The Sweetest Taste of Spring
One of the gentle traditions that mark the coming of spring at MPH is the annual Making Maple Syrup talk done by Ms. Critz in the kindergarten classroom. This year Grade 2 joined in the fun and sampling and, most importantly (at least to the teachers), learning. Ms. Critz explained to the students that ideal sap-collecting weather is here, with warm days and much cooler evenings. She demonstrated the tap setup she uses, explained the collection process (all the sap is heavy!), and walked kids through the boiling down of the sap into syrup. "Guess how many of these jars it takes to make one of these jars," she asked, holding clear sap in one hand and a finished jar of golden amber syrup in another. "Forty!," she said, to gasps. With the second-graders present, there was some institutional knowledge to be displayed: When Ms. Critz asked if the students had noticed that her syrup samplers were different hues of amber and gold, some second-grade volunteered, "that's amber!" The session was finished off with the all-important taste test, during which students sampled the various hues and passed each other enthusiastic "mmmmm"s.
Reenrollment for 2023-2024 closes today!

For instructions, please refer to the reenrollment materials sent home via USPS. There are two forms that need to be submitted by March 24: the Reenrollment Agreement and the Parent Information and Student Transportation Update. 
 
Busing Requests
Separately, if you are planning to use public district busing for the 2023-2024 school year, you must submit a request to your home district by April 1, unless you reside in the Syracuse City School District (the SCSD requires MPH to submit requests on behalf of enrolled families). Please visit the Transportation page of our website for additional information.
 
If you have any questions, or require a deadline extension, please reach out to the Admissions team via email at [email protected].
Athletics note: The most-recent athletics schedule is always available through Schedule Galaxy and can be accessed on the MPH Calendar page or via the Schedule Galaxy mobile app. The schedule included below is subject to change after the date of distribution, so please check Schedule Galaxy before heading out to a contest.

Monday | Day 2

Tuesday | Day 3

Wednesday | Day 4
4:30 p.m. | Girls + Boys Varsity Outdoor Track @ Cato-Meridian
4:30 p.m. | Varsity Softball (Bishop Grimes) vs. Port Byron

Thursday | Day 5
7:00 p.m. | Grade 5 Moving Up Night

Friday | Day 6
4:30 p.m. | Varsity Softball (Bishop Grimes) @ Weedsport
MPH Spring Gala | May 19, 2023
 
This year’s Red & White themed Spring Gala celebrates Manlius Pebble Hill School and our community. Plans are underway for a fabulous celebration on Friday, May 19, at Owera Vineyards in Cazenovia. Proceeds from this event will directly support strategic investments to our academic programs, facilities improvements, expanding scholarship assistance, and enhancement of resources to support our faculty and staff.  Here's a glimpse of last year's gala.
 
If you’d like to get involved in the celebration, here are a few ways you can support the event:
 
  • Donate a live/silent auction item. Gift cards, getaways, experiences, concert tickets, and more are always appreciated! MPH families are invited to contribute to the school level Gala Baskets – Click here for a list of themes. Basket items are due by May 5,
 
 

  • If you should have any Gala questions please reach out to Class Gala Ambassadors.  

If you’d like to become a sponsor, donate an item or experience, or get involved in planning the event, please contact Karen Belgrader.


Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors:
Gold Sponsors
Cerio Law Offices, PLLC
Syracuse ENT Surgeons, PLLC
The Wildhack Family
 
Silver Sponsors
Dermatology Associates of CNY
Had Fuller ‘66A
KSP Painting of Syracuse
Mafrici Law Office, PC
The Murthy-Joshi Family
Lynn D’Elia Temes & Stanczyk
Mark and Diane Wladis & Family
Steven and Lexi Wladis
 
Bronze Sponsors
Brown & Brown of New York, Inc
FS Engineering, DPC
Ragan Real Estate Team
TAG Solutions
The Ryan and Leann West Family
 
Pewter Sponsors
Fallon Oral Surgery
L & J.G. Stickley, Inc
McClurg Remodeling
Northland Communications
Photos of the Week
MPH first-graders don't plan on sitting around the house when they hit 100 years old ... this hallway display shows the very active aspirations of our students when asked how they envision themselves as they hit the century mark.
Photos of the Week Pt. II (it was a busy week)
This year's STEM fair was another resounding success, filling the halls of the School on Thursday evening.
Summer Programs Registration is Open!

The MPH 2023 summer brochure is now available for viewing and registration is open!

We are excited to offer a variety of programs this summer for entering grades PreK-12.

Questions? Please call the Summer Program office at 315.446.2452.
MPH Apparel Store
NOTE: The only option for delivery of these orders is shipping to an address customers provide. There will be no orders from this store delivered to the school.

The official Manlius Pebble Hill clothing store is now live with a wide variety of selections for all sizes, genders, and ages. A couple key points:

  • It's an online store, but it's open for the whole year
  • We have two designs available now - a script Manlius Pebble Hill School and an "MPH" option; you'll see the selections in the drop-down menus for each item
  • We'll be adding designs throughout the year, so keep checking back - and check Snapshot - we'll let you know when we've got new items
Weekly Lunch Menu
You'll find the weekly lunch menu here in Snapshot every Friday, but it also lives on the MPH website (you can find it through the direct link or on the left column of myMPH). And this week we welcome the return of Nutrislice, which lets users sort menu items by nutritional data, ingredients, and allergens.
Order Yearbooks by April 1!
The ordering deadline for MPH yearbooks is April 1, 2023, with each yearbook costing $75.

The process for preordering your 2022-2023 MPH Yearbook is easy. Please use this link at Jostens.com, and select “Order a Yearbook.” From there, select “Find My School Store,” and enter Manlius Pebble Hill School in the search bar. Next, select MPH from the drop-down menu and choose “Order Yearbook.” You will be prompted to create an account, and once that is complete you are able to purchase your yearbook(s).

If you need help with the ordering process, please reach out to Yearbook Advisor Amy Hogan at [email protected].
Woodshop Club Crafts End Table for McNeil

For the last several weeks, Woodshop club has met in the maintenance shop with Ms. Aguiar and created this end table, which is now on display for practical use in the McNeil Lobby.

The table is made completely out of pallet and scrap wood. Students first disassembled a pallet, then designed the table, cut, sanded, and fixed the boards together using a stable gun. Woodshop club finished the table off by staining and wood burning the top for an added rustic look. The top boards are intentionally left jagged and unmeasured to add to the rustic DIY feel of the end table.

The craftsmen/women behind this hard work are:

Alexa Rose Battaglia
Lizzie Berry
J’Vonte Burrell
Josh Clardy (not pictured)
Arabella Ferris
Celina Ha
Jacob Hafner
Owen Sacks
Sun-Jin Shah
Devan Trikha 
Syracuse Prof Shares Museum Expertise with Students
Dr. Emily Stokes-Rees (P'23) of Syracuse University shared her expertise with the Museum Studies class on Wednesday, and students learned about museum design and function, curating exhibits, and interpreting artifacts. 

Dr. Stokes-Rees is Director of the School of Design and the Iris Magidson Endowed Professor of Design Leadership at Syracuse University. In addition to a holding a doctorate in Material Anthropology, Dr. Stokes-Rees is a museum professional with close to 20 years of experience in a variety of positions, from exhibition development and interpretation to education and collections management.
Dance Teacher Honored with Choreographer's Grant
Middle and Upper School Dance Teacher Maya June Dwyer '13 was named one of the 12 emerging choreographers in New York who have been award the 2023 New York State Dance Force Choreographer's Initiative grant.

The NYS New York Choreographers Initiative 2023 (NYSCI) is a funding opportunity administered by The New York State DanceForce in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts and is designed to help choreographers develop their choreographic skills by providing them with resources to advance their creative practice. The awardees each receive a $2,500 stipend, access to a mentor, and support for 20 hours of creative time with dancers and other collaborators of their choice. Each project is basically a mini-residency, designed to fit the specific needs of each artist.

Maya is an interdisciplinary choreographer specialized in theatrical, site-specific dance. She has trained and worked with companies including PUSH Physical Theatre, The Hofesh Shechter Company, Meredith Monk, Meryl Tankard, and Pilobolus.

She has received three choreography commissions from Society for New Music's Vision of Sound Festival for SOLILO: Dictionary of Dedications (2020), Holding Patterns and Paradigm Shifts (Co-created w/Imani Pearl Williams, 2021), and The Scary Part Is (2023). In 2019, her piece Padam premiered at the Salt City Dance Festival.
CNY Rugby's MPH Connection is Growing
Four MPH seniors play rugby for the Syracuse Silver Hawks, and both the girls and boys (Silverbacks) team are looking for new members (and, despite the dates on the flyer, there is still time to register). Rugby counts for MPH's Independent Study Core Health requirement. Coaches are more than happy to have students check out a practice with no commitment to see how rugby is played - and word on the street is 100% of MPH kids have joined after seeing it in action.

For more information, checkout cnyrugby.com.
April Vacation Program
Grades Pre-K to 6
 
 
April 3-6 (Monday-Thursday)
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with extended hours 8:00-9:00 a.m. and 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Fee: $65/day plus $15-$22.50 day for extended hours
 
MPH is offering a coverage program during the April spring break. This program will be open to MPH students only.
 
Students need to bring a lunch (with drink) and snacks will be provided. Please ensure that lunches are nut-free and that no eggs or nuts come on to the campus. 
 
Age-appropriate activities are planned, and students will have access to the gym and playgrounds (depending on the weather). Confirmation of registration, along with details, will be emailed prior to the program.

MPH Community Programs
MPH After School Clubs for K-8
April-May Offerings
 
 
Soccer Shots
Grades PreK-2
Wednesdays, 3:15-4:00 p.m.
April 12-May 31
Fee: $145
 
Soccer Shots is an engaging children’s soccer program with a focus on character development. The Soccer Shots caring team positively impacts children’s lives on and off the field through best-in-class coaching, curriculum, and communication. 
 
Chess Club
Grades 1-8
Wednesdays, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
April 19-May 24
Fee: $85
 
The MPH Chess Club is the most successful, award-winning chess program in Central New York. The MPH Chess Team has won no less than seven tournaments, with team members winning several individual chess championships. Chess also helps keep thinking and reasoning skills in shape throughout the school year.
 
Chess Coach: Bob Nasiff is a U.S. Chess Federation nationally rated chess master with over 30 years of instructional experience. Many of his students have won chess championship titles at the local, state, and national levels.
 
Questions? Call the Community Programs office at 315-446-2452.

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