The Dragon | Newsletter - February 12th, 2018

IN THIS EDITION

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
this Friday, February 15th

Special Black History Month Guest Speaker
Ms. Princess Ann McEvilley

The History of Valentine's Day:
A Blurb from Chelsea Penfield '19

Middleburg Academy Art
at the Franklin Park Arts Center's Youth Art Exhibition

Mr. Paige and Mr. Rueckert on Exhibit
at Middle Street Gallery in Washington, VA

Donation Drive for FOHA: Friends of Homeless Animals

Alumni News:
Kiara Laurenzano '16 on the Mount Saint Mary's Dean's List

Alumni News:
Lizzy Catherwood '16 Studying Abroad

Tutti's Corner

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
this Friday, February 15th

Parent-Student-Teacher Conference Day is coming up this Friday, February 15th! All parents (along with their students) are strongly encouraged to sign up for conference slots with teachers.

Conference slots with teachers are available 1pm-6pm.

There will be an early release for students, with dismissal at 12pm and buses departing campus at 12:15pm.

Don't forget that students are encouraged to attend the conferences alongside their parents, so if you are signing up for earlier conference slots it may be best for your child to wait for you on campus.

You will need to book an appointment slot with each teacher you would like to meet with. To do this, go to DragonNet (or click and follow this link) and scroll down until you see the sign up link for each teacher. You must login to your MA email account to access DragonNet! If you can't get into your MA account because you have forgotten your password, please contact Wendy Johnson at the front desk to ask for a password reset - you can call her at 540-687-5581 or email her at wjohnson@middleburgacademy.org. Your family email account is LASTNAME@middleburgacademy.org, although a few families have a 2 after their last name.

Special Black History Month
Guest Speaker
Ms. Princess Ann McEvilley

We are excited to host Ms. Princess Ann McEvilley on campus tomorrow (Wednesday, February 13th) for a special Black History Month assembly.

Ms. McEvilley is the current President and a charter member of the New Dominion Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), a powerful organization founded by Mary McCloud Bethune.

Ms. McEvilley can recall seeing the Selma Marchers arriving into the grounds of her school, St. Jude "Campsite 4" and can even recall catching a glimpse of Rev. Martin Luther King.

After graduating high school, Ms. McEvilley completed her studies at the Tuskegee Institute and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force. She was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina as a Logistics-Supply Officer, responsible as a Lieutenant for up to 300 people in the areas of aircraft support and maintenance, aircraft transition to the F-16, air passenger terminal, weapons, base supply, silver recovery, and more.

Ms. McEvilley, alongside many volunteer and community based services, is currently pursuing a Masters in Theology at Xavier University, New Orleans - Institute of Black Catholic Studies.

We cannot wait to meet her!

The History of Valentine's Day:
A Blurb from Chelsea Penfield '19

Now, the day of love didn’t begin as the holiday we know now, spent with chocolates, gifts, and romantic evenings. Nope: it was named after St. Valentine from the Roman Empire, of the third century AD.

The ruler at the time, Claudius II, thought that men fought better without emotional attachment to a wife, and later banned young men from marrying until they were much older. Valentine thought this mandate was illegitimate and continued marrying young couples in secret. Once Claudius discovered Valentine’s “wrong-doings”, he put him to death.

Although that is just one of the many stories behind St. Valentine’s departure, we know for a fact that he did indeed help couples solidify their love in secret. So what are we supposed to gather from that? Well, the day was named in memoriam of St. Valentine, and the deeds he did for love.

Another interesting connection to ancient Rome is that St. Valentine's Day also falls around the pagan holiday of Lupercalia, which was a festival associated with fertility.

I can say in confidence that Valentine’s Day is here for us to celebrate the sacrifices we make and have made for love.

Middleburg Academy Art at the Franklin Park Arts Center's
Youth Art Exhibition

Art from Middleburg Academy Art students is currently on exhibit at Franklin Park Arts Center’s Youth Art Exhibition. The theme of this years show “The Year of the Pig “ is a celebration of Chinese New Year. Eleven Dragon artworks are Included in the show. Artist participants are Denise Loewinger '20, Holiday Price '20, Samantha Miao '20, Sophia Schaefer '20, Amanda Hess '20, Salem Twiggs '20, Lana Bennett '19, Caroline Heuer '20, Taylor Miley '20, Isabelle Horn '21, and Sophie Kay '20. The Dragon Community is invited to drop by and view the amazing creations of our talented art students!

Mr. Paige and Mr. Rueckert
on Exhibit at
Middle Street Gallery
in Washington, VA

At Middle Street Gallery in Washington, Virginia, art faculty members Wayne Paige and Stephen Rueckert are currently exhibiting their art together in “The Members and Friends” exhibition.

The Middleburg Academy Arts program has much going on this month with the two noted exhibitions in this issue of The Dragon, along with the student exhibition at the Middleburg Library in town. The three exhibitions will be on view until the end of February, so please go check them out!

NHS’s current drive is supporting FOHA (Friends of Homeless Animals), a nonprofit shelter which supports abandoned and displaced dogs and cats in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

There is a donation box located in the front office as well as in advisories. Some of the requested items include the following:

Gift cards to PetsMart, Pet Valu, Petco, Webers, Whole Pet, and Dog Gone Natural
Fromm and Merrick dog food
Friskies and Fancy Feast cat food
6-foot rope-slip leads
Martingale dog collars
Step-in harnesses in medium, large, and x-large
Clumping kitty litter
Cat trees/condos
Cat and dog toys
Bleach
Laundry detergent
Paper towels
Printer paper

Alumni News:
Kiara Laurenzano '16
on the Mount Saint Mary's
Dean's List

Congratulations to Kiara Laurenzano '16 for being named to the Dean's List at Mount Saint Mary's University!

Alumni News:
Lizzy Catherwood '16
Studying Abroad

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Catherwood '16 is participating in a St. Lawrence University off-campus study abroad program during the Fall 2018 semester.

Catherwood is a member of the Class of 2020 at St. Lawrence and is majoring in history and English. Catherwood attended Middleburg Academy. Catherwood is participating in St. Lawrence University's fall off-campus program in Thailand.

Nearly three-quarters of St. Lawrence University undergraduates study abroad, with nearly two-thirds of students studying abroad for a semester or longer. According to the 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, St. Lawrence ranked No. 15 in the "Leading Institutions by Institutional Type-Baccalaureate" category.

The Princeton Review also ranked St. Lawrence 15th for Most Popular Study Abroad Programs in its Best 381 Colleges: 2017 Edition, while Best Choice Schools named St. Lawrence University one of the top-20 colleges in the nation for study abroad opportunities.

Tutti's Corner

Contact Tutti
bscafe@middleburg.com
540-687-5112
540-454-2845
__________________

Lunch is $7, which includes a drink.
A brownie may be purchased for an additional $1.

Monday
Spaghetti & Meatballs with Garlic Bread

Tuesday
Empanadas with Corn and Beans

Wednesday
Fish Sandwich with Chips

Thursday
Pizza

Friday
No Lunch - 12pm Dismissal - Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences

Fruit and a fresh salad bar are available every day.