January Message from the Headmaster
Happy New Year (somewhat belatedly) and thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity during the holidays. With three snow delays and a cancellation in the two weeks before vacation, we were all prepared for a “White Christmas.” Melrose re-opened last Monday, and most of the children looked well rested and excited to return to school after the two-week break. Naturally, it didn’t take long before we had yet another snow delay…such is winter in the northeast!
December seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, beginning with our four-day visitation by the NYSAIS Committee and ending with our wonderful Christmas pageant on the Friday before the break. Our three basketball teams launched their seasons and a few classes enjoyed special field trips. I had the pleasure of meeting many of our young alums at the annual pre-vacation Billiards Night for alumni on December 20th; they seemed to be happily pursuing their post-Melrose academic careers and eagerly anticipating a long winter vacation. Unfortunately, one casualty of the inclement December weather was the annual Bonfire & Carol Sing with the Community of the Holy Spirit, but we will resurrect that enjoyable event next year.
As we look ahead to the rest of January, a number of events appear on the calendar, including the re-scheduled Grade 5 trip to Stockbridge, the first in a series of admissions gatherings, and – of course – Pasta Night, on Friday, January 25th. Flyers have been sent home to all families. We surpassed the minimal enroll-ment necessary for Mad Science, so that after-school program will begin for our Lower Common students on January 29th. Progress Reports for Trimester II are due at the end of the month and will be mailed home in early February.
January is also the month when we begin the re-enrollment process for next year. We will be mailing home financial aid applications to all our families whose children currently receive financial assistance. While we only have a limited amount of available aid, if there are other current families who feel that they may qualify, they should contact Tom Burns in the Admissions Office by email at tburns@melrose.edu or by phone at 845-279-2406 (x1) to request the application forms, and he will send them to you immediately.
