Headlines  -                                                   March 29, 2013

 

Our Decision Making Process

Every year the school asks both its families and teachers about their intentions for next year.  We do this every year because life often throws us curves; challenges, and opportunities, which may dictate changes. This year, we asked our families to commit by mid-March and our teachers by March 29th.  As a school, we respect a person’s right to keep their decisions private until they are ready or until the end of the decision period.  I hope that members of the community can support these guidelines and understand that choosing not to comment on individual decisions is a matter of privacy and protocol and not an attempt to misguide or withhold information.  That said, I am happy to report that, with the exception of dear Teacher Dorothy, all of our lead teachers will be returning next year.

 

I am also happy to announce that next year we will have two teachers enrolled in extensive professional development programs.  Teacher Lisa Gamble has been accepted into the Friends Council of Education’s Leadership Institute.  Lisa will participate in this two year program with a small cohort of Friends school teachers and administrators to develop their capacity and skills for leadership in Friends schools.  While most of the work will be done at home and in the school she will also participate in several weekend and summer training sessions.  Additionally, Teacher Nick Jackson has been accepted into Columbia University’s Summer Principals Academy.  This graduate program is committed to promoting excellence in future educational leaders.  It is an intensive 13 month program that includes two summer sessions and a year at a school site.   Nick will begin this summer and continue teaching at Friends while he completes his school year assignments.  Congratulations to both Lisa and Nick!

Announcements

Grandparents and Special Friends Day – On Monday April 1^st the school will be hosting our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day.  This is an opportunity for special adult guests to visit the classrooms and participate in activities with the students.  We start in the morning with coffee and visits to the classroom and then all special friends are invited to join their student for a lunch provided by the school. (Students should bring their own packed lunch). If you did not RSVP earlier this week, please do so before Monday.

Meeting for Worship at Friends School – On Sunday, April 14^th at 11:15 am, our school will host Meeting for Worship of the State College Friends Meeting.  If you are curious about Meeting for Worship and the Quaker Faith this is an opportunity for you to experience a meeting for worship in a familiar setting – your school.  There will also be religious education for children at the school running concurrently with meeting.  Please come early or stay later for socializing and refreshments.  I would like to encourage all families to come, experience Quaker worship, meet members of Friends Meeting, ask questions and learn more about this remarkable faith.

Fun Fair Planning – We will hold an organizational meeting for the 2013 Fun Fair on Wednesday, April 3, from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.  Our annual fair needs all of our parents to participate in order to be successful.  Please come if you can.  Free pizza and child care is available. Please call or email to RSVP.

Happy Easter…Happy Spring!!!

 

Headlines  -                                           March 22, 2013

Thoughts from a disjointed week.

As I write, it is snowing outside.  This week brought the official start of spring, but it also found me on the phone calling in a snow day and a delayed opening.  Next Monday also looks suspect.  You all must be tired of hearing me at 6:15 in the morning and I have to admit that the joy I found in calling a snow day in January is severely diminished in mid-March.  Even the folks who love snow are beginning to look towards spring.  It is even worse for me as I prefer sun and the mid-80’s.  However, I have been around long enough to know that seasons change, eventually. So enjoy the snow and crisp weather and hope that March goes out like a lamb.

The Science Fair, once postponed, was held on Tuesday with over 40 projects, experiments and demonstrations on display.  I saw volcanoes erupt, heard a student-assembled radio, learned about the properties of a black light, watched cans roll uphill and felt the liquid/solid properties of ooblek.  This is a wonderful event and, as a science teacher, it is always inspiring to see the work and curiosity that goes into these projects.  Thanks to all the parents for your help, and to Teacher Bailey for the oversight and organization.

The African Library Project has reached it goal.  We are thrilled to announce we have reached both of our goals for the African Library Project  In less than three weeks, our 2/3 grade classes and our middle school students have raised over $500.00 and collected over 1,400 books.  Amazing!  We are grateful for everyone's generosity.  This means that if you have any extra books you were hoping to send in, you can send them somewhere else like Goodwill or Webster's.

Have a happy weekend!

Announcements

Fun Fair Planning – We will hold an organizational meeting for the 2013 Fun Fair on Monday, March 25^th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm.  Our annual fair needs all of our parents to participate in order to be successful.  Please come if you can.  Anyone interested in helping is invited.

Annual Meeting of the Board- This Wednesday, March 27^th, the Friends School’s Board of Trustees will hold their annual meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.  The annual meeting will include an update on the state of the school, introduction of the school’s strategic plan and plenty of time for questions and answers.  This is your opportunity to learn about the workings of an independent school and get your questions answered.

In-service Day and Childcare – On Friday, March 29^nd, there will be no school due to teacher in-service.  Teachers will be working on curriculum and enhancing student/teacher relationships.  We will be offering child care from 8:00 to 5:30 pm.  Please let us know immediately if  you need child care on Friday.

Grandparents and Special Friends Day – On Monday, April 1^st , we will be hosting our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day.  This is an opportunity for special guests to visit the classrooms and participate in activities with the students.  We start in the morning with coffee and visits to the classroom and then all special friends are invited to stay for a lunch provided by the school.