On Friday, Sept 14 all 9th grade students took part in an on-campus “retreat” experience. They participated in a wide range of activities: making movie trailers, performing egg drop and laser experiments, writing personal histories, creating languages and dance movements based on their names. A pizza lunch was served outside and then students spent the afternoon playing life-size Jenga and making a collage about their group. In all, the day served the major purpose of letting students get to know each other (and CA faculty) better. We also wanted to expose them to novel situations in which the use of the 5 C’s (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication and character) would be paramount for their success. Many faculty were involved in the planning and teaching process over the course of the day, including all freshman advisors and most of the teachers who have freshman classes. In all, the day was fun, informative, and served to connect students and the faculty who work with them most closely.

Meanwhile, in the new 9th grade course Global Perspectives, students recently have been working with small robots and Arduino boards to learn computer programming skills. Having already taken apart (and put back together) bicycles, students are getting hands-on experience that will serve them well in the second half of the course when they are asked to design a major project. Students report that the course has been a refreshing change of pace and also very thought-provoking so far.