Subject: Sidwell Rising 9th Grade -- Update Regarding Moment of Silence
From: "Mary Kostel" <[email-masked]>
To: "Mary Kostel" <[email-masked]>, "Tessa van der Willigen" <[email-masked]>, "Christine Kraft" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 21 Jun 2015 17:01:53 -0400

Dear Rising 9th Grade parents,

As our 8th graders become rising 9th graders, and as we all settle into
summer, we wanted to give you a quick update on the exchange we had with
Mamadou Gueye, the head of the Upper School, about a moment of silence in
the Upper School (see below). We have heard back from Mamadou that he
introduced the idea of starting the school day with a moment of silence to
the US Quaker Life Committee, and, while it was well received, committee
members advised him to encourage, not mandate, faculty to start the first
period of the day with a moment of silence. Some faculty do this already.
Mamadou will continue the conversation about opening school with a moment
of silence with the faculty in the August opening meetings.

We are grateful to Mamadou for listening carefully to the 8th grade views
and for moving this forward, and hopeful that increasing numbers of
teachers will take on this practice next year.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer,

Tessa, Christine, and Mary, on behalf of your 8th grade rep