The Traveling School

 

September 21, 2008

 

Dear friends and families,

Having just returned from an enchanting couple of weeks with TTS12 in South Africa, I cannot help but feel that there is still so much magic and hope in this world.  I spent the last couple of weeks immersed in a whirl of joyous laughter, scattered papers, toothy smiles, new textbooks and open hearts.  As I left this group of girls, I told them I am spellbound by the energy they have created with each other and within Africa.  Their story is just beginning.  To introduce the latest cast of characters:

Taylor from North Carolina: Taylor is steadfast, a good listener and a genuine friend. She is open to the world around her and can always take the time to support the other girls.

Maggie from Minnesota: Maggie is a long-legged beauty who has no idea of how powerful she is.  She is graceful, sincere, and gentle-hearted.

Evelina from Italy: When Evelina arrived in Africa, I could almost see her exhale as she settled into the group.  Her smile is contagious and she isn’t afraid to do anything outside of the box.

KD from Bozeman: KD is a strong little sprite with more courage than she gives herself credit for.  She is beautiful and can make anyone feel comfortable with her warm hugs.

McKenna from California: McKenna is a tiny little thing with an incredible sense of adventure and huge talent.  She can sing, dance, act – and take anyone’s breath away with her kindness.

Lala from Columbia: Lala is inquisitive, compassionate and endlessly creative.  She will not rest until she figures out how to solve the injustices of the world – and with her genuine passion, she just might.

Melissa from New York: Melissa is back for her second TTS semester with a huge smile and a heart to match.  She is gracious, gentle, kind, and the girls all warm to her bubbly personality.  

Cheyenne from North Carolina: Cheyenne is a ball of sunshine that lights up a room.  Her enthusiasm for trying new things is contagious and the girls all admire her sense of adventure.

Grace from Oregon: Grace’s second semester with TTS is proving that she is a quiet, tender leader with a sympathetic heart and a steady ear.  Her insight is accurate and inquisitive, and she always knows just the right questions to ask.

Emmy from Arizona: Emmy has a beautiful smile that fills any room with the warmth in her heart.  She is a strong friend and adventurer, and she happily adds her amazing intellect to any conversation.

Ellie from Connecticut: Ellie engages with all activities thoroughly and beautifully.  She has a quiet smile and steady determination to finish her projects.  She is thoughtful, a good listener, and everyone knows she is a good friend.

Katie from Florida: Katie is a mysterious beauty with a determination to do something extraordinary.  She loves to laugh and talk and joke – and her intellectual insight is growing each day.

Mallory from North Carolina: Mallory is a smart, steady and genuine person who takes initiative and is a natural leader.  She has a great sense of humor and a beautiful smile, and people overseas warm to her generous nature.

Ginny from Texas:  Ginny has a beautiful smile, is a good listener, and will quietly absorb everything around her.  The girls look to her for a gentle friend and because she is kind and calm.

Nilsa from New York: Nilsa is an open-hearted, beautiful person with an amazing ability to let the world soak into her heart. She is smart and tender, and the other girls enjoy her gentle mannerisms and accepting nature.

Sarah from Colorado: Sarah is an edgy, enthusiastic individual who wants to take on the world. She is open and kind and loves to tell stories.  The other girls feel instantly comfortable around her and she is kind to everyone we meet.

Quinn from New Hampshire: Quinn is a bold beauty with a strong smile and a solid sense of self.  She laughs openly and encourages the other girls to find the best in themselves.

 Kara from Montana: Kara is a quiet personality with a wonderful sense of fun and exploration.  She enjoys sharing stories with others and people feel comfortable with her easy mannerisms and openness.

 

ACADEMICS
The students stepped right into a full assortment of courses as soon as they shook the jet-lag from their tired brains.  After a long summer recess, the girls started their Fall Semester in Africa with an early morning PE class involving a Boot Camp – running stadium stairs, doing push-ups and getting strong.  They also completed a fitness test to see how strong they were at the start of the semesters, and they’ll compare their personal gains at the end of the semester.

The Languages of Southern Africa class immediately delved into a smattering of Sotho, Swazi, Zulu and Afrikaans.  The girls spent an evening learning Afrikaans from a local mine-operator who spent an hour teaching them everything from how to call their parents and tell them, “I love you and I miss you” in Afrikaans, to how to pronounce the hard guttural G in Afrikaans without embarrassment. They also spent time at the local library with children’s books and their language journals – trying madly to decipher how South Africa can have eleven official languages.

The Math classes had all of the girls tracking their money and the exchange rate of the rand during the semester.  While the Algebra class began a study of absolute value equations and inequalities, the Mathematical Applications course challenged the girls to understand all of the financial terms that swirled around their heads in the daily media – capital, investment, credit, mortgage, interest, and more.  The Independent Study courses in Geometry, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus started with a solid review of various skill levels, and proceeded to steadily tackle the mountain of information in small bites.

The Travel Journalism course started with an outline of basic journalistic writing, and immediately plunged into interviews and prepared for their first article.  The girls had lists of interview questions to ask each other and people on the street, and they had their cameras ready to capture each moment with the perfect shot.

The History and Government of Southern Africa course started with the monstrous task of boiling South African history down into a cohesive unit, which would enable the girls to understand the context of society as they travel. From the Khoi-Khoi to the Voortrekkers to modern day politics, they are trying to quickly synthesize history, and absorb the current events of Zimbabwe’s historic power-sharing agreement with the opposition party and the sudden resignation of South Africa’s president, Thambo Mbeke.

The African Literature and Composition course started with immediately beginning Alan Paton’s Cry, The Beloved Country and beginning travel journals. The girls have started work on their first paper, a personal narrative, and they are forming a writing community, where they can help each other edit, develop and expand their writing into final papers which they love.

The Natural Science course combined an immediate sense of wonder regarding the geologic formations around the backpacking trip, and the vastness of the ecology of the African landscape.  The students began keeping Field Journals, recording flora and fauna from the rock-climbing crags to the wilds of Kruger Park. Even outside of class, the students found themselves grabbing wildlife field journals as the safari truck roared through Kruger, and the girls would shout, “Did you know that a warthog has…” or “Did you know that the male lion has…?” In addition to the regular class, they also went to Moholoholo, an animal rehabilitation center, where they were able to learn about the African ecological system and understand the importance of supporting each animal – from the mosquito to the elephant.  Afterwards, the girls fed raw elephant meat to heavy vultures which landed with a thud on their outstretched arms, and came within inches of rescued hyenas and lions.

Global Studies class had the girls capture their sense of community with the development of community standards, including, “Get Dirty – Redefine Beauty” as one of the guiding principles of TTS12. They also completed their first set of R,R&Rs (Reflect, React, Respond) as they chose from a multitude of issues, including: the trans-frontier wildlife park, education in the township schools, rappelling from a 150 cliff, group living, the new government in Zimbabwe, and more.

 

CULTURE
The people of this village welcome The Traveling School girls with such warmth and openness.  The girls are welcomed by the Afrikaner rock-climbing guide, his French wife, and their multi-lingual six-year-old. They are invited to more events than they could possibly attend – dinners, hikes, and community events. A local boy tried to impress the troop as he was training for a track meet with his family, tying a heavy tire around his waist and running a full sprint before the crowd of admiring girls. Another afternoon, the girls sang together and supported each other as they learned a new dance to present at the township high school in the athletic field above the hostel.

What often amazes the girls is how the people overseas are uncomprehending as to why a seemingly exotic group of American girls would want to fly all the way around the world to visit them in their tiny village.  And, in loving contrast, the girls cannot comprehend why anyone would be in awe of their seeming ordinary lives back home.

And as Mallory tried to learn the clap dance at the township school, trying to mimic the boys, who slapped an intricate rhythm on their calves and knees, she shook her head and said, “We are a long way from North Carolina.”

 

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
These girls are deserving of the title “hard core.”  They hiked 9 miles during their first weekend in Africa, stopping only to take pictures at scenic views and  wonder about what their friends and family were doing back home. The path was overgrown from the winter brush, and the girls steadily trekked through the prickly vines as they bushwhacked through the forests.  At the summit, we all feasted on a meal cooked over an open fire and half of the girls slept under the stars, looking for the Southern Cross in the night sky.  The next morning, Ellie declared herself, “no longer a diva,” and hiked through the red dust back to town.

The girls all enjoyed several days of rock climbing, each of them tying into the rope and ascending to the top of at least one climb.  They encouraged each other to work through the difficult sections and persevere. Another day, the girls went mountain biking in the heat and pedaled through the townships, singing, “Unjani,” in greetings to people they passed.  They carried their bikes across a beautiful river and took pictures of a breathtaking waterfall.  At the end of their stay in this village, they rappelled 150 feet next to the waterfall, the spray stinging their face as they descended in a free-hang next to the cliff.  They all did it together, cheering each other on.

As the final adventure for this report, they went to Kruger Park to see animals. Although Kruger is named a “Park,” it takes someone anywhere from 4-8 days to drive the length of it.   In addition to the usual assortment of zebras, giraffes, hippos, and wildebeest, this group was able to see something extraordinary.  On the last day in the park, we slowed by a river and the girls all looked left and right to see what was about. They saw a baby leopard.  It was sitting quietly on the thick branch of a tree and gave the girls a glorious send off from Kruger Park.

At this point, the girls dropped me off at the airport and I returned home for my son’s first birthday back in Montana. I left with an amazing sense of well-being.  Not just for our TTS12 girls, because I know that this is going to be an incredible journey that is uniquely their own.  But also for our world – because with compassionate, honest, creative, loving, open girls like these in our world, the next generation can’t help but be even stronger than the last.

Enjoy the journey,

Gennifre Hartman
Principal
The Traveling School

top

---

October 6, 2008 


Dear Parents and TTS friends,

Greetings from South Africa! Where do I begin? Let me go back to our heartfelt goodbye at the airport when we said goodbye to Gennifre. From there, a little teary, we boarded our truck for the beginning of life and school on the road!
First stop, south and west to the Drakensburg Mountains, the dragon’s back in Afrikaans, a perfect description of South Africa’s tallest and most majestic peaks. We settled into a campsite in Royal Natal National Park, nestled in the eastern slopes of the Drakensburg escarpment, and on the border with Lesotho. Our campsite was located on a beautiful grassy field surrounded by pine trees and full of families on camping holiday. We enjoyed classes in our beautiful surroundings and of course, took to the trail. Lehana and Quinn tested their trail skills and led us on a hike up to a look out point and waterfall. They set a great pace and did an excellent job keeping us on track. At the look out, the girls had their first solo experience, taking time in nature to be alone with their thoughts and surroundings.
From Royal Natal, we drove a short distance to our hostel, which has magnificent 360-degree views of the Drakensberg Mountains. The highlight of staying here was our hike to Sentinel Peak, one of the highest points in South Africa and host to the second highest waterfall in the world (although our guide warned us that the only thing cascading over the edge is a trickle the size of a pee.) In order to do this experience justice I must set the scene.  We got out of the minivans, the sun was shining and the mountains before us were aglow. It would have been a toasty warm day had it not been for the incredibly strong, howling winds that came whipping through the valleys up the slopes. We all snuggled into our windbreakers, tucked down our heads and walked into the line of fire. I have glimpses of the girls standing facing the wind with their arms out hoping to take flight like a bird. Together we giggled, howled, and loved it! The excitement on Cheyenne’s face that day stands out in my mind; she loved every minute of it and her excitement was contagious. Maggie expressed her newfound love of hiking and could be seen charging certain parts of the trail. We spent some glorious time basking in the sun with an amazing view from the top. The trip down took us to the infamous chain ladders. With courage and support for each other, the girls started down. Sarah stood at the bottom and encouraged the other girls; one of the reasons she earned the best friend award in our weekly award’s ceremony.
Not able to get enough of our incredible surroundings, we stopped off at one more hike and overnight on our tour of the Drakensberg. The Jurassic sandstone layers in this section are beautifully weathered to created caves tucked into the bedrock right at the top of the slopes. The hike up to the cave where we planned on spending the night was breathtaking; I enjoyed lively conversation with Ginny and McKenna, who were in great spirits even while fighting a bit of a cold. Here we settled in for some classes and bonding time as we shared the cave’s close quarters. The night sky was spectacular and some girls fell asleep watching shooting stars, something that Maggie, Taylor and a few of the others have gotten really good at spotting. 

This was also the scene of our first annual TTS Coffee House hosted by McKenna; a chance for the girls to show off their talents. Emmy serenaded us with two beautiful songs, Katie and KD entertained us with a rap, Shannon wrote and read a haiku, McKenna impressed us all with a song from The Little Mermaid, and Emily and I joined forces to share our love of the salsa dance. Later that night Grace touched us all with her soulful voice, an encore we won’t forget. It was great to see everyone perform; stay posted for the lineup of Coffee House #2! 
While we were there, the girls worked on peer editing in English, Leah led the first of a series of wilderness first aid classes, and the Algebra 2 students took their first chapter test- yes, that is an Algebra 2 test in a cave, in the Drakensberg, in South Africa- only in the Traveling School! In Science, the girls were sent out on a scavenger hunt. The highveld grasslands in the area are prone to fires, which swept through a few weeks before we arrived. These fires help rejuvenate the soils and generate new growth. During our hunt we looked for animals with 6 legs, animals with no legs, objects ready to burst, living creatures beneath rocks, and faces in nature. Taking the time to look closely revealed much about our surrounding environment, and we left with a new understanding of an ecosystem that initially looked barren and devoid of life.

From there we worked our way to Dundee, the staging ground for historical battles, and a chance for the girls to witness both sides of the story. Our visit culminated in a reenactment of the Battle of Blood River between the Boers and the Zulu. I was standing in the laager, (the true to size ring of bronze wagons now resting in place as a monument), with Leah, Kara, Lehana, and Taylor. We knew we were outnumbered but we also knew that as the Boers, we were prepared with guns and cannons to fight off our attackers. It was then that we saw them coming through the fog. There in the distance was a scattering of Zulu warriors moving through the grass. They were armed with shields (Crazy Creek chairs) and spears (brooms) and were moving in the infamous oxen formation of the Zulu. As they approached, Lehana belted out from her gut the covenant, as devout as the Boers of the time. It was a moment to be proud of; we were actually recreating a scene from history, and the girls will always remember what occurred there.

While we were visiting the Zulu museum, we happened upon a cultural dancing celebration in honor of Heritage Month. Could we be so fortunate to arrive just as the teenage girls from the surrounding towns were competing in Zulu dancing? Absolutely, and we were welcomed into the tent packed with people as guests from the U.S.A. and given front row seats. I stood on the side of the tent taking pictures and watching the girls’ faces -- curious and awe struck by the dancers in their traditional dress. We left the stage of Blood River and headed southeast towards the coast to the town of Eshowe, the heart of Zululand, where I write to you from now.

The stars were aligned for the Traveling School once again as we have had so many amazing interactions and contacts since we’ve been here. On our first day we headed out into the Zulu community and attended a coming of age ceremony -- an event celebrating the move into adulthood for a bride to be. All of the young women and girls in the community came to dance and celebrate. We sat on the hillside and watched until the bride-to-be danced up the hill in our direction to lay the spear in front of our feet, signifying our turn to donate. One by one each girl gave the family her donation, done so by pinning money to the bride’s hat. Once we finished we were invited to dance. It was sunny and warm as we sat on a hillside in a Zulu village and watched our girls laugh and smile as they were taught how to bring one leg up and smash it back down on the ground in unison with the drum. I watched as Ellie, KD, Emmy, Lehana and McKenna soaked it all in. They were dancing and holding hands with the other dancers.

While in Eshowe we dedicated a good portion of our time to learning about the HIV virus and its enormous impact on local health systems and community structures. Eshowe is located in Kwa-Zulu Natal, which is believed to have one of the highest rates of infection on the continent. One day we visited a local feeding center that provides food and daycare to young children, some of whom have been orphaned by AIDS. We spent the afternoon playing with the children and learning about what this Norwegian-funded project did to help the community. Leaving the center was difficult, tears ran down many faces as we pulled away from all the kids waving goodbye. 

Another highlight of our week was meeting Paula Drab, a local doctor responsible for starting the first HIV clinic in the area in 2003. Paula is kind, open and incredibly dedicated to what she does. She and a colleague, Thuli Ndlela, who is a social worker at the clinic, were kind enough to come speak to the girls one morning. They provided us with so much information and insight. Paula then asked us if we wanted to come down to the clinic to interview some of the patients. I was incredibly inspired by the girls’ dedication and eagerness to learn more about the disease. When we returned from the clinic the group shared what they had learned from the interviews. I was moved to tears listening to the stories and hearing the responses from the girls. Cheyenne and Katie were struck by how much they had at home compared to the people they met and expressed their struggle with hearing that one woman only has 8 rand ($1.00) a day to feed a family of 5. Taylor talked about what to do from here and some of the difficulties she may face in trying to make a difference back home. We will be reflecting on this experience for while, having become a tight-knit group as a result of our shared experiences. Right now, everyone is together creating a collective art project expressing their thoughts and feelings after the day’s events.

And from the teachers:

History of Southern Africa
We have had lots of excitement and intellectual stimulation in history during our first month in southern Africa.  To understand the complexity of South African history, we study historical events from multiple perspectives.  Our visit to the Blood River Monument and Ncome Museum gave students a clear understanding of the different views Zulus and Afrikaners have about the Battle of Blood River and its impact on the history of South Africa.  With great gusto and creatively improvised weapons, we re-enacted the Battle of Blood River.  It was amazing to stand in the exact location were the battle took place!  In Dundee an Afrikaner shared with us his experience serving in the South African Army and his grandparents’ experience during the Anglo-Boer War.  A stop at the Didima Rock Museum opened our eyes and minds to the wonders of San rock painting.  Hours after our museum visit, we were sleeping in a cave where we imagined San must have stayed thousands of years ago.  The next stop along our journey through South African history takes us to the years of apartheid and a study of Nelson Mandela. 

African Literature
“Kunga.” “Life in the Savanna.” “Cold Nights.” I cannot wait to finish reading the rest of your daughters’ descriptive short stories, all housed in colorful, creatively decorated portfolios slipped under my door after study hall last night. Each student read aloud to us her favorite passage, igniting excitement for an upcoming “Author’s Chair,” where everyone will share a piece of creative writing they are proud of. I am impressed by the insightful ways the class inquires about and responds to literature. After finishing a dynamic Socratic circle discussion to wrap up our unit on Cry, the Beloved Country, the girls are eager to meet young Peekay, who will take us along a different route through South Africa in The Power of One.

Travel Journalism
The Traveling School’s dedicated team of journalists has what it takes to meet a deadline on the road. With the first batch of creative, touching, and fantastically written pieces currently en route to their home high school’s student newspapers, I anticipate their peers back home will be impressed and inspired by these evocative stories.
Grace and Laura are hard at work polishing their first independent photo essay projects. Taylor, Quinn, Katie, Evelina, Cheyenne, and Sarah are generating creative ideas and challenging themselves; learning to write a meaningful story in professional tone for a public audience is no easy task. We will continue to wrestle with the editing process in order to produce quality travel stories that will endure long after our Southern Africa semester ends.

P.E. and Nutrition
Japhet dazzled the girls with his ultimate Frisbee skills during a recent P.E. class, leading his team to a 5-0 victory and motivating everyone else to improve their game. Shannon’s energizing yoga session provided a nice balance after all of that running around, elongating the slightly sore muscles we have been conditioning in our bi-weekly boot camps.
The teachers set up a box for the girls to drop anonymous health-related questions into that has provided us with an engaging ritual to begin daily class discussions and plan future lesson topics. The girls have been reading about the structure of food; learning the specifics regarding fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc. while discussing different ways to incorporate individualized and healthy food choices into their lives and at home.

Language
Learning the languages of Southern Africa is no easy task but for the ambitious students TTS 12, it does not seem to matter! The girls have been engaging in conversation and stimulating their curiosity with whomever we encounter. So far, many community members we’ve encountered have offered to be guest speakers during class to give us lessons in their native tongues. In Waterval Boven, one of our climbing guides invited all 23 of us over for an Afrikaans lesson complete with ice cream dessert. We were even given a Zulu lesson from two Zulu women who were interviewed by Emmy and McKenna in Dundee. We all laughed together as we struggled to mimic the incredibly difficult click sounds of the language. Most recently, we were all given an Afrikaans song and dance lesson from some fellow campers in Royal Natal National Park. As you can see, we have yet to experience a dull moment this semester!

Algebra 2
In Algebra 2 the girls are currently working their way through Chapter 2, which focuses on linear graphs. Our small class size and intimate setting allows for everyone to participate in class.

Math Applications
The students in Math Applications are honing their personal finance skills by writing weekly budgets, learning to choose the best checking account, and managing credit card expenses. They are learning to save a few South African rand here and there for special treats and to buy goodies for family and friends at home. We have also started playing the Game of Life where students take on the personalities of individuals with very different economic backgrounds. Some of them have found it challenging to create a budget that falls within their monthly incomes as they research rent prices, auto and health insurance costs, and food prices. Between Maggie, a.k.a. Reggie Baker, who makes $954,000 per year and Grace, a.k.a. Heath Burger, who makes minimum wage as a dishwasher, their eyes are opening to the financial disparities that exist in our society.

Independent Studies
Katie, Melissa, Mallory, Nilsa and Ellie have been committed Math students. They are engaged, dedicated, and enjoying their subjects of Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Geometry. Chapter tests have begun and the overall grades are very high. In Environmental Science, Nilsa and Rhea have been enhancing the curriculum with Barbara Kingsolver’s latest non-fiction book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle;learning from the text and pulling in relevant information. Nilsa has demonstrated an authentic passion for the environment and exhibits a great deal of enthusiasm for learning how she can become involved in preservation work. There is no doubt that these ladies will continue to push themselves in these subjects.

Natural Science
The students of Natural Science have spent the first part of this semester developing their observation and field journal skills as we investigate the diverse ecosystems that surround us. As they stared out of the safari truck with sharp eyes looking for animals in the bush, the girls keep detailed sighting lists of the different animals they saw in Kruger National Park. A highlight of our class was a visit to the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Center located right on the edge of Kruger National Park, which takes in and cares for animals that have had adverse encounters with the human population. We learned how the vulture population has been threatened by poison baits planted by nearby farmers to kill animals preying on their livestock. We also learned about the different dynamics involved in the running, and management of a park like Kruger. This experience served as a jumping off point for our investigation of the elephant management policy in South Africa. During a round circle debate the students put forth their best efforts to persuade others of the best ways to manage the growing elephant population. Kara and her team, representing the animal welfare groups gave a passionate opening statement against the practice of culling while the wildlife biologist team composed of Emmy, Ellie, Melissa and KD argued for the use of culling and range expansion as an effective means of protecting the biodiversity of the park.

Global Studies
Global Studies has evolved into a class where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions. We are lucky to have an extremely diverse group of students and teachers,  which allows for some amazing dialogue. We began this semester of Global Studies class talking about community standards. Together the students created standards for our community, which, if upheld, will allow us to have the most successful and positive experience.
Our first unit focused on different issues of culture. We discussed the culture of the United States as seen through our eyes as well as how the country is perceived on the global stage. We had an incredibly in depth discussion about perceptions and assumptions made by others when observing and experiencing another culture. The students are extremely open to sharing their thoughts. Throughout our trip Mallory has consistently demonstrated an interest in talking to locals and in turn she brings insight and information to the group. This openness and desire to immerse herself in the culture earned Mallory the African Queen award. Melissa also brings insight and perspective to our discussions; her willingness to share her thoughts inspires others in the class to do so as well.

Your girls are fantastic and inspiring, and we are constantly reminded what wonderful young women they are. Thank you for sharing them with us this semester.

With much love from the Southern Hemisphere,

Dawn and TTS 12

top

---

November 4 , 2008 


Reporting Live From Cape Town: The African Queens of TTS12 Speak Out!

Breaking Celebrity News, Cape Town, South Africa:
 
After toughing out the breathtakingly beautiful and rugged mountainous trails of Tsitsikamma National Park, carrying only what they needed to survive the weekend on their strong backs, the famed African Queens enjoyed some well-deserved urban pleasures. The beauties rocked the streets of Hermanus to enjoy exquisite food, chocolate cake, and pumping dance music as they laughed their way through a candlelit dinner overlooking the sea. Whales breaching in the sunshine bade the ladies farewell the following morning as they whispered tearful goodbyes and shouts of gratitude to the magnificent Indian Ocean. They could hear the Atlantic Ocean's beckoning roar, and knew there were more incredible adventures awaiting their arrival at the next stop: Cape Town!!

With the stress of midterms behind them, the African Queens relaxed and settled in with their hospitable and welcoming local host families. After some well deserved time to rejuvenate and get to know their families, this motivated group of strong young women geared up for a week of working with CASE (Community Action towards a Safer Environment.) CASE is an organization that works with local youth and "aims to see a South African society in which its citizens feel safe in their communities and in their own country. CASE seeks to break the cycle of crime and violence in which young people live by equipping community members to recognize and respond appropriately to both the causes and affects of crime and violence in their communities." In addition to working with inspiring youth leaders and the children they serve, TTS12 helped CASE prepare for an upcoming "Girl Power Camp" and spent hours creating a library out of a heaping pile of chaos. Lane Benjamin, the director, opened the door to a dusty room filled with boxes. Wall to wall piles of books and forgotten materials covered the shelves and cluttered the floor. It had been several years since Mount View High School had a usable library. Four days later, the principal stepped into a gleaming, brightly-colored, organized, and comfortably furnished library. He stood in shocked silence and could not thank the dedicated, compassionate, hard-working group of African Queens enough for "making one of his dreams come true." 

The African Queens have since been on a whirlwind tour of the city; you may have spotted them on the ferry to Robben Island or sweating their way up to the top of Table Mountain. Be on the look out this week if you want to catch a glimpse of the lovely ladies as they grace the city's District Six Museum, the Natural History Museum and Planetarium (after which they will be able to identify constellations in Namibia's night sky while kayaking the Orange River next week), the cool restaurant and popular live music venue Mama Africa's, the hip-hop tour of the city, the market, or the U.S. Consulate building! Wanted all over town and receiving countless A-list invitations, the African Queens will not be available for interviews or photo shoots next week as they will be meeting privately with Dennis Goldberg (who personally extended an invitation to the group to his home for dinner!) 

For those who don’t know, Dennis Goldberg is a South African social campaigner, who was active in the struggle against apartheid and was imprisoned along with other key members of the anti-apartheid movement. Check out his bio at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Goldberg

Quite the social butterflies, The African Queens will be waking very early the following morning to make a breakfast date with the Consulate General, at her house, to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election. Incredible! What an amazingly fortunate and talented group of young women!! The invitation read: From The Consul General of the United States of America, Ms. Alberta Mayberry. I would like you to join me in watching history in the making with the election of either the first African-American President of the United States or the first female Vice-President of the United States on November 5 from 0500-0900 hrs. This coordinates with the time change from the US. 

In other news, we managed to catch up with the lovely ladies on Halloween night. Though they were busy trick-or-treating at our Cape Town hostel, dressed up as mummies, cowgirls, gangsters, hippies, gypsies, Backstreet boys, and (our favorite) the film characters Juno and Bleaker; the ever gracious African Queens were patient with our many questions. Read on as the African Queens reflect on their host families, Robben Island, and what it was like to work with CASE!   

Groupstays:

"Seriously? Is it really over? The minute we exchanged names, I felt the vines of our family trees begin to tangle. Now, ten days later, I must uproot myself after naturally becoming a part of this amazing family. Though not my blood relatives, our hearts beat as one, our laughter chimed in unison, and our minds think alike; they are truly my second family. 'Goodbye' is not forever; I cannot wait to see them again!" –Taylor from North Carolina

"I will always remember my groupstay. My host-mom was amazing, she welcomed us into her home knowing exactly what it feels like to be far away from family. She traveled through Egypt alone and understands what it is like to have new experiences abroad. I love her positive attitude and had so much fun just 'hanging out' with her." –Ghensiri from Texas

"'If I take an object from someone to use, I am borrowing the object. If I give someone an object to use, I am lending the object.' On Thursday, I went to W.D. Hendricks primary school with my host family and helped teach a 7th grade English class the difference between borrow and lend. The eager students quickly learned to differentiate between the two words. I was excited to be able to help these South African students learn English!" –Nilsa from New York

"Sarah and I went to the Kylesha township outside of Capetown with our host mom. She works for Doctors Without Borders, an organization based out of Belgium that works to help countries in need. At the township, we went on an in-depth tour of the HIV/TB clinic. We met all of the volunteers working so hard to keep infected locals healthy. This experience was very inspiring." –Cheyenne from North Carolina

"On our first day in the township with our host mom, Cheyenne and I went on a "condom drop." We drove around in a pick-up truck that contained 30 boxes of 200 condoms each. We gave away all of the boxes! HIV and TB rates are still shockingly high and Doctors Without Borders is doing an amazing job. I was incredibly impressed with the way they ran their HIV/TB clinic." -Sarah from Colorado

After almost two months of traveling, waking up in the same bed for 10 days in a row was a luxury I never knew I'd appreciate. From stone caves to spiky grass, we've slept on it all, tossing and turning on our camping mats. A soft, gently bouncing mattress resting atop a solid wood frame spoiled me this past week. I was able to read by lamplight without worrying that my headlamp would die, or having to readjust the hard plastic digging into my forehead and the ridge of my nose..." -Mallory from North Carolina

"My groupstay in Cape Town was more than I could have asked for. It was so nice to settle down for a time and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. Having a little brother and sister in the house was a very new experience for me and I loved every minute I spent with Decklan and Bethany. I am so lucky I was paired up with this family - who enjoyed my baking!" McKenna from California

Robben Island:

"We walked slowly down the long green and white hallway within the "B Section" of Robben Island Prison. Cells surrounded us on both sides; however, we were interested in only one number: 466/64. It was a small, barren room equipped with simple bedding material, a toilet bucket, and a wash basin. This unremarkable, depressing enclosure was home to Nelson Mandela, the man who essentially ended apartheid in South Africa. I was overwhelmed with the fact that we, the girls from TTS12, were standing in the very spot where Nelson Mandela and other extremely influential political prisoners of the time once stood, walked, and plotted with one another." -Kara from Montana

"The boat ride to Robben Island was rough on my stomach but I enjoyed watching seals jump out of the water. When we arrived, we learned that our guide was a former prisoner who knew Nelson Mandela. He taught us all about how prison life was for them. The cherry on top of the experience was seeing all of the penguins! The entire day was a memorable, incredible experience for me." -Evelina from Italy

"While standing in front of Nelson Mandela's cell was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was our guide, a former prisoner, who really got me personally involved. His frank and open willingness to share what he witnessed and lived through in prison was inspiring and is something I will always remember." Emilie from Arizona

"Robben Island was an experience that will forever stand out in my mind. Actually seeing where such critical pieces of South African history occurred made it much more real and meaningful for me." -Maggie from Minnesota

"Writing with all the truth I know about myself, the experience of Robben Island hurt. It is not your average tourist destination but rather a place where one hears the cries of pain and pleas for help from past prisoners. The stories are chilling. It was here in this isolation that Mandela, Biko, Tutu, Sobukwe, and countless other political activists were incarcerated for an unjustifiable amount of years. It is where such black men (whites and blacks were kept separate) were abused and deprived of their basic human rights. Despite the brutality, Robben Island is indeed a celebration of the human spirit, as the museum advertises. At the end of the day, it serves as a reminder that any individual can surpass and conquer seemingly impossible obstacles if he truly desires to better the world."           - Laura from Columbia and Washington DC

Community Service: 

“The CASE members warned us that the children attending the Kids’ Camp were from a rough neighborhood. They asked us to remove our jewelry and to be sure not to have any money on us. We were told to simply scream if any of the kids got out of hand with their behavior. Of course I was nervous to facilitate after such words of caution! However, when I rounded the corner, I did not see the intimidating group of teenagers I was imagining. Instead, my eyes fell upon a group of children innocently sitting cross-legged in a circle. Helping the CASE youth leaders run the After-school Kids’ Camp was a wonderful experience full of dancing and laughter. Knowing that a majority of the children were there because they lacked stability at home, I was delighted to hear them learn and enthusiastically shout phrases such as, 'education is the key to success!' Earlier I asked one of the youth leaders to tell me what he liked most about working with the kids and he replied, 'the smiles.' Now I understand why.” -Quinn from New Hampshire

“What touched me the most during our work with CASE was an opportunity we had to meet the volunteer counselors who work in schools in the surrounding communities. These women explained their roles with passion and humility. They work very closely with students who are victims of rape, gang violence, abuse, and neglect. As volunteers, they are not provided with funding from the schools or the government and lack access to important office resources that would help them do their jobs. It takes a very strong woman to do this kind of work, and I left in awe of the powerful confidence they possessed. At the end of the week, we left the service project feeling full and yet so hungry to keep on reaching out to CASE and other similar organizations all over the world.” -Grace from Oregon

"Seeing people my age make such a huge difference in the lives of young children was amazing and touching. Children are the future and it is great to see the positive changes start so young. I left our work with CASE feeling passionate and motivated. I want to go home and continue to support similar organizations." –Katie from Florida

"Working with CASE has been wonderful. It is great to see youth leaders so full of passion helping the kids. And they are not 'adults' to these children, they are more like peers. They have lived similar lives and are still young enough to understand exactly what the kids are going through. The library is beautiful; I love seeing and hearing how grateful the students are to us, and knowing that such a simple thing can make them so happy. I wish I could have stayed there longer." -KD from Montana

"The youth leaders were not your typical teenagers. When they introduced themselves to us, I could tell they were amazing right away. It was hard to imagine the harsh environments they grew up in. Not only were they all great dancers, but they were fabulous role models to the kids! They were enthusiastic, involved, passionate, and caring. I will always see an image of Edwina scooping up the kids to hug and kiss them; showing them love and compassion they do not get at home. These teenagers don't mind spending their free time teaching at-risk children lessons that will change their lives." -Eleanor from Connecticut

"We spent a week restoring the old library at Mount View High School. We approached the task thinking there was no way we would be able to turn boxes upon boxes of grimy, dusty books into a functional library that students will actually want to use. Despite our initial doubts, that is exactly what we did! We painstakingly organized and placed books onto their proper shelves until we had created a welcoming library. We even painted beautiful murals and quotes on the walls. The students' and teachers' faces lit up as they came in to see this old, dusty room transformed into a sparkling library lounge. We accomplished the seemingly impossible task and surpassed everyone's expectations." -Melissa from New York

Wow! There you have it, folks. What a marvelous week for the African Queens! We followed up with CASE director Lane Benjamin who mentioned how amazed she was by the girls' "humble, positive attitudes and willingness to get their hands and faces dirty without complaining. The library has been sitting like this for years and years and I know how much the school appreciates this gift of service!" 

Before wrapping up our story, we followed a few of the African Queens en route to "trick or treat" on their teachers' door. We knocked loudly and the laughing teachers emerged wearing colorful scarves on their heads and temporary Halloween tattoos stuck to their cheeks. We took this opportunity to ask them a few questions about what was going on in their classes, and to take advantage of the chocolate candy bars they were giving out! Yum! 

We learned from Emily Mallory that during their groupstays, the African Queens became historians on an important research mission.  Each TTS12 historian interviewed three South Africans to learn more about the past, present, and future of South Africa before compiling their findings to create an oral history book! 
 
Rhea Maze bragged about her ladies of Literature learning all about the places their host families have traveled in order to write superb stories about fascinating places. Fresh from midterms, the girls are preparing to say goodbye to Peekay and present their final Power of One projects to the class! 

Shannon Jakes beamed with pride as she held up the Afrikaans children's books her students diligently created as they practiced the language with their host families and Dawn Card was excited to share that the group would soon be walking back in time as they begin their study of the Geology of Southern Africa!

Until next time... 
Love from the Southern Hemisphere,
Rhea Maze, English teacher
TTS12
  

top

---

Academic Update
November 13, 2008 

Natural Science 
The Natural Science students finished up the first half of the semester by working on a portfolio project which entailed the creation of a Natural Reserve Park complete with a detailed history of the park and why it was being protected, conservation ethic, and Board of Directors.  They were required to include a description of at least two ecosystems found within their Reserve Park, highlight three major threats to the park, and describe three endangered species.  The students were encouraged to be creative and were even allowed to use their imagination as long as they based their ideas on the scientific concepts we had learned throughout the semester.  The project was a great success and clearly demonstrated in the presentations of their final products.    Sarah focused her project on Isle Royal where she spent her summer working with the Student Conservation Association.  Sarah's thorough comprehension of the issues currently faced by the park was extremely impressive.  She demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the interconnectedness of living and non-living components within an ecosystem and how certain human impacts can interrupt this balance.  McKenna’s creativity and cleverness shined in her description of the Wicked Witch of the West, and her role in exploiting the emerald resources of Emerald National Park and selling them on the black market. McKenna also included a comprehensive education component in her park’s conservation ethic, complete with an education center and summer science camp.  Kara was also extremely creative in her ability to take a favorite childhood story, Alice in Wonderland, and use it as a framework to create her Reserve Park.  To demonstrate an impact of humans on the natural environment she highlighted the painting red of the White Rose Bushes, a peculiar ritual of the Queen of Hearts.  Not only was this endangering the White Rose Bushes but is was also contaminating the local water sources in the ecosystem.
The students continue to take in their natural surroundings as we learned about the Fynbos ecosystem of the Western Cape, one of the six floral kingdoms in the world.  They also took a hike up the spectacular Table Mountain of Cape Town, after reading about its geologic history, a great introduction to the next unit on Geology.  

Global Studies 
In preparation for the U.S. Presidential Elections the Global Studies students learned about the electoral process including the different parties, the requirements to become president, primaries, caucuses, the Electoral College, and popular vote.  The students also tracked pre-election polling on various Internet sites and analyzed swing states and Democratic and Republican strong holds.  Next they were divided into two camps, the Obama campaign staff and the McCain campaign staff.  Each campaign staff researched its candidate’s position on the important election issues such as Iraq, health care, the economy, climate change, and education.  Then each campaign staff prepared for a final campaign rally to which they arrived with campaign signs and a wealth of knowledge of their candidate’s positions.  Each presentation was complete with chanting and cheers.  When the rally finished everyone cast her vote.  The results were clear, Obama won with 20 votes, followed by Ralph Nader with 2, McCain with 1, and Chuck Norris with 1.  This left everyone excited for the ultimate finale, an invitation to the Consular General’s house on the morning of elections to watch the results come through. 

History 
We spent our second to last night in South Africa with Denis Goldberg at his home in Hout Bay near Cape Town.  Looking around his living room, I saw my history students captivated by his story, his impassioned call for them to take up the banner of social justice and equality for all, and his message to always think for oneself.  It was an extremely proud moment for me as a teacher.  During the first class of TTS12 history, if I had asked my students if they knew who Denis Goldberg was they would have responded with blank stares and a universal, "No.”  Oh how many historical miles we've studied so far this semester! 
**Historical note:  Denis Golberg is a white South African who was a social activist during the struggle against apartheid.  He became the technical officer for the underground armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe and in 1963 was arrested at the Rivonia headquarters of their army.  In 1964, he was sentenced at the end of the Rivonia trial to four terms of life imprisonment, which he served in a white prison in Pretoria.  Goldberg was the only white member of Umkhonto we Sizwe to be arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Through readings, class discussions, conversations with Afrikaners, Zulus, Xhosa, and mixed race individuals, historical re-enactments (a class favorite was our awesome re-enactment of the Battle of Blood River at the actual battle site), museum visits, analysis of primary sources, and TTS12 conducted oral history interviews, we have studied and analyzed the fascinating and complex history of South Africa.  We read Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience.  Through weekly reader’s response assignments and class discussions about Malan’s story, we’ve explored ideas of racism, privilege, personal responsibility, justice, and power.  At the Nelson Mandela Museum, students picked a quote that resonated with them and created a written and/or visual reflection.  The depth of their reflections was incredible. 
To learn even more about the impact of apartheid, we took a boat to Robben Island.  On the island, we learned about life in the infamously horrific prison where leaders of the anti-apartheid struggle such as Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, and Robert Sobukwe were imprisoned.  We toured the prison with a former political prisoner who spent six years of his life jailed on the island.  We could have spent hours asking him questions and listening to his story.  We saw Nelson Mandela's cell and the house where Robert Sobukwe spent years in isolation.   
We read about District 6 in Cape Town and the forced removal of mixed race residents in order to make it a white neighborhood.  After discussing this historical event, we visited the District 6 Museum and talked with former residents about the impact of their neighborhood’s destruction.  It was incredible to be able to meet people who lived though the history we had just read about!
One big question that we're asking is "What's next for South Africa?  How does a country move forward from such a brutal and divisive past?"  To help us try to find answers to our questions, Themba Lonzi from “The Institute for Healing of Memories” came to our hostel and conducted a workshop for us.  Wow!  It was an amazing experience that pushed us to think about the role of an individual in the creation of a world where all people are treated with dignity and equality.  He talked about the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its impact on his country's past, present, and future.  He performed a dramatization that he uses in his workshops with South Africans who are trying to come to terms with pain and suffering of the past.  He asked us to think about what causes a human being to commit evil against another person.  In groups, TTS12 students and teachers created 'Recipes for Evil' containing ingredients and quantities that we felt were needed to create evil. 
I could continue for hours talking about the unique and amazing academic activities we had during our history class in South Africa.  We've had countless TTS moments, as Lala calls them.  For me, these are moments where we experience history by talking with individuals, who lived it, standing on the spot where a historical event took place, or discussing with South Africans their thoughts about how the past influences today and the future of their country.        
Our evening with Denis Goldberg was an incredible TTS moment.  We dined and conversed with a man who fought in the anti-apartheid struggle, was on trial with Nelson Mandela, served 22 years in prison because he fought against apartheid, lived in exile away from his homeland, and returned to a democratic South Africa in 2002.  We followed along as Denis walked us through the history of South Africa and his personal journey.  We knew the historical figures and events he spoke about and understood the themes of inequality and injustice woven throughout South Africa’s history that he spoke of.  On the ride home, Cheyenne commented how much she enjoyed his talk because of what she had studied about South African history.  Maggie said, “That was so cool!  I can’t believe we were at his house!”
We’ve left South Africa for Namibia, and it’s time to dive into a new country’s history.  Can’t wait!

African Literature and Composition 
Midterm portfolios behind us, Literature class is taking off in a new direction. We are hard at work processing the intense, wonderful, and diverse experiences of TTS 12 through a variety of writing assignments in order to create a truly place-based final portfolio. When Themba Lonzi from “The Institute for Healing of Memories” came to speak at our hostel in Cape Town, he presented us with a beautifully written “Recipe for Evil.” The first few steps involved combining two cups stereotypes, one cup prejudice, and one cup hate into a bowl while sliced chunks of anger, melted ignorance, and a handful of jealousy and fear were left in a pot to simmer. Since this inspirational visit, the girls have been exploring a variety of literary themes and social issues through individual, and group, analytical recipe writing. The steaming loaves of insight produced in-class through this collaborative mixing and baking is providing the girls with a solid set of ideas for the creation of their third major composition piece: A travel story! This travel piece will be the main component of a final portfolio where each student will submit a story for publication at the end of the semester. The students selected focused topics for their stories ranging from working with CASE to kayaking the Orange River and are currently finishing up their rough drafts. Though we are still hard at work completing our final group presentations on The Power of One, the students sunk their teeth into the beginning of our final novel this week, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall, and are hooked! 

African Languages 
Life in the African Languages class never ceases to perplex and excite all who are involved!  The girls continue to be exposed to incredible pockets of knowledge wherever we go.  In the “Rainbow Nation” of Cape Town we were all able to witness not only the diversity of skin color, but the extreme contrast between wealth and poverty that defines the city and its culture.  Ever since the home-stay experience, we have focused on the complexity between the interconnectedness of South Africa and its peoples while also taking note of the large division that keeps the majority of its population segregated.  This idea is continually emphasized through our studies of Afrikaans and Xhosa, which are the languages (other than English) that are predominantly spoken throughout Cape Town.  
As a way to better analyze the linguistic and social situation of this city, we were fortunate enough to have a special Xhosa language and culture lesson from a woman named Nomangesi.  After helping us with the correct pronunciation and intonation of the various clicks of Xhosa, her native tongue, she revealed her personal narrative and struggles when being forced to learn Afrikaans throughout her education as a young girl during the Apartheid era.  Being forced to learn Afrikaans resulted in Nomangesi’s strong distaste for using the language throughout her life.  She also taught us that all three of the languages; Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa are beginning to morph and intertwine within the city as people continue to interact throughout their daily lives.  When watching a TV drama, you can find single phrases that contain all three of the languages being used simultaneously.  Amazing!  This once again demonstrates the complexity of how, although the languages and cultures are constantly merging, a large sense of division remains an unfortunate reality for most of who inhabit the country. 
As the trip carries on, we will continue to revisit the languages we have already studied while also delving into German, which is widely spoken throughout Namibia.  It is very exciting to see people’s faces light up with confusion and surprise when they hear our group of teenage girls speaking their native language.  Stay tuned to see what our girls are up to next!

Travel Journalism 
Travel Journalism is hard at work putting the finishing touches on their second articles and creating an outline and rough draft for their third and final article. The dedicated journalists are doing an excellent job supporting one another as they struggle to articulate their experiences in southern Africa to the public. They are challenging themselves to write professionally in order to shed light on corners of the planet facing issues people back home have never encountered. Spreading this kind of worldly awareness requires tremendous effort and a great deal of personal responsibility which the girls continuously exhibit as they diligently edit, discuss, plan, and write their way to the next deadline.  

Algebra II 
The students of Algebra II have been keeping busy.  We began the semester with a review of number sets and their properties, the simplification of algebraic expressions and expressions with exponents, and the use of functions and their graph to represent situations.  Next, in Chapter 2 we used properties of equality to write, solve, and graph linear functions and solved problems involving transformations of linear parent functions and absolute-value parent functions.  In Chapter 3 students learned to solve and graph systems of linear equations and linear inequalities, and finally, explored the three-dimensional coordinate system.  Currently the students are learning about matrices, and are just around the corner from their next chapter test.  Our class size of seven is great as we are able to maximize our time together in class.      

Math Applications 
In Math Apps students are learning how to apply math skills to real life situations.  Each week students submit a TTS budget to help them keep track of their expenses.  We’ve talked about bank accounts, pros and cons of credit cards, and how to rent an apartment, read a lease, and navigate division of expenses and responsibilities with roommates.  Maggie says, “It’s nice to have an idea of what’s going to be coming at me in the future; namely budgets and credit cards.”  Students are busy writing their resumes and have practiced interview skills that they can use during their next job search. 
Each student participates in the Game of Life in which they assume a character and manage the personal finances of that character.  Each student receives “life changes” created by other students or teachers, which bring either financial bliss or heartache.  Ronda Westrem, a.k.a. Evelina, sings in a band called Liquid Sky, works at WalMart, and heads to the beach near her house in Florida.   Reggie Barker, a.k.a. Maggie, is a 25-year old multi-millionaire who takes care of his mom’s health care as she has diabetes and no health insurance.  Realizing how much money he has and the needs of others, Reggie decided to start a 5 million dollar foundation to combat youth and adult diabetes.  Pam Butts – Emmy-- runs a small non-profit dog shelter in Kalispell, MT and shares one car with her family.  Unfortunately, Pam’s husband was recently in a car crash.  He is fine but the car needs about $2,000 worth of work.  Heith Burger (Grace) and his wife just returned from a trip to NYC, which their old friend Reggie paid for.  This was great news because Heith and his wife scrape by on his dishwasher salary living in Santa Cruz, CA and never go on trips.  Dr. Mary Ellen Merrow, a.k.a. Taylor, just married her dream guy; rocker Andrew VanWyngarden from her favorite band MGMT.  Ronda and her band Liquid Sky played at Mary Ellen’s weeklong wedding extravaganza.  Monica Jasper, or Katie, is an entrepreneur and runs her own landscaping business.  Her life is busy with three children under the age of 10 and a business to run.  She recently decided to expand her business to include an organic line of products and hopes it will be popular with her clients in Bozeman, MT.  Delia Orsini, a.k.a. Quinn, works hard as a teacher and single mom.  She and her four-year old daughter Kelly live in Washington, DC.  Delia has a passion for playing the bagpipes when she is not focusing her energy on making Kelly as happy and healthy as she can be.  Kelly is a big fan of ballet and takes lessons regularly.

PE and Nutrition 
Students just finished a four-day river kayaking expedition where they learned the basics of how to maneuver a two-person kayak through class 1 and 2 rapids.  The students became competent is paddling techniques, including speed, steering and balance.  In addition, as part of the Physical Education component students will work in pairs to lead a one-hour workout for our class.  They are graded on enthusiasm, correct workout components (warm-up, activity, and cool down) as well as creativity, presentation and timeliness.  In Nutrition, the students will also begin teaching sections of the curriculum including presentations on eating disorders, alcohol and drugs effects on the body, self-image issues and mental health.  Overall, we are excited for the students to begin taking on leadership roles in both components of this course.

Independent Math Classes 
AP Calculus – We have finally begun the study of the derivative!  Instantaneous slope and tangent lines are being determined through derivative formulas and proofs.  The knowledge gained of the derivative formulas will soon be put to use as we begin to study applications of derivatives – answering the ever-illusive math question…. “How is this applicable to every day life?”

Pre-Calculus – The study of probability and statistics is wrapping up and the students will be moving into advanced trigonometry. 

Geometry – We are wrapping up the study of parallel and perpendicular lines in relation to angles, triangles and polygons.  We will be moving into the study of how and when transformations form congruent shapes. 

AP Environmental Science 
The Orange River kayaking trip provided us with an ideal “classroom” setting in which to begin investigating the Ecology unit for Nilsa. Rory and Richard, our river guides, proved to be exceptionally knowledgeable about the surrounding natural environment in Rigtersveld National Park. We were able to learn from them and supplement our textbook readings with the field guidebooks they brought for us. We spent our class days documenting the tree, plant, bird, fish, and small mammal species we observed in the wild while learning about different ecological relationships and significant issues facing all 2,400 kilometers of the Orange River. When the stars came out at night, we used a guidebook to study the constellations of the southern sky. The information we gathered on weather patterns, geologic time, and the different organisms populating the Orange River will serve as a useful “case study” foundation for the rest or our Ecology unit. 

 

top

---

November 22, 2008

 

Dear TTS 12 family and friends,

Greetings from Namibia, land of vast landscapes, sun scorched earth, and site of one of the oldest deserts in the world. I am reminded of my surroundings every time I open my notebook and have to dust off the sand before I begin to write. The girls were sad to leave behind the beautiful country of South Africa, having been touched by so many wonderful people, numerous breathtaking landscapes, rich culture, and a complicated past which will remain with them for years to come. We have been in Namibia for just over two weeks and already we have a myriad of stories to tell. So I will get right to it and let the many voices of our group do the story telling once again.

Fish River Canyon, Dawn
The Fish River Canyon is by far the most impressive natural beauty in Southern Namibia. Driving through the desert gravel plains you can’t possibly anticipate the enormity of this geologic wonder. We arrived right on schedule with just enough time for a Geology lesson on the rim where the students learned about the formation of the canyon. After talk of faulting and erosion and unconformities we set off on an evening hike along the rim. The view was stunning especially with the low angle of the sun. We arrived at a lookout point just in time to watch the sun set over the rim leaving in its trail reds, oranges, blues, and purples. Crispen prepared a great meal and then we drove to our campsite, bellies full for the next two nights. The following day was a half class day with some afternoon down time for swimming and rehearsing for the 2nd annual TTS 12 Coffee House. Yep folks the much anticipated follow up to our talent show at Sherman’s cave. The playbill for the night was packed as the turnout of performers had skyrocketed! The show, illuminated via headlamp, brought laughter and tears to the audience. Who else better to fill you in than one of the performers herself, Kara Francis:

“Talent revealed itself in TTS 12’s second Coffee House Talent Show. McKenna, Grace, and Emmy filled the Namibian desert with their soaring voices; Quinn regaled us with a “circus act” and a humorous Shel Silverstein poem, Lala recited a beautifully memorized poem, as Shannon introduced some Japanese culture with an entertaining haiku, and Ginny and Taylor threw some new moves on the dance floor. The evening closed with a skit starring five of TTS’s students, playing none other than their beloved teachers, followed by a creative game of freeze improvisation”. – Kara Francis

Luderitz and Kolmansko, Emily
Luderitz is an old colonial town tucked between the Namib Desert coast and the Atlantic Ocean. Luderitz is known for its windy days and this time was no exception. We had several tents almost topple over at our campsite located on a rocky peninsula surrounded by Atlantic Ocean. We managed to find enough wind protection to have several classes before we turned in for the night. Off shore, two ships used to vacuum the ocean floor in search of diamonds were our neighbors for the evening. The next morning we piled into our truck and headed out to the ghost town of Kolmanskop.

Originally constructed as the Consolidated Diamond Mines headquarters, Kolmanskop once had a casino, bowling alley, a theater, and a swimming pool. After WWI, a drop in diamond sales, and discovery of higher quality diamonds further south in the mouth of the Orange River, Kolmanskop was deserted. We found a few restored buildings but the majority are being invaded by the Namib Desert sand dunes. We had a fabulous tour guide, Nicole, whose grandfather grew up in Kolmanskop who taught us about the daily ice block and fresh lemonade delivery to residences. The fresh water was shipped all the way from Cape Town! After our tour we had time to explore the area on our own. According to Ellie it was “really cool to see the sand overtaking whole entire houses and you had to crouch down to get into the door.” Kara described the doors as “McKenna sized.” Ellie also said, “It showed us that nature always wins” and explained that she wanted to live there when it was a booming town, and when each house got fresh lemonade. McKenna commented that the sand dunes were covering history. She said, “I wanted to go back in time and live there.”

Dune 45, Rhea 
The new park employees at Sesriem were wrong about the gates. Originally told to begin our drive to Dune 45 at 6:15 a.m, Japhet heard trucks starting around 5:00 a.m. and knew to act fast. "Wake up girls! Just get on the truck! We have to leave now!" The girls obediently rolled out of their tents, a bit groggy and confused, and stumbled into the dark of the early morning. The truck roared to life and we set off in a race against time; listening to peaceful music as the purple sky lightened. We arrived in the nick; kicked off our shoes and sprinted up the cool, burnt-orange sandy slope of the ancient dune laughing and snapping photos. The sun waited patiently for us to reach the top before peeking its yellow head out from behind the mountainous dunes in the distance. A perfect start to a perfect day. Amazed and inspired by the once-in-a-lifetime view, the girls took a variety of creative action shots of one another as they jumped, rolled, and tumbled around in the fine sand. With our hair, ears, and pockets full of red grains, we eventually hiked down the dune to find a hot breakfast waiting for us. Pure heaven. The awesome red and gold Namib Dunes, making up one of the world's oldest deserts, left lasting images in our minds of immense, ever-shifting shapes carved out by the prevailing winds. After breakfast, we drove on to hike and experience the Dead Vlei dunes, which sit upon a parched, seemingly inhospitable and lifeless clay floored desert in the Namib-Naukluft Park. We stood in awe of the majestic, poetic landscape of parabolic, multicyclic, and star shaped dunes and marveled at the fragile ecological web of specially adapted desert plants and animals thriving on the slip face, within the dunes, and on the desert floor. We took countless photos; although, they will never quite do justice to the magnificence of being there and experiencing the raw, ancient, beautiful power of the Namib desert. "Infinite grains of sand on a grand scale, ancient dunes perpetually chiseled by the wind, sinuous forms, sculpted by destiny. Robust hues- Tabasco coloured red, purple, oxide, and chocolate sprinkled with beads of silicate, dazzling like myriad diamonds in the African sunlight. They touch a cobalt blue sky and twinkle in the heavens after dark." --Gerald Hoberman. 
And from the academic side of things… 
History
We’ve had an overview of Namibian history with an in-depth look at the impact of German colonialism on the Herero people. In groups, students read articles about the impact and presented their findings in class allowing us to formulate a better understanding of the past relationship between Germans and Herero. In preparation for our visit to Kolmanskop, we looked at the role diamonds have played in the political, economic, and social sectors of Namibia. We finished reading Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience and students are working on completing their oral history book project.

Math Apps
We are nearing the end of our Game of Life. Unfortunately this past week, many of the Game of Life characters acquired a substantial amount of debt. Dr. Mary Ellen (Taylor) was sued for malpractice; Heith Burger’s (Grace) wife went on a shopping spree with the credit card and loaded up the kitchen with new cookware. Pam Butts (Emmy) was invited to the Annual Save the Abused Dogs in Washington, DC and meet President-Elect Obama. The entire trip to DC put her in debt because she, her husband, and four of her shelter dogs made the trip, but it was worth it. We’ve studied the nature of investments and how and when to use specific investments such as bonds, stocks, certificates of deposit, and mutual funds. Each student researched and presented information about a particular type of investment. We’ve started our study of global economics with a look at the impact of colonialism on the economies of colonies. Students are making the final touches to their resumes.

Global Studies
Moving on from our South Africa experience and study of culture, race, and identity in the country, we’ve embarked upon a unit on identity. We started our study by reading the story The Bear Who Wasn’t and analyzing the differences and similarities between how one identifies oneself as compared to how society identifies a person. We discussed how society and the need to be a member of a group influence personal choices and behavior. Students and teachers participated in a powerful activity in which each person created a hand identity chart revealing how they identify or label themselves and how they believe society identifies or labels them. We discussed the challenges in creating the hand identity charts and how making judgments influences beliefs and perceptions. From here, we will move into talking about stereotypes and racism.

African Literature and Composition
The Literature girls are engaging in thoughtful class discussions about various themes and issues they are uncovering as they read The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. An interesting novel through which to discuss African history and gender roles, the girls are picking up on controversial, complex ideas and showing off their critical reading skills. Alexander McCall's descriptions of Botswana have been providing the girls with an enticing preview of the places we will be seeing and experiencing in the next few weeks. Our book club groups are gearing up for the creation of a multi genre project analyzing certain aspects of the novel to present (and perform) to the rest of the class before finals. We are continuing to explore a variety of travel writing genres to prepare the girls for the writing of their final project. In order to feel confident with our stories, we are completing a series of portfolio writing assignments and are engaging in intensive writing workshops. Our goal is for each and every one of our stories to be published in high school newspapers back home! This week the girls are going to be splitting into groups to master specific grammar rules and writing conventions to teach to the rest of the class. Yesterday, the girls wrote letters to themselves which I promised to send back to them in December 2009. They found quiet rocks to sit on and wrote furiously, trying to capture on paper the inspiration they have felt this semester, the goals they now have for the future, and the confident self-image they hope to have further developed by then. This letter, in addition to other recent writing assignments, will help the girls generate ideas and discover the travel stories they most want to share with the world (and publish) when they get home.

Travel Journalism 
The diligent journalists will be electronically submitting their second articles in the next few days from Swakupmund, Namibia, for publication back home. Already well into the drafting and editing stages of their third articles, the Travel Journalism student's pen never rests. These girls are sharpening their investigative skills; disciplining themselves to keep a notebook handy at all times, and reminding each other of important tidbits of information. They are working together as a strong and supportive team. This week, we focused on photography; experimenting with a wide variety of settings and shot techniques as we attempted to capture the diverse beauty of the Namib desert. From silhouettes to patterns to camera movement, the girls filled their memory cards with infinite photographic perspectives to compliment future articles. We researched and discussed photography and travel writing as career options in greater depth, learning from experts in the field what it takes to survive the challenges of a working life on the road. Yesterday, we analyzed travel articles from a Namibian magazine I picked up in order to learn from the different writing styles it showcased. We extracted a variety of useful techniques and examples. This exercise greatly helped those students who are attempting to capture the essence of The Traveling School, and all that we have been doing over the course of the semester, into one concise and original article. The magazine contained fascinating new facts and perspectives on the places we will soon be visiting and provided us with relevant models for how to effectively write about them. While we begin work on our final project, describing things we have already done, the girls are encouraging one another to continue to be active journalists so that they may continue to write about (and publish) their experiences in Africa long after our semester ends.

Science 
In Science class we are six classes into our Geology unit, the perfect subject to be studying as we move through some of the most incredible landscapes in the world here in Namibia. This area truly is a Geologist’s dream; from billion year old rocks to one of the biggest canyons in the world, to evidence of the splitting of Gondwanaland 500 million years ago, it truly is AMAZING!!!! Our geologists began their geologic adventure stepping back into time, way back, as we discussed the Geologic time scale and the major events that have happened throughout the history of the Earth. We did this with paces, each pace representing 100,000,000 years. Quinn started with the formation of the earth followed by Ellie who paced out the arrival of living organisms in our oceans, and down the line Kara marked the time of the dinosaurs. Each of them was required to act out their significant detail in geologic history, giving us a good laugh. We left the class feeling a little insignificant in the grand scheme of things but enthusiastic and ready to embark on understanding our surroundings. First things first we talked Plate Tectonics, the driving force responsible for what we see all around us. In the next class the girls closed their eyes and were transported back in time to the different mountain building and erosion events that have carved out the present day landscape in Namibia. All it took was for them to open their eyes and look around and they we able to capture some of the evidence of these events in their field journals. Right across from our camp along the Orange River was a beautiful anticline structure formed from the buckling of layered sedimentary rocks do to compression, fantastic! Next we talked rocks. We learned about the three different kinds of rocks, how they form, and where we have seen them along our trip. The girls were required to collect an igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock to bring to class. I will never forget KD walking off the truck with a boulder size rock that she had snuck on during one of our brief stops. She had me in stitches as she proceeded to hypothesize about the origin of her fine specimen. For the next class our surroundings did the talking. We studied the effects of weathering and erosion while staring up at the huge, highly weathered granite boulder outcrops that surrounded our camp. The girls walked on the surface and could feel the effects of exfoliation on the outer layers of the boulders; they crawled around in the sand carved holes and caves in the rocks, and traced the original home of the massive chunks of granite that had tumbled down the cliff face. Tomorrow we will enter the world of minerals. Again there isn’t a better place to do this as the mineral riches of Namibia play a huge role in their economy. We will learn how to classify and identify different mineral and will then walk over to a museum that houses the second most expensive mineral collection in the world, wow! These geologists will be amazed at the beauty of precious and semi precious stones and question how such things could possibly be produced naturally. Then their jaws will drop as they stare at the largest quartz cluster, found on a nearby farm and weighing in at 14 tons. The fun goes on and on!

Algebra 2
The Algebra 2 group is charging ahead. We always find ways to make our class fun and bring in a little humor to our hour together. We recently finished our chapter on Matrices where we started with organizing data into matrices. Next we learned the skills of operating with matrices including solving systems of equations. Next it was into quadratic equations, a chapter the girls seem to enjoy. We started with graphing and transforming quadratic equations and next we are moving into solving quadratic equations and inequalities.

P.E. and Nutrition 
Although waking up at 5:30 AM in the mornings to get to class by 6:00 AM is no easy task, the fun and innovative PE classes that the girls have been teaching have made it all worth while.  We have had everything from Katie and Nilsa leading the class in giving full body massages, to Grace and Melissa leading us through a workout called "Ouch" because of the way it leaves your muscles feeling afterwards.  The girls also had a big day on the sand dunes where they were given the option of either sledding or sand boarding down the red slopes then had to hike back up to start the process all over again.  Regardless of the heat, the great rushes of adrenalin speeding down the dunes had the girls practically running up the hills to do it as many times as possible before the day was over.   In nutrition class the girls are ready to begin their individual presentations on eating disorders, alcohol and drugs effects on the body, self-image issues and mental health.  The girls are doing an impressive job of stepping up as leaders amongst the group! 

Independent Studies
And we can’t forget our Independent Study girls: Katie, Melissa, Ellie, Nilsa, and Mallory. They are all working hard and doing a wonderful job at staying on task and being proactive about their subjects. Mallory and Nilsa just finished implicit differentiation of the derivative (ouch!) and are moving into inverse trig functions. Katie is starting a chapter on Statistics and Ellie just finished a chapter test on transformations. Melissa has wrapped up her final chapter in advanced trigonometry and is now reviewing some skills to supplement her work. 
And that my friends brings us to right here right now, Swakopmund, Namibia, a German tourist town located right on the Altlantic surrounded by the sand dunes. The girls have enjoyed a much anticipated study day rest day, catching up on classes, laundry and a little shut eye and today they became intimate with the sand dunes as they barreled down on sleds and boards at over 60 miles an hour! Details of this awesome adventure to follow. 

Love from the sun and sand!

Dawn

top

---

December 5, 2008 

Dear TTS 12 family and friends,

Greetings from Botswana!  We ended our last trip report in Swakopmund, Namibia where the girls were about to head out to the dunes for a little sand boarding and sledding.  Upon return, their smiles reached from ear to ear, their noses and cheeks were aglow from the sun, and sand, yes sand, was everywhere from ears to pockets, heads to toes.  Some of the girls reached speeds of 70 km per hour and most of them have a good wipe out tale to tell.  The company who organized the day  put together a video of some of the finest moments so be sure to ask to see it.  After our rejuvenating stay in Swakopmund we loaded up and set off for the Cheetah Conservation Fund.  And here we go…

Cheetah Conservation Fund, Dawn
The Cheetah Conservation Fund was founded in 1990 by Dr. Laurie Marker, an extraordinary woman whose tale of following her dream and overcoming adversity inspired the TTS students profoundly.  CCF is an internationally recognised center of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their eco-systems, and is located in northern Namibia which has the largest and healthiest population of cheetahs left in the world.  It is truly an honor for TTS to be invited here every year and we left with new knowledge about the threats to this magnificent species and a desire to help spread the word about the cause.  Over the course of four days the girls were educated by a variety of scientists working at CCF and helped out the center with a work project.  This year the girls were responsible for clearing one of the cheetah pens of thorns as well as maintaining the cheetah running track.  It was hard work but the least we could do for all such an important cause.  While we were there the girls learned about several of CCF’s programs including a dog program where they trained Anatolian Shepard dogs to work with herders, helping to reduce livestock loss to predators and in turn decrease the killing of cheetah’s by farmers.  They also learned about their Bushblok program which recently won CCF 1st place in the Tech awards for their innovative approach in taking a problem such as bush encroachment and using it to create renewable biofuel.  Matti, one of the ecologists working at CCF taught the girls about the causes of bush encroachment, the threat is poses to the cheetah population and the way they selectively harvest the thorn bushes to turn them into fuel.  The girls also learned about the farmers' training courses which provide participants with an understanding of the economic and ecological value of predators as well as their behavior and ecology, train participants to correctly identify causes of livestock losses and to instill a desire to protect and integrate predators into their farming and conservancy areas.  The students even had an opportunity to analyze a mock kill and determine what predator was responsible.  The highlight of our visit happened on the last day when Dr. Marker spoke to our group and then took us out to meet and pet CCF’s up and coming ambassador cheetah, Little C.  Here are some reflections from the girls, as they say it best.
“I wish to remember this lesson provided to me by an incredible woman, and allow it to prevent me from becoming discouraged about being only a small insignificant aspect on an immense worldly scale, and remind myself that with will power and passion I can change the world.”  -Kara Francis
“All I really need to make a change for the better is an endless supply of will.”  -Melissa Frederick 
“I soon realized that if I set my mind and heart to whatever I want to do then I can do it, just like (Laurie Marker) did.  If anything I’m already on my way.  I’m in Africa learning about global issues and developing my own opinions and brainstorming ways that I can make that change.  The passion and knowledge is there, all I need is a spark to set the fire going, and Africa has, in a way, been that spark.”        -Sarah Brenne
“The Cheetah Conservation Fund began as her dream, just something she aspired to establish, the way right now in my life I am learning about all the different things that propel me towards certain goals and hopeful accomplishments.”  -Grace Stopher
“Hearing her life story and about the way she started her Cheetah Conservation Foundation gave me so much courage and strength to follow up on my dreams…” -Evelina Albanesi 
Thanksgiving and Special Visitors!, Leah
TTS12 was privileged to have Jennifer Royall (Program Director) and several parents (and one grandparent) join us while we were at the Cheetah Conservation Fund and in Etosha National Park. However, it was especially exciting to welcome them as part of TTS12's Thanksgiving Celebration. We celebrated Thanksgiving while camping at the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Luckily we had access to a table large enough and a working oven (for pies!) Thanksgiving afternoon was spent cooking, baking, decorating and compiling electronic Thanksgiving email messages to parents in the US from the students. While we didn't have the traditional turkey on our table, we were lucky to have: chicken, beef, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, salad, bread and last but not least pumpkin and apple pies! One might wonder how we had access to some of these meals while in Namibia...our answer came from teacher Emily Mallory’s Mother and Father who brought Thanksgiving goodies in their luggage! (stuffing, pumpkin pie mix, canned cranberry sauce, crepe paper turkey decorations, and chocolate for each of the girls!) These wonderful additions were truly special as our meal combined some of "home" as well as typified the wonderful meals created by Crispin throughout our semester. Before sitting down to eat, Grace Stopher shared a thoughtful reading about giving thanks and reflection. As our large family returned to the table with plates full, several people commented as they looked around at it being the largest Thanksgiving dinner they had ever shared. (31 people!) What an amazing way to celebrate thanks as to share it with such a large family! It was a wonderful dinner, and I have to say that to top it off - our pie making extravaganza was well worth the challenges! Quinn, Maggie and Ellie peeled and sliced so many apples! While Jen taught Nilsa the intricacies of making pie crust from scratch, Leah attempted to oversee the pie baking at an oven that had long ago lost it's markings for temperature! While we doubted at times, our "approximation" of heat levels worked out perfectly, including the "Experiment" pie of half apple, half pumpkin (with a dam made of pie crust baked in between!) Thanks for the support ladies! 
However good our food was, the best part of the night was the evening program. Several in our group shared poems, readings and inspirations. It left many of us at times with tears running down our cheeks as we all reflected how much this semester has impacted us as individuals and how closely our group has grown. These readings were shared by KD, Lala, Emmy, Nilsa, Melissa, Mallory and Grace. As well, Jen, Rhea, Shannon and Emily. Our heart touched evening ended with David (Mallory's father) sharing a math problem in the form of the Monty Hall Game Show! Our group was entertained by and enjoyed the presence of family members at this time of year. Thank you to Laurie (Grace's mom), David and Amy (Mallory's Grandmother) and Emily's parents, as well as Jennifer for coming to experience a few days with TTS12!

Etosha National Park, Shannon
Once our appetites were satisfied after an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, the girls all piled back onto the big blue truck (with Jennifer and the parents following close behind) and we headed to one of Southern Africa's finest and most important Game Reserves, Etosha  National Park.  With their science journals in hand, and binoculars around their necks, the girls set out on yet another African safari.  During the first outing we were all seeing the "usual" zebra, giraffe, springbok, and impala (to name a few) as we drove along.  Although these sightings were still enough to keep any adventurous spirit entertained, we began to grow a bit more accustomed to seeing these exotic animals.  Just when we thought the scenery was not going to change, Japhet slammed on the breaks of the truck and threw it into reverse.  This was our first signal that there was most definitely something out of the norm waiting to be spotted by one of our girls.  While we were frantically looking out into the vast desert plane surrounding us, one of the girls whispered, "Oh my gosh, it's a lion and its right below the truck!"  We all brought our gazes down and sure enough, there was a male lion resting right next to a zebra's skin and bones slowly digesting his breakfast.  Luckily for us, he was not bothered by our presence so we were able to carry on observing him basking in the sun occasionally licking his lips as his tail gently tapped the dusty earth.  After having such a close encounter with one of the world’s most feared and respected animals, we moved on to our next camp site within the reserve.   
After our day of lion sightings was complete, we packed up our bags once again to continue heading east.  Along our drive we eventually came across the Etosha Pan which covers around 25% of the National Park.  This environmental wonder was formed around 1000 million years ago and makes up part of the Kalahari Basin floor.  It was once a lake but has now transformed into a large depression of salt and dusty clay which fills when the rains are heavy attracting thousands of wading birds including impressive flocks of flamingos!  Although there were no flamingos to gaze upon us, the seemingly infinite salt pan was more than enough to inspire a sense of wonder over the landscape.  Once we got off the truck to walk across it, the girls began leaping, dancing and giggling across the great white plane. 
San Village, Rhea 
We camped for one night in a San village in northern Namibia. Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers who traveled in small family bands, the San people are mostly found in remote parts of Namibia and Botswana and have been relocated from their ancestral lands onto government settlements. The San are believed to be the direct descendants of the Boskop people who developed an organized hunting and gathering society about 30,000 years ago. About 10,000 years ago, the San began producing pottery and their traditional paintings can still be viewed in rock shelters and caves throughout southern Africa. The San were able to maintain a hunter gatherer existence until fairly recently when the Namibian government implemented strict hunting regulations. Now, forced to adapt to a cash economy, the San mostly live in impoverished villages and rely heavily on income generated from selling crafts. The future of the San is uncertain and debates continue regarding their “place” in modern African society. Will the 21st century prioritize the preservation of such ancient cultures? The girls were respectful, receptive, and thoughtful as they weighed these issues and interacted with the San villagers. Upon our arrival, “Big Blue” sunk deep into the sandy road and the engine cut off; we were stuck. The hour we spent digging and pushing ourselves out proved to be a most effective ice breaker. The girls were soon playing Frisbee, hacky-sack, and piggy back ride games with the local children. We toured the community learning about their culture, lifestyle, and how to say San greetings. The evening ended in a traditional song and dance program around the campfire. The girls reciprocated with songs and dances of their own which pleased Herman, our translator. “You learn from us and we learn from you,” he said as we headed back to our tents for the night. The next morning, the girls generously put together and donated a bag of clean clothing. This experience made quite an impact on everyone. Here is what a few open-minded, critical thinking TTS 12 girls had to say about our visit:

“My favorite part was singing and dancing around the fire, especially when we all got to join. When Melissa and Lala demonstrated the stomp dance, everyone’s faces lit up and one man tried to mimic them. That made me smile. They want to learn about us as much as we want to learn about them.” 
-Katie Bentley

“A jolt. Then books came crashing down. Then silence. All I could hear was Japhet’s frustrated voice. We all knew what to do: Unload and push!”
-Eleanor Kelly

“The contrast between Big Blue stuck in the sand and the surrounding San village made me feel foolish. Why do we feel we need so much when other people get by on so little? More than anything, I felt envious. These kids were happily engaging in games involving songs and dance while kids their age in America are throwing tantrums because they didn’t get the happy meal they wanted. I wonder what drives our need to consume. Because it certainly isn’t survival.”
-Sarah Brenne  

“She broke my heart; the small, 6 year old girl wearing Ginny’s red Santa hat asleep in my lap. I will never forget her and wondered how she could sleep through the loud music. Sitting around the fire in the San village, my heart has never been so touched.”
-Cheyenne Hensey

 “I grew attached to the village children after playing countless games with them. They taught us a game which required balancing and hopping on one leg while intertwined with the person next to you and we taught them “Little Sally Walker.” They laughed at us when we tried to pronounce their names and other San words. Later that night, one girl curled up in my lap while we watched the singing and dancing around the fire. She was fast asleep in my arms and I didn’t want to let go.”
-McKenna Duffy

“About a year ago, I watched “The Gods Must Be Crazy,” hardly believing that Bushmen people still existed today. It never crossed my mind that one day I would spend the night in a San community. They taught us games powered by songs. An elderly woman showed us her supper; a bowl of steamed green leaves. They gently pointed us to their crafts which provide them with a source of income to survive on in a world that no longer allows them to hunt or live freely as they have for thousands of years. They were gentle, beautiful people.”
-Grace Stopher

“A girl with a yellow floral vest and dusty black skirt danced next to me. I was careful with her tiny hand; it fit into my palm like a puzzle piece. Hand in hand, twelve of us hopped in a circle and sung in harmony. We spun counter clockwise with our right legs hooked together and the chain wobbled with laughter.”
-Taylor Bailey

And from the academic side of things…

History 
Our final activity for Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience was a Socratic seminar.  Students wrote thought-provoking questions that formed the foundation for our hour-long seminar. 

Throughout our semester we’ve learned bits and pieces about the situation in Zimbabwe from Japhet, Crispen, newspapers, radio news, and conversations with people.  In order to get a more complete understanding of what’s happening in Zimbabwe, we studied an overview of Zimbabwean history, read an engaging National Geographic article about land redistribution and attended a class taught by Japhet and Crispen.  They walked us through the change from colonialism to independence and life under Mugabe’s 28 year rule.  Their stories and experiences provided us a clearer understanding of the tragic reality of today’s Zimbabwe. 

In preparation for our visit to a San Village, we visited Twyfelfontein, known for its San rock art.  As we hiked through huge, weathered sandstone, we saw rock drawings and engravings and speculated about the lives of the people who created them thousands of years ago.  In class we read a profound National Geographic article about the San of Southern Africa.  We discussed the history and present realities of Southern Africa’s early human inhabitants.  We are really looking forward to visiting a San village and learning about their thoughts on ethno-tourism, current government policies related to indigenous peoples, and the future.

African Literature and Composition
Combining themes, ideas, and inspirations from The Power of One, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, and the expansive Namib Desert, the Literature Queens completed a meaningful project we decided to call “Making Dunes” (instead of ‘Making Waves’). The core idea behind this project is the belief that one person can make a difference in the world. Inspired by the character Mma Ramotswe, who started her own detective business, each student created an “agency” of her own, centered on an issue of personal interest. They created trademark business names and logos, a mission statement, a plan of action, a comprehensive list of funding options and needed resources, a list of goals for the year, and a plan for how they are going to recruit community involvement. The Literature Queens presented their masterpieces yesterday and are now furiously working to complete all the components of their final portfolios and book club presentations.

Natural Science
After our last Natural Science update we entered the world of minerals as planned, and hopefully the girls will never look at rocks quite the same.  They were bedazzled with the beautiful display of precious and semi-precious gemstones in the Swakopmund Crystal Gallery where we learned about the mineral wealth of Namibia.  The highlight was the 14 ton quartz cluster, yes folks, 14 tons, the largest in the world and so large that it took 5 years to excavate from the ground!  The students learned how to classify minerals using physical characteristics such as structure, cleavage, color, luster, and habit and practiced their skills on a collection of minerals from the U.S. as well as ones picked up along the way!  After leaving Swakopmund we headed north into Damara land and continued our geologic investigations.  A couple highlights included a visit to Twyfelfontein where we explored the largest known concentration of Stone Age petroglyphs in Namibia.  There are approximately 2,500 engravings in the beautifully weathered sandstone rocks around Twyfelfontein, which means “doubtful fountain”. The age of engravings has not been determined precisely but there is evidence that the area was occupied as early as 6 000 years ago.  This area is also home to several petrified wood sites.  Scientists estimate the trees are 250 million years old and were deposited in the area by the flood which came down from areas further north.  The fact that trunks do not have any branches or roots suggest that these trees grew somewhere else and were carried to their present location by rivers or floods.  The students learned about the process of petrification; how the trunks were deposited in silica rich environment, excluded from contact with oxygen which prevented decay, and how during the course of time molecules of silica penetrated the wood and replaced wood molecules.  This brought us to our next stop, The Cheetah Conservation Fund, and the end of out Geology unit.  The Cheetah Conservation Fund as described above was an amazing experience for everyone.  The girls learned first hand what it means to be a conservation biologist, ecologist, and zoologist.  The students were able to pull from what they learned earlier on in the semester about the intricate connection of life within an ecosystem to understand the desperate situation of the cheetah and the role that humans play in this.  They left inspired to take their new knowledge about the cheetah and its struggles to family and friends at home.      
    
Languages and Cultures of Southern Africa
New languages and cultures keep coming at us from all different directions.  It is amazing that these ladies are able to keep them all straight!  We've been having an absolute ball these past couple of weeks.  On the river, after the girls presented their role plays in Xhosa, I then told them to switch gears back into an Afrikaans mind set.  We all sat with our writing utensils and language journals in hand while we watched a skit performed by our river guides, Rory and Richard, in Afrikaans.  The girls took notes on everything they were able to gather from what our guides were saying and I was extremely proud to see that they were able to pick up on a large portion of it!  How exciting to see how much they have learned in only a few short months!

After the river trip, we switched gears once again, only this time into a German mind set.  We had a nice introduction to Namibian German from a local named Oliver.  He explained how much more "relaxed" Namibian German is as compared to German from Germany.  He also gave us some cultural insight letting us know that there is much less racial and cultural tension in Namibia verses South Africa between the native peoples and the Western presence that is prevalent throughout the country.  

In our most recent classes, the girls have performed monologues in German, and been playing a variety of different games to help with their German language acquisition.  With the help of Mallory, who is fluent in German, we have had no problem learning the proper pronunciation and inter workings of its complex grammatical structure.  In the weeks to come we will continue with German then launch into the San language and culture as well as Shona from our Zimbabwean truck driver and cook whom the girls adore! 

Math Applications
Students completed their resumes.  They are ready for the next job search!  All of our Game of Life participants arrived at our campsite in Etosha National Park and shared their thoughts, concerns, and revelations about personal finance.  It was wonderful to finally meet Monika (Katie), Pam (Emmy), Mary Ellen (Taylor), Delia (Quinn), Reggie (Maggie), Rhonda (Evelina), and Heath (Grace)!  Common themes from the presentations included expect the unexpected when it comes to personal finance and beware of credit card debt.  Building upon our study of the impact of colonialism on economies of former colonies, we discussed definitions and uses of terms such as underdeveloped nation, developed nation, first world nation, second world nation, and third world nation.  We studied the impacts of Third World debt and read accounts of individuals living in countries impacted by debt.

Algebra 2
The Algebra 2 girls continue to work hard.  They are in the process of learning all about Quadratic Equations in Chapter 5.  They are learning about the properties of quadratic functions, and how to solve them by factoring and graphing, and using the quadratic formula.  Next the students will explore complex numbers and operations with complex numbers.   

Math Independent Studies
Geometry: Ellie is finishing up her chapter on congruent triangles. 
Pre-Calculus: Katie and Melissa are working through their final chapter on Advanced Trigonometry.
Calculus: Nilsa and Mallory are working on applications of the derivative including: extreme values of functions, graphs of f' and f'' and modeling and optimization of the derivative.

Travel Journalism
The talented journalists of TTS 12 are hard at work re-writing their final travel stories and selecting publications to submit them to upon returning home. We are in the process of re-visiting and synthesizing the many writing, interviewing, information gathering, and photography skills we’ve learned this semester in order to reflect on our individual strengths and styles, and the strategies that work best for us, so that we may continue to produce and publish quality work. We are researching a variety of publication opportunities, beyond what exists in our local communities, in order to gain more exposure and share our stories of the semester with the nation. Currently in the process of organizing the copious notes taken on adventures we have not yet had the chance to write stories about, we hope to go home with notebooks full of useful material that will inspire future writing projects.

PE and Nutrition
Wrapping up our Nutrition classes we had informative, well taught classes by the students, including topics such as alcohol and drugs, date rape drugs and sexual assault. As well, students have presented PE classes including soccer and an early morning sunrise salsa dancing class led by Lala and Cheyenne.

And this brings me to Maun inside an internet café where I am enjoying a little AC and escaping from the scorching day outside.  The girls are working hard in all of their classes, putting last minute touches on projects and preparing for finals.  Amidst the work load we are about to take a well deserved breather and head into the Okavango Delta, one of my favorite spots on the trip.  We will ride along in dug out Mokoro canoes and experience a new form of Safari, on foot.  Highlights to follow in the next and last trip report.

Love from Botswana,

Dawn and TTS12

top

---

December 24, 2008

Dear TTS 12 family and friends, 

Hello everyone, sending you all wishes for a warm happy holiday season, although turning on the news it is apparent that some of you will be snuggling up inside to stay warm.  Ahh, plenty of time for Traveling School stories!  Speaking of which, here is the last trip report of the semester, as you can see the excitement continues all the way till the end.  The girls turned in their final projects which they had been working incredibly hard on and were then rewarded, challenged by a trip down one of the most amazing whitewater rivers on earth, the Zambezi!

Our first stop in Botswana was the town of Maun.  Maun was our staging point for the trip into the Okavango Delta which was sandwiched by class time and the girls working on their final projects.  After a day of studying we traveled to our Delta launching point in open air safari trucks and immediately started to experience the remoteness of the area we would be living in for the next three days.  Once there we paired up and loaded all of our gear into mokoros (dugout canoes, some now made of fiberglass).  Each mokoro is pushed along by a poler.  These guides are experienced in all aspects of the Delta environment and most of them learned to pole mokoros at the age of six!  The students learned to speak basic phrases in Tswana, and as we passed other mokoros, you could hear girls greeting polers and guides…”Dumela-maa” or “Dumela-raa”.   We spent the next hour and a half watching the lily pads go by and then arrived at our campsite, right at the waters edge.  That evening and again the next morning, we went on game walks through the area, looking footprints of elephants, birds, wildebeest, and ostrich. We saw a herd of zebra and wildebeest grazing on the delta grasses.  What an amazing experience to be on the ground near such impressive animals, no vehicles or fences between us and them.  After we returned hot and hungry some of the students spent time learning (or attempting!) to pole a mokoro, as their guides gave instruction.  Our last night in the Delta, we watched the sun set from the mokoros, adorned with lily pad necklaces and hats, and sat around the fire with our guides – we spent time sharing songs, playing games, talking and enjoying the night under the stars. 

Our trip to the Delta was followed by a trip to another of the most amazing game parks in Southern Africa, Chobe National Park.  The open-air land cruisers picked us up early in the morning for our last safari game drive of the semester. Well into the rainy season, the lush green landscape looked vastly different from our first safari trek three months earlier in Kruger National Park. With plastered on smiles, the girls giggled with excitement at the wildlife wonderland around them and took turns peeking through their well-prepared friend's binoculars. White Egrets flew away slowly as we passed, startled by our presence. Marabou Storks and Goliath Herons stared at us curiously while standing on one leg. Large herds of impala danced across our truck's path; loner males grazed in the shade while the young struggled to leap over the tall grass after mom. Aggressive hippos opened their wide mouths to us and threatened one another off prime beach territory. Egyptian Geese (so called because of their resemblance to bird figures depicted in ancient Egyptian paintings) showed off their gorgeous coloring. African Buffalo stared at us indifferently, lazily slapping flies with their tails. Zebras pranced away from our watchful gaze while small groups of warthogs running in single file hardly noticed we were there. An elephant herd grazed silently a few feet away from the truck, so close we could almost count their eyelashes. We watched them gulp down the breakfast portion of their daily intake of 300 kilograms of food. Our guide taught us how to tell the difference between males and females and told us how Chobe National Park has well over 60,000 elephants and possesses the highest population of elephants of any other park in Africa. We marveled at a large family of baboons in amazement as they interacted with one another and played with their young just as humans do. Crocodiles held their statue-like pose as we passed in astonishment; mouths wide open in a frozen, toothy smile to keep their body temperature cool. Fish Eagles circled overhead while we relaxed in the middle of the park with steaming mugs of sugary coffee and tea, taking photo after photo and thoroughly enjoying one another's company; relishing one of the last incredible experiences we had together as a TTS 12 family.

We ended our time in Chobe National Park with a wonderful three-hour boat cruise on the beautiful Chobe River.  We boarded the boat near our campsite at the Chobe Safari Lodge and headed out in search of animals.  We found what we were looking for and more!  A herd of elephants swam past our boat while another herd crossed the river in front of us, a true National Geographic moment.   We spotted lots of huge hippos some which responded to our near proximity with snorts and wide open jaws.  Several crocodiles watched us closely as our boat slowly cruised past their resting spots.  A pair of majestic fish eagles lined the river’s edge, and several female kudu nibble green grass only a few feet from the water’s edge.  As our cruise came to a close, the setting sun cast a warm glow over the river.  It was the perfect way to end our time in Botswana!
  
What more adventurous way to wrap up our three and a half month extravaganza than to take a rafting trip down the Zambezi?!  That's right, there is no other way!  The girls took on one of their largest challenges of the semester trying to stay a float down the 25 rapids (3 of which were class 5) that the Zambezi had to offer in Livingston, Zambia last week.  Not only was this trip physically challenging but it took the focus, motivation, and mental strength of a professional river extremist!  Although we all tried our best to keep our wits about us and to listen as closely as we could to our rafting guides, that did not prevent almost all of the rafts from tipping.  Whether it was falling, tipping, leaping, or jumping out of our boats, however, the girls maintained a positive attitude throughout the 6 hour long adventure and their giggles could be heard echoing down the rapids all day.  Thankfully we were blessed with beautiful weather which only helped to inspire our smiles to widen even further.  After the adventure had come to an end, we were welcomed back at the rafting headquarters with a warm meal and a surprise viewing of our days risky undertakings on video!  It was a very rewarding way to conclude one of the major highlights of the semester on the fourth largest river in Africa, the great Zambezi.    

The rush of the Zambezi was followed the next day with a river dinner cruise where we had our graduation ceremony.  Floating down the river next to hippos and wading water birds while the sun was setting, was a lovely way to spend our last evening together in company of Ngwena and Hungwe.  The girls were appreciated for their accomplishments and the special things they each brought to this group and amazing experience.  

On the academic side of things the girls have a lot to be proud of.  Their final project involved the creation of a newspaper incorporating a piece of work from each subject area.  In Science the girls were required to research and write about a species or scientific subject they were passionate about.  In History the girls created maps that traced our journey throughout the semester and highlighted different historical events of importance along our route.  In Literature the girls submitted travel articles, in Math Applications the girls acted as advice columnists and provided the audience with words of wisdom about the various financial pitfalls they learned about in the Game of Life.  In Language the girls created an advertisement for their upcoming play.  Another highlight of our final week was the Language final where the girls were required to write, direct, and execute a performance that presented two possible scenarios for the future of language in southern Africa. The scenarios were based on their experiences traveling throughout southern Africa, the articles that they read, the cultural interactions they had or witnessed, and conversations that they shared.  With Ginny narrating the girls’ travel on a magic school bus they ended up in market scene two different futures.  In one future the loss of the different languages and cultures created a boring monotone experience and in the other the languages were maintained and people managed to live and work together.  The girls’ creativity shined as they pulled together their thoughts and experiences; we were thoroughly entertained!    
It is hard to put in words just how magnificent this semester was.  As teachers we feel privileged to have spent 3 ½ months with your daughters; thank you for sharing them with us, and with all the people we encountered on our journey that they touched with their hearts and minds. They are lovely, open, strong and inspiring young woman and we look forward to staying in their lives and watching how each one of them changes this world in some way. 

With love and gratitude and hopes of peace in all your hearts,

The TTS12 teachers, Dawn, Rhea, Emily, Leah and Shannon