May 25, 2013

 

Dear T-D Families,

 

As this school year races toward its conclusion, we want to make you aware of a few exciting upcoming events.  

The final Arts House Cafe will be held at The New Rochelle Public Library, 5/31/13 at 7:30 pm. Many students will be performing and, as always, will amaze us with their talents. This year's Annual Fashion Show, click here for flyer,  was created by and will be performed by members of the Rhinestone Cowboys art class and directed by Mrs. Bubesi. The Gaucho themed clothes are not to be missed!

 

Mrs. Bubesi will also be the instructor for a fun-filled, 2 week Summer Fun Art Class held from June 17-June 28, click here for flyer. It's open to children ages 7-13. Their creativity will be nurtured and they will love the projects they create.

 

In July, returning by popular demand, will be The Summer Swim School, click here for flyer. It will be held from July 1-July 5 and headed by Mr. Steve Schlitten. It is open to all ages but the student must be able to independently dress and use the restroom.  This class will enhance the swimming abilities

from beginners to advanced students.

 

We hope many of you will take advantage of these summer time enriching programs. Also, put the Arts House on your calendar. You won't want to miss it!

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.

   Headmaster

 

 

Message for April 25th below

 

Dear T-D Family:
 

April showers bring May transplants, as seven T-D upper schoolers, mostly Russian language students, are now in Moscow. Tomorrow the Russian bears will travel with Mrs. Vasendin to Nizhny Novograd. The group will return the following weekend under Mr. Griffin’s care.

 

May is a critical month for T-D as the Spring Gala comes into focus. Aly Fanelli is so good at reminding everyone about T-D’s most important parent social and school benefit. Do all you can to make it better and better.

 

There are several Faculty Luncheon Conferences in May as finals loom in the not-too-distant future. Final exams are already on line and schedules will be posted on May 6th.

 

If you visit T-D on any Friday afternoon you’ll want to use your camera. Gaucho Days have already stolen many hearts, so ride over and see what everyone is saying – ride ‘em cowboys! Thanks Lower School Director Lynne Tirrell.

 

T-D’s next Arts House will return to the even newer New Rochelle Public Library. Liam Baum is already corralling a great herd of happy entertainers. What a great venue to showcase T-D’s most talented. Look for the Rhinestone Cowboys to put on quite a fashion show!

 

T-D’s mad scientists show off their wares on Friday, May 17th. Both Dr. Allen and Dr. Hellge are encouraging all 6th – 12th graders to get with the program. Attached to this mailing are the “2013 Science Fair” instructions.

 

Graduation is Friday, June 14th at 4:00 PM at the Larchmont Avenue Church.  Barbara Davis, New Rochelle Historian and Community Relations Director at the Library, is the main speaker.

 

Re-registration is still on-going. About 25 new students and T-D families are enrolled, seven just in grade 9.

 

The Senior Prom people will be dancing in Yonkers on Thursday, June 13th. Sederick Dawkins is in charge. Actually Sederick Dawkins is almost in charge of everything. What a gem he is!

 

In October the Italians will be here followed by a smaller group of Germans. Travel-Study to Japan is on the horizon with Hiroshima as T-D’s resting place.

 

I hope you are all part of the action and that our futures coincide. T-D’s “North to Alaska” travel-study program kicks in on May 9, 2014. T-D has reserved 30 cabins for this 14-day jaunt. If advertised, it would sell out tomorrow. The 2013-14 school year should be T-D’s “coolest!”

 

Get out your dog sleds!!

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.

   Headmaster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T-D STUDENTS OFF TO NIZHNY NOVOGRAD AGAIN

 

Seven T-D upper schoolers, mostly Russian class members of Mrs. Vasendin, are joining her on a student exchange program to Nizhny Novograd for a two-week period beginning on April 28th.

 

Joining the group midway in between their stay will be social studies chair Eric Griffin. Griffin will accompany T-D student ambassadors on their return from Nizhny Novograd through Moscow where T-D students will spend two days touring prior to their Aeroflot departure.

 

All T-D student ambassadors are participating in a three-country “Together in to the Future” program. The third country, Italy, is reuniting with T-D once again as students from Sciacca, Italy, will also participate.

 

The T-D student diplomats are listed below:

 

NAME GRADE

 

Peter Ryzyk 12

 

Stephanie Ryzyk 9

 

Nick Curanaj 11

 

Alex Rudnitsky 10

 

Miguel Conkright 11

 

Lakoi Takona 10

 

Angelo Valentine 10

 

                        International Conference ''Together into the Future''


Moscow schedule:


Sheremetievo

April 29th

12-20--meeting with our teacher 


Shuttle /15 $/--to Moscow
Hotel Izmailova—ALFA


Lunch at the Hotel Restaurant


A tour to the Kremlin,Red Square,


Supper in the mall''Okhotny Ryad''


Arbat—shopping


21-00-hotel


April 30
 

Morning--Breakfast in the Hotel

9.30 visit a small Russian fair near the hotel


A tour to TV TOWER--a view to Moscow from the tower


Back to the hotel -check out

12 -00 and straight to the railway station


Evening ,April 30--arrival to Nizhny

Meet the 
Families

May 1st    

  Meeting in the Gymnasium Aquaintance

                                                                                        Staying with the family  

May 2

9-00  Meeting in the Gymnasium

                                 

Visiting Moscow District

 Visiting the Kremlin-A   tour around Nizhny
                     

 Lunch in Pizzeria in Pokrovka Street
        
                      

17-00   Bowling
                    

 19-00 Cinema
                    

21-00    In the family home


May 3

9-00  Gymnasium
                   

  9-30 A tour along the Volga Embankment
             

        11-00 a visit the town of Bor by ropeway across the Volga River
                                 

 a tour around Bor  Lyceum                     

         Lunch in the Lyceum
                 

       14-00 Back to Nizhny
                           

Visiting The Art Museum
                 

       19-00 a party in the Gymnasium
                         

21-30 Home


May 4

9-00-13-00   Web-Conference with Filadelphia -- Dream Flag  --meeting Russian students -attending classes

               

13-00  Pancakes  with tea

                         

14-30—Gorky Square, Fedorovsky Embarkment

Christmas Church-

     

19-00   Back home 
, Visiting Sormovo Church with family members



May 5

 Easter morning in the family

                         

13 -00 Meeting near metro station
                                       

A tour to the Rukavishnikovs Mansion , Exhibition Hall

Mega mall skating Ring
                               

 Circus



May 6-8

Conference in Izumrudnoe on Gorky Sea

         

May 6

School Presentation
 Masterclass

Russian Village
                                             

American Village

Italian Village
                     

Disco Dance

         

May 7 A tour to a Russian city of Gorodes

A lesson of Russian

 language        

 Horse Riding                       

  Socker Game

Russian Sauna                  

  Disco party --Fireworks       

  May 8

9-00-12-00   Collaboration                        

  12-00   Departure to Nizhny                         

14-30 Rest at home                       

   20-00- Flowers to commemorate perished in the World War 2 in the Kremlin
                           

21-00   night at Z-Top night club                    

1:00 back home                      

May 9

10-00 Center of Sormovo Sormovo Park                      

14-00- Family traditional lunch                      

evening Fireworks          

10 мая  

  a tour along the Volga river            

Departure to Moscow in the evening.  

 

 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.

   Headmaster

 

 

DON’T FRY FOR ME ARGENTINA

 

It’s pretty easy and not so strange as I try to express how I feel after 14 days of ArgenTango.

 

You may not believe me and keep thinking of the Argentina you once knew or was described to you.

 

Thornton-Donovan embraced Argentina after running all over the world trying all things old and new, but no where have I been impressed more, especially since I never expected it to.

 

Argentina lacks good fortune and yet it flirts with fame, but with the warm sun, frozen rain, its people, food and unforgettable scenes. Argentina had to be a T-D theme.  It has all the world could ever desire .There are no illusions as the most prominent and the most poor live side by side seeking for solutions that were promised to be. The answers have been clearly there all the while.

 

ArgentinTango will never leave me; there’s simply no chance – not in Alaska, not in Denmark, not in Russia or anywhere that Thornton-Donovan will dance. It’s a sacred promise I will keep throughout my existence despite any distance.

 

Perhaps with my exuberance I have written too much and there’s not much more I should write or say to you, but if you traveled with T-D, you’d know every word you are reading is so very true.

 

Don’t fry for me Argentina your bar-b-ques and grilled steaks are reason enough to be dressed up to the nines with sevens and eights for you.

 

Argentina can change and enhance your very existence. I’ll happily return with little or no resistance.

 

I do cry for you Argentina and ArgenTango – going- went- but never gone.

 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.

   Headmaster

 

Part 2

 

April 15, 2013

 

Thanks Parent-Teacher Partnership for those April flowers. It's raining daffy ducks around here. There's something about those yellow daffodils that puts spring in the air. T-D is almost ready to show its true colors.

 

Jordan Acker has been selected as one of approximately 550 semifinalists to advance to the final round of the 2013 U.S. Presidential Scholars competition.  Congrats to the Acker family. Jordy deserves every award, accolade, and honor he is a given. There are schools 20 times larger than T-D and for one senior here competing with 3,200,000 graduating high school seniors across this great land is beyond extraordinary. Jordan is also T-D's first National Merit semifinalist. What a great thing it is for this most normal, academically abnormal kid. Mazel Tov to you and your family. You'll hear more about T-D's brightest to ever sit in the Starlight Room very shortly.

   

 Every Friday T-D's lower school is putting on a Gaucho Day. You can sneak a peek should you visit one of them. Talk about creativity, colors, and characters, Lynne Tirrell knows how to excite us all. T-D's Lower School can really put on a show.

   

 

Football and sports are back as Steven Schlitten and Andrew Chapin serve as monitors.

 

I will be meeting individually with all juniors discussing college choices as the next weeks unfold.

 

It's good to be back where I once belonged and be with the people I used to know. Please see my comments below.

 

Alaska awaits us. The Italians are comin' in October. Hope you all are here for 2013-14. It should be pretty cool!

 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.

   Headmaster
 

 

 

UPDATED CELL POLICY

 

 

Dear T-D Parents:

This letter is intended to clarify and amplify T-D's cell phone policy. It pertains mostly to 6th - 12th grade students who rarely come to school without them.
 

Beginning on March 4th no 6th - 12th grade student is to use his or her cell phone in any regularly scheduled class or in the Berns Memorial Library at any time. Cell phone usage is to be restricted and limited to T-D's luncheon period from 12:47 pm - 1:30 pm. All outgoing calls should be made outside of the school buildings only. Parents trying to reach a child should do so during lunchtime. Emergency calls can always be made or received any time through T-D's regular phone: 914-632-8836.
 

Some T-D teachers may ask for cell phones to be deposited with them prior to the beginning of class each day. Those who do not will confiscate any phone should it be seen or used during class.
 

Using cell phones before school (8:40 am or earlier) and after school (3:05 PM and on) are both acceptable.
 

Both the T-D faculty and I would like parents, especially middle school ones, to speak with their children about questionable cell phone usage that has no place in school or quite frankly anywhere else. There are certain cell phone apps available that should be off limits or better yet removed.
 

Please speak with your youngster about this concern to avoid any serious consequence.

 

Sincerely yours,
 

Douglas E. Fleming, Jr.
 

Headmaster

N.B. Ear buds and headphones are subject to the same restrictions as cell phones.