The MacDuffie School Newsletter, Volume 18, Issue 8, April 2012

Greetings from the Head of School

Hello everyone, A warm welcome back to all the MacDuffie community. I hope that many of you were able to enjoy some family time during our March break. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Kevin Hillman, who has been appointed as Chair of the World Languages Department. Kevin brings experience in departmental leadership and program development to the role. I am confident that Kevin will play an important role alongside his department in planning the new and exciting directions for languages at MacDuffie. Tuesday, March 27 marked an exciting initiative for us as we kicked off our Globalism Speaker Series. Professor James Hartley from Mount Holyoke College captivated the audience in his timely message on the European debt crisis. He certainly piqued the interest of many of our students – requests are already pouring in for more visiting academics than the two speakers already lined up for 2011-12. With such an enthusiastic response, we hope that this program will continue to develop and expand in the coming years. The Speaker Series, coupled with the offer of an economics course for the 2012-13 academic year, reinforce the tenet of international perspective in our mission: to prepare our students to be moral and responsible participants in their communities, and beyond. Locally and internationally, we want to continue to challenge our students to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.

During the last assembly, I briefly spoke about a few global issues, including the Kony 2012 awareness campaign. Students are very interested in discussing the ongoing saga of Joseph Kony. A powerfully moving documentary, designed to make the public aware of Kony’s atrocities, the video has already been viewed 86 million times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc Upon further review, however, there are some serious concerns in the media as to whether either the approach, or the target of the campaign, are well-conceived. Some of our student leaders are interested in promoting debate over the next few weeks regarding US interventionism, the International Criminal Court, the power of media and the discernment of media sources. I wish you a fantastic April. Regards,

Steve Griffin Head of School (Please note also that after this issue, we will publish ATC more often to send more timely articles and reminders.)

News and Notes

Students Compete in AMC 10/12 Math Competition Mr. Peter Shelburne, Math Teacher

On February 7, twenty-eight MacDuffie students took the Mathematical Association of America’s AMC 10/12 competitive math exam. This 75-minute exam focuses on problem solving skills with problems ranging from straightforward to fiendishly complicated. We are pleased to announce that the three high scorers (all tied) for the ten 9th and 10th graders who took the exam are: Kehan (Thomas) Chen, Kunyun (Queenie) Wu, and Ziying (Lisa) Xue. Among the eighteen 11th and 12th graders, the three high scorers are: Zhou (Helen) Fan, Jiachang (Harry) Liu, and Chuying (Lucy) Luo. The highest scorer, Lucy, will continue to compete at the next level, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), held in March. The photo shows students discussing problems from the exam during a celebration afterwards.

Director Lyman coaches Eva Snyder ‘13, Rachel Messbauer ’12 and Jake Stern ’13 on the Bye Bye Birdie script. This will be his 76th production with the MacDuffie theater!

More details further along in this issue. . .

MacDuffie School Vacation Dates 2012-2013

Parents, guardians, and students should avoid making any arrangements which conflict with these dates. It is very important that all students attend classes on all school days, and be present at both Academic Convocation and Commencement. Arrangements which extend vacation periods by either beginning them early or ending them late must be avoided. Each and every class day at MacDuffie is extremely valuable in the academic lives of our students.

Boarding Students are not permitted to stay on campus during Thanksgiving, December, March and Summer vacations. The school and campus are closed during these school vacations.

Academic Consequence for Missed Classes

Students cannot miss any classes due to travel arrangements. Three Hundredths (.03) of a point will be subtracted from a student’s G.P.A. for each day or partial day if any classes are missed by departing prior to departure dates or arriving after the scheduled arrival dates.

** Please note: All boarding students must arrive on campus Tuesday, August 28th

Thanksgiving Break

All students may depart AFTER 3:30 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 Boarding students must depart no later than Wednesday, November 21, 2012, 12:00 pm

Boarding students must return by 8:00 pm Sunday, November 25, 2012 Classes resume at 8:00 am Monday, November 26, 2012

December Vacation

All students may depart AFTER 3:30 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012

Boarding students must depart no later than Friday, December 21, 2012, 6:00 pm

Boarding students must return by 8:00 pm Sunday, January 6, 2013 Classes resume at 8:00 am on Monday, January 7, 2013

March Vacation

All students may depart AFTER 3:30 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013

Boarding students must depart no later than Saturday, March 9, 2013, 6:00 pm

Boarding students must return by 8:00 pm Sunday, March 24, 2013 Classes resume at 8:00 am Monday, March 25, 2013

Summer Vacation

All students may depart AFTER Commencement, 6:30 pm on Sunday, June 16, 2013

Boarding students must depart no later than Monday, June 17, 2013

The school will provide transportation to boarding students only on departure/arrival days beginning at 7:00 am. Locations are only to/from Bradley International Airport in Hartford, CT,

the Amherst Peter Pan Bus Stop, and the Amtrak Train Station in Springfield, MA.

From the Registrar’s Office Ms. Pat Boudreau, Registrar

ATTENTION: STUDENTS TAKING AN AP EXAM(S) IN MAY

1. AP exams have been ordered. 2. The fee for each AP exam is $87.00. If paying by check, please make it out for the total amount

payable to “The MacDuffie School”. Please submit your payment to Mr. Bill Morris, Director of College Counseling, room 219.

3. Payment MUST be made no later than Friday, April 27. We will send a check for the total sum to the College Board.

4. Please note the AP exam schedule below. Please plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to the start time. AP exam subject dates and times is also posted on The MacDuffie School website “All School Calendar”.

AP Exam Schedule

DATE SUBJECT TIME

Tuesday, May 8 Spanish Language 8:00 am Wednesday, May 9 Calculus AB 8:00 am Thursday, May 10 English Literature (Grade 12)

Latin: Vergil 8:00 am 12:00 pm

Friday, May 11 US History 8:00 am Monday, May 14 Physics 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 15 French Language 12:00 pm Wednesday, May 16 Statistics 12:00 pm

Exam Schedule June 2012 - 8th Grade and Upper School

Friday, June 1, 2012 Monday, June 4, 2012 8:15 am – English/ESL 8:15 am - History 12:45 pm – Languages, including Latin 12:45 pm - Science Tuesday, June 5, 2012 8:15 am - Specials* 12:45 pm - Math *Specials - This time is only for students who take two courses in the same discipline, such as two math classes or both French and Spanish. When this happens, the Registrar will reschedule the exams. The lower course level is taken during “Specials”. All students should plan to take exams at the scheduled time unless they have the conflict listed above. All rescheduling of exams is done by the Registrar through Mr. Addicks. After-school coverage will continue throughout the exam period however, please try to arrange to have students picked up as soon as possible after the last exam of the day. Bus transportation will be provided for the students who are normally transported by bus (a bus schedule will be provided in May). Please note: We will provide a detailed exam week schedule in the near future for the Middle School as well as the Upper School.

Connecting Globally Ms. Carole Tomkiel, English Teacher

As part of its work with the literature of war and violence, Ms. Tomkiel’s English 12 class held a fundraiser in honor of International Women’s Day, March 4, which honors women around the world who have worked towards peace and democracy. Students ate baked goods, played games, and donated money to help sponsor Miss Claudine, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. The proceeds have gone to Miss

Claudine’s schooling through Women for Women International, where she is receiving training in health awareness, human rights awareness, and economic stability.

Earlier in the year, English 12, in conjunction with students from Mr. Denno’s and Mr. Vennell’s classes, also hosted a talk by genocide survivor Pascal Akimana, who survived Burundi’s genocide and speaks now on behalf of the United Nations Committee on Refugees. Letter exchanges and toy donations with children in Gatumba were part of the unit that explained the causes and results of violence and the role the individual can play in promoting peace, social justice, and community.

ATTENTION all you hep cats, Daddyo’s, ankle biters and keepers: The MacDuffie Theater has got a large

charge for you!!! Ms. Denise Boutin, Arts Department Chair

Bye Bye Birdie is the spring musical, and it’s happen’n soon: Friday, April, 13 at 8 pm, Saturday, April 14 at 3 pm

and 8 pm, and Sunday, April 15 at 3 pm. This show is cookin’ with gas; it’s like crazy man. The songs are

hummable, the story’s a big tickle and the cast is filled with dollys and flutter bums who aren’t only eye candy,

but talented too. I’m not just lighting up the tilt signal; BBB is like wow! So scratch up some loose nuggets and

give Brenda Joslyn a bell at 413-255-0000. Tickets are chili at $15 for adults and $8 for children under 12. There

are only 100 tickets sold for each performance, and the Saturday matinee is already gonzo, so what are you

waitin’ for? Comb back your duck butts and hives, rev up the rod and lay a patch over to see Bye Bye Birdie.

See you later alligator!

A Loose Translation of the ad above:

Hello there MacDuffie community, the MacDuffie Theater has a terrific spring musical for you. We’re doing Bye

Bye Birdie, April 13, 14 and 15 at 8pm, 3 and 8pm and 3pm respectively. This is an energetic show with

recognizable music, an upbeat plot with a 50’s theme (when Elvis was King) and an attractive and capable cast.

I’m not lying; it’s going to be a lot of fun. Tickets can be reserved and/or purchased in advance by calling Brenda

Joslyn at 413-250-0000. The theater is small, and the matinee on Saturday is almost sold out already, so call

soon. We look forward to seeing you at Bye Bye Birdie!

Ms. Tomkiel's English 12 class poses with Women for Women fundraiser participant Scott Li (bottom right). Proceeds from the event went to the education of Rwandan genocide survivor, Miss Claudine.

is for Frogs

by Johanna Saarela, Class of 2018

On February 28, The MacDuffie sixth grade Science class went on a field trip with Mr. Vennell and Ms.Tomkiel to the Springfield Science Museum to see the frog exhibit. First, the class listened to one of the staff teach us everything she knew about amphibians, including some very interesting facts and experiments that taught us almost everything there is to know about the subject. Then, we did hands-on activities that not only taught us about frogs and their habits, but also proved to be fun and entertaining. After learning more facts, we were brought into the main exhibit room to roam the area where the frogs were. There were all

kinds of different frogs: small frogs, big frogs, frogs with huge bulgy eyes, camouflaged frogs, and poisonous neon frogs. There was even a frog nicknamed “mountain chicken.” So as you can see, we saw mostly every kind of frog you can imagine. After getting as much of the frog experience as possible, we played a trivia game in another room. At first, it seemed to be a pretty easy game, since neither team got any questions wrong. The trivia was based on what we had learned in the exhibit room. It turned out to be a pretty close match, and everyone agreed that we had fun, not only during the game, but during the whole day as well.

Johanna checks out the Green Invaders exhibit.

The MacDuffie School

Community Dinner Presented by the Parents’ Association

Please join us on Friday, April 13th at 7:00 pm Before the Bye- Bye Birdie Performance

Pasta, Meatballs, Salad, Bread, Beverages - $5.00/person Please see Mrs. Joslyn in the office for tickets. Checks may be made out to The

MacDuffie School. All tickets must be purchased by Monday, April 9th. Sorry, but tickets will not be available at the door.

Hurry, limited seating available! Seating for the pasta dinner does not guarantee seating for the play.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The MacDuffie Key Club Wants Your Shoes!

The MacDuffie Key Club is working with Rerun Shoes, “a social enterprise program with an environmental mission. Their goal is to provide sustainable development to micro-entrepreneurs in Mali, Guinea and Liberia where used shoes are refurbished and brought to market, thus providing the ability to earn an income to small businesses and affordable footwear to their customers.”

How about doing your spring cleaning now! Support the Key Club by bringing in used men’s, women’s and children’s shoes, sandals and athletic shoes, including cleats (please no shoes with holes and no winter footwear). Donation boxes are located just inside the main entrance.

Along with shoes, donation boxes are permanently located in the main entrance for clothing and canned goods for those in need. Thank you!

SAVE THE DATE!

On Friday, April 27, the Arts Department will present their Spring Concert of Music & Dance at 7 pm. This year’s show will be held at Holyoke High School located at 500 Beech Street in Holyoke, MA 01040. Holyoke High School seats approximately 800 people, so please spread the word about this great show which will feature performances by students enrolled in music and dance classes. Many of our students have choreographed and composed their own work which will be presented the night of the show. We are looking for parent volunteers to provide baked goods, bottled water and napkins as well as run the table for our intermission Bake Sale. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Aimee Dewar at adewar@macduffie.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door and cost $8 general admission and $6 for students. This is a great way to begin our Alumni Weekend and gear up for the Run for Hope on Saturday! We hope to see you there.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Celtics Trip Brings Brothers Together On Wednesday, March 28th, 37 MacDuffie students travelled to Boston to see the Boston Celtics play the Utah Jazz. In a see-saw battle, Boston prevailed, 94-82. The game had special significance because it provided Kerem Kanter '14 the opportunity to see his big brother in NBA action for the first time. Enes Kanter had 6 points and 3 rebounds for Utah in the loss. Sani Kohen '14, Utah Jazz Center Enes Kanter, Kerem Kanter '14 at the TD Garden in Boston

Coach’s Corner Mrs. Susan Fischer, Athletic Director

Congratulations to MacDuffie’s Winter Athletes!

The basketball teams celebrated the season at the March 8th Winter Sports Awards night where the players were honored for their commitment and dedication to their teams. Congratulations to the following award winners: Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach’s Award – Catherine deHahn ’14 Players’ Award – Carina Gonzalez ’12 Most Improved Player – Shannon Wade ’12 Most Valuable Player – Carina Gonzalez ’12

Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach’s Award – James Nelson ’14, Khiry Marchman ’12 Players’ Award – Greg Rougellis ’12 Most Improved Player – Greg Rougellis ’12 Most Valuable Player – Kerem Kanter ’14

The following Boys’ Varsity athletes were honored by the league: Kerem Kanter – NEPSAC All-League 1st Team Khiry Marchman – NEPSAC All-League 2nd Team James Nelson – NEPSAC All-League 3rd Team

For the third year in a row, Carina Gonzalez was selected as Class D New England All-Star!

Coach McCullough presents awards

to James Nelson and Khiry Marchman.

Catherine DeHahn accepts the Coach's Award from Coach May

Mrs. Fischer and Mr. Griffin

congratulate this year’s Seniors.

SPRING SPORTS

The Spring Sports season is well underway, with Girls’ Lacrosse, Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis, and Ultimate Frisbee teams competing at MacDuffie. The Crew team will row for the third year at the Holyoke Rows Boathouse at Jones Ferry in Holyoke. New this season will be a competitive Badminton Club that will meet after school in our gym and have the opportunity to attend local Badminton tournaments.

Mark your calendars – the Spring Sports Awards Night is Thursday, May 24, 6:30 pm in the MacDuffie Gymnasium.

Also this spring, the MacDuffie Ultimate Frisbee team will host the Second Annual Ultimate Alumni Game against recent MacDuffie Alums on Friday, May 18th at 4:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

Reminder from the Registrar, Ms. Boudreau:

COURSE SIGN-UP for 2012-2013 The Curriculum Guide for ’12-13 will be posted on the MacDuffie website by the end of Spring Break. This guide provides information on graduation requirements, departmental requirements, course descriptions, and course sequences. Students will meet with their advisor and complete their recommended course sheets on April 11th. The advisor, along with other academic personnel, will review the preferences to ensure that requirements are being met and to further advise the student on what courses to take. In late April/early May, the Registrar will generate a course selection sheet, which will be sent to parents/guardians, indicating what courses the student has chosen. At this time, parents/guardians may want to sit down with their student to discuss the chosen courses using the Curriculum Guide as a reference. This is most important in grades 11 and 12 where students have considerable leeway in choosing their elective courses. Parents should also note that some courses are offered every other year. If students and parents/guardians wish to make changes, please contact Mr. Addicks at (413) 255-0000 ext. 218, or taddicks@macduffie.org, prior to June 11, 2012 to discuss the changes before he begins to build the schedule. During the summer months, the schedule will be developed based on students’ preferences, with priority given to rising seniors. It is imperative that students think carefully about their course sign-ups since their choices have a significant effect on where courses appear in the overall schedule. The scheduling process is completed just prior to registration day. Students will be given their schedules at registration.

Upcoming Events

Please check the School calendar at www.macduffie.org for additional details.

April 6 Special Assembly – Kevin Rhodes of the Springfield Symphony, and musical performances by MacDuffie students April 13 Community Spaghetti Dinner (before Bye Bye Birdie) April 13-15 Bye Bye Birdie – Spring Musical Performances April 16-20 Visit MacDuffie Week April 26 Science Fair April 27 Spring Music & Dance Concert – Holyoke High School April 28 Reunion - Run for Hope - International Festival – Music Festival May 2 Diversity Day May 8 Speaker Series – Y. Hugh Jo from Westfield State University “China on the Rise” May 19 Prom (details will be sent out soon)

College Counseling

Mr. Bill Morris College Admission Decisions Throughout the months of March and April, MacDuffie seniors will receive admission decisions from the colleges they have applied to. Here are a few things to keep in mind as your senior’s college mail begins to pile up:

1) Offers of Admission: The large envelope has arrived and the news is good…Congratulations! Now that the offer of admission has been extended, it’s time to decide if that school is the one your student will be attending in the fall. (Financial aid awards may come with the admission decision, but more typically will arrive under separate cover within a few weeks.) A student has until May 1 to decide whether he/she will attend a college or university and should take as much time as he/she needs to make that final decision. Students should visit the campus again (or for the first time) and attend an admitted student program. Ask any question that has not been answered to your satisfaction. Plan on doing this for each college your student has been admitted to and has an interest in attending. Once a final choice has been made, make sure to send in the required tuition deposit by the appropriate deadline. A student should also send a letter or e-mail to the other colleges he/she has been admitted to and politely decline the offer of admission. Continued. . .

2) Denial Letters: Unfortunately, many students across the country will receive the disappointing

news that they have not been offered admission to a college or university on his or her list. Receiving a denial letter is certainly disappointing, and it’s hard to know what to say when your son or daughter has received one. The first thing to note is the competition factor; your son or daughter has been viewed along with thousands of other students from across the country and internationally. A student who has been denied admission shouldn’t think that he or she wasn’t “good enough” or that they are unlikely to succeed in college. The simple fact is that colleges receive multiple applications for every available spot and cannot offer admission to every applicant. Regardless of the reason, parents and guardians should be ready to offer support and encouragement to their student. Remember, there is more than one college for every student!

3) The Wait List: Some colleges and universities may offer students a spot on their waiting list. The

waiting list is a sort of admissions limbo as the student has not been offered admission, but has not been denied either. If your student has been waitlisted, there are a few options to consider. First, the student should decide if he/she wants to remain on the waiting list or not. If the college is a top choice, I would recommend strongly that the student fill out the wait list card and send it in. I would also advise a student to send an additional letter stating that the college is still a top choice and that he or she still has a strong interest in attending if offered the chance. In some cases, a college pulling from its wait list looks for students who have demonstrated interest in attending. However, there are many colleges that rank their waiting list and choose candidates in that order. Most importantly, it is also a possibility that a college or university will not go to their wait list at all. Therefore, it is very important that waitlisted students plan on enrolling in one of the colleges that have offered them admission. If the student is later chosen off the wait list, then it’s time to decide whether to accept the offer or not.

Additional Thoughts: It is important to note that while some colleges offer an appeals process or some other method of reconsidering an application, it is not likely to result in a change of their decision. This is not a hard and fast rule however, as every college and individual applicant is different. If your student wishes to appeal an admission decision, he or she should contact the admissions office and inquire about their policies. You should also contact Mr. Morris in the College Counseling office for further advice or suggestions (bmorris@macduffie.org or 413-255-0000)

SAT REGISTRATION DEADLINES Test Date Regular Deadline Late (additional fee required) May 5, 2012 April 6, 2012 April 20, 2012 June 2, 2012 May 8, 2012 May 22, 2012 SAT website: www.collegeboard.com

ACT REGISTRATION DEADLINES Test Date Regular Deadline Late (additional fee required) June 9, 2012 May 4, 2012 May 18, 2012

ACT website: www.act.org

Journalism ClJournalism ClJournalism ClJournalism Class ass ass ass Attends Annual Attends Annual Attends Annual Attends Annual

Columbia Scholastic Press Association ConferenceColumbia Scholastic Press Association ConferenceColumbia Scholastic Press Association ConferenceColumbia Scholastic Press Association Conference By Lauren Arsenault ’12

The campus of Columbia University in New York City thronged with thousands of students on Wednesday, March 14th. We gazed around at the bustling crowds with something akin to awe. We weren’t enrolled in college - not yet. Instead, my fellow journalists and I were attending the annual conference hosted by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

The trip, which was chaperoned by Journalism teacher/Magnet advisor Alun Polga and ESL teacher Mary Kapner, spanned the length of the conference from March 14th to 16th. The journalism class has attended the CSPA conference annually since 2009. This year, student reporters attended workshops on everything from newspaper design to interviewing techniques and editing tips that were run by CSPA members and editors from newspapers such as The New York Times. We arrived at Grand Central Station around noon on Wednesday, dropped off our bags at The New Yorker Hotel, and headed out for the afternoon sessions of the conference. When it ended for the day, we returned to the hotel to freshen up. After dinner, we visited the Empire State Building, where we took some truly incredible pictures and agreed that the New York skyline by night is one of the most spectacular sights in the world.

Thursday morning we returned to the conference, where we spent another day learning new journalistic techniques, including how to modernize an online newspaper in today’s digital world. After the conference, we attended a Broadway show called Seminar, starring Alan Rickman and Jerry O’Connell, among others. After the show, we were able to get their pictures and autographs before heading off to dinner at an authentic Italian pizzeria.

The last day of the conference was Friday, and after attending morning workshops we headed to the American Museum of Natural History for the afternoon. Starting in the museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space, we wandered for a few hours through the Cosmic Pathway, galleries of stuffed mammals, rooms full of dinosaur bones, and halls dedicated to Native American cultures. A frantic race at the end of the visit to see the giant stuffed whale at the other end of the museum showed us just how much the building contained that we hadn’t had time to see. We headed back to Grand Central Station for lunch before boarding a train back to New Haven. The journalism class came away from the conference with some great new ideas for The Magnet and some wonderful experiences in the Big Apple.

Mr. Polga visits the Empire State Building at the end of the day with Rachel

Messbauer ’12, Olivia Smith ’15, Matt McRobbie ’12 and Lauren Arsenault ’12.

Lauren and Matt meet Broadway star Jerry O’Connell after the show!

Commencement is Sooner Than You Think

One of our most revered traditions is our beautiful Commencement ceremony. Required dress at Commencement is as follows: Grades 6-11: Girls must wear white dresses or white blouses and skirts. White shoes are preferred. Boys must wear dark slacks, white shirts, maroon ties, and dark socks and shoes. Seniors: Girls wear ankle-length white dresses and white shoes. Boys wear navy blue blazers, white slacks, white shirts, maroon ties, and dark socks and shoes. Dress for Formal Occasions (including formal dinners,

awards assemblies, student government elections, concerts, and other cultural events): Girls should wear dresses or blouses with skirts or slacks. Boys should wear dress shirts with ties and slacks.

* * * * * *

US History Field Trip to New York City By Rachel Messbauer ’12

The wind against our faces, the sun warm on our skin, we watched eagerly from the deck of the ferry as the Statue of Liberty appeared out over the water. Whether it was the first time you’d seen it or the twenty-first, the sight of the statue stretching up into the blue sky was undeniably breathtaking. Our ferry sailed past, and soon the silhouette of Lady Liberty gave way to the imposing entrance of Ellis Island. This was just one of many highlights from the US History field trip to New York City on Thursday, March 8th. The trip’s itinerary included a tour of Ellis Island, a visit to The Eldridge Street Museum, and a walking tour around Chinatown. The schedule corresponded with the US History curriculum, giving us all a chance to discover first-hand the experiences of American immigrants in the late nineteenth century. While our time at Ellis Island was unfortunately short, it was no less rewarding for it. Walking into the cavernous main hall, I couldn’t help but think about the fact that I was following in the echoing footsteps of the millions of people who came to America hundreds of years ago.

However, as we saw in our walking tour, the life immigrants found in America was not always easy. Our guide showed us around a section of modern Chinatown that was a Jewish neighborhood in the 1880s, providing us with background information about the distinctive architecture of the area. Often, discussion about the buildings stimulated further talk about the types of challenges that immigrants faced – particularly the language and cultural barriers that they found, as well as the trials of raising children in a foreign environment.

To top off the day, we spent time in the Eldridge Street Museum, where we were warmly received by Barry, our tour guide. The museum is an old synagogue that was built in 1887 by the Jewish immigrants who lived in the surrounding neighborhood. Beautifully restored with magnificent stained glass windows, soft lighting, and a high vaulted ceiling, it was a true testament to the people who invested their modest earnings in its construction over a hundred years ago. All in all, the chance to go to New York City and see the vestiges of American history was an experience that took the textbook facts and brought them to life.