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.
Friday, September 28 is a Student Council dress down day for Lower and Upper
Schools. Students can pay 25 cents for every item of clothing that is not dress code, or $1 for an entire outfit.
There is no school on Friday, October 12 for NEOEA Day. Teachers will use
this day for professional development.
Pictured above: Students in Miss Turner's and Mrs. Perillo's science
classes demonstrate a weather and erosion experiment.
Lower School Fundraiser:
Orders are due for the Lower School Fundraiser on Monday, September
24. All money raised will go towards funding Lower School special activities, events and supplies, such as International Day and the end-of-year
picnic. Thank you for your contributions!
High School Homecoming:
Homecoming weekend is coming soon! Come cheer on our varsity soccer team on
Friday, October 19, at 4:30 pm as they take on Mogadore Christian. Then on Saturday, October 20, students in grades 9-12 are invited to attend the
Homecoming Dance. This year's theme is "The Roaring '20s". Check back next week for details on ticket price, times, and spirit week themes.
Athletics
Updates
Congratulations to the varsity soccer team, who
just logged a 9-1 win against Mogodore Christian. This brings the season record to 2-2-1. Please plan to come cheer our Lions to another victory at
the next home game on Tuesday, October 16 at 4 pm, versus Grand River Academy.
Eligibility requirements began this week. If a
student athlete is not meeting academic eligibility standards, he or she must attend after-school study hall on the days he/she would normally attend
practice or games. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Ron
Messer at x2410.
Congratulations to Cross Country participants
Will B., Mike J., Anthony G., Drew D., Eli C., and Hannah P. for their great finishing times at the 5k in Medina last weekend. Join the team this
Sunday, September 23, for the five-mile Heroes Run to benefit the
Cleveland Police and Firefighters Memorial Fund. Go, Lions!
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.
Lawrence Senior Competes in Horse Show-Jumping
Good
luck to David R. who will compete this weekend in the Wachovia
Securities American Gold Cup at the Metroparks Polo Field in Moreland
Hills. In July, David finished first in his division at the Chagrin
Valley Hunter Jumper Classic. Click here to see a story on David that ran in this week's Chagrin Herald Sun.
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!
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.
|
September 21,
2007
Upper School "Doughnuts with the Deans": Please
join us on Wednesday, October 3, from 7:30-9 a.m. for our first "Doughnuts with the
Deans" session of the school year. Mrs. Walker, Mr. Culp and Mr. Masa will be
available for a morning of positive, productive conversation about the future of
the Upper
School, for parents of students in grades 7-12. Come when you can
and stay as long as you can. We will meet in the Upper School Library.
Living Room
Chats: Parents and friends of Lawrence are invited to attend one of several
upcoming local "Living Room Chats" with new school Head, Lou Salza. The topic of
each discussion will be "Great Minds Don't Think Alike: Supporting Students who
live 'Outside the Box' in School." Discussions will take place in the living
rooms of Lawrence parents throughout the region and will
include a wine and cheese reception. Lawrence parents are welcome to bring an
interested friend. For dates and locations, click
here. Look for detailed flyers in the mail. For more information or to RSVP,
contact Jayne Eiben via e-mail or 440-526-0003 x3107.
Thank you, Lower School
Parents: Many thanks to all the
parents who attended Lower School Curriculum Night this week. We enjoyed seeing you all, and hope the evening provided you with a good overview of
the material your child will study over the course of the school year.
Upper School Dismissal Reminder:
Please do not stop in front of the Bell Tower to wait for your child to be
dismissed from school. This creates traffic problems in other areas of the
campus. If you arrive early, either pull around the lot and line up near the
baseball field or park in any available spot.
Fishing Day on Fell Lake: On Friday, September 28, the
Upper School science department is hosting an afternoon of fishing on
Fell Lake, located on the Upper School campus in Sagamore Hills. Bring
your own poles and bait, and fish the lake from 3:20-4:30 pm. Cost is
$5 with
proceeds going to the SPEA (Suicide Prevention Education Alliance).
RSVP to Mrs. Karen Callahan by e-mail or
x2506.
Walk Into the Light: Each year, Lawrence School
sends a team of walkers to the
annual 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.
Picture Day: Lower School
Picture Day is Monday, September 24. Upper School Picture
Day is Wednesday, September 26. Picture packets with
order forms have been sent home. If you would like to order online, visit www.ohioschoolpictures.com and prepay with a credit card. The Lower School order code is 0708-5417 and the Upper School order
code is
0708-5424.
FREE
Adult Technology Courses:
The Technology Department is pleased
to provide adult
technology classes this school year. The next class, "Surf the Net Like
a Pro," takes place on Wednesday, September 26, from 4-5:30 pm at the
Lower School. Hear tips on how to use internet search engines and
databases
to
find the data you need. 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.
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.
Chalkboard Chats: Upper School parents,
please note that Chalkboard Chats has been rescheduled from September 26 (original date), to Wednesday, October 17, from 7-8:30 pm. Because this is
an
opportunity for parents to learn more about academic-related topics and issues, we are asking you to e-mail any topic ideas to Academic Dean Mr. Ryan Masa (or call at x2114). We
want to ensure that the
topics we cover are important and helpful to parents, so please be sure to send Mr. Masa your suggestions. Thank you!
Dress Code: When navigating the Land's End website, please use caution as it is easy to
accidentally navigate off the "dress code catalog" page and back onto
the regular Land's End site. If you are not sure if you are still on
the "dress code" portion of the site, you may want to check the items
you are purchasing against those listed in these documents: Upper School Approved Items or Lower School Approved Items. If you cannot access those links, please contact Courtney Baker at x3106 and she will be happy to send it to
you.
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.
Middle School KidsScripts Writing Workshop: Last week, middle school students enjoyed participating in a "KidsScripts" writing
workshop with members of the Magical Theatre Company, where students were inspired to begin writing their own short stories. The Magical Theatre
Company will select two stories to turn into plays, then will return to the middle school at the end of the year to perform those plays. Information
packets will be sent home to parents soon, outlining the guidelines for this writing project. Good luck, students!
HEAD NOTES
From Head of School, Lou Salza
In my column this week I would like to acknowledge, with gratitude, the
dedicated service and diligent work of a committed and knowledgeable group at Lawrence School who work behind the scenes to ensure our success: The
Lawrence School Board of Trustees, led by Chair, Susan R. Karas. Our board is comprised of community and business leaders, current and former
parents, leaders in education, finance and industry as well as members of the professional community.
Our vibrant independent school community here in Northeast Ohio and across the nation could not long endure without the committed service of
governing boards, and Lawrence is blessed with an active, engaged, accomplished group of trustees. Each brings a particular perspective and
expertise to the discussions that bear on the current concerns and future prospects of the school. Together they are a steady hand on the helm as the
school navigates uncharted waters.
Traditionally, members of independent school Boards were described as providing wisdom, work and wealth or as giving time, talent and treasure to
their schools or organizations. These pithy descriptors are still accurate--but shifting economic, social and political realities today create
opportunities and challenges that require boards to help schools in myriad ways that go way beyond the traditional notions of service.
They are fiduciaries in the broadest sense of the word--people who "hold" the school "in trust" for future generations. In a close working
partnership with the leadership team at each of our campuses, our trustees articulate and promote sound policies and best practices in keeping with
the mission and vision of our school.
Later this fall our board will initiate and lead a strategic planning process designed to chart future directions and destinations for Lawrence
School. We will begin by acknowledging the distance we have journeyed since we were founded some thirty years ago, and the superb service Lawrence
has rendered to students and families over the decades. The board has retained the services of Amy Morganstern and Mainstream Enterprises to
facilitate this important process.
Strategic planning and mapping is at the heart of effective governance and will serve our students, our families and our community well for years to
come.
We will be hearing more about the strategic planning process as the fall unfolds--in the meantime, please join me in offering kudos and gratitude to
our trustees for their stewardship of Lawrence School, for the burden of care they carry on our behalf, and for the example they set of servant
leadership!
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). |
