Monday, July 15, 2019 - Recognize, Accept, and Celebrate our Differences

Academic Update:  Mr. Christie graciously provided us the update today on his three different math classes.  In A Block Geometry/Algebra 2, Mr. Christie’s students made comparisons to finding the a, b, and c of the Pythagorean Theorem to finding the a, b and c of the quadratic function.  Students reviewed the term coefficient, and what function of x means with respect to x and y.  In Algebra 2, students continued exploring polynomial factoring which combines properties of exponents and quadratic factoring.  Students were extremely engaged in this process and are showing tremendous growth in this capacity. Lastly, in C Block Geometry, students were introduced to trigonometry, exploring the sine, cosine, and tangent functions.  Students used the mnemonic device SOH CAH TOA to help solve trigonometry examples.

Activity Update:  Students participating in tennis have been extremely busy learning the ins and outs of the game, especially in light of yesterday’s EPIC Wimbledon Men’s Final match between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.  They learned the difference between the various lines on the court, and the nuances of the singles vs. doubles game. This week they will continually practice their forehand and backhand shots to various parts of the court.  The backhand is traditionally one of the most difficult shots in tennis, but our players are determined to attain proficiency at it. The players will also frequently practice their serves, trying to develop consistent and challenging initiations. As the week continues, players should find their conditioning levels improved with faster lateral movements to get to balls they otherwise thought impossible.

Aligning with the Week 3 theme, "Advocate for Yourself", Monday night's community event was hosted by Forman Dean of Faculty, Ms. Francey Fenton, and centered around Audre Lorde's inspiring words: “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” To recognize inherent biases, students participated in the Bag of Differences activity where they randomly selected one out of 47 bags of various amounts/types of candy--individually wrapped for sanitary concerns!--and tried to trade, or not if so desired, for 10 minutes on their own terms until they were content with what they had. Students were able to relate the activity to real-life inequalities and engaged in constructive discussions. To accept differences, students completed the Power Flower exercise to embrace their own identities and heard personal narratives from Ms. Fenton about her journey of self-empowerment. In addition to their hard-won bags of candy, students left the event with three things they can do to celebrate differences, as advocated by Audre Lorde : educate others, speak even when afraid, and create alliances.