In May a reporter from Quartz at Work, a global business news organization owned by The Atlantic, visited Laurel's Butler Campus to observe students in Grades Three through Seven who are part of the school's Adventure Girls program as they participated in their long awaited overnight, representing the culmination of a year of adventures together. The article states that "While this may sound like a run-of-the-mill after-school program or summer camp, there’s an element that sets it apart: Adventure Girls is borne out of research on how girls can build resilience. The program aims to create stress-inducing situations and equip young girls with the tools to get through them. Girls get started young so that they’ll be prepared to handle the pressures of high school, college, and life beyond."
Adventure Girl leaders Shannon Lukz and Chuck Allen are both highlighted in the story, as is Dr. Lisa Damour, Executive Director of Laurel's Center for Research on Girls, who highlights the research initiative Laurel has embarked on in the last eight years to examine the relationship girls have with stress and how to build resilience—the ability to adapt well to adversity.
The article states that "The research findings that Damour uncovered have been crucial for the framework that underpins Adventure Girls and the broader culture at Laurel School. This framework outlines five elements of resilience: creativity, purpose, growth-mindset, relationships, and self-care. Adventure Girls learn these tools in a variety of ways, often through more subtle cues, including the way the adults structure activities and discussions before and after."
The Adventure Girls program is year-round, and meets 12 times each semester. Girls take two to three field trips that involve adventurous activities like kayaking, climbing, or snowshoeing. The program works hard to get parents and teachers on the same page to work toward the same goal—fostering language and behaviors that teach these girls how to handle adversity.
Click here to read the full story.
Cleveland.com recently interviewed Trey Wilson, Laurel School's Director of Strategic Partnerships and Megan Pidcock '21 to learn more about the class 25 students took this past semester led by Denny Young and Steve Lindecke of the Elevation Group--Laurel partners with Elevation Group to produce LaureLive.
The article states that "Large-scale rock concerts have become a summer staple over the past few decades, but few, if any, are largely organized by high school students. That's the case, however, with LaureLive, a two-day concert event that was expected to draw 20,000 people to Laurel School's Butler Campus in Russell Township.
In the piece, Wilson states that "The students learn about things like talent acquisition, contract negotiations and emergency thinking and planning. Like, if there are 10,000 people, how many porta-potties do you need to have?"
Megan said she was aware of the Laurel class that prepares for LaureLive before she applied to attend the school. It was something in which she was eager to take part. "I love music, and I never dreamed of going to a school with this kind of opportunity. The students involved in LaureLive's production can, on show days, work in the VIP lounge, work with youngsters at an educational activities area, or help to make sure the artists are comfortable during their stay, among other tasks."
Click here to read the full article.
In advance of the third annual LaureLive, which took place June 9-10, 2018 at Laurel's Butler Campus, Freshwater Cleveland spoke with Trey Wilson, Director of Strategic Partnerships, to learn more about the important role students play in working with Elevation Group to produce the two-day music festival. The article states that "A festival held at Laurel—consistently ranked as one of the area’s best K-12 schools—couldn’t exist without an educational component. That’s why Denny Young and Steve Lindecke [of Elevation Group] have, since the festival’s start in 2016, co-taught a class at Laurel’s upper school on music management and festival planning."
"They’ve done a terrific job," says Wilson, of the co-teaching team. Students take the class in order to have a role in staging the festival, whether that’s helping stagehands, working the box office, or even providing talent hospitality. "They’re on hand, in the trenches right next to us," said Young.
Students come to the class for the chance to meet big-name musicians, but they stay to learn the intricacies of running a music festival. "What surprises most of the girls is the scope of what goes into creating an event this size and scale,” said Wilson. The class asks students to consider everything from food vendors to marketing to the number of port-a-potties necessary.
Click here to read the full story.
The Cleveland Jewish News recently connected with Valerie Zborovsky '21, for a story titled, "LaureLive Class on Ground Floor of Two-Day Music Festival." Valerie has been working throughout the semester with Elevation Group to learn about all aspects of event production. In the article she states that "her biggest surprise was learning that little details can make a big difference." Trey Wilson, Laurel's Director of Strategic Partnerships, was also included in the story stating that his favorite thing about the LaureLive class is that "the educators use 'the collective adolescent insight,' or the students' own curiosity to drive the discussion and select topics of conversation." Click here to read the full story.
The Chagrin Valley Times visited Laurel's Butler Campus in May to observe The Dig, an annual Grade Seven immersion unit that aims to replicate the Whittlesey tribe site. Hope Murphy, Director of Curriculum for Grades K-8, was included in the piece and stated The Dig was "brought to Laurel about 15 years ago when the school in Shaker Heights purchased the Butler Campus in Russell Township to promote outdoor activities. They lay out the site in grid lines and use the tools that archaeologists use. They collect artifacts and chart the data to put together a map of the dig site, which then gives them the ability to analyze how the artifacts fell in a meaningful way." The Grade Seven teachers collaborated with specialists from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to prepare the mock site and the artifacts, which display cut marks to indicate that stone tools were used to process them. In preparation for The Dig, this year's students heard from Barbara Brown, a paleontologist and Laurel alum who helped discover Lucy, a female pre-hominin of the species Australopithecus afarensis that dates to 3.2 million years old. Click here to read the full story.
The Alumnae Association honored three graduates of distinction at the Distinguished Alumnae dinner on May 17. Cleveland.com recapped the honorees, highlighting the 2018 Distinguished Alumna Award, which was given to Marne Levine '88, COO of Instagram, a position she attained in 2014. Prior to joining Instagram, Levine, for four years, was vice president of global public policy at Facebook. Also being honored with the 2018 Young Alumna of Distinction Award was Tamara Broderick '03, an ITT career development assistant professor at MIT. The third honoree was Kathy Chilcote Pender '55, a community volunteer and psychotherapist. Pender picked up the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. Click here for the full recap.
The News-Herald recently highlighted Jami Morris '21 and her impressive third place finish at this year's Drive, Chip & Putt (DCP) National Finals, which took place on April 1 at the Augusta National Golf Club. Jami competed in the girls 14-15 age division and finished with the best drive of the group, which earned her ten points. She scored an eight in the chip competition and a four in putting. Jami made it through three stages of qualifying to get to Nationals and won her division at the regional at Jack Nicklaus' Muirfield Vollage Golf Club in Dublin, OH. See additional coverage highlighting Jami in Northeast Ohio Golf Online and Cleveland.com.
In March Morgan Goldstein '18 authored a piece in Crain's Cleveland Business where she highlighted how planning, passion and dedication are critical for anyone looking to start a business. Morgan has been a chef for years and started on a professional path from a young age, appearing on the Food Network's "Chopped" in both 2015 and 2016. She is now the chef and founder of MHG Catering and is currently writing and publishing her own cookbook. Morgan is also a member of the Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum. You can read the full story in Crain's here.
Laurel's Director of College Guidance Missy Rose was recently featured in a Cleveland Magazine story titled, "How to Find the Right College for Your High Schooler." In the piece Missy highlights the financial aspect of selecting a college, stating "Don't wait until your child is accepted to her dream college and it's April of her senior year and you say, 'We can't afford this.' The earlier families talk money, the better." She goes on to suggest parents "Have the conversation with your child upfront. There needs to be schools on the list that are highly likely for affordability — and that can be overlooked.”
In the piece, Missy also discusses how your children are watching. Laurel's Center for Research on Girls conducted a study that showed when parents’ expectations are significantly higher than girls’ expectations for themselves, "self-esteem plummets," she points out. "They are watching for signs of approval or disapproval, and that could mean a raised eyebrow, crossed arms, a tone of voice," she is quoted saying. "Most kids want to please their parents, and if they get a sense that certain schools are not OK, it’s tough for them to deal with."
Missy also discusses the importance of stopping at ten applications. "It’s a lot of work to apply to colleges. It takes a lot of time. They need to balance the application process with their courses, their extracurricular activities and for some families, the cost."
Congratulations to the Grade Five, Six and Seven girls who competed in the Greater Cleveland Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCCTM) math competition at John Carroll University and at Hawken School this year. The tournament recognizes interest and perseverance in math outside the classroom, encouraging students to challenge their problem-solving skills in a competitive team format.
Of the three trophies available Laurel teams took all three! Congratulations to all the girls for their hard work and positive outcomes.
- Clare H.
- Sydney M.
- Jazmin R.
- Ella W.
- Gianna M.
- Katie I.
- Eve B.
- Kelly K.
- Kaitlin E.
- Amelia G.
- Lexi C.
- Karma A.
- Riley O.
- Grace G.
- Kate T.
- Shaliz B.
- Krista C.
- Veda P.
- Maria P.
After School and Music Academy
Laurel School happily offers enriched, supervised after school care and classes for children in Early Learners through Eighth Grade from dismissal until 6:00 p.m., on days when school is in session. In order to provide the appropriate setting for each student, the programs are offered by grade level.
Download the After School at Laurel flyer.
Explore our 2018-2019 after school options.
M-F: Supervised Play [Early Learners-Grade 6]
Dates: August 22, 2018 – May 30, 2019
Day: Monday-Friday, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Cost: Variable -- see registration link for details
Supervised Play meets in the Primary and Pre-Primary classrooms at Laurel which are conveniently located near our beautiful playgrounds and spacious Multipurpose Room. Classrooms are divided by grades to offer a quiet space for homework, a relaxing place to read a book, enjoy a snack or place to run and play. This option is open to students enrolled in Early Learners through Grade 6. Note: Supervised Play is only available on days when school is in session.
M-F: Middle School Homework Room [Grades 5-8]
Dates: August 22, 2018 – May 30, 2019
Day: Monday-Friday, 3:30-6:00 p.m.
Cost: Variable -- see registration link for details
The Middle School Homework Room provides a supervised comfortable environment for students when they are not involved in an after-school activity to complete homework, enjoy a snack and a good book or play a relaxing game with a friend. This option is open to Laurel students enrolled in grades 5 through 8. Note: Middle School Homework Room is only available on days when school is in session.
M-F: Music Academy
The Music Academy is a year-long after-school program. Through the Music Academy, Laurel students and their siblings may sign up for traditional private music instruction, Suzuki violin instruction and Rock Band classes. Each Music Academy program consists of thirty lessons, two of which will be recital preparation classes, and two recitals. All lessons take place at Laurel’s Lyman Campus between the hours of 3:30 and 6:00. After School at Laurel offers child care coverage at a discounted rate to Music Academy students on the days of their lessons.
Traditional Private Lessons
Laurel School Music Academy offers private instruction in the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, guitar, piano, voice and flute. Our faculty members are accomplished performers and teachers with advanced degrees from highly reputable universities and conservatories. Many of our teachers are also on faculty at institutions such as The Cleveland Institute of Music, The Music Settlement, and Cleveland State University.
Cost: $1040 for weekly thirty-minute lessons (longer lessons are pro-rated).
Suzuki Program
More than fifty years ago, Japanese violinist Shinichi Suzuki realized the implications of the fact that children the world over learn to speak their native language with ease. He began to apply the basic principles of language acquisition to the learning of music, and called his method the mother-tongue approach. The ideas of parent responsibility, loving encouragement, and constant repetition are some of the special features of the Suzuki approach.
Laurel School Music Academy is pleased to offer Suzuki violin instruction. This after school program consists of weekly private lessons as well as a weekly group class. Suzuki lessons are offered to students ages four and older. Private lessons will be scheduled based on the availability of the teacher, student and parent. Group classes will be held between 3:30 and 4:15 on Friday afternoons.
Cost: $1340 for weekly thirty-minute private lessons as well as weekly group classes.
For additional information, please email Cara Tweed.
MONDAYS: Engineering Club [Girls, K-Grade 5]
Dates: Various four-week modules, September 17, 2018 - May 20, 2019
Day: Mondays, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Cost: $75 per module + one-time $10 fee
Join Classroom Antics Engineering Club! Through each module, kids explore a different type of engineering with a fun curriculum complete with hands-on, take-home projects. During the school year, each module will cover one of the following fields of engineering: mechanical, acoustic, meteorology, chemical, transportation and sports engineering. Designed for kids grades K-5, Engineering Club is the perfect way to introduce or further expose students to engineering concepts and a fun, new way of thinking!
Module 1: Nuts and Bolts (Mechanical Engineering)
September 17-October 15
Module 2: Sounds like Engineering (Acoustic Engineering)
October 22-November 12
Module 3: Wacky Weather (Meteorology Engineering)
November 19-December 10 (Make-up session December 17 if needed)
Module 4: Crazy Chemicals (Chemical Engineering)
January 14-February 10 (Make-up session February 25 if needed)
Module 5: Planes, Trains, and Auto Engineers (Transportation Engineering)
March 4-April 15 (Make-up session April 22 if needed)
Module 6: Gold Medal Engineers (Sports Engineering)
April 29-May 20
TUESDAYS: Little Racquets Tennis [Girls and Boys, Pre-K-Grade 3]
Day: Tuesdays, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
Dates: 11 sessions, September 25 - December 11
Cost: $210
This nationally-renowned program helps students progress through the beginning stages of tennis. Students are engaged in stimulating, playful activities that enhance their physical and emotional abilities.
A minimum of 8 registrants is needed to run program. Maximum enrollment is 16 students.
Classes in May will be held on the outdoor tennis court at Lyman Circle. Please dress for the weather and bring a water bottle!
TUESDAYS: Adventure Girls [Girls, Grades 3-7]
Day: Tuesdays, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Dates: 12 sessions, September 4 - December 4 (overnight campout at Butler on Friday, September 28th)
Cost: $400
Instructors: Chuck Allen, Pre-Primary Physical Education & Experiential Learning / Shannon Lukz, Primary Faculty and Director of the NorthStar Collaborative
Experience the adventure that all of the girls are raving about! Students love their time in Adventure Girls as they cultivate their resilience through challenging games, indoor and outdoor activities, as well as adventure-packed field trips and an overnight camping trip at Butler Campus.
Research shows many benefits to being exposed to “stress episodes” in building resilience. Adventure Girls not only fills that role but also provides many opportunities for providing humor, which has also been proven to “convey intelligence…and confidence”.
The leadership and adventure skills developed in primary and middle school can be applied in our multiage Adventure Girls setting. This is a great way for adventurous 6th and 7th graders to sharpen both adventure, survival and leadership skills. The books The Gutsy Girl by Caroline Paul and Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker are two of the resources used during this semester experience. If you like being strong, courageous, spirited and brave, this is the group for you!
- Minimum enrollment 8 students / Maximum enrollment 40 students
- Meets Tuesday 3:30-5:00 pm. Pick up on Field Trip days 6:30 or 7:00 pm / no additional cost for field trips
WEDNESDAYS: Chinese Exploration [Girls, Grades 1-2]
Day: Wednesdays, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
Dates: 10 sessions, September 5 - November 14
Cost: $200
Instructor: Helen Zhang, Chinese Teacher
Our Chinese Exploratory Class is designed to introduce students to Chinese language and culture through a variety of fun and engaging activities. Immersed in the target language, children will learn Chinese through natural absorption by doing the things they love, movement, songs, games, role-playing, puppet shows, and handicraft. They will also have opportunities to explore Chinese culture from celebrating traditional holidays such as Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year, and doing activities such as calligraphy, watercolor painting, Chinese dancing and games. Our goal is to involve learners in creative and authentic use of the language to help them build their Chinese skills and intercultural intelligence.
THURSDAYS: Junior Adventure Girls [Girls, Grades 1-2]
Day: Thursdays, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Dates: 12 sessions, September 6-December 6 (Late Night at Butler on Friday, November 2nd)
Cost: $400
Instructors: Chuck Allen, Pre-Primary Physical Education & Experiential Learning / Shannon Lukz, Primary Faculty and Director of the NorthStar Collaborative
Junior Adventure Girls will be a modified version of Adventure Girls, continuing the tradition of challenging young girls to be strong independent thinkers and good friends. Most of all, we will have an amazing amount of fun and laugh a lot! We are offering trial sessions of Junior AG on May 8th, 15th and 22nd with the expectation of starting a full semester of Jr. AG in the Fall 2018. The trial session will cost $85 per participant and includes instruction, snack, and one special walking field trip! We will meet in Mrs. Lukz’ room at 3:30pm with pick up being at the pre-primary entrance at 5pm.
If needed, girls may go to After School after Jr. AG. (A small drop-in fee will apply. Please note that After School at Laurel closes at 6:00 pm. To reach the After School Hotline, please call 216-455-0153.)
THURSDAYS: Google Coding [Girls, Grades 4-6]
Day: Thursdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Dates: 13 sessions, September 13 - December 13
Cost: FREE
Instructor: Deva Walker, Pre-Primary and Primary Librarian
Join us each Thursday in Lake Library as students learn computer programming using Scratch. Students practice problem-solving, build their growth mindset, and learn to create, rather than simply consume technology. Students will create projects based on a theme of their choice, and showcase them for friends and family at the end of the semester.
After School at Laurel Terms and Conditions
Days/Times: After School at Laurel follows the standard school calendar. When Laurel School is in session for only half a day or is not in session at all, After School does NOT meet. After School at Laurel does NOT meet on the last day of school.
Pick-Up: Pick-up from all Classes, Supervised Play, and the Middle School Homework Room is in Laurel’s Pre-Primary Circle. Please call 216-455-0153 to have your child escorted to the Pre-Primary door. Late pick-up fees will be levied. Late pick-up = $25 in 15- minute increments past 6:00 p.m. All payment is handled online.
Questions? Contact Tina Ohmart at tOhmart@LaurelSchool.org.
Laurel School reserves the right to cancel any class due to insufficient enrollment, at which time refunds will be given. No refunds or adjustments will be made after classes begin. There are no adjustments, refunds or discounts for absences in Supervised Play, Middle School Homework Room or any classes.