Subject: MS Tuesday Letter
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:30:00 -0500

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  MIDDLE SCHOOL TUESDAY LETTER
  
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FROM THE SCHOOL
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This Week's Query
How can we make new friends and keep the old?

Notes from Sally
Assembly: The annual Black Student Union Show

The Black Student Union presents its Annual Black History Month Show. 
The show will be performed at Middle School Assembly on Friday, 
February 15th, and again for parents, families and friends at 7:00pm 
that evening.  Both performances will take place in the Arts Center 
Theater. A tradition that began in the 1980s, the program 
incorporates original student content with songs, poems, and other 
material from established authors. The cast is made up of students 
from the Lower, Middle, and Upper School, and alumni will join the 
cast for the evening performance. Everyone is welcome at both the 
assembly and the evening show.

After a successful experience with the ERB/CTP testing on line last 
week in 7/8, 5/6 students will take these tests on Tuesday, 
Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. Sixth graders should remember 
their laptops each day, and calculators may be used for the Thursday 
afternoon test if students would like, so they should have them that 
day.

Important notice for all Middle School parents: We have noticed this 
year that some students have participated in challenges and dares 
that have gone around the internet as fads. Some of these have 
included a "cinnamon challenge (ingesting a large spoonful of 
cinnamon)," the use of ice and salt to burn one's skin, and the use 
of over-the-counter products containing alcohol, such as mouthwash or 
cough syrup. It is typical for young adolescents to test boundaries, 
but we are obviously concerned about the potential health risks from 
"challenges" such as these. We encourage you to keep a watchful eye 
out for these behaviors and to remind your kids about the dangers of 
taking risks such as these, even with what seem to be harmless, 
everyday products. We are also talking to our students about this 
through advisory lessons. Please feel free to contact us if you have 
questions or concerns.

A reminder about 37th Street: Please do not arrive in the afternoon 
before 3:30. The early line is getting really long, and this prevents 
the Hearst buses from getting through and keeps the street from 
clearing. Also remember - no U-turns on 37th Street. Please 
communicate these guidelines to anyone who drives your son or 
daughter!

The Sidwell Friends Middle School Debate team competed in the third 
of five tournaments of the DC Urban Debate League on February 9, 2013 
at Alice Deal Middle School. There were 150 debaters from nine 
schools and 57 teams competing. While many veteran SFS debaters were 
unable to attend, the team had 12 rookies (new debaters who had never 
before attended a tournament) and still had a total of 12 teams of 
three at the tournament. The Debate team continued its success by 
getting the second place trophy overall (the first place team had a 
69.7 winning percentage, while SFS had a 68.2 winning percentage) and 
having many superlative individual performances. In the speaker 
points category, SFS had seven of the top 20 slots with Ana Mundaca 
placing first in speaker points among all of the debaters present, 
followed by Ananth Shastri at number two, Julian Dixon at #7, 
Harrison Blaine at #11, Zach Mazlish at #12, Milan Vivanco at #15 and 
Madeleine Montagner at #17. Team results were also splendid with four 
Sidwell teams in the top 10: at #2 was the team of Sam Blazes, Jordan 
Kalai and Harrison Blaine, #3 Daniel Blatt, Zach Mazlish and Mile 
Zhang, #5 Julian Dixon, Madeleine Montagner and Ana Mundaca and #7 
Jade Lintott, Ananth Shastri and Milan Vivanco. Overall, it was a 
great tournament enjoyed by all. Congratulations to all debaters!

Instrumental Music Notes 
5/6 Concert Band Wednesday rehearsal period

7/8 String Ensemble Wednesday rehearsal period

Jazz/Rock Band Monday 3:45-5:00

Mulan Pit Band Wednesday and Thursday 3:45-5:00

Re-enrollment for 2013-14
Reminder from the Admissions Office - Re-enrollment contracts are due 
by Thursday, February 21. Complete and submit contract online from 
the Re-Enrollment Contract link on the parent portal. Contact Valerie 
Foster at [email-masked] or 202-537-2402 with any questions. 

Math Meet Results
Congratulations to 8th graders Jordan Chernof, Jason Souvaliotis, 
Amal Mattoo, and Luke Oh, who helped Sidwell Friends win 1st place as 
a team at the Math Counts Chapter Competition on Saturday, February 
9th, beating out a host of other public and private DC schools. In 
the individual competition, Sidwell Friends swept the top three 
spots, with Luke Oh winning first place, Amal Mattoo winning second 
place, and 7th grader Kevin Jiang winning third place. The team will 
compete in the State Competition in March. Other participants at the 
competition were 8th graders Alan Zhang, Casey Dorfman, Garrett 
Nixon, and 6th graders Mitchell Jubeir and Arjun Sethi-Olowin.

Seeking Night of Auction Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers for the night of the auction - 
Saturday, April 27, 2013 from 5:00-11:30 p.m. This is a great 
opportunity! People on the "night-of" committee enjoy an evening at 
the Auction and help this great cause of raising money for financial 
aid. Duties include: monitoring Silent Auction tables, closing 
sections, collecting and organizing items, handing out invoices, and 
disbursing items. No experience required, no meetings beforehand 
(we'll send instructions by email and provide training at the start 
of the evening). You just need to be ready, willing and available for 
the duration of the event - and you'll have a fun auction experience! 
Contact Bart Hipple at 301 699 8373 or [email-masked]. If you 
are interested in helping with event set-up between 9:00 and 11:00 
a.m. on auction day, please contact Jessie Jacobson at 
[email-masked]. 

2013 Next-to-New Sale:  Last Opportunity to Recycle Shopping Bags
This is the last week that the Next-to-New Sale will be collecting 
shopping bags for use in the fall sale. You can help by dropping your 
shopping bags into boxes located in the Lower, Middle, or Upper 
Schools (just inside the front door). All kinds/sizes of bags are 
needed, paper and plastic, as long as they have a handle. The last 
collection day will be Friday, Feb. 15. Also, if you know someone who 
is moving, please send moving boxes our way at anytime. Contact Anne 
Honn, Next-to-New Sale co-chair, at [email-masked]. 

Tennis Tournament Date Change
Please note that the Tennis Tournament to benefit student 
scholarships will no longer be taking place on February 23, as marked 
on your SFS calendars. However, the Tennis Tournament will be taking 
place this year! Please stay tuned for more information about the 
reshaping of this exciting fundraiser. If you are interested in 
joining our Tennis Tournament Committee, please contact 
[email-masked]. 

PA ANNOUNCEMENTS
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BSU Annual Black History Month Show and PBS Reception After the Show
The Black Student Union presents its Annual Black History Month Show 
for parents, families and friends at 7:00pm on Friday, February 15th. 
The performance will take place on the Upper School campus, in the 
Arts Center Theater. A tradition that began in the 1980s, the program 
incorporates original student content with songs, poems, and other 
material from established authors. This year, the Parents of Black 
Students (PBS) would like to begin a new tradition and invite both 
the cast and audience to join us in the Rubenstein Gallery Lobby for 
a post-production celebration. Please click here to let us know if 
you plan to attend, and if you might be willing to provide a dessert 
or light refreshment or help with set up or clean up. Please feel 
free to contact PBS Co-Clerks Michelle Profit 
([email-masked]) or Suzann King ([email-masked]) if 
you have questions.

Parents Invited to Meeting for Worship
Parents of Middle School students are invited to attend Meeting for 
Worship with their child on Thursday, February 28, 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.

Community Service Corner
February 28 Middle School Service Day

Every student and teacher in the Middle School will be working with 
their grade or team to serve a variety of Sidwell Friends' community 
partners. Your help is needed to make this amazing day run more 
efficiently, so be on the lookout in case your Room or Team Parents 
send an email requesting volunteers! Don't forget to bring in those 
toiletries too! Collection basket in MS office.

Talk to Your Kids About Hanging Out

At the 6th grade Hangout this Friday, students will be making 
"Birthday Cake Bags" requested by Food and Friends. Visit their 
website: www.foodandfriends.org/ March 1 at the 5th grade Hangout, 
students will be decorating pillow cases for residents at the 
Children's Inn at NIH. Visit their website: www.childrensinn.org/

Questions? Contact MS Community Service Co-Clerks, Sara Jane Harris 
[email-masked] or Felice Roggen at [email-masked]

MIddle School PA Looking to Fill Positions for Next Year
If you enjoy community building and would like to make a contribution 
to the school or your child's grade, please volunteer as a Grade 
Representative, At-Large Rep, or Committee Clerk (Arts, Athletics, 
Community Health, Community Service, Diversity, Quaker Life). We are 
looking to fill positions in Middle School. If you are interested in 
serving as a Grade Rep, At-Large Rep or have an interest in a 
particular committee, would like to suggest someone else, or simply 
need more information, please contact Priscilla Cheng at 
[email-masked] or Denielle Pemberton at [email-masked].

Thanks to All for a Great Rowing Victory
Sidwell Friends hosted the National Capital Erg Invitational on 
Sunday February 10. The Sidwell Friends Rowing Team wishes to thank 
all members of the community and all participants for making this a 
terrific success. During an exciting day, 275 racers participated in 
26 different races, from 20 minute rows to sprint competitions of 
distances from 500-2000 meters, plus a hilarious costume relay. Head 
of School Tom Farquhar was a ubiquitous presence and excellent sport, 
winning the race in his division against a youthful crowd. Four area 
high schools sent most of their teams, and several local rowing clubs 
showed up, creating a vibrant scene of the community of rowers.

The team and their parents thank all of you who helped out in so many 
ways, and especially to the school for graciously offering the 
athletic center as the venue. The success of the second year of this 
event is inspiring, and we look forward to seeing you next year. 
Thanks again to everyone!

OTHER NEWS
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Quaker Quotes

     "To me it seems clear that a good school is one that is 
constantly engaged in self-examination, in improving itself, in 
becoming wiser in its ability to both teach and inspire. A school can 
educate in ways in which its curriculum cannot.  It's the soul of a 
school-its intangible persona, its characters, its principles, its 
daily life over time, the impression it makes, the effort it inspires 
and the moral authority it posesses-that helps mold a child into an 
educated, assured,humane, and caring adult.. A good school's 
overriding aim is to help each student respond to the best that is in 
him or her.  . I believe that all good schools must recognize that 
the moral growth of students is at least as important as their 
intellectual growth"  A Quaker Book of Wisdom by Robert Lawrence 
Smith

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Sidwell Friends School
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Washington, DC 20016
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