August 15, 2011

Random Song Quote:
“And I believe,
These are the days of lasers in the jungle
Lasers in the jungle somewhere
Staccato singles of constant information
A loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires and babies
These are the days of miracle and wonder…”
-Paul Simon, The Boy in the Bubble, 1986


Well, a warm welcome to all of our new families, and a welcome back to those of you who return for another year at EWS. I hope that you all have had a great summer, found some reprieve from the heat and are ready to tackle yet another school year. I am posting this blog a little before school starts because there is a lot going on before the kids walk through the door on Thursday, August 25 and we wanted to give you a little reminder of some of the new stuff happening on campus for this coming school year. So without further adieu, let’s get to it:

Changes:

The Schedule - in order for the Upper School and Middle School to be more in line this year we have adopted a common schedule. A couple of significant changes for the Middle School are that we have Kallah/advisory/clubs following the first period of the day. The second change is that we only have study hall Monday-Thursday. As we dismiss at 2:50 p.m. on Friday, we will no longer end the day with a study hall. Also, at the end of each Kallah/advisory/clubs period, we will have a snack for the students, which will be served by Sage.

Lunch – As most of you know, we have changed food service providers to Sage. This is just a reminder that salad, sandwiches and a hot option are available every day for students, and that they can have as many servings as they like.

Uniform – The Middle School has adopted the Upper School dress code. Button-downs or polos of any color of green, blue, gray, black or white – with a logo no larger than 1”x1” – are allowed. We require a navy EWS polo and a white t-shirt under all button-downs. Shorts, skirts and pants can be any color of khaki. Girls also have the option of navy or plaid skirts. The Uniform Shop contains used but clean uniforms for those occasions when a student needs a reminder about standards.

Digital Literacy – Digital Literacy is now a required semester course for 6th Graders. Sixth Grade students will now take one semester of PE and one semester of Digital Literacy.

Communication – The blog will change a little after SGA elections in early September. We will add a video component to announce the athletic schedule, birthdays and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. In addition, we will use Twitter much more frequently to announce changes to the schedule, game scores and special announcements from the Middle School. Please follow us on @EmeryWeiner or “like” us on Facebook to keep abreast of these announcements. The song referenced above was not so randomly chosen as Paul Simon seemed to predict Twitter – “staccato signals of constant information” - in his 1986 classic. The school will continue to use email, E-Flash and Edline as the primary means of communication so that no one misses anything important!

The Facility – There have been a few changes to the Middle School over the summer. First, the chairs in The Loft have been replaced making it much more comfortable for people attending meetings. Angela Thomas, our Student Support Specialist, has moved to MS 121. Her former room, MS 111, will now be used as the conference room for the middle school. And finally, a wall has come down between MS 129 and 130. This is now a large space that will be used as a classroom, a location for class meetings and faculty meetings on campus.


Important Dates/Events on Campus:

• August 22 – 6th Grade overnight – please have students on campus between 4:45 and 5 p.m. There is a parent meeting with Mr. Dow and Dr. Bishop at 8:45 a.m. on August 23. Parents of 6th Graders are asked to bring any books or supplies at this time. Students will set up their lockers during this meeting.
• August 23-24 – 1-4 p.m. – 7th and 8th Grade Locker set-up. Please feel free to bring your 7th or 8th Grader to school during those assigned times to place supplies and visit with teachers.
• August 25 – School begins at 7:45 a.m. with the traditional and much-anticipated opening ceremonies led by Head of School, Stuart Dow. It is sure to be a treat!
• August 28 – The EWS Annual Picnic will be held in The Commons and on the patio from 5-7 p.m.

Thank you all. Have a great couple of weeks and we look forward to seeing you and your children very soon.