Headlines - September 28, 2012
Well, it happened again. After she stood on a chair last year to reach a classroom hanging, Teacher Dorothy promised she wouldn’t break the rules again, but she did. When it happened last year, her students took it upon themselves to let me know that she was breaking the rules. I received a handwritten note signed by the class and had no choice but to come into the classroom and admonish her for being unsafe. After all, we would hate to see her get hurt. The kids had a hoot watching Dorothy and me play out the situation. It turns out they also have a long memory.
Yesterday on a bus trip, Dorothy was seen walking in the aisle – while the bus was moving!. She got up to fetch a tissue for a student’s runny nose and when she stood up, a collective "oooooo" was heard throughout the bus. A short while after the class returned to school, I received note highlighting Dorothy’s latest transgression, signed by several students in the class. Again, I had no choice but to have a stern talk with Dorothy. Dorothy and I had another discussion about being safe and not wanting her to get hurt. I hope she gets it this time.
Before I left, we asked the kids who they would tell if I didn’t follow the rules and they said "President Obama". So I pulled out a chair and stood on it. I’m expecting a call from the president any day now.
Spanish at Friends
– As your student may have told you, I accepted the resignation of our new Spanish teacher, Teacher Maria, last week. She is saddened to leave and will miss our school, but felt unable to continue due to personal reasons. In the meantime, we are currently conducting a search for a new instructor. We are also using this opportunity to examine our foreign language program at Friends. We are committed to resisting the quick fix and are being more deliberate in our approach to filling the present void. We are hopeful that a solution will be found soon. I also hope that we will have the understanding and patience of our parent community as we engage in this process. As always, your input is welcome. Please respond directly to me at dhendey@scfriends.org.
Announcements
Potluck is Tonight! -
HELPFUL HINTS. Thanks to Mary’s unique brand of urging, the RSVPs have come tumbling in and we plan to have a big crowd. Please consider preparing a dish to share with 10+. Bring place settings for your family - plates/utensils/cloth napkins (if you use them). We'll provide juice, water, coffee, tea and cups. It's really helpful if you arrive between 5:30 and 5:45 PM with your dish so our hospitality helpers can arrange everything before 6:00PM. The dinner line will open at 6:00PM. After supper, we'll provide some all -family activities in the field. We'd like our teachers to have the evening "off" to relax and enjoy mealtime and socializing so we ask you to supervise your children both indoors and out. Please come and have some fun.
Coffee Time
- Next Wednesday,October 3, we’ll be hosting the first of our informational and social coffee sessions. We will meet at 8:30AM in the school’s library for refreshments and a brief presentation from me on Quaker education practices. It is my hope to explain how Quaker beliefs and testimonies influence and benefit the educational practices of the school. After the initial presentation, we open for discussion, questions, and comments. Childcare for the little ones will be provided in the
Community Room.
Field Day – Our all-school Field Day is scheduled for next Friday, October 5th. This afternoon of fun games is planned and run by our 5th-8th graders. Students will be mixed into multi-age groups and led by members of the 5th grade class around a series of activity stations designed by the middle school students. It is a fun afternoon that builds community in our school. Students should be sure to wear sneakers and bring a water bottle to school on Field Day.
Inservice Days: Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19, are faculty inservice days and there will be no school for students. You’ll receive information soon on our child care program which will operate from 8:00 – 5:30 on both days.
Have a great weekend,
Dan
