For any in our school community who are interested, here is the letter to Upper School parents regarding this year's seminar week. Several other documents from the student packet are also attached as links below this letter. Please feel free to stop by the school and observe some of the events listed on the schedule. (Please note that some details tend to change as the week unfolds, and teachers adjust to needs and circumstances. Check ahead of time with Robyn Burlew regrading any details.) Students and parents may also post any public comments or questions at the bottom of this page.

Dear Parents,

For seminar week this year, CCA students in grades 7 to 12 will be role-playing historical figures during two key developments in the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. Each student will be assigned a historical character for the entire week (political and media figures from a wide spectrum) and placed on one of three teams: United States, Israel and pro-Palestinian. Because of the historical realities, these leaders are almost entirely male.

These teams will be given a series of decisions to make surrounding two historical landmarks: the 1947 UN Partition Plan and the 1979 Treaty between Israel and Egypt. In preparation for and in response to stages in this decision making process, students will be assigned tasks such as press conferences, diplomatic banquets and late night talk show appearances. Each team will have a set of reference resources and access to computers for researching background for the two votes. Students are welcome to bring additional resources from home to share with their team members. Each country will have opportunities throughout the week to mimic historical events of sabotage and espionage, depending upon whether they wish to expend their resources in that manner in order to hamper another country.

At the end of the week, teachers will reveal country scores and individual prizes, as well as inviting students to propose their own personal ideas about the best contemporary policy regarding this international conflict. We hope that in addition to gaining experience in negotiation and team work that each student will end the week with a basic understanding of the complicated struggle between Israel and Palestine.

Students are encouraged to dress modestly in character when possible. Parent help with the diplomatic banquets being hosted by each of the three teams will be particularly appreciated. Each team will receive a $100 dollar budget for their banquet but families may donate private funds or foods if they wish. Students will still bring regular lunches on banquet days, as these will not be full meals. It will also be a great help to have parent coverage help for at least two lunches during the week (Tuesday and Thursday lunches) so that teachers can meet to coordinate this project. Please let Robyn, Jesse or any upper school teacher know if you are able to cover a lunch or help students prepare a banquet.

Your students will have a packet that contains the information found in the attachments to this email. We encourage them to review it over the weekend, if possible, so that they can place their characters in historical and political context on Monday. The more of this information that they digest, the more robust their role playing will be.

Teachers are excited and somewhat nervous when it comes to taking on such an unusual task for the week, and we hope that students are able to enjoy the change of pace and focus for this week. We hope that you will join your child in learning more about the topic and that your dinner table conversations will be lively.

Sincerely,

Upper School Teachers

Links to the following documents (some of the items from the student information packets):

• 2012 Seminar Week Schedule
• Scenario Rules Overview
• Full List of Historical Characters
• Historical Scenario Questions Chart
• Article on Palestinian Christians