News from Central High School -- Philadelphia

This is the time of year when we begin to see more of what our students do; in a sense, the results are coming in. In case you missed it, the March 27th Inquirer's "First Take" section on the 2010 Census was largely written by area high school students, including Arielle Arlen, 269, and Aaya Kingsbury, 271. Earlier in the month we also saw Alice Wells, 270, among City Heroes, a leadership development program. We just loved, loved, loved the photograph of famed comedian Bill Cosby accepting Philadelphia's prestigious Marian Anderson Award wearing a Central T-Shirt instead of a tux. And congratulations to Olivia Haley-Schmitt, 270, whose synchronized skating team, Team Reflections, took second place at the National Competition in Minneapolis. Central students are excelling all over the place!

Speaking of all over the place, 269ers are making some pretty big decisions about college these days, and colleges are making some big investments in Central students. We know of students headed for nearby places like Penn, Temple, and Drexel, and also Ursinus, Rider, Penn State, Gwynedd-Mercy, and Moravian; some to points further away, like St. Lucy's, University of Denver, University of Kentucky, Colgate, Howard, NYU - Tisch, and Emerson.

Meanwhile, PSSAs are coming up. These tests are really important, since their results prove not only the individual's standing but Central's as well. It's one of the ways we know that Central is among the best high schools in the nation. Along with the PSSAs, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams are scheduled for next month. Since many colleges and universities accept solid AP scores, these tests can be really valuable.

Proms! 270 will be headed to the Franklin Institute, and 269 to the Crystal Tea Room at Macy's.

This newsletter is a volunteer effort brought to you by the Home and School Association. We hope that you enjoy reading the newsletter and that you will never hesitate to send your comments, suggestions, ideas, and stories to us any time at centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com.

Thank you for reading,
Dave Kalkstein - Editor

The Real News

The Philadelphia Inquirer's annual school report, published in the April 11 issue, underplayed Central's successes. Unfortunately, the newspaper relied on school district data which is incorrect, Dr. Pavel said. In contrast to what the school district told the newspaper, 98 percent to 99 percent of Central's graduating seniors attend college immediately after college. The exceptions are those who have to go to work or who enter the military. All students take at least one SAT or ACT college entrance exam, Dr. Pavel said. Nearly all, 99 percent, of Central's students take the PSAT. It is offered to all freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

Time Machine

When Amber Young's teacher, Thomas Quinn, assigned a time machine project as part of his African-American studies class, Amber, 269, reacted with the standard eye-roll. "I thought, `That's dumb,'" she said. "How can you turn those ugly old phone booths into a time machine?" But her opinion changed as she worked on the project. Amber and other student workers replaced the fans in the ceiling with audio equipment and installed speakers in the old phone boxes. The two booths, which stand side by side on the first floor, represent the segregation in American society between, roughly, 1900 and 1950. One booth is papered inside with images from black life as songs and speeches by great leaders and musicians emanate from the speakers. The other booth contains parallel images and sounds from white America. Each student had to provide two images and explain how these images played out in life. Amber picked the Negro Baseball League and contrasted it with mainstream baseball. "Even though they played separately and the conditions for the Negro League were much worse," Amber said, "they were both given the opportunity to do what they loved." Dana King was the other history teacher involved in the project. Amber gives the teachers an "A" for their idea. "It was very creative."

Executive Lessons

With 2,300-plus students and oversight of dozens of clubs as part of her responsibilities, student government president Fadwa Kingsbury, 269, could teach executives about time management. "School work comes first," said Fadwa, who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania next year. Her work in school and as a volunteer earned her the Philadelphia Inquirer's Student Citizenship Award. A longtime volunteer at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Fadwa now mentors new volunteers. Here's another lesson she could teach executives: Graciousness. It's impossible to get her to praise herself. Instead, she shines the light on others. "It's really a team effort," she says of her work at Central, which is considerable. "Mostly I'm lucky because everyone wants to be involved. The biggest problem is that there are so many things we want to do, but not enough time to do them all."

The Art of Winning

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers (artandwriting.org) has been celebrating the creative achievement of America's teens since 1923, offering recognition and scholarships for artistic talents, instead of academic or athletic abilities. All three Central art teachers, Ben Walsh, Jude Saleet, and Andrea Keefe, submitted student works for consideration in the regional competition and Central "easely" cleaned up. Honorable Mention Awards were presented to Alexis Bloom, 271, Victoria Domanowska, 270, Nakia Hawkins, 270, Sandra Hayes, 271, Claire Keener, 271, Linda Mak, 269, Marielle Melino, 269, Alexandra Montgomery, 269, Elyse Preston, 270, Daniel Quinn, 270, and Kairuo Wang, 269. A Silver Key Award, for work worthy of recognition on the regional level, was awarded to Gabriela Alfaro, 270. The Gold Key Award, which is the highest level of achievement on the regional level, was awarded to two Central students, Jessica Appleton, 270, and Elizabeth Bastian, 270. Jessica and Elizabeth won two out of 11 Gold Keys from 368 regional submissions. Their work will be forwarded to New York City for national adjudication -- an exciting opportunity, according to Mr. Walsh, department chair. "It seems to me an amazing feat that two out of 11 total awards are for Central students," Elizabeth's mother said, "almost as amazing as winning a Gold Key where the odds were three percent on winning one."

Rubber Band Man

For four years, techno whiz and stage crew captain Scott Dubin, 269, has been patching together Central's sound system with rubber bands and paper clips (figuratively speaking) and pleading for equipment. So when Central's Vanguard school status brought some extra funds into the building, Dr. Pavel knew just what to so. He sought the advice of Scott and his crew, including incoming captains Hannah Utain-Evans, 270, and Lee Martin, 270. They scouted brands and model numbers and to make purchasing recommendations. In addition to two wireless microphones, the crew gained a laptop with the programming capacity to plan light and sound cues and to allow all the music for a musical, for example, to be gathered in one place, rather than being stored on various compact discs. "When I came here four years ago, this place was a mess," said Scott, standing backstage in the locked metal cage which holds the equipment. "I'm kind of a little sad that this is happening now that I'm graduating, but I feel that we've accomplished something." The new equipment got one of its early workouts last week during the Drama Club's production of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)."

Button, Button: Who's Got the Button?

This month, 270 does! As part of a long-standing Central tradition where the juniors and seniors create a button that represents the class, numerous 270 students submitted designs for their button contest. Entries by Stephanie Tran, Patrick Vinh, Rebecca McTeague, Heirl He, Betsy Thomas, and Brenda Nguyen (who submitted two designs) vied for favor with their classmates to become the official 270 junior year button. The entries range from funny to inspiring, and all were terrific. These buttons remain a source of pride. When alumnus Harvey Goldman, 225, (designer of his class' "girl" button), saw a mention of the buttons in the Daily Bulletin he emailed from overseas to ask if the class buttons were still displayed - they are! Check them out by the Central Archives. Or even better, talk to Dr. Robert Sanders, 180, who maintains the Central Archives. Dr. Sanders advises that the button tradition started in the late 1930s when the buttons were very small, growing over time. He noted that many of the older buttons featured voluptuous girls, because the boys at Central "wanted to be daring" and "this was back in the day when the thought of a girl inside of Central was not to be tolerated!" Dr. Sanders still has his button, and at his recent 65th high school reunion, he said that over half of the attendees wore their 180 class button. Well, now the 270 votes are in, and the design selected is one of two submitted by Brenda Nguyen, combining stylized words and numbers dear to 270 over the faint image of a rearing horse. Interestingly, the second place winner was also submitted by Brenda Nguyen; it used the well-known "I want you" of Uncle Sam fame with the face of class sponsor Michael Horwits, 251, who gets many 270 students involved in events through his energetic recruiting style. As an homage to their sponsor, students may seek to purchase this second button in addition to the official 270 class button, which now becomes part of 270's slice of Central history.

The Joint Was Hoppin'

On March 12th, more than 200 members of 271 enjoyed the "Soph Hop" at Romano's Catering in Northeast Philadelphia. The attendees did not allow the rainy weather to dampen their enthusiasm. The party room was decorated in purple and silver balloons, and Stephanie Cattan, 271, remarked that "the decorations and the food were all beautiful." Class sponsor Bob Barthelmeh, 228, was pleased by student and teacher attendance. "It was great to see a large number of Central faculty and staff who came to support the 10th graders at their first big event," he said. The dance floor erupted with cheers and high energy when 271's theme song, Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA," was played. But whether dancing, eating, or just being there, the night was about the friendships forged at Central. Summed up by Ryan Carroll, 271: "I enjoyed hanging out with my friends."

Parents: Answer Your Survey

Beginning in late April, parents and guardians of Philadelphia Public School students will receive surveys in the mail asking them about each school their children attend. Please take the few minutes necessary to complete the surveys and return them in the postage-paid return envelope. This is the chance for parents to weigh in on the good, the bad, and the ugly about our schools with the hope that these surveys result in accentuating the good and reducing the bad. Clearly, our gifted Central students shine as examples of what an excellent urban public school program produces. Let's make sure the District understands that what we have at Central is working and let them know where it can be made even better to continue to produce outstanding students!

Losing Arguments? Here's Why

Do you wonder why you have been losing arguments at home with your Central student? It might be because they have honed the fine art of legal argument in their social studies classes with teachers Stanford Levy, Michael Horwits, 251, and William Graham. Throughout the year, University of Pennsylvania law students come to Central and take students through the fascinating world of the First and Fourth Amendments, culminating in an invitation to compete in a regional Moot Court Competition at Penn's Law School. This year, 30 Central seniors competed against more than 100 other Philadelphia high school students for eight prized spots to advance to the National High School Moot Court Competition, held annually at a different law school and drawing students from all over the country. At the preliminary competition, six of the eight spots advancing the student lawyers to the national competition were awarded to Central 269 students: Matthew Palmer, Jadee Pope, Ellena Gagoshidze, Daniel Lipsman, Michelyve Petit, and Amber Young.

At the national competition, held this year March 19 to 21 at Drexel University's Earle Mack School of Law, the 269 students argued a Fourth Amendment issue involving student searches and the thorny issue of balancing a student's right to privacy at school with a school's right to insure a safe student environment. Sitting federal judges heard the case and Central students walked away with the top two finishes. Matthew won the competition and Jadee was runner-up. Matthew argued the school's position and Jadee took the student's side.

Interestingly, both thought that the opposing side of the argument was the one with which they sympathized more. Matthew said that he argued so strongly, "because I understood the student perspective so well, it gave me insight into how to defuse their arguments." Matthew, who is still weighing his college options and aspires to be a documentary film-maker representing the "voices of people who aren't usually heard," concedes that he may now consider the law as a solid fallback position. Jadee, who originally thought the school's position was sounder, became passionate about the student position: "I used that passion to drive my argument and persuade the judges." Jadee plans to be a defense attorney in her own firm and is heading to the University of Michigan in the fall to study political science.

Winners' Circle

So much is happening with Central students it's hard to keep track of it all, and sometimes we can't.

On March 5th, Central's Girls Basketball, champs again, won the 2010 Philadelphia Public League Girls Basketball Title at the Liacouras Center, beating Prep Charter 45 - 38. How many championships for these Lancers? A lot! Check out these Champions on You-Tube - Central Public League.

Kudos to Jacob Hernandez, 270, on being selected to perform in the Pennsylvania Music Education Association Band and Orchestra. He will go on to perform in the festival concerts in Pittsburgh later this month. Over 600 students auditioned statewide - 20 were selected.

And, of course, our best to the Central students who participated in the Carver Science Fair. Of the 26 students who competed, 21 received awards and will be moving on to the Delaware Valley Science Fair in April. Special congratulations go to Puja Upadhyay, 272, for winning "Best of Fair." Other 1st Place winners in their category were: Naman Upadhyay and Daniel Lipsman, 269; Min Feng, Dina Moroz, and Alexander List, 270; Olivia Ngo, 271; Aaron Goldberg, 272.

A Grandmother's Inspiration

Women's Day speaker Tahira Devine, 270, was nervous as she sat in the Spain Conference Center last month and waited for the first-period bell to ring. Tahira didn't have an impressive biography published in the Women's Day brochure, and she hadn't even graduated from high school yet - but she was determined. She was not one of the lawyers, media or information technology professionals, but she definitely stood out. She sat quietly studying her notes as the other women dined on a continental breakfast and socialized. Tahira, encouraged by her mother, had volunteered to speak to five classes about important African American women, one of them being her own grandmother. "Women's Day was a huge success for me," she later said. "I started off really scared, but.... I got the kids totally involved....I spoke to them a little about my grandmother and how she was a role model. I allowed them to get up and speak about women in their lives who influenced them - it was great!"

Women's Day: Part Two

With only a month to pull together Women's Day, Assistant Principal Lori DeFields might be excused for expressing exhaustion. Instead, she called it "one of the most inspiring days at Central. It is a time when the accomplishments and struggles of women are remembered, recognized, and celebrated." Central hosted a diverse group of area women as speakers in addition to a volunteer group of its own students. "Basically, any woman who has an inspirational story that also includes the importance of education is welcome to speak," she said. The event publication listed thirty-two speaker biographies, including community leaders, education professionals, scientists, writers and, of course, Central alumnae. In the halls, students displayed women's history posters, books, and Asian jewelry and teachers incorporated women's themes into their lessons. The diversity continued into the Spain Conference Center that morning, where two students wore Asian saris as two others practiced athletic moves on the floor to prepare for their martial arts presentations.

One speaker, Michelle Kline, director of the Attic Youth Center's Bryson Institute, focused on educating Central students about issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Ms. Kline, accompanied by one of her colleagues as well as a youth center intern, played an LGBTQ Jeopardy game with students and shared personal experiences. "Women's Day," she said, "provided us with a perfect opportunity to interact with students through discussions surrounding history that is often left out of textbooks."

269 Class Trip

Three busloads of 269 students, about 150 of them, arrived back at school after 10 o'clock one night, welcomed by a long caravan of parents' cars. "How are you?" "Tired." "How was the trip?" "Good." The 269 class trip to New York City started with a driveby of Ground Zero, where it was not possible to stop because of new construction. Next stop was the South Street Seaport Mall for lunch and then on to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum -- "pretty scary," before students split up for self-directed tours of Times Square.

The high point of the trip? Meeting up with the singing cowboy in Times Square, who patrols the Theater District in his skivvies, strumming a guitar, Abby Kalkstein, 269, reported. Apparently he has been doing this for years. Students also checked out the Toys 'R Us store, home of the famous Ferris wheel, another high point of the trip. After some time on their own, they wound up at a dinner dance in Raritan, New Jersey. They dined on pizza, garlic bread, and salads, and danced themselves tired before heading home.

"Being sponsor of the 269th graduating class of Central High School has been one of the most satisfying and fulfilling experiences of my life," class 269 sponsor Steve Kolman said. "I can safely say that 269 is a great class. They have done exceptionally well academically and never cease to prove to me and everyone else they are the kind of people we at Central can be very proud of. What made it special to me was the students thanked me for such a great time. I was pleased they had a wonderful time."

Working Through the Gravity Blues

"Gravity has a tendency to hold us down," physics teacher Dan Ueda said, explaining the name of the website (www.gravityblues.org) he created as a tool for his students. The site provides Mr. Ueda's Physics, Physics C, and Robotics students with access to daily homework assignments, a class calendar, announcements, and a forum for students to help each other. "I give students extra credits for helping each other in the forum section of the website. It's a way for me to encourage them to use the website," says Mr. Ueda, who has been teaching physics for four years, including two at Central. The website is just one of the technology tools used in his physics classes. "We use Excel and Word a lot in my class. In conjunction with Logger Pro software, students learn how to calculate slope dimensions and map that information into a spreadsheet for easy sorting and presentation," Mr. Ueda said. In Robotics, students use programs like AutoDesk Inventor, Solidworks, LabView, and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs. About 20 percent of Central's teachers use a website as a reference tool for their classes.

As more technologies come into the classroom, the debate about the use of technology will continue. Some feel that technology creates barriers between students and teachers; others contend that it improves learning and is less boring than continuous lecturing. The proof is in the pudding; "Mr. Ueda's website allows us to track our progress, keep up with assignments and most importantly, it helps us stay more involved," according to physics student Dennis Dukhin, 270. "I like the forums section on the website," Fallon Kidder, 269, said, adding "at the beginning of the year, I didn't think that the website would be that important, but as the year progressed, I found that I needed it more and more." Right now it looks like Mr. Ueda and his students are making some pretty good pudding.

Computer Champs

Chris Hale-Sills, 270, recently traveled from the past -- from 1860, to be precise -- to modern-day Philadelphia. As a result, he now has a future at the Pennsylvania High School Computer Fair finals at Dickinson College in Carlisle this May. Chris won first place at the March 12 Philadelphia Computer fair for his digital video project "Time Warp." Two of the eight other Central students who entered the fair took second place in their categories. Scott Phillips, 270, competed in multimedia presentation with a PowerPoint on the Strategic Defense Initiative. Mary Conrad, 270, presented "Computers: The Innovation that Caused Innovation," an informational website. Central's team had a really good time in the Computer Fair and they lived up to the high standards Central has set in this event in the past, sponsoring teachers Thomas Quinn and Galeet Cohen said. All the other Central entrants, all 269, received at least an honorable mention. They are Melissa Moore, Averie Blanks, and Alina Gaffney, who collaborated on a curriculum website with "Black Innovation: Black History Month;" Lisa Port for the 2011 Computer Fair logo design, and Allie Amado and Robyn Freedman, who together competed in desktop publishing with their digital comic strip on water treatment in Philadelphia.

Help Wanted

Home and School officers: At its final meeting on Wednesday, May 12, the Home and School Association will be holding elections for next year's officers. President Miriam Foltz is graduating along with other board members, so there will be some openings. If you are interested, show up at the meeting Wednesday, April 14, or send an email to chs_hsf@yahoo.com.

Newsletter staffers: Interested in working on the newsletter? We have two or so more issues this year, so there's still time to participate. Contact Dave Kalkstein at centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com.

Thank You

Thanks to all the parents who work on the newsletter: John Newcomb, Johnette Miller, Tony West, Nancy Winter, and Jane Von Bergen for their fine reporting and the time they give to this effort, and to Diane Luckman who makes us all look good. Most importantly, thanks to Dr. Pavel and teacher Ben Walsh for their continuing assistance. Any parent that would like to have a really great experience with the Central community should get with us to take part in the newsletter.

Got news? Want to let others know about special achievements? Have an idea for an article? Tell us about it at centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com.
All the best to all hands!

Sincerely,

Dave Kalkstein, Newsletter Editor
Central High School - Philadelphia