Bulletin
December 7, 2018
Volume 38, #17

Upcoming Dates to Remember


December 9:         Admissions Open House, 1-3 PM
December 17-19:  Mid-year exams
December 20:       Winter Concert (see article below*)
December 21:       Polyglot
December 24-January 4:  Winter Break

ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9

Please spread the word! Do you know students and families who would like to learn more about The Academy? Please share this link for more information and pre-registration for our 2018 Open House event - thank you!

Seeking Jackets, and Snowpants, and Winter Accessories 

Next week is the last chance to donate to our Mitten Tree and Coat Drive for this year!
Please check your closets and storage bins for clean, unused, and/or outgrown outdoor clothing and accessories to donate to these initiatives of the Community Service Council. Items will be collected through December 14 and then delivered to Enlace de Familias, an agency in Holyoke that will distribute them to families from Puerto Rico that have relocated to the area since Hurricane Maria in October 2017. There's great need, and your contributions will make a big difference to the people who receive them. Thank you.


The Newest Aardvark

John, Angela and Gabriella Schatz have a new addition to their family: Tucker Ridge Schatz was born this morning, December 7. Congratulations and a warm welcome!

Young Adults and Marijuana: What Everyone Should Know

James Morrill, MD, a primary care provider from Mass General’s Charlestown Healthcare Center,     
will lead an informative discussion about marijuana and its impact on adolescents, on Thursday, Dec. 13, from 6 to 7 pm in the Dakin Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Dr. Morrill will use case examples to address key questions about marijuana, including: 
  • How serious is it for adolescents and young adults to use cannabis?
  • Cannabis is now legal in Massachusetts: Does this matter?
  • What should parents do?
  • Are there any treatments that can help?
This program was brought to our attention by an Academy parent. It's part of the Cooley Dickinson/Mass General lecture series, and is free and open to all. Registration is required; seating is limited. To register, click here, or call 888-554-4CDH (4234). You can read more here.     

Semester 1 Exams

Semester 1 exams will take place Monday, December 17th through Wednesday, December 19th. Subjects are designated on the school calendar. Before and after their winter break, faculty will be grading exams and writing comments. We hope to have report cards published to NetClassroom by Monday, January 14th. We will notify the community when they are available.

Classroom Close-up:  Intro to French

On Thursday, Intro to French students and four international students traveled to the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown to view French Impressionism. Sra. Valdez, Mr. Green and Mme. Mauri accompanied them. 

SPORTS RECAP, WEEK OF DECEMBER 3

With good effort on the part of our new players, as well as returning ones, the girls basketball team played its first game on Wednesday. In a loss to Eagle Hill, Mavis R, Cristy K and Elaina GB all scored. Notable defensive work came from Eliza B with many rebounds and Ruby R with great screens. Gwen H showed good passing.

SKIING

Recreational skiing will begin Tuesday, January 8th, assuming Berkshire East is open. Up to fourteen students can sign-up in school each morning to go skiing after school. Gear can be stored in the athletic shed at The Academy. Additionally, if you are interested in buying a season pass or joining the Friday Fun Ski group, please let John Schatz know via email by Monday, December 10th.

*THINKING AHEAD TO DECEMBER 20 - IMPORTANT NOTES

On Thursday, December 20th, students will spend the afternoon rehearsing for the Winter Concert at Theater 14 in the Mendenhall Center at Smith College. There are no classes at The Academy. Students who are not in the concert do not have school on Thursday, 12/20, but should attend the concert in the evening.

Any music student needing a ride to the rehearsal from Charlemont should arrive at school by 10:15 AM to take the bus to Smith. Modified bus routes for the morning and afternoon, which both include stops at school and in Buckland, can be found here. Afternoon buses will depart from Smith at 3 PM.

Those students who will get themselves to Theater 14 should arrive there in time to begin rehearsing at 11:30 AM.

Students in the concert are expected to return to Theater 14 at 6:00 PM and they are expected to dress to impress!

POLYGLOT, DECEMBER 21

Our annual school-wide holiday celebration, Polyglot, falls directly before the winter break on December 21. All students are asked to contribute to the community dinner that we have during Polyglot. Below is a list of food and task assignments for each grade. Food should be brought into school on Friday, December 21. Contact Nora Bates Zale with any questions.
 Grade
Food Assignment 
Day of Polyglot 
12th  
Inventory place settings, cutlery, etc.
Enjoy! 
11th 
1 gallon of cider 
Serve food 
10th 
1 bag of ready-to-serve dinner rolls 
Clean up recital hall 
9th 
1 bag of stuffing (not Stovetop, please) 
Clean up kitchen 
8th 
1 can of cranberry sauce/jelly 
Set tables 
6th/7th 
1 lb of butter 
Assist 10th grade with recital hall clean-up 

HANUKKAH

This week The Academy marked the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (an eight day observance that began this year at sundown on December 2) by lighting the menorah each day during Morning Meeting, playing dreidel, learning about the feminist Hanukkah resistance story of Judith from Rabbi Riqi Kosovske P23, and celebrating with a special lunch on Wednesday to honor the cross-cultural connections between Jewish and German people. The menu included brisket, latkes (fried potato pancakes) , salad, and traditional German cookies baked by our Erding exchange students. 

GIRLS' NIGHT IN - January 11 (3:15 PM Friday to 10 AM Saturday)

The Academy's senior women are continuing the tradition of hosting a Girls’ Night In, following its recent revival. First established by alum Gracie Hall (2012), Girls’ Night In is an opportunity for all of the women at The Academy to get to know each other better, boost each other's self-esteem, and have tons of fun. Activities will include movies, a potluck dinner, games, and bonding exercises. Seniors and faculty will provide breakfast in the morning, and each student is responsible for bringing her own pajamas, toiletries, and sleeping bag/pillows (in addition to a potluck assignment TBD). The event will be chaperoned by female Academy faculty and staff members, and all female-identified and non-binary Academy students are welcome. Attendees are requested to spend the night, but in recognition of the fact that conflicts are a part of life, individual students should talk with Mrs. BZ if arrangements need to be made to participate without sleeping over.

Potluck dinner assignments will be distributed in the coming weeks.

Students who plan to attend should RSVP to one of the senior women. Please be in contact with any of them, or with Mrs. BZ with any questions.

ANNUAL FUND GIVING

Parent gifts and pledges to the 2018-2019 Annual Fund are coming in, and each day we move toward our goal of 100% participation. Thanks to those of you who have made a gift or pledge as of today.  Every gift makes a difference for our students, every day!
By grade, here are the percentages to date of parent participation: 6th: 50%, 7th: 33%, 8th: 25%, 9th: 31%, 10th: 50%, 11th: 27%, 12th:23%. 
Please consider what your family can do, and let us know your own gift intentions by completing this form and returning it to us. You can also visit our secure donation page to make a pledge or a gift – one time or recurring - online. Thank you! 

Lunch Program Feedback

Parents, we would love feedback on our lunch program. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and/or email John Schatz directly with your thoughts.

Lunch, Week of December 10

Vegetarian and gluten free options will, as always, be available next week, for the following menu: 

Monday:         French toast, cheesy eggs, and home fries
Tuesday:        Roast pork loin or tofu with gravy, and mixed vegetables
Wednesday:  Pasta marinara with or without meatballs
Thursday:      Okonomiyaki (veggie and chicken pancake)
Friday:           Grilled cheese and tomato soup
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