Volume 27 | March 10, 2020
Roycemore School Weekly Newsletter
From The Head of School
Do Something Positive

By: Adrianne Finley Odell
This past week has been tough for our country. Fears related to the spread of the coronavirus have created great turbulence in the stock market as well as in our minds as we assess just how much of an impact the virus will have on our lives. In times of uncertainty, and in situations where some things are out of our control, we do have the power to control what we choose to think about and how we choose to act. One of the most powerful things we can do is something positive. Doing something positive improves one’s mood and can help increase serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine which are critical neurotransmitters that enhance our feelings of well-being.

Research has shown that positive actions and positive thoughts increase our sense of happiness even when we are faced with difficult life challenges and circumstances. Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain , says that our brains have a natural “negativity bias” and that the brain responds to and remembers negative situations more intensely than positive ones, so we have to intentionally cultivate the positive.  

So how might we cultivate the positive? Here are some suggestions from the authors of The Science of Positivity and Habits of a Happy Brain...

Coming Up on the Calendar
  • Monday, March 9th - Friday March 13th, Lower School Theme Week
  • Tuesday, March 10th - CANCELLED - FAN Event: Ready or Not, Madeline Levine
  • Thursday, March 12th - Upper School Play, 6:00pm
  • Thursday, March 12th - FREE Yoga at Roycemore, 5:00pm
  • Friday, March 13th - Theme Week Expo for Lower School, 2:30pm
  • Friday, March 13th - Upper School Play, 7:00pm
  • Monday, March 16th - Friday, March 20th - Spirit Week
  • Monday, March 16th - FAN Event: White Fragility, Diangalo, 7:00-8:30pm Event Details
  • Thursday, March 19th - FREE Yoga at Roycemore, 5:00pm
  • Friday, March 20th - Lower School Potluck, 5:00pm
  • Friday, March 20th - Roycemore Yard Sale, 5:00-6:00pm
Upper School Play This Week
The Upper School is excited to present Thornton Wilder's,  Our Town,  for the Roycemore Spring Play. Come see the hard-work of our talented students on stage this week. Performances are free and open to the whole Roycemore community. You don't want to miss it!


Upper School Play:
Our Town
Thursday March 12th at 6pm
Friday March 13th at 7pm
Spirit Week Update
The Roycemore Student Council has organized a school-wide Spirit Week next week, March 16th - 20th. See below for the daily themes and get ready to show your Roycemore spirit!

Monday, March 16th - Pajama Day
Tuesday, March 17th - Twin Day / Matching 
Wednesday, March 18th - Crazy Hat / Hair Day
Thursday, March 19th - Fan Day (i.e. sports teams or other interests) 
Friday, March 20th - Blue + Gold Day

Theme Week Expo This Friday
Theme Week 2020 has kicked off for the Lower School and it will be running all week! Every day our little engineers and scientists will be problem solving on behalf of Roycemore. Please join us for an Expo showcasing their work on Friday in the library.

Theme Week Expo
Friday, March 13th
Roycemore Library
2:30-3:10pm
Calling All Volunteers
Looking for ways to get more involved at Roycemore? We need your help! Please check out our volunteer sign up sheet to see where you can pitch in. We have lots of FAN events coming up and could use help manning the Roycemore table at these events. Check out the sign up form below.
Storytelling 101
Middle School students from 7th and 8th Grade Drama shared their Moth  inspired stories at  Curt's Cafe  last week. While sipping smoothies and munching on fresh baked goods in the Curt Cafe's living room, students went up on stage and took turns at the mic to tell their true, personal stories of extraordinary moments from their lives. Stories ranged from tales of coming to terms with ADHD, to losing (and finding) their pet dogs, to the very real struggle of trying to give up their pacifier as a child. Working on their communication and presentation skills, these brave students shared small and big parts of themselves. They made us laugh, and they made us cry. Well done Griffins!
(Keira, Nika, Otto, May)

(Faelyn, Madeleine, Conor, James N, James S, Isabella)

(Rachel)

Griffin Fund Update
Thank you to all who gave during the Matching Challenge! We are currently at 63% with parent participation in the Griffin Fund. Let's get to 100%!


Don't Forget: Spring Break Camp
We are running a Spring Break Camp for Roycemore students in PK through 6th Grade for the week of March 30 - April 3. We have planned many exciting and fun activities for your children and families can sign up for one day at a time, or join us for the whole week.


Spring Break Camp
March 30th - April 3rd
7:30am - 6:00pm
Pre-K through 6th Grade

Questions? Contact  Ms. Orzoff
Yard Sale
Middle School students are raising funds for their trip to New York! They will be holding a Roycemore Yard Sale on March 20th. Please mark your calendar and drop off donations before the March 20th of your gently used toys, books, and games. All donations can go to Mrs. Milner in Room 229.

Roycemore Yard Sale
March 20th
5:00-6:00pm
Three Cheers
Congratulations to Middle School student, Maci, who took her P3 (Personal Passion Project) to the next level. She decided to focus her project on helping support those who are trying to escape domestic violence. Her research led her to WINGS , a non-profit that supports survivors of domestic violence, and discovered one of their resale shops. She ended up buying clothes, materials, ribbons and other items from WINGS and then turned those materials into crafts such as headbands, jewelry, and pet toys to sell. When she sells her crafts, she shares her personal story and advocates for domestic abuse victims everywhere. Maci's personal mantra is "be kind to others and do what you can to make the world a better place”. She certainly is doing just that with her P3 work. Great job Maci!
And More Cheers!
Upper School student, Molly, plays on a competitive hockey team who won the Illinois State tournament this weekend in their division! Molly is the team goalie and they won 2 to 1 in triple overtime. Congrats to Molly and good luck at regionals.
Community Notes
One of our Northwestern University partners, The Family Institute , offers monthly parenting tips to families. They are a leading relationship-based behavioral health organization that is committed to strengthening relationships between children, adolescents, couples, and families. Check out their most recent list of tips below.
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