Friday Notes 10/07/22

Friday Notes I October 7, 2022

A Message From Mr. Silva

Dear Foothill Families,

We are launching into a busy fall season and our campus is alive with activity and rich student experiences.

High School Information Evening. Interim Upper School Director Shane Guilbert-Neal organized an information evening for parents of 7th and 8th graders. Over 70 families attended to hear about the admissions and enrollment process at private, independent, and public schools, and what we do to prepare students for their admissions essays and in-person interviews. Over the next several weeks, Mr. Guilbert-Neal will be welcoming representatives from independent boarding and day schools regionally and across the country to meet with students. Families are invited to attend and should contact Chelsea Moreno if interested.

Advisory Curriculum Re-Vamp. The curriculum for our advisory program was re-written by the faculty to reflect Foothill’s core values, and encourage more active engagement by students in discovering more about themselves and their peers. Each week, students in Grades 6-8 engage in thought-provoking readings and conversations related to larger themes such as identity, belonging, and inclusiveness.

Foothill Fund Giving. Thank you to the families who have already given to the Foothill Fund as part of our annual giving campaign. Giving to the Foothill Fund delivers the margin of excellence that provides salaries and professional training for our excellent teachers, a rich academic program that engages and challenges students at their highest level, and supports technology, the arts, and athletics. In short, the Foothill Fund enables us to do everything we do, better. Join the other families who have already given and help us reach our goal of $325,000. Click HERE to give today.

I wish you all a restful weekend!

Warmly,

Mike

Mike Silva

Head of School

Falcon News

Parent Teacher Conferences THIS WEEK

No School on Thursday & Friday

Parent Teacher Conferences are this week: Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14. In lieu of regular school those days, you will be meeting by appointment with your student and their teacher on Zoom.

If you have not yet made your appointment, please immediately visit PickATime.com to do so. We can't wait to talk about your student's successes with you!

Join Us!

100% of Foothill’s Board of Trustees have already committed to the Foothill Fund. Join us today and help provide the margin of excellence that helps us do all we do, better.

Make Your Gift

Novice Debate Team Approaches the Podium

Our Novice Debate Team is already hard at work after school! Under the coaching of Ms. Zareen Ahmed and Mr. Kyle Brodie, they listened to guests from the FCDS Advanced Team who showed them how it's done. Topic: Social Media Does More Harm Than Good.

This Week in Falcon Sports

Tuesday, 10/11

Football and Volleyball Blue @ Alta Loma Christian

Volleyball Gold vs. Water of Life HOME

Save the Date: Wednesday, October 26 7:00p.m.

How To Help Young People Thrive

Dr. Karen Cotton Bronk

We are thrilled to present Foothill parent Dr. Karen Cotton Bronk (Lane, 7th) for a presentation and conversation about how parents can help their children to thrive in this post-pandemic world. Dr. Bronk is a professor of psychology at Claremont Graduate University. She is a developmental psychologist interested in understanding and supporting the positive development and moral growth of young people. Most recently, she has investigated these topics through the lens of young people’s purposes in life. We are so lucky to be able to absorb the wisdom from a parent in our own community! Plan to join us at this live event in the Randall Lewis Auditorium.

Jr. Thespian Officers Elected

Our co-curricular performing arts honor society, Jr. Thespian Troupe #89625, elected their student officers for the ’22 - ‘23 school year. Congratulations to these dedicated theatre students, and thank you for your service to our school!

President: Josh P. (8th)

Vice President: Avery M. (8th)

Secretary: Albert L. (8th)

Publicity and Events Coordinator: Olivia K. (8th)

Member-at-Large: Michelle P. (8th)

Member-at-Large: Layla R. (7th)

Always remember the Thespian motto:

“Act well your part; there all the honor lies.”

-Alexander Pope

2nd Grade Science Experiment and, drumroll...introducing... Hotcakes!

How many drops on a penny? Students needed to follow the scientific method to figure out how many drops of water could fit on their penny. We learned that there can be multiple outcomes and that testing the experiment more than once is important!

Also, meet Hotcakes the Bearded Dragon, our new science class "student"! He is settling in to his new home. He was donated by a student in 3^rd grade, Ares L. Here, Hotcakes is doing a little light reading on reptiles.

Lower School Student Council Representatives

Results for the Lower School Student Council Representative elections were tabulated on Friday. Leadership enthusiasm is strong in grades three, four, and five! There were 19 third grade, 13 fourth grade, and 15 fifth grade students that applied to be candidates to represent their grade level in Lower School Student Council.

As Mr. Guilbert-Neal mentioned in last week's Notes, it takes a great deal of courage to run as a candidate for a representative position. Foothill is proud of how all candidates represented the school, their peers, and themselves. Below is the list of this year's elected students:

3rd Grade Representatives: Aries L.(3B) and Kamila V.(3A)

4th Grade Representatives: Melody K. and Aiden L.

5th Grade Representatives: Sarina N. & Violet S.

These students will join the Upper Student Council once a trimester to share ideas and contribute to student life.

Ten Schools Organization Visits Foothill

High School Panel Discussion

This week admissions representatives from Ten Schools Admiission Organization, a group of the nation's most distinguished boarding schools, visited Foothill for a panel discussion about the realities of boarding school life. Ten Schools is based primarily around the New England area and includes Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, The Hill School, Hotchkiss, the Lawrenceville School, Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Andover, Phillips Exeter, St. Paul's School, and Taft. The panel discussion exposed our students to options for high school that they may not have considered, and allowed them to ask questions directly from the school representatives. .

High School Visits This Week:

Phillips Exeter (New Hampshire)

Tuesday, October 11

11:40am. via Zoom

E and S Academy (Pasadena, CA)

Wednesday, October 12

3:00p.m.

Flintridge Prep Campus Open House (La Canada Flintridge)

Saturday, October 15

8:30am and 10:15 at their campus

Reservations required

What's Mr. Silva Reading to Kindergarten?

This week, Mr. Silva read The World Needs More Purple People, by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart. It is the story of Purple Penny who, not being blue or red, but a mix of both, represents the common ground we all share with many others. Penny encourages us to find what makes us different from others, and also the same.

MakerSpace Explores Their Space

Creative minds are hard at work in MakerSpace after school. Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Davis lead their students in challenges that require them to build structures, create vehicles from recycled materials, and solve all sorts of problems. Glue, scissors, beads, LEGO -- it is all part of the fun. The MakerSpace Lab class is part of our After School Enrichment Class program.