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Welcome New Faculty and Staff
Help us welcome new faculty and staff members to Park Tudor this year. Their biographies are available in the document linked below. Don't forget that biographical information on all of our faculty and staff members is always available on the Park Tudor website.
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Twenty Students Participate in Ernst & Young Integrated Business Program
 Over the summer, Park Tudor offered for the first time The Ernst & Young Integrated Business Program. Twenty highly motivated students participated in the week-long program, taught by Ernst & Young Partner Jeffrey Aldridge, which introduced students to critical aspects of business including strategy, finance, marketing, sales and operations. Students also learned the critical skills of collaboration, data analysis and public speaking. At the end of the week, students participated in a team-format business challenge/case competition presented before a panel of local business executive leaders. Congratulations to the winning team of Jack Morris, Zach Hale, Mike McGill, Kiran Boyher and Aidan Wiesinger.
Participants in the week-long program included Owen Akins, Sara Aldridge, Kiran Boyher, Katie Couch, Will Couch, Kylie Clouse, Nick Coury, Zach Hale, Alex Honigford, Ryan Kiley, Chris Lombardo, Mike McGill, Jack Morris, Priyanka Ranga, Kamryn Sarrat, Tommy Schacht, Jacob Urbanek, Maya Voelkel, Aidan Wiesinger, and Victor Xiao.
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A Word on Wellness: Encouragement vs. Praise - Setting the Tone for a Rewarding School Year
By Erin Nixon, Middle School Counselor 
There's something enchanting about the first days of a new school year. A certain freshness is in the air, and with it comes a palpable sense of optimism. As parents, we've done some groundwork to help the back-to-school transition go as smoothly as possible. We've bought the next size up from last year's uniform. We've helped set up lockers and poured over supply lists. We've met teachers and peeked into classrooms. Full of the enthusiasm that a fresh start brings, we parents stand at the ready to cheerlead our children through a new school year. With all the best intentions, we offer support to our children mostly through what we say. The tricky thing is, all positive words are not equal, and the subtle difference between encouragement and praise can have a substantial impact on how our children approach school, sports, and life in general. Words of encouragement reinforce effort and improvement, focusing on the hard work that contributed to an accomplishment. Encouragement places emphasis on important skills and qualities that will promote future success. Praise, on the other hand, puts the focus on the child himself or the particular accomplishment. When you praise a child, you take the emphasis off the positive efforts, such as persistence or improvement.Though intentions are usually good, praise can also inadvertently place labels on children that can be stressful to maintain. If a child believes he must be "the athletic one" or "smart," he is less likely to take on challenges for fear of failing, and is also more likely to be distressed when those inevitable failures occur. Unfortunately, many kids who rely on praise become less likely to view true accomplishments as such. Distinguishing praise and encouragement is not always so clear-cut, but praise generally focuses on your child and his achievements ("You're one of the best on the team!" "An A on your first exam! You're so smart!" "What a good boy you are!"), whereas encouragement, on the other hand, places the emphasis on the positive efforts, or the process. ("I can tell you've been working really hard at practice." "I am impressed by your effort on this!" "Thank you for being so helpful at the store today.") Let's consider this fictional story about a pretend 6th grader. Just for fun, we'll call him Champ. Champ has his first French test of the year. A natural linguist, he brings home an A, despite doing very little to prepare for the exam. "Great work!" his parents say. "You're so smart! You are going to dominate the 6th grade!" These words are undoubtedly kind, and Champ is likely grinning from ear to ear. The following week, Champ has a math test. He knows math is not his best subject, so he spends a substantial amount of time studying and asking his teacher for help on tough problems. When he gets his test back, it is a perfectly respectable B. Some other students received A's. Feeling disappointed and off course from his domination of the 6th grade, Champ hides the test in his backpack and considers himself a failure. What went wrong here? In my office, I dry many tears over disappointing grades or botched performances. More often than not, the kids are certain that they have disappointed their parents. And, more often than not, the parents have never placed explicit expectations on their child's grades. Champ's parents are unlikely to have ever said, "It's A's in this house, or else!" His parents certainly meant well, but a better response to the French exam might have been, "Wow! You really seem to like languages. Tell us more about that." By noticing his interest and extending an invitation to discuss it, Champ's parents are opening up a potentially fruitful conversation with their son. They also avoid unintentionally pressuring him to perform above his peers. Champ might have preferred an A rather than a B on the math test, but with some guidance from his parents, he might come to recognize that his efforts to prepare for the test were commendable and a practice he can call upon for future challenges. It is healthy and normal for a child to want to do well, and to be sad when that desire doesn't quite pan out. However, if we can teach our children to look internally for motivation instead of to others for praise, if we can help them value the process over the product, then we offer them so much more than our positive words. If you suspect you might be overpraising, take heart. Choose a few default phrases and make it a goal to shift the focus this school year. Kids are intuitive and resilient. Let's encourage them and set the tone for a rewarding school year. |
Students and Faculty in the News
* Junior Caroline Sogard competed at the USA Water Ski Regionals in the
slalom ski event. She scored 4 at 28 off the rope and finished in 4th place. She then attended the USA Water Ski Nationals in Palm Beach Florida and finished 25th in the country. Caroline will continue to compete throughout the fall.
* Sophomore Maya Voelkel and senior Luke Elliott received scholarships through the U.S. State Department's National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) to study in China this summer. Six hundred scholarships are awarded to students throughout the country to study language and culture in countries that are of interest to the future of the State Department. Maya was in a group of 19 students that went to Deyang, China for 6 weeks; Luke studied in Shanghai. They attended classes with their fellow students during the day, and lived with Chinese families.
* Freshman Maisie French and sophomores Hannah Wang and Megan Chapelle participated in the 2015 Summer Legal Institute at the McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis. During the week-long institute, the students visited law firms and the courts, participated in a mock trial, attended workshops on college readiness and business networking, and presented oral arguments for competition.
* On July 17, the PT Robotics Club held a clinic at St. Richards Episcopal School for Horizons Program 7th grade students. Pictured are Elijah Cummings of Horizons, senior Quinton Petrucciani, and PT Robotics Club advisor Lori Petrucciani.
* On July 10, orchestra director Lorelei Farlow presented a seminar on the "Sequentially Spiraling Development String Musicians" to the faculty of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Indianapolis. Under the auspices of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, MYO is a program aimed toward youth and family development through music. Mrs. Farlow has been a part of their community outreach since 2009. This year she will be working with MYO students at their IPS 70 site.
* Over the summer, Laura Gellin presented the session "From Isolation to Conversation: Essay-Writing Strategies for Argument and Synthesis" at the Annual AP Conference in Austin, TX. The session was designed to help teachers learn and experiment with strategies that activate students' critical thinking and improve their abilities to plan and write more authentic, complex, college-level arguments.
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* While not required for sports participation at Park Tudor, echo screenings will be available for student athletes in grades 6-12 for $20 at St. Vincent Medical Group on September 14 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Click here for more information.
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Back-to-School Nights - LS
Back-to-School Night TONIGHT!
Lower School: Thursday, August 20, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Middle School: Thursday, August 27, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Upper School: Thursday, September 3, 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Meet your children's teachers and hear from school administrators as we kick off the year!
Spirit Night - TOMORROW
Friday, August 21
5:30 p.m.
Join us for hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs water and cookies before the
first home football game vs. Triton Central at 7:00 p.m.
Tables will be set up between US and the Gym on the concrete basketball area. Bring the entire family for a fun, pre-game meal, and then stay to root on the Panthers. Sponsored by the Booster Club, Park Tudor Admissions Office, and the Park Tudor Athletics Department.
PTPA Back-to-School Coffee for Middle and Upper School Parents Thursday, August 27 7:45-10:00 a.m. Wood Room Pick up your directory, sign up for PTPA volunteer opportunities, and catch up with fellow Middle and Upper School parents over coffee. Pantherpalooza for 8th Graders Sunday, August 30 4:00-6:00 p.m. We invite all 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.
Celebration and Dedication of the Debbie Stuart Everett '69 Patio
Friday, September 11
5:30 p.m.
Upper Gym Parking Lot
The new patio space is located between the Upper Gym and the tennis courts.
Please stay after the dedication event to watch the Park Tudor Panthers football team take on Southern Wells at 7:00 p.m.
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Looking for Families for Carpooling? Search the PT Directory Online
If you would like to find families who live near you for carpooling, you can search for your zip code in the Park Tudor Student/Parent Directory that is posted online in My Backpack. Following are instructions:
1. Sign in to My Backpack
2. Access the Student/Parent Directory
3. Click on "Search" (it doesn't matter if "student" or "parent" is selected in the drop down menu at the top)
4. Click on "Printable Version" at the bottom of the first page of listings - this will pull up the PDF
5. Save the PDF and re-open it in Adobe Acrobat
6. Click on the magnifying glass to pull up the search window in Acrobat
7. Enter your zip code and click on "search" - you will see the first instance of the zip code in the directory, and then you can keep clicking "Next" in the search box to find all of the other families in the directory with that zip code.
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Picture Day is Monday, August 31
School pictures for all divisions will be taken on Monday, August 31. You can simplify the process by pre-ordering picture packages online at mylifetouch.com, using Park Tudor's picture day ID: SB015055Y0. No need to bring an order form or check to school! |
Reminder: New Summer Trip to the Galapagos Islands for Upper School Students
The science department is sponsoring a trip to the Galapagos Islands, a place that all students were introduced to in Bio I because of its many unique species and relevance to the study of evolution. This 12-day trip will involve field work (Galapagos tortoise monitoring and highlands restoration), a cultural exchange with local students, and island exploration (snorkeling and encounters with local wildlife). Students will observe animals found nowhere else on Earth and explore secluded waters, and experience a location that very few get to see.
Dates: 6/4/2016-6/15/2016
Price: $5796 (all airfare included)
Spots available: 15
Open to US students currently in grades 9-12
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New Lilly Orchard Cafe Now Open!
The newly redesigned Lilly Orchard Cafe is now open. Hours are Monday -
Saturday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; the Cafe will also remain open through half time during home football games on Friday nights. The cafe features a new lunch menu offering paninis, wraps, soups and salads, as well as breakfast favorites like coffee, pastries and donuts. The cafe is also stocked with grab-and-go items like parfaits, spinach dip and hummus made fresh daily, as well as returning Lilly Orchard favorites like caramel apples and apple cider slushies. There is a seating area in the cafe where you can enjoy your purchases on-site. Several family-sized dinner entrees will also be available to take home.
The Lilly Orchard Cafe can cater sports team meals, and will now be managing the sports concessions for Park Tudor. The cafe accepts cash and credit cards, and  parents will also be able to purchase Lilly Orchard Cafe gift cards for students to use as
payment. A new website will be up-and-running soon, but in the meantime, keep up with the Lilly Orchard Cafe on their Facebook page.
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PT Photos
Don't forget to check out PT Photos throughout the year for photos of events. You can also follow PT on Facebook and Instagram. Welcome back!
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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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