Headlines -
January 17, 2013
This morning’s Letters to the Editor section in the CDT was a
dilly. There were four letters. The first writer was convinced that
the president and the news media were in cahoots and somehow planning to
overthrow America. Another writer saw fit to blame all the people who
worked with children at the Second Mile for not reporting Sandusky and also for
the firing of Joe Paterno. The third letter railed against abortion rights,
while the final letter heaped further shame on Penn State’s Board of
Trustees. After reading (skimming actually, I can only take so much)
these letters, one could get the impression that there is a lot of anger in
this world, that conspiracy and ill will abound, and that there is no room for
compromise. It left me saddened.
I wish that these writers
could see what I see every day at Friends School. I wish they could
experience our students arriving in the morning with their smiles and
greetings. I wish they could see the acts of caring and kindness that our
students perform every day in the classroom and at recess. I wish they
could see the way they easily integrated visiting students during Bring a
Friends to School Day. I wish these adults could witness the joy of
Reading Buddies and experience the energy of the hallways during
dismissal. It could give them a more positive perspective. The
energy and laughter is infectious. By observing our students, they might begin
to understand the importance of listening, of speaking their truth and of being
open to compromise. I wonder if their letters would change in tone, from
anger to concern, from hate to civility, from intolerance to
understanding? I can hope.
Dan
Announcements
Open House and Play Day. – Tomorrow,
January 19th, Friends Schoolhouse will be hosting a winter play day
and an Open House. Parents of future pre-schoolers are invited to bring
themselves and their children to the Schoolhouse at 611 E. Prospect Ave.
While the children are invited to join in supervised play, parents will have
the opportunity to tour the facility, ask questions and learn about our
program. Time is from 9:30 to 12:00 noon.
Martin Luther King Day – Our school will be
celebrating MLK this year with an All-school Meeting For Worship at the Friends
Meeting House on Monday. Our school will board buses at 8:45 and arrive
at the meeting about 9:00 am. We will hold a short meeting for worship
that will be followed by a tribute to Dr. King and singing of some civil rights
songs. All parents are invited to meet us at the Meeting house and
participate in this ceremony.
Sing for King - SING!
Alumni, parents, grandparents, friends are invited to join us in singing songs
to celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. We will gather on
Monday, January 21st from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Friends Meetinghouse, 611
East Prospect Ave. This informal event is best suited for adults and older
students interested in singing.
Financial Aid: - Recently,
information regarding our financial aid application process was mailed to
families who applied this year. If you would like to apply for aid for the
2013-14 school year and have not received the information, please be in touch
with Mary for application materials. The deadline for applications is February
16.
Quaker Friends Day – On Friday February 1st,
members of the State College Friends Meeting will be visiting our
classrooms. Each Quaker will meet the class, share lessons and discuss
what being a Quaker means to them. We look forward to bringing our school
and meeting together.
Snow Days, Delayed Openings, and Early Dismissals – On days when snow, ice or other conditions
might make for hazardous travel, parents should check local TV and radio
stations for news of school closings or delays. We try to make a
determination by 6:30 AM and post information on WPSU, WJAC-TV, most local
radio stations, and on our answering machine (237-8386). Since we ride
the same busses, we will usually follow the lead of the State College Area
School District. In the case of early dismissal, the school will contact
parents with a phone call or email. Parents who drop off their students
are responsible for arranging transportation home.
"Human history becomes more and more a race between
education and catastrophe"
H. G. Wells
Dan Hendey
Head of School
H. G. Wells
Dan Hendey
Head of School
