Thanksgiving Break

Veterans Day Assembly

School Pictures

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!

Save the Date

The third annual Night at the Races, sponsored by the Athletic Booster Club, is on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Upper School. For a donation of $25.00 per person, you can enjoy dinner, beverages and all the excitement and suspense of a thrilling night at the track!  Details and info on how to purchase tickets coming soon.

50/50 Raffle tickets are available from the athletics office, for $5 each. Tickets will be on sale until halftime at the first basketball game of the season, on Tuesday, Dec. 4.  Contact Mr. Ron Messer at x2410 for questions or to purchase tickets. Proceeds benefit the Upper School athletic teams.

Athletic Eligibility

With the basketball season underway, it is a good time to remind students and parents that there is an athletic eligibility requirement for all sports and extracurricular activities. If you are unclear on this policy, please contact Mr. Messer via e-mail or x2410.

Cross Country

The final cross country event this fall is the 5-mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning - Wednesday, Nov. 22. Come join the fun or just cheer the kids on as they try to post their best times of the season... and maybe even win a free pie!

www.lawrencevip.org

The parent-run VIP (Very Involved Parent) website allows parents to communicate with each other about carpooling, school uniforms, and other school activities and events. You must be a member to view content and reply to messages. Signing up is easy; simply go to the "Register" link and sign up using your first initial and last name. As soon as your account is approved, you will be able to view all content.

Installation of Lou Salza: If you enjoy reading Lou's column in the Loop every week, don't miss the opportunity to hear his address at his formal installation as the Head of Lawrence School. All are welcome to attend this Lawrence community event next Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Upper School at 10:00 a.m. Reception immediately following. RSVP to Jayne Eiben via e-mail or x 3107.

Donuts with the Deans: The next Upper School Donuts with the Deans is on Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 7:30 - 9:00 am at the Upper School.  Come prepared with questions, concerns or ideas that you would like to share with the Deans and with other parents.

Computer Safety: The Lower School held a Computer Safety seminar this week, which focused on how to keep children safe while on the internet. Strategies were presented to help children benefit from internet use while avoiding its risks. Parents learned ways to help kids increase their online skills and confidence while also ensuring they are safe online. Some tips included exploring the internet with children, providing guidance and discussion along the way, and keeping computers in a common area.

        If you missed the seminar, yet would like the resource CD (limited quantity available) which includes trial and free software programs for web filtering, time restriction, virus protection, spyware, and website resources, please contact Lower School Technology Coordinator Hedy Laverdiere via e-mail or at x1140.

Final Living Room Chat with Lou Salza: The final Living Room Chat takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at the home of Gwen and Todd McCuaig (co-hosted by Becky and Brad Borden) from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.  For directions and to RSVP, please contact Jayne Eiben via e-mail or at x3107.

Life Savers Parent Support Group: The "Life Savers" parent support group meets quarterly to discuss social and emotional issues of students in grades 7-12. Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 28, from 7-8:30 pm in the theater, when a guest from SPEA (Suicide Prevention Education Alliance) will speak about recognizing adolescent depression. Although Life Savers is usually specific to the Upper School grades, this particular session is open to all parents in all grade levels. Please RSVP to Mr. Jason Culp via e-mail or at x2115.

SPEA Assembly: SPEA (Suicide Prevention Education Alliance) will speak to all ninth grade students on depression and other mood disorders and emotional challenges. Students in grades 10-12 who are new to Lawrence School will also attend this assembly.

Lower School Food Drive: The Lower School Food Drive takes place from November 12 through December 7.  Students will be collecting non-perishable foods to benefit local families in need. Homerooms that reach their goal of collected items will receive a free dress down day. The homeroom with the most items collected will receive a free pizza lunch. Thank you for your contributions!

Adult Technology Classes: The next free Adult Technology class is "Using GoBinder 2006 Organizational Software," on Thursday, Nov. 29, from 4-5:30 in Room 412 at the Upper School. Parents, staff and friends are invited to come learn how GoBinder can help organize and reduce the chance of losing work and documents needed for class. RSVP to Miss Sally Garza via e-mail or at 440-526-0003 x2140.

Coffee Talk with the LDA: The Learning Disabilities Association is hosting a coffee and dessert reception for parents of students with specific learning disabilities, on Monday, Nov. 19 at 7 pm.  Guests will exchange ideas and suggestions as they help the LDA build their Parent Network group. The session takes place at the LDA offices, on 4800 East 131st Street, Suite B, in Garfield Heights. To RSVP or for more information, please contact Wendy from LDA via e-mail or at 216-581-4549.

Market Day: Thank you to everyone who placed a Market Day order in the month of November and helped us earn extra money for the school. Our December incentive is Free Gas! Order $35 or more between now and Dec. 13 and you will be entered into a drawing to win a $35 gas card. Orders are due by Thursday, Dec. 13 to the school, or place your order online at www.marketday.com (use school code #22070) by noon on Dec. 14. Thanks for helping us "rev up" our profits in December! 

 HEAD NOTES

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday.  No matter what religion or ethnic group we belong to, whether we have been in the country for four months or for four generations, we gather at homes, hearths and tables to celebrate family, express gratitude, and offer thanks and appreciation for our lives and for each other.  It is a time when we remember the importance of our connections to family and friends that reward our days and enrich our lives. It is a time when we do not exchange gifts; rather we bring only our familiarity, perhaps a dish to add to a table groaning with food, and our fondness for those closest to us.

In the Salza family, it has been the custom to have each member of our Thanksgiving feast reflect aloud about what they are most grateful for in the past year.

This year, I feel gratitude for the birth of our granddaughter Aria on October 2nd, and for being here on the continent - after so many years far away - close enough that Dell and I can spend this holiday with our daughters and extended family.  I feel grateful for the Lawrence school community and for my new colleagues on the staff and on the Board of Trustees, for the important work we are given to do on behalf of our students and families, and for the privilege of growing and learning in this profession.

I am thankful that we are able to recognize the importance of supporting choice in the education of our children; encouraged by the strides Lawrence School has made in offering our specialized education to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it and likewise encouraged by the thoughtful approach our students themselves have adopted in considering their own educational paths.

I am grateful to those who are standing watch on our behalf around a dangerous globe, and I appreciate the sacrifice of those in my parents' generation who endured an economic depression and then a world war. 

Since 9/11/01, I find am grateful as never before for the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, who prudently separated theology from government as they framed the constitution we live by today.

Finally, I am grateful for the example of courage and commitment set by our students - from the youngest to the oldest - who daily remind us by their presence in our classrooms of the importance of learning, of the need for perseverance in the face of adversity and for the gift of their faith in us, despite past struggle and failure to learn in school.

May our Thanksgiving holiday be one filled with family and friends - and may our hearts be filled with gratitude at each embrace.

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).