Mes Amiesthe innovation issue

a publication from Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart

spring 2011 issue \ 3

W hat do you get when you

mix taco grease with

Lake Forest’s Woodlands

Academy of the Sacred Heart students

and Loyola University’s Community

Outreach Program? Smarter students

with stomach aches, perhaps, but

when the university loans its biodiesel

processor, you get fuel for buses and

glycerol for soap.

Last summer, Linda Tilton, a

Woodlands science teacher, learned

that Loyola had a grant from the

Environmental Protection Agency

to build and loan the equipment

to schools to teach students how

biodiesel is made. This semester

about 50 students from Woodlands’

Chem Club and her chemistry and

environmental science classes are

learning the process and its impact.

Zach Waickman, head of the Loyola

program, met with students and

explained the program, science

behind it, and global impact biodiesel

can have. They were almost off and

running.

Leann Lyden, a senior from Lake

Forest and in Tilton’s first-semester

environmental science class, was

excited about “green” energy and

said, “We knew from experience about

biodiesel fuel from the buses in Chicago,

and we were excited to get involved in the

process.” First, they needed something

to process. Major agribusinesses

would use switch grass or corn but

Tilton said, “We want the kids to see

that we can take waste product and

make it into something that is useful and

reusable.”

Tacos el Norte in Libertyville donated

two gallons of waste vegetable oil. “It

was very interesting. Different odors,”

the instructor commented. She

received four gallons from McDonald’s

on Waukegan Road in Lake Forest and

the rest from the school’s kitchen.

“It was cool that we could use

something average that we use every

day and turn it into something that

can power things,” said Kate Flint, a

senior from Lake Forest, and a student

in last semester’s environmental

science class.

Added Tilton, “It cost my husband and

me a little elbow grease to clean it all up

afterwards,” but otherwise it was free,

and it saved eight gallons from going

to a landfill. Students would separate

this into biodiesel for fuel and glycerol

or fat. “It’s expensive to create, hard to

find, and expensive to buy the vehicles

and machinery which run on it,

however, Loyola does it,” said Tilton.

“They’ve converted lawnmowers and

other equipment, and the buses they

drive on campus.”

“What makes fuel bad is that

when you burn any fuel, you make

carbon dioxide. When you burn

petroleum, it’s from carbon that’s

been sequestered in the Earth for

thousands of years,” said Tilton. “If

you burn a fuel that was produced

from plants on the surface, the carbon

dioxide was already there on the

surface, so you’re not adding any extra

to the atmosphere.”

Lyden was impressed “how something

as simple as that (vegetable oil)

really can help the environment and

it doesn’t affect the environment as

much as gasoline.”

At the beginning of the course, some

of Tilton’s senior-year students had

aspirations of becoming a lawyer or a

writer, but by the end, she said, “they

could see themselves tying this into

law or any other kinds of majors they

would try in college.”

Flint’s goals were sharpened by

the program. “I wanted to go into

engineering before the class and it

definitely solidified that I want to go into

environmental engineering,” she said.

By Steve Handwerker/Reprinted by

permission of the editor, Lake Forest-

Lake Bluff Patch at Patch.com.

SuStainable SolutionS: WA StudentS BreW BiodieSel, FocuS cAreer intereSt

With the Loyola processor, students

put the vegetable oil through a

multi-day process of heating, mixing

with potassium hydroxide (lye), and

spraying it with water to wash and

“dry” the oil, all to separate it from

water and other impurities. Then, it

was hand-cranked through a very

fine filter into containers.

They created almost six gallons of

a low-quality but usable biodiesel.

Woodlands has no machines which

could run on it, so it’ll be donated

to Loyola.

The Process

Photo courtesy of sTeve HandWerker

proud members of the only all-girl team, eight Woodlands students came in 13th out

of 24 at the recent Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Math Competition. It was

Woodlands’ first involvement in this contest, which included five 20-minute rounds:

algebra, geometry, advanced math, problem solving, and a team round. Congratulations to

our very bright pioneer competitors!

the middle school-age girls built skyscrapers from paper, utilized estimation skills,

and recreated distance vs. time graphs using CBR motion detectors in conjunction with

graphing calculators.

It was all part of the January 22 Mathalon hosted by Woodlands’ Math Department—a

morning of math challenges designed to encourage young girls to pursue studies in

mathematics. Teams of three girls each ventured to stations in Woodlands’ new multi-

million dollar Science Center and elsewhere to solve problems and hone skills.

Awards were given to the top three finishers at the event’s conclusion. Lake Forest

Country Day School took First Place, Saints Faith, Hope & Charity of Winnetka earned

Second Place, and Lake Bluff Middle School came in Third.

Thomas Lane, Ph.D.it is chemistry that makes possible extraordinary innovations in the pharmaceutical,

textile, and cosmetics industries, to name a few, Dr. Thomas Lane told his audience. It is

chemists who develop flame retardant materials for firefighters, heat shields for space

craft, and long-lasting lipstick. Chemists can help solve the problems of adequate food supply,

clean water, and other challenges facing the world.

An engaging speaker whose lively and fact-filled presentation included poking fun at his

own bow tie and bare head, Dr. Lane delighted his audience with compelling evidence

of the importance of chemistry. The immediate past President of the American Chemical

Society, Dr. Lane is a chemist and former director of global science and technology

outreach at Dow Corning Corporation who earned his Ph.D. in Physical-Organosilicon

Chemistry from The Open University, Milton Keynes, England.

Woodlands Academy’s celebrating women in science welcomed Dr. Lane in

commemoration of 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry as well as the 100th

anniversary of Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Lynne Lieux, RSCJin january, Lynne Lieux, RSCJ, Headmistress of Schools of the Sacred Heart, Grand

Coteau, Louisiana, addressed the Woodlands community as a guest in the celebrating

women in science Speaker Series. Her topic, “My Life as a Physicist, an Educator, and a

Religious of the Sacred Heart,” provided all gathered a glimpse into her journey and how

the paths she chose in her educational and religious life led here to where she is today.

Following her presentation, Sister Lieux enjoyed a luncheon in her honor attended

by Woodlands alumnae. Pictured with Sister Lieux (second from right) are (from left)

Marni Soderland Mans ’90, Allison Mitchell Solomon ’91, Chelsea White ’09, Woodlands

Academy Alumnae Board President Maureen Hogan Lang ’56, and Helen Bruns Ryan ’50.

Celebrating Women in Science

WoodlandS StudentS represented

greece at the Model united nations

Conference of the university of Chicago

(MunuC) in February at the palmer House.Head of ScHool gerald grossman

presents Caitlin L. McCarthy ’13 with

the sophomore Class Honor award

for maintaining the highest scholastic

average for the semester.

cHelSea fuente ’11 (right) earned a spot on the coveted 2010-11 daily Herald Leadership Team. Christina Osorio ’11 (left)

earned Honorable Mention.

around the halls

sCienTisTs CaTaLyze sTudenT THOugHT

MsOe MaTH COMpeTiTiOn

MaTHaLOn

Karly anderSon ’12 received her Woodlands signet ring and affectionate congratulations from Margaret young ’11 and

Hannah Wilson ’11 at Junior ring Ceremony.

5

in Honor of Her 75tH birtHday,

the Woodlands Community presented

sister patricia “patsy” reiss, rsCJ with

Feast Wishes, a sacred Heart tradition

which includes gifts of song, cards, and

expressions of gratitude.

ten international sacred Heart exchange students from sacré Coeur vienna joined Woodlands

art students for docent tours of the Milwaukee Museum of art.

nellie forbuSH (gabi Carrillo ’12) exchanges

words with emile de Becque (allyson genger ’11)

in Woodlands’ high-energy performance of South

Pacific.

malena writes, “I work for Chicago

Public Schools, and I teach severely and

profoundly handicapped children with

autism ages 6-7. It is a challenging and

difficult job, but it is one that I am strongly

committed to. I chose to teach students with

special needs because I wanted to show them

hope, joy, and especially love.

“The love of my teachers at Sheridan Road

and Woodlands influenced my choice of

profession, and I wanted to bring that love

to students in need. No day is easy, and

being a teacher of my students requires a

great deal of skill, patience, courage, but

most importantly love. My dream always

was to be a Sacred Heart educator, but

through my faith I realized that I did not

have to work in a Sacred Heart school to

be a Sacred Heart educator. I can spread

the vision of Madeleine Sophie and the

aspects of ‘Life at the Sacred Heart’ in

my work at other schools. I can show the

importance of God’s love through my actions

and love for my students.”

kathryn writes, “In April 2009, I

graduated from the University of Michigan

with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical

Engineering, and prior to graduating

I was hired by Shell Oil as a drilling

engineer. I started full time work in

Denver, Colorado in June 2010 and now

work as a drilling foreman on a natural

gas rig in Wyoming.

When I am not in Wyoming, I spend most

of my time in Colorado, which gives me

an opportunity to enjoy skiing, biking,

and hiking.”

amy writes, “I received international

recognition for my senior thesis at

Colorado College, which showed that

over time, women are forced not only

to overcompensate and over-perform

for equal affirmation in the classroom,

but also that they come to find their

voices in different ways from men,

pushed into passive positions through

the use of low-status markers called

backchannel responses.

“After graduating, I was hired as a legal

assistant for the Federal Public Defenders

Office in Los Angeles when I worked with

defendants on Death Row and illegal

immigrants. Later, I began to focus solely

on creative projects in music and film. I

have worked on over 25 films, including my

own music video that went ‘viral,’ getting

20,000 hits. I just found out that I have been

accepted into USC Film School, the most

competitive film program in the world, and I

will work on my MFA in Film and Television

Production specializing in Directing.”

New Strategic Plan Charts Course

Alumnae Spotlight

the goals implement the following Vision for our

Future: That we will be providing our students with an exceptional all-girls education, and there will be

excellence in all we do.

to Have a World claSS faculty

it is our intent to attract and retain exceptional

faculty by offering a generous compensation

package and by providing substantive opportunities

for professional development.

to offer a global education

it is our intent to educate our students to be

global citizens and members of the global

community through a broader curriculum,

more varied opportunities for exposure to the

world outside of Woodlands, and outside of

the united States—building on the potential

the international Sacred Heart network offers

as well as the potential of a renovated, vibrant

Boarding School with students from around the world.

to acHieve a Strong financial poSition

it is our intent to develop predictable financial

stability for the school—building on a diversity

of income sources, while also ensuring we have a

robust endowment.

three task Forces, one for each goal above, began

work in February to develop a sense of what it

would look like to accomplish the goal and what the

primary steps would be to get there.

the Strategic Planning process identified seven

core Values, values lived every day and recognized

by all constituents: that Woodlands Academy of

the Sacred Heart is a faith-based community with a

moral structure; that there is a culture of excellence

– academic, and otherwise; that this is single sex

education, empowering women; that there is a

commitment to service; that Woodlands offers global

connections and opportunities; that this education is

of the whole person; that diversity is a priority.

Reunion Weekend 2011 reunion weekend begins Friday, september 30 | Celebrating class years

ending in 1s and 6s | Honoring special guest Fran de la Chapelle, rsCJ, Head

of school 1983-1991 | please visit www.woodlandsacademy.org for details.

New E-News Letter enjoy our first issue of Branchée launching this month and arriving in your inbox.

Emails Needed please help Woodlands be green by updating your email address.

kindly send updated information to ljashelski@woodlandsacademy.org.

MaLena BOyLe ’00 aMy reedy ’04kaTHryn BaTeMan ’04

Following participation from all constituent groups of the school community, last december The Board of Trustees of Woodlands academy of the sacred Heart unanimously approved strategic goals for the year 2016.

“As a drilling foreman, no

two days are alike. My main

responsibilities include managing

safety and coordinating the

many moving parts of a fully-

functioning gas rig.”

Attention Alumnae!

Karly anderSon ’12 received her Woodlands signet ring and affectionate congratulations from Margaret young ’11 and

Hannah Wilson ’11 at Junior ring Ceremony.

“

NoN-Profit org

U.S. PoStage

PaidPermit No. 93

Lake foreSt, iL 60045

All-girl schools develop leaders

…Our 21st-century knowledge economy

requires new basic skills of all learners:

Critical thinking/problem solving;

collaboration/leading by influence;

agility and adaptability; initiative and

entrepreneurialism; effective oral and

written communication; the ability to

assess and analyze information; curiosity

and imagination. As the head of an all-

girl school…I am struck by how female-

centric many of these critical 21st-century

skills are. What a unique position all-girl

schools are in to further develop those

innate strengths.”

“We already know that current graduates

of all-girl schools have the edge on their

peers graduating from co-educational

institutions. Graduates of single-sex

high schools have superior academic

engagement, higher SAT scores, greater

interest in graduate school, higher

academic self-confidence, higher

confidence in mathematical ability

and computer skills, greater interest

in engineering careers, a stronger

predisposition toward co-curricular

engagement, and greater political

engagement than their peers graduating

from co-educational high schools. Though

graduates of all-girl schools represent only

a small fraction of all secondary school

graduates, 25 percent of women in Congress

and 33 percent of women Fortune 500 board

members attended all-girl schools.”

“By capitalizing on girls’ innate strengths

we can guarantee their success well into

the future. The 21st-century survival skills

of collaboration and communication are

grounded in the ability to empathize — a

skill for which girls’ brains, according

to experts, are hard-wired. In addition,

their egalitarian communication style

is focused on consensus building and,

thereby, more collaborative in nature.”

“…[Girls’ schools] foster an atmosphere

where girls speak out. Paradoxically, the

same school culture fosters a reverence

for collaboration: Partnerships thrive in an

atmosphere where everyone is heard.

As skills in initiative-taking and critical

thinking grow in importance, all-girl

schools provide the critical environment

necessary for girls to master these skills.”

“At Stuart Country Day School [and at

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart],

girls lead every club and every student

organization: The senior class president is

a girl. Field hockey is the most important

fall sport — not football. And in the

classroom, girls are at the center of every

discussion. Over time, day by day, this

atmosphere makes a profound difference.”

Dr. Fagin has 35 years of experience in the field

of education. She earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum

and Instruction from the University of North

Carolina at Greensboro and holds an Education

Specialist Degree in Secondary and Special

Education Administration from the University

of Missouri, a Master’s Degree in Media

Communications with Honors from Webster

University and a Bachelor’s Degree with

Highest Honors from Fontbonne College.

3x

1/3

15-22

13%

75%

90%

40

80

48%

Excerpts from an article written by Dr. Patricia L. Fagin, Head of School Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Princeton, New Jersey.

CongéSaturday, April 30, 2011

*sTay COnneCTed 24/7 WiTH Woodlands Academy 2.0Follow us on Twitter, become a Facebook fan, enjoy video on Woodlands Academy Tube,

engage in discussions on The WA Blog, and much more.

Click Woodlands Academy 2.0 at the bottom of any page on our website for quick

access to all the Woodlands Academy Web 2.0 offerings!

Save theDate

Woodlands academy of the sacred Heart

cordially invites you to the 38th annual

Congé on saturday, april 30, 2011.

This year’s theme, The power of dreams,

kicks off at 6:00pm with cocktails and the

silent auction. dinner, Live auction and

paddle raise for scholarship begins at

7:30pm. Tickets are $160 per person.

sponsorship opportunities are also

available. Cocktail attire required.

The Woodlands academy Mothers Club

sponsors this annual event to benefit

Woodlands academy.

For more information, contact Tami rocha,

Woodlands academy event Coordinator, at

847-234-4300 x226 or visit our website at

woodlandsacademy.org.

inside THe nuMBersThe Benefits of an All-girls Education

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Girls perform between 15 and 22 percentile points higher on standardized tests when they attend all-girls schools.

Percentage of girls’ school alumnae who excel in leadership roles after high school.

of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.

Girls a

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sexual h

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ffects a

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co

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hig

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Students who attended single gender schools earned higher SAt scores, outscoring their coed counterparts by 40 points.

in sc

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nd

math

, girls’ sc

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).

Percentage of girls in single gender classes who scored proficient on the Florida comprehensive Assessment test (FcAt), as compared to 59% of girls in coed classes.

Perc

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