The weather held nicely for Parent Days, and we were delighted to welcome many families to campus. You can view and purchase photos here. Other events leading up to Thanksgiving break and winter vacation make for a busy time at Emma. Be sure to refer to the academic calendar when making travel plans and keep up to date on weekly activities on the EmmaNow blog.

Trudy E. Hall Head of School

Dynamic Duo

Congratulations to Shibani Das ’10 and Mitali Das ’13 for a great run at the Section II individual tournmaent. They made it all the way to the finals before dropping a highly competitive doubles match against the #1 seeded Saratoga team. They will be one of three doubles teams from Section II heading to the state tournament in Syracuse in a few weeks. Read more about it in the Times-Union.

Serving & Shaping Her World Speakers Series

Kip Fulbeck, professor of art at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will visit campus on November 4. Fulbeck is an American artist, slam poet, and filmmaker. He is the author of Permanence: Tattoo Portraits; Part Asian, 100% Hapa; Paper Bullets: A Fictional Autobiography; and the upcoming Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids, as well as the director of a dozen short films including Banana Split and Lilo & Me.

Save the Date: February 23, 2010 (Emma Hart Willard’s birthday). We are pleased to welcome Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn to campus to discuss their work on the empowerment of women around the globe. Kristof and WuDunn are co-authors of Half the Sky, the New York Times bestseller that documents the global need to attend to the education of girls and women to ensure a healthier world community. Students will be given a copy of their book to read in advance of this visit, and we urge you to read along, get your book club to read along, and then head to Emma Willard for the day. We promise good conversation and a healthy slice of birthday cake.

For more about these speakers and others, visit our Speakers Series Web page.

Tango Social

The EW Dance Company, in partnership with Albany Tango Society, will present world-renowned tango artist Jorge Torres in afternoon tango workshops and an evening social. On Saturday, November 7, Jorge Torres will teach three afternoon workshops—Achieving Balance in Tango, Vals, and Milonga. The day culminates with a tango social and a performance by the Emma Willard Dance Company. Jorge Torres is troupe dance captain and principal dancer for the Broadway production of Forever Tango, which tours worldwide. For schedule information and registration visit the Albany Tango Society Web site or contact Emma Willard dance instructor Kevin Magee, 518-266-9612.

Fall Play

On November 13 and 14, student will present Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), a modern comedy of Shakespearean proportions by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Performances begins at 7:30 p.m. and admission is free with tickets available at the door of Kiggins Hall. Details here.

Thanksgiving break

Thanksgiving break begins at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, November 20. Dorms will close at noon on Saturday, November 21. Boarding students should return to campus by 9 p.m. on Monday, November 30. Classes resume on Tuesday, December 1.

SPAC Nutcracker Tea

We are pleased to announce that Emma Willard will again sponsor the Saratoga Performing Art Center’s Nutcracker Tea on Sunday, November 22, 2–4 p.m., at the Hall of Springs on the SPAC grounds. Featuring excerpts from the beloved ballet, the Nutcracker Tea is an enchanting way to interest your child(ren) in the art of dance while welcoming the holiday season. For more information, email Nancy Meyer or call 518-584-9330, x107. To purchase tickets, please visit the SPAC Web site.