n/k & lower schools
Save the Date for Grandfriends Day
The Nursery/Kindergarten and Lower School will host its first Grandfriends Day on Friday, May 2. We are very fortunate to have parents Elizabeth Evans, '81, sister Susan Evans, '83, and their mother, Roberta Evans, spearheading this project. Grandfriends have always been welcomed into our classrooms and are often here for plays, potlucks, or other school events. Grandfriends Day is an opportunity for this important part of our school community to come together in a more formal way to learn about our programs from faculty, students, and the school administration. The day will include breakfast, school tours, and classroom visits. Please save this date. More details will be forthcoming.
Dental Exams Required for Current K & 2nd Graders
Illinois law requires that all students currently in kindergarten and second grade have a dental exam sometime during the school year (September 2007–May 2008). If you have already turned in the form, many thanks. If not, please make an appointment for your child for routine cleaning and dental exam before the end of the school year. Your pediatric dental practice should have the Illinois Department of Public Health Proof of School Dental Examination Form or you can download it from our site.
Parent/Teacher Conferences for Grades 1–4
Individual Parent-Teacher conferences will be held Friday, February 1, and Monday,
February 11, for students in grades 1–4. Sign up in your child's classroom for specific times. There is no school for grades 1–4 on conference days. N/K students will have school.
Reading Presentation—DATE CHANGE
Lower School faculty will talk about its reading program to parents in a presentation on
Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. This will be a program in which teachers discuss new research in the field of teaching reading, reading behaviors, word identification strategies, types of texts used, teaching comprehension, and the important role that the library plays in our overall literacy program. Our goal is that you will come away from this evening with greater knowledge and appreciation for how we go about supporting and encouraging every child in the process of becoming a fully competent, fully engaged reader.
The date has been changed in order to accommodate other activities in the school during that week.
Adoptive Parents Potluck
The Adoptive Parents Discussion Group is hosting a potluck for Lab adoptive families on Friday, January 25, at 5 p.m. in Judd 126. Please contact counselor Linda Wax, 773-702-9343, for more information.
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middle school
February Parent-Teacher/Advisor Conferences Correction
Please note, there was an error on the printed calendar indicating that the Middle School would have two days set aside for conferences in February. We will have one day for these conferences. The correct day is Friday, February 8. The following Friday, February 15 will be a regular school day. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Got Some Great Ideas? Bring Them to Your Science Teacher
Science Expo is coming on Saturday, February 23. All middle school students are invited to present. Students may show their own project or present something they’ve done in science class. Students should see their science teacher or Diane Snider for details.
Parents, it's greatly rewarding to present or volunteer at Science Expo. To give a science talk, run a kid's activity, or volunteer as general staff, please contact Diane Snider. One hour of your time is all it takes.
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high school
World Affairs Council
Twenty-five students were selected to attend the two-day national conference of the World Affairs Council in Washington, D.C., February 6–8. Spearheaded by History Department Chair Andrea Martonffy, students will have the opportunity to hear speakers such as Zbignew Brzezinski, Richard Haass, and Vincente Fox and attend workshops focused on the issues facing the next U.S. president. U-High was one of a few schools selected to attend this conference.
Art Teachers Work Exhibited
Two members of the Laboratory Schools Art Department will have their work exhibited at the Stuart Rodgers Gallery this spring. Faculty members Mirentxu Ganzarain and Liese Ricketts were selected from a pool of artists and educators. Over two-thirds of the proceeds of the sale of their work will go either to the Laboratory Schools or a charity of their choice. The show runs from April 18–May 30.
Paul Butterfield Experience
On Wednesday, February 13 from 10:40–11:30 a.m., students will gather in Max Palvesky hall to hear music by Paul Butterfield (a U-High graduate) played by U-High jazz band and the musical group Mississippi Heat (led by Pierre Lacocque, ’90). Also speaking will be U-High grad and former Lower School teacher, Vickie Kamberos, who knew Paul Butterfield. The assembly has been organized by juniors Kevin Brunke and Max Wagner with help from Wayne Brasler. Limited seating available.
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community
LD@Lab Parent Workshop—Recognizing ADHD
“Identification, Diagnosis, and Treatment of ADHD” will be the topic of a January 30 presentation where Dr. John Lavigne and Dr. Scott Hunter will lead a discussion and Q&A session. If you have been wondering whether your child might show symptoms of this well-recognized and treatable disorder or if you would just like to know more about a disorder that affects millions of Americans, please join us at 7 p.m. in Judd 126.
Join a night of fashion and philanthropy in support of Connections 2008
Intermix (located at 40 East Delaware Place) and Lab invite you to kick off Connections 2008 on Thursday, February 7, 6-8 p.m. Preview auction items, purchase raffle tickets, connect with friends, and shop for a cause. Ten percent of the evening’s sales will be donated to Connections 2008. RSVP here and we’ll see you there!
Connections 2008—Saturday, March 1, at Navy Pier
March 1 is the date for a spectacular evening of dinner, dancing, and lively conversation at Connections 2008, our annual gala benefit to support the Lab Schools. Individual tickets are available for $175 per person and underwriting opportunities begin at $1,000. For more information, call the Development Office at 773-702-0578.
Registration Materials for 2008-2009 Due February 8
The Registrar reminds you to register your child(ren) for next school year by Friday, February 8, 2008. Registration includes a $1,000 deposit (credited towards Fall 2008 tuition balance) and a signed registration form for each child. For more information or if you have not received your materials, please contact the registrar, Sandy Hrstich.
Athletes and Fans
Find Maroons contest results and schedules at www.ucls.uchicago.edu/athletics. The site contains links to individual team pages and to the Sports at Lab blog.
Spring Sports Registration
Students interested in competing this spring need to register by Friday, January 25 by signing a list outside Mr. Ribbens’ office. High School sports offered are track and field, baseball, girls soccer, and boys tennis. Middle School sports include track and field (grades 6-8), baseball and girls soccer (both grades 7-8.) High School indoor track starts January 14; other High School spring sports start February 25. The Middle School spring sports all start Monday, March 31.
Emergency Closing Information
In the unlikely event that school is closed due to severe weather conditions, the Schools use an outside calling service to contact each household with a recorded message giving information about school closings. Therefore, it is important that we have an accurate phone number for each household. (If you have had a change in your household phone number please click here to leave your name and correct phone number.) Two AM radio stations and six television stations carry closing information:
Radio: WGN-720 and WBBM-780
Television: CLTV, FOX, WGN, CBS, NBC, and ABC
Parents can check online at the emergency closings center website by searching for Lab Schools. Also, parents can search by touch-tone phone at 847-238-1234 and entering the main phone number of the Laboratory Schools, 773-702-9450.
Summer Lab 2008 Trip to Europe for Students in Grades 7–9
Students in grades 7–9 are invited to sign-up for a two-week trek to Western Europe focusing on battle sites of World War I. "All Along the Western Front" participants will visit historic sites and chronicle their responses using music, art, writing, and discussion. Humanities teachers Kelly Storm and Jan Yourist will chaperone the trip, June 27–July 7. Highlights of the trip include stops in Frankfurt, Brussels, and Paris.
Registration is due February 15. Forms are available from Ms. Battles, Belfield 137-B and Mr. Reece, Belfield 137-I, or at: Summer Lab after January 15, 2008. Call 773-834-7766 or -4272 with questions.
Summer Lab 2008 Trip to Crow Canyon for Students in Grades 5–6
Fifth and sixth graders are invited to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado. Crow Canyon is the ancestral home of the Pueblo Indians who inhabited the canyons and mesas of the American Southwest. Escorted by fifth grade teachers Susan Lesher and Bob Kass, participants spend the week learning about the Pueblo Indians’ occupation of the Mesa Verde region. In addition, they will examine lifestyles and technologies from each of the major time periods, participate in a simulated archaeological dig, visit Crow Canyon’s research laboratory and active excavation site, and tour one of the jewels of the southwest, Mesa Verde National Park.
Registration is due February 11. Forms are available from Ms. Battles, Belfield 137-B and Mr. Reece, Belfield 137-I, or at: Summer Lab after January 15, 2008. Call 773-834-7766 or -4272 with questions.
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