|
E-Marker Archives
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome Back! 
Welcome to what I hope will be the best year ever at Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School. That may sound a little Pollyanna-ish, but I love how the faculty comes back from summer vacation re-charged and enthused about the possibilities before them. They are excited to head back into the classroom to help students achieve excellence, both academically and ethically.
Welcome also to the first twice-monthly E-Marker for the 2007-2008 school year! We hope the communication changes we've begun this year will simplify grade level and divisional scheduling and logistical needs yet still provide interesting insights into the overarching school mission and philosophy.
We look forward to partnering with you to facilitate every student's growth. Please let us know what we can do to help make this as positive a year as possible for you and your family.
Sincerely,
Alan Sparrow
Head of School
Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School
|
Theme of the Year: Be Your Best Self
 As members of our community, you may be familiar with the Mission of Rowland Hall - St. Mark's School. It appears in our admissions material and is printed on the back of the directory each year. It reads, "Rowland Hall-St. Mark's mission is to develop students who will lead productive and ethical lives. The school offers a college preparatory program that combines the pursuit of academic excellence with the development of moral character."
With any school, the mission should be the driving force behind everything we do. In my remarks to the Upper School student body during our opening convocation, I declared that the theme of the year is to "Be Your Best Self." I challenged the students, at moments when they face a difficult situation, to stop and think and to make good choices. As I did last year during final exam time, I reminded students that the end result is less important than giving your best effort. One's honor and integrity are far more valuable in the long run than grades or test scores.
Families choose Rowland Hall -St. Mark's because we offer a challenging, caring, and ethical environment for children. If you are a parent, I encourage you to help your child establish a goal for the year. Try starting with the question: "How will I strive to better myself or my community this year?" That goal could be academic: "I want to try for all A's and B's this year;" or service oriented: "I plan to devote 50 hours before spring break working at a homeless shelter;" or adventurous: "I plan to audition for the spring play, something I've never tried."
We will keep this idea at forefront of all we do. I look forward to a great year!
|
|
|
|
In the News . . .
Improvising a Game
| |
|
Your Participation in Annual Giving is Vital . . .
to the overall financial health of the school because it:
- Balances the RHSM budget. Tuition only covers 77% of the actual costs of educating a child. Annual Giving and other revenues bridge the gap.
- Pays for programs and projects beyond what RHSM tuition covers. Annual Giving provides for the expansiveness of the educational experience at RHSM. Every year the Annual Giving campaign provides support for art and music classes, dance and theater programs, and other specialty classes across the curriculum. Annual Giving donations support faculty development, financial aid and scholarships, facility upgrades and renovation, and much more. Finally, Annual Giving enriches our entire learning environment.
- Keeps tuition costs down so RHSM student population can remain diverse.
The Annual Giving class liaisons play an essential role in the success of the Annual Giving campaign. You'll be hearing from your liaisons in the coming weeks. Your gift to the Annual Giving campaign truly makes a difference! To see who your class liaison is, click here. |
Cycling Team Hits All-Time High
 Each year, the RHSM cycling team participates in the MS150, a 150-mile bicycle ride that helps raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. This year's team topped all previous efforts by raising $23,986! The 37 members of the team rode, laughed, and camped together in Cache Valley on June 23-24. This year also marks the first year that RHSM parents have joined the team and what a welcome addition!
We hope more people will consider riding with us next year and supporting an organization that does outstanding, critical work in our state.
|
Celebrate Reading with Birthday Books
 The Steiner Library has long encouraged families to celebrate special events by donating books to add to our McCarthey Campus collection. Your child may choose a book from a shelf of books already selected as school needs, or if you prefer, you may contact Library Media Specialist Becky Hall with a book suggestion. A bookplate inscribed with the donor's name is placed inside the cover and their photograph is displayed on the library bulletin board. The gift books are checked out to the student and brought to the classroom so that the whole class is introduced to the new item. The list of Birthday Book donations is published in the school's REVIEW magazine three times a year. Birthday Books are a special way to say, "I love books and I want to share that love with the school community." Parents and students on the Lincoln Street Campus can also participate in the Birthday Book program to assist the Eccles Library. |
|
 Reading Resource
The Pioneer Library, our state's free online reading resource, is available to all of Utah's children. You may access it by going to http://pioneer-library.org/. Go to the K-12 Schools and log in as a student. The log-in name is: pioneer and the password is: look. Please explore this site for all of your research needs. |
 NIP For Your Kids
RHSM wants to nip auto idling in the bud with its new No Idling Policy.
Did you know that if you are parked for more than 10 seconds, turning off you car engine and restarting it actually saves fuel and the environment?
NIP Idling for:
- Better Health: Summer ozone pollution and winter inversions compromise human health and lead to increased acute, chronic, and persistent respiratory and circulatory illness.
- Better Engine Maintenance and Fuel Economy: Your idling engine runs below optimal temperature. Water and fuel deposits condense on the cylinders and spark plugs increasing engine wear and reducing engine efficiency. Idling doesn't get you anywhere.
- Cleaner Air: Idling contributes greenhouse gases associated with climate change and releases unburned fuel and particulate matter, a major contributor to unhealthy air conditions. Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution.
|
Improvising a 'Game'
By Anne Wilson
The Salt Lake Tribune
Life is full of unscripted moments, humor, and game-playing. Who says dance can't be the same way? Utah's only improvisational dance company, Movement Forum, doesn't rely on choreography to dictate where and how dancers will move their feet, hands, and heads. View full story . . .
|
|
McCarthey Home and School
 I hope that you and your family enjoyed the summer and I would like to extend a special welcome to all new families. The Home and School Association is here to help you make a smooth transition to our school community. The school year has just begun but Home and School volunteers have been busy over the summer making sure we get the year off to a smooth start. New Family Socials, Hello Day, Gently Used Uniforms and Sweatshirt Sales, the Back To School Picnic, Back to School Nights, School Pictures, Shipman Blumenthal Photographs, and Physical Fitness Testing are just some of the committees that have been organized. Room Reps will be working with individual classroom teachers to coordinate volunteer opportunities in the classroom - look for sign-up sheets at your divisions' Back to School Night. I would like to invite all parents to the 8:30 a.m. monthly meetings held on the second Tuesday of each month in the Parlor. All parents are welcome to attend and small children are always welcome.
 Our first meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 11, at which Alan Sparrow will update you on plans for the year, as will Julie Barrett, Carol Blackwell, Deborah Mohrman, Kathy Gundersen, Libby Ellis, Susan Koles, and Peggy Vrooman. If you have a suggestion for a meeting topic, drop me an email. Being involved in Home and School doesn't mean that you have to attend every meeting. It could mean that you are knowledgeable about and involved in the daily lives of our students' classrooms. You might help kids run laps for fitness testing or attend a focus group for the Advancement Department or attend a sustainability committee meeting. You might facilitate a reading group or help an individual teacher organize a field trip. It might mean bringing in lasagna for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Week or being a liaison for Annual Giving. The opportunities for volunteering are endless and believe me, every single volunteer is appreciated.
Look for Home and School reminders and logistical information in the new weekly Friday FAQ. Occasionally we might highlight something very special in the E-marker, and we will use the twice a year REVIEW to thank our chairs, directors, and other volunteers.
The Home and School Association will do everything we can to make this a smooth and successful year at RHSM. Please feel free to contact me or any member of the Home and School Executive Board Committee; we are happy to support you in any way we can.
Leslie Stone, President, McCarthey Campus Home and School Association. 583-9560/414-0478, lahstone@comcast.net
|
|
Lincoln Street Home and School
 On behalf of the Lincoln Street Home and School Association, I welcome you back from summer! I hope that you have had time to relax, enjoy your family and recharge. I am excited to have been able to welcome so many new families to both the Middle School and Upper School this fall. I encourage both veteran and new families to be involved in the Home and School meetings and activities this year. Our meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month at 1:15 p.m. in the Upper School faculty lounge (with only a few exceptions, please check the web calendar). The meetings will always include reports from our headmaster and principals as well as special guest speakers addressing relevant issues facing our kids or ourselves as parents. Our first meeting will be Tuesday, September 18. Hear from our community service director, Liz Paige as well as Alan Sparrow, Diane Guido and Amanda Wissler regarding the FCD fall survey of students regarding drugs and alcohol. It is a wonderful opportunity to interact with our administrators. I do understand that busy schedules do not always permit attendance so please look for the minutes on the Lincoln Street Home and School web page the following week to stay informed. I welcome your comments or questions.
While your middle or high school student may no longer need nor want your help in their classroom, volunteer opportunities with Home and School for Faculty Appreciation, Candle and Carol, Hospitality, Patrons of the Arts, Booster Club and more are available and provide a wonderful way to stay connected with your child's school. Please feel free to contact me at anytime. I look forward to working with you and thank you for your support.
|
| Girls' Tennis Season Begins
 The girls tennis season has gotten off to a great start and, believe it or not, we are already gearing up for the region and state tournaments that are only a few weeks down the road. Blake Harries, Jenn Livermore, Jessica Grey, Abby Bossart, Sydney Hartsell, Madeline Loughridge, and Madison Allred have fought hard for varsity positions so far this season. We have some important matches in the next two weeks that will set the tone for the region tournament at Coach Mike's on the 22nd of September. The competition for the seven varsity spots has been tight with Eileen Veghte, Rachel Kohan, Lee Asahina, Kaitlyn Rodriguez, Kaitlyn Willmore, Shelly Miller, and Elizabeth Strait all vying for their own moment in the spotlight. |
|
Volleyball Season Underway
 The RHSM Upper School volleyball season is in full swing, as twenty-one girls have been working hard in practice since August 6 preparing for this year's Region 14 competition. The team faced Salt Lake Lutheran on our home court on August 22, defeating the Lynx in a well-played match in straight sets, 25-13, 25-23, 25-21. The team then traveled to 3A Ben Lomond High on August 30, losing to a tough Scots squad 8-25, 14-25, 17-25.
The varsity team is led by captains Kanika Tua'one, Paige Masuda, and Erin Lence and includes seniors Erin Armentrout and Mayra Vences; juniors Coleen Franquelin, Allison Reed, Chloe Joesten, and Dhemerae Ford; and freshman Ashley Bostrom. Members of the Junior Varsity and Fresh/Soph team include Ford, Joesten and Bostrom, as well as Henriette Zoutomou, Maddie Haslam, Leah Petracca, Alexis Shimada, Halee Johnson, Chloe Hauenstein, Jordan Friedman, Molly Weisman, Namoonga Kwendakwema, Ali Henderson, and Hannah Midget. Team manager is Vivian Huynh.
Coaches Kendra Tomsic, Kathy Howa, and Lauren Carpenter have been impressed with the enthusiasm and work ethic of the Winged Lion volleyball players and are looking forward to another successful season of play.
Home matches are scheduled for September 13, September 20, September 25, October 3, October 16 and October 18. Come out and check out the action! |
| Cross Country
 Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School cross-country team has had a promising start for the 2007 season. The runners have raced in two meets so far this year. The first meet, the Grass Relays in American Fork, was held on Saturday, August 25th. Runners negotiated four hay bale jumps - a single row, a double, a triple, and the 55 bale "gauntlet" - each lap of the two-lap, two mile course. The varsity relay team, running in the order of Daniel Livsey, Phinehas Bynum, Nathan Zick-Smith, Alex Edgley, and Wilson Dippo (team captain) completed the total of ten miles in a time of 1:02.01 bettering last year's varsity time of 1:03.23. The runners competing in the freshman/sophomore and junior/senior races gave us a glimpse of promising teams in the coming years as nearly everyone improved upon their last year's showing at the race, or established good times for their initial time on the course. The second meet was the Judge Memorial Catholic High School Invite held at the Cottonwood Complex on Saturday, September 1st. The course was approximately three miles on hilly, grassy terrain. Our runners looked very strong on this demanding course for so early in the season. The coaches, Mark Oftedal and Liz Irvine, would like to thank everyone for the wonderful support. Parents and siblings came out to cheer-on these dedicated, hard-working athletes at these two early season competitions. Below are the results of our first two competitions. For more detailed race results please go to athletic.net and/or runnercard.com. Photos by Ken Smith RHSM Competition Results |
Golf Team "Roaring Start"
 The 2007 Winged Lions golf team is off to a "roaring" start! They are 4-0 in region 14 competition, with team scores of 324, 321, 306, and 303. This team is deep and talented, with Dave King, Nick Jobs, Eric Hutchinson, Quentin Morse, Carson Huiskamp, and Tom Veghte all posting scores in region matches. Tyson Call, Dylan Enright, Robert Thompson, and Joey Polychronis add valuable talent and experience. This year's team is coached by Shawn MacQueen and JZ Davis. Season highlights thus far include two tournaments with all four scores posted in the 70's! At Round Valley Golf Course, Carson Huiskamp shot an even par, 72! The remainder of the season looks bright, with the Region and State Tournaments just around the corner.
|
|
|
Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School | 720 Guardsman Way | Salt Lake City | UT | 84108
|
 | |
