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It's time to start planning for the start of school
It's only mid-July, but it's time to start preparing for the 2014-2015 school year! Specific information for the start of school is now posted on the Opening of School page of parktudor.org for each school division and grade level, along with parent volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions, please contact your student's school director or refer to the "who to contact" list on the second page of the Student/Parent Handbook, which also is posted on the website. * New parents, if you have not yet set up your My Backpack account, please visit the New Families page of the website for instructions. * The Student/Parent Handbook is an important resource that contains extensive information about school policies and procedures, and is available on parktudor.org. Please review it carefully. Any new or updated information in this year's handbook is marked with an asterisk.* A detailed opening of school calendar is posted with Opening of School information. The complete school calendar listing all school events is also available. The online calendar can be customized to meet your family's individual needs - click on the "My Dynacal" feature on this online calendar to set up your customized calendar(s).* Information specific to each school division can be found on the Director's Notes blog.Lower School & Hilbert CenterMiddle SchoolUpper School* Students' physical education uniforms should be purchased from the LockerShop before the first day of school. The LockerShop, located on the lower level of the Gym, will be open:
- Thursday, August 13 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Monday - Friday, August 17 - 21: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
A representative will be on-hand to assist you with your clothing selections.
* The Park Tudor Directory, containing contact information for parents and faculty, will be posted in My Backpack in early August and will be updated regularly. Printed directories will also be available after the start of school. The quickest way to access the directory is the PT Advantage mobile app. Please make sure that your family's contact information is accurate by reviewing it in your My Backpack account by Monday, July 20.* Middle and Upper School student schedules are now available on My Backpack. The book lists for each course and ordering information will be available at the eCampus online bookstore. The bookstore also includes any notes about textbooks for each class, as well as ISBN numbers for all books, in case you'd like to purchase your textbooks elsewhere. eCampus will be offering free shipping on all orders until July 28.We look forward to seeing you next month!
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Summer Reading Reminder
The more students read, the more proficient they become at reading and writing. Park Tudor students in grades 4-12 are required to complete summer reading (and in some cases, writing) assignments before the start of school. Upper SchoolMiddle SchoolLower SchoolIf you're looking for a good book for yourself, check out the new PT Reading Recommendations blog. It features lists of books recommended by Park Tudor faculty and staff. Check out the current posts, subscribe to new posts, and leave us a comment when you're done reading! |
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Park Tudor Innovators Institute starts off strong
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| | Ilya Rekhter of DoubleMap |
The inaugural Park Tudor Innovators Institute summer program is at the halfway point, and participating students are now fully immersed. All of the students began with a three-day "Innovation Bootcamp," where the students learned how to think and act like innovators by learning a combination of high-level thinking and interpersonal skills. Now, the students have formed teams to apply what they've learned to the areas of Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship.
The students focusing on Entrepreneurship are learning the how and why of business creation. They were introduced to real-life business creation with a trip to the Innovation Showcase, an investment-pitch event in Speedway. The students have also had several visits from business owners, inspiring students to try new business ideas and allowing them a glimpse into the reality of the world of business startups. This week students are heading off campus to perform real- world market research as well as participating in a business-in-a-day competition where teams will plan and execute a business, all in one afternoon. In the meantime, students are also developing their own business ideas and preparing for a pitch event on the last day of the course.
The Design Thinking team is focused on the issue of milkweed planting to help save migratory monarch butterflies, an issue that the Park Tudor community first began exploring last school year through the work of Upper School biology teacher Mark Dewart and his students. After embarking on the Design Thinking process, the students are working to address the question, "How might we reassure people that planting milkweed is safe, responsible and worthwhile?"
The students have also enjoyed several presentations by guest speakers - entrepreneurs and innovators - from the Indianapolis area. During the first week of the Institute, Ilya Rekhter shared his story of founding DoubleMap, an app that allows public transportation users to track bus routes and arrival times at various stops. What started as an idea when Ilya was a student at IU has now turned into a thriving company with clients including colleges and universities and city transit systems throughout the U.S. and internationally. Max Yoder also visited and told the students about his successes - and failures - that led him to create lesson.ly, software that allows companies to create their own online employee training courses, and start his own business by age 27. This week, we've welcomed Doug McColgin, the former president of Centric, Indianapolis' innovation think tank, and Denver Hutt, executive director of Speakeasy, which is a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurship in Indianapolis.
On Friday, Julie Grice, VP of entrepreneurship for the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, will present to the students, and on Monday we will welcome Tony Petrucciani, CEO of Single Source Systems. All presentations are free and open to the entire Park Tudor community. View the full schedule here. |
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Upcoming Events
Summer Social - All-School Picnic
Wednesday, August 5
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Tour for prospective families at 6:15 p.m. (meet at Admissions entrance)
Join us for this FREE, fun, family-friendly event. There will be a cookout featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans and other BBQ favorites, along with games and activities for the whole family. The LockerShop will be open so you can grab new PT gear. Bring towels for water fun! No RSVP require. Check in and pick up name tags at the entrance to the Admissions Office. If it rains, we will move inside the gym.
Pantherpalooza for Rising 8th Graders
Sunday, August 30
4:00-6:00 p.m.
We invite all rising 8th graders - current and prospective Park Tudor students - to have some fun while learning a bit about the Upper School. Wear comfortable, casual clothing. Questions? Call Barb Skinner at (317) 415-2776 or email bskinner@parktudor.org. RSVP here by August 27. |
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Summer Stock Stage presents "Mary Poppins"
 Summer Stock Stage will perform the family favorite "Mary Poppins" from July 22-26 in Ayres Auditorium. Performance times are: July 22, 23, 24, 25: 7:30 p.m. July 25 & 26: 2:30 p.m. Tickets and more information are available at summerstockstage.com. Park Tudor families are invited to a FREE Meet and Greet with the characters on Wednesday, July 22, 6:15 - 7:00 p.m. in Foster Hall. Meet Mary Poppins, Bert, and other characters before attending the 7:30 p.m. performance. No tickets are required for this free event. Buy performance tickets online.Based on the classic Disney film, adventure abounds in the Banks household when a mysterious nanny magically appears. Mary Poppins whisks the Banks children into of world of dancing chimney sweeps, shopkeepers, and a variety of colorful characters. This irresistible story features stunning sets and costumes, incredible dance numbers and beloved songs like "A Spoonful of Sugar" and the biggest word you ever heard, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Anything can happen in this family friendly musical. Its message about hope, optimism, and perseverance will leave you and yours flying high! |
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Students in the News
 * Rising 6th grader Vanessa Xiao participated in the "You Be the Chemist" National Challenge on June 22 in Philadelphia, representing the state of Indiana. Vanessa was one of only 36 students - and one of only four girls - competing from all over the country. The Chemical Education Foundation, supported by Dow Agrosciences in Indianapolis, sponsored her attendance at the competition. She was accompanied by her family and Lower School science teacher Cammy Dubie, taking the place of Upper School chemistry teacher Marilyn Weiss, who was unable to attend due to the recent birth of her daughter. Marilyn worked with Vanessa on chemistry concepts throughout the year to help her prepare for the competition.  * On May 20, the Horizons club hosted its Ping Pong Championship. In a thrilling contest, senior Scott Thygesen outlasted PT tennis teammate Danny Rayl to win the title 21-19. The 32-person tournament raised $490 for the Horizons program. Horizons is designed to close the achievement gap in Indianapolis by providing underserved children access to high-quality academics in an engaging summer program, tuition-free. Summer learning loss is the largest contributing factor to the national achievement gap putting low-income students as much as three years behind by the fifth grade. In contrast, Horizons students gain an average of 2-3 months reading and math skills during the five-week summer program. In addition to preventing summer learning loss, Horizons has two other goals - increasing water safety by teaching our children a life-saving skill through swim lessons at Butler University three times a week, and developing healthy lifestyles by teaching and modeling healthy habits. Current PT Upper School students Emma Baker, Thomas Bamforth, Alex Bowlby, Kendall Gardner, Jeremy Klotz, and Elizabeth Untama, 2015 graduates Olivia Buroker, Kevin Freije, and Nick Hornedo, and teacher Jeff Johnson, serve as volunteers for the summer 2015 program. |
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July statements now available
Your current statement is now available for viewing in your Park Tudor My Backpack account. Payment is due by Friday, July 31.
To determine if you have a balance due, click on the "Account Summary" tab. To see details of your balance, click on the "Statement" tab. Past statements also are available for review, and statements are printable from this screen. You may pay online by clicking on the "Pay Online" option in the lower left corner of the statement screen and completing the electronic payment information, or send payment by mail to:
Park Tudor School P.O. Box 6069 - Dept. 105 Indianapolis, IN 46206-6069
Please call 415-2800 if you have any questions regarding your student's account. If you need assistance with My Backpack password or login, please call 415-2710 or email support@parktudor.org.
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Follow PT Summer Around the World
Park Tudor students are exploring extraordinary opportunities around the world and here in Indianapolis this summer! We're sharing some of these stories in a series called PT Summer Around the World on Facebook and Instagram. Follow us to hear about our students' adventures!
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Park Tudor School Mission
To create an inspiring college-preparatory learning environment, with exceptional educators and extraordinary opportunities, that prepares and motivates students to become balanced, confident, and resourceful lifelong learners.
Editor: Cathy Chapelle '87
Editorial Staff: Emily Groves '93, Cassie Dull
Graphic Design & Layout: Stefanie Dean '05
The deadline for submissions to the Times is Monday at 9 a.m. for publication on Thursday. Because of the volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee publication in the same week, but date-sensitive information will receive priority. |
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