MPA Newsletter, 5/30/2012

A quick note from Dr.B. "I wish you all the very best as you strive to shape this vibrant, exciting place.  Thank you for all the smiles and support you have given me. Best wishes for a safe and happy summer. See you on down the road, Dr. B."

Volunteer Information

Don't forget that Field Day is Friday, June 1st.  Volunteers:  please meet at Lakewood Park as close to 8:30 a.m. as possible and wear your MPA t-shirt if you have one.  Don't forget your sunscreen and a water bottle - it may be a hot day, and we're going to be busy the whole time!

We're looking for a parent who would be interested in organizing and/or coaching a girls' basketball team at MPA next year.  Please contact Coach Willie Littlejohn at mpahoops@yahoo.com to get all the details on what you need to get this program off the ground.  We have lots of girls who would like to participate - won't you give them an assist?

 

Student Information

Our Girls Scouts would like to say: Thanks to everyone who donated items to Girl Scout Troop 70854 for the Berea Animal Rescue Shelter!  The girls will be taking all the items to the shelter this Saturday to present them to the animals.  MPA's support of our troop throughout the year has been greatly appreciated!  See you in the Fall, and have a safe and happy summer!

A couple of quick notes from Mrs. Wilson:

• Lost and Found items will be donated to charity on June 5th, so make sure you take a look through for any items that might belong to your family.
• If your student has medications on file with the school, you need to make arrangements with Mrs. Wilson to pick up the medications. You can come in during the school day or arrange with Mrs. Wilson to come once school is done for the year.  Any medications not retrieved by June 15th will be discarded.
• Field Day t-shirts will be sent home Thursday, May 31st (see below).  Please remember to have students wear the shirt on Friday to Field Day, and again on Sunday for the Crushers game.

Don't forget that Field Day is Friday, June 1st.  Students will have their normal arrival and dismissal procedures to and from the MPA building on this day.   The school will be divided into two teams, Blue and Orange.  T-SHIRTS in team colors will be sent home  with students on Thursday.  Please remind kids to wear their team shirt, comfortable sneakers and shorts.  They should also bring a water bottle (labeled with student’s name) and apply sunscreen before coming to school.  Also, please encourage a healthy breakfast!  Lunch will be provided for students, teachers and volunteers.  It will consist of cheese pizza, carrot sticks, a slice of watermelon & 2 cookies. Please pack a lunch for your child if you have any allergy concerns.  We hope everyone can show their spirit in a fun way!  Go blue!  Go orange!

Don't forget to attend MPA's night at the Crushers game, this Sunday, June 3rd.  You can still purchase vouchers for tickets through the school if you send in money by TOMORROW, Thursday, May 31st.  Vouchers purchased tomorrow will be sent home in the Thursday Folders.  If you would like to sit with other MPA families, please request tickets in sections 114 or 115 when redeeming.  Please have students are dressed in MPA shirts and report to the Fan Services area on the 1st base side of the field no later than 4:30pm so they can take the field to sing our national anthem.

Cue the Pomp and Circumstance - MPA year-end celebrations are fast approaching!  On Monday, June 4th we'll begin at 2pm, celebrating our five graduating eighth graders.  Parents and families are welcome to join the school to celebrate their accomplishments and wish them luck for the future.  Then at 5:30pm in St. Mel's Hall, the Kindergarten class will return to the school to celebrate their first year of school.  Any teachers, staff, volunteers, and students who would like to attend are welcome at the "moving up" celebration!

Our second MPA Basketball Camp is now opened to ALL students - boys AND GIRLS - entering grades 4 thru 8. Space is limited, so please register soon.  The camp, July 25-26th from 1:00-6:00 and July 27th from 9:30-3:30pm at the Olmsted Community Center at 8170 Maple Way Drive in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. If you have any questions,  please contact Coach Willie Littlejohn at mpahoops@yahoo.com to get all the details.

Are you looking for a few ways to beat the heat and help your student bridge the summer learning gap?  Look no further than the Technology web page on our site for links to the various learning programsubscriptions that will be active over the summer, including Brainpop, Scratch, and Atomic Learning.  The links are included in the document attached to this message, and can also be accessed directly this way:

1.       Go to the MPA Home Page

2.       Click the Classroom Web Sites link on the left hand side
3.       Click the Specials link at the bottom of the page
4.       Click the word Technology on the left-hand side
5.  Click the Websites and Downloads link

Development Information

Don't forget to bring some cash to the Crushers game on Sunday, June 3rd - volunteers will be selling 50/50 raffle tickets to benefit MPA!  If you have questions, please contact Tanya Reno @ (216)452-9070.  

The development team - and the whole school - would like to continue to express our thanks to the families who supported MPA's annual fund this year.  This week, we send out a special "thank you" to the families who pledged AND DONATED in the Wizard and Light Bulb categories. (Category descriptions can be found online at http://bit.ly/JNJDy5 ):

• Wizard: Atkins, Balabadrapatruni, Bouchard, Burwell, Carroccio, Cummings, Doughman, Elan, Hamilton, Henson, Koubeissi, Littlejohn, Lukavich, Marasco, Mayhew, Mayle, Mingus, Peacock, Ratycz, Rosbough, Rose, Sandu, Seffo, Stech, Tonsing, Vaidyanathan, Whitman
• Light Bulb: Homolka

If you didn't see your name listed in the past few messages, there's still time to get in your donation - don't start the summer with this final task hanging over your head!  Contact Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com for more information on how to pay your pledge.

Also, if your family pledged at the Wizard Level or higher for the 2011-2012 Annual Appeal, your child can attend the Pizza Party on Monday.  Families should have received notes in last week's folder.    Contact Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com if you have any questions about whether your child will be participating.  And thank you for your support!

We have exciting news for the coming year - MPA has been awarded a $10,000 challenge grant from the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust!  When we raise $10,000, they will match that amount.  We are planning to use the money for a Mobile Technology Initiative which is geared towards providing more mobile technology in the classrooms.  So keep that in mind as you start planning your donations for next year - your pledge could be doubled by the nice folks at the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust!

Calendar Highlights

• June 1 (Friday) - Field Day at Lakewood Park
• June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game in Avon, game time 5:05pm but students must be there by 4:30pm
• June 4 (Monday) -  8th Grade Graduation 2-3 pm;  Kindergarten celebration 5:30 pm
• July 23-25 - 2012/2013 MPA Enrollment forms will be due
• August 26 (Sunday) - Back to School picnic at Lakewood Park

Final notes from the editor - While this is the last official newsletter for the 2011/2012 school year, I will be working with the teachers and staff to send out occasional e-mail updates over the summer.  If your child does something noteworthy, don't wait until September to let everyone at school know!  Send the information to Gretchen Woods at avonhokie@yahoo.com, and I'll see if I can get it in the next message.  My personal thanks go out to all the teachers, staff, and volunteers who have helped me collect the information for this newsletter each week - I couldn't have done it without you!  Have a great summer, and I'll see you at the picnic in August!

MPA Newsletter, 5/23/2012

Volunteer Information

Volunteers are what keep MPA an active, vital school - and now it's time for everyone at school to express their gratitude to all of these important helpers!  If you've volunteered for the school this year in any capacity, drop by the gym on Friday, May 25th between 2pm and 3pm for some treats and a token of the school's appreciation.  This isn't an hour-long sit-down program, just a chance to drop in and see all the ways our students appreciate your help.  The kids are really excited to show you what they've been working on, so even if you feel humble and think "I didn't do that much," come by for the students' sake! See you there! 

Field Day is next week  - Friday, June 1st - and we need more volunteers!    We need help setting up, running, and cleaning up games and lunch.  Just sign up on the attached form to help with this fun event.  If you find that you can volunteer or if you signed up but did not get a email confirmation, please email Tina Garlauskas at garlauskas@ymail.com.  Please let us know if you are coming to Field Day.  We need to order food and make sure we have enough people to run the games and help with lunch.  Let's make this a great day for our kids!  Thanks, and we'll see you there!

We are looking for a few more 50/50 raffle ticket sellers at the upcoming Menlo Park Academy's Afternoon with the Lake Erie Crushers .   Volunteers will be paired with another person for a designated time during the game.  The school will receive 50% of the money collected from the raffle ticket sales.  If you are interested in helping, please contact Tanya Reno at 216-452-9070 or Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com. 

And one more volunteer activity - we're looking for three or four parents of kids who AREN'T in Kindergarten to help set up and put out refreshments for the Kindergarten moving up celebration on Monday, June 4th, at 5:30pm.  We want to make sure all the parents of Kindergarten students have a chance to relax and enjoy the event, not rush around setting out cupcakes and chairs.  If you can help, please contact Kelly Fortune-Somerville atkfortune@kent.edu.  Thanks for your help making this a special event for our mini munchkins!

Student Information

As you know, earlier this month, the MPA Board engaged in a search for a new School Director.  After a review of some excellent candidates, we are excited to welcome Mrs. Paige Baublitz-Watkins to our school community. Mrs. Baublitz-Watkins, or Mrs. B-W, has a B.S. in Special Education, her M.Ed. in Gifted Education, and an Ohio Principal’s license.  Through almost 20 years of education experience. Mrs. B-W has consistently demonstrated her leadership abilities and passion for individualizing instruction.  She prides herself on being a skilled communicator and believes strongly in building consensus to promote student growth. You will learn more about Mrs. B-W in the weeks to come as she begins her transition into our school leader.  She will be visiting the school on Friday, May 25^th to meet with the staff and visit the classrooms to get a feeling for our school community.  She intends to be present at the Volunteer Appreciation event that afternoon at 2pm if you would like to meet her.  We plan to schedule additional opportunities for the community to meet Mrs. B-W and learn more about how she intends to deliver on MPA’s mission of “developing the potential of gifted learners through unique and rewarding experiences that nurture the whole child”. Thank you for everyone’s support and trust as we work diligently over the coming months to integrate our new leader into our community.

Don't forget: STEM CAREER NIGHT AT MPA IS THIS THURSDAY, MAY 24! Science is fun, but can you make a career out of it? From 6:30 to 8 pm, more than 10 scientists and engineers will give brief presentations and lead discussions about their chosen fields. They will tell students what it's like to be a civil engineer, environmental engineer, geologist, chemist, rocket scientist, software developer, actuary, doctor, veterinarian, and more. This event is targeted at grades 5-8 but younger students, siblings and parents are welcome.

While you're at the school on Friday for the volunteer appreciation event, please check through the Lost and Found items for any that belong to your student.  We will be donating to charity any items that remain after the last day of school, so make sure to claim your items before June 5th!  You'll also need to make arrangements to pick up any medications you have on file with Mrs. Wilson. Please come in during the school day or make arrangements with Mrs. Wilson to come once school is done for the year.  Any medications not retrieved by June 15th will be discarded.

Don't forget that Field Day is Friday, June 1st.  The school will be divided into two teams, Blue and Orange.  T-SHIRTS in team colors will be sent home just before Field Day.  Please remind kids to wear their team shirt, comfortable sneakers and shorts.  They should also bring a water bottle (label with student’s name) and apply sunscreen.  Also, please encourage a healthy breakfast!  LUNCH will be provided for students, teachers and volunteers.  Please pack a lunch for your child if you have any allergy concerns.

Cue the Pomp and Circumstance - MPA year-end celebrations are fast approaching!  On Monday, June 4th we'll begin at 2pm, celebrating our five graduating eighth graders.  Parents and families are welcome to join the school to celebrate their accomplishments and wish them luck for the future.  Then at 5:30pm the Kindergarten students and families will return to the school to celebrate their first year of school.  Make sure you bring your cameras for that one, parents ... and maybe a box of tissues for Mrs. Timko, too!  (She always "gets something in her eye" during these things ... )

Bullying is a community issue that requires a school/community/home partnership.  MPA has learned of a FREE webinar that will introduce you to the issues of bullying, but more importantly help you understand how to bring some responsibility for bullying prevention back into the home.  Bullying is not just a school issue.  Parents and guardians are a crucial part of the bullying solution and must be included.  Campus Impact shares methods to involve parents and whole communities to help reduce bullying.  Attend one of their FREE webinars -  MAY 31st, June 5 and June 7.  To register for this FREE webinar go to:  http://campusimpact.omnovia.com/register

And a final note about this school year: Did you know that all school fees must be paid before a student's final report card is released and sent home?  That includes replacement lunch fees, material fees, and any other outstanding monies owed to MPA.  To make payment arrangements, they should contact Rob at finance@menloparkacademy.com or call Mrs. Wilson with any questions.  If your account is already paid and in order,you can expect to receive your child's report card by mail the week of June 18th.

Development Information

Why yes, thank you for asking - you can still purchase ticket vouchers and join us for the Crushers game Sunday, June 3rd.  Vouchers will be sent home in Thursday folders and may then be redeemed at the Crushers box office during normal business hours.   If you would like to sit with other MPA families, please request tickets in sections 114 or 115 when redeeming.  Tickets are $9 each, and can be ordered using the attached form.  You may also purchase tickets on-line at www.lakeeriecrushers.com and enter promo code MENLO (all caps please).  Select select box office tickets and order in sections 114 or 115.  A $1.00/per ticket surcharge will apply to online purchases.  If you have questions, please contact Tanya Reno @ (216)452-9070.  

The development team - and the whole school - would like to continue to express our thanks to the families who supported MPA's annual fund this year.  This week, we send out a special "thank you" to the families who pledged AND DONATED in the Light Bulb and Phonograph categories. (Category descriptions can be found online at http://bit.ly/JNJDy5 ):

• Light Bulb -  Beach, Crowley, Daugherty, Garlauskas, Harrington, Kiskorna, Klein, Lin, Love, McDonald, Mudra, Munro, Rotunno, McGillivray, O'Donnell, Saab, Shin, Sundaram, Thomas, Wenzel, Woods
• Phonograph - Masgras

If you didn't see your name last week or this week, there's still time to get in your donation - don't start the summer with this final task hanging over your head!  Contact Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com for more information on how to pay your pledge.

Have you registered on www.goodsearch.com for their "Good Dining" program?  If not, you're missing out on the chance to earn donations for MPA every time you eat at selected restaurants and bars.  The best part?  This program is FREE to you!  To join, visit www.goodsearch.com/gooddining.aspx and register your credit or debit card.  When you eat at one of more than 10,000 participating restaurants and use your registered card to pay, you'll earn up to 6% of your bill in donations for MPA.  And if you join before the end of May, you'll even earn an extra $5 bonus donation for the school - sweet!  Check out the site to learn more about this free-to-you way to earn money for our school - and thanks for your support!

Calendar Highlights

• May 24 (Thursday) - Middle School STEM career night, 6:30 pm; "Twin Day" for Spirit Week
• May 25 (Friday) - Volunteer Appreciation event, 2-3pm in the gym; "Crazy Hair/Clothes Day" for Spirit Week
• May 28 (Monday) - No school (Memorial Day)
• May 29 - June 1 - Eighth Grade Celebration Week
• June 1 (Friday) - Field Day at Lakewood Park
• June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game, 5:05pm in Avon
• June 4 (Monday) -  8th Grade Graduation 2-3 pm;  Kindergarten celebration 5:30 pm
• July 23-25 - 2012/2013 MPA Enrollment forms will be due
• August 26 (Sunday) - Back to School picnic at Lakewood Park

If you've got something you'd like to share with the school - a need for volunteers for your school event, an exciting achievement your child has made outside of school, or anything else you think MPA parents should know about - send the information to Gretchen Woods at avonhokie@yahoo.com.  The submission deadline for the weekly newsletter is each Wednesday at noon.

MPA Newsletter, 5/16/2012

Student Achievements

Shay Tanna participated in a Regional Spelling Bee contest held at CWRU by the North South Foundation on May 13th, 2012.  There were approximately 50-60 kids who participated in the Junior Spelling Bee and Shay came in 3rd place!  Congratulations!

Maura Ingraham (who we learned last week was a finalist in the Time Warner Cable 2012 Coolest Creations competition for her wearable jump rope invention) is now competing in the Viewer’s Choice competition. The contestant with the most views wins the Coolest Creations Award!  To help Maura win, Tune to Time Warner Cable Channel 411 and Select the Viewer’s Choice tab.  Each view is a vote, so watch as many times as you can from May 14-June 25.

Student Information

Is your child ready for Spirit Week next week?  Make sure you plan ahead so your student can come dressed in the appropriate theme each day: 

• Monday (May 21) -Retro Day
• Tuesday (May 22) - Fake an Injury Day
• Wednesday (May 23) - Hawaiian Day
• Thursday (May 24) - Twin Day
• Friday (May 25) - Crazy Hair/Clothes day

STEM CAREER NIGHT AT MPA IS THURSDAY, MAY 24! STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Science is fun, but can you make a career out of it? From 6:30 to 8 pm, more than 10 scientists and engineers will give brief presentations and lead discussions about their chosen fields. They will tell students what it's like to be a civil engineer, environmental engineer, geologist, chemist, rocket scientist, software developer, actuary, doctor, veterinarian, and more. This event is targeted at grades 5-8 but younger students, siblings and parents are welcome.

Volunteers are what keep MPA an active, vital school - and now it's time for us to express our gratitude to all of them!  If you've volunteered for the school this year, drop by the gym on Friday, May 25th between 2pm and 3pm for some treats and a token of the school's appreciation. See you there!

Yes!  Girls Scout Troop 70854 is still accepting the following items to donate to the Berea Animal Rescue Shelter in Berea: slightly used cloths, hand towels, pillow cases, and bath towels.  Donations of NEW pet items will also be accepted.  Please bring items in by Friday, May 25th, and place them in the marked box in the Gym.  Thank you for your support of our Girls Scouts and the animal shelter!

MPA Field Day is coming to Lakewood Park on Friday, June 1st. This event is a wonderful time for our kids to take a break from books, work their bodies and have some fun.  We spend the day playing games like football toss, sack races, standing long jump, ring toss, rubber chicken throw, corn hole, washer toss, kickball, and an obstacle course just to name a few. The school will be divided into two teams, Blue and Orange.  T-SHIRTS in team colors will be sent home just before Field Day.  Please remind kids to wear their team shirt, comfortable sneakers and shorts.  They should also bring a water bottle (label with student’s name) and apply sunscreen.  Also, please encourage a healthy breakfast!  LUNCH will be provided for students, teachers and volunteers.  We are providing a pizza lunch that includes carrots and a cookie.  There are going to be refreshments in the pavilion for students including bananas, apple slices, popcorn and cereal bars.  Beverages will include lemonade, fruit punch and ice water.  Please pack a lunch for your child if you have any allergy concerns.

Cue the Pomp and Circumstance - MPA's first Eighth Grade Graduation celebration is almost here!  On Monday, June 4th at 2pm we'll be celebrating our five graduating eighth graders.  Parents and families are welcome to join the school to celebrate their accomplishments and wish them luck for the future.

Please come in to check through the Lost and Found items for any that belong to your student.  We will be donating to charity any items that remain after the last day of school, so make sure to claim your items before June 5th!

Mrs. Wilson would like to remind parents that any medications they have on file with her for their children need to be picked up within several days of the end of the school year. Please come in during the school day or make arrangements with Mrs. Wilson to come once school is done for the year.  Any medications not retrieved by June 15th will be discarded.

There are still a few slots open in the MPA summer basketball camp, which will be held July 25, 26, and 27 at the Olmsted Community Center in Olmsted Falls.  The camp is open to all boys who are entering grades 4-8 this coming year.  Please contact Coach Willie Littlejohn at mpahoops@yahoo.com for more information or to sign up! 

Development Information

If you didn't make the deadline to order tickets to the MPA night at the Crushers game on Sunday, June 3rd, don't despair!  You can still purchase ticket vouchers and join us for the game.  Vouchers will be sent home in Thursday folders and may then be redeemed at the Crushers box office during normal business hours.   If you would like to sit with other MPA families, please request tickets in sections 114 or 115 when redeeming.  Tickets are $9 each, and can be ordered using the attached form.  You may also purchase tickets on-line at www.lakeeriecrushers.com and enter promo code MENLO (all caps please).  Select select box office tickets and order in sections 114 or 115.  A $1.00/per ticket surcharge will apply to online purchases.  If you have questions, please contact Tanya Reno @ (216)452-9070.  

The last scrip card order for the year is fast approaching - do you have your order in?  Orders are due Sunday, May 20th.  Stock up so you have plenty of cards for your summer activities (and birthday gifts, and travel, and groceries ...), as we will not be running this fundraiser over the summer.

It's time to start recognizing the families who supported our Annual Appeal this year.  Thank you to the families who pledged AND DONATED in the Inventive and Inspired categories. More donor recognition is coming next week, so don't worry if you donated and don't see your name yet! (Category descriptions can be found online at http://bit.ly/JNJDy5 ):

• Inspired: Ahmed, Ananiadis, Bauer, Beck, Begeman, Begen, Bemer, Chang, Clausing, Dillon, Ebright, Fawole, Fechner, Freed, Gielty, Gundayao, Hiti, Ingraham, James, Kazazic, Kelley, Koski, Leimbach, Madhavaram, Mahoney, Monnette, Nadkarni, Nealis, Olijar, O'Neil, K. and K. Payne, Roberts, Romano, A. and T. Ross, Ryan, Sanghvi, Soltesz, Vidovich, Watson; and extended family members Daugherty, Ebright, and Travinsky
• Inventive: Aldrich, Bialowas, Farley, George-Huff,  Gibeault, Harrington, Kranz, Kim, Krohn, Pfister, Seibert, Sluder, Mitchell, Veloso, Youshak, Zsigray; and extended family members Peacock and Clausing

And there's still time to get in your donation - contact Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com for more information on how to pay your pledge.

Volunteer Information

Field Day is coming to  Menlo Park  Academy on Friday, June 1st, and we still need a lot of volunteers to make this event successful.  We need help setting up, running, and cleaning up games and lunch.  Field Day will begin with individual events like football toss, Frisbee toss, sack race, standing long jump, etc.  Students will travel by grade levels to six different zones.  The groups will be in each zone for about 30 minutes.  Volunteers are needed for each event/game to keep score and make sure the kids have fun.  There will always be five zones having events and one zone on break.  Volunteers must keep tally of how many times students from each team compete in their event.  LUNCH will be provided for students, teachers and volunteers.  We are providing a pizza lunch that includes carrots and a cookie.  All of the help is needed on “game day” so it’s a great way to get in some volunteer time while having fun without any pre-work.  Just sign up on the attached form and show up.  If you have any questions, please contact Tina Garlauskas atgarlauskas@ymail.com.  Thanks, and we'll see you there!

THE MPA STEM TEAM IS RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The STEM Team's goal is to provide STEM enrichment opportunities for all MPA students. We organize K-4 Math Night, 5-8 STEM Career Night, STEM-related electives, competitions, events and field trips. Volunteers are needed to plan and manage events, develop and teach electives, develop and maintain an enrichment website, and contribute new ideas. We usually meet on Friday mornings after drop-off, but it is not necessary to attend the meetings in order to participate. You do not have to be a scientist; all you need is an interest in the team's activities. Please contact Grant Henson (granthens@gmail.com) to express interest.

Calendar Highlights

• May 17 (Thursday) - 3:30 - 5 pm K-4 Carnival Sponsored by Student Council
• May 18 (Friday) - No school; 6:30 - 8:30 Middle School Dance
• May 21 - 25 - Student Council Sponsored Spirit Week
• May 23 (Wednesday) - Debate elective students compete at Lakewood High School
• May 24 (Thursday) - Middle School STEM career night, 6:30 pm
• May 25 (Friday) - Volunteer Appreciation event, 2-3pm in the gym
• May 28 (Monday) - No school (Memorial Day)
• May 29 - June 1 - Eighth Grade Celebration Week
• June 1 (Friday) - Field Day at Lakewood Park
• June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game, 5:05pm in Avon
• June 4 (Monday) - Eighth grade graduation beginning at 2pm
• July 23-25 - 2012/2013 MPA Enrollment forms will be due
• August 26 (Sunday) - Back to School picnic at Lakewood Park

If you've got something you'd like to share with the school - a need for volunteers for your school event, an exciting achievement your child has made outside of school, or anything else you think MPA parents should know about - send the information to Gretchen Woods at avonhokie@yahoo.com.  The submission deadline for the weekly newsletter is each Wednesday at noon.

MPA Newsletter, 5/9/12

Thanks go out to everyone who contributed toward the teacher and staff appreciation events this week.   Your donations helped fund the flowers/vases, card boxes, gift cards, supplies, snacks, coffee, drinks and raffle baskets.   The baked good donations looked delicious! A special thank you to our Board for donating a luncheon on Tuesday - and thanks to Suzanne Hanselman for chairing the luncheon.  A special thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers that helped the past two weeks as it was so greatly appreciated.  Also, a very special thank you to Chris Major for donating a surprise breakfast bar with fruit and the works this morning for our Teachers and Staff! There were a lot of happy teachers here at school!

Achievements

Congratulations to the Middle School students who were "caught" displaying April's character trait, respectfulness: Kathleen O'Donnell (5th grade), Dierdre O'Malley (6th grade), Ashley Hofstetter (7/8th grade).

The week of April 16th, 200 students from Menlo Park Academy competed in The Noetic Learning Math Contest, an elementary math problem solving contest held twice a year. More than 12,000 young students representing 649 teams across the country participated in this spring contest. The purpose of participating in the contest is to stimulate our students’ interest in math and to inspire them to excel in math.  The contest results show that our students can rise to the occasion and can meet the challenge. It also demonstrates our students’ great math skills and talents.  The following students are the winners of their teams: Will Gonzalez, Elizabeth Woods, Aidan Bemer, Vincent Romano, Megan O'Donnell, Angelina Pfister, Alex Masgras, Alaina Keirn-Swanson, Aidan Dalton, Lexi Soltesz, Dylan Laurianti, Clement Liu.  Way to go!  

Also, the following students won the Noetic Learning Math Contest National Honor Roll title, which is only awarded to the top 10% of participating students in the country: Angelina Pfister, Megan O'Donnell, Aiden Bemer, Vincent Romano, Young Kim, Dominic Mayhew, Emily Atkins, Mary McDonald, Adam Ahmed, Amelia VonGlahn, David Veloso, Johnathan Carmen, Maura Ingraham, Sakari Ammari, Will Gonzalez, Alex Masgras, Aidan Dalton, Clement Liu, Dylan Laurianti, Jonah Fechner, Carter English.

Congratulations go out to first grader Young Kim, who won the 1st Place trophy in the K-2 division at the 2012 Westlake Scholastic Chess Tournament held on May 5, 2012, at Lee Burneson Middle School in Westlake.  The tournament was hosted by Progress With Chess and attracted players from the Greater Cleveland area.  In addition, his little brother, Dae San Kim, who will start kindergarten at MPA in the fall, finished in a 3-way tie for third place in terms of overall points.  Way to go, guys - remind me not to challenge you to a game anytime soon!

The MPA Boys Basketball team seized the day Saturday afternoon and in grand fashion; winning a double header to become Spring League Co-Champions. The boys won the first game 21-12 despite being short handed with 4 players unavailable. Zach Peacock's 10 points and Sam Ammari's 7 points along with great defense was enough to hold on for the win. Game #2 was a different story. We had the return of 3 additional players to get back to full strength and the Wizards came out and scored the first 15 points of the game and then cruised to an easy 41-13 win. Zach Peacock scored a season high 18 points with a dominant low-post game and Ojas Nadkarni played well at point guard scoring 9 points. The two wins helped the Wizards to finish the season at 5-2 and become league co-champions, the first Basketball title in school history!  Congratulations to the entire team: 6th graders Zach Peacock (Spring Team MVP), Marshall Monette and Ojas Nadkarni, 5th grader Sam Ammari and 4th graders Matt Harrington, John Harrington, Jacob Love, Hunter Caraballo, Gino Palotta and Sam Peacock.

The final Walk-A-Thon fundraising results are in!  Thanks again for all of your hard work an donations - and thanks especially to:

- Mrs. Eby's 6th grade class, which walked the longest distance - more than 78 miles.

- Mrs. Schroeder's 1st grade class, which raised the most money - a total of $890.

- Kindergartener Addyson Kuzma, who raised the most money for the event - she'll receive a $50 gift card for her hard work.

Student Information

Did you know ... In order to ensure the safety and security of the students and staff, the Board has clarified and formalized our expectations and procedures in policy.  The full policy can be accessed at http://bit.ly/Jve0dM.  It is also posted just inside the doors to the school building - look for the laminated sheets on your right as you enter the building. Here is a brief synopsis of key points:

• Arrange visits to the school in advance with school personnel. Teachers and staff will let the office know who is expected; this applies to class parties and to field trips, too.  If a visit is unexpected, school personnel may disallow it at their discretion. Visits with students are subject to approval by the School Director or administrator. 
• The School Director or administrator is authorized to prohibit any person from entering the school or expel any person when there is reason to believe the presence of such a person would be detrimental to the good order of the school.
• You may have lunch at school with your child with prior permission of the School Director.  Please do not share food with other students as they may have food restrictions.
• When volunteering or visiting, please respect the confidentiality of all of our students by not discussing students other than your own.
• Clear any and all treats brought to school with the teachers so that no students are left out and allergies are accommodated.
• Party invitations may be distributed in school only if every classmate is included. If not, please mail the invitations.

This is the last week to check out books from the MPA library. Starting May 14, no books may be checked out, and we'll be doing our best to round up those that may have gone missing. Thanks for your help finding any that may be hiding at home!

Attached is the revised flyer for the MPA summer basketball camp, which will be held July 25, 26, and at the Olmsted Community Center in Olmsted Falls.  The camp is open to all boys who are entering grades 4-8 this coming year, but only seven slots remain, so sign up soon if you want to participate!

Student Fraser Hamilton is raising money for the American Cancer Society at lunchtimes - for a donation of only $0.15, students will receive a Dum-Dum sucker in thanks.  So dig some coins out of the couch and help Fraser support this worthy charity!

Next week is standardized-test-a-palooza at MPA!   Our K-4th grade students will be taking the IOWA tests on Monday-Thursday, while on Wednesday, the 5th and 6th graders take the ACT Explore test, and the 7th and 8th graders take the ACT Plan test.   Please make sure your students arrive at school on time next week, well-rested and ready to show what they know.  Best of luck to all of our students - we know they'll do their best!

Girls Scout Troop 70854 is continuing their service project to collect the following to donate to the Berea Animal Rescue Shelter in Berea: slightly used cloths, hand towels, pillow cases, and bath towels.  Donations of NEW pet items will also be accepted.  Please bring items in by Friday, May 25th, and place them in the marked box in the Gym.  Thank you for your support of our Girls Scouts and the animal shelter!

May 21st-25th is Spirit Week this year!  Start planning your students' outfits now to fit the themes the Student Council has chosen for each day of the week: 

• Monday-Retro Day
• Tuesday - Fake an Injury Day
• Wednesday - Hawaiian Day
• Thursday - Twin Day
• Friday - Crazy Hair/Clothes day

Would your Middle Schooler benefit from learning more about careers in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field? Then mark your calendar for Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.! The STEM Enrichment Committee is pleased to announce a Middle School STEM Career Night where students can learn about different STEM careers and have one-on-one conversations with professionals in those areas. If you have any questions about Middle School Career Night, please contact Grant at granthens@gmail.com.

Mark your calendar now - the 12-page enrollment packet for the 2012/2013 school year will be due July 23-25th.  These forms are due for ALL students, returning and new, so don't assume that your returning student can skip it.  Like last year, we're planning to have parents drop off the forms in person at school so that we can confirm at that time that all of the required documents are there.  Keep your eyes open in the coming months for links to the form, and specific information on dates and times to turn in your paperwork.

Development Information

There's still time to order tickets for MPA’s Annual Lake Erie Crushers  Game Day at the ball park on Sunday, June 3rd.  The Lake Erie Crushers will be hosting the Chicago Windy City Thunderbolts in an afternoon of baseball and fun.  MPA students will be singing the National Anthem before the game, and a member of the Mingus family will be throwing out the first pitch!  Tickets are $9 each, and can be ordered using the attached form.  Anyone selling 8 tickets or more will be entered into a drawing for a Crushers t-shirt and baseball cap, so encourage your kids to invite your family and friends.  Order by May 11th to insure that your tickets will be in the block of MPA seats!  Tickets will still be available after May 11th, but we can't guarantee you'll be seated in the MPA area. 

If you made a pledge to the MPA Annual Appeal but can't remember if you paid it in full, have no fear!  Our Development Coordinator is sending out letters to those families who have not fulfilled their full pledge amounts.  Pledged amounts can be sent to the attention of Tanya Reno, who is also happy to answer any questions you have about completing forms for your employer's matching gift program.  Feel free to contact her at Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com with any questions you have.  And thanks, as always, for your support!

Time to start planning your last scrip card order for the year!  Orders are due Monday, May 20th.  Stock up so you have plenty of cards for your summer activities (and birthday gifts, and travel, and groceries ...), as we will not be doing this fundraiser over the summer.

Volunteer Information

The Student Council Carnival is being offered to students in Grade K-4 after school on Thursday, May 17th.  We're looking for parent volunteers to help supervise at this event.  Student Council Members will be running the event, but we need adults to help supervise the participants.  If you can help out, please contact the Student Council advisor Marilyn Hahn at mhahn@cdcare.org.

Field Day is coming to  Menlo Park  Academy on Friday, June 1st !  This event is a wonderful time for our kids to take a break from books, work their bodies and have some fun.  We spend the day at  Lakewood   Park  playing games like football toss, sack races, standing long jump, ring toss, rubber chicken throw, corn hole, washer toss, kickball, and an obstacle course just to name some of the fun games.  Parents, this is a great opportunity to spend the day with your child(ren) at an all day school event.  We will need a lot of volunteers in different areas to make this event successful.  All of the help is needed on “game day” so it’s a great way to get in some volunteer time while having fun without any pre-work.  Just sign up on the attached form and show up.  Thanks, and we'll see you there!

Calendar Highlights

• May 10-11 - Fourth Grade field trip to COSI in Columbus
• May 14-17 - Iowa Tests for grades K-4; Explore Tests for grades 5-8
• May 17 (Thursday) - 3:30 - 5 pm K-4 Carnival Sponsored by Student Council
• May 18 (Friday) - No school; 6:30 - 8:30 Middle School Dance
• May 21 - 25 - Student Council Sponsored Spirit Week
• May 24 (Thursday) - Middle School STEM career night, 6:30 pm
• May 25 (Friday) - Volunteer Appreciation event
• May 28 (Monday) - No school (Memorial Day)
• May 29 - June 1 - Eighth Grade Celebration Week
• June 1 (Friday) - Field Day at Lakewood Park
• June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game, 5:05pm in Avon
• July 23-25 - 2012/2013 MPA Enrollment forms will be due
• August 26 (Sunday) - Back to School picnic at Lakewood Park

If you've got something you'd like to share with the school - a need for volunteers for your school event, an exciting achievement your child has made outside of school, or anything else you think MPA parents should know about - send the information to Gretchen Woods at avonhokie@yahoo.com.  The submission deadline for the weekly newsletter is each Wednesday at noon.

MPA Newsletter, 5/2/2012

A special thanks goes out this week to family volunteer Mr. Van Glahn, who donated three large bags of assorted playground balls to the school.  That should keep the recess volunteers hopping this spring!  Thanks for your generosity!

Achievements

Congratulations to all of the Spelling Bee participants and their classmates - all the spellers did a great job and their classmates' support and cheering was phenomenal! Special congrats to the 1st place winner of the Spelling Bee, Fox M., grade 8! 6th graders swept the other winning spots: 2nd place went to Ian O., 3rd place went to Julia M., and Owen K. earned an Honorable Mention. Congrats to all the top winners! In addition, the following participants won honors in their respective rounds:

• We had a 3-way tie for first place in the K/1 round with Will G., Alexandra Y., and Alexia W. (all 1st graders). Firat B., Kindergarten student, came in 2nd. 
• We had a 2-way tie for first place in the 2/3 round with Anna R. and Ella K. (both 3rd graders).  Katey F., also 3rd grade, placed second. 
• For the 4/5 round, we had a 4-way tie for 1st place: Hunter C. (Gr. 4), Milana M. (Gr. 4) , Sparsh B., (Gr. 5) and Clement L. (Gr. 5). 
• Eitan E. (K) - Good Sportsmanship Award
• David V. (K) - Runner-up, Good Sportsmanship Award
• Liza W. (Gr. 1) - Best Manners Award
• Noor A. (Gr. 2) - Runner-up, Best Manners Award
• Eliza W. (Gr. 2) - Spirit Award for Bumble Bee Dress
• (Tie) Sam P. (Gr. 4) and Milana M. (Gr. 4) - Most Professional and Courteous Contestants
• (Tie) All 5th and 1st Graders - Full Grade Spirit Award (PJammied and Jamming Attire) 
• All 4th Grader - Respectful Audience Award
• Parents - Best Reaction By An Audience Award (collective panicked gasp when kindergartner was asked to spell three syllable word)

The Wizards boys' basketball team lost a tough, close game on Saturday 28-26. Zach Peacock led the team in scoring with a career high 15 points. Menlo fought back from 5 points down in the 2nd quarter, took a 6 point lead early in the 3rd quarter then played a tied game with Ridgewood until they broke the 26-26 tie with :50 seconds left and our last two shots with :12 left failed to go in the basket. Every MPA parent and supporter was very vocal at the game, the most intense they have been since the winter playoff game. While we may have lost, the boys held their heads high and Coach Willie was proud of their performance as the loss dropped MPA to 3-2 and into a tie for first place.  The Wizards have a doubleheader on Saturday May 5th to end the Spring season. If we win both games (and one game is against a team we have already defeated easily this season), MPA will at least be Co-Champs of the spring league and bring the first basketball title to the school!

Congratulations to Maura Ingraham, who won two awards at Invention Convention.  She won a "Coolest Creation" award and was interviewed to be on Time Warner Cable, where people will be able to vote for her starting May 14th.  She also won first place for the K-2nd grade division with her invention of Fashion Jump, the wearable jump rope.  Way to show your creativity, Maura!

Congratulations also go to third grader Stavros Ananiadis, who won first place in his age catagory at the annual Youth Scholarship Show at BAYarts in Bay Village.  More than 24 schools were represented and the show was judged by a panel of professional artists.  Stavros won a $75 gift certificate towards classes and programs @ BAYarts.  Way to go!

Let's keep our fingers crossed for Nick Hiti, who will be progressing to the State Power of the Pen Tournament on Friday, May 25th at Wooster College.  Best of luck in the competition, Nick!

Student Information

Parents of third graders: the overnight field trip at the zoo is coming this Friday and Saturday - has your student sent in a medication release form?  If not, please fill in the attached form and return it to school with the required medication as soon as possible.  Thanks!

Parents please look in tomorrow's Thursday folder for information regarding Teacher/Staff Appreciation which will be held next Monday (May 7) through Wednesday (May 9). You still have an opportunity to donate for this wonderful cause by submitting your donation in a sealed envelope to the attention of "Mrs. Daugherty."  Any students due to class trips or other reasons that have not turned in their contribution to Teacher/Staff Appreciation can turn them in to the office and place them in the bag(s) labeled for "Mrs. Daugherty."  Monday, May 7th is the last day to turn them in.

Field Day is coming to  Menlo Park   Academy on Friday, June 1st !  This event is a wonderful time for our kids to take a break from books, work their bodies and have some fun.  We spend the day at  Lakewood   Park  playing games like football toss, sack races, standing long jump, ring toss, rubber chicken throw, corn hole, washer toss, kickball, and an obstacle course just to name some of the fun games.  Students will have normal arrival and dismissal procedures to and from the MPA school building on this day.  As in previous years, we are dividing the school into two teams and will provide a t-shirt for each student.  Student t-shirts are free, and will be used for Field Day and the Crushers baseball game on June 3rd.  T-shirts for adults and siblings who do not attend MPA are available for only $5.  The order form is attached.  Don't wait - orders are due Friday, May 4th!

Girls Scout Troop 70854 is running a service project to collect the following to donate to the Berea Animal Rescue Shelter in Berea: slightly used cloths, hand towels, pillow cases, and bath towels.  Donations of NEW pet items will also be accepted.  Please bring items in by Friday, May 25th, and place them in the marked box in the Gym.  Thank you for your support of our Girls Scouts and the animal shelter!

Candid and group photos for the yearbook are going to be done Monday, May 7th during school.  If your student participates in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or the basketball team, please send your child to school in their uniform that day.  Otherwise, please have students wear their regular dress-code clothing.  Thanks!

May 21st-25th is Spirit Week this year!  More information on this fun event will be coming soon.  In the meantime, start planning your outfits now to fit the themes the Student Council has chosen for each day of the week: 

• Monday-Retro Day
• Tuesday - Fake an Injury Day
• Wednesday - Hawaiian Day
• Thursday - Twin Day
• Friday - Crazy Hair/Clothes day

Save the date: The "Young Authors" books our students have been working so hard to finish will be displayed Tuesday, May 8th.  Books will be available in the hallways until 6 pm, so people can come by anytime to read them.

Please check out the attached flyer for the Student Council Carnival being offered to students in Grade K-4 after school on Thursday, May 17th.  Your student can enjoy the St. Ignatius Circus Company, snacks, and carnival games.  Registration is required by May 8th - no late registrations will be accepted, so make sure to get your form in promptly! 

Would your Middle Schooler benefit from learning more about careers in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field? Then mark your calendar for Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.! The STEM Enrichment Committee is pleased to announce a Middle School STEM Career Night where students can learn about different STEM careers and have one-on-one conversations with professionals in those areas. If you have any questions about Middle School Career Night, please contact Grant at granthens@gmail.com.

Sunday, June 3rd, join your fellow families and friends for MPA’s Annual Lake Erie Crushers  Game Day at the ball park.  The Lake Erie Crushers will be hosting the Chicago Windy City Thunderbolts in an afternoon of baseball and fun.  MPA students will be singing the National Anthem before the game and a member of the Mingus family will be throwing out the first pitch!  Tickets are $9 each, and can be ordered using the attached form.  Order by May 11th to insure that your tickets will be in the block of MPA seats!

Development Information

Thanks to everyone who supported the school during Quiz Night last weekend.  Whether you donated something for the gift baskets and door prizes, helped plan the event, or competed in the quiz, you helped raise more than $2,000 for the school!  And congratulations to Team Skips a Generation, the winners of the event!  They went home with a cash prize, as well as bragging rights for next year.

The Box Tops Classroom Competition has ended for the school year.  Thanks to everyone who participated, we earned more than $2,200 this year, with another $500 that will go towards our first check from the program next year.  Keep collecting those Box Tops over the summer - there's a collection document attached that you can print out to help you corral all of them.  Congratulations to the following classrooms for bringing in the most box tops:

1. Mrs. Shuder (2,974 box tops) - Pizza party winners
2. Mr. Thompson (2,459 box tops) - Ice cream sandwich/popsicle party winners
3. Mrs. Nagy (2,403 box tops) - Ice cream sandwich/popsicle party winners

Sooooo, is there something you've forgotten to do?  Or maybe have been putting off, figuring you'll get to it later?  If "actually paying the amount you pledged to the MPA annual fund" is one of those things, please consider taking care of it today.  Pledged amounts can be sent to the attention of Tanya Reno, who is also happy to answer any questions you have about completing forms for your employer's matching gift program.  Feel free to contact her at Tanya.Reno@MenloParkAcademy.com with any questions you have.  And thanks, as always, for your support!

Time to start planning your last scrip card order for the year!  Orders are due Monday, May 20th.  Stock up so you have plenty of cards for your summer activities (and birthday gifts, and travel, and groceries ...), as we will not be doing this fundraiser over the summer.

Volunteer Information

On May 7th, 8th, and 9th we will be celebrating our wonderful Teachers and Staff during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week.  If you would like to volunteer to help with the activities planned for those days, please email Janelle at jldoc29@yahoo.com. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED for THIS FRIDAY, MAY 4th, to help pre-setup for Teacher/Staff Appreciation.  Parents (and their students) can help between 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Please meet me in the workroom across from the office. Please consider parking along the street or in a parking space and giving an hour of your time from 3:00 - 4:15 for this wonderful cause. (Important - Parents please see more specific details in the Thursday folder). If you have previously volunteered to help, but have not heard from Janelle this week kindly email her again so that she can make sure everyone is included. Thanks very much for your support!

The Student Council Carnival is being offered to students in Grade K-4 afterschool on Thursday, May 17th.  We're looking for parent volunteers to help supervise at this event.  Student Council Members will be running the event, but we need adults to help supervise the participants.  If you can help out, please contact the Student Council advisor Marilyn Hahn at mhahn@cdcare.org.

Field Day is Friday, June 1st. Parents, this is a great opportunity to spend the day with your child(ren) at an all day school event.  We will need a lot of help in different areas to make this event successful.  All of the help is needed on “game day” so it’s a great way to get in some volunteer time while having fun without any pre-work.  Just sign up on the attached form and show up.  Thanks, and we'll see you there!

Calendar Highlights:

• April 30-May 4 - Eighth Grade field trip to Washington D.C.; Sixth and Seventh Grade field trip to Mohican
• May 4 (Friday) - Basketball practice 4-6pm; Third Grade overnight field trip at the zoo
• May 5 (Saturday) - Basketball double header at 1:15 and 3pm at Lakewood Gym
• May 7 (Monday) - Candid and group photo day for the yearbook
• May 8 (Tuesday) - Young Authors book viewing day at school (open until 6pm)
• May 10-11 - Fourth Grade field trip to COSI in Columbus
• May 14-17 - Iowa Tests for grades K-4; Explore Tests for grades 5-8
• May 17 (Thursday) - 3:30 - 5 pm K-4 Carnival Sponsored by Student Council
• May 18 (Friday) - No school; 6:30 - 8:30 Middle School Dance
• May 21 - 25 - Student Council Sponsored Spirit Week
• May 24 (Thursday) - Middle School STEM career night, 6:30 pm
• May 25 (Friday) - Volunteer Appreciation event
• May 28 (Monday) - No school (Memorial Day)
• May 29 - June 1 - Eighth Grade Celebration Week
• June 1 (Friday) - Field Day at Lakewood Park
• June 3 (Sunday) - Crushers baseball game, 5:05pm in Avon
• August 26 (Sunday) - Back to School picnic at Lakewood Park

If you've got something you'd like to share with the school - a need for volunteers for your school event, an exciting achievement your child has made outside of school, or anything else you think MPA parents should know about - send the information to Gretchen Woods at avonhokie@yahoo.com.  The submission deadline for the weekly newsletter is each Wednesday at noon.

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Menlo Park Academy

14440 Triskett Road

Cleveland, OH  44111

440-925-6365