File - Mary Munford PTA

Volume 14, Edition 3
June 2012
From New PTA President Allie Woodruff
Hello Mary Munford Families:
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Mary Munford Elementary School during the next year as PTA President. This amazing school has been the daily stop of my 1st grade daughter Annie,
who goes bounding out of the car in the carpool line each morning,
running in for another Sunny Day in Mrs. Mallory’s classroom. It
will also be the same nurturing and learning environment for my 3
year old son who will join her here in several years. We are lucky to
have a dedicated, outspoken and vibrant PTA Board made up of
parents who truly care about the education our children receive here
each day. I strongly believe that the teachers and our larger-thanlife Principal, Mr. Muzik, do celebrate and embrace the special talents and individuality that each of the 580 children at our school
bring to the classroom. I look forward to a great year ahead of fun
events, of exploring, learning and most importantly of challenging
the minds of our growing group of young students.
I want to extend a special thank you to outgoing PTA President Ann Gill for the terrific job she has done over the past year.
Ann has made many changes and improvements for our school, big
and small, but all have been valuable. One of the most significant
has been her creation of the PTA website from the ground up – a
great source of information and updates. She also beautifully revamped the weekly blast emails that communicate updated information on all the Munford happenings. Ann
also created our Facebook page which
many of us use on a regular basis. We are
fortunate to have Ann continue on as a
member of the PTA Board for another 2
years in the role of Interior Beautification
Continued on page 2
Chair.
In this issue . . .
New President’s Letter - Page 1
Outgoing PTA Prez Letter - Page 2
From Mr. Muzik - Page 3
Minds in Motion - Page 4
New International Night - Page 6
Accelerated Readers - Pages 6 - 7
New PTA Officers - Page 7
SCA Year In Review - Page 8
. . . and much, much more!
Upcoming Events
June 15 - September 3 -- SUMMER
BREAK!
June 21 - Kick-off of ‘Reading Is
So Delicious” Summer Program at
West End Library, Patterson Ave.
June 29 and Aug. 3 - Rising Kindergarten Playdates at the MM
Playground, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Aug. 29 - Class Assignments
Posted
Aug. 31 - MM OPEN HOUSE; 2:00
to 3:30 p.m.
September 4 - Return To School!
Page 1
Great Scenes From
Grandparents Day!
On June 8, grandparents and special
friends joined their MM students
for a jam-packed day of classroom
visits, family photos, participation in
“then and now” activities, art projects and much more. A good time
was had by all!
MM’s Own Playwright, Ms. Coward, Pens 2nd Grade Play
On May 22, the school community traveled back in
time with the entire 2nd grade. We were introduced
to Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson,
Martin Luther King, and many more great American
heroes. Thank you
Ms. Coward for writing a clever and fun
new script about
great Americans!
From Outgoing PTA President Ann Gill
Hello Munford Families!
It has been my pleasure to serve as your PTA President this past school
year. I wanted to express a sincere thanks to all our committee chairs,
committee members and you! Thanks for all you have done big and small
to make this school year a great success.
Thanks as well to Mr. Muzik and all of the teachers who spend so many
extra hours supporting the
PTA and school. I also wanted
to give a big thanks to my family
From Allie Woodruff
Continued from page 1
Look out for new eye-grabbing improvements next fall and winter as
Ann puts her creative touch on our
everyday surroundings.
Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to work with all of you
over the coming year. And most
importantly, thanks in advance to
the many teachers, parents and volunteers who dedicate their time
and talents to making this one of
the most admired schools in Richmond.
Allie Woodruff
Page 2
~ Sadiq, Max, Ada Rose &
Leo who have provided great
support to the PTA endeavors
that I have been involved in this
past year.
I have had the pleasure of working with Allie Woodruff, your new PTA
President, this year and am looking forward to all the great things that the
board under her leadership will bring during the 2012-13 School Year. If
you have not had a chance to talk to Allie yet -- go on up and introduce
yourself.
I look forward to continuing to serve on the PTA Board as Allie’s Interior Beautification Chair. If you have any Interior Beautification ideas,
please feel free to email me at [email protected].
I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe and relaxing summer break!
Take care,
Ann Gill
From Our Principal - Greg Muzik
By Greg Muzik, Principal
I wanted to remind parents to review our policy on student classroom assignments. You
can find this information on the school website (http://web.richmond.k12.va.us/mmes/
Parents/ParentHandbook.aspx). Each grade level will be setting up the classroom
groups for next year, but I make the actual teacher assignments once our staffing has
been finalized. We will mail out school opening letters the week of August 19th. If you
do not receive a letter from us by August 24, please call. We will post classroom assignments on August
29th and our School Open House is August 31st from 2:00 - 3:30 PM.
There are two class assignment-related requests we will consider from parents:
1. A request that you your child be separated from another child.
2. A request that your child not be placed with a teacher if a sibling has had that teacher in past years.
Please make your request in writing to your child's teacher; if you were not able to make the request by the
end of the school year, please send your request in writing to the school office. We do not accept requests
for specific teachers or requests that children be placed in the same classroom (except in the case of twins).
Compass Club Members Make Huge Impact
By Paula Katz
The Compass Club was busy learning about Haiti this year. We studied
how the poverty-stricken country has struggled since the earthquake in 2010. The Compass Club
also conducted a letter exchange with students in Haiti and sent 30 supply bags to our new friends. Our supply bags included toys, crayons,
toothbrushes, toothpaste, stickers and cards.
The Club members were active right here at home too! We
painted a rain barrel for our school. Also, two Compass club members
were first place winners in the Richmond Peace Essay Contest. Raquel
Turner, fifth grader, and Hannah McCaskill, third grader each won
$100.00 for their work. Their essays can be read at the website:
www.rpec.org. Click on the 2012 Peace Essay Contest links to Primary
Grades (Hannah’s essay) and Elementary Grades (Raquel). You don’t
want to miss reading these essays!
Page 3
MINDS IN MOTION NEVER FAILS TO ENTERTAIN AND IMPRESS!
If you have never had a 4th grader in Richmond Public Schools, then it may be a little
hard to understand why people rave about the annual “Minds In Motion” performance. But if you have attended once, you probably keep attending each year, long
after your 4th grader has moved on, just for the joy of it all! That’s how Charles
McGuigan summed it up in a recent article in the North of the James Magazine, May
2012 issue. Said McGuigan: “WOW! WOW! WOW! Minds in Motion may well be the
best single performance of any kind in Richmond. No joke.”
Minds In Motion is the collaborative work of the Richmond Ballet’s education department, the public schools, several foundations, Mr. and Mrs. James Ukrop, and the
National Endowment for the Arts. This year’s
performance was titled “Banking on a Dream:
The Maggie Lena Walker Story.” Hundreds of
children from 24 area schools poured onto the
Arthur Ashe arena floors dancing out the story
of one of Richmond’s most famous natives.
But to get to that point, the Richmond Ballet
sends out to RPS schools its fun, talented, creative ambassadors to work with the 4th graders.
Once a week during the entire school year, the 4th graders “drill” on various movements, from kicks to turns to arm motions, and all while practicing complicated
counting so that every move tells a story. Each school practices its piece, then miraculously, the hundreds of City 4th graders converge on stage for a show that simply amazes year after year. McGuigan summed it up perfectly. “And at the May performance . . . I was blown away. Instructors had worked tirelessly with students
from 24 area schools, both public and private, and made performers of every child
there. That was the magic of it all.” In summary, McGuigan called for government
support of the arts, saying that “Seeing Minds in Motion might teach [government
officials] to spend taxpayers’ money where it really does the most good — on educating the young about the beauty and mystery of art.”
Of course, congrats to the great moves
shown by the Munford 4th Graders! Special
thanks to the 4th Grade teachers, Ms. Dunn,
Ms. Schwarz, Ms. Myers, and Mr. Vasser.
For more info on Minds In Motion, visit http://
www.richmondballet.com/danceeducation/
mindsinmotion.aspx
Page 4
NEW INTERNATIONAL NIGHT FORMAT ENTERTAINS CROWDS!
By Maggi Tinsley
International Night 2012 introduced a new format in April and
was warmly received by more than 250 members of the Munford
community. Veteran Munford parents Debbie Fagan and Maggi
Tinsley, co-chairs, chose to evolve the annual event beyond the
food focus of recent years in order to give Munford students a
chance to learn about customs, geographic features, folkways,
and music.
With the help of faculty and PTA liaisons Elizabeth Dunn and
Kathy Peaseley, and the efforts of volunteer coordinator Sarah
Gobble, students and parents were able to enjoy the evening’s
festival atmosphere, wandering from performances in the auditorium to activities in the cafeteria.
The new class-participation game dubbed “Where in the World is Mr. Muzik?” challenged students to
visit tables where images and artifacts clued them in to what country each represented. This element
will return each year with different classrooms participating, thus allowing teachers and parents to have
“off years” where they can attend and enjoy the event without having to prepare a table. This year seven countries were represented: Samoa (Ms.
Dunn), Egypt (Ms. Keisler), Kenya (Ms. Baughan), Australia (Ms. Via), Chile
(Ms. Peaseley), China (Ms. Lippman), and Ireland (Mr. Vassar) -- a big
thanks goes out to these teachers who gave it a try the first year. Students
who visited each table in the cafeteria on April 24 wrote their guesses on a
form they entered into a drawing for internationally themed raffle prizes. The
prizes and the clues were a big hit; one third-grader reportedly said, “That
was awesome! Thanks, Mom, for making me go.”
A Chinese calligraphy demonstration also engaged students at International Night, thanks to Kefu Huang. Many children left with their names written in Chinese on rice paper. And the Nagi
family envisioned and supervised an origami table, both demonstrating
and guiding new hands at the Japanese art of paper folding.
In the auditorium, new performances alternated with the play by Spanishlanguage El pajaro rojo Theater, this year presenting Los tres cerditos
(The Three Little Pigs), under the direction of Munford parent Corinna Sherlip and featuring more than a
dozen Munford students. The dancers of the Latin Ballet of Virginia’s
Junior Company performed a traditional dance from Peru called The
Rainbow and a Gypsy dance from Spain. Taaluma Youth Dance and
Drum Company shared African dancing and drumming, known for its
power to bring family, friends, and communities closer together. True
to that tradition, the performers invited Munford students to join in.
Other activities included a world map on which everyone was invited
to place a pin to show the many countries from which our
Munford families come. And a resource table offered an
opportunity to browse a variety of children’s books about
different countries.
[Thank you Maggi and Debbie for your creative
approach to International Night which provided
a great menu of “brain food” for all!]
Page 5
CONGRATULATIONS TO AR STARS!! - 4th Quarter 2011-2012
Kindergarten
Lauren Blake
First Grade
Christian Algarin
Starlet Archibald
Nevaeh Battle
Jack Busbic
Skylar Caddell
Evan Cann
Henry Caudel
Ahmed Cheema
Emma Clark
John Corral
Abigayle Crumley
Stanton Dodson
Kerry Dowling
Clair Duffey
Caroline Ewald
Alyssa Farrell
Kyla Fowler
Hayes Gelsomino
Chelsea Gilbert
Kaspars Golos
Frank Halloran
Harper Hailes
Eleanor Handy
Sophie Harr
Alex Hatfield
Molly Hatfield
Makayla Hawkes
Baily Helm
Aiden Hendricks
Braxton Hill
Walker Hill
Joey Huberman
Caroline Johnson
Caroline Johnson
Charlie Kemp
Jake Kuhlen
Asher Levy
Page 6
7#
4.7
7.3
4.5
6.1
5.1
25*
21.8*
8.9
4.2
4.3
4.8
11.3
21.1*
14.2
8.2
6.3
40.9*
6.7
6.2
13.8
10.9
6.7
8.4
4.4
7.2
5.6
4.2
4.2
11.2
20*
21.1*
8.5
5.2
5.2
7
13.6
4.8
Emerson Lewis
5
Michael Malbone
4.3
Owen Marcus
5.8
Cylvia Martin
19.1
Maggie McCauley
12.5
Lauren McCluskey
15.9
Jacob Moncure
7.2
Ellie Noland
5.3
Camila Obando
7.8
Eliza Park
24.1*
John Patterson
19.6
Colton Parha
5.4
Audrey Paulson
100.5*#
Zach Puritz
21.1*
Kayla Robertson
5.5
Jackson Rountree
16.6
Mariam Samaha
4.1
Julia Schmidt
5.4
Alyssa Seibel
6.3
Alena Sims
5.4
Jack Sisk
10.6
Samuel Sneddon
13.1
JD Stemhagen
9.4
Lily Sweeney
8.7
Annabelle Teller
8.3
Elizabeth Tinsley
5.4
Lily Tuthill
4.4
Nathaniel Van Meter 21.2*
Zachary Verdi
11.8
Annie Vosmik
26*
Matthew Weaver
6.8
Colleen Weir
8.3
Adele Wilkes
4.5
Violet Woodard
4.9
Parker Woolwine
7.3
Parker Zadora
10.3
Second Grade
Catie Anderson
Heath Anderson
Jeddah Arnold
87.7*
8.8
18
Will Bishop
15.6
Ned Boehling
8
Brayden Coleman
8.1
Moira Condit-Fox
50.5*
Avery Crumlish
15.6
Evelyn Daglio
8
Helena Daglio
12.4
Parker Edmondson
57.7*
Ada Rose Gill
34.6
Isabella Grice
27.8
Noah Hicks
9.4
Annabell Halloran
14.2
Grayson Holland
9.9
James Hunter
9.7
Danielle Jankowski
8.1
Simon Nagi
48.5*
Annabel Puritz
41.3*
Keaton Rahman
46.5*
Alex Seabury
58.4*
Madoc Winters
90.8*#
Third Grade
Andy Allums
Ryan Asch
Evan Barefoot
Jeremy Blake
Sullivan Brewer
Rhealynn Buda
Sophia Cao
Mo Carpenter
Ella Carroll
Lida Caudle
Zainab Cheema
Adam Clark
Adrianna Clarke
Connor Coleman
Aidan Davis
Eleanor Duffey
Julia Finch
Mary Frannk
Continued on next page
22.3
12.1
13
82*
21.4
12.8
46.9
15.4
12.4
26.4
18.5
43.4
12
118.4*
18
17.9
57.7
12.5
AR Stars , continued from page 6
Thomas Freeman
Brianna Gary
Garrett Gilfoyle
Samuel Gwaltney
Cynthia Hallen
Garrett Hendrick
Helena Huff
James Jones
Kyle Joyce
Melyoge Kale
Roxanne Kellner
Mimi Kemp
Mia Krivanec
Hannah McCaskill
Teagan McCluskey
Frances McCoy
Allie Meiller
Ethan Mitchell
Olivia Nealon
Anthony Paiva
Sally Park
William Quinn
John Ramey
Tierney Reardon
Ethan Rodriguez
Ethan Rosen
Avery Sanford
15
20.9
49.7
12.2
14.9
16.5
13.2
12
16
18.6
35.8
60.1*
12.7
17.7
42.9
40.6
26.7
18.8
52
18.7
16.5
14.4
46
29.2
12.4
25.6
13.4
Oliver Simms
41.8
Quinn Smith
12
Afton Strickland
24.6
Logan Stubbs
23.9
Gavin Telfer
35.4
Elizabeth Thorne 201.2*#^
Savannah Vonesh
82.3*
Henry Whitley
12.1
Roger Whitley
20.2
Fourth Grade
Lane Anderson
Christian Andrews
Hannah Clark
Maliah Clark
Stella Crump
Max Eason
Claire Ewald
Greer Foster
Max Gill
Makyla Grant
Olivia Harrison
Mia Houdek
Jackson Kane
Caleb McCaskill
Jack McCown
Cary Miller
30.9
16.1
17.7
20.1
16.3
38
19.1
18.1
29
55.5
44.1
25
41.3
18.4
16.3
23.4
Ella Mullian
Karlee Obaugh
Naima Orr
Henry Paulson
Sadie Rogers
Amelia Seabury
Bobby Seitz
Mina Sharp
Lola Sneddon
Clark Taylor
35.5
23.3
90.5*
184*#
154.2*
97.7*
38
42.6
28.4
21.6
Fifth Grade
Eva Beck
52.4
Charlotte Candler
54.7
Corbette Condit-Fox 104.4*
Henry Freeman
38.1
Josie Holland
125.5*
Maya Qureshi
129.7*
Rowan Scarpino
130.8*
Michael Schweiker
27
Alexis Shockley
39.9
Hayley Simms
168.1*#
Raquel Turner
81.7
Carter Wesley
30.2
*20X Club
#Highest in Grade
^Highest in School
MEET YOUR NEW PTA BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE!
Congratulations and thank you to the new members of
the 2012 - 2013 PTA Board Executive Committee. The
Executive Committee will spend untold hours over the
summer and next year making sure that Mary Munford
is the BEST place to learn, study and have fun! If you
see these members around town or in the halls,
please say “hello” and ask how YOU can get involved
in another great year at Munford. Back row from left:
Greg Muzik, Principal; Beth Simms, VP of Membership;
Mary Margaret Park, Treasurer. Front row from left: Allie
Woodruff, President; Ali Rios, President Elect; Ann McCray, Secretary.
Not pictured:: Dana Kuhlen, VP of Programs.
Page 7
Thank You SCA!
The Student Council Associa­
tion (SCA) is comprised of 3rd­5th graders. Each home­
room elects a boy and a girl to serve as its SCA represen­
tative. SCA Officers are elected by the school in Octo­
ber. The SCA promotes school spirit, holds fundrais­
ers, and acts as liaison be­
tween the student body and the administration. ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS
IN THE
MARY MUNFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
THE MONARCH MESSAGE
Put your ad in the homes of families committed to public-school education and its
involvement in the community—they want to support your business!
Published four times a year:
September, December, February and May
Reaches 550 Families in the Mary Munford Neighborhood
Advertising fees go to Munford PTA and directly benefit the school and
its students!
SCA Secretary Ellie
Duffey hard at work!
BUSINESS CARD $25 QUARTER PAGE $40
HALF-PAGE $70 FULL-PAGE $100
2012-2013 Publication Schedule
This year the SCA ,with proceeds from the sale of Entertainment Books, and the Snowball Dance, do‐
nated $250.00 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and $500.00 to the Central Virginia Food Bank. The SCA collected over 100 cans of food in the Food Fight, and collected $200.00 in donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The 2011‐2012 SCA officers were: Presidentv ­ Maya Qureshi Vice President ­ Anna Durham Treasurer ­ Corbette Condit­Fox Sergeant of Arms ­ Sattie Sanderson Secretary ­ Ellie Duffey Mrs. Paula Katz is the teacher sponsor of the SCA. DON’T FORGET! EARN MONEY FOR OUR
SCHOOL - ALL YOU NEED IS SCISSORS! Look
for the box tops on many products you use everyday! Deposit box tops in the PTA mailbox. Log on
to: boxtops4education, for more info. JUST BECAUSE SCHOOL IS
OUT DOESN’T MEAN
YOU SHOULD TAKE
A VACATION FROM
CLIPPING!
Page 8
ISSUE
DEADLINE
PUB. DATE
September
9/4/12
9/10/12
December
11/27/12
12/3/12
February
1/28/13
2/4/13
May
4/29/13
5/6/13
To place an ad, or for more information, contact the Newsletter Editor,
Sharon Maitland Moon at [email protected]
MARY MUNFORD MODEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
211 WESTMORELAND AVENUE
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23226
(804) 780-6267
2nd Graders Pose In Wax Museum