Greetings!
I hope everyone had a great summer and the start of school went well. The Parents’ Association will be holding its next meeting on October 13 at 8:00 a.m. in the Athletic Center Board Room. We will be planning the events for the 2011-2012 year and would love for anyone interested to join us. I've spoken to Gayle Hsiao, Director of the International Student Program, and she is looking for parents who would be willing to host international students during school breaks. If you are interested please contact Gayle for more information. I hope to see you at our meeting on 9/15 but if you are unable to attend, please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. I look forward to working with you to make this a very successful year! Lisa Jalbert
Parents’ Association President
Where do good ideas come from?
 More than anything, Academy faculty wish to improve student powers of thinking. They want students to be able to ponder life's questions. They want them to invent new theories, create new ideas, put into practice new methods of doing a task. In short, they seek to increase the conscious attention with which students perform, create, and rethink. We often say that we want to develop good academic habits. But developing habits may not be all that good an idea if you wish students to generate new ideas.
Over the last couple of years, I have been reading many of the works of the author Steven Johnson. He writes about disparate subjects: the invention of air, meaning the "discovery" of oxygen through the work of Joseph Priestly and Antoine Lavoisier; the understanding of the transmission cholera in London during the epidemic of 1854; even the way pop culture is making all of us smarter. These books may seem to be about different subjects, but in actuality they all have the same basic kernel of thought…how do new ideas surface? more...
Head of School breakfast with new parents
Tuesday, September 27
Time: 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Location: Athletic Center Board Room
R.S.V.P. to Andrea Robbins, at 413.596.9118
by Wednesday, September 21, 2011
WMA Middle School Grandparents' Day
Tuesday, October 4
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Please visit www.WMA.us and click here for a full schedule of events and information
R.S.V.P. to Andrea Robbins, at 413.596.9118
by Wednesday, September 26, 2011
Parents' Weekend/Homecoming
October 14 & 15
Event details and times will be posted here in the coming weeks.
WMA Give-a-Book Program
 Parents, students, alumni, and friends can help build our library and leave a small legacy on campus by donating to the Give-a-Book Program. You can select a book to donate or let the librarians pick one for you. To make a gift visit our Web site or contact WMA Director of Library Services Deborah Levheim at 413.596.9161.
Parent-Connect: a valuable resource
Again this year, 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, Executive Director of Campus Outreach Services and Take Back the Night Foundation, is a national expert on student safety and wellness issues. She has presented to more than one million students in the United States. As the first victim of date rape to speak out nationally and publicly about her experience at The College of William and Mary, she appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine in June of 1991. HBO made a movie about her story in 1993. Parent Connect 2011-2012
Through the efforts of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Deans Office, parents will be able to participate in this ground-breaking program. Parent-Connect offers school communities compelling topics concerning young adults and extraordinary perspectives through our series of online seminars. Respected authors, experts, and psychologists provide the latest research and practical parenting tips on Monday evenings during the school year. The WMA Parents’ Association is hosting monthly gatherings to provide parents an opportunity to participate in the webinars. They are held in the Campus Center Conference Room at 6:00 p.m. Light refreshments are served. Be sure to check the Parent page of our website for exact dates and topics. 2011-2012 Schedule of webinars (pdf format)
Registration instructions (pdf format)
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Meeting of the
Wilbraham & Monson Academy
Parents' Association
Please join us to kick off the 2011-2012 School Year!!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
8:00 a.m.
WMA Athletic Center Board Room
Coffee, tea, juice, fruit, & breakfast pastries
These informal morning meetings are held the second Thursday of each month and are designed for us to get to know each other better and to provide an opportunity for parents to share their thoughts, ideas, and questions about all things WMA. We know your valuable input will help make the Academy experience the best it can be for our children and for us as parents. We will supplement these meetings with selected educational programs
throughout the year.
Questions, or to get involved, contact:
Lisa Jalbert President 413.221.3969
Kris Kirwan, Vice-President 413.244.7159
Melissa Reeves, Treasurer 413.530.4704
Robin Cook Secretary 413.599.6609
Andrea Robbins, Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Parents' Association Liaison 413.596.9118
WMA Parents’ Association Book Club
When: October 6
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Where: Athletic Center
Book: Grapes of Wrath
November Book (November 3)
The Bluest Eye
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Geri French Robitaille at 413.575.5528.
Upcoming events
Breakfast with New Parents
September 27, 2011
7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Athletic Center Board Room
October 1
SAT I & II
Middle School Grandparents' Day
October 4, 2011
Parents' Weekend/Homecoming
October 14 & 15
Important Links on WMA.us Atlas
Student Newspaper
Media Gallery
Updated 2011-2012 School Calendar
All School Calendar
Risley Sports Photography
WMA is on Facebook and Twitter!
 
 
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