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A Letter from Interim Head of School, Peter Kraft
Almost daily, it seems, there is another media report or another accusation that strikes at the core of the school's integrity. This is painful for all of us. As you know, we have hired Larry Mackey of Barnes and Thornburg to undertake a thorough examination of the Cox incident and the school's handling of the situation. Moreover, we have engaged Judge John Daniel Tinder to examine all of the school's policies and procedures regarding Child Safety and Welfare. Our goals in these matters are clear: to determine the facts behind recent events; to make certain that they do not happen again; and to do everything we can to ensure that every student at Park Tudor is safe. This will take honest introspection and full cooperation from every member of the Park Tudor Community. We will not equivocate, and we will not run from the truth, no matter how difficult. As our Board indicated last week and as a reminder, if you have any information that you believe is pertinent to the Cox incident or to anything else related to Child Safety, you can contact the Barnes & Thornburg team directly by leaving a voicemail message at (317) 231-7506 or sending an email to parktudor@btlaw.com.
We will cooperate fully with authorities throughout their own investigation. At the same time, however, I invite you to celebrate all that is wonderful about Park Tudor. For despite our recent challenges, I have never been more confident that Park Tudor is fulfilling our mission to provide an exceptional education for our students. Every day, our teachers create for students the extraordinary opportunities that have long defined our school. Here are but a few examples: - On February 23, as part of our ongoing Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) initiative, more than a dozen Park Tudor teachers, administrators and community group members will meet to discuss ways in which we can partner to address issues of hunger and poverty in Indianapolis.
- This past weekend, a group of Park Tudor students headed to New York City as part of our Musical Theatre class. A contingent of debaters traveled to Cambridge, MA, to participate in the prestigious Harvard Tournament. And a large group of Model UN (MUN) participants ventured to Georgetown University.
- Middle School students recently earned top marks in VEX Robotics tournaments, and more still won gold medals in the ISSMA instrumental and singing competitions. Many Upper School students were also recognized at the ISSMA competitions.
- Last week, second graders shared their "animal projects" with parents, while the week prior third graders presented on "Famous Americans" to students in all Lower School grades.
In short, Park Tudor remains as vibrant and special as ever. We know that we have important work to do-and we will get it right. As always, my best, Peter
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New Daily Schedule Supports PT2020 Strategic Initiatives
The 2016-2017 school year will bring a redesigned schedule for students, primarily affecting those in grades 6-12. There will be only modest changes to the current Lower School schedule. Based on extensive feedback from students and teachers, as well as best practices from around the country, the schedule maintains Park Tudor's commitment to balance, breadth and depth.
The schedule has a 2-week (10 class days) rotation, thus doing away with the current letter day designation. Students will have the same classes - at the same time - each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On those days, there will be eight 45-minute periods, and school will begin, as it currently does, at 7:55 with the opportunity for homeroom/advisor meetings. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the school day will end slightly later, at 3:15, followed by Flex Block from 3:20 - 3:50. Athletics will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the Upper School, as they do now.
Wednesdays, however, will look quite different. Then, students will have four 70-minute classes, along with time for advisory. Wednesday will also include an "iBlock" period from 2:50 - 3:50, which will offer a chance for students to dive deeply into an area of interest or pursue a passion.
The new schedule offers several advantages. The regular and predictable rotation makes it easier for students, faculty and parents to plan academic work, appointments and meetings. It also offers increased time for collaboration and community-building and supports Park Tudor's commitment to balance, with time to pursue extracurricular activities and opportunities like Community-Engaged Learning (CEL). Finally, the redesigned schedule furthers our commitment to providing a broad liberal arts program that builds foundational skills, while also providing time for students to work in depth and pursue areas of particular interest.
If you have questions about the redesigned schedule, please feel free to contact your child's Division Director.
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Upcoming Events
Patachou Foundation Speakers Forum - Jordyn Lexton
Thursday, February 18
7:00 p.m.
Ayres Auditorium
The Patachou Foundation is hosting its 3rd annual Speakers Forum at Park Tudor featuring former Rikers Island teacher Jordyn Lexton, who has created Drive Change to rehabilitate young adults facing the detrimental impact of the criminal justice system. Join us as we listen to Jordyn share her inspiring story and encourage others to help drive change and make an impactful difference in our community. Like The Patachou Foundation, Jordyn believes that food has always been a powerful equalizer. Both organizations seek to make an impact on the community through the power of good food and human connection. Purchase tickets for the lecture, pre-event reception and post-event dinner.
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
6:45 - 8:00 p.m.: Artist Reception and Exhibition in Leffler Gallery/Seminar Room
Forrest has been passionate about creating art his entire life. After completing his BFA and MA at Miami University, he taught all genres of art at the high school level. Now dedicated as a full-time artist, Forrest's style ranges from varying degrees of realism to abstraction. Relying on intuition and emotion, he uses rich color and texture to capture energy in his oil paintings.
Forrest has been incredibly honored to receive the prestigious 2010 American Impressionist Society's "Best of Show" of their national juried exhibition. He has also been honored to receive the 2015 Indiana Heritage Arts Best of Show, their 2014 Ada Shulz Memorial Award, and in 2009 their "Award of Excellence." He has received recognition from the Hoosier Salon - 2015's "Outstanding Oil Painting," the 2014 "Outstanding Contemporary" award, 2013 "Jury Prize of Distinction for Impressionistic Landscape," "Outstanding Traditional Oil Painting" in 2009, after winning their "Best of Work, First Time Artist" award in 2008.
Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Donor Registration in Honor of Eibhlin EwaldThursday, February 257:00 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Wood Room The Senior Class/Student Council is hosting a blood drive and bone marrow donor registration in honor of freshman Eibhlin Ewald, who lost her battle with leukemia in January. If you would like to donate, sign up online. It is simple to register to be a bone marrow donor. A cheek swab can determine if you might be a match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant. Note: Blood donors must weigh 110 pounds and be 16 or older, though 16-year-olds must have parent permission to donate. You must be 18 or older to join the bone marrow registry. Please bring photo ID with name and birthdate. Drink extra water and get a good meal before donating blood.
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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Upper School Students Take on Civic Endeavors
By Joan Grinkmeyer, Upper School Counselor
 "The time is always right to do the right thing" - Martin Luther King Jr.
Park Tudor Upper School students are very involved in civic endeavors this semester!
* The Climb, Hike and Ski club is raising money for the American Lung Association and recently hosted a 3 x 3 basketball event with Brebeuf with proceeds going to support the Fight for Air Climb on March 5, 2016. All members of the PT community are invited to face the challenge of climbing 47 floors, 1,054 steps, to the top of Chase Tower in Indianapolis with thousands of others who want to make a difference in the fight for clean air and healthy lungs. Students Simon Brown and Annabella Hellman have worked with parent Dan Long and the ALA Board to get Indianapolis youth involved in this endeavor. If you want to participate, click here to sign up or donate. |
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* Spanish Club and French Club members have united in their volunteer efforts to tutor children at two different schools in the city. On alternate Wednesdays, Senior Malcom drives a dedicated group of volunteers to School #94 to direct enrichment activities with the elementary students there. Every Thursday, Mr. Jacobs or Mrs. Grinkmeyer drive another loyal delegation to Spring Mill School in Washington Township to serve as homework helpers with a group of second-graders. * On Thursday, February 25, a Blood Drive and "Be the Match" blood marrow donor sign-up will be held in the Wood Room, hosted by the Senior Class and Student Council in honor of Park Tudor freshman Eibhlin Ewald. Extended hours should make it possible for faculty and parents to donate as early as 7 a.m. until 2:15, and you can make an appointment online. Donors must be 16 years old and weigh 110 pounds, and athletes should check with their coaches to avoid conflicts. Anyone under 16 will need parent permission. Parents: we will need your help as donors to make this a success!
* The Best Buddies Club under the leadership of Julia Schacht will host a special celebration at Nora Elementary School this Wednesday after doing a meet and greet at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired last month.
* The Habitat for Humanity Club is following up the kick-off event of the PT Raise the Roof for Habitat fundraiser with organizational plans to begin the task of raising $45,000 for our build next fall!
As you can see, it's a busy time at Park Tudor with lot of students working to connect with the broader community.
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A Word on Wellness: Welcome to Parenthood!
By Patti Duckworth, Lower School Counselor
Have you ever had one of those days? Just when you think you have your kids on the right track, everyone is doing well, and you are feeling that you have mastered the art of parenting, when wham - one of your kids derails, causing you to put on the brakes, regroup, and go back to the drawing board? Have you ever had one of those days when you question why your style of parenting works incredibly well with one child, yet seems to make things worse with his or her brother or sister? Have you ever had one of those days when self doubt begins to creep in as you think about parenting your kids? If so, you are not alone. Welcome to parenthood! Sometimes, when we have one of "those days," it is helpful to seek support from parents, grandparents, and/or trusted friends. Other times, it can be helpful to pick up a good book, find needed reassurance to stay the course, and gain fresh perspective on the art of parenting. If the latter sounds appealing, the Lower School just opened up a bookshelf in the Media Center that is dedicated to you! Parents are welcome to come in to peruse our extensive list if books about child rearing that we have collected over the years. Our books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. Please see this link for a list of books available to-date. We often learn much about ourselves as we traverse the road of parenting. And remember, we all have had one of "those days!"
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New Classes Available for Summer 2016
 Registration is now open for The Summer Experience at Park Tudor! Visit the website for more information on all classes and to register.
New classes for 2016 include:
The Summer Reading Clinic: Park Tudor's Summer Reading Clinic is designed to provide individualized support and enrichment for children struggling with foundational reading skills. This specialized three-week course will consist of both small group instruction and one-on-one tutoring sessions customized for the specific learning needs of each child. Elements of the Orton-Gillingham and Lindamood-Bell approaches will be used for direct instruction, with an emphasis on phonemic awareness, decoding skills, basic spelling rules, sight words, reading comprehension, and written and oral expression.
The Amazing Race: Students will explore different countries by competing in Park Tudor's version of the Amazing Race. Students will work together in groups to follow clues to arrive at a variety of destinations. At each destination, students will perform tasks that showcase these destinations.
The Summer Olympics: Light the Olympic torch and attend the opening ceremony! Children will learn about the Olympics by exploring the history and events that athletes compete in every four years. Make the Olympic torch, wreaths and medals during this week of celebration. Children will use teamwork to create their own versions of the Olympic events and hold their own competition at the end of the week. Don't miss your chance to win gold!
Space Exploration: 3...2...1...Blast off! Become an astronaut for a week and explore the amazing Solar System. Children will learn all about the Sun, Moon, stars and planets. They will explore by reading books and doing a variety of hands-on activities. Children will make the moon phases out of Oreo cookies, make their own constellations and create their own planet. You will not want to miss this galactic experience!
Summer Boot Camp: Join us for our youth strength training program, designed to help students develop muscular strength and endurance through a variety of fun, functional movement patterns and games. Fundamental skills in all sports start with a balanced mind and body. Our strength and conditioning program will teach students how to perform movements correctly in a safe and encouraging environment. Our focus on teamwork and self-regulation tools while incorporating flexibility, speed and agility training will prepare your young athletes for any sporting endeavor and assist in their growth and overall physical development.
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Musical Theatre Class Travels to Broadway
Over President's Day weekend, a group of Upper School Musical Theatre students, Fine Arts faculty and parents traveled to New York City for an immersive experience on Broadway. Over the course of three days, the group attended four Broadway musicals, two Broadway workshops with teaching artists and working Broadway professionals and explored Times Square.
The trip began with a tour of Radio City Music Hall, the historic hall built to be a "palace for the people" by the joined forces of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Radio Corporation of America and S.L. "Roxy" Rothafel. The decadent Art Deco interior, designed by Donald Deskey, was created as a tribute to "human achievement in art, science and industry" and to this day is a remarkable expression of architecture and design as symbols of optimism and hope.
The four performances, Fun Home, Something Rotten, Aladdin and Finding Neverland, exposed students to a wide variety of emotionally packed theatre replete with sophisticated lyrics; beautiful musical scores; brilliant set, lighting and sound design; and stunning choreography. After each performance, students eagerly braved record low temperatures, standing outside the stage door to meet performers as they enjoyed adorning playbills with signatures from the cast.
The final day concluded with a second Broadway workshop led by John Bolton. Participants presented one or two songs and received nurturing and constructive feedback from Mr. Bolton in addition to gaining a valuable set of audition tools and techniques. Mr. Bolton most recently originated the role of the Old Man in the new Broadway musical, A Christmas Story. His credits on Broadway include Curtains, Spamalot, Contact, Titanic, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Damn Yankees. On television, he played the role of Bruce Caplan on "Gossip Girl" for 3 years, Carl Switzer on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" and Jason Doyle on "The Good Wife."
The workshop also featured a surprise appearance by Farah Alvin, who performed two songs for the students and shared personal anecdotes of the audition process and life in musical theatre. Ms. Alvin has appeared on Broadway in Nine, The Look of Love, Saturday Night Fever, Grease!, and A Christmas Carol. She received a 2009 Drama Desk Nomination for her role as Missy Miller in The Marvelous Wondrettes Off-Broadway. Farah has appeared as a soloist with the National Symphonies of The United States and Canada among others. Numerous recordings include the original cast recording of The Marvelous Wondrettes, I Love You Because (PS Classics) and Frank Wildhorn's concept album for Jekyll and Hyde (Atlantic Records). Visit PT Photos to see more photos from the trip.
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Students and Faculty in the News
* Eight Middle School students competed at the 2016 MathCounts Chapter Competition last Friday. Our team competitors were Rudy Maruyama, Jeremy Tian, Kyle Xu and Brian Zhu. Our individual competitors were Adelaide Benoit, Mohammad Khan, Sophia Ling and Vanessa Xiao. There were 163 students from 20 school competing at this competition.
Our team competitors (Rudy, Jeremy, Kyle and Brian) earned 6th place recognition and have qualified to compete at the 2016 MathCounts State Competition at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The top scoring individual for Park Tudor is Kyle Xu. Congratulations to all on a job well done!
* Private piano instructor and accompanist Jennifer Hufford was chosen as one of two judges to adjudicate the "Young Performers Showcase" Piano Competition in Carmel on Saturday, February 13, sponsored by the Carmel Arts Council. The competition consisted of 68 highly talented young musicians (Grades 1-8) in Hamilton County. Congratulations to Jennifer for being selected to judge this prestigious competition. Jennifer was chosen based on her credentials of studying with two world renowned master piano teachers and international adjudicators, as well as her own extensive teaching and performing experience.
* Upper School Spanish teacher Francisco Hidalgo has published a novel in Spanish that is now available on iBooks and on Amazon (Kindle). Francisco was interviewed discussing his novel by local cultural magazine EŅE for the February issue.
* Upper School English teacher Laura Gellin presented "Taking Risks and Taking Control: Authentic Assessment" at the national ISACS Conference in Minneapolis this past November. In addition, in Laura's appointed position on the national PRESLM committee (Program to Recognize Excellence in Student Literary Magazines), she worked with a small group of literary magazine advisors to judge the country's top literary and arts magazines to determine which magazines should be awarded the Highest Award.
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Cheerleading: Come out and support your PT cheerleaders at the 2016 ICC Cheerleading competition. The competition will be held at Monrovia High School on Saturday, February 27th. It will be held in the main gymnasium and doors open at 9:00, with the competition beginning at 11:00. Admission is $5.00 per person and the competition this year includes Speedway, Triton Central, Scecina, Park Tudor, Beech Grove, Monrovia, and Cardinal Ritter.
Boys Basketball: The boys basketball team earned another conference win Tuesday evening vs. the Saints from Lutheran High School, which now puts the Panthers at 6-0 in conference play this season. They were led by Isaiah Rice with 17 points, Kobe Webster with 14 points, and Brent Brimmage with 12 points. The Panthers have three remaining home games this season and will host Bishop Chatard High School tomorrow night. The JV game is set to start at 6:00 and will be followed by the varsity game at 7:30.
Swimming: The boys swimming team will begin their sectional tomorrow, February 18th, at Brownsburg High School. The prelims will begin at 6:00 on Thursday evening and the finals will be held on Saturday, February 20th at 1:00. Please come out and support your PT swimmers!
Senior Nights: Come out and support the Park Tudor senior student athletes! Senior night for the swim team will be held at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game on Tuesday, February 23rd vs. Lapel High School. Then on Friday, February 26th, senior cheerleaders, basketball managers and players will be recognized between the JV and varsity games vs. Monrovia High School. Please help us recognize all our seniors for their commitment, efforts, and accomplishments throughout their careers at PT!
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Throwback Thursday History: The Red and Black
You may be asking, "I thought the school colors were red and white?" And you would be correct.
The Red and Black is the long-published newspaper of Park School. For many years, Park School and its predecessors Brooks School and Boys Prep published a newsletter. From 1915 and excluding the war years and a couple of years that Boys Prep organized itself, the newsletter was published continuously. Red and Black were the colors of Park School and so, when Boys Prep transitioned to Park School in 1924, the newspaper bore the colors of the school. From that time onward to the merger, it was typically published once a month, sent to all constituents and also sold for 10 cents a copy. The newspaper changed in size over the years from a magazine format to a tabloid. With the merger came a series of newspapers, from The Apple Press in the early 70s to today's Park Tudor Tribune. Regardless, The Red and Black was a staple of information for Park School for over 50 years.
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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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