The Foote School 
E-News
May 26, 2016
In This Issue
Quick Links
May Day Schedule and Dress


May Day is a special celebration at Foote and is the school's oldest tradition, dating to the 1920s. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend tomorrow, May 27, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Rike Field (or in the Hosley Gym in case of rain.)

Other details for May Day:
  • Please remember sunscreen, hats and water. The forecast calls for hot and humid weather.
  • Dress for May Day: khaki dress pants, button-down shirts,  golf shirts, clean sneakers, spring-colored dresses, blouses and skirts. No jeans, sweat pants, warm-up pants, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts or flip flops 
  • All-school dismissal at 12:30 p.m. - No After School Program
  • Lost and found items will be in the Sturley Room for collection after the celebration. If you are missing anything, please look through the belongings. Items not claimed by the end of the school year will be donated to charity.
AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
No After School Program on May Day


Reminder:


There is a 12:30 all-school dismissal and no After School Program
on May Day - tomorrow, May 27.


After May Day, Stay for the Picnic

LOCATION CHANGE - 5th Grade Parent Meeting


NOTE: This meeting will be held in the Library,
not the Twichell Room

Meeting for
Rising 6th Grade Parents

Thursday, May 26
5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Perrine Library

Join sixth grade faculty and Head of Middle School John Turner for a meeting to learn more about your fifth grade child's transition to
Middle School and sixth grade.

RSVP to Erika Villa at [email protected].

Spring Food Drive for St. Ann's Soup Kitchen


The sixth grade is organizing a school-wide food drive for St. Ann's Soup Kitchen in Hamden, whose pantry shelves are bare. Each grade is asked to donate specific food items before June 1. Click the flyer below for more information.
Thank you for assisting our neighbors in need!

Reminder: Important Forms Are Due Tomorrow

Important forms for next school year were sent home to families recently. Two of those forms are due to tomorrow, May 27:
  • Family Information Form (Please note: This is an online form; a personalized link was emailed to each family on May 18.)
All forms are available in the Parents section of the school website.

If you have questions, please email Registrar Erika Villa at [email protected]
Allergy Awareness


The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority at Foote. With end-of-year celebrations beginning, please keep in mind those students with food allergies when sending in treats from home. If you are not sure which allergies are present in your child's classroom, please contact his/her teacher or School Nurse Maryanne Peterson ([email protected]). Thank you for helping to keep our school community safe and inclusive.
 
Tennis Racquets & Swimsuits Needed for Horizons

Horizons at Foote, the school's summer enrichment program for low-income New Haven Public School students, is asking for donations of youth-size tennis racquets, as well as new and gently used bathing suits for boys and girls, sizes 5T to 14.

Please drop donated items in the Horizons box in the main office.

If you have questions, please contact Jaime Cole, Horizons at Foote executive director, at [email protected].

Thank you!
 
 PTCNewsPTC NEWS
Final PTC Meeting of the Year - June 1

Questions? Email PTC Co-Presidents Rosa Holler and Amy Sudmyer at [email protected].
   
Help Out at the Summer Book Fair


Volunteers are needed for the Foote Summer Book Fair - June 6 & 7 in the Perrine Library. Click here to sign up.

 
 
DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Holocaust Brought to Life By Survivor's Story



Eighth graders learning about the Holocaust heard a first-hand account of the horror and human resilience from that darkest chapter of world history during a visit from Holocaust survivor Betty Knoop. Betty was born in Amsterdam and was just 8 years old when the Germans invaded her country. Her whole family -- father, mother and brother -- was arrested and sent to camp Westerbork, and later to Bergen Belsen concentration camp.

They were liberated by the Russians and returned to Amsterdam. Her mother survived but died three days after being liberated. Betty was a contemporary of Anne Frank; they lived in the same neighborhood and were deported to the same concentration camp.

Students listened raptly to Betty's almost unimaginable story, and were able to examine the yellow Star of David the Germans made her wear.

"When I relive my past it can only make sense by knowing that it will help you to always remember the genocide and its millions of victims," Betty told eighth graders. "Always protect your freedom and never take it for granted. Never forget and always remember that racism is very evil and erases the dignity of all mankind."

Student Legislators Shine at Largest Model
Congress Ever



This year's Model Congress event at Packer Collegiate Institute in New York was the largest ever, and Foote's Model Congress club had a terrific showing. Twenty-four Foote students took part in a long and engaging day of mock legislating on May 21, joining 480 peers from New York and Connecticut.

Students were encouraged to draft bills that would generate genuine interest and interesting discussion; passing bills was not the primary goal. This year, nine of Foote's bills were passed in their respective committees.

Ninth grader Neal Shivakumar was awarded an Honorable Mention for Most Effective Legislator in his committee. Ninth grader Liam Podos was one of four chairs and parliamentarians (out of 46) to receive the new Committee Leadership Award. Serving as chairs and parliamentarians for the day were ninth graders Sebastian Shin, Matt McCarthy, Liam Podos and Parker Jones.

Foote students drafted several bills for consideration:
  • Anjali Mangla: An Act to Permit Mitochondrial DNA Replacement
  • Kyle Shin and Tommy Styron: An Act to Increase Carbon-Free Forms of Energy
  • Johnny Mills: An Act to Make College Education Free
  • Rory Latham and Sam Mason: An Act to Eliminate Daylight Savings Time
  • Denis Seli and Kit Illick: An Act to Raise Taxes on "Legal Drugs"
  • Andrew Price and and Devin Seli: An Act to Start Public Schools at 9:00 a.m.
  • Caleb Nyhart and Nick Wilkinson: An Act to Repurpose Old Factory Sites
  • Page Wildridge and Serena Sandweiss: An Act to Eliminate the Penny
  • Neal Shivakumar: An Act to Pay NCAA Athletes
  • Nahjae Petty and Noah Lee: An Act to Repeal 1033 Program of the National Defense Authorization Act
  • Kartik Erodula and Hilal Zoberi: An Act to Reduce Class Size in Schools
  • Sabrina Carlier: Family Leave Act
Congratulations to all our student legislators!

From the Faculty Blogs
First and second graders showed off all they have learned (and made) during their months-long study of Africa at an open house for parents (pictured). Margy Lamere, Hilary Pearson and Grace Peard have photos.

Ninth graders heard about Syria and its refugees during a visit from two representatives from Save the Children, Deb Riding blogs.

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

May 27 - May Day & Picnic - All School Dismissal 12:30 p.m. - No After School Program

May 30 - Memorial Day - No School - No Vacation Program

June 1 - PTC Meeting - 8:30 a.m. in the Sturley Room

June 6-7 - Summer Book Fair

June 9 - Last day of After School Program

June 10 - Last day of school (Grades K-5)

June 14 - 8th Grade Celebration

June 15 - 9th Grade Graduation