eCurrents August 30, 2012

During the opening of school meetings yesterday, several faculty members put the new outdoor Harkness table to good use.

A gift of the parents of the Class of 2012, the table is currently located between Flynn and the Garden Classroom and will surely be a popular learning spot this year.

	All School CALENDAR

	First Day of School Tuesday, September 4 \| 8:15 AM Picture Day Student Picture Day is Tuesday, September 4. Retake day is scheduled for Thursday, October 25. Because the ninth grade leaves for the Berkshire Tuesday morning, those students will have their photos taken on retake day. Coffee Pond Photography will contact parents directly with purchasing information for all students. Lunch Menu Due to the finishing touches being put on the new and improved Campbell Center, next week's lunch menus will not be available in advance online. The chef will be improvising for the first week of School, but rest assured lunch will continue to be healthy and delicious! Staples such as the sandwich, salad and soup bars will be available. Breakfast and snack options-available to Middle and Upper School students on a cash-only basis- will be limited. Please contact Chef Rob if you have any questions or concerns. As soon as menus are ready they will be posted to the web and included in future installments of eCurrents. Facebook We encourage you to follow us on Facebook for access to timely photos, stories and links. Spread the News If you have a friend or family member who would like to be added to the eCurrents mailing list, please contact Karen Gibson. Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Register your rewards card to earn money for Rocky Hill while you shop: RHS ID # 08769. The program runs from October 5, 2012 through March 28, 2013, but we encourage you to register as soon as possible. Click here to learn more. Additional Ways to Give Many popular corporations such as Target and Lands' End offer simple ways for you to support Rocky Hill when purchasing their products. Learn more Relay for Life The Rocky Hill Relay for Life Team received recognition from the American Cancer Society for participating in the Aquidneck Island Relay for Life for the past 6 years and for raising more than $5,000 during that time! London Trip Tally-Ho! Planning has begun for the second annual "across the pond" adventure in March 2013. The destination will be London, England, with day trips to both Cambridge and Stratford-upon-Avon. This trip is open to all grade 6-9 students and their parents. The deposit deadline is mid-September. Email Meg Myette for more information. 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 - twice a month throughout the school year. If interested please email Justine Johnson.

	Upper School

	College Night for Parents & Seniors Tuesday, September 11 \| 7:00 - 8:30 PM \| Flynn Lecture Hall Seniors and parents will learn about Rocky Hill's paperless application submission process and gain insight about the application review process from college admission representatives. Contact Director of College Guidance Annie Reznik for more information. Jessilyn Ring '15 and her Belgian Sheepdog, Twilight, competed in the Washington County Fair Dog Show. This handler and dog team took first place in Obedience and second place in Showmanship, which earned them Grand Champion status in the senior category. They will both head to the Eastern States Exposition to continue their competitions in late September at the Big E with the RI Dog team. Berkshire Trip Ninth graders will travel to the Berkshire Outdoor Center next week to develop leadership skills, self-awareness, and the ability to work productively as part of a team. The bus departs at 8:30 a.m. from the back parking lot.

	Middle School

	Enviroweek With the Potowomut River estuary, Narragansett Bay, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire serving as classrooms, the Middle School will kick off the school year next week by venturing outside of the classroom - conducting field surveys, experimenting, collecting and recording data and observations, and learning about each of these environments from many different perspectives. In addition, there are a variety of activities not necessarily tied to an environmental focus, but which take advantage of student and faculty time together to develop community, and to communicate and work together to solve challenges.

	Lower School

	LS Parent Night Tuesday, September 18 \| 7:00 - 9:00 \| Campbell & Perkins Preschool Mural Our multi-talented Director of Admission, Cathy Washburn, and some additional volunteers painted a new jungle mural in the preschool. It's definitely worth seeing in person...roar!

	ACE

	ACE Blog Click here for the first installment of the new ACE Blog from Holly Cotta! Also, be sure to check out the new ACE FAQ document on the website or access it here.

	Athletics

	Preseason Practices Field hockey and soccer practices will run from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. TOMORROW. The girls' varsity soccer team will receive uniforms and locker assignments at 2:00. Home Games Come out and cheer on our student-athletes during their upcoming home games! Boys' Varsity Soccer (Scrimmage) Tuesday, September 4 \| 4:00 PM \| versus Moses Brown Boys' Varsity Soccer Tuesday, September 7 \| 4:00 PM \| versus Trinity Varsity Field Hockey Saturday, September 8 \| 1:00 PM \| vs Smithfield

	Parent Teacher League (PTL)

	Parent Mingle Coffee Wednesday, September 5 \| 8 - 9 AM \| Campbell Center All parents are invited to enjoy some coffee and snacks while meeting and mingling with each other after drop-off on the second day of school. Lower School PTL Meeting Friday, September 7 \| 8:15 - 9:00 AM \| Campbell Conference Room Welcome Reception Thursday, September 13 \| 6:30 PM \| Campbell Center All parents are invited to attend this cocktail party and meet with other parents and faculty members in a fun and lively atmosphere. Click here to register.

	Professional Development

	The International Society for Technology in Education Conference is the most significant (and largest) instructional technology conference in the world. This year, Director of Technology Tom Adams presented as part of Google Slam with other Google Certified Teachers. His piece was on Google calendars and subscribing to them. US art teacher Meg Getsinger attended the St. Johnsbury Academy Advanced Placement Institute in St. Johnsbury, VT from July 8-13.The institute combined studio and academic study with an overview of the AP Studio portfolios. Meg and 13 art teachers from around the country worked with an AP reader/instructor to develop strategies and materials that help students create in-depth artistic investigation into their concentration through personal artwork and research while also giving guidance to translate personal ideas and skills into the AP classroom. Meg will be starting Advanced Placement Studio Art at Rocky Hill this year. LS classroom teachers, along with the LS ACE support team and the new teaching fellow, participated in a two day professional development workshop focusing on helping teachers effectively implement the In Focus Math program across all grade levels in the LS (K-5). Key to the program is the problem solving strategies starting in K and spiraling to grade 5. Pam Matson attended a week-long workshop for experienced AP Biology teachers to learn about the revisions to the AP Biology Curriculum and Laboratory Investigations. This workshop session enrolled extraordinary faculty from across the country, which made the sharing of ideas and best practices the most useful and enjoyable part of the workshop.

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

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