Letter from Head of Upper School Rachel Moulton - The Miami ...

5151 Denise Drive 

Dayton, Ohio 45429 

Tel: 937-434-4444 

Fax: 937-434-1033 

Web address: 

www.mvschool.com 

Dear Parents, 

The 2013-2014 school year promises to be one full of innovation and collaboration. We 

are excited to be embarking on a number of new initiatives that are focused on 

preparing our students with the skills they need to be engaged, productive, and 

compassionate global citizens. Among these initiatives is the BYO (Bring Your Own) 

program that asks each student to bring a laptop to school on a daily basis so that 

he/she will have full access to the tools they need to excel at MVS and beyond. Students 

will be asked to have their laptops with them for each and every class (as they would 

pencil and paper) and classroom space will be provided should students need to store 

their laptop when they are not in class. Please visit 

http://www.mvschool.com/academics/upper-school/ for detailed information. 

The January Immersion move is another important initiative. Students have already 

been placed on an Immersion of their choice. This information is available to you on My 

BackPack along with their course schedules. Students will arrive on campus to a 6-day 

block schedule. A student pursuing a recommended schedule, avoiding an overload of 

AP coursework, should have a maximum of two hours of homework per night. The 

advisors and the scheduling team have worked hard to create student schedules that 

reflect the myriad activities a student engages in on a daily basis--including courses, 

clubs, peer tutoring, transition classes for freshmen, college counseling classes for 

juniors, and Immersion. We are striving to teach our students how to manage their time 

and develop strong study skills while paying attention to their mental and physical 

well-being. We want student schedules to better reflect the reality of their 

commitments. 

I hope each student has had an opportunity to purchase, if not read, All Quiet on the 

Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Students will be responsible for knowing the 

content of this book for their English classes. The author of A Crime So Monstrous, E. 

Benjamin Skinner, will be joining us on campus in the fall, and while the content of the 

book is too mature for an all-school read, Skinner is a dynamic speaker who will share 

insight on the writing life. 

We look forward to continued community service work with six dedicated service days 

sprinkled throughout the school year. Deans are moving up with their classes so 

freshmen will look to Christie Kemper with Shea Davis as a team leader, sophomores to 

Deb Spiegel with Bryan Czarnota as the team leader, juniors to Blair Munhofen with 

Vin Romeo as the team leader, and Anne Griffith with Ashwi Birdi as the team leader.



Tel: 937-434-4444 

Fax: 937-434-1033 

Web address: 


Please check each student’s schedule in My BackPack to also identify his or her 

individual advisor. 

The Morning Greeting Program was a success last year and will continue. Please refresh 

your memory on dress code requirements and know we will be more diligent with 

adherence to the rules starting on August 21st. There have been slight changes, so 

please make sure to review the policy with care. Honor Council will remain as a means 

to hear and address student concerns. Deb Spiegel and Vin Romeo will lead the council, 

documenting discussions and making recommendations to the upper school division 

head. This is a group that is meant to discuss the school’s commitment to its core values 

of integrity, grit, celebration, and kindness. Larger concerns will be dealt with more 

immediately by the upper school division head and the dean of students. Please know 

that most important in this process is care for the student and clear communication with 

the family. 

We are proud to announce that we are moving to lockers without locks in the Truslow 

Commons. We ask that students do not keep laptops or other items of high value in 

their lockers. We will work to establish classroom spaces for laptops when necessary. 

Please know too that cameras have been installed to support this community initiative 

so that we can take care of each other and our personal property as we move to this 

new, more open model. Please look for full details in the Student Handbook when it 

becomes available in August. 

There is a great deal of information online that we will need you to peruse. Please visit 

http://www.mvschool.com/us-summer-mailings-2013/ to find mandatory paperwork 

for orientations, Immersion participation, and campus privileges. We’ve included a 

checklist with this letter so you can better orient yourself with the information you need 

to review and complete. Also note that textbooks will be available beginning July 18th 

and you can find them by visiting astore.amazon.com/themiavalsch1-20 

Please never hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns. I’m excited to be 

embarking on my second year as upper school division head. The Miami Valley School 

faculty has spent the summer investigating ways to incorporate project-based learning 

and technology into their classrooms. It is an amazing time to be a part of The Miami 

Valley School community. Thank you for being a part of the team and for honoring us 

with your children. 

Sincerely, 

Rachel Moulton 

Upper School Division Head



Tel: 937-434-4444 

Fax: 937-434-1033 

Web address: 


THE FOLLOWING FORMS NEED TO BE DOWNLOADED, COMPLETED AND 

RETURNED BY OR ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Please send to the upper school 

office to the attention of Katie McCallum. 

Medical Forms 

MVS Permission Form 

Technology Acceptable Use Policy Form 

Student Driver Form 

Open Lunch Permission Form For Juniors and Seniors ONLY 

The following forms are to be returned if the services are needed: 

Medication Authorization Form

Letter from Head of Upper School Rachel Moulton - The Miami ...

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