eNews from Foote Oct. 20, 2011

For a gallery of Grandparents Day photos, please click here.

Hundreds of grandparents visited Foote on Fri., Oct. 14, to get a close-up view of their grandchildren's education. They joined in classroom challenges and chats with their grandchildren, took minicourses that ranged from art to yoga, met faculty and staff, and participated in an All-School Assembly. To all the grandparents who attended, and to those who were here with us in spirit, thank you!

A note on the minicourses:

Those who would like to download Scratch, which is free, may do so here.
Classes in Chair Yoga or Yoga Dance (yoga with music) or Yoga Dance for Special Populations (including Parkinson's Disease and early Alzheimer's) are available locally in Hamden and Milford. Offered by Andrea Cashman, a yoga colleague of Foote's Laurie Bartels, the classes are listed in detail here.

The Halloween Parade & Fair is Next Friday!

The Halloween Parade & Fair is Fri., Oct. 28. This schoolwide event takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. with fun, games, and, of course, candy. All School Dismissal will take place at 12:30 p.m. Students will head home to dress in their costumes, then return to school for 2 p.m.
Eighth grade students do not go home at 12:30 p.m. dismissal on the day of the Halloween Fair. As the organizers of the fair, they stay at school between 12:30 and 2 p.m. to set up and decorate. They will need to bring a lunch on that day. After the fair they will clean up and, after all of their hard work is done, be treated to pizza in the theater. Pickup is at 5 p.m.
Tickets for the fair, at 25 cents each, will be sold by Eighth Grade students every morning next week in various spots on campus. Tickets will also be sold at the fair.

A Reminder on the 6th Grade Bear Mountain Hike

The sixth grade will climb Bear Mountain, Connecticut's highest peak, Fri., Oct. 21. A note was sent home regarding the hike. It is also included here.

Lower School Parents Brown Bag Lunch

Lower School Parents Brown Bag Lunch
Nov. 1, 2011
11:45 - 12:45 in the Sturley Room

Parenting today offers its own set of challenges, yet we are often so busy we don't have time to discuss those challenges with fellow parents. Here's an opportunity: join Head of School Carol Maoz and Lower School Head Patty Chamberlain for a brown-bag lunch for K-5 parents, "Parenting in Today's Society: What's on Your Mind?" from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tues., Nov. 1, in the Sturley Room. The event is co-sponsored by the PTC. No RSVP is required. Just come with your lunch; dessert will be provided!

An Opportunity to Meet with the Head of Middle School

Middle School Head John Turner will conduct an Open Door Morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Tues., Oct. 25. Parents interested in meeting with John may contact Registrar Becky McGuire.

Individual appointments are 20 minutes in length and offer the opportunity for parents to get to know John better and to discuss the Foote Middle School program and their child.

PTC News

The PTC's next meeting is Wed., Nov. 2. Cindy Lefell, a member of the Foote Board of Directors, will speak on the nominating and voting process for the Board.

The Foote School Association Inc., which includes all parents and guardians of children enrolled at Foote, will gather prior to the PTC meeting to elect three members to the Association Nominating Committee.

All are encouraged to attend at 3:15 p.m. in the Sturley Room.

Parent Conferences are Approaching

Parent-teacher conferences are approaching. Watch this space for more information about signups for the conferences.

Book Fair 2011: Mark Your Calendars

Book Fair 2011 is almost here! Please note the corrected date for the R.J. Julia event.

Nov. 5: Store event at R.J. Julia: great for holiday shopping! Buy anything at the bookstore (books, wrapping paper, gifts, games, cards) and Foote will receive 20 percent of the total price of your purchases.

Nov. 7 - 9: Book Fair at Foote in the Twichell Room.

Volunteers are needed! Online registration will be posted soon.

The Author Event at 5:30 p.m. Wed., Nov. 9, will feature Deborah Freedman, a former Foote parent and author of the new and highly praised children's book, "Blue Chicken."

Foote's Impact on the Community:
The Cook and Care Walkathon Was a Success!

Foote School raised about $500 in the Cook and Care Walkathon held Sun., Oct. 16. Foote's two Community Service heads, Leila Sachner and Eliza Dunham, provided great leadership!

Field Hockey Parents: News on the Bement Field Jamboree

The Foote Field Hockey Team will be playing in a field hockey jamboree at Bement School in Deerfield, Mass., Sat., Oct. 22. Parents should be sure to read this note providing important details about the event.

This Season's Theater Production: "A Christmas Carol"

The seventh/eighth grade production is Charles Dickens's immortal "A Christmas Carol," to be presented Dec. 8 - 11.

The rehearsal schedule for "A Christmas Carol" will be updated and posted weekly on the Week at a Glance page in the drop-down menu under News and Calendars on the website and on the Parents page on the site. The schedule also will be included in this space in the eNews each week.

A letter providing numerous details regarding the production should arrive at students' homes this week.

Information and Deadlines for the 9th Grade

Deadlines for the China trip:
By Thurs., Nov. 10:

Students must declare their intent to participate. Please click here for the form.
Apply for financial aid through Kelly Small (call or stop in).

By Fri., Dec. 2:

Submit current passport to Deb Riding. Passports must be valid through Sept. 20, 2012.

New Violin Teachers Offering Private Lessons in ASP

The Private Lesson Program in Foote's After School Program announces two new violin teachers, Danielle Salerno and Katherine Scahill, who are now taking new students.

Danny has been a director of the Foote Orchestra. Katherine, who is the daughter of Sally Larrick/Foote Art, is a longtime student of Wendy Sharp at Yale, and has taught children's violin at Neighborhood Music School.

Please contact Dawn Walsh to sign up for private lessons with either of these new teachers.

Join In a Multicultural Exercise That Benefits Us All

All parents, faculty, administrators, and Board members are invited to the soon-to-be-renamed Multicultural Affairs Committee's first meeting of the school year at 7 p.m. Wed., Nov. 16, in the Perrine Library.

Learn about plans for the year and participate in a presentation by Foote parent Kirk Hooks, Yale University organizational development consultant. Kirk has used cultural sharing and active listening with small and large groups to:

Develop greater communication and observation skills
Increase appreciation of cultural differences and similarities between family rules and practices
Strengthen relationships among members of diverse communities

All are welcome!

Dates to Save and Reminders

Fri., Oct. 28 - Halloween Parade and Fair (All School Dismissal 12:30 p.m. No After School Program)
Sun., Nov. 6 - Foote School Open House from 1-3 p.m. Tell family and friends!