Weekly Update 9/15
Dear NCHS Family,
We had a wonderful turnout from our parent community this week at two important events. The Senior Parent Program had big crowd of parents who were invested in knowing about the all important senior year at New Canaan High School. The school counselors did a great job presenting and their presentation can be found here. In the event that you missed the presentation, click here to see the video.
The general meeting of the PFA was well attended on Wednesday morning. The membership of the PFA learned about all of the work that has been done to increase school culture over the last couple of years. This work makes everyone feel better about the school and community. The town takes a great deal of pride in New Canaan High School and you can see all `the PFA has done to improve the school here.
I also gave my Back to School message which had a focus on the importance of positive psychology and the benefits to being happy. You can view my presentation here.
As always feel free to reach out to the school for any of your needs.
One Second:
Mr. Gusitsch has been capturing one second at school everyday. This is a unique way to see the school year move by at a fast pace. Click here to see the first of our one second videos. We plan to share this every two weeks until you have the whole year documented. Enjoy.
Social Media:
We are also trying to celebrate the school by using social media. I hope that you can follow us on twitter. Here are some good twitter handles to follow:
@NCHS_CT
@Weganprincipal
@NCHS_pfa
@Davidgusitsch
@Dr_Luizzi
Heroes:
As you are aware, last year Pat Mainolfi and Tom Brown saved the life of a student who was choking at the high school. They were recognized and honored yesterday morning by the Red Cross!
Parking Note: Parents of students who drive to school, please remind your child of the policies and procedures as outlined in the parking letter that was sent out last month. Thank you for your support.
I look forward to seeing you at the many events throughout the year.
As always, thank you for your support!
Be well and stay healthy NCHS!
Bill Egan
Upcoming Events:
9/15 PSAT online Registration
9/18 BOE Meeting, Wagner Room 7 pm
9/19 PFA 12th Grade Networking 9:30 a.m.
9/21 Rosh Hashanah - No School
9/25 Freshmen Parents Orientation 6:30 pm
9/25 Open House for all grades 7:15 pm
The PSAT will take place at NCHS Saturday, October 14. Students must register for the test online at https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/070465 before 9/20. Registration is $30; after 9/15 the fee is $40. For information please contact: susan.carroll@ncps-k12.org
Pictures from around NCHS:
Department News:
Administrator’s Perspective:
Mr. Gusitsch continues a four week blog series on stakeholders in education with part two, focusing on “Community” and the role of partnership with the schools. Feel free to check it out, here.
Science:
The Honors Earth Science class went outside to make their own measuring systems and to measure the tennis courts. Attached are some photos for regular Earth Science classes engaged in a fossil find and oceans / mapping activities. Earth Science classes also attended class in the planetarium in which they were introduced to the constellations that we can see in night sky now.
The Astronomy class has been using the planetarium to learn about the night sky as we see it now as well as the different constellations that we can see during different seasons.
Chemistry classes have completed their first labs and are working on safe practices and measuring with the right level of precision.
Physics classes have completed several introductory labs emphasizing data collection and different ways of presenting that data.
The Astronomy class has been using the planetarium to learn about the night sky as we see it now as well as the different constellations that we can see during different seasons.
Chemistry classes have completed their first labs and are working on safe practices and measuring with the right level of precision.
Physics classes have completed several introductory labs emphasizing data collection and different ways of presenting that data.
English:
Senior AP Lit teachers have been busy reviewing summer reading assignments. Students chose two independent novels to read over the summer and completed a series of short journal entries. Popular titles among students this year included The Nightingale and The Kite Runner. In another senior elective, Ms. Nigro’s Creative Writing, students created a collaborative “parking lot” poem that uses visual imagery (from the campus) to form a larger piece of verse.
Meanwhile, in Mr. Darken and Ms. Hernberg’s tenth grade classes, students are busy drafting their “This I Believe” essay, which asks students to write short narration on how a core belief has shaped their perspective. Similarly, in Ms. Munson’s AP Language class, students interviewed community members about core American values as a lens to approach canonical American literature and essays. It’s been a busy few weeks as students and teachers get back into the rhythm of class!
Fundraisers:
The Human Rights Club is collecting pens to donate to the AFYA Foundation for underprivileged medical staff who are without pens to write on patient’s charts in struggling nations. There will be boxes in most English classrooms to collect the pens for two weeks.
NCHS Theatre Car Wash Fundraiser: The New Canaan High School Theatre program will kick off the 2017-18 season with a car wash fundraiser at NCHS on Saturday, September 23 from 8am-4pm. All drama students will work shifts washing vehicles and the regular Saturday routine of working on sets, props and costumes for the upcoming production. The proceeds will help offset costs for the upcoming season.
VPA News:
Photography Field Trip: On Wednesday Mrs. McDonagh's Period 6 Intro to Photo class went on a field trip to the Carriage Barn Arts Center. They viewed The 40th Annual Members Show, an all media art exhibition of 180 works of art created by members of New Canaan's Carriage Barn Arts Center. The show will be on display until October 7.
The Printmaking Mixed Media class is creating their 'expressionist block print' that brings inspiring images of today's world to life. After studying the woodcut artists of post-war German expressionism, students have looked to the world around them today for inspiration. Currently, they are drawing their designs in preparation for carving them out onto the surface of linoleum blocks. Eventually students will print their blocks on the printing press using traditional block printing techniques.
NCHS Performance Season:
The performance season begins with the upperclassmen production, “The Miracle Worker,” the true story of Helen Keller and her battle to overcome impossible obstacles and the struggle to communicate. Please join us for performances October 19 – October 21 @ 7pm. All performances will be held at the New Canaan High School auditorium and tickets may be purchased online at www.newcanaanhighschooltheatre.com.
The season continues with the underclassmen production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” a musical based on the book by Michael Stewart, with lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse. When the draft selects teen heartthrob and rock star Conrad Birdie, his fans are devastated, but none more than struggling songwriter Albert Peterson whose song Birdie was just about to record. Please join us for performances held on November 17 @ 7pm, November 18 @ 2pm & 7pm.
The winter brings “42nd Street”, which tells the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway. 42nd Street is full of crowd-pleasing tap dances and show-stopping ensemble production numbers.
Performances will be held March 15 – March 17 @ 7pm.
April brings the 29th Annual Drama Festival “Heaven Knows”. Students write one-act plays, in which they cast, direct, and act in order to make their ideas come alive on stage. Performances will be April 27 & April 28 @ 7:00pm.
The season ends with “Sister Act,” a musical comedy featuring original music by Alan Menken. Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and is placed in protective custody in one place the cops are sure she will not be found, a convent! Performances will be June 1 @ 7:00pm & June 2 @ 2:00pm & 7:00pm.
World Language:
We have started the year in a very positive note! Students at all levels are all working hard and using the language skills they have learned over the years and recently!
Here are some students from Spanish 1, using their new language skills to get to know each other!
¡Bienvenidos a los estudiantes de español 3 honores!
The five classes of students in Spanish 3 honors have enthusiastically started the school year determined to improve their Spanish and they are respectfully observing ¡Aquí se habla español! (Here we speak Spanish!) during class. In addition to listening to Spanish and practicing their conversational skills with their teachers and classmates, the students are also writing on a daily basis to reinforce vocabulary and important grammatical structures. They will soon begin reading the novel La cruz del diablo by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. They will also keep current with what is happening in the Spanish-speaking world by listening to and reading the daily news. This will also promote a better understanding of different cultures and customs.
An exciting part of their learning continues to be the use of the Sony language laboratory where they are able to record their conversations with classmates as well as to practice their writing using text messaging.
Spanish 3H students discuss the necessary student skills necessary meet with success in school.
As a result of the Mandarin program at Saxe, many more students are successfully remaining in the Mandarin program at NCHS, all the way to our new Level 5H!
Spanish 4
Our Spanish 4 classes are off to a great start. We have been discussing and reading about immigration in the U.S. and how it affects the Spanish-speaking world. In addition to discussing issues of importance in the target language, we have been reviewing some previously learned grammatical points.
Next week we are off to learning about the world of art and will be reading and talking about three famous artists (Picasso, Dali, Kahlo) and their contributions to various styles of art. Students will also learn about their art styles as well as their personal lives, all in Spanish!
Spanish 5H
The Spanish 5 Honors / UCONN Early College Experience class mirrors the syllabus of the University's course in "Composition," with students earning college credit for successful completion of the course. Our first task has been to produce a richly detailed, grammatically sophisticated, appealing and convincing descriptive essay. In the course of our preparation for this writing task, students practiced describing objects without naming them in such a way that classmates could guess their identity; in another activity they prepared product descriptions for mock advertising campaigns to tempt classmates to buy their products. Each unit in the first-semester course equips students to create different types of essays. The spring semester course (for NCHS, quarters 3 & 4) focuses on Conversation, as does the corresponding class on the Storrs campus.
