The McGillis School

McGillis hallways: Proof that learning can happen anywhere!

A lot of really cool things happen at AfterSchool, but one of the coolest is COLORING CUP! ????????? On Mondays, the theme is announced - on of our recent favorites was “Your Favorite McGillis Lunch as a Person.” Then, the kids start working on their colorful creations! On Friday, a winning design is chosen and the Coloring Cup is awarded. The lucky recipients take the truly ?EPIC? trophy home for the week and add their own flare to it! One of our best McGillis traditions, hands down.

We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on McGillis’ beloved Brooke McDonald for this week’s #McGillisFeatureFriday! Brooke is our Lower School Administrative Assistant, which means she does it all, from to leading the pick-up line in our parking lot to handing out ice packs to K-5 students (and so much more). Brooke has worked at McGillis since 2010 and is a native Utahn, having grown in the Sugar House area. As Melinda Kaufman, Academic Affairs Director, shared: “Ms. Brooke is the rock of the Lower School offices! Every day, she helps students, teachers, and families, always with a smile and endless amounts of patience. We can’t imagine managing everything without her calm presence!” We agree, 100%! Q. Among your many responsibilities over the years, what is the most memorable? A. One of the most unique roles that I’ve held was for 13 years as a Diabetes Paraprofessional for our Lower School students with Type 1 Diabetes. I learned a great deal about diabetes care, and it was an honor to be entrusted with such important work. Q. What is your favorite part about working in the Lower School office? A. I absolutely adore the team that I support in the Lower School Office. I have the best office mates who not only care deeply about their work, but are also really fun people. A favorite little part of my job is giving kids tooth necklaces for lost teeth. It’s sweet to play a role in something that feels so special to them. Q. What do you love about McGillis? A. I love our art-filled hallways. When I am having a tough day, I feel uplifted just walking through our halls. I love that I’ve been able to watch my own children grow up in the McGillis kehilah and be cared for by colleagues, who are also good friends. Q. What do you like to do in your free time? A. Most of my time is shared with my little family. I like learning historical facts from my son Wylie, I have fun cheering on my son Jamie in all of his sports, and I try to be a helpful assistant with the house projects that my endlessly handy partner Jared takes on. I also really enjoy dog walks in nature, live music, a good puzzle, backyard gardening, and slow runs through Liberty Park.

Operations team fit check! New year, new jackets for these guys, all of whom worked regularly during Winter Break to keep our buildings humming along. Now they have these warm and durable coats to make all their outdoor work more comfortable! We ?? you, MVT, Bobby G, and Freddy!

Three of our educators recently attended the National Association of Independent Schools' People of Color Conference in Denver! Melinda Kaufman (Academic Affairs Director), Eric Penn (3rd Grade Teaching Assistant), and Darren Smith (P.E. Teacher) represented McGillis, with Eric and Darren attending for the first time. They both shared how impactful their experience was: ?? From Eric: "I appreciated that the conference was truly a think tank for teachers working in independent schools. I had so much to learn from my other colleagues. Listening to their challenges and sharing mine with complete strangers made me feel very seen. The experience healed me in places that I didn't know I needed. To be surrounded by other educators of color was inspiring.... A light bulb moment for me was when one of the Keynote speakers, Karen Walrond, talked about the difference between happiness and joy. I have known for quite some time that my work at The McGillis School made me happy. But Karol explained that the difference between happiness and joy is that happiness can be fleeting, whereas joy is deeper, longer lasting and often from an overwhelming sense of well being. It felt so obvious when said but I don't think I fully grasped the concept. When one of your students shines up at you and says, 'Oh, I get it now - thanks!' I feel a sense of joy. Understanding that difference is something that I will never forget." ?? From Darren: "I gained a great appreciation for the challenges facing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging ,and Justice initiatives in our highly charged political environment. As a non-visible member of the smallest represented minority group present at the People of Color Conference - First Nations Peoples/Native Indians - it was refreshing to meet with our affinity group of under 60 individuals from around North, Central, and South America, as well as our brothers and sisters from Hawaii, and recognize the impact that we all have in our various roles in our respective schools. It was a wonderful opportunity to share our collective experiences, both challenges and successes, with hopes of seeing more First Nations Peoples attending the PoCC and working towards having a stronger voice within the conference itself in order to see more presenters within the confines of the conference and across the USA and Canada."

We loved seeing so many McGillis alumni faces at our third annual Alumni Gathering! Thanks to our Magpies for flying back to the nest to see their teachers and have some of Ms. Bridget's yummy food. Until next time! ??

At our Winter Break assembly on December 20, we launched Growing Together: A Campaign for the Future of The McGillis School! This capital campaign is only the second in the School’s history and will transform our outdoor teaching, learning, and play spaces; provide new spaces for Middle School and The Learning Center; and increase the safety and security of our campus. For six months, we have been working quietly with members of our community and are pleased to share that we have successfully raised $4M from over 100 donors. If our community can raise another $900,000, we will unlock a $300,000 grant from the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation to help us cross our $5.2M finish line! Our goal is to break ground on this ambitious project by the end of the current 2024/2025 school year, and we could begin using our updated facilities as early as fall of 2025. We are excited to come together as one big, united kehilah to invest in our program, our students, and our future. Let's Grow Together!

We are thrilled to spotlight Middle School Integrative Studies for #McGillisFeatureFriday! Kim Dean (Science), Rachael Mastanduno (Writing), and Madeline Tank (Humanities) form one of the ?dream teams? responsible for collaborating all year long to plan out our IS curriculum (read below to learn more about IS!). Q. How does IS work in Middle School? [RM] We plan units of study that have an overarching theme or unifying question. We work together to apply the lenses of Writing, Humanities, and Science to answer that question or explore the theme. All of our units of study are also guided by our mission and values, as well as practicing the habits of a Portrait of a Learner. The ultimate goal is to provide authentic learning opportunities that reflect adult life after school, allowing kids to learn not only the academic skills required in Middle School, but also to develop the flexibility, adaptability, and problem solving skills required in our quickly changing world. Q. What are you working on this year? - 6th Grade: Why Should We Care About Wolves in Utah? (Trimester 1); The Blueprint of the Self (Tri 2); Where am I? (Tri 3) - 8th Grade: How Does Chemistry Impact History? (Tri 1) Analyzing Risk (Tri 2); Justice (Tri 3) Q. What are your favorite things about the IS approach to teaching and learning? [KD] It allows students to develop a deeper understanding of complex issues by drawing from our three subjects. In a rapidly changing world, students need to think broadly and creatively about real-world problems. [RM] I love the creativity and collaboration required to create meaningful learning experiences for our students. We know it is meaningful because of the engagement we see in our students as they undertake each unit. Seeing how our students grow from 6th Grade to 8th Grade is incredibly gratifying, as you get to see how their skills and habits develop. [MT] IS really grounds us in reality. In order to create units that can be taught from all three of our disciplines, we need to choose topics that relate to our students' everyday lives, or at least their futures. [continued in the comments!]

We are hiring a Lower School Director! We have engaged?DovetailED Talent Sourcing?to lead a search for a?Lower School Director?to start in the 2025-26 school year. Interested candidates should review the?Opportunity Statement?at the link below and submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references as a consolidated PDF to Zack Lehman, President at?DovetailED Talent Sourcing, at?[email protected].

We are proud of Ms. Heather and Ms. Jayde, who took their presentation, "Take That Book Outside," to the 32nd Annual Utah Society of Environmental Education Conference! They spoke to 25 educators and community partners at Ogden Nature Center, including a park ranger from Zion National Park, about how they collaborate to reach diverse learners. Ms. Heather shared, "We discussed how Jayde teaches using books, and how using book as windows and mirrors creates a classroom where all learners can see themselves and their peers in the books we choose." Bravo to our wonderful McGillis educators! ?? ??