Welcome!

Believe it or not, we are already hearing of college early admission acceptances of Central 270 students. Maybe it's me, but this just seems a bit early! Speaking of college, we heard recently from Bob Milner, 199, that Syracuse University can be added to the long list of colleges that are not as hard as Central, and Bob's 199 class graduated in 1953.

Nancy Trinh, Faith Konigbagbe , and Vasomnoleak Ly, all 270, have been matched with University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, Princeton University and Swarthmore College through the Questbridge National College Match Program. The program helps outstanding high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to some of the nation's most selective colleges. Great work and congratulations!

This newsletter is a volunteer effort with the Central Home and School Association, and we hope that you enjoy keeping in touch with Central this way.  If you have stories, ideas, or comments, or if you want to have a lot of fun and join us in this effort, don't be shy! Write us at centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com right away!

Last but not least - thank you for all you do to support our Central students! Happy holidays and have a restful winter break. We wish you a joyful and prosperous 2011. Peace to you, your family, our city, our nation, and all the world.

Thank you for reading,
Dave Kalkstein and Jane M. Von Bergen - Co-Editors

Alex List, 270, is using his programming skills to benefit people suffering with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder. His company, ExoMachina, partnering with a Merck clinical psychiatrist, has created an innovative I-Pad application that will help them manage their condition. Alex said that it is difficult for people with fibromyalgia to document pain levels in ways doctors can understand and that some even suffer for years before they get a diagnosis. His app allows people to use an established fibromyalgia questionnaire to document symptoms over time, compare them to others with the condition and generate reports for physicians. After less than a month on the market, the app had sold 70 copies at $10 each. "The whole medical industry is split wide open," said Alex, who is applying early decision to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Patients have more control over their care and more access to information. It's a huge opportunity."

Central Lancers and the Northeast High Vikings have engaged in a football rivalry every Thanksgiving, except for a few years during wartime for, some say, more than 100 years. There is even a 1941 trophy, "The Wooden Horse," that symbolized the beginning of the series in the pre automobile era.

The Eagles picked these historic rivals as the first pair of high school football squads to benefit from outreach by their players, who came to Central to provide some pro-level guidance. On their day off from practice, Eagles players Ernie Sims and Leonard Weaver headed to Central's practice, despite a season-ending knee injury Weaver suffered during the Eagles' first game this year.

Lancers Coach Rich Drayton, 246, reported to the Alumni Journal that Sims, a linebacker, worked with Central's players who share his position. "We did defensive individual where the players showed him what they do, and he then showed them some drills that he does," Drayton said. "He was definitely impressed with our pre-practice stretch and warm-up. He said it brought back memories."

Zaim Tahiraj, 270, fullback and linebacker for Central, told the Alumni Journal that he wanted to use this rare opportunity with pro players to hear about their experiences coming up and to get as many tips from them as he could. The TV exposure from the Eagles Network also will be quite the thrill for him and his family. "They're excited. They want to see all my hard work," Tahiraj said.

We're not going to talk about the results of the
Central versus Northeast Thanksgiving game. Enough said.

Dr. Lark Hall and Lynda Shim, from the English and social studies departments are hoping to bring a little of the Japanese educational experience into their own classrooms at Central. The pair joined ten other high school and middle school Delaware Valley teachers on a three-week educational and cultural tour of Japan this past summer. The trip, organized by Penn's Center of East Asian Studies and funded by the United States-Japan Foundation, aimed to expose U.S. and Japanese teachers to the culture of each country. The teachers visited Japanese high schools in Kobe, Kyoto and Hiroshima among other places.

Dr. Hall said many of the visiting teachers were very impressed by the enthusiasm of the Japanese students, which reminded her and Ms. Shim of the atmosphere at Central. The Japanese system does not require high school attendance, but most attend if they can. Many schools are private, and even public schools charge tuition. Some schools have a particular focus. At Fukiai High School in Kobe, for example, classes are in English. Murasakino High School in Kyoto emphasizes individualism more than most and is one of the few schools there that do not require uniforms. In Hiroshima the teachers visited a junior - senior school that is devoted to peace studies. In Japan it is common for high school students' parents to drop off dinner after school so their children can go from regular school to attend "cram schools." These are all private and are considered crucial to success in getting into a very competitive university system.

At Central, students should expect a few new insights in class, especially in Ms. Shim's social studies classes; the ideas will be a little more difficult to import into Dr. Hall's 12th-grade AP English curriculum. In years past, Assistant Principal Lynada Martinez and Ken Hung, a social studies teacher in the Mentally Gifted department went on similar tours and, along with Dr. Pavel, lent a hand in getting more Central teachers to take advantage of this great program.

Look for the debut of Central's newly energized choir at the music department's winter concert. Longtime music support faculty and itinerant music teacher Benjamin Blazer, now a full-time faculty member, will lead the 80-voice choir in the "Hallelujah" chorus to be performed with the orchestra.

A highlight of the orchestra's part of the concert will be "Overture to Nabucco," by G. Verdi. Choir director Stephen Wilensky loves opera and generally includes at least one opera number in most concerts. "I thought it would be a challenging piece for the orchestra and it has a nice romantic style," he said. Listen for percussion, brass and string highlights in this piece. The orchestra will also play J.S. Bach's "Little Fugue in G Minor," along with selections from "West Side Story."

The concert takes place Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Refreshments will be sold.

Congratulations to Raichl Davenport, 272, for being named Chestnut Hill Meals on Wheels "Volunteer of the Month." Fifteen-year-old Raichl's hard work has included packing boxes and serving as an office assistant. She is one of the group's youngest volunteers, as well as one of its most dedicated. Though she came to the group this past summer with her father looking to lend a hand, her work has continued beyond her school vacation. Raichl puts her good citizenship skills into practice at Meals on Wheels each school holiday.

From time to time we hear from alumni about their class efforts on behalf of the school. Jerome Neff, 190, reports that his class has recently dedicated commemorative plaques in honor of Mr. William Disharoon (their class sponsor) and another one in honor of Dr. William H. Cornog, (president of Central during their attendance). The class also raised $11,000 for the building fund which was matched by a grant for a total of $22,000. The Central High banner that graces the new grandstands at the CHS athletic fields was also a gift of the 190th class (we stand corrected; this gift was initially credited to the Alumni Association). To put some perspective on the durability of Central's alumni commitment to the school, this year's new class is 273. Recent grads should take a moment and join the more than 18,000 strong alumni. Click here to be connected to the alumni association's website.

The Central Home and School would like to wish the entire Central community a very happy holiday season! The Association's December meeting was an exciting one, featuring an array of delicious appetizers and desserts that were enjoyed by all. The Home and School was in the giving spirit, and some dedicated members received free Central parent sweatshirts as prizes.

Last month, the Home and School Association also gave the Robolancers $500 to help fund its push to a national championship for its superior work in robotics. The team is headed for a national competition in Orlando after a strong display of their robot-making skills in Atlanta. The Association also provided a meal for teachers who were staying extra hours at school for recent parent-teacher conferences. These are just a few examples of how membership dues are being used to help the school community.

Before digging into the food, parents received an update on school news. The new school windows are being replaced at a rate of three classrooms per week. The office and cafeteria windows will go in over winter break, and the installation should be complete in February. Another improvement will be brand new furniture for the cafeteria, and the school district continues to work hard on auditorium renovations following the fire.