Open House Events

Lions Basketball

Lower School Night

Lower School Pizza Reminder

Students who would like to purchase pizza for Friday lunch must turn in their payment on Wednesdays. Pizza is $1 per slice and all proceeds benefit Student Council activities.

Drama Production: The Upper School drama club is proud to present Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie on Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2 at 8 pm. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Reserve tickets by calling the box office at 440-832-7844. All seats must be reserved in advance.

Understanding Your Child's Test Scores: Although standardized testing has become the norm, many parents have told us that they have never really been given the information to understand exactly what the results of these tests mean. Join Lower School psychologist Dr. Ethan Schafer for a two-part workshop that will give parents the tools to both understand test scores, and place them in the proper context. Part I of "Understanding Your Child's Test Scores" will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 8:15 am. Part II will take place on Wednesday, Feb 6 at 8:15 am. Both workshops take place at the Lower School. Classes are geared more toward Lower School, but Upper School parents may benefit as well. Contact Dr. Schafer via e-mail or 440-832-7850 for more information.

Moms and Muffins: The Lower School Moms and Muffins takes place on Friday, Feb. 1 from 7:30-8 am. Invitations were mailed to all Lower School families. Please RSVP by Jan. 28 to Mrs. Pat Feith via e-mail or 440-832-7838.

Weekend Social - Save the Date: Lawrence students and families are invited to enjoy tobogganing at The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville on Saturday, Feb 2, from 8-11 am. All grade levels are welcome. The Chalet will be closed to the public during these times, so there will be plenty of opportunity to ride! Cost is $5 per person (must be 42" or taller) and gloves or mittens must be worn.

Raising Resilient Children: On Monday, Feb. 4, from 1-2 pm at the Lower School, parents are invited to attend a teleconference on "Raising Resilient Children and Adolescents" presented by Robert Brooks from Harvard Medical School. In this presentation, Dr. Brooks describes factors that help children and adolescents deal more effectively with stress and pressure and become resilient. Please RSVP to Mrs. Feith via e-mail or at 440-832-7838.

Winter Semi-Formal: Students in grades 9-12 are invited to attend the Winter Semi-Formal "Frozen in Time" on Saturday, February 9 from 7:30-11 pm in the Upper School Gymnasium. Tickets are $20 and will be sold during lunch from Feb. 4-8. Any parents who are able to donate snacks or beverages are asked to contact Miss Amanda Hedrick via e-mail.

Donuts with the Deans: All Upper School parents are invited to join Mrs. Walker, Mr. Culp and Mr. Masa for Donuts with the Deans on Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 7:30-9 am in the Upper School Conference Room.

  HEAD NOTES

Welcome back! I wish us all a successful, fulfilling 2008!

I want to take a moment this week to reflect on the holiday the Lawrence School community will observe over the long weekend, celebrating the life and work of the Rev. Martin Luther King. His life and work have inspired my aspirations and commitment regarding the kinds of communities we need to build in our schools. In a real sense, all of us who serve children and families in schools are stewards of Dr. King's dream for America.

I have always kept a fairly large bulletin board in my school offices wherever my work has taken me. It is a collage of photographs - a personal pantheon of family, friends, champions and angels who offer me love, support, challenge and inspiration.  There are old pictures of students going back to my first year as a teacher in Philadelphia, and there are more recent photos of flowing lava at Kiluea Crater on the Big Island of Hawaii last year.

It was my wife Dell's idea. We had a bulletin board at home from the time we were first married and she thought I ought to have one at school with personal pictures and memorabilia, so that students and teachers could get a glimpse of who I was when I was not being their vice principal or headmaster. It serves also to remind me of who I am, sans trappings of profession and position. Currently, my bulletin board keeps watch over my thoughts, words and actions in the Lower School office at Lawrence School.  
 
That bulletin board stands symbolic witness over my days and reminds me of those moments in my life that were moments of truth, moments that mattered, changed or just resonated.  It celebrates and commemorates the people, places and experiences that shaped, challenged, changed or sustained me over the years. Some pictures change from year to year, and from place to place... some remain year upon year.

One picture that has been there from the very first, and will always occupy a prominent position, is a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dell - who has guided my influences and passions for the great social activists of our century - is there on the board as well.

I met Dell in high school. Even in grade school, Dell was a steward of Dr. King's dream, and already a committed worker in the civil rights movement.  She and other dedicated young people of that day were working to establish what King called "the beloved community."

Even though we had been homeroom classmates since 7th grade, it was a big school and I spoke to Dell for the first time in 9th grade when she tried to sell a ticket for a Civil Rights benefit to a friend of mine as he and I were hanging out together in the hallway after school one day.  I started to argue with her about the politics of the time and the civil rights movement. The argument continued and I found myself walking with her all the way to her house two miles away.

I lost the argument and went to the benefit. It was the start of our journey together.

We were seniors in 1968, the year that an assassin's bullet took the life of Dr. King and seared our nation's memory - the year we all became stewards of Dr. King's dream for America.

That was 40 years ago this coming April.

This week, I hope children across the country will listen to Dr. King's powerful, evocative oratory and study his rhetoric. We will see him marching in photos and news clips. We will feel inspired by his impassioned voice trembling with conviction as he calls us to service and to community.

Dell and I will be transported back to those moments that shaped and changed our lives and the lives of those in our generation.

We will be reminded that we are all now the stewards of Dr. King's dream.

At www.mlkonline.net you can find information about the Rev. Martin Luther King, hear and read his speeches, learn about his life's work, and learn the reason we observe the holiday in his honor: 

"The national holiday honoring Dr. King is an occasion for joy and celebration for his life and his work toward nonviolent social change in America and the world. Traditionally, we celebrate holidays with parties, family picnics, fireworks, a trip back home or to the seashore. However, we must also be mindful that this is a special holiday - one which symbolizes our nation's commitment to peace through justice; to universal brother- and sisterhood; and to the noblest ideal of all: a democratic society based on the principles of freedom, justice and equality for all people. Whether you celebrate Dr. King's birthday on January 15th or during Black History Month, the holiday is an occasion for thanksgiving, unselfishness, and rededicating ourselves to the causes for which he stood and for which he died."

Let's enjoy our holiday. We are all stewards of Dr. King's dream.

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 (440-832-7820).