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From the Desk of the Head of School
| Spring Musical Happy Together - A Must See for One and All
Happy Together is adapted from Shakespeare's As You Like It and is a must see. It is a celebration, a frolic, and a mesmerizing, foot tapping mixture of superb acting, powerful singing, and brilliant music. As I watched the dress rehearsals I could not stop smiling. It is a joyful play. The production was conceived and written to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of TGS and to honor co-founders George and Kitty Shumlin and Roy and Dottie Richardson. This play is the perfect example of what makes The Grammar School such a special community: 35 students, over 40 parents and community members, and many faculty and staff have worked for days, weeks, months, and longer with a "community of purpose" to prepare what you will see on stage this week. For many of our students this is a life changing experience. DO NOT MISS IT! Steve Steve Lorenz Head of School |
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HAPPY TOGETHER OPENS TONIGHT
|  Reserve your seats now for the 7th and 8th grade spring musical, HAPPY TOGETHER, Wednesday through Saturday, May 2, 3, 4, and 5 at 7pm. CAST A performs WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY and CAST B performs THURSDAY and SATURDAY. Check the Theater Page for the cast list. Tickets are available at the door. Suggested ticket donation is $10/adults, $5/students and alumni, $25 maximum for families. The Thursday
 performance is a benefit for Putney Family Services, and we also will be collecting of food items for the Putney Food Shelf. We encourage people to bring food donations to our Thursday benefit performance. Please put food in the box under the bell at the main entrance. Thanks!
Call Tammy at 387-5364 to reserve tickets. DVDs will be available of the Wednesday Cast A and Thursday Cast B performances, professionally recorded and produced by David Teubner, for $25 each. Email Alli with your DVD order and please specify which cast. Send in your checks, payable to TGS, to Alli or Tammy.
Thanks to The Putney School and Vermont Academy for sponsoring the show.
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Opus 24 Concert Tonight in Ludlow
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Selected composers Molly Durling, Miranda Fuller, and Ivy Dall will travel to Ludlow today for Opus 24, including a rehearsal of their pieces with the musicians, a workshop, an interview for a local TV station, a family dinner, and the free evening concert at the Ludlow Town Hall at 6 pm, where their compositions will be performed. Congratulations Molly, Miranda, and Ivy! We are so proud of your success! More information is available on the VT Midi Project (soon to be renamed Music-COMP). Website: http://www.vtmidi.org/
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The Bard Is Back!
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THE BARD IS BACK!!!
For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo! Second and Fifth grades will present Romeo and Juliet on: June 6 at All School Meeting and June 7 at 6:30 pm. A special sneak preview of Scene 7 will be presented during Grandparents day on May 18.
Admission to all performances is free. Mark your calendars - we'd love to see you!
Art Work by Abby B. in 5th Grade
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SPRING SPORTS UPDATES
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 We had a great first week of spring sports, with more than 40 students participating. There is still space to sign up - please let Mary know if your child would like to join an activity. Total fee for all spring sports is $20.
Coaches will be away and not able to hold afternoon activities on the following dates, but they will make up the practices in early June. Thanks for being flexible.
Molly practicing her throw
Lacrosse canceled Friday, May 4(Make up day Friday, June 8) Soccer canceled Monday, May 7
(Make up day Monday, June 4)
Zumba make up day Monday, June 4 Yoga canceled Thursday, May 10 (Make up day Thursday, June 7) Questions? Please contact Mary. |
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THANKS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WORK DAY
| Last Saturday we had perfect weather for a very productive and well attended work day. About 60 parents and students attended and worked hard, and for that we thank you very much. We spruced up the campus, cleaned gardens, raked, pruned, swept, and generally worked hard while still having a good time. Thank you all for your time and dedication to The Grammar School and ultimately to your children. It is parent and student involvement like this that makes this community so special. Again, thank you for all your help.
Chris Harlow
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DONATIONS NEEDED FOR SPRING AUCTION
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On Friday, May 18, TGS parents will host the annual Spring Dinner/Auction. This fun evening of fundraising and community building will be the second and final parent-driven fundraiser for the school year. The event will feature music, a catered dinner, and both a Silent and Live Auction. The dinner/auction event is very important to our school, since all proceeds directly impact financial aid for families, teacher salaries, and curriculum programming. We are expecting 125+ in attendance and the goal is to raise a minimum of $20,000. Each TGS family is asked to contribute to the event by donating time, labor, and resources. One way you can be especially helpful is to donate an auction.
The success of the auction is dependent on the generosity of regional and national businesses, and TGS families. From restaurant and gift certificates, to travel items, vacation homes, vintage wines, cultural activities, and goods for children, TGS's auction is well know for its superior quality.
Please help us reach our goal by donating an auction item of your own or by soliciting a donation from an individual or business. Auction Donation forms are available. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we will prominently display any promotional materials you may have to accompany your donation. Thank you for your time, consideration, and commitment to TGS. Should you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at pobrien@thegrammarschool.org or 802-387-5364, Ext. 106.
Best regards,
Pauline Blake O'Brien
Director of Development
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PUTNEY FOOD SHELF
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PUTNEY FOOD SHELF: The second graders are heading our collection for the month of May. In particular, pastas, sauce, and peanut butter are needed. Thank you!
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CHECK OUT SUMMER CAMP ON THE TGS WEBSITE! DOWNLOAD YOUR FORMS AND SIGN UP TODAY!!!! www.thegrammarschool.org
then click on the summer camp button, from there you will find buttons for all the forms!
|  SAVE THE DATES! TGS SUMMER CAMP WILL RUN JULY 9 THROUGH 27! Three week long programs taught by local artists and outdoor enthusiasts.
Course descriptions and signup forms are on the website.
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ART NEWS
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There is new art in the hallways and on the art blog. Please come and see work from grades 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, with more to come soon. The women artist posters by the eighth graders are in the Upper School mini-gallery.
Visit the art blog:http://tgsartpage.blogspot.com
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TGS and the Strolling Heifers
| This year's "Strolling of the Heifers" parade will be on June 2 in Brattleboro. Once again TGS students will march in the parade to represent the school, and show our presence in the community. Following last year's success, after the parade TGS will have a booth on the Retreat lawn where we will have marketing materials for the school and sell crepes!
The parade is the signature event of a weekend of farm and food friendly activity that some estimate draws 50,000 people to the Brattleboro area. It is a great thing to be a part of, and important for TGS to have a presence. We are still working on a theme for our participation, ("Healthy food makes great kids?") and William will help with a creative project for kids to make. We will have T-shirts for all "Strollers" to wear.
Details on location to meet, exact timing, and other logistics will come later, but it has generally been on Flat Street at 9:00, and the parade is done by 10:30 at the Retreat.
We will need some parent chaperones to walk with the students and carry a school banner and we are still finalizing the help we will need on the retreat lawn, manning our booth and cooking crepes. Contact Michael Hornsby (mhornsby@brimstoneconsulting.com) if you are interested in joining in. |
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Wednesday Notice problems?
| If you are not receiving your Wednesday Notice by email, please let Mary know.
Thank you,
Mary
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Girls on the Run 5K
| Girls on the Run 5K - Anyone can participate!
On Saturday, May 19, 2012, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Girls on the Run will participate in the Girls on the Run 5K event in Brattleboro. The 5k is a non-competitive, family-friendly event where everyone is a winner! In 2011 more than 2,000 enthusiastic girls, families, and community members joined us at the 5k events (in Bratt. and Essex J.) to celebrate their health!
The event takes place at Brattleboro Union High School and the "race" begins at 10:00. Come early for freebies, fun, and warm-ups.
We invite you to join us as participants or cheerers! Participating is $20 for adults and $10 for students. CHEERING IS FREE! All participants are encouraged to move at their own pace. Walking is okay! And strollers are okay, too! Please leave the pooches at home though.
You can find more information AND register by following the link below or by mailing in the flyers you will find outside Tammy's office or the teachers' work room.
http://girlsontherunvermont.org/5k-events/
Hope to see you there!
Contact Joanne Fuller if you have questions: jfuller1@uvm.edu 802.338.0135
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Tick Information
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Notes from the Nurse
It has been brought to my attention that the TICKS are back and have started to come home with our students. I would like to provide some information about Preventing Tick Bites and Removing Ticks as well as some resources where you can go for more information. Please share this information with your children. The TGS teachers and staff will be helping to remind and reinforce these ideas with students.
Preventing Tick Bites
Avoid direct contact with ticks.
Walk in the center of trails.
Avoid leaning against trees or sitting on old logs.
Avoid wooded or bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants.
Tuck pants into boots or socks.
Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin
Products containing permethrin can be used to treat clothing and gear, such as
boots, pants, socks and tents.
Repellents containing 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be
applied to the skin, and they can protect up to several hours. Always follow product instructions! Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
Other repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may
be found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/.
Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body
Wear light-colored clothing to more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
Examine gear and pets.
Shower soon after being outdoors.
Tick Removal
If you find a tick attached to your skin, there is no need to panic. Most tick bites are probably harmless and may cause no problems. Ticks that have never fed, if handled properly, will not cause any harm. The earlier a tick is removed, the less the likelihood that the tick transmitted any disease. Therefore prompt and proper tick removal is very important.
How to remove a tick
1. Use fine-tipped tweezers and protect your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or
latex gloves. Avoid removing ticks with your bare hands.
2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with
steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite and your hands and the
tweezers with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
4. Once removed, don't crush the tick because you may transmit disease. Rinse it down a sink or flush it down a toilet.
*Avoid folklore remedies such as "painting" the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin.
Follow-up
If you begin to experience a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
This information is from the CDC's website (http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/) and the emedicine health website (http://www.emedicinehealth.com/ticks/article_em.htm) both of which contain lots of information about ticks and tick borne illness.
Sara Dunbar, School Nurse
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| ORDER TGS T-SHIRTS AND SWEATSHIRTS! | |
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COMMUNITY NEWS
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Clara, a French teenage girl, is looking for family to stay with as a Fille Aupair for part of the summer.
Loves music, children, and traveling! She is a charming 16 year old, daughter of a friend of Madame Jo's.
Please see or email Madame Jo for more details!
jgardner@thegrammarschool.org
Share your fresh air with a child who gets very little! There are hundreds of New York inner city children waiting for an invitation to experience a week or two of our summers in New England. Open your hearts and homes one of these kids and receive an enriching experience for you and your family in return. Through the generosity of families and individuals from Virginia to Canada, the Fresh Air Friendly Town Program has given almost 2 million children the joys of clean air and summer fun since its founding in 1877. Please call Tom and Linda Kosiba for more information-(802)722-4315.
Saturday, May 19 - Next Stage Arts Project
The Putney based, non-profit arts organization is very pleased to announce that renowned author and educator Dr. Carol Gilligan will appear at Next Stage on at 7pm. "The Scarlet Letter: An Evening with Carol Gilligan" will incorporate readings as well as discussion with the audience. Gilligan will be joined by special guest and local author Elayne Clift.
Dr. Gilligan and Ms. Clift will read from their complementary works, followed by a presentation by Dr. Gilligan titled "A is for Able: The Legacy of Hester Prynne." The talk is inspired by a line from Hawthorne's tale: "Many people...said that [the scarlet A] meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength," and will focus on the relevance of Hester's strength in today's political climate.
Prior to the Saturday night event at Next Stage, Dr. Gilligan will facilitate a workshop/discussion event for high school students at The Putney School. Emily Jones, Director of The Putney School, noted, "The community eagerly anticipates Dr. Gilligan's visit and we're so pleased to be working with Next Stage Arts to provide this wonderful opportunity to The Putney School students."
Next Stage Arts Project presents a wide range of cultural events, including lectures, readings, concerts and films. Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. 802 287-8500. For additional info and tickets to the Saturday evening performance, please visit are www.nextstagearts.org or facebook.com/nextstagearts.
Host a student from Spain - Host a student from Spain this summer with Home Stays USA. Every year students come to this area from Bilbao, Spain. "The experience for us was excellent. Our student was easy going, helpful, very pleasant and very motivated to learn English. We also really liked her as a person and became friends. We'd like her to come back! This was also such a great experience for my daughter to see how brave our student was to come here for a month. I hope that my daughter will consider a program like this to learn Spanish!" Host mother Karen from Vermont This year the dates of the program are June 29-July 30. The students range from 13 years to 17 years. Visit the organization's website at homestaysusa.org. The host family receives a $600 stipend and the head leaders of the program will be here during the summer as well. Please feel free to contact Liz Jackson (parent of Nathaniel in 1st grade). She has been working with this organization for a few summers now and can answer some of your questions.
!Gracias!
Liz Jackson (lizzyole@gmail.com)
Long term Putney area residents seeking a rental home - mid-May or June 1st occupancy. We are responsible, reliable people who know how to care for a house. Excellent credit and references. I am a health care professional who has worked in the area for 24 years and Johnny is a professional musician who has performed and taught in the area for 42 years. No pets, and we don't smoke.
Our hopes are for:
- sunny location, and a warm house with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms
- easy access for 2-wheel drive cars
- high-speed internet access
- garden area for vegetables
- 2-year minimum rental
- space for practice/teaching in the home on a part-time basis
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