Camelot Update 9/30/2012

Greetings!

Welcome to our newest student - ninth grader Lily Wieleba and her family.

Congrats to our soccer Knights who won their scrimmage and tied their game this week.

With the true onset of fall and the start of October we are digging in for great accomplishments.  Our days are so full that they are whizzing by and sometimes I need to remind myself to stop and take it all in - children grow up right in front of my eyes and I don't want to miss the beauty of the journey!  What keeps me so busy?  Here are a few items on my To-Do list right now - I've noted with an * how you can help me to move each item to "To-Done"!

- finish family conference sign up - Lynne and I are working together to create what we hope will be a schedule that serves the needs of all involved parties.  * Upper School parents - we need your 3 time-slot options (per the sheet you got at Back to School Night) no later than Monday morning so that we can then move forward with scheduling the Lower School families

- finalize Asheville trip arrangements - balance due  NOW - * if you have a balance due, please take care of it right away

-finalize fall club offerings - * if you have yet to sign up your child, please do so by Monday morning

- finalize job shadow arrangements for high school students the week of October 8 - * high school parents- please talk to your student about these options (sent via email on Friday) and notify Lynne by Monday if your student wants to participate

-finalize plans for study skills classes offered the week of October 8 - * please return the yellow sign up sheet, email me for another or stop by the office - by Monday - this is a new offering and a tremendous opportunity for Middle and Uppper School students to get their Fall Break homework done while at the same time getting organization and study habits into place that will serve students well throughout the year

- finalize staffing for Optional Care during conference week - *if you intend to sign your student up for one or more of these days (October 10-12) please do so MONDAY

- finalize plans for Fall Festival (Sunday, October 21) – Ms. Denise is concerned that all of her helpers are for set up and clean up - wouldn't you like to run a booth?  Opportunities await you in the world of pie throwing, toilet tissue tossing, cookie decorating, pumpkin bowling.....*PLEASE email Ms. Denise ASAP to sign up denise@camelotacademy.org

- figure out how to set up RSVP's to an event using our Achieve Technology platform- Open House this coming Saturday, October 6 1-3 PM  *parent service help needed with "deep cleaning" in preparation for this event - contact Mike at  mike@camelotacademy.org,     ALSO    * please encourage your friends to stop by!

- finish Morehead - Cain Scholarship apps (due October 1) and October 15 college apps - *parents of seniors - please remind your student that tomorrow (October 1) is the deadline to submit  completed applications with October 15 deadlines.  Going forward, all completed applications (with essays) are due to me no later than ONE FULL BUSINESS week before application deadlines (EXCEPTIONS - December 1 apps due to me by November 12 and January 1 apps due to me by December 10)

* parents of high school students - start the process early - please stop by the college fair at Northgate Mall TODAY (from 1-4 PM)

- finalize plans for England trip - * NOW is the time to register - please don't delay - if you need special arrangements of any kind please let me know right away.

www.casterbridgetours.com/register

Use the following Trip ID: 84281

Other reminders for the week:

*Read the Weekly Update carefully to fully participate in all that we have going on!

Tuesday - soccer AWAY game - players see separate email for details

Wednesday -

10:30 AM - Hendrix College (AR)

1:15 PM - Lafayette College (PA)

7 PM - Upper School outing to DPAC to see War Horse - ticket holders should meet Ms. Jill outside the theatre at 7 PM - show is at 7:30 PM - pick up at 10:15 PM (sharp, please!)

Thursday-

11AM - LeHigh University (PA)

2:30 PM - University of TN

Friday -

9:30 AM - Columbia University (NYC)

Saturday

1-3 PM - Open House for prospective families

NEXT WEEK (Week of October 8)  - Family Conferences

Monday-Friday - No Upper School classes - job shadow and study skills class opportunities

Wed-Friday - No K, MAPP or Middle Grades classes- Optional Care available

Middle Grades students have study skills class option

Finally, a reminder to us all from the children - who found these gorgeous flowers growing on our property - remnants of the former FousheeGarden known as The Terraces - "Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers....."

         

                          

Thanks and have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 9/23/12

Greetings!

Another great week at Camelot - it was heartening to see so many of our ideas from faculty retreat work so well when implemented in the classrooms. Also, I'm enjoying my daily walks to the Specials House with groups of students. It is amazing how much can be shared in those few minutes of talking about the day and of learning what is on people's minds. I'm happy for the sunshine and fresh air break as well as my spontaneous conversations with students. This week they were paving Morehead Avenue which brought up conversation among some Sr MAPP students about how government gets the money to keep our town running well, etc. etc. On Friday, thanks to parent Mel Royal, a large load of Chapel Hill gravel was delivered in preparation for laying our new walkway. Our youngest students were excused from class to watch the delivery process and the big truck - and then began the dialogue as to how to figure out how much gravel that truck could hold and how heavy that gravel must be! How delightful to have the flexibility to avail ourselves of all of the learning opportunities that surround us!

Speaking of opportunities to learn from our surroundings, the October Asheville trip is quickly approaching. Balances are due this Friday, September 28. I must admit that as I see the hint of color in some of our trees I am excited about the fall splendor these travelers will experience in our beautiful NC mountains.

For those whose spirit of adventure has them ready to explore a more distant destination, England is calling.....We'd like to get four more people signed up this week to secure our itinerary. Once again, here is the link to info and pricing and registration:www.casterbridgetours.com/register

Use the following Trip ID: 84281

Please let me know if you are considering this option - if you have not done so already.

THE COMING WEEK IS THE HUGELY EXCITING CLUB PREVIEW WEEK!

This week only, your student may "try out" any activity we are offering without a semester-long commitment (regular after school charges do apply). Upper School students/Lower School parents went home with a RED SHEET detailing what opportunities are offered on which days to which age students. Each and every opportunity is a gem- reflecting the talent and passion of one of the members of our community. There's something for everyone from Kindergarten on up.

Please note:

-Our YOUNGEST students have options on Mondays (science) and Fridays (art).

-Our dancers have not one - but two - opportunities this year - on Mondays AND Tuesdays - with a special discount for those who take both days. Both groups will perform at our school events and may collaborate on a special end of year project.

-Also on Tuesdays, our students from China are hosting a FREE club to teach about their homeland. It has been heartwarming to see their excitement in selecting topics to share with their classmates here - food and field trips will also be part of the experience.

-Our publications are expanding this year - in addition to the regular work of yearbook club, there will be a special 30th year publication. In addition, we are resurrecting our literary magazine to publish and share the work of our many gifted writers and artists.

-Finally, our budding photographers will have a chance to learn from a pro about what goes into capturing the real essence of a moment with a photograph.

-This is truly a great slate of activities with something for everyone - I hope that all of our students will avail themselves of one or more of these opportunities to explore and expand their interests.

-SIGN UP FOR FALL CLUBS IS DUE THIS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.

(please send me an email if you need a copy of the info/sign up sheet)

Lots is going in on the college front.

Monday - Vassar College (NY) Tuesday - Meredith College (NC) Wednesday- Kalamazoo College (MI)

In addition, all of our high school students and their families should make it a point to go to the huge college fair next Sunday, Sept 30, at Northgate Mall from 1-4 PM. This is a great opportunity to "go shopping" and see a lot of schools in a short period of time.

Critical to the college process are the famous standardized tests - PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc.

All Camelot 10th and 11th graders will take the PSAT on our campus the morning of Saturday, October 20th. Parents were sent an important email from Ms Lynne- please respond to her by this Friday, September 28.

Our soccer Knights have a scrimmage at home on Tuesday and an away game on Friday. Players will receive a more detailed email, fans please check our athletics calendar on the website for more info.

A parent service opportunity is approaching - Mike is looking for some parents for sprucing up and cleaning jobs before the Saturday, October 6 Open House. Please contact him at mike@camelotacademy.org or on his cell 919-818-0047.

Finally, this Thursday at 5:30 PM is Back to School Night for Upper School parents*(*a required parent event).

Once again, please plan to arrive early as the parking lot will fill quickly and our program will start on time. National Honor Society will again provide babysitting (donations appreciated for their activity fund) and parents will be welcome to walk over to our new Specials House afterwards for a quick tour.

How's that for a lot of good information? Enjoy your week and I'll see you soon.

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 9/16/12

Greetings!

Thank you, again, for your support of our schedule last week. We had two and a half days of marathon meetings and it is fair to say that I can't get your kids out of my head! I've typed up pages of notes for follow up and early this week we will try a few schedule changes and then collect feedback.

Our retreat process is an intensive one - the focus question posted on our meeting room wall was -

"What is the goal for each student in each class?"

I cannot speak highly enough of the dedication of our teachers who wrestled with so many variations on individualization that I am up to the sixth page of typewritten notes of follow up! Now the “real work” begins!

In addition to talking about individual students, our retreat included all kinds of other planning:

Fall Festival - has been expanded back to a weekend event - MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE AFTERNOON OF SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 (rain date Sunday, October 28). Ms Denise is in charge! She is looking for someone to sketch caricatures and is looking forward to working with parents to expand on the fun tradition she started last year. Contact Denise at denise@camelotacademy.org.

Study Skills class - to be offered during conference week (October 8). In addition to note-taking, organization, and help with launching  Academic Fair projects, we'd love your input as to what you'd like to see taught. Please email Amy at amy@camelotacademy.org with your ideas.

Project Face Lift - over the course of this year we hope to enlist parent help to tackle a few cosmetic projects on our building and grounds. Email me to suggest a project or to offer to help on something specific.

We look forward to sharing our academic plans with you at our upcoming Back to School Nights. These events start at 5:30 PM at which time you will meet in a group setting with your student's teachers. Following this time, parents who wish to walk over to see the Specials House will be escorted for a brief tour. Our Back to School Night agenda is key to helping you help your student get the most out of the year and out of your upcoming family conference (week of October 8). To help things run smoothly, please plan to arrive a bit early to allow time for parking (our lot fills quickly). Honor Society students will provide playground supervision until 6:30 PM (your donations to their activity fund would be appreciated) - weather permitting.

Lower and Middle Grades Back to School Night - Thursday, September 20*

Upper School Back to School Night - Thursday, September 27*

(*a required parent event)

Thank you for all of the offers to help move the picnic tables. Brent Laster has done the pick up for us but now we know who else has access to a truck and it has been duly noted for the future! Again, many thanks for all the offers to help.

This week the Upper School looks forward to welcoming some very unique colleges -

Eckerd College (FL) on Monday, Warren Wilson College (NC) on Wednesday and Catawba College (NC) on Thursday. For students seeking to get a sense of how varied the college experience can be, these schools provide quite a range. Please encourage your high school students to take advantage of these lunchtime meetings.

Our Soccer Knights have away games this Thursday and Friday. Players will receive a detailed email about the week under separate cover.

Finally, England trip sign up is coming along - but I need to reach out to get everyone with interest signed up. If you are still considering the option and not yet ready to commit PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL so that I can make informed decisions in our planning. Otherwise, please sign up now at:

www.casterbridgetours.com/register

Use the following Trip ID: 84281

I look forward to seeing you at one of our Back to School events - if not before.

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 9/9/12

Greetings!

Congratulations to our soccer Knights who won their game versus Fletcher Academy last Wednesday. Please try to make their next home game - Wednesday, at 4:30 PM at Piney Wood Park (our home field).  Members of our First LEGO League group will be selling ice cold water bottles as a fundraiser for their group.

Correction from last week - senior Zachariah Claypole White has earned the standing AP Scholar with Honor. Way to go, Zachariah!

We are thrilled to have our Camelot family joined by Regina Stehlik as our Lower School classroom assistant, Beth Wray as our Lower School Spanish instructor and Rita Glynn (yes - my daughter!) as Specials House manager and after school supervisor! Team Camelot 2012-13 is already hard at work making this a great year for all.

In Morning Meeting this week we have started presenting the banners the students made during orientation. Each class was tasked with creating a design about Camelot that incorporates "30" (for 30th year) somewhere in the design. Check out these creations next time you are in the building. Also in Morning Meeting, we frequently talk about issues of manners, courtesy and such. The students have been great about embracing all that we talk about and implementing it. A recurring reminder has been, "Cover your mouth when you yawn!" They are expecting reminders from home.....

Please sign up for the England trip now! In order to keep our lock on non-stop flights and first-choice hotels we need to get our group registered. Please check out this site: www.casterbridgetours.com/register

Use the following Trip ID: 84281

If you need more detailed registration directions please send me an email.

Of note this week:

MONDAY - ALL FAMILIES RETURN RETREAT FEEDBACK FORMS! As you know, we are closed later this week for our faculty retreat. At this time we will review the pretest results and standing of each and every one of our students. We very much want your feedback included in the discussion about your student. Please take a moment to fill out the form your student brought home on Friday. Need another form? You’ll find them in the Forms and Handouts section of our website.

On Monday, our kindergarten students and others who so desire will participate in a brief speech and language screening as part of our beginning of the year comprehensive assessment. Diane Felton from North Carolina Eye, Ear, Nose, & Throat will be conducting the screenings. The assessments will take approximately 15minutes per child and will address the following areas: sound production, understanding of various sentence structures, and acquisition of grammatical forms. If parents have specific areas of concern, such as a child's ability to follow multiple step commands, this should be indicated on the screening permission form you will be asked to sign. Speech and language difficulties can interfere with a child’s ability to learn to read and write and Camelot feels it is important to address any issues as soon as possible to help students be successful in the classroom. Please respond to this email or stop by the office on Monday morning if you would like to sign a permission form to have this free assessment.

This Wednesday we welcome Clark College to campus.

The Upper School closes at 1 PM. (Soccer players, please see separate email for special instructions.)

Thursday and Friday - School closed- all grade levels - for faculty retreat.

Upcoming:

Lower and Middle Grades Back to School Night - Thursday, September 20- 5:30 PM*

Upper School Back to School Night - Thursday, September 27 - 5:30 PM* (*a required parent event)

Let me close by saying how much I appreciate your support of our need to close for faculty retreat. One of the most important things our school does is to bring all of the teachers together - and to stop everything - to take stock and to fine tune. If your life is like mine you probably wish for more times to "stop everything and fine tune"! I'm a huge believer in the process that this communication and flexibility allows - but it would not be successful without your support and your feedback. As with all things at Camelot, it is the relationship between and among people that maximizes the experience for our students. Thank you for all you do to make it possible.

Have a great week.

Best,

Thelma