E-News from Foote Nov. 10

Ryan Haug, a Foote parent and husband of school counselor Veena Raghuvir, spoke to students in Kim Yap's and Lisa Totman's classes Thurs., Nov. 10. "I'm here to talk about Veterans Day and what it means to serve," he said, before asking the students a question: "Does anybody know what tomorrow is?" All hands shot up. "Veterans Day!" the students cried in unison.

Ryan, who served in the Army for 10 years as a Special Forces medic, traveling to locations torn by war and weather such as Kosovo and Haiti, now serves as a physician's assistant in the Air National Guard.

ALL-SCHOOL NEWS & INFORMATION

Making Our Community Even Stronger

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!

Touch a Life this Thanksgiving

The community service group and the 6X homeroom class are coordinating a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive for St. Ann's Soup Kitchen on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden. The Soup Kitchen plans to hand out 200 bags with all
the fixings for a Thanksgiving Day meal on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

The sixth grade students serve lunch at St. Ann's each Monday, and the director of the soup kitchen asked us to help gather food for our neighbors in need.

Each grade level is collecting a specific item:

K: cranberry sauce (canned)
MAG: green beans (canned)
3rd: gravy (canned)
4th: instant stuffing (boxed)
5th: mashed potatoes (boxed)
6th: yams (canned)

7th: instant stuffing (boxed)
8th: mashed potatoes (boxed)
9th: cranberry sauce (canned)

If each of us brings in two boxes or cans of our assigned item, we will help St. Ann's fill all 200 bags! Our sixth graders will collect the food on Fri., Nov. 18.

Faculty and staff are helping raise money to purchase 50 turkeys for the Soup Kitchen. St. Ann's already has a donation of 100 turkeys, and the Foote contribution would bring them closer to filling the 200 bags. If you would like to help us with this effort, drop off your donation at the Front Desk before or by Nov. 18.

Thank you so much for your help on this project. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns.

PTC NEWS

Enthusiastically Bookish

Foote's Book Fair was a success! The totals are still being tallied, but the off-campus component at R.J. Julia Booksellers attracted many Foote families, and the on-campus book fair was extremely well-attended.

Wednesday evening's Pizza and Ice Cream Social and presentation by author and illustrator Deborah Freedman, author of "Scribble" and "Blue Chicken," were a delightful finish to the event.

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS & INFORMATION

"A Christmas Carol"

Parents and cast and crew members, please note: an email was sent this week, and a letter with the same information will be arriving in homes soon, providing numerous important details regarding "A Christmas Carol." If you did not receive either communication, please email Jane Gordon, director of communications, or call 203-777-3464 ext. 246.

Find rehearsal information for Foote's production of "A Christmas Carol" for the week of Nov. 14-Nov. 19 here.

Secondary School Recommendation Forms Due

For parents of students applying to secondary school, a Nov. 23 deadline is approaching for:

1. Teacher recommendations

2. Record release forms

3. School recommendation forms

Students should personally deliver teacher recommendation forms to each teacher. School recommendations are to be delivered to Erika Villa in the registrar's office, located next to the Head of School's office.

We continue to request that paper forms be used. We acknowledge that many schools are using online forms, but until further notice, please continue to use paper. Thank you.

LOWER SCHOOL NEWS & INFORMATION

Meet with the Lower School Head

Lower School Head Patty Chamberlain will conduct an Open Door Meeting on Wed., Nov. 16, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Parents interested in meeting with Patty may contact Erika Villa in the Registrar's Office.

Individual appointments are 20 minutes in length, enabling parents to get to know Patty better and discuss the Foote Lower School program and their child.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE

The Marvels of Lower School Math

Math Specialist Heather Zetterberg works with the Lower School classes to master math skills, toting a supply closet's worth of tools and ideas from classroom to classroom to support the effort. Following are a few photos of Foote students learning new concepts.

We will continue to highlight the efforts of various members of the Foote community - along with interesting speakers and visitors - in this space.

At Third Grade Math Night

And In Kindergarten Class

Important Dates to Note

Nov. 11         NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Day for Faculty
                     (no Vacation Program)
Nov. 16         Multicultural Affairs Committee - 7 p.m. Perrine Library.
Nov. 15-17   Vision and hearing screening