A newsletter for the families and friends of Westchester Country Day School

From the Head of SchoolBlow Pops, Role Models, and the Community of FansI have a confession to make: In the heat of competition, when the game is on

the line and the Wildcats are fighting for a win, I am sometimes not at my best. No matter the cause - an unfortunate turn of events, a less-than-sportsmanlike play, or a questionable call by an official - sometimes I find myself caught up in the moment and can be prone to say less than constructive, positive, or edifying things. More than perhaps any other setting, sporting events challenge my resolve to be a positive, supportive, and constructive adult in our school community.

For some reason, we will shout things from the stands during the game that we would never say in any other setting. Sometimes athletic competition can change for the worse how we speak to one another, to our children, to guests from other schools who come to our campus to cheer on their children, and (perhaps most easily) to the men and women who take the field to serve as officials. To put this in the terms highlighted by the WCDS Code of Conduct, in the heat of the battle, we seem to give ourselves permission to speak (perhaps “shout”) comments that are less than positive, respectful, or forgiving; as I mentioned above, in these moments we are not doing our “best.”

We could spend much more time than I intend to in this essay discussing this trend in our larger national and international sports cultures; indeed, we need not look far for examples of sports fans run amuck in their zeal to cheer their teams to victory. As is so often the case, however, our work with children here at WCDS calls upon us all to be counter-cultural, electing to swim against the mainstream of contemporary culture when this prevailing current runs at odds with the important lessons we are all working to teach here at school.

In short, we should be different here. When visiting fans leave our campus after a game, they should leave impressed by how different our fans are from other fans and how different our student-athletes are from those at other schools. Most importantly, we should stand apart from the larger, less positive cultural realities surrounding athletics so that we can teach our children what it looks like and sounds like when adults live out with intention the values that we as a school family hold dear.

I have come to understand, both as an educator and as a parent, that children learn far, far more from watching what we do than from listening to what we tell them to do. As adult role models, the choices that we make will inevitably become powerful lessons for them, for good or for ill, about how adults are supposed to behave-how we deal with conflict, address disagreements, confront challenges, and, yes, even how we react to a bad call. Our commitment to constructive, positive, and respectful cheering is more than just the right thing to do; it is a foundational step in our work to teach our children how to live well.

Recently, I saw a wonderful manifestation of our school family’s deep commitment to this goal and to the work we undertake to build one another

October 2014 Newsletter

In This Issue...

Headlines

Lower School News

Middle School News

Upcoming Events

Meet Your Wildcats

Arts Update

Athletics Update

For the College Bound

Counselor’s Corner

International Travel Update

Girlology/Guyology

2014-2015 Update:

Faculty - 100% Participation

Board of Trustees - 86% Participation

Parents - Your Turn! Let’s beat last year’s participation percentage of 83% and make it 100%!

Goal - $190,000

Raised so far - $52,560

Parent Challenge: Those who have made a pledge by November 30 will be treated to a special Homecoming dinner!

Pledge now, pay by June 30, 2015.

Click here to make a pledge today!

The Annual Fund

Supporting Wildcat Nation

Wally Says: “Make Your Annual Fund Pledge Toay! “

up in positive ways. A resourceful parent, in a generous effort to help remind all of us of the need to be self-conscious and intentional as we cheered for our team, brought a box of Blow Pops to the game and shared them with all of us parents as a means to remind us all to think about what we say before we say it.

We even began to redirect our frustrations in more healthy ways, calling for additional Blow Pops to be passed around in the wake of a challenging moment, or shouting, “That’s a ‘Blow Pop’” if a call didn’t go our way. Coming as this did on the heels of a gentle email reminder from our coach, this effort helped all of us to remember to cheer positively for our team, encourage the opposing players, support the officials, and create the right kind of community in the stands. In short, they helped us to be our best.

So when the game is on the line and the clock is ticking down, I encourage all of us to be intentional fans this year, filled with passion for our Wildcats, loud and proud in our support for our student-athletes, and always attentive to the work of edification, the building up our school, and of one another.

Cobb AtkinsonHead of School

Wildcat Cup Golf Tournament October 3

Recover from the craziness of Blue-White Spirit Day with a nice, quiet round of golf at Willow Creek Country Club! This 18-hole Captain’s Choice tournament is open to students, parents, alumni, and members of the community. The schedule is:

1:00 - 1:45 p.m. - Registration2:00 p.m. - Shotgun Start6:00 p.m. - Champions’ Reception

Spaces are filling up fast so click here to sign up to play!

Students Publish Poems

Nine seventh graders entered a poetry contest sponsored by Creative Communication and were selected to be published in the anthology called A Celebration of Poets.

The students are: (front, from left) Gaby Culler, Elizabeth Ragsdale, Ellison Beaver, (back, from left) Abby Mozingo, Mya Brown, Aditi Shah, Deni Lewis and Lukas Freund. Not pictured: Alex French

Less than half of the poems submitted to the Creative Communication contest are accepted for publication, and entries are judged by teachers, professors, and poets. Since 1993, Creative Communication has been devoted to the promotion of language arts and awards more than $150,000 to writers and their schools each year.

Blue-White Day October 2

Blue-White Spirit Day is Thursday, October 2, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Plan to join us for the afternoon and evening as there is a full assortment of events that support the Westchester community. The Booster Club will be selling dinners and concessions to support Westchester athletics. Area business owners will set up displays to showcase their outstanding products, and there is a full slate of Wildcat athletic events:

3:00 - MS Girls Volleyball vs Caldwell Academy - Finch Center, Brooks Gym3:30 - Varsity Girls Tennis vs Caldwell Academy - Willow Creek Country Club4:00 - MS Boys Soccer vs Caldwell Academy - Kennedy Soccer Field4:30 - Varsity Girls Volleyball vs Caldwell Academy - Finch Center, Brooks Gym5:15 - Boys and Girls Varsity Cross Country Conference Meet - WCDS Cross Country Trail6:45 - Fall Athletics Senior Night - Kennedy Soccer Field7:00 - Varsity Boys Soccer vs Caldwell Academy - Kennedy Soccer Field

Admission, running, bouncing, and climbing are free, but please bring some cash to enjoy dinner and take home some irresistible gifts. Hot dog ($5) and hamburger ($7) plates include chips, drinks, and a cookie. The juniors will be taking donations to wash cars in the Lower School circle. You’ll also want to be sure and grab a scoop or more of Sunset Slush Italian ice - they’ve created a special Wildcat Blue flavor just for us!

Click here for complete details including participating vendors. We look forward to seeing you there!

Headlines

Westchester Honors Hometown Heroes

WCDS commemorated 9/11 this year with an all-school assembly recognizing the significance of the day, as well as honoring six “hometown heroes.” The heroes who were honored were chosen by the school’s C.A.R.E.S. Crews committee after nominations were submitted by students.

“We were very pleased to receive over 100 nominations from students of all ages,” said C.A.R.E.S. Crews coordinator Blair Hawley. “It was very difficult to narrow it down to these six.” The honorees were:

• Roberto Diaz – The father of a sixth grade student, Mr. Diaz spends his free time scouring local flea markets and yard sales purchasing items to send to those in need in his home country of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He is employed with Print Works Bistro in Greensboro.

• Susan Fagg – Westchester’s own Assistant Director of Development, Mrs. Fagg donated one of her kidneys to a friend in need this summer.

• Petty Officer First Class Joshua Tomas Harris (deceased) - A Navy SEAL, Officer Harris sacrificed his life for the safety of his team during an Operation Enduring Freedom mission. He died on August 31, 2008.

• Robin Lindsay – In 2003, physician assistant Robin Lindsay developed the GO FAR (Go Out For A Run) running program/fitness curriculum. She began GO FAR in one High Point school with 16 children. Ten years later, the program has grown to reach more than 8,000 children annually.

• Officer Russ Smith – As a police officer with the city of Asheboro, Officer Smith is working to keep our community safe. He leads and participates in numerous educational and community service projects, such as the D.A.R.E. program and National Night Out.

• Dare Wilson – Children’s librarian at the Lexington Public Library for 35 years, Mrs. Wilson overcame a handicap and has inspired others to love reading through her service to the library and the community.

The student or students who nominated the heroes read their nominations aloud, and the heroes were named “honorary Wildcats.”

Odyssey of the Mind Opportunity

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition for students of all ages. Under the guidance of an adult coach, a team of up to seven students is given a “problem” for which it must create a “solution.” A team spends months creating this solution and then presents it in a competition against other teams in the same division. Team members come up with all the ideas for their solution and do all the work themselves; the coach plays a limited, but important, role. He or she may help teach skills and educate the team about ways of approaching the problem and evaluating their solution.

This year’s Odyssey program will begin the week of October 27. Lower School teams will meet one day a week (day to

be determined) from 3:15-4:15. Middle School teams will meet on Fridays from 1:45 - 2:45 to allow students to participate in

Odyssey as well as sports. As the teams near the March regional competition date, additional practices will be necessary.

Participants MUST be available on the following dates:Regional Tournament: March 14 at Northwest Guilford High SchoolState Tournament: April 11 at Appalachian State University (3rd - 8th graders only) Click here to register now!

Last year’s Division 1 team at the World OM Competition at Iowa State University.

Lower School News from Mrs. SamsWe are so glad to have welcomed 44 new students

into our Lower School for the 2014-2015 school year. The grades with the most new students are pre-kindergarten, with 10 new students, kindergarten, with 17 new students, and third grade, with six new students. It is exciting to see this influx of strong students and families joining the Westchester community. Families are choosing Westchester from a broad variety of backgrounds and widespread geographical surroundings.

Students in kindergarten through fifth grade are enjoying preparing for the school play Honk, Jr., based on the story of The Ugly Duckling. Also, students in grades two through five are actively participating in the GO FAR running club and in Footnotes, our school choir for students in grades three through five. Our numbers of students participating in individual lessons in piano, violin, and guitar continue to grow. New opportunities this year include cello lessons with Jaime English and a basketball skills elective called Ball Hawgs with Coach B.

Lower School students are eagerly anticipating Blue-White Spirit Day on Thursday, October 2. Students in kindergarten through third grade are looking forward to attending the Carousel Theatre performance of Mike Mulligan on October 8. Invitations have been sent for Grandparents Day on Friday, October 10. Jackie Argo will be contacting parents to schedule conferences with teachers on October 29 and 30. On October 31, at 8:15 a.m., you are invited to attend our Lower School costume parade in the Finch Center. We appreciate all that you have done in partnership with us to help our new year have a great beginning.

Middle School News from Mrs. KeeverWe are cranking away in Middle School pursuing moral,

academic, artistic, and athletic excellence! Our Middle School Art Club members spoke the language of love - their love of art - as they served at Day in the Park at City Lake Park. Middle School student government members practiced their philanthropic skills as they supported the Crop Walk on September 28. The fellowship was delightful, and the awareness of the impact of world hunger was powerful.

Our team athletes are nearing the end of their cross-country, volleyball, and soccer seasons, while our thespians are just getting started with their rehearsals for Honk, Jr! All are humming the tunes in the halls with anticipation!

Even though Middle School students are forging their own paths, they are still grateful to be members of our Wildcat community as evidenced by their support for the

kindergarten celebration of the colors yellow and orange, Tie Dye Spirit Day, and C.A.R.E.S. crew events. It’s a great time to be a Wildcat in the middle!

Our newest Wildcats, the Class of 2028!

Middle School students support the Pre-K and K’s “Yellow Day” Color Day

Upcoming EventsWAPA Book Club8:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 1, Library. We will be discussing The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. Everyone is welcome!

Friends of the Fine Arts Meeting8:00 a.m. Thursday, October 2, Library

Book FairMonday - Friday, October 6-10, Library

Picture Re-TakesWednesday, October 8

Grandparents DayFriday, October 10, 11:30 a.m. dismissal (no lunch)

Fall BreakMonday and Tuesday, October 13 and 14. No school

ConferencesWednesday, October 29 (no school for Lower School students, 11:30 a.m. dismissal for Middle and Upper School students)Thursday, October 30 (no school for students)

Senior Ad PagesDUE - Monday, December 1

Meet Your Wildcats

Name: Nancy Martin

Title: Third and fourth grade teacher

Family: Mom and brother in Charlotte and two Siamese cats

What was your favorite subject in school? Reading

What book are you reading? The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Name of the last movie you watched: Dr. No - a James Bond movie

Favorite Restaurant: La Ha Mexican

Dream Vacation: Italy

Something most people don’t know about you: I love to smock.

Favorite thing about Westchester:EVERYTHING! I am so very happy here!

Financial Aid 101 Seminar with David Gelinas

Director of Financial Aid at Davidson College

October 27, 2014, 6:30 p.m.in the WCDS Library

Parents of any age student welcome!Highly recommended

for seniors as well!

Arts Update from Ann ParksIn the classroom,

in the studio, in the halls, and out in the community, Westchester students have been involved in the arts. For the High Point Cycling Classic, Middle and Upper School Art Club members helped out with arts and crafts in the Kids Zone. For Day in the Park, 20 Art Club members helped nearly 200 children decorate Chinese carp windsocks and use the Japanese art of gyotaku to decorate cloth bags. These same clubs will be volunteering at Blue-White Spirit Day, so be sure to look for the arts

booth. A new booth this year will be a photo booth run by Mrs. Noyes and the drama program. Here students will get their pictures made while dressed up in some of our most fantastic costumes.

Drama and music rehearsals as well as set design and construction are well under way for our fall production of Honk! Jr This heart-warming and humorous look at what it means to be ugly is a modern adaptation of The Ugly Duckling.

Our students in Grades K-3 will get to experience more live drama by attending a Carousel Theater production on October 8.

Mrs. Bailess sends this report from the LS Art Studio. It is amazing what our youngest artists create!

• Pre-K has started off the year learning how

to cut and becoming more comfortable with scissors.

• Kindergarten learned about the primary colors through Piet Mondrian’s works and through the story of Mouse Paint where they mixed primary paint colors to create secondary colors.

• First grade conducted their very first art critique of Joan Miro’s “The Farm.”

• Second grade used positive and negative stencils to create pastel rubbings.

• Third grade learned why water won’t stick to wax and created crayon resists.

• Fourth grade learned about Bridgit Riley, the

Queen of Op Art, and created their own op art masterpieces.

• Fifth grade went back to their roots, also reviewing Mondrian, and applied his style to create their own Mondrian animals.

Please join us for the next FoFA meeting Thursday, October 2 at 8:00 a.m. in the library.

The Arts Together: Integrating the Arts”

Mrs. Krzywonos’s 8th grade science classes have been integrating arts in their study of the metric system. In the photo, Gia-como Arnaboldi poses with the sword, sheath, and crown made for his group’s skit on the origin of the metric system. An-other group wrote an original song about the metric system.

Ryota Gota writes his name in cuneiform using a clay tablet and stylus during Humanities class.

First graders Joel Mathews and Olivia Ehlers channel their inner Joan Miro.

October is going to be a great month to be a Westchester Wildcat! Many of our teams are positioning themselves to have a great last few weeks of their fall seasons. Championship moments and memories will be happening all over the state of North Carolina for our Wildcat student-athletes!

The Varsity Girls Tennis team is improving every week, and the girls are ready to compete in the upcoming tournaments. Coach Sterling Smith has the Wildcats running on all cylinders right now, and the end of the season promises to be exciting.

The Varsity Girls Volleyball team also is looking to get back into the championship circle, as well as obtaining its first state tournament seed in years. Coaches Mark Sharpe and Wes Hawkins have the girls playing their best volleyball in years just at the right time.

The Varsity Boys and Girls cross country teams are positioning themselves to make a run at both the boys and girls TAC Conference Championship and state championship later this month. Coach Tim Anderson is excited about the overall improvement of all of our runners.

The Varsity Boys Soccer team is starting to pick up some momentum and will be eyeing the opportunity to get back to the state tournament next month, as well as defending Kennedy Field in the conference championship!

At the middle school level, participation numbers are tremendous for girls volleyball, coached by Jenny Boyette, and boys soccer, coached by Rustin Thomas and Lasse Palomaki. Both teams will be looking to compete for the T-MAC Championships in the middle of October. The Middle School Cross Country team is also running on all cylinders, and Coach Jeb Burns is enjoying the opportunity to work with our running stars of the future.

Senior Night for fall athletes will be Thursday, October 2. Please get to Westchester early that day, as we will be having Blue-White Day and a myriad of athletic events. The senior tennis, cross county, volleyball (time permitting), and soccer players will be introduced before the Varsity Soccer game against Caldwell at 7:00 p.m. Please continue to check the website for updates, and thank you for supporting Westchester Athletics!

Conference tournament information:

Varsity Cross Country• 10/14 at Camp Merriwood (Clemmons, NC) at

4:30 p.m.

Varsity Soccer• 10/6 at higher seed - time TBD• 10/7 at WCDS at 4:00 p.m. (1/8 vs. 4/5) and

6:00 p.m. (2/7 vs. 3/6)• 10/10 at WCDS at 6:00 p.m. (championship)

Varsity Tennis• 10/6 at higher seed• 10/7 at higher seed• 10/9 at Alamance Country Club at 4:00 p.m.

Varsity Volleyball• 10/14 at higher seed • 10/16 at Caldwell Academy at 4:00 p.m. (1/8

vs. 4/5) / 6:00 p.m. (2/7 vs. 3/6)• 10/17 at Caldwell Academy at 5:00 p.m.

(championship)

MS Boys Soccer• 10/14 at higher seed• 10/16 at WCDS at 3:30 p.m. (1 vs. 4) / 5:00 p.m.

(2 vs. 3)• 10/17 at WCDS at 5:00 p.m. (championship)

MS Volleyball• 10/14 at higher seed• 10/16 at Greensboro Academy (Spears YMCA)

at 3:15 p.m. (1 vs. 4/5) / 4:15 p.m. (2 vs. 3)• 10/17 at Greensboro Academy at 5:00 p.m.

(championship)

MS Cross Country• 10/7 at Canterbury at 4:00 p.m.

Athletics Update from Coach Schwartz

For the College BoundOn October 15, sophomores and juniors will take the

PSAT/NMSQT here at Westchester. For those of you unfamiliar with the purpose, content, and benefits of this particular standardized test, I have pulled together a compilation of information straight from the College Board’s website (www.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/benefits):

• The PSAT/NMSQT assesses reading, math, and writing skills; provides excellent practice for the SAT; and connects students to scholarships and personalized online tools.

• The PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT have the same format and evaluate the same skills. PSAT/NMSQT students also get a custom SAT study plan based on their results.

• After the test, students receive feedback on how ready they are for college and access to tools that help them improve.

• Students get free access to My College QuickStartTM. Features include an interactive score report, a personality test, major and career suggestions, and a starter list of colleges.

• Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT in 10th grade or lower benefit from early feedback on their skills. Students can look at their percentiles to see how well their scores compare to the scores of 10th grade test-takers. Schools that test students at an earlier age have more time to act on PSAT/NMSQT data.

• Taking the PSAT/NMSQT again, in 11th grade, gives students a fresh skills assessment and a measure of their progress, as well as the chance to compete for scholarships. And research shows that students in U.S. schools who take the PSAT/NMSQT in 10th and 11th grades score, on average, 189 points higher on the SAT than students who do not.

• Students in 11th grade may be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program and other programs that use PSAT/NMSQT scores.

• Score reports for students and data for educators are available in December. Paper score reports are sent to schools, which distribute them to students.

Later in the school year, juniors will register to

take the SAT. We recommend that students take the SAT three times: twice as a junior (in January, February, or March and then again in May or June) and once as a senior (ideally in October). Some students also choose to take the ACT. Parents and students often ask about the differences between these two tests, and the Princeton Review’s (http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act.aspx) answer

to this question (copied below) highlights the key distinctions:

• ACT questions are often easier to understand

on a first read. On the SAT, you may need to spend time figuring out what you’re being asked before you can start solving the problem.

• The SAT has a stronger emphasis on vocabulary. If you’re an ardent wordsmith, you’ll love the SAT. If words aren’t your thing, you may do better on the ACT.

• The ACT has a Science section, while the SAT does not. You don’t need to know anything about amoebas or chemical reactions for the ACT Science section. It is meant to test your reading and reasoning skills based upon a given set of facts.

• The ACT tests more advanced math concepts. In addition to basic arithmetic, algebra I and II, and geometry, the ACT tests your knowledge of trigonometry, too. That said, the ACT Math section is not necessarily harder, since many students find the questions to be more straightforward than those on the SAT.

• The 25-minute SAT essay is required and is factored into your writing score. The 30-minute ACT writing test is optional. If you choose to take it, it is not included in your composite score — schools will see it listed separately. Many colleges require the writing section of the ACT, so be sure to check with the schools where you are applying before opting out.

• The SAT is broken up into more sections. On the ACT, you tackle each content area (English, Math, Reading and Science) in one big chunk, with the optional writing test at the end. On the SAT, the content areas (Critical Reading, Math and Writing) are broken up into 10 sections, with the required essay at the beginning. You do a little math, a little writing, a little critical reading, a little more math, etc.

• The ACT is more of a “big picture” exam. College admissions officers care about how you did on each section of the SAT. On the ACT, they’re most concerned with your composite score. So if you’re weak in one content area but strong in others, you could still end up with a very good ACT score and thus make a strong impression with the admissions committee.

More information about the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and

ACT can be found on the College Information page on WestNet. I also would be happy to try to answer any questions you may have.

Raegan AtkinsonDirector of College Guidance

Greetings from the Counselor’s Office! This has been a great year so far! It seems that we have all gotten back into our daily routines of the fall semester. I have been meeting with all of our NEW middle school and upper school students, and it has been great getting to know each of them individually and hear about their transition to Westchester.

With routine can also come stress and anxiety. Have you been wondering if your teen is stressed?

Here are a few signs to look for: acting irritable or moody, withdrawing from activities that used to give them pleasure, routinely expressing worries, complaining more than usual about school, crying, displaying surprising fearful reactions, clinging to a parent or teacher, sleeping too much or too little, or eating too much or too little. If your teen is showing signs of stress, you can support them by listening and translating what may be causing their stress and support them in finding

ways to deal with that stress. Have conversations about healthy ways of dealing with stress – what does their “toolbox” of coping skills look like? Here are a few ideas for coping skills: listen to music, go for a run, take a bath, count to 10, ride a bike, play soccer, write in a journal, see a movie, read a book, talk to a parent, take a walk, play with pets. If your teen seems to be more stressed than usual, you may want to seek the help of an outside resource, such as the school counselor, therapist, psychologist, etc. If your teen isn’t experiencing stress at the present time, have a discussion about coping skills and how they will deal with stress when they do experience it. Studies have shown that students who discuss stress and their plan on how to deal with stress handle it far better than those who do not have a plan of action.

Attention NEW JUNIORS and parents: I am excited to kick off our Career Assessment & Development course for new juniors later this month. This can be a great resource for our students when starting to plan for their college career. The course includes two assessments, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which is a personality assessment, and the Strong Interest Inventory, which is based on finding the student’s interests and abilities. Students will learn about their preferences, as well as the opportunities available in a vast number of careers. All new juniors and their parents will be receiving an email with more information next week.

Attention Current SENIORS: If you would be interested in learning/exploring more about your career assessments that you took as a sophomore and really take them a step further before leaving for college, please email me (heather.singer@westchestercds.org) or stop by to make an appointment. We can meet during tutorial or your study hall, whichever is better for your schedule.

Again, please remember I am available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Happy Fall!

Heather SingerMiddle and Upper School Counselor

Counselor’s Corner

We hope you will join us for an interest meeting on Wednesday, October 1, in the Library at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about this exciting adventure!

The Galápagos Islands are most famous for the profound discoveries of Charles Darwin. We will carry on that scientific tradition as you learn about the unique species that call the islands home. On mainland Ecuador, you will experience the local culture in Quito. Independence Plaza and the Intinan Museum both provide social context to the biological wonders of this fascinating country. Our students will also experience a two day boat excursion to the Galapagos Islands and will see the San Cristobal and Floreana Islands. This is the perfect trip for our students who enjoy traveling, with a focus on science and opportunities to practice their Spanish as well. This is certainly the PERFECT trip for ANY student!

Our Charting the Galapagos Islands Tour will be taking place on JUNE 13-20, 2016 (we allow a 3 day window of flexibility with all of our tours).

Here’s the itinerary for this great trip:

• Day 1: Fly to Ecuador Meet your Tour Director at the airport in Quito

• Day 2: Quito Take a tour of Quito Independence Plaza Government Palace Visit Santo Domingo Monastery Take an excursion to the equatorial line Visit the Intinan Museum

• Day 3: Baltra • Santa Cruz Fly to Baltra Continue on to Santa Cruz Island Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station

• Day 4: San Cristóbal Island Enjoy a boat excursion to San Cristóbal Island • Day 5: Floreana Island Enjoy a boat excursion to Floreana Island

• Day 6: Baltra • Quito Visit the Twin Craters Fly to Quito

• Day 7: Otavalo • Quito Visit Otavalo handicraft market Visit Cotacachi leather market

• Day 8: Depart for home

If you can’t make the meeting but would like more information or to discuss the trip in further detail, please feel free to contact me at heather.singer@westchestercds.org or 822-4085.

Our chaperones will be: Mrs. Margaret Qualls, MS and US Spanish teacher; Mrs. Christine Beale, MS science teacher; and Mr. Rustin Thomas, MS and US Spanish teacher.

Looking forward to a great trip!Heather Singer

International Travel Update

Looking for opportunities outside of the classroom for your 5th through 11th graders? We have an excellent opportunity for them during the summer of 2016!

ECUADOR and the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

When girls learn about puberty before it happens, they face it with greater conÞdence & even excitement. This is the perfect time to start healthy, factual conversations. This physician-led program will introduce puberty, hygiene, and

other awkward stuff (but not sex) in a setting that is active and entertaining.

Something New About You

Reserve Your Place!

for 4th & 5th grade girls and their moms*

1:00 - 3:00 pmWestchester Country Day School

Library

Cost: $75 per pair Pre-Registration required

Register or Learn more at Sunday, November 2

www. girlology. com

Join Us for a Fun and InformativeMother*-Daughter Event ®

*or mom-substitute

Led by Dr. Erin Stone, Ob-Gyn & Girlologist

®

Sunday, November 2, 3:30-5:30 pmWestchester Country Day SchoolLibrary

Just the FACTSFor 4th and 5th grade guys and their dads*

guy ologyReserve Your Place!

Led by Dr. Erin Stone, Ob-Gyn & GirlologistBodies are funny. Girls are confusing. Prepare him with the facts and honest

conversation. This physician-led program will introduce puberty, hygiene, and other awkward stuff (but not sex) in a setting that is active and entertaining.

Learn more and register at www.girlology.com (yes, GIRLology.com weʼll explain later.)

*or another inßuential man in his life

Pre-Registration Required.Cost: $75 per dad*-son pair

To register for the programs, go to the girlology website: www.girlology.com. Once there, click on OUR PROGRAMS. You can go directly to registration by clicking on SIGN ME UP, or you can read more about our programs by visiting the other links.The registration process requires you to make a “Master Account” with your email, phone, address, etc. Then you will need to register the “Participant” (your child). If you have any problems with your registration, please feel free to contact the girlology office at info@girlology.com or Heather Singer at heather.singer@westchestercds.org or 822-4085.

Westchester Country Day is a college preparatory school that seeks to educate each child toward moral, academic, artistic, and athletic excellence in a nurturing, family environment where students, teachers, and parents support one another. By respecting the student and honoring learning, Westchester aims to cultivate informed citizens who are ready for a rapidly changing world and to graduate students who view the pursuit and wise use of knowledge as a lifelong joy.

Help Us Celebrate the Amazing Diversity of WCDSat this year’s Blue and White Gala Auction - Passport to Wildcat Nation!

What: The Blue and White Gala is Westchester’s largest (and most fun!) fundraising event!

The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes live and silent auctions, dinner, dancing, and more!

When: March 21, 2015Where: Finch Center for Academic and Athletic Excellence

This year’s Auction chair is Tina Elsayed

It’s never too early to start thinking about Auction items! We need lots of items and lots of volunteers!

For more information or to share ideas, contact the Development Office or Tina Elsayed.