The AC Blog

Strawberry Breakfast Delights an Appreciative Crowd

Posted on May 25th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

A long-standing tradition at Allendale Columbia School, Strawberry Breakfast always draws an appreciative crowd as we kick off the Memorial Day weekend. In fact, the audience has grown to the extent that it’s held in the Gannett Gym for greater accessibility, and it’s streamed live on the internet.

The expected traditional pieces, such as the Maypole Dance, Sword Dance, and the “Inch by Inch” song by second graders still enthralled. See the entire agenda below, and click here for more photos.

Former AC parent Mitzie Collins again joined our ensemble for the Maypole Dance. Mitzie created the recordings that have been used for the dances at Strawberry Breakfast for over 30 years. She has a long-standing career in music performance and research, teaching music history and hammered dulcimer at the Eastman Community Music School.

Strawberry Breakfast concluded with…strawberries and donuts!

Agenda

Greeting
Head of School Mick Gee

Welcome
Sophomores Fiona Lutz and Roxy Reisch

 “Good Cheer”
Upper School Select Chorus

Processional Chain
Featuring AC Fourth Graders

Crowning and Pinning of Seniors
AC Sophomores

“Now is the Month of Maying”
Upper School Chorus

Bulaklakan
AC Fifth Graders

Circle Dance
AC Third Graders

Simple Gifts
Middle School Chorus

The Sword Dance
Sophomore Students
Music performed by Upper School Band and Mitzie Collins

“Garden Song (Inch by Inch)”
AC Second Graders

The Maypole Dance
Sophomores Students
Music performed by Upper School Band and Mitzie Collins

When You Believe
All Strawberry Breakfast Performers

Closing Remarks
Sophomores Fiona Lutz and Roxy Reisch

Senior Recessional Chain
Featuring AC Fourth Graders

 

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Learn Some Secrets Behind Strawberry Breakfast

Posted on May 10th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

by Gabriel Costanzo

Did you ever wonder why certain dances were included in the Strawberry Breakfast at Allendale Columbia? What are their origins? What’s the story behind this tradition? A few secrets will be revealed by Mitzie Collins, Rochester musician and parent of three former AC students.

Collins is a well known musician in Western New York, and she will be joining the AC musicians accompanying the Maypole Dance and Sword Dance at this year’s Strawberry Breakfast. This Monday, May 14th, at 12:05 p.m., Ms. Collins will give a presentation about these traditions to those musicians and dancers.  The presentation will be in the Curtis Performance Center.

 

Gabriel Costanzo As an instrumental music teacher at Allendale Columbia School, Gabe teaches 4th Grade Band, 5th Grade Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Music Theory. He held the David M. Pynchon Chair in the Visual and Performing Arts from 2008 - 2013 and is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He earned bachelor's degrees in Music Education and Music Composition from SUNY College at Fredonia and a master's degree in Music Composition from Bowling Green State University. You can also find him on horn and vocals for the local band The Buddhahood.

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Make Your Mark at the 2018 Gala!

Posted on April 20th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

Get ready for the celebration of the year in just 50 days: the Make Your Mark Gala on Friday, May 18th, 2018, at Oak Hill Country Club. You can go online now to sponsor the event, purchase an ad for your business or to recognize someone special, donate an auction item, host a table, or buy individual tickets at allendalecolumbia.org/gala. Next Friday, April 27th, is the last day to buy tickets!

Join us for an evening of fine food, friendship, and lively entertainment as we celebrate the many ways the Allendale Columbia community makes its mark on the world.

Sponsorships are available at several levels and include opportunities to host a table of 8 or 10 of your best friends, class parents, colleagues, or clients. With your sponsorship or individual tickets, you and your guests can enjoy good spirits, fine family-style fare, charitable auction action, and the impressive talents of Allendale Columbia students throughout the night.. Oh, and did we mention you will also have chances to win a variety of live and silent auction items, including vacations, one-of-a-kind experiences, and valuable local products and services?

If you would like to donate experiences or items for the silent or live auction, you can enter the information at allendalecolumbia.org/gala, or contact Kayla Himelein at khimelein@allendalecolumbia.org or 585.641.5288.

Your active participation will help us in the final push over the top for our 3-year, $4 million Impact Initiative Campaign that supports AC’s strategic initiatives and opportunities for students this year and in the years ahead.

Join us!

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Save a Life at Blood Drive April 25th

Posted on April 16th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

You can be a life saver! Please consider supporting the Allendale Columbia School Community Service Club’s upcoming Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 25th, from 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m. in the AC Alumni Gym, 519 Allens Creek Road in Rochester.

CLICK HERE to schedule an appointment using the sponsor keyword allendalecolumbia, or call the Red Cross at 1-800-Red-Cross. In only about an hour, donors can give a pint of whole blood or “Power Red”. A Power Red donation collects the red cells but returns most of the plasma and platelets to the donor. These donors must meet specific eligibility requirements and have type A Neg, B Neg, or O blood.

Those who donate will receive a free Red Cross t-shirt (while supplies last). Middle School students will also support the Red Cross with a bake sale at 10:30 a.m. in the Dining Commons.

 

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Creativity Abounds at Evening of the Arts

Posted on March 27th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

Creativity knows no bounds, as Allendale Columbia School students demonstrated at the biennial Evening of the Arts event on Friday, March 23rd. The exhibition featured over a hundred works of art from students in grades N – 12 displayed throughout the school. This year’s theme was “Art Around the World”.

Honors and Portfolio Seminar Art students plied their craft in the Bruce B. Bates Design and Innovation Lab, previewing their work for the upcoming spring thesis exhibition in April. Senior Madison DeCory appreciated the opportunity to help stimulate artistic creativity in younger students, as she mentioned in an interview with News 8 Rochester: “What we want to do tonight is showcase what we’ve been doing, showcase our talents, and get other students interested in the artwork that we’re doing.”

“It’s a variety of work all the way from photography — we have a black and white darkroom which is incredible for our students to have that experience — to printmaking, painting, drawing, design, digital work, and hands on work,” said Amy Oliveri, AC art teacher and Director of the AC Center for Entrepreneurship. A group of 5th graders even demonstrated their “crankie” from the Lower School musical, “I’m Not Sleepy…Yet!”.

Students working in the Global Engagement Diploma program also participated in a bit of social entrepreneurism, selling handmade baskets from a women’s collective and shade-grown coffee to benefit the program’s partners in El Sauce, Nicaragua.

News 8 Rochester summarized the event on their evening news show.

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Are You Smarter Than an AC Student?

Posted on March 20th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

by Ted Hunt

How is your knowledge of current events? Take our 2018 Current Events Test, and measure your results. Even though you’re downloading the test on a connected device, you may not consult any sources other than your own memory while you take the test.

2018 Current Events Test Questions (PDF) (open this for the questions)

2018 Current Events Answer Sheet (PDF) (mark your answers)

2018 Current Events Answer Key (print to check your answers)

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AC Reception in Key Largo

Posted on March 7th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

Allendale Columbia will meet with members of the AC community in and around Florida at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo on Monday, March 26th, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. Head of School Mick Gee will be there to meet and give an update on AC to our extended community in the area, including alumni and parents and grandparents of current and past students who would like to make the visit. The event is hosted by Mr. Anton Schutz, parent of alumni Katelyn ’10, and Anton ’12.

The reception will be held at the Ocean Reef Club at The Point, 35 Ocean Reef Dr, Key Largo, FL 33037 (map). Attire is Club Casual. Those interested in attending should register in advance at allendalecolumbia.org/keylargo.

Overnight accommodations may be independently reserved at the Ocean Reef Club. To book your reservation, please contact Aedin Brennan ’12 before March 12th at 585.770.1776 or abrennan@mbcap.com.

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All-New AC Book Fair at Barnes & Noble Features Activities, Performances

Posted on February 25th, 2018 by Allendale Columbia School

AC Book Fair

Saturday, March 3rd
Barnes & Noble, Pittsford Plaza
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (with scheduled activities 10:00 to 5:00)

Please join us this Saturday for our AC Book Fair! This year we have partnered with Barnes & Noble in Pittsford Plaza to make our Book Fair a community wide event.

There will be a variety of AC activities and student performances at B&N throughout the day, highlighting all that AC has to offer. We will also have an AC Welcome table and delicious Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes for sale. A portion of ALL purchases that entire day (books, music, lunch or coffee at the B&N Cafe…) will be donated to AC, if you mention you are supporting us at the check-out. So bring your friends and show off your school!

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