The Foote School 
E-News
November 5, 2015
In This Issue
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Please Support the Foote Fund


 
Parent calling night for the Foote Fund (formerly called the Annual Fund) is next Tuesday evening, Nov. 10. If you have not yet contributed, please expect to receive a phone call from your Foote Fund Class Captain or a Board member between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. asking you for a contribution.
 
Our 100th Year $100,000 Challenge Grant will match all new and increased gifts to the Foote Fund during the first 100 days of school. Our goal is to achieve 100 percent parent participation. Your contribution supports Foote's broad curriculum, athletics, the arts, technology, off-campus programs and financial aid, supporting the diverse community we value at Foote.

If you'd like to support the Foote Fund now, please click here.

Questions? Contact Ann Baker Pepe (abakerpepe@footeschool.org) or Amy Caplan (acaplan@footeschool.org) in the Development Office.   
AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Teacher Jake Burt to Publish Debut Novel


Congratulations to Grade 5 teacher Jake Burt, who recently signed a book deal to publish his debut novel, a middle-grade fiction book titled We Are (So Not) the Trevors. The book is slated for a spring 2017 release by publisher Feiwel & Friends, the children's and YA imprint of Macmillan. The book is about Nicki Demere, a 12-year-old pickpocket in the foster-care system who longs for a family of her own. When she's finally placed with the Trevor family, it seems like she's gotten exactly what she wanted. There's a catch, though: the "Trevors" are being pursued by a killer and are about to enter the witness-protection program.
 
Jake says of his protagonist, "Nicki owes her voice and appeal to the students I have been blessed to work with during my years as a teacher, both in North Carolina and now at Foote. The way she navigates the minefield of her new middle school echoes the anxieties and triumphs of all children who exhaust themselves trying to fit in, even though they're special enough to stand out."
 
Jake, who is represented by Newbery Medal-winning author Rebecca Stead of The Book Group, notes that it has been fun using his experiences as a writer to inform the work of his students. "See, kids?" Jake adds, "Even Mr. Burt has an editor."
 
Congrats, Jake!

Reminder: No School Nov. 13


Friday, Nov. 13 is a Professional Development Day for the
Foote faculty and staff.

There will be no school and no Vacation Program.


Please Give to the Thanksgiving Food Drive


The sixth grade is coordinating a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive for St. Ann's Soup Kitchen on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden.

We are asking each grade to collect a specific item by Nov. 17 to help fill 200 bags with fixings for a Thanksgiving Day meal. We are also raising money to purchase 25 turkeys. That collection box will be in the main office.

Your donations will help ensure that our neighbors in need have a great Thanksgiving. Thank you!
 
 MSNewsMIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Reminder: Secondary School Recommendations


Parents of Eighth and Ninth graders:

If your child intends to apply to secondary schools this year, please remember that all recommendation forms must be submitted to the proper teacher and the Registrar's office by Wednesday, Nov. 25. On or before that date, please send an email with the subject line "Schools Applying To" to Liam Considine (lconsidine@footeschool.org) and Erika Villa (evilla@footeschool.org) indicating the final list of schools to which your child will be applying. 

Additionally, please encourage your child to carefully complete and submit the student questionnaire that Mr. Considine will make available early next week.

PTCNewsPTC NEWS
Volunteers Needed for Annual Book Fair


Many parent helpers are needed to make the Book Fair a success.
Click here to sign up to help.
 

Support Foote With Grocery Purchases


How would you feel if you could donate 5 percent of your weekly Stop & Shop bill to Foote - at no cost to you? You can make this happen simply by using Stop & Shop's "Cash for Causes" gift cards to buy your groceries. Here's how it works: you buy a $100 Stop & Shop "Cash for Causes" gift card from the PTC. You go to Stop & Shop and get $100 worth of groceries. Foote earns $5 from Stop & Shop on the sale of that gift card. Gift cards are available for purchase at the front desk or by contacting Vicki Murphy at vgmurphy1848@comcast.net.

DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Halloween Parade Photos

This year's annual Halloween Parade and Fair was a wonderful gathering of the Foote community that raised needed funds for Columbus House to shelter and support homeless families in New Haven and Middletown. Thanks to all Foote students and parents who helped make the celebration a big success!


100 Bulbs for 100 Years


First graders and their seventh grade buddies got together this week for a hands-on activity celebrating Foote's 100th year. Under the guidance of former Lower School teacher (and Foote gardener) Violet Talbot, the students planted 100 daffodil bulbs at the corner of Highland Street and Loomis Place. Afterward, the buddies sat on the grassy hillside, reading stories together and enjoying the beautiful autumn day, before heading back to their classrooms for lunch.






Looking Back: Replacing Foote's Trees 

 
When a tornado took down a number of Foote's trees, students (including Mike Bright '95, pictured) organized a fundraiser to help purchase new ones.

Want to dig deeper into Foote history? Check out our Archives blog.

From the Faculty Blogs

Kindergartners in Alexandra Wittner's class measured their height using paper and unifix cubes (pictured).

How many seeds in a pumpkin? Kim Yap's first graders cracked one open to learn about estimating.

Margy Lamere shot video of her second grade "witches" reciting a famous scene from "The Scottish Play."

A Kindergarten walk to the park, and two recent articles, got Head of Lower School Beth Mello thinking again about the importance of play.

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

Nov. 6 - ERB Testing - All School Dismissal 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 6 - Middle School and Lower School parent conferences (by appt)

Nov. 12 - Parent conferences (grades 6-9, by appt)

Nov. 13 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL - No Vacation Program