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Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
November 2009
CHA’s New Upper School Head Jeffrey Ng ’12 While Mr. Highley Thompson eagerly awaited coming to CHA after he accepted the job as new head of Upper School in February, Upper School students had neither heard of Mr. Thompson’s name nor knew that a replacement for Dr. Fles, the former head of Upper School, had been selected. Although the question, “Who is the new head of Upper School,” was answered by Mr. Thompson himself at the start of the new school year on September 8th, students and
teachers alike at CHA would like to find out more about our new head of Upper School. With his 16 years of experience in education, he is undeniably well qualified and will be a great asset to both the Upper School and to the greater CHA community. Mr. Thompson became interested in education after teaching at summer camps at the age of 16. While attending Princeton University as an English major, he took a wide array of courses, including Latin and history, still thinking that education among other subjects “could be in
my future.” Education did become Mr. Thompson’s future. He has gained extensive experience as a middle school teacher, as a high school teacher, as an academic dean, and, most recently, as a head of upper school at his former school for five years. By seeing a “school in so many different ways,” as Mr. Thompson remarked about his previous experiences, he will unquestionably be able to adapt to as well as bring new ideas to CHA. Rounding out his impressive achievements, Mr. Thompson has also earned a master’s degree in See New Upper School Head, Page 2
New Athletic Director at CHA
Anderson Good ’11
CHA has a new face at the head of its athletic department, and his name is Mike DelGrande. Mr. DelGrande comes to us from the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, where he held the same position he holds here at CHA for 22 years. When asked why he made the change, Mr. DelGrande said that he needed “a new challenge,” Highley Thompson, Head of Upper School
See New Athletic Director, Page 3
In this issue: CHA Cross Country, Debate about the schedule, One-to-One Laptop Program, First-time Football Inter-Ac Champions.
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education from the University of Virginia. With so much success at his former school, why did Mr. Thompson choose to leave? With a hunger “to seek out a new challenge,” Mr. Thompson desired a new experience that Chestnut Hill Academy was able to fulfill with its single-sex education complemented by its coordinate program with Springside School. (Mr. Thompson’s previous school was co-ed.) Mr. Thompson was impressed by his discussion with students during the interview process where he thought “the boys that I met and I could establish a good relationship”—a crucial part to being an effective administrator. Mr. Thompson was equally impressed with how much the students “are proud of their school.” Mr. Thompson expressed his opinions about the changes occurring in the school this year, including the introduction of more technology, developments in the CHASS community, the Code of Honor, and the new schedule. After having completed the first seven-day cycle of the new schedule, his appraisal so far was that it “seems to be working well.” Unbeknownst to many, Mr. Thompson has had experience with this type of schedule at his previous school and as a result is used to this flow. Although some students and teachers have had complaints about the schedule, he thinks that “everyone will see the benefits,” and he will be vigilantly monitoring the schedule to ensure it meets its goals. Integrating technology into schools and into the classroom
is not foreign to Mr. Thompson either. As someone who has always “liked technology” and liked “learning about the new gadgets,” he is excited about getting new equipment like laptops. Despite his enthusiasm for the recent technology initiatives, he stressed the idea that technology should merely be used to enhance education and not act as a substitute for good teaching. In rolling out the Oneto-One Laptop Program this year, he emphasized the responsibility of students and teachers to use the laptops appropriately. The transition to Gmail and the ability of students and teachers to use Google’s applications such as Google Documents has also been at the forefront of the changes in technology this year. Mr. Thompson highlighted the ease with which information can be accessed in programs like Google Calendar, which he had experience with before, and the collaboration possibilities which now exist as a result of the change. Finally, Mr. Thompson expressed his understanding of some teachers’ reluctance to use technology, highlighting his belief that “teaching is the number one priority,” regardless of technology’s presence in school. Mr. Thompson also discussed the importance of CHASS, the collaboration between CHA and Springside School. His commitment to this partnership was evident on the first day where a joint activity was held between our two schools to increase the community bond between us. In an interview, he acknowledged the fact that although each of the
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schools could do great separately, together they could likely achieve more and he hopes for more events that will strengthen the partnership between our schools. This has to be done while maintaining the “commitment to single-sex education” and while fostering the idea of “The Best of Both Worlds” that is emphasized on the varied communications that the school distributes. Finally, the Code of Honor is another major change that has taken place this year. Mr. Thompson talked about how he felt the school was “on the cusp of making it more than just a picture on the wall.” He believes that more needs to be done, however, to have the students “believe in it.” He expressed his hope that the Code of Honor would be instilled into the daily lives of the students and that it would develop their character, that it would be something to live by and not just something to talk about. In addition to promoting the Code of Honor, Mr. Thompson is looking to foster a closer-knit environment where class or personal advisors “work to build community.” Although Mr. Thompson didn’t quite know what to expect when moving into his new house, he has settled down happily with his family and is getting to know the region more every day. His first days here were less than welcoming as the Wissahickon Creek overflowed and flooded his house during his first week here, but amidst a busy schedule full of meetings throughout the campus, Mr. Thompson remarked that he feels “really lucky to be here.”
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and that he and his family were “ready for change.” Mr. DelGrande arrived at CHA early in the summer, putting in a lot of time then to get ready for the upcoming year and to make his transition that much easier. This transition, said Mr. Delgrande, was “great” and our community was “very hospitable” to him and his family. When Mr. DelGrande chose CHA, he knew he was coming to
a school with a “great tradition and a very strong overall athletic program.” Still, he recalled, he was quite impressed by the dedication and work ethic of the athletes in the off-season. He said that he saw “students all over the weight room during the summer working hard” and “getting ready for the year.” When asked about what he plans to change in the immediate future, Mr. Delgrande responded that he had no, “drastic changes” planned
Michael DelGrande, Director of Athletics
November 2009
for this year. He wants to “ease into the first year” and just observe what needs to be dealt with. But in the long run, Mr. DelGrande would like to see renovations to our locker room and wrestling room facilities and further development of our lacrosse and ice hockey programs, our youngest sports programs. Also, Mr. Delgrande mentioned the possibility of the school getting a turf playing field in the near future. A turf field would eliminate scheduling problems due to inclement weather. For the long run, Mr. DelGrande has some high goals for CHA athletics. He would like to win the “Inter-Ac title,” meaning that he would like CHA to be the school with the most Inter-Ac titles over the span of a school year. Also, Mr. DelGrande has in mind an intramural program for Lower School students so that CHA can begin developing talent at an early age. With such an experienced man as Mr. DelGrande as the new head of athletics, we can all be confident that our sports teams are in good hands and that our athletic program has a bright future.
The One-to-One Laptop Program Griffin Horter ’11 In the past few years CHA has made great efforts to make our school one of the most technological in the area. However, the new computer policy of CHA, which gives sophomores new Mac laptops, puts the current 11th and 12th graders at a disadvantage. Between the library and resource room there are 18 desktops and
14 laptops, at least when they are all operational. These 14 laptops are not only used in the resource room and library, but are also used in study halls and individual classrooms. When a student uses a laptop he must leave his lanyard as collateral. This policy is extremely confusing to a student body that has been told that these lanyards are for our safety. If a student were to take out a laptop to use in study
hall then he would be roaming the halls without his lanyard, behavior which could lead to an extremely unsafe school environment. These computers will not be replaced before the class of 2010 or the class of 2011 graduate. This means that my class must use these antiquated computers for the last two years of our high school careers. The Dell laptops arrived See Laptop Program, Page 4
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The One-to-One Laptop Program day for the past five years. at CHA in 2004, which will make CHA is pushing incredibly them six years old and far beyond hard for integration of technology their life expectancy by the time into the curriculum. This has my class enters its resulted in our daily senior year. Many homework being I do not feel of these laptops are on Moodle that my class is posted missing keys or have as opposed to being batteries that don’t provided with the told to us in class. hold a charge. These If students use their necessary tools problems will not be free periods to do fixed because there homework, which to succeed. is no money placed many do, they will aside in the budget. Instead, the spend nearly five minutes (about money that could have been used 10% of the period) logging onto to fix these laptops was used to buy the computer, then logging onto the new Macs. These laptops are in Moodle, which may or may not be such bad shape because they have working at that moment, and then been used, sometimes without great logging off. Another complaint care, by numerous students every about Moodle is that most of Laptop Program, From Page 3
the documents posted on it are “docx.” as opposed to the usual “doc.” format that we are all used to. This results in students being unable to open their homework or assignment sheets. In light of CHA’s increased integration of technology into the curriculum, I do not feel that my class is provided with the necessary tools to succeed. I am envious of the sophomores for the laptops that they have been provided with. But more than that, I am envious that they have been given the technology needed to succeed and to make the most of their education.
Shades of Blue: Views on the New Schedule Seven-day Rotation Improves School Life Richard Bilger ’11 The new schedule at CHASS is a positive change. It provides solutions to most of the problems with the old schedule. With the new seven-day rotating schedule, the same classes, typically last period Tuesdays and Thursdays, are not missed time after time. The new seven-day system also balances the days where school isn’t in session on Monday or Fridays. The rotating schedule also brings a reduced homework load by having each class meet only five out of seven times per cycle. Activities are now more organized and
no longer shortened by sports dismissals. Special assemblies and presentations are no longer a huge hassle to students and faculty alike. Students are now guaranteed a break and a lunch every day. In addition, students have more time to take tests or complete science labs due to the extended-block days. Perhaps the most significant change to the schedule was the switch from the old A and B week system to a seven-day rotation schedule. This change has resolved some major issues to students and faculty alike. One of the main problems with the old schedule was See Positive Change, Page 5
The New Schedule: A Change for the Worse Iain Kuo ’11 The new schedule implemented this year at Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School constitutes changes that are detrimental to both students and faculty. Everyone in the community now has to attempt to keep track of a confusing seven-day rotation as well as deal with, on a daily basis, class periods that are too long. We are all feeling the effects already— teachers schedule tests and various other graded assignments for days in which their class does not meet, and some students have trouble See Negative Change, Page 5
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Seven-day Rotation Improves School Life Positive Change, From Page 4
its constant conflicts with sports dismissals and holidays. With sports dismissals occurring most often on Tuesdays and Thursdays, athletes consistently missed the same last-period classes. Now that the schedule is on a seven-day rotation, the day of the week no longer corresponds with the day in the schedule. Another issue with the old schedule was that with all the holidays that resulted in no school on Monday and Friday, the same set of classes was a step behind the other. With the seven-day rotation, these days off from school are balanced. The new schedule also mandates that each class meet only five out of seven days per cycle. This is a blessing to students as it reduces the homework load by about twosevenths. In addition to reforming class-sport conflicts, the new schedule also resolves activity and assembly problems. Special presentations and student activities used to be a scheduling nightmare. Student activities and special presentations by the school used
to take place after school, to the inconvenience of many students. Athletes would sometimes miss these presentations due to early sports dismissals, and conflicts between sports and activities hindered productivity greatly. These meetings were also an inconvenience to students who chose not to take a sport for a season; students and parents would have to wait for one another, and students taking the train or bus would be forced to wait around for hours or miss an assembly. With the new schedule, special presentations can now be held during what’s called “Flex”—a 55-minute block allotted to unique events once every cycle. Each activity also meets twice every cycle for 40 minutes at a time. The new schedule also brings with it a few other minor modifications that positively affect life at CHASS. Student life is more convenient with the new schedule. Previously, many students went through most the day without a break, and some students were left without time to eat on some days. Students now have a brief
daily break during which they can meet with teachers, do homework, relax, or grab something to eat. Another irritating problem with the old schedule was the fact that classes were only 40 minutes long. This made tests particularly troublesome for students, who had to hurry to finish, and faculty, who had to shorten tests to make them a realistic length. With the new schedule, each period is either 55 or 80 minutes long, allowing ample time for tests. The 80-minute blocks in particular are rather useful for labs which often need to be completed in one sitting. The new schedule resolves many of the inconveniences of the old one and drastically improves school life. With fewer conflicts among sports, classes, assemblies, and activities, a guaranteed lunch and break, ample time to take tests, and reduced homework, student life is much less stressful. Thus, the new schedule at CHASS is most certainly a positive change.
The New Schedule: A Change for the Worse Negative Change, From Page 4
remembering which day is which. While this new schedule has some benefits, the results of these problems and others are not at all helpful to our school community. The dominant change in the schedule, the use of a seven-day rotation (meaning that there are days one to seven, even though the
school week is only five days long), is perhaps the most challenging and impractical revision of our daily life at school. Especially when there are days of the week in which school is not in session, such as holidays or in-service days, not knowing whether it is day one or day two really becomes a problem. With our previous schedule, the
one we have so easily discarded this year, anyone could know when they were supposed to be where simply by knowing which day of the week it was. For example, every “Tuesday B week” you were always going to attend the same classes at the same times. This year, however, knowing that it is See Negative Change, Page 6
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Tuesday is in no way helpful to anybody, since Tuesday is almost always a different “day” in the schedule rotation. It even, in fact, can be harmful to know that it is Monday or Tuesday, since Monday, naturally, is commonly associated with day one, and Tuesday with day two, etc., and in turn the student ends up thinking it is the wrong day. When the perplexing sevenday rotation is combined with the fact that a student does not attend each class he is enrolled in every day (most classes meet only five out of seven days of the cycle), chaos abounds. This is the reason for which teachers have begun to assign homework or schedule tests and other assignments on days in which their class is not meeting; if they want to schedule something for say, a week later, or two weeks later, they then have to figure out which day of that week is which, and whether or not they have their class that day. Teachers are then forced to reschedule, sometimes multiple times, which confuses students and creates conflict with other tests or events already scheduled for that day. This can also result in students not knowing what homework they need or want to do if they do not know which classes they have the next day. In addition, classes are now longer than ever before, requiring teachers and students to focus for a longer period of time than they’ve been asked to in previous years. Before, with the old schedule, classes ran for a maximum of 40 minutes. This year, all classes run for at least 55 minutes and some
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run for an hour and 20 minutes, last year students simply attended which is twice the length of a class their activities on specific days in previous years. This makes it after school. This new problem is hard for teachers to prepare enough that students who used to attend material for a very long class, as two activities of their liking now well as for students to maintain sometimes cannot attend these two their focus for so long. This is activities if they reside in the same quite a revolutionary change, and activity period. For example, if certainly one which is not at all both of a student’s chosen activities necessarily beneficial. It is even are in activity period one, he cannot less viable for conducive learning attend both any more. the other way Finally, with the When the perplexing around, which new schedule comes seven-day rotation is is when students the implementation of a do not have a combined with the fact no passing-time policy. class. Periods of that a student does not This means that there unscheduled time attend each class he is is no time between are now longer, classes for students enrolled in every day, too, and spending to travel from class to chaos abounds. two periods of class. Students end up 55 minutes or late to classes because even an hour and 20 minutes of of this, especially when they have unscheduled time in one day is to walk all the way between CHA a very lengthy span outside the and Springside but have no time to classroom. do so. CHASS has also decided to In stark contrast to eliminate all bells marking the end everything else, the only period and beginning of periods, and as a which students attend regularly result some classes have run long but is not 55 minutes or even 40 overdue before anyone, teacher minutes long is lunch. Because or students, noticed that class was the two activity blocks, the times over, meaning they missed part of set aside for students to attend their other class, slowing everyone their elective activities, have been down. Yes, the changes that this jammed in right after the lunch new school routine brings are block in the new schedule, they having an effect, but not in a way now take away very significant in which we would all like. The amounts of lunch time. Especially new schedule at CHASS does not for students with two activities seem a positive change. to attend, this makes lunch quite short, being as little as 15 minutes on some days—less than the standard “break” period everyone now has for 25 minutes earlier in the day. This new method for activities causes another problem as well just by virtue of being a period during the day, whereas
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CHA Cross-Country: X-Men 2009 Michael Fuery ’11 The CHA Varsity CrossCountry team approached the 2009 season with high hopes as it attempted to secure both the elusive Inter-Ac individual title and the team championship. As the second place finisher at last year’s League Championship, sophomore sensation Dustin Wilson ’12 was the clear favorite to win the title this year. But what about the overall team championship, which the harriers have never been able to win in the history of the program? At the start of the season, Coach Paul Hines explained that “In order to win [the championship] this year, our top three runners (Dustin Wilson ’12, Mike Fuery ’11, and Dylan Ward ’10) will have to place in the top 10. After that, our fourth man (Ryan Ansel ’10) and fifth man (Greg Baird ’12) will need to have strong races as well. Our sixth and seventh positions are anyone’s game right now. This might be the year. It will be our best team since 1993, when we placed second at leagues.” The sixth and seventh positions were eventually filled by Johnny Haas ’12 and Tate Sager ’11. The X-Men faced stiff competition from six-time defending league champion Malvern Prep and emerging force Episcopal Academy. Despite losing four of its top seven runners to graduation, Malvern remained the favorite for the league title because of its abundance of young runners who participated in the
At the League Championships held on CHA’s home course on October 19th, the team placed fifth out of six teams with individual winner Dustin Wilson ’12.
Junior Varsity race last year. Episcopal, a virtual unknown in cross-country in previous years, burst onto the league radar last year with a third place finish at the League Championships. This year’s cross-country team was depleted by injuries and illness, as at some point in the season the team’s second, third, and fourth runners (Mike Fuery ’11, Dylan Ward ’10, and Ryan Ansel ’10) missed crucial training time. At the League Championships held on CHA’s home course on October 19th, the team placed fifth out of six teams with individual winner Dustin Wilson ’12. But the accomplishments of this year’s team may go well beyond the Inter-Ac League Championship and Independent Schools State Championship. At a post-season meet, Coach Hines hopes for Dustin Wilson ’12 to
improve upon his performance at the 2008 Footlocker Northeast Regional, where he placed 71st as a freshman in a field of over 200 juniors and seniors. If Wilson places in the top 10 at this year’s meet, he will earn a berth in the Footlocker Nationals held in San Diego, California. In addition, runners from the team will continue to participate in Indoor Track, an important part of the running year because it is the only time in which Inter-Ac teams can compete against PIAA schools. The cross-country team hopes to supply runners for a Distance Medley Relay, which seeks to qualify for the Indoor State Championships. The change to winter also brings Ibraheim Campbell ’10 off the football fields and onto the track, an integral component of this year’s team.
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Football Inter-Ac Champs 2009!! Editors
Dan DiIulio Richard Bilger
Staff
Richard Bilger Michael Fuery Anderson Good Griffin Horter Iain Kuo Jeffrey Ng
Advisors
Mr. W. Wesley Winant Mrs. Deidra Lyngard