In this edition
Upcoming Dates                     
 

May

5/15 - Spring Extravaganza at MPA
5/19 - 6th Annual Walk-A-Thon
5/22 - 5th-8th Grade Dance
5/25 - No School; Memorial Day Weekend
5/26 - Field Day; Location TBD
5/27 - School Awards Assembly and Accomplishment Celebration
5/27 - Kindergarten Promotion at St. Mel's Hall 
5/28 - 8th Grade Graduation at St. Mel's Hall
5/29 - Last Day of School for 2014/2015!
Important Announcements 
The latest news from MPA

Walk-A-Thon: Keep Encouraging Your Family and Friends!
Don't forget that Walk-A-Thon is offering classes the opportunity to support friendly competition! 
  • In lower school, the grade with the most contributions raised will receive a year-end pizza and ice cream party. 
  • In middle school, boys versus girls advisories will compete for the 2 dress down days for the winning side!
Reach out to your friends and family through Facebook and email and give them a super-friendly nudge to help your team win and the school reach our goal! Also, please plan on joining us if you are able the day of to walk with the community. It will be lots of fun!

We Appreciate Your Appreciation
To all of our MPA families, please accept a HUGE thank you from us to you. Teacher appreciation is a work of art in this community. From treats to massages to lunches to covered duty periods, your generosity and support is amazing. In case we don't say it enough, what you do matters to us too!
Thank you for all of your caring and kindness this week and every day. 

Yearbook Orders and Delivery
Families can still order 2014/15 Menlo Park Academy Yearbooks through the end of the school year, May 29. These fun mementos will make you smile for years to come!

Order yearbooks online
Enter Yearbook ID: 10096814 
Follow the simple steps and pay! 

Yearbooks will be available for pick-up or delivery over the summer. We are excited that delaying the production by just a little bit will allow the school to include all of the great year-end events!
School Activities 

Make Time for the Spring Extravaganza, May 15
The Spring Extravaganza will be a celebration of the many remarkable talents and hard work of our student community. From art pieces to performances, families will be able to enjoy a sampling of what makes our community such a standout!
  • Musical performances: Mrs. Macey will lead students in vocal and instrumental performances at St. Mel's hall throughout the evening.
     
  • Author's Tea: Join K-8 students for a series of readings from essays, poems, and short stories.
     
  • Wax Museum: Some of our second grade students will be showing off their research and creativity from their historical persons project.
     
  • Gallery of Art: Mrs. Chernisky will displaying some of the amazing artwork of our students throughout grades, styles, and time periods. 
Parents are encouraged to bring a dozen cookies to share with the community at the Author's Tea.
You can sign up here.

Flare for Art? Mrs. Chernisky is looking for three to six parent volunteers to help her prepare art pieces leading up to event, including helping hang art around the school. If you have time and are interested, please reach out Mrs. Chernisky.

The Spring Extravaganza will be held on Friday, May 15 at MPA from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. A final schedule of events and performance times will be shortly forthcoming.

Middle School Dance: May 22
The much anticipated Middle School Dance will be held on Friday, May 22 at the school from 7 to 9 p.m. Students 5th through 8th grades will be enjoying time together to dance and celebrate a great year!

This year's theme is a Hawaiian Luau! Students should come in their favorite floral frocks, Hawaiian shirts, and groovy gear. Light snacks and beverages will be served. The cost to attend will be $3.00 and students can purchase tickets at the door.

Awards Ceremony: May 27
The year-end awards ceremony will celebrate the many accomplishments of our amazing student body, kindergarten through 8th Grade. In order to provide everyone the time they need to shine, the awards ceremony will be divided by grade blocks throughout the day. The schedule will be as follows:
  • Kindergarten - 2nd Grade: 8:40 to 9:20 a.m.
  • 3rd and 4th Grades: 9:45 to 10:30 a.m.
  • 5th and 6th Grades: 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.
  • 7th and 8th Grades: 2:20 to 3:05 p.m. 
Parents are encouraged to join us to recognize all of the outstanding accomplishments of the school year.
Support MPA 
 
These Events Need You!
The Browns Team Needs Volunteers
Every football season, MPA hosts a concession stand at all of the Cleveland Browns home games.
The stand is fast-paced, fun work that helps the school raise over $15,000 annually. The 2015 Browns season schedule was just released and we are looking for volunteers to sign up now! Contact Jessica Tonsing and Tiffany Cardenas to learn more and get on the volunteer roster for the summer and fall games. Information will be forthcoming about summer training opportunities. As a bonus, we will be awarding double volunteer hours for all full-shift volunteers.

Walk-A-Thon 
May is packed with some of our favorite events, and they can't be sucessful without lots of help!
On May 19, here on the MPA school grounds, we will host the 6th Annual Walk-A-Thon. Students will enjoy community time together as we exercise for the ongoing health of our school! Sign up here to be a part of the day.

Field Day is one of everyone's favorite school days! This year the MPA Field Day will be held at the Michael Zone Recreation Center and Park. This location is very near our new home and Councilman Cimperman has been working to help MPA have a great day in our future neighboorhood!


Labels for Education
There is still time to collect and turn in Labels for Education. Every year the Labels for Education and Box Top programs garner income for MPA that is used to replenish teacher supplies and physical education equipment. Please keep sending them in through the end of May! Learn more about Labels for Education here
Advocacy Update

Welcome to the Advocacy Update

Important legislation is making its way through the Ohio Legislature affecting charter school start-ups and funding. Most importantly, HB 64 (the House version of the budget bill) has passed the Ohio House of Representatives and moved on to the Ohio Senate. HB64 carried a $25 million earmark for the Community Schools Classroom Funding Facilities Grant and an increase from $100 to $200 per-pupil funding for facilities for community schools. We will monitor these as the Ohio Senate creates its version of the budget bill. Both would be helpful to aid in Menlo's exciting new building plans.


Specific to the Menlo Community, we have started an Advocacy Committee to help us stay abreast of legislative and policy issues that affect policy related to MPA as well as to increase the visibility of the school with public officials and the Cleveland community at large. If you would like to participate in our advocacy start-up activities and ongoing work, please contact Amber Oxley.

Extracurricular Activities                    

Cleveland Lung Force Walk
In honor of Colton Wise, some of the MPA community has formed a team for this week's upcoming Lung Force walk. If your family would like to participate and attend, details are below.
 
Saturday, May 9, 2015 
Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica In the Flats, Downtown Cleveland

1231 Main Avenue Cleveland, OH 44113

 

Walk Day:

Check in begins at 9:00 am 
Walk begins at 10:00 a.m.

Walkers choose to either walk the 3 or 1 mile pre-marked walk routes along Cleveland's waterfront and the flats for a taste of downtown Cleveland.

 

Before the start of the walk, warm up and stretch your legs at the fitness area. There will be fun activities for kids such as Jungle Terry and his reptile friends. Also, when you arrive at the Walk, you will receive the LUNG FORCE Action Passport to take with you as you visit each of the mission tents. 

 

To join the MPA Parents team, please click on this link.

Any 4th graders who wish to remember Colton, please wear your Zoo Crew t-shirt. Other participants please wear MPA gear or colors. Please email Team Captain Erin Adams Armstrong with any questions, or call her at 216-410-2620.
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.