Page 24 - Norwood Spring 2019 Magazine

Campus News 1 Norwood’s Debate Team, with coach Ben Hollander, shows oƒ their trophies
after taking first place in team winning percentage at the Nation’s Capital Debate
League tournament held at Norwood on February 2, 2019. 2 & 3 Seventh grade
girls compete at the “Expedition K2M” STEM competition on February 23, 2019.
4 Dean of Students Travis Wooden with two seventh graders at PCW’s Middle
School Student Leader Breakfast.
A Big Team Win The teams debated two topics: Summit” held at Foxcroft School in Building Student
for Norwood 1. Police o“cers should wear Middleburg, Virginia. Leaders
body cameras, and 2. The Senate
Debate should be abolished. Norwood Divided into two teams, called the Throughout a child’s experience
There’s nothing to debate when debaters were well prepared and Tetnas Tramplers and the Rabies at Norwood, students are provided
it comes to discussing the hard did an outstanding job with their Rejectors, the Norwood girls rotated with many opportunities to
work and success of the Norwood arguments “Although it’s great to through five STEM activities and develop leadership skills. This is
Debate Team. On Saturday, win individual awards, this was a competed against more than 30 especially true during the middle
February 2, 2019, 14 Norwood team win that represents everyone’s teams in a variety of challenges school years when students may
students in grades 6-8 competed hard work and commitment. I relating to the “Pandemic!” theme. purse leadership positions with
in a full-day debate tournament am so proud of this team and look The Tetnas Tramplers were one the Student Advisory Council and
hosted by Norwood for 13 schools, forward to their continued success of the few winners of a “pandemic various clubs and groups, as well as
240 debaters, and 50 judges. The at future tournaments,” says Mike. mystery,” and the Rabies Rejectors serving as role models for younger
team placed first overall as the were overall winners in two students. In addition, middle
school with the highest winning Super STEM Girls categories and overall first-place school students are o—ered the
chance to participate in o—-campus
percentage against 12 other schools. Soar at Local winners for the day. They were leadership experiences, including
the only team in both the middle
According to Mike Risen, who Competition school event and the high school the following three events.
coaches the team along with STEM (science, technology, event to receive a perfect score in
middle school history teacher Ben engineering, and math) education the chemistry problem! “They also Middle School Student
Hollander, the event was the league’s or STEAM (another acronym that placed first in the biology event Diversity Leadership
(Nation’s Capital Debate League) adds art to the mix) is woven into with a perfect score on a problem to Conference
largest tournament to date. “It’s the PK-8 curriculum at Norwood. identify di—erent types of bacteria Run by the Eastern Educational
really great to see so many debaters Whether in social studies, art, using gram staining,” shared Annette. Collaborative in the fall, this event
from middle schools all over the or the science lab, students use brings middle school students
D.C. area,” says Mike, who also STEM/STEAM skills to think “This year, they announced that the from all over the D.C. area together
serves as president of the Nation’s critically and creatively and to middle school teams scored higher at Sandy Spring Friends School
Capital Debate League. “Debate problem solve. On February 23, overall than the high school teams,” to discuss issues of race, gender
goes beyond just arguing topics 2019, a group of seventh grade added Annette. “The middle school expression, and social class. This year,
and winning awards. It develops girls, led by middle school science competition was intense. All the girls seven Norwood students participated
critical-thinking and researching teacher Annette Matzner, had the did a fantastic job. As always, I was in the conference, along with Middle
skills, and it hones writing and chance to take these skills on the really proud of how well our girls School Dean of Students Travis
public-speaking skills. It also boosts road to participate in the all-girls worked together and how they kept Wooden and Director of Diversity,
confidence and self-esteem.” “Expedition K2M: The STEM trying even when it was di“cult.” Equity, and Community Billy Vargas.

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