The Foote School 
E-News
December 18, 2014
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A Message From Head of School
Carol Maoz


"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
 - Edith Wharton
 
Dear Parents,

As we celebrate the holidays in this season of light, I have been reflecting on this quotation by Edith Wharton and its meaning for our school community. At Foote, we teach every child the importance of  being both the candle and the mirror. To me, being the candle represents children striving to become their best selves, shining light in dark places, giving to others, and the qualities of goodwill, friendship and family. In being the mirror, our students reflect the values of our community - perseverance, respect, integrity, dependability and excellence - and celebrate the accomplishments of their peers.

There is much to celebrate at Foote. On Tuesday, the fourth graders held their annual candlehouse ceremony, filling the Sandine Theater with the warm glow of their imaginative creations and reading beautiful, original winter-themed poetry. Tomorrow morning, we will kick off winter break with an all-school assembly featuring joyful holiday songs and musical performances by students playing hand bells and steel pans. And on January 29, we will hold a day-long celebration of diversity in all its forms during Unite Through Understanding Day.

I am grateful for the unique light each child brings to Foote, and for all that you do as parents to support our students and our school community. I look forward to more joyful learning and teaching in 2015, and I hope that you enjoy a happy and restful holiday.

Warmly,
CarolM signature
Carol Maoz
Head of School
AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Winter Assembly Schedule


Parents are welcome at the Winter Assembly tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 19, in the Hosley Gym at 11:00 a.m.

*PLEASE REMEMBER ASSEMBLY DRESS*

Boys: Long pants (no jeans, sweatpants or warm-up pants). Collared shirt (button-down, golf or polo). Shirts may be long- or short-sleeved. (No T-shirts or sweatshirts, no writing on shirts.) 

 

Girls: Pants or dress/skirt of an appropriate length (no shorts, jeans or sweat pants). Appropriate top (no spaghetti straps, T-shirts or sweatshirts; no writing on shirts.) 

 

Schedule:
11:00 a.m. Assembly in the Hosley Gym    
12:30 p.m. All-School Dismissal (No After School Program)

Groups Performing:

Mixed Age Group
Sixth Grade
Eighth Grade Handbells
Eighth Grade Steel Pans
Ninth Grade Handbells
Ninth Grade Steel Pans
Jazz-Rock Ensemble
Chorus
Orchestra


ALSO: The PTC will have a lost and found table at the assembly. Any items that are not claimed will be donated to a charity.

Winter Movie Outing - Dec. 19

 
Foote's Annual Winter Movie Outing

Friday, December 19, 2014
After the Winter Assembly




Showtimes: 
Annie - 1:20 p.m.
 
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - 1:35 p.m.

At Rave Motion Pictures/Cinemark in the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford. Have lunch at the food courts either inside or just downstairs from the theater.

Purchase tickets online or at the box office.

Questions? Email Julianne Ross-Kleinmann at [email protected].

Note: All children must be accompanied by a parent. If a student wants to go with another parent, it must be pre-arranged and submitted in writing to the teacher. No student will be released to another family without written consent.

Sign Up For Winter Minicourses
 
It's time to sign up for After School minicourses for the winter term. Courses include Cartooning Superheroes, Knitting, Great Scientists, Writing and Acting, Math Enrichment and Baking.

Click here to download course descriptions and the enrollment form.

2015-16 Vacation Calendar

The vacation calendar for the 2015-16 school year has been finalized. Click here to download a copy.

 

The 2015-16 school year will begin on September 2, 2015. Please note that the first day of school is prior to Labor Day.

 

As in the past few years, the weekend of February 12 - 15 is considered a "Flex Winter Weekend." It is dependent on the number of weather-related school closures (snow days) we have.

 

The 2015-16 calendar has allowed us to "build in" two extra snow days. For this reason, if we have five or fewer snow days by February 5, we will be off from school on February 12 & 15.

 

If we have been closed for six snow days, we will have school on Friday, February 12.  If we have been closed for more than six snow days, we will have school on Monday, February 15 as well.

 


Community Service News

The Community Service Club is pleased to announce that Foote students raised more than $1,300 through this year's Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF effort. That is twice the amount raised last year and the club is extremely pleased and excited about the results!


As its current project, the club is sponsoring a book drive to benefit New Haven Reads, a community organization that helps children improve their reading skills. The organization has a community book bank that distributes books to adults and children in the community. The book bank is always in need of books in good to excellent condition, and there is a particular need for children's picture books. There will be collection boxes in the main hallways and we will be accepting donations until January 13. Any donations will be very much appreciated! Please visit www.newhavenreads.org for more information. 

DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Candlehouse Ceremony Lights Up the Season

Foote School Candlehouse Ceremony Fourth graders and parents gathered in the Sandine Theater on Dec. 16 for the annual candlehouse ceremony, a Foote School tradition where students display their ceramic creations and read original, winter-themed poetry. Students spend weeks sculpting, firing and glazing their candlehouses in art class. Then for a brief instant, they are all illuminated in the dark of the theater. Click to watch video of the moment. The oohs and ahs say it all!



Mixing Latin Beats for 'Hip-Hop Hexameter'
Foote School Students Perform Hip-Hop in LatinLearning to recite ancient Latin poetry isn't easy, but teacher Drew Sweet has devised an innovate way to help students absorb the rhythm of the long and short syllables of dactylic hexameter. For the third year running, Mr. Sweet 's Latin II honors class has undertaken a project he calls "hip-hop hexameter," in which ninth graders recite the opening lines of Vergil's "Aeneid" over original beats they create on GarageBand. Last year, Mr. Sweet won a $2,000 ING Unsung Heroes grant for his innovation, which he used to purchase recording gear for the project. After many hours of mixing and practicing, ninth graders recently presented their final projects in class. The project boosts student enthusiasm for learning difficult Latin, Mr. Sweet says, and gives them confidence to go deeper into the subject. "They like this a lot more than just memorizing the poetry bit by bit," he says. "With the music, it sticks in their brains." Click above to watch a video of the performance.
Emotional Storytelling, With Violin Soundtrack
Violinist Yaira Matyakubova Plays for Foote School KindergartnersWhat does "furious" sound like on a violin? How about "peaceful", or "happy"? Kindergartners explored the link between music and feelings as part of a special storytelling activity that tied in to their body-mapping unit.
Yaira Matyakubova, a professional violinist with the Music Haven string quartet and mother of two Foote students, provided an improvised soundtrack to Jess McKinney's reading of the children's book "When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry..." As the book's character Sophie careened through a range of emotions - anger, fury, sadness and ultimately happiness - Yaira bowed her violin to match the moods, as wide-eyed kids looked on. Afterward, children reflected on how the music made them feel - and on their own strategies for self-calming. Click above to watch video of the reading.
Sewing Hats for the Homeless

As a community service project, students in third grade sewed fleece hats to donate to homeless families staying in Columbus House shelters. With the help of three parent volunteers, the students selected the fleece pattern, chose buttons to sew on, a ribbon to tie as decoration and cut fringe for the top. On Thursday, representatives from Columbus House visited the children to thank them for the 55 donated hats and speak about the causes of homelessness. "Think about if instead of worrying about homework and chores, you had to worry about where you were going to eat and sleep every night," Columbus House rep Libby Protzman told the students. The children listened attentively and asked respectful and thoughtful questions, while also relating their own experiences encountering homeless individuals. "As good people, the best thing you can do is be kind to them," Libby said. "Show them that the world still cares."
Ninth Grade Biology - From the River to the Lab

Ninth graders have spent months studying aquatic life in New Haven's West River as part of biology class. Recently, they took their investigation from the field to the lab, dissecting specimens to learn about their anatomy. Under the guidance of science teachers John Cunningham and Kim Birge-Liberman, students worked carefully in pairs to dissect an invertebrate (a southern crayfish) and a vertebrate (a white perch), both species that they have collected and studied in the West River. The dissections introduced students first-hand to comparative fish anatomy, complementing their study of taxonomy, ecology and water chemistry. Mr. Cunningham says the lesson provides a hands-on experience for students and a valuable opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career in medicine or the sciences.


From the Faculty Blogs

As part of their body-mapping unit, Jess McKinney's Kindergartners learned about our insides and the human brain from two special visitors (pictured).

'Tis the season for special traditions in Mixed Age Group: cut-paper snowflakes with Margy Lamere, dreidels with Cara Hames, a winter solstice celebration with Sue Delaney, Hanukkah visitors with Emily Buckley, a visit from Farmor with Hilary Pearson, and geometric quilt patches with Kim Yap.

To read more, check out the Lower School blogs and Middle School blogs.  
DatesDates to Remember

Dec. 19 - Winter Assembly, followed by Winter Movie Outing

Dec. 19 - Jan. 4 - Winter Break

Jan. 5 - Classes resume

Jan. 7 - PTC Meeting/Freedom from Chemical Dependency parent meeting  - 3:30 p.m.