34 | Winter 2018 Tell us a little about yourself -- education, career, time at GDS. My time at GDS started in 2001, when my family moved to Greensboro from Stillwater, Minnesota, and I became a GDS middle schooler. I graduated in 2006 and quickly realized how well my GDS education had prepared me for my time as both an undergraduate and graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill. I have always loved school and felt passionate about teaching from a young age. I graduated from UNC with my Master of Arts in Teaching in 2011, and rejoined the GDS family as a faculty member in 2013 teaching 5th grade. Once a Bengal, always a Bengal! Why do you believe in independent schools? I believe in independent schools because I believe in educating students as whole people, which speaks strongly to our mission statement. GDS sees education as a three-legged stool: ethical, intellectual, and interpersonal. If any of the legs is out of balance, the stool can’t stand. If we don’t educate students in each of these areas, they can’t go on to be the best versions of themselves. What is your favorite school memory? As a student or teacher? I have so many favorite memories from my student days at GDS: Mrs. Love singing the quadratic equation song, stage managing the Upper School production of Hello Dolly, hiking in Pisgah National Forest on the Junior Backpacking Trip. I have just as many favorite memories as a GDS teacher: reading Harry Potter to my Advising groups each year, my students teaching me to play YuGiOh, exploring nature on our weekly hikes, dissecting flowers, eyes, owl pellets, and squid, and learning along with my students about proper care for Shelly the turtle and Professor Snape the snake. Do you have a ritual or routine to start your day? My son and I have a morning ritual, which is one of my favorite parts of the day: we have an extremely energetic dance party to Raffi’s “Bananaphone.” Sarah Rose Mostafa ’06 FACULTY FOCUS 5th Grade Science How do you live out the mission of the school? I strive to carry out the Greensboro Day School mission every single day. In the age of Google, it is more and more critical for educators to move away from rote memory strategies, and move towards skills-based instruction if we truly want students to be constructive contributors to the world. My science class is extremely hands-on and exploration based, so students and I are collaborating to explain phenomena, discover food webs in nature, question sustainability practices, and dig deeper into natural processes through labs and dissections. Social justice is a personal passion, and I work to incorporate social justice issues into my curriculum whenever possible, which naturally propel conversations about ethics. My students have engaged in meaningful work around food justice, food deserts, and racial inequity in outdoor spaces. How do you show your GDS spirit? I attend as many school events as possible! I love seeing the sensational drama productions put on by our students, attending Middle School sports games, and hearing our talented musicians play and sing at their concerts. Bengal Games is also one of my favorite days of the year. Tell us about your family. My husband, Osman, and I met eleven years ago. He is an LCSW for Cone Health. We have a one and a half year old son, Zeke, who loves to run, climb, read, and dance. Humor is our family’s love language, so we’re constantly laughing and joking with each other. What hobbies do you enjoy? I love to hike, kayak, and practice yoga. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher and I teach a weekly class as Radiance Yoga, which brings me a deep sense of peace. I love to read all types of genres and watch Disney movies with my son. What’s a good book you’ve recently read? As part of the unit I’m teaching on equality in national parks, I’ve read Carolyn Finney’s Black Faces, White Spaces, which has been an eye- opening read. My 5th graders and I are reading Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s novel, Fish in a Tree, which is a moving young adult book about a student with learning differences.