Fall 2011 presentation – “2011 Fall Sports Montage” from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo.

Wendy Wong is a senior from China, here at MacDuffie. She has a passion for science and loves to read. At MacDuffie, students are able to sign up for an independent study, worth .5 credits. An independent study allows a student to focus on a study or activity outside the classroom that prepares them for college. Wendy shares hers below.

How long have you been attending MacDuffie?

-2 years
What opportunities does MacDuffie offer you that you can’t find anywhere else?
- The teachers give me a lot of opportunities that I didn’t realize especially class discussions. Also they encourage me to do activities like summer camps. Last summer I went to NYLL which was really great. Because of that experience, I discovered my interest in Biology.
How does someone begin an independent study?
-I submitted my materials and wrote an article of what I intended [to do]. It has to be accepted by the committee hear at school. It has to be proven as well.
Tell me about “gua sha.”
-It’s an ancient, traditional Chinese way of curing disease. You use a hard material to scrape skin. The disease will escape from your skin and reddish welts will appear. It’s really comfortable. I’ve done it for 5 teachers here and they loved it.
Have you made a decision on the college you would like to attend?
-I would like to go to Wellesey but I’m not sure if I will get in. As a back up, Brandise and Northwestern because they have good science programs.
What is your favorite type of music?
-Pop and Country music
What do you want to study in college?
-Chemistry and Biology.
What do you like to do for fun?
-I love reading and doing sports. My favorite author is Amy Tan and I like to play Frisbee. I was on the ultimate Frisbee team last year.

Pictured Left: Wendy participates in the dissection of a cat.

Fall 2011 presentation – “iPad Commercial” from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo.

Fall 2011 presentation – “Mind Over Matter” from The MacDuffie School on Vimeo.

Each semester, student films will be showcased to the school during morning assembly. Below are the films that students created last semester (Fall 2011)

by John Lazzaro

On Monday, February 6th, Ms. Tomkiel’s 11th Grade American Literature students took a field trip to Nook Farm in Hartford, Ct.

The farmland was home to two prominent 19th Century authors: Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Since the 11th graders were studying Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn,” the trip was a great opportunity to supplement the class discussions of race and gender in the 19th Century and today.

The Nook Farm field trip is an annual venture and is a great opportunity for students at MacDuffie to get a first hand experience of the authors that they are studying.