The Foote School 
E-News
October 6, 2016
In This Issue
Quick Links
A Message from the
Head of School  



Dear Parents,
 
Last week's experience of hosting our Chinese guests from Yali was truly incredible. Foote's China Program is wholly unique among Kindergarten - Grade 9 schools and we are fortunate to have this opportunity to learn, teach and break down cultural barriers. Watching the Yali students perform both traditional Chinese and western-influenced dances at last week's all-school assembly--and the excited reaction of our students--reminded me how powerful this cultural exchange is.

The relationship between China and the U.S. is critically important and is not without its challenges. But as a school, we believe that getting to know people of different backgrounds as individuals dispels group stereotypes, allowing us to focus on our commonalities.

The friendship between Foote and Yali is a special one. We hope it will lead to greater understanding among our students and, in ways large or small, lead us to a more peaceful and just future. I want to thank our ninth-grade host families for making our guests feel so welcome, as well as Deb Riding and Silvia Gee for their tireless work to make this special learning opportunity possible.
 
Wishing you a joyful Grandparents Day tomorrow and a wonderful Fall Weekend.
 
CarolM signature
Carol Maoz
Head of School

AllSchoolNewsALL SCHOOL NEWS AND INFORMATION
Grandparents Day - Important Information
 
We look forward to welcoming your children's grandparents and special friends for Grandparents Day tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 7. If they still haven't RSVP'd, they can do so by clicking here.

PLEASE REMEMBER ASSEMBLY DRESS
  • Long pants (no jeans, sweatpants or warm-up pants)
  • Dress/skirt of an appropriate length (no shorts, jeans or sweat pants)
  • Collared shirt (button-down, golf or polo)
  • No T-shirts or sweatshirts, no writing on shirts
  • No flip-flops

 

SCHEDULE

Upon arrival, guests will be given personalized schedules
for their grandchild's/special friend's classes.
  • 8:30-9:00 - Registration and refreshments in the Hosley Gym
  • 9:00-9:15 - Welcome from Carol Maoz, Head of School
  • 9:15-10:20 - Visit grandchild's/special friend's classes
  • 10:20-10:45 - Refreshments in the Hosley Gym and Perrine Library
  • 10:50-11:30 - Choice of minicourses or school tours, or shop at the school store
  • 11:40-12:30 - All-School Assembly in the Hosley Gym
  • 12:30 - All-School Dismissal

 

PARKING

Visitor parking will be available in the Canner Street parking lot, in the Highland Street lot next to Rike Field or along the street on Loomis Place. Volunteers will be stationed at each location to show grandparents to the Hosley Gym for registration.
  
We are asking that parents (other than volunteers) refrain from visiting campus tomorrow to ensure that parking is available for all who need it.

Fall Weekend Reminder
 
School is closed Monday, Oct. 10 for Fall Weekend. No Vacation Program is available. Have a wonderful extended weekend!

Also, a reminder that there is no school on Wednesday, Oct. 12 in observance of Yom Kippur. Vacation Program is available. Click here for the enrollment form.

City-Wide Open Studios at Foote - Oct. 22 & 23


We are thrilled that Foote will be an official host site for City-Wide Open Studios for the first time, on Saturday Oct. 22 and Sunday Oct. 23. The event will feature seven artists from the Foote community, student musical performances and family art activities (1-4 p.m. each day) focused on exploring nature and color.

Like New Haven, Foote is a community that values the arts. Our students learn to express themselves creatively beginning in Kindergarten, gaining understanding of the beauty and range of the human experience while studying the works of the masters. Open Studios is a terrific New Haven community event that dovetails with our mission.

Parent volunteers are needed to supervise the children's art activities and to collect natural materials. If you can donate a few hours, click here to sign up.

City-Wide Open Studios at Foote 
Saturday, Oct. 22 & Sunday, Oct. 23 
12 - 6 p.m. 
Children's art activities (1-4 p.m. each day)

Featured artists: 

Michelle Bradford (Foote parent) - Paintings

Bette Donahoe - (former Foote staff) - Paintings

Owen Luckey '83 (Foote parent and alumna) - Textiles

Theresa Nast (Foote parent) - Textiles 

Michael Sloan (Foote parent) - Paintings and Illustrations 

Gar Waterman (Foote guest faculty and parent) - Sculpture

Toby Welch '73 (Grade 4 teacher and alumnus) - Photography

Sign Up for After School Minicourses
 
After School minicourses begin next week and there is still time to sign up. Courses being offered include Yoga, Model Kit Club, Chess (beginners and advanced), Cartooning, Multi Sportz and Fall Arts & Crafts. Please note: The Baking course is full.

Students may participate in a minicourse even if they are not enrolled in the After School Program.
Questions? Contact Dawn Walsh ([email protected]) or Bill Manke ([email protected]) in the After School Program.

Vision and Hearing Screening
 
On Oct. 24-26, and Nov. 7, school nurses Jodi Hodge and Heather Russo will be checking the vision and hearing of all students in Kindergarten through Grade 3, as well as Grade 6 and all new students. They need parent volunteers to chaperone students from their classes to the Sturley Room and to help during the screening.

Click here to sign up using SignUp.com. (You will not need to register an account or keep a password).

Questions? Please contact Caitlin Simon at [email protected], or 203-393-6449. 

Admissions Update
 
If you know families who may be interested in Foote, please encourage them to visit Foote for a Family Open House, Parent Program or Parent Tour to learn more about our exciting learning environment and warm community.

For siblings applying to Foote, we welcome applications now by applying online. For current families, we ask that you complete applications by January 10 so we can send early notification on February 10.

Questions? Contact Rachelle Byron, Director of Admissions and Outreach, at [email protected].

School Photo Day - Oct. 18

 
All Foote students will have their photos taken on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Class photos will also be taken at this time. Photo Day is a fund-raiser sponsored by the PTC.
  • Every child's photo will be taken for the yearbook.
  • If you would like copies of the photos (individual or class), you may order a photo package. Please complete the order form available here.
  • Please enclose the exact amount for the photo package you are ordering, in the form of cash or check made out to "David Frost Photography." If ordering for more than one child, please fill out one order form for each child and pay separately.
  • There is a pocket on the PTC bulletin board in the Main Building for completed order forms, or you may deliver your form to your child's teacher. Please return them as soon as possible.
Questions? Contact Photo Day coordinator Sandra Curran
at [email protected] or 203-907-6045, or Buffy McCleery at [email protected].

LSNewsLOWER SCHOOL NEWS
Kindergarten Parent Coffee Social - Oct. 17


RSVP to Erika Villa at [email protected].
 

PTCNewsPTC NEWS
Volunteer for City-Wide Open Studios at Foote

 
The PTC is looking for parent volunteers to supervise hands-on art activities for children during City-Wide Open Studios at Foote on Oct. 22 & 23.

If you can donate an hour or two of your time, please click here to sign up.

Questions? Contact PTC co-presidents Amy Sudmyer and Melissa Castleman at [email protected].
 
Earn Rewards for Foote at Stop & Shop

 
Please help Foote earn cash rewards every time you buy groceries at Stop & Shop. Simply register your frequent-shopper card to earn points for Foote through Stop & Shop's A+ School Rewards program. Signing up is easy and costs nothing; it won't affect Gas Points; your purchases cannot be seen by Foote.
To register, start by clicking here. Under
"Already know your school's ID?" enter 08832 in "School 1." If you registered within the past few years, you do not have to re-register. Last year, Foote earned more than $3,000 through this program--money that will be used this year for field trips or summer reading books. Thank you in advance for your participation.

 
There is another no-cost way to support Foote!  Use "Cash for Causes" Stop & Shop gift cards, purchased through the PTC, for all your Stop & Shop grocery or gas purchases. For every $100 gift card you buy, you get $100 worth of groceries, and Foote earns $5. Gift cards are available at the front desk or by contacting the PTC's Stop & Shop coordinator, Vicki Murphy, at [email protected].

 
DayInLifeA DAY IN THE LIFE OF FOOTE
Close-Up: The 7th Grade Opera Trip



"Fascinating." "Intense." Dramatic." "Long." "Rhythmic." "Loud." "Bright." "Smooth."

These were some of the first words that jumped into the minds of our seventh-grade students as they reflected on their recent trip to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The opera trip is a treasured Foote tradition that began in the 1930s. It gives students the opportunity to share a common musical experience, while their relationship to the music is formed by their unique experiences as an individual.

In seventh grade, our method for delving into the elements of music is to listen, play, sing, move, improvise, create and analyze in our music classes. We started the year with Rossini as our composer of the month and introduced students to his music by learning to play excerpts from arias in L'Italiana in Algeri using Orff instruments. At the opera, when one of the pieces that we learned, "Aria di Taddeo," began, it was wonderful to see students looking at their friends in acknowledgement as they heard a piece that they knew well and could play.

Click here to read a full reflection on the trip by Middle School Music Teacher Deadra Hart.

And click here to read Curriculum Coordinator Lauren Goldberg's blog about the difference experiential learning makes, and why Foote still takes a full day out of school to attend the Metropolitan Opera. 
 

From the Faculty Blogs
Cara Hames' first graders learned about Rosh Hashanah from a special guest (pictured).

Grace Peard's second graders designed and built bridges from only four materials (tape, straws, note cards and popsicle sticks) and tested the strength of their designs.

Third graders in Ashley Schnabel's class participated in a "Mapping Scavenger Hunt" to learn map skills and explore Connecticut's geography, cities and cultural attractions.

Fifth graders spent a morning at The Connecticut Audubon Society's Coastal Center at Milford Point, exploring the beach and marshlands as part of their ecology unit. Jim Adams, Jake Burt and Adam Solomon have photos and recaps.

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

Oct. 7 - Grandparents Day - 12:30 All-School Dismissal - After School Program available

Oct. 10 - Fall Weekend - NO SCHOOL - No Vacation Program

Oct. 12 - Yom Kippur - NO SCHOOL - Vacation Program Available

Oct. 13 - Admissions Parent Tour

Oct. 18 - Photo Day

Oct. 21 - Admissions Parent Tour

Oct. 22 & 23 - City Wide Open Studios at Foote