Headlines    -                                 September 20, 2013 

What would you say to an educational program that teaches problem solving, fosters creativity, strengthens focus, supports emotional growth, and fuels imagination?  Would you want that program in your school?  Would you consider it necessary to help students develop those valued skills and habits? Would it be worthy of being included in any school’s curriculum? Well, that program exists and is in full bloom at Friends.  It is our art program. 

Art is an important part of our educational program.  Art at Friends School is designed to be a hands-on, minds-on program that encourages the development of imagination, reflection, and self-expression.  Students are challenged to work with different materials to develop original work that can reflect their feelings or their personal interpretation of a concept or event.  Art engages students physically, emotionally, socially, and even spiritually and provides students with an outlet that may not be available in other classes. Teacher Cindy Hanczar has been at the helm of our Art program for several years now, and she continues to help our students experiment, create, and express themselves using many different media and materials. Already, our classes are turning out some wonderful work.  Just today, I was peeking at the middle school self-portraits and was surprised by the detail and shading.  In addition to Tr. Cindy’s efforts, many of our classroom teachers embrace art as a way to encourage student expression and reflection.  Our teachers know that a curriculum with an art component is inherently more interesting and motivating.  Given the value of art in schools, I always wonder why art programs are among the first things to be cut during budget reductions.  To learn more about the value of art in education, please take a moment to read about it on the bulletin board in our lobby.

Announcements and Reminders

All-School (K-8) Potluck:  Our all-school potluck is next Friday, September 27^th, from 5:30 to 7:30 with dinner beginning at 6:00.  Look for details next week online at www.scfriends.org and in an upcoming email from Tr. Mary.  This event is a great way for families to build community within the school.  Please RSVP by September 25^th via email or phone. We can always use help with set-up and clean-up, so also let us know if you are able to lend a hand. We hope your family will join us.

Student Drop-off and Pick-up Safety:  Parents, please remember that the back parking lot (not the one directly in front of the building) is specifically designed for the safe drop-off and pick-up of students.  Using this lot will ensure that neither you nor your child will have to cross the bus lane or walk in front of cars in the busy front parking lot. Please help keep all of our school community safer by following this important guideline.

Inservice Days, October 17 and 18: Thursday and Friday, October 17^th and 18^th are inservice days for our faculty. Although there will be no school for students, we do offer an inservice child care program here at school on all inservice days. If you’d like to use the program for part or all of either or both days, please register by Monday, October 7^th.  You can register your child by calling the school or sending an email. Please be sure to specify which days and the approximate hours your child will attend.  The fee for our child care program is $4.00 per hour. Please note that school bus transportation is not provided on inservice days.

Dan

"Attitude is the crayon that colors your world"
Alan Klein

Dan Hendey
Head of School

State College Friends School
1900 University Drive
State College, PA 16801
(814) 237-8386
(814) 235-1446 Fax
www.scfriends.org