Parent Newsletter: May 2008

MAY GREETINGS,
This newsletter contains information concerning recent and upcoming events and other items of interest to parents and families. To further keep you informed, you will receive the Parents’ Post and Blair Bulletin in the mail. I also suggest that you visit “Important Dates” (located at the bottom right section of the Parents’ page on the Blair Web site.) This section provides weekend highlights and other dates of interest. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions for future newsletter items or questions.

Sue Habermann P’07, ’04, ’02
Director of Parent Relations
habers@blair.edu
908-362-6121 ext. 5653 or 888-542-5247 (option 4)

SPRING DANCE CONCERT
On Thursday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m., the Blair Academy Dance Department, under the direction of Clarissa Newby Phillips, will present “The Art Gallery: Of Picture and Prose.” The concert is based on the works of various artists, including Thierry Ona, Annie Lee and others, with music by artists such as Nina Simone, Lena Horne and Jose Miquel Wisnik. DuBois Theatre, Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts.

BLAIR STOCK
An afternoon of fun-filled activities, music and outdoor barbecue is in store for Blair on Sunday, May 18, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Student bands will be competing and outdoor games of wiffleball, Frisbee, volleyball and more will be taking place.

PROM
This year’s Junior and Senior prom will be held at Macaluso’s in Hawthorne, NJ on Tuesday, May 20. Parents should feel free to come to campus and take pictures of their son/daughter and friends. It’s a great opportunity to see everyone in their finest and chat with other parents. Click here for a listing of local florists and beauty salons. Flowers may also be ordered by contacting JoEllen Van Vliet at ext. 5605. To view photos from last year’s prom, click here.

SENIOR PARENTS
From the Health Center
You should have received a copy of your student’s immunization records. Please keep them in a safe place, since his or her college will need this information.

From College Counseling
Commencement Photo Opportunities!
Blair seniors and their families will now be able to have a photographic memory of the events that make graduation at Blair such a special experience. Gruber Photographers, a renowned event photography company from New York City that for 20 years has been providing photography services for discerning individuals (see www.gruberphotographers.com for a complete listing of their clients and services), will travel to Blair with a large crew to capture in picture the various 2008 Commencement activities. Beginning on Wednesday afternoon, May 21, at the Class of 2008 Assembly and concluding with the traditional luncheon in Marcial Field on Thursday, May 22, after Commencement, Gruber Photographers will be working behind the scenes to capture these important events and then posting all the pictures on a Web site for students and parents to select and purchase. Included will be scenic shots of the Blair campus, action photography of the senior marches to Baccalaureate and Commencement, candids of the Commencement ceremony, shots of each graduate receiving his or her diploma, and photo stations during the luncheon for individual portraitures and family/group shots.

How to See the Website…
By June 23, all of the pictures from the 2008 Blair Graduation will be posted on the Web site: www.pictage.com. Interested parties will search the “Blair Graduation” register, create a personal password, and use the “event key” (bucs) to access the pictures. Interested parties will view their area(s) of interest and will be able to activate the “create folder” function that allows them to gather images of their child in a “favorites” folder. Once they have a folder, they can change images to black and white, crop, specify the size of an image, and create a photo album of their selections. During the “check out” phase, a credit card and a shipping address are all that is necessary to purchase their selections. Pictures will be delivered in two weeks; albums in three to four weeks. If you have any questions, contact Lew Stival at stival@blair.edu.

YEAR-END SCHEDULE FOR SENIORS –
MAY 19 THROUGH 22
To see the schedule for senior week and photos from last year’s commencement, click on the following links:
2008 Senior Week Schedule
2007 Commencement Photos

YEAR-END SCHEDULE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN
Thursday, May 22
Commencement
No Classes

Friday, May 23
Class Day Schedule

Saturday, May 24
Community Weekend (This weekend is designed to build in structure for exam preparation. Parents are asked not to take their sons/daughters off campus.)
Class Day Schedule

Sunday, May 25           
Community Weekend
Underclass Exam – Math PM

Monday, May 26
Underclass Exams – English AM; Languages PM

Tuesday, May 27
Underclass Exams – Science AM; Conflicts PM
Underclass Prize Assembly, 5:00 PM – required for all underclassmen; formal attire.

Wednesday, May 28
Underclass Exams – History AM
Last Day of Full Meal Schedule

Thursday, May 29
Dormitories Close for the Summer

CREW
Once again, the Blair Crew Team retains its MAPL championship title. To see photos of the winning team, click here. Join the Varsity Crew Team for the Stotesbury Regatta, Philadelphia (Schuylkill River) on Saturday, May 17.

UNDERCLASS PARENTS - DON’T FORGET
Your student’s medical paperwork is due to the Health Center by JULY 15. Make his or her doctor appointment as soon as possible. The forms can be downloaded by clicking here. You will need to have your physician complete Medical Forms A and B. Contact the Health Center at ext. 5625 if you have any questions.

BLAIR SUMMER SCHOOL IN SPAIN – OPENINGS STILL AVAILABLE
This summer Don Morley, chair of the foreign language department, will be venturing to Segovia, Spain with students from June 21-July 22. The school is open to all students, whether they are in Spanish 5 AP or are brand new to the language. Our host institution offers courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. For more information, click here.

PARENTS’ WEEKEND
Fall Parents’ Weekend is scheduled for OCTOBER 24-25, 2008. Don’t forget to make your hotel reservations early. For a preliminary schedule of the weekend’s events, click here.

PARENT VOLUNTEERS
A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the parents who helped with last week’s Parent Phonathons and to parent volunteers who helped during the school year. Your support – in so many ways – helps us to provide our students with the best education possible. You may sign up for next year’s volunteer activities by clicking here.

TAKE A CHANCE TO WIN A 2008 PORSCHE BOXSTER!
Raffle tickets are still available for the car raffle. They cost $100 per ticket, and only 999 tickets were printed. Click here to purchase tickets on-line, or for more details. Thank you to all of the Parent Volunteers who helped sell and purchase tickets, and special thanks to Gail Tannenhaus P’07, ’11, who chaired the Car Raffle once again this year.

ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT
Show your support for all the positive things happening at Blair by investing in the Blair Parent Fund and help us reach our goal of 80% parent participation (last year we had 77% participation). Every gift – large or small – is important and appreciated. Send your gift today or give securely on-line by clicking here.

2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
Please use this calendar to help you with planning for next year.

ALUMNI WEEKEND
June 6-8, 2008 – Don’t skip out on all the fun! Click here for more information.

Let us know if you have any e-mail address changes by contacting lists@blair.edu.