"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