Dear Parents:
This week has ended by showcasing some of the best of Good Hope Country Day School.
In the upper school, our seniors gave presentations on their senior theses, covering topics ranging from key principles of teamwork, to LGBTQ Inequality in America. This is one of the projects that best prepares our students for the rigors of college and we look forward to enhancing the overall process next year.
Our seniors also delighted guests this morning in the library by recreating Paris in the 1920’s, a culminating activity in Josh Canning’s literature class which brings everything to life and unleashes student creativity. C’est fantastique!
Yesterday our 5th and 6th graders presented parts of their Oral History projects, with many of their distinguished interviewees in attendance! These culminating projects include interviews, timelines, research papers, poems, portraits, and more. We heard stories of self-made immigrants from Vietnam and stories of refugees from Nazi Germany. It highlighted the richness of our community – how much we can learn from each other – and just how meaningful and purposeful learning can be when it is structured well.
I am also pleased to report that despite the torrential rains we have not had flooding in the gym or in the library since December, thanks to our flood mitigation work. We still have much work to do to eliminate flooding entirely from the campus – we have run about 10 miles of a 26.2-mile marathon. But what we have done thus far we have done well and it has already had a positive impact on learning and productivity.
Happy Mother’s Day and have a wonderful prom weekend!
Kari
“Owning Your Own Future,” By Thomas Friedman, The New York Times, May 10, 2017. This is an important reality check for all of us and a reminder of the need for continuous learning and improvement, everywhere.
“How Schools Can Help Students Develop a Greater Sense of Purpose,” By Linda Flanagan, Kqed.org, May 2, 1017. I’d like to think the projects I mentioned above help accomplish this.
Please RSVP by end of day Saturday, 13th. The song for the father daughter dance competition will be “Dance like yo’ daddy” by Meghan Trainor.
We are currently looking to hire excellent candidates for the positions listed below and appreciate any referrals:
GHCDS Job Opening – Primary Grade Teacher 2017-18
Every other year fifth and sixth graders are involved in an oral history project, interviewing relatives, researching important historical events connected with their subjects’ lives, organizing all of this information into well-crafted narratives, and weaving important images from the history into poetry. This year we began the unit with a visit by local historian, Karen Thurland, who spoke to the students about the importance of oral history especially in understanding the history of the Caribbean. This Wednesday afternoon, after months of interviewing, researching, writing and revising, subjects of the oral histories were invited to a tea, when children recited their poems and gifted their family members with their work. It was a wonderful event with memories, smiles, tears and hugs…and of course delicious snacks. Thanks so very much to Ms. Sundaram and Ms. Fauquher for all their work with the students, and to parents and grandparents for being part of this important learning experience.
Kaeden Deller recites a poem about his grandfather, Dr. Deller for his oral history project.
In the second semester this year seventh graders were involved in a World Challenge project connected with the Model United Nations program. Each student chose to explore one of the following topics: Hunger, Education Inequality, Gender Inequality, Global Health, Global Environmental Challenges, and Social Media. The inquiry project encourages students to explore the local, national, and global applications of the problems, consider a wide range of perspectives in generating solutions to these complex problems, and present solutions in a meaningful way. On Thursday the seventh graders shared their work with parents and visiting fifth/sixth graders. Congratulations to Ms. Beach and her 7th graders for making the afternoon of sharing a success. Thanks to all parents who attended the afternoon.
Congratulations to Mario Capriola, Faith Snow, and Bianca Patterson who were part of the Coral Reef Research Program since March.
Congratulations to Julian Bishop, who won first place in the Congressional Art Competition, a nationwide annual art competition initiated by members of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982, that allows high school students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to showcase their artistic ability. Congratulations to Elise Stamper for winning third place.
GHCDS students at Central High School martial arts tournament: Connor Bass—2nd Grade (front left), Kara Barton—8th Grade (front center), & Arissa Etienne—8th Grade (back right).
Weekend before last, several GHCDS students attended a martial arts tournament at Central High School. Competing in kata (a sequence of pre-organized punches & kicks), all of our students placed either 1st or 3rd out of a large field of contestants.
In addition, Kara Barton (left) traveled to another tournament in Puerto Rico this past weekend and took 1st places in kumite (fighting) and kata.
Optimist, Sunfish and 420 classes taught by our Instructors and will be held at St. Croix Yacht Club for youth ages 8 to 18. Sea Squirt classes will be held for youth ages 5 to 7.
Non-members are welcome.
Our program strives to create a fun and safe environment where kids can learn and come to love the sport of sailing. We emphasize the importance of teamwork, respect, and safety in daily lessons. Our number one goal is to pass on our passion for the sport to the next generation of St. Croix Sailors.
Schedule: Mon-Fri 9:00am-3:00pm
Registration:
Please contact the SCYC office to register with credit card, or stop and pay by check.
340-773-9531
Downloadable Registration Form
Hi Panther Families,
Congratulations to our Elementary Soccer Panthers on their Championship win last Friday! Congratulations to our JV Soccer Panthers on their Championship win on Wednesday! We are hopeful that our Varsity Soccer Panthers will continue the trend, with Playoffs beginning Monday versus Central at Central.
JV softball and baseball had some weather setbacks this week. Playoffs are today (Friday) for JV baseball and softball, and we’ll be pulling for them! If they win, they’ll play again Monday for baseball, and Tuesday for JV softball, which changed from Monday to Tuesday.
The Elementary Volleyball Panthers will be rolling into Playoffs on Tuesday, as long as we make the top four. We’ll let parents and athletes know the standings and game locations on Monday evening, as our final regular season match will be Monday.
We’ve had a successful year with uniform collections, but we’ll need to collect soccer, softball, baseball and volleyball by the end of next week, as Middle and Upper School athletes can’t participate in Orange and White and Blue day until all uniforms are returned. Please wash and return as soon as your athlete’s season is complete.
Thank you, and Go Panthers!
Coach Amy
Games This Week
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: All Competitions for 2016-2017 should be finished! Hopefully weather cooperates!
Practices This Week:
italicized bold denotes matriculation
Christopher Ashley: United States Naval Academy; Rochester Institute of Technology; Lehigh University; Stevens Institute of Technology
Mario Capriola: Drew University with scholarship; Ursinus College w/ scholarship; Loyola University, New Orleans; Clark University w/scholarship; Eckerd College w/scholarship; Loyola University, Maryland w/scholarship; Adelphi University
Hailey Coates: Fordham University with scholarship;American University; Drexel University; Loyola University, Chicago, with scholarship; Ursinus College, with scholarship
Thea D’Eramo: University of Notre Dame with scholarship; Pepperdine University with the Regents Scholarship
Deandra Erysthee: New York Institute of Technology; Pace University; Barry University
J’had Ferris: University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas; Virginia Commonwealth University; Marymount Manhattan College with a Trustee’s scholarship; Florida A&M University; Temple University; Flagler College with a Presidential scholarship; University of Tampa w/scholarship; Columbia College, Chicago; Prairie View A&M University
Daniel Garriga-Cerni: Spanish Language Immersion Gap Year, Madrid, Spain; Manhattan College; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Kira Griffith: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chancellor’s Science Scholars Program; Harvard University; Yale University; Stanford University; University of Pennsylvania; Brown University; Duke University; University of Washington; Rice University; Williams College; Spelman College, Honors Program; University of Miami with the President’s Scholarship; Case Western Reserve University w/scholarship and as a Finalist to their Pre-Professional Scholars Program; Emory University, College of Arts and Sciences and Oxford College Scholar finalist
Shauni Lustig: Citizen Year Gap Program, Ecuador; Colorado State University; George Mason University; Colorado State University
Matthew Mays: Bryant University w/ Trustee Scholarship and athletic scholarship in swimming; Rider University with a Provost Scholarship and the President’s Leadership Award; George Washington University w/scholarship
Marshall McCormick: Texas Tech University; University of Houston; University of Texas, San Antonio; San Angelo State University
Sylvana Montealegre Hutchins: Drexel University w/scholarship; Savannah College of Art and Design; Columbia College, Chicago, Honors Program;
Chloe Phillips-Hayden: Gap Year, California; University of San Francisco, w/scholarship
Izhani Rosa: University of Tampa with scholarship; Florida Atlantic University; Flagler College; UVI, St. Thomas; Stetson University; Jacksonville University; Georgia Southern University; University of Central Florida
Faith Snow: United States Coast Guard Academy; University of San Diego; Stetson University; Florida Institute of Technology; Humboldt State University; Santa Clara University; Point Loma Nazarene University; Azuza Pacific University
Elise Stamper: Virginia Commonwealth University Honors College, Bio-medical Engineering Program; Carnegie Mellon University; Boston University, Honors College of Engineering; University of Maryland, College Park as a College Park Scholar; Drew University as a Baldwin Scholar w/scholarship; College of William and Mary
Aiden Stevens: Judson University with scholarship; University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Pratt Institute
Eva Taylor: Simmons College with scholarship; Drexel University w/scholarship; Loyola University, Chicago, with scholarship; Becker College w/scholarship; Sacred Heart University w/scholarship; Adelphi University; Wagner College
Jonathan Thomas: United States Air Force Academy; U.S. Military Academy, West Point; University of Utah, College of Engineering; Texas A&M, College of Engineering; Drew University w/Presidential Scholarship; Bryant University w/Archway Scholarship
Angel Tirado: Liberty University