Dear Parents,

It is with great fanfare that we ask you all to put forward names of those you believe should join the illustrious ranks of the Parents’ Association Steering Committee.

Please e-mail me or Wendi Hauck with nominations. (Please don’t post names in responses to this post.)

It’s also time for people to think about who would be great class parents for next year.

These important positions require people of unwavering…nah, forget that stuff…

Really, if you believe you or someone you know could make a difference at BCD, and have or has the desire to be involved, please throw their name in the hat!

Nick

Dear Parents,

I’m always hyping the Parents’ Association, as though the group is something distinct from all of you, but it isn’t.

I don’t like the holidays, and I don’t even like vacations, so I’m not going to wish you a Happy Holiday.  I will, instead, thank you for your hard work and commitment to making BCD such a great place for your kids.

And I’m thanking all of you.  What an amazing job you’ve done, and are doing right now. Really, I’m astonished at what great parents you guys are.

Wow, just thinking about that made my holiday a little better.  Thank you.

Nico

I’ve been dismayed to hear from parents that it’s still not easy to get to the photos.  Here’s a link my wife and I got in an e-mail from Sean back at the beginning of the process.

http://pictage.com/735656

it should take you to the pictures.  If you can’t get in, register for a Pictage account (you’ll have to do this if you want to order pictures), and then click the above link.  It should take you to the BCD 2009 page.  I’ve heard from some people that their kids are listed in the wrong grade. Please take a moment to look above and below your child’s grade level.  If you have more than one child and they had their picture taken with their sibling, make sure you look in both their grades for the group photos.

I’ve let Sean McLaughlin, the photographer, know about our woes, and he is looking into it, and will soon have more info for us.

Please hang tight–Sean promises it’ll work out.

Nico

Dear Guys,

I’m so glad so many of you got your Berkshire Grown orders in.  Thanks!

Apparently, more than a few families didn’t receive photographer Sean McLaughlin’s October e-mail regarding ordering individual student photos this year.  Sean doesn’t know why some people didn’t receive them–though you might want to check your junk e-mail folder.

Sean gave me these instructions, along with the assurance that the photos will always be there–don’t panic!

Sean says, “instruct the parents to go to Pictage.com and search for ID #735656 BCD 2009 and it should take them where they need to be.”

If, for some reason, this doesn’t get you where you need to be, please let me know at: nico.raposo@raposogroup.com.

Best,

Nico

Okay,

I know you’re busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. I also know the holidays are coming up and we all know how relaxing those are…

But why haven’t you guys returned your Berkshire Grown orders?!?!

We’re trying to make this the ONLY PA fundraiser this year.

Don’t want Berkshire Grown? Write us a check! Really. That’s all you have to do.  Write a check for $50.00 to the PA and you’re off the hook.  But without that check or without your Berkshire Grown order, the PA won’t be able to do all the stuff we do, like:

• Provide food for Grandparents (do you really want to cut off your folks?!)
• Provide food for Campus Day (Yeah, all they’re doing is making BCD look great!)
• Pay for outside speakers
• Organize (and PAY FOR) all those assemblies your kids come home talking about Friday afternoons
• Pay for and staff Movie Night, Bingo Night and other community building activities
• Support the administrative budget of the school
• Organize things like THANKSGIVING SOUP, etc…

A lot of you do a lot, and I know it can seem incomprehensible that we need your support beyond what you already do, but please, look at that form and put in your order.

Checks appreciated too, of course.

Nico

Anyone who knows anything about BCD can tell you that Campus Day has become one of the best, funnest, superest, superlative laden parent bonding experiences every year.

This year was no exception, and we’ve got the pictures to prove it!

Before we get to the pictures, I want to give a special shout out to Margaret Lindenmaier, whose hard work organizing this event has made it so exciting. Also, the expertise and generosity of Larry Bingham, John Piasecki and Joe Sonsini helped us all achieve much more than we could have on our own.

(full disclosure: I worked on the kiosk/wall extension project, so it is heavily featured below)

We were met first thing with a sumptuous feast of breakfast goodies, including some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, wow, zing! Yeah! (if you don’t know what I’m referencing, please see The Waiting Room tonight).

Eric Wilska, Glen Novak, Margaret Lindenmaier, Wendi Hauck and Nigel

Early on, Larry Bingham, Phil Knoll and Don Harwood were hard at work on the new Upper School swingset.

Don Harwood sets post supports, Phil Knoll and Larry Bingham

Meanwhile, my hero, Joe Sonsini cut stone with the biggest saw I’ve ever seen.  Joe worked, taught, and mentored a large crew of people while supplying all the materials and tools to get the job done.  Thank you, Joe!

Joe Sonsini

Here, Joe, Chris and Charles Weld work out how to place the next corner stone.

Chris, Charles and Joe hard at work

Tyler Sonsini, Peyton Schiff and Bryce Schuler help Joe Sonsini lay the final stone in the project.

Tyler Sonsini, Peyton Schiff, Bryce Schuler and Joe Sonsini

Finally, and this is my favorite picture of all, you get to see many (but not all) of our volunteers who stuck around for pizza (supplied, incredibly generously, by Theresa Sonsini).  What a great crowd, what a great day!

Say Pizza!

Some key players missing from this picture: Glen Novak, Pier Boutin, Mark Hyman, and Wendi Hauck — and those are only the people I remembered had left.

I hope everyone who didn’t make it this year due to the rescheduling will try to get out for our next Community Campus Day.

Nico

Dear guys,

I know it’s taken a month to get this post out, and that’s just insane, but I really want everyone to see just a tiny glimpse of the great work done by our Grandparents and Grandfriends’ Day Chairs, Courtney Howell and Stephanie Iverson back at the beginning of October.

The Welcoming Committee! –I think…

Coffee and treats in Fitzpatrick!

Doria Pollinger and Hillary Ferrone hold off the teeming masses!

While behind the scenes, vital work is getting done!

Here you can see Event Co-Chair Stephanie Iverson and Administration Liaison Joanne DelCarpine making sure everything’s covered.

The pictures don’t do it justice, but at least you should know that the Parents’ Association is working hard to make sure events at Berkshire Country Day School come off without a hitch!

Thank you, Courtney, Stephanie and all the volunteers!

Nico

I just wanted to post something to thank our Grandparents & Grandfriends for coming today, and to thank all our PA volunteers, particularly Courtney Howell and Stephanie Iverson for chairing the day!

Thank you all!

Nico