Making the Grade

by Maya Katalan '11, Germantown Friends School

Ideologically, a GFS education is not governed by grade point average, test scores, and academic rankings. Instead, the GFS brand of learning is more holistic: “we regard education not as training for a particular way of life, but as part of a lifelong process” reads the statement of philosophy on the school’s website. And it is true that a GFS education is not limited to the confines of the class room; from community service days, to your junior project, and even in the weekly silence of the meeting house, personal and intellectual growth is encouraged in a variety of settings.


Yet at the end of senior year lies the real world, a place that can seem stratified and standardized after years at GFS. And as a result, students are self-aware and often competitive, and despite their appreciation for the well-rounded education afforded to them at GFS, sometimes it really does come down to the grade on the end-of-year report card. In such an academically charged environment, complaints of unfair grading and inconsistent curricula are unfortunate, but real. Though the students and the faculty at GFS are generally in sync, the presence of numerous teaching styles and grading methods among teachers often leaves students wondering if their experience in a class is the same as that of their peers.

The resounding answer to this question is no. It is impossible and, further more, absurd to ensure an identical academic experience to each student when most classes are split into sections taught by two or three different teachers. While the students can often be mystified and frustrated by the fact that they got the “hard teacher” and it’s so unfair because so-and-so “never gives A’s,” teachers are quick to object to this sort of attitude.

“The school has a tradition of hiring teachers they trust,” says Jeremy Ross, head of the history department, and while department heads meet regularly to keep the curriculum coherent and reasonably consistent, this trust in the teacher’s capabilities means that there is no need for a strictly mapped curriculum. Ross says that while “ninety to ninety-five percent of the curriculum is the same, teachers have their specialties.” If a teacher is particularly knowledgeable in one facet of the already determined curriculum, for them not to teach students to the extent of their ability would be wrong—“I would be depriving you,” says Ross.

Some departments have a more rigid curriculum defined for their teachers. Gen Nelson, former head of the science department, says that there is a conscious “focus on delivering a comparable curriculum” in the sciences. Ways in which this goal is met include weekly meetings to plan curricula and assignments and swap tests, and the use of the same PowerPoints, labs, and final exams.

Even so, Nelson says, “three different people can make chocolate chip cookies using the same exact recipe and the same exact ingredients, and no matter what they do, at the end of the day, the three batches of cookies won’t taste the same.” This analogy is apparent in the different academic departments school-wide, regardless of the level of accord among the curricula of different teachers; in the words of Nelson, “personality differences can’t be solved.”

As far as grading goes, all teachers are committed to maintaining a fair and transparent system to ensure that students know where their grades are coming from. In the English and history departments, students are given the official rubric that teachers use when grading papers.

Anne Gerbner, head of the English department, says that English teachers of the same course practice grading the same paper and revealed that they are never “more than half a letter grade off.” Teachers are determined to make grading as clear and cohesive a system as possible. It’s accepted, almost inevitable, however, that students will not always agree or be satisfied with their grade and in dealing with this issue, teachers of different departments suggest that students self-advocate. “[GFS students] are consumers of educational services,” Jeremy Ross says, “and as a result [they] should articulate any complaints; managing people in authority is a life-long skill, so speak up.”

As much as teachers try to streamline grades and course curricula, it is widely acknowledged that monotony is not conducive to the intellectually stimulating community GFS hopes to be. Dave Mraz, long-time upper school math teacher, says he embraces the diversity of experiences a GFS student will have as yet another catalyst for personal growth provided by the school.

“By the time you graduate GFS you will have experienced different teaching styles,” Mraz says, “and ultimately, it’s not all about what you learn, but what you learn about yourself through adapting to different situations and a variety of experiences, just like you will in the real world.”

Recycling; Encouraging Bad Behavior?

By Harry Gutman, '14   -    We all tend to think that if we toss glass, plastic, or paper into a recycling bin that we are doing are part for the environment. That couldn’t be more wrong! Recycling is really just making the best of a bad situation. Don’t assume that when one recycles a plastic bottle it turns into another bottle, because it doesn’t. Only half of that original plastic is reused! The reused plastic is sent to China where the vast majority of the recycling process takes place and is turned into cloth items like fleece and blankets and then it is shipped back to the US to be sold. When the public buys “their own trash” they

How to Survive Winter Break

By Kate Sellers, '14
(from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School's The Town Crier, December 2010 )

If you're stuck for a week at home while your friends are off in Italy, Washington D.C., Peru, Florida, or have family over, try to stay busy.  There are some great things to do during winter break, even if you're not off to a fabulous vacation getaway.


     1)  Turn off the TV - Yes, it seems silly, but wouldn't you rather spend your time doing something besides staring at a screen for six hours a day? In addition, most of us eat while we watch TV.  It's basically part of our routine.  Mindlessly adding on to the holiday pounds is something that no one really wants to do.


     2)  Find a Friend - Surely, somewhere, you have a friend.  Maybe he sits next to you in I-Block.  Maybe it's a friend who moved or [who] you haven't talked to in a while.  Either way, there must be someone who is stuck at home like you.  It's better to be hanging out with someone than be alone.


     3)  Explore Philadelphia - We are so lucky.  We live next to one of the most cultural, historical, and interesting cities in the U.S.  Go downtown.  Eat a

Whoops! Embarrasing Moments

By Nellie Searle, '13
(from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School's The Town Crier, December 2010)

Nellie here, back again with another edition of embarrasing moments straight from the students of PW!

"I was at a dance with my friends and while we were dancing, I thought I saw a guy I knew.  I started shouting his name, and when he looked over, I waved for him to come over and I started dancing goofily.  He gave me this confused look and walked away.  Later when I looked at him closer up, I realized it wasn't the guy I thought it was, and I didn't know him.  It was pretty embarrasing."
~ Smooth Moves

"One time, my mom packed me this really smelly sandwich for lunch.  It smelled so bad and when I was eating it, this cute guy at the end of the table shouted 'It smells like something died!' I was mortified and quickly threw my sandwich out.  Now I pack my own lunches."
~ Lunch Disaster

Get Involved - Volunteer and Visit!

By Kyra Hanlon, '12
(from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School's The Town Crier, December 2010)

Operation Santa Clause:
Open Thursday, December 9 through Wednesday, December 22.
Help sort, bag, and wrap thousands of toys for children of all ages!
For more information, contact Chris Jones at 215-965-4625 or cjones@adphila.org.

The Macy's Holiday Light Show and Dickens Village:
Both of these events are hosted at the Macy's, Center City, Philadelphia location, at 13th and Market Streets.
They will be showing from Black Friday through Christmas Eve; the Lights Show runs on the hour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Mummers Parade:
Wrap up your winter break with the Mummers Parade on New Year's Day, with 15,000 Mummers parading through the streets of Philadelphia!

Events of Germantown High School

Sent by Elisabeth D'Alessandro

    

      Germantown High School's Culinary Arts program participated in Bloomingdale's Chili Competition on November 14, 2010 at the King of Prussia Mall. 

     

     Students from the School District's Culinary and Hospitality Program competed for All-Clad cookware. Germantown High School placed second in the competition.    

     The Culinary Arts program is a component of the Communications, Arts, and Business Technology Academy at Germantown High School.

A Place for Teens Like You!

by Rose LaMay

Senior, Plymouth Whitemarsh

Frank Fennimore and Keith Smith playing Fuzz ball at Teen Center

Teens, Inc. goes live if we weren’t lively enough! Our web-site www.teensincphilly.org is loaded and full of information for and about young people in this area. If you want to discover what Teens, Inc is all about, tune into the site and check out the various tabs on the web-site. Read the testimonials and browse the Photo Gallery! Discover on-line the fun, recreational activities at the Teen Center plus the year-round trips. Don’t miss the tab on Community service and current service offered for November and December.

You'll want to attend the Yule Ball for all 6-8th graders on Friday, December 10 at 7:30 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church Parish Hall; 22 East Chestnut Hill Ave., Chestnut Hill, 19118. Come to the community dance and listen to the sounds of Anthony Celli! Cost is $5. for members and $10.-Non-members. Chaperones are aways needed! Dress in pants, skirts and collered shirts and have a ball!

Peer Tutoring service at the Teen Center- (Back) Rrose LaMay, Olivia Dean,
(Front) Molly and Kelly Carroll

 Teenagers, Inc rocks and you can be a part of this community action! Make a difference in your community, city and the world and join Teens,Inc today! Check us out at www.teensincphilly.org You can also mail your completed membership form with $25. To Marianne Dwyer: 8600 Prospect Ave., Phila., Pa. 19118