The warmth also emanates from the parents helping at the school: putting up the birthday bulletin board, teaching the children how to make pasta, leading reading circles, and decorating the cafeteria. I could go on and on, but all of your help (and just your presence) make this school the caring place that it is. On Monday, I was able to accompany the kindergarten students to a senior assisted living home. One of the residents (who was once a kindergarten teacher) read us the story of the Gingerbread Boy, and then we met the chef who showed us the gingerbread train he had created. It came complete with a tunnel, water tower, mountains, trees and a frozen pond. Everything was made of gingerbread, frosting and candy. What a delight!  But the best part of the trip was watching the children decorate their own gingerbread cookies with the seniors. The interaction was wonderful, and it was hard to determine who was having the most fun. 

All of our exchanges have not been us giving, however. We have often been the recipients of the sharing of gifts. The Upper School students took time from their busy schedules to come into all the Lower School rooms and share about a holiday celebration. Each grade level was lucky enough to hear about two different celebrations. It was delightful to hear children singing the Dreidel song in one moment and Rudolph the next! The Upper School peer counselors did a great job in the third grade rooms discussing empathy and will return to talk about assertiveness at a later date. (It is so much easier for children to hear from someone a bit younger than their parents or the staff.) The sixth grade buddies also shared their afternoon with the kindergartners on Tuesday as they helped them make their own gingerbread houses. Certainly another sight to see. Yes, we are a giving community and it is a pleasure to watch all that happens inside this building. 

Although school is closed the week of the 18th, there will be Panther Club that week. There will be no Panther Club the week of December 25th, as the enrollment was extremely small. I assume this means that you are doing things together as a family that week, and there is nothing to replace that scenario. 

January 4th is the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Mounds Park Academy. The evening sounds intriguing, and there will be a wonderful mix of MPA past and MPA present. I hope we will see you there. 

January 11^th is the Kindergarten Information Evening, and Pre-K Information Evening is February 1st. If you or any of your neighbors or friends are interested in sending your child to MPA for either of these grades, please plan on attending on the appropriate evening. Just call the Office of Admission and let them know you will be coming. Even if you already have a child at MPA, it is a nice way to meet the teachers, hear about the process, ask questions, and get the first chance at signing up for your family interview and play visit. 

January 12^th is the next Lower School Parents Association meeting. It is also the morning of the coffee for new families. We encourage all parents to come to the coffee in the Gallery after they have dropped off their child (you don’t have to be new to the school), and then we will have our Lower School meeting at 9 a.m. in room 113. The French and Spanish teachers will present a mini-lesson and talk about program changes at this meeting. Hope to see all of you there. 

The Mid-Winter Used Uniform Sale is January 22nd from 2-5 p.m. and January 23^rd from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. It is a great way to pick up bargains on uniforms if your child has outgrown or worn out their present ones.  

Have a wonderful vacation with your children.  

Nansee Greeley
Lower School Director