NFA World

by Geoff Serra

 

Each week science teacher Seth Yarish’s Coastal Studies class of 21 uppers and seniors test the water in Norwich Harbor at America’s Warf. The monitoring of dissolved oxygen is part of a program supported in part by Pfizer and Norwich Public Utilities. By creating an ongoing database of water quality, students learn their connection to their environment, particularly the watershed. The class also participates in a Long Island Plate Fund program studying near shore fish populations in the Sound.

 

The Silver Jubilee for the Class of 1939 - 1948 was held 3:30 - 8 p.m., May 17, in the cafeteria. In its 14^th year, the celebration is for alumni who graduated 60 or more years ago. Guests this year traveled from as far away as California and Florida to attend the reunion to reunite with classmates. Over 240 alumni and guests attended a social hour, followed by dinner, a program, door prize drawings, and dancing to music of the 40's performed by RagTime Too!

 

Funded by the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the American Council for International Education, is sponsoring six-week summer intensive language institutes for American teachers to enhance skills, to explore literary, linguistic, and cultural topics, to foster mutual understanding. The highly competitive program will take teachers to Egypt (Arabic), China (Chinese), and Russia (Russian). A total of 25 finalists were selected from 17 states. Among them is Barbara Ling-Yee Chan who has just accepted a position in NFA’s World Language Department to teach Mandarin Chinese. Chan hails from the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut in New London.

 

Advanced Placement examinations continue on campus this week. Students sit for the three-hour examinations to earn college credit; in total 166 NFA students signed up to take 268 examinations in 23 different areas. NFA offers advanced placement courses in 21 different subjects.

 

Connecticut’s BioBus will be bringing the excitement of bioscience research to NFA on May 19 –20, 2008. Science teachers Jason Croteau and Matthew Jacobs will join the BioBus staff to lead students in two experiments from the BioBus Educational Programs’ award-winning curriculum. Mr. Croteau’s DNA and Biotechnology class will investigate genetically modified foods. Mr. Jacob’s Forensics classes through an activity called the “Mystery of the Crooked Cell,” will examine sickle cell anemia and discuss ethics, heredity, and human health.

 

Outfitted with the latest in bioscience equipment and state-of-the-art computers, Connecticut’s BioBus is a 40-foot-long mobile science learning center designed to foster the excitement of scientific discovery. “The BioBus is a key tool to get students excited and energized about potential careers in science,” said Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell last July in announcing state support for the BioBus Educational Programs.

 

As the end of the school year approaches, organizations on campus focus upon student leadership training for the upcoming school year. The Student Activity Board held its annual end of the year conference on May 2^nd. History teacher Lorraine Dooley, English teacher Amy Rygielski, and science teacher Heather Botelle led group discussions with about 35 students about school improvement with particular focus upon ways to make NFA’s environment more “green.” Guest speaker Dave Gumbart, Assistant Director of Land Acquisition for the Nature Conservancy talked was about ways that students can be leaders within their own communities. He told students two important principles of a good leader: The first is you are never too old to learn something new, and the second is that it is important every day to do at least one thing for yourself.

 

Boys and Girls State is a leadership program for 11^th graders considering a career in politics, government, or law. Sponsored by the American Legion, each year students throughout the state are chosen by local posts to participate in a week long program held at Eastern Connecticut State University in June to study the operations of local and state government. This year the American Legion Peter Gallan Post 104 in Taftville will sponsor four NFA student representatives to the selective program: Brian Desilva, Kai-Leigh Urian, Jack Carenza, and Samantha Yeitz.

NFA’s music program also provides leadership training for the Marching Band. Leaders of the Marching Band meet weekly about effective leadership skills and help plan for next year's band. Current leaders often assist the following year’s leaders. Next year's Drum Major, current upper Nick Smolenski, with the guidance of Music Director, Dan McDonald, has done much this year’s planning, teaching, and execution of the leadership program.

 

Wildcat congratulations to the NFA Jazz Band, who competed against fourteen other schools in “Jazz On the Sound,” May 2 at Waterford High School. The ensemble was awarded “Outstanding Performance,” and “Outstanding Performer” Awards went to senior Zach Schmidt on alto saxophone, upper Miles Aron on guitar, and Zackary Kuzel on trumpet.

 

Also participating were seniors Lynn Beatty, Ashley Deveny, Kyle Guertin, Spencer Latour, and Daniel Mitchell: uppers Charles Ladd, Nicholas Smolenski, Chazwick Cleckley and Deborah Mazarella; and lowers, Gage Brown, John Egbert, John Gribbin, Mike Jones, Fredy Petit-Homme, and Anne Wojtcuk.

 

The NFA Concert Band performed at the inaugural Connecticut Music Educators All State Concert Band Festival on May 16. The festival was not competition but adjudication, and students were performed before of Connecticut's premiere college and university conductors. About a dozen high schools from around Connecticut also participated.

 

Consider the truth of Napoleon Bonaparte’s words: “A leader is a dealer in hope.”

 

See you next week in NFA World….until then direct your comments or questions to serrag@norwichfreeacademy.com.