September 3, 2010
Dear St. Luke’s School Families,
“ ‘Birds in the morning,’ Thomas Merton writes, ‘ask God if it is time yet to begin the day.’ He speaks of the first chirps of the waking birds at dawn outside the windows of his hermitage. ‘They begin to speak,’ he says, ‘not with a fluent song but with an awakening question that is their state at dawn’. They ask God if it is time for them to ‘be.’ God, says Merton, answers yes. Then, one by one, they wake up to be birds.” —excerpt from Ordinary Resurrections by Thomas Kozol.
Children as unique and divine as the birds Merton observed are the heart of St. Luke’s School and will be returning to our nest on Tuesday, September 7, and the teachers have been busy all week meeting and setting up classrooms so that the children will be greeted with a profound “yes!” when they enter our doors.
In addition to cleaning rooms, arranging furniture, and organizing supplies, teachers have been talking in large and small groups, with administrators and among themselves, about what we teach and how children learn. At St. Luke’s we strive to provide a curriculum designed to meet the needs of the child as opposed to a traditional curriculum which encourages children to meet the needs of instruction. For us, a child-centered curriculum is also a child-appropriate curriculum because it challenges each child at his or her ability as it extends talents and builds confidence.
The content we present, traditional in scope and advanced in level, is designed to help all students succeed. Units built upon our students’ interests, experiences, and existing knowledge help them develop the confidence to tackle subjects of greater complexity. The joy of success fosters an amazing work ethic. An expectation of mastery of core knowledge prepares our students for success in any secondary school in the region, public or independent.
Our commitment to a small class size and a small total enrollment allows us to focus on both the intellectual and social needs of each child. Balancing whole group, small group, and individual instruction is a sound educational strategy since children learn in different ways and at different rates
The success of this approach is validated by internal and external assessments and the achievements of our graduates in private and public schools both large and small. Ultimately, though, our success is measured child by child through work accomplished, grades earned, challenges met, kindnesses offered, and dreams realized.
In this manner, we work with parents as they raise children who will be ready to take wing and leave the nest.
Let us all shout “yes!” to our coming year together,
Bart Baldwin
Head of School
SCHOOLWIDE
The first day of school will be TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2010. Please click here for more information and specifics, particularly for Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten orientation.
St. Luke’s School Welcomes New Faculty and Staff
We are pleased to welcome the following faculty and staff to St. Luke’s School. They bring the enthusiasm of those new to a community and the wisdom of those with deep and varied experiences. Many of these names will be familiar to you since their appointments were announced throughout the year.
We are particularly excited to add the new part-time staff position of School Nurse. The nurse will be at school from 8:30 – 3:30 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.
If you would like to read more about their profiles, please click here.
Ava Dawson, School Nurse
Susan Harriot, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
Emily Lees, Grade 2 Associate Teacher
Jon Pelegano, Grades 7 and 8 English Teacher
Eliza Siegler, Grades JK through 4 French Teacher
Jessica Welt, Grade 3 Associate Teacher
Lower School Curriculum Night:
Please note in Lower School news that the date of the Lower School Curriculum Night has changed from Thursday, September 23rd to Wednesday, September 22nd.
Varsity Volleyball:
The date of the first volleyball game has changed to Wednesday, September 29th. We will be playing Village Community School (VCS) at their gym (272 W. 10th Street) starting at 4:00pm.
UPPER SCHOOL
Curriculum Meetings
The Upper School grade-specific curriculum meetings provide a wonderful opportunity for you as parents to meet or to reacquaint yourselves with our faculty, to hear class expectations, and to learn about specific areas of emphasis in your child’s class. The meetings are scheduled at 8:30 a.m. They are thorough, yet also focused, and as brief as possible to respect the value of parents’ time. We look forward to seeing you at one of the upcoming meetings:
Grade 5 Curriculum Meeting on Wednesday, September 8 @ 8:30 a.m. in Grade 5 homeroom
Grade 8 Curriculum Meeting on Friday, September 10 @ 8:30 a.m. in Grade 8 homeroom
Grade 6 Curriculum Meeting on Friday, September 17 @ 8:30 a.m. in Grade 5 homeroom
Grade 7 Curriculum Meeting on Friday, September 24 @ 8:30 a.m. in Grade 8 homeroom
Please call Lyn S. if you have questions (ext. 238)
Upcoming trips and events:
*** The Grade 7 Canteen will be on Friday, September 24 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the gym and dining room. A signed parental permission slip is required. Please call Lyn S. if you have questions (ext. 238).
*** School Photos on Friday, September 17
*** Grade 5 Pioneer Sail on Tuesday, September 21
LOWER SCHOOL
Welcome Back!
Here are some important Lower School dates for September:
September 7 – JK/K Orientation; All-day for G1-4
September 8 – ½ Day JK/K; All-day for G1-4
September 10 – All-day for JK-G4
September 14 – Lice Enders
September 16 – LS pictures
September 22 – Curriculum Night – Please note that the date has changed from Thursday, September 23rd to Wednesday, the 22nd
September 28 – JK Developmental Meeting
PARENTS ASSOCIATION
WELCOME RECEPTION
Thursday, September 16, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Welcome new parents, welcome back returning parents,
and join faculty and staff at a special reception
sponsored by the Parents Association.
Please RSVP by Monday, September 15 by clicking here. Child care (with pizza) will be
provided.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
After School Program registration has begun! Please bring in your forms and fees on Tuesday, September 7 to reserve your child’s spot in his or her favorite class. The After School Program begins on the first day of school; however, classes do not begin until the week of September 13. All questions can be directed to Ms. Soo at jsoo@stlukeschool.org or ext., 227.
