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SCHOOL NEWS
SCHOOL NEWS SSM Online Division Completes First Year
At the end of May when the SSM Faribault campus celebrates the conclusion of its 164th school year, the SSM Online Division will celebrate their own historical milestone—the completion of their first school year. In their inaugural year, Director Matt Wolfgram and instructors Melissa Birnbaum and Jeanne Schumacher have worked with 12 students in 8th and 9th grade from all over the United States. And despite the different time zones and grade levels, which some may see as challenges, the Online Division has had a year to remember. Over the last ten months, students have explored a variety of topics through a project-based, module-driven learning model. One of their first modules was “Mark Making and Movement.” In this module, students studied Buddhism (religion) and mindfulness (wellness and visual art) in order to explore, describe, and demonstrate their own mindfulness practice (English and 21stcentury skills). Through this, students were able to answer the question of how one can develop mindfulness practice through
SSM Celebrates Global Community at International Day
On March 27, the SSM community came together to celebrate International Day, a treasured School tradition. This year, 32 countries were represented in the traditional flag ceremony, including Brazil, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, and Vietnam. Afterwards, the community dispersed to try chocolate mousse from Belgium, “fairy bread” from Australia, and a host of other delicious foods from all over the world. “International Day reminds us that we are all global citizens. It helps our students make connections and open their eyes to classmates’ backgrounds that they didn’t know before, which is why I think it is a favorite day between faculty and students alike, as the main point is to celebrate our differences and similarities,” said Director of Admissions, Andrew Garlinski ’98. 9
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THROUGH THE ARCH MAGAZINE
the study of Buddhism, physical movement, and art-making. More recently, students in the Online Division explored the question, “What is the optimal diet for an athlete and how do I create a food plan that is best for me?” To help them better understand the question at hand, students learned about the nutritional requirements of macro and micro nutrients. Each student also did a deep dive into an area of nutrition they were most interested in and created a movie presenting their findings. They even got to hear from two guest speakers who have backgrounds in the nutrition field. “The students and staff of the Online Division have much to be proud of in our inaugural year, from our arrival in August as strangers through our journey into the many complex topics we explored in our academics,” proclaimed Matt Wolfgram, Online Division Director. “What makes me proudest, though, is how we’ve brought the feel of being part of the SSM community—the support and caring—to students all over the country.” This coming school year, the Online Division will be adding 10th grade to their grade offerings as well. To learn more about this unique program, visit bit.ly/ssmonlinedivision.
Engineering COE Tours Local Facilities
In January, the Engineering Center of Excellence was able to once again partake in an activity that COVID-19 safety protocols had halted—field trips! To help them continue to explore the many areas of engineering, students toured two facilities not far from the Faribault campus. First, to learn more about product development, students visited Rockler, a local woodworking supply store, and took a class to learn about how to turns pens on a lathe by hand. A few days later, students traveled to neighboring Northfield to tour the Malt-O-Meal plant—the same facility that makes the cereal served in our dining hall! They were able to speak with many engineers to learn more about their backgrounds and duties. And even better? They got to try the Fruity Dyno Bites cereal right off the line! “The field trips that we take in the Engineering COE is what really makes our program unique,” shared program director Alex Jones. “Students have lots of opportunities to experience real engineering projects outside of the classroom. On top of this, they get to meet with many working engineers from a variety of engineering disciplines.”
