Subject: SFS MS Tuesday Newsletter
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:30:00 -0400

Tuesday - June 8, 2010

		

		

		 

					

								From the School
                                
                                This Week's Query
What did you learn about yourself this year, and how can you keep that in mind as you look forward to next year?
 Notes form Sally
The seventh graders who wrote this year's queries have done an outstanding job, haven't they?
The year's closing assembly will be held at 2:00 on Friday in the arts center.  Friday is the final day of school.  It is a full day, and the shuttle will run to the Lower School as normal.  There is also aftercare.
Note to 8th grade families:  the closing ceremony will begin at 7 PM on Friday night; students should be here to line up by 6:30.  Extra tickets have been distributed.  Following the ceremony, which will end about 8:15, there will be a reception in the dining room.  Please join us for food and drink and the chance to say goodbye!  The time capsule envelopes will be open until early July.
Over the summer the office will be open each day, and either Jen, Carlene, or I will be in.  Jack Huntington and Anne Kennedy will be reachable by email.  Teachers are generally not available and may or may not be checking email.  If you need to contact a teacher during the summer, please go through the office.
A reminder to parents of rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders:  Please join us for Out of the Box computer training. All 6th through 8th grade students will receive brand new laptops with Windows 7. This training will familiarize students with the new computer and cover ways to use them productively. All 6th through 8th grade students must attend one training session. In addition, one parent must attend the training with their child; students may not attend by themselves. Laptops will be distributed at the training sessions and students will take them home after the training.  Click here to register.
Final reports for the year will be posted online during the week of June 21.  Families who have not completed their emergency information or their household and student information or who have financial holds or missing library books will not have reports posted.  Please be sure that these items are taken care of.
Homeroom and team placement information for rising 5th, 6th, and 7th graders will be sent in early July.
Final class placement information for 8th graders going in to the 9th grade will be part of the comment in the final report card for math, science, and language.
Many many thanks to all of our parent volunteers!  First of all, thanks to Margie Sollee and Allison Tierney for leading the Middle School Parents Association so capably this year!  They were ably supported by a great roster of grade reps and room/team parents.  We would also like to thank Debra Bolog and Liz Bronder for their work on the 7/8 dance committee,  Sherri Cafritz and Nell Stewart for their work on Community Service,  the patient Tuesday Letter team, and all of the parent volunteers who worked in the office, in the library, and on all the many tasks that support us.  A big thank you too to all of you who have brought in snacks for our faculty meetings!  If you are missing a dish, please do come by and we can help you find it.
Remember that the Kenworthy Gym will close for construction this week, and everything must be out of gym lockers and the PE lost and found no later than Wednesday.  Items from the Middle School Lost and Found are out on display and will be donated after Friday.
In addition to library books which do need to be returned, the Middle School collects and reuses all hardbound textbooks (this helps keep your book bills down.)  If you see texts lying around at home, please send them in!
The best thank you that a teacher can receive at the end of the year is a letter of thanks from students and parents. As you write these, I would love to place a copy in the teacher's file - send these to my attention in the office as well. I also welcome your reflections on your child's year and suggestions for ways that we can improve the Middle School experience.
 
My best wishes to you all for a great summer!
Instrumental Music Notes
We would like to express a hearty thank you to all of the musicians who participated in the 2009-2010 concert season. We were all very proud. Please turn in your music folder with all of your pieces by Friday. Remember that auditions will be held the first week of school in September. All students grades five through eight wishing to participate in an instrumental ensemble are required to audition (even those who participated last year). Students are asked to play a scale, sight read a short excerpt, and play something prepared. Rhythmic accuracy, intonation, and musical expression are key factors. If you are seeking lessons for your child please email Mr. Henderson for a list of teachers and studios in the area.
 5/6 Health and Wellness Parent Satisfaction Survey
Last week you may have received a letter asking for your participation in a survey regarding the pilot Health and Wellness Curriculum.  This is just a friendly reminder to complete the Satisfaction Survey no later than this Friday, June 11th.  Attached you will find a copy of the letter with a  link to the survey that corresponds with your child&rsquo;s current grade level.  Thank you for your participation.

							
								PA Announcements
                                
                                From the PA Co-Presidents
We would like to thank all who volunteered their time and talents in the Sidwell Friends community this year. Sincere appreciation to the PA officers, clerks, reps, room parents, team parents, newsletter editors, office assistants, library aides, classroom helpers, chaperones, exchange student hosts, potluck hosts, snack coordinators, carpool greeters, stage hands, sports fans, tour guides, event planners, brownie-bakers, clean-up crews, guest speakers, fundraisers, facilitators, and unsung heroes that helped enrich the School, the lives of our children and each other. Have a safe, peaceful summer, 
Denise Coffin and Amy Davies, Parents Association Co-Presidents 2009-10
 Seeking Room and Team Parents for 2010-2011
SEEKING ROOM AND TEAM PARENTS FOR 2010-2011
Are you interested in serving as a Room or Team Parent for your child&rsquo;s class/advisory next year? The MS Parents Association is seeking volunteers to serve as room and team parents in 2010-2011. If you are interested, please email Belinda Nixon, [email-masked], or Gita van Heerden, [email-masked]. Thanks in advance for your interest!Seeking a Community Service Committee Volunteers
MS PA is looking for Community Service Committee volunteers for next year.  If you would like to volunteer for all-school activities such as the food drive, holiday gift drive, school supply collections or other community service projects, this is an opportunity to become more involved with community service at MS.  Please contact Belinda Nixon at [email-masked] or Gita van Heerden at [email-masked] Last Call for PA Reimbursement Request
Last call for PA Reimbursement requests
 
If you have spent money on behalf of the Parents Association this year, please note that the last date to submit receipts for reimbursement will be Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Please check with PA Division Clerks or PA Presidents to verify your budget. Note that original receipts only will be accepted and downloadable forms must be signed by the PA Clerks or Presidents. You can mail completed paperwork to them, or place it in the PA box in your division or at Zartman House - just confirm that they have received it. For more on PA Financial Procedures, click here. Questions? Ask PA Treasurer Jay Dunn [email-masked] or PA Co-President Amy Davies [email-masked].

								Other News 
                                
                                Summer  Programs
School&rsquo;s Out!  What are you doing next week?  Join us in the Machine Sewing workshop (rising 5th &ndash; 10th grade) or Voyage around the area with Voyagers.  Tennis, Soccer and Basketball camps too!  Space still available so grab a friend and get ready to kick off Summer 2010!  Sign up online by clicking here.
Shuttle and After School Programs for 2010-11 &ndash; sign up before the school year ends!  Click here to sign up.
 Auxiliary Programs--MS Robotics
MS Robotics! Sign up now to reserve a spot on the SFS Middle School Robotics team! The program is open to all 6th-8th graders. To register for the program, visit the MS After School and SPARC webpage and complete the Robotics application listed on the right of the page.
Forms should be returned to the SPARC Office by Tuesday, June 15th.  In order to apply for the Fall program students must be rising 6th - 8th graders.  There will only be one Robotics team for this age group, so if more than 10 students apply for the program, a lottery will be held and families will be notified by June 18th of their status. Questions? Email [email-masked] or call 202-537-8401.Scheduled Network Maintenance June 26 and 27
Our IT staff needs to take down our entire network for important upgrades to our servers.  To avoid as many problems as possible, we have determined that the weekend of June 26 and 27 is the optimum time for this important network maintenance.  Please be aware that all SFS functions will not be available for those two weekend days, including email, Educator, and access to files stored on our network.  We regret any inconvenience this may cause, but hope you understand that this is necessary for the health of our network.  Thank you for your patience.
Patt Moser, Director of Information Services 
 Own a Piece of a Solar Utility at Sidwell Friends! 
The School has teamed up with Common Cents Solar of Chevy Chase to install solar panels on the Lower School Gym. The School will provide roof space and will purchase the solar generated electricity at fixed rates that protect it against inflating energy costs.  Lower School students will be able to monitor energy production from computers linked to the system while the school reinforces its commitment to a reduced carbon footprint. School community members can support the project by purchasing &ldquo;solar bonds&rdquo; in increments of $5,000 and earn a return of 3% annually for an estimated 10 years.  The solar system won&rsquo;t cost the School anything to install, and after the investors are repaid, Sidwell Friends will continue to enjoy solar energy at no cost for the rest of the expected 30 year life of the system. Please contact Mike Saxenian at [email-masked] for further details.
 2011 Next-to-New Sale
It's never too early to start thinking about Next-to-New!  Please start saving items for our fall collection time! We have already started collecting boxes and are taking volunteer names. If you are interested in helping with the sale please email [email-masked] or call 202-537-8110.  Next-to-New is a great community event with many different volunteer opportunities!Parent Volunteers Needed at The Fox Den
Looking to volunteer in a coffee house setting? Your search has ended! The Fox Den, located on the Wisconsin Avenue campus, is currently looking for parent volunteers to help out for the 2010-2011 school year. If you enjoy a coffee shop/clothing store atmosphere and a chance to interact with high school and middle school students, this is the place for you. This fun opportunity requires no retail or restaurant experiences. Please contact Ellis Turner at 202.537.8100 ext. 8108 ([email-masked] ) or Donna C. Osborn at 202.537.8198 ( [email-masked] ) if you have any questions. Click here to visit the Fox Den and find out more about the store.
 Green Tip for the Week
Green Tip: Click here to find your closest/best (w/reviews) farmer&rsquo;s market, community-supported agriculture group (CSA: local farm goods delivered to your door w/membership!), farm stands, food co-ops or even a green restaurant!  Click here to go to USDA for an extensive list of farmers markets and CSAs. Local food is good for the environment because it requires less CO2 and packing for delivery. Happy summer from The Green Team.A Big Thank You.
...to Winston Smith for serving on the Middle School Newsletter editor team for the past three years.  Winston is leaving the MS newsletter to help out on the Upper School Newsletter. And, we welcome Maggie Hale and Kara Sacilotto to our editing team for next year.
&hellip;PA Middle School Newsletter Editors
Newsletter Information
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How to Submit an Article 
Send submissions to [email-masked] by 2 p.m. Monday. Please reference &quot;Newsletter Submission&quot; and the publish date(s) in the subject line. Items should be submitted as text in the body of the e-mail. PLEASE do not include any formatting such as indents, bullets, boldface or all-caps. Please keep submissions succinct. If you have a form or flyer to include with your submission, please send it as a PDF attachment to your email. Receipt of your submissions will be confirmed as soon as possible.
Note concerning the School Calendar: the calendar entries that appear in the right column of each Newsletter are automatically generated by the official school calendar and are not subject to editing by the Newsletter Editors. All changes or additions to the school calendar must be made through the school scheduling office, reachable at: [email-masked].
							
						 The Parents Association newsletters are a forum for communication among parents and provide announcements concerning School or PA events or information related to a School or PA event. 
						MS newsletter submissions should be sent to [email-masked].

					

							
								
									 Calendar

									

												
												
	Tue, Jun 8th 
		
				5th Grade Hangout 
				
				Wannan Gym and Wetlands
				2:00pm - 4:00pm

				

	
Wed, Jun 9th 
		
				MBS Book Buyback 
				
				US Crane Room
				8:00am - 4:00pm

				

		
				MS Ice Cream Party 
				
				MS Wetlands
				3:15pm - 4:00pm

				

	
Thu, Jun 10th 
		
				MBS Book Buy Back 

				

				

		
				8th Grade Exams - Math 
				
				Dining Room
				8:15am - 10:30am

				

	
Fri, Jun 11th 
		
				Rehearsal for 8th grade closing ceremony 
				
				AC Theater
				8:30am - 11:00am

				

		
				4th Grade Graduation and party 
				
				Lower School and off campus 
				9:00am

				

		
				PK - Grade 3 Last Day of School. Closing at 12 noon. 

				9:00am - 12:00pm

				

		
				Hearst School Kindergarten Graduation  
				
				MS Drama Studio
				10:00am - 11:00am

				

		
				Middle School Closing Assembly 
				
				AC Theater
				2:00pm - 3:20pm

				

		
				Middle School 8th Grade Graduation 
				
				AC Theater
				7:00pm

				

	
Sat, Jun 12th 
		
				Upper School Commencement 

				10:30am

				

	
Sun, Jun 13th 
		
				MS Sundaes on Sunday 
				
				MS Foyer and Wetlands
				3:00pm - 4:30pm

				

	Fri, Jun 18th 
		
				US Grades Posted Online 

				

				

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									Athletics

									

                                                
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			3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW   Washington, DC  20016   Tel: (202) 537 8100   Fax: (202) 537 8499