Weekly Update & Highlights
December 11, 2017

Pre-Kindergarten is doing several fun activities as part of their study of popular children's author Mo Willems.

Search #griffinshowcase  on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to see the most recent amazing things our students are doing!

(District code is RS-IL)

Quick links
2018-2019 Preliminary Calendar


Host families still needed beginning second semester

If you have been considering inviting a student from another country into your home, now's the time! Our partner New Oasis is in immediate need of host families in the Evanston area for two incoming Chinese students--a 10th grade boy and an 8th grade girl.

New Oasis will provide a stipend, which can be used for enriching activities while the student is living with your family. C ontact our New Oasis rep Audra Murray at  AMurray@newoasisedu.com if you have any questions about the program.

MasterChef Junior announces open casting call in Chicago on January 13th

Chicago is one of only six cities to be hosting open casting calls for the next MasterChef Junior! The show's producers are looking for the most talented home cooks in America between the ages of 8-13 (must be at least 8 years old as of April 1, 2018). The call will be at Sofitel Chicago from 9am-5pm January 13. Please note: all minors coming to an open call must be accompanied by an adult guardian at all times.  For more information and to apply, go to www.masterchefjuniorcasting.com.

Don't miss a thing - Subscribe to the school calendar online
Did you know that you can subscribe to the Roycemore School events and athletics calendars and add them to your own? For Google Calendars, click here: same as clicking on the '+ Google Calendar' icon. For Apple or iOS-based calendars, it takes just a couple extra steps to add a new calendar subscription - instructions and our calendar URL are on our website here.

For more information on how to subscribe to calendars, please consult your manufacturer's user guide.


The academic school year calendar for 2018-2019 is now available

At the end of last week, the preliminary academic calendar for school year 2018-2019 was emailed for your planning purposes.  Click to view a printable version

Please note : Next year, Thursday will continue to be an early dismissal day each week, but at 2:00pm rather than the current 3:00pm. EDP and the Middle School Zone will continue to be available after school on these days.
School Virtual Reality project in need of old smartphones 

Do you have an old smartphone at your house, and aren't sure what to do with it? Consider donating it to Roycemore School! We have obtained several virtual reality (VR) headsets, and are in need of smartphones to use with them. We will not actually use these as phones; they simply need to be able to connect to our wifi to be used with the VR devices. Please contact Beth Shutters  if you have any questions, or if you have a smartphone to donate.

Feel free to ask Director of Development  Sara Keely McGuire if you have questions about the Griffin Fund or ways to give!



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From the Head of School

Seeking Individuals With Persistence and Curiosity

Do you consider yourself someone who has both persistence and curiosity? If so, please consider being on a team that will work with me to facilitate the "NextGen" Roycemore. The NextGen Roycemore embraces all of the core values and life-changing relationships that have long been the hallmarks of our school, while looking ahead at what today's students will most need in order to lead lives of meaning and substance.

Lately I have been listening to the podcast "Masters of Scale" with Reid Hoffman. One of the recent editions I listened to was an interview with Eric Schmidt of Google/ Alphabet. The conversation turned to innovation and what skills are necessary from members of a team to support innovation. The combination of persistence with curiosity was discussed as being one of the key ingredients for successful innovation. As I thought about that, I realized the truth in it--and that for Roycemore to achieve the goal of ensuring we continue to have the life-changing impact on young people for the next 100 years that we have had in the last 100 years, I need to call upon the talents of our community to help us do it. These are also vitally important qualities we aim to cultivate in our young people so we can ensure that they are positioned to thrive in the future economy which is already being dramatically impacted by advances in technology.

If you want to be a part of this work, send me an email
to let me know. I would like to hear about your background, your interests, your relationship/experience with Roycemore and what excites you about being a part of this work. I am seeking individuals who have persistence, curiosity, a personal drive, a passion for Roycemore, and desire to ensure that future students at Roycemore are equipped with the skills and qualities to build a life of meaning and substance. Ideally we will have a team that includes parents, students, faculty, alumni and members of the larger community.

In partnership for our students,

Adrianne Finley Odell
Head of School


Toys for Tots drive ends this Friday

The Upper School Community Service Club is sponsoring its annual Toys for Tots Drive. The drive runs through next Friday, December 15th. If your family would like to participate, please bring a new, unwrapped toy and place it in one of the Toys for Tots boxes placed throughout the school. We are hoping to collect as many toys as possible that we will deliver to the Marines and they can share it with families who are less fortunate. The Marines have been sponsoring this drive for over 20 years and Roycemore has been involved in it for the past 10 years. Any questions, please contact adviser Mrs. Byrnes at kbyrnes@roycemoreschool.org. Thank you for your support!

HandCut Foods wants your feedback

Our foodservice provider HandCut Foods is introducing their new Website and Satisfaction Survey. Check out the new-and-improved HandCut Foods website! Additionally, the new site hosts a page  specifically for the Roycemore community where you can find announcements, menus, games, FAQs, and more.  Read more about it here.

You can check out the Roycemore community page by going to www.handcutfoods.com > Log In; then enter
Client Code 1200. While you're there, fill out the semi-annual food service survey.  HandCut welcomes your support and honest feedback to help them serve your children better.

Middle Schoolers spent a day immersed in hands-on coding and more for #HourOfCode

The employees at Scientific Games in Chicago prepared an amazing day for all our students in grades 4-8 on Friday. Students completed coding activities like this Star Wars one, learned about Unity (the program Scientific Games uses to create their games), toured the sound studio, and got to see what it's like to work for a large game creation company. One of the most interesting things they learned was that it takes not only computer scientists, but also artists, musicians, mathematicians, and others to create a successful game. They all must use their talents and work together to experience success - what an important concept for our Middle Schoolers to see in action!

Shop for everyone on your holiday gift list with this link and Amazon donates to Roycemore School!

Upcoming Event Highlights
Check the online calendar at  www.roycemoreschool.org/calendar  for more information. Athletic practices are now shown on the school calendar page.

MON DECEMBER 11
Activities after school LS: Lego Club - Gr 1 room, STEAM - LS art room
4:00pm MS Boys Basketball Game AWAY at Chiaravalle Montessori in Evanston
5:00pm US Boys Basketball Game AWAY at The British School in Chicago

TUES DECEMBER 12
Activities after school LS: Martial Arts - MPR, Sprout Gifted - LS art room
6:00pm US January Short Term Ecuador/Galapagos Trip Meeting - MPR
6:30pm US Girls Basketball Game AWAY at Lycee Francais in Chicago

WED DECEMBER 13
9:00am Educational Consultants Coffee - Library
Activities after school LS: Creative Improv - LS music room, Cross Country - Gr 3 room
4:30pm US Girls Basketball Game HOME vs. Beacon Academy - Gym
7:00pm US Boys Basketball Game AWAY at Yeshiva/Hillel Torah in Skokie

THURS DECEMBER 14
Activities after school LS: Chess Club - Gr 4 room, Sprout Gifted - LS art room
4:00pm MS Boys Basketball Game HOME vs. Solomon Schechter - Gym
5:00pm MS Girls Basketball Game HOME vs. Solomon Schechter - Gym

FRI DECEMBER 15
Activities after school LS: Fitness Fun Friday - Gym

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