 With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Andrea “Andi” Jobe, who founded Stanbridge Academy in 1982. Andi was 84 years old when she died at her beachfront home in Ecuador, where she had lived for the past several years. We got this news in a heartfelt email from her son, Allen, whose difficulty in school due to a learning disability spurred Andi to create a school for him and other students like him.
Allen wrote that he did not speak until he was seven years old, and doctors were pessimistic about his prospects. Unwilling to accept this, Andi enrolled in a Speech Therapy program and graduated with a Master’s. She took an SLP role at a public school in the South Bay and, alarmed at the poor services students received there, set about creating a school that would accommodate their needs. In his email, Allen described our school’s beginning in a rented space in Mountain View. “She had times when she almost did not make payroll. She never turned away a parent in need. Some would drive buses, clean the school, etc. The school grew and grew into what it is today.” Allen’s note clarified a mystery for us…why the name “Stanbridge”? Here is what he said: “Very few people, I think, know where the name Stanbridge comes from. It is a boarding school in England that my family friend attended. It was a really bad place with really bad food. My mom helped my friend move to a school called Kildonan in New York. It is no longer open. So she thought it would be fitting to name the school a better place than that place in England.” Founding Stanbridge Academy was only one of Andi’s significant contributions to children with disabilities. Andi and her husband, Dr. Richard Jobe, a plastic surgeon, created RSF-Earthspeak, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children learn to speak after cleft palate surgery. Dr. Jobe was also one of the founders of Interplast, an international network of surgeons who provide pro bono surgical care to anyone in need anywhere in the world. We are grateful that Allen reached out to us with the news of his mother’s passing and are inspired by his remembrances. In his words, “I am glad to hear that she is still remembered at Stanbridge. It is her lasting accomplishment. She did not have a strong ego and would almost never take credit for anything. She was really hard to buy presents for. She just wanted to give back.” – Mary Stadler, Director of Counseling
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 ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES
Our Elementary division is diving into some exciting social studies topics! Lower El students are busy figuring out how cities work! They're learning what makes a community special and even designing their own city. In Middle El, our rainforest explorers are getting crafty as they build amazing animal models and learn all about the incredible creatures that live in the rainforest. It's like bringing the jungle right into the classroom! Finally, our Upper El students are learning about the brave colonists who fought for freedom and are starting to explore the exciting stories of the first battles of the American Revolution. -- Hat Dilly, Upper Elementary 2 Lead MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES Middle School Social Studies classes have been diving deep into the Revolutionary War, learning about how our country went from a group of loosely connected British colonies to the early stages of the nation we know today. We discussed how the Seven Years War between England and France left Great Britain with a massive debt that needed to be paid, leading to a series of restrictive laws and taxes, eventually pushing many American colonists to call for independence. Students worked on a timeline project that included these 'interventions' such as the Stamp Act and The Townshend Acts, as well as some infamous events like the Boston Tea Party. Students recorded and illustrated their way through the build up of pressure that culminated with the Revolutionary War. Most recently, all four classes have begun to prepare for their first big project of the year, a large poster about freedom and what that means to them. This will give students the opportunity to explore their individual relationship with the idea of freedom and how it manifests in their own lives. We are currently brainstorming and drafting ideas to create a poster next week, which will then be shared with the class, giving everyone a chance to work on their public speaking and communication skills. Looking ahead, we will move on to the creation of a new nation and then continue on into the Civil War era -- discussing how a nation can become so deeply divided and polarized over issues like human rights, the economy, and State vs. Federal powers. -- Drew Vinson, Middle School Humanities/Social Studies Teacher HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY & GOVERNMENT/ECONOMICS Students in 1st Period US History have been learning about the depth of struggle that millions of Americans faced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. They learned about the different leadership styles of Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt, and how each man attempted to tackle the depression. Students also delved into the various causes of the depression and how it became a worldwide phenomena. 4th Period US History students have been learning about the economic, political, and social changes that impacted America during the 1920s, the period known as the Roaring Twenties. Students learned about how rising wages enabled Americans to purchase automobiles, radios, and phonographs. Home appliances made household chores easier. Students also learned how greater disposable income allowed more Americans to be able to enjoy new forms of entertainment, like going to the movies, and with more Americans having automobiles, people could travel around the United States much more easily. Students in 5th Period Government/Econ have begun to learn about the fundamental building blocks of economics. The concept of scarcity was discussed making individuals, businesses, and governments have to make decisions about what they want to do while being constrained by limited resources. [A concept re-introduced to them and applied towards humanity rather than animals in their earlier Biology classes.] Students were quick to grasp the difference between wants and needs and also the difference between goods and services. 6th Period Government/Econ students have learned about the role that trade-offs play in the economic decisions people make. Students learned about how opportunity costs influence the decisions people make when they decide what benefit they will forego by choosing a different option. Finally, students learned how individuals have to weigh the opportunity costs and benefits of making economic decisions, known as cost/benefit analysis. -- Kenny Katz, High School History Teacher  STANBRIDGE EXPERIENTIAL EARNING – What sets us apart ELEMENTARY Experientials are essential educational experiences that bring curricular subjects, such as history, to life. They foster interaction with classmates and community members, offering unique perspectives and inspiring future interests. For our students, navigating new environments builds cooperation, independence, and valuable life skills. Whether a walk around the block, day trips, or overnights, every excursion extends learning beyond the classroom, promotes curiosity, encourages questions, creates lasting memories, and enriches students' overall development. Our excursion this week to the Adobe Home was a success. Students were engaged in hands-on activities, patient with the rain and candle making, and adventurous running up and down a wet beach! The program was the right fit for our kids–providing fun activities and giving just enough information about California history. In reflection, students have written solid paragraphs or essays about the trip. Upcoming field trips include the San Mateo County History Museum, a ride on Caltrain, and a two-day overnight stay on a working farm in Watsonville. – Michele Sumpton, Elementary Division MIDDLE SCHOOL This past week was filled with two local field trips for the Middle School. We headed up to the Academy of Sciences and explored all over the museum, enjoying butterflies and birds in the rainforest, and laughing at penguin antics in the African Hall. The following day, we went to see two classmates perform in the Pied Piper Players' "Narnia" and then visited Beresford Park. You may remember that we also visited The Crucible, an industrial arts school in Oakland, last month where our students experienced glassblowing, forging, and other industrial arts. These day experientials are valuable to the overall Middle School experience in a myriad of ways including exploring local community resources and bonding over shared off-campus experiences. Piling onto a large spinner at the park with your Middle School friends isn't an experience easily replicated in the classroom! Social-Emotional connections are a hallmark of the middle school years and we want to give them as many structured out-of-class outings as possible to work on building these skills. We culminate the school year with our 3-day, 2-night trip to Montara Lighthouse in May. Our Stanbridge Middle School Teachers are pairing up with local naturalists to create the outdoor experiences, from tide-pooling at Moss Beach to Kayaking in Pillar Point Harbor. We are so excited to share such a special place with our Middle School Students! – Tasha Hudick, Middle School Division HIGH SCHOOL – Experiential Week is Coming! We are so lucky to be able to share off-campus experiences with our students here at Stanbridge. Not only do we get to see them shine in ways we never imagined, but we also get to strengthen our relationships through these wonderful, shared experiences. And don't forget all the hilarious inside jokes that are born on these trips! In two weeks, we host High School Experiential Week. During this week we will have a series of day trips and then offer our students a chance to plan, cook, and enjoy a community banquet. I feel very fortunate to work at a school that enables me to engage with my students outside of the classroom and even off campus! Also, Experiential Week happens completely during school hours, so students won't miss shuttles, clubs, or other events. This offers students a chance to participate in our Experiential Program without having to sleep overnight away from home. More information will be sent out next week. – Jay Huston, Head of High School Three cheers for the Stanbridge Experiential Program! More often than not, it is Experientials that Alumni remember most fondly.  ELEMENTARY
There's holiday festivity in the air! Lower and Middle Elementary have been getting in the spirit of the Winter Holidays by reading; learning songs; playing games such as I Spy (with my little eye) and dreidels; and writing about different holidays celebrated around the world. They compared and contrasted Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Upper Elementary, on the other hand, has been learning about the age of exploration focussing on European explorers finding the Americas. They read and listened to books, made maps and acted out historical routes! – Harriet Mukisa, Middle Elementary Lead MIDDLE SCHOOL After we wrapped up the Q1 study of indigenous people in North America, we moved on to learning about the European explorers and colonizers who unwittingly came to the Americas in search of the riches of Asia, only to find and settle in a whole New World. We discussed the impacts of the Spanish and French explorations; how they shaped Central and South America, as well as Canada; and how they have affected the world of today. We are now firmly entrenched in the 13 British colonies, having already learned about the New England, Middle and Southern colonial regions and their similarities, differences, and unique characteristics. Students are learning about what life was like in the colonies for the various groups of people who inhabited them, as well as the multitude of reasons why people moved there in the first place. Our next step on this journey will be the Revolutionary War and the formation of our Union – plus all of the documents, planning, and coordination that came with this period in our country's history. It has been a good first few months of classes; we are now much more settled into the routines and systems of our day to day. Looking forward to finishing 2024 on a strong note next week and starting January with some valuable learning and fun historical deep dives! – Drew Vinson, Middle School Social Studies HIGH SCHOOL 1st Period US Historians have been busy learning about the various causes that members of the Progressive Movement fought for, including ending child labor, safer and fairer wages for workers, an end to government corruption, and the women's suffrage movement, to name a few. Students learned that Progressive presidents, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, enacted reforms to improve their respective states, while governors, and also when they were president. 4th Period US History – Students are delving into the tactics that advocates of the Women's Suffrage Movement utilized in order to grant women the right to vote. Students learned about how Carrie Chapman Catt encouraged the lobbying of Congress to pass a suffrage amendment, as well as having advocates travel to individual states to pass statewide measures granting women the right to vote. Students also learned about the tactics of Alice Paul who utilized more aggressive tactics, such as marches in front of the White House, and hunger strikes to demand women be given the right to vote. Students learned that a combination of these two approaches ultimately led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which finally gave women across the entire United States the right to vote. 5th Period Government – We have been learning about the two houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the different requirements of those who seek to be elected to these chambers. Students have learned that the requirements to be in the Senate are more rigorous, and that members of the Senate need to focus more on the national needs of the country, rather than focusing on the needs of specific districts in states, which is what members of the House of Representatives tend to do. Students engaged in a discussion about term limits for members of Congress, and in the process gained an understanding of the pros and cons of enacting such term limits on members of Congress. 6th Period Government – Our Junior-Senior group has been learning about the different types of powers delegated to members of Congress in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which include expressed powers, inherent powers, and implied powers. One such power students learned about in-depth was the Commerce Power, and students had a thoughtful discussion about whether certain aspects of society fall under Congress's jurisdiction under the Commerce Clause. For example, students learned that the internet qualified as an appropriate area to be regulated by Congress, because commerce happens via the internet. – Kenny Katz, High School History |
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