From your Midtown Principal, Rhonda Jones
Parents,
Our first week of classes have been GOOD! As I’ve bounced from class to class, watched teachers share their crafts, and listened to students engage in conversation, I’ve repeatedly thought this is beautiful! Art is crafted in the daily rhythms of the Rhetoric School and it’s beautiful to behold. It’s a formational artform….one that takes shape as thoughtful ideas meet collaborative conversations. Witnessing this formation reminded me of two things! 1) How much I love my job – love watching students grow into thoughtful and confident individuals who claim truth as a virtue to pursue! 2) Something I recently read in Breath For The Bones by Luci Sha
“Art is the impulse that gathers materials from almost anywhere in our rich, fragmented universe and imposes a kind of lucidity, an order to the chaos, and finds significance everywhere. Art seems to be the product of our human impulse to find expression for that something within us that responds to our environment, which sees connections and cries out to be expressed, to reflect the meaning in beauty and vice versa……God felt it when, after six days of creation, He shouted, GOOD!”
I am shouting and sharing that GOOD has happened amidst busy hallways and lunch time chaos created by bouncing basketballs and the sound of pool cues hitting 8 balls. In the words of Paul, Rhetoric students “are His workmanship [Poiema – Greek for something made; origin word for poem & poetry], created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. (Eph. 2:10)
A Few Logistics
Uniform – The Academy is aware that Land’s End is behind, and parents are not receiving orders. Please do not stress about the details of your child’s uniform as there is a pause on multiple key vendors. Land’s End is working to send out your orders as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience and will work with you in this time.
Night to Unite – Friday Sept. 10th – Event details has been distributed via email. If students attend the event, they may wear the event shirt (tie-dye House shirt) and modest athletic shorts to school on Sept. 10th. All Rhetoric students will dismiss at 3:10pm on Sept. 10th. Transportation to the event will be managed by parents and students.
Midtown Late Start Information – As a part of our new Rhetoric school schedule, we purposefully created opportunity for students to have 1 late start day 1 time per month. Late start dates and details are below. Students who need to arrive at the normal time can do so! They will participate in a study hall time until 8:40am.
Late Start Days Begin at 8:45: IN THE SCHOOL area instead of the dining hall.
Matins: Occurs in classrooms instead of the Chapel.
Drivers: Enter South doors as usual and come directly to the school area.
Riders: Drop off in the North lot as usual but ENTER DOORS under the white portico East of the playground entrance.
Students Who Arrive between 7:45 – 8:40am: Come directly to the school area (as described above) and join study hall in Aristotle.
Text Alerts & Reminders: Text reminders will be sent on the Tuesday and Thursday before a Friday late start.
First Semester Late Start Dates
Excused Absences or Appointments – If your student is ill or needs to miss school for an appointment, please call the school office or email Mrs. Vishanoff at bvishanoff@theacademyok.org
If your student needs to leave due to a planned appointment, communicate approval for the departure. If your student is not a driver, parents are asked to come into the school and sign out the student. Drivers can sign themselves out for appointments if prior permission from parents is documented.
Upcoming Calendar Events
Mondays – Chapel, formal uniform
Tuesdays – Lyceum, we will often have a guest speaker and Spirit Days monthly
Thursdays – Off Campus Lunch Day; Teresa wears jeans & Academy Spirit tops all year!
Athletics – No athletic events will be depicted below. Please refer to the BAND app or school website
Sept 6 – NO SCHOOL; Labor Day
Sept 10 – D&R Night to Unite, 4-8pm
