Vision EMag Winter 2019_2WEB

e MAGAZINE 

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS 

Active Learning Spaces: 

ALIVE in VAIS Schools 

ISSUE 6 

Winter 

2019

e MAGAZINE 

CONTENTS 

2 

How Classroom Design Affects Student 

Engagement Active Learning 

How Classroom Design 

Affects Student Engagement 

Active Learning | 

Post-Occupancy Evaluation 

5 

7 

9 

11 

13 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

Transforming to an Active Learning Space? 

A Challenge Worth Tackling! 

The WonderLab: A Classroom Built On A Word 

Using Instagram in the Spanish Classroom - 

Unlocking New Inspiration 

Getting Electrified about Learning Engineering 

Ditching the Pink Fluffy Chair 

Alternative Seating in a Middle School 

Math Classroom 

Using the City of Richmond to Turn a 

Controversy Into a Learning Experience 

Intentional and Engaged Learning Spaces 

in a Fifth Grade Classroom 

Randolph-Macon Academy Opens 

Innovation Wing 

One Fun Little Dance - An Active Learning Lesson 

The Innovation Lab - Movement, Commotion 

and Production! 

New data from ongoing Steelcase Education studies shows that 

classrooms designed for active learning—i.e., where physical 

space supports a focus on engaging experiences for students and 

faculty— have a significant effect on student engagement. 

Noteworthy studies have been completed in recent years that show 

factors in the built environment can affect retention, attention, 

motivation, learning and academic achievement, but there have 

not been reliable post-occupancy evaluations of how different 

classroom designs affect student success. To address this important 

gap, a team of Steelcase Education researchers, in collaboration 

with academic researchers in Canada and the United States, 

recently completed studies at four U.S. universities. A robust survey 

instrument, titled the Active Learning Post Occupancy Evaluation 

(AL-POE) tool, was developed specifically for measuring the impact 

of classroom design on student engagement. Engagement is widely 

recognized as a highly probable predictor of student success. 

The results of the study and the following term’s aggregated data 

revealed that classrooms intentionally designed to support active 

learning increased student engagement on multiple measures as 

compared to traditional classrooms 

Figure 1: Standard Classroom 

21 

Making Space for Active Learning 

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 

EXTENDING WHAT’S KNOWN 

Sociological and environment behavioral research has established 

the impact of built environments on various behaviors: 

territoriality, crowding, situational and personal space. More 

recently researchers have explored how a learning environment 

impacts students. The consensus is that learning spaces have 

physical, social and psychological effects. The Steelcase Education 

research program was undertaken to build upon this growing 

body of evidence that the learning environment impacts students’ 

success and engagement is a key predicting factor. 

Verb classroom 

Node classroom 

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. LEAD. 

ISSUE 6 

Winter 

2019 

THE APPROACH: AN ACTIVE LEARNING POST- 

OCCUPANCY EVALUATION SURVEY 

The research was designed to analyze student engagement by 

asking participants to compare their experiences in a traditional/ 

standard classroom with row-by-column seating (See Figure 1: 

Standard Classroom) to what they experienced in a classroom 

intentionally designed for active learning—i.e., where physical 

space supports a focus on engaging experiences for students and 

faculty. (See Figure 2: Steelcase Advanced Learning Environments) 

media:scape classroom 

LearnLab (or media:scape LearnLab) 

Figure 2: Steelcase Advanced Learning Environments –4 Scenarios 

1 

2

How Classroom 

Design Affects Student 

Engagement 

Active Learning 

How Classroom 

Design Affects 

Student Engagement 


The active learning classrooms were furnished with Steelcase’s 

advanced innovative products and applications for active learning 

settings: Node® seating (See Figure 3), Verb®, media:scape® 

and LearnLab. To determine a relationship between classroom 

design and the behavioral factors of student engagement, 

participating faculty members did not receive training from 

Steelcase on active learning practices. The settings were simply 

provided for their use as they saw fit. 

Using a two-step decision-making research method, student and 

faculty participants simultaneously evaluated their experience in 

the active learning setting and their previous experience in the 

traditional classroom; specifically, they compared the “pre/old” and 

“post/new” settings for each metric. 

The main body of the resulting evaluation has two sections. 

Section I (Practices) focuses on active learning practices that 

elicit engagement in the learning space. Section II (Solutions) 

measures the effect of the classroom design on these active 

learning practices. Twelve measurement factors are consistent 

across the two sections, including: 

• collaboration 

• focus 

• active involvement 

• opportunity to engage 

• repeated exposure to material through multiple means 

• in-class feedback 

• real-life scenarios 

• ability to engage ways of learning best 

• physical movement 

• stimulation 

• feeling comfortable to participate 

• creation of an enriching experience 

Another set of questions uses a five-point Likert scale to 

determine perceptions of grades, retention, overall engagement 

and ability to be creative. 

To ensure adherence to the standards of academic research, the 

Steelcase Education team worked with third parties: IRB research 

protocol review, academic researchers and a statistician to 

analyze and report results. 

Respondents completed the survey online approximately 6-8 

weeks into the term so they had enough time to establish a 

rhythm of using the space. 

3 

Figure 3: Node ClassroomExample 

To ensure adherence to the standards of academic 

research, the Steelcase Education team worked with 

third parties: IRB research protocol review, academic 

researchers and a statistician to analyze and report 

results. 

RESULTS: ACTIVE LEARNING CLASSROOMS 

HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON STUDENT 

ENGAGEMENT. 

The combined studies results yielded major findings, all 

supporting a highly positive and statistically significant 

impact of active learning classrooms on student 

engagement: 

1) Participants reported that the new classrooms 

improved active learning practices and had more 

positive impact on engagement compared to the old 

classrooms. There were no significant differences in 

results among participating universities, strengthening 

the applicability of the findings. 

2) The majority of students rated the new 

classroom better than the old classroom on each of the 

12 factors. 

3) Active learning practices and the impact of 

the physical space significantly improved in the new 

classrooms for both students and faculty. In the 

practices section, average composite scores rose from 

23.2 to 34.2 for students, and from 24.0 to 37.3 for 

faculty. In the solutions section, average composite 

scores rose from 21.8 to 35.5 for students and from 19.1 

to 38.8 for faculty. (See Figures 5 and 6) 

2 

Average Composite Score 

Average Composite Score 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

23.2 

24.0 

34.2 

PRACTICES 

Figure 5: Average Overall Engagement 

Scores For Old and New Classrooms: 

Students (n=389) 

37.3 

PRACTICES 

21.8 

19.1 

35.5 

38.8 

SOLUTIONS 

Figure 6: Average Overall Engagement Scores 

For Old and New Classrooms: Faculty (n=41) 

Standard (old) 

Current (new) 

SOLUTIONS 

PERCENTAGE REPORTING MODERATE OR EXCEPTIONAL INCREASES IN: 

ability to be creative 

motivation to attend cl ass 

ability to achieve a highergrade 

engagement in class 

4) The majority of students and faculty reported that the new classrooms 

contributed to higher engagement, the expectation of better grades, more 

motivation and more creativity. A large majority of students self-reported a 

moderate to exceptional increase in their engagement (84%), ability to achieve 

a higher grade (72%), motivation to attend class (72%), and ability to be creative 

(77%). Almost all faculty members reported a moderate to exceptional increase in 

student engagement (98%), and all perceived a moderate to exceptional increase 

in student’s ability to be creative (100%). A large majority of faculty reported a 

moderate to exceptional increase in students’ ability to achieve a higher grade 

(68%), and a moderate to exceptional increase in students’ motivation to attend 

class (88%). (See Figure 7) 

THE BOTTOM LINE: INTENTIONALLY DESIGNING SPACES 

PROVIDES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING 

As a result of the development of the evaluation instrument and this managed 

research program, decision makers at educational institutions, architects and 

designers can be assured that investments in solutions intentionally designed to 

support active learning can create more effective classrooms and higher student 

engagement. 

The study also underscores the importance of designing products for educational 

environments based on insights from rigorous research. All the products used 

in the new/post classrooms were developed from Steelcase’s human-centered 

research process methodology, and this study validates that the evidence-based 

design protocol helps produce measurable results in use. 

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 

Figure 7. Impact of New Classroom 

on Student Engagement 

Faculty 

Students 

This white paper was originally published by Steelcase and the full version can be found here: 

https://www.steelcase.com/research/articles/topics/active-learning/how-classroom-design-affects-student-engagement/ 

Creative Office Environments is an authorized Steelcase Dealer and a proud VAIS Strategic Partner. For more information please contact 

Jim Trebour at jtrebour@creative-va.com or 804-405-9717. 

34

Active engagement is nothing but a prerequisite to the 

learning process. Active learning is not trendy or faddish. 

It is fundamental to the learning process. There is no cost, 

program, or material that must be purchased to transform 

a traditional classroom into an active learning space. I share 

with you a few vignettes from my classroom and my reasoning 

for incorporating active learning across the curriculum. 

When I look at pictures taken in my classroom this fall, I 

find two students on the carpet as they play a dice game they 

created to practice their addition facts. In another photo I 

observe students in a corner deeply engaged in a nonfiction 

book about dogs, and I recall overhearing their conversation 

about their own pet dogs as they read during partner reading 

time. I look at a different picture, and I see four secondgraders 

precariously balancing on chairs, contemplating 

how to maximize gravitational pull to design a marble 

maze using PVC pipes. I also notice a photograph of several 

second-graders deeply engaged as they listen to one student 

5 

Transforming to an Active 

Learning Space? A Challenge 

Worth Tackling! 

Michelle Bruch, Grade Two Teacher, Grace Episcopal School, Alexandria 

share the story she had written that morning. This picture in 

particular makes me smile because I remember asking these 

students to read independently right before they decided to 

have an impromptu writing time instead. In a photo I took 

just last week, I see a second grader’s joyful expression as she 

holds up her very own bean sprout and takes a moment to 

process the miracle of life. 

Teaching and learning are one. I cannot teach my students a 

new instructional objective if I do not first probe their background 

knowledge. Recent neurological research supports the role 

of movement and the importance of activating background 

knowledge. We must prioritize connections in the classroom: 

social, physical and cognitive connections are the essence of 

learning itself. 

I cannot expect my students to cultivate a deep comfort 

with new content if I do not give them time to grapple, 

explore, and explain newly learned concepts. It is ironic that 

when I stop teaching and start learning that my teaching is 

at its best. We actively learn together by using our classroom 

space flexibly, and this practice allows me to differentiate 

instruction, gives my students opportunities to engage deeply 

with the curriculum through movement and conversation, 

and provides ample time to question and learn. 

Letting go of how we manage classroom space and time in 

a traditional sense is difficult. Thoughtful deliberation is required 

to engage students with direct inquiry meaningfully. Guided 

by powerful questions, clearly communicated objectives, and 

consistent routines, I am able to facilitate the smooth management 

of the classroom. I must embrace trial and error, be deliberate 

about my instructional objectives, and constantly assess the 

classroom climate. As I listen closely to my students, I allow 

them to take ownership of their learning. I continually seek 

opportunities to help them make connections and inhabit a 

state of wonder. 

Facilitating active learning means acknowledging that there 

is a give and take within the classroom learning environment. We 

move our desks apart and place them so they face the walls during 

writing workshop. I find this enables my second graders to focus 

deeply on their writing and to find quiet spaces in the classroom as 

they write. We also sit on the floor to read with partners each day. 

Word study necessitates movement as we sort, hunt for word 

patterns, and play games to deepen our knowledge. Math is 

perhaps the most active time in my classroom because I rely 

on my students who understand a concept to translate their 

problem-solving processes to their peers, as cooperative 

learning is central to our math curriculum. 

By cultivating a culture of questioning, prioritizing process 

in the classroom across the curriculum, and giving students 

many opportunities each day to move and talk as they learn, 

I enhance their educational experience. They take ownership 

of their learning and beg to stay in the classroom during 

recess to complete science projects, offer to help a classmate 

who is feeling confused about how to solve a multi-step math 

problem, and set and achieve goals higher than I would have 

set for them. I continually seek opportunities to maximize 

the active learning and engagement in my classroom. Active 

learning is a rewarding and effective teaching practice that 

allows me to guide and support student learning throughout 

the school day. As William Butler Yeats wrote, “Education is 

not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” Rethinking 

how we use classroom space and time to ignite a passion for 

learning is a worthy challenge. 

6

The WonderLab: A Classroom 

Built On A Word 

Tracy Camp-Johnston, WonderLab Creator and Curator, 

Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria 

It’s often said that you need a strong foundation to build 

a sturdy structure. I disagree. I built an entire classroom and 

a curriculum on a piece of paper. One tiny scrap of lined paper 

torn from a composition notebook. One slip of paper with a 

single word written on it. WONDER. 

After a successful and fulfilling thirteen-year career in the 

public school system and time off to raise a family, I had mixed 

feelings about returning to teaching. I loved my job as a secondgrade 

teacher in my local public school system, but towards 

the end, my creativity felt crushed by an avalanche of SOLs and 

benchmarks. 

At the end of my career, I felt drained and detached. I had 

lost my sense of magic. My inspiration was gone, and I worried 

that I might not get it back. I knew that if I returned to teaching, 

I would have to find an environment in which I felt the freedom 

to explore new ideas and to move beyond traditional teaching 

methods. I was lucky to find such a place. Tucked in a tiny haven 

of woods, with weather-worn barns and a clutch of noisy hens, 

just minutes from I-95, was Burgundy Farm Country Day School. 

Burgundy’s founders had a vision when they created this special 

progressive school. They dreamt of a place where children and 

teachers could explore, wonder, and create in a beautiful natural 

environment. A place where curiosity would be encouraged and 

where divergent thinking was embraced. I found my home here. 

And then I found my wonder. 

The wonder came to me during a faculty meeting several years 

ago. Happily exhausted from a day spent with my fifteen active 

kindergarteners and sleepy from too many M&Ms and an overly 

toasty auditorium, I began doodling on my agenda to stay awake. 

Amongst the swirls and sketches, I wrote the word WONDER. Such 

a simple word yet it proved strong enough to inspire an entire 

classroom. 

Truly it begins with wonder. The very first people probably 

looked upward in wonder at the infinite sky. It’s likely that George 

Washington Carver wondered, “What else can I make from this 

peanut?” And no doubt, Lin-Manuel Miranda wondered about 

the untold story of our founding fathers. All good things begin 

with wonder. We are born wonder-ers. It is wound and bound 

within our DNA. Every child comes to this world equipped with 

a nearly insatiable, and (at times exhausting) sense of curiosity 

and wonder. Young children seem to be 1⁄5 noise, 1⁄5 dirt and 

the rest equal parts movement and wonder. That is why it is 

so important to provide outlets for that spirit of wonder in the 

early childhood years. Burgundy recognizes the need for young 

children to delight in the natural world and inspires them to 

engage in playful exploration. 

With the backing of my generous administration, inspiration 

from dedicated colleagues, and the love and support of my 

husband, I set out to build a new kind of classroom. I knew it 

needed to be an engaging space that captivated and inspired 

awe and was accessible and friendly. I knew the space required 

a floor plan that allowed for a variety of collaborative endeavors 

but also made room for contemplation and introspection. I 

wanted a space that included places to create, explore, build, 

observe, and most of all wonder. After a year of planning and 

revising, building and creating, the WonderLab was born. It is a 

classroom transformed by wonder. As you enter the WonderLab, 

you are greeted by a large and friendly tree. Birds and squirrels 

and even an opossum cavort on sturdy branches, and turtles 

and toads gather at the base. 

The WonderLab is a fascinating space to see and touch. An 

expansive interactive wall allows for new materials to be added 

and removed as children’s interest and abilities grow and change. 

The wall beckons to be touched, and for its items to be removed, 

played with, and then put back. It is a new wall after each class, as 

children replace items in different and personal ways after each 

use. This special wall creates visual and kinesthetic connections 

that make lasting impressions. 

A roomy sensory bin allows multiple children to experience 

the world through touch and provides a valuable cooperative 

base for sharing observations, ideas, and materials. The 

WonderLab boasts an impressive library and an inviting space 

for a solitary read, a small group meeting, or simply a space to 

regroup and refresh. There is a CreatorSpace filled with loose 

parts, tools, and compelling bits gleaned from recycling bins. 

A “WonderBar” features a row of tables and stools perfect for 

puzzles, games, and small-group exploration. 

A mobile lab and kid-friendly flooring ensure that even the 

messiest experiments (Ooblek) are easy to clean up. There are 

puppets and builder’s bins, games, toys, and much to discover 

here. The lab is a living classroom designed to flex, change, and 

respond to the people who visit. The physical space not only 

provides a vibrant learning environment for many different 

activities and pursuits, but it also allows me to offer engaging 

and responsive lessons. The flexible interactive wall lets me add 

items to spark conversation about new topics; it helps to hold 

student interest in long-range projects by providing new objects 

to connect to; and lastly, this wall unit even can showcase student 

items, allowing for an informal but meaningful assessment tool 

as we synthesize a concept. Easily accessible drawers in the 

CreatorSpace allow me to change materials to enhance projectbased 

learning. Adjustable display areas ensure that students 

see value in their work. The WonderLab invites students to 

safely explore a variety of learning experiences, and my plans 

reflect this. A wonder-filled space makes planning wonder-filled 

lessons easier and more manageable. 

All of it was built on one word. Wonder. Proof that just one 

word can bear a teacher’s hopes and dreams, as well as the 

weight of the wonder of all who pass through the door. 

7 

8

Using Instagram in the Spanish Classroom - 

Unlocking New Inspiration 

Mark Viser, Spanish Instructor, Hall Parent, Football/Basketball Coach, Christchurch School, Christchurch 

Of all the wonderful things about Christchurch School, perhaps my favorite 

part about working here is the diversity of our student body. Among 

our 215 students, 19 countries are represented, and this diversity contributes 

countless traditions, customs, and world views to our campus life. With this 

diversity, though, comes an often unwieldy range of interests, learning styles, 

and behaviors. As a Spanish teacher, this sometimes has been difficult to 

navigate. How can I inspire and facilitate language learning to such a wide range 

of people with varying degrees of ability? 

While studying at Middlebury College this summer, I found an exciting solution 

under the guidance of Esther Poveda Moreno of the University of Virginia. In an 

effort to give students freedom to explore the language, I adapted her portfoliobased 

approach by making Instagram a central focus of all my classes this year. 

Each marking period, students are told to find aspects of the Spanish language 

that interest them and periodically upload videos that report their discoveries to 

their Spanish-only Instagram account. Already, their progress has exceeded my 

expectations. Instead of being drilled on vocabulary and subject matter that I 

select, students are independently finding TV shows, music, podcasts, and other 

resources that they genuinely like and are sharing them with their classmates. Best 

of all, some students have told me that they are enjoying their findings so much 

that they spend their free time learning more. This type of self-driven studying is 

much more effective than any number of vocabulary lists, conjugation drills, or 

cultural readings I could ever implement. Furthermore, students have the ability 

to focus on their strengths instead of being penalized for their weaknesses. For 

example, if a student has trouble listening to the language and wants to capitalize 

on their stronger reading skills, I encourage them to choose resources that play to 

these advantages. So far, this has resulted in students’ feeling confident about what 

they do know instead of feeling ashamed and embarrassed for what they don’t. 

Of course, the nature of social media is essential to the success of this project. 

Already, the students have enjoyed following their classmates and leaving them 

comments or suggestions. In fact, I have found that students are easily picking 

up on their peers’ mistakes and omissions and are making mutual suggestions on 

how to improve. This has organically created a friendly atmosphere that makes 

our courses feel less like traditional classes and more like teams working toward 

a common goal. Going forward, I hope to use Instagram to connect with student 

groups in Spanish-speaking countries to make this process even more authentic. 

By connecting with native speakers around their same age, the students would 

not only get valuable feedback on their language skills, but also have a genuine, 

tangible reason to study the language. 

Above all, the best way to learn a language is to enjoy the process. What better 

way to facilitate this journey than to give students the liberty to pursue what 

interests them most? 

9 

10 ision

Getting Electrified about Learning Engineering 

11 

Elizabeth Kennedy, Science Department Chair, Highland School, Warrenton 

While our new Physics and Engineering Lab is a work in 

progress, we think that it has been a game-changer 

at Highland School. The lab is a place where students are 

encouraged to touch, make, take-apart, and create; and 

where they are expected to help one another learn different 

strategies and skills by doing so. For the upper school physics 

and engineering students, this means having the space and 

the freedom to explore a wide variety of phenomena in a 

hands-on way. Dedicated in honor of the Class of 2017, this lab 

is the ideal environment for active learning to occur, as well as 

for accommodating a range of learning styles. 

The physical space is large, with room for students to work 

at desks or tables and plenty of storage for works-in-progress. 

The lab is equipped with a state-of-the-art SMART Boards 6000, 

several whiteboards, and a good old-fashioned blackboard. 

Tools available include standard shop basics such as a drill 

press, band saw, power tools, and a large complement of 

hand tools. 3D printers and several laptops are available with 

data collection interfaces and electronic sensors, including 

motion detectors, force sensors, current/voltage sensors, and 

temperature/pressure sensors. The lab is further equipped 

with standard physics apparatus and equipment comparable 

to what students would use at the university level. 

As the teacher in this lab, I strive to cultivate a culture of 

collaboration, where technical skills are valued and sought out. 

Students collaborate to achieve common goals, such as building 

rockets for the Team America Rocketry Challenge, making 

experimental equipment for an AP® Physics lab, and producing 

a science outreach presentation for younger students who 

visit the lab for a “field trip.” The spread of knowledge and skills 

happens organically. I see my role as a facilitator who enables 

students to share knowledge and skills. 

One example of how the lab supports active learning is 

a recent “machine dissection” activity in the Introduction to 

Engineering class. Students in this class range from freshmen 

to seniors, and their experience working with their hands 

ranges from novice to veteran. The students were arranged in 

groups and tasked to take apart a variety of machines in order 

to study what they found inside. These machines included an 

“all-in-one” printer-copier, a microwave oven, a computer, and 

a DVD/Blu-ray player. The students dissected the machines 

using any tools (except hammers!) and salvaged useful parts. 

As the students worked to take apart the machines, I walked 

around and asked questions about the things they were 

finding. “What do you think this component does?” “Why do 

you think there would be a motor inside of a printer?” “What 

do you think we could re-use these toroids for?” One student 

who retrieved a DC motor out of a printer didn’t recognize it as 

a motor. I handed him some wire-strippers and an AA battery. 

After some initial trepidation, and with help from his group 

members, he connected the wire to the battery and was soon 

walking around showing everyone the motor that was now 

spinning. The diversity of learning styles and skills in each 

group enriched the experience for everyone. 

The following day, the reclaimed components from the 

dissected machines were put to use by students in AP® Physics 

C: Electricity and Magnetism. Therein, the students found the 

necessary materials to construct their own electroscopes. Of 

course, we could have purchased this simple lab equipment 

from a supply house. But why not take advantage of an 

opportunity for students to have even more “skin in the 

game” by making their own? For a look at one of the student’s 

electroscopes, check out this video. 

Introduction to Engineering is a required course for Highland’s 

new Pre-Engineering Certificate. Seniors earn this certificate at 

graduation by satisfying requirements that include completing 

honors and AP® math and science classes, as well as programming 

classes, a group engineering design class or participation on our 

FIRST Robotics Team, and an individual engineering experience 

over the summer. The program culminates with our Engineering 

Capstone class in which seniors work with an outside sponsor to 

design and build a project of their choice. Eight members of the 

Class of 2018 earned the certificate by completing projects that 

included a Rubens tube, a Tesla coil, and a pond-cleaning robot. 

None of these projects could have been realized had we not had 

the space and tools to inspire innovation. 

As each student finds his or her own role in the class and 

on teams, “Be yourself at Highland” becomes more than just a 

tagline. It’s an ideal we strive to help each student live up to, in 

a hundred different ways each day. 

12

Ditching the Pink Fluffy Chair 

Christina Grande, English 8 and English 10 Honors Teacher, Trinity Episcopal School, Richmond 

In the late 90s when I was in graduate school for education, the 

buzz phrase was “cooperative learning.” Education moved away 

from individual assignments and papers towards group projects 

and group interactions. When designing lesson plans, I had to start 

with an “anticipatory set” or an opening activity, often a series of 

questions or a demonstration. 

As the 90s turned into the millenium, the phrase, “21st century 

skills” buzzed around the academic building. Content was a thing 

of the past; students could Google whatever information they 

wanted to know. Instead, we wanted students to develop skills 

that would prepare them for the real world. No longer did we 

question what we wanted them to know or why, but instead how. 

How, we asked ourselves, should we teach students who already 

have the world, or at least the internet, at their fingertips? 

As I’ve watched education evolve, I’ve noticed that one thing 

has remained constant--we, as teachers, must find a way to reach 

students where they are. Students must be engaged to learn. 

Listening to a lecture may have worked for us old folks in the 80s, 

but it isn’t going to cut it with kids today. They need to move. They 

need to be active. They need to generate their own discussions. 

We can’t tell them how to think. We need to show them what it 

means to think critically. We need to guide them. Enter the new 

catch-phrase “active learning.” 

My biggest challenge as a teacher was probably my move 

from high school to eighth grade. My first attempt at active 

learning was to implement flexible seating in the eighthgrade 

classroom. I read that flexible seating gave students 

more freedom and choice and allowed them to collaborate 

more authentically than they could at traditional desks. I 

learned quickly that active learning, while important, must be 

purposeful and planned. While I had fun running to secondhand 

stores and Craigslist to buy bean bags, floor pillows, and 

papasan chairs, those items alone made my classroom more 

chaotic than productive. My classroom became a “free for all” 

with kids rushing to my room to snag the pink fluffy chair and 

others jumping on top of the new owner of the fluffy chair 

until the chair looked like a pile-up on a football field rather 

than a fun place to learn. As you can imagine, the fluffy chair 

quickly broke, and I decided to regroup and redefine active 

learning for my eighth-grade classroom. 

Now active learning looks like scissors and glue sticks-- 

messy but manageable. My students use interactive notebooks. 

Inside their spirals all of their activities live--they cut events 

from the myths we are reading and rearrange and paste them 

chronologically; they draw pictures of their ideas of what monsters 

look like before we read Walter Dean Myers’ book Monster; they 

cut out and color foldables to learn about the differences between 

paraphrasing and summarizing. Sometimes the desks seem too 

clunky and restrictive, so we move them. In circles they hurl fake 

Shakespearean insults at each other while we read A Midsummer 

Night’s Dream, and at Christmas time they spread out for a White 

Elephant gift exchange in which they learn how to write thankyou 

notes. 

During my seventeen years of teaching, I’ve learned a lot 

about teaching styles. There is not a one-size-fits all method. 

What may work for my neighbor next door may not work for me. 

My classroom will never be silent. I will never take a “sit down 

and wait your turn” approach to teaching. Life is messy and loud 

and imperfect. So am I. Kids need guidance and rules, but they 

also need a voice. They need to move around. They need to do. I 

may have thrown out the bean bags and fluffy chairs, but I have 

learned to create my own flexible classroom, and it seems to 

work for all of us. 

13 

14 ision

Using the City of Richmond to Turn a 

Controversy Into a Learning Experience 

Penn Ward, Communications Coordinator, Orchard House School, Richmond 

Alternative Seating in a Middle School Math Classroom 

Carmen Rich, Middle School Math Teacher, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk 

Over the summer months, I transformed my classroom into 

an inviting space that feels like a breath of fresh air. The 

room no longer has traditional seating but rather tall chairs and 

desks, octagonal tables, stability ball chairs, wobble seats, and 

saucer chairs, all tied together with an area rug. Gone is the long 

whiteboard that covered the length of the front of the room, and 

in its place is a beautiful Smart Panel, vibrant with color and the 

potential to transform teaching through powerful technology. 

When I first contemplated the brave new world of flexible 

seating, I knew I needed to do some research. I read articles and 

spoke with teachers who had become experts in the world of new 

spaces. By the time I finished, I knew I did not want just to dip my 

toe in the water; I wanted to dive in headfirst. I made a plan and 

placed my order. As I unpacked each piece of new furniture, I felt 

excitement, but at the same time I had a niggling feeling in the 

back of my head--worrying about students’ attention spans and 

behavior within their new surroundings. 

The first day of school arrived. As students entered the newly 

designed space, eyes widened and smiles grew large. They loved 

the room, were awed by the Smart Panel, and were curious about 

the different types of seating. I told them to try a few seats, to 

find the one they liked, and to settle in. The first thing we talked 

about were the rules of the seating. No spinning was allowed, 

but wobbling back and forth gently was acceptable. While high 

bouncing was banned on the stability balls, a little bouncing and 

swaying was just fine. Students couldn’t use the wheeled chairs as 

transportation, but moving around the tables to adjust to group 

work was great. I also explained the rules regarding the Smart 

Panel. Overall, I asked them to be respectful of our new furniture. 

We wanted everything to last for a long time. 

With my redesigned space, I have found that I am able to 

move around the classroom more easily during instruction and 

to observe students during group and individual work times. 

I feel more connected to the students, and their behavior has 

been fantastic. They seem happy and relaxed. We all have been 

told how students have difficulty sitting for long periods of time, 

but my students this year seem comfortable and do not always 

want to leave when class is over. 

Here is a short list of what I believe has contributed to the 

success of this new and redesigned arrangement: 

- Explaining expectations regarding the Smart Panel 

- Allowing experimentation with the Smart Panel in applicable 

situations 

- Framing the rules of each seat 

- Requiring a prompt seat change when a seat rule has been broken 

(but allowing a student to try that seat again the next day) 

- Allowing appropriate movement befitting each seat type 

- Encouraging students to move around and try different seats 

each day 

- Providing traditional chairs for those few who prefer them 

- Circulating amongst the students regularly 

Assimilating to new technology and flexible seating has been 

a rewarding and exciting adventure, but the most gratifying 

aspects have been watching my students’ engagement improve 

and reveling in their learning experiences. 

Girls bound out the 

front door, two-bytwo 

with water bottles 

in hand, for a warm-up 

walk with P.E. instructor 

Suzi Horner. Meanwhile, 

Janine Russo’s math class 

makes their way on foot 

to the Virginia Museum 

of Fine Arts, the culmination of their months-long math sketchbook 

study on the interplay of mathematical concepts and visual art. 

The city of Richmond is a classroom teeming with lessons — 

history, architecture, music, art, botany, biology, and much more. 

Cross the traffic circle at Allen Avenue, however, and the lessons 

get more complicated at the base of the Robert E. Lee Monument. 

Commissioned in 1876, after the end of Reconstruction in Virginia, 

the Lee Monument is one of five monuments commemorating 

notable members of the Confederacy along Monument Avenue. 

The events of Summer 2017 brought a slew of nationwide protests 

regarding the removal of Confederate statues, largely in Southern 

cities. When the events of Charlottesville threatened to hit close to 

home with a protest at Richmond’s Robert E. Lee Monument, Orchard 

House School chose to address the local and national discourse 

surrounding the legitimacy of the nearby Confederate memorials. 

Honoring Orchard House’s commitment to being a responsive 

academic environment, an instructional collaboration between history 

teacher Taylor Hollander and English and theatre arts teacher Lucretia 

Anderson arose. With an eye towards maintaining the social and 

emotional well-being of students, the faculty wondered how much 

the girls knew about the controversy, what would be the best way 

to support them, and how to turn the controversy into a learning 

experience. “I think a lot of the girls knew about the events around 

Charlottesville and what was happening with the monuments, but a 

lot didn’t; and if they knew something was brewing, they didn’t quite 

understand what was happening or going on.” In response Hollander 

and Anderson designed a research project for Eighth Grade students. 

The Confederate monument project involved five main themes 

— fact and opinion, historical memory, public space, debate 

and discussion, and oral and written communication skills. This 

interdisciplinary approach combined the history unit on the Civil 

War and Reconstruction with the literary notions of oral history and 

authorship, as well as persuasive writing. While heated debate is 

the natural expectation of a project with such timeliness and heft, 

Anderson and Hollander found that two of the themes stood out the 

most — public space and historical memory. 

Prior to their research, few of the students had given much 

thought to the significance of the monuments, treating them mainly 

as invisible space. By walking from statue to statue on Monument 

Avenue and recording information about their subjects, locations, 

inscriptions, unique features, and their own first impressions, the 

girls gained considerable awareness and understanding. Through 

this experiential learning, they began to realize how and why 

public space is often contested, writing about ways citizens can 

“feel unwelcome driving down a street in the place they call home.” 

About the open-ended shape of the project, Anderson notes, “By 

letting the girls explore the monuments first and ask their own 

questions about what [they were] seeing and experiencing, they 

were able to have an intellectual experience with them and not just 

drive by the monuments.” 

Students then interviewed people outside the school about 

the Confederate monument controversy. By collecting personal 

reflections and commentaries, they learned about the richness of the 

human experience and how everyday people who largely escape 

the historical record can have very different views and opinions 

about the past and present. The girls demonstrated a multifaceted 

approach to their thinking, noting that the discomfort of talking 

about Virginia’s history “should not excuse us today from the burden 

of trying to understand what made the people of the monuments 

fight in the American Civil War.” 

While engaging in the debate, Middle schoolers in the throes 

of grappling with self-discovery and identity benefited from the 

bedrock of Orchard House School—sound relationships with faculty. 

Anderson, who stresses historical context in her lessons, felt the 

discussion was more nuanced because of diverse voices from faculty 

and project interviewees. She noted, “You can always say, ‘This could 

affect people of color,’ but it’s nothing like having a person of color, 

someone you have a relationship with, saying, ‘Yes, this affects me, 

and here’s why.’” 

It is those relationships with faculty that most often are cited by 

parents and students as a major component of their Orchard House 

experience. Drawing upon those relationships and benefitting from 

a responsive approach to learning about the Monument controversy, 

the Eighth Graders were able to build their own understanding in a 

way that challenged and empowered them. 

15 16

Intentional and Engaged Learning Spaces 

in a Fifth Grade Classroom 

Kelsi Bell, Fifth Grade Teacher, Powhatan School, Boyce 

With no two learners alike in my classroom, I’ve developed an active 

learning environment for my fifth grade students, inclusive 

of flexible seating, custom lighting, decreased visual stimuli, and 

increased material mobility. And why? An active learning environment 

is student-centered, learning-focused, and wildly popular among 

students and parents alike. Plus, it’s effective! 

So which comes first, the standing table or the active lessons? The 

answer is both. If learning is the goal, we must establish a rhythm in 

the physical realm and the cognitive realm to work as co-dependent 

cogs in the wheel of student growth and development. Let’s take 

a look at physical space first, and then at what it looks like to be a 

teacher and a student in an active learning environment. 

To become an active learning space, a classroom must be 

conducive to focused working and learning. This starts with an 

aesthetically pleasing space with limited visual distraction. Such an 

environment can be achieved by adhering to a basic color palette, 

enhancing natural light with soft-light floor and table lamps, and 

establishing organizational routines and procedures for tidy materials 

management. Upon arrival to our classroom, students are greeted 

twice -- once by me and then by the physical appearance of our 

classroom. I desire for both messages to communicate, “Welcome! 

You matter. To start, choose a seat where you will learn best.” 

A student who craves constant motion may prefer to balance on 

a stability ball at the round table in the center of the room, but may 

later wish to transition to the standing table with the elastic foot band 

at the base for increased gross motor stimulation. Another student 

who works best when her materials are spread out may choose to 

sit on a foam mat at the 16-inch floor table, using the table top and 

the surrounding carpet as her work surface. For the students who 

desire to see all things at all times, sitting on a countertop-height 

stool at the 36-inch table in the back of the room might be the best 

place for them. Still, there is the trusty laundry basket full of cushions, 

serving as a cozy, confined space for readers and studyers alike, or the 

classic chair at a conference room-sized table for those who prefer 

a traditional posture while working and learning. In our classroom, 

mobility is effortless because students keep their materials organized 

in black storage crates divided into sections that keep their binders 

and folders upright. Students are free to choose from the variety of 

work spaces available to them by simply picking up their crate and 

moving to the position most desirable. 

Such readily available flexible seating encourages students to 

become more self-aware, asking themselves each day, sometimes 

several times a day, “Where will I work best?” Becoming mindful of 

their bodies, their learning styles, and their social norms enables 

students to be increasingly metacognitive, reflecting on the role of 

flexible seating as an owned, personal choice to enhance their unique 

learning experience. This structure invites students to cognitively 

develop who they are as learners. In turn, as I plan and prepare 

lessons for my students, I can freely craft experiences that cater to 

diverse learning styles, support academic choices, and encourage 

intentional movement. As a result, students are not only engaged in 

experiences, but are empowered to learn. 

Mutually establishing that our classroom is a safe, flexible space 

designated for focused working and learning negates social and 

behavioral blunders, enhances a sense of community, and fosters 

an environment that embraces the unique qualities of each child. 

Though it highlights the diversity of students’ learning styles, postures, 

and personalities, our active learning environment reminds us that 

collectively, we all are learners. As a unified front, we encourage one 

another to celebrate that learning doesn’t look or sound the same 

for all of us, but tremendous learning is commonly occurring within 

us. As we work and learn together, our space greets us all with, 

“Welcome! You matter. Choose a seat where you will learn best.” 

Randolph-Macon Academy Opens Innovation Wing 

Celeste Brooks, Director of Communications, Randolph-Macon Academy, Front Royal 

This fall, Randolph-Macon Academy opened the Hadeed 

Innovation Wing, with simulation labs intentionally designed 

to be integrated learning spaces. These labs cut across academic 

disciplines, encompassing flight, robotics, computer science, 

engineering, graphic design, and studio art. The environment has 

been created to be flexible and dynamic. “More than your typical 

maker space, it’s a place where computer science can meld with 

engineering and graphic design and studio art, or the drone 

program can work with studio art on intentional design for the 

aesthetics of the drone design,” explained Dr. Tess Hegedus, Dean 

of Instructional Leadership and Innovation. 

She gave another example: “If one of the pre-professional 

pathways is Entrepreneurship, and you’re learning about product 

development as part of Entrepreneurship, you could go into the 

Simulation Lab and work on engineering design, use the graphic 

design lab to build a website to market or promote your business, 

you could create logos, and plan how you might market your 

product. It is a place to explore and integrate it all.” 

While the studio art lab and graphic design lab are standalone 

rooms on one side of the wing, on the opposite side are the 

flight simulation lab and the robotics lab, which are separated by 

a removable partition. Both are designed to encourage students 

to move around or design on their feet, rather than sitting 

(though that remains an option). But the most-anticipated piece 

of equipment might just be the soon-to-arrive flight simulator, 

the FAA approved Redbird TD. 

“It’s a place for authentic learning experiences that are 

connected to future careers,” said Hegedus. “It provides a stepping 

stone to a future internship. We’re going to simulate what a 

student might do in a career path.” 

Students will use the simulation labs to learn primary, essential 

skills that align with a career pathway, with the idea that when 

they begin an internship, they go in with some foundational 

knowledge or some exposure to the field. This allows them to 

participate in the internship more fully, whether that means they 

are asking deeper questions or they are coming up with bigger 

ideas. The hope is that when they get back from the internship 

experience, those ideas are things they want to research further, 

and the questions are problems they want to solve—thus, they 

begin to research, create, and innovate. 

17 18

One Fun Little Dance - An Active 

Learning Lesson 

Maura Rice, Junior Kindergarten Teacher, Congressional School, Falls Church 

“I’m in, right out, right up, 

right down, and I’m feeling fine!” 

My students and I sing to each other as we start our morning 

meeting with movement (courtesy of one of our favorite 

Dr. Jean songs). We stretch our arms in, out, up and down and 

turn ourselves around. We run in place; we practice freezing our 

whole bodies; and then, we do it all again! By the end, both the 

kids and I are smiling ear to ear; our bodies are more relaxed; 

we are sometimes a little out of breath; but we are ready to 

begin our next activity. Until … “Can we please do it again, but 

in sloth mode?” they ask. Sloth mode is part of the dance our 

class came up with, where we do the same actions but as slow 

as we possibly can. Time is ticking away in the morning, but 

as an early childhood educator, I have to pause and listen to 

19 

their request. When the children ask for more movement, what 

they really are telling me is, “My brain needs this, and I need to 

shake it up, to get up and move around; I need to have fun and 

be active so that I can do my best learning today.” So of course, 

we hold off on morning meeting for three more minutes, and 

begin again, in “sloth mode.” 

To an outsider looking in, this probably looks like one fun, 

little dance. While that is true and learning through play is 

imperative with learners of all ages, that is not the only reason 

we do this. This fun, little dance is also helping the children 

learn self- regulation skills, understand and follow multi step 

directions, identify rhythms and patterns, develop a sense of 

directionality, learn new vocabulary, engage in teamwork, and 

foster classroom community. All of those incredibly important 

learning skills from one fun, little dance! 

Active learners translate to active minds—when we enable 

and encourage our children to get up, move around, find new 

spots, get their wiggles out, or take a brain break—what we are 

really doing is empowering children to learn, grow, and progress 

in the classroom in different, new, and exciting ways. We are 

teaching them that learning doesn’t just happen while sitting 

down at a table, working with pencils and pens, or sitting on the 

carpet for fifteen minutes straight. Learning also happens when 

a student gets up, moves across the aisle, talks to a friend, tries 

something new, or stands on his head! New ideas flourish when 

children are given the chance to move their bodies, to be in 

control of their physicality, and to realize that they are learning 

and having fun while doing it. 

We are preparing our children for a life of active learning and 

for an actively changing and fast-paced world. We are teaching 

them that they are, and should always be, active participants 

in their own education. Giving them the chance for physical 

flexibility encourages them to have mental flexibility as well. 

The next time you see a class of five-year-olds dancing it out, 

or jumping around, join in! It is never too late to get your blood 

pumping, get your energy going, and get active. You just might 

find, that if you let it, your mind can be as active as your body. 

What does action look like in the classroom? It is movement, 

commotion, and production. It is embracing the unknown. 

It is failing and succeeding all at once. Ultimately, it is cementing 

knowledge. Learning by doing is not a new concept, but it is one 

that is often isolated within certain areas of our curriculum. I’m a 

fine arts teacher. My entire curriculum is project-based learning. 

My day is eternally action-packed. What I see on the horizon is 

a maker movement that is tearing down the walls between art 

and every other discipline. 

As teachers, we want to set up our students to succeed. We 

share with them the knowledge we want them to attain and then 

help them navigate their way. We map out a means to an end. 

Delivering projects in a classroom does not change the end, it 

changes the means. When students are permitted to design their 

own outcomes, they set out on pathways that are untrodden. 

They are instilled with the courage to make waves, not just to 

rinse and repeat. Action is diving deeper and resurfacing with 

something new. Active learning at Foxcroft School is embodied 

in the buzz of The Innovation Lab (TIL@FXC). 

When we embarked on the creation of our makerspace 

two years ago, we charged the students with designing the 

space from conception to completion. It is truly a studentowned 

space. The faculty continues to empower their student 

leadership in refining the space and its use. The makerspace 

has become a gathering place on campus for everything from 

faculty hack sessions to student club meetings, from college 

The Innovation Lab - Movement, 

Commotion and Production! 

Julie Fisher, Digital Arts and Engineering Instructor, Foxcroft School, Middleburg 

information sessions to class meeting space. It is a place for 

dreaming and doing. 

Everyone is a maker and a doer at heart. If we did not strive 

to create, we would have very little to show for our humanity. 

Instead we produce a barrage of innovations on a daily basis. 

Most inventors bridge concepts across disparate media. They 

find relevance in the seemingly irrelevant, and a new idea is 

born. The entire premise of a makerspace is to provide the ideal 

conditions for ingenuity to flourish. The space itself is empty 

without minds to explore it. TIL@FXC is a revolving door of 

students with ambitious ideas and ready hands. 

On a regular basis, I see my colleagues actively learning 

with their students. Like art educators, they have embraced 

lessons that encourage their students to create. In TIL@FXC, I 

witnessed a world language student create an emblem for an 

ancient myth and a world history student design a genocide 

memorial. I watched a biology student create a paper doll-sized, 

layered rendition of all the inner workings of the human body. A 

creative writing student generated a poem inspired by a student 

photographer’s blended imagery. A theatre student engineered 

a dress to transform Cinderella from rags to a ravishing gown 

in seconds. A physics student built a pan flute out of bamboo 

that she culled on campus. Each of these students utilized 

the makerspace to step outside the confines of their focused 

curriculum. These are the types of learners and creators we want 

to put out there in the world to invent our future. 

20

Making Space for 


Evie Hinrichs, Second Grade Teacher, Congressional School, Falls Church 

Taking inspiration from the book Most Likely to Succeed, by Ted 

Dintersmith and Tony Wagner, many educators are looking 

carefully at the learning opportunities afforded to students in the 

What this meant for our classroom was that we needed lots of space 

to work! The map was about 10 feet wide. Changing the set-up of 

desks and tables to accommodate a 10-foot-wide map required 

21st Century. Providing opportunities where students can think 

some creativity and ingenuity. Students were excited to adjust 

creatively and critically, collaborate with peers, and take charge 

the learning space to support their needs. Three groups worked 

of their own learning is paramount to student engagement and 

on the different islands from the stories while others created the 

success. As educators, we can and should leverage our teaching 

map features. Every second grader was engaged, working across 

environment, within our classrooms and beyond, as flexible, 

weeks on their part of the project. The conversations between 

active learning spaces. 

students as they planned, created, and placed islands on the map 

In my own second-grade classroom, this exploration into 

were a teacher’s dream. At the end of the project, the class was 

active learning spaces has led to a burst of creativity, critical 

excited to have the opportunity to share their map with the entire 

thinking, and student engagement. Children of all ages are 

student community at an all school gathering. They used the map 

inherently active; learning through inquiry and exploration. 

to summarize the adventures of Elmer and the dragon, describing 

During a lesson about addition strategies, the class needed to 

all to see. The lasting benefits of this type of hands-on, authentic 

They are full of energy and are always eager to learn something 

each island’s location and topography using their new map skills. 

spread out to practice computation skills without distraction. 

learning experience will stick with the students long after they 

new. Although students have always been active learners, the 

This project was so successful, because it was student-inspired 

This was achieved by writing on whiteboard space on the walls, 

leave second grade. 

shift to maximizing the classroom to facilitate and support 

and student-led. 

desk tops, and even windows. We rotated to a new surface with 

Over the past several years, the approach of utilizing our 

learning takes time, patience, and trust in the process. Every 

Our classroom continues to shift as we work on different 

each new equation. The novelty of writing on different surfaces 

learning spaces both inside and out as tools to enhance student 

part of our learning space has a purpose, yet is flexible to 

projects. After reading a variety of books in class, students were 

and moving between equations increased student engagement 

learning has blossomed. Student motivation and engagement 

support the needs of students. The classroom itself has become 

challenged to create book reviews to share with other students. 

and motivation. 

is on the rise as we become more purposeful in planning how 

a tool that can enhance inquiry, exploration, collaboration and 

We brainstormed a variety of ways to approach this challenge 

Finally, we need to remember that active learning is not 

we use our spaces. This approach does require flexibility on the 

individual learning. 

and decided this would be a great time to integrate technology. 

confined to the four walls of a classroom. There are many 

part of the teacher. Lessons might not go exactly as planned, but 

As an example, this fall our second-grade class was reading the 

A group of second graders created a green screen studio in our 

learning opportunities to extend learning outdoors. Our second 

when given the space and opportunity, the students will take 

trilogy of My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. Our literary 

classroom library space by adding a small table, stools, and a green 

graders explore early civilizations. During our study of Ancient 

the lead and take more ownership of their learning environment 

focus was character development over time and understanding 

sheet. Students, working with a partner, used iPads to record 

Mesopotamia, students learn about cuneiform, the first system 

and how they use it. This flexibility will also help us to better 

how the setting played a role in the story. These books included 

images of each other reading a favorite book. They worked 

of writing. Although we read about it and find examples in 

adapt to the changing needs of students. 

several small maps. The students were fascinated by the maps and 

together to place themselves in the setting of the book and then 

books, we use a small stream on our campus. During science 

tried to follow the main character’s adventure across the different 

created a tag line to hook other readers. With guidance, students 

class, students discover clay along the banks of the stream so 

lands. It also happened that we were studying map features and 

were able to plan, problem solve, and work through each step of 

we plan a second trip. It’s much more engaging to walk to the 

landforms in social studies. When the task of drawing and labeling 

the process. As with the map project, students were able leverage 

stream to collect clay for a tablet and gather sticks from the 

our own maps came up, the class lobbied to collaborate on a giant 

our classroom space in a way that encouraged creativity, critical 

playground for a stylus. After gathering resources, students 

map of the islands from My Father’s Dragon. They wanted to see 

thinking, and active learning. And since not every assignment is 

are eager to practice being a scribe as they write letters and 

all the places from the three books represented on a single map. 

collaborative, students also need space to work independently. 

numbers in the clay. The clay tablets are dried and displayed for 

21 

22

VAIS Mission 

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is the leader in advancing and advocating for 

independent school education in Virginia. 

CONNECT. COLLABORATE. LEAD. 

9100 Arboretum Parkway, Suite 310, Richmond, VA 23236 

ph: (804) 282-3592 

VAIS.ORG VAIS.org VAIStweets

Vision EMag Winter 2019_2WEB

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