North Star Band (John Sprague and Johnny Williams) After a year away, the Band is almost brand new this year, and it has been exciting seeing how everyone has come together to make music. We are currently working on three pieces -- including classic tunes by the Talking Heads and Abba, and are beginning to look forward to performing. The energy of the band is positive; band members are working well together and helping each other out as we learn and develop the tunes, and figure out our individual parts along the way. It’s a rewarding process of personal and collective creativity and cooperation.

(from Johnny) I am teaching the North Star Band class with John Sprague. Band has been going really well so far this year. We have eight members so far and have been making steady progress on the songs "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads, "Mama Mia" by Abba and "Cloud 9" by Beach Bunny. We hope to perform all three songs at the Winter Staff Appreciation concert.

Future of the World (John Sprague) This class includes a brief introduction of topics by John, or by watching videos, followed by lots of group discussion as we address major issues facing humanity, looking towards our future. Topics have included our personal concerns for the future, what constitutes “the world?” How do we structure our society, how we make decisions as a species, how we meet our personal and collective needs, the role of technology and artificial intelligences, the importance of ethics in creating a positive future. We are currently rethinking our direction, and considering changing the name of the class to "Positive Futures."

Consent in the Romance Novel (Kizzi Collier) In this class the only book that we have read so far is Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. This is a M/M (male/male) gay contemporary romance. As we read these books together, teens point out spots in the book when they see consent happening and when they don't. We have discussions around how they would want these moments changed in their own reality with relationships as well as enjoying the tension that happens between protagonists. We have also discussed the formulaic structure of a romance novel. Our next book shall be One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, as everyone really enjoyed this previous one.

Sex is a Funny Word (Kizzi Collier) We have gone over quite a few different discussions during this class. Topics include: What does the word "sex" mean to them, understanding euphemisms, AMAB/AFAB bodies, intersex, contraceptives, and consent. Teens had a lot of fun with the game Contraceptive Dominoes and valued being able to see and feel every type of contraceptive available. Next topics will include bringing a guest speaker in from Tapestry Health to discuss the services that they offer to teens.

Herbalism (Kizzi Collier) This year I have been doing my best to gauge what people would like to gain from this class. A few things we have done together are looking at the garden beds at the building and discussing those plants, what Materia Medicas look like and how they are utilized and valued with herbalism as a practice, going on a walk to identify local plants, making (and, sadly, failing) bath bombs, tea blends, and fire cider! I am excited to hear what else they want to learn together and other little creations we shall make.

Social Issues (Ken Danford) We’ve been watching the Texas abortion law, Facebook papers fallout, the progress and lack thereof for the national infrastructure bills, the current trials involving Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery’s killers, national Covid-19 policy, economic issues such as the scarcity of workers and a set of strikes across the country, the supply chain complications, the election campaigns and outcomes, and how we feel about the role of government in various areas of our lives.

Games (Ken Danford) We’ve played a lot of different games such as Dirty Thirteen, Code Names, Bananagrams, Uno, Monopoly, Charty Party, and a special combination of several of these games invented by Janet. More fun ahead.

Hiking Group (Loran Saito and Jesse Gwilliam) We’ve had a good-sized group joining for hikes most weeks. Our destinations have included Sugarloaf Mountain, Roaring Brook Falls, White Rock, The Leverett Peace Pagoda via Ellamoose Repose, Cave Hill, Mt. Toby, and Rattlesnake Gutter. We intend to keep hiking all winter. We can always use parent driving help, and parents are always welcome to join as well!

Bread (Loran Saito) In this period we have made White Sandwich Bread, Cinnamon Apple Quick Bread with Apple Cider Glaze, Honey Oatmeal Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpernickel Bread, Giant Cinnamon Roll Scones, Potato Rolls, and Cranberry Nut Bread. We alternate yeast-based breads and quick breads from week to week.

Food and Culture (Loran Saito) We started the year by watching the Netflix series “High On the Hog,” which documents the roots of American cooking in African-American food traditions. We cooked and ate some of the foods that were depicted on the show, including okra, yams, a crab stew macaroni and cheese red velvet cake, and East Texas-style barbecue sauce. We performed much of this cooking over a fire in the back yard. We talked about the roles and legacies of several famous chefs who were enslaved by founding fathers, traditional Juneteenth foods, and vegan traditions in African-American cooking.

Art Projects (Loran Saito) So far we have played with color and optical illusion, done our own version of Zentangles, made layered Sculpey disks, collaged on wood, and started some fabric work.

Volunteering at Amherst Survival Center (Loran Saito) Our steady group of three teens and one adult started the year working inside, mainly breaking down larger packages of pet food and diapers for distribution in smaller packages. More recently we have been working outside, unloading the donations delivery truck and preparing the donations for distribution to the community.

Critical Eyes on American History (Jesse Gwilliam) As a class we have been working through American history somewhat sequentially covering: myths in American History, race in colonial times, the broad social aspects of the American revolution, internal American expansion, the Monroe doctrine, Manifest Destiny, and the Mexican American war. The trajectory is loose but it is generally following the history and politics of the United States and the events that are not only contentious, but were also vital in the making of the contemporary United States. 

Fire! (Jesse Gwilliam) Starting the course we have covered some anthropological theories behind the connection and importance of fire and the development of early humans. Then, we go right to work learning the three main styles of fire building designs, the three classifications of materials that are used for making and sustaining a fire. We learned the three essential elements of fire and then we have worked on different ways to start a fire using: lighters, matches, flint and steel, and bow drills. We have also cooked some meals on the fire and played fire facts kahoot! 

Language Journeys (Derek Czajka)

Chorus (Derek Czajka)

Acting Adventures (Ellen Morbyrne) In Acting Adventures this September and October we've been playing hard - we've played games with balls learning about timing and teamwork and focus, we've started diving into the movement vocabularies of Rudolf von Laban and Jacques LeCoq, we've toe-dipped in the tools of presence and breath from Patsy Rodenburg and Kristin Linklater, and we've been challenging ourselves to use body and voice to collaborate and create. We are just at the beginning of honing our craft as storytellers and this group is already taking brave artistic risks and supporting each other to grow together.

Science (Melanie Dana) We’ve been using the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitat checklist to evaluate the North Star property and make recommendations for ways to improve it. Some of the activities we have done so far include: walking to the CT River where we likely spotted a bald eagle flying over the water, using the microscopes to search for tardigrades in moss and lichen, identifying wildflowers and saving their seeds, observing and identifying a number of animals species, removing invasive bittersweet from trees, clearing out and restocking the bird feeder, gathering autumn olives, wild grapes and apples and making jam, creating potential designs for a pollinator garden and water feature, and identifying tree species. We have also completed one lab: the extraction and manipulation of chlorophyll molecules from green leaves.

History of Rock and Roll (Melanie Dana) This year we’re taking a deeper dive into the roots of rock and roll in jazz, R&B, blues, gospel, western swing, country and folk and the significance of places like New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles, the Pacific Northwest, the UK, and Jamaica. We listened to a number of artists from the above genres as well as: rockabilly, soul, girl groups/Brill building, Motown, surf guitar and instrumental rock, ska, skiffle, and the British Invasion, and discussed them in the context of the post-WWII world, the Civil Rights movement, and important contemporary events.

Math (Melanie Dana) This is a hands-on class focusing on ratios and proportional relationships. We also discuss what happens in our minds as we think about and solve math problems. We have been using the puzzle game Tangrams to explore the relationships between the various pieces, noticing patterns and describing them mathematically. Members of this class are encouraged to play and explore, generate observations and ask questions.

Open Maker Room (Melanie Dana) Teens are invited to make use of the tools, equipment, and materials available in the Maker Room. So far this year individuals and small groups have done some woodworking and building repair/maintenance, painted, beaded, sewed by hand and on the machine, and explored magnetism and electricity.

Community Stewardship (Melanie Dana and John Sprague) We've focused on what leadership is, and what being community stewards means to us.  Perhaps more importantly we then planned our first event of the year: a Halloween celebration that included decorating the Common Room, s’mores over a fire, pumpkin carving, and a movie—Beetlejuice.

Writing Your Life (Susannah Sheffer) We have spent these first weeks forming a trusting group and becoming comfortable sharing writing. The early focus of the year has been on finding our material and considering the choices we have as writers. Exercises have included experimenting with titles (what difference does a different title make?), playing with the “Someday I’ll love … [some aspect of myself]” prompt, and selecting snippets of language to give to each other as prompts (does it feel different to receive a prompt from someone else vs. choosing it yourself?). In addition to working on one’s own writing, a focus of the group involves learning to comment helpfully on each other’s work. 

Anatomy and Physiology is Just the Beginning (Ylfa Perry) We have had a fantastic start to our anatomy & physiology class! Thus far we have explored the heart using beautiful illustrations, online 3-D models, videos of heart ultrasounds (echocardiograms) and, the most popular resource, videos of open heart surgery! We also obtained one pig heart and one lamb heart which the students dissected with gusto. We also studied major arteries of the chest, neck and limbs (and found all the many places that a pulse can be felt). We then analyzed the accuracy of some film/TV scenes that depict arterial bleeding and the students were able to correctly identify the arteries involved! (Everyone's favorite scene, of course, was Monty Python's Holy Grail when the dark knight has all 4 limbs cut off but keeps fighting.) More recently we have started to explore the gastrointestinal system's anatomy and function. This has included several videos of upper endoscopy (wherein a flexible tube with a camera is inserted into the mouth and advanced in order to explore the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. One of these videos started with the patient's history scrolling up the screen. This led to my favorite moment (so far) when a student suggested we play the opening theme of Star Wars over the video. It definitely made viewing the esophagus MUCH more dramatic and suspenseful. My teaching style is to present information in various ways and to pepper the class with questions. Some questions are require recall of facts we've already covered (aimed at helping them move short term memories to long term storage with "spaced repetition"). Other questions are aimed at deepening their understanding of how the body works. They have to use what they already know to infer the answers. I have been really impressed with the students' enthusiasm and understanding.

Living Well With Your Emotions (Katie Norris) My class, Living Well With Your Emotions, has two consistent participants. The class is fun to teach and not only do I like sharing information with them, but their reflections teach me a lot as well. I would like to have more kids in class and any suggestions on helping kids learn about the class to see if they might like it would be great.

Guided Meditation (Sam Kleinman-Eddy) Over the past few weeks in guided meditation, I’ve introduced two different variations of Buddhist meditation. After helping learners get into the meditation headspace we meditate for about 20 minutes. Wrapping up the class, I invite anyone interested to share about their experience meditating.

Cultivating Aesthetic Preferences (Jaime Woolcock) Class going well. Meeting only once a week turns out to be causing more difficulty for me than expected, because I get the sense that the students don't think about the course when it is not in session. I enjoy the class sessions and the students generate very fruitful discussions.

Art (Jamie Rose-Lester) We are working on getting to know each others styles and ways of going about art. And focusing on drawing and painting. This year has been so great getting to teach in person!