[ School News ] Skyping with China The Team China unit for fifth-grade students has a new annual activity: Skyping. For the first time this past school year, Pingry connected with Fényáng Senior High School, where Middle School Mandarin teacher Frank Dolce taught before joining Pingry in 2010 (Skype is software that allows people to speak over the Internet; in this case, students spoke “face to face” using laptop cameras). His idea resulted from Social Studies teacher Cathy Everett’s larger desire to incorporate the expertise of Mr. Dolce and Weiwei Yu, Pingry’s Middle School and Upper School Mandarin teachers, into Team China. This project involves 18 teachers and 14 disciplines: art, drama, geography, history, language arts, library research, math, music, physical education, poetry,
Fifth-grade students Skyping with Chinese students in the library.
science, technology, Mandarin, and Chinese character writing. “Skyping brought the students’ Chinese studies to life, and Pingry students asked questions that had occurred to them during their studies of China. Plus, students need to recognize that they’re part of a global community,” Mrs. Everett says. Pingry students were impressed by how well the Chinese students spoke English and how much they knew
A Second Garden Sprouts at Pingry
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Once again, a simple plot of land has become incredibly significant for the Pingry community, adding the scent of basil and the glistening of ripening tomatoes to the beauty of the Martinsville Campus.
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Following the construction of a Kitchen Garden on the Short Hills Campus in 2010, a Kitchen Garden was planted in Martinsville in 2011. Like the Lower School garden, it is being integrated into the curriculum and is the most recent initiative to instill in students a passion for being green. Martinsville’s garden is operational thanks to the efforts of fine arts teacher and Green Group Advisor Peter Delman P ’97, ’98, Physical Education Department Chair Joe
Forte P ’00, and Community Service Director Shelley Hartz (Mr. Forte is a gardener, and he and Ms. Hartz assisted with planning and implementation), as well as the tireless efforts of the facilities crew, dining staff, and many volunteers. The idea for the garden was Mr. Delman’s, along with members of the Green Group and Director of Facilities Michael Virzi P ’18. To enhance community participation, students in Mr. Delman’s Environmental Studio Art course are designing a creative classroom space within the garden. “The garden provides a connection between what we eat and where it comes from. A large percentage of the world’s pollution comes from the food industry, so local food can definitely help lessen Pingry’s carbon footprint. The garden can also be a peaceful place that represents the life cycle— especially if a teacher teaches Emerson or Thoreau in the garden, considering the writers’ interests in nature,” says Green Group Co-Leader Kit Tyson ’12.
about American popular culture (the NFL, the Super Bowl, and Michael Jackson, to name a few examples). According to Mrs. Everett, the students and teachers felt a deep connection as if they were in each other’s living rooms, even though the students were 8,000 miles apart—creating a powerful experience. One Chinese student, responding to a Pingry student’s explanation of where he would like to attend college, said, “My wish is that you achieve all of your dreams.” “Feedback from the students helped convince us that Skype is a powerful tool with the potential to authenticate the learning process. In April 2011, when we hosted visitors from China, we discussed ways that Skype can be practically and productively utilized to further our students’ foreign language experiences,” Ms. Yu says. Vegetables ranging from basil to zucchini were served at Pingry’s day camp last summer and are now integral to the dining room menu and catered events. “It’s always great to have fresh produce. Besides, it’s great to look out the window and see what you will be eating, right there in the garden,” says Spanish teacher Vic Nazario P ’90, ’94. According to Executive Chef and Assistant Manager of Food Services Jay Glassberg, these fresh ingredients offer many possibilities. “Vegetables such as eggplant, yellow squash, and peppers make wonderful soups, side dishes, and vegetarian sandwiches. We have gotten great reviews from staff, faculty, and students,” he says. Anyone interested in helping with the garden, and enjoying the fruits of his or her labor, should contact Ms. Hartz at shartz@pingry.org. To see photos from the garden, visit the blog, martinsvillecampuskitchengarden. blogspot.com. To read about and see more photos from the Short Hills garden, visit the blog, www.shorthillsgarden.blogspot.com.