TONIGHT at 7:00 PM!
at The Grammar School
TED FISKE
author of Fiske Guide to Colleges
former education editor of The New York Times
TGS Grandparent!
speaking on his experience as a writer and educator
$5 suggested donation
Child care will be
available
Click here for poster
email Mark Green for info Kindergarten at All School Meeting
photo by Alli Lubin
Technicool: A Technology Safety Program
Parent Information Night Wednesday, November 11th
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm in The Grammar School Theater free and open to the public - designed for students in grades 4-8, parents, teachers,
and caregivers
- looks at common concerns surrounding the
internet and technology
- encourages safe online behavior
- Each class from grades 4-8 will have a class
time program
- faculty will meet for an after school presentation
- click here for poster
****************************************************************************************From the Desk of Steve Lorenz
TGS Foreign Language Committee- A committee, formed by the Head of School to make recommendations about the desired future state of the foreign language program at The Grammar School, has met several times since the beginning of school. This committee has been formed to address goals set forth in The Grammar School Strategic Plan 2008-2013. The strategic plan specifically states in the "Program" section that the school will:
1) Evaluate and establish goals for the Foreign Language curriculum that include alternative language choices. (Foreign Language Committee and Head of School)
2) Establish and implement a system to monitor foreign language choice and placement level of our graduates in secondary schools. (Head of School and Secondary School Counselor)
From these program goals I developed two distinct objectives for the Foreign Language Committee: to create an overarching goal statement(s) for the Foreign Language program, and to determine what language or languages should be taught at TGS. The committee will present final recommendations to the Trustees at the January Trustees meeting.
The members of the committee were asked to participate by the Head of School. Invites were offered to parents, faculty, staff and community members who had expressed a strong interest in the Foreign Language program over the last few years. Current members of the committee include: Mary Chamberlin, Johanna Gardner, Libby Holmes, Michael Hornsby, Ray Hutchins, Bob Lierle, Meg Lyons, Elissa Mclean, Jay Reichman, Tracy Rodriguez, Evie Lovett, Maggie Smith, Karen Lavoie and Steve Lorenz.
The committee has reviewed much information from many resources including but not limited to: the 2008 TGS Parent Evaluation/Survey; the current Foreign Language curriculum; a survey sent to Heads of Schools and Deans via the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England; The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Curriculum Guide; The Grade Expectations for Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities; a survey sent to TGS families who have had students graduate in the last three years; links to articles about foreign language instruction; information as to what area schools offer for foreign language; guidelines from the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages; information about the most spoken languages in the U.S. and in the world; and lots of opinions, research and input from our committee members.
Thanks to all of the committee members for the donation of their time and service. The committee meets again on this Monday the 9th of November at 5:30pm at TGS.
Student and Parent Handbook Focus
Annual Fund
Parents as Partners - Section Three of the TGS Student and Parent Handbook - please note a very important sub section entitled Fundraisers and The Annual Fund. As we begin this year's Annual Fund Campaign I would like to say that I recognize and applaud the efforts and sacrifices made by the various members of the TGS community to have your child(ren) receiving a Grammar School education. As a parent of a former independent school student, I also recognize the importance of participating in The Annual Fund. Ten years after my daughter's graduation from secondary school I continue to support her former school with my annual gift. I urge you to give what you can to support our efforts to provide the best education possible for all of our students.
The Annual Fund
The Grammar School is an independent school. This means that the School itself is solely responsible for its own governance. As an independent school, The Grammar School is able to accept the most qualified students, hire the most capable faculty members, and determine its own curriculum. Small class size and individual attention are part of the "independent school experience" that The Grammar School students enjoy. However, tuition alone is simply not enough to sustain the quality of this education. Like all other independent schools, The Grammar School relies on tuition, Annual Fund contributions, income from endowment, and other special fundraising projects to meet its operating costs. The Annual Fund is vital to the School's financial health.
The Grammar School's Annual Fund consists of unrestricted contributions given on a yearly basis by parents, alumni, grandparents, parents of alumni, faculty and staff, and other friends to help the School provide its students with a superior education. Annual Giving meets needs in the operating budget each year, sustaining everything that goes on at The Grammar School. The largest areas supported by the Annual Fund are faculty and staff salaries, benefits and professional development; curriculum support and advancement; financial aid; technology; and maintenance of grounds and facilities.
More information about the Annual Fund, including ways to give, can be found on our website or by contacting the Development Office.
Thank you,
Steve Lorenz, Head of School
****************************************************************************************
Thanksgiving baskets - The Grammar School will continue its
tradition this year of contributing Thanksgiving baskets to the food shelf at
Putney Family Services. Each class
has been assigned an item, so look for faculty home notes that will include the
particular item your family is asked to contribute. At all school meeting on November 18th, buddies
will fill and decorate each basket.
 COME ONE, COME ALL!
TGS OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, November 14 from 1 to 3:30pm
Mark Your Calendars and Invite Your Friends
featuring the Bluebird Marionette Theatre with the Saaf/Zanes family
plus music, tours and classroom activities
free and open to the public
suitable for 2-6 year olds and entertaining for all ages
Who will you be bringing to the Open House?
Please help introduce The Grammar School to new families by submitting to the Admission Office the names/addresses of friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues - anyone with children of Grammar School age - so we can send them a postcard invitation. Thanks, Meg Lyons
SAVE FRIDAY NIGHT, November 20, 2009!!! - As our big fundraiser for the year, the eighth grade will host an evening of dessert, theater and a dessert auction on Friday, November 20th. We will be presenting a ridiculous spoof on "Cinderella," that appeals to audiences of all ages. Titled "The Liberated Cinderella," this one act comedy will be fun to watch. Here is the schedule:
7:00 Arrive
7:30 Play
8:00 Auction
Admission is $5. per person or $15. maximum per family. This is a great way to spend an evening and support the eighth grade class-trip fund. We hope to have a full house. Email Laurie for more info.
Putney Food Shelf: THANK YOU FOR THE GENEROUS GIVING THIS FALL. For the month of November the kindergarten and fifth grade classes are collecting non-perishable items. Boxes are in these two classrooms, and there is a box in the main office hallway for those who wish to make donations.
Teacher's Pages/Class Blogs - from the TGS website click on Program>Classrooms>select your classroom page - the link to the teacher's page is at the top of each class page.
SPORTS!
photo by Alli Lubin
Last week, Coach Ken Brautigam presented the 5-6 soccer team with their Sportsmanship Award at All-School Meeting. This week the team is celebrating their glorious victory as winners of the Greenwood Tournament.
 photo by Teese GohlTGS 5-6 SOCCER TEAM
VICTORIOUS AT GREENWOOD TOURNAMENT
The 5th and 6th grade team had another great weekend of soccer at the Greenwood Tournament this past weekend. TGS players won all their games and the tournament trophy. Coach Ken Brautigam was justifiably proud of his 27 team members, all of whom had a chance to play during the weekend. Tournament organizer and coach Will Gardner from Greenwood said, "What a terrific job your coach did with rotating all of the players. The spirit and the sportsmanship demonstrated by Grammar were exceptional. They played a truly magnificent tournament as a team." Click here for more photos on the TGS website. XC RUNNERS - please return your TGS running singlet or T-shirt to Deb's office!
Please check the Sports Calendar on The Grammar School Sports Page for the latest schedule.
Winter Sports Program at TGS
Cross-country skiing is the winter PSD program for all K-8th graders. It is our history, our heritage, and our promotion of a healthy life skill. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to get outside and enjoy the snow while learning to ski, and for those who are more experienced to explore our back woods trails. K-8th graders are required to have cross-country ski equipment and 5th through 8th graders should also have ice skates. The winter PSD schedule is adjusted so that several hours a week can be spent skiing on our trails or playing games on the lower field. There are ski rentals available at TGS, as well as a ski/skate sale in December (see note below) that provides an opportunity to find used equipment for your child. Local shops such as the West Hill Shop in Putney and Burrows in Brattleboro have reasonably priced package deals. If all this seems perplexing, I suggest you talk to your child's teacher or me. I will be glad to help out. TGS also has some boots and skis for rent for a nominal fee. This equipment is good for the older child who only plans to ski here at school. The skis are a one size fits all variety with no waxing required, but the child needs to weigh over 50 lbs.
Off Campus Ski Days
For six weekday afternoons beginning in January, students will have the opportunity to alpine ski or snowboard at Okemo or cross-country ski at Grafton Ponds. The Grafton program is a school-chaperoned program, while the Okemo program is parent chaperoned. This is a wonderful experience and a chance to enjoy some of Vermont's greatest assets while learning to ski with friends and family. I look back at this program fondly as some of the best times spent with my child and his friends. More information about these two programs will be in next week's Wednesday Notice.
Bill Koch Ski League
TGS will again host the local BKSL club at school for recreational skiers. This child based cross-country program for 6-14 year olds is an opportunity for students to learn and improve skiing skills while playing games, touring our trails, and skimming across our neighbors' fields. More information on the BKSL program will be in next week's Wednesday Notice.
Ski/Skate Sale
Our annual ski/skate sale will be Friday, December 4th at 3:15 in the theatre. This is a fundraiser for the Bill Koch Ski League program, and also an opportunity for you to pass on your outgrown equipment and retain a percentage of the sale to purchase other equipment. We suggest a donation to the BKSL program of 20-50% of the items sold. Please use this month to go through your winter equipment and decide what you would like to recycle. More information will follow.
Deb Gray, 387-5364 ext. 107
Soccer and XC Running
Sat Nov 7: 7-8 Greenwood Tournament
Sun Nov 8: 7-8 Greenwood Tournament
Student/Parent Soccer Game
photo by Natalie Thomson
View more photos of the Greenwood Tournament, the student/parent soccer game and more at TGS TOGETHER - our Shutterfly website. For an invitation to join, please email Alli.
COMMUNITY NEWS!
5 Golden Tickets hidden in NEYT Chocolate Bars! - In a page straight out of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," New England Youth Theatre is selling chocolate bars and five of them contain golden tickets! Lucky winners of the golden tickets are eligible for fabulous prizes including two $500 cash prizes, a season's pass for two to all NEYT shows, a $300 gift certificate to Vermont Artisan Designs and a $200 gift card to Gamestop. The candy bars are a fundraiser benefiting NEYT and a promotion for NEYT's December production of Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, which features TGS's Addie Mahdavi, Claire Thomas and Ella Warner. Selling for $2.50 each, the chocolate bars are available at NEYT on 100 Flat Street, and at the following Brattleboro locations: Fleming Oil, Brattleboro Savings & Loan, Vermont Artisan Designs, and Vermont Country Deli; in Putney at Putney Books in the center of town; and in the center of Walpole at Ruggles & Hunt. Visit www.neyt.org for more info, or for ticket reservations.
Piano for Sale - make a reasonable offer - small spinet by Baldwin, cherry finish, bench, perfect gift for the holidays - call Beverly at 722-4303.
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tel: (802) 387-5364, main office ext 101
fax: (802) 387-4744
http://www.thegrammarschool.org
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Quick Links
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Sports News
CALENDAR
November 4
Wednesday
Ted Fiske presentation 7 pm TGS Theatre
November 11
Wednesday
TechnicoolParent Info Night 6:30-8 pm TGS Theatre
November 14
Saturday TGS OPEN HOUSE 1:00-3:30 pm Bluebird Marionette Theatre
November 20
Friday
8th grade Dessert Theater & Auction 7 pm arrive 7:30 play 8:00 auction
TGS Theatre
November 25-27
Thanksgiving Break
NO SCHOOL
November 30
Monday Faculty In-Service NO SCHOOL
December 4
Friday Ski-Skate Sale 3:15 TGS Theatre
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