Friday, September 9, 2011

US PIN, Pre-Immersion Open House, Fall Shakespeare, and More...


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 Peacethe 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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