The Middle School Select Choir had a victorious performance at the 59th Annual New Jersey Music Educators Association Middle School Choral Festival at Rutgers University. The festival included performances from 11 middle schools from across the state. The adjudicators were Ms. Nicosia of Rutgers University and Dr. Guerrini of TCNJ. Though this was not an official competition, the MS Select choir was simply victorious! All aspects of our performance were scored with 9s and 10s! They brought the audience to their feet in applause at the end of their set and received much praise from their peers and judges alike.

Parent Participation in the Stuart Fund is a remarkable 91% and we are 80% towards our $500,000 goal! A huge THANK YOU to those who have contributed! And if you have not made your gift, there is still time to participate and make a difference at Stuart. Make your gift today.

We are proud to announce that senior Christina Chun has been awarded the 2012 Hubert Alyea Award, sponsored by Princeton University and the Princeton Section of the American Chemical Society. Christina was nominated for this award by Stuart's science faculty because of her enthusiasm for the study of sciences and her excellence in all scientific disciplines. Christina also received prestigious recognition as a John Jay Scholar at Columbia University. In the fall Christina will be attending Princeton University.

Sign up the whole family for the Poetry in Motion 5K Run on Alumnae Day, Saturday, May 19, at 8:00 AM. Support Stuart… Run, walk, or just drink coffee and eat doughnuts in the driveway! Sports clinics and childcare will be available from 7:30 AM for all registered children ages 3–9. All funds raised go to support Stuart’s Lies, Light, McCarthy Visiting Author Program that brings prominent writers like recent Visiting Author Naomi Shihab Nye to spend the day on campus.

Seventh grader Simone Armour was awarded a Medal of Excellence at an oratorical competition last Saturday. Simone is a member of the Somerset Chapter of the New Jersey Orators and competed against other 12 year olds from numerous chapters in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Susan Knox invites you to her Senior Recital on Saturday, June 2 at 4 PM in Cor Unum. Reception to follow. Don’t miss what is sure to be a beautiful performance on piano and flute demonstrating the hard work and talent of one of our graduating Seniors.

The Stuart Alumnae Association is proud to announce Leigh Morlock, Class of 2000, as the 2012 recipient of the Barbara Boggs Sigmund Award.

In 2009, Leigh took her experience in theater and fashion to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where she launched Push Pull Cambodia, a fashion social enterprise that uses business as a tool to combat poverty. Read more about Leigh on her blog. Be sure to join us on May 19 for Alumnae Day 2012 to see the award presentation.

All of the students worked so hard on creating beautiful replicas of master artists’ work for auction to raise money for Stuart. Six pieces are still available for sale including:

Mt. Fuji and Flowers (David Hockney) JK 1, Pat Jones
The Melancholy Singer (Juan Miro) by Grade 4, Ginny Moore
Alliums (David Hockney) by Grade 5, Elena Nickerson
White Flower on Red Earth Wall Paper (Georgia O'Keefe) by Grade 8S
Seven Suckers (Wayne Thiebaud) by Grade 7T
Anteriums (David Hockney) by Grade 8T

Opening bid is $150.00 with $25 minimum raise. Bidding ends the end of day, Friday May 11. Interested bidders please contact Cheryl McCormick: 609-921-2330 x217 or cmccormick@stuartschool.org

Click through to see the artwork.

After four months of rehearsal Stuart's Fifth Grade is beautifully prepared to perform this year's Lower School Musical, "Annie, Jr." This event is the culmination of their Lower School drama and music curriculum. Thank you to all the parents who helped throughout the year to prepare all the costumes and props and to assist with back stage management. We hope you come to see the show!

Saturday, May 5, 2:00 PM
Box office opens at 1:15 PM
$8 General Admission, cash or check

Please join us to learn how the application process really works at some of our nation’s selective colleges. Our guest panel will include: Matt Hyde, Director of Admissions at Lafayette College, Chris Burkmar, Associate Dean of Admissions at Princeton University and Sarbeth Fleming, Associate Dean of Admission and Director of Multicultural Recruitment at Davidson College. Parents and students of Grades 9, 10, and 11 are especially encouraged to attend, but anyone interested in learning more is welcome! May 22 at 7:15PM in Cor Unum.

The 2012 Stuart Tartonian is on its way to you via US Mail. Our annual publication celebrating school highlights is as vibrant as ever! If you haven't received your copy, or prefer to read it electronically, read it online now.

From the 2012 Auction Team:

The Auction Team would like to thank the parents, students, faculty and staff for truly Answering the Call! With the help and support of so many, this year's Auction took a new approach with great results. From the Class Masterpieces, Carnival Auction, Royal Tea Party and dancing to the live music of BritishMania, we believe that fun was had by all who participated in the events of London's Calling. We are excited to report that revenue from the two days are in excess of $175,000 with $44,500 being raised to support the needs of the Athletic Department, including the addition of an amazing rock climbing wall.

Please note that the Auction Team will continue to sell Vineyard Vines totes and ties during the upcoming Prize Days and Grandparents Day if you would still like to purchase these fabulous Stuart items! The totes would be lovely Mother's Day or Graduation gifts and the Sacred Heart ties are the perfect attire for graduation or for our PASH brothers and sons!

The St. Madeleine Sophie Retreat Society will host a short prayer service in the Sr. de la Chappelle Chapel every Monday morning while school is in session from 7:45–8:00 AM. There will also be a prayer service every Friday afternoon from 2:45–3:00 PM. All parents, staff, and friends are invited. Start your week with prayer as we read and reflect on the Daily Gospel and say the prayer that St. Madeleine Sophie prayed every day.

The All School Student Art Show and MS/ US Spring concert shared top billing on Sunday, April 29 with the first of many collaborative events. Parents and students celebrated by experiencing all the wonderful art infused corridors and galleries before and after ambitious choral selections and instrumental ensemble performances.

See photos from the concert and art show.

Last spring Linda Rutherford's and Ronnie O'Connor's first grade classes raised money for an organization called Half the Sky that aids orphans in China. They also sent art supplies, dress up clothes and other treasures to the children ... and the Lower School generously donated Women We Admire Day money to pay for shipping costs. Half the Sky has recently posted a feature of our girls' work on their website - read the story.

Stuart Kindergarten teacher and co-founder of #Kinderchat on Twitter, Heidi Echternacht, is featured in a Forbes Magazine article published this week titled, "Tweeting Today, Innovating Tomorrow: Meet your Future Employees." Author Jeanne Meister writes about how workplace culture evolves with each generation, and how today, teachers using Ms. Echternacht's #Kinderchat on Twitter, "encourage their students to build a global mindset at the early age. This helps foster the emotional and cultural intelligence needed to thrive in the future workplace." Read the entire article in Forbes.

Please be advised that parking in front of the school in the Fire Lane is not allowed. We have been warned repeatedly by the Fire Marshall that cars are parked illegally at Stuart. Parking in front of the building is prohibited during school hours, after school or on the weekend. Should you park in the Fire Lane you run the risk of being ticketed or towed by the Township Police.

On Tuesday, May 8, we are opening our doors at Stuart to prospective students with a school-wide Open House from 9:00AM - 2:00PM. If you have a friend or neighbor who might be interested in experiencing a day in the life at Stuart, please let them know about our May 8 Open House. Pre-registration is appreciated but not necessary.

All alumnae who make or have made a gift to the 2011-2012 Stuart Fund by Alumnae Day, Saturday, May 19, will be entered to win a Stuart Vineyard Vines Tote filled with goodies! Winner need not be present to win. Make your gift today!

Come celebrate the Annual Student Art Show and Middle and Upper School Spring Concert at Stuart on Sunday April 29, 2012. The events begin with a reception for the Annual Student Art Show from 1-2 PM in the Considine Gallery followed by the Spring Concert in Cor Unum from 2–3:30 PM.

The Senior class has been hard at work again this year on the Invisible Issues project in Jen Landis’ Upper School Social Justice class.

This Wednesday, the groups presented to a "foundation committee" comprised of 5 members of the broader Princeton/NJ community. Then on Thursday, the girls invited the Middle School, Upper School, and faculty and staff to the Front Hall to hear about each of the issues and make an endorsement of a group.

See photos of the fair and the presentations to the committee.

The deadline for the Stuart Fund Incentives is this Monday, April 30. The incentives include an ice-cream party for Pre-School and JK; a Mardi Gras "Almost Sleepover" for Lower School and a "No Homework Night" and Dress Down Wednesdays in May for the Middle School. Congratulations to the entire Upper School for reaching 100%. They will be enjoying a Spa Day next week!

Additionally, we’re thrilled to announce that Grade 3 and Grade 7 are the latest classes to reach 100% participation in the Stuart Fund!

If you haven't already, please make your gift today and be counted for your daughter's class!

The Grade 5 will be presenting "Annie, Jr." on Saturday, May 5 at 2:00 PM in Cor Unum. The Middle School and Lower School students will see the show next week during school. We look forward to seeing you there! Remember, the sun will come out tomorrow!

As we approach the end of the school year, we are already looking ahead to 2012-2013. Ms. Ciarrocca is calling all artists for a contest to design the 2012 Green and White Day t-shirt! We are looking for artists of all ages to participate. All qualifying designs must say Stuart and 2012 somewhere in the design. The winning design will be printed on the 2012 Green and White Day t-shirt. Please submit your design to Athletic Director, Ms. Ciarrocca before June 1.

Register the whole family for the 5th Annual 5K run today!

The Stuart Varsity Track Team continues to dominate the competiton with another impressive performance at Monday's meet hosted by The Pennington School. Soundly defeating each of the schools who competed, Stuart performed well in each of the events entered. Stuart topped Pennington by an overall score of 84-46, beat Solebury 98-45 and defeated Ranney 98-26.

See photos from the meet.

This year at the National Latin Exam, Stuart participated at 4 of the 6 levels on which the exam is offered. The Gold Medal & Summa Cum Laude certificate is the equivalent of a First Prize. The Silver Medal & Maxima Cum Laude certificate is offered as a Second Prize, the Magna Cum Laude certificate is awarded as a Third Prize and a Cum Laude certificate is awarded as a Fourth Prize.

A limited number of walk in guests may be accommodated for the London's Calling Auction & Gala by contacting Susan Huber at 609-462-3929. We look forward to seeing you there!

On Tuesday, April 24 the Future Cities team will travel to Princeton University to visit the robotics department. This year, while the team was working on their Future Cities project, they were fortunate enough to meet with Dr. Claire Gmachl, an engineering professor at Princeton. The girls worked with Dr. Gmachl for an afternoon at school and used her helpful advice and knowledge to build on their Future Cities ideas. Now Dr. Claire Gmachl has invited the girls to her lab to experience how the university is experimenting with robotics in engineering.

Hamilton and Jennifer Potter and their daughters invite you to meet Vik Dewan, President and CEO, along with a selection of animals from the teaching collection of the Philadelphia Zoo on Tuesday, April 24. Children are invited and light refreshments will be served, beginning at 6 PM. Animals will be on display and a discussion with Vik Dewan will begin at 7 PM.

RSVP to Greg Goldman, Vice President of Development, Philadelphia Zoo:
215-243-5378 or goldman.greg@phillyzoo.org

‘London’s Calling!’ Auction is Saturday, April 21. Buy your tickets online now.

• Wednesday, April 18 is a Dress Down Day for any student who has purchased an Auction t-shirt, which are available to purchase in the front hall every day from 12–3 PM.
• Friday, April 20: Dress Up Day. Girls can wear party or British attire and the Lower School will celebrate with a Royal Tea Party after school!
  Lower School parents: please RSVP to Catherine Huber
• The Carnival Auction for runs Monday through Friday at lunchtime. Tickets are $1 each.

Exciting Auction Items include: One week vacation on Amelia Island, FL; One week vacation on Bald Head Island, NC; Replica British Phone Booth; Dinner for 8 in the Wine Cellar at TPC Jasna Polana College; and College Counseling by Edvice

Sign up the whole family for the Poetry in Motion 5K Run on Alumnae Day, Saturday, May 19, at 8:00AM. Support Stuart … Run, walk, or just drink coffee and eat doughnuts in the driveway! Sports clinics and childcare will be available from 7:30AM for all registered children ages 3-9. All funds raised go to support Stuart’s Lies, Light, McCarthy Visiting Author Program that brings prominent writers like recent Visiting Author Naomi Shihab Nye to spend the day on campus.

Click here to register.

Dr. Wagner is one of the foremost proponents for change in American education. He will discuss the skills needed in the “innovation society” that is supplanting our unsustainable “consumer society” – and identify best practices for cultivating these skills in the next generation. Lecture is presented by Princeton Common Ground. A full house is expected, so you are encouraged to arrive early. Refreshments will be available at 7PM.

Two Stuart juniors, Margaret Wright and Summer Ramsay-Burrough, qualified for the National round of exams for the 2012 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO)! They will take a written exam at Rider University on Saturday, April 21.

Take a bow all! Saturday evening was great fun for our dads and daughters with a delicious dinner and exuberant dancing at Bedens Brook. There were quite a few impressive dance floor moves including many dads showing off for the Cha-Cha Slide! The decorations were a visual as well as sweet tooth feast—pretty and fun.

See photos from the evening here. The password, "tartan" will be required to view the gallery after April 4.

Bring the whole family to see Stuart Girls Makena Duffy (Grade 7) and Eloise Yang (Grade 6) dance in The Secret Garden, an original ballet, at Kendall Hall at The College of New Jersey at the end of this month. This ballet is based on the classic book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Choreography is by Artistic Director Risa Kaplowitz, music by Claude Debussy and Jules Massenet, and ballet is presented by the DanceVision Performance Company. Performances are April 28 at 7:00PM and April 29 at 2:00PM. For Information and to purchase tickets visit www.dancevisionnj.org or call 609-771-2775.

Imagine doing the hula on a beautiful beach or trying Irish Step dance on The Emerald Isle. Imagine singing music from Finian’s Rainbow, South Pacific or The Mikado. Imagine creating art in the manner of Paul Gauguin or David Hockney.

You will be able to do all of this at StuArts Summer Camp. Music, dance, drama, and art classes will go all day. If you are entering Grades 1–5 next fall, the Islands await you on June 11 through June 22! 1–2 week camps are also available. Sign up now for fun!

Attention all Gangsters, Mob girlfriends and Flappers: We will be having a huge silly string fights, singing and dancing on stage this summer in Bugsy Malone, Jr., a 2 week intensive camp exclusively for Middle School students. If you are entering 6–9 grades, join us in a fully staged rehearsal program and production with professional choreographers, directors and musicians. Sign up now! June 11–22

Artwork by Grade 8 student, Kristen Martucci has been selected for the West Windsor Arts Council's juried exhibition, WW33, which will run at the WWAC from May 6 until June 8.

It's time to get those gardens planted! SPA will be hosting our annual Mother's Day Plant Sale and Boutique - Thursday and Friday, May 10 and 11 from 8 AM–3:30 PM in the Sundial Garden, which is located off the rear parking lot.

The Preschool and JK and along with their siblings enjoyed a warm and welcoming Easter Egg Hunt despite the chilly weather on April 1st at Terhune Orchards sponsored by The Stuart Fund. More than 50 children joined in the fun enjoying apple cider donuts, making Easter crafts, taking photos with the Easter Bunny, feeding the farm animals, and riding on toy tractors. The event culminated in an Easter Hunt where each child scurried to get his or her 15 eggs filled with treats!

See photos of the event in the photo gallery

We are very excited to share with you our new, just released, Stuart admissions video. Over the last couple of months we have carefully crafted this video to give prospective students a glimpse into our special community from the girls' perspective. Your daughters are amazing ambassadors for Stuart and the stars of this video!

Click here to watch Stuart's new video

Feel free to pass it along to friends and family. Enjoy!

Linda Rutherford joined Stuart in October 2008 as a Kindergarten teacher and is currently teaching Grade 1. Linda has 10 years of experience in elementary education: prior to Stuart, Linda taught Grade 5 in Ohio and Grade 2 in Wisconsin. Her B.S. in Elementary Education, M.S. in Educational Psychology, and a love and passion for educating the youngest children are evident as you enter her classroom.

It was such a joy to see all of our Lower School girls honoring those whom they admire. It was a big day with many photos, which are now available to view in the photo gallery.

Thanks for your patience as we processed the photos from the Visiting Author Day with the remarkable Naomi Shihab Nye. See photos from the day in the photo gallery.

We’re nearly two weeks from the 2012 Spring Auction & Gala, and this is a final call for auction donations and requests for wine donations. Don’t forget that adorable Auction T-shirts are available for just $10 - they are being sold every day from 12-1PM in the Front Hall. Also available are custom Sacred Heart Vineyard Vines tote bags and ties. Visit the Auction page for more information and to download the forms.

In her talk, “Helping Girls Thrive: Cultivating Intellectual and Emotional Growth,” nationally renowned expert, Lisa Damour, PhD, will provide strategies parents can employ to help girls of all ages pursue high levels of achievement while welcoming challenges, enjoying learning, and maintaining emotional well-being. You won’t want to miss this opportunity: Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 PM in the Stuart Little Theater. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 PM.

Download Dr. Lisa Damour on Helping Girls Thrive

The British may have invaded, but Stuart conquered the game played on Monday afternoon on the Long Family Field. The Varsity Lacrosse team defeated the visiting Harrogate Ladies College team by a score of 16-10 to officially open their 2012 season.

See photos of the game in the photo gallery.

It’s a little too soon to call it final, but a remarkable list of colleges and universities have offered enrollment to Stuart girls from the Class of 2012. On the list are schools that represent tremendous fits for our girls in the areas of academics, service, athletics and the arts.

Highlights include (but are far from limited to) acceptances to the nation’s top research and liberal arts colleges including: Carleton College, The University of Chicago, Georgetown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University and Yale University. Of note, an impressive 15% of the class (5 girls out of 35) was offered admission to Princeton University. Read more for the full College Acceptance List to date.

In her discussion titled, “Helping Girls Thrive: Cultivating Intellectual and Emotional Growth,” Lisa Damour, PhD, will provide strategies parents can employ to help girls of all ages pursue high levels of achievement while welcoming challenges, enjoying learning, and maintaining emotional well-being. Wednesday, April 11, 7:00 PM in the Stuart Little Theater. Refreshments will be served beginning at 6:30 PM.

Download Dr. Lisa Damour on Helping Girls Thrive

Through their volunteer work with the local land conservation outfit Friends of Princeton Open Space (or, FOPOS), Sophie Glovier (mother of Margaux, '14) and Eric Anderson (MS Science Teacher) invite interested Stuart families (and leashed pets) for a refreshing walk/hike through the preserved open spaces of Princeton. Participants may sign up for one of three walks of varying lengths, with the "Medium Walk" (1 hour) slated to begin in Stuart's parking area at 1:30 PM. For more information about the walks, visit www.fopos.org, or check out the feature in this week's Town Topics.

Today the Stuart community was blessed with the presence of a very special person when award-winning poet, writer, anthologist, and educator, Naomi Shihab Nye, spent the day at our School. From her overwhelming kindness when singing “We Need to Read” with the preschool, to lunch with Senior Scholars, tea with Middle School students, and poetry readings for the Lower School girls, Ms. Nye generously shared her work, humor and expertise. Though she visited for just a day, she’s a true mentor for a Sacred Heart girl.

Thank you Ms. Nye!

Thank you Upper School families for your full support of what is happening here at Stuart with 100% participation in the Stuart Fund. Overall, we are 71% of the way to our $500,000 goal for the 2011-2012 Stuart Fund! Please consider investing in leadership at Stuart today:
www.stuartschool.org/giveonline

Every gift counts, thank you!

This special day will kick-off the Auction celebration with a British inspired lunch and gouter. Super-cute Auction t-shirts will be available (only $10) and a surprise dress down day to show off your auction spirit will be announced. At the Kick Off, we will also feature a preview of Auction items and our custom Vineyard Vines “cash and carry” merchandise.

This is our 5th Annual 5K Run in memory of Victoria Flournoy McCarthy ’71 and all proceeds support Stuart’s Visiting Author Program. We have fun Children's Races and activities planned, and new this year, childcare for ages 3+ will be provided for registered children. If you’d like to sponsor the race, download the sponsorship form. You can also register for the race online now.

Dan Richardson and Brian McCarty demonstrated their master driving skills at lunch-time recess on Friday with an R/C car race! The purpose of the race was to generate interest for next year’s Race Car Club. Girls who choose to join the club will be required to follow directions to build a model race car, pass a driver's test, maneuver, race, alter, and perform stunts with their car. Watch your toes as our girls begin to test their own driving skills in the coming months!

We are back from our Spring break trip to France! Thirteen students and two chaperones, Madame Amir and Madame Hoppenot, were part of the trip. We all had a wonderful time visiting Paris, the Loire Valley and being hosted by Parisian families.

See photos from the trip in the photo gallery.

From Amelia Earhart to Mother Teresa, the Lower School students delighted the Stuart community with the many remarkable women who appeared at Women We Admire Day on Friday, March 9. The students were also visited by admirable Stuart alumnae Shelley Wollert '94, Dr. Keo (Feurstein) Van Why '99, and Mia Tinari '00, as well as role models from the Upper School. The special day culminated with a fitting tribute to Mrs. Shukwit, a woman we certainly all admire.

View photos from the day in the photo gallery.

Check out our brand new Facebook Timeline Fan Page. Timeline makes it easy to follow the most current conversation on the Stuart Fan Page, and to take a look back in time to learn from those who have come before us.

Congratulations to the Kindergarten class on reaching 100% participation in the Stuart Fund. Kindergarten now joins the ranks of Grade 9 and Grade 11 who have also reached 100%.

Won't you Invest in Leadership today?

Wednesday we celebrated 100 Days to Graduation! In preparation for this wonderful Stuart tradition, the Preschool and Junior Kindergarten students made special crowns for the seniors. The little ones sang a special song and they all paraded through the Stuart halls to cheering fans! The celebration concluded with a special luncheon for the seniors, at which the seniors were officially inducted into the Stuart Alumnae Association. Congratulations to our impressive graduates to be!

See photos from the day in the photo gallery.

Get out your dancing shoes! The Middle and Upper School Father-Daughter dance will take place on Saturday, March 31, from 7-10PM at The Bedens Brook Club in Skillman. Registration for this event is now closed.

Alicia Testa’s Grade 8 computer classes are deep into an exciting STEM project that embraces many Sacred Heart Goals; working in small groups (community, Goal 4), Grade 8 students are programming original math skills video games (intellectual values, Goal 2 and personal growth, Goal 5) for children ages 4-8, as part of a PBS KIDS Stream of the 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge.

Krystal Knapp, founder and editor of PlanetPrinceton.com, visited with three of Dana Day's classes this week to share her experiences in local and global journalism. Ms. Knapp was a staff writer at The Trenton Times for several years and was the editor of an English language news digest in Beirut, Lebanon. She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a master's degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

On April 12 and 13 in the Stuart Little Theater, Princeton Academy will be presenting the play Oliver, with key roles played by a number of Stuart's Middle School girls.

Mr. Britt, the director of the show, is looking for parent musicians from Princeton Academy and Stuart who might be interested in playing in the pit orchestra. They have a pianist already, but have parts available for string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

Alert! Alert! This just in: Grade 11 has reached 100% participation in the Stuart Fund. Congratulations Grade 11 families! There is great excitement about the incentives they won.

Will your class be next? Grade 10 is making a strong showing to be next in line with a current participation level of 91%. Click here to give online, or read more to check out how your child’s class is doing…

Award-winning poet, writer, anthologist, and educator Naomi Shahib Nye will spend the day at Stuart on March 30 as part of the Lies, Light, McCarthy Visiting Author Program. The public is invited to a reading on Thursday, March 29 at 4:30PM.

This is a brilliant year to celebrate London-style with both the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee taking place. The excitement has made its way across the pond to Princeton, with Stuart's annual auction, "London’s Calling" taking place on Stuart's Campus, Saturday, April 21! Now is your chance to channel your inner-Royal by becoming a sponsor for this year’s Auction and Gala. From King and Queen to Royal Family, there are a variety of opportunities to support our School! Answer the call today.

Download the Sponsorship Form.

Don’t miss your last opportunity to see the phenomenal Upper School Musical: Hairspray, Saturday at 2:00 PM and 7:15 PM.

Critics agree. “Don’t miss it!” “Fantastic show from beginning to end...” “You will tap your feet, laugh out loud and be moved by the awesome performances.” “...there is no need to go to Broadway, just come to Stuart this weekend!”

Tickets may be purchased with credit card online or with cash or check at the door. See rehearsal photos in the photo gallery.

Alert! Alert! Great Stuart Fund News: The Grade 9 Class has reached 100% participation in the Stuart Fund. Congratulations Grade 9 families! There is great excitement about the incentives they won.

Won't you “Invest in Leadership” today?
www.stuartschool.org/giveonline

In the words of Britain’s “Fab Four” … Help! We Need Donations! Help! Not Just Any Donations! Help us get our auction off the ground! Won't you please, please help us!

We are looking for frequent flyer miles, airline points or vacation homes. London’s Calling and you can answer the call by visiting our 2012 Spring Auction & Gala webpage for donor, sponsorship and program ad forms.

The Sparks, Stuart's all-girl, rookie robotics team, started out the year with almost zero experience in robotics. Just five months later, their hard work, tenacity, and vision earned them a 4^th place finish (out of 24 teams in their division) at the FTC NJ State Championships on Feburary 12!

We were pleased that so many of you were able to join us at the Monday coffee and evening celebration of progress on our Strategic Plan, and to meet our new division heads, Ms. Michele Dowling and Dr. Trisha Medeiros. For those who weren’t able to make it, we hope you will take the time to watch a short video we created to share our progress on the Plan. It features some of Stuart’s greatest assets—our faculty and your children! Click here to watch the video on Stuart’s YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Wow! Beautiful, easy and amazing! For the 13th year, Stuart girls - students, moms, aunts, teachers, alumnae - have been giving the gift of their hair for sick children through Locks of Love. This year was no exception, as 13 girls and women participated, including mother/daughter Teri and Brianna Giancola, (wife/daughter of Stuart chef Damon Giancola). Past donors stopped by to encourage this years' participants and we had repeat performances with much reminiscing about Locks of Love events of the past. Many, many girls are already reporting that they're growing their hair for next year!

Special thanks to Shannon Rangecroft for coordinating the event and to everyone involved for their hard work and dedication to the challenge. See photos from the event in the photo gallery.

Opening day is less than a week away. You won’t want to miss this year’s musical as the Upper School girls and our visiting young men take you back to the 60’s in Hairspray!

Please note that this musical should be viewed with Parental discretion for children under 12. Buy Tickets Online Now.

Though it’s just February, The Office of Admissions wants you to know that Re-enrollment Agreements for the 2012-2013 academic year were mailed on Friday, February 17. Please watch for them to arrive and return them to Stuart by March 2. We’re so excited about all of the great things happening at Stuart; from STEM, to the arts, and athletics - and are thrilled that your daughters and young boys are a part of our journey!

We have just learned that Juliana Karp is one of 15,000 students nationwide to be chosen as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, moving her one step closer to earning a National Merit Scholarship, which will be determined in March. Congratulations Juliana and good luck!

Last Sunday, Vidhi Patel '18, Vivian Mayr '17, and Kristen Martucci '16 were the guests of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra for an all-Russian program at Richardson Auditorium. Our students listened closely to the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, and have now been challenged to create paintings in answer to the music.

Come to the Looking Glass Pond in Princeton Junction this Saturday, February 11 at 8 PM to hear our very own Jan Baldwin singing with Tim Brown in A Fine Romance. Doors open at 7:30 PM.

Looking Glass Pond
794 Alexander Road
Princeton Junction, NJ
08550

Sparks, Stuart's rookie robotics team, is headed to Newark this Sunday for the New Jersey FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) championship event! The Sparks earned a spot at this event by outperforming other more experienced teams at a previous qualifying tournament—an amazing accomplishment for their first year as a team! After spending the year working diligently, creatively, and collaboratively to design, build, and program a robot, the girls will compete this Sunday with other robotics teams in the tri-state area for a ticket to the FTC world championship event later this spring.

Please join us for a very special intimate book talk on Sunday, March 4 at 4:00PM with Nancy Kehoe, RSCJ, PhD. Dr. Kehoe, a member of Stuart's Board of Trustees, will be discussing her book Wrestling with our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness.

Please join the Stuart Community on Monday, February 13 at 7:15 PM for a fun and interactive celebration of our progress on the Strategic Plan, and to meet Dr. Trisha Medeiros, our next head of Upper School, and Michelle Dowling, the next head of Lower School. If you can’t make it in the evening, please come for an informal chat over coffee at 8:15 the morning, hear about the immense progress we’ve made on the Strategic Plan, and meet Trisha and Michelle. Click here to RSVP.

Sacred Heart Committee On Goals Parent Conversations
February 8, 8–10 AM in the Community Room
7–9 PM in the Raissa Maritain Library
Refreshments Served
Free childcare available

Dr. John Barker, founder of the Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory at the University of Louisville visited the MS and US science students this week.

Interested students learned a great deal about what’s involved in medical and ethical research associated with transplantation, as well as a discussion of the significance of research associated with immunosuppression. His presentation included heartbreaking images of the various types of transplants from resurfacing and skin grafting to hand and face transplants.

Some folks made brownies and some folks made centerpieces. Some folks baked chicken, while others donated hats and gloves. Some folks delivered and served the food, and some folks washed the pots. Some folks donated money or mashed potatoes or lunch meat, while others made sandwiches. Some folks visited with the dinner guests, and some folks swept up the floors.

Dr. Medeiros received her undergraduate degree in earth and environmental science from Kean University, her master’s in information science from Rutgers and her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. Having several years of college level technology/library work, Trisha’s first independent school experience was at Purnell School, an all-girl boarding school located in Pottersville, New Jersey. There she served as the library director, coordinator of community service and as a dorm parent. For the past eleven years Trisha has been at Tower Hill School – a Pre-School through Grade 12 day school in Wilmington, Delaware. During this time she has taken on increasing leadership responsibilities, beginning as a director of libraries and of summer programs, advancing to academic dean, history teacher, dean of students and, ultimately, serving as assistant head of Upper School.

Dr. Medeiros’ reputation at both Purnell and Tower Hill is one of excellence. Her past and current heads of school describe Trisha as successful in every role in which she has served, noting her innately collaborative nature, strong connection with students, and positive relationships with parents. Her current head of school, Chris Wheeler noted, “She can handle everything while remaining calm and confident and inspiring others to do the same. She comes to conclusions that make sense to the community, are compassionate and remain true to the ethos of the school.”

We know that Dr. Medeiros' expertise and experience will be invaluable in shaping Stuart’s future.

The Princeton Patch recently interviewed Stuart senior Alisha Mehndiratta to learn more about Alisha and her essay, for which she won a second place prize in Princeton University's MLK Literary and Video Contest. Alisha is a wonderful Stuart ambassador, true to the Sacred Heart goals and criteria which come through loud and clear in the Patch article titled "Stuart Student Embodies Spirit of MLK, Jr." Read the article and Alisha's full essay.

Freshman Camila Tellez was honored on Wednesday evening with a 2011 Sustainable Princeton Leadership Award for her efforts to make Princeton Township a Free Trade Town. Camila is pictured here with Chad Goerner, mayor of Princeton Township, and Diane Landis of Sustainable Princeton. We're proud of your work, Camila!

We are thrilled to announce that Michelle Dowling will be the next Head of Pre-School and Lower School Division at Stuart. Michelle is a Sacred Heart Alumna (15 years at Convent of the Sacred Heart in NY), comes to Stuart with many years of administrative experience and outstanding references. She was by far the top choice of both Dr. Fagin and the Search Committee. Read more in Dr. Fagin’s announcement letter.