What a Day!

It has been quite a 24 hours here on campus. Last night, a standing room only crowd in the Lower School auditorium watched the 8th Annual Middle School Talent Show. The performers were terrific--singing, dancing, and playing instruments. It was quite a show. This morning, the Middle School held a carnival to raise money for Haitian relief efforts. Activities included face painting, limbo dancing, sack toss, a tent-assembling race, and a homemade bracelet sale. At the same time across campus, the 7th and 8th Age girls performed in their annual Dance Assembly. Under the watchful eye of teacher Jane Sewell, the girls did a wonderful job, much to the delight of their parents, grandparents, and siblings. Now, after an evening and morning of frenetic activity, the campus is quiet. We resume classes again on Monday, March 22. Please enjoy the pictures below.

8th Grade Art Show at Evergreen

As reported in my February 28 post, 8th graders art students have their "Acrylic Paintings on Canvas" on display at The Evergreen on West Coldspring Lane. Yesterday afternoon, parents, students, and teachers gathered at The Evergreen for a celebration. The paintings look terrific! The subject matter of cups and mugs fits perfectly with the decor and amidst the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods. One customer asked Mrs. Kamp if the paintings were for sale! Please enjoy the pictures belows, and please stop by and see them in person!

Yes, I Wore Pajamas Today!

In celebration of "P" week in Pilot Class, today was Pajama and Pancake Day! The Pilot Class teachers, as well as Dr. Trusty and I, wore our PJs at school. They were so comfy it was difficult to change back into my normal attire for the afternoon. However, given that I had to attend the Board of Trustees meeting after school, I think it was a good idea that I put my blazer and tie back on! The students also enjoyed pancakes that were served hot from the griddle set up right in the classroom.

Student Paintings at The Evergreen

Although the calendar now says "March," we are bound to have continued chilly weather. Why not warm up with a cup of coffee and a delicious muffin at The Evergreen at 501 W. Coldspring Lane? While you are there, you can relax and enjoy "Acrylic Paintings on Canvas" by Calvert 8th grade art students. The paintings will be on display through March 26, so you have plenty of time to swing by The Evergreen and see some terrific student artwork.

As a follow up to my last post, the remainder of International Week proved to be a big success last week. After French Day, students enjoyed Chinese, Arabic, Latin, and Spanish language, food, and culture.

International Week Comes to Calvert

The atmosphere is quite festive on campus as we celebrate International Week! Each day, a different culture and language will be celebrated through food and activities. Today, we focused on France, French culture, and French-speaking countries. In the Lower School lobby (which was draped with flags from all over the world), Tenth Agers passed out small flags from French-speaking countries to the students as they arrived. All over the building, objects were labeled in French as well. Dr. Trusty and I greeted the students with a "Bonjour" rather than our typical "Good Morning." The festivities provided a terrific boost of energy during a chilly, snowy stretch of winter. Enjoy the pictures below.

Back in School...finally!

Yes, we made it back into school today! After being closed for five school days--and a total of eleven days when you factor in weekends, a Professional Day (that we had to cancel) and Presidents' Day--we were in session. We opened an hour late, but we were open. Everyone seemed happy, upbeat and energetic. Everyone was "ready" to come back. Yes, one or two snow days can be rejuvenating, but a week and half is too long, even for the students. It took many employees and parents over an hour to get to campus, primarily because of the condition of City streets, many of which were reduced from two lanes to one lane in each direction. Also, there was a utility problem on York Road, which added to the congestion. We are hoping for a smoother morning commute for the rest of the week! This is a certainly a week to take your time and focus on safety and caution on the roads. That goes for all my readers, too--please drive safely!

More Snow!

Welcome to the North Pole, also known as Calvert School! We have been buried by not one but two blizzards this week. Our maintenance crew worked incredibly hard Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to dig us out after the first big storm...and then the second blizzard started Tuesday afternoon and is still going strong as I write this post on Wednesday evening. We have been closed all week and decided earlier today to announce a closure until Tuesday, February 16. Our crew will have five days to get us ready for Tuesday, and I suspect we will need all five days, especially since another storm is expected for Monday into Tuesday! I hope that all my readers in the Mid-Atlantic region are safe and warm. On an ironic note, I heard that Vancouver, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, is experiencing a (relative) heat wave and is having to manufacture snow for their venues. I know where Vancouver can get some real snow...they can send a convoy of trucks to Baltimore and we can load them up for free! Take care and be safe as we all dig out from the blizzards of 2010.

Snow!

During the winter months, a hot (no pun intended) topic of conversation is snow. As soon as even a dusting of snow is forecast, students (and teachers!) start to lobby for a snow day. Yes, that decision is part of my duties. It is strange that I have to rely on the not-always-right weather forecast to make a decision for Calvert, but that is the way it goes! We typically close less often than other schools or have shorter delays, i.e. we are open one hour late while they are open two hours late. Why? There are several reasons, including the following: 1) we have no student drivers; 2) although our 15 acre campus is spacious, we have a limited area of sidewalks and roadways to clear; 3) once our students are on campus, they can remain inside the Lower School or Middle School building all day without having to go outside. We have dodged several weekend snowstorm bullets this winter, and it appears another weekend storm is on the way! We shall see what happens...

On an unrelated note, the Zoomobile visited Calvert today, which may be a first for us!