Cardin Kaleidoscope

Hi there Cardin community - The last shows of the Shoshana S. Cardin School are coming soon!!!!! Please do not miss Cardin Kaleidoscope, there's quite a lot of talent, there's comedy, there's tragedy, there's farce, there's drama, there's singing, there's a musical ensemble, there's dancing, and there's saying farewell to Cardin. You can purchase tickets ($10.00) by calling Miriam Golob at 410.585.1400 for either or both shows at Hannah More Arts Center at St. Timothy’s School  (8400 Greenspring Avenue) on Thursday night, April 11 at 7pm, and Sunday, April 14 at 3pm. Hope to see you there to honor our actors and honor our nine wonderful years.

Three Old Men...an adaptation

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 men with beautiful smiles in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat”.

“We do not go into a house together”, they replied. “Why is that?” She wanted to know. So the  bald man explained: “His name is Wealth, he said pointing to one of his friends, and he is Success, pointing at another, and I am Love”. Then he added, “now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home”. The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed.

“Wealth, let him come and fill our home with wealth”! His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite the one with hair- Success”? Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love”! “Let us heed our daughter’s advice, said the husband to his wife. Go out and invite the man called Love to be our guest”. The woman went out and pointed at the man identified as Love. “Please come in and be our guest”. The bald man, Love, got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, and you said you did not all go in together. Why are you coming in”? The young men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success”!

(From the original version “Three old men”)

To all my Cardin friends – students, faculty, and parents: I am sure there is wealth and success in your futures. It is my hope that you will find, cultivate, and maintain Love, in your homes, and in your lives.

Dan Conway

Athletic Director

Wellness Day

One of the most highly anticipated days of the academic year took place on Thursday, February 14^th, 2013- Wellness Day! The entire Cardin community enjoys this annual one day break from the regular academic schedule to focus on health and wellness of the body and mind. 

We kicked the day off with an all-school fitness assessment that tested students in four key areas- flexibility/stretching, running, sit-ups and jumping rope.  Highlights included Mr. Creeger’s winning the title of “most flexible” faculty member, with Leah W. and Jake G. our most flexible students.  We finished the fitness assessment with a tug-of-war tournament, with a faculty win over the 12^th grade in the finals.

The second portion of the day was devoted to seminars focusing on a variety of topics.  In “Why They Really Say ‘You Shouldn’t Eat That’”, we explored whole versus processed foods with Cara Elio, a registered dietician and owner of La Vida Nutritiva, LLC, a nutrition counseling consulting firm.  “Safe, Far and Sober” was facilitated by Mike Gimbel, director of “Powered by Me” and President of Mike Gimbel Associates, a Substance Abuse and Education Consulting Service; we discussed adolescent substance abuse as well as hidden dangers of energy drinks and nutrition supplements.  Our own Coach Conway gave a First Aid workshop that focused on wound care, bone and muscle injuries and weather and illness-related emergencies.  Kate Clemmer, Outreach Director at the Center for Eating Disorders, presented the workshop “Enhancing Media Literacy & Promoting Positive Body Image” which taught our community skills to see and interpret the media in new, more accurate ways.  Our final workshop was “Guided Meditation” with Scott Carson, a yoga instructor in Washington DC, who introduced us to fundamental yoga concepts, then led us through a guided meditation. 

The final segment of Wellness Day got us moving again in our activity breakouts.  Andreas “Spilly” Spiliadis, current world record holder and performer with the Baltimore Hoop Love group, once again led us in a hula hooping and juggling extravaganza.  John Gallagher, USAUltimate Maryland Youth Coordinator, introduced us to basic Ultimate Frisbee concepts and skills.  Sharon Lerner, one of our last block elective instructors, taught a Zumba class that got us dancing and working up a sweat.  An instructor from Masada Tactical led us in an intense Krav Maga exercise.  For those seeking a quieter fitness opportunity, Scott Carson led us in a yoga workshop that introduced basic poses, then taught us to put them together in sequence that heightened body awareness. 

~Shannon Carney

 School Counselor

Do you know what you are?

"Do you know what you are?

You are a marvel.

You are unique.

In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you.

… You have the capacity for anything.

Yes, you are a marvel." (Pablo Casals)

With that in mind, be confident you will find the way, the right way for you.

Morah Zemer, Hebrew Instructor

What’s in a Name?

As the relaunch of our Cardin literary magazine approaches—this time reimagined as an online magazine, to allow for more variety of content—we once again had to face the problem of deciding on a name for the magazine.

Doesn’t seem like a serious dilemma, does it?  All we’d have to do was come up with something catchy and unique that everybody would agree on…

Right.

Well, in the suggestion pool we got multiple variations on Cardin/Cardinal, clever puns, and irresistible alliterations.  During the Book Club / Literary Magazine elective, each suggestion had its own supporters and detractors—and even with majority vote, we having trouble coming to an agreement. 

As often happens in a “heated” group situation like this, it’s hard to remember where the solution came from.  But somebody suggested “The Cardin Quill”—which combined the Cardinal and feather idea with the old-fashioned quill pen for writing, and that just seemed to work.  We dropped the “Cardin,” making it simply The Quill for elegance (knowing full well that people can continue to refer to it as The Cardin Quill, if they want!), and we have a consensus.

At least for now!

[Side Note:  The Quill section of the magazine will showcase student creativity—stories, poems, drawing, photography, etc.  A new section of the magazine will be called Intrinsically Thoughtful, which will showcase debates about current topics.  Strangely enough, there was no debate about the title for that portion of the magazine…]

—Dr. Prentiss

A Math and Physics Snow Dance

With the unseasonably warm winter we’ve been having, many of us are wondering if we’ll get a snow storm at all before spring comes. In hopes of snow, here are some snow-related math problems. They even tie in with what we’re currently studying in physics, pre-calculus, and AP calculus (work and energy, logarithms and exponents, and applications of derivatives, respectively)!  See if you can try to solve the following:

1.    It takes a snow plow 60.0 seconds to push a 5460 kg pile of snow along a straight level road at a constant velocity of 16 m/s. If the plow exerts a force of 7600 N on the snow, how much work does it do? What is the kinetic energy of the snow pile as it is being moved?

 2.  A snow removal company developed a logarithmic mathematical model for the number of miles  s  of roads that can be cleared of snow per truck per hour based on h, the depth of the snow in inches:

Use this model to find how many miles of roads can be cleared by one truck in one hour when  h=10 inches.

3.   There is no snow on Janet’s driveway when snow begins to fall at midnight. From midnight to 9 A.M., snow accumulates on the driveway at a rate modeled by  

cubic feet per hour,

where t is measured in hours since midnight. Janet starts removing snow at 6 A.M. (t=6). The rate g(t), in cubic feet per hour, at which Janet removes snow from the driveway at time  hours after midnight is modeled by

Find the rate of change of the volume of snow on the driveway at 8 A.M.
*Don’t forget to put your calculator in radian mode when evaluating trigonometric functions!

Answers

1.  

   

2.      27.16 miles of road

3.     To find the rate of change of volume of snow on the driveway at 8 A.M., you must subtract the snow removal function g(t) from the snow accumulation function f(t).

cubic feet per hour.


Kathy Wann
Math and Science Instructor

New Ways to Learn "Old Stories"

How do you learn about history through images, imaginary journals, medical reports, and animation?  In Western Civilizations I and II and APUSH, we have all been experimenting with new ways to learn “old stories,” exploiting the myriad possibilities of creative thinking and electronic media.  Indeed, my classroom is quickly turning into a new type of living museum!

Dr. Benton J. Komins

Humanities Instructor

A Cardinal Direction

As I was musing on the philosophy and identity of The Shoshana S. Cardin School, (as I continually do), I thought of related words that may express special meaning, as I am also accustomed to do.  This quality of mindfulness regarding words and meaning is one that I encourage and attempt to enhance in and out of the Latin classroom, for myself and for students.  I thought of the people that are part of this community and the values that are important to us.  I thought of our excellence in learning, our inclusiveness, our creativity, and our care.  I thought of students walking through the school hallways wearing cardinals on their sweatshirts, as the Cardinal is the mascot of the school. 

            One word that remained on my mind was “cardinal”, which is derived from the Latin noun “cardo, cardinis”, meaning “hinge” or “axis”.  In English, as an adjective, cardinal means “of fundamental or central importance” and could also imply a red color, or the cardinal bird itself.  A cardinal circumstance or status is one of fundamental significance, a hinge point for action and motion.  Cardin is always, but most especially in this special time of transition, functioning as an axis, and in essence as a center of fundamental and positive significance for the community, and is itself, at a hinge point for motion into an exciting and promising future as the high school of the Independent Jewish Academy of Baltimore. 

Before the closing of this academic year, in March, students will take part in the National Latin Exam.  This Exam will test their skills at each of their respective levels, and provide an opportunity for competition and positive affirmation.  Despite being named the National Latin Exam, the exam allows students to participate in a worldwide competitive community that includes many countries.  Students have performed very well in past years, and will receive certificates of participation.  Students will have the opportunity to earn medals for excellent performance.    

Students will also have the opportunity for special interdisciplinary activities highlighting Greek and Roman culture for “Exelauno Day” , which is on March 4^th.  In Ancient Greek, there is a verb “exelauno” which means “I march forth”, thus we celebrate “Exelauno Day” on March 4^th.  March 4^th falls at the beginning of Interim Week at Cardin, which is an engaging, week long interdisciplinary learning experience with a special focus.

I am looking forward to the remainder of the 2012-2013 academic year, and I am optimistic about all of the opportunities that The Shoshana S. Cardin School has ahead for the future.   

    

Sara Priebe, Latin and Music Instructor

Shoshana S. Cardin School Reunion: A Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Thanksgiving is a time for bonding with friends and family, reflection upon bounty, and gratefulness for all that is good in the world, the tangible as well as intangible. It also happens to be a fine time for high school reunions, as a sizeable number of graduates come home to roost for the long holiday weekend.

This past Saturday night, two Cardin Class of ’07 graduates took it upon themselves to organize and host such a reunion at the Lebanese Taverna in downtown Baltimore. What a gorgeous gathering spot! The view alone was worth the drive.

At first, I wasn’t sure if Vadim Kashtelyan and Yoni Grossman-Boder had the time or inclination to pull off this large-scale event. After all, both lead very busy lives, with Vadim teaching religious school and studying for the MCAT, and Yoni a first year at Duke Law. For the record, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did they handle all arrangements and details with the grace and expertise of seasoned party planners, but also they managed to make each guest feel like a regular at “Cheers.” This is no easy feat when hosting young adults who haven’t seen each other since high school, not to mention people who began working at Cardin long after these graduates left the building. Finally, I was able to match the smiling adolescent faces that line the walls of my office with their more mature adult counterparts.

Faculty and former students chatted like old friends, dined on a delicious smorgasbord, engaged in trivia challenges, and laughed at tender memories only Cardin pioneers can share. These are the students whose families took a leap of faith and enrolled them in the dream of a new college prep school, an educational experiment steeped in critical thinking, self-direction, and Pluralist Judaism. I had a great time getting to know each one. Our school can be very proud of their accomplishments.

In the fall of 2013, that dream will be reborn as Cardin transitions to become the high school of The Independent Jewish Academy of Baltimore, a K – 12 Jewish day school built upon the foundation of Cardin’s top-notch curriculum. It’s an exciting time for Jewish education in Baltimore. The success stories of flourishing graduates are all the more reason to embrace its future.

Cheryl Taragin, Director of Recruitment and Alumni Relations

Our Great Quadrennial Election Simulation

Congratulations to all our Great Quadrennial Election Simulation Participants!!!!!  A review of the highlights follows:

Part I: The Debates:  As we detailed earlier, each advisory was responsible for advocating for a major issue or candidate (Obama; Romney; Stein; pro- and anti- questions 4,6, 7).  They each prepared a mini-speech, delivered by one of their members, in front of the whole school, judged by our fearless leader, Mr. Prashker.  Particular congratulations go to the groups represented by Abram Foster; Ben Levine; Miles Greenspoon; Jesse Solomon; Toyam Cox; Jordana Lachow.

Part II:  The Map Challenge.  Groups were challenged, using a map with only the state lines evident, to identify all the states (and the District of Columbia) with the correct postal code and the accurate number of electoral votes.  Most of the groups had a better than 90% accuracy level – special kudos to the following groups: Mr. Creeger, Ms. Wann, Ms. Carney, Ms. Stack, Dr. Prentiss, and my own!  As of this writing, Florida is still not official, so I cannot determine the final results because of the important “Electoral College Prediction,” but the following groups are the most likely to pull this off: Mr. Creeger’s, Ms. Carney’s, Ms. Stack’s, and my own, depending on how Florida falls out.  That being said, all the groups predicted the winner correctly.

Part III:  The Mock Election. The popular vote compared to the electoral vote of the Cardin School was somewhat reflective of the “real” election: the electoral vote was more “lopsided” than the popular vote, both in President Obama’s favor.  The majority of the school community also voted for the passage of questions 4&6, and narrowly defeated question 7.

We will announce the winner (and the prize) as soon as we know it!

I’m already looking forward to 2016 and seeing if the classes of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 can keep up with the cohorts of 2007 through 2016!

~Leslie Smith Rosen

“So, what’s it like?”

I have gotten this question again and again from my colleagues in the education world. They aren’t just being nice; they really want an answer. When one works in education, one is constantly looking for anecdotes, searching for strategies, comparing and contrasting, and looking for what works. A simple conversation over coffee is like a mini fact-finding mission. And those simple conversations are great opportunities to share what we are doing well. Student Support is an area where Cardin has an extraordinary advantage.

The role of Student Support at Cardin is a dynamic one, one that requires knowledge from several people in order to set students up for success.  We have the knowledge of Esther Gunther, who has helped many Cardin students make the leap from our small (but mighty) nest into the wide world of higher learning. We are very lucky to have Shannon Carney on our staff to help support students from an emotional and mental health standpoint. The need for academic support is where I come in. One of my roles is to support the teachers in helping them to serve all students, particularly those who might have difficulty in class for a variety of reasons. In addition to directly working with students, I am often involved in teacher consultation, parent meetings, and coordination with community professionals. We are so blessed to have a group of professionals who are committed to doing as much as possible to meet the needs of diverse learners, who are open to communication, and who are willing to work as a team.

When people have asked me “what it’s like,” here at Cardin, I can only say that it’s exceptional. Rarely does one walk into a school and feel so immediately at home. Our aim is to ensure that every student feels this way. At Cardin, we know that everyone has a different learning profile. We know that some students may need remediation in certain areas while others may need enrichment in order to have the best possible educational experience. Through professional collaboration, we have the agility and adaptability to give students what they need. That’s what it’s like here at Cardin (and I can’t wait to tell everyone).

 Elise Stack, Student Support Services