In this edition
Upcoming Dates                     
 

January

1/19/15 - MLK Day (No School)

1/23/15 Winter Concert

1/30/15 Science Fair 

 

February

2/5/15 - Parent Discussion Group

2/6/15 7/8 Grade Spelling Bee

2/13/15 - Parent Teacher Conferences (No School)
2/16/15 - No School 

2/26/15 - Invention Convention

2/27/15 - Family Night at Lake Erie Monsters

Important Announcements 
The latest news from MPA

Science Fair
The 2015 MPA Science Fair is only two weeks away on Friday, January 30! 

1/29 (Thursday)
3rd/5th/6th grade materials must be turned in at school (boards and/or all needed supplies)

1/30 (Friday) Science Fair Day
10 to 11:30 a.m. - 3rd Grade students present to judges 
12:30 to 2 p.m. - 5th/6th Grade students present to judges
2 to 2:45 p.m. - Parents and school community can walk through Science Fair
2:45 to 3:10 p.m. - Awards Assembly (3rd Grade in St. Mel's hall; 5th/6th in school)

At the close of the Awards Ceremony, all parents present will be asked to have their student leave with them to facilitate a smooth car line process.

Volunteer to Help with Science Fair
Have a passion for science or a desire to be a part of the fun? Science Fair needs parent volunteers to make the day a success!

Judging
We are still looking for judges for both the 3rd grade and 5th/6th grades. To volunteer you only need to have some knowledge/passion about basic science principles or experiences and be able to spend about 4 hours at the school on the day of Science Fair.

To judge 3rd grade science fair you must not have any students in the 3rd grade at Menlo. To judge the 5th/6th grade science fair you must not have any students in the 5th or 6th grades at Menlo. For more information or if you have questions, please contact Mrs. Oxley.

Only One More Week to Winter Concert!
The Winter Concert will be next Friday, January 23 at Magnificat High School from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The previously arranged Spaghetti Dinner will also be held that night from 4:45 to 6:00 p.m. 
 

Previous reservations will be carried over, unless requested otherwise. New reservations will be accepted through through tomorrow, Friday, January 16, 2015.  
All proceeds from the dinner will be donated to the 7th grade field trip to Chicago! Enjoy dinner with your family and help contribute to a fantastic experience for our students! Order Form Here. 

XBox One raffle tickets are still on sale through tomorrow too! Download Order Form.

If you are available to help support the evening through volunteering, please consider signing up to help! Sign up here.

Cookie Donations needed too! Please consider bringing a dozen cookies (or more if desired) to donate for the cookie extravaganza during intermission!

Please plan to come and join the MPA community as we enjoy time in the New Year together.

7th Grade Chicago Trip
MPA is looking forward to a great trip this spring to Chicago with the 7th Grade Class. Parents are reminded to turn in their interest forms to Mr. Burton no later than next Friday, January 23.  

Milk Order for Second Half of the Year
Families can now order and re-confirm milk orders for the rest of the school year.
Orders,with payment, need to be turned in to the front office by or before Thursday, January 29th.

School Activities                     

Kindergarten and First Grade Elective Support 
The next section of K/1 electives begins next week and will run Friday 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, and 2/20 from 2:00-2:15 p.m. We need 2 more people to lead electives for this session and a few more people to assist each week. Leads are asked to commit to the full 4 week session, but assistants may sign up for as few or as many weeks as they like. You are welcome to bring younger siblings with you. All electives volunteers must have a BCI on file with the school.

If you are available to lead or assist next session, please sign up on VolunteerSpot.
Please reach out to Kristina Johns with any questions or ideas.

SAVE THE DATE for the Most Historic K-4 Pi Night of this century!
Did you know that this year is a special Pi Day? That's right: the time and date will match up with the first 12 digits of pi on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53!

This year, we will host our celebration on Thursday, March 12, 2015 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. with games and, of course, pie! K-4 parents, you don't want to miss this event. Mark your calendars!
Extracurricular Activities  
 
Soap Box Derby
It is time again for Menlo Park Academy's S.T.E.M. Gravity Challenge Soap Box Derby team. Team meetings will take place on Thursdays from 3:10-4:15 from February to May. 

Applications must be turned in by tomorrow, Friday, January 16. Teams will consist of 3 or 4 students from grades 5 - 8 and will be determined based on interest. Students MUST be able attend all dates for practice and races.

Tentative dates:
February 5, 12, 19, 26 - team meetings
February/March - GRC build clinic; dates TBD
March 5, 12, 26 - team meetings
April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - team meetings
April/May - STEM race in Cleveland TBD
May 7, 14 - team meetings
May 14 - Weigh-in and brake check
May 16 - Gravity challenge at Derby Downs Akron


Art Supplies
Mrs. Chernisky is still asking families to send in styrofoam egg cartons and plastic bottle tops for use in art projects.

MLK Day Activities
The long weekend celebrating the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. provides some fantastic (and free) activities all around town. We hope you will take advantage to participate in some of our city's amazing cultural offerings. 
Kudos Corner 

MPA Poets in Print
Congratulations to several of our students who have had poetry selected for publication in
Creative Communications. We are looking forward to seeing your names in print!
  • Natasha D.
  • Lexi S.
  • Dylan C.
Wizard Boys Working the Court
This past Saturday, the Wizard boys went 1-1 in their respective games. One team won 33-14, and the second team lost a hard-fought game after coming back from a ten point deficit to lose in overtime. Both boys and girls Wizard teams will play this upcoming Saturday, January 17, at Fairview Park.

Chess Club Students Show Strength in Numbers at December Tournament
Congrats to all of the students who competed in the December 6, 2014, Greater Cleveland Scholastic Chess League tournament! We continue to have record turnout for the League tournaments!

The following students earned trophy placements:
  • K-3 Primary Section (U-500): Ishita K., 2nd place; William S., 5th place tie (6th place trophy per official tie breaker rules)
  • K-5 Reserve Section (U-1000): Karthik O., 2nd place; Alexander E., 4th place; Michael E., 5th place
Congrats to the champs! The following students also competed:
  • K-3 Primary Section (U-500): Colin A., Adam N., Evie W., Gavin W., and Rumi W.
  • K-5 Reserve Section (U-1000): Joseph D., Boris K., Sasha K., and Evan S.
  • Championship Section (U-1000 rating and above): Dae San K.,Young K., and Dominic M.
Have Something for the Newsletter?
Information can be submitted via email to: [email protected] for review and inclusion in the weekly update. Submissions are subject to Director approval.