Please send edits and comments to Steph and Martha directly. Thanks.
Please send edits and comments to Steph and Martha directly. Thanks.

Bulletin
December 14, 2018
Volume 38, #18

Upcoming Dates to Remember

December 17-19:  Mid-year Exams (Early Bus Schedule in effect)
December 20:       Winter Concert (see important information in article below*)
December 21:       Polyglot (please read below for food and task assignments)
Dec. 24-Jan. 4:     Winter Break
January 8-9:         Grinnell Sessions
January 10:          Seniors "This I Believe" speeches, 12pm-3pm
January 11:          Second semester classes begin
                              Girls' Night In
The next regular Bulletin will be in your inboxes on Friday, January 4.

Academy Tradition:  Decorating for Polyglot

Tertulia: Spanish V Students Visit NEPR

Izzy B, Lila G, Chessie R-C, and Leni S-F have been invited to use their Spanish-speaking talents during an interview with Raquel Obregón, host of the bilingual radio show Tertulia, on NEPR (88.5) at 8 PM Sunday, December 16. If you miss it, you can stream the show here. (Per Sra Valdez, a tertulia is a social gathering with literary or artistic overtones, especially in Iberia or in Latin America. Tertulia also refers to an informal meeting of people to talk about current affairs, arts, etc.)

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.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Governor’s Council seeks feedback from Middle School and High School students about a public awareness campaign in connection with healthy friendships and relationships.
Cambridge Focus/New England Opinion has been contracted to hold focus discussion groups throughout the state, and seeks Middle and High School students in the Greenfield area to attend an informal group discussion at the Greenfield Public Library on Monday, December 17th.

Each participating student will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card as thanks for their time and opinion at the end of a 90 minute small group conversation. The current openings for the Greenfield group are for boys in grades 6 and 7, and girls in grades 8 - 12.

During the focus groups we will be showing drafts of public service messages and asking for feedback. The input we receive will be used to assure the materials resonate with the young people they are being created for. The content of the discussions will not be used in any public way.

A light dinner and refreshments will be available for participating students. Dinner and refreshments will also be provided for parents and other family members if they wish to wait at the library while their children attend the focus group.

Because of space limitations, pre-registration is required. Click here to do so. For questions, please contact Lloyd Simon of Cambridge Focus/New England Opinion directly by email or by phone at 978-344-5140.

*CONCERT DAY, 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 

GRINNELL SESSIONS TO BEGIN OUR SECOND SEMESTER

On January 8th and 9th, our students will engage in the first "Grinnell Sessions," an exciting two-day exploration of interesting topics offered by faculty with expertise and passions in a variety of areas. These include Protest Art, First Aid, Audio Recording, Mythology & Theater, Museum Exploration, Choreography, Fermentation, and Hispanic Cultural Studies. On January 10th, we will spend time sharing about our experiences, as well as listening to seniors' "This I Believe" speeches. Second semester classes will begin Friday, January 11th.
Lunch will not be served on campus on Tuesday, January 8th. All students should bring a lunch on Tuesday. Museumtopia students should bring lunches on both Tuesday or Wednesday. Groups can be found here

THERAPEUTIC CIRCUS GROUP FORMING FOR MIDDLE-SCHOOL AGED GIRLS
(all who identify as female)

A 10-week Therapeutic Circus Group will be held at SHOW Circus Studio in Easthampton starting Wednesday January 9, 2019 (6:00  - 7:15 PM). Led by our school counselor Aethena Enzer-Mahler, the focus of the group will be to empower young women, improve self-esteem, and encourage positive self-image, with the goal of reducing anxiety. The cost is $220 for the 10-week session. For more information and to register, click HERE. Please contact Aethena directly with questions. 

THIS I BELIEVE SPEECHES:
SENIOR CLASS TO PRESENT 
JANUARY 10, 12:00 - 3:00 PM

In 1951, Edward R. Murrow invited listeners of the CBS radio network to compose short essays about their personal beliefs and read them on air, on a program fittingly titled “This I Believe.” Murrow’s invitation was an attempt to expand participation in national discussions about morality, fear, love, social upheaval, and the nature of truth. He believed that abstractions are powerful, and that sharing what we value can help forge common ground, or simply offer solace in times of flux and change. 

Each year, we extend Murrow’s invitation to the senior class. The class of 2019 will present their “This I Believe” speeches on Thursday, January 10th, 2019 from 12:00 to 3:00 pm.

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! 

APC NEWS

Thanks to Janet Mullen and Noah Grunberg for hosting our second APC meeting of the school year on December 4. There was loads of information covered. Click here to read all about it! Our next meeting will be in April, date and location TBA.

Winter Concert Refreshments:  People who signed up for concert reception baking have been emailed to solicit cookies for next week's Winter Concert. Given the large crowd, if there is anyone else who is baking this week and would like to share a plate of cookies with the Academy community, you’re welcome to bring them directly to the concert venue on the Smith College campus. Thank you!

Winter Concert Reception & Auditorium Clean Up:  We could use a handful of people to help after the concert to pick up programs in the auditorium in addition to helping clean up after the reception. If you can help with either of these tasks please email Diane Bigelow.

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 17

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

Monday:  Macaroni and cheese        
Tuesday:   Grilled cheese and tomato soup      
Wednesday:  Cheese or veggie pizza
Thursday:  No lunch - concert rehearsal
Friday:
   Polyglot Feast        
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