Frock Talk

For those of you with older students, you are probably aware that Homecoming is looming on the horizon; the dance is scheduled for October 13th.  And once kids have asked potential dates to the dance (and I have heard there is some creative "asking" going down out there...anybody have a son or daughter who has been approached in a particularly cool or sweet way?), the next big hurdle will undoubtedly be attire.  

Most guys will be wearing jackets and ties and most girls will don dresses....but of course there will also be shoes, accessories, etc. needed to round out the "look" for the night.  So where to shop?  I suspect that many of you will be hitting the retail pavement this weekend to get things in order before the big dance, so Upper School mom Kelly Vaziri has provided a list of a few places you might find success.

Online shopping (order now to ensure arrival by the 13th!)
asos.com
modcloth.com

Local Boutique Faves 
Ladybird (Short North)
Jinny's (Short North)
The Emperors Newest Clothes (Short North)
Rowe (Short North)
Pitaya (Gateway/OSU area)

Vintage and Thrift (many in Short North/Grandview)
Rag-o-Rama
Mad4Mod
FlowerChild
Village Thrift Discount Outlet (Cleveland Ave)
Ohio Thrift (multiple locations)

Reliable, Go-to's
Urban Outfitters (Gateway/OSU area)
Express
Macy's
Nordstrom
Bebe
Arden B.
Banana Republic
Cache
Forever 21
H & M
J. Crew
Madewell

Have other suggestions?  Let us know!  Happy hunting!  

A Doggone Disgrace

Hi.  I'm Dixie.  Yeah, I'm a non-descript mutt, but my family likes me.  I love coming to school to pick-up and drop-off the kids, but today, I'm pissed.  

Why?  Because yesterday some dude had this white dog out on the lower school playground chasing a stick while the rest of us looked on in afternoon car line, contained in our vehicles.  It wasn't like he just had to pee and then hopped right back in the car, noooo, this was pure frolic.  And he got to wear his Sperry's. What's that about?

Is it a highlighter or a crack pipe?

Hmmm....

That's certainly creative.  What happened to this?

If you're not familiar with this anti-drug PSA from its original airing, then you probably know it from the multitude of parodies and merchandise that ultimately resulted from this spectacularly successful campaign.  

But that was then— the 80s and 90s— and this is now— 2012.  As parents, our information about drug and alcohol use is mostly based on our own personal experiences and the efforts of our own parents to educate us about these topics.  That is to say, I doubt that enough of us are current.

What questions do you have for the Head of School candidates...

The Executive Board of PACA has been asked to meet the new head of school candidates, the first of whom will be coming to campus early next week. Somehow the position of PACA blogger has landed me on the Executive Board and I would like to be a good representation of the larger CA parent community, so....

I want to know what YOU want to know.  

Only a very few parents are part of the selection committee, so this is an awesome chance for the whole parent body to be engaged with this process.  

Please don't be shy.  

Send me your questions, your concerns, your hot button issues and I will do my best to report with feedback.  

Get in touch via the comments or contact section on the blog, email or post on the PACA Facebook page.  As always, confidentiality will be maintained.  

Athletic Supporters

The year was 1980 and a kindly new receptionist graced Academy Hall.  Quickly becoming part of the CA community, she wanted her son, Tom, to join the Viking ranks; several years later, he did and entered seventh grade as a member of the Class of '88.  Along with Tom, CA welcomed yet another member into the Academy fold: Tom's dad.

Energetic, loud and boisterous, Tom's dad quickly became known on campus; he was a fixture at school events, on the sidelines and in the stands— he was a charismatic salesman and his favorite product was the outstanding education and community of the Columbus Academy.  Although he was active in the Father's Association and a plethora of other volunteer roles, perhaps his greatest gift was sharing his open devotion and pride in his son's school.  He was a dashing, stylish figure that came to represent CA's quest for excellence on the field, in the classroom and for the future.

Sports Parenting 101

Growing up,  I was lucky enough to have a father who never missed a field hockey game.  I played for that school across town with a mythological beast as its mascot.  My father quickly became a fixture on the Varsity sidelines— he cheered, he often "reminded" me to keep my head down when taking a drive and he occasionally gave the refs a hard time. Back then (no need to reveal what year that was), he was by far the most engaged parent spectator out team ever saw.   

What the hell is SEED?

For the past several years at about this time, CA parents start to hear about SEED.  It's strange, though, because although I could maybe tell you where and when the meeting is, I could not even come close to describing what goes down at a SEED meeting and why there might be any need for me to attend.  

Not knowing if this was just my own personal cluelessness, I decided to take an informal poll and ask some other parents what they knew about SEED.  Answers varied from, "Something diversity related" to "I think it's a book club" to "No freakin' idea."  Right-o.  

Why you shouldn't be intimidated by PACA

I have been a CA parent for several years now, but this is the first time that I have been actively involved with PACA.  I have happily supplied cookies, been a field-trip chaperone and classroom reader, but being part of the larger parent organization has until now, held no interest.  Why? 

RIP Sperry's

Recently, Speedbumps and Scuttlebutt heard from a wonderful LS reader who has seriously delved into the minutiae of the Sperry's drama; consequently, we have the deets on the situation: He writes,  "There is some confusing information being sent out in various emails concerning dress code shoes for the Lower School. We are being informed that "Sperry" shoes are not acceptable. The confusion is arising out of an apparent misunderstanding what "Sperry" shoes are.