Upper School Blog

Every year, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) holds a competition - the Physics Bowl - testing student knowledge of Physics. The scores are then reported by Region - we are Division 2,  which comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachussetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. This is King's third year competing, but only the first year that we competed with a full team for Division Two, which is for students who are in their second year of Physics.

This year, King took first place in our region, both by highest student, David Meyer '13, and by High School. Being first for both scores - by student and by school - is quite an accomplishment, especially in Division 2 where very able students, who are usually taking AP Physics, compete. The questions on the exam go beyond the AP, Honors, and IB curricula and include questions about the History of Physics, Nobel Prize Winners and Astronomy.

Congratulations to David and the entire King team of Grade 12 students: Andrew Farber, Guilbert Francois, William Rigby-Hall, Martha Whamond, and Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick.

Date: Monday, May 20, 2013

Time/Place: 8:00-9:30 a.m., PAC

Come join parents from all divisions as Bud Freund (Parent, 2016 & 2019) and Senior Assistant State Attorney Richard Colangelo educate parents about ways to help “manage” your child’s use of the internet. Parents will walk away from this presentation with practical skills about how internet usage can be monitored, limited and/or removed. Also, a deeper understanding of the abuses and dangers of online usage will be explored from Mr. Colangelo’s area of expertise. It will be an informative presentation for all.

Bud Freund teaches technology at Bi-Cultural Day School and provides tech support to small businesses and families looking for reasonable, cost-effective solutions. Mr. Freund also provides training to individuals, groups and corporations including GE, USB and the YMCA. Mr. Freund’s computer and networking knowledge base has grown from over 16 years of training and mentoring and started with building HIPAA compliant networks for medical offices in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. His skill set also enables him to give back to the community as a SCORE counselor specializing in IT.

Richard J. Colangelo, Jr. is a Senior Assistant State’s Attorney in the Judicial District of Stamford / Norwalk. Attorney Colangelo joined the Division of Criminal Justice in March 1993. He has prosecuted all types of major felony cases. Throughout his career he has specialized in cases of child exploitation, both severe physical and sexual abuse, and child sexual exploitation cases involving the internet. He has taught in the Criminal Justice program at Norwalk Community College since 1995. Attorney Colangelo is the Chairman of the State Board of Examiners for Psychologists, Chairman of the Easton Police Commission, Vice President of the Human Services Counsel Board of Directors in Norwalk, President of the Boys and Girls Club of Redding-Easton Board of Directors, and a member of the Eyewitness Identification Task Force. He has presented on various topics at area schools, businesses and parent groups.

Earlier this week, I had a wonderful pre-coffee session with the grade level representatives. The major topic of our discussion was the review and exam days! The group was very helpful in terms of supporting the School’s desire that this period of time go smoothly for our students and their teachers. Frankly, we are excited about the plans, as they point toward the future of this building, and the beautiful renovations that will take place when we vacate the Upper School for the last time. I will go over these plans at next week’s coffee, on Wednesday, May 15. You will also have an opportunity to meet Jessica Landis, our new Associate Director of College Counseling.

Please know that, during the review period days and exams, students will NOT be allowed in the US academic areas for ANY reason. Advisors and Deans will help students review their schedules, class, and exam locations, as well as help them clean out materials in their lockers, before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 24. All students and Teachers will have new schedules indicating their new class and exam locations; they will have time to practice finding their classrooms and exam locations; and they will have time to sort out any exam re-scheduling that may need to occur in advance.

I would like to thank Karin Wagner, Bobby Walker, Karen Raidt, Pat Doering, the entire maintenance team, the Italian Center administration, and the MS and LS Faculty for their incredible creativity, flexibility, planning, and patience during these past months. We, in the Upper School, are confident that the time period from May 28 to June 7 will go very smoothly, and we are grateful to our colleagues across all divisions for helping us manage our plans.

SO…what follows is a series of important details, beginning with what we call “review period”,
May 28-30:

1)   Students will report on May 28, May 29, and May 30 at 8:00 a.m. as they do each day. Students will be dropped off where they normally drop off – and park where they normally park – and then report to the PAC.

2)   Advisory groups will meet at 8:00 a.m. as usual, in the PAC Theater. Students will sit by advisory group and I will have community members available for announcements pertinent to each day.

3)   May 28 is a D-day, May 29 an E-day, and May 30 an F-day. This is already the case in the students’ planners and on the US calendar.

4)   Students will proceed to their classes according to schedules that they will already have in hand. (And of course we will have extras!). Faculty and Deans will be available to direct students as they proceed to their class locations. Most classes are in the Middle School and Lower School; a few are in the Italian Center.

5)   Keep in mind that Wednesday, May 29, is Prize Day. After first period on that day, students will proceed to the MS Commons for line-up. Prize Day will begin promptly in the tent at 9:00 a.m. Students should be in formal dress on that day. They can change if they like, after the ceremony ends, as they will then proceed with their classes on a special schedule. But all classes will meet.

6)   Strategies classes will meet as normal, as will study halls. These will be placed – as all classes are – on students’ schedules.

7)   Students will eat lunch in the US gym and that space is available during free periods. There will be tables set up for their use. They may also use the PAC lobby, outdoor areas if weather permits, and areas pre-arranged with teachers for extra help sessions.

8)   Faculty and administrative phone numbers remain the same during this time. Counselors and Learning Specialist office locations will be widely publicized for student use.

What follows now is a series of important details related to exams and make-up exams, occurring from May 31-June 6:

1)   Exams will run by subject, with two exams each day. The morning exam begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 11:00 a.m.; the afternoon exams begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 2:30 p.m. All exams and make-up exams will be in the Lower School.

2)   Students who have a morning exam should report to their Lower School exam location at 8:45 a.m. Students with afternoon exams should report to their Lower School exam locations at 12:15 p.m. Students who have two exams each day may stay between exams, with food available in the US Gym. Students should NOT be on campus if they do not have an exam.

3)   On May 31, the exam schedule is as follows:

• Math, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
• English, 12:30-2:30 p.m.

4)   On June 3, the exam schedule is as follows:

• History, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
• Science, 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

5)   On June 4, the exam schedule is as follows:

• World Languages, 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

6)   We will offer make-up exam slots during the following times:

• June 4, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
• June 5 and 6, 9:00-11 a.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m.
  

We have many students who take multiple languages and multiple history courses, so students will need to arrange to take those exams during make-up slots. They will make these arrangements with their individual Teachers, and their Teachers will be here to proctor them during those times.

7)   AGAIN, ALL EXAMS AND MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL OCCUR IN THE LOWER SCHOOL.

8)   Graduation is May 31 beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the tent.  Please pick up your son/daughter promptly after exams, so that campus facilities can prepare for Commencement.

9)   Pick up for exams is at the Lower School.

Thank you so much for your flexibility and understanding as we move through the close of the school year. I look forward to seeing you at next week’s coffee! And, as always, if you are unable to attend, please do not hesitate to give me a call with questions.