12
| on the mountain Winter/Spring 2013
SKS
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News
SKS FACuLTy MEMBER
ATTENDS ISEEN
By Taras Ferencevych, History and Outdoor Education Teacher
BeTween January 15–18
I traveled to attend the 8th annual institute of the
Independent School Experiential Education Network (ISEEN) in Santa Barbara,
California. This was not your typical educational conference with thousands of
participants in a convention center. ISEEN intentionally limits registration to only 80
to create an intimate opportunity for real networking and sharing. This year’s institute
focused on how best to integrate experiential learning and methodologies into a school
environment. Participants mainly hail from outdoor education, service-learning and
global education and represent a variety of schools, from international powerhouses
like the American School in London and Phillips Andover to the Santa Barbara
Middle School. The small scale of the institute allowed for each school to share their
story, their successes and their obstacles—providing an incredible opportunity for
takeaways.
During the institute we visited two local schools that have successfully integrated
experiential learning into their school cultures (The Midland School and Santa
Barbara Middle School) and heard inspirational keynotes from a variety of scholars
and educational leaders. I even participated in a Friday morning sunrise swim with
students and faculty from the Santa Barbara Middle School (it was 38 degrees outside
and the water was 53 degrees), a tradition that spans more than two decades. I look
forward to sharing some of what I learned and experienced with my colleagues here at
The Storm King School and am already making plans for next year’s institute outside
of Toronto. If you’re interested in learning more, materials from the institute appear
on ISEEN’s website
BIRTHS
Zosia estelle freeman
(
above)
was born to Jeremy Freeman and
Ava Lamb at 9:09 am on January 3,
2013.
Jeremy Freeman is the chair of
the English department at SKS. The
family is doing great and is adapting to
parenthood!
Faculty News
SKS TEACHERS
TRAVEL TO
EL SALVADOR
OvEr WinTEr BrEaK,
faculty members Corey
Bova and Scott Simontacchi,
both teachers at SKS,
traveled deep into El
Salvador to a remote town
named Perquin, not even
recognized on Google maps.
From there, they travelled
further into the jungles to a
pristine valley to stay with
the villagers. These farmers,
who live in mud huts and
have only had electricity for
two years, have no means
of furthering themselves at
all, so the purpose of the
trip was to help Peace Corps
volunteer Ari Borinsky set
up a college scholarship
fund for them. What an eye
opening trip!
Scott Simontacchi in El Salvador.
Congratulations to Ray Hecht, CFO
and Human Resources director at SKS,
and his wife Cathy, on the birth of their
first granddaughter,
eleanor rose
harnick
(
below).
She was born to
Ben and Jessica Harnick on January
23, 2013.
She came into this world at
6
pounds 9 ounces and 20 ¾ inches
long…with a smile that goes ear to ear!
