Six AC Students Receive 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Posted on February 8th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolBy Lori Kimbrough Wun
Ava Gouvernet ’20 and Gabe Rosen ’19 received coveted Gold Key Awards in The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Allendale Columbia students Ava Gouvernet ’20 and Gabe Rosen ’19 received coveted Gold Key Awards in The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition conducted by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, with four additional students also getting awards.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is one of the country’s longest running and largest juried art exhibitions for visual art students in grades 7-12. The Awards have an impressive legacy dating back to 1923 and a noteworthy roster of past award winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Zac Posen, Ken Burns, and Joyce Carol Oates. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Eleventh Grade, Highlights, Kid Kudos, Ninth Grade, Tenth Grade, Twelfth Grade, Upper School
Trying Conquers Transition Fears
Posted on February 8th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolKids do think ahead sometimes, especially when it comes to big transitions. Fifth-graders moving up to Middle School worry about the schedule, changing classrooms and teachers, lockers, and mixing with older kids. Eighth-graders moving to Upper School often cite preparing for college, tougher courses, more choices, and whether they can balance everything. Parents worry about these things, too, as they try to anticipate their child’s path forward. Imaginings of what might be often distracts them from the excitement of what’s to come.
The cure: trying it! Once students, with support, experience a day in the life at the next level and see what actually happens, the fears fade away. That’s why Allendale Columbia does a Next Steps program every February for fifth-graders and eighth-graders. (more…)
Posted in: Eighth Grade, Fifth Grade, Highlights, Lower School, Middle School, Ninth Grade, Seventh Grade, Sixth Grade, Upper School
Ukuleles Build Connection, Creativity, and Resilience
Posted on February 1st, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolBy Rachael Sanguinetti
Happy National Ukulele Day!
If you’ve visited the AC chorus room in the last two years, you probably noticed a huge addition to the decor of the room: 22 concert-size ukuleles on the back walls. They are a point of conversation on many tours of the music building and have become an important part of the AC Middle School music offerings.
We use these instruments in 6th Grade Foundational Music and in Ukulele Electives offered each semester. They are also used in Lower School General Music classes and for Upper School clubs. Over the past few years they have been used by many students across divisions for composition, performance, and group music making. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Highlights, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School
AC Seniors Selected for “Start Here” Exhibition at RIT
Posted on January 31st, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolAllendale Columbia seniors Misha Zain and Tsioianiio Galban were selected to exhibit their artwork in the invitational “Start Here” exhibition at RIT, which runs through Saturday, February 2nd. At the exhibition Misha was presented with the Advertising Award for Excellence and Creativity from RIT’s faculty for her untitled portrait photograph. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Eleventh Grade, Highlights, Ninth Grade, Tenth Grade, Twelfth Grade, Upper School
SCIENCE FAIR: Movie Screening Feb. 7th
Posted on January 30th, 2019 by cnickels
Join us for a special viewing of SCIENCE FAIR by National Geographic
Hailed by critics as “infectious and exuberant” and “the funniest movie of the year,” National Geographic Documentary Films’ SCIENCE FAIR follows nine high school students from around the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair. As 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries face off, only one will be named Best in Fair. SCIENCE FAIR won the audience award at Sundance and SXSW.
This event has already occurred. To watch the documentary on your own, please check Amazon or Netflix.
Watch the trailer and see for yourself why science is so cool.
Allendale Columbia School presents this event as part of our commitment to exposing students and the Rochester community to STEM and entrepreneurship opportunities. Learn more about the AC Invent Center for STEM and Innovation and the AC Center for Entrepreneurship.
Posted in: Entrepreneurship, Highlights, Invent, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School
How’s Your Knowledge of Current Events?
Posted on January 29th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolHow’s your knowledge of current events? Take the 2019 Allendale Columbia School Current Events Test to see how you compare with AC Middle and Upper School students, who took the test on January 29th. Henry Nicosia ’20 topped all students with 92 points. You’re on your honor — even though you may be viewing the test on a connected device, you may not consult any sources other than your own memory while you take the test.
| 2019 Current Events Test Questions (PDF) (open this for the questions)  |
2019 Current Events Answer Sheet (PDF) (mark your answers)  |
2019 Current Events Answer Key (PDF) (check your results)  |
Posted in: Eighth Grade, Eleventh Grade, Highlights, Middle School, Ninth Grade, Seventh Grade, Sixth Grade, Tenth Grade, Twelfth Grade, Upper School
AC Science Students Challenged with a Different Kind of Midterm
Posted on January 24th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolBy Maya Crosby
It’s midterm week at Allendale Columbia School, but around here you will see a different kind of test. End-of-semester exams measure Upper School science students’ understanding of concepts through more authentic, challenge-based assessments.
As a part of his analytical chemistry final, sophomore Spencer Dworkin determines the type of chemical reaction occurring in the test tube.
In Analytical Chemistry, a required science course, students take part of their exam in the lab, discovering the identity of an unknown. They answer questions about each reaction, focusing on “why did this reaction occur” and “what does it mean?”. In Forensics, they take on a case-based challenge, trying to understand the nature of a crime using clues provided to them and the tools in the lab. Using this kind of assessment requires much more work on the part of faculty than a traditional multiple-choice exam. However, it’s worth the extra effort in terms of the quality of the learning that the students can demonstrate and the lasting understanding that a student takes with them after the course. (more…)
Posted in: Authentic Learning, Centers for Impact, Eleventh Grade, Highlights, Invent, Ninth Grade, Tenth Grade, Twelfth Grade, Upper School
AC Food Featured at PACK Coffee Connection
Posted on January 18th, 2019 by Allendale Columbia SchoolWhat words or images go through your head when you think about school lunches? How about “healthy” and “sustainable?”
At Allendale Columbia, it may start with providing healthy, sustainable, fresh, tasty, and allergy-safe sustenance, Food Service Director, Laura Reynolds-Gorsuch related at Wednesday’s Parents of Allendale Columbia Kids (PACK) Coffee Connection. But healthy and sustainable goes beyond the food. Laura and her team also seek to contribute to students’ overall well-being and develop practices that will sustain students into their adult lives. (more…)
Posted in: Highlights, Lower School, Middle School, PACK, Pre-Primary School, Upper School