Spring is Coming!

Snow melting, birds chirping, sun shining can only mean one thing: Spring is Here! 

7th Graders enjoying lunch on the Dining Hall porch.

At Garrison Forest School spring weather means putting away GFS sweatpants, sitting outside during lunch, and spring sports. Although we will miss wearing boots to school, and having snowball fights outside, spring is the season we all look forward to. I asked several 7^th graders what they look forward to about spring.

“The thing I love about spring is when I ride outside at the barn.”-Kara F.

 “I like how the campus is so beautiful and really shows what GFS is all about.” –Ayanna D.

“Lax season!”-Cammie G. 

 As you can see, spring is awaited by everyone  for all these different reasons! 

-- text and photos by Hallie A. (Special thanks to Ayanna, Cammie, and Kara)  

Binding Books and Singing Solfeges!

A few weeks ago, we started a new semester in the Middle School! Students who had dance and drama the first semester have music and art now, and vice-versa!  

In art class we are currently working on a book making project. Students put together folios which consisted of five sheets of paper folded in half.  We then sewed the first to the second and so on until all five were together, and we had created a book block. It was a hard process but after a few slight mishaps everyone’s books were sewn together.

The next step towards making our book was gluing the spine together. We spread Glue over the whole spine and pressed down. We had to very careful not to get glue on any other part of our book. After that we left our books to dry and started to work on the covers for our books. We took three pieces of cardboard and three pieces of pretty fabric. We got two chose between a few differently pattern Sheets of paper with flowers and leaves on them. We then began to paste the fabric to the pieces of cardboard. So far that is how much we have done on our books!  We all can hardly wait to see how these amazing books will turn out and begin using them.  

In Music class we have been reviewing things we learned last year. We reviewed the solfege scale and hand signals (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do) by singing the notes and repeating the hand signals our teacher showed us. In the end, our teacher surprised us by letting us know that we had just sung a song using solfege! We also reviewed lessons about rhythm and note reading. We went over how many beats each different type of note had. We also had a lot of fun singing and playing the drums to a Finnish folk song!  I can’t wait to see what the rest of this exciting semester in music has to offer.

-- Text and Photos by Emma B.

Last Sunday's Equestrian Show

This past Sunday Garrison hosted an Interscholastic Equestrian Association show.  Many of the students from Garrison who are on the IEA Team rode in this show. Everyone had a great show.  The GFS Middle School team ended up coming in 1^st place overall.  The GFS Upper School team came in 3^rd  place overall.  This horse show was our last one before Regionals.  Many of the students on the GFS Team have qualified for Regional’s which will also be held at GFS. Come support our team!

Sunday wasn’t only a long day of hard work, but it was a sad day for all the riders and coaches too. One of the schools brought their horse named Willie.  In the middle of the show there is something called schooling which is when you show all the other teams your horses, and get them warmed up before they show. During schooling while Willie was jumping he had a seizure. The seizure caused him to trip over the jump and crash into the dirt.  Willie ended up snapping his neck.  Sadly no one could save him.  Not only were the Madeira girls devastated, but every other barn was too.  Willie and the Madeira girls will remain in everyone’s thoughts.  

When I walked into the ring for my jumping class, I was a little nervous because I was riding a horse that I had never ridden before.  I walked into the ring wondering how my horse was going to behave. After my two warm up jumps, I felt a little more confident.  My coach gave me a little advice and we went over my course one last time.  During my course I was so scared that I was going to forget my course.  But about half way through my course I felt comfortable and wanted to win my class.  Since I went 2^nd I had to watch all the other riders and compare them to me.  I ended up getting second in my division; I was very happy, and proud of myself.   

-- Writing and Photos by Jackie W. and Gabi S.

MINIMESTER - The Best Part of JANUARY!!!

Every year at Garrison Forest we have a week called Minimester. During Minimester we choose two non-academic classes from a catalog. Some of the choices we have are Paws and Claws, Collections and Collectors, Finding and Nurturing your Inner Self, So You Think You Can Dance: Click HERE for more information about the courses offered. Normally, we have Minimester in January after our first semester. Minimester gives us a chance to learn new and exciting things that we wouldn’t learn during the regular academic school day. 

Collections and Collectors

 The classes I chose to take during Minimester were Finding and Nurturing your Inner Self with Mrs. Rao and Mrs. Chrobocinski and Collections and Collectors with Mr. Beretta. Both of the classes I took were very fun. Finding and Nurturing your Inner Self was very relaxing. We learned relaxtion techniques and we also learned a lot of other cool things such what your dreams mean. We also watched movies and made pictures frames using images and words from magazines that described us. 

Collections and Collectors was about people who have there own art collections. It was also a lot about art. Everyday we took a field trip to people's houses that had their very own collection. The things that they collected were very cool. My favorite trip that we took was to a lady’s house who had a daughter that went to Garrison. She collected famous artwork and the artwork was amazing. I learned about  a lot of artists while taking that course. 

If I had to choose my favorite class that I took during minimester I couldn’t because they were both very fun!

-- text by Ashlei C.

Ending a Long Week with CLUBS!!!

We have clubs every other week on Friday for 40 minutes. Some of the clubs we've had are Yoga Club, Cooking Club, Knitting Club, Strategic Games Club, Green Club, WGFS, Art Club, Dance Club, and so much more! All the clubs are run by the faculty of the Middle School. What's been YOUR FAVORITE CLUB?

In clubs, we're doing a lot of fun things. In Yoga Club with Ms. Chavez, you learn how to do yoga positions that are sometimes difficult yet they stretch out your muscles. In Cooking Club with Mr. Beretta and Mrs. Leary, you make a variety of different foods like homemade ice cream, pizza, and more! In Dance Club with Mrs. Blackston, you learn different dance moves and make a dance with your whole club. In WGFS with Mr. McManus, which is a new club this year, students are creating their own radio station that includes interviews and podcasts. In Knitting Club with Mrs. Gunning, you knit anything you want and learn new tips on how to knit. 

Clubs are really important for us to have because after a week of classes, it's a way for us to do something that we've never done before or just do fun activities. Also, clubs give us a chance to spend time with students in other grades. What do you think? After the 1^st semester, we are switching clubs so that everybody gets a chance to do something different.  Currently, Cammie is in Yoga Club and Evie is in Jumping for Jacks. For the next Clubs session, Cammie wants to try Strategic Games and Evie wants to try Knitting Club. What club are you going to try to get into next semester?!

-- Text and Photos by Cammie G. and Evie G.

SUPPORTING the DONALD BENTLEY FOOD PANTRY

A Visit to The Donald Bentley Food Pantry by Brooke F. from GFS Middle School on Vimeo.

We are committed to helping those in our community that are in need. We are a proud supporter of the Donald Bentley Food pantry, which is a place in Baltimore City where people who can’t always afford to buy nutritious foods can go and get just that.  Every month, we are asked to bring in a certain food such as, peanut butter, tuna fish, canned soup, pasta, etc.  In addition to benefiting the pantry, each item of food collected is counted as a light or dark blue spirit point. At the end of the month a family takes the food to the pantry to be distributed.

 During the month of January, we are collecting canned soups.  Please bring or send as many cans as you can so that we can provide as much soup to people during these cold months.  Above is a video filming the pantry that Brooke F. created when she visited.  Enjoy

-- Jessica M. (7th Grader and Co-Head of the GFS Donald Bentley Food Pantry Drive)

-- Video shot and edited on iMovie by Brooke F. 

The Seventh Grade Civil War Celebration

This past Thursday, December 9^th, the Seventh Grade held its first Civil War Celebration in the Manor House.  Blending religious holidays and the girls' studies of the American Civil War, this dinner immersed students in this period’s culture while, at the same time, providing a merry evening filled with good friends and food.   

 Students were asked to dress in the appropriate fashion of the era, such as gowns and soldier uniforms, and prepare one dish (cold or hot) served back then.  Among the more unique menu items were fried catfish, potato latkes, and sweet potato pie.   

 Activities included being greeted by “Honest Sarah”, being photographed with Gabi's festive horse Josiah owned by , socializing and eating among the Southern Belles, caroling with Mrs. Flynn, listening to an after dinner speech given by Jackie M.’s grandfather portraying Confederate General John B. Gordon, and participating in a gift exchange.   

 Additionally, many religions were represented during our dinner blessings, as Sakinah R. and Mimi N. (Muslim prayer),  Rachel G. and Sarah S. (Jewish prayer), and Halle A. (Christian prayer) consecrated the food and the event.  

 Overall, it was an unforgettable night that represented the true spirit of the holidays and the Civil War. 

SUCCESS for the GFS GRIZZLIES ROBOTICS TEAM!

Our GFS Grizzlies Robotics Team came back to the Middle School with a big success this past Monday!  On Saturday, December 4th, the team, led by Coach Jessica Lewis, competed in the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE Qualifier at Liberty High School.  Of the nineteen teams competing, only seven teams would qualify for the State Championship in February. 

 (Grizzlies Team Members:  Chanler, Najuma, Emily, Emma, Jackie, Alex, and Vasi)

The Qualifier consisted of four categories: Robot Design, Robot Challenges, Teamwork and a Research Project.  The Robot Design judges looked for how well the robot was built in order to complete competition tasks.  The tasks are different challenges put on a board.  Upon seeing the board, the team has to program the robot to complete the challenges.  The challenges usually have to do with the year’s theme, and this year's theme is Biomedical Engineering.  For their research project, the Grizzlies designed a prosthetic arm that can sense pressure.

After a long day of hard work, the Grizzlies came home with the 1st Place trophy for Robot Design!  Great job, Grizzlies Team Members and Coach Lewis!  Good luck in the State Championship at the end of February!



(Photos and Text by Alex T. and Ms. Lewis)

2010 THREE WORD VIDEO

What would you say to the WORLD if you only had THREE WORDS?  

The 2010 Seventh Grade THREE WORD VIDEO.

Created in Digital Thinking II Class
Edited in Final Cut Express
Music Credits:  'Wave Your Flag' by K'Naan

Shop for Our Sisters in Afghanistan Fundraiser!

On Saturday, November 20th, the Seventh Grade held a fundraiser for the students at Mandawera, our Sister School in Afghanistan.  The Shopping Event was held in historic waterfront Fells Point at the Ten Thousand Villages store and The Daily Grind.  Each business donated a portion of their profits to the cause. 

The day was a big success, raising over $1200 to be donated to Women for Afghan Women.  Many Seventh Graders volunteered to raise awareness about the fundraiser on the streets of Fells Point.  They hung posters in stores, distributed flyers on the streets, and even serendaded potential shoppers!

A group of students borrowed some of the instruments from Ten Thousand Villages and went down to the Fells Point Square.  There, competing with a bag-pipe player, the students sang a songs informing people about womens' lives in Afghanistan and how we need to support them.  All of the instruments they played were completely hand made by women in other countries.  The guitar-like instruments are made out of wood, strings and even an old tomato can!

 

The whole event was loads of fun!  Thanks to each and every person who helped make this event a success!
- Rachel G. (photo credit:  Julianna M. and Mrs. Mallonee)