Greetings!

 

We enjoyed a super-full week last week!  We started with Picture Day and ended with Upper School dress rehearsal for Academic Fair and an afternoon Faculty Work time.  The excitement is palpable as we prepare to welcome all of our families and friends this Friday to the Fall Academic Fair and Friendsgiving.

 

 

BEHIND THE SCENES:

 

This year we are updating our traditional Fall Academic Fair gathering in many ways - trying a new venue, a new approach to food and social time, an enhanced experience for MAPP students and their parents, and a showcasing of the upcoming graduating class.  In addition, we will be soliciting feedback about summer offerings and school trip destinations for this spring and next year. 

 

REMIND:

No D& D Club this week or the week after break.  The next meeting is December 9th. Congrats to Noah who is getting married over this break!

 

Ultimate Frisbee practice tryouts continue this Wednesday and Thursday for 6th-8th graders.  3:30-5:30 PM.

 

 

ANNOUNCE:

Academic Fair and Friendsgiving Details

-         Please see the end of this email for all of the details that were shared last week

-         Please be advised that PARKING is on the street and in two small lots. Please allow time to find a place and walk.

 

-         For Upper School:

Later today (Sunday) Upper School students will receive a message in their English Google Classroom that indicates what time and in what format they will present at the Academic Fair on Friday.  We had more interest in Breakout Room presentations than we have capacity to accommodate but we have taken care to ensure each student’s work will be featured appropriately.  Please see the Academic Fair Guide for a reminder of the guidelines used by the faculty in making presentation assignments to ensure a range of topics and age ranges in both formats.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM GOLD ROUND TABLES:

“The Upper School Gold Group has decided that we would like to do something to assist local residents facing food insecurity, so we have planned a food drive to aid the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. The link to their most-needed items is below. Each classroom will have a box for collection, so students and families of all ages can participate. The drive will begin this week, so families can donate every day, and they can even bring a can to the Academic Fair! The drive will resume the week we return, Monday, December 1st, and will continue until Friday, December 12th. We also encourage monetary donations, so be on the lookout for flyers with the QR code to the donation page. Gold Group hopes that you will join us in this wonderful endeavor to help the great people of North Carolina.“

 

Most-needed items: https://fbcenc-craft-prd.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/Food-Drive-Most-Needed-Items_2022-English-and-Spanish.pdf

 

 

I look forward to seeing you on Friday to celebrate the work of our students and to enjoy community time together.

 

Best,

Thelma

 

 

 

UPCOMING:

Friday, November 21- Academic Fair

A whole school, parent-required event

No classes

All activities are in the morning

See BELOW for schedule details

 

 

Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28

School Closed for Fall Break

 

Monday, December 1

- Classes Resume

 

Monday, December 8- Friday, December 12

- Upper School X Schedule

 

Wednesday, December 17- Friday, January 2

- School Closed for Winter Break

 

 

Academic Fair REMINDERS:

Plans for our annual Academic Fair are coming together.  This important event allows Middle Grades and Upper Schools students to showcase the research they have been conducting since September, and MAPP students to entertain with music and skits they have been practicing!  This event will take place this year at the W.G. Pearson Center located at 1200 Spaulding Street in Durham (NOTE: NEW LOCATION!).  For reference, it is close to the Hayti Center where we host Evening of the Arts. 

 

US Students need to arrive at 8:30am sharp and should plan to stay the whole morning, until 11:45/12:00.

 

All parents are invited to attend the whole morning (8:30am-12pm) if you desire, but definitely plan to celebrate our students’ hard work for about 1.5-2 hours, overlapping with your individual child’s participation in the program, as indicated here:

 

US parents should arrive sometime between 8:30 and 10 depending on when your student presents and your own interests.  Student presentation times as well as a preview and schedule of topics will be available Sunday, 11/16.

 

MG and MAPP students and parents should arrive at 9:45 and will stay until the conclusion of the event, around 11:45 AM.

 

The program includes the following

8:30-10:00 - Upper School Conference-style Slides presentations in breakout rooms (think TED-Talks)

10:15-11:15 - Middle and Upper School Poster presentations in two shifts (MAPP-appropriate presentations highlighted)

11:20 - MAPP music and special entertainment

 

We will also celebrate Friendsgiving with a sharing of finger foods throughout the event. 

If you would like to sign up for this Parent Service option - please use this link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CA4A622A1FA7-60254361-academic#/