June 2, 2011  | Upcoming Dates | News & Announcements

Dear Lower School Parents,

And so with the arrival of summer heat that suddenly makes it too hot for uniform jumpers (and ties!), we come to the end of what I hope has been another year of positive growth for your daughter. The end of the year is a time of mixed emotions for teachers. We look forward to spending more time with our own families over the summer months; we are also a little sad to bid farewell to students we have journeyed with and grown to love over the year.

Summer means the time has come to hand the girls back to you. The extra time they get to spend with you over the summer months—without the pressures of school—is a gift that I hope you will fully embrace. If I may, here are three suggestions for what the girls can do with their free time this summer:

• Read. Our top students love to read; books are dear companions to them. It is never too late for your daughter to become this kind of reader. Our summer reading lists are packed with great books. We are sending home a delightful Lower School summer reading book that I hope you will read many times with your daughter. You can also read a great article from Scholastic on ways to ignite a love of reading in your daughter.
• Learn to type. Despite all the advances in technology, this is still a useful skill children can master with relative ease. Every girl in Lower School has an active individual Typing Ace account online.
• Stay active and limit passive screen time. As parents, we all know how pervasive television is, but turning it off allows time for creativity, conversation and reading. If initially your daughter tells you she is bored, tell her boredom is a luxury she will learn to appreciate.

I cannot end the year without a heartfelt “thank you” to you, our supportive and patient parents, for a wonderful year with your wonderful daughters.

Enjoy your summer together,

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Upcoming Dates in Lower School

Friday, June 3
Gr. 4 Go-Cart Rally
Gr. 6 Greek Day

Monday, June 6
Gr. 6 Day Out: Ice Skating
Extended Day available until 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 7
Gr. 6 Celebration
Lower School Last Day of School (Dismissal at 1 p.m.)

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News & Announcements

NOTE: Flyers in ePouch are posted in PDF format and can be read using Acrobat Reader. A free copy of Acrobat Reader can be downloaded at the Adobe website. For further assistance, e-mail contactus@holton-arms.edu.

Math Enrichment for Summer

Mrs. Dufek, our Lower School Math Coordinator, recommends some tips for keeping math skills sharp over summer. Please contact Mrs. Dufek if you have any questions.

New Policy for Student Health Forms

Required physical exams for 2011-2012 may be completed any time before Sunday, July 3, 2011, with health forms due to Holton by Saturday, July 30, 2011. As a convenience, Holton will be offering a clinic to complete health forms (including health forms for siblings for camp, school or college) with our own school physician on Friday, June 10, from 8-10 a.m., for a fee of $70. Please call the main number (301-365-5300) to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Medications on Campus

Safety First

We are delighted our students are arriving to school on time, but please slow down and pay particular attention to our security staff who keep our girls safe and traffic under control.

As a reminder, do not drive on the emergency lane, heading west on River Road, toward the entrance of the school. Cars are waiting patiently for the right turn lane to open and may not anticipate a car coming behind from the emergency lane. We also urge parents not to use the service/construction road to access or leave the Lower School.

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