NORTH HARFORD HIGH SCHOOL
211 PYLESVILLE ROAD, PYLESVILLE, MD 21132
410-638-3650
VOLUME 43 ISSUE 1
NOVEMBER 30, 2021
North Harford Renaissance Fest draws crowd;
Drama department hosts event CHLOE WARD Reporter
With the North Harford Renaissance now in the past, there is consideration on making it a new tradition for the school as a new unique staple of the drama program. The event itself had a large turnout with Mrs. Nancy Green, the drama teacher and event coordinator, receiving 15 boxes of canned good donations throughout the three hour event, which will be donated to Mason Dixon "just in time for the holiday," she says. The goods were used as payment by the door, each guest required to bring two, unless they were in costume, in which case they only had to bring one. Each guest got to decide which prince or princess to hand in their donations to, and the one who had the most was crowned king or queen of the event. In the end, Senior Alyssa Alford was crowned queen, who gave a brief ice-cream related coronation speech. After payment, guests would be led by a characterized tour
guide to the various performances or stands. The journalism booth was the first stop on arrival, where Mrs. Chandler gave out free clothing and sold homegrown peppers. The journalism kids did hand painting, mask making, and had a photobooth in front of a green screen with a large selection of costumes. In the outdoor classroom section, guests could sit to eat food from the Eats n’ Sweets stand that sold burgers, Kona Ice, or the popular peppermint hot chocolate served from the food trucks. While eating, they could enjoy various Shakespearean performances held by the drama club. Other performances and characters included the bickering Romeo and Juliet, entertaining jesters, and the four witches that were making a mysterious concoction at the entrance of the haunted Shakespearean graveyard trail. In the background creating ambience were Mr. Wojciechowski’s guitar ensembles, who played renaissance themed tunes for the first half, and Ms. Kate-
lynHemling’s harmonics, who put on a performance during the second half. “The musical components completely added to the atmosphere and gave performers in some of our smaller musical ensembles an opportunity to shine,” Green says. As an environmentally themed event, she believes the music, along with the many characters dressed in Renaissance attire, carried the festiStudents and teachers participating in the North Harford Renaissance. val to success. Actors, musicians, and stations were a part of the event. Photo Credits: Jen The drama Chandler and Nancy Green, collage compiled by Chloe Ward teacher hopes to carry on the room to develop and add compo- Romm, the many clubs that parevent as a tradition, and improve nents to an event like this. It has ticipated, Mrs. Anderson, Mr. it every year. “I would love to see great potential,” she says. Green Green, and Mr. James, who had more classes--English and Histo- would also like to thank dra- played as Shakespeare during the ry get involved–there is so much ma club president senior Chloe renaissance festival.
Newborn lambs provide opportunity for hands-on learning JESSICA FANNIN IDR Editor
In the NH barn there are two new additions to the family: two baby lambs! According to Aimee Densmore, the agriculture teacher, “the students were so excited to hear the news.” Senior Beverly Bigelow, said, “she was expecting lambs, but not the news of them coming to the school so soon.” She also thought, “of course they were born on a day when there was no school, because it always happens that way.” The agriculture teacher explained that when they get a new sheep they “borrow a ram, which is the male, from a local farmer.” After they breed the sheep, “the ram goes back where it came from.” Densmore said she had “no fears for the birthing of the lambs because of situations in the past where the lambs were turned the wrong way. [She] was able to go in and reposition the animals so they could be born the right way.” The experience was special for the teacher because, “the sheep
were actually at [...] [her] house right now [and they] have to takes care of most of the lambs' for a little while. So just the con- make sure they keep nursing and needs.” tinuation of the sheep family at that the mom is okay.” Aside from the mom they have, NH and keep“heat lamps in ing the herd their stalls begoing was cause it’s been neat.” really cold Helping the at night and birth of the good straw lambs was so that makes a special to Denbed for them sore because, to lay in.” “the sheep Bigelow were actually revealed that, at [...] [her] “to take care house for a of the lambs little while. [...] [she] So just the helps the continuation freshmen kids of the mothcheck the er, daughter, mothers udand then the ders and catch granddaughthe lambs to ter in the barn lock them in was neat.” at night.” The lambs enjoy the last of the warm weather outside the barn. Once the By taking lambs are Densmore says they “made sure everything was safe, warm, and care of the anborn, Dens- clean.” Photo credit: Jessica Fannin. imals, Densmore said they more said “have to make the students sure they are able to walk and The agriculture teacher “learn the responsibility of taking nurse before the lambs can be left claimed that caring for a baby care of animals and how to socialwith their mom. They depend on lamb, “is not much different from ize them. They learn how to get their mother more than anything other animals, the mom is what the lambs used to students and
other people.” The agriculture teacher’s favorite part about getting new animals is, “just the experience that the students get.” She loves, “seeing them take care of the animals and the excitement in the barn that a new animal creates.” Bigelow says her favorite part about the lambs is watching them “slowly become fluffy!” She described them as, “very calm and a little skittish.” According to Densmore, “the sheep are bred at NH every year so the students in FFA can show them at the Harford County Farm Fair in July.” She claims they “do fairly well as the students have gotten second and third place before. If they are females they come back to the barn, but if they are males they are sold.” Densmore also stated that, “NH is the only school with these animals and probably the only school in the state with a program like this.” Hereford High School, “trying to build a barn right now and bring back their agriculture program.”