Monday Morning Memo

Greetings from our workday for faculty today.  There is a full day of collaborative work scheduled for faculty today, as a whole group, in small groups, by teams, and individually. 

Welcome back – tomorrow!  We hope your Thanksgiving holiday was delightful!  We have a relatively quiet four days this week and then our Christmas programs begin. Be sure to mark your calendars for these special dates – and keep checking our website and this memo for updates to our school calendar.

            Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the church – 3^rd through 5^th grade program

            Friday, Dec. 7 at 9:15 a.m. in the north wing multipurpose room – toddler/preschool

            Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the church – 6^th – 8^th grades

            Friday, Dec. 14 at 9:15 in the north wing MPR – prekindergarten/kindergarten

            Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 9:00 a.m. in the north wing MPR – 1^st and 2^nd grades.

It is a privilege to enjoy five Christmas programs that remind us of the meaning of this special season so I encourage you to attend as many as your schedule will allow!

Friday is Spirit Day so remember to “show your colors”!  Your children are encouraged to wear their St. Paul’s Spirit Wear this Friday to show support for our school.  Go, Spartans!

The deadline for priority on the waiting list for siblings and church members is December 7.  If you know someone in these categories, please remind them of this opportunity.  And if it applies to you, don’t forget to submit your application before this deadline, or otherwise you will be in the regular applicant pool.

And speaking of admissions, Miriam’s last day as our Admissions Director will be this Friday.  Of course, we plan to hang on to her in part-time ways as an after-school yoga instructor and in other creative ways that we might discover.  We wish her and Baby Josie many happy encounters together! 

Jill McGee will take over as our Interim Admissions Director on Monday, Dec. 3^rd.  Miriam and Jill have worked together for the better part of this month in preparation for this change.  Please help us welcome Jill.

Bob Bundschuh spoke to Middle School students on November 14.  Bob is an avid outdoorsman, marathon runner and Arctic explorer.  He has been to both poles and has run marathons at both the North Pole and in Antarctica.  He is in very select company -- to have run a marathon on all seven continents and the North Pole.  Part of Bob’s message was to set goals, no matter how lofty, and to never give up in trying to achieve those goals.

  

Monday Morning Memo

MONDAY MORNING MEMO

November 19, 2012

What an amazing ingathering we experienced in the last two weeks!  As usual, your generosity is overwhelming and the people who serve our families through the pantry are so grateful for the abundance which will help see the families they serve through the holiday season.  It was definitely a community effort, with so many bringing in items; students and faculty hauling the items to the pantry; Student Council members receiving and recording items donated; and Chaplain Nolan and Mrs. Willets supervising it all.  This year we collected a record 32,680 items for the food pantry!   Mr. Reschke’s seventh class was the overall point leader, edging out Ms. Fate’s first graders by only 49 points on the final day.  Mrs. Van Maren’s fourth grade class came in third place leading her division.  But the big winner was the St. Paul’s Food Pantry.

Thank you for giving from your hearts and demonstrating for your children the benefits of helping those less fortunate than we.  

Being part of an ISACS visiting team and looking deeply into the workings of another school is a very interesting, challenging, and rewarding experience.  Working together with fifteen educators from other schools in our region that you have not met previously is a fascinating look at how efficiently and effectively we can come together for a common purpose.  Nine of our 16 members had never been part of a visiting team before, but they jumped into every aspect of our mission with great commitment and talent.  And, of course, we all came back to our schools with new ideas and perspectives to share.  This visit was followed by attendance at the National Association of Episcopal Schools Conference – an opportunity to see how we fit into the greater context of Episcopal schools throughout our country, in Haiti, and even in Australia and the Panama Canal.  Worship services opened and concluded the conference with students from the area providing music, dance, art, worship, and insights into what it means to be part of an Episcopal school community.  It was another opportunity to share ideas, learn what others are doing, and bring back thoughts and projects to add to the conversations here.

If you are planning on applying for tuition assistance for the 2013-2014 school year:

·        Applications will be accepted November 1 – January 15. Priority will be given to applications that are completed (including supporting documentation) by January 15.

·        The application process begins online, at www.factstuitionaid.com.

·        After completing the online portion of the application, you will need to mail or fax in all required supporting documentation.

If you need assistance with the online application, help is available from FACTS via telephone (866-315-9262) or email (info@factstuitionaid.com) Monday – Thursday, 10:00 – 7:00; and Friday, 10:00 – 5:00. St. Paul’s will try to answer questions regarding the online application process, but, since this is not our program, may be unable to do so.  If you need assistance with the online application, help is available from FACTS via telephone (866-315-9262) or email (info@factstuitionaid.com) Monday – Thursday, 10:00 – 7:00; and Friday, 10:00 – 5:00.

You will see physical changes taking place, beginning in early December.  Our prekindergarten/kindergarten playground (the one closest to the church) has such wear and tear from 90 students playing hard every day, twice a day, that we cannot keep grass on the fields.  The incline of the playground, due to the slope from Walnut to Main and from the school to the church, exacerbate the problems of maintaining grass.  This has caused muddy shoes, muddy classrooms, and exposed rock and tripping possibilities.  We have tried a number of solutions to improve the situation but architects, landscapers, construction folks, and every other source from whom we have sought advice could not come up with a natural solution that could be maintained.  So we have decided to install artificial turf, with added drainage, to provide a surface on which the children can run and play to their hearts’ content without getting muddy or hurt.  The prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers wholeheartedly support this option.  The installation requires that the playground be closed for two weeks but, after that, the children will be able to go out even after rain and snow to get the fresh air and exercise they need.

We are proud to announce the birth of Zhada Lucille Gibbs, whose mother is our prekindergarten associate, Erika Gibbs on November 12!  Zhada weighed in at five pounds eight ounces and we’re pleased to announce that both have come home from the hospital and are doing well.

The Cultural Arts Program brought to us each year by the Parents’ Guild enrich our educational programs with song, music, dance, theater, and so much more.  Last week “Quixotic Fusion” offered a truly amazing performance that was described by students and faculty alike as similar to a Circe de Soleil presentation!  Many thanks to Cultural Arts Chairs, Julie McCann, Michele Stowers and Amy McAnarney, for these and other outstanding opportunities they are bringing to our students!

It’s a short week with much to which to look forward!  Classes will dismiss at the end of the day on Tuesday and resume on Tuesday, Nov. 27.  Faculty will be involved in professional development on Monday, Nov. 26.  We hope you enjoy a wonderful break, with much for which to give thanks, family and friends with whom to share our gratitude, and unstructured time to relax and renew!

 

MMM 11/12/12

MONDAY MORNING MEMO

November 12, 2012

Attention Pre-Kindergarten Families:  We would like to invite you to come preview Kindergarten on *Tuesday, November 13^th from 8:30-9:30am.  We will meet in the North MPR for a short presentation by Mrs. Abio and then visit the kindergarten classrooms.  *The master school calendar indicated that this event would take place on Nov. 6^th. 

The sixth grade students will participate in the culminating unit of study known as the King Arthur Feast this Friday, Nov. 16 at 12:15 p.m. in the MS Commons.  The Lords and Ladies of the sixth grade will enjoy a knighting ceremony (yes, the ladies, too!) and a feast, and will perform a song and dance for their visitors.  Come enter another era and enjoy!

Many, many thanks to Joanna Posten and Janet Greaves and the wonderful volunteers from whom they garnered support in making our Book Fair such a success!  The gym was a lively center of reading and shopping from its opening on Wednesday through Friday and it appeared that a good time was being had by all!  Thanks, too, to our Librarian, Mr. Nerstheimer, for his hard work, sage advice, and lively reading to each group of students.  We are proud to be a school where reading is still such an enjoyable, shared activity.

Thirty-three seventh and eighth grade students met this weekend at Shawnee Mission South for our first preliminary Science Olympiad tournament. They all worked together as an outstanding team to take second place overall in the tournament. Seventh graders Ben S, Ella L, Jonah W, Jensen P, Daisy B, Layne S, Roy W, Anna Louise S, Oliver C, Max M, Adam K, Natalie K, Catherine H, Caroline S, Zach T, Grace C, John R, Will P, Caroline R, Sydney H, along with the leadership of our eighth graders, Lilly L, Monty L, Claire Mc, Meg B, Ashley B, A’starr M, Elyse C, Meghan L, Cora M, Drake R, Lilly H, Clayton F, Taylor N and Danny T were fun and fabulous to spend the day with. The student’s behavior, willingness to work hard, individual responsibility and determination were all outstanding. Individual winners were: Drake R 6th in Forestry , Drake R and Roy W 5th in Road Scholar, Ashley B and Monty L 3rd in Heredity, Meghan L 1st in Crime Busters, 2nd in Water Quality and 2nd in Dynamic Planet, Monty L 3rd in Meteorology, Connor T 5th in Reach for the Stars, Connor T and Zach T 3rd in Experimental Design, Elyse C 1st in Food Science, Claire Mc 5th in Keep the Heat, Lilly L 3rd Shock Value, Carol Ann G and Caroline R 1st in Sound of Music, A'starr M 4th in Boomilever, Mission Possible medal awarded to Layne S and Sydney H. 

This afternoon in their Science Olympiad Elective and on Thursday morning at 7:15 they will be back to work preparing for the next preliminary tournament on December 8th at Pembroke Hill. Congratulations to all of these students and to the St. Paul’s community for their excellent representation!

Pantry Drive Update:  As of Friday, we have received a stunning total of 6754 items and are looking forward to amazing contributions this week.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this effort, including our generous donors, wonderful STUCO workers, our teacher promoters, and our pantry item haulers!  For this week, please remember that double points are given for bulk items every day. The daily featured items are listed below but please know that all non-perishable items are welcome on any of these days. 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School’s

Annual Food Drive

To support St. Paul’s Church’s food pantry

When:  November 7-16

Where:  Main entrance/hallway of both buildings

Double points will be given for BULK ITEMS every day except Wednesday, November 7

Wednesday, November 7:  Triple points for bulk items (except           

                                            diapers)

Thursday, November 8:     Double points for peanut butter or

                                            canned fish or meats

Friday, November 9:          Double points for toilet paper

Monday, November 12:     Double points for personal hygiene

                                            items

Tuesday, November 13:      Double points for dry beans, rice,

                                             crackers and Mac and Cheese

Wednesday, November 14:  Laundry detergent (20 points for     

                                              multiple-load bottle or box     

                                              detergent)

Thursday, November 15:    Double points for disposable diapers

                                             sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6 as well as Adult

                                             Depends. (We will count each

                                             Diaper in the package)

Friday, November 16:         To be announced

The pencil donation project for South Sudanese students concluded with TERRIFIC results.  The total number of pencils donated as of Thursday, Nov. 8, was 12,652!  This was a huge step toward second grade student Atem Akuei’s big goal of taking 20,000 pencils to students in South Sudan.  We are so proud of the boys and girls who reached out with their hearts and grateful to the parents who, through their generosity, accomplished so much.  Thank you to everyone for your support of this special project. 

Reminder:  Parents’ Guild Book Club will be held on Thursday, November 15th at 8:15am in the Garden Room.  The book to be discussed is American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar.  Refreshments will be served.  RSVP to Joanne Reardon at reardonjoanne@att.net.

The 2011-12 Annual Report is now available on line at http://www.speds.org/support/annual-report/.   Thanks to everyone for all the support of the various fundraising efforts -- Annual Fund, Buddy Run, Auction, and of course, the Endowment Campaign.  You enhance our program offerings, provide the future for our school through the endowment campaign, engage our parents and students – all while keeping our tuition level well below the national average.  Every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented is accurate and complete.  Please let Jane Pennington, our Director of Development, know if we have erred on any of the information presented in this report.

DID YOU KNOW?  2012-2013 Annual Fund Call Week is now until November 14^th!  We are calling on all parents for 100% participation.  Make your gift today and direct it toward Academic Programs, Financial Aid, Faculty Support or Daily Needs.  Thank you for your support! 

Donate Now (http://www.diamondmindinc.com/spedsog.html)

Pledge Now (http://go.speds.org/pledgenow)

Looking for some good exercise and a good cause to support on Thanksgiving Day?  The  Thanksgiving Day 5K Stroll and Kids Fun Run will be held on the Sprint campus.  The Kids Fun Run will be in honor of Tom Murphy, and proceeds from that run will provide a scholarship at Rockhurst High School.

We have noticed a couple of empty-looking cars driving through our parking lot.  If you need a new St. Paul’s car decal, pick one up at the front desk anytime.  We love seeing the stickers all around Kansas City!

Journey U, one of our sixth graders, has a very important role in “Nuncrackers:  The Nunsense Christmas Musical” at American Heartland Theater!  She appears in an article about the production in the November/December edition of KC Studio.  There are two sets of student actors for the production and Journey appears in the following ones:

Nov. 10^th - Sat. 2pm & 8pm; Nov. 13^th - Tues. 7:30; Nov. 15^th - Thurs. 7:30; Nov. 20^th - Tues. 7:30; Nov. 21^st -  Wed. 7:30; Nov. 24^th - Sat. 4pm & 8 pm; Nov. 27^th - Tues. 7:30; Nov. 28^th - Wed.  1pm & 7:30; Nov. 29^th - Thurs. 7:30; Dec. 4^th - Tues. 7:30pm; Dec. 5^th -  Wed. 1pm & 7:30pm; Dec. 8^th - Sat. 4pm & 8pm; Dec. 11^th - Tues. 7:30pm; Dec. 12^th - Wed. 7:30pm.; Dec. 13^th - Thursday 7:30pm; Dec. 14^th - Friday 8pm; Dec. 18^th - Tues. 7:30pm; Dec. 19^th - Wed. 7:30pm; and Dec. 22nd Sat. 4pm & 8pm.  Congratulations, Journey!

As you are reading this, I will be part of an accrediting team at Notre Dame Preparatory and Marist Academy in Detroit, MI.  Those of you who were here for our visit in 2009 will remember the team of teachers and administrators from other ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States – our accrediting agency) schools visiting our campus to determine if the self-study we wrote over the course of a year accurately reflected our school.  These visits are great opportunities to learn more about how other schools function and, at the same time, to contribute to the work of our accrediting agency.  From this visit, I will go to Baltimore to attend the National Association of Episcopal Schools Biennial Conference through Saturday morning.  I will be checking in periodically but am confident that the people here can handle any needs/concerns you might have in my absence.

Monday Morning Memo

Thank you so much to Tracy Gordon, Ann Fasel, and our Development Coordinator, Katie Gregg and the team of volunteers they enlisted for the sumptuous meal for dinner on Thursday night and the great coffee and breakfast on Friday!  We feel very special and the good will and great food carried us through our conferences happily.  We sincerely appreciate your care and support!

Thanks, too, to all of you who came to conference with your teachers on Thursday and Friday!  We are always proud of the turnout for these conference days and sincerely appreciate your commitment to talking face-to-face with your child’s teachers to share notes on his/her progress.

Get Hooked on a Good Book! - The St. Paul's Book Fair is this week!  We kick the week off with Buddy D.E.A.R. time (Drop Everything and Read) on Monday and an All-School read on Tuesday.  Wednesday morning local authors will be visiting the lower and middle school divisions.  The 1st and 2nd grades will hear from "Maybelle" series author Katie Speck.  The 3rd-5th grades will hear from Lisa Harkrader and her book, The Adventures of Bean Boy.  Author Dorinda Nicholson will be sharing her book, Pearl Harbor Child, with the 6th-8th grades.  Wednesday after school (3:30-5:30pm) is Family Night at the Book Fair.  Come peruse the fabulous selection of books, read a few with your child or set some books aside for the class visits on Thursday and Friday. Remember, books make great gifts!  If you would like to help with the book fair, please sign up at www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0B48A9AA292-book  If you would like to help by bringing treats for the kids as they visit with their classes, please visit www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0B48A9AA292-book1  We look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!

If you are planning on applying for tuition assistance for the 2013-2014 school year:

·        Applications will be accepted November 1 – January 15. Priority will be given to applications that are completed (including supporting documentation) by January 15.

·        The application process begins online, at www.factstuitionaid.com.

·        After completing the online portion of the application, you will need to mail or fax in all required supporting documentation.

If you need assistance with the online application, help is available from FACTS via telephone (866-315-9262) or email (info@factstuitionaid.com) Monday – Thursday, 10:00 – 7:00; and Friday, 10:00 – 5:00. We apologize that we are not able to help you with the online application process, but please ask us, if you have difficulty or need clarification.

The Annual Food Drive begins Wednesday, November 7 and runs through Friday, November 16.  Annually, this is our biggest ingathering of food for the St. Paul’s pantry, hoping to supply a winter-stockpile of well over 12,000 items.  Competition between grades and divisions is quite fun – so bring it on!   While all pantry offerings earn points, attached is the list of daily featured items that will earn double and triple points for our classes.   St. Paul’s School is blessed to have this opportunity.  Thanks to all who help feed the need!

St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School’s

Annual Food Drive

To support St. Paul’s Church’s food pantry

When:  November 7-16

Where:  Main entrance/hallway of both buildings

Double points will be given for BULK ITEMS every day except Wednesday, November 7

Wednesday, November 7:  Triple points for bulk items (except           

                                                 diapers)

Thursday, November 8:     Double points for peanut butter or

                                                canned fish or meats

Friday, November 9:          Double points for toilet paper

Monday, November 12:     Double points for personal hygiene

                                                 items

Tuesday, November 13:      Double points for dry beans, rice,

                                                crackers and Mac and Cheese

Wednesday, November 14:  Laundry detergent (20 points for     

                                                multiple-load bottle or box     

                                                detergent)

Thursday, November 15:    Double points for disposable diapers

                                                sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6 as well as Adult

                                                Depends. (We will count each

                                                diaper in the package)

Friday, November 16:         To be announced

The seventh grade Wax Museum culminating activity will be held this Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 8:50 for Mr. Stewart’s class and 1:50 for Mr. Reschke’s class.  Come learn some history from students who have chosen famous people to represent in character and spirit.

In Harmony Choir is getting set for another season! Starting on Wednesday, November 7, and continuing on Wednesdays, students in grades three through eight are invited to join Mr. Ah’Lee Robinson in the north MPR (stage) at 7:15am. He will lead the choir as they prepare for Christmas and beyond. Choir performances will generally be at All School Chapels and occasional community events. All interested students may join – from novice to professional, shower singer to stage singer. Please contact Colette Rousey crousey@speds.org if your child would like to sign up.

This Friday, November 9 we will be celebrating the Communion of Saints in All School Chapel.  We invite anyone to bring a flower in honor of any loved ones who are now safely with God.  These will be received by the Chapel Leadership Team and placed on the altar.  Sometimes children want to write a note or card and may place that on the altar as well.  Additionally, if your family has experienced the loss of a loved one in the past twelve months, we would be honored to light a votive candle in his/her honor on Friday.  Those names need to be e-mailed to Pam by Wednesday, November 7:  pbauer@speds.org.

Attention Pre-Kindergarten Families:  We would like to invite you to come preview Kindergarten on *Tuesday, November 13^th from 8:30-9:30am.  We will meet in the North MPR for a short presentation by Mrs. Abio and then visit the kindergarten classrooms.  Please RSVP to the admissions office by Thursday, November 8^th in order to reserve a spot. 
*The master school calendar indicated that this event would take place on Nov. 6^th. 

DID YOU KNOW? 

When you make your tax deductible donation to the St. Paul’s Annual Fund, you are contributing to minimize tuition increases for next year?  Every donation counts!  Thank you for your support!

Donate Now (http://www.diamondmindinc.com/spedsog.html)

Pledge Now (http://go.speds.org/pledgenow)

St. Paul’s is hosting a blood drive for the entire month of December across the street at Community Blood Center.  During this holiday season, please consider donating blood and use the code CBUE when you donate.  There are critical shortages that occur during the holidays so let’s help stock this vital commodity to save lives!