Achievers’ Night Reflection & Photos

Achievers' Night: Ms. Bosson's Reflection

I'm tempted to start this reflection with the overused phrase "this year has been a difficult one." But I won't. Or did I just do it indirectly? It doesn't need to be said. We know it already. The students this year faced many additional challenges, and the grade 9 Idea class was no different. I worried about the logistics of many projects this year given pandemic restrictions. I worried about students finding the time to complete their ambitious goals even while they were pulled in many directions, trying-- like all of us-- to navigate this pandemic world. I worried that they would lose momentum, that the struggle of life during a pandemic would make an independent project too difficult to complete.
I needn't have worried. For those of you who were able to attend Achievers' Night this year, you saw in person the exceptional, dedicated, and impressive work of the 9th grade Achievers' students. You watched film reels of a documentary, an educational video on food waste, and an artistic film featuring drone footage. You read excerpts from a novella, poetry, and short stories. You saw canvases with surreal, origianl creations. You saw a wifi transmitter in action, a chemistry experiment on display, coding, engineering, and unlikely combinations-- like a cookbook featuring inspirational women in government. You learned about discrimination in dance, anime and costume design. You might have even been introduced to the television series "American Ninja Warriors" and met a real Ninja Warrior in person. In short, you saw for yourself the passion, hardwork, and enthusiasm that the students had in spades this year, which they excitedly shared with you that evening in the DHS cafeteria.
I took some photos that night of our exceptional students and their projects, which I have posted below. I hope you enjoy them. The students also posted virtual presentations of their projects to their pages, so for those of you who could not attend in person-- either because of the restrictive guest list due to the pandemic or another commitment-- we hope that you will enjoy these virtual presentations and use them to celebrate the impressive achievements of our 9th grade Idea students during a year that provided endless opportunities to display resileince, ingenuity, and dedication.
We hope you enjoy what we have shared with you this year on our website, and we appreciate your continued support for this unique and important program here in Darien.
With gratitude,Emily Bosson9th Grade Idea Teacher