News

A Message from Linda Kramer

Dear Middle School Parents,

We spent most of this week “finishing up” in almost every area of Middle School. The Holiday Gift Drive donations were made to area charities (thank you again for your generosity), classrooms were abuzz with discussions and activities, and we are wrapping up the week with a fabulous Holiday Bazaar! Read more

HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Our annual Holiday Bazaar takes place tomorrow from 11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m. in the Small Gym for all our Middle School students. The girls are allowed to wear holiday tops and accessories with their uniform skirts and shoes for the occasion. We will be handing out shopping bags as they enter, so there is no need to send anything except money with your child.  Most girls do not spend over $20-$30 because all of our products are modestly priced. Our crafts are put out fresh during the three shifts so that the girls who work during the first and second shifts still have “fair” shopping time.  Thanks so much to our advisory moms for their efforts in making all of the wonderful items we are selling and to our Bazaar volunteer chairs, Donna Carlisle and Squeaky Connolly, for their leadership. Natalie Bravo and Megan Thomsen, Student Council sponsors, have worked tirelessly to support our Student Council as they have planned for the event. This is definitely a coordinated effort that benefits a wonderful organization, Promise House! For more information on this organization, click here.
 
SPELLING BEE: As I mentioned last week, interested students recently challenged themselves in the preliminary round of our annual Spelling Bee. Finalists now will compete in our final round on Wednesday, January 11 during a Middle School assembly.  Thank you to Diane Glaser, Middle School English Coordinator, who manages this event for the School. Finalists from each grade level are as follows: in eighth grade – Kelsey Chen, Joy Hu, Kemper Lowry, Faith Wangermann, and Angelina Wu;in seventh grade – Joni Hurley, Julia Luo, Kendall Marchant, Hannah Philip, Ananya Sharma, Naz Soysal, and Catherine Stidham; in sixth grade – Ela Guo, Zoya Haq, Sherry Long, Maddie Muller, and Caroline Petrikas; and in fifth grade – Lily McKenna, Helen Railsback, Anisha Sharma, and Eva Spak. Congratulations, ladies!

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE: Our First Lego League teams competed last Saturday in the first round of that annual competition. Our girls competed against thirty-one other groups in the North Texas Regional Qualifier competition at Parish Episcopal School. They participated in robot games and presented an oral research project during the competition. They were also judged on sportsmanship and robot design. Out of all thirty-four teams, the top eleven teams advance, and there are five award categories. We have two teams advancing and had one team win an award! Sarah Crow, Morgan Day, Veronica Fang, Riya Guttigoli, and Sydney Slay won the project award. This award recognizes a team’s solution that is exceptionally well-researched, innovative, and effectively communicated. They have advanced to the super qualifier that will be held in January. In addition, our team of Julia Haetzel, Madeline Sumrow, Sophia Yung, and Tianxin Xie placed as one of the overall top 11 teams at the competition and have qualified for the super qualifier in January! I extend a deep appreciation to Laura Baker and Lisa Dwinal who have guided the girls through both the preparation for this event and the actual competition, even spending extra hours on weekends and after school. Thank you also to our volunteer parents who helped support the coaches and girls last Saturday.

HOLIDAY REMINDERS: As always, there will be no after-school care for Middle School students on Friday which has an 11:45 a.m. dismissal. Please pick up your daughters at that time. And…we have repeatedly informed the girls that all Lost and Found items and belongings left in the Commons areas will be donated to charity over the holidays.  Please encourage your daughters to make one last check in the Lost and Found and to bring home all items not stored in their lockers. Students return to classes on Tuesday, January 3, 2017!  

In closing, I wish you time to revel with family, to revisit memories of this past year, and to rejuvenate with plans for 2017. Have a very jubilant and safe holiday break!

Linda Kramer
Head of Middle School

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Within the private school community, The Hockaday School is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls from grades PK–12 located in Dallas, Texas. Students realize their limitless potential through challenging academic curricula, arts, athletics, and extracurricular programs so that they are inspired to lead lives of purpose and impact.

The Hockaday School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational, admissions, financial aid, athletic, and other policies and programs.