Upper School: First Week Back

Friday, 27 August 2010

Greetings Upper School Parents!

What a fantastic first week it has been! We have had “all-present” attendance for most grade levels all four days; cooler weather in the mornings has added to our pleasant acclimation back into academic mode, and the over-all verve in the classrooms and hallways has been exemplary. It is a delight to have everyone back!

It was great to see so many folks at the opening meeting of the MVS Parents’ Association on Thursday morning. Suzi Mikutis, incoming President, shared a number of exciting initiatives this year. Since all MVS parents are defacto members of the Parents’ Association, we look forward to involving you further in the fabric of the MVS community, be it in providing support, answering questions, or becoming involved in the variety of volunteer opportunities.

Available now on the MVS website are brief descriptions of the 2010-11 Immersion Programs, as well as the titles of programs likely to be offered in 2011-12. Special thanks to Rachel Moulton in leading the Immersion Review Committee and the valued assistance they have provided in streamlining these processes. We will be discussing the selection process with students in the coming weeks, including holding a pre-Immersion Open House during the school day, allowing students to visit and speak with immersion facilitators before they submit their Immersion Applications.

Next Friday, 3 September at 8:30AM is Convocation, in the Lane Gym, marking the start of the school year with the ceremonial gathering of the entire MVS student and faculty body, grades kindergarten through twelfth. For traditional all-school event, we ask students dress more formally, especially our seniors, since they partake in the flower and book exchange with the kindergarten and first-grade students. Parents of seniors (and familiar friends) are cautioned that this can be an emotional and moving event, particularly for those who recall sons and daughters in years past as the younger participants of this exchange (bring kleenex or a hankie).

MVS Class of 1981 alumnus Roger Meike is our keynote speaker at Convocation. Biographical information, including an invitation to Thursday night’s Distinguished Alumni Induction, is available on the MVS web

We are seeking 3-4 additional host families for our Chilean exchange students, particularly those able to host a girl. The Thomas Jefferson School in Concepcion, Chile has a program similar to our Immersion Program, which allows their entire Sophomore class to travel to Ohio. Our group of 11 exchange students will arrive in Dayton on Thursday, 16 September and will reside with host families and attend classes here at MVS for two weeks, departing on Thursday, 30 September. As a host family, you are simply agreeing to open your home, providing a room, breakfast and dinner (MVS will provide lunches at school during the week), as well as including the exchange student in your normal family activities. The largest goal of this exchange is for Chilean students to spend time with and experience the life of an American family. The Thomas Jefferson School has much of its curriculum in both English and Spanish, so the exchange students will be quite proficient in English, to ease any possible worries about a “language barrier.” Please contact me if you have additional questions.

That’s all for now from the energized first-days-back at MVS. As always, should you have a question, feel free to contact your child’s academic advisor, classroom teacher, grade-level dean, or me. If not earlier at an MVS athletic event, I look forward to seeing you at Upper School Parent Information Night (PIN) on Wednesday, 15 September, beginning at 7:00PM.

With sincere regards,


Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School