News

On Monday, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team hosted the Cambridge School of Weston in the quarterfinals of the IGC Championship Tournament. The Chargers came into the tournament as the #4 seed and knew the Gryphons would be tough competition after two close match-ups during the regular season. Mia C. ’22 and Sophia B.G. ‘21 found the back of the net, putting the Chargers up 2-0. Strong goaltending by Leila C. ’21 helped to maintain and secure the 2-0 victory. The team travels up to Peabody today to challenge the #1 seeded Covenant Christian Academy in the IGC semi-finals.

Here at home, the Varsity Volleyball team hosts local rival Gann Academy today in the IGC semi-finals at 4:00 in the Beaver Gymnasium. The Chargers earned a bye in the quarterfinal round by securing the #2 seed with a 9-3 league record. The team split with Gann in the regular season, losing an early September game 3-1 and defeating Gann 3-2 in their second match-up.

Come out to support your Chargers in their IGC tournament runs! You can follow along with all of today’s volleyball action on Twitter @CHCHTweets . GO CHARGERS!

With one week until playoffs, the Charger Volleyball team is battling to earn the number one seed in the IGC Championship Tournament. The Chargers currently sit in second place behind the Montrose School at 8-3 with two league games remaining. The Chargers are scheduled to host the Cambridge School of Weston on Friday, October 19 at 5:00 p.m. and the Newman School on Tuesday, October 23 at 4:00. The team is coming off their most successful season in the program’s history, capping off the 2017 season with an IGC Championship and a number five seed to the NEPSAC Class C Tournament.

GO CHARGERS!

 

 

 

On Saturday, June 9, we welcomed alumni from Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall back to campus for Alumni Day. Guests included alumni from the classes of 1973 to some of our most recent graduates from the Class of 2013.

Other activities throughout the day included campus tours, a scavenger hunt, access to our new pools, a moon bounce and great conversations all around.

Former faculty members Richard and Margaret Allen, Elisse Ghitelman, Peter Hendrickson, Brad Pratt, Don Welch and Maryann Wyner mingled with colleagues and former students and were joined by current faculty and staff members Jon Andruchow, Steven Christenson, Lance Conrad, Bill Gostylo, Leslie Jacobson Kaye, Sam Melanson ‘10, Ben Rogers and Maddie Sachs.

In his remarks during the BBQ, CH-CH Alumni Council Chair, Scott Prenovitz ‘97 described the impact of his CH-CH experience on his life and career and explained the ways he continues to give back his alma mater. In honor of Alumni Day, guests made gifts to support the School’s Annual Fund and the Allen Arts Space for the Campaign for the Arts.

If you were unable to attend Alumni Day but would still like to make a gift to support CH-CH in any way, please go online at www.chch.org/donateonline. If you prefer, you may contact Director of Alumni Relations Ben Rogers directly at 781-314-0810 or brogers@chch.org.

Throughout the year, there are many opportunities for alumni to remain involved with CH-CH. The next time your travels take you to the Waltham area, please stop by the Alumni Relations Office – a member of the team would be pleased to host you on a campus tour and share some updates on School activities.

 

 

7:00-8:15am Breakfast (Charger Café)

8:30-10:00am Spring Session groups gather to finalize presentations (Various locations)

10:00-11:30am Spring Session Demonstrations & Presentations (Graduation tent)

11:30am Yearbook Dedication and Distribution (Graduation tent)

11:30-1:00pm All-School Cookout

12:30-1:30pm Graduation Rehearsal for Seniors & musicians (Graduation tent)

12:30-4:00pm Underclass Activities (On campus)

4:30-5:30pm Baccalaureate Ceremony (Graduation tent)

5:30pm Residential Underclassmen Depart Campus (Legacy Place)

5:30-7:30pm Senior Banquet (Beaver Gymnasium)

 

9:00-10:00am Continental breakfast (Charger Café)

10:00am Seniors arrive for Caps & Gowns (Learning Commons)

11:00-12:15pm 190th Commencement Exercises (Graduation tent)

12:30-1:30pm Luncheon (Beaver Gymnasium)

6:00pm Dinner with Mr. C (Location TBD)

 

8:00am Breakfast with Mr. C (Location TBD)

“Our programs have always focused on the building of fundamentals, growth, and teamwork in the pursuit of excellence. Maintaining this focus has allowed these programs to build over time and become more competitive. It’s been such an incredible year,” said Lori White, Director of Athletics.

“We won six championships, and prior to this year, Chapel Hill - Chauncy Hall School had won a total of six championships in its history. That’s remarkable, and I’m so happy for all of our athletes and coaches who have put so much time and effort to grow these programs over the years. It’s a really exciting time for CH-CH athletics and I’m looking forward to see what comes next year and beyond.”

Monday, May 21, we gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of our spring athletic teams as well as recognize some individual award winners for their outstanding contributions. Congratulations to the following award winners:

For the third time in four years, the Softball team won the 2018 Independent Girls Conference Softball Championship. The team defeated Covenant Christian Academy 17-3 in their last game of the season to clinch the championship. Makayla M. ’20 pitched a two hitter with one earned run and nine strike outs.

The Chargers finished with a 12-1 overall record. The season was marked by strong hitting, with a team batting average of .447. Kathleen C. ’19 led the team, batting .620, followed by Makayla M. ’20 at .610, Meg R. ’20 at .510, Sidney D. ’21 at .510, Leila C. ’21 at .500 and Angela V. ’18 at .490. Emma M. ’19 displayed strong fielding at shortstop, making a number of key plays throughout the season.

 

Building Creativity: The Campaign for the Arts was launched at a public phase kick-off event on April 13, 2018. It was thrilling to have so many people attend who could experience the collective excitement and energy firsthand. The event provided an opportunity to thank the many folks who supported the project during the quiet phase, and to share the details of this transformative project to re-imagine the Barn at CH-CH.

Guest speakers at the event included actress Tracee Chimo and previous Head of School Dr. Siri Akal Khalsa. The School also unveiled of the first sculpture for the Campus as Canvas initiative. Displays of student artwork along with student music and theatrical performances provided entertainment. Wonderful event photos are available on Flickr.

There will be ongoing news and emerging images to share over the days, weeks and months ahead. To follow our progress please be sure to check out, and return frequently, to the newly launched campaign website: www.chch.org/buildingcreativity.

CH-CH announced at the event the wonderful news that they were ahead of pace and had raised 78% of the $2.5 million fundraising goal. As of May 22, 2018 the school has raised 80% ($2 million) of the total goal!

For those that have not participated with a commitment to the Campaign, please be encouraged to discern and support the Campaign, the School and our current and future students. Over 60 early donors, including all trustees and school leadership team members, have made financial commitments to the Campaign, and we hope that hundreds more will participate in the weeks ahead.

•6:30 – 9:30 pm  Burlington Mall

SATURDAY 5/26

For the first time in CH-CH history, the Boys’ Lacrosse team won the Massachusetts Bay Independent League Co-Championship. The Chargers share the title with the Waring School. Both teams finished the season 7-1 in-league, splitting their head-to-head match-ups. Senior leadership provided by tri-captains Lucas C. ’18, Xavier H. ’18, and Ethan S. ‘18 determined the team’s on field success this year through both word and action. Xavier H. ’18 led the team with 51 goals, 25 assists, and 125 ground balls. His efforts were complimented by Dylan G. ’20 with 25 goals, 6 assists, and 23 ground balls, Ethan S. ’18 with 11 goals, 11 assists, and 46 ground balls, and Micah V. ’19 with 14 goals, 5 assists, and 50 ground balls. The defense was led by junior goalie Daniel L. ’19 compiling 75 saves on the season.

Coach Ian MacPhail notes that “this season was marked by a solid team spirit and cooperation, which helped us achieve success beyond our individual talent levels. We had a healthy combination of experienced and novice players, and a lot of guys who were new to the sport really stepped in and grew into key starting roles for us.”

Congratulations, Chargers!

•9:15 – 10:15 pm  Ice Cream Trip to Pizzi Farm

Saturday, May 19, 2019

•6:30 – 9:30 pm  Perkins School Community Service( signups now closed)

•6:30 – 10:00 pm  Alewife Shuttle

•7:30 – 9:30 pm  Basketball Clinic with Ms. MacDonald

•8:00 – 9:00 pm  Ice Cream Trip to Pizzi Farm

•11:00 – 2:00 pm  Lego Drive Community Service (e-mail Phoebe Davin for more information)

•12:00 – 4:00 pm  Kimball Farm – bring money for food & games!

•2:00 – 4:30 pm  H-Mart & Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts – buy materials to   decorate your graduation cap!

•7:00 – 9:00 pm  Open Gym

•8:00 – 10:00 pm  Movie Night & Snacks in Worcester Hall

•6:45– 7:30pm  Pizza Dinner in Student Center (If you are not attending Prom)

•12:15– 3:30pm  Assassins at Watertown Children’s Theater, see Violet de Besche perform! (SIGN UP ONLINE BY TUESDAY, 5/1)

On Saturday, the crowds came out to enjoy our second annual Spring Athletics Day and were rewarded with not just beautiful weather but four Charger wins! The Girls’ Lacrosse team kicked off the event with a close win against Boston Trinity Academy. The Ultimate A team earned a 15-5 victory over Pingree in a muddy game, while Softball played a tightly contested game vs. Boston Trinity Academy. Softball came away with a 6-4 win, sliding them into first place in the Independent Girls Conference. The Boys’ Lacrosse team finished the day with a decisive win against Boston Trinity Academy, keeping them in first place and undefeated in the Massachusetts Bay Independent League.

Congratulations, Chargers!

Sitting in math class on a sunny Tuesday in May, a group of students is anything but checked out. That could have something to do with the fact that optical illusions are on the agenda for today’s class.

After a 15-minute lesson reviewing some basics of stark contrast and parallel-line illusions, math teacher Karen Sokolow dumps rulers, markers, and graph paper on the tables and instructs the class of eight to make their own optical illusions.

With smiles on their faces, the students get right to work. Some draw the outlines of opposing faces that reveal the illusion of a vase in the negative space. The students at senior Maddie Colman’s table are carefully drawing parallel lines that, when contrasted with transverse lines and shapes crossing them, appear to narrow at one end. As an artist, Colman seems especially enthused by a project that fuses mathematics with her passion: art. It was this class – “Survey of Advanced Topics in Mathematics: History, Philosophy and Art” – that introduced her to the possibility of the subjects being related.

“I took this class, and we did a whole unit about art and aesthetics – talking about the math of beauty, the golden ratio,” she says. “It was super interesting because there are a lot of ways they intersect.”

Colman’s “aha!” about art and math is precisely how Sokolow, who was an artist before becoming a math teacher, defines creativity. Academic subjects are more fluid than isolated and should not be viewed in silos. It’s those connections, like branches on a tree she says, that allow students to work through difficult skills and grasp subjects that may not immediately hold interest for them. Sokolow collaborated with art department chair Jamie Palmer Keating on the optical illusions project. Palmer Keating joined Sokolow’s math class to teach about the golden ratio in the context of art history and then demonstrated how the students could superimpose an image of the golden ratio on top of their own images so they could extend their work in Sokolow’s class. “When I sit down and try to design these creative lesson plans,” Sokolow says, “I work from the gaps, from places where it’s not easy, and I try to fill those in.”

Zombie Apocalypse = Exponential Equations
For Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall teachers, integrating creativity involves more than connecting seemingly disparate subjects. It’s also about making creative connections between a subject and elements of culture in which students are already interested. Like the time Sokolow taught exponential equations – which are “a little dry,” she says – by creating a zombie apocalypse. That’s right: using a website that simulates a zombie outbreak, Sokolow’s class began an infection with one person in a particular location and watched as it spread across the country. Students then changed certain variables – such as where the outbreak began or the speed of the zombies – to see how that affected the speed of infection.

“Who doesn’t love zombie movies?” Sokolow says. “Suddenly we’re right in the middle of exponential equations, and they didn’t even realize it.”

Creative teaching often means designing lessons that encourage students to leave their comfort zones. Working with Maddie Colman ’17 last year, Palmer Keating was able to get Colman to experiment with abstract paintings, instead of her preferred medium of portraiture, to create pieces “she never could have seen herself creating at the beginning of the year.”

“What we have to do as educators is not contain students within that box that they put themselves in,” Palmer Keating says. “We push them to grow in other areas where they need to develop and try to help them see the value in that work.”

Next Stop, Mars
There’s an interesting observation from the most creative CH-CH classrooms: teachers regularly get out of the way. In a creative classroom, the teacher is not always the center. Many times, students are. Teachers hold certain expertise, but they serve as facilitators to learning that happens at the students’ pace and using the ways that they learn best.

An example: Most astronomy teachers have a standard lecture to teach the names and characteristics of the planets in our solar system.

Not Claudine Kavanagh.

“It reads like a telephone book of facts,” she says. “It’s the most boring thing.”

So instead, the astronomy and environmental science teacher sends groups of students on a virtual mission to the different planets. They research the conditions of their target planet, what the surface looks like, and the success or failure of past missions. Then they use recycled materials to build a model of the vehicle that will explore their planet. In the process of researching their planets and seeing the other groups’ projects, students learn as much as or more than they would in any one-way lecture.

In fact, Kavanagh says she pretty much takes a back seat. “I’ve got the content knowledge,” she says, “but my job isn’t to know stuff. My job is to help emergent learners realize new things in new ways.”

Students Take the Lead
Ben Riggs, English teacher and Director of 11th and 12th Grade Programs, had a mission here on earth for his American Literature students: he wanted them to gain the ability to generate and sustain robust academic conversations without the assistance of a teacher. While students were accustomed to taking part in lengthy academic conversations at CH-CH, the ability to drive such conversations themselves will “allow them to hit the ground running in a college classroom,” said Riggs.

Throughout the year, Riggs’s class took part in games and activities, even learning nonverbal gestures, all designed to sharpen conversational skills. A few of the skills included learning how to build upon someone’s point of view, support claims with evidence, and synthesize talking points into a coherent whole.

Throughout the process, students began to learn from each other as much as they learned from the material they were discussing. “Sometimes someone agrees with your point of view, and other times they have a completely different take on it,” said Jackson McGovern ’18. “It leads us into a really deep conversation that helps with the engagement and understanding of the class.”

Riggs’s class ended the unit with a 60-minute conversation on the “American Dream” as seen through Death of a Salesman and student-selected works.

Graded by a Jury of Your Peers
How do we assess whether students are absorbing the right information? That they’re getting it?

Traditional education relies almost solely on testing to assess students’ comprehension. But tests typically serve one way of learning. CH-CH teachers employ a multiple intelligences (MI) framework for human understanding that acknowledges that people are intelligent in no fewer than nine ways: mathematical/logical, verbal/linguistic, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, naturalist, and existential.

In the MI philosophy, testing is not the only vehicle for assessing student progress in a subject. For instance, when reviewing her students’ interplanetary missions, Claudine Kavanagh is able to assess whether they know the names and characteristics of the planets and whether they are able to apply that information to their virtual mission. Karen Sokolow assessed her math students’ comprehension of polynomials by having them write children’s books explaining the concept to young children, which they then read to some of the children whose families live on campus.

And in Colin Meiselman’s criminal justice class – a new course offered – students set out to answer a central question: Why do we in the United States incarcerate more people than anyone else in the world? After reviewing some basic legal precedents and criminal justice history, Meiselman had students put their learning into practice by staging a mock trial. There was a defense team, a team of prosecutors, and a jury that determined which team had presented its case more convincingly.

“By engaging in simulations like a mock trial, while students might not even realize what skills they’re building, they’re building critical skills that will be fundamental not only to the higher education they might receive in college but also in the real-life situations along the way,” he says.

Students Know Themselves
There’s a common refrain that comes from all CH-CH teachers: they feel at home in an academic community that values creative expression and offers them the freedom and flexibility to innovate in the classroom.

That freedom and flexibility centers around the CH-CH commitment to differentiated learning in an MI framework, which allows teachers to facilitate their classrooms and pedagogy such that each student can learn the way he or she is wired, as well as identify how he or she learns best.

When she arrived at CH-CH eight years ago to teach a naturally kinesthetic subject like art, Palmer Keating asked her students how they learned best as she began working with them in the classroom. Palmer Keating says, “I wanted students to take ownership of their education by having them inform me of their MI strengths, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t going to help push them in other areas of their art education using MI theory. For example, if they knew they were linguistically strong, I encouraged them to use poetry or words in their work as an entry point, but in later projects they would have to use something with a naturalist or mathematical approach. In this way they could access what I was asking them to do using their own interests, find success, and then be willing to try a different, sometimes harder approach in future work.”
Sokolow finds that, in not being constrained by a state testing system, she doesn’t have to teach math in isolation from her students’ other subjects. “I love that,” she says. “I love that so much.”

For Kavanagh, 75-minute class periods allow for “deep engagement” with the material, while the school’s 42 acres of woodlands, ponds, brooks, and fields allow her to “teach the campus” with star-gazing, nature walks, and in-depth study of the land’s environmental history.

All of this results in more creative classrooms – and more creative students. Graduates are leaving CH-CH with not just the academic knowledge to succeed in college and careers, but with an understanding of themselves, a love of learning, and the ability to take a creative approach to anything they encounter.

Originally published in The Charger Post, our student newspaper.

Preview of the CH-CH Winter Musical 
Written by: Simon Weiss '20

The Drowsy Chaperone is a comedic musical based on the novel of the same name, written by Bob Martin. The play made its debut on Broadway May 1, 2006, and has been nominated for numerous awards. The crew and cast of the Broadway show won five Tony Awards including the awards for Best Score and Best Musical based on a Book. The performance demonstrates the idea of watching “a show inside of a show.” The performance revolves around a man listening to a record which comes to life. The record’s music becomes the show the audience sees. The “show-within-a-show” concept can become confusing, but it’s a new way to see a performance. The Drowsy Chaperone has traveled all over the world playing in places such as Brazil, Japan, and Australia. It’s currently one of the best known and well-respected musicals. This winter, CH-CH is lucky enough to be bringing The Drowsy Chaperone to our community.

Sadie Vaughn '20, who plays Kitty in the show, is excited to take part in the production. “I’ve never really been in a show that breaks the fourth wall like this before," said Vaugh. "It also has a narrator which hasn't been a character in any other show I’ve been in. It’s interesting to see how that works, in contrast to other shows.”

This production includes both veteran student performers, as well as students who are completely new to the theatre. “I did the musical last year and I have done shows outside of school in the past, and theatre is a really big interest of mine, and the cast always gets so...close during the shows. It’s just a really fun experience,” said Vaughn. Every member of the cast and crew is able to find something they can do that is both interesting and helps contribute to the performance.

One of the directors, Ms. Lacoste, explained why the production team chose to put on this performance. "I personally feel like we are living in a time where we need fun and laughter, so I wanted to choose something lighthearted and exciting, and hopefully something that will leave people feeling better.”

Being able to put all the pieces of the show together requires all sorts of communication between the cast and crew. Having the actors share their ideas of what they picture for the stage, and props helping the technicians translate their idea into realistic sets. “The production team meets beforehand to brainstorm," said Lacoste. "Our tech crew creates their own ideas and designs which are then presented to the cast. This covers costume, lighting, and sound design”

The whole theatre team is very excited to be able to put on this performance. This is one of the biggest productions they have put on both due to cast size and the scene requirements. The show times and ticket information is listed below. Hopefully, you can make it and go support CH-CH’s wonderful cast and crew.

Show Dates:
February 8th @ 7pm
February 9th @ 7pm
February 10th @ 2pm & 7pm

Ticket Information:
$10 Tickets available online at chch.seatyourself.biz, with all of the funds raised being donated to a charity chosen by the students.

Saturday, 4/7
11:45am - 3:30pm Regis College Women's Lacrosse Game

 

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team has earned the #2 seed and a bye in the quarter-final round of the MBIL D2 Championship Tournament. The team had an explosive start to their league season, going 4-0 in league before losing a high scoring game to #1 seeded Covenant Christian Academy in late January. The Chargers finished the regular season 7-3 in league and will host the semi-final match-up on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. in the Beaver Gymnasium. Follow the action @CHCHTweets on twitter for updates throughout the game. Congratulations and GO CHARGERS!

7:00pm CH-CH Winter Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone (Email Ms. LaCoste (blacoste@chch.org) to reserve your ticket!)

8:00 – 10:30pm Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Viewing Party w/ Snacks- Worcester Lounge (*Dress to support the country you’re rooting for!)

1:00 – 3:00pm Open Gym

2:00pm CH-CH Winter Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone

4:00 – 7:30pm Bowling & Dinner @ Kings (*$7 per game, $4.50 for shoe rental. Bring extra money for dinner/snacks)

7:00pm CH-CH Winter Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone

8:00 – 10:00pm Movie & Snacks- Worcester Lounge

12:00 – 3:30pm Natick Mall

1:00 – 3:00pm C.H.I.L Event: Sled Competition! (South Hall Parking Lot/Lower Field. Rain location: Gym)

2:30 – 5:30pm Laser Tag @ Laser Kraze Woburn ($15/single session, $24/double session- charge student account.*Waiver form must be signed by parent/legal guardian and PRINTED)

3:00 – 5:00pm Community Service: Help Make Bat Houses- Hosted by the Environmental Club

3:30 – 5:30pm Chipotle/Five Guys/Party City

 

After the game, alumni and their families had an off-campus reception where they were able to mingle with other CH-CH alumni.

Alumni are already looking forward to next year’s game!

Over the course of the year, the alumni office holds many events and alumni from all class years are encouraged to participate. Whether it's joining the alumni council, being a class agent, attending an event, submitting a class note for the CH-CH Chronicle or making a gift to the Annual Fund, our community is made stronger by having actively engaged alumni.

9:00am – 1:00pm Harvard Museum Tour &Harvard Sq. Outing (Sign up online by this Thursday, 1/18)- Free museum admission, bring money for lunch