Dear Parents,
As the First Quarter of the school year comes to a close, I am delighted to note how settled-in the girls are. They seem quite comfortable in their new grades with their new teachers and new schedules. Many of them are volunteering to perform skits and poems in Lower School Meeting, and the older ones are planning and crafting community service projects. Brimming with enthusiasm and energy, they are full of ideas and suggestions for every project and event.
November 2 and 5: School is closed for professional days. On Friday, RPCS will be conducting professional activities on campus for the faculty and staff. On Monday the teachers will all be attending the AIMS (Association of Independent Maryland Schools) Conference. The After School Program will be holding special days on both dates. November 2 is entitled “Fall Back.” The girls decorate their own clocks and make caramel apples and other fall treats. The November 5th program also centers around fall. The girls will be planting fall flowers as well as making delicious goodies, both of which will becoming home!
You can sign up for one or both of these programs by contacting Maria Chmura at extension 3023 or at chmuram@rpcs.org .
Dance Party: November 9th is the date of our third annual Dance Party. This parent-daughter event promises to be a fun one for 1st and 2nd Graders. Mrs. Sylvia Botts, our LS dance teacher will teach some hip-hop steps to parents and students. Come dressed casually for an evening of fun! The dance party begins at 6:00 pm and ends about 7:30 pm.
Conference Day, November 16: The end of the First Quarter of the school year is Friday, November 2. The teachers will then prepare reports which will be sent home with the girls by Wednesday, November 14. Parent Conferences will be held on Friday, November 16, and School will be closed for LS students. Please call Mrs. Laziuck in the LS Office to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher (410-323-5500, ext. 3022).
The RPCS Blood Drive will take place in the Lower School Multi-Purpose Room on Monday, November 19, 2007. Please sign up with Ms. Yvonne Hughes at hughesy@rpcs.org or by calling the main number, 323-5500. Parents, this is a convenient way to give blood, much easier than making an appointment at a donor center. Come on the 19th and help save lives!
Fun Fair: This year the entire School is involved in two fundraisers: helping to build schools in Sierra Leone through the organization, Free the Children, and RPCS’s own capital campaign, which includes the new athletic complex. In an effort to help with these fundraisers, the Fifth Graders have organized a Fun Fair for the other LS students to be held on November 20th from 2-3 p.m. For a set price, a student will be able to play various carnival games, purchase handmade jewelry, and wear her own clothes. Additionally, students will be able to purchase goodies from the 4th Grade bake table. More details about this exciting afternoon will be coming home in a flier.
Holiday Fair: One of the most enjoyable events of the school year is the Holiday Fair! It will be held this year on December 1 from 11:00 to 4:00 in and around the the school. It’s an RPCS tradition and a real family event with many activities for Lower Schoolers, as well as crafts, games, food and holiday shopping for the whole family.
Uniform socks and shoes: When Lower School girls wear white socks, they are to be tall (bobby) socks, not peds or tennis socks. They need to be high enough to cover the anklebone and meet leggings if they are worn. Even though the girls want to imitate the Middle or Upper School girls, our uniform requires the higher style socks.
Brown shoes need to be an oxford type, not a loafer, nor a tennis shoe. We want the student’s shoes to give her growing foot good support. Her brown school shoes are supposed to be tie shoes, not with buckles or Velcro. They should not have any stripes or decorations on them. Please help your daughter to follow the uniform code. If you have any questions about these two uniform requirements, please ask me.
And earrings: Girls who have pierced ears may only wear simple stud earrings. Hoops, danglies, or ornate studs are not appropriate for little girls in school.
Thanksgiving, I believe, is becoming my favorite holiday. It’s a peaceful day with family and friends gathered around the table. It is without the material trappings which accompany just about every other holiday. I hope that you will enjoy this Thanksgiving with your daughter and the rest of your family. Please take time to reflect and delight in the wonderful gifts that are around us every day.
~ B.G.S.