CSS signature J-term program-- the June mini-semester, where students this year enrolled in one of 6 interdisciplinary courses -- and which use the city or the world as a classroom, wraps up another school year with a flourish!

This year’s program included two “In the City” courses: “Nature in the City” and “Architecture in the City”; two sustainability themes courses: “Water” and “Energy”; and two study abroad courses “Island Biodiversity (Puerto Rico)” and “Natural History of Northeastern Seaboard (Maine)”.

CSS is the only school in the city, and one of the few the nation, with such a comprehensive and ambitious J-term program. J-term has many educational advantages over the regular traditional curriculum and schedule, which typically constrain the kinds of activities possible and have narrow disciplinary focus. Led by two core faculty, who team up with a pair of Columbia University students, the courses emphasize interdisciplinary analysis and thinking, hands-on learning, and in-depth exploration of big questions or problems.

In the "Water" course, for example, students learn about forest ecology and water cycle while they camp in the Catskills' watershed region. They explore the biochemistry of water and the engineering challenges of processing, transporting and distributing water to 11 million NYC residents. In the “Energy” course students examine NYC’s energy sources and energy consumption – and explore the questions: What exactly does it take to power our modern city – and what measures that are being taken to improve energy efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint?

The “in the city” courses use our great city as an open classroom. The “Architecture in the City” class, for example, explores how building and bridge design relates to both aesthetics and structural demands. The “Nature in the City” course exposes students to the incredibly diverse natural spaces that are found in or within easy travel of our urban center: the parks, state nature preserves and federally protected ecosystems that make our city green and biologically diverse.

The Travel abroad courses examine the rich ecological diversity and natural history of the island of Puerto Rico (Island Biodiversity) and Maine (Natural History of the Northeastern Seaboard). In an adventure of living and learning, during this second week, J-term students are spread throughout the Caribbean, Maine, Upstate New York, the Jamaica Bay Estuary, and in a variety of locations throughout the city. Learning by experiencing things in the real world, CSS students develop a better appreciation of the complexities and messiness of real world problems. In J-term, CSS students learn concepts and theories by combining classroom instruction and readings, with observing and experiencing the real world.

Another equally important aspect of the J-term experience is the social, emotional and moral development that takes place in these tight-nit learning communities. Students learn to cooperate, to lead, to follow, to assume responsibility over aspects of their existence which they often take for granted (for e.g. washing their cloths, preparing their own food, securing a dry home or tent, ensuring they have adequate water supply). By living in an environment different from what they are familiar with, students are challenged to fundamentally rethink the ways they interact with their physical and social environment. J-term certainly represents some of the best education CSS offers!

Below students studying the sustainability of Water explore the marshes of the Hudson River outside Cornwall, NY, where they are spending 6 nights at a research forest.  See more Water Semester photos here.

Another group of 6th graders studying Island Biodiversity atop a 4000 ft. peak in El Yunque rain forest in the island of Puerto Rico.

WANT TO WORK TOGETHER WITH YOUR CSS FRIENDS TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?

INTERESTED IN REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS OF ENGINEERING?

COME TO THE STAR (SudenT AmbassadoR) PROGRAM!!!

Challenge yourself this summer by participating in innovative problem solving activities that will give you the tools to make an impact in your community! Spend three weeks exploring various environmental issues occurring locally and globally, and bring your “green” innovations back to school in the fall! Explore the NYC environment through hands-on activities and field trips! Collaborate with your peers and Columbia/Barnard mentors to engage in hands on projects that build on your engineering knowledge to better our urban environment. Be a CSS StudenT AmbassadoR/ environmental leader! Have FUN!

STAR is back for its second year at CSS, and is now open to students of all grade levels: incoming 6th graders, and rising 7^th and 8^th grade students! The program is free, though students must apply by application.  Please email/see Prof. Hill for more information and an application! We encourage all interested CSS students to apply! The application deadline for the second round of admissions is June 12, 2009.

Program Runs: July 13^th –July 31^st (Monday-Friday; 9-4pm), at CSS.

CSS-MSE prides itself in having an independent and innovative curriculum that emphasizes the development of skills and knowledge necessary to:

1. become creative and critical thinkers
2. be moral and responsible citizens of the world
3. take advantage of an early college experience at Columbia University
4. be accepted in top notch colleges and universities in the USA and across the world.

Unique features of our curriculum include our philosophy and engineering programs, our diverse electives, fitness and creative arts programs, and our June term study abroad and field expeditions semester. Our core course of ELA, Math, Social Studies and Science do not emphasize "test-prep": they emphasize critical and creative writing, oral and multimedia communication skills, cooperative work skills; argument, inquiry and problem solving skills; and using math and science as a way of seeing and understanding the universe.

Nevertheless, we are proud to announce that we measure well on state-designed assessment instruments, which have a much narrower focus.

This year, 100% of CSS-MSE students scored at level 3 (meeting learning standards) or higher on both NY State ELA and Math exams, in both 6th and 7th grades!   This is a 4% increase over last year, in which 96% of our 6th graders accomplished the same.

ELA Results

• In ELA, 32% of 6th graders, and 12% of 7th graders scored a level 4 or higher, with 68% and 88%, respectively, scoring a level 3.  
• For our 6th grade, these results represent a 27% increase over last year's grade 6 results!
• For our 7th grade, this is a 7% increase in the number of students in the same cohort earning a 4 last year!

Math Results

• In Math, 75% of 6th graders, and 71% of 7th graders scored a level 4 or higher, with 25% and 29%, respectively, scoring a level 3.
• For our 6th grade, these results represent a 27% increase over last year's grade 6 results!
• For our 7th grade, this is a 23% increase in the number of students in the same cohort earning a 4 last year!

Congratulations are in order for the hard work of our students and Professors Ligocki, Hill, Nalley, and Martin!

Prof. Martin, our 6th grade math and architecture teacher and 6th grade level team leader, has won the prestigious BlackBoard award for excellence in teaching.  Awards were given based on the votes of participants on an online survey conducted by Manhattan Media, owner of several important local newspapers, including the West Side Spirit.  As any who know professor Martin as a student or colleague, all can agree this is a well-deserved recognition of her super-human dedication, caring, and tenacity in her calling to educate young people.

As some may know, last year CSS won the award for a new middle school and Prof Chance Nalley - our 7th grade math teacher, also won the Blackboard award. That BOTH members of our math team have won Blackboard awards is a unique and exceptional achievement which we should all be proud of.

Outside the CSS community, you’d probably be hard pressed to find a couple of seventh graders eager to spend a weekend with their math teacher.  Outside the CSS community it might be almost impossible to find a couple of parents thrilled to spend a weekend with the math teacher.  But CSSers who know Professor Chance O. Nalley understand and undoubtedly envy those of us who got to enjoy four days in the Colorado Rockies with this smart, funny, kind teacher.

CSS students will showcase their scientific knowledge and research skills. The projects are a demonstration of qualitative and quantitative observations of the world around them, of budding scientists asking questions and seeking answers.

Please join us for this grand event!

Wednesday May 27th, 2009

School Gym 8:00-3:00 PM - Judges

6:00-8:00 PM – Students, Families and Community guests.

Finger food and drinks!

Student attendance is required!

Join us and celebrate our SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE!

How to get involved: Give us a call, bring in a favorite food or beverage, and attend the fair….

We still need JUDGES – if you have a science or engineering background please email carlacota@columbiasecondary.org

Please contact Jodi Blanco or Heidi Jackson 212 666-1278  we need finger food,  desserts or drink that our scientists and scientists’ families can sample in the evening.

SEUSSICAL critically acclaimed by public!

More than 800 students, parents, teachers and guest including pk-1st graders from our neighboring school PS-36 and 4th and 5th graders from PS-125 experienced CSS's first theatrical performance!

"It was amazing!" said one student.  "CSS has shown that it has plenty of musical and dramatic talent!" commented a parent. "CSS showed the world its not just a great science and math school - it is also great in theatre!" commented another parent.

"Putting it all together was a complex and challenging task - four different courses were involved including theatre, cartooning, construction, and circus arts. 50 students and a dozen parents worked very hard for weeks to make this happen.  Prof. Hubbard and Prof. Hill - the director, as well as Ryan Driscoll, the musical director, worked their tails off to pull this together. The student actors, set construction, stage designers, and technical crew were simply amazing! Activities like this show our students just how much you can do with vision, hardwork and dedication. Prof. Hill pulled this off with great skill, organization and passion - she showed us again what great teaching is all about!. " commented the Principal, Dr. Maldonado.

CSS, in partnership with KIPP Star school, invested over $25,000 in this play's production and in upgrading the auditorium's lights and sound system. Our parent and Foundation for Educational Excellence supported these important investments. Kudos to Prof. Stillman, who led the way in this complex and important improvement to our physical plant.

This year, Columbia Secondary School established a recruitment relationship with the Center for Talented Youth, a program founded by the Johns Hopkins University (CTY-JHU) to provide summer enrichment programs for students showing advanced abilities in their quantitative and verbal reasoning.  In part, because of the socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity of our talented student population, CTY-JHU was eager to get our students tested, with the hope that many would qualify for their summer programs and be eligible for financial aid scholarships.

This year, CSS invited 56 students to take the CTY tests.  These were students who had attained a 700 or higher on their NY State ELA or Math raw scores in the previous school year.  Sixth grade students took the School and College Abilities Test (SCAT) and seventh grade students took the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), normally taken by high school seniors.  Of the 56 who took the exams, 47 qualified for CTY summer programs, available only to the top 5% of the normed test population.  CTY testing coordinator Nara Han writes, "Your students did remarkably well--84% of your SAT test takers are eligible for Summer Programs."  This is compared with what Han states about those who typically take the exams: "Roughly 30% of younger students (grade 6 and younger) qualify, whereas 20% of older (grade 7 and higher) students qualify for programs."

Article by 7th grade students Leslie Paulino and Emily Kerman

Contrary to popular belief, women have been in the field of science for over 4000 years. On March 12, 2009 CSS had the first in a series of CSS Diversity Lecture Series. This speaker series is intended to supplement the curriculum by exposing the student body to leaders in their field within our community as means of stimulating the future generations to aspire to become leaders as well. This assembly focused on women in science.

Don't miss the PHILOSOPHY CAFE, an exposition of our unique and ambitious middle school philosophy program.

This will be a 'famous for great food' CSS potluck supper with presentations by students and faculty.

Sign up here (must be logged in to CSS portal --> left sidebar and Webmail) to bring a dish. 

As Socrates said, "the unexamined life is not worth living," so we expect to see you at this contemplative and palette pleasing event!