King Hamlet's Murderer on Trial

The ever-popular "Hamlet Trial" has become something of a rite of passage for senior English students at The Marin School. The extended project assignment, devised and guided by English IV teacher and department chair Kieran Ridge, asks students to play out a hypothetical trial in which the younger Hamlet tries to pin his father's murder on his uncle-cum-stepfather, Claudius. Students must form teams of characters from the play. For instance, Hamlet, Ophelia, Horatio and the grave-digger might comprise the prosecution, with Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius as the defense. Their pre-trial preparations involve close study of the text in order to gather evidence, which they present to a jury of faculty members in a mock trial. The overall exercise fosters not only detailed textual work, but also teamwork, time management and presentational skills.

Most prosecuting teams are unable to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Claudius was indeed the killer, because most of the evidence against him is ultimately circumstantial. Could you read the text and find the key to a conviction?

Haitian Relief Efforts at TMS

Led principally by Student Council president Noah Levenson, who came to school the day after Haiti's devastating earthquake determined to help its victims, the TMS community has initiated efforts to raise emergency aid funds. $138 was raised through a bake sale on Friday, and every day next week will see a school-wide raffle to raise even more support. Please contact the School to find out how you might support our efforts.

Another Win for TMS Basketball

The Nighthawk Basketball team notched another home win yesterday with a 50-21 victory over Pescadero High School.

Game highlights included:

Alex Cobb = 15 points and 1 block; Bryan Nickerson = 13 points;

Nick Gaede =13 points.

Thanks for the great fan support of students, teachers, and parents...Go Nighthawks!

Teach With Africa Pilot Project

The Marin School is participating in a project with Teach With Africa, a San Francisco-based non-profit that supports three secondary schools (named LEAP Schools) in South Africa. LEAP students are visiting the Bay Area for two weeks starting today, 1/14; they will perform at TMS on Monday, January 25^th, and their time will culminate in a TMS-hosted workshop on January 30^th entitled “Celebrate, Collaborate.” The workshop seeks to address issues of equal access to education and race relations in S. Africa and the Bay Area. A pre-workshop meeting was held on Tuesday in the TMS Hawk’s Nest with students and educators from the following schools: The Marin School, Lick-Wilmerding, Redwood, Branson, Drew, and Ralph A. Bunche Academy.

The January 30^th workshop will be led by English teacher Jonah Weaver and the following volunteer TMS students: Tej Poonian, Becky Kliman, Demetrius Borge, Paola Garcia, Sabrina Schroeder-Dammann, and John Alba Cerritos. In addition, the parents of Becky and Tej will each be hosting a LEAP student for the duration of their stay in the Bay Area.

A big thank you to all participating students and parents!

College Planning Information for the Week of 1/11/10

R E M I N D E R F O R J U N I O R S & P A R E N T S
College Admission Testing Night is Wednesday 1/13 at 6:30 in the Hawk's Nest - Parents and students are welcomed to this informative evening presentation about the various college admission tests and how to prepare for them. I'll cover topics such as the differences between the tests, when to take them and how to prepare for them. There will be information regarding the class that will be offered here at school as well as other prep options. To prepare for the evening, watch this short video in which admissions officers talk about the role of standardized tests in the admission process.

FOR EVERYONE

College of the Week - At Emory, top faculty are accessible and committed to teaching and fostering undergraduate research. The seven to one student/faculty ratio encourages meaningful interaction between professors and students, and ninety percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than forty students. Emory students may explore their interests and talents in the classroom and in the field; Emory students are twice as likely to do research outside of the classroom as their peers. First-year students can attend Emory College, the innovative liberal arts division at the heart of this major research university in Atlanta, Georgia, or they can choose Oxford College, site of Emory’s original campus, and spend their first two years in a small-college setting offering innovative teaching and unique opportunities for leadership. As juniors, all undergraduates may choose from more than 70 majors at Emory College or apply to Goizueta Business School or Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

My Schedule this Week - I will be on campus Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9-4 and Wednesday evening.

FOR JUNIORS

SAT prep course to be held after school - The course will be taught by Eureka Review, a company I have worked with before and for which I've received strong student recommendations. Students who participate in the class must take the practice test being offered at school on Saturday, January 16th (see below for more information). The class will be held on Wednesday afternoons, generally from 2:45-4:45, throughout March and April and is designed to prepare students for the May 1st SAT test date. The cost will be $250 per student. I am hoping to have final details for Wednesday's meeting.

SAT or ACT practice test on Saturday, January 16th at 8:00 AM at TMS - The practice test is open to all students but those who are planning to take the Eureka Review prep class must take this SAT practice test. The SAT practice test will be scored by Eureka Review and they will then return to school to distribute and explain scores to students and parents on Monday, January 25th at 6:30. Students who opt to take an ACT practice test will score their tests with me on the 16th. Students who have been approved for testing accommodations will be able to use those accommodations during the practice test.

SAT and ACT Registration Dates - While I will be giving much more information next Wednesday regarding testing, I do want you to know that there is an SAT given on 1/23 and students can still take the test on a standby basis. The next SAT will be given on 3/13 (registration deadline is 2/4) and the next ACT on 2/6 (the late registration deadline is 1/15). I recommend students take the SAT in May or June, the ACT in April or June and, if the student has over a 3.0 GPA, 2 subject tests in May or June.

FOR SENIORS

UC Application Status Website - Click here to check up on that UC application you submitted so long ago.

Check your student portals at UC and CSU campuses for application status and admission decisions. If you are confused about how to do this, stop by and we'll figure it out. Remember that you are responsible for checking these sites and responding to any requests for information or clarification. Don't put your acceptance in jeopardy by avoiding the portals!

Susan
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Susan Gotshall-Maxon
College Counselor

Tough Loss for TMS Basketball

The Nighthawk Basketball Team lost a tough game to Redwood Adventist last night by a score of 45-39.

The next game is at 4:00 on Thursday, January 14 at home vs. Pescadero High School.

Go Nighthawks!

TMS Hoops Logs Another Win

The Marin School basketball team opened the new year with a 72-16 victory over Napa Christian.

See the Nighthawks in action Thursday, 1/7, at Redwood Adventist Academy at 4:30.

Next home game is January 14th vs. Pescadero High School at 4 pm.

Go Nighthawks!