Reminders & Upcoming Events Happy Holidays! Dec. 19, 2019
All Academy Reminders
MLK Days of Service This year's service activities will be spread across multiple days in January rather than only on the MLK Day holiday, in order to maximize the participation of our students and the collective impact of our efforts, which are now called the MLK Days of Service. The activities at the Country Day, Junior and Middle Schools will take place during school days in January and not on MLK Day. Senior School service activities will remain on MLK Day, Monday, Jan. 20 and online registration is now open. See the Dec. 11 email for details. Families at each school will receive more details directly from their respective school office.
SSA Summer 2020 Information Now Available Information for SSA Summer programs is now available online for grades PK-8. Opportunities abound for 2020, so review the information before registration opens on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 a.m. Registration for summer school courses for students entering grades 9-12 will open in February. View offerings for grades PK-8.
Give the Gift of School Spirit this Holiday! The SSA Spirit Store has gear and gifts for the whole family! Get 10 percent off by using the 'HOLIDAY10' discount code now through Jan. 1. Shop online or email store@shadysideacademy.org to shop in-person on the Senior School campus. Order now to ensure an SSA holiday!
Upcoming Academy Events
Dec. 21 - African-American Parent Meet and Greet, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., Junior School
Dec. 21-Jan. 5 - NO CLASSES, Winter Recess
Jan. 6 - Classes Resume
Jan. 20 - ACADEMY CLOSED, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Country Day School Reminders Holiday Program, Dec. 19 Today, Thursday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m., students in JPK through fifth grade will share a holiday-themed program of theater and song with families in the Hillman Center for Performing Arts on the Senior School campus. The third grade students will be our featured performers as they present a musical drama about the gifts many people share at various holidays. Students should arrive at the Hillman Center by 5:45 p.m. Movie Night, Jan. 10 Families are invited to Movie Night, Friday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m., featuring Abominable. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring sleeping bags, blankets and/or pillows for a fun, cozy time in the Great Hall. For those interested in having dinner before, we will be serving pizza in the lunchroom at 5:30 p.m. for $5 per person. Please RSVP in advance if you are interested in dinner. Popcorn and pretzels will be provided by the Parents' Association. Reminder: parents will need to stay for the movie as this is not a drop-off event. MLK Days of Service Activities, Jan. 17 Country Day School will celebrate MLK Day in school on Friday, Jan. 17, from 8:15-10:30 a.m. At an assembly, students and teachers will work together to make fleece blankets for displaced people in Pittsburgh, and students will make cards for children who visit The Caring Place. Middle School Community Service Committee students will assist. The morning will culminate with an MLK video. Parents are welcome to join students for the morning. A $2 dress-down day will be held tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 20, to raise money to purchase fleece for the blankets. Donations of two pieces of 1-1/2 yards of fleece material for the blankets are also appreciated. Email Dr. Jennifer Asmonga with questions. Yearbook Photos Please email your photos from school events to Julie Wohlgemuth at SSACountryDayPhotos@gmail.com. This email can be used throughout the year to share any photos for the yearbook. Upcoming CDS Events
Dec. 19 - Holiday Show, 6 p.m., Hillman Center, Senior School
Jan. 10 - Movie Night, 6-9 p.m.
Jan. 17 - MLK Days of Service Activities, 8:15-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 22 - Parents' Association Coffee With the Head of School, 8:15 a.m., Library
Junior School Reminders
Pipeline & Pedagogy, Jan. 10 Parents are invited to a interactive workshop to support a new pilot program called Pipeline & Pedagogy, on Friday, Jan. 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Developed in conjunction with Dr. Mathis, interim head, and Laura Kisailus, SSA parent and founder of Darwin, a design group, the workshop will focus on the alignment of academia and workforce. Childcare, refreshments and snacks will be provided. Download the flyer to learn more or sign up online.
MLK Days of Service Activities, Jan. 16 The Junior School will celebrate MLK Day in school on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 9-11:30 a.m. A morning assembly will kick off with a guest speaker, then students and teachers will work in Shady Side Way teams to make fleece blankets for displaced people in Pittsburgh. Senior School Service Learning Club students will assist. Everyone will regroup to hear a book about Dr. King and excerpts from his "I Have a Dream" speech. Parents are welcome to join students for the morning. Donations of two pieces of 1-1/2 yards of fleece material for the blankets are appreciated. Email Jennifer Riscili or Karen DiFiore with questions.
Uniform Store The Uniform Store is open! Stop in and shop for uniform pieces or drop off gently used items that you no longer need. Prices range from $1-$3 and all proceeds benefit our students.
Yearbook Photos Needed Please share your photos of past and future school events with the Yearbook Committee by uploading them to this Google Photos folder or by emailing them to computer teacher Karen Sandora.
Parents' Association Volunteer Opportunities
Contact our committee leads with any questions or to get involved in specific events:
Upcoming JS Events
Dec. 20 - A Gathering of Warmth and Light, 9:15 a.m.
Jan. 10 - NO CLASSES, Kindergarten Only
Jan. 10 - Pipeline & Pedagogy Workshop, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 16 - MLK Days of Service Activities, 9-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 17 - NO CLASSES, PK Only
Middle School Reminders
MLK Days of Service Activities, Jan. 8-23 On Thursday, Jan. 8, during school, Middle School students will watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream Speech" in advisory groups, then reflect and prepare creative responses such as poetry, art or music, which will be shared at a break time concert on Tuesday, Jan. 21. A $3 dress-down day on Friday, Jan. 10, and a clothing and toiletry drive from Jan. 8-17 will benefit Catholic Charities, with eighth graders collecting men's underwear (L or XL) and socks, seventh graders collecting winter hats, gloves and mittens, and sixth graders collecting toiletries, such as shampoo, soap and deodorant. Donations will be sorted and packed at a service-themed assembly on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Yearbook
Parents' Association Volunteer Opportunities
Upcoming MS Events
Jan. 8, 21, 23- MLK Days of Service Activities
Jan. 8-17 - MLK Days of Service Catholic Charities Drive
Jan. 10 - Dress-Down Day, $3
Jan. 17 - Sixth Grade Energy Quest Town Meeting
Senior School Reminders
International Program Bring the world to your front door! We are seeking host families for students from China who will be at Shady Side for 2 weeks, Jan. 19-Feb. 1, with a group of students from our partner school in Beijing as part of our Exchange Program. Contact Jessica Parker for information.
Parent Book Club, Jan. 16 Join us Thursday, Jan. 16, at 8:15 a.m. in the McCune Dining Hall Private Dining Room for a discussion of Tahereh Mafi's A Very Large Expanse of Sea. Adam Janosko, English teacher and Form III and IV Dean will lead the discussion. Contact Catherine Coulter or Kathy Williams with any questions.
MLK Days of Service Activities, Jan. 20 On MLK Day, Monday, Jan. 20, volunteer opportunities are available for 60 Senior School students, parents and faculty/staff at five off-site locations, benefitting three community organizations: cooking breakfast or lunch for residents of Ronald McDonald House; cooking meals for residents of Family House's Shadyside, Neville and University Place locations; or packaging donated books for prisoners at the Thomas Merton Center. Times vary by location, and volunteers are responsible for their own transportation. (There will be no morning kickoff at the Junior School or bus transportation to sites as in past years.) Learn more and register online.
College Counseling Coffee& Conversation, Jan. 23 Join us for a panel discussion and Q&A on student wellness, the admission process and the transition to college, on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. Panelists will include Bob Adkins, dean of admission at Washington & Jefferson College, Kenyon Bonner, vice provost and dean of students at University of Pittsburgh, Bob McCullough, dean of undergraduate admission at Case Western Reserve University and Lauren Warden-Rogers, associate director for student academic success at Carnegie Mellon University. This event is for parents of students in grades 9-12. An email invitation will follow in January.
Yearbook Senior Quotes Due Feb. 3 Parents are invited to review quotes with their students. Quotes are a unique opportunity for seniors to thank those who impacted their lives, share insights/memories and leave a legacy. Senior quotes should be less than 200 words, written in full sentences with no abbreviations and with proper punctuation. No references to drugs, alcohol, cheating, threats or inappropriate behavior. Submit quotes to mobileyearbook@shadysideacademy.org.
Yearbook Senior Portraits and Baby Photos Due March 2 Senior portraits may be taken with any photographer of your choice. Send photos to: mobileyearbook@shadysideacademy.org. Please contact Jessica Basta with any questions. Specifications:
Save the Date for Prom, May 2 Prom will be held at the PPG Aquarium on Saturday, May 2, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. More information will come as it is available.
Volunteer and Support the Parents' Association Please continue to offer your support to the Parents' Association by contacting Margo Jochims to volunteer and by submitting the Bagel Day form. Upcoming SS Events
Dec. 21 - Dorms Close for Winter Break, 10 a.m.
Jan. 4 - Dorms Reopen after Winter Break for INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ONLY, 5 p.m.
Jan. 5 - Dorms Reopen after Winter Break, 9 a.m.
Jan. 16 - Parent Book Club, 8:15 a.m., McCune Dining Hall Private Dining Room
Jan. 20 - MLK Days of Service Activities
Varsity Athletics Schedule
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