Phew! This week in the Matthews was one for the books. We filled the week with all manner of events and activities, some tried and true and others entirely new.
First, in honor of Monday’s Earth Day, here is a picture of a student’s ladybug rescue mission in progress. Curious about the role ladybugs play in our ecosystems? Find out more here!
We dedicated much of the week to summer reading book talks for our incoming middle school classes. Ms. Melinson talked the classes through the expectations for summer reading, gave every student the opportunity to ask her about any of the nearly-100 books on their summer reading lists, and then provided free time for them to browse the books independently. Also, every kid received a piece of candy. We aren’t sure which was their favorite part, but their excitement and engagement was palpable.
A little over a month ago, Grace spoke with Ms. Melinson about an idea she’d conceived of after watching the Queer Joy Panel that Mr. Hinojosa organized. During an extended lunch on Monday, we got to enjoy the realization of this idea: The Older Siblings Panel. The panel of eight female and nonbinary graduating seniors provided insightful stories and perspectives about navigating high school as a gender marginalized person to an audience of younger female and nonbinary students.
On Tuesday, we hosted the AP Spanish Literature class during flex for a presentation in celebration of World Book Day. We learned that in Catalonia citizens celebrate the day by exchanging books and roses, which is the kind of tradition we can most certainly get behind. The students’ presentation, given entirely in Spanish, explained the importance of Don Quixote, the book widely considered to be the first modern novel.
We also got a visit from the singular Baby Z on Tuesday. Lucky us!
Ishaan and Katie hosted another leadership lunch in the library on Wednesday. They interviewed senior Grace about her experience in Mock Trial, which she likes to think of as “improv for nerds.” They also discussed her real world experience with the US legal system as a volunteer with My Sister’s House, a nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic abuse within the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Grace emphasized the juxtaposition between the playful nature of Mock Trial and the realities of how difficult it can be to navigate the legal system in actuality. She also discussed her plans for college at Claremont McKenna. We’re so excited for her next steps, but we know her incredibly mature and thoughtful presence will be missed dearly here on campus. Good thing we have so many alumni events to look forward to!
On Thursday during the Spring Showcase, Capital Books brought shelves upon shelves of books for students to peruse and purchase as part of our Summer Reading initiative. It was only the second time Country Day hosted a book fair for middle school students in our history, and the first was well over a decade ago at this point. We’re quite thrilled to bring the event back, and hope to continue it as an annual tradition moving forward.
With a sunny weekend on the horizon, we wish everyone the distraction-and-responsibility-free time necessary to get lost in a good book. If you can’t come by such time honestly, we recommend claiming you must clear your garden of White Rabbits or take your pet Cheshire Cat for a walk.
Books & Bytes 