Parents Association Events & Activities

An overview of upcoming Parents Association volunteer committee events and activities

October 2010 Events & Activities

Karen DiGasbarro 314-822-1042 kfctslouis@sbcglobal.net

PARENTS ACTIVITIES – Susan Johnston, Vice President

COOKBOOK
Julie Flom, Co-Chair, (314) 443-9659
Tracy Jasper, Co-Chair (314) 862-3501

The MICDS 150th Celebration Cookbooks are available to purchase in the bookstore.  Try something new for dinner or the next time you entertain.  $15 per cookbook.

HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
Liz Dorr, Co-Chair (314) 997-3361
Johanna Zoeller, Co-Chair (636) 448-721
Please join us for the MICDS Parents Association HOLIDAY LUNCHEON on Thursday, December 2, in the MAC Atrium Lobby.  Luncheon starts at 11:30 a.m. with performances by The Beasley Chorus and the MICDS Concert Choir.  Lunch and desserts with be served from the Daily Bread.  Please RSVP by Friday, November 26, with a $10 check made payable to MICDS.  Indicate in the memo section of your check, your choice of sandwich: Chestnut Chicken Salad, Roast Beef, Turkey, Albacore Tuna or Vegetarian.  Mail your check and luncheon choice to: Johanna Zoeller, 2272 Hill House Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017.  If you have any questions, please contact Johanna Zoeller at zoellerfamily@msn.com or Liz Dorr at edorr@swbell.net. We  look forward to seeing you there!!!  It’s a great start to the Holiday Season!!

SPRING LUNCHEON
Nancy McKown, Co-Chair (314) 962-5153
Stacie Franc, Co-Chair (314) 991-8990

PARENT EDUCATION – Susan Hiemenz, Vice President

CULTURES WITHIN
Vicky Wroten, Chair, (314) 315-7700
Be on the look-out for our flyer in in the recent mailing…Pictures from our Oktoberfest and Tango lessons are listed on the back of the Tango Workshop registration form. In addition, a description of all the diversity and world language programs and clubs are listed. Please contact Vicky Wroten 314-315-7700 vwroten@charter.net to sign-up for any of the volunteer opportunities offered below:

MS Amazing Culture Race: helpers needed (May)

International Exchange Programs: host families needed

US Taste Fest: event workers and donations of food needed(date TBA jan/feb)

Celebrating Heritage Months: cultural guest speakers, decorators and helpers needed

Jan 6    Italian             La Befana

Feb 3   Chinese            New Year

Mar 8  French             Mardis Gras

May 5  Latin                Passport event

Passport event: Parent Consuls and Student ambassadors needed to represent countries:  Africa, Australia, Brazil, Poland, Germany, Ireland, France, Canada, Japan, Italy, China, England, Greece, Korea, Finland, Israel, Bosnia, Egypt, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Turkey, Sweden, Russia, Hispanic countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Rep, etc.

PARENT NETWORK
Marni Rebman, Chair (808) 268-5017
Jen Goley, Vice-Chair (618) 781-4956

Look Who’s Talking – Special Event October 26

MICDS Candid Conversations and Upper School Students Present:

Look Who’s Talking

“Teens Talk to Parents about How to Talk to Teens”

Tuesday, October 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Orthwein Theater

Join Candid Conversations and Upper School students for Look Who’s Talkinga unique student led program on parent – teen communication for grades 8-12. Students will ‘perform’ their do’s and don’ts for good communication and facilitate small group conversations on how to make and keep connections. MICDS Upper School Counselor Debbie Granick will share stories from families who have seen change happen and the skills they use.

RSVP by Friday, October 22 by using the following link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DZLCC6H
Contact: dchalloner@earthlink.net with any questions.  
A light dinner and refreshments for students and parents will be available.
Dinner – 5:30-6:30 p.m. Messing Gallery
Program – 6:30-8:00 p.m. Orthwein Theater
Tuesday, October 26

Raising Ethical Digital Citizens Event on Nov. 4
Please join us for a discussion with Cindy Schroeder, Executive Director of the INOBTR (I Know Better) Foundation for a powerful discussion on  –Parenting in the 21st Century: Raising Ethical Digital Citizens on Thursday, November 4, from 8:15-9:30 a.m. in the Middle School  Alumnae Room

Children and their families are being affected daily by something designed to make our lives easier. Unfortunately the combination of worldwide access, instant communication, children who are unaware of the consequences of their actions and parents trying to keep up with what is online are all creating problems that can have lifelong consequences. Parents need to hear the message to begin the conversation needed to keep your family safe online.  You’ll be encouraged to share your thoughts and to ask questions. Cindy Schroeder, from INOBTR ( I Know Better) will lead you through current online trends and tips for good Digital Citizenship.  Check out www.inobtr.org for more tips and resources.

The presentation is targeted for Middle School parents but al parents are welcome for this pertinent discussion.

If you have any questions, please contact Chrissy Laycob, claycob@micds.org or the Middle

School Parent Network co-chairs, Patty Hannum, pfitzhannum@sbcglobal.net and

Tracey Singer, tsf64@aol.com for more information.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FAIR
Terry Parkinson, Chair (314) 517-6993
Stacey Goltermann, Vice-Chair (314) 304-4000

The Summer Opportunities Fair will be hosted by MICDS this year on January 29, 2011!  The Summer Opportunities Fair is where you can discover exciting programs for children ages 3 to 18.   This exciting event is looking for parent volunteers to work on the committee.  Contact Stacey Goltermann, smglsg@swbell.net, or Terry Parkinson, parkinson5000@yahoo.com to volunteer.

SCHOOL COMMUNITY RELATIONSPele Childress, Vice President
AFS – American Field Service
Stacey Carman, Chair (314) 422-9894
Kelley Carman, Vice-Chair (314) 852-9798

The MICDS AFS FRUIT AND CAKE SALE order form can be found in the October mailing.  For your convenience, the order form can also be found on the MICDS portal and under Downloads in this email.  This year we are continuing our tradition of selling delicious, fresh fruit as well as Park Avenue’s famous Gooey Butter Cake.  Both are perfect for holiday and corporate gifts.  All orders are due to Kelley Carman by Tuesday, November 23.  Pick up day is Thursday, December 9 from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m in the Vincent Price Theater Hallway in the Bryant Arts Center Building at the Upper School.  Proceeds support the AFS Club and MICDS foreign exchange student Julia Kautenberger from Germany.

ARTS BACKERS
Suzanne Dalton, Chair (314) 614-3388

MESSING GALLERY PRESENTS
 HARRY WEBER ’60
MICDS Messing Gallery to meet Harry Weber (Country Day Class of 1960). He was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1942 and educated at Princeton University where he studied art history. Following his education, Weber served six years in the United States Navy. This included a year on river patrol boats in Vietnam where he compiled a compelling series of drawings chronicling his experiences there. As a sculptor, Weber has produced a body of work that includes over 100 large and more than 250 smaller pieces. His work embodies human emotion and power with a spontaneity developed from a lifelong habit of sketching from life. He creates sculptures which capture an instant, never static or posed, with a distinct style making maximum use of the natural fluidity of the bronze medium. Weber sculptures have won major awards at national juried competitions, and are in private collections in the United States and abroad.  His work has appeared on the covers of several national magazines. His sculptures have been featured at the Museum of Fine Arts in Newport, Rhode Island and are in the permanent collections of the National Dog Museum and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Two of his sculptural groups have been designated National Lewis and Clark sites by the Federal Parks Department. This includes a twice life sized grouping of Lewis and Clark on the St. Louis Riverfront which commemorated the final celebration of the bicentennial of the expedition. His sculptures of famous sports figures are prominent features at twelve different professional and amateur stadiums, including Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO and the TD Garden in Boston, MA. He has installed monumental work in twelve different states and the Bahamas.

FACULTY APPRECIATION
Felicia Pulliam-Jones, Co-Chair/US (314) 220-4020
Linda Werner, Co-Chair/US (314) 432-4180
Bonita Otti, Co-Chair/MS (314) 616-2011
Barbara Richert, Co-Chair/MS (314) 984-9724
Lisa Johnson, Co-Chair/LS (314) 989-0862
Jobie Summers, Co-Chair/LS (314) 276-0008

FALL BOOK FAIR
Kristen Lowery, Co-Chair (314) 520-9798
Maureen Weiser, Co-Chair (314) 878-9776

SAVE THE DATE!  Plans for the Fall Book Fair are underway.  This year the Fall Book Fair will take place on December 3 and 4 at the Barnes & Noble Ladue Crossing store.  This is a great opportunity to start your holiday shopping.  A Nook or a book makes a wonderful holiday gift with proceeds benefiting the 3 MICDS libraries.  In order to accommodate the outpouring of support from the MICDS community, we need a team of enthusiastic and energetic volunteers to assist with the weekend’s activities.  Anyone who is interested in volunteering, please contact Kristen Lowrey (imkewl@me.com) or Maureen Weiser (weiserfamily@earthlink.net).

MICDS PARENT AMBASSADORS
Vicky Wroten, Chair MS/US (314) 315-7700
Michelle Cohen, Chair LS (314) 265-9684
Be a Parent Ambassador!  You’ll be able to welcome prospective families by choosing to greet and host events and/or conduct tours to help spread the great news about the wonderful learning experiences at MICDS. Contact Vicky Wroten if you have questions or would like to join the Parent Ambassadors: vwroten@charter.net or 314-315-7700

PLANT SALE
Tracey Singer, Co-Chair, (314) 991-9006
Jane Southworth, Co-Chair, (314) 313-6472

SPRING BOOK SALE
Michelle Cohen, Co-Chair (314) 265-9684
Angela Martin, Co-Chair (314) 724-0946
Tammy Walsh, Co-Chair (314) 469-1516

SPORTS BOOSTERS
Lisa Windsor, Chair, (314) 965-0699
Bev Mach, Vice-Chair (314) 750-1752

Join Sports Boosters this year by clicking here or downloading the form from the athletic portal. Thank you to all the parents who have already mailed in their membership form. Your membership allows the Athletic Department to purchase items that would not have otherwise been subsidized by its budget. We appreciate your support!

Hope to see those of you with winter athletes at the US Winter Sports Parent Meeting on Wednesday, November 17 in Danforth at 6:30 p.m. Thanks and GO RAMS

SPIRIT WEAR CLOSET
Mary Murawski, Chair, (314) 567-6530
Vicky Wroten, Co-Chair, (314) 315-7700

We are so grateful to parents, who continue to donate gently used items: MS Choir shirts, PE clothing, Boy’s navy blazers, MICDS-logo’d sweatshirts and t-shirts, Graduation dresses and Graduation ties. Bring your donations to the receptacle at the MS checkered hallway or US May Hall lobby. If the needed size is available, your student can have it at no cost. Anyone interested in helping with collection and distribution efforts throughout the year, contact Mary Murawski m.murawski@yahoo.com  314-567-6530

SCHOOL SERVICES – Bev Mach, Vice President

BOOKSTORE
Laura Barnes, Co-Chair, (314) 997-2290
Martha Martin, Co-Chair, (314) 993-9659

Bookstore Committee needs your help! Please volunteer for a shift once a month. Sign up with a friend! There are usually 2-3 volunteers per shift. Several slots are available.   Please call or email Martha Martin or Laura Barnes. They will help coordinate a time for you to work!

Laura Barnes ldbarnes@mac.com or 314-997-2290
Martha Martin marthahmartin@sbcglobal.net or 314-993-9659

GARDENING
Blair Thompson, Chair, (314) 569-0482

GREENHOUSE
Kim Pope, Chair (3618) 616-2655
–    Do you have any live green ferns you don’t want to „winter over“?  The MICDS Greenhouse Committee would love to take these off your hands.  The ferns will be kept in the Greenhouse and used all winter for decorating around podiums, for banquets, alumni meetings, guest speakers or dances…etc.
–    Do you need a green fern or pretty live plant for your next school function? Call the Greenhouse Committee.

CONTACTS: Judith Stupp (314) 968-1462 or Kim Pope (618) 616-2655

HELPING HANDS AND HELPING HEARTS
Tracy Matrantuono, Co-Chair/US, (314) 963-9790
Barbara Richert, Co-Chair/MS, (314) 984-9724
Chalana Scales-Ferguson, Co-Chair/LS (314) 838-7705

HOLIDAY DECORATING
Tonia Angle, Co-Chair, (314) 315-3535
Di Meine, Vice-Chair (314) 650-7978

LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS
Chalana Scales-Ferguson, Chair/US, (314) 838-7705
Leanne Morgan, Chair/LS, (314) 479-5328

SCHOOL PICTURES
Peggy Sannes, Chair/US, (314) 775-5557
Dee Anne Sjogren, Chair/MS, (314) 602-6295
Amy Kalishman, Chair/LS, (314) 997-5111