CALENDAR OF EVENTS     

The 2010-11 school year is off to a great start. Our 496 students, 167 of them new, spent the week getting acclimated, including “DDS 101” Orientation sessions for Middle and Upper School students. The week wrapped up with the signing of the Honor Code by grades 5-12 and an ice cream social for everyone. Asked to describe the week in a word, 5th-grade teacher Margaret Fischer called it “energizing.” “Exhilarating,” said math, science and social studies teacher Kristy Merical.

Curriculum Night
Just a reminder that Curriculum Night for Early Childhood and Upper School is this Tuesday, a change from the original schedule. At 6 p.m., ECH parents begin the night in the Commons and US parents in the Auditorium. Wednesday is Curriculum Night for Lower and Middle Schools, with LS parents starting in the Auditorium and MS parents in the Commons at 6 p.m.

S.O.S --We need a boat
We’re sending out a call for help. Is anybody willing to promote our inaugural football home opener by displaying a banner from their boat near I-77 during rush hour early next week? If you’ve got the vessel and the time, email Carrie Lott at clott@davidsonday.org by noon on Monday.

Family Handbook Must be Signed by Wednesday
The signed acknowledgement form in the Family Handbook must be turned in by the end of the day Wednesday, Aug. 25. Click here to access.

Breakfast is Served
DDS is now offering breakfast to students in Before-School Care on a first-come, first-serve basis starting Monday, Aug. 23. Items include burritos (turkey sausage and egg, ham and egg or egg), fruit and milk with costs ranging from $0.75 to $2. Charges will be billed through student Patriot accounts.

Senior College Counseling Kickoff
College Counselor Stacy Allen will lead sessions on the college application process for all Seniors during Activity and Lunch next Tuesday and Wednesday in Room 404. Food will be provided on Tuesday; students should bring a lunch and their laptop Wednesday.

Carpool Update
Thanks to all parents for your patience this week as carpool began. For information about carpool rules, regulations, pick-up and drop-off times and a route diagram, check the Family Handbook. If you haven’t received a carpool sign for your dashboard or have any other comments, concerns or suggestions, please email Charles Coddington at ccoddington@davidsonday.org. 

Triple Track Choices Due
Parents of students in grades K-3 should turn in their Triple Track music sign-up forms as soon as possible as class assignments will be made by Friday, Aug. 27. Students may choose either strings, piano, or music and movement. Triple Track classes begin Sept. 9 and are in addition to general music classes taken by all students in those grades. Forms are available here or at the front desk. Please email Monica Gelinas at mgelinas@davidsonday.org with any questions.

About the Roundabout
Would you like photos from the first week of school or other fun events at DDS? We automatically upload all photos from each week’s newsletter gallery onto our SmugMug photo sharing page at http://davidsonday.smugmug.com. You can easily order prints, download copies and share them with your friends and family. Note: A password is required to visit this page. If you did not receive it or if you are a new DDS family, please contact Carrie Lott at clott@davidsonday.org

Do your child’s grandparents receive the Roundabout? Grandparents are a wonderful part of the Davidson Day School community and we want to share our news and photos with them.  Please contact Dr. Judy Reese at jreese@davidsonday.org with their email address so we can add them to the distribution list.  

For another way to learn the latest and see pictures of school life, become a fan of Davidson Day School on Facebook by searching for our school’s page and clicking “like” or follow us on Twitter @davidsonday.

New Faculty Faces
This week we welcome Henry Neale who is coordinating Mathematics for grades K-12, including the implementation of two pilot programs. He is also teaching 6th grade Envisions, Algebra I and Advanced Functions & Modeling. Mr. Neale earned his teaching degree from Davidson College and then taught math for four years at Mooresville High and at Charlotte Country Day from 1998-2008, where he chaired the MS Mathematics Department. He holds a Masters in Mathematics Education from UNC Charlotte, where he completed his dissertation study in Curriculum and Instruction which he defends in January. “My wife and I were so impressed by DDS that we decided to send our girls (daughters, Makena, ’23, and Maggie, ’26) here and I applied for a position as well,” Neale said.

Recreational Soccer Update
Practices start Sept. 13 for the co-ed recreational soccer teams being offered by the school and the Lake Norman Soccer Club for ages 4-5 and 6-7. Practices are Monday and Wednesdays, at least one day a week at the school, with games on Fridays starting Sept. 17 at Mooresville Intermediate School. The Patriots girls varsity coach, Chad Metzler, will lead many of the practices. Click here for more important information and here for the registration form, which should be returned to the front desk by Sept. 3.

Robotics Team Coaches Needed
So far our new Robotics program has registered three Jr. FLL teams, one FLL Middle School team and one FTC Upper School team with USFirst. There’s enough interest for a fourth Jr. team and a second FLL team, if we can find coaches. Anyone interested in coaching those teams, sponsoring the second MS team or mentoring the FTC team should email Dana Monticello at monticello6@gmail.com. The FTC has room for a few more students and wait-lists are open for the Jr. and FLL teams.

Davidson Day Institute for Educational Excellence

There’s still time to register your child for Before School Care (7:15-8 a.m.) and After School Care (2:45-6 p.m.). Registration and information packets are available at the front desk or from Extended Care Coordinator Alyse Savoca (office 501 in The Davidson Day Institute). Daily and drop-in students must be registered to participate. Please read the Extended Care policies and procedures sent home before the start of school for details.

Also, Fall enrichment programs are starting soon. More information will be sent home with your child next week. Registration is due by Sept. 3. Please make all checks payable to Davidson Day School and be sure to include the name of the enrichment program in the memo line of your check. 

Contact Alyse Savoca at 704-237-5289 or asavoca@davidsonday.org for more information about Extended Care and enrichment programs.

Parent Council

Classroom Parent Volunteer Sign-ups
Interested in volunteering in your child’s classroom as a room parent or liaison? Early Childhood and Lower School classrooms need two room parents each to aid teachers in planning parties, field trips and more. In Middle and Upper School, parent liaisons help teachers and advisors communicate information, coordinate event volunteers and organize social events. To volunteer, email Tara Black at theblacks@mi-connection.com or click here for the sign-up form. Please turn in your information by Wednesday, Aug. 25.

Don’t Forget to Support School While You Shop
Raise money for the Patriots when you go grocery shopping by linking or re-linking your Harris Teeter VIC card to our school. Go to www.harristeeter.com/community and under “Together in Education” select “Link To Your School.” The code for DDS is 3520. You can also send your 11-digit VIC card number to Deanne James at deannej02@yahoo.com.

Athletics

Football Kickoff Fun
Be a part of Patriot history. Come to our inaugural football home opener 5 p.m. Thursday as the Davidson Day JV team takes on Charlotte Latin. Gates open at 4 p.m. with family fun for all, including a Moon Bounce, basketball pop-a-shot, football toss and tasty BBQ plates ($7 adults, $3 kids). Admission is $. Students and Patriot Athletics Club members enter free of charge.

To celebrate the big event, Thursday is the first Spirit Wear Day of the year. Students can wear DDS T-shirts or red shirts to school. Student-athletes in all sports can wear their team jerseys to show their Patriot pride. (Normal uniform rules apply for pants, shorts and skirts).

More Sports Fun Next Week
Monday

• MS (grades 5-6) Soccer starts with practice at Ada Jenkins
• Home Games (all vs. Northside Christian Academy): Boys Varsity Soccer, 4:30 p.m.; MS Volleyball, 4 p.m.; Varsity Volleyball, 5 p.m.

Tuesday

• Volleyball hosts Metrolina Christian Academy, MS at 4 p.m.; Varsity at 5 p.m.
• Boys and Girls MS and Varsity Cross Country at Gaston Christian School, first race at 4 p.m.

Wednesday

• MS Football at Charlotte Country Day, 4:30 p.m.

Friday

• Varsity Volleyball at American Hebrew Academy, 5 p.m.
• Boys Varsity Soccer at Forsyth Country Day tournament, 6 p.m.

Saturday

• Boys Varsity Soccer at Forsyth Country Day tournament, 4 p.m.

Last Week’s Highlights
Volleyball (Varsity and MS) opened the season with wins over Gaston Christian. Boys Varisty Soccer gave it their all, losing tough games against Charlotte Country Day and Gaston Christian.