Welcome Back!
To one and all a Happy New Year ! For the next six to seven weeks, until February Vacation (February 23--27), our daily schedule at school changes for most classes and students. The pace of activities seems to pick up considerably these next few weeks. During this time of the year, once a week, down hill and cross country skiing occur off campus. Physical Skills Development Classes turn to primarily nordic skiing with the 5-8th grades skating once every other week at Vermont Academy. Children are now sledding during recess and donning lots of snow gear. The 7th and 8th grade classes jump into theater arts classes once or twice a week in preparation for the spring musical and so on.
If in doubt about your child's schedule check in with his or her classroom teacher, check the website, or call the main office. This is a fun time of the year but it does require some extra coordination and attention to details for all of us. I was very glad to see our students, your children, back in school today. Once again the building is alive ! Thanks for having them at TGS. I hope your holiday vacation was full of joy and good health.
Best,
Steve
REMINDERS FOR THE NEW YEAR:
It's ski season at TGS! Please pack extra clothing including socks, mittens, hats, indoor shoes, and underclothes to keep in cubbies so students will have warm, dry clothes to change into if needed after outside play.
THERE
WILL BE NO RECORDER CLASSES during ski season; classes will resume for
3rd-6th graders after February break. Please see Alli if you'd like
some music to play for fun.
Skating for 5th through 8th grades will begin on January 9th, please make sure your children have skates and warm clothing including hats and mittens ready to go!
A Meal to Remember!
Snow is falling. Happy, excited voices filled with the spirit of the holidays and the freedom of the long-anticipated winter vacation echo in the halls and out into the wintry air. We turn our attention to the chaos of our classrooms and offices and try to regain some sense of order. As we work, we become increasingly distracted by the tantalizing aromas of home-cooked, gourmet dishes. Impossible to ignore these savory summons we find ourselves ascending the stairs that lead up to the gym. But wait - this is not the gym! The stage has been transformed into the elegant dining room of a fancy restaurant. The beautiful blue tablecloth sets off the gleaming white dishes and glistening glassware. At each place there is a sparkling, white snowflake ornament. The buffet table is loaded with incomparable delicacies. Throwing all restraint to the wind we eagerly fill our plates. We are faintly conscious of the rustling sounds of busy little elves in the kitchen. As we sit down at the table among our good friends and colleagues, we give heartfelt thanks to our generous, supportive, wonderful parent body. We will long remember this magical lunch. THANK YOU!
Steve, Marcia, Deb, Chris, Tammy, Ponnie, Mark, Ken, William, Johanna, Alli, Tracy, Jenny, Charlie, Libby, Dick, Marcia, Darcy, Hop, Linda, Kathy, Tara, Ginny, Mary, Eve
P.S. If you are missing any dishes used for the luncheon, you can pick them up from the table in the gym.
LOOKING FOR NEW LUNCH OPTIONS FOR YOUR KIDS? Want to support a local business and get a great deal in the process? Mountain Pauls in Putney is offering a school lunch program, you can order from their school lunch menu the night before and it will be ready for you to pick up the next morning on your way to school. Each lunch includes a sandwich, piece of fruit, and a drink. (more options are available for additional charges). Call 387-4446 for more information.
You can see the menu on the bulletin board outside Tammys office.
MARK THIS ON YOUR CALENDAR- On Friday January 23, the 8th grade will present a dinner theater for the Grammar School community and beyond. A 6pm dinner will feature vegetarian and meat lasagnas, salad, garlic bread and delectable desserts. Following dinner, at 7pm, the 8th graders will perform ZAP, a comedy suitable for all audiences. The cost is $10 per person or a maximum of $25 per family. Proceeds benefit the 8th grade educational trip to Washington D.C.
TEDDY BEAR PICNIC will be the entertainment for our January 31st Open House at The Grammar School. Please put this date on your calendar, it will be much more than a concert, it will be a happening. More information will be posted in January, but don't miss this for your family and consider another family who would love to be entertained and be introduced to TGS. All the joy of a picnic, and all the thrills and sing-alongs you could ask for. Join Bill Shontz and his Teddy Bear Band singing songs from Bill's award-winning release: "Teddy Bear's Greatest Hits."
VISITING ARTISTS WORK WITH THE EIGHTH GRADE Starting January 7th the eighth grade will work with a series of visiting artists. Thank you in advance to Eric Aho, Evie Lovett, and Jim Mooney who have volunteered to participate. As part of the Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason grant we were able to hire Donald Saaf and Julia Zanes to teach a longer residency.
Artist and children's book illustrator, the Saaf's will be working with the eighth grade to create their own children's book. They'll be learning about different illustrating techniques, and talk about the process of making a children's book. For the first project they will be making their own paste paper, and marble paper to use as collage materials. The end goal will be to collaborate and create a picture book to be printed for friends and family and the Grammar School Library.
We will keep you posted as to how these classes unfold.
Willam
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Rather than one or two specific classes assuming the monthly responsibility for collecting toiletries and non-perishable foods for Putney Family Services' food shelf, we start 2009 with a school-wide effort. Throughout January boxes are distributed in hallways for this month's collection. Thank you.
FINANCIAL AID FORMS FOR 2009-10 - are being sent out to all current parents receiving financial aid. If you are considering applying for financial aid please give me a call and I will put an application in the mail to you. Marcia Leader, maleader@thegrammarschool.org or 802-387-5364 ext. 105.
Bill Koch Ski League
TGS will once again host the local BKSL club here on Wednesday afternoons at 3:15 for recreational skiers. This child-based cross-country program for 6-14 year olds is an opportunity to learn and improve skiing skills while playing games and touring our trails and skimming across our neighbor's fields. Children younger than 6 are welcome to join the group but must have a parent with them. Adult ambassadors for this program are Mark Green, Charlie Boswell and Mark Long from TGS and Rick Gordon from Saxtons River. The cost of the program is $25.00 and the forms are outside Tammy's office. Checks should be made out to TGS. If the weather is inclement , we will cancel by 1:00 pm. If there is no school on a Wednesday, there is no practice that day for the rec skiers.
We need parent volunteers to help manage our enthusiastic skiers. No skills required. Contact Mary Osgood.
The answers to all your questions can be found on the website!
http://web.mac.com/timweed/iWeb/Putney%20BKL%20Site/Welcome.html
(best to bookmark it as it is a long address!) It will be updated frequently with info on practices, races, special events etc.
The TGS UNDERGROUND, a website under construction for the private use of our school community, is starting to take shape. Please visit it for South Pacific (SOPA) production schedule, parent list, etc, and assorted links to art projects, 7th grade homework, technology projects, and much more to come. 7-8 parents, please consider joining our SOPA Team if you haven't already. Plans are underway. Contact Alli Lubin for more information or to get involved.
A GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING ALL YEAR LONG - In
this season of giving please consider adding the Grammar School Annual
Fund to your gift list. As you know the Annual Fund supports every
family by bridging the gap between tuition and the full cost of
educating our students. Scholarships, visiting artists, professional
development and educational equipment all rely on contributions to the
Annual Fund.
Please give by returning your gift envelope, giving on-line or bringing it by The Grammar School on your next visit.
Happy New Year!
The Annual Fund Committee
GETTING GREENER:
How might we work toward a greener school? What might we be doing in
five years to reduce our ecological footprint? The members of the Green
Committee (Mary Chamberlin, Chris Harlow, Mark Long, Tara Meinhard and
Natalie Thomson) look forward to hearing from you. Please forward your
thoughts to mchamberlin@vermontel.net.
COMMUNITY NEWS!
The Clark Gallery in Lincoln, MA announces their January exhibition, featuring JULIA ZANES (TGS parent of Isak and Ole Saaf) alluring mixed media paintings of an imagined, enchanting place and PAUL TAYLOR's compelling photographs of Turkey's varied landscapes. Although Zanes and Taylor approach their work from different perspectives and utilizedisparate materials, the viewer cannot help but be moved by the work's imagery and light.
The exhibition will hang in the gallery through January 30th and an opening reception will be celebrated on Saturday, January 10th from 4-6pm. On January 24th from 11am-noon, bring the entire family to a puppet show performance of Santa Lucia. Julia Zanes, her husband Donald Saaf, and their sons, Isak and Ole, will perform the tale of the martyr saint. for information: http://www.clarkgallery.com/
The In-Sight Photography Project is now registering students for Spring 2009 classes. Classes offered include Intro to Black and White Photography Monday 6-8, Beyond Basics: Intermediate Black and White Wednesday 6-8, Digital Photography Thursdays 4-6, and Advanced Photography Wednesday 3:30-5:30. Classes begin early February and run for 10 weeks. In-SIght Photography located at 45 Flat St in Brattleboro is a non-profit organization dedicated to offering photography classes to youth ages 11-18, regardless of their ability to pay. All classes are offered on a suggested sliding scale fee. For more information or to register please call 802-251-9960 or visit www.insight-photography.org
BRATTLEBORO SCHOOL OF DANCE - Registration January 12-16, 3:30-5:30pm. Classes offered are Toddlers, Creative Dance, Children's Ballet, Children's Modern, and Ballet, Jazz, Pilates, Tap and Hip Hop for 11 year olds through teens. Classes begin Jan 19 through May 15. For more information call 254-6884.
NEW PUTNEY SKI CLUB/BILL KOCH SKI LEAGUE WEBSITE! The answers to all your questions can be found on this site! Thanks to Tim Weed, we now have a new website. Check it out! IT'S NEVER TO LATE TO GET INVOLVED
http://web.mac.com/timweed/iWeb/Putney%20BKL%20Site/Welcome.html
(best to bookmark it as it is a long address!) It will be updated frequently with info on practices, races, special events etc.
SEE "Les Mis" AT NORTHERN STAGE in White River Junction - for only $20 --side section seats only -- Special Deal for E-mail Patrons! Call the Box Office and ask for the E-mail Side Deal 802-296-7000 or on the web.
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http://www.thegrammarschool.org
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Quick Links
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TGS Calendar
CALENDAR
JAN 5
Students Return
2-hour Ice Delay!
JAN 6
Skiing Begins
JAN 9
Ice Skating Begins
JAN 15
Financial Aid
Applications Due
JAN 19
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
NO SCHOOL
JAN 20
Board Meeting 7pm
JAN 23
8th Dinner Theatre
Dinner 6pm
ZAP 7pm
JAN 29
Half day, NOON DISMISSAL
Parent/Teacher Conferences (1-7:30 pm)
JAN 31
Saturday Open House
TEDDY BEAR PICNIC
BILL SHONTZ LIVE!
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