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A Word on Wellness: Recognizing Signs of Grief
By Lisa Mercurio, School Psychologist
This past week was challenging, but much good work was done by all as I witnessed students receiving the support they needed at school and at home. I am so very proud of our community and the resilience we've demonstrated as we balanced the need for our individual grieving process with meeting the needs of our children. Most importantly, I charge you with taking care of you! Without being mindful of your own care, you will not be able to care for your children.
I would like to share with you handouts (below) from our the National Association of School Psychologists and Indiana Crisis Assistance Response Team (ICART) friends on some common reactions that people feel after an intense, unusual event (e.g., memory problems, sleep disturbance, restlessness, grief, etc.) and a list of self-care ideas (e.g., take a walk outside, take a new fitness class, pamper yourself with an at-home spa day, & plan a lunch date with someone you haven't seen in a while, etc.). I encourage all parents to spend quality time with your children and listen closely to their words, now especially.
Also linked below is a summary of a module from the Coalition to Support Grieving Students website. The website also provides short video clips featuring students, parents, teachers, and professionals talking about various scenarios including: talking with children, what not to say, providing support over time and peer support. I thought it might provide a visual resource if you want or need to explore this topic further. Please know that these resources have also been shared with faculty.
As always, please reach out to each other, your children's teachers or your division school counselor or psychologist if you need ANYTHING!
We are on this journey together.
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Park Tudor Welcomes Shannon Forsell from The Cabaret
On Wednesday, January 27, Lamonte Kuskye's new Upper School Musical Theatre class welcomed Shannon Forsell, Artistic Director of The Cabaret. Shannon explained to the class the differences between cabaret-style singing vs. musical theater performance, and worked with students. She finished her visit by performing a song from her repertoire.
The students in the class are preparing to visit New York City for three days over President's Day weekend, where they will tour Radio City Music Hall, see four Broadway shows and work with Broadway veterans in two separate workshops, including one on cabaret singing. The class will culminate with the students performing their own cabaret at the Columbia Club this spring. |
The 2016 Park Tudor Summer Experience
The summer camp brochure and registration are up and ready to view on the Park Tudor website. This summer we will again incorporate Park Tudor's Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Integrity, and Intellectual Engagement into all of our camps. While keeping the student-to-teacher ratio low, these Core Values will be a cornerstone of the program and will be practiced and taught throughout all grade levels.
This year features some new classes and some of last year's favorites. Some new classes include: the Summer Olympics, private one-hour piano lessons, The Amazing Race and a Summer Athletic Boot Camp class just to name a few. Popular favorites returning include the Spanish Immersion program, Cub Camp, Spy Camp, Computer Science, Minecraft, and Harry Potter. We have a fabulous array of classes this summer for all ages that we know will fill up quickly. Before it's too late, warm up your winter and register for an experience that your child will never forget.
Applications for the Innovators Institute (grades 9-12), Junior Innovators Institute (grades 6-8) and Ernst & Young Integrated Business Program (grades 10-12) are also being accepted now. Click here for more information on the Innovators Institute, and click here for more on the EY Integrated Business Program.
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Coffee and Conversation - THIS MORNING!
Thursday, February 4
8:00 a.m.
Wood Room (NOTE: new location)
Upper School
Join Interim Head of School, Peter Kraft, to learn more about upcoming changes to the daily class schedule being implemented for the 2016-2017 school year.
Raise the Roof for Habitat for Humanity: A Student Fashion Show
Friday, February 5
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Clowes Commons
The Park Tudor Community is invited to attend the Upper School's Student Council
fundraiser for our Habitat for Humanity build. Featuring more than 70 models showcasing the fashions of 23 vendors, this event also includes the farcical "Mr. Park Tudor Contest" as 8 of our senior men vye for this honor. A dessert bar will follow the event. A $10 admission fee will be charged, and direct donations to Habitat for Humanity are welcomed. 100% of the proceeds after expenses will be donated to our Habitat home build, so please come out to Raise the Roof for Habitat!
College Information Night for 9th and 10th Grade Parents Monday, February 8 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. Wood Room Upper School Join the College Counseling team for this information session about planning for college.
Park Tudor Speaker Series Presented by The National Bank of Indianapolis: Catherine Steiner-Adair, Ed.D. Thursday, February 11 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.; Reception to follow Wood Room As the focus of family has turned to the glow of the screen - children constantly texting their friends, parents working online around the clock - everyday life is undergoing a massive transformation. The digital world is here to stay, but what are families losing with technology's gain? Drawing on real-life stories from her clinical work with children and parents, and her consulting work with educators and experts across the country, clinical psychologist Catherine Steiner-Adair offers insights and advice that can help parents achieve greater understanding, authority, and confidence as they come up against the tech revolution unfolding in their living rooms. RSVP Here. Professional Development Day - No School Friday, February 12 President's Day - No School Monday, February 15 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon Friday, February 19 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Wood Room Visiting Artist Forrest Formsma Wednesday, February 24 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.: Artist Talk in the Wood Room 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Artist Reception and Exhibition in Leffler Gallery/Seminar Room Upper School Mothers and Special Friends Morning Friday, February 26 7:55 - 11:50 a.m. Upper School Mothers and special friends are invited to spend the morning attending classes with their Upper School student(s). |
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Musicians Make Excellent Showing at ISSMA Competitions
 By Lorelei Farlow, Orchestra Teacher
Park Tudor students from all divisions made an excellent showing at the Indiana State School Music Association district solo and ensemble competition over the weekend. In total, Park Tudor had 32 soloists and 30 ensembles involving 162 musicians competing. Nine of our soloists will be going on to the state competition, along with four ensembles involving 27 members. See the full list of participants.
In Band and Orchestra, our students spend the month of January working in smaller groups to prepare for the ISSMA annual Ensemble Contest. Being personally responsible for exposed passages and focusing on one piece for an extended period of several weeks gives students the opportunity to go beyond a quick "good" result. They work toward the "excellence" that comes with a deep, thorough study of a difficult piece of music literature.
The ultimate example of collaboration and cooperative learning, studying ensemble music in a small group gives each member the experiences of leading at appropriate times, accepting helpful advice from peers, and offering constructive suggestions - all for the benefit of the group as a whole. Chamber music emphasizes critical thinking and analysis. Musicians need to listen with care, follow subtle cues, and respectfully blend with the ideas of colleagues. It is truly a group effort that involves hours of intense rehearsal to prepare for a short performance to be adjudicated by a single expert judge rather than by a large, loving audience.
The contest does not rank ensembles. There is no "best." Students come to realize that there is no need to compare different groups to each other for that purpose. Instead, they learn to evaluate the qualities of a musical performance based on factors that include rhythm, intonation, phrasing, tone quality, articulation, balance, dynamics, and expression. A judge's observations are used to support the work that is invested in these areas and give guidance for further improvement.
The short-term goal is for each ensemble to present an excellent performance of an impressive piece of music. It is achieved with intense attention to detail and hours of focused repetition. The students work together within their group, learning from comments and suggestions from our professional music coaches, and then following through with input from each other.
The long-lasting, invaluable results come from the process of working and reworking every detail until the intertwining of all the parts of a composers' thought is thoroughly understood and perfected. This is accomplished when an ensemble gels to work beyond accuracy of notes and rhythm, and chooses to go beyond basic energy and enthusiasm. With diligence and perseverance, they can bring all aspects of a composition together into a beautiful expression of aural art. The resulting rise in individual skills and enhanced musical expertise brings each young musician to a new level of personal satisfaction.
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Connecting Classroom, Campus and Community: Consider GOA Courses for
2016-2017
By Jamey Everett, GOA Coordinator and Lower School Technology Integrator
An exceptional opportunity for Park Tudor Upper School students is to take courses through the Global Online Academy (GOA). GOA courses allow students to build connections with their peers all over the world, decide where and when their learning happens, and experience cutting-edge courses completely online. These courses are great options for students who love learning, are curious, and can self-manage their time.
Three years ago, Park Tudor joined GOA to be a part of a consortium of independent schools determined to redefine online instruction. Our common goal is to provide our Upper School students with an online learning experience that goes far beyond other online alternatives. GOA courses are as academically rigorous as our face-to-face classes. Capped at 18 students each, these fully online courses are built to be highly interactive, to allow students to dive deeply into content, and to reinforce crucial self efficacy skills. Course instructors are from GOA member schools all over the world and have participated in GOA's highly regarded professional development courses. Instructors are matched with a Course Designer to help ensure each class meets GOA's high standards for online instruction.
What do students need to succeed in GOA courses? Motivation, above all else. Participation is totally on their time so students must be motivated to get online and participate on a daily basis, just as they would in a face-to-face class. They also need time in their schedule, as a GOA course is considered equal to Park Tudor courses, in time and workload. Organization is key, too. Courses have assignments and deadlines: an instructor monitors student participation and grades their work. Students also need to be flexible. One of the amazing things about taking a GOA course is meeting other students from countries all over the world. But with that comes managing time zones and learning to work in teams with different constraints.
The 2016-2017 Course Catalog is available now and includes courses like "Power: Redressing Inequity through Data," "Entrepreneurship in a Global Context," and "Architecture." If you or your student would like to learn more about GOA, please contact me (jeverett@parktudor.org or 415-2820). Along with instructors on our campus, we can help students evaluate whether GOA is right for them.
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Students and Faculty in the News
 * The Lower School Spelling Bee on January 28 brought 20 students, 18 rounds, 137 words, 70 minutes, and one eventual winner. Two students per homeroom in grades 3-5 competed in the annual Lower School Scripps Spelling Bee. Students spelled words like pathogen, quid pro quo, gargantuan, and jackanapes and needed to know the definitions for words like fondant, yurt, winsome, and umbrage as part of this year's competition. The final two spellers were both grade 4 students, Sragvee Altur and Neha Kodali, who competed for three rounds before Sragvee accurately spelled censure ("the act of blaming, finding fault with or condemning sternly") to win this year's bee. He will proceed to the Northern Marion County Bee at St. Richard's School on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:15 p.m. If, for some reason, he is unable to attend, Neha will represent the Lower School. Congratulations to all the spellers in this year's competition!
* Middle School Students Zach Phelps and Olivia Weymuth (Team 6842 - Pig Pen) are pleased to be Park Tudor School's first Vex Robotics Tournament Champions. Last weekend Zach and Olivia competed in the Raven - Vex Robotics Tournament at Anderson University against 30 other middle school and high school teams from northern and central Indiana.
 * Chris Skalnik (11) and Victor Xiao (10) are the Indianapolis finalists in the Bright House Networks STEM from Today's Youth competition. The multistate competition challenges high school students to dream up inventions to make their own life, community or the world better. Their idea "Anti-Resistance Antibiotic Spray" is a creative solution to the growing problem of contaminated food supplies. Chris and Victor advance to the final round in Orlando, FL on March 2.
* Upper School Spanish teacher Francisco Hidalgo has earned his Ph.D. - Cum Laude (Europe's highest grade) in Medieval History and Literature from the Universidad de Valladolid. He successfully defended his dissertation, "Water and War in the Castile of the Catholic Kings Through the Chronicles of the Wars of Portugal and Granada (1475-1492)," last week in Spain. Congratulations to Francisco on this remarkable achievement!
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 Boys Basketball: The boys basketball team takes on rival Brebeuf Jesuit this Saturday at Park Tudor. The junior varsity game is scheduled to tip off at 1:00 and will be followed by the varsity game at 2:30. Tickets are being pre-sold for this event and are still available in the Athletic Office from 8:00-3:00 today. Tickets will be first-come, first-served until the event is sold out.
Girls Swimming: The girls swimming sectional will begin this evening at Ben Davis High School. Preliminaries will begin at 5:30 p.m. Diving will begin on Saturday, 2/6 at 9:00 a.m. and will be followed by the swimming finals at 1:00. Please come out and support your PT swimmers!
Girls Basketball: The girls basketball team began sectional play this week at Speedway High School. The Lady Panthers played Shortridge High School in the opening game of the sectional on Tuesday and were victorious, 75-30. The Lady Panthers were led by Taylee Nibbs with 23 points, followed by Kamryn Sarratt with 18 points. All nine Lady Panthers recorded at least one field goal in the scorebook in the impressive win. They will now take on the Crusaders from Scecina Memorial High School in a semifinal match up tomorrow night (2/5) at Speedway High School. Opening tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. Please come out and support your Lady Panthers! More details.
Hockey: The Central Indiana Knights hockey club, which is Park Tudor's high school hockey team, played two games this past weekend. The A team went 1-0-1 on the weekend, with a 4-2 win against Perry and Panther Adam Gottwald earning the tie in net in a 3-3 contest against Bloomington.
Come out and cheer on The Knights as they play 4 games this week:
- Thursday, Feb. 4, at 8:15 p.m. against Carmel at the Carmel Ice Skadium
- Friday, Feb. 5, at 9:30 p.m. vs Springboro HS (Ohio) at Perry Park
- Saturday, Feb. 6, at 5:15 p.m. against Zionsville at the Carmel Ice Skadium
- Sunday, Feb. 7, at 1:20 p.m. against Westfield at the Fishers Fuel Tank (formerly the Forum at Fishers)
The Knights B Team also plays Sunday, Feb. 7, at 11:40 a.m. against HSE at the Fishers Fuel Tank.
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Reenrollment Contracts Coming Next Week
Parents, later this month, you will receive your reenrollment contract for next year in an email from Interim Head of School, Peter Kraft. The contract can be completed online; complete instructions will be sent with the email.
We thank you for making an important investment in your child's education and for the trust you place in Park Tudor School and our exceptional educators.
Please note, your contract will only be available when your student account is current. If you have an outstanding balance, please make arrangements for payment or contact Tina Weingardt at 415-2800 with any questions.
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Faculty and Staff Appreciation Luncheon - Last Call for Donations!
This year's Faculty and Staff Appreciation Lunch will be held on Friday, February 19th. Please see this link for volunteer opportunities and donation requests. There are also boxes set up at the Leeta Albea's desk in Lower School, Steve Curry's desk in Middle School, and Sharon Riddle's desk in Upper School for donations. All donated items and services are due by Friday, February 5th.
We appreciate your help and support in making this a successful event for the PT faculty and staff. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Jessie Friskney ( jessiefriskney@hotmail.com)or Melanie Martin (melanie.martin1110@sbcglobal.net). Please also contact Melanie if you have donated items that need to be picked up.
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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: 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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