Snow is predicted this week in quantities that could
cause the school to close so we need to review the snow calling procedure. While we change the voice message at the
school and alert the media (TV stations) when we close, the best way to get the
information from us is through the One Call Now system. It is not perfect and has let us down on
occasion, but, generally, it provides the quickest notification. Please note that we will use all three
systems and our website, but the least effective is calling the school,
since no one will be there and the system gets jammed with incoming calls to
the voice mail message. One other option
is a delayed opening and, in that case, all of the above systems will be used
to make that announcement, too. Our
child care option and sports activities will also be cancelled or delayed when
classes are.
As always, we will seek to keep school open and, because we
do not have buses, we can often stay open when public schools are closed, so look
for our notification. And, if you feel
it is too dangerous to bring your child to school, please stay home. The conditions throughout the city vary
widely and can be treacherous in one area while completely clear in
another. [Having written all this, the
snow is sure to skirt around us once again and disappoint the students!]
Welcome back, Amanda Loflin, our MS French teacher, who
is returning from her maternity leave today – as a proud new mom! Many thanks go to Maryvonne Marshall for her
able work in substituting in Mrs. Loflin’s absence.
“Hooray
for The USA” is this Thursday, February 6th at 9:15 in
the North MPR.
First grade parents and special friends are invited to join the
celebration as students share speeches on their famous Americans and perform
classic American songs. Please
note: the teachers feel the children are
ready to perform for you so, if we must close on Tuesday and/or Wednesday, they’ll
still be ready for you on Thursday!
In
Harmony Choir is opening up for the second semester. If your child is interested in continuing or
beginning his/her participation in the choir, please contact Mrs. Everly at teverly@speds.org or Ms. Meli at mmeli@speds.org before next Monday. The new choir rehearsals begin at 7:15 next
Monday, Feb. 10. Students in grades 1 –
6 are invited to participate. Attendance
at these early morning rehearsals is a requirement for participation in the on-
and off-campus performances.
In last week’s memo, the chairs of the Gift Gathering Party were not recognized and I apologize for this serious oversight. Amy Holewinski and Tess Hawes did so much of the fundraising and organizing of this event and really deserve the accolades. Thank you, Ladies!
In last week’s memo, the chairs of the Gift Gathering Party were not recognized and I apologize for this serious oversight. Amy Holewinski and Tess Hawes did so much of the fundraising and organizing of this event and really deserve the accolades. Thank you, Ladies!
Special Gathering for School Families - Past
and Present: Please Join us for Coffee and Lattes February
11th right after carpool in the St. Paul's Garden Room. Join us to learn about
the future of the Church and its facilities that our day school community has
used daily for many years. The coffee guy will be there to make your
special drinks and Starbucks coffee will also be served, so drop in after you
drop off! RSVP (not necessary but
appreciated) to Amy Graham - beninggraham@gmail.com.
Re-Enrollment Agreements for the 2014-15 were mailed over
a week ago. If you haven’t received your large, white, St. Paul’s
envelope, please contact Jill McGee in the Admissions Office (Jmcgee@speds.org or 816-268-6542). Please note that contracts for current families are due this Friday, February 7th. This year, we ARE able to accept payment for your enrollment deposit via the
St. Paul’s payment portal. Please note the following:
1.
You may
pay with debit card, credit card, or e-check. (No Visa cards, however.)
2.
As with
all payments made via the payment portal, a processing fee will be charged for
credit and debit card use. This fee is 2.75% for a credit card, 0.95% for a
debit card, and no charge for an e-check.
3.
The
tuition deposit must be the only thing on that transaction. You cannot
add any other additional school charges to your enrollment deposit payment.
4.
You must
print out and include a copy of your receipt with your enrollment agreement.
FINAL REMINDER!
RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!
The Curriculum Design at St.
Paul’s – Tuesday, February 4th at 4:00 PM
Come hear from the PLC
(Professional Learning Community) about the curriculum review process taking
place across all divisions. Members of the PLC will provide an overview of the
curriculum design process as well information about Common Core, Math and
Language Arts essential learning outcomes, and 21st Century learning
objectives. We hope you will join the PLC to hear more about this exciting
process taking place at St. Paul’s.
Bill Severns Returns! –
Tuesday, February 11th at 4:00 PM
Author and coach, Bill Severns
returns to share his thoughts on what children truly seek and need through
their involvement in team sports. Bill shares valuable insights and life
lessons through his engaging, true stories gathered from his own life experiences
as a professional baseball player and little league coach. Bill was a hit when
he came to St. Paul’s the first time and we are pleased that he has agreed to
come again and help us kick off our spring sports season. Bill’s book, Keepers
of the Sandlot, is available for checkout through Mrs. Van Thullenar or can be
purchased at www.keepersofthesandlot.com.
These events will all be held in
the North Wing Multi-Purpose room. Please RSVP to Linda van Thullenar at Lvan@speds.org so that we can make sure and
have adequate seating available.
Our team of four, Zach T, Caroline S, Will P, and Daniel B, took third place in Saturday's chapter competition at
Burns and McDonnell. Zach, Will, and
Caroline placed in the top ten as individual competitors and will advance to
the state competition on March 8 at the University of Missouri. Mathcounts is a national program sponsored by
the National Society of Professional Engineers, Raytheon Corporation, Phillips
66, U.S. Department of Defense, Texas Instruments, and others. Congratulations to these students and their sponsors, Ms. Glass and Mrs. McMullen.
Due to the inclement weather in Atlanta and throughout
Georgia, Andrew Myler was not able to join us for the ISACS Heads of School Conference
in Chicago last week. He was as
disappointed as I that he could not experience all that the conference had to
offer and begin to meet some of the colleagues from our area. It was, as usual, a great conference with
introductions to the new Executive Directors of both NAIS (the National
Association of Independent Schools) and ISACS (the Independent Schools
Association of the Central States). Rob
Evans was one of the keynote speakers and his knowledge of our roles as
independent school heads (his wife was one and he works with heads and boards
all over the country), his background and current work in the field of
psychology, and his marvelous sense of humor provided informative, poignant and
funny insights and anecdotes. Conclaves
with heads in our region also provided a look at the challenges and
opportunities with which other schools are dealing.
