CALENDAR OF EVENTS     

Annual Fund 2009-2010
Davidson Day School has outstanding plans to realize growth and innovation in all areas of the school, from academics to athletics, from arts to community service, and from technology to trips abroad.  What makes all these plans possible?  The Annual Fund.  Annual Fund donations are critical in enabling Davidson Day to deliver enriching opportunities and program enhancements to your children.

Thank you to our Board of Trustees, our staff and faculty, and our families who have already sent in their donation to this year's Annual Fund.  Led by 100% of our trustees, 63% of DDS staff and faculty have given, and 24% of our families have given.   Click here for the Annual Fund Giving List as of October 23, 2009.

We are asking those of you who have not yet given -- please do.  Our goal this year is not to ask for large donations.  Even small gifts, when pooled together toward the common cause of educational excellence, will make Davidson Day's great plans a reality.   

If you have any questions, please contact this year's Annual Fund co-chairs:  Stephanie Pierce at 704-895-5583, and Ginny Remmey at 704-987-0764.

Health Update
Here is the latest health update regarding our recent lice outbreaks. The procedure that we have adopted (per the health department) is to bag all items (beans bags, throw pillows, throw rugs and items kids lie on in the class room). We are to keep these items bagged for 72 hours (three days). This will kill the eggs as well as hatched eggs.

As far as the carpets go, we are going to clean all carpets in the rooms that were affected. According to the health department, the carpet vacuuming is enough but we want to be extra careful so we are not just getting them cleaned but sanitized. All this will take place by this Saturday if not sooner.

Effective immediately, we will be implementing a policy for head lice. Please click here to view the policy. If you have any questions about the policy, please contact Denise Koeth at dkoeth@davidsonday.org or 704 237-5225.

Powder Puff Football Descends on Davidson Day’s Campus!
Just when you thought football was about to come to an end here at Davidson Day, in less than two months, we will have the game of all games! On December 2nd, the ladies will be putting on the shoulder pads and lacing the chinstraps in a game of epic proportions as the parents (Moms) will take on the school faculty (women).

This is a game that you will not want to miss, as the trash talking has already begun. Please click here for further information on a game that is already being billed as the Game of the Year.

DDS Theatre Presents: Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe
Next week, the Davidson Day Theatre team will present its first play of the school year titled Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe. The play is filled with a great cast featuring Nell Buechler, Adam Brown, Christina Catlett, Charlie Colley, Jason Chinuntdet, Ryan Guthrie, Asia Johnson and Izzy Sofio. This is a play that you do not want to miss! Please click here for further details.

CASINO NIGHT 2009- INVITATIONS ARE HERE!
In just a little over a month, Davidson Day will be presenting Casino Night 2009! This exciting event will be on Saturday, November 21st at Race World USA. The action begins at 7:00 p.m.

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors: StrataForce (The Greene family), Morgan Stanley Smith Barney (Bernie Sandler), Cunningham Wholesale (Gina and Mike Nichols), Piedmont Bank , L.Gordon Iron & Metal (The Gordon family), Stanley Tools, Davidson Chocolate Factory and Devore, Acton & Stafford (The Stafford family).  We are very honored to have your valuable participation in this grand event.

Our Lower School students have been working on some beautiful art work that will be auctioned off during Casino Night 2009. Don’t pass up your chance to purchase one of these fine pieces of art. Please view our photo gallery to see our students at work on their creations.

Would you like a chance to win one year’s tuition FREE?! Well buying your raffle tickets now is the first step of making it a reality! Purchase them on your RSVP cards that are enclosed with your invitation and you will be in a drawing to have a chance to get free DDS tuition for a year.

If you or a family that you know or a business you admire are interested in donating to this year’s event, please contact Susan Sandler (Casino Night 2009-Chairperson) at sandler411@mi-connection.com or Deanne James at deannej02@yahoo.com or Nancy Rosato at n.rosato@roadrunner.com.

Admission Open House-Family Referrals
Our Family Referral Program is back in full swing this year.  If you refer your friends and neighbors to enroll at Davidson Day School, you could receive $1000 off your child’s tuition. This program was very successful last year, bringing in a host of new and wonderful families to Davidson Day!  Please encourage your friends and neighbors to attend our November 21st Open House from 10:00 am to noon.  This Saturday morning program is an opportunity for people to find out more about the amazing programs we offer here at DDS.  Teachers, students, administrators and current families will be hosts to families interested in learning more about our school.

Our school is built on amazing families like yours, and we would love to have your friends and neighbors be a part of this school as well.  If you would like more information on the Open House and our referral program, please contact Anne Buechler at abuechler@davidsonday.org.  

Important Information Regarding Report Cards
Report cards will be deployed by the end of business day on Wednesday, October 28th.  The report cards will be displayed as a PDF format under the “report card” section on the parent portal. 

Davidson College Student Helps Tutor DDS Students
A huge welcome to Davidson College student Alyssa Strykar, who is volunteering in both 2nd Grade classrooms every Tuesday this year. Mrs. Fuller and Mrs. Abernathy have been especially gracious in making her feel comfortable at our school. We are fortunate to have someone of Alyssa’s caliber spend time with our students during her first year of college.

Academic and Enrichment Center Update
Our AEC program continues to pay major dividends to many of our students. Listed below is a great example from one of our proud parents:

“My daughter, Lorelai Michael, is in the Traditional Toddler class and attends both Before and After School, for which I am so grateful.  On one Tuesday night, during bath, she spelled her name, 'Lrelai'.  While the 'o' was missing, it shocked me.  I asked her to do it again and she did.  I asked who taught her how to spell her name and I assumed this was something they were working on in class.  Lorelai proudly said, Ms. DaVel (DiPietro).  It warmed my heart to learn that even during After School she is still learning (and playing) and someone took the time with a two year old to learn to spell her name.  

While all the After School teachers have been wonderful, Lorelai seems to have a special attachment to Ms. DaVel, and I wanted to share just how much her time and attention with Lorelai has meant to my family.  We are literally beside ourselves with happiness in our decision to place Lorelai at Davidson Day.”   

Upper School News

The Great Outdoors
Davidson Day School's Outdoor Club went on its first camping trip on October 17th to Black Mountain Campground.  Will Smith, Julia Adney and Siyi Yang enjoyed their trip to see the colors of the mountains and experience life outdoors.  We had a great time hiking, cooking and camping in the great outdoors.  The group would like to thank Mr. David Cusick for coming with us to the mountains.  The club is looking forward to our rock climbing activity that is being planned for next month.

Green Tip (from the Upper School Environmental Club)
Did you know that you can save money on gas by driving 55 mph instead of going faster?

• At 65 Mph you use 10% more fuel
• At 70 Mph you use 17% more fuel
• At 75 Mph you use 25% more fuel

• If the speed limit on highways was 55 mph, the USA would save about 1 billion barrels of oil a year.

Source:  www.thedailygreen.com

College Counseling News

College Representative Visit Schedule:
Tues., 10/27, 10:00am—Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Wed., 10/28, 10:30am—Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
Thurs., 10/29, 9:00am—Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Thurs., 10/29, 12:00pm—Furman University, Greenville, SC

Prudential Spirit of Community Awards: This is an awards program available to all 5th -12th Graders who demonstrate exemplary community service.  The application is due November 2nd.  Please contact Ms. Rand for more information if you are interested in applying at mrand@davidsonday.org or at (704) 237-5222. 

The deadline for the December 5th SAT is Friday, October 30th.  Registration is available at www.collegeboard.com.  

Middle School News

DDS Leaves its Mark in Canada
The week-long trip to Canada was amazing for 11 of our MS students. As the students discussed with their families, teachers, and friends, it was quite apparent that it was truly a culturally enriching experience. In just eight days, the students toured Halifax; attended two concerts of traditional music - Cape Breton and Acadian/French; hiked in the Cape Breton National Park; visited two Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments; set up and served at a local hot-lunch program; learned about coal mining and other industry; boarded a replica of the ship Hector that brought the Highland Scots to Nova Scotia; experienced throwing a curling stone on a curling ice rink; learned about local sports and local heritage; attended a day of local junior high school; and, probably best of all, lived with local families and got to know them. The host families, Madame Geiger's relatives, were warm, welcoming, and generous with their homes, time, and food. Our kids were incredibly well-fed!

You'll be happy to know that the students received many compliments on their behavior, manners, and abilities to meet and interact with people in a very mature manner. The Canadian security authorities made a point of coming to Madame Gelinas after all the students had passed through the checkpoint and telling her that ours were the best-behaved students they'd had pass through.

If that wasn’t enough, our students also got great media coverage from one of the local newspapers in New Glasgow. Please click on the link below to view.

http://www.ngnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=295132&sc=49

Lower School News

2nd Graders Visit Downtown Davidson
2nd Graders made a visit to Downtown Davidson on the coldest fall day yet. This merely provided an air of excitement and fun as they bounced from one place to another. Their study of communities came alive as they experienced scary stories at the library, funny books at Main Street Books, and a look behind the scenes where criminals are questioned before heading to jail.  To top it off, the students had an informative discussion with Davidson's mayor, Mr. John Woods.

An interesting tidbit of information they learned from Mayor Woods is what a roundabout, for which our newsletter is named, is all about. Mayor Woods explained that roundabouts not only keep traffic moving, it also helps to save gas because cars don't have to stop and wait for long periods of time before moving on.

A special thanks to all of the parents for helping to make this trip a smashing success!

Project Runway Update
A special congratulations goes out once again, to Elizabeth Earp. This fashionable 2nd Grader has been chosen to model in the American Girl Fashion Show. The show is a fun-filled event for girls five and over that features a colorful presentation of historical and contemporary fashions. The show will be on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 6:00 p.m and Elizabeth’s model number will be #1353. Proceeds will benefit Project Bloom, a charity dedicated to helping girls be the best that they can be. While tickets are available for the shows, anyone can make a donation on her behalf (just put her model number on the donation). No matter how small or large it would be greatly appreciated by the charity.

Mystery Solved!
Several 2nd Graders are using their "good guys" (reward system) to be a Mystery Reader in Kindergarten.  Thus far, Emma Lindquist visited Ms. Cusick's class, and Mrs. Noble was proud to have her former student, Raechel King, be the first 2nd Grader to read in her class!  Her Kindergarten class was very excited to hear that Raechel learned to read while she was in Ms. Noble's Kindergarten class.  Raechel did a wonderful job reading and "fanning" the book to show pictures as she read.  A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to Mrs. Abernethy and Mrs. Fuller for sharing your super 2nd Graders with us!!!

It’s All About the Face in Art
The students in the 3rd Grade art classes have been busy making pictures of people this quarter.  First, they created their own self-portraits with paper cut-outs.  After seeing an array of styles from the artist Picasso, the children drew faces with oil pastels.  Then they demonstrated how color can convey an emotion by designing a face with cardboard features and a monochromatic color scheme. Very impressive! Finally, they used all of their previous knowledge to create a Halloween portrait of witches and other ghoulish creatures.  Check out their artwork in the Commons and all along the LS hallway.

Early Childhood News

TK has Lunch with the Headmaster
TK truly enjoyed having lunch with Mrs. Cotter. For some of them, this was the first time they had ever engaged in a conversation with her. For many children, it prompted questions such as "Do you like your job?" and her response, of course, was "Yes!" Their conversation quickly turned to marshmallows, chocolate, and flashlights and before you knew it, we were planning a date to have a TK campout with her complete with you guessed it...S'mores. 

We'll keep you posted when the play date takes place!

Kids and Community
Ms. Dana's TK class concluded their unit on Community with lessons on Community Helpers. The children made Doctor kits where they used their beginning reader skills to decode words from a list of medical items. The children were also visited by several community helpers including a Paramedic, Dentist and Firefighters. They learned all about their jobs and how they work directly with our community to keep it healthy and safe.

Check out our photos in the gallery.

A special thank you to Dr. Roberts' dental office as well as Mr. Conroy the Paramedic, both DDS parents, and the Davidson Fire Department for making our lessons come to life!

Eaglets Visit Patterson Farms
The Eaglet class went on a field trip to Patterson Farms last Friday, October 16th.  They watched a brief video about how farmers prepare the soil for planting.  The video also introduced them to all of the animals they would see on the farm.  They got hands-on experience feeding the goats! The Eaglets also stuffed a big scarecrow, went on a hayride, picked a pumpkin, had a picnic lunch and played on the farm playground.

Please view the photo gallery to see just how enjoyable a time the kids had.

Fun and Learning with Montessori
Last Thursday, October 15th, the Montessori Class had a Montessori 101 Parent Night.  The parents had great fun learning more about the philosophy and having some "hands-on" practice with the materials.  Some of the lessons presented included the Color Tablets, Cylinder Blocks, Tweezers/Pompoms, Sandpaper Letters, the Map of the World Puzzle and the Golden Beads. All of these valuable lessons helped the child develop concentration, coordination, and preparations for Reading, Writing and Math. 

To learn more about Montessori, you can go to www.montessori-ami.org.

Sports News

Athletic Calendar
Look at Davidsonday.org/sports for next week’s schedules.

Varsity Soccer Ends the Season with an Amazing Effort
The Davidson Day Varsity soccer team ended their season with a hard fought loss to league champion UFCA 3-1 in double overtime.  Playing the entire game with only 10 players, the Patriots jumped out to a 1-0 lead by halftime thanks to a goal by senior Brian McGrath off of a beautiful combination from junior Tyler Parrott and sophomore Eric Robinson.  UFCA tied the game early in the second on a penalty kick.  The remainder of the second half saw both teams have great scoring opportunities but no goals were scored.  Fatigue finally set in during the 90th minute as UFCA scored on a breakaway and added another in double OT.  Coaches Chad Metzler, Ryan Manzullo, and Kevin Buechler could not be prouder of their team.

MS and Varsity Soccer Players Earn All Conference Awards for the Fall Season
We would like to thank the following student-athletes on their awards and recognition this fall season for soccer:

MS Pac 8 All Conference: Chandler Parrott, James Rees, Hannah Wolter, Zach Wolter and Jessica Zammitti.

Varsity SPAA All Conference:  1st Team: Drue Allen, Omar Caldwell, Demond Gates
2nd Team: Brian McGrath
All Tournament Team: Brian McGrath

Christian Character Award (League Citizenship Award): Drue Allen

Tennis Qualifies for State Championships
Under the first year leadership of Coach Gracely, the Varsity Tennis team has qualified for the state tournament.  The girls have two more games left in the season (Gaston Day and Gaston Christian) prior to traveling to Barton College in Wilson, NC on October 29th-31st. Congratulations on a fantastic feat!

Reminder for the Fall Sports Varsity Awards Ceremony
Parents and families are welcome to celebrate our varsity athletes’ successful seasons in the theater on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Lisa Morgan at lmorgan@davidsonday.org by Friday October 30th if you plan on attending.  Semi-formal dress is requested (shirt and tie for young men, game day dress for young women).

Fall Sports Middle School Celebration Dinner
An informal pizza party and celebration of very successful cross country, football, soccer, and volleyball seasons will be held in the Commons for players and coaches on Wednesday, November 4th at 6:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Lisa Morgan at lmorgan@davidsonday.org if your child will be attending.  $5 will be charged to the players Patriot account.

Patriots Athletic Club News

Thank You!
As we wind up the fall athletic season, the Patriots Athletic Club would like to thank our concession stand volunteers for offering their time and talents to help support the DDS Athletic Program.  Thank you to the PAC regular weekday helpers: Kim Garrett, Shannon Carbone, Allison Dunham, Pam Rogers and Amanda Spurrier.  Also, a big thank you to our game day volunteers:  Sherri Oosterhouse, Julie Harris, Margaret Mitchell, Jennifer Hervey, Anita Honeycutt, Jose Chirino, Gina Rhodes, Antwana Smith, Regina McGrath, Joni Coble, Nancy Chirino, Ted Smith, Tracy King, Stephanie Pierce, Norma Soria, Lisa Zammitti, Deanne James, Nancy Rosato, Kristin Kelly, Tana Greene, Jeff Carbone, Stephanie Brickweg, Lisa Kaouss, Karen Wolter, Tammy Beck and Gail Morris.  A special note of recognition goes to Heidi Uszenski and Lori Ferrell who work tirelessly to keep the concession stand running smoothly.  Involved parents like these make us all Proud to Be Patriots! 

Want to Be a Patriot?
If you would like to show off your Patriot Pride and support the DDS Athletic Department, join the Patriots Athletic Club today!  Members receive free admission to home games, athletic news updates and opportunities to be involved with DDS sporting events throughout the year.  For more information contact Megan Lynch at MeganML65@aol.com or go online to the athletic page and download a membership form.  Go Patriots!

Parent Council Corner

DDS Walked and Rolled Last Wednesday
Our 2nd Walking Wednesday of the year was a success with 37 participants leaving the flu behind and getting out for some fresh, fall air!  We all had a great time with our Harvest Walk Theme.  We walked to school together in flannels, lots of jeans, and yes, even some overalls and a straw hat! Parents enjoyed chatting over coffee and breakfast after drop off as well.  A special thanks to Laura Woods for volunteering her time and expertise to take our Walk pictures that can be found in the photo gallery! Anyone wanting prints of these fabulous pictures can email her at her studio, lauramueller@windstream.net.

A job well done is in order for our dedicated walkers! Best Theme Attire: Carter Dunham. Walkers: Brian Bennett, Taylor Bennett, Logan Brady, Jake Buechler, Nell Buechler, Brennan Bull, Sean Confoy, Will Confoy, Katie Cusick, Justin Dennis, Evan Dennis, David Dennis III, Lauren Orfinik, Madison Dunham, Carter Dunham, Jackson Dunham, Tylar Dunham, Ewan McAloon, Alex Reulbach, Nick Reulbach, Zach Reulbach, John Woods and Kiley Woods.  Rollers: Trevor Dennis. Faculty: Danielle Cusick and Mike Cerkovnik.  And of course Thanks to all the Moms and Dads who joined us: Julie Bennett, Sheila Brady, Jenny Bull, Tricia Confoy, Laurie & David Dennis, Lori Orfinik, Allison Dunham, Rob McAloon, Julie Reulbach, and Laura Woods.  Stay tuned for the theme of next month’s walk! Don’t miss out on the fun, please join us next month on November 18th at 7:45 at the Sadler Square Shopping center. We hope to see you there! Any questions please contact Laurie Dennis at laraz@live.com.

Blankets, Bulbs & Cider & Winter Used Uniform Sale
Please join us on Tuesday, October 27th from 5:00-6:30pm for our 2nd annual Blankets, Bulbs and Cider!  Bring your family, plan to picnic with us and help make our school more attractive by planting pansies and bulbs.

We will also be having our winter Used Uniform Sale during this event!  In preparation for this sale, we are still collecting gently used school uniforms.  Donations can be dropped off in the bin by the front desk.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sheila Brady at lmbsmom@bellsouth.net.