WILDCAT WEEKLY Lower School November 30, 2012 Week of December 3 - 7 MARK YOUR CALENDARS Saturday, December 1
10:00am – 4th Grade boys vs. AR Baptist 2 at AR Baptist 10:00am – 5th Grade girls vs. Anthony at Episcopal-Aux. 10:00am – 5th Grade boys (ECS 1) vs. AR Baptist 2 at Episcopal-Main 11:00am – 5th Grade boys (ECS 2) vs. AR Baptist 1 at Episcopal-Main 11:00am – 3rd Grade girls vs. CAC-PV at Abundant Life-Practice Gym 11:00am – 4th Grade girls (ECS 2) vs. Anthony at Abundant Life-Main 12:00pm – 3rd Grade boys (ECS 1) vs. Abundant Life 2 at Episcopal-LS 12:00pm – 4th Grade girls (ECS 1) vs. AR Baptist 2 at Abundant Life-Main 1:00pm – 3rd Grade boys (ECS 2) vs. Ms. Selma’s at Episcopal-LS
Monday, December 3
3:15pm – Taekwondo Super Sessions 3:20-4:30pm – First Lego League 3:45-5:30pm – 3rd Grade Girls Basketball 4:00-5:00pm – Digital Photography Photo Super Session 5:30-7:00pm – 4th Grade Boys Basketball 5:30-7:00pm – 5th Grade Girls Basketball 7:00pm – Middle and Upper School Choir and Orchestra (including Lower School violin students) Christmas Concert - Christ Church Episcopal
Tuesday, December 4
3:20-4:30pm – Wildcat Chorale 3:20-4:30pm – Destination Imagination 3:25-5:00pm – Daisy Scouts 3:25-4:30pm – Brownies NOTE: Basketball Practice will not be held today
Wednesday, December 5
Mini Book Fair (See below for more details.) 7:30-7:50am – Open Gym for fourth and fifth graders 8:30am – Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade Christmas Program 10:45-11:15am – Grades 1-5 Community Chapel - Erwin Hall Performance Center and Gymnasium 11:45am – Parent Roundtable(see below) - Braunfisch-Stella Boyle Smith Library School Library 3:15-5:15pm – Ballet Super Sessions NOTE: Basketball Practice will not be held today
Thursday, December 6
Mini Book Fair (See below for more details.) 8:30am – Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade Christmas Program 2:00pm – Second through Fifth Grade Christmas Program 6:30pm – Second through Fifth Grade Christmas Program NOTE: Basketball Practice will not be held today
Friday, December 7
12:00pm - Wildcat Chorale Singing at the Capitol Hotel National Honor Society and Lower School Cookie Decorating after School for students in Wildcat Club 5:30-7:00pm – 3rd Grade Boys Basketball
Saturday, December 8
9:00am – 3rd Grade boys vs. CAC-PV 2 at Abundant Life-Practice Gym 10:00am – 3rd Grade boys vs. CAC-PV 1 at Abundant Life-Practice Gym 10:00am – 4th Grade girls (ECS 1) vs. AR Baptist 1 at Anthony 10:00am – 5th Grade girls vs. Abundant Life at CAC 11:00am – 4th Grade boys vs. CAC-NLR at Abundant Life-Main 12:00pm – 4th Grade girls (ECS 2) vs. Anthony at Anthony 12:00pm – 5th Grade boys (ECS 2) vs. Abundant Life at CAC 1:00pm – 5th Grade boys (ECS 1) vs. Ms. Selma’s at CAC 2:00pm – 3rd Grade girls vs. Anthony at Abundant Life-Practice Gym 4:00pm – 3rd Grade girls vs. Ms. Selma’s at Abundant Life-Practice Gym
For more information about the upcoming athletic events at Episcopal Collegiate, please click here. You are always invited to join us in cheering on our team!
GO WILDCATS! PRIDE PATROL CARPOOL DUTY FOR December 3 - 7, 2012 Pre-K – Isabella LaRue, Rachel Wilbourn, Mary Jewel Janes, Lauren Whitehead K-5 – Grant Wild, Seth Towe, Kolton Claybrook, Lucie Hughes, Meredith Campbell Be sure to dress for the weather if it’s cold outside! It is important that students on Pride Patrol demonstrate responsibility and report for duty daily at 7:30am. Please contact Kelly Kennedy if your child is unable to be here for carpool duty so that we can find another Pride Patrol member to assist our younger students. CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS ARE THIS WEEK! Come share the joy as our Lower School students perform their Christmas Programs on Wednesday, December 5 and 6 in the Erwin Hall Performance Center and Gymnasium. The Pre-K, Kindergarten and first grade program will present three wonderful Christmas stories this year: Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas by Jan L. Waldron, Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer and Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell and Jason Crockcroft. With songs you know woven into the stories, we hope you’ll open your heart to the peace, joy and love of Christmas. “It’s Christmas Everywhere,” the program presented by second through fifth graders, shares how Christmas is celebrated around the world. What is a pickle in the tannenbaum? What’s the legend of poinsettias? The older students share traditions and sing songs of Christmas from our friends around the globe. Of course, the focus and finale of our program is the story of Jesus’ birth from the book of Luke. All of our Lower School students have worked hard to prepare the shows, and we are excited to share these seasonal performances with you! There will be two performances for each group this year: Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade Program o Wednesday, December 5 at 8:30am o Thursday, December 6 at 8:30am Second through Fifth Grade Program o Thursday, December 6 at 2:00pm o Thursday, December 6 at 6:30pm We’d like to ask that you park on campus rather than parking outside the gates on North Street. Faculty will park in approved, designated areas on North Street to allow more parents and guests to park on campus. Vehicles parked on North Street in undesignated areas will be towed. Also, please do not park in the carpool lane as we must keep it clear at all times in the event of an emergency.
DVD ORDER As in previous years, we will have a videographer present during our Christmas Programs. If you would like to purchase a DVD of one or both programs, the order form is attached. This would be a great stocking stuffer for family members who are unable to attend the program. DVD orders are due by Friday, December 7. CHAPEL NEWS Our Jesse tree ornaments are completed and displayed on the large Christmas tree in the Lower School entry. Every student in the school made an ornament, so I hope you will be able to stop by and see this beautiful and meaningful tree. If you are not familiar with the Jesse tree tradition, the following describes its history. Jesse trees were first seen in medieval sacred art. It most often showed Jesse, father of King David, reclining against a tree whose branches displayed pictures of Old and New Testament figures that were the ancestors of Jesus. More recently, the idea was adapted and used as an alternative way to decorate a Christmas tree. The Jesse trees of today display symbols associated with Biblical characters that include Jesus, Mary, and all those who came before them in Old Testament Scripture. Each grade level made ornaments representing a particular person of the Bible in the lineage of Jesus. Each ornament also represents someone we studied in this first semester. This is a great way for the children to look back at the Bible stories they heard during this first part of the school year and to mark the Advent season that begins on Sunday, December 2. Due to the presentation of the Christmas Program there will be no Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten chapel services this upcoming Wednesday, December 5. The first through fifth grade students will enjoy a presentation from the Episcopal Collegiate School Honor Council. Upcoming chapel presentations for the first through fifth grade community chapel services: December 5: Episcopal Collegiate Honor Council (Upper School Students) December 12: Episcopal Collegiate School Wildcat Chorale December 19: Holy Eucharist – Special time 10:30-11:15, Dress Uniform, Option B Many Blessings, Joan Beetstra HEIFER INTERNATIONAL’S READ TO FEED PROGRAM The Lower School’s holiday service project is to raise awareness and funds for Heifer International as they endeavor to end poverty. Here are a few quick facts about the project.
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The Read to Feed Program began November 19 and ends on December 14 . All students in first through fifth grade are participating in the program by striving to reach their reading goals and by learning how Heifer International places farm animals with impoverished families in order to provide food, clothing, and small business opportunities. If you decide that sponsorship is right for your child, we want them to ask only close family and friends to sponsor them. For safety reasons, we do not want your child going door-to-door soliciting sponsorship. Every gift makes a difference. With over 230 students in our first through fifth grade classes, all of our donations will add up quickly to help Heifer buy more animals for families in need. Heifer provides education and has recipients pass along the first offspring of their livestock to another family in their communities so that the gift of an animal will continue to make both individual families and communities stronger.
If you have any questions about this service project, please direct them to Joan Beetstra, our Lower School Lay Chaplain.
HOLIDAY BOOK FAIR THIS WEEK Need a few last minute gifts? Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? Come check out our Mini Book Fair in the Lower School Simpson Commons on Wednesday and Thursday this week! The Book Fair will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. each day. There will be about 3 cases of books for all ages and holiday books too! Be sure to stop by before or after one of the Christmas Programs to check out what is available. A big thank you to our Book Fair Chairs, Michelle Carney and Greta Wright for assisting with our Mini Book Fair! If you have any questions, please see Ms. Neesvig in the library. See you there! FAMILIES WITH SIBLINGS INTERESTED IN ENROLLING? If you have any children not currently enrolled at Episcopal and for whom you seek admission for the 2013-2014 school year, please do not delay in submitting an on-line application. Class sizes are limited, and several of our grades filled to capacity and required waiting lists in recent years. We are happy to answer any questions you may have; call us at (501)372-1194. Ashley Honeywell Director of Admission for Grades 6 –12 Mary Jane Briggs Director of Admission for Grades PK3-5 DECEMBER 5 PARENT ROUNDTABLE Are you still trying to find your way around Wildcat Web? Learn more about our parent portal on Wednesday, December 5. Christian Rogers, Lower School Technology Integration Specialist, will share tips and strategies for getting the most out of Wildcat Web. We’ll begin with coffee and cookies at 11:45am and the presentation will start promptly at noon. Feel free to bring your lunch, if desired, and join us in the Braunfisch-Stella Boyle Smith Library in the Lower School! USED UNIFORM SALE Remember you can buy used uniform pieces anytime. If you want to purchase any items, just pay Jill in the Lower School office. We are well-stocked, so go shop! Keep in mind that we appreciate your donations of gently-worn uniform pieces and accessories. We could really use more hangers, if you would like to donate those too! If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Jill Curran,
[email protected]. KINDERGARTNERS HELP LAUNCH SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE PROGRAM FOR 2012 Episcopal Collegiate Kindergarten students were treated to a story read by Arkansas First Lady Ginger Beebe at the kick-off of the Salvation Army Angel Tree effort. Mrs. Beebe read The Happy Elf by Harry Connick, Jr., entertaining the students and adults gathered around the Angel Tree. The group also enjoyed music by the Central High School Chorus. After Mrs. Beebe and her granddaughter chose the first angel from the tree, each class chose an angel to support this Christmas season. Over 2,000 needy families and children across Arkansas receive support during the holidays through the Angel Tree program. If you would like to join Episcopal in caring for these families, stop by Park Plaza Mall, McCain Mall or your closest Walmart store and choose an angel family from the Salvation Army tree. For photos of the event, visit our website’s Media Gallery. KATV Channel 7 video of the story reading and launch event can be viewed at the link below: http://www.katv.com/story/20189764/salvation-army-angel-tree-2012