English with Jill Sugg
Seventh graders read "Romeo and Juliet." They saw the classic film version and took a 50 question test including quote identifications. They read parts aloud and did a fantastic job. I was very impressed since this was their first experience with Shakespeare.
English 8/9 read Danny Santiago's Famous All Over Town, a popular 1983 coming of age story set in the Los Angeles barrio. They saw the film version of a true story in "Stand and Deliver", an inspirational account of real barrio students who were falsely accused of cheating on the Advanced Placement Calculus Test.
English 8/9 Advanced and English 10,11,12 read The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith's psychological thriller about a young man with no solid sense of self who becomes obsessed with a rich boy whom he kills and impersonates. They loved the plot twists and character analysis, as well as the film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Advanced Placement Composition did a unit on Division and Classification. They wrote an essay categorizing types of any given broader classification. They continue to work on multiple choice in preparation for the big test in May.
Math with Annie Tally
With mid-semester fast approaching, many of the math students are working with great focus to complete their pace requirements. Laura, the new math assistant, is keeping an eye on those pace calendars and lending assistance to those who need extra help during several class periods each week. Several students are also taking advantage of the extra math study halls.
Science with Lori Hilliard
Chemistry: The Chemistry I class has completed an intensive lab unit. Students have completed labs on spectroscopy, stoichiometrical calculations, rate of reaction and many more topics to reinforce concepts covered in the first semester.
Human Biology: This class has completed their study of the brain and nervous system. Students enjoyed learning about the brain through the study of addiction.
Biology: The end of the microbiology unit was marked by the completion a lab practicum as well as a major theory exam. All students were successful and I am proud of their efforts.
Environmental Science: Soil study has been the focus of this class. Erosion and deposition were examined in great detail in the areas around the school.
Physical Science with Daniel Hill
After our study of acceleration, we took a break from mechanics to consider density. We'll return to mechanics and look next at the concept of force.
History with Matt Wilhelm
Civics: We have examined fiscal and monetary policy and its effect on the economy.
World History: We have been looking at the causes of the first World War, and the experiences that soldiers had during that war.
US History: We have been learning about the causes of the Great Depression as well as its impact, and government's response to that crisis.
AP Government: We have been completing our discussions of precedent-setting Supreme Court decisions.
Current Events: We have continued our discussions of economics, through the lens of the current economic crisis.
Spanish with Celia Battle
Spanish I—The students continued their study of "Destinos." They have followed the main character as she travels from Mexico to Spain and Argentina in search of clues to help her solve the mystery. The students have learned the vocabulary and plot in Episodes 12 - 15 and are able to talk about the characters and the story line in Spanish.
Spanish II—The students have finished reading the short novel "El viaje de su vida" and have presented creative projects in class summarizing the story. They have also learned accent rules and the use of the regular preterite tense.
Spanish III—The students have studied a chapter about healthy lifestyles and exercise. They have also learned to use formal and informal commands.
Spanish IV—The students continued to read short stories and poetry and to write short essays and creative stories. They have had animated conversations about their readings, writings and current events. The students have started to prepare for the SAT subject exam and have been reviewing vocabulary and grammar concepts.
Art with Heather Cramer
7th Grade: We are studying figure drawing, which will culminate in a self portrait. Having seen the 8th-12th grades go through this process first, they were eager to begin and are learning fast as they take turns modeling and drawing each other.
8th & 9th Grades: We began our "triptychs" project by looking at many different approaches - ancient, religious, and contemporary. Their challenge is to take the foam core triptych and create a design that will incorporate the two outer doors as an "invitation" to open and reveal the story or statement images inside. Each must relate to the other. The ideas are flying fast and furious - including cut outs as "teasers." We took a trip to the Scrap Exchange to find bits of "junque" that can be glued on the outer doors and spray painted to create a 3D or relief effect. Please help your student explore those "what-not" drawers in your house with potential art objects.
10th–12th Grades: These students asked to paint on canvas, so we stretched some on panels, primed them, and will be painting a composition I am calling "Dancing Bottles." We looked at many still life paintings of overlapping bottles and shapes, and then used paper patterns of bottles to create overlapping design drawings. This was primarily to loosen them up and to see the beauty of abstract shapes, but some wonderful drawings emerged from this exercise. We will draw from an actual still life of bottles and then translate this to our canvas paintings which will also bring some new experiences in paint use and techniques. Perhaps they will even see them "dance!"
Physical Education with Krista Moll
We have started one of my favorite sports to teach, basketball! Some of the fundamentals we've been going over include:
- passing (chest pass, overhead pass, bounce pass)
- dribbling (left hand, right hand, stutter, cross-over)
- shooting (free throws, jump shots, lay-ups)
- defense (zone and man-to-man)
I've been impressed with our students' dedication. It appears we have a lot of students who enjoy playing basketball. I hope to bring another basketball goal to campus sometime soon, but meanwhile, I have been taking them to Lyon Park for the unit.
Music Performance with Glenn Mehrbach
"A for Awesome" CLASS
We continued working on "Clocks" by Coldplay, refining the vocal harmonies and drum parts, in particular. We also started working on "Foreplay/Long Time" by Boston, which features Sarah Chetty on the complex organ solo at the beginning, and Lennon Klinger-Mehrbach on the guitar solos in the body of the song. Both are learning and performing their parts with increased skill. In the pipeline as well are Elton John's "Burn Down The Mission," which will feature Aaron Daniels-Freeman on piano, and REM's "Stand," with Rita Glynn playing the drums. My goal is to have some music to showcase each member of the band by the Evening of the Arts, which is now only 7 weeks away. I am very pleased with the concentrated work that the whole class is doing, and look forward to sharing the fruits of our labors.
"B for Best" CLASS
We continued working on "Twist and Shout" and "I Want You Back," which turned out to be more difficult than students imagined. To get the right accents and style on "Twist and Shout," as well as the unusual ending, was difficult but rewarding. Finding the right balance for "I Want You Back," with it's complex vocal harmonies, syncopated bass, piano riffs, and varied drum and guitar patterns, was also challenging. But we are really getting the hang of it now. We just started "Pinball Wizard," which is based on the Elton John version of the song by "The Who." I hope to have Brian Powell play acoustic guitar on this one, Grace Kirkpatrick on synthesizer, and Elaine Parker on drums and vocals. It looks to be a promising stretch for everyone. Also in the pipeline are "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," which will feature Grace on some flaming hot country fiddle, and "Grade 9" by the Barenaked Ladies, which should be a lot of fun, with lots of shared vocals and a bridge section that steals from the "Linus and Lucy" theme. Please make sure that the students bring their binders to every class, and take some time to practice their parts at home. If we are to accomplish everything I want to before the Evening of the Arts, it will take a little extra concentration for the next few weeks.
Dramatic Arts with Roni Peterson
7th Grade: We went over some original plays and discussed them. We also watched an "I Love Lucy" episode with Harpo Marx that had them doing a Mirror Exercise. We then practiced this exercise which helps an actor connect with another actor. We have been getting back to basic acting using improvisational exercises. The students were asked to write an original commercial and then perform it. This module we will begin to work on an original play written by Mr. Scott.
8th Grade: The students were asked to write an original commercial and then perform it. We worked on improvisational exercises getting back to acting basics. We will be doing short scenes in this module. We will also work on the class play utilizing the acting skills that they are learning.
9th through 12th Grades: The students were asked to write original commercials and then to perform them. We have been working with improvisational exercises and getting back to the basics of acting. During this module we will continue to work on acting skills.
Guidance Update with Thelma Glynn
The last few weeks have been especially active ones. In Morning Meeting I have shared information about numerous summer programs available both near and far. We have discussed at length the value of exploring interests and college campuses that these programs provide. Information about these activities are posted on the bulletin board at the top of the stairs as well as on the board just outside Ms. Wendy's office. The juniors have come front and center - they have registered to take the SAT, ACT and SAT Subject Area Tests this spring. In addition, the juniors and their parents met with me one evening to examine the process of the next 15 months - between here and the graduation of the Class of '10! Both the students and their parents have autobiographical homework that they will complete to aid the college process.
On March 4th the 10th–12th graders who were not on the New York trip traveled with me to Guilford College. We enjoyed an information session and tour and then shared our thoughts and reflections at lunch. Students who traveled to New York enjoyed the tour and information session at New York University.
Meanwhile, the Class of '09 has been collecting college acceptances and their parents have been comparing financial aid offers. It is an exciting and grueling time to be a senior with Decision Day (May 1) quickly approaching.
