The New School of Northern Virginia

to the first week of last school year!

We're looking forward to tomorrow's New Student Orientation and to the start of school next week.

See you soon!

So much happens during a year at The New School!

Last year:
-The Model United Nations club participated in an important annual conference in D.C.
-Students explored Canada during Spring Break
-Nice weather brought opportunities to write poetry outside
-Experienced and new players came together on the Softball team, always excited to practice and play games
-Nature Walking students explored the creek, seeing deer and other wildlife
-Teachers created fun ways for students to learn - like Gabbi whose students played a Math Chutes & Ladders style game and had to solve a crime scene mystery while learning about proportions (she even used homemade scratch off paint to act as soot!).

School starts in a couple of weeks, and we're looking forward to another great year!

Diana and Austin took eight adventurers to the Rockies of Canada over spring break.

They learned about fossils, local wildlife, and how much better snowball fights are in Canada.

They had an excellent guide in Banff local, Rob, who took them all around the area, teaching lessons all along the way.

The travelers were immersed in a place that still felt truly wild, interacting with the residents who take care of it.

Students left with a deeper appreciation of fossils, from trilobites to dinosaurs, and landscapes, from mountain to badland hoodoos.

They also got an up close look at Calgary from its markets and libraries to the top of the Calgary tower.

For their Virginia Biology class, middle school students visited Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and Huntley Meadows Park (Friends of Huntley Meadows Park).

They visited Meadowlark during their study of the plant kingdom. Students were led by Jules, the program manager, throughout the gardens and had the opportunity to view many plants with amazing adaptations as well as learn about native and invasive plants.

They visited Huntley Meadows during their study of the animal kingdom. Students were taught about Virginia watersheds, native animals, and beaver activity. Then, they got the opportunity to explore the boardwalks over the marsh to view snakes, frogs, and turtles!

During Spring Break, Taryn, Gabbi, and Clara took 16 intrepid travelers abroad, winding their way through stays in Fiumicino, Florence, and Rome over the course of a week.

From the first night’s gelato through the pizza and tiramisu on the last day, the Italian food was a certainly a highlight of the experience!

Wonderful tour guides helped them in both museums and on city tours, showing them through great works of Renaissance and Classical art and architecture: from the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, to Michelangelo’s David, to the great paintings of Botticelli and Da Vinci in the Uffizi, and on to Rome—the Colosseum, the Forum, and the Vatican (where they were especially enthralled by the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel).

The AP Environmental Science class made "seed bombs" and spread them around campus.

They were a mixture of mud and seeds of plants native to this area. The hope is that they'll take root and grow throughout campus.

Throughout the course, students engaged with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships within the natural world. They identified and analyzed natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluated the relative risks associated with those problems, and examined alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.

The Essential Question was: How can we measure the interaction between human and ecological systems?

Students got hands on experience with the History and Culture of Japan during the class.

They took a field trip to the Freer Gallery, National Penjing and Bonsai Museum, and Ariake restaurant. One of the class members, Mike, presented about Kendo and other Japanese martial arts. And they tried their hand at ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers. While they didn't follow the formal conventions of ikebana, they aimed to arrange the flowers in the spirit of Japanese aesthetics.

For one of their field trips, the Virginia Biology class went to Lake Accotink in Springfield during their study of the Protista kingdom. Students made observations, took notes in their field journals, and collected water samples. The next day in class they looked at the lake water under the microscope and saw protists swimming around!

Students in the Geochemistry class did a lab experiment to ID different minerals.

They investigated eight minerals, examining things like light interaction, hardness, and solubility in acid.

During the Quarter 4 class, students focused on the Essential Question: How do the physical and chemical properties of earth materials interact?

They explored the chemical concepts within Geology to discover things like:

What is lava made of, and how does it turn into the rocks we see at earth’s surface?

How are the particles in mineral crystals arranged, and how does this affect their properties?

How does water interact with soil and rocks via biogeochemical cycles?

More graduation photos!

We miss the new graduates already. Have a great Summer and good luck with your next endeavors!

It's a graduation throwback for the last of the school year!

Enjoy this look back at middle and high school graduations from years past.

Each month during the school year, we post throwback photos from throughout the history of the school. And we'd love to include yours!

You can upload your New School throwback photos here:
https://nsnva.smugmug.com/upload/qWzgNc/NewSchoolVAThrowback (Please include info we should know, like the year, names, etc. in the photo captions.)

We can't believe it's already Summer break! The year flew by, and now's a great chance to catch up on what students experienced during Quarter 4:

Students hosted a Wellness Week. There were different activities each day, including students vs. faculty trivia.

4th Quarter Exhibitions were fun and informative, with everything from Plinko games to historical makeup tutorials.

On the softball team, experienced players helped teach the game to newcomers. Everyone banded together and had a great time.

And, as always, Field Day was a highlight. Students (and faculty!) had the chance to dunk both teachers and students in the highly anticipated dunk tank.

Have a great Summer everyone!

Painting Studio students presented their works during Exhibitions.

They talked about their pieces in relation to the Essential Question: How can color be used effectively in a painting?

Congratulations graduates!

More Exhibition pictures!

For their fourth quarter Exhibitions, students answered Essential Questions like:

How can color be used effectively in a painting?

What is the best way to manage suburban/urban “sprawl"?

How does my body work and how will understanding it help my perception of illnesses?

How can understanding various physical properties allow us to better appreciate different types of motion?

How can we assert the value of controversial literature?

That's the Essential Question students in Banned Books thought about throughout the class. For their exhibitions, they discussed many regularly banned books, asking audience members to give their takes on how we can, and why we should, protect access to them.

Two students created art pieces inspired by specific books. One of them spray painted dialogue onto strips of fabric. They then cut out specific letters to create a t-shirt that lists the reason the book has been banned.

One student had audience members send emails to a legislator who is trying to enact book bans in their state.

Another built a Banned Book Library. She included 15 often banned books and the different reasons they've been banned. For example,

"A Wrinkle in Time": undermining religious beliefs

"Bridge to Terabithia": satanism/the occult, promoting atheism, offensive language

"The Hate U Give": profanity, violence, anti-police messaging

Congratulations 8th Graders!

How might we find life beyond Earth?

That was the Essential Question for Astrobiology: The Hunt for E.T. For their exhibition, Abby and Collin became extrasolar real estate agents "selling" far-away planets to the audience. They focused on three planets with similarities to Earth that might make them habitable. After learning about each planet, students voted on which one they'd like to buy.

The History of Thieves class focused on the Essential Question: How do different societies' views of thieves reflect their social values and laws? Each student adopted the persona of a thief from history or media, talking about that person's experiences, and how they would have been viewed by the society of their time. Some of the figures represented were Billy the Kid, Frank Abagnale Jr., Big Pharma, and Catwoman.

Does fashion have the power to exert social and political change, or merely reflect it?

That was the Essential Question students in the History Through Fashion class worked to answer. For their exhibition, the class created a museum-style presentation with different topics for students and teachers to learn about.

The makeup station was where you could learn about cosmetics recipes and get your makeup done. At another station, you could try on different styles of petticoats and crinolines that have been used at different times in history. You could even learn about styles of hats and create your own design.

Field Day photos!

Today was the last day of classes, with a barbeque and Field Day activities to end the day. The dunk tank was especially popular, with chances to dunk Shannan, Gabbi, Steve, and some students.

In her Senior Exhibition, Emily worked to answer the question, "How are our collective identities shaped?"

She did a case study on the youth of Puerto Rico's protests against imperialism. Her museum-style presentation gave audience members the chance to engage firsthand with written and video materials to learn about and understand the protests. She spoke briefly about the history of the movement. Then she led everyone in a discussion that focused on exploring possible answers to her Essential Question.

Rehearsal photos from the middle school production of Bad Auditions by Bad Actors, written by Ian McWethy.

Fiona, a Photography Intern, shared photos from Nature Walking class.

Thanks Fiona!

We're excited to introduce the Development & Marketing Interns for next school year!

The Interns play an important role in the fundraising and marketing efforts of the school. They help with photography, graphic design, writing, event planning, and (new next year!) social media.

There will be 22 interns in grades 8th -12th. 10 are returning interns, with 12 new additions to the team:

-Abby, 10th
-Izzy, 11th
-Justin, 10th
-Libby, 10th
-Luke, 12th
-Rune, 9th
-Ryan, 11th
-Silvia, 12th
-Vicki, 8th
-Warren, 11th
-Lucy, 9th
-Noah, 12th
-Mel D., 12th
-Mel S., 11th
-Gwynnie, 10th
-Marcus, 11th
-Piper, 10th
-Khemra, 12th
-Chance, 11th
-Floria, 9th
-Leo, 10th
-Cate, 12th

New next year, the social media team will revamp the school's Instagram account, designing campaigns and posts, including the writing, graphic design, and photography. They'll work with the other teams to create content and make the account what the students think it should be.

We can't wait to share what the entire internship team is capable of!

It's Senior Prank Day!

The Seniors gathered all of the teachers' chairs, and some other items, and set them up in the gym.

When they arrived this morning, teachers found clever notes on their whiteboards that were specific to the classes they teach:

"Find the work done for your chairs to leave." - They'd need to find the weight of each chair, frictional force, and distance to the gym to come up with an answer!

"Find the rate at which the chairs were leaving this building (in chairs per student)."

"Calculate how many chairs you have left - I'll give you a hint...zero!"

"How does chair migration affect the ability to sit?"

"What is the essence of a chair if there are no chairs?"

"I stole all of these".

"AP Siterature."

"Este es un ingenioso juego de palabras sobre la silla"

"The chairs have been banned"

The last Community Time of the school year!

Students and faculty have had fun throughout the year in clubs like hide and seek, soccer, textiles, and shrinky d***s.

Community Time is a dedicated time for clubs to meet built into the school day every other Wednesday. Its a great chance for students to connect, pursue their interests, and try new things.

Sam, a Photography Intern, gave us a look inside Survival Science class.

In this class, students get to learn about the science of survival, and then apply what they've learned in both urban and wilderness settings. They learn about topics like water purification, food preservation, homeostasis, and heat conservation. And apps like SEEK help identify and learn more about which local plants are edible.

Throughout the class they ask themselves: If I woke up one day without the conveniences of modern society, how long would I last? How can my knowledge of chemistry, biology, and engineering practice help me create tools to meet my physical needs?

Thanks Sam!

Secret Garden Birds and Bees spoke with the Virginia Biology class about hawks and owls yesterday.

They got to meet a Great Horned Owl named Hodor, an Eastern Screech Owl named Kvosir, as well as some others. The Great Horned Owl's scientific name is Bubo
virginianus because it was first documented as a species during colonial times in Virginia!

Thank you Liz Dennison from Secret Garden Birds and Bees for coming out to speak to us!

Secret Garden Birds and Bees is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization working with wildlife rehabilitators, falconers, naturalists, biologists and beekeepers to share their love of nature and wildlife with our communities.

You can learn more about their work (and Hodor and Kvosir!) at http://www.secretgardenbirdsandbees.com/

Photography Intern Fiona got some great shots during the volleyball team's semi-final match.

Thanks Fiona!

The volleyball team kept it close throughout the championship game against The French International School. They played hard, worked together, and made some truly amazing plays.

The team came second in the league after playing a great season. They've shown consistent and strong teamwork, always being their for their teammates.

We're so proud of the entire team! Great season everyone - You should all be proud of yourselves!

It's a Field Day throwback for this month's !

The end of the school year is a little over three weeks away, and Field Day will be here before we know it. It's a great chance to come together as a community before Summer break and have some fun!

Enjoy a look at these yearbook pages of past Field Days at The New School.

Each month, we post throwback photos from throughout the history of the school. And we'd love to include yours!

You can upload your New School throwback photos here:
https://nsnva.smugmug.com/upload/qWzgNc/NewSchoolVAThrowback (Please include info we should know, like the year, names, etc. in the photo captions.)

Big thanks to Fiona, a Photography Interns, for these great photos of the Frisbee class in action!🥏

During the class students learn the fundamentals of the game and hold scrimmages. Sometimes they take a break from frisbee and invite other classes to join them for some dodgeball.

The volleyball team is going to the finals!!!!🏐

They'll play at The Lab School in D.C. this Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

The volleyball team is playing in the semifinals tomorrow!🏐

Here's a look back at one of their games from earlier this season. Thank you to Sam, a Photography Intern, for these great photos!

to last week's Students vs. Faculty volleyball game! 🏐

They each won a set, so it's all tied up. Everyone hopes to pick the game back up before the end of the school year.

A special shout out to Mia who refereed the match and did some pre-game coaching for the students!

More Spring Showcase photos!

Students and faculty love Community Time!

With clubs like textiles, dodgeball, history, and arbitrary debate, there's something for everyone.

Community Time is a dedicated time for clubs to meet built into the school day every other Wednesday. Its a great chance for students to connect, pursue their interests, and try new things.

Sam, a Photography Intern, shared some photos from Painting Studio.

Students practice using painting media such as tempera, acrylic, and watercolor. They explore different painting techniques to develop color schemes, textures, and value in their artworks.

Thanks Sam!