The Weekly What: Friday, September the 21st Newsletter
The Weekly What: Friday, September the 21st Newsletter
September 24th, 2018
Greetings New Harmony High Community,
Happy Fall! We have an abundance of events, volunteer opportunities, and fun activities for students, parents, and community members this season. We are also introducing “Harmony Highlight” – a weekly feature to recognize a NHH student. Scroll below to see our first highlight!
XQ Mission
This short video explains New Harmony High’s learning model and what it means for us to be a part of the XQ Super School Community as we transform and reimagine what school can be.
Upcoming Events and Learning Opportunities
Plessy Fest Saturday, September 22nd 11am – 4pm
Location: 721 St Philip Street
New Harmony is honored to receive an exclusive invitation to Homer A. Plessy’s second annual Plessy Fest. Tomorrow, we will be making smoothies with a bike-generated blender and talking to prospective New Harmony High freshman for the 2019-20 school year. We hope to see you there. Details below.
STEM Day at Shell Oil
Friday, September 28th 9am – 3pm
Location: One Shell Square
Students will learn about the oil industry, technology, and the coastal restoration and preservation efforts of Shell. In the afternoon, New Harmony students with work with Shell volunteers on a LEGO build to construct field sets for an upcoming LEGO Competition.
Chimp Haven and Audubon Zoo
Invite You to a Special Screening
Open Canoeing and Fishing
Every Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. until Nov. 10
(This program is dependent on volunteer participation and the weather.)
Location: Joe W. Brown Park, 5601 Read Blvd
NORD‘s open canoeing and fishing is a free weekly event. Lessons are included.
This is also a volunteer opportunityfor students who are willing to commit to 6 Saturdays. After the completion of volunteering, if your student is interested in becoming a certified lifeguard, NORD will cover the $400 fee.
Parents, if you students are interested in participating in any capacity, please fill out the appropriate permission form and return to school next week.
Ocean Heroes
One of our Students, Izzy, recently attended Ocean Heroes Boot Camp to learn more about the issues that plague our oceans. Ocean Heroes is a local group that has been meeting with the goals of: encouraging restaurants to ask if customers want straws before assuming they want one and to encourage neighbors to reduce the use of single use plastic.
They will be making crafts in the Kid’s Tent at the Arts Market New Orleans on October 27th, to raise public awareness about single-use plastic. The next Ocean Heroes meeting will be October 9th – 4:00-5:00 at the Rosa Keller Library, 4300 S. Broad Avenue.
Guest Speaker of the Week: Every Friday, we welcome a guest speaker to share their story and life experiences with students. These guest speakers have knowledge in the fields of environmental science, activism, sociology, coastal ecology, community organizing, art, and more!
This week, we hosted local artist “Cubs the Poet” as he discussed psychology and poetry. His guiding question posed to the students was “How can I think for myself?” He discovered poetry as a means of self-expression and a path to develop original thought while working through life’s most pressing questions and moments. Cubs stations himself on Royal Street, in The Quarter, where he sorts through his audiences’ thoughts using a key word or theme. This process aids in understanding the complexities of vocabulary, identity, language, and thought-development.
Cub’s intention is to inspire people to reframe their thoughts, feel autonomous with their words, and identify the various meanings that one word may have through “spontaneous poetry.”
Currently, he’s illustrating and writing a children’s book titled What To Do With Your Free Time.
Here are some of the poems that NHH students crafted with him. The guiding words, chosen by students, were love, rollerblade, nothing, potholes, religion, laughter, outcast, and free.
Next week’s speaker
Jackson Giles
Born from a Chicagoan mother and a navy brat father in Houma, LA; Jackson grew up around oil and gas with uncles, cousins, and family friends in the industry. After graduating from LSU in engineering (but also studying ceramics), he took an opportunity with a major oil company which afforded him the opportunity to travel the world.
Parent Committee Meeting
Thank you to the parents who attended our first meeting. Meetings are open to all parents, and a call-in option is available. Additionally, if you would like to receive notes from the meeting or a recording of the call, please email angel@newharmonyhigh.org
As a result of our first meeting together, a mission statement was developed:
The purpose of the Parent Committee at New Harmony High is to support the mission of NHH, connect with families, and experience connectedness on a new journey with our children.
Grades!
Student grades will be available through Power School soon. We will update you on account information and Power School navigation soon. Please stay tuned.
H A R M O N Y H I G H L I G H T:
Marlo Muhammad
What is something you do well?
I write. I like to write poetry a lot and make funny and serious quotes.
What is something you learned in the past week?
That I am very impatient. I learned that because my mother told me.
What is the biggest misconception people have about you?
That I am a cocky person; I am not cocky at all, but I am a proud person, so people get the wrong idea.
What is the biggest dream you have yourself that you are afraid to say aloud?
I’m not afraid to say anything out loud. My dream is something that has to do with modeling or writing. I want to be an “odd” beauty model.
Who has had a positive influence on your life so far and why?
Ralph Souffrant and Miriam Njoh, they are both models who have a skin conditions. It is inspiring because I have a skin condition and they both learned to embrace theirs.
What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
I would never take a shower, I would never do my hair, I would look terrible.
What do you like about New Harmony?
I like how they try to help us. There are nice, positive vibes. You never hear about people getting bullied or be worried about your stuff because people don’t steal.
Closing Thought…
“The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”
