It was truly a smashing success, the girls were so well-behaved, and I send a deep appreciation from the entire seventh grade to our lead parent volunteer and grade reps, Robin Vettoretti, Sherry Thurman, and Carmen Yung and their committees for providing our girls such a treasured memory! And…I certainly enjoyed speaking with fifth grade parents this morning about upcoming events for our youngest Middle School students!

FIFTH GRADE TRIP TO CAMP BALCONES SPRINGS:  We are so pleased to take the girls to Camp Balcones Springs which is near Marble Falls, Texas, on Monday and Tuesday, September 26 and 27. We’ll leave at 6:30 a.m. (arrive by 6:00 a.m., please) on Monday and return around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. As planned, the girls and their teachers will have a “recovery” day on Wednesday and then return to school for the rest of the week. We are finishing details and will get a packet of information home to you very soon. Permission forms will be due to the MS Office by Wednesday, September 21 which is also Middle School Conference Day. 

STUDENT COUNCIL: Our Student Council began its meetings and school service this week. Each advisory elected both a representative and an alternate for the first half of the year; new elections will be held again in late January for the remaining school year. The Student Council members meet on Day 1 during Flex Period and then return to their other electives during Flex Period on Day 5. This group sponsors free dress days, engages in community service efforts, gathers and provides feedback regarding School policies, and is charged with leading efforts to promote respect, community, and play in our Middle School.

 

SEVENTH GRADE DUKE TIP PROGRAM: For seventh grade families, The Duke University Talent Search materials are now available online at www.tip.duke.edu/7gts and in the Middle School Office if you are interested. These materials explain the program and will help you in deciding whether you would like your daughter to participate if she is eligible. The School does not sponsor or suggest this testing but does provide a location for you to pick up materials if you wish. Duke also encourages gathering information and enrolling online. Students are eligible if they have scored at the 95^th percentile or higher, based on national norms, on any one of the following ERB or other national standardized tests: mathematics, quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, or reading comprehension.  If your daughter is eligible, and if she wishes to participate, she needs to take either the SAT test or the ACT test. Students should select only one test (SAT or ACT) and only one test date. The SAT exam will be given on December 3, 2016, and on January 21, 2017. Your daughter may take the ACT test on either December 10, 2016, or February 11, 2017. Students who wish to take either exam in December must submit their applications by October 3, 2016 if registering on paper and October 21, 2016 if registering online. Those wishing to take one of the tests in January or February need to submit their paper applications by November 4, 2016 or online applications by December 9, 2016. If your daughter receives academic accommodations at school, please do not have her take either test for this program until you have spoken with Shelley Cave, our Director of Learning Services. There are guidelines within the ACT and SAT testing programs that must be satisfied (even when taking the test “for practice” or Duke TIP in seventh grade) that greatly affect accommodations received when your daughter tests in Upper School. If you have any questions about your daughter's eligibility for this experience, or if you would like to discuss the program, please feel free to call me at 214-360-6401.

 

FUTURE LEADERS PROGRAM:  Our yearly hosting of the Future Leaders Program after school will begin on Saturday, September 17. The Saturday meetings are a change from the Tuesday/Thursday times used in previous years. This public school/private school partnership, sponsored by the Brewer Foundation, provides enrichment work for outstanding students in grades 5-12 from member DISD schools. In addition, some of our teachers partner with DISD faculty to teach the classes which will be held on Saturdays until October 22. St. Mark’s, Greenhill, and ESD serve as host campuses throughout the remainder of the year. Hockaday is honored to participate in this incredible program!

SAFETY EXERCISES: The School also has begun this year’s cycle of safety exercises; we practiced a Fire Drill yesterday. We also regularly participate in Lock Down and inclement weather drills.  Teachers discuss the safety protocol for each type of exercise before the actual first drill. For the remainder of the year, these are unannounced to the girls. 

FALL CONFERENCES: The Middle School online sign up procedure for fall conferences opened for your use on Friday, September 2 and closes on Sunday, September 18. Conferences are a great opportunity to engage in conversations regarding your daughter’s day-to-day life at Hockaday and for the goal-setting that will guide her endeavors this year. Conference Day for all Middle School grade levels is on Wednesday, September 21. Please be sure to mark your calendars accordingly.

 

FCD PROGRAM ON CAMPUS: Freedom from Chemical Dependency counselors will be on campus from October 3-October 6. Representatives from this organization will address issues surrounding student use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Their visit is quite comprehensive as they will work with students in grades 7 - 12. The more extensive instruction comes for students in grades 7, 9, and 11; a condensed version of the program is shared with students in grades 8, 10, and 12. Seventh graders will meet with the facilitators during PE periods that week. Eighth graders attend a Flex/lunch presentation. All Middle and Upper School parents may choose to attend a presentation on Thursday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. in Clements. I hope many of you will be able to attend.

     

CORNERSTONES STUDIES/PARENT SPEAKER SERIES: Our next several Cornerstones Studies lessons will focus on supporting the presentation our guest speaker, Rosetta Lee, will be making to Middle School girls on Thursday, September 22. Ms. Lee speaks across the nation on issues of inclusion and respectful relationships and will focus on the following questions with our girls: What is the difference between everyday conflict and bullying? How does aggression appear directly and alternatively? How can you respond to each appropriately?  Ms. Lee will also speak to parents on September 21 at 8:30 a.m. and September 22 at 6:00 p.m. on “How to Talk to Your Children About Heated Topics in Current Events.”  I hope you are able to attend and visit with your child about your shared experiences with Ms. Lee. 

  

In closing, the Fine Arts faculty and I continue to count on our parent volunteers for the wonderful “behind the scenes” work they are doing as the girls race on through their rehearsals for Seussical, Jr. Also coming up in the next few weeks are Fun Day on Friday, September 23 and a One Hockaday all-grades activity during the school day on Thursday, September 29.

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Linda Kramer
Head of Middle School