Subject: email sent to all ninth grade students
From: "Diane Scattergood" <[email-masked]>
Date: 22 Jun 2015 17:51:42 -0400

Hi -- I am sending along a copy of an email I have sent to the students.  Please urge them to check their SFS accounts and to read this information.  Should you have any questions about any of this information, feel free to be in touch.  Best, Diane Scattergood

Hello –

Congratulations on finishing up your eighth grade year.  I hope you had plenty of time to savor your last weeks with your teachers and friends,  and that you are excited about beginning your four years in Upper School.  Today was my first day back from two weeks away, and I am happy to see that the campus has settled into its summer rhythms – plenty of multi-age children in the camps; former students working as counselors and TAs; and lots of familiar faces in a variety of classes.  It will be even better when everyone returns in the fall.

I’m writing with some bits of information that should help with some of your questions going forward.  Still, I may have missed something, so please feel free to be in touch with other questions.

1.  We have decided to forego a summer reading assignment for this year.  We hope you will read – a lot – but there is no required book.

2.  Class schedules (with teacher, room, and period assignments) will be released in late July.  That notification will include instructions for buying your books.  Be sure to check your email late that month.

3.  Preseason dates for each sport are on the PE/Athletics tab on the SFS homepage.  Each team has also posted other important information, so be sure you have checked that site.

4.  The Class of 2019 Orientation events begin on the evening of September 2nd with a Welcome Dinner for students and parents.  It begins at 6:30 pm, and will be a casual affair.  Come when you can.  We anticipate it will run until about 8 pm.  You can begin to meet new classmates, your teachers, and other key people in Upper School.

5.  Orientation continues on Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, September 4th.  We will begin each day at 8 am.   Attendance is required on these days.

6.  Laptops are ubiquitous here in Upper School, but there is not a one-to-one program.  What that means is that students are either bringing a personal laptop with them or they are signing one out of the library when they need to.  I have had many questions from those considering laptop purchases and use.  There is no “one size fits all” answer.  You need to be able to access the on-line learning system (currently Haiku); you need to use spreadsheets and some other applications; you need to be able to do Internet searches; and you may find that you want to use a laptop as an organizational tool.  A smartphone is probably not enough.  A tablet of some kind may work for you.  If you know any current Upper School students, you may want to seek their advice.  Or send me more questions.

7.  The academic calendar for the year is on the SFS homepage.  Please note the important dates you will find there.

Again, please feel free to be in touch should you need anything.  I hope to finalize 9th grade advisors and advisories in the coming days and will send another note when I do.

In the meantime, enjoy these long, warm, hazy days.

Diane Scattergood

Ninth Grade Dean

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