Subject: SFS LS THURSDAY LETTER 10-7-10
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 03:00:00 -0400

Thursday - October 7, 2010

		

		

		 

					

								From the School
                                
                                QUERY
&ldquo;You&rsquo;re the builder of a fresh new year; how can we work to make it a growing, learning, fun year for everyone in our community?&rdquo;
--4XINTRODUCTION TO QUAKERISM
Please join Tom Farquhar as he gives an overview of and more in-depth understanding to the foundational principles that Sidwell Friends School is based on. Quaker values, Meeting for Worship and the associated Testimonies will be discussed. Tom will talk about Quakerism in general and, of course, some of its applications here at school.  All are welcome on Tuesday, October 19 at 7PM in the Lower School Quaker Meetinghouse.TEAM TWO TRIP TO HISTORIC ST. MARY'S CITY
On Wednesday, October 20, Team Two (grades 2 and 2x) will journey to Historic St. Mary&rsquo;s City where we will explore a re-creation of a small Yacomaco Indian hamlet typical of those found in southern Maryland at the time of contact with English colonists.  We will also get a glimpse of a re-creation of a trade vessel from the late 17th century, the Maryland Dove.  Please send in a bag lunch marked with your child&rsquo;s name, and for safety&rsquo;s sake. please do not include any glass containers.  We will return around 4:00 PM.  Please make necessary arrangements for a late pick up.  Thank you!FROM THE SFS BOARD OF TRUSTEES
A sincere thank you to those parents able to join the SFS Board of Trustees in a discussion about the next long-term strategic plan for Sidwell Friends School. We are grateful that so many of you were able to participate and share a wealth of ideas, insights and  perspectives. Your input will be so helpful to us as we consider the priorities for our school over the next 12-14 years.  Many thanks.

								PA Announcements
                                
                                OUR PLACE OF ORIGIN FROM THE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
Thank you for stopping by our area during the recent back-to-school nights.  We enjoyed meeting you, and having you &quot;flag&quot; your place of origin.  We are compiling the data and exploring options for displaying the map.  We will report back in the coming weeks.

If you were unable to visit us during back-to-school night but would like to be included in the project, please email your family's origins (or questions you may have) to [email-masked].  We will then flag the map for you.  Thank you!COMMUNITY SERVICE: FALL SERVICE DAYS FOR SFS LS STUDENTS
Service Days are coming!  Your kids will have wonderful and fun experiences as they serve their community side by side with their friends.  Be sure to check special clothing requirements for your child's trip and get those permission slips in!  

Thurs., October 21: Service Day for 2nd, 3rd &amp; 4th grades:
- Second graders collect native hardwood seeds to restore Potomac Watershed
- Third graders do a river cleanup in the Anacostia Watershed
- Fourth graders begin reading partnerships with Brightwood students

Tues., October 26: Service Day for K &amp; 1st grade:
- Kindergartners help Lower School compost our food waste
- First graders beautify Lower School campus

If you have questions or would like to chaperone, please contact your grade representative or Beth Zeugin at [email-masked]. Read MoreCOMMUNITY SERVICE: WEEKEND VOLUNTEERING FOR FAMILIES IN NOVEMBER
Join SFS families at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring on Sunday, November 7 from 1 to 3 PM. Volunteers will help sort children&rsquo;s clothing, household items, pantry foods and furniture. Your time will greatly benefit AWC&rsquo;s Neighbor to Neighbor as they help families who are just leaving shelters to make a warm, safe and comfortable home. All families welcome (ages 4 and up), Third Grade families encouraged. Please RSVP by November 1 to Sara Jane Harris, [email-masked].

Wondering when your grade is slated to volunteer? Follow the &quot;Read More&quot; link below: Read MoreSAVE THE DATE: SFS LOWER SCHOOL BOOK FAIR: NOVEMBER 13
The annual Lower School Book Fair will be held at Politics &amp; Prose this year &ndash; one day only!  Mark your calendars for November 13 and come make history with us as we host an old tradition at a new venue.SAVE THE DATE: TECHNOLOGY TALK ON NOVEMBER 17
The SFS Lower School Parents Association invites all parents of Lower School students to a discussion about technology use at home and school, featuring SFS Lower School Director of Academic Technology, Jenni Voorhees, November 17, 7-9 PM at the Lower School Meetinghouse. Ms. Voorhees is a recognized expert on educational technology, digital citizenship, and online behavior, and has made presentations to parents and schools from Richmond to Baltimore. For more information, contact Ira Apfel ([email-masked]) or Susan Maniatis ([email-masked]).MOVEMENT STUDIO GRAND OPENING PERFORMANCE
An Invitation from Margot Greenlee to the SFS Community:
Please come and help us inaugurate our new movement studio which is both big and beautiful. We will be able to really spread out and leap high here! To celebrate this year&rsquo;s new student initiatives within our greater campus visibility, we will host a Studio Grand Opening performance on October 27 at 4:30PM and 7 PM. This event will bring together all movement and dance students grades 7 - 12. Be sure to invite  your friends, family members and teachers. Potluck dinner too!! MARTHA'S TABLE: MAKE SANDWICHES AT HOME ON OCTOBER 11
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For more information about community service at Lower School go to the Sidwell Friends website, go to the pull down menu for Lower School and click on Community Service or click on www.sidwell.edu/lower_school/community-service.  You can find information regarding our community service partners, service day, and family weekend volunteer activities.
Wondering when your grade is slated to volunteer? Click &quot;Read More&quot; below. Read More

								Other News 
                                
                                EVENTS FOR SCHOLARS
NEXT-TO-NEW SALE: DON&rsquo;T DELAY, DONATE TODAY! 

Final week to donate to the Next-to-New Sale!! Remember to drop off donations at the Wisconsin Avenue campus Mondays and Wednesdays from 8-10 AM and Saturdays from 9-11 AM. For more information please visit our website.

We still need volunteers, please email the events office at [email-masked] for more information and to volunteer.

LS pick-up: we will be picking up donations at LS on October 6 from 7:45-8:45 AM. Parent volunteers will be using their own vehicles so please no oversized donations, like furniture. If you have large pieces, please bring them directly to the NTN space at the Wisconsin Avenue campus.
SAVE THE DATE!  THE NEXT -TO-NEW SALE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Thursday, October 21 from 11 AM to 8 PM (SFS  families only)
Friday, October 22 from 9:30 AM to 8 PM (public)
Saturday, October 23 from 9 AM to 4 PM (public)

Shop early for the best deals on housewares, clothes, sporting goods, holiday items, bikes, shoes, and much more! All proceeds directly benefit student financial aid.

We still need volunteers to help price items and cashier during the sale (no experience necessary! It&rsquo;s very easy and only requires the use of a calculator.) If you are interested in helping, please contact Lauren Mulcahy at [email-masked] YOU KNOW THE NEXT-TO-NEW SALE RECYCLES EVERYTHING (ALMOST EVERYTHING!)
The Next-to-New Sale was green long before the rest of the school got on  the green bandwagon.  We take in 20,000+ items each year and recycle  them in myriad ways.  The items are passed on to other homes through  purchase at the Sale.  Wearable, in-season clothing that we are not  going to sell is taken to Martha's Table, and clothing deemed unwearable  is sent to the textile recycling station in Gaithersburg.  Montgomery  County turns all those worn, torn, unusable articles of clothing into  rugs.  Who knew?  We did!  Next to New finds a place for everything.   The only items that are truly thrown out are those that are broken  beyond repair, unsafe, or items that do not work and can't be fixed.

People often wonder what happens to items that remain when the sale is  over.  Organizations outside the Sidwell Friends community benefit  tremendously.  On Sunday morning, charities such as Noah's Ark, A Wider  Circle, National Children's Center and even individual teachers from the  DC Public Schools come in to haul away what's left.

Want to know more? See the Next to New Sale website.ANNUAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CHORUS FESTIVAL CONCERT
An Invitation from John Touchton to the SFS Community!
Now celebrating its twenty-first year, the annual Independent Schools  Chorus Festival concert will be held at the National Cathedral on  Wednesday, October 20, beginning at 8:00 PM.  Five  hundred fifty student singers from area independent school choruses  (including Sidwell, Maret, Potomac, Landon, Holton-Arms, GDS, St.  Albans, National Cathedral School and Bullis) perform one solo piece and  then join together to perform four massed choral works.  Admission is  free and open to the public and, with the exception of administration  from the independent schools, there is no reserved seating.  We would be  so honored for Sidwell families to join us on this evening with our  wishes for you to enjoy inspiring music and amazing student musicians in  an awesome space!PARENTS COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON LECTURE
The Parents Council of Washington invites you to hear Dr. William Stixrud, PhD speak on &quot;Stretching Kids Without Breaking Them - Stress-Free Ways of Supporting Development in Children and Teenagers&quot;.  Dr. Stixrud will be presenting Thursday, October 14 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the National Cathedral School, Hearst Hall, 3612 Woodley Road, Washington, DC 20016.  Sidwell Friends School is a member of the Parents Council of Washington, so all Sidwell Friends' parents enter for free.  $10.00 for non-members.  Refreshments will be served, and there is parking in the Cathedral Garage (Wisconsin Avenue entrance) for $6.00.  For more information about Parents Council of Washington, please visit http://www.sidwell.edu/broadcast/action/clickthru.aspx?id=366.1120.559262.55595.3558.WEDNESDAY MORNING MATH--COMING SOON!
Mark your calendars, Wednesday Morning Math is coming soon! 

About the program:  Wednesday Morning Math is an optional enrichment math program for children in Grades 2-4 who want to test their problem-solving skills (first graders will be invited to join in the program later in the year). Each week an assortment of problems are presented on five different levels. The most difficult problems are taken from previously held Math Olympiad Competitions. In a noncompetitive atmosphere, Wednesday Morning math sessions give students a chance to work on problems appropriate for their skills and receive some &quot;coaching&quot; support from the participating parent and teacher volunteers.

Wednesday Morning Math meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:45 AM in the multi-purpose room. The teachers will lead some discussions on various problem-solving strategies; however, the children will spend most of their time working through problems and becoming comfortable at identifying and applying the appropriate strategies on their own.

The first Wednesday Morning Math of the year will be on Wednesday, October 13!  Come join us!

For parents:  There will be an information and training session for any interested parents on Wednesday October 6 at 7:45 a.m. in the Math Lab, upstairs in the Manor House.  We will describe the program in more detail and answer any questions that you may have.  We will also provide training for any parents who are interested in helping from time to time with the Wednesday Morning Math program.  The program will be all done by 8:30 AM.  The Wednesday Morning Math program is so successful thanks to the incredible parent volunteers who help.  Please join us on October 6 to learn more about the program!

If you have any questions, please contact us in the Math Lab, at [email-masked] or [email-masked] or 202-537-6997.

Merry Adelfio
Raina FishbaneEARLY RELEASE DAY SPARC CAMPS! 
On October 21, 25, and 26, school&rsquo;s out early so let&rsquo;s have some fun! SPARC is offering several great program options including a trip to Pumpkinville, an Autumn Mini-Camp and a Halloween Party! For more details and the application please visit http://www.sidwell.edu/broadcast/action/clickthru.aspx?id=366.1120.559262.55595.4881.  Questions? Email [email-masked] or call 202-537-8401.PARENTS' NIGHT OUT!
October_16_Camp_Out.pdfJoin Sidwell Summer&rsquo;s staff at the Lower School, Saturday October 16 from 5:00-9:00 PM for a Camp Out Movie Event.  Open to children ages 4&ndash;12, the $15/child fee covers activities, pizza &amp; dessert and movie.  Reserve your space now by returning the registration form with payment to Sidwell Summer.  Open to non-Sidwell Friends families as well.  Invite your friends to join you in a night out for the kids and the parents!  Questions &ndash; contact us at 202-537-8133 or [email-masked]. Read MoreCOME JOIN FELLOW SFS ADULT SOCCER PLAYERS!
Parents now that you have your child&rsquo;s after school activities and sports set &ndash; need some fun of your own?  Sidwell Summer is building a co-ed &ldquo;Over 30&rdquo; soccer league to play Sunday mornings on the DC Campus turf field.  In the interim of having a full fledge league, we are playing 11 v 11 &lsquo;pick up&rsquo; Sunday mornings from 9&ndash;11 AM.  We already have a 7+ fellow SFS parents, some alums, and a few employees playing &ndash; want to join us?  We are hoping to eventually field a whole SFS parent plus an SFS Alumni team.  For more details, contact Karen at [email-masked] or 202-537-2409. LS THURSDAY NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
How to Subscribe 
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Send submissions to [email-masked] by 2 PM Wednesday. 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 and 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. 
						LS newsletter submissions should be sent to [email-masked].

					

							
								
									 Calendar

									

												
												
	Thu, Oct 7th 
		
				 Introduction to Meeting for Worship for New LS Families 
				
				LS Meeting House
				7:45am - 9:30am

				

		
				Parents of Latino Students Meeting with Josh Wolman 
				
				Athletic Center Meeting Room
				8:00am - 9:00am

				

		
				K Class to Sharp's Farm 

				9:45am - 2:00pm

				

	Fri, Oct 8th 
		
				Assembly: Diane Macklin, Storyteller 
				
				LS MultiPurpose Room
				9:00am - 10:00am

				

	Mon, Oct 11th 
		
				Fall Break - No School 

				

				

	Tue, Oct 12th 
		
				PA Executive Committee Meeting 
				
				Athletic Center Meeting Room
				8:00am - 9:00am

				

		
				LS CHI Facilitator Training 
				
				Aftercare room in Manor House
				8:15am - 9:15am

				

		
				3x to Bladensburg Waterfront Park 

				9:00am - 1:30pm

				

	Fri, Oct 15th 
		
				LS Science Event 
				
				Lower School
				9:00am - 10:00am

				

		
				US One Acts Performance 
				
				AC Theater
				8:00pm

				

	Sat, Oct 16th 
		
				US One Acts Performance 
				
				AC Theater
				8:00pm

				

	Sun, Oct 17th 
		
				US One Acts Performance 
				
				AC Theater
				2:30pm

				

	Mon, Oct 18th 
		
				Parents of Latino Students 
				
				US LIbrary Board Room
				7:00pm - 9:00pm

				

	Tue, Oct 19th 
		
				Introduction to Quakerism with Tom Farquhar 
				
				LS Meeting Room
				7:30pm

				

	Wed, Oct 20th 
		
				Team Two to Historic St. Mary's City 

				9:00am - 4:00pm

				

	Thu, Oct 21st 
		
				LS Conference Day, Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 

				8:30am - 12:15pm

				

		
				Next-To-New Sale 
				
				Wannan Gym
				11:00am - 8:00pm

				

		
				Optional Service Day for Grades 2,3,4 
				
				LS
				12:15pm - 3:00pm

				

		
				K Parent Peer Group Meeting 
				
				LS Multipurpose Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

		
				PK Parent Peer Group Meeting 
				
				LS Quaker Meeting Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

	Fri, Oct 22nd 
		
				Next-To-New Sale 
				
				Wannan Gym
				9:30am - 8:00pm

				

	Sat, Oct 23rd 
		
				Homecoming 

				

				

		
				Next-To-New Sale 
				
				Wannan Gym
				9:00am - 4:00pm

				

	Mon, Oct 25th 
		
				No School, Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools/LS & MS Conference Day, US In-Service  

				

				

		
				Lower and Middle School Conference Day 

				8:30am - 4:00pm

				

	Tue, Oct 26th 
		
				MS Conference, Half Day, Dismissal at 11:45am 

				8:00am - 11:45am

				

		
				LS Conference, Half Day, Dismissal at 12:15 

				8:30am - 12:15am

				

		
				Optional Service Day for K & Grade 1 
				
				LS
				12:15pm - 3:00pm

				

	Wed, Oct 27th 
		
				Kx to Sharp's Farm, Brookeville, MD 

				9:00am - 12:15pm

				

		
				1st Grade Parents Peer Group Meeting 
				
				LS Quaker Meeting Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

		
				2nd Grade Parents Peer Group Meeting 
				
				LS Multipurpose Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

											More

									

						

			

	

	

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