| From the Dean's Desk
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” -L.M. Montgomery It has been a very busy few weeks here at the Lower School! Within a short time-frame, we have smiled for school pictures, formally welcomed President Rea at his Installation, enjoyed our annual Book Fair and celebrated Grandparents’ Day…and the fun continues! Currently, our Primary Players are rehearsing for “Peter Pan Jr.” which will be held the weekend of November 11, our fall teams are working hard on the field, and we approach mid-term in our classrooms full of excitement and academic discovery! Looking further ahead, our second graders will present “Of Mice and Mozart” on Wednesday, October 26. We will celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 28. Our primary parade will begin at approximately 8:30 a.m., and middle school students will enjoy their first pizza party of the year that day. The following week we look forward to parent-teacher conferences on November 3 and 4. We will have a noon dismissal on Thursday, November 3, and no school for students on Friday, November 4. Please continue to read the Wednesday Weekly for updates about these and all of our wonderful happenings. Enjoy the beautiful autumn weather! Kathleen Hanlon, EdD
Lower School Dean
Wyoming Seminary
khanlon@wyomingseminary.org
(570) 718-6600
The Scoop from STEM Green STEAM Global Cardboard Challenge: Upcycling, Art and Play
Our fourth year of The Global Cardboard Challenge/STEM Day of Play was as fun as ever for both Sem and visiting students. Inspired by Caine Monroy’s Arcade and the Imagination Foundation, participants enthusiastically created innovative, interactive, and artistic games, robots, and costumes. This year, there was a new “green” twist: participants received a Sem “Greener is Smarter!” reusable bag by bringing a plastic bottle to upcycle into their innovation and also signing a green pledge to increase reducing, reusing, and recycling in their lives as well as encouraging others to do the same.
Women Empowered by Science Solar Cars, Migratory Maps, and Shaving Cream Chemistry
Fifteen years ago, the Lower School science department collaborated with Wilkes University to create WEBS (Women Empowered by Science), a program where area sixth-grade girls can visit Wilkes each fall for seven lab experiences in a variety of STEM fields. This program remains popular with our sixth-grade girls every year, and it has grown to benefit many girls in other schools. September labs this year included engineering solar cars, mapping exercises that including comparing worldwide migratory routes, and applying affinity properties to use shaving cream and food coloring to create marbleized bookmarks.
Scholastic Book Fair a grand success! A very big thank you to all of the students, parents, grandparents, friends, faculty and staff, who joined in making our 2016 Scholastic Book Fair such a grand success! We greatly appreciate the sponsorship of the WSLS Parents Association and extend our sincere thanks to our very dedicated team of volunteers who graciously gave of their time and energy to assist our students during the book fair, and to those who helped setting-up and breaking-down the fair. This undertaking was extremely successful due to everyone working together for the benefit of the children and our school and for supporting the love of reading.
Sem Scholarship Day scheduled for November Sem Scholarship Day is almost here! On Saturday, November 5, students in grades 4-10 not currently attending Sem are invited to register for the Scholarship Test, compete for full and half-tuition merit scholarships, attend an interactive Program Showcase, and explore all the reasons why at Sem, a world of opportunity awaits. If you know of a student who would benefit from a Sem education, please encourage them to register for Sem Scholarship Day! And students and their families who have applied to Sem are also invited to visit the Lower School on Friday, November 11 or Monday, November 28 to experience a typical day and learn more about the school's academic, arts and athletic programs and financial aid. For more information contact the Admission office at 570-270-2160 or admission@wyomingseminary.org.
Arts Schedule Music
Sem Presents! Wynton Marsalis and his Quintet on Friday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Marsalis, a world-renowned jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, teacher and author, will lead his Quintet in a memorable, one-time-only in Northeastern Pennsylvania performance. Tickets are $50 at www.wyomingseminary.org/marsalis. For more information call 570-270-2192. Theater
The Wyoming Seminary Players will present the Broadway hit musical comedy “Once Upon A Mattress” on Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea,” this musical tells the story of Princess Winnifred and her quest to marry Prince Dauntless. Tickets are $4 in advance and $5 at the door. For more information call 570-270-2192. The Primary Players will present the musical “Peter Pan Jr.” on Friday, November 11 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m. in the Amato Auditorium. The production is adapted from J.M Barrie’s classic story and the Broadway musical and tells the story of the boy who never grows up. For more information call 570-270-2192. View the arts calendar >
Art Club activities 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 3:15-4:15 p.m. in the art room. The first meeting of the year was held on 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.
Grandparents Day a special day at Lower School
Hundreds of grandparents spent a warm day on October 6 with their grandchildren at the Lower School.
Athletics News Winter Athletics
Please see the attached flyer for information for the boys and girls fifth through eighth grade basketball teams. If your child is planning to play, please fill out the form on the second page and return it to Mr. Burg as soon as possible. Contact Mr. Burg at pburg@wyomingseminary.org if you have questions.
News by Grade
First grade
Grandparents Day was a huge success! The children looked so charming on stage dressed in their finest attire. The concert was magnificent, and we can still find ourselves singing all of the wonderful songs. We hope that all of our visitors enjoyed the performances, our classrooms, touring the hallways, and visiting the book fair. Foss Science: The first grade classes have started to learn about solids and liquids. Over the next few weeks they will observe the properties of many solids and liquids, comparing how different solids and liquids are alike and how they are different. We’re looking forward to lots of fun as we explore a world full of solids and liquids! Fourth grade
The fourth graders enjoyed a visit from their grandparents and special guests on October 6. In preparation for their visit, students wrote poems and stories and shared favorite memories about their grandparents. The writings were displayed on posters along with photos of their grandparents. Students and grandparents spent time together doing crafts, puzzles, and interviews in the fourth grade classrooms. A great day was had by all! Seventh grade
During the seventh grade overnight adventure at Camp Orchard Hill, the marble PVC Challenge, tandem ziplining, giant swing, and boating fun were highlights of the annual event. Bright weather, a full moon, and with nature’s beauty around us, camaraderie and team-building were enjoyed by all! Eighth grade
American history teacher Clark Switzer recently led his eighth grade students on an interesting field trip to several local historical sites: the Forty Fort Meeting House and cemetery, the Denison House Fall Festival, the Battle of Wyoming site in Exeter, the Conrail archeology site, the Wyoming Monument and Queen Esther’s Rock.
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