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Graduation: Congratulations Class of 2009! |
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On a beautiful clear evening in front of over one hundred and fifty friends and family members, our class of 2009 graduated from The Howard Gardner School.
Here is a list of graduates and their plans for the fall:
Alexander James Plafkin, Northland College, Wisconsin, Environmentally Sustainable Business
Amber Na'jee Nicole Molock, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Liberal Arts
Amy Elizabeth Fleegal, Lynchburg College, Virginia, Special Education and Art
Callison Temple Slater, The Art Institute, Virginia, Animation
Christine Mary McEntee, Rockford College, Illinois, Theater
Connor Oddenino, Warren Wilson College, North Carolina, Environmentally Sustainable Entrepreneurship
James (Jay) Yarbrough, Presbyterian College, South Carolina, Mechanical Engineering
Jesse Marlowe Kahaner, Guilford College, North Carolina, Liberal Arts
John Newkirk, Prince George Community College, Maryland, Computer Technology
Jonathon (JT) Tyler, Northern Virginia Community College, Criminal Justice
Jordan Wise, Columbia College, Illinois, Music
Julia Nicole Roller Dickerson, George Mason University, Virginia, Liberal Arts
Quentin Truland, Florida Keys Community College, Diving and Business
Seth Waxman, Roanoke College, Virginia, Computer Engineering
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Not-So-Silent Auction 2009 |
The Not-So-Silent Auction was a delightful event and a successful fundraiser for the HGS Scholarship Fund. Held in a lovely setting, we enjoyed delicious food, music by seniors John Newkirk and Jordan Wise and a screening of "Swine," a genuinely scary horror film shot on campus by students Ben Jarvis, Aaron Henson, and Jesse Baker. 
The silent auction featured fifty unique items, including gourmet baskets, books by acclaimed photographer, Pete Souza (parent of senior Alex Plafkin), music lessons, and more. The live auction, hosted by teacher and alumni parent Chad Thomas, featured a behind-the-scenes tour of WETA by Dar Silver, a dinner party for four prepared by renowned chef, Paul Magnant, and Fund-a-Scholar. Chad's performance  channeling his inner chef was worth the price of admission! (Oh, that's right-- we didn't charge admission. Then it was priceless!)
The Ramano family won the raffle prize, a $500 grocery card, which is fitting since  Rachel has been sending in homebaked goodies for kids and staff all year!
Thank you so much to the parents who worked so hard to make this happen: Susan Early, Bridget Simpkiss, Chris Gordon, Carol Bull, Lynn Gaffney, Anne Knipper, Patti Henson, and Sharon Scott. And a special thanks to Becky Yarbrough who has chaired the auction with grace and humor for the last two years!
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Research Updates |
Jocelyn Drakeford, phd candidate at The George Washington University, wrapped up the research phase of her dissertation on The Howard Gardner School with follow-up  interviews of kids and parents, and by attending the graduation of the Class of 2009. Members of the graduating class were only in 9th grade when Jocelyn began her research! Jocelyn hopes to defend her dissertation at the end of the summer. A teacher and former administrator in Prince George's County, Jocelyn plans to publish a book about our school as soon as she completes her doctorate degree, and then hopes to start a school for children in grades K-5 using what she has learned in her research. We look forward to partnering with her in the future. |
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Alumni News |
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We have some sad news: Ann Marie Marans, mother of John Marans, Class of 2006, passed away this last week. Our thoughts go out to John, his sister, and his father, Gene Marans.
Ann Marie was one of our original parents, an articulate and enthusiastic supporter of The Howard Gardner School, and advisor to the Board. She was involved in many artistic and educational organizations in Washington, DC, and known throughout the larger community. She will be missed.
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Building Update... from Katherine |
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Our engineers are working hard to resolve a disagreement between the Fairfax County Transportation Department and VDOT on the last remaining hurdle before final site plan approval.
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The Howard Gardner School is a small, progressive independent high school for college-bound learners in Alexandria, Virginia. With a focus on environmental science and the arts, the school's mission is to help bright, creative non-traditional learners use their unique strengths to thrive academically, intellectually and emotionally. Hands-on learning and weekly field studies keep students active and involved, and internships let students explore their interests through work.
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