Monday Morning Memo

Andrew and Landis Myler are in town this week, so you may see them on campus.  Their primary objective is to find a home but Andrew hopes to spend some time on campus while here.

The annual St. Paul’s Auction, Great Expectations, is going to be great fun!  Be sure to purchase your tickets by Friday, April 4th.  The committee has assembled great silent auction items such a private wine tasting in your home and family photography session.  The live auction will be exciting with bidding on everything from a trip in the Westport Flea Market Hamburger truck, Chiefs’ Game Day Experience, and weekend getaways to Colorado and Maine.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Auction tickets, sign-up parties and raffle tickets are all available online at www.stpaulsauction.com

Melissa Stark, one of our second grade teachers, has accepted an amazing offer of world travel while providing the education a student needs in this exceptional travel experience.  She very reluctantly has given up her position here, because this is her ideal teaching spot (well, perhaps second to a world travel experience!) and she hopes and plans to return when a position here is available.  We wish her the best!

The Sixth Grade Showcase was a fabulous demonstration of the talent of our students and their willingness to perform, even solo!  The show was a mixture of individual, small group, and all group musical presentations and we, the audience, were astounded by the confidence these middle school students showed in performing – confidence we don’t remember having at that age.  Well done, Students, and Mrs. Everly, their teacher.

Health forms for next year were due on March 20 and we have only about half the forms returned.  They were mailed to you, along with your copy of your executed enrollment agreement for next year. Please note that this is a simple but very important form for you to complete – one that is carried with us on each field trip and used for contact information in case of emergencies.  We know that we are seeking these early this year but our nurse, Catherine Kuhls, is checking to make sure all are completed and in to her for processing before the end of the school year.  If you need another form, please contact Ms. Kuhls at ckuhls@speds.org or call 268-6548.

Middle School Transition Night is this Thursday, April 3, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the middle school commons.  Parents of fifth graders are encouraged to attend to learn about the developmental changes they can expect to see in their children, as well as the academic program that will be offered.  This will include our new one-to-one iPad initiative which will be in its second year next year, so come hear all about it!

Some advance notice about special events coming up next week:

Preschool students will put on a music demonstration that will include active involvement of their parents, on Thursday, April 10 at 9:00 a.m. in the north wing multipurpose room.

Toddler students will provide a similar music demonstration in the same room on Friday, April 11 at 9:15 a.m.

Kindergarten moms or special friends will be having lunch with their students on Friday, April 11 at 12:15 p.m.

Summer Camp at SPEDS is just around the corner! Classes and traditional camp are filling up! Click on the following link to browse through the exciting brochure and register today to reserve your spot!  https://www.speds.org/Page/Programs/Summer-Program

If you have questions, contact Karen McDonald at Kmcdonald@speds.org or 816.268.6536.

Notes from our nurse:  With Allergy Season in full swing please remember:  PREVENTION IS EVERYTHING.  Here are some basic guidelines to hopefully minimize the discomforts that seasonal allergies bring.   
At the direction of your child's primary health care provider, prevention typically includes:

·         avoiding exposure by limiting outdoor time when the pollen count is high

·         taking a shower before going to bed, especially washing hair

• wearing sunglasses when it's windy outside
• a 24-hour antihistamine taken consistently (daily)
• allergy eye drops following the directions on the package

If symptoms persist, check with your doctor about adding:

• nasal wash
• prescription nasal spray
• prescription eye drops
• addition of low dose, fast acting antihistamines
• allergy testing so you can know what to avoid in the future

For the very worst cases:

• avoid exposure by staying inside (with the windows closed) when the pollen count is high
• a combination of medications under the direction of your health care provider that may include oral steroids

For children who wheeze:

• prescribed preventative inhaler
• prescribed rescue inhaler available at all times, especially during sporting events

Catherine Kuhls, RN, BSN

In preparation for its capital campaign, the church has created a series of videos.  This one is a great historical piece that we wanted to share with everyone.  While we would be delighted for you to assist in the church’s campaign, this is offered because of our shared history.  The link to the video is:  http://vimeo.com/89732515.  We hope you’ll watch and enjoy – and, of course, if moved to contribute, we’ll happily direct you to the right source!  J 

Monday Morning Memo

We have some news on the personnel front to share.  First, our losses:  Kate Hamlin’s fiancé was assigned to Orlando, FL for his residency so we will lose our second grade associate for next year; and Erika Gibbs, our prekindergarten associate, has decided to stay home with her new baby for a while before further pursuing her career.  We will miss both of them but wish them well.  Further changes are these:

            Abby Crady will become a lead teacher in kindergarten after serving three years as an associate teacher

            Kathleen Wiedeman will return to kindergarten as the other lead teacher after serving as an associate teacher there and a lead teacher in first grade

            Sara Waller will become the other first grade lead teacher after serving two years as an associate teacher there

            Jenny Wyllie has been hired to be the first grade associate working with Ms. Fate.  She was an outside candidate for the kindergarten lead position who so impressed all of us that we knew we needed her here at St. Paul’s!

            Hunter Ward, the long-term substitute for Mrs. Jones in fifth grade, will be our Middle School Spanish and Language Arts teacher next year.

We are excited that we can provide new opportunities for our teachers who seek them, while providing continuity for the programs in which they work.

Our much anticipated and twice postponed Fifth Grade Showcase will be this Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the north wing multipurpose room – unless, of course, it snows again!  Come see all that this talented group has prepared for you, under the direction of Mrs. Everly.

Middle School Transition Night will be this Thursday at 6:00 p.m.  This year we will be discussing the introduction of our 1:1 program so we hope all families will attend.  Good changes are coming to the middle school and we want you to be informed and part of those changes!

What a weekend is ahead of us:  Science Olympiad State Competition in Columbia, the MCTM math contest at Barstow, and the Fifty and Fabulous Auction Gala!  We wish our science competitors and their leaders, Mrs. Gruss and Mr. Stewart, and our math competitors under the leadership of Mrs. McMullen and Mrs. Glass, the best of luck and much fun in their efforts.  We’ll be behind them all the way – even while preparing for our special celebration of St. Paul’s First Fifty Years!

            Have you made your reservations for the auction?  Tonight at midnight is the deadline and you won’t want to miss this great event.  It’s not too late to sign up but be sure to do so today so there’ll be a place for you to eat, drink, be merry, and support the school through the incredible work of Ann Long and Mandy Burditt, and their legion of volunteers, who’ll make this special event so memorable.  Come join us!  Sign up at https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/tickets   

Look for daily updates from the auction chairs this week and for your catalog to come home at the end of the week. 

Brio sponsor days are here Monday, April 1st –Thursday, April 4^th.  Stop in or get take out for lunch or dinner  and mention that you are with St. Paul’s. We will receive 20% of all proceeds. Pasta, salads, bruschetta and other Tuscan specialties – yum!  Let Brio do the cooking and the clean-up!  Now that’s fabulous!

Our all-school church service will be a bit different this week, due to the celebration of our Easter Eucharist with third through eighth graders.  Toddlers through second graders will have chapel in the church on Thursday, April 4^th, and third through eighth graders will celebrate the Eucharist service on Friday.  Please know you are welcome to join us at either service (or both) and there’ll be much more room for parents and guests at these two services!

As always, we are welcoming new families to St. Paul’s for the 2013-14 school year, and will need Host Buddy Families for each of them.  (We especially need ECC families!) If you are interested in helping a new family become familiar with St. Paul’s, please contact Jill McGee in the Admissions Office at jmcgee@speds.org.  Our Host Buddy Families are asked to 1) welcome their new family with a brief outing (ice cream, play date in the park, etc.), 2) join their buddy family at the New Family Welcome party in early June, and 3) be available to anticipate and answer questions throughout the 2013-14 school year on various school and Parents’ Guild activities (Open House, Buddy Run, Curriculum Night, Auction, etc.).  The awesome New Family committee chairs, along with the Director of Admissions, provide training for Host Buddy Families, and are available all year to help with any transition questions that might arise throughout the year.  We hope you will consider helping a new St. Paul’s family transition into their new school family!

 Standardized testing for grades 3 – 7 will take place the week of April 15 – 18.  Students will spend approximately 2 hours each morning completing different sections of the test.  We are using the newest version of the Stanford Achievement Test, the SAT-10. Parents can be helpful to their child in many ways: 

·         - Please arrange for doctor appointments or other time away from school during the afternoons of that week, if necessary.  Missing test sessions puts a strain on your child when alternative class time is used for make-ups.

·         --  Provide your child with a balanced breakfast each morning, including protein.  Send an extra healthy snack for the afternoon.

·        --  See that your child gets a full night’s sleep. 

·        --  Encourage your child to do his/her best, just like every day!  But also remind him/her that there are questions that are meant to be easy and some meant to be very difficult, so perfection is not expected.

If you have any questions regarding the test or schedule, please contact Gingie Watt or Ted van Thullenar.

Monday Morning Memo

I am SO proud of our students, our teachers, and our parents! What an incredible week we had last week:

- Thanks to great preparation by the Watt family and by the teachers, the 50^th picture went off without a hitch. We had an excellent practice on Monday, and a flawless experience with the picture on Tuesday, in spite of a chill in the air. It was amazing to see more than 515 people from age 3 on up work so well together.

- The sixth graders performed a lively international show on Thursday night with great enthusiasm and joy, under the direction of Mrs. Fatu. We were all thoroughly entertained – in several languages, in song, and in dance.

- On Friday we had a Eucharist service for our third through eighth graders which, once again, was handled so well by our students. They were respectful, thoroughly engaged and so well behaved. Our younger children enjoyed a visit from the Easter bunny in a service led by Chaplain Bauer-Nolan as they explored the sacred and secular sides of Easter.

- On Saturday our Science Olympiad team competed admirably in Columbia at the State level of competition. [See more news about this below.] Their hard work to get to this event and the diligence with which they approached each aspect of the competition was a source of pride for all of us.

- And on Saturday night, we enjoyed the party of the year with delightful camaraderie among the adults of our community at the “Game On” auction. While the bottom line financially is still being tallied, the event was a HUGE success because of the warm feelings, good food and drink, and festive atmosphere created by Amy Holewinski, Sarah Telford, and their many amazing volunteers. Many thanks also to the eighth graders and their parents for returning to help with clean-up on Sunday and to ALL the parents who came to support this great event!

It was an outstanding week that celebrated the very best of St. Paul’s – our work, worship and play together in the name of and for the benefit of our children! Thank you, All, for making it such a memorable, successful week!

St. Paul’s Episcopal Science Olympiad team received 6^th place ranking out of the 32 teams at State this year! Jesse Hall at the University of MO was packed with both middle school and high school teams as the medals, ribbons, and MU scholarships were presented on stage and freebies from the university were hurled into the mass of students. Very exciting! Most of the storms passing through were avoided but two outside events, Bottle Rockets and Storm the Castle were cancelled. The students were very stoic about this disappointment. Congratulations to team members Tucker, Samantha, Kit, Veronica, Chris, George, Ellison, Sophie, Max, Philip, Elyse, Meghan, Lilly, Claire, Lily and Drake. Team members placing in their events were: Ellison and Sophie awarded 5^th in Compute This; Sophie, Ellison and Veronica awarded 5^th in Experimental Design; Samantha and Max awarded 5^th place in Road Scholar; Meghan and Elyse awarded 2^nd place in Water Quality; and Sophie and Ellison awarded 3^rd place in Write It/Do It.

Mr. Stewart and Ms. Twyman enjoyed traveling with this wonderful group of scholars very much and the team members, Mr. Stewart and Ms. Twyman want to acknowledge the love and support of the parents who traveled with the team and made the trip possible, safe and lots of fun: Mrs. Haistings, Mrs. Rooney, Dr. Chinnock, Mrs. Prochnow and Mr. McCann. The team is also grateful to the team parents this year, Mrs. & Mrs. Woolley and Mrs. Jeanine Haistings.

It's time to order school supplies for next year! You may pre-purchase a school supply pack for next fall. The packets are ordered through Innisbrook School Supplies and are priced at the school’s cost. This opportunity is offered as a convenience for St. Paul’s families. Parents are free to choose the supply pack or shop on their own. Order dates: 4/16/12 - 5/4/12. There are two ways to place your order:

1) Order online at www.ordermypack.com, select “Buy School Supplies”, and enter our school number: 120688. Pay with a credit card at checkout. A convenience charge of $1.50 per pack will be added to all online orders.

2) Complete and return an order form to the school front desk. Charges will be billed to your school account in August.

The order form and school supply lists are available on the St. Paul's website.. If you are unable to print what you need, please contact Linda van Thullenar and she will send them to you. All supply packets will be delivered directly to school and distributed to students at Open House on Wednesday, August 15.

Attention ECC Parents and Guardians! We are offering two free sessions of a newly released Love and Logic Webinar specifically for parents and guardians of young children. You are invited to attend one or both of the offered sessions. Topics to be addressed include: Taming tantrums and meltdowns, ending morning madness, easing separation anxiety, calming bedtime battles, wiping out potty training problems, and dealing with misbehavior in public.

We will include a brief discussion following each Webinar. Two of our St. Paul’s teachers, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Rempel, who have been trained as Love and Logic facilitators will be available as well to help answer any specific questions.

Love and Logic Session I

When: Monday, April 23^rd

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM

Location: North Wing MPR

AND

Love and Logic Session II

When: Thursday, April 26^th

Time 4:00 – 5:30 PM

Location: North Wing MPR

Please RSVP to Linda van Thullenar by email at lvan@speds.org no later than Friday, April 20^th, to let her know which sessions you will be attending. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity.

PLEASE JOIN US:

What: ECC/LOWER SCHOOL TRANSITION NIGHT OPEN HOUSE

(Parent/Guardian Only Event for current Toddler – 4^th grade students)

Date: Thursday April 19th

Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM

The ECC and Lower School Division teachers and staff invite you to visit the grade level your child will be entering in the next school year. This is a casual and informal opportunity for you to meet the teachers, walk through the classrooms and see examples of current student work and projects. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about what’s to come in the next school year.

Three candidates for our part-time Diversity Coordinator will be coming to visit for half a day this week, as they have made it through the first round interviews. We look forward to getting to know each better, and having others in the community get to know them, in order to determine the best fit for our school.

TGIF Fun in Extended Day: This Friday, April 20, the extended day staff will host a Fiber Craft Fun Day! We will work on small knitting, beadwork and latch hook projects. No need to pre-register - just come join us when the bell rings. See you then!

Calling all bakers: We are having our second annual Cyber bake sale. This one will benefit Harveyville, Kansas as they start to recover from the tornado that destroyed half of their town. If you would like to donate a baked item (and we hope you will!), please e-mail Pam at pbauer@speds.org. Be specific about what you are offering. The items will need to be turned in by Tuesday, April 24. Last year we had a wonderful variety of cinnamon rolls, cookies, cakes and pies. We welcome everything. In next Monday's MMM, we will provide a link to the list of baked items. You may then e-mail me your choice: first come, first served. Items will be distributed to your child's class no later than Wednesday.

Service Club: We will be meeting after school on Tuesday, April 24 to support the cyber bake-salel, distributing items and writing thank you notes. Please e-mail Chaplain Nolan if you plan on attending: pbauer@speds.org. Remember, Service Club requires a parent's participation for those students who are in fifth grade or younger.

Auction Lost and Found: Did you leave the auction without your umbrella? If so, check at the ECC reception desk. You can check with Sarah Telford about anything else you might have lost.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings with our school calendar. Bookmark the calendar page on our website and check back often to see what is going on at St. Paul's.

Monday Morning Memo

We look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow after what we hope was a great Spring Break vacation. There is much to accomplish in the last two and a half months of school and it is wonderful to have the break to help us gear up for all of it!

We are pleased to announce that we have hired a Middle School Science Teacher and Science Olympiad Coach for next year! Lee Gruss, a colleague of Ms. Twyman in Science Olympiad and Rockhurst summer classes, will join us next fall. She has a Master’s degree in Teaching Math and Science, twenty-two years of teaching experience, and, most importantly, a real passion for working with Middle School students, teaching science and Science Olympiad!

Speaking of Ms. Twyman, the retirement reception for her has been moved to Friday, May 11! The change was made because, if our Science Olympiad students qualify for the national competition when they compete at State on April 14, they will be in Florida competing on our original date of May 18. We sincerely hope we’re not jinxing their chances of making it all the way but, in order to have time to get out the word and make the arrangements, we decided to make the switch. The reception will follow the all-school chapel service on that date.

Ron Morton, a long-time member of our maintenance staff, has been reassigned to another facility by our maintenance contractor, effective immediately. We sincerely appreciate the many events with which Ron helped all of us and will miss his knowledge of our school, students, staff and parents.

The International Festival, a celebration of the studies of our toddler through second grade students, will take place on Wed., Mar. 21 at 8:45 am in the North Wing Multipurpose Room. Students will share songs, dances, and other information they have learned from their study of different countries of our world.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on April 4 and 5 this spring and we need your help: We have scheduled them to back up to our Good Friday break but we really hope you will schedule and attend your conference at this time, rather than taking a long weekend break. This time is allocated so our teachers have time to talk to you without other teaching responsibilities and making up these conferences before or after school or at their breaks during the day adds a big load to their schedule. Let’s have our usual high attendance at these important meetings, please.

Mark Your Calendar for the 2012 Auction! On April 14th, it will be GAME ON here at school. Look for your invitations this week! We’ll have some great offerings in both a live and silent auction format. Additionally, we’ll have several opportunities to sign up for parties geared toward families, children and parents, alike. Here is a taste of one of the parties and one of the live auction offerings:

Mad for Mad Men Party -- Do you drool for Don Draper? Bow down for Betty? Are you jones-ing for Joan? Welcome to the 1960’s, where a lunch meeting usually means a martini, a manhattan or both. Come spend the evening “Mad Men style” with hosts Melinda & Herb Sih, Courtney & Pat O’Farrell, Tess & Trey Hawes and Amy & Eric Graham. We’ll be open for business on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 7 pm in the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, located at 1800 Baltimore. Cocktails and canapés will be served, along with plenty of mod tunes. Knowledge of the television series “Mad Men” is not necessary to attend, but an addiction to a good time is a requirement! So, put on that Jackie O shift and don’t forget your Lucky Strikes. $50 per guest, space for only 50 of the coolest cats. It’s sure to be a gas! Click here to register online: https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/GameOn2012Auction/SignupParties/tabid/336181/Default.aspx

The Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt -- Are you ready to race? Ten couples will have the time of their lives as they compete in Kansas City's Amazing Race. Starting at the amazing home of Kama and Rick Moseley, each team will have a car, personal chauffeur, refreshments and a list of assignments to complete. Will you be able to solve the riddle, find the 1952 penny or get your picture taken on a Harley Davidson bike? The clues and tasks will take you all over the Plaza and Midtown. Awesome prizes await the winners, but everyone will enjoy the celebration at the Moseleys’ home afterward, with appetizers provided by Catering By Design, along with dinner and dessert served by the host couples. The clock is ticking. Time is running out, so get your group together and bid on The Amazing Race!

Donate Now -- If you have not done so, and wish to make a financial contribution, click here to donate online. You may also send checks to Katie Gregg at school. Remember, this is the Parents’ Guild’s largest fundraiser to support the school, and we’d love to have the support of our entire team! https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/GameOn2012Auction/AuctionUnderwriting/tabid/337898/Default.aspx

Raffle Tickets -- The raffle items are amazing this year – a trip for two to Chicago (Cubs and Bears and Bulls, Oh My!), a catered party by Connie Mendolia (Tailgating in your Own Home), a David Yurman Pave Diamond Infinity Necklace (Sport the Bling), and a fee-free year at St. Paul’s (Score!). Tickets are $25 each, or five for $100, and can be purchased online here, or at either front desk. https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=336042

Congratulations to the Rev. DOCTOR Stan Runnels who just successfully defended his dissertation for a Doctor of Ministry degree! Stan has some edits to do on that dissertation but is considered to officially be eligible for this new title. Well done! And this week he is off to Pittsburgh as a candidate for Bishop in that diocese. We don’t want to lose him but we wish the best for him, whatever that might be.

Let's show our appreciation for our teachers by giving them a little adventure, romance and even some nail biting horror!! From March 6-27, we will be collecting your gently used books to host a book fair for our teachers. The book fair will be held on March 29-30. Look for boxes at the entrances of the ECC and the main building to drop your books. We will also be collecting books at carpool -- those dates to be announced. Now that Spring Break is over, please drop your books off! Thanks to all who have already contributed! Staff Appreciation Committee 

Stay up to date on the latest happenings with our school calendar. Bookmark the calendar page on our website and check back often to see what is going on at St. Paul's

MONDAY MORNING MEMO

Congratulations to our hard-fighting middle school athletes who just completed their tournament play! Each game demonstrated the commitment of every student to play his or her best, give it all he or she has got, and leave it all on the court. The students (and their parents!) were also good sports so we were really proud of them all! Thank you to the Student Council leadership, with Mrs. Willets and Chaplain Nolan at the helm, for providing us two Extreme Spirit Weeks that brought out many cheering fans, provided lots of food for the pantry, and gave us great opportunities to show our school pride. Now on to tennis, lacrosse and soccer…!

Parents’ Guild meets this Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in the Garden Room. All parents are welcome to come see how your Parents’ Guild works and how you might be able to get involved.

Prekindergarteners will show off their knowledge of Native American cultures this Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in their classrooms and the ECC commons. Come join them!

Our third and final coffee for this spring will be for our Early Childhood Parents on Thursday, Mar. 8 at 8:30 a.m. in the Garden Room of the Church.

The Middle School Musical, “Once Upon a Mattress”, will be performed this Thursday night, Mar. 8 at 7:00 p.m. in the north wing multipurpose room. There will be matinee performances on Wednesday and Thursday at 1:00 p.m. for the students in grades 1 – 8. Any parents who wish to attend these performances will be asked to sit at the back so the students will be able to see. These shows are meant to be dress rehearsals with the premiere show for the adults (and students, if they want to see it again) on Thursday night. Thank you for your cooperation on this.

IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN!! Let's show our appreciation for our teachers by giving them a little adventure, romance and even some nail biting horror!! From March 6 – 27, we will be collecting your gently used books to host a book fair for our teachers. The book fair will be held on March 29 - 30. Look for boxes at the entrances of the ECC and the main building to drop your books. We will also be collecting books at car pool, those dates TBA. So get your books read over Spring break and leave them with us upon your return! Thank you! Staff Appreciation Committee

Spring Break begins at the close of the school day on this Friday and goes through Monday, March 19. Our extended day program is being offered to those who need care for their children during this time but we will need more participation to provide this service during the first week. If you need care on Mar. 12 – 16 and/or Mar. 19, please contact Christina Lenon at clenon@speds.org immediately, as the deadline to register is Wed., Mar. 7.

In other extended day news, the Shakespeare Festival is starting an after-school drama program for 3^rd – 7^th graders on Wednesdays from March 21 to May 2 ($85). And, a friendly reminder to pick up your children from extended day by 6:00. The charge after 6:00 is $1.00 per minute. Please contact Christina Lenon at 816-268-6536 or via email for more information.

Stay up to date on the latest happenings with our school calendar. Bookmark the calendar page on our website and check back often to see what is going on at St. Paul's

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Conference in Seattle last week was truly inspirational! It was opened by Bill Gates and closed by Amy Chua, Yale University professor of Economics and author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom. Sessions and speakers in between included a public school teacher of 35 years who has created a World Peace Game that students from high school down to fourth grade have used with astonishing results; ways to make professional development more meaningful to all; sessions on legal issues, admissions, marketing, and fund-raising; and many ideas on the best uses of technology in the classrooms, including the rewards and challenges each brings. There were performances by local independent school choirs and bands to introduce each major speaker; and the “State of Independent Schools” address was given by the President, Pat Bassett. The theme was “Innovation: Imagine, Invent, Inspire, Dream” and it fulfilled its mission!

GAME ON -- Our auction is just days away. Here's the latest news about it:

Benefit Games

On Saturday, many of our own St. Paul’s parents participated in fun-filled basketball and dodgeball games. The stands were filled with lively cheers from our littlest cheerleaders and players got their GAME ON in some very fast-paced games! A special thanks goes out to Randy Kurt, Amy Graham and Katie Moreland for their time in organizing and executing the tournament, and to Julie Willets, who manned the concession table all day. Congratulations to Reachel Beichley and her team and Kris Bruso and his team, for winning their respective basketball championships, and to Phil Taggart and his team for taking home the dodgeball trophy. And a big thank you to Mike and Julie McCann for opening their beautiful home to all participants and their spouses after the Games on Saturday evening, to enjoy gourmet ballpark concessions and refreshments and to celebrate the great success of the day!

Mark Your Calendar for the 2012 Auction!

On April 14th, it will be GAME ON here at school. Look for your invitations just after spring break. We’ll have some great offerings in both a live and silent auction format. Additionally, we’ll have several opportunities to sign up for parties geared toward families, children and parents, alike. Here is a taste of one of the parties and one of the live auction offerings:

The Men's Cigar Night has been a favorite in the past, and we’ve brought it back! Join hosts Jim Carnes, Mark Fountain, Brian Fries, Sandy Kemper, Ron Lockton and Greg Maday, along with other St. Paul's gentlemen, for an evening spent reveling in premium cigars, fine single malt scotches and delicious hors d'oeuvres at the Cigar Club. Enjoy these fine pleasures of life with other aficionados on Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 7 pm. Make your $100 reservation without further ado, because there are only 20 of these coveted slots available. Click here to register online: https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=336181

As you’re packing your bags for Spring Break this week, you can relax knowing that Laurie and Robby Robinson have already planned next year's trip for your family! Enjoy Spring Break 2013 at the beautiful private Villa del Palmar Flamingos Beach Resort & Spa, just ten minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. Sun-kissed beaches, championship golf courses, luxurious accommodations and a Mexican/European spa are only a few of the fabulous amenities. The spacious one-bedroom, two-bath unit sleeps four with a Murphy bed in the living area. Furnished balconies give you an unforgettable view of the turquoise water and white sandy beaches of Banderas Bay. You can view it on-line at: www.villagroupresorts.com/resorts/villa-del-palmar-flamingos

Donate Now – You still have time!

Although we’re trying to collect all donations in the next few days in order to give recognition in the auction catalog for the generous donations provided by parents, grandparents, teachers and friends, you may still donate to the auction. If you have not done so, and wish to make a financial contribution, click here to donate online. You may also send checks to Katie Gregg at school, or contact Blythe Robertson at scott.blythe@att.net if you would like to donate an item for the silent auction. But please, act fast if you want to be included in the catalog!

https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/GameOn2012Auction/AuctionUnderwriting/tabid/337898/Default.aspx

Family, Student and Faculty Catalog Advertising

You still have a little time to submit an advertisement for the auction catalog – but act fast, as we’re trying to collect all ads by WEDNESDAY. Click here or contact Gina Penner, at ginaandcharlie@aol.com for more details.

http://www.speds.org/current-parents-and-students/parents_guild/auction/catalog-advertising/

Raffle Tickets

The raffle items are amazing this year – a trip for two to Chicago (Cubs and Bears and Bulls, Oh My!), a catered party by Connie Mendolia (Tailgating in your Own Home), a David Yurman Pave Diamond Infinity Necklace (Sport the Bling), and a fee-free year at St. Paul’s (Score!). Tickets are $25 each, or five for $100, and can be purchased online here, or at either front desk.

https://stpeds.ejoinme.org/?tabid=336042

One of our former parents, Kent Mueller, whose son is a senior at Pembroke Hill and continue to participate in Science Olympiad, sent the following results and statistics about our St. Paul’s graduates and their successes in this event. Of course, he attributes Ms. Twyman for a lot of this success since it is where their interest and love of this event began. PHS finished first in the region in the high school division. Our St. Paul’s graduates demonstrated their skills with the following results:

David M placed first in Anatomy and Physiology
Sarah K placed first in Experimental Design
Sarah K placed first in Protein Modeling
Veronica R placed first in Water Quality
Veronica R also placed first in Write It, Do It
Quint U placed second in Astronomy
Sarah K placed second in Disease Detective
Jon C placed second in Dynamic Planet
Veronica R placed second in Forensics
Veronica R placed second in Forestry
Quint U placed second in Helicopter

Sarah K placed second in Microbe Mission
Jon C placed second in Remote Sensing
Quint U placed second in Tower Building
Veronica R placed third in Sound of Music
Spencer C placed fifth in Optics
Spencer C placed fifth in Technical Problem Solving

By the way, St. Paul's grads represented 17 out of the 47 who placed fifth or better. That's 36%!!!

Also, of note, of the 15 members of the team, 6 are SPEDS grads – a whopping 40%!. Kent also goes on to state that “my observation is that Sherry (Ms. Twyman) doesn't "teach to the test" as some Science Olympiad coaches do. Rather, she teaches them how to learn and how to succeed. That approach matches Connie Wells' approach at PHS Upper School. We are all better for that.”

Last weekend Olivia S. performed in a celebrity talent show at The Midland to raise funds for an organization that she believes in called The Variety Club. This organization provides devices such as adaptive bikes, wheel chairs and ramps to disabled children to give them mobility. These families cannot afford this equipment without the money. She performed with many Kansas City celebrities such as Chiefs Players, business leaders, news anchors and Mayor Sly James. She picked the song, "Part of Your World" from Disney's The Little Mermaid because these children want to feel part of our world. Through her own fund raising efforts with letters and meetings she raised over $3,000 to give to the charity. It was a sold out show and truly beautiful. Well done, Olivia!