NCS: inside and outside

The first picture is from the 8th grade science presentations on avalanches and snow physics. (We have videotaped all student presentations and hope to have them available for parent viewing sometime in March.) The other photographs are from two different instructional groups out at Whiteface this afternoon. We firmly believe that learning happens both inside and outside the classroom. The link enclosed below is from the latest issue of Orion magazine, noted author David Louv talks about the importance of nature in a child’s growth and development.


http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/4401

NCS: kpm

The enclosed picture is of the evening kitchen crew, one of the most coveted of all student work jobs. You sleep in, you get to eat early, you get the freshest of the fresh bread, and you get to go to study hall a little bit late ... What’s not to like! However, like all the jobs in the NCS work program, the chores are demanding, important to the life of the community, and help develop a real sense of responsibility.

On a totally different note, this is always a challenging week at NCS. It has been a long busy term. Call it cabin fever. Call it the stress of getting academic projects ready for the end of term. Call it the anxiety of secondary school placement. However you describe, it every year at this time there is a strange blend of feelings and emotions ... One part incredible excitement about upcoming trips and intersession offerings, mixed with one part fatigue from long physical days skiing or sledding, sprinkled with one part ennui from seasonal affective disorder, and then toss in one part yuckiness from the 24 hour stomach bug that usually goes around in late February. That is what most of this week is like! The 10 days that follow though are brilliant, all consuming, and often transformative; nobody ever seems sick!

CTT: hello

I hope all is well, and that your President’s Day vacations were good ones. Yesterday, I was out nordic skiing on the wonderful multi-purpose trails that ring the circumference of the campus. These trails are the result of John Culpepper’s vision and the sustainable forest management that Eric Fahl has provided. On my tour of the superloop - covered in some nice fluffy new powder - I stopped at the Hubbard lean-to which was built this summer at Friends’ Weekend. It is hard to believe, but in just four months we’ll have tent groups doing overnights here! I look forward to seeing you on opening day.

NCS: another full Saturday

This morning before I sat down to write my Organic Roots article I toured around the campus perimeter loop on my skis. I ran into students “packing” up to the tow house and flipping their nametag on the ski hill check-in board, and I also ran into John and Josh’s telemark ski clinic. Other activities today include: taking pictures of the bobsled World Championships (Tom got official press passes), ice climbing at the Cascade Lakes area, ice hockey on three different area lakes, watching the Empire State Winter Games, and a modest hike bookended with some community service opportunities. Enjoy your weekend.

NCS: fourth period

From 11:30 – 12:10 is the final academic period of the morning. Enclosed are pictures of a 7th grade math and language arts class, as well as an 8th grade language arts class. In the first picture students are taking a short quiz based on the vocabulary in Chains. (The terms were: to conjure, to tarry, to emanate, askew, and propriety.) In Jeff’s math class students were reviewing homework on comparing fractional values by changing the fractions to decimal equivalents or by getting common denominators. Finally, the last picture shows Jane explaining the homework to the 8th grade on their oral history project.

NCS: wacky hair and awards

The hoped for, foot of new powder never materialized, and we only received a much needed five inches. Today was “wacky hair” day, from which I was spared given a certain “thinness” up top! The enclosed close-up is of the skimeister prize table: medals (cookies on a string), handmade commemorative ceramic whistles, as well as hand knit hats. The other picture is of our many award winners as well as the adults that made this wonderful event happen.

NCS: intersession sign-ups

During his morning meeting Level V continued to plan for their upcoming Outward Bound course in Florida, while the advanced Spanish class planned for their trip to Costa Rica.

The rest of the students made selections for their individual week-long intersession offerings (photos enclosed). The range of full-day courses was impressive: building an electric guitar, movie making, exploring the NCS food chain, learning circus skills, and making mosaics. The half-day offerings were even more varied: jewelry making, stitching and sliding, silk screening, baking and cooking, yearbook designing and layout, backcountry skiing and GPS map making, building paper mache projects, fine woodworking, model making (planes, cars, and boats), aspiring to the Whiteface gondola, set constructing for James and the Giant Peach, and playing multicultural percussion instruments.

NCS: skimeister collage

What a fantastic day! Sunny and warm, with more students electing to do all the events than any time in recent memory. The “competition” started with a nordic race, then on to sledding and biathlon. The day finished with a slalom, a freestyle jump, and a race with each house pulling a houseparent over a measured distance. We had a small bonfire at the base of the ski hill and the children were roasting hot dogs in-between the events.

NCS: spirit week

Our community council has dubbed this spirit week, with each day bringing us some sanctioned and planned zaniness. Today is “hat day,” with students encouraged to wear whacky hats, which allows me to wear a cap from Nepal. Tomorrow is our skimeister event, which is a celebration of all things related to sliding on snow.

The enclosed picture is of Sam’s 8th grade algebra class simplifying radicals, and the 9th grade class discussing the novel Kaffir Boy. (Unfortunately Liz would not allow me to photograph her with her pink cowboy hat on!

NCS: various classes

From Level V learning about the formation of melanin molecules to a Level I sing-along, and on to Level III writing an essay on Chains, and finally a picture of Jane assigning homework to Level IV for the weekend.

Enjoy the President’s Day Weekend.

NCS: private music lessons

Don Rand has taught at school and camp for over 50 years. He has taught music to everyone from complete novices to child prodigies. This year he has 30 students taking private music lessons – at no extra cost to parents – I wish you could all experience first hand the dedication, humor, incredible talent, and joie de vivre that he brings to this work. I know I speak for all the faculty and students in saying that we are deeply touched by his devotion.

NCS: valentine's day

The music is still rocking outside my office, as traditionally the dance is held in the foyer. The festivities today were planned by the student Community Council, who also doubled as waiters for the supper tables. Unlike most days, today we had “free seating” with your friends – signed up for in advance – and tables were set in several classrooms. Students and staff wear as much red-white-pink-purple clothing as they can muster. Cards are all hand-made and many have been making cards throughout the past week. All students make cards for each person in their house, and cards are put in “mailboxes” that were constructed in the past 3-4 days.

We have a sleep-in tomorrow, so barn chores are at 7:45 and breakfast at 8:30.

NCS: level I science

The fourth and fifth graders have just finished their posters on the introductory meteorology unit. In two weeks these students will attend the 8th grade avalanche presentations, and get a preview of the greater depth that their exploration of the water cycle will encompass in 3-4 years when the science curriculum spirals around back to these concepts. The idea of a “spiral curriculum” grew out of the work of cognitive theorist Jerome Bruno. (Enclosed below are a few pictures of these delightful science posters.)

NCS: more miscellany

Another beautiful day! Enclosed are some pictures from the Saturday evening activity (Las Vegas Night), as mentioned before the seniors ran an amazing show. Enclosed you will also see a picture from Larry’s art elective – rickshaw building – today was the first test drive to see if the welded frames held together. The goal is to construct a human powered (two pedaling and one steering) vehicle to transport people and produce to and from the barn.

NCS: the weekend

Yesterday was a warm and beautiful day, with the rain holding off until the evening. The two attached pictures are of our students working the 5K feeding station (where the Olympic ski trails are directly adjacent to Rote 73), and “Team NCS” moments before the start. (Our “team” was composed of four staff, four current students, a recent graduate who is now attending Gould academy and a former NCS parent.) Your children were exceptionally able, pleasant, and helpful out on the course, as they staffed three different feeding stations.

Last evening the 9th graders ran a “Las Vegas” casino night for the Saturday activity; good fun was had by all. It is snowing now, and I am heading over to the building to give my geometry students their mid-term to complete during Sunday study hall. Enjoy the day.

NCS: miscellany

A hodge-podge of pictures from today. Chris, Chants, and Cecilia in art class. Will making a guitar in woodshop. A follow-up snapshot from a phot earlier in the week, this one capturing the 7th grade discussion of Chains. Finally, I enclosed the course profile – very, very, hilly – for the Lake Placid Loppet that several students will ski tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

NCS: earth science

Larry’s class is working on their avalanche PowerPoint presentations. The students have done individual research, analyzed the climate and snow conditions that led to the avalanche, and then applied their understanding of snow physics and terrain features to offer up alternative strategies for safe travel in that area. FYI: The laptops in the photograph were the result of previous Annual Fund gifts, this year current parent Annual Fund gifts have been used to supplement our outdoor education budget ... Among other things, new nordic equipment, a grooming machine for ski trails (alpine and nordic), and hopefully soon a new tow rope. Many thanks for your support of the Annual Fund.

NCS: 7th grade

Today’s missive offers a peek into two different level III classes. In one, Peter is having students do a short writing assignments on the previous night’s reading from Chains. The task was to describe, from Isabel’s point of view, what happens to her and L. Seymour from the time they leave L. Seymour’s house to the time they walk in the front door of the Lockton’s house.

Dave’s science class is studying the formation, extraction, and uses of different fossil fuels. After a variety of teacher directed research activities, the student teams are now working on making animated movies which illustrate the concepts involved. Their work has moved from storyboards, to the construction of simple sets (pictured here), and on to filming their production.

NCS: level I and II

Libby’s math class continues their introductory work on geometry concepts. Recently they have talked about circles: circumference, radius, diameter, chords, area, and perimeter. Today they were were working with different types of angles: acute, obtuse, and right.

Colette’s class was taking a test on the Inuit culture. The students were allowed to use their notebooks containing factual information, however the cognitive task was to create a poem, story or comic strip (with dialogue) that illustrated the factual content they have covered in the past several weeks.

Off to Whiteface!