The Foote School 
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January 22, 2015
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Unite Through Understanding Day Schedule



Foote will celebrate Unite Through Understanding Day on Thursday, Jan. 29.

The purpose of this all-day event, which takes place every three years at Foote, is to celebrate diversity in all its forms and to guide students in developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of other cultures and of people who otherwise differ from them.

Students will participate in workshops, classroom activities, a buddy lunch and an all-school assembly in the Hosley Gym.

Schedule for Grades K-2:
  • Normal morning schedule through 12:00 with a classroom diversity activity built in
  • 12:00 - 1:00 - Buddy lunch and recess
  • 2:15 - 2:45 - All-School Assembly
  • 2:45 - Return to homeroom for dismissal
Schedule for Grades 3-9:
  • Normal morning schedule through 10:15 a.m.
  • 10:15 - 12:00 - Workshops
  • 12:00 - 1:00 - Buddy lunch and recess
  • 12:45 - 2:15 - Grade activities
  • 2:15 - 2:45 - All-School Assembly
  • 2:45 - Return to homeroom for dismissal
As a reminder: this is a student-centered event and parents are asked not to attend unless they are presenting a workshop or are directly involved in the planning of the event.

Questions? Contact Carol Poling at [email protected].  
AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
ERB Results Available

 
Individual student reports from November's ERB administration are now available. Middle School parents who would like to review their child's results - as well as his or her fall term reports - are invited to schedule an appointment with John Turner or Liam Considine. Fifth grade parents may set up a conference with Beth Mello.

To schedule an appointment, please contact Erika Villa at [email protected], or 203-777-3464 x208.

MSNewsMIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Middle School Dance/Social This Friday

Middle School Dance/Social

When: Friday, Jan. 23, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Where: Twichell Room

Cost: $5 (Tickets available at the door.)

Refreshments: Students may pre-order pizza for $3. Pizza ticket sales will take place during advisory time.

The dance/social is being organized by the Student Council as a benefit for the "Quarters to Fight Ebola" campaign to help New Haven's sister city, Freetown, Sierra Leone, purchase needed supplies to stock ambulances. 

Questions? Contact Trevor Rosenthal at  [email protected].

LSNewsLOWER SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
5th Grade Parent Meeting

 
Grade 5 Parent Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 28

8:15 a.m. in the Twichell Room


Join Head of Lower School Beth Mello and Michael Kaplan, Foote's consulting psychiatrist, for a discussion on three aspects of the fifth grade experience:
  • The Education Research Bureau standardized tests (the ERBs)
  • Math placement decisions for Grade 6
  • The joys and challenges of pre-adolescence and adolescence  

RSVP to Registrar Erika Villa at [email protected], or 203-777-3464, x208.

 

2nd Grade Language Choice

 
A reminder to parents of second graders: Jan. 30 is the deadline for selecting a modern language for your child. Please email Modern Language Chair Hayden Holt at [email protected] with your selection of French, Chinese or Spanish.

Thank you!

DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Wind Power Lights Up Science Class

How do wind turbines produce electricity? What are the variables that make a wind turbine either spin like a pinwheel, or just sit there motionless? Seventh graders in Tim Blauvelt's Environmental Science class are answering those questions by building miniature wind turbines that produce real energy. Using kits purchased this year, the students built free-standing turbines and used fans to produce wind. Working in teams, they experimented with different numbers of blades, various blade angles, and different positions for the fan to find the combination that produced the most power, all while notating their trials in a lab book. One group's turbine produced over 7 volts of electricity - enough to power three LEDs!



Squash Team Scores Its First-Ever Win


Foote's squash team, which debuted as a winter sport last year, racked up its first-ever victory this week, beating Kingswood-Oxford 8-3 in West Hartford. Many players also had their first individual wins.

The squash team has been working hard this season, practicing Monday through Thursday on racquetball courts at Albertus Magnus College. In addition, many team members get up extra early on Fridays to attend an optional practice on real squash courts at Yale from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m.

Coaches Kim Birge-Liberman and Kelly Small have been working with the students on conditioning and strength exercises. "Yesterday's victory was a boost of confidence for our new squash team, which continues to improve every day," says Kelly.
National Geographic Bee Crowns a Winner


Congratulations to the nine student finalists who competed in this year's National Geographic Bee, and to the winner, seventh grader Kyle! Thirty-four students in grades 4 through 8 entered this year's bee for a chance to compete at the state (and perhaps national) National Geographic Bee finals.

The finalists showcased impressive knowledge of U.S. and world geography over many rounds, ending in a single tie-breaking question: Which Mediterranean country located at the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula is Europe's largest exporter of cotton? Kyle (pictured below) remembered a hat he has from Greece that is made of cotton, and correctly guessed Greece.

He'll now take a written test for a chance to compete against fellow Connecticut school champions this spring. Bravo to everyone who took part!

Celebrating Dr. King's Dream

At an all-school assembly on Jan. 16, the Foote community came together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other champions of the civil rights movement.

As students filed into the Hosley Gym, the whole school sang "We Shall Overcome," and Lower School students shared a slideshow featuring examples of them doing their best.

Eighth graders led the assembly and recited a portion of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech as a class (click below to watch video). They also presented a short biography of Robert Avery, who at the age of 15 hitchhiked from his home in Gadsden, Ga., to the March on Washington, a perilous journey at that time for a young black man.

Foote School 8th Graders Recite MLK's
Foote School 8th Graders Recite MLK's "I Have a Dream" Speech

From the Faculty Blogs

Kindergartners in Tricia Simon's class conducted a science experiment comparing properties of plywood and particle board (pictured).

Jake Burt's fifth graders led Jess McKinney's Kindergartners on a tour of the campus tree trail.

What's the optimal way to configure 24 chocolates in a candy box? Third graders in Melissa McCormack and Ashley Schnabel's classes did the math.

Curriculum Coordinator Lauren Goldberg considers how the values of Falco's PRIDE at Foote mirror those of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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

Jan. 29 - Unite Through Understanding Day

Feb. 2 - 5 - Middle School parent advisor conferences (by appointment)

Feb. 13-16 - Winter Flex Weekend (dependent on number of snow days)

Feb. 23-27 - Book Swap

Feb. 24-27 - Ninth Grade Play