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Montclair Kimberley Academy has been selected as one of only three collaborative institutions in the U.S. for the program, “Meeting the Terra-Cotta Army, Understanding Qin Culture,” conducted by the Xidian University, Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, and the Smithsonian National Museum. This is an incredible honor for our MKA Chinese
Established in 2020 to honor the life of former Trustee and MKA Parent, Philip McNeal, the Philip McNeal Leadership Program seeks to deepen the conversation on the topic of ethical leadership and help MKA students identify their own unique leadership style in order to best prepare for college and the world beyond. In September, student leaders met virtually and participated in the first of what will be an annual Student Leadership Retreat. Participants were welcomed to the evening session by Tri-Campus Chair of Integrated Ethics and Upper School Dean of Student Life Kerry Verrone who asked participants “to reimagine what’s possible when it comes to student life at MKA.” She continued, “This program will allow us to reconnect throughout the year, as well as bring programming to a broader audience to think about who we are as a school, our values, and what it means to be a ‘good’ leader.” After hearing from keynote speaker Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code, students attended 30 minute workshops each hosted by Tristan Love, Director of Learning and Engagement with Project Wayfinder, Seema Pothini, Lead Equity Specialist at Equity Literacy Institute, and Kobi Yamada, bestselling author. The evening was an incredible opportunity to bring four impactful leaders, thinkers, educators, and social justice warriors together with students to share their stories, perspectives, and the lessons they’ve learned.
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Program, the Upper School World Language Department, and our students in Chinese. Our students in Chinese will work together with peers from the Sidwell Friends School and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to participate in a series of 35-minute synchronous online lectures given by native Chinese teachers and five virtual field trips led by bilingual museum educators. Students will join in virtual field trips to Emperor Qinshihuang’s Terra-cotta Army Museum, the Museum of Bronze Chariots and Horses, the Shaanxi History Museum, and the Ancient City Wall in Xi’an. In addition, four recorded webinar lectures will be devoted to disseminating information about up-to-date research in archeology and conservation in the museums to deepen students’ engagement with ancient Chinese history and tradition. Students will also use the Smithsonian Learning Lab to explore the digital Terra-Cotta collections and understand the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history. As a partner school, MKA students will have the opportunity to access the classes and webinars for free. The MKA Chinese teachers, Dr. River He, Ms. Fangzhou Zhang, and Ms. Tingting Chen, will help our students to fulfill the requirements for obtaining the certificate of completion as a celebration of their learning of Chinese. The program committee will present scholarships to four students who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the program and enthusiastic dedication to the language and culture, with a certificate of achievement and a $500 prize for each recipient. Participation in this program will provide MKA students with a unique opportunity to develop what they have learned about Chinese language and culture while also enhancing their interdisciplinary research skills in language, sociology, social studies, and history topics.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Middle School students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of unique activities during Monday Assembly. 4th grade students learned about Frida Kahlo and created their own paintings. 5th grade students learned how to make baleadas, a Honduras street dish over Google Meet. 6th grade students learned how to dance salsa, and 7th and 8th grade students watched the movie McFarland USA.
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