This upcoming Monday, January 29, is our second of three Professional Development (PD) half days on the school calendar. While the teachers are busy in workshops, we will once again be providing programming for our students for the entire afternoon. We listened carefully to the feedback you provided on the survey that went out after the first one of these days. The vast majority of the respondents were very appreciative of our efforts even though some of the programs missed the mark. We will seek feedback again next week as we work to refine this concept. Thank you for understanding how important it is to provide this time for our teachers and staff to collaborate, learn and grow together. I think it is equally valuable for our students to have these alternative learning opportunities to play, create, and explore with their peers. 

In their homerooms, students will sign up for three different one-hour activities. The following is the growing list of choices.  

• Fiddler on the Roof Company Rehearsal and Crew Workshop: both Middle School Company and Crew members will meet at 2:30pm
• Basketball clinic: taught by Herman Sims, one of favorite referees and Daniel Davenport, one of our security guards
• Mixed Repertoire Dance class: taught by Jane Sawyer from Hyde Park School of Dance
• Improv class: taught by Ethan Blumenthal (Akiba class of 2006), President of Knuckleball Comedy
• Art class: taught by teaching artists, Candice Latimer and Lisa Tasner from the Hyde Park Art Center)
• Interactive Science demo: facilitated by Mad Science
• Thoughtful Strategy Games: facilitated by Beth Moss, one of our reliable substitute teachers
• Quiet Reading or Homework: supervised by Jocelyn Gardner, Dr. Jones's executive assistant

The buses will leave school as usual at 3:30 and 4:30 pm.   

 

After school activities including Homework Help, Company Rehearsal, Boys' Basketball team practice, Broadway Kids and Kids' Club WILL meet as usual.

If you choose to pick up your child after lunch, please notify the Front Desk by Friday, January 26 and plan to pick your child up promptly at 12noon. 

Yours,

Miriam Kass

Interim Grade School Principal