Course Recommendation Day
Tuesday, February 7th

Tuesday, February 7th, is Course Recommendation Day.  We will follow a modified all periods meet schedule.  The courses offered at Darien High School provide an array of possibilities for building a curriculum that is rich with theory as well as practical application. As you select your courses for the upcoming academic year please be cognizant of your interests, future plans, graduation requirements, and prerequisites. Make sure to discuss your goals and aspirations with your parents, teachers, and guidance counselor who will guide you in building a program of study that will help you achieve those goals.

• Browse the Full DHS Course Catalog or
• By Subject: Art, Business, Computer Studies, English, Fine/Practical Arts, History/Social Studies, Mathematics, Media, Music, Physical Education, Science, Special Programs, Tech Ed, World Language

Neirad for February 2012

Published In This Issue:

• DHS Celebrates Black History Month by Michael Coe
• DHS Celebrity Crushes by Annabel Schneider
• DHS Does the Grammys by Kat McKay
• Hot in the Lot: Coach Cross's Camaro by Jack Rehm
• DHS's Current "App" Craze: Spice Up Your iPhone Now! by Jessica DeMaio
• Overachievers vs. Underachievers by Kylie Maier
• Pet of the Month: February by Reed Barthold
• Senior Bucket List 2012 by Ryan Barthold
• DHS Sports Managers Lead Our Teams to Success by Kate Fitzmaurice
• Not Your Typical Candy Hearts: Valentine's Day Gets Weird by Annabel Schneider
• English Teachers' Favorite Literary Couples by Alice Wang
• Cribs: Emily Molnar's Beatle Shrine by Kat McKay, Kate Fitzmaurice, Katrina Vassell

DHSPA Meeting
February 7 @ 9:15am

A panel discussion featuring representatives from DHS Administration, Guidance, current and former DHS Parents, and Darien's Southfield Center For Development. Whether you have questions about your frenzied freshman, stressed out sophomore, jittery junior or you're sending-off your senior, this program will arm you with answers.

• Rigor vs Grades – an academic dilemma. 200 vs 300 level classes – how do they differ? Should every student strive for AP classes?
• Student Stressors – and how to help.
• Navigating unfamiliar territory – how to engage your child in DHS and beyond.
• Helicopter vs Hands-Off - when to step in?

Your Questions, Concerns, and Attendance are crucial to the success of this program. Please email any of the Program Committee members with your input – all emails will be confidential. Anne-Lise Brown: albdjb@aol.com, Kari Murray: karila@optonline.net , Lynn Koorbusch: lynnk@optonline.net

DHS WINS at Southern CT
Science & Engineering Fair

On Saturday, Feb. 4, thirty-seven students in the DHS Authentic Science Research program competed in the Southern Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair at Amity High School in Woodbridge.  Each student was required to create a poster exhibit, make a presentation, and participate in a question and answer session with two sets of judges. The judges evaluated entries (both completed projects and research proposals) in four categories: life sciences, physical sciences, environmental sciences and behavioral sciences.

We are pleased to announce that a record number of DHS students came home with top prizes:

For completed projects:

• Brooke Davis:  1st Place, Behavioral Science – “Use of Formant Values in Classifying Vocalizations of Beluga Whales”  
• Amanda Sommi:  1st Place, Environmental Science – “The Effect of Rising Sea Level on the Elevation of Salt Marshes Throughout Long Island, NY”

For research proposals:

• Kate Ferguson:  1st Place, Environmental Science – “Quantifying the Effect of Lionfish and Other Stressors on Coral Reef Ecosystems off the Coast of Southern Mexico”
• Reed Morgan:  1st Place, Behavioral Science – “Ethnogenesis and State Formation in the Mycenaean Hither State of Pylos: A-pu2/Iklaina as a Diagnostic for Expansion of the Core Zone”
• Jeffrey Sload - 1st Place, Health Science – “Elucidating Warfarin Pharmacogenomics in African Americans: A Genome-wide Association Study on Warfarin Dose Response in a Cohort of African American Individuals”
• Oscar Barbour - 2nd Place, Physical Science – “The Effect of Different Temperatures of Salt Baths on the Improvement of Glass Properties through the Ion-Exchange Process”
• Grace Brandon - 2nd Place, Environmental Science – “The Effect of Water Type on the Growth Rate of Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris for the Production of Microalgae Biofuels”
• Andrew Fletcher - 3rd Place, Physical Science – “The Effects of Synthesis Temperatures on Materials in a Quantum Dot Solar Cell”
• Mark Kaminski - Honorable Mention, Behavioral Science – “Ethnicity and Background Analysis for Use in Individualized Facial Recognition Software”
• Leah Hotchkiss - Honorable Mention (tie), Health Science – “Transmission of Fatal Familial Insomnia through Ingestion”
• Caroline Wetterauw - Honorable Mention (tie), Health Science – “Irregular Methylation of the ST6GALNAC Gene Region Resulting in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder”

Please congratulate all of the ASR students who participated, along with their teachers:
Christine Leventhal, Phillip Youker, David Lewis

Gap Year Fair on
Thursday, February 9th

Darien High School will be hosting a Gap Year Fair on Thursday, February 9th All High School Students and their Families are welcome to attend this free event!

• Guest speaker in the auditorium @ 6:30 p.m.
• Fair from 7-8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.
• Over 35 organizations will be represented

USAF Falconaires Jazz Ensemble
to Perform Free Concert at DHS

The United States Air Force Academy Falconaires Jazz Ensemble will be performing at the Darien High School auditorium on Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 pm. The Falconaires Jazz Ensemble is one of two premiere big bands of the United States Air Force that tour throughout the United States and abroad performing public concerts and shows. Our own Darien HS Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jonathan Grauer will open the program for the Falconaires and will also be involved in a special workshop with members of the Falconaires on the afternoon of the concert. There is no admission charge, but a ticket will be required for admission. Tickets may be requested by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Falconaires Tickets, Darien High School, 80 High School Lane, Darien, CT. There is a limit of 4 tickets per request. This event is being sponsored by the Darien Music Department, The Darien Music for Youth organization, the Darien Times and Cousin's Concert.

For more information and ticket order form.

JUNIOR PLANNING MEETINGS

Individual Junior planning meetings begin on February 1st. Each Junior has the opportunity to meet with their counselor and parents to develop a plan to help them reach their post high school goals. These meetings should be scheduled by the student during their free period. Please check with your counselor if you want to schedule this during your lunch period. In addition to scheduling the meeting, students should submit their Junior Packet at least five days before their scheduled time. The completion of this packet is essential to have a productive meeting and not submitting could delay your materials being sent to colleges during senior year. The Junior Packets can be found on the Guidance website under Forms. Please see your counselor if you have any questions.

Attention Seniors Interested in the
Internship Program this spring

Please note that if you missed the December 16th Senior Internship Application deadline, you can still apply to be a part of the internship program! Please visit the Senior Internship Website to fill out the December 16th Senior Internship Application, the Internship Worksite Application and the Internship Contract by February 28th and you can still be considered. If you have any questions please contact the DHS Senior Internship Program Co-Chairs: Lauren Di Stefano or Lisa Messineo, at seniorinternship@darienps.org or (203) 309-2592.

Join the DHS Sailing Team!

Student/Parent informational meeting on Thursday March 1st at 7 pm in the CPR room. All are welcome!

Winter SAT Review Courses for Juniors

Darien High School will once again offer its SAT review course headed by Mr. Dooley from the math department and Mr. Speiser from the English department.  The winter class is appropriate for JUNIORS who will be taking the March 10, 2012 test.  The same course will be repeated in April for those juniors who will be taking the SAT on May 5, 2012.

SAT Math:  The Math course will run on four Tuesday nights from 7pm – 9pm in room B112 for a total of 8 hours of instruction.  The dates of the math class are February 7, February 14, February 28, and March 6.  The cost of the course is $150 and checks should be made payable to DHS.   To register for the Math course, you can contact Patrick Dooley at pdooley@darienps.org.

SAT English:  The English/Verbal course will take place on four Wednesday nights in room B203 from 7pm – 9pm for a total of 8 hours of instruction.  The dates of the class are February 8, February 15, February 29, and March 7.   The cost for the course is $150 and checks should be made payable to DHS.  If signing up for both the English and the Math, please write separate checks.  To register for the English course, contact Alex Speiser at aspeiser@darienps.org.

Kiwanis Club of Darien ANNUAL CITRUS SALE

The Kiwanis Club of Darien Citrus Sale is used to raise funds for scholarships awarded to DHS graduates. Sugar Sweet Indian River Pink Seedless Grapefruit! Valencia oranges bursting with flavor! Tree ripened fruit delivered within days after it is harvested!

• 20 pound carton - $27.00
• 40 pound carton - $37.00
• Mixed 20 pound carton - $27.00

Over $500,000 in scholarships have been awarded: Annual grants to Darien Summer School, support for The Depot, Little League, & Scouts

Orders will be delivered to DHS on March 12, 2012* *(Please indicate DHS as address on order form) February 28, 2012 is the last day for orders. Order online or download a printable order form.

Questions – Paul Larson 203-846-0722 (H) 203-253-5380 (C) or plarson21@yahoo.com