A Community Effort
The snow came on Friday, sparing us the big blast the North Country received, but dusting campus just enough to encourage students to participate in impromptu Penguin Races (below) and still be able to enjoy the outdoors in what is now a time of even more heightened awareness inside.

We are again grateful for the overwhelming support from our community on Monday, as we were able to test 96 percent of our community, giving us an accurate picture of COVID spread and allowing us to open for in-person learning, albeit with some tightened indoor protocols, Thursday and Friday.

We will continue with in-person learning next week and also return to participation in some after-school activities. For more details, please see the "Community Plan" email that we sent earlier today.
MPH Photos of the Week
Chuck Wainwright is not only the long-running official photographer of important MPH events, sports, and occasional campus fun, but he's also an alum. Chuck, a member of the Class of '74 was on campus before the holiday break to take pictures of the Lower School and Middle School/Upper School concerts.
Online Drivers Ed and SAT Prep Offered
All ONLINE Drivers Ed and SAT Prep classes from MPH fit our students' busy schedules and feature the high-quality instruction you'd expect from our fantastic community programs.

Drivers Ed begins January 31 and features pre-recorded chapter reviews, along with assignments and quizzes. Parents/guardians provide support for the required 24 hours of driving time and submit weekly logs.
SAT Prep starts February 7 and features a Sunday Zoom class that is recorded for anyone who can't attend at that time.

All classes are recorded and will be available up to seven days if a class is missed.
The Scene Around MPH
Community Outreach Alliance Delivers Gifts to Refugees
In the weeks before the holiday break, the Community Outreach Alliance club (COA) hosted a refugee holiday gift drive. They partnered with Interfaith Works to donate items to two refugee families in Central New York, one from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the other from Syria. 

According to club member Neha Chhablani, '23: Students and teachers signed up to bring members of those families gifts! On December 23 members of the club delivered these gifts to the families. They had a chance to meet the families, and it was an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience for everyone. The families were so grateful, so thank you to everyone who donated for making their first Christmas in the U.S. a memorable one. 
Empower CNY Offers Student-Led Volunteer Opportunities
Students in Grades 8 and 12 have a wonderful community volunteer opportunity through Empower CNY, which was founded about a year ago by CNY teens (and continues to be run by teens) to provide tutoring to local K-8 students as a means of addressing educational inequities.

Empower currently conducts tutoring sessions for more than 50 students, some virtually and some in person. Locations include the OCPL Central and OCPL Petit Libraries, as well as the Vietnamese Community Center of Syracuse. They are also actively expanding to new locations. More details are available on Empower's website: empowercny.org.

Further details on tutoring times and locations from Empower CNY
High schoolers can register to be a tutor on our website and let us know where they would be able to tutor through the Google form. We will then reach out to them with more details.
If they are interested in virtual tutoring, sessions take place Saturday and Sunday evenings and mornings.

Currently, all of our in-person sessions take place each Saturday: 

  • OCPL Central: Saturdays 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
  • OCPL Petit: Saturdays 3 to 4:30 p.m.
  • Vietnamese Community Center: Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

If you’re interested in contributing to the organization in more than just a tutoring capacity, consider applying for the Empower CNY LEAD Team. Admissions are rolling, and any high school student may apply through this Google form.

If accepted, LEAD team members work alongside each other as well as the directors to facilitate outreach, brainstorm new ideas, and meet with each other bi-weekly to debrief.
Animal Shelter Supply Drive Was a Big Success
Seniors Eden Hildebrandt and Matthew Roberson are thrilled to announce that the animal shelter Holiday Supply Drive was a big success! They collected more than 330 lbs of pet food, including about 150 cans of cat and dog food, and 50 toys and accessories and were able to deliver them to the Humane Association of CNY on December 22.

They would like to thank everyone who chose to donate. The shelter was extremely grateful for your support and is sending their sincerest thanks. Many pets will receive your wonderful gifts thanks to your generosity! 
Grade 3 Crafts Custom Gifts with Cameo
Grade 3 students were able to use Cameo technology before break to make customized sticker gifts for the holidays. The students in Ms. Salomon's class learned skills and tips from Ms. Yeager, who was, "so helpful."
Roots and Shoots Delays Can Drive to January 27
Due to the recent health protocols and risk of transmission, the Roots and Shoots Club is postponing the can and bottle drive to the first week of the third quarter" Thursday, January 27, and Friday, January 28. Students will collect cans from parents in the morning drop-off line. They are hoping to then exchange these cans and donate the money to the Sierra Club.
Athletics Apparel Store Open Again Until Jan. 23
If you missed it the first time around, the Trojans apparel store is open again for purchases until Jan. 23. There are men's, women's, and kid's options in a wide variety of sizes.

For those looking for MPH apparel that isn't athletics-themed, we will plan an order this spring. Stay tuned to Snapshot for details!
Volunteers and Students Make Testing a Possibility
As we increase the amount and frequency of COVID-19 testing for our students and employees, we could not do so without the help of our Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class students and volunteer employees. How does the lab know whose sample is whose? Each sample is labeled and barcoded by our care-full volunteers. We appreciate everyone’s partnership in our social compact that keeps us all safely learning and growing.

Pictured above from left to right: Karen Belgrader, Carolyn Zimmerman, Nichelle Pawlikowski, Ryan Zlomek, and Christine Civello (not pictured: Katie Rey) process COVID tests.

Manlius Pebble Hill School | 315-446-2452mphschool.org