The Foote School 
E-News
February 6, 2014
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A Note About Winter Flex Weekend

Due to the number of snow days so far this year,
we will have school on Feb. 14 and 17
during what was scheduled as the Winter Flex Weekend.

The policy regarding snow days and Winter Flex Weekend is spelled out on page 21 of the Parent Handbook and also in last week's Parent E-News.

For planning purposes, please note that Fri., Feb. 14 will be a D Day, and Mon., Feb. 17 will be an A Day.

AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Tickets for The 39 Steps on Sale Monday

Tickets for this year's ninth grade play, The 39 Steps, go on sale Mon., Feb. 10. All seats are $10. For information and reservations, stop by the front desk or call 203-777-3464. There will be four public performances of the play - Feb. 25, 26, 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. - and in-school performances on Feb. 24 and 25. The play is recommended for grades 3 and up.

This adaptation of The 39 Steps is filled with comedy, mystery, murder, eccentric characters and romance. As Director Julian Schlusberg notes in the play program, this is the culminating drama event for Foote's ninth graders, a class that has grown tremendously as actors, stage hands and human beings over the past decade. We hope you'll join us for this special performance. 
Like Us On Facebook!

If you haven't yet liked The Foote School Facebook page, you're missing these beautiful pictures of the snow-covered campus, a photo album from our Chinese New Year celebration, a student-made video that will be screened at a New York film festival, and much more. Click here to check out our page, and please encourage friends to like us on Facebook too.  
Annual Fund Update: "Why I Love Foote"

Why I Love Foote 
Why I Love Foote
As the Annual Fund Alumni Giving Challenge gathers momentum, we continue to ask current Foote families to give. We will be holding another parent calling night this month but you can beat us to the punch by 
clicking here to give to the Annual Fund now. In the meantime, click the still frame to watch a short video and hear what some students love about Foote.
 
   LSNewsLOWER SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Missed the 5th Grade Parent Talk? Watch the Video

Head of Lower School Beth Mello has launched a new blog to keep parents up to date on information and happenings in Kindergarten through grade 5. For one of her first entries, Beth has posted video from a recent talk for parents of fifth graders about ERB tests, math placement decisions for grade 6, and the joys and challenges of pre-adolescence and adolescence. Dr. Michael Kaplan, Foote's consulting psychiatrist, joined Beth for the talk. Click here to read Beth's blog and watch video of the talk.
  PTCNewsPTC NEWS
PTC Meeting - Feb. 12

The next meeting of the Foote Parent Teacher Council is Wed., Feb. 12 at 8:30 a.m. in the Sturley Room. All parents are welcome and encouraged to participate. Questions? Email [email protected].

Keep Track of Your Stuff, and Help Raise Money for Foote

The PTC is running a fundraiser through Feb. 28 in partnership with Mabel's Labels. Foote earns 20 percent of all label purchases made through a special website (click here to access it). There's more information on the flyer below.     

 

The Book Swap is Coming!

Time for your children to sort through their bookshelves! The Book Swap will take place Mon., Feb. 24 through Fri., Feb. 28 in the Sturley Room. The swap is an opportunity for students to exchange books they've outgrown for books they want to read. It's a fun and popular event that's been a Foote tradition for decades. Click here for more details.

Many parent volunteers are needed to make the Book Swap a success. Sign-up at VolunteerSpot for time-slots throughout the week. If only a partial shift will work for you, please include a note about your time limitations.
DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Sixth Graders Play the Odds With Math Night Games
Sixth Grade Math Night is tonight, and students offered a sneak peek at their homemade casino-style games in the Twichell Room on Thursday afternoon. Math Night is the culmination of sixth graders' unit on probability and a chance to showcase their knowledge with the game show-style flair of "Let's Make a Deal." It's also a chance for parents to hear from math teachers and department chair Megan Williams about the Middle School math curriculum. For more information on Math Night, click here. For more photos, check out our Facebook page.

MathCounts Team To Compete in State Tournament

Last Saturday, 10 Foote students competed in the New Haven chapter competition of the national MathCounts contest. The event at Yale drew around 120 students from 20 school teams. Foote's team (pictured) finished fourth, earning a spot at the state finals on March 8. Sixth grader David Metrick finished in the top eight students overall, placing him into the final head-to-head countdown round, in which he finished second! Along with Foote's four-member team, three Foote students who competed individually finished in the top 15 to earn a spot at the state MathCounts tournament. Congratulations to everyone who participated!
From the Faculty Blogs

MAG students are studying Africa, and Sue Delaney's class explored Kenya on iPads (pictured).

Margy Lamere's MAG students heard another immigrant story from a visitor who first arrived in the U.S. on an Italian ocean liner.

Fifth graders in Lely Evans' class celebrated Chinese New Year with a very special guest.

Third grade teacher Amanda Diffley posted video of a Foote mother performing a traditional Chinese dance.

Head of Middle School John Turner blogs about the importance of routines, and the challenges recent snow days have presented.

 

To read more, check out the Lower School blogs and Middle School blogs.  
DatesDates to Remember
Feb. 12 - Parent Teacher Council Meeting, 8:30 a.m. in the Sturley Room
Feb. 21 - All-School Bowling Social
Feb. 24-28 - Book Swap
Feb. 25-28 - Ninth Grade Play, The 39 Steps