February 2014 Contents

F e b ru a ry 2 0 1 4
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 6
Co n t e n t s
2
LETTER FROM
THE DIRECTOR OF
CURRICULUM: CHANGES
TO THE CURRICULUM
4
STRIKING A BALANCE &
FINDING HAPPINESS
6
9
SCIENCE BOWL
OHS PHYSICAL EDUCATION
10
14
ALL ABOUT ENROLLMENT
STUDENT TRAVEL
UPDATES
7
11
16
FIVE MINUTES (OR
LESS) WITH COLLEGE
COUNSELING
COMING SOON
GRADUATION WEEKEND
2014
17
8
12
CLUB SPOTLIGHT:
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
GOES TO ILMUNC
EXPERIMENT OF
THE MONTH: CANDY
CHROMATOGRAPHY
STUDENT NEWS
FROM THE OHSPA
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
18
EVENTS &
OPPORTUNITIES
Letter from the Dire
CHANGES TO TH
Each year as we renew the curriculum, we set out with the goals of being
responsive to student interest, improving alignment and connections among
courses, and enhancing flexibility. This year, we are excited in particular to
be able to expand the middle-school program and to add courses at the highschool level that respond to perennial student and family interest, especially
the detailed input we received in the accreditation surveys of last year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
This year has been an exciting time for the Stanford OHS middle school. The middle school now
represents one quarter of all enrollment at the
school, and appears to be on pace to grow rapidly
again next year. We are therefore happy to be
able to make several additions to the curriculum
that expand the options for current and future
middle-school students. First, we are introducing a new Core course—the
first in three years—designed for students in the
8th grade. This optional course, Human Nature
and Society, will prepare students for the highschool Core program, both in its focus on critical
reading and writing, and in its content. Exploring interpretations and theories of human nature
in works from across the humanities, the course
introduces students to ideas that pervade the high
school curriculum about what it is to be human
and how this nature shapes our life in society.
We are also very excited to offer our first language course specifically designed for middleschool students. Latin 1A will be offered in the
fall as the first of a two-year sequence (Latin 1B
will be offered in the fall of 2015–16) designed to
introduce students to the language in preparation
to enter Latin 2 in 9th grade. 2
ector of Curriculum
BY JEFFREY SCARBOROUGH, DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM
HE CURRICULUM
HIGH SCHOOL
At the high-school level, new courses expand
students’ options at both the early and later ends
of the curriculum. economics at the AP and post-AP level as well.
Two semester-long courses, AP Microeconomics and Advanced Topics in Microeconomics,
will provide students a thorough preparation for
Earth, Environment, and Energy studies processes university-level study in the field. Consistent with
of Earth and space ranging from geological forthe research and writing focus of ‘advanced topics’
mation to the capture and storage of energy. The
courses at Stanford OHS, students in the second
course will serve as a rigorous introduction to labo- course will practice their understanding of empiriratory science at the high-school level at Stanford
cal and experimental study design in a significant
OHS, and gives students a foundation in a field—
research paper or literature review on a topic of
environmental science—in which the Stanford
their own choosing.
OHS community has expressed ongoing interest.
In the midst of additions such as these that meet
Another new course builds on a unique strength
emerging needs and interests, course development
of Stanford OHS instructors and an intense point
and renewal continues across the school. New opof interest among students. The Study of Mind:
portunities will exist for many students in the huPsychology, Neuroscience, and Philosophy repmanities with the return of Film Art in the spring
resents a collaboration of the science and Core
and a new topic in the Advanced History Research
divisions and will accordingly draw on texts and
Seminar. In English, the semester-long advanced
concepts in the study of mind at the intersection of topics courses will also feature new topics: Chauseveral fields. Topics may include Freudian psycer and the Aesthetics of the Unfinished (Fall) and
choanalysis, the neurobiology underlying emotion, “The apparel oft proclaims the man”: Gender
and animal cognition, as well as topics to be deand Clothing in Shakespeare’s Plays (Spring). As a
termined by student interest. This interdisciplinary school, we are eager to watch and work with our
course draws on students’ backgrounds in biology students as they engage this new material.
as well as in English and the humanities, and satisfies the science requirement (not as a lab science)
or the social science requirement.
Finally, we are excited to be offering courses in
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
3
Striking A Balance
Finding happiness
&
BY TRACY STEELE, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
or those who think balance, happiness, and a sense of well-being can wait—
until after you’ve finish all of the homework or that acceptance letter from your
college of choice arrives—I ask: what comes first, success or happiness? For those
fortunate members of the Stanford OHS Book Club who are currently reading
Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage, the research tells us that happiness, in
fact, most often precedes success. Achor writes:
F
“Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains
become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at
work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out
by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the
bottom lines of organizations around the globe.”
O
ne important aspect of happiness is in strik-
ing a balance. In addition to our academics,
this means making time for our friends, our family,
taking a walk outside, being of service in our community, and following our bliss.
A
s a counselor at Stanford OHS, I often speak
with students about the concept of balance
in their daily lives: How much time do you spend on
school work, with friends and family, in extra-curricular activities? How much sleep do you typically get
each night? Are you involved in service activities? For
students in an online high school, going to school,
talking with friends, and participating in clubs can
all be done online—therefore, I also often find myself
asking students: How much time do you spend on
the computer? Like many adolescents, and especially high achieving and motivated teens, attaining
balance is often thought as a nice ideal, something
to be attained “later,” once all of the homework has
4
been completed and all of those college applications
are sent out. Yet, research has shown the immense
benefits that individuals, and especially adolescents,
derive from engaging in activities that require them
to close their books and get out from behind the
computer screen.
O
ne particular benefit of getting out from
behind the screen is in the area of friendship.
Making and enjoying friendships is one of the best
predictors of mental health. During adolescence,
friendships become increasingly important as teens
become more independent. While social networking enables those who might otherwise be shy or
less inclined to reach out and make friends, students
whose only friendships are online may miss out on
the protective factors friendships have as a social
support network. For example, empathy and intimacy are most closely fostered by face-to-face interactions and time spent together, in person.
S
tudents
can benefit from this important support by seeking out friendships
at home and in their local communities as well as
nurturing the friendships that they have online. For
many of our students, making friends in a busy life is
not the easiest task to accomplish. It can be a challenge to push their selves out of a comfort zone and
set priorities, just as they might with an academic
assignment or task.
As one Stanford OHS
alumnus recalls:
“By the end of my sophomore year however, I realized
that just as the Stanford OHS had made me selfmotivated in the classroom, I had to learn how to seek
social opportunities on my own. This motivated me to
join student government and organize regional meet
ups, as well as joining chamber music at my music
school and meeting people at local open mic nights.”
–Stanford OHS Alumnus
G
etting involved in service activities in
the community is another way to not only
make friends, but also to gain innumerable benefits
that come from helping others. Service, or helping
others, is one of the most effective ways to increase
personal happiness. Thinking and doing for others
can create increased life satisfaction, provide a sense
of meaning, increase competence, improve mood,
and reduce stress. One caveat: feeling burdened by
service can actually be detrimental to our overall
mental health. It’s therefore important to make sure
that the service activities that you participate in are
those that you care about, that you believe in, and
are truly passionate about. If you are simply engaging in service activities to pad a resume or college
application, you may find that it becomes more of a
burden than a benefit – so think carefully about the
things that are most important to you.
H
ow do you have time for friendships, ser-
vice, and your extracurricular activities and
other significant pursuits while also maintaining
solid academic performance? It’s important to
understand that balance is often more of a process
of living, than it is an achievement or goal, and there
are a few keys to consider when attempting to find
balance at Stanford OHS. F
irst, examine your study habits. Track how
much time you are spending in course work. As
a rule of thumb, a Stanford OHS course, including lectures, discussion sections, reading, and assignments
should take in total between 8–10 hours per class
per week. Therefore, for students taking a full load of
courses, you should aim to spend 40–50 hours per
week on schoolwork. If you are spending significantly
more time than this on your classes, a little more
introspection might be helpful: are you becoming
easily distracted during study time by receiving and
answering emails, chatting with friends, or keeping
up to date on Facebook? Or, if you don’t think you are
overly sidetracked by online distractions, is it possible
you are spending too much time studying? Some
students may spend countless hours on small assignments—or have an approach to studying that is not
as effective as it could be, as is often the case. Talking
with an instructor during office hours about the situation or discussing your time management strategies
with your counselor can help you study more efficiently, and leave you more free time!
J
ust
as with academic skills and knowledge,
maintaining balance and engaging in healthy
social and emotional activities has shown to help
individuals thrive—whether that is measured by
improved academic success or a higher sense of
fulfillment and life satisfaction. Beyond connecting
with friends and families and becoming involved in
your community, other key activities that can help
individuals reduce stress and find joy include eating
a well-balanced diet, exercising on a regular basis,
creating a gratitude list or journaling about positive
experiences in your life, and meditating or engaging
in mindfulness.
W
hile simple, engaging in these tasks and
habits on a consistent basis can be challenging. I hope that our students take a few minutes to
consider how much time they spend in the pursuit of
social and emotional balance and look for ways to
develop these practices on a regular basis—the results promise to develop a healthier and, ultimately,
happier you.
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
5
All About
Enrollment
BY KATHRYN BALSLEY, ENROLLMENT COORDINATOR
» The Course Catalog is Here! «
Have you already begun looking through the listings to see what
courses you want to take next year? Have you printed out your FourYear Planning Guide and begun to fill in the slots? Are you eager to learn
more about the new course offerings and how to make the right course
choices? Excellent! The Enrollment and Advising team is here to make
this as streamlined and informed a process as possible for you.
Everything begins with the Enrollment page
on the Gateway website. This page will give
you the step-by-step guide you need to start
reviewing course options and submitting
your requests. Please note that students who
complete the enrollment process by MARCH
10TH will have their time constraints considered in the build of the master schedule.
our new course offerings. Academic Advisors,
Counseling, and Division Heads will all be in
attendance.
Most importantly, your best resource and
guide in this process will be your ACADEMIC
ADVISORS. Our advising team at Stanford
OHS is trained specially to understand our
students' varied academic goals, and help
A new element we have added this year are
craft the curricular choices that will best alVIDEO PRESENTATIONS from our Division
low them to achieve those goals. Not every
Heads and the Counseling team that will
student will need to meet with their advisor,
take you through the different course options but we encourage all students planning to
and things to consider as you make your
graduate to set up a meeting time with their
requests. You can find a link to these inforadvisor. I hope that many of you will take
mational videos on the Enrollment website.
advantage of this excellent
We will also have TWO Q&A SESSIONS IN
resource.
TH
SABA ON FEBRUARY 28 where you can
I wish you the best in this
ask more specific questions and learn about
process!
6
Five Minutes (or Less)
with College Counseling
BY ADAM LIPS, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
& KATE ROSSETTI, COLLEGE COUNSELOR
Our goal each month is to offer our community five ideas, tips,
or other pieces of advice that families will find useful as their
students look toward applying to college. This month, we
highlight the financial aid process, focusing on some of the most
important terms with which to become familiar as you consider
how you will pay for college.
TYPES OF AID
APPLYING FOR AID
Need-based Aid
FAFSA
Need-based aid is awarded upon the financial need demonstrated by a student and his or her family. Need-based aid may
take a variety of forms—most commonly grants, loans, and
work-study. Grants are “free money” and directly reduce the cost
of attendance, while loans must be paid back, with interest. A
work-study award allows you to obtain an on-campus job with
the expectation the student will use the earnings to support
attendance. The breakdown of a student’s need-based financial
aid package (i.e., the composition of loans, grants, and workstudy) is determined by the Financial Aid Office of each college.
Stands for ‘Free Application for Federal Student Aid.’ All twoyear and four-year colleges make use of the FAFSA in determining a student’s federal need-based financial aid—including
federal loans. The FAFSA form becomes available on January 1st
of each year. Students should complete the FAFSA for the first
time in the spring semester of their senior year of high school,
submitting it to all the colleges to which they apply. Students
are required to fill out and re-submit the form each year they
are enrolled in college, as financial circumstances may change
from year to year.
Merit-based Aid
CSS Profile
Merit-based aid does not take into account a student’s finances,
but rather focuses upon academic talents or special skills (such
as artistic, athletic, or musical abilities). Merit-aid is generally
awarded by colleges looking to draw certain types of students. In
such cases, these merit awards would not be transferrable to
other institutions. However, merit-aid may also take the form of
scholarships awarded by outside organizations and could be
used at an institution of the student’s choice. Most importantly:
merit-aid is “gift aid,” and thus does not need to be paid back.
While all colleges require the FAFSA to determine need-based
aid eligibility, only some (roughly 400 institutions) require the
CSS Profile. This form is primarily used to determine eligibility
for institutionally based (non-federal) aid, such as loans, scholarships, and grants awarded directly by a specific college. It is
similar to the FAFSA. However, while the FAFSA is a universal
form, some of the questions on the CSS profile are specific to
the school or program to which you are applying.
FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES
Net Price Calculator
Starting in October 2011, all colleges were federally mandated to display a net price calculator on their website. A college’s net price
is the annual cost paid by a given student after taking into account scholarships and grants. Net price calculators allow a student to
enter their own information to determine what they might pay at the school, after accounting for personal factors. Net price calculators may or may not include merit or institutional aid awards. The more information a student has on hand when using the calculator,
the more accurate the estimated cost will be.
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
7
Club Spotlight: Model United
Nations goes
Goes to ILMUNC
BY BRAM WANG (’14)
What do Ke$ha, miniature parking meters, and late night Tolkien discussions all have in common? The Ivy League Model United Nations Conference! The Stanford OHS MUN Club team converged in Philadelphia from January 30th through
February 2nd to debate and deliver speeches, write clauses, as well as celebrate and dance with the best of them.
Our team, comprised of six delegates, divided into separate
committees and topics:
DISARMAMENT & INTERNATIONAL
SECURITY COMMITTEE (DISEC):
MADELYN HURWITZ (’17), EVAN GONG (’15)
LEGAL COMMITTEE: EMILY DAHL (’15)
SOCIAL, HUMANITARIAN, & CULTURAL COMMITTEE
(SOCHUM): EVA GUEVARA (’16)
SPECIAL POLITICAL & DECOLONIZATION COMMITTEE
(SPECPOL):
JEREMY DUQUE (’16), BRAM WANG (’14)
Thursday was filled with that uniquely Stanford OHS experience
of “Oh, that’s what you look like in real life!” After researching
and preparing for months beforehand online, we were now
all finally in the same, physical room. We met up with Stanford OHS MUN Club president emeritus Darcy Deane, a board
member on the ILMUNC committee and student at University
of Pennsylvania, to review some few tips over a pizza dinner at
the hotel lounge. Then, with the excited, nervous air of being in
a room with hundreds of other delegates, we entered our first
few hours of committee session. Flurries of placards and notepads and note-passing (intrigue!) abounded as we all became
accustomed to our new settings. Already, we could feel eyes
sweeping the room for potential alliances.
Friday dawned clear and sunny. A few of us elected to tour
the University of Pennsylvania, visiting famous campus spots
and brushing up on some college information. After a quick
lunch, we made our way to our next committee session (we
were already discovering the nightmare of trying to cram
hundreds of delegates into six elevators over 26 floors—10
minutes had never seemed longer). New experiences awaited
us here again, as we discovered how chaotic un-moderated
caucusing turned out to be. We negotiated the social waters
and presented our ideas to delegates from other schools. We
spent our time running up and down aisles as we passed notes,
wrote amendments,
made alliances, and
discovered groups
of countries (blocs)
to sponsor resolutions. Committee
sessions went late
into the night on Fri-
8
day, but fit in a quick
break in the form of
a Stanford OHS team
dinner; around midnight we all tumbled
into our hotel rooms,
tired, but ready for
the next day!
Saturday morning
found us wondering where all the time had gone! After another
morning session debating draft resolutions, we hustled to
Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market. The wall of smells and
sounds quickly drew us in as we split into groups and explored
the bustling market center. We gulped down meals before
heading back to the conference for more resolution debating
and strategizing. While we busily wrote and gave speeches,
resolutions turning in our heads, we were also getting pumped
for the Delegate Dance, which was planned for later that night! After session was over, the Delegate Dance became the buzz of
the hallways. Entering the dance room, the ear-deafening roar
of electronic beats and the tangible energy in the air drew all
eyes to the center of the room. We joined the 2700 other delegates to dance with glow sticks to the thudding house music
and auto-tune of Ke$ha. During dance breaks, we fit in time
for academic discussions on literature and movie comparisons
while the synths from a few doors down shook the floor. I think
it would be appropriate to say, here, #onlyattheOHS.
Sunday found us all wanting a little more time to spend with
each other, mingled with a strange feeling of excitement and
anticipation for seeing the results of all our hard work, and a
sadness that the weekend was over. We spent the morning
voting on resolutions, striking clauses, and generally goofing off
after the official conference agenda was over (delegates sang
karaoke and had rap-battles instead of giving speeches). All
too soon we were all in the lobby and slowly saying our goodbyes heading to our various destinations. Reflecting on this conference, we have all learned so much. We
debated and danced, we spoke and negotiated, we formed
alliances, and made the Stanford Online High School debut at
ILMUNC. As club president, I can say that I have seen so much
growth and change in each and every delegate. I am so proud
of all of us and am so pleased to lead and be a part of the Stanford OHS Delegation team. As the chair might say, applause is
in order…Decorum! Science Bowl
BY KIM FAILOR, DIVISION HEAD OF SCIENCE
For the fourth year in a row, a team of Pixels represented Stanford OHS at the Regional Science Bowl competition at Stanford
Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) on Saturday, February 8th. The
Science Bowl is a quiz bowl-style competition sponsored by the
U.S. Department of Energy in which two teams of four players
face off to answer questions from Biology, Chemistry, Earth and
Space Science, Energy, Mathematics, and Physics.
Lynbrook High School and Monta Vista High School and kept
them on their toes. (Our team was leading at the half in both
matches, and tied Monta Vista!). Despite the early end to the
day, the team had a fun time competing and spending time
together. That evening, the team was joined by a host of Stanford OHS families, instructors, and staff at The Melt for some
specialized grilled cheese fare at the Stanford Shopping Center. This year the Stanford OHS team was composed of Team Captain Thomas Keeffe (AK, class of ’14), Daniel Wallick (NY, class
of ’16), Adarsh Ramchandran (CA, class of ’16), and Shalin Shah
(CA, class of ’18). They were also joined by coach Dr. Kim Failor
(Division Head of Science), parents, and instructors. THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT MADE THIS
WEEKEND A REALITY AND JOINED IN THE FUN! On Friday, the team gathered on campus for their only inperson practice as a team. Instructors from across the divisions
made an appearance at the practice to help in training, reading
questions, or just to say hi. The students worked long and hard
all day. On Saturday, the team met bright and early at SLAC.
Stanford OHS competed against some tough teams, including
OHS Physical Education
BY KENDRA PETERSON, ACADEMIC ADVISOR
As a diverse and passionate online community, Stanford OHS
is constantly looking for ways to support our students in their
health, as well as their intellectual and personal growth. This
year, we’ve made some changes to the Physical Education
curriculum, implementing monthly logs, goal setting, reflection, and bringing in expert speakers to share their knowledge
with the school. The midyear survey and reflections have all
come in, and it has been such a pleasure to hear about student
experiences thus far!
So what have students in Stanford OHS PE done this year? Students have earned new belt levels in martial arts, improved
their handicaps in golf, competed in swimming and tennis,
performed in shows, and faced head-on the challenge of getting out and moving when so much of their academic lives take
place in front of the computer. Students have found time for
short runs in the morning or yoga between classes, trained rigorously for competitions, and experimented with new activities.
They’ve stepped outside for a basketball game with friends or
a hike with family, ran marathons, and improved their skills in
existing passions. They’ve set goals, and have enlisted the help
of dogs, family members, trainers, coaches, teams, and friends
to meet those goals.
We were very happy to welcome trainer Rob Dudlee in the fall
to speak to speak to students about the importance of physical
activity and to run students through some exercises that they
could do at home. This spring, we’ll be focusing on the nutritional and health needs common to high school students with
a presentation by Ms. Caroline Kaufman, a nutritionist, registered dietician and award-winning food blogger.
Moving forward, we’ll be incorporating the wonderful feedback from students and families and looking for more ways for
Stanford OHS students to share their activities and accomplishments with each other. On top of reaching out to the Stanford
OHS Community, we’ll be working with the Health and Fitness
centers at Stanford University to expand our resources and
share in their invaluable expertise.
Some of the activities students are doing:
Basketball, Football, Soccer, Weight Lifting, Running, Track and
Field, Skiing, Rowing, Yoga, Biking, Hiking, Tap Dance, Contemporary Dance, Ballet, Tennis, Elliptical, Swimming, Equestrian,
Jazz dance, Pilates, Calisthenics, Badminton, Ultimate Frisbee,
Hockey, Archery, Martial Arts, Skiing, Figure Skating, Aerial Skiing, Karate
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
9
Student
TravelUpdates
We’re pleased to announce the latest steps towards offering travel experiences for Stanford OHS students. Below
you’ll find results of the Student and Parent Travel Surveys, which will guide us in planning a trip that will be open
to all students during the 2014–15 academic year or summer of 2015. As this long-range planning continues, we’re
very excited to announce a smaller Spanish Immersion trip coming up in the summer of 2014! Find details below.
Results of the
Spanish
Travel Surveys
Argentina
Student & Parent
BY SUMMAR AUBREY, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE
Last November, we asked parents and students to complete
surveys about student travel. 260 students and 90 parents
completed the surveys, and the results of the student and
parent surveys were very similar. We were thrilled to see that
our community shares our enthusiasm for establishing travel
enrichment experiences for our students. In fact, on both the
student and parent surveys, more than half of respondents
indicated that their interest in attending such a trip was a 5 on
a scale of 1–5 scale.
Results from both surveys indicated that the primary purpose
of these trips should be:
1. exposure to other places and people,
2. studying specific topics related to the places visited,
3. and building ties with the Stanford OHS community.
The surveys indicated great interest in visiting all areas of the
world, and just about every country you can imagine was suggested as a destination. There is clearly enthusiasm for a wide
range of destinations, from locations within the United States,
to Brazil, to Russia.
The best time for such a trip appears to be during spring break
or in early summer. With the information above as well as all
of your thoughtful comments submitted in the survey, we will
be moving forward to organize a trip for the 2014–15 school
year or summer of 2015. As planning continues, we may solicit feedback through additional surveys or meetings. In the
meantime, if you’d like to share further thoughts about student trips, you can contact Chinese Instructor, Laurie Bickart
or Director of Student Life, Summar Aubrey, who are currently
conducting our research on student trips.
10
Immersion Trip to
BY JENNY NADANER, SPANISH INSTRUCTOR
This summer our Spanish program will be offering a Spanish
Immersion Program in Mendoza, Argentina in June and July
2014. The purpose of the program is to expand the educational opportunities for Stanford OHS students with a Spanish
language background by exposing them to the language, culture, history, ecology, and selected industries of Argentina, in
a manner that ensures safety and individual guidance across
a wide range of authentic experiences.
At the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, a top-ranking university
in Latin America, students will take 80–90 hours of language
immersion courses ranging from formal language instruction
to a wide array of courses in literature, history, music, culture,
dialectology and many other subjects at the CELE (Centro
de Español como Lengua Extranjera, or Center for Spanish
as a Foreign Language). The CELE has an extensive record of
conducting Spanish Language Immersion programs for many
US universities as well as private student groups. Additionally,
students can participate in many special hikes and excursions
in the Andes, take tango classes, enjoy horseback riding, visit
regional vineyards and olive oil factories—and much more.
For more information about the CELE and testimonials from
past participants, please refer to the website. Stay tuned for
more information about the program coming soon!
Coming Soon
Graduation Weekend
2014
BY SUMMAR AUBREY
GRADUATION WEEKEND is only a few months away! Before we
know it, seniors will be donning their caps and gowns, and families will be gathered here on campus at Stanford University for this
wonderful weekend that celebrates our community, the accomplishments of our students—and especially the class of 2014.
The weekend will start with a WELCOME EVENT on FRIDAY,
JUNE 6TH. At this event, many of us see each other in person
for the first time. Science instructor, Kalée Tock described this
experience well: “I feel giddy actually seeing students in person—
I know them so well but have only ever seen them from the
neck up. I always get their heights wrong.” From the student
perspective, seeing friends, and especially instructors, in person
for the first time is equally exciting. Sophomore Megan Gessner
said, “You get to meet your teachers, which is about as exciting
as meeting a movie star, and you get to spend time with your
friends and the people you love.”
The AWARDS CEREMONY & 8TH GRADE PROMOTION will follow the kick-off on Friday. This event is a staff favorite! Director
of Instruction, Tomohiro Hoshi loves this event because we “get
to praise our students’ great achievements.” After the Awards
Ceremony, the seniors will head to downtown Palo Alto for the
traditional Senior Dinner with Stanford OHS instructors and staff.
A BREAKFAST FOR PARENTS & STANFORD OHS
ADMINISTRATION will start the day on SATURDAY, JUNE 7TH.
After that, outdoor games organized by our parent committee,
will get us all moving. Science instructor, Raphey Holmes,
especially enjoys these outdoor events. When recalling the
2013 celebration, he said, “My favorite part of Graduation
Weekend last year was playing Frisbee with Stanford OHS
students. It's really hard to do that over Saba, what with all the
lag.” Saturday’s main event is the HIGH SCHOOL PROM, which
will be held at the Westin hotel in Palo Alto. Don’t forget your
cameras and corsages! A MIDDLE SCHOOL MEET-UP will also
be held on SATURDAY NIGHT for our younger students.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8TH is the big day for seniors: they’ll receive their
diplomas at the GRADUATION CEREMONY, surrounded by
friends and family. Senior Brendan McDonnell anticipates that
this will be an emotional day for the seniors: “What I most look
forward to at this graduation is truly experiencing the sense of
camaraderie the Senior Class has been building for years; now
that we are so close, graduation will be a bittersweet farewell
and a symbolic leap into the next chapter of our lives.”
The GRADUATION PAGE ON GATEWAY will be updated frequently over the coming months, so check in regularly for the
latest event details. The page now includes information on
hotel discounts in the Stanford area. These hotels have specially
reserved rooms for the Stanford OHS community on Graduation
Weekend, and we encourage you to book soon. Special thanks
to parent Mary Ann Bugni (Andrea, ‘13 and Vince, ‘16) for her
work in arranging these hotel blocks.
An RSVP SYSTEM will be added to the Gateway right around
Spring Break, at which point you can register for the events you
plan to attend and purchase any corresponding tickets (some
events are free and others are ticketed.) You can also visit the
Gateway page to find a list of our wonderful parent volunteers
who help make this weekend possible. This year, the PARENT
GRADUATION COMMITTEE is co-chaired by Cynthia Saitta
(Jonathan, ‘10) and Veronica Forest (Roma, ‘15). Our hats are off
to all of them for their hard work!
We encourage families of Stanford OHS students of all ages to
join us for Graduation Weekend. IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
TO SOCIALIZE, CELEBRATE THE END OF THE YEAR, AND
HONOR OUR GRADUATING SENIORS. Megan Gessner (‘16)
summed up the experience of the weekend perfectly when she
said, “Graduation Weekend has to be the best weekend of the
entire year for a Stanford OHS student … It's a joy like no other
to have the entire school alive, non-pixelized, and in one place.”
We couldn’t agree more, Megan!
We hope to see many of you here in June!
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
11
Experiment of the Month
Can��
Chromatography
BY KIM FAILOR
This Valentine’s Day your eyes were likely bombarded with a million shades of red and pink.
Luckily, one traditional Valentine’s Day candy breaks the rosy monotony: the Necco Sweetheart.
Necco Sweethearts are those pastel-colored candies with lovey-dovey messages printed on
them. You can’t say much for their flavor, but at least they come in colors other than red and pink!
You can’t really blame the candy companies for trying to stick us with monochromatic candy.
After all, making your candy an appealing color can be tricky business; even the simplest-looking candy colors are in fact complex mixtures of just the right ratios of a handful of dyes. A drop
of blue can turn something from a neon green that is perfect for sour apple Skittles into the teal
you’ll find coating Jordan Almonds.
It’s all about food coloring
Food coloring is a pigment, and pigments work by absorbing certain colors of light while reflecting others. The
light we get from the sun and most light bulbs is a mixture
of every color of light imaginable, but when all of these
colors hit our eyes, we perceive it as white. One way that
objects can appear colored is by absorbing most colors
and reflecting just a few. Blue food coloring appears blue
because the molecules in the food coloring absorb all the
different colors of light—except the blue color of light that
we might see when looking at a bottle of blue Gatorade.
There are fewer than 20 commonly used food colorings,
but these can be combined in nearly infinite combinations
to produce an unlimited pallet of colors. It can be hard to
tell what colors of dye and what proportions account for all
of the cool colors that we see when we look into a bag of
Skittles or Sweethearts. However—with a little bit of separation chemistry we can take these colors apart and learn
more about their secret formula.
What’s Separation Chemistry?
Separation chemistry is a set of chemical techniques that
is used to separate complex mixtures into their individual
parts using differences in physical or chemical properties
between the different parts. If you’ve taken biology, then
you know all about centrifugation, a separation technique
that isolates different components of a mixture by their
mass. In this experiment, we’ll be using paper chromatography to separate candy colors by their differing solubilities
in a salt water solution.
When performing paper chromatography, chemists place
spots of a dissolved mixture at the bottom edge of a piece
12
of paper, and then allow a solvent to travel up the paper
through capillary action. Components of the spotted mixture that are very soluble in the solvent will dissolve first
and so they will leave the spot first and thus travel higher
up the paper than components that are less soluble. After
the chromatogram is finished, you
should be able to see all of the individual colors that went into making
each of the candy colors you studied!
Plus, it will look cool!
Here’s what you will need
•
•
•
•
A bag of multi-colored Sweethearts or other colorful
candy
A large coffee filter cut into a square with at least
3-inch edges
Several 1 tablespoon-sized cups made out of aluminum foil, 1 for each color of candy
Hot water to dissolve candy
3
4
5
6
7
8
Straw-type coffee stirrers or wooden toothpicks
A glass jar, or cup large enough for your coffee paper square to fit standing up
Table Salt
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil (pen will not work!)
Procedure
1
2
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make predictions about what color dye each
candy color will be made out of.
Cut a square out of a standard coffee filter. If
you are using a basket-type filter, avoid using
the crimped edges as part of your square.
Use a ruler to draw a straight line ¼ inch from
one edge of the filter square.
Use aluminum foil to make 5 tablespoon size
cups. These will be used to dissolve your candy.
Place one piece of candy of each color into each
cup.
Add a few drops of water to each of the candy
pieces, and stir until the water becomes
strongly candy-colored. The darker colored your
water, the better your chromatograph will look.
If you are using Sweethearts, you may want to
avoid dissolving the words by just swirling the
bottom of the hearts in the water.
For each color, use a new coffee stirrer or tooth
pick to pick up a small amount candy colored
water, and dab it onto the line that you drew
on the coffee filter square. The spot of colored
water should be quickly absorbed into the
paper. For the best results you should separate
each spot of color as much as possible, ½ inch
is good for 5 or fewer colors. Allow the spots to
dry completely.
Repeat step #6 two or three more times. The
darker your spots, the better your results will be!
9
10
11
Use a pencil to label each color of spot beneath
the line you drew in step #2.
To make the solvent, or developing solution,
dissolve ⅛ teaspoon of salt in 3 cups of water.
Pour the salt solution into the jar (or cup) so
that the height of the solution is a little less than
¼ inch. You want the solution to be lower than
the color spots on the paper when you insert
the paper into the glass.
12
Insert the paper square so that it is standing
up in the glass such that the side with the color
spots on it is closest to the solvent (remember
we want the solvent to travel up through the
spots). If the solution covers the spots, simply
pour a little out and try again.
13
Watch as the solvent travel up the paper, and
the spots separate into different colors. The longer you let the experiment run, the more separation of the colors you will get—but be careful
that eventually the colors will begin to run off
the edge of the paper! You may also need to
add more solvent if you run out at the bottom
of the cup.
14
When you’re satisfied with the color separation
you’ve achieved, remove your chromatogram
and allow it to dry before taking a picture!
15
Were your predictions accurate or did you find
anything surprising? Did your chromatogram
look cool? Let me know and send me pictures!
Happy Valentines Day!
References
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/candy.htm
http://www.livescience.com/41820-candy-chromatography.html
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
13
Stu den t N ews
BY TYLER SHORES, COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
TWO STANFORD OHS STUDENTS PRESENT AT TEDxKIDS@SMU
Last fall, Adithya Ganesh (’14) and Vinjai Vale (8th
grade) were awarded one of just available three spots
on the stage for TEDx Kids @SMU 2013, “an ideal
platform to present new, engaging ideas to the next
generation of leaders, artists, creators, innovators, and
inventors.” As impressive as the TEDxKids invitation
is unto itself,
more exciting
still is Vinjai and
Adithya’s project,
IntentSense.
The result of
hundreds of
hours of effort
on their part,
IntentSense (www.intentsense.org) is an open-sourced
bionic glove for amputees that they both believe represents a fundamentally different and unique concept
in regard to current bionic solutions. And it has been
quite a learning experience, as they shared: “The process of innovation is filled with inevitable failures and
frustrations. In one now amusing but then devastating
incident, we accidentally melted the circuits on all five
sensors of the glove while attempting to solder elec-
» VIE W A DITH YA & VIN J A I’S TE Dx TALK!
» RE A D THEIR PA P E R H E R E !
14
trical connections. (Oops).” But then again—Thomas
Edison once famously burned his family barn down,
so perhaps all great experiments need a few trial and
error sessions.
In the near future, Adithya and Vinjai hope to improve
their prototype and ultimately would like to manufacture a clinical
grade version of
IntentSense –
and to that end,
have entered in
competitions to
secure funding
for the next phase
of their project.
They’e also published a paper on their work paper in
the 2013 International Conference on Advanced Mechatronic Systems in Luoyang, China.
You can view their Adithya and Vinjai’s TEDx talk here.
And, you can read their paper here.
ANDREW L ABEREE WINS INAUGURAL COGITO RESEARCH GRANT
Last month, Andrew Laberee was one of twelve students to win the pre-college science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) grant from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. Andrew was chosen from a pool of over 160 international student
applicants, to become a recipient of one the inaugural Cogito Research Awards
for Young Scientists.
His winning proposal, entitled “The Effect of Proximity to the Nation’s Oldest
Nuclear Power Plant on Macroinvertebrate Populations in Coastal Plain Creeks,”
was a great intersection of global awareness and local interest. After attending a
workshop about biological assessments of streams, an interest in the far-reaching impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear
disaster led to a personal interest in the
nearby nuclear power plant, and any possible environmental impact.
As Andrew notes: “The Pine Barrens of
NJ represents a very unique ecosystem.
The biodiversity is especially remarkable to find in NJ—one of the most
crowded areas of North America. I have an interest in protecting open
spaces...I could find no record of any previous studies like this. In just a few weeks when everything has thawed
from this crazy winter, the fun will begin!”
You can learn more about Andrew’s project and the
Cogito Research Awards here!
» LE AR N AB O UT AN D R E W ’ S P R OJ ECT!
SAGE PALMEDO WINS HER SECOND GOLD
MEDAL IN JUNIOR WORLD CUP FENCING
Sage Palmedo followed up her gold win at the 2013 Sosnowiec Saber
Junior World Cup with an even more thrilling victory at the 2014 Udine
Junior World Cup in Italy.
Already impressively described as “the nation's top-ranked sabre fencing female in her age group for eight years running,” Sage
bounced back from a tough start to notch seven consecutive victories
to secure her second gold medal. Striking a balance between academic pursuits and world-class athletic achievements is no small feat. As
Sage reflects: “If it weren't for the Online High School, I would not be
able to achieve my goals at the high level. I and the other students
here are so lucky to have this incredible educational experience
with such flexibility for our busy lives.” The future looks to have
even more incredible experiences for Sage, as she mulls over
choices between the Olympics and college.
Congratulations, Sage, and all of our Students in the News!
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
15
From t h e O H S PA
OHSPA ELECTIONS
This spring, the Stanford OHS Parent Association
(OHSPA) will hold elections for Officers for the upcoming year, and we hope that all of you will consider running for office. The OHSPA helps to foster the wonderful community that connects Stanford OHS families
from around the globe, and OHSPA officers are vital to
the work of this important group.
EL I GIB ILITY
All parents of current Stanford OHS students are
eligible to run, as long as they have a student enrolled
in Stanford OHS in either a single course, part-time or
full-time throughout their term. Officers serve one-year
terms starting in May, and are eligible to run for re-election for one additional term.
OPEN OHS PA P O S ITIO N S
The available positions are President, Vice President,
and Secretary. Detailed descriptions of their duties can
be found on the OHSPA page of the Gateway site.
AN OT H E R W AY TO PART I C I PAT E
I N T H E O HSPA: JO I N A CO M M I T T EE
If you are not interested in becoming an OHSPA officer, but still want to participate in the parent association, consider joining an OHSPA committee. There are
a wide variety of activities available, such as regional
meet-ups, welcoming new families, and various events
during Graduation Weekend. Details regarding committees are listed on the OHSPA Gateway page. The
President typically calls for committee volunteers in
the fall, although positions sometimes become available during the year as well.
We hope that you will consider participating in the
OHSPA in some capacity. We believe that the OHSPA
strengthens the Stanford OHS community and the
school itself, and the OHSPA can only be made better
with the involvement of more parents.
DAVID CORDEIRO—PRESIDENT
AMY CARLISLE—VICE PRESIDENT
I M PORTA NT DATE S
I NTE N T TO R U N: A PRIL 18T H
Parents of current Stanford OHS students who wish to
run for an Officer position should submit their names
and the position for which they would like to be
considered to Stanford OHS Director, Kathlyn Gray by
Friday, April 18th.
E LE CT ION W E E K: M AY 8T H – 14T H
Candidate letters to the community will be published
ahead of the elections, which will occur via computerized voting the week leading up to the May 15th OHSPA
meeting, where the results will be announced.
OHSPA MEETING
THURS DAY, M A R C H 2 0
4PM PAC IF IC TIM E
16
JESSICA MELLER—SECRETARY
BECOME AN OHSPA OFFICER:
ELECTIONS THIS SPRING!
DAVID CORDEIRO
OHSPA PRESIDENT 2013–2014
[email protected]
Arti st S p ot li ght
S EE MORE STU DEN T A RT ON T H E G AT E W AY !
ANASTASIA GRACHEVA,
TIGER SKETCH,
PENCIL.
UMAR AHMED BADAMI,
CLOWNFISH,
CHALK PASTEL ON PAPER
MARGARET MCGUIRE,
SUNSET ON THE PAMLICO,
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
JOSEPH GNEHM,
MONDAY,
WATERCOLOR
EMMA FARRELL,
SCULPTED ROSE,
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH
OHS NEWSLETTER, FEBRUARY 2014
17
Ev e n ts & O p p o rt u n i t i es
U PCOMING E VE N TS
G RAD UAT I O N W E E KE N D
MARCH 1
2014–15 COMMITMENT TO REGISTER DEADLINE
JUNE 6 – 8, 2014
MARCH 24 – 28
SPRING BREAK
APRIL 1
COMMITMENT TO REGISTER DEADLINE
FOR SUMMER SESSION
APRIL 7 – MAY 4 PLACEMENT EXAMS ADMINISTERED
FEBRUARY 28
SCHEDULING INFORMATION SESSIONS
AT 8:30AM AND 3:00PM PACIFIC
MARCH 20
OHSPA MEETING
MARCH 21
COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSION
FOR GRADES 9 AND 10 AT 3:00PM PACIFIC
APRIL 25
COLLEGE INFORMATION SESSION
FOR GRADES 7 AND 8 AT 3:00PM PACIFIC
CALL FOR A LU M N I N E WS
Our first-ever Stanford OHS Alumni Edition newsletter was published
back in November 2013—the first issue included class notes from each
year, as well as spotlight articles on Louisa Behet (‘12) and Leena Iyar
(‘10). Our community response was incredibly enthusiastic, and we
can’t wait to share more news from our wonderful alums. Our next
alumni edition will be published in April 2014.
We hope you’ll join us for Graduation Weekend. This is a weekend
for the entire OHS community and will include events for all grade
levels, including the Awards Ceremony & 8th Grade Graduation,
Prom, and the Graduation Ceremony! Stay tuned to the monthly
newsletter for more updates.
Share your News!
Students, we’d love to share news of your endeavors and
accomplishments beyond the classroom with our community
in future issues of the OHS monthly newsletter.
We invite your submissions whenever you have something
interesting to share. To be included in the next issue, please
submit your news to Tyler Shores, Communications Officer:
[email protected]
Artist
Spotlight
Alums, we want to include your news in the class notes section. What
have you been up to recently? Did you take an exciting trip, reunite
with other Stanford OHS grads, win a fellowship, start a company, start
grad school, get married, or do something else interesting or exciting?
Do you have a piece of artwork that you would like to share
with the OHS community? Please send us your photography,
paintings, drawings, and digital art, and your work may be
highlighted in our next newsletter and will be posted on the
Artists' Corner on the Gateway.
We want to hear about it! This is a great chance for you to share what
you've been up to and learn what your classmates have done since
graduation. Please fill out the form at the link below to submit your
news. News should be no longer than 100 words and written in third
person. We also hope you will choose to submit a photo along with
your update. We will be collecting alumni news for the newsletter until
Monday, April 14 th .
To submit your artwork, send
high resolution photos or scans
to our graphic designer, with your
name, title of your piece, and
medium used. Send submissions
to Stephanie Griffin sjgriffi@
stanford.edu
ALUMNI INFORMATION AND NEWS FORM
Even if you have submitted this form before, please re-submit to share
your news or new contact information.
CONTRIBUTORS
COVER ART:
GRAYSON GERLICH,
GAZE,
DIGITAL PAINTING
EDITORIAL TEAM
KATHRYN BALSLEY
ENROLLMENT COORDINATOR
[email protected]
KENDRA PETERSON
ACADEMIC ADVISER
[email protected]
DAVID CORDEIRO
OHSPA PRESIDENT 2013–14
[email protected]
KATE ROSSETTI
COLLEGE COUNSELOR
[email protected]
KIM FAILOR
SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR
[email protected]
JEFFREY SCARBOROUGH
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM
[email protected]
ADAM LIPS
DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING
[email protected]
TRACY STEELE
DIRECTOR OF COUNSELING
[email protected]
BRAM WANG
OHS STUDENT (‘14)
SUMMAR AUBREY
DIRECTOR OF STUDENT LIFE
& COMMUNITY
[email protected]
STEPHANIE GRIFFIN
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
[email protected]
RANDY JOHNSON
[email protected]
TYLER SHORES
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
[email protected]