Press Releases
- Kendra Tomsic, Utah High School Athletics Icon and First Woman President of the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, to Retire
- Utah’s Oldest School To Break Ground on New, Innovative Campus This Week
- In ‘Integrated,’ Rowland Hall Middle and Upper Schoolers are Artistically Broadening Conversations around Artificial Intelligence
- First Lady Jill Biden to Honor Utah Student Gabriella Miranda at 2023 National Student Poet Appointment Ceremony
- Salt Lake City 'Heat Watch Report' of 2023 Urban Heat Mapping Campaign is Released
- Meet Utah’s National Student Poet: Rowland Hall Senior Gabriella Miranda Selected for Country’s Most Prestigious Youth Poetry Honor
- Rowland Hall Offers Tips on Supporting Preschool and Elementary-Aged Learners Who Are Anxious about a New School Year
- As Extreme Heat Continues to Grip Northern Hemisphere, One Utah School is Working to Lessen the Impact of Future Heat Waves
- Rowland Hall Joins National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign
- Rowland Hall Students to Perform World Premiere of Commissioned One-Act Play 'The Great Salt Film'
Kendra Tomsic, Utah High School Athletics Icon and First Woman President of the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, to Retire
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 25, 2024
KENDRA TOMSIC, UTAH HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ICON AND FIRST WOMAN PRESIDENT OF THE UTAH INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATORS ASSOCIATION, TO RETIRE
SALT LAKE CITY—After 46 years as an iconic Utah high school athletics leader, including 32 years as Rowland Hall’s director of athletics, Kendra Tomsic is retiring.
Rowland Hall will honor the beloved coach and athletic director this Tuesday, April 30, from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. at its Lincoln Street Campus (843 Lincoln Street). The gathering will bring together students, alumni, colleagues and community members touched by Kendra’s years of service and her indelible mark on Utah high school athletics—particularly for young women.
“Kendra's commitment to excellence, sportsmanship and integrity in athletics and in life have benefitted a generation of students at Rowland Hall. But it is not just Rowland Hall that has benefited from Kendra's leadership,” said Alan Sparrow, former head of school, who worked closely with Kendra between 1992 and 2020. “Due to Kendra's own experiences as a female athlete early in life, she made a commitment to helping female athletes get the same opportunities and respect as males. She kept that commitment, and thanks to her advocacy, girls athletics in Utah schools have improved dramatically.”
During her career, Kendra was invaluable to organizations including the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) and the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (UIAAA). She helped ensure that conversations about girls sports happened equally alongside conversations about boys sports, and she advocated for female athletes in the state.
Early Athletics Career
Growing up in a pre-Title IX America, Kendra was unable to join a school sports team until she enrolled at the College of Eastern Utah (now Utah State University Eastern) in Price. There, Kendra was a standout athlete, joining the softball, volleyball, gymnastics and swimming teams. She was named all-conference in softball and volleyball, as well as the school’s Outstanding Female Athlete in 1974 and 1975. (She was later inducted into the College of Eastern Utah’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.)
After graduating valedictorian from Utah State University’s College of Education in 1977, Kendra taught physical education and was the head women’s volleyball, basketball and softball coach at the College of Eastern Utah. She then held those same positions at Grand County middle and high schools in Moab and, in 1987, was named athletic director at Grand County High School. In 1991, Kendra moved to Highland High School in Salt Lake City. In 1992, she was named director of athletics at Rowland Hall, a role she would hold until her 2024 retirement.
Over her years as a coach and director of athletics, Kendra believed deeply in impacting female athletes through modeling and mentorship, and encouraged young women to get involved in athletics. She dedicated herself to teaching not only athletic skills and strategies but also, in her words, “leadership, strength, confidence, courage, tenacity, resiliency and the importance of teamwork.” She also mentored her coaching staff in this important work.
“I hope that bringing coaches into the fold who were passionate about equality for women in sports, and the great care I've always had to make sure that equality existed at Rowland Hall, has made an impression upon young women, and our male athletes as well, that women have a place in the world of sports and that athletic participation can make a difference in their lives forever,” said Kendra.
Professional Legacy and Accolades
In addition to her work in Utah schools, Kendra was active in the wider community, including in state athletics leadership positions. She long served in the UIAAA, including on the organization’s Awards Selection Committee, Scholarship Selection Committee and Basketball Hall of Fame Game Committee. In 2003, Kendra was named president-elect of the UIAAA and, in 2004, was elected UIAAA’s first-ever woman president.
Over the years, both Utah and national communities have honored Kendra’s impact as a coach and, in UIAAA’s words, “a trailblazing athletic administrator.” Among these honors:
- In 1999, Kendra was named Pathfinder for Utah by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport
- In 2003, Kendra was named Utah State Volleyball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
- In 2005, Kendra was named Athletic Director of the Year for 2004–2005 by the UHSAA
- In 2006, Kendra received a State Award of Merit from the NIAAA
- In 2007, Kendra was named Southwest District Athletic Director of the Year by the National Council of Secondary School Athletic Directors and UIAAA Athletic Director of the Year, as well as received an NFHS Citation Award at the NIAAA/NFHS National Conference
- In 2012, Kendra received a national Distinguished Service Award by the NIAAA and a UIAAA Meritorious Service Award
- In 2019, Kendra received YWCA Utah’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Sports and Athletics
- In 2020, Kendra was chosen as one of 250 of Utah’s most influential women depicted in the “Utah Women 2020” mural, which appeared on the Dinwoody building in downtown Salt Lake City
Swing for Life Nonprofit
Long committed to and active in community service, Kendra is the co-founder of Swing for Life, a nonprofit that raises funds for breast cancer research. Since 2002, Swing for Life has raised more than $1,500,000 for breast cancer research at the Huntsman Cancer Foundation through sports fundraisers that bring together young female athletes from across the state.
Retirement Event
Media are invited to join us as we honor Utah high school athletics icon Kendra Tomsic at next week’s event. Interviews with Kendra are available and photos can be provided. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Time: 3:45–5:45 p.m.
Location: Rowland Hall Lincoln Street Campus front lawn, 843 Lincoln Street
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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Utah’s Oldest School To Break Ground on New, Innovative Campus This Week
An architectural rendering of the entrance to Rowland Hall's new Richard R. Steiner Campus, scheduled to open for the 2026–2027 school year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 16, 2024
UTAH’S OLDEST SCHOOL TO BREAK GROUND ON NEW, INNOVATIVE CAMPUS THIS WEEK
SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall, Utah’s oldest primary and secondary school, is pleased to announce the groundbreaking of the Richard R. Steiner Campus this Friday, April 19, at 3:30 p.m. on the west field of the school’s Philip G. McCarthey Campus (720 Guardsman Way).
Scheduled to open for the 2026–2027 school year, the Steiner Campus will reunite all Rowland Hall students (grades 3PreK through 12) at one location for the first time in four decades. The project has been supported by generous philanthropy from Rowland Hall donors, and the school is now kicking off the community phase of its $45 million capital campaign.
Rowland Hall Buildings History
Founded in 1867 as St. Mark’s Grammar School, Rowland Hall first held classes in the basement of a bowling alley on Salt Lake City’s Main Street. The school later moved to a larger campus in Salt Lake’s historic Avenues neighborhood. In 1984, during a period of growth, Rowland Hall purchased the Lincoln Street Campus (formerly Roosevelt Junior High) at 843 Lincoln Street to house middle and high school students. The school also continued to serve preschool and elementary students at the Avenues Campus at this time.
In 2002, after more than a century in the Avenues, Rowland Hall sold its historic campus to the Madeleine Choir School and moved its lower grades to the newly built McCarthey Campus. Bringing the school’s upper grades to this campus has been a goal for more than a decade—the campus site was purchased in 2010 thanks to a generous donation from the Steiner family.
“The Rowland Hall community has long looked forward to the day when all our students would be reunited at one location,” said Head of School Mick Gee. “But reuniting our community has never just been about a new building. Our focus is on providing thoughtfully designed, modern learning spaces that aren’t available at our Lincoln Street Campus—spaces that better support how today’s students learn. This new campus is about providing an extraordinary learning environment that’s in line with our school’s extraordinary vision.”
Rowland Hall’s Steiner Campus: An Extraordinary Learning Environment
Rowland Hall’s extraordinary vision, unveiled in 2022, is Developing People the World Needs. One of the school’s strategic priorities in support of this vision is to provide students with a learning environment that promotes innovation and collaboration.
In line with this goal, the new Steiner Campus will include state-of-the-art facilities that support programmatic priorities—including applied mathematics, engineering, environmental and research science, technology and entrepreneurship—and flexible-use spaces.
The Steiner Campus will also house three centers that emphasize deep learning:
- The Center for Community Impact, designed to educate, empower and inspire students to become agents of positive change in their local communities and beyond (this center also supports Rowland Hall’s commitment to being an indispensable partner to educational institutions, nonprofits and businesses in the region)
- The Center for Science, Engineering and Research, which will feature collaborative science classrooms and student-led research areas
- The Center for Design and Creativity, featuring maker workshops and a robotics hub
Additionally, the Steiner Campus will provide space for an expanded student body, welcoming more students who are interested in joining an inclusive community that emphasizes innovative, authentic learning.
“For more than 155 years, Rowland Hall has been a leader in what’s possible in education,” said Rowland Hall Board Chair Sarah Lehman. “Our united campus will provide our incredible students with spaces that will enable them to take their learning even further, as well as expand programmatic opportunities, grow our student body and deepen community connections.”
Local media are invited to cover this groundbreaking event. Interviews with Head of School Mick Gee and Board Chair Sarah Lehman are available, and event photos and design plans can also be provided. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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In ‘Integrated,’ Rowland Hall Middle and Upper Schoolers are Artistically Broadening Conversations around Artificial Intelligence
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 7, 2024
IN ‘INTEGRATED,’ ROWLAND HALL MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOLERS ARE ARTISTICALLY BROADENING CONVERSATIONS AROUND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
SALT LAKE CITY—Artificial intelligence, or AI, continues to be a hot topic of conversation from dinner tables to water coolers. At local independent school Rowland Hall, it’s also the focus of an upcoming middle and upper school dance concert.
Titled Integrated, the concert—to be held this Friday, February 9, and Saturday, February 10—provides a special opportunity for the community to witness how a group of students in grades 6–12 have grappled with a variety of AI-related topics, including ChatGPT, facial recognition and implicit racial bias, the influence of screens on sleep quality and focus, the cloud and energy that supports an online infrastructure, data privacy and the potential effects of AI on the labor force. Integrated features 19 dances choreographed by 59 students.
“We started thinking about our relationship to technology in general and all the questions that come from it,” said dance teacher and Rowland Hall alumna Sophia Cutrubus about this year’s concert focus.
Students began diving into research on their chosen topics in August, collaborating with the school’s computer science faculty, as well as peers who are studying computer science and robotics, to inform their dances. Sophia said the nearly six-month experience allowed dancers to deeply dive into complex issues around AI, giving them time to explore both what they like about this technology and some of the more difficult realities of these emerging tools. The dancers have also worked to bring their audience into the experience and hope attendees will walk away from the show with their own deeper questions about AI.
“The point of the show is to provoke the audience to start to ask questions about the way technology plays into their lives and to really reflect on what matters to them,” said Sophia.
Performance Details
| Date: | Friday, February 9, and Saturday, February 10, 2024 |
| Time: | 7 p.m. |
| Cost: | Recommended $10 donation per person |
| Location: | Larimer Center for the Performing Arts 843 Lincoln Street, Salt Lake City |
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
###
Graphics
Photos
Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis at stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org for image/video support.
Trailer
The below video is property of Rowland Hall and shared only to provide a visual understanding of this event. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis at stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org for image/video support.
Student Perspectives
Students Reflect on Creation of AI-Inspired Dance Concert, ‘Integrated’
In preparation for this year’s dance concert, Integrated, middle and upper school students researched topics related to technology, AI, and how we as humans relate to these machines in our everyday lives. Students thought critically about their personal experiences with tech and created pieces inspired by their findings and curiosities. Their works explore how we can utilize AI as a resource moving forward, while also giving space to the many moral and existential questions that come along with developing non-human intelligence. Two Upper School students, Hayley Trockman and Mattie Sulivan, reflected on their own processes and interviewed peers to give the audience an inside look into the complex questions underlying this year’s concert.
Reflecting on Process: Dance Students’ Voices on Integrated
By Hayley Trockman, Class of 2024, and Mattie Sullivan, Class of 2025
During the summer workshop our dance teachers, Sophia Cutrubus ’18 and Grace Riter ’18, presented us with the question: how can we express our thoughts about the advancement of technology through dance? At first, we were unaware of just how many different paths we could take to explore this growing industry. But as we dove deeper, we discovered that this topic left us with endless questions and conversations to have. Both our Intermediate and Advanced Dance Ensembles classes endeavored to answer these questions with open minds and a willingness to delve into our movement explorations.
How can we express our thoughts about the advancement of technology through dance?
Junior Mattie Sullivan decided to ruminate on their individual relationship to transforming technologies, using their piece to uncover a duality that often comes with spending huge amounts of time online.
“When I was presented with the theme of this year's dance concert I felt excited, overwhelmed, and honestly scared,” said Mattie. “Walking into dance class this year, I was full of ideas but really struggling to articulate them. Even a couple of days ago I was reminded of our initial question: can you really express all of these feelings through dance? But in the few weeks leading up to the concert, I feel confident that our relationships with AI and technology have and will continue to be voiced.”
They continued, “The Internet has been my primary form of communication with those I care about and my main source of entertainment. On the flip side, I have observed the detrimental effects an Internet addiction can have on a person. For my piece, I focused on both of these aspects of Internet usage. By manipulating the energy qualities of my movement I was able to portray both loneliness and connection. In our creative processes, we dove into the complexities of using the Internet and AI, and through movement we have been able to tell our unique stories.”
In Mattie’s work with the Iron Lions robotics team captain, junior Evan Weinstein, they discussed how technology has a different kind of intelligence than humans do. Evan highlighted that we don’t need to fear AI; rather, we should focus on how we set boundaries around its use.
He said, “AI is incredibly important because as we learn to harness the power of computing, technological strides become more accessible. When we don’t need to worry about spending time regulating budgets and doing mundane tasks, the future workforce will be able to put our collective energy towards doing new things while AI can maintain what we already know. Additionally, AI will be able to pick up on patterns that humans can’t. This level of pattern recognition can also help us predict and regulate our response to relevant social and environmental issues.”
While neural networks and AI are incredible tools, they are just that—tools. We can learn to use them as innovators and problem solvers, but at the end of the day they can only perform as well as we teach them.
Evan also pointed out, “While neural networks and AI are incredible tools, they are just that—tools. We can learn to use them as innovators and problem solvers, but at the end of the day they can only perform as well as we teach them. AI is an advancement that we need to understand and accept. I urge the support of AI and hope that we can help learn within our communities to set our generation up for success.”
Senior Hayley Trockman gave a look into what her process looked like as she learned about how AI-generated images are created.
“I believe in integrating technology into our lives with human intelligence guiding its role,” said Hayley. “I began the process of choreographing a piece that specifically looked into the ways that AI-produced images are created from our insecurities and unrealistic beauty standards. However, after speaking with Rowland Hall staff member Ashley Atwood, her advice of ‘accepting the new and upcoming’ resonated with me. I realized that we can’t put all of the blame on technology—because we are actually the ones feeding it the ideal body image through our engagement with social media. Whether it be likes and positive reactions, or critical comments, AI recognizes this trend in data and takes that information to generate its own images. My piece is a commentary on that process. The use of mirrors as props represents how AI-generated images become both reflections and distortions of our own insecurities.”
Senior Lauren Bates pivoted the conversation in a new direction, with her inspiration coming from the increase in the use of AI to help process grief.
“My initial idea dealt with how AI does not feel or process grief the same way that we do,” said Lauren. “However, as I did more research, I found a number of articles talking about ‘Grief Tech.’ I learned that there is already technology that allows people to feed information from their loved ones who have passed into AI chatbots. Subsequently, the software can recreate their personality and identity. This has brought up a lot of ethical and psychological concerns, along with questions about if this is a healthy way to process grief. I was initially inspired to create this piece after listening to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘United In Grief’ and applying its meaning to dance. For me, dance has always been a way to express ideas that are too difficult to express with words.”
I hope that our audience will resonate with both our fear and love of technology, and spend a minute thinking about their own relationships, both on and off the screens.
As we have reflected on the past months of choreographing, researching, and critically evaluating our relationship with tech and AI, we hope that the concert encourages our audience to turn inward and think about how they relate to technology in their own lives. As Mattie Sullivan said, “I hope that our audience will resonate with both our fear and love of technology, and spend a minute thinking about their own relationships, both on and off the screens.” We want this moment in time to allow viewers to take pause and evaluate where we are and how we want to move forward.
Student Voices
First Lady Jill Biden to Honor Utah Student Gabriella Miranda at 2023 National Student Poet Appointment Ceremony
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 13, 2023
FIRST LADY JILL BIDEN TO HONOR UTAH STUDENT GABRIELLA MIRANDA AT 2023 NATIONAL STUDENT POET APPOINTMENT CEREMONY
SALT LAKE CITY—On Monday, November 13, at 11 a.m MST, First Lady Jill Biden will host an event to honor and celebrate the Class of 2023 National Student Poets at the White House. The event will feature poetry readings from each of the poets facilitated by author and poet Cleo Wade. The First Lady will deliver remarks.
Gabriella Miranda reads a poem at the White House.
The event will also be live streamed at wh.gov/live. Local media are invited to a watch party of the live stream at Rowland Hall’s Lincoln Street Campus (843 Lincoln Street, Salt Lake City). Outlets that would like to attend the watch party to film B-roll should arrive by 10:50 a.m.
From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. MST, local and regional bureaus will interview Gabriella Miranda; outlets can request this footage through their bureaus.
Virtual interview slots with Gabriella are also available to Utah media today from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. MST. Please contact Kelly Forsythe at kelly@forsythepr.com or 412-965-4388.
About the National Student Poets Program
In 2022, the First Lady celebrated the tenth anniversary of the National Student Poets Program and honored the 2022 National Student Poets at the White House. Since its inception in 2012, the National Student Poets Program has showcased the essential role of writing and the arts in academic and personal success for audiences across the country. Representing five different regions of the nation, the 2023 National Student Poets are:
- Gabriella Miranda, Salt Lake City, UT (West)
- Jacqueline Flores, Zolfo Springs, FL (Southeast)
- Miles Hardingwood, Brooklyn, NY (Northeast)
- Shangri-La Hou, Saint Louis, MO (Midwest)
- Kallan McKinney, Norman, OK (Southwest)
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contacts
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
Kelly Forsythe, Event PR Coordinator
kelly@forsythepr.com
412-965-4388
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Salt Lake City 'Heat Watch Report' of 2023 Urban Heat Mapping Campaign is Released
Two volunteers gather heat data on Salt Lake City's west side on July 15, 2023.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 12, 2023
SALT LAKE CITY HEAT WATCH REPORT OF 2023 URBAN HEAT MAPPING CAMPAIGN IS RELEASED
REPORT TO HELP LESSEN LOCAL IMPACTS OF EXTREME HEAT
SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall, in partnership with Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City and the Natural History Museum of Utah, is pleased to announce the release of the Salt Lake City Heat Watch Report.
Salt Lake City’s Heat Watch Report was created with data collected on July 15, 2023, for this year’s national urban heat island mapping campaign, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The report provides a new level of detail about where heat concentrates in Utah’s capital city and will help local decision-makers understand and better protect residents against the growing impacts of extreme heat—the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades.
"This data shows what we have long suspected: heat impacts different parts of our city differently," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "We also see the powerful cooling effects of trees and green space in our neighborhoods—both in places you'd expect on the eastside, as well as in the Glendale, Poplar Grove and Rose Park neighborhoods."
Salt Lake City’s Heat Watch Report includes area-wide city model maps that show both traverse points of near-surface air temperature measurements gathered during the heat mapping campaign and high-resolution models of temperature. Data used to create these maps was made possible by 42 local volunteers, who mounted sensors on cars and drove 10 routes to record the temperature and humidity across Salt Lake City neighborhoods during the early morning, afternoon and evening of July 15. Data was assessed, analyzed and mapped by CAPA Strategies, an organization that provides hyper-local descriptions of urban heat distribution in US communities.
In addition to presenting results of this summer’s heat mapping campaign, the Heat Watch Report provides guidance on short- and long-term steps Salt Lake City can take to mitigate extreme heat, particularly in urban heat islands, areas that can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement.
"Heat mapping makes the invisible visible and reveals that some Salt Lake City neighborhoods experience greater exposure to extreme heat than others," said Robert Wilson, a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team and Rowland Hall’s Upper School biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies. "The results of our heat map will make it easier to provide solutions like trees and landscaping, cool roofs, cooling centers and information about coping with extreme heat to the communities with the most exposure to extreme heat."
"This is invaluable information that affirms my commitment to planting thousands of trees in Salt Lake City’s westside, investing in parks and other green spaces like the Green Loop and incorporating sustainable infrastructure into our capital projects," added Mayor Mendenhall. "I want to thank the volunteers and coalition partners who brought us this data and look forward to conversations about further action the city can take to mitigate extreme heat."
Wei Zhang, assistant professor of climate science at Utah State University and the principal investigator of this NOAA-funded heat campaign project, is thrilled to share this long-awaited data with the public. "It is very exciting to see the campaign accomplished for Salt Lake City, after months of preparation and coordination," he said. Robert Gillies, director of the Utah Climate Center, added that the data will be invaluable to the city as it prepares for future extreme weather. "This heat mapping campaign is crucial for understanding the heat distribution in Salt Lake City when it is heading towards a warmer climate," said Gillies.
Interviews with Robert Wilson about the Salt Lake City Heat Watch Report are available to local media. Media will also be invited to a public presentation of data and conversation about the report on Sunday, November 5, at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU). More information about this event will be available on the NHMU website, and further details will be shared with the media later this month.
"The Natural History Museum of Utah promotes community-collected data through its citizen science program and is thrilled by how many Utahns played a crucial role in mapping temperatures in Salt Lake City this summer," said Ellen Eiriksson, NHMU citizen science manager. "We invite the public to a presentation of the heat mapping data on November 5, and continued conversation between local experts and the community to better understand and react to how changes to climate impact our communities."
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contacts
Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2465
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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Meet Utah’s National Student Poet: Rowland Hall Senior Gabriella Miranda Selected for Country’s Most Prestigious Youth Poetry Honor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 29, 2023
MEET UTAH’S NATIONAL STUDENT POET
ROWLAND HALL SENIOR GABRIELLA MIRANDA SELECTED FOR COUNTRY'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS YOUTH POETRY HONOR
SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall is pleased to announce that senior Gabriella Miranda has been selected as a National Student Poet, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work. Gabriella is one of five outstanding high school poets from across the country, chosen to represent the West Region of the United States.
National Student Poets are selected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers from a group of high schoolers who collectively submitted more than 24,000 works in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. From a pool of National Medal recipients, 40 semi-finalists were identified as the most gifted young poets in their regions, based on their originality, technical skills and personal voice, and invited to submit additional poetry and performance videos to distinguished jurors for the final selection of the five National Student Poets, chosen for their exceptional creativity, dedication to craft and promise. These poets will serve as national poetry ambassadors, sharing their passion for poetry, literacy and the literary arts with their communities and throughout their regions, and will each receive a $5,000 academic award.
“It's challenging for me to distill exactly how I feel about being named a National Student Poet because writing, and poetry especially, has always been very central to my life,” reflected Gabriella. “Writing is what I love most in the world, and I can't even begin to express my excitement about the opportunities to come in the following year, from engaging with other poets whose work I've studied and admired for years to developing a service project in order to connect with other students and writers in the community.”
Gabriella centers her writing around depictions of human relationships, the complexities of looking for connection and what it means to build an identity from the foundation of another’s. She has been an editor of Rowland Hall’s literary magazine, Tesserae, since her freshman year.
“Gabriella Miranda showed her gifts as a writer from her first classes with me in ninth grade,” said Joel Long, Rowland Hall English, creative writing and literary magazine teacher. “She has an instinct for images and rhythm that resonate at the deepest levels. Her voice naturally channels towards authenticity and gravity. Insightful from our first meeting, Gabriella exhibits wisdom that continues to grow through her curiosity and empathy. Gabriella represents perfectly all the wonderful young writers who have come through our program. She will represent the creative writing program and the school well, and with her charisma, talents and passion, she will share the power of poetry with many in our region and across the country. I couldn't be more proud.”
In addition to being named a National Student Poet, Gabriella was also recently named to the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up Global Teen Advisory Board, which is dedicated to helping young leaders gain knowledge, resources and support to amplify their activism across the globe.
Interviews with National Student Poet Gabriella Miranda are available to local media. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis for support.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
###
Rowland Hall Offers Tips on Supporting Preschool and Elementary-Aged Learners Who Are Anxious about a New School Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AUGUST 15, 2023
ROWLAND HALL OFFERS TIPS ON SUPPORTING PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY-AGED LEARNERS WHO ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT A NEW SCHOOL YEAR
SALT LAKE CITY—It’s back-to-school season, and while some children are filled with excitement this time of year, others are anxious. For parents and caregivers, it can be especially difficult to see their preschool or elementary-aged children express anxiety about the start of school—particularly when anxiety in children is on the rise and, as a result, on our minds more than ever before. However, experts say back-to-school anxiety is normal and, with thoughtful support and guidance, parents can prepare their young students for a new year and successfully ease them into a routine.
“The biggest source of anxiety is separation from parents for a significant portion of the day,” said Deborah Wright, emotional support counselor for Rowland Hall’s McCarthey Campus, which serves students in preschool through fifth grade. Knowing this, Wright provided seven tips to help parents and caregivers understand and support anxious young learners, before the school year starts and in the early weeks of the new year.
Rowland Hall is pleased to offer local media interviews with Emma Wellman, Beginning School and Lower School principal, during this year’s back-to-school season. Emma is available to discuss the above linked tips and to speak about social and emotional well-being in preschool and elementary-aged children. Please contact Stephanie Orfanakis to coordinate interviews.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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As Extreme Heat Continues to Grip Northern Hemisphere, One Utah School is Working to Lessen the Impact of Future Heat Waves
Left: Rowland Hall students display a CAPA sensor that will help map heat islands in Salt Lake City. Right: Student volunteers drive the city during the hottest part of the day.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 18, 2023
AS EXTREME HEAT CONTINUES TO GRIP NORTHERN HEMISPHERE, ONE UTAH SCHOOL IS WORKING TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF FUTURE HEAT WAVES
SALT LAKE CITY—At a time when more than 91 million US citizens are currently under heat alerts across the Southwest and South, one Utah school is helping to identify the hottest areas of the state’s capital city in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) urban heat island mapping campaign.
On Saturday, July 15, Salt Lake independent school Rowland Hall was part of the group of Utah citizen scientists who supported the campaign by mounting CAPA sensors on cars and driving 10 routes around the city to record temperature, humidity, time and location in the early morning, afternoon and evening.
Data from Saturday’s campaign will be used to create local heat maps and to identify Salt Lake City’s urban heat islands—areas that can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement. Heat islands are often home to those most vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat, particularly due to the areas’ ties to historical redlining. Heat maps will help local decision-makers take actions to reduce the life-threatening impacts of extreme heat, the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades, including planting trees and reducing heat trapping surfaces.
“Heat mapping is important because communities around the world are experiencing more frequent and more intense extreme heat events,” said Robert Wilson, Rowland Hall biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies, and a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team. “Extreme heat is among the most dangerous weather events.”
Salt Lake City is one of 18 communities in 14 US states and one international city* selected by NOAA to gather heat data in 2023, and one of only three communities in the Western United States. The city’s application was a joint effort among representatives and students from Rowland Hall, Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah, TreeUtah and Northwest Middle School.
*Communities chosen for the 2023 NOAA urban heat island mapping campaign are: Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Asheville, NC; Framingham and Brockton, MA; Johnson County and Wyandotte County, KS; Wilmington, DE; Toledo, OH; Little Rock, AR; Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA; Sedona, AZ; Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, IA; and Washington County, OR. NOAA is also working with local groups and the Pan-American Health Organization on an international heat island mapping campaign in Santiago, Chile.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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Rowland Hall Joins National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Urban Heat Island Mapping Campaign
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, left, meeting with students and Rowland Hall teacher Robert Wilson, right, at an Arbor Day celebration in April 2023.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 11, 2023
ROWLAND HALL JOINS NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION’S URBAN HEAT ISLAND MAPPING CAMPAIGN
SCHOOL PART OF TEAM OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS GATHERING DATA ON HOTTEST AREAS OF SALT LAKE CITY
SALT LAKE CITY—This Saturday, local school Rowland Hall will be part of a group of Utah citizen scientists mapping Salt Lake’s urban heat islands, the hottest areas of the city. This work is being done in support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) urban heat island mapping campaign.
Salt Lake City is one of 18 communities in 14 US states and one international city* selected by NOAA to gather heat data in 2023, and one of only three communities in the Western United States. The city’s application was a joint effort among representatives and students from Rowland Hall, Utah State University's Utah Climate Center, Salt Lake City, the Natural History Museum of Utah, TreeUtah and Northwest Middle School.
“Heat mapping is important because Salt Lake City is experiencing more frequent and more intense extreme heat events,” said Robert Wilson, Rowland Hall biology teacher and coordinator of climate studies, and a lead volunteer of Salt Lake’s urban heat mapping team. “Extreme heat is among the most dangerous weather events, and it is more dangerous for underserved communities.”
Urban heat islands are often home to those most vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat. With few trees, little grass and more pavement that absorbs heat, hotspots can measure up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than neighborhoods with more trees and grass, and less pavement. Identifying and mapping urban heat islands is a necessary step to help local decision-makers take actions to reduce life-threatening impacts: extreme heat is the number-one weather-related cause of death in the US for the last three decades, a statistic that’s front of mind as more than 88 million US citizens are currently under heat alerts across states in the Southwest and South.
Volunteers will build local heat maps this Saturday, July 15, by using heat sensors mounted on cars. Sensors will record data (temperature, humidity, time and location) in Salt Lake’s urban heat islands during the early morning, afternoon and evening.
“Our heat maps will help us identify neighborhoods that experience the hottest conditions and guide our efforts to plant trees and reduce heat trapping surfaces and provide other forms of relief from extreme heat,” said Robert.
Media are invited to join volunteers at the project hub, the Poplar Grove Park pavilion (800 Emery St., Salt Lake City), on Saturday, July 15, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Volunteers will be available for interviews following shifts that end at 7 a.m., 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., or can be scheduled as needed. Interviews with teacher/lead volunteer Robert Wilson and Rowland Hall students are also available this week and during Saturday’s event. Please contact Ashley Atwood to coordinate these interviews.
*Communities chosen for the 2023 NOAA urban heat island mapping campaign are: Salt Lake City, Chicago, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Asheville, NC; Framingham and Brockton, MA; Johnson County and Wyandotte County, KS; Wilmington, DE; Toledo, OH; Little Rock, AR; Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, PA; Sedona, AZ; Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, IA; and Washington County, OR. NOAA is also working with local groups and the Pan-American Health Organization on an international heat island mapping campaign in Santiago, Chile.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change.
Contact
Ashley Atwood, Marketing Content Associate
ashleyatwood@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2465
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Rowland Hall Students to Perform World Premiere of Commissioned One-Act Play 'The Great Salt Film'
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 16, 2023
ROWLAND HALL STUDENTS TO PERFORM WORLD PREMIERE OF COMMISSIONED ONE-ACT PLAY 'THE GREAT SALT FILM'
SALT LAKE CITY—Rowland Hall is proud to present the world premiere of The Great Salt Film, a one-act play about the disappearance of the Great Salt Lake, this Thursday, May 18, and Friday, May 19, at the Larimer Center for the Performing Arts.
- The Great Salt Film was commissioned by Rowland Hall students and theater teacher Matt Sincell, and written by award-winning local playwright Rachel Bublitz.
- Eleven students from Rowland Hall were a part of the play's development, offering feedback that was incorporated into the final script. Rowland Hall students will also perform the play’s premiere.
- By producing the play’s world premiere, Rowland Hall is making it possible for The Great Salt Film to be published and, therefore, available to theaters and schools across the nation, helping to further necessary conversations about water.
“It’s been a goal of Rowland Hall and the Arts Department this year to find different ways to illuminate the very real environmental issues facing the Great Salt Lake,” said theater teacher Matt Sincell. “I wanted to contribute to the conversation and give my students an opportunity to have their voices heard. I knew that working with Rachel would provide a unique opportunity for our students to become a part of a larger national conversation."
Play Summary
The Great Salt Film centers around the disappearance of the Great Salt Lake and is told through the perspectives of teenagers. Set at the edge of the lake, the play focuses on two groups of teens who are in the process of creating short films to enter into a competition that seeks to bring attention to the lake's decline. Through the voices of the teenagers, we learn about the frustration, the struggle and, ultimately, the genuine love they have for the lake. Realistic and hopeful, The Great Salt Film reveals to viewers what the lake used to be—and what it could be again.
Performance Details
| Date: | Thursday, May 18, and Friday, May 19, 2023 |
| Time: | 4 p.m. |
| Cost: | Recommended $10 donation per person; all proceeds will go to FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake |
| Location: | Larimer Center for the Performing Arts 843 Lincoln Street, Salt Lake City |
Running time is approximately 45 minutes. A talkback with student performers, theater teacher Matt Sincell and playwright Rachel Bublitz (May 18 only) will follow the show.
About Rowland Hall
Rowland Hall is Utah's oldest independent coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in 3PreK through twelfth grade. Driven by our vision of developing people the world needs, we believe in a transformational education that gives students agency and purpose, connects them to their global community and empowers them to make the world a better place for all.
Rowland Hall has deepened its longstanding commitment to giving students authentic learning opportunities in which they can shape solutions to the world’s toughest problems and to connecting them with community partners to create real, lasting and far-reaching change. A focus on Great Salt Lake’s climate crisis has given students opportunities to learn and inspire change in a variety of disciplines, including the arts.
Contact
Stephanie Orfanakis, Director of Marketing and Communication
stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org
801-924-2960
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Graphics
Photos
Video
The below video is property of Rowland Hall and shared only to provide a visual understanding of this event. Do not use without permission. Please contact stephanieorfanakis@rowlandhall.org. for image/video support.