A Message from the Admissions Office |
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Greetings from the Manlius Pebble Hill School Admissions Office!
We are excited that you’d like to learn more about MPH and pleased to offer you a glimpse of our program and community in this Discover MPH e-newsletter. Our Admissions team stands ready to assist your continued exploration of the School and offer support should you decide to submit an application for admission. While we may (still!) be reimagining our admissions process to align with current health and safety protocols, we are confident we can offer prospective families an informative and personalized experience that deepens your understanding of MPH. We hope you will attend an upcoming virtual Admissions Information Session to connect with us and learn more! In the meantime, enjoy the stories below, specifically curated to highlight (and provide just a glimpse of) our dynamic start to the 2021-2022 school year.
Nicole Cicoria
Director of Admissions
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SAVE THE DATE
Please join us for a virtual Admissions Information Session next month! You can register here for either session.
NOTE: On the linked form, please select the session based on your child’s “grade of interest” (i.e., in which grade would your child be enrolling in the fall of 2022?).
Early Learning Session (for those with children who would be entering Pre-K or Kindergarten)
Friday, January 21, at 9:00 a.m.
General Session (for those with children who would be entering Grades 1-11 next fall)
Thursday, January 27, at 4:00 p.m.
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Part of Mother Nature's Classroom: Leaves! |
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Our Pre-K students did some fun learning activities with leaves in November. They first collected them outside and later brought them in to do leaf-rubbing drawings, examine their veins, and more. |
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Things Are a-Buzz
in Kindergarten!
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Resident beekeeper Amy Critz, executive assistant to the head of school, visited the Kindergarteners in late September for her much-anticipated “Bee Lesson,” during which the class learned about the life cycle of bees, the food they eat, and the fact that, thanks to them, we end up with (delicious!) honey. This year Ms. Critz had pictures of a swarm she had recently corralled with assistance from her partner and a Bobcat bucket loader. |
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They're Wild ... Wild about Books! |
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In early October, first graders read Wild About Books, by Judy Sierra, and then went wild with their own favorite books!
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Grade 3 students can be seen here conducting a science experiment during which they immersed gummy bears in different solutions. Students each had a cup of water and a cup of a solution (Sprite, vinegar, sugar water, or salt water). These young scientists predicted what would happen to the gummy bears when soaked. Would they get bigger or smaller? Would their weight or length change? |
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Grade 6 Integrates Problem Solving with Coding
Ms. Reeve’s Grade 6 students began the year discussing squares and how they would instruct someone who had never seen a square in how to draw one. The students’ knowledge of squares was taken a step further when they were tasked with describing how to draw a square using the words “forward,” “left,” and “right.” This introduction to problem solving was strategically planned so the students could do basic programming on a Texas Instruments Nspire calculator. The program was sent from their calculator to a Hub, which was connected to a Rover. Students tested their code and made adjustments as needed until they produced a perfect square. After tackling the square, some were able to solve an even more challenging problem: an equilateral triangle.
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Wildlife Rehabilitators Bring Captivating Visitors |
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Grades 7 and 9 huddled under the outdoor tent one day in early November, having been treated to appearances by a number of impressive birds (including a Great Horned Owl, a Kestrel, a Barn Owl, and a Northern Saw-whet Owl), as well as an informative presentation by staff from Kindred Kingdoms Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Pennellville. |
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Using EKGs to Learn about Neurobiological Complexity
In the Neurobiology of Sleep class, students develop an appreciation for all the activities our brains accomplish without our even consciously thinking about each activity. For example, recording a basic EKG, using Vernier probes and software, and better understanding the measurable electricity running across our skin, helps students appreciate the power of our brains and the extraordinary “machine” we get to walk around in every day.
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The Seagull: Upper School Presents Compelling Adaptation on Stage
After a year’s absence from the Coville Theater due to limitations presented by the pandemic, performing arts students returned to the much-loved space in November to perform The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov. The play was adapted for the ensemble by MPH’s Middle and Upper School dance teacher (and the show’s director), Maya Dwyer ’13. Seating in the theater accommodated appropriate physical distancing, and the shows quickly sold out; a professional recording was produced, however, and will be available later this month.
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MPH Model United Nations Named Outstanding Delegation at Conference in Montreal |
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The MPHMUN team traveled to Montreal, Canada, in mid-November to attend the highly acclaimed Secondary Schools United Nations Symposium (SSUNS), hosted by McGill University.
Held in the Sheraton Hotel, downtown Montreal, SSUNS created a safe environment and a quality international conference for delegates to debate world issues. With a delegate-to-staff ratio of 2.5:1, and with all of the 500 McGill staff members trained in committee staffing and equity, the return to an in-person conference was a triumph.
The conference provided delegates with engaging preparation materials, workshops, and leadership and networking opportunities. Some of our MPH delegates debated the ethics of genetic engineering in the World Health Organization ECOSOC committee.
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Others took on roles in specialized committees like Mandela’s Cabinet, the National Women’s Soccer Association, the Singaporean Independence movement, and the 2060 security council.
The MPH team performed very well, with about 70 percent of them earning recognitions and the team winning the overall Outstanding Delegation award.
“As their coach, I am extremely proud of how hard they worked over the four days of the conference,” said MPHMUN Advisor Ms. Chhablani.
“We did have some downtime during which we went on a guided walking tour of Oldtown Montreal,” she added.
“It was a great learning experience," she said. "We saw a large piece of the Berlin Wall, the Basilica of Notre Dame, and much more. The team is grateful for the entire experience and would like to thank Mr. Montas and the Health and Safety team for their support in making the trip a success.”
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Outreach Club Organizes Thanksgiving
Food Drive
The Community Outreach Club held a Thanksgiving Food Drive last month, during which they placed collection boxes in the Phoenix and McNeil lobbies for about three weeks, gathering nonperishable Thanksgiving-type food items, such as canned green beans, cranberries, and powdered mashed potatoes. The canned and boxed goods were donated directly to local homeless shelters on Thanksgiving.
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MPH: Making Pandemic History
We hope you will take some time to watch this video, produced at the end of last school year (2020-2021), to gain an understanding of how our community has navigated the pandemic.
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Read More Like This!
If you would like to see complete issues of Snapshot, our weekly e-newsletter to current MPH families — and the publication from which most of the stories above have been excerpted — view back issues here.
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