Subject: SFS LS THURSDAY LETTER 4-21-2011
From: "SFS LS Thursday Letter" <[email-masked]>
To: "R. Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:00:00 -0400

Thursday - April 21, 2011

		

		

		 

					

								From the School
                                
                                QUERY
&quot;How can we work together 
to invent ways to keep the earth 
and its oceans clean and safe 
for creatures and all living things?&quot;
- Grade 1 A REMINDER TO COMPLETE SURVEY
Last week, Tom Farquhar, Head of School, sent out a request asking you to participate in a confidential online survey that is designed to help assess the School&rsquo;s climate and culture as it relates to inclusivity and multiculturalism.  This is a reminder to please complete the survey by Friday, April 22.  Parent participation is essential to the outcome of the survey.  Please go to http://www.insightlink.net/aim-sidwell/ to complete the survey.  For more information on the survey, please read Tom&rsquo;s letter to the community by clicking on the Read More link below. Read MoreA MESSAGE FROM SALLY SELBY, MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPLE 

Dear 4th grade parents,
It  was wonderful to see so many of you at the panel discussion last week!   As you have heard from your grade reps, this was the first in a very  full calendar of activities designed to help 4th graders and  their parents make a smooth transition to the Middle School.  Some  things will take place during the school day and are focused on the  students, and others are designed for families or for parents.
The  most important event is a transition meeting for all parents of rising 5th graders.  This will take place on Tuesday evening, May 3 at 7:30  PM in the Middle School Drama Studio.  This meeting will offer parents  the opportunity  to hear a presentation about the fifth grade academic  program and meet the staff.  Please mark your calendars for this  evening.
If  you are interested in seeing the Middle School building during the  school day, I will offer at tour of the building on Wednesday, May 24 at 9:15 AM.  Meet me in the MS lobby.
If  you have thoughts about placement, please direct them to the Lower  School staff, following the instructions in the Thursday Letter.  Middle  School personnel do not place 4th graders into 5th grade homerooms.
I am looking forward to getting to know you all over the next few months!
Sally Selby
Middle School Principal

TEAM TWO TO THE KENNEDY CENTER
On Friday, April 29, grades 2 and 2x will attend the performance The Cat Who Went to Heaven  at The Kennedy Center.  With a message of compassion for all beings,  this show brings together contemporary jazz and the traditional Japanese  art of bunraku puppetry.  It takes three skillful puppeteers to work a Bunraku puppet, while a tayu, or narrator tells the story.   The musical is based on the Newbery Award-winning children&rsquo;s book by Elizabeth Coatsworth.TEAM TWO TRIP TO THE FREER-SACKLER CANCELLED
Pending possible rescheduling, our April 21 trip has been cancelled as Founders&rsquo; Day will now take place on this date.GRADUATION ATTIRE FOR FOURTH GRADERS
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }Boys &ndash; White dress shirt with collar or polo shirt (long or short sleeves); Dress pants, nice shoes, no jacket or tie.
Girls &ndash; Simple white or pastel dress or nice slacks and similar top.  The outfit may be a solid color or with a subtle design. Dress shoes, flat or with a small heel.
Any questions, contact Anna Urciolo ([email-masked]).
CLASS PLACEMENT
If you have any comments about your child&rsquo;s classroom placement for  next year please put your thoughts in writing and share them with Rich  Lodish by Friday, April 22 (this includes rising 5th graders).   However, please feel no obligation to do so as teachers carefully and  sensitively look at what is best as each student moves on to another  grade.  Page 20 of the SFS Handbook for Parents and Students 2010-2011  gives a complete description of the placement process.  The Handbook  section is as follows:
&ldquo;The placement of children within available classrooms is the  Principal&rsquo;s responsibility and incorporates the professional judgment of  the teachers.  At the end of each school year, teachers from adjacent  grades spend a great deal of time discussing each child and determining  the most suitable placement for the following year.  Such factors as  individual student needs, interests, temperament and learning styles are  balanced with the logistics that make for a cohesive class.  The  teachers and Principal collectively determine class make-up with an eye  toward an effective and diverse mix of student capabilities,  achievement, leadership and friendship.  If the teachers or Principal  receive parent input, it enters into the placement equation, although  the final decision rests with the School.&rdquo;

								PA Announcements
                                
                                STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE MAY 2ND, 7-9 PM, LIGHT REFRESHMENTS 6:30 PM
Please join Head of School Tom Farquhar, the All-School Parents Association and the Sidwell Friends Board of Trustees for an update on Sidwell Friends School&rsquo;s Strategic Plan.  The gathering will take place at the New Quaker Meeting House on the Wisconsin Avenue Campus.  The Board of Trustees has been working for over a year in consultation with parents, faculty, alumni and students on developing a strategic plan which will define the education skill sets through year 2024, the expectations for Sidwell Friends faculty as master learners, how the School's Quakerness defines our values and priorities, and the business models that allow us to reach our goals.  As this important works approaches its final stages, please come for an  update and discussion on these vital and exciting issues. We look forward to seeing you there.   

Polly Bomstein and Lynn Sachs, All School PA Co-Presidents   

RSVPs required to:  Adrianne Isaacs at [email-masked] CHI (COMMUNITY HEALTH INITIATIVE) NEWS
This  Spring we have our Parent Peer Group Meetings, where parents gather  with other parents from their child's grade to talk about a wide range  of parenting issues. These gatherings, which focus solely on  non-academic issues, are guided by parent facilitators; topics are  generated by the parents on hand and often include conversations about  playdates, regulating children's &quot;screen time&quot; and juggling  extracurricular activities.  Please mark your calendars, as these events  are the last of their kind for this school year.

Parent Peer Group Meetings (all at Lower School from 7:30-9pm)  Grades 1 and 2: Wednesday April 27 (Meetinghouse: grade 1; Multipurpose Room: grade 2)
Grades 3 and 4 : Tuesday May 10 (Meetinghouse: grade 3; Multipurpose Room: grade 4).VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO ASSIST COUNTRY AMBASSADORS
It's not too late to assist and support the diveristy committee and the country ambassadors at the spring festival on May 7.  Fun jobs available for students in grades 3 and above, and parents too. Contact [email-masked] for details.REFLECTIONS FROM THE PA DIVERSITY COMITTEE
If you approach each new  person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself  endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and  personality that you encounter. 
&mdash; Eleanor Roosevelt, Wife of President F. D. Roosevelt, activist, UN diplomat (1884-1962) 
 
We welcome your comments and feedback, as well as your experiences. Email [email-masked] LIFE COMMITTEE
You are always welcome to join your child in the classroom for Meeting for Worship. Please arrive a few minutes early to get situated. On Tuesday, April 26 the following classes will be in the Meetinghouse: K, 1, 4. 

Mark your calendars for the last early morning Meeting for Worship of the year: Friday, May 13 at 7:45 AM.GOING SOON ... TIME TO CHECK THE LOST AND FOUND
On Friday, May 6,  volunteers will clean out the lost and found bin and donate unclaimed  items to Martha's Table. Thanks to our second grade helpers, labeled  clothing will be returned to its owner if possible. Please check the bin  before May 6, and remember to label your child&rsquo;s clothing.

								Other News 
                                
                                SFS & BIKES FOR THE WORLD BICYCLE DRIVE, APRIL 30TH, 10AM-1PM, US BUS PARKING LOT
On Saturday April 30, 10 AM-1PM, US Community Service is offering  SFS families and area residents a chance to donate their used bicycles  as part of an effort to reduce waste and provide those in need with a  means of personal transport.  Through a partnership with Bikes for the  World (BfW), the nation's largest bicycle reuse program, you are is  invited to drop off your used bicycles (children, youth and adult - no  tricycles, please) and cycling-related items. Tapping into a network of  overseas non-profit partners, BfW will collect and distribute donated  bicycles to impoverished communities around the world. There is  a suggested donation of $10 to defray a share of the cost of shipping to  overseas charity partners, which recondition the bicycles and  distribute them to people who need them.

Volunteers are needed to  prep the bikes and load them into BfW vehicles.  If you would like to  volunteer for this event, please contact David Connell, [email-masked] or June Das Gupta, [email-masked]  For more information on BfW, please see www.bikesfortheworld.org.CAR WASH FOR CREW-MAY 1
Clean that winter grime off your car and support the Sidwell Crew team!  The annual Spring Carwash is the team's primary fundraiser.  Help the team, help yourself drive away clean!  Sunday May 1, from 11 AM-2 PM, Upper School garage.LS THURSDAY LETTER INFORMATION
How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
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How to Submit an Article to Thursday Letter
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, Apr 21st 
		
				4y Play 
				
				LS Multipurpose Room
				9:00am - 10:00am

				

		
				Team Two to Freer-Sackler Gallery 

				9:45am - 12:30pm

				

		
				Founders Day 

				10:30am - 1:00pm

				

	Fri, Apr 22nd 
		
				Good Friday 

				

				

	Sun, Apr 24th 
		
				Easter 

				

				

	Wed, Apr 27th 
		
				1st Grade CHI Meeting 
				
				LS Quaker Meetinghouse
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

		
				2nd Grade CHI Meeting 
				
				LS Multipurpose Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

	Thu, Apr 28th 
		
				Grade 3 to Chestertown, MD 

				8:30am - 8:00pm

				

		
				US Visual Arts Gallery Opening 
				
				AC Rubenstein Gallery and AC Lobby
				4:30pm - 6:00pm

				

	Fri, Apr 29th 
		
				Kx Play 
				
				LS Multi-Purpose Room
				9:00am - 10:00am

				

		
				Team Two to Discovery Theater 

				9:30am - 12:15pm

				

		
				US Spring Choral Concert 
				
				AC Theater
				7:30pm

				

	Sat, Apr 30th 
		
				Bikes for the World Bike Drive 
				
				Tennis Courts and Visiting Buses Lot
				10:00am - 1:00pm

				

	Sun, May 1st 
		
				US Instrumental Ensemble Concert 
				
				AC Theater
				2:30pm - 6:00pm

				

	Mon, May 2nd 
		
				Grade 4 to A & J Restaurant 

				11:00am - 1:00pm

				

		
				Refreshments for Parents Association meeting 
				
				Meetinghouse Lobby
				6:30pm

				

		
				Board of Trustees with Parents Association 
				
				DC Quaker Meetinghouse, US Rooms 102, 104/106, 108, 110, 112, 120, 126, 128, 130, 234
				7:00pm - 9:30pm

				

	Tue, May 3rd 
		
				Kx Class to National Museum of Natural History 

				9:15am - 1:00pm

				

	Wed, May 4th 
		
				PA Executive Committee Meeting 
				
				Athletic Center Meeting Room
				8:00am - 9:00am

				

	Thu, May 5th 
		
				LS Diversity Committee 
				
				LS Meeting Room
				5:00pm - 6:00pm

				

	Fri, May 6th 
		
				1x Play 
				
				LS Multi-Purpose Room
				9:00am - 10:00am

				

	Sat, May 7th 
		
				LS Spring Festival New Family Gathering 
				
				LS Field, LS Gym, LS Multipurpose Room and Breezeway
				2:00pm - 3:00pm

				

		
				LS Spring Festival 
				
				LS Field, Gym, Multipurpose, and Breezeway
				3:00pm - 5:00pm

				

	Mon, May 9th 
		
				PA Athletics Committee Meeting 
				
				Athletic Centner Meeting Room
				7:45am - 9:00am

				

	Tue, May 10th 
		
				3rd Grade CHI Meeting 
				
				LS Quaker Meetinghouse
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

		
				4th Grade CHI Meeting 
				
				LS Multipurpose Room
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

	Wed, May 11th 
		
				PA Retreat 
				
				US Dining Room
				6:00pm - 8:30pm

				

											More

									

						

			

	

	

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