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Park Tudor Co-Hosts Innovation Event with the Speak Easy
An important part of our efforts to connect classroom, campus and community is developing partnerships with other organizations in the city that can help our students and other members of our community learn from local business leaders.
On Thursday, November 12, approximately 70 people attended "Homegrown: Fostering an Innovative Mindset in our Schools and City," an event co-hosted by Park Tudor and the Speak Easy, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting entrepreneurs through providing working space and networking opportunities. The event featured Park Tudor alumni Prahasith Veluvolu '13, founder of Mimir with fellow PT alums Jacob Petrucciani '12 and Colton Voege '13, and Lauren George '09, who is directing social media and community outreach leading up to the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, along with entrepreneurs Ryan Pfenninger, chief technology officer at 250ok; Kendrea Williams, founder of Ethos Marketing and Technology; and Jason Williams, founder of competitive intelligence firm SPYCOMPS. All of the speakers addressed how their educational experience did - and in some cases, did not - arm them with the necessary skills to become successful entrepreneurs. They agreed that perhaps the most important skill that schools can foster is the ability to think critically and creatively, to identify real problems and issues and develop solutions. The program helped to kick off year two of the Park Tudor Innovators Institute, which will run from July 5 - 22, 2016. The Innovators Institute offers students entering grades 9-12 a unique opportunity to learn the skills needed to be successful in college and beyond, while becoming leaders in their fields of interest. The program starts with three days of innovation skills training followed by more than two weeks of instruction in a field of the student's choosing, including Design Thinking, Business Creation, or Social Entrepreneurship.
There will also be a Junior Innovators Institute for the second year. From July 11-15, students entering grades 6-12 can take an "Introduction to Computer Science." From July 18-22, "Advanced Computer Science: Designing with Raspberry Pi" will be offered. More information about the Innovators Institute and applications for the program will be available by early January. In the meantime, please contact Peter Kraft (pkraft@parktudor.org or 415-2707) for more information.
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2016-2017 Overview School Calendar Now Available
You will notice that next year's calendar combines parent conference days and Fall Break into the same week in October, so we will have fewer short weeks during October and minimize disruptions in our instructional time.
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A Word on Wellness:
Children and Chores - Worth the Hassle?
By Patti Duckworth, Lower School Counselor
The day begins in the typical fashion...get everyone up, fed, and off to school, shuttle the kids to after school practice or lessons, squeeze in some time for an evening meal, make sure that homework gets done, check and organize backpacks for the next day, and then get everyone to bed on time. Meanwhile, the laundry waits, trash needs to go out, and the kids' rooms are in disarray. Who has the energy to deal with arguing and resistance that may come when asking children to pick up their rooms or help clean up after the evening meal? The question lingers for those of us who experienced or are currently living the tightly scheduled, jam-packed life of raising children in today's world: Is it really worth the hassle to expect kids to help out?
The March 13, 2015 edition of the Wall Street Journal printed an article on the topic. Jennifer Breheny Wallace, contributing editor to EmpoweringParents.com wrote the article, "Why Children Need Chores." She shared a survey of 1,001 U.S. adults released last fall by Braun Research, which stated that 82% of adults reported having regular chores growing up, but only 28% said that they require their own children to do them. Wallace also shared the work of Richard Rende, a developmental psychologist in Paradise Valley, Ariz., and co-author of the forthcoming book, Raising Can-Do Kids. Dr. Rende's viewpoint is interesting. He states, "Parents today want their kids spending time on things that can bring them success, but ironically, we've stopped doing one thing that's actually been a proven predictor of success - and that's household chores." Wallace added, "Decades of studies show the benefits of chores - academically, emotionally and even professionally." While we may agree with this line of thought, implementing the practice of expecting children to share in simple household chores may be difficult.
Wallace shared a third study conducted by Marty Rossmann, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. In 2002, Dr. Rossmann analyzed data from a longitudinal study that followed 84 children across four periods in their lives - in preschool, around ages 10 and 15, and in their mid-20s. She found that young adults who began chores at ages 3 and 4 were more likely to have good relationships with family and friends, achieve academic and early career success, and to be self-sufficient, as compared with those who didn't have chores or who started them as teens. Dr. Rossmann's research indicated that giving children household chores at an early age helps to build a lasting sense of mastery, responsibility and self-reliance.
As compelling as the research seems to be, the question remains, "Is it really worth the hassle to teach and expect our children to be responsible for completing a chore at home along with everything else they have on their plates?" While each family knows what is best for them, the question is certainly worth considering.
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Connecting Classroom, Campus & Community: Planting Trees and Paying Forward
 By Doug Allen, Director of Development & Alumni Relations
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. - Chinese Proverb
Park Tudor's landscape architecture is a physical display of Park Tudor's plans and aspirations. As we plant trees around campus, they not only beautify the school, but also stand as symbols of the values of the PT2020 Strategic Plan and the work Park Tudor students, teachers, and parents do to create and sustain this community. The trees are also reminders of the foresight and generosity of prior generations of Park Tudor families, and as we look to Thanksgiving next Thursday, there is much here to be grateful for.
It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man. - Henry David Thoreau
The Park Tudor campus is a gift from Eli Lilly, Jr. He said the family "would much rather see the orchard, which had meant so much to us all for 70 years, become the campus of a fine school..." The orchard was first and foremost a transformational gift of land, but also an affirmation of the power of generosity and a foreshadowing of the growth mindset that has become a hallmark of excellence in schools.
Just as a teacher's understanding is strengthened when sharing insights with students, an apple tree only achieves its purpose when the fruit is harvested and put to use. Great teachers talk about being energized by their students, and the community is made stronger by the shared experience of teaching and learning. This pattern of perennial generosity, which is a motivation all great teachers and successful orchards share, is in the land itself and part of the foundation of every building.
Successful orchards are always growing and changing, with new varieties and hybrids coming all the time. Similarly, teachers expect to revise and update and amend their lessons throughout their careers as their experience grows and their students change. This open-mindedness and willingness to experiment while maintaining a tradition of excellence has been part of Park Tudor's history since its founding.
One day Honi was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree. He asked, "How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit?" The man replied: "Seventy years." Honi then further asked him: "Are you certain that you will live another seventy years?" The man replied: "I found [already grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted those for me so I too plant these for my children." - Babylonian Talmud, tractate Ta'anit, page 23a
Every school program and every student feels the effect of the gifts of parents and alumni who have come before us as well as those who are involved now. The experience we share as part of the school community costs more than the sum of the tuition payments because we benefit from the investments made in the past and the gifts made today.
To all the parents who have contributed to the Annual Fund this year, thank you for continuing this tradition and for paying forward the gifts we currently enjoy. If you have not given yet, please consider participating this week to help the school meet its ThanksForGiving challenge grant of $25,000. You can make your gift online by credit card or echeck, or contact Rebecca Byrnes at 317-415-2810 or rbyrnes@parktudor.org to make your gift or pledge. Pledges can be made now and fulfilled prior to June 30, 2016.
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David Kaszko to Retire at the End of 2015; New Director of Safety & Security Starts Friday
 Park Tudor's Director of Safety & Security, David Kaszko, will retire at the end of 2015. His last day at the school will be Friday, December 18.
David has filled several different roles during his 12 years at Park Tudor, starting as a teaching assistant in the Lower School and eventually serving as our Director of Safety & Security for the past 10-1/2 years. David also spent eight years coaching Middle and Upper School baseball. We thank David for his loyal service to the school and wish him well as he moves on into retirement.
We are pleased to welcome Woodson Bond to Park Tudor as our new Director of Safety & Security. Woodson will start Friday, November 20 and will work with David to transition into his new role.
Woodson brings a wealth of experience to Park Tudor, including 20 years in the US Army, where he achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major. During his time in the military, Woodson served in Afghanistan, South Korea, and Iraq, and stateside at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor of a U.S. Army Field Artillery Brigade consisting of more than 4900 soldiers, making key decisions and advising the Brigade Commander and Battalion Commanders on all matters pertaining to soldiers, personnel assignments and utilization, training, combat operations, discipline, and logistics. He is skilled in safety and risk management, force protection, system integration, leadership, communications and problem-solving. |
Lower School Food Drive Underway
Bins are set up in the Lower School and Hilbert Center lobbies through Monday, November 23 to collect food for two local food pantries.
As in years past, the Lower School is collecting donations for the First Baptist Community Pantry. PT has a long-standing partnership with this pantry; in fact, every fifth grader has the opportunity to volunteer their time at the pantry. Additionally, this year JK and SK families are supporting a newly opened pantry at IPS 34/ Eleanor Skillen Elementary called Eleanor's Pantry. Park Tudor has been working to develop a deeper partnership with IPS 34 over the past few months; they have been the recipients of our uniform drives in the spring for the past two years. As part of the partnership with IPS 34, their students are working hard on various kindness projects around the school, and two classrooms have decided to tell their stories of kindness through a video to be shared with our young students here at Park Tudor. Below are the highest needs for each pantry, but any donated food item is gladly accepted! First Baptist Community Pantry Needs: Cereal Peanut Butter Pasta and Mac & Cheese Spaghetti Sauce (preferably canned or plastic) Canned Fruits and Vegetables Soup Eleanor's Pantry Needs Peanut Butter Jelly
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Upcoming Events
Fall Band Concert Grades 7-12
Friday, November 20
7:30 p.m.
Ayres Auditorium
Park Tudor's full band and other Middle and Upper School band instrumental groups will perform.
Panther Pandemonium (All School Event)
Friday, November 20
9:30 p.m.
Varsity Gym
Please join us in kicking off the start of the basketball season! The event will feature MS & US boys & girls team introductions, scrimmages, contests, giveaways, and the unveiling of our 2014-2015 Varsity Boys State Championship Banner. Admission is $1 or one can of food for the food drive.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day for Lower and Middle School
Tuesday, November 24
8:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.: SK-Grade 5
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Junior Kindergarten
11:00 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.: Middle School (includes lunch)
Grandparents and other special friends are invited to experience student life at Park Tudor!
Park Tudor Booster Club Spirit Night (All School Event)
Wednesday, November 25
6:30 p.m.
Hungry Panther
Please join us in kicking off the 2015-16 Basketball Season! JV Boys game at 6 p.m. and Varsity at 7:30 vs. University HS. Pizza, water, and cookies will be provided.
Basketball Party for Alumni from 2012-2015
Wednesday, November 25
7:30 p.m.
Panther Room
Alums from the classes of 2012-2015 are invited to return to Park Tudor to watch the Panthers take on University High School. Food and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Park Tudor and the Park Tudor Alumni Association. Parents of young alums - help us spread the word! RSVP here.  Park Tudor Speaker Series Welcomes Emily BazelonPresented by: The National Bank of IndianapolisWednesday, December 26:30 p.m.: Talk Reception to follow Wood Room Park Tudor Upper School Emily Bazelon is the author of Sticks and Stones, a major new contribution to the national conversation on bullying. Clear-eyed and accessible, Stones was hailed in the New York Times as an "authoritative and important book [that] should not only be read by educators and parents alike, but should also be taught in law schools and journalism schools." Bazelon is a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School, and a former senior editor at Slate. Her ground-breaking investigative journalism (and knack for storytelling), coupled with her extensive legal knowledge, makes her one of the leading authorities on the shifting landscape of bullying in the cyber age: What constitutes bullying? What can parents, teachers, and educators do about it? What are the roles of personality traits, such as "grit," character, and empathy, to overcome childhood trauma and find social success? RSVP here.
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Save the date: PTPA Holiday Coffee and Holiday Handmade Mart Friday, December 4, 8:00-10:00 a.m. and 2:30-5:30 p.m. in Foster Hall Celebrate the holidays with other PT parents and check some gifts off your list at this holiday tradition! The PTPA will provide coffee and gourmet pastries while faculty, students, and parents will have their work on display for purchase. Our artists will return in the afternoon for your holiday shopping convenience! Vendors will include our own talented Fine Arts faculty, Middle and Upper School students, and current and former parents, with something for everyone on your list including ceramics, painting, jewelry, and textiles. If you are interested in selling your handmade wares, send a description of your work and a representative photograph to Mia Miller, mianmiller@gmail.com. Space is limited.
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Students and Faculty in the News
* In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris, students in Clarice Doucette's French class created a poster to show their support and solidarity with our French exchange school, la Salle Maison Blanche. Clarice sent photos of the students with their poster to Madam Saint-André at la Salle Maison Blanche, who shared the photos with her students.
In addition, Christian Jacobs took the French Club to St. Richard's for our usual cultural exchange, where the students worked together to create a banner to support the French.
* At the Southport Speech & Debate Smackdown on Saturday, November 14, sophomore Beatrice Bowlby was the champion in novice original oratory and freshman Anjali Mirmira was a champion in novice Lincoln Douglas Debate. Placing 2nd in novice Lincoln Douglas Debate was junior Rachel Thomas. Freshman Arya Bolla placed second in Novice Student Congress. Arunbh Sinha received third place in Novice Student Congress. More than 500 students competed in this meet. Also participating from Park Tudor were Graysen Montel, Sammy Walkley, and Ethan Scroggins. Park Tudor coaches were Tamara Tudor and Jonathan Polak. * Five Park Tudor students placed at the Rose-Hulman High School Math Contest last weekend. The contest attracted approximately 450 area students, primarily from Indiana and Illinois. Gary Zhang placed 11th as a freshman; Michelle Shen and Allen Zhao placed first as sophomores; and freshmen Alex Gu and Andrew Wu placed first competing as sophomores. Park Tudor also won the sophomore team competition, posting the only four perfect scores among sophomores. The team was accompanied by Upper School math instructor Dr. Carmen Taylor.
* On November 5, Park Tudor sent 70 delegates to the University of Dayton Model UN Conference. While a novice experience for some students, others used the conference as a mechanism to prepare for longer conferences in Chicago and Georgetown in February. Award recipients included: Rena Li & Erin Krull, Alex Schiffer & Hannah Wang, Matthew Heck & Tom Root, Jake Baker & Ammar Athar (Outstanding Position Paper); as well as Emma Norris & Elizabeth Niculescu (Distinguished Delegation). The keynote speaker, Tony Talbott, Professor of Political Science at the University of Dayton, addressed issues of human trafficking at both global and local levels. Students are currently preparing for conferences in Chicago, Georgetown and The Hague.
* The four Upper School Class Deans - Tom Page, Inga Kahre, Christian Jacobs and Ryan Martin, traveled to Boston last weekend for the "Learning and the Brain" Conference, where they heard from leading researchers about the latest discoveries in neuroscience and neuroeducation. The conference covered topics including brain-based learning, teaching, interventions and curriculum.
* On November 6 and 7, eight Park Tudor world language teachers from JK through grade 12 attended the annual Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association Conference. Both students and teachers from PT were recognized at the conference. MS/US teacher Laura Nagle presented a session, and Clarice Doucette was nominated by her students and received the Stellar Teacher Award from the Indiana chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. MS Spanish teacher Concha Marin was elected President of AATSP Indiana. Senior Jack Stewart received an Outstanding Student of Spanish award from AATSP Indiana. Senior Carter Fite, from Caroline Lee-Thompson's Chinese class placed Best Overall in the IFLTA Poster Contest. Fourth grade Spanish teacher Heather Kleinschmidt had three students that placed in the poster contest; Alexa Norman took 2nd place and Henry Hasselbeck and Luke McIntosh were awarded 3rd place among 67 participants from 21 schools.
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Hockey: The Central Indiana Knights hockey club, which includes several players from Park Tudor, played 5 games this weekend. The A team went 2 and 1 on the weekend, with wins against Bloomington and Zionsville. Panther Adam Gottwald secured the winning goal in a tight 2-1 win over Zionsville. The Knights B team split two games, earning a hard fought win over rival Brebeuf, with Park Tudor's Adam Gottwald getting the win in a 5-3 contest.
Come out and cheer on The Knights this coming weekend. The A team plays Friday, Nov. 20, at 8:00 p.m. against Hamilton Southeastern A at the Fishers Fuel Tank (formerly the Forum at Fishers) The B Team plays three games, including the 12th Annual Turkey Bowl against Brebeuf. Games are: - Friday, Nov. 20, at 6:20 pm vs. Hamilton Southeastern B at the Fishers Fuel Tank - Saturday, Nov. 21, at 4:15 pm vs. Brebeuf at the Carmel Skadium. This is the 12th Annual Turkey Bowl to benefit the Wheeler Mission. Please bring a frozen turkey to donate and you can go turkey bowling after the game! - Sunday, Nov. 22, at 12:20 p.m. vs. Hamilton Southeastern B at the Fishers Fuel Tank. Girls Basketball: The Lady Panthers are off to a 1-3 start this season. They suffered a tough loss last Friday night to the Triton Central Tigers, who are currently ranked #1 in the state in class 2A. However, they earned a nice win early in the week against the Trailblazers from University High School. The Lady Panthers will be in action this evening at 6:00 p.m. vs. Indianapolis Lighthouse Academy. Please come out and support your Lady Panthers!
 College Signing: Park Tudor senior Reily Byxbee signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While at PT, she was a 4-year starter and earned the following honors throughout her career: Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved, and ICC All-Conference. Congratulations Reily and go Griffins!
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Throwback Thursday History: Honoring Our Veterans
Did you know that our football field is called 'Memorial Field'? It is so named to honor the memory of Park School students who lost their lives in World War II. When Park School was located on Cold Spring Road, the Park Class of 1960 placed a plaque at its football field commemorating its name "Memorial Field" and to honor its young men who gave their lives for their country. When Park School moved to this campus, the plaque was moved and the current football field now bears the name of its predecessor - Memorial Field.
 The plaque reads: Park Memorial Field Dedicated to the Park Boys who gave their lives that this nation might live. Herbert Bruce Munro '30 Charles Edwin Remy '34 David H. Sherwood '39 Donald V. Golay '37 Thomas Taggart Young '39 Vachel W. Anderson '41 Carleton E. Palmer '42 Wesley Hare, II '43 Park Tudor graduates continue to serve their country in all branches of the armed forces.
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Legacy Initiative Looking for Wartime Correspondence
The annual observance of Veteran's Day reinforces the importance of recognizing our veterans and saving their stories for posterity. Sparked by an article in "Dear Abby," beginning in 1999, Upper School social studies teacher Kathryn Lerch has worked with students to collect and publish collections of wartime stories and letters. From the start, members of the Park Tudor community have loaned letters, diaries and other artifacts to help on this project, which has evolved into the Legacy Initiative Project - a project well-recognized in the PT community and beyond. There have now been six volumes in the Words of War: Wartime Memories anthology series, which also incorporates oral histories from veterans interviewed by Park Tudor students. Students are currently working on oral history accounts from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and will also add some WWII, Korean and Vietnam war accounts this year. The seventh volume of Words of War will be published during the 2016-2017 school year. Please consider loaning the Legacy Initiative any letters, photos, or other wartime materials (they may be written in a different language or come from other nations). Ask neighbors, relatives and friends if they have collections or even one item to share. We will keep your precious items safe, we will digitize photos, letters, etc., and even provide CDs of scans to the donor if desired. The opportunity for students to work with such special materials is exceptional and an experience they remember long after they graduate. Please contact Kathryn Lerch (klerch@parktudor.org or 415-2880) if you have materials to loan or suggestions of veterans to interview. All volumes in the Words of War series are available for purchase in the LockerShop. |
Advertise in the 2015-2016 PT Chronicle!
The yearbook staff is hard at work on the 2015-16 edition of The Chronicle - the 111th edition. In order to publish the Upper School yearbook in full color, we must raise additional funding. While we have several fundraising events planned throughout the school year, we are seeking additional assistance from the Park Tudor community. One of the ways families can help is by placing an advertisement in The Chronicle. More than 400 recipients of the yearbook will see your ad and it's a great way to reach new customers. A page sponsorship is a very popular way to support the yearbook. With a contribution of $50, your name will be featured on a two-page spread of your choice. Click here for the ad order form; forms are due by Friday, December 11. |
LockerShop Item of the Week: "Ugly" Holiday Sweatshirt
 Have an ugly sweater party to go to this holiday season? We have something for you to wear! "Ugly" holiday sweatshirts are now available in the Park Tudor LockerShop, along with other winter items like hats and jackets. The LockerShop is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
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PT Photos
Don't forget to check out PT Photos throughout the year for photos of events. You can also follow PT on Facebook and Instagram.
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Park Tudor School Mission
To create an inspiring college-preparatory learning environment, with exceptional educators and extraordinary opportunities, that prepares and motivates students to become balanced, confident, and resourceful lifelong learners.
Editor: Cathy Chapelle '87
Editorial Staff: Cassie Dull
Graphic Design & Layout: Stefanie Dean '05
The deadline for submissions to the Times is Monday at 9 a.m. for publication on Thursday. Because of the volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee publication in the same week, but date-sensitive information will receive priority.
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