Thistletalk Summer 2010 - Winchester Thurston School

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“ The mathematician IanStewart writes that thehidden tendrils ofmathematics pervadeevery aspect of modernlife. I would like to useapplications of mathematicsto make our modern lifebetter.” — Helen Bunker ’10operations. There wasn’t time to movebeyond this minutia to more complexmath, and in some cases, you lost studentswho had the potential to go far becausethey simply did not get excited aboutrote learning,” Hallas adds. “Now, becausethey’ve learned the basics and developeda problem solving mindset, and becausewe help them move more quickly to theconceptual, more of our students are ableto learn more advanced math.”He continues, “Our brightest mathstudents are doubling up in geometry andalgebra, or statistics and precalculus, andinterest in calculus is growing year by year.AP calculus has grown to a projected 55students next year, many of whom wouldnot have made it this far 10 years ago.I feel especially proud of the success of girlsin math at WT. Some of our best studentsare young women.”One of these young women, HelenBunker ’10, heads off to study chemicalengineering at Carnegie Mellon in thefall. She expresses unlimited enthusiasmfor math: “Math is the ultimate universallanguage. People all over the world canderive the same formulas using similarlogical steps. There is something incredibleabout the fact that mathematical truthshave not really been invented by differentmathematicians, but have been discoveredby seeing patterns in a jumble of numbers.It makes me wonder what else is out there,just waiting to be brought to light.”Reflecting on her experience at WT,she says, “Many of the courses at WT arebased on problem-solving labs rather thanthe more common ‘chalk and talk’ method ofteaching mathematics. Our teachers’ focuson exploration rather than memorizationmakes WT’s math classes engaging andinformative.”Why It MattersNCTM advocates: “A solid mathematicseducation is essential for an informed public,our national security, a strong economy,and national well-being.” Helen Bunker’seducation and career aspirations, whichbring together a multitude of disciplines,are reflected in this statement. She says,“The mathematician Ian Stewart writesthat the hidden tendrils of mathematicspervade every aspect of modern life. I wouldlike to use applications of mathematics tomake our modern life better…. Our futurelies in research and development and mylab work in chemistry and physics laid theground work for my interest. Delving intointernational and public policy issues inmy history classes also contributed to myunderstanding of the global impact of ourenergy decisions and my desire to make thenext bold step.”Math Enrichment:Expanding HorizonsRecognizing WT’s commitment tomathematics, an anonymous donor cameforward in 2007 and again in 2008, withmajor gifts to infuse energy into mathenrichment programs at WT. Crowleyand Hallas responded by expandingMATHCOUNTS ® in the Middle School,offering a twice weekly elective open toall Middle School students. The courseprovides year-long math enrichment andproblem solving experience, beginning withintensive focus on skill development andprogressing into practice for competition.Students wishing to compete commit torigorous MATHCOUNTS ® practice afterschool, where they are further challengedby math problems with a high degreeof difficulty. Approximately 20 studentsparticipate in the MATHCOUNTS ®elective; visibility and enthusiasm havebeen heightened with sweatshirts, banners,and a “Problem of the Week” contest forall students throughout the year.As the home of Western Pennsylvania’schapter of American Regions MathematicsLeague (ARML ), WT is known as the placeto be for students interested in achievingand competing in math. Most weekends,dedicated Middle and Upper Schoolstudents from WT and other private andpublic schools gather with coach Hallasand WT parent Mor Balter to prepare forARML regional and state competitions.All WT Upper School students may alsoparticipate in a mathematics team advisedby teacher Michael Davidson, whichis designed to offer more experiencesolving problems and competing at localcompetitions.w w w . w i n c h e s t e r t h u r s t o n . o r g7
feature storyCynthia Pearson Turich ’65 and Jessie Block ’12,In Sisterhood panelistsWT CELEBRATESWomen’s History Month“Pittsburgh has a long history of producing influentialleaders,” says Patricia Ulbrich, PhD., a sociologist andvisiting scholar in women’s studies at the University ofPittsburgh. “What people don’t know is that Pittsburghwas also home to influential leaders of the women’smovement and to pioneering feminist organizations inthe latter part of the 1900s.” Through In Sisterhood,an oral history multimedia project, Ulbrich set out “towrite these activists into regional history, and…do itin their voices.”In March, to mark and celebrate Women’s History Month,English teacher Muriel Alim brought this mesmerizing series ofphotographs, video, posters and other memorabilia to the UpperSchool. In Sisterhood brought to life the accomplishments andinterlocking histories of “this extraordinary array of leaders”with awe-inspiring immediacy. Profiles included PittsburghersEleanor Smeal, Wilma Scott Heide, and Molly Yard, past NOWpresidents; Plowshares Eight member Molly Rush, whosenonviolent protest of nuclear weapons made headlines andhistory; and former Pennsylvania state treasurer and auditorgeneral Barbara Hafer, once dismissed as “a little nurse fromElizabeth.” Also highlighted were Alma Speed Fox and BrendaFrazier, each of whom has strong ties to WT. Fox is Alim’smother, as well as the aunt of first grade teacher Theresa Fox.Frazier is a WT grandmother and mother-in-law of MiddleSchool Director Holly Hatcher-Frazier.Women’s Views, Voices and WTDialogue was an important aspect of the celebration; to thatend, an intergenerational panel discussion, “The Evolution ofFeminism and the Women’s Movement,” presented a rangeof experiences and perspectives from Ulbrich along withJessie Block ’12, Cynthia Pearson ’65, La’Tasha Mayes of NewVoices Pittsburgh, Cynthia Vanda, In Sisterhood subject, andmoderator, WT Parent Deesha Philyaw.“These strong women made me feel such a connection to…who I am, and the spread of information leads to open minds,which is what I love to see at WT. In all, by embracing thediversity in others, it makes it easier to be you and understandpeople better,” says Jessie. “I hope I can contribute a younger,more modern perspective of what feminism/equalism is today,and the experiences I've had growing up around...the strongwomen in my life.”“There was not yet a modern women's movement whenI was at WT,” recounts Pearson, who entered WT in 1957and graduated in 1965. “By the time Betty Friedan's TheFeminine Mystique came out in 1963, my mother had alreadystarted grad school, a radical thing for a 53-year-old suburbanmother of five to do, so I guess you could say that for me thewomen's movement started at home. And at WT I enjoyedan environment in which all roles—officer, poet, scholar, jock,journalist, performer, yearbook editor, event planner, you nameit—were filled by females…So in a lot of ways, by the timeFriedan helped start the National Organization for Women in1966, I was thinking, ‘What took them so long?’”Pearson adds, “It's my hope that those who are growing upfree of the constraints of the past will look back at the progressthat's been made, and look ahead to what more can be done toprotect and ensure women's rights to security and freedom.”“It’s important for young people to understand the barriersthat women faced…and the actions that were taken to removethose barriers, to understand that the opportunities they havetoday are the result of concerted actions and determination,”declares Ulbrich. “They need to understand the roots of thoseadvantages and not take them for granted. I want them to knowthe history, and to know that while changes have been made,some of those changes have already been reversed! Change isn’tpermanent—it’s a process.”8 T h i s t l e t a l k S u m m e r 2 0 1 0
Page 1 and 2: WinchesterThurstonSchool555 Morewoo
Page 3 and 4: Rigor, Authenticity, Immersion:The
Page 5 and 6: cover storyBe h i n d t h e M AT H
Page 7: The Power of “Why?”Articulating
Page 11 and 12: ON POSSIBILITYMany people in our so
Page 13 and 14: wt todayUpper School OrchestraIN FU
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Page 17 and 18: wt todayWinter/Spring HIGHLIGHTSHig
Page 19 and 20: wt todayWinter/Spring SPORTS ROUNDU
Page 21 and 22: faculty highlightsKatheleen Russell
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Page 25 and 26: development & alumnae/i newsMiss Mi
Page 27 and 28: class notesclass notes2 0 0 7Michae
Page 29: class notesclass notes1 9 7 9Peggy
Page 32 and 33: class notesCynthia Hill Smith write
Page 34: City as Our CampusTeresa DeFlitch A

Thistletalk Summer 2010 - Winchester Thurston School

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