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Supervisor Doreen Farr Honors Midland Students |
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3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr recognized Midland School students who volunteered for Project Healthy Neighbors in Santa Barbara recently. Project Healthy Neighbors is a mobile medical clinic that provides services to homeless and near-homeless individuals by offering a range of services in one place. For 3 days, Midland students walked participants through the process and also handed out shoes donated by Soles 4 Souls.
Farr thanked the students for their time, participation, and for including social justice in their actions. She also commended the entire school for its sustainable practices, such as organic gardening and solar installations, which she indicated are so important in our society today.
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| Head of School Will Graham introduces Doreen Farr |
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Lise Goddard Receives Educator of the Month Award from Montecito Bank & Trust |
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 On Wednesday, February 24, 2010, Lise Goddard, Midland’s Director of Environmental Programs and chemistry teacher was awarded the Valley’s Educator of the Month Award. Monica Trouve-Sapp, President, and Larry Edwards, Investment Officer/Portfolio Manager, of the Montecito Bank & Trust Valley Oaks Branch in Solvang, presented the award. Lise earned her B.A. from Stanford University and her M.A. from UCSB. She spent a year studying and working in the Caribbean and taught biology and coached crew at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware. With her husband Jeff and identical twin sons, Ziggy and William, she is delighted to be in a boarding school community, especially one that embraces using the natural world as the classroom. Jeff is a research biologist at the Marine Science Institute at UCSB and enjoys identifying native and non-native plants on Midland’s property with Ziggy and Will.
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Presentation by Chumash Language Apprentices |
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 Four Chumash Language Apprentices gave a presentation to Midland students and faculty recently. Speaking on topics ranging from medicinal plants and the Tomol crossing of the Santa Barbara Channel to language recovery and cultural programs to material culture and the importance of inculcating Chumash youth with a sense of pride in their cultural identity, the apprentices kept a rapt audience for almost two hours. Nakia Zavala, Cultural Programs Director for the tribe, gave a power point presentation about the different linguisitic and cultural programs being implemented by the tribe. Frank Dominguez (pictured) showed off the different headdresses, flutes, whistles, weapons, and art work that he has made and spoke of how the recovery of the language and the culture helps heal what he calls the "intergenerational trauma" of culture loss and forced relocation suffered by the Chumash and other native peoples. Carmen Sandoval spoke of the different plants and their uses among the ancient Chumash and the Chumash today. Tom Lopez spoke of his experience as a Tomol paddler for several years and the different hazards and the profound meaning that the crossing of the channel has for different Chumash peoples. After the presentation students and faculty had many questions and after the presentation students continued to talk to the speakers until the 9:45 bell rang!
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Experiential Week |
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One week in February, Midland changes gears for what we call Experiential Week. We have a page devoted to the work the students are doing here, but here are some synopses of what the students were up to: Seniors: As part of the work towards their Senior Theses, each senior selects a field they would like to know more about and arranges a one-week apprenticeship. This off-campus experience is designed to give each student specific and concrete insight into both their papers and to their career interests. Juniors: Each Midland junior partakes in a two-week homestay with individual families in Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico.
Sophomores: After a couple of difficult days hiking and camping in rainy, cold, and windy Joshua Tree, sophomores are now beginning to work on their solar project. This year, the class will be installing an array at the northeast end of the campus to help power the school's well and filtration system. Check back here soon for photos of their work.
Freshmen: Pinhole cameras and an investigation into the idea of "Home" are the focus for the 9th graders this week. After learning the basics of camera operation, they designed simple pin-hole cameras out of black foam core, and are taking photos that represent their idea of home. They're learning about negatives and positives, developing and printing. To augment their work, they are doing a substantial amount of writing, and they will produce both visuals and written pieces. The following photos show a bit of the process of what the frosh are going through this week, and click to see a video of the freshmen and faculty at work.   Micah measures and cuts the foam core (l); Faith takes a look at Emmet's pin-hole camera (r)Chris explains how a pin-hole camera "sees" (l); Pebbles lines up her first photo (r)
Gillian shows off a negative and a print (l); Emma begins a poem based on a photo she's taken of oranges (r)
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Midland Faculty Double as Trail Runners |
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Faculty members Don and Jill Redl and Martina Svennungsen participated in a Pacific Coast Trails race recently at beautiful Montana de Oro State Park outside of Morro Bay. Martina and Jill ran the 12K (with 2,000' of elevation gain), and finished 1st and 2nd in their age group! Don found himself in the 50K (that's not a typo) race, which had 6,000' of elevation gain. He finished in 5 hours and change, and somehow, was smiling at the end of the race. (The webmaster wanted to link "Don Redl" to Superman's website, but Don, um, coerced him not to.) Good work, teachers! |
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Midland Community Mourns Passing of Kathy Munger |
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Adored and respected by anyone ever associated with Midland School, Kathy Munger passed peacefully on Wednesday, February 3 at her home in Inverness, CA. Kathy arrived at Midland in the early 60s with her husband Carl, and they stayed until 1980, after Carl's 10 years of service as Midland's third head of school. Two of her children are Midland graduates, and two grandchildren. Our thoughts and best wishes are with the Munger family. A spring service at Midland is being considered; check back here for details. A photo of Carl and Kathy in 1970 (l); Kathy on a recent visit to Midland (r)
Leading a song at the 2007 Thanksgiving (l); speaking at granddaughter Nora's graduation in 2007 (r, Nora in red)
The following is from a recent Midland parent, and speaks for all of us: "Words and a simple condolence card are inadequate for the news of Kathy Munger’s death.
"Helen Keller said, 'What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose for all that we love deeply become a part of us.' As my daughter Sophia '09 said at the news, 'She IS Midland.' And as Midland holds Kathy and her legacy deeply, she will always be a part of it.
"While feeling a bit blue is appropriate, so much more, I think, is the celebration of her legacy and the new responsibilities we all have in her absence. Taking on those responsibilities will also be a part of the celebration. I feel so privileged to be connected to opportunities that she fostered in [this] institution." --Suzanne Reading, parent of Sophia '09
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Fundraising for Children in Nepal |
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I am a senior at Midland School. Last summer, I spent 5 weeks working at a day care center for kids in Kathmandu, Nepal. The day care center is named Orchid Garden Nepal (OGN). The kids at the day care center average 1-2 years old. They are absolutely gorgeous. I helped feed, clean and take care of the kids in many ways. I realized that they don't just need good food, nice clothes, and warm homes. They need a lot of attention and love. However, their living condition is really poor. I visited 8 homes which are in extreme poverty. One of the saddest scenes I've ever seen was when I saw a single mother living with her two daughters in an area much smaller than my cabin without a bed. I had many conversations with the president of OGN, Bina Basnet, and became friends with her. She is a single mother, too. She has two daughters, one of whom is adopted. She also has a son at the age of 17. The work she is doing is incredible, but she is using her own resources to keep the organization going, which is extremely hard in a country like Nepal. I was determined to help them. In Nepal, a minimum cost for food is 2000 Rupees (approximately $26 US dollars). However, many families only earn 3000 Rupees a month or even less. A whole year's tuition for a kid to go to private school is $300 US dollars, including the uniform and textbooks. Also, OGN is building a preschool because in Nepal, only the kids from wealthy families can afford a private education. Poor kids can only go to public schools with poor facilities. Since the beginning of this year, after I had done all my college applications, I started raising funds for OGN with classmate Inochi Fukui. I gave a presentation in Chapel talking about my fundraising project and the kids and their families that I worked with over the summer. The first thing I did after the presentation was prepare a traditional Chinese dinner. I prepared all the food, including a pork dish, a chicken dish, two vegetarian dishes, and a soup. Inochi made cookies and we showed a movie. The dinner generated $201, and the total amount we raised was $310. $270 will go to the preschool project and improve the food at the day care center for the kids. $40 of the donation, at the request of Mara Gabriel '11, will be given to a family that I talked about in my presentation. We are looking forward to raising more money, and also wish to find sponsors who are willing to sponsor kids to go to school, which would really change their lives. We are looking forward to generating more funds in the future. Please contact me if you have questions or need more information. Sincerely, You can also search for "The Orchid Foundation" on Facebook
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| Yuchen and Inochi cooking the Chinese dinner at Midland to raise funds |
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When Art Meets Science |
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Art teacher Johnny Ninos and Physics teacher Chris Rea accompanied students, William Johnston-Carter '10, Anna Moiseyeva '13, Nessa Ryan '11, and Peter King '12 along with curious faculty members Paul Gelles and Marguerite Graham to view the David Bermant Collection at the Bermant family ranch in Santa Ynez. This pre-eminent private assemblage of kinetic art exemplifies what can happen when art and physics meet. Although this is a private collection, the Bermant Foundation generously opened the gallery for a Midland tour. Many thanks to Katherine and the Foundation for hosting these inspired Midlanders!   Watching a ceiling exhibit of neon light (left); William controls television art by voice (right)
  A group favorite by George Rhoads (left); Dancing magnets (right)
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Visiting Artist Teaches Basket Making |
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The Foundations in Visual Art students had a treat recently. Visiting the US from Denmark, basket weaver Steen Madsen shared his passion and expertise in working with willow. Showing images of his work along with hands-on demos on the basics of the craft, students came away with their own willow soap dishes and other creative pieces. We were lucky enough to have Steen visit Midland after teaching a 5-day practicum to Cal Arts' students in Los Angeles. In addition to willow basketry, Steen's other works involve large scale outdoor installations, and 'Dionysian Stage,' a 14-foot willow nest that he helped Martin Kersels, artist and father of Kirby Kersels '13, fabricate for a show at the Pompidou Center in Paris. See his amazing collection of work. Thank you so much, Steen, and thanks to Kirby's parents, Mary Collins and Martin Kersels for arranging this special visit.
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| Steen demonstrates how to make the first ring |
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Sudanese Major General Speaks to Students |
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Major General Maciek, a member of the Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA) visited Midland recently, a special guest of the family of Marcus Schmidt `12. Major General Maciek spoke at length about what the future holds for Sudan. In an entertaining yet sobering lecture, he discussed with Midland's students, which included all of the sophomores (who take World Studies) and others who wanted to hear from him, the difficulties of establishing a lasting peace in Sudan, and other parts of Africa. A magnanimous man and speaker, his experiences and speaking ability made for a wonderfully informative evening, and gave every listener much to think about. Whether the students and adults agreed with his views, he presented a model of not only how complex relations in Africa are (particularly between non-Christians, Christians, and Islamic fundamentalists), but also how one man with a huge heart can work to affect positive change in a bleak landscape charged with tension. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, Major General Maciek.   |
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Midland Surviving Storms |
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Midland students and buildings are weathering the recent storms that are battering the Central and Southern Coasts of California. No classes have been canceled. To prepare for the rain, students and faculty gathered extra wood on Sunday, and made several dozen sandbags to protect certain areas, such as the Library and two faculty homes. Students have been digging canals and ditches around some of the student cabins to divert the rainwater, and thus far (as of Wednesday evening), everything is holding up. Thanks to Ben Munger '79 for thinking ahead and preparing the sandbags, to Chris Waugh for redirecting water with a back hoe, and to Tom Rogowski for constantly checking buildings and the property.
Luckily, the storms have had several lulls, which has allowed the ground to soak up the water, so it's not pooling and flooding like it has in years past. With more rain on the way, we'll stay ready and vigilant. Games for the week of January 18th have all been canceled, and depending on the weather, the same may be true for Friday/Saturday soccer games. Basketball games are on schedule, but subject to cancellation if travel becomes too treacherous. Finally, Alamo Pintado is roaring (relatively speaking), as these pictures attest (they're taken up above the Indian Mounds, on the way to the Grass Mountain trail).
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Thanksgiving at Midland |
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Thank you to all who joined us for a picture perfect Midland
Thanksgiving! With the temperature high of 80 degrees, and sunny skies,
it set the tone for a pleasant celebration.
We stopped and appreciated the moment, we ate an incredible
meal with family and friends, and we enjoyed art, Shakespeare scenes,
soccer games, and the junior class silent auction. Thanks to all who
pitched in to help - especially BG Kresse '68 and Gloria Murillo for
their amazing efforts in the kitchen! Here's a slideshow of the weekend's activities.
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| Anna `13 getting into character |
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Midland Students, Healthy Neighbors |
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About three dozen Midland students, including all of the freshmen, were in Santa Barbara over the course of the week, participating in the Healthy Neighbors project, which helps clothe and supply homeless people.
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Cross Country Teams Race in State Prelims |
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"Corre como el viento!" Both the Boys' and Girls' Cross Country teams competed in the Southern Section Prelims last weekend, held at Mt. SAC in Walnut, CA. This is the third straight prelims for the boys, and the first EVER for the girls. The boys were led, as always, by junior Evan Kidd, who turned in a 16:54, almost 2 minutes faster than his time last year, and good for 10th place in Division V. All seven runners ran their hearts and feet out, and though they won't be moving on, are to be commended for their efforts. Similarly, the girls' team put on a very good show, with all seven runners turning in great times on the hilly course. Both sophomore Phoebe Stokes and senior Tammy Yang finished under 23:00. Coaches Jill and Don Redl and Chris Rea have made this program one of the top in the state. If you're a runner, you should be at Midland! (The photographer apologizes for the lack of girls' photos--he wasn't able to attend this race.)
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Summer Internship Presentation |
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 Thanks to the continued support of a generous alumnus, Midland students have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to partake in an internship during the summer before their senior year. This past summer, William Johnston-Carter earned the scholarship, and spent six weeks at Interlochen in Michigan, studying film. Already an accomplished film-maker (he won a teen movie contest in his hometown last year), Johnston-Carter attests that he learned a great deal at the camp, refining his skills as a screenwriter and as an editor. Congratulations, William, and good work. To see the bulk of his work, search "William Johnston-Carter" on YouTube. |
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A Hauntful Halloween |
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Pumpkins, scary stories in the library, costumes, faculty brat trick-or-treating, and a Halloween Dance, all made for a riveting 31st! Nico, with his bunny Peter dressed up as a bee, was the best costume. Danny and John were the best couple, though no one really knows what they were. And Riley owned the best impersonation category, with his spot-on (and flattering!) take on Dr. Gelles.
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Midland School Awarded California's Highest Environmental Honor |
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Midland School received a 2009 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA). Midland was the only school among 15 organizations honored on September 30, 2009, at the Governors’ Global Climate Summit 2 in Los Angeles, California. GEELA is California's highest and most prestigious environmental honor. The award program recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships.
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Highlights from Midland's 5th Annual Round Up |
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Nearly 2/3 of Midland's families were on hand in early October for the 5th Annual Midland School Round Up. Round Up is a weekend that families come and see their kids in full Midland action, sitting in on classes, watching sports (way to go Mighty Oaks!), having wonderful bbq'd tri-tip, and having an old-timey dance in the Pole Barn. For more images, please click here.
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