The
MEADOWS SENTINEL The Meadows School
Volume XXVI Issue 1
November/December Issue
Learning the COVID-19 Way How do students feel about the new learning systems?
Black Student Alliance
Staying Positive When Faced with Adversity
Where are we now? Who’s where since we’re not there? Connecting the Community
Additional Articles: • Letter from the Editors • Falling Behind on Fall Sports • Freshening Up the Class of 2024 • Malgor’s Musings • CCSD and COVID-19 • Horoscopes
Meet Our New Faculty!
Opening Doors to Another Culture
• • • • • •
Following in the Footsteps of Education
Petition Guide TMS Orchestra and Band Women’s Empowerment Freshman Leaders Twelfth Night Senior Update
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The Changemaker in Our World
Black Student Alliance Club
Connecting the Community
Students rally to support the Black Lives Matter Movement by implementing change
Upper School Director Larson fills us in on how the school is facing the pandemic
By Natalie Vo (junior)
2020 seems to be throwing out pressing issues at every turn. Not only is the United States experiencing a national pandemic and a presidential election, but society is also undergoing a major social justice movement - the movement for Black Lives. Individuals that are advocates for the wide-spread Black Lives Matter Movement have been protesting police brutality and systemic racism through major protests and different social media platforms. Even seen in the Las Vegas community, large groups have congregated on the Las Vegas strip to hold signs and protest matters such as Geoge FLoyd’s death. Since this movement has been opening different minds to embedded societal issues and causing demands for change, the Meadows School community has decided that one of the most important steps it can take to demonstrate support behind Black Lives Matter is to establish a Black Student Alliance Club.
When asked what motivated her to start the Black Student Alliance Club, President Alexis Coffee expressed that the “Country’s call to action for better understanding and acceptance” of black people have created “the perfect time to implement a club that can educatestudents on black culture and also give black students a voice on the issues happening around campus.” Since the Meadows School is a predominantly white community, students of different ethnic backgrounds may feel like they do not have a voice or other people to relate to. Therefore, this club will give students a safe place to share stories or ask questions without feeling like they are judged and instill in them a sense of unity. Meetings are held during lunch every Thursday so students have the opportunity to better express themselves in a safe environment, and be surrounded by individuals who are
By Katherine Chau (freshman)
During a time of COVID, Director Mrs. Larson of the Upper School has been working especially hard to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and with the cooperation of the Upper School students, the itinerary has been going smoothly with not many cases being reported. Mrs. Larson spent time throughout the summer planning for the new year. With time and preparation for this year, Mrs. Larson and the administration have come up with the ideas of: setting up a temperature monitoring system, requiring mask wearing, walking in one direction, setting lunch rooms, limiting classroom sizes, encouraging students to spend time outside, and increasing the duration of the classes. Mrs. Larson stated, “In the Upper School, what we spend a lot of time doing is looking at the total number of students and figuring out their schedules with their amount of classes and teachers if we could cohort… with the number of electives that we have, so many different classes... Mask wearing... has been pretty key in mitigating the spread of the virus. We decided to make that mandatory” Taking special precautions, the situation of the pandemic is under control. If any student or staff contracted the coronavirus, individuals are required to notify the Southern Nevada Health District and receive step by step procedures without taking extreme measures such as: shutting down the Upper School. Every faculty member has been getting tested before school started. Since faculty testing is doing well, they decided to provide optional testing for students.“Because we have our teachers on the platform Canvas, we could go entirely remote for however many days and students wouldn’t miss a beat when it comes to the academics. We have the ability to pivot depending on what the situation is.” If multiple students or teachers test positive, Mrs. Larson will be prepared for it. Not only does Mrs. Larson and teachers face challenges, but as well as students. Whether it is remote, hybrid, or all on campus students may feel disconnected since they are unable to be able to interact with each other compared to the previous years. Director Larson set some limitations to certain interactions such as: hugging, crowding in the halls or lockers, and close distances in the classrooms, “I think what’s most important for every student and every member of our community is trying to feel connected… It might be easier for students going to school to feel connected because they are going to school… but it’s also weird because you can’t come in in the morning and walk in a certain way in the morning and hug your best friend. I think the remote learners are going to need to feel connected as much as possible because they don’t even have the opportunity to be with students.” Although changes made are difficult, the students are adjusting well to it. Everyone is working together to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, setting up cautious steps in order to prevent a worsening circumstance. Although changes have been difficult, students and others are facing this problem together. With the cooperation of everyone, changes made have been successful allowing most students to stay protected from COVID.
open-minded and empathetic of the issues students may be going through. Furthermore, Coffee also hopes that the club will “highlight African Americans in a positive light” since she feels like only the negative aspects of being black are seen on social media. Black culture is another emphasis of this club, and will be a focus of the variety of topics that members will be enlightening and educating themselves on. However, being a black student is not a requirement to be a part of the Black Student Alliance Club. Individuals of different races are encouraged to participate in the important conversations that occur during meetings, or help implement change within the community. When asked about why she chose to join the club, Arianna Jones stated, “I hope that by being part of the BSA, I can be more impactful in holding my peers accountable, educating, and in general raising awareness to what BIPOC students face and helping bring about the change that would best benefit them.” Jones understands the importance of not only being an active advocate for BLM, but also the value in listening to the experiences of others around her. The Black Student Alliance Club is meant as a safe space for people of different races, and it is critical of individuals of various backgrounds to hear issues such as the ones black people are facing. Stressing the significance of being involved, especially as a white student, Jones expresses that her participation can “amplify the voices of my black peers and use my privilege for good, because being a bystander isn’t enough.” A major part of the BLM movement is the idea that members of society cannot only acknowledge the struggles of people of color, but must actively take a stand in defending them against unfair prejudice that has been present in the history of the United States since the beginning.
Letter from the Editors
Welcome to our inaugural edition of The Meadows Sentinel! We are very excited to present to you an all digital edition of your student newspaper where we can share stories about our school community. We are an all new journalism team this year, and we’ve spent our first semester learning about journalism and mastering the technology of digital publishing so we can bring you the best quality newspaper possible. Please enjoy this first issue of the 2020-2021 school year, and we look forward to sharing more stories with you all! — Sneha, Macy and Natalie
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Malgor’s Musings
Where Are We Now? Who’s Where Since We’re not There?
Debate teacher dishes on best horror films
By Sneha Sridhar (senior) How many students are on campus due to the COVID-19 Debate teacher dishes on spicey movies for horror movie nights Dear Mr. Gordon, Since Halloween is over, I’m starting to miss spooky season, so I have decided to put together a horror movie marathon. All I’ve got so far are Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (the Peanuts gang will forever have a place in my heart). But I think I need to spice it up. I need some “Oh my God I’m going to be traumatized for the rest of my life” movies. Got any suggestions on building the ultimate horror movie list? Sincerely, Movie Maniac Movie Maniac: Your list has great family friendly films, and excellent comedies. You asked me to give you some “spicy” choices, but please keep in mind many horror movies are made for adult audiences, so please secure parental permission before viewing. Many are also old, and I’m sure the special effects won’t look as ‘real’ to you kiddos. There are too many to list, but here are a few of the all-time classics in different horror subgenres: Slasher movie: Halloween (1979)- lots of sequels and reboot versions of this, but I’m going to recommend the 1979 original. It is an excellent commentary on suburban life, alienation, and being young. Watch it in the dark; it relies on old school jump scares etc. It should hold up well! It also is one of the first movies to deploy the “final girl” horror movie trope. Possession movie: The Exorcist (1973)- not for the faint of heart, this is a movie that launched an entire genre about demons and possession. This movie (also an excellent novel) works so well because it’s got an element of realism. This is the story of a girl becoming possessed by a demon in a world where science disproves such nonsense. That element, combined with incredible acting and pacing, makes this an alltime classic movie regardless of genre! Ghost movie: Poltergeist (1982)- produced by Stephen Spielberg but directed by Toby Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), this is a well-made movie from beginning to end. It’s about how far you’d be willing to go to save
Pandemic?
your family- testing the limits of your physical and mental stamina. A similar movie in this vein that is more scary in the ‘traditional’ sense is Insidious (2010).
By Macy Litt (senior) If you were wondering about how many students chose to return to campus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a student survey on Septermber 18 provided an estimate of the 94.9%. The survey proves that the vast majority of students chose to return to campus. However, only 78.8% of them are at school full time. The Meadows School has provided students with an altered schedule to accommodate for student safety during such uncertain times. Half of the students are labeled as Platinum, while the remaining students are Sapphire. Each day of the school year alternates between Platinum and Sapphire to provide students with the opportunity to spend half of their school days remotely, and the other half on campus. Even though only 5.1% of students are fully remote, they are accompanied every other day by a group of their peers who take part in the blended learning option. Both fully remote and blended learning students combined make up 21.4% of the student body at TMS. However, the student survey still conveys that roughly 4/5ths of the student population are on campus full time. Even when it is not their Platinum/Sapphire day, they attend their classes from campus, either from a separate room via zoom, or in the classroom. A potential explanation for why the majority of students have chosen to return to campus full-time could be that they feel safe due to all of the precautions that TMS has taken towards preventing the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, they may have believed that the social aspect of their education outweighs the risk of returning to campus when accounting the safety measures taken on campus. Students could have chosen to engage in blended learning because they hope to maintain an in-person education while also having the ability to stay home. Students who have chosen to fully be online could potentially have felt unsafe on campus regardless of the precautions taken by the school. The vast majority of students are spending their full year on campus, but the blended learners are able to bridge the gap between them and the remote students. There is a community for learners of all different locations this year at TMS. Regardless of where students have chosen to spend their year, the Meadows administration has adapted to ensure an inclusive and safe educational environment.
For fun: They Live (1988)- John Carpenter was a master of horror (also directed the Halloween movie), and he has made a lot of classics over the years. I recommend They Live because it stars the late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. It’s also a heavy-handed but superbly executed commentary on ideology and how it works in our ‘modern world.’ Sit down with friends, have fun, and don’t hesitate to rewind to hear some of those classic movie lines on repeat, including one of the greatest lines in cinema history: “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass - and I’m all out of bubblegum..” A cult classic: Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)This is a musical comedy about crossdressing aliens. It’s got great music, and is ABSURD and over the top in every conceivable way. To this day this movie plays midnight showings where people dress in costume, yell at the screen, and participate through the whole film. If you are looking for something WEIRD, fun, and musical, go with Rocky Horror. Honorable mentions: Evil Dead 2 (1987)- Horror, comedy…. glorious and glory! Sinister (2012)- terrifying… The Conjuring (2013)- even more terrifying
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Learning the COVID-19 Way
How do students feel about the new learning systems? By Natalie Vo (junior) With the start of the school year, students are faced with a new instructural design that has changed the course of their educational experiences as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accommodate the needs of each family, the Meadows administration has allowed students to either partake in online, hybrid, or in-person learning. These policies have been issued to ensure the health and wellbeing of every member of the Meadows community. However, the latest changes to the traditional styles of learning have resulted in a division of methods of how students are able to interact with each other or engage in the classroom. Although these options are necessary to create the safest environment for each individual student, the school’s response to COVID-19 has sparked both positive and negative feedback from the student body. With new technology installed throughout the Meadows campus and increased use of Canvas to help facilitate online work, zooming in and completing web-based assignments have become a norm for at-home students. However, even though the new method presents many challenges, there are still benefits to being able to access courses from the comfort of one’s own home. Senior and remote learner Jackson Hinz expressed his gratitude towards the opportunity to choose online learning by listing positives such as “spending more time with my family” and “getting to be wherever I want.” Hinz also still feels that he maintains an active role in class through Zoom, but has noticed that “some online learners are a lot more shy.” Therefore, a helpful tip to other online students would be to not be intimidated by the idea of unmuting oneself in order to become more of an active voice in class. Even though being a remote learner does come with benefits, these attributes do not hinder the challenges that come with learning from home. A significant hindrance includes technology: Junior Shivahi Prakash, an at-home learner, states that her day depends on “how the school Wifi is doing that day or for that class.” Hinz also adds that he often struggles with not being able to hear other students when the class is conducting a discussion, or hearing day-to-day responses from classmates. A conflict that many other online students face, this emphasizes the need for more microphones implemented in the classroom in order to not only enhance
remote learners’ experiences, but to help online students feel more included. A method that Prakash appreciates is “more discussion-oriented classes to make it easier to chime in since it’s not as awkward.” Furthermore, online learning obviously also comes with an unusual amount of time in front of a computer. When asked to provide tips for how other online learners could manage/organize their workload and fully use their online resources, Prakash suggests using “Google Calendar to help segment out [your] classes or know when things are due.” Furthermore, since being a remote learner could also feel isolating at times, Hinz encourages other online learners to utilize popular apps such as Facetime or Snapchat to be in touch with friends. However, despite these obstacles, Prakash and Hinz’s experiences with remote learning have shown to be more beneficial than others would have expected, and have demonstrated that they learned to not only adapt but thrive in these new circumstances. As for the in-person learners, students are now faced with brand new protocols. The Upper School has undergone a transformation that includes QR codes on doors that require students to fill out a health survey each morning, and daily temperature checks. However, the most tedious regulation proves to be the hallways that could add an extra delay in a student’s pathway to their class. The administration has put the directed hallways in place in order to lower the amount of contact between students. However, Junior Emma Thalgott believes that the “directed hallways don’t really serve as much of a point when realistically kids are going to walk in packs anyway.” Due to these new routes, students have found themselves getting to classes later than usual, but thankfully teachers have accustomed to later arrivals with a relaxed tardy rule. Along with these new changes also comes social distancing. When asked what she missed most about traditional learning, Junior Madelyn Katz says that “being 6 feet apart makes it hard to connect with students.” Although in-person learners do get the physical presence of their peers around them, maintaining the level of socialization as the prior year is particularly difficult especially since facial expressions are also covered under the masks. However, Katz proclaims her gratitude for the amount of free time she has been able to enjoy due to the new block schedule.
Brooklyn Concepcion expresses her gratitude for flex period: “I can’t believe I managed to survive without Flex last year.” Regardless whether an individual is receiving their education online or in-person, every student is similarly adjusting to their new presented challenges. The differences in location and environment results in numerous obstacles, but a common thread is recognized throughout the study body: everybody misses traditional learning. Having members of the Meadows Community apart has been the main obstacle, but the administration’s accommodations to the pandemic have been making the best out of an unfortunate situation. Until communities are able to see the end to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Meadows School will do its part to provide the safest environment possible
while still offering a prestigious education. Until every student and teacher can interact in a traditional classroom, remember to wear your mask and follow the safety rules so The Meadows School can keep the school open and running.
Freshening up the Class of 2024
TMS 9th grade teachers give advice to this year’s new Upper School students
By Skye DeCicco (freshman)
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When teachers of the Freshman Class were asked to provide general advice to the incoming students, the educators reminded them that time management is an essential task. Students should not procrastinate on their work to allow for free time to decompress and rest. When addressing the Freshman Class, Mr. Zimring suggested that “People your age should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep every night. You should prioritize sleep over activities like social media and games since it will be much easier to manage your time with a well rested brain.” In continuation, Mr. Kanscar added “Allow yourself free time, time to decompress. But then, remind yourself of your choice to do so later when the urge to procrastinate responsibilities hits. Knowing that YOU are responsible for both your leisure time AND your work work time can be a powerful thing.” In a recent survey, Freshman teachers were also asked to explain which kind of students make them most excited to teach. Mr. Zimmering enjoys “Students that participate in class discussions.” Both Mrs. Staminis and Mr. Schafer are inspired by “students who take risks and are hungry for knowledge.” Additionally, Ms. Chabot appreciates students who are “good natured, relaxed, engaging with the material, and willing to be wrong!” Lastly, Mrs. Paine explained that she is most excited to teach a student “who comes in with an open mind and is prepared to learn, while also being their own advocates and taking responsibility when they make mistakes.” She believes that honesty and integrity are important qualities in a student. Freshmen may conclude from the teachers’ answers that being an active, responsible student that is willing to take risks are key qualities of a high achieving student. After answering which qualities make for a great student, teachers were asked how the Freshman Class could improve as the year continues. Mr. Zimring reminded the freshmen students that they “need to sleep more, improve social distancing, follow directions carefully, and complete revisions on the assignments that allow for them.” The other teachers suggested that freshmen should “complete and pass in assignments/work, ask for help (from peers or teachers) if they are stuck, and read directions carefully.” All the teachers believed that the freshmen should put their phones down once in a while because “humanity got along just fine before the advent of Instagram.”
Dr. Aned Muñiz Gracia: Opening Doors to Another Culture
A Changemaker In Our World Mr.Rosenfels is passionate about helping his students change the world
Meet the new Spanish teacher Dr. Muñiz Gracia is the new Spanish 3 Honors teacher at TMS this year. She is joining the Meadows community from California and is super excited to get to know Las Vegas, even though the COVID-19 pandemic has made these past six months an unideal introduction to the city. As a teacher for over 25 years, Dr. Gracia has taught not only Spanish, but also German and Italian. She is prepared for the adjustment to hybrid learning due to her background in online teaching and is optimistic in terms of improving technological difficulties. However, she does miss the uncomparable social interaction that her classes would normally entail. Since her style
of teaching follows a constructive approach, she compiles many different elements of teaching and integrates them into her curriculum. Her attraction to TMS particularly
By Macy Litt (senior)
By Karolina Davis (freshman)
stems from the small class sizes and advanced technology. She also enjoys the welcoming environment and ability to create close bonds with students. Even though learning a new language may be difficult because of the pandemic’s requirement for masks and social distancing, Dr. Muñiz Gracia reveals many strategies for students to still receive practice. As a teacher of numerous languages, she understands the many advantages of high schoolers learning a second language. She explains that having conversations, either in person or virtually, with others who want to practice as well can be extremely beneficial. Additionally, listening to music and singing along in a foreign language is another way that students can practice. Her passion for teaching and helping students learn truly conveys her belief that “A language opens a colorful door to another culture, way of thinking, and helps people relate to millions of its speakers around the world.” Outside of teaching, Dr. Muñiz Gracia is very busy. When she has the chance, she loves to swim and sometimes run or road cycle. She also enjoys writing and hopes to complete a multilingual children’s picture book. Beyond that, her time is filled with teaching and taking care of her children since she is a new mother. Her embedded caring and adventurous nature contributes to a balanced and exciting classroom environment. As the Meadows community fully Welcomes Dr. Gracia, she looks forward to an inevitably great year with her students.
We are thrilled to introduce a dedicated new teacher to the Meadows School. Mr. Rosenfels, economics and history teacher, is a devoted addition to our Meadows community. Before joining Meadows, he had the experience of teaching at 8 diverse schools, one of them being abroad in Costa Rica. The students in Mr. Rosenfels’ classes will never see him acting lazy or unmotivated. He is passionate about helping his students see that “they are not just feathers in the wind, but (that) they are leaders and changemakers in their own world.” Mr. Rosenfels also believes that it has helped him to teach in many different schools and be surrounded by many different types of educators and students. His diverse background is one thing out of many that makes him an excellent teacher. Mr. Rosenfels wasn’t always set on becoming a teacher. In fact, he would have taken a different path if it weren’t for one life-changing moment. “I was a psychology major, and I was taking a class called Educational Psychology. … At some point in the course, (my professor) said ‘Teaching is the most noble profession.’ … In your life sometimes, you have these moments, and you feel them and you know they’re going to change you forever. At that point, I realized that I was going to be a teacher.” Even though Mr. Rosenfels had the experience of teaching at many different schools, he believes Meadows holds a special atmosphere. He believes “this school is growing to be a wonderful school of culture, a school of diversity, and a school that cares just as much about the heart and soul of their students as it does in supporting them with their academic growth.” Overall, we are grateful to include Mr. Rosenfels in our community. As an inspired educator working daily to teach valuable lessons to his students, he is a wonderful addition to the Meadows School.
Following in the Footsteps of Education
Instructor Cotter is very excited to join the Meadows community By Skye DeCicco (freshman) By Macy Litt (senior) The Upper School is thrilled to introduce a new teacher to the Science Department. Preferred to be called Intructor Cotter, she teaches Honors Biology Pre-AP, AP Biology, and Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology. Inspired by her mother, Instructor Cotter says, “I saw the amazing career she had and how many lives she impacted.” Instructor Cotter’s mother was also a high school teacher like herself. She loves how the expectations at the Meadows are so high, and that our school has the “love of learning portrayed in kindergarten through 12th grade. Instructor Cotter has two children that currently go to the Meadows School. She drops them off at school and goes straight to the classroom to prepare for the day. Instructor Cotter loves the feel of the Meadows School. She loves how the school has changed to accommodate for COVID-19. Instructor Cotter loves the in-person feature that our school has created. Our students and their energy, excite her and encourage her to teach with full energy. COVID-19 has impacted Instructor Cotter’s teaching in many ways. She is currently trying to work around the barrier of not seeing students everyday in the classroom. Also she loves to make strong relationships with her students but this is hard because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She says that “the small components of greeting us when they walk into the room, and saying bye as they leave the room really build relationships in this hard time.” Another thing that she is struggling with is the fact that science is very hands on and because of the coronavirus she is not able to do this. She is making great accommodations for this obstacle. She can’t wait for this coming year.
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Behind the Screen With Ms. Hall
Everywhere you look, there’s new equipment, cameras, and monitors strategically placed in all the classrooms By Sneha Sridhar (senior) I’m sure you’ve all noticed the strategically-placed monitors, cameras, and microphones around your classrooms. Thank the amazing Ms. Hall for the new technology connecting you to your classes during your hybrid or remote experience! After graduating from the University of Oklahoma, Ms. Hall started working for The Meadows School in June as a videographic and academic media specialist. Within two months last summer, she researched and chose the hardware, software, monitors, and cameras for the entire school, and oversaw the installation process. The goal of the entire process was to ensure that remote and hybrid students would be able to easily access and participate in their classes and have the best Meadows experience. She chose a software which holds up to 100,000 hours of storage per year, so your lessons will always be accessible, even if you are not physically in school. Then came creating the two camera setup, establishing guidelines to set up the hardware, and back to back demonstrations of the new technology. It’s safe to say that Ms. Hall has definitely secured top-notch tech in our classrooms. As the school year starts, she is really excited to create recap videos, take pictures around campus, and be immersed in the Meadows community. On the weekends, Ms. Hall is pretty active. She and her dog, Kendrik Lamar (which subjectively is one of the cutest dogs ever), go hiking up in Mt. Charleston. Also, as a competitive dancer throughout college, she is hoping to help bring dance into the Meadows community again. So when you see Ms. Hall running through the halls with her camera, say hi!
Staying Positive When Faced with Adversity Mr.Grubair comes up with creative solutions
By Gia Orsini (freshman) Mr. Grubair has had to come up with more creative solutions for the problem that has faced everyone since last spring: how are we going to play sports safely during the pandemic? Everybody is anxious about how sports are going to look this year. Will they be traditional with fans and a full season? Is there a brightside to this extenuating situation? Director of Athletics Claude Grubair has been working hard to provide students with opportunities to find the sport that they love, and find the solution to how their season is going to play out. The one unique outcome of this predicament is the abundance of time to work on self-improvement for athletes. They now have the opportunity to work out during their flex periods and have personalized workout plans and dietary suggestions. “We are documenting the data to show colleges how much you improved physically and fundamentals which is just as important as playing the sport. Building this foundation can separate you from everyone on any team you end up on. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and athletes shouldn’t miss it.” Regarding the difficulty of passing ideas for how to play sports safely, Mr. Gregersen has been a phenomenal advocate for finding out how to make this year’s seasons enjoyable for the students, while still keeping them safe. Advice given to Mr. Grubair from Mr. Gregersen that all students should adopt is to “always look forward and anticipate what the next problem is going to be.” Mr. Grubair’s main point of contention is that he “wants to stop taking away from kids like last spring’s season and this fall’s season.” All anyone can do at the moment is listen to what the states association’s (NIAA) plan on how to prepare for the winter. The NIAA announced that all sports can play under the following guidelines: All sports will be moved to the winter and the seasons will be cut to six weeks long, there will be no state championship, The first two weeks of the season are
going to be used as open weeks (tournaments against other schools) and the third, fourth and fifth will be league play while the 6th week will be for playoffs. All sports will be able to play. Our school is still in the 2A and 3A divisions, which means that we will still play the teams that we play every year. In the 2A and 3A divisions, Meadows is the only school that isn’t in a small town. This matters because all of the teams we play have had little to no cases of COVID 19 and are more scared of playing us than we are of playing them. “They have to have a different plan for how to go forward with their athletics which makes it hard for this league to go forward on decisions together because of the fluidity of the situation.” While it may sound like this situation allows little room for progress, Meadows is trying to do everything they can to protect and prepare students for the winter. States like Utah, Arizona, and Texas have all begun their fall season and we hope to see what works for them, and what problems that they run into that we haven’t thought of yet then make a plan of action that benefits everyone.
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The Senior Class Update
Twelfth Night
With any start to highschool, every incoming freshman has looked forward to being a senior. The feeling of being on top of the social ladder and finally seeing all their hard work being paid off is an experience that every student waits for. However, with the unexpected pandemic, senior year has taken a drastic turn, particularly when it comes to social aspects. Friends can no longer congregate in large groups, and peers are separated through different learning methods such as hybrid or remote learning. Furthermore, the set traditions that have taken place at the Meadows School have been changed or eliminated due to health precautions, such as anticipated assemblies like Mr. and Mrs.Mustang or the Homecoming dance. COVID-19 has completely changed the course of a traditional senior year, but seniors have been successfully able to navigate through the changing circumstances regardless. Senior, Michael Corrigan, a 4-year football player, spoke about his experience during this difficult time. Having been at the Meadows School since he was in pre-school, Corrigan is understandably taken aback at the new changes made to his senior year. When asked about the extent to how the pandemic has affected his experience, he emphasized his sadness at being unable to attend anticipated events: “A lot of the experiences I was saving till my senior year like prom or homecoming cannot happen now, which is a little disappointing.” The pandemic has put these events on pause due to new safety guidelines regarding social distancing. Since Corrigan now regrets his decision to experience these traditional events in his final year, a piece of advice he wants to offer to lower grade levels is to “do whatever you want to do as soon as possible.” COVID-19 has proved that there is no telling what the future has in store, so being as active as you can be now is extremely important. However, the administration and Student Council has been hard at work trying to make the school year still enjoyable despite these obstacles. The Meadows School has adapted to these changes by implementing replacements such as the M-Factor, a talent show that featured senior group performances, and by having an activity-filled Homecoming Week as the alternative for the dance. Although senior year has undoubtedly come with many challenges and unexpected changes, there is one highlight that seniors have been grateful for. When interviewing Macy Litt, she expressed that “it is nice to have some extra family time.” Since she is a remote
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of performing has changed dramatically. Regardless, the theatre department at The Meadows School has successfully adapted to every twist and turn. In order to safely produce the upper school play, a new system has emerged to include all students in a socially distant manner. Even though live theatre has been put on hold, The Meadows School will still proudly present the comedic Shakespearean play, Twelfth Night.
Seniors give their feedback about their senior year The CFA is working on a new production By Natalie Vo (junior) By Macy Litt (senior) learner, she is particularly grateful for the opportunity to be around her family more before she heads off to college. However, when asked what the administration could do to improve her senior year, she mentioned the difficulty in hearing other students in the classroom: “It is hard to hear other students over Zoom, and makes it harder for me to participate, especially during class discussions.” Among asking other online remote learners or students who are off-site learning, this is a common struggle found. Therefore, a helpful solution would be to add more microphones in classes so that online students are able to feel more included in the online classroom experience. Overall, senior year has definitely not been what anybody has expected. Changes have been made to long-standing traditions and seniors have to adjust to new events due to health precautions. However, TMS seniors are taking the challenges head-on and are still trying to make the best of their final year regardless of these new obstacles. The Meadows community will be sad to see them depart for college once the year wraps up, but are proud that the senior class remains stronger than ever.
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Twelfth Night centers around the separation of Viola and her brother Sebastian. Since Viola believes that her brother is dead, she takes his place and works for Duke Orsino as a boy. From that, chaos ensues from a series of mistaken identities and unlikely lovers. Watch The Meadows School’s production of Twelfth Night to find out more! You might be wondering how exactly Mr. Burris and Mrs. Severance have navigated through such substantial obstacles. Firstly, they transformed the morning Early Bird Class to being mandatory for all participants in the play, allowing for daily rehearsals when necessary. Additionally, they expanded the roles of technicians with the new element of film. That’s right, the entire performance of Twelfth Night will be filmed and released thanks to the technological resources at TMS. Since some students are permanently remote and others alternate between remote and on-campus learning, the theatre department has also adjusted to ensure that all students are included. Their filming method
allows them to record students separately and then edit the clips together. Even fully online students have been creatively implemented into the production through zoom. Macy Litt, who plays Fabian in the production, said, “I am so grateful that I am able to participate in the play, even though I am a fully remote student.” Macy along with the rest of the cast are super excited for the school to see Twelfth Night. Beyond the context of the performance, the theatre community at TMS has managed to remain united. Every so often, Mr. Burrist hosts online watch parties that allow theatre students to witness their favorite broadway shows along with one another. One of the most remarkable theatre events this year has been meeting the famous performer, Leslie Odom Junior from Broadway’s Hamilton. He answered the students’ burning questions and offered advice to TMS’s future performers. Regardless of the many obstacles, the theatre department at The Meadows School has remained as strong as ever. Even though there will be no live, in person performances, that will not stop TMS from performing safely.
CCSD and COVID-19
At Meadows, we are extremely lucky to be going to school in a hybrid model. CCSD, however, has had a different approach to delivering education to their students. By Sneha Sridhar (senior) With the fifth largest school district in the United States, Governor Steve Sisolak made a massive order on March 15, 2020 to close all Nevada schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later on April 21, the governor’s closure was extended throughout the remainder of the school year, placing all Nevada schools in online learning. However, all CCSD schools have made the decision to continue online distance education for all of the 20202021 school year. All Nevada students and teachers have had a whirlwind of new information and procedures introduced to them, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused everyone to resort to Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, or a variety of other online platforms as their primary educational service. While Meadows students have the amazing opportunity to continue their learning with the options of remote, hybrid, or full-time learning, CCSD students have spent these past six academic months completely online. There is a sort of comfort and solace that comes with the distinct experience of walking into your favorite teacher’s classroom or your counselor’s office after a hard day. At Meadows especially, our favorite faculty become some of the best and most influential people in our lives, because students have the opportunity to build close-knit rapport with their teachers. However, due to COVID-19, CCSD students are missing out on this notable experience. One Palo Verde senior offered
Petition Guide
your ideas, the administration has created student engagement surveys From the “Get Allan Back” which have been created this year. They will be doing a survey on inclusion and petition to the new DEI equity to try to show the students that taskforce, The Meadows they are trying to start conversations School is looking to concerns that the DEI task force wanted. from students to create an Now that we know our options, environment in which the we need to ask: “How are decisions school can grow. made?” Ultimately, your ideas and whether the school implements them By Gia Orsini (freshman) or not is decided by the Board. A board structure goes like this: They provide an experience for the students whether From the “Get Allan Back” petition to that be academically or how to teach the new DEI taskforce, The Meadows students how to be good humans and School is looking to concerns from envision what direction they want the students to create an environment in school to go in. They are also in charge which the school can grow. of hiring the head of school that will As teens, one of our main traits be able to further the mission of the is sharing injustices and students share school. They are a supervisor and the quite a few but often don’t try to change Head of School reports to them. They these nuances. While speaking with are so important because they bring Ms. Larson and Mr. Gregersen, I have money and experience from having uncovered a few ways in which we as kids go through Meadows. The head of students can effectively inspire change school is supposed to know all of the that our school needs. Mr. Gregersen information that the board tells him; has expressed that he doesn’t feel there to the board and from the board so the is a “strong culture of petitions,” being head of school is the representative of the last request that was student led their wants. was seven years ago. The school always Some of you may remember tries to be open to ideas presented and hearing or even signing the Get Allan transparent about new implications to Back petition, but it was ignored the school community. because it wasn’t articulated in a serious manner. Had it been a real petition, that would have gotten more attention. It still holds a special place in Ms. Larson’s cabinet for the hilarity to be remembered. If you truly want change, then put thought into why it will help the school and why it is important in the first place.
that the most difficult part of her school year has been “speaking to my favorite teachers. Even though I have online classes with them, talking to them feels different and distant”. While Palo Verde has been trying to make their school year anything but isolated, there is a mass disappointment in regards to missing out on favorite school-wide traditions. “We kind of miss out on that senior year bonding that we were all looking forward to”. From all-school assemblies to certain dress days, CCSD students specifically are neglected the time-honored “senior’’ experiences.
However, through all the letdowns and setbacks, it is vitally important to make sure that mental health and mindset are priorities. As I was talking with this PV senior, we came to our conclusion that it is just as important to grieve and feel disappointed about our school years as it is to find silver linings. Every single student and teacher is valid in feeling stressed, uncertain, and frustrated about this new world that we have had to quickly become accustomed to. Staring at a computer for hours on end is taxing. Not being able to hang out with friends is upsetting. Not having the “traditional” senior year or school year is disheartening. Nevertheless, having a positive growth mindset through this entire experience is a great way to get through this time together. “I’ve had time to learn more about my priorities and the things that make me excited more than ever this year. I think this year forced everyone to push ourselves, and now I know exactly who and what I want to spend time on”.
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“Petitions” have a negative connotation associated with strikes and demands, but what the administration is looking for is conversation. Rather than label what we want changed as petitions, why not work within clubs, organizations, teachers, and student government to offer suggestions and work for positive results. This of course can also include setting appointments for meetings with Mr. Gregersen and other administrators to express concerns directly. Mr. Gregersen says that “the school wants to hear from students about how we can improve the student experience for everyone.” Complaining, then creating a petition with no conversation is not how students should try to expect to create change. If you are too shy to express
TMS Orchestra and Band Update on the musical departments
By Katherine Chau (freshman) Music and music playing takes a role in many lives, especially for orchestra and band players at the Meadows School. Since COVID-19 has been rapidly spreading, music playing has become a bit of a challenge to perform or practice at school for some students. Trying to keep music playing socially distant became a struggle for students and teachers. Band director Mrs. Tolen and Mr. Kanscar were “not affected too much” by the ongoing pandemic for the Upper School’s band, but for the middle school band, it was more challenging due to separate cohorts. With the ongoing pandemic, keeping students motivated to learn music can be challenging for her band students. Mrs. Tolen encourages her band players to stay positive and adapt to these circumstances, but the routine for band students remains the same. Both Mrs. Tolen and Mr. Kansar both agreed, “[The importance was] to continue a sense of normalcy and working together online and in person with fundamentals and pieces.” Band recently held a concert online. With cooperation of each band member, the concert was successful, and Mrs. Tolen managed to hold a concert with the symphonic band and the jazz band. While the symphonic band played under the tent by the middle school, the jazz band was under the covers outside of the bandroom. Each student was six feet apart; the percussionists were required to have their face masks on. Each band had their own recording and both were successful. They hope to continue their teaching and bring back the sense of normalcy to the band students and teaching. Junior flute player, Hailey Shin, has been with band for three years. Since she has been with band for a while, she felt a change in the band classes. She thinks, “they [Mr. Kanscar and Mrs. Tolen] are handling things pretty well” considering the fact that there was a shift in this year’s band classes. Being a hybrid student did not affect her, she believes that Mrs. Tolen was well organized and prepared to tackle this year without trouble. Although there was not much of a problem adjusting to the new year, she commented, “I feel like it’s a little harder to meet everybody since there were social distancing regulations”. Communication for many students is important, but due to this year’s occurrences, socializing for many students has been limited to them. Sophomore percussionist,
Ray Trac, has been with band since 6th grade, making it his fourth year participating in band. Being remote makes it a bit of a challenge for him to play. Although he had the instruments to play, he commented “It was difficult, especially for remote students. The audio coming through the Zoom meetings would sometimes suddenly speed up, slow down, become quiet, or even completely cut out.” Although issues occurred, he still continued to “maintain a connection” with his instrument, which kept him striving towards participating in band. Orchestra on the other hand tackled this year slightly differently from band. Orchestra teacher, Mrs. Larsen has found many troubles when practicing as a group, she stated, “Teaching online orchestra is really difficult because the technology isn’t there and there is always lag. When we try to play as a group, which is a big part of an orchestra or band, we can’t.” Internet connection has become troublesome for many students, with connection being trouble for orchestra, it became harder for everyone to play together as a group. Online teaching was the biggest obstacle since sound and timing is essential when playing with an orchestra. Teaching online and in person is as if it’s two separate things, as if it is like teaching two orchestras. Middle school orchestra was successful but Upper School orchestra was more of a challenge. Mrs. Larsen explained, “The way we did them [middle school orchestra] is in the theater, students and audience is spread out. We occupy every other row and every other chair and only students from the same cohort are watching the students from the other cohort because the way the theater is the stage’s own entity. We were able to have one grade performed for another grade in that way where there is a huge distance between everyone, they are at least six feet between the people from the same cohort.” For Upper School, a performance can not be made, but with an effort, an Upper School performance will be released midNovember. Motivation can be hard during this pandemic, Mrs. Larsen stated, “We have been able to have small performances so that’s really brought the spirits up a bit.” Although it may not be the same experience as before, it still helped the orchestra students stay encouraged to play. Lawrence Zhang, sophomore violin player, did not find it too much
struggle in participating in orchestra. He commented, “Mrs. Larsen is well coordinated and she is really organized with all her rehearsals.” He believes that Mrs. Larsen has an efficient system this year in executing music playing this year. This year was not much of a change for Lawrence except for new members. Without members that left, it was harder for the orchestra to stay together, since not everyone knew each other, it was interesting for
him to meet new orchestra members after the older orchestra members left, but he enjoyed that there were new members. Although performances and the system may seem different, each musician from band and orchestra shows their enjoyment to music. Just like students, teachers are facing similar circumstances. No matter student or teacher, both groups face similar problems but are coping with it
Women’s Empowerment Club Challenges and experiences shared by students at TMS
By Katherine Chau (freshman)
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Across the country, many women experience issues such as sexual harassment, lower wages, inequality, etc., which is why the Women’s Empowerment Club hopes to help women deal with their daily challenges. Club leaders Devin Howard, Arianna Jones, and Sneha Sridhar of the Women’s Empowerment Club (WEMP) hope to help women at the Meadows School feel empowered and heard. The club establishes a safe environment to discuss each person’s experiences. During club meetings, members converse about challenges that they have faced. Often times, women face gender discrimination in athletics, jobs, acedmics, etc. The Women’s Empowerment Club aims to encourage women to feel confident and proud of who they are. The club creates plans for volunteering and aiding others, but due to the pandemic, their plans have needed to adjust. WEMP this year has been collaborating with The Cupcake Girls and Junior League in hopes of helping more than just the Meadows community. Club leaders believe in a brighter future as they often recite the motto, “when there’s a will, there’s a way.” Club president, Arianna Jones believed that the challenges that women face “have always been important from a young age, especially with all of the discrimination in athletics that I have experienced.” She feels passionate about women not only being allowed to participate in sports, but being able to dominate them as well. Arianna shows her strong will for uplifting women within the Meadows community through her love of sports.
Club president, Devin Howard feels that helping women believe in themselves is essential to initiating change. She explains, “it is important we build up the confidence of young women so they feel empowered to pursue anything they set their minds to.” Being tenacious is an important part of a leader in Women’s Empowerment. Although it may seem challenging for many women, she hopes to send a message that encourages them to value themselves and recognize their worth. Club Vice President, Sneha Sridhar takes interest in working with others and supporting others in this club. What she finds most crucial in this club is not only empowering, helping, etc., but also sparking broader change that can permanently better the future. Sneha defines such change as “having a safe space for women to talk about their experiences in the classroom, extracurricular activities, and more. Change is allowing for women to feel empowered and inspired by female mentors. Change is talking about how we can implement or at least be aware of the discussed topics, so that we have the tools to change the culture not only in our school but also the world.” She looks for solutions to guarantee that future women do not need to face the same struggles as they did in the past. Although women face challenges in their daily lives, The Women’s Empowerment Club hopes to create a comfortable environment where students can discuss problems, find solutions, and help others.
Horoscopes
Freshmen Leaders
Student Council have been coming up with many fun and COVID-safe activities for the Meadows Community to enjoy!
Dr. Aned Muniz Gracia, a Spanish teacher from the upper school has introduced an exciting new project to the Meadows community: Horoscopes! By Macy Litt (senior)
By Skye DeCicco (freshman) As you have probably seen, the Student Council has been planning many COVID safe activities. Some of these included the October Monstober week, a Fruit Roll-Up eating competition, spoon egg race, and balloon popping relay race. All of these activities have been very clever in how they accommodate for the social distancing needs of COVID-19. Yasamin Goravanchi, the president for the 9th grade, says that, “There are a lot of restrictions because of the 6 foot no contact and mask rules. Since she was elected as the 9th grade president, later this year she plans to have Freshman Fun Week and other activities that are Covid safe. Meher Daliwal, another student elected official from the 9th grade council, adds that, “It is harder to plan activities because of COVID, especially since there is a restriction with the number of people indoors.” She is also working to to plan as many activities as possible, even though Covid-19 has caused a lot of obstacles. Meher Dhaliwal agrees with Yasamin. She states that,“Since there is a restriction with the number of people indoors and the 6 feet distance rule, it is harder to plan activities.” She is very excited about planning more activities for the high school students. Meher hopes that the student council will “plan more activities every week at lunch and hopefully some dances later on in the year!”
Cancer: You will be a very good friend and have a nice meal with them. Your hard work will earn you a lot of money and you will be surrounded by good people. A pinch of moondust will hit you today and you will have good luck. However, once you find true love, you will let it slip through your fingers because you will not know. Leo: You will practice a career in medicine and the whole world will appreciate your work because you will find the cure for cancer! However, the person that you marry will cheat on you and you will struggle with finding love. Virgo: You will have a peaceful day because you are safe from COVID-19. You will win a soccer tournament and your family will go out to dinner to celebrate. Libra: Your mom will go to Red Rock with her friend on Saturday night. You will get a good grade in your science class. You will go to baseball practice and not receive COVID-19. Scorpio: You will listen to your favorite song a lot. However, be careful when you cook. Also be cautious because you may lose something important. Do not worry though, because you will find something new Aquarius: You are very lucky! to replace it. Sagittarius: You are not a fan You will be given a lot of money and of video games because you find them have a free vacation to the beach and disneyland. Do not worry about to be boring. You will set new goals to COVID-19 because you will be safe work on and you will be successful. Capricorn: You will have the from it. same fortune as a Scorpio. Pisces: You will go to parties with a new friend, eat a yummy oreo If you enjoyed finding your fortune, be Pizookie, and get angry when others sure to thank Dr. Aned Muñiz Gracia are mean to your friends. You also do for introducing this project! not like soccer but you do like football. Aries: You will not be so lucky. You will consistently make bad choices which are not good. However, you will earn a lot of money and have good friends and family. Taurus: You may not have any money for purchases all day, but things will turn around. You will win in a fight and earn whatever you want in your future because you did a great job at remaining patient. Gemini: You will have very good friends and they will be happy with you. You will also swim in a pool and read a lot of books in your room. Last but not least, you will eat a lot of chicken and salad. Dr. Aned Muniz Gracia, a Spanish teacher from the upper school has introduced an exciting new project to the Meadows community: Horoscopes! For the month of November, the students from her Spanish classes have predicted the fortunes of others depending on their horoscope. Not only is this project a fun and exciting way to predict the future, but it is also very useful to Spanish students who are learning to use the future tense. These predictions were initially made in Spanish, but they will be translated to English below. Identify your horoscope, learn your fortune, and join in on the fun!
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As you can see from above, these are all students that are in the 9th grade eager to gain experience in the student council and both want to continue in the student government here at The Meadows School. Annya Shah is the vice president of the 9th grade. Another Freshman representative in the student council is Katherine Chau. When asked how student council benefits them as a freshman, Katherine says “Being in freshman student council is great for experience. I’ve met many great student leaders there. It’s interesting getting to know the Seniors who’ve been part of the Student Council for many years, and they’ve been great role models.” Meher says that while it’s challenging to be working with others who have more experience, She loves being able to contribute ideas and make our school a better, more enjoyable environment. Katherine has found many things about herself and others from being in student council. She says “It might seem intimidating at first but eventually I began bonding with a few of the upperclassmen.” She also hopes to take student council again during her year at The Meadows School.