Parent Bulletin
Phillips Academy Head of School Office
Rebecca Sykes, associate head of school
October 28, 2011
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Parents’ Weekend 2011 was a hit! More than 1700 parents and
other family members registered for the festivities. Thanks to
moderate, dry weather it was easy and fun to traverse the campus to
attend classes, performances, the All-School Meeting, athletic contests
and information sessions. At the All-School Meeting, Head of School
Barbara Chase mentioned Wellness Week keynote speaker Dr. David
Eagleman. Dr. Eagleman, a neuroscientist at Baylor College of Medicine,
spoke on October 19, about the workings of the brain. For those of us
parenting adolescents, one of the more captivating ideas in his
presentation was the “Ulysses Contract.” Mrs. Chase commended Dr.
Eagleman’s talk and encouraged parents to watch the program, which can
be found on the Parent Portal under Parent Resources, Streaming Media.
Also at the Parents’ Weekend All-School Meeting, PSPA President Susan
Howell announced the Barbara Landis Chase CAMD Scholar Grant. The grant
will support two CAMD (Community and Multicultural Development)
scholars every year, and the recipients will be known as the “Barbara
Landis Chase CAMD Scholars”. Each year, the CAMD Selection Committee
awards four to six grants to students, enabling them to pursue
independent research projects related to diversity and multiculturalism.
The culmination of each project is a presentation to the community. A
sample of the topics covered in past years includes: “The Next Step: The
Choctaw a Century After the Trail of Tears”, “Adversity to Diversity:
Understanding the Southern Experience”, “The Changing Face of Judaism: A
Search for Jewish Identity in North America”, and “From Black Panthers
to Broadway: Evolution of the Black Thespian”. Mrs. Chase is an
enthusiastic advocate for this program, which supports the academy’s
mission to provide opportunities for youth from every quarter and she
was thrilled by the PSPA’s commitment in her honor.
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Don’t Forget about Care Packs!
Are you interested in putting a smile on your child’s face
during Assessment Week? If so, make sure you remember to send them a
Care Pack filled with edible goodies to keep them going! If you’d like
to send a Care Pack to your student please fill out the form
and mail it back to us. All orders must be received by Friday, November
11, in order for fall term Care Packs to be delivered on time.
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Kaleidoscope Speakers Program
The new Kaleidoscope Speakers Program features a plurality of
perspectives on important social and political topics. This fall two
speakers will present different perspectives on spiritual and secular
worldviews at consecutive All-School Meetings. The topic is based on
input from the academy community. At the November 2 ASM, Ross Douthat,
the youngest op-ed columnist in the history of the New York Times
will speak. Representing the spiritual view and a new generation of
conservative commentators, Douthat enlivens the editorial pages of the Times with his vigorous analysis of politics and government. More information on Douthat can be found on the C-SPAN archives
website and on Wikipedia. At the November 9 All-School Meeting, Greg
Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard University and author of Good without God: What a Billion Non-religious People Do Believe, will provide the secular perspective. More information on Epstein can be found on Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard website.
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Travel over Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks
Phillips Academy is offering transportation options for the
upcoming Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks, including roundtrip bus service
to NYC with stops in Hartford and Darien, Conn., and shuttles to Logan
Airport. In addition, there are taxi and limousine services to Logan and
Manchester airports. Log into the Parent Portal
and click on the Dean of Students Section under the Student Life tab
for forms and further information. If you have any questions, please
contact Claudia Scofield at cscofield@andover.edu or 978-749-4175.
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Required Notifications from Environmental Health & Safety
Each year, Phillips Academy is required to inform parents
about the management of asbestos-containing materials and the use of
termite baiting stations on campus. This information can be found on
the PAnet Parent Portal.
To access, click on Parent Resources then Getting Started: FAQ. The
notifications are part of the Environmental Health & Safety section.
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Upcoming Events
October 28 |
DanceLab, featuring student choreography and performances. Modern Dance Student, Borden Gym, 5:45 p.m. Free admission.
“The Browning of American” presented by Ray Suarez, author and senior correspondent for PBS’s NewsHour. Cochran Chapel, 7:00 p.m. Free admission and open to the public.
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November 1 |
Service
of Remembrance, 7:30 a.m. Cochran Chapel. This observance offers the
academy community an opportunity to both remember and celebrate those in
our lives who have died. |
November 3 |
Addison Gala. Please go to the Addison Website for more information. |
November 4 |
Third
Annual Sled Hockey Match, Harrison Ice Rink, 6:30 p.m. Suggested
donation is $4 and all proceeds go to Northeast Passage to benefit
physically challenged athletes. |
November 5 |
“Bid on Blue” Dinner and Silent Auction to support financial aid. Click to purchase dinner tickets and browse the silent auction items.
Potpourri of Musical, Theatrical, and Dance Performances by students. Kemper Auditorium, 5:00 p.m.
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November 11 |
Academy Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Cochran Chapel, 7:30 p.m. Free admission.
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November 11-21 |
Andover/Exeter Athletic Contests. Click the Game Schedule to view times and locations. |
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