Term 2020-2021 | Issue 6 | Spring 2021
Steve Says...
Dear Students, Parents and Friends,
This time each year, I begin to collect my thoughts about graduation and what I'd like to say to the graduates and their families. Thankfully, we will be able to have an in-person graduation. We're emerging, I think, from the era of forbidden and unwise social gatherings, and sending our seniors off with a live ceremony makes me very, very happy. I'm optimistic, too, that the trend towards safe gathering, from sports games to seminar classes, will continue, and that The New School will look more like The New School this fall.
There really are no words to describe our world since March, 2020. Difficult. Unprecedented. Strange. Challenging. These are the most common attempts, I'd say, but I don't think we can generalize how each individual has processed, and continues to process, the full measure of what living through a pandemic has meant.
Graduation is always a wonderful day, and I'm guessing that, more than ever before, the overwhelming spirit in the room will be gratitude. Of course I'll acknowledge the -- oh, what's the word, unpredictable? -- past year, but my plan is to focus on our wonderful graduates -- their unique personalities and geniuses and their very bright futures, and how they've enriched our classes and school community. We're grateful to our students for their strength and perseverance, and to their parents for their faith in us.
Steve
In Exciting College News... Wow, what an array of acceptances this year! Congratulations to all of our talented seniors!
Brandeis University Bryn Mawr College Christopher Newport University Clark University Cleveland Institute of Art Colby College College for Creative Studies Columbia University Cornell University Dean University Dickinson College Duke University Emerson College Endicott College Fordham University Franklin & Marshall College George Mason University Gettysburg College Goucher College Guilford College Harvard University James Madison University Khalifah University (UAE) Lafayette College Lynn University McDaniel College New York University-Abu Dhabi (UAE) Northeastern University Parson's School of Design Penn State University Purdue University Quinnipiac University Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute Richmond University Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology Savannah College of Art & Design Stanford University Syracuse University University of California (UC)-Davis UC-Irvine UC-Merced UC-Riverside UC-San Diego UC-Santa Barbara UC-Santa Cruz University of Delaware University of Illinois-Chicago University of Lynchburg University of Maine University of Mary Washington University of Massachusetts-Amherst University of Massachusetts-Boston University of Pennsylvania University of Seattle University of Texas at Austin Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech Washington College Washington University Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University
Senior Exhibitions On Monday, May 10th, Seniors shared their Exhibitions - year long projects that are a representation of what they're capable of, what they're passionate about, and who they are.
As part of her project, Maia created a website examining "Global Conflict Through Cinema." She invites you to view her website and analyses, taking you through cinema in WWI, WWII, and The Cold War: https://msamuelian.wixsite.com/my-site-1
For her project, Natalie created a website to explore "The Impact of Color In Our Everyday Lives." She invites you to learn how color intersects with your daily life here: https://ngainer6.wixsite.com/color
Development & Marketing Interns in Action The team of Development & Marketing Interns has played an integral role in the fundraising and outreach efforts of the school this year.
The team of Writing Interns created everything from newsletter articles to fundraising letters and emails. Each intern brought their own style and stories to the pieces they created. Some wrote with a maturity well beyond their years, some wrote with a sense of humor that couldn't help but endear them to their readers, and some wrote with a simple sincerity that poignantly conveyed their personal experiences and feelings.
Thank you to the amazing team of Writing Interns: -Tay, Senior -Sarosh, Junior -Erika, Junior -Will, Sophomore
The team of Graphic Design Interns created everything from Facebook posts to invitations and logos. They worked as a group to come up with the concept for the 30th Anniversary logos and designs. They each brought their own design style to the pieces they created. Some are just starting out on their graphic design journeys, while others are already honing their professional level eye for design.
Thank you to the amazing team of Graphic Design Interns: -Natalie, Senior (she will attend SCAD to study Graphic Design) -Sadie, Junior -Danish, Junior
The team of Event Planning Interns helped conceptualize, plan, and put on the 30th Anniversary Celebration virtual event. They contributed activity ideas (like the super fun treasure hunt escape room), promoted the event with videos and emails, and helped the night run smoothly by running activities and assisting guests. They are a huge part of why the Celebration was such a success.
Thank you to the amazing team of Event Planning Interns: -Natalie, Senior -Ivy, Senior
Together the Intern Team: -Helped raise nearly $9,000 for The New School Fund, just in November and December 2020 -Brought attention to important observances and remembrances through newsletter articles -Gave a look inside New School classes by sharing their personal experiences -Planned and promoted the 30th Anniversary Celebration, bringing together more than 100 alumni, parents, students, teachers, and friends for this important milestone -Collaborated with New School staff to create and run the successful event, helping raise nearly $17,000 -Contributed fun and engaging ideas for future New School events
I’m so proud of each intern, and feel privileged to have gotten to work with them this year.
Thank you Team! Noelle
2021-2022 Development & Marketing Interns Congratulations to next school year’s Development & Marketing Interns! In the third year of the Internship, there will be 15 interns, including both returning and new members to the team. This will also mark the first time that middle-schoolers are part of the team, with interns ranging from 8th - 12th grade. We can’t wait to share with you what they are capable of!
Interns (w/ grade level as of next school year):
-Abby (8th-grader) -Alexis (Junior) -Alyson (Junior) -Caprice (Freshman) -Danish (Senior) -Erika (Senior) -Fiona (Junior) -Jamie (Junior) -Libby (8th-grader) -Luke (Sophomore) -Meg (Sophomore) -Sadie (Senior) -Sarosh (Senior) -Sumner (Senior) -Will (Junior)
Get Your 30th Anniversary T-Shirt Get your 30th Anniversary t-shirts (designed by Senior Alex Passin) today!
Shirts are $20 ($8 shipping charges will apply if you live out of the area).
They come in sizes S-XXL.
Get your shirts today!: https://www.givecampus.com/vqox1m
(Under the image, the shirt says "Celebrating 30 years of inspired learning.") 
International Day of Women & Girls in Science Recently, the number of females in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field has increased, and almost half of women are in the science profession. However, STEM fields are dominated by males in general, including in the US. Women only make up 10% of the engineering field, and the stated reason is that it's because the workplace culture in engineering is more affiliated with the male gender. Arising from these reasons, UNESCO and UN women, wanting to promote women and girls in science, implemented the International Day of Women/Girls in Science. This day is observed on the 11th day of February and started December 22, 2015.
As I am interested in science, it was pretty surprising that women often aren’t associated with this field.
Come to think about it, when I was in middle school, I didn’t understand why I should like science since it seemed like not a lot of women did. I did not like science because it wasn’t interesting to me, and it was all about memorizing.
Surprisingly, however, ever since I started at The New School, my favorite subject became science. Last year, I took about three science classes (Forensic biology, Chemistry of Cosmetics, and Chemistry of Fireworks) that sounded interesting to me. All three courses had the lab, which is the key that led me into science. During a lab was the first time that I had curiosities in academic ways. Still, I am not very good at science and don’t have all A+s in this subject, but I want to learn more since I am very interested in the field. I believe that curiosity will lead me to study more and get better at it later.
I hope the International Day of Women and Girls in Science will be known to more people so that the workplace culture can change to where many more women can participate.
by Erika Choi Virtual Gallery Walk Our New School artists have been hard at work this quarter under the tutelage of Nataliya! 
Natalie Gainer 
Emily Ocasio 
Nate Yuan 
Robert Cain
Yoga Class During the second semester of 2021, I have been teaching a PE class, Yoga for Well-Being, to 10 high school students. It has been a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to yoga, meditation, body awareness, and mindfulness.
At the start of the semester, I taught the course online. This was a challenge for both the students and me. Nonetheless, I found that all my students took to yoga well. I slowly introduced some of the easier yoga poses—asanas in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India. Step by step, my yogis developed skill and confidence. One of the themes of the class is body acceptance; each of us has a unique body that is wonderful in its own ways. Much of yoga is getting familiar with how we live in our bodies and being comfortable even in discomfort.
At the beginning of each class we start with a short sitting meditation. Students sit in stillness and practice breath awareness meditation. It’s lovely sitting together as everyone settles in and the room quiets. After about seven minutes, I ring a big Zen temple bell, we open our eyes, and then slowly come back together.
Next, I have the students warm up with some whole-body calisthenics. We do simple squats, flowing arm raises, gentle twists, abdominal/core work and other whole-body exercises. Once the first beads of sweat form on our brows, we move into 30 minutes of more traditional yoga practice.
During this next phase of class, we focus on standing, seated, prone and back positions. Some of the typical asanas include sun salutations, warrior poses, tree and other balance poses, pigeon, locust, dead bug, and eagle. These exercises can be challenging, but all the students are able to do them, often with modifications that I explain and demonstrate.
During the latter part of our session, we move to the floor and do exercises like cat-cow bends, leg stretches, and gentle twists. Having spent the class working our muscles and increasing flexibility, we transition to final relaxation, known as savasana in Sanskrit. After spending approximately seven minutes resting on our backs in final relaxation, we slowly move to a seated position, put our hands in prayer position and wish each other namaste, a Sanskrit term that meaning “the light in me sees the light in you.” To me, the best moment of the day is seeing so many calm, smiling faces after a challenging yet relaxing yoga class.
I believe that yoga and other forms of mindful exercise should be available to all students. Yoga builds strength and flexibility. Students learn to improve focus, stay present, calm themselves, and even build mental toughness when muscles burn in challenging poses. I watch my students gain strength and stamina, concentration and calm, resilience and relaxation. I look forward to teaching Yoga for Well-Being for the rest of this semester and next year, too. I’m so grateful that The New School believes in yoga as a means of promoting wellness!
by Henry Edwards
New School Bonus Programs The New School participates in bonus programs that generate donations for the school when you do your everyday shopping online. They are easy to sign up for, and can have a big impact for students and teachers.
Increase the Impact of Your Donation Many corporations offer matching gift programs for employees and their families. This is a great opportunity to increase your gift in support of The New School. You can check with your employer’s human resources department to find out if they offer matching gifts. This information can also often be found in the list of benefits provided to you by your employer. Please let us know what you need from us in order to process a match through your organization. Contact our Director of Development & Community Engagement, Noelle Andreano, at nandreano@newschoolva.com with any questions.
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