Lily Koppel—A journal through time

As a writer for the New York Times, Lily Koppel, ’99, knows that good stories are often found in unlikely places. Four years ago, that place turned out to be a dumpster outside of her Manhattan apartment building. From an old steamer trunk designated as trash by building management, Ms. Koppel salvaged an anthropological treasure: a red leather diary kept by a young woman in the 1930s.

Twenty-two-year-old Ms. Koppel was instantly drawn into the young woman’s world through her impassioned daily accounts of a life filled with art, literature, music, and relationships. “It spoke to me like very few things had,” Ms. Koppel says. “I felt I knew her. It was like traveling through time.”

For three years, the diary sat in Ms. Koppel’s bedside table drawer while she worked as a news assistant and writer for the Times. When one of her articles led her to a lawyer who specialized in finding missing persons, she called on him to track down the journal’s owner—an example, she says, of an investigative nature nurtured during her 13 years at Lab. “I was always encouraged to explore subjects intimately and make discoveries on my own,” she recalls. “The diary could have remained locked in a trunk. It was important for me to tell its story.”

Her search resulted in reuniting ninety-year-old Florence Wolfson Howitt with her journal, a moment recounted by Ms. Koppel in her 2006 New York Times cover story, “Speak, Memory.” She has spent the last year writing her first book, The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life through the Pages of a Lost Journal, published by HarperCollins for release in April. Calling it “part biography, part memoir,” Ms. Koppel explains, “It’s a story about the young woman’s rich intellectual and emotional life found in the pages of her diary, and our connection across time.”

Since the publication of the article, Ms. Koppel has received requests from men and women around the world offering to send her their diaries. The book is a reminder, she says, of the important stories that lie beyond the realm of celebrity. “This is an extraordinary story, one of many out there,” she says. “I feel fortunate to have been able to reveal Florence’s remarkable life.”

An audio slide show account of Ms. Koppel's meeting with Florence Wolfson Howitt can be accessed at www.nytimes.com/koppel

Adoptive parents build community and awareness

Three years ago, Lower School counselor and adoptive parent, Linda Wax, established the Adoptive Parents Discussion Group with (and at the prompting of) parents Sarah Lincoln and Janis McCormick, both of whom had become parents by adoption. They sought a sense of community within the school, and parent leadership helped make it a reality.

Says Ms. Wax, "I am in a community of counselors of independent schools and no one else has an adoptive families group. Lab, given its openness and diversity, has easily embraced this concept. It's a group whose time has come with so many adoptive families." While there is no formal data, Ms. Wax speculates that there are adoptive families in most grades. The group's children have grown up over the years and, with some heading into Middle School, parents and counselors are considering a group in that division.

In addition to addressing issues and ideas unique to adoptive families, the group works to build awareness in the Schools. To that end they have hosted speakers and even mounted an art show in which children drew pictures and wrote about what adoption meant to them. The final meeting of the Adoptive Families Group is Friday. Interested parents may contact Ms. Wax to learn more.

Spring Sports Update

As U-High's teams finish up their regular seasons and begin IHSA state competition, they're posting impressive results.

U-High's girls soccer team earned congratulations for winning their third consecutive IHSA AA Regional soccer championship at home on Jackman Field. They shut out Bogan High School 8-0 to win the finals and advance to the sectional semi-finals this week. The team plays on Tuesday, May 20, at 6:15 at St. Xavier University. A win will advance them to the sectional final on Thursday at 6:15, also at SXU.

Congratulations go to the U-High boys tennis team for their second place finish at the State Sectionals tournament held at U-High last weekend. The team finished just three points behind Walter Payton Prep in the overall team competition. Sandy Carton and Evan Levin, winners of the sectional doubles championship and Bill Steuben and Mark Wittels, doubles runners up, will go to the state tournament next weekend, May 22-24. Joining them at state is Tyler Anderson, who finished fourth in the singles competition. More match details are available on the Boys Tennis web page.

The U-High girls track team finished a fine year by qualifying five runners in multiple events for the IHSA state track & field meet. The 4 x 800m relay team of Shannon Kimball, Sherry Fu, Aoife MacMahon and Emily Kuo became the third fastest team ever at U-High. This quartet won their event in the sectional finals, and went on to post a time of 10:06.80 in the state prelim heat. This time is the fastest since 1996, and less than five seconds off the school record; with only one senior on the team, look for a new school record next year! Shannon and Aoife also qualified in the 1600m by finishing one-two at their sectional meet. Emily Kuo, who won the 800m at sectionals, and Katherine Zhou, sectional runner-up in the 3200m, also earned spots on the state meet team. Way to go!

Lab Team Runs the Race to Empower

On a cold, windy and rainy morning, 75 of Lab's faculty, parents and students banded together to run the Y-ME Race to Empower in honor of the many members of the Lab family who have been affected by various forms of cancer. The team, which was organized by parent Lisa Neimark-Heyman and coordinated by Deloris Beaton's third grade class, raised almost $20,000 for breast cancer research through donations from friends and family before running or walking a 5K or 1-mile course on Mother's Day. Read more about Lab's 2008 Y-ME team, and plan to join them next year!

Teacher Seminars–energizing faculty for fourteen years

Each month, a group of teachers takes time (a commodity is short supply) to sit with peers and discuss a text—maybe excerpts from Susan Sontag's 2003 commencement address at Vassar or William J. Cromie's "Which comes first, language or thought?" These are the Teacher Seminars that have been taking place since Darlene McCampbell started them more than fourteen years ago. The seminars offer teachers the opportunity to talk informally about anything related to their work in a way that just cannot happen at staff meetings where agendas are packed.

The Seminars center round a text selected by a faculty member. These days, English teacher and Teacher on Special Assignment Catie Bell helps moderate the sessions. "Often the best discussions address the kind of things that worry us daily," says Ms. Bell. "Are we giving students enough space to let them fail, to let them actually learn from experience? Are kids truly changing in a way that requires us to revamp the way we teach? Have parents changed? Do we need to be more explicit with them? How does the pressure to get into a top college interfere with learning, for example?"

And as Lab teachers at all levels bring a process called "Shared Inquiry" into their classrooms, it is interesting to note that they have also started to shape their own discussions with this process in mind. Built on concepts articulated by The Great Books Foundation, "Shared Inquiry" is a process of reflective reading, thinking, listening, and speaking during which students develop critical thinking skills and the ability to listen and discuss ideas with respect for each individual.

Next month's text, selected by Ms. McCampbell, comes from the final pages of J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey. Says Ms. McCampbell, "the story about the Fat Lady raises questions about what it implies about good teaching."

August back-to-school mailings go electronic

This summer, Lab embarks upon a "greener" and, we hope, more efficient system for distributing back-to-school mailings. Instead of the multiple packets that arrive in the mail, parents will receive instructions for downloading forms directly from the Schools’ website. Only one mailing will go out through the U.S. mail and will include information about your child(ren)’s placement/schedule, detailed instructions for the online process, a letter from the director, and the 2008-09 Lab calendar.

For those without computer access, the Schools will provide a computer and printer in Judd 110, near the Judd entrance. Local libraries and copy shops also provide Internet access.

The goal is to minimize redundancy (especially for families with more than one Lab student) and improve access to important documents, particularly for those many families that leave the city, state, or country for the summer.

We anticipate sending the mailing at the end of July with access to the online documents on August 1. Each family will be notified how to access the system in the mailing and in a special summer edition of Lab E-News.

Sutherland Awards: Students as Real World Literary and Art Critics

A favorite Lab activity that lets our academic approach shine is the annual Sutherland Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature. Created and funded in honor of Zena Sutherland (a former University of Chicago faculty member and still considered among the world's most influential scholars of young people's literature), the award is one of the few kid-selected book awards in the United States.

Author, illustrator, and winner of last year's Sutherland Award, David Weisner, spoke to students in grades 3–6 as part of this year's Sutherland Award ceremonies, which took place on April 22.

At the end of the ceremony this year's winner was announced: The Tinderbox (author: Hans Christian Anderson, retold by Stephen Mitchell, illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline) swept the categories winning best author, best illustrator, and best overall. Finalists also included:

• Fiona's Luck (author: Theresa Bateman, illustrator: Kelly Murphy)
• Fred Stays With Me! (author: Nancy Coffelt, illustrator: Tricia Tusa)
• Sky Sweeper (author: Phillis Gershator, illustrator: Holly Meade)
• Wind Flyers (author: Angela Johnson, illustrator: Loren Long)

Here's how it works:

• It’s student-led with adults providing structure—Lab librarians review new children’s books and narrow the group to 18, from which sixth-grade students choose five finalists based on criteria they help shape.
• It integrates critical thinking and analysis—Fifth graders paint enormous “campaign” art posters promoting each book, and write and give presentations supporting their “candidate.”
• It’s predicated on cross-grade collaboration—Older children take leadership positions, but the younger ones are also empowered as third, fourth, and fifth graders vote on best illustration, best text, and best overall.

Each year, Lab brings the previous year’s award-winning author to the school. Kids host the award ceremony, introducing the authors and announcing the newest winner to an impassioned crowd of cheering children.

Rites of May: Fun for All

Every spring, as far back as most remember, is Lab's Rites of May. It is one of many community-building activities that reaches parents, teachers, administrators, as well as the students who participate.

The backbone of the celebration is the High School play; Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, takes place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. Students, under the direction of Liucija and Allan Ambrosini, build the stage in Blaine Courtyard, and erect a lighting grid, led by Dean of Students Larry McFarlane.

But there are many more components to Rites of May. Thursday and Friday after school, food and games are available to the youngest Lab students. Come and enjoy U-High club-sponsored booths from 5-7 p.m. in Blaine Courtyard. Unwind, listen to the Jazz Band, and let the kids play with friends.

On Saturday, May 17, games and activities for kids start at 11 a.m. in Kenwood Mall. There are musical performances, carnival games—with prizes—and international booths that help students become acquainted with Lab's broad base of ethnicities. And for all, parents and teachers organize a buffet of ethnic foods in the Global Café.

Fractured Fairy Tales

In a 25-year-old Lab tradition, nursery school and kindergarten students were enthralled by an enactment of several fairy tales by high school students. As part of Acting Studio, a beginning acting class, the high schoolers wrote variations on traditional fairy tales, developed the staging for each, and put on two performances for their young schoolmates in Blaine's little theatre.

Authors—Several—Visit Lab

May turns out to be quite the literary month at Lab as three renowned authors take time to visit with students across the divisions. These events are organized by Lab librarians—and, in the case of the High School visit, with help from the High School Book Club.

Students in grades 1-4 will meet Laurence Pringle, a prolific children's author whose works focus on animals and nature. Former Lab teacher Blue Balliett will speak to students in grades 5-7. Her brand new book, The Calder Game, (which, like her previous novels takes place in Hyde Park at a school highly reminiscent of Lab) involves a missing boy and a missing sculpture. And author Deb Caletti, National Book Award Finalist of Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, will talk to students in grades 8-12 about her writing and sign copies of her new book, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye. Ms. Caletti's web site is particularly rich with author-written commentary that addresses issues such as book banning.

Student Wins Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award

Tenth grader Elizabeth Abello will receive the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award from the American Fundraising Association during their annual lunch on Friday, May 9. The award recognizes Elizabeth's work for the Mattie Talley Foundation to benefit the University of Illinois Craniofacial Center, which provides help for children who have suffered a physical loss as a result of cancer. Elizabeth has done this work since seventh grade, and the Craniofacial center nominated her for the award. A Chicago Tribune story recognizes Elizabeth's achievement.

Gallery Stuart-Rodgers Selects Lab Students' Artwork

The artwork of eight University High students has been chosen for inclusion in Stuart-Rodgers Discovery08 Gallery Show. All are invited to the opening night reception Friday, April 18, 5:30–8:30 at Gallery Stuart-Rodgers, 375 West Erie, C103. The exhibition continues through May 2. Other participating schools are The Latin School, Loyola Academy, New Trier, and Walter Payton. Sponsoring teachers for the event are Mirentxu Ganzarain and Liese Ricketts. The U-High artists selected are:

• A Trip to the Dentist, Claire Beatus. Cardboard & Hot Glue.
• Arm, Joseph Brekus. Wood
• American Soldier, Max Budovitch. Charcoal & White Pencil on Paper
• Strange Bed Fellow, Emily Chiu. Silver Gelatin Print
• Hanna, Mila Davenport. Silver Gelatin Print
• Untitled, Pilar Duplack. Clay
• Evolution of a Relationship, Jeremy Handrup. Photography
• See, Sarah Tully. Archival Pigmented Print

Proceeds from the sale of their art will benefit the Lab Schools' student scholarship fund. For more information about the Gallery Show, please contact Gallery Stuart-Rodgers, 312-787-8696.

Health and Wellness in 08-09

As part of a plan to introduce a Health and Wellness element into the Physical Education curriculum, the Schools sponsored the Physical Education staff's attendance at a Health and Wellness Teacher Conference at Northwestern Memorial Hospital at the end of February. With two years of planning, PE committees plan to introduce the new curriculum starting with 7th and 9th graders in the 2008-09 school year. The goal of combining a Health and Wellness program with PE is to motivate and promote our students in making healthy choices not only now, but also for the rest of their lives. Topics will include such topics as the balance model of behavior control, national and local wellness policies, child obesity and school performance, and yoga for youth.

Summer Lab Early-Bird Discount Ends Tomorrow!

Attention parents: save $100 at Summer Lab 2008 by completing your registration by tomorrow!

Summer Lab's Early Bird Discount -- $100 or 10% off of program fees -- will expire Tuesday, April 15th. Turn in your completed registration form and payment to qualify for the discount. Check out http://summerlab.org to find out more about Summer School offerings, as well as Adventure Kids Day Camp, Summer Lab on Stage and Summer Lab Sports Camps. If you need a little bit of help getting started, phone the Summer Lab staff at 773-834-7766.

Summer Lab, a six-week program that includes Summer School, Adventure Kids Day Camp, Summer Lab Sports Camps, and Summer Lab on Stage, welcomes all children ages 3 - 18 to attend. Program dates are June 23 to August 1, with Session I running June 23 to July 11, and Session II going from July 14 to August 1.

Connections 2008: The Slide Show

See a slide show of Connections 2008, Lab's record-breaking fundraiser. Over 850 parents, alumni, faculty, and friends attended the gala in the ballroom at Navy Pier, and generated more than a half-million dollars that will go toward programs and activities that support the education and development of the "whole child."

Many thanks go to the Connections 2008 committee, lead by chairs Kate Collins and Charlie Newell, Carol Rubin and Steve Kaplan, and Evonne and Stuart Taylor, to the teachers and students who created art for the event, and to the many friends of the Laboratory Schools who made this event a success.