Calvin-Parents E-Newsletter: October 13, 2009

Family Weekend plans

Family Weekend will be full of activities for parents to enjoy with or without your student.  Consider attending the sectionals, the chaplain commissioning service, or the concert with Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers on Friday.  You can also visit classes that are open for visitors on Friday.  The schedule of open classes and the entire schedule---with updates and changes---is available on the Family Weekend site.  Don't forget about the special chapel service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, planned especially with parents and families in mind.

If you want to attend a ticketed event, tickets for all Family Weekend events are now available at the Calvin box office (616-526-6282).  You may purchase tickets for events online, but if you are attending several ticketed events, the simplest ordering is done via phone.  The Family Weekend banquet WILL sell out (Improv already is sold out), so get your tickets now---not later.  If you are not planning to attend any of the ticketed events you do not have to register ahead of time, but please check in at the Parent Oasis tent or one of the residence hall desks upon arrival to sign in and pick up a Family Weekend schedule and map.  Refer to the Family Weekend site as the best and most up-to-date source for program information.

Calvin dining services has special events planned for Family Weekend with special pricing starting with dinner on Friday, October 23, and running through brunch on Sunday, October 25.  On Saturday, there will be root beer floats in Knollcrest Dining Hall.  On Sunday, there will be a special brunch in Commons Dining Hall featuring homemade apple cobbler, and cookie and brownie decorating. Prices are  $4 for breakfast, $5 for lunch, and $7 for dinner or brunch (for ages 12 and up). Children ages six to 11 are half-price; five and under eat free!

Popcorn

The Student Treats program sends treats and goodies to students for a birthday, special event or as an "anytime" surprise to remind your student of your love and support. The next deadline is for the Popcorn Treat on October 27.  The Popcorn Treat features three bags of deluxe flavored popcorn—caramel, cheese, and butter—delivered in a reusable Calvin shopping bag. Anyone can order individual treats or "A Year of Treats" which saves time and money. Find out more on the Student Treats site.

Chapel and prayer

You can join the campus in daily worship as chapel is now available live on their Web site every day. The schedule for chapel is also found on that page.

Members of the Calvin community will be gathering to pray at 7:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in room 220 of the Chapel Undercroft.  This group of students would like to invite everyone who wants to be actively praying for the college to join them. It will be led by students, but faculty and staff are welcome.  They would also like to know how they can best pray for you. So either  join them or send your prayer requests to calvinprayer@gmail.com. No prayer request is too small.

Every Student Challenge

Between now and June 30, 2010, multiply your gift to Calvin through the Every Student Challenge. In this challenge, every gift—big or small—counts.  Together, our gifts throughout this fiscal year can secure an additional $100,000 challenge grant.

What's the catch?  The college must receive one new or upgraded gift to the annual fund for each Calvin student enrolled during the 2009-10 school year. So whether you give $10 or $10,000, your gift to Calvin will help us meet our challenge goal—and provide a more affordable education for all Calvin students.

Refer a student who can apply for free

We know that many Calvin parents are in a position to recommend Calvin to a prospective student and/or parent. We value and encourage your efforts to help us identify prospective students who are a good "match" with Calvin College. Use the student referral page to submit that information to us or contact us at parents@calvin.edu (616-526-6142).
 
And if these prospective students apply before December 1 (January 1 for Canadians), the admissions office will waive the application fee! Find out more on the admissions Web site.

Health services information

Health services meets the unique health-related needs of Calvin students and prepares them for lifelong wellness.  There are links on the main health service Web site for parents about the Calvin Knightcare insurance policy, health services, and how Calvin is prepared for the H1N1 virus.

Also, the Calvin Pandemic Response Steering Committee would like to offer a little bit of common-sense advice as we enter the seasonal flu season, and as we continue to monitor and track the spread nationwide of H1N1. Some basic precautions that can be used in the home and workplace include:

*wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or with a hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
*avoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes.
*cover a cough or a sneeze with a tissue or cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve.
*clean your hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose and minimize shaking hands after such an action.
*when possible, do not use other employee's phones, desks or other work tools and equipment.

The steering committee continues to meet on a regular basis to address the challenges that may arise during a widespread outbreak of illness in the Calvin
community. For more information, please visit the health services Web site.

Stay Healthy!

Academic advising

Calvin College reserves two days each semester for academic advising and the fall dates are October 27 and 28. This is a time when classes are not in session so that faculty can meet with their advisees. Feel free to check out this short video clip on academic advising from a student's perspective: http://www.vimeo.com/6591426.  More information about academic advising---tips, resources, videos, and a link to their Facebook page---is found here.
 
Students are instructed to schedule an appointment with each of their faculty advisors (one or more depending on the number of majors a student is pursuing) and prepare for registration. Students must meet with their assigned advisor in order to be cleared for KnightVision registration. Please do all you can to encourage your son or daughter to take full advantage of these two days on campus. In addition to meeting with an advisor, this is a good time to get caught up on reading assignments and writing papers. It should not be a time to leave campus for a long weekend get-away. Questions? Please feel free to contact Dana Hebreard, Coordinator of Academic Advising, at dhebrear@calvin.edu.

Events for alumni, friends and families

Bookmark the alumni events calendar to keep track of important dates throughout the year, to which you are warmly invited, as a parent, alumni and/or friend of the college.  More information is found there for each of the following events:

October 15: Calvin Along the Lakeshore: Muskegon (Mich.) Art Museum
October 23 & 24: Family Weekend and Reunions on campus
October 24: Prof. Janel Curry will speak in Whitinsville (Mass.) about caring for creation
October 27: Lakeshore (Mich.) Winter Sports Luncheon