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SUNDAY LETTER - MARCH 27, 2016
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MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL
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Hamilton, The Ultimate in Arts and History Education
(or "The Power of a SCRIP)
I write to you this weekend from New York City, where Mary and I realized a dream last night: a dream that we have been nurturing for all of . . . 3 months!
We saw the musical, Hamilton!
Before last December's holiday season, all I knew about this country's first Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, was that his face is on the ten dollar bill and that he was shot in a duel by Aaron Burr. And then one of you suggested I might use your rather generous SCRIP gift to purchase the CD. I did, and we have not stopped listening to it since, in the house, on our walks, in our cars, and even in the shower. I have learned more about American History (the Revolutionary and post-Revolutionary periods) in the last twelve weeks than I ever did in the previous 60+ years!
We are obsessed with Hamilton!
Did you know that Alexander Hamilton founded the US Coastguard, or the New York Post, or why he ended up dueling Burr, or even who Burr was? Did you know how Washington DC was chosen and established as our capital city and by whom? You may be surprised at the answer. (Insider hint: You had to be in the "room where it happened.") Did you know about the vital role played by newly-arrived immigrants and foreigners (particularly the French) in the nation's founding? And how soon thereafter we had to grapple with the dilemma of whether or not to involve ourselves in faraway conflicts. (Sound familiar?) Did you know that the runner-up in the presidential election used to automatically take on the role of Vice President? Imagine if that were still the case now! It's all there, and much more, in the intense, dense lyrics and catchy tunes and raps of Hamilton!
YouTube is bursting with Hamilton. If you haven't been sucked into the vortex yet, try this:
And listen to the music, but be careful, you may never be able to get it out of your head! And you may never learn as much about our country's founding. Adamant that you don't like rap music? (I was until recently.) Ask me for the very special, personally compiled "Intro to Hamilton for People Who Always Thought They Hated Rap" CD!
Enjoy spring break, everyone.
Peter
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TRIMESTER III BEGINS ON TUESDAY, APRIL 12
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Have a wonderful Spring Break Huskies!
Trimester III begins on Tuesday, April 12.
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SIGN UP FOR THE PV RELAY FOR LIFE ON APRIL 30
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Relay for Life is Saturday, April 30.
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FOLLOW THE HUSKIES GOING TO COSTA RICA
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Wishing a fun and safe trip to Ms. Hagee, Ms. Ribaudo, and the Huskies going to Costa Rica! Follow the progress of their service project on their blog. They're also taking over the school Snapchat - make sure to add @rhpandren!
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| | Three of four RHP sailors, Paul H., Jacob S., and Cade M., along with the other King Harbor teams, Redondo Union High and Mira Costa High, at the Santa Barbara Gaucho Regatta. |
Going into the last SoCal regatta in San Diego yesterday, RHP had two boats in 23rd and 36th place out of 101 boats competing in Southern California. In 23rd place, Drea and Crew (Jacob, Paul, McKinley, Hanna, and Cade) were just one point behind the top Mater Dei High School boat and tied with the top Palos Verdes High School boat. Both of our boats finished ahead of the top boats that included Peninsula High School, Port of Los Angeles High School, and Redondo Union High School. #GoHuskies
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IAN J. WINS SECOND PRIZE IN 2016 ROTARY ART CONTEST
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Congratulations to Ian J., RHP 9th grader, for achieving Second Prize ($300.00) in the 2016 Rotary Art Contest. The theme this year was "Water is Life " and he submitted the this mixed media artwork. He is also invited to attend a luncheon with the Rotarians on April 1st.
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EVIN W. IS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS STUFFED ANIMAL SERVICE PROJECT
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Evin W., RHP 7th grader, was honored with a special Certificate of Appreciation from Orange County Superior Court for the toy drive he organized on campus last trimester. With the help of his classmates and Mrs. Cowgill, Evin donated more than 200 stuffed animals to the Court which will be given to children when their adoptions are finalized. Click here to read the article in the OC Register.
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AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION TOP SCORERS
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 Our math department hosted two of the MAA American Mathematics Competitions on campus. AMC 10 and AMC 12. Congratulations to these Huskies that had the top scores!
AMC 10
Jerry H., RHP 9th grade
AMC 12 James C., RHP 12th grade
Matthew H., RHP 12th grade
Ning M., RHP 12th grade
Try these sample problems from the contests!
What is the value of  ?
Click here for the solution.
What is the area of the shaded region of the given rectangle?
Click here for the solution.
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RENAISSANCE 8TH GRADE INTERNSHIP PROJECTS
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Our Renaissance 8th graders presented their internship projects last week. For this project, students are instructed to "create something"and record their progress step by step. Parents are invited to the culmination presentations where students showcase a PowerPoint, poster and speech.
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NEW START DATE FOR PSAT PREP CLASSES
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Hello Rolling Hills Prep and Renaissance School Parents:
We have changed the start date for the second rotation of our twice-weekly PSAT prep classes with Dov Engelberg. Classes will now begin after students return from spring break. The second rotation will be for 10th grade students whose last names begin with the letters P through Z. Classes are scheduled for the following days:
- Wednesday, April 13th and Thursday, April 14th at 7:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, April 20th and Thursday, April 21st at 7:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, April 26th and Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00 a.m. (note Tues. & Wed.)
- Wednesday, May 4th and Thursday, May 5th at 7:00 a.m.
The first four-week rotation of PSAT prep classes concluded on Thursday, March 10th.
Sophomores will take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of their junior year and based on their scores may qualify for National Merit Scholarships. If you have any questions, feel free to call or email me.
Best Regards,
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DANIELLE BERRY '04 SPEAKS WITH ASPIRING TEACHERS
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| Ms. Danielle Berry with Chloe S. '22 and Abby Galletti '15
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Renaissance 5th/6th grade teacher Danielle Berry (RHP '04) was invited to speak recently to aspiring teachers at Chapman University's Integrated Educational Studies (IES). She was introduced by her own Renaissance student, Chloe S. Danielle spoke to undergraduate students, including RHP alumna Abby Galletti, as part of their IES Conclave. She discussed what the meaning of cognitive diversity (aka different learning styles) and some techniques to keep in mind when working with cognitively diverse students. Danielle very much focused on how empowering students is the ultimate goal and discussed ways to make that happen. She stated afterwards, "It was a great experience and I loved getting to share what we do on a daily basis with a larger community!"
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LANDON LEFF '11 VISITS CAMPUS
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 Landon Leff, Class of 2011, visited campus this week. He is just about to graduate from Drexel University in Pennsylvania. For his second internship through Drexel, Landon worked for a venture capital firm. One of the startup companies that the firm funded is developing an app for music and file sharing. He will be coming back to Los Angeles to work for the startup full time.
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SHELTERED HISTORY STUDENTS PLAY TO LEARN ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON
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FACES PROGRAM SEEKS HOST FAMILIES FOR TEENS FROM FRANCE
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Have you ever thought about how exciting it would be to interact with and learn about people from another part of the world? FACES is a cultural exchange program that brings boys and girls, ages 13-17, from France to the South Bay every summer. These teens live in your home from July 6 - 26, 2016, hoping to experience American life, make new friends, and improve their English skills. They need host families who will open their homes to them. There are no organized activities during their stay, but informal group events are planned with other host families.
As a host family, your role is to welcome the teenager into your home by providing a bed, full board, transportation, and inclusion in everyday activities and routines. They are fully insured for medical, liability, and emergency home return.
This is a special opportunity that benefits everyone, as positive relations are built as a result of this exciting cultural exchange! To become a host family, call Linda Bair at 310-433-7318 or email FACELHB@yahoo.com.
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GALILEO INNOVATION CAMPS ARE HERE THIS SUMMER
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 Galileo Summer Camps are coming to the RHP/Ren campus this summer. These "Innovation Camps" for elementary and middle school students offer computer coding, engineering, "maker" classes, field trips and much more. We have chosen Galileo to run our summer program because their philosophy of education matches ours perfectly. More information can be found at www.galileo-camps.com. They are running a $150 off promotion this weekend at " Be my innovator." Check it out if you are looking for an exciting offering for your, pre-k through grade 8 son or daughter this summer. Want a glimpse of the middle school offerings? Watch these videos.
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FORENSICS/ANATOMY AND MIXED MEDIA COLLABORATION
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 Ms. Ribaudo's forensics/anatomy class collaborated with Ms. Rudolph's mixed media class to study the work of Jackson Pollock while simulating blood splatter using paint. Like Pollock's painting, blood splatter can tell a story about a crime. Like the artist, students from both classes used wooden sticks to put the paint on the sheet. The motion of the sticks with paint on them mimicked a weapon used in an attack. After the paint dried, students chose at least three splatter points of the same color and determined the area of convergence (the place where all the splatter points originated). Finally, students used trigonometric skills to solve for the angle of incidence and later determined the height at which the paint was released from the wood stick.
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6TH GRADE GREECE PROJECTS
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 The 6th graders had their mini museum this week on Greek culture, fashion, mythology, food, and geography. Everyone was welcomed to view the projects.
     
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FIELD TRIP: WE DAY AT THE FORUM ON APRIL 7
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Field Trip: Select Upper and Middle School Students to WE Day at The Forum
Date: Thursday, April 7
Time: Students should arrive on campus by 8am. Bus will leave campus at 8:15am sharp and return at 4:30pm.
Attire: WE Day shirts which will be passed out before departure.
Required Materials: Bring a bag lunch.
Lead Chaperone: Heather Ramirez
What is WE Day? WE Day is an inspirational event that brings together world-renowned speakers and performers to empower a new generation to shift the world from me to we-from a focus on the individual to the power of community. Tickets cannot be purchased to WE Day. RHP/Ren was selected to attend because of our robust service learning program. By taking action on a cause, students are equipped with the tools to succeed academically, in the workplace and as active citizens.
Here's a preview of the talent lineup.
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SPRING CLEANING DAY IS APRIL 16
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NEW FAMILY BBQ & ART SHOW RECEPTION IS APRIL 21
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Art Show Reception & New Family Dinner
Thursday, April 21, 2016 MPR
BBQ, 5pm Reception, 6pm-8pm
The annual Art Show is a celebration of the middle and high school visual arts at Rolling Hills Prep and Renaissance Schools. From drawing and painting to photography and design to mixed media and sculpture, Huskies will showcase pieces made in all of our art classes. This event is also a great way to meet our new families that will be joining us next school year.
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SAVE THE DATE: PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE IS APRIL 28
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Performing Arts Showcase
Thursday, April 28
6:30pm, MPR
Our most capable instrumentalists, vocalists and thespians delight us with their talents for one unforgettable evening. The line-up will also include recognition of our outstanding performing arts seniors. Don't miss it!
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FAREWELL TO OUR GIRLS FROM SENZOKU
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Make sure to follow us on our social media for all the fun!
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SCHOOL EVENTS
| ATHLETICS
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March 28-April 11
Spring Break (No School, Office Open)
April 11
Teacher Professional Development Day
(No School, Office Open)
April 12
First Day of Trimester 3
April 16, 8am-12pm Service Learning: Spring Cleaning Day
April 16, 1:30-4:30pm Mock AP Lit Exam
April 21, 5-8pm New Family BBQ Welcome/Art Show
April 26 Renaissance Workshop @ Warner Grand
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Visit our website to see the Athletics schedules.
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