The Look AheadMarch 18, 2019

In Case You Missed It

The third graders arelearning about theimportance of oysters,specifically oysterreefs. Read More

The students had a chanceto construct their own Marsrover out of Legos makingsure they had the requiredparts Read More

They experimented withdifferent magnet shapes:bar, horseshoe, disc, ring,and wand... Read More

The parent education talk,Mary Cay Ricci on GrowthMindsets is available toview. Watch Now

More Highlights From Last Week

Important Dates

School-wideMarch 29 (Fri): Grandparents' Day 7:30-11:00amMarch 30 (Sat): STEM Symposium 9-3pmApril 3 (Wed): Bingo Night 6-7:30pm

Lower SchoolMarch 21 (Thurs): 3B/3D Field Trip- Walker Nature CenterMarch 22 (Fri): 2nd Grade Field Trip- National Gallery of ArtMarch 22 (Fri): 3A/3C Field Trip- Walker Nature Center

Middle SchoolMarch 19 (Tues): 7th Grade Field Trip- USA STEM TalksMarch 22 (Fri): 6th Grade Parent Social 9:00-9:45am CafeteriaMarch 22 (Fri): 6th Grade Performance 10:00amMarch 27-29: 6th Graders Host the African Bazaar 8:00-8:30am

Classroom News

Mommy & Me Beginners Pre-K Kindergarten

1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade

5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Things to Know

First Defense Krav Maga comes to Nysmith 7th & 8th PEclassesThe PE department is very excited to announce that First Defense will becoming to the 7th & 8th grade PE classes to teach the students about KravMaga! Krav Maga is a self-defense system that was created in Israel inthe 1950's and 1960's and continues to evolve today. In this class, students will learn aboutthe techniques and tactics of the self-defense system and have a chance to practice a few ofthe moves. First Defense has been teaching self-defense Krav Maga classes out of its Herndon studiosince 2010. They offer a Krav Junior Program and an Adult Krav Maga Program, both of whichfocus on the development of physical, technical, tactical and mental skills. If your childexpresses interest in continuing Krav Maga lessons, please visit the First Defense Krav Magawebsite.

Grandparents' DayOne of the favorite PTO events of the year, Grandparents' Day, is justover two weeks away! On Friday, March 29, from 7:45-11:00 am,grandparents will enjoy a wonderful breakfast buffet in the cafeteriafrom Amphora Catering before joining their grandchildren in theirmorning classes. A photo booth will also be set up to take pictures.

Important: All registrations are online only this year. Please register each grandparent bypurchasing tickets through this Eventbrite link.

As with all PTO events, parent volunteers are essential! If your family has grandparentsattending on the 29th, why not volunteer and join them at the school? Most of the volunteerhelp needed involves directing/guiding grandparent visitors around the school, which isappreciated by our visitors. Please sign up here to help.

Nysmith PE Fun RunOur goal in creating this program is to encourage students to run outsideof class and school hours, which is why throughout each month we willbe hosting Fun Runs before school from 7:30-8:00am. This program isoptional and there are no fees, but we would like for you to encourageyour child to participate as it can be a way to connect with friends whilerunning together.Read more here.

6th Grade Parent SocialPlease join us for a 6th Grade Parent Social on Friday, March 22nd, 9:00-9:45am in the Cafeteria. The social will be immediately followed by the

6th grade presentation of Through the Looking Glass at 10:00am. Hope tosee you there!

Bingo Night is Coming!April 3rd from 6-7:30 pm-with hundreds of dollars in prizes this year-addit to your calendars now! Tell your upper schoolers that Bingo Night isnot just for little kids. There is a special prize for the best pajamas on an8th grader! Prizes include $100 off at O'Donnells Jewelry, localrestaurants and lots more. It's a great time. Just remember to wear yourPAJAMAS and come and have fun. Parents, we could use a few volunteers. So, if you're ableto help, please sign up.

Learning Math the "New School" WayInterested in learning more about Nysmith's new upper school mathcurriculum? Click here to read about how the Carnegie Learning programhelps students learn in a whole new way.

Tuesday's Snack TableThe Nysmith kids have voted! The new name for Tuesday's snacks tableis "Morning Munch". Congratulations to Justin Castleberry (5C) andLindsey Newberg (6B) for suggesting the name. Thank you to all the kidswho participated. Tuesday's Menu: Lemon Yogurt Cake, Belgium Waffles,Cinnamon Rolls, fresh fruits and more. Don't forget to tell your kids to stop by MorningMunch to buy a delicious snack. The baked goods are all homemade, made with qualityingredients. All nut-free. You'll find Morning Munch in the Silver Pod, 8AM - 8:25AM. Comeearly as the baked goods sell out quickly. For questions, please contact Maria Di Paolo-Greer or Adriane Lewis.

African BazaarMark your calendars! Between March 27-29th, the Nysmith sixth graderswill host the annual African Bazaar, similar to Renaissance Market Day,each student sells homemade products to the general student body,staff, and parents. Proceeds from sales go to Mercy Care Centre, oursister school in Nairobi, Kenya. See more...

March PTO Sponsored Community Service DriveThis month we are collecting for INOVA Children's Hospital InovaChildren's Hospital is a not-for-profit children's hospital that relies oncommunity support to provide world-class care close to home. Click here for moreinformation as well as items that will be collected.

Spring Break Extended CareExtended Care will be open during Spring Break from Monday, April15 through Friday, April 19. Instructional & Extended Care will be closedon Monday, April 22. Please complete this form if you would like yourchild to attend any of the dates during this time and return it to AprilBreeden, Extended Care Director. Please email April Breeden if you have any questions.

The Look Ahead ArchiveDid you know that you can access all of this school year's Look Ahead's inour community portal? If you've missed any of our past issues and wantto catch up, simply enter the community portal at the top of ourhomepage and look for the Look Ahead icon. You can also access thearchive by clicking here.

Social Media

Best of Photo GalleriesMommy & Me Beginners Pre-K Kindergarten1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade5th Grade 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade

Instagram AccountsNysmith Art P.E. Library Music

Nysmith Community

Building a Family Community at Nysmith- Mark your Calendars!Please join us for these upcoming Nysmith Community events. All are welcome!March 22: 6th Grade Performance "Through the Looking Glass" 10:00amMarch 27-29 African Bazaar 8:00am-4:00pmMarch 29: Grandparents' Day 7:30-11:00amMarch 30: STEM Symposium for K-12 9:00-3:00pmApril 1: 8th Grade Performance "Lunchroom" 1:00pmApril 3: 1st Grade Performance "Dinostars" 8:45amApril 3: Pajama Bingo 7:00pmApril 5: Annual 7th & 8th Grade 3v3 Basketball Tournament 3:00pmApril 9: PTO Meeting 8:30April 12: 4-8th Grade Walk for the Homeless 2:00-3:00pmApril 23-26: International WeekApril 29-May 3: Spring Book Fair 8:00-5:00pm

TJHSST Science Fair WinIshnoor Bakshi (7th Grade) at Nysmith School wins at the TJHSST (ThomasJefferson) Science Fair on March 16, 2019. TJ Science Fair is held annuallyand by invitation and topic selection process only at TJHSST. Ishnoor'stopic was on "The Effect of Quality CPR on Cardiac Arrest Prevention"

was applauded by Judges and participants. Congrats to all other winnersand thanks to Nysmith's Science Department to all the support and encouragement. Readmore.

SchoolPoolInterested in sharing the ride to school? Try SchoolPool!

Loyalty ProgramsThe Nysmith PTO continues its participation in loyalty programs to supplement the many PTOsponsored events. Families can support them by collecting Box Tops and shopping at HarrisTeeter and Lands' End stores. Read more here.

Have a Student Achievement? We want to know about it!Remember to tell us if you have an upcoming special event, item of interest, or studentachievement to celebrate, email us at nysmithnews@nysmith.com. Some examples of whatyou should include in your email are: · upcoming special events (inside or outside of the classroom) · upcoming competitions including details on the nature and specifics of the competition(background/history of organization, location, format, advancement opportunities) · names, grade levels & hometowns of participating students and parent/coach· same-day or Monday (for weekend events) reporting of individual and/or team results· high resolution photos of students competing and/or receivingawards/trophies (including captions identifying each student and parent-coach in picture) With advance notice, we'll be able to share your student's wins and experiences within andaround our community. Thank you in advance for your help and cooperation in makingNysmith a stand-out school!

Enrichment Opportunities

Save the Date- STEM Symposium on March30th from 9:00-3:00pmSave the date and don't forget to register for this year'sSTEM Symposium, taking place right here at Nysmith! Thisyear's theme is the The Power of Curiosity. Nysmithstudents and their families are welcome to attend and encouraged to participate!

4th - 8th graders are invited to present their science fair projects along with the othersymposium exhibitors. In addition, if you are part of a STEM-related club/group or team, orhave anything STEM-centered that you are working on and you'd like to share it with others atthe Symposium, let us know! Send an email to Mr. Nysmith with your name, grade, project,and contact information.

Click here for more information about the STEM Symposium and to register for free.

Astronauts are Coming to Nysmith!Ever wonder what it's like to orbit the Earth or to beweightless in space? Ask a real-life astronaut at ourupcoming STEM Symposium! Astronauts Sandra Hall Magnusand Lawrence James DeLucas will be here at Nysmith on

March 30th. Meet them, ask questions and learn more abouttheir experiences in space. Don't forget to register for tickets here.

Graffiti For GoodGraffiti for Good is a root beer float sip and paint by 6thgrade students as a fundraiser to support foster care teensas they transition to independent living. It will be held onApril 6th from 5-8pm at Floris Elementary School inHerndon. Tickets are available for pre-purchase for $12 and$15 at the door. There will be fun raffles and yummy concessions available. Read more.

SheSoft Conference & ChampionshipCalling all 5th - 8th grade girls! Registration is now open forthe second annual SheSoft Championship and Conference.This year's event will take place on June 7th - 9th, right herein the DC metro area. Those who are interested in competing for either an "InnovationAward" or "Technologist Award," can register learn more and register online here. Championship applications will be accepted from now until May 1, 2019.

Founded by Nysmith alumnus, Kirthi Kumar, SheSoft is a non-profit organization dedicated tobridging the gender gap in technology by empowering young girls in upper elementary andmiddle school ages through seminars, webinars, workshops and software applicationcompetitions.

North South Foundation RegionalsAll Nysmith families are invited to participate in the Regional North South FoundationCompetition that will be held at Nysmith on April 27th and 28th. The competition hasnumerous individual competitions including spelling, vocabulary, geography, history, essaywriting, science, math, and public speaking. Click here to find out more information and register.

National Youth Leadership ForumIf you would like us to nominate your current 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader for the National YouthLeadership Forum, please email Ms. Breedan with your child's name and gender, your mailingaddress and the grade they are currently in. For more information about this program, pleasevisit this website.

Extended Care Programs

Classes held from 4pm-5pm are underway. You are always welcome to join them, but willneed to check with each individual program for the prorated rate. A new Overtime Athletics(OTA) Program-Sports Spectacular is being added and scheduled to begin 3/19/19. Please seethe attachment for details and registration information.

Young Rembrandts K-6 Lego Robotics K-4

Tennis K-3 Sports Spectacular K-2, 3-6

Musical Theatre PreK-5 Little Coders K-3

Abrakadoodle PreK-6th

Royal Badminton Academy comes to Nysmith PE classThe PE department is very excited to announce that Royal BadmintonAcademy (RBA) will be coming to our PE classes to teach the studentsabout the sport of badminton! The students will learn the rules andtechniques of the game and what a "shuttlecock" is, and also be giventhe opportunity to try their hand at the sport. If your child expresses interest in continuingbadminton lesson, please visit the RBA website.

At RBA, students develop their skills and playing abilities in a fun and rewardingenvironment. Passionate participants are even encouraged to play competitively, try out forRBA Team and take the sport to any level they wish. Happy playing!

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