Subject: SFS MS Tuesday Letter 2-4-14
From: "SFS MS Tuesday Letter" <[email-masked]>
To: "R. Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 23:30:00 -0500

Tuesday - February 4, 2014

		

		

		 

					

								From the School
                                
                                THIS WEEK'S QUERY
How do you use your words to solve problems?
NOTES FROM SALLY
This week for assembly 8th graders will hear a presentation about Upper School curriculum. 7th graders will hear Christopher Klemek, Associate Professor of History at GWU, talking about Quakerism.
No assembly for 5/6 this week.
This Friday all 7th and 8th graders are invited to a dance in the Dining Room from 7:00 &ndash; 9:30 PM. Students must stay in the dining room and the Sledge Garden; we will also have star-gazing with a telescope (weather permitting.) Parents should drop off and pick up in the garage. The School dress code applies to the dance.
Next week we have our CTP testing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning, beginning promptly at 8:15 each morning. Students should be sure that their laptops are fully charged each day before they come to school, and we hope that we can get every student to school on time for those three days in particular by 7:45 AM with their laptops and chargers and a good night&rsquo;s sleep and healthy breakfast. If students are having any issues with their laptops, we hope that they will pursue these this week with Khalil Braswell at the Middle School Help Desk so that their laptops are in good working order.
Yikes! My Child Has A Computer/iPad/Chromebook/KindleFire and seems to know more than I do! What can I do? Join us on the evening of February 10th for a parent workshop on Managing the Internet in the Age of Handheld Devices. This workshop, led by Alecia Berman-Dry, Director of Academic Technology at St. John&#39;s Episcopal School, will help you learn what&#39;s different about how your child thinks about social media and what you can do as a parent to help your child make the right choices online. We will explore how living in an &quot;apps&quot; era has shaped this generation as well as study specific social media tools and how children and teens often use them. Information about Web filters for the home will be briefly covered as well. Finally, Ms. Berman-Dry will share resources for making a plan for how your family approaches managing all the new media. A light dinner will be served before the presentation, beginning at 7 PM. The program will begin promptly at 7:30 in the Drama Studio.
Reminder to parents: All students are expected to attend and participate in PE class each day. Excuses from class and modifications of activity are cleared only through our school nurse, Jasmin Whitfield, or through our Athletic Trainer, Shannon Fooks.
Also &ndash; if your child&rsquo;s medical history has changed in any way, please update this with Nurse Jasmin so that her records are complete. We particularly call your attention to any change in medication. If your child should need emergency treatment, an up-to-date list of medications currently being taken at home as well as at school could be a critical component of care.
Our linen/blanket drive and toiletry drives are ongoing throughout February. See more details later in this newsletter.
MATH MEET ON FEB. 5TH
Attention 6th through 8th Grade Parents: The second math meet of the year will be held on Wednesday, February 5th at St. Patrick&rsquo;s School. Students will leave school around 2:15 pm and return to the SFS parking lot between 4 and 4:15 pm. Any 6th, 7th, or 8th grader is eligible to attend, so if your child is interested, please encourage him or her to sign up with his or her math teacher as soon as possible. Students need to turn in a signed permission form to attend math meets, so if you haven&rsquo;t already sent in a signed permission form this school year, be sure to do so. If for some reason the event is oversubscribed (each school can only bring 20 students), then 7th and 8th grade students will be given priority, and a lottery will be held for interested 6th graders to determine who attends. This is a great opportunity for your child to pursue his or her love of math with peers from other schools. At the meet, students work on six challenging problems under a time limit, and enjoy a delicious after school snack. Questions? Email Andrew Callard.
FRIENDS FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHT AT AIR & SPACE MUSEUM
Family Science Night will take place on Wednesday, February 26 from 6:45-9:00pm.  Buses will depart from the Wisconsin Avenue campus at 6:15pm and return by 9:20pm.  We have space for 125 people from Sidwell Friends.  The program is geared for students in 3rd grade and up (younger children should not attend).  This is a family event and adults and older students will definitely find it worthwhile.
Selected museum galleries will be open before the program.  The evening includes the IMAX film 3D- Magnificent Desolation and a presentation by scientist Jeff Goldstein on human exploration of space.  Those of you who have attended in the past know that Dr. Goldstein is a dynamic presenter and makes complex space science accessible to all.
If you are interested in attending Family Science Night, send an email to reserve your spot to Sam Francis, LS Science Teacher. Indicate how many people in your family will be attending, the name of any Sidwell students and the grade level of each student you are bringing.  We will be charging a $5 per person fee to cover the cost of the buses with a $15 per family maximum.  The Air &amp; Space Museum will not allow individual entry to the museum on that night.  Hope to see you there!
JOIN SIDWELL FRIENDS IN PARIS MARCH 22-23
The Upper School Chamber Chorus, directed by John Touchton, is traveling to Europe in March, and we hope you can join!
The Chorus will perform at a reception hosted by Meg &amp; Christian Clerc, parents of Sidwell Friends alumnae, at the Four Seasons George V Hotel, followed by a performance at Notre-Dame de Paris. The Chorus will also then travel to Prague for the Music Festival.
All are welcome. Log on here to RSVP, view the complete schedule, get lodging information, and more. Nous esp&eacute;rons vous y voir.
CHINA FIELDWORK SEMESTER BLOG
China Fieldwork Semester is underway!
The students have spent time in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and have arrived in Xizhou, Yunnan.
You can follow the students online as they experience China here.
The China Fieldwork Semester is an intensive project-based student research program based in Xizhou, Yunnan, China.
Developed and led by faculty from Sidwell Friends, the program consists of a group of 11th and 12th grade students from both Sidwell Friends and other U.S. Schools.
The China Fieldwork Semester Blog is a selection of personal reflections by students and faculty that are currently in China studying under the program.

							
								PA Announcements
                                
                                7/8 GRADE VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE THIS FRIDAY FEB 7TH
New DJ&#39;s EZ Gruuv and Blurry Vision will be mixing the latest top 40 hits for the 7/8 Dance on Friday, February 7 from 7:00-9:30p.
Parents, please note the earlier time. It&#39;s not too late to volunteer! We need help transforming the dining hall into a dance club earlier that evening and/or cleaning up for a few minutes immediately following (you&#39;ll be there picking up anyway!) If you are willing to help out please email [email-masked] or [email-masked] and we&#39;ll be in touch with the details. Thank you!
CALLING ALL GRADE 7 & 8 PARENTS!
The time-honored tradition of Sidwell&#39;s parent peer group meetings continues this Friday, February 7th, during the Middle School Dance. These meetings provide a setting for parents to talk freely about issues facing them and their children as they navigate the middle school years -- the time when our children change the most. A trained parent facilitator will help guide the conversations, but the topics are determined by you. So, drop off your child at the dance and join your fellow parents for an important discussion in a safe and intimate environment. The meetings will take place on Friday, February 7th as follows:
- 7th grade parents in the Middle School Library from 7:30 to 9:00 pm
- 8th grade parents in Zartman Drawing Room from 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Please contact Dipa Mehta, Clerk, Quality of Community Life Committee with any questions or suggestions.
PA ATHLETICS COMMITTEE MEETING ON FEB 11TH
Please join the PA Athletics Committee on Tuesday, February 11th from 7:45am - 9am to review the high-level findings of the Athletics survey. If time permits, the &quot;Suggested Guidelines for Outside Sports Teams&quot; handbook will also be discussed in this meeting. Contact Tony Mazlish, for further details. Location is TBD - stay tuned for details.
LINEN DRIVE
Got old bed linens, towels, comforters or blankets that you&rsquo;re ready to toss? Please send them to Middle School ASAP with your nearest and dearest. Usable bed linens, blankets and comforters will find an immediate home at A Wider Circle. Shabby fleece blankets and towels will head to our furry friends at Washington Animal Rescue League. Our &ldquo;Paws and Claws&rdquo; Minimester group can use even badly tattered blankets in March to make toys for the cuties in cages. Collection bins are inside the M.S. lobby and in the 5th grade hallway. Contact Susanne Saunders or Lauren Lamb if you have questions.

							
								Other News 
                                
                                EVENTS FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
AUCTION DONATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO THIS FRIDAY!
Have something to donate to the auction? Great news! The deadline for auction donations and underwriting has been extended to this Friday, February 7, 2014. It&rsquo;s easy! Simply fill out the form online. Please click here and create a new record to donate anything from fine wine or a restaurant gift certificate to a weekend in Vail or theatre tickets. Need a little inspiration? Contact Jessie Jacobson, Director of Special Events at 202-537-8442 or via e-mail. All proceeds go to support student financial aid. We truly appreciate your support!

SAVE YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING BAGS AND MOVING BOXES FOR NEXT-TO-NEW!
The Next-to-New Sale chairs are always looking for great ways to &quot;Reuse, Renew, and Recycle&quot; and even though our annual sale just took place in October, we&#39;re already organizing for next year. You can help by dropping your extra shopping bags and moving boxes into the large boxes located just inside the front door of the Lower and Middle Schools and just inside the front door near the Dean&rsquo;s Office of the Upper School now through Friday, February 14. We need department store bags, paper grocery bags, plastic bags with handles, reusable cloth bags, Ikea bags, etc. - we&#39;ll take any undamaged shopping bags with handles. We also need large, sturdy, undamaged moving boxes. For more Information contact Jessie Jacobson, Director of Special Events.
UPCOMING BOOK CLUB AND LECTURE SERIES: &quot;THE PRINCE&quot;
Please join us for our next Book Club and Lecture Series discussion with MS History Teacher Richard Lesczynski on February 11, 2014 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Mr. L will be leading a lively discussion of &ldquo;The Prince&rdquo; by Niccolo Mavchiavelli in the home of Lisa and Murry Gunty. Please encourage your friends to join and be sure to register online today! The cost to attend is $30/ticket or $50/couple. All books are available for purchase at a 20% discount at Politics and Prose. Just say you&rsquo;re in the SFS Book Club and Lecture Series at the cashier station. To learn more about our spring discussions, click here.
QUAKER QUOTE
&quot;A good End cannot sanctifie evil Means; nor must we ever do Evil, that Good may come of it... It is as great Presumption to send our Passions upon God&#39;s Errands, as it is to palliate them with God&#39;s Name... We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by Love and Information. And yet we could hurt no Man that we believe loves us. Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but Love gains: And he that forgives first, wins the Lawrel.&quot; 
Quaker leader William Penn 1644 - 1718
MS NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
How to Submit an Article to Tuesday Letter: Please send submissions, in the body of the email, to [email-masked] by 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Please reference &quot;Newsletter Submission&quot; and the publish date(s) in the subject line. 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.
School Calendar: Calendar entries that appear in the right column of each Newsletter are automatically generated by the school, not by the Tuesday newsletter editors. Any changes to the school calendar are made through the school scheduling office 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, Feb 4th 
		
				5th Grade Conversation With Sally 
				
				Dining Room
				7:45am - 9:00am

				

		
				8th Grade Parent Curriculum Night 
				
				Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
				7:00pm

				

	Thu, Feb 6th 
		
				PA Executive Committee 

				

				

		
				PA Executive Committee Meeting 
				
				Rusch Team Room
				8:00am - 9:30am

				

	Fri, Feb 7th 
		
				6th Grade Conversation With Sally 
				
				Dining Room
				7:45am - 9:00am

				

		
				MS 7/8 Dance 
				
				US Dining Room
				7:00pm - 9:30pm

				

		
				7th Gr. Parent Peer Group Meeting 
				
				MS Library
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

		
				8th Gr. Parent Peer Group Mtg 
				
				Zartman Drawing Rm
				7:30pm - 9:00pm

				

	Sat, Feb 8th 
		
				BSU Show Rehearsal 
				
				AC Theater
				12:00pm - 6:00pm

				

	Sun, Feb 9th 
		
				BSU Show Rehearsal 
				
				AC Theater
				12:00pm - 6:00pm

				

	Tue, Feb 11th 
		
				BSU Show Rehearsal 
				
				AC Theater
				6:00pm - 9:00pm

				

	Fri, Feb 14th 
		
				BSU Show 
				
				AC Theater
				7:00pm - 10:00pm

				

	Mon, Feb 17th 
		
				Presidents Day - No School 

				

				

	Wed, Feb 19th 
		
				Haiti Minimester Parent meeting 
				
				MS Drama Studio
				6:00pm - 8:00pm

				

	Thu, Feb 20th 
		
				BSU Show Rehearsal 
				
				AC Theater
				6:00pm - 9:00pm

				

	Fri, Feb 21st 
		
				8th Gr. Hangout 
				
				Wannan Gym
				3:30pm - 5:00pm

				

	Sat, Feb 22nd 
		
				6th Gr. Parent Potluck 
				
				Off-Campu
				7:00pm - 9:00pm

				

											More

									

									Athletics

									

                                                
												
	Mon, Feb 3rd 
		
				Swimming - Boys 7/8 vs. Water polo 

				2:30pm

				

		
				Swimming - Girls 7/8 vs. Water polo 

				2:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 C at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Wrestling - 7/8 vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. Flint Hill 

				2:45pm

				

	Tue, Feb 4th 
		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Wrestling - Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				5:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity at Potomac School 

				5:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				5:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity at Potomac School 

				7:15pm

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				7:30pm

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				7:30pm

				

	Wed, Feb 5th 
		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. Landon 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Landon 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 C at Landon 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. Bullis 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Wrestling - 7/8 at Landon 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 C vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. Takoma Academy 

				4:30pm

				

	Thu, Feb 6th 
		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. Woodbridge 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. St. Andrew's School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Stone Ridge School 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Squash - P.E. Class (Co-Ed) at Madeira 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. Maret School 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. Wilson H.S. 

				4:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity at Stone Ridge School 

				5:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. Maret School 

				5:45pm

				

	Fri, Feb 7th 
		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Wrestling - Varsity - St. Alban's Tournament 

				
				2/8/2014

				

				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Holy Child 

				4:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity at Holy Child 

				5:45pm

				

	Sat, Feb 8th 
		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - METROS 

				

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Holton-Arms 

				1:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity at Holton-Arms 

				2:30pm

				

	Mon, Feb 10th 
		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Bullis 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 C at Bullis 

				2:45pm

				

	Tue, Feb 11th 
		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Georgetown Day 

				4:00pm

				

		
				Squash - P.E. Class (Co-Ed) - vs. Wilson HS moved to 2/18 

				4:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity at St. James School 

				5:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity at St. James School 

				5:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity at Georgetown Day 

				5:30pm

				

	Wed, Feb 12th 
		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A at Mater Dei 

				2:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B at Mater Dei 

				2:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 C vs. Mater Dei 

				2:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. National Cathedral School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 B at National Cathedral School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Wrestling - 7/8 vs. Mater Dei 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Swimming - Boys 7/8 vs. Coed Meet  

				2:45pm

				

		
				Swimming - Girls 7/8 vs. Coed Meet  

				2:45pm

				

	Thu, Feb 13th 
		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. St. Andrew's School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 B vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 C vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Wrestling - 7/8 vs. St. Andrew's School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity vs. Holton-Arms 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Squash - P.E. Class (Co-Ed) at Episcopal High School 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity at Maret School 

				5:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. Holton-Arms 

				5:45pm

				

	Fri, Feb 14th 
		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity - Maya Angelou HS 

				4:15pm

				

	Sat, Feb 15th 
		
				Wrestling - Varsity - DC Classic 

				9:00am

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. St. James School 

				2:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. St. James School 

				2:00pm

				

	Mon, Feb 17th 
		
				Basketball - Boys Freshman - Chavez 

				5:00pm

				

	Tue, Feb 18th 
		
				Squash - P.E. Class (Co-Ed) at Wilson H.S. 

				4:00pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Bullis 

				4:15pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Freshman - Paul Charter  

				4:30pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity at Bullis 

				6:00pm

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity vs. Bullis 

				7:30pm

				

		
				Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity vs. Bullis 

				7:30pm

				

	Wed, Feb 19th 
		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 C vs. National Cathedral School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity - Thurgood Marshall Academy  

				5:00pm

				

	Thu, Feb 20th 
		
				Wrestling - Varsity vs. National Preps 

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. Potomac School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Boys 7/8 B at Potomac School 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. Holy Child 

				2:45pm

				

		
				Basketball - Girls 7/8 B at Flint Hill 

				2:45pm

				

	Fri, Feb 21st 
		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. ISL Tournament  

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament 

				

				

		
				Wrestling - Varsity - National Preps at Lehigh 

				
				2/22/2014

				

	Sat, Feb 22nd 
		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. ISL Tournament  

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament  

				

				

	Sun, Feb 23rd 
		
				Basketball - Girls Varsity - ISL Tournament Final @ Sidwell  

				

				

		
				Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament  

				

				

                                            More

									

							

				

		

		

		
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