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