Cambridge Public Schools

Extra Curricula
Fencing Team (Varsity), Cambridge Participatory Budgeting, Computer Science Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club

Favorite Class at CRLS
Math. One hears a good bit about what is wrong with mathematics education in the US, but CRLS does it right.

I came into high school finding mathematics cool in a sort of unapproachable way, but being terrified of it and believing that I was somehow inherently bad at it.

I left with a deep appreciation of mathematical beauty, a core of knowledge, and a desire to learn more. I am still not "good" at math, but neither do I think that I am "bad" at it.

Huge thanks to my CRLS math teachers (Mr. Marden, Algebra I; Ms. Sorenson, Geometry; Ms. King; Algebra II; Mr. McGlathery, AP Computer Science; Mr. Benson, Pre-Calculus; Mr. Patterson, AP Calculus). Also thanks to Mr. Gaglione for coordinating such a great department and developing close relationships with so many math students (me!) and encouraging us to take more math classes.

Favorite Teacher
I have had so many amazing teachers at CRLS. My shortlist would include Ms. Giacchino and Mr. Patterson. Ms. Giacchino is an incredibly skillful story-teller, a skill which she incorporates not just to lighten the oft demanding load of Latin but to teach. She brought ancient text and an ancient civilization very much to life and showed the very real humanity of these old figures.

Mr. Patterson loves math and loves teaching. This is a powerful combination. He is constantly pushing his students to actually understand the math, and whenever possibly has students figure out what is going on, rather than just writing down a formula. He is incredibly skilled at connecting not just what might seem like unrelated mathematics topics together, but in drawing in other fields. Calculus has never been easy for me, but Mr. Patterson has always made it rewarding. Also, he runs Math Club, which I sadly only discovered until I took Calculus with him in 12th grade.

Also thanks to Dr. Wu and Mr. McGlathery, who have also been amazing teachers.

What are some of the out-of-school time (OST) programs that you participated in between grades 6 - 12?
Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program

How did being enrolled in any OST program(s) contribute to your success in and out of high school?
The Mayor's program definitely gave me a good work ethic and sense of what a professional workplace looks like. There is good deal of choice in the work, so I was able to in essence get payed to learn more Python and HTML/CSS, which was definitely nice. Also, I learned what working on a team in a professional setting is like.

What did you like most about CRLS? Why?
The people here are outstanding.

CRLS students are kind and brilliant and fascinating. They excel in everything from competitive math to theater to activism and bring these interests together in compelling ways. Despite this, I have never felt any competitive pressures: everyone is really just genuinely interested in being in a kind school and learning from their peers.

CRLS teachers are experts in their subjects, skilled practitioners of teaching, and deeply interesting people. All of my teachers have not only given me a knowledge of the curriculum, but shown me why is it important and really given an ownership that allows for--demands, even--further application. Also, teachers are very accessible to meet outside of class hours, something that has led to me to many interesting conversations and learning opportunities that would not have otherwise occurred.

The student who embraces these opportunities will, I believe, by fully prepared for life outside high school.

What is something people unfamiliar with CRLS should know about the school? Why? 
We are not a niche school of any kind. We are not an athletic school, a theater school, a basketball/other sport school. We are a school whose members have a broad set of interests and our success comes from this.

Also, some people seem to have the impression that CRLS is (a) a private school or (b) an exam school ( I have been directly asked this). I think this comes from the name, which maybe sounds somewhat un-public high school like. That said, we are neither and better for it.

Advice to Incoming Freshmen
Reasure your time here. Challenge yourself. Be ambitious and make a plan. Consistently step outside the boundaries you have set for yourself.

It can be very easy to feel that high school is just a springboard to the next step and to thusly treat it solely as a means to an end. It is not. CRLS is a great institution. If you use it well you will end up not only well-positioned for the next step but a much more thoughtful, kind, knowledgable, open, and confident person. Evaluate what you are doing each semester. Are you challenging yourself? Are you growing? If not, do something different. CRLS offers opportunities to help any student grow. Experiment: keeps what works and cease that which does not.

Immerse yourself in the school. Try out clubs; do not be afraid to aggressively experiment and abandon. Find several things you love to do: there is truly something for everyone. Talk to people: CRLS can be a big school, and you will only get to know people by seeking them out.

Demand the education you deserve. Be pushy, ask for help when necessary, get to know your guidance councilor.

Also, take Latin! You will stay with a small cohort (itself a Latin derivative, cohors) and gain friends. The work will be challenging, but you will grow as a student and a thinker. And you will walk away not just with the ability to read original texts from one of antiquity's great empires, but with the ability to organize knowledge systematically; to think in a different way about a familiar thing; and to, I believe, master any other language (not just Romance or even Indo-European) because of the meta-knowledge you will have gained.

Most importantly though, enjoy yourself. Learning should be fun. Appreciate the variety and beauty of the world and the sheer awesomeness of what we humans have wrought for ourselves. CRLS is your gateway to it, so approach with all due diligence and caution.

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