Dear Families,
Happy Halloween! I hope you are enjoying the day and getting ready for some trick or treating. The celebration for NYA students began on Wednesday with the annual Halloween celebration and parade, and I am sure it continued through today in many of your households. As always, the costumes demonstrated some great creativity, ranging from superheroes to vending machines (very creative, homemade costumes by Ella Giguere and Greta Tod). Teachers in every division also had their costumes on display. A full slate of activities and parties were planned in the Lower and Middle Schools, and the Lower and Middle School students also enjoyed the traveling show from Chewonki. The parade, broadcast on Vimeo, was a great time, and the Upper School Executive Council awarded various prizes for the costumes. Winners took home some big bags of candy. All in all, it was a fun day for everyone, but likely not the students’ most productive day academically.
The fall MPA Tournaments are well under way! Congratulations to seniors James Tourigny and Noah Hallward-Rough who qualified to run at the XC State Meet in Belfast that took place yesterday. NYA field hockey, boys soccer, and girls soccer hosted several tournament games last week. It started with boys and girls soccer on Wednesday. The girls defeated St. Doms, 7-1, and the boys faced off against Buckfield and came away with a 2-1 win. Field hockey hosted Lisbon on Thursday and lost a tough game, but it was a great season for the team. On Friday, the boys soccer team defeated Richmond at Richmond in their regional semifinal game, and likewise, the girls soccer team defeated Richmond at home in their regional semifinal game. Both teams will travel to Messalonskee High School on Tuesday to play in the reginal finals. The girls play at 4:00 p.m. and the boys are at 6:30 p.m. GO PANTHERS!
The Parents’ Association has kicked off its annual wreath sale, and today is the last day to place an order. The volunteers in the NYA Parents’ Association do great work to support school events, build community and raise funds to support school programs. Funds raised from the wreath sale directly support PA Grants for faculty, staff and students. This year the wreaths can be shipped directly to you or to someone as a gift. For more details and ordering information click this link.
I wanted to share a quick note regarding the NYA Board of Trustees, which held its October meeting this past Thursday. The board consists of 23 members including current parents, past parents, alumni, and community members. It serves as the governing body of the school and is led by Linda Manchester, (parent of Clayton ’15 and Pierce ’20). The board’s focus is primarily on long term strategic initiatives, but it also establishes the budget, monitors governance, and provides support and leadership in the areas of marketing and development. They are a group of committed volunteers, who have also provided leadership and generous support of many recent campus improvements including the turf field replacement, Poulin Family Tennis Courts, and Bicentennial Learning Commons. The board and its committees meet regularly throughout the school year. We appreciate the work and commitment of the trustees, who are integral to the success of the Academy.
There will be no school on Thursday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. The school will hold a brief flagpole ceremony to honor veterans on Wednesday, November 10 at 7:50 a.m.
The NYA Admission Office will host an Open House focused on Middle and Upper School students on Sunday, November 7. The event begins at 1:00 p.m., under the tent, in front of Curtis. Current families are NYA’s best admission ambassadors, so please encourage your friends and neighbors to take a look at NYA. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet current students, faculty, and administrators and learn more about NYA’s program. There will also be an opportunity for school tours. Feel free to forward this link with details to anyone who might be interested in attending. Families can learn more about additional admission events here. They are also always free to contact the admission office directly to schedule a tour.
🔦Mission Spotlight🔦
The mission spotlight this week is about balancing work with fun. The focus Wednesday was on the fun. See my Instagram for some Lower School through Upper School photos of the Halloween parade.
The first quarter of the year ended last week, and it was followed by parent-teacher conferences. I hope you were all able to connect with your child’s teachers for a report. While this is a structured time for conferences, please feel free to reach out at any time with questions.
We are excited to welcome back Jen Elkins, who will be taking over as primary assistant from Ms. Julie. Jen will be working with Ms. Leslie. Many of you know Jen, who was in the Lower School for eight years, most recently as a toddler assistant. Welcome Back, Jen!
Upcoming Dates:
- November 7 – Daylight Savings – turn the clocks back an hour
- November 7- Open House
- Wednesday, November 10 – Veterans Day observance at school
- Thursday, November 11 – Veterans Day – no school
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Ben Jackson
Head of School
NYA ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook – North Yarmouth Academy Page, NYA Parents’ Association Group, NYA Athletics Page (for livestreams of home contests)
YouTube – North Yarmouth Academy
Twitter – @NYAToday
Twitter -Athletics – @NYAPanther
Flickr – nyatoday
Instagram – Ben Jackson HOS, North Yarmouth Academy, NYAartists
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