Weekly Update 12/8





Dear NCHS Family,

Progress Reports are now available for viewing.  Please note that you might not see comments for a student with a grade above an 80.  This policy was put in place to ensure detailed comments for students most in need.  If your child did not receive any comments, please feel free to email your child’s teacher to receive more detailed feedback for how they are doing in class.

This week marked the beginning of our concert series.  We opened with the Orchestra concert and Mr. Ficks and his students did not disappoint. They showed great range performing classics and modern pieces,  I am always so impressed.  


We continue to have great turnout at our parent programs.  This week, we had a 9th grade networking program. The program was on mid-term preparation.  Mr. Sullivan, 9th grade administrator led a panel of experts and spoke to a packed house.


 


This week's One Second Everyday:



This weeks NCTV Broadcast:




Be well and stay healthy NCHS!

Bill Egan

Upcoming Events:
12/13 NCHS Choral Concert, St. Mark’s Church - 7pm
12/19 NCHS Band Concert NCHS Auditorium -  7pm
12/21 Alumni Round Table - Seniors @ 9:15am - Wagner Room
12/22 Early dismissal
12/25-1/1/18 Holiday break, no school




Pictures from around NCHS:







Administrator’s Perspective:
In his blog this week, Mr. Gusitsch takes a look at one of the many “busy seasons” throughout a school year. Days are long, but they fly by, filled with amazing experiences all throughout. Feel free to check it out, here.


Department News:

Athletics Update:
  • Girls Ice Hockey opens their season on Saturday at Simsbury.
  • New Coach John Winchester and our girls basketball team begin their 2017-18 campaign  on Monday December 11 at home vs. Bassick.
  • Wrestling travels to Darien on 12/13.
  • Our other sports are completing their pre-seasons and will begin regular season competitions on December 16th. The Sports calendar is very busy thru December 23rd. Please take some time out of the holiday madness to see the Rams play!

School Counseling:
PSAT scores should be available by mid-December. Students will be notified via email so keep an eye out for them. Students will be prompted to create an account with College Board if they have not already done so. Counselors spoke to Juniors during Connections this week about how to evaluate their scores and to begin to prepare for taking the SAT. They also spoke about what to look for when visiting colleges, the upcoming Junior appointment and the timeline for the 2nd semester.

Also, as we approach mid-December, seniors are beginning to hear from the early round of college decisions. Whatever news they hear, the counselors want to know, so we can help students consider next steps - whether it is changing their list of regular decision schools or withdrawing other applications because they are done with the process. For many seniors, this is only ‘half-time’ with much more to come, but it can be an emotional time and we want to remind students that we are here to help and to celebrate good news.

VPA:
17th Annual NCHS Band Festival:  Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 P.M.
The NCHS Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Saxe 8th Grade Band will combine for another exciting performance on Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 P.M. in the NCHS Auditorium.  The 17th Annual NCHS Band Festival will feature songs from the NCHS Band "Folk Songs from Around the World" repertoire, holiday favorites from the NCHS Jazz Ensemble, and "Valley of Fire" performed by the Saxe 8th Grade Band.  The concert will culminate with a combined performance of "Pirates of the Caribbean."  This festive and energetic program will be just one hour in length and will end with a reception in the NCHS Cafeteria.  Please join us to celebrate music from around the world and songs of the season!


The NCHS Concert Choir and Madrigal Ensemble present: All Nature Sings
The New Canaan community is invited to join the Choral Program this holiday season to celebrate our beautiful world in song.  Wednesday, December 13 at 7:00pm, the NCHS Concert Choir and Madrigal Ensemble will perform in the beautiful St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan.
Ensembles will feature works by contemporary composers Daniel Gawthrop (Sing a Mighty Song), Daniel Elder (Lullaby) and Frank Tichelli (Earth Song) as well as Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium and the energetic Spiritual Go Where I Send Thee, arranged by Andre Thomas. The annual concert is free and open to the public and will feature both choral ensembles and student soloists in this one-hour performance.

The Choral Program is also wrapping their annual Grapefruit Fundraiser, with 1,020 boxes delivered this week and over 120 being donated to local food banks! There are a few boxes of fruit still available if you weren’t able to pre-order. Call or email the choir room today! 203-594-4690 or sarah.gleason@ncps-k12.org. Visit the NCHS Choir website for more information about our program and upcoming performances: www.newcanaanhighschoolchoir.weebly.com

Math:  
The Math department will be conducting the 10th Annual Math Music Video Contest (details below).  We hope that students take the opportunity to express themselves musically while demonstrating understanding of a mathematical concept!!  Good luck to all those who participate!!


In addition, several members of the Math department will take part in helping to collect holiday gifts for children in Spanish Harlem through the Fraternite de Notre Dame.  Students and teachers will purchase and wrap gifts which will be collected and distributed to children in need at a holiday party.  We thank all of those who choose to participate in this worthy cause.

Social Studies:

This week, AP European History students demonstrated their understanding of 17th century intellectual history in a unique way.  Each student researched a member of the Scientific Revolution, as well as literary figures such as Shakespeare.  Then they presented their findings to the “Royal Society” and attempted to persuade the members (their classmates) that their contribution reflected a major paradigm shift in attitudes toward learning.  One student, Clare Herzog, enhanced her presentation about Bach by playing her oboe.



Students in Ms. Rothschild’s Global History I classes recently debated whether Shihaungdi or Wudi was the more effective leader and who had the greatest influence on both ancient and present China. In small groups, they conducted research and presented their points of view in a debate format.

AP Economics students attempted to build the most profitable tower. Everything has a cost and the most revenue, or height, isn't always the best strategy to generate the most profit. Below are some photos of the marshmallow-toothpick results.





CTE:

Advanced TV Broadcasting - The Morning Announcements team has a new weather anchor, senior Kaitlyn Piotroski. Kaitlyn made her debut on this morning's broadcast, which can be seen here. Also airing today on cable channel 78 is the latest episode of Beyond The Whistle and a field hockey playoff game against East Lyme.

Intro to TV Broadcasting - Students are currently producing their own commercials and PSAs. After getting one of their concepts "green-lit," students then wrote scripts, created storyboards and developed production plans. They are now shooting all the video and will begin editing next week.

Journalism - Students are hard at work putting together the December issue of the Courant, which comes out December 18th. Stories are finished so they're now designing pages, editing photos and creating graphics. In the meantime, new stories go up every week on the Courant's website, nchscourant.com. Check it out!









Child Development students are learning about the importance of play and the role of toys as the child's "tools" for work and learning. One activity involved students creating a toy from household items, explaining the type of play it encourages, and how the toy promotes one or more areas of development.



Child Development students will be wrapping up their teaching lessons next week as the semester draws to a close. The preschool re-opens second semester in March as the new students begin the Child Development classes. This  week's preschool lesson revolved around the book, "The Mitten,"  and a themed based lesson on snowmen based on the book "Snowmen at Night."

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Library:
Click on this link to read the library update!












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