Alumna Erica Berry ’10, now a junior at Bowdoin College, named a 2013 Udall Scholar
Erica is one of just 50 college sophomores and juniors selected from 488 candidates nominated by 230 colleges and universities. One of the criteria for students receiving the $5,000 Udall scholarship is a commitment to the environment.
Erica is an English and environmental studies major who strives to “write narrative nonfiction about the intersections between the ever-shifting environment and humanity.” The Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency.
Alumnus Yale Fan ’10, now a junior at Harvard, named one of the nation’s top undergrads in math, science, and engineering
Yale is among 271 college sophomores and juniors, from a field of 1,107, selected for a Goldwater Scholarship. Faculties of colleges and universities nominate Goldwater Scholars. The one and two year scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. The Goldwater Foundation is a federally endowed agency that honors Senator Barry Goldwater and was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering.
Yale is a physics and mathematics major. He plans to earn a PhD in theoretical high-energy physics.
Alumnus Cole Perkinson '09, now a senior at Reed College, has won a prestigious $25,000 Watson Fellowship
Senior Perla Alvarez quoted on OPB radio news
Fantastic Voyage auction raises $450,000
From first fold to flight, and at every stage in between, the Catlin Gabel experience is one Fantastic Voyage. Thanks to enthusiastic bidders, donors, supporters, volunteers, and staff, we set some records this year! The sold out event at Nike's Tiger Woods Center and the online auction raised $450,000.
Auction contributions make it possible for the school to provide a low student-teacher ratio, exceptional teachers, outstanding academic programs, and a strong commitment to financial aid. The funds we raise are essential for the school to thrive and enrich the student experience.
Thank you to the many, many wonderful people who spent countless hours preparing for the event during the last eight months. Special gratitude to fantastic co-chairs Karen Hoke and Kirsten Brady. Their vision, commitment, and creative direction guided the entire voyage.
»Enjoy the Fantastic Voyage video and photo gallery. The video is about Catlin Gabel alumna Qiddist Hammerly's voyage from the Beginning School through the Upper School and her successful launch from our nest to Northwestern University.
Thank you for making this year one to remember!
With appreciation,
Lark Palma, head of school
The new Caller magazine is now online! Read about hot topics in education
KGW-TV airs story about Winterim design and leadership class
Fantastic Voyage video and photos
Guests at the 2013 auction were treated to this video featuring Catlin Gabel lifer Qiddist Hammerly '13, a student at Northwestern University. Following the video, Qiddist, her first grade buddy from last year, and her senior buddy from when she was a first grader took the stage. There was not a dry eye in the house!
Scroll down to see the photo gallery.
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Focus on Philanthropy: A Love of Learning that Lasts a Lifetime
From the Winter 2012-13 Caller
John Chun ’87 & Elizabeth Baldwin ’89
Education
Profession
How a Catlin Gabel education helped you succeed
Favorite causes?
Guiding principle?
Why do you support Catlin Gabel?
Catlin Gabel flourishes because alumni care to invest in it.
Support what you love.
Support the Catlin Gabel Fund. Make a contribution at www.catlin.edu.
Alumni news
From the Winter 2012-13 Caller
Service opportunities in Portland have bloomed. In early December, 27 alumni and 3 faculty members worked together to unload and sort more than 11,000 pounds of food at the Oregon Food Bank. In early March the alumni service committee hosted a productive morning of tree planting with Friends of Trees.
Alumni Association Board, Portland members
Reunions: What the class of 1998 is reading!


The Rise of Online Teaching & Learning
From the Winter 2012-13 Caller
By Dan Griffiths
technology also has its champions, who see the internet, social media, and ubiquitous access to the required hardware as tools that are capable of driving an educational revolution.
Online learning is not a new concept, particularly in higher education. Providers such as the University of Phoenix have been operating an online program since 1989, and more recently the University of Texas launched an online and blended learning school, Western Governors University. Both of these seek to make education in high-demand fields more accessible and affordable to working adults. Many colleges now give access to their courses in a variety of formats such as podcast series and videos of lectures with accompanying course notes that allow public access to educational content. Massive open online courses (MOOCs), with offerings from providers such as Coursera, EdX, and Udacity (with content provided by professors at colleges such as Stanford, Princeton, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania) attract millions of users from hundreds of countries. The completion rate of their courses, however, is reported to be less than 10 percent. These MOOCs were founded with the noble goal of providing access to high-level education for all, with the only limitation being access to a computer and an internet connection. Peer reviews and assessments, discussion boards for posting questions, and enrollment in global study groups provide the social element of learning.
Faculty from member schools teach all online GOA classes. A rigorous selection process requires applicant teachers to show that their class will be innovative and well structured, and will take full advantage of the tools made uniquely available by both an online environment and access to a diverse group of students. The classes are designed for collaboration, with a blend of individual and group assignments. Students are required to have regular Skype conversations with their teacher, and the workload is equivalent to a full class in a bricks-and-mortar school. GOA classes follow an asynchronous schedule, which means the students work in their own time and set up virtual meetings with teachers and classmates at mutually convenient times. GOA has plans to expand in number and geographical diversity over the next six years from its current 24 member schools in the U.S., Japan, China, Jordan, and Indonesia.
In the GOA’s first year, Catlin Gabel teacher George Zaninovich taught an urban studies class, and four CG students enrolled in a variety of classes. This year, three Catlin Gabel teachers offer GOA classes, and 19 students are enrolled in classes such as Medical Problem Solving, Bioethics, and Global Health.
in the Upper School regularly involve students reading and researching, then presenting and discussing in a student-centered classroom environment. The chalk-and-talk delivery model of teaching is discouraged, and student engagement is a central theme in our classrooms, be it in a problem-based math class or a senior English elective where students often take the lead in teaching. The flipped classroom helps public schools with large classes by allowing students to control the pace of content delivery. It is a less novel concept at Catlin Gabel, where small class sizes, differentiated curricula, and availability of teachers to meet with students individually are commonplace.REFERENCES AND CITATIONS
Schauff's Great, Unbroken Circle
From the Winter 2012-13 Caller
Catlin Gabel lost one of its most beloved, formative, and charismatic community members when Manvel Schauffler, headmaster from 1967 to 1980, died on January 8 at age 88. He was known to everyone as Schauff.
involvement. Among his many accomplishments—an open meeting policy, establishment of the senior trip, mentoring teachers and leaders of other schools—he above all set the tone for a strong, warm sense of community and humanity.
of education and their voices should be heard, he made the student body president an ex officio member of the board of trustees and brought each year’s president to the NAIS annual conference.OUTPOURINGS OF STORIES AND TRIBUTES FROM ALUMNI
School. Schauff walked up to us at that moment, looked us each in the eye and said, “Meet me back here at noon.” We were terrified as to what the punishment might mean for us. We arrived at the appointed hour and Schauff proceeded to happily take us on a tour of the school, pointing out to us the original farmhouse wallpaper in the classrooms of the upper school, the beautiful apple trees from the original orchard, and the cared-for books in the library. He asked us if we thought the school would be such a beautiful and special place if the students and teachers didn’t respect it over all those years of the school’s history. His gentle, caring, respectful tour humbled us and taught us more than any punishment ever could have. He was an amazing man!
Of Leading and Learning
By Lark P. Palma, PhD, Head of School
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Where in the world are CG students?
Mid-March is go time for Catlin Gabel’s global education program. Five groups, three from the Upper School and two from the Middle School, are spread across three continents.
Upper School students are traveling to Guatemala, France, and China.
Middle School students are traveling to Costa Rica and Taiwan.
Robotics team wins top regional award, qualifies for world championships
Celebration of Schauff videos
Science Bowl team places 2nd in regionals
Terrance Sun, Valerie Ding, Lawrence Sun, Ben Hutchings, and Nick Petty beat out 64 other teams from Oregon and Washington to earn the 2nd place trophy in the BPA Regional Science Bowl. The competition was fierce.
We congratulate our scientists and the scientists from Mountain View High School for their 1st place finish.
Head search committee chair invites community participation, announces search firm
Dear Catlin Gabel community members,
On behalf of the Head of School Search Committee, and even as the search process is just getting under way, I am writing to the entire Catlin Gabel community to describe where we are and how we intend to proceed.
I should say at the outset that the members of the committee are all honored and delighted to participate in this important process. Of course, the responsibility is daunting. We have very large shoes to fill, and it will be a challenge for all of us. Nonetheless, the committee is confident that we will find a terrific Head of School who will build wonderfully on the many great accomplishments under Lark’s leadership.
Let me also say that you should not hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions, concerns, questions or comments. This is an honest invitation. The committee is committed to a process that is open, inclusive and, to the greatest degree possible, transparent; and we frankly seek your advice and counsel. As the process unfolds, formal opportunities will exist for a great many members of the Catlin Gabel community—teachers, staff, trustees, students, parents, alumni and friends—to provide input. But in the meantime, and indeed throughout the search, you should feel free to share your thoughts; and certainly could include thoughts about who, in your opinion, might be a strong candidate for Head of School. For convenience sake, the best way to communicate would be by email at searchchair@catlin.edu, or by phone (503-777-7231). I would be delighted to hear from you, and I can assure you that I will act as a faithful messenger to the search committee.
I am extremely pleased to report that we have retained the services of Bob Fricker and his associate Sherry Coleman—both representing the nationally prominent firm of Carney, Sandoe and Associates—to serve as our search consultants. The process of selecting a consultant was intensive and highly competitive, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Bob and Sherry. Together, they bring to the search not only a wealth of experience and insight, but also a deep understanding of all things that make Catlin Gabel such a special place.
As a first step, our consultants will work with the search committee to write a profile. This central document serves to introduce the school to prospective candidates, describes our goals and ambitions, and effectively functions as a job description. Toward this end, Bob and Sherry will visit campus in early March for a whirlwind series of meetings with members of the Catlin Gabel community. Details will be worked out shortly, but it is certain that all constituencies will be well represented, and we hope to have one or more open forums that will allow all lovers of Catlin Gabel to participate.
From there, the process is apt to be relatively straightforward. The spring will largely be devoted to building the applicant pool. During the summer, our consultants, along with the search committee, will work to construct a short list of preferred candidates and, from there, a small set of semi-finalists for the search committee to interview face to face. On the basis of these interviews, and if all goes according to plan, we hope to have perhaps two or three finalists on campus for open, public interviews, possibly as early as mid-to late-September. We would like to be able to announce our new Head of School sometime in October.
Of course, the most rigorous and well-conceived plan rarely unfolds exactly as anticipated. We are searching in a complex environment, and this may indeed require us to be flexible. As contingencies arise, we will endeavor to keep you posted. Be assured, in any case, that we are strongly committed to finding just the right person for Catlin Gabel, and to do so in a way that is fully faithful to the spirit and tradition of the school.
On behalf of the search committee, I can say that we very much look forward to working with the entire Catlin Gabel community. And again, I would be delighted to learn of any thoughts you might have regarding this very important project.
Peter Steinberger, Chair
Head of School Search Committee
19 students receive a record-breaking 45 awards from the Portland Metro Scholastic Art Competition
Congratulations to the following Upper School students who helped Catlin Gabel sweep the competition! Several students won more than one award.
Xander Balwit, Matt Junn, Fiona Noonan, Maya Rait, and Zoe Schlanger earned Gold Key honors.
Matt Junn won Silver Key honors for his entire portfolio and for individual pieces.
Other Silver Key honors were awarded to works by Katie Fournier, Max Luu, Hayle Meyerhoff, Nadya Okamoto, Kristin Qian, Craig Robbins, Hannah Rotwein, Zoe Schlanger, Alexandra van Alebeek.
Honorable mention recipients are Violeta Alvarez, Anna Dodson, Adele English, Kelsey Hurst, Matt Junn, Kallisti Kenaley-Lundberg, Thomas Newlands, Fiona Noonan, Craig Robbins, Hannah Rotwein, Zoe Schlanger, and Alexandra van Alebeek.
Next stop regionals, followed by the national competition.
