Cloudy With A Chance Of Fun
Tuesday 7/5/22
It was a beautiful Tuesday with comfortable temperatures and grey skies.
Today’s teacher spotlight is on Mr. Yursha!
On the second day of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing class began work on their first assignment. Each student was tasked with describing a situation in which they grew as a person or learned something about themself, identifying their greatest strength and their greatest weakness in that particular moment, and exploring the relationship between that strength and weakness in a 10-sentence paragraph.
Students familiarized themselves with a variety of graphic organizers before choosing one and using it to get their thoughts on paper. They were then introduced to CAST (claim, add-on, support, tie-back) paragraph structure, which they used to translate their graphic organizers into outlines. Tomorrow, students will use speech-to-text assistive technology to turn those outlines into drafts of their 10-sentence paragraphs.
Afternoon activities went as smooth as ever. Music classes are learning a song by Nirvana and students are getting the opportunity to dabble with a wide variety of instruments. Michiel is always a great influence for our blossoming musicians. In basketball we practiced half court and full court shots and even had a couple of makes! Besides a few raindrops, all outdoor activities thrived with the exception of block 4 field sports, which opted to compete in air hockey.
This evening students had the amazing opportunity to hear two Forman Summer Counselors and former students, Celia Tucker ‘20 and Forrest Smyth ‘20, speak about their respective experiences at Forman School - in particular the strategies they learned at Forman to be successful in the years that followed. Celia is a 2nd year counselor currently attending NYU to study English Journalism and Marketing Media. She found Forman through a friend and her favorite part of attending Forman as a student was the community-feel and the teachers. Forrest is currently attending Salve Regina University, studying Special Education and playing lacrosse. While attending Forman School, Forrest played on the soccer and lacrosse teams and was also part of the National Honor Society. His favorite part about being a student here were the friendships he formed and the personal connections he was able to make with his teachers. Celia and Forrest are wonderful role models for our students, and we are so happy that they came back to help us with Forman Summer this year.
It was a beautiful Tuesday with comfortable temperatures and grey skies.
Today’s teacher spotlight is on Mr. Yursha!
On the second day of classes, students in Mr. Yursha's writing class began work on their first assignment. Each student was tasked with describing a situation in which they grew as a person or learned something about themself, identifying their greatest strength and their greatest weakness in that particular moment, and exploring the relationship between that strength and weakness in a 10-sentence paragraph.
Students familiarized themselves with a variety of graphic organizers before choosing one and using it to get their thoughts on paper. They were then introduced to CAST (claim, add-on, support, tie-back) paragraph structure, which they used to translate their graphic organizers into outlines. Tomorrow, students will use speech-to-text assistive technology to turn those outlines into drafts of their 10-sentence paragraphs.
Afternoon activities went as smooth as ever. Music classes are learning a song by Nirvana and students are getting the opportunity to dabble with a wide variety of instruments. Michiel is always a great influence for our blossoming musicians. In basketball we practiced half court and full court shots and even had a couple of makes! Besides a few raindrops, all outdoor activities thrived with the exception of block 4 field sports, which opted to compete in air hockey.
This evening students had the amazing opportunity to hear two Forman Summer Counselors and former students, Celia Tucker ‘20 and Forrest Smyth ‘20, speak about their respective experiences at Forman School - in particular the strategies they learned at Forman to be successful in the years that followed. Celia is a 2nd year counselor currently attending NYU to study English Journalism and Marketing Media. She found Forman through a friend and her favorite part of attending Forman as a student was the community-feel and the teachers. Forrest is currently attending Salve Regina University, studying Special Education and playing lacrosse. While attending Forman School, Forrest played on the soccer and lacrosse teams and was also part of the National Honor Society. His favorite part about being a student here were the friendships he formed and the personal connections he was able to make with his teachers. Celia and Forrest are wonderful role models for our students, and we are so happy that they came back to help us with Forman Summer this year.
Let’s get down to BEES-ness!
Monday 7/4/22
This morning started with a local beekeeper coming to campus and helping re-home a swarm of bees from the tree outside of the fitness center. Thanks to her help, the swarm will live at an apiary and continue to benefit the environment with a safe home to return to.
Today’s spotlighted teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
On this first day of class, the primary goal was for the students in Mr. Burkhart’s Reading Two class to get to know each other better by sharing some interesting facts about themselves with one another. As a catalyst for starting this discussion, each member of the class was asked to compose a brief paragraph whereby they chose three individuals, dead or alive, whom they would invite to a dinner party that they hosted. Each student had to explain why they chose the people that they did and describe the direction that they would hope to steer the conversation and/or questions that they would ask. Multiple students mentioned that they would enjoy having dinner with George Washington and Ben Franklin – definitely a fitting choice given the July 4th holiday. Other students decided that Albert Einstein would be an intriguing invite, especially since he struggled with reading. Lastly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was another historical figure that multiple students mentioned. Students delved into how they thought it would be interesting for him to compare and contrast our current social and political climate from that of the 1960s.
After completing this activity, students were then introduced to what it means to annotate a piece of literary fiction. Using Roald Dahl’s short story, The Umbrella Man as our text, I read the piece aloud while stopping at set points. At these points, the students were asked to annotate what I had read. I was impressed by their willingness to share their thoughts and reflections while only having been in class for a short while. Many of the students commented that they enjoyed Dahl’s unique literary style and rich character development. We look forward to finishing the short story during tomorrow’s class. In looking ahead to tomorrow, students will dive further into annotations and also be introduced to a few advanced phonics concepts.
After classes, temperatures soared to 85°F. We made sure to take extra water breaks and gravitate toward the shade when necessary. Our first day of afternoon activities was a huge success. We got to see the creative and competitive sides of our students as they engaged in jewelry making, basketball, tennis, drawing, music, golf and fitness. To escape the heat we wrapped up early, allowing students to cool off with a plethora of water slides on the green. The fun didn’t end there… After dinner we got back together on the green for snow cones, cotton candy, and games!
This morning started with a local beekeeper coming to campus and helping re-home a swarm of bees from the tree outside of the fitness center. Thanks to her help, the swarm will live at an apiary and continue to benefit the environment with a safe home to return to.
Today’s spotlighted teacher is Mr. Burkhart!
On this first day of class, the primary goal was for the students in Mr. Burkhart’s Reading Two class to get to know each other better by sharing some interesting facts about themselves with one another. As a catalyst for starting this discussion, each member of the class was asked to compose a brief paragraph whereby they chose three individuals, dead or alive, whom they would invite to a dinner party that they hosted. Each student had to explain why they chose the people that they did and describe the direction that they would hope to steer the conversation and/or questions that they would ask. Multiple students mentioned that they would enjoy having dinner with George Washington and Ben Franklin – definitely a fitting choice given the July 4th holiday. Other students decided that Albert Einstein would be an intriguing invite, especially since he struggled with reading. Lastly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was another historical figure that multiple students mentioned. Students delved into how they thought it would be interesting for him to compare and contrast our current social and political climate from that of the 1960s.
After completing this activity, students were then introduced to what it means to annotate a piece of literary fiction. Using Roald Dahl’s short story, The Umbrella Man as our text, I read the piece aloud while stopping at set points. At these points, the students were asked to annotate what I had read. I was impressed by their willingness to share their thoughts and reflections while only having been in class for a short while. Many of the students commented that they enjoyed Dahl’s unique literary style and rich character development. We look forward to finishing the short story during tomorrow’s class. In looking ahead to tomorrow, students will dive further into annotations and also be introduced to a few advanced phonics concepts.
After classes, temperatures soared to 85°F. We made sure to take extra water breaks and gravitate toward the shade when necessary. Our first day of afternoon activities was a huge success. We got to see the creative and competitive sides of our students as they engaged in jewelry making, basketball, tennis, drawing, music, golf and fitness. To escape the heat we wrapped up early, allowing students to cool off with a plethora of water slides on the green. The fun didn’t end there… After dinner we got back together on the green for snow cones, cotton candy, and games!
Sunday 7/3/22
Welcome to Forman Summer!
Day one of Forman Summer is officially in the books! The weather was welcoming to the 54 students traveling from 16 states and 7 countries. As the students rolled onto campus throughout the day, the smiling faces began to grow and laughter filled the student center, dorms, gymnasium, and campus green.
Our new Forman Summer students shared a lovely lunch outside and had the opportunity to meet their house parents, teachers, activity leaders, and administrators for the month as we broke the ice with games and conversation. Students also learned some of the ground rules and structure of the next four weeks while signing up for the afternoon activities they’d like to participate in during week one.
To end the beautiful day we got to spoil ourselves with a cold catered treat from our local ice cream truck while students continued to get to know each other and relax on the green.
Continue to check in on our Photo Gallery for images from this afternoon and the rest of our time here at Forman Summer. The Forman Faculty and Staff are extremely excited to begin this summer experience - we hope you all are, too!
Day one of Forman Summer is officially in the books! The weather was welcoming to the 54 students traveling from 16 states and 7 countries. As the students rolled onto campus throughout the day, the smiling faces began to grow and laughter filled the student center, dorms, gymnasium, and campus green.
Our new Forman Summer students shared a lovely lunch outside and had the opportunity to meet their house parents, teachers, activity leaders, and administrators for the month as we broke the ice with games and conversation. Students also learned some of the ground rules and structure of the next four weeks while signing up for the afternoon activities they’d like to participate in during week one.
To end the beautiful day we got to spoil ourselves with a cold catered treat from our local ice cream truck while students continued to get to know each other and relax on the green.
Continue to check in on our Photo Gallery for images from this afternoon and the rest of our time here at Forman Summer. The Forman Faculty and Staff are extremely excited to begin this summer experience - we hope you all are, too!
Welcome Summer Program Families!
We look forward to welcoming your child to the Forman Summer Program in just a few short weeks! Within this letter, you will find pertinent information to help prepare you and your child for our program.
Forman Summer Program Dean of Academics Brittany Bloom is communicating with families to discuss class placements and schedules. In the meantime, if you haven’t done so already, please review the roommate questionnaire and suggested packing list to help both you and your child prepare for the Forman Summer Program experience.
COVID-19 Information
We are not requiring pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for the Forman Summer Program. However, we suggest families take it upon themselves to test prior to arrival, especially if your child is experiencing any possible symptoms. This is suggested in order to avoid any complications in the case your child starts to experience symptoms and tests positive once on campus. For any student who tests positive, they will need to leave campus within 24 hours and complete a full 10-day isolation period at home. If you would not be able to pick up your child within 24 hours of their positive test, please make sure you have a local guardian who would be able to do so. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Health Center or call 860.567.1821.
If you do complete COVID testing prior to arrival and your child tests positive, please contact the Student Health Center for further instructions.
Travel Information
If you are flying into Connecticut to join us, below are possible options for your air travel:
We have also prepared a Hotel and Livery Service List to facilitate your planning.
Opening Day — July 3rd
Please arrive at Malcolm G. Chace Student Center between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 3rd. You are welcome to help move your child into their dorm room. We ask families to leave campus by 11:45 a.m. to allow students to start their activities.
On Opening Day, your child will learn more about their fellow peers and our program. Students will have tours, meet their dorm-mates, and have lunch. We will introduce faculty and staff members, go over expectations and goals, review our Weekday Daily Schedule, and play many team-building games.
We will be keeping a daily blog on our Summer Program website at www.formansummer.org. This is where we will post all the daily updates and photos. In addition, you will also find the Orientation schedule, packing list, and a weekday daily schedule.
The first weekend of the Summer Program is closed to visitors, as this is a time for students to continue to get acclimated at Forman and immerse themselves in our weekend activities. Families are welcome to visit on July 17th and July 24th.
Graduation — July 29th
Forman Summer Program Graduation will take place on July 29th at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will run for approximately one hour. Students will move out of their dorms and leave campus immediately thereafter. More specific information will be released at a later date; however, we wanted to share the date and time for your planning purposes.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
John Strawson
Director of the Forman Summer Program
john.strawson@formanschool.org
860.567.6215
Forman Summer Program
12 Norfolk Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
www.formansummer.org
Forman Summer Program Dean of Academics Brittany Bloom is communicating with families to discuss class placements and schedules. In the meantime, if you haven’t done so already, please review the roommate questionnaire and suggested packing list to help both you and your child prepare for the Forman Summer Program experience.
COVID-19 Information
We are not requiring pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for the Forman Summer Program. However, we suggest families take it upon themselves to test prior to arrival, especially if your child is experiencing any possible symptoms. This is suggested in order to avoid any complications in the case your child starts to experience symptoms and tests positive once on campus. For any student who tests positive, they will need to leave campus within 24 hours and complete a full 10-day isolation period at home. If you would not be able to pick up your child within 24 hours of their positive test, please make sure you have a local guardian who would be able to do so. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Health Center or call 860.567.1821.
If you do complete COVID testing prior to arrival and your child tests positive, please contact the Student Health Center for further instructions.
Travel Information
If you are flying into Connecticut to join us, below are possible options for your air travel:
- Bradley International Airport (39.2 miles, 55 minutes)
- Laguardia Airport (94.3 miles, 1 hour and 45 minutes)
- JFK International Airport (100 miles, 1 hour and 50 minutes)
- Logan International Airport (134.3 miles, 2 hours and 20 minutes)
We have also prepared a Hotel and Livery Service List to facilitate your planning.
Opening Day — July 3rd
Please arrive at Malcolm G. Chace Student Center between 9:00 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 3rd. You are welcome to help move your child into their dorm room. We ask families to leave campus by 11:45 a.m. to allow students to start their activities.
On Opening Day, your child will learn more about their fellow peers and our program. Students will have tours, meet their dorm-mates, and have lunch. We will introduce faculty and staff members, go over expectations and goals, review our Weekday Daily Schedule, and play many team-building games.
We will be keeping a daily blog on our Summer Program website at www.formansummer.org. This is where we will post all the daily updates and photos. In addition, you will also find the Orientation schedule, packing list, and a weekday daily schedule.
The first weekend of the Summer Program is closed to visitors, as this is a time for students to continue to get acclimated at Forman and immerse themselves in our weekend activities. Families are welcome to visit on July 17th and July 24th.
Graduation — July 29th
Forman Summer Program Graduation will take place on July 29th at 10:00 a.m. The ceremony will run for approximately one hour. Students will move out of their dorms and leave campus immediately thereafter. More specific information will be released at a later date; however, we wanted to share the date and time for your planning purposes.
We are looking forward to meeting you and your child! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
John Strawson
Director of the Forman Summer Program
john.strawson@formanschool.org
860.567.6215
Forman Summer Program
12 Norfolk Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
www.formansummer.org
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