Weekly Update: 11/7/2013

Highlights Re-Enrollment MPA Safety H.S. Information Night Academic Information Cereal Drive Winter Concert Open House Dress Down Days Upcoming Dates                      Tuesday's hot lunch is Taco Plate, Thursday's is Pasta. November 11/14 - Thursday - MPA parent book club, 4:30 11/18 - Monday - Scholastic Book Fair begins 11/20 - Wednesday - Boosters meeting   Save the dates.... MPA night with the Lake Erie Monsters is Saturday, Feb 22nd MPA K-4 Math/Pi Night, 6:30pm - 3/14/2014 - Friday    Re-enrollment for 2014-15                       Monday, November 11, 2013 is the official start date for re-enrolling your current student, or for enrolling siblings.  In an effort to streamline the re-enrolling process this year, families will be able to complete the process online. Please watch for emails from the admissions office in the coming days.  We look forward to seeing everyone back next academic year (as well as the new faces of any siblings)! Important Safety and Security Updates                      Please Review Menlo Park Academy takes the security of our students and campus very seriously. In an ongoing effort to make sure we are always proactively managing safety and security measures, please review the following:   Building Security Over the summer a MPA installed a new security system in the building.  The new system monitors all the doors in the building, and they are alarmed.  As such, please do not open doors (other than the main doors) for adults and inadvertently trigger the security measures. Edison Club If you are NOT the adult picking your child up from after care on given day, please contact Katie Gerba by 3 p.m. to inform her of the change, and to provide her with the name of the person picking up in your place.  Please remember that in order for your child to be released to an adult other than a parent, that person must be on the authorized pick up list you provided MPA.   Also, after 4 p.m. please go to Edison Club door to gain entry into building. Attendance Policies If your child is going to very tardy or absent, please call Mrs. Wilson at the main line by 8 a.m.       Leaving with Friends If your student is leaving school with another MPA family, both families need to have notified the front office by either calling Mrs. Wilson at the main line, or by submitting a pink slip to their students' homeroom/advisory teachers. Bus Riders Dismissal Bus Line: If your child is not going to be riding the bus home after school on a given day, please notify the office by 8 a.m. by calling Mrs. Wilson, or by providing a pink slip your student can give to their homeroom/advisory teacher.  This will provide the dismissal bus teacher with an accurate roster of riders.   Parking Lot Safety Please remember to be cautious and follow the safety cones during the very busy pick-up and drop-off times. Also, please do not allow your child to cross the parking lot during dismissal time to re-enter the building to retrieve forgotten items. It's best if they take a few moments at the end of the day and gather everything they need to take home for the evening.   Thank you for being wonderful partners in safety. High School Information Night                     It's never too soon or too late to find the right fit! MPA is hosting its second annual High School Information Night next week on November 14th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the cafetorium.    All students from 5th through 8th grades are encouraged to attend the event and get to know some of the outstanding high schools in our area. MPA knows this is a big decision, and we hope to help students and families feel prepared throughout the process.   Some of the high schools attending are:   - St. Edward           - Magnificat - St. Ignatius           - University School - Laurel School        - Albert Einstein Academy    Please feel free to invite family members and friends who might also be exploring what high school options exist in the Greater Cleveland area. If you have additional questions or thoughts, please contact Mr. Kennedy. Keeping on Top of Academics                     School Day Assistance Several upper school teachers provide class assistance and review work during recces in the cafetorium. Upper school students who desire to participate need to let advisory teachers know in order to be included in the daily scheduling.    Gradebook Parents can set important alerts on Gradebook that will enable email notifications about grade ranges and missing assignments. It is quick, easy to select, and can make a big difference.   This feature can be accessed through the side bar navigation on Gradebook under Alerts. NEW: Upper and Lower School Newsletters To keep you better informed about classroom activities, learning goals, and field trip outings, we have created a newsletter update straight from our teachers.  This will be a standing feature in the Thursday newsletter moving forward. Take a look at the amazing educational work happening at MPA! Upper School News Lower School News Cereal Drive for Cleveland Foodbank Cereal and cash donations accepted November 5-15   As you are aware, the CEREAL drive has begun! MPA  has partnered with the Cleveland Foodbank and the Cleveland Browns to emphasize the most important meal of the day, breakfast!    Students are asked to contribute new, unopened boxes of cereal (or monetary contributions) to MPA until Friday, November 15th. If MPA collects the most cereal & monetary donations, we will win a personalized tour of First Energy Stadium for 100 students on Tuesday, November 26th.    Students may turn in their donations to their homeroom where they will be recorded with the following point values:  1 box of cereal = 1pt, each $1 = 4pts. If MPA wins the competition, the top 100 donors will get to attend the stadium tour!  *Please refrain from trimming the Box Tops from the cereal as we cannot donate packages that have been altered* Yearbook Cover Contest  Calling all artistic talent The 2nd Annual Yearbook Cover Contest will be held on November, 22, 2013. This year in honor of Menlo Park Academy's 5th birthday, the artistic theme of the contest is all things5!   Students wishing to be a part of the judging need to have their submissions turned into Mrs. Chernisky by the end of the school day on November 21st.  The artwork cannot be done in pencil, and needs to fit on 8 1/2 by 11 paper.    The winner will be announced on November 23rd. Good luck artists!  Scholastic Book Fair - November 18-21   The MPA Book Fair is coming!  The annual Scholastic Book Fair will take place on Monday, November 18th- Thursday, November 21st in Saint Mel's Hall (located directly next door to MPA)! Each class will have a day to browse the selections and compile a wish list for their parents to review. Students then will have the opportunity to shop for whatever items they decided upon.  Teachers will also be compiling a classroom wish list for parent review...a perfect opportunity for you to get your holiday gift shopping done!  The Book Fair will be open Monday -Thursday from 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM. Extended hours will be offered on Wednesday, November 20th until 6:00 PM with the MPA Boosters hosting a bake sale and selling spirit wear at this time.    If you would like to assist with the Book Fair, please visit the sign up link below. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/4090B44AFA92BA02-scholastic/4693601   Additionally, if you would like to donate an item to the Bake Sale on Wednesday, 11/20, please feel free to drop off your donation that morning. Thank you in advance for making sure items are clearly labeled for allergy concerns. Winter Concert                      Donations and Volunteers Needed  The Winter Concert is fast approaching, and the MPA community is looking forward to aHolly Jolly Holiday!  This year the winter concert will be held on December 6th at Magnificat high school. In keeping with tradition, in addition to the festive performances, the MPA will be hosting a raffle and silent auction as a fundraiser for the school.  Each class throughout the school is now collecting donations to contribute to their themed basket for the raffle portion of the evening.  Parents are encouraged to review the class listings and contribute where they can. All thoughtful contributions will be accepted and appreciated! If you have questions about becoming more actively involved with supporting the concert and fundraising, please contact Divina Elan.   Young Astronauts Day Results            Young Astronauts Day was an out-of-this-world experience - it even included a presentation from an astronaut who orbited the Earth over 600 times!  Our teams competed in several events.   The commander team won 3rd place in their materials competition.  A pilot group won 2nd place for the balloon rocket car competition.  Congratulations to all of our competitors, and thanks again to the STEM volunteers for organizing MPA's participation in this event! Thank You for Your Clothing Donations   Mrs. Macey's 5th and 6th grade advisory would like to thank all the students who donated to the clothing drive. The clothing was delivered to the Laura's Home shelter on Thursday morning.  They were thrilled to receive such a wonderful bounty!  Box Tops Battle Rages On!   GIRLS -   4,553 BOYS - 3,144   Remember, the student who brings in the most Box Tops between the first day of school and January 10, 2014 will win 2 free tickets and 1 Zamboni ride at the Monsters gameon February 22, 2014! Don't be shy about enlisting the aid of relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers to clip and save Box Tops for your child. Expired Box Tops do not count towards your child's total. More details will follow from the Boosters about this Monsters game.   Please send clipped Box Tops in a Ziploc bag or sealed envelope with your child's name, their teacher's name and grade. It would also help if you wrote "Boy" or "Girl" as some children have gender-neutral names. There is a collection bin on each floor at school. Please help us out by trimming the Box Tops as best as you can. Your thoughtful participation is greatly appreciated! Volunteer Badges Still M.I.A.                                                             We are still missing a ton of volunteer badges - you know, the ones we use to help keep the school safe and secure - and we'd really like them back.  Actually, we want them back so badly that Mrs. Wilson is now offering a dress-down pass to each student who finds and returns a missing badge!  So check those coat pockets and laundry baskets again, folks, and earn some jeans-time for your student!  Dress Down Fridays!                                                          The MPA Student Council is back in action and listening to their constituents! After engaging with the student body, the Student Council is pleased to announce they have secured every Friday (beginning tomorrow!) as a S.C. sponsored dress down day.   This year the Student Council is led by: Kaela Ryan: President Aria Schottelkotte : Vice President Asia George-Huff: Treasurer Rhiannon Bryk: Secretary Coming weeks will highlight the ongoing accomplishments, undertakings, and goals of this outstanding student leadership group.   Have Something for the Newsletter? Information can be submitted via email to: communications@menloparkacademy.com for review and inclusion in the weekly update. Submissions are subject to Director approval.

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Facility Update

Are We Moving?
Over the past two years, Menlo Park Academy (MPA) provided periodic updates related to our facilities planning.  This past year, planning, and decision making amplified as we prepare to answer the question in simplest terms, where is MPA’s home?  In the last Board Beacon newsletter, we announced our school hired a “tenant representative.”  Tenant representatives help organizations, like MPA, avoid pitfalls, uncover opportunities, save time and money, and leverage expertise in commercial real estate with an objective of fulfilling MPA’s defined real estate needs.  With the accelerated progress since partnering with our tenant representative, there are several updates to share with our community.

Review the updates below.  Process this information knowing that (1) we have not ruled out modifications to our current location, and (2) MPA as an Ohio Community School must locate within the city of Cleveland (or other approved district such as Lorain or Akron – seelink for more details).

Needs Defined.  
The major considerations for our school are cliché but “location, location, location.” To remain a tuition-free community school, our future is Cleveland.  Within Cleveland, as we continue to draw students from 45+ communities, we prioritize interstate accessibility. 

Specific to a building, MPA worked with our tenant representative to define a “program” outlining the space needed in our ideal scenario.  The cumulative space requirements, with future full enrollment at approximately 415 students, is projected at 47,000 square feet (this includes circulation space/hallways).  Our current main building is about 26,000 square feet.   Some of the details included in the program are:

a.      19 Regular classrooms
b.      5 Office spaces
c.      Cafeteria
d.      Gymnasium/multi-purpose room
e.      Science labs
f.       Technology labs
g.      Art studio & music room
h.      Reception area
i.       Restrooms
j.       Conference rooms
k.      Work areas

Current Landlord.  
Board members met with our current landlord at St. Mel Parish as well as representatives from the Diocese of Cleveland.  This fall, St. Mel Parish agreed to potential options to develop and/or add space to their building/our current location.  This is being considered along with our other options.

Space Visits.  
The team visited several potential sites each which met the majority of our program needs.  Warehouse spaces (space “shell” to be built out to our specifications), and multiple vacant/available (also requiring significant refurbishment/remodeling) were assessed to date.

Developer Meetings.  
The team has also met with several potential developers.  What is the role of a developer?  In simple terms, a developer will be MPA’s partner in creating the necessary spaces to execute our program.  An organization like this can also serve as our landlord if the site we select is available for sale.  The property could be taken over by the developer, fully renovated to our needs and MPA would lease back the space. 

There is a bit of praise to share with our community.  MPA is rare in Ohio Community school circles in that our sponsor did not renew MPA to a traditional two or five year charter renewal but a ten year renewal.  It is this well-earned promise of longevity by our sponsor that empowers us to be welcomed to the table by developers.  It is partnering with a developer to radically transform any potential new location into a true home by August 2014 that makes this process unique to our prior facilities decisions.   

What’s Next?
Next up includes selecting a developer, interviewing potential architecture firms, reviewing potential expansion plans for St. Mel's, further serious exploration of a large former school building on Cleveland’s near-west side, and potential additional site visits.

The answer to the question “are we moving” is still being explored.  Experts, board committee, full Board, and our administrative team continue to move quickly and responsibly forward on this top priority.  We will continue to provide updated information on a monthly basis.

Weekly Update: 10/31/2013

Highlights Parent-Teacher Conferences. Volunteers Needed for Browns Games Open House School day Support Volunteer Training Cereal Drive Author Mark Newman Speaks at MPA Scholastic Book Fair Science Fair & Invention Convention Updates STEM Volunteers needed Dress Down Days Upcoming Dates                      11/1 & 11/4 - NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conferences Tuesday's hot lunch are Corn Dogs and Thursday's is Pizza. November 11/2 - Saturday - NASA Young Astronaut Day 11/3 - BROWNS GAME - Volunteer Today!! 11/7 - Thursday - Open House for prospective families, 6-8pm 11/14 - Thursday - MPA parent book club, 4:30 11/18 - Monday - Scholastic Book Fair begins   Save the dates.... Next Booster meeting is Wed. Nov 20th MPA night with the Lake Erie Monsters is Saturday, Feb 22nd MPA K-4 Math/Pi Night, 6:30pm - 3/14/2014 - Friday    Parent-Teacher Conferences                                                          Don't forget Parent-Teacher Conferences begin on Friday, November 1 and conclude on Monday, November 4, 2013.  We are looking forward to spending time with you discussing the heart and soul of MPA-- your student! After your conferences, please stop by the office to pick up flyers to advertise the open house with your friends and in your community.                Volunteers Needed for Browns Games             Calling all Browns Fans!!! We need you to help staff the MPA concession stand this weekend for the Browns vs. Ravens game!  SIGN UP HERE TODAY!!! visit this link and sign up!   This is the perfect chance for you to meet and mingle with other MPA parents, catch the excitement of the game, log some volunteer hours, and earn your child a much coveted dress down pass! Please note that this weeks game begins at 4:25 p.m. so volunteers won't need to report to the stand until 12:30.  Open House for Prospective Families Thursday, November 7th,   6-8 p.m. Pass the word along to any families you know who might be interested in learning more about the school! Flyers advertising the open house are also available at the MPA office for you to share with your friends and in your community.    Please consider helping that evening as a tour guide! If you are interested in assisting, please email boosters@menloparkacademy.com. We need 6 more people, so please sign-up and get some of your monthly volunteer hours logged!   SCHOOL DAY SUPPORT              VOLUNTEER TRAINING Menlo Park Academy thrives because of the excellent support we receive from our parent community. If you are interested in acting as a volunteer for the school year, or as a field trip chaperone, please join us for one of our volunteer training sessions.   The next two training days are scheduled for Wednesday, November 7 at 7:45 a.m., and Monday November 18 at 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  These 30 minute training sessions will cover MPA policies and procedures and will qualify you for immediate rotation into the volunteer calendar.             Register for the training here:  November 7 at 7:45 a.m.                                               November 18 at 9:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m. Cereal Drive for Cleveland Foodbank Cereal and cash donations accepted November 5-15   Get your CEREAL ready!!!!    MPA is partnering with the Cleveland Foodbank and the Cleveland Browns to emphasize the most important meal of the day, breakfast! Students are asked to contribute new, unopened boxes of cereal (or monetary contributions) to MPA beginning Tuesday, November 5th. The collection will run until Friday, November 15th.    If MPA collects the most cereal and monetary donations, we will win a personalized tour of First Energy Stadium for 100 students on Tuesday, November 26th. Students are to turn in their donations to their homeroom where they will be recorded with the following point values:  1 box of cereal = 1pt, each $1 = 4pts. If MPA wins the competition, the top 100 donors will get to attend the stadium tour!  *Please refrain from trimming the Box Tops from the cereal as we cannot donate packages that have been altered* Author Mark Newman to Speak at MPA  Students to learn about environmental topics on Monday, November 11   Author Mark Newman will be at MPA on November 11 to speak with students about invasive species and the health of the Great Lakes.  His Sooper Yooper books make this topic fun and understandable for all ages. Take a look at the sample books we have available across from the Main Office to decide if you want to purchase a book.   Parents may order personalized/signed copies of the book for $15.00 (cheaper than list price!) for a student to receive the book when the author is on campus. Orders must be submitted by November 5th by sending the attached form to school. Scholastic Book Fair - November 18-21   The MPA Book Fair is coming!  The annual Scholastic Book Fair will take place on Monday, November 18th- Thursday, November 21st in Saint Mel's Hall (located directly next door to MPA)! Each class will have a day to browse the selections and compile a wish list for their parents to review. Students then will have the opportunity to shop for whatever items they decided upon.  Teachers will also be compiling a classroom wish list for parent review...a perfect opportunity for you to get your holiday gift shopping done!  The Book Fair will be open Monday -Thursday from 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM. Extended hours will be offered on Wednesday, November 20th until 6:00 PM with the MPA Boosters hosting a bake sale and selling spirit wear at this time.    If you would like to assist with the Book Fair, please visit the sign up link below. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/4090B44AFA92BA02-scholastic/4693601   Additionally, if you would like to donate an item to the Bake Sale on Wednesday, 11/20, please feel free to drop off your donation that morning. Thank you in advance for making sure items are clearly labeled for allergy concerns. Science Fair & Invention Convention Updates    SCIENCE FAIR UPDATE! Science Fair will be held January 24, 2014. All 5th and 6th graders plus all 8th grade Biology students will be participating. Other grades may participate as well depending on teacher choice.   Last week, 5th and 6th graders brought home a packet that spells out in great detail how the project can be accomplished with a minimum of parent supervision and participation. Mrs. Eby will be reviewing proposed projects and will be sending home forms for parents to sign indicating their approval as well.   Eighth grade Biology students have already begun discussing science fair projects in class. They have been given an orange packet that describes the steps to a successful project. It is hoped that many of these students will participate in more than one external science fair. A list of external science fairs will be posted on Mrs. Eby's website in the very near future.ar   INVENTION CONVENTION UPDATE!  Invention Convention will be held Feb 21, 2014.  7th & 8th graders in Mr. Kiddey's science classes will be participating in Invention Convention.  More information coming soon.   Kindergarten, First Grade, and Fourth Grade will be participating in Invention Convention; Second and Third grades will be participating in the Science Fair.      PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED In preparation for Science Fair, Mrs. Eby and Mr. Kiddey seek volunteer support to help students after school every Tuesday from 3:15-4:30 p.m. leading up to the Science Fair which will take place on January 23, 2014. During this time you would help to guide students as they research and write the background report for their project. This is a working group for the writing portion of the project, not the experiment itself. Contact Academic Enrichment co-chair Erika Coble at ecoble@mail.bw.edu for more information or to sign up as a volunteer.    Please watch upcoming newsletters for continued updates. One Call Now! e Register for the NEW Automated News System    Just in time for winter, the On Call Now system will alert MPA families of important breaking news, school cancellations, and special invitations.  If you would like to update your information, please visit:  MPA Emergency Alert System  You will have the option to opt-in to receive text messages, and also the option to opt-out of all communications, at the end of the message.   Please contact Lynn Wilson if you have any questions about the One Call Now emergency alert system. lynn.wilson@menloparkacademy.com    Regarding inclement weather closings or delays, Fox 8 News is always the first updated and will be posted by 6:30 a.m.    The STEM Enrichment Team Wants You!            The parent volunteer STEM Enrichment Team, which puts on events like K-4 Math Night and Middle School Career Night, is looking for new team members to join our very active team!    The team already has plans underway for this school year and would love to welcome new parent team members! We just organized Young Astronaut Day, and in addition to organizing Math Night and Career Night the STEM Enrichment Team helps support various school day STEM activities. If you're interested in joining, please email Academic Enrichment Chair, Erika Coble at ecoble@mail.bw.edu. Dress Down Days Make A Fashionable Return                                                             Watch for upcoming Newsletters about the return of the Student Council led, and very popular, dress down Fridays. They are coming back soon!     Box Tops Battle Rages On!   GIRLS - 3,870 BOYS - 2, 704   Remember, the student who brings in the most Box Tops from the first day of schooluntil January 10, 2014 will win 2 free tickets and 1 Zamboni ride at the Monsters gameon February 22, 2014! Don't be shy about enlisting the aid of relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers to clip and save Box Tops for your child. Expired Box Tops do not count towards your child's total. More details will follow from the Boosters about this Monsters game.   Please send clipped Box Tops in a Ziploc bag or sealed envelope with your child's name, their teacher's name and grade. It would also help if you wrote "Boy" or "Girl" as some children have gender-neutral names. There is a collection bin on each floor at school. Please help us out by trimming the Box Tops as best as you can. Your thoughtful participation is greatly appreciated! Have Something for the Newsletter? Information can be submitted via email to: communications@menloparkacademy.comfor review and inclusion in the weekly update. Submissions are subject to Director approval.

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