To conclude our ten year celebration of Jambalaya, the winners of the “Footsteps in the Fog” contest, sponsored by the magazine, read their works at Village School on Sunday. They were presented with prizes and cake. Congratulations winners!
Click on the picture above to see more photos from the reading.
Here’s a hearty multas gratias to all the students and their families who made this year’s Cena a success! The girls, decked in purple, gold, and ivy, looked absolutely fabulous in their stolas, togas, and sandals. Some even recreated Roman hairstyles from over 2,000 years ago! After parading in, the students enjoyed a remarkable spread of Roman cuisine. In addition to standards like bread, cheese, and fresh fruit, our feast included almond stuffed dates, Roman cheesebread, marinated “ostrich,” pine-nut burgers, saffron chickpeas, minted melon, and even a few Greek specialities. For entertainment, the fifth and sixth grade classes performed Latin songs. Then our fantastic emcees from the eighth grade, Hope Atkins and Jayme Kusyk, dramatically introduced the awards for best Roman food and costumes. (A special thanks to our gracious costume judges and especially the food judges, who did much additional work!) The event concluded with the awards ceremony for the National Latin Exam.
Click on the top picture to see photos from Cena and click on the bottom picture to watch the girls singing songs in Latin.
From the pictures of the 6th grade field trip to Gettysburg, it is there for all to see that learning and play can comfortably accommodate one another. From Pickett’s Charge to Pickett’s Buffet and from Little Round Top to go-cart racing, the girls (and moms) are at full throttle. By the way, there was also swimming and the most amazingly knowledgeable battlefield guide, Joanne Lewis. All in all, a great time was had by all! (Don’t miss the moms racing around in the go-carts!!!!)
Click on the picture above to see photos from the 6th graders’ trip to Gettysburg.
Ms. Duncan, the Village School Latin teacher, took seven of our girls along with one parent to Rome over Spring break. Here’s her report:
Our trip to Italy this spring break was quite an adventure! After we touched down in Rome, we walked to a few sights around the Pantheon and in the Piazza Navona, featuring the enormous and beautiful Fountain of the Four Rivers of Bernini. We spent the next day in a walking tour of other sights: the monument to Vittorio Emmanuele, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, and Roman Forum. On our fourth day, we visited the Appian Way, then the Vatican Museums to see the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. After that, we sped up to Florence for a glorious day by the Arno, paying our respects to Michelangelo and Brunelleschi. Our last day in Rome, we toured the ruins of Ostia Antiqua and then enjoyed la dolce vita in Rome with some free time. Finally, we took off for the ancient city of Pompeii with its famous ruins, Sorrento with its fantastic vistas, and the island of Capri, a resort since the Roman emperors. All in all, a pretty grand tour!
Click on the picture above to look at pictures from the trip to Rome.
Steven Edenbo, a Thomas Jefferson reenactor, visited Village School on Thursday. “Mr Jefferson” was both entertaining, and thought-provoking. Important issues such as the role of the presidency, women’s rights, and slavery were all presented through Jefferson’s perspective. Mr. Edenbo portrayed how Jefferson’s wisdom was vast in its scope, yet it was still limited by his historical milieu.
Click on the top picture to watch a video of some of Thomas Jefferson’s visit and the bottom picture to look at photos from it.
On March 25, the Village School finally took its weather-postponed field trip to the Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. The girls toured the museum, saw various aircraft from throughout the history of flight, and saw a trainer space shuttle. They also watched the IMAX film, To Fly.
Click on the top picture to see video highlights from the trip and the bottom picture to see photos.
The US mint changed the composition of pennies in 1982. Newer pennies are composed of a zinc core surrounded by a thin layer of copper. Older pennies are pure copper. The girls investigated the difference in the density of pennies pre- and post- 1982.
Click on the picture above to watch a video of the 5th graders performing their experiment.
At long last, the 8th grade’s bridge is completed! We worked two weekends in a row, first to prefabricate the many components of our design and then to assemble them on the Rivanna Trail. The girls got a lot of practice with drills and other hand tools, post hole diggers and shovels, precise measurement, drawing lines squarely across a board, and (especially) with nailing. On installation day, we had absolutely perfect weather and a huge turnout of moms, dads, students, and canines (well one HUGE canine). Work began in the early morning and was completed by lunch time. Many, many thanks are due–to each parent who lent a hand with construction or drove their daughter out to the barn or to the trail in the midst of a busy weekend. And, in particular, thank you to the 8th grade class, who can sit back and relish a job done well and joyously! Many hands make light work.
Click on the picture above to watch a video of bridge construction and installation.
The 6th grade science class explored the relationship between the length of time it takes a planet to go around the sun and its distance from the sun.
Click on the picture above to watch the 6th graders performing their experiment.
In celebration of Pi Day (March 14), the girls learned about the history of pi, read pi stories, sang pi music, experimented with different ways of calculating pi, made pi jewelry, and completed pi puzzles. The highlight of the day was the Pi Recitation Contest where the winner memorized and recited 62 digits of pi! The activities ended with the ceremonial eating of pie.
Click on the top picture above to see more photos from Pi Day. Click on the bottom picture above to see the pi recitation.