School in Brazil
Tamires Fish
Logan High isn’t widely known for diversity, but it has more than some might think. Many different cultures come in to one place to learn. One nationality that is not common at Logan High is Brazilian. Sometimes exchange students come from Brazil to learn about America and how school is here, but for the most part, few live here and attend our school.
A Logan High sophomore named Jessica Lofland has a mom from Brazil and lives with that culture everyday. Her mom, Rose Dhein, has lived here for about fifteen years now, but always makes a way to keep Brazil running through the home. Lofland said, there is always laughter, loud talking, and music in her home, since that is the way many Brazilians are.
Dhein mentioned, “Brazilians always enjoy the time they have, wherever it may be.”
Not only is the home environment different, but the way the schools run are too. In Brazil , first through fourth grades are all in the same school. They only go for four hours per day and have a 20 minute break for either breakfast or lunch, depending on what time class started. They do not have to pay for the food they get, it all comes from the government.
School in Brazil starts in February. They have a one month break in August. Then they return until the second week in December.
Fifth through twelfth graders all attend the same school. Fifth through seventh grade attend from one to 6 p.m. and eighth to twelfth grades go from 7 a.m. until noon. Just like the elementary students, they get one 20 minute break. Throughout the day the students stay in the class while the teachers rotate, teaching the different subjects.
When the kids start fifth grade they begin taking English classes, along with the general academic subjects. According to Dhein, the most important classes they take are Portuguese and math.
Dhein said that in Brazil they do not have many sports teams. Some schools have them, but most don’t. The only time most schools have sports is when they have gym. They do not have American football. They mostly play soccer, basketball or volleyball. There are no cheerleaders or drill teams either. When they go out for gym, they do not play on grass; it’s always on cement flooring. They go there even when they meet in what we call the “auditorium”.
They do not have a place where they change for gym. “They play in what they came in and stay that way until they go home,” said Dhein.
When they finish a grade they have to take a test called “Sarest”. If they do not pass this test, they do not get held back; rather, they are placed in a lower level in the next grade. If they pass the test then they are placed in a higher level. This is to accommodate the students’ learning capabilities.
Dhein mentioned that, when they finish twelfth grade, they have to take another test. If they pass this one than they get a chance to go to a government paid school. If they do not pass they are offered a scholarship to help pay for college.
Ben Riffe’s German Adventure
Many Logan High students are content to stay in Utah for their entire lives, attending college at Utah State and choosing to raise their families in quaint Cache Valley. For others, though, this option is too stagnant to keep them interested and stimulated even through the end of high school. They choose to do things such as an exchange program.
Ben Riffe, a senior at Logan High School, applied and was selected to participate in the Congress Bundestag German Youth Exchange program. He traveled to Germany for the first half of this school year.
Ben decided to go so that he could “learn more about German culture, improve my language skills, and have an adventure.”
Germany was different from America for him, and school was one thing that surprised him most. “They don’t have any clubs or teams through the school; you have to find activities on your own. It makes it more difficult to meet people and get involved.” This was a difficult situation for an exchange student in particular.
Unfortunately, the town he stayed in was rather out of the way and he had no car, so he felt rather isolated in addition to the language barrier. Luckily, Ben was able to find and spend time with new friends. He played soccer and sang and played guitar in the band Tensing with several other students.
Now that Ben has returned to the United States, he does miss some things about Germany. “The bread is really good, and the public transportation is amazing. You can get anywhere in Europe, even if it is expensive.”
His favorite part about returning to America? “Dr. Pepper. And cold beverages.”
Overall, Ben’s experience in Germany was different from what he expected. The people were well-informed, which he said was a refreshing change from many American high school students. He’s glad to be back in the States, but appreciates the opportunity the experience provided.
Ben has had a unique high school experience in more ways than one. He attended Mountain Crest High School through the end of his sophomore year, came to Logan High School, and then went to Germany for the exchange program. An inquisitive nature has inspired all of these changes, and great intellect has allowed him to flow through these many places with ease.
The Calder Craze
Grace Saul
On April, Logan High Orchestra students had a unique opportunity-- the chance to spend the day with the Los Angeles based Calder Quartet. The Calder Quartet, sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Logan, came to Cache Valley to perform a concert at the USU Performance Hall and to provide educational outreach to Logan High orchestra students and USU music students.
The quartet spent Tuesday at Logan High, performing for and coaching student musicians. The morning session opened with an introduction by Vice Principle Stewart Howell. “I hope you realize how lucky you are to have these extraordinary, almost perfect, musicians here today,” he told the orchestra students crowded onto a makeshift performance hall on the auditorium stage.
After the introduction, the quartet introduced themselves and performed a selection of classical pieces from their repertoire. They answered questions from students, demonstrated various techniques, and shared stories of their musical education and world travel experiences. Students were able to get a close-up look at their instruments–hand made from the 16 th, 17 th, and 18 th centuries.
Three LHS chamber music ensembles were selected to perform for the Calder Quartet. They received feedback and advice from the Calder Quartet as the rest of the orchestra students observed and took notes. The workshop was divided into two sections--classical and contemporary. The classical section took place before lunch with performances by the Freshman Quartet and the Sunshine Boys. The contemporary section took place after lunch with a contemporary performance by the Calder Quartet and then a student performance by the Sinfonia Jazz Duo.
The students seemed to really enjoy the workshop, especially the students coached by the quartet. “It’s a great opportunity to work with such accomplished musicians,”remarked Junior cellist, Paul Kang.
Students also had the opportunity to interact with the quartet during casual question/answer sessions and lunch. “They were really relaxed and interesting to talk to,” Kang said.