Headlines  -                              March 15, 2013

 

Poetry and Pi.  Are they really opposite?

 

Fire and ice, left and right, or north and south, opposites have their place.  They can serve as distinct choices, defining terms, or opposing endpoints for study.  We discovered a new dichotomy yesterday; poetry and pi.  Yesterday (3/14) was international Pi Day.  Many math teachers, schools and organizations joined together in mutual admiration for the properties of that magical number.  It is the ratio of circle’s circumference to its diameter and is instrumental in determining area.  However, it is also an irrational number which doesn’t repeat and has no end.  Students are fascinated with this mysterious property.  Tr. Tim’s class constructed a paper chain with each link representing a digit in Pi.  It extended from the library to almost the front doors by the end of the day.  Only a few trillion digits to go. 

In the afternoon, our Middle School students held their annual Poetry Slam as part of their language arts program.  It was wonderful to hear the heartfelt and creative poems authored by our students.  The entries ranged from funny descriptions of a Sunday afternoon to the problems of reading scary stories at night to personal accounts of challenges and triumphs.  It was quite a program.  The rest of the school was amazingly attentive and it was remarkable to see the Middle School students encourage each other.  Next year, we have decided to hold a coffee house and Poetry Slam for the parents so that you can see for yourself.

On the same day, an irrational number with mysterious properties can be celebrated alongside Middle School students expressing their own mysteries and irrational properties.  Hey, maybe Poetry and Pi aren’t so far apart. . . .

Announcements

African Library Project - The African Library Project, being run by the 2/3 and Middle School is nearing its goal.  The bake sale raised over $400.00 towards the $500.00 goal and the boxes of books are piling up.  Our goal is to collect 1,000 gently used books (K-8^th grade level) as well as $500.00 to help build a library in Ghana.  If you have any used books at home or spare change that you are willing to give, please bring them in.  Find out more about this incredible community service project at http://www.africanlibraryproject.org/.

Science Fair – Our all-school Science Fair is this Monday, March 18^th from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.  We expect to have over 60 young scientists presenting their research and experiments.  Set up is early on Monday. Please check your youngest child’s Friday Folder for a schedule and list of participants.  Hope to see you there.

Fun Fair Planning – We will hold an informational and organizational meeting for the 2013 Fun Fair on Tuesday, March 19^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 and/or sharing ideas is invited. We will provide free pizza and child care at the meeting. Please RSVP.

Differences, Arguments, and Bullying: Another Look at Conflict Resolution. - Our final workshop for the year, offered by the Quaker Life Committee, will be held Thursday, March 21st. All are welcome to join us for this free event beginning with a light supper at 5:00 and the presentation and discussion to follow at approximately 5:45. Kerry Wiessmann will lead the program with video clips and discussion on ways to resolve situations of conflict.  Bring your questions! Free child care will be available. Please RSVP for supper and child care.

Summer Camps are Filling Quickly! – Each summer, Friends School offers a wonderful array of summer camp weeks, and as usual, they are filling quickly. Our Wee Friends Camps for children ages 3 – 5 are about half-full, and Theater Camps are all full. Kids Camps for children in grades K-5 are getting close; some weeks have only 4 openings! Brochures were sent home several weeks ago, or you can find a brochure and registration form on our web site.

HEADLINES……………………….March 1, 2013

  March 1^st is one of my favorite days of the year. This particular March 1^st is cold, cloudy, and gray, but January and February are officially behind us now and the approach of spring is undeniable. The angle of the sun has changed, the light arrives earlier each morning and lingers a little longer each evening, and the birds are singing new songs and eyeing each other with meaningful glances. Spring is coming and I’m struck once again by the miracle of it.

  I don’t recall that I was always as aware of the changing seasons as I am now. I don’t know if my increased awareness is a function of age, or if I’ve just begun to pay more attention to important things, but I suspect it’s the former.  I watch children playing outdoors each day, and I wonder sometimes if they’re immune to temperature extremes. Many of them would dash onto the playground without coats if we didn’t remind them, and the number of winter jackets in our Lost & Found box proves that kids see them more as decorative accessories than actual necessities. Children are aware of the high points of the seasons. They look forward to snow and Halloween and the Fun Fair and summer swimming, but I think many of the small nuances escape them---small nuances that keep me riveted for hours. Is this because my remaining seasons are limited and countable, while children’s seasons seem to stretch out before them with no end in sight?

  In any case, spring is creeping toward us, and although winter may try to re-assert itself during the next few weeks, it’s a losing battle.  Soon Friends School will soon be full of springtime energy and the wonderful fresh air scent of children who’ve been outside playing on a sunny day.  Another school year will be racing toward a conclusion. For now, though, I will just appreciate March 1^st.

Happy Spring Break to all of you!  We’ll see you on March 11.

Mary Ziegler

ANNOUNCEMENTS  &  REMINDERS:

--Thanks to all of you who attended parent-teacher conferences this week. Our teachers appreciated the opportunity to touch base with you, as well as your kind words for them and their work. Your children can only benefit from the gentleness, kindness, and civility they see modeled by their parents and teachers every day.

--If you have not yet returned your re-enrollment form for next year, please do so by March 11. Knowing your plans enables us to make our plans for classrooms, new admissions, and staffing.

--Financial aid applications were due on February 16 and our Financial Aid Committee has begun its work. If you’d intended to submit an application, but have not yet done so---please put it on your ‘to do’ list for Spring Break week. You can apply online at www.sss.nais.org/parents. You should complete the PFS  (Parents Financial Statement.)

--We’ve scheduled a K-8 Admissions Open House for Friday, March 15 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  If you can lend a hand as a tour guide/parent greeter, Mary would love to hear from you.

--Earth Day probably seems far away, but because we’re planning a big day, we’re asking for help early. The day will be focused on becoming more aware of our watershed and the impact we all have on it. We are planning water-testing field trips, service projects around the school grounds, and a culminating musical celebration. We’ll need help in the form of field trip chaperones, service project helpers, and tool lenders. Mark your calendars for April 22. A volunteer form will be sent home in early April, so start thinking of how you might like to help.

--And a note from Tr. Lisa … Thanks to all who ordered seeds and supported our seed sale. We had a very successful fund raising effort and were able to raise just over $750 for the Red Cross disaster relief efforts. We sent the seeds home with students in backpacks, so if you have not found them yet, please take a look. Have a wonderful Spring Break and happy planting!