June Week 2021: Explore, Experience, Enjoy

Interested in the Olympics? Want to learn about its history? Since the coming school year will have 2 Olympic Games associated with it we wanted to create an Olympic atmosphere. During this time we will research important events, have a speaker and participate in our own games. The research will be about the history of the games. If you join us, you will be asked to be physically active during the week. Come join us for the spirit of the Olympic Games.

We will start with a quick film study boot camp, followed by viewing and discussing some masterpieces of cinema.

Get started with circuit playground – you will learn enough to build a simple project and have materials to take home for further exploration.

Students will have an opportunity to design and create a small keepsake box while practicing community with peers. This exercise is a reflection on how working with your hands can be a meditative practice and a communal experience.

Students will learn the basics of good event reporting. They will apply their skills by visiting Intensive Learning groups to conduct interviews and to obtain video and audio. Using these and other good reporting techniques, students will create blog posts to share the story of Intensive Learning on the IL Blog.

Students will participate as members of the prosecution, defense, and witnesses, as we prepare to try a Mock Trial case on Friday Morning. Students will learn about the trial process, opening and closing statements, direct and cross-examination, and objections.

Students will learn, in both hands-on and more traditionally academic ways, about barbecue. The experience will cover the history and cultural importance of barbecue, the science involved in low and slow cooking of tough cuts of meat, and how to actually cook barbecue.

We’ll explore live streaming tools, processes and other options related to the live streaming of graduation. We will ultimately produce and live stream the actual graduation of the 2021 class. You will get service hours for the class and graduation if you help on the night of the actual event.

Mr. Baumann, a licensed private pilot, will lead a workshop on the core skills of becoming a licensed private pilot. The workshop will culminate in completing one or more milestone achievements in the pilot training process: three “touch-and-go’s”; a first “cross-country” flight’; flight into class B airspace as well as an introduction to the knowledge needed to pass the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test.

For this program we can start the day with either a walk ( Strawbridge Lake here in Moorestown) for meditation or stay in the classroom to learn about how understanding the 7 Chakras can help you make a deeper connection with what is going on between your mind and body. This program will also include a 40 minute gentle yoga session. Mindfulness activities ( mindful eating ) can also be integrated time permitting.

In this introduction to model and sport rocketry, students will learn the basics of rocket terminology, assembly, flight, and most importantly, safety! We will also focus on the contributions to the field from women and people of color as we discuss the book and movie “Hidden Figures”, while constructing and prepping two models that will (hopefully!) be successfully flown and recovered at “Fox Cape”. Please note: We will be using epoxy for construction in this course. While proper safety precautions will be taken, students with a known allergy should consult the teacher before signing up.

Do you like to dance? Do you enjoy making up moves to your favorite songs? Join Mrs. Kitching for a week of dance and choreography-focused classes. Students participating in this program will learn different combinations in a variety of dance styles (hip-hop, jazz, musical theatre). Combinations will be a mix of beginner and intermediate levels, with a review of basic techniques for beginner dancers. Students will then have the opportunity to choreograph their own dance in their preferred style to teach to the other dancers.

Students will learn how to operate a 35mm film camera, take photos, develop film, and scan to turn into digital files. The history of photography, and the scientific processes involved will be covered, and we will examine a variety of vintage cameras as well. Bring your own 35mm camera, or there will be some available to borrow!

Are you curious about mindfulness and meditation? Would you like to learn more about a daily practice that Serena Williams, Bill Gates, Oprah, Trever Noah and J. Balvin, and many others say contributes to their success? In this session, we will explore what meditation guru Jon Kabat-Zinn defines as “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”

Participants will be introduced to the basics of the instrument. Chords and melody will be explored. All students must provide their own guitars. Video of inspiring players will also be discussed.

Built around (but not limited to) the musical contributions of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and David Gilmour, the experience would explore the roots of these artists and identify the unique features of their playing. The experience would be based in audio and video clips and not require any musical training, just ears, an open mind, and a sense of humor.

Come explore different musical sounds from across the globe as we experience presentations from professional musicians. Listen, learn, and perhaps even try an instrument indigenous to regions around the world!

We will explore a variety of podcast styles and formats, discuss the wide possibilities of this genre, and spend the week creating our own podcast episode(s).

Students would get the opportunity to learn about various types of dyes and then tie-dye an object, probably a T-shirt, that has been treated chemically in advance.

No cranes or bunnies here! Unit or modular origami is a specific branch of the Japanese cultural tradition of paper folding dating back to the 18th century.  Each piece of paper is folded to create a building block or unit that is then folded repeatedly, and assembled into increasingly intricate and satisfying 3-dimensional geometric shapes. Each day of this class, we will learn and fold a different unit from the designs of the recognized expert in the field, Tomoko Fuse.  It is a great mindfulness activity as once you learn the basic unit, the folding becomes second nature, and the options for assembling them into complicated and aesthetically-pleasing finished works are only limited by your imagination, patience, and the stamina of your fingers!

Do you love to camp? Do you love to cook? Do you just love to eat? If the answer to any of those is yes, then join us for one session of Campfire Cooking! Mrs. Kitching will guide students through her favorite recipes for the great outdoors. Students will create a variety of snacks and traditional campfire treats, from homemade trail mix to decadent s’mores and campfire cones!

This idea was suggested by the students to be similar to The British Bake Off which is on Netflix. One group would have ~10 students (6 bakers, 2 emcees, 2 judges). Each baker would receive a box with items for decorating a pre-made cake. They would be given a theme, lots of decorating supplies, and the necessary utensils. The emcees would wander around talking to the bakers, taking pictures, and monitoring a time limit. After a specified period of time, the decorated cakes would be presented to the judges for awards. This is all about presentation and can be done in a COVID safe manner.

This session will cover a number of science experiments not typically covered in 9-10 grade classes. Students will have a chance to explore simple projects with a focus on measurement and observation. While exact details aren’t known, some options are atomic emission spectra of some elements, ice cream in a bag, rainbow density column, candy chromatography.

Although figures differ, research studies all agree on one thing: nonverbal communication matters as much, if not more, than verbal communication. Learn how to read and mirror your interlocutor’s nonverbal cues to establish rapport, how to quickly identify how they process information to better pass your point across, and how to increase empathy and understanding, theirs, and your own.

The 1968 Mexico Olympics is recognized as one of the most memorable and impactful iterations of the Games. We will watch a piece produced by NBC Sports and narrated by Serena Williams describing some of the historical events featured in the build to the event, the sporting highlights throughout, and the political ramifications after the competition ended. Participants will also be given time to explore the online exhibitions on sports at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

For anyone interested in film-making, writing, or simply telling your story in a compelling way: participate in a hands-on, interactive theater workshop designed to help you identify and highlight the essential parts of any story.

Students will work at temporary forges set up outside, learning the basics of working iron. There will be an emphasis on history, technique, and sustainability. We have been offered resources from the Harriton House in Bryn Mawr PA to help keep our connection with them strong.

Learn how to design your own preset/filter for all your photography and social media needs. We will be using Adobe Lightroom smartphone app to make adjustments to your photographs and then learn how to save and apply these filters to any and all of your photographs.

This experience will be a quick overview of classic rock guitar styles, focusing on Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and David Gilmour.

We will walk to some of the more historic locations in Moorestown, where historical markers, buildings, and sites will serve as inspiration for the crafting of a short story or poem that fictionalizes the visible history of Moorestown. The result will be a creative and empathetic connection between current students at MFS and the history of Moorestown.

Political Music – In this experience, students will explore the history of music created to make political statements, highlight injustice, call for action, and unite people.

One simple deck of cards can provide hours of entertainment! Join us as we learn the basic rules to many popular card games!