those
of others. Topics ranged from the future of nuclear energy to
education about deadly viruses. I made friends with students and
scholars who live halfway across the world and am still in contact
with them today. I met people from London, India, China,
Africa, Spain, and many more places. It was a fantastic experience
that I would recommend to anyone interested in an excellent
educational and cultural experience.”
HILARY KRAUS ’15:
WHERE THERE
BE DRAGONS:
INTENSIVE SPANISH IN
GUATEMALA.
Hilary flew into the capital,
Guatemala City, with a nervous
stomach and a head full of
excitement. She spent four weeks
with the program, primarily living
with a host family comprised of
a grandmother, mother, and two
children, aged three and five.
The mother was the only English
speaker in the family—just as well
because Hilary was not allowed to
speak English to her family. Each
morning Hilary completed four hours of one-on-one Spanish
and in the afternoons, participated in group activities and
reforestation volunteer efforts. She also went on a group trek to
the Western Highlands. “I was homesick in the beginning,” Hilary
says, “but it went away. It seemed like I ate pan (bread), beans,
and tortillas each day, but it was good!” Hilary reports that it took
her Spanish to a new, higher level and highly recommends the
program to other high school students.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
SUPPORT C/A
DECEMBER BOOK FAIR
Many thanks to Maggie Farley for chairing
the second annual book fair to benefit
C/A. Through online and in-store sales at
Barnes and Nobel Potomac Yard, CAPA
raised funds to benefit the school. Just as
important, parents generously purchased
books, books on tape, puzzles, and other
items on our teacher wish lists to help
build our library.
BROADWAY CAFE
Broadway Cafe was a great success, raising
$29,000 for our school. The proceeds
will be used to help fund technology.
Approximately 170 parents, faculty, and
friends attended the event, held in the
new Johnson Center. The phenomenal
decorations added to a spirited event
with silent and live auction items. The
evening also featured “Rave Reviews,” a
slide show of student photos and heartfelt
testimonials about C/A’s program. Many
thanks go to the entire Cafe Night CAPA
team.
FULL STEAM AHEAD!
C/A is moving Full STEAM Ahead!
Last year saw the successful completion of
the Susan J. Johnson Center for athletics and
performing arts. C/A’s family and friends were
incredibly generous in helping us raise over
$70,000 to outfit the beautiful space.
Full
!
d
a
e
Ah
This year we are calling on our generous supporters to help us once again establish
something tangible and lasting that will benefit each and every student. Plans are
currently underway to create a center for STEAM at Commonwealth Academy. A
STEAM center will combine the applications of science, technology, engineering, arts
and math in one center where students will take their classroom knowledge and model
it into real-world applications. Our center will be equipped with the latest in hardware,
software, engineering tools, and printers . This will provide a collaborative “maker” space
where students across all disciplines will come together to brainstorm, collaborate and
create.
Please make your donation today and helps us move Full STEAM Ahead!
Visit www.commonwealthacademy.org/supportCA to make your donation today.
Questions? Please contact Meagan Hawkins in the Development Office at meagan_
[email protected] or 703.548.6912.
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY
19
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PLEASE CALL 703.548.6912
OR EMAIL:
Josh Gwilliam, M.A.,
Director of Admissions
Josh_Gwilliam@
CommonwealthAcademy.org
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Cathy_Feehan@
CommonwealthAcademy.org
2014–2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Cathy Pharis, Chair
Jodie Kelley, Vice Chair
Rebecca McDonald, Treasurer
Ira Hammerman, Secretary
Susan J. Johnson, Ph.D.,
Head of School
Walter R. “Trip” Howell III
Chair Emeritus
Richmond Abbe
Gena Fitzgerald
Karen Foley
John W. Hazard, Jr.
Diana A. Horvat
Christian J. Spitz
Tom Suber
RECENT FIELD TRIPS
Adventure Links at Hemlock (Lower School), Air and Space Museum (Lower
School), Calleva (Lower/Middle School), Calleva Overnight (Grades 9–10), Colonial
Williamsburg (Grades 3–5), Cows-N-Corn (Grade 5), Cox Farms (Grades 3–4), Decatur
House (US/VA History and Humanities), Embassies of Argentina and Belize (Model
OAS), Gala Theater (Spanish 1 and 2), Horizons (Grades 11–12), National Gallery of
Art (Middle School), National Museum of Natural History (Grades 6–7), Maryland
Science Center (Lower School), Phillips Collection (HS Art and New Media), US
Holocaust Memorial Museum (Grade 9 English), US Capitol (Grade 8)
COMMONWEALTH ACADEMY