Cougar Connection, Back-to-School Edition

Message from the Interim Head of School

Greetings, Calverton Community!

It has been wonderful to meet with so many colleagues, parents, and alumni this summer as I began my Interim role in July. In each conversation, it was clear how invested each member of our community is. How lucky I am to be surrounded by faculty, staff, and families who share a true dedication and love for our school!

I am so excited to welcome each student back to campus on August 29th for our Opening Day. Our Back-to-School Picnic will be a time to reconnect, squeeze in our last moments of summer fun together, and build excitement for the year ahead. Looking ahead, our CPA will welcome all parents on Friday, September 1st after drop off for Pastries with Parents. I’m also looking forward to hosting parents for a coffee meet-and-greet on the Lower School patio at 8:15 am before our All School Flag Raising Ceremony on September 11th at 9 am.

Together this year, we will refocus on the strength of who we are and what we stand for. We are a place of academic excellence, held up by our outstanding faculty; we are a student body of leaders, built upon the Philosophy of Honor; and we are a vibrant community that offers unique opportunities that foster a well-rounded student experience.

There is much to look forward to this year and I am finding so much joy in leading our wonderful school community.

Sincerely,

Allison Trentman, ‘03

Interim Head of School

Message from the Board of Trustees

We hope that everyone had a wonderful summer break! We want to welcome the entire community back to school, and a particularly warm welcome to new families, students, administrators, faculty, and staff as we look forward to a wonderful 2023-2024 school year!

As we wrote at the end of the last academic school year, we, as a Board, intend to be in more regular conversation with the community. It is in this spirit that we write today. In the coming weeks, additional information will be shared about community opportunities to meet with the Board and the search firm we are engaging with for the Head of School search. While a final date for this meeting has not been set, we anticipate this happening in late September as part of the fall Community Meeting. Please be on the lookout for this email in the coming weeks.

Moving forward, you will find a brief update from the Board in the Cougar Connection newsletters each month. This is part of our commitment to share more information with you on Board activities and areas of focus. Information will also be available on the updated Calverton School website.

We hope you enjoy the remaining days of summer and look forward to seeing everybody back on campus in the near future.

Sincerely,

Calverton Board of Trustees

Welcome New Board Members

Danyelle Solomon

Lesley Quattlebaum

Mark Posey

Dear Lower School Families,

How did August arrive already? The 2023-2024 school year is about to begin! Although it is summer, it has still been quite busy on campus between our summer camps and preparing for the upcoming school year. I am delighted to share that we are welcoming 42 new students to our lower school this year. We are continuing to grow in the lower school and are opening with double sections in 4K, kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. I am looking forward to having the halls bustling with students once again as we embark on an exciting year ahead.

The Lower School Team is Growing!

I am thrilled to share with you the newest members of our lower school team. Ms. Olivia Zinn is our fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Diana Bowen is joining Mrs. Keegan in third grade, Mrs. Sara Ott is our newest kindergarten team member, Mr. Matthew Goostree is teaching science, and Mrs. Lisa Rodvien is taking over as our strings instructor. Although we are still actively looking for a 4K lead teacher, Mrs. Lauren Hidalgo has once again graciously agreed to continue in the lead role until a permanent teacher has been hired. Mrs. Jean Hall will be joining us as the 4K assistant to Mrs. Hidalgo. Our new faculty members have already been spending time on campus, participating in professional development, and getting their classrooms ready as they are eager to get started and welcome your children.

Not pictured: Jean Hall and Sara Ott

Students are often eager to see their classroom, find their desk, and meet their teacher before school begins, so we would like to invite all lower school families to our Orientation Day on Tuesday, August 29. Students will have the first 20 minutes to spend in the room, while the parents will have the remaining 40 minutes with the teacher for a parent information session. During the parent session, students will enjoy fun and games with Ms. Kasey and the Extended Day staff. We encourage you to bring school supplies and summer work on Orientation Day. Please be sure the bags of supplies are labeled, especially for our Cougar Cubs. If you are unable to attend Orientation Day, please send items in on the first full day of school, Wednesday, August 30.

View Orientation Schedule

A friendly reminder that the first week of school (Wednesday, August 30- Friday, September 1) is a noon dismissal for all PreK students. This is to allow the students to make an easier transition from the summer schedule to a school schedule. Beginning on Tuesday, September 5, dismissal for PreK is from 2:45 - 3:05 p.m.

We do hope that summer work has helped to keep your child academically engaged over the summer months. Summer work can be found here on the Calverton School website. Our new website is currently being updated, so if you have any questions regarding school uniforms, please don’t hesitate to reach out. School supplies and summer work may be dropped off on Orientation Day.

RSVP for Picnic

Dear Middle School Students and Families,

Happy New (school) Year! I hope that you have had a relaxing and wonderful summer. The new school year will bring new experiences, new routines and new opportunities to learn and grow. Your teachers have been making plans so that your school year will be memorable. Over the next couple of weeks, you will be hearing about some of our plans - schedules, field trips, after-school athletics and clubs. If you have any question before the first day, please reach out. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Welcome New Middle School Teachers

Dear Calverton Community,

I hope that summer break brought time to reflect, enjoy friends and family, and more importantly gave you time to look forward to this school year. As always, I welcome this new year and your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education. Our efforts in STEAM and Service-learning continue to build as does our vast array of clubs and electives.

This is going to be another incredible and productive school year. I can’t wait to work with all of you as we make this a year of deep learning and hard thinking. As you prepare to see friends, make new connections, and tackle every class with enthusiastic effort, our strong team of dedicated teachers are preparing the halls and classrooms for what will be a rededicated year to mind brain education. Join me in celebrating a place of security where our expectations balance encouragement and playfulness breeds inquisitiveness.

Welcome New Staff Members!

Development

Welcome back, I hope you all had a fabulous summer! Over the summer we’ve been working on building new partnerships with community organizations and can’t wait to share them with you.

This year our goal is 100% parent participation for The Calverton Fund. The Calverton Fund is an annual appeal that generates needed income through gifts from all corners of The Calverton School community, including the Board of Trustees, alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, and friends. Participating in The Calverton Fund with a gift that is meaningful to you and makes you feel good about supporting your school is most important! We receive gifts at every level and each gift, whether it's $25 or $2,500, makes an immediate impact. These unrestricted funds are raised to enhance the day-to-day life of every student.

Jenn Evoy

Director of Development

jevoy@calvertonschool.org

Sunday, September 17 we will be hosting the Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse’s (CAASA) Color Run Blast! This youth empowerment event brings families together to celebrate our youth and encourages a happy, healthy, substance-free spirit. Calverton’s Student Government Association (SGA) will be volunteering at a color blast station and will receive proceeds from registrations. Click here to register! When registering, designate The Calverton School to receive a donation.

Tuesday, September 19 we will have our Calverton Classic Golf Tournament at The Cannon Club in Lothian. We will also have a Sip & Swing so even if you’re not a golfer, you can join in the fun! Click here for details.

Service and philanthropy are directly aligned with our school’s mission, they are embedded in the curriculum, practiced by students in and out of the classroom, and modeled by our greater community. I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Office Depot

Simply make a purchase of qualifying school supplies, provide your school's ID at checkout (in-store and online) and your designated school will receive 5% back in credits for FREE supplies! It's a small act that can make a huge difference.

Calverton School ID:

70046808

Harris Teeter

Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter brands.

The program runs from August 1 – May 31 and you must relink your VIC card to your school of choice each year beginning July 1.

Calverton School Code:

5342

Box Tops for Education

DOWNLOAD the Box Tops app and select our school to support. This ensures that your Box Tops purchases count toward our school's earnings.

SHOP for Box Tops products and use the app to scan your receipt to add to our school’s earnings online.

If you happen to find unexpired Box Tops clips on packages, you can still clip them and send them to school.

Admissions

Welcome back, Calverton Community!

I hope you have enjoyed time with family and friends this summer, relaxing, rejuvenating, and making great memories!

Our community continues to prosper and grow, and we look forward to the arrival of new and returning families to campus and want to extend an especially warm welcome to our seventy-seven new students and their parents. Many joining us through referrals from you; thank you, Calverton parents, for sharing your experience! What an amazing community!

Our admissions work will continue beyond Opening Day, with the anticipation of welcoming additional new families to the community. I am looking forward to a successful and happy year ahead!

Dawn Rhoads

Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

drhoads@calvertonschool.org

Fall Admission Events

September 23 – Touch-A-Truck, 10 am (hosted by Admissions) – admission is free with a non-perishable food donation to support End Hunger in Calvert County

October 14 – Fall Admissions Open House, 10 am

Calverton Parent Association (CPA)

Dear Calverton Families,

The Calverton Parents Association (CPA) would like to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year! The CPA is a volunteer, parent run organization that helps facilitate fun student-based activities throughout school divisions, as well as the room parent program. The parents of all school students are members of the CPA and, as such, should feel welcome at every meeting and activity. To learn more about the CPA and meet other Calverton families, we invite you to join us for our all-school “Pastries with Parents” breakfast on Friday, September 1, 2023, at 8:15 am in Founders Hall.

There are many ways to get involved throughout the divisions of the school. Volunteers are needed to help decorate for school functions, serve food, volunteer at sporting events, garden, attend field trips, help with classroom activities, and many more things. While the CPA does not manage all of these opportunities, we are the first step in getting information to parents, and if you have questions, we are here to help. As an example of a CPA run activity, our first one of the year is “Trunk or Treat,” Friday, October 27th, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. This free event is for all students and families. There will be games and prizes, decorated trunks that will distribute candy, and student run entertainment.

Thank you for choosing Calverton. I hope to see you all at the back-to-school picnic. Please reach out to the email below with any questions. I'm happy to help.

Sincerely,

Tina Rye

CPA President

cpa@calvertonschool.org

For additional sports schedules and team rosters click on the link below:

Athletics at Calverton (calvertonschool.org)

When you graduate from The Calverton School, the possibilities are limitless.

We're interested to learn more about you and your path since graduating from The Calverton School. Your testimonial can help us inspire our current students and those considering Calverton.

Your testimonial may be used in our student recruitment activities, as well as general Calverton marketing collateral.

ALUMNI QUESTIONNAIRE

For questions about this edition of the Cougar Connection, contact

Sherwana Knox, Director of Marketing at sknox@calvertonschool.org.