Octagon 2016-17 issue 7

THE

OCTAGON

VOL. 40, NO. 7

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Sacramento Country Day School

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2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento

Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sacramento, CA Permit No. 1668 @scdsoctagon

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May 2, 2017

ROAST OR TOAST? Seniors specify info to be left out of grad skits

BY SAHEJ CLAIRE

T

hough Country Day has many traditions, perhaps the most memorable are its high-school graduation skits.

Performed each year at graduation by high-school faculty, the personalized skits either “roast” or “toast” each graduating senior, with faculty actors recalling their students’ memorable events and funny quirks. The faculty begins preparing many weeks in advance by writing scripts and creating costumes and props.

Seniors are given the option to receive a roast or toast prior to the faculty planning. However, this year, a few expressed concerns regarding the skits’ content.

“A group of friends and I were talking about if we wanted a roast or toast (when it came up),” a senior girl said. “I don’t think we really expected the teachers to do something about (our worries).”

The student explained that until she reached senior year, she hadn’t imagined how nervous she would feel about having a roast. For this reason, she has chosen to be toasted instead.

NEIL DIAMOND MANIA Biology teacher Kellie Whited and math teacher Patricia Jacobsen perform the roast of Caroline Mehta,‘15, at graduation. PHOTO BY TOM WROTEN

GRADUATION page 2 >>

Veteran biology, English teachers to dramatically change 2017-18 schedules

BY JACK CHRISTIAN Not only is Country Day hiring three new faculty members next year, but two long-standing teachers - biology teacher Kellie Whited and English teacher Patricia Fels - are also changing their teaching duties.

Whited will spend 20 percent of her time working in the lower school next year, while Fels will no longer teach sophomore English.

For many years, Whited had worked with science classes in the lower school.

“It was my own passion project,” Whited said.

“I started helping out in the lower school by adding dissections, science

demos and lessons.”

Whited also encouraged her highschool students to do activities with the lower school.

But this year, Whited’s passion project turned into part of her job.

“I am now the lower school’s science coordinator,” Whited said.

“One day I was talking with (head of school Lee) Thomsen about how much I loved teaching in the lower school, and I asked him if it could be part of my contract as I was up for the challenge.

“Thomsen immediately replied, ‘Great! Let’s make it happen.’”

Whited said her first step is going to be meeting with the lower-school

SCHEDULES page 9 >>

High school adds two APs, civil rights history elective

BY CHARDONNAY NEEDLER Two new APs and a new history elective open to seniors and juniors will join the ever-growing list of classes in 2017-18.

Bob Ratcliff, current mid-

Proposed online grading system divides community

dle- and high-school band teacher, will teach the new “straight-up academic” AP Music Theory course; current AP Computer Science teacher Elissa Thomas will

BY MEHDI LACOMBE

prepare students for the sight-singing section using “solfège” (do-re-mi) or a number system. This, as well as ear-training, is to train students to hear intervals and sing them by ear.

But according to Ratcliff, although there is definitely theory in the course, there is more of a focus on global music than there was in the

With the school’s addition of a uniform online database, Blackbaud, comes the opportunity for another somewhat controversial program: a fully online grade book.

This grade book can be used by teachers, allowing them to give their students unrestricted access to their grades.

While Blackbaud’s official website boasts its technology as beneficial, only some of the SCDS teachers are excited about its possibilities Chemistry teacher Victoria Conner said she thinks the new program will make students’ lives easier.

“Students get all their grades returned to them anyway,” Conner said.

“It would put it all in one place, which might be beneficial because students wouldn’t always be asking for grade checks.”

This is because Blackbaud would automatically calculate students’ grades, even taking weighting into account.

However, Conner said she will probably keep some things off of the shared grade book so she can work in extra credit and homework without worrying her students about possible

NEW CLASSES page 10 >>

ONLINE GRADING page 3 >>

PETTING ZOO Biology teacher Kellie Whited introduces one of her classroom rats, Fossey, whom the visiting second graders loved to pet. PHOTO BY SONJA HANSEN

teach the new AP Computer Science Principles class; and incoming history teacher Damany Fisher will offer The Long Civil Rights Movement elective.

AP Music Theory In AP Music Theory (which fulfills the Visual and Performing Arts requirement for the UCs and CSUs), students will be taught written theory, sight-singing,

ear-training (dictation) and keyboard (playing music) all skills typical of a first-year college theory class.

Written theory includes composing as well as music history, Ratcliff said.

For instance, he said, if students are learning fourpart choral harmony (perfected by Bach), they must also learn a little about Bach’s time period.

Ratcliff said that he will

2

THE OCTAGON

REMAINDER

May 2, 2017

SINGING SISTERS Latin teacher Jane Batarseh, history teacher Sue Nellis, and English teacher Patricia Fels (not pictured) sing the roast of Alex Bushberg and Lauren Larrabee, both class of ‘15. PHOTO BY TOM WROTEN

Graduation: Some seniors worry roasts will get them in trouble (continued from page 1) “I’d rather have peace of mind at graduation than feel uncomfortable and anxious,” she explained. “I thought about how other seniors have felt when teachers said stuff about their personal business.”

As a result of the students’ concerns, in addition to the “roast or toast” option, students have met individually with senior adviser Kellie Whited to clarify what topics - if any - they do not want mentioned in the skits.

“Teachers generally know which information they can include and which is too sensitive for Grandma (in the audience),” Whited said.

“No one ever goes into the skits with the intention of embarrassing someone.”

Despite this, some students were still uneasy about certain topics being part of the skit. “(When my friends and I were talking about the skits), we were citing a couple of previous years when things went a little badly,” senior Isabelle Leavy said.

“After that point, it turned into not just complaining but doing something, even if it was something small.”

In order to get a sense of how her fellow seniors felt about the roasts, Leavy sent out an email poll during a class meeting on Jan. 31.

The poll asked about any issues seniors had with the skits, what they did and did not like about the skits, and for them to pick a method to improve the skits’ process.

The results showed that although only 13 percent of seniors had an issue with the roasts, 62 percent approved of an “off-limits” list that would allow students to share things they were uncomfortable with being discussed.

Whited and head of high school Brooke Wells wanted to ensure they addressed concerned students as well as took the students’ preferences into account, resulting in the individual meetings.

“I like being an advocate for the students, as does every teacher,” Whited said. “I’m honored to be able to be their voice.”

Thus, when seniors filled out the

MIMIC THE MAN History teacher Bruce Baird parodies the walk, talk and traditional dress of Maxwell Shukuya, ‘15, in a dual roast of both Shukuya and Micaela Bennett-Smith, ‘15. PHOTO BY TOM WROTEN

forms selecting a roast or a toast, they also listed any information they wanted excluded from their skits.

“There was some backlash,” Leavy said. “Some people were saying that by putting things on an ‘off-limits’ list, you were limiting teachers - that the teachers wouldn’t have anything to work with. “(But) I think we made the right choice. I think the way it is now will improve the situation.”

In addition to the “off-limits” list, students signed their forms before handing them in to Whited. Whited has shared the forms with Wells and the faculty members writing and performing in the individual students’ skits.

“We’ve discussed what information to leave out in the past; this just makes it more formal and prevents mistakes,” Whited said.

Whited also talked with seniors about what their expectations are for their skits as well as what their parents’ or family members’ expectations

are. often hearing a roast. I don’t want “We want to protect the students,” them to be upset or confused.”

Whited said. “Some want it to be big Although Mathisen said she would and funny, but their parents might like to do away with the skits altohave a different idea.” gether, she understands their imporAnother senior tance. girl explained why Whited touched she is in this situon this as well, emation. phasizing that the “I don’t get faculty’s goal is to ‘I DON’T WANT embarrassed eashonor the seniors.

MY GRADUATION ily, and I’d take “The skits are NIGHT TO BE any roast in good our gifts to the faith,” she said. students to show (FOLLOWED) BY “However, there how much we care ANGRY QUESTIONING are certain things about them,” she AND YELLING, AS I’M that, if said, could said. get me into seri“It’s one of the SURE MOST PEOPLE ous trouble with best parts of my WOULDN’T’ my parents. I don’t job. I look forSENIOR GIRL want my graduward to them, and ation night to be I (start planning (followed) by anfor some students) gry questioning and yelling, as I’m years before they graduate.” sure most people wouldn’t.”

Wells added that this is a night Senior Alexa Mathisen, who has where seniors should be celebrated. asked for a toast, added that her ex“It’s a joyous time! No one should tended family might find the skits end up feeling bad about it,” he said. uncomfortable as well.

Whited noted the skits’ individual“I think the skits should be done in ity as something that makes Country a more private setting where it’s just Day’s graduation ceremony special. students and parents,” she said.

“It’s a continuation of what makes “I don’t feel comfortable with my us unique (as a school),” she said. “I’ve (extended) family that I don’t see very never seen another graduation like it.”

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THE OCTAGON

May 2, 2017

SCHOOL ROSTER

NEWS

3

Online Grading: Teachers worry about too much parent hovering

GRADES

(continued from page 1)

BLACKBAUD

CLASS WEBSITES

CONDUCT

GRAPHIC BY ALLISON ZHANG

ATTENDANCE

SYLLABI

REPORT CARDS

ONLINE APPLICATION ONLINE ASSESSMENTS

So long to printed rosters, mailed report cards!

Blackbaud to merge learning management, student information, admissions process

BY JACK CHRISTIAN

B

lackbaud may sound like an evil futuristic computer program, but really it is the school’s new computer software.

According to Blackbaud’s website, they are “the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good.”

The school intends to use Blackbaud’s services to consolidate its database that coordinates with two others, according to director of technology Tom Wroten.

“We already use Blackbaud services for our financial and alumni relations software,” Wroten said.

“But this year we decided to merge all of our databases with Blackbaud to simplify the data exchange between departments.”

One of the three main areas that the school hopes to streamline is learning management, according to Wroten.

A learning management system is a software application that controls educational material.

“Right now, we don’t have a true learning management system for grades 6-12,” Wroten said.

“We currently just use Google Apps, now called improve the admissions process through BlackG Suite, for our classes.” baud’s software, OnBoard.

Wroten intends to use Blackbaud’s OnCampus “OnBoard will allow an online application for software to improve the organization of classes. prospective families,” Wroten said.

“OnCampus can include the “Parents will be able to log in links to class websites, online and view every step of the apassessments, syllabi and other plication process, and then once resources,” Wroten said. they are admitted, all of their ‘RIGHT NOW, WE DON’T “It will have everything a stuinformation will automatically HAVE A TRUE LEARNING dent needs in one place.” be entered into the databases.”

Another area that Wroten Wroten said that the school MANAGEMENT SYSTEM hopes to streamline is student is already in the implementaFOR GRADES 6-12’ information. tion phases, but that the work is TOM WROTEN, DIRECOnRecord, Blackbaud’s inlong and arduous. formation software, will allow “It’s basically like starting TOR OF TECHNOLOGY teachers to keep track of grades, from scratch,” Wroten said. attendance and disciplinary in“Every setting - like how we fractions. calculate GPA, what classes “Students will now be able to view their grades get credit and the capacity of each class - has to be online if the teachers allow them,” Wroten said. manually entered into the databases.

Report cards will also be available online and not “But once it’s finished, we will be able to have an mailed home. incredibly powerful database that will allow us to Printed rosters will cease to exist as well since all have better digital archival information for all stuof the contact information will be available online. dents and easier access to disseminate information Wroten said that Country Day is also trying to to our constituents.”

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late or missed assignments.

Other teachers are less enthusiastic about an automatic grade book.

English teacher Patricia Fels said she thinks granting easy and unrestricted access to students will result in parents monitoring their children’s grades, which encourages helicopter parenting.

“Students sometimes get lower grades on assignments that won’t affect their overall grade at all,” Fels said. “Explaining (why students get a bad grade) individually to each parent would just take too much time.”

On the implementation of an online gradebook without student access, Fels has no opposition, though she says she prefers the conventional pen-and-paper method.

And this fear of over-involved parents is not restricted to SCDS teachers alone.

It’s become such a problem over the past few years that the Family Research Harvard Project has published a list of tips to parents and administrators on how they can minimize stress and “e-hovering parents.”

And there’s another concern about online grade access that worries some students and teachers.

With a quick and easy way to check one’s overall grades, competitiveness over minor percentage differences might emerge.

Sophomore Brandy Riziki sees the new program as a positive learning tool, yet she still has concerns.

“On one hand, (getting regular updates on your grades) is helpful because one just needs to know how much one needs to improve,” Riziki said.

However, she added that she feels her grades should be kept to herself and her teacher, not her friends and parents. And this seems to be the general consensus of the student body as well.

On the positive side a study done by the ERIC Institute of Education Sciences shows that there is a direct correlation between students who regularly check an online grade book and “higher academic self-efficacy.”

And sophomore Luca Procida said he feels like the new program will do just that.

“During times when we have a lot of work, it will be good to keep track of everything you are doing,” Procida said. “I think it will also give people a chance to see where and how they can improve.”

4

THE OCTAGON

SPORTS

SPRING SPORTS

May 2, 2017

l tha n e k Fac e i l ma A r io Jun

PH OTO BY NIN AD YM

Swimming

Junior Amalie Fackenthal, sophomore Joe Zales, freshman Rebecca Waterson and the girls’ relay team (consisting of Fackenthal, Waterson, and sophomores Emily Hayes and Heidi Johnson) qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships in their first race. (Because coaches Brian Nabeta and Tyson Frenn were unavailable for comment, Fackenthal provided information.)

Athlete’s Insight: Making finals at sections for the girls’ relay team is going to be the goal and challenge. There are hen C a l a lot of teams with fast girls that swim (for club hae c i M ore teams), and we are seen as “rookies” (because m ho only Waterson and I do club swimming).

Sop

Tennis

Four of the seven players on the team, coached by Jamie Nelson, qualified for sectionals on May 4 at Oak Park Tennis Center in Stockton. In league, junior Nico Burns won the boys’ singles title, and sophomore Michaela Chen was the runner-up in girls’ singles. Seniors Emil Erickson and Christian Van Vleck placed second in boys’ doubles.

Gra phi c by

Coach’s Insight: (Our) greatest challenge is PH OTO BY our small size. The final roster has just three JAC QU ELI boys and four girls. We mathematically cannot NE CHA O beat the bigger teams in the league. That said, we still have very talented individuals.

Ada mD ean

Track and Field

The track team, coached by Nick Domich, had outstanding results at the first league meet, with sophomore Heidi Johnson, juniors Annya Dahmani and Nina Dym, and senior Anny Schmidt placing first in the 100-meter relay race.

Johnson also placed first in three other categories: long jump, high jump and 300-meter hurdles.

Coach’s Insight: (The biggest challenge this season has been) getting people to show up for practice and invitationals. School events, like band and orchestra performances, occurred at the same time as invitationals or meets. There were also meets during spring break.

Sop hom ore

Hei di J ohn son

Sports Boosters’ Athletes of the Month Miles Edwards

Edwards joined the golf team only last season, but he is currently ranked as the top golfer in the league. Coach Matt Vargo said he’s really put in a lot of time, and he’s shown leadership on the course, too. Edwards’ s best round of golf came on March 13 at Peach Tree Golf and Country Club, when he shot a 39.

Amalie Fackenthal

Fackenthal is the reigning CIF-SJS varsity champion for the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle. Having won the varsity 50-yard freestyle as a freshman and sophomore, she is looking to defend her title for a third consecutive year. She is also the anchor for the girls’ relay team.

N NSO H O J SUE Y B OTO PH

THE OCTAGON

May 2, 2017

ior Jun

s ard w d es E l i M

PH OTO BY DAV ID S ITU

SPORTS

5

Golf

The golf team won its first two league meetings before losing on a windy day at Rancho Solano on April 24. According to coach Matt Vargo, the “young and talented” team is led by junior Miles Edwards.

Coach’s Insight: We actually have a lot of parental support this year. Golf isn’t a sport that typically has a large number of fans, but we’ve had a consistent parental fan base at every match. They’re not allowed to directly interact with players; it’s just nice to have.

Sop hom ore

s ord c e *R

7 ril 2 p A f as o

Baseball

Nat e Ja kob s

YM AD N I N BY O OT PH

The baseball team, coached by Chris Millsback, is currently 5-7, 4-6 in league. After starting off 1-5, the boys bounced back with a monstrous 17-4 win over the Lutheran Panthers. They’re fighting for the third place in league to get a spot in the playoffs.

Coach’s Insight: (The team’s greatest improvement has been) pitching and defense.

Those are two things that make a huge difference in our league. You can win and move onto the playoffs (with those things).

(Our biggest success this season has) to be the Western Sierra game because we won in 10 innings. (The game) was really exciting, with great pitching, great defense and a three-run home run (from sophomore Nate Jakobs).

Softball The softball team has yet to win, having lost all eight of their games. But the team, which is the first Country Day has had since 2012, has improved steadily, according to coach Scott Galati.

UPCOMING MATCHES

Fre shm an Nao mi Tur nbu ll GOLF

OT RIG A M BY O T O PH

L HA T N KE FAC

SCDS @ Sectionals

Coach’s Insight: (Our greatest success has been) starting to make outs. We are not making as many errors. The games against Sac Adventist I think we could have won if we had more practice before, because we really started to improve on getting outs (during the game).

(Our biggest challenge this year has been) getting to practices.

You can’t get better if you don’t come.

May 8

SWIMMING

Venue: Cherry Island Golf Course BASEBALL

SCDS Faith

Venue: McAuliffe Field

May 5 3:00 p.m.

SCDS @ Sectionals

May 11

Venue: Tokay High School SOFTBALL

SCDS Faith

Venue: Howe Park

May 2 3:30 p.m.

8

THE OCTAGON

EDITORIAL THE OCTAGON

May 2, 2017

My Angle

“Helicoptering” by Mohini Rye

PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ADAM DEAN MARIGOT FACKENTHAL

By Larkin Barnard-Bahn

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SONJA HANSEN

Help, I’m eSTRANGEd from my friends for my weird addiction!

BUSINESS MANAGER CHARDONNAY NEEDLER PRINT COPY EDITOR QUIN LACOMB ONLINE COPY EDITOR SAHEJ CLAIRE NEWS EDITOR MARIGOT FACKENTHAL FEATURE EDITOR ANNYA DAHMANI OPINION EDITOR KATIA DAHMANI SPORTS EDITOR ADAM DEAN SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR JACK CHRISTIAN PAGE EDITORS JACK CHRISTIAN ANNYA DAHMANI KATIA DAHMANI ADAM DEAN MARIGOT FACKENTHAL CHARDONNAY NEEDLER MOHINI RYE NICOLE WOLKOV ALLISON ZHANG REPORTERS LARKIN BARNARD-BAHN EMMA BOERSMA BRI DAVIES ANNA FRANKEL MEHDI LACOMBE BRYCE LONGORIA JAKE LONGORIA JACKSON MARGOLIS HÉLOÏSE SCHEP SPENCER SCOTT GARRETT SHONKWILER DAVID SITU CARTOONIST MOHINI RYE MULTIMEDIA & TECH QUIN LACOMB PHOTOGRAPHERS JACQUELINE CHAO KEVIN HUANG BENETT SACKHEIM ADVISER PATRICIA FELS The OcTagOn is The high-schOOl newspaper Of sacramenTO cOunTry Day. iTs purpOse is TO prOviDe a reliable sOurce Of infOrmaTiOn On evenTs cOncerning The high schOOl anD TO fOcus On TOpics Of significance anD general inTeresT in OrDer TO infOrm anD enTerTain The enTire schOOl cOmmuniTy. The sTaff sTrives fOr accuracy anD freeDOm frOm bias in iTs sTOries. significanT errOrs will be nOTeD anD cOrrecTeD. The OcTagOn shall publish maTerial ThaT The sTaff Deems in The besT inTeresT Of The schOOl cOmmuniTy. The sTaff recOgnizes The impOrTance Of The reaDership’s having accuraTe anD reliable infOrmaTiOn in OrDer TO be well infOrmeD anD On which TO base DecisiOns anD OpiniOns. The OcTagOn will publish all Timely anD relevanT news, subjecT TO The fOllOwing excepTiOns: ObsceniTy; slanDerOus Or libelOus maTerial; maTerial cOnTrary TO The besT inTeresTs Of The schOOl cOmmuniTy, as juDgeD by The newspaper sTaff anD aDviser.

eDiTOrials shall be vOTeD On by The enTire sTaff. cOlumns anD cOmmenTaries shall be clearly labeleD as such anD represenT The OpiniOn Of The auThOr Only.

in The inTeresT Of represenTing all pOinTs Of view, leTTers TO The eDiTOr shall be publisheD, space permiTTing, unless OTherwise requesTeD by The auThOr. all leTTers musT be signeD anD cOnfOrm TO The abOve resTricTiOns On publisheD maTerial.

The sTaff reTains The righT TO make changes in grammar anD puncTuaTiOn anD TO abriDge leTTers fOr space cOnsiDeraTiOns.

EDITORIAL: Don’t allow students access to online grades; parents will see!

T

he school’s new software service, Blackbaud, which will start in 201718, comes with a gradebook component. It will allow students to have unrestricted access to their grades - if individual teachers so choose.

While this system of giving immediate online access to grades to students is common at other schools, this type of access shouldn’t be provided at Country Day because of the damage it can - and almost certainly will - do.

Although access to grades is meant to make the lives of students easier by allowing them to finally have all their grade breakdowns visible and organized in one area, it has a very high potential to backfire.

With the launch of this grade book will come the beginning of something unproductive and unhealthy: “e-hovering parents.”

Although unrestricted grade access is intended for students only (parents will be given a portal with limited access, according to director of technology Tom Wroten), there’s no way for the school to prevent helicopter parents from forcing their way into their children’s accounts.

Now, before you think “I’d never do that” or “My parents would never do that,” consider that there are SCDS parents with access to their children’s email accounts, College Board accounts, Common App accounts and more.

So if teachers begin posting grades for individual assignments online, it’s inevitable that some parents will demand access and cause undue trouble for everyone.

If, for example, a current student earns a 2/10 on a quiz, the student can simply work extra hard to bring up his or her grade without their parents ever having to get involved.

With online grades, however, parents will see the 2/10. And if you have a parent who doesn’t panic at such a low grade, good for you - but understand that many parents would.

Parents are already concerned with their children’s grades.

Imagine how concerned they’ll be when they see every grade that goes into the grade book.

Currently parents see only quarter and semester grades.

Those grades often reflect hundreds of points, rendering a 2/10 on one quiz negligible, especially with extra credit.

But to some parents a 2/10 is a complete failure.

When parents see a grade like that, they’re likely to jump to conclusions, unnecessarily chastise (or even punish) their children or confront teachers.

That means teachers can expect several phone calls per week from concerned parents whose children got bad grades on small assignments and quizzes.

Ongoing grades should be kept between students and teachers. Regardless of intent,

Blackbaud will bring parents into the mix, causing unnecessary stress for students, unnecessary work for teachers and an unnecessary and unhealthy mindset among parents.

Country Day is a collegepreparatory school, meaning that it prepares its students for success in college. One aspect of college preparedness is learning to manage oneself. If parents start getting involved in every little assignment, students will lose the opportunity to learn that crucial ability.

Blackbaud’s online grading system isn’t a bad thing in itself - in fact, the program can still aid students who want to be more on top of their grades.

Many teachers still calculate grades by hand, sometimes making it hard for students to get immediate grade checks.

With Blackbaud’s grading software, calculated grades will appear automatically on teachers’ online grade books, so they can respond quickly to grade-check requests.

Consequently, the school should require all teachers to use Blackbaud’s grading system to calculate grades - but not to share those grades with students through a portal.

Blackbaud is fine. Blackbaud’s grading system is fine. Just don’t make all of the assignment grades available to students through an online portal. Don’t make the mistake of thinking a “student” portal will actually be a “student-only” portal.

CAMPUS CORNER Do you like the new sinks?

I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to puns.

Nothing gives me more joy than getting to the PUNchline of an original joke.

My love for these “bon mots” began last year, and since then, my MOTivation to make them has only GROAN. But while I’m bursting at the seams, others don’t SEAM to be impressed.

So what makes my creative quips PUNderappreciated? I asked my frequent victims: freshmen Anna Frankel, Emma Boersma and Héloïse Schep.

Anna said she originally enjoyed my puns.

“When you first started telling them, I always laughed and thought they were super clever,” she said.

“But it’s been almost two years, and now they are usually more annoying than enjoyable.”

Emma agreed.

“It’s like eating a PB&J sandwich every day for a year,” she complained.

However, people continually tell simple jokes, and no one comPLAINs. Anyone can make a regular joke, but crafting and understanding puns takes language skills.

Why should I turn my top-notch puns down a NOTCH? I’ve sometimes gotten in DUTCH with Héloïse when I make puns in academic settings.

“I can occasionally get annoyed if you say puns during class, when I am trying to fully focus,” she said. “I love puns, but timing is important, and I think academic settings are not a good time.”

But in my defense, even half-bad puns can be hilarious and witty as well as acaDEMIcally beneficial.

Yes, you read that correctly (or correctLEE, for Spanish speakers); puns help me memorize Spanish vocabulary.

Here are a couple examples: “Vaca” (cow) - think of the saying “holy cow.” A hole is VACAnt. “Corazon” (heart) - the heart is the core zone.

Additionally, teachers, especially physics instructor Glenn Mangold, appreciate my punny funs. In fact, Mangold wrote my physics report card entirely in puns. “(Y)ou don’t have to FORCE her to WORK,” the report card said. “She pays attention until there is a critical MASS of information in her head, and then she POWERS through every assignment, every TIME.” So the next time I tell a pun, don’t groan or scream; appreciate the vocabulary skills, and know I could be telling worse jokes or be addicted to worse habits.

OK, now I’m OctaGONE.

Do you like not having morning meeting on Friday?

It’s nice that there won’t be as much wasted water, but it’s unfortunate because you can’t adjust the temperature and the water is always cold.

They’re not the best, but having them be automatic is an improvement. One or both of the sinks used to be trickling half the time I went to the bathroom. That was a lot of wasted water, so it’s a good change.

It’s awesome that we don’t have morning meeting (on Friday). I’m able to talk with friends, get snacks and get some studying in before class.

I don’t hate morning meeting or anything, but I think it’s nice having breaks on Fridays because I have a lot more time to socialize. I like to go to the makerspace in my free time.

My friends and I usually go there to talk, eat our snacks and play the new arcade game machine.

SHRIYA NADGAUDA, SENIOR

MARIGOT FACKENTHAL, SENIOR

CHRISTIAN VAN VLECK, SENIOR

ESME BRUCE-ROMO, JUNIOR

THE OCTAGON

May 2, 2017

REMAINDER

9

Schedules: Whited to revamp LS science

(continued from page 1)

teachers to discuss their current science curriculum and ideas.

Whited will also meet with the sixth-grade science teachers to establish the skills that kids will need before entering middle school.

Whited said she has many ideas for next year.

“One idea that I have discussed is an addition to the current literacy program in the kindergarten, where they use Zoo-phonics.”

Zoo-phonics is a literacy program in which different animals are assigned to different letters in the alphabet to easily teach students the alphabet.

“My idea was to bring in my unique background in animal behavior to the program to try and tie English and science together,” Whited said.

“That information could then also go along with the kindergartners’ end-of-the-year zoo field trip.”

Whited said she also plans to teach physics and chemistry in the lower school, not just the biological sciences.

She added that the overall reaction of the community has been very supportive.

“The lower-school teachers have been asking for help in implementing ideas and curriculum for years, so this was just a natural step.”

Because Whited will now be spending a fifth of her time in the lower school, she will no longer

teach the electives Biology of the B Movie or College Health and Nutrition.

Fels will also be making a big change to her schedule; she will no longer be teaching sophomores her traditional Bible As/In Literature class.

“I will really miss it because I have taught it for so long,” Fels said.

Instead, Fels will teach two junior AP English classes.

Head of high school Brooke Wells attributes the change to a high number of qualified students in the sophomore class.

“This number exceeded the number of spots in an effective class, so we decided to add another section,” Wells said.

Fels said that the change will make her life easier.

“Now I will have only one class to prepare for - and Octagon,” she said.

“The hard part is that I wish I had known sooner because every year I think of improvements to make in my classes.

“But now, there’s no more improvement; (my sophomore English class) has reached its pinnacle!”

Next year, middle-school English teacher Kathryn LaComb will split the three sophomore English sections with Wells.

“I am looking forward to seeing my former students and seeing how their skills have improved,” LaComb said.

“I can’t wait to work with them on a whole new level.”

BUG’S LIFE Above: Second graders observe junior Theo Kaufman as he takes a peek at a bug jar. On April 19, teacher Kellie Whited’s biology class was studying insects at the same time as the second grade, so they visited the lower school and saw their bug projects. They also

invited the second graders up to the high school to show them insects in Whited’s room. Bottom left: Junior Cole Johnson explains his spider model. Bottom right: Senior Austin Talamantes watches a presentation on the Monarch butterfly. PHOTOS BY SONJA HANSEN

10

THE OCTAGON

REMAINDER

May 2, 2017

New Classes: Ratcliff, Thomas research courses (continued from page 1) courses he taught at Washington State University, from 1994-97.

“What I read (on the College Board’s description of AP Music Theory) is like a first-year college theory class, but seems more like a Structures of Music class,” Ratcliff said.

For example, the AP exam tests on musicology and historical context, subjects not traditionally taught in college music-theory courses.

“There were all these little bends that were not just straight-up music theory,” Ratcliff said.

Some of these adjustments allow for more performing and thus the ability for students to get a full VPA requirement.

Yet the course will not start students from scratch, as Ratcliff stressed that students must already be able to read music.

“The bare minimum (requirement) is that you have to read music, and it helps if you play a musical instrument or have been in a band or orchestra,” Ratcliff said.

“If you’ve studied written music, you’re good; that’s the symbols and the vocabulary we will be using.

“But if you can’t do that, I’d say don’t do (AP Music Theory).”

According to Ratcliff, this course is a good fit for those curious about “how music functions” and “what its building blocks are.”

“If you enjoy playing music and like music, (with AP Music Theory) you can learn why certain sounds work and why certain sounds sound dissonant (and) how you can (go) from hearing a song to writing it down,” Ratcliff said.

AP Computer Science Principles According to Elissa Thomas, AP Computer Science Principles will tackle the topics “how to code” and “why you should code.”

The class has been available nationwide for only one year and is thus the College Board’s newest AP course.

Thomas said that in Principles there is a wider “breadth of content” than in AP Computer Science A. “There’ll be more applications of computer service in more fields, like robotics (and the) medical field, and we’ll use multiple programming languages,” Thomas said.

This is in contrast to the other,

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY Incoming history teacher Damany Fisher poses with his family in a holiday photo. Fisher plans to introduce local social justice issues in his SCDS civil rights elective next year. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF FISHER

more Java-centered AP class, AP Computer Science A. Thomas said Principles will also be “open-ended,” with fewer tests.

“It’s a project-based AP course,” Thomas said.

Consequently, she said, the written exam is only 30 percent of the AP test.

The other 70 percent is comprised of student-created games or apps.

According to Thomas, no coding experience is needed; the only prerequisite is Algebra II. Thomas will choose her textbooks after she looks at what other teachers use, she said.

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The Long Civil Rights Movement The Long Civil Rights Movement class will impart greater knowledge about African-Americans’ trials during the 20th century, according to incoming history teacher Damany Fisher, who has been teaching a civil rights elective at Andover High School for three years.

“The idea of the course is to challenge the traditional narrative of the civil rights movement,” Fisher said.

Traditionally, he explained, that movement begins with the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education and ends with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

But Fisher starts his class in the Reconstruction Era and does not focus on the civil rights movement in only the South.

“We look at the situation in the urban north and urban west, and we treat those (areas) with equal importance,” Fisher said.

“The civil rights movement was a national one, and there needs to be (a) greater emphasis placed on the struggles outside of the South.”

These struggles include police brutality, race-based employment discrimination and housing issues, Fisher said.

In fact, according to Fisher, housing issues have been a “colossal struggle” for African-Americans in Sacramento for decades.

Consequently, he said he hopes to focus on civil rights and social justice problems on a local level.

“We’re going to spend time studying the local movements in Sacra-

mento, (namely) housing, discrimination and the FHA (Federal Housing Program),” Fisher said.

The most recent Sacramento issue that Fisher aims to look into occurred during the subprime meltdown in 2008.

“Many African-Americans and nonwhites were pushed into subprime mortgages instead of conditional loans, leading to a tremendous loss of wealth in black families,” Fisher explained.

“It’s discrimination because rather than giving them tools to access the market, they excluded them.”

To learn about these issues, students will be reading mostly secondary sources and readings.

Fisher said he plans to use “We Ain’t What We Ought to Be” by Justin Turk, “Freedom on my Mind”

by Deborah Gray White, “The Rebellious Life of Ms. Rosa Parks” by Jewel Harris, and “Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour” by Daniel Joseph as textbooks.

Assessments will be writing assignments, inside and outside of class, reflections and a research paper.

Thus, this course is a good fit for seniors hoping to improve researching and writing skills.

“I march (students) through the researching and writing process,” Fisher said.

“Many have, in fact, come to thank me (for) how they used these skills in their respective universities.”

He said anyone interested in social justice issues or doing in-depth research will love this class.

May 2, 2017

THE OCTAGON

COMMUNITY

11

BELTING OUT FROM THE BALTICS

Sacramento Children’s Chorus members see the world through group song “Since I was in the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus, they didn’t do as much as they would for other people,” she ost students spent their said. “They made me sight-sing and summers sleeping in, but sing my audition piece. They also freshman Larkin Barnard asked me basic theory questions.”

Barnard-Bahn, sophoBarnard-Bahn was selected to be more Monique Lonergan and senior a first soprano in the Cantoris choir.

Sylvaine Bucher got up early every There are around 40 people in the day to prepare for their rigorous nine- choir; the majority are girls. month schedule at the Sacramento Lonergan is also a first soprano in Children’s Chorus (SCC). the Cantoris choir, though she’s been The chorus was founded in 1933 as singing with them for eight years. a non-profit organization to provide “It’s just a fun community to be choral music education for children part of,” Lonergan said. “Everyone’s in the area. suppor tive, Their music and it gives ranges from jazz to oppor tuni‘CHOIR’S ALWAYS gospel to traditionties to have ALLOWED ME TO FEEL al choral pieces. new cultural Barnard-Bahn experiences.”

EXHILARATED WHILE and Lonergan reB u c h FULLY ENGAGED IN hearse for an hour er joined MAKING SOMETHING and a half on Tuesthe Capella WONDERFUL HAPPEN FOR days and Thursdays choir in 2015 with their Cantoris OTHERS AND MYSELF’ after hearchoir, comprised of ing about SYLVAINE BUCHER, SENIOR singers from sevit from Loenth to 10th grade. nergan. She, Bucher rehearses like Baron Wednesdays for two hours with nard-Bahn, has been singing since a her Cappella choir, which includes young age. singers from 11th graders to freshBucher said she’s been in many men in college. choral groups since she’s moved a lot.

By the time Barnard-Bahn joined “Choir has always been a fun and the chorus in 2015, she was already communal process,” Bucher said. very experienced; she’s been singing “Choral groups are like small famsince joining a middle-school chorus ilies. I love being with others who at the age of 6 as a first soprano. are also passionate about music and At 10, she became a member of expression.” the San Francisco Girls’ Chorus, Lonergan and Barnard-Bahn graduating after four years. At 14, said their most Barnard-Bahn wanted to try out for memorable expethe world-touring chorus at the San rience with the Francisco Girls’ Chorus, which is chorus was their for older girls, but couldn’t when she two-week trip moved to Sacramento because of her to the Baltic mother’s job.

States last “My mom researched a chorus in Sacramento because she knew that singing was really important to me,” Barnard-Bahn said.

However, her audition in Sacramento wasn’t formal, she said.

BY ANNYA DAHMANI

M

summer.

The Cantoris choir sang in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland.

In each country, the chorus sang one folk song.

In addition to the folk song, the choir sang a song in English and Zulu about world peace.

“Our director (Lynn Stevens) wanted a song about peace, as the Baltics have been controlled by so many countries,” Barnard-Bahn said.

Although the small venue resulted in small crowds, Barnard-Bahn loved the experience.

“You could see their faces light up whenever we sang one of their folk songs,” Barnard-Bahn said.

Barnard-Bahn soloed in an Estonian folk song.

Singing in different languages was difficult, she said.

“We have to understand what we’re singing to evoke emotion,” Barnard-Bahn said.

In addition to performing, the choir swam in the Baltic Sea and went sightseeing.

Cantoris also attended Estonia’s summer solstice festival in Tallinn.

“It was cool to talk to the people hear their current music to see what their lives were like,” Lonergan said.

Not all of their performances are international. One summer there is a regional tour. The next year the choir does a national tour. After that, the choir does an international tour. Then the cycle repeats.

Three years ago, when Lonergan was 12, she went to China with the choir and enjoyed it.

“We just traveled all around China and got to see a bunch of monuments like the Great Wall,” she said. “We also did a lot of concerts.”

Micaela Bennett-Smith, ‘15, also sang in China with SCC and said it was her most memorable experience.

Bennett-Smith joined the chorus when she was in sixth grade and was in it until highschool graduation.

“I joined because my sister (Meredith, ‘05)

SMILES AND SONGS Above: Senior Sylvaine Bucher (bottom row, fifth from right) poses with Cantoris choir in the Sacramento Children’s Chorus. Below: While on tour in the Baltic States, Cantoris choir members visited Tallinn Old Town in Estonia. PHOTOS USED BY PERMISSION OF SYLVAINE BUCHER AND LARKIN BARNARD-BAHN

was in it for years and she really enjoyed it,” Bennett-Smith said. “The chorus’s probably one of the most important organizations I’ve ever been a part of.”

Bennett-Smith attributed her love for SCC to director Stevens.

“She is an amazing person and teacher,” she said. “She taught me how to express emotion through music and the power that holds.”

But Stevens is retiring this year, so members of the chorus don’t know what next summer’s plans are.

That said, Bucher’s most memorable experience wasn’t of traveling, but learning from soprano Carrie Hennessey in her Cappella class.

“Whenever Cappella sings operatic pieces, Carrie comes and works with us,” Bucher said. “It’s great hearing her perspectives and advice, as she travels the world performing operas.”

SCC has also made the three more confident.

“I do not get nervous while performing anymore,” Bucher said. “I have learned to stand on stage with confidence and perform with gusto.

“Choir’s always allowed me to feel exhilarated while fully engaged in making

something wonderful happen for others and myself.”

The chorus’s latest performance was on Feb. 16 at the American Choral Directors Association Convention in San Jose.

At the performance, they sang for 25 minutes in a church.

“The acoustics were amazing,” Barnard-Bahn said. “You don’t get acoustics like that in Sacramento.”

The chorus had the chance to listen to college groups too.

Barnard-Bahn said she is too busy to be in the Country Day choir.

“I don’t have time to learn music outside of school since I’m already in a chorus,” she said.

However, Bucher and Lonergan are in the school choir.

Lonergan said that in the smaller school choir she sings less classical music than in SCC. All three said they want to continue in SCC until they graduate. They also plan to join singing groups in college.

Barnard-Bahn wants to join an a cappella club specifically.

see the scc

The chorus’s next big performance is their “For the Love of Song” spring concert, on Sunday, May 7, at 4 p.m. at the Sacramento City College Performing Arts Center (3835 Freeport Blvd.)

12

THE OCTAGON

FEATURE

May 2, 2017

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO. . .

Civil War Day?

In spring 2011, if you looked across the soccer field, you might see fifth graders dressed in Civil War uniforms, waving Union and Confederate flags and drilling in formation to the beat of a drum.

And on the day of the reenactment, the headmaster would dress up as Abraham Lincoln to deliver the Gettysburg Address.

Under Alice Levy, former fifth-grade humanities teacher, the fifth graders would close their study of the Civil War by choreographing and performing a military parade and reenacting the battle of Gettysburg at Oak Meadow Park.

In the fall of 2013, Amy Velder, Levy’s successor as fifth-grade humanities teacher, decided to have her students create a movie script about the Civil War instead, said Christy Vail, head of lower school.

Vail said they filmed the movie on the school’s “backlot” with a professional crew donated by a family.

Students acted in the film, performed voice-overs and created props and costumes. Subsequent films were shot at a family’s professional video studio, using green-screen technology.

The students also wrote a song for the movie each year. They celebrated their movie’s premiere with a gala evening dinner and screening in the Edwards Plaza.

But this year, Gretchen Fogelstrom, the new fifthgrade humanities teacher, will be facilitating team debates such as “North vs. South” and “Lee vs. Grant.”

The debates will be conducted in front of the parents.

In addition, groups of students will write rhyming poems based on a timeline of Civil War events, according to Fogelstrom. They will perform those as raps while dancing in costume - also in front of the parents. “(It’s) inspired by the musical ‘Hamilton!’” Vail said.

— Nicole Wolkov

For full stories, go online @ www. scdsoctagon.com

Spring trips?

CIVIL WAR Current sophomores reenacted the Civil War in the spring of 2012.

PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF ALLISON ZHANG

Senior projects?

Training a horse, learning to cook and volunteering at Loaves and Fishes might not seem to have a lot in common, but they are all activities once completed as senior projects.

Just five years ago, during the three-week gap between AP exams and graduation, each senior dedicated 40 hours to an event or activity outside of their comfort zone. The idea behind the tradition, which began in 1996, was to give seniors an opportunity to do something they had always wanted to do, but never before had the chance.

Each student had an adviser to assist them throughout the process.

The Sunday before graduation, students presented their projects to their families, peers and faculty.

But, in their most recent years, the senior projects began to drift away from their intentions, according to Sue Nellis, former head of high school and current history teacher.

“Some students were not taking the projects seriously and putting in the required time (or) not finishing the projects they said they were going to finish,” Nellis said.

So in 2013 Nellis began to think about better ways for the

SENIOR PROJECTS Ian Seyal, ‘07, made a Tesla coil for his senior project. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF JULIE NELSON

SPRING TRIPS On the 1985 Ferndale trip, students honored their bosses at a banquet. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF PATRICIA FELS

seniors to spend the three weeks after AP exams.

“I started reading about the lack of financial-literacy education in schools, so I proposed to the faculty that we change the projects to seminars,” Nellis said.

According to Nellis, many teachers agreed instantly.

And after coming up with financial literacy, the faculty brainstormed other skills useful for seniors before leaving home.

Self-defense, bike and car maintenance, yoga, resume writing and barbecuing were some of those ideas.

In hindsight, Nellis said that she and the entire faculty feel it was a good decision.

Previously, high-school teachers had to dedicate their evenings during the last week of school - a time that is crammed with grading and graduation preparation - to the senior projects, Nellis said.

Ending the projects removed that pressure.

And Nellis said that the responses from the students were just as positive. “(Nobody) said to me that they wanted to do the senior projects instead,” Nellis said. “(Everyone) is very comfortable with the way (things) are going (now).”

—Anna Frankel

DRESS CODE Seventh graders Kenna LaFitte and Jordan Lindsay wear jeans and non-collared shirts.

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO

Back in the ‘70s, when the high school had 60 students and Neukom’s beard was naturally brown, students went on another set of trips in addition to the then all-class Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the fall: the spring trips.

Unlike Ashland, where students are spectators to professional performances, the spring trips brought students into the community through various hands-on, goal-oriented projects.

One trip, named the “Powerful and the Powerless” and organized by Daniel Neukom, a history teacher since 1973, included serving the homeless in San Francisco for one day and then observing the rich at the tops of skyscrapers or in fancy estates the next day to provide an eye-opening contrast.

On a trip organized by former English teacher David Hechler, students split into groups to experience the watershed in different forms - one group spent a week canoeing on the Stanislaus River, another went backpacking along the river, and a third skied in the surrounding mountains.

On one of the most popular of the spring trips, in both 1976 and 1985, the faculty set every student up with a job in the small Victorian town of Ferndale, California. Some students worked at businesses, some at restaurants and some on farms.

At the end of the week, Neukom said, Country Day rented out an entire restaurant to serve dinner to, toast, and dance with the owners of the businesses where the students had worked.

As educational as the spring trips were, they came to an end in the ‘80s for a couple of related reasons.

For one, Neukom explained, the school’s population increased past the point of making the spring trips manageable. He said the planning required too much time on the faculty’s part, which was becoming limited as more faculty members grew older and started families.

In addition, the administration turnover of 1987-88 brought about many changes at the school. One of those changes was head of high school Francie Tidey, primary coordinator of the spring trips, quitting her job.

—Marigot Fackenthal

MS dress code?

When senior Isabelle Leavy was a sixth grader, she hated how strict the dress code was and how inconsistently it was enforced.

“The only time I got a detention was when I wore a tank top with a cardigan buttoned the heck up,” Leavy said. “Lauren Larrabee (‘15), wore the same thing with just a shrug, so I thought (it) was (fine).

“Some people (were) punished all the time, (while) others never would (get in trouble) for the same infractions.”

Six years ago, students didn’t have the option of wearing logo wear as opposed to collared shirts, a rule that was very inconvenient for Leavy during back-to-school shopping season.

The current middle-school dress code now gives students a fair amount of freedom with obvious “no-nos,” as Edward Bolman, dean of student life, likes to say.

In addition to collared shirts, students can wear blue jeans and logo shirts every day, something Leavy strongly approves.

But students can’t wear sweatpants or show their shoulders, and shoes have to be secure on the feet.

According to Bolman, about 13 years ago the dress code was a lot stricter under former head of middle school Quincey Grieve. Students had free-dress days only once a month.

The current, less-restrictive dress code is thanks to Bolman, who talked to current head of middle school Sandy Lyon about giving the students more freedom regarding their clothes.

The most recent change has been allowing jeans, which Bolman said aren’t considered as casual as they once were, making them a suitable choice for school.

—Emma Boersma