VAIS Vision E-Magazine, Spring 2019 Issue 7

e MAGAZINE
VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
Capstones, Experiences,
and Traditions: Inspiration
Beyond the Classroom
ISSUE 7
Spring
2019

e MAGAZINE
From the Desk of the Director of Accreditation
Yoga Connections
Lelia Grinnan, Director of Accreditation and Yogi
CONNECT. COLLABORATE. LEAD.
CONTENTS
2
3
5
7
8
9
11
From the Desk of the VAIS Director of
Accreditation
Marketplace Day: A Cultural Shift
Minimester at St. Margaret’s Offers
Experiential Learning
The Senior Essay: A Northstar
Academy Crowning Achievement
Blazing a Trail to Commencement
Kindness Matters
Beyond The Classroom
Editorial Advisory Board
Kim Failon, Director of Communications, VAIS
Lelia Grinnan, Director of Accreditation, VAIS
Interested in writing an article for an upcoming
Vision? Contact: Kim Failon, Director of
Communications, VAIS, at kimfailon@vais.org
ISSUE 7
Spring
2019
With a passion for yoga and meditation,
I embarked upon a personal capstone
project during the 2018-2019 academic
year. Over the course of a seven months, I
engaged in a 200-hour teacher training program
through YogaWorks, an internationally
recognized leader in yoga education. Once a
month from October to April, I joined eleven
other practitioners and two yoga instructors
for a long weekend (Friday afternoon
to Sunday evening) of immersive study and
intensive yoga practice. In between these
weekends, I studied, submitted assignments
through Google classroom, and attended
many yoga classes at my favorite studio. Elements
of concentration included anatomy,
yoga history and philosophy, Sanskrit, asana
(posture) mastery, and teaching techniques.
I felt that I had returned to my graduate
school days, as I balanced the job I love with
the yoga I needed to get that job done.
My dad passed last July, and I hoped that
committing to yoga study would help me
with the grieving process. I sought to carve
out time for myself, to get in better physical
shape, and to calm my weary heart. This selfcare
plan proved to work. Learning Sanskrit
inspired me, as I love languages. Anatomy
and instructional methodology made my
head spin, yet I welcomed the challenge
as an escape. I immersed myself in solitary
study to tire my brain and attended all sorts
of yoga classes to tire my body. I was “minding
my mat,” but my practice was ego-driven.
Yoga demands surrender of the ego.
Surrendering the ego is a painful (and
unending) undertaking. As the months progressed
and my studies intensified, however,
I found myself bonding more deeply with
my fellow students. Guided by expert teachers,
I realized that the only way that I could
surmount the course demands was to connect
my personal journey with that of the
collective whole. We needed each other to
advance in our asana practice. We needed
each other to progress in our understanding
of yoga philosophy, the very foundation for
that practice. I had to get out of my own way
and allow the lessons I needed to find me,
instead of chasing them down.
Yoga has many definitions. On the surface,
yoga is the physical practice of sun salutations,
headstands, backbends, and other
postures. At its core, however, yoga is the
practice of stilling the mind’s chatter. As we
still the mind, we may connect with the collective
consciousness of the universe. As we
let go of our egos, we find common ground
for the common good.
One of my favorite lessons from The Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali, a practical guidebook for
the practice of yoga, derives from Sutra 1.33,
commonly referred to as the Four Locks and
the Four Keys. This sutra states, “By cultivating
attitudes of friendliness toward the happy,
compassion for the unhappy, delight in the
virtuous and disregard toward the wicked,
the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.”
1 When our minds are calm and free
from life’s distractions, we live in the present
moment. We are freed from ego-driven desires
and hangups, and thus are able to be of
service to others. This is a place I want to be.
Sutra 1.33 reminds me to rejoice in another’s
happiness, even when I may not feel happy
myself; to extend compassion to those
who are struggling, even when I may wish
to judge; to admire the pure of heart, even
when I may feel unworthy or guilt-ridden;
to walk away from those who incite hatred,
even when I may wish to argue. The keys to a
fulfilled existence--friendliness, compassion,
delight, and disregard--are easy to use and
cost nothing.
My yoga journey has imbued me with
a profound sense of accomplishment, and
above all, tremendous gratitude. Being afforded
the time and space to practice and
to study has been an incredible gift. I could
not have done it solo. I refer not only to my
fellow yogis, but to my family, friends, and
colleagues, without whom I could not have
progressed. I faced my fear of handstands
and other inverted postures. I confronted
my impatience and hubris. I embraced setbacks--physical,
mental, emotional, and
spiritual--with fresh perspective, not always
gracefully, but afresh. I soothed my grieving
heart and found myself able to connect
with others in deeper, more meaningful
ways. These connections proved the greatest
surprise of the journey. What began as a
solitary venture with fixed goals has evolved
into a shared experience, connected and
unbounded, the capstone reimagined as an
interwoven thread, or sutra.
1. Satchidananda, Sri Swami, translator. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Rev. ed., Buckingham, Integral Yoga Publications, 2012.
2

Marketplace Day:
A Cultural Shift
Libby Germer, Head of School
Church Hill Academy, Richmond
Church Hill Academy (CHA) is a philanthropically-funded, independent,
Christian high school in the East End of Richmond. For ten years now, our
faculty and staff have centered on the mission of equitably educating students
whose community, Church Hill, has been markedly underserved for decades.
The same Hill that hosted Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me
death” speech in 1775, played host in this century to racist housing and hiring
practices, the construction of five of the city’s six public housing projects, and
the damaging effects of suburbanization and “white flight.” As the local tax base
shrunk, city services and public education took a hit. These factors contributed
to record-high crime rates in the 1990s. Today, Church Hill is better known for
rapid gentrification and fashionable, award-winning restaurants … right down
the street from those housing projects. As the culture of Richmond’s East End
shifts and diversifies, Church Hill Academy’s school culture is adapting, too.
Last fall, when I became CHA’s Head of School, I inherited a school-wide
capstone project called Marketplace Day. Pictures of smiling, business professionals
intermingling with our students, all dressed in their finest attire, won me over to
this tradition. The day was designed to bring two groups of Richmond residents
together to participate in mock interviews between the high school students and
prospective employers representing many fields and industries. Marketplace Day
last year was a success by most standards. Students received helpful feedback
from interviewers, competed for the highest marks, and were given gift cards if
they placed in the Top 3 for their interview skills. One student even received a job
offer that promised international travel and a significant salary! The only thing that
seemed to be missing, from my vantage point, was the inclusion of interviewers
who lived in and around Church Hill. A careful observer may have noted that to be
a successful professional meant to hail from another part of the city.
Because the interviewers were chosen by staff and were generally well-todo,
white business professionals, the Marketplace Day tradition had become
loaded with unintentional but implicit cultural biases. Meaning well and wanting
to connect, some interviewers spent most of their fifteen minutes with students
reliving their own early work and college experiences. The interviews emphasized
the importance of shaking hands firmly, speaking clearly to adults, and wearing your
finest clothing to impress others. In other words, Marketplace Day
seemed at risk of becoming an etiquette lesson taught by white
professionals to younger, black students.
This year, even if the structure of the event was essentially
the same, we went in a slightly different direction. Church Hill
Academy’s planning team intentionally invited local business
professionals from a variety of backgrounds, who represented
a larger swath of industries. Lawyers and financial planners
sat next to education policy activists, beauticians, and human
resource professionals. Students were their shining best …
heads held high, resumes polished, and sincerely smiling as they
engaged with their interviewers. One Senior received perfect
marks in every setting and one interviewer wrote, “If I had a
position available, I would offer this young lady a job today!”
I do not know if Marketplace Day felt very different to students
this year, or if our planning team’s attempt at more equitably
inviting guests was noticed by others. The interviewers’ feedback
praised the event and our students highly, and most promised
their future participation. To us, though, the greatest marker of
success was seeing our students, sitting across the table from
business professionals who often looked like them. We were
able to imagine future Church Hill Academy alumni who are not
discounted for their community’s track record of difficulties, but
who are instead known for and by its successes.
3
4

Students saw stunning geology and
sights while kayaking the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon as
part of a Minimester trip.
Kristen, a senior at St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock,
Virginia interned with the Mobile Integrated Healthcare
Unit for Chesterfield County, observing home visits, interacting
with overdose victims, and visiting recovery centers. It sparked
her interest in choosing criminal justice as a college major with
a focus on case management.
Katherine, who aspires to a business/health career, gained
experience with people suffering from cognitive impairment
and memory loss, and gained insight into the world of business
administration at The Virginia Dementia Foundation.
At BingoBox, a start-up firm in China, Sunny worked in
the marketing department and analyzed statistics for future
investors, developing invaluable skills in the cutting-edge field
of shopping technology.
These experiential learning opportunities were part of
Minimester, similar to a college J-term they participated in
through Independent Study Projects (ISP) as seniors at St.
Margaret’s School. Each year, seniors design an ISP experience
Minimester at St. Margaret’s
Offers Experiential Learning
Patricia Brincefield, Director of Communication and Marketing
St. Margaret’s School, Tappahannock
Meeting Drego, on the police k-9
team, processing fingerprints,
analyzing blood splatters, and
documenting crime scenes were
part of the CSI:Forensic Science
Minimester experience.
for themselves based on their interests with the support of a
faculty sponsor, and then secure a two-week placement onsite
with a sponsoring organization.
“I gained a newfound confidence in myself and my abilities
that I had never felt before,” said Mackenzie, who worked
as a marketing intern at Spartanburg Methodist College in
Spartanburg South Carolina, completing a website audit, a
social media audit, an SEO audit, and a campus map update. “I
connected with so many incredible women and men who gave
me not only professional advice but life advice as well.”
“This experience certainly provided me a glimpse into the
professional world and helped me understand how hectic
it can be,” said Kem, who interned at the Northumberland
County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. “The late nights and
early mornings in these two weeks paid off with a huge sense
of achievement. Looking back, I am grateful that St. Margaret’s
has prepared me well to cope with the stress and challenges of
a busy schedule.”
While seniors are working on their ISPs, underclasswomen take
part in a variety of themed classes and trips for their Minimester
experience. Whether upcycling and recycling thrift-store finds
or combining the technology and skills of art, architecture and
animation, students expanded their creativity, and tried new
things during Minimester. “Safe risks” in physically demanding
courses involved playing flag football, racing go-karts, or
taking driver’s education. Investigating fingerprints at a crime
scene, learning cutting-edge scientific research at Biosphere 2
in Arizona, and inspecting geology by kayaking the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon were opportunities to examine
science from a real-world perspective and allowed students to
bridge the gap between theory and practice. Mindsets were
changed by interpreting and analyzing science fiction films or
taking the Next Steps, visiting prospective colleges, practicing
interview skills, and preparing for SATs.
The Minimester experience for girls in grades 8–12 at St.
Margaret’s encourages independent learning and empowerment
as students feel more self-directed in their exploratory learning
process. And, Minimester is time for fun with their peers out
of the traditional classroom setting and in a world of creative
possibilities.
Exploring what a girl becomes is the essence of the St.
Margaret’s experience. Girls stretch, learn, and grow here in
all areas of their lives. The St. Margaret’s School traditions of
Independent Study Projects and Minimester encourage girls to
challenge themselves, take safe risks, and become their best.
By learning to meet these challenges, they develop confidence,
resilience, and strength of character. In addition to learning
academic and life skills, they become independent, creative,
and morally courageous women.
For her Independent Study Project,
Mackenzie ‘19 worked as a marketing
intern at Spartanburg Methodist
College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
5
6

The Senior Essay:
A Northstar Academy
Crowning Achievement
John Latham, Upper School English Teacher
Northstar Academy, Richmond
Blazing a Trail to
Commencement
Kim Croxton, Upper School Lead Teacher and English Instructor
Ware Academy, Gloucester
At Northstar Academy, a school that specifically serves
students with special needs, senior traditions take on unique
meaning. Especially on the eve of graduation. Hours before
mortar boards flutter in the air, “butterflies” might best sum up
the feelings of the students (and their parents and teachers)
as the seniors prepare to take the stage for their Baccalaureate
ceremony. Earlier in the school year, the senior class likewise
was recognized when they received their traditional crowns at
Northstar’s fall homecoming picnic. By the year’s end, however,
that event feels far removed. The Baccalaureate spotlight seems
to burn hotter due to the magnitude of the occasion, regardless
of graduating classes ranging in size from a mere handful during
some years to twenty in 2018.
Senior traditions pepper the Northstar calendar. For example,
students participate monthly in a community service project at St.
Peter’s Church to help serve lunch to those less fortunate. Other
familiar traditions are notable for senior absences, like a “Senior
Skip Day” ahead of Prom and end-of-year exam exemptions. But,
the Northstar senior tradition that shines brightest is the crown
jewel, Northstar’s Baccalaureate. Students must be prepared to
present before an audience. For some, the ceremony offers the
first time for speaking publicly. Even those who do not speak or
read as easily and prolifically as others share their story with the
assembled audience. These students inarguably steal the show.
Northstar seniors and their parents anticipate this moment’s
approach. After all, the Baccalaureate has been a school tradition
since Northstar’s first graduating class in 2002. Students begin
preparing for it through the writing of “The Senior Essay,” which
is assigned in English class in four parts. Student reactions to it
are as varied as the essays themselves. Some responses are as
strong as the stages of coping.
While students may resist to participate in such an assignment
(until early May, at least), there is no denying that they are ready for
the essay’s first part. They have lived it. They know firsthand how
disabilities can create obstacles not only in school but in life. After
perhaps a bit of nudging, students address the first essay part—their
past. Specifically, “What learning challenges led you to Northstar?”
Previous learning experiences may evoke a slew of feelings,
even those as strong as anger. Still, students’ progress is too
noteworthy and positive to continue the “stages of coping”
comparison (although students may try to bargain their way out
of the assignment altogether). Students’ past school experiences
often serve as juxtaposition for their progress as they next
address why Northstar has been a good fit for them. Recurring
student responses note small class sizes and connections to
peers, friends, faculty, and staff members.
As the senior essay guides students from their past to their
present, a third prompt reaches to their future plans. Such
paths may include a career or technical focus, perhaps even at
Northstar’s Career Academy. Other students may plan to pursue
post-secondary educational opportunities. Regardless, this part
of the essay encourages the articulation of “some of your next
steps after graduation.” Thus, students have a chance to script a
response to what undoubtedly will be an oft-asked question.
The senior essay requires a daunting yet worthwhile degree
of student reflection. A behind-the-scenes look reveals the
proverbial blood, sweat, and tears of an emotionally-tinged,
labor-intensive project. Teachers involved in this project work to
ease its sting, to dry the sweat, and to share the tears. Sharing
tears becomes much more literal with the final part of the
project in which the students share their appreciation. These
sincere accounts of past, progress, plans, and the heartfelt
appreciation expressed by students who have overcome so
much adversity leave few dry eyes in the audience of friends and
family, including school family.
The next day the seniors graduate, celebrate, and are
celebrated. For a moment, diplomas overshadow keepsake
copies of the senior essays. Nevertheless, poignant words from
the Baccalaureate ceremony still will reverberate, sometimes
as lasting and profound as the memories of those students
themselves. Though they received homecoming crowns earlier
in the school year, each senior’s essay and presentation at
Baccalaureate truly is a crowning achievement.
Ware Academy Upper School student embarks upon the
A Ware experience with a three-day, two-night team-building
excursion for sixth and seventh graders. Canoeing, wall-climbing,
and zip-lining require interdependence. Individuals and teams
must work together to build trust, create friendships, and reach
a common solution. Seventh graders are excited to assume
leadership roles as they serve as fountains of knowledge and
experience for novice sixth graders. Further bonding occurs
for the seventh grade class when they encourage and assist
each other during the hiking expedition and the ascent of Old
Rag, a 3,284 feet mountain near Sperryville in Madison County,
Virginia. The happy sounds of laughter coupled with words of
encouragement can be heard up and down the hiking trail. By
the end of the week, sixth graders are eager to embrace more
challenging experiences within the Upper School and exhibit
more confidence in interacting with members of other grades.
Seventh grade cements the unity of the class for their transition
to eighth grade.
The outdoor classroom experience continues for the eighth
grade as they tackle their Capstone Project. This culminating,
project-based learning experience takes place during the third
trimester and is designed to be cross-curricular and relative to
the local community. Each student is charged with the following
performance task:
Create an educational campaign that informs and encourages
community members to consider their actions as they relate
to land and water resources in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
region. This campaign should be based on the scientific
parameters that represent a clean, healthy, and sustainable
environment and how humans impact these parameters.
Student-driven research and field study continues to a climatic
week-long eighth grade trip during which students travel to the
headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Pennsylvania.
Students work alongside the United States Geological Survey
team and Water Specialists to research and find supporting
evidence for their individual topics.
The Capstone Project creates engaging dialogue and encourages
deep conversations that are relative to a common
goal. Additionally, the week-long journey, from preparation to
anticipation to commitment, forges a bond that empowers the
Eighth Graders to see beyond the classroom walls. On the last
night, an “Order of the Paddle” tradition occurs that signals not
only the end of the class journey that began in sixth grade, but
also reflects upon their time together at Ware. The students are
well-equipped for life after Commencement.
“Ware is more than a school; it is a family. I learned more than
what books teach; I made mistakes, cried, shared successes,
and laughed throughout the years as I grew and passed from
grade to grade. It’s so sad to leave the familiar; I am scared,
but I am stronger because of Ware and ready to face the
challenges of the future.” - former 8th grader
7
8

Kindness Matters
Katherine Cockerham, Clubhouse Coordinator
St. Catherine’s School, Richmond
When I began planning the Clubhouse after-school program, little did I know
how much it would transform my life. I knew the program would be a great
place for students to engage in enrichment classes, STEM activities, and good oldfashioned
fun. I wanted to bring back “old school” activities, such as Kick the Can,
sewing, and building. As much as we depend on technology, I did not want that
to be the focus. I also wanted to instill in the girls some basic kindness skills. I saw
a need for this, as competition to be the best often seems to take over their little
lives. I love the kindness rocks project that is sweeping the country, and I thought
that would be a great way to start.
I went to Home Depot and bought three fifty-pound bags of river rocks that I
would ask the girls to paint with kind words. As they began this project, they were
moved by the fact that someone walking around campus would find their rock
and that it could brighten their day. We talked about what it means to have a bad
day, and how, when you are a child, things in your life might not
seem as bright as they should. I took the girls to each division’s
chapel service to announce the Clubhouse Kindness Rocks
project. They asked everyone who found a kindness rock to
please take their picture with it, and we would post the pictures
on our bulletin board in the hallway for all to see.
As they started painting rocks, the girls began painting
rainbows, hearts, puppies, kittens, confetti, sunshine, flowers,
and more. Their encouraging words included: shine your light,
rainbow kisses, keep on, be brave, be strong, you have a friend,
and you are loved. More and more students, faculty and staff
would find the kindness rocks and come to my office to have
their picture taken. Before we knew it, the bulletin board was
full of pictures of students, faculty, and staff with big smiles and
holding their kindness rocks. The Clubhouse girls were excited
to see the bright smiles, but more importantly, how happy they
had made someone. They began to understand that kindness
feels good; that it matters.
We are in our second year of the Clubhouse after-school
program, and my students look forward to painting kindness
rocks and hiding them weekly. With this small act of kindness,
they have helped build a community, meeting people on campus
that they might not have had the opportunity to meet before.
I have purchased over 600 pounds of rocks. I wash every single
rock before the paint goes on. The task of removing all the dirt
and debris so that someone may have a beautiful rock to hold is a
wonderful practice for me. I feel how the girls feel when they see a
smiling photograph of someone who has found their small gift of
kindness go up on the bulletin board.
9
10 ision

Beyond The Classroom
Peter Hufnagel, Dean, The Miller School of Albemarle, Charlottesville
S
ometimes great classrooms are not classrooms. For Jay Drake, one of his
favorite classes at The Miller School of Albemarle (MSA) takes place in the seat
of a Bobcat excavator deep in the woods of the 1,600-acre campus. He is currently
completing a Land Management independent study, in which he is designing and
building a 1.5-mile multipurpose trail from central campus to the school’s 12-acre
lake. He works daily operating the excavator to sculpt a steep slope into a gently
rolling trail. While absent of white boards, desks, books, and other items typically
associated with schools, Jay has found a learning environment with important
lessons around every bend.
Jay’s love of heavy machines goes back to his childhood.
Jay commented: “Ever since I can remember, I have always loved heavy
equipment -- from dump trucks to excavators to bulldozers. I love them all. Growing
up, my dad owned a flooring company and had a couple of large forklifts, which I
loved to drive around with the operators. There are countless pictures of me as a
little kid sitting in the operator’s lap with a smile as big as my face. Since then, not
much has changed -- I still love heavy equipment.”
Since its founding in 1878, MSA has been a school where teachers bridge
academic understanding with practical hands-on experience so that students gain
knowledge as well as know-how. Jay’s mentor and teacher,
Andy Guptill, recognized an opportunity both to support Jay’s
passion and to promote MSA’s educational mission.
Guptill commented: “Jay is a remarkable young man who
has talent for both trail design and heavy machine operation.
He has the vision to design and the skills to build world-class
trails. This independent study provides him an opportunity to
engage both his mind and hands in a project that will serve the
school for decades to come.”
The trail that Jay is building will allow students and faculty
to access the lake more easily. In addition, the gentle slope and
width of the trail will make it accessible to less-experienced
hikers and even baby strollers.
While Jay has developed many of his skills building trails in
MSA’s Land Management course, he also has benefited from
his summer work with the esteemed local excavating company,
Contour Construction.
Jay commented: “Last summer I worked for Contour
Construction. I got to spend the summer around the machines
that I love, which opened my eyes to the world of heavy
equipment. I learned so much about what it is like to work
around and in them. I finished up the summer with more
knowledge about heavy construction equipment, that will
both help me down the road if I continue into a career in this
industry as well as in my everyday life.”
The lessons that Jay learned extend far beyond the
mechanics of machine operation. One day while driving a
$400,000 haul truck, Jay inadvertently ran over large metal
survey stake that showed exactly where the height of the
dirt needed to reach, known as the final grade. His boss was
infuriated because Jay’s error meant that the area would need
to be surveyed again.
“I learned that in any line of work you have to pay very close
attention to the details, and listen to those who know more
than you. This was an easy lesson to learn on the job. And,
since then, I’ve applied this lesson to other aspects of my life.
Whether in the classroom or when riding my bike, I’ve learned
to pay special attention to the instructions of those who know
more than I do.”
Between his summer job and independent study, Jay has
built his own educational path--one that is the perfect grade
for his passions and talents.
Leaning up against his excavator in the upper meadow, Jay
carefully considered what he has learned from these experiences:
“I’ve gained a sense of confidence and responsibility and an
appreciation for a hard day’s work. As I go forward, I know now
that I am able to meet almost any challenge, as long as I listen,
pay attention, and apply my full effort.
11
12

VAIS Mission
The Virginia Association of Independent Schools
is the leader in advancing and advocating for
independent school education in Virginia.
Take a moment and connect with your colleagues
on the VAIS Educator Exchange this summer! For
more information, login to the VAIS website or email
Joan Fargis at joanfargis@vais.org.
Let’s get connected!
CONNECT. COLLABORATE. LEAD.
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ph: (804) 282-3592
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