Friday, 9 September 2011
Greetings Upper School Parents:
The short-week following Labor Day always confirms
for me that the academic year is fully
underway. With the approach of
Parent Information Night (PIN) and a
plethora of exciting programs and initiatives on the horizon, I thought it a
good idea to send a reminder of activities in the works here in the Upper
School.
Upper School PIN is next Wednesday, 14 September, beginning at 7:00PM sharp with parent
meetings by Advisory Groups. PIN is an essential, required event at MVS, providing valuable opportunity
for parents to speak with advisors, attend shortened classes, meet teachers, and
gain insights to the academic program and community fabric of the Upper School.
I will send an e.mail on Monday,
including meeting locations and other PIN related details; the upper school
faculty and I look forward to sharing Wednesday evening with you.
Next Friday, students will participate in Pre-Immersion Open House, learning specific
details about the program offerings for 2012
Immersion from the faculty members leading them. Program descriptions, forms, and Immersion dates and
deadlines will be available on the US homepage early next week. As reminder, students anticipating
international travel should confirm or apply for their valid passports ASAP.
Peter Camm is holding open auditions for the fall dramatic performance,
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night,
with need for parts on-stage as well as behind-the-scenes. The show will be
staged 20-22 October in the Alumni Theater.
Afternoon carpool
pick-up requires your attention and assistance. If you are picking up a student, feel free to park in the
lot, pull-up along the sidewalk, or stop in the outside lane of the three carpool
lanes. The middle carpool lane and
all lanes through the parking lot need to keep moving so traffic can exit
from campus, stopping only for
pedestrian traffic in the cross walks. I appreciate your attention to this important safety issue.
I am THRILLED
to share that The Outliers, a local
band comprised entirely of MVS
students (three Sophomores: David
Busarow, Sam Pickard, John Winch; and seventh-grader: Jack Badgley) have reached the finals of the 2011 Dayton Battle of the Bands! The final competition will be held at
Canal Street Tavern on the evening of Saturday,
24 September. Rock-On, Outliers!
Next week marks the start of visiting college representatives coming
to campus. Sarah Brewer (Director
of College Counseling), will continue to up-date the days and times of visiting
reps on the MVS calendar, as well as reminding students during Morning
Announcements. Primarily intended for Juniors and Seniors, students are
permitted to miss a class, provided they follow the appropriate procedure by
asking their teacher a day in advance. Many college reps come to Dayton solely to visit MVS, so students are encouraged to take advantage
of these informative contacts with actual admissions officers.
The Lange Library is open daily from 3:30 - 6:00PM, providing extended study hours. This academic service is free of charge
to students in the upper school. After
4:00PM, all students not
involved in an organized MVS activity (supervised athletic practice, drama
rehearsal, extra-curricular activity, etc.) are required to sign-in at the library for quiet study. Students must be picked up from campus
by 6:00PM. I am pleased to welcome
Jennifer Buckner as our new
afternoon library proctor. Ms.
Buckner is completing her Masters Degree in Library and Information Science, so
she is exceptionally well qualified
to provide students with research assistance after school.
Richard Bausch, author of Peace, the 2011 Upper School Shared Summer Reading selection will address the
upper school and visit English classes on Monday,
19 September. Other activities
planned for that week include: the arrival of Chilean exchange students (17-29 Sept), school picture day (22 Sept), all-school sprit rally (23 Sept) and Homecoming Weekend (24 Sept), including abundant athletic events, Run For The Rams, and the upper school Homecoming Dance (from 8-11:PM) in the
Alumni Black Box Theater, sponsored by Student Government. I will send my annual Homecoming Dance
“expectations letter” to parents early that week; I encourage you to begin
candid conversations about safety with your child, her or his classmates, and
fellow upper school parents.
On a final note, in a community that prides
itself on compassion and cultural awareness, it is not lost on me that this
weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific events from 11 September
2001. While the national and
international media coverage ranges from stories of heroism and solemn reflection
to charting the continuing waves of discord and fear, it is affirming to me, on
a daily basis, the unique community we all espouse here at MVS.
Best wishes towards a restful weekend,
Sam Wagner
Head
of Upper School
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