As a graduating senior, I am frequently finding myself reflecting on my three years here at Catlin Gabel School (CGS). I’m laughing at the memories I’ve treasured with the friends I made, and letting out (multiple) sighs of relief that I am, at long last, free from the harrowing processes of writing English essays. However, before I go, I wanted to address something I have noticed since my first year here.
Read MoreAfter reflecting on my own experience and interviewing students its clear that many students of color feel dismissed and labeled as "other" in a community that prides itself on inclusion. Stay tuned till the end for a reading of poem "Eggshells! Poster Child?”
Read MoreCommunities all around the world are being challenged with COVID-19. As health and essential workers risk their health by going into work, people are isolating at home to prevent the spread of this virus.
As citizens all over the globe are tested with the challenges that come with this new reality, it is important to remember the resilience of people in the past to overcome hardship as inspiration during these trying times.
Read MoreAt the Catlin Gabel School (CGS), the Jazz Band is offered multiple significant privileges which are not offered to the Rock Band.
Read MorePeople strolling in and out of bars, to and from classes, commuting to work. These everyday activities have stopped here in the U.S. due to the coronavirus, but they haven't stopped in one European country. Sweden. As opposed to many countries in the world, Sweden tackled the coronavirus in a much different manner, refraining from instating a lockdown or even closing down schools and bars.
Read MoreBrandon Woods, the Dean of Students of the Upper School (US), will be leaving at the end of the school year to return to The Latin School of Chicago as an Upper School English teacher and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curriculum Coordinator.
Read MoreWhat makes the most beautiful person you know beautiful? (Be honest here: I won’t judge you if you don’t say your mom). Is it their small, perfect nose? Is it their long, straight hair? Large eyes? Fair skin?
Read MoreEven though this article is a critical reflection on what it means to me to be Filipino-American and how I’ve learned about my identity in and outside of the classroom, I am proud to be Filipino-American. As I leave this community, I hope my voice and heart can be heard and that other CGS students resonate with parts of this article.
Read MoreBy the time this article is published, we will have spent 52 days in quarantine: 52 days since we have seen each other, been to class, or hung out outside with each other in person. This is an unprecedented time in history, and we’re all just trying to make it through. At the same time, many of us are itching to return to the way of life before COVID-19.
Read MoreAthletics are a huge part of many students' lives here at Catlin Gabel School (CGS). Unfortunately due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the premature end to the school year, many spring athletics have been cut short. This is devastating for all spring athletes but especially for seniors who, for some, this is their last season. As two senior spring athletes ourselves, we decided to take this opportunity to provide a sort of “online senior night” for those athletes who have given their time and energy to this school and their craft.
Read MoreBeyond traditional learning in the core subjects of English, science, math, social studies, computer literacy, and foreign language, there are life skills that every student should know before embarking on new adventures post-CGS. CatlinSpeak turned to the CGS faculty to get their advice.
Read MoreLike many of my peers, I had to make a big life decision on Friday, May 1, the annual national deadline to formally accept admission offers and submit deposits for fall term. With so many unknowns, colleges are now pushing back making a decision about the fall semester until the middle of the summer, making the college decision even more difficult. My inbox has been inundated with emails from university presidents and admission officers trying to reassure a nervous incoming first-year class, while acknowledging a harsh new reality. I thought it would be fun to curate their words into the poem below.
Read MoreAs student inboxes flood with messages from teachers and administrators, course forecasting weighs heavy on the docket. Students must make difficult choices; whether to take a language or a history course, to enroll in five, six, or even seven classes, they must contend with fulfilling graduation requirements and facing pressures to challenge themselves.
Read MoreWhile many of us are stuck at home scrolling through Tik Tok or watching reruns of our favorite television shows, there is a strong contingent of students who are creating meaning through a range of projects, organizations, and initiatives despite being quarantined. These pioneering individuals are pursuing their passions, responding to community problems COVID-19 has exposed, and finding ways to stay connected despite the social divide.
Read MoreIt’s 9:56 a.m. as I roll out of my bed, into my chair, and search my email, Haiku, Google Docs, somewhere, for the Zoom link for the first class of the day. I can hear my dad in the room next in a meeting for work, the internet bandwidth not enough for both of us. This is the new normal. Breakout rooms, constant news notifications, writing prompts, 50 emails a day, wondering where my day went as it’s 9:30 p.m. and I should start my homework, and, eventually, sleep.
Read MoreEach morning, I pull into the faculty lot around 7:30a.m., sometimes before the sun has risen. My mom, Upper School (US) French teacher Wendy Wilkinson, and I walk to the math building together, then part ways.
Read MoreSocial studies teacher Peter Shulman is one of many teachers whose job it is to educate a generation of students about politicus during a time in America when politics is incredibly polarizing. Shulman shares what his teaching philosophy became after the events that followed the 2016 election.
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