A CANOPY OF KITES !

Just as soon as the daffodils break through the snowy earth, chemistry teacher and kite nut, Rachel Wentz comes to the Media Center and hangs over 40 kites for student enjoyment and information. If you haven't been in yet, even if you have seen them in years past, it's time to become acquainted with the new additions, the fighter kites --- read on my friend, there is more.

Students study quietly beneath a canopy of kites

Fighter kites have been around for centuries, particulary in Asian and East Indian cultures. All ages fly them. Contests abound and the winners are considered a type of hero.

Fighter kites may look pretty harmless when you first look at them, but just like in real life, it's the little guys you have to watch out for. In the hands of the right handler they can be lethal in a battle of" winner take all. " Yep, the winner walks away with the loser's kite.

"I suck at kite fighting," Wentz comments, remembering a kite she lost last year in battle , " but I really like the challenge of developing my skills."

There are a couple of ways to prevent your competitor from winning: You can block the wind by  his kite and cause it to drop, or "slice and dice" it with a ground glass impregnated string attached to your kite. 

Miss Mayne has samples of the ground glass string on a large spool on the counter in her office, "I'm not apt to give out samples, but it's real cool to carefully run your fingers on the line and imagine the damage it could cause."

It's not the cotton kite string of your childhood. Miss Wentz calls the string "the old tendon cutter" referring to the finger damage experienced by fliers who don't properly protect their fingers.

There is a great deal to know about kites and we have plenty of the best kite books available in the Media Center for your use. Thanks for all your hard work Miss Wentz!

FINI !

Finally, the Media Center painting project has come to a close. In reality, it was painted three times in some spots. When the school was first built they painted it with oil-based paint, which yellowed over time. In order to put latex paint on oil based it had to be covered with a white primer first. That's why Joe the Painter became somewhat of a fixture here - white base, color, second coat.
Miss Mayne really threw a complication in by asking him to paint dark grey on ductwork and columns to turn them into architectural features. (Lotso taping on Joe's part), Given grey and white as her only choices, it was her version of jazzing things up a bit.
 Next step wall hangings in the form of a Pottery Barn hanging system for the photo and ceramics classes above the backpack cubbys. Stay tuned! The Media Center is an evolving place! 

New Media Center Paint Job Adds Sophistication