2024-2025 Friday Letter
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Mon 21st: Girls MS Soccer vs. Barstow @ BSA, 5 pm
* Tue 22nd: Boys HS Golf @ Osawatomie Golf Course, 12 pm
MS Track @ Holton HS, 3:30 pm
Girls MS Soccer @ Summit Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars Soccer vs. Bishop Ward @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Boys HS Vball @ BSA, 6 & 7 pm
* Wed 23rd: MS City Showdown Track Meet, TBA
PSAT 8/9 & SAT
Boys HS VBall @ BSA, 6 & 7 pm
* Thurs 24th: Boys Vars Tennis @ Harmon Park, 1 pm
Girls MS Soccer vs. Heritage Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars Soccer @ KC Christian High School, 4:30 pm
* Fri 25th: Boys Vars Tennis vs. Lutheran of KC @ Minor Park Tennis Courts, 4 pm
* Sat 26th: KSHSAA State Music Festival--Solos & Small Ensembles
Dear Parents,
I hope the students had a great time on their class trips. I write this letter on a quiet campus with a small but committed band of administrators. This will be a short letter.
The summer will be here before you know it! Don't forget to enroll your children in our Summer at Seabury program. Enroll here today for camps and classes and here for athletic options.
Congratulations to our students who attended the 2025 Kansas State HIstory Day competition. Some impressive accomplishments:
3rd place Senior Historical Paper: Tessa Vancil
3rd place Senior Individual Exhibit: Aiden Najafizadeh
1st place Senior Individual Documentary: Owen Koederitz
1st place Senior Individual Documentary: Ben Patterson
1st place Senior Historical Paper: Margaret Mulhern
3rd place Robert J. Dole Congressional History Prize: Margaret Mulhern
Tasha Freedom Award: Riku Hickman
First place winners advance to the National History Day competition in College Park, Maryland in June. Best of luck to them!
Congratulations to Chase Honarvar, Jace Hoffman, and Jace Smith on being named to the LJWorld All-Area Team and to Marion Stubbs for receiving honorable mention. And congratulations to Chase Honarvar on being named LJWorld All-Area Player of the Year!
Have a great and beautiful Easter weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 11th: Parent Casino Night, 7 pm (doors open 6:30 pm)
* Sat 12th: The Luau Student Dance, 8-10 pm
Kansas History Day
Blood Drive, 10 am to 2 pm
* Sun 13th: Senior Class Trip Begins
* Mon 14th: Boys HS Golf @ Rolling Hills, 1 pm
Boys Vars Tennis vs. Piper HS @ Rock Chalk Park, 3 pm
Girls MS Soccer @ Pembroke-Hill School Wornall Campus, 4:30 pm
10th/11th White House Decision Center Trip
* Tue 15th: MS Track @ Summit Christian Academy, 3:30 pm
Girls MS Soccer @ St. Paul's Episcopal Day School, 4:30 pm
9th Grade Trip Begins
* Wed 16th: Form Trips--No Classes
* Thurs 17th: Vars Track @ West Franklin HS, 3 pm
Form Trips--No Classes
* Fri 18th: Good Friday--No Classes
Dear Parents,
After a year of planning, our students head out on their Form Trips next week. (Our school originally had "forms" instead of "grades.") Organizing these trips is additional work for teachers, and I very much appreciate their efforts to put together these opportunities for learning and for bonding. Thanks also to those parents who have volunteered to go along and partner with my staff in driving and looking after the students. Memories made on these trips are long-lasting for our students, even after they graduate.
When our students are off-campus, we usually hear compliments on their behavior from hotel and travel vendors. However, I always make a point of reminding students that the rules of the Community Handbook are doubly in force on these trips, and knowing the extra work required of the faculty to make these events happen, I treat off-campus infractions even more seriously than those on our campus. I would ask parents to talk to your children about your own expectations and remind them to follow the directions of their adult chaperones. Thank you for that!
We hope to see many of you at tonight's BSAP Parent Casino Night. It's a free and fun evening hosted by BSAP and you can check details here. We hope you enjoy this opportunity to mix with other parents, enjoy some entertainment and refreshments, and possibly win some fantastic prizes - even a $1000 tuition discount for 2025-26. Doors open at 6:30 pm. The fun starts at 7 pm!
Congratulations to our singers and their success at the KSHSAA regional music competition last weekend. The Chamber Choir, Men's Ensemble, and Women's Ensembles all received a "1" rating and will be going to State, as will Eva Farmer, Ella Langham, and Katie Mastrosimone who received "1" ratings for their solo work.
Thank you to all who signed up to donate blood at the BSA Blood Drive tomorrow morning!
We still have six weeks of school left, but they will go fast. Please remember that our Stepping Up Ceremony occurs in the evening this year: 7-9 pm on Thursday, May 22nd (as noted in the 2024-25 academic calendar). All students are required to attend this ceremony and will be in more formal attire (similar to Convocation). They will be released for summer break at the end of the evening.
I hope that parents and students have a great time this weekend at the Casino Night and the Luau. (Hopefully, the two will not be confused with each other....)
Have a beautiful weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 4th: HS Boys VBall vs. Manhattan CHIEF & Olathe South, 6 & 8 pm
* Sat 5th: KSHSAA State Music Regional Competition
Middle School Movie Night, 6-10 pm
* Mon 7th: Girls MS Soccer @ Barstow School, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars Soccer vs. Northland Christian @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Tue 8th: Boys Vars Tennis @ Marysville HS, 9 am
Boys HS Golf @ Dubs Dread Golf Course, 1 pm
Varsity Track @ Oskaloosa HS, 4 pm
Girls MS Soccer @ Heritage Christian Academy (West Campus, 16000 S. Black Bob Rd, Olathe, KS), 4:30 pm
* Wed 9th: MS Track @ West Middle School, TBD
* Thurs 10th: Boys Vars Tennis @ Baldwin HS, 9 am
Girls MS Soccer vs. Brookside Charter @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars Soccer @ Heritage Christian Academy (West Campus, 16000 S. Black Bob Rd, Olathe, KS), 4:30 pm
* Fri 11th: Renaissance Day
Vars Track @ Basehor-Linwood HS, 3:30 pm
BSA Science & Engineering Fair
* Sat 12th: Kansas History Day
Blood Drive, 10 am to 2 pm
Dear Parents,
We are back from the day's excursion. The students seemed to have a good time. Perhaps you can pry details from them. They should sleep well tonight. I told student drivers they could leave early if they had your permission (and younger students could be picked up early). Thank you for supporting this unusual but hallowed day. I expect you will be happy not to have to hear about it every morning for the rest of the year! :)
The rescheduled Middle School Movie Night occurs tomorrow. I will be showing Rudy (the 1993 classic) and Big Hero Six. As always, this event is free and I will provide pizza, snacks, and drinks. I am happy to provide an alternative for any students who have gluten or dairy allergies....just let me know. If I have any parents who like to bake, feel free to send additional desserts with your children--and thank you! Students should bring comfortable blankets, sleeping bags, chairs, and so forth. Please plan to pick up your children by 10 pm.
This year's Summer at Seabury is even BIGGER and BETTER than ever--with camps starting at 4th grade. Summer camps at Seabury offer exciting opportunities for children to experience our distinctive athletic and educational programs. Enrollment has only been open a few weeks and is already filling up so don't delay! Some camps are open for non-Seabury students. Enroll here today for camps and classes and here for athletic options.
Next Wednesday is our annual BSA Renaissance Day. This is a special day each year when staff and a few students offer classes on subjects outside the normal curriculum. Past classes have included Zen Gardening, Rock Band, Dumpling Making, and Know Your Car. This is a great way to remind students that learning is about enthusiasm and exploration. As I remind parents, students have many sign-up options for this day, but they do NOT have the option of staying home. We will take attendance very seriously. Students will be released at their usual time. Many thanks to students Josie Kim, Ashley Perez-Gonzalez, and Jillian Werner for their work in organizing the day!
Good luck to our students as they compete at the KSHSAA State Music Regionals this weekend!
Congratulations to Ella Langham who showed her self-portrait at the KaEA Youth Art Month exhibit and was chosen by 1600 participants for the People’s Choice Award. Ella also placed second in the high school 2-D art division. Congratulations also to Niko Stinson who took third place at the district level Lions Club Peace Poster Contest banquet.
BSAP is hosting the Annual Seabury Parent Casino Night on April 11th from 7-9 pm--an opportunity for parents to come together and have a great time (while your children sulk at home without anything to do). Play craps, roulette, poker, and other games--and win some prizes! I have heard that someone will win a $1000 discount on next year's tuition. (Wait....did I approve that?) The class with the highest attendance will receive a pizza party for their children's class. Entry is free (you get 100 chips) and you can purchase additional chips if you like. Wine, beer, water, and snacks are free, though BSAP will always accept donations. RSVP here.
Seabury will host a Blood Drive on Saturday 12th in the Commons. You can sign up for a donation slot using this link. Students must be 16 years of age to donate blood or provide a completed parent consent form. Thanks to senior Neela Rangarajan for organizing the event!
Thank you to all students, families, and staff who participated in Seabury's "Together We're Unlimited" float at the St. Patrick's Day parade! Special thanks to parents Ben Elder and Kacie Kneidel for their building expertise and leadership. Shout out to students Eva "Elphaba" Farmer and Eliza "Glinda" Brockhoff for their dedicated method acting. We can't wait until next year!
Every summer Betsy sends out a collection of forms for the coming school year. To make things easier for 2025-26, we are sending the forms (all except for the lunch form) via FACTS, including tuition payment plan options and driver permissions. This will happen next week! Be on the lookout for an email from Lisa Leroux-Smith and please ask Lisa or Bonnie if you have any questions.
Have a great weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 15th: Chess State Competition @ Emporia
Forensics @ FSHS
Powerlifting @ Conway Springs
* Mon 17th to Fri 28th: SPRING BREAK
* Sat 29th: State Powerlifting @ Conway Spring
* Mon 31st: Girls Vars Soccer vs. KC Christian @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Tue 1st: Boys Vars Tennis @ Clay Center Community HS, 3 pm
Girls MS Soccer @ Maranatha Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
HS Boys VBall @ Cair Paravel Latin School, 6 & 7 pm
* Wed 2nd: MS Track @ Lawrence Southwest MS, 3:30 pm
Eid Celebration Lunch
* Thurs 3rd: Boys HS Golf @ Great Life Golf & Fitness, TBD
Vars Track @ Ottawa HS, 3:45 pm
Girls MS Soccer vs. KC Christian @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars Soccer @ Maranatha Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
Language Testing
* Fri 4th: Language Testing
HS Boys VBall vs. Manhattan CHIEF & Olathe South, 6 & 8 pm
* Sat 5th: KSHSAA State Music Regional Competition
Middle School Movie Night, 6-10 pm
Dear Parents,
I have attached the school academic calendar for 2025-26. Please consult this calendar when making any vacation plans for next year. One important note: it is difficult to schedule a two-week spring break to avoid conflict with KSHSAA competition dates. Parents with students in Upper School choir, please note that their regional competition is on Saturday March 28th. Ms. Lawrence and I would appreciate it if you could keep that date in mind when making any travel plans next year.
Good luck to our chess and powerlifting teams as they head to KSHSAA state competition over the break!
Our students once again had a strong showing at this year's Kansas History Day District 1 competition last weekend and are headed to state on April 12th:
Middle School:
Nico Stinson, 1st Place, Junior Historical Papers
Rand Ababneh, Brooke Bowden, 4th Place, Junior Group Exhibits
Upper School:
Margaret Mulhern, 3rd Place, Senior Historical Papers
Tessa Vancil, 4th Place, Senior Historical Papers
Aiden Najafizadeh, 1st Place, Senior Individual Exhibits
Macy Ankenbauer, 4th Place, Senior Individual Exhibits
Ben Patterson, 1st Place, Senior Individual Documentary
Gabe Rinnert, 3rd Place, Senior Individual Documentary
Owen Koederitz, 2nd Place, Senior Individual Website
Katie Mastrosimone, 3rd Place, Senior Individual Website
Riku Hickman, 4th Place, Senior Individual Website
This is our school's first trip to Japan during spring break. Our international trip is an incredible opportunity for students to expand their horizons and develop as human beings. We wish them safe travels and a great adventure!
This week's Spring Fever Grudge Match has involved fierce competition, but the students have clinched another victory over the faculty with a present score of 3 to 1. However, the Battle of the Bands will still be a fitting conclusion to this energetic week. Parents are welcome to attend at 2:20 pm
I hope students and faculty have a great, restful, and fun spring break!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 7th: Upper School Play Production: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, 7 pm
* Sat 8th: District One History Day Competition
* Sun 9th: Japan Trip Meeting, 4 pm
* Thurs 13th: Kansas Civic Games @ Topeka
* Sat 15th: Chess State Competition @ Emporia
Forensics @ FSHS
Powerlifting @ Conway Springs
* Mon 17th to Fri 28th: SPRING BREAK
Dear Parents,
Don't be fooled by our seemingly thin calendar. It is a zany week prior to spring break. Most importantly, next week is the Spring Fever Grudge Match. Each year, we try to "channel" the anticipatory energy of students prior to spring break into a 5-day, post-lunch competition between students and staff members. Most of the events change year-to-year and are the product of Mr. Nelson's twisted imagination. He has kept specifics about next week's competition under wraps (except Monday's competition will involve sprinting). The legendary Battle of the Bands will be in the gym on Thursday this year from 2:20-3:30 pm, and parents are welcome to attend.
Break a Leg to the Upper School cast of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind as they perform tonight and Saturday in the commons. Please come out and enjoy this exuberant 60 minutes of theatre!
Good luck to our young historians at this weekend's District One History Day Competition, hosted at Seabury. We also have a student team representing Seabury at the Kansas Civic Games this week. Hosted by the Kansas Press Association in partnership with the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration and the Kansas Department of Education, the Kansas Civic Games includes various written and project-based challenges about state, local, and national government. Teams represent a range of Kansas schools, including students from Kansas City, Wichita, Lawrence, and Topeka. Good luck to our students!
Good luck to our chess team as they head to state competition this weekend! The Seabury chess team has been coached by Steve Robinson since 2014, but he is stepping down from that role at the end of the year. We really appreciate Steve's work in inaugurating our chess program and his gentle and encouraging approach to coaching our students. He will be missed! Looking to the future, I need a new chess coach. If any parent knows of a good candidate for that position, please let me know.
For several years, our school has been involved in Academic World Quest, a high-paced and intense competition involving global affairs and hosted by the World Affairs Council. Our Seabury team took first place at the regional competition last weekend and is headed to national competition at Washington D.C. Congratulations to them!
Our boys varsity basketball team had a mighty season that concluded with an amazing substate game on Monday. Congratulations to them. And good luck to our athletes as spring sports begin.
Our commons projector is finally up and running again, so I have rescheduled the Middle School Movie Night for Saturday, April 5th at 6 pm. I am looking forward to it. More details will be included in next week's letter.
Have a great weekend (without snow),
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 28th: Pixies, Kings, and Magical Things (Touring Show Performance for the Seabury community) in the Commons, 7 pm
Japan Trip Meeting, 2:45 pm
* Sat 1st: Forensics @ LHS
Academic World Quest Competition
Chess @ Prairie Park
* Mon 3rd: Boys Varsity Basketball Substate Semi Final vs. Frankfort H.S. @ BSA, 6 pm
* Thurs 6th: Washburn Leadership Competition
* Fri 7th: Upper School Play Production: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, 7 pm
* Sat 8th: Boys Varsity Basketball Substate Championship vs. TBA @ Centralia HS, TBD
District One History Day Competition
Upper School Play Production: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, 7 pm
Dear Parents,
A big thank you to all who were able to attend or contribute to last Friday's auction. It was a resounding success, and we surpassed our fundraising goal--which is a testament to our community support for our students and our school. I also want to thank our auction co-chairs Meggan Griggs and Devon Kim, Development Director Ellen Chindamo, our auction committee, our sponsors, and all of the parent, staff, and student volunteers who worked to make the evening a success.
Our community production of the BSA touring show production Pixies, Kings, and Magical Things is tonight at 7 pm. Our young thespians have represented us with exuberance at area elementary schools this week, and I hope you can come out to see their final performance. Next week, the Upper School actors will take the stage with their production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, a quirky ensemble production presenting "30 plays in 60 minutes." Each two-minute play (comic, tragic, political, personal, or abstract) is performed in random order as suggested by the audience--with a 60 minute time to keep everyone honest! This will be a theatre experience like none you have ever seen--and will really push our actors.
Our boys varsity basketball team had a resounding victory on Tuesday night in their first round of Substate competition, and they will play Frankfort High School in Dillon Gymnasium on Monday night. This will be a game you don't want to miss. Congratulations to senior Jace Smith who surpassed the 1000 career point mark this week. And congratulations to the girls varsity team and our Middle School girls and boys teams as they conclude their seasons!
Congratulations to our Upper School students who competed at the regional Mock Trial on Saturday. And congratulations to our Model U.N. contingency who competed Thursday, with senior Heba Aziz winning 2nd delegate in her council, and senior Eni Wintoki and junior Xavier Carrasco Cooper winning 1st place in theirs. A great showing!
Upper School students will also head out to Washburn Leadership and Academic World Quest competition. Historically, our students have been fearsome competitors, so I look forward to seeing the hardware they bring home this year!
This week, you received an email from Ms. Leroux-Smith regarding Seabury's St. Patrick's Day float. Our theme is Wicked "Together We're Unlimited." The float build work day is March 5 at the home of parents Ben and Laura Elder, 1179 E 1067 Rd. Please text Ben (785) 312-4459 or Laura (913) 620-2218 if you can help with building or painting. Pink and green t-shirts are available for order here. Deadline for orders is Monday, March 3. This will be fun!
This is the time of year when students watch my every move in morning meeting, hoping that this will be the day when I reveal a certain green shirt. It is true that we usually have a surprise in the second semester called Headmaster's Holiday, when students and faculty jump in a bus and head out for adventure. I have told students that, alas, due to snow days, HH may not happen this year. But who knows? Perhaps I am not being entirely sincere. I guess time will tell.... Should we have HH happen this year, please know that we cannot ever release the date to parents in advance. IF we were to ever have HH this year, I would notify parents in the morning right after the announcement, and hopefully any appointments can be moved at that point.
Finally, during this week of Substate, academic competitions, and theatre performances, I want to take a moment to emphasize a very important component of our school's culture and philosophy. Since the school's inception, we have pushed students not to define themselves narrowly as an actor, an athlete, a writer, a singer, and so forth. As we motivate students to explore their potential, I am impressed by students who are willing to attempt success in different arenas. In my days as BSA theatre director, I would frequently have our basketball starters in my productions, and I remember the actor who played Bottom in my 2004 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, walking in cleats from the soccer field to the stage for rehearsal each day. This phenomenon holds true today with many students. I watch them demonstrating their multi-talent and ambitions to serve the school and achieve personal greatness in various arenas--and I am inspired by them. It is a great deal of work, but these students are charting a path to live an uncommon life.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the warm weather. Spring break is two weeks away!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 21st: The BSA Annual Auction: One Team, One Dream! (Cocktails 6, Dinner 7 & Live Auction 8 pm)
* Sat 22nd: Powerlifting @ West Franklin
Mock Trial Regional Competition, Wyandotte County Courthouse
* Mon 24th: Girls Vars BBall Substate vs. Clifton-Clyde @ Clifton-Clyde H.S., 6 pm
* Tue 25th: Boys Vars BBall Substate vs. Wakefield H.S. @ BSA, 7 pm
Testimony Writing Workshop, Room 201
* Thurs 27th: Pixies, Kings, and Magical Things (Touring Show Performance for students) in the Commons, 2:40-3:30 pm
* Fri 28th: Pixies, Kings, and Magical Things (Touring Show Performance for the Seabury community) in the Commons, 7 pm
Japan Trip Meeting, 2:45 pm
* Sat 1st: Forensics @ LHS
Dear Parents,
It is a very busy time of year--but in a good way!
I look forward to seeing many of you tonight for the Annual BSA Auction: One Team, One Dream! We are going to have a great time! If you are not able to join us, you can still bid and buy online here or text oneteamonedream to 76278.
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Basketball team for clinching the victory in the Kaw Valley Conference last night with a scrappy win over Maranatha Christian School. The boys and girls varsity teams head to Substate competition next week. Good luck to them!
Every year, our middle school performers produce a show for younger audiences and tour area schools. Director James LaRocca and his young cast will be presenting Pixies, Kings, and Magical Things: Three Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, written by Lawrence playwright Ric Averill. In this comic production, Hans Christian Andersen narrates three of his classic tales, including a fun new twist on The Emperor’s New Clothes. The cast will also take the show on the road to Century School, Prairie Moon, Woodlawn Elementary, and Topeka Collegiate and will perform for the Seabury students and faculty on Thursday. The final production will be for the Seabury community on Friday night at 7 pm in the Commons. Break-a-leg to the cast!
Good luck to our Mock Trial Team, as Seabury competes for the first time at regionals on Saturday!
One of our annual traditions is the Penny War. For as long as I can remember, our school has had a week where students and teachers clean the spare change out of their couches, cars, and drawers and engage in a friendly battle to help raise funds for the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Each grade has a container in the Commons. Pennies and other change count positively for a grade, but any bills are negative. I understand that the winner receives breakfast. (Let's hope it is not cooked by the losing grade...that could be punishing all the way around.) The Penny War happens next week and will be a spirited way to support an important cause.
I am so grateful we are all back to school after two snow days, and there is warmer weather ahead.
Have a good weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 14th: NO CLASSES
Vars BBall @ Northland Christian School: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 15th: Forensics @ Lansing
Powerlifting @ Chanute
* Tue 18th: History Day Fair
Vars BBall @ KC Christian HS: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Thurs 20th: Vars BBall vs. Maranatha Christian School @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Fri 21st: The BSA Annual Auction: One Team, One Dream!
* Sat 22nd: Forensics @ Topeka
Powerlifting @ West Franklin
Mock Trial Regional Competition
Dear Parents,
It was great to see so many parents during conferences. Parents and teachers do not often have the opportunity to debrief (outside of the occasional athletics competition or arts production), so it is great to have a few minutes for us to touch base. Ten minutes is not a lot of time, but please know that you can always reach out to your child's teacher to set up a time to talk further as needed.
We are one week away from THE party of the year: the BSA Annual Auction: One Team, One Dream! Ms. Chindamo has sent out some tempting auction reveals over the last few days, and the silent auction item bidding opened today! Additionally, this year's Fund-a-Need (where the community and attendees can donate directly to initiatives that are outside our annual operating budget) is focused on three items. First, we want to expand our school's campus security by adding a camera system to help us minimize on-campus risks and create greater peace of mind for students, parents, and faculty. Second, with the arrival of our talented new Director of Theatre, Elizabeth Sullivan, we want to support the theatre program with the purchase of new lighting & audio equipment and new seating options for productions and Stepping Up. We will also direct a portion of the Fund-A-Need proceeds to tuition assistance for talented students who could not otherwise afford to attend Seabury. We hope you can join us for a raucous celebration while supporting our school! You can still RSVP here.
Seabury boasts a robust involvement in the annual History Day Fair. Families of 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students are welcome to view projects from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Tuesday, February 18th. We ask however that visitors avoid approaching students and judges while they are conducting their interviews.
Plans are afoot for the Seabury float entry to the Lawrence St. Patrick's Day parade. The theme is Wicked! We will be looking for help with set-up on the morning of the parade (March 17th) and students/families interested in walking or riding with the float. Ms. Leroux-Smith will send out a Google sign-up form next week. This will be a lot of fun!
Second semester Spirit Week is upon us. According to the wisdom and creativity of the Student Senate, here are the themes each day this week:
Monday: Rainbow Day
Tuesday: Top Artist
Wednesday: Western Wear
Thursday: Spirit Wear
Friday: Freaky Friday (student/teacher swap)
We did not have quite the Wednesday Snowmageddon that was predicted, but after a very busy start to the semester, I didn't hear any complaints about the snow day. I hope students had a restful day (and maybe got outside to help a neighbor or two with shoveling their drives).
Have a good weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 7th: Vars BBall @ Bishop Ward High School: Boys JV 4, Girls Vars 5:30, Boys Vars 7 pm
* Sat 8th: MS BBall @ Pembroke Hill School--Ward Parkway Campus: Girls 9, Boys B-team 10, Boys A-team 11 am
Art Club Gala, 4-6 pm
* Mon 10th: Vars BBall vs. Burlingame @ BSA: Girls 6 & Boys 7:30 pm
* Tue 11th: Vars BBall @ Heritage Christian Academy West Campus (16000 S. Black Bob Rd, Olathe): Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Wed 12th: Parent-Teacher Conferences: 6-9 pm
* Thurs 13th: NO CLASSES
Parent-Teacher Conferences: 1-4:30 & 6:30-9 pm
* Fri 14th: NO CLASSES
Vars BBall @ Northland Christian School: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 15th: Forensics @ Lansing
Dear Parents,
We seem to have been in the midst of flu-central over the last week, among other illnesses. I hope this weekend will be a good opportunity for students to get some sleep (even if it must be mandated by parental authority). Next week provides only a short stretch of classes, and then we will all have a few extra days to rest.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are next week. The cut-off for signing up for conferences is MONDAY at NOON to provide teachers enough time to prepare for those meetings. You can sign up here: Parent/Teacher Conference Sign-Up As always, Betsy will send out a list of Google Meet links for you to join your online conference.
Only two weeks from today is our annual Seabury Auction! This year the theme is One Team One Dream and it truly is about our Seabury community all pulling together for the good of our school! If you are saying, "I keep meaning to rsvp for the auction, but I haven't had a moment"....this is the moment! Please click HERE to rsvp. Our auction is the biggest party of the year, and I can't think of a better way to have fun while supporting our students. Today Ms. Chindamo will begin her series of auction "reveals" leading up to the actual event. I hope you are excited because we are indeed "One Team"!
The Seabury Art Club will host its Art Gala this Saturday in the Commons. Multiple students will show their art and make it available for sale to the community. The event will run from 4-6 pm. Come out to view the work of our students and perhaps obtain some early Valentine's Day presents or added decor for the house. Delicious treats will be served!
The Student Senate is holding a Valentine's Day fundraiser. Students tend to buy flowers and candy for one another, but parents can join in the fun. Here is the form if you'd like to get your student a little something (you will need to submit one form per student), and you pay with Venmo (@William-Whipple) or bring cash on Monday.
As we approach parent-teacher conferences, I want to give a shout-out to our parent community whether you have a young child or a Seabury graduate. There is quite a bit of research that indicates greater stress and pressure in today's parents than was experienced by their own parents and grandparents. In the national parent community, there are higher expressed rates of anxiety about their children's safety and mental/physical health, especially in relation to the economy, the negative impact of social media, the uncertain impact of A.I. tech on the future job landscape, the background hum of international conflicts, and of course the ramped-up contentiousness of our present political environment. It did not help that the pandemic created a sense of helplessness for many parents. (There is evidence that children bounced back much more quickly from the pandemic than did their parents.)
As someone who has spent decades working with children and parents, I like to echo one of the guiding sentiments from Dr. Benjamin Spock when talking to parents: You are doing much better than you think! In my experience, children are pretty durable creatures. They do best when they have two essential elements: unconditional love and freedom to fall down and get back up. One of those two things is never enough without the other when we are developing healthy human beings.
It is not surprising to me that the same sentiment I expressed in last year's February-Winter-Blahs Friday Letter is on my mind now: it is okay and even good for children to be unhappy. And bored. And in conflict. Just like they will be at times when they are adults--indeed, BECAUSE they will need to experience those moments as adults. In The Princess Bride, Westley (aka, Dread Pirate Roberts) says, "Life IS pain....anyone who tells you differently is selling you something." That is a pretty sardonic statement, said ironically for effect. But it is hard to argue that life and human character are not defined by struggle. And how we learn to navigate our struggles is central to living a meaningful life. This is why, in my opinion, adults are careful not to protect children from unhappiness or pull them out of dilemmas but instead help them to learn the skills by which they can weather misfortune, prepare for future (and much worse) problems, and develop vital perspective on these events.
I never get tired of reminding people that the 20th century could often be a real horror show, and I am pretty grateful to be living in this century, but our troubles tend to be relative to the present moment. Still, I think our kids are going to be just fine. I hope that you, as parents, are finding ways to look after yourself and apply the proverbial mask to yourself FIRST, as that is a foundation to looking after your children. Hopefully you are also able to find time and opportunities to build relationships with other parents. Parenting can be lonely--especially with your first child--and it doesn't have to be.
Most importantly, you should remember that teachers are here to partner with you. We spend a lot of time with these children. I continue to believe that one of the best ways to ensure these developing creatures have a good and healthy future is to instill essential values and skills--critical thinking, compassion, responsibility, curiosity, independence of thought, and respect. Children and young adults who interiorize these lessons inevitably become more grounded and resilient adults.
Have a good weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 31st: MS BBall vs. University Academy @ BSA: Girls 4 & Boys A-team 5 pm
Casino Night 6-9 pm
* Sat 1st: Forensics @ Topeka
Powerlifting @ Royal Valley
* Mon 3rd: MS BBall vs. Heritage Christian School @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-team 6, Boys A-team 7 pm
* Tue 4th: TALCA Robotics @ Topeka
* Wed 5th: Hearing & Vision Screening (7th & 10th grades)
* Thurs 6th: MS BBall vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-team 6, Boys A-team 7 pm
Vars BBall @ Faith Christian Academy: Girls 6:30 & Boys 8 pm
* Fri 7th: Vars BBall @ Bishop Ward High School: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 8th: MS BBall @ Pembroke Hill School--Ward Parkway Campus: Girls 9, Boys B-team 10, Boys A-team 11 am
Art Club Gala, 4-6 pm
Forensics @ Eudora
Middle School Movie Night, TBD
Parent/Teacher conferences are on the horizon. You should have received an email from Betsy earlier today with a sign-up for the conferences. Please reach out to her directly should you have any questions.
Student Casino Night is tonight free of charge from 6-9pm! Students of all ages will sit at traditional gaming tables to enjoy blackjack, poker, and other games, and there will be card and board games for others--something for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to all of our parents who donated food, prizes, and their time to make this event possible.
Dr. Schawang planned to host the Middle School Movie Night on February 8th. The large projector in the Commons is presently under repair, though, so Dr. Schawang may need to reschedule. Stay tuned.
Three weeks from today is our annual auction! Get your tickets now by clicking the link and join us for One Team One Dream on Friday, February 21st, at the Jayhawk Club. Auction catalogs will be in your mailboxes in the next week, and we will reveal the live and silent auction items on the website soon! This is our most important fundraiser and everything raised goes to support our school. This year's attire calls for a sea of blue and green with a "sporty cocktail" flair so stay tuned for some fun examples. Many thanks to auction chairs, Devon Kim and Meggan Griggs, and the entire auction committee for all of their work. It's going to be a great night!
Message from the Dean of Students:
I was recently reflecting on a parent's comment that they were glad I called because they sometimes have trouble pulling anything from their child's day. When they ask their child how their day was or what they did, they receive a generic “good” or “nothing” in response. Unsurprisingly, when I ask my nearly 3 year old these same questions, I typically get “someone hit me” or “I made someone sad.” I think we can all relate to the idea that, by the end of the day, it is not always fun to relive it. Some things don't feel worth sharing, or the only things worth sharing are those moments when something went wrong. Knowing this, and knowing the intel I wish I received from my own child, I have come to feel a sense of pride and privilege that, as Dean of Students, I get to see what your kids are doing every day at Seabury; I can assure you it is not “nothing.”
This week I got to see your children gather en masse at the beginning of each day (phone free) and engage with one another in a surprisingly jubilant fashion for an 8 am morning meeting. I got to see middle schoolers scattered about the gym "peppering" volleyballs, shooting hoops, and running about. I saw a senior flawlessly guide a table group of middle schoolers through a fascinating conversation about family recipes. I saw theatre students enthralled by the story-telling of world-renowned and local legend, Priscilla Howe. I watched 7th graders quietly enter class, retrieve their book for pleasure reading, and engage with another world in sustained independent reading. I stepped into a warm space filled with 6th graders eagerly learning about Hinduism while simultaneously cuddling guinea pigs. I got pictures and heard reports of our Seniors at the state capitol participating in their civic duty, meeting state leaders, and learning about the state legislature. I observed advanced art students meticulously perfecting their mandalas and demonstrating their geometric prowess (proud teacher) within the arts. I got to see students, teachers, and parents come to support 6th and 7th grade students in Future City who presented their model of a floating city of the future.
These are just a few of the plethora of special moments that happen each day in our halls and classrooms. It is easy to brush them off as normal and not celebrate or appreciate them on a daily basis. It is even more challenging to envision, from the outside, the intricacies of a day in the life of a Seabury student. It is for that reason that I try to describe here what it is that “nothing” really looks like at Seabury. I appreciate that moments of connection, community, and curiosity feel like the norm for our kids. I am grateful that these halls see so much joy. If this is what "nothing" looks like, then I hope our students keep doing a whole lot of “nothing.”
I will leave you with the "Parting Prescription" from our former U.S. Surgeon General that feels apt and speaks to the heart of our school's mission: "...there is something else that has been missing for many people that is a critical driver of health and well-being: community. The three critical components of community are relationships, service, and purpose. They comprise the triad of fulfillment. Yet half of young people and a third of adults struggle with loneliness; formal and informal service have remained low; and an alarmingly high number of young adults say they have low or no meaning or purpose in their lives." I am glad we are all a part of a community that strives to build strong relationships, embodies service, and gives purpose to our lives.
Best,
Mr. Whipple
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 25th: Boys Varsity BBall Tournament @ Baldwin Jr. High School, 2:30 pm
Robotics @ Basehor
Forensics @ Tecumseh
Powerlifting @ Lansing
* Mon 27th: MS BBall vs. KC Christian @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-team 6, Boys A-team 7 pm
* Tue 28th: MS BBall @ Veritas Christian: Boys B-team 4:30, Girls 5:30, Boys A-team 6:30 pm
Vars BBall @ Maranatha Christian Academy: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Thurs 30th: Vars BBall vs. Heritage Christian Academy @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
Future City Presentation, 2:45 pm
* Fri 31st: MS BBall vs. University Academy @ BSA: Girls 4 & Boys A-team 5 pm
Casino Night 6-9 pm
* Sat 1st: Forensics @ Topeka
Dear Parents,
This semester is moving quickly, and it is nearly time to sign up for parent-teacher conferences which take place on Feb 12th & 13th. Betsy will send the usual conference sign-up link next Friday.
Congratulations to our Debate squad for taking 3rd place at KSHSAA State Championship competition last weekend!
Congratulations also to 7th grader Kingston McCall who became this year's Seabury Spelling Bee champion on Wednesday. I am always impressed by these young competitors who stand up in front of the entire student body and show off their skills! Kingston's next level of competition is the Douglas County Spelling Bee, which will be held in February.
This year, a group of Middle School students have participated in an international STEM program called Future City. With over 450,000 students from the United States, Canada, China, Egypt, and Nigeria, this cross-curricular educational program teaches young people to incorporate science, design, and innovation into their lives--and imagine how their education can have practical and significant impact on the shape of the world. Our Seabury participants have been working on a floating future city and will display this model next Thursday during X-Block (2:45-3:30 pm), and you are welcome to come. It will also be put on display at Science City in Kansas City's Union Station on February 1st. Congratulations to our young futurists--and to their leader, Ms. Steinbacher!
Good luck to our forensics squad and our powerlifting squad as they both begin their competitive season this weekend!
Seabury Casino Night is scheduled for January 31st. This is one of the most popular events of the year. Students of all ages will sit at traditional gaming tables to enjoy blackjack, poker, and other games, and there will be card and board games for others--something for everyone to enjoy. Parents are encouraged to volunteer time, snacks, drinks, and prizes for students to win. No experience is necessary to help at the tables! You will have a great time! Please sign up here.
This year for the first time, Seabury is entering a float into the St. Patrick's Day parade! Experienced float builders are spearheading the build and need more hands. If you have building interests/skills and would like to help out, we would love to have you. Please contact Lisa Leroux-Smith at lisalerouxsmith@seaburyacademy.org. I won't reveal the theme of the float, but let's just say there is no place like Seabury, there is no place like Seabury....
Have a great weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 17th: KSHSAA Debate State Championship Tournament
Vars BBall vs. KC Christian @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 18th: KSHSAA Debate State Championship Tournament
* Mon 20th: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day--No Classes
MLK Service Day, 9 am to noon
* Tue 21st: Boys Varsity BBall Tournament @ Baldwin Jr. High School, TBD
MS BBall vs. St. Paul's Episcopal Day School @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, Boys A-Team 7 pm
Robotics League Competition @ Topeka
* Wed 22nd: BSA Spelling Bee, 2:40-3:30 pm
* Thurs 23rd: MS BBall vs. Barstow @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, Boys A-Team 7 pm
* Sat 25th: Boys Varsity BBall Tournament @ Baldwin Jr. High School, TBD
Robotics @ Basehor
Forensics @ Tecumseh
Dear Parents,
You should have recently received the mailed invitation to our 2025 Annual Auction: One Team, One Dream. There are two things I always say about this event: the second is that it is an important way that the community helps support our school, and the first....that this is THE outrageously fun social event of the year! Encourage your friends to come out for this great night of dinner, drinks, dancing, and supporting the school. Tables and individual seats can be purchased here. I look forward to seeing you there!
Good luck to our debate squad as they head to KSHSAA State Championship competition this weekend!
Our annual school Spelling Bee is on Wednesday. The entire school will come together midday to watch our young spellers compete, and it is one of my favorite moments of the year. Seeing our older students cheer on the middle school competitors (the hushed silence during the rounds and the cheers between them) is a real hoot. Good luck to our spellers!
Although we will not have classes on Monday, a collection of students will honor MLK Jr. by helping the community on Monday morning--serving at LCS, Brandon Woods, and Seabury. Participants should show up to school for a 9 am carpool to their service locations. Thanks to Ms. Czarnecki for organizing this event. And, of course, even if students are not part of this project, I encourage them to find some way to improve themselves or--even better--to help someone else on this day. (There is still quite a lot of snow to be shoveled on neighbor driveways!)
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 10th: HS. BBall vs. Bishop Ward @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 11th: MS BBall @ Maranatha Christian Academy: Girls 1, Boys B-Team 2, Boys A-Team 3 pm
Upper School Movie Night, 7-11:30 pm
* Mon 13th: Middle School Play Auditions, 3:30-5:30 pm
* Tue 14th: Middle School Play Auditions, 3:30-5:30 pm
Upper School Play Auditions, 3:30-5:30 pm
Vars BBall vs. Northland Christian @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
MS BBall @ Brookside Charter: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, Boys A-Team 7 pm
* Wed 15th: Upper School Play Auditions, 3:30-5:30 pm
Junior College Planning Night, 7 pm
* Thurs 16th: MS BBall @ Heritage Christian Academy: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, Boys A-Team 7 pm
* Fri 17th: KSHSAA Debate State Championship Tournament
Vars BBall vs. KC Christian @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 18th: KSHSAA Debate State Championship Tournament
Dear Parents,
I was genuinely surprised to find myself driving around town this morning half asleep and in the dark trying to decide whether we should have classes today!. The frustrating thing about inclement weather decisions is that the decision has to be made for the school as a whole and not any particular individual's situation, but I always assume someone is going to have trouble getting to campus. Once again, thank you for your understanding with this very unusual week. (We did agree to retire the word "unprecedented" after the pandemic, right?) Let's hope that the next snow day is a bit more straightforward.
I have an annual tradition of hosting a movie night for students. This year, I am splitting Middle School and Upper School into two different events. The first up is Upper School Movie Night tomorrow. I will be showing a double feature: The Prestige and Brooklyn. Since these are older students, I schedule this event to go later (from 7-11:30 pm), but students certainly don't have to stay for both films. I will provide pizza and other snacks (I try to sneak some fruit and a few vegetables into the mix), but students are absolutely free to bring their own. If any parents are handy at baking, we will not turn away cookies or other desserts. (I will try to share with the students.) The event is free. I strongly encourage students to bring pillows, blankets, bean bags, lawn chairs, and so forth. (FYI, the Middle School movie night will happen on February 8th, so stay tuned.) Let me know if you have questions.
Over the break, our Debate squad attended the KSHSAA Class 3-1A regional 4-speaker competition. Team members Heba Aziz, Landon Farmer, Riku Hickman, Ben Patterson, Mrin Shanks, and Eni Wintoki took the 1st place trophy, and the squad qualified for state competition! Congratulations!
The International Lions Club hosts an annual Peace Poster competition, and Ms. Porter's Middle School students are involved. Representatives of the local Lions Club chapter visited before break to recognize Nico Stinson for taking 1st place at the local level and 3rd place at the regional level. Congratulations, Nico!
Upper School history teacher Ms. Czarnecki is the Lawrence, Kansas exchange manager for The American Exchange Project (AEP). AEP is a free, two-week summer exchange program that sends high school seniors to American towns completely different from their own—and gives them the chance to welcome students from across the nation into their community for the same experience. You may have seen AEP featured on Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, Fox and Friends, and in the recent book by Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation. Ms. Czarnecki has a total of 15 Lawrence seniors signed up to travel in the summer of 2025, but she needs to sign up more area host families so that all our Lawrence students may travel. She is also hosting an in-person informational meeting at the library on Saturday, January 11th at 1:00 pm. Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Czarnecki if you have questions.
Ms. Czarnecki and junior Ben Patterson have been selected to participate in the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute, a program that extends now until June. (Congratulations to them!) Part of their present assignment is to find someone in the Seabury community who has an ancestor who died in the Normandy invasion. If you have such a family member, please reach out to Sonja at sonjaczarnecki@seaburyacademy.org.
Lisa Leroux-Smith sent a reminder about important admissions dates for Seabury families. Please remember that all families seeking tuition assistance--including families who have previously received assistance--need to complete the relevant application by the priority deadline of January 15th. Also, January 31st is the deadline for families to provide the school with written notice should they not intend to re-enroll their children for the 2025-26 school year. A non-refundable contract deposit will be posted to accounts on February 1st.
Yours Respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD
DECEMBER:
* Fri 13th: Lessons & Carols @ Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St, 7:30 pm (choirs begin 5:45 pm)
End of 1st Semester Classes
Boys Vars BBall Tournament vs.Topeka High School @ DeSoto HS DHS main gym, 5 pm
* Sat 14th: MS BBall @ Barstow: Girls 9, Boys B-Team 10, Boys A-Team 11 am
Viking HS High Stakes Robotics Competition @ Seaman H.S.
Chess @ Cordley
* Mon 16th: Stop Day 8:30am-12:00pm--No Classes
* Tue 17th: Finals
8:15-9:45 am: English
10:15-11:45 am: Social Studies
* Wed 18th: Finals:
8:15-9:45 am: World Languages
10:15-11:45 am: Math
* Thurs 19th: 8:15-9:45 am: Science
Winter Formal @ the Eldridge Hotel, 8-10:30 pm
* Fri 20th: WINTER BREAK BEGINS!
4-Speaker Debate Regional Qualifier @ Silver Lake HS
* Sat 21st: 4-Speaker Debate Regional Qualifier @ Silver Lake HS
* Mon 23rd: Alumni Holiday Gathering @ The Wheel, 4-6 pm
JANUARY:
* Fri 3rd: HS BBall vs. NEK Homeschool Athletics @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Mon 6th: Faculty In-Service Day
* Tue 7th: CLASSES RESUME!
* Thurs 9th: MS BBall vs. University Academy @ BSA: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, Boys A-Team 7 pm
* Fri 10th: HS. BBall vs. Bishop Ward @ BSA: Boys JV 4:30, Girls Vars 6, Boys Vars 7:30 pm
* Sat 11th: MS BBall @ Maranatha Christian Academy: Girls 1, Boys B-Team 2, Boys A-Team 3 pm
Upper School Movie Night, 7-11:30 pm
Dear Parents,
I hope to see you at Lessons & Carols tonight. Hearing the children sing "Peace Peace" at the end of the performance is one of my favorite moments of the year.
As you know, final (or "midterm") exams for the semester will occur on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week. In those few instances where students do not have an in-class final exam, they do not need to come to campus. If they are only scheduled for one exam, they are welcome to study quietly in the Commons before or after the exam they are scheduled to take. (Your students should know if they have a final in a particular class, but I have attached a list of all finals with room numbers for your convenience.) We expect students will be picked up at the completion of the final exam periods, and no lunch will be served.
On Monday, we offer a "stop day" prior to exams. Teachers will be on campus and available from 8:30 am to noon (and by appointment in the afternoon) to assist students, but students do not need to come to campus. If noon pick-up is a challenge for parents, students may remain on campus through 3 pm, but they will be restricted to the Commons (unsupervised) to study quietly throughout the day and will need to provide their own lunch.
As always, I encourage students to maintain an effective study environment when preparing for finals--namely shutting off phones and avoiding online distractions. I encourage you to check in on them (especially younger students) to see HOW they study, which is just as important as the duration of their work. (Distracted studying is ineffective and always takes longer.) They also should get appropriate sleep the night before exams (as their brains do a lot of work while they are snoozing). Hopefully, this will be a good opportunity for students to wrap their arms around their course material and see the "big picture."
The Winter Formal is Thursday night at the Eldridge Hotel. The cost for this event is a $20 check payable to BSA or cash is delivered to Mr. Whipple or Betsy today. After that, the cost is $25 if received by Thursday's final exam. The cost at the door is $30. As I note every year, the students are more comfortable when parents are not "parked" in the lobby, but it is okay to get a quick look at the finery when you drop off and pick up the kids (and many parents enjoy refreshments in the hotel bar or other nearby establishments). If you have any questions about the Formal, please contact Mr. Whipple at williamwhipple@seaburyacademy.org.
Good luck to our Debate squad as they head to Regional competition next weekend!
Santa made a visit this morning, and he commented on the good nature of our students this year. This has been the most exuberant week before December finals that I can remember at this school. Morning meeting has been full of laughter and celebration every day, and the hallways are bursting with student-produced decorations. Even that mischievous Christmas elf Jingles has been reasonably behaved. In all, this has been a wonderful first semester thanks to the enthusiasm, creativity, and good nature of students and teachers. Thank you!
Since this is the last Friday Letter before the winter break, I am giving you Week Ahead dates through the first week of 2nd semester classes.
Enjoy the holidays!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 6th: Boys BBAll vs. St. Mary's Academy: MS B-Team 4, MS A-Team 5, JV 6, Vars 7:30 pm
Debate @ LHS
* Sat 7th: MS BBall @ Summit Christian Academy: Girls 9 am, Boys B-Team 10 am, Boys A-Team 11 am
Debate @ LHS
Blood Drive 10 am to 2 pm
* Mon 9th: MS BBall @ KC Christian H.S.: Girls 5, Boys B-Team 6, and Boys A-Team 7 pm
Boys Vars BBall Tournament vs. DeSoto HS @ DeSoto HS DHS main gym, 8 am
* Wed 11th: Boys Vars BBall Tournament @ DeSoto HS DHS main gym, TBA
* Fri 13th: Lessons & Carols @ Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St, 7:30 pm (choirs begin 5:45 pm)
End of 1st Semester Classes
Boys Vars BBall Tournament @ DeSoto HS DHS main gym, TBD
* Sat 14th: Boys Vars BBall Tournament @ DeSoto HS DHS main gym, TBD
MS BBall @ Barstow: Girls 9, Boys B-Team 10, Boys A-Team 11 am
Viking HS High Stakes Robotics Competition @ Seaman H.S.
Chess @ Cordley
* Mon 16th: Stop Day 8:30am-12:00pm--No Classes
* Tue 17th: Finals
8:15-9:45 am: English
10:15-11:45 am: Social Studies
* Wed 18th: Finals:
8:15-9:45 am: World Languages
10:15-11:45 am: Math
* Thurs 19th: 8:15-9:45 am: Science
Winter Formal @ the Eldridge Hotel, 8-11 pm
* Fri 20th: WINTER BREAK BEGINS!
4-Speaker Debate Regional Qualifier @ Tonganoxie
* Sat 21st: 4-Speaker Debate Regional Qualifier @ Tonganoxie
Dear Parents,
With the unusually warm spring and the oddly timed Thanksgiving this year, the onset of winter weather and the end of the semester can seem especially sudden!. I am including the full calendar (above) for the Weeks Ahead to help you navigate this one part of your lives!
For new parents, our core academic subjects include graded exams or projects that serve as the culmination of the semester coursework. Some teachers find that out-of-class papers or projects are more fitted to their courses, but many teachers need extended time for a sit-down exam. To accommodate those exams, we provide a schedule of final exam sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday following the end of the semester. The exam dates & times are published at the top of this letter according to subject. Your students should know whether they will have a scheduled exam, but I will also share with you next week the full exam schedule by course so you can verify whether your child needs to come to campus and at what time.
On the day prior to finals, we build in a "stop day" for students to get work done at home or receive guidance from teachers. Students are free to contact teachers remotely throughout the day for general guidance (and teachers will discuss availability with students in class). For students who would benefit from in-person assistance, teachers will be on campus from 8:30 am to noon on that day. If noon pick-up is a challenge for parents, students may remain on campus through 3 pm, but they will be restricted to the Commons (unsupervised) to study quietly throughout the day and will need to provide their own lunch.
Our annual Lessons & Carols will occur at Plymouth Congregational Church (925 Vermont Street) next Friday night, December 8th, at 7:30 pm. If you have not been to one of our Lessons & Carols productions, you really should. Parents often comment on how glad they were that they came out for this beautiful evening to hear our students sing us into the holidays. Please feel free to attend "the loveliest night of the year" regardless of whether your child will be participating.
Remember that BSA will host a Blood Drive on December 7th from 10 am to 2 pm. Here is the link to sign up for an appointment. Thank you for giving!
It is historically common in schools for parents or students to thank teachers during the holidays with a gift of some kind: cookies, tree ornaments, books, and such. Many years ago, BSAP had the great idea to streamline this process and create a Faculty/Staff Holiday Fund so parents can show their appreciation in a way that is both convenient and equitable. Such a gift is never an obligation, and you can always thank individual teachers in a different way, if you prefer. Regardless, I am grateful for your support and appreciation for our faculty and staff! No one enters teaching for the high monetary compensation but for the joy in positively impacting lives--so I appreciate your help in showing them that they matter.
Winter Formal is the premiere student event of the year. I have attached a related document that Mr. Whipple sent earlier in the week. For now, please note that students need permission to bring a guest and must complete the attached guest pass and submit it to the school office by noon on December 19th for approval.
Per Seabury tradition, I took the senior class on a trip Monday morning to hunt down, cut down, and bring back a school Christmas tree. They spent the morning decorating the tree in the Commons while enjoying homemade cookies, hot chocolate, and Christmas tunes. A few pictures have been attached for your enjoyment.
Yours Respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 22nd: Heritage Day (regular school hours)
* Sat 23rd: Chess @ Prairie Park elementary, 8 am registration
* Mon 25th to Fri 29th: Thanksgiving Break--NO CLASSES
* Mon 2nd: Senior Christmas Tree Hunt
* Tue 3rd: TCALC League Robotics competition
* Fri 6th: Boys BBAll vs. St. Mary's Academy: MS B-Team 4, MS A-Team 5, JV 6, Vars 7:30 pm
Debate @ LHS
* Sat 7th: MS BBall @ Summit Christian Academy: Girls 9 am, Boys B-Team 10 am, Boys A-Team 11 am
Debate @ LHS
Blood Drive 10 am to 2 pm
Dear Parents,
I hope you were able to attend last night's Convocation ceremony. The transcript from the event is attached to this email.
I want to thank all of our students and staff for their service efforts during Heritage Day today. We were able to serve and provide resources to the following: Balland Center, Brandon Woods, Community Children's Center, Dad Perry Trails, Family Promise, Friends of the Kaw, Haskell Greenhouse, Hidden Valley Camp, Lawrence Farmers Market, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, LINK, Midnight Farms, Neuvant House, Operation WildLife, Prairie Park Nature Center, Senior Resource Center of Douglas County, SHY38 INC KC Farm Sanctuary, Social Service League, Trinity Episcopal Food Pantry, Tuckel Family Farm, Vinland Cemetery, and Woodlawn Elementary. *Wheh!*
And a huge thanks to Elena Buckner for organizing the service efforts this week. That was a lot of work!
Good luck to our Robotics team as they launch into their season of competition!
Bishop Seabury's Festival of Trees donation, which benefits the O'Connell Children's Shelter, was designed and made by Senior Elyse Hammann (see attached photo). You can view the BSA tree and other entries at Maceli's Banquet Hall from November 29th to December 8th.
Mr. Whipple typically sends reminders about the Winter Formal after Thanksgiving Break, but for new parents, the Formal is a much-anticipated post-finals tradition. Students from 6th-12th grade attend in their finest apparel and celebrate the end of the semester. The event takes place at the Eldridge Hotel, and the date is set for the evening of December 19th. Look for more information after the break.
Seabury will be the site where you can donate blood on December 7th. Here is the link to sign up for an appointment.
I hope the students and faculty enjoy their break! They have earned it.
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 15th: The Rose & the Rime (Upper School Production), 7 pm
Debate @ Blue Valley Northwest
* Sat 16th: The Rose & the Rime (Upper School Production), 7 pm
Debate @ Blue Valley Northwest
* Sun 17th: Carnegie Hall meeting in Choir Room, 7 pm
* Mon 18th: Senior Class Chili Feed in BSA Commons, 5-6 pm
Late Night with the Seahawks, 6-8 pm
* Tue 19th: TCALC League Robotics competition in Topeka
* Thurs 21st: BSA Convocation Ceremony, 7-8 pm (students arrive 6:30 pm; singers 6:15 pm)
* Fri 22nd: Heritage Day (regular school hours)
* Sat 23rd: Chess
* Mon 25th to Fri 29th: Thanksgiving Break--NO CLASSES
Dear Parents,
"Break a leg" to our Upper School actors and director Elizabeth Sullivan tonight as they launch their production of The Rose & the Rime! I hope you can come out to enjoy the talents of our oldest performers.
We have a busy week ahead! Please remember that our annual Convocation ceremony occurs next Thursday evening at 7 pm. Known by many independent schools as "Founder's Day," Convocation is a celebration of our school and its mission, and our guest speaker this year is 2016 BSA graduate Tanisha Kaur. All students are required to attend, and remember that this event requires more formal attire: dress pants/slacks, jacket and tie, dresses, dress shoes, and so forth. Parents are very welcome to attend this short ceremony (roughly 50 minutes), and "business casual" is fine for spectators. The event will occur in the Commons. Please attend if you can!
Also part of our Seabury pre-break tradition is Heritage Day on Friday. Heritage Day was originally founded by Upper School students in 2003 when we first moved to the Clinton Parkway campus and was a student-led celebration of the School's mission in conjunction with Convocation. The day begins with advising groups going out into Lawrence for a host of community service projects in the morning, followed by lunch and afternoon activities on campus. This day is not optional for students, and they can be picked up at their usual time: 3:30 pm
Today, we kicked off our Seabury Fall Items Drive, and community members have many opportunities to drop off donations. Items donations are gratefully accepted as admission cost for Late Night with the Seahawks (see below), but you can also send items with your children any day next week. We will transport donated items to various service organizations at the beginning of Heritage Day on Friday.
I hope you will be available to attend Late Night with the Seahawks on Monday. In lieu of an admission cost, we simply ask that you bring a few items to help with our Seabury item drive (see attached list). Be prepared to see student antics, a spirited cheer squad, ridiculously swanky prizes, and our first view of the basketball teams. Our varsity boys team will face off against a surprisingly agile alumni team! There is also a pre-event Chili Feed prior to the game, so feel free to come at 5 pm in the Commons for dinner ($10 per person to support the senior class trip--see attached flyer). To help grade sponsors get an idea of how many people will attend, you can purchase a ticket in advance here, but you can also pay at the door.
Don't forget that you can purchase holiday gift cards at face value and BSAP will earn a rebate of up to 13%! You can give the cards as gifts or use them for your own shopping. Sign-up and card options can be viewed here.
Have a great weekend,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 8th: The Trials of Robin Hood (Middle School Production), 7 pm
* Sat 9th: Debate @ Shawnee Mission East
* Sun 10th: Theatre Tech Day, 2-5 pm
* Mon 11th: Raku (Visual Arts) Field Trip
* Fri 15th: The Rose & the Rime (Upper School Production), 7 pm
Debate @ Blue Valley Northwest
* Sat 16th: The Rose & the Rime (Upper School Production), 7 pm
Debate @ Blue Valley Northwest
Dear Parents,
I hope you can come out tonight to enjoy the fun Middle School production of The Trials of Robin Hood at 7 pm. Next weekend, our new Theatre Director Elizabeth Sullivan and her Upper School performers will present the Rose and the Rime. This unique play is about a town called Radio Falls that is trapped in perpetual winter by an evil power. The young protagonist sets out to confront this evil, but will she unearth a deeper and darker secret that may undo her? Part fairy tale and part dark myth, the play will surprise you. Mark your calendars!
Our theatre production season will be followed by Late Night with the Seahawks--our traditional celebration to launch the Seabury basketball season. The event happens Monday 18th at 6 pm and includes skits, commentary, and a scrimmage that this year includes an all-star roster of Seabury alumni--all aimed at creating enthusiasm and support in our student and parent community. As always, "Late" does not mean too late, as the event will end around 8 pm. Admission is free with a donation of items to our November item drive. For your dining convenience, there will also be a Chili Feed from 5-6 pm in the Commons prior to Late Night to help raise funds ($10/person) to offset the cost of this year's Senior Trip in April (flyer attached). Please come out and support our basketball players and our seniors!
As we approach the holidays, please consider purchasing gift cards from BSAP. Aside from the Seabury Fund, we try to streamline any fundraising with opportunities that "give back"--such as the grocery card program--and the holiday gift cards follow the same premise. You buy cards at their face value and our parents organization earns a rebate of up to 13%! You can give the cards as gifts or use them for your own shopping. Sign-up and card options can be viewed here.
Our school receives regular supplies of COVID tests from the Kansas State Department of Health and Environment so our students and teachers can test as necessary to maintain a healthy community. COVID tests can be expensive, so we want to make these available to parents as well. Feel free to request a box of tests from Betsy when you are next in the main office.
December's Winter Formal is the premiere post-final exams event where students look swanky and dance all night in the Eldridge Hotel ballroom. Of course, formal wear can be pricey--and student bodies grow fast! So the Theatre Department is hosting a formal clothing exchange as a convenient way for students to obtain a Winter Formal outfit at thrift store prices. Please consider donating any gently-used formal dresses, suits, jackets, or ties to the clothes rack in the student entrance airlock by November 15th. (Please make sure all clothes are clean and on a hanger.) We will hold a sale outside the school's locker rooms during X-Block and after school on November 19th and 20th.
You may notice lawn signs in the parking lot with reminders about our Seahawk Referral Incentive Program. Current families will receive a $500 discount directed towards the subsequent year's tuition once the referred family enrolls and attends Bishop Seabury Academy. Referral information will be indicated by the new family on their application. For more information or questions, please contact lisalerouxsmith@seaburyacademy.org
Once we climb the intense mountain of October, the rest of the semester goes FAST! We have four weeks of classes remaining and then finals. And, of course, we have a host of fun events ornamenting the remaining weeks of 2024. I will encourage all of us adults--as I did the students--to enjoy every day of this festive season!
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sun 3rd: Daylight Savings Time Ends
* Tue 5th: Election Day
* Thurs 7th: Seahawk Day
* Fri 8th: The Trials of Robin Hood (Middle School Production), 7 pm
* Sun 10th: Theatre Tech Day, 2-5 pm
Dear Parents,
I am so thrilled that we hit our Seabury Fund goal before November 1st! The energetic flow of gifts to the Fund is incredibly meaningful to me and is an important indication of a healthy culture in our school. On behalf of the students, I want to thank all of our families, faculty, trustees, alumni, and friends who stepped up to help us in this effort. Thanks also to our Seabury Fund Chairs Heath & Carrie Peterson, all of our class captains, and Development Director Ellen Chindamo for their collective work in organizing this effort. I am personally grateful to be at a school where people invest in education. To those who were not able to send their pledge or gift yet, please know that we will continue to accept donations to the Fund throughout the year. We often get many gifts before the New Year. Thank you again for your commitment and generosity!
On this theme and with this year's auction committee in full gear, I hope you have seen the new Seabury digital sign finally up and running in front of our school. Thanks again to everyone who gave to last year's Fund-a-Need and made the sign possible. And a loud shoutout to Scott Zaremba and Paul Werner for their invaluable help! We could not have done it without them.
Our first theatre production of the year will be the Middle School production of The Trials of Robin Hood next Friday. Penned by Lawrence playwright Will Averill, this frolicsome play asks the question, "Was Robin Hood a lusty hero, hopeless lover, or evil criminal?" as King Richard--fresh from the Crusades--must determine what happened to his kingdom in his absence. Please come out to enjoy the comic tale as performed by our youngest actors and directed by Mr. LaRocca. And mark your calendars for the Upper School production of The Rose & The Rime on November 15th & 16th.
Congratulations to all of our fall athletes as they conclude their season. We appreciate their hard work, dedication, and good sportsmanship!
Don't forget that the Tuition Assistance application process for 2025-26 opened today, and priority is given to current families.
Our national and local election is on Tuesday next week (in case you were not aware). I realize that for many citizens, the presidential election in particular can be more challenging than uplifting, and many adults at this point may just want to "get it over with." I would understand if you would rather not read anything more about the election season (especially in the comfortably safe zone of the Friday Letter). However, I do have one important message to relay before Tuesday arrives--namely that the noise of contentiousness and solicitous rhetoric of political campaigns can often distract us from the miraculous nature of the American project and the great privilege of living in a country that (generally) supports individual freedom and a democratic process. It is bigger than this moment, even if every moment has stakes and impacts the lives of real people. I cannot help but be romantic about the idea/ideal that this evolving collection of individuals can collectively debate, persuade, and participate directly in the determination of their future. It is easy to take that system for granted (and forget how rare it is in human history.) Of course, the quality and consequences of our decision-making depends on our populace receiving a strong education.
I want to give a shout-out to Ms. Czarnecki and her U.S. Politics class for engaging the school about various candidates (presidential, state, and local) as well as the election process itself. An important part of our school's mission is to develop "engaged citizens of the world," and if you are the parent of an Upper School student, you surely know that we take this goal seriously. Our 6th-12th grade curriculum includes ongoing components related to global awareness, leadership, civics, and ethical decision-making, and older students make connections at the state capitol and meet with political representatives ranging from city commissioners to the former U.S. secretary of health and human services. By the time our students graduate, they have developed into critically minded, thoughtful, and articulate young citizens.
My message to students will always be that no matter whom we elect to political offices, each one of us is responsible for educating ourselves, making ethically defensible choices, and putting our lives in service to improving the world. If we follow those steps, we are never helpless and are doing our best to live up to the American ideal.
Have a good weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 26th: Girls MS B-Team VBall Tournament @ Pembroke, 9 am
Fall Carnival, 7-9 pm
Senior Haunted house, 8-10 pm
* Tue 29th: KSHSAA HS Boys Soccer Quarterfinals @ Ottawa, 6 pm
* Thurs 31st: Halloween!
* Sun 3rd: Daylight Savings Time Ends
Dear Parents,
The Seabury Fund total has reached $141,020, and I am proud to emphasize that we have 100% participation not only from our trustees but also from our faculty and staff. They are incredibly dedicated in every way to your students and our school. Our total is tremendous progress towards hitting our goal of $155,000! I encourage everyone who reads this letter to please send in your gift or pledge if you haven't done so already. As always, here is the online link to make that process easier. Thank you everyone!
Congratulations to the Middle School A-Team girls volleyball squad for taking the championship title at the XRC conference this week! Great job! And good luck to the boys varsity soccer team at regionals this week!
The Tuition Assistance application process for 2024-25 opens on November 1st, and priority is given to current families.
Tomorrow night is the Fall Carnival. The event is open to all Seabury students & families, and students are welcome to bring a guest but will be responsible for those individuals. Please remember that the Senior Haunted House ends later than the Carnival (and student senators will be expected to help clean up directly after the carnival), so please coordinate with your child about pick-up time.
Halloween is a big deal at our school, especially our annual Jack-O-Lantern carving contest. Advising groups will be working with intensity next week and will present their pumpkin entries during morning meeting on Thursday. Standouts will receive prizes...and eternal glory. I am always amazed at what our staff and students can pull off in so little time!
On Halloween day, students are also welcome to wear costumes to school. I always ask students to be tasteful in their costumes--nothing offensive, too skimpy, or involving real weapons. (If there is any question about the appropriateness of a costume, students should ask an administrator in advance of the day) As always, thanks to parents for accommodating the spirit of this macabre holiday, and I especially appreciate the staff for tolerating a certain degree of chaos during this very busy time of the year.
Finally, I know you have the academic calendar accessible on the website, but I want to remind parents about two important events on the horizon. Convocation is an all-student event (less than an hour in length) on Thursday 21st at 7 pm. I will provide more details about this event for new parents in a later Letter. For now, please know that this is a required event for all students, parents are encouraged to attend, and students are required to dress more formally--dress pants/slacks, jacket and tie, dresses, dress shoes (no sneakers), and so forth--basically "business appropriate" for an office. An event called Heritage Day occurs on Friday 22nd during normal school hours and students will engage in service work and other activities. Students will be released for Thanksgiving Break at 3:30 pm on that day. Thanksgiving Break will occur from Monday 25th to Friday 29th. It will be here before you know it!
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 18th: Debate @ Free State HS
Fall Night Crawl @ Lawrence River Trails, 6:30 pm
* Sat 19th: Vars XC Conference Meet @ WYCO Park, State Ave & 126th St (Bonner Springs), 10 am
MS XC Conference @ Summit Christian Academy, 9:30 am
Debate @ Free State HS
Chess vs. New York & Raintree
The American Exchange Project Information Meeting @ the Lawrence Public Library, 1 pm
* Mon 21st: Boys Vars Soccer vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Truman Library High School Trivia Contest @ the Truman Library & Museum, 6-7:30 pm
* Tue 22nd: Girls MS A-Team VBall Tournament @ BSA, 4 pm
KSHSAA HS VBall Regionals @ Burlingame, 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm
Boys Vars Soccer @ Bishop Ward H.S., 4:30 pm
* Wed 23rd: PSAT 10/11
SAT School Day
High School Information Night, 6:30 pm
* Thurs 24th: Girls MS A-Team VBall Tournament @ Marnatha, TBA
Boys Vars Soccer vs. Paola @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Sat 26th: Girls MS B-Team VBall Tournament @ Pembroke, 9 am
Fall Carnival, 7-9 pm
Senior Haunted house, 8-10 pm
Dear Parents,
I have been in Chicago over the last few days, working for our accrediting organization ISACS. Although I enjoy that work, I always regret time away from our students. We hosted 27 visitors for our first Be-A-Seahawk Visit Day over the last two days, and I appreciate all of the efforts of our student hosts who helped our future Seahawks have a fun experience.
We have great momentum with our Seabury Fund, as we presently have $123,242 in gifts and pledges. Our goal of $155,000 is in sight and every gift does really make a difference. On a personal note, every time the Seabury "thermometer" goes up in front of the school before we have time to accumulate both gifts and pledges, I always take a breath and hope that this is not the time we fall short. I continue to be grateful every year to the members of the community and our many friends who believe in the value of education and of our school. So thank you to everyone who has already made a gift or pledge, and if you have not yet sent in the card you received in the mail, we can make it easy for you with this online link or you can reach out to Bonnie at bonniebribiesca@seaburyacademy.org, and she can bill it to your FACTS account. Thank you!
Lace up your running shoes and grab your headlamp! Mr. Nelson’s annual Fall Night Crawl (formerly "9 Miles @ Night") happens tonight at 6:30 pm. Join fellow students and parents as they make the 5K run, jog, or walk (as you wish). The path will be marked, and Wilderness Biology students will be on hand to help guide you. Plan for about an hour. There will be a fire and s'mores after the walk/run. Wear sturdy shoes and plan to bring a headlamp/flashlight, water, warmish clothes, and an optional camp chair.. Here is a location map link. Questions? Contact Eric Nelson at ericnelson@seaburyacademy.org.
Since most of our new students enter 6th or 7th grade, new families are primarily introduced to the Middle School Seabury program in the admissions process; subsequently, we find that parents appreciate an opportunity to learn more about the Upper School experience that follows. To that end, we will host our annual BSA High School Information Night on October 23rd, 6:30 pm. All parents of Middle School students are welcome to attend. Upper School teachers will overview the academic program, Mr. Patterson will explain what 1:1 college counseling looks like, and a panel of older students will provide insight into what MS students can expect in the coming years. Please RSVP to Lisa lisalerouxsmith@seaburyacademy.org if you are able to attend.
Good luck to our students who will be competing at the 15th annual Truman Library trivia contest this weekend!
Our Fall Carnival & Haunted House will occur next Saturday (26th). The Carnival involves a collection of games, and there is the option of entering the Senior Haunted House (which is intended to be scary, so young children should enter at parental discretion). The Carnival is from 7-9 pm and entry is $10 per patron. The Haunted House goes later, 8-10 pm, and admission to its terrors is $7 pre-sale and $10 at the door. (More information about pre-sale tickets will be sent out later.) Proceeds from the event help to fund the junior and senior trips in April. We do allow costumes on Halloween and we have some mad-skills jack-o-lantern action, but I will save that discussion for next week's letter.
Have a great weekend!
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 11th: Fall Break Begins--NO CLASSES
* Tue 15th: Classes Resume
Boys Vars Soccer @ Northland Christian School, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall @ Summit Christian Academy: 6th grade 4:30, B-Team 4:30, A-Team 5:30 pm
Boys MS Soccer Tournament @ Summit, 4 pm
* Wed 16th: Boys MS Soccer Semifinals @ MCA, 5:30 pm
* Thurs 17th: Seahawk Visit Day
Boys Vars Soccer vs. Heritage Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Boys MS Soccer Tournament, TBA
* Fri 18th: Seahawk Visit Day
Debate @ Free State HS
Boys MS Soccer Championship @ Pembroke, 6:30 pm
* Sat 19th: Vars XC Conference Meet @ WYCO Park, State Ave & 126th St (Bonner Springs), 10 am
MS XC Conference @ Summit Christian Academy, 9:30 am
Debate @ Free State HS
Chess vs. New York & Raintree
Dear Parents,
I am writing this letter as I wait for the next parent to hop on my Google Meets session. I hope your conferences have gone well (and without technical problems). I have always enjoyed conferences with parents, even if 10 minutes is not a lot of time to swap stories, advice, and such. Please remember that you can always follow up with teachers in the future. Thanks to Devon Kim's BSAP crew and trustee Scott Zaremba for providing snacks for our teachers and to Ellen Chindamo, Bonnie Bribiesca, Lisa Leroux-Smith, and Betsy for organizing meals. And a huge thank you to our teachers. These two packed days punctuate the end of a busy first quarter--and that is why we schedule fall break to happen right after!
I am grateful for the early support of $93,228 in gifts and pledges to the Seabury Fund--60% of our goal! We have great momentum halfway through October as we aim for our goal of $155,000. If you haven't done so already, please excavate the pledge form from the sediment of mail on your counter and send it in. Here is the online link for giving. Thank you for your support!
Next Thursday and Friday will be our first Seahawk Days. If you know any students who would thrive at Seabury but may not have considered our school as an option, please contact Ms. Lisa Leroux-Smith and let her know! Feel free to share this link directly with prospective families: Seahawk Day registration. We will also have a visit day on November 7th.
Enjoy the fall weekend!
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 4th: Fall Tapestry Choral & Instrumental Concert @ BSA, 7:30 pm
* Sat 5th: Debate @ Olathe NW
* Sun 6th: Family Bingo (Senior Class Fundraiser) @ BSA, door open 2 pm, fun starts 2:30 pm
* Mon 7th: Girls VBall vs. Northland Christian @ BSA, JV 5 & Vars 6 pm
* Tue 8th: Boys Vars Soccer @ KC Christian School, 4 pm
Boys MS Soccer vs. Brookside Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall vs. Pembroke Hill @ BSA: B-Team 4:30, A-Team 5:30, C-Team 6:30 pm
Girls Vars VBall @ Bishop Ward HS, JV 4:30 & Vars 5:30 pm
* Wed 9th: Picture Retakes
Parent-Teacher Conferences (online): 6-9 pm
* Thurs 10th: NO CLASSES
Faculty/Staff In-Service, 9-noon
Parent-Teacher Conferences (online): 1-4:30, 6:30-9 pm
MS XC vs. Eudora MS @ Eudora District Stadium, 4 pm
Boys MS Soccer @ Barstow School, 4:30 pm
Boys Vars Soccer vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall @ Heritage Christian Academy: C-Team 4:30, B-Team 5:30, A-Team 6:30 pm
Vars Girls BBall @ Heritage Christian Academy, JV 4:30 & Vars 5:30 pm
* Fri 11th: Fall Break Begins
* Tue 15th: Classes Resume
Dear Parents,
We had a great morning with about 75 grandparents and family friends. We had debated whether it was worth the more elaborate planning to have our guests visit during the school day, and there is no question that this was the right move. It was touching to have our extended family back on campus and visiting classes. I hope they enjoyed the experience as much as we did.
In my talk with our guests, I joked with them that the timing of Grandparents Day at the start of Seabury Fund month has always been a coincidence, and that is true. However, I reminded them that we reach out to everyone in the Seabury community for this annual fundraising effort: parents, alumni, extended family, trustees, faculty, and all friends and supporters. Every independent school works with an annual financial gap that is the difference between tuition income and costs for running the school. This year's gap is $2275. The Seabury Fund is our primary tool for closing that gap. We already have 100% participation from our faculty & staff, and I am truly thankful for their generosity on behalf of your children. This week, you will receive Fund brochures in the mail, and your Class Captains will reach out about the importance of the fund to our annual budget. As I told our guests today, we all have a philanthropic life and support the institutions that are meaningful to us. I hope you will support our school! Here is the online link for giving. Thank you!
On Monday, the school will conduct a lockdown drill. With fire and tornado drills, I generally do not give advanced warning to the students, but I treat the lockdown drill differently and give advanced warning (for obvious reasons). Lockdown drills understandably can create two different feelings in parents: appreciation that students are prepared for the unlikely incident of on-campus violence and apprehension about how students are impacted by even the preparation for such an unlikely event. With students of such an age range, I try to be very intentional about setting a reassuring tone while providing clear directions. I find that students are pretty clear-headed and resilient in the face of these issues, and they tend to bounce right back into class work once we finish the short drill. In addition to familiarizing students with lockdown procedure, the drill also helps the staff identify any problem areas where we can tighten up the process.
I hope you can come out and enjoy tonight's first music performance, the Fall Tapestry Concert. Ms. Lawrence's singers and Mr. Hamm's instrumentalists will both be featured. We had a great preview in morning meeting today and are looking forward to the performance. Good luck to our musicians!
Don't forget that parent-teacher conferences are Wednesday and Thursday of next week. If you have not done so yet, please use this link to sign up for conferences. Remember that the deadline for signing up for conferences is noon on Monday 7th. Betsy will close sign-ups then to allow the faculty time to prepare for the conferences. (FYI, Mr. Rios' sign-up is full, so you will need to reach out to him after Fall Break to discuss your student if you wish to do so.)
Prior to the conferences, Betsy will send out a list of names that serve as hyperlinks to Google Meet rooms, so you will simply need to find each teacher and click on those names when it is time for you to join your conference. In 2020-2021, we found that online conferences were much more convenient for parents and teachers than meeting in person, so we have continued to run conferences virtually. Since Zoom does not allow teachers to stay on that platform for more than 40 minutes, we use Google Meets for these conferences. For those of you who do not have a Google email account, you will need to create one prior to the session OR plan to join your first conference a few minutes early, as you will be directed to create a Gmail account on the spot when you click the name of your first teacher. This is a very easy process, but I have attached directions for those who tend to be anxious about tech issues!
A quick reminder: conferences are 10 minutes. Teachers will admit parents to the online session once they finish with their prior meeting, and they are under strict directions from me not to go over those 10 minutes, so please be on time for your conferences. We have had very few technical problems with these conferences, but please be patient if you run into an issue, and know that you can always follow up with teachers. Thank you!
We look forward to hosting Bingo on Sunday. Remember that all proceeds will underwrite the senior class trip to Florida in April. To help us plan for the event, please rsvp here. Door will open at 2 pm and gaming begins at 2:30 pm (You can find more details in Ms. Chindamo's 10/2 email.) Come support our senior class and have a great time!
If you selected a retake on the electronic school photo order form you received previously OR if your student was not present during the original photo shoot, please note that school photo retakes are on Wednesday. Reach out to Betsy if you have further questions.
Every fall, we host a high school information night where 8th grade parents can learn about the academic program, the college counseling process, the traditions and opportunities that await their children in the upper school grades. Class Captains have fielded requests from 6th & 7th grade parents to attend this event, so we are opening it up to all Middle School parents. The information night will occur on October 23rd, so please mark your calendars (and see the attached flyer).
Wooh! This was a long letter--on a very busy day! I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, and please remember that students will have no classes starting on Thursday (due to in-service, conferences, and Fall Break), and we will resume classes on Tuesday 15th.
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 28th: Girls Vars VBall @ Olpe HS, 9:30 am
* Sun 29th: 7th Grade Parent Get Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 4-5:30 pm
9th Grade Parent Get Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 5:30-7 pm
* Mon 30th: Boys MS Soccer vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Tue 1st: Boys MS Soccer @ Northland Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
Boys Vars Soccer @ Bonner Springs Senior HS Braves Stadium, 4:30 pm
Girls VBall @ KC Christian HS: JV 4:30, Vars 6 pm
Girls MS VBall @ Brookside Charter School: B-Team 5, A-Team 6 pm
* Wed 2nd: MSXC @ Centennial Park, Lawrence KS, 3:30 pm
* Thurs 3rd: Vars XC @ Zarda Farm, 4:30 pm
Girls VBall vs. Bishop Ward @ BSA: JV 4:30, Vars 6 pm
Boys MS Soccer vs. Barstow @ BSA, 5 pm
* Fri 4th: Grandparent & Family Friends Day, 8-11 am (NO LATE START!)
Senior Tailgate Lunch
Fall Tapestry Choral & Instrumental Concert @ BSA, 7:30 pm
* Sat 5th: Debate @ Olathe NW
* Sun 6th: Family Bingo (Senior Class Fundraiser) @ BSA, door open 2 pm, fun starts 2:30 pm
Dear Parents
This is an especially busy week for our teachers as they send progress reports for every student in every one of their courses. You should receive the remaining reports by the end of the day today, but if you are missing any, you might give teachers the weekend to send straggler reports before reaching out to them on Monday. And a huge thanks to our student senate for providing breakfast for the faculty this morning. It was awesome!
For most of your children, their first introduction to our school was a Seahawk Visit Day. These are important recruitment days in the fall, coinciding with parent-teacher conferences at local schools, and this year's dates are October 17th & 18th and November 7th. Prospective students (of all grades) will shadow a current Seabury student and attend classes, have lunch, and participate in the many traditions that make Seabury unique. If you know any students who would thrive at Seabury but may not have considered our school as an option, please contact Lisa Leroux-Smith and let her know! Feel free to share this link directly with prospective families: Seahawk Visit Days. Other days can be arranged as well for individual visits. Remember that current families can receive $500 toward tuition if they refer a family who enrolls and attends Seabury! For more information: Seahawk Referral Incentive Program.
Congratulations to seniors Landon Farmer and Josie Kim on being commended by the National Merit Scholarship Program for scoring among the top 50,000 seniors on the PSAT. Congratulations seniors!
We are a week away from Grandparents and Family Friends Day. If you have not sent an RSVP for your guest, please do so soon with an email to ellenchindamo@seaburyacademy.org. PARENTS, PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE LATE START NEXT FRIDAY. STUDENTS SHOULD ARRIVE BY 8 AM!
Parent-Teacher conferences are on the horizon. Please refer to Betsy's email (9/25), and remember that you will have until Monday 7th @ noon to sign up. (After that, sign-up will be closed so that teachers have time to prepare for those conferences.) For new parents, we discovered during the pandemic that conferences tend to be much more convenient and effective when we conduct them online. Subsequently, after you sign up for conferences, you will receive a list of Google Meet links. Betsy will send more instructions later.
After a month of preparing, our intrepid Debate squad has entered its competition season. Best wishes to them!
The 2024 Kansas Book Festival this Saturday 28th at Washburn University will feature many Seabury community members, including teachers Melissa Johnson and Sonja Czarnecki and alumni parent Eric McHenry moderating panels--and Seabury parent and author Amy Stuber reading from her work. I am sure it will be a thought-provoking day if you can attend.
Congratulations also to James Madison fellow and Seabury teacher Sonja Czarnecki for the publication of her article "Entrepreneur, Editor, Provocateur: Nick Chiles and the Topeka Plaindealer" in the scholarly journal Kansas History, a Journal of the Central Plains!
It is time to get your Bingo on! Mark your calendars for Sunday 6th to bring your family to Seabury...for vicious Bingo competition. There will be boards, markers, and sudden shouts of "Bingo!" All proceeds will underwrite the senior class trip to Florida in April. To help us plan for the event, please rsvp here. Door will open at 2 pm and gaming begins at 2:30 pm Come support our senior class and have a great time!
Finally, we hope you can attend next Friday's Fall Tapestry Concert on our campus--an opportunity to enjoy the talents of our instrumentalists and singers.
Yours Respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 14th: Vars XC @ Wamego Country Club, 8:30 am
The Rave (All School Dance), 8-10 pm
Theatre Call Work Day, 1-3 pm
* Sun 15th 8th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 5-7 pm
* Mon 16th: Boys MS Soccer @ Summit Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
Girls Vars VBall @ Burlingame High School, 6 & 7 pm
* Tue 17th Boys Vars Soccer @ Maranatha Academy, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall vs. St. Paul's Episcopal Day School @ BSA: C-Team 4:30, B-Team 5:30, A-Team 6:30 pm
Girls VBall @ Northland Christian Academy, JV 5 & Vars 6 pm
Upper School Play Auditions, 3:30-5 pm
* Weds 18th: Girls MS VBall @ University Academy: C-Team 4:30, B-Team 5:30, A-Team 6:30 pm
Upper School Play Auditions, 3:30-5 pm
* Thurs 19th: Vars XC @ Wellsville HS, 4 pm
Girls VBall vs. KC Christian @ BSA, JV 5 & Vars 6 pm
Open House, 6-8 pm
* Fri 20th: BSA Homecoming, 4-8 pm
Boys Vars Soccer vs. Northland Christian @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Sat 21st: Vars XC @ Tonganoxie-Leavenworth Co. Fairgrounds, 8 am
Girls Vars VBall @ Hiawatha HS, 10 am
10th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Delicias del Sur, 4-6 pm
* Sun 22nd: Spirit Squad Clinic, 2-5 pm
6th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Delicias del Sur, 3:30-5 pm
Chamber Choir meeting in Music Room, 7 pm
Dear Parents,
The first school dance of the year is tomorrow night. I hope students enjoy it!
Our BSA Open House is on Thursday night. Please invite any parents whose children would thrive at our school--or anyone interested in the school. Open House is also open to our existing parents. Curriculum Night was your opportunity to learn about your child's present teachers and coursework, but the open house can also be an opportunity to learn about what lies ahead for your children. So don't hesitate to drop in!
Don't forget that we will have a Homecoming celebration next week in conjunction with the Varsity Soccer game against Northland Christian. All parents, students, alumni, and staff are invited to attend. At 4 pm, we will launch the Candy Land Golf Cart Parade. Every grade has been given a golf cart to decorate according to a specific theme, and the parade will occur in the parking lot and frontage road in front of the school. Everyone who attends the soccer game will receive a ticket to vote on the float that they find most impressive. The winning grade will receive something fantastic for their class trip in the spring. At 6:30 pm, following the game, we will host a carnival on the back patio with walking tacos and ice cream. The event will finish by 8 pm. I hope you can come out to support our athletes and have some fun!
To accommodate Homecoming festivities, please plan to pick up your child before 3:45 pm on Friday 20th unless students are going to stay for the events. (In general, whenever there are after school games, plays, or other student events on campus, students must be present in those spaces if they are on campus.) And if you want to attend the parade, you will need to be parked before 3:45 pm. The parking lot will be closed off from 3:45 to 4:15 pm.
Congratulations to our Middle School actors on being cast in the fall theatre production. Auditions for the Upper School production will occur this week on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
By Student Senate decree, next week is the much-anticipated fall Spirit Week. Expect your child to walk out the door in slightly "unusual" apparel. Well...maybe not that different than usual based on what I see each morning on the front steps. Here are the themes:
Monday: Fashion Flop
Tuesday: Bikers vs. Surfers
Wednesday: Wayback Wednesday
Thursday: Pajama Day
Friday: Seahawk Spirit
Have a great fall weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 7th: Girls Vars VBall @ McLouth HS, 8 am
Chess Team Kickoff Meeting, 12-2 pm
12th Grade Parent Get-Together @ the Rangarajan's home (27581 W. Highland Circle, Olathe), 4-7 pm
* Sun 8th: Japan International Trip Informational Meeting, 4 pm
11th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 6:30-8:30 pm
* Mon 9th: Boys MS Soccer vs. St. Paul's Episcopal Day School @ BSA, 4:30 pm
* Tue 10th: Boys Vars Soccer vs. Baldwin @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall vs. Barstow @ BSA: C-Team 5, B-Team 6, A-Team 7 pm
MS Play Auditions, 3:30-5 pm
* Wed 11th: MS XC vs. Pembroke Hill @ Loose Park, 4:30 pm
MS Play Auditions, 3:30-5 pm
* Thurs 12th: Boys MS Soccer vs. Pembroke Hill @ Kroh Field, 4:30 pm
Boys Vars Soccer vs. KC Christian @ BSA, 4:30 pm
Girls MS VBall @ Northland Christian School: B-Team 4:30, A-Team 5:40 pm
Girls VBall vs. Heritage Christian Academy @ BSA: JV 4:30, Vars 6 pm
BSA Picture Day
* Sat 14th: Vars XC @ Wamego Country Club, 8:30 am
The Rave (All School Dance), 8-10 pm
* Sun 15th 8th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 5-7 pm
Dear Parents,
As the Week Ahead suggests, we are well into the season of athletics competition. In addition to our line-up of Seabury sports, we have a cooperative agreement with Perry Lecompton High School that allows our students to play football. Due to communication logistics, I don't include competition dates for non-Seabury teams in our Friday Letters; however, I want to give a shout-out to the Seabury students who are on that team: Zephyr O'Hara, Max Fagan, Milton Okazaki-Lopez, Lucien Brockhoff, and AJ Campbell. Good luck to them in their season!
Our theatre season also begins next week. Auditions for the Middle School production will occur on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3:30 pm. Upper School auditions will occur the following week.
School pictures for all students will be taken on Thursday next week. Because we use senior pictures for graduation purposes, seniors need to wear a dark jacket, a white dress shirt, and a tie or a nice black dress or blouse. Consult the flyer from Jostens that Betsy sent yesterday--especially the warning that your children not wear green, as the green screen the photographers use will otherwise turn your children into floating heads. (For those of you with mischievous children, re-dress them as necessary before they leave the house!)
Our Student Senate will host a Back-to-School dance for all students next SATURDAY from 8 to 10 pm. There is a $5.00 entrance fee, and the funds raised will underwrite student events like Palooza and Winter Formal. Students may bring one guest but will be responsible for that guest's behavior. Our BSAP President will be sending out a signup for parents to help chaperone and to provide snacks and refreshments. Should you have any questions about the dance, please reach out to Mr. Whipple at williamwhipple@seaburyacademy.org. The dance will be held in the commons area of the school. I always feel the need to instruct our new parents that our school dances are not the clumsy, unfortunate adolescent mating rituals you may remember from your youth. Try to picture a collection of sugar-injected students bouncing up and down for several hours...that is a Seabury dance. Our dance code of conduct form is attached as well as the guest form. I hope the kids have a good time.
Parents and alumni are invited to join students and staff in celebrating Homecoming on Friday, September 20th. The theme this year is Seahawk Candy Land (yes, just like the game), and every grade will decorate a golf cart and participate in a parade that starts at 4 pm in the Seabury parking lot. Following the parade, our boys varsity soccer team will play Northland Christian at 4:30 pm. Fans at the game will vote on their favorite float, and the winning grade will earn a special prize for their class trip in the spring. Everyone is invited to stay after the game for food, fun, and festivities on the patio behind the school. On a custodial note, we need seven volunteers to drive golf carts from the Jayhawk Club at 7:15 am and return them after soccer halftime (and yes, that is fun work!). Please contact Ellen Chindamo (ellenchindamo@seaburyacademy.org) if you can help.
A few requests related to our Admissions efforts: first, it is hard to believe, but the application process for 2025-26 opens on September 15. Our best marketing tool for admissions has always been our current families, and we want to reward you for helping us out. This year we have a new program to encourage our current families to refer new Seabury families. Current families will receive $500 toward tuition if they refer a family who enrolls and attends Seabury! For more information: Seahawk Referral Incentive Program.
One way to encourage prospective families to check out Seabury is by telling them about our upcoming Open House on Thursday, September 19, 6-8 pm. Families can take a student-led tour, visit with teachers, and learn about our programs. All are welcome! It's also time to register students wishing to shadow for the day for Seahawk Visit Days. This year's Seahawk Days are scheduled for October 17 and 18 and November 7. We also schedule additional visit days for individual students.
Congratulations to our 2024-25 student senators who were just elected today:
6th: Israa Aziz and Olivia Pavisian
7th: Levi Huerter and Nico Stinson
8th: Natalie Koprince and Ayden Wahla
9th: Jack Hawley and Livia Roesler
10th: Aidric Bernd and Eva Farmer
11th: Xeva Oldridge and Aiden Najafizadeh
12th: Tara Thompson-Glodich and Eliza Brockhoff
Finally, I know we are all disheartened by the news from Georgia and the violence at the Apalachee High School. Such incidents are difficult to digest in the course of our daily lives. Whenever national school violence occurs, I am aware of the anxiety this must cause in all parents at some level, and it is perfectly natural for parents to imagine how their own families would be impacted. In these moments, I always remind parents of a few things. First, school administrators and teachers do not become aware of school security only when there are incidents such as this one. We think about security and difficult scenarios every day, keep track of best practices in maintaining safe school environments, and have school security on our minds every time we walk down a hallway. Second, despite the high profile of this tragedy in the news, schools continue to be one of the safest places for children to be--even safer than their homes. And finally, one important reason you send your children to Seabury is because we know all of our students closely, we maintain a high standard for compassion and respect within the student body, and we are keenly aware when a student is struggling (and can act quickly to support those students). A strong culture of dignity and care is the foundation to school security and safety. No doubt, we will all have the Winder community on our minds in the coming days as they grieve their loss and navigate the long road to healing.
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Fri 30th: Girls VBall vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA: JV 4:30, Vars 6 pm
* Mon 2nd: Labor Day--NO CLASSES
* Tue 3rd: Boys Soccer vs. Northeast KS Homeschool Athletics @ BSA: Vars 4:30, MS 5:45 pm
Girls Vars VBall @ Veritas Christian School, 6 & 7 pm
* Wed 4th: MS XC Invitational @ Haskell Indian Nations University, 3:30 pm
* Thurs 5: Vars SC Meet @ Wyandotte County Park, 9 am
Boys MS Soccer @ Maranatha Christian Academy, 4:30 pm
Boys Vars Soccer vs. Cair Paravel Latin School @ Sunflower Soccer Complex, 4:30 pm
* Fri 6th: Student Senate Elections
* Sat 7th: Girls Vars VBall @ McLouth HS, 8 am
Chess Team Kickoff Meeting, 12-2 pm
12th Grade Parent Get-Together @ the Rangarajan's home (27581 W. Highland Circle, Olathe), 4-7 pm
* Sun 8th: Japan International Trip Informational Meeting, 4 pm
11th Grade Parent Get-Together @ Fields & Ivy Brewery, 6:30-8:30 pm
Dear Parents,
With two and a half weeks of "back-to-school" and all that comes with it, I am sure the students and teachers will appreciate the three-day weekend. The weather looks like it will cooperate...just in time!
Your class captains have organized fall parent get-togethers for each grade level, and I hope you will attend. I am always happy when we can get parents together for school events like curriculum night, convocation, games, performances, and dinner/drinks while your children are wearing themselves out at the winter formal. Likewise, the fall get-together is a great opportunity for you to get to know each other better and create stronger bonds. There is no question this is a good thing for your children and the school. And a big thank you to this year's class captains for their work on behalf of all of your children!
Our student athletes have been working diligently in these first weeks, and I am always impressed to see students finishing morning practices as I am coming to work each morning. Good luck to all of our teams as they begin their competitive season! Please come out and support them when you can!
One reason for our lengthy spring break is that our school has always hosted an international trip at that time. This year, we will inaugurate a trip to Japan! In morning meeting this week, the students enjoyed a presentation about the Japanese language and various destinations for the 2025 Japan trip, and there will be an informational meeting next weekend for interested students and their parents. You can also reach out to Sonja Czarnecki at sonjaczarnecki@seaburyacademy.org with questions.
A clarification on last week's message about illness: I mentioned that people who test positive for COVID should stay home, but that is not a precise reading of the CDC guidelines which now lumps COVID together with other respiratory illnesses. The important reminder continues to be that all students and adults should stay home until they are fever-free after 24 hours (without the benefit of related medication) and symptoms have improved over that period. Students and staff who test positive for COVID thereafter may return to school but should wear a quality mask and take precautions around others for 5 more days.
I am sure you will enjoy the shorter letter this week. More time for your long weekend!
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sat 24th: Senior Retreat @ Mr. Richmond's house, 5-9 pm
* Fri 30th: Girls VBall vs. Maranatha Christian Academy @ BSA: JV 4:30, Vars 6 pm
* Mon 2nd: Labor Day--NO CLASSES
Dear Parents,
Our first week is under our belt! Thank you to all of the parents who were able to come out for Curriculum Night yesterday. We always enjoy hosting you for that event.
Congratulations to our teacher Sara Asher for being chosen by the U.S. Institute of Peace as the Kansas educator for their 2024 Peace Teacher Program. This program provides teachers with resources and professional development as they endeavor to teach students about conflict resolution and the cultivation of peace in the community. Good job, Dr. Asher!
As I mentioned at Curriculum Night, we made the decision last year to transition from the learning management system Schoology to Google Classroom. Learning management systems are predominantly for internal school use (for students and teachers) in communicating lesson plans and assignments, receiving and grading electronic submissions, recording grades, and so forth. Our LMS works in tandem with our larger administrative management system RenWeb/FACTS which is a one-stop platform for parents to access semester grades, transcripts, student attendance, online billing, and so forth. One key difference between Schoology and Google Classroom is that despite students responding positively to the new LMS, Google Classroom requires additional steps for parents to view their child's course work and progress. Like driving any vehicle, until you use a system and live with it for a while, you don't know how it works and how to calibrate your expectations.
Earlier this week, Ms. Schrader sent out instructions on how to check grades in RenWeb, which may be all that most parents want or need to see. Keep in mind that most teachers (like me) do a lot of grading and course work on Sundays, so Sunday night is the one time during the week when we ask teachers to update RenWeb (by synching it with GC). (In other words, if a teacher grades a paper on a Monday or Tuesday, say, the grade will not show up in RenWeb until the following Monday morning.) For parents who want more detailed information about their child's work in a course, they can sign up for "guardian summaries" in Google Classroom. (Ms. Schrader also sent those instructions earlier.) Parents can choose the frequency of those email summaries, but I would caution parents that daily summaries for every course would mean a LOT of emails and data coming their way. If you want GC summaries (which may be more pertinent to parents with younger children), I would recommend weekly summaries.
A quick word about parent engagement with student grades and progress. The benefit of an LMS is that parents can be more engaged in supporting children who are struggling to complete their work, whether that is due to absences, bad habits, or some sort of challenge that requires more parent engagement. On the other hand, I reflect on the fact that for generations, students have gotten along just fine with parents learning about their progress four times during the school year: at two parent-teacher conferences (optional) and two semester grade card reports. Is parent access to the minutiae of lessons and grading a healthy thing for either students or parents--or teachers? My advice to parents in this regard would differ based on the student.
Honestly, for most students who have a good work ethic, they are probably best left alone to learn without a lot of oversight. Does it matter whether they get a B or an A+ on a test? I don't think so. Is it okay for a student to fail a few quizzes or get a zero on a homework grade? Absolutely, and such bumps in the road are probably an indication that the student is learning to make decisions about prioritizing certain assignments over others. From a teacher-administrator perspective, I want parents to focus on patterns that would demonstrate poor work habits, ongoing struggle to comprehend material, or declining performance (which may be an indicator of non-academic struggles). I can assure you that we teachers see those issues when they arise, and that is when we need to engage parents in an ongoing discussion about how to help students improve their work and well-being. And the objective is not to get a better grade on a prior assignment but to improve habits and abilities. I always stress to students that grades are far less important than learning, and learning is about moving from one point to the next, not achieving some perfect score.
Not to lengthen an already long letter, but a quick word about illness. As a culture, we do not have the same response to illness that we had 3-4 years ago, but it is understandable that some parents are now left to wonder, "So what should I do now when my child gets sick?" Simply put, your child does not need to stay home as long as they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the benefit of medication, though a child who is feeling terrible isn't helping themselves or their classmates and teachers by coming to school. That is the parent's call to make. I would strongly encourage that children who are sick but feeling well enough to attend school please consider wearing a mask. When a sick child or adult enters my personal space without one, I tell them to step away from me! Also, a positive COVID test still means "stay home," and CDC guidance applies at Seabury.
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Schawang
THE WEEK AHEAD:
* Sun 18th: New Parent Orientation, 4-5:30 pm
* Thurs 22nd: Curriculum Night, 7-9 pm (optional parent mixer @ 6:30 pm)
* Sat 24th: Senior Retreat @ Mr. Richmond's house, 5-9 pm
Dear Parents,
I know you get a lot of emails, so the Friday Letter is a method I use to provide streamlined communication. I will assume all parents will read these letters each week, as information here may not be repeated elsewhere. To create ease in reading, I bold-face the topics in each paragraph. On occasion, I will have a topic to discuss (see the Smartphones section below) and I will situate that text at the bottom of my letters.
On Sunday, we will host our New Parent Orientation in the Commons from 4-5:30 pm. New families, I hope that you can have at least one parent in attendance. (Students generally stay home.) After a presentation from me, we will use an open house format with various tables so you can focus on getting the information you need. Parents who already have children at Seabury (in addition to a new student) do not need to attend, but you are welcome!
Thursday evening is Curriculum Night. This will be your opportunity to follow your student’s schedule, meet their teachers, and learn about course work. Parents often tell me this is one of the most important experiences of the year, and my favorite comment from parents is always the same: “I wish I had these classes when I was in school.” We will also have an optional parent mixer at 6:30 pm on that evening, giving you time to have an adult beverage and wander the hallways. I hope you can attend. I will send more info next week prior to the event.
The chess team will hold an organizational meeting on Saturday, August 31st in the BSA Commons. The meeting will be for all students (and their parents) who are interested in joining the chess team this year. Anyone who has not already signed up at the club fair at student orientation should contact Mr. Richmond (Coach Robinson's staff contact). No knowledge of chess or experience is required to come out for the team. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Coach Robinson at steverobinson2k8@gmail.com
We bid adieu to Mr. Neuteboom this summer, and we have hired a new director of facilities, Mr. Joe Simpson. Mr. Simpson is a Seabury alum (class of 2014), and he has already made himself indispensable. We are very excited to have him here!
We have a few new school policies in place this year, and one is about smartphones. I could write a much longer message on this topic (and what I have here is longer than most of you want!). Smartphone technology is impressive, fascinating, and capable of saving lives. Apps can provide news and some light fun, even if most of the time we spend on our phones is about as valuable as thumbing through our Netflix queue without ever watching a show. In many ways, these devices have had a profound impact on human experience and behavior (children and adults).
I have been increasingly concerned about the negative impact this technology has had on human beings and especially children, as the capacity to access (at every moment) a universe of data, images, comments, and other diversions has made quite clear the limits of self-control. (I will not even get into the demoralizing impact of much social media on Middle School students, especially girls.) I do not criticize these devices off-handedly, as they can be incredibly handy and provide lightning fast access to data, but there is a powerful addictive response in the human brain to this sort of unregulated "connectedness" to the virtual world and its superficial content. Cognitive space that once was apportioned to imagination, silence, and reflection seems to have become a receptacle of media noise. Muscles once employed for imagination and socialization can atrophy, and for young brains, the tendencies being created and constantly reinforced can be difficult to reverse. As I told students this week, smartphones should be our tools...they should not turn us into one.
Over a decade ago, I knew that I would never allow open phone use in class (and if you have watched local news, you will see that teachers themselves in the Lawrence public schools are starting to push back on what one teacher described to me as "the Wild West"). On the other hand, I did not want to infantilize students. We are preparing them to go into a world where technology plays an increasingly prominent role. My goal was to create responsible use and protect the vital social connections that fortify our school culture. Subsequently, I allowed students to use their phones before school, during two midday breaks, and then after school (and 9th-12th grade open periods). Due to additional breaks in the day with the block schedule, the potential for connection increased, and I had good reason to believe that many students were leaving class to go to the bathroom in order to spend time with their phones. I won't go into more detail, but students were doing what a lot of us do when we have an empty moment to fill--we descend into our phones until we have to pull our heads out of that virtual space to attend to the next structured moment. I don't blame the students for this. They are young, and many of them when asked have acknowledged that something about this relationship feels off.
This year's approach to phone access is similar to our prior policy: students are never allowed to use their phones in class without consequences (unless related to a teacher's instructions) and students are permitted to use their phones at particular moments in the day: before entering the commons for morning meeting, during lunch break (once finished with jobs), and after school. Upper School students may still use phones during their open periods dependent on their demonstrated academic success. Students may not have their phones on their person during class and may be required to stow phones in a receptacle when they enter a room.
I will continue to encourage parents to avoid purchasing smartphones for children before they are ready for that responsibility, and no parent should apologize for monitoring phone activity or putting content filters in place. It is not my place to tell parents how to run their dinner table, but don't hesitate to blame me for encouraging all tech to be turned off (at home and at restaurants). I will happily take the heat for that one! Many children (dare I say "most") will take twice as long to complete their homework if they have access to social media (and the product of their efforts will be inferior), and you will be doing your children a favor by having them keep their phones in a separate room when studying. And I strongly encourage you to require your children (especially in Middle School, if you allow them to have a smartphone) to "turn in" their phones to you before going to bed. A child who sleeps with their phone will get very little rest.
Finally, I want to emphasize that if you need to contact your children about an emergency, you should always feel free to contact Betsy in the main office. Otherwise, your children will be able to read any messages after lunch or after school.
We have enjoyed a very positive and energetic first few days of classes. I realize that students (and teachers) quickly feel the impact of energetic days and changed sleep habits, so I hope they are able to get some rest this weekend.
Yours respectfully,
Dr. Schawang