Reminders
The cool weather
dress code goes into effect on Monday, October 1. Students will not be
permitted to wear shorts or sandals, and shoes must be worn with socks.
There is no school on Friday, October 12 for NEOEA Day. Teachers will use
this day for professional development. Upper School teachers will attend a Technology Conference, and Lower School teachers will attend a day-long
workshop on dyslexia at Notre Dame College.
Spanish Club/Show
Choir Field Trip
Students from Spanish Club and Show Choir will
attend the musical Man of La Mancha at the Cleveland Playhouse on Tuesday, October 2. Attending students need to bring money for a fast food
lunch that afternoon. For questions, contact Senorita Amanda
Hedrick.
Pictured
Above
Members of the cross country team run hill repeats
during practice. Remember, team... you never know where Coach Havel is hiding in the woods, so no walking!
Senior Field Trip
Seniors
will be visiting Kent State University on Friday, October 5. They will
receive a tour of the school and library, and have the opportunity to
begin work on their senior projects. This opportunity to visit a
college campus is a great way to introduce students to college life and
reduce anxiety about the college application process.
Envrionmental Club Trip
On Sunday, October 14, the Upper School Environmental
Club is hosting a field trip on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for interested Lawrence families. The trip departs from Rockside
Station in Independence at 1 pm and returns at 2:45 pm. Cost is $16 for age 13 and older, and $9 for ages 3-12. If interested, click here to
download the order form, or contact Mrs. Freeman
via e-mail or x2508 for a hard copy.
Congratulations!
Mrs. Karen Callahan (pictured above teaching class) was honored with the
"Exceptional
Teacher" award at
the annual meeting of the Learning Disability Association of Cuyahoga County on Tuesday, September 25. In the words of Mrs. Joyce Walker who made the
nomination, Karen "believes that every problem has multiple solutions. Over the years, many students have professed that Mrs. Callahan was the first
person who made learning science fun, and in the process taught them to have the courage to ask questions and share ideas as they pursue their
dreams." Congratulations, Mrs. Callahan!
And also to...
Mr. Lou Salza was recently appointed to the Harvard Principals' Center
Advisory Board. The Center is part of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is dedicated to the personal and professional development of
current school leaders across the country.
Lawrence Students on the Radio:
If you listen to "The Fish" 95.5 FM's morning show during the month of
October, you may hear some familiar voices on the air. Senior Chris A. and sophomore Rachael L. visited the station's recording studios this week to
record 60-second ads promoting Lawrence School. Chris and Rachael are pictured above with Ben from "The Fish". If you would like to hear the ads,
send an e-mail to Courtney Baker or call ext 3106; she will send them
to you via e-mail as MP3 files. Great job, Chris & Rachael!
Upper School Pancake
Breakfasts
Don't
forget that Upper School students and parents are invited to breakfast
each Friday
morning before school in the Life Skills area. Student Council will be
selling pancakes for $1 each, including toppings. Buy two and get a
free
juice!
Pictured Above:
A good time was had by all when the Video Game Club hosted a Halo 3 party
after school this week. Thank you, parents, for bringing in the great snacks!
Get in "The Loop"
If
you are reading this newsletter on a black and white piece of paper,
you are missing out! Did you know we can deliver a full-color version
of the Loop right to your inbox each week? To sign up, e-mail cbaker@lawrence.pvt.k12.oh.us with your
request. We will send to grandparents, relatives and friends, too!
Access the School Calendar
Online:
The Lawrence School calendar for
both Lower and Upper School is
available online here
(or you can access it directly from our home page).
The calendar contains dates of interest including: conferences,
vacations, athletics schedules, extracurricular schedules, events, and
grading period
information.
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September 28,
2007
Homecoming 2007: The third annual Lawrence
Homecoming Dance takes place on Saturday, October 20 from 7-10 pm in the Upper School gym, for students in grades 9-12. This year's theme is "The
Roaring Twenties". Semi-formal attire is required. Tickets are $20 each and will be sold during lunch time from October 1-19. Students may invite up
to three guests from other schools.
Middle School Dance: Students in grades 7-8 are
invited to attend a middle school dance on Friday, October 5 from 3:30-5 pm in the commons area. Tickets are $5 and information will be sent home
to parents soon.
Lower School Sweatshirt Sale: Order forms for
Lower School sweatshirts will be sent home the week of October 1. Don't miss this opportunity to order your Lawrence "spirit wear"!
Doughnuts with the Deans: Upper School parents
(grades 7-12) are invited to attend "Doughnuts with the
Deans" on Wednesday, October 3, from 7:30-9 a.m. Mrs. Walker,
Mr. Culp and Mr. Masa will be
available for a morning of positive, productive conversation about the future of
the Upper
School. Come when you can
and stay as long as you can. We will meet in the Upper School Library.
Living Room Chats with Lou Salza: Our first
regional chats begin next week. Join the discussion, enjoy wine and cheese, and bring an interested friend!
-
Thursday, Oct. 4 - Bay Village - home of Karen
Bradley and Tom Norton
- Tuesday, Oct. 9 - Medina - home of Luan and Mike Bobinchuck
- Thursday, Oct. 18 - Shaker Heights - home of Debby and
Chuck Scholl
For a complete list of events, click here. RSVP to Jayne Eiben via e-mail or at x3107.
Middle School Class Trips: Payment
in full
for the middle school class trips is due on Friday, October 5. The
following forms are currently due: Class Trip Agreement, Class Trip
Payment Form
(with deposit) and Medication Release Form. All of these forms are
available here to members of the www.lawrencevip.org website. Or, contact Tracy
Pedaline at x2124 for copies. 7th
graders will visit Chicago
on October 18-19, and 8th graders will visit Washington, DC on October 17-19.
Lower School Room Parents: Many thanks to
the Lower School parents for your response to our need for Room Parents. We are still looking for a room parent for Mr. Rogers' class. If
interested, please contact Mrs. Pat Feith via e-mail or at extension 1124.
The numbers are in! The Sold-Out
Benefit Auction last May set a record, earning over $160,000 for Lawrence School. It's now time to start planning for this year's event on May 3,
2008!
Benefit Auction Get-Together: To learn
more about this year's Benefit Auction and meet other Lawrence parents, come to the Lower School on Tuesday, Oct. 9th at 1:00. Lunch will be
served! We'll be finished in time for Lower and Upper School pick ups. Please RSVP to Jayne
Eiben via e-mail or at x3107. All are
welcome!
Students to Meet the Mayor: On Tuesday,
October 9, the mayor of Broadview Heights, Glenn R. Goodwin, will visit the Lower School. He will speak with students about city government and
answer any questions they may have.
October 11 Adult Technology Course: The next
class in the series of free adult technology courses is "Using Read, Write and Gold Assistive Technology Software." It takes place on Tuesday,
October 11, from 4-5:30 pm at the Upper School (Room 412). To see a detailed schedule of all classes, please log on to the Lawrence VIP website
at www.lawrencevip.org (under the category "Parent Resources") or click here for a pdf
version. Classes are open to all adults including parents, relatives and community members.
Walk Into the Light: Students, staff, parents
and friends will be representing Lawrence School at this weekend's Into the Light
walk, sponsored by the Suicide Prevention Education Alliance of
Northeast Ohio (SPEA). The walk is designed to "shine the light" on
depression and suicide prevention and is also a means by which SPEA can
raise funds to support their outreach efforts. We would welcome any
family who is interested in participating to join us at the walk on
Sunday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. If
you cannot attend,
but would like to support SPEA and donate to the cause, please contact Mr. Jason
Culp or Mrs.
Karen Callahan.
Reverse Raffle Fundraiser: Join
the Athletic Boosters Club at the Upper
School on Saturday, October 27, for a Reverse Raffle Fundraiser. Doors
open at 6:30 pm and include dinner, baked goods and $1 beverages.
Tickets are only $10 for dinner and $25 per raffle ticket, with a Grand
Prize of at least $1,000! 21 and over only, please. Contact Mr. Ron
Messer at x2410 to RSVP or purchase a ticket.
Upper School Store: The Upper School store is now open before school (from 8:05-8:25
am) and
after school (from 3:20-3:25 pm). Stop by to pick up a Lawrence hat, sweatshirt and other spirit wear items!
HEAD NOTES
From Head of School, Lou Salza
Two years ago I took one of those very popular Steven Covey courses about the
7 habits we all ought to cultivate if we ever hope to be effective managers. I liked the Covey materials and found most of his tips and
suggestions accessible, and some, obvious.
I confess I yawned once or twice during the day long seminar--but when I saw his material on "Dealing with Differences" my jaw dropped, my eyes bore
into the page, and I sat bolt upright!
As I looked at his simple stair-step diagram and its unfolding challenge, I realized that Covey had articulated something essential--something
foundational for all who work with children and families who face learning differences. I didn't see this as having a lot to do with leadership or
management at first because I reacted emotionally with our students and families in mind. As I processed each step and its complex and powerful
challenge however, the importance of his ideas to our roles as parents, teachers, learners, and leaders surfaced for me in a powerful way.
In the seminar workbook, Covey draws a staircase with four steps marching up and across the page from bottom left to top right. Its title:
DEALING WITH DIFFERENCES*
Over the first Step (level 1) he writes the word "Tolerate" and under that step he defines the word: "To endure or put up with
someone's differences."
Over the second step (level 2) Covey writes "Accept" and under it: "To consent to someone's differences; to regard them as proper,
suitable, or normal."
Over the third step (level 3) Covey writes the word "Value" defined as: "To be open, and see someone's differences as
worthwhile."
And finally, at the top landing (Level 4) Covey writes "Celebrate" and under that he explains: "To deeply understand another's point
of view, and to explain that point of view as well as, or better than he or she could."
What immediately grabbed my attention about Covey's thinking regarding diversity was that he correctly places tolerance at the bottom level even
though tolerance is sometimes the only step we discuss or expect from ourselves or our schools and community organizations. Covey's staircase is what
educators call a "rubric" which defines for teachers and learners different levels of achievement or accomplishment. "Tolerate" would only earn us
a "D" if it were a grading rubric!
Covey challenges us to confront the question of what we hope for when it comes to diversity and differences of any kind. What are our
aspirations? How high do we reach? Do we tolerate, accept, value, or celebrate our children's unique qualities? And on which step would our
children stand when thinking about themselves? Would their experiences as students at Lawrence School make a difference?
Finally, I would ask what do we need to learn to think, say or do to move ourselves to the next step from whatever step we are on as educators, as
parents and as a community of learners at Lawrence School? How could we get ourselves to step 4 - "Celebrate" - when it comes to
our students, and earn an "A"?
I think that climbing higher on Covey's diversity staircase would probably make anyone a more effective manager--but I know it would make
Lawrence a better school and all of us, better people.
Besides we probably all need the exercise!
Thank you, Steven Covey!
* From the work of Steven Covey/ Franklin Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Managers, pg. 31 of the Participant's Guide,
Publishers, 2200 West Pkwy Blvd., Salt Lake City, UT, 84119
Did this week's Head Notes column inspire you, puzzle you, or otherwise
stir a response you would like to share? Let Lou know how you feel! He welcomes all comments and correspondence via e-mail or phone (440-526-0003 x2102).
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