“El capibara con botas” Mural


The History of Tea and the French language students got together for a community tea party, complete with presentations about components related to the tea tradition. The china they used was from Luxembourg, which is 40 minutes from Rachel’s hometown of Metz. The mirabelle tea they served was from Metz, the bergamote tea and the bergamote candy were from Nancy, and the madeleines they baked are a specialty of Comercy. Metz, Nancy, and Commerce are all cities in Lorraine, which is the only region in France to have 3 borders: Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium. We love learning about global tea traditions!
This sweet lesson about La Historia del Chocolate provided Spanish language students with a tasty exploration of chocolate’s rich history. Any lesson combining sensory experience with cultural and linguistic education makes for a memorable and enriching part of any learning journey.
Rachel treated us to an exquisite French Tea experience, showcasing her skill and knowledge in the art of tea preparation. She showed us her method of pouring the tea into cups and then back into the special French teapot, three times! This technique, she explained, enhances the flavor by allowing the tea to mix evenly, ensuring a well-balanced taste in every sip. The tea was refreshing, as Rachel used fresh mint leaves, and the tea was accompanied by an assortment of delectable sweets.
The French class was busy in the kitchen making Madeleines, traditional French shell-shaped sponge cakes known for their light, buttery texture. Madeleines have a rich history rooted in the Lorraine region of France. According to legend, they were named after a young maid, Madeleine Paulmier, who baked these delicate cakes for a royal banquet. Today, they remain a symbol of French baking artistry.

In an action-packed Community Service Day, we walked to Highland Park in Old Southwest to assist Roanoke City Parks and Recreation with a variety of projects. Students, faculty, and community members spread mulch at the playground, installed an art installation, removed overgrown vegetation, and spread gravel at the dog park. Check out our work the next time you visit the park!

Current and recent members of Zine Club ran a CHS booth at the Richmond Zine Fest, where they traded, bought, and sold zines with hundreds of other zine-makers. Maddox and Olchar also each had their own booths at the event.
It was also a wonderful opportunity to meet up with other CHS Zine Alumni who returned for the event, some of whom have been attending this zine fest for nearly a decade! The photo shows the students who got together for dinner in a park before heading home.
Community members Jinny Woodall-Gainey and Sue Williams came to talk to our students about voting. They emphasized several key points:
We are thankful to Jinny and Sue for empowering our students with the knowledge and tools necessary to participate actively in their democracy.