eCurrents June 7, 2012

It's been a high-flying school year here at Rocky Hill and it all comes to an end at Commencement tomorrow. Congratulations seniors!

Congratulations also to our eighth and fifth grade students who have made their marks on the Lower and Middle Schools.

Have a great summer!

	All School CALENDAR

	2012-13 Book List Next year's book list is now available for all divisions. Please note that this list is subject to change. Click here to download. Lost & Found The annual lost and found is set up in Campbell Conference Room through TOMORROW. Any unclaimed items will be donated. Mentor Families Any parents interested in mentoring a new family next year should contact Paula Santos. Parent Business Networking Group With so many entrepreneurial families at Rocky Hill, some parents are gauging interest in a networking group. This group aims to gather Rocky Hill business owners together to share experiences and enjoy a casual evening of conversation. If interested in participating, please contact Maureen Chianese. Love to Sing? There is an a cappella singing group made up of Rocky Hill parents and some faculty in need of some new voices. The commitment is minimal - once a month for the summer, and then twice a month throughout the school year. If interested please email Justine Johnson. Host Families If you are interested in hosting an international student next year, please contact Catherine Washburn, director of admission or Jacqui Yamada, director of international programs. Knowing that adding another teenager to your home could be a financial burden, our international families have agreed to pay a monthly stipend to their host family. Jacqui and Cathy would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the program and the value of being a host parent. All library books are now due! Commencement Exercises TOMORROW \| 10:00 AM \| Hopelands Front Lawn All are invited to attend. This event is mandatory for juniors and seniors. Calendar Click here for a how-to video from Tom Adams on Google calendar integration. Tom will also be hosting a technology informational session for all parents currently scheduled for September 12. Tally-Ho! Meg Myette is currently planning the second annual "Across the Pond Adventure" for March 2013. This year's destination will be London, England, with day trips to both Cambridge and Stratford-upon-Avon. This trip is open to all students who will be in grades 6-9 next year. For more information, please email Meg Myette.

	Upper School

	Senior Project Update Jordan Karnes '12 took some amazing photos and wrote a short article on Rocky Hill Lower School's EnviroEd program for his senior internship with the East Greenwich Patch. See more here. Michael Caramadre '12 interned at RDW (a PR, marketing, and advertising company) with sponsor Jim Pontarelli, a Rocky Hill parent and spouse of first grade teacher Patty Pontarelli. "Throughout my internship, I learned to work through problems on my own rather than keep bothering Mr. Pontarelli every five minutes. Along with the great success I had during my internship, I also made mistakes. I believe that those mistakes were some of the best lessons from the entire project, because I could learn from them and move forward. I am forever grateful to Mr. Pontarelli and the staff at RDW Group for the opportunity I was given." All of the seniors presented their final projects yesterday to faculty, staff and the junior class. Students pursued a variety of passions, but all of their experiences included an educational stretch. In a lot of cases, these internships help shape the educational path seniors will take in college in the fall, which gives them a tremendous advantage from the start. Junior Greenhouse Project Science Fair Recognitions Best Overall Presentation and Project Design - Nicholas Cicchetti Most Complex Experiment Design - George Duan & Leila Jiang Most Original Idea - Sven-Axel Wadensten & Brendan Lada Most Relevance to Plant Life - Lily Hanlon & Vaughn Gooding

	Middle School

	Congratulations to the following Middle School athletic award winners: Boys' Lacrosse MVPs - Douglas Cochran '16, Austin Marsilia '16 MIPs - James Frost '17, Kent Hanlon '18 Coaches Awards - Jackson Hawkins '17, Jean Paul Vincent '17, Zachary Jennings '16 Girls' Lacrosse MVP - Sabrina Dumas '16 MIP - Katlyn Conforti '18 Coaches Award - Megan Caruso '17 Coed Tennis MVP - Anessa Petteruti '17 MIP - Georgia Saville '18 Coaches Award - John Ponte '17 "Meet the Fats" Poster Contest Georgia Saville '18 was awarded fourth place in the American Heart Association's Meet the Fats Poster Contest. Sixth graders Olivia De Pasquale, Hannah Lawson, Clarice Jennings and Charlotte Roch all received honorable mentions. The contest was designed to educate young people about the difference between "bad" fats and "better" fats. Field Day Middle School students competed in their own field day on Tuesday, blowing off some steam after their last final exams. End of Year Trip to Boston The Middle School enjoyed its last day together in Cambridge and Boston MA, visiting the MIT Museum, followed by lunch and leisure at Faneuil Hall. The big ticket item this year were color baseball hats and stylish sunglasses. Everyone had a wonderful time! Eighth Grade Dinner Many thanks to the sixth and seventh grade families who provided a delicious dinner for the eighth grade families. Student and parents also enjoyed a special slide show presented by Mike Jedrey.

	Lower School

	EnviroEd Fourth and fifth grade students had a very successful EnviroEd experience, canoeing on the Potowomut River, participating in team building exercises and learning about science in a very hands-on way. The event could not have been possible without the following volunteers: Steve DiCenso, Rich Clark, Ray Osbrey, George Grayson, Beth DeGerlia, Jeremy Stowe, Michael Weiler, Rick Burnett, Jonas Seed, Kevin McMahon, Troy Dumas, Meg Stowe, Laura Dignan, Venus Lanzot and Kim DiCenso. Click here to read an article written on Enviro Ed by Ford Kelly-Riley '12 in the Warwick Beacon. LS Field Day Thank you to the PTL for providing the Del's lemonade for field day. It is a very big tradition for field day that the students look forward to and enjoy. Thank you also to the wonderful turnout of parents who helped set up and clean up, chaperoned groups, cheered and even joined in some of the competitions. The faculty, combined with the sixth and seventh grade students, did an awesome job with their charges of Blue or White teams. There was a lot of enthusiasm and the event would not have been a success without them. Finally, not only were the LS students fierce competitors, they were fair. They easily filled the spirit meter board earning the "spirit award" for their actions. The earning of this award is the most valuable of the day. Along with that coveted award, all the students had fists full of ribbons so we can all be proud of their conduct and their athletic achievements. Click here for more Field Day pictures. Visiting Artist Dr. Christine Noel, Artistic Director of the Rhode Island Children's Choir was on campus to work with the Raindrops and Puddles on Wednesday, May 30. Three new pieces of repertoire were learned, and they will be featured in next December's Winter Concert. Community Share The entire Lower School enjoyed a very successful Community Share experience. Students shared talents such as singing, karate and acting with faculty and parents, reflected on the school year and said farewell for the summer. Thank you to all of the parents who supported this event! Big Apple Adventure Planning is underway for a "LS Family Adventure" to New York City for Veterans Day weekend 2012. This trip is open to all students and their parents who will be in grades 3-5 next year. For more information, please email Meg Myette.

	Alumni Spotlight

	Reunion 2012 Thank you to all alumni, faculty, former faculty and friends who came to Reunion 2012, featuring the very special tribute to veteran faculty member Paul Tukey, who is retiring after 36 years of service. It was a colorful and fun-filled evening with heartfelt tributes, the significance of the number 36, college pennants for decorations and even a pair of vintage gold penny loafers. We had more than 175 in attendance with graduation years spanning from 1954 to 2011. Alumni Challenge Update We are excited to report alumni have met and surpassed the Alumni Challenge. Alumni giving is at 15.61%. Considering we ended last year at 9% and the AISNE average is 13%, alumni should feel very proud of this accomplishment. By meeting the challenge, the School will receive an additional $4,500 in support. Read more.

Send any news, photos, kudos and comments to Karen Gibson by Wednesdays at noon.

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