Camp Kieve: What is it?

By Eric Qu

As we all know (or most of us), the annual visit to Camp Kieve is upon us! Be ready for a whole entire week of sleeping in cabins and having a fun time outdoors on thing like the tree-top adventures and other things, like solo, which is thinking by yourself.

Since 1981, The Leadership School at Kieve has been developing leaders and strengthening communities by challenging students, teachers, and parents to take positive risks, set meaningful goals, make healthy decisions, all while being supportive team members and strong leaders. Adolescents still face a world of challenging choices and conflicting messages: our approach to supporting them as they face the challenges of growing up remains the same, states the Kieve website.

Traditionally students visit for three to five days at one of the two Kieve-Wavus campuses on the shores of Damariscotta Lake in Maine. The day begins early and “student activities and classes focus on providing opportunities for students to make healthy decisions, practice positive risk taking, form and maintain healthy relationships, raise aspirations, and create physically and emotionally safer school climates,” according to the Kieve website.

Classes cover topics like communication skills, relationships, developing self, decision making, adventures, teambuilding and environmental stewardship.

A typical day starts early at 7:30 a.m. and includes a variety of activities during the day and evening. It’s lights out at 9:15 p.m. for seventh graders. Students sleep in cabins. Each has its own unique character and up to 16 bunks. Choice time every afternoon allows students to play sports, do arts & crafts, go on nature walks or explore the ropes courses.

Q: What do I bring? Personal items: toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, towel, etc. Sleeping bag and pillow ( or sheets and blankets). Bring in a plastic bag to keep them clean and dry. Rain gear: unless there is thunder and lightening, we DO go outside. Cold weather gear: Gloves, hats, scarves, winter boots, etc Socks, socks, socks: It sounds silly, but if you get wet or cold, you are going to want warm feet. Clothing that can be layered. Sweatshirts, long sleeve shirts. It is easier to take off extra layers than to wish you had brought more! Closed toed shoes: This is a requirement to climb on our Ropes Course. Miscellaneous Gear: Sunscreen, Chapstick, water bottle, bug spray, cameras are allowed but not in the classroom, flashlights. You can leave your school books, pencils and rulers behind. But, you may want to bring reading material for at night. Medications must be in the original bottle, with the label indicating name and dose. All medications will go to the infirmary upon arrival and be divided into cabins for your cabin staff to distribute accordingly. Our nurse will be checking all medications and dosage instructions when you arrive. Also, she will be on duty to help out during the week. You might not want to bring electronics, they may get lost. If you need music to fall asleep you may bring an ipod or portable cd player with headphones, but they must be kept in the cabin.

Pi Day

By Billy Nicolakakis

On Friday March 13, Wood Hill celebrated Pi Day. Pi is a mathematical symbol that you can find the circumference of a circle, and it represents 3.14. The numbers are infinite and people are finding more numbers everyday. But in Wood Hill team 7 West celebrated by making hats related to pi and had contests of the best hat and who could recite the most digits of pi . At the end of the day every one in the school got mini apple pies.

Fiddler hits the stage!

By Abby Chou

On the night of Feb. 7, the WHMS Drama Club produced a stunning performance of Fiddler on The Roof. Shyann Koul as Tevya, Natalie Caffrey as Golde, Madison Quill as Yente, Belle Haslam as Tzietel, Michael Makiej as Motel, Catherine Bravo as Chava, Griffin Viera as Perchik, and many others helped to make this play a success whether they were in the cast, on tech crew, or on stage crew.

Fiddler on the Roof is about a poor Russian Jewish family and their struggle against prosecution by the Russians and changes that are tearing the family apart. It very well known for the song “If I were a rich man,” “Matchmaker” and “Tradition” all performed beautifully by the cast and chorus.

Special thanks to Mrs. Rey, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Sullivan and the student directors for managing the cast, pit band, stage crew, and tech crew.

Teacher Feature: Madame Gregory

By Katie Benjamin & Katie Budinger

Q: What subject do you teach?
A: French

Q: How many years have you been teaching at Wood Hill?

A: Since 2002, when the school opened.

Q: Is it fun working with your husband (Mr. Gregory)?
A:I hardly ever see him, so it's like I don't even work with him. Only at home do we talk, and we talk about school then.

Q: What's something we'd never guess about you?
A: I had one of the best three times for the 60 yard dash in France. I also won a writing award, medals for track and was a hurdling champion.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: I like to garden, run, ride my bike and also do crafts like paint.

Q: Where did you go to school? What was it like?
A: School in France was hard, says Gregory. The days were from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There was lots of work involved and doing well in school was important in life.

Q: Where have you traveled?
A: I have been to Africa, all around Europe, across America on a bus at age 22, and Hawaii.

Q: Is French your first language?
A: It is my first language.

Q: When did you come to the U.S.?
A: I came to the U.S. in 1978 or 79.

Q: What was the same in France and the U.S? What was it like moving here?
A: It was very, very difficult, leaving friends, family, culture, habits, you have to learn everything. I miss my sisters. This country is very different. In size, the U.S. is a new country, and France a small, old country.

Author Soman Chainani speaks to Wood Hill, High Plain students

By Vincent Candela

On March 3, author Soman Chainani visited students at Wood Hill Middle and High Plain Elementary schools. The popular author has written two books in his The School of Good and Evil series and a third is set to come out this spring.

The audience in the Wood Hill auditorium was full of excitement at 9:30 a.m. to hear what Chainani was about to say. He first started off by saying that he wanted to create fairy tales where the heroes don’t always win. He said that when he was a kid he watched the whole collection of Disney movies but he eventually became allergic to them.

In Disney movies, most of the time the villains are the funniest and the most exciting characters. The problem is, they are the ones who die in the end but instead the boring heroes take their place and the story ends with a happily ever after. The only problem with that is that is boring and its not really fair for the "smart" villains.

Students are encouraged to check out Chainani's books at their school library. Learn more about the author and his books on his website.

WHM parents learn more about technology and online safety

By Miss Menesale

Wood Hill parents gathered in The Hub on Friday, Feb. 27 to learn more about keeping their teens safe online. The talk was hosted by School Adjustment Counselors Patty Casey and Hillary Brooks. More than 20 parents came to hear Andover police officers Kevin Aufiero and Steve Gerrior and WHM Digital Learning Specialist Sarah Menesale discuss issues of online safety, technology use, various apps and programs, and resources for parents. 

Parents shared tips with each other and had an open and honest discussion about online safety and use. Discussion topics included types of accounts students had, privacy settings, access to usernames and passwords, cyberbullying, examples of students being exclusive posting pictures, friending each other.

To learn more about Andover's district resources,  read A Middle School Parent's Guide to Social Media written by the middle school digital learning specialists, check out the Wood Hill health curriculum and internet awareness resources.