Menlo Park Academy 2011-2012 Boys Basketball Team INFO

In case you missed the recent meeting and have a son interested in trying out for the MPA basketball team this year, here's the information that was given out at the meeting.

Tryouts:

Dates:             Wednesday 10/12                    Friday 10/14
Wednesday 10/19                    Friday 10/21
Wednesday 10/26                    Friday 10/28

Time:              4:30pm-5:45pm

Location:       Kamm’s Corner YMCA (Down the street from the School) 

Go to the Front Desk at the YMCA and Check-in.  The students will need shorts, Gatorade or water, and a Ball. 

They are encouraged to attend as many try-outs as possible.  We may go into the first Wed/Fri of November if necessary.  During tryouts I will have the students run a number of drills so I can observe the following skills:  Ball Handling, Passing, Shooting, Rebounding, Offense/Defense Moves, and Sportsmanship.   The more tryouts your son attends, the more opportunity I have to observe their skills and their chances increase of making the team.

Team:

The team will be made up of 8 to 10 players.   Those who make the team will play in every game as long as they are consistent with attending practice, keep up with school work and have parent’s permission.

All parents will be notified by email on your son’s status at the end of tryouts. 

We will have (about Three to Five) 4^th graders on a Basketball Mentor Program.  They will come to every practice and games and will receive team shirts, but will not play in all of the games.   The purpose of this program is to groom them for a spot on next year’s team. As the season progresses and depending on circumstances, these 4^th graders may get to play in a game during the season.

Practice:

Practice will start on Friday November 4^th and be held every subsequent Wednesday and Friday from 4:30-5:45 at the YMCA.  As we get closer to the Holidays, I will notify you of changes or cancellations via email.  

If practice or a game is canceled due to inclement weather, I will notify you via email or text message unless other arrangements are made ahead of time.

Once the team is established, it would be helpful to have parent volunteers with vehicles to help transport the team members from MPA to the YMCA for Practice. 

In case of injury, we will have all parents complete Emergency Contact Information.  Also, you may be required to sign an injury waiver.

Games:

The 2011-2012 season schedule has not been released yet, but I will notify you and MPA when it is available.   The season lasts from November to early February. It is normally a 10 game season.   If we qualify for the playoffs, the MPA team will be placed in the single elimination tournament that starts right after the regular season to play for the league championship. Dates and times would be announced later.

Since MPA doesn’t have a gym, our “home” games will be at Midpark High School in Middleburgh Heights and we will play at least 5 games there.  Other possible cities we could play as the road team are North Olmsted, Brook Park, and Berea.   The games are mostly on Saturdays. Most games start between 10:00am and 3:00pm and last about 75 minutes.   No jewelry of any kind can be worn during the games as well.

Team members (including the 4^th grade mentors if possible) need to arrive 30 minutes before the game start time.   Parents are encouraged to stay and cheer the team on (other family and friends may attend as well).  Please respect the Coach and the Referees and don’t make inappropriate comments towards the opposing team or the Game Officials.

If anyone is interested in assisting me on Game Day as my Assistant coach, let me know – you would need to sit on the bench during the game and help me with calling plans and tracking the team statistics.

Team Photo:

I will be speaking with the league director and try to get us placed in the picture rotation with the city of Middleburg Hts. On Picture Day, the whole team is required to show up in full game uniforms. You will pay for the pictures that day with an order form I will provide. You may purchase a team photo or pay to take a solo photo of your child.

About the Coach:

I have been involved with this league for the last six years as a coach for the City of Middleburgh Heights.  I have coached both 3rd & 4th grade teams and 7th & 8th grade teams.   Prior to that, I spent four years as a basketball coach for the City of Maple Heights.

Last season my 7th & 8th Grade Boys team had a record of 9-1 and went on to win the league championship.  I was also named Coach of the Year for the Basketball League. 

I am looking forward to working with you and your children and hopefully starting a winning tradition at Menlo Park!

If you have any other questions before tryouts begin, please feel free to contact me at wbl8305@sbcglobal.net or 216-287-8786.

Third summer newsletter

Calendar correction

The original school year calendar listed a school kick-off program on August 25^th.  This program has been split and moved to August 28^th(during the school picnic) and August 29^th (during the open house/supply drop-off/Edison Club orientation/volunteer training).  We will NOT be holding any program on August 25^th – and you’re welcome for the newly open date on your calendar!

School picnic August 28^th – now with free food!

That’s right, MPA will be providing hot dogs, chips, and drinks at the back-to-school picnic on Sunday, August 28^th from 5-7pm at the Kiwanis Pavilion at Lakewood Park.  Stop by to sign up for volunteer teams, chat with the staff, meet other families from the school, and have a hot dog, all on the last weekend of summer break.  Make sure to claim your name badges when you arrive – they’ll be coded to help everyone meet families whose students are in the same grades.

Stop the presses!  Revised dress code policy for 2011-2012!

All students at Menlo Park Academy are required to dress in a manner that is comfortable, safe, and allows for vigorous play.  The school dress code helps MPA students and staff identify who “belongs” with the school, which helps with security on campus and during field trips. 

In order to offer our students more flexibility while maintaining a uniform look for the student body, the dress code has been updated and expanded as follows:
On regular school days:

·         Updated: Solid-color shirts with collars, long- or short-sleeved. Turtlenecks are acceptable.
·         Khaki, black or navy blue “dress-style” pants
·         Navy blue, black or khaki knee-length shorts may be worn in appropriate weather
·         Girls may wear navy blue, black or khaki knee-length skirts or jumpers
·         White, navy, or light blue sweaters
·         White, navy, or light blue turtlenecks may be worn under shirts or sweaters
·         “Dress-style” shoes that are not open-toed or backless
·         Athletic shoes
·         Boots may be worn to school in winter; if worn in the snow or rain, they must but be removed in school.
·         White, black, khaki or navy blue socks, leggings, or tights

The school has no locker room, so changing clothes completely is problematical. If gym shorts are worn on gym days, the student must bring regular school-day bottoms to put on over the shorts or change into quickly.  On gym days, students may wear the following:

·         Grey, white, navy, or light blue t-shirt or sweatshirt
·         Navy blue or black shorts, sweatpants or leggings  
·         White, black, or navy blue socks
·         Athletic shoes

Updated: Field trip days: light blue shirts with collars, long- or short-sleeved. In cooler weather, may top with a white, navy, or light blue sweater. White, navy, or light blue turtlenecks may be worn under shirts or sweaters.

In the spotlight: Edison Club

Edison Club, MPA’s before- and after-care program, is gearing up for another great year.  The safety and security of kids participating in Edison Club depends on parents understanding and following the club procedures.  That’s why we’ll be offering several sessions of orientation for Edison Club parents – both new and returning – on Monday, August 29^th.  Sessions will be held at 2:45pm and 7pm.  We’ll discuss attendance policies, billing, drop-off and pick-up procedures, as well as other important information.

If you have not yet registered your child for Edison Club but have decided to participate in the program, please visit the MPA website to download the registration form.  Please mail the completed form and registration fee to Katie Gerba, 1116 Richmar Drive, Westlake, 44145 BEFORE August 29^th.

And in the meantime, we’re still looking for someone to work the door of the Edison Club from 4-6pm every school day to admit parents and check out students.  This would be a great position for an MPA parent or older sibling (high school or college age) who would earn volunteer hours for their family while providing a valuable service to the school.  If you work as the Edison Club door person, your child can attend the club for free, so it’s a great deal, as well!  Anyone interested in the position can contact Katie Gerba for more information atedisonclub@menloparkacademy.com.

Singapore math

As many parents have heard, this year MPA will be implementing a new math curriculum for all grades.  Singapore Math is a program developed from the math programs used in the country of Singapore where the students consistently outperform the US and most other countries on the TIMSS ratings (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies).

Singapore Math is an approach that uses both drill and memorization, but also creative problem solving which is so important for our gifted learners. The program emphasizes depth and mastery before moving on to new concepts. In so doing, the Singapore approach moves along to more abstract math concepts in a very rational way and, depending on the student's pace, more quickly. Other positive feedback indicates that the Singapore approach encourages greater problem solving skills and creative thinking than the approach of traditional US-based math curriculum programs. 

The program has workbooks for students, textbooks, and relies heavily on the use of manipulatives to aid in visual, hands-on representation of what students are learning.  Teachers will be going through intensive two- day training on the program this month. Look for more information to come from your child’s math teacher as the year begins.

Random acts of awesomeness

MPA wouldn’t be the incredible school that it is without the support of our dedicated, talented parents and family members.  Our thanks go out this week to all the families who volunteered at the Browns concession stand last weekend, and the folks who showed up for the work day at the school last Saturday.  Way to kick off the year right!

Many  volunteers have been an invaluable help throughout the summer, as well.  They include Sandy Howlett, Kathy Thomas, Hal Daugherty, Shawn Watters, Kay Kibbey, Rachel Didytch, Julie Kovalik, Alexander Carman, Scott Carman and the "ever faithful" Bill Rudnickas.  Without these folks, we wouldn’t have as organized a facility, as smooth of an enrollment week, or as functional a building or IT system.  Thanks for all of your talent and hard work, folks!

Look for more information and links to sign-up for Volunteering for the 2011-12 School Year Early Next Week.

Basketball Camp

The Camp has many students signed up to participate and promises to be a great time for all involved.   Anyone still interested in signing up may do so by contacting Coach Willie Littlejohn wbl8305@sbcglobal.net or (216) 287-8786

Social butterflies

We all know that MPA has a website, but did you know the school also has a blog, and a presence on Facebook?  Download official school forms, read more complete information on some of the newsletter stories, or connect with other MPA families, all from your computer or cell phone!  Here’s a cheat sheet with all the pertinent links:

https://sites.google.com/site/menloparkacademy/Home

http://menloparkacademy.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Menlo-Park-Academy/47010059260?ref=ts

Menlo Park Boys Basketball Team - interested?

Menlo Park has the opportunity through the efforts of an incoming Kindergarten (2011-2012 school year) parent to participate in the West Suburban boys’ Basketball League with a team of 5/6th grade boys representing Menlo Park.

Willie Littlejohn has been coaching boys’ basketball for many years as a volunteer, winning “Coach of the Year” last season.

Willie has obtained his employer, Sunnyside Audi, as a sponsor for the program and most of the cost will be covered by their donation (including cost of uniforms). Depending on practice facilities there may be a small cost incurred by parents.

Practices will be twice per week beginning the end of October. Season runs through end of February. Games will be on Saturdays at locations on the Westside of Cleveland (Middleburg Hts, Fairview Park, Midpark High School, Brookpark, N.Olmsted)

We are currently working with the YMCA West Park branch to utilize their facility for practices as they are in close proximity to Menlo Park school.

All boys interested in participating will need to tryout. There will be 11 spots on the team roster and all boys who make the team will play.

Over the course of the summer, we will host a clinic for skill building and have a meeting for parents and students to meet the coach and ask questions.

A registration form for the basketball team was included in last week's family e-mail.  For more information please contact:
connie.lindemann@menloparkacademy.com
OR feel free to phone Coach:
Willie Littlejohn
216.287.8786