May 18 Weekly Update
Dear NCHS Family,
A School-Wide Picnic will be held on Monday, May 21 for students and any staff members that would like to attend. We will not have a rain date, so let’s hope for a sunny day. Students will be able to buy lunch and will have about 90 minutes to celebrate the year with their classmates. The schedule for the day can be found here.
Please note: closed campus 11:10 - 12:40.
Multiple testing Pilot:
At the semester mark, we started a Multiple Assessment Pilot asking that you fill out a form and follow a few steps to move an assessment. To date, only four students have filled out the form. We understand that some students are working out difficulties directly with teachers; if that is true for you, we ask that you also complete the form. Since this year is a pilot for the policy, the information that you provide in the form will give us beneficial information about what to do with the policy in the future. Please click here to see the rest of the document.
This week I sent out a Senior Prom letter; a link to the letter can be found here.
Weekly Broadcast:
Be well and stay healthy NCHS!
Bill Egan
Upcoming Events:
5/18 Senior Prom 7pm Stamford Marriott
5/21 School wide Picnic
5/21 Board of Ed Mtg 7pm Wagner Rm
5/22 Senior Internship begins
5/23 New Age Film Fest
5/22 No School - Memorial Day
Department News:
English Department:
In the English department teachers are busy preparing their classes for the end of year portfolios, and the Writing Center is abuzz with students working on their final revisions.
And Shakespeare is in the air -- many sophomore classes are in the thralls of teaching Shakespeare through performance with students acting out scenes from The Scottish Play, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet. See below as some of Ms. Steidl’s students riff on on some Shakespeare lines.
If and when the weather ever turns, some classes may even venture out to the spring air to perform these classics!
Last week, Ms. Fitzpatrick's Literature and Film class joined Ms. Bacon's U.S. History class to create their own documentaries about the Vietnam War. Students first learned about the conventions of documentary filmmaking by viewing Ken Burns's "The Vietnam War," and used this as a springboard to discuss a variety of creative storytelling techniques. In groups, they chose specific topics related to the war, such as search and destroy missions, music, protests, etc. Students then conducted research and created scripts where they had to gather relevant images, music, and video footage to correspond to their narration. When they were done, the videos were put together to create one class documentary. Watch out, Ken Burns…
And from a few weeks ago… students leafing through vintage copies of LIfe magazine. It really is an amazing exercise in 50’s zeitgeist!
World Language:
Almost 50 Mandarin language students at New Canaan High School participated in the yearly in-district trip to West, East and South Elementary Schools to teach the 3rd graders a lesson in Mandarin Chinese. This visit is aligned with the third grade social studies unit on Asia. Through the use of interactive games and fun-filled activities , 3rd graders across the district had a chance to learn some Chinese characters, basic strokes, and tones.
Although created to support elementary school student understanding of the Chinese culture and language, this program also allowed the high school Mandarin students to experience being "teacher for a day" and to learn how to collaborate with peers to create and implement a mini lesson.
Career & Technical Education:
Advanced TV Broadcasting - NCTV said goodbye to its seniors this morning, but only after airing their final live broadcast of the year. We want to congratulate them for all their outstanding work over the years, particular those who have been part of NCTV for the past 4 years. We'll miss you guys so much and wish you all the best of luck!! If you didn't see the senior broadcast live, you can watch it here.
Also, next week NCTV is live-streaming the annual Film Festival from the NCHS Wagner Room. Live from the Red Carpet starts at 5:30pm with the awards show starting at 6pm. You can also watch it on the Educational Access Channel (Altice cable channel 78) from the comforts of your own couch...so tune in!
Journalism - Journalism students put the finishing touches on the final issue of the Courant during Late Night on Thursday. This issue is a combination of the senior journalists final issue with a social media theme combined with regular news and sports articles. Be sure to look out for the final issue of the 2018 Courant coming out Monday May 21! We also want to wish all our senior the best of luck! We'll miss you!!!
Graphics - Students are finishing up the T-shirt project. After creating their own design on the computer, they "printed" it on the vinyl cutter, then "weeded" it out, and finally pressed it onto their t-shirt with the machine. And the results speak for themselves!
Last week The VEX Robotics Team visited “The Inn” part of Waveny LifeCare Network in New Canaan. Josh Siegel and Ben Levin presented their robot and this year's challenge to all who attended. They answered questions and showed how their robot interacted with the field elements.
Science:
The NCHS AP Physics Students recently participated in the AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers) International Physics Bowl Competition. 497 Schools from around the world participated and New Canaan had 108 students participating and our Division 1 team (first year physics students) fared very well within the New England region taking 3rd place.
The students who comprised the Division 1 team were:
Alexandra Allen
Mateo De La Vega
Benjamin Levin
Daniel Lu
Zach Miller
Dylan Shane
Katie Unger
Conor West
Benjamin Levin was the highest division 1 scorer in New Canaan!
William Crane-Morris was the highest division 2 (2nd year Physics Students) scorer in New Canaan!
Honors Earth Science students studied velocity and acceleration using photogates to time cars traveling down a ramp.
Earth Science students completed a unit on climate and meteorology. Students are shown measuring dew point and relative humidity. They compared indoor and outdoor readings.
Physics students are working on a unit on waves, and are shown here measuring the speed of sound.
Also in Physics, students measured the diameter of a hair with the aid of different colored lasers that were used to diffract light.
VPA News:
”Explore” 
“City State of Mind”
”Mayur” 
“Ghandi”Each year the Connecticut Art Education Association (CAEA) sponsors a student art exhibit at Hartford’s Legislative Office Building. Student art from all across Connecticut is submitted. Legislators and their staff from various committees select only a few pieces which are then expertly framed and hung. These student works remain on display in the various committee rooms of the Legislative Office Building for an entire year before being returned to the student fully framed with a letter of appreciation from a legislator.
Four of Ms. Core’s Advanced Studio Art students’ works have been chosen by CT legislators to be framed and exhibited at the State Capitol Legislative Office Building (only 24 works in total were selected for the display). They are:
1. Hannah Suthons: “Explore” 12”x 18” was chosen by the Education Committee.
2. Hannah Suthons: “City State Of Mind” 16”x 20” was also chosen by the Appropriations Committee.
3. Sharanya Mukherjee: “Amar Gandhi” 16”x 20” was chosen by the Education Committee.
4. Sharanya Mukherjee: “Mayur” 16”x20” was chosen by the Education Committee.
Last Wednesday evening, the New Canaan High School Choirs presented their Spring Concert at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in New Canaan. The performance included 20th-century pieces from Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Wales and the United States. The students and audience were also treated to a visit by alumni choir members to perform the last piece, Irish Blessing to our Seniors. Congratulations to all of the students, especially the Senior choir members who were honored for their four-year commitment and growth in the NCHS Choral Program.
