• Fall Family Weekend: Mark your calendars for Fall Family Weekend & Fall Break, October 15–21! Join us for community events, including several social gatherings designed to help you connect with other families. It's also an ideal opportunity to meet with your child's teachers. Visit our Fall Family Weekend webpage to explore the full schedule with daily details. Registration will open soon. Please note: There will be no classes October 16–21; classes resume Wednesday, October 22.

Lower and Middle Divisions

• Regular Late Start: On Wednesday, September 24, school starts at 8:45 a.m. for Lower Division.
• Fall Picture Make-Up Day: Makeup day is Friday, November 7. To schedule your child's individual photo with Generations School Photography, please contact Jackie DiYanni.

Lower Division

• After-School Program Cancellations: The following workshops are cancelled this week due to Outdoor Education Camp. Free play will be provided for any students who need it. 
  • Dance Company on Monday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 24.
  • Surfing on Wednesday, September 24.
• NWEA MAP Assessment: Students in Grades 3 and 4 will participate in the Measure for Academic Progress (MAP) testing in math and reading for the fall testing window on Tuesday, September 23 (math) and Thursday, September 25 (reading). A family guide to MAP testing can be found here. Please let your child's teacher or Kate Bitter, our director of learning support, know if you have any questions about the assessments and their administration.
• Parent/Guardian Roundtable Meetings: Please join Nifemi Lesi and Hillary Johns-Parson to discuss developmental milestones and ways we as a parent/guardian and school team can partner to support your student. Please consider this an opportunity to connect with the school team and other parents. Coffee and light refreshments provided.
  • Grades 1 and 2: Wednesday, September 24, 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. at the Carmel House.
  • Grades 3 and 4: Wednesday, October 1, 9 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. at the Carmel House.
• Field Trip: Grade 2 students will be on a walking field trip to the Farmer's Market on Thursday, September 25, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Please contact Phil Ryndycz with questions.
• Assembly: Families are invited to join us for our Lower Division Assembly on Friday, September 26, 8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. which will be led by Grade 4 students. The assembly will take place at the Amphitheater and we look forward to seeing you there as we celebrate our students and build community together. Please contact Jackie DiYanni with any questions.
• Free Dress Day: This Friday, September 26, is a free dress day. Please check in with your child's teacher with any questions about what attire is allowed.

Middle Division

• After-School Program Cancellations: This week, all workshops are cancelled due to Outdoor Education Camp. This includes: Dance Company, MATE Robotics, Archery, Surfing, Jiu Jitsu and Newspaper Club. Free play will be provided for any Middle Division students who need it. 
• Outdoor Education Camps: Please ensure that students have all the necessary equipment (lists below) for the camp they will attend. If your student requires medication for camp, please ensure that they're provided to the administrative office or the school nurse, Jeannette Vela. 
  • Grade 5 to Big Sur: Wednesday, September 24 to Friday, September 26 – Grade 5 Equipment List; Depart from and return to Carmel campus.
  • Grade 6 to the Pinnacles: Tuesday, September 23 to Friday, September 26 – Grade 6 Equipment List; Depart from and return to the Carmel campus.
  • Grade 7 to Yosemite: Monday, September 22 to Friday, September 26 – Grade 7 Equipment List; Depart from and return to the Pebble Beach campus.
  • Grade 8 to Catalina: Monday, September 22 to Friday, September 26 – Grade 8 Equipment List; Depart from and return to the Pebble Beach campus.
• MAP Testing: Fall MAP testing will take place the mornings of October 7 and October 9. These will be the only days set aside for MAP testing. More information will be shared next week.

• Day of Service & Community Curriculum: Tomorrow, September 22, Grades 10-12 will join forces with local organizations across the Monterey Peninsula to serve the community. Students will participate in various on-campus and Peninsula-wide projects dedicated to giving back to the community. Grade 9 students will partake in a Community Curriculum Day focused on social media and cell phone use. Grade 9 Service Day will take place on Wednesday, October 1, when older students are taking the PSAT and SAT and seniors are busy with college application tasks. These special days are required for all students and they should arrive for an 8:30 a.m. advisory meeting where attendance will be taken. The days will finish with plenty of time for students to attend their after-school co-curricular commitments. We are excited about this opportunity for students to make a meaningful impact in the community!
• Monday Night Dinner and Vespers: Tomorrow night, September 22, we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The Jewish Student Union (JSU) will be sponsoring this event, teaching us the tradition of Rosh Hashanah as well as educating us on the traditional meal we will be eating. After the meal, we will head to the Chapel for two Vespers speeches, and then will engage in a Tashlich activity on the Chapel Deck. As we have a maximum capacity in Reid Hall and Erdman Chapel, please note Jewish day students are invited to attend tomorrow's Monday Night Dinner and celebrate with us, and all day students curious about Monday Night Dinner will have an opportunity to sign up to attend a future event. The JSU will also be sharing with the full community about this important celebration during Tuesday's assembly.
• Senior Parent/Guardian College Night: You're invited to join Martha Allen and Jon Burke, co-directors of college counseling, for a virtual information session this Wednesday, September 24, from 7:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. This session will provide an in-depth overview of the college application process, including how to build a well-balanced college list, important deadlines and admissions plans, financial aid and more. Take advantage of this valuable opportunity to gain insight into the current college admissions landscape, understand the Grade 12 timeline and learn where your child stands in the process. Please register on your Parent Pirate Page. A recording will be available on Pirate Pages.
• Course Changes: The last day to add or change a course is this Friday, September 26. Students may still drop a course or change down from an advanced course until the Friday after Family Weekend, but early changes are strongly recommended.
• Community Curriculum: On Tuesday, September 30, guest speaker Khang Ho, MPH, RDN, a clinical dietitian with a specialty in diabetes and nutrition therapy, will come to campus to speak with Grades 9 and 10 about nutrition, how to fuel your body and other pertinent information. Please reach out to Sarah Koshi, director of student leadership and wellness curriculum, with any questions.
• October 1 Programming for Seniors: Seniors who want to take the October 1 SAT (optional for seniors) at Stevenson should register on their Pirate Page by September 26. Once registered, detailed information on time and location will be sent.
  • Programs for Seniors Not Taking the SAT: From 9 a.m.-11 a.m., resident students not taking the SAT are required, and day students are invited, to the Reid Dining Hall to work on college applications and receive counselor support from Mr. Burke and Ms. Allen. At 10 a.m. there will be an optional essay-support workshop with Mr. Burke in Science classrooms. Also during this day, students may meet with their college counselor and should contact their counselor to schedule a meeting.
• October 1 PSAT Test Day: All sophomores and juniors are required to take the PSAT: The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Please be on the lookout for communication from the College Center with details about testing locations.
• Airport Transportation for Residential Students: For all major breaks (Thanksgiving, winter and spring break), shuttles will be available to reserve from campus to San Jose and San Francisco airports for residential students. Instructions on how to reserve a shuttle will be coming soon. Please note that Stevenson does not reserve shuttles for the return from break. If you wish to reserve a shuttle, you can do so using Groome Transportation.
• Lifeguard Certification Course:  We will be hosting an American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Course at the The Morgan Pool on October 4–5, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. The fee is $340, and students must sign up independently. Participants must be at least 15 years old and complete ~6 hours of online content beforehand. Once certified, students join Stevenson's lifeguard list to work open pool events or use this credential for summer jobs. Students can sign up here.
• Weekend Activities: Activities are updated each Friday morning and can be seen here. Weekend activities are open to both boarding and day students.
• Health Center: Stevenson, along with Central Avenue Pharmacy, will be hosting two flu clinics on campus this year. They will be held on October 8 and October 27. We highly recommend having your student vaccinated. If you would like your student to participate in the clinic, please fill out the attached consent form and return it to the Health Center ([email protected]) by October 26. We will be using student medical insurance, so there will be no cost to you.