features » blairconnection

Behind the scenes of the Blair ORACLE

By Joy Xu | Nov. 19, 2020, 9:17 p.m. | In Blair Connection »

Blair seniors analyze wins and losses of their ORACLE Presidential election forecast model

A typical day in the Blair cafeteria

By Jasmine Ali | Sept. 29, 2019, 4:03 p.m. | In Blair Connection »

How cafeteria staff get food to hungry Blazers every day

Getting 2076 SSL hours over the course of a school career

By Jasmine Ali | June 2, 2019, 12:41 a.m. | In Student Section »

How senior Wilbert Mora found his love for volunteering and what kept him going

Blair Players: Franco Berrett

By Nene Narh-Mensah | May 17, 2019, 1:23 p.m. | In Student Section »

Blair sophomore Franco Berrett played the lead role of Captain Tempest in this year's musical

Leading the way with an epee

By Shifra Dayak | Nov. 22, 2018, 12:54 a.m. | In Blair Connection »

Fencer Justin Haddad uses his years of fencing experience to create positive change

The Kennedy Center's star

By Absa Fall | Oct. 15, 2018, 8:19 a.m. | In Blair Connection »

Valentina Simon performed the Nutcracker Ballet

Time well spent

By Nene Narh-Mensah | Oct. 15, 2018, 8:14 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

A retiring staff member looks back at her time at Blair

Passion, purpose and acceptance

By Reethi Padmanabhan | Oct. 10, 2018, 8:34 a.m. | In Blair Connection »

"I always tell people; be yourself. Anything else is uncivilized."

On perseverance and strength

By Sam Kulp | Sept. 27, 2018, 7:26 p.m. | In Blair Connection »

Medhanit Desta is the only girl on the JV football team but doesn't let that phase her

After 19 years, Leigh Tinsley returns to Blair

By Emmy Song | Sept. 27, 2018, 6:27 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

"When you teach writing, you get to see kids grow and come into their own voices, and there's something really validating about that. They are going to fight for what they believe in and I love giving them the tools to be able to do that in the world."

D. Leyder arrives at Blair, the intersection of cultural crossroads

By Emmy Song | Sept. 27, 2018, 6:11 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

"As a bilingual and bicultural teen, there were times that I felt that I didn’t fit in. It was as if I had one foot in each country."

A Lively performance

By Eric Feigen | Nov. 30, 2017, 8:01 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Engaging high students is one of a teacher's greatest challenges. Robin Lively, the latest addition to the Blair math department, uses acrobatics as way to motivate her class and foster good study habits in and out of school. If all of her students receive a least C on a major assignment, Lively performs a cartwheel as a reward for the class' hard work.

Woodward, Marta

By Abir Muhuri | March 15, 2015, 11:03 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Marta Woodward is sure to brighten up your day. She has an infectious smile and wears colorful headbands. Whether teaching biology, singing for her choir or simply being herself, Marta Woodward keeps with her a treasure chest of wisdom and diversity.

Taking center stage

By Zewde Ingram | Dec. 29, 2014, 2:04 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Kelly O'Connor, who has taught at Blair since 1997, is a passionate thespian who has enthusiastically embraced the role as director of Montgomery Blair's school plays and musicals.

Redefining the term 'student teacher'

By Martha Morganstein | Nov. 18, 2014, 7:03 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

"It's the strong smell of deja-vu," NSL and AP comparative government teacher Peter Cirincione says. It's Cirincione's first year as a teacher at Blair, but his 5th year as a member of the Blair community.

Mbaya Subayi: from the Belgian Congo to Blair High School

By Sasha Tidwell | Oct. 3, 2014, 9:28 a.m. | In Teacher Feature »

With his complex background, French teacher Mbaya Subayi fits right in with the diverse population while also standing out as a charismatic teacher.

A shared portal in Blair

By Abir Muhuri | May 29, 2014, 1:06 p.m. | In Clubs »

On Tuesday afternoons, Room 132 is a world of language, life and culture: a portal from Blair into everything Japanese.

Duval, Elizabeth

By Maximillian Foley-Keene | May 3, 2014, 2:38 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Plotinsky, Miriam

By Neida Mbuia Joao | May 3, 2014, 2:22 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

LoveSCOpe: Senior Unity Date

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | March 9, 2014, 10:36 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Seniors David Ma and Morgana D'Ottavi looked like a great match. We sent them to Pete's A-pizza in downtown Silver Spring to see if these seniors were a match made in heaven.

LoveSCOpe: Can a bowling date lead to a lucky strike?

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Feb. 17, 2014, 5:40 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Senior Arnelle Kodjo and junior Haki Johnson seemed like they'd get along great.

James Schafer

By Harini Salgado | Jan. 6, 2014, 6:46 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

On the first day of class, James Schafer always does one activity. He asks his students to sit down in the back of the classroom and asks for their name and one interesting thing about them. Unlike most teachers however, by the end of class, he knows each of his student's names.

LoveSCOpe: Souper great time at Soupergirl

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Jan. 2, 2014, 7:16 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

We sent Sophomore Luisa McGarvey and junior Alex Alia to Soupergirl, located on Carroll Street on the D.C. side of Takoma Park.

LoveSCOpe: Crepes can't create chemistry

By Zoe Johnson, Martha Morganstein, Sarah Trunk | Dec. 13, 2013, 12:42 p.m. | In LoveSCOpe »

Both described themselves as quirky, entertaining and outgoing in their applications.

Yolaine Siko: Integrating different cultures in the classroom

By Ross Cohen-Kristiansen | Dec. 10, 2013, 3:34 p.m. | In Teacher Feature »

Siko's native language is French, but is fluent English she recounts her journey since college, which has taken her to three continents and exposed her to many different cultures.