Letter from Jerry

Hello Parents,

What better way to beat away this brutal cold weather than soaking up the warmth of friends together at a great party. Well, you are in luck! Emerson’s annual auction is March 13th, but you need to act quickly and RSVP by Monday to reserve your space.

The Auction is not only a critical fundraiser for our school’s operating budget, it is also our opportunity to formally celebrate our accomplishments, our phenomenal families, and the very bright future you have made possible for Emerson School. From the wine pull, to the silent auction, to the live auction, to just enjoying the energy of this fun event, it is a party not to be missed. If you have not yet responded to your invitation, please return an RSVP card and join us. I greatly appreciate your support.

If you cannot attend, but still wish to participate, the online auction will begin on March 17th and stay active through the 25th. This option enables you to support the school while bidding on some tantalizing items from the warmth and comfort of your home. And back by popular demand, our Teacher Experience and Restaurant Raffles will be open to all starting Monday!

I hope to see you on the 13th, and I thank you in advance for your warm support of Emerson School.
Sincerely,

Jerry Loewen
Head of School

All School News

Re-Enrollment Contracts Due Mar. 6

To reserve your child’s space at Emerson for the 2015-2016 school year, please return your signed contract by Friday, March 6.
+ Contact Admissions Director Jackie Ebels with any questions

Apply for Financial Aid by Mar. 14

Financial aid is available to families through a need-based program, and 10 percent of Emerson students are recipients. The amount of financial aid a family is eligible to receive is determined independently through School and Student Service (SSS), a service of NAIS.
+ Learn more about financial aid
+ Apply for financial aid

Conference Sign-Ups Open This Sunday

Scheduler Open Mar. 1 at 9:00pm through Mar. 15

Sign up for conferences online beginning Sunday, March 1, at 9:00pm. The scheduler will remain open until March 15th at 9:00pm. Child Care is available.
+ More info, instructions, and Child Care 

Middle School

• Wednesday, March 18th, from 3:00pm – 8:00pm
• Thursday, March 19th, from 8:00am – 3:00pm 

Friday, March 13, 2015 at Barton Hills Country Club

RSVP by Monday, Mar. 2

RSVPs will be accepted through next week until we are sold out. The Auction has reached capacity every year, so please don’t delay!
+ Download an RSVP card

Raffle Tickets Go On Sale Monday, Mar. 2

Tickets for the Restaurant Raffle ($20) and Teacher Experience Raffles ($10) will be available for purchase in the Lower School and Middle School offices, in Lower School After Care, and—new this year—at home using an order form being sent home with your youngest child on Monday. You do not need to be present to win.
+ See the Teacher Experience Raffle items

Please Bring in Promised Donations by Monday, Mar. 2

We need time to package items and create displays for the big event. Thank you!

+ To volunteer or ask questions, contact Beth Anderson, 734.665.9005, x.305

TED2015 Live Simulcast: Truth and Dare

Mar. 17, 11:00am – 9:45pm in Four Sessions

Great TED Talks often do one or both of the following:
…They give you a new lens on the world as it is.
…They offer new possibilities for the world as it might be.
For TED2015, we’re on a quest to magnify both facets. We will seek to challenge and reshape our core beliefs about today’s reality. And at the same time celebrate the thinkers, dreamers and mavericks who offer bold new alternatives. Welcome to… Truth and Dare.

Sessions and Topics (See the speakers)

• 11:30am – 1:15pm: What Are We Thinking
  The science of how children learn, seeing by sound, geometric art, how our brain works, how evolution and visual perception author our reality
• 2:00pm – 3:45pm: Machines That Learn
  AI image and language recognition, making basketball smarter, self-driving cars, philanthropy, will our tech advances destroy or save us
• 5:15pm – 7:00pm: Out of This World
  Skydiving from space, uncovering clues to the origin of life, the hunt for a twin Earth, exploring earth to plan for life on Mars, forecasting tech
• 8:00pm – 9:45pm: Life Stories
  People and cultures amid the great forces of our time, an innovative workplace with mostly women, turning visionary ideas into commonplace tech, young pianist with gift for old jazz, story collecting

+ Register to attend (limited space)
+ See the speakers and topics
+ About TED2015
+ 11 Must-See TED Talks

Emerson Apparel Store Now Open

Order Items by Sunday, March 8

You asked for it, so we’ve re-opened up the online Emerson apparel store. Place your order now for shirts, hoodies, hats, jackets, and more, and items will be ready for you to pick-up at Emerson by March 23.

Note: Youth t-shirts run small and we suggest ordering a size up. Youth and adult items are noted in the title. 
+ See items and place your order

Tickets Available for Gifted and This is a Test Plays

Thursday, Mar. 5 and Friday, Mar. 6 at 7:00pm
Saturday, Mar. 7 at 2:00pm

Join us for the final Middle School Play to be held in Emerson’s Black Box Theatre. This year’s student performance will include two one-act plays, each set in a school classroom.

Reserve Your Tickets Now
Tickets are $8.00 for all ages, payable by cash or check. You can order by email (theater@emerson-school.org) or by calling the Emerson Ticket Hotline at 734-665-9005, x362. Please leave a message with:

• Name
• Phone number
• Number of tickets requested
• Performance date

+ More info about plays and cast

Middle School News

Father Gabriel Richard High School Open House

Wednesday, Mar. 4, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Father Gabriel Richard High School, Ann Arbor, invites families with 7th graders to see why we have been awarded the Catholic High School Honor Roll since 2008! Visit the school, meet the teachers and talk with our current coaches and sports clubs. Our award-winning Madrigal singers will be giving an ongoing performance in the Chapel where you can also enjoy refreshments. We hope to see you there!
+ Learn more

Pioneer High 9th Grade ‘Meet and Greet’

Wednesday, Apr. 22, 11:15am – 2:30pm

Students will have a tour of the school and lunch with fellow 8th graders. There will be an extra curricular fair with representatives of several school clubs and athletic teams. Meet at the Clock Tower Entrance.
+ RSVP to Jen Kunec by April 10th

Community Events

Ermine at the Comic Opera Guild

Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8:00pm and Sunday, Mar. 1 at 3:00pm

Emerson science teacher Pat Petiet will perform in Ermine, which was a huge hit in its day and eclipsed the initial run of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mokado. As with so many light operas of the late 19th century, it fell from the repertory on the 1920’s, with the onset of the Jazz Age. It opened in 1885 and came to the US in 1886.
+ Learn more

Chinese American Teens and Family Study

Be a part of creating science! The University of Illinois Journeys In Adolescence (JIA 家) Study is looking for Chinese Americans families with teens aged 12-17 to participate in a new study. We want to understand how to better promote academic achievement and physical and emotional well-being in Chinese American teens. Participation is simple and takes place entirely in the convenience of your own home. Parents and a teen will complete questionnaires, brief daily checklists, and teens will provide small saliva samples. Families who complete the study will receive $50 and a chance to win a new iPad mini.
+ Contact Xin Yuen (734.249.8067) with questions or if you are interested in participating

Middle School Learn to Row

Starts April 13 for All 6th – 8th Graders

Get on the water and try an incredible sport with the Washtenaw Rowing Center! Rowing (aka crew) is flourishing in our community, with nationally competitive boys and girls teams in Washtenaw County, as well as top collegiate programs at universities throughout the state. Now middle school students also have the chance to give it a try, in a fun and relaxed atmosphere where they’ll learn basic technique and get on the water to experience what this exciting sport is all about!
+ Find more information and sign up, or contact Program Director Kit Bennett

MAGC Conference Catalog Cover Art Contest

Entry Deadline is Mar. 31

The Michigan Association for Gifted Children (MAGC) programs and conference planning board is looking for a gifted artist, aged 12 to 15, to create our next conference cover. The winner and finalist’s artwork
will be used in marketing and conference materials for 2015-2016.
+ Learn more

U of M Summer Engineering Academy

Applications Due Tuesday, Mar. 31

This program’s goal is to expose students to engineering and open to all students with an interest in engineering. The Center for Engineering Diversity and Outreach particularly encourages applications from students who are from underrepresented groups in engineering.
+ Learn more