McLEAN MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS & SCHEDULE
Dear Middle School Families,
Welcome to the 2010-2011
school year! After a restful summer and time to reflect, and space to
reenergize, the new and returning faculty welcome our students back
into their classrooms for the new school year. Once again we can hear
the children’s voices and laughter and see them walking eagerly from
class to class; in the classrooms, students are showing their excitement
of learning and inquiry. The students are getting to know their new
environment and teachers, and their lockers are being swiftly opened
after their combinations have been mastered. They are feeling very comfortable
with being a Middle School student. New challenges and expectations
are in view. This is an exciting time of the year for all of us, full
of promise and enthusiasm.
We are pleased to announce that McLean has added an additional teacher
for grade 5, given the continued high demand for placements in the Middle
School. The addition of this position allows us to increase enrollment,
while maintaining a common classroom structure with two teachers in
each grade 5 homeroom. Kiki Vargas joins the grade 5 team and
comes highly recommended from the Lab School of Washington where she
taught before taking a break for motherhood for a few years. Kiki has
a Bachelors’ degree from Emory University and a Masters in Special Education
from the Teachers Institute at Columbia University in New York. Kiki
will be co-teaching with Rosie Waugh.
During this first week of school, we have been administering math
and reading tests to all new and returning grades 5 and 6 students.
The results of these specific tests, in addition to teachers’ recommendations
from previous years, will help us to compose the groups for math, English
and literature according to student readiness. For those joining us
from the Lower School in grade 5 and those returning to grade 6, this
is the same process that has been used in the past to organize what
we often called “break-away” or “break-out” groups.
We anticipate that students will begin attending the “break-away”
groups next Tuesday, after Labor Day weekend.
On Wednesday after lunch, students and faculty attended our first
Community Meeting, which is an in-house meeting meant to strengthen
our Middle School connections. The agenda started with Health and Student
Affairs Coordinator Frankie Engelking and Performing Arts Department
Chair Greg Mugione, emceeing the Fashion Police show on the Middle School
dress code “do’s and don’ts.” Beverley H. ‘13, Kate P. ‘13,
Amir T. ‘13, Andrew A. ‘13, Madison A. ‘13 and Sara K. ‘13 were our
models in this year’s Fashion Police Show. Next, Grade 7/8 Counselor
Hope Hallock, provided information on PRIDE banners and how to earn
them; new Strings Instructor Kat Whitesides spoke about the Strings
Program and how to join. Together with Lauren H. ‘15 and Jack S. ‘15,
Ms. Whitesides performed a violin piece to highlight the performance
skills of strings’ students. Vince McCool also addressed the students
about the grade 8 guitar electives and band class. Band is open to all
proficient musicians in grade 5 through 8. Lastly, Science Department
Chair and Spirit Coordinator Heather Crabtree invited students to join
this year’s Spirit Committee and help kick-off our Mustang Spirit
initiatives. More information on these activities will come soon.
And speaking about the
Strings Program … This is an exciting opportunity for McLean
students in the Middle School to participate in either Chorus or Strings.
Grade 5 & 6 students attend chorus or strings twice a week.
In grades 7 & 8, these classes are taken as an elective. It
does not matter if your child has never had musical training.
Here are some of the important things to consider when deciding if Strings is the right choice for your child:
- An important part of the Strings program is a weekly 30-minute Private Lesson during school time. This is usually during recess time. We have excellent teachers that are professional musicians in the area who come to school to teach these lessons. The fee for these lessons is $35 a lesson, billed quarterly.
- Your child must own or rent an instrument to bring back and forth to school on days that they have Strings class or their Private Lesson.
- Regular practice at home is an essential part to learning to play an instrument. Your child will be expected to practice at home and may need your guidance in setting up a good routine for this.
Consider the benefits this program can provide for your child:
- Exposure to instrumental music that can lead to a life-long appreciation for classical music as well as other music genres.
- Individualized instruction from a private teacher allows your child to learn at his or her own pace and helps your child to set individual goals.
- It has been shown that it is best to begin learning a string instrument while a child is still young and the muscles are still developing. Like learning a language, it becomes more difficult when you start later in life.
- Learning an instrument is a great way to work on several skills from a different angle. It reinforces reading, pattern recognition, fine motor skills, math, expression, memory and much more!
For more information regarding the Strings Program, please contact Kat Whitesides at kwhitesides@mcleanschool.org or 301.299.8277x716.
School Photo Forms and Calleva Forms for Experiential Education went home this week. Calleva Outdoor Experiential Education for grades 5 and 6 will take place on Tuesday, September 14 and on Wednesday, September 15 for grades 7 and 8. Please send these forms back with your consent signatures no later than September 8. Calleva Forms can also be accessed www.mcleanschool.org/parents/95/
And don’t forget to mark
your calendars for Grades 7 & 8 Back-to-School Night at 6:30 pm
on Monday, September 13 and Grades 5 & 6 Back-to-School Night at
6:30 pm on Wednesday, September 15.
Girl Scouts at McLean? Girl Scouts Troop #3310 Junior/Cadette Levels (grades 4-8) will be returning to McLean for the 2010-2011 school year. If your daughter is interested in joining and you would like to find out more information, there will be a Girl Scout table during Back-to-School Night on Monday, September 13 at 6:30 pm for grades 7 and 8, Wednesday, September 15 also at 6:30 pm for grades 5 and 6. Any further questions please contact Jacqueline Starkes at JacqLogan@comcast.net .
As we take a step into our second week of school, we thank you in advance
for your support this year. Our teachers are prepared for the challenges
and successes that this year will certainly bring, and we acknowledge
their skills and commitment on behalf of the McLean community.
For safety and liability reasons, please do not send students with
lunch foods that require the use of a microwave. Students are not
allowed to operate any of the microwaves in the Middle School. Our biggest
concern is avoiding accidental burns caused by mishandling. If your
child is not enrolled in the lunch program, a healthy sandwich, a packed
salad or fruit is recommended.
Should you have any questions or concerns about your child as we start our school year, please feel free to call me at 240.395.0676 or send me an email at jtownsend@mcleanschool.org .
Best wishes and enjoy
the Labor Day weekend,
Judy Townsend
Head of Middle School
240.395.0676
AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW AVAILABLE www.mcleanschool.org/afterschool/ Exciting offerings such as: Crime Science, Robotics,
East West Tae Kwon Do Come out to play and learn!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
NO SCHOOL-Labor Day
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
K-8 School Photos
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
NO SCHOOL-Rosh Hashanah
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Sally Foster Gift Wrap Kick-Off
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
9:00AM Board of Trustees Retreat
REMEMBER!
Monday,
September 13- |
Speech & Language
Screening Begins (new grades 5-8 students only) |
| Monday, September 13 | 6:30PM Grades 7 & 8 Back-to-School Night |
| Tuesday, September 14 | Grades 5 & 6 Experiential Education |
| Wednesday, September 15 | Grades 7 & 8 Experiential Education |
| Friday, September 24 | Grades 7 & 8 Interims 8:30AM Parent Coffee with Head of School, Darlene Pierro |
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