Aug 6, 2007
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Back-to-School Issue
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The Columbus Academy
Weekly Parent Broadcast
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Dear Middle School Families:
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hope that this letter finds you and your family enjoying the remainder of a
very relaxing summer vacation. There is always plenty to be done during the
summer months at school and this summer has been no exception. We have been busy working on schedules,
welcoming new faculty, and revisiting curriculum programs to make the upcoming
school year challenging as well as fun and exciting. Every new school year I am reminded of how
much students in the Middle School are remarkably different from those that are
educated either in the Lower or Upper school.
As a transitional school, the
Middle School is responsible for developing an educational program that
specifically addresses and promotes the various developmental stages occurring
during adolescence, and for students ten-to-fourteen-years of age there are
many stages. Students in this age group are highly independent and in the
process of becoming more mature individuals. Accommodating the needs of these
students, as a new school year is about to begin is both challenging and
exciting.
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Save these dates for MS orientations, parents night and conferences
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There
will be an orientation on Monday, August 20, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for all
students and parents NEW to The Columbus Academy. The orientation for ALL fifth grade
students will be on Wednesday, August 22, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. On Friday, September 7, all eighth grade
students and accompanying faculty will participate in a day-long program at The
Summit Vision Center. Be sure to mark
your calendar for Middle School Parents Night on Wednesday, September 5 at 7:00
p.m. and Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, September 27,
and Friday, September 28. More specific information about these events will be
forthcoming.
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Instructions for first day of classes on Thursday, August 23
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The
first full day of classes will begin at 8:05 a.m. on Thursday, August 23, at
which time students will receive their schedules, lockers and advisor
assignments. Sixth graders should report to room C111, seventh
graders to room LC201,
and eighth graders to room B200 (in Morris Hall) to receive
schedules and locker assignments. (Fifth graders will receive their schedules
at their orientation on August 22 and
should go directly to their Advisory
classroom.)
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The
promise of new beginnings for each school year is exciting for all of us. As teachers, we anticipate opportunities not
only to watch and help children grow, but to learn with them. That occurs most readily when students,
teachers and parents are all actively involved as a team in the learning
process. The essential factor to achieve
this is through communication. I
encourage each of you to call upon us whenever we can assist in making this a
very productive year. I am looking
forward to the upcoming school year... it will be a great one.
Sincerely,
Magnus
Maccow
Head
of Middle School
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Mark your calendars now for these upcoming PACA events!
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 All interested parents are invited to the
first PACA meeting of the year on September 5 at 8:00 a.m. in the Trustees Room. ...
Mark your calendars now for the annual Charlie David Dinner on October 5 from
5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Academy dining hall.
Enjoy a delicious dinner, games for the kids and a silent auction and
raffle, then stay for the football game against Newark Catholic. ... Don't forget to check
out the exciting new Academy school store, the Viking Corner, when it opens on
Monday, August 20. Please see the ad for
Viking Corner below! ... And save the date for the
28th Annual Columbus Academy Antiques Show on April 25-27, 2008. The very successful Appraisal Fair will once
again be a part of Saturday's activities.
Individual Sponsorship tickets may be purchased after Nov. 1 at www.columbusacademy-antiquesshow.org. For more information on the event or to
volunteer, please contact Ann Flaherty (638-4026 or e-mail aeflaherty@aol.com).
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Academy theater troupe performing on August 11-12 and 17-18 at 7:30 p.m.
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The newly formed "Shots
in the Dark" independent theater troupe, directed by Academy seniors Patrick
McGregor II and Mary Parker, will be staging four free performances of Pat Cook's
"The Long Red Herring." The shows will
begin at 7:30 p.m. on August 11, 12, 17 and 18 in Schoedinger Theatre. The summer theater troupe is run by Academy
students for past, present and future Academy students. Besides McGregor and Parker, other members of
the cast include Rachel Killoren, India Myers, Chelsea Arata, Madison Lee,
Linda Mullin, Emily Downes, Brenden Patch, Garrett May, Zeshawn Ali and Leigha
Grosh.
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The Viking Corner is Columbus Academy's new store managed by Parents' Association of Columbus Academy volunteers (formerly PACA Shopper). Viking Corner will feature Columbus Academy spirit wear, school supplies, novelty and special order items, and dress-code-approved polar fleece and sweatshirts (sweatshirts are NOT dress code for MS). Student accounts are available for a minimun of $25. Students can charge on their accounts (eliminating the need to have cash at school), which are separate from school accounts. Parents will be notified when their child's account balance is $5, at which point they may recharge the account. Please fill out and return the Student Account Form. In addition, PE uniforms (two
t-shirts and one pair of shorts for $30) will also be sold. These
uniforms will not be required for the school's PE classes until the
2008-09 school year but will be sold this year. Please fill out and
return the PE Uniform Order Form (size chart). |
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The Viking Corner will open on Monday, August 20, in the Dining Hall!
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