Fiddler on the Roof: Do You Love Me?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
by Evelyn and Marisa
CARACAS - “I thought the kids really brought it home, which is the most difficult thing to do in a play,” commented Henry Hettick, the director of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
The play, which over 80 members from the Escuela Campo Alegre community had only two months to prepare for, was performed on Friday, February 26th and Saturday, the 27th in the Forrest Broman Theatre.
ECA middle and high school students took the lead in making the production a success. Roles included: actors, musicians, dancers, set design, costume design, stage managers, and technical support. Teachers, staff, and parents also made important contributions to the direction and production of the play.
“I feel great, the whole cast was really happy with the results. It was a great feeling to have accomplished our goal,” said Arthur, who played the lead role of the father.
However, the play did not come without its flaws. “There were a few technical mistakes,” said Mr. Hettick. After the first day, he shared that glitches such as the microphones would be improved for Saturday’s final performance.
“No one opened the door for me and I lost my whole line,” added Arthur about an opening night glitch.
The audience was generally very pleased. “They laughed when we were happy and felt sad when sad things were happening,” said Arthur in response to the chemistry between the cast and audience.
“They really know how to take direction. The best part of the play for me is that I really, really love this cast,” said Mr. Hettick.
Bolivar Devaluation Effect on ECA Trips
Thursday, February 25, 2010
by Brenna and Maria
CARACAS - The 8th grade trip planned for May 17th through May 21st to Washington, D.C. is the first U.S. bound middle school class trip in recent Escuela Campo Alegre history. However the trip was affected by unpredictable price increases when the Bolivar was devalued from 2,15 to 4,30 Bs.F to one United States dollar.
The original estimated price of airfare, 2,500 Bs.F, doubled to 5,183 Bs.F. Also, an additional 800 US Dollars per student will be spent on meals, museums, accommodations, and other activities.
The possibility of further Bolivar devaluation and increase in prices raises the question of how it will affect future trips from ECA, both curricular and athletic.
“It [price inflation] affects things such as security, transportation, flights, accommodations and everything has gone up,” said High School Activities Coordinator Kathy Furrer. “In fact at the end of the school year we are going to get together to talk about these issues.”
“ECA will find a way to continue with future trips. It’s an important school experience,” said Superintendent Dr. Jeff Paulson.
No Time to Fiddle Around
Friday, February 19, 2010
by Evelyn and Marisa
“When people heard we were going to put this show on in less than two months, they were shocked.” Mr. Hettick expressed the initial concern of the Escuela Campo Alegre’s cast of Fiddler on the Roof. They started rehearsing mid-January, and the play will be performed on February 26th and 27th. Students have expressed the pressures of rehearsals, but according to Mr. Hettick, they have proved their diligence.
Mr. Hettick acknowledged the pressure he has placed on his cast, but says that he believes most of them have placed more pressure on themselves. “I admire and sympathize with all the things students at ECA have to juggle—they are amazing.”
“Poor Arthur and Fernanda have been living in the theater,” said Mr. Hettick, about the student’s loyalty to the play.
“I think the play has interfered in my academics…I get home….really tired, which makes me not want to work and I slack off,” said Arthur, one of the leads of the play.
The teaser on Wednesday did its job. ECA students could be heard in the halls and classrooms singing songs from the play. After the teaser, they were also more eager to attend the performance. “I think I could have performed better because I know I can do better, but I was glad to hear that people liked it and that it made them want to come here,” said Arthur, about his teaser performance.
Arthur's final predictions were optimistic. “I think everything is coming together, we have a really small amount of time so I’m scared that everything won’t be ready, but I’m sure it will!”
Irresponsible Use Leads to Internet Slowdown
Monday, February 8, 2010
by Leo and Ignacio
CARACAS - An increased use of Facebook, YouTube, and other social media websites has lead a slow internet connection at Escuela Campo Alegre since the start of the second semester
Aland Russell, ECA Director of Technology, compares the problem to a water pipe. “There is only so much that you can push through it. When it’s full, it’s full.”
"We have to rely on the users to use the machine in the best way." Mr. Russell emphasized how heavy downloads and websites such as YouTube decrease internet speed.
“It leads more to the down time where we just sit and wait for the documents to load from the website," said high school biology teacher, Joanna DeVries.
“If it [internet] gets worse, then it might significantly impact the laptop program.” Ms. DeVries believes that the school might have to rethink its user policies because of the declining effectiveness.
According to Mr. Russell, by the next school year the internet service will increase from 6MB per second to 8MB per second and 8MB is still not sufficient enough for this school. He said that the students at ECA have to understand why the school tries to control websites like YouTube.
Pushing Facebook to the Limit
Monday, February 8, 2010
by Najla and Pedro Paulo
On February 3rd 2010, an all high school assembly was held at Escuela Campo Alegre regarding the issue of pushing the use of social networks too far.
In the ECA High School Behavior Standards Handbook, cyber-bullying is a form of student harassment.
“These sites are not as private as you think they are,” said High School principal Mr. Lowman. In an assembly where he addressed the potential dangers of using Facebook, he advised students to use the “Grandmother Rule.”
“Never put anything on your site which you wouldn’t want your Grandmother to see,” stated Mr. Lowman in his description of the rule.
There have been many incidents at ECA concerning Facebook; most recently a student posted an offensive comment towards a teacher.
Kathy Furrer, head of activities at ECA, said the Facebook madness has been going on for some time now at ECA.
“If you push it too far, it will get back to you,” said Ms.Furrer. In her opinion students need to be much more careful with what information they are putting on these sites because it exposes every part of them.
ECA Basketball Fought Hard
Monday, February 8, 2010
by Jacob and Eduardo
The Escuela Campo Alegre Cougars boys varsity basketball team played well but fell short in the championship against Escuela Bella Vista on Saturday February 6th.
The team won all the games before the championship, making them the number one seed in the VANAS tournament.
The last game was different because it was close the whole way. The game was tied at the end of the first half.
"The game was intense. It is what all championships should be," recalled Cougar fan and parent Kirk Zabel.
"In the fourth quarter we were up by eight and seemed to be breaking away," said Coach Robinson. "With about two minutes left we made some silly turnovers which blew our eight point lead."
"There were like two seconds left and we were up by three," Travis recalled the final seconds of regulation. "One guy on their team shot from about halfway between the half court line and the three point line. And of course he made it."
The momentum had completely switched to EBV after the half court shot and the Cougars lost their spirit. The game which ended 62-62 at the buzzer went into overtime.
In overtime, the Cougars did not score a single basket while EBV scored five points. The final score was 67-62.
"I can't wait to play them again next year," said Travis.
Devastating Loss for ECA Girl’s Soccer
Monday, February 8, 2010
by Mercedes and Mohammed
VALENCIA – What they hoped would be a major comeback for Escuela Campo Alegre Girl’s Varsity Soccer Team during the VANAS competition hosted by CICV (Colegio Internacional Caracas) turned out to be an upsetting loss. Although the girl’s fought hard against different international schools in Venezuela from Thursday February 4th to Saturday February 6th, they ended up in fourth place.
On the first day of the tournament, they played two games and won 1 – 0 against CICC (Colegio Internacional Carabobo) but lost 1 – 3 against CIPLC (Colegio Internacional Puerto la Cruz).
On Friday they played three games. They won 1 – 0 against CICC but lost 1 – 3 against CIPLC (Colegio Internacional Puerto la Cruz). In a close match they lost 0 – 1 against CICV.
After the games finished, Veronica suffered a season threatening injury. One of her teammates called her from the other side of the bleachers. Veronica tried to come towards her friend but tripped over a ball in the process. She banged her hip and head against the bleachers when she fell.
After an ambulance arrived, Veronica was taken to the hospital, where she was treated and released with minor injuries to her hip and head. 10th grade midfielder Valeria commented that she was sad when she heard that Veronica couldn’t play because they had already lost three important players who were not able to attend the tournament.
On the final day of the competition, the ECA girl’s team won 1 – 0 against CICC but lost 1 – 2 against CIPLC.
“Generally, we played really well,” said 10th grade midfielder Sophie. “We were in the other team’s side a lot but we didn’t shoot.” Valeria added that they tried their best despite the perilous incident that caused Veronica to miss the final day of play.
CICV finished the tournament in first place, EBV in second place, CIPLC in third place, ECA in fourth place and CICC in fifth place.
Sophomores Prepare for Internships
Friday, February 5, 2010
by Micaela and Adrian
CARACAS - From March 15th to March 19th, Escuela Campo Alegre 10th graders will be embarking on internships.
The internship will give students the opportunity to experience a new perspective out of school. In the past, students have gone to medical, hospitality, media, financial, petrochemical and high technology companies throughout Caracas. Previous participants have also chosen to carry out their internships outside the country.
The school has already contacted many companies in order to find placements for students. However, students are also encouraged to find internship locations themselves.
According to the official internship guidelines provided by Kathy Furrer, the High School Activities Coordinator, the purpose of this experience is, “to build connections that will allow students to see links between the knowledge and skills they are acquiring as students, and skills they will need as productive members of the work force.”
Students will be responsible for transportation to and from their internship site. In addition, students will need to complete assignments such as a self-evaluation form, a site evaluation form, a thank you letter, and a five day journal.
AP Bureau Chief Visits ECA
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
by Leo and Mohammed
CARACAS – Ian James, Bureau Chief of the Associated Press (AP) in Venezuela, visited Escuela Campo Alegre on January 21st to inform Mr. Arleth’s 10th grade writing class about what it takes to write a news article.
“He inspired us to get out there and write,” said Arleth, “to write for life and to write to inform the world of what’s happening.”
Mr. James shared techniques which news reporters abide by while preparing news articles; one of which was to always have a pen and paper at the news scene. Another rule to live by is to have accurate and unbiased information.
Jacob, a student in the writing class, chose, "no news is worth dying for" as one of his favorite quotes from James.
The 10th grade students who listened to Mr. James took notes on his advice, which they applied when writing their own articles.
“He left us with some really strong tips that can be useful in our day to day news reporting,” said Arleth.
At the end of his visit, he presented his book, Ninety Miles; Cuban Journeys in the Age of Castro, as a gift to the class.
Between The Hoops
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
by Shahad and Terry
CARACAS - In the final two weeks before the Venezuelan Association of North American School annual basketball tournament, Escuela Campo Alegre Varsity basketball team played three practice games. ECA won two and lost one game out of three.
Pedro, the captain of ECA Team, scored 12 of the team's 28 points during a game against Colegio Internacional de Caracas last Thursday. “He has an incredible ability to score against two, three or even four defenders – he’s unstoppable in the lane,” said Mr. Robinson, the varsity basketball coach.
8th grader Hayden joined the varsity basketball squad because of his height and his past basketball experience. After the three practice games Hayden was one of the top scorers on the team. “He was selected [as a varsity player] for both his positive attitude, his abilities such as good rebounding, defense, and accurate passing,” said Coach Robinson.
The basketball games this week are preparation for the upcoming VANAS tournament in Valencia, on February 4th, 5th, and 6th. “The three preseason games were definitely good practice and experience for the team. It showed them to work on both their defensive and offensive plays,” said Coach Robinson.
Huge Part of ECA is Leaving
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
by Raquel and Maria
CARACAS - Escuela Campo Alegre will lose a number of faculty members this year, leaving both students and teachers with many memories.
In June at the end of the 2009-2010 school year 20 teachers will be leaving.
Only four teachers are leaving because of the “six year rule”. Established ten years ago, this policy states that foreign-hire teachers leave after six years. If a foreign teacher wants to stay more than six years, they will become local hire teachers and will be paid in bolivars. Budget considerations are one reason for this policy.
“It is not just about people leaving. It is about people bringing new ideas,” said Mr. Paulson, ECA’s superintendent.
This year the majority of these teachers (six from elementary, two from middle school, and seven from high school) are leaving for personal reasons.
“These teachers have contributed to our school, and it is difficult to replace them,” Mr. Paulson said.
Nevertheless, ECA has already hired most of the new teachers who will join the school next year.
Mr. Paulson has made twenty-one offers, and eighteen have already accepted.
“People are enthusiastic about coming here. They are looking for new opportunities at ECA,” said Mr. Paulson.
High school students hope they will be able to develop strong relationships with new faculty, similar to the ones they have had with departing teachers.
Water Rations’ Impact on ECA
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
by Aastha and Amanda
CARACAS - Soon after the water rations commenced in Caracas on Monday, November 3, 2009, they were quickly suspended only to be resumed in the first quarter of 2010.
The inconveniences schools and residents faced due to water rations have been defended by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as, “a result of unseasonably dry past few months.”
Nevertheless, these droughts are not hampering Escuela Campo Alegre’s progress or daily activities in a serious manner. Efforts are being made to ensure a smooth road ahead and every drop is being utilized with care.
“These water rations have impacted ECA, but we are making changes accordingly to make sure there is no trouble. We used to wash school buses every Thursday but now we do it every other week and same with the plants. They are now watered only two times a week, and if it rains, we try not to waste more water on them,” stated Mr. Guillermo Reuete, Co-head of the maintenance department.
Mr. Santiago Medina, a worker in the maintenance department, added that this school has two water tanks in the North Patio that can store up to 100,000 liters of water each and they can last us an estimated four days; if water is cut short. He feels ECA is covered against all odds.
Hello, I’m New.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
by Evelyn
Where is my next class? Do you have the same class as me? Can I leach on to you? Who will I sit with at lunch? What’s the attractive male to female ratio? WHAT IS LIFE SKILLS? We have breakfast?! ALRIGHT! This kind of mental diarrhea clouds the minds of new students, inner dialogue that moves in a steady, uncomfortable stream.
You’ve been here since kindergarten. Aw jeez. You’ve known each other an entire lifetime, and if we start right now, this instant, the most I could possible know you for is three years. And how about we have an un-awkward conversation, eh? After about five months, this dialogue can move from, “I have never held a conversation with you. When I smile at you, you remain stoic, or even slightly concerned, and thus, I will carry on!” to, “I know you so well that it’s creepy. And I like it.”
Goals such as getting straight A’s are defeated by that C- in Chemistry, but standards for self are once again raised to unholy heights by the grotesquely fantastic achievements that our newfound classmates have reached, and the unadulterated hopes that others have for you (also known as nagging to do one’s homework.)
Looking at ECA for the first time, I was forced to ask myself, “What have other teachers around the world been doing? This is awesome!" The adolescent habits here are not stopped by a big ugly, grey brick being thrown at students for their adolescent habits, leaving a shriveled and very, very angry harvest. Instead, these tendencies are tamed, and nurtured until they grow into something much greater and wholesome.
New challenges and opportunities appear like mushrooms; some edible and delicious, others slightly venomous, all satisfying. “Let’s go on that hike!” -I’m going to die. “Let’s join Echo!”-I don’t want to go to that meeting. “Let’s study for that test.” -Dude, I want to sleep. “Let’s play rugby.”-No complaints, but I'll need a ride again. “Let’s join the physics club.” -No. I would never get to eat these mushrooms (replace “eating mushrooms” with a far more beautiful metaphor here) in my previous school, where possibilities were meek and motivation was strictly limited.
Now, six months later, I haven’t achieved all that I want to achieve, but wanting to achieve these things in itself means I’m closer than ever to achieving them (If you catch my drift.) And, luckily, the mental diarrhea has now taken the Pepto-Bismol of new friendships and experiences.
