Monday, 25 October 2010
Greetings Upper School Parents:
This e.mail comes to you following the exciting 1-0 win tonight by the boys varsity soccer team over the Bodkins Trojans. Our boys will next play this Thursday at Bellbrook, details soon to follow from Kathy Kissinger. Stay hungry, Rams!
With the approach of fall exams and other autumnal activities in the Upper School, here are some reminders for the coming weeks.
If you were unable to attend last Friday’s parent meeting to review the revised Physical Education, CreditFlex, and outside athletic participation policies, the guidelines and procedures we discussed are all available on the documents section of the upper school homepage of the MVS website. Physical Education class will be available during the academic day beginning with the Winter Term. Student CreditFlex applications for Winter Term outside PE proposals need to be completed and submitted for review to the upper school office by Wednesday, 3 November. As I mentioned during Friday’s meeting, since this is a revised policy, students can also submit applications that reflect their robust athletic participation completed during the Fall Term. The requirements, expectations, and review process for appropriate CreditFlex applications are clarified in detail in documents posted on-line.
Fall Trimester exams run Tuesday-Thursday, 2-4 November. The exam schedule can also be viewed on the above mentioned documents section of the upper school homepage. Although students are not required to be on campus until 15 minutes before a scheduled exam, most students arrange to study in groups here at MVS during the day. Additionally, the Library will remain open until 6:PM through Thursday, 4 November.
Since Freshmen and Sophomores (as well as upper classmen without such privileges) do not have open campus privileges, if they wish to depart from campus between exams (to go out to lunch or study at a friend’s house), written parent permission must be submitted to the upper school office the day of such a request. Due to obvious safety concerns, permission cannot be phoned in or sent via e.mail.
Tuesday, 2 November is Election Day, so we will again share the Lofino Atrium with voters in the local precinct, since MVS is an official polling location.
Friday, 5 November is designated as College Visitation Weekend, providing an excellent opportunity for students to visit, tour, and perhaps interview at a college or university as part of their college selection process. Friday is also a faculty assessment day, allowing teachers the opportunity to grade exams, compose end-of-term comments, and plan for the start of the Winter Trimester.
Next week, I will be away from MVS on Wednesday through Friday, presenting at the Annual Conference of Independent School Association of the Central States, better known as ISACS. ISACS, the largest regional organization within the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), is also the accrediting body for MVS. The annual conference, this year held in Chicago, always provides excellent opportunities for professional growth, collegial networking, and discussing topical school matters.
We are fortunate to welcome Jeff Wolfsberg back to MVS in starting the Winter Trimester. Jeff Wolfsberg, drug education and wellness specialist, will return during the week of 16-19 November, including a special evening parent meeting on Thursday, 18 November in the Alumni Theatre. The event will begin at 7:00PM with a brief Parents’ Association Meeting. Part of Mr. Wolfsberg’s presentation this year will be in addressing the findings from the student survey we conducted in late September. To that goal, Christie Kemper (School Counselor) has begun providing “Data of the Month” prompts as part of the discussion topics for Advisory Groups. The topic for this week addresses student sleep patterns and adolescent wellness, fitting topics as upper school students determine their study schedules heading into exams next week.
Placements for 2011 Immersion Programs were posted on Friday, with some preliminary organizational meetings between students and facilitators beginning this week. Official group meetings, including parent information sessions, will likely begin in mid-November. Great appreciation goes to the Immersion Task Force, led by Rachel Moulton, which led the way in improving the timeliness, processes, and over-all attentiveness to this keystone of MVS experiential learning.
By means of heads-up, I am in the process of confirming an up-coming evening Parent Education Meeting addressing the topics of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, and Internet safety. I will let you know when details have been confirmed.
As part of MVS’ emergency preparedness program, we will test our “One Call” phone notification system in mid-November. Please take the time to check and confirm your contact phone numbers listed on MyBackpack. The phone numbers you provide will be those we contact for sharing relevant notifications of future snow delays, school closings, and related emergency notices. Although current weather outside has felt down-right balmy, mid-western winter weather cannot be far away.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Fall Musical, School Photos, & PE Question & Answer
Friday, 15 October 2010
Greetings Upper School Parents:
On Wednesday, while grades 9 - 11 were taking the PLAN and PSAT tests, Ashwi Birdi, Christie Kemper, Barb Cleary and I joined the Seniors for an interactive, creative, and very productive Senior Retreat. It is thrilling to see the goals for the class link-up with their leadership goals for the upper school. Synergistic potential is in store!
To whet our collective dramatic appetites, the cast of Striking 12 performed a cappella during Morning Announcements this morning. Next week brings final rehearsals for the fall musical, with performance dates at 7:PM next Thursday – Saturday, 21-23 October. Tickets are available ($5 for students, $8 for adults) at the reception desk in the main upper school hallway.
The exam schedule for fall trimester is now available on the documents section of the upper school homepage.
School photo packages (for those who ordered them) and student IDs will be distributed on Monday. Photo re-take day is in the morning of Thursday, 21 October, in the lower school skylight area. To receive a re-take, students need to return their original photo packages.
The Immersion Committee is making solid headway in reviewing student applications and determining program groupings. We are hopeful that we will have the groups confirmed and posted within a week.
At 4:00PM, all students remaining at MVS (and not involved in an official, supervised school activity) need to report to the library for supervised study. After 5:00PM, when the outside doors are locked, students remaining in the library can be contacted via the main MVS phone number (434.4444), and if you do not get a human, dial extension 261 for the library desk.
A quick reminder that next Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM I will host a question and answer session addressing the revised PE and athletic participation policies.
As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to phone, e.mail, or come in for a chat.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Greetings Upper School Parents:
On Wednesday, while grades 9 - 11 were taking the PLAN and PSAT tests, Ashwi Birdi, Christie Kemper, Barb Cleary and I joined the Seniors for an interactive, creative, and very productive Senior Retreat. It is thrilling to see the goals for the class link-up with their leadership goals for the upper school. Synergistic potential is in store!
To whet our collective dramatic appetites, the cast of Striking 12 performed a cappella during Morning Announcements this morning. Next week brings final rehearsals for the fall musical, with performance dates at 7:PM next Thursday – Saturday, 21-23 October. Tickets are available ($5 for students, $8 for adults) at the reception desk in the main upper school hallway.
The exam schedule for fall trimester is now available on the documents section of the upper school homepage.
School photo packages (for those who ordered them) and student IDs will be distributed on Monday. Photo re-take day is in the morning of Thursday, 21 October, in the lower school skylight area. To receive a re-take, students need to return their original photo packages.
The Immersion Committee is making solid headway in reviewing student applications and determining program groupings. We are hopeful that we will have the groups confirmed and posted within a week.
At 4:00PM, all students remaining at MVS (and not involved in an official, supervised school activity) need to report to the library for supervised study. After 5:00PM, when the outside doors are locked, students remaining in the library can be contacted via the main MVS phone number (434.4444), and if you do not get a human, dial extension 261 for the library desk.
A quick reminder that next Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM I will host a question and answer session addressing the revised PE and athletic participation policies.
As always, should you have any questions, please feel free to phone, e.mail, or come in for a chat.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Monday, October 11, 2010
Required Study Halls, PLAN, PSAT, & Senor Retreat
Monday, 11 October 2010
Greetings Upper School Parents:
We reviewed mid-term comments, grades, and effort marks during Advisory Meetings last Thursday. In most cases, after reviewing their marks, students then wrote comments affirming their successes while also setting goals for further improvement during the latter part of the fall term. These notes will provide useful reference when meeting with parents during Winter Advisory Conferences, 22 & 23 November.
Following faculty review of mid-term comments and grades, required study halls began last week for students experiencing academic difficulty. Required study halls, regarded as a scheduled class, are scheduled during student free periods and are proctored by upper school teachers. If your child has been assigned to a study hall, a letter was sent home last Thursday.
A list of Confirmed Dayton Area Community Service Organizations (including contact name, phone number, and website) is now posted on the announcements section of the upper school home page. If students have an interest in seeking on-campus school service during the school day, Mrs. McCallum has a list of available school service needs. A reminder, students need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of service (approved external to community or approved internal service to MVS) for each year of attendance in the upper school.
This Wednesday, 13 October, will be a busy morning of preparatory standardized testing and goal planning: Freshmen will take the PLAN test; Sophomores and Juniors will take the PSAT; Seniors will participate in the Senior Retreat. Colin Dunnigan, Director of College Counseling, has met individually with each grade regarding appropriate preparation for the PLAN and PSAT. Ashwi Birdi, as Senior Dean, is planning with other members of the Senior Team towards the Senior Retreat, which this year will be held at the Dayton Jewish Community Center. All students will attend regular classes in the afternoon.
I hope you have had a chance to review the letter I sent on Friday regarding the revised PE and athletic participation policies. There will be a question and answer session for parents on Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM in the Upper School Commons. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me.
Since we have now passed the mid-term mark and are heading towards November and exams, I often become concerned about adolescent sleep deprivation and perceive increased stress levels. I have mentioned these concerns to teachers and have already contacted Jeff Wolfsberg, asking him to include this as a focus during his visit to MVS in mid-November.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Greetings Upper School Parents:
We reviewed mid-term comments, grades, and effort marks during Advisory Meetings last Thursday. In most cases, after reviewing their marks, students then wrote comments affirming their successes while also setting goals for further improvement during the latter part of the fall term. These notes will provide useful reference when meeting with parents during Winter Advisory Conferences, 22 & 23 November.
Following faculty review of mid-term comments and grades, required study halls began last week for students experiencing academic difficulty. Required study halls, regarded as a scheduled class, are scheduled during student free periods and are proctored by upper school teachers. If your child has been assigned to a study hall, a letter was sent home last Thursday.
A list of Confirmed Dayton Area Community Service Organizations (including contact name, phone number, and website) is now posted on the announcements section of the upper school home page. If students have an interest in seeking on-campus school service during the school day, Mrs. McCallum has a list of available school service needs. A reminder, students need to complete a minimum of 20 hours of service (approved external to community or approved internal service to MVS) for each year of attendance in the upper school.
This Wednesday, 13 October, will be a busy morning of preparatory standardized testing and goal planning: Freshmen will take the PLAN test; Sophomores and Juniors will take the PSAT; Seniors will participate in the Senior Retreat. Colin Dunnigan, Director of College Counseling, has met individually with each grade regarding appropriate preparation for the PLAN and PSAT. Ashwi Birdi, as Senior Dean, is planning with other members of the Senior Team towards the Senior Retreat, which this year will be held at the Dayton Jewish Community Center. All students will attend regular classes in the afternoon.
I hope you have had a chance to review the letter I sent on Friday regarding the revised PE and athletic participation policies. There will be a question and answer session for parents on Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM in the Upper School Commons. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me.
Since we have now passed the mid-term mark and are heading towards November and exams, I often become concerned about adolescent sleep deprivation and perceive increased stress levels. I have mentioned these concerns to teachers and have already contacted Jeff Wolfsberg, asking him to include this as a focus during his visit to MVS in mid-November.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Friday, October 8, 2010
Revised Physical Education & Athletic Participation Policies
Friday, 8 October 2010
Greetings Upper School Parents:
I am writing to share some exciting enhancements to the MVS Physical Education and athletic participation policies in the Upper School. In compliance with the guidelines of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), by seeking to provide a range of options that reflect a variety of student opportunities, interests and abilities, beginning in the Winter Trimester, there will be three options available for students to achieve (or be waived from) required Physical Education credit:
1. completing PE credit (during the academic day or via approved summer coursework),
2. participating in two seasons of MVS sports (with an additional ½ credit academic course of choice),
3. designing and completing an approved CreditFlex program, to be overseen by the MVS Credit Flex & Independent Study Committee.
Beginning in the Winter Trimester, Physical Education will be available as a full academic offering during the school day. A course description will soon be available on the MVS web.
Students can continue to receive a waiver from PE credit by electing to participate in two seasons of MVS sports. In order to fully satisfy the equivalent ODE course credit requirement, students pursuing this option must also complete an additional ½ credit course in an academic elective of their choice.
Adapted from the existing guidelines, policies, and procedures of the MVS Independent Study Committee (chaired by Anne Griffith), the CreditFlex program allows students in grades 9-12 to receive PE credit by designing, pursuing, and completing a specialized athletic-oriented activity, according to the ODE’s CreditFlex option. As a stated expectation for a valid proposal, CreditFlex proposals assume a student’s robust involvement in a specialized outside athletic pursuit, one that should equal the practice and game participation time of a season’s participation on an MVS team sport. Before the start of each term, students must submit an application for review by the CreditFlex & Independent Study Committee. For guidelines and procedures, please refer to the CreditFlex guidelines on the upper school homepage of the MVS web.
Anticipating that there will be a number of questions unique to your child’s interests, a question and answer session is scheduled for Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM in the Upper School Commons. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Greetings Upper School Parents:
I am writing to share some exciting enhancements to the MVS Physical Education and athletic participation policies in the Upper School. In compliance with the guidelines of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), by seeking to provide a range of options that reflect a variety of student opportunities, interests and abilities, beginning in the Winter Trimester, there will be three options available for students to achieve (or be waived from) required Physical Education credit:
1. completing PE credit (during the academic day or via approved summer coursework),
2. participating in two seasons of MVS sports (with an additional ½ credit academic course of choice),
3. designing and completing an approved CreditFlex program, to be overseen by the MVS Credit Flex & Independent Study Committee.
Beginning in the Winter Trimester, Physical Education will be available as a full academic offering during the school day. A course description will soon be available on the MVS web.
Students can continue to receive a waiver from PE credit by electing to participate in two seasons of MVS sports. In order to fully satisfy the equivalent ODE course credit requirement, students pursuing this option must also complete an additional ½ credit course in an academic elective of their choice.
Adapted from the existing guidelines, policies, and procedures of the MVS Independent Study Committee (chaired by Anne Griffith), the CreditFlex program allows students in grades 9-12 to receive PE credit by designing, pursuing, and completing a specialized athletic-oriented activity, according to the ODE’s CreditFlex option. As a stated expectation for a valid proposal, CreditFlex proposals assume a student’s robust involvement in a specialized outside athletic pursuit, one that should equal the practice and game participation time of a season’s participation on an MVS team sport. Before the start of each term, students must submit an application for review by the CreditFlex & Independent Study Committee. For guidelines and procedures, please refer to the CreditFlex guidelines on the upper school homepage of the MVS web.
Anticipating that there will be a number of questions unique to your child’s interests, a question and answer session is scheduled for Friday, 22 October at 4:00PM in the Upper School Commons. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Monday, October 4, 2010
Fall Mid-Term Comments & Grades
Monday, 4 October 2010
Dear Upper School Parents,
Mid-term comments, work habit/effort marks, and grades for the Fall Trimester are now available through the My Backpack portal on the MVS web. In addition to providing access to your daughter or son’s mid-term comments, My Backpack also allows you to up-date your contact information with MVS, particularly your preferred e.mail address, which is so important considering our reliance on e.mail communication in the Upper School.
As you review the Fall Trimester mid-term comments, recall that they reflect the initial academic status of your daughter or son for this first term. Please take a moment to read through the written comments, work habit marks, and estimated academic grades, preferably with your daughter or son present, praising successes and strategizing towards areas for further improvement. In considering your child’s mid-term comments, seek emerging themes among her or his over-all academic performance. Students will review their mid-term marks during Advisory Meetings on Thursday, 7 October.
Upper school faculty members are attentive in writing clear course highlights, composing individual student comments, and determining accurate work habit marks, reflecting the Work Habit/Effort Marks Guide, available on the documents section of upper school homepage. Since these mid-term comments reflect, in many cases, a “snap shot” of your child’s current course work, it is appropriate to consider the grades and work habit marks accordingly; Translation: major assignments or assessments might be due soon after the mid-term comments were written, thus grades have the potential to fluctuate between now and the end of the term. Having just reached the mid-term mark, ample time remains for students to implement new study strategies, heeding attention to the advice provided in the teacher comments and indicated by the effort marks. The end of the first trimester is Monday, 1 November, followed by first trimester exams, from 2-4 November.
Should you have a specific question relating to a particular comment or course, please contact that teacher directly, via voice or e.mail, to discuss the matter further. Your child’s Academic Advisor is also available for discussion, should you wish to converse about larger strategies relating to your child’s over-all academic status. The directory of faculty voicemail extensions and e.mail addresses is available on the MVS website by clicking on the following link: http://www.mvschool.com/about-mvs/contact-us.
On behalf of your child’s teachers, Academic Advisor, and me, thanks for your part in what has been a smooth start to the 2010-11 academic year. The archives of all reminders and letters sent from the Upper School are available on my MVS Blog at: http://wagnersmvsblog.blogspot.com/. We look forward to keeping in close contact with you in supporting your child’s continuing academic success at MVS.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Dear Upper School Parents,
Mid-term comments, work habit/effort marks, and grades for the Fall Trimester are now available through the My Backpack portal on the MVS web. In addition to providing access to your daughter or son’s mid-term comments, My Backpack also allows you to up-date your contact information with MVS, particularly your preferred e.mail address, which is so important considering our reliance on e.mail communication in the Upper School.
As you review the Fall Trimester mid-term comments, recall that they reflect the initial academic status of your daughter or son for this first term. Please take a moment to read through the written comments, work habit marks, and estimated academic grades, preferably with your daughter or son present, praising successes and strategizing towards areas for further improvement. In considering your child’s mid-term comments, seek emerging themes among her or his over-all academic performance. Students will review their mid-term marks during Advisory Meetings on Thursday, 7 October.
Upper school faculty members are attentive in writing clear course highlights, composing individual student comments, and determining accurate work habit marks, reflecting the Work Habit/Effort Marks Guide, available on the documents section of upper school homepage. Since these mid-term comments reflect, in many cases, a “snap shot” of your child’s current course work, it is appropriate to consider the grades and work habit marks accordingly; Translation: major assignments or assessments might be due soon after the mid-term comments were written, thus grades have the potential to fluctuate between now and the end of the term. Having just reached the mid-term mark, ample time remains for students to implement new study strategies, heeding attention to the advice provided in the teacher comments and indicated by the effort marks. The end of the first trimester is Monday, 1 November, followed by first trimester exams, from 2-4 November.
Should you have a specific question relating to a particular comment or course, please contact that teacher directly, via voice or e.mail, to discuss the matter further. Your child’s Academic Advisor is also available for discussion, should you wish to converse about larger strategies relating to your child’s over-all academic status. The directory of faculty voicemail extensions and e.mail addresses is available on the MVS website by clicking on the following link: http://www.mvschool.com/about-mvs/contact-us.
On behalf of your child’s teachers, Academic Advisor, and me, thanks for your part in what has been a smooth start to the 2010-11 academic year. The archives of all reminders and letters sent from the Upper School are available on my MVS Blog at: http://wagnersmvsblog.blogspot.com/. We look forward to keeping in close contact with you in supporting your child’s continuing academic success at MVS.
With sincere regards,
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Friday, October 1, 2010
Homecoming Events, Mid-Term Comments, & Immersion Deadlines
Friday, 1 October, 2010
Greetings Upper School Parents:
Autumn’s cool weather has certainly arrived in Dayton, and in perfect timing for MVS Homecoming festivities! Today’s all-school pep rally in the Lane Gym was brimming with school spirit, boding well for athletic successes this weekend. Run for the Rams, inductions into the Athletic Hall of Fame, and varsity athletic matches are among the Homecoming highlights here on campus tomorrow. I hope you have had a chance to read through my “homecoming dance expectations letter” that I sent on Tuesday, particularly relating to having frank and honest conversations with your child and his or her peers (and parents) regarding responsible decision making and student safety.
Spirit week, including theme dress-up days, has been a resounding success, thanks to the careful planning of the Student Government. On Thursday, to reduce our sadness from the departure of the Chilean exchange students, the Diversity Council organized a student talent showcase during an extended lunch period. The event was magnificently MVS-esque, with acts ranging from dramatic performance to an assortment of music and dance routines.
I will send an e.mail on Monday to confirm that Mid-term comments, grades, and effort/work habit marks for the Fall Trimester are available via MyBackpack. Students will review and discuss their mid-term comments and grades with Advisors on Thursday.
Following faculty review of mid-term comments and grades, required study halls will begin next week for students needing additional time management support in achieving stronger academic performances. Study halls will be scheduled during available student free periods.
Student immersion applications are due next Friday, 8 OCTOBER by 3:30PM in the upper school office. Immersion deadlines are firm; applications submitted after a deadline will be placed at the bottom of the selection process, regardless of the student’s grade level. The link to all forms, procedures, and program descriptions for Immersion 2011 are available on the upper school homepage of the MVS web at: http://www.mvschool.com/academics/upperschool/overview
Expect a letter from me next week addressing some changes to the physical education, athletic participation, and outside sports credit policies in the Upper School.
I look forward to seeing you at Homecoming events this weekend. I’ll be wearing my MVS letterman-jacket to keep the October weather at bay.
With sincere regards (and enthused “GO RAMS” spirit),
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
Greetings Upper School Parents:
Autumn’s cool weather has certainly arrived in Dayton, and in perfect timing for MVS Homecoming festivities! Today’s all-school pep rally in the Lane Gym was brimming with school spirit, boding well for athletic successes this weekend. Run for the Rams, inductions into the Athletic Hall of Fame, and varsity athletic matches are among the Homecoming highlights here on campus tomorrow. I hope you have had a chance to read through my “homecoming dance expectations letter” that I sent on Tuesday, particularly relating to having frank and honest conversations with your child and his or her peers (and parents) regarding responsible decision making and student safety.
Spirit week, including theme dress-up days, has been a resounding success, thanks to the careful planning of the Student Government. On Thursday, to reduce our sadness from the departure of the Chilean exchange students, the Diversity Council organized a student talent showcase during an extended lunch period. The event was magnificently MVS-esque, with acts ranging from dramatic performance to an assortment of music and dance routines.
I will send an e.mail on Monday to confirm that Mid-term comments, grades, and effort/work habit marks for the Fall Trimester are available via MyBackpack. Students will review and discuss their mid-term comments and grades with Advisors on Thursday.
Following faculty review of mid-term comments and grades, required study halls will begin next week for students needing additional time management support in achieving stronger academic performances. Study halls will be scheduled during available student free periods.
Student immersion applications are due next Friday, 8 OCTOBER by 3:30PM in the upper school office. Immersion deadlines are firm; applications submitted after a deadline will be placed at the bottom of the selection process, regardless of the student’s grade level. The link to all forms, procedures, and program descriptions for Immersion 2011 are available on the upper school homepage of the MVS web at: http://www.mvschool.com/academics/upperschool/overview
Expect a letter from me next week addressing some changes to the physical education, athletic participation, and outside sports credit policies in the Upper School.
I look forward to seeing you at Homecoming events this weekend. I’ll be wearing my MVS letterman-jacket to keep the October weather at bay.
With sincere regards (and enthused “GO RAMS” spirit),
Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School
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