Making Best Friends Out West

All Creatures Great and Small Winterim had to hang out and watch the "animals" in the airport while their flight was delayed on Monday night. Soon they boarded and flew straight to Vegas on the same night the on-campus students enjoyed a "Vegas Casino Night" here in Groton. They drove a few hours to arrived to their Western US destination - Utah!

On Tuesday they settled in at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and had a huge tour and orientation to the large animal shelter. Today, Wednesday, the expected to work with bunnies and dogs. We hope they are having great weather and look foward to hearing from them again!

If you want to know more about what they are doing post a comment and maybe they will answer you with a response.

A Little Bit of Boasting.

This week was very hard for the most of the students - first day of Winterim, first experience in unknown field. However, the hardest day was the day of participants of RUaDN - the people who spend their priceless time by writing blogs and posts about all other Winterims. I do not want to boast or praise myself, but we are doing great job spending at least 6-7 hours per day working on our website. The first day of Winterim for RUaDN was a hard lesson of understanding HTML and XML. We got used to each other, tried to become friends with  the teacher and all the people in the group. This was definitely the hardest day. On Tuesday we met Mr. Mundahl, from New Hampton School. He showed us the importance of the media sphere and that of the virtual world. And today we working on promotion of our blog and website. We added at least 10 more new articles and learned about photography with Mr. Casanave, Director of Communications at Lawrence Academy.

Turn, Baby, Turn!

Rolling the Dice in Vegas . . . or Groton?

Crafty Clay

Clay and Kiln, an on campus Winterim, involves being crafty and skillful with your hands. For the next two weeks, these students will make a multitude of designs. As I was roaming around their workspace, I noticed they make all different kinds of designs. Their designs vary from pots to vases. Everyone is extremely focused and concentrated on what designs and shapes they are doing.

Tiffany ain't a girl. It's a type of glass.

Even though we've only just begun Winterim, the students in Stained Glass Creations are already incredibly focused and involved in creating their colorful creations. In the Schoolhouse chemistry lab with its white walls and gray table tops, not a sound can be heard except for the whirring of glass cutters. In this quiet yet busy Winterim, students create two stained glass creations: one in a traditional style and the other in a Tiffany style. The group is busy working on their first piece, using glass cutters to smoothly cut and shape their colored squares of glass into the stencils they use.

Even in beginning stages, the stained glass pieces are already starting to take shape and are looking great. It is as clear as day to see that most people have started on using a flower design, using bright pinks and reds and blues to make their pieces stand out. Then again, it's probably already so clear because the work begins with a basic stencil. The stencil, basically, looks like a blank paint-by-numbers sheet. Then, students select their glass, mold it into the shapes on the stencil using the glass cutter, and use pins to hold the glass onto the stencil.

Considering the bright, rich colors and texture of the glass used in these spectacular pieces, it seems as if the students are making their first creation in the Tiffany style. Tiffany glass was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany (Shocker: It's a guy), and is widely used in modern lamps, windows, and other types of interior design today.

The focus and dedication of the Stained Glass Creations Winterim is really great for so early in the Winterim program. Check back later to see how these stained glass pieces and "Tiffany" turns out.

Connor Spotts Gone Wet 'N Wild in Florida

(Picture:St Sebs game, E White and Connor)

Sophomore stud Connor Spotts capsized today off the coast of Florida. The JV hockey captain who snipes goals and gets misconducts on the ice, is apparently not very conditioned for the water. At approximately 10:30 AM, Connor, while kayaking down the Indian River Lagoon, got caught in a current that dragged him a mile off course. While trying to turn back around, Connors kayak flipped over. Connor was able to escape from the kayak and thankfully his trademark smile and thumbs up was still in tact. No news on whether or not Spanky, Connors cat, survived. We will keep you updated on further developments.

(Picture: Spanky)

(Disclaimer: This story might be embellished a bit, not all information is factual, and Spanky is alive and well at his house.)

The Cutting Edge: Woodworking in Groton

Turn, Baby, Turn! requires students to use their own hands to make a wooden project. Students and Mr. Brescia, faculty advisor of the group, use a machine to cut the wood into the shapes they want. A visiting teacher teaches the group.

The students and the leaders have to wear protective gear like dust masts while working to protect themselves.

If you want to see the progress that these students are making. COME BACK to this blog!!!!

What will the masterpiece be?

Quilting is off to a fast start everyone has chosen their ideas and have started cutting and sewing! They all got to draw and choose their own design. They are all different from sports to beaches to schools to family photos. They all have different and personal meaning. The group says that they have been doing great but their hands are already hurting... we all say good luck here at RUaDgtalNativ!

Julia says she doesn't think it will ever end. Summer said she is just happy because she finished her first row.... of three squares. Ms.Collins is starting another quilt different from last year she is not doing another math one... she says, you can only do so many of those. Mr. Healy got started today but is doing something more interesting. He is using shirts and other symbols from schools. We only see fabric but in a few short days we hope to see very original masterpieces.

Passion for Fashion

Fashion statement, an on-campus Winterim, works hard making unique pieces. Each piece has a flamboyant fabric and exceptional accessories to add to whatever their final piece may be. Each student will be a designer for the next few weeks. They will design and create their own apparel and accessories. We look forward to seeing the process of their pieces.

Chess: a Thinking Man's Game

The Winterim students play chess all day, and are taught the in's and out's of chess, "A Thinking Man's Game." The chess group is led by two of the most intelligent teachers in the school, Mr. Dawson, and Mr. Curran, as well as a visiting chess professor. This group is all boys just by chance, and all of them are very focused and excited to be a part of this exhilarating Winterim experience. The students learn moves that not only help them win the game but also leave their opponents wondering how the game ended! Today they learned the difference between "Check Mate" and "Stale Mate." You may think that this something for a beginner to learn, but in fact mastery of these moves is the mark of an advanced player.

The Nature of Martial Arts

Martial arts is not only way to forge our body, but also to temper our will and spirit. The students of Lawrence Academy enrolled in this hard discipline in order to be able to follow the criteria of a worthy student of LA. The group, lead by Mr. Mucha is going to study the unique techniques of fighting taught by Luth's Family Karate. Students will learn the empty-handed method of defense that originated in China existed for hundreds of years. They are going to be tested by the difficulties of self-possession and self-control. In the end of the Winterim they will encounter and spare with the master of Luth's school and return to LA as apprentices of karate style.