Newsletter

Published on December 2016 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 57 | Comments: 0 | Views: 235
of 16
Download PDF   Embed   Report

Comments

Content

TIS

in the

OO L

January 27, 2011

A Spirit of Community / A Standard of Excellence / The Opportunity to Thrive
Dear TIS Families, I am honored to announce the publication of Mrs. Karen Norton’s book, A School Like No Other, which is a tribute to The Independent School. As many of you are aware, Mrs. Norton served as the first Head of Lower School and subsequently, Head of School at The Independent School from 1980-2006. Our Lower School is proudly named for Mrs. Norton. During her tenure, the school grew from a handful of children, into the first high school graduating class, of 1998. The title of this book is certainly a window into who we are as a school community. We function like no other school I have ever been a part of; we have a diverse, interesting group of students who are woven into the unique fabric of our school. We serve a fascinating parent population, with a variety of backgrounds, careers, and interests. Many of our faculty and staff have Kansas connections, and many have connections and family ties to other parts of the country and overseas, as well. Their varied interests and backgrounds also lend themselves to a broad, interactive style of teaching and learning. What a perfect title for a book written about the first 26 years of our school’s life! How appropriate that it was written by a wonderful lady who truly loves The Independent School, and who continues to support our mission.

P

This Issue
HEADlines...................... 1 Board Brief...................... 2 Floyd’s Learning Lab........ 3 Lower School Update....... 4 Middle School Update...... 6 Upper School Update....... 8 Fine Arts.......................... 11

As I personally read this book, I was amazed at all of the interesting, historical details and Panther Athletics.......... 13 stories. Mrs. Norton Alumni......................... 14 includes personal antidotes and phoAnnouncements............ 15 tographs, which add to the richness of the content. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of A School Like No Other, please visit Mrs. Norton’s website at http://www.kknpub.com/ In addition, there will be an opportunity for you to purchase a copy during our Upper School spring book fair, days and times TBA. Mrs. Norton will be on site in our Upper School library to sign copies of her book, too. There will be two copies in each of our libraries available for you to check out, as well. On another note, we hope all parents will attend our Town Hall Meeting on Monday, February 6, from 6:30-8:00 pm. Please see more information in the announcement section at the end of this Loop edition. ~Dr. Mary Dickerson, Head of School

BOARD BRIEF
Gift:
Something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned…
We have indeed been given many gifts, but perhaps the most remarkable gift given to our TIS community is our campus; all of its structures, facilities, and land, without earning it or needing to provide any payback. When TIS was founded, this gift was given to all of us, to use as our time arose. This gift provides our children an adventure in learning, the security of being accepted, the environment to thrive, and the encouragement to become unique, independent thinkers. As parents, we share the hope for our children that they will become secure, successful, self-reliant adults. Mr. and Mrs. Garvey’s gift allows us to provide the gift of an Independent education to them. Our school’s name, The INDEPENDENT School, underscores the vision Jean Garvey had many years ago. She believes that being independent is the greatest gift of all. Interestingly, we are now part of ISACS, an organization that honors, respects, nurtures and embodies the very principle Jean envisioned upon her founding. The Board of Trustees, established in 2000 when Mrs. Garvey asked the first thirteen individuals to serve as the TIS Board of Directors, is governed by the BOT Mission Statement . “The Board of Trustees of The Independent School plans for the success of the institution now, and for future generations of students, by managing the school’s resources in a cost effective manner, so that the institution remains fiscally solvent, while adhering to and promoting the Mission Statement of The Independent School.” While Mrs. Garvey founded TIS, and with her husband built and donated $10,000,000 worth of buildings on 20 acres, her intention was not to operate or solely support the school. Her wish and desire was that the school would function on its own, independently, directed by mission and adherence to established guiding principles. Because of this generous bestowal, TIS operates debt free and independently today, and has for many years. We are entrusted with the future of The Independent School. Together, as a community, it is our opportunity and responsibility to take care of these gifts given us. We can have confidence that these gifts will keep on giving… as our children move on to impact the world beyond here. We accept the responsibility of independence, and for the Garvey’s gifts, we are filled with gratitude.

Gratitude…

the quality of being thankful: readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

~The Board of Trustees

2

FLOYD’S LEARNING LAB
Memory
“My memory isn’t what it used to be. Furthermore, my memory isn’t what is used to be.” That’s a signature ending some folks are attaching to their email messages. Beneath the intended humor is the rather serious reality that the ability to remember information is important for being able to function independently. And, more specifically, the task of memorization is connected to many skills in life. Whether it is the knowledge gained or the work ethic cultivated through the process, memorization has been required by educators to some degree through generations. Retaining information is not an especially strong suit of mine. I sometimes need more repetitions than others do in order to memorize a list or a poem. But I have often been able, eventually, to complete tasks that have required memory work, including the Preamble to the Constitution (“We the people...”) in elementary school, some Latin vocabulary (“hic, haec, hoc”) in middle school, and a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley (“Ozymandias”) in high school. Freshmen at TIS are currently learning “Pied Beauty” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. What have you memorized? Responses to that question from people in the TIS community include: - “the multiplication tables in third grade” - junior - “the poem “If” by Kipling in sixth grade” - 7th grader - “a song called “Baby Fish” in kindergarten” - 1st grader Some are of the opinion that memorization of certain facts is not as pertinent to a high quality education as in the past. Especially if the word “rote” is used before the word “memorization,” the term is likely to be used in a disparaging context. While most would agree that the availability of modern technology has called into question the necessity of certain traditional memory tasks, a distinction can be made between facts that are needed immediately (e.g., knowledge of CPR for an EMT) and facts that are needed in due course (the names of certain battles for a historian doing research on the Civil War). Classification of memory types is extensive, as you can imagine. For example, there is “procedural” memory, such as that employed to tie shoelaces, and there is “declarative” memory, such as that required for recalling names and dates. Neurologists categorize memory as long-term (associated with a great capacity for storage of information over a long period of time) and short-term (“working memory,” associated with remembering items “in use,” with much more limited storage capacity). Games involving memory are considered fun for some, and just work to others. Many enjoy difficult levels of Sudoku puzzles because by not writing down possibilities for answers, they can test the limits of how much information can be held in the mind and retrieved in a short amount of time. Decades ago, a popular game called Mastermind offered the same kind of challenge to a player’s working memory. Every day the staff of TIS strives to cultivate awareness in each student of what is relatively important to commit to memory and to provide the best possible encouragement to be perseverant in doing one’s best on memory work - recognizing that we all learn in different ways at different rates. I recently listened to a very young boy at this school count to one hundred by fives. That struck me as remarkable, since he was not able to do so just a few weeks earlier. I asked him how he learned them and he told me he was taught a song. It is amazing the variety of techniques that can be employed to help our brains recall information. Indeed, many of us can remember song lyrics from years ago, but not the name of a person to whom we were just introduced. But “education through music” is another topic for another day. Hopefully, one day we will all look back on these remarkably alive days at TIS and say, “Thanks for the memories.”

~Mr. Ron Floyd, Learning Specialist

3

“Chess is the gymnasium of the mind.” -Goethe
A Growing All School Chess Club
Educators and parents have long understood that chess is a wonderful way of exercising young minds. Kids simply know that chess is a bunch of fun! Chess forces you to think critically and logically. It also develops the memory, as the player is forced to learn variations and patterns on the chessboard through the systematic checking of possible combinations of moves. The Independent School sponsors a campus-wide Chess Club including students from Wichita Montessori. Students in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade have the opportunity to learn the rudiments of playing chess. The TIS Chess Club is directed by a United States Chess Federation certified coach, and parent, Mrs. Sammy Hole, along with faculty sponsors, first grade teacher, Mrs. Catherine Jensen (Lower School) and Mrs. Pat Argetsinger, who teaches sixth grade science (Upper and Middle School). Chess Team members practice once a week and compete in chess tournaments as part of our school team throughout most of the school year. The Independent School hosted the Kansas Scholastic Chess Association (KSCA) Grade Level Chess Tournament on Saturday, January 14th. The Upper School gymnasium was filled to the brim with two-hundred twenty-seven chess players from all around the state of Kansas. The purpose of the chess tournament was to recognize the top ten chess players in each grade level. We are extremely proud of the Independent students who participated in the chess tournament. The following TIS students placed in the top ten in their respective divisions: 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade 6th Grade 11th Grade Hunter Vess Evan Eglesias Matthew Janssen Garrett Jensen Issac Hong Alexandro Iglesias Maverick Lewis Jamie Clark Zach Hole Josh Hole

6

LOWER SCHOOL UPDATE
The Head Teacher Role
A new role has been added to the Lower School this year in the form of Head Teacher. The idea was to have a knowledgeable teacher help transition in the new Head of Lower School. As the year has progressed, the role of Head Teacher has evolved. I happily found myself in this new role and welcome this opportunity to give insight into some of the things I have been able to be a part of as Head Teacher. First, and foremost, I have been able to work closely with Mr. Stewart by offering suggestions and advice when needed. It’s not easy to come to a new school and understand the community and culture right away. We have met weekly on topics ranging from grading procedures and meeting agendas to conflict resolutions. I offer insight into and pertinent background information regarding The Independent Lower School’s daily procedures and yearly events. As Head Teacher, I also act as another point of contact for teachers, students, and parents concerning educational and behavioral items at school. I enjoy having the opportunity to help problem solve, collaborate, or simply lend an ear. It is amazing what I have seen transpire this year and the Lower School staff has exciting plans already in the works for the 2012-2013 school year! ~Mrs. Khristi Bates, Head Teacher

5th Grade is Having a “Humdinger” of a Time in Science
The fifth grade students have been learning about force and motion. They have defined such terms as velocity, speed, friction, and simple machines. To incorporate these terms into real world experiences, the students were presented with two challenges. First, the students were given a piece of paper, three inflexible straws, two paper clips, four life savers, and unlimited masking tape. With these materials, teams were asked to create vehicles that could only move by blowing on them. It was fun to see the trial-and-error process the students used to complete the “puff mobiles”. At the end of the challenge, teams competed in a race to witness the mobiles in action. The next challenge consisted of a platform with holes drilled in it, three short dowels, one long dowel, one paper clip, one motor with insulated wires connecting to both ends, one D cell battery, one cell

holder, one two foot long string, one small bell, two rubber bands, and unlimited masking tape. Teams were asked to create a contraption that “hummed” followed by a “ding” when the string was pulled; hence, the name humdinger. Several skills were emphasized including: creativity, problem solving, and collaborative work. Students had to draw upon the lessons of conductivity and electricity from the previous Science unit. They had to have a solid understanding of using metal as a conductor and how to create a closed circuit. This exercise was a true example of thinking outside the box.

5

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATE
National Junior Honor Society!
What does it mean to become a member of the National Junior Honor Society? The Middle School community is about to find out as we begin a new chapter at The Independent School. The NJHS is the middle school or junior high component of the National Honor Society. Here at TIS, the NHS is run in the Upper School by Mr. John Steere, and that organization will be advising us this spring. To begin a chapter, each interested school must complete five chartering procedures. First, a school must make a commitment to establish a chapter by appointing faculty advisors and a Faculty Council which acts as the governing body. Our advisor is Peggy Warren, 7th and 8th grade math teacher; co-advisor is Pat Argetsinger, sixth grade science teacher. The second and third steps include contacting the national office of the National Honor and National Junior Honor Society and completing the application process. To accomplish this, a chapter name (The Independent School Middle School) is chosen and proof of accreditation of the school is submitted and approved. Steps four and five include submission of all the necessary forms to approve, establish, and maintain a chapter, write and adopt the by-laws of the chapter, and publish information to the TIS community. This is a two-to-four month process, and we look forward to completing this final step of sending out the criteria for qualification by students and publishing a calendar within the next month. Our seventh and eighth grade students have the opportunity to be in the first “class” of NJHS members at the middle school, and we look forward to establishing our chapter’s goals and interests through meetings, service projects, and being involved in the life of the school. Look for more information soon as we begin this prestigious society here in 2012 at The Independent School! ~Mrs. Margaret Floyd, Head of Middle School

Middle School Dean of Students
The new position of Dean of Students at the Middle school has been a great addition to the school. Mr. Jarrod Hibler, the new Dean, has roles that consist of behavior, attendance, and overall assistance to Mrs. Floyd, the Head of Middle School. For behavior, he uses a new tracking system on the senior systems program that has helped to streamline the recording process. Attendance policies have also been a focus this year. The students seem to be doing very well, and it has been a great group of kids. And finally, he helps Mrs. Floyd with any other duties that may arise throughout the day. Mr. Hibler feels this has been a great experience, and hopes that the position has been helpful to all.

6

Chinese New Year
It’s the year of the Dragon! Students celebrated Chinese New Year Monday, January 23. We had a variety of activities throughout the day. We started the day with a film about the Terra Cotta Warriors and had a chop stick relay game. Students learned about the holiday and what different things symbolize, for example giving oranges represents wishing someone good wealth in the New Year. Students also watched a World Championship Lion Dance, made paper lanterns, learned about and made dragons, used tangrams, learned the legend of the Chinese Zodiac, and read a wellknown Chinese tale The Emperor’s New Robe. The day ended with egg rolls, fried rice, and fortune cookies.

Community Service Throughout the City
Prior to winter break, seventh grade students accompanied by parents and faculty, volunteered their time throughout Wichita. We organized our day through The United Way which assigned students to projects encompassing a wide range of activities. The opportunities provided were at Youthville, Salvation Army, Catholic Care Center, Catholic Charities, and Episcopal Social Services. At Youthville, students organized supplies and put together holiday packages for foster children of all ages. The Salvation Army group served as runners for the Angel Tree program, collecting pre-packaged bags and delivering them to the families who pre-requested items. Students sang holiday carols at the Catholic Care Center and at Catholic Charities students packed food boxes and double bagged grocery bags for future food bank use. Episcopal Social Services students packed hygiene kits for those in need. Our fifty students served hundreds of families with smiling faces and energetic arms while being served themselves with a new perspective and fresh outlook. A common student reflection from the day: “It was awesome and I learned so much!”

7

UPPER SCHOOL UPDATE

Highlighting the 11th Grade Career Shadow Program
On January 11, we kicked off the 2nd Annual 11th Grade Career Shadow Program by inviting Beth Tully, owner of Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates, to speak to 11th grade students and parents about her experience as a small business owner, and her story about finding and following her passion—making chocolate! I wish I had recorded her talk because it was as inspiring as it was impressive, and just the right thing for such an occasion. In any case, we’ll work to do the same kind of thing next year, so please look forward to information as it comes to you next winter. Before introducing Ms. Tully that night, and while explaining the Shadow Program, I gave special thanks to Mrs. Susan Hernandez, parent of Ben (Class of ’09), Dylan (Class of ’12), and Emily (Class of ’13), for her tireless efforts in getting the program off and running last year. I also thanked Mrs. Laura Harmon for the work she’s been doing this year, and for agreeing to be part of the succession plan for next year. For this month’s Loop Article, I wanted to focus our attention on the Career Shadow Program, and I can think of no better way to do so than by sharing with you a description and explanation that Susan Hernandez crafted. Beyond the informative nature of Susan’s document, I like the way it stands as a testimony to what can be achieved when TIS parents get involved with our school and work passionately together for the collective benefit of our students. In a word, Susan, THANKS! The Independent School (TIS) in Wichita, Kansas, opened its doors to its first Upper School class in the fall of 1994. The entering class of seventeen students began a challenging four years of courses that followed a dedicated college preparatory curriculum. English, science, math, and social studies classes included Honors and Advanced Placement courses that were balanced by foreign languages, fine arts options, and extracurricular activities. Since this beginning, and into the present, The Independent School has continued to provide a comprehensive program that addresses the intellectual, emotional, and physical growth of each student. Eighteen years later, attendance at The Independent Upper School has grown to include over 200 eager learners who still benefit from a strong college preparatory program. While our students’ school lives are a busy time filled with academics, sports, clubs, and friendships, parents and administrators thought the school could expand a bit beyond college preparatory and add an element of “career preparatory” to the Independent student’s experience. This idea led to last year’s launching of the 11th Grade Career Shadow Program. The Shadow Program is offered to the current Junior class and is designed to give them each a chance to explore a potential career at a time when they are just beginning to research colleges and majors. During their shadow, the student spends half a day with a volunteer host who works in a field the student has expressed a strong interest in. The hosts are current and past parents of TIS students, or other members of the local business community. The students are sent off with an address, directions, and a list of questions to ask the host. The questions are prompts to remind the student to ask about the host’s education, career path, earning potential, and their likes and dislikes about their profession. Following the shadow, the students write up a short report on their shadow experience, which is used by the college counselor to help the student during their college selection process. Last year’s program was the first at Independent and was greeted with a bit of initial skepticism by the Junior class. But the majority of the class signed up and listed their dream job as their first choice for a shadow. After all the sign-ups were collected, a parent compiled a list of all the requests and sent it out to the entire TIS community, asking for volunteers to host a student. The response from parents was tremendous! Within a couple of days over 80% of the shadow host requests were filled. And our volunteers weren’t just Upper School parents – we had many Lower School and Middle School parents offer to help as well. The remaining host slots were filled by outreaching to local businesses and through networking by parents and faculty. Every host was generous with their time and more than willing to provide the opportunity for a high school student to learn firsthand about a career. As the first students returned from their shadows with extremely positive reports about their day, the initial skepticism was quickly replaced by excitement over the opportunity to shadow. By the end of the three week program, 40 students had ventured into the career field of their choice and had come back with a vastly expanded view of what the field offered them, how truly interested they were in it, and what college major would help them achieve their career goals. The program was so successful that parents and the Upper School administrative team will work together again this year to hold the program for the current Junior class. The School and

8

the Parent Group plan on making the Career Shadow Program a mainstay of the Junior-year experience. This year we added a kick-off assembly to introduce the program to the students. We invited students and their parents to listen to a local business owner who has a compelling story to tell about her own career path. This energetic and engaging speaker shared how she traveled a long journey before she finally recognized that pursuing her true passion in life was the only way she would be truly happy. Her story really resonated with parents, and her example and advice will no doubt inspire the students to seek a career path that lets them follow their dreams. One fascinating outcome of this program was seeing the variety of careers the students chose. During their years at TIS, our students are encouraged to “reach for the stars” by taking courses that challenge them and by participating in activities that nurture their creativity, self-confidence, and sense of community. As a result of this supportive environment, our students proudly have ambitions to be architects, broadcast journalists, surgeons, sports-team managers, sports medicine physicians, event planners, veterinarians, pilots, engineers, and scientists, to name just a few of the career fields they explored. These Career Shadow Program choices are a testament to The Independent School’s success at providing an exemplary foundation for our students’ future. ~Mr. Brent Spicer, Head of Upper School and Mrs. Susan Hernandez

Concluding Another Successful Debate Season!
The TIS debate squad concluded the season on January 14th at the State Championship tournament by winning both the second-place and third-place trophies in the 321-A division. The TIS four-speaker squad was also regional champions and league champions this year. Those post-season accomplishments capped a very successful regular season. The TIS debate squad consisted of 26 students evenly divided between returning veterans and first-year debaters. The squad was lead by senior captains Danielle Allen, Jennifer Steere and Josh Werner, and it was one of the deepest teams in the history of the TIS program. During the regular season various groups of TIS debaters competed in tournaments every Saturday from the end of September until the end of the Fall semester. In those tournament TIS competed against schools of all sizes and routinely faced teams from the 5A and 6A division. Despite being David in a crowded field of Goliaths at most tournaments, TIS debaters were remarkably successful. In all, TIS debater took first or second at tournaments on 11 occasions. At most of these tournaments there were over 15 schools and 40 teams participating. In the post-season, there are two parallel state championship tournaments. In the four-speaker tournament each school is allowed only one entry and must advance out of regionals in order to participate in the state tournament. Our squad consisted of Jennifer Steere and Alan Liu on the affirmative and Dylan Hernandez and Will Gunderson on the negative. TIS won their regional for the second straight year and joined eight other schools from the three regionals at the state tournament. The Panthers ultimately finished fourth in a talented field. Because the squad was so deep, we also entered three teams in the two-speaker tournament. Jeff Yoder, Dominic Rudy, Josh Werner, Danielle Allen, Brendan Jester and Vishnu Nagireddy all qualified for state by having a winning record over four or more tournaments. After six grueling preliminary rounds, the top 8 teams out of the field of 28 advanced into a single elimination bracket. Jeff Yoder and Dominic Rudy were the only undefeated team in the field and emerged as the No. 1 seed. The won through to the championship round where they dropped a split decision to finish second in the state. Josh Werner and Danielle Allen also broke in the top eight, and beat the

9

second seed in quarter-finals before ultimately finishing third. The debate team demonstrated its strength and depth at the state tournament. It was the only school in the 321-A division to bring home more than one trophy. It was also the only school to finish in the top four in both the 4-speaker and 2-speaker tournaments. Although the team graduates some very talented seniors, the team promises to be deep and experienced again next year. Coach John Steere is eager to start working with a new group of first-year debaters next fall.

Echoes Magazine Recognized 5th Year in a Row!
Once again, our school art and literary magazine, Echoes, has been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) with an award of Excellence, placing among the top four high school magazines in the state. Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Echoes staff and to all those who contributed! Low Blows By Macy Amsden, 2010-2011 Echoes Editor You and I remain like boxers. We stand in a ring, throwing punches. There we go with our low blows. Stopping at the bell, retreating back to our corners with our tear and our tears. Back again for more, to prove our point, to force our fight. Throwing our power and our pain. Punching our cower, making the stain. Waging the war, what we have become. Hurting each other, staring down the barrel of the gun. We lost our minds, we lost our words. We threw punches and lost control. It hit us hard, it hit us fast. Cutting me deep, magnitude of the impact. Watch while, together, we fall undone.

Photo by Sam Carter, Published in Echoes 2010-2011

10

FINE ARTS UPDATE
Visual Arts News
The Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition showcase artwork from students in High School and Middle School in Wichita, KS and the surrounding areas. This national program offers early recognition of creative teenagers and scholarship opportunities for graduating high-school seniors. The awards are national in scope and administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This year The Independent School has eight Middle School students whose work was selected for this exhibition. Gold Key Awards (1st in State) Casey Shaw 8th and Jenny Kroeker 8th Silver Key (2nd in State) Nicole St.Clair 8th Honorable Mention- Nicole St.Clair 8th, Emme Goodin 8th, Danielle Kamen 8th, Megan Maska 8th, Ethan Mitchell 7th, and Colin Harmon 7th In the Upper School, senior Leah Davis won two Silver Key Awards for two different glass artworks. The selected artwork will be on display at the Wichita Center for the Arts. The exhibit opens on January 31 and will close on March 11. This art show is open to the public, so make some time to drop by to see our TIS artists on display. There will also be a special Scholastic Awards Ceremony held on February 26 at 2:00 pm at the Wichita Center for the Arts to recognize all students whose artwork was selected for the exhibit. If you can’t make it to the Wichita Center for the Art, visit our Upper School Art Gallery. Many new pieces of Upper School student works are currently on display for your viewing pleasure!

Music News
On Saturday, January 14, Independent School students travelled to Chaparrell to participation in the 2012 CPL Honor Choir and Honor Band. Upper School students Mackenzie Cole, Dan Gebhart, Lizzie Kohl, Maddie Level, Monique Perales, and Amy Yeskie were selected to participate in the CPL Honor Choir. These vocal music students spent the day working with Dr. Tom Wine from WSU, and put on a command performance featuring music from traditional settings of Handel to (nearly) brand new contemporary choral music by Kenny Potter, as well 19th century Shaker music to a Nigerian folk song. Representing The Independent School for the CPL Honor Band were Casey Beer, Tori Ciniglio, Emily Grainger, Austin Jester, Daniel Moon, Evan Olson, and Sarea Phillips. Students performed under Mr. Brett Goter from Wichita, and presented a Sousa March, a long-form overture from Ed Hukeby, and closed the program with a tribute to Queen! Both groups helped provide a fabulous performance, and our students represented the school very well. Please join us in congratulating them for a job well done! View more pictures of this event here: http:// tisphotos.smugmug.com/FineArts/Choir/CPL-Honor-Choir/21033358_L234QC Also, if you missed the delightful music from the 1 and 3rd grade or the 4th and 5th grade concerts, you may view the photos of the events on our school photo gallery. The 1st and 3rd grade performance was directed by Mr. Matt Hanna and the 4th and 5th grade followed the direction of Mr. Ben Rivers. Concerts were well attended and brought the smiles to many faces young and old. 1st and 3rd grade concert, Let’s Make Music picture gallery: http://tisphotos.smugmug.com/FineArts/Choir/1st/21111427_rmhPZd 4th and 5th grade concert, January Celebrations picture gallery: http://tisphotos.smugmug.com/FineArts/Choir/4th/21014058_nKQHM7

11

Theatre News

Into the Woods
Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 4 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, February 5 at 2:00 p.m. Do you love the work of Stephen Sondheim or are you into fractured fairy tales? If so, the next theatre production is just for you. Music theatre greats Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine have created a timeless yet relevant piece and a rare modern classic with Into the Woods. The story begins with a delightful fantasy in the style of The Princess Bride, but by the second act the musical takes a turn and becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children. While the characters do include Cinderella, Little Red Ridinghood, Prince Charming, and the Big Bad Wolf, this is not a tale for the very young. This musical is rated PG and acceptable for Middle School and Upper School students as well as parents!

Save the Dates for these Fine Art Events!
February 11 March 2, 3, 4 March 5 March 8 March 10 March 13 April 6 April 20, 21 April 27 Upper School Cabaret Coffeehouse Middle School Drama Production- This is Test Upper School Choir/ Band Masterworks Concert Lower School Concert – Grade 1 & 2 Upper School- Evening of One Acts Lower School Music Concert – Grades 4 & 5 Lower School Art Event Lower School & Upper School Musical – We Are Monsters Artapalooza 2012 at Abode

12

ATHLETIC UPDATE

The Winter Season is winding down and we have had many highlights during the season.

Upper School
The boys’ basketball teams are enjoying one of their best seasons. The Varsity is tied for 1st in CPL, and has an 8-5 record. The team finished tied for 1st in the Circle Tournament and finished 4th in the Sterling Tournament. The JV has a 7-3 record, and the Freshmen team has a 4-2 record. The girls’ basketball team is very young, and improving each game. The Varsity and the JV teams have won 5 games, while playing many Freshmen. The Future looks very bright. The boys’ swim team has had 3 top 5 finishes so far this year in different meets. They are gearing toward a top 5 finish a the State Tournament in February. The wrestling team has had several good individual performances with a couple of top five finished at the Heston Tournament. The team is gearing up for the league meet in February. The dance and cheer teams have done a great job in supporting our teams during the winter Season. The highlight were the Homecoming performances by both Cheer and Dance. Thanks for their their support.

Middle School
The 8th grade boys’ basketball team finished the season undefeated 13-0. They were the regular season and tournament champions for the CPMSL. This team also went undefeated last year and have won 25 straight games during their Middle School career. The 7th grade boys’ team finished 4th at the CPMSL Tournament, and won 2 very exciting games at the end of the season to teams that they had lost to earlier in the season. The 7th grade girls’ basketball team finished the year with a 10-3 record and runners-up in the regular season CPMSL Tournament. The girls made a great comeback in the Championship game, before falling to Conway Springs in a very close game. The 8th grade girls finished the season with a 5-5 record, and even though though they did not have a lot of girls playing, did a great job of competing and winning several games. The wrestling season has just started and the first tournament will be in February. The cheer team performed very well at the Wichita Heights Competition and has done a great job cheering at Middle School games as well as JV games during basketball season. Thanks for their support. See more sport and winter homecoming photos on our school photo gallery here: http://tisphotos.smugmug.com/

13

Alumni Class Notes

Anna Hurst (2009) is participating in a program at the University of Kansas called Alternative Breaks, a student led group providing hands-on opportunities with service work. The group hopes that through the service trips students will gain first-hand experiences with pressing social issues. Alternative Breaks sends 350 students a year to volunteer over winter, summer, and spring break. Anna’s winter group helped with everything from office tasks to organizing a rally in Colorado Springs. It was an exciting time to be in Colorado for Anna since it was the beginning of the legislative session and One Colorado presented their bill to legalize civil unions for any two adults. Anna is learning much about politics, oppression, and the non-profit community in general. She is eager to apply this knowledge when shes return home to Kansas to make a difference in her own community and career. Anna recommends other students planning to attend the University of Kansas to seek interest in this great student opportunity! The photo is of Anna’s group with Jeremy Shaver, the executive director of Interfaith Alliance Colorado. He works on a variety of issues concerning religious freedom, the LGBT community, women’s reproduction, health care, and education to bring social justice and equality to Colorado. Anna is the second to the left. See more about this organization here: http://kualternativebreaks.com/about/ Since 2009, Brett Johnson (2006) has performed with Axiom Brass. On January 20th the brass quintet Axiom Brass appeared in concert at Wichita State University. Brett graduated from Northwestern University as the only musician to ever receive degrees in both Jazz Studies and Music Performance. When Brett is not traveling, he lives in Chicago. The recent performance in Wichita was well attended by several former TIS alums and teachers including Andrew Maness, Justin Alldritt, Marc Mason, Daniel Mruk, Eric Manda, Dianne Rapp, and Karen Norton. Read and listen more about Brett and his gift in the Eagle article about his hometown visit here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/01/19/2181812/trombonistcomes-home-with-axiom.html. To access more information about Axiom Brass and their music visit the Quintet’s page here: http:// axiombrass.com/. Kenneth and Melinda (Morgan) Norton (2001) spent Christmas at a friend’s wedding in India. The couple now lives in Kansas City where Kenneth is back to work with Deloitte Consulting after receiving his MBA from UCLA, and Melinda is working as a physician’s assistant. Diana Norton is at University of Texas working towards her Doctorate degree in Spanish Literature after spending a year in Madrid and receiving a Master’s Degree from New York University. Aubrey Ramsey (2004) completed her Master’s Degree in Organization Development from Friends University this December and has moved to Indianapolis, Indiana as the Collegiate Services Coordinator for Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority. Pearce Ramsey (2007) completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics with a certification in Secondary Education this past December from the University of Kansas. He is currently substituting in the Kansas City area and loves being on the opposite side of the classroom desk!

14

Announcements
Dear TIS Parents, Here is the agenda for the Town Hall Meeting. If you have specific questions for the all division meeting, please feel free to send them to me by Friday, February 3. If you have specific questions for the break out sessions, please feel free to send them to the individual division heads by Friday, February 3. We hope to have a huge crowd of parents attending this event. Sincerely, Dr. Mary Dickerson Head of School

The Independent School Town Hall Meeting
Date: Monday, February 6th Time: 6:30 pm Location: Upper School Auditorium 6:30 – 7:15 All Division Meeting Introductions and brief comments: Dr. Dickerson Panel members: Dr. Dickerson, Kim Packebush, Emily Ottaway, David Roberts, Jen Gantz 7:20- 8:00 – Break out sessions by Division Upper School Auditorium Lower School – Panel with Phil Stewart, Khristi Bates, Alyssa Donnelly Upper School Commons Middle School – Panel with Margaret Floyd, Jarrod Hibler, Patricia Argetsinger, Susan Wright, Peggy Warren Dr. Dickerson’s Office Upper School – Panel with Brent Spicer, Jenifer Pence, Keli Gunn, Ron Floyd

Sponsor Documents

Or use your account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Forgot your password?

Or register your new account on DocShare.tips

Hide

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link to create a new password.

Back to log-in

Close