Subject: MS Tuesday Letter
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:30:00 -0500

---------------------------------------------------
  
  MIDDLE SCHOOL TUESDAY LETTER
  
---------------------------------------------------

FROM THE SCHOOL
--------------------------------------------------

This Week's Query
What is popularity and does it hurt or help our community?

Notes From Sally

Download Standardized Testing.docx
http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/news/MSNewsletterFromtheSchoolNews/Standardized_Testing.docx

Download Minimester Apprenticeships.docx
http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/news/MSNewsletterFromtheSchoolNews/Minimester_Apprenticeships.docx

The 5/6 orchestra and the 5th grade chorus will perform their winter 
concert on Thursday evening at 7 PM and on Friday afternoon at 2:45 
PM (regular assembly time) in the Kogod Arts Center. Call times and 
other information for parents may be found below under Instrumental 
Music Notes. Students should plan to wear their "blacks and whites" 
for both programs. In addition, the orchestra will be performing at 
the Lower School for the assembly this Friday morning, and the chorus 
will perform there next Friday morning (1/25.) If you have any 
questions, please contact Michael Henderson or Caroline Holtz.??

Fifth graders will complete their time in vocal music class this 
Friday, and sixth graders will begin vocal music next Tuesday. Eighth 
graders will also change their arts classes beginning next Tuesday. 
Reports from these first semester arts classes will be available in a 
couple of weeks; be on the lookout for a newsflash notifying parents 
that they have been posted in Educator.

First trimester reports with attendance data (missing in the original 
posting) have been posted in Educator.

Middle School students will be taking standardized tests during the 
first two weeks of February. Full details may be found in the 
attached letter. Please read this information carefully so that you 
will know what to expect.??

Attention sixth grade parents: Sixth grade teachers will begin to use 
the interim system to check in with you about student performance. 
This is the system used by 7/8 teachers. When a student receives an 
interim, you will get an email notifying you that it has been posted 
in Educator Online.??

"Conversations with Sally" by grade level will begin on Wednesday 
morning, January 30th with 5th grade parents. Meetings for other 
grade levels follow on subsequent Wednesday mornings. This year the 
theme will be "What's New on My Bookshelf?" and I will spend a few 
minutes presenting information from some new parenting books that I 
have been reading. Time is also available during the session for 
informal conversation. I hope to see you there!??

The full Minimester catalogue will be available to students in a 
couple of weeks. In the meantime, please see the attached letter for 
information about the Apprenticeship program.??

We are looking for homestay hosts. The Middle School has had a 
long-standing relationship with a Friends School in York, England, 
and they will be visiting Washington April 4-11. If you can host a 
student for that week, including planning some fun activities over 
the weekend, please let me know. On school days, the students will 
come in with their host families and will be engaged in activities 
here at school and in the city with their group, so host families are 
responsible only for the evenings and the weekend.??

Grandparents' Day is coming in May! Save the Date cards will be going 
out soon. Contact the office of Institutional Advancement to be sure 
they have address information for all grandparents who are interested 
in attending.??

Tomorrow will be fifth grade teacher Jamie Lauth's last day as she 
begins her maternity leave. We'll pass along the news once the baby 
comes, and we welcome Kelly Bergeron, who will be stepping in for her 
for the rest of the year. Kelly has a Sidwell email, 
[email-masked], and she will use Jamie's phone extension.??

Congratulations to our grade-level winners of the National Geographic 
Geography Bee! 5th grade: Oliver Heggli-Nonay, 6th grade: Alex Wang, 
7th grade: Isabel Kirsch, and 8th grade: Nikhil Haksar. These four 
students will compete in the Middle School Finals scheduled for 
Friday, 1/25.

Auditions TODAY for "Mulan"

Download MULAN fact sheet 2013.pdf
http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/news/MSNewsletterFromtheSchoolNews/MULAN_fact_sheet_2013.pdf
Attention 7/8 grade students:

AUDITIONS for the MS musical "Disney's Mulan, Jr." will be held 
TODAY, Tuesday, January 15 from 2:30 - 5:30 pm in the MS Drama 
Studio. Students must complete the Audition form and have their 
advisor sign the audition permission slip - located on the MS Drama 
call board. See the attached AUDITION FACT sheet for more 
information.

We are also looking for stage-hands and technicians. Those students 
are asked to let Tim Reagan, MS Drama teacher, know they are 
interested in this opportunity.

A little about MULAN, Jr.:

Travel back to the legendary, story-telling days of ancient China 
with this action-packed stage adaptation of DISNEY'S MULAN JR. The 
Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her 
mischievous sidekick Mushu to save the Emperor! DISNEY'S MULAN JR is 
a heartwarming celebration of culture, honor and a fighting spirit. 
The score includes favorites like "Reflection," "Honor to Us All" and 
"I'll Make a Man Out of You" as well as new songs that will get 
audiences up on its feet!

Instrumental Music Notes
AUDITIONS for all instrumental ensembles (Jazz/Rock Band, Mulan Pit 
Band, Concert Bands, String Ensembles) grades 5 - 8 during Wednesday 
rehearsal period in Room 101. Students will be asked to play a scale, 
read a short melodic passage, and play something prepared. 
Intonation, rhythmic accuracy and phrasing are what we are looking 
for most.

5/6 Full Orchestra and Handchime Choir Tuesday 2:30 - 5 Arts Center 
(refreshments provided)

5/6 Full Orchestra and Handchime Choir Dress Rehearsal Thursday 9:00 
- 10:00 Arts Center

5/6 Full Orchestra and Handchime Choir CONCERT Thursday 7 pm CALL 
TIME 5:40 pm

5/6 Full Orchestra and Handchime Choir CONCERT Friday 2:30 CALL TIME 
1:20

7/8 Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble and Handbell

Choir leave from parking garage Friday morning at 8 am sharp to 
travel to the Lower School to perform. If you are meeting us there 
please give a note from your parents to Mr. Henderson by the end of 
school on Thursday.

News from the Nurse

Download 6th grade wellness  HGD letter.pdf
http://www.sidwell.edu/data/files/news/MSNewsletterFromtheSchoolNews/6th_grade_wellness__HGD_letter.pdf
Please read the attached document for information about 6th Grade Human 
Growth and Development instruction.

Math Meet on January 30th
Attention 6th, 7th and 8th grade parents: The second math meet of the 
year will take place on Wednesday, January 30th, at St. Patrick's 
Episcopal Day School. At the meet, students will complete six fun and 
challenging problems along side other middle school students from 
area independent schools. An after school snack is provided at the 
meet. We will leave Sidwell Friends around 2:15 pm, and return to the 
Sidwell Friends garage at 4:15 pm. This a wonderful way for students 
to share an experience outside of school with other math enthusiasts 
their age. In order to attend, students need to sign up with their 
math teacher. They also need to have a math meet permission form 
(provided by their math teacher) signed and turned in to their 
teacher if they haven't already turned one in this year.

PA ANNOUNCEMENTS
---------------------------------------------------

Board of Trustees Invitation: Community and Quaker Life Committee
As a vital step in the Sidwell Friends School Long Range Priorities 
implementation planning, you are invited to a Special Session of the 
Board of Trustees (Community and Quaker Life Committee) hosted by the 
Parents Association concerning the role of Quakerism in the life of 
the school:

The Quaker Audit

The SFS Board perceives a powerful consensus within the community for 
preserving, renewing, and extending Sidwell Friends' identity as a 
Friends school in the coming decades. How is Quakerism manifest in 
the life and program of the school?

And

The Quaker Conversation

The opening of the Robert L. Smith Meeting House at Sidwell Friends 
School at the center of the Wisconsin Avenue campus offers an 
unparalleled opportunity to deepen our students' spiritual experience 
on campus while convening a greater conversation within the broader 
community. What kinds of events might illuminate this Quaker 
Conversation?

Please mark your calendars and join us for one or both of two 
meetings: Wednesday January 16th in the Robert L. Smith meeting house 
and Thursday January 24th in the Lower School meeting house to 
discuss these two topics.

6:30 Light supper

7:00 Introduction to Quakerism by Tom Farquhar

7:30 Tom and PA QLC and members of the Board CQLC lead small group 
discussions

9:00 Adjourn

If you plan to attend please RSVP to Kathi Webb so we can ensure we 
have enough food for supper -- if you decide to come at the last 
minute that is fine too; please don't let the lack of a RSVP deter 
you from participating!

OTHER NEWS
---------------------------------------------------

Quaker Quotes
President Lincoln seemed particularly comforted by Quakers. Lincoln 
aide William Stoddard wrote: "Either his ancestors or some near 
relatives of his had been Quakers, and he always manifested great 
respect for and interest in that highly respectable religious 
community. I always thought, however, that his strong sense of the 
humorous and appreciation of the quaint and odd, had more than a 
little to do with this partiality. It would seem too, that the 
Quakers, as a rule, have an unusually large amount of quiet humor of 
their own; and it may be, moreover, that he had not entirely rid 
himself of the old popular delusion that the Quakers are more 
inclined to be honest than other men."

As President, Mr. Lincoln clearly valued the faith and prayers of 
others. Mr. Lincoln wrote two Iowa Quakers at the beginning of 1863: 
"It is most cheering and encouraging for me to know that in the 
efforts which I have made and am making for the restoration of a 
righteous peace to our country, I am upheld and sustained by the good 
wishes and prayers of God's people. No one is more deeply than myself 
aware that without His favor our highest wisdom is but foolishness 
and that our most strenuous efforts would avail nothing in the shadow 
of His displeasure. I am conscious of no desire for my country's 
welfare, that is not in consonance with His will, and of no plan upon 
which we may not ask His blessing. It seems to me that if there be 
one subject upon which all good men may unitedly agree, it is 
imploring the gracious favor of the God of Nations upon the struggles 
our people are making for the preservation of their precious 
birthright of civil and religious liberty."

from Abraham Lincoln's Classroom

"Quaker Quotes" is a weekly submission by Melissa Belman, Holly Moore 
and Cynthia Richie Terrell. We welcome your thoughts.

ARTRAGEOUS 2013 is coming on January 27th!
COME ONE, COME ALL! ART CAN!  ARTRAGEOUS 2013 is almost here!!  The 
ONE AND ONLY all-free, all-school, all-age Arts Festival Sunday 
January 27, 1-4pm.  Location: Kogod Arts Center, Upper School Campus 
We're still looking for:

PERFORMERS: Email Roberta Gasbarre to reserve your slot.

VOLUNTEERS needed starting at 10 am for set-up and throughout the 
day. Interested? Please email Dana Lucas. It's a great way to 
participate in the school community.

UGLY TIES! Clean out your closet and donate your gaudy garish ties to 
ARTRAGEOUS! The Refashionista Station will transform them into 
something fabulous.

BIG BOXES!  We need boxes and cardboard tubes to make the biggest 
cardboard city ever. Boxopolis is Back! Please drop-off in US and MS 
office.

CANNED FOOD for Can City! We are asking for canned food donations to 
be placed in boxes at entry of school buildings from today until 
January 25. They will be used for a construction on the day of the 
event and then will be donated to the community.

Wondering what happened last year at Artrageous 2012? Check out the 
following short clip of Arts in Bloom.

WHAT'S IN THE CAN FOR THIS YEAR?

Art Canstruction - Assemble a city out of cans. All cans to be 
donated to the community.

Refashionista - Recycle old clothing saved from the can into fabulous 
new creations.

Can Bots - Build Robot Sculptures out of cans, wire, and beads. 

Print Making - Discover your inner Pop Artist making prints with LS 
Art Teacher, Sabreena Ahmed.

Community Mural - Create a Collective Work of Wall Art to music with 
Artist Cherif Mamadou.

iCan iPad Animation/ Canimation - Animate a stop-action film on an 
iPad with LS teacher Jenny Voorhees.

Clay Studio - Sculpt clay with US teacher Hunt Prothro and MS teacher 
Rick Honn.

Boxopolis - Construct a corru-gated community. Boxopolis is back, 
bigger and better than ever!

Support Sidwell Girls' Rowing
Sidwell Friends Rowing asks you to fulfill those New Year's 
Resolutions about health and getting in shape while supporting the 
team! This popular club sport for girls in the Upper School relies 
entirely on fund-raising to keep operating. Our major fundraiser, the 
National Capital Erg Invitational, is coming up soon on February 10, 
2013.  To make this a success, we need YOU to help buy the ergs 
(rowing machines) that are used at this event.  To reserve your erg, 
email [email-masked] or visit www.NationalCapitalErg.org. And 
sign up for an event while doing so!  Cheers to the team!

Consider purchasing a Concept 2 PM4 Model D Indoor Rower for 
$850-saving $240 over list-and having it delivered, assembled, to 
your door on February 10, 2013.

Amazon Rainforest Summer Trip is Going!
We've Got Our Core Group! It's Not Too Late to Sign Up!

If you haven't already sent in your registration form and deposit to 
Margaret Pennock, please try to do so right away. We can't reserve 
air tickets until the deposits have been received. There is room for 
additional students. You can sign up any time, but the cost of air 
fare is likely to go up. The earlier you sign up, the better. Contact 
Margaret Pennock if you would like more information. Dates: June 
28-July 7th.

Community Service Corner
Toiletry Collection: Toiletries are urgently needed for a Middle 
School Service Day project to benefit our partner organization, A 
Wider Circle. A Wider Circle is continuously in need of personal care 
items such as soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, lotion, 
deodorant and tissues for their clients. Did you and your family 
travel over the holidays, do you have some extra travel size or 
perhaps you have regular size toiletries at home that you will not be 
using? Please consider contributing to the ongoing MS Toiletry 
Collection and to our special push for the Middle School Service Day! 
A collection basket is in the MS office. Thank you for your help in 
this important Community Service Project.

Your Old Cell Phone Can Save a Life: Consider donating your old cell 
phone to our partner, Secure the Call. They convert old cell phones 
into 911 Emergency Access phones. There is a collection barrel in the 
MS lobby.

Questions? Contact MS Community Service Co-Clerks Sara Jane Harris or 
Felice Roggen.

Parents Invited to Meeting for Worship
Parents of Middle School students are invited to attend Meeting for 
Worship with their child on Thursday, January 31, 8:10 - 8:40 a.m., 
in the Smith Meeting House.

For Quakers, wisdom begins in silence. This is a wonderful way for 
parents to experience Meeting, take part in your child's education, 
and demonstrate the value of silent worship.

MS Newsletter Information

     How to Subscribe: send an e-mail to [email-masked] 
with only "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.

     How to Unsubscribe: send an e-mail to 
[email-masked] with only "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject 
line.

     How to Submit an Article to Tuesday Letter: Please send 
submissions, in the text of the body of the email, to 
[email-masked] by 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Please reference 
"Newsletter Submission" and the publish date(s) in the subject line. 
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, send it as a PDF 
attachment. Receipt of your submissions will be confirmed as soon as 
possible. Submissions may not run for more than three weeks.

     How to Modify an existing Submission: Please send a redline or 
otherwise clearly indicate the change to be made in a second email.

     Note Concerning the School Calendar: The calendar entries that 
appear in the right column of each Newsletter are automatically 
generated by the school, not by the Tuesday 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].

Sidwell Friends School
---------------------------------------------------
3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
Tel: (202) 537 8100
Fax: (202) 537 8499
http://www.sidwell.edu/
               
How to Unsubscribe: If you have wish to have your name removed from 
the subscription list, send an e-mail to [email-masked] 
with only the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.