classacts
Author Leigh Newman Visits Tenth Grade
Seniors Participate in Structure Determination Workshop Seniors Andrew Caldwell and Greg Lindgren, accompanied by Upper School chemistry teacher Leslie Kovach, attended the 2013 Structure Determination Workshop at the University of Richmond. They attended lectures
by chemistry professors, synthesized a compound, and tested the compound to determine its structural formula. Testing involved the use of the following techniques: nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet and visible spectroscopy,
gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer, infrared spectroscopy, and melting point determination. The workshop was funded by the National Science Foundation and has been conducted at UR for many years.
Physics I Students Dissect Cow Eyeballs In an eye-opening Physics I lesson in May, students in Laura Akesson’s classes dissected cow eyeballs to enrich a unit on light, lenses, and sight. Due to the curvature of the lens, most of the cows would have had myopia (nearsightedness), but many of the eyes were misshapen from the packaging and shipping process. It was fantastic for students to see their diagrams come to life!
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Crossroads
Summer 2013
Prior to studying non-fiction composition, Stephanie Arnold’s tenth-grade English class gathered in Steeber Commons on May 1 for a special guest speaker. Leigh Newman, author of Still Points North: One Alaskan Childhood, One Grown-up World, One Long Journey Home, spoke to the class and offered valuable insight into her work as a memoirist. She shared segments from her book and explained how her previous failures helped her become a stronger writer. Additionally, she gave helpful tips to the students about how ambiguity can evoke emotional responses from readers and how to focus on small, powerful details rather than broad overviews. The students were quick to pick up on the techniques and were able to point them out as Ms. Newman read excerpts from her memoir.
NHS Officers for 2013-14 Elected Congratulations to the following students who were elected to office in the National Honor Society for the 2013-2014 school year: President: Ben Campbell Vice President: Natalie Bendheim Treasurer: Michael Cevallos Secretary: Claire Kirchmier Historian: Sarah Dickson