Immersion Departures & Winter Term Comments & Grades.

Friday, 25 February 2011

Greetings Upper School Parents:

France departed on Sunday; Marine Ecology left today; tomorrow we have dual departures of the Ethiopia and Habitat for Humanity groups. On campus, there is a palpable vibe of experiential learning. Let the transitions into Immersion continue! This e.mail serves as official notification that the comments, work habit/effort marks, and grades illustrating your daughter or son’s Winter Trimester assessments are now available via My Backpack. These term marks represent course work that began back in November and concluded for most late last week. It is aptly fitting that students (and faculty members) are now rewarded with the delightful “shifting of mental gears” associated with the upper school Immersion program, the capstone of experiential learning at MVS.

Please take a moment to review the comments, effort marks, and grades with your daughter or son, celebrating successes and developing strategies for future improvements. As always, should you have a question relating to a specific comment, grade, or course (including these initial stages of Immersion 2011), please contact that teacher, via voice or e.mail, to discuss the matter further. Since most faculty members are away from campus facilitating Immersion activities, some return contacts might take longer than in normal circumstances.

Of important note, ranking among the most exciting upper school events, please mark your calendar for Immersion Open House, which will occur on Wednesday, 13 April, beginning at 7:00PM in the Lane Gymnasium. This celebratory event is designed so the entire MVS community can witness first-hand the energy, experiences, learning, and accomplishments from all of the 2011 Immersion offerings, spanning from group projects to individual studies.

As way of reminder, please purchase books in anticipation for the start of the Spring Trimester, including required English electives for grades 10-12. The MBS Direct website has a listing of the titles, authors, and ISBNs for the courses that required texts.

That’s all for now from here in the Upper School. Thank you, as always, for entrusting your son or daughter with us here at MVS. If I do not see you sooner, best wishes towards a safe and relaxing Spring Break.

With sincere regards,


Sam Wagner
Head of Upper School