LETTER FROM SHARON HOLSCLAW, HEAD OF SCHOOL
Our Board of Trustees and administrative team have been strategizing and working together to overcome the challenges that this economic downturn has created. Solutions must be found that show support for our teachers and our parents and promote and sustain our school for future generations of children. I’m pleased to say that the Day School Board of Trustees met on February 25 and voted to freeze tuition for the 2010-2011 school year at the present level. The Board was very mindful of the impact of the economy on families in the school and, after careful and thorough deliberations, decided to help our families by not raising tuition. We are confident, given our excellent teaching staff, that we can continue to deliver the high quality of education that is the hallmark of St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School.
Our “Magic of Morocco” gala auction is rapidly approaching—March 13, at the Chartwell Country Club. Put on your fez, your veils, your flowing garments (or anything you care to wear) and join us for a Casablanca-style adventure. Be prepared to bid on the “treasures” your children’s classes have designed.
Our day school now accepts children into Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten who will be three or four years old by December 1, with the understanding that these students will be placed in a Nursery or Pre-Kindergarten program a second year—for a gift of time. In this way they will meet the state’s age requirement for Kindergarten, which is five years old by September 1. The philosophy of our school is to educate the whole child—socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and academically. We believe strongly that correct grade placement is crucial to your child’s success in school. If you have any questions, please call me at 410-647-7055. Please tell your friends and neighbors about this change in our age requirement and about our school. Word of mouth is our best advertisement.
Our Letters about Literature contest is back! I am thrilled to announce that this year we have six students who have advanced to state-level judging. On March 12 four students from fourth grade—Isabelle Carney, Victoria Decker, Corbett Glick, and Julia Mathews—and two from seventh grade—Casey Glick and Virginia Ritinski—will learn if they have won at the state level. Let’s wish all of them well.
Just a reminder that Grandparents and Special Friends Day is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7, and Thursday, April 8th. An invitation will be forthcoming.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Marcia Kokoski and Erin Bullock for organizing the Spaghetti Dinner and Harley Carpenter for organizing the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. Both events were outstanding and tremendously fun. Our staff is deeply appreciative for all that our Parents’ Association does to support us and our school.

TOUCHSTONES DISCUSSION ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN LEADING EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL
“As students read and converse about great texts, they learn to think deeply, speak thoughtfully, and respect multiple points of view,” wrote Touchstones Discussion Teacher Cynthia Barry in an article published in the March issue of Educational Leadership, a leading national journal.
Ms. Barry based her article on her experience leading Touchstones Discussions at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field. The program is now in its sixth year at our school. All St. Martin’s middle schoolers engage in weekly discussion classes based on brief essays by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Francis Bacon, St. Thomas Aquinas, Buddha, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Mary Shelley, and Richard Feynman. They also read folktales from China, Persia, Nigeria, and Japan. The seminar-style discussion group gives students a forum for conversation, an alternative to the unmediated forces of Twittering, Facebooking, and YouTubing. It also gives them early training in discussion skills they’ll use throughout high school, college, and their working lives.
In response to article, Dr. Joanne Olson, associate professor of science education at the Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education at Iowa State University, wrote in an email to Ms. Barry:

“Thank you so much for your superb article in this month’s issue Educational Leadership. I found it very refreshing to read an article from this important perspective that seems to be getting lost in the hype about technology and the accompanying false promises of how all these gizmos are going to save schooling. Your efforts to keep standards high and engage students in that which makes us human is central to a great education… We’re dumbing down ourselves in our quest for sound bites and entertainment. Your well-crafted article shows that not only is this level of intellectual engagement possible, but it is necessary for our students. Keep up the good work and keep fighting the good fight.”

A copy of the article, “From Great Texts to Great Thinking,” will be going home to all middle school parents. As always, parents are invited to participate in our Touchstones Discussions. No reading in advance is required; all participants simply apply their reasoned thought to the text and genuinely pursue their inquiries in the conversation. Call Ms. Barry at extension 31, so she can pull an extra chair for you into the circle.

SIX ADVANCE TO STATE-LEVEL JUDGING IN LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE COMPETITION
Six students advanced to state-level judging in the Letters about Literature contest, the nation’s premiere writing and reading competition, sponsored by the Library of Congress and the Maryland Humanities Council. Each year students across the nation write a letter to the author of a book that affected them deeply and changed them in some significant way. The program encourages readers to think about impact a book has on them.
Our fourth graders entered at Level I (grades 4, 5, and 6), and our seventh graders competed at Level II (grades 7, 8, and 9). Congratulations to Isabelle Carney, Victoria Decker, Corbett Glick, and Julia Mathews in 4th grade, and to Casey Glick and Virginia Ritinski in 7th grade. In Maryland, 1,829 Letters were received; nationally, 69,000. To reach this level of judging, a student’s Letter has to have outshone hundreds of letters, in the opinion of the judges. Letters are chosen on the basis of a student’s ability to express his or her thoughts and to articulate the ineffable connection between author and reader.
Fourth and 7th grade students worked hard on their Letters this past fall in Library class with Ms. Barry. All who engage actively in reading, thinking, and writing deserve a round of applause. Students composed strong leads, expressed sincere thoughts, included telling details, shaped the flow of their writing, constructed strong sentences with vivid verbs and varied structure, and built to a memorable and poignant conclusion.
Our workshops were focused. Students learned the importance of revising their work, exercising the ability to objectively appraise their own writing, and finding the right words to express their intent. Students had the experience of working collaborative with each other and an editor. Last year, we had a Maryland 1st place winner and National honor winner in Cameron Fitzgerald, who won $1,000 for the library of his choice. That library was St. Martin’s.
Everyone is a winner who has a relationship with the written word. Reading helps us understand the complexities, challenges, and rewards of life. A special cheer is in order for Isabelle, Victoria, Corbett, Julia, Casey, and Virginia.

PRESCHOOL NEWS
If you think that leprechauns have found a pot of gold at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field on March 17^th, look again. For the most part, the little green folk will be our Preschoolers wearing the green. They will be doing special art projects and learning songs and dances of Ireland. Easter parties will be held toward the end of March. Please note that Grandparents and Special Friends Day is April 7.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS--SECOND GRADE BIOGRAPHIES
Come take a walk through the Biography Hall of Fame and meet presidents, a first lady, athletes, an author, the first woman doctor, a civil rights leader, a frontiersman, and an animal researcher. Second Grade has been studying these famous people through biography book reports. Each student read a biography of a person that interested them. After researching that person and completing a fact sheet, students learned to organize facts for a three-paragraph report, edit their material, and produce a “published copy.” Equipped with knowledge about their subjects, each student made an artistic representation of the famous and accomplished person they were studying. They traced their own outlines and turned their outlines into their subject, complete with clothing and accessories of the time. They stood next to their almost-life-size portraits and presented their report as if they were that famous individual. The children had a wonderful time as they strengthened oral speaking skills and learned about many interesting and important people. Each year, the portraits and written reports are riveting and this year is outstanding. Please stroll through our Second Grade Biography Hall of Fame.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES—IMAGINATIVE METAPHORS FOR GOVERNMENT
The 8th grade students at St. Martin’s-in-Field are finishing up a rather large unit on the three branches of government. For one assignment, they were asked to compare the government to a tricycle. Many students chose to make the steering wheel of the tricycle the people because they lead the movement. Some said the back wheels were similar to the legislative branch because there were two equal houses represented. Some said the Constitution could be represented by the framework of the bike, since it too serves as a framework for all the government’s activities.
After this relatively simple metaphorical exercise, the students were challenged to come up with their OWN metaphor, something they are uniquely familiar with, to show how the government works. This proved to be much more of an academic adventure, indeed. They also had to create a three-dimensional object that visualized their concept.
Alex Flynn created a forest with three different types of trees representing three branches of government. The birds flying in the sky represent the people in our country—we who benefit from the work on the government. The roots of the tree, made with twigs, served as the checks and balances, an interconnected system.
Stephanie Shaeffer made a sailboat with the mast serving as the separation of powers and three different types of sail as the branches. Nick Brown’s fantastic explanation of how a skateboard works fit in almost perfectly with how the government works as well. He had actual parts from a skateboard attached to his poster. He explained that the deck, the part you stand on, served as the Constitution.
Stephanie Kopas made a clarinet explaining how different keys were different branches based on the sounds each one made. Kalea Russell’s legislative branch was the lines on a staff in a piece of music. Her metaphor of a student playing trumpet included the music stand, the chair, and the student. Miranda’s field hockey connection was superb. She used different colored pompoms as the players. The team captain was similar to the role of president and the judicial branch was similar to the defensive players. They both protect!
Damian Titow’s explanation of how a football team works was similar. Yasmine Lockhart shared the inner workings of a Tae Kwon Do school, and Olivia Williams compared how the government works to how a human heart works. Lana Humes created a movie theater. Her security guards served as the judicial branch, and she compared the little video that asks you to follow the rules by turning off your cell phone to the legislative branch. Alex Bannan came in with a stunning visual—a collage that was also the inside of a store. She had tops and pants and dresses and explained how workers and managers and shoppers all metaphorically interconnect, mimicking the way our government works as a sum of moving and interrelated parts.

MIDDLE SCHOOL POET-IN-RESIDENCE AND POETRY SLAM
For the third year in a row, published poet Natalie Lobe has come to St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Language Arts classes to conduct poetry workshops. Mrs. Lobe encourages techniques, similes, metaphors, repetition, and onomatopoeia (the naming of a thing or action by imitation of the sound, such as hiss or buzz), alliteration (the repetition of beginning letters), and assonance (resemblance of vowel sounds in close-by words, such as holy and stony; used as an alternative to rhyme in verse).
Our students build a poem on the basis of three supporting beams: how the words look on the page; how they sound; and what they say. Mrs. Lobe makes the students aware of choices—the placement of lines of the page, the length of lines, stanzas, punctuation. Sound choices include decisions among the tools of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition. Finally, the poem conveys your thoughts and feelings. Techniques such as exaggeration, lies, humor, pathos, and perspective are all aspects of imaginative creativity.
This year, Mrs. Lobe used subject areas such as Biblical themes, imagining yourself inside something, comparing yourself and your family to natural elements, or picturing the dream of an animal to get the creative juices flowing. Each student crafted three or four poems and chose one or two to read at the Poetry Slam, to which parents were invited.
Among the phrases heard were these:

“to a dolphin, not getting killed is freedom”
“I’ve come to soften your heart of stone.”
“surrounding fish back away”
“A snow hare’s dream: ‘Kaboom: I pop like a balloon—I wake up”
“a universe of dreams”
“I am like a dark cloud. Will I rain? Or show sun?”
“I can be like soft drops of rain.”

Here is the poem Haley Carney wrote, in full. Haley wrote it in response to Mrs. Lobe’s suggestion of composing a poem about an animal’s dream. Intensively imaginative, it packs a punch.

“Whistle”
I am a pit bull boxer mix
I sleep on the dirt covered ground
The chilly night grips at my legs
The other dogs snore in chime
The master’s whistle goes a blast
I jump to my feet
The ugly fat men gather around
The red lines on the ground
I am called to the ring
With my best friend too
I know my life is going to end
The whistle blows,
I fight and fight
My skin burns as blood spills out
But I still clash my claws
My buddy falls to the ground
I nuzzle him one last time
The big guys cheer
I don’t get why
My best buddy just died
I wake up with a jump

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPANISH CLASS NEWS
The 7th graders in Sra. Chafe’s Spanish class put on a Desfile De Moda (Fashion Show) on Friday, February 26. The models walked and danced the “runway” to lively Spanish music while a commentator described their clothing. Every model then talked about herself—all in Espanol, of course! Everyone had great fun using the Spanish language and cheering each other on.
The 8th graders in Sra. Chafe’s Spanish class reported about the weather in the United States this past week. Each weatherperson had to use a map to describe the weather in the northern, southern, western, and eastern regions of the United State and then talk about our local weather. One common theme was MUCHA NIEVE!

DEVELOPMENT NEWS—THE MAGIC OF MOROCCO
The Magic of Moroccois fast approaching! Join us for a night of exotic treats on Saturday, March 13, at 6 p.m. at Chartwell Golf and Country Club. We have received many responses already so please get your R.S.V.P. in as soon as possible as we have a limit of 200 people. The evening consists of a silent auction, dinner, live auction, and several (pleasant) surprises as the evening progresses.
There are many great items up for bid—a family trip to New York, rounds of golf, specialty dinners, designer bags, vacation homes, an afternoon with the elementary school teachers, front-row seats for Christmas Chapel and Graduation, and much more.
If you would like to donate to the auction please contact Michelle Washburn at 202-365-4842 or michellewashburn@comcast.net. All donations are tax deductible and will be recognized in the auction program and on the auction website.

ST. MARTIN’S HAITI CONNECTION
“What can we do to help?” This was the question that rocketed around the St. Martin’s-in-the-Field community after word of the devastating 7.0 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, hit the news on January 12th. Our musical benefit was supported by the whole school and church, spurred by our desire to help Haiti, the poorest nation in the hemisphere, recover from this natural disaster.
The benefit that finally took place on February 20, after having been postponed twice because of the snow storms, raised more than $10,000! Combined with donations that came in at the time of the original date and with our schoolchildren’s collection, we have raised more than $15,000 to go the Episcopal Relief and Development’s fund for Haiti.
The idea of a musical benefit was the inspiration of a St. Martin’s-in-the-Field parent, Sharon Winton, who is herself a flutist. She called the Director of Music for the church and school, Dr. Jim Walton, who was quickly on board, as was Mel Kessler, band director and music instructor for the school. The benefit began to take shape.
Three musicians from the Celtic music group, Ensemble Galilei, volunteered to perform and all were able to make the new date. Sue Richards has won the Scottish Harp Society of American championship four time, and has studied and taught in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales and has recorded with the Chieftains and played at the White House. Carolyn Surrick is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as an American Master of her instrument. Ginger Hildebrand lives here in Severna Park and has a following up and down the East Coast for her colonial musicianship and is a member of Ensemble Galilei.
The music that winter evening was fantastic. As people arrived, a CD was playing with the voices of the Haitian children’s choir, Les Petits Chanteurs, singing. The Rev. Doris Johnson welcomed everyone, and Head of Middle School Anne Andrews spoke of our long-time connection with La Resurrection. She thanked two people who set up the relationship in 1985, Carol Hjortsberg and Marilyn Dirks, through the National Association of Episcopal Schools in Haiti. They were present in the room, which made for a remarkable connection through time. Dan Tootle spoke of the scale of destruction, equivalent to wiping out a large proportion of the population of Baltimore-Annapolis. Mark Kellogg was master of ceremonies, and did a terrific job introducing and thanking our musicians.
Our invited Celtic musicians set the tone. They were followed by Sharon Winton on flute, accompanied by Dr. Walton on piano, playing music by C. P. E. Bach and Pattapio Silva. Parishioner John Ohlemeyer on trumpet played “Prayer of Saint Gregory. The St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Recorder Consort delighted listeners with “Quatrieme Suite” by Nicolas Chedeville. Dr. Walton played a tango, written by Isaac Albeniz, on the organ.
Our parish’s young soprano, Jenny Judd, sang “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” and the spirit was definitely in the room. Our sixth-grade Social Studies teacher, Tracy Alexander, is also a gifted singer. She sang a hymn in Latin, “Pie Jesu,” which was absolutely beautiful. Our phenomenal band director, Mel Kessler, concluded the musical offerings with a trumpet concerto in D Major.
We prayed together and responded compassionately to the needs of the people in Haiti. The music reminded us all of the creative spirit in humans, and the generosity of the parish and school reminds us all of our common humanity.

KATIE FRITZ SCHOLARSHIP GOSPEL CONCERT
The Katie Fritz Annual Gospel Concert, featuring the Mt. Calvary United Methodist Inspirational Choir and our St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School Singers, was held February 27. The annual concert is in memory of Katie Fritz, who died suddenly at the age of 17 in 1993. Funds raised by the concert go to the memorial scholarship fund, established by her family. The fund provides financial assistance to families enrolled at St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School. This year more than $3,000 was raised at the concert. The program was graced by a picture of a butterfly. The image of the butterfly is often used as a symbol of rebirth, renewal, and happiness. The butterfly reminds us of how beautiful, delicate, and fragile life can be…so that we should remember to appreciate and be grateful for each moment. If you were unable to attend the concert but wish to contribute to the Katie Fritz Memorial Scholarship Fund, please send your check in to the Business Office, with a notation on the memo line.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
So many great events happened in January and February and our volunteers have all been wonderful.
Preschool Movie Night was a huge hit. We had almost 40 families attend. We are happy to announce that the money raised at this event will help with our Winter Shelter Dinner at the end of this month and a percentage of the money will go to help Haiti. HUGE thanks go to Renee Luse and Michelle Washburn for organizing this event again this year.
The snow might have delayed our Spaghetti Dinner, but the drifts didn’t put a damper on our fun. I am happy to announce that we had almost 300 people in attendance. Everyone enjoyed themselves. This event requires a lot of volunteers, and I thank each and every one of you for your contribution. I would especially like to thank our teachers for all of their help; we couldn’t do it without you. I would also like to thank our Middle School students for volunteering. The kids loved the games, dancing, face painting, and ice cream! I would like to give a special thank you to Erin Bullock for cooking Thursday night and Friday to ensure we all had a wonderful meal.
I can’t begin to thank everyone enough for their contributions to our Teacher Appreciation Week. All of the goodies that were sent in, the lovely portraits, and the wonderful lunch provided by Tapenade made for a lovely week for our teachers who do so much for our children. A very special thanks to Harley Carpenter for organizing this amazing week.
Our Auction Committee has been working hard to dazzle us all with the Magic of Morocco. We have wonderful items to bid on, and I think the Décor Committee is going to outdo themselves this year. I hope everyone will consider joining us next Saturday. It will be a guaranteed fabulous time! Please mark your calendars for the following events: The Father-Daughter Dance will be held on April 16th for grades 1 through 8. The PA would like to end the year with a Family Day at the Bowie BAYSOX on April 25. This event will be open to all staff, students, and their families. Look for details in the next couple of weeks.
As we move into the “home stretch” of this school year, I just want to thank everyone for the support you have given me during my year as your PA president. You have made this a very easy and enjoyable year for me. This will be a time that I will always remember. The PA is looking for new faces with new ideas! Our next meeting will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, in the Parish Hall. We will discuss events and positions for next year as well as finalize the Teacher Wish Lists. Hope to see you next month.
Thank you for all the support you give the PA. These events would not be possible without you.
Sincerely -  Marcia Kokoski

SPAGHETTI DINNER
Nothing brings people together like having dinner together. On February 19, about 300 people came together for one Big St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Family Spaghetti Dinner. The Parish Hall decorations transported everyone to a trattoria in Italy. There was music, dancing, and fun for all. The Parents’ Association and teachers cooked up a hearty meal for everyone. No one went home hungry. It was an evening to Be Italian! A special thank you goes out to all of the parent volunteers who made this event a success.

GREEN NEWS
Plans for the 3rd annual Earth Day celebration on our campus have started in earnest. Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 24, from 10 – 2pm. We will need your help to make this a success. We are looking for parents and students who want to make a difference in our efforts to become better stewards of the gifts God has given us. Please consider giving sometime before Earth Day or on the 24th itself. Many hands make light work! Middle School kids will be able to accrue St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School service hours for their school record.
There will be environmental groups and green companies on campus to help us learn more on making our neighborhood and beyond a prettier and healthier place to live. Fun activities for the kids will be available. The Green Passport returns this year for stamping at different booths. There will be recycled crayons for the kids and a flower-making craft station where they can make decorative flowers from plastic water bottles. The magician and green magic performer Joe Romano will be conducting his spectacular show to kids of all ages in Heck Hall. His show at school earlier this year was fantastic! Good food will also be available—let’s not forget cotton candy and lemon peppermint sticks.
Information on all these items and more will follow as plans are firmed up. If you know of a company that you think would be a good fit for this celebration or if you are interested in volunteering, e-mail Cristina Decker  at cristina.decker@comcast.net. Please note there is no “h” in cristina.
The new 2cy container seems to be filled to capacity on an almost daily basis. That is a great sign that everyone is doing their part to recycle in school. Poster boards made up of lunch recyclables (aka trash) are going up in the pre-school and elementary school to remind kids of how many things can be recycled. The best way for our parents to help is to send in “no trash” lunches. For example, instead of buying individually wrapped packages, consider buying in larger bags where you can then place some items in plastic containers that can be reused over and over again. Don’t overlook the savings you get when you buy in larger quantities.
Ways to show you care every day: 1. Create less garbage. Buy items with the least wrapping. 2. Save paper. Whenever possible use both sides not one. 3. Save water. Take short showers not baths. 4. Choose long lasting electric razors, not disposables. 5. Set up a compost heap for yard waste. 6. Buy reusable glasses and plates, not the throw-away kind. 7. Use rechargeable batteries. 8. Recycle cans, glass, paper & plastic. 9. Buy items that have the recycle symbol. 10. Repurpose items you already own. 11. Swap, donate, or give away instead of throwing away items you no longer need.

YEARBOOK REQUESTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
A copy of this year’s Yearbook will be given to the oldest child is every St. Martin’s-in-the-Field family. Additional copies may be purchased for $20.00 each. The reserved Yearbook will be sent home at the end of the year with the oldest child. If you wish to purchase additional yearbooks, please send a check and a note to your child’s classroom teacher. The note should include the teacher’s name, the number of yearbooks you’d like, and the total amount enclosed. Please make checks out to SMDS and write “Yearbook” on the memo line. Teachers will give the note and checks to Sue Maloney, Yearbook advisor.

HEALTHY HEARTS
During February, PE classes learned about the heart. Along with discussing how to keep your heart healthy by eating the right foods and exercise, we talked about the emotional healthy heart that is full of love, kindness, and positive feelings.
The students took a minute before Valentine’s Day to pick a random paper cut-out heart from Mrs. Wild. After reading the classmate’s name on the heart, the student was to write a positive comment about qualities he or she admire in that person. It was nice to see the students smile when thinking about their person and what they were going to write. The hearts were given back to the students after the Jump Rope or Hoops for Heart event that took place. Love, happiness, and smiles were everywhere as the students read what was anonymously written to them. The fundraising events for the Heart Association showed again what generous St. Martin’s families we have, but it also showed that our students can be generous with their love and kindness, too. Some beautiful examples of notes (spelling errors and all) written to students:

To Lucas Wright (5th ): “You are great at sports and your red hair is very special.”
To Grayson Phillips (2nd): “You are the best and I love you!”
To Derek Bowser (4th): “If you are small, you are tall to me.”
To Gabby Titow (7th): “You are very nice and you don’t care what anyone thinks of you in a very good way.”
To Patrick Dwyer (6th): “Your cool because your nice to evrey one and your speling is good.”
To Libby Wild (1st): “You are cool, funny and fun you are good at sprts.”
To Jenny Hickey (3rd): “You are buatiful and nice you get good grades and laghph a lot.”
To Kalea Russell (8th): “When people see you a smile comes to their face.”

For Hoops for Heart, the 1st thru 4th grade classes held a Jump-Rope-a-thon within the class. Job well done to all students because after they jumped they found their pulse and noticed the difference between their resting rate and their exercise rate! Jump-Rope Champions in each grade were Tristan Bullock (1st), Megan Covington (2nd), Emily Ingrao (3rd), and Julia Mathews (4th). Congratulations to these students for their jump-roping skills.

SUMMER PROGRAM—REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 15
Have you seen the pictures of St. Martin’s-in-the-Field in the snow, taken by Tiffany Mathews during the February snow storms? Believe it or not, it’s time to begin thinking about what your children might like to do in the summer. We’re planning a summer program full of exciting, fun activities under the supervision of parents and educators Kendall Warren and Susan Zucco.
Registration opens March 15, and fun activities will engage your children the weeks of June 21 and June 28. The themes include circus acts, sports, science projects, and terrestrial and aquatic animals—all geared for children ages 3 through 8. For more information, contact Kendall Warren at 410-987-0988 or Susan Zucco at 410-255-3158.

For older children, St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Day School will be holding its second annual Middle School Summer Band Camp June 21st to July 2nd. The camp is open to all rising 5th through 8th grade students. There will be two 90-minute sections each week, a beginners’ session and an advanced session. The beginners’ session will include instrumental instruction, basic music theory, care of the instrument, and proper practice techniques. The advanced session will focus on musicianship, listening skills, and music theory. For more information, contact Mel Kessler at 410-647-6248.