In This Issue

• Construction update: video from Joe Harvey
• Call for gloves, mittens, and scarves for Warm Hands Project
• Save the date: Book Exchange
• Sign up for AAS
• Call for chicken care over holiday break
• 37th Annual Mark Day School Open Chess Championship
• Holiday Giving Program: a message from the chairs
• Upcoming events: LS Showcase, Lost & Found, Indexed Tuition Deadline Reminder, Parent Outreach Hike, MD Music Assembly
• Athletics: Chess
• Classroom Window: the science of bubbles

Heads' Blog

Tune back in after break!

December SEL Theme

Empathy

Construction Update

An inside view of the front office, Learning Commons, breezeway, and Creativity Lab. Watch now.

Call for Gloves, Mittens, & Scarves for Warm Hands Project

In January, the Kindergarten and 1st Grade classes will sponsor the 6th annual Warm Hands Project. They will be collecting new and gently used gloves, mittens, and warm scarves to donate to the Ritter Center. The details will be announced after Winter Break. If you are shopping during the post-holiday sales or cleaning out drawers and closets, you might want to consider putting aside these items to donate to the Warm Hands Project. Thanks!

Start Collecting Books & Save the Date for the Book Exchange

Giving or getting books, puzzles, games, or DVDs for the holidays? Need room on your shelves? Clean out your old, outgrown things and set them aside for the Mark Day School Book Exchange! The Book Exchange, where everyone can find new-to-you books, games, and DVDs, will be held at 5:00pm on Friday, January 27, 2017. We will start collecting books in the gym kitchen on Monday, January 9, 2017.

Sign Up for Adventures After School (AAS)!

Click here to view the schedule of courses and sign up.

Only 5 Days Needed! Call for for Chicken Care Over Winter Break

Happy holidays...peace, love, and chickens! If you will be staying locally during the break, please sign up to care for the chickens. In this season of giving, you can support your student in making an easy, free, and meaningful contribution to our community. Your help is much appreciated!

37th Annual Mark Day School Open Chess Championship

A school tradition, the championship welcomes all students, K-8, to participate in an all-school chess tournament that will take place January 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, and 13 at lunch (12:30-1:10pm). Students must know the moves and the basic rules of chess. For a list of the rules, see Mr. Orwig. To enter, students must print their name (first and last) on a 3x5 card and place it in Mr. Orwig's mailbox, hand it to him, or give it to a teacher to turn in. Students must enter the tournament before December 19th. Click here for more information.

Holiday Giving Program: A Message from the Chairs

We would like to thank the Mark Day School community for its support to the Holiday Giving Program.

Our Upper Division mentor groups helped 11 families with the money raised by school dances and movie night. This year, 4th and 5th grade together raised more than $5,000. Wow! What a team effort! They were able to buy many items on the families' wish lists and also provide each family a very generous retail/grocery gift card. The Lower School kids added lots of care with beautiful ornaments, cards, and holiday cookies.

Separately, the 6th grade toy drive for the Ritter Center was another success! We've never had so many donations as we did this year! On Monday, our students delivered the gifts and helped set up a "Toy Store" where Ritter Center clients will come and choose new toys for their children for the holidays.

Thank you to faculty leaders Gaelle Gordon and Tim Evans, all teachers, mentor group leaders, and the children themselves for their support in the Mark Day holiday giving program. A special thank you to the many parents who drove, assisted with bake sales, shopped, and contributed in many other ways. We realize that this program is schedule during a busy time. Through your many contributions to the less fortunate members of our larger Marin community, we are helping to ensure that many more people enjoy a happy holiday.

Both Adopt a Family of Marin and Ritter Center asked that we share how grateful they are for your generosity.

With appreciation,

Fabiana Duque-Ribeiro, Mary Gorski, and Amy McConnell

Music Performances

December 14 (Gym, 1:10 pm):

Lower School Showcase.

December 16 (Gym, 8:35 am)

Middle Division Music Assembly.

Lost & Found Display - December 14, 15

Lost and found items will be hung on the fence. Please claim your items before Thursday at 2:15pm. On Thursday afternoon, all items with names will be returned and unlabeled items donated to a local non-profit.

Indexed Tuition Deadline Reminder - December 15

Re-enrolling families that plan to apply to pay tuition below the top of the index need to do so by December 15, 2016 and should register with School and Student Services (SSS) and follow the procedures outlined on the SSS website, including submitting the Parent Financial Statement (PFS) and other required forms. The Mark Day School SSS School Code is 6729. If you have any questions about Indexed Tuition, please contact Sue Hickey: shickey@markdayschool.org.

Winter Parent Outreach Hike - December 16 (9:00am)

All parents welcome! This is a parent social event with exercise. We will hike the Terra Linda/Sleepy Hollow Ridge. This 4.4 mile out and back hike is easy, with about 900 feet in elevation change. Trailhead elevation is about 180 feet. The featured hike climbs to about 540 feet, descends to 480 feet, climbs to a high point of 880 feet, then returns on the same route back to the trailhead. The trailhead is mainly fire road so there is plenty of room for everyone. Dogs are allowed on this trail per Marin County code, but need to be on a leash. We advise sunscreen and a hat as it is a mainly exposed trail. There are beautiful views of the Bay, including Mt. Tam. Roll-out is 9:10am. Please note this is a half day for Mark Day School at this hike should take about 2 hours.

Directions: After assembly, please drive to the end of Freitas Parkway trailhead and meet us there at 9:00am. You will pass Scottie's on the right. The trailhead is at the end of the road. Parking is available along the side of the road and there is plenty of it.

From Central Marin: If you live closer to San Anselmo and will not be at assembly this morning, please drive from Butterfield Road to Fawn Drive and meet us at the top of Fawn. The trailhead connects between Fawn and Freitas. Please meet us at 9:05am at the Marin County trail sign at the top of Fawn. Limited parking is available on Fawn Dr.

Please RSVP to Liz Silloway (lsilloway@hotmail.com, 415-637-2589.

Middle Division Music Assembly - December 16 (Gym, 8:35am)

Come hear Middle Division students (grades 4-6) perform at morning assembly!