Steve Says…

The end of the quarter can be stressful, with exhibition and final project work due. This quarter, too, we have our Science Fest with over half of the student body participating. We don’t want students stressed out — our ideal, rather, is students feeling challenged and energized by their work — but we know it’s a busy time and many of you may be feeling stretched.  

My advice to students who feel stressed by their workloads is to, first, make a plan; breaking up work into smaller tasks and plotting those tasks on a calendar is an instant stress reliever and confidence builder, in my experience. 

But most importantly, I advise students to talk to their teachers when their stress levels tip to a counterproductive level. The New School is designed for collegial and positive relationships between teachers and students, and the teachers genuinely appreciate students taking ownership and asking them for guidance. The work doesn’t vanish, of course, but talking to the teacher invariably leads to a balanced perspective and strategies to make the work manageable and get it done. 

I would say that 50% of education is a kind of know-thyself process; yes, education is about learning subject matter and skills, but it’s equally important to know yourself as a learner and worker. It’s not easy being able to tease out what you understand and don’t understand, as you encounter new material and concepts, and it takes time to understand how you work best. 

Our mission as a school is two-part: to help students learn how to apply their learning, what we call “using one’s mind well,” and to work through that know-thyself process and graduate as autonomous students.

Science Fest

Our New School Science Fest will take place on Tuesday, March 29th from 5-7pm. Students and families are warmly invited to attend!

Contact Rachel Lewis at rlewis@newschoolva.org or any members of the science department if you have any questions.

The Baking for Causes Club will also be hosting a fundraiser at that time! Details below:

When: During Science Fest from 5-7pm on the 29th

What: Cupcakes, Cookies, Cream Puffs, Brownies, Blueberry Muffins.

Where: Outside The Main Door 

How Much:
Cupcakes: $1.00
Sugar Cookies: $1.00
Cream Puffs: $2.00
Brownies:  $1.00
Blueberry Muffins: $1.00

Where we’re donating to: The Humane Society 

The Humane Society provides funding for the homeless and animals in need of food and water.

Spring Showcase: Save the Date!

Save the date for The New School’s 1st Annual Spring Showcase!

Date: Sunday, May 15th

Time: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: The New School

You’ll have the opportunity to see student work from throughout the year – including art, photography, writing, projects, and more. You’ll also be able to participate in a raffle for the chance to win prizes. Stay tuned for info on additional activities!

Masks will be required. Safety is our highest priority, and we’ll let you know of any additional mitigations as the event approaches.

Tickets go on sale in April, with all proceeds supporting student scholarships through The John Potter Scholarship Fund.

Can’t make the event in person? No problem! Free virtual tickets will be available. The virtual program is still being worked out, but you’ll be able to see some of the works submitted and participate in the raffle.

We hope to see you there!

A New School Year: 2018-2019 Edition

Haven’t seen the inaugural edition of The New School’s annual magazine, A New School Year: 2018-2019? Now’s Your chance! You can access the magazine via the link below or under the Community menu of https://www.newschoolva.org/.

www.newschoolva.org/a-new-school-year-2018-2019-edition

The goal of this magazine is to give you a glimpse into what happens during a year at The New School. The articles included were written by students, teachers, staff, current parents, and alumni parents. The front and back covers of the print version were designed by 2019-2020 New School Development & Marketing Graphic Design Intern, Surya Punjabi, Class of 2020.

Enjoy!

New School Bonus Programs

Here are six easy ways to support The New School while you shop, and have a big impact for students and teachers:

AmazonSmile works with your existing Prime account and donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases when you select The New School as your charity: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/82-1288652

Through CauseNetwork, some of your favorite online stores will donate a portion of every purchase you make to The New School.  You can sign up at: https://newschoolva.causenetwork.com/

Download the BoxTops app to start scanning your grocery store receipts to automatically find and add products to our earnings online. This video shows you how to scan and submit your receipts.

If you do your grocery shopping online, you can submit your email receipts from select retailers. All you have to do is create a BoxTops account and forward your email receipt to receipts@boxtops4education.com. Visit this site to learn more.

Traditional Box Tops clips may continue to be found on many products. You can still clip them and send them to the school until they expire.

Through Harris Teeter’s “Together in Education” program, when you buy HT brand items, a percentage of those purchase dollars goes back to The New School. This includes purchases made at HT pharmacies.

Go to www.harristeeter.com to link your VIC card today. VIC cards need to be relinked each school year.

New School TIE Code: 5713

At Office Depot, when you provide our school ID at checkout, The New School will receive 5% back in credits for FREE supplies. You can even link an existing rewards card to the school.

Just provide our school ID at checkout, in store and online: 70103652

Save money and donate to The New School at the same time by shopping through DealAid. Through our DealAid link, you’ll find coupons to use at your favorite online retailers. When you use a coupon, money is donated to The New School. Shop through this link to support the school today: https://bit.ly/newschooldealaid

Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions about these programs, contact our Director of Development & Community Engagement, Noelle Andreano, at nandreano@newschoolva.org.