Thank You Halloween Volunteers!

Letter from the Head of School

Dear Parents,

This past Tuesday, I was pleasantly challenged with the following mathematics questions:

• Are all rhombuses also parallelograms? And are all parallelograms also rhombuses?
• What are the formulas for linear growth and exponential growth?

If the answers to these questions aren’t coming to you right away, I’d suggest that you talk with our 4th and 8th graders. (I have also given the answers below, for those of you without ready access to 4th or 8th graders.)

As part of our cycle of professional engagement, I had the joy of formally observing two math courses, one in Lower School and one in Middle School. This was a wonderful opportunity for me to witness firsthand our math instruction, as well as offer feedback to our teachers.

What first impressed me in both lessons was not the depth of the material (which was impressive in itself) but that there was a high degree of engagement by the students. The students were not just there to learn math, but to conquer it.

I was also pleased to note that our faculty gave students the time and space to struggle with difficult questions. So many times, we are eager to get to the product, the right answer, at the cost of the process. As I wrote about last week, a growth mindset approach means that students are taught to persevere through challenge, rather than given a belief that math ability is innate and immovable.

Finally, I appreciated seeing the thought and effort on the teachers’ part to seek to differentiate the difficulty of the work, based upon the students’ achievement. In both classes, students had the opportunity to stretch beyond the topic of the moment and dig deeper.

Math instruction is frequently on parents’ minds in my Coffees with the Head. As my first year at Emerson goes along, I look forward to learning more about how we teach math here, as well as how our instruction best prepares students for 9th grade and beyond.

Take care,
John

Answers: all rhombuses are parallelograms, but not all parallelograms have four equal sides required for rhombuses. Linear growth is y=mx+b, exponential growth is y=a(b)x.

All School News and Info

NEW: Special Presentations at ESPO Meetings

As hot topics come up from parents, John Huber will be inviting experts to discuss them during his 8:30am Head Update at ESPO meetings.

Nov. 10: Preparing Students to Distinguish Themselves

Moses Lee and Matt Gibson, Lead Coaches and Cofounders of DistinguishMe, will share how to best prepare students to distinguish themselves for high school, college, and beyond. Moses and Matt will be meeting with our Middle School faculty and students later in November to help our students develop their own passion projects.
+ More info about Emerson’s passion projects and DistinguishMe

Jan. 13: Support and Services for Emerson Students

Meet with Emerson’s Counselor Carrie Berkley to learn about the range of support and services provided to our students.

Emerson Soccer Takes 1st Place at Tournament

4th Consecutive League Championship for Emerson

Congrats to the Emerson soccer team, which won its final game of the season against rival Ann Arbor Christian School 9–0. The decisive win was also the victory that secured the League Championship for Emerson, for the fourth straight season.
+ Read the play-by-play recap by Coach Lenny

Emerson Book Fair Just Two Weeks Away

“Fall for Books” at Nicola’s on Sunday, Nov. 15, 4:30–7:30pm

Come browse the book shelves, enjoy some refreshments, mingle with classmates, teachers, and friends, and support the Emerson School Library! The book fair will be an evening filled with fun, student performances, and author signings. So come one, come all, to this fun-filled event! Volunteers are needed, so please sign up if you can help with this event.
+ Volunteer at the Book Fair or to provide refreshments

Busch’s Now Gives to Emerson with MyWay Card

Starting Sunday, November 1, it will no longer be necessary to pay with a Busch’s Cash for Education gift card to earn rewards for Emerson. Moving forward, you can simply shop, provide your Busch’s MyWay phone number or key tag at the register and receive credit.

How to Earn Money for Emerson at Busch’s

1. Link your MyWay card to Cash for Education by Dec. 31 each each (reenrollment is required annually)
2. Select Emerson School for each quarter using the dropdown menu.
   You must have a valid email address and opt in to receive emails. You can check this under My Account > Account Overview when logged into MyWay

+ Busch’s Cash for Education FAQ

Emerson XC Team Finishes Season Strong

Girls Win 1st Place, Boys 3rd Place at Invitational

Congrats to the Girls Cross Country Team, which took first place in the season-ending Honey Creek Phoenix Invitational Cross Country Meet. The Boys Cross Country Team also finished strong with a third place finish. Coach Bryan Seymour says, “Congratulations to all of the runners for a great season!”

Emerson Science Fair: Hydrofest 2015!

The Science Fair will be held on November 18

The Emerson Science Department is pleased to announce that this year we will be presenting a science fair of incredible hydrological proportions—a virtual festival of H2O–something we call HYDROFEST 2015!
+ More Info and sign-up instructions

Annual Reports Will Be Sent Home Monday

On Monday, check your student’s backpack for the 2014-2015 Annual Report, full of student activities, artwork, and recognition. Thank you for your ongoing support of Emerson School!

Unwanted or Leftover Halloween Candy?

Operation Gratitude Collecting Candy for Military

Don’t throw away your unwanted or leftover Halloween candy. Instead, give it toOperation Gratitude. The candy will be used for care packages for military troops. Lucas and Lance Caswell are putting out boxes to collect the candy. The boxes will be in the Fishbowl beginning on Friday, October 30th until Friday, November 6th. Please ask Lucas or Lance if you have any questions.

Middle School News and Info

2nd Trimester Elective Sign-Ups Close Nov. 2

The second trimester electives will will remain open until noon on Monday, Nov. 2. Please be sure your student finalizes their elective choices.
+ Elective descriptions and sign-up instructions

MathCounts Begins Friday, Nov. 6

Students in 5th through 8th grade interested in being a part of the MathCounts team can join coach Hojin Han in MS room 205 for the first practice session on Friday Nov. 6 from 3:00pm–4:00pm. This group is for any mathletes who are interested in working together to develop their math skills in preparation for the Regional (and potentially State) tournament in mid-February. There is no cost to join and no season-long commitment required.
+ For more information, contact Andy Zimmer

High School Information

WIHI HS Info Sessions Nov. 10 and Nov. 18 at 7:00pm

Community News and Events

Helping Your Anxious Child: A Group for Parents

4-Week Group Starting Soon

This is a four-week group for parents of children dealing with anxiety and stress at the start of the school year. Dr. Beth Pearson will be teaching parents practical strategies from evidence-based approaches, including what to say, tips, exercises, and how to avoid accidentally increasing fears.
+ Learn more

Fall Auditions Open for the Boychoir of Ann Arbor

Boys aged 7 1/2 to 17 are eligible, auditions are by appointment

The Boychoir of Ann Arbor announces Fall Auditions for all three of its choirs. The Boychoir’s training programs enhance the musical education boys are already receiving through school or private lessons. We focus on competency in sight-singing (reading music) as well as vocal training through semi-private voice lessons.
+ Learn More