MPA Weekly Update - 7/17/2013

In This Issue Dates to Remember Student Registration Documents Grades 5-8 Electives Registration Basketball Camps Upper School Binder Requirement New Teachers Mobile Library Hot Lunch Expands Summer PD Curriculum Update Technology Update Special Education Partnerships FYI: Dates to Remember July 7/22 - In School Student Registration 9:00-3:00 7/23 - In School Student Registration 11:30-6:30 7/24 - In School Registration 7:00-2:30 7/24 - Online Registration forms due 7/29-7/31 - Girl's BBall Camp     August 8/13-8/16- Boy's BBall Camp 8/24 - Back to School Picnic, Lakewood Park (5:00-8:00) 8/26- Class Visitation and Supply Drop Off (9:00-11:00 and 4:00-6:00) 8/26 - Manditory Meeting for Edison Club Enrollees (6:15-6:45) 8/28: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, Grades 1-8 8/29: Kindergarten Attend Only AM 8/30: Kindergarten Attend Only AM September 9/2 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day 9/3 - Kindergarten Begins Full Day 9/3 - Camp Fitch Parent Meeting 9/12 - Curriculum Night Weekly Update - 7/17/13 Quick Links Menlo Park Academy Website MPA on Facebook Report your volunteer hours School calendar  Classroom Websites (click on Classroom Websites tab) Menlo Park Student Registration Making Life Easier   In an effort to streamline the registration process for our returning students, families have two options (see below).  You can find all the necessary forms on the Menlo Park Academy Website:    http://menloparkacademy.com/parents    For students who pre-enrolled for the 2013-14 school year, below you will find links to download the materials necessary to complete the enrollment process at Menlo Park Academy (MPA). This year we are providing two options for submitting your forms. Option 1: SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY. Download the PDF documents complete them, and then email the documents toregistration@menloparkacademy.com. Please carefully review all the attached materials and return the appropriate documents in ONE email for each child enrolled. The subject of the email should contain "Student last name, Student first name - Grade (grade they will be entering in August)". Email must be received by July 24th at Midnight. Option 2: SUBMIT IN PERSON. If you prefer to submit your forms in person, you may download, complete, print, and return the appropriate forms to MPA during the following days and times: Monday, July 22nd from 9:00am - 3:00pm Tuesday, July 23rd from 11:30am - 6:30pm Wednesday, July 24th from 7:00am - 2:30pm Upper School Electives Grades 5-8 Register for Your Whole Year Electives Deadline August 1 Students in grades 5-8 will register for the entire year's elective options this summer. These electives will be built into the weekly schedule. All students will take physical education but other courses, such as music, art, and tech options must be selected in this registration process. This will ensure that students are taking courses that they are passionate about. There are a variety of new/exciting classes to participate in. Some classes will run full year while others have a duration of one trimester. Parents & students can link to the registration form here: Electives Registration Form Students should select their top ten choices. Be sure to insert the student's first and last name at the top of the registration form. Please try to complete your registration form by August 1.    Brown's Games Fundraising Support MPA Educational Initiatives VOLUNTEER Volunteering at the MPA concession stand at Brown's games is a fun way to meet fellow parents, raise funds to support our school, and fulfill the parental volunteer hour requirement! If you are interested in learning more about volunteering at the Browns games this fall, please reach out to Development Coordinator, Melissa Adell (melissa.adell@menloparkacademy.com).  All Browns volunteers need to receive training. please sign up for a training session here: https://menloparkacademycleveland.bringit.bz/sheets/8887   Basketball Camp for Boys & Girls    Thanks to Coach Willie and Coach Theiss, MPA students will have the opportunity to participate in summer Basketball camps.  Girls in grades 4-6 and boys in grades  4-8 are eligible to participate.  The flyers attached will give you more details on this great opportunity. Girls Camp Flyer Boys Camp Flyer Participation Form Physical Evaluation Upper School Gets Organized Binder Plan Part of School Supplies Grades 5-8 In order to better assist our upper school students in the organizational process this year, we will be implementing a comprehensive binder. All students will be required to carry only the binder and text book for the specific class they will be attending. The binder will contain one 5 subject notebook that students will use for all of their core classes. The binder will also contain loose leaf paper and folders for each class and 2 folders dedicated for homework (outgoing and incoming/completed). It is our hope that by utilizing this binder system, with the assistance of teachers, students will be able to successfully manage their work in a more organized manner. The supply list is: *Mead 5 subject notebook $4.99 *Oxford 2 pocket folders with prongs .59 *5 star 5 subject notebook $5.69 *Avery 3 ring binder 2inch $3.79 or 3 in 3 ring binder $9.67 *Filler paper 175 sheets college ruled .99    *Optional insertable pencil/supply pouch    ALL items can be found at Target @ these prices.    *Grade Level Supply Lists Available on the MPA Webpage/Parent Resources Beginning July 22.* Welcome New Teachers Rachel Haning - Ms. Haning will be teaching 4th grade Social Studies and Language Arts next year.  She comes to us with four years teaching experience and gifted licensure from Kent State. Lindsey Macey - Ms. Macey plays piano, guitar, ukalalee, clarinet, and has extensive choral experience.  Her love of technology is a great compliment to her musical capacity. She comes to us with three years teaching experience.  Both Ms. Haning and Ms. Macey will be moving to the Cleveland area this summer. Fabulous Changes: Barb Ford - Ms. Ford will be moving to third grade.  She and Ms. Tigue are excited to partner this year.  They will definitely be a great team! Anna Brier - Ms. Brier spent half the year as a teaching assistant at MPA.  She will be taking on the 4th grade Mathematics and Science position.  She has four years experience with that grade level as well as a love of math & Science.     Mr. O'Donnell - Mr. O'Donnell will be our full time technology instructor for the coming school year. He will be bringing his passion for computers to our students, both in the technology lab but also in the classrooms as we more actively integrate our ipads and laptops. Lower School Mobile Library School Wide Leveled Book Room Share Your Love of Books   In an effort to maximize student access to books, Menlo will initiate a new library approach for grades K-4.  Staff and parent volunteers will work with classroom teachers to bring the library to the classroom in the 2013-2014 school year.  Volunteers are needed for this new initiative to coordinate book selections for classes, stock the mobile library, and visit classrooms for read alouds and book sign out.  If you are interested, contact Janie Zell atzelljanie@gmail.com         Menlo Park Academy is excited to roll out our new leveled bookroom in the coming school year.  This library will house class sets of intructional books for all content areas.  Teachers will be able to more easily differentiate and adjust to student learning needs with these resources.  All books will be organized by reading level and available for check out.  Throughout the year, all language arts instructors will be engaged in staff development around formative assessment of student reading/writing skills and how to address individual needs.  Ms. Denise Cukrowicz MPA first grade teacher who has been trained as an instructor in this area will lead this valuable PD. Hot Lunch on Tuesday & Thursday Thursday Volunteer Team Needed  The MPA Booster will be expanding their coordination of hot lunch for the 2013-2014 school year.  Food options will grow as well, with corn dogs and sloppy joes being added. In order to make this popular program happen, a core group of volunteers is needed for the Thursday shift.  The hours would be 10:30-12:30.   If you would be interested in helping with hot lunch distribution, please email Jessica Tonsing at: boosters@menloparkacademy.com                                         Summer Professional Development MPA Staff Build Skills for the New Year    WVIZ iPad Great Race: Mr. O'Donnell, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Brier, and Ms. BW participated in a technology adventure/competition sponsored by public television. This professional development opportunity required our two teams to use GPS devices and iPad mini's to solve clues and gather data. We used insights gleaned from the experience to create interactive technology based lessons that were judged by middle school students. Not only did our staff learn and bond during this PD event, MPA took both first and second place in the competition, winning an iPad mini. We are looking forward to bringing this concept "home" during our staff inservice days in August. MPA teachers will have the opportunity to learn how to use our new iPads through an abbreviated version of the event. WVIZ iPad for Education Conference: Ms. Rokas, Ms. Nagy, Ms. Ford, Ms. Kneidle and Ms. BW attended iPad introductory training at WVIZ. We walked away with fabulous strategies and ap suggestions that will help with classroom management as well as student growth.   National School Counselor Conference: Jim Kennedy  attended this event to help us build our Positive Behavior Supports (PBS).  He attended sessions on robust advisories, peer mediation, under achievement, and much more. Institute on Academic Diversity:  Ms. Shuder, Ms. Brier, Ms.Ford, Ms. Levien, Ms. Macey, and Ms. BW went to University of Virginia for the Institute on Academic Diversity for a full week of training. This week long session was facilitated by Carol Ann Tomlinson, a leader in the field of education, and focused on differentiation to promote student growth. Ohio Department of Education Teacher Evaluation System: Mr. Kennedy and Mrs. BW attended ODE training on the new Teacher Evaluation System in Columbus. This information will help us to grow our instructional team to foster student growth.  Creating Curriculum and Content  MPA Staff Move From Scope & Sequence to Course of Study  During the 2012-2013 school year the Menlo Park Academy instructional staff was hard at work creating the foundations of a robust curriculum.  Curriculum maps and scope & sequence were completed to ensure that gaps/overlaps were identified.  In 2013-2014 we will be delving deeper to define our courses of study in great detail.  The MPA Board has approved the following support positions in this valuable work by our talented staff  : *Lower School Science/Curriculum Lead - Janeth Eby *Upper School Curriculum Writing Lead, Service Learning Coordinator, 8th Grade Capstone Project Facilitator - Ryan Kiddey *Writing Workshop Facilitator - Denise Cukrowicz *Electives Coordinating Team - Barb Ford, Katie Theiss, Janeth Eby, Cassaundra Luca, Tammi Belko *Schedule Coordinating Team - Leslie Weber, Ryan Kiddey                 You will be receiving updates on this important work throughout the year.  Parent volunteers would be valued in this process.  If you  have skill set to share, please contact Mrs. BW at: paige.bw@menloparkacademy.com Technology Update Progressive Donation and Lennon Grant Grow Our Tech Initiatives Menlo Park Academy had two fabulous tecnhology improvements at the end of the school year. 1.  Lennon Matching Grant:  The Lennon Charitable Trust provided MPA with a $10,000 matching grant to purchase two ipad carts for lower school.  Fundraising initiatives allowed us to raise the matching funds.  Thank you to all our families for supporting those efforts.  You will be hearing a lot in the coming year about how these devices are being used to enhance and individualize instruction. 2.  Progressive Insurance Donation:  Thank you in large part to the Camera Family's overature to Progressive, Menlo was the recepient of a donation that included over 100 computers both desk top and lap top.  These devices will be spread throughout the building to support instruction. Special Education Starting the Year Off Right Parent/Teacher Meetings   If you have a child receiving special services there is a great year ahead!  Our special education team will all be returning for the 2013-2014 school year to provide the continuity students need.  In addition, Ms. Veturini, who worked with us in the past will be on campus 1.5 days to assist Ms. Levien with delivery of services.   Ms. Wilson will be contacting parents over the next few weeks to set up start of school year meetings with teaching teams.  We hope you will be able to attend these conferences so that teachers who are welcoming your child into their classrooms can learn from your insights.  Our goal this year will be to provide seamless support with your assistance. Information can be submitted via email to: communications@menloparkacademy.com for review and inclusion in the weekly update. Submissions are subject to Director approval.