Extra! Extra! Yearbook Dedications

Celebrate the decade and send a special message in the yearbook to your star student!

All you need to do is fill out the appropriate attached form and give to Renee Massey in the lower school office.  The link to the dedication form for grades Pre-K through 7th grade is here.  All 8th grade dedications must be submitted on this form.

All yearbook dedication submissions are due to Renee Massey (rmassey@saintannesschool.org) by January 31, 2012.

*8th Grade parents please make sure you use the correct form*

Student Council President, Jamie Trabaudo

As the beginning of the New Year starts to kick in, so is the Student Council! We have a lot of very fun and exciting events planned. This week is Courage and Compassion week. It is a week to show both your compassionate and courageous sides throughout the school! The Homeroom Representatives are responsible for leading devotions everyday this week. They are going to conduct various activities and class discussions. It is their job to show their fellow classmates how to express courage and compassion towards others. The following week is spirit week. During spirit week there are going to be themes every day so that the students can show off their crazy and creative sides. The themes for spirit week are listed below. To top off spirit week, the Middle School will be holding their second dance of the year! It is on January 27^th, from 6-9. Student Council is very excited for the upcoming weeks! We always work very hard to make Middle School fun and exciting for everyone!

Monday: Lounge Day- Dress in comfortable clothing (sweatpants, sweatshirt, jeans, comfy t-shirt, yoga pants, but NO PAJAMAS!)

Tuesday:Clash Day- Dress as mix-matched and as “clashy” as possible! (Ex. A striped shirt and plaid Bermuda shorts/polka dotted skirt with a crazy necklace to top it off.)

Wednesday: Celebrity Day- Dress as your favorite famous singer, athlete, book character, actor, etc.

Thursday: Dress UP Day- Dress in nice clothing (Boys: A nice shirt and pants; Girls: a blouse and skirt or a dress.)

Friday: Dress DOWN Day- Dress in casual clothes.

REMINDER:  All dress code rules about school appropriateness still apply during spirit week.

*MS Party!!! – During the party – there will be a clothing drive! So, bring anything you’d like to donate!

Student Council Updates - 8th Grade

From 8A Rep, Matthew Cecchett:
8A is having a great year! Midterms are now over, and that means no more “all nighters” studying for those tests. Also the geography bee is about to begin. We are all very excited for that! And courage and compassion week is going on from the 17th - 20^th. Then the next week (23rd-27th) is spirit week! 8A is having a great year so far.

From 8B Rep. Patricia Hayes:

8B has been working very hard in the last month. 8B successfully completed all of their midterms. In science 8B has been studying rocks and radioactive dating. In Spanish 8B has been reading Alejandro Gran Aventura which means Alejandro’s Grand Adventure. This book is in Spanish. In Social Studies, 8B has been learning about Europe and how ancient Rome and Greece have shaped our government. In math we have been learning about quadratics, while in art we have been learning about Pablo Picasso’s guitars. Also, a good number of 8B students play on the basketball teams - and they are playing very well! Some students are also helping Mr.Drazga put together the Spring Concert. Overall, 8B has been working very hard in all of their classes.

Student Council Updates- 7th Grade

From 7A Rep, Jack Hutchinson:
We have done many exciting things in 7A recently. Last week, we had our first set of exams! We took exams in Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, and Language Arts. It was a very stressful, but productive time. The breakfast that the homeroom parents provided on Thursday allowed for a delicious start to the day. This week we are leading Courage and Compassion Week. Homeroom Representatives have been leading inspiring devotions every morning. After that, we have Spirit Week! But, what’s on all our minds most of this week is the upcoming Geography Bee!

From 7B Rep, Sasha Feuerstein:

This past week starting on Monday,the 9^th, seventh and eighth graders had midterm exams. Midterms are for every main subject. We had approximately two midterms a day, because some tests are split up into two parts. Other than the exams, the schedule stays the same for the rest of the day. Mr. Lazar’s homeroom has been doing really well on midterms and we’re enjoying less homework! For our first year taking midterms, I think we all did an amazing job and handled the stress of studying really well.

Student Council Updates - 6th Grade

From 6^th Grade Rep. Cara McTaggart:

You may see 6A in the halls, or have some small conversations with some of them, but you never really KNOW 6A until you see them in their free time. 6A is truly where the wild things are! Our class is full of sports fans, style fans, mythical creature fans, and out loud,crazy, fun-loving people! The wild things in 6A can’t wait to show off their style during spirit week and most of all – the Middle School party! There’s always a party where the wild things of 6A are!

 

From6^th Grade Reps, Alexa Rodriguez & Madison Larmore:

6B has been very busy with many tests, quizzes, and homework. In L.A we have finished the book, “The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle,” and are currently studying commas. In Social Studies, we are finishing up learning about the New England Colonies. In Science we are studying electricity, and in Spanish we are learning about how to conjugate certain verb types. We are also learning about dividing fractions, and converting percents to fractions to decimals in math. During homeroom and free time, we are having fun discussing what we plan to wear for spirit week - and we are all looking forward to it!

Student Council Updates - 5th Grade

From 5^thGrade Rep, Caroline Donovan:

These last few weeks, the 5th grade has done many things! First off, the 5th grade has started a forensic lab elective on Friday afternoons. Mr. Cooper and Mrs. Stephens have been teaching this elective, and the fifth grade is very excited about it. We are also preparing for the upcoming spring concert, which should be fun and exciting for everyone!

From 5^thGrade Rep, Bridgett Hyde:

These past few weeks of school have been very exciting. Back before break the whole middle school got to go see the movie "Hugo" and we enjoyed it a lot! The fifth grade also had their first experience in the reindeer games! In two weeks it will be spirit week. Spirit week is a full week of “out of uniform” days, and each day has a theme except for Friday the 27^th - that day is a dress down day. Monday the 23rd is Lounge Day- where you should wear something comfortable. Tuesday the 24th is Clash Day- where you wear mix match clothes. Wednesday the 25th is Celebrity Day- where you dress up as a celebrity. Thursday the 26th is Dress Up Day-where you wear dressed-up clothes. Another reminder- that Friday the 27th is also the night of the Middle School Party! This time there will be a clothing drive instead of a can drive – So bring any clothing you’d like to share with those less fortunate!

Nurse News

What everyday steps can we take to stop the spread of germs? Now that the flu and other viruses have started occurring more frequently we should remind our students (and ourselves) to:

1) Wash hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Dry hands completely.

2) Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

3) Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

4) Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep and exercise, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat healthy food.

5) Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Remember elbow sneeze/cough option also.

6) If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

7) Smile and be happy! It just might help.

Hope you & yours stay healthy this season!

Nurse Trivia Winners include: Niha Mukkamala, Farah El-Jazzar, Aina Puri, Brooke-Lynn Scioli, Peter Fonder, Rachel Fonder, Julia Pulgini and Tayler Vitola. Congratulations!!

Bev Ashkenase, R. N. and Andrea Croce, R. N.
Nurse@saintannesschool.org

SAPA News Updates

SAPA's Latest Happenings:

• Uno’s Dining Out Fundraiser: January 20th, ALL DAY (11am to midnight) – 20% proceeds are given back to the schools Annual Fund. Carry Out and Dine In are both eligible, but a flyer is required. Come out for some good food and a good cause! Click here to get the required flyer.

• Hot Lunch Online: Just a reminder that hot lunch orders are due by January 20th. February’s menu is up online, so please take some time and get your order in by the deadline. Thank you for your cooperation!

• MS Party/Dance: Set for January 27th at 6pm

• Box Tops for Education: Call for Box Tops! Our coordinator will be making a second and final submission within the next two weeks, so if you have your box tops please send them in! All proceeds benefit SAPA and we have already raised $300 this year! Any questions can be directed to Jill Hollander or Katie Wood (Box Tops coordinator).

• 2nd Annual Family Movie Night!: Mark your calendars now for an evening movie with your children! Friday, February 3rd, from 6-9pm SAPA will be hosting another movie night. “Dolphin Tale” will be the featured presentation. Details will follow via the newsletter and homeroom reps in the coming few weeks…..Look forward to seeing you there!

• February Forum – Internet Safety, featuring Attorney General Beau Biden: In preparation for the upcoming forum, SAPA is putting together a list of websites to help further educate parents on this very relevant topic. Be on the lookout in the near future for this information!

Would you like to volunteer? Our Volunteer Coordinator, Nisha Lodhavia, would love to hear from you! Feel free to email her at

saesvolunteer@gmail.com .

Questions about SAPA or SAPA related events? Please contact Jill Hollander at jilly314@aol.com .

Blue Hen Bookworm Reading Program

If your child completed University of Delaware’s reading challenge, he or she will soon bring home a voucher to obtain tickets at the January 21st Blue Hens men’s basketball game. Vouchers may be redeemed on game day one and a half hours prior to tip-off at the designated Bookworm ticket pick-up. Participants who purchased additional tickets should reference their order at the time of voucher redemption. Go Blue Hens!

From the Chaplain, The Rev. Gary Taylor

The Ordination this Friday is a big day for me and also a big day for the St. Anne's School Community. As Bishop Wright shared with the faculty this week in his preparatory meeting with them about the ordination, having an ordination at our school puts us on the map in a new way as a participant in the life of the Episcopal Church. Such experiences are rare in the life of any school, and quite possibly unique in the lives of many of our students. I have been discussing the theology and practical aspects of ordinations with the students leading up to the service, and will hold several conversations after the fact to answer questions and hear from them what parts of it were most memorable for them. Hopefully, it will be both an educational and a spiritually significant experience for all who are there. Please join us on Friday at 1:30 in the gym!

You may recall that every Wednesday there has been a voluntary gathering at 7:30 a.m. in the library for morning prayer in which we pray for our school and offer our personal petitions and thanksgivings to God. These services continue next week and beyond but, following my ordination Friday, they will be services of communion. Please join us some Wednesday - it will lift your soul over the midweek blues!

Next week's chapels (Jan 26, PreK- 1 at 8:15, grades 2 - 4 at 8:50, grades 5 - 8 at 9:45) will focus on prayer including the Christian Lord's Prayer as well as other forms of talking to God from Christianity and other faiths. As we gear up for Lent, which begins in mid-February, we will be thinking deeply about the potential of prayer and the importance of developing a prayer life, similar to how one develops an exercise plan to stay fit or a nutrition plan to eat more healthfully.

Finally, the St. Anne's CLOTHING DRIVE continues until the end of this month.  Please bring in clean, new or gently used clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, and sheets of any size in bags or boxes. These should be left in the front foyer between the front doors where students from Mrs. DeSalvo’s 4th grade class will collect them for sorting and storage. The clothing drive ends Friday, January 27th.

Time Change for Safe School Forum

The time for the Safe School Forum with Delaware’s Attorney General Beau Biden on Friday, February 10th has been changed to 1:00 PM—1:45 PM.  Please make a note on your calendars.  Hope to see you there!

From the Chaplain, The Rev. Gary Taylor

We began the new year in chapel with a celebration of the Christian season of Epiphany.  This season marks two events in the life of Jesus: the arrival of the magi bearing their gifts for the Christ child, and the baptism of Jesus where he was identified by God as his Son.  Both events capture the recognition of the world that Jesus was no ordinary human, but indeed divinity incarnate. The word “epiphany” is used today for a realization of any sort, a sort of “light bulb going off” that opens our understanding to a new truth and new way of seeing things. This captures well the comprehension of Jesus’ uniqueness: a person unparalleled in history and so one who does not fit into our previous understanding of the way the universe operates.  If Christmas is a joyous 12-day celebration of the coming of God, Epiphany gives us 50 days to come to terms with all that the coming of God really means to us and to all humanity.

Next week we will be celebrating the life and ministry of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with our traditional Peace March and biography and quotations from Dr. King offered by some of the Lower School classes.  Please join us in the chapel (which is sometimes used as a gym!) at 9:45 AM for our all school meeting to commemorate this most important American.

Finally, the beginning of January marks the beginning of our CLOTHING DRIVE for the Clothing Bank of Delaware (a ministry of Friendship House) which provides clothes to people through over 300 agencies in the tri-state area. Last year they distributed over 15,000 pounds of clothes and over 2,000 were from us here at St. Anne’s!  They are always short on clothing and so appreciate our contributions. Please bring in clean, new or gently used clothes, shoes, blankets, towels, and sheets of any size in bags or boxes. These should be left in the front foyer between the front doors where students from Mrs. DeSalvo’s 4^th grade class will collect them for sorting and storage.  The clothing drive ends Friday, January 27^th.

Interscholastic Sports, by Brian Scott, Athletic Director

The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams’ seasons continue to develop.  The girls played aggressive defense but their hopeful shots came up short against MOT Charter.  The boys dribbled into two seasoned teams in Westtown School and MOT Charter losing two hard fought games. The girls’ Varsity and JV teams hosted Sanford on December 15th, winning both games. The boys’ Varsity team traveled on the 15^th to Sanford and played well to get the win.

On Friday, January 6^th, the boys’ basketball team opens the New Year at SAES vs. Sanford at 3:30 followed by the JV boys who will play Campus Community.  The JV girls opened the season with a win on Wednesday, January 4^th, versus Caravel Academy.  The Varsity girls play Wilmington Christian at home on January 10^th to start the year. 

Sign ups sheets for spring sports are hanging in the gym outside the PE office.  Spring sports include:  Baseball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, and Girls Soccer.

Go Herons! 

Nurse News

Welcome back to school and happy new year to all of you! Our last round of nurse trivia winners before the holidays were: Malini Lodhavia, Katie Lawrence, Savannah Shepherd, Brooke Lawrence, Alex Whittaker, Bailey Larmore, and Madison Kahn. Congratulations to all!  Our next nurse trivia category will be focusing on safety issues in cold weather so get out those gloves, hats, scarves, boots, and protective winter sports gear. Let’s stay warm and safe while we enjoy the start of the new year. Keep an eye out for new information on our bulletin board for clues on this chilly topic when we resume nurse trivia!

Happy New Year! And Happy 10th Year!

Celebrate with us and help us plan our auction!

On April 28th, we will Celebrate the Decade of the life of St. Anne's. Our theme is just that....Celebrate the Decade! 

How can you participate?

- purchase a ticket (to be sold starting in February) and attend! Bring a friend!
- decorate a table! Choose your decade (1920's might be a flapper theme; 1970's might be all tye-dyed) and reserve your theme with Carey Koppenhaver. or, join the decorating committee to help transform the school for the event!

- donate an auction item! Purchase something to be sold or donate your vacation home- or anything in between! All donations are tax-deductible.

- help your homeroom parent plan your class's donation. Items will be artsy in nature so contact your homeroom representative today to see how you can assist in creating a priceless item that will include your child's talents. 

- Join the auction committee. Help us procure items and plan the event itself.

Save the date for this fabulous party. All of our efforts go directly to support each and every child at St. Anne's; all of our dollars raised go to the Annual Fund, which helps bridge the gap between tuition dollars and our actual budget costs. What a great way to give back to St. Anne's! 

Please see Carey Koppenhaver or email ckoppenhaver@saintannesschool.org today! 

Be a More Savvy Internet User and an Advocate for Your Child’s Safety

· Do you and your child know how to set the new privacy settings for social media sites? 

· Are your children aware that sharing personal information on line might be accessed by strangers?

· Do you know about kid-safe options that can be activated by some Internet providers to reduce the risk of your children coming into contact with provocative or inappropriate material?

If these questions pique your interest, please plan to attend the Safe School Forum on Friday, February 10^th from 1:00 – 1:45 (please note the change in time for this presentation) with Attorney General, Beau Biden.  We anticipate a strong turnout so please RSVP to Pat Davis at pdavis@saintannesschool.org to reserve a seat.  Thanks to those parents who have responded already and are planning to attend.

Fourth Grade Learns About Japanese Art

Once again, Mrs. Lawrence (mother to Katie Lawrence, 2) shared with fourth grade art students her Japanese heritage.  Fourth grade is beginning a unit of study on Japanese artist, Hokusai and his famous set of woodcuts that feature Mt. Fuji.  Mrs. Lawrence spent a class period with fourth grade sharing her personal experiences and knowledge of Japanese culture. Tasting snacks, sampling green tea, and using chop sticks were just a few of the things that the students had an opportunity to try.  Additionally, Mrs. Lawrence shared books, menus, articles of clothing, and some language skills with the children.  We were close enough to the holiday season this year so Mrs. Lawrence spent time explaining to the children the importance of the Japanese New Year.  We learned that this is the year of the dragon.  Students used class time before the break to create “New Year” postcards with dragon images which we learned are typically sent to friends and family.  In January, we will begin working in pen and ink to create Mt. Fuji inspired landscapes.  

We are so appreciative to have the many diverse cultures that we do at St. Anne’s and even more grateful to members of our community that can spare some time to share their lives with our children. Thank you, Mrs. Lawrence for providing a fun and enriching day for our fourth graders and happy new year!

2012 Parent Survey Coming Soon

In the spring of 2009 our parents completed a fairly comprehensive on-line survey that gave us great feedback on how we are doing as a school and how we can improve. We had a very good response rate. In the next few weeks all current parents will be receiving a similar survey so that we can update our data and see what our areas for growth might be.  We encourage you to set aside 15-20 minutes to give the survey your thoughtful attention.

Pre-K and Kindergarten Open House

Calling All 3, 4 and 5 Year Olds!

It's time for the next generation of

St. Anne's STARS!

Don't forget to submit your application for our upcoming
Pre-K and Kindergarten

Play Dates!
Kindergarten Play Dates

January 27 & 28
Pre-K Play Dates

February 4 & 5

Contact Valerie White for more info:

vwhite@saintannesschool.org

SAPA News Updates

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!

Thank you to all the families that came out to support the December SAPA fundraisers at Nino’s and Mid County Lanes Bowling. 

I hope you can join SAPA and all your SAES friends for the very popular UNO’s gathering scheduled for Friday, January 20^th at UNO’s Pizzeria in Dover.  (More information to follow from your Homeroom Reps.)

Coming Soon!  Another SAES Movie Night is being planned for later this month. Details to follow in the next newsletter.

Would you like to volunteer? Our Volunteer Coordinator, Nisha Lodhavia, would love to hear from you! Feel free to email her at saesvolunteer@gmail.com .

Questions about SAPA or SAPA related events? Please contact Jill Hollander atjilly314@aol.com .

Mark Your Calendars!

Please plan to join us on January 20 at 1:30 PM for the Ordination to the Priesthood of Chaplain Gary Taylor.  We are expecting many distinguished guests, including the Bishop of Delaware, the President of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, and much of the ordained clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware.  It is sure to be a memorable event in the life of the school as well as for your child, and the celebration won’t be complete without you!