Upper School Fall Update

November 12, 2023

Dear Upper School Families,

This time of year tends to move so quickly as it is filled with concerts, performances and end-of-season athletic banquets, all mingled with the knowledge that Thanksgiving break is within reach. Before I delve into what’s ahead, please take a moment to read these messages about how the school has been supporting our students.

The events in the Middle East have touched many in our community, whether through personal connections or the emotional toll of hearing and witnessing heart-wrenching narratives unfold in the media. Please let me reaffirm our school’s complete condemnation of antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred on the basis of one’s religion, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender or one’s identity. Although we cannot alleviate the pain and suffering members of our community are feeling, we can listen and care for one another.

Melissa Soderberg

Head of School

For children in the Middle and Upper Schools who seek connection during such difficult times, we have brought together students for discussions and also provided them with spaces to just be with each other and with trusted adults.

Our upper school history classes have taken time to address the conflict, and two community cafes have been held in addition to a World Affairs Club meeting discussion under the guidance of history department chair Tim Morford ’79.
The Jewish Affinity Group has met numerous times over the past month, and we have arranged for a rabbi to visit with them this upcoming week along with a member of our community who lives in Israel.
Students in our MECCA and MENA groups have also met on several occasions and have been using a teacher’s classroom as a constant space for support during free times. A social worker and therapist of Palestinian descent will visit them this week.
The student leaders and advisors of these groups recently brainstormed together to create and host a community event for peace. We hope to share more details soon.

It is clear that now, more than ever, we need to approach one another with genuine compassion, openness and an earnest desire to understand, especially given the profound emotional and historical weight of these issues. We have leveraged the expertise of religious leaders and wellness professionals who share the identities of our Jewish students as well as our students of Palestinian descent. These spaces and conversations have allowed our students to voice their feelings, share concerns and seek comfort in the collective sense of our shared humanity. In these challenging moments, let’s draw strength from each other, promoting an environment where empathy, mutual understanding and hope are at the forefront.

Dr. Pascal Losambe

Director of Diversity and Community Life

The schedule for upper school midterm exams is linked below. Please note that MS and US exam schedules operate independently. Also, US exams run Tuesday through Friday this year. For students who take the bus or carpool with siblings who have different schedules, know that we are still open at the same time in the morning and here in the afternoon as usual. Lunch will be provided between morning and afternoon exams, and those who finish in the morning may stay and eat at school or go home after their exams. Students with two exams should stay on campus until both exams are completed.

Additional exam week reminders:

Students are to come in dress code.
Students should report directly to their assigned exam locations (no regular morning check-in).
If students do not have exams on a given day, then they are not required to report to campus that day.
If students have exams and are unable to come in, parents/guardians must still report their absences on SchoolPass or notify the upper school office directly by emailing Jennifer Lange at langej@columbusacademy.org.
Classes that have papers or projects for their semester-end assessment will be due by Monday, December 18 (Common Hour Schedule with six academic blocks).
Make-up exams may be scheduled after the course’s main exam session has taken place.
Any exams not completed by Friday, December 22, will be rescheduled after our return in January.

Additional dates and events:

Tuesday, November 14: US/MS Orchestra Concert (Schoedinger Theatre)
Thursday, November 16: US/MS Band Concert (Jones Gym)
Saturday, November 18 - Sunday, November 26: Thanksgiving Break
Friday, December 8: Empty Bowls/Soup for Shelter Event
Monday, December 11 (7:00-8:00 p.m. in the dining hall): Parent Academy Series with speaker Lynn Lyons. She will also meet with US students during a special assembly on Tuesday, December 12.
Monday, December 18: Common Hour Schedule/Review Day/Festive Sweater Day – US students may wear fun, festive holiday sweaters on top with dress code on bottom.
Tuesday-Friday, December 19-22: US Midterm Exams (Midterm Exam Schedule, watch for updates)
Friday, December 22: Alumni Holiday Luncheon (seniors are invited and encouraged to attend)
Saturday, December 23: Winter Break Begins
Monday, January 8: School Resumes
Friday, January 12: Report Cards go live – Midterm Exam and Semester 1 grades will be available on our MySchoolApp at 4:00 p.m.

For our senior students, we are coming upon the halfway mark of the year, and it’s a good time for a reminder about service hours. The requirement is 45 hours of service off-campus at one site and five hours on-campus. Students should check their MobileServe app for their recorded hours so far. The due date for all off-campus hours is Wednesday, April 10, 2024. To find more information about service, click here (see tabs on the site for FAQs, proposal completion forms, site suggestions and more).

We hope students head into this next stretch of school with a sense of pacing to finish the semester strong and with empathy, kindness and a collective determination to contribute to a more compassionate world, especially in these challenging times. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Warmly,

Cory Izokaitis

Head of Upper School