Friday, February 27, 2009

Le Defile de Mode   /   El Desfile de Moda

On Wednesday, I was treated to a one-of-a-kind fashion show presented by our Eighth Grade students in French and Spanish. Under the leadership of Madame Davis, Señora Ramirez, and Señor Cohen, the French 8 and Spanish 8 students wrote scripts to describe various styles of clothing and accessories they would model for their peers.

The show began with members of Sra. Ramirez's class presenting each other’s high fashion. Spanish 8 students were dressed in a variety of genres: formal wear (Emily Hamilton and Parker Douglas), winter ski wear (Jessica Griffin and Aaron Hill), and Western wear (Leah Pieniadz).  While each student paraded around the Williams Room, classmates read and described each model’s clothing in Spanish. Applause allowed for transition to each model.

Next came members Mme. Davis’ Eighth Grade French class. Her students strolled around the room while exquisite French music provided the ambiance. French students wore clothing that captured a wide array of colors and styles. Debonair Andrew Ferrucci showed off his cosmopolitan style while Adam Collins looked as if he just came off a ski lift in the Alps! Minnie Zhang and Claudia Leuze brought lots of color and unique accessories to their high fashion display.

I was quite impressed by the poise of our Middle School students and the focus they had on their scripts and modeling throughout the ninth period show. Their Spanish and French accents and pronunciation were excellent, and the show was a joy to watch.

Stay tuned.  Enjoy your weekend!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Harvard Model Congress (slideshow)

On Thursday, History Department Chair Ben Ladd and History teacher Clemmie Everett took a group of 22 juniors and seniors to participate in the annual Harvard Model Congress in Boston. Harvard Model Congress allows students to learn more about how our government works through the experience of role-playing members of Congress. Each participant is given a CD with information on the background, political views, and committee assignments of a member of our Congress or another current government official. In preparation for this weekend experience, our students prepare position papers to help them get a better sense of the views of “their” members of Congress on current issues and proposals. Harvard students are solely responsible for conducting all facets of this model congress. Examples of topics include offshore drilling, National Missile Defense, aid to Darfur, national debt, and our policy with Cuba.

Over 1,000 high school students from throughout the northeast participate in this weekend’s Harvard Model Congress. During these packed four days, students attend different committees to learn how most of the business of Congress is actually done.  Students organize their caucuses, give speeches, participate in debates, and vote in the House or Senate general sessions.

Through the experience of HMC, our students fulfill our mission to be prepared for “active participation in a changing society.”  They return with a deeper understanding of the importance of staying informed about national issues and voting in elections.  It also allows our students the opportunity to consider a career in politics or public service!

I look forward to chatting with Mr. Ladd, Ms. Everett and our students about their experience in Congress.

Stay tuned.  Enjoy your weekend!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Library Field Trip

On Wednesday, I joined Mr. Kelly’s ninth grade English class on its annual field trip over to the Shain Library on the Connecticut College campus. Traditionally in the third marking period, all freshmen in English I are required to research a chosen topic and write a five to seven page paper. Students are taught all the structured steps in formulating the paper: choosing a thesis, researching texts, completing note cards, citing bibliography, completing a rough draft, peer editing, and (finally) submitting the final paper.

While on our walk (we happened to catch a nice warm day), Mr. Kelly explained that everyone in the ninth grade is required to write a paper on “prejudice,” thus giving a broad enough topic for students to find ample resources and write about a particular interest that they wish to research, defend and argue. As we flowed into the Shain Library, Mr. Kelly showed the students the electronic card catalogues and other resources the students needed to execute their research. The atmosphere for research helped our students get right to work! I had a chance to observe our students move effortlessly through the book stacks seeking resources to support their theses. Some examples of paper topics from Mr. Kelly’s class included:  “prejudice against obesity,”  “prejudice against women golfers,”  “prejudice against skateboarders,”  “racial prejudice in the NBA,” and “prejudice against dogs in puppy mills.”

Our ninth grade English students are getting a “stem to stern” lesson on crafting a research paper. This traditional and regimented process is as important as the final product. Seniors and recent graduates frequently comment to me about the value of learning how to write a paper of this magnitude that they developed as freshman.  The lessons our students learn during throughout this writing process are obviously far-reaching. 

I look forward to reading selections of papers from Mr. Kelly’s class in a few weeks. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you visit the Shain Library and its recently added reading room. It’s marvelous!

Stay tuned.  Enjoy your weekend!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Catching Up with Blues in Beantown

I write this weekly blog remotely from Boston after attending a terrific alumni event with our Boston area alumni. Our Development Office invited alumni from Boston and surrounding towns to join in a little food, conversation, and cheer at "America's Oldest Restaurant," The Union Oyster House near Faneuil Hall. Joining me from Williams was Director of Development Ellen Spring and Assistant Head of School Chris Benbow. 

Attending our event were over thirty alumni from graduating classes spanning over ten years. I was excited to see recent graduates Carmen Trobaugh and Emily Sollars, as well as many students I've known since my first year in 2004: Eric Blum, Ben Wood, Diptesh Soni, Matt Spring, Corey Williams. I was quite proud of the excellent turnout particularly from the Class of 2003, who coordinated their communication with each other through our new Facebook page!

Throughout the evening, Chris, Ellen, and I were amazed by the camaraderie among all the classes with the graduates' admiration of their former teachers, coaches, and advisors. They also reminisced and recounted their love for the chickwich sandwiches and lasagna served in the old cafeteria (they were grateful to hear that we still serve these staple) and of course, the old blue bench!

The wonderful evening ended with everyone committing to staying in touch, coming back to campus, and returning to another Boston Alumni Event next year. I want to thank and acknowledge Ellen Spring and the Development Office for hosting such a successful affair. The Union Oyster House was the perfect spot for us to gather. The food was delicious and this historic landmark provided a tremendous atmosphere.

Stay tuned. Enjoy your weekend!

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