After two weeks (May 1-14) of studying, testing, and more studying, I am proud to have completed my 4 AP (advanced placement) exams: English Literature and Composition, US History, Calculus BC, and English Language and Composition.
As a Fifth Former, we usually take the most APs, so we have adjusted class schedules to accommodate for the extra commitment of APs during the two weeks: no tests, only one week of homework over two weeks, and not needing to attend classes the day of an AP. I’m so grateful for this adjustment, as I was able to walk out of every single exam satisfied. Although no teachers missed the Monday after the exam, with three essays to submit, I’m ready to sprint through the end of the year.
Now as the two month wait until AP results begins, spring on the circle has sprung. The walk down to the boathouse is finally green (I never thought it would be, when in the middle of the winter), people hang out on the circle during lunch, free blocks, and after school, and the uniform has switched from pants to shorts. Crew practice is beautiful, and although I wake up teary-eyed because of allergies, I’m all in with nature’s spring.
The Girls Varsity Crew had a race last Saturday, on the 13th, and my boat (2nd boat) won first place, a well deserved win against Brooks and Newton Country Day. Since all these races factor into our final ranking for NEIRA (New England Interscholastic Rowing Association), we had been working hard for two weeks prior to this race. The win was amazing; we showed our strength to each other and most importantly ourselves. If we win against St. Marks next weekend, we will be placed second for NEIRAs!
One of my favorite things in the spring is to have outdoor classes. An entire class will take all of its materials outside and sit down on a few chairs or just simply on the grass. I had an outdoor French class and it was very fun. Speaking of French class, we are reading “Histoire d’Amour” by Jean-Luc Lagarce, an unusual play about a love story. Each of the three characters (woman, first man, and second man) are both themselves, the actor, and even the director’s directions and stage directions embedded within their lines. When you read it, it feels like you are reading a rehearsal. Class gets even more interesting when we read the play with no assigned roles, having written our own analysis and extra lines within the play. We read through the script and add our own Lagarce-style comments. Since there are no “turns,” we sometimes speak at the same time, but the fumble that results is all part of the play.