Mt. Royal-McDonogh MGP Newsletter

2022 Edition1 (pdf version)

MGP is back!

After two virtual and hybrid years, our students returned to our first in person summer program since 2020. The first two weeks have been filled with getting back into the swing of things, adjusting to new schedule changes and routines, signing up for clubs, and finding community amongst their peers.

Each day starts off with our morning meeting. We gather as a community going over reminders, upcoming events, and most importantly the quote of day. Discussing the quote of the day is a long lasting tradition, where students reflect and converse about the wise words of poets, singers, celebrities, or important figures. It sets the tone for the day and inspires students to live out these words.

Clubs

In the first week, MGP scholars choose from a variety of clubs led by MGP faculty and interns. From cooking club, to outdoor games, art club, and dance, students participate in riveting extracurricular activities that create memorable one in a lifetime experiences.

In cooking, students put their aprons on and used their best cooking and baking skills to try a variety of recipes including pretzels, mini pizzas, and cinnamon rolls. They also participated in a cookie decorating contest where the winner received a gift card.

In dance, alongside the help of an intern and two MGP faculty, a group of all-girl students have begun to choreograph a hip hop mashup piece for the closing ceremony. Using their body language and movement to tell stories, students used techniques such as rhythm, refining and sharpening movement, and tempo.

Students in outdoor activities spent time out in the sun, playing games such as kickball, volleyball, basketball, tennis, and gaga ball. Some friendly competition and team building is always fun!

Academics

In the first week English class students played with rhyme patterns, rhyme schemes, and rhythmic beats, in both Limericks and Haikus. The students started work-shopping more light hearted poems, and in the second week took it up with narrative poems. These poems reflect personal stories and realistic fiction.

In Science students did a quick mini lesson on elastic energy and gravitational energy using a rubber band as their prime example. When pulling a rubber band back, it has elastic energy, and when you release the rubber band, and it falls to the ground that is an example of gravitational energy. Students used parts of the engineering design process to create a prototype, a paper helicopter, and tested it a multitude of times, trying to discover the relationship between the length of the wings of the helicopter and its fall time. Students also created egg drops using paper, masking tape, cotton balls, and other simple materials. The goal was to see whose prototype would successfully allow an egg to survive a drop from the McDonogh stadium.

Friday Events: Success Activity, Bowling, and Rock Climbing and Ropes Course

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