Rainbow for this Rainy Week!

A beautiful rainbow arching over our campus was just what we needed during this rainy, cold, soggy week! Thanks for sending Mr. Worster (parent of Skye '20)!

2014 Thanksgiving Assembly

Holton's annual Thanksgiving Assembly, a favorite school tradition, was held today in the Lewis Theater. The program included the singing of "Now I Walk in Beauty" (Navajo prayer), "All the Good People," and "This Land is your Land" as well as remarks by students from each division: Molly '21, Mika '19, and Sophie '15. One of only two times each school year where the entire school community gathers together, the Thanksgiving Assembly is a time where the Holton community expresses their gratitude for their many blessings!

Grade 5 Learns All About Healthy Food!

Last week, the Holton fifth grade health class spent the morning learning about how to prepare healthy food. The students girls listened to Holton's Head Chef, Mr. Keller, about how the School's dining service buys and prepares the foods we eat here on campus. The girls then toured the kitchen where they got an inside look at how all of the delicious food we eat is prepared. At the end of the class, the girls had a chance to get their hands dirty by creating their own nutritious and delicious snack with granola and other healthy toppings!

OTB Day! Glimpses of Islam: The Golden Age and Beyond

Earlier today, the Holton seventh grade engaged in an interdisciplinary experience or "Outside-the-Box" Day entitled “Glimpses of Islam.” The girls participated in activities designed to highlight important aspects of Islam including: Islamic Art: Design & Geometry; Islamic Innovations; Islamic Poetry; and Muslim Women. The students also enjoyed a delicious Middle Eastern feast. It was such a rich and meaningful experience!

There's No Place like Holton for the Holidays

Every year as winter break approaches students, parents, and alumnae ask if we have something special available for the holidays. Holton-Arms plays such an important part in so many women's lives that it makes perfect sense to give Holton gifts at holiday time. To that end, the Holton-Arms School Store created a gorgeous custom blanket featuring the beloved Holton crest. It makes a beautiful throw for your family room couch. Perfect for snuggling up in front of the TV on cold winter nights.

The Blanket is a cotton blend, navy and white and made in the USA. It measures 50"x 60" it's machine washable and can include yours and/or your daughter's graduation year. Priced at $115.00 +$10.00 for custom Class of... top left. Add a pillow to complete the set. The pillow is available in blue (shown above) or white.

Orders placed by November 24, 2014 will be available for pick up or shipment by December 15, 2014. Please use this form to order the blanket and feel free to peruse the gift site for other holiday ideas.

Model UN Conference at William and Mary

On November 15 and 16, the College of William & Mary’s International Relations Club held its twenty-eighth WMHSMUN conference with over 1,400 high school delegates and educators in attendance. Holton's 32 member Upper School Model UN team participated in this annual fall conference with Yasmeen Haider '15 as Holton's head delegate. Another Holton senior, Shanzay Khan '15, received an Honorable Mention for her role on the US Foreign Aid Committee. Way to go ladies!

Holton/Landon Chinese II Students Engage in Collaborative Learning

On November 7 and November 10, Holton and Landon 9th grade students taking Chinese II worked together during collaborative learning sessions. Each student delivered a speech in Chinese about their life as a 9th grader. Afterwards, the students took turns interviewing each other. What a fun and engaging way to enhance their Chinese language skills!

  

Holton-Arms Highlighted in Washingtonian's "Finding the Perfect Private School in Washington"

Holton-Arms is highlighted in the November 2014 issue of Washingtonian magazine article in an article called "Finding the Perfect Private School in Washington."

Here's what they had to say:

"If Your Child Likes Science and Math: Holton-Arms School, Bethesda, grades 3 through 12. 'They’re really pushing their STEM program [Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics] these days,' says Pamela Tedeschi of Tedeschi Educational Consulting in Potomac about this girls’ school."

Grade 4 Africa Day!

On October 30, the fourth grade culminated their study of Africa by celebrating in a big way! Their day began with dancing and continued with the making of African masks, African math, Griot story telling, a presentation by the 12th graders who had recently traveled to Rwanda on their Junior Journey, and ended with speakers from the African Art Museum. On top of all of this, the girls enjoyed a delicious West African meal for lunch!

Panther of the Week

Congratulations to the following girls for being nominated by their coaches for Panther of the Week. Check out the article on this week's winner, Stephanie Bloom '15 from Varsity Soccer. 

Annelise King ’17 – Varsity Volleyball

Maya Das ’17 – Varsity Tennis

Inshira Mohiuddin ’16 – Varsity Field Hockey

Hannah Maydanik ’16 – Cross Country

Ceci Gichner ’18 – JV Field Hockey

Kate Gusek ’18 – JV Soccer

Emily Katz '18 – JV Volleyball

Be sure to check back for more Panther of the Week!

5th Grader Finalist in "A Book That Shaped Me" Contest

On October 9, the Library of Congress announced the winners of its "A Book That Shaped Me" Summer Writing Contest. This program asks rising fifth and sixth graders to reflect on a book that has made a personal impact in their lives. Holton's Cora Jackson '22 has been named a Maryland state finalist in this contest!

According to the Library of Congress website, "More than 200 young readers submitted essays to participating public libraries in the Mid-Atlantic region in this third year of the contest . . . Five finalists per state were chosen in an initial round of judging. The finalists each will receive a $50 gift-card prize." 

Way to go, Cora!

Sophomore Figure Skater 18th in Region!

Earlier this month, Rebecca Chan '17 competed in South Atlantic Regional Figure skating Championship at the junior level (the 7th level out of 8). She finished 18th in the Atlantic region! Rebecca will soon compete at the senior and final level. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Panther of the Week

Congratulations to the following girls for being nominated by their coaches for Panther of the Week. Check out thearticle on the winners, Anna Haskin ’18 (cross country) and Caitlyn Johnson ’17 (JV volleyball).

Sophie Gary ’17 and Mary Claire Medeiros ’17 (Varsity Tennis)

Stephanie Bloom ’15 (Varsity Soccer)

Victoria Powell '17 (JV Field Hockey)

Raeva Sayed '17 (Varsity Volleyball)

Be sure to check back for more Panther of the Week!

Sophomore Chosen as JDRF Youth Ambassador

Cecilia Parker '17 has been chosen as a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Youth Ambassador for Washington, DC. The program lasts throughout the 2014-2015 school year. Cecilia will act as a “face” of JDRF and type 1 diabetes at area events. This is a great achievement and represents Cecilia's ongoing commitment as a fundraiser, educator, and advocate for JDRF!

AP Bio Observes Open Heart Surgery

Yesterday, the Advanced Placement Biology class went on the tenth annual field trip to the Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute to observe open heart surgery of a patient who was having a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) (quadruple). The first thing the students heard was an introductory briefing on the patient’s status by a registered nurse. She explained the kind of symptoms the patient experienced that brought them to the hospital. She then talked about the patient’s genetic history for heart disease and any risk factors they had with a particular focus on things that people can control like smoking, alcohol use and diet. The nurse went on to talk about the byapss the patient was about to undergo. 

Before the students entered the dome, they took a quiz about general heart health. Once in the dome, the nurse talked extensively to the students about what was going on below. She talked about each person in the room and their role. She also shared the kind of education and training a person needs to undergo to do that job. In the room were the cardiothoracic surgeon, the scrub nurse, the perfusionist, the certified nurse anesthetist, the registered surgical nurse, and circulating nurses and anesthesiologist.  

While the procedure progressed, the nurse explained every step from the location and removal of the saphenous vein in the leg using a narrow scope to the opening and preparation of the chest cavity. The students learned about the removal of the vein and the tests it must undergo to ensure the integrity of it as well as the redirecting of blood flow that occurs as a result of the removal. While that was going on, the surgeon prepared the heart by opening the ribs, entering the pericardium and stitching catheters in place to redirect blood flow to the heart/lung machine which circulated the patient's blood and oxygen while the bypass took place. 

One of the most amazing moments occurred when the doctors stopped the heart using a high potassium solution. The Holton students have learned about osmosis and maintaining an isotonic state as well as the importance of ion exchanges across cell membranes. Both concepts proved useful during the observation. While the heart was stopped, the surgeon took sections of saphenous vein and created new pathways for blood flow that successfully fed the heart muscle valuable nutrients and oxygen.

The girls were highly engaged yesterday, asking a lot of great questions and making connections between concepts learned in class and the applications to open heart surgery.  

Grade 6 - Blue and White Panther Mascots

One of the delights of being a sixth grader at Holton is being able to dress up as a blue or white panther during Spirit Week or other Holton events! Lower School announced blue and white teams this past Friday at Gathering, complete with Upper School blue and white team leaders teaching the girls Holton cheers. Lily and Laura got to follow up with that spirit by waving to cars at afternoon carpool. Each day of Spirit Week, the sixth grade girls take turns greeting carpools in the morning and afternoon pick-ups/drop-offs. Go blue, go white, go Holton!

Middle School Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the Middle School Spanish Department created a beautiful bulletin board with various facts and photos about important moments in history. More than just a decorative board, the Middle School girls were tasked with answering questions based on the posted information. To culminate their lesson, the girls then presented their findings! 

Lower School Gives Bikes for the World!

The Lower School was thrilled to have gathered 20 used bikes that they then donated to Bikes for the World, a local organization dedicated to distributing bicycles in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and around the world. The donated bicycles will help adults find work, provide transportation for families, and allow children to have access to schools. The bikes also provide transport for goods and act as emergency vehicles in villages and communities in Africa and South America. Learn more about Bikes for the World here.

 

Blue/White Induction Ceremony - Upper School

It was an exciting morning assembly today! It was Blue and White Induction Day in Upper School! On Blue and White Induction Day, the elected Blue and White team leaders assigned students new to Holton their team color. Each new student was called by name to the stage where they received a white or blue button. The legacy of this day has the potential to live on for many many years - since alumnae daughters are part of the same team as their mothers, sisters, aunts, and cousins!

Now that all of the girls know what team they are on, they can begin gearing up for Spirit Week! Go Blue, Go White, Go Holton!

 

With four different fall sports (field hockey, soccer, tennis, and volleyball) hosting games on campus yesterday, Holton's Mobile Panther Pantry was busy making the rounds! Players and spectators alike enjoyed snacks and beverages served by Holton's very own Catherine '15 and Yasmin '17. Make sure to visit the Panther Pantry during the next round of home games!

Grade 3 Learns Holton-Arms History From Head of School, Susanna A. Jones

This morning, Holton's Head of School Susanna A. Jones met with the third grade to teach them about the history of Holton-Arms. The girls enjoyed hearing how Mrs. Holton and Miss Arms started the School in Washington, DC in 1901 after teaching together at another school called Mrs. Flint's School. Watch the video below to hear from Ms. Jones about how Mrs. Holton and Miss Arms took their books and scientific equipment in a push cart that they hired from a flower vendor and wheeled them to their new school. Holton still has this original scientific equipment!

Welcome Back!

The entire Holton-Arms community is gearing up for the 2014-2015 school year! We welcome our new and returning faculty, staff, and students. Enjoy this slide show showing the new faces of faculty and staff, as well as some student orientation and fall sports pre-season photos. Go Panthers!

Middle School Spring Dance Performance

Today the Middle School spring dancers performed in the large dance studio to the delight of their fellow classmates and teachers. The focus this season was on improvisation and choreography. In small groups, the students developed pieces with the themes of friendship, insecurities, parallel universes, and the steps one takes to reach a goal. See a clip of one of the group's performances below!

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

Since May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, the students studying Chinese in grades 6-9 had the opportunity to see and learn from artists demonstrating traditional Asian-Pacific folk arts such as dough figurines and sugar painting.

 

Balinese Gamelan Music in Lower School

For over 23 years, the sounds of spring in the Holton-Arms Lower School have included the distinctive timbre of Balinese gamelan instruments. This global component of the music program came about as a result of sabbatical study in Bali by former Lower School music teacher Gerri Wilson. She passed on her knowledge about the music and culture to colleagues who came after her, to the benefit of hundreds of students over the years. Fifth grade students learn to play gamelan pieces on xylophones, but the fun really begins when our friend Nyoman Suadin, founder and artistic director of the local gamelan Mitra Kusuma, brings authentic instruments for the girls to play. Students find the sounds enticing and even mesmerizing, and they love to work to master the complicated interlocking rhythms and new playing techniques that Nyoman challenges them to learn.

Grade 5 - Speaker from Science Magazine

Since the fifth graders are currently creating two page spreads about the elements, the Lower School staff thought it would be a great idea to bring in Brad Wible, Senior Editor of Science Magazine published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, to speak to the class. Mr. Wible spoke about the importance of both science communication and peer review to ensure quality control.

College Mini-Fair

Today, the 9th and 10th grades attended a college mini-fair in Holton's Dining Room. About 15 colleges were represented by some of Holton's teachers and staff members who attended these colleges. The teachers and staff were excited to talk to the girls about their own experiences as undergraduates.

Although the actual college process is a little way off for these freshmen and sophomores, it was nice for the girls to learn about some of the many options. As juniors, they will several opportunities to attend large college fairs, but today's fair was a nice introduction to the process!

Senior Spirit Day 2014

It was a fantastic day all around for Senior Spirit Day! The seniors lined the entrance of the School to cheer the arrival of fellow students, parents, and teachers. Following their cheer session, the seniors played their class video during morning assembly.

After assembly, the fun really began! The first two hours of school consisted of a huge party in the Centennial Garden with a moon bounce, pizza, ice cream, music, and, the main attraction, the huge homemade waterslide!

Following these festivities, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, faculty, and staff sang songs to the seniors, which resulted in a lot of tears. The seniors then sang a song in gratitude for all that they have learned and achieved at Holton!

The Marshmallow Challenge - Grades 3, 4 and 8 Math Celebration

Today was the first annual Grade 3/Grade 4/Grade 8 Math Celebration! The girls had a blast competing in "The Marshmallow Challenge". This design exercise taught the girls the importance of collaboration, innovation and creativity. With eighteen minutes on the clock, the blended teams of third, fourth and eighth graders set out to build the tallest free-standing structure made out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The tough part? The marshmallow needs to be on top!

Grade 4 Learns About India From Class of 2014

Earlier today, the fourth grade met with nine Holton seniors to learn about their "junior journey" to India. The seniors told the fourth graders about their three week trip where they learned about economic development and the effects of globalization. The fourth graders asked interesting questions i.e. What was the food like? Did you see a lot of animals? Where did you stay? How is India different from America? At the end of the visit, the seniors decorated the fourth graders hands with henna and they all enjoyed eating samosas.