HOME| Title | MaxStudents | Teaching Team | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blues Guitar | 8 | Mr. Peters | "The blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll." Muddy Waters This was the sixth annual blues guitar/am seminar. If you had a guitar (that stayed in tune) and knew some chords (at least one), then you came to join the band. We learned new chords, open tunings, and some standard progressions. In addition, we read about and viewed the history and personalities of blues guitar music. |
| Children’s Theater | 12 | Ms. Allie | In this seminar we explored the many facets of preparing a theatrical production for children. We took songs from “Earth Songs” for children, and put them together in a show. We rehearsed in the hopes of performing our production at the end of the term. After tons of work, we were close to performance ready by the end of the seminar. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to perform the show. The students are willing to rehearse after school, but their schedules are so different and full that we have been unable to find a morning or afternoon that we can all meet. We will keep trying and maybe have a chance to perform it someday! |
| Community Service | 10 | Ms. Schumacher | What a rewarding seminar! We dedicated our time and performed helpful deeds throughout our community and uplifted the spirits of our fellow community members. We worked with a variety of organizations, such as the Animal Rescue League, Safe Harbor, and the Orleans Council on Aging. We collected blankets and dog toys for the Rescue League; when we traveled to Safe Harbor we painted and did some very needed yard work; and we visited the Council on Aging every other week and presented and created activities which were based on the themes of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Armenia, and Sweden. We also helped out our own personal community, CCLCS, by managing their recycling program and making frequent dump runs. Lastly, we stopped by the beach once and picked up litter which had polluted our beautiful environment. The students kept a journal throughout the term where they reflected on these activities. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for all! |
| Drama | 12 | Mrs. Farber | In the Drama seminar, students participated in a variety of activities associated with the stage. Various theater games were played where students practiced acting as certain characters and displaying a variety of emotions. Students created scenes for a Haunted House which they then performed for the CCLCS community. During the final phase of the seminar, students created scenes around a central set - a dining room table. During rehearsals, students helped direct one another's skits and delivered helpful critiques and encouragement. As a culminating activity students performed their short play for peers. A great job was done by all! Bravo! |
| Esperanto | 10 | Mrs. Hemeon-McMahon | This seminar centered around the “language of hope,” Esperanto. For some students it was a continuation of their exploration into this universal planned language; for others, it was their first introduction. Students studied at their own level and progressed at their own pace. Every Tuesday and Thursday, this small group of budding Esperantists positioned themselves in front of their laptop computers. They then proceeded to log onto www.lernu.net for challenging language lessons full of new vocabulary and grammar. After a while they would have a snack break, in which they would attempt to converse in Esperanto and have a bit of fun playing some games, singing some songs, and watching a movie -- all in Esperanto. The highlight of this seminar was a field trip to MIT in Cambridge, where the students met with members of that university’s Esperanto club. A great treat was meeting Erin, a member of the club who coincidentally happened to be the students’ on-line Esperanto tutor! All in all, it was a great introduction/continuation to learning a language that has the potential to enhance understanding throughout the world. |
| Flash Fiction | 12 | Ms. Graham-Pye, Ms. Pace | Being a writer is cool for many reasons. Here are just a few: 1. You get to spread ideas (not germs). 2. You get to create people, places and things. 3. You get to make the world a more interesting place, on your terms! In this seminar we grew and improved our creative writing skills and shared our works. We’ll be publishing some of our finished stories. |
| Happy Birthday CCLCS! | 12 | Mr. O’Neil | In this seminar, we learned about charter schools, how the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School evolved over the last ten years, and who our alumni are. We learned about the basic structure of a data base, the difference between objective and subjective data, how to develop a questionnaire, and basics of direct mail marketing. We sent a questionnaire to our alumni and designed a template for an alumni directory to help celebrate the school's 10th Anniversary. We designed a tenth anniversary banner, investigated marketing promotions, and we planned a 10th Anniversary birthday celebration for students, parents, alumni, and friends here on June 5th. Each student was responsible for at least one "deliverable" by the end of the seminar. |
| Keeping A Nature Journal | 8 | Ms. MacKenzie | In this seminar, we began the process of keeping a sketchbook/journal to record scenes of life and nature, animal, mineral and vegetal that we observed and discovered. We went outside when possible and we were lucky that this has been such a mild Fall. Some of the places we sketched included: Skaket Beach, Fort Hill, Bakers Pond Road, Cape Museum of Natural History, the Eastham Bike Trail, Jake Field's Llama farm, Orleans Cemetery, Madame's back yard (and house to draw her new kitten) and the environs of CCLCS, including Mr. Trull's private habitat and Mr. Bates' many creatures. The goal was to draw observationally and to develop a habit of looking closely at the world around us and recording what we notice. We did not include as much writing or other mediums as had been planned, as the drawing process itself was too interesting. Hopefully, the students will continue the process and fill their hard bound sketchbooks with detailed sketches throughout the rest of the year. |
| Knitting | 10 | Ms. Moore | The central project for our seminar was the creation of a blanket intended for donation to Project Linus. Project Linus is a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is the collection and dissemination of homemade blankets. These blankets are given to children who are so sick that they must live in a hospital. We began our seminar with students designing the blanket. They employed aesthetic, mathematical, interpersonal, measuring, and drawing skills to design the blanket. Their ultimate design, which consisted of blue knit squares stitched together and surrounded by a green knit boarder, was the perfect design for our class. We had a wide range of knitting ability, and since each student was responsible for one or two squares, each knitter could be challenged to learn new stitches and patterns. After the completion of the blanket, the students created cards to accompany it to its ultimate recipient. Students seemed to feel good about working hard for such a good cause. |
| Paint, Paint, Paint! | 14 | Ms. Lyman, Ms. Tomayko | In this seminar we explored and experienced painting from the very beginning. We painted inside and outside, big and small, in color and black and white, and worked with still life, the landscape, and abstraction. We learned how to paint three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface, how to mix color and use shading, and how to make our own unique painting tools. We even made our paintings pop out from the wall by combining painting and sculpture in innovative, collaborative ways. The students participated in the following projects: painting from objects from nature, charcoal and watercolor paintings at Herring Run in Brewster, watercolors of a still life, watercolors of llamas, rabbits, and sheep at Jake Field's farm in Eastham, painted furniture and decorated light switch plates for the CCLCS auction, abstractions in acrylic, and collaborative three-dimensional painting of an interior scene with a table. |
| Pond Ecology - The Study of Freshwater Ponds | 10 | Mr. Trull | We know that fish are found in many ponds, but what about the food web that these fish need to survive? We've studied the life in freshwater ponds from plankton to Snapping Turtles, from tadpoles and dragonflies to Giant Water Beetles and Backswimmers. We studied frogs and turtles, and used nets and portable aquariums to observe EVERYTHING. We got our feet wet in this seminar, and students learned to respect and have appreciation for Nature and all iving things. |
| Run For Your Life! | 12 | Mrs. Brannigan, Mrs. Brannigan, Mrs. Donnan | This seminar was for all levels of runners and/or people who wanted to learn more about how running can become an enjoyable part of one's life. We talked about the importance of proper stretching and warming up prior to running and integrated these moves into each seminar meeting. Students learned that stretching helped improve flexibility as well as making the run easier and more enjoyable. We traveled to various places and running tracks on the Cape and enjoyed scenic running along with lap running. A noted triathlete and running expert came to talk to us and we also learned about the importance of hydrating and healthy snacks to help boost our energy. Finally, we designed our own CCLCS running shirt and those that were able to, took part in the Andrea Holden 5K Thanksgiving Race in Dennis! |
| SELECT CHORUS | 20 | Mrs. Bossi | Members of the Select Chorus Seminar were selected by audition. We worked on a variety of pieces in different styles and genres, both in two and three parts. Students worked on good tone production, vowel placement and phrasing. An emphasis was placed on singing a capella, and everyone mastered some very difficult music. We did a small recording project as a benefit for the Brick Project Seminar, and we will do a performance at Heritage Plantation as well as the school holiday concert. Every person in this seminar worked hard, and I am proud of their accomplishments. |
| Statistics through Baseball | 16 | Mr. Niles | Strat-O-Matic Baseball is a statistics- based game played with dice and a separate playing card for each player in the major leagues. Students in this seminar served as field manager, general manager and owner for their chosen team. Managers made out lineups, managed pitching staffs and controlled game strategy as teams competed against each other. Each manager kept a scorecard and was responsible for keeping team statistics, Students improved math skills by computing batting averages for each team member. The season culminated with a rousing world series victory for the Atlanta Braves over the Seattle Mariners. Grades were determined by student behavior and the care and quality with which students kept team statistics. |
| THE BRICK PROJECT | 20 | Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Amaru | Created by an international team of scholars and educators, The Brick Project enables students to become more globally aware world citizens. Along with schools from India, Zimbabwe, and Lithuania, CCLCS has been chosen to represent America in the first “brick”. Each brick will form an online community, using discussion boards to learn about each other’s cultures. Participants will address global conservation issues and together explore sustainable solutions. Each country will also be identifying local aspects of the world hunger crisis and will develop a plan of action to help better their own community. We will also be responsible for creating a digital scrapbook to share what is special about our school and our community with the other schools. Students will respond to weekly discussion questions and participate in art and literature activities presented by the member schools. The Lighthouse School has signed on for a two-year commitment, so students will be expected to continue meeting with the Brick Project for the remainder of this school year. Next year, we will have three new schools to partner with, as the original brick expands to four new bricks. |
| The Salem Witch Hysteria | 15 | Mr. Stewart | This seminar explored the events around the infamous Salem witch hysteria of 1692. We read Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible”, and other relevant literature. We learned about past and present issues around witchcraft and around other “hysterias” in history. We had a full day exploring relevant sites in Salem and Danvers on a trip planned and led by the students and invited in speakers (special thanks to Pat Polcastro). We did an oral reading of Miller’s play, watched the excellent PBS “ Three Sovereigns for Sarah” and the studio release of “The Crucible”. |
| Yearbook 2004-2005 | 15 | Ms. Garran | The yearbook staff was involved in all aspects of the yearbook from the planning to the photography to the layout of the design of CCLCS' tenth anniversary commemorative yearbook. Students worked diligently to meet deadlines, generate a creative layout and include all 180 students. Students had to make group decisions in addition as well as work independently and in smaller groups. Look for the result of their hard work and creativity this June! |
| YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR | 10 | Mr. Bates | This seminar gave the students an introduction to the business world. The curriculum was based on a series of books published by Young Biz. Students were broken into groups and asked to perform a variety of tasks that mirrored the real business world. Each group was responsible for writing a business plan that discussed profits, expenses, strategies, and products that would make money. There were a couple of bake sales on the playground and one at the haunted house that raised a total of $240.00, after expenses. This money will be used to rent the Charles Moore skating rink for an all school party. Students also were introduced to the stock market, possible interview questions, and had in-depth discussions about possible jobs for them when they turn 14. We didn't make the millions we had planned, but we had a great time dreaming and scheming about the possibilities of future business ownership for each of us. |