March 2, 2007
		Due to staff training, Upper School students will have early dismissal on Friday, 3/9 and Friday, 3/30. Spring Break is from April 2-13. Students return to school on April 16. Lower School Parent Coffee is Thursday, 3/8 from 8–9:30 am.  Jeff Petrulis will discuss the Upper School Program along with College Guidance.  While this topic will be beneficial to all of our Lower School parents, we particularly encourage all of our 6th grade parents to attend. Lower School Basketball Club starts next week. Students in grades 1-4 will meet on Wednesdays (3/7, 3/14, 3/21 and 3/28) while students in grades 5-6 will meet Thursdays (3/8, 3/15, 3/22 and 3/29). Call Mr. Redd with questions at x1422. Congratulations to our Lady Lions basketball team for their win against Lake Ridge Academy in overtime this week! The Class of 2009 is raising class funds through the Malley's Chocolates online fundraiser.  You may click here or contact Tracy Pedaline at x2124 for the web address. The Upper School Outdoor Club will visit Kendall Ledges on Thursday, 3/8 from 3:15-7 pm. Permission slips must be returned to Mr. Harris. Prom is on Saturday, 5/12 from 7-11 pm, and is open to students in grades 10-12. If you are willing to help with planning, please call Amanda Hedrick at ext 2407. The Lower School "Book-It!" reward for February is hot chocolate and donuts. Students who reached their reading goal will enjoy their reward Monday, 3/5.		Lower School Musical & Book Fair Coming Soon Lower School Musical The annual Lower School Musical takes place on Wed. 3/14 and Thurs. 3/15 at 7 pm. Students in the following homerooms will perform on Wednesday: Mrs. Perillo, Mrs. Boyd, Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Lyle and Miss Budnick. Students in the remaining homerooms will perform on Thursday. More information will be sent home soon! Lower School Book Fair The Lower School Scholastic Book Fair takes place from Monday, 3/12 to Friday, 3/16 during school hours. The Book Fair will also be open between 6:30-8:30 pm on the nights of the musical (3/14 and 3/15). If you are able to help with this event, please contact Karen McKeon at x1401. Free Lunch! Anyone interested in helping with the May 5 Benefit Auction is invited to lunch and a meeting next Tuesday, 3/6 at 12:30 at the Upper School. This would be a great time to drop off items for the silent auction and/or class baskets! It’s also a great way to meet Lawrence parents and learn more about the event. We’ll have brief committee meetings (including decorations) after lunch at 1:15, then a benefit overview at 2:00. Please RSVP to Jayne Eiben x3107. Student Job Fair - Upper School Students ages 15 and up are invited to attend a Student Job Fair on Wed. 3/14 from 4-7 pm, at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center at 8001 Brecksville Road in Brecksville. Over 60 employers representing full time, part time or seasonal employment opportunities will be represented. For more info, call 440-838-8851 or visit www.cvccworks.com. Lawrence School in the News Lawrence School, along with senior Steve Z and his mother Jill, was featured on WCPN 90.3's "Morning Edition" this week. You can see more or download the program here: www.wcpn.org/news/2007/01-03/0228learning.html. Benefit Auction Theme Baskets The deadline for the class theme baskets for "The First Bell" Benefit Auction has been extended. Please bring in theme items no later than Friday 3/9. (Lower School items collected to date are listed on the VIP website: www.lawrencevip.org). Help your child earn a free dress down day! Also, the deadline for silent auction items is Friday, 3/30. Student Council Fundraiser The Lower School fundraiser for Akron Children's Hospital was a big success. Thanks to the generosity of our families donating spare change, we exceeded our $250 goal and raised $410. Thank you! Market Day Thank you to all Market Day customers. This month, we made $400 for Lawrence.  And congratulations to Miss Geraci, winner of the Target gift card drawing! Head Notes One of the signs of growth in our school is the rapid development of our athletic programs. We began with huge amounts of determination, but few resources. I remember the first game our girls’ basketball team played in real uniforms – you would have thought we’d given them a million dollars, they were so excited.  Even just a few short years ago, we had one boys' basketball team made up of grades 7-12 playing together. We had to scramble to find opponents, and many of them were either much older or much younger. And we didn’t have a full-sized gym to practice or play in, much less a mascot or program guides or new uniforms. Today, we have an amazing home court, and plenty of seating for fans.  And wonderful locker rooms.  And competitive teams to play against.  Whether we win or lose any individual game, our school wins every time.  These teams generate an important sense of school spirit for all of us – those who play and those who come to support our school. We were pleased to host a reporter from the Sun News at last week's HS boys' game versus Mogadore Christian. Not only did we show him a win, but some of our athletes and parents had the opportunity to share their stories. It strikes me that for many of our players, this will be the last time they participate in a school sport. I feel so blessed that Lawrence plays this part in our students' social growth, and hope they always look back on these years with pride. In the spring, we will complete the development of our baseball field and cross country course; these will allow us even more options for our students.  At the same time, the Lower School is developing their after-school programming as well. We’ve come a long way. When I see a student in a Lawrence letter jacket, I am filled with pride in the staff, students and parents who have worked so hard to see that our students have these very important opportunities. Thank you all - your contributions and support will last a lifetime in memories! - Mimi Mayer Head of School