Weekly Update & Highlights
November 6, 2017

Alum Agnes Kolbeck '08 is Program Director for the Lexington KY chapter of Youth Advocate Programs. 

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


Got furniture?

Are you updating your home or office? Is there furniture or equipment that you think the school might benefit from?  

Before carting the items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, please check with the office about whether your items would benefit our school. Currently, we are seeking several couches and armchairs in good condition. As Roycemore is a 501(c)(3) organization, your in-kind donation is tax deductible. Thank you!

REMINDER: There is no school or EDP this Friday, November 10

We are very fortunate this year to have the conference for the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)--our accrediting agency--right here in Chicago. Roycemore's faculty will join hundreds of independent school educators, administrators and service providers for a full day of valuable sessions. Read more about the conference.

(District code is RS-IL)

Quick links

Grandparents & Special Friends Day is  Tuesday, November 21 from 8:30-11:00am

Email invitations have gone out for this very special family event at school the morning before Thanksgiving Break. Dedicated to our Roycemore Grandparents and Special Friends, the morning will include delicious treats and coffee, musical performances featuring all grades, and special time in the classroom!

If your child's grandparent or a special family friend would like to attend and did not receive an invitation, please feel free to share the online RSVP link here, or you may contact Sara Keely McGuire at smcguire@roycemoreschool.org.

We look forward to seeing them!

Griffin Gathering: Roycemore Family Night at the Chicago Bulls is January 28, 2018

Download the order form here and return with payment to Bea at the front desk, or visit the RFA page  online to pay via PayPal. Go Bulls & Griffins!

"Share Your Table for Thanksgiving" with Northwestern University's International students, scholars, and/or their families!
 
To learn more about this program,  visit their website  with photos and testimonials from previous participants.  If you are interested, please complete this online form  or contact Program Coordinator Stephanie Cisneros at  Stephanie.cisneros@
School directory policy

The school directory available to our families through ParentsWeb/RenWeb is intended for exclusive use by the students, parents, faculty, staff, administration and trustees of Roycemore School. Use of this directory for solicitation, mailing lists, or for any other commercial or charitable purpose exceeds its intention and will be considered an invasion of privacy. We request that the privacy of our school members be respected.

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Helping students deal with stress
 
With first quarter and parent-teacher conferences over, our students can relax more now, right? Well, the truth is, this time of year can be tough. The newness of the start of the school year has passed, our days are getting shorter, and we're spending more time indoors. This can all lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety, particularly if there are interpersonal relationship issues, stresses related to college admissions season, or discouragement about first quarter grades. As a parent, how can you help your child deal with the stress?
  1. Mindfulness.  Encourage your children to be present in the moment. Most stress comes when we are thinking about the past or the future, but the truth is that the only thing we can control is the present moment. We can make decisions now that put us on a different path than the past, or that set us up well for the future, but it is the "now" in which we choose our thoughts and our self-talk that is powerful for our mental health.
  2. Exercise.  Seems so basic, right? But with the shorter days, sometimes our routines change. If your child is not involved in an organized sport, encourage them to engage in some sort of fitness of their choosing that they can do on a regular basis. Exercise is critical for overall health, including ensuring that the brain functions to its highest capacity. So while your child might feel that they need to spend hours studying for a test, they will set themselves up for greater success if they can take exercise breaks to allow their brain to work better!
  3. Sleep.  One of my colleagues last week said that her favorite holiday of the year is Daylight Savings Time because of the extra hour of sleep! Don't we ALL look forward to that? But the truth is that we need to give ourselves the gift of sleep if we want to be fully present in our lives, for our families and our work. Sleep serves as a great "reset" button for students who are feeling stress and anxiety, and unfortunately when one is stressed or anxious, it tends to have a negative impact on one's ability to sleep. Encourage them to focus on the "now" (#1 above) and to adopt deep breathing to calm themselves. Also--NO ELECTRONICS at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
  4. Cultivate Empathy. Recent advisory conversations in the Middle and Upper Schools have focused on the topic of empathy. In particular, "cognitive empathy," as described in this article . . . " allows us to try to understand someone else's perspective and how they perceive the world, even when our feelings differ." One of the most challenging aspects of being a parent is helping your child navigate the difficulties that can arise in relationships with others. Honestly, even as adults we struggle with this. Empathy, however, can help all of us handle difficult relationship issues.  
Mindfulness, exercise, sleep, cultivating empathy, these are not only valuable to our children but adults can benefit from them as well. If you have ways you have encouraged any of this with your children at home, please share your practices with me. As you know, through homeroom in Early Childhood and Lower School, and Advisory in Middle and Upper School, we embrace conversations around these topics regularly. We always seek ways we can strengthen our partnership with parents to create a culture at Roycemore that exemplifies our core values.

With Appreciation,

Adrianne Finley Odell
Head of School

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Update your emergency contact information in ParentsWeb - test messages going out Tuesday, November 14
 
It's that time of year again! In anticipation of possible weather closures this winter, we will be testing our emergency alert system on Tuesday, November 14th at approximately 11am. Messages will be marked as THIS IS ONLY A TEST.

The ParentsWeb alert system allows us to send out messages via text, email and voice. In the event of a school closure or other important information, we will use the family contact information in ParentsWeb for this purpose. 

Please take a few minutes to log in to your ParentsWeb account and make sure your phone, cell, email and emergency contact information is correct. We also strongly encourage you to add your student's cell phone number (if they have one) to their record so they may also receive emergency notifications directly.

For school closures or schedule changes due to weather, texts, emails and voice calls will be used to notify families and faculty/staff, as well as posts on the school website, Facebook and Twitter, and on the Emergency Closing Center website at emergencyclosingcenter.com.

If you have any questions about how to update your information in ParentsWeb, please contact Systems Coordinator Heather Mehta at hmehta@roycemoreschool.org or 847-866-6055.

How to update your emergency contact information in ParentsWeb:

Log on to ParentsWeb (Remember: District Code = RS-IL)
Go to  School Information
Click on  Web Forms
On the Main screen click on  Family Demographic Form

The following options will display. Click on the desired button to view/update:
  • Student Demographics
  • Custodial Parent (contains Parent contact, employment and some ParentsWeb preferences)
  • Emergency Contact
Once completed, scroll to the bottom of the form and click 
Save.

Support the Griffin Fund

We hope you received the Griffin Fund letter from our Head of School Adrianne Finley Odell. Giving to this annual fund provides your vote of confidence in Roycemore School and supports the ongoing growth of our students and faculty. If you have not yet given, please consider donating online, through the mail or in person right at school! 

Phone calls will be made in the next few weeks to reach out and answer any questions you may have regarding Roycemore's Griffin Fund. Please feel free to contact Sara Keely McGuire at smcguire@roycemoreschool.org at any time. Thank you for your continued support!

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 NOVEMBER 6
Activities after school LS: Lego Club - Gr 1 room, STEAM - LS art room; US: Musical rehearsal - MPR

TUES NOVEMBER 7 - SECOND MIDQUARTER
Activities after school LS: Martial Arts - MPR, Sprout Gifted - LS art room; US: Musical rehearsal - MPR, Scholastic Bowl Practice - Rm 237

WED NOVEMBER 8
Activities after school LS: Creative Improv - LS music room, Cross Country - Gr 3 room; US: Musical rehearsal - MPR

THURS NOVEMBER 9
Activities after school LS: Chess Club - Gr 4 room, Sprout Gifted - LS art room; US: Musical rehearsal - MPR
3:30-8:00pm Parent-Teacher Conferences

FRI NOVEMBER 10 -  NO SCHOOL/NO EDP
FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/ISACS CONFERENCE
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