The Stanwich Heart
Transcription
The Stanwich Heart
The Stanwich Heart The Monthly Newsletter of The Stanwich School May 2011 COMMITMENT • COMPASSION • WISDOM • COURAGE • HONESTY • FORGIVENESS • JOY Dear Stanwich Parents, ear 13 has truly been one to celebrate as witnessed by so many of you on Friday night. The evening was filled with spirit and we are grateful to each of you for all that you did to make “Lucky 13” such a success and a memorable community event. Indeed our school is living its mission of students, teachers and parents working together to foster a love of learning and an appreciation for the gifts of others. As I thought about our growth and the past 13 years, I was reminded of the many ways you contribute to our program and how important your energy, gifts and talents have been to our students. Your willingness to participate as class parents, fund agents and the many roles needed in our leadership of the Parent Association and Board of Trustees have helped establish a solid foundation for our future. Traditions such as our Field Days, Community Service Projects and Charter Day Celebrations continue to foster the connectedness so important to each of us. You have stepped into our classrooms to share books and projects and have enriched our understanding. Our Learning to Look Program continues to thrive, meeting high expectations and creativity and would not be possible without you, our teachers. We are also grateful to the many ways you have encouraged us to be better stewards of God’s world through our various clubs and green initiatives. And our campus on Stanwich Road continues to bloom proudly each spring with the many bulbs planted by you and your children. We have embraced “Parents as Partners” with To celebrate Earth Day, Pat Young helped Grade 4 students plant pansies and knowledge that we can only clean up the grounds around the Stanwich Road campus. achieve the very best for our children when we are working together. Our faculty are grateful to be working in a school where there is support and appreciation. In addition to weekly “Sweet Wednesdays”, the faculty luncheon and the day of flowers speak volumes to our teachers who understand the many ways you all come together to make “Faculty Appreciation Day” such a treasured time. This is a time to really thank each of you for all that you have done to make Year 13 a blessed one. In the coming weeks, there will be several opportunities for us to come together to celebrate the growth of your children. They have enjoyed many challenges and successes which will bring smiles and applause. We are truly grateful to each of you for all that you do throughout the year and thank you for your commitment and support. Y Fondly, www.stanwichschool.org Inside This Issue 2 Pre-K Cottage 3 Primary House 4 Intermediate House 5 Junior House 6 Earth Day 2011 8 Parent Association 10 Lucky 13 Benefit 12 Happenings May 2011 1 Pre-K Cottage What a Blessing! The Pre-K students presented a check to JH science teacher, Shaun Fletcher, that will be used to purchase books for the Cyabatanzit school. The funds were raised at the Pre-K Hop-a-Thon, raising money for Stanwich’s Project Blessing initiative. Barbara Kennedy Head of Pre-K Cottage Springtime Magic A little seed For me to sow A little earth To make it grow.... A little hole, A little pat... A little wish, And that is that. Dad’s Day Cardboard boxes, empty paper towel rolls and lots of masking tape were used when the Pre-K Dads helped their children construct “marble mazes.” The Pre-K welcomes Spring with a sense of wonder as we delight in new growth as we: • Care for our planted seeds and flowers • Bring home reading books • Find worms for our worm farm • Draw and write in our journals • Solve tangram puzzles • Share a morning with Dad at school • Sing new songs in French and English • Continue to help each other learn, laugh, and play together Spring in Pre-K is a special time of year! The Grass is Always Greener … Inside of cups decorated to look like faces, students planted grass seed, made guesses to see how long it would take to grow, and when it grew, gave the grass “haircuts.” 2 May 2011 The Stanwich Heart Primary House Wishes of Hope n Friday April 15, the Primary House participated in the most wonderful assembly and community service event. Mrs. Tomoko Dougan, mom to Acacia in Grade 8 and Stanwich Alum, Brandyn in Grade 12, presented a beautiful lesson of HOPE to the Primary House. Mrs. Dougan explained calligraphy to the children as a meditative practice that strengthens the spirit of the mind and body. She explained that when calligraphy is practiced, a wish is held in your heart. As Mrs. Dougan painted the Japanese character for HOPE on a banner right in front of them, the children held a wish of HOPE for the Japanese people and watched in perfect silence. The mood in the assembly room was so beautiful and peaceful. The mood traveled with the children to their classrooms as they painted their own message of HOPE. Japanese and calming music played in the rooms as the children practiced calligraphy, and you could truly sense the hopeful spirit. Each family was asked to make a donation to the Japan Red Cross in an effort to help those affected by the devastating March earthquake and tsunami. The Primary House raised $2439.80 and showed the power of Stanwich Students! In the envelopes, messages of love, smiles, pictures and flags of Japan accompanied the donations—some of which were donations of coins, single dollars and “allowances.” The personal sharing from our children and Mrs. Dougan’s lesson created a very meaningful service learning experience. O Julie Colligan Head of Primary House Classic Drama Grade 2 students brought the childrens’ tales of Hans Christian Andersen, such as The Princess and the Pea and The Ugly Duckling, to life. Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail The Tale of Peter Rabbit was masterfully performed by Grade 1 students. Research Skills Grade 3 students show off the brochures they made after researching the rainforest. Children’s Choice A Pajama Party, complete with pancakes, was the celebration the kindergartners recently chose to celebrate their commitment to positive behavior. www.stanwichschool.org May 2011 3 Intermediate House The Power of Ten hen talking to the children about how to make God’s world a better place, we often try to drive home the lesson that there is power in numbers. There are times when one person might not feel that they can make a critical difference, but when we put our energies and our resources together, our impact can be huge. This is the basis behind the IH fundraiser for Japan, called The Power of Ten. The fifth grade is heading up the IH efforts to help Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami. They recently studied natural disasters in their science curriculum, so they felt compelled to take the lead. The idea is simple; we have asked IH students to donate any denomination of ten — dimes, dollar bills, ten dollar bills, etc., with the goal of raising at least $1000. It has been inspiring to watch the fifth graders become impassioned and invested in this undertaking. One student has created bands with a beautiful emblem that she designed to give out to children who donate. Another took the initiative to raise funds around his neighborhood and at his grandmother’s church, single-handedly raising over two hundred dollars toward the cause. And, of course, many IH students have taken the initiative to make their own Powers of Ten donation. It is a pleasure to watch our students take a truly active role in helping others. We are so proud to see the compassion and commitment they have shown toward such an important cause. So, if you see an IH student walking around with a band around their forehead, you can smile, knowing that they have used their Stanwich Heart to help the people of Japan. W Meaghan Mallin Head of Intermediate House Ancient Greece Grade 5 students donned togas and gave a smashing performance of Theseus & The Minotaur. StanEllis Island Grade 4 students dressed in costumes of their heritage and took part in an immigration reenactment. Medieval Times Dressed in Medieval costumes, the sixth graders played chess, feasted, composed ballads and jousted, as part of the annual Medieval Faire. 4 May 2011 The Stanwich Heart Junior House Dana Montañez Head of Junior House Brilliant Success ach year the 9th grade identifies a global need and works to design a project to raise funds and educate our community on that need. The Grade 9 group chose to support the building of a classroom in Rwanda this year, and their means of fundraising was to create a Fashion Show! (pictured below) Students created a mission statement, balanced a budget, created marketing packages, and finally executed the event on Friday, April 7th. Local stores provided a variety of beautiful clothes, and models were found amongst the Grade 9 group with the addition of a few 7s, 8s, and faculty members. As the lights dimmed on the crowd, the runway was illuminated, and music filled the air. To the outrageous applause of friends and families, the student-models emerged, beaming with confidence and pride in doing their part and accomplishing a goal. The show was a brilliant success not only for the future classroom in Rwanda, but for the success the Grade 9 students had in creating such a memorable and spirited community event for all! E www.stanwichschool.org From Zip Lining to Skype For a week in February, the Grade 9 class explored the Central American country of Costa Rica. Highlights of the trip were a 5-hour hike to Punta Mona, a zip line adventure, and donating laptops to the Bambu School that will be used for future Skype sessions with the students. Sludge Test Through a variety of labs, Grade 8 students studied solubility, flammability and density and were then given test tubes of “sludge” filled with several liquids, dissolved solids and some undissolved solids. The students were then required to separate them and report on the characteristics of the sludge. Fashion for Change Special Performance The Grade 9 class put on the first-ever Stanwich Fashion Show which raised funds for Project Blessing. JH students showed off their musical talent during a special Piano and Voice Recital. May 2011 5 Earth Day 2011 To celebrate Earth Day, students in the Primary House planted flowers for their mothers, built towers out of recyclable materials, and decorated 100% recyclable paper plates with Haiku poems. In the Intermediate House, Grade 4 students planted flowers on campus, Grade 5 students planted flowers at the Nathaniel Witherell nursing home, and Grade 6 students worked at Tod’s Point with Greenwich Green & Clean. Primary House 6 May 2011 Grade 4 The Stanwich Heart Grade 5 www.stanwichschool.org Grade 6 May 2011 7 Parent Association Dear Stanwich Community, hat a wonderful turnout for the Lucky 13 Celebration on Friday. I want to give a big thank you to Caroline Weiser, Ingrid Winn, Jesse Drennen and their committees for all of the hard work in preparing for this very special event. There were over 100 auction items including faculty gifts, grade level baskets, etc. What teamwork and creativity went into this event! To help raise awareness for the many people impacted by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, our Community Service chair, Lynn Friedberg, and parent, Tomoko Dougan, worked with the House Heads to create unique events. The PH had a special assembly where they learned about Japanese calligraphy, received an origami crane, and wrote a message of hope. The IH used the “power of 10” theme to raise funds for a “shelter box” that would help provide relief for a family of 10 people. Plans are in process for JH for early May. Thank you to Lynn and Tomoko for leading this effort. Our Spring Parent Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, May 26 at Indian Harbor Yacht Club. This is a perfect end-of-year event for parents to socialize one last time before the school year is over. We W will also be thanking our many parent volunteers who have helped with the various events at school, recognizing our out-going Board, as well as introducing our in-coming Board. This will be our second year at Indian Harbor for the parent luncheon, and the views are beautiful. I hope you can join us. The PA wants to hear from you! We plan to place suggestion boxes in the Pre-K, PH, IH and JH offices to gather your comments on the PA, program suggestions, areas for improvement, etc. We have added a new Board position for next year, Programs Chair, which will be headed by Kara Donahue, past PA President. Kara will take a look at all of our activities, evaluate best practices, and recommend if we need to make changes in the PA. Field Day is around the corner and the kids are really looking forward to being outside and having fun in their blue and white teams. Parents are always welcome to cheer for the teams; and to volunteer, please contact Sherry Arjomand if you are available to help with this fun event. It’s difficult to believe that the school year is almost over. Enjoy these last few weeks along with the warmer spring temperatures. —Wynn McDaniel, Parent Association President Announcements from the PA “My teacher rocks!” “I love Stanwich teachers because they are caring.” These were some of the messages that Stanwich students sent teachers via colorful Easter eggs at the Faculty Appreciation Lunch on April 15. Many, many hands pitched in to honor one of our school’s greatest blessings: our faculty and staff. From early morning until late afternoon, we had moms gladly arranging beautiful flowers brought in by students; preparing and delivering delicious foods; setting up the JH dining hall with a taste of spring; greeting and serving our honored guests; and cleaning it all up. Thank you to our many volunteers for your generosity of time and spirit. And thank you Stanwich teachers for making a difference in the lives of our children! Field Day is coming in June! K and 1 have Field Day on June 1 at Stanwich School Field and Grades 2 - 6 have Field Day on June 3 at Old Greenwich Civic Center. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sherry Arjormand at [email protected] K & Grade 1: Wednesday, June 1 • 10:00 - 11:15am Stanwich School Field • Rain date June 2 Grade 2 to Grade 6: Friday, June 3 • 9:30am - 12:30pm Old Greenwich Civic Center • Rain date June 6 8 May 2011 The Stanwich Heart A Spring Shower Sale! Just in time for the rainy days of spring, the Stanwich small tote umbrella is now only $10. Also, the stuffed Stanwich cougar, our beloved mascot, is now only $10. Annual Spring Parent Luncheon Indian Harbor Yacht Club Please save the date! Thursday, May 26 Invitations to follow It’s Almost Time for Summer Reading! In May, the Parent Association will be selling the required summer reading books to Stanwich families. Once the reading list is issued, books will be available for purchase online. All book orders will be filled in late May; books will be delivered directly to students to take home. Take the opportunity to easily buy your books while supporting Stanwich! Please contact Elina Daetwiler with questions at [email protected] Want to learn more? Join us at the Fourth Annual Greening Our Children Luncheon to benefit Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center. Come learn how we can do more to product our children. For info go to http://mountsinaigocluncheon.org or contact luncheon co-chair and Stanwich parent Eunice Burnett at [email protected] www.stanwichschool.org STANWICH ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE Your family needs you. Every day, our kids are inadvertently exposed to a long list of harmful chemicals that disrupt the normal way their bodies function, cause cancer and more. In celebration of Earth Day 2011 make a resolution to adopt at least one new “green” habit that will protect and improve the health of your family. Tip 1: Know the ingredients in your personal care products. Just because a label says “gentle” or “natural” doesn’t mean it’s kid- safe. Look up your products on CosmeticsDatabase.com. Read the ingredients and avoid triclosan, BHA, fragrance, and oxybenzone. Tip 2: Eat organic & fresh foods. Opt for organic fruits and veggies, or use FoodNews.org to find conventionally grown produce with the least pesticides. Choose milk and meat without added growth hormones. Limit canned food and infant formula, as can linings contain bisphenol A (BPA). Tip 3: Avoid fire retardants. Choose snug-fitting cotton pajamas for kids, and repair or replace worn out foam items. Tip 4: Pick plastics carefully. Some plastics contain BPA, which is linked to cancer. Avoid clear, hard plastics marked with a “7” or “PC” and choose baby bottles made from glass. Don’t microwave plastic containers. Stay away from toys marked with a “3” or “PVC.” Give your baby a frozen washcloth instead of vinyl teethers. Tip 5: Wash those hands, but avoid Triclosan. In addition to reducing illness, frequent hand washing will reduce kids’ exposure to chemicals. Skip anti-bacterial soaps, since they can be bad for the environment, aren’t any better than soap and water, and can contain pesticides that are absorbed through the skin. Tip 6: Skip the non-stick, the dangers of teflon. When overheated, non-stick cookware can emit toxic fumes. Cook with cast iron or stainless steel and bake with oven-safe glass instead. Tip 7: Filter your tap water. Use a reverse osmosis system or carbon filter pitcher to reduce your family’s exposure to impurities in water, like chlorine and lead. Don’t drink bottled water, which isn’t necessarily better. Tip 8: Get rid of that (toxic) dust. Kids spend time on the floor, and household dust can contain contaminants like lead and fire retardants. HEPA-filter vacuums capture the widest range of particles and get rid of allergens. Leave your shoes at the door so you don’t bring more pollutants inside. Tip 9: Use greener cleaners and avoid pesticides. Household cleaners, bug killers, pet treatments, and air fresheners can irritate kids’ lungs. Investigate less toxic alternatives. Use vinegar in place of bleach, baking soda to scrub your tiles, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains. Tip 10: Your Healthy Home Checklist. The Environmental Working Group has created a useful Healthy Home checklist. Open your bathroom cabinets, look under your sink, and check those laundry supplies. It’s an easy, hands-on way to create a less toxic environment for your family. Download the file at http://ewg.org/healthy-home-tips/checklist Healthy Home Tips compiled by the Environmental Working Group May 2011 9 Lucky 13 BENEFIT & AUCTION A s I sit down and reflect on Stanwich School’s benefit and first live auction, I find myself struggling to find the words that describe Friday night, April 29, at Burning Tree Country Club. From the moment you walked through the doors, the atmosphere was electric. The buzz around the crowded silent auction tables, the amazing skill of Robert Boolbol at the mic as auctioneer for the live auction, the vibe of both Brian Millers as they performed in front of us all, drawing the crowd in with unabashed enthusiasm; and finally the energy on the dance floor afterwards. Friday night was a true testament of the Stanwich Community coming together with the mutual vision of “building the dream.” Thank You to Our Parent Community Thank you to every parent who donated or arranged donations towards the silent auction, and to the Goldstucks, the Carbones and the Touzots for their generous contribution to the live auction. The fabulous booklet and collation of all the auction items was the result of the many hours put in by Jeanne Golden, Leissa Jackmauh and Jessie Drennen. Together they remained positive, focused and never flustered. Thank you to Kristin Rosenbaum, Amy Bibb and Caroline Weiser and their committees for co-ordinating the class art projects, and to all the class parents for creating such fabulous grade baskets. The’ lucky 13’ Benefit t-shirts are being proudly worn by many of the students at PE, thanks to the hard work of Naomi Azrak. BENEFIT COMMITTEE We could not have accomplished such creative and innovative faculty items without the support and advice of Miz Liz. Thank you also to our wonderful team of teachers who gave their time and expertise and Caroline Weiser helped us to reach our fundraising goal. Another Big Thank You At the risk of sounding like an acceptance speech at the Oscars, and for the sake of keeping this short, I would like to list a few more names to whom a very big thank you is due: • Winifred Marion for the amazing video montage, with countless hours dedicated to making the video perfect. • Jeff Magliola and Adam Pacchiana for all the technical support before and during the event. • Laura Dianis for immense patience and for all the printing, formatting and school-wide communication. • Robert Boolbol, whose skill at the mic doubled and even tripled some of the live auction items. • Brian Miller (the teacher) and Brian Miller (the parent) who put their reputation on the line when they agreed to sing in front of us all. Thank you for being such good sports. • To Anastasia Brien and Diane Viton for arranging the table decorations, and Karin Goldstuck and Debra Seiter for the hours spent on the seating plan. And finally to my co-chairs, Jessie Drennen and Caroline Weiser, and to the entire benefit committee, thank you for your support, advice and time. e. Best wishes, Ingrid Winn 10 May 2011 Ingrid Winn Jessie Drennen Naomi Azrak Amy Bibb Anastasia Brien Suzanne Bubrosky Maria Consuegra Rachel DaPuzzo Natalie De Munnynck Wendy Duryea Catherine Farello Jeanne Golden Karin Goldstuck Lisa Jackmauh Alessandra Long Carol Ann McClean Winifred Marion Giovanna Miller Dana Noonan Kristen Rosenbaum Debra Seiter Carol Zelenz Samar Zuaiter The Stanwich Heart www.stanwichschool.org May 2011 11 Senior House Happenings ALLSCHOOL PICNIC Derek Krein Head of Senior House Breadth of Experience — Depth of Knowledge s we come into the homestretch of the hiring season in the Upper School (Junior and Senior House), I’ve been impressed by the breadth of experience and depth knowledge of educators eager to join Stanwich. Particularly compelling among these teaching candidates is their individual and collective commitment to educate students for a meaningful, purposeful life. They are drawn to Stanwich by our mission, and they are inspired by the dream we are building into a reality. A couple of weeks ago I had the ggood fortune to hear Tony Wagner, th the first Innovation Education Fellow aat the Technology & Entrepreneursship Center at Harvard University, sspeak at Greenwich Library. Wagn ner’s 2008 book, The Global Achievement Gap, makes the case “there is m a gap between what even our best sschools are teaching and testing and the skills all students will need for th careers, careers college and ccitizenship in the 21st century.” He classifies today’s high school students as the “Net Generation” characterized as “constantly connected, creating, and multitasking … [they] want to make a difference and do interesting/worthwhile work.” He anticipates – and strongly advocates for – an educational reorientation from an information-based learning system to a transformationbased learning system occurring with this generation. As Stanwich grows, we aspire to foster a learning and teaching community dedicated to mastering the competencies of this “just-in-time” learning framework. Thankfully, there is an eager and able collection of prospective teachers out there committed to crafting and promoting this relevant, meaningful experience who will join our already accomplished and dedicated faculty. Again and again we hear from candidates that the opportunity to teach at a place like Stanwich, where the character culture is firmly in place and the curriculum is dynamic and emerging, is a dream come true. Yes it is. A HOSTED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Greenwich Point Clambake Area Wednesday, June 1 5:00 - 7:00pm Please join the Board of Trustees for this special all-school family event. Look for your evite during the first week of May (space is limited to the first 500 responses). Uniform Sale • Friday, June 3 Purchase new school uniforms for next school year on Friday, June 3 from 8:00am - 4:00pm in the Intermediate House Assembly Room. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted. The Stanwich School • 257 Stanwich Road • Greenwich, CT 06830 • 203.542.0000 • www.stanwichschool.org 12 May 2011 The Stanwich Heart