Lab students and teachers continue to distinguish themselves by winning awards and making other valuable contributions to learning at the Schools. Parents also have been important members of our community through their outstanding volunteer efforts. Here are some examples of the work of Lab community members:
Student achievements
The following seniors were named semifinalists in the 2001 National Merit Scholarship Competition: Samuel Biederman, Katherine Bolanowski, Sylvain Lapan, Emily Roberts, Aaron Rosenberg, Jeremy Schmidt, Lauren Shaw, Katherine Spielberger, Michael Stern, Richard Townsend, Samuel Walsh, and Kohki Yamaguchi.
Seniors named semifinalists in the 2001 National Achievement Scholarship competition were Yarissa Brutus and Abrill Jones.
Seniors named finalists in the 2001 National Hispanic Recognition Program were Robert Cantwell and Enrique Lomnitz.
Johanna Budzilowicz, senior, has been selected as a recipient of a 2000 National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in Writing. She was recognized as one of the nation's top student writers by a set of judges who reviewed submissions from 3,000 juniors nationwide.
Abe Feder, Wenfei Xu, and Diana Zhou, all freshmen, have earned positions in the Illinois Music Educators Association District I Orchestra.
Junior Marty Kinsella's photography is on display in the School of the Art Institute's Champlain Building, 37 S. Wabash. The work represents photography he did during a summer program at the school.
Classroom activities
Physical Education teacher Joan Vande Velde reported that the entire Physical Education Department participated in safety training certification sponsored by USA Gymnastics. The all-day session was held October 23 in Lab's new gymnastics facility and also included hands-on training in equipment, spotting, and progressions. This course was taught by Bob Ito of AAI gymnastics equipment company and the Chicago Park District.
Susan Lesher reported that students are involved in another project with Paul Sereno, paleontologist at the University of Chicago. The children are following his current expedition in Niger via the Internet, sending his team questions, and receiving answers via the Internet while the team is in the field.
Cecilia Mullon, third-grade teacher, and her class visited Math Land the week of October 18. In Math Land (Blaine 388), the students did a variety of estimations and carved a quadrilateral-o'-lantern from pumpkins with the assistance of their parents or in one case, a sitter. "In preparation for the parents' visit, we discussed ways to make estimations of the number of ribs, weight, circumference, and number of seeds in a pumpkin," Mullon said. "The students drew pictures showing how they would do each estimation and the tools they would use."
Mathematics Department news
Jane Canright, high school math teacher, has been named a winner of the 2000 Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching. The award, presented by the Mathematical Association of America, honors teachers who are in part responsible for the success of the highest scoring teams on the American Mathematics Contest 12 (AMC 12). The 28 teachers who received this honor were selected from nominations received from the three highest-scoring students of the 60 highest-scoring teams nationwide. More than 5,200 teachers administered the 2000 AMC 12.
Last June, three math teachers participated in an intensive five-day program at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and are now using information they received there to enhance learning for their students. Focusing on the use of technology in teaching mathematics, they participated in workshops, attended lectures, and met with teachers from across the United States and beyond. Shirley Holbrook focused on applications of the computer program "Mathematica" and on curricular change, including the Advanced Placement course. Bobbi Nelson pursued her interest in geometry by working on Geometers Sketchpad. She has since acquired the necessary hardware and software and is using the program with her classes. Cathy Feldman produced a statistics project completed entirely on the Internet and studied famous historical problems. Feldman, Math Department Chair, also is chairing a high school committee on technology to evaluate current and prospective uses and needs for technology throughout the school.
German news
German students in Middle and High School are participating in the Goethe Institute's Global Awareness contest. This year's theme is "A Decade of Unification: Germany 1990-2000." Among the issues under discussion are the effects of German unification on young people in both the former east and the west German states. Students are competing for an all-expenses-paid trip and study in Germany. T-shirts and stickers also will be awarded. German teachers are Christiane Fenner, Annette Steinbarth, Sibylle Sonnenberg, and Marianne Zemil.
This year, volunteers are selling pretzels on Thursdays to raise money for scholarships for students studying in Germany during the summer. "Our special thanks to our wonderful parent volunteers who donate their time every Pretzel Thursday to help our students. We could not do it without these volunteers and are grateful," Sonnenberg said. This year's volunteers are parents Noi Devenport, Terry Hardt, and Lauren Miller, as well as Mrs. Sahver Aykul, a grandmother of a Lab student.
Faculty accomplishments
Wayne Brasler, University High School journalism chairman and student publications adviser, has received a Jubilee Award from the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association. To observe the association's 75th anniversary, 75 people who have made important contributions to its achievements were selected for Jubilee recognition.
Brasler and U-High Midway editor in chief Michael Lamb attended an all-day high school journalism seminar November 3 at the Chicago Tribune.
Darlene McCampbell, U-High English teacher, gave a workshop for teachers titled "Personal Writing as Catharsis" at the Stratford Festival Teachers' Conference in Canada.
Three music teachers participated in the Noontime Concert Series presented by the University of Chicago's Department of Music. Brad Brickner played clarinet, Gary Jensen was at the piano, and Bobby Everson performed on percussion as they presented works by Gerald Finzi, Stephen Chatman, Robert Onofrey, and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Lower School science teacher Karen Malhiot has been named a state finalist for the National Science Foundation's Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Program. She was recognized as one of the country's most outstanding teachers in mathematics and science for her work that stresses innovation, creativity, expertise, and leadership.
Middle School fine-arts teacher John Biser played the part of father Otto Frank, in the play "The Diary of Anne Frank" presented in October and November at the Village Players Theater in Oak Park. Pioneer Press praised his work, calling it a "strong portrayal" and "most memorable."
Yolanda Scheunemann, Lower School Counselor, presented a workshop titled "Leadership in the New Millennium" at the National Society of Fund Raising Executives in October. She talked about the challenges faced by boards of directors in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive environment. Scheuenemann, President of the Board of Directors of the Scholarship and Guidance Association, was joined in the session by Susana Marotta, executive director of the organization, and board member Robin Charleston, a Lab parent.
Foreign language teacher Randal Fowler has been recognized as an inspirational teacher by Tufts University. He was nominated by a former student as a teacher who has "seriously challenged his students and contributed significantly to their intellectual and personal development."
Linda Voss, third-grade teacher, has been selected for membership on the Teacher Advisory Committee at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Fourth-grade teacher Sylvie Anglin has been selected to participate in the Field Museum's Jason Project, a project created by Robert Ballard, the scientist who discovered the Titanic. Throughout the year long project, Anglin and her class will work with students and teachers from around the world in a multimedia research expedition to study the geologic, climatic, biologic, and cultural elements of Hawaii's ecosystem.
English teacher John O'Connor has published Room Full of Chairs, a book of 30 haiku. It is illustrated with by students of art teacher Annie Catterson.