Weekly Update 9/8
Dear NCHS Family,
Tonight is our first football game of the season and the beginning of the fall season. We have high hopes for our teams, but also high expectations for our fans. Please click on this link to see the letter co-written by the two Mr. Egan’s.
With a victory, Lou Marinelli will become the winningest coach in Connecticut High School Football history. We wish the team and Lou all the best this evening and congratulate him on being an outstanding coach and an even better man. Good luck tonight. See below to see the records of the coaches with the most victories.
Vaping:
Last year we had some instances of vaping in school. Confirmed cases of vaping come with a five day suspension, but our greater concern is for the health of our students. Please see the message below from Janet Reed, Head School Nurse, on the health dangers of vaping. Please have a family conversation on the dangers of vaping.
The distribution of a nicotine can result in a referral for expulsion. Only a registered dealer of nicotine can sell and distribute nicotine. Also, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to purchase and or possess nicotine.
From Janet Reed, Head School Nurse: Dangers of Vaping
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) the use of e-cigarettes or vaping has tripled among middle and high school students over the past year. Young people mistakenly think the e-cigarettes are safe.
Harvard University scientists have called for “urgent action” after confirming dangerous, poisonous chemicals are found in the liquids in electronic cigarettes. These chemicals destroy the lung’s tiniest airways which lead to scar tissue and blocked airflow. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde have also been found in e-cigarettes. The manufacturers have no standards to meet, so the dose of nicotine can be toxic. Nicotine, which is highly addictive, damages the lining of blood vessels which causes blood clots. These clots over time may lead to stroke or a heart attack.
Research indicates that nicotine exposure primes the brain for addiction to other substances.
In addition to significant health risks, the e-cigarettes are in violation of school rules and the NCPS Board of Education policy. Vaping at school will result in suspension.
In addition to significant health risks, the e-cigarettes are in violation of school rules and the NCPS Board of Education policy. Vaping at school will result in suspension.
For more information see the National Institute on Drug Abuse or visit
Feel free to stop by the nurse’s office with any questions.
As always, thank you for your support!
Be well and stay healthy NCHS!
Bill Egan
Upcoming Events:
9/6-9/15 PSAT online Registration
9/7-9/12 Senior Portraits
9/12 Senior Parents Program, School Counseling 8:00 a.m.
9/13 PFA General Meeting 9:30 a.m.
9/14 Faculty- Professional Learning 2:05 pm
Pictures from around NCHS:
Department News:
Administrator’s Perspective:
For this week, Mr. Gusitsch’s blog provides insight into important stakeholders here at NCHS. Part one of the four part series focuses on parents and their meaningful role in our successful school community. Feel free to read it, here.
School Counseling: PSAT
The PSAT will be offered at New Canaan High School on Saturday, October 14. Students must register for the test online at https://user.totalregistration.net/PSAT/070465 from 9/6-9/15. The fee is $30. After 9/15 the fee is $40. No registration is accepted after 9/20. Counselors recommend that all members of the JUNIOR class take the PSAT as preparation for the SAT the following spring. This is also the qualifying exam for the National Merit Scholarship Program for Juniors. October 14 is the only date the PSAT is offered. For any information please contact susan.carroll@ncps-k12.org
Library:
Math:
Students in M3 Algebra 2 classes had a discussion about parent functions and transformations and discussed how M.C. Escher's drawings of tessellations are just translations of a parent function. Students in Integrated Geometry had to apply order of operations to problems in order to figure out a puzzle similar to the game Clue. Each problem answer eliminated a person, room, or object so at the end of the puzzle, students could state who killed Mr. PEMDAS. (It was Mrs. Wright, probably because PEMDAS makes people have a misconception that multiplication always comes before division or that addition always comes before subtraction, which isn't the case).
Students had an interesting discussion in AP Statistics on the origin of the expression "curving" grades, or grading on the curve.
Students had an interesting discussion in AP Statistics on the origin of the expression "curving" grades, or grading on the curve.
M2 Geometry classes used their devices in class to research the origin of the distance formula. This task allowed students to observe the variety of math web sources available to them and directed a conversation in determining what makes a valuable resource in mathematics versus an unreliable source found by a random web search.
Social Studies:
More than a dozen different Social Studies course offerings are off to an exciting start. In many classes, during this first week the foundation is being laid for work on the many projects and simulations our students have come to love. The following are several examples of these introductory activities:
Global History I students started the year examining the impact of geography on the development of civilizations. Several sections are tackling this work through the question, “Is geography destiny?” As part of this first unit they are weaving this work with the five themes of geography, how they relate to one another, and the connections between them. These are themes they will revisit throughout the course, partially through our continuing emphasis of the PERSIA+GT model for analyzing civilizations.
Global History II classes are examining the impact and legacy of absolutism, exploring how absolute rulers around the world have acquired, justified and maintained their power. They are examining several case studies and in small groups, evaluating the effectiveness of one absolute ruler.
Sections of US History began by asking "What is an American?" Reading Crevecoeur, Tocqueville, and Frederick Jackson Turner provided students with three perspectives to which the class added their own thoughts. Next week, this will culminate in their first essay which will provide a foundation to study historical and contemporary events.
Economics and AP Economics began the course by asking and researching "What is the essence of an Oreo?" Of course this involved eating Oreos, but the heart of the lesson was about how American products are received by overseas consumers and students learned about the choices American companies have to make as international markets are developed.
In Psychology, students are examining the different perspectives on psychology, looking at the various behaviors of celebrities through the different lenses of psychology including: psychoanalytical, behavioral, socio-cultural, cognitive, biological and evolutionary psychology.
On the morning of September 18, many juniors taking US History will attend an assembly focusing on September 11. During the assembly, students will hear from our interns who worked over the summer with Voices of September 11th. “VOICES helps families heal after tragedy, a vital mission that began after 9/11. Today, the organization continues to address the long-term needs of those impacted by 9/11, commemorates the 2,977 lives lost, and promotes national preparedness. In addition, through VOICES Center of Excellence for Community Resilience, (they) conduct research and training as well as assist communities impacted by other tragedies.” (http://voicesofsept11.org)
VPA News:
It's that time of year again, the Art Department will be hosting the 2017 Summer Art Show. Students, faculty and staff are all invited to participate and submit any type of media to this show. Artwork should be brought in and given to an art teacher no later than Monday, September 18th. The Summer Art show of 2017 will open in the main lobby gallery on Open House night.
CTE News:
In Mr. Zambarano’s Robotics class students are hard at work building their interface boards. Once the boards are completate, students will learn coding commands to manipulate input and output devices. The goal is then to use what they have learned to build a robot to solve a given task.
In Woodworking students are starting their first hand tools project.
Miss Martinich's Business classes learned about Needs, Wants, and Values this week and how they can impact their career choices. Students were involved in an activity where they needed to try and survive on a new planet with only a few items. They worked in groups to rationalize what to bring and what to leave behind. Later in the week students started researching future careers based on results of the RIASEC test. This career matching system allows you to determine the careers and college courses that are most likely suitable to your abilities, interest, skills and traits. Many students founds careers that they never thought would be good for them!
This week in Ms. Zilly's class the student participated in a team building activity called "Marshmallow Tower" They raced to build the tallest spaghetti and one single marshmallow. The highest tower stood over 30 inches!
In Mr. Cebulski’s Classes:
Intro to TV Broadcasting - Students just finished a unit on the TV industry, including the importance of ratings, demographics and of course, commercials. An unofficial poll has one class averaging 8.2 hours of TV viewing a week, while another class averages 6.9 hours. Students are about to learn how to shoot good audio and video using just their smartphone and a few small accessories.
Advanced TV Broadcasting - NCTV aired their second live broadcast of the year this morning, which can be viewed here. And later tonight, NCTV will broadcast the NC football game LIVE at 7PM from Dunning Stadium. If you can't make the game, you can always watch it from your computer, tablet or phone with this link: Ram Football vs. St. Joseph. You can also follow NCTV 78 on Twitter @NCTV78.
Journalism - First year journalism students are learning the history of journalism, the rights of the press and more particularly, the rights of the student press. Students are also learning different ways of telling stories using digital media such as websites, photography, video and social media. Returning journalism students are busy working on their first stories of the year, which you can read soon at nchscourant.com or by following the Courant on twitter @NCHSCourant.
In Mr. Honohan's Web Design class, students are exploring the career pathways for web designers. In the pictures below, they are sharing their findings in small groups during a brief question and answer session.
