Middle School Melee
September 16, 2014
The Weekly News: September 26
September 26, 2014
“It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.” (Joyce Maynard)
Dear parents, alumni, and friends of GHCDS,
The Parents’ Association Back to School Bash takes place tomorrow night (i.e., Sept. 20th) at 7:00 P.M. at the Diageo Visitor Center. It will be a great time to gather and enjoy each others company.
No doubt about it, we have mosquitoes on campus, just as you have them at home. Considering the fact that we are hearing about the spread of chikungunya within our island community, it is wise to spray your child with mosquito repellant each day before coming to school. Use a product that contains at least 23% deet for adequate protection.
This past summer several GHCDS students attended the Junior Statesmen of America Summer Program at Princeton University and Stanford University. Ethan Dean and Sunil Mahepath travelled to Princeton. The program consisted of three weeks of an AP course and debate sessions, along with a one week orientation program for students from U.S. territories. They took classes in AP Government and AP Macroeconomics. The classes met six days a week for four hours, along with two hours a day for the congressional workshop debates. As well, the students went to New York twice: once for a speaker’s day, and once for a cultural day. On the speakers’ day, the students went to the United Nations, and heard speakers on Nuclear Proliferation and the Millennium Project. After that, the students enrolled in AP Government stayed at the UN, while the students enrolled in AP Macroeconomics went to JPMorgan Chase, and the Wall Street Journal. On the cultural day, students went to Times Square for the day
Ethan Dean (top center) and Sunil Mahepath (top right) enjoy the company of Junior Statesmen from across the country.
Attending the Stanford JSA Program were Ericson Etienne, Maryam O’Neill, and Kari Currence. While there, they met and befriended students from all over the world, including Spain, China, and Macedonia. They took a semesters worth of college level classes in three weeks and these classes included: AP Macroeconomics, Speech and Political Communications, International Relations and AP U.S Government. Along with classes they had debates every day, and the debates covered important topics such as gun control and the NSA spying issue. Ericson won Best Speaker Award. The students also had a chance to explore San Francisco for a day. Ericson said of the trip, “I think I speak for Kari, Maryam and myself when I say that this is a summer that we will never forget. We made lifelong friends and learned a ton! Thanks for shedding light on this program.”
Kari Currence (2nd from left) and Maryam O’Neill (2nd from right) meet new friends at Stanford.
Today your children should have brought home the Innisbrook Catalogue. This is the main fund-raiser for the Parent Association. Funds raised from this program go, primarily, to support the teachers’ Wish List, which includes all manner of classroom resources. Please support this wonderful program by purchasing at least ten items from the catalogue. You’ll get some great merchandise, and you’ll support the school. Click here for more information
Parent Letter – Innisbrook Fundraiser
With help from Ms. Wilson and Ms. Blanchette, Ms. Graham Adams held a Destination Imagination workshop on Saturday for parents interested in learning more about the program. Thanks so much to Megan Black, Emma Borque and Trevena Moore for joining us! In the second half of the workshop, from 12:00 to 2:00 team managers at the elementary level planned their nine week After School Activity. Thanks to Tralice Bracy, Laura Croney, Nataki Richards and Sonja Sundaram! We are off to a great start!
Congratulations to Middle School math teacher, Bridget Klein who competed in the Trialo de Bosque Seco Triathlon in Guanica Puerto Rico this last week-end. She placed second in a field of forty women. First place went to a professional triathlete, who, we imagine, has more time to train that Ms. Klein who teaches math AND has been coaching our GHCDS Cross Country Team. Congratulations, Ms. Klein
Thanks to Kathy Mackay who volunteered to collect, count and submit the Box Tops for Education that you clipped, saved, and turned in, and she’s willing to do it again. Last year we collected more than 8000 Box Tops. That’s 160 rolls of dimes or $800 for our school. When we add in the matching funds from Reliable Network Solutions it will be $1,600, thanks to alumni Richard Mackay. We also collected more than 1100 points for the Labels for Education program – points that can be used by the school to purchase art supplies, sports equipment or books. Box Tops and Labels are on a lot of products that we all buy. Check out the web site and see all the ways that you can earn points for the school. Tell your friends and relatives about it and get everyone clipping and saving to benefit our school, and we could reach 10,000 next year.
Kathy Mackay and Richard Mackay present GHCDS with a matching check for $800.00 for Box Tops donations from Reliable Network Solutions.
Many thanks to Pam Peacock who has been volunteering all week in the library. To solve some of our storage issues, Pam is sorting old books, boxing them up and hauling them over to the Animal Shelter Flea Market. We appreciate all your efforts, Pam.
GHCDS students and parents will be involved in Coastal Week Clean Up which will take place tomorrow, September 20th at Columbus Landing from 9: 00 am to 11:00 am. Ms. Jane Coles will be supervising the event, and she asked that children in grades K-6 be accompanied by a parent. Bring a hat, sunscreen and water. Thank you.
There are still a number of parents who have not turned in their childs’ physical exam form and immunization record to Mrs. Tobias. Please make it a point to get those forms in this upcoming week. Children will not be able to attend class if their forms are not in by the end of September.
For boys in 1st through 5th grade and their families, the Cub Scouts are hosting a BB Shoot and Rain Gutter Regatta next Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the upper field. Come join the fun, have a grilled hot dog, shoot some BB’s, and race a boat! Maybe they will toss a water balloon or two…. Boys do not need to be a Cub Scout to participate.
The Athletic Department will be collecting gently used cleats and sneakers. If you have any gathering dust in your closets, please donate them to the box that will be sitting in front of the Administration Building.
Thanks to dedicated teachers and parents, we have a nice selection of After School Activities. Parents may pay for the activities this week in the office. Parents may pick up their children up at the classroom where the activity is taking place. At the end of the activity time, students will be directed to After School Care.
MONDAY
Maker Space Mr. Chapman (Lower School computer room)
4H Ms. Coles (Lower School science room.
Cricket Mr. Sinfield (lower field)
Gymnastics Mr. Miner (Pavilion)
TUESDAY
Destination Imagination 1-3 Ms. Croney, Ms. Black, Ms. Borque (Ms. Sundaram’s room)
WEDNESDAY
Two Dumb Dogs Ms. Blanchette (Ms. Sundarm’s room)
Steel Pan Mr. Belgrave (Chorus room)
Gardening Ms. Crisler, Ms. Bishop (Lower School art room)
Santa’s Workshop Ms. Yoder (Mrs. Yoder’s room)
THURSDAY
Running Club Ms. Lambert (upper field)
Destination Imagination 4-6 Ms. Sundaram, Ms. Richards (Ms. Sundaram’s room)
MathCounts Ms. Dykstra (Ms. Dykstra’s room)
Yoga Ms. Hutchins (Ms. Hutchins’s room)
FRIDAY
Two Dumb Dogs Ms. Blanchette/Ms. Pelovitz (Ms. Sundaram’s room
Santa’s Workshop Ms. Tobias (Lower School art room)
Tae Bo For Kids Ms. Lewis (Middle School Spanish room)
Fairy House Making Ms. Nieves/ Ms. Nicole Hutchins (Ms. Crisler’s room)
I think that’s it for now. Hope to see you at the party tomorrow evening. The theme is the “80s”, so put on your spandex pants and platform shoes, tease your hair ‘til it’s big and fluffy, and get ready to dance to sweet sounds of Culture Club, MC Hammer, and Simple Minds (“Don’t you forget about me.”)
Warmly,
Bill
