2008-09 Module 4

Math with Annie Tally

The math students are striving to meet, and in many cases, exceed, their semester goals prior to Winter Break. The Algebra I students completed a chapter on proportional reasoning during with they investigated the relationship between the gear changes and resulting number of wheel revolutions of a bicycle.

Science with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry: We have successfully completed our study of percentage composition and empirical formulas this module.

Human Biology: Looking into our past and the changes that have happened over time has been the focus of this module. Students have been very interested in the study of evolution and the science behind the current theories.

Biology: Mendelian Genetics and Punnett squares have been the topics of interest this module. Students have been active participants in the study of Genetics.

Environmental Science: Alternative energy forms and cost/benefit analysis have dominated discussions in this class this module. Students are great debaters and are very knowledgeable in these areas.

Physical Science with Daniel Hill

Amidst much groaning and gnashing of teeth, we have finally finished our unit on dimensional analysis, which brings us to the end of the first phase of the course, wherein we focused on learning generalized science-classy skills. When we return from break, we're going to start learning some actual material, answering their questions about the nature of reality, as well as the equally stirring: "When am I ever going to use this?"

English with Jill Sugg

Seventh graders read Plague Year by Stephanie Tolan and did a unit on short stories including authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and D.H. Lawrence. English 8/9 read The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. English 8/9 Advanced read the second half of Salem's Lot. English 10,11,12 and Advanced Placement Composition read The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Lots of good writing accompanied all classes and the advanced classes ventured into reading (and in some cases even writing) literary criticism.

History with Matt Wilhelm

Civics: We have been examining the roles of the three branches of American government, and how they "check and balance" the powers of one another.

World History: Students have learned about the development of Islam and its impact on the society and culture of the Middle East. Feudalism in Europe, the Crusades, and the Black Death have also been covered.

US History: Students have examined the social reform movements of the 1830s and 1840s, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War.

AP Government: Students have studied the institutions of American government (the three branches) and their responsibilities.

Current Events: Following up on the presidential election, students have examined the roles of the presidency, and some of the controversies involved with the expansion of presidential power.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I: Students completed Episode 8 of Destinos and have learned to use vocabulary related to the first eight episodes. They are studying Spanish culture, traditions, customs and foods as they follow the protagonist's adventures in Sevilla and Madrid. The class wrote to the curator of the Nasher Museum to congratulate her for being knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain following her discoveries of unknown inventories of valuable Spanish paintings.

Spanish II: Students are increasing their use of verbs and new vocabulary as they read our new short novel, El Viaje de Su Vida. They are enjoying this mystery adventure, are discussing it in class and look forward to a project about the novel when they finish reading it.

Spanish III: Students are coming to the end of our first brief novel, Mi Propio Auto. They have learned vocabulary and grammar pertinent to the story, have had class discussions about the chapters and have planned and performed creative skits following the story line.

Spanish IV: Students continued their study of poetry and have analyzed and memorized an ancient Spanish ballad. They have learned to use the present perfect tense and have started a new chapter in Ventanas that introduces vocabulary related to technology and science.

Art with Heather Cramer

Upper School completed pencil drawings of a fall still life. Many then moved on to working with black and white charcoal on brown or gray paper. After learning about placement and proportion, this exercise was to find the dark and light areas, and to use the paper as middle shade. We used antique items as subjects, and the old heavy rotary phone was a great source of amusement!

We then took a more light hearted approach to art and contributed to the table decorations for the Academic Fair feast. Our task was to make "pop-up" fences and a chain of paper dolls to represent the Camelot population. It was good fun dressing "our children" and seeing who were the most fashion savvy!

9th Grade students worked hard and were able to finish their "Emotions 3D" paintings in time for the art display at Academic Fair. The variety, creativity, and depth of understanding that these students have portrayed with their work is amazing. I am very proud of them!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

As most of you probably saw your kids digging through the garage or bugging you to find some rackets, you may have concluded, "Yes, they must be in their tennis unit." I've been very thankful that Mike has been able to drive us out to Forest Hills Park where there are four tennis courts to play on. We were able to cover basic fundamentals of hitting and keeping the score, but I believe what they enjoyed most was the singles and doubles tournament they all participated in. I feel that tennis is something they don't get to do very often, but something they enjoy doing. It was a very successful unit, so I'm thinking I may have another tennis unit next semester. We will see!

Music Performance with Glenn Mehrbach

Most of Module 4 was spent perfecting 3 songs for each class to perform at the Academic Fair and Thanksgiving Feast, and it has been a productive time. Along with learning the parts, we have talked about which sounds for each keyboardist to play, listening to one another, balancing the sound, and what to play when another musician is playing an improvised solo. Having an upcoming performance really tends to focus energy, and help in learning parts. As far as the Academic Fair performance, I was very pleased and proud of both classes. I felt the songs were well-executed, yet also showed the spirit and passion of the music. Despite the obvious and unavoidable sound system problems, I hope the audience enjoyed it as well. Each class performed two "written" songs, and one that included a lot of improvisation.

Giving credit where it's due, I wanted to apologize for not including Grace Kirkpatrick in my introductions for the "B for Best" band. She somehow managed to stay out of my visual range, and I am sorry to have missed her. Grace is a real asset to the group, doing double duty as violinist and vocalist. I also wanted to credit Kriea Giffin-Dean with writing the lyrics to the "12 Bar Blues." I think Amy Hillsman may have helped as well. Great job!

The new start time of 8:15am to set-up and 8:20am to begin playing has been very helpful, and allowed us to become much more productive in our sessions. Thanks to everyone for making the extra effort to get everyone there a bit earlier.

"A for Awesome" CLASS
Along with cleaning up "Fixing A Hole" and "All My Love," we quickly learned Van Morrison's "Moondance" to have something for the group to improvise on for the Fair. The band picked up on the feeling and texture of this song immediately, and made the sometimes difficult rhythmic elements of the song sound easy and natural. We also began work in earnest on "Carry On My Wayward Son."

"B for Best" CLASS
Along with cleaning up "You Won't See Me" and "Birthday," and reinventing "12 Bar Blues" as a vehicle for group improvisation, we began learning the B-52's "Rock Lobster," which has some really great keyboard and keyboard bass parts, and a very rocking drum groove. I am certain that perfecting that tune will keep us busy for a while.

We have been asked by Northgate Mall to provide entertainment for Christmas shoppers on Saturday, December 20th from 2-3pm. I am hoping that a lot of the kids can join us for that event. Depending on everyone's availability, we may have both bands play, or a hybrid group with members of the "A" and "B" groups. If it works out, we will spend much of the December class time learning some really rocking Christmas and Hanukah songs. I have some great ideas, and look forward to any input you may have as well.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

During Module 4, all of the Upper School students were given the opportunity to practice their oral presentations for their Academic Fair projects. They were given instructions in public speaking techniques as well as individual comments based on their individual presentations.

The seniors joined the 10th and 11th graders. Monologues were acted out and short scenes were introduced.

The 9th grade class worked on monologues along with improvisational material.

The 8th grade was given a play and auditioned for the parts that they wanted, and the class voted for the one they considered the best choice for the part. This was done by secret votes. Parts of the play were rewritten by the class.

The 7th grade class worked on their monologues and were given out short plays. We will continue working on the plays in Module 5 and introduce new short scenes.

Guidance Update with Thelma Glynn

The seniors were rewarded for all of their hard work when they received their ACT scores. Everyone made good gains - some dramatic gains! Way to go! Now our attention has turned to college applications themselves and the writing of personal statements. By the start of the new year most of this paperwork push will be behind us and it will be time to turn attention to the juniors!

2008-09 Module 3

Math with Annie Tally

Math students worked hard to complete any necessary testing prior to their mid-semester exams. Those who began Algebra with the new book earlier in the year have completed a chapter on data analysis and the three groups presented their election predictions on Election Tuesday using data from various polls. They are learning the virtues of working within a team and communicating with their teammates outside of class.

Science with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry:
The completion of formula writing and a major mid-term exam were the highlights of this module. Students have done well in all aspects of the course thus far.

Human Biology:
The students have completed an intensive unit on the cell and cell processes as well as a look at classification. All students did very well on their mid-term exam.

Biology:
The study of Botany has been successfully completed by the students in Biology I this semester. Their mid-term exam was also a great learning experience and all of the students are doing very well thus far.

Environmental Science:
The Environmental Science class has successfully completed their unit on population ecology this module. Students are very good with group discussion and seem to actually enjoy testing their knowledge.

Physical Science with Daniel Hill:
The Physical Science students have started a unit on measurement, dealing with uncertainty and significant figures. This will lead to unit conversion and dimensional analysis.

English with Jill Sugg

English 7 read The Pigman by Paul Zindel and studied mythology in conjunction with a great film version of The Odyssey. They just began Plague Year by Stephanie Tolan.

English 8/9 and 10,11,12 read the play "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin. Some of us attended an evening performance at Raleigh Little Theater.

The 10,11,12 class are through the first half of The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and the 8/9 class is through the first half of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

Advanced 8/9 read the first half of Salem's Lot by Stephen King. I have rarely seen people so into a book.

Advanced Placement Composition has studied non-fiction samples of 3 rhetorical modes thus far: description, definition, and persuasion. Students have also read the first half of The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

History with Matt Wilhelm

Civics:
Students have learned about political parties, interest groups, and the logistics of campaigns.

World History:
Students have been examining various aspects of Ancient Rome, including its republican form of government, the advent of Christianity, and social life during the peak of the Empire.

US History:
Students studied the United States Constitution and the early years of the Republic through the Jefferson administration.

AP Government:
Students have been studying topics associated with the electoral process in the United States: voter beliefs and behavior, political parties, campaigns, and elections.

Current Events:
Students continued to examine topics related to the November 4 elections. Students also debated the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I —
Students continue to enjoy "Destinos" and are studying Episode 6. They have learned how to conjugate -ar verbs pertinent to the story line. We have animated conversations daily in class to discuss what we are learning about the characters and their adventures in Spain and Mexico.

Spanish II —
Students have been introduced to the poetry of José Martí, a Cuban patriot of the War of Independence. They have memorized poetry and have written their own poems as well. We have finished reading our brief novel, Pobre Ana, and have discussed the protagonist’s adventures in Mexico and how this experience changed her outlook on life.

Spanish III —
Students have completed their intense review of the preterite tense. They continue to increase their vocabulary as they read the brief novel, Mi Propio Auto, and to discuss the adventures of the protagonist as he travels to El Salvador to help build houses for earthquake victims.

Spanish IV —
Students completed Chapter 1 in their text and have started Chapter 2. They are reviewing the uses of object pronouns and prepositional phrases, are learning about diversions and entertainment and have started to learn about the Golden Age of Spanish painting.

Art with Heather Cramer

9th Grade is making good progress on their Emotions 3D paintings. Most have finished building the 3D piece with styrofoam and have begun "plastercrafting" over that. I hope that many of these will be completed in time for display at Academic Fair.

Nine UPPER SCHOOL students participated in our special session of "What Are The Masks We Wear?" (Great photos on the Camelot website.) This was a wonderful day of sharing, creativity, and a real sense of accomplishment with our final products - also to be displayed at Academic Fair!>

UPPER SCHOOL students (with the exception of 9th Grade) have been working on drawing skills... loosening up with contour drawing, observation, placement and proportion with an autumn still life. Students have picked up these techniques quickly and their drawings are delightful.

Watch for the folk art "Fence Folks" that have just gone up on the playground fence...sure to add a smile to everyone's day!

Our trip to the Nasher Museum to see the El Greco and Velázquez exhibit was fantastic. Our students were very engaged and interested... What an amazing experience for them to see masterpieces that were done 400 years ago. Many thanks to Ms. Celia for making this happen!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I've been pleased to see how engaged students are by our Ultimate Frisbee unit. We were able to play at Forest Hills Park and the kids loved it. Ultimate is an easy sport to pick up. After reviewing the basic skills of the game (specific grips, basic forehand and backhand throws, ways of catching) and the rules we were able to get right into playing!

The Fit for Life program has been going well. If you have time, be sure to check out the rising thermometer! I'm so proud of all the students and their enthusiasm! I've heard students talk about their parents working out with them and getting sore as well. Excellent!

Reminder: Please make sure your log has the total amount of physical activity calculated in minutes at the bottom of the sheet where it says "total." If I have to do all the totaling, it becomes very time consuming! Thanks!

Also, thanks to all those who have made equipment donations! It's a big help!

Music Performance with Glenn Mehrbach

We are settling in with new keyboards, a new mic, and really sounding good on the songs we've been working on. We actually have three keyboards now, which accommodates all the players in the "A" class.

"A" CLASS
The "A" class has just about mastered "You Won't See Me" and "Fixing A Hole," and they have been working on Led Zeppelin's "All My Love." Josh is playing the virtuosic synth-trumpet solo, and was sight-reading it almost up to speed. Great job, Josh! We will begin work on "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas on Monday. We all agree that this will be a big challenge for everyone, but I know we can make the song sound great. Lennon is creating some very melodic and passionate fills on "All My Love" as well. David and Edwin are starting to gel as a rock rhythm section. Aaron and Sarah have been very consistent in learning and performing their parts, and the band as a whole is sounding terrific. We have been concentrating less on improvising these past few weeks, and more on playing together as a band.

With the approval of the class, I have decided to move up the start time to 8:20am. Everyone should arrive at 8:15am, so that we have time to set up and tune before the start of class. We just didn't have enough time to accomplish what we needed in each session, especially with Wednesdays gone because of Academic Fair. I am confident that we can accomplish much more with this extra time. So please do what you can to have your child there at this earlier time.

I am also looking into a performance opportunity at a local mall or shopping center during the Holiday season. If anyone has any contacts or ideas about places to play, please let me know.

"B" CLASS
The "B" class is doing well on their two main songs, "You Won't See Me" and "Bilrthday." We also started "Twist and Shout" this week, and are having a lot of fun with it. Grace has become quite the rock'n'roller, singing and playing her violin on "Birthday" with great style and passion. Kriea and Amy sing with Grace on "You Won't See Me," trading melody and harmony parts throughout the song, and are learning how to sing directly into the mics and sing with style. They sound great.

Alec is beginning to master his parts, especially the offbeat chords on "You Won't See Me." I am encouraging him to use more 'bar chords' in the songs, as they are more what is used by most rock guitarists. I gave him a chord chart to help him learn the different positions of the chords on the neck. Although we lack a bass player, Brian has done well with his left hand bass lines, joining Elisabeth in giving the band a solid rhythmic underpinning. He has discovered the "split keyboard" function on one of the donated synths, and uses it well, especially on "Birthday."

Max is playing a more integral part in the group with each session and Elisabeth, our drummer, continues to surprise me with her learning ability, creativity and brute strength! She is starting to lay down strong, consistent beats, and really seems to understand how the drums fit in with the texture of the whole sound. The band as a whole, in fact, seems to be listening more and more to each other, and it shows.

I would like to move the start time of the class to 8:20am. If everyone arrives at 8:15am, we will have time to set up and tune before we start. I've decided that 30-35 minutes just isn't enough time, especially with Wednesdays gone because of Academic Fair. Please talk with your student about this change, and do what you can to have him/her there at this earlier time.

I am looking into a performance opportunity at a local mall or shopping center during the Holiday season. If anyone has any contacts or ideas about places to play, please let me know.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

I am very excited with the progress of these students and in their ability to perform in front of their peers. We have gone from improvisational work to monologues. Each student was given a particular monologue to memorize and perform. I have video taped most of the performances. Seeing themselves on a monitor, allows them to critique themselves at another level. I feel it's more effective than me critiquing them. It also fosters the "safe" environment and nonjudgmental atmosphere that I wish to provide in this class. Short plays were handed out and we will be going over them during the next few weeks. Each day, these wonderful students surprise me with their abilities to create. How far they have come in such a short time!

Guidance Update with Thelma Glynn

The seniors have finished their ACT course and taken the test! Yeah! One hurdle down. Several of the seniors have now moved on to start work on their essays and personal statements.

2008-09 Module 2

Math with Anne Tally

Math students have completed most of their pretesting and are well under way in their respective courses. Those in the new Algebra book acclimated themselves to the course with a unit on fractals that culminated in their own creations now posted on the classroom wall. Precalculus students are learning to use an online component that gives them instant feedback on their homework. Other students, revisiting basic skills, are also using an online quizzing and testing program quite successfully.

Science with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry: We have completed our introductory study of the structure of the atom and formula writing. The students are great as a team and have made this a fun beginning to the year.

Human Biology: The study of classification and cell processes has dominated this unit. Students have enjoyed many laboratory activities including an osmosis/diffusion lab that made them all think about eggs in an entirely new light.

Biology: Classification, cell structure and botany have been the focus of the class this unit. Students also worked on their leaf collections.

Environmental Science: Students have been studying biomes and factors that contribute to the study of ecosystems. They have improved their graphing skills this module and worked to improve research methods.

Physical Science with Daniel Hill

Physical Science students have been finishing the unit on graphing and completed their final graphing projects over conferences week.

English with Jill Sugg

Seventh Graders read Paul Zindel's adolescent novel The Pigman. Revisiting summer reading selections, English 8/9 covered The Great Gatsby and 8/9 Advanced covered The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. English 10, 11, 12 did a unit on British classics with excerpts from Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and "Paradise Lost." Lastly, Advanced Placement Composition revisited one of their summer novels, Catch 22.

History with Matt Wilhelm

Civics: Students examined the financial crisis and debated various public policies that have been proposed to deal with its consequences. We also began examining political ideology as a prelude to our unit on electoral politics.

World History: We pondered some of the great questions of human existence with the Ancient Greeks. Students encountered the Socratic method via Plato's discussion of virtue in The Meno, examined Plato's ideas about the ideal political system in The Republic, and looked at Aristotle's thoughts on democracy in The Politics.

US History: Students learned about the origins of slavery, and encountered the philosophical beliefs that provided the foundation for the American Revolution.

AP Government: We discussed The Constitution in-depth, and looked at some of the complexities of a federal system of government.

Current events: Students learned how to break down arguments into premises and conclusions, and evaluated specific arguments on that basis. Students also learned to differentiate between fact-based and values-based arguments.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I — We have started the Destinos series, mastered initial vocabulary and grammar and learned the roles of the main characters in Episodes 1 and 2. Students are intrigued as the plot begins to unfold and they find out more facts about this engaging family drama that takes place in various parts of the Hispanic world.

Spanish II — This class continues to move forward and students are motivated to increase their conversational skills in Spanish. We are having fun reading a brief contemporary novel about Ana, a Latin American high school student, and talking in Spanish about individual projects for Academic Fair. Irregular verbs have been introduced as well as affirmative and negative pronouns.

Spanish III — Students in this class have memorized and mastered irregular verbs in six tenses, which is a challenge they have met with tenacity and hard work. I am very pleased with their efforts. We are continuing to read a brief novel in Spanish about the adventures of a high school boy who has to meet high expectations set by his parents in order to be allowed to have his first car. A great deal of animated classroom discussion has taken place based on this amusing story.

Spanish IV — Students in Spanish IV are enthusiastic and determined to increase their communication skills. This class has participated in discussions about a variety of readings, debated topics of interest, written creative paragraphs and completed the first chapter of the college text they are studying. They are challenging one another to go to the next level and they are succeeding rapidly.

Art with Heather Cramer

9th grade students have begun work on the "Emotions 3D" project. Each selected a human emotion or condition to portray in a 3D relief painting. Other Upper School classes have been working on a piece called "What's In Your Cards?" These works express two aspects of the student's personality in the form of a playing card. They are on display in the hall gallery. More will be added.

9th–11th grades "Specials" day was a folk art adventure—considering the whimsical side of art. Each student painted an image of a character on a picket fence piece with movable arms. There is some final work to be done before they are assembled and attached to the fence leading into the younger children's playground. Be prepared to smile!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

In P.E. class we started with a volleyball unit. We covered volleyball history, rules, how to play, and fundamental techniques (like bumping and setting). There was a pretest before conferences and this week they will take a written post test as well as a skills test. I've been very impressed with the improvement I've seen so far. The goal of these units is not to produce "stars," but to help students become familiar with the basics of each game so they can comfortably participate in these sports outside of school.

As most of you are aware, our Fit for Life program started September 29th. Every Monday homeroom teachers will be distributing new activity logs and collecting the signed and completed logs of the previous week. Upper School students should have returned two weeks worth of logs this Monday. The Fit for Life thermometer is now hanging up in the Big Hall and will be updated every week or so. Thank you all for helping make this program work.

Music Performance with Glenn Mehrbach

Musical and improvisational skills are improving, risks are being taken, beautiful harmony is being achieved, and a clearer path is emerging for the content for the rest of the semester.

I purchased a new book, Beatles: The Complete Scores, which has every song they recorded, written out, part by part, like an orchestral score. Both classes began work on an arrangement of "You Won't See Me." This shows students how it was done by The Beatles, while allowing them to add their own personal style. In the "B" class, Grace put down her violin and joined Kriea and Amy for some wonderful harmonies on "You Won't See Me," as well as "Birthday." In the "A" class, Edwin and Lennon tried those falsetto-style harmonies. We also initiated "jam sessions" on riffs in Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" and "Kashmir" (in "A" class only), and Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." As I mentioned at the Parent's Night, my goal is to help the more classically-trained kids feel comfortable with improvisation, while showing the more ear-taught kids how to read notes and chords from the page.

On the equipment front, we received 2 keyboards from Dan Lanphear and the Hillsman family. Now the keyboard players in both classes will not have to share a keyboard, or have to "wait their turn" to play. We are very grateful for the generosity of these families.

I took advantage of the Upper School Conference break to create more arrangements specific to the class, test out the new keyboards, and continue to work on making our shared space as comfortable as possible.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

We have continued to work on "given circumstances" using improvisational prompts. The students have truly begun to understand the concept. The emphasis, in the exercises, is to create a "biography," for the character, and then to portray that character as realistically as possible.

The 10th and 11th grade class was given monologues to memorize and perform. This lesson will continue for the next few sessions. Students will have their presentations video taped.

I also tape classes as a baseline, to show students' progress.

Guidance Update with Thelma Glynn

The seniors are nearing the completion of their ACT class and will take their final practice test this weekend. Most of the Class of 09 spent part of conference week on the road visiting potential colleges. It was wonderful to hear their excitement about the schools they visited when we went out to lunch together this Monday.

The 10th and 11th graders will be at school this weekend to take the PSAT test. Thanks, in advance, to Ms Celia for her help administering these tests.

2008-09 Module 1

Math with Anne Tally

The math students have been busy reviewing and pretesting. Many have completed this phase and have begun working in their respective textbooks. Overall, pretest results have shown good retention and I am pleased with their hard work.

Science with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry:
The Chemistry students have been focused on review and pretesting and well as laboratory work and skills assessment. The class is very dynamic and has the potential to do great things.

Human Biology:
The Human Biology class has completed review and pretesting as well as an intense microscope laboratory assignment. The students have done a wonderful job of moving into an upper level science course and proving their abilities.

Biology:
The Biology class has finished review and pretesting, microscopy and we have kicked off our leaf collections. Students have been collecting and identifying leaves from around the Camelot campus.

Environmental Science:
The Environmental Science class has completed review and pretesting successfully. We have begun our discussion of the various biomes on earth and the class as a whole promises to have some great debates this semester.

Physical Science with Daniel Hill

Physical Science students began the module with review activities, including all of the required parts of a laboratory report. We also completed our pretesting and began the unit on graphing.

English with Jill Sugg

First, congratulations to last year's Advanced Placement Literature students who had a 93% passing rate on the College Board Test in May. Scores came in during July and I could not be more proud of them all! We have spent this module pretesting and reconnecting with our summer reading in a meaningful way. Seventh Graders discussed Fahrenheit 451 and wrote in connection with Of Mice and Men and "A Raisin in the Sun" after viewing both films. Advanced 8/9 English students covered "The Crucible" and To Kill a Mockingbird, seeing both films and writing on both works. Regular level English 8/9 covered "The Crucible" and Ethan Frome. English 10,11, 12 discussed Brave New World and saw the film version of Ethan Frome. Advanced Placement Composition discussed Brave New World and Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Everyone had to write at least 2 papers during pretesting. I am looking forward to a really productive and inspiring year.

History with Matt Wilhelm

The focus in all history classes during Module 1 has been looking at the "big picture" in order to provide context for what we will be encountering during the year. In US History and World History, we defined history as a process of examining and interpreting evidence from the past, as opposed to a list of facts, names, and dates to be memorized. AP Government students got a taste of the AP exam by completing sample multiple choice and essay questions. In addition, the AP students examined some of the political philosophies that underlie the American system of government. Civics students have examined democracy as a system of government and the inherent dilemmas that come with such a system. Current Events students, meanwhile, discussed the importance of keeping up with current events, particularly in a democratic society, and began looking in-depth at the presidential race.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I - We have spent this module pretesting and reviewing Middle Grades Spanish. Classroom format and expectations have been clearly explained and demonstrated. Students are learning the names and roles of the main characters in our new program, Destinos.

Spanish II - We have spent this module pretesting and reviewing vocabulary and grammar from Spanish I. Students have shown good retention of last year's material and understand that they are expected to speak only Spanish in class. We have begun reading a short novel about a contemporary school girl and have acted out scenes from the story.

Spanish III - We have spent this module pretesting and reviewing vocabulary and grammar from Spanish II. Students have been challenged to speak only Spanish in class. They are reading a short novel about an American high school boy who goes to work with the poor in El Salvador and have acted out the scenes from the story.

Spanish IV - We have spent this module pretesting and reviewing grammar and vocabulary from Spanish III. Class members have taken turns reviewing and explaining verb tenses and their use. Students are reading a variety of short stories dealing with culture, customs, daily life and the correct use of grammar and punctuation. We have had lively discussions of these stories, in Spanish, of course.

Art with Heather Cramer

We had a very exciting beginning to our year with the delivery of a life-size statue of a horse to be painted for the NC State Fair. The 10th/11th grade spent a class period sketching ideas and we blended those into a cohesive design to represent Camelot and the fair theme. A group of 12 Upper School students also worked as often as they could during lunch and after school... a very dedicated and creative team! We finished "Merlin" a day early. He will be judged along with entries from 19 other Triangle area schools. The winner will be announced at noon, Monday, October 13th at the State Fair. See the Camelot website for photos.

9th graders helped with the horse project, but we were also able to do a hand mandala exercise... reenergizing our creativity for this year! Because I will see 9th grade twice a week, I am excited about developing more involved projects with them. In our last class, we talked about expressing emotion through art - looking at the work of several famous artists over the ages. Their creative challenge is to produce a 3D painting which will portray one of the many human emotions.

7th and 8th graders also did the creative hand mandala exercise, then moved on to a project which was inspired by the face cards in a deck of cards. Each student was asked to examine those designs, and then create a card about themselves. The challenge was to have it look like a face card, but to let the top and mirrored bottom represent two different aspects of their personalities. As always, an amazing spectrum of ideas has emerged!

Physical Education with Krista Moll

I've been very pleased with the amount of energy and motivation the students bring to each class. It makes working them hard easy to do! In Module One, all classes did fitness testing. Collectively, I evaluate the students' physical fitness by looking at their endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, agility, and other fitness components. More specifically, they have completed the President's Challenge involving V-sit reach, shuttle run, 1 mile run, curl-ups, and push-ups. Next week, they should be bringing home their physical fitness file with that information in addition to their height, weight, and BMI (body mass index). If you would like to learn more about the President's Challenge, you can go to www.presidentschallenge.org.

When it rained, I taught a health lesson on the benefits of physical activity and the obstacles people face when trying to lead a healthy life. So, yes, PE does require note-taking sometimes!

Music Performance with Glenn Mehrbach

There has been a lot of interest in the Band Class (or Music Performance) this year. We have decided to split the class into two groups, meeting on alternate days. I sent a schedule home with the students last week. It's a bit confusing, since each group meets M-W-F of one week, and then Tu-Th of the next, but it is the best way to give each class the attention they need.

In the first couple of weeks we have been getting to know each other, finding out what kinds of music the students like, what skills they would like to improve, and how well they can play with a group. We have also shifted a few students from one group to another, to better balance the abilities and needs of the students, and to create a good mix of instruments and voices in each class. I feel that we have a good balance in each of the classes for the time being.

Class A consists of:

• Rita Glynn (vocals, percussion)
• Eva Sutton (vocals, percussion)
• Josh Stallings (piano)
• Sarah Chetty (piano)
• Aaron Daniels (piano)
• Lennon Klinger-Mehrbach (guitar, vocals)
• Edwin Leskin (bass)
• David Achin (drumset)

We have been working on a "12 Bar Blues in C," to familiarize them with this basic building block of popular music, and see how well they can play together, as well as "Fever" and a favorite from last year's class, "Hallelujah, I Love Her So." In the coming weeks I will be arranging a few of the songs that the students have suggested, and continue to expand our repertoire.

Class B consists of:

• Amy Hillsman (vocals)
• Kriea Giffin-Dean (vocals)
• Grace Kirkpatrick (violin, vocals)
• Brian Powell (piano)
• Max Fried (piano)
• Alec Porter (guitar)
• Elaine Parker (drumset)

We have also been playing "12 Bar Blues in C," along with the old Beatles favorite, "Birthday." As with the other class, I will introduce class picks and other, more elaborate, songs as they become more comfortable with playing together.

Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson

The students have been enthusiastic participants in all of the theater exercises we have done. The emphasis has been on "given circumstances", and the importance of giving the character a full "biography". The use of pictures from magazines as prompts for improvisational work was a great success. The introduction of props for improvisational work, also aided the creative process. We will continue to work on scene study, as well as monologues. I will begin to videotape performances to give visual feedback to the students. Some of the material covered so far:

• Specific exercises to improve memory
• Handouts on Obectives in Acting, Theater vocabulary, and Given Circumstances
• Discussion of Given Circumstances
• Exercises utilizing the "Open Scene" format which uses few words or sentences, challenging creativity, team work, and the ability to think "outside the box."
• Props, and pictures were introduced to use in improvisational exercises.

Guidance Update with Thelma Glynn

The seniors meet for a period each day to work on college related topics. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday they have ACT prep instruction from the Princeton Review. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we sometimes have in college reps (to date Drew University, Macalester College and Guilford College), sometimes work on our college lists and sometimes complete ACT homework. Next week the seniors hit the road on college visits and when they return we will delve into the college application process.

High School students of all ages have participated in the college rep visits. In addition, Upper School students have been making presentations in Morning Meeting about all of the wonderful summer programs they attended.

Module 10

English with Jill Sugg

Advanced Placement Literature read All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. English 10,11,12 read Ordinary People. Both classes wrote essays on the aforementioned titles. English 10, 11, 12 has also begun The Basketball Diaries. Seventh graders as well as English 8/9 Regular Level read The Rag and Bone Shop. They are currently completing their related writing assignment. English 8/9 Advanced read The Great Gatsby and wrote an essay on it. All 7,8,and 9 students learned some Latin prefixes to help prepare them for the SAT, and had some grammar review.

Math with Annie Tally

Math students, in general, are busy working to meet their semester requirements. My third period class has had time to look at the Konigsberg Bridge Problem and also to discuss transversable networks as an exercise in logic.

Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry

The Chemistry class has completed their unit on acids and bases. The culminating activity was to tie-die T-shirts using natural dyes extracted from plants.

Biology

The Biology class has just completed their study of invertebrate organisms. Students participated in many laboratory activities and did a great job.

Anatomy

The Anatomy students are enjoying a unit on the cardiovascular system. Students have dissected a sheep heart, and discovered pulse rates at various places on their bodies.

Environmental Science

The Environmental Science students are studying weather. The class has looked at weather patterns and forecasting. We also constructed anemometers, wind speed indicators and wind catchers.

Physical Science with Dan Hill

The Physical Science class has completed its overview of the structure and history of the Periodic Table of Elements, and is now using this information to explain various types of atomic bonding.

Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm

World History

In addition to beginning independent research papers, World History students have been examining various aspects of the Cold War.

US History

Students have been pondering the Sixties dictum about tuning in, turning on, and dropping out. Stay tuned.

Psychology

Students have been studying the role of psychology in areas such as social and political behavior, as well as analyzing psychological techniques employed in advertising.

Current events

Students have started their Nation State simulations, while also considering the state of health care in America by taking a critical look at Michael Moore's Sicko.

Civics

Civics students have been reflecting on the role of media in a democracy and they have begun work on their year-ending public policy proposals.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I

We completed a chapter about family celebrations, understanding cultural perspectives on family celebrations and ordering meals in restaurants.

Spanish II

We studied emergencies, rescues, heroic acts and natural disasters. Students learned to describe weather conditions and learned cultural perspectives on natural disasters and legends.

Spanish III

Third year students continue their study of cultural fusion in Spain and Latin America. We have read a short passage from "Don Quixote" and have learned about the early history of Spain. Students learned the imperfect subjunctive tense.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The students are finishing their Student-Led unit. Each student got to teach twice and was required to have a Plan A (outside game) and a Plan B (inside game). They did a great job!

Jazz with Glenn Mehrbach

We added one more song to the mix in this module: "Body and Soul" by Johnny Green. This song presents many challenges. It is the first true "torch song" that will feature Rita's vocal and theatrical gifts. I also wrote an arrangement for Cami to accompany the vocal, to simulate the way an instrumentalist would improvise around a vocal line. Channing must really step up in this song as well, as her piano playing will help build the tune from a quiet ballad to a powerhouse torch song. And David and Edwin must work in tandem to support these transitions.

We also chose the songs for Evening of the Arts, and spent time refining those. The students are playing very well, listening to each other, and their concentration is good. I hope you enjoyed their performance.

Finally, we have our first booking outside of school, playing at "Artsplosure" in Raleigh for a 15 minute set on May 17th. We are all excited about that and hope you can come out and hear the group perform.

Art (7th & 8th grades) with Heather Cramer

We have continued our introduction to basic art skills, with a week off for class trips. We worked from a still life of bottles to learn the "drawing through" concept - completing lines of objects even though they can't be seen. We did lovely abstract watercolor paintings using these drawings. We also did an exercise in mixing paints to create gradation of shades from black to a color to white.

Drama with Susie Kless

We enjoyed preparing for Evening of the Arts. Thanks to the tech crew and the actors for all of their hard work and to Scott Jones, from Duke theatre operations, who helped us greatly.

Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn

The juniors took the ACT and prepared to take the SAT. All students in Grades 5-12 completed a Summer Activity Survey. The seniors made a last round of trips to their colleges in preparation for making their final decisions. It is a busy and exciting time!

Module 9

English with Jill Sugg

Seventh graders and regular level eighth and ninth graders read the adolescent novel Plague Year and seemed to truly enjoy it. Advanced eighth and ninth graders read Ordinary People by Judith Guest and saw the film that won best picture in 1980. English 10,11,12 read Truman Capote's true crime novel In Cold Blood. Lastly, Advanced Placement Literature students read Edward Albee's play "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and started Robert Penn Warren's political masterpiece All the King's Men.

Math with Annie Tally

Math students continue to make progress toward their spring semester goals. The 7th graders spent one lovely spring afternoon calculating the heights of the basketball goal, a tree, and the castle, using their own heights and those of their shadows. This concept will be fundamental for their later study of trigonometry. They also found the slopes of stairs and the handicap ramp. Finding slope is a skill that they will use repeatedly in calculus.

Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry
Chemistry students have completed their study of solutions. Each student successfully completed their alternative assessment on this topic by mixing solutions of various molarities.

Biology
The Biology class has completed its study of protozoans. Students collected water samples from area streams and cultured well known critters such as euglena, amoeba, and paramecium. They used their well honed microscope skills to chase the protozoans around a hanging drop slide.

Anatomy
The Anatomy class completed their study of neurobiology this module. The class took an alternate route of study on this unit using an NIH curriculum that focuses on the biology of the brain through the study of addiction. The culminating activity was dissecting a sheep brain.

Environmental Science
The Environmental Science class completed their unit on land forms and types of maps. Students can now read topographical maps as well as recognize the many different features of maps.

Physical Science with Dan Hill
This module the students finished their introduction to subatomic particles and the structure of the atom, and have moved on to looking at the history and structure of the Periodic Table of the elements.

Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm

As we move into the final months of the year, the modern era has started to come into focus in our history classes. World History encountered the rise of Nazism and Fascism in Europe and the resulting Second World War. US History has immersed itself in the heroic struggles of the Civil Rights Movement. Psychology, meanwhile, has been delving into mental illness and its treatment. Current Events has taken a critical look at economic development in the Third World, consumerism in the United States, and environmental sustainability. Civics, meanwhile, has begun looking at public policy issues on a more in-depth basis, with a specific focus on health care policy as well as policies designed to limit the rising costs of college education.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I - Students completed their study of vocabulary related to leisure activities and celebrations and learned the use of irregular verbs to describe these.

Spanish II - Students completed their study of the imperfect tense as well as reciprocal activities. They have learned the use of simple past tenses when both preterite and imperfect are used simultaneously in sentences.

Spanish III - We have studied the subjunctive tense of both regular and irregular verbs. Students have read and completed their study of "Una carta a Dios," a Mexican short story. They presented to the class their creative projects based on this well-known story.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

The Upper School class has been enjoying our unit "Student-Led Teaching". This unit puts your child in the role of teacher, equipment manager and referee. When it is their "turn" they plan their lesson, gather and set up the equipment, organize teams and explain rules, handle classroom behavior and fairly referee games. The process aids me in their final evaluation of skills/techniques learned throughout the school year. It is amazing to watch the seriousness with which they take their teaching responsibilities. We will continue this unit next module then conclude our year with post-testing. This is my favorite unit as each student "shines" in their own way.

Jazz with Glenn Mehrbach

Despite the Spring Break and other interruptions in the regular schedule, we were able to get a lot done. We added 2 new songs to our repertoire: Thelonius Monk's "Well You Needn't" and the jazz standard "Green Dolphin Street" by Bronislau Kaper. They were the most challenging songs we've attempted. The Monk tune for its rhythmic and harmonic complexity, especially in the bridge section, and "Green Dolphin Street" because of its constant shift from a Latin to a Swing beat.

We continued our work on group improvisation, continued to refine our older numbers, and started to think about which songs we would like to use for the upcoming Arts Showcase.

Art (7th & 8th grades) with Heather Cramer

We are continuing with a basic introduction to drawing techniques. We learned about contour drawing - drawing each others' faces without looking down at our papers and not lifting the pencil. This allows us to truly see what we are drawing and to loosen up our drawing hands. We took our final drawing and painted an abstract face with watercolors. Wonderful creations! The next week, we learned about placement and proportion on the page. Using bottles as a still life, we closed one eye to "flatten" the image, and visually measured where objects connect and are placed in the image.

Drama with Susie Kless

We are moving right along in our preparation for Evening of the Arts. Please be aware that all students in the class are expected to attend this performance - we have other cast members depending on them.

Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn

Seniors awaited their final decisions from colleges while juniors worked on their autobiographies and prepared for the ACT exam. Students of all grade levels worked on summer program applications.

Module 8

English with Jill Sugg

Grades seven through nine celebrated Black History Month with Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun." English 10,11,12 read F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic jazz age novel The Great Gatsby and watched the film with Robert Redford starring as the "old sport" himself. Advanced Placement Literature students wrote about poetry and read Nabokov's Lolita.

Math with Annie Tally

Math classes have been quite busy this week with the mid-semester looming and many students striving to complete half of their minimum requirements for the semester. On Tuesday March 11th, the MathCounts club went on a field trip to the computing group of the Environmental Protection Agency to see how math is used to analyze the spread and control of pollution.

Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry
The Chemistry class students have completed their study of water and its properties. Students actively engaged in many laboratory experiments that were both fun and informative.

Biology
The Biology class completed their microbiology unit. Students successfully cultured and stained bacteria from around the school. Aseptic technique, simple staining and gram stain procedures were mastered by all on a lab practical administered at the end of the unit. We also enjoyed a discussion with Dr. Walter Hill, regarding the safety of our food supply and bacterial contamination.

Anatomy
The Anatomy class students have completed the major laboratory assignment for this course. Students spent approximately 4 weeks dissecting a fetal pig and learning about all of the major organ systems. Students were wonderful laboratory practitioners and handled the investigation with much maturity.

Environmental Science
The Environmental Science students have completed their study of soil formation, erosion and deposition. Students conducted labs to investigate the effects of freezing on roadways and what types of soil are the most permeable.

Physical Science with Dan Hill
Module 8 saw us looking at the generalized properties of matter, and its end coincided with the end of our study of heat transfer, phase changes, and gas behavior. With Module 9 we will be diving into the structure of the atom.

Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm

World History class has examined World War I and its aftermath. US History students, meanwhile, have been examining the Second World War. Psychology class has learned about various states of consciousness including sleeping, dreaming, hypnosis, and drug-induced states. Current Events class has looked at history as a process of active interpretation and tackled topics associated with the War on Terror. Civics class has moved into public policy studies, beginning with an introduction to the logic of argumentation and the evaluation of information sources. Specifically, we have been looking at the health care debate.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I - Students in Spanish I finished their study of leisure activities. We have started a new chapter about sports and celebrations and are learning more irregular verbs in the present tense. We are stressing classroom conversation and memorization of new vocabulary. Students are reminded to review the material nightly.

Spanish II - Students in Spanish II finished their study of driving and directions. We are studying the imperfect tense. This chapter incorporates new vocabulary related to their childhood and memories of family celebrations when they were younger. Students are reminded to review the material nightly.

Spanish III - Students in Spanish III studied affirmative and negative commands. They are writing summaries of cultural readings and have begun to study the subjunctive tense. We continue to stress oral communication and class discussions in Spanish. Students are reminded to review the material nightly.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

We have started our student-led classes. Each student has the opportunity to teach a lesson to their peers. They are not only teachers, they are equipment managers, umpires, classroom managers, etc. It's a wonderful opportunity for the students to get a look at life on the other side of the desk.

Jazz with Glenn Mehrbach

We have continued to add to our repertoire of songs and styles, and refined the songs we have already learned. We began work on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba," our first Latin tune. We regularly do an exercise with "call and response," where the students improvise a phrase with a pre-determined set of notes, and the others imitate that phrase, each on their own instrument.

Each student continues to improve in important areas. Channing (piano) is learning how to use her left hand for chording and her right for improvising melodies, and also how to voice chords with both hands. Edwin (bass) is learning to refine his "walking bass" technique, and to adapt his playing by listening to the others in the group. Cami (flute) is becoming more courageous in her improvisations, as well as more defined and colorful with her articulations. David (drum-set and percussion) is learning to play "in the pocket," with a steady beat, and to improvise fills on both drums and conga with fewer notes and more precise rhythm. Rita (vocals, drum-set and percussion) is becoming more creative with both her phrasing with the songs and her improvisational "scat singing." And her repertoire of drum fills continues to expand.

We also took time out to have a "Listening Day," where we listened to recordings of songs we were learning performed by various artists, including Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Astrud Gilberto. At least one day each week we spend some time on music theory, especially as it applies to jazz. Topics included "the circle of fifths," "the harmonic series," and "common jazz chord progressions."

Art (7th & 8th grades) with Heather Cramer

We worked on "graffiti names." Using colored pencils, we practiced some shading techniques. Then we outlined our names on black or white paper using large overlapping letters, and filled those letters with shaded colors and various images. With these skills now in hand, we looked at images of mandalas that were done using colored pencil on black paper. Our last class was to create a mandala image on black (or white) paper. The students worked in complete silence while listening to music. The mandalas that were produced were quite astounding. Wonderful variety of images and techniques. I believe they also discovered another level of their creative spirits by working in silence and being totally focused on their work.

Drama with Susie Kless

All of the groups have made their final selections of material. One group is doing an original piece. We have a one act called Overtones, a scene from, 'Of Mice and Men' (which they read in English class) and the Abbott & Costello classic, 'Who's On First?' We have some children who prefer to work on the production end. They will be working with all of the classes, taking care of props, scenery, back stage help, and program/poster design.

Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn

As seniors continue to gain acceptances and win scholarships, juniors have started the process by registering to take the ACT in April and the SAT in May. They have also begun work on their autobiographies which are due on April 8 (the day we return from Spring Break).

Students of all ages have been busy signing up for summer programs. Several times a week I call attention to the newest information that has come in the mail. Information about all of these opportunities can be found in the folder on the Summer Opportunities crate in the Upstairs Hall.

Module 7

English with Jill Sugg

Seventh graders read "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams and wrote essays on either symbolism or the characters in various states of denial throughout the play. They viewed the film starring Joanne Woodward as Amanda Wingfield. Eighth and ninth graders, as well as some 10th, 11th, and 12th graders read the novel Monster by Walter Dean Myers and put themselves in the position of jurors who must decide the fate of a young man. Advanced Placement students read Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".

Math with Annie Tally

The math students are progressing well with their work. Most remember to turn in the weekly review sheets that keep their basic skills sharp. I will begin posting an SAT math problem of the day and expect at least the upperclassmen to attempt it. I-Pod use is now allowed in all classes and seems to be helping everyone to settle into their routines.

Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry

Chemistry students have completed their study of the gas laws. They did very well on the exam and participated in several laboratory activities. Pancakes, hydrogen generators and blowing up eggs were enjoyed by all.

Biology

The Biology class has completed its study of reproduction, growth and development. Students are now looking forward to becoming microbiologists.

Anatomy

Students of Anatomy/Physiology are working on their major laboratory assignment for this semester. Students also hold grand rounds weekly and present case studies in their ongoing study of clinical diagnostics.

Environmental Science

Classification of minerals and rocks has been the topic of discussion in Earth/Environmental Science. Students completed some great tri-fold flyers that would make anyone want to buy their assigned mineral.

Physical Science with Dan Hill

This module we finished looking at some introductory techniques and concepts like graphing and significant figures, and have moved on to looking at the physical properties of matter. We have begun with the most basic: mass, weight, volume, and density.

Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm

World History is speeding towards the 20th century, encountering nationalism, industrialization, and imperialism along the way. US History is in the depths of the Great Depression. Psychology is exploring personality development, learning, and motivation. Current Events has been building upon its observations of the presidential race with studies of the legislative and judicial branches, while Civics has been examining the role of the federal government in the economy.

Spanish with Celia Battle

Spanish I students have finished a chapter about nutrition and health. They made posters of the food pyramid and presented these to the class. We have introduced contemporary readings to increase vocabulary and improve communication, both orally and in writing.

Spanish II students have finished a chapter about chores, direct object pronouns and irregular verbs in the preterite tense. We are introducing cultural and contemporary readings to increase vocabulary and improve both oral and written communication in Spanish.

Spanish III has covered the future tense of regular and irregular verbs. Students completed their study of nutrition and healthy lifestyles. We have introduced cultural readings and are learning about prehispanic Mexico.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant

We spent Module 7 finishing our unit in Gymnastics. After taping our routines, the students will watch and evaluate their performances. This process enables the students to see what they did/didn't do and how they will modify their performance next time.

Jazz with Glenn Mehrbach

Having begun with the class on the last day of January, we are just starting to make music. I have introduced many styles of jazz, beginning with the blues, and moving on to some standards of the jazz repertoire, including: Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," Benny Goodman's "Stompin' at the Savoy," Neal Hefti's "Cute," and Ray Charles' "Hallelujah, I Love Him So." We have also improvised 12 bar blues in various tempos and keys, with Rita Glynn either supplying on-the-spot lyrics, or trying her hand at scat (making up her own melody lines with nonsense syllables - "shoo-be-do-wah" is a classic). I have been writing minimal musical charts and notes to get the music started, while encouraging the students to embellish and augment with their own improvisations.

Art with Heather Cramer

My first two weeks at Camelot as the new art teacher were delightful. We are spending these first weeks getting to know each other with several projects. Our first was "Freeing Our Creative Spirit." I asked the 7th and 8th graders what they felt "creativity" is - and where that comes from. We talked about all of the different ways we absorb our life experiences - eyes, ears, touch - and then to our hearts. In our hearts, we create our own unique response - and our hands become the "tools" we use to create an image expressing this experience. To honor these tools, we drew around our hands to make an image on paper, then tissue-collaged them for a burst of color, and the following week painted black around the background to make the colors pop! The variety of images and ideas was exciting! Each student gave their image a name and told us how it represented their creative spirit. These are on display with the other grades beside the first floor staircase.

We have already begun our next project called, "What's In a Name?" This will be their "graffiti" name done with white pencil on black paper. We will explore shading with the white and colored pencils. (This also helps me learn their names.)

The 7th and 8th grades have expressed an interest in more traditional art training, so we will begin with drawing and move through several processes to painting after completing the three introductory lessons.

Drama with Susie Kless

The students will be writing short skits in small groups. This will give everyone a chance to do something special, and more importantly something they are interested in. They had many wonderful ideas. It was difficult to choose just one. We are also aware of the time period we have, and decided to save a big production for another time.

Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn

The seniors are in "wait and see" mode with their college applications and so the juniors have been the focus. We have met a few times to interpret PSAT scores and to explore the tools available at the College Board website. All juniors had a family conference in which transcripts were reviewed and plans were drawn for the path to graduation.

Meanwhile, there is a genuine push to see that students of all ages make meaningful summer plans that expand their interests and talents. Whether it be summer camps, volunteer work, employment or classes our office has an ever expanding collection of opportunities kept on file for families to explore.

Module 6

English with Jill Sugg

Advanced Placement Literature students read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey and wrote essays on various aspects of the novel. They also critiqued other students' writing. Eighth and ninth graders read "Antigone" by Sophocles. The advanced class made a puppet film of the tragedy that they plan to put on YouTube for the amusement of all. Seventh graders studied "The Odyssey"; they greatly enjoyed the TV mini-series because it featured "cool" special effects to bring the monsters and mythological gods to life. Regular level 10th, 11th, and 12th graders read the adolescent novel You Don't Know Me by David Klass and produced some truly honest, insightful writing in class.

Math with Annie Tally The math students have settled back into their routines with the beginning of a new semester. In response to their teacher/course evaluations, we have instituted a new policy of allowing I-Pod use among the upperclassmen during class to accommodate those whose learning styles are not suited to quiet study. This has also benefited those who do prefer silence by helping the others to focus better on their work, so it seems to be a win-win all around. I have already witnessed increased productivity from many of the students from both camps!

The programming elective has ended, and most of the students are nearing completion of their programs that play the Master Mind game. Clearly, they have learned the basics of programming which will help them in any pursuit that requires logical thought and meticulous planning, and I am very pleased with the work they have done in this class.

Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard

Chemistry

The Chemistry students have successfully completed their study of Quantum Mechanics and are now working on gas laws. The students are moving through the curriculum quite quickly and are eager to do more lab activities soon.

Biology

The Biology class has finished its study of genetics, both Mendelian and modern. Students were very engaged in the topic and seemed to enjoy analyzing karyotypes and strands of DNA.

Anatomy

The Anatomy class is completing its unit on the muscular system. Students are learning the origins, insertions and actions of the more common muscle groups.

Environmental Science

The Environmental Science students have turned their focus to the study of Earth Science this semester. Students have just finished a multi-day laboratory activity on sand and beach formation. Physical Science with Dan Hill The physical science students have started the course with a review of the Scientific Method, a look at what it means to be "scientific", and a discussion of the merits of the Method as a knowledge source. We have also had a brief graphing review, looking at the purpose and structure of a graph, and a discussion of the meaning of the slope of a line.

Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm

World History has been examining the English Civil War, the Glorious Revolution of 1688, and the French Revolution. US History has examined the Progressive Era and World War II. Psychology has looked at the theories of Freud and Jung. Current events and civics have both been examining the presidential primaries.

Spanish with Celia Battle Spanish I students have learned the uses of both forms of the verb "to be" in Spanish as well as prepositions and adverbs that are used with the verb 'estar.' We have introduced the study of food, meals and customs relating to these. This unit includes the conjugations of -er and -ir verbs in the present tense. We continue to have daily conversations in class to increase students' ability to communicate more comfortably in Spanish.

Spanish II students are learning about clothes and shopping. We have introduced the preterit tense, demonstrative adjectives and possessive pronouns. We are continuing our spontaneous conversations in class, which relate to the topic at hand and also incorporate previously learned vocabulary and grammar concepts.

Spanish III classroom conversations are providing students the opportunity to speak Spanish in a casual and relaxed atmosphere. We have reviewed vocabulary related to food and meals and are beginning to study healthy eating habits and exercise. We are studying the future tense and are incorporating it in our daily conversations.

Physical Education with Paige Passavant This module our students practiced their gymnastic skills as we delved into our Educational Gymnastics unit. This year we have incorporated (the Camelot version of) the balance beam. This new addition will add some flair to their routines. Taping of their routines will start within the next week.

Music and Specials with....???

Music instruction the first part of the module continued with Matthew. The jazz class is now under the instruction of Glenn Mehrbach (check out his impressive credentials at www.pizzadreams.com) and we have added a rock group under the instruction of Dan Hill. In addition, seventh and eighth graders will now have one health class a week and will have drama (taught by Susie Kless) and art (taught by Heather Cramer) added to their weekly class schedule.

Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn

Module 6 saw the last of the senior college applications submitted. Senior families should now be hard at work completing the FAFSA and PROFILE forms for financial aid as most of those deadlines are in February. Sophomores and juniors have met with me twice to review their PSAT scores and to gain familiarity with the tools available to them through the College Board website. All sophomores and juniors have had a family conference scheduled for either February 14 or 15 and, in addition, should plan to attend the required college planning meeting on Thursday, February 21.

Module 5

English with Jill Sugg English 7, 8/9, and 8/9 Advanced read John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and saw the film starring Gary Sinese and John Malkovich. English 8/9 Advanced, 10/11/12, and the A.P. Lit class read the popular contemporary adolescent novel Speak and saw the film. Honest, revealing class discussion followed and the upperclassmen invented some interesting characters in first person narrative creative writing pieces. Sophomores through seniors also read the classic novel The Scarlet Letter and deserve praise for surviving Hawthorne, often considered a rite of passage in high school. Little did Hawthorne imagine he would wax as daunting to kids as the Puritans he satirized. Nevertheless, we forged on and found in Chillingworth a villain to rival Shakespeare's Iago. Math with Annie Tally There was quite a flurry of activity in the math classes with many students trying to wrap up the semester with as many credits as possible. It has been a real test of their mettle and most have risen quite admirably to the challenge. The programming class worked on their final project for the semester which was to write a program that plays Master Mind, a game of logic. This program utilizes all of the skills they have been acquiring all semester. Upper School Sciences with Lori Hilliard Chemistry Chemistry students have had a very successful semester. The completion of the stoichiometry unit has been a major accomplishment. I am very proud of their efforts. Biology The Biology class students have been working their way through the study of Genetics. We have completed Mendelian Genetics and are now working on the structure of DNA, protein synthesis, protein folding, the human genome and implications of these studies in everyday life. Anatomy "Dem bones, Dem bones" has been the theme song for Anatomy students this module. They have successfully navigated through the skeletal system including two oral ID exams and a theory exam. Check out their art work on the Camelot website. Environmental Science The Environmental Science class has completed their semester by examining the many ways in which the theme of evolution is tied into life around us. The students also attended an all day seminar at UNC -CH on Extreme Climate Change. As always, our students were some of the best in the crowd, asking thoughtful questions and showing their leadership capacity. Physical Science with Dan Hill In our final module of the semester we looked at the structure of the periodic table, and finished up by discussing simple bonding. The students were excited about electrolyzing water and then recombining the products in the usual way. Everyone has done a wonderful job this semester; I'll miss them after the break. Social Studies with Matt Wilhelm World History students read works from the Enlightenment, including Locke, Rousseau, and Descartes. The US History class examined the Civil War and the late 1800s including Reconstruction, Indian removal, and industrialization. The History Elective students looked at specific issues related to the War on Terror, including the Protect America Act and the Military Commissions Act, and worked on their policy proposals. Current Events students finished their stock market simulation, read articles on the presidential election, and debated the death penalty. Civics class learned about the Supreme Court and examined specific cases that demonstrate its purpose and function. Spanish with Celia Battle Upper School students have been challenged to increase their receptive language as they become accustomed to listening to a native speaker in class every day. This has been a new experience for them and their expressive language is increasing as they acquire more vocabulary during our spontaneous classroom talks. This daily routine is an ongoing and dynamic exercise that is helping the students to communicate more effectively in Spanish. I am very pleased with the effort and enthusiasm that students have shown in all of my classes in the past three weeks. We are definitely forging ahead! Performing Arts with Matthew Etherington 7th/8th Grades Congratulations to the 7th & 8th Grade Chorus who pulled off a memorable performance at Academic Fair! We were lucky enough to watch a parent video of the event, this module, which gave the students some well-deserved positive feedback. The students were able to thoughtfully critique their performance and this was a valuable lesson. Since then, the group has been loving our new song Lean On Me (Bill Withers). It's been wonderful to hear them sing with genuine enjoyment (and technical proficiency!). In our General Music class, the 8th Grade students were lucky enough to be part of a masterclass with visiting artist Carl Nevitt, and the 7th Grade students have been learning a challenging instrumental piece, by Carl Orff, on the xylophones and percussion instruments. Jazz Combo The Jazz Combo have been basking in satisfaction, since their incredible performance at our Academic Fair. This was a milestone for the group and it was a pleasure for them to receive such positive compliments from parents and students alike. This module, we have been challenged by some tricky Jazz arrangements of popular Holiday songs: We Three Kings and Let It Snow. Another new activity in our theory class has been transcription. Listening to Miles Davis' solo on the tune So What, and attempting to write down the notes, is a brand new skill for all, but one that will develop a strong musical ear and a deeper understanding of the music they are trying to play. Physical Education with Paige Passavant We began exploring a new area of our "Wellness" curriculum with the unit on Health Education and Practice. We studied the five dimensions of what it means to be "well." We touched on various ways to maintain our physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual health. Guidance Update from Thelma Glynn The seniors rose to the challenge of meeting their January 1 college application deadlines with a flurry of activity and productivity. On January 8th they will turn in all of their remaining college applications and then it will be their parents' turn to fill out forms as it will be time to file the FAFSA and PROFILE forms to apply for financial aid! The Class of '09 will now become the focus and over the next month we'll set out a plan of action for standardized testing (SAT and ACT) for the spring semester. We will also work on creating preliminary college lists and scheduling some more college visits. All Upper School students should turn their attention to enrolling in worthwhile summer programs. The guidance office is assembling a collection of the material flooding our mailboxes. Many of these programs have February deadlines so students and parents should begin to explore programs of interest now.