Elevate with Spark! @ Catlin Gabel

With the approach of Homecoming, Catlin Gabel is transitioning back to the sporting events that are so special to our community. Part of that transition is the new team that is leading the CGS Athletic Program.  Rob and Matt sat down with Athletics Director, Kate Williams, and Associate Director of Athletics, Da’Mon Perry, to chat about their experiences, their beliefs about health and fitness,  and their vision for athletics.  Please enjoy this first episode of Elevate’s 4th season. Every year we pick a theme to help shape the focus of our conversations.  And this year we have chosen one that seems to fit the world we are living in: transitions. We hope you can join us every other week as we explore this theme through the stories, projects, and ideas from throughout the community --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

As this year of remote and socially distanced learning comes to an end we wanted to talk with students about the types of experiences or learning environments they think the school should consider holding on to in the future.  In this two sectioned episode Rob spoke with Lower School students Aayush, Ellery, Peter, Everly, and Diarra as well as Middle School students Tyler, Maya, Abby, Erin, Annika, Ella, and Erik to find out what it was like to work out in tents in the cold, how the cohorts worked out, how remote learning changed them and what they are looking forward to when we start in person next year.  Please enjoy this final episode to Elevate’s 3rd season where we get the last glimpse into the student experience of a very “interesting” year.    And for some bonus summer listening check out what the student's created in Matt's Upper School Podcasting Class:  https://anchor.fm/cgspodcastingclass --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Following our previous podcast where AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) students shared their stories, Rob joined Upper School and Middle School teachers Kenny Nguyen, Beining Hu, Traci Kiyama, and Michele Hoang for a wide-ranging conversation about the experience of being Asian at Catlin Gabel and at this point in history.  With thoughtfulness and passion, they discuss the impact of "model minority" biases, discrimination, and how it feels to speak up for their personal identities.  They explore Buddhism and the misuse of the word Zen. And they shared their ideas on how the school could better provide equity for all employees, students, and families.  Please enjoy this penultimate podcast of the 2020-21 school year.      To learn more about Catlin Gabel’s recent update on steps taken toward anti-racism, read the school’s update from June 2nd: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1622642143/catlingabel/pmumzxaxrgapskptq8z1/Catlin-Gabel-Steps-Toward-Racial-Justice-Antiracism-Update-1JUN21-1328.pdf To answer questions or get more information about the topics covered in our antiracism-focused podcasts or the antiracism work that is happening at the school please email info@catlin.edu --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

As part of our year-long exploration of anti-racism work here at Catlin Gabel, Matt and Rob sat down with three Upper School students and two Upper School faculty who identify as Asian or South Asian.  Math teacher Traci Kiyama and English teacher Krystal Wu co-host a conversation with Issa, Zia, and Nayan to explore their identities and experiences at Catlin Gabel as well as in their home communities.  They talk about culture, language, the word Asian, and what it means to fit in.  Join in on this insightful conversation.   Explore some of the media that these students and teachers are watching and reading as referenced in the podcast : Movies:  The Farewell & The Half of It  TV:  Never Have I Ever Books: Minor Feelings,  Good Talk & My Grandmother's Hands --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

When Damien Geter took a leave of absence as the Upper School Music Teacher in June of 2019 to pursue an opportunity at the Metropolitan Opera in New York he never thought that his singing and composition life would take a major leap forward.  But in the two years since he last taught at Catlin Gabel, and following the murder of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, and Amaud Aubrey, he has become a highly sought-after composer and singer whose works "infuse classical music with various styles from the black diaspora to create music that furthers the cause for social justice."  Matt and Rob had a chance to sit down with Damien to discuss some of the work he has been doing since he chose to step away from teaching, how he develops his compositions, his thoughts about teaching, his musical influences, and what it takes to "play the game" as a BIPOC artist. For more about Damien and his work check out his website: www.damiengetermusic.com or his Instagram account: www.instagram.com/dgeter/  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Teaching and learning in a pandemic has forced all of us out of our comfort zones and required us to be in a constant state of re-invention.   Jodie Ricci knew a lot about living in that ambiguity even before Covid-19.  As the Performing Arts Chair at Hawken School in Cleveland, a coach with Project Zero, a curriculum trainer, and a practitioner of Agency by Design research she has always been eager to disrupt traditional narratives of creativity to make the world a better place. When she shared her approach with Catlin Gabel faculty at a Forum sponsored event in February Rob and Matt knew they wanted to hear more about what she has been thinking about and doing to help move her school forward. In this episode of Elevate Rob, Matt and Jodie explore activating student voice, sharing curriculum design with students, asking big questions, the importance of play and the arts,  and all the things we want to hold on to as schools consider life in a pandemic-changed-world.   Jodie Ricci's Website:  https://seedframework.com Project Zero Thinking Routines:  https://pz.harvard.edu/thinking-routines She Leads Edu: http://www.sheleadsedu.com/ Jodie is reading Work Won't Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe and Taking Beautiful Risks by Ron Beghetto --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Matt and Rob decided to do something a little different for this year’s 11th episode of Elevate.  Rather than covering a story, a project, or a person they held a conversation about the new social media platform called Clubhouse.  They invited Catlin Gabel parents, artists, and Clubhouse users Haleah Blank and Brian Rush to sit down for a conversation to explore the social and educational possibilities of this up and coming app.  With an emphasis on real-time audio, Clubhouse feels like a combination between the radio, a podcast, a large zoom session, and Instagram.  With a huge variety of “rooms” and “clubs” focusing on any topic conceivable, the user can listen in, ask to join a conversation or a performance and even start their own.  This lively conversation focuses on how Clubhouse works, how it has impacted people, and how it could be leveraged for professional development, social connection, and even societal change. At this time only people invited by current Clubhouse users can get onto the platform.  If you are 18 or older and interested in joining we do have invitations that we can share with people.  Just go to this Google Form and let us know you are interested.   https://forms.gle/KiviJRJs1HcRwSJ49 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

As the school gears up to return to in-person teaching and learning Matt and Rob thought it would be a good idea to sit down with someone who has been doing on-campus, in-person teaching and learning for quite a while this school.  Alison Ward wears many hats at Catlin Gabel, including as the Administrative Assistant for both the Inclusion and Outreach office and the Learning Center.  But Matt and Rob wanted to chat with her about her role as the Garden Coordinator and the ongoing work she has been doing to cultivate hands-on learning experiences for students through her On-Campus Opportunity this school year.   Contact Alison at warda@catlin.edu   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

As John Harnetiaux stepped into the role of Upper School Dean of Students this summer, after 4 years as the Director of Outdoor Education, he began to understand that it required many of the same skillsets that he had acquired over years of supporting students and teachers at Catlin Gabel and other organizations.  Rob and Matt sit down to talk with John about his new position, some of the work he did behind the scenes to help develop the Upper School schedule, how we can approach competing, and often opposite, goals or ideas, and how he is thinking about life with students as we envision a return to campus. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Since the 1940s  Catlin Gabel has put on a theatrical production of Not St. George each December.   This Middle School tradition is always accompanied by the rumor that this year it just might not happen.  Well, this year it really didn't happen.  Because of the hurdles remote learning placed in the way of such a large-scale production the 8th-grade team decided to shift gears and at the same time still give the students a chance to let their creativity shine.  In this podcast Rob sits down with Middle School music teacher Alex Juarez and 8th grader Zoe Miner-Winter to chat about the 8th Grade Independent Art Projects that revolved around the themes of justice, personal Identity, "envisioning the future", and "giving a gift". They talk about the project's inception, the creative process, and what was learned along the way.   The collection of work in these projects covers a wide variety of artistic mediums and includes original songs, paintings and drawings, responses to or reinterpretations of popular artistic works, crafts, woodwork,  vision boards, and creative action inspired by nature, sports, and family. Check out the link to the 8th Grade Independent Art Projects online gallery (sorry, only accessible for Catlin Gabel Community) https://sites.google.com/catlin.edu/8thgradeprojects2020/project-galleries --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Malala Yousafzai, the well-known human rights activist and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, said "some people only ask others to do something...Why should I wait for someone else?  Why don't I take a step and move forward."  The four members of Catlin Gabel’s Environmental Action Team (EAT) that you'll hear on this episode embody the heart of this statement.  They are all students who are stepping up to deal with environmental issues that are impacting all of us.  Upper School students Megan Cover, Audrey Hébert, Eva Garzotto, and Chloe Jahncke sit down with Rob and guest host Berkeley Gadbaw to talk about the vision and the projects of this student-led team as well as their thoughts about recycling, the ups and downs of environmental work, the stories of the climate crisis. and the work of environmental writer Elizabeth Rush. Resources and things talked about in the podcast: The Great Recycling Con: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/opinion/recycling-myths.html www.ridwell.com See if a fashion brand is sustainable: https://goodonyou.eco PDX recycling guide: https://www.oregonmetro.gov/tools-living/garbage-and-recycling/find-a-recycler EAT's Instagram @catlineat --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

In September Catlin Gabel's leadership made a clear and decisive commitment to becoming an anti-racist school.  In this fifth episode focusing on anti-racism Head of School Tim Bazemore, Director of Inclusion and Outreach Jasmine Love, and Head of Upper School Aline Garcia-Rubio give a wide-ranging perspective of what that means at an institutional level.  With Rob and Matt, they explore the history of privilege at independent schools, what changes have occurred over the past decades, how the school is currently engaged in anti-racist work and what the vision for the school is as we move forward.  At a time when all institutions are grappling with issues of race, diversity, inclusion, and equity this episode gives listeners a chance to understand the kind of conversations and thinking that is happening at a high level at Catlin Gabel School. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

While K-12 students are learning from home and interacting with their teachers through Zoom, preschool students at Catlin Gabel come in each day to learn and play in the Beehive and throughout the school's 67 acres. Classroom teachers Diana Post and Jennifer Pitts and Beginning School Woodshop teacher Steve Davee have a unique perspective on what it’s like to teach in-person during a time of remote learning. Rob and Matt sit down with these three new faculty members to learn a little more about them, hear stories about what the Marigolds and Sunflowers have been up to, explore how they manage the health protocols, and understand why they feel so lucky to be teaching on campus this fall. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

In this moment of collective reckoning since the death of George Floyd, Catlin Gabel, like many educational institutions, has had to examine the ways in which racism exists within our school. Black students, families, employees, and other People of Color, made clear that the school must do a better job of fostering a truly inclusive and welcoming culture of belonging for everyone. In addition to the steps being taken by the school, which were recently shared by Head of School Tim Bazemore and Board Chair Indira Nallakrishnan, seven Upper School students came together over the summer to ensure their voices were heard. Today, this group has grown to forty students and are now known as the Antiracism Collective, whose mission is to invite the school’s community to “analyze their privilege, focus attention on antiracism, and understand the experiences of BIPOC on campus.” In this episode of Elevate, Rob sits down for a wide ranging conversation with ARC's leadership team to hear about their personal experiences and goals for their work together: (All of the students are seniors, except one) Anuska Gupta, Emma Lindner, Neha Myneni, Catie Macauley, Nayan Murthy (junior), Divine Niyungeko, and Patina Todd.   Article about ARC in CatlinSpeak:  https://www.catlinspeak.com/speak/introducing-the-cgs-anti-racist-collective ARC Social Media Links: Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/cgsantiracistco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgsantiracistcollective/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

The Office of Inclusion and Outreach at Catlin Gabel plays a pivotal role in helping the community think about and expand the culture of the school.  In her new full-time role as the Assistant Director of Inclusion and Outreach Erica Babino brings a deep passion for the work of diversity, inclusion, and conflict management.  Rob and Matt sit down with Erica and hear about how she is considering recruitment and retention of people of color at the school, the work she is doing with students, her past legislative actions on adoption, the children’s books she has published, and how finding her birth parents completely altered her life.  Enjoy this third episode of Elevate’s third season. A link to Erica's book:  https://www.amazon.com/Rolling-into-Peace-Speaking-Green/dp/0999027107 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Most people know Matt Woodard as a go-to man when dealing with all manner of digital and audio issues.  But as Matt moves into his new role as Media Arts teacher in the Upper School Rob wanted to take the opportunity to chat with him so everyone has a chance to see some of the other great talents and perspectives he has to share with our community.  From his passion for music and art, to his transition from IT staff to teaching faculty,  to his experience of being a Black man at Catlin Gabel and the role and responsibility he sees an art teacher has to support the school's goal of becoming an anti-racist institution, this conversation allows us to get a deeper understanding of this multitalented educator.    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

In the middle of the literal firestorm that is September 2020, we are all looking for ways to feel hope and ways to feel connected to others and our world. In this first episode of Elevate's third season, Rob van Nood and his new co-host Matt Woodard sit down with second-grade teacher and community activist Marcelle Donehower to explore how her experience in the Black Lives Matter movement has allowed her to grow, develop her voice and make powerful connections. Her commitment to social justice and anti-racism through action can give us all hope. Link to Marcelle's Street Roots article:  https://www.streetroots.org/news/2020/09/02/opinion-call-front-lines-listen-us --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

Over the past 33 episodes, Elevate has covered a wide variety of topics and people, but there has always been one constant, Rob has always been the voice of the interviewer.  In this 34th episode, we are changing things around by sharing out a student-made podcast.  Not only will this be the first episode with a student interview but it will also be the first podcast that is primarily in  Spanish.  Peter and Cynthia, two Upper School students,  approached me to see if they could use Elevate as a platform to share out their final project from their Spanish 3 class with Jenny Nadaner.  While I figured that many listeners might not be able to understand the episode,  I thought it was a perfect opportunity to share authentic work and support student initiative, and perhaps broaden our listener base.  For those non-Spanish speakers, we have provided an English transcript and we have provided a short explanation in English at the front of the podcast itself.  Enjoy this 20th episode of Season 2.   English transcript of this podcast :  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RMBWElE3MMYfFfXncV1KDy_pc_t_olPfOxpEFbVH78U/edit?usp=sharing --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

What does it feel like to be on the threshold of leaving the nest during a worldwide pandemic, an economic recession, and a large scale revolt against police brutality and centuries of systematic racism?  The four graduating seniors I spoke with for this podcast were wary but shared a heartening level of optimism and positivity.  As the Catlin Gabel class of 2020 prepares to graduate today in a ceremony on campus where they will see each other from the safe distance of their cars, I wanted to share the zoom conversation that I had this week with Aarushi, Sophie, Ezra, and Avery.  We covered a wide range of topics:   Missing friends, loving the little things, appreciating family life, improving remote learning, and how to take action in the world as they move forward.   This is just a glimpse into the lives of 4 thoughtful, caring and insightful young adults but its a dedication to all the extraordinary graduates of this class.  Congratulations class of 2020.   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message

What happens when you bring together a group of students from the Portland metro area and a group from Josephine County in Southern Oregon for a two-week cultural exchange?  At a time when our country seems more and more factionalized the Exchange for Change program was devised as a way for urban and rural youth to spend a week in each distinct community to share perspectives, explore differences, understand similarities, and more than anything build connections and friendships.  Rob had the opportunity to share a zoom session with students Maia and Ashley, as well as Southern Oregon Exchange for Change leaders Jann Taylor and Adele Garcia and Portland Exchange for Change leaders George Zaninovich, Lindsay Babbitt & Krystal Wu. They shared what the program is all about and how its impact still reverberates a year later. Info for Exchange for Change on the PLACE website: http://www.thecenterpdx.org/place-summer-programs The College Dreams Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeDreams --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elevatelearning/message