AP Physics Students Make Hovercrafts

In our AP Physics class, we were tasked with the assignment to construct a small hovercraft capable of going across a classroom on its own.  We could only use computer fans and motors to keep the vehicle hovering.  The hovercraft needed to go straight while hovering, and had to be able to race with the hovercrafts of the rest of the class.  My hovercraft had a large Styrofoam [piece], while others used a garbage bag for a skirt in order to allow it to hover.  One of the biggest problems that we all encountered in the building process was finding a way to cancel out the rotational inertia of the fan that was allowing our projects to hover.  The fan would make the hovercraft spin around and it was hard to make it go in one direction.  Some people in the class used two fans at the end to push it, or angled [their] back fan to cancel out the central fan, while others used a motor and a regular fan to push it.  In the end, Steven Verovsky’s hovercraft narrowly beat out Mr. Whitfield’s fan to win the AP Physics championship.  Naturally, my fan broke before the race and one of Alex Verovsky’s fans blew out after one race.

The Race Participants

(Mr. Whitfield, Alex Verovsky, Daniel Solomon, Steven Verovsky)

~Daniel Solomon

Class of 2011

Sustainability

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy time with our family and friends we often focus on abundance. This time of year we enjoy plentiful food as we indulge in the holiday feasts. This is usually not the time of year we focus on preserving natural resources and living sustainably (using renewable resources).


Cardin’s biology classes have just finished learning about ecology and conservation. We reflected on the resources we use at school and in our homes by taking the carbon footprint quiz (www.myfootprint.org). Many of the students found this to be eye-opening. We compared the amount of resources we as Americans use to the resource consumption of other nations.

Together, the students brainstormed some ideas about how we can conserve resources. Some suggestions include:

• Reducing water consumption by doing full loads of laundry or taking shorter showers
• Using energy saving appliances
• Strive for a waste-free lunch (pack only reusable containers)
• Unplugging devices you’re not using (chargers that are plugged in still use energy)
• Eating locally grown food
• Eating seasonally available food
• Carpooling or taking public transportation or even walk (it’s also a healthy option)
• Consider buying a hybrid vehicle or more fuel efficient car
• Encourage your politicians to pass environmentally-friendly legislation

We hope you will find some of these friendly reminders helpful as you celebrate the holiday season.

~Ms. Alexandra Sloane
Science Instructor

A Day of Interaction, Understanding, and Cooperation

On Wednesday, November 17, the 9th, 10th, and 11th graders joined 35 students from the St. Frances Academy, a Catholic school, in sharing an experience at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. The purpose of our trip was for both groups to gain greater insights as to the commonality that both faiths share. Small groups were formed, comprised of members of both schools, and students went on an information scavenger hunt learning from an exhibit that details Jewish influences, relationships, and policies of Pope John Paul II.


The second aspect of the field trip was exploring the Lloyd Street Synagogue to learn about it’s transformation from a Catholic church to a synagogue. Students from both schools participated in a show and tell that described religious ritual artifacts from both faiths, and compared and contrasted their function. Common ground was established and understood by participating members.

The experience accomplished all of its goals, and it was a joy to observe students from both schools interacting, discussing the information from the exhibit, and enjoying the experience together. Cooperation and understanding was the theme for the day.

~Robert Cantor
Social Studies Chair

Fear Not the "B" Word

“How to Save on (Nearly) Everything,” “60 Tricks for Enjoying Life on Less,” “Save $1000 this Month,” “142 Ways to Save Time and Money,” “12 Sneaky Ways You Can Save $5,000” – seems as though every magazine cover these days promotes an article on how you can save money. Interestingly, the word “budget” is very rarely used in these headlines. Just like the word “diet,” the term “budget” has been perceived as a negative tool in the battle to manage your money. Over the past two weeks the Personal Finance class has been learning not to fear the B-word. We’ve discussed how taking the time and energy to discover where your money has gone and plan for where it will go helps you meet your goals. Those goals may be short-term, such as being able to buy prom tickets, or long-term, such as being able to go to college or buy a car. It takes planning to reach goals.


The students practiced preparing a personal budget in class as we played our own game of life. Each student received an “Income Card” disclosing their annual salary and monthly net pay. They were also dealt a random “Expense Card” with details of their fixed and variable expenses – car payment, rent, gas, food, and entertainment. Every card also required the student to record an expense of “savings” at 10% of their net pay each month. Then, as they calculated whether they needed to cut back on expenses or had money to allocate as they wished each month, I distributed two more “Surprise Cards” representing how reality sometimes forces us to make adjustments to our plans.

As we summarized the experience of making a spending plan, the students understood that budgets offer flexibility and the freedom for them to take control over their money. Hopefully, that lesson will remain with them for many years to come.

~Jan Schein
CFO, Personal Finance Instructor

Hebrew

בכיתת המתחילים למדנו שיר על ה"שלום" כל תלמיד נתבקש לצייר את בול השלום האישי שלו. התלמידים ציירו בולים ססגוניים בצבעי הקשת ואמרו שכך הם היו רוצים לראות את העולם. שכל הארצות יפסיקו להילחם ויחיו בשלום זה עם זה.


סידני: " אני רוצה שהילדים (יהיו) שמחים"

גויי: "אני רוצה שלום בין לבנים ושחורים... בכל העולם"

טובי: " אני רוצה שלום בכל השפות..." הוא כתב שלום בעברית, באנגלית ובערבית.

בן: כתב את הרעיון שלו בסמלים של שלום ואהבה. "לא למלחמות, כן לשלום"

השבוע ביקרה אותנו המדריכה מנטע, התלמידים היו נהדרים, השתתפו יפה בכיתות והעמידו את בית הספר שלנו באור חיובי מאוד.

כל הכבוד לכל התלמידים בקרדין יישר כוח!

~Morah Zohara Chaban
Hebrew Instructor

Cultural Literacy

It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year: the week I show the great classic (and possibly the finest movie ever made), Citizen Kane, to the seniors as part of Senior Seminar.  We’ll finish watching it today and then spend tomorrow discussing it – everything from the plotline and symbolism to the directorial choices and camera angles.  It’s a great, great movie, and part of the “cultural literacy” that’s so important to have.  Friday my seniors and I will be listening to music – we’ll explore the differences between Classical / Romantic music and the beginning of the moderns – like Stravinsky and Gershwin.  We’ll probably touch on jazz and the beginnings of rock ‘n’ roll.  In my freshman class, now that they have spent time studying the story of the Iliad and several books from the Odyssey, we’re enjoying a movie of the Odyssey produced by Francis Ford Coppola.  Next week the freshmen and I will invite our art teacher into our classroom so we can make shields in the manner of the great ancient Greek hero, Achilles.  And of course this weekend starts the auditioning process for the play….there’s always something exciting going on here at Cardin!

~Leslie Smith Rosen

Dean of General Studies

Cardin Scholars Program

Details of the new Cardin Scholars Program were revealed at our Open House on October 31st.  For those unable to attend the Open House here is a description of the program:

The Shoshana S. Cardin School is a co-educational college-preparatory school for grades 9 through 12 that pursues the rigorous integration of Judaic and general studies and achieves excellence in both. Guided and informed by Torah, the School transcends denominational affiliations. As members of a pluralistic school, students and faculty who vary in philosophy, theology, and ritual expression participate fully in an environment that fosters respect, acknowledges differences, and encourages growth. The School’s dynamic learning community inspires its graduates to engage in life-long learning, to fulfill their responsibilities as Americans, and to be committed members of the Jewish people.

The Shoshana S. Cardin Scholars Program recognizes highly motivated students who exemplify the mission of the School and who demonstrate a desire to learn, talent in a particular discipline, leadership potential, and commitment to activities beyond the classroom.

Cardin Scholars will work with a specialist in their discipline throughout their four years at Cardin, and will meet several times throughout the year for additional enrichment opportunities.

Up to ten incoming students for the class of 2015 will be granted scholarship awards of up to 80% of tuition for four (4) years, to be applied against school tuition upon enrollment in 2011-2012. Scholarship recipients are also eligible to receive financial aid in accordance with the tuition assistance criteria.

Disciplines
Athletics
Community Service
Hebrew Language 
Judaic Studies
Leadership
Literary Arts
Math
Performing Arts
Science
Visual Arts


Eligibility and Application Process


All interested students are invited to apply to Cardin in order to be considered for these highly valued awards. To further promote opportunities at Cardin, the school will encourage rabbis, community leaders, and school administrators to nominate qualified students. Family members of current employees or Board members are not eligible to apply.

Only students who have submitted a completed application to enroll in ninth grade may compete to be a Cardin Scholar. Additional documentation to complete will be detailed on the Cardin Scholarship form. Forms will be available by December 1, 2010. The deadline to submit material to be considered for a scholarship is January 28, 2011.

For more information about the Cardin Scholars Program, please contact Anne Tanhoff Greenspoon, Director of Admission at 410.585.1400, ext. 207 or agreenspoon@shoshanascardin.org .

Found Poetry

Pirke Avot teaches us that in order to know where we are going, we need to know from where we came.


Today concluded a very special week with artist-in-residence Betty McIntire. Our 9th and 12th grade students re-read their Bar and Bat mitzvah Torah readings in order to see how they connect NOW to their portions. Betty led several workshops in which she instructed them on how to make found poetry collages. Using the words of their Torah portions, each student made a collage. They turned out amazing and to be poignant reminders and arrows pointing to the people they have become.

My Torah portion was and still is Lech Lecha. Abraham has always been somewhat of a mentor to me. He speaks to me, as a visionary, as living in the present with a dream of the future; as someone who had a dream of the future and held on to it despite the many obstacles that seemed to make the dream impossible.

Here is my found poetry:

Be A Blessing
And you shall receive a great reward - An exceedingly heavy burden
Exceedingly
Exceedingly
Many
In peace
At a ripe old age

May we be granted the vision of Abraham to always see beyond the reality of the present, seeing the blessings of future multitudes in each and every Jew.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaics

Spanish

Much of this semester has been spent on the students and I getting to know one another. Classes have had to adjust to a few changes in schedule and placement. Through this process students are learning how to be flexible and adapt.


An important part of learning a language is learning about the culture. In a Spanish IV unit on identity, ¿Quién soy en realidad?, we analyzed some prints of the well-known Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. I chose this artist due to the myriad aspects of her own identity that she expressed in her art. Frida's cultural identity (Jewish father and indigenous Mexican mother), her physical ailments, and her infertility were all vividly portrayed in her art.

Spanish II and III students shared some Pan de Muertos, a sweet bread eaten on the Day of the Dead, November 2nd. We discussed the symbolism of this day, how it is celebrated in different states in Mexico, and even worked on simple tissue paper flowers and “papel, picado”, ornaments.

~Rosemarie Steinberg
Spanish Instructor

Understanding Adolescence

Earlier this week I had the great opportunity to attend the AIMS Conference with thousands of educators from all over Maryland. I chose two incredible workshops that supported my growing knowledge on what makes adolescents tick. The first seminar was titled, “The Adolescent Brain: Open during Reconstruction.” Did you know that the adolescent brain is not the same size as an adult brain, and that it isn’t fully developed until early adulthood (around age 25)? Interestingly, the frontal lobes are the last to mature and those areas control decision making, planning ahead, impulses, higher-ordered thinking, and reasoning. It’s no wonder that these teenagers we work and live with can’t operate the way we can.


The second workshop, “Understanding and Working with the Challenges of Adolescence” provided superb insight and understanding into the different “selves” of adolescence, which include physical, emotional, thinking, academic, social, and spiritual selves. An interesting note, among many that I took away from this training, was that on the adolescent journey, teenagers attempt to form an identity, increasing their risk-taking behaviors. Risk-taking can be appropriate, such as pushing oneself to join a sports team or register for an upper-level class and it’s up to the adults around them to encourage these kinds of challenges.

I could go on all day about the information that was presented and I’d be happy to. Please contact me at jvillet@shoshanascardin.org if you’d like to continue the conversation.

~Jackie Villet
School Counselor

Is Slavery Acceptable from a Jewish Perspective?

This is a question that my 9th grade students discussed in a class the other day. Most of them agreed that oppression is not compatible with Torah teachings. Yet, we learned that there were Southern Jews who did own slaves. How could they justify their behavior?


Our tradition emphasizes obligations toward our fellow human beings. From the prohibition against oppressing a stranger and the commandment to pay the worker a just wage on time, through prophetic calls against social injustice to the great cry to never forget our own experience in Egypt, these should teach us empathy and solidarity with all the underprivileged and oppressed of the world. The Talmud even tells us that if we see evil happening and we are able to do something, but choose to do nothing, we are as accountable as the evil doer (Shabbat 54b).

Our tradition also tells us dina d’malchuta dina, “the law of the land is the law”: we are obligated to follow and obey secular laws established in the state we made our home (Baba Kama 113b). Most of the time, this rule is not an issue.  I understand why taxes and traffic rules are necessary. But it may become an issue if the laws clash with Torah teachings.

If we live under laws we find morally wrong we have a choice. We can either stand up, or we can do nothing, justifying our decision with the rule “dina d’malchuta dina”. That was the decision made by many of the Southern Jews in Antebellum America. They owned slaves and some participated in slave trade. Did they struggle with their decision? Or was it a no-brainer? My students made a great comment – in order to react to an evil act one needs first recognize it as such. It requires sensitivity to the suffering of others, courage and independent thinking. It takes selflessness and a set of priorities where the dignity of the other is placed high on top.

We know also about numerous Jews who chose the first option – to protest unethical laws through peaceful acts of civil disobedience, joining organizations supporting abused workers, or empowering underprivileged minorities.

Each of us has a chance to interpret our tradition in a personal way. Each of us has a choice.

~Rochel Czopnik
Judaics Instructor