January 2008

Upper school

Upper School Notes

By Mark Wiedenmann, Director of the Upper School

As we return from winter break and prepare for finals, I'd like to briefly reflect on what has been a good semester so far. As one might expect in a community as large as ours, some of us have had our share of life’s misfortunes, but those moments have provided opportunities for so many expressions of care from our community. Students, parents and faculty have worked hard as a community, sharing a common mission to assist students in many wonderful accomplishments in academics, the visual arts, the performing arts, and athletics. On behalf of all of us to whom you have entrusted your children, thank you for helping to make this such a positive year.

I'd like to call your attention to some resources we've recently added to the Web site to help you and your child continue to have a good experience at Chadwick, and to plan for some exciting opportunities beyond the gates of our campus.

First, the list of parents who have signed the Chadwick Parent Network Agreement is now available. The purpose of the agreement is to promote communication between parents. It lists those who are willing to call a child's parent when they have well-grounded reasons to believe that child’s welfare is endangered, and parents who are willing to receive the same kind of call from another parent. The list also indicates which parents have agreed to supervise student parties and visits to their home so that students may not consume alcohol or other illegal substances, and their willingness to communicate with other parents about those social activities. The list is accessible by clicking here, or through the "Health and Wellness" page of the Web site. The PDF file is protected with the same password as the Answer Page (listed in the e-mail you receive with each month's Navigator). I would like to thank all of you who signed the Agreement and indicated your willingness to make this effort to keep our students safe and well. The support from the Upper School parents was extremely high.

Second, up-to-date placement guidelines for our academic departments have been posted on the site. The guidelines should answer most of your questions about how Honors, AP and other placement decisions are made. To access the guidelines on each department's home page, choose "Academics" from the school Web site's "Programs" menu, then choose "Departments" from the pull-down list at the top of the resulting page. Of course, your child's teachers and advisor are also willing to discuss individual needs.

Third, we've recently outlined nine different off-campus study programs available to Chadwick students. Some are abroad, and some are located in the U.S. Most of the programs charge tuition, so the school is setting aside $84,350 in Chadwick tuition waivers to facilitate involvement by the broadest range of students. The linked document should provide you with enough information to decide whether you or your child might be interested in the various programs.

Upper School News

Off-Campus Study Tuition Waiver Applications Due Feb. 1

Chadwick is setting aside financial support for seven students to attend off-site, tuition-charging programs without paying Chadwick tuition for the same semester. To assist the school in allocating its funds, applications for tuition waivers for the 2008-09 school year must be submitted by Feb. 1, 2008 to John Nordquist, the Director of Global Opportunities. Tuition waiver forms may be obtained from him. 

Students attending one of the following approved programs may be considered for the waiver: The New Zealand Study Network, The Rocky Mountain Semester at the High Mountain Institute, Swiss Semester, CITYTerm, The School for Ethical and Global Leadership, School Year Abroad, The Mountain School, and The Island School. [For more details about each program, click here.]

Morales Joins Faculty As Spanish Instructor

Luis Morales, already a familiar face at Chadwick as an assistant soccer coach, joins the full-time faculty this month as a Spanish 2 and 3 instructor. Morales holds bachelor's degrees from California State University, Domiguez Hills in Spanish and in Chicano studies, and earned his master's degree in human performance and sport from New Mexico Highlands University. He has spoken and read Spanish throughout his life, and taught the language at Banning High School in Wilmington.

ChIC! Presents: Das Leben Der Anderen (Lives of Others)

Chadwick International Cinema (ChIC!) presents " Das Leben Der Anderen (Lives of Others)" on Friday, Jan. 11, in the Laverty Center at 7 p.m. This debut feature of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck depicts life in 1984 under the Stasi secret police of East Germany. It offers an elegant complement to the scores of films about the Third Reich, and provides insight into the world of Communist terror.

For more information about ChIC!, please visit the ChIC! page on the school Web site. To be sent reminders for upcoming films, please click here.

Upper School News Online

Keep up with the Upper School on the "News Flash" page of our Web site, always available via a link in the lower-right corner of our home page. Online at publication time:

Jazz Ensemble Entertains Holiday Shoppers

Spare Change: Penny For Your Thoughts

Art Show Draws Crowd

Girls Varsity Soccer Takes Third In South Torrance Tourney

Chadwick Still Has PENHI Girls Water Polo’s Number

Upper School Events in January

Jan. 11 ChIC Film, "Das Leben Der Anderen (Lives of Others)," 7 p.m., Laverty Center
Jan. 15 CaML Math Competition, 1:15 - 1:45 p.m., Roessler Hall, California Math League Contest 4
Jan. 18 ChImp Show, 7:30 p.m., Lecture Hall
Jan. 19 Community Service to Soup Kitchen, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Jan. 26 SAT I & II, 7:40 a.m., off campus.
Jan. 29 MS/US Early Dismissal, 1:15 p.m.
Jan. 30 EXAM (A Period), 8 a.m.
  EXAM (B Period), 11 a.m.
Jan. 31 EXAM (C Period), 8 a.m.
 

EXAM (D Period), 11 a.m.

 
Feb. 1 EXAM (E Period), 8 a.m.
  EXAM (F Period), 11 a.m.

Click for Campus-wide Events, Village School Events and Middle School Events listed in this issue of the Navigator. A complete, searchable school calendar is always available at www.chadwickschool.org — just click the "calendar" link in the upper left corner of every page.