Upper School Summer Mailer Letter

Thursday, 8 July 2010

Greetings Upper School Parents and Students:

Although the start of school is still a shimmering mirage on the horizon, I want to pass along some reminders in anticipation of a smooth start to the 2010-11 academic year. The campus is active with summer improvements (including a new roof on the upper school, a completely redesigned library, as well as accustomed touch-ups to classrooms and hallways), making ready for a fresh start of school in August.

As mentioned in my recent e.mail, your child’s academic schedule is now available via the MyBackpack portal from the MVS web. Jon Graetz (as scheduler) and I have worked diligently to accommodate as many course requests as possible. Although, scheduling conflicts are inevitable, we have done our best to keep them to a minimum. If, after reviewing your schedule, you would like to propose a change to your course schedule, know that we will review all such requests; however, we must also attend to the considerations of the larger schedule, balance of sections, and other “bigger picture” issues. We appreciate your understanding.

This fall, the academic day will begin at 8:05AM with Morning Announcements and will conclude at 3:20PM. While five courses continues to be the customary academic load in the upper school, on occasion, students discover they can successfully handle six. The key to considering such options lies in seeking appropriate balance in a student’s life, including: academic schedule, extra-curricular involvements, family schedules, and anticipated workload. The upper school schedule, now in its second year, provides a number of enhancements, including: longer classes, a floating lab period, and rotation of classes. Stemming from feedback collected last year, we have made some adjustments for this year, including a more judicious use of the lab periods, thus providing increased opportunities for students to meet with teachers, complete homework, or catch up between classes. We will continue to monitor and make further adjustments this year.

To further strengthen connections in the upper school, the advisory program will receive added attention this year, specifically in having 15 scheduled meetings throughout the year. For continuing students, most of the advisory groupings remain the same, although a handful of faculty members have shifted their duties. Recognizing the important connecting threads that our Advisory Program provides in the fabric of the upper school community, I am confident that “continuing members” of advisory groups will make “new additions” feel welcomed, informed, and well supported.

I am delighted to welcome three faculty members new to our upper school community. Robyn Case, Librarian and Media Sciences Coordinator, will work in all three divisions and is already assisting with the major renovation to the upper school library. We have two additions to our History Department: Matt LaMotte, most recently from New Hampton School in New Hampshire, will teach AP European History, Government, Modern World, electives, and serve as our men’s lacrosse coach; Blair Munhofen, recent graduate of Georgetown University, will teach World Civilizations, Speech, electives, develop the MVS speech and debate program, and assist with athletics. If you have recently phoned MVS, you have likely already spoken with Heike Kennel, our new MVS receptionist. The four grade-level Deans will continue to focus on grade-level programs and initiatives, including increased attention to student support, clubs and activities, and student expectations and conduct. The Community Service / Service Learning Program is currently undergoing review. Expect a detailed list of guidelines, links, and contact information publicizing Dayton area service organizations and opportunities in the fall.

This marks the fourth year of our Shared Summer Reading for the entire upper school community, including all students, teachers, and I suspect, a number of parents. Our common title is The Blessings of the Animals, by Katrina Kittle, which is due out on 3 August. I encourage you to pre-order your copy now. As a former MVS teacher, Ms. Kittle is very familiar with our school culture, so I am excited for her to participate in the discussions that will emerge from reading her novel. Additional details for Katrina Kittle’s visit to MVS will be announced in late August, including an evening event with the author, for parents and alums.

The revised Upper School Handbook & Program of Studies is available on-line in the “quick links” section of the upper school homepage. As a parent, please review carefully the entirety of the handbook. We will discuss some of the more pertinent topics during Advisory Group meetings early in the school year. The Parent Notification/Student Permission form, which requires student and parent signatures, will be sent home after we review relevant topics during initial Advisory Group meetings.

Considering the arrival of sweltering summer weather, here is an additional reminder regarding dress code. As a quick guide: ripped clothing is not permitted; shorts and skirts must be longer than the extended fingers of a student’s hands at their sides; and shirts should cover a student’s shoulders and not be overly revealing. Additionally, sports apparel, particularly “gym-style shorts,” is better suited for athletic venues than for classrooms. I appreciate your assistance (and shared humor) in guiding our students to be mindful of appearance, especially in anticipation of warm weather at the start of school in August.

In mid-September, MVS will host a student delegation from our sister school, The Thomas Jefferson School, in Concepcion, Chile. We are still seeking MVS families to serve as hosts for our 10 Chilean visitors, ranging in ages from 14-16, for the two weeks that they are in the Dayton area. Thank you to the MVS families who responded to the initial request back in June. If you have interest, please send me an e.mail; I am happy to discuss any additional questions that you have. Thank you for your help with this important relationship, affirming MVS’ commitment to supporting global citizenship.

Team practices for fall high school athletes are scheduled to begin the week of 9 August. Ken Laake (Athletic Director) or the appropriate coach will contact athletes regarding specific practice schedules and related details. Athletic physical cards must be completed and returned to the athletic office before athletes can participate in any pre-season practices.

I am thrilled to report that we have 18 students coming new to MVS this year, including 9 new members of our Freshman Class of 2014! For new parents and students, there is an orientation and welcome program on Monday, 23 August, from 8:30-9:30AM in the Middle School Commons. Details regarding the grade-level specific orientation programs are included in this mailer, each of which occurs on Monday, 23 August.

Tuesday, 24 August is the first day of school! As with the beginning of each year, we need to be patient and flexible as we all become re-adjusted to the flow of traffic on our busy K-12 campus. We will continue to stagger arrival and dismissal times for the three divisions to reduce potential traffic congestion in the neighborhood. As mentioned, Morning Announcements plays an essential role to the culture of the Upper School, thus it is crucial that your child be on time, so that she or he can be fully aware of messages, activities, and events.

Upper School Parent Information Night (better known as PIN, in MVS lingo) will be held on Wednesday, 15 September, beginning at 7:00PM. After meeting with your child’s Academic Advisor for welcome and important announcements, you will receive a copy of your child’s class schedule, then follow an abridged version of the entire academic day, providing the opportunity to briefly attend each of her or his classes. I will send specific details as PIN approaches. Speaking of which, digital versions of all letters and e.mails sent from the upper school office can be found on my MVS Blog. I welcome you to subscribe and follow along, contributing comments and suggestions.

Thank you for reading through these details and reminders about the start of the coming academic year. I wish for you and your family an enjoyable and safe continuation of the summer. On behalf of all upper school faculty and staff members, we look forward to seeing you soon as we all gear-up to start the 2010-11 academic year. It is sure to be a great one!

With sincere regards,



Samuel Wagner, V
Head of Upper School




Enclosed in this summer mailer are several important documents that must be completed prior to the opening of school. Please complete and return the stapled set of forms to the US office as soon as possible.


MVS continues to work with MBS Direct Booksellers as an on-line vendor for textbooks, the link to which is also available on the MVS website. The MBS site lists the book titles and ISBN numbers for the courses your child is scheduled to take. Please note, you may purchase your books through any vendor (including local bookstores or on-line vendors: Amazon, Borders, perhaps even eBay) so long as the books are the same edition indicated on MBS Direct. Many vendors also sell used copies of books. You are also welcome to contact older students from previous classes to purchase their used books, again, as long as the editions are the same. Textbooks, in some classes, will be available as state aid texts that students may borrow for the year. It is recommended that students not write their names in books until after the school year has begun, incase of late sectioning changes.

Emergency Contact Information: Please check and up-date your contact information by accessing “My Backpack” via the log-in on the MVS website.

Permission Form: (Required for all grades) MVS is responsible for its students during the academic day while they are under our supervision. There are several areas, however, where it is necessary to have parental permission in order for a student to participate.

Health Form & Medication Card: Each student should have on file the updated health form to keep our records current. Kindly read the statement regarding the dispensation of prescribed medication. If your child requires prescribed medication during the school day, please complete this form and bring in the medication. Accordingly, we cannot dispense over-the-counter medication to students.

Parent Notification/Student Permission signature page: Requires the signatures of student and parent, indicating reading and understanding of policies, guidelines, procedures, and expectations of the Handbook and technology Acceptable Uses Policy. Form will be sent home with students following discussions during start-of-school Advisory Group meetings.

Instrumental Music Registration Form: For students interested in taking or continuing private music instruction, please complete the enclosed form and return it to Ross Williams.

New MVS Food Service Information Sheet: As the title implies, MVS has an exciting new food provider partnership, beginning next fall.

Calendar of Major Dates, 2010-11: As the title implies. We will share the news as soon as these details are known.

US Student Schedules & Summer Mailer

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

Greetings Upper School Parents:

A quick e.mail to confirm that your child’s schedule for the 2010-11 academic year is now available via the MyBackpack portal on the MVS web:

Jon Graetz (as Scheduler) and I have worked carefully in constructing the master schedule. Before contemplating any changes, please review the list of course offerings, which will be posted on the upper school homepage by this Friday, which includes some new course offerings! While we will review all schedule change requests, please understand that we are also monitoring the balance of class sizes, rigors of schedules, and other related matters. Your understanding is appreciated.

A reminder that the 2010 Shared Summer Reading is The Blessings of the Animals, written by Katrina Kittle. Required for all upper school students and faculty members, its publication date is 3 August, so I encourage you to pre-order your copy now, perhaps arranging to have it shipped directly to where you will be enjoying the first week of August. Recommendations by the English Department for additional summer reading are listed on the upper school homepage.

The much-awaited “MVS Summer Mailer” is slated to go out on Thursday, 8 July, including many start-of-school details, forms, and reminders, so keep watch at your mailbox!

Best wishes towards the pleasant continuation of your summer.

With sincere regards,


Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School