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!