Having lived in tropical climates most of my adult life I do not feel qualified to comment on winter—however severe or mild—but when the temperature hit 60 degrees on February 1st there was no denying the unusual features of our current season. This winter has been a disappointment to our skiers and other lovers of snow, and certainly it has been a remarkable contrast to the last few years of blizzards and “snow days.” I don’t want to jinx us in any way, but I must say that this mildness has contributed greatly to my peace of mind. The weather is something I would prefer not to worry about.
We continue to find different ways to introduce technology in the classroom. We have a science teacher who is using the reverse classroom to provide students with You Tube videos on various topics and then uses his classroom time to answer questions and work one-on-one with students. I, along with others, have introduced Google as a tool for managing class writing. Students can submit work through Google documents, teachers can comment, and essays can be shared for feedback. Teachers can also work in real time with students before and after class.
Rehearsals for our spring musical,You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,are in full swing. Every other year we alternate a play with a musical so that in the course of four years as an upper school student, each individual will have an opportunity to perform in two musicals and two plays. Performances are scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd at 8:00pm.
Winter is hockey, squash and basketball time, and all of our teams are in the middle of busy, competitive seasons. The schedule of games is posted on our website. Our girls’ basketball program has received a lot of extra publicity this year, and at this writing they have only lost one game. They are poised for a deep run into the playoffs. The girls are defending league champions and hope to go further this year in state play. Maybe the girls received an extra inspirational boost this year from Shaq’s visit.
Happy Ground Hog Day, Presidents’ Day…and that means spring is just around the corner!
Harry Grzelewski
Division Head, Upper School
To contact the Upper School, please call Susan Simon at 516-750-3204