Friday, November 13, 2009

Dear Pilgrim School Families, First Church Members, and Friends Near and Far,

It has been another fantastic week at Pilgrim School!  The week began with our Second Annual Golf Tournament organized by the amazing Coco Wilson, aka Pilgrim’s Goddess of Golf.  Pilgrim is so fortunate to have volunteers of Coco’s caliber.  The ‘Golf A-Go-Go’ tournament was great fun, and we doubled our income from last year’s event.  Funds raised help support our athletics and physical education program.  If you see Coco, give her a thank you hug – even if you were not able to attend this event, she had a direct impact on your child’s education.  Thank you, Coco!!!

While I was busy at the Braemar Club selling beverages from my golf cart, students in Grades 1, 2, 3 and Kindergarten were participating in Read-a-Thon sponsored activities.  They visited the local public library, the historic Felipe de Neve branch just across the street.  Children’s librarian Laurie Moore wowed the students with her storytelling prowess.  Next week our 4th and 5th graders will have their own mini-field trips to the library.

Read-a-Thon Book Buddy posters are hung in the hallway leading to Stuart Hall.  They depict the students’ favorite literary characters, and are a lot of fun.  Elementary students are also participating in our first-ever Book Critics Program.  They have recommended books for their peers to read; some of their recommendations are listed below.  The students are very excited about this program, and are creating book groups to discuss their literary interests.  Read-a-Thon Chair Kathryn Atwood initiated the Book Critics, and the kids are loving it – thank you, Kathryn!

I hope you will support the Read-a-Thon by making pledges for your student’s reading, and by helping your student find other pledgers (grandparents, neighbors, colleagues).  The Elementary grade level with the most student participation will have a special field trip with me!  Every Secondary student who participates will receive a token of appreciation from our Development Director, Toni DeVito.  Funds raised will help to support our libraries, another Pilgrim area which has a direct impact on every student.

The Scholastic Book Fair (another Read-a-Thon event!) runs from Monday, November 16 through Tuesday, November 24.  Our goal is to sell 1,000 books!  We receive a portion of the proceeds, which goes back to – you guessed it! – our library in the form of new books.  If we reach our goal, I have agreed to be duct-taped to a wall!!!  I know you would all love to see me taped-up and immobilized, so come by Amanda Scott and visit.  I want to thank parents Linda Sallas and Love Streams, who have organized the entire Fair.  They still need volunteers; if you are available please e-mail them via the Scholastic link below.  Thank you to all who are supporting this terrific Read-a-Thon program!  If you would like a preview of books that will be available, you can ‘shop ahead’ at http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/books/wishlist.asp.  Remember, books make great Christmas gifts!

The Sixth Grade Choir (aka The Terrific Trebles!) had its debut performance at the LA Mart this week, under the direction of our wonderful new music teacher, Amber Farris.  Stay tuned for our Christmas program on Friday, December 11, where they will perform again, along with all of our students in music and dance.  And stay tuned for more plans for our music program, which I am busy developing.

Some of our students and families have been “looking ahead” this week.  At yesterday morning’s Coffee and Conversation, Ms. Melanie Salter, Dr. Kidder and I met with 6th and 7th grade parents.  All students in those grades will be taking a study skills class to reinforce note-taking and other strategies for success.  Last night some of our High School faculty members and I met with 8th Grade students and parents to talk about what to expect in High School.  Some of our 9th Graders spoke about the opportunities the 8th Graders can look forward to.  And today our Fifth Graders got a ‘Sneak Peek’ at what it’s like to be in Middle School.  They had a special science lab with science and math teacher Ms. Erin White, which was great fun for all. 

The week ahead promises many exciting Pilgrim School events.  Tomorrow we host an Admissions Open House at 9 a.m., with another on Tuesday at 6 p.m.  Wednesday evening is our first-ever Dads Club meeting at 6 p.m.  Dads, if you have not yet responded, please R.s.v.p. at rsvp@pilgrim-school.org.  I have surprises in store, and you won’t want to miss out!

The November TAPPS meeting is Wednesday at 8 a.m.  All parents are invited – encouraged in fact! – to attend.  Earn a volunteer hour, meet fellow parents, find out all of the latest plans for the Christmas program, and more!

A reminder that all-school chapel is on Monday, and that Elementary students should wear their formal chapel wear.  Wednesday is 5 p.m. dismissal for preschool, and Thursday is 12:45 dismissal for Grades 7 - 12 so the students have extra time to study for finals, which begin the next day.  (Grade 6 is dismissed at 3 p.m.)  Parents, please make sure your students arrive on time, well rested and well fed so they can perform at their best.

Congratulations to our Elementary students who are on the Headmaster’s List and Honor Roll, who are listed below!  Your hard work is paying off, and we are all very proud of each of you.

Have a wonderful weekend!

With best wishes,

Mark A. Brooks

Head of School

PS:  Please remember to telephone the front office if your student is home ill, which assists us in keeping attendance.  Thank you!

DATES TO REMEMBER

Saturday, November 14

9 a.m.:  Admissions Open House

Monday, November 16

All-School Chapel

Scholastic Book Fair opens!

Tuesday, November 17

6 p.m.:  Admissions Open House

Wednesday, November 18

8 a.m.:  TAPPS Meeting

5 p.m.:  Preschool closes early for faculty meeting

6 p.m.:  Dads Club meeting at the Jonathan Club

Thursday, November 19

12:45:  Early dismissal, Secondary (to study for finals)

3 p.m.:  6th Grade Dismissal

3:30 – 6:30:  Grade 8 Movie Evening, at Pilgrim for history class

Friday, November 20

Secondary Finals begin

Saturday, November 21

10 a.m.:  Secondary Final (for some students)

Sunday, November 22

Noon:  FCCLA Thanksgiving luncheon

Tuesday, November 24

1 p.m.:  Grandparents and Special Friends Day (Elementary and Preschool)

Last day of Secondary finals

Wednesday, November 25 – Friday, November 27

Thanksgiving Recess

Monday, November 30

Read-a-Thon Ends

Secondary trimester begins

ATHLETICS NEWS AND DATES

Varsity practice for Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball and Boys Varsity Soccer begins Monday, November 16.

HEADMASTER’S LIST, Quarter 1

4th Grade

Punisa Lekovic

Alexander Liang

Yasmine Yemofio

Elisabeth Yokote

HONORS ROLL LIST, Quarter 1

4th Grade 5th Grade

Odduachi Appleberry Trevor Altenburg

Louis Armstead Jayvier Davis

Jason Bae Steven Gi

Christopher Catacutan Max Gleiberman

Wyssanie Chomsin Garrett Ikegami

Lily Kachikis Maeve Johnson

Kieran Kelly Shota Kawai

Diane Kim Ha Neul Kim

Justin Kim Sean Kim

Na-Yeon Daisy Kim Raymond Nava

Sophia Lopez Melia Rigney

Declan McCambridge David Ryoo

Mikio Metoyer Myles Stafford

Jacqueline Min Journey Streams

Evan Nachtrieb

Neha Naran

Madeline Song

Gabrielle Traylor

Ryan Willoughby

ELEMENTARY NEWS

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is coming up!  If you would like to have an invitation sent to a relative, please send the information to rsvp@pilgrim-school.org.  We are going to have a very special program for our extended Pilgrim family members, and a very special surprise, as well.  We don’t want your children’s loved ones to miss it!

ELEMENTARY ART NEWS

Katrina Alexy writes:

The holidays are fast approaching and the art room is gearing up. We'll be creating beautiful ornaments to adorn the trees outside of the church and lots of surprises for students to take home to celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza!

I am very excited to be attending the California Art Educators Conference this week and want to thank Pilgrim for its support in allowing me to attend the workshops the CAEA are offering this Friday.  I will be taking various workshops to learn new art-making and teaching techniques, and to network with other art teachers from across the state. I can't wait to share my new findings with my students.  The California Art Educators Association is the professional organization dedicated to the advancement of art education at all levels in the state of California.

LIBRARY CORNER

The next Parents Book Group will meet in January.  Please contact Librarian Marjorie Clifton if you are interested in joining.

Thank you to Jake Gleiberman’s family who “adopted” a book for the Secondary Library in honor of his 12th birthday!

KITCHEN CORNER

Ivan Rukavina, Head Urban Gardener, offers the following update:

We have newly planted bok choy, choho (a Japanese leafy green), and brassica rapa, a leafy green that is common in Chinese cuisine, will be added to stir-fries, soups and noodle dishes.

Red cabbage is being planted, and Mrs. Evans’s class will plant the rest of the red cabbage between the already existing plants.  As they mature we will weed out the weaker plants.

Herbs and strawberries are doing great, and the zucchini is still producing.  Most likely in mid-December we will pull them.  The bok Choy and choho will mature after Christmas break.

Yesterday after school, students were helping with the planting. They were happiest when they found grub worms!

Thank You, Ivan for all your help with our Urban Garden.

COMMUNITY SERVICE NEWS

In conjunction with Scholastic Book Fair, students can bring in extra cash or change to donate money to buy books for our neighborhood public school, Commonwealth School. For every dollar we raise, Scholastic Books will add a matching dollar to buy books for homeless children.  The Community Service Club thought it would be a good idea to make it a contest, so we could earn points for our teams. Secondary students can bring their donations earmarked towards their team. So it's a win, win, win situation! Let's all pitch it to support reading and books for all.

We will be collecting non-perishable food items for Hope-Net on the evening of our Christmas program.  Suggested donation:  one item per person!

THANKSGIVING DINNER UPDATE

Thanksgiving is Our Heritage

Sunday, November 22, 11:00 a.m.

Mark your calendar and join us for Thanksgiving Sunday, November 22.  Our service will feature traditional Americana music, along with Dr. Colglazier‘s inspirational sermon, “Hard Days, Thankful Times.”  Afterward, we will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner.  RSVP by November 17 with June at 213.355.5233.  Suggested donation is $15, but all are welcome regardless of their giving level.  Consider giving an angel donation so others can attend.

That day, we will also be kicking off our Holiday Outreach.  There will be the opportunity to select a Commonwealth Elementary child in need of Christmas gifts.

In the same seasonal spirit of generosity, we will be collecting dry and canned goods for Hope-Net at worship services from November 1–22.  Thanksgiving is always a wonderful time at First Church.  Don’t miss it.

Financing a Pilgrim School Education

INTRODUCTION

Pilgrim School is committed to making a Pilgrim School education accessible to students from diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds.  In order to accomplish this goal, Pilgrim School offers a financial aid program and three payment plans, designed to assist families meet their payment obligations.  The Governing Board of the School determines tuitions in January of each year, and endeavors to set the tuition at a reasonable level to cover the anticipated expenses for the following school year.

What does a Pilgrim School education cost?

Tuition for the 2009-2010 school year ranges from $1,475 per month for the toddler program, $1,250 per month for the preschool program, $13,500 for junior kindergarten, $13,800 for kindergarten through grade five, $17,250 for middle school, and $19,250 for high school.  Tuitions for the 2010-2011 school year will be somewhat higher.  We also charge for customary fees, such as enrollment fee, parent association fee, grade fees, tuition insurance, payment plan fee.  Additional out of pocket expenses include overnight trips, sports, school uniforms, and lunch.  Parents are also requested to contribute to the annual fund, which covers the gap between the amount raised by tuition and fees, and the actual expenses of the school.

What is financial aid?

As a result of generous donations to the school over many years, a portion of the operating budget is set aside each year for financial aid to help parents who might find the cost of a Pilgrim education beyond their reach.  These funds are offered to admitted applicants or returning students when need is determined.  Pilgrim does not offer loans.

THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS

How do I apply for financial assistance?

A packet of financial aid information is available in the Front Office and the Admissions Office.  The “Parents’ Financial Statement” (PFS) should be completed and mailed to SSS By NAIS, P.O. Box 449, Randolph, MA 02368 no later than January 31, 2010.  Online application is also available starting November 1, 2009 at http://sss.nais.org and is strongly encouraged.  The Pilgrim School code is 5782.  A copy of the completed PFS should be sent to the Pilgrim School Business Manager by Jan. 31, 2010.  A copy of the federal tax return for the year just ended (schedule 1040 and all supporting schedules, including W-2s) should also be submitted to the Business Manager no later than March 1, 2010.  If the federal return for 2009 is not yet completed, please submit the 2008 return (if not already submitted), and copies of the 2008 W-2’s.  When the 2009 federal tax return is completed, please send it in.

Will I qualify for assistance?

Each family situation is reviewed carefully, and an individual decision is made based on all available information.  Therefore, it is very difficult to offer general guidelines by which you can determine your own eligibility.  For further information, or if you wish to discuss your particular circumstances, please contact the Pilgrim School Business Manager, at 213-355-5213.  The school provides tuition assistance to as many families as possible.

What factors are considered?

All of Pilgrim School’s financial aid awards are based strictly on demonstrated need.  Priority is given to current families.  No awards are given to preschool or kindergarten students.  Although family income level is an important consideration, many other factors enter into the decision-making process, including the number of children in the family, number of children attending schools for which tuition is paid, other family dependents, assets and liabilities, unusual expenses, etc.

What if I am separated or divorced?  What if I have remarried?

The non-custodial parent will be expected to complete a separate Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS).  While recognizing that divorce may create challenging situations, it is expected that all available family resources will be committed to a child’s education, from both the custodial and the non-custodial parents.  The school will also consider the resources of a step-parent in making an award determination.  However, unique or unusual circumstances will be considered.

What is the size of a typical award?

There is no “typical” award.  Awards range from $1,000 to an amount close to covering a full tuition.  However, Pilgrim School must exercise caution that it does not commit an unreasonably large portion of its limited resources to a single family.  Currently approximately 55 children are receiving financial aid, and the average award is approximately $5,000.

To what extent will I be expected to use my own resources?

Many families seek assistance through the financial aid program each year, and the school’s resources are limited.  Therefore, we begin the review of each family’s financial circumstances with the assumption that family resources will be used to the maximum extent possible.  We anticipate that this will involve some degree of sacrifice.  We ask that you give careful thought to the maximum amount of tuition which you can reasonably pay, and ask only for that which cannot realistically be paid from your own resources or those of your extended family.

Must I reapply each year for assistance?

Yes.  Financial circumstances often change from year to year, and in order to allocate our limited resources wisely, it will be necessary for you to reapply each year for assistance.  Many families keep copies of their completed PFS forms for reference the following year.

Will my records be confidential?

Yes.  All materials and documentation submitted with the financial aid application are held in the strictest confidence.

Will my application for financial assistance affect my child’s chances for admission?

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No.  Admissions decisions are made without regard to a family’s financial circumstances.

Financial Aid Policies and Guidelines

1. Each family must apply for financial aid each year; it is not automatically renewable.

2. All custodial parents must complete a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) and submit it to SSS.  Online application at http://sss.nais.org is strongly encouraged.  The Pilgrim School code is 5782.

3. All parents must furnish the school with a copy of their current tax return with schedules and W-2’s.

4. Non custodial parents must submit a separate PFS form along with their tax returns and schedules.

5. The school reserves the right to request additional financial information when necessary.

6. When a parent does not work and there are no preschool children or aging parents at home, the school will impute an annual income of $25,000 to the non-working parent.

7. Resources of a step-parent or other family members will be considered in making award determination.  Unique or unusual circumstances will be taken into account.

8. The school may provide financial aid on a temporary basis if a family experiences a temporary or sudden change in its financial circumstances.

9. The school reserves the right to withdraw financial aid at any time during the school year should discrepancies be discovered in the information provided.

10. The Financial Aid Committee determines the allocations of aid according to the following guidelines:

1. Priority is given to returning families.

2. Priority is given to older students whose tuition is higher.

3. Priority is given to families with more than one student enrolled.

4. There are no 100% financial aid awards.

5. There are no awards given to either preschool or Kindergarten students.

Due to limited funding, we refer parents to other resources including, but not limited to A Better Chance, www.abetterchance.org; The Children’s Scholarship Fund, www.scholarshipfund.org; The Education Resources Institute (TERI), www.teri.org;  Citiassist K – 12 Loans (Citibank), www.studentloan.com.

For further questions, call the Pilgrim School Business Manager at 213-355-5213 or SSS helpline directly at (800) 344-8328 (toll free).