The monthly WMA Parent E-newsletter lets you know about upcoming events
and serves as a reminder about important dates in the near future.
You can view this eNews online at: http://www.WMA.us/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=245
| | To our parent body: Thank you!
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate the Parents’ Association and the Campus Center Steering Committee on their successful two-year campaign to raise the funds needed to complete the renovation. The Board of Trustees is thrilled to have the parents create such a lasting improvement to the student experience at the Academy. This is the largest capital fundraising effort that parent volunteers have undertaken in the Academy’s history. To date Academy parents, grandparents, and friends have donated more than $530,000 to the project in cash, pledges and in-kind gifts. I would also like to thank the members of our Board of Trustees Buildings and Grounds Committee, composed of alumni parents Michael Flynn and Krista Hanson, alumni and current parent David Callahan, and friend Kent Pecoy, for their work on the project. These talented board members have contributed their talents and countless hours of their time to the Academy. As Chair of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Board of Trustees, I am happy to report that construction on the Campus Center has begun. Please click on this link over the summer for updates on the project. Thank you to all who supported this exciting renovation. We all look forward to a vibrant new Campus Center in the fall. Sincerely,
Scott Jacobs
Chair, WMA Board of Trustees | Annual Fund Update
We did it again:
over $700,000
in Annual Fund contributions
by June 30!
Thank you all very much.
Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Parents' Association
Questions, or to get involved, contact:
Deborah Joffray, President 860.830.9907
Kris Kirwan, Vice President 413.244.7159
Sarah Wakelin, Director of Annual Giving & Parents' Association Liaison 413.569.9133
WMA Parents’ Association Book Club
When: August 12
Time: 6:45-8:00 p.m.
Where: Board Room at the Athletic Center
Book: The Glass Castle: A Memoir
by Jeannette Walls Please join us whether you’ve had the chance to finish your book or not. If you have any questions please feel free to email Jen Corbett or phone Geri FrenchRobitaille at 413.575.5528.
Where in the world are our Titans?
Send us a photo of yourself and your friends over the summer wearing your WMA gear on your travel to exotic places, adventures, or right at home.
Two lucky winners, picked at random from the entries received by Friday, August 29, will each be awarded a $50 gift certificate to the WMA Campus Store.
E-mail your photo to webmanager@WMA.us. Remember to include your name, the location where the photo was taken, and a few details about your summer adventure.
Save the date!
Grandparents/Special Friends' Day
at the middle school Back by popular demand,
Grandparents/Special Friends’ Day
at the middle school
October 5, 2010.
Parents, please make sure
we have the names & addresses of students’ grandparents or special friends
you would like to receive an invitation.
Please contact Chris Cronin, Director of Major Gifts and Campaign Coordinator at 413.596.9189 to RSVP.
Our wiring information has changed.
To wire funds to WMA please use the following information:
T.D. Bank N.A., 370 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
ABA: 211370545
Account#: 8247223005
Payable to: Wilbraham & Monson Academy
423 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA 01095
Reference: Student Name
Upcoming events August 5
Parents' Association question & answer for new parents
Board Room at the Athletic Center
6:30 p.m.
August 12
Parents' Association book group
Board Room at the Athletic Center
6:45 - 8:00 p.m.
August 29
Prefects register & move in
September 2
Peer Mediators register & move in New International Students register & move in; orientation begins
Preseason Athlete registration & orientation
Preseason practices begin
September 7
Blake Middle School students registration & orientation
Upper school students (boarding & day) registration & orientation
All-school picnic 5:00 p.m.
September 8
Matriculation for all new students
Alumni Memorial Chapel
5:30 p.m.
Convocation for all students
Alumni Memorial Chapel
7:30 p.m.
September 9
Fall trimester classes begin
September 13 - 17
Middle school at Nature's Classroom
October 5
Grandparents/Special Friends’ Day at the middle school
October 22 & 23
Parents' Weekend
New Summer Camp at WMA
July 28-August 7
Camp $tart Up, overnight camp for students ages 14-18 interested in business & entrepreneurship: www.WMA.us/summer
Calling all Beech Tree Day Campers!
June 28-August 6
Important Links on WMA.us
Upper school summer math work
Upper school summer reading list
Blake Middle School reading list
Registration information & forms
Atlas
Student Newspaper
Support WMA
Media Gallery
Link to 2010 - 2011 School Calendar
WMA is now on Facebook and Twitter!
 
About eNews
If you would prefer to receive
eNews at a different e-mail address,
please send your name and
new/preferred e-mail address to:
Cindy Shults
Other questions? Contact us!
eNews is produced by the
Communications Department.
Rita Carey
Director of Communications
Robin Farrington Cook
Webmanager
| New parents: Got Questions? We have answers!
If you're wondering things like "Where do I drop off my student?", " Does my child get a locker?"or any other of the details entering a new school brings, the WMA Parents' Association invites you to a very informal get together on August 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room. Perfect example of a question,"Where's the Board Room?" (It's located in the Athletic Center.) There will be current parents available to answer your questions and light refreshments will be served. Hope to see you there. If you can't make it, many of your questions can be answered in the Parent Guide. | New Director of Development
by Rodney LaBrecque, Head of School
 I am pleased to announce that Mr. Richard Rodgers has accepted our offer to become the next Director of Development. Mr. Rodgers has most recently served as Executive Director of Development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Over the last ten years he has also held the positions of Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and Director of Corporate Relations Office of research. He served the University of San Francisco in that same capacity from 1998 to 2000 and prior to that held several development positions for non-profit organizations in San Francisco. Mr. Rodgers has a proven track record of fundraising. more... Congratulations on a job well done
For the past seven years, Don Nicholson has done an outstanding job as Director of Alumni & Development. Under his leadership, both annual and capital giving have shown consistent improvement, and many alumni have reestablished contact with the Academy. During his tenure, Don has overseen fund raising for the many exciting improvements to our campus, including the Athletic Center and fields project, the Mark R. Shenkman Trading Center, the Shaw Track & Field installation, faculty housing construction, and, most currently, the Campus Center and tennis court renovations. more... | Registration information & forms As has been true for the past several years, all information and registration forms are available online. This practice saves a considerable amount of paper as well as postage costs. Newly enrolled students will receive all summer information and forms, which can also be found online, from the Admission Office. Returning families can find the information and forms on our Web site here. The only mailing will be the Student/Parent Handbook and detailed arrival and registration schedule, which will be sent from the Deans Office shortly. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the following people:
• Deans Office and Health Services information and forms: Cindy Shults in the Deans Office
• Business Office information and forms: Kate Gaw in the Business Office
• Preseason and other athletic information: Don Nicholson, Director of Athletics
Please remember that August 1 is the deadline for all forms to be returned to the Academy. | Registration schedule
Link to detailed & printable version in pdf format
Sunday, August 29
Prefects arrive, meet with a representative of the Deans Office, and prepare for departure for the prefect retreat.
Thursday, September 2
Prefect, Peer Mediators, and New International Student registration is from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center.
Preseason Varsity Athlete registration is from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center.
Katie Koestner introduces Parent-Connect from 4:00 – 5:30 in Alumni Memorial Chapel for all students registering on this day and their parents.
Tuesday, September 7
Middle School Students registration is from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
New and Returning Boarding Students register from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center.
New and Returning Day Students register from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Athletic Center.
Katie Koestner introduces Parent-Connect from 4:00 – 5:30 in Alumni Memorial Chapel for all students registering on this day and their parents.
Wednesday, September 8
All Boarding Students have a mandatory orientation program from
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in Alumni Memorial Chapel; day students are invited and encouraged to attend.
Matriculation (for all new students) at 5:30 p.m. and Convocation (for all students) starting at 7:30 p.m. | Parent-Connect – a valuable resource provided by the Deans Office
 We are excited to offer a series of informative online seminars exploring topics of vital interest to all parents. Parent-Connect, an outgrowth of Katherine Koestner’s Campus Outreach Services, will be available to WMA parents during the coming year. During the registration process in September, Ms. Koestner will be on hand to explain the program to parents. more... | Calculator information
There will be no changes for the upcoming year. Teachers will continue to teach with the same TI 84 and TI 83 graphing calculators that have been used for many years.
The following year (the 2011-2012 school year) students will use the new TI N-Spire (CAS touchpad model), starting at the Algebra I level.
For students who need to buy a calculator for 2010-2011: Because most students need instruction on how to use technology, we recommend buying a TI 84 for next year. This is especially important for younger students. If, however, students in advanced courses such as AP Calculus or AP Statistics are content to learn new technology independently, they are welcome to buy and use the N-Spire CAS in our classes next year.
The WMA Campus Store will stock the N-Spire CAS touchpad and the least expensive of the TI 84 models. | Calling All Volunteers!
We need your help. Please take a moment to tell us if you would like to be involved. This is a great way to support our students, meet each other, and help WMA at the same time. The Parents’ Association is looking for parents interested in volunteering during the course of the upcoming school year. Without parent volunteers we would not be able to provide a rich cultural experience for students or host many wonderful events for our Academy community. Please consider the following opportunities:
1. Become a Parents’ Association officer. The officers of the Parents’ Association plan monthly PA meetings and organize social and fundraising events.
2. Volunteer to help out at the opening of school, Parents’ Weekend, the spring fundraiser, and the many other exciting activities the PA sponsors during the course of the school year. For more detailed information or become a volunteer, please contact Sarah Wakelin 413.596.9133. | Biodiversity Study
 Environmental Science students identified over 80 species of vascular plants and vertebrate animals during a biodiversity study in May. The area studied covered the east campus (the woods behind Binney, the edge of Hugh Harrell Field, and the woods from the Lower Reservoir to Mountain Road. This portion of the Academy property includes a successional forest, an ecotone (field/forest interface), and a climax forest. more... | Reminder, we still need your help!
The Wilbraham & Monson Parents’ Association is looking to create a “global presence” at the 2010 Parents’ Weekend, and we need your help. Each year for the past several years, the Parents’ Association has had a basket raffle on Saturday of the weekend. This year, we are asking you to participate. We want to have an international theme for our baskets so that we can showcase the unique cultural diversity brought to WMA by our students, who come to us from 23 countries! We are asking you to consider donating a small item that is reflective of your culture. Examples may include traditional jewelry, pottery, silk scarves or ties, or anything else you feel would be appropriate. You may send your donations directly to the school over the summer or send them with your children when they return to school. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Robin Cook or Lisa Jalbert. | 
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