January 31, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
The first month of the second semester is coming to a close this week. All advisors will be checking in with their advisees and will then get in touch with parents regarding the start of the second semester. Expect to hear from your advisor by the end of the week.
We were treated to a terrific performance by George Kilby Jr. and his band on January 17. Mr. Kilby combined a lecture and a performance as he educated our student body about the history of American roots music. It was a rare treat to have a concert in our commons. Special thanks to Erika Pearsall and Ned Jannotta for underwriting this great event.
Last week we had our third hot lunch of the year. It was, again, a huge success and delicious! We were treated to a chili bar along with salads and some savory desserts. Thank you to Debbie Wagner for organizing this event and for all the parents who volunteered and provided food.
Mini-mester is fast approaching. February 15 – 17 students will be treated to a plethora of real-life educational opportunities. There is still time to sign up to teach a half-day or full-day course. Please contact Sarah Drake if you are interested in participating in mini-mester.
Have a great week and keep in touch.
Best,
Scott
Hot Topics
Accreditation Visit Coming in March
We will be hosting an accreditation visiting team on March 13th and 14th. The visitors will be seeking an opportunity to speak with parents about our School. Scott will be in touch about potentially being part of the parent group that meets with the accrediting body. Please feel free to contact Scott with any questions.
Upcoming Events
February 15-17: Mini-Mester
Mini-mester is a three-day period when students take non-traditional half-day or full-day classes. In the past, offerings have included cooking at a variety of local restaurants, theatrical improv, self-defense, avalanche awareness, radio broadcasting, woodworking, photography, mural creation, jewelry making, and installation art, to name a few. Parents and community members are welcome to help us to provide and/or come up with potential classes. Please contact Sarah Drake for more details.
February 20-21: President’s Day Holiday- No School!
Congratulations to…
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The following seniors, who have been nominated by the US Department of Education to be Presidential Scholars: Parker Case, Tyler McIntosh, Emily Poole, and Rosemary Turquie. Congratulations!
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All of our students participating in winter activities, including our alpine skiers, Nordic skiers, basketball players, speech and debaters, tennis players, dancers, hockey players, and wrestlers. JHCS is well-represented in all of these activities and all of the students deserve kudos for their commitment, hard work, and willingness to deal with the incredible amount of travel on buses and vans. Well done, everyone!
January 19, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
January 18, 2012
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
We enjoyed a powerful and moving Martin Luther King Day celebration on Monday. History Department Chair Cheryl Katz started the day off with some excellent video and oratory footage of Dr. King. She did a wonderful job of putting a face to the civil rights movement and contextualizing the whole day for the students. Following her presentation, Isabel Zumel, Assistant Director of the Teton County Library and the daughter of Filipino immigrant parents, gave a riveting talk about the significance of Martin Luther King Day to her. She did a phenomenal job of relating Dr. King’s fight for equality to herself and to our students. She challenged the students to make a positive impact on their peers, on their town, and on our nation. Following Ms. Zumel’s address, 9th and 12th graders created “This I Believe” statements, modeled after the NPR program with the same title. 10th and 11th graders read about and discussed current issues in our country that deal with equality and civil rights, such as immigration, gay marriage, and the post 9/11 treatment of Muslims. Following these workshops, we had lunch and headed out to the Staples / Hoback Sports parking lot for our traditional march to the Town Square. Mayor Mark Barron joined us, as did a group from AmeriCorps, and a handful of community members. At the square, our Student Body President, Ellie Finnegan (2012), did a great job as mc of the proceedings. Mayor Barron and Parker Case (2012) gave inspiring speeches, followed by all of the seniors reading their “This I Believe” statements, and finally a rendition of We Shall Overcome, led by Kenny Hadden. Kenny deserves high praise for organizing this great event for the School. It was truly an inspiring day.
All report cards have been mailed. Please contact Karen if you haven’t received your student’s report card. In addition, please feel free to contact your respective advisors to discuss first semester grades and comments.
Mini-mester is fast approaching. I have provided information about mini-mester below and will give more details once the schedule of classes has been determined. In the meantime, please know that this is required and, generally, one of the highlights of the year for the students. Please contact Sarah Drake for more details or if you would like to offer a mini-mester this year, which we welcome.
Have a great week and keep in touch.
Best,
Scott
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, January 25: Hot Lunch
On Wednesday, January 25 we will be having a chili bar. $7.00 needs to be in your child’s “Snack Shack” account by January 23 in order to participate. All proceeds go toward teacher appreciation week. Special thanks to Debbie Wagner for organizing this event. Please contact Sarah Drake with any questions.
Wednesday, February 1: All School Shadow Day
Please invite any 8th-10th graders to spend a day at the Jackson Hole Community School. Contact Tyler Hardy for details.
February 15-17: Mini-Mester
Mini-mester is a three-day period when students take non-traditional half-day or full-day classes. In the past, offerings have included cooking at a variety of local restaurants, theatrical improv, self-defense, avalanche awareness, radio broadcasting, woodworking, photography, mural creation, jewelry making, and installation art, to name a few. Parents and community members are welcome to help us to provide and/or come up with potential classes. Please contact Sarah Drake for more details.
Enjoy the photos (more photos from MLK Day and other events can be found at the following website: http://www.jhcommunityschool.org//student-experience/photogallery.cfm )
January 10, 2012
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday break. The second semester is now underway. Teachers and advisors are finishing up their comments and students should be receiving their first semester report card in the mail by the end of this week. Two years ago we decided to move to a schedule whereby the first semester ends prior to the winter break. This has been a very successful model, as the students are given a true break during the vacation and they come back to school mentally refreshed and ready to begin a new semester.
Last week, we enjoyed one of the highlights of the school year, which was our annual alumni panel discussion. The alumni did a great job of addressing a number of topics, ranging from how to deal with a homework load that is physically impossible to complete to the need for patience when living with your freshman roommate. All of the alumni agreed that no matter what type of college you attend, small, big, rural, or urban, the Community School experience will serve you very well. Many of the alumni talked about how JHCS taught them time management skills and the importance of research skills, especially citing sources properly. It was also exciting to hear about the future plans of some of our senior alumni. Zeke Trautenberg, currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, is applying to Ph. D programs in Latin American literature. (Zeke also gave a wonderful talk to Amy Fulwyler’s World History classes regarding drug cartels in Mexico.) Siobhan Chariott, a senior at Bridgewater State in Massachusetts, is going to be getting an MBA, and Maggie Schwartz, a senior at Stanford University, plans to apply to law school in the not too distant future. I wish all of our alumni well and thank you for staying in touch with us!
This week we will be preparing for our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. march. The march itself will begin on Monday, January 16 at 12:45p.m. at the Staples parking lot. Please feel free to join us as we march to the Town Square and then hear speeches by students and our mayor, Mark Barron. In addition, the entire morning of January 16, leading up to the march, will be dedicated to discussing and learning about civil rights in the United States. You are welcome to join us for all or part of the day. Below, please see the schedule of events.
I hope all of you have a great week and keep in touch.
Best,
Scott
Hot Topics
Another Hot Lunch Coming Soon
Wednesday, January 25 we will be having a chili bar. $7.00 needs to be in your child’s Snack Shack account by January 23 in order to participate. All proceeds go toward teacher appreciation week. Special thanks to Debbie Wagner for organizing this event. Please contact Sarah Drake with any questions.
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 16: MLK Activities and March
Please feel free to join us for any and all of the following activities in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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9:30-10:00: Putting Dr. King in Context: Clips from a few speeches
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10:00-10:50: Keynote address by Isabel Zumel of Latina Leadership: Growing Up as the Daughter of Immigrants
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11:00-12:00: Workshops-How is Dr. King relevant today?
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12:45: Meet at Staples parking lot for march to Town Square
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1:25-1:50: Speeches at Town Square
Friday, January 20: JHCS Ski Day (No skiing required J)
Jerry Blann and the Jackson Hole Community School invite you to join us for JHCS Ski Day Friday, January 20th, 2012. Meet at the Cornice Room at 12pm for a complimentary lunch, followed by skiing for those who wish to participate. The Cornice room is a private dining room at the top of Bridger in the southwest corner across from Couloir. You do not have to ski to attend the lunch. Kindly R.S.V.P. by January 15th to Sarah Drake.
Wednesday, February 1: All School Shadow Day
Please invite any 8th-10th graders to spend a day at the Jackson Hole Community School. Contact Tyler Hardy for details.
Congratulations to…
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Michael Scalabrino (2014) for being named to the Wyoming Jazz Educators All-State Jazz band. He was the only guitarist chosen in the whole state. Well done, Michael!
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Megan Grassell (2014) for earning a first place finish in a FIS Western Region skiing competition this past week-end. Great job, Megan!
Enjoy the photos!
December 05, 2011
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
I hope all of you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. We are now down to our final two weeks of the first semester. Final exams begin next Wednesday. (Please see exam schedule below under “Announcements.”) It has been a great fall semester, filled with wonderful speakers, interesting Spotlights from our juniors, and great opportunities for all.
Our sophomores, led by Dean of Faculty Amy Fulwyler, did a phenomenal job at the Teton County Model UN, held at JHHS two weeks ago. A number of students deserve special recognition for their outstanding work. Emma Knoke (2013), Ruby Jones (2014), and Peter Neal (2014) all received “Best Delegate” awards. In addition, sophomores Faith Hamlin, Jack Graig-Tiso, Esther Grossman, and Corina Helm received “Distinguished Delegate” awards. And finally, Aviva Thal (2014) won the award for “Best JHCS Position Paper.” Congratulations to Amy and all of the students for their excellent work and for representing the Community School with distinction.
Last week, Sawyer Gordon (2013) gave a very interesting Spotlight presentation on his development of apps for smart phones and mobile devices. He clearly has a talent in the area of computer programming and we are looking forward to seeing what he creates in the future.
All advisors met with their advisees last week for the final one-on-one meetings of the semester. Students were told their current grade in every class and advisors will be in touch with parents within the next couple of days, if you haven’t already heard from them. Please contact your advisor regarding any questions as the end of the semester approaches.
Students should begin reviewing now for final exams. All teachers will be passing out review sheets in the next few days, which students can use as their guide for studying. Teachers are available to talk about studying techniques with individual students as well. All final exams make up 20% of the final grade and should be approached with a seriousness of purpose. Again, please do not hesitate to contact your advisor for advice on handling final exams.
Finally, I would like to wish all of you a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season.
Take care and keep in touch.
Scott
p.s.
Alumni, please feel welcome to stop by and say hello whenever you get into town!
Hot Topics
Hot Lunch Program A Huge Hit!
Special thanks to all parents who have helped to provide food and organize our two hot lunches. Students and staff alike have thoroughly enjoyed them. If you’d like to learn more or to make sure that your child is enjoying these, please contact Sarah Drake.
2010-2011 Annual Report is Out!
Please be sure to check-out or 2010-2011 annual report. Click here and you will be directed to our homepage, which has a link to our annual report. Special thanks to Sarah Drake, our Development Director, for putting this together.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, December 8, 7p.m.: JHCS Holiday Party
All parents are invited to this great event at Shooting Star in Teton Village. Please contact Sarah Drake with any questions.
Wednesday, December 14 – Friday, December 16: Final Exams
Below, please find our final exam schedule. Please be aware that make-up exams for students who will not be present on the exam dates are Monday, December 12 and Tuesday, December 13. Please contact your advisor or David Heinemann with any exam related questions.
8a.m.- 10a.m. 12p.m.-2p.m.
Wednesday, December 14: English Language
Thursday, December 15: History Math
Friday, December 16: Science Elective (Begins at 11:30a.m.)
Saturday, December 17 – Sunday, January 1: Winter Break!
Please be aware that we do have school on Monday, January 2. However, the public schools are closed on this day and the busses will not be running.
Students in John Hanlon’s Renaissance England Course work on a period dance piece.
Juniors Sawyer Gordon and Morgan McGlashon work on a conductivity lab in chemistry.
October 18, 2011
By Scott Hirschfield
Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends,
Our open house last week was a huge success. Many thanks to all of you for supporting the School and its future. Open houses are a key part of our admissions process and the future of the School. Should you know of any prospective 9th, 10th , or 11th graders please be sure to contact Tyler Hardy, our Director of Admissions. Special thanks to Tyler for organizing the event, to all of the speakers, who did a phenomenal job, and to our student ambassadors who did a great job giving tours to prospective students and their families. Due, in part, to the success of this year’s open house, we anticipate the most applications for enrollment that we’ve ever had.
We’ve had a busy couple of weeks here at the Community School. First, we had a wonderful speaker during Town Hall the week before last. Farah Pandith, who is part of the US Department of State as a special representative to Muslim communities, gave a riveting presentation to our students. Ms. Pandith spoke about the need for the youth in the US, and around the world, to be open and accepting of cultures different from their own. Ms. Pandith has traveled extensively around the world, speaking with teenagers about the US, tolerance, and the need for communication. Students came away from the discussion ready to form global communities and excited to work with their foreign peers.
Parent/teacher conferences are coming up one week from Friday. We strongly encourage your child to attend his/her conference, which should last about an hour. If you have any questions about the upcoming conferences, please contact our Director of Operations, Karen Hodges.
I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful autumn, either here in Jackson or wherever you find yourself reading this letter.
Have a great week and keep in touch.
Scott
Hot Topics
Parent Mentor Program to Start This Week!
All new parents and mentor volunteers should be on the lookout for an email from Scott pairing you up together. This is a new program, so please feel free to email Scott with any questions or suggestions.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 20, 6:30p.m., JHHS Auditorium: College Case Studies Night
All high school students and parents are invited to attend College Case Studies Night. Participants will have the opportunity to view actual applications and experience what it is like to make the decision whether a student should be admitted, wait listed, or denied. Jessica DeSantis, Associate Director of Admission from Lehigh University, will lead the session and provide a chance to experience the type of examination and decision making that is involved in each college application review. This experience provides families with a unique opportunity to witness the complexities inherent in the admissions process. Families can see the value of well-written essays, good recommendations, strong activities as well as the weight carried by grades and test scores. Please RSVP to Heather Marks at heather.marks@journeysschool.org or (307) 734-3711.
Friday, October 21, Center for the Arts: JHCS Theater Director to Direct Staged Reading of Arthur Miller Play
John Hanlon will be directing a staged reading of Arthur Miller's The Price this Friday for Off Square Theatre. When the play premiered on Broadway in 1968, The New York Times called it “an astonishing piece of work…rank[ing] with, if not above, Death of a Salesman.” Although it drew in packed houses for more than a year, it is rarely staged today. The performance starts at 7:30 in the Black Box at the Center for the Arts.
Friday, October 28, JHCS: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Please contact Karen Hodges for details. Students are expected to attend.
Enjoy the photo (if you'd like to see more photos from the school year, click here).
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