March Madness Basketball in 9th Age!

We had our own little slice of March Madness on Thursday afternoon with the 9th Age Hopper-Cricket boys' basketball game. It was actually two games played simultaneously in the Middle School gym under the watchful eyes of Mr. Vorsteg, Ms Strom, Mr. Howe, and special guest referee Mr. Little, who teaches math and coaches basketball in the Middle School. Based on the high calibre of play I witnessed, Calvert basketball has a bright future! The 10th Age boys also played a Hopper-Cricket basketball game, while the 9th and 10th Age girls squared off in Crow-Canary newcomb, which is a form of volleyball.

Four boys in shorts...I was correct!

As I predicted in this blog last night, we had four boys wearing shorts this morning, despite the more-than-chilly 30 degree temperature! The number will increase dramatically now, with about 25 boys wearing shorts by Friday. If only my NCAA tournament predictions had been so accurate...

It's Shorts Time!

Coming back from Spring Break means one thing to many Lower School students, most of them boys: khaki shorts are again permissible attire, as they are up until Thanksgiving. The current 8:00 A.M. forecast on weather.com for the 21210 zip code is a cold 30 degrees, yet we will have a few boys wearing shorts...because they can! I am predicting four boys in shorts tomorrow (Tuesday, March 24). Tune back in for the official tally.

Molly's Garden gets ready to Spring

On Sunday, March 22, a large crew of friends and family put down mulch in the Molly Harris '13 Memorial Garden, more commonly known as Molly's Garden, which was dedicated in June 2008. Given the timing of the garden's completion, this spring season will be the garden's first spring, and it should be a marvelous sight to see. Approximately 2000 bulbs were planted, and we are hopeful the garden will be in full blossom soon. I will post periodic pictures this spring. See below from some ones I took this afternoon. Please visit campus and walk through Molly's Garden. It is truly a beautiful, serene place for children and adults of all ages.

Friday Assemblies Cap a Terrific Week

As promised, I have updates on Friday’s assemblies. First, a fifth grade girl won the Second Annual Pi Recitation Contest, beating multiple students from the older grades. She recited pi to 53 places!! Can you top that? Thanks to Mr. Rossi for organizing this challenging and fun event.

Second, we had a delightful, festive 7th and 8th Age Dance Assembly before a full audience of relatives and siblings in the Middle School gym. (See pictures below). The girls, under the skillful tutelage of Mrs. Sewell, performed 11 dances! The 8th Agers then did an additional dance by themselves, bringing their total to an amazing 12 dances. Each year, I remain incredibly impressed with the outstanding choreography, excellent teamwork, and joyful group spirit. As mentioned in an earlier posting, performing, public speaking, and being on stage are essential components of the Calvert experience. Yesterday, the girls took a major step forward in gaining confidence while performing in front of a large group…and they obviously had a great time while doing so! Bravo to the girls and Mrs. Sewell!

Please note that I will be taking a blog break during spring break, so you will likely not hear from me for about two weeks. School resumes on Tuesday, March 24.

What a Week!

It has been an exciting week on campus as we sprint towards Spring Break! On Tuesday, we hosted accepted Pilot Class and 6th Age students and parents at our annual Muffin Party in the Lower School Cafeteria. It was a big success and was enhanced by our ability to go outside and enjoy the adjacent playground equipment, which is designed for young children. The children also enjoyed facepainting, blowing bubbles, and the company of our fantastic 8th graders, who read books and played on the playground with the boys and girls.

Tomorrow--Friday March 13th--we will have two more noteworthy assemblies: the Middle School Pi Recitation Contest and the 7th and 8th Age Dance Assembly. I hope to share a blog post by the end of the weekend on one or both of those events.

Tonight, in a packed Lower School Auditorium, we held our annual Middle School Talent Show. (See pictures below). The performers were outstanding! Audience members were treated to singing, dancing, acting, and a fashion show, to name just a few acts from the show. Approximately 30 students performed. Kudos!

My Sister's Circle on NBC Nightly News

I share this timely information courtesy of Assistant Head Master David Clapp '81. Mr. Clapp reports, "My Sister’s Circle, a mentoring program for girls in Baltimore City with whom Calvert has established a strong partnership, will be highlighted on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams on Friday night March 13 sometime between 6:30 and 7:00. Calvert has been fortunate to have three girls from My Sister’s Circle attend the Middle School. Calvert has also supported the organization by hosting their big celebration last spring, serving as a testing site for incoming girls and a meeting location for the Board, and by having several Calvert employees volunteer numerous hours in a variety of capacities. WBAL is also planning to air a segment during the 5 pm and 6 pm news as a tease to the NBC Nightly News."

Thanks to Mr. Clapp for this exciting report, and I hope you can tune in to the NBC Nightly news to learn more about My Sister's Circle!

9th Age Girls Sing at Blakehurst

This past Saturday, a group of 9th Age girls performed songs and skits from their hit play, "The Baltimore Barnyard," at the Blakehurst Retirement Community in Towson. The residents greatly appreciated the girls' spirited renditions. In the audience were two Calvert alumni, including one of Calvert's most passionate alums, Jack Morton '30. At the end of the performance, Mr. Morton told the girls stories about his experiences as a Calvert student in the 1920's. With a twinkle in his eye, Mr. Morton said to me, "My first day at Calvert was the first day in the new building on Tuscany Road. I loved every brick in that building." Many thanks to Mrs. Williams and Ms. Spadone for organizing this wonderful outing!

Pilot Pajama and Pancake Party!

Did we have fun this morning in Pilot Class! We celebrated "P week" with a pajama and pancake party! The students danced, read stories, pretended to nap in their comfy PJs, and enjoyed delicious pancakes courtesy of Mrs. Armstrong and Mr. Wareheim. Pilot teachers Mrs. Mollett, Ms. Wilhelm, Ms. Clark, and Ms. Gentry dressed in their pajamas, and yes, so did I! Enjoy the pictures below.

CIA Days...Calvert in Action!

In the 2007-08 school year, we began offering CIA Days, the "CIA" being short for "Calvert in Action." Originally designed to allow current parents to learn more about the Middle School, we now offer CIA Days in the Lower School as well. They have been a big hit, and the feedback from parents has been outstanding. Parents have an opportunity to see classes and students "in action" during a regular school day and to speak with me and other members of the administrative team in a relaxed environment. In the Middle School, CIA Days conclude with a student panel of 8th graders answering any and all questions from inquisitive parents! This past Tuesday, March 3, we had a CIA Day for 6th Age parents, and approximately 15 attended. It was a terrific morning! We saw a variety of engaging lessons all across the school: 10th Age math and music, 8th Age reading, 7th Age physical education and reading, and 9th Age art, to name a few. Many thanks to the parents (0ver 100 over the past two years) who have attended CIA Days, and thanks to Director of Placement Nicole Webster for organizing these extremely valuable mornings.