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Category: Issue 4

River Poems: A Q&A with Cai Sherley (SC ’19) on Collaborating with Campus School 3rd Graders

Smith College senior Cai Sherley ‘19 designed and facilitated a series of poetry-writing workshops in Campus School third grade classrooms this semester, in collaboration with the Poetry Center, Campus School Curriculum Director, and Smith’s Department of Education. Below, Meghan Wicks of Campus School speaks with Cai in a Q&A about her collaborative process. MW: So tell me a little bit about yourself. What’s your background? What brought you to Smith as a student? CS: “I’m originally from Boston, Massachusetts. My mom’s best friend went to Smith, and I did the summer science engineering program, even though I had no interest in doing…

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Creative Dramatics in the Campus School Spanish Classroom

At 9:30 in the morning on a gray day in early spring, the strumming of a guitar spills from the Spanish classroom at Campus School. Children are in their places on the rug, not sitting criss-cross-applesauce or taking notes, but acting out their roles in the dramatic reenactment of Doña Luna, a traditional children’s story about the moon goddess of the Maya. One hour later, fourth graders jump up and down as they call to their peers in Spanish, roleplaying shop vendors at an open-air market selling self-designed fashions (vibrant colored pencil drawings of vests, corduroys, and skirts) for bargain prices, making…

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Q&A with Geoff Moss ’96, Science Advisor to the Commander, Naval Submarine Forces

Mr. Geoffrey Moss ‘96 currently serves as the Science Advisor to the Commander, Naval Submarine Forces. In this role, he actively engages the broad Naval Research and Development Establishments, along with partners from Academia, Industry and other governmental agencies to identify technological solutions to capability gaps and emerging threats. Prior to this position, he served as an advisor to the Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, aligning, coordinating, and promoting research efforts and key leadership engagements in order to address the unique operational risks and challenges in the Pacific. Mr. Moss is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, having completed both…

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Campus School Chorus: A Connector to Community

“Everyone take a deep breath and relax into the song,” Cindy Naughton tells a gymnasium filled with Campus School chorus members. “Let me hear your beautiful voices!” It is Wednesday at Campus School, and the basketball hoops are raised to the ceiling. A piano abuts the stage in the gym, and rows of chairs are filled with young singers snacking on sandwiches and shuffling through lunch boxes. Children listen attentively as they finish their meals and prepare to sing. Ms. Naughton– who has taught at Campus School for thirty-five years– stands, with a smile, in front of them. For the past eight…

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On Teaching: A Personal Narrative from Campus School Curriculum Director Graeham Dodd, ’08, MAT ’10

Graeham Dodd is the Director of Curriculum Design & Innovation at Campus School. She graduated from Smith College in 2008 and from the Smith Master of Arts in Teaching program in 2010. She taught second and third grade and served as an administrator in the Alexandria City Public Schools outside of Washington, DC from 2010-2018. Here she shares a personal narrative reflection on her path through education, and to Campus School: I started teaching when I was 16. I was working on the weekends as a lifeguard at the YMCA and the aquatics director told me she thought I could teach swimming…

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Kennel Dogs and K-12 Classes: Caitlin Santos ’90 on Her Adventures in Alaska

Caitlin Santos ‘90 inherited the “teaching gene”: her grandparents were educators, as is her father (Smith professor John Brady), two aunts, and several cousins, and her mother, Nancy Brady, spent many years as a beloved children’s librarian at Campus School. After graduating from Northampton High School, Caitlin taught outdoor education, snowboarding, and even dog-mushing, a pastime more popular in Alaska. She and her husband, Mike, moved to Alaska with their kennel of sled dogs, where Caitlin has taught at a school with only 35 students, just outside of Denali National Park. Caitlin’s passion for math is profound, and she believes more students…

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Alex Webb ’08 on Her Path to Environmental Education

Alex Webb graduated from Campus School in 2008. She received her Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA. She now is an environmental educator and plans on continuing to travel while educating and learning about wildlife in the country. Her nature photography has earned multiple publications and awards, including: Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Photo of the Day; Best of College & High School Photography 2018 Honorable Mention; Pennsylvania Amphibian & Reptile Survey Photography Contest Winner; Wildlife Photo of the Day; and Juniata College Calendar Art Contest Winner. Below, she shares how her time at Campus School informs and…

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