April 27, 2012
“Emotional intuition develops over time from experiences solving problems in particular domains (math, history, science). People build knowledge and understanding from a combination of successful experiences and productive failures-failed attempts that they think about and analyze and that result in eventual successful attempts.” By: Alden S. Blodget, Leaning Vs. Schooling: A parent’s guide to brain research.
Updates from the Director of the Middle School:
Amor Caritas Day 2012
Families Honoring Mothers on Mother’s Day
Amor Caritas Day was created in 2011 to honor Dana Hall’s long tradition of service by connecting students, alumnae, parents, faculty and staff through community projects around the world. The second annual Amor Caritas Day will take place on Sunday, May 13 at Cradles to Crayons in Brighton. Registration and sponsorship information can be found at here.
The registration deadline is Tuesday, May 7. There will be a bus leaving from Dana Hall at 9:15 or you can meet at the Cradles to Crayons headquarters in Brighton at 10 a.m.. Please see more details on the Parent Pages of our website.
6th Grade Portfolio Night
On Thursday, May 17, the sixth grade will celebrate “Portfolio Night” from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This is a special event where the sixth graders are given the opportunity to reflect upon the year. It is a time for each student to look at herself and feel proud about the many accomplishments she has made in her first year at Dana Hall. The students’ work will be on display on the walls and in the classrooms. All parents will have the opportunity to see their daughter’s growth as a student, by looking through her “Portfolio Binder,” which will be on display as well. Each binder contains all of your daughter’s hard work, personal reflections and triumphs from her sixth grade year. Parents and students will gather in the Multi-Purpose Room, where the girls will share a piece of work that highlights their Dana Hall experience. Please join us for this special sixth grade event.
7th & 8th Grade Exams
Cumulative exams are administered at the end of Trimester III for core academic courses in the 7th and 8th grades. In 7th grade, exams count for %10 of the year-end grade in each course, and in 8th grade, they count for 15% of the year end grade. Exams will be administered in Middle School on May 25, 29, and 30. These exams provide the valuable opportunity for each student to review, synthesize, and express material she has grasped and the skills she has acquired in her courses. Preparing for exams allows a student to reflect upon her learning and the goals of the course, draw connections among her courses, and internalize skills and content she will use in future courses. In addition to the benefits related to content and skills, cumulative exams at Dana Hall provide students with an introduction to timed, formal assessments to which they will be exposed when taking other exams in a secondary school setting. Please see the attached calendar for the details of the schedule for each day of exams.
Policies for the Last Week of Classes
In preparation for their exams, students need time to organize, synthesize, and review. Review sheets or study guides will be given to all students on Friday, May 18. No tests will be given and no papers or projects will be due from Tuesday, May 22-Thursday, May 24.
Please note that 6th grade families will receive a separate email with the details about the 6th grade final projects and tests. Dismissal times on the calendar below are for all Middle School students.
Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony
Please note that the Middle School Moving-Up Ceremony will be held on Friday, June 1 at 10:00 am under the tent this year. We will be sending a final week schedule soon with details about exams, parties etc. The 8th graders have already begun to work on their part in this big day, and 7th grade will be performing for their classmates as well. This is a required event for all middle school students.
Upcoming Dates to Note
Monday, May 14
Late Start
Classes begin at 9 a.m.
(Buses run at regular time)
Wednesday, May 16
Final Parents’ Association Meeting
8-9 a.m. Beveridge
Thursday, May 17
Sixth Grade Portfolio Night
6:30 p.m. Middle School MP Room
Friday, May 18
Middle School Sports Night
“Spring Time Fun Time”
7-9 p.m. Shipley Center
Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19
Dana Hall and Belmont Hill Schools present Legally Blonde, Bardwell, 8 p.m.
Monday, May 21
Middle School Community Service Day
(Regular drop-off and pick-up)
Sixth Grade Solar Car Races – Tennis Courts
2-3:30 p.m. (Parents invited)
Friday, May 25
English 7 and Science 7 Exams
Social Studies 8 and English 8 Exams
Senior Convocation 2-3:45 p.m.
3:45 p.m. Dismissal at the Middle School
Tuesday, May 29
Social Studies 7 and Math 7 Exams
Math 8 and French/Spanish/Latin 8 Exams
12 p.m. Dismissal
Wednesday, May 30
Spanish/French/Latin 7 Exams
Science 8 Exam
Moving-Up Rehearsals for all 7th & 8th grade students
12 p.m. Dismissal
Thursday, May 31
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eighth Grade Moving-Up Ceremony Rehearsal
12 p.m. - 3 p.m. Class Parties
3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Exam Return and Book Buyback
5:15 p.m. Step Sing
6:15 p.m. Clambake
7 p.m. Pick-up at the Middle School
Afternoon bus pickup at 7 p.m.
Friday, June 1
9 a.m. All students report to Shipley Center.
10 a.m. Moving-Up Ceremony under the tent (parking near Shipley)
12 p.m. Dismissal
Student-Parent Handbook 2011-12: This will link you to a PDF of this year's Student-Parent Handbook
Music Ensemble Information 2011-12
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