Development Information:
Have you ordered tickets for the Kindle Fire auction being held at the school concert on February 23? For only $5 a ticket you get a chance to win one of these cool devices, valued at $199! Fill in the attached form and send it in to school in an envelope marked "Jessica Tonsing, Kindle Raffle" by FRIDAY, February 17th, to prepay. Tickets will also be available at the concert, but who wants to wait in line when you can handle it ahead of time so easily?
Speaking of the raffles and auctions at the concert ... want to know what's going to be available to win? Check out the blog at http://menloparkacademy.blogspot.com/2012/02/auction-and-raffle-items.html to see a complete list of the live auction, silent auction, and raffle prizes that will be available.
Scrip card orders for February are due on Tuesday, February 21st, so get your orders in soon!
On March 1st a representative from the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust will be visiting MPA to learn more about our school. Since this foundation was created to honor the founder of the Swagelok Company in Solon, Ohio, we were hoping to highlight any ties our MPA families might have to this company. So if there are any parents (or extended family members) who work at Swagelok, please contactTanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com and let her know. Thanks for your help!
Student Information:
The Student Council Candy Gram "fun"raiser was a huge success - we filled more than 925 orders. We hope your children enjoyed receiving their special greetings. Thanks to all who supported this project, which netted more than $125 to benefit future Student Council sponsored events.
If you love 'em then you better put some gloves on 'em ... Please be sure to send students to school dressed appropriately for the weather, since we send them outside for recess whenever possible. It doesn't matter if it's snowing - as long as it's above 25 degrees F, we send them out to play. So pack those gloves and hats, and make sure the ones who can't stay away from the snow piles are wearing boots. If your daughter likes to wear skirts without leggings or warm tights underneath, you might want to send in a pair of sweatpants to keep at school that she can pull on at recess time to keep her legs warm. That way everyone can have a good time and NOT be cold and miserable for the rest of the day.
We'll be holding a pep rally this Friday afternoon at 2:30pm to celebrate all of our students' recent successes. We'll also be taking the opportunity to say goodbye to Mrs. Lindemann, whose last day is February 17th. This is primarily a student event, but parents can feel free to attend if they're interested.
Nominate your favorite MPA teacher for the Plain Dealer Crystal Apple award! Deadline for this period is this Friday, February 17th, and nominations can be made online at nie.plaindealer.com - click on the "Crystal Apple Award" link and tell us why an MPA educator deserves this honor.
Have you signed up for a parent-teacher conference yet? Unless you get an email from a teacher requesting a meeting, the conferences are optional. Report cards will be given out at the conferences. If you do not come in for a conference, then the report card will go home in that Thursday's folder. We're making the parent-teacher conference scheduling process more streamlined by moving it online. You can find the sign-up form online at http://menloparkacademy.blogspot.com/2012/02/parent-teacher-conference-sign-ups.html. If you need to reschedule after you complete the online form, contact your teacher or Lynn.Wilson@MenloParkAcademy.com to handle the change for you.
On Saturday, Feb.4th, four seventh graders (Marika Olijar, Nick Hiti, Nora Kelley & Grant Gibeault) and three eighth graders (Jason Hahn, Quintin Kovach & Ashley Hofstetter) participated in Power of the Pen, an interscholastic writing tournament. There were twelve schools represented at St. Raphael's in Bay Village with over 120 student competitors present. Seventh grader Nick Hiti placed tenth and will automatically advance to the Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 24th in Sandusky. Joining Nick are Marika Olijar (13th place), Grant Gibeault, and Ashley Hofstetter. Congratulations, kids, and best of luck at the regional tournament! Also, Stefani Hayne (seventh grade) will represent MPA at the Cleveland Plain Dealer Spelling Bee on Saturday, March 3rd.
Don't forget, the student concert is on Thursday, February 23rd at Magnificat High School in Rocky River. The event will open at 5pm, which gives families plenty of time to view and participate in the silent auctions and raffles in the lobby. Please drop students off backstage at 6pm. Teachers will be chaperoning the students before and during their performance, which begins at 6:30pm. We understand that some younger children may not have the patience to make it through the entire program. Please try to stay for the entire performance (the finale is always memorable!), but if you must leave at intermission, you must notify your child's teacher before you go.
LEGO Olympiad teams are registered! Parents whose children registered for the LEGO Olympiad on Friday, April 20 should have received the final team list via e-mail as well as a Registration Confirmation flier with more information about the Olympiad (both are also attached to this message). This team list has been given to LCCC and is final... no additional changes can be made. Names of chaperones are in bold on the final team list. If you are still interested in being a chaperone, please contact Maryanne Hiti at mhiti@sbcglobal.net. For detailed information about the rules, schedule and detailed instructions please go to www.lorainccc.edu/lego
Get ready for fun! A new Engineering Club, "Totally Engineering", will be offered on Fridays after school from 3:15-4:15 starting March 2nd in the Science Lab. With help from some very talented Cleveland Clinic Engineering grad students, Mrs. Eby will be providing the opportunity for middle school students to learn about engineering in a very hands-on way. Students will be given a new challenge or project each week to broaden their understanding of this growing and globally important profession. Classes will be free but a $5.00 materials fee will be charged per class ($45.00 for nine weeks of classes). Email Janeth.Eby@MenloParkAcademy.com to sign up. Do it soon as the class will be limited to 20 students!
Volunteer Information:
Our From the Heart Concert & Auction will take place Thursday, February 23rd. We are looking for volunteers to assist the night of the event: selling raffle tickets, overseeing the silent auction, closing out the winners/high bidders. The event opens at 5:00 with the actual concert beginning at 6:30. We will need people there early (3:30ish) to assist in set-up etc. Click here to sign up to volunteer for this event.
We need volunteers to teach electives for our students - please consider bringing your expertise to our school! Third trimester electives run from Feb. 29-June 1st. Wednesdays we offer electives for Middle School (varies by grade between 8:50-2:40) and 3rd grade from 9:50-10:50. Fridays we offer electives for 4th grade (11:20-12:10), 2nd grade (2:20-3:00), 1st grade (1:40-2:20), and Kindergarten (1:00-1:40). If you need ideas of what to teach, never fear, we are overflowing with wonderful ideas. Just let Jenn Ingraham know! Please email asap if you can help: ji@zoominternet.net. Thank you!
Volunteers wanted! The Book Fair will be open on Monday, February 27th from 7:30am until 7pm, and Tuesday, February 28th from 7:30am until 2pm to accommodate the conference schedule. On Wednesday through Friday we will be open from 8:30am until 4pm to give parents and those in Edison Club time to shop after school. We will require at least two volunteers to be there at all times, especially when the lower grades are shopping. Volunteers will help run the cash register and assist younger students with their shopping. Please return the attached sign-up sheet as soon as possible if you're able to help. Any and all help is appreciated!
A quick note from Mrs. Lindemann:
I wanted to say a word of thanks and appreciation to all of our parent volunteers and staff who have so tirelessly worked alongside of me for the past two years. It has been a privilege to serve the needs of gifted learners with each of you. It is because of your efforts that MPA has tripled in size since I came to the school just a little over two years ago. At that point, the current 8th grade graduating class was merely an idea being considered, and a milk program, basketball team, hot lunch program, science room, expansion to two floors of space, and new curriculum were on our "wish" lists. What MPA lacked in material goods, it made up for in enthusiasm, hardwork, and passion for the cause from its staff and volunteers. Fast forward to 2012, and MPA is still growing with new items on its wish list. My wish for all of you as MPA grows and matures is that you keep your passion for the cause -- the kids -- first and foremost in everything you do!
In the interim as staffing needs of the school are being assessed following Mrs. Lindemann's departure, here's who to contact concerning volunteering at MPA. We have nine operating teams with team leads and have assigned staff members to help keep things moving and answer questions in the absence of one person coordinating volunteers.
Dr. Bouchard - Academic Enrichment (Jen Ingraham), Communications (Karen Peacock and Gretchen Woods), Facilities (Tom Doughman)
Lynn Wilson - General Volunteer Info & School Day Support (Heather Syracuse), Community Team (Bridget Ryan)
Tanya Reno - Fundraising/Development (Jessica Tonsing), Finance (Willie Littlejohn)
Carol Scheuer - IT
Teri Harrison, Board Chair - Legal Team
Calendar Highlights:
- Feb. 17 (Friday) - 5:30-6pm Dads vs MPA Basketball Team Scrimage Game during practice
- Feb. 18 (Saturday) - Basketball game at 2:30pm at Berea High School vs Columbia Ross; Mathcounts competition at CSU
- Feb. 20 (Monday) - Holiday - school closed
- Feb. 22 (Wednesday) - First Grade field trip to LENSC
- Feb. 23 (Thursday) - End of second trimester; "From the Heart" school concert and fundraising auction
- Feb. 24 (Friday) - No school for students
- Feb. 25 (Saturday) - Basketball game at 1:30 vs. Fairview Gemini Center; Basketball team awards and dinner at 6 pm at MPA
- Feb. 27 (Monday) - No school for students - Parent conferences scheduled
- Feb. 28 (Tuesday) - No school for students - Parent conferences scheduled
- Feb. 27 - March 2 - MPA Scholastic Book Fair
- March 3 (Saturday) - CONSEF science and engineering fair; Cleveland Plain Dealer spelling bee
- March 8 (Thursday) - Fourth and Fifth Grade field trip to Hanna Theatre
- March 14 (Wednesday) - Math Night from 6:30-8pm
- March 19 (Monday) - Photo make-up, club and candid day; Strings and Band Concert at MPA at 6:30
- March 21-23 (Wednesday-Friday) - Fifth Grade field trip to Camp Fitch
- March 24 (Saturday) - Power of the Pen regional competition in Sandusky
- April 20 (Friday) - Lego Olympiad at LCCC
- April 27 (Friday) - School-wide Spelling Bee
- June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game
- Sept. (TBD) - Golf scramble fundraiser
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