Menaul Blog

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

CELEBRATE CINCO de MAYO FIESTA IN THE PARK      

Sunday, May 5, 2013
5:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Hart Park
Menaul School
301 Menaul Blvd, NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107

FABULOUS FOOD, MUSIC, DANCING & MORE!

$50.00  Adults
$25.00 Children under 18

Ticketless Event
3 ways to pre-register by April 29, 2013

1. Check - make check payable to Menaul School and mail in check

2. Credit Card - call Francine Stewart @ 505.341.7233

3. Use our Pal Pal account at: http://www.menaulschool.com/donate/

All Proceeds And Donations Benefit Menaul School

I am unable to attend, but please find my donation to Menaul School in the amount of $                                      

Class of 1963 Golden Graduate Celebration - R.S.V.P.

Agenda:  May 23-25, 2013

Wednesday, May 22

6:00 p.m. - Menaul Honors Night:  James Menaul Outstanding Service to Education Award, Student Sea La Luz Awards, and Student Academic Awards

Thursday, May 23

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Class of 1963 Gathering & Hors d’oeurves – Cafeteria

6:00 p.m.  – 8:00 p.m. – Class of 1963 Dinner – Cafeteria - Cost is $25.00/person
Announcement of H.C. Donaldson Award Recipient
All Menaul Alumni are encouraged to attend
  
Friday, May 24

11:00 a.m. – Class of 1963 & Class of 2013 Reception – Old Brick Commons
 
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Golden Graduate Reception (Class of 1963 and their guest only please)
              hosted by President and Mrs. Gilbert at the President’s Cottage

7:00 p.m. – Baccalaureate – First Presbyterian Church – Reception to follow

Saturday, May 25

8:00 a.m. – Golden Graduate Continental Breakfast and Procession Practice – Old Brick

9:30 a.m. – Golden Graduate line up for procession – Old Brick

10:00 a.m. – Commencement – Hart Park

Terra Nova Testing

Terra Nova Testing
Spring 2013

8th and 11th grade students
 

Due to a track meet On Tuesday afternoon, April 9, 2013,  the juniors will also be testing in the morning of Tuesday, April 9, 2013 in the cafeteria so that those students participating in the track meet can be there for their event.  Wednesday, April 10, 2013 testing will remain the same as before.

If there are any questions or concerns about this matter please direct them to me.

Thank you.

Maria Cordova Andrews
Counselor


Testing Schedule

Tuesday, April 9, 2013
(Media Center)

8th grade Tuesday morning (7:45am-12:15pm)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013
(Cafeteria)

11th grade Tuesday morning (7:45am -12:15pm)


Wednesday, April 10, 2013
(Media Center)

8th grade Wednesday morning (7:45am - 12:15pm)
11th grade Wednesday afternoon (12:30pm - 3:30pm)


Students will only be in school when they are testing.
When they are not testing they should not be on the school campus
(with the exception of students who are participating in the track and field event on Tuesday, April 9, 2013)

 

Class of 1963 Golden Graduate Save the Date

Class of 1963
We would be honored to have you join us for Menaul’s Golden Graduate Celebration!

Five years ago we began the practice of honoring the 50th anniversary of Menaul School graduates during our spring commencement.  Now it’s your turn!  Two days of celebration will culminate with your participation in this year’s graduation as you and your classmates, dressed in golden robes, lead the Class of 2013 down the aisle.  Make plans now to join us on May 23rd – May 25th for as many activities as your schedule allows.

Thursday, May 23rd
5:30 p.m.  – Alumni Dinner Honoring the Class of 1963 HC Donaldson Outstanding Alumni Award

Friday, May 24th
11 a.m. – Meet & Greet Class of 2013
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Golden Graduate Reception
   Class of 1963 and their guest only please - hosted by President Lindsey Gilbert    and his wife Laurie at the President’s Cottage.
7:00 p.m. – Baccalaureate – First Presbyterian Church – Reception to follow

Saturday, May 25th
8:00 a.m. – Golden Graduate Continental Breakfast and Procession Practice – Old Brick
10:00 a.m. – Commencement – Hart Park

2/21/13 Two-Hour Delay

There will be a 2 hour delay on Thursday February 21st - classes will start at 10:00 a.m. meet in Chapel.

Parents Often Confuse Mischief With Bullying

Abq Journal Article by John Rosemind

The principal of a middle school recently confided in me that “this bullying thing has gotten completely out of hand.” He wasn’t referring to bullying itself, although that’s certainly out of hand. Instead, he referred to the fact that many parents have become overly sensitized to the possibility that their kids might, at any moment, become bullied and overreact, therefore, to any indication that they have been.

“You wouldn’t believe what parents think is bullying,” he said, and went on to describe some examples. One involved a mother who complained that a boy had poured a small amount of dry snack mix down the back of her son’s shirt. The mother was incensed and wanted the perpetrator subjected to waterboarding, or something along those lines. Said principal then went on to describe other instances of “bullying” that were not bullying at all, but simply pranks.
It might be helpful if everyone were able to agree on a rational definition of exactly what separates actual bullying from just normal childhood mischief. That lack of consensus may be, in fact, a major share of the problem. For example, the definition at StopBullying.gov proposes that bullying is “unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-age children that involves a power imbalance.”

That’s the very sort of nebulous definition that fuels a mother’s outrage at snack mix being poured down her son’s shirt. I prefer something along the lines of the definition found on Wikipedia: “repeated, aggressive behavior intended to hurt another person physically or mentally.”
That captures it nicely, I think. Note that the aggressive behavior in question is not incidental, but repeated. And it is done with the malicious intent to do harm, both physically and mentally, to another person. I would only add that an additional purpose is to keep the victim in a state of near-constant fear. And by the way, I was the target of at least three bullies during my school years. I wish all they’d done was pour snack mix down my shirt on a daily basis.
Over the past few years, a good number of school officials have told me that the problem of parental overreaction has become bigger than the problem of actual bullying. Occasional teasing doesn’t fit the definition proposed by Wikipedia and myself. Nor do one-time pranks like snack mix down the shirt, tripping, name-calling, or any other form of mischief that might cause embarrassment but is not done with the deliberate intention of keeping another child in a near-constant state of fear.
I was reminded of my conversation with the principal by an email recently received from the mother of a 21-month-old boy who, she claimed, had been bullied by a girl at his nursery school. The girl had pushed her son and grabbed a toy he had been playing with. Mom wanted me to recommend a book on bullies she could read her little one.

First, that’s not bullying. That’s what toddlers occasionally do when they’re put in groups. Second, the mother’s overreaction, repeated over time, is likely to cause her son to become overly sensitive to any perceived slight, whether physical or verbal. Under the circumstances, he could quickly develop a victim mentality and do himself more mental harm than a bully would ever be capable of doing.

Sometimes — just sometimes, mind you — adults would do well to say something along these lines to a complaining child: “If that’s all you’ve got to complain about, then you live a very good life.” Unfortunately, a principal or teacher can’t say anything along those lines these days without getting into hot water. A child’s parents can say it, though and sometimes — just sometimes, mind you — they should.

Senior Legacy Program

Dear Seniors, Parents of Seniors, and Family Members of Seniors,

This is the third year of our Senior Legacy Program. We would love to keep the memories of our 2013 class alive at Menaul School as you pursue your future goals. Please honor the present and future Menaul students with a favorite book or family-friendly CD or DVD. Select an item that you have enjoyed or that has special meaning for you, and donate this item to the Menaul Library.

A legacy item is a wonderful way to share a bit of yourself and leave a lasting memory for future students. Parents or other family members can also donate an item to honor their student.

Pat Harlan, Librarian

Big Band Extravaganza

Head of School Day 2013

Organized by the Student Council and the Head of School’s Office, Head of School Day is a fun school day. The day's primary purpose is to enhance community time together in a nontraditional learning setting. This is a required Menaul School community activity. The day will begin at the regular time of 8 a.m. and the students will do service work on campus. Then we will spilt the middle and upper school’s time at the trampoline sports arena, Gravity Park, and end the day with movie in the auditorium. Students who are unable to participate due to medical reasons must provide written documentation, and they may join us and hang out in the snack area. 

Click below for a permission slips they are Monday, February 4th

iPad Program For Fall 2013

The Menaul School iPad Program
A profoundly interactive and engaged faculty and student relationship has long been the hallmark of a Menaul School education. The bond between teacher and student promotes learning on a deeper level and challenges students to think critically and speak articulately about their world. This hallmark will be brought into the 21st century with the introduction of the iPad program in Menaul School’s 2013-14 school year. Every teacher and student will be issued an iPad  for school use at the beginning of the next school  year.

After careful consideration, the school decided that the iPad is currently the ideal 21st century teaching tool that will enhance the educational experience of every Menaul School student. Continuous research in the educational world is proving the iPad to be a multi-use educational tool given its versatility, portability, and accessibility. The iPad will serve as an e-reader with a growing percentage of the school’s textbooks available in electronic format. The device’s usefulness extends well beyond e-textbooks. A student can render a difficult geometry proof or look up the etymology of a vocabulary word all with the touch of a finger. A student can receive a packet of information electronically from his or her teacher in an instant, or quickly represent a physics phenomenon digitally. The iPad is incredibly customizable, allowing teachers to further tailor their courses to the needs of Menaul School students and incorporate myriad sources and resources easily and seamlessly.

The introduction of the iPad program fulfills an important part of Menaul School’s New Generation Learning Committee’s strategic plan—a one to one portable device program. Menaul School takes seriously its responsibility to equip students with the skills necessary to navigate this 21st century world. Familiarity and expertise with technology are at the forefront of needed skills. Menaul School is confident that this program will further the school’s mission to embody in its practices and to cultivate in its students intellectual curiosity, responsible leadership, spiritual growth, respect, diversity citizenship, scholarship and responsibility and ensure that Menaul School remains at the forefront of educational practice.
 

Q.  Will there be an additional fee for the Menaul School iPad program?
A.  Leasing these iPad’s through Apple. There will be a nominal fee of $200. This fee will be added to tuition for two years.

Q.  Will students own the iPad?
A.  Yes, at the end of two years students will be given their iPad.

Q.  What if I already know how to use an iPad, do I need to attend a training session to get one?
A.  All students will need to attend a training session to receive their iPad. However, if you have experience using an iPad, iPhone or iTouch you will attend a session that focuses on applications acquisition and use.

Q.  When will students get their iPad?
A.  When arriving at school during the pre-season, students will be assigned a time to attend a training session on iPad use and acquire their iPad.

Q.  Will students get any other items with their iPad?
A.  Yes, students will receive a cover, stylus and wireless keyboard with their device.

Q.  Can students purchase e-books for the iPad?
A.  Yes, electronic books will be available for the iPad. If a book is purchased through Amazon, it can be made available on multiple devices.

Q.  What if the iPad is damaged or stolen?
A.  The iPads are insured. Damaged iPads will be repaired.  Stolen iPads would be replaced, as long as a police report is filed.  A $150 deductible will be charged to the student's account in the event of a claim.

Q.  What applications will the students need?
A.  Many of the necessary applications will be provided with the iPad. Some course specific will be added throughout the year.

Q.  What about seniors?
A.  They will use the iPad for one year and then return them to the school or for a $275 fee they may keep them. Otherwise those iPad’s will be given to the new sixth grade.

Q.  How often will the iPad technology be upgraded?
A.  The iPad’s have a two year lease. Our plan is to adopt new devices to the school for the fall of 2015.

Q.  Can students have personal files on their iPads?
A.  Through the iCloud technology students may store all apps and files associated with their account.