Circle Time, Open Houses, Play Days, and MLK Day

Headlines ______________________________ January 7, 2010


This week has been a week of readjustment for me­­ and, I bet, all of you. After a relaxing and enjoyable break, I was confronted with piles of paperwork, emails and a large “to do” list. After working diligently for two days and making little progress, I decided to have a time out. I headed to Tr. Dorothy’s room to practice the ancient art of procrastination and enjoy a little circle time.

The children were gathered together on the carpet area and three previously chosen students shared their treasures on this day. We all got to enjoy Serena’s musical Hanna Montana greeting card, Lucy’s personalized shell collection and Nina’s sparkly set of jewels. It was a joy to share the enthusiasm of the presenters and the kindness of the others as they oohed and aahed and gave many positive comments. What a gift for those who have their time in the sun. I also know that the same students who were enjoying their moment will be more than eager to be supportive and to return the compliments to their classmates.

At the end of circle time I went back to work with a smile on my face knowing that I have one of the best jobs in the world.

Announcements

School Pictures – Pictures are posted and ready for your inspection and purchase. Sabine is working hard to finish classroom pictures and retakes. It has been suggested that friends could pool orders to save on shipping costs. If you need the password for your child’s class gallery, please contact Diane.

Friday Folders – There are several important pieces of information in Friday Folders this week including Science Fair information and sign-up, pizza and lunch order forms for January through April and more.

After School – A new schedule of After School activities is attached to this email. As always, we welcome ideas from you and your children for clubs or special offerings, as well as the involvement of parent volunteers and guest teachers.

Open Houses –The Friends School will be hosting Open Houses for our Pre-K and K-8th programs. Here are the schedules.

K – 8 program at the school

Next Friday, January 14th 10:00 – 1:00 PM
Saturday February 19 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Friday March 18th 10:00 – 1:00 PM

Pre-K program at the Friends Meeting House Annex (current site of Cooperative Playschool, 611 E. Prospect Ave.)

This Saturday, January 8th 9:00 AM - noon
Wednesday, February 2nd 9:00 AM – noon

Please encourage friends and families who may be interested in Friends education to attend.

Mary is also seeking a few volunteer tour guides for these open houses. Please contact the school if you wish to help.

Martin Luther King Day – School will be in session on MLK Day (January 17th). MLK Day is always a significant date for our school. Dr. King dedicated his life to working for equality and justice with love and non-violence, and this resonates strongly with our school’s Quaker testimonies and philosophy. This year, we will bring the entire school community to the meeting house for worship from 9:15 – 9:45 am. Later in the day, (~2:15) we will again join together as a school to view some of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and sing songs from the King in Montgomery musical. Parents and friends are invited to both of these events. We hope to see you there.

Free Winter Play Days – On Saturdays, Jan 22nd, February 19th and March 19th, from 9:30 to 11:30 am, Friends School is hosting 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 and snacks will be served. All are welcome.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Dan