Thelma's Weekly Updates

Camelot Update 11-14-10

2010-11-14T06:16:00.001-05:00

Greetings!

The teachers and I are heading over to school today from 2-4 PM for our last Open House of 2010. Please remind your friends to stop by!

We welcome Margaret Hennessey to our faculty as an art teacher. Ms. Margaret had a great first week and jumped right in on advising about presentation boards for the Academic Fair and building volcanoes for the MAPP class unit on earth science.

Speaking of Academic Fair – please remember that this Friday all of our activities take place at Lyon Park – there is no before/after school or classes of any kind at Camelot that day. Thanks, in advance, to teacher Matt Wilhelm for heading up the on-sight logistics, to teacher Jill Sugg for orchestrating the entire Upper School research and writing process and to Wendy Morris for handling all of the advance details of the meal.

Please note the following important details for Friday's events:
-Middle and Upper School students arrive between 8 and 8:15 AM.
-MAPP students arrive between 10 and 10:15 AM.
-MAPP students will NOT be giving academic presentations at this event but they WILL be singing during the meal. MAPP parents are asked to accompany their child in visiting the academic presentations of the older students and to point out what can be learned from the presentation boards. MAPP students (and their parents!) should be encouraged to ask the student presenters questions relevant to their topics. This will help our MAPP students understand the expectations when they present their projects at the Pie Supper in January.
-Middle Grades students will have two kinds of presentations. The younger students will be sharing original poetry and the older students will be presenting a research topic. At the Pie Supper in January the groups will switch in terms of what they are sharing.
-When we adjourn to the dining room our MAPP students will share a song learned under the direction of their music teacher, Teresa Fischer. During the meal the Vocal Group and the Performance Band, under the direction of Glenn Mehrbach, will share some of their repertoire. We thank you, in advance, for your support of this event. This day is a highlight of the year largely because it brings students of all ages, their parents and guests together for learning, fun and food!

Highlights of the Upcoming Week:

Monday – Upper School crates out

Tuesday – Upper School crates out AND drop in Advisor Day (8-8:30 AM)

Friday – Academic Fair and Thanksgiving Feast at Lyon Park Rec Center – see info above.
Event concludes by 1 PM

Week of November 22- school closed for Thanksgiving Break

Other News:

Ms Celia’s homeroom is sponsoring an ENGAGE project – collecting needed supplies for the Carolina Pet Rescue of Durham. The collection will run until December 17. Take-home lists of needed supplies can be found on the posters on display throughout the school

The basketball Knights are selling Dining and Attraction books to help cover the costs of the season. Each book sells for $25 and includes savings for scores of local restaurants and activities. The players are selling the books for the next several weeks including they will have a display at the Academic Fair. Please support Camelot athletics by considering a purchase of one of these books – they make great gifts!

Have a great week and I’ll see you on Friday.

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 11-7-10

2010-11-07T18:15:00.001-05:00

Greetings!

I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying an extra hour of the day!

Congratulations to Module 3 Merit Award students: Grace Balk, Virginia Bruhn, Willa Holt, Zach Kartcheske, Colin Fischer and Collin Wilkes. Kudos to Module 3 Honor Roll students: David McShea, Rachel Milkereit, Danny Sutton, Kathryn Barnes, Becca Makens, Sophie Reiter, Cameron Stell, Tessa Young, Angela Dodson, Alex Berro, Grace Kirkpatrick, Spencer Ahn, Elisabeth Parker, Rachel Roush, Josh Stallings, Zachariah Claypole White, Max Fried, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, William Radcliffe, Liz Reeder, Meg Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Amber Rogers, Ryan Siebens, Alec Porter, Ian Reid and In Yoon.

Check out our photo gallery!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camelotacademy/sets/

Thanks to the photographic talents of teacher Krista Moll the entire student body has been captured with splendor at our recent Fall Festival. Also, the Upper School caving pictures are up and they are great. I suggest selecting the “slideshow” tab on each set and sit back and ENJOY!!

More memories are soon to be made at our upcoming Academic Fair and Thanksgiving Feast. You recently received info forms and luncheon RSVP’s in the mail. These forms are due to the office by this Wednesday, November 10. You can dowload this info from our website here:

http://www.camelotacademy.org/forms.php

Also in the mail this week were Mid- Semester grades for Middle and Upper School students. Any warnings that were included need to be signed and returned by this Wednesday.

Our basketball Knights launch their season this week with two home games – Wednesday and Friday. Home court is at the Lyon Park Rec Center. We are still in need of a couple more players – boys in 6th-12th grade are encouraged to join!

Parent service opportunities:

Cleaning and building work needed next Saturday for the Sunday Open House. Contact Mike Glynn at mike@camelotacademy.org.

Leaf raking will take place on December weekends. Contact Mike to sign up.

Scott mailed home Leads List forms for parent service credit. Check out this easy way to earn your credit!

Upcoming:

– Sunday, November 14 – Open House 2-4 PM. Send a friend and earn Parent Service credit!
– -Friday, November 19 – Academic Fair and Thanksgiving Feast – Lyon Park Rec Center – a required parent event

Have a great week.

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 10-31-10

2010-10-31T11:05:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

Happy Halloween!

Thanks to all of the parents who turned out to help make our Fall Festival a great time for our young people. Special thanks to teacher Ms Denise who took the lead on bringing it all together and to teacher Ms Lori who orchestrated the Science House experience with the help of our Upper School students.

As you may have heard from your student, art teacher Brittain Peck is leaving his teaching position with us to take on a full time graphic design position. He will be greatly missed and we are very appreciative of all of the creativity and care he has added to our school over the past year. We are thrilled to welcome Margaret Hennessey as our new art teacher. Margaret brings a background in many kinds of art as well as diverse teaching experience to our program. Ms Margaret will take over all of Brittain’s classes and clubs as of NEXT week (week of November 8). This week there will be no art clubs (yearbook, digital design or art club) and all of these activities will run a make up session in January.

Coming this week….

Monday-
Early Bird Discount for completion and return of Second Semester paperwork.

Tuesday –
Basketball practice begins.

Wednesday –
Mid-Semester grades mailed to Middle and Upper School families.

And coming soon….
Mike is looking for parent service help on the next two weekends for building and grounds work. After Thanksgiving Break he will be looking for leaf raking help. Sign up for either activity by sending him an email at mike@camelotacademy.org.

Sunday, November 14, 2-4 PM. Our last Open House for 2010 – please tell your friends!

Have a great day and a safe evening!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 10-17-10

2010-10-17T21:15:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to Module 2 Merit Award students: Evan MacDonald, Grace Balk, Virginia Bruhn, Wyatt Grose, Willa Holt, Zach Kartcheske and Collin Wilkes. Also, congrats to Module 2 Honor Roll students: David McShea, Rachel Milkereit, Danny Sutton, Becca Makens, Sophie Reiter, Cameron Stell, Tessa Young, Alex Berro, Spencer Ahn, Olivia Arges, Elisabeth Parker, Brian Powell, Rachel Roush, Josh Stallings, Devan Chichester, Zachariah Claypole White, Max Fried, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, William Radcliffe, Liz Reeder, Megan Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Amber Rogers, Ryan Siebens, Kathryn Wilkes, Alec Porter, Ian Reid, and In Yoon.

What’s in store this week?

Monday:
All – Group and whole school picture orders due today
High School - Davidson College Rep

Tuesday:
All - School Picture Day- wear your best!

Wednesday:
High School – Meredith College

Saturday:
SAT class – practice SAT – arrive between 8:15 and 8:30 AM – pick up at 1 PM

Upcoming: Friday, October 29 – Fall festival and School Spirit Day

Reminders:
All Upper School students need a compass for class this week and for every PE class through November.

I hope that you enjoy this beautiful day!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 10-10-10

2010-10-10T16:55:00.000-04:00

Greetings! Happy 10-10-10!

Thanks to everyone for the productive round of family conferences. I hope that you found them to be as valuable as the teachers and I did!

We are now entering a very productive and eventful time of year. Please dust off your school calendar and make a note of all that is to come over the next few weeks!

Clubs start this week and as of right now the following clubs are subject to cancellation due to insufficient enrollment: Knitting, The Grind, Embroidery, Engage and Egg-ceptional Leadership. Wendy will update our rosters on Monday to reflect a few additional folks and then will directly contact affected families to see if they wish to select an alternate activity or not.

SAT class will meet ALL FIVE DAYS this week and will have the next practice test on Saturday, October 23. All students should have registered for the November SAT and provided me with a copy of the registration confirmation.

All 10th and 11th graders should meet at Camelot this coming Saturday, October 16 by 8:30 AM for the PSAT administration. Pick up is at 11:30 AM. Please bring several number 2 pencils and a calculator.

Also next Saturday (October 16) we have our first Open House of the year for prospective families from 1-3 PM. This event provides our current families with the following parent service opportunities:

Parent Service Opp #1 – late afternoon building cleaning – every day this week (contact Mike Glynn at mike@camelotacademy.org to schedule)
Parent Service Opp #2 – Send me an email by Wednesday at 5 PM with names, address, email address and phone number of local families you know who would like to be invited to our open house and future school events. You’ll earn one hour of parent service for every 5 complete contacts provided.
Parent Service Opp #3 – Receive one hour of parent service credit for each family who attends Open House and gives your name as the referral.
(Remember – all Camelot families receive $400 credit for each newly enrolled student who credits your family as the referral source!)

Also, this week:
Tuesday, 1 PM – college rep visit – Queens University (Charlotte)
Wednesday, 1 PM – college rep visit – Highpoint University

Upcoming:
Tuesday, October 19 – School picture day

I hope that you have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 10-3-10

2010-10-03T22:33:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

I hope that you are enjoying this beautiful fall weekend.

Welcome to our newest Camelot student and his family – Middle Grader Colin Fischer.

Please remember the college fair being held today at Northgate Mall. Drop by between 1 and 4 PM to meet with representatives from over 100 colleges and universities.

Tomorrow is the deadline for online sign up for the January trip to Spain.
www.educationaltravel.com

Username: battlegroup
Password: abroad

This week is family conference week:
Upper School – no classes all week – conferences Monday- Friday
Middle Grades – classes on Monday only – conferences Tuesday-Friday
MAPP Classes – classes on Monday and Tuesday only – conferences on Wednesday-Friday

NOTE – Middle Grades and Upper School students must attend their conferences
NOTE – Optional Care available Wednesday-Friday by advanced sign up
NOTE – Upper School math study hall available for test taking and homework help on Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon. Contact Wendy at wendy@camelotacademy.org to sign up.
NOTE - Please arrive a few minutes early for your conference. We have a very tight schedule and want to give every family their fully allotted time. Also, please complete the Parent Survey before leaving the building on your conference day.

Thursday – is the Upper School Caving trip. Info sheets will be handed out at conference (participants with a Friday conference will be mailed the info tomorrow).

Lunch memo from Wendy:
Remember that due to conference week there is no lunch service available for the week of Oct. 4 - 8.

The next lunch service is scheduled for the week of Oct. 11-15 and orders must be placed by Wed., Oct. 6th at midnight.

We have a new lunch vendor on Fridays! Pao Lim is closing for renovations so we are switching to China Palace, on a trial basis, through December.

Parent Service Help needed next Saturday (October 9) to prepare for Open House the following weekend. Building cleaning and grounds work available. Please contact Mike to sign up:
mike@camelotacademy.org.

SAT CLASS STUDENTS – Saturday, October 8 is the deadline to register for the November SAT. Please register and print out your confirmation for me.

Have a great week and I'll see many of you in conference!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 9-12-10

2010-09-12T12:16:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Life at Camelot is humming along with a wonderful rhythm. I’ve spent a good amount of time visiting classrooms and am delighted by the conversations and activities going on. Our new students are wonderful additions and have quickly become members of the family. I am hugely looking forward to faculty retreat this week – the process of reviewing each student, each class and the whole school is a wonderful and unique opportunity for us as educators. We greatly appreciate your parental support of the schedule and your input on the Retreat Feedback Forms sent home for you to complete this weekend.

Here’s a look at the upcoming week:

Monday-

Credit Band classes start (paperwork due)
Retreat Feedback Forms due (ALL)
Upper School PE trip forms due
Last chance to sign up for Optional Care this Thursday/Friday (Lower & Middle Grades)
NO Soccer practice!!!

Tuesday-
Club Vocal Ensemble starts (paperwork due)
Soccer Practice at TWIN LAKES

Wednesday-
Upper School guest speaker from Durham Volunteer Center
Soccer AWAY game (parent drivers and pick up from game)
Midnight lunch order deadline

Thursday-
School closed for Faculty Retreat
Optional Care BY PRIOR RESERVATION

Friday-
School closed for Faculty Retreat
Optional Care BY PRIOR RESERVATION
Soccer – home game

Coming up next week:
Tuesday, Sept 21 – Lower and Middle Grades Back to School Night (5:30 PM – Required Parent Event)

Thursday – Sept 23 – Upper School Back to School Night (5:30 PM – Required Parent Event)

Saturday, Sept 25 – SAT class test practice administration at Camelot – 8:30 AM

Other Items of Note:

Croc shoes are not OK on PE days- and are not even great for regular playground time. Sneakers are the safest and best footwear for our busy days.

Exciting news – the New York voice teacher that my daughter has been studying with is going to be offering private voice lessons AT CAMELOT one day per week. If you’d like more info let me know and I’ll forward her materials to you.

If you haven’t already please take a minute to link your Frequent Shopper Cards. Click here: http://www.camelotacademy.org/frequent_shopper.php to do in one easy step. Please ask your friends and relatives to link to Camelot as well – the easiest fundraiser ever!

Have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 9-5-10

2010-09-05T15:03:00.001-04:00

Greetings! I hope that you are enjoying a nice Labor Day weekend and the tease of fall-like weather.

Reminder - school is closed tomorrow in observance of Labor Day.

Upper School orientation pictures are posted on the website. Check them out!

On Tuesday Glenn will run one more day of auditions for performance band. Interested students should bring an instrument/music and plan to meet with Glenn at lunchtime.

Wednesday is School Spirit Day in recognition of the first home game of our soccer team. Students should wear their purple and gold! Upper School students who wish to be transported to the game as spectators were provided a Trip Permission Slip to be returned on Tuesday.

Also on Wednesday, please note that there is a traffic alert for families traveling through/from West Raleigh and using Wade Avenue, Interstate 40, or Interstate 440. Due to an all day event being held at the RBC Center significant back ups are expected at both the morning and afternoon commute times.

Remember that midnight Wednesday is the deadline for lunch orders for next week.

Thursday high school students will welcome our first college rep of the year – from Earlham College in Indiana.

Friday – students will bring home Retreat Feedback forms for families to complete next weekend.

Upcoming: School is closed Thursday-Friday, September 16-17 for Faculty Retreat.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend – we have another busy week ahead!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 8-29-10

2010-08-29T11:45:00.000-04:00

Greetings and Happy School Year!

We’re back, we’re oriented and we’re ready to go!

Thanks to the outstanding orientation coordination by Scott Mitchell and Lori Hilliard, facilitation from Susan Westbrook and tireless contributions from our amazing faculty the students had a great time, learned the rules, learned about the theme of the year (“Engagement”) and made new friends. We’re all ready to start to settle into our academic work on Monday when we begin Review Week.

Here are some reminders for the week:

MONDAY-
– Performance band auditions begin at lunchtime and continue all week. Sign up sheet is in the Big Hall by the stairway door. Remember your instrument and your music!
-Soccer practice at Forest Hills Park.

WEDNESDAY-
-Midnight deadline for lunch orders for next week
-Soccer practice at Forest Hills Park

FRIDAY-
Soccer Away game. See website for directions. Parents pick up from the game at 5:30 PM.

UPCOMING: School Closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.

Reminder – Private piano lessons are being offered on campus by Teresa Fischer (Lower School Music Teacher). Contact her at 919-742-3234 or singingwinds@embarqmail.com.

Have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Camelot Update 8-22-10

2010-08-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

Greetings! Welcome to the 2010-11 Camelot Weekly Emails!

The faculty has had a great first week at school. We’ve discussed both theory and daily practice, bulldozed the classrooms, planned orientation and had some precious time to share as both people and professionals. We’re eager to welcome the parents on Monday and Tuesday evenings and the students on Wednesday.

Following are some important reminders as we launch what promises to be a great year:

LAST CALL – LAST CALL – all AR tests must be taken by 5 PM Tuesday.

I. Monday - 5:30 PM – all Lower School and Middle Grades parents meet for required orientation session. (Please, no students in attendance – space is very limited)

- Deadline for new families to set up a lunch order account if they wish to order lunch for the week of August 30 (first week of lunch service). Actual lunch orders don’t have to be placed until Wednesday at midnight but new accounts have to be established by Monday to order next week. (See “lunch order” info on website under “Student” tab.) Note: Lunch accounts can be set up at any time during the year but must be activated the week before the first week of desired lunch service.

II. Tuesday – 5:30 PM – all Upper School parents meet for required orientation session. (Please, no students in attendance – space is very limited)

III. Wednesday- students arrive between 8 and 8:30 AM (no before school care). Details of attire, agenda lunch and needed supplies to be provided at Parent Orientation. Students are to bring any/all assigned Language Arts papers or Spanish packets.

- First soccer practice at 3:30 PM at Forest Hills Park. Mandatory soccer parents meeting at the picnic shelter at 5:30 PM.

- Midnight deadline for lunch orders for the week of August 30.

- Optional Care available Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30-5:30 PM – for students in 1st-7th grade – PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! (Form can be found on our website.)

NOTE – abbreviated hours this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

IV. Saturday- Princeton Review SAT students arrive at Camelot by 8:30 AM to take practice SAT.

Coming the week of August 30 – auditions for performance band!

I look forward to seeing you this week!

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 5/23/10

2010-05-24T09:42:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

We have a VERY BIG WEEK in the works – please read this email carefully for the details.

Monday and Tuesday Middle and Upper School students finish up exams.

Starting on Tuesday time is set aside in our schedule each day for graduation preparation. Graduation is an all school event with underclassmen being recognized and winning awards as well as contributing to the senior send-offs. Our ceremony is unlike any you’ve seen elsewhere and promises to be a special tribute to our time together this year.

Wednesday is Spring Festival.

-We’ll be traveling to Forest Hills Park for morning activities.

-Students will be assigned a team color to wear on Wednesday along with sneakers (NO SANDALS FOR SAFETY REASONS). Please be sure that students wear clothes that can get wet, dirty and speckled with washable paint.

-Students should also bring some spending money if they wish to purchase hamburgers, hot dogs or fries from the Only Burger truck (see menu at http://www.durhamcatering.com/onlyburger) or if they wish to purchase an ice cream treat from the ice cream truck.

-Pick up from Camelot at the regular time. Wednesday is the last day of regular afterschool care/study hall.

- Wednesday night a group of Upper School students and staff attend the Color Purple at DPAC. Jill will provide meeting time and place.

Thursday is a half day. After a full run through of the graduation program yearbooks will be distributed.

Lower School pick up is at 12:30 PM.

Middle and Upper School pick up at 12:45 PM.

School closed at 1 PM for all except those signed up in advance for Optional Care.

Friday – drop off by 8:30 AM at the Carolina Theatre.

Pick up from Camelot at 11:45 for Lower School and at 12:00 PM for Middle and Upper School. NO OPTIONAL CARE AVAILABLE.

Saturday – all students, accompanied by at least one parent/guardian, attend the graduation ceremony at the Carolina Theatre. Please arrive by 8:45 AM in proper dress attire.

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW!

Last Call for Educamp sign up for week of June 7 (Camelot students only)!

Upper School students met with Thelma on Friday to review GPA and transcript issues and the opportunities for honors credits via Camelot summer programs. LAST CALL FOR COURSE SIGN UP – ASK YOUR STUDENT FOR THE HANDOUT FROM THIS MEETING!

Our new purple tie-dye Camelot T-shirts are a hit (thanks to teacher Lori Hilliard).

We’re taking orders to outfit the whole family. $15 per shirt.

Email me with the size you want by end of day Monday and we’ll try to get shirts by the end of the week.

Looking towards next school year…..

We have an Upper School applicant from Nigeria. Natasha’s family is looking for a few host families – preferably with an Upper School female student of their own – for her to stay with during the year. We envision her moving from 2-4 host homes over the course of the school year. Natasha’s family would make direct financial arrangements with the host family. If you are interested in discussing this possibility with Nathsha’s family please let me know.

More news about the January trip to Spain. NETC now accepts credit cards and has an EZ Pay system. Sign up by June 15 for the best rate. Please see Ms Celia with questions.

Wow! Thanks for reading this through to be sure we all keep up with all of the excitement!

See you soon.

Thelma

Weekly Update 5/16/10

2010-05-16T06:21:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Are you going to Artsplosure in downtown Raleigh this afternoon? Our Camelot Credit band performs at the Kidsplosure stage today at 2 PM. Closer to home, both bands take the stage at Broad St. Café this Thursday at 5 PM. It’s a great opportunity to order some dinner, enjoy the music and socialize with other Camelot families.

Congratulations to our Ultimate Frisbee team who played valiantly in the tournament yesterday. Coach Paige sent me a glowing report about the players, their supportive families and honorary team member Olivia Arges who stepped in to help her classmates in a pinch!

Pictures of all the fun of Evening of the Arts and Wacky Tacky Day are posted on the Camelot web site. Enjoy!

Also on the Camelot web site is a copy of the graduation reception RSVP: http://www.camelotacademy.org/forms.php. If you have not already, please complete and return this info tomorrow – graduation is less than two weeks away!

Before we get to graduation, Middle and Upper School students have final exams to take. Middle Grades students begin these exams on Wednesday, Upper Schoolers start the fun on Friday. All students have come home with Exam Review Sheets for each subject for parents to review and sign.

Upper School students have also gone home with info about attending an evening performance of the musical The Color Purple at DPAC next week. We have 20 tickets on hold – Ms. Jill is taking reservations first come-first served.

Crates are out Monday and Tuesday for Upper School parents. This is the last opportunity to review student work this year.

All clubs except Lower School soccer have now concluded. In addition, this is the last full week of school for the year. Check your school calendars for the details of next week – we have early closing days, Spring Festival, graduation rehearsal and the whole school graduation and awards ceremony on Saturday, May 29.

Rest up – lots of fun and excitement and limited time to do it in! I hope to see you at Artsplosure this afternoon or at Broad St Café for dinner on Thursday.

Have a great week.

Thelma

Camelot Update 5/9/10

2010-05-09T21:25:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms and grandmoms in our Camelot Family.

Thanks to everyone for turning out for the Evening of the Arts. It is truly a highlight of the year to celebrate the many talents of our students and the supportive and appreciative parent audience make it a joy.

Also, thank you from all of us for the many lovely gestures extended to the teachers last week in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week.

The last Spirit Day of the year is this Friday. The theme is Wacky-Tacky.

Dance club has concluded for the year and does not meet this week. Several other clubs have their last sessions this week – drama club, home arts, Ultimate Frisbee and Guitar. Girls’ basketball will have a make up practice scheduled, probably next week, and will meet as usual this week. Lower School soccer continues through NEXT week.

Mark your calendars for Artsplosure next Sunday, May 16. The Credit Band takes the Kdsplosure stage at 2 PM.

Remember to sign up for the January 2011 trip to Spain by June 15. See all of the details at: www.educationaltravel.com
Username: battlegroup
Password: abroad

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 5/2/10

2010-05-03T09:33:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to eighth grader Elisabeth Parker and senior Michael Berro, our school winners for the AMC10 and AMC12, respectively. Several of our students made strong showings with scores well above national averages on this difficult math exam taken by the nations’ best math students.

Congratulations to Module 9 Merit Award students - Wyatt Grose and Danny Sutton. Also, congratulations to Honor Roll students: Angela Dodson, Ben Kirby, Sean MacNair, Sophie Reiter, Cameron Stell, Tessa Yong, Zachary Milkereit, Tyler Thigpen, Grace Kirkpatrick, Olivia Arges, Kriea Giffin-Dean, Carolyn MacNair, Elisabeth Parker, Brian Powell, Josh Stallings, Zachariah Claypole White, Max Fried, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, Liz Reeder, Meg Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Ryan Siebens, Alec Porter, Molly William, Jung Yoon and Amanda Stevens.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. If you have the time, please send a card or email to any of the wonderful folks who help to make our school such a great place. Such gestures are always greatly appreciated.

Pictures of the semi formal dance held last weekend are now up on the website. Check it out!

This Friday. May 7, is our big night – Evening of the Arts! We’ll assemble at the Hayti Heritage Center and the program begins at 7 PM. This is a required parent event and a true highlight of the year – you won’t want to miss it!

Parent Service opportunity – we need someone to video tape the Evening of the Arts program and make a few copies of the recording for some of our international students whose parents will not be in attendance. Please let me know via email if you have suitable video camera and tripod and are willing to do this recording and copying.

Speaking of parent service, if any of your participation over the school year was overlooked on the recent invoices that were sent home, please let Wendy know and we’ll make the adjustment. We do our best to keep track of lots of different activity but, inevitably, some things get overlooked.

Ultimate Frisbee Schedule Reminders:

Practice, Tuesday, May 4th 3:30PM-5:30PM
Home Game, Thursday, May 6th 4:00PM vs. Zion Christian Academy
Home Game, Tuesday, May 11th 4:00PM vs. Pace Academy
Home Game, Thursday, May 13th 4:00PM vs. Woods Charter School

THERE MAY BE AN ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT SATURDAY MAY, 15TH.

Middle Grades reminder – balance of the Virginia trip is due this Tuesday.

Upper School reminder – YMCA trip release forms are due Monday – trips start this week.

AP students – the big exam is this Thursday and will be administered by Scott Mitchell at the Hayti Center. Jill will provide specific instructions. AP students may take the afternoon off from classes with parent permission.

It is shaping up to be another busy and exciting week. I look forward to seeing you on Friday night!

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 4/25/10

2010-04-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to seventh graders Grace Kirkpatrick and Lance Wilkes for qualifying for state level recognition in the Talent Identification Program.

Thank you to parent Lisa Warner for putting spring flowers in our planters. The porch becomes an especially lovely spot at this time of year and the new flowers add a colorful touch.

Kudos to ninth grader Liz Reeder for spearheading the planning of the semi-formal dance. She had wonderful assistance from Josh Pettway-Hinton, Alec Porter, Jung Yoon, Elisabeth Parker, Meg Rusconi-Warner, Zachariah Claypole White, Josh Stallings, Caroline MacNair, Rachel Roush, Grace Kirkpatrick and Amy Hillsman. Special thanks to teacher Lori Hilliard for shopping assistance and also to teachers Matt Wilhelm, Jill Sugg (and hubby Palmer), Jenny Feaster, Dan Hill and Celia Battle who generously gave of their Friday night by helping to chaperone. The gathering was a huge success and it was great to see our wonderful young people have such fun together and looking so lovely in their fine clothes!

The Ultimate Frisbee team won their first game! Their second game is “home” (Forest Hills Park) on Tuesday at 4 PM. Go Frisbee Knights!

Exciting news! The international trip for next school year will be to Spain. We look forward to giving everyone an opportunity to use their Spanish knowledge in mid-January 2011. Read all about it on our trip web site:
www.educationaltravel.com
Username: battlegroup
Password: abroad
The trip is open to students in grades 5-12 (in the 2010-11 school year). A parent or guardian must accompany students in the 5th and 6th grades. There is an early sign up discount (by June 15) as well as an extended payment plan. Please contact Ms Celia with any questions.

This Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning all students in grades 2-11 will take a nationally standardized test (ERB) per the requirements of the State of NC. For students in grade 2 this is a practice run as national norms are not available. For all other students the results become part of the permanent record. Our students have spent the past several weeks preparing and are ready to show their stuff. We ask that families make an extra effort to see that students come to school on these days well rested, on time and having had breakfast. If your student is sick on one of these days, please keep him/her home and we’ll schedule a make up testing time.
-Kindergarten and first grade students will be on a field trip with Ms Paige and Mr. Mike each of these mornings.
-Seniors are to be working on their graduation speeches on these mornings and will report as follows: Wednesday at 11 AM – to the Hayti Center to work with Ms Roni on Evening of the Arts; Thursday and Friday – arrive at Camelot at 12:30 PM.

Please be sure to save the evening of Friday, May 7 to attend the Evening of the Arts. Students will share their work from music, band, dance and drama classes as well as bedazzle us with their many talents as part of the talent show. This is a true highlight of the school year held at the beautiful Hayti Center from 7-9 PM. More details to follow.

Have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 4/18/10

2010-04-18T06:23:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to senior Molly Williams who has been accepted into the Honors College programs at both UNC-Greensboro and UNC-Wilmington.

Upper School gym trips are almost finalized – we are waiting on one more option to be presented to us.

Lots coming up this week….

Talent Show auditions continue for students of all ages – sign up sheets are posted in the Big Hall!

Monday and Tuesday – Upper School crates are out
Tuesday is a drop in advisor day from 8 to 8:20 AM.

Tuesday is our first Ultimate Frisbee game! Our game is at 4 PM at Clover Garden School in Burlington. Camelot will transport students to and from in the coaches’ cars although parents are welcome and encouraged to come to the game as well. Anticipated return to Camelot is 6:30 PM – players will call their parents if the time varies significantly. Directions will be on our web site by end of day Monday.

Wednesday- make up dance club session

Thursday – Deadline for senior graduation items
- A least five pictures (max of 8) of your senior copied onto a CD (showing early years progressing to present)
- Parent Wishes to your Senior

Friday- Spirit Day – “Dress like your favorite type of dancer day” – think Saturday Night Fever or pointe shoes, flapper girl or Tango. Our fun way to set the mood for the school dance that evening.

Friday – Semi Formal Dance at Lyon Park (grades 7-12)
8 PM- 11 PM.

A week from Saturday – May 1 - 10 AM- 2 PM – Grand Opening of Southpoint Animal Hospital (owned by Wyatt Grose’s mom – Lisa Farling!). Stop by to learn about this unique new facility that boasts individualized pet care, an emphasis on dental care, and a mix of eastern and western medical care for pets. (5601 Fayetteville Rd. 27713)

Have a wonderful week!

Thelma

Weekly Update 4/11/10

2010-04-11T06:22:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to senior Viola Samadi on her acceptance to UNC-Greensboro.

Kudos to Module 8 Merit Award recipients Wyatt Grose and Danny Sutton.
Congratulations to Module 8 Honor Roll students Angela Dodson, Ben Kirby, Sophie Reiter, Tessa Young, Tyler Thigpen, Byron Willot, Alex Berro, Grace Kirkpatrick, Olivia Arges, Kriea Giffin-Dean, Michelle Hill, Elisabeth Parker, Brian Powell, Josh Stallings, Zachariah Claypole-White, Max Fried, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, Liz Reeder, Meg Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Amber Rogers, Ryan Siebens, Alec Porter, Ian Reid, Michael Berro, Molly Williams and Amanda Stevens.

There’s a lot of activity at Camelot these days. Please note the following carefully.

DANCE CLUB CANCELED TOMORROW (Monday, April 12)- dancers will go home with a sheet that needs to be returned Tuesday with their availability for a make up session.

LOWER SCHOOL SOCCER STARTS THIS WEEK. Sign up forms are on our website under “forms.” Kindergarten-2nd grade starts tomorrow, 3rd-6th grade starts Wednesday.

ULTIMATE FRISBEE is in need of a few more players (grades 6-12, co-ed). Those who turned out last Thursday had a great time. Practice this week is on Tuesday and Thursday at Forest Hills Park. Please get your forms in! (Extras are on the office door).

AUDITIONS FOR THE TALENT SHOW will start this week. A sign up sheet will be posted in the Big Hall tomorrow for 5-minute slots at lunch and after school later this week. Students will be selected to perform both at upcoming Morning Meetings and at the Evening of the Arts on May 7.

UPPER SCHOOL PE trips to the gym will start next week – the week of April 19. We are making arrangements to work with a different gym and will send home details later this week.

The SPRING DANCE (grades 7-12) is set for Friday, April 23 at Lyon Park. Tickets go on sale this week ($10) and a bake sale will also run all of this week (open to students to all grade levels) to help defray the costs of the venue rental and DJ.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL meets at LYON PARK this Friday (only). All other remaining practices will be at Yates.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST – certain weeks of Edu-Camp and certain EXPLORATIONS summer programs are near capacity. SIGN UP NOW to ensure a space for your student.

Have a great week!

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 4/4/10

2010-04-04T06:21:00.000-04:00

Greetings! I hope that you and your family are enjoying a wonderful Spring Break together.

Reminder – school reopens on TUESDAY for students and staff.

Welcome to our newest student – seventh grader Justin Sharpe- and his family!

Thank you to parent Robyn Stephens for running the ever popular Lego Club. That club has now wrapped up for the year.

Sixth through twelfth grade students have one new club being added to their repertoire. Ultimate Frisbee Club will have one practice and one game per week starting this week with a practice on Thursday, April 8, at Forest Hills Park. Students went home with sign up info last week.

Next week (week of April 12) parent Hank Eichin will launch the Lower School Soccer Club which will run until the end of the year. Look for a flyer going home for sign up this week.

Also next week (week of April 12 ) Upper School PE classes will have the first of three classes at Millennium Gym. We are finalizing details with the gym and will send home more details this week.

The Spring Dance will be held at Lyon Park on Friday, April 23. Fundraisers to cover the cost of the DJ and venue will include a bake sale starting this Tuesday.

Mid-Semester grades for 3rd-12th graders were mailed home just before break. Please sign and return any warnings by Tuesday.

Enjoy the rest of your break and we’ll look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

Best,

Weekly Update 3/21/10

2010-03-21T12:02:00.001-04:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to senior Jung Yoon on his acceptance to Elon University. and to senior Molly Williams on her acceptance to UNC-Greensboro.

Thank you to all of the Middle and Upper School parents who sent in food for the international breakfast that was part of our wonderful Immersion Day. Also, kudos to Ms Celia for planning the fun activities.

We also appreciate the support of all of the parents for our faculty retreat schedule. Our meetings provided a valuable opportunity to work through the remaining events of this year and to get a running start on plans for next year.

The final count on our Haiti fundraising efforts was $1081. Many thanks to the many students, parents and staff members who made this a huge success.

We have an Open House today from 2-4 PM. Please send your friends or stop by yourself to check out another division of the school. This is our last weekend open house of the year.

Dance club students are reminded to bring their sweaters and hats to class tomorrow. Parents – please pick up from the downstairs lobby.

Upper School PE students should be advised that the gym trips planned this week have been postponed to after Spring Break.

Mid Semester grades will be mailed home this week for students in grades 2-12. Mid Semester Warnings will also be sent home, where appropriate. Please be advised that these warnings are sent to the families of students who should focus to improve their performance in a class. They are NOT part of the permanent record.

Spring Break begins next Monday, March 29 and continues through Monday, April 5. School reopens on Tuesday, April 6.

Have a great week and a safe and happy Spring Break!

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 3/14/10

2010-03-14T13:13:00.000-04:00

Greetings!

I hope that you are enjoying this “spring forward” day – the weather is certainly cooperating! This week marks the half-way point in our semester - summer will be here before we know it!

Congratulations to senior Viola Samadi on receiving an Academic Award from Meredith College for $32,600.

Congratulations to senior Jung Yoon on his acceptance as an international student to UNC-Greensboro.

Congratulations to senior Amanda Stevens on her acceptance to Highpoint University and her receipt of an $18,000 Henry Hood Award from Guilford College!

Way to go Camelot Class of 2010!

Some cause for further celebration….Module 7 Merit Award students are Wyatt Grose and Danny Sutton.

Module 7 Honor Roll students are Kathryn Barnes, Elizabeth Provenzale, Sophie Reiter, Tessa Young, Ryan Felton, Zachary Milkereit, Tyler Thigpen, Byron Willot, Alex Berro, Grace Kirkpatrick, Olivia Arges, Kriea Giffin-Dean, Elisabeth Parker, Brian Powell, Josh Stallings, Tate Arges, Zachariah Claypole-White, Lennon Klinger-Mehrbach, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, William Radcliffe, Liz Reeder, Megan Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Amber Rogers, Ryan Siebens, Alec Porter, Michael Berro, Molly Williams, Viola Samadi and Amanda Stevens. Wow!

SPECIAL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK-
School closed at NOON on Thursday for Faculty Retreat. School remains closed on Friday for retreat.

Optional Care is available on Thursday afternoon and Friday BY ADVANCE RESERVATION. Please contact Wendy on MONDAY if you need to sign up your Lower School student.

Middle and Upper School students will participate in Immersion Day on Thursday morning. Students were given a sign-up form on Friday that is due back tomorrow for contributions to the international breakfast spread. Please complete this form and return.

Call for yearbook pictures – if you’ve got any photos of school events please email them ASAP to yearbook@camelotacademy.org. We are trying to round out our own photo collection and would appreciate the help.

Upper School crates are out on Monday and Tuesday and Tuesday from 8:00- 8:25 AM is drop in Advisor Day.

We have our final weekend open house for the year next Sunday, March 21 from 2-4 PM. Please tell your friends or plan to stop by yourself to check out another division of our school.

The upcoming week:

Monday-
Upper School crates are out.
Middle and Upper School students return Immersion Day forms.
Lower School deadline to sign up for Optional Care this Thursday or Friday.

Tuesday-
Upper School crates are out
Upper School drop-in advisor time.

Wednesday-
Online lunch orders due by 11:59 PM
MID-SEMESTER!

Thursday-
Middle and Upper Grades have Immersion Day in the morning
SCHOOL CLOSED FOR EVERYONE AT NOON
Optional Care available to Lower School

Friday-
SCHOOL CLOSED – FACULTY RETREAT
Optional Care available to Lower School

Sunday-
Open House 2-4 PM

Have a great week.

Thelma

Weekly Update 3/7/10

2010-03-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Lots more to celebrate this week.

Senior Molly Williams has been accepted to UNC-Wilmington.

Senior Amanda Stevens got more good news from Meredith College – a Collegiate Academic Award for over $32,000!

On the Haiti relief fund front the school easily surpassed the goal of $1000 in funds raised. Stay tuned for a final total.

This week Ms Jenny is hosting a celebration of the math holiday Pi Day. Upper School students should sign up by Wednesday for what kind of pie they will bring to share on Friday. Yum!

Parent Service Opportunity – spring cleaning day at Camelot – Saturday, March 20. Email Mike Glynn at mike@camelotacademy.org to sign up.

Duke is running a free ADHD workshop on March 22 at 6:30 at the Teer House in Durham. “The ABC's of ADHD” will cover nutrition, sleep, exercise, relaxation, organization techniques, and stress management. To register online or learn more go to:
http://www.dukehealth.org/events/20090917153449828

Standardized testing for students in grades 2-11 will take place in April. If your student has qualified for any special accommodations (such as extended time, directions read aloud, etc.) please confirm that we have this in our records by sending me an email. Documentation of the need for such accommodations must be noted in the results of outside testing completed within the past three years – a copy of which must be on file at the school.

Summer,,,,SUMMER….SUMMER!!!
The time to register for Camelot’s great options is now….please go to the web site or the office to get a copy of the materials.

Have a great week.

Thelma

Weekly Update 2/28/10

2010-02-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Lots of great things to celebrate this week!

Welcome to our newest student – ninth grader William Radcliffe.

Congratulations to senior Viola Samadi on her acceptance to Meredith College. Congratulations to senior Jung Yoon on his acceptance to Drew University (NJ) and Guilford College with an $18,000 Henry G Hood Scholarship.

Each member of the senior class now has at least one college acceptance in hand…more to come. What a wonderful milestone to reach!

In other great news, our Camelot community has raised close to $800 to support the Haiti relief fund. Enthusiasm is so high that students and teachers have asked to extend the bake sale another week with the goal of reaching $1000 by Friday. Many, many thanks to all who have baked and all who have contributed to this effort. The focus on helping others has put an important element of selflessness into the school vibe.

Scott, Paige and Coach Dan worked the summer camp fair at University Mall yesterday. By all reports they had more interest in our programming than ever – and the brochures were handed out to back that up! Please be sure that you get your choice of programming by completing your registration soon. All of the info is on our web site or stop by the office if you’d rather have a brochure copy.

Tomorrow is the final re-enrollment deadline for 2010-11. It appears that we are poised to break our own records with several classes already full. If you have not yet turned in your re-enrollment paperwork, please do so tomorrow.

In addition, Wendy asked me to include the following reminders:

Reminder to Parents of Seniors -
Thursday, March 4th the Graduation Invitation Order is due to Wendy in the office. (This includes both invitations and name cards)

Reminder to Early Re-Enrollment Families -
Monday, March 1st the final tuition payment is due.

Reminder for Annual Re-Enrollment Families -
Monday, March 1st Re-enrollment Fees, Applicable Set-Up Fees and, for those choosing Option 2, tuition fees are due.

I hope you have a great week.

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 2/21/10

2010-02-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to senior Amanda Stevens on her acceptance to Meredith College.

Kudos to Module 6 Honor Roll students: Angela Dodson, Alex Berro, Grace Kirkpatrick, Andrew Pettyjohn, Olivia Arges, Elisabeth Parker, Rachel Roush, Josh Stallings, Zachariah Claypole-White, Max Fried, Lennon Klinger-Mehrbach, Bri Oleson, Josh Pettway-Hinton, Liz Reeder, Megan Rusconi-Warner, Sarah Chetty, Amber Rogers, Ryan Siebens, Ryn Wilkes, Ian Reid, Michael Berro, Molly Williams, Jung Yoon, Viola Samadi and Amanda Stevens.

Our basketball Knights have won one and lost one tournament game. They’ve played well in both games and finish up the season this Tuesday at 4:30 PM versus Clover Garden. The game will be played at Franklin Academy in Wake Forest. Parent drivers are needed to transport departing Camelot promptly at 3:15 PM. Basketball parents who can help transport should please send me an email. All parents pick up from the game at 5:30 PM.

Our Haiti relief efforts continue this week with the coin drive and a bake sale. All families are strongly encouraged to support both efforts.

Friday is Spirit Day. We’ll celebrate with Crazy Hair Day!

If you haven’t done so already, please check out our great summer programs. Details are online. Scott attends a camp fair next weekend after which time some of our opportunities will fill up quickly.

Reminders for the week:

Tuesday – final Knights tournament game
Wednesday – online lunch orders by 11:59 PM
Friday – Spirit Day – Crazy Hair Day

I hope that you have a great week.

Best,

Thelma

Weekly Update 2/14/10

2010-02-14T13:16:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

I hope that you are enjoying the weekend and all that it brought with it – snow, valentines and a day off from school! A reminder, school is closed on Monday (tomorrow) in observance of President’s Day.

It was great to see so many people in conference. It seemed to be a particularly productive round of meetings. For those who attended, we reviewed all of the new summer programs being offered at Camelot this year – including several one week programs aimed at 12-18 year olds – many carrying the option to earn honor’s credit. Our website will be updated with all of the info in the next day or two and I’ll send a separate email to alert you of such. The ads and listings about the program are out, so enrollment is officially open.

Clubs are in full swing this week. Last call for enrollment in girls’ basketball, guitar club and Tuesday yearbook before we have to cancel due to insufficient enrollment. If you are interested, please register by Tuesday, as final decisions must be made.

Speaking of clubs – Miss Jenny’s club is in need of coupons for Joanne Fabrics and AC Moore. Please forward her any you might come across.

Module 6 Honor Roll will be announced by Wednesday and we’ll plan something special for those making both Module 5 and Module 6 Honor Roll with an Honor Roll Day this Friday.

The next leg of the Haitian relief fundraising is underway – the coin drive. Each homeroom is set up with a collection box. Please round up your loose change and add to our efforts.

We have another Open House this week – once a year we run an open house in the late afternoon and such will be the case this Thursday from 3:30-5:00 PM. Please tell your friends or stop by yourself if you are looking for a chance to explore another division of our school.

Our Basketball Knights play their tournament next weekend. Players should stay tuned for an email with the final practice and game schedule. We are looking into scheduling gym time for a practice or two now that the tournament has been moved a few days later.

The Upcoming Week:
Monday – School closed in observance of President’s Day
Tuesday-Module 7 begins
Wednesday – online lunch orders by 11:59 PM
Thursday – Open House 3:30-5:00 PM
Friday – Honor Roll Day

Have a great week.

Thelma

Weekly Update 2/7/10

2010-02-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

Congratulations to our Mathcounts team for a strong showing at
Saturday's regional competition. It was a great effort by team members Elisabeth Parker, Brian Powell, Justice Lanphear, and Sean MacNair. Ms. Anne sent me an email thrilled with the progress our school made as a whole as well as the accomplishments of each of the individual team members.

Also, congratulations to our basketball Knights. Not only did they win Friday’s game versus Hopewell Academy but they played a game in which every member scored! This coming week is the last week of regular games before the tournament.

Family conferences are this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. THERE WILL BE NO CLASSES ON THESE DAYS. All Lower and Middle School families must schedule a conference during this time period. If you have not already done so, please see your child’s classroom teacher first thing on Monday morning to sign up for a time. Upper School conferences are by request – contact Wendy for an appointment time. PLEASE NOTE: Sr. MAPP, Middle Grades and Upper School students are required to attend their conference.

Student efforts to raise money for Haiti relief have been hugely successful. They have raised $120 in just 3 days with the “dress code violation fee.” Due to the days lost to snow the dress code fundraiser will continue this Monday and Tuesday. When we return from conferences and President’s weekend there will be a coin drive and then a bake sale. More info on that to follow next week.

Speaking of snow days….if you ordered lunch for your student last Monday or Tuesday the amount of the meal was credited back to your account. Orders were NOT transferred to this week.

LAST CALL!
- All club sign up needs to be in the office tomorrow (Monday)
- Optional Care for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday must be arranged by tomorrow (Monday)
- Financial aid forms are due by Tuesday

A look at the upcoming week:

MONDAY-
Deadline for club sign up and Optional Care
Dance club (Durham Arts Council), Lego Club (young) and Drama Club (young) meet
Basketball AWAY game – 4:30 PM Fletcher Academy(Raleigh) -players depart 3:15 PM (NOTE: Fletcher Academy charges admission to games)

TUESDAY-
Deadline for financial aid applications for 2010-11
Lego club (older) and Yearbook club
Basketball AWAY game – 6 PM – Woods Charter School (Game time may be moved to 4:30 PM – we are awaiting word)

WEDNESDAY –
NO CLASSES – Family conferences
Optional Care available by advance sign-up
Basketball – tentative make up game versus Zion Christian (TBD)

THURSDAY –
NO CLASSES – Family conferences
Optional Care available by advance sign-up
Basketball practice at YATES 3:30- 5:30 PM

FRIDAY-
NO CLASSES – Family conferences
Optional Care available by advance sign-up

MONDAY – February 15
School closed in observance of President’s Day

Have a great week. I’ll see you in conference!

Best,

Thelma