Middle School: Grades 6–8

Each August, Rowland Hall holds Convocation, a traditional gathering that brings our community together to connect, learn, and celebrate the start of a new school year.

This year’s event, held the morning of Friday, August 23, centered around Rowland Hall’s 2024–2025 theme, Joy. In the words of professor and author Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, joy is “the embodiment of, learning of, and practice of love of self and humanity, and care for and help for humanity and the earth. Joy encompasses happiness/smiles, truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, wonder, personal fulfillment, and solutions to the social problems of the world.”

Joy encompasses happiness/smiles, truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, wonder, personal fulfillment, and solutions to the social problems of the world.—Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, professor and author

Convocation has long included speeches by the student body president and a member of the alumni community, but for the first time this year, the annual event also included speakers from the fifth and eighth grades.

“It was important to us to include fifth and eighth graders so that all of the students in attendance, from the Lower School to the Upper School, saw themselves represented in the program,” said Dr. Chandani Patel, director of equity and inclusion. “As our theme is Joy, we thought it made sense for peers to welcome everyone back to school and talk about how they relate to this theme.”

This year’s Convocation speakers included fifth grader Kyeran G., eighth grader Shea G., 12th grader Gemma Ciriello, and alumna Elizabeth Izampuye ’17. Each reflected on what joy means to them and the many forms joy can take, and asked those gathered to look for joy in their own lives and work to create joy for others. Their beautiful words inspired Convocation attendees and illustrated why Rowland Hall prioritizes amplifying student voices.

“Our strategic priorities guide us to be more student-centered in all that we do here at school, and sometimes grown-ups need to step out of the way to let the kids do their thing and shine,” said Dr. Patel.

We invite you to enjoy this year’s Convocation speeches by watching the video below, or click to read the speeches.

Student Voices

Welcome, Winged Lions, to the 2024–2025 school year! We’re so happy you’re here.

The year kicked off on Wednesday, August 21, with Hello Day, where we welcomed students to their first day of classes. On Friday, our community came together for Convocation, an annual gathering at which we celebrate the start of a new year of learning and growth. And on Saturday, we gathered once again for the Back to School BASH, one of our community’s favorite ways to kick off the new year.

We hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy some of the images captured during the first days of school.

Community

For Rowland Hall’s seventh graders, a sense of belonging—and finding that in community—has been a top focus this year.

And at the school’s first annual Belonging Summit, held in May, seventh graders were able to examine how refugees and immigrants find their place in a new home through different aspects of their lives, identities, and cultures. They also explored why belonging is so important in the first place, and how a feeling of belonging is the basis of well-being, learning, and growth.

“It feels way better to belong,” said seventh grader Adrian J. “You have a place where you can be and not feel like you have to worry about anything.”

The summit was the culmination of a year of cross-disciplinary studies in English and world studies that included tutoring work with immigrants and refugees from Horizonte and the Asian Association of Utah. In April and May, the students met with kids from Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center for a series of cross-cultural clinics in dance, soccer, and basketball on Fridays after school. They also interviewed adult mentors from community partners like the International Rescue Committee and the English Language Learning Center who directly serve those who resettle in Salt Lake City and the surrounding communities. In the days leading up to the summit, they worked with artists-in-residence to learn folk arts and traditions from other cultures, like Central African dancing and Ukrainian egg painting. 

“This is an opportunity for these students to work closely with people who are in immigrant and refugee populations in terms of the struggles they have to feel belonging and how that matches or doesn’t match our students’ experiences,” said Dr. Chandani Patel, director of equity and inclusion. “I would hope that it will help them understand that every person’s way of being in the world is very unique to who they are, and culture looks like a lot of different things, and belonging looks like a lot of different things, and it all adds up to a community.”

Groups of students at the summit presented ways to further foster belonging and build community. Some kids highlighted the importance of sports when bringing people together. Another group looked at how language barriers can be overcome. Food was a very popular option, with students not only bringing in dishes to share from their backgrounds, but also teaching others how to make things like tamarind candy. 

“I chose music because when you join together to play music you become a community,” said seventh grader Alex P. “In sixth grade, I took an elective that was about jazz, and I learned that jazz had a very big influence on New Orleans creating communities.”

We want people to be curious. A lot of times we’re scared to ask questions because we are scared of coming off a certain way, but when you understand other people’s perspectives and their backgrounds you can create more good.—Vivian L., class of 2029

In addition to their group presentations, each individual student created a zine about their subject and how it contributes to belonging. The idea came from the fact that zines are currently being used in cities like New York and Portland to communicate with transplanted populations because they are easy and inexpensive to produce.
    
“We talked a lot about how the zines would be a good takeaway for people attending the event,” said English teacher Jill Gerber. “Some of the kids even translated them into different languages specific to the populations at Sunnyvale.”

Many of the presentations not only had zines available for community members to take home, but also information about the partner groups and how to support their efforts. The push wasn’t only about telling people about the work they had done as students, but also about the work that still needs to be done. But the students understood there were hurdles to overcome.

“We want people to be curious,” said seventh grader Vivian L. “A lot of times we’re scared to ask questions because we are scared of coming off a certain way, but when you understand other people’s perspectives and their backgrounds you can create more good.”

The Belonging Summit is one part of Rowland Hall’s efforts to engage students in shaping solutions to the world’s hardest problems. The issue of refugee and immigrant resettlement is a demographic reality in Utah and these students could make a real difference in helping those in need.

“I think the incredible piece was their growth in what it means to be a culturally literate person,” said world studies teacher Margot Miller. “You don’t have to travel the world to get this type of experience. It lives in Utah, and it’s only growing.”

Community

Kendra Tomsic, beloved and legendary director of athletics, is retiring after 32 years at Rowland Hall. It is difficult to quantify the number of student-athletes, coaches, colleagues, and families who have been impacted by Kendra during her time at the school. She’s been a coach, supervisor, and colleague, and she was the first woman in Utah history to serve as president of the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. She’s also been honored in myriad ways at regional, state, and national levels. After more than three decades at Rowland Hall, Kendra is most proud that she had the opportunity to impact young athletes. She made all who worked with her feel supported, heard, encouraged, and empowered, and we wish her all the best in her new chapter. Read Kendra’s retirement tribute.

Diane Guido, Upper School psychology teacher, is retiring after 31 years at Rowland Hall. An institution unto herself, Diane’s three sections of AP Psychology were perennially overflowing. Diane is funny, humble, demanding, a puzzle master, stylish, supportive, and truly dedicated to her students, who do exceedingly well on that AP test. To quote the College Board in 2005, “Your school has been identified as having the strongest AP Psychology course in the world among schools in your size range. No other school had a greater proportion of its student body succeed in AP Psychology.” Diane also worked with many students over the years as our school counselor before going part time a few years ago. We are grateful to have had her all these years. Read Diane’s retirement tribute.

Katie Schwab, third-grade teacher (pictured in banner), is stepping away from teaching after 23 years at Rowland Hall. Katie first taught in the Beginning School for nine years, then moved to the Lower School, where she taught second and third grade. Katie is highly respected, beloved, and admired for her commitment to and skill in supporting children in the fullness of their school experiences. She helps students grow and stretch academically, and masterfully fosters their development of social-emotional and self-regulation skills. She is a trusted guide for families, often for years after their child has been in her class, and a source of counsel and support for colleagues. The parent of two alumni (Alexa ’19 and Zach ’22) and the daughter of Susan Freed ’60, Katie’s connections to our community run deep. She will be sorely missed, and we wish her the best.

Lynelle Stoddard, 3PreK lead teacher, is retiring to care for a grandchild. For 15 years, Lynelle has been a steadfast advocate for our youngest students and their families. She’s provided a calm, caring, and developmentally appropriate curriculum and classroom environment for hundreds of littles, and walked alongside families with compassion and sage advice. Lynelle is an organized, thoughtful, and kind colleague whose conscientiousness and professionalism are admired by everyone. We are sad to see her go, but delighted for her to take on her next adventure.

Christian Waters, director of technology integration, left Rowland Hall in August to pursue a new opportunity in the Park City School District. During his 15 years of distinguished service, Christian taught students across all divisions and acted as an invaluable resource for teachers, administrators, and the Technology Department. Christian was also instrumental in helping us begin to fulfill the promise of our strategic priorities through the expansion of our programs in computer science, coding, and robotics. Thank you, Christian.

Josh Leger, technology systems administrator, left Rowland Hall in January to join Bunnell, where he’s putting his amazing technology and interpersonal skills to work. Josh joined the Technology Department two and half years ago after working for the Operations Department for 12 years in various positions, including director of transportation. Josh was a wonderful asset to the school for years and we wish him well.

Wendell Thomas, director of teaching and learning, is leaving the school to take on new challenges at Colegio Internacional Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela. Wendell and his family have been integral to the Rowland Hall community for the past 10 years. Under Wendell’s leadership, we’ve increased professional development opportunities; created more cross-divisional moments of learning; standardized ways of gathering and reflecting upon student data and feedback; grown teacher leadership through our accreditation process, professional development, instructional coaching, and professional learning communities; and brought in nationally known experts to speak about subjects including feedback, project-based learning, and mathematics. In addition, Wendell has helped us think about cycles of continual improvement, document curriculum, and navigate conversations with grace and positivity. Wendell has also worked with division leadership to support teachers in professional growth cycles and classroom observations, as well as improve upon our hiring practices by being more reflective. Finally, Wendell has stepped in at various times to teach science in the Upper School and TREC in the Lower School, and served as an interim department chair. We will truly miss his research-based approach to best practices and wealth of knowledge.

Mary Swaminathan, 4PreK assistant teacher, is re-retiring after nearly 10 years of service to the Beginning School. After stepping away from teaching during COVID-19, we were delighted to welcome Mary back for an encore performance alongside Isabelle Buhler. During her time at Rowland Hall, Mary has touched the lives of countless kids and families. We’ll miss her deep care, unwavering team spirit, and ever-present good humor for years to come.

Jennifer Nelson, Beginning Band teacher, is leaving Rowland Hall after nine years to spend more time with her family. Jennifer has been teaching the Middle School Beginning Band class since 2015, and in that time has introduced countless students to musical instruments, feeding their love of music and helping to build our successful middle and upper school jazz band programs.

Dani Howe, controller, left the school in December for a new opportunity after eight years of dedicated service. During her time at Rowland Hall, Dani transformed the accounting and control processes of Rowland Hall, improving our finances while working closely with faculty, staff, and students. She gave her time and expertise freely to many projects over the years, and while she is sorely missed we are very happy for the exciting opportunity she has to grow her career.

Gita Varner ’05, project coordinator for athletics, left the school in August after eight years. Gita left an incredible mark at Rowland Hall, thanks to her dedication and unwavering commitment to improving processes. Gita’s contributions enhanced the school in numerous ways, from her time in the Advancement Office to her efforts against COVID-19 to her work to improve the school’s safety protocols. While we were sad to bid her farewell, we’re excited to see Gita embark on a new chapter and comforted by the fact that she continues to help with athletic scorekeeping and stays involved in the school’s alumni events.

Wendy Butler, Lincoln Street Campus librarian, is leaving Rowland Hall after nearly six years. Wendy joined the school in fall 2018 when we lost our librarian after the year had already started. We were fortunate to find Wendy and her wealth of experience as a longtime independent school educator, department chair, and director of global programs. Wendy jumped in with both feet, immediately reorganizing, auditing, streamlining, and generally improving library collections and systems, as well as book displays, make-up testing, and shared-space systems. Wendy was eager to make the library more user-friendly, too, and integral to the redesign process that made it the most popular study and hangout space in the Upper School. Additionally, Wendy taught a variety of offerings in the History Department, most recently adding a new course, AP World History: Modern. We will miss her initiative, collaboration, strategic thinking, and care for all students.

Leslie Czerwinski, Middle School social-emotional support counselor, is leaving Rowland Hall after six years to return to private practice and focus on her family and bike team. Leslie is hardworking, even-keeled, supportive, caring, and fun, and she leads with her heart. She is a strong advocate for all students, supporting them and their families without hesitation. A motto Leslie has spread across the Middle School is: What you feed will grow. Leslie has nurtured and strengthened our community and culture and is leaving us a stronger and more inclusive space.

Kerrie Smith, associate director of admission, is leaving Rowland Hall after six years to pursue other opportunities. During her time at the school, Kerrie worked across all divisions. She contributed to college counseling at the Upper School and was part of the Admission Team for the Beginning School and Lower School communities. She assisted many families with the admission process. We appreciate Kerrie's work with students, families, and colleagues over the past few years and wish her success in her future endeavors.

Collin Wolfe, McCarthey Campus PE teacher, will be relocating closer to family after six action-packed years on the beginning and lower schools’ PE faculty. Collin has made a meaningful mark on the lives of countless kids and families with his fun-loving approach and dedication to this community. In addition to his truly excellent teaching, we’ll miss his cheerful greeting at the Lower School doors each morning, colorful Color Day rotation reminders, and wicked dance moves (as seen in countless COVID-era PE videos).

Jen Bourque, fifth-grade teacher, is stepping away from Rowland Hall to focus on her growing family. Jen taught fifth grade for five years and has had an enormous impact on the curriculum and team. Apart from being an excellent teacher and colleague, Jen has led lots of important work in DEI as a consistent and committed member of the Belonging@RH group, and she launched and led SEED Seminars over the last two years for faculty at Rowland Hall, The McGillis School, and Park City Day School. We will miss Jen’s sense of humor, quick wit and insight, and extraordinary work ethic, and wish her all the best in this new chapter of her life.

Jill Gerber, seventh-grade English teacher, is leaving Rowland Hall after four years. Jill brought to the Middle School a wealth of experience, a love of learning, and a strong, student-centered vision. She is hardworking and self-motivated, especially when it comes to supporting our diverse student body and collaborating with colleagues on interdisciplinary and problem-based curricula. Jill has been on numerous faculty committees and led a variety of professional development sessions. Although her colleagues will miss her, her students are most saddened to see her leave as she is a fearless advocate for them and supports all of their endeavors in the classroom, on the volleyball court, or while playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Cheryl Chen, fourth-grade teacher, is moving on to a new professional adventure after three years at Rowland Hall. Cheryl moved to Salt Lake City a few years ago after teaching in the Compton Unified School District in California for several years across a number of grade levels. We are grateful to Cheryl for her work with students, families, and colleagues these last few years and wish her all the best in the future.

Quincy Jackson ’16, 4PreK assistant teacher, is stepping away from teaching after this year. Quincy spent three years serving in our kindergarten and PreK programs, and also spent several years supporting Extended Day. In addition to Quincy’s many contributions in the classroom, she served for two years as the Beginning School’s divisional equity coordinator. We are grateful for her work in each of these roles and wish her the best.

Jane Singleton, Middle School academic support coordinator, is leaving Rowland Hall to embrace new adventures. Jane joined the Middle School community three years ago, transforming our learning support program and proving to be an invaluable resource to students, families, and faculty. The Middle School has benefited greatly from Jane’s organizational systems, attention to detail, and data-driven approach to supporting students. Our academic support program has not only grown in the number of students supported, but has also become more equitable, supporting all students with executive functioning and metacognition as well as teachers with differentiation. Jane will be missed.

Lexi Kemp, third-grade teacher, is leaving Rowland Hall after two years to teach middle and upper school history at Waterford. Lexi has been a warm and engaged colleague, developing strong relationships with his third graders. We wish him all the best as he shifts to teaching older students.

Nicholas Renzo, director of people operations, left the school in November to pursue new adventures. We’re thankful to Nicholas for his hard work leading our Human Resources Department and for the HR expertise he provided during his year and a half at the school. Many improvements were achieved under his leadership, including the announcement of enhanced benefits for 2024. We wish Nicholas all the best.

Beth Singleton, director of auxiliary programs, resigned in August after a year and a half at the school to relocate to the Southeast. Beth did a terrific job in her short time at Rowland Hall, inspiring and cheering on her team and working to create a vibrant and growing summer program after COVID-19. We appreciate all that she brought to the school.

Carlos Eyzaguirre, entrepreneurship teacher, is leaving Rowland Hall after a year. Carlos played a critical role in the Upper School this year, where he helped launch two new business and entrepreneurship courses. Carlos’s own experience founding start-ups and working in investment management provided invaluable experience for his students, whether they were developing their own projects or learning the basics of the business world. Carlos models intellectual curiosity, a passion for seeking out new learning opportunities, and a commitment to elevating students’ own initiatives and interests. Carlos leaves a strong foundation on which to grow the program.

Aliette Frank, assistant to the athletic director (project coordinator), left Rowland Hall after one year of service. We appreciate the work that Aliette put in this past school year and wish her well in her future endeavors as she pursues other opportunities.

Paul Hochman, media arts teacher, is leaving the school after a year. Paul had a big impact on the middle and upper schools by helping us launch a new media arts program. Paul’s experience as an educator and in journalism, as well as in his current role as president of Humongous Media, helped to shape and inspire students. Thanks to Paul, they learned the importance of storytelling through short films and their work was showcased at assemblies, the dance performance, and the band concert. We will miss Paul’s infectious enthusiasm and energy.

Sam Johnson, fifth-grade teacher, made the difficult decision to not return for the 2023–2024 school year. During her year at Rowland Hall, Sam thoughtfully contributed to the Lower School community, building strong relationships with children, families, and colleagues. We wish her the best.

Braden Morrill, director of annual giving, left Rowland Hall in July to start a new position at the Humane Society of Utah. During Braden’s year at Rowland Hall, he made great relationships with donors and volunteers and raised just over $1 million for the Annual Fund. His easygoing attitude and strong work ethic will be missed, and we wish him the best of luck on his next endeavor.

Kodie Osterberg, human resources specialist, left the school in April to pursue a new opportunity. Kodie was a valued member of the Business Office for a year, supporting our human resource functions. She was instrumental in delivering recent benefits improvements implemented for 2024 and helped us improve numerous HR processes. We wish her well in her next role.

Kristi Torsak, Middle School computer science teacher, left Rowland Hall in October after six months at the school. During her short time at Rowland Hall, Kristi positively influenced the computer science program, especially in the areas of robotics and web design, now two of our more popular elective classes. We wish her the best.

​​Cassia Peeler, Middle School French and Spanish teacher and advisor, decided to step away from teaching in December to focus on her family. We wish them all well.

Rachel Slivnick, fifth-grade teacher, stepped away from teaching in November to focus on caring for her young family at home. We wish them well.

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