Mary's Turn

HEADLINES……………………….February 10, 2012

(Dan’s out of town today, so I’m filling in as the Headlines writer.)

I’ve started saying the word ‘retirement’ out loud this year. Well, of course I’ve said it before, but now I’ve started saying it in connection to myself and it sounds very different in that context. I have no firm plans just yet, but it’s on my mind in a way that it wasn’t five years ago. I think I’m discovering that retiring, for me, is going to be a process, not an event, and I’ve been startled to realize this year that I’ve begun that process, started the imagining. The thought of leaving Friends School after a 30+ year association is still hard for me to comprehend. I don’t really remember how it feels not to be Teacher Mary. I don’t know how people live lives that aren’t full of lots of children every day. I don’t know how I’ll feel at the end of a day in which no one’s hugged me around the knees with their sticky little hands. The rhythms and seasons of Friends School have become my own rhythms and seasons, and I think that it may take quite awhile until I’m able to re-set my clock. I expect a little jet lag, a little motion sickness, until I find my equilibrium.

There are some things I won’t miss, of course. Getting up in the dark on cold January mornings, for instance. I won’t ever miss that. There are some meetings I won’t miss…some bureaucratic state regulations I won’t miss…and I’ll never miss turning away a great applicant because a particular grade is full. I’ll miss some of my school nurse role, but not the part that involves vomiting children. I won’t miss trying to write ‘Headlines’ when Dan’s away and I don’t have much to say. I’ll never miss the reality of budgets. And even though I stopped going entirely the year I turned 60, I won’t miss the camping trip. I’ll just always think that’s a crazy thing to do.

But, oh, how I’ll miss brand new kindergartners and first days of school! I’ll miss deep conversations with children. I’ll miss the long line of yellow buses waiting at the end of a day. I’ll miss parents who care so much and worry so much, parents who really like their children. I’ll miss the wisdom and humor of my colleagues. I’ll miss the sight of the school from the edge of the playing field on an October day when the sky is a brilliant blue and Mt. Nittany, full of color, the perfect backdrop. I’ll miss snowy days when the kids in their brightly-colored snow clothes remind me of flocks of tropical birds. I’ll miss the scent of the school after recess in the spring when children smell of fresh air and sunshine. I’ll miss Halloween and the green glitter path that appears on St. Patrick’s Day; Thankful Tuesday and Peace Choir concerts. I’ll miss Valentine’s Day and affirmation hearts.

Your children flitted around here this week like the little winter birds at my window feeder. They would dart, they would pause, they would survey the landscape, always on the alert for movement, trying hard not to be spotted when they took cover. Then they would dash out to complete their mission and retreat so quickly that you couldn’t be certain they’d really been there, that you’d really seen them. When the birds behave like this, I suspect a storm’s coming. When your children do it, it’s because they’re delivering affirmation hearts. I’m not entirely sure why they prefer to deliver their messages so surreptitiously, but it’s clearly part of the tradition. Perhaps they’re afraid that someone will catch them and hug them.

I hope you’ll stop by and read the notes on my door on Tuesday. You will see that some people think I’m nis and other people think I’m a good techr. Someone likes me because I reed to him. There’s a student who believes I’m good at ‘designing stuff’ and there’s actually someone who thinks I’m still cool. I’ve saved a few affirmations over the years. The one that said, “There has never been anybody as good as you in the whole world” is helpful to read when I’m feeling a little low. The one that said, “You’re a really good Ass Head” helps keep me grounded. (I choose to think that the writer hadn’t yet learned how to abbreviate ‘assistant’.) There will be more affirmation hearts taped to my door by the time I close it to go home on Tuesday. They’ll be funny and touching and loving and wonderful. And thinking ahead to a Valentine’s Day without them will be yet another step in the process of slowly letting go.

Mary Ziegler


Announcements & Reminders:

Inservice Day: The school faculty had a great day yesterday. We focused on our reading curriculum from K-8 in general, and also spent time discussing resources that are available to help struggling readers. Our thanks to the Schoenholtz family and Irving’s Bagels for keeping us well-fed throughout our meeting.


Summer Camp: This is a reminder to register promptly if you’re interested in our summer camps. Several weeks are filling up quickly, and our Theater Camps are already more than half full.


Summer Maintenance Work: We’ll be hiring part-time help this summer for maintenance, painting, and cleaning work. Please call if you’d like an application, and feel free to spread the word to anyone you know who may enjoy this type of summer job.


Open House Tour Guides: We have a busy morning planned for Saturday, February 18 with Open Houses being held at both our K-8 building and at our preschool. Both events will run from 9:30-11:30. We could really use some parent assistance with greeting our visitors next Saturday and showing them around. If you’d be willing to share some of your Saturday morning time, please call Mary or email her (mziegler@scfriends.org) to let her know when you’d be available.

Free Winter Play Days – On Saturday February 18th we will be hosting a Winter Play Day and Open House at Friends School. From 9:30 to 11:30 the school’s community room and a K/1 classroom will be open for supervised active and imaginative play for children from 3-7 years old. Refreshments and snacks will be served. Parents and administrators will be on hand to give interested families a tour of the school and answer any questions they may have regarding Friends School and the admissions process. Friends Schoolhouse will also be open from 9:30 to 11:30 for families interested in seeing the preschool and learning more about enrollment. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend to the school and enjoy a morning out of the cold. All are welcome. Another Play Day is scheduled for Saturday, March 17th.

Open Houses – Our Admissions open houses are scheduled for the following dates and times.
Date Time Notes

Sat., Feb. 18th 9:30 -11:30 am Winter Play Day/Friends School (K-8) Open House/– 1900 University Drive Friends Schoolhouse Open House – 611 E. Prospect Ave.

Fri., March 23rd 10:00 – 1:00 pm Friends School (K-8) Open House – 1900 University Drive

Please tell your friends and encourage them to take a tour.

Annual Meeting - The annual meeting of the school’s Board of Trustees is Wednesday, February 22nd from 6 – 7:00 pm. The annual meeting will include a State of School presentation by the Head of School. There will also be ample opportunity for parents and interested parties to ask questions of the board and the administration about school, program, functions and

Financial Aid Applications: We want to remind you that applications for financial aid for the 2012-13 school year are due to be submitted on February 27. If you’re currently receiving aid, you received information in the mail a few weeks ago explaining the process. If you need that information, contact Mary. Or, just go to www.sss.nais.org/parents and complete the Parents Financial Statement (PFS). That will be all you need to do to get the process started.