LETTER FROM SHARON HOLSCLAW, HEAD OF SCHOOL LETTER FROM SHARON HOLSCLAW, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Our campus was a blaze of color this October and filled with activities for our students all organized by you, our parents: the Book Fair, the Middle School Homecoming concession, the Golf Tournament, the Fall Festival, the Middle School Dance, the Haunted Hallway, and the classroom parties. Thank you to everyone who gave of their time and talents or monetary support. Each was a huge success. Thank you also to those parents who help each day with our carpool. The preschool teachers are so appreciative of your kindness. A special thank you must go to Richard Kokoski, father of Kaitlyn and Christopher, who has been working since August to bring our computer system into the 21st century. We are almost there! Thank you for your expertise, Rich.
Next on our agenda of events is the Holiday Shopping Fair, Wednesday, November 4th, where you can browse and purchase unique and interesting gifts before the Christmas rush. Be sure to tell your friends and neighbors about our St. Martin’s Open House on Tuesday, November 10, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. All families are invited to attend Episcopal Schools Sunday on November 15. This is a time to celebrate the special connection between church and school. It has been a long standing tradition for all children in attendance to come forward and sing with Mrs. Holsclaw. The two songs Mrs. Gaylord is practicing with the children are "This Little Light" and "We Are the Church". The Middle School Choir will also be singing during the service under the direction of Jim Walton, Director.
Walk in Week beginning November 4 and ending on Nov. 10, will give you an extended time to look at the classes you are interested in for the 2010/11 school year, as well as an opportunity to see what is happening in every division of our school – preschool, elementary, and middle school. Come see our teachers in action and get a first hand view of the amazing things the children are learning in every classroom.
Be sure to click on the link to see pictures of all the October events. Thank you again for all you do and will continue to do for St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School.
CHANGE IN THANKSGIVING BREAK SCHEDULE
There will be no school on Tuesday afternoon, November 24 (this is a change from your calendar) and all day Wednesday, Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), and Friday, November 25, 26, and 27. Mustang Club will be in session from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday November 24th for contracted people and those who have signed up in advance. School resumes on Monday, November 30. Enjoy visiting friends and relatives, close-by and far-away, over the Thanksgiving holiday.
BIRTHDAY CLUB BOOKS
A flyer went home recently inviting your children to join the Birthday Book Club. This is a nice way to honor your child’s birthday and contribute to the collection of our school library. Our Birthday Book Club members select a brand new book of their choice, and they are the first to take it home to read. The child then brings the book back to the library, and his or her gift is commemorated with a book plate with the child’s name and birth month. As school librarian, I can tell you that children are excited to choose their books and proud of their contribution. We’re making a special effort this year to increase participation in the Birthday Club from our Middle School and Elementary families. Please consider joining! Send in or drop off a check for $20 (per child) at the Office. Note on the memo line Birthday Books and the name, grade, and birth month of your child. Summer birthdays will be celebrated during the half-birthday month.
LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE GIFT BOOKS ARRIVE
National Honors Award Winner in the 2009 Letters about Literature contest, Cameron Fitzgerald, donated $1,000 to our school library. Cameron’s letter to Jack London, author of White Fang, was one of about five selected winners out of 54,000 letters originally submitted from all 50 states. Co-sponsored by Target Stores, the honor came with a cash award to Cameron and a $1,000 gift certificate, to be donated to the library of his choice. Because the letter-writing program was part of the St. Martin’s library curriculum, he chose to give his award to our school library. School Librarian Cynthia Barry ordered approximately 50 books, including titles such as Bird Lake Moon, a Crooked Kind of Perfect, and National Geographic World Youth Atlas. LAL is the nation’s premier reading-and-writing program, sponsored by the Maryland Humanities Council’s Center for the Book and the Library of Congress. In the 2009-2010 school year, students in 4th and 7th grades are writing letters to the author of a book that has profoundly changed their outlook on life.
YEARBOOK 2009-2010 REQUEST FOR PHOTOS
The Yearbook Staff has begun collecting photographs for the 2009-2010 Yearbook. We would like to ask everyone to take lots of pictures and submit them to the Yearbook Staff. There are several ways to do this: You may send the photos as attachments in email to yearbook@stmartinsdayschool.org or you may put on a disc or thumb drive or you may hand your camera to Harriet Petrocelli at the Elementary School desk with the cord and she will download your pictures. Let’s record our school year in pictures!
OPEN HOUSE—NOVEMBER 10
St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School is opening its doors and classrooms to current and prospective families on Tuesday, November 10. All visitors will have the opportunity to meet teachers, experience for themselves a day in the life of our students, and gain insight into our curriculum and school "feel." Campus tours and classroom visits are available from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and in the evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
WALK IN WEEK
Current families may visit every class in our school during Walk In Week, November 4 through November 10. If you haven’t seen the wonderful learning taking place in preschool, elementary or middle school, we encourage you to do so now. The hours are 9:00 to 11:00 and 12:30 to 2:30.
KATIE FRITZ GOLF TOURNAMENT
Thanks so much to all the volunteers and sponsors who supported the scholarship fund golf tournament. Even though it was rainy and cold, the spirit and fellowship of the participants warmed everyone up! Thank you to corporate sponsors: BB&T Bank, parent Dave Cobb with Alliance Roofing and Sheet Metal, and parent Josh Bullock with Bullock Construction. Thank you to Board of Trustees member Brock Swartz of Swartz and Sons Distributing, who sponsored the beverage cart, and to the Body family, from Freedom HQ, who sponsored the golf carts. Thank you to parent Ellen Allen of Ellen Allen Designs, parent Mark Morsheimer of Adams Grayson, and parent Carin Pachner of ARA Construction for your event sponsorship. Special thanks to Patti Zielinski, Golf Chair, and her wonderful committee: Harley Carpenter, Barb Cooke, Lynne Leavitt and Rachel Stabile. Special thanks to volunteers for the day of the event: Marcia Kokoski, Stephanie Looney, Christina Matta, Betty McManamay and the Rev. Julie Nelson.
FALL FESTIVAL
A huge Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make this years Fall Festival a big success!! This day could not be possible without all of you. I know it takes a ton of people to make this day great and I appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to the children and the school. Your generous donations of apples, flowerpots and baked goods were overwhelming! All of the hours that were put in from setting up and decorating, to running around, to manning the kitchen, to helping with the game tables and cleaning up will not be forgotten. All of this makes the day that much better for the kids. Thank you again for all your hard work!! Gavin Craig
MIDDLE SCHOOL HALLOWEEN DANCE
A great time was had by all at the Middle School Halloween Dance this past Saturday night. With over 40 kids from the Middle School attending they danced, ate, played games and participated in dance and costume contests. We hope to have an equal success next year so start thinking up of a costume to wear for next year. I would also like to thank the parents and school alumni who worked tirelessly to pull off this event. The party simply would not have been possible without your help. Thanks again for helping to make all things Mustang GREAT! - Cristina Decker
PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION LETTER, MARCIA KOKOSKI, PRESIDENT
October has been a great month for the Parents’ Association. Sally Foster was a great success again this year! Big thanks to Jaime Feldmaier for organizing this event for us. I would also like to thank Melissa Dwyer and everyone who participated in the Book Fair. Despite the power loss during one day of the Book Fair, we still had a great event! We really got lucky with the weather for the Fall Festival. It turned out to be a great day! Look for the pictures of the children cheering Mrs. Holsclaw on as she made it to the top of the Rock Wall and of our teachers getting soaked with water balls! This was a wonderful event filled with amazing decorations, great games, good food, and tons of fun. Huge thanks to Gavin Craig for organizing again this year. This event would not be possible without the many teachers and parents who helped set up, ran the events, baked goodies, donated items, and brought their families out to have fun! We could not pull off an event this size without everyone’s help. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you! After the festival, I had the pleasure of helping with the Middle School dance. The kids looked like they were having a blast! Great costumes, food, dancing, and games made for another great event for our children. Thanks to Tiffany Matthews, Cristina Decker, Stephen and Tracy Payer, Mrs. Andrews, and all parents who helped support the dance.
SPORT REPORT - SOCCER - HOMECOMING By Ed Warfield
Our Pep Rally and Homecoming on October 24 was a sunny, beautiful autumn day. Our Mustang team played with vigor and vim, as these photos attest. William stepped up his game and provided much needed defense after our defensive captain Lauren suffered an injury. Katie and Virginia led the team in goals while Joonas provided great heart and determination on offense. Garrett overcame a fractured ankle and wrist and showed what it is to "play like a Mustang." Miranda took her game to new heights providing a significant boost to our defense and midfield. Charlotte and Daniel provided hard work and focus at halfback and wing, while Lucas played every position, filling in for absent or injured players. The 2009 Mustang Soccer Team showed spirit and determination throughout the season, supporting each other in adversity and handling defeat with courage, grace and humor. All players are eligible to return next season as there were no 8th graders on the team.
SPORT REPORT—MUSTANG FIELD HOCKEY By Betz Wild
This Mustang Field Hockey season has seen some very exciting games this month. The team recently played games against Calverton, Indian Creek, Key School, and School of the Incarnation. In September the team opened the season with an away game at St. Martin’s Lutheran in Annapolis. During that game there were some very nervous players, some players out of position, some missed drives, and some confused faces when penalties were called. Our players have come so far in such a short time. In the most recent games, the team has been passing the ball, dodging at the right moments, shooting with power, holding their positions on the field, and firing off strong free hits. The players are running the field with so much more confidence. It is such a joy to explain a strategy or show a move, and then see the girls execute it on the field! This ability to understand and execute has been one key to our team’s success. Goals scorers include Marguerite Matta, Erin Morsheimer, Yasmin Lockhart, Morgan Kranz, Ginger Ellis, Elana Humes, and Olivia Burchfield. Alex Bannan and Madeline Farnham have taken charge of the defense and we have had strong shut down play from Kalea Russell and Stephanie Kopas. Sarah Macon has been tough in goal, even running out to make saves when needed. All the girls have worked on their individual skills and their team skills. Field hockey is a game I have always loved. I hope they have found a reason to love it, too!
THE MUSTANG SPIRIT—PEP RALLY BRINGS CHEERS!
St. Martin’s students, teachers, and parents raised quite a ruckus on October 22nd on the St. Martin’s field! It was all for good reason, though. They were there to support and cheer on our St. Martin’s soccer and field hockey teams as they prepared for the annual Fall Homecoming games. The pep rally started off with great pumped up music and a dancing entrance by our school mascot, the Mustang, who continued to entertain our students and players throughout the games that afternoon. The elementary students got their chance to shine when they came out to lead the rest of the school in their favorite cheer. Highlights of the pep rally also included the Mustang Spirit Scramble where the students had to figure out which Spirit was hiding the ball. Cheering that afternoon reached its highest level during the race between the Mustang, the hockey player, and the soccer player. After many trips, falls and other hilarious unsportsmanlike stunts, the Mustang crossed the finish line at a crawl—victorious! Special thanks go out to: Mustang Spirits - Casey Glick, Marguerite Matta and Erin Morsheimer. Pep Rally Racers - Yasmin Lockhart and Garrett Odell.The Mustang. Pep Rally DJ - Olivia Williams. Concession Stand Coordinator - Donna Kranz
CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
On October 13, Elementary School students welcomed back our Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) instructors, Melissa and Julia, for the first of nine monthly days of activities. Each class will have 1 ½ hours with our CBF instructors and will be studying different topics based on classroom current units. In First Grade we began with the study of seeds and how they are spread. We learned about gravity! We collected lots of seeds from our campus and played several games outside to reinforce vocabulary. We turned our seeds into necklaces and wore them that afternoon. Second and Third Grades explored the purpose of rain barrels and searched for locations on campus that will be perfect for the two rain barrels we have. Each class worked to create a scene that they will be paint on the barrels as part of Art class. Fourth Grade set up a worm bin within their classroom to demonstrate how by-products of worm digestion can be recycled as fertilizer for gardens throughout the year. They will observe their worms and collect waste product. (Question for parents: do you know what "vermiculture" means? Ask a fourth grader! The next visit for our CBF studies will be Tuesday, November 17. Be sure to ask your children to share their experiences with you.
SCHOOL AND CHURCH COMPOST
With the beautiful leaves also come materials for composting. Our school will be working with the Church to establish a composting heap in order to divert leaves and fruit and vegetable scraps from the landfill. This will produce wonderful natural fertilizer for our planting beds and trees. There are numerous websites available on how best to do this at home on a small and almost maintenance free scale.
RECYCLED PAPER TOWELS
You can find paper towels (made with 100% recycled fiber) and toilet paper (made with 100% recycled paper) at Wal-Mart from the "White Cloud" brand. Their pricing was comparable to other products and the quality was very good. By buying such products you are helping to complete the recycling cycle.
SCHOOL AND CHURCH RECYCLING IS A GROWING SUCCESS
The Church is looking to increase the size of the recycling containers so that all our school recycling can be picked up every week. It seems we are doing such a good job at recycling that we are overflowing the containers available from the County. Good job Mustangs!
GREEN CLUB MIDDLE SCHOOL EARN SERVICE HOURS
The Green Team/Green Club for the Middle School recently had its first meeting with approximately 10 students joining the Club. These kids were in full force at the Fall Festival helping to man booths and to help where ever needed. We look forward to doing more green projects on Campus, including the Fall grounds clean-up at the Church & School on Nov. 21. Keep track of those service hours!