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PBC News
The PBC will be hosting a free Parent's Night Out for those that turn in 3 items by Feb. 2nd. The night will be on Friday, Feb. 6th from 6-9:30pm. So...get your items in and get signed up for a night out! PBC will put a form to list your items in next week's Thursday packet. Item ideas:
-Baskets
-Restaurant Gift Certificate
-Some type of service (ie massage, yard work, babysitting, auto work, dentistry, etc.)
-Bottles of wine
-Airline tickets Contact Barbara Jackson or Katherine Overton for more info and to volunteer to help with the auction. Remember: 5 of your volunteer hours are dedicated to the success of the auction. |
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SAVE THE DATE!
Seabury STAR Auction
Saturday, March 7, 2009
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Happy New Year!
Watching the news, we are bombarded with reasons to be cautious and concerned about 2009. Challenging economic times and a rapidly changing world are making many of us uneasy as we think about the future. And yet, as I reflect on what lies ahead for Seabury, I see incredible reasons for excitement and hope.
Seabury is a stronger school now than perhaps at any time in its history. In spite of a slight decrease in enrollment this year, our program and our staff is strong and growing stronger. Discussions with parents of alums, with parents of current students, and with prospective parents all make clear the tremendous need for a school like Seabury in our community - a  school where gifted children are nurtured, appreciated, and allowed to grow in their own way and their own time. And as I talk with community members and parents about Seabury Middle School, there is clear support for an innovative school that allows gifted middle school students to become contributing, confident leaders and community members.
Seabury School is blessed to be served by a Board of Trustees who is working diligently to craft a plan for the future of our school, so that we can continue to serve our children, and their children and grandchildren. They are firmly committed to continue to build on the solid foundation we have in the lower school, and to support the development of a middle school program that will be a beacon of hope in our community. The pieces are falling into place for the launch of the middle school campus next year, and the anticipation of opening the doors to our new satellite campus is growing daily.
As a community, we can be hopeful and grateful for the promise of Seabury now and into the future. And we can all contribute to moving Seabury toward the promise of the future by getting the word out about our school to our friends, family, colleagues and neighbors. Invite families you know to take a look at what we are doing. Ask them to consider whether a Seabury education might be just the thing their children need to discover what they are truly capable of becoming.
Thank you for your commitment to Seabury, your support for the Annual Fund, your commitment to our upcoming Auction, and especially for entrusting us with your children. 2009 promises to be an amazing year for Seabury, and I am grateful for the opportunity to join with all of you in working to make our dreams for our school become reality.
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| Middle School News by Toby Welch |
Happy New Year to all!
January is always a busy time for independent schools and Seabury is no exception! It seems like ages ago that I drove our newly purchased bus from Portland to Tacoma and yet, it is "brand new" to our students and community! In an effort to provide parents with information regarding the development of the Middle School program, we have scheduled two parent meetings that I want to make you aware of:
-Thursday, January 22, 6:30 - 7:30, Adolescents and Gifted Children
7:30 - 8:30 Seabury Middle School Preview
-Wednesday, February 11, 7:00 -
Beyond Seabury Update for current and prospective parents and a chance to talk with Seabury alumni parents
At the January 22nd , we will be holding a very important meeting to discuss the details of the new Middle School program. This is a must attend meeting for parents of fifth and sixth grade students! At that meeting, we will be previewing the Middle School program and describing in detail the curriculum, the program, the value of a small middle school, what a typical day looks like, the partnerships that have been established, the role of technology as well as numerous other topics.
I would like to hear from you about the questions that you have regarding the Middle School curriculum and/or program. It would be most helpful to have your questions and comments prior to the meeting as to ensure that we cover the topics that are most important to you! Please email your comments, questions, and insights to: twelchseaburymiddleschool@gmail.com The input you provide will be important in generating a meaningful agenda for the evening.
We are asking that parents assist the school in a critical effort - the recruitment of new families to the Seabury Middle School. Your efforts here are crucial to attracting new students to the school and generating the necessary enrollment to create a healthy program. Please make an effort to invite parents to the two informational meetings that we have scheduled! Your support of the Seabury School is much appreciated!
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TOBY TIME
with the Explorers and
6th Graders
On a windy, cold December Thursday, the fifth and sixth grade students ventured down to the athletic fields for "Toby Time." On that blustery day, the students were faced with the challenge of transporting themselves over athe designated area, using only the props you see in the pictures. They were not allowed to touch the ground at any point during their journey - doing so would have the disastrous result of having to start all over again.
As you can see from these pictures, the students are highly engaged in achieving the goal, they are having to communicate with each other to execute the task, and they have to be creative problem solvers who eventually agree on a potential solution and give it a try. The students worked together diligently and successfully achieved the goal and made it to the "other side!"
Another great day at Seabury! |
Our New Music Teacher
Jakob Breitbach
 Jakob has had a very interesting life and is a pretty cool guy. Jakob was born at home in Iowa, and then he started violin lessons at the age of 3 with a violin teacher named Ann Duchow. He has 1 sister and 3 brothers and he is the oldest of them all. His family made a band called "The One Hat Band." He played a fiddle tune with Bill Monroe at the age of 8. Jakob also played with Yo Yo Ma in an orchestra. Jakob was homeschooled up until half of high school. After that, in college, he went to the Cornish College of the Arts on Capitol Hill in Seattle.
Jakob recently spent time in Austin, Texas, playing with one of his 5-7 bands called "Asylum Street Spankers." The "Asylum Street Spankers" traveled all around the country. He knows how to play the violin, clarinet, drums, piano, saxophone, fiddle, and he can sing and dance.
Jakob's favorite animals are the penguin and the elephant. One of his favorite foods is a pizza-thin crust. He traveled to Mexico to study violin, and speaks Spanish. He loves cooking, dancing, singing, and hats. His favorite kind of music is Gypsy Jazz (it's French.)
He will be teaching Violin, beginner Piano (all ages), and beginner Saxophone and Clarinet for 5th and 6th grade. Jakob will also be facilitating a percussion and drum ensemble.
Welcome, Jakob, to Seabury School. We hope you have fun.
And a short message from Jakob: "I won't bite....... Hard."
A Jackie, Tristan, and Emmet Production |
 At last year's auction, thanks to a frenzy of pledges and a matching funds challenge from Seabury's board, we raised $17,250 for a Seabury bus. Just before winter break that bus finally arrived on Seabury's campus. If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, stop by school. It is sitting in our parking lot. Thank you to Toby Welch, Middle School Coordinator, for locating the bus and driving it up from Portland.
Like so many other things at Seabury, this bus would not have been possible without the financial support of Seabury's parents and friends. Thank you for all that you do.
Katherine
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Parent Book Discussion
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Currently number one on the NY Times bestseller list for non-fiction books (New York Times bestseller list). Outliers examines what it takes to succeed...talent plus luck and opportunity. Join Head of School, Sandi Wollum, to discuss Outliers and its implications for how we best prepare gifted children for success. This discussion is open to the public so feel free to invite your friends! | |
