Bulletin Board

8th Graders Test Soil pH

Mrs. Curran — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:45:04 +0000

Mrs. Sullivan’s 8th grade science class tested the pH of the soil in the Unquowa garden in early March. Students collected soil samples from our raised beds and used chemical kits and a meter to determine the pH level of each bed. Soil pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline the soil is. Measurements below 7.0 indicate acidity, and numbers above 7.0 indicate alkalinity. Nutrients in the soil will not dissolve if it is either too acidic or too alkaline. Most garden vegetables grow best when the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. Special thanks to the 8th graders who will be reporting their results to Mrs. Curran to help determine the health of the soil.

5th Graders Get A Head Start in the Greenhouse

Mrs. Curran — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:43:27 +0000

The 5th grade students visited Sport Hill Farm in early March to start plants in the greenhouse for the Unquowa garden. Students practiced making eco-friendly pots out of newspaper for seed starting and learned how to fill cell trays with a special germinating mix. After being placed into small groups, they went to work planting romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, beans, and a special variety of corn for popping. Patti Popp has generously offered to care for our plants in her greenhouse until they are ready to be transplanted in the Unquowa garden. Special thanks to Patti and the 5th graders for helping us get a head start in the garden this spring.

March 13 - March 28 - Spring Vacation

Mrs. Gombos — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:08:15 +0000

Have a wonderful SPRING VACATION - SATURDAY, MARCH 13 - SUNDAY, MARCH 28! See you back at school on Monday, March 29.

Just a reminder …. boots may not be worn after Spring Vacation.

SUMMER AT UNQUOWA

Registration forms for summer clinics, workshops, and farm camp are available in the “Download Forms” section of Bulletin Board and in the Main Office.
June 14 - one week BASKETBALL clinic for students entering grades 5-8
June 21 - July 16 - SUMMER FARM CAMP (4 weeks) for students entering PreK-4 through grade 6. (Weeks 1 and 2 of Sweet Peas program are filled!)
June 21 - one week YOGA / CREATIVE ARTS CLINIC for upper school students
June 28 - one week YOGA / CREATIVE ARTS CLINIC for upper school students
July 19 - one week IMPROV I & IMPROV IB clinic for current grade 5-8 students
July 27 - 4 day IMPROV II clinic for those taking IMPROV I / IMPROV IB

UPCOMING …..

DANCING FOR OUR STARS

Our annual AUCTION is Saturday, April 24 - a night of delicious food, fantastic entertainment, and our live and silent auctions. Mark your calendars - we hope to see everyone there! If you have items that can be used in our auction, please contact Mindee Blanco (mblanco2@metlife.com), Jessica Ryan (jessicaryan@optonline.net) or Andrea Pinto (ppintofamily@optonlin.net). Thank you in advance for your support!

Creative Arts Yoga Workshop

Ms. Sabol — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:34:47 +0000

Summer workshop for students currently in grades 5 - 8. Two one-week sessions - June 21 & June 28 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Students will practice yoga for the first half of the morning and participate in a creative arts workshop for the latter half of the morning.

Enrollment is limited to 15 students. Cost is $150 per week.

Click here for registration form.

The Annual Science Fair

Mrs. Faulkner — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:28:08 +0000

The annual Science fair took place on the evening of Wednesday, March 3. After a full school day of presenting projects to teachers and their peers, the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade students were ready for guests. The event was packed with family and friends, excited to learn from our junior scientists. It was obvious that the students had become experts in their field and their enthusiasm was evident throughout each presentation. The talent, intelligence and work ethic of our students never cease to amaze those in attendance!

School Physical Form

Mrs. Magrone — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:02:02 +0000

This is the health assessment form required for students.

Clilck to download for health assessment record form.

Administration of Medication & Field Trips

Mrs. Magrone — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:01:11 +0000

Please be advised of the following information with regard to administration of medication to students in school and on field trips.

Connecticut State Law requires the written and signed medication order of a physician as well as the parent’s or guardian’s written authorization for all medications, both prescription and NON-PRESCRIPTION to be administered in school or on school field trips.

All medications and medication forms shall be delivered to the nursing office for review. All medications must be in their original container.

In certain situations, students may self-administer their medications. Self-administration of medication means that the student will carry and administer his/her medication without assistance. SELF-ADMINISTRATION MUST BE AUTHORIZED BY THE PRESCRIBER (PHYSICIAN) AND PARENT/GUARDIAN AND APPROVED BY THE SCHOOL NURSE

Please note that if a student already has a medication form and medication in school, he/she does not need a new medication form for field trips. The medication will go with student on each trip automatically.

Thank you for your attention to these important requirements.

Future Stars Baseball 2010

Coach Boccamazzo — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:02:17 +0000

For students in grades K - 4 on Wednesdays (4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19) from 3:30-4:45. The cost will be $125. Please download registration form below and bring with your check payable to “Future Stars” to the Athletic Office or the Main Office.

Click here for Future Stars Registration Form.

March 8 - March 12

Mrs. Gombos — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:48:05 +0000

Please join our new Unquowa School Facebook fan page by clicking the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairfield-CT/The-Unquowa-School/340068687289?ref=ts

FOOD DRIVE - MONDAY, MARCH 8 - FRIDAY, MARCH 12

We will be collecting non-perishable food items for the hungry in Fairfield County as part of the BREAD OF LIFE DRIVE (BOLD). This food drive was started in 1992 by the University of Notre Dame Alumni Club of Staten Island and has collected over 800,000 items of food. Any non-perishable food item such as rice, beans, cereal, peanut butter or canned foods (vegetables, soups, tuna, chicken) would be appreciated. We will have collection bins available in the classrooms. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

CAMPAIGN FOR UNQUOWA PRESENTATION - TUESDAY, MARCH 9

Join us in the Library on Tuesday, March 9 for a presentation by Sharon Lauer with Campaign Chairs, Mark Greenawalt and Joan Panagos. They will present background information on the upcoming Campaign for Unquowa in the Library for all parents who were unable to attend one of the recent cocktail parties.

PI DAY - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

We’ll be celebrating Pi Day on Wednesday with a variety of math events in our classrooms. Be sure to ask your child what they learned! In addition it’s a special CASUAL DAY and students should wear polka dots - or something with circles!

CASUAL PORTRAIT DAY - THURSDAY, MARCH 11

Rod from A Touch of Color Photography will begin taking photos of all our students Thursday morning. Students may dress casually this day and may bring in a “personality” item for his or her portrait - a favorite stuffed animal, a musical instrument, sports item, etc. He will take the photos inside this year and use a contempory background with vibrant red and blue tones. You will be receiving proofs within 10 days of the photo shoot. At that point you can decide if you’d like to place an order. The proofs are yours to keep even if you don’t order a package.

LADIES VOLLEYBALL - THURSDAY, MARCH 11

All Unquowa ladies are welcome to join us for a fun night of volleyball in the gym from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

NOON DISMISSAL - FRIDAY, MARCH 12

We have a noon dismissal on Friday. It’s school spirit day - a GREEN AND/OR WHITE CASUAL DAY!

SPRING SPORTS

We will be having 2 lacrosse teams this spring - Boys’ grades 5-7 and Girls’ grades 5-7. We will also have a Co-ed Tennis team for grades 7 - 8. In addition, we will be offering Future Stars Baseball to students in grades K-4. Details will be emailed to parents in those grades before Spring Vacation!

Have a wonderful SPRING VACATION - SATURDAY, MARCH 13 - SUNDAY, MARCH 28! See you back at school on Monday, March 29.

SUMMER AT UNQUOWA

Registration forms for summer clinics and workshops are available in the “Download Forms” section of Bulletin Board.

June 14 - one week BASKETBALL clinic for students entering grades 5-8
June 21 - July 16 - SUMMER FARM CAMP (4 weeks) for students entering Pre-4 - grade 6. The Sweet Peas program is filling fast!
June 21 - one week YOGA / CREATIVE ARTS CLINIC for upper school students
June 28 - one week YOGA / CREATIVE ARTS CLINIC for upper school students
July 19 - one week IMPROV I & IMPROV IB clinic for current grade 5-8 students
July 27 - 4 day IMPROV II clinic for those taking IMPROV I / IMPROV IB

UPCOMING …..

DANCING FOR OUR STARS
Our annual AUCTION is Saturday, April 24 - a night of delicious food, fantastic entertainment, and our live and silent auctions. Mark your calendars - we hope to see everyone there! If you have items that can be used in our auction, please contact Mindee Blanco (mblanco2@metlife.com), Jessica Ryan (jessicaryan@optonline.net) or Andrea Pinto (ppintofamily@optonlin.net). Thank you in advance for your support!

The Unquowa School Announces New Contract for Sharon Lauer

Mrs. Gombos — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:09:46 +0000

March 1, 2010, Fairfield CT, The Unquowa School today announced a new four year contract for Head of School Sharon Lauer. This is Lauer’s third contract as Head of School at Unquowa. It enables her to complete the third phase of her 10 year plan for The Unquowa School, in addition to positioning her to remain as Head of School through Unquowa’s 100th anniversary in 2017.

“We’re extremely happy with Sharon’s leadership over the past 6 years,” said Kevin Taylor, President of the Unquowa Board of Governors. “Under her guidance, Unquowa has risen to new heights, as evidenced by a 93% enrollment retention rate and a thriving academic environment where 45% of Upper School students qualified as Johns Hopkins Scholars. This new contract ensures our stability as Sharon and the Board work together to implement their vision for The Unquowa School,” said Taylor.

Under Lauer’s leadership, Unquowa has been recognized for developing several innovative programs including one of the first organic school dining programs in the region and a groundbreaking in-depth partnership with local museums - The Fairfield History Museum, The CT Audubon and The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art.

“Certainly I’m thrilled to stay at Unquowa and I thank the entire Unquowa community for this vote of confidence,” Lauer said. “The Unquowa School has a long history of innovation in education and I’m glad to be given the tools and the support to continue this tradition.”

Lauer came to the Unquowa School in 2004 from the prestigious Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Awarded the Edward E. Ford Fellowship in School Leadership from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Lauer has served on the Board of the CT Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), and currently serves on its accreditation commission.

Located in Fairfield CT on the banks of the Rooster River, The Unquowa School is a co-educational day school founded in 1917 on the principals of innovation, integrity, and personal excellence. Entering its 94th year of serving families, the school still relies on these core values as its compass.