| From the Dean's Desk
“By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer.” -Helen Hunt Jackson Thank you to everyone for a wonderful start to the 2016/2017 school year! Whether by enthusiastically welcoming our new students and families, supporting our extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, jumping into academic studies with both feet or all of the above, this past month has certainly shown the Lower School to be the vibrant community of excellence that we all know it to be … and the celebration continues! In the coming weeks, we will come together to officially install President Rea, enjoy the wonderful annual tradition of Grandparents’ Day, and continue to learn about our world both in and out of the classroom. All of this activity requires the occasional schedule change so I encourage you to read the Wednesday Weekly and follow the calendar to keep up with all the fantastic things happening. It is sure to be a great month! Kathleen Hanlon, EdD
Lower School Dean
Wyoming Seminary
khanlon@wyomingseminary.org
(570) 718-6600
The Scoop from STEM A new Green STEAM Twist!
The Global Cardboard Challenge/Sem Day of Play will be on Saturday, October 1, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Children will have fun creating, playing with, and using what other participants innovate. Here is a new Green STEAM twist in 2016: Children who bring a plastic bottle to use or bring a creation (game, costume, art, model, or other innovation) that includes a plastic bottle will receive a free SEM “Greener is Smarter!” cloth reusable bag. This event is open to students in grades 8 and younger from throughout the area, so please spread the word. Register here on Sem’s STEM page for this fun-filled event. At Sem, “Greener is Smarter!”
The Jungle Book is coming! You and your children loved the movie “The Jungle Book”… here’s your chance to see that story as only the Pennsylvania Ballet II can present it! This colorful, completely original ballet was created especially for children in grades preschool through fifth grade and their families. Don’t miss the only performance of this remarkable ballet in Northeast Pennsylvania: Sunday, September 25, 3:00 p.m., Kirby Center for Creative Arts, Upper School campus General Admission Tickets: $10 in advance or at the door; www.wyomingseminary.org/junglebook Students also are invited to enjoy a day of dance and movement classes as part of SemDance Weekend, Saturday, September 24, at the Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. and ballet and other dance classes will begin at 9:30 a.m., ending at 4:30 p.m. The event features guest artist Barbara Sandonato, first principal dancer of the Pennsylvania Ballet, teaching intermediate ballet and advanced ballet/pointe classes. Fees: $10 for ballet classes, $5 all other classes. For more information about “The Jungle Book” and SemDance Weekend, call the communications office at 570-270-2192.
Grandparents Day On Thursday, October 6 we will celebrate Grandparents Day at the Lower School. It is a wonderful celebration at Sem and we look forward to it with great anticipation each year. We realize that not all grandparents are able to attend that day, so we welcome surrogates of all kinds (aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors) anyone with whom your child may have a special relationship to join in the fun. Reply to this email to let us know if someone other than a grandparent plans to attend so we can make sure they register and have a name tag! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email (570)270-2142 or jstrzeletz@wyomingseminary.org.
Arrgh! You ready for our 2016 Scholastic Book Fair? Our featured theme this year is “Bookaneer Book Fair: Where books are the treasure!” The students are sure to be excited about reading swashbuckling new titles from Scholastic and other popular publishers. Students will be able to browse through bookcases filled with new books representing all genres, including books for pleasurable reading, Accelerated Readers (AR), classic and pop culture titles. Primary students visit the fair during their library class time (unless where noted) and middle school visits during their English and/or reading classes. The book fair will run on Monday, October 3, Tuesday, October 4, and Wednesday, October 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. Family Night is Wednesday, October 5 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Grandparent’s Day is Thursday, October 6 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. New This Year…Online Book Fair!
This year, in addition to the book fair being held in the Sordoni Library, we will also be offering an Online Book Fair! The Online Fair will run for three weeks from September 17 to October 7 and may be accessed from the Scholastic Books website. Purchases may be made by credit card and all orders will be delivered free of charge direct to our school when the Online Fair has ended. You will be notified when your books arrive. This is another great way to shop! Please remember all sales help to benefit our school. Classroom Wish List
The “Classroom Wish List” program is a wonderful way to purchase and donate books to your child’s Early Childhood and Primary classroom. Teachers will have a sneak peek at the book fair and make a list identifying books that they think would make great additions to their classroom libraries. Children and parents are invited to purchase a book and fill up the colorful pirate-teacher loot bags that will be displayed at the book fair. Please note that families may purchase books for any teacher in the school. Calling All Volunteers!
Our Bookaneer Book Fair will offer an exciting celebration with hundreds of wonderful books that our students will want to read. However, we need lots of helping hands to get the book fair set-up on Thursday, September 29, and to assist the children with selections and work at the reserve and accessories tables during the week (October 3, 4, 5 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) and to help on Grandparent’s Day and when breaking-down the fair on Thursday, October 6. The more people we have helping, the more successful our fair will be! Please look for opportunities with time slots to volunteer on Sign Up Genius. Thank you in advance for making this fair the best it can be! If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Fenster (fensterml@hotmail.com) or Kathy Platt (k5r3@hotmail.com), Book Fair co-chairs. Scholastic “All for Books” Program
We are requesting a donation of $1.00 (or more) to help children in need. Each distinctive treasure chest will be displayed on the bulletin board in the Sordoni Library. Scholastic Book Fairs® then matches those monetary donations with a donation of up to $1 million in books from The Scholastic Possible Fund, which distributes books to children through organizations such as the Kids In Need Foundation, Reader to Reader, Inc., and the National Center for Families Learning. By working together, we can help connect kids with more books than ever before. Thank you for your generosity to this very worthy cause! Please return the treasure chest to Mrs. Shick in the Sordoni Library with your name and unique designs on it. Homeroom teachers will distribute a treasure chest to each student this week, so look for them in your child’s backpack. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Shick at 570-718-6640 or lshick@wyomingseminary.org.
September/October Arts Schedule Wyoming Seminary senior Dominick D’Alessandro will present a recital of piano music by J.S. Bach, Chopin, Haydn and Menotti on Sunday, October 2 at 3:00 p.m. in the Sem Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Free and open to the public. For more information call 570-270-2192. SemDance Weekend will offer a discussion and documentary film, titled “Scrapbook,” on American choreographer Twyla Tharp on Friday, Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Sem’s Buckingham Performing Arts Center. Rose Marie Wright, former member of Tharp’s dance company, will lead the discussion. Free and open to the public. For more information call 570-270-2192. SemDance Weekend Dance and Movement Classes will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Sem’s Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Former Pennsylvania Ballet principal dancer Barbara Sandonato will teach two ballet classes, while Sem dance faculty will teach other dance, movement and yoga classes. Class fees $10 for ballet, $5 for others, register at the door. For more information call 570-270-2192. The Pennsylvania Ballet II will present an original children’s ballet “The Jungle Book” on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 3:00 p.m. in Sem’s Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Created for families with children ranging from preschool through fifth grade. Tickets $10, available at www.wyomingseminary.org/junglebook or at the door. For more information call 570-270-2192. View the arts calendar >
Art Club activities to begin
Wyoming Seminary is starting up the 2016-17 Art Club for middle school students (grades 5-8). It will meet twice a month on alternate Mondays after school from 3:15-:15 p.m. in the art room. The first meeting of the year is scheduled for Monday, October 17. Students will be offered independent instruction in mediums of their choice and given opportunities to work on outside school art contests and exhibits. Interested students should sign up and have their parents complete forms in order to attend. Drop by the art room for the permission forms.
Radical Readers return for 2016-17
Radical Readers will begin on Tuesday, October 11, at 8:00 a.m. in the Sordoni Library. This early morning reading activity is a great way for students to begin their day … with a good book and a friendly buddy. Primary students are paired with a middle-school buddy who will read with them. This relationship forms a bond of friendship and promotes the love of reading. Primary students may come up to the library from 8:00-8:15 a.m. as an alternative to going to the gym. Middle-school students will earn Blue and White team points for their community service. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lucy Shick at 570-718-6640 or lshick@wyomingseminary.org.
Athletics News Lower School Golf
As our golf season begins, we will be offering students in grades five through eight the opportunity to participate in a non-competitive golf experience. We will be golfing at Hollenback Golf Course, a nine-hole facility located at 1050 North Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre. We will be meeting on five consecutive Tuesdays: September 20 and 27, October 4, 11 and 18. Students will be transported to Hollenback Golf Course after school via school bus. Mrs. Iskra will accompany the students on the bus and supervise them while they are on the course. Students need to be picked up at Hollenback by 6:00 p.m. While there is no expectation as to the level of play, this is not intended to be an introduction to the game. All students should have some golf experience and students are required to have their own clubs in order to participate. Please bring the golf clubs to school on Tuesday mornings and place in the gym until after school. Students should wear Sem attire and comfortable shoes. The cost of this activity will be $65.00 to defray the cost of the golf fee, transportation, and pizza party for the students at the end of the season. Checks should be made payable to Wyoming Seminary Lower School (WSLS) and returned to the main office. If you are interested in having your child participate in this after-school activity, please contact the office at 718-6600 or email Mrs. Iskra at liskra@wyomingseminary.org. Instructional Field Hockey
For Girls in Grades 5 and 6: Please see the our flyer for more information.
Celebrating 100 years of Roald Dahl WSLS students joined the biggest global birthday party ever! Students were entertained with a jumpsquiffling celebration including a screening of "Matilda," lively story times, whoopsy whiffling activities, and special Dahl-icious themed desserts and treats. Their advice to keep the magic alive was to definitely read or re-read the whole Roald Dahl collection…fan favorites included "Matilda," "The BFG," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "James and the Giant Peach" and many others. All in all, they enjoyed a scrumdiddlyumptious day in the Sordoni Library!
Primary Division News
First grade
Welcome to first grade! We’re going to have a great time learning so much about the world in which we live. We’ll explore the depths of the ocean, study the sights of China, conduct some fun science experiments, read oodles of books, write and illustrate stories, and solve all sorts of math problems. Singing, laughing, dancing, performing and playing will be enjoyed by all throughout the year! Thank you for joining us at Back to School night. We enjoyed meeting all of you and look forward to a wonderful partnership. We will continue to keep everyone informed of events and student progress, so please check your child’s folder daily, as well as the Wednesday Weekly emails. As questions arise, be sure to contact us via email, personal note, or phone. We have successfully made it through our first weeks of school. The students have adjusted well to new surroundings and routines. Second grade
Welcome to second grade! We have had a great start to our year. The children have adjusted well to the new routines and responsibilities of beginning in a new grade. Second grade is a year of new experiences and significant growth. Our students are working on developing more independence, and we understand that each student is unique in his or her learning styles and skill development. We strive to provide opportunities for each student to grow at his or her own pace. We look forward to partnering with you to facilitate the academic, social, and emotional growth of your child. Please keep abreast of our second grade happenings by reading your child’s homework journal each evening and by reading the Wednesday Weekly. Photos for the Timeline Project were due on September 16, so that each child could begin the project on September 19. The “Of Mice and Mozart” character parts and music will be given to the students on October 3. These photos are a glimpse of the first few days of school. Third grade
The third graders have begun their study of insects in science class. Thanks to two classmates, Grace R. and Hannah S., the students have some Monarch caterpillars to observe in our classroom. The caterpillars have been in our room for only a few days and have already provided the students with some exciting observation. The children have watched them moving, eating and most recently, changing into a chrysalis as we watched. It is a beautiful study of the miracle of nature. The students will continue to keep watch on the Monarchs until they emerge from their chrysalises. After a few days, when the time is right, the students will have their very own Monarch butterfly release. Monarchs are truly marvelous miracles of nature and the third grade class is enjoying this beautiful experience. Fourth grade
Welcome to fourth grade! We are looking forward to an exciting school year with you. This year, fourth grade students will be learning about Pennsylvania, the fifty states and their capitals, the human body, magnetism and electricity, the mad minute and so much more! We will be traveling to the Lackawanna Coal Mine, J.A. Biztown, the Franklin Institute, and the Philharmonic Young People’s Concert. As a fourth grader, students will master lockers with combination locks, be the door holders and pledge leaders at primary assemblies, and earn the privilege of walking independently to special classes. On Tuesday, September 6, fourth graders received their own laptops to use for the year. Students will spend the year learning how to properly use and care for a computer. Throughout the year, the laptops will be used to enhance the fourth grade curriculum.
Middle-School Division News Eighth grade
To begin the year, eighth-grade students were challenged to identifying the contents of sealed canisters using their powers of observation, both qualitative and quantitative. Important events for eighth-grade students
September 23: Upper School visit for Founders Day
October 2: Denison Harvest Festival - not a requirement; volunteers only
October 2: Battle of Wyoming field trip - voluntary/$10 to be used for donations to Denison House ($5), Forty Fort Meetinghouse ($2) and pizza. Please bring $1 bills! Volunteer event.
October 6: Grandparents Day and Colonial Living History Day until noon | 
