The Mayer daughters, Pumpkin, Gr. 3 and Callie, K, and Nicole Arena, also K, had a chance to dine with  Joe Connolly, dean of students, as part of the annual picnic’s “Lunch with Mr. Connolly” package. The Brezoczky family was the second family who won a lunch with Connolly, and Kate, K; Charlotte, Gr. 2; and Emma, Gr. 4, had lunch with him in November.

In addition, lower school mathematics teacher Diane Plauck’s “Holiday Baking and Card Making Picnic Package” won by Jessica Susai, Gr. 4, took place in mid-December. Susai invited three classmates – Aria Coalson, Maya Kumar and Rukhsaar Lakhani – to spend the afternoon at Plauck’s home decorating gingerbread and sugar cookies and designing holiday cards for their families. While carols played, the girls let their creative juices flow and everyone went home with plates of goodies and bellies full of sweets. “What better way to kick off the holiday vacation than with the sweet smell of cookies baking and the sound of children laughing?” said Plauck.