Middle School Newsletter - April 7, 2021

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

Middle Schoolers Participate in WFP FreeRice Challenge

Prior to the break, our students participated in the FreeRice academic trivia contest. Organized by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger, the contest raises 10 grains of rice for every correct answer. Our SCA issued a challenge to each grade level, with students ultimately raising nearly 155,000 grains of rice (almost evenly split between seventh and eighth grades) — aided by five students raising more than 9,000 each on their own. Please watch this short video for more information about the WFP and the FreeRice contest.

Recording from Grade 8 Alcohol and Drug Awareness Presentation

For those of you who were unable to attend yesterday’s parent coffee with drug and alcohol educator Brenda Conlan, you can watch the recording here.

Middle School Play — Now Online

The Middle School Play, “Comedy Tonight,” is now online. “Comedy Tonight” is a collection of hilarious one-act plays featuring a cast of seventh and eighth grade actors and a special surprise appearance by a Middle School teacher!

Parent Education Webinar — Social Media, Tech and Social-Emotional Health

All parents in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools are welcome to attend this webinar on Thursday, April 15, noon-1:15 p.m. Please register using this link and contact Director of Counseling Ilana Reyes with any questions.

Join us for a refreshing, practical, and eye-opening presentation about parenting in the digital age — featuring The Social Institute’s founder and CEO, Laura Tierney.

Laura will share the latest updates and best practices to:

• Strengthen communications with your children through student-respected conversation starters about social media and technology.
• Empower students to navigate social-emotional health, social media, and technology during this uncertain time.
• Discuss concerns related to the pandemic, while learning insights shared by students and researchers.
• Develop shared family standards for balancing technology in healthy ways.
• Inspire everyday use of important lessons that seventh-eighth grade students will learn during advisory.

We look forward to you joining us for this dynamic and informative session!

About The Social Institute

The Social Institute partners with schools nationwide to empower students, parents and educators to navigate social-emotional health, social media, and technology positively through comprehensive, gamified lessons that meet students on their level. By reinforcing character strengths like empathy, integrity, and teamwork and by showcasing their role models (from parents to U.S. Olympians), we help students be their best selves to “win at social” — social interactions and social media. As digital natives and parents ourselves, we bridge the needs of students and parents. Our partners include Ravenscroft School, Gaston Day School, Gilman School, Woodward Academy, U.S. Olympic athletes, Duke Men’s Basketball, ESPN, and other forward-thinking institutions around the nation.

Save the date! JK-12 Virtual Parent Trivia Night

Tuesday, April 27, 7:30 p.m.

Place save the date for this fun community-building event that will bring both newly-enrolled and current families together for an evening of trivia! Parents will receive a formal email invitation with more details next week.