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Environmental Science and Policy: Real-World Learning

Submitted by Nadine Fiedler on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:47pm
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Students in this interdisciplinary class learn facts--and how to cope with complexity and ambiguity

From the Summer 2012 Caller

By Andrea Michalowsky '12

Catlin Gabel prides itself on being green. We recycle, compost, and emphasize environmentalism in the elementary and middle school curricula. We even have goats roaming the campus to help with landscaping. Surrounded by all this sustainability, I considered myself environmentally conscious and aware of ecological concerns. However, my Environmental Science and Policy classes reminded me of just how little I know and how much there is for me to still learn. More importantly, they showed me the nuances, the importance of understanding issues fully, and how to gather the information necessary to form my own opinion.
 
Peter Shulman and Dan Griffiths began this interdisciplinary class in 2007. Peter, an experienced history teacher who had previously founded the PLACE urban studies program, presented the idea to Dan as an opportunity for students to understand both the politics and facts behind current affairs. Dan, a science teacher and biologist, saw the material as an opportunity for students to better understand the importance of science in current affairs.
 
Originally, the classes were linked, and the teachers sat in on each other’s classes. This year, however, they were separated for the first time, allowing students to take one of the classes without the other. Moreover, the Environmental Policy class ran for only one semester, complemented by a class on oil in the Middle East. These alterations not only gave the students more freedom in choosing classes, but also gave the teachers more freedom in choosing specific topics. Dan included a unit on truth and recognizing biases in articles. Peter further explored oil, currently a particularly pressing issue in regards to the environment. Even as the program evolved, it maintained its founding ideals and emphasis on experiential learning.
 
On the first day of Environmental Science, Dan told us that he intended to run the class as he would a college class. He expected us to lead our own learning. As such, one of the major projects of the year was a plant lab that was formulated by the students. Dan provided the plants and the nutrient formulas (we were studying the effects of nutrient deficiencies), but we had to create the procedures. We spent several class periods sitting around the U of desks discussing what should and should not be measured on the plants. The conversation went back and forth among the 17-person class. We often ended with the sense that nothing had been accomplished. The process was slow. In retrospect, I realize just how much I learned during those debates. They taught me the importance of listening, how to work with a group, and the necessity for patience. Moving forward with the lab and editing the procedure as it progressed, I also learned the evolutionary nature of experiments. This was a new aspect of science for me, a transition away from the traditional classroom labs. It provided a real-world applicability that had been lacking before.
 
This real-world applicability was matched by a real-world foundation. Both classes took field trips, seeing the issues in action. Environmental Policy took a tour of New Seasons Market as a model of a business that emphasizes local and sustainable products. During the genetically modified plant unit, Environmental Science visited Oregon Tilth and a genetic modification lab at Oregon State University. At OSU, one of the professors presented his argument for the necessity and naturalness of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The farmers working at Oregon Tilth objected to the superficiality of this solution and called for natural processes. Visiting the lab and the farm, we were able to see both sides of the debate in the real world. We then used this information, along with an extensive list of resources provided by Dan, to craft scientific essays for or against GMOs. However, the essays meant little compared to the field trips. Seeing the issues out in the world provided a grounding that could never be attained in the classroom.
 
We not only saw current issues in action, but also did projects to address them. We spent the last month of Environmental Science helping the rest of the school community with various environmental issues. The class divided into groups that addressed anything from curriculum for the Lower or Middle School to the best way to improve the greenhouse at the school in Ecuador that students will visit this summer. These projects required communication both within the groups and with the adult clients. Working with the adults to achieve a mutual goal made our projects more immediate. It was also like working for someone, further preparing us for the outside world.
 
In addition to teaching us life skills, these experiences provided the foundation for a full understanding of issues—and the recognition of the necessity for this understanding. Another project in Environmental Science consisted of a formal debate about nuclear power. We were split into a pro team and a con team and then did the research to support our arguments. We presented these arguments to the class and a panel of judges (Dan, outdoor education director Peter Green, and science teacher Aline Garcia-Rubio). Aside from the public speaking experience, we learned the nuances of the argument. In the end, the debate was tied; neither team came out as the obvious victor. This reflected my sentiment and that of most of my classmates: we don’t know definitively if nuclear power is good or bad. Although we remain unsure about the conclusion, we now better understand the issue. This understanding of the gray area revealed more than a decisive conclusion ever could. Not only did we see both sides, but we also recognized the importance of seeing both sides: the information became more important than the conclusion.
 
This full understanding and so many other aspects of this program left a lasting impact on students. On the first day of class, Dan had us each say why we were in the class and what we hoped to learn. On the final day, we discussed what we had learned, and if our opinions had changed. The vast majority of students agreed that we were now less sure of our standing on issues such as nuclear power but valued our greater understanding of the issues. We felt prepared to talk about the issues as informed citizens.
 
As Dan had promised, the class also prepared us for college. Sabin Ray ’11, who took the class last year and subsequently enrolled in an environmental studies class at Brown University, said that she arrived at college already informed about many of the issues that came up. The big, open-ended papers and labs Dan and Peter assigned prepared her and all of us for college-level courses. Beyond college, the classes taught us about learning in any capacity and working on projects and in groups. They provided life lessons that will be useful whether or not we go into environmentalism.
 
Catlin Gabel teaches us to be green, but more importantly it teaches us to be active learners and thinkers. Likewise, Environmental Science and Policy informed us about current issues, but more importantly taught us how to learn and form our own opinions.
 
Andrea Michalowsky ’12 will attend the writing seminars program at Johns Hopkins University this fall. She was the chief editor of the Catlin Gabel literary magazine, Pegasus.  

 

The Big Green Center of Campus

Submitted by Nadine Fiedler on Thu, 07/05/2012 - 3:15pm
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The Barn keeps everyone happy and nourished

From the Summer 2012 Caller

By Nadine Fiedler

Enter Catlin Gabel’s big green Barn at the start of lunchtime, and here’s what you’ll see. Hundreds of students line up, talking and laughing, to order the day’s hot entrée—which might be Phnom Penh rice noodle soup, vegetable or ham panini, quesadillas, grilled fish or tofu, stuffed poblano peppers, or a host of other tasty and healthful dishes. Others rush for the salad bar, stocked with brilliant greens from a local farm, veggies picked just hours before from the school garden, and beautifully prepared grain and vegetable salads. Teachers and staff members sit together at one of the many round tables, eating their lunches and catching up on what’s going on around campus, surrounded by tables of students. It’s a loud and lively place, centered on the Barn’s fresh, local, nutritious, irresistible offerings.
 

It’s A Whole New World of Food at Catlin Gabel.

The revolution began in the summer of 2006, when Hen Truong joined the staff as food services director. The food service until then had been loving and attentive, but it was time for Catlin Gabel to catch up with advances in food and nutrition to best serve its 740 students and their growing bodies and brains. Hen’s background as a member of a restaurant family, a graduate of the Western Culinary Institute, and a fast-rising young manager of food services at colleges and universities made him a perfect candidate to renovate the Barn’s approach.
 

A Necessary Diversion: Who’s Hen?

It’s almost impossible to talk about how the Barn has changed without talking about Hen Truong, and what motivates him so strongly. His determination has driven all the changes the school has made over the past six years, and will continue as he fulfills his vision.
 
Hen lived in Cambodia until age 3, the son of a Chinese restaurateur father and a Chinese-Cambodian mother. When the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia began their relentless genocide in the country’s “Killing Fields,” Hen’s family escaped to Vietnam amidst great hardship, starvation, and chaos. They were rescued by a boat captain whom his father had adopted as an orphan years earlier, but had not seen for a long time. The family lived in Vietnam until Hen was 7, when they had to flee again because Hen’s brother and sister were about to be conscripted into the army— which meant a life expectancy of a few months at best. After secretly arranging transit, paid with gold, they walked right out of his father’s restaurant during lunchtime into a rainy afternoon with nothing but what they had on. They lived in a crawl space in a safe house in Saigon for three weeks, then boarded a boat that took them to Thailand—and to three years of refugee camps there and in the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
 
Hen’s father made and sold steamed buns in the camps. “Life there made me realize what not having material wealth feels like, and what hunger feels like,” says Hen. He was surrounded by people from many Southeast Asian cultures, and remembers playing with kids speaking a bewildering number of languages. Finally they located an aunt in San Antonio, Texas, who sponsored their immigration. Hen began his life in the U.S. at age 10 in cold, wintry Texas, speaking no English, in a new school. He learned the language quickly, thanks to an ESL teacher who devoted extra time to his education.
 
After two years in Texas, the family moved to Oklahoma City for another two years, then moved to Portland. Hen’s father opened the East Restaurant in north Portland, and the whole family chipped in and worked. Hen yearned to be a cook there, propelled by his admiration of Pat Transue, his 9th grade home economics teacher at Jefferson High School. “I did a lot of whining before my dad let me cook at East Restaurant. He wanted me to be more than a cook,” says Hen. Mrs. Transue, touched by Hen’s desire to become a chef, helped Hen enroll at the culinary institute.
 
After receiving a thorough grounding in the culinary arts, Hen decided to go to college to learn more about business, so he could run a restaurant. He enrolled in Concordia University and met another influential mentor: Robert Bjorngriebe, the head of the food service. Robert was doing what Hen was later charged with at Catlin Gabel: revving up a food service that had stayed the same for many years. Robert took Hen under his wing, hired him to work in the dining hall and kitchen, and taught him everything from catering to how to conduct oneself as a chef. Hen was also attending classes full time, and working at East Restaurant on weekends. Although Hen was set on going to a big city to become “the next Wolfgang Puck or something,” Robert convinced him that school food service was a sane career that would allow him to have a family life. After graduating from Concordia and completing several internships, Hen stumbled into a food service job at Oregon State University in Corvallis—by commenting about the food when he was visiting a friend there.
 
With OSU’s director, Richard Turnbull, Hen oversaw a huge project: the complete renovation of OSU’s dining services and construction of a new dining hall. As general manager he learned how to motivate staff people, and how to have them take pride in their food. He managed a new concept in food service, with seven restaurants for different food concepts, such as deli, coffee shop, grill, and Italian food. It was a huge success.
 
After 10 years there, Hen yearned to direct a dining program and move back to Portland to be nearer to his parents. He worked briefly for a food contract service at a small college in Portland, but didn’t like the politics of serving two masters, the contract service and the school, and their vastly different goals.
 
Hen and his brother set out to open their own restaurant, and that was the plan—until the summer of 2006, when a friend told him about the job at Catlin Gabel, which was similar to what Hen had done so well at OSU. Hen interviewed, just to keep his skills sharp, but says the unexpected happened: “The minute I stepped on the beautiful campus I felt great. I met with the committee, and I went from ‘I’m not in’ to ‘Please hire me. I can do a lot for you!’” And he has, in these six years since.
 

Hen’s Philosophy

“My philosophy is simple. I want to create good, fresh, seasonal, and thoughtful food, so that customers find value in it. Food service is my passion. Every hour of the day I plot and plan how to improve it and make it better. I feel vested in Catlin Gabel. I save us money wherever I can and do things as economically as possible. It’s very powerful for me to know I get support from the faculty-staff, students, and parents. It drives me to do more personally. I want to do everything.”
 

Changing the Status Quo

After meeting with retired food service director Terry Turcotte, Hen spent the summer of 2006 figuring out what he could do to make the system more efficient. In a whirlwind of activity, he met with vendors to find the most healthful food and consolidated them to keep traffic down and the quality high, centralized the ordering of coffee for all offices, and created a regulation commercial kitchen. He rewrote the menu to do as much seasonal, from scratch, local, and fresh cooking as possible. He met with staff members, divided up responsibilities, and hired more people. By the time school started that fall, the Barn was already radically changed. “Although there’s still a lot more to do,” says Hen.
 

The Barn’s Daily Work

Hen’s core crew is made up of kitchen supervisor Sara Gallagher; Robin Grimm, in charge of front of house; Chris Sommer, salads; Yuri Newton, deli and grab-and-go; kitchen help Woming Chen; and dishwasher Jonathan Sarenana-Belten. Hen is always interested in furthering their skills with cross-training and classes. “The way the staff works so hard drives me to work harder,” he says.
 
Every day the Barn feeds 400 to 450 kids, with about 350 eating hot lunches, plus around 50 adults. The students’ dietary restrictions are a big focus for the Barn crew. Every meal includes gluten-free foods and vegetarian or vegan options. They accommodate children with nut and dairy allergies, and they try to use less sodium and as much organic food as possible.
 
When Hen first came to Catlin Gabel, every office did outside catering, which meant paying premium prices. Hen offered to do all the school’s catering, reducing costs significantly. Anyone on campus can place a catering order, from two to hundreds of eaters, and the Barn now does 99 percent of the school’s catering. The cost for food is much less, and the food is much fresher.
 
The Barn crew produces food for special events, such as commencement, Spring Festival, and alumni Homecoming weekend. They’ve taken on providing food for field trips, to relieve teachers and parent volunteers, packing food and supplies for cooking. Hen also does on-campus cooking demos, and offers special dinners as school auction items.
 

The Sustainability Loop

Hen works with teacher Carter Latendresse, head of the school garden, to figure out what to grow that can be used in Barn meals. Carter sends email to Hen when a vegetable crop is ripe, and they go up the hill, harvest the vegetables, and use them quickly in the Barn. All food scraps, including those from diners’ plates, go into buckets, which go right back into the garden, when they’re ready, as compost. “You can’t get more sustainable than that,” says Hen.
 

The Future

In the drive to use as much local and seasonal food as possible, the Barn received a grant to buy dehydrators, a greenhouse, and a juicer, all of which will extend the usable life of produce into the cold-weather months. Hen is excited about being able to offer fresh fruit and vegetable juice blends. Given Hen’s motivation and drive, we can expect the Barn to improve and keep surprising its happy customers. “I want to continue sourcing new products and support other departmental programs. I want to continue to provide a place where people can come to collaborate, a social place, a place to talk over food or coffee,” says Hen. “Mostly, I want to continue to encourage and excite people about food.”
 
 

A Recipe from Hen

Quinoa, Roasted Beet, and Walnut Salad 

Ingredients for 4 servings
3–4 medium beets, washed
1 C. dry quinoa
2 C. water
1/2 C. toasted walnuts
2–3 cloves crushed garlic
Zest and juice of one lemon
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
 
Procedures
Preheat oven to 425 F. Wrap beets in foil and bake until tender, about 45 min. to an hour. Let cool, then peel off the skins and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Set aside
 
Bring water to boil in a small heavy saucepan. Rinse quinoa well and add to water. Return to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for at least 25 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Uncover pan, allow to cool.
 
For dressing, heat oil in a nonstick frypan. Add garlic and lemon rind. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then add balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Remove from heat.
 
Add beets to cooled quinoa. Break walnuts into pieces and add to the bowl. Pour dressing over, add cilantro, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

 "Market" curtain backdrop in photo of Hen Truong was painted by Claire Stewart '07.

Nadine Fiedler is Catlin Gabel’s publications and public relations director and the editor of the Caller.

 

Graduation 2012 Photo Gallery

Submitted by Karen Katz on Mon, 06/11/2012 - 3:27pm
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After a week of steady – sometimes torrential – rain, the weather brightened on the class of 2012. The sun came out just in time to catch photos of a great group of seniors just before they became alumni.

Click on any thumbnail to start the slide show, and see larger and downloadable images.

application/pdf iconDr. Brian Druker's graduation speech
















































































































Video: We Love You, Seniors

Submitted by Karen Katz on Thu, 06/07/2012 - 3:44pm
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Thoughts from the community on the class of 2012

Video produced by junior Cody Hoyt. Props also to Jesse Kimsey-Bennett '11, who filmed many of the interviews. Jesse is a film major at USC.

 

Video: Senior lifers' advice to Beehive students

Submitted by Nadine Fiedler on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 11:49am
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Graduating seniors who had been at Catlin Gabel since 1st grade or before give advice to preschoolers and kindergarteners at the June 2012 Lifers Celebration.

 

Video: Pirates of Penzance rap and song

Submitted by Nadine Fiedler on Thu, 05/31/2012 - 3:16pm
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The class of 2016 presented a dress rehearsal of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" in late May 2012 before heading out on their trip to the San Juans. Here's their original rap introduction, and a rousing opening pirates' song.

 

Video: Senior panel

Submitted by Karen Katz on Mon, 05/21/2012 - 12:32pm
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Presented by the Parent-Faculty Association

Seven seniors spoke at the May 17 parent community meeting. It was great to hear them talk about what they loved about Catlin Gabel (relationships with teachers!) and what they would change, their paths to college, what was fun during their years at the school, and more.

The video runs for one hour.

Junior Terrance Sun and freshman Valerie Ding were finalists at the Intel International Science Fair in Pittsburgh

Submitted by Karen Katz on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 4:24pm
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Participants in the international fair had top projects at regional or state fairs.

Terrance entered a project titled "Improvements to Automatic Translation of Legal Text" in the computer science category.

Valerie entered a project titled "Shining Like the Sun: A Novel Quantum Mechanical Approach to Property Analysis and Energy Efficiency Algorithm for White-Light LEDs" in the physics and astronomy category.

Valerie's project won a Fourth Award. In addition, Valerie was one of only 12 students (from over 1,500) to win an all-expenses-paid trip this summer to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, where the students will meet with researchers and see the experiments they are working on.

Congratulations to Valerie and Terrance!
 

Class of 2012 college plans

Submitted by Karen Katz on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 4:04pm
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» Video: seniors talk about
their college choices 

 

 

Members of the class of 2012 were accepted to the following colleges and universities.
Unless otherwise noted, one student is attending each of the bolded colleges or universities.

Agnes Scott College
Akita International University
American University, 3 admitted
Amherst College
Bard College, 4 admitted
Barnard College
Bates College, 5 admitted, 3 enrolled
Beloit College, 4 admitted, 1 enrolled
Bennington College, 2 admitted
Boston College
Boston University, 2 admitted
Bradley University
Brandeis University, 3 admitted
University of British Columbia, 2 admitted
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College, 3 admitted, 2 enrolled
Bucknell University
California Lutheran University
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
University of California at Davis
University of California at Riverside
University of California at San Diego, 2 admitted
University of California at Santa Cruz
Carleton College, 4 admitted
Carnegie Mellon University
Carroll College
Case Western Reserve University
Chapman University
University of Chicago, 2 admitted
Claremont McKenna College
Clark University
Colby College, 5 admitted
Colgate University, 2 admitted
Colorado College, 4 admitted, 2 enrolled
University of Colorado at Boulder, 3 admitted
University of Colorado at Denver
Columbia University
Cornell College, 2 admitted
Cornell University
Dartmouth College, 3 admitted, 2 enrolled
Davidson College, 2 admitted
University of Denver, 3 admitted, 2 enrolled
DePaul University
Dickinson College
Drew University
Drexel University
Duke University, 2 admitted
Earlham College
Eckerd College
Emerson College
Emory University, 4 admitted
Eugene Lang College the New School for Liberal Arts, 2 admitted
Evergreen State College, 2 admitted
Fordham University, 4 admitted
Furman University
George Washington University, 3 admitted
Georgetown University, 2 admitted
Gettysburg College
Gonzaga University
Goucher College, 2 admitted
Grinnell College, 4 admitted
Guilford College
Hamilton College
Hampshire College, 2 admitted
Harvard University
Haverford College
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Hendrix College
Hofstra University
Howard University
University of Idaho
Illinois Wesleyan University
University of the Incarnate Word (Honors College)
Ithaca College, 2 admitted
John Carroll University
Johns Hopkins University
University of Kentucky
Kenyon College
University of La Verne
Lawrence University
Lehigh University
Lewis & Clark College, 5 admitted
Lindenwood University
Linfield College, 2 admitted
Loyola Marymount University, 2 admitted

Loyola University New Orleans
Macalester College, 3 admitted
University of Miami
McDaniel College
Middlebury College, 4 admitted
Mills College, 3 admitted
Montana State University, Bozeman
Mount Holyoke College
New College of Florida
New York University, 4 admitted
Northeastern University, 2 admitted
Northwestern University, 4 admitted
University of Notre Dame
Oberlin College, 5 admitted
Occidental College, 13 admitted
Oglethorpe University
Ohio State
Oregon State University, 4 admitted
Oregon State University (Honors College)
University of Oregon, 18 admitted, 3 enrolled
Honors College at the University of Oregon, 7 admitted
Oxford College of Emory University
Pacific University
University of the Pacific
University of Pittsburgh
Pitzer College, 2 admitted
Pomona College, 3 admitted
University of Portland, 2 admitted
Pratt Institute
Prescott College
University of Puget Sound, 8 admitted
University of Redlands, 4 admitted
Regis University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 3 admitted
Rhode Island School of Design, 2 admitted, 2 enrolled
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Rochester
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saint Anselm College
Saint Joseph's College-ME
Saint Louis University
Saint Mary's College of California
University of San Diego, 5 admitted
University of San Francisco, 7 admitted
Santa Clara University, 4 admitted
Sarah Lawrence College, 2 admitted
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Scripps College, 4 admitted, 2 enrolled
Seattle University
Simmons College
Skidmore College, 3 admitted
Smith College, 2 admitted
University of Southern California, 5 admitted, 4 enrolled
Spelman College
St. Lawrence University
St. Olaf College
Stanford University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Swarthmore College, 2 admitted
Syracuse University
Trinity College, 2 admitted
Trinity University, 3 admitted
Tufts University, 2 admitted
Tulane University
Ursinus College
Vassar College, 6 admitted
University of Vermont, 7 admitted, 2 enrolled
University of Virginia, 2 admitted
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Washington, 2 admitted
Wellesley College, 4 admitted
Wesleyan University, 3 admitted
Western Washington University
Wheaton College MA, 2 admitted
Whitman College, 10 admitted, 3 enrolled
Whittier College, 2 admitted
Whitworth University
Willamette University, 2 admitted
College of Wooster
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 3 admitted
University of Wyoming

 

Class of 2012 college destinations

Talbot Andrews
Neil Badawi
Jade Bath
Chloe Bergstrand
Annika Berry
Yelena Blackburn
Cameron Boyd
Schuyler Brevig
Amanda Cahn
Rachel Caron
Jade Chen
Ilana Cohen
Alex Compton
Gus Crowley
Emrys Dennison
Brooke Edelson
Cameron Edwards
Devin Ellis
Lauren Ellis
Zoë Frank
Graham Fuller
James Furnary
Genevieve Gideonse
Qiddist Hammerly
Andrew Hungate
Julianne Johnson
Parris Joyce
Thalia Kelly
Holly Kim
Diana Ko
Sarah Koe
Alex Liem
Chloe Loduca
Sammy Lubitz
Esichang McGautha
Grace McMurchie
Lizzie Medford
Walker Michaels
Andrea Michalowsky
Anaka Morris
Mariah Morton
Tapiwa Nkhisang
Nathan Norris
Koichi Omara
Grant Phillips
Jemma Pritchard
Ramtin Rahmani
Kate Rubinstein
Divesh Sachdev
Andrew Salvador
Danielle Shapira
Dylan Shields
Henry Shulevitz
Emily Siegel
Logan Smesrud
Cydney Smith
Taylor Smith
Lauren Spiegel
Megan Stater
Mint Tienpasertkij
Katy Wiita
Cole Williamson
Eli Wilson Pelton
Brandon Wilson
Will Wilson
Jeremy Wood
Jared Woods
Kenny Yu		 University of Portland
University of Southern California
Bryn Mawr College
Carleton College
Rhode Island School of Design
University of Oregon
Colorado College
Hampshire College
Colorado College
Barnard College
New York University
Pomona College
Evergreen State College
University of Vermont
Whitman College
University of Denver
University of Rochester
Gonzaga University
Duke University
Swarthmore College
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Dartmouth College
Beloit College
Northwestern University
University of Chicago
Vassar College
Willamette University
Rhode Island School of Design
Cornell University
University of Oregon
Bates College
Montana State University, Bozeman
University of San Francisco
Bates College
University of Southern California
Whitman College
Scripps College
University of Denver
Johns Hopkins University
University of Southern California
Emory University
Smith College
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
University of Oregon
Washington University in St. Louis
Sarah Lawrence College
Dartmouth College
Whitman College
University of Southern California
Bates College
University of Colorado at Boulder
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Oberlin College
Bryn Mawr College
Oregon State University (Honors College)
Rice University
Georgetown University
Scripps College
Columbia University
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of the Incarnate Word (Honors College)
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Harvard University
Trinity University
University of Vermont
Stanford University
Chapman University
Northeastern University

Video: seniors talk about their college choices

Submitted by Nadine Fiedler on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 1:38pm
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Catlin Gabel seniors are excited to be off to college! Several students talk a bit about where they're going, and why their college choice is a good one for them.

» Link to class of 2012 list of college acceptances

 Eli's going to Harvard!

 Megan's going to Columbia!

Ramtin's going to Dartmouth!

Logan's going to Oregon State University Honors College!

Grace is going to Whitman College!

Preschool circus photo gallery

Submitted by Karen Katz on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 5:02pm
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May 2012

It's Not As Easy As It Looks!

Thank you, Sue Spooner, for the photos.










































































































































































































Sophomore Lawrence Sun selected for U.S. physics team

Submitted by Karen Katz on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 7:43am
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Way to go, Lawrence!

Lawrence is one of 20 finalists selected for the U.S. Physics Olympiad team. Each year, the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics sponsor a competition for high school students to represent the United States at the International Physics Olympiad Competition.

The selection process began in early January when Lawrence took the F=ma exam. Approximately 400 top scorers on this first test advance to the semi-final round of competition.

The semi-final exam is used as the basis for selection of the 20 members of the U.S. Physics Team. These students, from schools all over the United States, travel to the University of Maryland-College Park at the end of May for the annual U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. There they engage in ten days of intense studying, testing, and problem solving.

At the end of that training camp, five students will be selected for the "Traveling Team." The Traveling Team will return for three additional days of intense laboratory work before they are ready for the International Event.

Read the Oregonian article.

Spring Festival photo gallery

Submitted by Karen Katz on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 3:41pm
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May 6, 2012 (and sunny!)

Thank you, Ingeborg Holliday, for coordinating our annual community celebration.

Thank you, Sue Spooner, for these amazing photos.

Thank you, Mother Nature, for perfect weather.


























































































































Freshman Valerie Ding wins silver at International Sustainable World Project Olympiad

Submitted by Karen Katz on Mon, 05/07/2012 - 7:34am
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Congratulations, Valerie!

Valerie won a silver medal in the energy category at ISWEEP-2012 in Houston, Texas. She was one of about 500 students from 68 countries and 44 states who had qualified as finalists in the ISWEEP-2012 Olympiad. Her project was "A Novel Quantum Mechanical Approach to Property Analysis and Energy Efficiency Algorithm for White-Light LEDs".