| July 25, 2011 | Issue 1 |
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The Collegiate
Connection
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From Our Head of School
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Dear Families and Friends of TCS,
It's hard to believe, but summer is winding down. We have only two more weeks of Summer Adventures and our first faculty meeting is less than three weeks away!
I am enjoying the children who have been here this summer. I was served a wonderful lunch a week ago by the children in the Kids' Café and the special treats made by the group in Bakery Fun were amazing! Many of our faculty members have been here teaching Summer Adventures camps, while others have been in their classrooms already preparing for the arrival of your children in August.
The beginning of a new school year is always a wonderful time. As educators, we are fortunate to be able to begin anew each year. New students, new class assignments, new books and new colleagues all make for an exciting beginning of the school year. For me, this year is particularly exhilarating. I am thrilled to be at Topeka Collegiate and honored that you have entrusted your children to our school.
Topeka Collegiate is fortunate to have an outstanding faculty who lovingly welcome your children to school each day and challenge them to reach their full potential. The addition of two new faculty members will enrich our community. All of us will benefit from the contributions they will make to our school. I have been so impressed with all the ways the faculty have given of themselves and their expertise to this school and your children benefit from their combined experience. As parents we know an extraordinary education is the best gift we can bestow on our children!
Please join us for the Annual All School Picnic on Sunday, August 14, 2001 at 5:30 pm. School begins for all but the youngest children on Wednesday, August 17th. (Jr pre-K and afternoon Pre-K classes begin on September 6th). We anticipate having approximately 220 children enrolled for the fall. There are a few spots still available if you know of someone new to town or have a friend contemplating a change for their child. Our current families are our best ambassadors. Please spread the word about all Topeka Collegiate does for your family to your friends and neighbors!
I look forward to meeting all of you soon and can't wait to welcome your children back to school in August.
Sincerely,
Mary Beth Marchiony Head of School |
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Calendar Highlights -- August and September |
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Thursday, August 11 -- New family
orientation and social, 5:30-7:00. commons. Adults
only, please.
Friday, August 12 -- Last day of summer day camp.
Sunday, August 14 -- Back-to-school picnic, 5:30 p.m. at school (see details below)
Tuesday, August 16 ---- -- Orientation for full-day Pre-K students, 4:30-5:30 p.m. -- Meet the teacher, school-wide, 4:30-5:30 p.m. -- Orientation for 6th grade students, 4:45 p.m., commons.
-- Wednesday, August 17 -- Welcome back! First day of school for students in full-day Pre-K through 8th grade; noon dismissal (Junior Pre-K and afternoon Pre-K begin Tuesday, September 6).
Friday, September 2 -- Orientation for Jr. Pre-K and afternoon Pre-K students and their families, 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Monday, September 5 -- No school (Labor Day).
Tuesday, September 6 -- First day of school for students in Junior Pre-K and afternoon Pre-K.
Monday, September 26 -- No school (professional development day). |
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New Family Orientation and Social -- Thursday, August 11 |
| All new parents are invited to a new family orientation and social at Topeka Collegiate School on Thursday, August 11 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in the commons at the north entrance to the school. There will be a short program at 6:00 p.m.; light refreshments will be served. This evening is for adults only, please. Your RSVP to Admissions Director Linda Kehres is greatly appreciated: 228-0490 or lkehres@topekacollegiate.org . |
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Back-to-School Picnic -- Sunday, August 14 |
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All parents and students, current and new to our school, are invited to join us as we kick off a new school year with a back-to-school picnic on Sunday, August 14 at 5:30 p.m.
We will supply hot dogs, drinks, and your table service. If your last name begins with letters A through M, please bring a dessert to share. If your last name begins with letters N through Z, please bring a side dish.
Questions? Please contact Mary Loftus at mloftus@topekacollegiate.org. |
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Tuesday, August 16 Activities |
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The evening before school begins, all of our classrooms will
be open between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. to give students and
their families a chance to meet their teachers. This is a
casual, drop-in opportunity.
An orientation for incoming 6th grade students and their parents will take place in the commons beginning at 4:45 p.m.
Orientation for students and parents enrolled in our full-day Pre-K will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Pre-K classroom. |
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Forms We'll Need From You On or Before the First Day of School |
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To make sure that we have all the necessary information to begin our school year smoothly, please take a couple minutes to look over the forms we require before your child begins attending classes. All forms may be found on our web page (www.topekacollegiate.org) under the "Forms" link at the top of the page or by clicking here . Please return completed forms to the school office.
Information for All Students:
Every family will need to print out and
complete a new Directory Form
and a Health Form '11-'12.
If your child needs a new spirit shirt (the
cost of which is included in your tuition),
you will need to print and complete a
Spirit Shirt Order Form. A
completed Computer Acceptable Use
Form is required to be signed by
both the student (all ages) and a parent.
Parents should review (but not necessarily
print out) the Tuition Management
Plan, Health Room
Information, 2011-2012 Immunization
Guidelines, and When Is My
Child Too Ill to Attend School?
document.
Information for New Students:
In addition to the
pertinent forms required of all students,
a School Entry Health Assessment Form is
required for new students in grades K through
3rd. Parents with Pre-K students will
need to contact the office for a state health
assessment form.
Information for Middle School Students:
If you have a middle school student (grades 6-8)
who is interested in participating in Parochial
League sports, the student needs to have a
physical exam dated after May 1. The
Sports Physical Form must be completed
and signed by a physician or other qualified
medical provider. Students will only be allowed
to participate in practice and competitions when
this form is on file in the health room.
Parents of Middle School students should also review the Middle School Supply List. The supplies should be sent with your student on the first day of school.
Please contact the office at 228-0490 if you have any
questions regarding our enrollment forms.
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First Day of School for Full Day Pre-K Through 8th -- Wednesday, August 17 |
WELCOME BACK TO TOPEKA
COLLEGIATE SCHOOL!
We hope your summer has been rejuvenating and restful, and
that you're ready for a another school year to begin! We've
been working hard all summer preparing for your return, and
are looking forward to saying hello to our old friends and
to making new friends!
The first day of school for students entering full-day Pre-K through 8th grade is Wednesday, August 17th. School begins at 8:15 a.m. (8:25 a.m. for Pre-K students). The first day of school is a half day; students will be dismissed at noon (11:45 a.m. for Pre-K students). No lunch will be served and no child care will be available.
Thursday, August 18 is our first full day of school. Lunch will be served and extended day care will be available.
The first day of school for students enrolled in our Jr. Pre-K and afternoon Pre-K classes will be Tuesday, September 6.
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Orientation for Jr. Pre-K and Afternoon Pre-K -- Friday, September 2 |
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Orientation for students entering Jr. Pre-K and Afternoon Pre-K will be held Friday, September 2 at 10:00 a.m. More details about the orientation will be released as the date approaches. |
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First Day of School for Jr. Pre-K -- Tuesday, September 6 |
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Classes begin Tuesday, September 6 for students enrolled in our half-day Jr. Pre-K program. |
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Summer Reading Lists Now on TCS Home Page |
 Information on required summer reading for students entering Kindergarten through 8th grade is available on the TCS home page (topekacollegiate.org) by clicking on the "Programs" tab and selecting "Summer Reading" from the drop-down menu; or by clicking here. |
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About our Lunch Program |
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Students may bring lunch from home or eat school lunch. The monthly menu will be posted on the TCS website under the "Calendar" tab.
School lunch choices are: hot entree, salad bar, or peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with healthy side dishes. A choice of milk or water is included with all meals. Healthy snacks (fruit, cheese, yogurt) are also available. Lunch is charged to your RenWeb account. Prices are:
Hot lunch, pre-K - 2nd grade: $3.00
Salad bar, pre-K - 2nd grade: $3.00
Hot lunch, 3rd - 8th: $3.40
Salad bar, 3rd - 8th: $3.40
Milk, pre-K - 8th: $.60
Second entree: $1.30
Second side dish: $.80
Sandwich only: $1.30
Healthy snack: $.55
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TCS Summer Adventures |
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Campers in our "Bakery Fun" classes created tasty treats like these frosted sugar cookies. At the end of the camp, the goodies were sold to friends and visitors, with the profits going to charity.
The concrete retaining wall on the east side of campus (facing Hope Street) was the blank canvas for the kids in the "Mural in the Morning" camp. They designed and painted this landscape mural during the week of July 5th; their handiwork was even featured on Channel 49! Click here to follow the link to KTKA-TV.
(Below) "Engineering with LEGOS" offered students the chance to learn the basics of engineering in a fun way, using gears and pulleys and those familiar LEGOS blocks.
Kids created sculptured creatures, bracelets, hair ornaments, and more from fuzzy fibers they made into fabric felt in "Fibers to Felted Fun."
Check out this video of students in the "Rube Goldberg Machine" camp as they watch the results of their many-layered solution to building the better mousetrap - or in this case, watering a plant in ten steps or more:
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Around Campus |
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While a student at Interlochen Arts Center in Michigan this summer, fifth grader Daniel Mangiaracino was selected to perform a piano solo for Collage - a concert featuring the the best students' performances. Daniel was the only solo musician, and one of only five Junior Advanced students invited to perform for the audience of 4,000 people.
The Summer Eagles, a basketball team composed mainly of TCS sixth graders and coached by TCS parent Joe Pennington and past parent Ben Coates, played in four tournaments this summer and took first in their division at the Lindsborg tournament.
A highlight of the summer: the team tour of Allen Fieldhouse and working with KU basketball players Justin Wesley and Jeff Withey. Wesley worked with the guards, Withey with the "big guys." Coach Pennington says the young players were very attentive and eager to learn from the college players, and maybe just a little star-struck.
Back row: Satchel Pennington, James Warren, Nick Johnson, Jyucshi Williams. Middle Row: Drew Mahan, KU's Justin Wesley, Chase Hochard. Front Row: Ryan Reza and former TCS student Simeon Sykes
First grader Teddy Mac Decker takes flight as Michael Darling in the opeka Civic Theatre's production of Peter Pan. You can see Teddy Mac soar Wednesday through Sundays with dinner and non-dinner shows through August 13. The box office number is (785) 357-5211.
Teddy Mac loves flying onstage and acting with his real mom, Chelle Decker, who plays his stage mom, Mrs. Darling.
Little did Chris Yorke '98 know when he landed a summer internship with world-renowned treehouse designer Pete Nelson, that he would end up on an all-expenses-paid trip around the world to photograph treehouses. Yet that's what happened. Chris' travels took him to exotic locations in Brazil, India, Thailand and Australia. His photos appear in Nelson's "New Treehouses of the World."
Chris stopped by recently to sign a copy of the book for the school library, and to share some of his experiences with summer campers.
After his globe-trotting adventures, Chris returned to the U.S. and earned his master's degree in architecture at Princeton.
Third grader Kailah Forstein rocks her Collegiate t-shirt while horseback riding on vacation in Colorado.
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| Babysitters Needed |
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As a service to our families, we are starting a babysitting list with names of TCS Middle School students and high school alumni.
If you are interested in babysitting for school families, please copy and complete this form and return it to the school office.
Please note: We can't add names to the list without parental permission. Thank you. |
| Volunteer Spotlight |
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Thanks to the Middle School students who completed a variety of jobs around the school earlier this month. You were a great help and we appreciate you!
(left) Mark Brownback
(right) Jeremiah Shipman
(left) Pete and Grant Sumners
(right) Chris Gernon receiving instruction from Mr. Patterson
(below) Alex Carter and Jacob Cole
(right) Jordan Farris
(left) Adam Cole |
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Referral Rebate Program |
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Do you know a family who might be interested in enrolling their child at Topeka Collegiate? If so, you might interested in our referral rebate program. The program offers a $500 rebate for new student referrals, to be awarded once the student is enrolled. Options on how to apply your rebate are listed below:
To refer a student please contact, Linda Kehres at 228-0490 or lkehres@topekacollegiate.org. Thank you for helping us grow our school by referring new families to Topeka Collegiate. We appreciate your ongoing support. |
| Earn Money for Collegiate Through Everyday Activities! |
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You can earn money for Topeka Collegiate through everyday activities like going to the grocery store, searching and shopping online, and recycling useful products. Click on the links for more information on participating brands and special promotions.
-- Dillons grocery store merchandise cards are available for
purchase in denominations of $20, $50, and $100 in the
school office.The cards may be used at any Dillons store for
merchandise including prescriptions and gas. For every
card you buy, Topeka Collegiate receives a six percent
rebate. For every $1,000 of Dillons cards we sell, the
school receives $60, for example. The 6% rebate will go in
to the Eagles Flight Fund, which will be used to support our
school's operating budget. The Dillons card is like cash. It
buys a full $20 worth of groceries or gas, but cannot be
replaced if it is lost and is not reloadable.
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HyVee grocery store merchandise cards are available for
purchase for $20, $50, and $100 each in the school
office. Like the Dillons cards, Topeka Collegiate receives
6% of all sales. Best
Choice Labels -- When you purchase Best Choice brand
products, clip out and return the UPC portion
(the proof of purchase) to the office. For each bundle of
1,000 UPCs, our school will earn $30. Topeka-area stores
that carry Best Choice products are Apple Market, Tilton's
Westside, Price Chopper, Perry Lecompton and Oskaloosa
Thriftways, and Checkers.
  Tyson
Project A+ Labels -- Labels from boxes and bags of
Tyson frozen chicken products are worth 24˘ to Topeka
Collegiate. Clip the end flap from boxes (top
left) or the top edge from bags (bottom right).
 Office
Depot 5% Back to Schools Program -- 5% of your purchase
comes directly to the school in the form of free
supplies. School supplies qualify for the program, while
computers, technology items, and other items do not. Simply
identify TCS as your school choice at the checkout and/or
supply the school ID number: 70039209. Past purchases can
be credited to the school as long as they were made within
the last quarter.  Target
Take Charge of Education Program -- Apply and get approved
for a Target REDCard. When you enroll, designate TCS as your
school of choice and Target will send our school a
no-strings-attached check worth up to 1% of your REDCard
purchases at Target and Target.Com. Recycle your old cell phones, printer and toner cartridges, plastic containers marked with a 1 or 2 within a triangle, paper, corrugated cardboard, and newspapers -- all of these items are collected and redeemed for cash. Please place old cell phones and printer cartridges in the collection boxes across from the main office in the teachers' workroom. Plastic, cardboard, paper, and newspaper may be placed in the marked Dumpsters on the east side of the campus. |
