Camelot Update 2014-01-26

Greetings!

I hope this finds you winning the battle to stay warm and comfortable as we hunker down for what looks to be another week of unusually cold temperatures. Please be sure to send your students to school with adequate outdoor wear such that when the sun shines midday they can enjoy some fresh air and time outdoors.  Along those lines, many thanks to Mr. Scott for doing extra "bus duty" by running shuttles to the Specials House on these sub-freezing days.

Another hero of the times is Ms. Lynne, who has managed to meet and exceed all of our report card deadlines in spite of man-made and natural obstacles - all with her usual grace and smile. Behind the scenes, my sister Donna (Camelot's tech consultant) has also performed Herculean feats to help us navigate our new report format.  Thanks to this teamwork, Lower School reports were mailed and the Upper School portal opened ahead of schedule on Friday.   Upper School reports will be mailed, as scheduled, on Monday.  ONWARDS INTO THE NEW SEMESTER!

Right on cue for the new semester this coming week is Club Preview Week.  Your student should have come home on Friday with a pink form detailing the options for the semester.  The form can also be found on our website here:

http://www.camelotacademy.org/admin/editor_assets/documents/1314s-club_signup.pdf

Your student may try out any of these clubs this week with the regular after school option.  Sign up for the semester is due by Friday.

Friday is also the Chinese New Year. We look forward to celebrating with school-wide festivities led by our international students and coordinated by Ms Stephanie.

We also look forward to welcoming a new faculty member to our team this week.  Ms Jo-Anne (Woodruff) will be joining the Lower School both as a classroom assistant and as a resource for one-on-one work.  Please make a point of introducing yourself and welcoming her - we are very excited to add her talents to the mix.  Ms. Joyce will continue with us, but will have a reduced schedule for the remainder of the semester. The focus of her work will continue to be her passion of math enrichment.

Finally, later this week we will open Family Conference Sign Up.  All Lower and Middle School families will have a family conference during the scheduled dates of February 12-14.  In the Upper School, all juniors will have a conference and the remainder of the students will be scheduled by teacher or parent request. Please have your calendars ready!

I hope that you have a great week and stay warm. I wish you all good things in The Year of the Horse!

Camelot Update 2014-01-19

Greetings!

I hope you are enjoying a nice 3-day weekend.  School is closed tomorrow in observance for MLK Jr. Day.  Classes resume on Tuesday.

Congratulations to Module 5 Honor Roll and Merit Award students!

Merit Award:  Sean Kowis, Heather Hartman, Ephram Oliver, Gray King Baker, Tully Daniel, Gabriella Taylor and Ashley Hartman

Honor Roll:  Rachel Roush, Brian Powell, Ke Lu, Grace He, Zack Milkereit, Zander Hall, Cole Farmer, Fiona Castorina, Alex Berro, Victoria Hill, Peter Zhao, Rachel Milkereit, David McShea, Chris Radcliffe, Rachel Kowis, Amzie Yurko, and Ray Palma.

Also, kudos to fifth grader Olivia Goldsmith whose poster won first place for her grade level in the Durham Conservation Contest.  Her entry will now advance to the regional level competition!

There have been some changes to the Costa Rica trip that make it worth taking a second look! The tour will now run from June 11-19, 2014 and the cost has been reduced to $2131 + travel insurance. To see the itinerary, visit http://www.explorica.com/teachers/select-a-tour/latin-american-tours/costa-rica.aspx. Contact Ms. Charlotte at charlotte@camelotacademy.org for additional information.

Last call for Upper School music auditions!  Contact Mr. Glenn at glenn@camelotacademy.org if you'd like to set up a time this week.

Science Club make-up session will run this Thursday after school with Ms. Michelle.

The Basketball Knights have a home game this Thursday at 4 PM.  Middle and Upper School fans should email me by end of day Wednesday for a ride to the game.  Parents should pick up at the JCC at 5 PM

Mike is in need of Parent Service help on Saturday morning in preparation for a Saturday afternoon Open House.  Please email him directly if this is of interest: mike@camelotacademy.org.

Next Sunday we'll announce the slate of Second Semester clubs.  Preview Week is the week of January 27.

Middle School First Semester Grades were mailed home as scheduled on Friday. Lower and Upper School grades will be mailed as scheduled on or before January 27.  We are working with a new report card template system.  Thanks for your patience as we trouble-shoot items!

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday!

Best,

Camelot Update 2014-01-12

Greetings.  I hope your first full week of the new year was a good one.  At Camelot, things were hopping with Middle Grades field trips, Lower School assessments and Upper School exams. 

Welcome to second grader Beau Ramsey and to fourth grader Teresa Zimmerman and their families!  As we welcome two new faces, we will be seeing less of four familiar faces on campus.  Four members of the Class of 2014 will be spending Spring Semester off-site as they take college classes, work and intern prior to their official graduation in May.

Congrats to our FLL Robofoxes who competed in the State Finals in Greensboro yesterday.  Amzie Yurko, Virginia Bruhn, Kathleen Stancil-Sutton, Claire Rusconi-Warner, Annabelle Brown, Susannah Hill, and Heather Hartman represented Camelot Academy and FLL Core Values in an exemplary way.  Thank you to parents Chris Rusconi, Tina Sanders-Hill, Tonya Stancil, and Jane Brown for officially working the tournament and helping in multiple ways. Additional Kudos to YAM (Young Adult Mentor) Rachel Roush for mentoring and assisting.  Many thanks to Coaches Robyn, Chris and Amanda for a terrific season.

  

Later today Ms. Stephanie is hosting a coffee with our international students.  Please drop by to enjoy a beverage as our guest and spend a few minutes chatting with our students who are eager to practice their English skills.  Coffee and Conversation meeting TODAY, January 12, from 1:30 - 3:00 pm at Bean Traders Coffee.   The address is 105 W NC 54 Hwy. Suite 249, Durham, NC 27713

Upper School students can look forward to Special Session this Monday and Tuesday.  Thanks to the wonderful planning ofMs. Amy, students will have special classes, projects and field trips as a well-deserved interlude before returning to second semester classes on Wednesday.  Many Upper School students will be going ice skating on Monday,   Please watch the weather and make sure your student dresses appropriately to be outside.  Anyone going ice skating should wear socks and bring gloves and a water bottle.

Music auditions for Spring Semester Upper School performing groups will be held after school this week and next.  I will post sign-up sheets in the Big Hall or families may contact Mr. Glenn directly at glenn@camelotacademy.org to arrange a time.  Students who participated last semester do NOT need to audition again, but they will be bringing home paperwork to be completed for second semester participation.

Coming up next week:

School closed Monday, January 20, in observance of MLK Jr Day.

Thursday, January 23 - make up session for Ms. Michelle's First Semester Science Club

Monday, January 27 - Davis Drive Middle School in Cary is hosting "Helping Children Cope with Anxiety"     7-9 PM  Free, but must register in advance, here:

https://www.smore.com/n4ma

Thanks and have a great week.

Camelot Update 1/5/14

Happy New Year to one and all!

On Friday, the teachers returned and the somewhat sobering reality of once again awaking to an alarm clock was immediately overshadowed by the enthusiasm, dedication and love that filled our building.  We enjoyed our traditional Happy New Year luncheon, shared laughter and stories and rekindled the comfort that comes from being with our Camelot Family.  A few hours later, Ms. Amy orchestrated a wonderful alumni reunion that brought back faces spanning the graduating classes of 1991 to 2013.  Talk about family!  All of these amazing young adults - and their families and friends - gathered in the Big Hall for a cherished time of catching up.  What a terrific way to welcome in the New Year.

Tomorrow we look forward to welcoming back our student body. Please read this email carefully for all of the important details about the next few weeks.

First, congratulations to senior Devan Chichester on his acceptance to Elon University with an $18K Presidential Scholarship.

LAST CALL!  Are you considering signing up for the Costa Rica trip?  The final deadline to join the trip is quickly approaching.  Don't miss this incredible opportunity to explore the world with friends - to learn - to make memories of a lifetime.  Sign up here:

http://www.explorica.com/sign-up.aspx

Code:  Frysinger-136

Later this month first semester report cards will be sent home.  Check the school calendar for mail dates for your student's grade level. We'll also launch a new slate of after school clubs in a few weeks.  Stay tuned for details.

Here is important info organized by division:

K/MAPP students:

End of semester assessments will be conducted over the next week in preparation for report cards going home later this month.

The Make Up Science Club session with Ms. Michelle will be Thursday, January 23 after school.

Middle Grades students:

This week will be filled with Special Session activities, including many field trips.  Please consult the email sent by Ms. Lynne on Friday for details and be sure to dress well for being outside in these cold temperatures.

Upper School students:

Crates will be out after school Monday and all day Tuesday.

All new math work done must be turned in for grading tomorrow morning in order to be considered for First Semester credit.

Monday and Tuesday are review days.  No new work will be assigned.  Wednesday through Friday are exam days with an important optionon Friday afternoon for make up testing and extended time.  All international students in the Upper School should plan to stay on Fridayafternoon to finish their exams.

The complete Upper School schedule for this week is here:

http://www.camelotacademy.org/admin/editor_assets/documents/1314f-exam_sched.pdf

Please note the Upper School early dismissal option on Friday.

On Wednesday, the Basketball Knights have a home game at 4 PM at the JCC.  Middle and Upper School fans who would like to be transported to the game should have a parent email me by end of day Tuesday.  Parents should pick up form the JCC at 5 PM.

Finally, the next Coffee and Conversation meeting will be Sunday, January 12 from 1:30 - 3:00pm at Bean Traders Coffee.  We encourage all families to come out to enjoy a beverage as our guest and to spend some time engaging our international students in conversation to help them practice their spoken English.  The address of Bean Traders is 105 W NC 54 Hwy. Suite 249, Durham, NC 27713.  Students should notify Ms. Stephanie by Thursday, January 9th if they need transportation.

Next week Upper School students will have two days of Special Session.  Watch your email for more details!

I look forward to seeing you this week and wishing you a Happy New Year in person.

Best,

Thelma