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Wilbraham & Monson Academy: 2011_Parent eNews

View online: https://www.wma.us/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=373  April 2012 Volume 1
 

Greetings!


Clash of Titans is here! The Parents Association is very excited to present our spring event on Friday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m. in Lak Dining Hall. All the information is online now, and tickets can be purchased online as well. The evening is sure to provide a great time for all who attend. We have four very talented chefs – Mary Beth Laliberte, Suzy Awad, Scott Bicknell, and returning champion Joe Salvador – who will go head-to-head creating a dish from secret ingredients to impress our esteemed panel of judges.

Following the announcement of the winner of the cooking contest, entertainer Dave Andrews will perform. During the evening, we will also be holding a raffle that includes an iPad, Red Sox Pavilion seats, and original artwork from Paul Bloomfield.

This event was a huge success last year and we hope to top it this year, so get your tickets now. If you can't make the event, please consider sponsoring a member of the WMA faculty or staff! Take a look at the auction page on the website, especially if you are parent of a senior, as it's your opportunity to bid on parking and VIP tickets for Commencement! Hope to see you then.

 Lisa Jalbert, WMA Parents Association President


Admission


Tell a friend about WMA

We have found that many of our applicants and new students have a connection to a current student at our school, and we strongly believe that existing WMA families are among our most valuable referral resources. It is in everyday parent-to-parent or student-to-student conversation that interest in WMA is generated. If your child is happy and thriving here, we appreciate your sharing that with your friends and neighbors. Feel free to invite them to a school game, event, or activity so they can see us in action.


From the Deans Office


2012 Senior Prom Information
Saturday, May 5
8:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Post 390 in Boston

8:00 p.m. Snacks for students and parents

8:30 p.m. All students depart the Academy on school-provided coach buses

4:00 a.m. Return to the Academy, light breakfast served

5:00 a.m. Students may leave campus

Other information:

  • Estimated ticket prices are $45 per person or $80 per couple
  • Tuxedo and flower shops come to school to take orders
  • Mall trips are scheduled for needed items, including prom dresses
  • On prom night, hair stylists will be on campus to help with hairdos, for a fee
  • Information will be updated on WMA News.

There will be door prizes at the prom, and we would be grateful for any assistance parents can provide in this area. In the past everything from gift cards to computers and televisions have been donated, and students heading off to college are very appreciative of these items.


Prize Day & Commencement

Parents of the Class of 2012: In this newsletter from the Class of 2012 Advisors Casey Brown and Wendy Decker, you will find all the information you need about your students’ schedules and responsibilities as the year comes to a close.

Below is general information for families of underclassmen.

Prize Day

  • Friday, May 25, 2:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00 p.m.
  • Students will meet at 1:45 p.m. Class Advisors will give students the gathering point.

Commencement

  • Saturday, May 26 10:00 a.m. to approximately noon
  • Students will meet at 9:30 a.m. Class Advisors will give students the gathering point.
  • A light lunch will be served in Lak Dining Hall from noon to 2:00 p.m. after Commencement.

Mid-spring trimester (M3) grades & comments

Please review the grades and comments with your child. Direct questions about your child's grade or progress in a particular course to the teacher directly or contact your child's advisor. The advisor is a good resource to assist you and your child with any academic difficulties that may have arisen.

April 20 - marking period ends (M3)

April 26 at noon - grades and comments for M3 finalized on PowerSchool. Please note, for the mid-spring trimester teachers are required only to write comments for students who are experiencing academic difficulty in their classes. If you have a concern about your child's progress in a particular course that s/he did not receive a comment, please contact the teacher directly via email to address any concerns you may have. Or, feel free to contact Erik Kindblom, Dean of Studies.

To access your child’s grades and comments, go to our PowerSchool website and log in using your username and password.

On PowerSchool you will see the following:

  • T1 column: Fall trimester grades for yearlong and fall trimester courses.
  • T2 column: Winter trimester grades for yearlong and fall trimester courses.
  • M3 column: Mid-spring trimester grade for yearlong and spring trimester courses.

M3 Teacher Comment: Click on the M3 grade to find the comment for that specific class.

Teacher recommendation symbols are located below the percentage grade in the M2 column: H = Honor Night, E = Extra Help, D = Directed Study


Class of 2012 Trip to New York City

Monday, April 9, 2012

7:00 a.m. departure

10:00 p.m. return to the Academy

Students will break into groups with faculty members to visit various sites throughout the city. They are responsible for paying for their lunch and admission to the venues they choose to visit that day.

As a reminder, permission slips are due April 6.


Annual Writing Contest

The WMA literary magazine The Rubicon is now accepting submissions for WMA's annual writing contest in the following four categories:

  • Memoir (creative nonfiction)
  • Fiction (short stories and excerpts from your novel or graphic novel)
  • Poetry (haikus, sonnets, free verse, rap lyrics, epic poems, etc.)
  • Nonfiction (essays, editorials, excerpts from research papers, etc.)

Students may submit up to two examples of their work in each category. Submit by using FirstClass in a Word document; either .doc or .docx.

DEADLINE: APRIL 10

If you have any questions, please email Mr. Harrington.


TOEFL course and testing on campus

The Office of the International Student Program is very excited to announce two initiatives to begin in September for our international students, an on-campus TOEFL prep course and on-campus TOEFL administration.

Princeton Review will offer the course to begin in early September and conclude in mid-October, in time for students to take the test and get results for early decision applications.

Each student will receive all of the following Princeton Review Course materials:

  • Princeton Review’s TOEFL Manual (including 7 full-length workbooks)
  • 7 audio CDs
  • 4 online tests (CBTs – for skill based practice)
  • 2 additional IBT Tests
  • 6 library drill sets

For optimal benefit, the students will test immediately after the last class.

Beginning in September, WMA will be designated as an authorized TOEFL test center, so there will be no long rides for our international students before the tests!

If you have any questions about this new program, please contact Gayle Hsiao.


Relay For Life

Join us Saturday, May 19 for our annual Greater Wilbraham Relay For Life.

Currently, we are looking for survivors to participate in our survivor lap and team members to help organize and fundraise for the event. Please contact Brianna Goncalves for more information or to get involved.


Making Travel Arrangements

For your convenience, an updated list of travel dates can be found online.

Parents, please remember, if your son or daughter is a boarding student, you must give him/her permission to leave school for vacations, even if they are going home for the break. If they are not going home, please be specific about where they are going and with whom.

Call:  413.596.9122
Email: Cindy Shults
Fax: 413.596.0022

College Counseling

The Admission Game® with Peter Van Buskirk

Do you ever wonder who gets in and why? The Admission Game® takes you inside the college admission process for the answers.

Peter Van Buskirk is a motivational speaker, author, consultant, and former dean of admission. He equips families to make healthy, productive choices as they plan for college.

Upper school families and parents of 8th graders are invited to join us April 17 at 7:00 p.m. in Alumni Memorial Chapel.

RSVP to Sandi Scott at 413.596.9102.  Learn more.


Head of School Message


The Hunger Games

By now the early hype over The Hunger Games has subsided a bit. It will begin again just before the next movie continuing the saga of Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire. Most of the reviews of the movie (and the book) were focused on the horrific premise of the government using a televised reality game where teenagers must kill one another in order to keep the populace of the twelve formerly rebellious Districts under its thumb.

While this basic idea is mightily distasteful, I think the popularity of the books and the movie does not stem from a desire to participate vicariously in violence, something teens are accustomed to because of their extensive experiences with violent video games. Nor do I think it stems from their familiarity with the Facebook world where there is no such thing as privacy. Rather, I think the popularity of the books, especially among teen girls, is due to the role Katniss plays as caretaker. Read more.


Summer Programs


Wilbraham & Monson Academy is an exciting and inviting place to be this summer with numerous camp activities and enticing options available for children aged 5-18.

We encourage you to consider Beech Tree, a summer camp for your children ages 5-12 as well as our new specialty camps. We have something for everyone – from the emerging entrepreneur to the budding poet.

Our camps are open to the public, so feel free to recommend them to your friends!

Visit www.WMA.us/summer to get detailed information on all the great camps being offered this summer.

   

June 30 is right around the corner!

Now is the perfect time to make your gift to the Annual Fund. Click the "Give Now" button above to make your gift today.


Meeting of the
Wilbraham & Monson Academy

Parents Association

Please join us!!

Thursday, April 12, 2012
8:00 a.m.

WMA Athletic Center Board Room
Coffee, tea, juice, fruit, & breakfast pastries

These informal morning meetings are held the second Thursday of each month and are designed for us to get to know each other better and to provide an opportunity for parents to share their thoughts, ideas, and questions about all things WMA. We know your valuable input will help make the Academy experience the best it can be for our children and for us as parents. We will supplement these meetings with selected educational programs

throughout the year.


For questions, or to get involved, contact:

 Lisa Jalbert President  413.221.3969

Kris Kirwan Vice-President 413.244.7159

Melissa Reeves Treasurer 413.530.4704

Robin Cook Secretary 413.599.6609


Andrea Robbins Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Parents Association Liaison 413.596.9118

 WMA Parents Association
Book Club

When:
May 3
Time:
6:45-8:00 p.m.
Where: Athletic Center
Book: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Geri French Robitaille at 413.575.5528.


Upcoming Events
 

April 7
GEM: Valley of the Forgotten
featuring John Cain Carter
Movie premiere & panel discussion
5:30 p.m.
Weinstein Auditorium, Smith College

April 9
Class of 2012 Trip
New York City
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

April 10
GEM: Lecture:
Alexander Debelov '06
Business & political climate in Russia
Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center

April 13
Clash of the Titans II:
Revenge of the Kitchen
6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Lak Dining Hall
Food, fun, live entertainment
 Questions?
Contact Andrea Robbins, 413.596.9118.

April 13-15
Closed weekend for boarding students

April 17
WMA College Counseling presents
The Admission Game®
with Peter Van Buskirk
7:00 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Chapel
RSVP to Sandi Scott, 413.596.9102

April 17
AP Art Show reception
6:00 p.m.
Binney Gallery

April 18
Casey Fund Coffee House
Joshua Payne
7:00 p.m.
Founders Theatre

April 20
End of 5th marking period

April 20-23
Spring Long Weekend
Students leave after last obligation on Friday

April 24-26
GEM: Global Scholars Capstone Projects
Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center

April 28
GEM: EE Ford Conference
The Global Impact of Emerging Economies
8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
WMA Athletic Center

May 1
College Counseling Session
Student/Parent Panel
7:00 p.m.
Location TBD
 
May 4
WMA Middle School concert
6:00 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Chapel
 
May 4
WMA Middle School art show
Reception
7:00
Binney Gallery
 
May 5
Junior-Senior Prom
8:00 p.m. – 5:00 a.m.
Post 390 in Boston
 
May 8 & 10
Dance recital
6:30 p.m.
Athletic Center Dance Room
 
May 11 & 12
Reunion Weekend
 
May 11 & 12
Academy Players
“Romeo & Juliet”
7:00 p.m.
Founders Theatre
 
May 12
Academy Players
“Romeo & Juliet”
1:00 p.m. Matinee
Founders Theatre
 
May 14
Upper school spring music concert
7:00 p.m.
Alumni Memorial Chapel

Important Links

Atlas
Student Newspaper

Media Gallery

2011-2012 School Calendar

Risley Sports Photography


Parents of winter athletes, check out action photos from Risley Photography.


WMA is Social!

    
      
 


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