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Park Maitland School
"A Legacy of Leaders"
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August 10th, 2016
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Calendar & News
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Week #00
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Dear Parents,
It is almost here, that much anticipated first day of the new school year! The campus is brimming with excitement! Teachers and staff returned this week rejuvenated and ready to begin a wonderful new school year. We look forward to seeing all of you at next week's Meet and Greet events!
Below is the first newsletter of the new school year. This first bit of news is particularly lengthy in order to introduce you to new staff and faculty as well as a few new initiatives and movements within our faculty. You will receive these newsletters on a weekly basis to help you stay abreast of the wonderful things happening at Park Maitland School. It is vitally important that you read EACH newsletter and every communication sent home by the school so that you will be well informed of current happenings and news. With that said, I am thrilled to introduce our new Communications Manager, Cheryl Tight. Ms. Tight joins us after a prestigious career with some of the top publishing companies across the nation. (See her detailed bio below.) We say a sad farewell to Ms. Amber Lavender who worked in this position formerly and has recently relocated with her family to St. Petersburg, Florida where her husband opened up a new law office for Morgan and Morgan. Cheryl will be the creator of our weekly newsletters and schoolwide communications as well as play a big role in our marketing department.
An important reminder--
One of the most exciting things that happens each school year is that the students have the opportunity to meet new teachers and make new friends. This important part of school allows children to gain confidence and new skills. On that note we make the following request:
As parents, you want to do everything possible to help your children achieve in school and in life. One thing you can do to teach them confidence, perseverance, or "grit" is to give them opportunities to accept and adapt to change, make new friends, and handle little "bumps" in the road now. Please remember: Our teachers and administrators use their best professional judgment in creating the class groupings for the upcoming year. They know their students very well, not only as individuals, but also as learners. Each child's "style of learning" is of paramount importance. Experiences of learning to adapt, "synergize," and be with a new group of friends are vitally important life skills. We respectfully ask that you not request any class change after receiving your child's placement at his/her "Meet and Greet" event. (The only possibility of a change would be if there is a very serious problem, of which we may be unaware, that might affect a child's school performance.) Careful consideration is given to the placement of each child for the beginning of the school term. When parents allow their children these experiences, they are telling them that they have confidence in them to adapt and learn to make friends on their own. These experiences will give them the important tools that they need to grow into confident, strong and capable young people.
We thank you for working with us to help create the best experiences to help your child thrive! It's going to be a fantastic year of growing, learning, and practicing KINDNESS!
Warm thanks,
Mrs. Moon
Head of School
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- CALENDAR -
FRIDAY, August 12th:
We invite our new families in Grade 1-6 to join us for orientation and a "Party in the Park" on Friday, August 12th, from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (K-4 and K-5 families who did not attend the May and June orientations are also welcome to attend.)
MONDAY, August 15th:
- 8:00 am - Grade 1 "Meet & Greets"
- 10:00 am - Grade 2 "Meet & Greets"
- 12:30 pm - K-4 "Meet & Greets"
- 2:30 pm - Grade 3 "Meet & Greets"
TUESDAY
, August 16th:
- 8:00 am - Grade 4 "Meet & Greets"
- 10:00 am - K-5 "Meet & Greets"
- 12:30 pm - Grade 5 "Meet & Greets"
- 2:30 pm - Grade 6 "Meet & Greets"
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- WEEK #01 -
WEDNESDAY, August 17th: K-4 and K-5 First Day of School
- 8:45 am - K-4 "Tissues and Tea" - After drop off you are invited to join us for an informal "reassurance" time in the A.A.C. (gym) building. Administrators and staff will be available to answer any new or residual questions that you might have about your child's first day. Parking will be available in front of the gym.
- 12:30 pm - K-5 "Tissues and Tea" - Before pick up you are invited to join us for an informal "reassurance" time in the A.A.C. (gym) building. Administrators and staff will be available to answer any new or residual questions that you might have about your child's first day. Parking will be available in front of the gym.
THURSDAY, August 18th:
Gr. 1-6 First Day of School
FRIDAY, August 19th: School Wide Welcome Back Assembly
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AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Sign-up for AfterSchool Enrichment classes is underway. Visit the Parent Access page for details about the wonderful clubs and engaging activities. This year parents must sign up using a simple registration form and payment will be made on the first day of camp. Follow this LINK for details and registration.
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-MARK YOUR CALENDARS-
PARENTS' NIGHT
(formerly Open House)
Mon. Aug. 29-- Grade 6 @ 4:30pm
Tues. Aug. 30-- Grade 1 @ 4:30pm
Wed. Aug 31-- Grade 4 @ 4:30 pm
Thur. Sept. 1-- Grade 3 @ 4:30 pm
Tues. Sept. 6-- K-5 @ 4:30 pm
Wed. Sept. 7 -- Grade 5 @ 4:30 pm
Thur. Sept. 8 -- K-4 @ 4:30 pm
Wed. Sept. 12--Grade 2 @ 4:30pm
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MANDATORY FORMS
VERY IMPORTANT: Please be sure you have submitted your mandatory summer forms! We must have all of these documents (including updated immunization for K-5's and all new students, and birth certificates and physical forms for all new students) on file prior to the first day of school to remain in accordance with Florida law. You can find everything you need to complete this process on the password protected "
Parent Access" page of the the school's website.
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Swim Team
Summer is in the books, which means Park Maitland's swim team will jump into action on
Monday, August 22
nd
!
Practice, tryouts, and registration will run from 4:00 - 5:00 pm at the Winter Park Racquet Club (2111 Via Tuscany). The swim team is open to all Park Maitland students who can comfortably swim 25 yards (one length) of freestyle and backstroke. If you are not sure of your child's ability, you are welcome to bring your swimmer by the WPRC pool Wednesday &/or Thursday, August 17
th
&/or 18
th
, between 4:00 & 5:00pm for a tryout. Click
HERE
for more team information.
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Volleyball Tryouts
Attention 5th and 6th Grade Girls! Volleyball tryouts will be held on Monday, August 17th and
Tuesday, August 18th from
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
in the AAC Building.
Be sure to turn in the completed physical form and waiver on or before the tryouts! See the Eagle Athletics page to access the forms.
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SCHOOL SCHEDULE
- ARRIVAL -
K-5 - Grade 3 arrive between
7:10 and 7:45 am.
Class starts at 7:50 am.
Grades 4-6
arrive between
7:45 and 8:00 am.
Class starts at 8:05 am.
K-4
arrive
between
8:15 and 8:30 am.
Class starts at 8:35 am.
- DISMISSAL -
K-4 and K-5
dismiss between
1:50 and 2:10 pm.
Grades 1-3 dismiss between
2:38 and 3:10 pm.
Grades 4-6 dismiss beginning at 3:26 pm.
The school remains open for AfterCare until 5:45 pm.
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NEW SCHOOL "KINDNESS" TEE
Don't forget to check out the new school tees that remind us to spread
KINDNESS everywhere! We will have monthly "kindness" days and encourage everyone to wear their shirts! You can find these and many other great items in the AAC building
at your child's special
"Meet & Greet"!
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MUSIC RECORDERS
All Grade 3 and
New Grade 4 Students
All grade 3 students and all new grade 4 students must have a recorder (musical instrument) for music class this year. Parents may pay for their child's recorder at the "Meet & Greet" in lieu of being billed by the business office.
If your child elects to use an older sibling's recorder, please be sure to let Ms. Ieleen Rundgren know
in order to prevent an unnecessary billing inclusion. Contact her by email or by phone at 407-647-3038, ext. 111.
Recorders will not be used during the first half of the school year. Mr. Nelson will ask the children to hold on to their recorders and books until the second semester, so please keep them in a safe place until then. He will announce when each grade needs to begin bringing them in.
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MOVERS
and
SHAKERS!
Ms. Nicole Roman will be moving from her position as our K-4-1st grade Spanish teacher to a position as classroom teacher of K4! She is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as a teacher who welcomes our youngest students to the world of learning and discovery! Ms. Roman holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She has worked at Park Maitland for several years, first in a leadership position as Director of our previous YMCA-run after-school program and most recently as a beloved homeroom Spanish teacher of our youngest!
Another outstanding and delightful member of the school "family" is Ms. Lauren Kuharske. Ms. Kuharske will move out of the Admissions Department, where she has spent several years, to become our new Marketing Manager. Ms. Kuharske earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and International Business from Rollins College, followed by her Masters of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from Rollins' Crummer Graduate School of Business. As the granddaughter of the beloved founder of Park Maitland School, Nell Cohen, and daughter of Ms. Carolyn Fritch, she is the perfect person to share her pride of our school while utilizing her expert marketing skills.
Ms. Andrea Infantino will leave the administrative support office to revisit her passion as a classroom teacher. She will be resuming Nicole Roman's position as Spanish teacher of the younger grades. Ms. Infantino holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education and an ESOL Endorsement and has taught for several years in the primary grades. Andrea is fluent in Spanish and lived for seven years in Colombia. We are thrilled for her to have the opportunity to share her knowledge of the Spanish language with her passion and talent for teaching.
As most of you know, the dedicated and hardworking
Ms. Joy Sonntag
has been the Director of Club Eagle AfterSchool program for the past two years in addition to teaching "all" day in the Early Childhood Centers Room. Joy helped to create a program in Centers that has enriched our young learners for years. She will now have the time to pour all of her creative energy and supervisory skills into coordinating and directing ALL aspects of our afterschool programs. In addition to serving as Director of Club Eagle, she will take over coordination and supervision of "all" afterschool clubs and activities. We can't think of a more dedicated and organized person to manage this important task!
Over the last few years,
Ms. Amber Scott
has made her mark as a part time classroom aide and talented yearbook "creator!" Little did she know when she joined our staff that she had such a hidden talent for working with children. She has proven to be a natural with children and is now moving full time into the classroom as an aide. We are reinventing our school yearbook next year in an effort to be more ecofriendly. Our goal is to downsize the yearbook, and, as a result, it will take on a different look and size. We are planning on moving yearbook production back into the Marketing and Communications office in the capable hands of Ms. Cheryl Tight.
Ms. Sharon Ventimiglia will be pulling herself away from teaching 5th AND 6th grade science and will devote her time, energy, and wonderful expertise to teaching 5th grade science only. We know she will miss her beloved 6th grade students and they will miss her, but she is thrilled to give this up to her buddy and trusted expert in science, Renee Watts!
Ms. Renee Watts is moving on up from her 4th grade science and social studies position to teach Super Senior Science! Our 6th grade students will be so excited to be with their much loved former teacher! In addition, she will be working with 4th grade students in our Maker Space along with John Courson.
Ms. Emily Blomquist
will utilize her passion for STEAM and her previous experience as our science and social studies and Odyssey of the Mind teacher, along with her creative and inventive experience as Summer Fun Camp Director, as she moves into the "Centers" room and becomes the teacher of our early childhood Mini "Maker" room--officially being renamed as our Tinkering Lab! We are very excited that we can now offer "all" students the design, create, and make experience--an absolute must for all students in this ever changing world of learning and discovery! Students in K4 and K5 will visit the "Tinkering Lab" weekly, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students will participate in project-based STEAM activities in our new Tinkering Lab as well!
As you all know,
Ms. Evelyn McCulloch
has worked as our Lead Innovator in Smart Tech Class in the Maker Space for the past several years. She will be sharing her expertise with Google apps and 21st Century education with teachers at all grade levels as our "Instructional Innovation Coach." In addition, she will continue to teach Smart Tech to our 5th and 6th grade students.
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CARPOOL REMINDER
During the first few weeks of school, carpool may take a little longer than usual as our surrounding neighbors and all of our families adjust to our carpool routines. You can do a few things to help us make the process safe and more efficient. Please keep in mind, carpool rules are in place to prevent confusion (makes parents happy), to assist the city's flow of traffic (makes the policemen happy), and to keep the children safe (makes everyone happy).
* At drop off, students should have their bags close by, seat unbuckled, and ready to "jump out" when an "arrival specialist" opens the door! Being prepared really does make a difference!
* At pick up, be sure to display the Park Maitland issued yellow carpool tag with your child's name or carpool animal throughout the entire carpool line - from entering campus to exiting at the gates! This is a very important step in ensuring your child's safety! The yellow sign tells us the person in the car is authorized to pick up the child whose last name appears on the sign, and it helps us get to know parents and drivers by associating names with cars and faces!
* NEVER EVER use your cell phone during carpool or any time you are driving on campus!
*If you haven't done so, please fill out the carpool/dismissal information form below. Our front office will need this for every family!*
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MEET OUR NEW
FACULTY & STAFF
Back by popular demand,
Ms. Colleen Farley
! We could not have been luckier to have found the perfect person to step into Ms. Kelley's "big shoes". As a long term substitute teacher for Ms. Kelley last year, Ms. Farley was such a natural at connecting with and teaching her students that we asked her to join us permanently as our new 3rd grade reading teacher! Ms. Farley was born and raised in Marlborough, Massachusetts and attended Westfield State University where she received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Reading. After graduating in 2007, she accepted a teaching position at a wonderful independent elementary school where she stayed for the next eight years teaching both first and second grade. In 2014, Ms. Farley received her Masters in reading from Worcester State University in Massachusetts. While teaching, she was an active member of her school district's report card committee, developed curriculum specifically for English Language Arts, and mentored and supervised student teachers from local colleges. When she is not teaching, she enjoys teaching dance, exercising, and of course reading!
We are thrilled to have the bright and talented
Ms. Ellie Higgs join our fourth grade team as the new social studies and science teacher. Ms. Higgs has been a much loved substitute teacher here for the past two years.
Ms. Higgs is an Orlando native who has been a part of our Park Maitland family since a
ttending the school as a child. Ms. Higgs went on to study at Florida State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. Ms. Higgs is eager to incorporate her enthusiasm for the sciences into this year's curriculum and is excited to show students how an understanding of science and social studies can enrich their lives. In her free time, Ms. Higgs enjoys exploring Florida's many state parks, gardening, yoga, traveling, and cooking with her husband, Cameron.
Ms. Jenny Lin was selected from many outstanding candidates
 and will be joining the Park
Maitland family as a first grade Reading and E.S.W. teacher. Ms. Lin graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree and a Master of Education in Interdisciplinary Education. She continued her education and earned a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, focusing on child advocacy. Guided by her passion for education, Mrs. Lin returned to the teaching profession and taught first and third grade. She is looking forward to imparting her love of reading to her students while nurturing them to become confident writers. In her spare time, Ms. Lin enjoys reading, sewing, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
We are so
fortunate to have
Ms. Jacqueline Quintana-Mayo
, a highly talented and experienced
teacher who was born in Cuba and grew up in Spain a
nd Puerto Rico. She graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Psychology and a minor in Spanish. Ms. Quintana-Mayo later pursued her Masters in Special Education from the University of North Carolina. While at the University of North Carolina she was the Vice President for the Student Council for Exceptional Children and worked as a teaching assist
ant at the Education Department. She has more tha
n nine years of experience with diverse communities including students with exceptional needs, bilingual students, and preschool. She was also part of the St. James Cathedral religious education department for 20 years and prepared and organized the Spanish portion of all publications, liturgies, and classes. She obtained her Exceptional Student Education and Primary certifications through the Florida Department of Education. She will be joining Park Maitland as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade Spanish teacher. She is very excited to teach children a new language and enrich their knowledge in diverse cultures.
 Ms. Amy Jones is the newest member
of our
administrative support team. She brings tremendous experience and talents and will be working with Ms. Straker and Ms. William
s. Ms. Jones was born and
raised in the Orlando area and graduated from University of Central Florida. She earned a BS in
Elementary Education with an ESOL endorsement. Ms. Jones went on to use her degree working for
the YMCA of Central Florida for 13 years, working her way up to a Program Director
overseeing ten before and after school sites. Ms. Jones is married with two boys, ages three and 17
months, and she enjoys spending time with her family, watching the Boston Red Sox, and
listening to country music. Ms. Jones is very excited to become part of the Park Maitland family, and we welcome her!
We are happy to introduce
Ms. Meghan Wright
as our
new 4th  grade math teacher! She is thrilled to become a part of the Park Maitland School family! For the past 13 years, she has been a teacher at Eastbrook Elementary in Seminole County. The last eight years of this experience have been spent serving diverse fifth grade learners, including the gifted students, in math and science. She grew up in Lakeland, Florida and attended Stetson University for undergraduate studies in Elementary Education. She then earned a Master's of Technology Degree in a Global Education Program that she feels offered her a worldwide view in education. Summers were spent with classes in Geneva, Switzerland with multiple opportunities to travel to other countries. In addition to teaching, she serves as the Assistant Varsity Volleyball Coach at Trinity Preparatory School where she has met many of our former students. Meghan's personal interests outside of school include reading, travel,
paddle-boarding
, trivia, and playing volleyball competitively.
We are very happy to "officially" welcome
Ms. Cindy Farber
! Ms. Farber has worked as a short and
long term substitute teacher here in several grades over the past few years. She was also a much loved staff member in our Club Eagle AfterSchool program last year. This year, she joins us full time as a classroom aide in the early childhood classes. Ms. Farber is currently in the middle of pursuing her Elementary Ed. degree. She is the proud mother of Benjamin, K4 and Sammy, 4th grade. Her hobbies include cooking, crocheting, traveling, and being active in youth ministry at her church.
Ms. Joanie
Forbes
joins our art department as a long te
rm substitute for Leah Unell while Leah stays home with her new baby son, Noah. Ms. Forbes comes to us with a wealth of experience. She graduated from Mercer University with an Art Education degree to teach Art for K-8. She owned her own art school for children in College Park, "Joanie's Art Studio" for 10 years where she taught art classes to boys and girls K4-8th grade. Joanie created a summer arts camp for children which she directed for 21 years. She developed her passion for teaching children about different cultures and their traditions through the arts while writing the curriculum for "Discovery Camp." In Discovery Camp, Mrs. Forbes taught the campers that we were all created different for a reason. Her campers learned how to respect and embrace those differences through learning the different styles of art and art mediums, which represented the different countries and time periods. Ms. Forbes is married with two grown children, a wonderful daughter in law, and four grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her family, and loves doing art using a variety of media. Ms. Forbes has enjoyed subbing here at Park Maitland over the past two years and is excited to be filling in for Leah while she is on her maternity leave. She is looking forward to working with our 3rd through 5th graders!
We have been blessed to find a perfect fit when searching for someone to take on the job of
Communications Manager. Ms. Cheryl Tight joins Park Maitland to take on this important role. She comes to us with over 10 years experience managing strategic marketing, event planning, and communications outreach for world-class companies. Cheryl started her career in New York City at
Seventeen Magazine's Creative Services Department, one of the most highly esteemed Marketing/Promotion Depart
ments in the industry. There  she created signature events and programs to increase revenue and maximize branding potential. She would continue her career at Macy's Corporate in Chicago, where she planned and executed the brands fashion events for all of their Midwest stores. After several years in Chicago, she followed her husband to Stanford, where she worked at Sunset Magazine as their Marketing Manager. She has also done freelance for major publications such as Oprah Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Outside, Redbook, and the Denver Art Museum. Upon leaving Sunset, Cheryl was happy to land her most important job yet, motherhood. After many wonderful years at home with Maddie, Lily, and Jack, she is thrilled to join her new family at Park Maitland. When Cheryl is not working she loves exploring her new city of Orlando, running, and swimming.
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Starting this fall, Emmabean will be available Mondays and Wednesdays at Park Maitland. Let us pack your sprout's lunches! Seasonal, local and Kid Friendly meals that are organically focused. Visit us on the web at
emmabeanorlando.com to register and order. Order by 8am for day of delivery and don't forget to pack your sprout a water bottle!
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STAFF NEWS!
The stork has arrived!
Congratulations to Lindsay and James Kelley on the arrival of sweet Katherine JoAnne Kelley. Katherine was born on Wednesday, June 8th!
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Ms. Leah Unell and her husband, Justin are the proud parents of precious Noah Michael who was
born on July 6th!
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More Park Maitland "Family" Pride
Special news from Wyoming:
Ms. T
racy Bowen Mulligan, a former K-4 teacher at Park Maitland School was named "Teacher of the Year" at her school, the Journeys School of the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, WY. Tracy works with kindergartners there, and she credits her Park Maitland experience with teaching her "how to teach!" We love this and consider her honor also a feather in OUR caps! Tracy is Mrs. Mary M. Bowen's daughter and also a dynamic and creative granddaughter of Mrs. Cohen. She holds a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction.
New artist-painted teepee for Tracy's classroom!
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Teacher Retreat
Our teachers were surprised on their first day back to school with a trip to rejuvenate and reconnect. Buses whisked teachers and staff away to the beach where they enjoyed team building games, playing in the surf, reconnecting, and yoga with Jane Hicks from Harmony Yoga.
To see more photos, follow us on Instagram at ParkMaitlandSchool
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 Facebook
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Cheryl Tight
Communications Manager
Park Maitland School
407-647-3038, ext. 122
ctight@parkmaitland.org
newsletter@parkmaitland.org
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Copyright © 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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