What if I tell you that there is a museum that is an entire city?   You probably won’t believe me, but I tell you, there is.  There is.   It’s Xi’an. Home to several ancient Chinese dynasties, Xi’an contains countless historical references or objects. Two museums in Xi'an exhibit...

History is simple because there is only one truth, one story. Artifacts, on the other hand, are not so simple because people can view each object through infinitely different lenses. “Curios,” not surprisingly, is a synonym that people have given to artifacts. Artifacts contain historical evidence...

A special award announced in a special way in a special year. On March 3rd, 2021, via Zoom, Rectory announced the 54th and 55th winners of the Kellogg Award, Mrs. Lisa Hart and Ms. Meghan Fluckiger, in honor of their dedication to the Rectory community. Despite the COVID-restrictions, all 9th graders...

Imagine you are walking on top of the vast, red soil. Each step you take is difficult because of the weight of your boots. The pebbles underneath you crunch as if you're walking in snow. Miles and miles of barren soil are followed by a distant, massive mountain range coming into view. The irritating...

Do you know who the guest speaker was at Rectory’s very first “Martin Luther King Day of Service” celebration? One would imagine that the guest speaker would have been someone very special. Well, as it turns out, there were two guest speakers on that day, and they were, and still are, indeed, very...

I'm surrounded by darkness; in front of me is an outline of an old orange tree. My cousin sits on the cold, cement stairs to the right of me and is preparing for what is about to happen. He is as excited as if he were watching Steph Curry playing basketball. From the window behind me, smells of my grandmother’s...

This year’s Rectory Student Council members were announced to the Rectory community via email on Friday, October 9th, after an online election spanning just over three days: October 5th through October 8th. The following are the winning members. For on-site students: Giana B., Tyler M., Cesar R., and...

I have been a vegetarian since the age of three. This is a personal preference. I am always looking for new foods to add to my vegetarian diet. My family is also from Finland, and last week when I was watching CNN10, a story about a company in Finland called Solar Foods caught my attention. They produce...

On January 26th, 2020, we lost a true icon, along with some other special fathers, mothers, and daughters. At exactly 9:45 AM, in Calabasas, California, the world lost: John Altobelli, age 56; Keri Altobelli, 46; Alyssa Altobelli, 13; Christina Mauser, 38; Ara Zobyan, 50; Sarah Chester, 45; Payton Chester,...

A mysterious deadly virus has spread across China. It has captured the attention of the whole world.  This specific virus is named 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and first thought to be linked to a large seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China. However, its true origin is still a mystery. It...

I have been in the United States for more than a year, and I have experienced many traditional American holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Now I am anticipating a traditional Chinese Festival that is coming up later this month. On January 25th, we will celebrate the Spring Festival...

Mr. Long teaches physics at Rectory School, and he is also a dorm parent and coach. He has been working at Rectory for 17 years. He started back in February of 2002 at the tender age of twenty-two.  Students and faculty alike love Mr. Long! He is always in a good mood; he is very helpful and kind;...