2011 header
veritas virtus unitas
Monday  Oct. 21
Tuesday  Oct. 22
Wednesday  Oct. 23
Thursday Oct. 24
Friday Oct. 25


Picture Make Up Day

MS Spirit Social

fall festival Fall Festival This Friday!
New attractions include a 30-foot Zipline and Bumper Cars. Back by popular demand...our Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster!
 
We're proud to announce WPS Rocks 5! Legends in Concert, "starring" Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Cher. Students in High School can perform, or watch WPS Rocks 5 and win tickets to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios! Wristbands are on sale now.


Walking the Walk - WPS Educator Earns Recognition

We have many teachers at Windermere Preparatory School who reflect in their daily interaction with our students exactly the kind of behavior and commitment that I have always sought to provoke as a school administrator. One of our amazing teachers was recently acknowledged for the difference maker that she has been in the life of a former student. Click to read the full story.

 

Call to Action Showing Results

We began the 2013-14 school year with A WPS Community Call to Action in which all WPS parents were invited and encouraged to get involved in some sort of meaningful, satisfying endeavor to help create an even better overall educational experience for WPS students. Thriving, contributing booster organizations of all descriptions give vivid testimony to the fact that a school has Come of Age. WPS is making steady, forward progress in that respect. I am pleased to report to you that we have had a good number of enthusiastic parent responders. Click for the full story.

 

Exciting Announcement

Watch your email inbox tomorrow for an exciting announcement about Windermere Prep! Trust us, you're going to want to see this one!


HIGH SCHOOL 

The second quarter has started very well, and I am confident that you are seeing some positive changes with your children. Recently, students had an opportunity to meet individually with at least three of their teachers in order to develop goals and a plan of action to enable even more success. One of the ideas that emerged from students and teachers from the day was the need for Balance.

 

IB Learner Profile

Balance is one of the characteristics from the IB Learner Profile that states students, "understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others." WPS High School students are extraordinarily involved with sports, clubs, drama, music, and more, so sometimes it is difficult for them to find the appropriate level of balance they need. Each student has been encouraged to be reflective of the previous quarter to see where he/she did a great job with prioritizing personal responsibilities, as well as exploring where he/she may need some extra help.

 

As your child(ren) progresses through the second quarter, it will be a great idea to talk about how he/she is balancing all responsibilities and assignments. Balancing work and fun will help students to achieve success without the fear of burnout. If there are any questions you have regarding how to help your children with balance, please seek out the guidance counselor, college planners, and/or Dr. Williams. We are always here to help!

 

Community Service  

WPS is proud to be in partnership with West Orange Habitat for Humanity. WPS Habitat Club members have opportunities to make a difference in our community through the efforts of this organization. Pictured are seniors, Rafah Chaudhry and Ricardo Cumberbatch, who put in community service hours that showed their support and commitment for Habitat. We encourage all WPS students to take part in community efforts, such as Habitat.

 

Upcoming Important Dates:

October

18 - Fall Festival

23 - Picture Make-up Day

23 - Formal Dress - VIP Visit 

24 - Ethical Decisions Workshop for Seniors (details

28 - Homecoming Week begins

November

01 - Homecoming Parade

02 - Homecoming Dance

 

Tutoring Information

Please remember that, if your child is in need of extra help, teachers listed here are available after 4:00 p.m.

 

Leslie Williams, Ph.D. 

High School Director

LOWER SCHOOL
 

Congratulations to the students in the homerooms of Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Griffiths. Earlier this school year, they wrote to the uncle of Gabe Suarez-Solis, who was stationed in Afghanistan. This week, they heard back from Gabe's uncle and received a heartwarming thank you from all of his friends.

 

End of Quarter One  

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of quarter one already! Lower School report cards for students in Pre-K4 through fifth grade will be posted to Skyward by the end of the day. If you are having trouble logging into your Skyward account, please contact the Lower School office. We will be happy to help you. All questions regarding your child's academic performance should be directed to the appropriate teacher.

 

The partnership between parents and teachers is very important in a child's academic success. If you have questions regarding your child's performance at anytime, please reach out to his/her teacher. Teachers do their best to keep parents knowledgeable about what is happening in the classroom through the weekly newsletter and the Butler curriculum overview. Another great way to stay informed is by checking your child's homework on a regular basis. As a college preparatory school, we do feel there is value to giving students homework. In early elementary grades, homework helps children develop the habits and attitudes necessary for academic success. Studies have shown that small amounts of homework, gradually increasing each year, support academic achievement as documented in standardized test scores (Easton, J. and A. Bennett). Homework time will range from ten minutes in kindergarten to forty-five minutes in fifth grade. If you feel your child is doing homework in excess, please contact his/her teacher.

 

Spirit Week

The Lower School Student Government is busy planning Spirit Week! All students are encouraged to participate in the daily dress down themes (click to view). Our annual Halloween Parade is on Thursday, October 31. We need your help to make the parade a huge success, so please send donations of candy or trinkets to your child's homeroom teacher at your earliest convenience. We look forward to seeing all of our families at the parade!

 

A message from the Nurse:

Please remember that students who are presenting with a fever or stomach virus should not be sent to school. Students need to be free of fever and vomiting for 24 hours before they are allowed to return to class. We want all of our students and teachers to stay well, and your thoughtful cooperation will help keep everyone healthy.

 

Important Dates:

October

18 - Pre-K4 field trip, Green Meadows Farm

18 - Fall Festival, 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

23 - VIPs on Campus 

25 - Learning Buddies

25 - Third Grade field trip - Orlando Shakespeare Theater

28 - Spirit Week begins  

28 - FLICK nutritionist visiting Lower School Students in K - 3

31 - Costume Parade, 8:45 a.m. (click for details)

 

Melissa Fagan 

Director of Lower School

Theresa Nabavi 

Associate Director of Lower School

Windermere Parent VolunteerWPVA
Association

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Angela Duke! Everyone who purchased pre-sale wristbands for the Fall Festival by last Friday was entered into a drawing, and Angela won a 2-night stay and two spa treatments at the Waldorf Astoria!

 

Boxtops for Education

The fall deadline for turning in Boxtops is 10/25.We will award a donut party for the highest class participation, and an iPod shuffle for the most boxtops turned in this year! Click here for more info.

 

Click for the WPVA Calendar of Events, Volunteer Interest Form, and Volunteer Opportunities and Descriptions.


MIDDLE SCHOOL
 

This morning, we reflected on the past nine weeks as we gathered the students to recognize achievements from Quarter One. Focusing on unitas, we highlighted the athletic teams' accomplishments, as well as the Sixth Grade's Laker Adventure experience. We reaffirmed the need for unitas as we look toward upcoming Spirit Week. We applauded Honor Roll achievements, as well as our recent Duke TIP qualifiers. Additionally, in the spirit of unitas, we pinned our new students and faculty, officially welcoming them into our Middle School family.

 

Quarter Two

Quarter Two is off to a solid start - homeroom teachers and students discussed the goal of owning learning, and starting anew by reorganizing, restocking, and refreshing. Students were also reminded of their responsibilities as WPS students to come to school prepared, with assignments completed and on time, as well as reaching out to teachers for additional assistance, as needed. You also received your students' Personal Learning Plans from your homeroom teacher. Should you need follow-up or team meetings, please let us know.

 

Write Night

Thanks so much for joining us for our Third Annual Write Night, a celebration of the art of writing. This focus on expression and literacy is key in the development of all learners, and we appreciate your involvement. Click to see photos

 

In Touch with History 

Thank you, also, to Mr. Darren Whipple, for connecting our Sixth Grade with Mr. John McRae, a history enthusiast who presented an informative lesson on life in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Mr. McRae shared his extensive collection of ancient artifacts from the Jurassic, Paleolithic and Neolithic Periods. Students were engaged and especially excited to be able to touch and closely examine these artifacts. See photos.

 

Upcoming Events

Next week, Deputy Harvey will address our students on the topic of cyber-safety, with student assemblies on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Parents are invited to their own session on Wednesday, October 23. See the flier for details.

 

As mentioned above, we're gearing up for Spirit Week. The festivities kick-off with SGA's Spirit Social on Friday, October 25, in the WPS gym. Click for Spirit Week details. And, please help us make this year's Costume Parade successful!  

 

Registrations for Seventh and Eighth Grade Laker Adventure trips are due on/by November 4.

 

For your calendar:

October

18 - WPVA's Fall Festival

22 - Cyber-Safety Assemblies begin

23 - Meritas Guest on WPS campus: Formal Dress for all students

23 - Picture Day, Make-ups and Clubs

25 - SGA's Spirit Social  

28 - Spirit Week Begins

31 - Costume Parade 

 

Mary Beth Davies and the Middle School Faculty
Middle School Director

lakersLAKER ATHLETICS

The Windermere Prep Varsity Team is headed to conference opponent, Seffner Christian. The squad is looking to bounce back after a tough loss last week. This week's game is being played at Armwood High School, and kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.  Please come and show your support for the Lakers!

 

On the Courts  

USTA Team tennis players (l-r): Reeve Lennox, Lucas Ramey, Carissa Ruiz, Jasmine Rosenfield, and Ella Brinckerhoff, recently competed in Winter Park.

 

Click for registration forms for the Winter Elite and Academy programs. The busiest program of the year runs from October 28 to January 24, 2014, and leads into the Middle School and Varsity Tennis season! You are urged to send completed registration as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment, as sessions fill quickly.

 

Patty Cohn had a great performance at last week's Super Series at Lake Cane, reaching the finals. Well done to all the players for competing. A special mention for Fourth Grader, David Paton, who entered the Super Series and won his first match.

 

Junior Grand Prix tournaments are a great way for future Elite players to start their tournament careers. Visit www.JGPtennis.com for more information. Email if you are interested in the tournaments. We can possibly arrange to hold a tournament at WPS.

 

Swim

Both the WPS Boys and Girls Teams defeated TFA and Lake Mary Prep at the recent meet. Congratulations to these Lakers on their impressive wins:

Boys First Place

Connor Kelley, 200 Free; Don Sauer, 100 Free; Christian Temporiti, 500 Free and 100 Breast; Don Sauer, Ryan Ziegler, Christian Temporiti, Ilya Sidorov, 200 IM; Eric Ilwa, Gabriel Fink, Anton Esaulkov,Connor Kelley, 200 Free Relay: Connor Kelley, Dan Sauer, Christian Temporiti, Daniel Fink, 400 Free Relay.

Girls First Place

Lyndsey Huizenga, 50 Free and 100 Breast; Hanna Carpenter, 100 back; Sabrina Lasch, Hanna Carpenter, Rafaela Rivero, Lyndsey Huizenga, 200 IM Relay; Sabrina Lasch, Hanna Carpenter, Rafaela Rivero, Lyndsey Huizenga, 400 Free Relay.

FINE ARTS

Strings

Lower School String students are preparing for their upcoming Winter Concert on December 10.  Be ready to enhance your holiday season with our Lower School musicians!

 

Mark Your Calendar

November

11 - Veteran's Day Celebration for All School, 9:00 a.m.

15 - SHREK THE MUSICAL opens at Winter Garden Theatre (a 3-day run)

December

09 - HS and MS Winter Concert at Lakeside Church Campus, 7:00 p.m.

10 - LS Winter Strings Concert for Grades 1-3, 9:30 a.m.

16 - LS Winter Concert for Grades 4-5, 2:00 p.m.

 

What's It Like to be A First Year Residential Student?

The Broadcast Journalism class recently told the story of what it is like for first year incoming residential students. Click here to view this excellent video.

WPS Community News

Learning Commons

Keep up with what's going on in the Learning Commons! Our library catalog and Learning Commons blog can be accessed through the WPS home page. Click on Academics - Libraries.

 

Dig Pink

The volleyball event Dig Pink was a tremendous success on Tuesday night! Wins in both the JV and Varsity games, in addition to the amount of support from the crowd, was overwhelming as people came out to cheer on the teams and promote breast cancer awareness. It was great to celebrate Dr. Shannon Work and Mrs. Eve Griffin! From the groovy shirts to the goodies that were available for sale, the event proved to be a huge success, raising more than $200 from baked goods alone, which will be donated to cancer research.

 

Create Your Plate Healthy 

Click for information on healthy dining at Windermere Prep.  

meritas 2011

WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Phone: 407-905-7737

 Fax: 407-905-7710                                       

 

 

 

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