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Several Friends Select students have been named semifinalists and outstanding participants in three national scholars programs: the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program; the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Program; and the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Two Friends Select seniors have been recognized by AP Scholars in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. | Cameron Anderson, Lorraine Beck, Claire Cocroft and Joseph Paulson, all Class of 2010, were named semifinalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program, which honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. All are eligible to compete for some 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will be offered next spring.
Senior Emerson Hawkins was named a semifinalist in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Program, which honors scholastically talented African American high school seniors. Hawkins will be eligible to continue in the competition for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards, worth some $2.6 million, to be offered next spring. Classmate Autumn Williams was named an outstanding participant in the same program, after placing in the top three percent of more than 160,000 African American students who applied.
Cameron Anderson, in addition to being named a semifinalist National Merit Scholar, was named a scholar by the National Hispanic Recognition Program. This program, started in 1983, identifies outstanding Hispanic/Latino students. This year, NHRP is recognizing nearly 5,000 students selected from a pool of more than 200,000 students who met PSAT test requirements and held a GPA of 3.5 or higher. This program is sponsored by the College Board.
Beck and Haydn Dufrene were named AP Scholar with Honors and AP Scholar, respectively.
Congratulations to all of these academically-talented and hardworking seniors!
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The focus was on fun October 2, as upper school students embraced the second annual Friends Select Spirit Day. The energy was palpable as students and faculty savored a break from their regular routines. In the morning, a raucous game of musical chairs sent students scampering for free seats in the mat room. School-themed Jeopardy stumped contestants in the library. Capture the Flag was the game of choice on the roof. The photography studio, renamed “Spirit Station,” served as the staging area for skits, songs and posters. The afternoon consisted of field day-type games on the rooftop. Every student was assigned to either the brown or the gold team for some friendly competition in the spirit fun.
The day was punctuated by a barbecue on the front plaza, the Falcon mascot greeting lower school students, and greater-than-usual attendance at the afternoon field hockey and soccer games. Designed to promote school unity, generate excitement about the athletic program, and create opportunities for inter-grade mingling, Spirit Day is clearly a new and popular school tradition.
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Writer William C. Harris (pictured above, bottom left), associate professor and chair of English at Shippensburg University, met with around ten members of the Friends Select Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) on Thursday, October 15. Harris is the author of Queer Externalities: Hazardous Encounters in American Culture, a book in which he argues that “mainstreaming” in the media may have as many negative effects as positive ones for contemporary gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Harris spoke about the chapter of his book devoted to young adult literature, and fielded questions from students.
Harris came to Friends Select at invitation of middle school art teacher Fred Kogan (pictured above), with whom he is friends. Tr. Fred is mentioned in the acknowledgements page of the new book.
This month, SAGA members will attend Lead, the local GSA summit, being held at Friends Select on Saturday, November 7. The group also plans on going on a second tour of LGBT-owned businesses and will continue to sponsor movie nights at school.
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History teacher Sara Wolf believes in creating a human connection, whenever possible, with the subject matter her students are learning. To kick off her sixth graders’ year-long exploration of Africa, Wolf invited Mousa Doucoure, a Malinese citizen and Philadelphia graduate student, to visit her classroom in October. “I wanted my students to have the experience of interviewing a primary source. And Mousa is a Malinese citizen, so his visit fit perfectly with our study of Mali and the West African medieval kingdoms.” The students came prepared with five interview questions each – their “admission ticket” to the class. The visitor brought along photos of his family in Mali, African clothing for the students to try on, and music to which everyone danced. The experience helped transform Mali from a flat shape on the map of Africa to the vibrant home country of their new-found friend. Doucoure has agree to come back to talk to the classes again as their understanding of Africa grows and they have more questions to ask.
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The After School Mole Street Community Garden project earned second place in the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s City Gardens Contest, in the Children’s Garden category. A watercolor of the garden is currently displayed on the lower school hallway.
Students in grades 3-5, with help from the After School staff, beautified a previously dilapidated garden on Mole Street, a narrow block near the school. The students designed the garden, prepared the dirt, planted seeds, tended the garden by weeding and watering, and harvested vegetables. They also designed a mural and painted it on the garden wall. Beyond teaching students about gardening, the project was designed to connect both students and their teachers more closely with the larger community beyond the school.
Here’s what some of the students said about the experience:
“I always looked forward to the garden because each year it was something new to do. I read all the packets of seeds and learned about a lot of different kinds of plants and flowers.”
-Gareth, grade 5
“I personally like gardening so I thought it was great. We planted vegetables, beans, petunias, lilies, tomatoes, basil, and even some kind of tree. Leaving the building after being cooped up all day was the best… And the company! I think everyone should do it: You get exercise, fresh air, and are with people you know and like!”
-Alex, grade 5
“We wanted to make it look better and fill it with life. And I think we did! Plus, I loved playing in the dirt.”
-Lydia, grade 4
“Each time we came back it changed a little. At first you couldn’t see anything, but then the littlest sprout, then it got a little bigger and a little bigger and then came out. It was awesome to watch.”
-Wiley, grade 4
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