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Drama Teacher and Theatre Director Jerry Grayson to Retire at End of School Year
It is with deep gratitude for his dedicated service that we announce the retirement of Jerry Grayson, after 31 years at Park Tudor.
Staging more than 60 productions in Ayres Auditorium, Jerry has directed an incredible range of theatrical works that have inspired, challenged and delighted our students and community.
Throughout his tenure, Jerry cultivated strong artistic partnerships with Rob Hueni, John Williams, Jeanne Bowling, Debbie Everett and many others to build an incredible Theatre Department, Drama curriculum and so much more. His dedicated work ethic, passion, intellect, high artistic standards and love for the rigor of Theatre generated enthusiasm in many former students who have enjoyed successful careers in the Performing Arts. Jerry will stage his final musical theatre production, in collaboration with Lamonte Kuskye, Nolan Brokamp, Ron Morgan and Jeanne Bowling, this spring for Park Tudor - The Addams Family. Performances are Friday, March 11 at 8 p.m., Saturday, March 12 at 3 p.m., and Sunday, March 13 at 3 p.m. The popular Park Tudor Dinner Theatre event will take place prior to Friday's show. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for this family-friendly event that includes dinner, a silent auction, wine pull, and special student performances, with proceeds benefitting the Park Tudor Fine Arts program. There will also be a special opportunity for young audience members to get signatures and photos with the characters following Saturday's performance. Click here to purchase Dinner Theatre tickets, and click here to purchase tickets for the show only.
Please join us in thanking Jerry for his extraordinary service to Park Tudor and in wishing him all the best in the future!
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Global Scholars Presentation Schedule Finalized; All are Invited to Attend
The presentation schedule for this year's senior class of Global Scholars has been finalized and is available here. All members of the Park Tudor community are invited to attend these interesting and informative presentations, which begin March 8 and continue through April. Topics run the gamut from legal issues to medical topics, to the arts, sports, science and beyond.
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A Word on Wellness: Shine On!
By Lisa Picha, School Psychologist
So often we may move through our routines and specific roles in a predictable and automatic way. For a school psychologist this often involves a focus on data, numbers, trends, scores and when required, crisis support. Most of these tasks have pretty straightforward procedures, well-researched materials and interventions, and goals. This got me thinking about some of the things that we do that are harder to operationalize, such as helping students "shine."
Several years ago there was an article in the National Association of School Psychologists Communique that talked about the ways that school psychologists can impact students within the broad school population. This reminds me of the great importance of each of us as individuals within our Park Tudor community. There are so many different roles and pieces necessary to make our environment thrive. Katherine Cowan and Andrea Cohn wrote, "A crucial component of building resilience in our students and school community is helping individuals see the real benefits that simple positive actions can have on themselves and others." We can support and strengthen our students by increasing the number of positive experiences they have each day.
Some of the helpful things we can all do to strengthen our connectedness, resilience, positive outlook and confidence can include simple acts of accepting ourselves and our children and the full range of qualities this brings. I really appreciate when I see how our community can model positive acts, stop and take time for everyday acts of kindness and care for others. "Today is a good day to shine!"
Keep sharing positive. Be grateful. Forgive. Accept others. Think kind thoughts. Love, celebrate and embrace differences. Laugh. Stop to make time for others. Give!
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An Update on Monarch Butterflies
 By Mark Dewart, Upper School Science Teacher
Birds are singing on campus when we arrive in the morning, one of the many signs that winter is ending here in Indiana. Warmer days have already reached the 12 forested mountain sites in Mexico where the entire eastern population of monarch butterflies has spent the winter. In early March, the migratory generation that flew to Mexico last fall is moving lower on the mountainsides and mating. During the second week in March the monarchs will start flying northeast from their fir forest overwintering sites. The great journey north will begin.
Park Tudor students and faculty have anticipated the arrival of the monarchs and already begun their second year of work to provide habitat for the butterflies. In January, the Lower School Panther Kids Care group used their nimble fingers and created packets of milkweed seeds and planting instructions that were distributed to 300 teachers who attended the Indiana Association of Independent Schools Conference at Park Tudor in February.  This week, milkweed seedlings started emerging from planting trays in science labs on campus. These seedlings will grow to a height of 6 inches in the greenhouse. Then, when the danger of frost has passed, students will transplant the seedlings into prairie restoration areas at Stamm Park in Washington Township. In this second year of growing and planting milkweed, students will create maps that document the increase in milkweed stem counts at Stamm Park. The data students collect from campus milkweed plots will contribute to national studies that are trying to understand the effects of disease and predation on the milkweed insect community. This practical work to return monarchs to their former abundance gives Park Tudor students a wonderful opportunity to apply concepts and skills they have learned in math and science classes and experience the satisfaction of engaging and helping solve meaningful problems.
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Lower School Panther Project Team Launches Book Drive
The Lower School Panther Project Team launched a March Book Drive in honor of Read Across America Day (March 2) at a Lower School assembly on Tuesday, March 1. Panther Project Team members will also present at the Hilbert Center community meeting this Friday. The drive will run through March 11 and bins have been placed in the two Lower School lobbies for collection.
All the books will be donated to two local food pantries. First Baptist Food Pantry has had a tradition of giving a book to any child or adult who is also there to pick up necessary food items. There is a new food pantry in our community, Crooked Creek Pantry (71st and Michigan) and they are beginning to also have a table with books each day the pantry is open (an initiative started by a Park Tudor parent, Alix Loewen). It is exciting to partner with both these organizations. All types of books (including gently used) are welcome, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, teen novels, adult novels, and nonfiction books.
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PT Students Shine at ISSMA State Competitions
On Saturday, February 20, several Park Tudor students competed in the state level of the ISSMA Piano and Voice Competition, earning gold medals. Congratulations to:
Piano:
MS: Brian Zhu
US: Andrea Stout and Alex Stout
Voice:
MS: Madeleine Loewen and Kyle Xu
US: Kylie Clouse, Antonio Dominguez, Elise Edgar, Michael French, Julia King, Erin Krull, Anjali Mirmira and Sally Root
On Saturday, February 27, Park Tudor was also well-represented at the state level of the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest. Each of the 9 soloists earned a gold rating, and each of our ensembles (21 total members) earned that top rating, as well.
Soloists:
*Angela Li, flute
*Priya Moorthy, clarinet
*Ethan Piper, alto saxophone
*Elise Edgar, viola
*Jarod Lau, violin
*Hannah Wang, violin
*Emily Sun, cello
*Mike McGill, bass
Ensembles:
*Flute Trio: Angela Li, Jonathan Moore, and Jennifer Oberthur
*Saxophone Trio: Matthew Gerdisch, Allen Zhao, and Andrew Chen
*Renaissance Plus String Ensemble: Andrea Stout, Paula Sing, Michelle Zhu, Michael
French, Hannah Wang, Stephen Kocerha, Hana Shafique, Shelby Hart, Elise Edgar, Aidan Wiesinger, Lucy Keller, Chris Skalnik, Aman Sikand, Abbi Plewes, and Alex Bowlby
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Upcoming Events
Coffee & Conversation - THIS MORNING Thursday, March 3 8:00 a.m. Seminar Room/Leffler Gallery Join Interim Head of School Peter Kraft for "Coffee & Conversation." Peter will answer your questions about the newly redesigned schedule, iBlock and how you can participate, Community Engaged Learning (CEL) at Park Tudor, summer programs, or other topics.
JK Discovery Night - TONIGHT Thursday, March 3 6:00 p.m. In honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday, JK students and parents are invited to visit all four classrooms and experience activities designed to teach early literacy skills. Participation in these hands-on tasks allows parents to appreciate the deep understanding gained from these activities. Pizza and cookies are available for all hungry learners.
Middle School Fathers and Special Friends Morning
Friday, March 4
7:55 - 11:45 a.m.
Join us to experience a "day in the life" of your Middle School student. Please note: we ask that Middle School students not be taken off campus for lunch following the morning.
Lower School/Hilbert Center Parent-Teacher Conferences - NO CLASSES
Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11
Lower School and Hilbert Center parents can use the following links to sign up for parent-teacher conference times:
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| | Artwork by Elizabeth Untama |
PT Dinner Theatre and Upper School Musical Performance: The Addams Family Friday, March 11 5:30 p.m.: Dinner and Silent Auction in Clowes Commons 8:00 p.m.: Musical performance in Ayres Auditorium
Upper School Musical: The Addams Family
Friday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m. - This performance will be followed by an opportunity for young audience members to meet the characters and get signatures and photos with them!
Sunday, March 13 at 3:00 p.m.
Ayres Auditorium
Purchase show tickets here.
College Admissions Forum for 11th Grade Students and Parents Monday, March 14 7:00 p.m. Clowes Commons
Women's Networking Event at Traders Point Creamery
Tuesday, April 12
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Traders Point Creamery
9101 Moore Road
Zionsville, IN 46077
The Park Tudor Women's Network brings women together to provide connections, learning experiences and opportunities to grow in meaningful ways. Park Tudor recognizes the power of women and strives to engage and encourage women as critical partners of the school. All Park Tudor moms, moms of alumni, alumnae, grandmothers, faculty, and wives of alumni are invited to join us! Traders Point Creamery is an organic, 100% grassfed dairy farm and artisan creamery in Zionsville, Indiana, owned by the Kunz family, Dr. Fritz Kunz '72 and Jane Elder Kunz '73. Join us for delicious appetizers from the Creamery's farm-to-table restaurant and other refreshments. Jane Kunz will educate us on organic farming and nutrition.
Save the Date: PT Booster Club Dinner
Sunday, April 24
5:00 p.m.
Clowes Commons
Join the Booster Club and an exciting speaker for a dinner in support of the Park Tudor athletic program. Details to follow, and all ages are welcome.
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* The MS and US Science Olympiad teams competed in the Butler regional on Saturday, February 27. They competed against 15 others teams, including the top 3 teams in the state. Medal winners were:
Margherita Firenza/Arya Bolla: 4th place in Cell Biology
Hashim Raza/Nicholas Lo: 5th place in Disease Detectives
Andrew Wu/Arunabh Sinha: 1st place in Chemistry Lab
Hashim Raza/Connor Button: 2nd place in Forensics
Annabella Helman/Maya Mishra: 2nd place Disease Detectives
* Michelle Shen, Allen Zhao, Andrew Wu, and Alex Gu scored in the top 5% nationally on the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competition. They have been invited to take the American Invitational Mathematics Exam today to compete for further honors. Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
* Eighth grader Kristian Gabrielle Young has been named the Junior Journalist for the 2016 NCAA Women's Final Four. In her role, Kristian will join the NCAA staff for selection weekend (bracket), welcome the four teams as they arrive in Indianapolis, interview players and coaches throughout their Final Four journey, and attend many events over the next five weeks leading up to the final game.
* On Saturday, February 27, three Park Tudor Speech Team members attended the District 6 Sectional Speech meet at Southport High School. The top six students in each event move on to compete at the Indiana State Speech Meet on Saturday, March 12 at Fishers High School. Sophomore Beatrice Bowlby, who won third place, will compete at the state meet in original oratory. Freshman Matt Fu, who placed 5th, will compete at state in United States extemporaneous speaking, and freshman Gary Zhang placed as first alternate and will be competing at state in humorous interpretation. Head Park Tudor Speech Coach is Tamara Tudor.
* Horizons Club officers Elizabeth Untama (12) and Thomas Bamforth (11) participated in the Horizons Trivia Night at Developer Town on February 25. Horizons works to close the achievement gap in Indianapolis by providing underserved children access to high-quality academics in an engaging summer program, tuition free. The Park Tudor Horizons Club supports the Horizons program by raising funds, recruiting volunteer interns, and supporting Horizons events throughout the year. Both Elizabeth and Thomas have been multi-year volunteer interns for Horizons.
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Cheerleading: The cheerleading team competed in the Indiana Crossroads Conference cheer competition this past Saturday at Monrovia High School. In four different categories they earned a total of 195.80 points with no deductions, which earned them a fifth place finish. The continued support and enthusiasm the girls have provided the many PT athletic teams throughout the fall and winter has been tremendous. They have continued to keep the crowd and student body engaged and enthusiastic at numerous sporting events throughout the year, continuing to make PT proud and representing the school and community in a first class fashion. A big thank you goes out the all the girls on the PT cheerleading squad; we appreciate all you do! Tune into WTHR Channel 13 this Friday night at 11:00 p.m. - our cheerleaders will be featured as the cheerleaders of the week!
Boys Basketball: The Panthers defeated the Raiders from Cardinal Ritter High School in their first sectional game last night, with a final score of 64 to 46. They will now advance to the semi-final game vs. either Indianapolis Washington or Beech Grove on Friday evening (3/4) at 7:30 p.m. The sectional championship is set for Saturday evening (3/5) at 7:30 p.m.
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Fifth Graders Take on Faculty in Annual Basketball Game; First Graders Wow in Slam Dunk Show at Halftime
Park Tudor fifth graders took on Lower School faculty during the annual basketball matchup on Tuesday, March 1. The first graders wowed the crowd at halftime with a second performance of their popular slam dunk show.
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Throwback Thursday History: We Love Our Musicals!
Since the 1930s and the days of Gilbert and Sullivan musicals at Tudor Hall, Park Tudor has provided opportunities for our students of all ages to showcase their talents as singers, actors, dancers, musicians and technicians. The Fine Arts halls are lined with picture of casts, crews and orchestras past. From Lower School productions on the library stage with favorites like "Johnny Appleseed" - the current senior class's third grade musical - or the Middle School musicals like "Alice in Wonderland" or this year's production of "Suessical Jr.," to the Upper School productions of Broadway classics like "Oklahoma" or new favorites like this year's production of "The Addams Family," nearly every age of student has an opportunity to entertain audiences. This experience develops skills in teamwork and decision-making, poise and expressiveness, as well as a host of other life skills. Tickets are on sale for The Addams Family Musical. Don't miss being a part of this PT tradition!
Here is a look at musicals past:
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| | 1995 Photo of US Musical "Where's Charley?" Cast |
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| | 2000 Photo of MS Musical "Coming of Age" Cast |
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PTPA News - Annual PT Challenge!
Lace up your running shoes and grab your friends, it is time for the Annual PT Challenge! Join us on April 9th at 5:30 p.m. for one of the best events on campus. This Amazing Race style event combines exciting site activities, with trivia questions and lots of racing about the PT campus. This LS and MS event encourages you to gather friends and create a team of up to 8 people. CASH prizes are awarded for Overall Winner and Division Winners along with the coveted PT Challenge Trophy! Does your team have what it takes to secure a victory and snag the trophy from the MS hallway? We will only know if you sign up! Afterwards, enjoy a pizza and bingo party to crown the winners. Registration forms are available from your Division Administrative Desk and requested back to Susan Richards by Monday, April 4th. Lower School and Middle School teams must have at least one parent per team. Any questions should be directed to co-chairs, Susan Richards, suserichard@icloud.com or Paul Miller, lmiller@att.net.
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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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