August 21, 2008
January 13, 2017
Hello Parents, Happy New Year! I trust that you enjoyed a restful and merry Christmas. I’m sure you were surrounded by lots of love and laughter, and a dash of chaos. It was so great to see all the boys return at our opening Middle School Gathering on Tuesday morning. Despite some sleepy eyes and bed-head, the socializing in the crowd confirmed that the boys enjoyed their time away from the College, but they are also happy to be back! We briefly discussed and highlighted New Year resolutions and goals; you’ll be glad to hear that many of the students have their sights set on academic achievements, winning a basketball game, greater effort toward being ‘nicer’ to their siblings, and my personal favourite, trying a new food every Friday. It’s never a dull moment when adolescents are posed these questions; one is never quite sure what they are going to come up with (I always cross my fingers and hope that the responses will be audience appropriate). I took the opportunity to share with the boys my hopes for them in 2017: demonstrate mindfulness, find balance, be proactive, behave using the Golden Rule as a guiding principle, and, always be kind. I’m taking these into account too – a fresh start should never be a missed chance to renew goals and remind ourselves what is important to live a healthy and happy life. Reminders Our weekly Gathering highlighted a few upcoming events and offered a few simple reminders to ensure smooth day-to-day routines in Rogers Hall. An Andrean Christmas at Roy Thomson Hall rehearsals (Part Deux) In an effort to maintain our preparedness, the boys will continue to rehearse for An Andrean Christmas next week. Middle and Upper School students are required to rehearse as a full school beginning at 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 and Thursday, Jan. 19. We ask that Middle School boys arrive to school for 8:00 a.m. to begin rehearsing on time on those days. Please mark these early-arrival dates in your calendars. A reminder that An Andrean Christmas is one of five compulsory school events. As a full school community event, students are required to attend. If there is an extenuating circumstance which results in a conflict, please send me an email as soon as possible. We are in the process of finalizing the logistics, and as such, it is important to notify Brenda Burston if you graciously volunteered to bring another student with you for dinner or if this plan has changed. Please read this letter for more information about expectations and timing on January 20. Lunch Recess Program We pride ourselves on the daily recess program we offer students. We recognize the important role that physical play has on the development of our boys. As highlighted in The Crucial Role of Recess in School, from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Recess is an opportunity for students to ‘break’ from the academic challenges presented in a more formal classroom setting and affords students a time to rest, play, imagine, think, move, and socialize; studies support that following recess, students are better able to focus on cognitive tasks; recess provides students with an opportunity to develop social skills with their peers different than those acquired in the classroom, augmenting the School’s social climate; and recess allows students to be active (physically and/or socially) in events of their choosing.
During the winter months, students participate in an indoor recess program on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Due to our shortened schedule on Wednesdays, there is no recess program offered. Students have the option to spend time in Towers Library, playing board games, building Lego, or simply reading a book. They also have an outdoor option on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We know that some boys love to take advantage of this opportunity, and as such, we ask that these students come to school well prepared for the outdoors – winter coats, snow pants, toques, gloves, and boots are required. While indoors, it is imperative that students wear indoor running shoes on the gym floors, otherwise they may not participate. Teacher supervision is provided in all of our recess program options. Upcoming Events Grade 8 Upper School Course Selection Process – As crazy as it sounds, our grade 8 students will begin thinking about their course selection for the Upper School. A variety of Upper School teachers will speak to them about Upper School choices (which are few for grade 9 students) on Monday, January 30. They will then be involved in course selection with their advisors on Thursday, February 2. Please see the attached note and talk with your son in the upcoming weeks about his options and potential choices. Please continue to check the School website Middle School calendar tab for daily events and the School website Middle School schedule tab for daily schedules. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sabrina D’Angelo Director of Middle School
Hello Parents, Happy New Year! I trust that you enjoyed a restful and merry Christmas. I’m sure you were surrounded by lots of love and laughter, and a dash of chaos. It was so great to see all the boys return at our opening Middle School Gathering on Tuesday morning. Despite some sleepy eyes and bed-head, the socializing in the crowd confirmed that the boys enjoyed their time away from the College, but they are also happy to be back! We briefly discussed and highlighted New Year resolutions and goals; you’ll be glad to hear that many of the students have their sights set on academic achievements, winning a basketball game, greater effort toward being ‘nicer’ to their siblings, and my personal favourite, trying a new food every Friday. It’s never a dull moment when adolescents are posed these questions; one is never quite sure what they are going to come up with (I always cross my fingers and hope that the responses will be audience appropriate). I took the opportunity to share with the boys my hopes for them in 2017: demonstrate mindfulness, find balance, be proactive, behave using the Golden Rule as a guiding principle, and, always be kind. I’m taking these into account too – a fresh start should never be a missed chance to renew goals and remind ourselves what is important to live a healthy and happy life. Reminders Our weekly Gathering highlighted a few upcoming events and offered a few simple reminders to ensure smooth day-to-day routines in Rogers Hall. An Andrean Christmas at Roy Thomson Hall rehearsals (Part Deux) In an effort to maintain our preparedness, the boys will continue to rehearse for An Andrean Christmas next week. Middle and Upper School students are required to rehearse as a full school beginning at 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 and Thursday, Jan. 19. We ask that Middle School boys arrive to school for 8:00 a.m. to begin rehearsing on time on those days. Please mark these early-arrival dates in your calendars. A reminder that An Andrean Christmas is one of five compulsory school events. As a full school community event, students are required to attend. If there is an extenuating circumstance which results in a conflict, please send me an email as soon as possible. We are in the process of finalizing the logistics, and as such, it is important to notify Brenda Burston if you graciously volunteered to bring another student with you for dinner or if this plan has changed. Please read this letter for more information about expectations and timing on January 20. Lunch Recess Program We pride ourselves on the daily recess program we offer students. We recognize the important role that physical play has on the development of our boys. As highlighted in The Crucial Role of Recess in School, from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Recess is an opportunity for students to ‘break’ from the academic challenges presented in a more formal classroom setting and affords students a time to rest, play, imagine, think, move, and socialize; studies support that following recess, students are better able to focus on cognitive tasks; recess provides students with an opportunity to develop social skills with their peers different than those acquired in the classroom, augmenting the School’s social climate; and recess allows students to be active (physically and/or socially) in events of their choosing.
During the winter months, students participate in an indoor recess program on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Due to our shortened schedule on Wednesdays, there is no recess program offered. Students have the option to spend time in Towers Library, playing board games, building Lego, or simply reading a book. They also have an outdoor option on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We know that some boys love to take advantage of this opportunity, and as such, we ask that these students come to school well prepared for the outdoors – winter coats, snow pants, toques, gloves, and boots are required. While indoors, it is imperative that students wear indoor running shoes on the gym floors, otherwise they may not participate. Teacher supervision is provided in all of our recess program options. Upcoming Events Grade 8 Upper School Course Selection Process – As crazy as it sounds, our grade 8 students will begin thinking about their course selection for the Upper School. A variety of Upper School teachers will speak to them about Upper School choices (which are few for grade 9 students) on Monday, January 30. They will then be involved in course selection with their advisors on Thursday, February 2. Please see the attached note and talk with your son in the upcoming weeks about his options and potential choices. Please continue to check the School website Middle School calendar tab for daily events and the School website Middle School schedule tab for daily schedules. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sabrina D’Angelo Director of Middle School
