LS/MS Newsletter - 12/5

Dear Badger Families,

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Grandfriends Day. For one magical morning, the Hundred Acre Wood truly came alive! Our community embraced the Winnie the Pooh theme with such enthusiasm, and the joy on our students’ faces said it all.

A special thank you to our PACS committee and parent volunteers for their incredible creativity and countless hours spent transforming our cafeteria—it was truly a work of art. The festive decorations throughout the school kept the spirit of the day shining. 

Thank you as well to our teachers, who thoughtfully planned and led each themed activity. Together with their VIPs, students created and introduced a new character for Christopher Robin. The morning culminated in a party for Pooh, where Christopher Robin—thank you, Mr. Furlong—and all of Pooh’s friends—thank you, Mrs. Restieri, Ms. Edwards, Mrs. Pompilio, Ms. Gordon, Mr. Torres, Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Matejko—gathered to celebrate Pooh’s 100th anniversary. Students proudly brought their new characters to the celebration. 

Grandfriends Day is always a heartwarming tradition and a wonderful way to begin the Thanksgiving holiday. So many hands, minds, and hearts came together to make this event truly special, and I am deeply grateful for your support. Please enjoy some of the pictures from our fun-filled day.

Have a great weekend,
Jen Guthrie
Director of the Lower & Middle School

December 2025 Important Dates

12/8 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support

12/9 (Tues) - After School: Girls Basketball Game Away

12/10 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support, Girls Basketball Home Game

12/11 (Thurs) - After School: Badger HW Support

12/15 (Mon) - After School: Badger HW Support, Girls Basketball Game Away

12/17 (Wed) - AUTHOR SPEAKER: Graphic Novelist, Mat Heagerty

12/17 (Wed) - After School: Badger HW Support

12/18 (Thurs) - Noon Dismissal: Gingerbread STEM Day

12/19 (Fri) - No School: Enjoy Winter Break

AUTHOR GUEST SPEAKER SERIES- Novelist Mat Heagerty, Weds Dec 17th:

Did you know that there is a comic book version of “binge watching”? They are called graphic novels: book-length comics that allow the readers to enjoy the whole story in one sitting!  And we are excited to share that our next guest speaker for our students is a well-known graphic novelist, Mr. Mat Heagerty.  Mat hails from Vermont and has written a diverse collection of graphic novels for a diverse range of ages, with the titles including 'Indoor Kid', Lumberjackula', ‘Martian Ghost Centaur', ‘Unplugged and Unpopular', and the forthcoming memoir 'Offbeat' coming in 2027.  

In addition to sharing his craft, Mat also shares his struggles in school and how he flipped the script on his dyslexia and made it his superpower! He now travels the country talking to students about the strengths of learning disabilities.  Mat will share his journey, as well as the writing process from idea to the written page/drawn panel.  We might even persuade him to do a live drawing/story development demo based on input from our students. 

You can purchase copies of Mat’s novels on his website (Mat Heagerty COMICS) by clicking on the COMICS link at the top. There is an AMAZON and BARNES & NOBLE link on that page that you can use for quick delivery.

He would be happy to sign them on his visit.  Last year, Mat visited over 160 schools, and this year he plans on topping that.  We are excited to be one of those schools that helps him break that mark. 

GOGI TRAVEL PROGRAM

HUBERTS EXTENDED  TO DEC 10th

Girls' Basketball sign-up!

Girls Basketball Sign Up 2025-2026

Boys basketball sign-up!

Boys Basketball Sign Up 2025-2026