Hoop Happenings

Hoop Happenings

This week the Upper School Girls Varsity Basketball Team triumphed in the playoffs and will compete for the PCSAA Championship Sunday, February 26, against Friendship Collegiate. The game will be played at Trinity Washington University at 12 NOON. Trinity is located at 125 Michigan Avenue NE. Admission will be $5 at the door. Make sure to join the Lady Lion hoopsters at Trinity this weekend to roar them on.

 

 

Open Mic in the Middle School

Open Mic in the Middle School

Middle schoolers put on their first after school coffee house, with a cappella singing, poetry, rapid-fire comedy, and dance routines on Thursday. The well-attended event in the MPR was organized by sixth grade English teacher Ms. Bloomfield and special education teachers Ms. Lee-Bey and Ms. Whitfield. Students took part in the planning, made food, and also helped with clean-up. This was our first ever middle school open-mike event, following in the footsteps of the popular semiannual “Hook” arts afternoons in which the high school students perform.

History Time Capsule

History Time Capsule

Ninth graders in Mr. Vanterpool’s English class visited the Decatur Carriage House on Tuesday as part of the “African Americans in the White House Neighborhood Program.” Students are researching the role of African Americans in Washington, D.C. history including Duke Ellington, Paul Jennings, and Charlotte Dupuy. They looked at the slave quarters and did poster boards in which kids explored different important African American figures from the time period. The David M. Rubinstein National Center for White House History is housed at the Decatur House, including historical documents, old photos, and other items preserved from our city’s history.

Some Assembly Required

Some Assembly Required

Students in the middle school met for our quarterly assembly to reflect on a value that binds the school together. For this month’s assembly, students and teachers alike touched on the notion of diversity. Director of Special Education Ms. Roberts spoke about all of the important attributes that makes each individual unique and the choir sang “On My Way to Jordan” by Jay Althouse. Sixth grader Julisa Carcamo-Rodas reflected on how much she enjoys being part of a community where everyone is different, and seventh grader Henry Cohen spoke about how an individual can change the world, and gave an example of a petition for social justice and respect he recently started. Eighth graders recited famous speeches that they had learned in history class. Caleb Cage recited the words of Robert E. Lee after losing the Civil War, and Lydia Moore recited the words of Frederick Douglas about the irony of Independence Day. Teachers named students who had played an important part in making their classrooms a welcoming environment. Fifth graders Alex Weeden and Lena Scott earned merits for their hard work. Sixth graders Henry Batkin and Meerabela Kempf earned merits for their support of their peers and their enthusiasm for learning. In the seventh grade, Camsey Noonan and Henry Cohen earned awards for their commitment to support the community, and eighth graders Griffin Smith and Rebekka Stewart were awarded merits for their kindness and their respect. Mr. Anderson closed the assembly by reflecting on the difference between mere diversity and inclusion. At Washington Latin, he noted that we strive towards the latter by focusing not just on representing different neighborhoods in D.C. but also on taking the time to teach children to engage with one another in a thoughtful and respectful way.

The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method

Upper school and middle school students showcased their scientific experiments at our annual science fairs this month. Ninth graders in Mr. Torrence and Mr. Alpert’s physics classes experimented on everything from food additives to composting. Freshman Owen Fox-Whelpton won first prize for his study of toxic metals in artificial turf runoff. Joseph Claire earned second prize for his evaluation of characteristics of water in rain barrels. Benjamin Weinberger and Harry Hirsch earned third prize for their evaluation of field strength of solenoids.

In the middle school fair earlier in the month, fifth grader Nyk Lewis earned first place for an evaluation of “The Power of Fruit.” Ken Cawley, Ella Hankins & Charlotte Lin earned second place for the “The Electric Fruit Project”, Harry Megeath and Ben Yarkin earned third place for “In the Air”, and Anthony Diallo and Kiran Mampara won fourth place for an evaluation of the impact of turf pellets on plant life. Ethan Black tied for fourth place with his evaluation of battery longevity and Lauren Boyer won fifth place for testing how wildlife responded to various kinds of nuts. In the sixth grade, Owen Doherty won first place for a study of Decomposition, Adelaide Pfeuffer won second place for her evaluation of optical illusions, and Meerabela Kempf earned third place in her study of “Salty Ice.” Isabelle Charles and Camila Storm nabbed fourth place for a study of hydrophobic oils and water, and Liam Murphy’s evaluation of bridge angles tied for fifth place with Charlie Fox-Whelpton’s comparison of music and charitable donations.