Lectures, Performances, and Presentations

Lower School Reading Resource Coordinator Gail Connelly presented the talk, "Reconceptualizing Spelling: Beyond the Friday Test," at the 27th Annual National Conference of the Association of Educational Therapists in Woodland Hills, California, in October. The presentation provided an overview of current research and thinking about spelling. It explored the nature of the spelling task, origins of spelling difficulty, and components of effective instruction. In April, Gail is scheduled to give a talk at the Chicago Public Library’s Sulzer Regional Branch. “Encourage Your Child to Read During Summer Vacation,” on April 20, is part of the Rush Neurobehavioral Center’s public outreach program.

In November 2005, Fitzgerald’s Roadhouse in Berwyn was the scene for a performance by Middle and Upper School vocal music teacher Jim Lunsford on the piano, along with Latin senior Jeremy Green on the bass, and singer/songwriter Paul Amandes. The musicians performed the works of Amandes, a versatile musician and theater professor at Columbia College, “whose music touches all bases between Kurt Weill and gutbucket blues (!!).”

Upper School Service Learning Director Billy Lombardo had a busy winter and fall, making the rounds of the Chicago literary circuit to read from his award-winning short story collection, The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories at bookstores, libraries, and on public radio and television stations. He also was asked by WBEZ-FM in early November to read an essay he wrote on the White Sox World Series win. Finally, he has spoken to ISACS member schools, local public schools, and at the ISACS annual conference about using the Latin-produced national student literary journal, Polyphony H.S., in high school writing classes.

Math teachers Eve Alexander and Warren Hawley presented the model for the Middle School Math Contest at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ regional conference in Chicago in the fall. Math teacher Stan Izen spoke at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference in October. His talk was titled "Mathematics Is A Language."

Middle and Upper School Visual Arts Department Chair Betty Lark Ross presented the talk "Killer Slide Shows” at the 2006 Photo Imaging Education Association’s annual conference at the end of February in Orlando.

Several members of Latin’s administrative staff gave presentations at the annual joint conference of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the National Association of Independent Schools, held in Chicago at the end of January. The talks and their presenters were: “Admissions + Communications + Development + Special Programs = Advancement,” Catherine Curry, Tom Evans, Anne Frame, Shelley Greenwood, and Terri Pyer; “Flex Schedules, Job Shares, Part-Time, Summer Hours: Models that Work,” Barbara Burdick; “Getting the Most out of Your Special Event,” Tom Evans (with 2005 auction co-chairs Nydia Searle and Mary Tyree); “Identifying, Recruiting, and Retaining the Advancement Team Member,” Shelley Greenwood; “Like a Good Neighbor: Partnering with Your Community,” Evelyne Girardet; and the roundtable session, “Print vs. Online,” Terri Pyer. Vice President of Institutional Advancement Shelley Greenwood was on the planning committee for this conference and moderated all the talks in the advancement leadership track.

Two Latin teachers presented talks at the National Association of Independent Schools annual conference in Boston in early March. Academic Dean Ingrid Dorer Fitzpatrick gave a talk on “LIFE: An Ethics Program for the 21st Century.” Upper School math teacher Stan Izen spoke on “Information Sharing in the Global Schoolhouse,” about his work as writer and editor for the electronic journal, Independent Teacher, (www.independentteacher.org). Also attending from Latin were Upper School science teacher Chinh Nguyen, who chaperoned two students attending the simultaneous NAIS Institute for Student Leaders: Jie Qu and Gabrielle Gaule; Head of School Don Firke; Vice President for Finance and Operations Lorraine Arvin; and Upper School Director Tim Cronister. Lorraine Arvin was in Boston to attend the National Business Officers Association Symposium, where she was part a panel presenting "Benchmarking - Why it might possibly be worth it!"

Upper School science teacher and bass Steven Coberly sang in the chorus and performed a solo during the Handel Week Festival's production of Dixit Dominus in early February at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park. Handel Week is dedicated to promoting the music of George Frideric Handel. The Festival is in its seventh season.


Publications

Head of School Don Firke was one of several alumni of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio who contributed an essay to the book, Without Reserve, which came out in October. His essay, “It Does Not Pay to be Hip,” is one of 52 in the collection that captures many aspects of school life at the Midwestern day and boarding school that he attended until graduating in 1972.

Scientist in Residence Michael Pereira was a co-author on a recent paper published in the peer-reviewed journal, Animal Behaviour, which came out in January. The citation for the paper is Steele, M.A., Manierre, S., Genna, T., Contreras, T.A., Smallwood, P.D., & Pereira, M.E. 2006. The innate basis of food-hoarding decisions in grey squirrels: evidence for behavioural adaptations to the oaks. Animal Behaviour, 71: 155-160.

Math teacher Stan Izen has a number of recent publications. His essay "Fearless Learning" was reprinted at Grant Wiggins’ website: Bigideas.org. His review "Murder, Italian Style," was published in the fall edition of Mystery Reader's Journal. Another essay, "Getting The Irish Up," was published in America s premier fan-oriented mystery magazine, Deadly Pleasures.

Honors and Certifications

English teacher Brian Hennelly was awarded the John M. Kirk, Jr. Memorial Scholarship at The Bread Loaf School of English in recognition of outstanding academic achievement in his first three years of working towards an M.A. in English Literature. While at the 2005 session of Bread Loaf in Vermont, he also played the role of Balthasar in a professional production of Romeo and Juliet mounted by the Trinity Repertory Theater from Providence, Rhode Island.

Cathy Gruber and Aveva Yufit with the NAIS Leading Edge Award for curriculum innovation

The Lower School Children's Roundtable program was one of only 12 winners of the Leading Edge Award, given by the National Association of Independent Schools at its annual conference in early March. Counselors Aveva Yufit and Cathy Gruber traveled to Boston to attend the conference and receive the award. (See the story announcing the award).

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Anne Frame began a four-year term on the SSATB Annual Meeting Advisory Committee. This organization, Secondary School Admission Test Board, is the premier admission testing organization for secondary schools. Anne also has joined the faculty for the Admissions Training Institute, an organization for those new to the admissions field.

History and social studies teacher and girls varsity basketball coach, Max Rouse, was selected as the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District Class 'A' Girls' Coach of the Year in District 1. He will be honored at the 34th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on April 29, at Illinois State University.

Middle and Upper School Visual Arts Department Chair Betty Lark Ross was elected President of the Photo Imaging Education Association, an international network of educators whose mission is to create resources, solve problems, share ideas, and build better relationships with the photo industry so that PIEA members are more successful as photo educators. Her photo "Japanese Clowns" was awarded Second Place in the 2006 PIEA Photo Competition. More than 6,000 entries were received.


Other Professional Development Activities

Lower School Learning Resources teachers Lisbeth Stone, Patti Golden, Marilyn Freund, and Lara Frohlich attended a conference on Understanding Individuals with Asperger Syndrome, or autism, in January.

Middle School History and Social Studies teacher Deana Jaeschke will travel to China this summer on a study tour sponsored by the Center for Northeast Asian Studies (NASC) of Jilin University.

© 2008 The Latin School of Chicago

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