Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Spring Families Weekend is Coming! April 25-28, 2014

For a sneak preview at the schedule and an explanation of all that is taking place over the weekend please take a minute and read through the descriptions below.  Thank you to Mr. Thornburgh for compiling this list of explanations and information to pass of to all of you.  

We certainly hope to see as many of you, if not ALL of you at the spring families weekend.  If you are planning to join us for the weekend I would like to strongly suggest that you arrive to be able to hear the presentation in the Chapel on Friday at 1pm by Dr. Michael Reichert.

Looking forward to seeing all of you soon
Deborah



Parents’ Guide to Spring Families Weekend – April 25-27, 2014

Each spring the Academy hosts a Families Weekend for parents, guardians, relatives and friends of the Academy to join us as we honor our cadets and their achievements.  The weekend provides an opportunity to meet teachers and other staff to build better community and improve communication.  We also hold one of our most successful fundraisers of the year – The Excalibur, on Saturday evening in Farrand Hall Gymnasium.  This events provides the funds for new initiatives for our school to improve our service to families and their cadets.  We hope you are able to be with us this special weekend.

This guide was designed to provide some insight to the different events.  Think of it as kind of a “cheat sheet” to help inform you about the various events.  Not all events are listed from the Spring Families Weekend Schedule so please refer to it as your main reference for the weekend.

Friday, April 25, 2014
Friday is a great time to arrive if you can because the crowds are small and parents/guardians can access teachers and other staff without much of a wait.  Here are some key events from Friday:

Parents Club Golf Outing (8:30am – 12:00 pm, Golf Course)
This is a semi-annual event our “Best Ball” Golf Outing.  All skill levels from beginners to experienced golfers join Cadets, families, alumni and guests at our nine-hole golf course on campus for shot-gun start at 9:00 am.

Art and Photography Gallery (Friday and Saturday – Various Time throughout weekend posted on Schedule)
This is a joint effort by our Mrs. Wirkus (art) and Mrs. Karsten (computers) to display our cadets best creative works from the school year.  The event is actually hosted at the Delafield Art Center (803 Genesee St.) just down the road from the Academy.  Each year the cadets put on display some great work and it’s worth a look!

Dr. Michael Reichert Presentation (1:00 – 2:00 pm, Noble Victory Memorial Chapel) ***
This past year we have had Dr. Reichert working with our staff in our professional development efforts.  He is a leading researcher in successful ways to teach and reach boys and has worked with boys’ schools around the world. Co-Author of “Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys”, his emphasis is on relational teaching – building positive learning relationships with boys to engage them to be as successful as possible.  He will be presenting to the staff, faculty, and parents during this time.  We strongly encourage everyone to be at this enlightening and encouraging presentation so you are familiar the direction the school is taking in how they teach and reach our cadets. 

Parent/Teacher/RFO Conferences (Friday and Saturday – see times on schedule)
Your son’s teachers and RFO will be available for you to see and get an update on his progress. These conferences are on a first come-first serve basis so the earlier you arrive the shorter the lines.

Field of Flags Ceremony (5:15 pm, Parade Field)
This ceremony is the activation of our parade field as we raise 128 American flags simultaneously.  The event is accompanied by the band and pipes and is a very meaningful “kick off” to the weekend.  All cadets are involved as they support the event by each carrying an American flag.

Saturday, April 26, 2014
On Saturday, conferences continue in the morning and there are athletic events in the afternoon.  There is one main event in the evening, The Excalibur, which we hope all parents will attend.  There is a silent auction in the afternoon with many great items (starts at 3:30 pm) and then the dinner and live auction that evening (6:00 pm).  You can purchase tickets on campus during the weekend or in advance at www.bidpal.net/sjnma

Sunday, April 27, 2014
On Sunday it’s important to get your cadet back on campus (if he had an overnight permit) by 8:00 am.  We have our Episcopal Chapel Service at 8:30 am and it is mandatory for all cadets.  Parents are welcome to join and attend as well.

National Honor Society/National Junior Honor Society Induction (10:00 – 10:30 am, Chapel)
At this ceremony we induct those cadets that have met the academic achievement, character, and leadership requirements to be a part of the National Honor Society.  All cadets are required to attend as we honor some of our top cadets.

Parents Club Meeting (12:00- 1:00 pm, Chapel)
The Parents Club is made up of volunteer parents who serve throughout the year to support and assist the Academy in providing the best possible experience for their sons.  The spring meeting is an important one to attend as there are important discussions regarding voting in next year school years Parents Club leadership, proposed changes to their operating guidelines and updates on new initiatives. 

Spring Music Concert (1:00 – 1:45 pm, Farrand Hall Gymnasium)
The band, pipes and drums, and choir perform while the rest of the corps is preparing for the formal parade.  We encourage all parents to come to the gymnasium and hear a culmination of a year’s work from our talented cadets.

Formal Parade (2:00 pm, Parade Field)
Come and watch the Corps of Cadets perform in a formal military parade.  This parade includes military drill and ceremony accompanied by our band and pipes.  Also, senior varsity athletes will be recognized and several military awards will be given. 


*A note on overnight permits

Cadets may sign out with their company Resident Faculty Officer (RFO) at the times listed on the schedule.  There is even an overnight permit on Sunday after the parade that extends to Monday evening at 6:00 pm when Cadets must be back and parent/guardian must sign them back in with the RFO personally.  It is important that cadets are wearing the proper uniform when they sign out and return to the Academy and cadets not return late.

No comments:

Post a Comment