Spring Sports News Upper and Middle School Spring Sports begin on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009. Upper School Offerings include softball, lacrosse, golf  (fee of $300) and crew (fee of $575.) Parents of Upper School students interested in crew should come to an information session on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Athletic Center Multipurpose Room.

Spring Break Sports Practice Upper School spring sports teams will practice during spring break. Visit the Athletics homepage for specific dates. Practices are mandatory for varsity players and highly encouraged for JV players.

Order your yearbook now The time has come place your order for a 2008-2009 Prism yearbook! The Prism is a chronicle of the year’s events and activities as seen by the students. Although the senior class is very prominent in the yearbook, every grade from lower to Upper School is represented. For more information, click on the download in the left column of this newsletter.

Alex Wake 5K returns in May After a year hiatus due to construction, Baldwin Athletics and the Blue Gray Club is pleased to announce the return of the Alex Wake Memorial 5K Run and Fun Walk on Saturday, May 2. The Run honors Alex Wake, a former Baldwin student whose life ended in tragedy in 2003, and raises funds for a scholarship in Alex’s name.

Winter Musical Notes Save the date of March 1 for the Elizabethan Banquet. Click on the invitation in the left column for more information."Read More" for more news.

Middle School Service Saturday The next Service Saturday will be held on Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon at Cradles to Crayons in Horsham, which is about 30 minutes from Baldwin. All family members are welcome!

Sports Clinics for Lower and Middle Schoolers The next in a series of sports camps and clinics presented by Baldwin Athletics includes a Fundamental Basketball Clinic for Girls (beginning Jan. 31 for grades three to six), an I LOVE LAX Clinic Feb. 21 for grades three to eight) and Spring Afternoon Squash Lessons beginning Feb. 16. Downloadable flyers and registration forms are located on the left. Early registration is encouraged.

BSPN Zone Girls with Game Play of the Week We are 10 weeks away from the greatest game of Baldwin’s history - the BSPN Zone Girls with Game Gala!  We still need team players to help equip the Gala team with lots of fabulous items to auction off.

French exchange celebrates 20th year Baldwin is celebrating this year the 20th anniversary of the French Exchange Program between Baldwin/Shipley and Notre Dame de Mongré in Villefranche, France. Twenty-two students from Baldwin will be participating this year.

Father/Daughter/Special Person Dance is Saturday Don’t forget, the Father/Daughter/ Special Person Dance is this Saturday!  Lifetouch will be there to take keepsake photos. Please remember to bring your filled out form and check made payable to Lifetouch.  For more details, click on the download in the left column or contact Chair Dave Barnes.

Middle School pennies fight Leukemia Middle School Service League is collecting pennies and other change to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Pennies for Patients campaign. Each grade and the faculty have challenged each other to see who can bring in the most to support this important cause. We hope the families of the middle school girls will join in this effort by sending in any extra change they have with their daughters. The challenge runs through Jan. 29.

Community Connections Forums are next Tuesday The meetings scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20 have been rescheduled for the next Tuesday, Jan. 27. Come join us at either 8:30 a.m. or 7:30 p.m. in the Playroom to discuss new ways to bring our community together. We will also be breaking into groups to focus on specific areas of interest and outline our plans for the rest of the year.

Learn about the Spanish trip for eighth graders The Spanish Department and the Middle School are excited to announce an opportunity for cultural and language immersion in Puerto Rico, for eighth grade Spanish students. The trip will take place from June 12 to the 16. There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 127 for all interested students and their parents.

Crew Parents Meeting is Jan. 27 Parents of Upper School students interested in participating in crew this spring are urged to attend an informational meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Athletic Center. Meet the coaches, receive schedules and learn about the sport. This is an important session and the best way to receive information about the season.

Sports symposium focuses on injuries to girls The Baldwin School Blue and Gray Club will present a symposium entitled “Sports Injuries: Preventing the “Warrior Girl” Epidemic” on Wednesday, Feb. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Athletic Center Multipurpose Room. Make your reservation for this much anticipated community service event, which is free of charge and open to all Baldwin athletes, parents and their friends.

Baldwin offers summer science program for girls Baldwin's Science Department is offering "The Physics of Biology," a summer program for girls in grades six to nine from June 15 to July 3 on the Baldwin campus. These laboratory based hands-on sessions will meet Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Lockdown Drill is Friday A Message from Head of School Sally Powell A reminder that on Friday, Jan. 23 between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Baldwin will practice a lockdown drill on campus.  All students, faculty and staff will be required to participate and remain in their assigned spaces throughout the drill.  During the next week, faculty and staff will be instructed how to ensure that all our girls are safe and accounted for.  This procedure is a necessary component of our new Emergency Response Plan that was implemented this year.  Please talk to your daughters about this, reassure them that there is no cause for alarm and that it is very important that they listen carefully to directions.

Lower School BEAR Day, Parent Coffees and More A Message from Lower School Director Baiba Vasys Last Friday all our students saw filmed footage of the stirring speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as he stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and spoke of his dreams for the future of our country.  Yesterday all of our girls were able to view the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.  It has been a monumental week! As a follow up to this historic inauguration, on Jan. 30 our fifth graders will lead the Lower School Gathering. They are preparing for this in Leadership Class, under the guidance of Mrs. Ingrid Danilewitz, assistant director of Lower School.

A Busy January in Middle School A Message from Middle School Director Lois Pressman January can often feel like a very long month on the school calendar, but not at Baldwin. We have had a variety of special events this month that have made this an exciting and special time for us in the Middle School.

Re-enrollment contracts go out next week A Message form Head of School Sally Powell The Board of Trustees will meet Jan. 24 to determine the tuition and salary rates and set our financial aid allocation. In addition, the Board Finance Committee has been considering several different options that will help our families continue to afford the excellent education at Baldwin.  I am reaching out to you for help as we plan strategically for next year and the years ahead.