Fourteen middle school students took part in Battle of the Books, a DCPS librarian initiative. The event took place in the Sumner School museum on Wednesday, April 5th. The students read 8 books and competed in panels of 4 students against teams from other schools. This year there were 11 teams. They are asked, in which book, does a certain event take place. Our teams of 5th and 6th graders were competing against teams of 7th and 8th graders.
Mr. Dumas’ history class went on a trip this week to the African American Civil War Museum. Students discussed Washington, D.C.’s role as a place for freemen and former slaves. Students have already viewed the Civil war movie Glory, which showcased the impact of the 54th Mass. Regiment, the first exclusively African-American regiment. The museum provided additional information about the role of African Americans in the civil war including letters, artifacts, mementos, and historical information from he time period.
The Jazz Band traveled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this week. Students listened to CMU’s jazz band play, and watched the traveling show of Stomp, and visited the University of Pittsburgh. They also worked with a music teacher from a Pittsburgh high school. The Jazz Band includes senior Theodore Ammon, Sophie Collier, Aaron Figueroa, Allegra Hatem, Carmaya Humble, and Ned Yarsky, juniors Harris Marks, Sophie Healy, Baily Pinckney, and Mitch Shapiro, sophomore Adrien Gomez, and freshmen Ethan Gadson, Madeleine Katz, Miles Lang, and Duncan Matthews-Cox and is advised by Pittsburgh native Ms. Nevola.
At the April upper school assembly on Tuesday, seniors who have shown a particular proficiency in public speech throughout their role in class discussions, public speech competitions, open houses, athletic department banquets, and Arts Night or Choral Concerts showcased their performance skills. Sophomores Rodney Goldring and Lily Stettler-Eno spoke about their involvement in the new Public Speaking elective. Seniors Brian Benitez, Makiya Tarrance, Niekal Jones-Atkinson, Lindsey Johnson, and Sam Mader performed, with Benitez reading Polonius’ advice from Hamlet, Tarrance reading from Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem “a song in the front yard,” and later performing Hamlet’s words to Ophelia, Jones-Atkinson reading Marge Piercy’s “To have without holding,” Johnson performing a selection from James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, and Mader producing an original beat box performance. Other commended seniors who have achieved excellence in public speaking include Maggie Dalzell, Carmaya Humble, Serena Jones, Mason Sayles, and Eowyn Sherrer. Sophomore Shelby Griffith performed her winning poem from the Poetry Out Loud competition, “The Mothering Blackness,” by Maya Angelou. Mr. Day read the poem by William Carlos Williams called, “This is Just to Say,” and Ms. Seid read the poem “When You Ask a Teacher What They Make.” The Honors Choir performed “Wayfaring Stranger,” and students earned merits from their teachers for their performance in class. Freshmen J.C. Claire and Cecily Bufkin earned merits, sophomores DJ Okuleye and Jania Claire, and juniors Destiny Glee and Nate Crystal, as well as seniors Claire Hall and Zhen-Hua Pavetti.
