Menlo Park Academy Manuscript: Weekly Update

First trimester Report Cards arrived home today with your student. As you sit down to review your learner's progress, please also read the accompanying letter from Mrs. B.W. which addresses the formatting changes you will find reflected in the report cards.

Great Lakes Theater ~ Class Residency Begins

Classic literature leaps to life next week when professional actors take up residency in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Each day, the Great Lakes Theater performers will explore different literary devices and themes as they work with the classes through scene-work, movement, and context. It promises to be a literary experience worth applauding!

The Great Lakes Theater residency or other meaningful interactive learning opportunities will be available to the other grades throughout the year.

School Events

There is always something wonderful around the corner!

All Things Winter Concert!

The entertainment event of the season, the "Holly Jolly Holiday" winter concert is almost upon us!
The concert will be held on December 6th at Magnificat High School! Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for a preview of the raffle baskets, and the concert will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Attire for Concert

This year MPA is requesting that students loosely coordinate attire for the Winter Concert. Our goal is have a more unified visual appearance for the evening.

For the Boys:
White shirts and ties. If you do not have a white shirt, a solid color shirt please. Please no jeans.

For the Girls:
Please wear solid colored shirts, or solid color dresses. Please no prints.

Lower School Parents

By popular request, we are providing you with the songs that your students will be performing the evening of the concert. Please feel free to sing loudly and enthusiastically at home together leading up to the big night!

Jingle Bells

Grandma's Chicken Soup

Donations for Winter Concert Baskets

The basket donation due date has been extended until December 3rd. Black Friday shopping might be a great time to pick up fun items for very reasonable prices! There is still a very strong need for items for the Upper School baskets. Please review the basket needs and contribute where you can.

If you would like to donate a specialized item or service to the Winter Concert raffle or silent auction, please contact Divina Elan.

Thank you very much to everyone who has already contributed!

Cookie Donations for Winter Concert

If you are interested in donating cookies to be offered during the intermission during Winter Concert,

please sign up here. We are expecting approximately 500 guests, so we will need plenty of cookies!

Props and Costume Needs

This year students will be seen in a variety of scenes as "living props" for the Holly Jolly Holidayextravaganza! As we ramp out for production, MPA is looking for help in collecting some of the prop materials. We need:

Hobby horses/brooms to make hobby horses (6)
Cowboy hats (6)
Bearskin hats/very tall black hats (6)
Tutus (6)
White gloves (6 pair)
A chicken costume
Wrapping paper, bows, empty decorated gift boxes

If you have any of these items, please deliver them to the front office of the school with your name and contact information attached. We will treat all borrowed items with great care and return them in good condition.

Thank you!

Important Announcements
Don't miss out on the latest news from MPA

School Pictures Retake in December

Don't forget, picture retake day will be Tuesday, December 3rd.

Don't like your pictures?

You can have them retaken. Just send your envelope of pictures into school with your child on Tuesday, December 3rd along with a note stating what you'd like to be different in the retake.

Please remember to send your child to school in MPA standard uniform attire. No dress down allowed. Pictures will take place first thing in the morning so don't be late!

You can order directly online by:

1. Going to: mylifetouch.com

2. Enter picture day ID: WP903171Y1

3. Order and print the receipt to give to the photographer on picture day.

Families can also pick up an order envelope from outside the main office.

Volunteer Central - MPA Needs You!

Browns Game Volunteers

The Browns have 2 home games left this season and the MPA team could use more players!
Every year, the Browns concession stand raises between $15,000 and $20,000 for MPA. In order to maximize the revenue, the stand works best with at least 16 or more volunteers. It is a fast-paced day with fun folks, earns volunteer hours and a dress down pass, and serves a great cause - your student!!

If you have one of the next 2 Sundays free, please join us!

Sunday, December 1 / Sunday, December 15

All the details, as well as links to sign up for future games can be found on the MPA web site here . Just contact our team lead, Chris Harrison if you have any questions. Thank you for your continued support of MPA!

Student Council Update

Election Results

Student Council is proud to announce the new class representatives for 2013-14. Congratulations reps!

Kindergarten First Grade

Katschke: Rithvik A. Cukrowicz: Lillian R.

Timko: Shaira B. and Katie M. Thompson: Hannah R.

Second Grade Third Grade

Nagy: Miriam S. Busser: Laith W.

Rokas: Vincent R. Hengst: Hala A.

Fourth Grade Fifth Grade

Haning: Carson B. Leanne W.

Brier: Olivia S.

Sixth to Eighth - Student Council Officers

Kudos Corner

Yearbook Winner Announced

The Year Book Cover Contest was a wonderful outpouring of creativity across all grades in the Upper and Lower Schools. Mrs. Chernisky received 30 original artwork submissions!
Thank you to all our wonderful artists, and congratulations to our winner Melissa K.

Melissa's design will be featured on the front cover of the 2013-14 MPA Yearbook, and the remaining participants' designs will be shown on the back cover.

All the yearbook cover entries will be on display at the Winter Concert. Please stop by to see the excellent artistic expressions from our students, and learn how you can order your yearbook online.

Way to Go!

Kristen E. in Mrs. Cukrowicz's first grade class earned her brown belt in Tae Kwon Do on Saturday, November 23. Kristen has been studying Tae Kwon Do for more than 2 years.

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.