Save the Date

The Big Event
Feb. 22

Relay for Life
Mar. 28-29

Duathlon
April 18

Shorecrest
General
Calendar
for
2008-2009

Letter from the Headmaster

This past week, we hosted our annual Trustee Day at Shorecrest. Trustees spent the morning sitting in on various classes. When we met to compare notes, everyone agreed that there is no better way to understand and appreciate the good work of our teachers and their students than by spending time with them. We intentionally do not assign trustees to classrooms with their own children. The result is a broader and far more objective view of the teaching and learning that goes on every day at Shorecrest.

Remember back in August when I wrote in E-Bytes that we were seeking leadership for the 2008 Big Event? On Tuesday morning I walked into the Theatre Conference room to find Melinda Pletcher and Laura Horwitz, our Big Event co-chairs, with 20 other parents who are chairing the different elements of Viva Las Vegas. Melinda, Laura and their committee chairs have created tons of positive energy for what looks like a great night of fun for our Shorecrest parents. Admittedly, I am not a poker player, but I look forward to cheering on everyone who participates in the Charger Poker Challenge and the other fun activities planned for the evening. Invitations are ready to go out in the mail. I hope to see you all there.

The second semester is underway. Planning for Grandparents and Special Friends Day, class plays, our spring musical Fiddler on the Roof, soccer play-offs, speech, history and science fair presentations and dozens of other activities where our students will perform and excel are in full gear.

Re-enrollment contracts will be mailed at the end of this week. Attached to the re-enrollment letter is a report I have developed to provide Shorecrest parents information about the financial operation of the school. This information is often requested. I believe it will provide parents with a better understanding of the business operation of our school.

However, as important as the business side of the school is for the trustees, administration and parents who pay tuition, the quality of the education children receive at school is paramount. One might try to put a price tag on successful college placement, test scores, athletic, arts and service achievements, but we know that a great education is not fully understood until the student moves on and experiences success.

I can be pleased that a child is having a great year in kindergarten or in twelfth grade. I am much happier to know that those children thrived in first grade or during freshman year of college. In business we commonly seek a return on investment (ROI). Shorecrest students and parents, like successful investors, often need to be patient to see the full value of an education that expects students to reach beyond their comfort zones.

We want our children to be emotionally healthy and to have strong self-esteem. I am convinced that the teachers and parents who guide students to work hard and to develop skills they can use for a lifetime are the most successful in developing authentic self-esteem and healthy children.

The other day while touring a candidate through the Lower Division, the person commented on the high level of independence being demonstrated by the students. This is happening because our children know that schoolwork is important and because the teachers have created an environment that promotes student growth. There are life skills being taught and encouraged every day at school. Some can be measured today and others may need to simmer and emerge in a grander fashion when a child matures. We look forward to the ongoing process of education with your children at Shorecrest.

Cheers!

Arts Beat

Students Perform at Temple Beth-El Art Show

The Shorecrest Musical Theatre group will be performing a medley from the upcoming spring musical Fiddler on the Roof, and musical highlights from the Fall Showcase and Thespian conference at the Temple Beth-El Art Show on Monday, January 28 at 11:00 a.m.

(View slideshow of the Fall Showcase)

Madeline

Students from Early Childhood through second grade attended an ArtsPower Touring Company production of Madeline in the Janet Root Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 17.

Madeline is a student of Miss Clavel at a boarding school for girls in Paris, France. When the Spanish Ambassador and his son Pepito move in next door to the school, everyone is excited by the thought of a new friend. But Pepito turns out to be trouble.

Miss Clavel soon realizes that there are real reasons why Pepito misbehaves. Madeline and Miss Clavel try to end Pepito's bad behavior by being friends with him and helping Pepito's father understand what the boy needs more than anything else.

Dr. Dolittle

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, Lower and Middle Division students gathered in the Janet Root Theatre to see Theatreworks USA's production of Dr. Dolittle.

Hugh Lofting, a lieutenant in the Royal British Army, is separated from his son Colin during World War I. At his wife's urging, Lofting writes a story for him from the front. Despite the harsh conditions on the battlefield, Lieutenant Lofting's imagination comes alive as he concocts a marvelous tale about a kind-hearted physician who can talk with the animals: The Story of Doctor Dolittle.

In the little English town of Puddleby-on-Marsh, Doctor Dolittle lives with his animal friends. One day an African monkey seeks out the world-famous good doctor - there is a terrible illness afflicting his cousins, and Dolittle is the only one who can save them!

As Doctor Dolittle and his friends set sail, Colin becomes more and more enthralled with his father's story. He begs Lofting to put him in the tale so that he can go on the voyage too, and soon First Mate Colin joins Dolittle's travels. But when Lofting is injured in battle and is unable to write to his son, it's up to Colin to decide how the saga ends.

Princeton Triangle Show at Shorecrest

• Who: Princeton Triangle Show
• What: Musical Comedy
• When: Sunday, Jan. 27, 7:00 p.m.
• Where: Shorecrest
• Tickets: www.triangleshow.com, or via phone at 800-984-6763

Excerpt from the New York Times:

The bus tour was the narrative backbone of "A Turnpike Runs Through It," a musical-revue hybrid of more than two hours that owes something to both "Saturday Night Live" and "Little Shop of Horrors." More than sixty Princeton undergraduates did the writing and composing as well as the singing, dancing and acting.

The Triangle Club, which dates to 1883, is the country's oldest college-based musical comedy troupe, and besides performing on campus, the group stages an annual touring musical. Alumni include F. Scott Fitzgerald, the producer David E. Kelley, and Brooke Shields, who was in Triangle the same years as Glen Pannell, director of this year's show and a 1987 graduate of Princeton who lives in Manhattan.

For more than a century, Princeton University's famous Triangle Show has been a portal through which bright, creative young writers, performers and producers have passed on their way to careers in the entertainment arts. Each year, their all-new original musical-comedy has it's World Premiere at the Broadway-sized McCarter Theatre in Princeton - "The House That Triangle Built" - and then takes off on a National Tour.

(Link to New York Times online article)

This year's show is A Turnpike Runs Through It - A New Jersical, and it's coming to the Tampa Bay Area! In the new musical, Princeton's home state of New Jersey gets spoofed for the first time in Triangle history.

To learn all about the new Princeton Triangle Show hit musical-comedy, A Turnpike Runs Through It, click here www.TriangleShow.com.

The show is recommended for ages ten and up.

Three Cheers for...

• Coach Phil Hayford, who has been named the 2008 Head Coach for the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) North-South All Star Football Game. The game will be played in Lakeland next December 19.

Coach Hayford will lead the south squad made up of the top 36 players in the southern part of the state. The team will meet in Lakeland for a week of practices before the game. Congratulations to Coach Hayford on this prestigious honor!

Open House

Thanks from the Admissions Team!

Last Thursday was lively on the Shorecrest campus, as prospective families attended our Early Childhood and Kindergarten Open House. Mike Murphy spoke to the group about the advantages of a Shorecrest education; guidance counselor Ashley Lippincott shared information and activities for spending quality time with kids, and fourth grade student guides took the visitors on tours of Early Childhood and Kindergarten. Families also had an opportunity to meet and ask questions of the division heads.

The Admissions team is grateful to the following students for acting as tour guides and ambassadors for the school. All our guests were impressed by how articulate and knowledgeable they were, and we were extremely proud of them. They are terrific representatives! Thanks to Sidney B., Jonathan C., Cole C., Jordan K., Dylan L., Bailee M., Tessa M., Landgon M., Kalju Jake N., Christian P., Zack Q., Petu S., McKinley S., Felix S., and Aaron S.

Kim Burke, Karen Quilty and Stacy Gloer also helped us greet prospective families and accompany some of the tours. They provided a parent perspective for our visitors and made them feel very welcome. We appreciate their time, and we thank them for their enthusiasm for Shorecrest!

Summer Programs 2008

It is with much excitement and joy that I welcome you to Shorecrest Summer Programs 2008! This summer we have eight full weeks of new and exciting programs being offered for children who are ages 4-19.

Please look below for any closings, date or time changes to our Summer Programs.

Summer Programs Updates

Time Change:

• Once Upon an Art Time
  6/16 - 6/20 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Date Change:

• Practically Pikasso
  7/7-7/11 and 7/14-7/18
• History Fair Camp
  7/28 - 8/1

There are both full and half-day offerings to choose from each week. Whether children are currently enrolled at Shorecrest or attending school elsewhere, we look forward to having them spend part of their summer with us. With programs like cooking, theater, golf, film making and adventure camps, the children are sure to find a program they will enjoy.

As always, I am here to help you plan a fun-filled summer for your child. Please do not hesitate to contact me at summerprograms@shorecrest.org or (727) 409 -1668 with any questions, comments or concerns. See you this summer!

Amber Hutton
Director, Summer Programs

Shorecrest Business Partners

RCH Capital, LLC

Is pleased to support
Shorecrest
as a
Shorecrest Business Partner

All the Best
for the
2007-2008 year.

Fred Razook
Alumni Parent & Board of Trustees

Ryan Razook
Alumni Class of 1997

360 Central Ave., Suite 250
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

Office: 727-821-6000
Fax: 727-821-8001

E-mail: fredrazook@rchcapital.com
ryanrazook@rchcapital.com

Girls Soccer Wins Regional Quarterfinal and Advance!

The Chargers hosted Cambridge from Tampa on Thursday night, Jan. 24, in the 2A District 10 Regional Quarterfinal and won 4-2. Freshman Jenn C. led the team with three goals, and Natalee H. added another insurance goal near the end of the game.

Photo Page

"Jenn's first goal was a good buildup for our team, her second was good anticipation, and the third was some great individual effort," Coach Neal Wolfrath said. The Chargers advance to face defending Class 2A state champion Tampa Prep on Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 7:00 p.m. at Tampa Prep. Go, Chargers!

Link to St. Petersburg Times article.

Boys Varsity Soccer Wins District Semifinal!

In the 2A District 11 semifinal, the Shorecrest Boys Varsity Soccer team beat Keswick Christian 8-0 on Wednesday night, Jan. 23. The game kicked off 20 minutes late on a foggy, dreary evening on Keswick Christian's home field.

It didn't take long before Parker W. put away the first goal. Many followed, with Nick S. scoring his first goals of the season, cumulating in a hat trick. Stephen S. scored twice, while Quinn E. and Evan J. each added one. Coach Diedrich commented, "The best part of the whole night was the compliment our team and fans received from the Keswick fans and parents. They said we were a real class act." Way to go, Chargers!

The team will be playing in the District Final on Friday night, Jan. 25, at Keswick against Northside Christian. Come out and support the team and watch them bring home another District Championship. Good luck, Chargers!

Boys JV Soccer

The Shorecrest Boys JV Soccer team finished its season with an 8-1 win over Keswick Christian on Thursday, Jan. 17 at Haskell Field. Matt S. scored three goals, Colin D. two, and Ryan D., Caelum S. and Alex N. scored one each. The win gave the Chargers a final record of 12-2, with 67 goals scored and 18 yielded.

Over the last two years, the JV boys were 20-5, with 101 goals scored and 28 surrendered. At one point during the two years, the Chargers had a 14-game win streak.

Leading scorer for the '07-08 Chargers was Matt S. with 19 goals. Jordan C. had 14 before being sidelined with a torn ACL in the January 10 Berkeley game. The Chargers' only losses were to 3A Berkeley and 5A Jesuit.

Boys Middle Division Soccer Gold Team

The Boys Middle Division Gold team lost 4-1 to a talented Berkeley Prep squad in the season finale. Kenny S. scored unassisted in the 50th minute of play for the Chargers. The entire 20-member Shorecrest team saw action in the game. The contest capped a very successful 4-3-2 season.

Girls MD Soccer Gold Team

Despite the end result (a 3-0 loss to Berkeley Prep), the Middle Division Girls Gold Soccer team could boast numerous individual achievements in its final game of the season. Taylor W. was a last-minute substitute at goal and did an excellent job following Kaiya K. in the second half.

Lissee H., Emily L., and Mimi M. made some amazing plays on defense. Sarah L., playing middle and stopper, seemed to be everywhere at once at times, and was particularly impressive blocking a corner kick.

The team finished its season 4-4, with Julia B. leading her teammates with eight goals, followed by Kaiya K. with four goals. Gold outscored opponents overall 22-16 and won three of four games by shutouts.

Varsity Baseball and Softball Players Information

Any high school athlete interested in playing Varsity Baseball or Varsity Softball needs to pick up an FHSAA Steroid Testing Consent Form in the Athletic Office. The form needs to be filled out and signed by both the athlete and parent before they will be allowed to practice or try out. This is a mandate from the state legislature.

Sports Pictures

Sports pictures were taken by Northeast Photography.

Order your athletic team and individual pictures from Northeast Photography within 30 days.

Go to: Collages.net

• Username for the Basketball teams: bball07
• Username for the Soccer teams: soccer07
• Username for Baseball: baseball08
• Password for all sports: 7348

NOTE: Both the Green and Gold MD soccer teams are listed together under "Girls Green."

Videos of Athletic Events

Varsity and Middle Division football and volleyball games, girls and boys soccer, and a swim team video are available for $20 each by ordering directly from www.Stefio.TV or by calling (727) 528-3180.

Request for Athletic Photos

Just a reminder that E-Bytes is always looking for good photos of Shorecrest students' athletic events. We prefer to receive them in digital format. Please e-mail the original, unedited file to clingman@shorecrest.org.