Headlines
-
August 30, 2013
Headlines is a weekly email from me (and
sometimes Mary) that includes a few observations from the week and information
regarding school events. It is sent to every current parent’s email
address and posted as a blog on the school’s website. You may access that link here or from the
front page of our website at http://www.scfriends.org
- Dan
I know this is
the first week of school and there are many new and exciting things happening
but as I consider what I should write about I keep coming back to the same
topic--- compassion.
This summer, my
daughter elected herself to take care of the mice from Tr. Bailey’s middle
school science classroom. They were all females, light eaters, quiet as
mice, and living happily in a terrarium. What could happen? Well,
nature happened and we learned that they were not all females. The first
litter came in early August and the next blessed event occurred just two weeks
ago. Anna is now the proud ‘parent’ of over 30 mice and her
parents are looking forward to returning them all to Tr. Bailey soon.
As the first
brood matured, Anna noticed that 4 of the babies were not developing as fast as
the others and that the mother had stopped feeding them. She tried many
things to fix this situation (hand feeding, isolating the runts with the
mother) but, in the end, the laws of nature held. Besides the caring she
provided for each mouse, I was touched to see her hold a mini-funeral for each
one by gently wrapping them up, saying a goodbye and burying them out in the
flower garden.
Our 2/3
classroom also experienced a death over the summer. It seems Peppi, one
of the class guinea pigs, passed away quietly. Upon their return to
school and after some discussion, the class decided to hold a memorial service
for the beloved furry guy. The children who knew Peppi wrote eulogies,
the others made a heart shape on the lawn out of small rocks, and the whole
class (including students the 4th graders who knew Peppi) stood in
silence around the heart and offered their remembrances and thanks. The service
ended with a heartfelt song. The full story, along with pictures, is on
our website.
This week I am
struck by the compassion of the children of this school. It is
evidenced by the students (and Tr. Reneé) of the 2/3 classroom, the two middle
school boys who help a 2nd grader get from the bus to her classroom
each morning, and the first graders in Lisa’s class who help the new
kindergarten students get used to school. Compassion comes from taking
the time to understand and celebrate the gifts that a person or animal has
provided. It is a quality that is undervalued and much needed in our
world. It was refreshing to see our newest teacher jump in so quickly to
ensure that the children had their time to say goodbye and to foster their
developing sense of compassion. Each time I watch Anna bury a mouse
in the yard, I am thankful for all of her teachers who have worked to nurture
the compassion in her.
Announcements
Back to School Night – Our annual Back to School Night is
scheduled for Thursday, September 5th from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Please
plan to join us, as it will be an excellent time for you to find out about
Friends School and become familiar with your child’s classroom and
teachers. This event is for adults. If you’re unable to make child care
arrangements, let us know. We can provide supervision for a limited number of
children, but you do need to notify us if you’ll need this.
Potluck Suppers – Two potlucks are scheduled this
fall. A potluck for the K/1 classes will be held on Friday,
September 6th from 5:30 to 7 pm. (Please note the
date change!) This supper is a way for our new parents to meet and begin
forming a parent classroom community. An all-school potluck is scheduled
for Friday, September 27th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Potlucks are
a wonderful way for our community to come together in a relaxed and informal
manner. Both events will be held in the Community Room. In the way
of Friends School, we ask you to consider pitching in for set up and/or clean
up for this event. Please let our director of development know if you are
able to assist for 20 minutes or so before or after: lorip@scfriends.org
We hope you will join us to make new friends and enjoy some wonderful food.
If you’re a first grade family
and can lend some hospitality help for the K/1 potluck, please let Lori know. (lorip@scfriends.org)
We’d love some help with set-up, clean-up, and welcoming our new kindergarten
families.
Substitute Teachers Needed - Each year, we put out a call to
our parent community to ask if any of you might be interested in being on our
substitute teacher list. You don’t have to be a certified teacher to sub, and
we often find that school parents can fill the role perfectly. We use
substitutes when classroom teachers or assistant teachers are absent, and also
coverage of special classes such as art, music, Spanish, PE, and yoga. This
isn’t parent volunteer work, and our substitutes receive financial compensation
for their time.
If you’d like to
be on the list, or if you’d just like to discuss the possibility, please be in
touch with Mary at mziegler@scfriends.org
Let her know if you have preferred grade levels or subject areas, and what your
available days would be. Also let her know about anyone else you think would
make a great sub.
Please enjoy the
Labor Day weekend.
Dan
