The Weekly What: November the 2nd, 2018

November 5th, 2018
Good morning y’all,

Our kids had a blast at their first high school dance after a week of Marine research and reflection. Check out what we did last week and what‘s next! Also, don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this email and check out our weeklystudent “Harmony Highlight”.

Leaving-to-Learn:
LUMCON

Last week was all about Marine Biology and local research on our coast at
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
During our Leaving to Learn, we

  • Toured LUMCON facilities
  • Learned about upcoming youth programs they offer and how to get involved
  • Explored New Harmony High Board Member Alex Kolker’s lab, with complex piping containing fresh, brackish, and salt water for research
  • Met Louisiana’s most prominent Marine Biologists and researchers
  • Trolled for sediment and marine life to examine behind the Acadiana boat in the Gulf of Mexico
  • Identified local wildlife and what purpose they serve to the environment and coastal communities
Open water, professional research presentations, kids on the boat, and even a stingray!
Here, our students work on their LUMCON reflection projects in Environmental Awareness. After our visit, kids had to answer how the coast is affected by a myriad of factors including human behavior, weather, climate change, and more.

Guest Speaker

Kevin Fitzwilliam

Did you know that Mardi Gras beads generate 93,000 pounds (that’s 46.5 tons) of waste in our gutters each year?! This week, our guest speaker uses art, business, and humanitarianism to combat this local issue. 

Kevin is the founder of ATLAS Handmade Beads, which offers beads and bracelets made from recycled magazine paper. The beads are crafted by women in Uganda who earn a living wage. Kevin is passionate about the environment and his organization was inspired by problems surrounding waste management surrounding Mardi Gras, such as the heavy carbon consequences of making and importing plastic beads in China, and how the discarded beads wreck New Orleans’ storm drains and landscape. Kevin attended a community discussion called “The Future of Mardi Gras“, which is where his idea was sparked.

The jewelry that the women make serve as a means to tell a story and as a method for raising awareness. They also help to pay for wells, schools, clinic, homes, and more in places that are in need of these basic necessities. The beads also keep Louisiana Mardi Gras bead throwing tradition and culture alive while advocating for sustainability and supporting women and communities across the globe.

New Harmony has recently partnered with ATLAS Beads in order to research excessive waster during Mardi Gras and fundraise for the cause.


Our students hold the beads made by Ugandan women.

Open House:
Invite your community

Student ambassadors and staff will be hosting a recruitment Open House for prospective 2019-2020 freshman. Our ambassadors will be showing parents and students a day in the life of a New Harmony student. Visitors will also be receiving information about shadow days, curriculum, programs, and more. Please join us and help spread the word to any 7th/8th graders. The main round of OneApp Enrollment begins on Monday, November the 19th.
We hope to see you there!
Halloween at NHH

Upcoming Local Events and Learning Opportunities
No Phones Allowed Game Night 

A New Harmony student’s Girl Scout Troop is hosting an electronic free game night at the Norman Mayer Library on Wednesday evening, November 28. If you’d like your child to ditch the screens for an evening and engage in some good old-fashioned game night fun, check it out!

CURRENT VOLUNTEER AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS:

On-going
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

This is also a volunteer opportunity for students who are willing to commit to 6 Saturdays, beginning tomorrow!  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.


A few New Harmony students working as trained volunteers

NHH FAMILIES
NORD and Planetarium
FIELD TRIPS
For the next two Thursdays during Leaving to Learn, we will be taking kids to New Orleans Recreation Development at Joe Brown Park as well as the Planetarium. At NORD students will identify invasive species on the NORD Nature Trail and learn what effects these species have had in our local communities. In addition, they will also have an opportunity to canoe at
Joe Brown Park.

Students will also dive into a different environment, outer space! Kids will receive a guided tour of the Audubon Nature Center’s Planetarium, interact with their new state-of-the-art technology, and see their newest films which include real time images from NASA.

We will be sending out more information this week. Please let us know if you have any questions.

HARMONY HIGHLIGHT

Brinson

What is something you do well?

Play video games; I have won Fortnite tournaments.

What is something you learned in the past week?

Sigma notation in math; it is used to solve sequences and series.

What is the biggest misconception people have about you?

People think that I get mad easy, but I don’t.

What is the biggest dream you have yourself that you are afraid to say aloud?

I want to become a professional gamer … but that won’t fly by my parents.

Who has had a positive influence on your life so far and why?

My agricultural advisors from my old school.  They introduced me to FFA (Future Farmers of America), and that changed my life.  I won three state championships and learned more than I ever realized about forestry, dairy, and opening and closing ceremonies.

What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

I would probably play video games all day.

What do you like about New Harmony?

The way that we learn. It’s not like sitting in a classroom with a teacher talking.  We have hands-on learning.

Have a great week and don’t forget to spread the word about Open House on Wednesday!
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