January 13, 2024

Dear Lower School Families,

Welcome back! As always following a school break, it is heartwarming to see students excited to get out of the car and head back into school to see their friends and teachers. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday spent with family and friends.

Lower School Roller Skating Party

Lace up those rented roller skates and get out onto the rink! PACA has scheduled a Lower School Skating Evening on Thursday, January 18 (click here for details). No homework will be assigned on that Thursday evening, and lower school sports teams will not have practices so all who wish to join may do so. This was a very fun event last year, and we hope to see you all there on Thursday from 5:30-8:00 pm.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there is no school this upcoming Monday, January 15. For those interested, here is a link to local activities in Central Ohio on Monday provided by The Columbus Dispatch.

Parent Book Club  

We will meet to discuss the second half of Never Enough by Jennifer Breheny Wallace on Tuesday, January 30, from 8:15-9:15 a.m. on the main side of our dining hall. Please use this form to sign up. The book can be found in public libraries and online.

Mark Your Calendars for Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences

Our spring parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for March 7-8. All conferences are in-person and on-campus only. Signups and additional information will be forthcoming. School is dismissed at noon that Thursday, and there is no school for students on Friday.

• Thursday, March 7: 1:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 8: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Parenting Article

This week’s parenting article is from the United Kingdom’s newspaper The Guardian. It is entitled “Why We Shouldn’t Take Our Children Out of School During Term.” We have noticed a substantial uptick in families taking children on vacation during school time. While we understand there may be an extraordinary reason for this, we do ask that you keep to our generous Academy holiday schedule and model the importance of attending school by not planning vacations during school days.

Upcoming Events

• January 15: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No School
• January 17: CA's Winter Blood Drive
• January 18: LS Roller Skating Party (5:30-8:00 p.m.) Sponsored by PACA
• February 1: A Winter Gathering
• February 14: PACA Connect Meeting, Valentine’s Day Activities & Report Cards Distributed to Families
• February 19: Presidents Day – No School
• February 23: Grade 1 Music Performance
• March 2: Grade 2 Music Performance
• March 7-8: Parent-Teacher Conferences (see details above)
• March 12: Kindergarten Music Performance
• March 16-31: Spring Break – No School

Warm Regards,

Mark L. Hansen

Head of Lower School