Tuesday News - October 12, 2010

       Click here for Tuesday News Archives

Gently Used Outerwear & Cross-Country Ski Sale

Before you know it, it will be winter!  Starting now, your children need rain coats and pants and rain boots, and very soon they will also need snow suits, boots, mittens and hats.  For anyone in grades 2-8, they also need cross-country ski equipment.  If you miss this opportunity to buy gently used outerwear and ski equipment, you will find yourselves paying full price at a store!  Recycling within our community makes sense and saves you money.  This sale benefits everyone, and helps raise money for our wonderful cross-country ski programs and the middle school and high school teams.

The sale is THIS WEEK, Wed. and Thurs.(Oct. 13/14) Sale tents will be set up outside the Community Hall and, if there are enough donations of small sized outerwear, then we will also have a tent near the Farmhouse.

     We still need a few volunteers to help with selling during the 2 day sale. Outerwear Sale volunteers get first dibs, so contact Lynne Espy now if you can help!

Lynne Espy, Development Coordinator, 865-3900 Ext. 116, developmentcoordinator@merriconeag.org

Fall Fair and Open House, Saturday, November 6, 10 am - 3 pm

(Craft Preview Sale for Adults: Friday, November 5, 6 - 9 pm)

Fall Fair Staffing:  Staffing the Fall Fair is a big job. Even though we have all worked hard up to fair day, it truly takes all of us volunteering for a shift to make the fair run smoothly. The first round of staffing is done by your Class Activity Coordinator so this is the week to contact them and choose your time slot.  After October 22nd, Pat Sanford, our overall Staffing Coordinator, will put the staffing sheet in the Tuesday News so we can all see where the holes are and where we still need to help. If your class activity is fully staffed, please choose another activity. An added benefit of working at the fair is building community across classes. It’s a wonderful way to support the school and make new friends.

Fair Questions? If you are new to the school and are feeling puzzled by the Fall Fair and expectations, please see, call or email:  Lynne Espy, ext 116, developmentcoordinator@merriconeag.org or Deeda Burgess, ext 105, publicrelations@merriconeag.org.

Squirrels are busy: We need volunteers to help supply the "Squirrel's Attic" with goods for the Fall Fair (small, natural/handmade items that are sold for $1.00 or less) and work one-hour shifts on November 6th.  Please see the sign-up sheets and basket for donated craft items in the ECC.  Questions: contact Aly Fullagar, Maleah Webb, or Sarah Currie (846-7818).  Thank you!

Recycle Pocket People Presents: Certainly many of us have scads of pocket people presents collecting dust around our houses. Now is your chance to recycle them. Please deliver them to the appropriately marked box in either office.

We are still looking for Pocket People for two shifts at the Fair, 9:45 - 11:00 and 11:00 - 12:15. Please contact Wendy Akerlind, 252-1263, wendyakerlind@gmail.com, if you’d be willing to provide some of this fun entertainment at the Fair.

The Falling Leaves Cafe needs You: We are calling on your inner chef or baker to lend a hand in the creation of both savory and sweet delectables to be sold in individual servings at the Fall Fair.  Dig deep into your recipe index and share to the benefit and appreciation of us all!  Please contact Carina Wishman Freedner at 725-7507 or epicurious.crow@gmail.com.  Thank you so very much for your time!  

From the Admissions Office

     We’re a month into the school year and I hope you and your children are settling into a happy routine. 

     I’m delighted to report that the number of new students at Merriconeag this year is considerably higher than last year. The most significant growth is in the grade school where we have three times the number of new students as last year. School wide we have 35 wonderful new students.  Two full Parent-Toddler classes are underway this fall and we are excited about launching a new Parent-Infant class as soon as we get enough interest. 

     As the person who has the pleasure of talking with prospective parents, I am keenly aware of how many families look into Merriconeag because they’ve heard great things about the school.  I appreciate your support of our recruitment efforts and encourage you to continue spreading the good word however you can. 

     With this in mind, I want to let you know about the admission events on the fall calendar. We request that parents call ahead to let us know they’re coming and to check on times and locations for all of the events except the Fall Fair/Admissions Open House.  If you know a family who may want to attend one of these events, either have them call me directly (865-3900, ext. 103) or you can call me and I’ll make sure they receive an invitation.  We also have a Fall Events flyer – if you’d like a few to pass around just let me know.  Thank you for your help. Lyn Baird, Admissions Director, Ext 103, admissionsdirector@merriconeag.org

• Tuesday, October 19, we are holding a “Walk through the High School Grades” event at the Pineland campus, from 8:45 – 10:15.  Join us for a visit to the morning lesson period where high school students are studying a single subject intensively over several weeks.  The 9^th grade is looking at the polarity of living things in Chemistry with Sarah Buck, the 10^th grade is seeking the balance of things in Acids, Bases and Salts with Bob Thurrell, and the 11^th grade is expanding their minds in Projective Geometry with Jeff O’Brien.  (The 12^th grade will be in Lexington and Concord that day, following in the footsteps of the Transcendentalists with their American Literature teacher, David Barham.) 

• Thursday, November 4, another “Walk through the High School Grades” will feature Art History in the 9^th grade with visiting teacher Patrick Stolfo, David Sloan teaching Ancient Cultures to the 10^th graders, and Jordan Seavey with the 11^th and 12^th graders for the History of Music. 
•   Saturday, November 6, concurrent with the Fall Fair, we will host an Admissions Open House. Parents and children can tour the campus and visit with teachers on a joyful day when our school is especially vibrant.
•  Wednesday, November 17, our teachers will present “A Remarkable Approach to High School,” 7:00 p.m. in the Community Hall. What’s unique about our treatment of subjects?  Why do Waldorf students find high school so satisfying?  Why choose us?  
•  Tuesday, November 30, 1:45, Early Childhood Information Session.  A chance for parents to learn what makes Waldorf early childhood education so well suited to the needs of the young child.  
•  Wednesday December 1, 8:15 to 10:30, “Walk through Grades 2 – 8.”  Discover why Waldorf works by observing both children and teachers as they move through their morning lessons.

School Community Updates

In the News

How Writing by Hand Makes Kids Smarterhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20101006/cm_theweek/207846

For links to recent articles about technology and brain development click here

(Click blue to link through)

Greater Community Link

Community Classifieds Link