February 22, 2024
from Jennifer Le Varge, Lower School director
Mark Your Calendars
- Thursday, February 22: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 7 PM, see email for link
- Friday, February 23: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 8:15-9 AM, Gallery
- Friday, February 23: LS Grade 4 Battle of the Books, 8:45-10 AM, Library
- Saturday, February 24: Head of School Search Parent/Guardian Listening Session, 10-10:45 AM, click here to join >
- Wednesday, February 28: LS Grades 3/4 Orchestra Hall Field Trip, 9-11:30 AM
- Friday, March 1: Grade 3 Battle of the Books, 10:20-11:20 AM, Library
- Friday, March 1: SnoDaze Assembly, 2:20-3 PM, Lansing Sports Center
- Friday, March 1: LS End of Trimester 2
- Wednesday, March 6: CHAMP Assembly, 8:15 AM (wear CHAMP colors!)
- Monday, March 11: Trimester 2 Report Cards emailed home
- Monday, March 11-Sunday, March 24: No Classes, Spring Break
- Monday, March 25: Classes Resume at 8 AM
- Thursday, April 4: LS Art and Music Show
Lower School
Thank you, Lower School parents and the Parents Association, for helping us celebrate a wonderful Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week! It was heartwarming to visit the teaching kitchen each day and snack on delicious treats. My heart always skipped a beat when I saw the coffee cart rolling down the hallway, and I could enjoy a cup of caffeine and a cherry Pop-Tart (oh, how I missed these when living abroad!). As Trimester 2 is coming to a close, please read on for more updates:
CHAMP News
At our CHAMP assembly on February 21, we celebrated Black History Month by exploring some well-known Black Americans who have contributed greatly to our world. We focused on the CHAMP attribute of courage and heard the beautiful words of Amanda Gorman, the first-ever Youth Poet Laureate. We were able to hear Amanda recite her poem “The Hill We Climb,” filmed at President Biden’s inauguration. Amanda is a member of the “speech difficulty club,” (her words) and is a courageous figure for many reasons. Our next CHAMP assembly is March 6, and we will be learning about being cooperative. Please send your child to school wearing their CHAMP colors!
2024 MPA Spring Auction on April 19
Be on the lookout for information about the 2024 MPA Spring Auction: Together, We Can Move Mountains, scheduled for Friday, April 19 at Dellwood Golf Club. This is your chance to attend a night of fun, inspiration, and community building while supporting MPA with fellow parents, alumni, and friends.
Second Grade Birthday Bag Project
A note from Mrs. Scalia and Ms. Fisher: During our Birthday Bag collection week, we were really touched that the children showed great responsibility by doing chores at home to earn change, showed compassion by bringing this change in to donate to kids in need so their birthdays feel special, and showed cooperation by working together as a Lower School to make it all happen. We are a remarkable group! Here are grand totals from our collection. This is a preliminary count based on our totals. We will get an exact amount from the bank.
- On Tuesday, we collected $17.61 in pennies.
- On Wednesday, we collected $123.92 in nickels.
- On Thursday, we collected $133 in dimes.
- On Friday, our total was $333.16 in quarters.
- And finally, on Monday, our total was $398.67 in dollars.
This gave us a grand total of $1006.36! We also collected 17 cake mixes, 13 frostings, four candles, and some other various party supplies. Each of you contributed to help make our Birthday Bag project such a big success! Each penny, each cake mix, and each frosting may seem small by themselves, but each one is important and will make birthdays special for so many children at Emma’s Place.
Update from Lower School Parent Coffee on Tuesday, February 20
On Tuesday, Ms. Jeanne helped participants to understand the nature of peer relationships in the elementary years. Mr. Moran then enlightened us about the educational benefits of Pokémon. Lastly, attendees learned more about the maker curriculum, and had the chance to be creative and get hands-on in the Makerspace with Mr. Moran and Mr. B. Please feel free to peruse the slides from the meeting.
Trimester 2 Report Cards Coming Home on March 11
The second trimester has flown by! Teachers shared pertinent updates on all the progress your child has made over the past few months at conferences. On Monday, March 11, please check your email for your child’s Trimester 2 report card. As in past years, since the conferences just recently occurred, please note that this trimester, teachers report grades/ratings only, and do not share comments. Comments are added to report cards for Trimester 1 and Trimester 3. We look forward to sharing more about your child’s learning with you soon.
