John Krubski, A Practical Futurist, Thursday, December 20th, Lunchwaves in the LLC

John Krubski, author of Cracking the America Code, to speak

 

 

 

Mr. Krubski's book discusses Marketing, Management, Politics, Economics and more...

 

Excellent for American Government, Economics, Statistics, and Personal Finance classes to attend.

 

Teachers sign up your classes to visit.  Free period students make sure you don't miss this!

Out of the Blue to Visit Staples LLC on Friday, November 30th

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue a cappella group will be visiting and entertaining us with their musical talent this Friday, November 30th, in the Library Learning Commons during our lunch waves.

Students, please come during your free period, or teachers, please sign up your classes to come down and visit one or both lunch waves.  They will be performing for all three.

A nice way to kick off the holiday season!

Watch the youtube below for a sneak preview!

"In the fall of 1986, eight adventurous students embarked on the journey of creating a new a cappella group at Yale. Eventually, that group would come to be known as Out of the Blue. Since our founding, OOTB has exchanged gloves and coattails for our iconic “OOT-Blue” shirts and accessories. Building upon the rich tradition of a cappella at Yale, we have evolved to become the University’s most progressive contemporary a cappella group."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIGLTh0_9yw


http://yaleootb.com/about

Lunchertainment...Andeisha Farid...November 12th Lunch Waves

Please come join us on Monday, November 12th during the lunch waves, in the Library Learning Commons when Andeisha Farid comes to speak.  Andeisha is the Executive Director of Afghan Child Education and Caring Organization and is being sponsored byTeen Vital Voices through  Alexis Teixeira.  

Andeisha Farid received the 2010 Global Leadership Award of Vital Voices for her work with AFCECO and "her integral part in her country to rebuild and educate the next generation of leaders who will lead their nation forward."  http://www.afceco.org/index.php/andeisha

Teachers please encourage students to come if they have 5th period free and those of you who teach during period 5 on Monday please sign up with the Library to bring your entire class to see Andeisha Farid.

Presidential Mock Debates and Mock Elections in the LLC

Student Assembly and JSA will be co-sponsoring the Mock Election 2012. In each of the last several presidential elections, students at Staples High School have had the opportunity to vote for the President of the United States in a mock election.  While these votes don’t actually get tallied by the candidates, Staples students do get to experience what voting is really like.

Voting will take place on Thursday, November 1st and Friday, November 2^nd in the LMC. Students will visit the LMC during their social studies classes.  Students not enrolled in a social studies class may vote during their lunch period.  Just like real polling places, students will bring their ID’’s in order to vote and wait in line to have your name crossed off the master list before voting.

We will also feature a student focused election awareness/education activity. JSA is structuring Mock Debates among the candidates as "Lunchertainment" in the LMC on Tuesday, October 30th and Wednesday, October 31^st.

Wildlife in Crisis Lunchertainment...Friday, May 25...during Lunch Waves

This presentation will look at a variety of indigenous wild animals, some tips on our co-habitation with animals in their native habitat and some common issues and solutions.  Please come armed with your most frequently asked questions and concerns.

Bio of Speaker –

Amy Jenner has been a volunteer with Wildlife in Crisis for 5 years.  Passionate about the mission of WIC, and under the education of renowned wildlife rehabilitator Dara McDonough Reid (founding director of WIC), Amy conducts frequent community outreach and education programs in an effort to further the mission of the organization.

Since 1988, Wildlife in Crisis, the Wildlife Care Center,  has provided care for debilitated wildlife, in addition to its habitat preservation and environmental education programs all in an effort to improve the quality of life in our community.

Each year, WIC cares for over 5,000 injured and orphaned wild animals with the goal of rehabilitating them and releasing them back into the wild.  In addition to wildlife care, WIC volunteers answer over 15,000 phone calls regarding native wildlife.  Wildlife in Crisis is the only organization of its kind in Connecticut, licensed by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to care for all species of native wildlife.

Please call or email to schedule your class.  Free period students please join us also!

Builders Beyond Borders...Come find out all about us!

Builders Beyond Borders has been serving the local and global communities for 20 years! High school students who participate with B3 are placed on a team with whom they perform local community service, hold team meetings and activities, and travel with during one of the February, March or April breaks. While one of the main goals of B3 is service, students in the program often come away with leadership skills and build confidence. Find out more in the Library Learning Commons during lunch waves on Thursday, May 24^th at SHS!

As part of B3’s mission to “build a better world”, B3 also hopes to build a bigger world by expanding the horizons of volunteers and the communities they serve. By working hand in hand and side by side with host communities, volunteers become compassionate and capable global citizens, and the communities served realize that they are not alone in their struggles. Each year, B3 contributes over 20,000 hours of service in benefit of communities in need, both near and far. Learn how you can join B3 on May 24^th at SHS!

-          Do you want to participate in a life-changing program, make new friends and travel abroad? Join B3 today!

Please join us for

3rd Annual Poetry Slam and Jazz Celebration

Friday, April 27th

Open Mic for you to read and share poetry all day

Jazz Band ensembles to perform all day

Come prepared with a poem to read and share.

Share a poem you have written or a poem you love.

Come with your class or during your free period.

Enjoy Jack Powers, resident published Poet of the day, who joins us from Joel Barlow High School.  Powers was the 2005 CCTE Connecticut Poet of the Year and the 2008 NEATE Poet of the Year. We look forward to Jack spending the day with us. 

Enjoy Alex Levin, resident Jazz pianist of the day, who joins us from New York City.  Alex has shared his musical talents with us and the SHS Jazz Band for two years to high acclaim.

http://www.alexlevinjazz.com/bio/

Kakenya Ntaiya from Kenya, who was betrothed at age 5, is coming to the Library Learning Commons this Thursday, April 26 during the lunch waves. Kakenya’s unforgettable story began when she begged her father not to marry so she could attend school and avoid the traditional path of Maasai women. She paid the personal price of circumcision for the privilege of education and completed her doctorate in the United States while building the first school for rural girls in Kenya.

Staples Teen Vital Voices has sponsored her trip to SHS. The club continues to fundraise for Kakenya’s school and has established friendships with the girls in Kenya.

Kakenya has accomplished much, yet she continues to dream. Bring your classes on Thursday to meet this accomplished visionary and listen to her remarkable story.

For more information about Kakenya and her dream:

http://www.kakenyasdream.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR66wYYJrpM

If you are bringing your class please email Robin Stiles or Julia Roberts. Let us know which lunchwave and how many students, please.

Israeli Soldiers Speak Out Lunchertainment on Friday, March 23, during lunch waves in the Library

Please join us for the ISSO program on March 23rd, 2012 in the Library Learning Commons during the three lunch waves.  Teachers...please email if you'd like to attend with your classes.  Students...please attend if you are free during lunch waves.

ISSO (Israeli Soldiers Speak Out) is an innovative program featuring a diverse group of reserve duty Israeli college students. Their mission is to educate, inform, and delve into conversation about the Israeli-Arab conflict by putting a human face to the IDF uniform. Participants in ISSO have had combat experience either in Gaza or Lebanon, and are all members of the StandWithUs IsraelFellowship for student leaders at the six major Israeli universities.

　　　

The soldiers are prepared to discuss the moral issues involved in fighting in an urban area, where civilians are callously put at risk by terrorist organizations bent on maximizing casualties. Expert StandWithUs staff have mentored and trained them to handle the tough questions. Each soldier is prepared with their own unique personal story designed to show the human face of the IDF, highlight its moral code, and delve into the dilemmas of the Middle East conflict.

Lunchertainment Friday, February 10th, in the LLC

On February 10th, during all three lunch waves, the Gender Equality Club will host a Lunchertainment event that will focus on domestic violence in early adulthood.  The event will consist of poetry, videos, art, speeches, and personal memoirs, all presented by Staples students and faculty.

Come join us to listen about this important issue.

Lunchertainment: Rotary Four Way Speech, Weds. January 4th during lunch waves

Rotary Four Way Speech Contest

 Every participant will make a five to seven minute speech about an issue important to him or her. The topic may be personal, societal, or anything in between.  Typical subjects are continued dependence on fossil fuel, global warming or Give Peace a Chance. The point of the exercise is to show how the test applies to everyday ethical or moral issues - is it the truth; is it fair to all concerned; will it build good will and better friendships; and will it be beneficial to all concerned.

Maria Pacheco, Guatemalan leader and Fulbright scholar to speak in the Library Learning Commons on November 2nd.

September 20, 2011 (Westport, Conn) — Maria Pacheco links Guatemalan artisans in indigenous rural communities to international markets, transforming cycles of poverty into cycles of prosperity and empowering women to be agents of change in their families, homes and communities.

Growing up in war-torn Guatemala City convinced Maria that she could ‘heal the earth’ by moving to the mountains and becoming an organic farmer. However, it wasn’t long before she found herself on a mission to bring prosperity to communities that others had long forgotten – desperately poor rural communities in which over 200,000 people were killed and tens of thousands were ‘disappeared’ during a 36-year civil war.

Maria saw the untapped potential and talent of Guatemala’s indigenous women, nearly half of whom are illiterate. She formed Kiej de los Bosques, an organization that works with expert artisans to develop their designs and expand their businesses, linking rural communities to markets around the world.
Currently a consultant for the [ http://www.unfoundation.org/ ]United Nations Foundation, Maria is developing a program that will generate sources of income for communities living in or around natural World Heritage Sites, while at the same time protecting the surrounding ecosystem.

She is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters degree in agriculture from Cornell University. Maria served as co-founder and first female president of the Guatemalan Rural Entrepreneurship Association (AGER), and is part of the Aspen Institute Global~Leadership Network, belonging to the Central American Initiative (CALI).~With other Aspen fellows, Maria launched the Vital Voices Central American Network,~to ensure that women’s voices in the region be heard.

Vital Voices Connecticut Council is honored to introduce Maria and her work in Guatemala on Wednesday evening, November 2, 7-9:00 pm at Christ and Holy Trinity Church, 75 Church Lane, Westport.

About Vital Voices: Vital Voices Global Partnership ([ http://www.vitalvoices.org/ ]www.vitalvoices.org) is an international non-profit organization that identifies, trains, mentors and empowers emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe, enabling them to transform lives and accelerate peace and prosperity in their communities. The Connecticut Council of Vital Voices was established in 2005 to support the work of Vital Voices and raise awareness about their many programs and the remarkable women leaders of their global network.

Westport Elections Candidates Panel

Please come join us on Thursday, October 27, 2011 in the Library Learning Commons to hear the views of several Westport candidates for the November elections. Representing the Democratic party will be Janis Collins who is running for the Board of Finance and Michael Gordon who is running for the Board of Education. Representing the Republican Party will be Garson Heller who is running for the Board of Assessment Appeals and Tom Lasersohn who is running for the Board of Finance. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about the political process and their opinions. The panel will be held during the lunch waves. We hope to see you then.

Summer Reading 2011!!! Check it out (until September 12)!!!

SHS SUMMER READING LINKS

http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/staplesllc/SummerReading2011.html

Everything out now is due back by June 3rd.  If you still need a book for a particular class we will give permission to renew beyond June 3rd.

You can begin signing out books for Summer Reading now

and they will be due back on September 12, 2011.

Lots of great books from which to choose.  Double copies of most books. 

Come get yours today!

GET BOOKED

 FOR SUMMER 2011

Rouwenna Lamm from Alliance for Climate Education visits the LLC to speak about Student Action Programs

After a presentation to freshmen in the auditorium on Thursday, Rouwenna Lamm will be in the Library Learning Commons during lunch waves to meet with students and talk about promoting Student Action Programs. 

Rouwenna will be speaking about her work for the Alliance for Climate Education. 

Check out their website and see her bio below.
http://www.acespace.org/

Rouwenna Lamm is a Kentucky native with a B.A. in astronomy and physics from Smith College in Massachusetts. During high school and college, Rouwenna was interested in teen education and held a variety of positions educating youth about health, science, outdoor-living, and community development. She started working on climate change during her senior year in college after attending Power Shift 2007. Inspired by the youth and adults at the conference, she joined the newly formed Massachusetts Power Shift and planned a climate conference for hundreds of students and community members. She then helped the group transform into a network of student climate advocates pushing for legislative and social change to address climate change.

After college, Rouwenna took a 9-month internship with the Union of Concerned Scientists where she was working to connect scientists with policy makers and the public to increase climate education and push for legislative action to address climate change. She also helped produce reports on the impacts of climate change in the Midwest. Rouwenna is excited to join the ACE team and continue educating and empowering youth to fight for their futures.

AP Testing in LLC

As you know AP Testing is happening this week and next in the LLC.

First of all, we will not be hosting an Open Mic in May because of APs.

Secondly, we ask that when AP tests are happening that you study silently in the library so that the students taking tests can focus on their tests and not be disturbed.

On Thursday, May 12th, the library will be closed from 7:30 until 12:00 because AP testing will happen on the main floor of the library to accomodate the number of students taking the test that day.

Thanks for all your help in following these directions over the next two weeks.

Lunchertainment...Club Green celebrating Earth Day a little early on April 13th with Tobey Russ...during the three lunch waves!

Club Green is celebrating Earth Day a little early on April 13th

with a program in the Library Learning Commons
featuring Tobey Russ!

  We will all be enjoying a Spring Break vacation day
on April 22nd which is the actual Earth Day.

Come hear about Tobey Russ' really cool and green job!

     Tobey Russ - is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Forest First Holdings which is a private company developing large scale sustainable forestry plantations in Latin America. The company has established it’s initial plantation in the North Eastern plains region of Colombia on 70,000 hectares along the Meta and Orinoco rivers. As the plantation matures, wood will be shipped down river where it will be chipped and then shipped to electric utilities in the United Kingdom and in Europe as a source of renewable energy.

     Prior to joining Forest First Mr. Russ has held various senior management positions in the commercial insurance and financial services industry over the last 25 years.

     Mr. Russ will be speaking about the developing opportunities in "Eco-Capitalism" - how the private sector can help drive environmental improvement while making an attractive return on investment. Sustainable forestry is becoming an increasingly important, carbon neutral, fuel source which will also provide much needed social and economic benefits in developing countries. As forests disappear around the world and non-renewable energy prices continue to rise, forestry has become a very attractive investment option.

Please email or call to have your class come join us!

Thank you to all those involved in the Second Annual Celebration of Poetry and Jazz!

       

A big thank you goes out to the classes of Ms. Radler, Mr. Liepolt, Mr. Miller, Ms. Barrington, Mr. Tippy, Mr. Garaghty, Ms. Robbins, Ms. McNamee, Ms. Fernandez, Ms. Kochefko, Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Noonan and all the other free period students who participated by reading at the Second Annual Celebration of Poetry and Jazz on Friday.

  

An especially big thank you goes out to our Mr. Mariconda and SHS Jazz Band students: Danny Pravdel, Harry Zec, Mike Ljungberg, Brian Hershey, Austin Alianiello, Cole Manley, and Jon Loeb who did a fantastic job of sharing their musical talents with us on Friday. The best news is that all these jazz students are juniors and have already volunteered to play again next year at our third annual!

See lots more photos and videos on the LLC Flickr link (middle ot the LLC page!)

Second Annual Celebration of Poetry and Jazz...April 8th...All Day in the LLC!

Teachers...Click here to sign up your class to participate.

Students...Click here to sign up to participate during your free!

Second Annual Celebration of Poetry and Jazz...Friday, April 8th in the Library Learning Commons

 

Next Friday, April 8th, will be our

Second Annual Celebration of Poetry and Jazz! 

In the Library Learning Commons all day!

If you were here last year you know how well  the student poets

and student jazz musicians of Staples enjoyed the day.

We will have a visiting poet Erik Bloch and visitng jazz musician Alex Levin. 

Katie Lawrence, Staples graduate,  will be speaking about her new book "Hunger" and poetry therapy during the lunch waves.

Plan to join us! 

More info to follow!