Author Blue Balliett

Lower and middle school students were treated to a visit by Blue Balliett, author of the books Chasing Vermeer and the newly-published The Wright 3. Ms. Balliett was a third-grade teacher at Lab until leaving to pursue a writing career; some of the seventh graders in the audience were her students. Her first novel, Chasing Vermeer, spent half a year on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into 30 languages, and has garnered many awards including the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Juvenile Fiction.

Ms. Balliett discussed the process of writing both books and gave her audience a glimpse into the future, which includes a movie of Chasing Vermeer, the rights to which have been purchased by Warner Brothers and optioned by Brad Pitt's production company.

• Click here to watch an edited movie of one of her talks with the students
  (10 minute, 14.4MB QuickTime movie).
• To listen to a podcast of the entire talk, drag this icon
  into your iTunes window, or use iTunes to subscribe to
  http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/podcasts/news.xml (45 minute podcast).

3-10-06

Connections 06: A Spectacular Occasion

Connections 06 was a spectacular occasion that brought together 612 of Lab's parents, faculty, staff, and friends for an evening of dining and dancing in the Winter Garden of the University's Graduate School of Business. Over 125 fabulous items were auctioned off, ranging from one-of-a-kind student-made vases to deluxe vacation home packages. This year's benefit raised over a quarter of a million dollars for a new digital language lab.

Congratulations to Nancy Lombaer who won "A Day on the Hill" in DC with Barack Obama, and to Mary Sue Kranstaover and Mark Davis who won this year's raffle. Check out a slide show of scenes from an unforgettable evening.

3-08-06

Students Attend Bar Association Panel

Students from Ms. Rothschild's eighth grade humanities class elected to attend a panel discussion on The Supreme Court and What it Means for America, sponsored by the University of Chicago Law School and the University of Chicago Alumni Association. Lab parent David A. Strauss, a Professor of Law at the Law School who has argued cases before the Supreme Court, was a member of the panel, as were professors Albert W. Alschuler, Carolyn Frantz, Dennis J. Hutchinson, and Geoffrey R. Stone. These experts discussed the implications of the Supreme Court's new make-up and the Court's past, present, and future. Students found the implications of the Court's new make-up for the future interesting and informative. The group was joined by another Lab parent, Ms. Lorna Davis, who had brought this opportunity to the students' attention.

3-08-06

A Day of Science for All Ages

Lab's second annual Science Expo proved to be a popular event. Students of all ages, parents, faculty, and administrators could be seen throughout the buildings during this school-wide celebration of science. The four-hour event featured hands-on workshops and presentations, given by University faculty and graduate students as well as Lab's own students and faculty, on biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and technology. There was a planetarium with sky shows, a trebuchet flinging basketballs across Kenwood Mall, computer workshops, science Jeopardy, body fitness testing, straw rockets, a giant cell, dry ice rainbows, as well as 135 student projects on topics as varied as "making batteries out of fruits and vegetables" to "is TV the death of creativity?".

2-26-06

ArtsFest 2006

U-High was a beehive of activity during ArtsFest 2006. In this annual event that celebrates art and creativity in the U-High community, students participated in as many as six student-, parent-, faculty-, and professionally-led activities throughout the day.

There were performances of song, rock, jazz, classical music, dance, film, drama, magic, and poetry. Students tried their hand at juggling and rhythmic gymnastics, break dancing, belly dancing and hip-hop, creative writing and song writing. They explored Shakespeare, Iranian cinema, portrait photography, prose and poetry, anime, and motorcycles. They cooked challah and pizza, and made bags, pinatas, marshmallow-and-toothpick structures, beaded objects, buttons, and decorative knots. Students enlivened t-shirts with stencils and tie-dye, and painted everything from a mural in the second-floor hallway to Ukranian eggs to polariods to their own bodies.

Creatively constructed by the student-led ArtsFest committee, there was something—many things—for everyone at ArtsFest 2006. The day's program can be found online here (pdf).

2-24-06

French Exchange Students Enjoy Lab

Three French students have been attending University High for the last four weeks, going to classes with the recipients of the Eliade Scholarship, Jacqueline Meadow and Katherine Hayes. The Eliade Scholarship, begun in 1987, is an endowment fund in the memory of Mircea Eliade, a novelist and renown professor of the history of religions at the University of Chicago. Every year two sophomores are selected from U-High to experience life in France for four weeks during the fall of their junior year. They attend Lycee Saint-Exupery in La Rochelle and stay with a French family. In the late winter, students from La Rochelle come to University High for four weeks and attend classes with their correspondent.

In addition to course work, the exchange students have been helping out in lower school classrooms and in French classes, visiting museums, enjoying Kingston Mines, and one has been training with the swim team.

2-23-06

Connections Auction Book Online

The Connections '06 Auction Book is here and now available on-line! Preview our exclusive auction items to see which ones you want to hit first when you get to the event. Can't make the event? Submit an absentee bid via email to connections@ucls.uchicago.edu. There's something for everyone in the Connections '06 Auction!

Lower school classes are decorating vases that will adorn tables at Connections, and will be auctioned off at the end of the evening. The rectangular vase shown at left was created by Sylvie Anglin's third grade class after studying the voyages of Captain James Cook. It is adorned with student-drawn scientific illustrations of ocean creatures encountered on Cook's first voyage around the world.

Congratulations to the third Connections '06 early-bird raffle winners: Joan Neal and David Weisbach, who are now $1,000 richer!!! If you haven't purchased your raffle tickets yet, do it now; you still have a chance to be in the final grand-prize drawing for $5,000.

Proceeds from Connections '06 will fund a new digital world language lab. For more information on how you can take part in Connections '06 and/or the new digital language lab, please visit us at http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/connections.

2-17-06

Seventh Grade Food Fest

Seventh grade science students have concluded their study of nutrition with a food fest. In preparation, every student selected a family recipe and researched the nutrient content of each of the ingredients. Using the FDA guidelines, students then calculated the nutritional content for one serving of their dish, and created a food label much like those seen on commercially-produced foods. They then cooked their recipes at home and brought them to school, split into sample-sized portions. At a festive party lasting most of the day, students, faculty, and other staff were invited to sample the recipes and to learn about the nutritional value of the dishes. Contributions were collected from those who came to sample the food; $384 was raised for a donation to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, at which many eighth grade students volunteered on Service Day.

2-16-06

Science Extravaganza at Lab

Preparations are underway for the second annual Science Expo, Lab's all-school science extravaganza. On Saturday, February 25, from 1:00 to 5:00, students, parents, siblings and faculty will gather for a not-to-be-missed science experience for all ages!

Here is a sampling of what's in store:

• Student projects in biology, psychology, chemistry, physics, earth science, and technology
• Scientist presentations on subatomic particles, stem cell research, Saturn; demos with dry ice and liquid nitrogen
• Kid activities: sierpinski pyramid, 3-D mapping with balloons, launching gummi bears, blubber mittens, dissecting pig's eyes, ziploc aquaria, electroplating pennies, aluminum foil boats, microbe zoo, Quidditch practice
• Giant crossword puzzles
• Computer workshops in artificial intelligence, Sudoku, ArtRage, MicroWorlds, and RSS (web info management)
• The Giant Cell
• House of Bernoulli
• Auto Show 2006
• House of Inventions
• Trebuchet demonstration by the high school science team
• Test your science knowledge in the Science Jeopardy games
• Sky shows in the SkyLab indoor planetarium
• Fitness tests with the PE dept's new Tri-fit technology: find out your body age
• Straw rocket building and competition
• Refreshments!

Science Expo is free and open to all Lab School families and their guests. Mark your calendar!

2-15-06

Connections Early-Bird Raffle Winner

Congratulations to the Connections '06 first early-bird raffle winners: Hart and Suzanne Weichselbaum!!! You could be next; get your raffle tickets today to be a part of the next early-bird drawing to be held on 2/10 for $500. But wait, you have even more chances to win — there'll be another early-bird drawing on 2/17 for $1,000, plus the grand prize drawing for $5,000 cash that will take place on February 25th. Winners need not be present to win.

There's something for everyone at Connections '06! This year's auction promises to offer something for everyone's interests (and price range!). Here's a sneak peek:

• take a tour of Pixar Studios with the Co-director of Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc. and Toy Story 2
• spend a day on the Hill with Senator Barack Obama
• unwind with a weekend of relaxation and spa treatments at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin
• fantasy experiences with the Cubs or White Sox
• vacation getaways
• gastronomic experiences
• and lots more!

Proceeds from Connections '06 will fund a new digital world language lab. For more information on how you can take part in Connections '06 and/or the new digital language lab, please visit us at http://ucls.uchicago.edu/connections

2-8-06

Field Trips Augment Curriculum

At the Laboratory Schools, curriculum is often augmented by field trips that take advantage of Chicago's many offerings. This month, several high school classes are broadening their horizons in a variety of ways.

Students who have been reading "Macbeth" as part of the freshman English curriculum will travel to the Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier to see a production of the play and take part in a discussion with cast members following the preformance. "A theatrical, percussive world of swords, sound and the supernatural make Shakespeare's language come alive in this 75-minute abridged production."

In AP European History, art is an integral component of the curriculum. The class examines, for instance, the change from Rococo Art to Neoclassicism that accompanied the French Revolution. At the Art Institute, students will have an opportunity to see original works of art from the periods they have been studying.

High school Latin classes are taking a trip to the Field Museum for a special exhibition called "Pompeii: Stories from an Eruption".

The AP Economics class will be visiting Chicago's Board of Trade where they will watch the markets open and experience the open outcry system of trading with its specialized language and hand signals that could be replaced soon by new technology. At the Mercantile Exchange they will hear a talk about futures and options trading and see the whirlwind of activity in "the pit".

2-7-06

Author/Illustrator Visits Lower School

Over the years many prominent authors and illustrators have been invited to speak at Lab. Recently, Caldecott Medal winner Emily Arnold McCully visited the lower school to meet with groups of students. She discussed with them the choices she makes as an author, and illustrated the process by having students contribute the details and the plot of a pirate's tale. View a short movie of one of her talks.

Ms. McCully has written more than 30 books and illustrated another 85, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of her books include Beautiful Warrior: The Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu, The Bobbin Girl, and Starring Mirette and Bellini, as well as two to be published soon: School and Marvelous Mattie.

2-5-06

Win $5,000 at Connections

Don't miss out on your chance to win $5,000 cash in the Connections '06 Raffle! Buy your tickets early for chances to win even more in Early-Bird Drawings to be held on 2/03 for $250; 2/10 for $500; and 2/17 for $1,000. All names drawn for the early-bird drawings will be re-entered for the grand prize drawing on February 25, 2006. Winners need not be present to win.

There's something for everyone at this year's Connections and we're expecting a sell-out crowd so don't wait -- underwrite and/or purchase your tickets early for this stellar event today. You can RSVP using the reply card that came with your invitation or by contacting the Development Office (Judd 105) at 773.702.0578. Proceeds from Connections '06 will fund a new digital world language lab. For more information on how you can take part in Connections '06 and/or the new digital language lab, please visit us at http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/connections!

1-28-06

Senior Getaway

The senior class, along with 18 chaperones, spent a three-day weekend at the Eagle Ridge Resort near Galena, IL. This annual getaway is a valuable chance for seniors to enjoy the strong friendships they've made while at Lab and form some new ones in an atmosphere of fun and relaxation. Many of the students opted to go skiing or snowboarding at the nearby Chestnut Mountain Resort, while others enjoyed sledding, bowling, shopping, hiking, or cross country skiing. Evening activities included human foosball, sumo wrestling, swimming, card and board games, a television-style quiz show, dancing, and, of course, socializing.

This trip has been a U-High senior tradition since 1988.

1-24-06

School Records on Display

A display of U-High's school records for swimming and track & field has recently been mounted on the walls in Upper Kovler. The swim record board was made possible by a generous donation from former Lab parent Sandy Wilson. The track & field board, along with a listing of cross country runners who have earned a medal for U-High in state competition, were funded by parents of the 2005-06 cross country and track & field teams.

The oldest record on the boards, set 96 years ago in 1910, was a long jump of 23' 6" by Robert Mathews. The longest-lived girls track records were set in the 1970s, when girls first began competing for U-High in track & field. The oldest boys swim record was set in 1968 by Peter Schloerb in the 100 yard breaststroke, while the oldest girls swim record was set in 1990 by Dillan Siegler in the 100 yard backstroke. Students will recognize other names on the records boards: current students, alumni, faculty, coaches, and Lab School parents.

Kovler Gym was chosen as the site for the new records boards because the teams involved all hold their competitions off campus. The girls and boys swim teams host their home meets in the Olympic-sized pool at the University's Ratner Center. The track & field teams hold their home indoor meets on the 200 meter track in the University's Henry Crown Field House and their outdoor meets at Stagg Field. The cross country team hosts home meets in Washington Park.

These records, along with others, can also be found online:

• Girls Swimming (all-time top-ten performers)
• Boys Swimming (all-time top-ten performers)
• Girls Indoor Track & Field (all-time top-ten performers)
• Boys Indoor Track & Field
• Girls Outdoor Track & Field (all-time top-ten performers)
• Boys Outdoor Track & Field (varsity, frosh-soph, and freshman records)

1-16-06

Boys Basketball Takes it to Overtime

The boys varsity basketball team beat Latin in overtime at home before a gym full of fans on "Pack the Place" night. This exciting game follows another nail-biting win in double overtime on Wednesday against Walther Lutheran. Latin played a formidable zone defense, which the Lab school team could barely penetrate. Avoiding the zone, point guards John Kinsella, Breck Mahoney, and others sunk several three-point shots from the outside. The huddle shown in the photo (left) took place in the final seconds of the fourth quarter when Lab had tied up the score, and coach Ron Ashlaw and the team were plotting a successful defensive strategy to push the game into overtime.

U-High's varsity record now stands at 10-5. They enter post-season playoff competition in Class AA for the first time this year, having moved up from Class A last year. IHSA playoffs begin February 27th.

1-16-06

Martin Luther King Assembly

Rockefeller Chapel hosted a thousand Lab Schools students and faculty as the middle and high schools gathered for the annual assembly to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. This year's guest speakers, both Lab School alumni and parents of current students, were John W. Rogers, Jr., '76, founder, chairman and CEO of Ariel Capital Management, and Linda Johnson Rice, '75, president and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company. After an introduction by their high-school children, they spoke, in a news-interview format, about opportunities offered in the business world to young African-Americans.

Other items on the program included:

• a skit by the middle school BSA on Remembering Rosa Parks
• Dare to Dream, sung by the middle school choir
• a skit written by Jacqueline Chaudhry entitled Understanding the Times; A Conversation Among Friends
• a poem by Artis Lewis called Reminiscing, Simultaneously Rising
• MLK by U2, sung by Jacqueline Meadow and Nicholas Feder
• an excerpt from the Civil Rights Rally, with Mario Ratcliff as Dr. King
• His Eye is on the Sparrow, sugn by Denise Akuamoah and Cortni Brown
• a poem by Grant Newsome entitled
• Lift Every Voice and Sing, sung by the high school choir and the audience

This moving assembly was planned and organized by the high school and middle school Black Students Associations, the Asian Students Association, the Jewish Students Association, and Latinos Unidos, along with faculty coordinators Francis Moore-Bond, Charles Branham, Jamelle St. Clair, Ronald Tunis, and Larry McFarlane.

1-15-06

Connections Tickets on Sale

Tickets for Connections, Lab's annual benefit gala, are on sale now. Tickets are are sure to sell out fast for this fund-raiser, which brings parents, faculty, staff, and friends together at a great party, to celebrate while supporting the Laboratory Schools. Connections 2006 will take place on Saturday, February 25, in the soaring venue of the Winter Garden at the University's Graduate School of Business.

A highlight of Connections is always the silent auction, featuring summer homes, time-shares, travel certificates, tickets to cultural and sporting events, art work created by Lab students, and services offered by members of the community. A list of this year's auction items will be available on the Connections 2006 web site later this month.

Proceeds from this year's benefit will support the creation of a digital language lab. All Lab students will be able to utilize the cutting edge of educational technology to better prepare for their roles in the ever-expanding global marketplace. At Lab, foreign language instruction begins in the third grade and continues throughout students' educational experience. This new lab will both benefit today's students and impact tomorrow's society.

More information, including ticket sales, underwriting, and volunteering, can be found on the Connections 2006 web site.

1-06-06

Summer Lab Registration Open

Summer for all comers—Lab students and the community at large—is shaping up to be better than ever. Following last summer's record-setting attendance, all five program directors are returning and promising even more enhanced activities for Summer Lab 2006. Together, Adventure Kids Day Camp, Summer School, Summer Lab on Stage, and Summer Lab Sports Camps present a truly broad array of choices: academic, athletic, adventure, musical, artistic...you name it.

Summer Lab's purpose is to extend our mission into the summer months for Lab Schools students and their neighbors, be they from around the corner or around the world. Speaking of around the world, Summer Lab Field Study is heading for Colorado, Italy, Chile, and China! Bon voyage!

Program dates here on campus are June 19 through July 28, 2006. Registration is open from now until June 12th, with an early bird special that expires on April 15th. Everything you need to know, along with online registration, can be found at summerlab.org.

01-02-06