Here you can find a snapshot of what we are up at CHS. If interested, you can also read about our community’s bigger events here.
Jenga Math
Jess’s Algebra students mixed it up in class using a Jenga set. Each block has an equation on the visible long side and the answer on the hidden side. You have to solve the equation before you pull the block, and if you get it wrong you’ll have to go again.
Calculus Assistants
CHS alumni Jacob M (’22) and Archer B (’22) came by to help with the Calculus classes. Jacob has declared himself a Math major after completing his first semester in college. Archer currently attends the University of Virginia.
Alastair Storm (’22) Returns to the CHS Stage
Alum Alastair Storm (’22) was a last minute guest performer for an ill actor in the Fall 2022 Theater Production performance of “100 Dresses“. Alastair recently worked as a dresser for the “Play that Goes Wrong” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the University of Mary Washington and was happy to be able to help […]
Heely’s 2023 College Reps
Heely’s Worldwide asked the instagram group managed by four CHS alumni (@heelyscollegereps) to apply for the Heely’s College Rep program. Heely’s chooses 30 students from around the world to represent their brand. Congratulations to Jacob M (’22), Archer B (’22), Ella B (’21), and Grayson H (’21) for each being selected as 2023 representatives.
Mario Cart!
After the last fall semester exam was taken, Derek M and Rowan W hosted a Wii Mario Cart tournament. Mehdi E won the title in the end, but everyone had a great time playing and watching it all unfold.
Natural History of Candy
The students studying Human Origins were tasked with writing an evolutionary history of the kingdom Mellitus. Using what they’ve learned, each constructed a phylogenetic tree showing the speciation of candy over time. Their classifications could be based on morphology, embryonic development, DNA/carbohydrate sequencing, or any other basis, as long as it was justified scientifically. They […]
Henry Stevens (’22) Shines the Light
Alum Henry Stevens (’22) was so happy to be back at CHS helping the Theater Department with lighting for their production of “100 Dresses.” Henry is currently attending VCU in Richmond, where he is studying Theatrical Lighting Design.
Blacksburg Zine Fest ’22
Seven students from the CHS Zine Club shared little books by themselves and past members at the first Blacksburg Book and Art Fair. They mingled with other members of the SW Virginia publishing & art community and distributed scores of zines, including a set purchased for the zine collection of the Hollins University library. Below […]
Carbonated Ice Cream
The Chemistry students discussed sublimation and triple point in a delicious way using carbon dioxide to make fizzy ice cream.
Natural Ingredients
The Biology students tested whether or not common household ingredients offer natural antibacterial protection. None of the spices or herbs tested this year were promising. Maybe we’ll find one next year!
Grudge Ball Returns in Calculus
Why were the Calculus students cheering and listening to inspirational 80’s music? Because by solving math questions correctly they earned the chance to shoot the ball and eliminate their opponents in this “friendly” game of Grudge ball.
Spanish Book Report
After reading “Hasta la sepultura”, the Spanish IV class put together group book reports. The project involved choosing the major events from each part of the book and then setting up a scene on campus to represent the event. They created the dialogue and each scene has a quote to represent what was going on as they moved […]
Not Wanted!
The Roanoke Field Studies students shared the “Not Wanted” posters they created about six invasive species of plants. Where did they come from, how did they get here, why are they an issue, and can we do anything about them? Brush up on your plant intelligence with these easy to read, informative summaries.
John McBroom Returns!
Our school band, now under the wonderful direction of Brian Mesko, gave an amazing debut performance at our fall dance. John McBroom, our former band teacher, surprised us and joined the band for a song.
Spirit Week 2022
School Spirit Week this year had our students dressing in their Halloween costumes, pajamas, and as Adam Sandler. Other days they brought anything but a backpack to school, sported “little white lies” on their shirts, or dressed as someone else for the day.
Hydrology
Roanoke Field Studies worked with students from Roanoke College to learn about the hydrology of the Roanoke River. They took measurements to calculate the river’s discharge rate, and tested pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity, and will compare their data to actual USGS water gage data in the classroom next week. Visit our Science department page […]
Extracting DNA
The Biology students had the pleasure of carrying out a favorite laboratory experiment – extracting DNA from strawberries.
Western Wednesday
Today we celebrated Western Wednesday, a fun observance that has survived through the years thanks to students carrying on this amusing tradition.
Audrey Rowe (’19) Makes the Virginia Tech Homecoming Court
Alum Audrey Rowe (’19) shares her Fall 2022 experience with us from VT: This fall I had the pleasure of being on Virginia Tech Homecoming Court. Homecoming at Virginia Tech involves court candidates to choose platforms to spread awareness about. My platform was “Advocating for Alliance with Audrey” and aimed to bring awareness to gender-based […]
Fall 2022 Community Service Day
Our Fall Community Service Day covered a lot of ground. Our students took walking tours exploring the area’s non-profit agencies close to campus, many of which we have served as volunteers in the past. Students and faculty also rolled up their sleeves and side by side cleaned, planted, and freshened up our campus inside and […]
Post PSAT Gathering
After filling in all of those circles, our freshmen, sophomores, and juniors had a chance to blow off some steam snacking, volleying, chalking, and just chilling out together in the yard.
French Virtual Exchange
Our French students met online with the English class of Louise Lestavel at Lycée Professionnel Saint Joseph, in Bucquoy, France. They took time to practice in each group’s target language asking questions and getting to know each other. Louise and Sebastian are planning meet-ups with varied formats for the two groups throughout the school year.
Velocity Shots
The Physics class had the giant sling shot out again! They first calculated the base velocity of the sling shot, and then used that data to determine which angle they needed to launch the ball to hit their target at varying distances. It was a perfect day for an outdoor experiment.
Identifying Microbes
Astrobiology students studied the characteristics of life by trying to grow microbes from about a dozen different environments including pond water, yogurt, bread mold, and yeast. Dr. Ken Sosnowski, a retired microbiologist, came in to help the class identify what they grew.
Field Trip to the New Environment Center
The Roanoke Field Studies class visited Roanoke College’s new Environment Center on their most recent field trip. They are working with Dr. Rachel Collins in the Biology department to learn how to identify tree species using dichotomous keys. Students will return to the site in two weeks to collect data on 100 trees in a […]
Ebelin and Her Leadership Workshop Team Earns 1st Place
Ebelin R reflects on her summer experience: The Latinx Leadership Academy (LLA) provided me with the experience of meeting so many wonderful people from around the state of Virginia who, like me, are also first generation college bound students of immigrant parents. I also got to meet many different people of latinx ethnicity, and we […]
CHS Students Attend the Community Remembrance Project Event
In 1893, Thomas Smith was brutally lynched in Roanoke. The events surrounding his killing are unusual; the city briefly descended into near civil war between defenders of the rule of law and bigoted vigilantes, and the chaos that ensued became international news. It was the most violent day in Roanoke’s history. Yet, while remarkable, […]
Geologic Time
Students in Roanoke Field Studies took advantage of a beautiful day to work on the creation of materials and lesson plans to teach the concept of geologic time to younger students. They made a rope timeline to symbolize the age of the earth, and plotted out when certain events occurred – such as the creation […]
Meet Our New Band Leader
Meet our new band leader, Brian Mesko. Born into a family of musicians in Little Rock, AR, Brian mastered rhythm section instruments and has been gigging since age 14. Prog rock influences led him to discover fusion and then jazz, for which he developed the strongest passion for and settled on guitar as his primary […]
Gratissimum, Tiffany.
Tiffany Lee has taught all ages from 3rd grade through graduate school in a variety of fields, and will be teaching Latin this year at CHS.
Welcome, Devonn!
Our new physical education teacher is Devonn McKenna. Her teaching philosophy centers on students’ lived experiences and fosters individuality in the classroom. Devonn is invested in changing the future of education through inclusive critical pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching.
Film is back!
We are very excited to announce our new film instructor – Ryan Totaro. He will teach courses in film history, production, theory, and criticism, as well as take on administrative responsibilities.
Tony Ziegler (’06) is the Keynote Speaker at the CHS 2022 Graduation
Tony Ziegler graduated from Community High School in 2006. During his time at the school, he was pivotal in beginning our film program, eventually directing an entire feature film he also wrote. Tony went on to study film at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and has spent over a decade in […]
¿Quién lo hizo?
Spanish students currently in all five levels of study were treated to an interactive group final exam this year. Each student was given a character to play, with both initial objectives as well as new ones once the shocking murder occurred. No one was able to figure out who killed “Notorious” Nick Nemetz, played by […]
Senior Prank!
On the last day of classes, a pool table appeared in the student lounge, courtesy of the senior class. A PSA was made to warn students not to get swindled out of their lunch money.
Bacterial Transformation
Students in our AP Biology lab course genetically engineered E. coli to express the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) from the bioluminescent jellyfish, Aequorea Victoria. By using the same procedure molecular biologists use to create designer proteins, they transformed the bacteria to now glow green under UV light.
Ear Cake
Annabelle, Izi, and Evalyn treated the Vincent Van Gogh class to a special homemake cake on the last day of the class.
Anniversary T-Shirts!
Warren designed this amazing 20th Anniversary artwork for CHS and everyone was treated to a free t-shirt.
Norse Mythology Creative Projects
The Norse Mythology class shared their end of the semester creative projects with us. Their talents shined through with public speaking, various types of artwork, writing, baking, acting, and film production. It was a well attended event.
New Decor Appears In the Student Lounge
The Puppets and Creepy Dolls class has contributed to the decor in the student lounge. But not all of the dolls are creepy. Zora D. made this adorable bunny without the assistance of a pattern!
Rompecabezas
Students studying Spanish must solve a certain number of puzzles by the end of the semester. Here are some examples of the games they can choose to tackle by the time the course is over.
Spring 2022 Community Service Day at the Rescue Mission
After touring the Rescue Mission and learning about the history and services offered, CHS students volunteered their time helping for the afternoon. Some worked in the food pantry, some sorted through donated clothing, and still others helped moved furniture.
Yutika Takes On an Archaeology Internship
Yutika P. has this to say about her internship during her senior year: The past two semesters I worked as an archaeology lab assistant for Dr. Warden at Roanoke college. My project was about analyzing pottery that was excavated in Elephantine Island in Egypt. I spent a lot of time in Excel and learned many […]
CHS Offers an Independent Education for All Qualified Students
Community High will offer a tuition-free independent education for all qualified students of families making under $60,000 a year, starting in the 2022-23 academic year. This will be a permanent move that is funded by donations – and could mean a more diverse student body.
Cellular Respiration
Our Biology class made mealworms very happy by letting them chow down on potatoes overnight. They then measured their mass and the amount of carbon dioxide they produced.
Roanoke City Jail Book Drive
Annabelle B’s passion for everyone to have an education and easy access to books resulted in a school wide book drive. A total of 601 books and 135 magazines were donated to the Roanoke City Jail. A big thanks goes out to Annabelle, Olchar, Stephanie and everyone who donated items for this successful community outreach effort.
Wind Blade Shaping
The Environmental Science students tested different shapes for wind blades in an attempt to improve performance.
Farm-To-Table Sustainable Dining
The Food and Society class took a trip to Local Roots to explore a real-life local food system after months of researching foodways and social justice issues within the food world.