Last Week of October

We would like to welcome Head of School candidate Dr. Gray Smith to St. Paul's! He will be with us this Monday and Tuesday.

Upcoming Events

Monday, October 28 ~ Mrs. Cowan Returns, Meet & Greet with Dr. Gray Smith for Parents at 2:25-3:15, Lower School Pumpkin Parade Begins
Thursday, October 31 ~ All School Chapel, Toddler - 2nd Halloween Ball at 9 A.M., 2nd Grade to Bishop Spencer Place, & 1st-5th Grade Halloween Parties
Friday, November 1 ~ Chapel by Divisions
Monday, November 4 ~ Family Night at the Book Fair 3:30-6
Tuesday, November 5 ~ Classes Visit Book Fair, 1st Grade Cultural Arts Trip to "How I Became a Pirate"
Wednesday, November 6 ~ Classes Visit Book Fair
Thursday, November 7 ~ No School for ECC, Classes Visit Book Fair
Friday, November 8 ~ No School, Professional Development
Tuesday, November 12 ~ 4th grade to Earthworks
Thursday, November 14 ~ Love & Logic at 4
Saturday, November 16 ~ Lunch & Learn from 11-1 for ages 3-10

 

Lower School Pumpkin Parade

Students in first through fifth grade are invited to participate in the annual Lower School Pumpkin Parade. They may bring decorated, uncarved pumpkins Monday, October 28 - Thursday, October 31. Students may bring carved pumpkins on Wednesday, October 30 or Thursday, October 31. All students will bring their pumpkins home Thursday evening so they can be used for Halloween evening. Every child who participates will receive a small Halloween trinket. We can't wait to see all of the creative ideas the students come up with!
 

Halloween Costumes

Students are invited to wear their costumes to school on Thursday, October 31. We ask that students not wear anything scary, bloody, or gory in order to avoid frightening our younger students. We also ask that students not bring any weapons that serve as accessories to their costumes. Thanks for your help with these endeavors. Students will be attending all school chapel and sitting with their buddies this day. Students are always welcome to bring a change of clothes in case their costumes become uncomfortable or interfere with learning.

 

 

Halloween Class Parties

Thanks to our hardworking room parents and all the parent volunteers they recruit, class parties will be Thursday, October 31. The first and second grade parties will be from 2-3 and the third through fifth grade parties will be from 2:30-3:15. You're welcome to come enjoy the festivities with your child. We ask that parents refrain from bringing younger siblings to the parties. Thanks again to all who are helping with these preparations. The students truly enjoy and appreciate these events.

 

 

Parent Teacher Conferences

It was wonderful seeing you at conferences this past week.  Thank you for all you are doing to partner with your child's teacher to make this a very successful year for your child.  We are truly blessed to have your support.

Community Learning Events

We hope you've enjoyed the recent Community Learning Events.  Our next event is the November Love and Logic session which will be Thursday, November 14 at 4 P.M.  There will also be a Lunch and Learn event on Saturday, November 16 from 11-1.  This event is best for parents whose children are between the ages of three and ten.  Please be sure to RSVP for either or both events with Linda Van Thullenar.  If you're attending the Lunch and Learn event  we ask that you bring a side dish to complement the Thanksgiving Meal that will be provided.

Due to low numbers for our November 12 Community Learning Event we have decided to offer a short presentation and book discussion over The Genius in Every Child: Encouraging Character, Curiosity, and Creativity in Children by Rick Ackerly.  Though it is a quick read, we’ve also decided to postpone this event until Tuesday, February 4 in order to allow those who wish to read it ample time. We realize October has been a very busy month and now with the holidays approaching, schedules will become even more hectic. If you are interested in previewing the book, you can access several chapters and the introduction and epilogue at http://tinyurl.com/m4356yr. Copies of the book will soon be available for checkout from Linda Van Thullenar.

Thanks to Cristi Williams for helping make these events possible!

Grit: An Essential Ingredient for Success

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to watch a webinar conducted by Angela Duckworth titled "Will Power: Grit, Self-Control, and Achievement." This webinar was hosted by Independent School Association of the Central States (ISACS) and was purchased for teachers, administrators, and parents in our community who might be interested in this topic. If you would like to view this webinar please visit http://www.isacs.org/page/472128_Learning_Bridge_Webinar_Login.asp. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, select “10/9/13 Will Power: Grit, Self-Control & Achievement” and use the password humid. The webinar is one hour long, will be available until November 7, and provides information on what grit and self-control are and how these two variables affect achievement even more than intelligence or academic ability. Helping our students to develop grit and self control are two of the most important things we can do as their role models, educators, and parents. If you're interested in learning more about Mrs. Duckworth's research you can visit her website at https://sites.sas.upenn.edu/duckworth/pages/educators and even take a survey to see your personal grit score.