The Foote School 
E-News
February 20, 2014
In This Issue
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A Message From the Head About Snow Days

Dear Parents,

 

I know you share my concern about the challenging winter we've had this year, and the frequency of snow-related school closings. We are all committed to giving our children the very best educational experience, and I know the interruptions have been difficult for families as well as for teachers.

 

The administration has been engaged in serious conversations about how best to address this, and will continue to do so. Our focus is on maintaining momentum, and we're working closely with teachers to ensure that lost classroom time doesn't compromise student learning. We were pleased that this year's new policy regarding snow days and winter weekend gained a school day this week.

 

Please know that we do not take decisions to close school lightly; each decision is made with great care. Safety is our number one priority and we appreciate that families and faculty come to Foote from a number of towns with varying road conditions. The availability of the New Haven school bus is another consideration.

 

We don't know what the rest of the winter has in store, and therefore we have decided to hold off on making decisions related to missed days. We will continue to communicate with you about this important issue in the weeks ahead. As always, please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. I'm hoping the worst of the winter weather is behind us.

 

Warmly,

  CarolM signature

Carol Maoz

Head of School
AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
The Ninth Grade Play Is Next Week

Ninth graders rehearse in the Sandine Theater.
Next Friday's performance of the ninth grade play, The 39 Steps, is sold out. But there are still tickets available for the shows on Feb. 25, 26 and 27. For reservations, stop by the front desk or call 203-777-3464. Ninth graders have been working hard to put on a terrific show full of comedy, mystery, eccentric characters and romance. Don't miss it!
Summer Program - Registration Is Open

It's time to sign up for Foote's Summer Program. This year, we're offering Early and Late Adventures in June and August (for children ages 5 and up), and Foote's renowned summer theater program (for students entering Grade 6 or higher). The Foote Summer Program is open everyone, so tell your friends!

Click here to download the brochure and registration form.

Check out our website for additional details.
Vacation Program for March Break

The Vacation Program calendar for Spring Vacation in March is now available. Click here to download the calendar, and click here to download the registration form.
   LSNewsLOWER SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Language Forms Due for Second Graders

Parents of second graders: Please remember to turn in your language choice form by Mon., Feb. 24. If you have questions, please contact Head of Lower School Beth Mello at bmello@footeschool.org, or Registrar Erika Villa at evilla@footeschool.org. 
Reminder: Kindergarten Parent Meeting Feb. 26

Kindergarten parents are invited to an informal presentation and discussion with Dr. Michael Kaplan, Foote's consulting pediatric psychiatrist, who will share important insights into Kindergarten children regarding what to expect developmentally and how to support their growing autonomy.

Wednesday, February 26

8:20 a.m.  

Twichell Room

 

RSVP to Erika Villa at evilla@footeschool.org.  
  PTCNewsPTC NEWS
Duckpin Bowling Party Tomorrow Night

When's the last time you went duckpin bowling? Well, dust off your bowling shoes because the PTC has reserved lanes at Johnson's Duckpin Lanes in Hamden for an all-school bowling party Fri., Feb. 21, from 5:15-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 for children and $6 for adults, which includes lane time, shoe rental, two slices of pizza and a drink.

RSVP to Lori Blank at lblank@hotmail.com. Walk-ins are also welcome. Click here for more information.
The Book Swap is Next Week

The annual Book Swap takes place Mon., Feb. 24 through Fri., Feb. 28 in the Sturley Room. Students bring in books they've outgrown and exchange them for books they want to read. Click here for details. Hours are:

 

Mon. 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (bring in books)

Tues. 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (bring in books)

Wed. 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (bring in AND pick out books. No adult shopping*)

Thurs. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (bring in AND pick out books)

Fri. 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.. (pick out books only)

 

Please make every effort to bring in books Monday or Tuesday, rather than waiting until later in the week. Books should be appropriate for children from preschool through ninth grade. No textbooks, coloring books or workbooks.

 

Volunteers are still needed for a few shifts. Sign up here.

 

*The Book Swap is an event for the students, so students get first pick of the books all day Wednesday and on Thursday morning. Parents may accompany their children, but please let the children select the books. Thanks for your understanding.

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.     

 

DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Student Programmers Honored for 'Hour of Code'

Back in December, students participated in a nationwide event called the Hour of Code aimed at stimulating interest in computer programming. The event challenged students to engage in at least one hour of computer coding over the course of a week. At Foote, students in grades MAG through 9 spent class time learning Scratch, BotLogic and Blockly coding with technology coordinators Tony Bures and Julianne Ross-Kleinmann. Students were encouraged to continue on their own and complete the Hour of Code's full 20-hour program, and many did over the winter break. At Wednesday's middle school morning meeting, 24 students were recognized for finishing the entire program, consisting of 80 coding tasks, and received copies of the book Computation Fairy Tales by Jeremy Kubica as a prize. This was Foote's first year participating in the Hour of Code and Mr. Bures says he was pleased so many students pursued the project outside the classroom.
Swimmers Earn Medals At State Meet

Ten members of the Foote swim team earned medals at the 2014 Middle School State Open swim meet at Southern Connecticut State University on Feb. 1. Individually, the boys finished fourth and the girls finished sixth; overall, Foote finished fourth out of 15 teams competing. Eighth grader Rebecca Radebold won first place in the 50-meter freestyle, and eighth grader Evan Schott won first place in the 50-meter fly and 100-meter freestyle. Congratulations to all!
MAG Students Give Valentine 'Cards' to Homeless

As they have for years, Mixed Age Group students marked Valentine's Day by collecting $5 gift cards for Columbus House, so homeless guests have some place to get a bite (and get warm) when the shelter is closed. This year, MAG classes donated 204 gift cards purchased from Dunkin' Donuts, Subway, McDonald's and other establishments. Columbus House sent Foote a heartfelt note thanking MAG families for their generosity and letting them know their efforts make a difference. "The other night, when the shelter was full, one client was able to go to Dunkin' Donuts and be safe there for a few hours," wrote Betsy Branch, a former MAG teacher who now works for Columbus House. Betsy will be on campus Friday to collect the cards and thank MAG students personally. To read the entire letter, click here.
Students Win Gold for Foreign Language Poems

The Foote School Poetry Contest was held last month, and this week, nine students were honored with gold medals for their recitations of poems in Spanish, French and Latin. As part of a month-long unit on poetry recitation, students in grades 7 through 9 memorized a poem to recite in class. Students were judged on memorization, recitation and interpretation by current and former modern language and Latin teachers. The winners went onto a final round in the Twichell Room on Jan. 31. The winners for 2014 are:

Grade 7
Latin: Clara Li & Elena Miko
French: Omid Azodi
Spanish: Grady Bohen

Grade 8
Latin: Dani Zanuttini-Frank
French: JJ Hellerman
Spanish: Donovan Lynch & Rebecca Radebold

Grade 9
Latin: Sarah Volk
French: Rody Conway & Sasha Valone
Spanish: Kyle Gelzinis

(Note: Ninth graders absent from photo)
Cool Runnings on a Snowy Day

Recess on the Lower School field looked like Sochi this week - only colder. Students joyously careened down the slope in sleds, built snow forts and trudged through knee-deep drifts with friends. From the looks of it, we may have some future Winter Olympians in our midst. Find more photos on our Facebook page.




Head of School Carol Maoz took her lens into the falling snow on Tuesday and captured some quintessentially Foote scenes.




 








Three cheers for our maintenance crew of Dave McGaffin, Pete Cox, Walter Siracuse and Mike Milazzo, who have been working hard all winter - but especially this month - to keep campus safe!




From the Faculty Blogs

Margy Lamere's MAG students heard more "How I Landed in New Haven" stories from parents - one from Puerto Rico, and another who lived in Zimbabwe.

Jenny Byers' classes practiced a few French vocabulary words while eating a favorite European dish (pictured).

 

Head of Lower School Beth Mello blogs about the "small things" that make elementary education special.

Lower School Technology Coordinator Julianne Ross-Kleinmann has posted links to numerous Black History Month resources for students.

Curriculum Coordinator Lauren Goldberg explores whether literary classics like To Kill a Mockingbird are still relevant today.

 

To read more, check out the Lower School blogs and Middle School blogs.  
DatesDates to Remember
Feb. 21 - All-School Bowling Social
Feb. 24-28 - Book Swap
Feb. 25-28 - Ninth Grade Play, The 39 Steps
March 7 - Spring Assembly - All School Dismissal 12:30 p.m. (After School available)