A special thank-you to all the grandparents and special friends who spent the morning with us at School and to the Parents’ Association for organizing such a memorable event.
Wishing everyone in the USM community a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Food for Thought
As you can see from the photo, there is a long history of school mothers making sure that lunch is on the table.
While today it’s hardly about donning a white coat, several parents are rolling up their sleeves to help ensure we are not only offering healthy fare that the children will want to eat, but that we are also responsive to the concerns of families who have children with serious food allergies.
Our appreciation goes out to the Parents' Association subcommittee - Niven Kingwill, Lisa Balistreri, Suzanne Brixey, Ellie Sadeghi, and Gina Yauck, who serve on the USM Food Committee, along with USM faculty and administration members Jennifer Keppler, Kathleen Roebber, Alex Chou, Pamela Nosbusch, Carolyn Lengh, Rosie Lyons, and Tony Pergande. The committee has been reviewing the dining program school-wide and plans to announce their recommendations in early 2012.
Thanks also to Linda Mutschler who not only spent time working with the kitchen staff but wrote about it so interestingly in Sunday’s Journal Sentinel. In case you missed it, click here.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
It Takes a Village
Even though I stopped by from time to time as everyone was working so hard to set up for Holiday Shops, I was in no way prepared for the Preview Party and this amazing event. It says so much about our School and our parent volunteers that this wonderful tradition has grown and evolved over time – 35 years to be exact. On behalf of the School, I would like to thank everyone who made this fabulous occasion possible. It is truly an amazing community building event as well a great fundraiser. Not only did I get the chance to meet so many extended members of our school family, I also got a head start on a little holiday shopping.
Another amazing Parents’ Association community event is coming up very soon. PA President Karen Huffman tells me there is another treat in store on the morning before Thanksgiving when USM celebrates Grandparents and Special Friends Day. It’s a wonderful opportunity for grandparents, extended family members, and special friends to observe first-hand the outstanding environment and education children receive here. Members of our school community from teachers to parents have shared with me how the children and their visitors treasure this opportunity to enjoy special activities by grade level. (By the way, so that no one feels left out, children who do not have grandparents, godparents, relatives, neighbors, or friends who are part of their local extended family circle have the option to be accompanied by an older child in the school.)
I am very much looking forward to making more USM connections ― hope to see you there.
Another amazing Parents’ Association community event is coming up very soon. PA President Karen Huffman tells me there is another treat in store on the morning before Thanksgiving when USM celebrates Grandparents and Special Friends Day. It’s a wonderful opportunity for grandparents, extended family members, and special friends to observe first-hand the outstanding environment and education children receive here. Members of our school community from teachers to parents have shared with me how the children and their visitors treasure this opportunity to enjoy special activities by grade level. (By the way, so that no one feels left out, children who do not have grandparents, godparents, relatives, neighbors, or friends who are part of their local extended family circle have the option to be accompanied by an older child in the school.)
I am very much looking forward to making more USM connections ― hope to see you there.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Comparing Ourselves to the Nation’s Best
Director of Business Services Alex Chou and I recently attended the Joint Research and Planning Office (JRPO) annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.
JRPO is a consortium of 52 schools begun in 1993 with the main goal of sharing relevant data. This is a sophisticated way of benchmarking ourselves against the very best large day schools in the country. The conference in Salt Lake City is held annually and offers an opportunity for heads of JRPO schools, as well as their business managers, to share professional development information and network.
Based on the JRPO comparative data, USM consistently stacks up as one of the very best amongst this elite group – especially in academics. We are the leading school in English language and literature and are above average in biology, chemistry, and physics.
USM has been a member of JRPO consortium for over 15 years. Alex Chou points out, “USM’s membership is a valuable tool to help the School validate the areas where we are the most successful, and provides insight into the areas of potential improvement compared to the best large day schools in the country.”
JRPO is a consortium of 52 schools begun in 1993 with the main goal of sharing relevant data. This is a sophisticated way of benchmarking ourselves against the very best large day schools in the country. The conference in Salt Lake City is held annually and offers an opportunity for heads of JRPO schools, as well as their business managers, to share professional development information and network.
Based on the JRPO comparative data, USM consistently stacks up as one of the very best amongst this elite group – especially in academics. We are the leading school in English language and literature and are above average in biology, chemistry, and physics.
USM has been a member of JRPO consortium for over 15 years. Alex Chou points out, “USM’s membership is a valuable tool to help the School validate the areas where we are the most successful, and provides insight into the areas of potential improvement compared to the best large day schools in the country.”
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