3rd & 4th Grade Art Online

This year Ms. Alicea's lower school art classes have been studying proportion through self-portraiture. The third and fourth grade students began by looking at the size and location of facial features and exploring how Matisse used colors to portray emotions, which gave them the basic understanding of how to create a two-dimensional face. Building on this foundation, the students explored three-dimensional form through mask-making. They examined and drew masks from Africa, Asia and the Americas before designing and building their own 3-D masks. After creating the underlying structure out of newspaper and masking tape the third graders paper-mache'd their masks while the fourth graders used plaster casting. To finish the project they embellished their masks with paint, rhinestomes, sequins, beads, and feathers. View the colorful results in an online display of their art.

The classes have moved on to the study of African textiles, starting with weaving. They saw a slide show of Ms. Alicea's travels to Kenya and Tanzania this past summer, where she taught orphans to weave via a program run by the Global Alliance for Africa. The students also examined fabrics from Africa to learn about texture and pattern. Next, they will learn how to create a motif and print it in a pattern on fabric, in a process similar to one used in Adinkra cloth from Ghana.

12-13-07

Computer Science + Basketball = Software Test

"Why are there kids with computers in the bleachers?" asked the refs at a recent girls varsity basketball game, looking at two tiers of tables populated by students with laptops. The answer is that they were completing an assignment for their Advanced Placement Computer Science course by testing some basketball stats-collecting software they wrote for their final project of fall quarter.

The assignment was to design a piece of software that would enable the user to quickly and efficiently record statistics during a basketball game and, at the end, be able to generate multiple useful reports. Many students chose to go with a command line user interface which would allow the user to quickly type meaningful codes to record statistics. For example: "FTA 21 1" might mean that player #21 on the home team had a free throw attempt and scored 1 point. Other students attempted to create graphical user interfaces that used the mouse and picture of the court to record various things. At the end of the game students were expected to have their programs able to generate a standard box score for each team that shows individual player statistics, scoring by quarter, etc. They have all worked very hard and have designed some impressive pieces of software. The live basketball game was the final test of their programs. (Basketball fans might want to know that U-High bested Holy Trinity 53-50.)

AP teacher Baker Franke explained the motivation behind the assignment. "One goal of a project like this is to force students consider the ramifications of their software design choices as they attempt to 'scale up' their programs for use by an actual user. What if the user mis-types something? Can it be undone? What if there's a power outage in the gym? Can the program recover the events of the game? Does the way the program stores data enable the program to easily process it to generate interesting statistics (e.g. which lineup of players appears to be the most productive?) I'll leave the real statistics to [AP Statistics teacher] Ms. McCullagh; we'll just enable the collection of them."

12-11-07

Wall Street Journal Ranks Lab in Top Five

U-High prides itself on helping match students with the colleges that best fit each student's interests and strengths. We feel that our students are well-prepared for college life, and we are delighted when others take notice of our students' excellence. The Wall Street Journal took notice. Lab was listed as fifth in comparison with other high schools across the United States in placing students in a set of eight schools that are considered top-tier colleges & universities. Additionally, one of our families was interviewed—parent Lynn Stevenson and senior Billy Stevenson. We are proud of our students, our teachers, and our families. Take a moment to applaud all their efforts.

11-30-07

I Made Hermanto of Melaya, Bali

Genoveva Plua of Guayaquil, Ecuador

Students Make Small-Business Loans

A new middle school club has emerged this fall. The Humanities Team is focused on raising money to fund micro loans to small entrepreneurs in the developing world through the KIVA organization. A bake sale raised $300, which they loaned to two people: I Made Hermanto of Melaya, Bali, who needed to buy more cattle to increase his income; and Genoveva Plua, who needed more merchandise for her general store in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In determining which people to make loans to, the students, along with faculty sponsor Jan Yourist, read profiles of many entrepreneurs. They also examined the organizations that distribute the funds in each country, making sure that the distributing agents were legitimate and had low delinquency and default rates.

KIVA is an organization whose motto is "loans that change lives". It uses the Internet to facilitate one-to-one connections between individuals and small businesses in the developing world, creating a lending platform for the poor. Through KIVA's web site, lenders pick a business and make a loan using PayPal. Kiva transfers the funds to partners in the recipient's country. The partner then disburses the loan to the business. Over time, the partner collects repayments and provides business updates on Kiva's web site. The funds are returned to the lender, who may then withdraw the money or make another loan.

The Humanities Team received an email in Spanish from Ms. Plua thanking them for helping her to get on her feet; they are composing a response to her, also in Spanish. They receive monthly business updates from both Mr. Hermanto and Ms. Plua. As these loans are paid back, the students will use the money to support other entrepreneurs in need.

The next fund-raiser is a poetry challenge. The Humanities Team is soliciting poems from any member of Lab’s Middle School community: students, teachers, and staff members. Contestants may enter up to five poems. The theme for this year’s competition is Solicitude. All poems should directly or indirectly address the notion of solicitude, but need not necessarily use the literal word. The Humanities Team will select entries to be published in a small quarto (booklet) which will be for sale. All poems are due in Ms. Yourist’s mailbox in the middle school office by Friday, January 4. For further information, email Ms. Yourist.

11-29-07

Service…with a smile

A recent editorial in the U-High Midway emphasized how important community service, both local and international, is to U-High students. It’s clear that this sense of service starts with our very youngest Labbies. Families walking through Blaine often see opportunities to donate clothing, money, or toys. Each of these represents a service component that begins with students wanting to make a difference. This year, six classes raised more than a thousand dollars trick-or-treating for UNICEF. Nicole Power’s fourth graders partnered with Spike Wilson’s first/second-grade class to build a well in Sri Lanka. And families will have an opportunity to donate mittens and toys as part of other projects unfolding in the Lower School. Students play an active role in these projects from initiating the projects to giving of their own resources. In doing so, they learn important lessons that stay with them for their Lab years and beyond.

11-29-07

Ubuntu Designs Apparel for Sale

The high school club Ubuntu Designs has been raising funds through the sale of stenciled t-shirts. Over $1,000 has been collected thus far for an HIV clinic in South Africa, and the fund-raising continues. The twenty or so dedicated high school students that make up Ubuntu Designs are now stenciling hats and scarves for sale during the winter season, and plan to add hooded sweatshirts later in the year. Samples are on display in the high school lobby, and sales take place in the cafeteria; members of the Lab community can also contact Emily Bieniek directly to purchase apparel or make a donation.

Ubuntu Designs was founded by junior Emily Bieniek, who worked at the J.L. Zwane HIV clinic in South Africa last summer. The clinic's HIV outreach section, which is funded entirely by donations, as are all South African HIV clinics, is out of money. The magnitude of this tragedy inspired Emily to create the Ubuntu Designs club and its fundraising effort. Thus far, they have sent enough money to support 12-14 families for a month and provide emergency aid for three orphans. Faculty sponsor Brian Wildeman is especially proud of how student-centric the entire effort has been: "I'm really proud of Emily and her peers in that the club was completely their own idea and through their dedicated creative efforts they have managed to make a significant contribution to this charitable cause."

The club takes its name from a word in the South African Xhosa language that means "I am me because you are you." An attempt at a longer definition has been made by Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

“ A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed."

11-28-07

Holocaust Students Research in DC

Fourteen U-High students spent three days conducting research at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of the curriculum of a seniors-only elective seminar on the destruction of European Jewry between 1933 and 1945. These students have spent much of the quarter engaged in intensive reading and discussion on the development of the Final Solution. Led by history teacher Susan Shapiro, who has been teaching this course and organizing this trip for eleven years, they spent Saturday through Tuesday in DC for some hands-on research for their final papers. Here is Ms. Shapiro's description of the experience:

"The first evening, we arrive in time for a quick dinner and a tour of monuments at night. The tour is always exhilirating. Even for the kids who went on the 8th grade DC trip, seeing these places at night and in the context of their study really highlights the blessings of freedom. We start at the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, take a swing past the Washington Monument and stop at the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin (always with a story about Fannie Fox and Wilbur Mills). A favorite is seeing the FDR Memorial in the dark. The power of the water, the power of the messages in stone seem to evoke a profound humility in our students. We have added the WWII memorial in the last two years. The kids are awed by the magnitude of the war effort and the losses that came from it. After visiting the Korean War Memorial with its magnificent reflecting wall, the Nurses Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial, we finish the tour at the Lincoln Memorial where we stand almost in the lap of our greatest president to read the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural—two of the greatest pieces of political rhetoric of all time. This is where we take the group picture. We get to our hotel around 11:00 and fall into bed.

"The next morning we are up and out by 9:00, when we take the Metro to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. At the museum, we spend three days in the exhibits, archives and library, using materials that are available only there, and working with museum resource people on our topics. It is a very full three days and the refrain at the end is always, "but we need another day!" The first day we arrive at the museum at 9:30 and I provide a tour of the art and architecture of the building. The rest of the day is spent almost entirely in the main exhibit. Most kids take 3-5 hours in the three levels, but everyone needs to take breaks to preserve some sanity. The museum closes at 5:30 and we can barely move from fatigue. Dinner is at a local Italian eatery near GWU, accompanied by any former Labbies who are on campus.

"Monday we spend the day in the archives, research center and library. The museum has always been wonderful to our kids and the librarians are thrilled we are there. We arrive when it opens and are usually the last people out of the building. Tuesday is more of the same, but we have to leave the museum by 2:00 to catch our flight home."

Research topics chosen by students in past years have included women in the resistance movement (especially focusing on Vitka Kempner); hidden children survival; ghetto youth movements; music by, for, and about the Holocaust victims; holocaust denial; faith after the Holocaust; psycho-history of Heinrich Himmler; the German (non-Jewish) underground; holocaust "medicine"; and individual rescue: why & how.

11-25-07

Click and drag to create a moiré pattern

Lines in Motion

Third grade students from Mrs. Beaton's class have produced an art exhibit called Lines in Motion that is now online. Working with art teacher Illia Mazurek, they drew lines in repetitive ways to create optical designs. A transparent copy of the drawing was then made to take the optical illusion of movement one step further. By shifting the transparent copy over the original drawing in a variety of ways, the viewer can create moiré patterns.

The line drawings were on display in the Blaine hallways earlier this fall; they have been put on the Web for the entire Lab community to enjoy. (Flash required)

11-20-07

Model UN Team Wins Best Delegation Award

Congratulations to U-High's Model United Nations team who brought home the Best Delegation award from the recent UCLA conference. Representing the United Kingdom, the team gamely fought through the jet lag and posted their best results ever.

• Commendations went to Jenny Harris, Matt Luchins, Andrej Rosic, and Mark Wittles.
• Outstanding Delegates were Jonah Breslau, Emily Crane, Robert Meyer, Sydney Small, Hannah Solomon-Strauss, Julia Solomon-Strauss, Willy Sullivan, and Katherine Zhou.
• Best Delegates were Muneeb Hai and Sarah Wald.

Led by MUN advisors Earl Bell and Paul Horton, the team began preparing for the UCLA conference in September by researching United Kingdom policy and practicing public speaking. They also took a trip to the UK Consulate for more in-depth information on the topic each student was investigating. During the three-day conference, students participated in four sessions and spent innumerable hours debating policy, presenting solutions, writing resolutions, and engaging in diplomacy to pass joint resolutions.

The Model UN team will compete at Harvard in December, at the University of Chicago in February, and at the national conference in New York in March, where the opening ceremony and closing session are traditionally held at United Nations Headquarters.

11-15-07

Fifth Grade Fine Arts Notecards

Continuing this exciting tradition for the eleventh year, the Lab Schools' own unique note cards are available for purchase. They feature work completed last spring by Philip Matsikas' fifth grade Fine Arts students (our current sixth graders). Each student chose a work from the history of art and interpreted it—in miniature—as an original watercolor painting. All 114 cards are currently on display in an online slide show.

Sets of the professionally-printed cards are being sold for $25 per set in assorted sets of a dozen with matching envelopes; for every four sets purchased, a fifth free set is included. For families of the student artists, each set contains two of your child's work, and custom options are available to those who have purchased $100 in assorted sets. All profits from sales of these cards benefit the Laboratory Schools. Order forms are available online.

11-14-07

Building Community with Medical Center and Physical Sciences Families

Building a sense of community has always been important at Lab, but it has taken on new breadth as the Schools work to connect families with shared interests. Recognizing the large number of Lab families associated with the University of Chicago Medical Center and Physical Sciences Division (PSD), Lab held an October reception at the Smart Museum for those parents. The event featured remarks by Lab parent James L. Madara who serves as Chicago's V.P. for Medical Affairs, Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine, and Chief Executive Officer, University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dean Madara recognized the group for their commitment to the Laboratory Schools and for their financial contributions, "These are the funds" he said, "that work to extend the margin in such a way that they allow great to replace good."

Dean Madara describes the relationship between Lab and The Medical Center and PSD as one that "enriches the environment in both directions. For Lab, there is the intellectual richness added by [University] parents coming in and supporting Lab's programs and Lab students having access to a university in ways that few public or private schools anywhere have. It is a higher level of connectedness." In the other direction, University faculty and staff who may connect on one level at work "build a more intimate relationship when they meet through their 12 year of daughters on the soccer field." And, he explains, these relationships spill into and enhance the University workplace.

Director David Magill points out that "These families support Lab in powerful ways. Certainly their philanthropy is very important, but having the ability to bring students into University labs and to bring University research and expertise into the Lab classrooms is a priceless benefit to our students."

Hosted by a group of Development Committee members who also work at the Medical Center or PSD the evening featured a guided tour of the museum’s special exhibit and music by the U-High Jazz Band.

11-7-07

Lab's Halloween Mixes Math, Generosity, and Fun

Halloween at Lab is a special celebration where costumes, pumpkins, and treats spill over into academics and community service. Among the many creative activities, costumed fourth graders in Nicole Power's class carved pumpkins while completing mathematical exercises around estimating weight, number of seeds and ribs, and calculating circumference. Students in Dee Beaton's third grade class flexed their geographical understanding by painting pumpkins to resemble globes. And students in Kathy Piane's second-grade class and eighth graders in Mme. Schneider's and Mrs. Miller's advisories all packed goodie bags for patients at the University's Comer Children's Hospital.

On the purely fun side—hundreds of costumed Lower School students and teachers paraded through the hallways, marching to music performed by the High School jazz band. Middle School students vied for best-costume awards that even included "best literary" costume. And, to be sure, many enjoyed special treats and even pizza lunch parties.

Halloween is a special celebration at Lab: hundreds and hundreds of costumed students and teachers parade in the hallways, march to live music played by the high school jazz band, vie for best-costume awards, and eat lots of goodies. For the fourth year running we've attempted to capture in photographs the atmosphere of this fun-filled day:

• View a slide show of the Lower School Halloween Parade.
• View a slide show of the Middle School Costume Contest.

11-7-07

When Is a Rule a Rule?

When fourth grade teacher Stephanie Mitzenmacher shared her “no hats in the class” rule, she didn’t anticipate it would result in a student-driven, inquiry-based, philosophically-driven research project. But that’s what happened when a student asked, "How come I have to take off my hat when another student can wear a bandana?" That question served as the catalyst.

“I couldn't answer that question easily, aside from the old standard, ‘Because I'm the teacher and I said so.’” says Ms. Mitzenmacher. “While that is reason enough, the question did get me to thinking about rules and expectations within the classroom and across the schools.” Lab and its faculty encourage student-led intellectual effort. In this class students have developed and are conducting a survey, gathering data from students, parents, and faculty. And a very animated and thought-provoking discussion continues.

11-7-07

Student Art Takes Top Honors

Lower school art teachers Illia Mazurek and Mirentxu Ganzarain entered works of art by several of their students in the Cathedral District Children's Art Fair, held in September. Second grader Madeleine Ward-Schultz (a first grader when she created the print), won a first prize ribbon in the K-2 category with her Cake Creation, a three-color reduction print. The one-day fair was judged by art aficionados from The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Loyola University Museum of Art, and local artist Judy Gustafson.

First grade art students used Styrofoam to create their three-color reduction prints. The Styrofoam printing plate was drawn on and printed three times, using three different colors. Each time the printing plate was drawn on, more of the plate was “taken away” or “reduced," thus revealing the previous color. Everyone used yellow for the first color and then had a choice of colors for the second and third printing steps. All 100-plus works of art from this project are displayed online on Lab's web site.

11-6-07

Halloween, Lab Style

Halloween is a special celebration at Lab: hundreds and hundreds of costumed students and teachers parade in the hallways, march to live music played by the high school jazz band, vie for best-costume awards, and eat lots of goodies. For the fourth year running we've attempted to capture in photographs the atmosphere of this fun-filled day:

• View a slide show of the Lower School Halloween Parade.
• View a slide show of the Middle School Costume Contest.

Many thanks to parents Anne Ryan, John Zich and Lynn Reid, to teachers Ruthie Hansen and Kate Mannering, and to webmaster Joe Kallo for providing many of the photos in these slide shows. We're very grateful for your help.

10-31-07

MS Students Cheer Up Patients at Comer

Eighth-grade students in Mme. Schneider's and Mrs. Miller's advisories teamed up to bring some halloween cheer to children who are in the hospital over the holiday. They filled 40 pumpkins with games, activity books, crayons, stickers, cards, bubbles and balloons (good for asthma sufferers!) and took them to young patients at Comer Children's Hospital. Mme. Schneider has been coordinating this activity for 14 years, bringing gifts to kids first at Wyler Children's Hospital and now at Comer.

10-30-07

Cross Country Qualifies for State

Congratulations to U-High's girls and boys cross-country teams for qualifying to compete in next weekend's IHSA Class AA state meet by finishing in the top five at the the sectional meet held on Saturday at Niles West High School.

The girls team of Emily Kuo, Shannon Kimball, Sherry Fu, Molly Rotmensch, Katherine Zhou, Maria Birukova and Josey Mintel placed 4th out of the 20 teams competing. This is the eighth time the U-High girls have qualified for state over the past 13 years.

The boys team finished tied for the 5th out of 20 teams, and advanced to the state finals for the third time in our school's history. U-High first qualified in 1977, again in 2005, and now in 2007. The boys team includes Phillip Verma, Jonathan Worcester, Jarus Singh, Max Wagner, Don Traubert, Ben Bucheim-Jurisson and Kevin Brunke.

The Maroons compete in at the class AA state meet in Peoria on Saturday, November 3. The girls race at 11:00 a.m., and the boys at noon.

10-28-07

Bizaarnival: A Taste of Halloween

Princesses, pirates, witches, superheroes and ghosts, along with their families, enjoyed the third annual Bizaarnival, held this year in Sunny Gym. Planned and executed by parents and high school students, this Halloween event offered games, craft projects, cotton candy and taffy apples, a hayride, a haunted house—and spooky stories. Master storyteller Judith Heineman (mother of '04 graduate Elizabeth Shuldiner), accompanied by musician Daniel Marcotte, held an audience of young and old spellbound with stories from Grimm's Grimmmest—the darker side of traditional fairy tales.

10-28-07

C3 Audits Cafeteria Trash

Lab's Chicago Conservation Club (C3) performed a waste audit of our cafeteria. After sorting out 2 pounds of dry paper, 13 pounds of wet paper, 7 pounds of plastic, 1 pound of aluminum, 14 pounds of cardboard, and 35 pounds of non-recycleable waste, they calculated that we could recycle over 7,000 pounds—3 1/2 tons—of waste a year throughout the middle school. Their conclusion: recycle!

10-28-07

Lab Alum Releases Debut CD

The Chris Greene Quartet, featuring Marc Piane on bass, has released their debut CD, Soul & Science, Volume One. Marc is well known at Lab: as a U-High graduate, as a former substitute and after-school teacher, as the Co-Director of Summer Lab on Stage, as the son of two faculty members and the brother of another, and as the husband of lower school teacher Lisa Harrison.

The band has just returned from a tour of the midwest hot spots—Galesburg, Peoria, and Burlington, Iowa! Described as acoustic organic jazz with a garage band mentality, their music can be heard locally at Red Kiva (1108 W. Randolph) every Friday and Sunday, as well as at other Chicago venues. A number of Lab faculty who have been to hear the Greene Quartet in concert gave them rave reviews. Listen and decide for yourself!

10-23-07

Lab Teacher Visits Japan on Fulbright

Middle school math teacher Anna Blinstein is in the middle of a three-week trip to Japan as part of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) Teacher Program. This program is designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States by inviting US educators to visit Japan and share their experiences with fellow Americans upon their return. JFMF participants travel to Japan with other educators, learn about Japanese culture and education, and return to implement a self-designed plan to share their knowledge and experience with their students, colleagues and community.

Here's Ms. Blinstein's account of her first week in Japan:

"I have just spent an amazing week in Tokyo, meeting with government and education officials, experts in traditional Japanese dance and singing, and just wandering the streets, experiencing the culture for myself. The program is really keeping us busy - in the past week, we have only had one day off from scheduled activities, which I spent shopping in the busy Ginza district and then visiting a tiny Japanese jazz club."

Ms. Blinstein is now in Okinawa with a small group of fellow teachers, as guests in the homes of Japanese families. They first visited the local university to learn about their teacher training programs and views on education, and will spend the rest of this week going to local schools, observing classes, and meeting teachers and students. Next week the teachers return to Tokyo to hear about all ten cities that the 200 participants visited, and to wrap up the visit.

See Ms. Blinstein's blog for more photos and a day-by-day account of her exciting experience.

10-23-07

Sports Update: Saturday

Cross Country
The boys and girls U-High cross country teams each won an IHSA class AA regional championship on their home course at Washington Park on Saturday.

Philip Verma won the individual boys regional title, running the 3 mile course in 17:22. He was followed by a host of teammates in the top 10: Jonathan Worcester, 3rd; Jarus Singh, 4th; Don Traubert, 6th; Max Wagner, 9th; and Ben Buchheim-Jurisson 10th. Robert Meyer rounded out the team scoring at 20th place. Ben, Robert and Jon are all freshmen, so look for more championships in the years to come.

The girls team also dominated the top ten, led by Emily Kuo who finished 2nd. Shannon Kimball was 3rd, Sherry Fu 4th, Mollie Rotmensch 6th, Katherine Zhou 9th, Maria Birukova 12th, and Ethel Yang 14th.

Both teams advance to the IHSA sectional meet next Saturday, October 27th, at Niles West High School. The top 5 teams at the sectional will advance to the IHSA State Finals in Peoria the following weekend.

The regional wins follow stellar performances at the ISL conference meet, held on October 11. The U-High girls cross country team won the conference championship with a total of 22 points (in cross country the lowest team score wins). Willows was 2nd with 49, Latin 3rd with 65, followed by LFA at 122 and North Shore at 148. All Conference runners included Emily Kuo who finished 2nd, Shannon Kimball in 3rd , Sherry Fu in 4th , Molly Rotmensch in 6th, and Katherine Zhou in 7th.

The boys team finished a close 2nd place only 6 points behind Northridge who scored 37. Latin was 3rd with 83 points, Parker 4th with 105, LFA 5th with 138, North Shore 6th with 147 ,and Elgin 7th with 196. All Conference runners included Phil Verma who finished 3rd, Jon Worcester in 7th and Jarus Singh in 8th. The scoring was rounded out by Don Traubert at 12th and Robert Meyer at 13th place.

Soccer
The boys soccer team lost a triple-overtime heartbreaker 2-1 to Brother Rice in the IHSA AA regional soccer championship game on Friday. Nate Wise scored with a 17 yard blast to give the Maroons a half-time lead, before Brother Rice evened the score. Playing on Jackman Field, the teams competed for 107 minutes and 15 seconds before Rice scored in sudden-death overtime to win the match and advance to the sectional semi-finals next week.

Tennis
Congratulations to sophomore Gabbie Clark for earning honorable mention All-State honors for her outstanding performance at the IHSA tennis tournament this weekend. Gabbie finished in the top 16 singles players from the 302 high school teams across all of Illinois. After winning her first three matches, Gabbie lost in the fourth round, then won her first match of the back draw. All told, she won 4 and lost 2 matches, scoring 7 points for the Maroons, who tied for 33nd place out of 302 schools.

10-21-07

Sports Update: Thursday

Tennis
Sophomore Gabbie Clark won three main-draw matches at the IHSA state tournament Thursday, advancing further in post-season play than any U-High tennis player in recent memory. She dominated Alecia Jenkins from Country Club Hills 6-0, 6-0 in her first match, and Caroline Dluzen 6-1, 6-0 in her first two matches. Gabbie's third-round match was played in gale-force winds. After dropping the first set 3-6, Gabbie came roaring back to take the second and third sets against Annie Smith of Algonquin, winning the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-0. Gabbie was interviewed for an article in the Sun Times, but you can find out even more details from Coach Hanck about the day's play at the U-High Girls Tennis web site. Gabbie resumes play at 8:00 Friday morning; a win in her fourth-round match will rank her among the top 8 singles tennis players in the state. Go Gabbie!

U-High's two doubles teams both drew seeded teams for their first-round matches. Alex Guynn and Rachel Sylora were beaten by one of the top seeded teams from New Trier, 0-6, 2-6, which put them in the back draw, where they lost to a St. Anthony pair in two close sets, 4-6, 3-6. Lea Sibener and Sofia Iatarola also lost their first match against seeded players from Crystal Lake, 0-6, 0-6. Their back-draw match was a closer affair, but the U-High pair came up short and lost 3-6, 1-6.

Soccer
U-High's boys varsity soccer team plays for the IHSA regional title against Brother Rice on Friday. They gained entry to the regional finals by defeating a very skillful Farragut side 2-1 in the second round of regional competition. The scoring began in the second half when JR Mahung tapped a ball in off a long throw in from Morgan Murphy in the first two minutes. Philip Kemp Bohan added what proved to be the winning goal, slotting a ball 40 yards away and beating the roaming keeper to put U-High up 2-0 late in the match. Farragut shot a goal with 1:25 left in the game, but were not able to tie the score.

Friday's regional title game against Brother Rice starts at 4:00 on Jackman Field. Admission is $4.00 per person.

10-18-07

Girls Tennis: Sectional Champs!

The U-High girls tennis team won their first-ever IHSA sectional title last weekend! Playing on their home courts, the team amassed 21 points, well ahead of the second-place finisher, Marist High School (12 points), and third-place Morgan Park High School (10 points).

Sophomore Gabbie Clark won the sectional singles championship, defeating senior Gia McKnight of Morgan Park High in the finals, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. The doubles team of senior Alex Guynn and freshman Rachel Sylora were runners up in the doubles division, while juniors Leah Sibener and Sofia Iatarola placed third in the doubles division. These five athletes will play in the state tournament this weekend. Sophomore Margot Turek contributed to the team's score by winning her first singles match, but was knocked out of the tournament in her second match by the number-one-seeded singles player.

Head coach Gerold Hanck reports that, according to former athletic director and coach Larry McFarlane, this is most likely U-High's first sectional win in girls tennis, a remarkable feat considering that there is only one division of state competition in the sport. Gerold credits Mac, Brenda Coffield, Tim Ellis, and other past U-High tennis coaches with establishing a strong tennis program and a tradition of high tennis achievement at U-High. Congratulations to coaches Gerold Hanck and Julijana Lazerevich for their sectional championship and for taking a record number of athletes to the state tournament. Wish them all luck this weekend!

In other sports, post-season competition is just getting underway, much of which will take place here at Lab:

• The varsity soccer team faces off against Farragut High School on Jackman Field on Wednesday in the IHSA AA regional tournament. Game time is 4:00; admission is $4.00. U-High hosts the regional finals on Friday at 4:00.
• Cross country hosts the IHSA AA regional meet this Saturday, October 20, in Washington Park. The girls race at 10:00 and the boys at 10:50. The sectional championship will be held the following Saturday at Niles West High School.
• Girls volleyball hosts the ISHA class 3A regional tournament on Saturday, October 27 in Upper Kovler. U-High takes on IMSA at 2:00, and the regional final follows that match. Admission is $4.00.
• The girls swim team competes in the IHSA sectional meet at St. Ignatius College Prep on Saturday, November 10.

Best of luck to all these U-High athletes and their coaches!

10-16-07

Students Cook Up a Foreign Feast

Putting their study of food and cooking vocabulary to good use, 7th grade French students recently prepared Moroccan food using recipes written in French. Each student prepared a dish at home and contributed it to a potluck lunch of traditional Moroccan foods. Appetizers included cucumber and olive salad, tomato salad with preserved lemon, and spicy carrot salads. These were followed by several different kinds of tagines: chick pea, lentil and winter squash, lamb and potato, chicken and green olive, and beef meatball tagine. Oranges with cinammon and fresh dates were served at the end. Visit Mme. Schneider's web site for the recipes!

10-16-07

Physical Fitness Testing

Each year students from kindergarten up participate in the President's Challenge, in which their fitness is measured in five events: endurance run (a mile), shuttle run, V-sit and reach, curl-ups, and push-ups. The results are recorded and kept from year to year so students can track the progression of their fitness levels as they grow.

This annual challenge is sponsored by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and participants will receive one of three rewards: the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, for students who achieve an outstanding level of physical fitness; the National Physical Fitness Award, for students who demonstrate a basic, yet challenging, level of physical fitness; or the Participant Physical Fitness Award for students whose scores fall below the 50th percentile in one or more events, but who took part in all five events of the physical fitness testing.

Now 51 years old, The President's Council on Youth Fitness was founded on July 16, 1956 to encourage American children to lead healthy, active and physically fit lives. It was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower after a study indicated that American youth scored lower than European children on a battery of physical fitness tests. President John F. Kennedy changed the agency's title to The President's Council on Physical Fitness to reflect its expanded mandate to serve Americans of all ages. President Lyndon B. Johnson added Sports to the Council's title to emphasize the importance of sports participation throughout life, and in 1966 he created the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.

10-15-07

7th Grade Relays

The second annual 7th grade relays, which pit advisory against advisory, took place on the Midway this week. The relays consisted of two legs each of the 3-legged race, the crab walk, the hula-hoop run, the tennis ball carry (on a spoon!), the jump rope run, and the leap frog. Newcomer Julia Carey's advisory edged out a win to claim the trophy—a giant-sized stuffed duckie.

10-15-07

U-Highers Awarded InvenTeams Grant

A team of inventive Lab high schoolers has been named one of sixteen high school grant recipients in the national InvenTeams competition. They plan to develop an automated pancake machine that employs Web 2.0 technology to communicate with customers. InvenTeams is an initiative of the Lemelson-MIT Program, which celebrates inventors who have turned their ideas into accomplishments by fostering an enthusiasm for asking—and answering—the questions that change lives.

Last year Ben Picker (now a senior) decided that there must be an easier way to get great-tasting food on the go. He came up with the idea for a computer-operated pancake maker that could be activated by phone. He was particularly keen on the idea that with a text message, teenagers could have hot pancakes (his sister’s favorite) waiting for them in school cafeterias to meet their breakfast needs. He gathered several multi-talented friends—May Fu, Kenan Gungor, Muneeb Hai, Liwen Xu, and Zhe Zhuang—and the newly formed team entered the competition. High school science teacher David Derbes is advising the team along with computer science teacher Marty Billingsley. Currently, the team needs additional members and welcomes anyone with interest to volunteer. E-mail the team at u.high.kitchen.project@gmail.com or visit their blog.

Lab's team was chosen from a national pool of applicants by a prestigious panel of judges from MIT and Harvard University, industry representatives, and others. InvenTeams is a premier national grants initiative that enhances science, technology, engineering, and math education by offering students a comprehensive, self-directed invention experience. This year's teams are working on such inventions as automated floor mop and dryer, a pneumatic auto-deployment system for emergency position-indicating radio beacons on fishing vessels, a robotic butterfly, an electric motorcycle with compressible "crush zones" for urban commuter safety, a human-powered irrigation pump, a fish "escalator" to ferry salmon over man-made dams and into their spawning grounds, and an a daptive communication device for people with cerebral palsy. Find out more about current and past projects at the InvenTeams web site.

10-10-07

Lab at the Chicago Marathon

Lots of Lab School faces were in evidence at the Chicago Marathon. Eighteen students from the cross-country team, coordinated by coaches Lynne Ingalls and Chris Harper, volunteered to help; as course marshals they were in charge of keeping spectators off a mile-long stretch of the course early in the race. Junior Stephen Heinz served as spotter at the finish line, reading off numbers as runners approached so the announcer could identify them. For the seventh year, cross-country and track coach Bud James provided live color commentary, mile split times, and other information for the international and domestic press pool and CBS 2 News. Mr. James is well known in the road-running world; he is the race director for the annual Park Forest Scenic 10 Miler, which attracts world-class runners, and has coached a number of outstanding marathoners, including his wife Cindy.

Middle school teacher Charlotte Jacobs was one of the runners facing record hot temperatures and humidity. She was at the 23 mile mark when she found out that race officials were closing the course because of the rising heat index. Ms. Jacobs continued to the finish line, ending with a time of four and a half hours. Unlike some runners, she reported that she had no trouble getting water and gatorade at the aid stations. A group of fellow middle school teachers gathered along the course to cheer Ms. Jacobs to the finish.

10-10-07

What's in the Trash?

On Friday, October 5, Lab's Chicago Conservation Club (C3) sorted, blue-bagged, and weighed approximately 160 pounds of trash generated by the Middle School the day before. Our Middle School discarded approximately 70 pounds of wet, non-recyclable trash; 70 pounds of recyclable paper; 10 pounds of recyclable plastic; 5 pounds of glass; 4 pounds of cardboard; and 1 pound of aluminum. This week's C3 waste audit will continue as we discover what's in the cafeteria trash.

10-10-07

Dunes Field Trip

The 7th grade recently supplemented their ecology studies with a hands-on experience at the Indiana Sand Dunes. Led by science teachers Sandy Bixby and Mark Wagner, they journeyed to the Indiana National Dunes Lake Shore, a National Park Service site where open beaches, grass covered dune ridges, blowouts, dunes with woody shrub vegetation, pine-forested dunes and oak-forested dunes can be seen in the course of a mile-long walk.

The students' goal was to observe and interpret the succession of plant species in the various ecosystems at the Dunes. Groups formed at six locations along the Dune Succession Trail: at the water's edge, the beach, the cotttonwoods, the pine forest, the deciduous forest, and along the roadside. At most of the sites, students performed a number of field tests:

• studying the bio-diversity by counting the number of different plant species in a 3-meter circle
• finding the relative humidity using dry and wet bulb temperatures
• timing the soil percolation rate by burying a perforated can in the ground and timing how long 250 ml of water takes to percolate into the ground
• estimating the light intensity, from full sunlight to full shade
• measuring the soil temperature
• determining the wind speed

The group assigned to examine the water of Lake Michigan performed other tests such as:

• determining the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water
• determining the concentration of phosphates and other chemicals
• measuring the temperature of the water (brrrr!)
• detecting the presence of E. coli

Although the weather was cool and cloudy, students enjoyed playing football, looking for fossils, and socializing at the beach during the recreational time built into the field trip schedule.

10-2-07

Banned Books on Display

In support of the right to read, Rowley Library and the American Library Association are sponsoring Banned Books Week (October 1 - 5, 2007), an annual celebration of our right to access books without censorship. This year's observance is themed "Discover Buried Treasure – Banned Books Ahoy! Treasure Your Freedom To Read," and commemorates the most basic freedom in a democratic society—the freedom to read freely.

Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded us that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read, listen to or view. Make sure to check out the special book exhibit located outside Rowley Library.

The Ten Most Challenged Books of 2006 reflect a range of themes, and consist of the following titles:

• And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, for homosexuality, anti-family, and unsuited to age group;
• Gossip Girls series by Cecily Von Ziegesar for homosexuality, sexual content, drugs, unsuited to age group, and offensive language;
• Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor for sexual content and offensive language;
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler for sexual content, anti-family, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison for sexual content, offensive language, and unsuited to age group;
• Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz for occult/Satanism, unsuited to age group, violence, and insensitivity;
• Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher for homosexuality and offensive language.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky for homosexuality, sexually explicit, offensive language, and unsuited to age group
• Beloved by Toni Morrison for offensive language, sexual content, and unsuited to age group;
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier for sexual content, offensive language, and violence.

Off the list this year, but on for several years past, are the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

10-2-07

Annual Sophomore Retreat

Each fall the sophomore class takes off for southern Wisconsin on a three-day retreat. This year's retreat, centered around service opportunities, was a great success, with sunny weather and cheerful participants. After settling in at Camp Chi in the Dells, the students engaged in games and other bonding activities before enjoying the splashes and thrills of the Kalahari Water Park. (Nice surfing, Mr. Horvat!)

The next day was spent doing public service at two sites. Troy Gardens is a community development in Madison, with garden plots and an organic farm, as well as restored prairie and woodlands. Students and faculty helped by weeding, harvesting and performing maintenance to paths throughout the gardens. At the McCarthy Youth and Conservation Park in Dane County, students took down trees and cleared the area of other invasive species to prepare the way for a camp for youth at risk.

That evening the sophomores played Star Power, a game that simulates life and society. In this face-to-face, non-computer simulation of an organization in which leaders are given unlimited powers to make and change the rules, participants have a chance to progress from one level of society to another by acquiring wealth through trading with other participants. Because the group in power generally makes rules which maintain or increase its own power, and which those being governed consider to be unfair, this game often results in heated discussions about the role of class in society. Lab's sophomores were no exception.

On the final day of the retreat, students relaxed and socialized at brunch before boarding the bus for home.

9-30-07

Lab Selected for Chicago Conservation Program

Lab has been chosen by the Chicago Department of Environment as one of 44 schools in the city to be accepted into the Chicago Conservation Clubs (C3) program. C3 offers an opportunity for students and teachers to become environmental leaders in their schools, as they aim to:

• protect and improve the natural environment
• enhance the learning environment by making school a healthier, more sustainable place to learn
• foster student leadership and connect students and teachers to Chicago’s larger environmental community

Lab’s C3 will give students in grades 6-8 the opportunity to learn about how our school impacts the environment and how we can reduce that impact by implementing service projects. After an initial survey of the school that includes investigating opportunities to increase energy and water conservation and improve efforts to reduce, re-use, and recycle waste, Lab's C3 club will perform a land project in the fall, an air & energy project in the winter and a water project in the spring. The faculty leader of our C3 club is Annette Steinbarth; students interested in participating should sign up for Ms. Steinbarth's Friday activity period.

The Chicago Conservation Clubs program is part of the Chicago Conservation Corps, which partners with organizations such as the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Center for Green Technology, and Friends of the Chicago River. Their mission is to recruit, train, and support a network of volunteers who work together to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods through environmental service projects that protect our water, clean our air, restore our land and save energy.

9-26-07

Look for LabLife in your Mailbox

A new magazine for Lab families and alumni debuts this month. As Director David Magill explains, "The title of this new publication reflects what we hear from our alumni and hope to hear from our current students—that their time at Lab has a profound influence that continues for a lifetime."

Like the former alumni magazine, Lab Notes, LabLife will connect alumni with classmates; like the former parent newsletter, Lab Directions, it will keep families abreast of developments at the Schools. By bringing the two together, LabLife ensures that all of us celebrate the amazing things happening at the school because of our teachers, our students, our graduates, our parents.

LabLife will be published thrice yearly by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, with the support of an editorial board.

LabLife stories should be relevant to all who care about Lab. Please take the time to let us know about classmates, teachers, parents, or anyone in our Lab community whose stories you’d like to see shared more widely. Send your ideas to news@ucls.uchicago.edu or call 773-702-3236.

9-23-07

LS Students Enjoy Field Day

Third and fourth graders were welcomed back to school by their physical education teachers, who set up field day activities for their enjoyment. Students tried their hands at the tug-o-war, softball throw, soccer goal kick, egg and spoon relay, Bozo buckets, fill the bucket with whiffle balls, shoe kick, frisbee throw, bean bag toss, and the giant slingshot.

9-22-07

Parents Become Students for a Night

Fifth through eighth grade parents emulated their children during Middle School Parent Night by milling in the hallways, attending classes, taking notes, asking questions—or sitting in the back of the classroom—and even performing science experiments. This annual event, formerly known as Open House, is an opportunity for parents to meet their children's teachers and learn about the year's curriculum.

Before the event, faculty were treated to a magnificent buffet dinner by the Parents' Association, who also provided delicious eats for the evening's visitors. More than 20 middle school student guides volunteered their time to decipher schedules and direct parents to classrooms.

Individual parent-advisor conferences will take place Friday, November 9 for grades 6-8; parent-teacher conferences for grade 5 are held Monday, October 8, and Friday, October 19.

9-20-07

Dracula Auditions Begin

Got fangs? Auditions for the High School Theatre's fall production of Dracula will be held all week after school. Actors and theater technicians are needed for the dramatization of this quintessential story of suspense and horror. Who will play the centuries-old Count Dracula, whose diabolical passions prey upon the innocent, the helpless, the beautiful?

Written in 1897 by Bram Stoker and dramatized by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, this awesome tale of the infamous bloodthirsty vampire will be performed for three nights, October 25-27, in the Belfield Theatre.

9-14-07

Mr. Brasler wins Missouri Honor Medal

High School journalism teacher Wayne Brasler will receive one of the journalism industry's highest awards, the prestigious Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. The list of individuals who have received this award includes Tom Brokaw, Christiane Amanpour, Sir Winston Churchill, Gloria Steinem, and John H. Johnson.

Mr. Brasler's award, presented annually by the Missouri School of Journalism is specifically "in recognition of his outstanding commitment to instill the importance of a free press in future journalists and leaders." Mr. Brasler has received numerous awards during his 40+ year career, most of it teaching at U-High where he has led students in producing award-winning publications and inspired many students to pursue journalistic careers.

The 2007 medalists will be honored Tuesday, October 9, on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where Mr. Brasler will conduct a master class on "The Student Press: An Alternate Reality on Treacherous Turf". Other journalists honored this year include Dean Baquet of the New York Times, CBS news anchor Russ Mitchell, and Gourmet Magazine's Ruth Reichel, among others. Read more about the honor and about Mr. Brasler.

9-12-07

Meet Our New Faculty and Staff

Whether teaching around the world, starting a new theater in Pilsen, garnering degrees from top universities, completing triathlons, or rebuilding an antique stove, the 30 new Lab faculty and staff bring amazing experience to the classroom. Read their mini-biographies and please welcome them to our community.

• Gina Alicea, lower school art teacher, is a practicing artist with a BA and an MFA who served on the Teacher Advisory Committee to Arne Duncan and consulted with DePaul University’s Center for Urban Education.
• Shauna Anderson, high school math teacher, has a BA in mechanical engineering from Howard and an EdM from Harvard and has taught around the world from Brearley and Sidwell Friends to Bangkok and Ethiopia.
• Camille Baughn-Cunningham ('84, AB'88), high school counselor, completed a PhD in clinical child physiology from DePaul, has strong ties to both Lab and Chicago, and comes to us from Francis Parker.
• Ann Marie Baumann, N/K assistant teacher, has a master’s degree in counseling and human services, has substitute taught in many Lab classrooms and offices, and is a Lab parent.
• Sandra Bixby, middle school science teacher, joins us from Germantown Friends in Philadelphia where over the last 19 years she taught 6th-10th grade science.
• Julia Carey, middle school math teacher, has experience in curriculum development—doing things like integrating literature into her math classroom. She completed two triathlons this summer.
• Ann Cherry, director of alumni relations and giving, brings deep alumni relations and development experience from stints at Lewis University and Saint Xavier University.
• Staci Garner, middle school humanities teacher, taught at Chicago Math and Science Academy and Horace Greeley Elementary. She comes to Lab with a BA in History from American University and a JD from DePaul University.
• Arthur Grauman, high school German teacher. With a PhD from Harvard in Germanic language and Literature, Mr. Grauman has distinguished himself at the college and secondary levels and knows how to restore old stoves.
• Ruth Hansen (AB'06), middle school computer science teacher, is a cyclist who taught K-6 computer and technology classes at the Minneapolis Jewish Day School. She has spent the past two summers teaching at Summer Lab.
• Lauren Hermann, lower school assistant teacher, is a practicing artist. She has already been involved with Lab through after school and Summer Lab.
• Paul Horton, high school history teacher, could not stay away from Lab, rejoining after ten years. Most recently Mr. Horton taught at Holy Innocents Episcopal School in Atlanta.
• Martha Janotta, N/K assistant teacher, brings a master’s degree in art education from the Art Institute. Ms. Janotta was a long-term sub last year in the nursery school and is a Lab parent.
• Cindy Jurisson, high school history teacher, is a renaissance woman—PhD from Princeton, high school history teacher at Latin, semi-professional musician, director of a homeless women’s shelter, Hebrew tutor, and parent of three Lab students.
• Joe Kallo, webmaster. His PhD in philosophy led him to admire our founder, John Dewey; he knew a lot about Lab before he came. He is also a Lab parent to a 6th-grader.
• Samuel Larson ('03), lower school assistant teacher, has degrees in psychology and biomedical physics from Washington University, St. Louis, and experience working with mentally and physically disabled individuals.
• Kristin Lewis, director of the after-school program, was part of Lab after-school while she was in graduate school at the Lutheran School of Theology. After working in youth and community organizing in Indiana, Ms. Lewis returns as director of the program.
• Xinglu Liang, lower school Mandarin Chinese teacher, assisted Kathleen Piane last year and has taught Mandarin to children and adults throughout her career. Ms Liang has additional experience teaching both in China and the United States.
• Catherine Mannering, middle school humanities teacher, has already served Lab in many capacities since 2000 in both the Middle and the Lower Schools.
• Sam Nekrosius (AM'03), middle school humanities teacher, student taught at Lab last year, was a substitute teacher at Oak Park River Forest High School, and is completing a graduate degree at DePaul.
• Megan Olson, high school English teacher, joins Lab from Hyde Park Academy where she taught English. She has strong interest in the arts as a member of the Chicago Choral and a founding member of Teatro Americano in Pilsen.
• Luis Pascasio, community learning coordinator, was program director for the Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts in Chicago, which coordinated after-school programs in the arts and community service for the Chicago Public Schools.
• Pote Pothongsunan, high school science teacher, has advanced degrees from the University of Virginia in physics and mechanical engineering. "Mr. Pote" has lived and worked in just about every climate from Hawaii to Virginia and just recently the desert of Tucson, Arizona.
• Colin Rennert-May (AM'07), high school English teacher, is a talented pianist with a graduate degree in humanities from University of Chicago Mr. Rennert-May taught English at the Delbarton School in Northern New Jersey.
• Lorraine Rua-Figueroa (AM'95), lower school assistant teacher, has a master’s degree from the School of Social Service Administration, subbed at Lab last year, and is a Lab parent.
• F. Javier Saez de Adana, high school science teacher, comes to us from Cornell University where he recently completed his PhD in atmospheric science. He is an avid cyclist who hails from the Basque region in Spain.
• Crystal Schlieker, lower school music teacher, has a master’s in music education and is a traveler who spent the last five years teachingK-12 at Shenyang International School in Shenyang, China.
• Melissa Meltzer Warehall, high school college counselor, has twenty-plus years of experience in the field, most recently as an admissions officer at the University of Chicago. She has a law degree and a deep interest in theater.
• Allison Weiss, technology coordinator for the World Language Lab, lived in Buenos Aires and Chile for several years and is currently working on a master's degree from the University in Latin American Studies.
• Barbara Wolfe, high school English teacher, returns to Lab after having taught English here for several years. Barbara will be teaching for Darlene McCampbell who is on a leave of absence this first quarter.

9-12-07

Faculty Honored at All-School Luncheon

One of the highlights of the return to school for faculty and staff is the annual All-School Luncheon in which new members of the Lab community are introduced, retired faculty remembered, and current faculty honored.

In one of Lab's long-standing traditions, a teacher is chosen to address the faculty at the luncheon. This year's speaker was 5th grade teacher Bob Kass, who first sang the blues and then spoke on pairs of binary opposites that one encounters in the school environment, such as competition vs cooperation, extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation, and preoccupation with oneself vs. consideration of others. Click here to read a copy of his remarks.

This year the Mary V. Williams Award for Excellence in Teaching was awarded to computer science teacher Karen Putman. This award, which was established in memory of Mary Williams, a long-time teacher at the Laboratory Schools, supports professional opportunities for faculty in the lower and middle schools. The recipients of this award are selected on the basis of their ability to embody much of the spirit and qualities that Mary had in her career as a teacher: a teacher who understands the big picture of education, not just as academics, but a style that speaks to the whole child; a teacher who understands that learning occurs on a continuum with many strands of development in a student coming forth at different times; and, at the end of a productive year, a teacher who challenges students to move forward in opportunities and to be completely involved.

9-5-07

Café Lab Offers New Lunchtime Options

The first day of school, Monday, September 10, marks the launch of the Laboratory Schools’ new food service partnership with ARAMARK. Lab’s students, parents, faculty, and staff will have a new state-of-the-art dining facility offering nutritious and balanced meal choices as part of a healthy lifestyle. Visit the Café Lab web site for new meal plan options, sample menu items, and ordering information. (This link will always be available from the Students and Parents sections of the Lab Schools' web site.)

An extensive variety of entrees, side items and beverages will be served daily. While all of Café Lab’s menu will be available a la carte, ARAMARK and the Laboratory Schools are offering new plans to the Lab community starting September 10. Orders for September 10 must be received by September 4.

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools would like to take this opportunity to introduce Todd Jagow as Café Lab’s new Food Service Director. Mr. Jagow will be responsible for ensuring proper nutritional content and satisfying menu variety.

8-20-07