The Rivers Edge - October 2008 - The Rivers School

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Page 2 News Briefs --Taken from Rivers’ Website Investment Analyst Speaks About The Economics Of Alternative Energy Michael Schlenker’s Alternative Energy Sources class was treated to an illuminating talk by investment analyst Zack Lesko about the economics of clean-tech companies and the financial viability of alternative energy technologies, such as solar power, wind power, and biofuel. As part of the Capital Markets team at America’s Growth Capital, Lesko focuses on the clean tech/alternative energy, health care, and life sciences sectors. He delivered the first of what Schlenker hopes will be many classroom talks and presentations by professionals in the fields of sustainability and green energy. The Alternative Energy Sources course is a first-trimester elective intended to have students examine the current energy situation as well as possible alternatives. “My goal,” Schlenker said, “is to provide an introduction to the topic and create motivation in students for further study.” Middle School Students Share Rivers with Grandparents Monday, October 20 marked Rivers’ annual Grandparents’ Day at the Middle School, in which students were able to bring their grandparents to campus to attend classes and get a better sense of their educational experiences at Rivers. Susan McGee, Head of the Middle School, said that the event is a tradition at Rivers that lets grandparents step into their grandchildren’s shoes for a day. “It’s a unique opportunity to meet teachers and learn more about kids’ experiences,” McGee said. “So that now, when grandparents ask their grandchildren, ‘how’s school’ … there’s a familiarity.” In Bookstores Today—Juggling Twins by Meghan Regan-Loomis This past month, Juggling Twins: The Best Tips, Tricks, and Strategies from Pregnancy to the Toddler Years, by Meghan Regan-Loomis hit bookstores. Regan-Loomis, the Chair of the English Department at The Rivers School, is a mother of three children. The intent of her book is to help parents and soon-to-be parents of twins prepare for and manage the first year of having twins, as those months can be most overwhelming, exhausting, and frustrating. Regan-Loomis takes her experiences with caring for her own twins, along with the invaluable information gained by networking with other twin moms and the overall inspiration she receives daily from her students, and brings them together in a guide that offers specific advice to help parents create the time and calm to enjoy the blissful elements of having twins. The Rivers Edge Continued from page 1 as he takes responsibility for the show’s lighting. This is obviously a huge chunk of time in the life of a busy high school student who needs to balance the demands of schoolwork, sports, and other extra curricular activities. So why, you may ask, has Jake continuously given up nearly ten hours of his weekend for his Optional SATs prompt debate Continued from page 1 al. Statistics show that there was an increase in minority applicants and only a .05 difference in grade point average between those that submit SAT scores and those that do not. “Bates is one of my first choices,” said Bo Cramer, a Rivers senior. “If I had to submit my SAT scores, I don’t know if I would get in. They simply do not reflect my GPA like I would want them to.” Franklin and Marshall is another top ranked liberal arts college that has gone SAT optional. This change helped certain students, who may have thought that they would have been hurt by their SAT scores. “We focus more on the student’s transcript whether a student submits his score or not,” said an assistant dean of admissions. “I chose not to submit my scores because my transcript and extra curricular activities put me in a better light,” said Trevor Donnelly a freshman at Franklin and Marshall. Donnelly was a two sport varsity athlete and in the honors society at St. Marks in Southborough, Massachusetts. He was also a soccer and golf recruit for the college. Stonehill is also a college that decided to go SAT optional. “I submitted my SAT scores, to show that I was a good test taker and to support my grade point average,” said Jill Federshneider, a senior at Stonehill College and previously of Newton South High School. At Newton South, Federshneider was an all league swimmer, and stood out in the classroom as well. The head of admissions at Stonehill expressed an interest in digging deep into the transcript and the recommendations to figure out what a student is like and and people are looking to cut costs. Anyone who loves the arts knows that they should not be considered expendable luxuries. It is also important to develop an appreciation of the arts in young people, and TCAN allows them both the actual training as well as the inspiration. Jake acknowledges that alongside his commitment to the cause that TCAN serves, he himself derives personal benefit. He raves about his positive experiences there, and says, “I keep doing it because it’s definitely something I have an interest in as far as a possible career choice. It’s somewhere where I know I can show up every weekend and it’s guaranteed that I’ll be able to work a show.” Obviously, alongside its more giving component, community service can provide life experience that may help to shape one’s own future paths. We know that Jake is but one example of a Rivers student whose foray into community service, even if it began as an obligation, has blossomed into something much more meaningful and has become an ongoing part of his or her life. Some of us would have gotten involved anyway; others if he or she is qualified. Andrew Navoni, a senior at Rivers, is thinking of applying to Merrimack College and knows he is applying to Curry College this fall. Both of these schools are SAT optional. Navoni finished his junior year at Rivers strong academically and is continuing to meet with success during his senior year. He is also looking to possibly play lacrosse at Curry. “A portion of the pressure is lifted, knowing that everything does not rely on this one test,” said Navoni. “I have worked hard to improve my grades and boost my GPA for the college process, and I am glad to know some colleges feel as if these along with other things can be judged without the SAT.” “He is a good friend and teammate,” an anonymous teammate said, “Nav is one of those people you can look to as example on the field, and takes advice as well on the field as he gives it.” These characteristics are some of the added qualities that can jump out at an interviewer during an interview, that may have more of an impact when not submitting SAT scores. A huge part of the SAT process is the test preparation before a student actually take the test. This preparation is key to getting a good score on the test. The tutors teach the knowledge one needs to get through the test, as well as the necessary test takingstrategies. Such lessons can cost up to $200 for a two-hour group lesson, and up to $200 for a one and a half hour personal lesson. “Money plays a huge part in one’s success on the SAT; it seems like it plays a big part of everything nowadays,” said Domenic Delfavero, a Rivers senior. The fact of the matter is that October 31, 2008 Solomon gives back at local theatre “I’ve gone almost every Friday and Saturday night during the school year since eighth grade.” entire high school career to take on this volunteer job As Jake describes his work at the Center, it is clear that his commitment is driven by his passion for and interest in what he is doing. As a critical member of the TCAN staff, Jake is part of a group that allows people access to the arts in a convenient, affordable manner. Such centers become especially important in times such as these when the economy is in trouble of us needed the requirement, but most of us have discovered new passions along the way. For those of you who have already completed or are continuing to provide community service, Jake’s story suggests that we could all benefit from knowing more about “I keep doing it because it’s something I have an interest in as far as a possible career choice. It’s somewhere where I know I can show up every weekend, and it’s guaranteed that I’ll be able to work a show.” what one another is doing. For those of you who have yet to fulfill your requirement, Jake’s story emphasizes that if you take the time to find a community service activity that is meaningful to you, it may become gratifying in many ways. many families cannot afford to send their kids to test prep. This can play a part in the difference in scores that people get. By making the SAT optional to submit, a student can feel confident that if he does not submit his test, he still has an equal chance of being accepted and will be judged on other credentials. Chyten is a leading test prep company in Massachusetts, with “The SAT is an accurate way of testing a student’s knowledge of vocabulary, math and reading skills.” -Chyten tutor three locations in the state. The company also has tutors that work with kids on college essays, which is the other key component of the application. The same tutor went on to say, “Although the test is a good measure of academics, it does not test four major, if not more important, characteristics character, people skills, effort and determination.” He finished his statement by saying, “ No matter how qualified the student is, or how good the student’s school was, without some form of these four characteristics, one will almost never fully live up to their potential.” The topic of the SAT option is still being debated at many colleges and universities in the US, and it is safe to say that more in the future will indeed go SAT optional. The only way to find out is to review the listings in the summer and fall of 2009.
October 31, 2008 The Rivers Edge Rivers community enhanced by sibling students Continued from page 1 Page 3 the way to school, help each other with homework, give one another advice and so much more. Being in school together adds to this; it gives them the opportunity to be a larger part of each other’s lives and not only see each other in the home environment. In this year’s freshmen class at Rivers, there are 32 students with siblings at Rivers. Out of these students, 19 of them have a brother or sister who is also in the Rivers Upper School. Knowing someone in the Upper School, especially a sibling, helps make incoming freshmen more comfortable in their new environment. Teachers know your name, older siblings’ friends know who you are and can help you, and you know the dynamics of the school. “Having a brother or sister on campus can be beneficial for the younger sibling, especially during freshman year,” said Dana Ryan, a student at Lehigh University and writer for the student publication, ‘The Brown and White’. Going to the same private school with one of your siblings is different than it would be to attend the same public school together. The freshmen classes at many public schools are the size of Rivers as a whole. Siblings Maddy Levitt ‘09 and Jonathan ‘12 are one of the many senior-freshman sibling pairs. Photo by The Levitt Family. might never even see each other attend the same school as their during the day at a public school, sibling. Being together in school but this is not the case at Rivers. with an older sibling can force Each student at Rivers sees his or some younger students to live in her brother or sister at least once their siblings’ shadows. There is during the academic day. constant pressure to get the same Some people believe that it grades and be involved in the is not always a smart choice to same activities as your brother or sister. This can be true especially at a small school like Rivers. Math teacher Dan McCartney believes that although there are advantages to being in school with a brother or sister, there are disadvantages as well. “In public school you are expected to go to that school, but in private school you have a choice. Younger siblings feel like they don’t have a choice as much; they want to be like their older sibling. Younger kids get referred to as ‘someone’s little brother,’ but they want their own identity.” Catie Walsh, a senior at Rivers, is one out of ten children in her family. For the past four years she has had the opportunity to form her own identity here on the Rivers campus. Walsh says not being in school with any of her siblings has given her a chance to be an individual. Although some students are able to build up their own identities without the influence of their siblings at school, the lives of parents are made easier when their kids are in school together. “Keeping siblings at the same school focuses parent energies on one school, one set of practices, one PTA, one school culture,” said Daunna Minnich, who wrote an article in the ACIE Newsletter in Palo Alto, CA about sibling preference. “Parents with children in separate schools sometimes must choose which event to attend or which school to contribute in various ways.” Nina Delfavero, mother of senior Domenic and sophomore Marissa, thinks it is nice having her children in school together and that it has helped to make them closer. An added benefit of this is the fact that parents do not have to spend their afternoons driving from one school to another picking up their children, because everyone is moving roughly on the same schedule. “Siblings at Rivers are a true testament to the trust between home and school--families believe in the essential partnership and, as a result, seem to have all of their children enjoy the invaluable benefits that Rivers offers,” said Assistant Head of School and Dean of Students, Jim Long. For the Hunt sisters, they are the first ones each other sees in the morning and the last one they each see at night. It makes their bond between them grow and their four year age gap fade away, thanks to their time together at Rivers. Students explore interests at summer science internships pitching the product to potential customers. Creedon also worked with the marketing and research and development departments, which gave her a wide view of the business aspects of scientific corporations. Although Creedon’s application note would have been an extremely impressive culmination to her internship, she took her research a step further. Creedon submitted a poster that detailed her research to the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopic Societies (FACSS). Much to her surprise, not only was her poster accepted into the conference but Creedon was also asked to speak at the FACSS’s conference in Reno, Nevada. To understand the significance of this accomplishment, one must conjure up a mental picture of the FACSS. The conference was a gathering of experts in the field of mass spectrometry: middle aged scientist types, who have vocabularies that exceed the comprehension of normal IQ’s, and a seventeen year old high school senior, who not only spoke at the conb y Je n n Po l l a n ‘09 Ed g e Sta f f While many of her classmates were lounging on lawn chairs and perfecting their tans, Senior Emily Creedon was examining the insides of mice. Creedon and several other Rivers students spent the summer immersed in scientific research through the Rivers Scrience Department’s Internship Program. While Creedon worked in a research laboratory alongside fellow senior Stefen Laukien for Bruker Daltonics, her classmate Kate Burns worked in the simulation lab and Cardiac and Medicial/Surgical Intensive Care Units at Children’s Hospital. In addition, seniors Matt Robinson and Matt Segal and junior Alex Post threw themselves into their own science internships. Think that sounds like a pretty dull summer Think again. While some may scoff at the idea of “wasting” summer days toiling around in laboratories, all of these students participated in cutting edge research alongside the top scientists in their chosen field. When asked to sum up her experience, Creedon gushes, “It was incredible.” Creedon became well acquainted with the field of mass spectrometry during her summer stint. She worked for Bruker Daltonics a company that manufactures mass spectrometers, devices that measure the mass of substances. Creedon and her colleagues learned about the machines through experimentation in order to aid the company in marketing and selling their product. The specific experiment Creedon conducted dealt with the effects of anti-brain tumor drugs Emily Creedon ‘09 hard at work at her summer internship with a company that manufactures mass spectrometers. Photo by Emily Creedon. in mouse tissue. When asked about what it was like to work with these tiny creatures, Creedon responded with a smile, “They were so cute. I even have pictures of all of them.” Although to some the practice of examining internal organs may seem repulsive, Creedon remarks that the situation was, “more cool than gross” and shakes her head when asked whether she named the mice. “If by naming them you mean E30 and M19,” she responds with a smile. So maybe Creedon won’t be adopting any of these mice as pets, but she certainly got to know their insides pretty intimately. Using the mass spectrometer, Creedon examined tiny slices of mouse tissue that were about ten cells thick. Based on her observations, Creedon could discern not only information about the antitumor drugs in question but also the capabilities in marketing. The goal of Creedon’s research was ultimately to help Bruker Daltonics educate its customers about the different applications of the product. To that end, Creedon wrote an application note, which is an internal publication that is intended to help the company facilitate this education. Picture a user’s manual, throw in some complicated scientific jargon, and you have crafted a pretty good picture of an application note. Crafting the application note was particularly enjoyable for Creedon because of her interest in the business aspect of science. “Although I loved working in the lab, there is no way I would want to it for a living. What really interests me is the business aspect of scientific corporations. For someone who is interested in science, who doesn’t want to spend life enclosed in a lab, working in a scientific corporation is a really interesting way to combine business and science into a comprehensive profession,” says Creedon. Drawing on her interest in business, Creedon threw herself not only into research but also into the sales of the product. She accompanied one of her colleagues on a sales visit to UMass Amherst and assisted him in ference, but also expertly fielded questions about Bruker-Daltonic’s products and her research. As the only high school student at the conference, Creedon held her own among the experts and gave an excellent twenty minute presentation. In preparation for her scientific debut, Creedon went to a presentation boot camp of sorts. “I spent six hours at Bruker-Daltonics going over the product in extreme depth so that I could answer any question no matter how complex it was. We also went over a variety of presentation skills and went over my presentation again and again until I was sure I was ready to face the conference.” After her boot camp experience, Creedon set out on her adventure. “I flew out to Nevada by myself and spent the night there. I was really calm and then the minute before my presentation, I got this rush of nerves” Creedon says with a smile. Always the modest achiever, Creedon blushes when praised for her numerous accomplishments and conveys how grateful she was for such an opportunity. Although Creedon might not spend too much more time hanging out with rats in a lab, through her internship she developed a passion for science that she will carry with her to whatever career she ultimately chooses. Maybe one day Creedon will be the highpowered CEO of a scientific corporation, or perhaps a researcher who finds the cure for cancer. Wherever she lands in twenty years, one thing is for sure, her work with her good friends E30 and M19 will never be far from her heart.
Page 1: Th e Ri v e r s Ed g e Volume XXXVI
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The Rivers Edge - October 2008 - The Rivers School

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