Semester Highlights

First Semester Highlights

Class of 20 new 5’s come from 11 different schools and 13 different zip codes
Scholarship program continues to support outreach to diverse backgrounds
Renewed emphasis on four-member base groups for community building, each group comprised of one girl from each grade

Capital Campaign fundraising exceeded goal of $200,000 in October, enabling basement renovations to begin in early 2007. New space to include music/media room, language room, conference room, science classroom and lab, lunchroom and bathroom; in addition, current space becomes available for library and drama.

First quarter Arts Block endeavors were showcased at November Studio Morning, including an outstanding performance of “The Elephant Man” by the 6th grade drama class and a dance shared by the 7’s, inspired by a photograph of ferns. The 5’s offered selections from their work with recorders and exploration of American folk music, and the 8’s the fruits of a quarter spent on developing drawing skills and learning to “see.”

School-wide service-learning day in November saw the launch of separate projects by each class:

an ongoing relationship with the Virginia Home by the 5’s
“Ways to save the Chesapeake Bay” project commenced with 6’s writing and broadcasting public service announcements; 6’s also began North Allen Avenue median beautification
a book drive for and ongoing commitment to an Oregon Hill elementary school by the 7’s
an in-depth investigation into and commitment to domestic violence programs by the 8’s

Two eighth-graders were accepted this fall into the Virginia General Assembly Page Program and will participate during the 2007 session in January and February.

Each girl creates a quilt square her first year at Orchard House representing her hopes and dreams, and the squares are bound together in a yearly Dream Quilt. The following December, family, neighbors, alumnae and guests visit the school to add quilting stitches, which may include words of inspiration and well wishes. This year, the Dream Quilt of the Class of 2009 was completed.

Beautiful rendition of the Winter Program, complete with “The Quiltmaker’s Gift” by the 7’s, the “Cat Dance” by the 8’s, a reception hosted by the 6’s, and the presentation of thrones made by the 5’s to the 8’s

Week of Winter Program preparations included a lovely new tradition: Students folded origami paper cranes in the tradition of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who developed leukemia after the atomic bomb was dropped on her hometown of Hiroshima. Inspired by Japanese legend which holds that anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will be granted one wish, she folded over 1300 cranes before she died, wishing for peace and an end to suffering for all victims. Orchard House girls embraced this message of hope and peace and created over 1000 cranes. The cranes were strung on seven long lines, representing the seven continents, and are now suspended in the school’s main stairwell, passing through all four floors and forming a beautiful sculpture that reminds us all of their meaning as we start a new year.