Weekly Update 9/30

Dear NCHS Family,

Today we had our annual Club and Activity Fair for underclassmen and students who are new to New Canaan High School.  Please click here to see a complete list of clubs at NCHS.

Although I will be sending a separate email to students regarding school expectations, here is the outline for the daily activities for Homecoming Week. As always, we want our students to have fun and stay safe!

Monday, Oct. 10 -       Classy Day (students dress up in their finest!)

                                    Banner Night (students get together with their class in the lounge     

                                    anytime from 3-6:30pm, and create a banner showing their class

                                    spirit. Banner will be hung in the lounge for the week, and then

                                    brought to the gym for the pep rally)

Tuesday, Oct. 11 -      Turn Back the Clock Day (Freshmen dress up in 50s attire,

                                   Sophomores in the 60s era, Juniors in the 70s, and Seniors in

                                   80s. All faculty and staff will dress up in the 90s era).

Wednesday, Oct. 12 - No school

Thursday, Oct. 13 -    Costume Day (students will dress up in costumes. Grade level       

                                   costumes are being decided on ASAP. Costume restrictions will

                                   apply).

Friday, Oct. 14 -         Red and Black Day - Self explanatory!!

                                   

Pep Rally

                           

                                  Bonfire - 6:30-8pm. Two bands will perform. Each grade will be

                                  selling snacks or drinks, and of course, a bonfire will be lit! This

                                  event will take place outside the end of the school by the jock lot.

Saturday, Oct. 15 -     Football game - 1:30 pm home game at Dunning

                                  Homecoming Dance (tickets $20) and Ice Cream Social 7-10pm.

                                  Sponsored by the Senior class. The theme for the dance is

                                  “Red, White and Blue”. The Homecoming King and Queen will be

                                  announced, and raffle prizes will be given away.

Sunday - SLEEP!

Progress Reports will be available for viewing at 8:00 a.m. on 10/5.

Pictures from around NCHS:

Upcoming Events:  

10/1 SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests
10/3      Rosh Hashanah, no school

10/4 BOE Meeting, 7:00 pm Wagner Room

10/5-6 Senior Portraits, auditorium foyer

10/6 Financial Aid Night, 7:30 pm Wagner Room

Wishing you all the best,

Bill Egan

Department News:

Social Studies Department News:  

A special thanks to the New Canaan Daughters of the American Revolution and to the family of Dorothy Hutchinson who have donated pocket copies of the United States Constitution to our Civics and Government students over the past several years in conjunction with Constitution Week. Dorothy was a lifelong member of the New Canaan chapter who was born on May 10, 1922 and passed away on October 22, 2013. She also worked for many years at the Town Hall as Administrative Assistant to a few of the former Selectmen. Copies were distributed in several sections of AP Government and Civics last week. Students consult and use their copies of the Constitution regularly throughout their senior year study of the workings of American Government so the donation has been much appreciated.

Our AP European History class has been selected to participate in a national pilot of a new program sponsored by the College Board, entitled “AP European History With We”. It incorporates a service element to be designed and led by the students. Dr. Schneider will create the historical context by embedding lessons during the course, and Ashley Tedford will provide the leadership in working with the students to plan the service component. Below are a couple of planning pictures from last week’s meeting.

Recently, some of the U.S. History classes analyzed political cartoons from the Industrial Revolution. The students then proceeded to use their devices to research one of six industrialists who rose to power during this era. Students worked collaboratively in groups to create a political cartoon of their own, which portrayed their assigned industrialist as either a captain of industry or robber baron. Students then analyzed their classmates’ posters by engaging in a gallery walk and filling out a graphic organizer.

Finally, Professor Alpert from UConn’s Early College Experience program visited this week to observe Mr. Staffaroni’s AP/ECE Microeconomics class as students worked on supply and demand problems. Through this partnership between UConn and our Advanced Placement Economics program, students can earn up to six college credits in Micro and Macro Economics.

Science Department News:  

As we wrap up our first units and get ready for progress reports, the Science Department has been busy both in and outside of our classrooms.  Our Honors Earth Science classes took a short in-school field trip down to the Library Media Center where they utilized the “Maker Space” to design and construct Timing Mechanisms.  Students were given a challenge to create a device that could accurately and reliably measure a time period of 10 - 40 seconds  The designs featured a variety of methodologies and most were successful in completing the challenge.  Our AP Biology class spent some time in the lab simulating the properties of cell membranes and phospholipids utilizing soap bubbles.   Phospholipids have a love/hate relationship with water as the head of a phospholipid molecule is attracted to water and the “tail” is repelled by water.  Soap molecules have the same properties and is why we use it to clean our dishes, clothes and bodies.  Ask your local AP Bio student for details.  Enjoy the long weekend.

World Language Department News:

Students in Profe Leckie's Spanish 5 Conversation, Film and Culture class have jumped into a full Spanish - immersion environment. Students are currently reviewing to take a quiz on the first half of the movie "Volver."  Each day students have been shown a segment of the film and then have been expected to discuss the scene with their opinions and questions. Students also had to state what they would have done if they were each character in the film. Many cultural differences have been brought to light in this film, including, views on death, types of food, the Castilian accent, and Andalusian music.

In addition to discussing the film, the course has been focusing on having students function in practical conversations and situations.

VPA

On Tuesday, Ms. McDonagh's AP Studio Art 2D Design class and Ms. O'Connor's Architecture Class visited New Canaan's National Trust for Historic Preservation at the Glass House.