Headlines - December 2, 2011
As I turn the page of the calendar, I realize that the winter holidays are fast approaching. Along with colder weather, the season brings a marketing and shopping frenzy that seems in conflict with the school’s value of simplicity. Consumerism and simplicity were the topics of discussion at a school workshop on Wednesday evening. The workshop was the first in a series of parent workshops sponsored by the school’s Quaker Life committee. After sharing a community meal, over 20 participants settled in to watch the short film call the Story of Stuff. This film outlined the growth of commercialism in the United States and argued that this pattern of resource use is ultimately unsustainable. A discussion after the film was a time for sharing our ideas on simplicity, keeping the hubbub to a minimum, and how to stay focused on the positive human aspects of the holidays.
Speaking of positive aspects, on Wednesday I received a letter from a student who is starting a society with her cousins that will try to help the world. In this letter she asked me to write to other schools telling them to try and stop wasting “water, food, drink, electricity etc.” I wish she’d been at the workshop on Wednesday night. She would have added a good perspective (and a measure of hope) to our conversation. I will share her letter with several other heads of schools during our next gathering in Philadelphia. Whatever your faith or belief, I hope you find the upcoming holiday season filled with good will and the simple joys of family and friends.
Announcements
Snow Days, Delayed Openings, and Early Dismissals –On days when snow, ice or other conditions might make for hazardous travel, parents should check local TV and radio stations for news of school closings or delays. We try to make a determination by 6:30 AM and post information on WPSU, WJAC-TV, most local radio stations, and on our voice mail message (237-8386). Look and listen for the announcement specifically mentioning “State College Friends School” and “Friends Schoolhouse”. Since we ride the same buses, we will usually follow the lead of the State College Area School District. In the case of early dismissal, the school will contact parents with a phone call or email. Parents who drop off their students are responsible for arranging transportation home at the time of the early dismissal..
Peace Choir Sings – The Peace Choir will be performing at the following dates and time this season. We hope that everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy a performance this year.
Foxdale/Friends School Winter Concert Foxdale Village Saturday, Dec. 3 1:30 pm
Toys for Tots Ramada Inn Saturday, Dec. 10 8:10-9:45 am
School Holiday Sing School Wednesday, Dec. 21 1:45 pm
Free Winter Play Days – On Saturdays Jan 20th, February 18th and March 23rd, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friends School will host Saturday Play Days for children from 3-7 years old. The school‘s Community Room and a K/1 classroom will be open for supervised active and imaginative play. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend to the school and enjoy a morning out of the cold. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome. If you have questions, please contact the school at (814) 237-8386.
Give Us Your Tired – Cleaning the dishes after Wednesday night’s workshop gave me an idea. Over time, our supply of silverware and dish towels has been slowly disappearing from the kitchen. I was wondering if parents had extra sets of silver ware (especially teaspoons and forks) or gently used kitchen towels that they would like to find a nice home for? The school is in need of these items and could certainly put them to good use.
Holiday Gathering – Please plan to join us for our annual Holiday Gathering on Tuesday, December 21 at 1:45 p.m. in the Community Room. We’ll gather for some group caroling, a brief performance by our Peace Choir, and some social time before we all scatter for the winter break. Parents are asked to bring along a plate of cookies, or other easy-to-eat snack, to share.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Thankful Tuesday
From Teacher Mary this week…
In November of 1980, just weeks into Friends School’s very first year of existence, the ten children who comprised our entire student body invited their parents to join them for “Thankful Soup” on the day before Thanksgiving vacation. The children worked for days preparing a feast for their guests. They’d picked apples and made applesauce. They prepared corn bread. They all brought vegetables and other soup ingredients from home and made a huge pot of Thankful Soup.
I attended that first gathering as the parent of a 6-year-old Friends School first grader. I was an eye-witness to the fact that although the soup was lovingly prepared, it was also just dreadful. The child cooks hadn’t been allowed to use very sharp knives and their little hands got tired, so the diners encountered enormous pieces of potato and carrot and turnip as we spooned the poorly seasoned, watery soup into our bowls. Some of us required knives and forks, not just soup spoons. It was impossible, though, to be disdainful about the food in the face of such enthusiastic young cooks. So, we shared that first Thankful Soup as we sat in tiny chairs around tables in the school’s one-and-only basement classroom. As we ate, the gratitude in the room felt like a tangible thing, a fellow guest. The project of starting a school had been a major one for all of us and for just a few moments in that whirlwind of a year, we stopped and gave thanks. It was sweet and warming, profound and sustaining.
Our Thanksgiving traditions have evolved with the growth of the school. We eventually outgrew both our original space and our student-made soup. We don’t let go of traditions easily, though, and we kept serving that same terrible soup for years. Finally, when our guest list began to consistently top 100, we admitted that the tradition had become a little too ambitious for a bunch of 7-year-old sous chefs. So, we bid good-bye to Thankful Soup (some of us quite gleefully), and tried a number of variations on the theme until we finally settled on our current celebration. We had a year of Thankful Muffins, and I think there was a Thankful Cookies year, too. We’ve gathered in small classrooms, in large Community Rooms, and in buildings old and new. The constant thread for me, though, has been one special moment that happens each year, a moment when I close my eyes for just a second in the midst of whatever hubbub we’ve created that particular year and just say ‘thanks’. It’s a touchstone in my year, one that anchors me personally and in a larger sense, too. I remember Thankful Tuesday the year I turned 40, the year I became a grandmother, the year our country went to war, and the year we elected a new president. I remember marking the day during years that were difficult for our school and during years when we celebrated.
Next Tuesday, the Friends School community will gather for the thirty-second time for our Thankful Tuesday observation. Parents will bring their brown bags to our classrooms and have lunch in tiny chairs. We’ll gather in the Community Room to watch our students present the special performances they’ve been practicing, little Thanksgiving gifts for their families. The Peace Choir will sing like angels and bring tears to our eyes. In this year when our larger community has been rocked to its core and our hearts can’t stop aching, I believe that Friends School’s tradition will once again warm and sustain us. I know that the thanks I say when I close my eyes for that moment next week will be for the trust I have in our school community, for its ability to hold us during hard times, and for the safe and loving atmosphere it has provided for our children for a very long time. Whether it’s your first time or your thirty-second, I hope you’ll join us.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS:
Thankful Tuesday: Please join us for this annual celebration on Tuesday, November 22. Here’s the schedule for the day:
11:15: Parents are welcome to join children in classrooms for lunch. Both children and parents should bring their own packed lunch.
12 Noon: All-school gathering in Community Room for a few selections from the Peace Choir, presentations by each classroom, and a couple of our traditional songs for all of us
1:00 p.m.: All-school recess, weather permitting
We have a full day of school on Thankful Tuesday and our After School Program will operate until 5:30. However, if you’d like to get an early start on your Thanksgiving travels, parents are welcome to take students home at the end of our festivities at 1:00.
Foxdale Thank-You: We want to thank Foxdale Village for a unique and generous donation. Because of a resident’s gift, Foxdale is able to present each of its employees with a Weis gift card as a holiday gift. This year, Foxdale purchased the cards through our school’s gift card program and this generated over $1000 for Friends School. Your use of Giant and Weis gift cards can really add up. Please consider purchasing your grocery cards through the school. We will have them available at Thankful Tuesday. Collectively, it can make a big difference.
Cookie Decorating: We’ll have a cookie decorating party during the After School Program on Thursday, December 1. Please check your child’s Friday Folder for details.
School Photos: Sabine Carey began school photos this week and has completed the K/1 and 2/3 classes. The rest of the students will be photographed as follows:
4th and 5th Grades: Tuesday, November 29
Middle School: Wednesday, November 30
Make-Ups: December 2 (and December 6 and 7, as needed)
Parent Workshop: Our Quaker Life Committee will be hosting a light supper and discussion on Wednesday, November 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The discussion will focus on consumerism and will include a viewing of the short film “The Story of Stuff”. Child care will be available, but please call or email in advance if you’ll need it.
Have a really great weekend with your really great children.
Mary Ziegler
Monday, November 14, 2011
Headlines - Nov 11, 2011
What a week. . . .
In light of the truly tragic events that have come to light this week, it is hard for me to begin my usual headlines on a positive note. There is much to talk about in each of our homes and it is a hard subject. Talking with young children about the incidents of the last week is uncomfortable, maddening, and ultimately, heartbreaking. How do you explain this type of behavior? How do you explain the failures and/or lack of judgment of others? How do you restore trust? In light of the damning allegations, should you speak to due process and avoid the court of public opinion?
We talked as a staff on Wednesday, and felt it was best for individual teachers to address issues and provide information when appropriate in the classroom rather than do any debriefing on a school-wide level. Children of different ages will have different understandings of recent events and we believe it’s best to for families to meet children at their own level. In the classroom, we will address these matters only when specifically approached by the students (for example, in circle time).
On a brighter note, I do want to share a wonderful thing that happened at PSU this past Tuesday. A few weeks ago, Ann Clements our Peace Choir Director and Professor of Music Education at Penn State, arranged for the Peace Choir visit Dr. Anthony Leach’s undergraduate class for future choral and music instructors. It was a great experience for all.
Thirty nervous kids got off the bus Tuesday morning and were led by Ann into the Esber Recital Hall in the PSU Music Building. After dropping their coats, the students hopped on stage and were assembled on risers. Our Assistant Choir Directors, Michael and Kate got the choir warmed up with a series of vocal and physical exercises and then they began to sing. Our students sang an opening song and were soon joined by Dr. Leach’s students on stage. The sound was amazing. The mature, well-trained voices of the PSU students blended and lifted our children’s voices to produce a lovely chorus that carried throughout the auditorium. After a song or two, Dr Leach (now known as Teacher Tony to our students) played the piano and coached the combined choir in a spirited rendition of This is the Day and Freedom. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the singing and rhythmic movements. I found myself swaying and singing along from the seats.
Our students were not the only nervous ones. Each of Tr. Tony’s students was to lead the combined choir in a song of their choosing. As I understand it, this was a first experience with elementary and middle school students for many of them. As they each took the lead, a different personal style emerged but an overall sense of respect, encouragement and enthusiasm prevailed among all the student teachers. This is a credit to Dr. Leach and the PSU School of Music. His students were prepared, engaged and professional. Collectively, they were able to lead the peace choir through several new songs in a very short period of time. The range covered everything from the depression era anthem Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen to Christmas carols such as Winter Wonderland.
Our school’s Peace Choir was also up for the task. The students did a great job. They remained attentive for the entire two hours and were eager and willing to listen and gamely attempted several new songs, sounds and movements. A real sense of cooperation and community filled the auditorium. At times, when a student teacher struggled with an instruction or had trouble finding the right note, our kids listened with even greater intensity to understand the instruction so they could all benefit. I was very proud of their attention and commitment to learning the new material. We were all rewarded by an encore from Tr. Tony as he led the combined choir through a completely improvised song.
My hat is off to Dr. Ann Clements, Dr. Leach, and his students. Our choir really enjoyed their time on the Esber stage and comments went from “awesome” to “Not as bad as I thought it would be.” (this is high praise from a middle school student). It is my hope that this first step will continue to build our relationship with the very awesome music department at Penn State. In these days when we hear the worst, it is important to remember that thousands of committed, hard-working students, teachers, and staff also represent Penn State and they will be there to continue the good works.
Announcements
Thankful Tuesday – Please make plans to join us for our Thankful Tuesday celebration on November 22. We begin with lunch with your students in the classroom and then we all enjoy classroom presentations in the community room beginning at noon. As with most school celebrations, we end with some singing. It is a wonderful warm event and I hope you can join us. Afterwards, parents can choose to take their students home if they need an early jump on the Thanksgiving travels.
School Photos – Here are picture dates for the classrooms.
K/1 – Tuesday, November 15th
2/3 – Friday, November 18th
4/5 – Tuesday, November 29th
MS – Wednesday, Nov. 30th
Make-ups – December 2, and December 6 and 7 as needed.
Sabine will be taking candid shots, as well as a more traditional shot of each child. The candid shots may be taken inside or outside at recess. All photos will eventually be posted by class on Sabine’s web site, freerangingphotography.com, in a password protected folder.
Family Workshop – the School’s Quaker Life committee will be hosting a light supper and discussion on Wednesday, November 30, at 5:30 pm. The discussion will focus on consumerism and include a viewing and discussion of the short film The Story of Stuff. The evening will begin with a simple meal provide by the committee and end by 7:30 Spi
Spices Success – Our annual SPICES Gala, held at the Atherton Hotel was a tremendous success, offering families and community members a chance to enjoy conversation, music, food and silent auction fun. Through ticket sales, silent auction proceeds and monetary contributions from those who could not attend, nearly $10,000 was raised (a record for the school). We expect to publish the final outcome on the web sometime early next week. Thank you for supporting our school through this friend raising and fund raising event. Cheers!
"Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape"
Dan Hendey
Head of School
State College Friends School
1900 University Drive
State College, PA 16801
(814) 237-8386
(814) 235-1446 Fax
www.scfriends.org
What a week. . . .
In light of the truly tragic events that have come to light this week, it is hard for me to begin my usual headlines on a positive note. There is much to talk about in each of our homes and it is a hard subject. Talking with young children about the incidents of the last week is uncomfortable, maddening, and ultimately, heartbreaking. How do you explain this type of behavior? How do you explain the failures and/or lack of judgment of others? How do you restore trust? In light of the damning allegations, should you speak to due process and avoid the court of public opinion?
We talked as a staff on Wednesday, and felt it was best for individual teachers to address issues and provide information when appropriate in the classroom rather than do any debriefing on a school-wide level. Children of different ages will have different understandings of recent events and we believe it’s best to for families to meet children at their own level. In the classroom, we will address these matters only when specifically approached by the students (for example, in circle time).
On a brighter note, I do want to share a wonderful thing that happened at PSU this past Tuesday. A few weeks ago, Ann Clements our Peace Choir Director and Professor of Music Education at Penn State, arranged for the Peace Choir visit Dr. Anthony Leach’s undergraduate class for future choral and music instructors. It was a great experience for all.
Thirty nervous kids got off the bus Tuesday morning and were led by Ann into the Esber Recital Hall in the PSU Music Building. After dropping their coats, the students hopped on stage and were assembled on risers. Our Assistant Choir Directors, Michael and Kate got the choir warmed up with a series of vocal and physical exercises and then they began to sing. Our students sang an opening song and were soon joined by Dr. Leach’s students on stage. The sound was amazing. The mature, well-trained voices of the PSU students blended and lifted our children’s voices to produce a lovely chorus that carried throughout the auditorium. After a song or two, Dr Leach (now known as Teacher Tony to our students) played the piano and coached the combined choir in a spirited rendition of This is the Day and Freedom. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the singing and rhythmic movements. I found myself swaying and singing along from the seats.
Our students were not the only nervous ones. Each of Tr. Tony’s students was to lead the combined choir in a song of their choosing. As I understand it, this was a first experience with elementary and middle school students for many of them. As they each took the lead, a different personal style emerged but an overall sense of respect, encouragement and enthusiasm prevailed among all the student teachers. This is a credit to Dr. Leach and the PSU School of Music. His students were prepared, engaged and professional. Collectively, they were able to lead the peace choir through several new songs in a very short period of time. The range covered everything from the depression era anthem Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen to Christmas carols such as Winter Wonderland.
Our school’s Peace Choir was also up for the task. The students did a great job. They remained attentive for the entire two hours and were eager and willing to listen and gamely attempted several new songs, sounds and movements. A real sense of cooperation and community filled the auditorium. At times, when a student teacher struggled with an instruction or had trouble finding the right note, our kids listened with even greater intensity to understand the instruction so they could all benefit. I was very proud of their attention and commitment to learning the new material. We were all rewarded by an encore from Tr. Tony as he led the combined choir through a completely improvised song.
My hat is off to Dr. Ann Clements, Dr. Leach, and his students. Our choir really enjoyed their time on the Esber stage and comments went from “awesome” to “Not as bad as I thought it would be.” (this is high praise from a middle school student). It is my hope that this first step will continue to build our relationship with the very awesome music department at Penn State. In these days when we hear the worst, it is important to remember that thousands of committed, hard-working students, teachers, and staff also represent Penn State and they will be there to continue the good works.
Announcements
Thankful Tuesday – Please make plans to join us for our Thankful Tuesday celebration on November 22. We begin with lunch with your students in the classroom and then we all enjoy classroom presentations in the community room beginning at noon. As with most school celebrations, we end with some singing. It is a wonderful warm event and I hope you can join us. Afterwards, parents can choose to take their students home if they need an early jump on the Thanksgiving travels.
School Photos – Here are picture dates for the classrooms.
K/1 – Tuesday, November 15th
2/3 – Friday, November 18th
4/5 – Tuesday, November 29th
MS – Wednesday, Nov. 30th
Make-ups – December 2, and December 6 and 7 as needed.
Sabine will be taking candid shots, as well as a more traditional shot of each child. The candid shots may be taken inside or outside at recess. All photos will eventually be posted by class on Sabine’s web site, freerangingphotography.com, in a password protected folder.
Family Workshop – the School’s Quaker Life committee will be hosting a light supper and discussion on Wednesday, November 30, at 5:30 pm. The discussion will focus on consumerism and include a viewing and discussion of the short film The Story of Stuff. The evening will begin with a simple meal provide by the committee and end by 7:30 Spi
Spices Success – Our annual SPICES Gala, held at the Atherton Hotel was a tremendous success, offering families and community members a chance to enjoy conversation, music, food and silent auction fun. Through ticket sales, silent auction proceeds and monetary contributions from those who could not attend, nearly $10,000 was raised (a record for the school). We expect to publish the final outcome on the web sometime early next week. Thank you for supporting our school through this friend raising and fund raising event. Cheers!
"Blessed are the flexible for they will not be bent out of shape"
Dan Hendey
Head of School
State College Friends School
1900 University Drive
State College, PA 16801
(814) 237-8386
(814) 235-1446 Fax
www.scfriends.org
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Spices and traditions
Headlines - Nov 4, 2011
New traditions
I am happy to report that our first annual pumpkin painting party was a success. We had over 100 children and parents from the Schoolhouse and school enjoy an evening of conversation, fun, pizza, and pumpkins. Thanks to all the parents who donated pumpkins and gourds to the cause. Thanks also go to Tr. Lori and Brittany for their help in organizing the party and leading the children in Halloween dances.
Halloween did look a little different at this year. There was no elaborately decorated hall and Baba Yaga was confined to the library, a place that made her very uncomfortable. However, the children definitely enjoyed the parade, dance, and classroom parties. The middle school students did a great job of decorating the community room and cleanup was completed by 3:00 pm. The teachers and administrators certainly appreciated the fact that Halloween was a one day event at school and we could all go out and enjoy some trick or treating later in the evening.
Announcements
SPICES OF LIFE GALA - Sunday, November 6th
Please join new and returning families for State College Friends School's annual "friend raising" and fund raising event, November 6th from 4:00 - 7:00 at the Atherton Hotel, downtown State College. SPICES is our Friends School celebration of the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.
Thankful Tuesday – Please make plans to join us for our Thankful Tuesday celebration on November 22. We begin with lunch with your students in the classroom and then we all enjoy classroom presentations in the community room beginning at noon. As with most school celebrations, we end with some singing. It is a wonderful warm event and I hope you can join us. Afterwards, parents can choose to take their students home if they need an early jump on the Thanksgiving travels.
Don’t forget to turn the clocks back on Saturday night and to vote on Tuesday.
Dan
New traditions
I am happy to report that our first annual pumpkin painting party was a success. We had over 100 children and parents from the Schoolhouse and school enjoy an evening of conversation, fun, pizza, and pumpkins. Thanks to all the parents who donated pumpkins and gourds to the cause. Thanks also go to Tr. Lori and Brittany for their help in organizing the party and leading the children in Halloween dances.
Halloween did look a little different at this year. There was no elaborately decorated hall and Baba Yaga was confined to the library, a place that made her very uncomfortable. However, the children definitely enjoyed the parade, dance, and classroom parties. The middle school students did a great job of decorating the community room and cleanup was completed by 3:00 pm. The teachers and administrators certainly appreciated the fact that Halloween was a one day event at school and we could all go out and enjoy some trick or treating later in the evening.
Announcements
SPICES OF LIFE GALA - Sunday, November 6th
Please join new and returning families for State College Friends School's annual "friend raising" and fund raising event, November 6th from 4:00 - 7:00 at the Atherton Hotel, downtown State College. SPICES is our Friends School celebration of the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship.
Thankful Tuesday – Please make plans to join us for our Thankful Tuesday celebration on November 22. We begin with lunch with your students in the classroom and then we all enjoy classroom presentations in the community room beginning at noon. As with most school celebrations, we end with some singing. It is a wonderful warm event and I hope you can join us. Afterwards, parents can choose to take their students home if they need an early jump on the Thanksgiving travels.
Don’t forget to turn the clocks back on Saturday night and to vote on Tuesday.
Dan
Friday, October 28, 2011
Mary's Turn
HEADLINES……………….October 21, 2011
Dan departed early today to attend an out-of-state family event, so he asked me to write this week’s update…
You may have heard that we began Reading Buddy time last Friday. Each student in the school is paired with another, and for a half-hour each Friday afternoon, these pairs get together to share books and some play time. During these sessions, you often hear older buddies reading to their younger friends, but as younger buddies learn to read on their own, they get some good practice by reading to their older friend. Books are shared and children make recommendations to one another. It’s a half-hour that’s dedicated to reading for the joy of it, and it’s one of our favorite half-hours of the week.
I can’t remember exactly how I got the job of making the Reading Buddy matches, but I’ve done it for years and I love it. I think I’m a natural. Because of my Reading Buddy experience, I’ve come to believe that I probably descended from a long line of matchmakers. I’m sure I have ancestors who were the wrinkled old matchmakers of their little Irish fishing villages or maybe for all of County Donegal. I’ve begun considering professional matchmaking as a possible second career for me, once I retire from my first. I thought I could match-make for other aging baby boomers. The problem is that my success rate with adults isn’t that impressive. My strength seems to be with making matches between children, and I’m not sure that’s a very marketable skill.
It’s also possible that I’m just attracted to the puppetry and power involved in social engineering. It’s true that I’ve sometimes matched children because their names rhymed and I liked hearing them together. (It was just too hard to resist pairing Willie and Lilly, Kate and Nate, Eddie and Freddie. Or, my all-time favorite…Izzy and Dizzy.) On just a few occasions, I’ve matched children because of their complimentary hair colors and I wanted to see the watercolor effect of the two heads close together as they looked at a book. But I’m not normally that shallow, and I usually try to make matches based on my knowledge of personalities, interests, and life experiences. I think about who can serve as a role model and who might need one. I think of who’s struggling with a challenge and who just recently overcame a similar struggle. I try to balance quiet and boisterous, introvert and extrovert, focused and fluttery. Sometimes I make a match only because I think two people might just really like one another. I feel certain of the rightness of some matches as soon as I make them, while others are risky and I know it.
On Friday afternoons, I lurk around in classrooms assessing my work. Sometimes I watch love at first sight developing right before my eyes, while other pairs engage in a slower warm-up. Sometimes my risk-taking goes bad and I’ve made a few matches that left me shaking my head, asking myself, “What were you thinking?” And then I’ve made others that were brilliant (if I do say so myself) and led to long-term friendships. Today I watched a pair, a fifth grader reading to a kindergartner sitting in her lap. The fifth grader was an animated and dramatic reader, and her younger buddy was completely focused and engrossed in the book they were sharing. At the end of Reading Buddy time, as this pair was about to part, the older buddy leaned down so they could hug. The smiles and the looks of affection that passed between those two children were lovely and affirming and powerful. It’s that affection and kindness and care for one another that I hope will suffuse the school and create that special Friends School atmosphere that is often so hard to describe or explain. It was a special moment and a delicious way to end a week.
Call me Cupid.
Have a wonderful away-game weekend,
Mary Ziegler
Announcements & Reminders
Invitation: State College Friends Meeting invites interested Friends School families to an address titled “What Do Quakers Believe?” by Arthur Larabee, the General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Art is a dynamic and entertaining speaker and his remarks will address Quaker faith and practice, and may help to answer your questions. This event will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 23. Child care will be available. If you’ll need it, please contact the Meeting (office@statecollegefriends.org).
AnDa Union: On the morning of Tuesday, October 25, the whole school will attend a performance at Eisenhower Auditorium. We’ll be seeing AnDa Union, a group of young musicians from Inner Mongolia in northern China. Each year, the Center for the Performing Arts offers a slate of School-Time Matinees for students ranging from pre-K right up through high school. Due to the generosity of contributors to our Annual Fund, Friends School students are able to attend many of these events and reap the benefits of live performances by a variety of artists. On Tuesday, we’ll be leaving school at about 9:30 a.m. and should return close to 11:30.
Pumpkin Painting Party: All families and friends are invited to gather on Friday, October 28 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for our first Pumpkin Painting Party. The Community Room will be open for all families to come and decorate pumpkins, enjoy a pizza dinner, and get into the spirit of Halloween. Pizza will be available for purchase by the slice. Small pumpkins and decoration materials will be on hand for your use. You’re also welcome to provide your own pumpkin.
We’ll be inviting our Friends Schoolhouse pre-school families to join us for pumpkin painting. Since this will be the first school event for many of them, please help us in welcoming them and helping them to feel comfortable.
Halloween: Friends School will be celebrating Halloween on the very day---Monday, October 31. You’ll receive information specific to your child’s classroom from your teacher, but we do have some all-school information to share.
Students may bring their costumes to school on Monday morning, but we won’t change into them until after lunch. Our younger students will parade through Foxdale, leaving from our front porch at about 1:00 p.m. Upon their return, we’ll hold the Monster Mash dance in the Community Room and that will be followed by classroom parties. Parents, costumed or not, are invited to join us for the afternoon or any part of it.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Our fall parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4. If you haven’t yet scheduled yours, please call (237-8386) or stop by the school office to do so. Conferences are scheduled for a half-hour and they’re held in your child’s classroom. Please make every effort to arrive on time and stick to the half-hour time slot you schedule. Things can get backed up quickly otherwise.
There’s no school for students on conference days, but our child care program will be operating. If you’d like to register your child for child care---for all day, part of the day, or just during your conference time---please do so by November 1.
Anat Cohen Quartet: Two tickets to Thursday’s performance at Schwab by the Anat Cohen Quartet are still available to the first family to donate $100 to our Annual Fund.
SPICES: SPICES invitations should reach your homes this weekend. Please RSVP by October 31 to take advantage of FREE child care during the event.
Here are some of the SPICES FAQs we’ve been getting:
What should we wear? The SPICES Gala is a special, fun celebration. While the event is held in the lovely ballroom of the Atherton Hotel, guests are encouraged to wear their comfortable, special, fun, celebration clothes. Last year, that ranged from blue jeans and a dapper suede jacket, skirts or slacks with shiny adorned blouses and cozy seasonal sweaters, to more semi-formal evening wear with child-made and vintage art jewelry…in other words, a pretty big range. As one mother of an infant told a friend last year, “It’s anything without a baby food stain.”
How do we pay for auction items? Checks or cash, please. This year, there will be some small children’s art items available for direct sale in addition to the auction items. (Wrapping paper, note cards, etc.) We’ve also tried to secure auction items in many interest and price ranges
Is there child care available, and if so, what’s the cost and is it at the hotel? Yes. The child care staff will be here at Friends School offering age-appropriate activities. There is no charge for child care during the event.
Can I invite friends whose children aren’t students at Friends? Sure. Everyone’s welcome. This is a celebration of our school community and our local community and all the gifts within.
A list of auction items and links will be posted on the school’s website beginning October 25. Enjoy a sneak peak.
You may also have a look at photos from last year’s event at www.freerangingphotography.com. (This is the work of school parent Sabine Carey.)
Please call or email Lori Pacchioli with any other questions. lorip@scfriends.org
DVD Available: If you didn’t receive the 2010-2011 Reflections DVD at the fall pot-luck, they’ll be available at the family pumpkin painting night and at SPICES. Or, stop by Lori’s office for a copy. She’s also happy to send them to distant relatives. Just ask.
One Last Call: If you haven’t returned your Parent Interest/Volunteer Form and the Photo Release Form, please do so. Several families have informed us that they’re “on call” for the school any time and don’t feel the need to complete a Volunteer Form and that’s just fine, but we do need your Photo Releases. If you need a new set of forms or want to express any special interests or willingness to help with parent-run events such as the FUN FAIR, that would be most helpful. Just email lorip@scfriends.org.
Dan departed early today to attend an out-of-state family event, so he asked me to write this week’s update…
You may have heard that we began Reading Buddy time last Friday. Each student in the school is paired with another, and for a half-hour each Friday afternoon, these pairs get together to share books and some play time. During these sessions, you often hear older buddies reading to their younger friends, but as younger buddies learn to read on their own, they get some good practice by reading to their older friend. Books are shared and children make recommendations to one another. It’s a half-hour that’s dedicated to reading for the joy of it, and it’s one of our favorite half-hours of the week.
I can’t remember exactly how I got the job of making the Reading Buddy matches, but I’ve done it for years and I love it. I think I’m a natural. Because of my Reading Buddy experience, I’ve come to believe that I probably descended from a long line of matchmakers. I’m sure I have ancestors who were the wrinkled old matchmakers of their little Irish fishing villages or maybe for all of County Donegal. I’ve begun considering professional matchmaking as a possible second career for me, once I retire from my first. I thought I could match-make for other aging baby boomers. The problem is that my success rate with adults isn’t that impressive. My strength seems to be with making matches between children, and I’m not sure that’s a very marketable skill.
It’s also possible that I’m just attracted to the puppetry and power involved in social engineering. It’s true that I’ve sometimes matched children because their names rhymed and I liked hearing them together. (It was just too hard to resist pairing Willie and Lilly, Kate and Nate, Eddie and Freddie. Or, my all-time favorite…Izzy and Dizzy.) On just a few occasions, I’ve matched children because of their complimentary hair colors and I wanted to see the watercolor effect of the two heads close together as they looked at a book. But I’m not normally that shallow, and I usually try to make matches based on my knowledge of personalities, interests, and life experiences. I think about who can serve as a role model and who might need one. I think of who’s struggling with a challenge and who just recently overcame a similar struggle. I try to balance quiet and boisterous, introvert and extrovert, focused and fluttery. Sometimes I make a match only because I think two people might just really like one another. I feel certain of the rightness of some matches as soon as I make them, while others are risky and I know it.
On Friday afternoons, I lurk around in classrooms assessing my work. Sometimes I watch love at first sight developing right before my eyes, while other pairs engage in a slower warm-up. Sometimes my risk-taking goes bad and I’ve made a few matches that left me shaking my head, asking myself, “What were you thinking?” And then I’ve made others that were brilliant (if I do say so myself) and led to long-term friendships. Today I watched a pair, a fifth grader reading to a kindergartner sitting in her lap. The fifth grader was an animated and dramatic reader, and her younger buddy was completely focused and engrossed in the book they were sharing. At the end of Reading Buddy time, as this pair was about to part, the older buddy leaned down so they could hug. The smiles and the looks of affection that passed between those two children were lovely and affirming and powerful. It’s that affection and kindness and care for one another that I hope will suffuse the school and create that special Friends School atmosphere that is often so hard to describe or explain. It was a special moment and a delicious way to end a week.
Call me Cupid.
Have a wonderful away-game weekend,
Mary Ziegler
Announcements & Reminders
Invitation: State College Friends Meeting invites interested Friends School families to an address titled “What Do Quakers Believe?” by Arthur Larabee, the General Secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Art is a dynamic and entertaining speaker and his remarks will address Quaker faith and practice, and may help to answer your questions. This event will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 23. Child care will be available. If you’ll need it, please contact the Meeting (office@statecollegefriends.org).
AnDa Union: On the morning of Tuesday, October 25, the whole school will attend a performance at Eisenhower Auditorium. We’ll be seeing AnDa Union, a group of young musicians from Inner Mongolia in northern China. Each year, the Center for the Performing Arts offers a slate of School-Time Matinees for students ranging from pre-K right up through high school. Due to the generosity of contributors to our Annual Fund, Friends School students are able to attend many of these events and reap the benefits of live performances by a variety of artists. On Tuesday, we’ll be leaving school at about 9:30 a.m. and should return close to 11:30.
Pumpkin Painting Party: All families and friends are invited to gather on Friday, October 28 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. for our first Pumpkin Painting Party. The Community Room will be open for all families to come and decorate pumpkins, enjoy a pizza dinner, and get into the spirit of Halloween. Pizza will be available for purchase by the slice. Small pumpkins and decoration materials will be on hand for your use. You’re also welcome to provide your own pumpkin.
We’ll be inviting our Friends Schoolhouse pre-school families to join us for pumpkin painting. Since this will be the first school event for many of them, please help us in welcoming them and helping them to feel comfortable.
Halloween: Friends School will be celebrating Halloween on the very day---Monday, October 31. You’ll receive information specific to your child’s classroom from your teacher, but we do have some all-school information to share.
Students may bring their costumes to school on Monday morning, but we won’t change into them until after lunch. Our younger students will parade through Foxdale, leaving from our front porch at about 1:00 p.m. Upon their return, we’ll hold the Monster Mash dance in the Community Room and that will be followed by classroom parties. Parents, costumed or not, are invited to join us for the afternoon or any part of it.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Our fall parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4. If you haven’t yet scheduled yours, please call (237-8386) or stop by the school office to do so. Conferences are scheduled for a half-hour and they’re held in your child’s classroom. Please make every effort to arrive on time and stick to the half-hour time slot you schedule. Things can get backed up quickly otherwise.
There’s no school for students on conference days, but our child care program will be operating. If you’d like to register your child for child care---for all day, part of the day, or just during your conference time---please do so by November 1.
Anat Cohen Quartet: Two tickets to Thursday’s performance at Schwab by the Anat Cohen Quartet are still available to the first family to donate $100 to our Annual Fund.
SPICES: SPICES invitations should reach your homes this weekend. Please RSVP by October 31 to take advantage of FREE child care during the event.
Here are some of the SPICES FAQs we’ve been getting:
What should we wear? The SPICES Gala is a special, fun celebration. While the event is held in the lovely ballroom of the Atherton Hotel, guests are encouraged to wear their comfortable, special, fun, celebration clothes. Last year, that ranged from blue jeans and a dapper suede jacket, skirts or slacks with shiny adorned blouses and cozy seasonal sweaters, to more semi-formal evening wear with child-made and vintage art jewelry…in other words, a pretty big range. As one mother of an infant told a friend last year, “It’s anything without a baby food stain.”
How do we pay for auction items? Checks or cash, please. This year, there will be some small children’s art items available for direct sale in addition to the auction items. (Wrapping paper, note cards, etc.) We’ve also tried to secure auction items in many interest and price ranges
Is there child care available, and if so, what’s the cost and is it at the hotel? Yes. The child care staff will be here at Friends School offering age-appropriate activities. There is no charge for child care during the event.
Can I invite friends whose children aren’t students at Friends? Sure. Everyone’s welcome. This is a celebration of our school community and our local community and all the gifts within.
A list of auction items and links will be posted on the school’s website beginning October 25. Enjoy a sneak peak.
You may also have a look at photos from last year’s event at www.freerangingphotography.com. (This is the work of school parent Sabine Carey.)
Please call or email Lori Pacchioli with any other questions. lorip@scfriends.org
DVD Available: If you didn’t receive the 2010-2011 Reflections DVD at the fall pot-luck, they’ll be available at the family pumpkin painting night and at SPICES. Or, stop by Lori’s office for a copy. She’s also happy to send them to distant relatives. Just ask.
One Last Call: If you haven’t returned your Parent Interest/Volunteer Form and the Photo Release Form, please do so. Several families have informed us that they’re “on call” for the school any time and don’t feel the need to complete a Volunteer Form and that’s just fine, but we do need your Photo Releases. If you need a new set of forms or want to express any special interests or willingness to help with parent-run events such as the FUN FAIR, that would be most helpful. Just email lorip@scfriends.org.
Inservice Summary
Headlines - October 14, 2011
What happens on school In-service days?
In-service days are dedicated work days for our teachers and staff. The work which we accomplish on these days usually centers on professional development and planning. This past Monday and Tuesday were no exception.
Monday was reserved for our teachers to be in their classrooms to reflect, organize, prepare and begin writing their fall reports about your children. I found many of our teachers hunched over desks and computers, beginning to write progress reports. Teachers spend a lot of time and effort writing reports. The end product is usually a concise and informative narrative about your child and how they learn. While I know parents are thrilled to find out how much their teachers know about their children, teachers also benefit from writing them. Narrative progress reports require teachers to focus intently on each student as they write. This helps teachers to know their students and gain a insight of their individual strengths and challenges. It is a day well spent.
Teachers at the Friends Schoolhouse also had a productive day on Monday. As a new program, there is still much refining and experimentation to be done. Our teachers had an open discussion on the program and decided to implement a few tweaks in the coming weeks.
Tuesday, all teachers attended an all-day workshop on Meta-cognition; thinking about thinking. Cornell professors Derek Caberra and Laura Colasi, gave a workshop in the DSRP method of deep understanding. We learned that thinking can be broken down into four areas:
• Distinction; identity/other
• Systems; part/whole
• Relationships; cause/effect
• Perspectives; point of view
Helping children to recognize, organize, and apply these thinking strategies can lead to deeper understanding, longer retention, and higher transfer of knowledge among subject areas. These strategies occur continuously in our brain while we are thinking and form the basis of our knowledge. In the workshop, teachers got an overview of the research and then practiced diagramming lessons using the DSRP method. I have already had teachers share with me their experiences using DSRP in their classroom. There is a flyer in your Friday folder that explains more.
Announcements
Pumpkin Painting Party – All families and friends are invited to the school on Friday, October 28th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm for our first pumpkin painting party. The community room will be open for the all families to come and decorate pumpkins, eat pizza, and get into the spirit of the season. Pizza will be available to purchase Pumpkins and decoration materials such as paint, fabric and paper will be on hand for your use.
Halloween – Halloween has always been a special holiday at Friends and this year will be no different. Monday the 31st will be our day of celebration. Children a re encouraged to bring their costumes to school with them. After lunch the younger grades will parade through Foxdale village. A Monster Mash in the community room will follow the parade and classroom parties will end our day. It will be an action packed afternoon and parents are encouraged to join in the fun. We will retain some traditional events such as the Foxdale parade and classroom parties and add some new ones. Look for more information soon.
Anat Cohen Quartet – the school just received two tickets to the Anat Cohen Quartet concert on Thursday October 27th at the Schwab Auditorium. These tickets will be given to the first family to donate $100.00 to our annual fund.
Spices - Our annual SPICES social and silent auction is just around the corner. Please make plans to join us on Sunday, November 6th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. A great evening of friends, community, music and food awaits. Please make plans to come.
Lunch Anyone? - Hot lunches and Pizza Fridays will be available at our school in November and December. Look for the flyer in your Friday folder.
What happens on school In-service days?
In-service days are dedicated work days for our teachers and staff. The work which we accomplish on these days usually centers on professional development and planning. This past Monday and Tuesday were no exception.
Monday was reserved for our teachers to be in their classrooms to reflect, organize, prepare and begin writing their fall reports about your children. I found many of our teachers hunched over desks and computers, beginning to write progress reports. Teachers spend a lot of time and effort writing reports. The end product is usually a concise and informative narrative about your child and how they learn. While I know parents are thrilled to find out how much their teachers know about their children, teachers also benefit from writing them. Narrative progress reports require teachers to focus intently on each student as they write. This helps teachers to know their students and gain a insight of their individual strengths and challenges. It is a day well spent.
Teachers at the Friends Schoolhouse also had a productive day on Monday. As a new program, there is still much refining and experimentation to be done. Our teachers had an open discussion on the program and decided to implement a few tweaks in the coming weeks.
Tuesday, all teachers attended an all-day workshop on Meta-cognition; thinking about thinking. Cornell professors Derek Caberra and Laura Colasi, gave a workshop in the DSRP method of deep understanding. We learned that thinking can be broken down into four areas:
• Distinction; identity/other
• Systems; part/whole
• Relationships; cause/effect
• Perspectives; point of view
Helping children to recognize, organize, and apply these thinking strategies can lead to deeper understanding, longer retention, and higher transfer of knowledge among subject areas. These strategies occur continuously in our brain while we are thinking and form the basis of our knowledge. In the workshop, teachers got an overview of the research and then practiced diagramming lessons using the DSRP method. I have already had teachers share with me their experiences using DSRP in their classroom. There is a flyer in your Friday folder that explains more.
Announcements
Pumpkin Painting Party – All families and friends are invited to the school on Friday, October 28th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm for our first pumpkin painting party. The community room will be open for the all families to come and decorate pumpkins, eat pizza, and get into the spirit of the season. Pizza will be available to purchase Pumpkins and decoration materials such as paint, fabric and paper will be on hand for your use.
Halloween – Halloween has always been a special holiday at Friends and this year will be no different. Monday the 31st will be our day of celebration. Children a re encouraged to bring their costumes to school with them. After lunch the younger grades will parade through Foxdale village. A Monster Mash in the community room will follow the parade and classroom parties will end our day. It will be an action packed afternoon and parents are encouraged to join in the fun. We will retain some traditional events such as the Foxdale parade and classroom parties and add some new ones. Look for more information soon.
Anat Cohen Quartet – the school just received two tickets to the Anat Cohen Quartet concert on Thursday October 27th at the Schwab Auditorium. These tickets will be given to the first family to donate $100.00 to our annual fund.
Spices - Our annual SPICES social and silent auction is just around the corner. Please make plans to join us on Sunday, November 6th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. A great evening of friends, community, music and food awaits. Please make plans to come.
Lunch Anyone? - Hot lunches and Pizza Fridays will be available at our school in November and December. Look for the flyer in your Friday folder.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Too Much Fun
Headlines - October 7, 2011
Some weeks here are so fun that I just have to offer snippets to give you a sense of the many wonderful things I witness each week.
I accompanied the 5th grade and middle school to the Renaissance Faire on Tuesday. During the fire juggling demonstration, the performer asked for volunteers and I was heartened and terrified when all the students pointed at me. I was also proud of the way our students “comported” themselves throughout the day. The fifth graders made a friend of one of the peasants and had him sit with us for lunch. He became our new friend and I think he was very pleased with the questions from our students.
Shant and Sam were at it again, and yesterday I had the pleasure of riding in their new and improved cart. At the top of the sledding hill, I grew apprehensive as I was locked into the cockpit by some last minute struts. The ride was fast, but manageable. I emerged unscathed and thanked them profusely.
On Thursday, Serena and Sage spotted me with a pencil in my mouth. I insisted that it was part of my mustache but they would have none of it. They told me it was against the rules and they wrote a note to Teacher Mary. Needless to say, Mary spoke to me this morning and I was in the doghouse for not being safe.
It’s a beautiful afternoon and our field day is in full swing. The middles schoolers are leading mixed- age groups of students in relays and games such as musical dots, and Duck, Duck, Goose. Every year this tradition helps all of our students to come together and make new friends. It’s really nice to see the interaction between the younger and older kids.
Announcements
Pot-luck Supper –Thank you to all the families who participated in our annual pot-luck supper. It was a very nice evening and the spread of food was amazing. These all-school events help to build our community.
Halloween – Halloween has always been a special holiday at Friends and many of us wonder how it got so over-the-top. The burden of preparation seems to fall on fewer and fewer each year and with the closing of the Haunted Granary (the source of most of our decorations), we feel it is time to establish some new simpler traditions. Halloween will look different this year. Monday, October 31st will be our day of celebration. We will retain some traditional events such as the Foxdale parade and classroom parties and add some new ones. Look for more information soon.
Anat Cohen Quartet – The school just received two tickets to the Anat Cohen Quartet concert on Thursday, October 27th at Schwab Auditorium. These tickets will be given to the first family to donate $100.00 to our Annual Fund.
Inservice Days – Reminder - Monday and Tuesday, October 10th and 11th are inservice days for our faculty and there will be no school for our students. Children who have registered to participate in the inservice child care program should bring along a lunch and snacks for the morning and the afternoon. And, they should be dressed appropriately for outdoor play.
Spices - Our annual SPICES social and silent auction is just around the corner. Please make plans to join us on Sunday, November 6th from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Look for more information in today’s Friday folder.
Please enjoy the weather this weekend.
Dan
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sore Backsides and Inservice News
Headlines - September 30, 2011
My duff hurts and there is a good reason.
Last week I noticed Sam S and Shant K making use of the large construction set that we acquired over the summer. It is really an amazing kit that can be used to build cars, skyscrapers and more. It’s like a combination of tinker toys and PVC piping. Sam, Shant and some classmates were trying to build a car and were having some success but could not seem to get their construction to actually hold their weight. Feeling quite sure of myself, I said I would give them a prize if they could make a car that could hold me. “It’s on” was their reply.
On Monday, Shant appeared at my door with a waiver in his hand. It was laid out in block letters on a large piece of poster paper. It specified that I would agree to hold Sam and Shant harmless for any and all injuries that may occur while riding on said cart. Having grown up with older brothers and being keenly aware of the need for self-preservation, I added a statement that Sam and Shant would be willing to test ride any cart prior to my test drive. We all signed the document.
Friday, they were ready for me. Sam and Shant chose the school sledding hill for the test. Teacher Nick was the unfortunate early trial. They pushed him halfway down the hill and everyone enjoyed a good laugh when he could not control the cart (steering was not an option) and ran into the small tree at the bottom of the hill. No one was hurt and they got busy making repairs. Near the end of recess, I was summoned and brought to the top of the hill. Their creation was impressive, they tripled up on the flat floor panels to hold my weight and most of the sides had reinforcing pieces of tubing. They gave me my instructions and I squeezed onto the cart. Before I had a chance to say wait they began pushing and I was moving down the hill. It was then that I realized that my well-being (if not my life) was in the hands of two 11 year old boys.
About half-way down, my speed exceeded the boys and I was freewheeling on my own. It was at this point, that the cart began to veer sharply to the right. In quick succession, the left wheel popped off and the cart stopped dead in its tracks. Seatbelts were also not an option and I proceeded to slide off the cart and coast for another five feet on my rear. I got up a little sore and with a nice grass stain on my pants. Strangely enough, I wanted to do it all over again. I hope they keep working on it.
Announcements
Parent Coffee- Please join me on the morning of Wednesday, October 5 for an informal parent coffee. Coffees are ways for parents to find out about our school and its programs. This month’s topic will be the school’s approach to classroom management. Parents will learn how teachers incorporate Quaker practices and the Responsive Classroom approach to form the unique environment of Friends. Parents will then have the opportunity to observe it in the classroom. Coffee and refreshments are served in the Library beginning at 8:15.
Inservice Days - Monday and Tuesday, October 10th and 11th are inservice days for our faculty and there will be no school for our students. We offer an inservice day child care program here at school on all inservice days. The program is based in our Community Room and runs from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Please note that school bus transportation is not provided on inservice days. The fee for our child care program is $4.00 per hour. If you’d like to use the program on October 10th and/or 11th, please register by Thursday, October 6th . Children participating in the program should bring along a lunch and snacks for the morning and the afternoon. And, they should be dressed appropriately for outdoor play. It’s really important for you to register your child in advance for our child care programs. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Please call or email us.
Please have a wonderful weekend.
Dan
Saturday, September 24, 2011
lessons learned
Headlines - September 23, 2011
I came into work on Tuesday and found several notes stuffed into a handmade envelope in my mailbox. The envelope was from Teacher Dorothy’s class. It was carefully stapled together and included two notes and a drawing of 3 hearts. As I admired the art work, I began to read the note. “Dear Tr Den, Tr Dorothy broc her rols by sanding on the tabols. Icant blef thet she ded it . See yue latr”. It was signed by several students in the class.
I was reminded of last year when Teacher Dorothy and I were having some fun with the kids and I pretended to yell at her for standing on a table. I spoke in a low growl and Dorothy did a little cowering. Eventually, we made up and enjoyed a good laugh with the students. The kids all enjoyed watching Dorothy get in trouble and it must have made quite an impression. So, when Dorothy stepped on a table to hang something from the ceiling on Monday, they broke out the markers and began to writing their notes.
I think the first graders were hoping for a replay of last year. They were having lunch when I walked into the doorway and growled “Teacher Dorothy”. The class turned toward me and several students told me that she had indeed climbed on a table. Feigning disbelief, I asked for Dorothy for confirmation. As she admitted her deed, I could read Dorothy’s eyes and knew that she wanted to take advantage of a teachable moment. Instead of ‘yelling’, I asked her if she could tell me the school guideline that she chose not to follow. She answered “Be Safe”. I then told her that if she wasn’t safe and got hurt it would make us sad. I asked her to help me think of ways that she could be safe in that situation. Together we came up with strategies such as using a ladder, having a friend help, or asking tall Teacher Nick to do it. She decided to get help next time and I thanked the kids for telling me when people were not being safe. This turned into a wonderful moment for the class, as they got to see that even adults can make mistakes and that it is OK to let people know when someone is acting in an unsafe manner. I did miss yelling at Dorothy, though.
Announcements
Potluck Supper –The All-School Potluck is scheduled for next Friday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal manner. We hope you will join us to make new friends. We expect a record turnout!
· Please RSVP no later than Wednesday.
· Bring a dish to share keeping in mind we may have 200+ in attendance. So, bring plenty! (Label your belongings)
· Seating will be tight – consider a picnic style meal (blankets/lawn chairs) with your family.
· Bring your own dishes and place settings – cups too!
· In order to make the event run as smoothly as possible, we need families to help with set-up and clean-up. Indicate your willingness to do so when you RSVP. (4:30 set up; clean-up until approximately 8:30)
We look forward to seeing you there.
Forest Fest – On Sunday, September 25th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm the PSU School of Forest Resources will host the PA Forest Festival at the Arboretum at Penn State. This is the International Year of the Forest and many university, business, and community groups will be on hand to participate in the festivities. The day will feature activities, food, music (Pure Cane Sugar @12noon) exhibits and maybe even some dancing trees.
Parent Coffee- Please join me on the morning of Thursday October 6 for an informal parent coffee. Coffees are ways for parents to find out about our school and its programs. This month’s topic will be the school’s approach to classroom management. Parents will learn how teachers incorporate Quaker practices and the Responsive Classroom approach to create the unique environment of Friends School. Parents will then have the opportunity to observe the techniques in action in the classroom. Coffee and refreshments are served in the Library beginning at 8:15.
Volunteers – I hope you all received Mary’s email this week seeking potential substitutes for our classrooms. I am also still looking for a few parents to help chaperone recess periodically. Please consider us if you have the time.
Please have a wonderful weekend.
In peace,
Dan
Monday, September 19, 2011
HEADLINES………………………………………………………….September 16, 2011
(Dan’s just departed to get a head start on an out-of-town weekend. He asked if I’d be your substitute ‘Headlines’ writer for this week.)
“Teacher Mary, we found the snake.”
I was standing in the school’s main hallway on Thursday afternoon when a small group of middle school students approached me with that announcement. It’s one of those deceptively simple declarations that raises alarm and calms your fears all at the same time. It brought back memories of phone calls from my son that began with, “Everything’s OK, Mom. No one was hurt” or “Hi, Mom. The good thing is that nobody’s in jail”. In this case, too, no one was hurt and I was deeply pleased that the snake had been found and settled back into its cage (or’ jail’, I suppose, from the perspective of the snake.)
The snake in question was Spot, the ball python who lives in Teacher Bailey’s middle school science classroom. He’s not of the poisonous variety and Teacher Bailey assures me that he’s ‘friendly’, although I’ve never really put him to the test. (How can you truly determine that, after all? He can’t shake hands, give hugs, or provide me with an encouraging pat on the back. And I have never seen him smile.) In any event, on Wednesday, one of our middle school students was engaging in an unrequited embrace with Spot and didn’t latch his cage completely when she returned him to it. Spot saw his opportunity sometime that evening and he made a break for it. When his absence was discovered on Thursday morning, the middle school students formed a search party, but their sincere efforts failed to turn up any sign of Spot. Soon , Teacher Bailey appeared at my door, looking slightly abashed and asked if she could sit down. (The middle school science classroom has been the setting for some of my best Friends School stories, often the kind that make you think, “This will be funny someday.” When Teacher Bailey appears in my office with that look on her face and asks to sit down, my body goes into its ‘fight or flight’ response. I pretend to be listening serenely, but I am braced and poised to flee.) Teacher Bailey told me that Spot was missing, despite everyone’s best efforts to find him. She assured me that he wasn’t poisonous and she reminded me once again of his friendly nature. Then she also reminded me that Back to School Night was scheduled for that very evening and asked how I felt about having a hundred parents in the building with a snake at large.
Before we really had to confront the ethical dilemma of hosting a large event with an escaped serpent slithering around the building, Tinka Berger, parent volunteer extraordinaire (and snake charmer), found Spot. He was on a high shelf above the turtle cage in a shoebox full of rocks. I’m told he was smiling. And no one was hurt.
Announcements & Reminders
** Please plan to join us for our all-school potluck dinner on Friday, September 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in our Community Room.
**We had a great Back to School Night last night. Thanks to all of you who turned out to join us. We hope you enjoyed the evening and found it informative, helpful, and non-reptilian.
** We’ve had our first case of strep this week in one of the K/1 classrooms. This is the season for coughs, colds, and sniffles, but you might want to be a little extra vigilant right now.
I hope you all enjoy a lovely fall weekend.
Best,
Mary
Monday, September 12, 2011
9/11, back to school and dogs
Headlines - September 9, 2011
Note found taped to the front of the teacher mailboxes:
Dear Teachers,
You have made the school year a great school year.
Your friends,
Liria and Katie
Enough said. . . .
Announcements
Back to School Night – Our annual Back to School Night is scheduled for next Thursday, September 15th. Please save the date, as it will be an excellent time for you to find out about Friends School and become familiar with your child’s classroom and teachers. Our schedule is as follows.
o All parents are asked to arrive by 7 pm sharp. There will be a short talk and introductions in the Community Room.
o From 7:15 – 7:45 there will be presentations in the K/1, 5th and middle school classrooms.
All other parents are invited to have coffee and mingle in the community room. Specialist teachers and administrators will be on hand to talk with you about school programs.
o From 7:45 – 8:15 there will be presentations in the 2/3 and 4th grade classrooms. All other parents are invited to mingle and have coffee.
We stagger our schedule to give multi-student families the ability to attend as many of the classroom presentations as possible. Due to space constraints, we cannot provide childcare on Back to School night.
Potluck Suppers – The K/1 potluck is tonight from 5:30 to 7 pm. Please bring a dish to share and table ware. The all-school potluck is scheduled for Friday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Potlucks are a wonderful way for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal manner. Both events will be held in the Community Room. We hope you will join us to make new friends.
Dogs: We seem to be a school of dog-lovers, but this year we have two students who don’t yet share our enthusiasm for our furry friends. If you bring your dog along when you pick up or drop off your child, please be certain that it’s leashed and under your control. Although some of us might love the sight of an exuberant dog barreling down the hallway, it could be overwhelming for a child with a fear of dogs. Also, please check with the teacher before entering a classroom with your pooch.
After School Pickup: -We love that fact that our parents often stop to talk when picking up their children afterschool. It builds community. However, it is very confusing for our staff when the children stay inside the community room and continue to play with the other children who are still waiting to be picked up. We ask that parents take their conversation and children outside during these times.
Peace Picnic - The Friends Meeting of State College and Interfaith Initiative of Centre County are hosting a Community Building Peace Picnic to which the interfaith and international public is warmly invited. It will be held on the Friends Meetinghouse lawn on September 11th from 1-5 pm. The event features community games, storytellers and music. Bring picnic food to share. Tables and tableware are provided. Lunch starts about 1:30 pm. Contact Cy Devries 404-5938 for more information.
Final note - I find that I can’t avoid thinking about 9/11 this week. If my daughter asks, I will frame our discussion in terms of senseless violence, innocent victims, everyday heroes, and long-term consequences. As a Jersey boy, I feel moved to leave you with a little Bruce this weekend:
“Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love”
Into the Fire - Bruce Springsteen
In peace,
Dan
Note found taped to the front of the teacher mailboxes:
Dear Teachers,
You have made the school year a great school year.
Your friends,
Liria and Katie
Enough said. . . .
Announcements
Back to School Night – Our annual Back to School Night is scheduled for next Thursday, September 15th. Please save the date, as it will be an excellent time for you to find out about Friends School and become familiar with your child’s classroom and teachers. Our schedule is as follows.
o All parents are asked to arrive by 7 pm sharp. There will be a short talk and introductions in the Community Room.
o From 7:15 – 7:45 there will be presentations in the K/1, 5th and middle school classrooms.
All other parents are invited to have coffee and mingle in the community room. Specialist teachers and administrators will be on hand to talk with you about school programs.
o From 7:45 – 8:15 there will be presentations in the 2/3 and 4th grade classrooms. All other parents are invited to mingle and have coffee.
We stagger our schedule to give multi-student families the ability to attend as many of the classroom presentations as possible. Due to space constraints, we cannot provide childcare on Back to School night.
Potluck Suppers – The K/1 potluck is tonight from 5:30 to 7 pm. Please bring a dish to share and table ware. The all-school potluck is scheduled for Friday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Potlucks are a wonderful way for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal manner. Both events will be held in the Community Room. We hope you will join us to make new friends.
Dogs: We seem to be a school of dog-lovers, but this year we have two students who don’t yet share our enthusiasm for our furry friends. If you bring your dog along when you pick up or drop off your child, please be certain that it’s leashed and under your control. Although some of us might love the sight of an exuberant dog barreling down the hallway, it could be overwhelming for a child with a fear of dogs. Also, please check with the teacher before entering a classroom with your pooch.
After School Pickup: -We love that fact that our parents often stop to talk when picking up their children afterschool. It builds community. However, it is very confusing for our staff when the children stay inside the community room and continue to play with the other children who are still waiting to be picked up. We ask that parents take their conversation and children outside during these times.
Peace Picnic - The Friends Meeting of State College and Interfaith Initiative of Centre County are hosting a Community Building Peace Picnic to which the interfaith and international public is warmly invited. It will be held on the Friends Meetinghouse lawn on September 11th from 1-5 pm. The event features community games, storytellers and music. Bring picnic food to share. Tables and tableware are provided. Lunch starts about 1:30 pm. Contact Cy Devries 404-5938 for more information.
Final note - I find that I can’t avoid thinking about 9/11 this week. If my daughter asks, I will frame our discussion in terms of senseless violence, innocent victims, everyday heroes, and long-term consequences. As a Jersey boy, I feel moved to leave you with a little Bruce this weekend:
“Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love”
Into the Fire - Bruce Springsteen
In peace,
Dan
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back to Business
Headlines - September 2, 2011
Business as Usual- Yesterday I was leaving the school at mid-morning to visit the pre-school Get Acquainted Day and I had the pleasure of witnessing a familiar sight. I was standing at the front doors about to make the short walk to the front parking lot when one of our middle school boys, Devlin, flashed in front of me. I watched him go past and catch up with some of his classmates a little further down the sidewalk. On my right,a collective growl caught my attention and when I looked, I saw Dagny (another middle school student) being chased by a large roving band of 2nd and 3rd grade students led by Meg. Everyone was having a great time. The middle school students would wait long enough for the little ones to get close, and after they let out a most terrifying growl, the older students would feign distress and run a little further down the path. This leapfrog of activity continued for quite a while and I saw a smile on everyone’s face. Their play reminded me that we are both a school and a community. While I am always happy to see them playing together, I know this is business as usual at Friends.
Announcements
Drop off and Pick Up Information – Please check your child’s Friday Folder for information regarding school pick up and drop off procedures. Parents who are picking up or dropping off students during peak times should use the far parking lot for the safety of all of our students. Look for more details in the Friday Folder.
Back to School Night – Our annual Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 15th (not the 23rd as reported in my August letter). Please save the date, as it will be an excellent time for you to find out about Friends School and become familiar with your child’s classroom and teachers. Our schedule is as follows.
All parents are asked to arrive by 7 pm. There will be a short talk and introductions in the Community Room.
From 7:15 – 7:45 there will be presentations in the K/1, 5th, and middle school classrooms. All other parents are invited to have coffee and mingle in the Community Room. Our specialist teachers and administrators will be on hand to talk with you about school programs.
From 7:45 – 8:15 there will be presentations in the 2/3 and 4th grade classrooms. All other parents are invited to mingle and have coffee.
We stagger our schedule to give multi-student families the ability to attend as many of the classroom presentations as possible. Due to space constraints, we cannot provide childcare on Back to School night.
Potluck Suppers – Two potlucks are scheduled this fall. A Potluck for the K/1 classes will be held on Friday, September 9th from 5:30 to 7 pm. This supper is a way for our new parents to meet and begin forming a parent classroom community. An all-school potluck is scheduled for Friday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Potlucks are a wonderful way for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal manner. Both events will be held in the Community Room. We hope you will join us to make new friends.
Dogs: We seem to be a school of dog-lovers, but this year we have two students who don’t yet share our enthusiasm for our furry friends. If you bring your dog along when you pick up or drop off your child, please be certain that it’s leashed and under your control. Although some of us might love the sight of an exuberant dog barreling down the hallway, it could be overwhelming for a child with a fear of dogs. Also, please check with the teacher before entering a classroom with your pooch.
Medication Policy Change: Due to a change in state regulations, Friends School has had to change its policy on administering medication to children. State law now prohibits us from giving children any medication. We cannot administer over-the-counter medications, nor can we give children medications that have been prescribed for them. We will be able to use Epi-Pens and we’ll also be able to help children with their use of inhalers as necessary. We can still apply topical ointments and Band-Aids. We know that this may make things inconvenient for parents and we apologize. Unfortunately, this is out of our hands. Parents are always welcome to come in to school to give medication to their children.
Head Lice: When children return to school in the fall, head lice often come with them. Our students have returned from many different summer programs, summer camps, vacation spots, and traveling locally and internationally. They had lots of opportunities to pick up head lice in all sorts of exotic locations, and a few of the critters took advantage of those opportunities. We’ve had a couple of confirmed cases since school began, and we’ve begun checking heads at school. We’d like to ask for you to keep an eye on things at home, too. Check your child periodically, treat immediately, and let us know if your child’s been affected.
Please have a great weekend!
Dan
Business as Usual- Yesterday I was leaving the school at mid-morning to visit the pre-school Get Acquainted Day and I had the pleasure of witnessing a familiar sight. I was standing at the front doors about to make the short walk to the front parking lot when one of our middle school boys, Devlin, flashed in front of me. I watched him go past and catch up with some of his classmates a little further down the sidewalk. On my right,a collective growl caught my attention and when I looked, I saw Dagny (another middle school student) being chased by a large roving band of 2nd and 3rd grade students led by Meg. Everyone was having a great time. The middle school students would wait long enough for the little ones to get close, and after they let out a most terrifying growl, the older students would feign distress and run a little further down the path. This leapfrog of activity continued for quite a while and I saw a smile on everyone’s face. Their play reminded me that we are both a school and a community. While I am always happy to see them playing together, I know this is business as usual at Friends.
Announcements
Drop off and Pick Up Information – Please check your child’s Friday Folder for information regarding school pick up and drop off procedures. Parents who are picking up or dropping off students during peak times should use the far parking lot for the safety of all of our students. Look for more details in the Friday Folder.
Back to School Night – Our annual Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 15th (not the 23rd as reported in my August letter). Please save the date, as it will be an excellent time for you to find out about Friends School and become familiar with your child’s classroom and teachers. Our schedule is as follows.
All parents are asked to arrive by 7 pm. There will be a short talk and introductions in the Community Room.
From 7:15 – 7:45 there will be presentations in the K/1, 5th, and middle school classrooms. All other parents are invited to have coffee and mingle in the Community Room. Our specialist teachers and administrators will be on hand to talk with you about school programs.
From 7:45 – 8:15 there will be presentations in the 2/3 and 4th grade classrooms. All other parents are invited to mingle and have coffee.
We stagger our schedule to give multi-student families the ability to attend as many of the classroom presentations as possible. Due to space constraints, we cannot provide childcare on Back to School night.
Potluck Suppers – Two potlucks are scheduled this fall. A Potluck for the K/1 classes will be held on Friday, September 9th from 5:30 to 7 pm. This supper is a way for our new parents to meet and begin forming a parent classroom community. An all-school potluck is scheduled for Friday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Potlucks are a wonderful way for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal manner. Both events will be held in the Community Room. We hope you will join us to make new friends.
Dogs: We seem to be a school of dog-lovers, but this year we have two students who don’t yet share our enthusiasm for our furry friends. If you bring your dog along when you pick up or drop off your child, please be certain that it’s leashed and under your control. Although some of us might love the sight of an exuberant dog barreling down the hallway, it could be overwhelming for a child with a fear of dogs. Also, please check with the teacher before entering a classroom with your pooch.
Medication Policy Change: Due to a change in state regulations, Friends School has had to change its policy on administering medication to children. State law now prohibits us from giving children any medication. We cannot administer over-the-counter medications, nor can we give children medications that have been prescribed for them. We will be able to use Epi-Pens and we’ll also be able to help children with their use of inhalers as necessary. We can still apply topical ointments and Band-Aids. We know that this may make things inconvenient for parents and we apologize. Unfortunately, this is out of our hands. Parents are always welcome to come in to school to give medication to their children.
Head Lice: When children return to school in the fall, head lice often come with them. Our students have returned from many different summer programs, summer camps, vacation spots, and traveling locally and internationally. They had lots of opportunities to pick up head lice in all sorts of exotic locations, and a few of the critters took advantage of those opportunities. We’ve had a couple of confirmed cases since school began, and we’ve begun checking heads at school. We’d like to ask for you to keep an eye on things at home, too. Check your child periodically, treat immediately, and let us know if your child’s been affected.
Please have a great weekend!
Dan
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Heat lines
Heatlines - Summer Edition 2011
Lot’s of good stuff. . .
Summer Camp – Today I set up shop at the front desk and enjoyed a new perspective to our school and summer program. I especially enjoyed watching a seemingly endless parade of campers in our courtyard going to and fro running, playing games, having lunch and enjoying sprinklers. It made me tired to watch them. It has been especially hot this week. This was confirmed for me when I heard a girl from camp asking her dad to go to the Y pool after camp because it is “too hot to go outside to Welch”. Even with the hot weather, we are taking advantage of the relatively cool mornings and using the hot afternoons in creative ways. My hat is off to Teacher Becky Conner and her staff for doing a brilliant job this year. There are still a few openings for the final week, August 8 – 12.
Pre-K Program – In addition to getting our school cleaned and ready for the new school year, we have been taking on a major project in cleaning and preparing for our new Friends Schoolhouse Pre-K program. Our director Lynne Bradley and many others are hard at work cleaning, painting, sorting and planning for our new program. Plans are to have give everyone a peek at the “Come and Play Day” on Tuesday, and have our Student Get Acquainted Day on September 1.
Growing Friendlier - The State College Friends Meeting invites school families and friends to join them for Growing Friendlier, Tuesday through Friday, August 9-12th from 5 to 7:30pm at the Friends Meetinghouse. It will be four evenings of food, fun and learning more about Quakerism. Therese Miller will lead workshops on The Quaker Experience and Quaker Testimonies on Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Ellen Argentineau will lead us in deepening our sharing on these topics on Thursday evening. Kerry & Gabrielle Wiessmann will have activities for the Younger Friends and childcare will be provided for the very youngest. Each session will begin with dinner cooked by Judy Melville and Friday will be a Meeting-wide potluck with games for all to follow. Friends and interested families are welcome to join us in this opportunity to learn more about & deepen our understanding of Quakerism. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary; please RSVP to office@statecollegefriends.org. If you have any questions contact Doris Malkmus at dmalkmus@verizon.net.
Summer Mailings –As always, you can expect a packet of information from the school to arrive in your mailbox in mid-August. This packet will include a parent handbook, forms to complete, a class list and a letter from me. You will also receive a letter and information from your child’s teacher this summer. It will either be included in the school mailing or will arrive separately.
Families Needed - We’re very happy to report that we’ve enrolled quite a few new students for next year, at different grade levels. We have some great kids and families who will be joining us in the fall, and we’re thinking about how to welcome them and help them learn the ropes of Friends School. We would like to pair new families with a current family who might help introduce them to Friends School and get acclimated. This would not require a huge time commitment on your part. You might start out with a phone conversation, maybe a get-together at a park or playground, and anything else you might like to do. Then, we hope you’d help your new family navigate the all-school potluck this fall. If you’re interested, please respond to Mary (mziegler@scfriends.org) and she will try to match you with a family that has children close in age to your own.
Help Wanted - The State College Friends School is currently seeking assistant teachers for our elementary classrooms. These are part-time (20 -25 hr/week) support positions. Duties include direct instruction, lesson preparation, recess and lunch supervision, clean up, and support of the classroom teacher and environment. Ideal candidates should demonstrate a familiarity with teaching strategies and embrace Quaker values and educational practices. All interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and philosophy statement to the school.
I notice that we are past the Arts Fest and summer is half over. Oh no! Let’s get going!
Dan
Lot’s of good stuff. . .
Summer Camp – Today I set up shop at the front desk and enjoyed a new perspective to our school and summer program. I especially enjoyed watching a seemingly endless parade of campers in our courtyard going to and fro running, playing games, having lunch and enjoying sprinklers. It made me tired to watch them. It has been especially hot this week. This was confirmed for me when I heard a girl from camp asking her dad to go to the Y pool after camp because it is “too hot to go outside to Welch”. Even with the hot weather, we are taking advantage of the relatively cool mornings and using the hot afternoons in creative ways. My hat is off to Teacher Becky Conner and her staff for doing a brilliant job this year. There are still a few openings for the final week, August 8 – 12.
Pre-K Program – In addition to getting our school cleaned and ready for the new school year, we have been taking on a major project in cleaning and preparing for our new Friends Schoolhouse Pre-K program. Our director Lynne Bradley and many others are hard at work cleaning, painting, sorting and planning for our new program. Plans are to have give everyone a peek at the “Come and Play Day” on Tuesday, and have our Student Get Acquainted Day on September 1.
Growing Friendlier - The State College Friends Meeting invites school families and friends to join them for Growing Friendlier, Tuesday through Friday, August 9-12th from 5 to 7:30pm at the Friends Meetinghouse. It will be four evenings of food, fun and learning more about Quakerism. Therese Miller will lead workshops on The Quaker Experience and Quaker Testimonies on Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Ellen Argentineau will lead us in deepening our sharing on these topics on Thursday evening. Kerry & Gabrielle Wiessmann will have activities for the Younger Friends and childcare will be provided for the very youngest. Each session will begin with dinner cooked by Judy Melville and Friday will be a Meeting-wide potluck with games for all to follow. Friends and interested families are welcome to join us in this opportunity to learn more about & deepen our understanding of Quakerism. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary; please RSVP to office@statecollegefriends.org. If you have any questions contact Doris Malkmus at dmalkmus@verizon.net.
Summer Mailings –As always, you can expect a packet of information from the school to arrive in your mailbox in mid-August. This packet will include a parent handbook, forms to complete, a class list and a letter from me. You will also receive a letter and information from your child’s teacher this summer. It will either be included in the school mailing or will arrive separately.
Families Needed - We’re very happy to report that we’ve enrolled quite a few new students for next year, at different grade levels. We have some great kids and families who will be joining us in the fall, and we’re thinking about how to welcome them and help them learn the ropes of Friends School. We would like to pair new families with a current family who might help introduce them to Friends School and get acclimated. This would not require a huge time commitment on your part. You might start out with a phone conversation, maybe a get-together at a park or playground, and anything else you might like to do. Then, we hope you’d help your new family navigate the all-school potluck this fall. If you’re interested, please respond to Mary (mziegler@scfriends.org) and she will try to match you with a family that has children close in age to your own.
Help Wanted - The State College Friends School is currently seeking assistant teachers for our elementary classrooms. These are part-time (20 -25 hr/week) support positions. Duties include direct instruction, lesson preparation, recess and lunch supervision, clean up, and support of the classroom teacher and environment. Ideal candidates should demonstrate a familiarity with teaching strategies and embrace Quaker values and educational practices. All interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and philosophy statement to the school.
I notice that we are past the Arts Fest and summer is half over. Oh no! Let’s get going!
Dan
Friday, June 17, 2011
Graduation and some important news
It’s a long one but worth the read . . . .
A Fitting Ceremony - Preparations for graduation kept us busy during the last week of school. It was a lovely ceremony and the speeches given by our graduates, Katicia Sakona and Kenneth Vasey, were heartfelt and moving. Mary gave a wonderful talk about her time at the front desk this year and so many parents pitched in to make the room look especially festive. Graduation never seems to disappoint.
Busy, Busy - Despite the arrival of summer break, it has been busy around here. Last week we had a full slate of in-service meetings with our teaching staff. During those meetings we debriefed the previous year and planned ahead for next year. A exciting piece of news is our plan to add Chinese to our curriculum. Look for more information later.
Summer Camp - Camp started this week and we are all having a great time. This year’s camps are exciting with many opportunities to make new friends. There are still a few opening in selected weeks. . .
Academic Success - In April, a standardized math thinking test was given to all 5th grade students in the State College School District. State College Friends School had the highest average score among all schools in the district. According to the results we received, the classes’ average score was double the average for the school district.
The State College High School Honor Roll for the third marking period has been posted and I am happy to report that 70% of our graduates are on the High Honor Roll. In addition, 71% of students who attended Friends for 4 or more years were named to the Honor Roll for this marking period. We would also like to congratulate State College High School Valedictorian Christoph Schlom. Chirstoph is an alum who studied Algebra with me while he was in the sixth grade. His knowledge, ability, and work ethic were impressive then and still are today. Along with being his class’s scholar and a National Merit Finalist, Christoph helped the State College Academic Quiz Bowl Team take home their first national title. We wish him all the best next year at Princeton.
Teacher News - I am pleased to announce that Assistant Teacher Elli Bragg is expecting a baby this December. If baby cooperates, Elli will begin the school year with us and work through the Thanksgiving break. Then she will be staying at home with her child and continue her graduate studies as a reading specialist. We wish her the best and will continue to monitor water at that end of the building as this will be the fourth baby associated with the 2/3 classrooms in as many years.
Pre-School News – We are pleased to announce that Lynne Bradley is joining our school family as the Director of our Pre-School. Lynne has over 15 years of experience in childcare, most recently at the Montessori School of Nittany Valley where she worked for 6 years as a lead teacher. Lynne also has experience training and supervising other pre-school teachers and has served as Director of Childcare Services for several YMCAs in New Jersey and Connecticut. Lynne is certified in Pennsylvania as a Childcare Director and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education. Lynne will be starting this July and working with the rest of us to get the program and facility into shape for our grand opening this August.
Summer Mailings –As always, you can expect a packet of information from the school to arrive in your mailbox this August. This packet will include a parent handbook, forms to complete, a class list and a letter from me. You will also receive a letter and information from your child’s teacher this summer. It will either be included in the school mailing or will arrive separately. Please look for them this August.
I wish you all a wonderful summer. Please stay cool and don’t forget to read.
Dan
A Fitting Ceremony - Preparations for graduation kept us busy during the last week of school. It was a lovely ceremony and the speeches given by our graduates, Katicia Sakona and Kenneth Vasey, were heartfelt and moving. Mary gave a wonderful talk about her time at the front desk this year and so many parents pitched in to make the room look especially festive. Graduation never seems to disappoint.
Busy, Busy - Despite the arrival of summer break, it has been busy around here. Last week we had a full slate of in-service meetings with our teaching staff. During those meetings we debriefed the previous year and planned ahead for next year. A exciting piece of news is our plan to add Chinese to our curriculum. Look for more information later.
Summer Camp - Camp started this week and we are all having a great time. This year’s camps are exciting with many opportunities to make new friends. There are still a few opening in selected weeks. . .
Academic Success - In April, a standardized math thinking test was given to all 5th grade students in the State College School District. State College Friends School had the highest average score among all schools in the district. According to the results we received, the classes’ average score was double the average for the school district.
The State College High School Honor Roll for the third marking period has been posted and I am happy to report that 70% of our graduates are on the High Honor Roll. In addition, 71% of students who attended Friends for 4 or more years were named to the Honor Roll for this marking period. We would also like to congratulate State College High School Valedictorian Christoph Schlom. Chirstoph is an alum who studied Algebra with me while he was in the sixth grade. His knowledge, ability, and work ethic were impressive then and still are today. Along with being his class’s scholar and a National Merit Finalist, Christoph helped the State College Academic Quiz Bowl Team take home their first national title. We wish him all the best next year at Princeton.
Teacher News - I am pleased to announce that Assistant Teacher Elli Bragg is expecting a baby this December. If baby cooperates, Elli will begin the school year with us and work through the Thanksgiving break. Then she will be staying at home with her child and continue her graduate studies as a reading specialist. We wish her the best and will continue to monitor water at that end of the building as this will be the fourth baby associated with the 2/3 classrooms in as many years.
Pre-School News – We are pleased to announce that Lynne Bradley is joining our school family as the Director of our Pre-School. Lynne has over 15 years of experience in childcare, most recently at the Montessori School of Nittany Valley where she worked for 6 years as a lead teacher. Lynne also has experience training and supervising other pre-school teachers and has served as Director of Childcare Services for several YMCAs in New Jersey and Connecticut. Lynne is certified in Pennsylvania as a Childcare Director and holds a degree in Early Childhood Education. Lynne will be starting this July and working with the rest of us to get the program and facility into shape for our grand opening this August.
Summer Mailings –As always, you can expect a packet of information from the school to arrive in your mailbox this August. This packet will include a parent handbook, forms to complete, a class list and a letter from me. You will also receive a letter and information from your child’s teacher this summer. It will either be included in the school mailing or will arrive separately. Please look for them this August.
I wish you all a wonderful summer. Please stay cool and don’t forget to read.
Dan
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Headlines - May 20, 2011
It seems that I write about this subject often and with good reason. Every week, every day I have a new reason. Here is the latest.
Teacher Mary relayed to me that during the Middle School’s visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC last week, (our students were well prepared by Tr. Bailey) she was saddened by the behavior of the other school groups she observed in the Hall of Remembrance. This marble hall is a commemorative shrine intended for silent contemplation and prayer. However, her feelings changed to true admiration for our (your) students as she watched them sit in silent worship amid all the commotion.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to accompany the 2/3 classes and the 4th grade on a field trip to Philadelphia. As usual, the bus ride was exciting and raucous and I had doubts. However, outside the bus, I was deeply proud of the group I was chaperoning. The kids always remembered to be polite, were focused on staying together, and listened to their leaders without question. Our trip began at a climbing gym and it was awesome. I can’t tell you the level of pride and humility I experienced watching Anna out-climb me (it wasn’t even close). Then I watched Claudia, Caitlin, Shant, Seiji and all the others achieve more than I would have ever expected. Some walls were over 40 ft high! At the end, we took pictures with our belayers and the manager told me how wonderful it was to host our kids. Later, we successfully navigated the subway system, ate lunch in a restaurant, and rode a city bus to end up at the Franklin Institute. The kids behaved wonderfully and we all arrived with smiles. I also know the 2/3 classes had similar successes on their trip. It has always been my experience that our school is well-represented during field trips, with leaders often specifically mentioning to me their pleasure with our students. While I always expect good behavior, I am continually amazed by the level of responsibility our students display on field trips.
And I haven’t even started talking about the plays - What a great bunch of kids!
ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS
Play Season – Play season is winding down. Teacher Sunna, Teacher Dorothy, and Teacher Nick’s classes presented their plays this week. If you haven’t had a chance, there is still time to catch one.
Monday May 23 Tr. Kelly’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 25 Tr.s Bailey and Christy’s Middle School
All plays begin at 1pm
School camping trip – Our annual overnight will be held on May 26-27 at Camp Blue Diamond near Petersburg, PA. If you haven’t yet returned your permission forms, please send them in on Monday. (We can’t take kids without them!) We’d love some parent help during the trip.
Enrollment Contracts – Enrollment contracts and deposits for most families were due on May 15th. If you have not done so already, please return your signed contract and deposit as soon as possible.
Peace Choir - A Pizza Party for the Peace Choir will be on Tuesday, May 31st at 12:30 PM
Summer Camp – Our Summer Camps are filling quite quickly, and some weeks, in fact, are officially full. If you’re planning to register your child, please let us know right away so we can save a space for you.
School Fun – the Blue/White Soccer Game and Water Games will be held the afternoon of June 1st. Teacher Nick’s final soccer session will feature a blue/white scrimmage at the school starting at 1:00 PM. Afterwards, there will be snacks and students will have the opportunity to participate in water games to finish the day. Bathing suits and towels are recommended.
Graduation – Our 8th grade graduation ceremony will be held on Friday June 3rd beginning at 10:00 AM. More details to follow.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
It seems that I write about this subject often and with good reason. Every week, every day I have a new reason. Here is the latest.
Teacher Mary relayed to me that during the Middle School’s visit to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC last week, (our students were well prepared by Tr. Bailey) she was saddened by the behavior of the other school groups she observed in the Hall of Remembrance. This marble hall is a commemorative shrine intended for silent contemplation and prayer. However, her feelings changed to true admiration for our (your) students as she watched them sit in silent worship amid all the commotion.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to accompany the 2/3 classes and the 4th grade on a field trip to Philadelphia. As usual, the bus ride was exciting and raucous and I had doubts. However, outside the bus, I was deeply proud of the group I was chaperoning. The kids always remembered to be polite, were focused on staying together, and listened to their leaders without question. Our trip began at a climbing gym and it was awesome. I can’t tell you the level of pride and humility I experienced watching Anna out-climb me (it wasn’t even close). Then I watched Claudia, Caitlin, Shant, Seiji and all the others achieve more than I would have ever expected. Some walls were over 40 ft high! At the end, we took pictures with our belayers and the manager told me how wonderful it was to host our kids. Later, we successfully navigated the subway system, ate lunch in a restaurant, and rode a city bus to end up at the Franklin Institute. The kids behaved wonderfully and we all arrived with smiles. I also know the 2/3 classes had similar successes on their trip. It has always been my experience that our school is well-represented during field trips, with leaders often specifically mentioning to me their pleasure with our students. While I always expect good behavior, I am continually amazed by the level of responsibility our students display on field trips.
And I haven’t even started talking about the plays - What a great bunch of kids!
ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS
Play Season – Play season is winding down. Teacher Sunna, Teacher Dorothy, and Teacher Nick’s classes presented their plays this week. If you haven’t had a chance, there is still time to catch one.
Monday May 23 Tr. Kelly’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 25 Tr.s Bailey and Christy’s Middle School
All plays begin at 1pm
School camping trip – Our annual overnight will be held on May 26-27 at Camp Blue Diamond near Petersburg, PA. If you haven’t yet returned your permission forms, please send them in on Monday. (We can’t take kids without them!) We’d love some parent help during the trip.
Enrollment Contracts – Enrollment contracts and deposits for most families were due on May 15th. If you have not done so already, please return your signed contract and deposit as soon as possible.
Peace Choir - A Pizza Party for the Peace Choir will be on Tuesday, May 31st at 12:30 PM
Summer Camp – Our Summer Camps are filling quite quickly, and some weeks, in fact, are officially full. If you’re planning to register your child, please let us know right away so we can save a space for you.
School Fun – the Blue/White Soccer Game and Water Games will be held the afternoon of June 1st. Teacher Nick’s final soccer session will feature a blue/white scrimmage at the school starting at 1:00 PM. Afterwards, there will be snacks and students will have the opportunity to participate in water games to finish the day. Bathing suits and towels are recommended.
Graduation – Our 8th grade graduation ceremony will be held on Friday June 3rd beginning at 10:00 AM. More details to follow.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
Monday, May 9, 2011
Play Season and Fun Fair
Headlines - May 6, 2011
** Fun Fair is Tomorrow, May 7!!! We’re hoping for good weather and a great crowd!
Play Season – Every may each class presents a play for the rest of the school. It is a tradition at our school. While play month can be hectic and stressful for our teachers and scholars, we find that the benefits far out-weigh the frustrations. Every student learns about teamwork, cooperation and responsibility. They gain confidence as they master their lines and perform in a public setting. Finally they gain a sense of accomplishment from their hard work on their annual productions. Over the years I have watched dozens of plays and still marvel at the presence and ability of our thespians. If you haven’t had a chance, come and see for yourself.
Tuesday May 10 Tr. Sunna’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 18 Tr. Nick’s 4th grade class
Friday May 20 Tr. Dorothy’s k/1 class
Monday May 23 Tr. Kelly’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 25 Tr.s Bailey and Christy’s Middle School
All plays begin at 1pm
ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS
Fun Fair - Please come and join us – Bring your all your friends! We have lined up amazing entertainment by Pure Cane Sugar, The Penn State Performing Magicians, The Dirty Blonde Band, and our very own Peace Choir! Volunteer work schedules, as well as information for our 4th through 8th grade student volunteers, went home last week in Friday Folders. Please be sure to take a look at your assignment!
School camping trip – Our annual overnight will be held on May 26-27 at Camp Blue Diamond near Petersburg, PA. You’ll be receiving details in the mail within the next week, but you may want to block out some time on your calendars now. We’d love some parent help during the trip.
Enjoy the weekend and Happy Mother’s Day.
Dan
** Fun Fair is Tomorrow, May 7!!! We’re hoping for good weather and a great crowd!
Play Season – Every may each class presents a play for the rest of the school. It is a tradition at our school. While play month can be hectic and stressful for our teachers and scholars, we find that the benefits far out-weigh the frustrations. Every student learns about teamwork, cooperation and responsibility. They gain confidence as they master their lines and perform in a public setting. Finally they gain a sense of accomplishment from their hard work on their annual productions. Over the years I have watched dozens of plays and still marvel at the presence and ability of our thespians. If you haven’t had a chance, come and see for yourself.
Tuesday May 10 Tr. Sunna’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 18 Tr. Nick’s 4th grade class
Friday May 20 Tr. Dorothy’s k/1 class
Monday May 23 Tr. Kelly’s 2/3 class
Wednesday May 25 Tr.s Bailey and Christy’s Middle School
All plays begin at 1pm
ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS
Fun Fair - Please come and join us – Bring your all your friends! We have lined up amazing entertainment by Pure Cane Sugar, The Penn State Performing Magicians, The Dirty Blonde Band, and our very own Peace Choir! Volunteer work schedules, as well as information for our 4th through 8th grade student volunteers, went home last week in Friday Folders. Please be sure to take a look at your assignment!
School camping trip – Our annual overnight will be held on May 26-27 at Camp Blue Diamond near Petersburg, PA. You’ll be receiving details in the mail within the next week, but you may want to block out some time on your calendars now. We’d love some parent help during the trip.
Enjoy the weekend and Happy Mother’s Day.
Dan
Saturday, April 23, 2011
"I didn't know"
Headlines - April 15, 2011
“I didn’t know”
I always enjoy the look of pleased astonishment on parent’s faces when they see firsthand what their children are accomplishing at school and they mouth those words: “I didn’t know”. Often we are not privy to the great things that go on in the classroom every day. However, this week there were several opportunities for parents to come to school and consequently, I heard this phrase often.
Our fourth grade students participated in the school’s 14th Annual Rube Goldberg Contest. Each year students learn about simple machines in science and then apply their knowledge in a fun and engaging competition to perform a simple task; closing a book. Parents were invited to witness the competition that featured highly decorated and themed contraptions with over ten transfers of energy, mouse traps, balloons, dominoes and other ingenious details. Many of our parents expressed delight in the complexity of the projects and how well the students performed. They didn’t know.
As part of national poetry month, our middle school held its third annual Poetry Slam. Each student wrote and performed an original poem for the whole school. Some were enlightening, some were personal, some were humorous, and all were heartfelt. You could feel the energy and hear the preparation that went into the work of each student. It takes a certain amount of courage to share their thoughts in front of the school. They did an excellent job. Several parents who attended were very impressed by the readings and poems and didn’t know that our students could develop and perform poetry with such flair and confidence.
A few weeks back, several middle school students got together and nominated teacher Bailey for Barnes and Noble’s Teacher of the year award. It was a pleasure to tread their essays and understand the commitment and trust that exists in the relationship between Bailey and her students. Good luck to Bailey and thanks to her students for their support. You can find the essays on our web site http://www.scfriends.org
And now you know.
Announcements
Earth Day – This national event will be held on Friday, April 22. We are planning a day focused on becoming aware of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (our watershed) and the impact we all have on it as well as the earth in general. We are planning water testing field trips, service projects around the school grounds, and a musical celebration at the end, including a snack of "dirt". We need some extra help in the form of field trip chaperones, service project helpers, tool lenders, and "dirt" preparers for the snack. Next week we will be sending home an e-mail with a sign-up sheet (no paper for Earth Day), so please keep an eye out for it and consider lending a hand (or tool) for this event. Thank you. The Earth Day Committee
Quaker Parenting Workshops –WE need you to sign UP! Parents, this is an excellent opporuntity for you to explore Quaker values and how they can assist you in childrearing. The workshop will be Facilitated by the Quaker Parenting Initiative, it will be held at the school from 7 to 9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, April 20th and 21st. These workshops are free and open to the public with childcare available. Please call the school to reserve your spot. If you are able to distribute flyers around town, please let Lori know. lorip@scfriends.org
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair –It’s time to sign up. The Fun Fair is one of our main community events and a Friends School tradition. The Fair generates community interest and support, unites families and is fun for families. We hope every family shares in this community-wide event. Look for emails from Diane and other parent organizers.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
“I didn’t know”
I always enjoy the look of pleased astonishment on parent’s faces when they see firsthand what their children are accomplishing at school and they mouth those words: “I didn’t know”. Often we are not privy to the great things that go on in the classroom every day. However, this week there were several opportunities for parents to come to school and consequently, I heard this phrase often.
Our fourth grade students participated in the school’s 14th Annual Rube Goldberg Contest. Each year students learn about simple machines in science and then apply their knowledge in a fun and engaging competition to perform a simple task; closing a book. Parents were invited to witness the competition that featured highly decorated and themed contraptions with over ten transfers of energy, mouse traps, balloons, dominoes and other ingenious details. Many of our parents expressed delight in the complexity of the projects and how well the students performed. They didn’t know.
As part of national poetry month, our middle school held its third annual Poetry Slam. Each student wrote and performed an original poem for the whole school. Some were enlightening, some were personal, some were humorous, and all were heartfelt. You could feel the energy and hear the preparation that went into the work of each student. It takes a certain amount of courage to share their thoughts in front of the school. They did an excellent job. Several parents who attended were very impressed by the readings and poems and didn’t know that our students could develop and perform poetry with such flair and confidence.
A few weeks back, several middle school students got together and nominated teacher Bailey for Barnes and Noble’s Teacher of the year award. It was a pleasure to tread their essays and understand the commitment and trust that exists in the relationship between Bailey and her students. Good luck to Bailey and thanks to her students for their support. You can find the essays on our web site http://www.scfriends.org
And now you know.
Announcements
Earth Day – This national event will be held on Friday, April 22. We are planning a day focused on becoming aware of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (our watershed) and the impact we all have on it as well as the earth in general. We are planning water testing field trips, service projects around the school grounds, and a musical celebration at the end, including a snack of "dirt". We need some extra help in the form of field trip chaperones, service project helpers, tool lenders, and "dirt" preparers for the snack. Next week we will be sending home an e-mail with a sign-up sheet (no paper for Earth Day), so please keep an eye out for it and consider lending a hand (or tool) for this event. Thank you. The Earth Day Committee
Quaker Parenting Workshops –WE need you to sign UP! Parents, this is an excellent opporuntity for you to explore Quaker values and how they can assist you in childrearing. The workshop will be Facilitated by the Quaker Parenting Initiative, it will be held at the school from 7 to 9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, April 20th and 21st. These workshops are free and open to the public with childcare available. Please call the school to reserve your spot. If you are able to distribute flyers around town, please let Lori know. lorip@scfriends.org
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair –It’s time to sign up. The Fun Fair is one of our main community events and a Friends School tradition. The Fair generates community interest and support, unites families and is fun for families. We hope every family shares in this community-wide event. Look for emails from Diane and other parent organizers.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
Earth Day and our Community
Headines______________ April 22, 2011
Earth Day – Well, the weather has not been too cooperative today. We chose a longer Meeting for Worship focusing on caring for the earth instead of trying to navigate torrential streams and cold this morning. Afterwards, Sarah Koenig, Ava’s mom, shared a personal story about the naming of Earth Day. Sarah’s father was an advertising copywriter in the late sixties when he was contacted by the senator of Wisconsin regarding an environmental teach-in. The organizers were searching for a good name for the event. It was scheduled for April 22nd and since that was his birthday, he made the intuitive leap from birth day to “Earth Day”. He presented and they loved it. Later, they ran the full page ad in the NY Times and Earth Day was born.
A Community of Learners - Most weeks I write about some of the great things your students accomplish at school, but this week I am reminded that we are a community of learners.
Last Friday, our teaching staff went on an in-service trip to Media-Providence Friends School located outside of Philadelphia. Our teachers enjoyed a morning of observing classrooms of their counterparts at another Friends School. After lunch we all learned about Media’s Quaker Education program. It was a long journey but very beneficial for the chance to observe other teachers and develop some camaraderie among our staff.
This week we also held a two-night Quaker parenting workshop for our adult community. Over twenty parents attended each night and learned about the relationship between our values and beliefs, and how they can inform our parenting choices. We each learned the importance of being clear about our family’s values and the need to have discussions regarding our parenting, and the values we want our children to have in the future. There is talk of forming a parenting group in our community. We will keep you informed.
Announcements
Grandparents and Special Friends Day - Please make plans to join us this Monday, April 25th for this annual event. From 9 to 11:30 am, grandparents and friends are invited into the classroom to enjoy a day at school with your special friend. At noon, after recess, guests are invited to enjoy a buffet lunch in the community room where they will be serenaded by our school’s Peace Choir. This is always a fun day at school and we look forward to seeing you here.
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10 am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair - We can guarantee the FUN part…but we really need everyone to think sunshine for the Fun Fair on May 7! Please check your child’s Friday Folder for flyers that you can post to help us spread the word about this much loved Friends School tradition. And remember, word of mouth is ALWAYS the best form of advertising, so be sure to share the information with friends and neighbors.
Friendly Fun Reminders…
Ø Fun Fair Prizes and Silent Auction items can be dropped off at the front desk. Don’t forget about the Bake Sale. What family favorite will you choose to contribute to the sale this year?
Ø We will assemble the food booths this Saturday from 4 to 7. Feel free to stop by and lend a hand!
Ø We are looking for people to help distribute additional flyers throughout our local communities. Please let Diane know if you can help out!
Ø And of course…if you haven’t returned your volunteer form, please be sure to do so as soon as possible.
Summer Camp – Tr. Becky is planning an incredible summer filled with lots of nature activities, games, art, music, field trips, swimming and more. We have amazing staff hired, and the camps filling quickly. Theater camps are full, and only a few spots remain in some of the Kids Camps and Wee Friends Camps. We really hope to see many of our school families for some summer fun!
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
Earth Day – Well, the weather has not been too cooperative today. We chose a longer Meeting for Worship focusing on caring for the earth instead of trying to navigate torrential streams and cold this morning. Afterwards, Sarah Koenig, Ava’s mom, shared a personal story about the naming of Earth Day. Sarah’s father was an advertising copywriter in the late sixties when he was contacted by the senator of Wisconsin regarding an environmental teach-in. The organizers were searching for a good name for the event. It was scheduled for April 22nd and since that was his birthday, he made the intuitive leap from birth day to “Earth Day”. He presented and they loved it. Later, they ran the full page ad in the NY Times and Earth Day was born.
A Community of Learners - Most weeks I write about some of the great things your students accomplish at school, but this week I am reminded that we are a community of learners.
Last Friday, our teaching staff went on an in-service trip to Media-Providence Friends School located outside of Philadelphia. Our teachers enjoyed a morning of observing classrooms of their counterparts at another Friends School. After lunch we all learned about Media’s Quaker Education program. It was a long journey but very beneficial for the chance to observe other teachers and develop some camaraderie among our staff.
This week we also held a two-night Quaker parenting workshop for our adult community. Over twenty parents attended each night and learned about the relationship between our values and beliefs, and how they can inform our parenting choices. We each learned the importance of being clear about our family’s values and the need to have discussions regarding our parenting, and the values we want our children to have in the future. There is talk of forming a parenting group in our community. We will keep you informed.
Announcements
Grandparents and Special Friends Day - Please make plans to join us this Monday, April 25th for this annual event. From 9 to 11:30 am, grandparents and friends are invited into the classroom to enjoy a day at school with your special friend. At noon, after recess, guests are invited to enjoy a buffet lunch in the community room where they will be serenaded by our school’s Peace Choir. This is always a fun day at school and we look forward to seeing you here.
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10 am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair - We can guarantee the FUN part…but we really need everyone to think sunshine for the Fun Fair on May 7! Please check your child’s Friday Folder for flyers that you can post to help us spread the word about this much loved Friends School tradition. And remember, word of mouth is ALWAYS the best form of advertising, so be sure to share the information with friends and neighbors.
Friendly Fun Reminders…
Ø Fun Fair Prizes and Silent Auction items can be dropped off at the front desk. Don’t forget about the Bake Sale. What family favorite will you choose to contribute to the sale this year?
Ø We will assemble the food booths this Saturday from 4 to 7. Feel free to stop by and lend a hand!
Ø We are looking for people to help distribute additional flyers throughout our local communities. Please let Diane know if you can help out!
Ø And of course…if you haven’t returned your volunteer form, please be sure to do so as soon as possible.
Summer Camp – Tr. Becky is planning an incredible summer filled with lots of nature activities, games, art, music, field trips, swimming and more. We have amazing staff hired, and the camps filling quickly. Theater camps are full, and only a few spots remain in some of the Kids Camps and Wee Friends Camps. We really hope to see many of our school families for some summer fun!
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
Friday, April 8, 2011
Headlines - April 8, 2011
Write On – Part 2
Following on the heels of our visiting author, we celebrated Everybody Writes Day on Monday of this week. Upon their arrival, students found the school askew with threads, webs, strange signs, and toppled furniture. At the morning assembly, students were asked to play the part of detectives to solve the mystery. They scoured the school for clues, interrogated teachers and staff, decoded signs, watched security film and used selected clues to crack the case. After the appearance of a large and very energetic butterfly that had a strong resemblance to a certain teacher, most students decided that our teachers set it up to encourage and teach them about investigative writing. Thanks to Teachers Christy and Nick for their efforts on this special day.
The High School Honor Roll for the second marking period is now posted on the State College School District’s web site and I am happy to report that nineteen of our twenty two (86%) Middle School graduates earned a place on the Honor Roll. Seventeen (77%) earned high honors! Additionally, 46 out of 56 (82%) of our former long-term students (4+years) are on the honor roll with 41 (73%) earning high honors. Congratulations to all of our students and thanks to all of our teachers for helping them to compile that wonderful record.
Announcements
Poetry Slam – On April 14th, the middle school students will be presenting their annual poetry slam for the school community. Student-created poems and raps will be presented in a faux coffee house atmosphere.
Earth Day – This national event will be held on Friday, April 22. We are planning a day focused on becoming aware of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (our watershed) and the impact we all have on it as well as the earth in general. We are planning water testing field trips, service projects around the school grounds, and a musical celebration at the end, including a snack of "dirt". We need some extra help in the form of field trip chaperones, service project helpers, tool lenders, and "dirt" preparers for the snack. Next week we will be sending home an e-mail with a sign-up sheet (no paper for Earth Day), so please keep an eye out for it and consider lending a hand (or tool) for this event. Thank you. The Earth Day Committee
Quaker Parenting Workshops – Parents, please plan to attend and help spread the word about the upcoming parenting workshop: Integrating Quaker Values into Family Life. Facilitated by Harriet Heath of the Quaker Parenting Initiative, it will be held at the school from 7 to 9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, April 20th and 21st. These workshops are free and open to the public with childcare available. Please call the school to reserve your spot. If you are able to distribute flyers around town, please let Lori know. lorip@scfriends.org
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair –It’s time to sign up. The Fun Fair is one of our main community events and a Friends School tradition. The Fair generates community interest and support, unites families and is fun for families. We hope every family shares in this community-wide event. Look for emails from Diane and other parent organizers.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
Write On – Part 2
Following on the heels of our visiting author, we celebrated Everybody Writes Day on Monday of this week. Upon their arrival, students found the school askew with threads, webs, strange signs, and toppled furniture. At the morning assembly, students were asked to play the part of detectives to solve the mystery. They scoured the school for clues, interrogated teachers and staff, decoded signs, watched security film and used selected clues to crack the case. After the appearance of a large and very energetic butterfly that had a strong resemblance to a certain teacher, most students decided that our teachers set it up to encourage and teach them about investigative writing. Thanks to Teachers Christy and Nick for their efforts on this special day.
The High School Honor Roll for the second marking period is now posted on the State College School District’s web site and I am happy to report that nineteen of our twenty two (86%) Middle School graduates earned a place on the Honor Roll. Seventeen (77%) earned high honors! Additionally, 46 out of 56 (82%) of our former long-term students (4+years) are on the honor roll with 41 (73%) earning high honors. Congratulations to all of our students and thanks to all of our teachers for helping them to compile that wonderful record.
Announcements
Poetry Slam – On April 14th, the middle school students will be presenting their annual poetry slam for the school community. Student-created poems and raps will be presented in a faux coffee house atmosphere.
Earth Day – This national event will be held on Friday, April 22. We are planning a day focused on becoming aware of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (our watershed) and the impact we all have on it as well as the earth in general. We are planning water testing field trips, service projects around the school grounds, and a musical celebration at the end, including a snack of "dirt". We need some extra help in the form of field trip chaperones, service project helpers, tool lenders, and "dirt" preparers for the snack. Next week we will be sending home an e-mail with a sign-up sheet (no paper for Earth Day), so please keep an eye out for it and consider lending a hand (or tool) for this event. Thank you. The Earth Day Committee
Quaker Parenting Workshops – Parents, please plan to attend and help spread the word about the upcoming parenting workshop: Integrating Quaker Values into Family Life. Facilitated by Harriet Heath of the Quaker Parenting Initiative, it will be held at the school from 7 to 9 PM on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, April 20th and 21st. These workshops are free and open to the public with childcare available. Please call the school to reserve your spot. If you are able to distribute flyers around town, please let Lori know. lorip@scfriends.org
Open House – The school will be hosting an Open House for grades K-8 on Friday, April 29th from 10am till 1 pm. This is for anyone who may be interested in finding out more about Friends education and the program we offer. Please share this date.
Fun Fair –It’s time to sign up. The Fun Fair is one of our main community events and a Friends School tradition. The Fair generates community interest and support, unites families and is fun for families. We hope every family shares in this community-wide event. Look for emails from Diane and other parent organizers.
Enjoy the weekend.
Dan
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