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.