Headlines -
November 1, 2013
Last week I waxed melancholy
about the demise of Halloween at the school. I should have known
better. What a day. Even though Baba Yaga was detained at customs
in Transylvania (something about illegal body parts),our school’s community
still managed to pull off a wonderful celebration.
On Wednesday several middle
school students stayed late and decorated the entire hallway for the rest of
the school. They had assistance from Teacher Lori, who cheered them on
and helped with the front entrance and pumpkin placement. They did a
great job and, for their work, they were allowed to scare anyone above 4th
grade as they entered the darkened hallway in the morning. The 2/3
classrooms were the stars of the day as they worked all week to develop and
stage a Spooky Science Museum for the rest of the school. It was a big
hit and I learned a lot about owl pellets and phosphorus.
Many other parents got into
the act. Tinka, Karla, Carla, Fred and several others worked together to
decorate the Community Room for the monster dance and there were many others on
hand in the classrooms to help decorate, facilitate costume changes, chaperone,
and party. It was also great to see so many parents and teachers in
costume. It really adds to the festivities of the day. Halloween at
Friends, like always, was a wonderful event filled with community spirit and
fun. I should have known better and so today I am grateful to know that
the spirit of Halloween lives at Friends. Thanks to all of you.
Please enjoy your weekend and
don’t forget to “fall back” an hour on Sunday
Announcements and Reminders
**Parent-Teacher Conferences: Have you
signed up for your parent-teacher conference? If not, please do so now so that
the teachers are able to properly prepare for their time with you. You can
schedule by calling, sending an email, or stopping by the school office.
Conferences will be held next week on Thursday and Friday and are 30 minutes in
length and will be held in your child’s classroom. You’ll receive a written
progress report in the mail prior to your conference.
**Conference Day Child Care: As there
is no school for students on November 7th or 8th, our
conference days, we will offer our regular inservice day child care program
from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm both days. If you would like your child
to participate for part or all of either or both of these days, please call or
email the school to register.
**Chess Club: Thanks to the
initiative of Nathan Elliott, one of our K parents, the first gathering of the
Chess Club will be held on Tuesday, November 5 in Teacher Tim’s classroom.
Nathan is working on logisitics including who might be attending when, and whether we’ll have adequate supervision. If
you plan to participate, please be in touch with him. You can contact him at Nathan_elliott05@yahoo.com.
**Thankful Tuesday: Please mark
your calendars for Tuesday, November 26, and plan to join us for our Thankful
Tuesday gathering. We’ll assemble that day at 12 noon in the Community Room for
brief presentations by each classroom and some Thanksgiving songs. The
gathering normally winds up at about 1:00. Students are welcome to leave with
their parents then or stay through our regular dismissal time. We’ll also offer
our After School Program that day.
Parents
are also invited to come in early on the 26th to have lunch with
their children in the classrooms. Bring your own brown bag feast!
**The SPICES of Life Gala: Our
annual SPICES of Life Gala, coming up Sunday, November 10th, is a
relaxed, early evening event featuring delicious food, music, and silent
auction fun. This event is an important friend and fund raising activity
for our school. More details are available on our website, including FAQ
and photos of auction items and last year’s event. Please RSVP by
Wednesday, November 4th, especially if you will need childcare while
you are attending the event. (This is an adult social time. Free
childcare is available at the school for those attending.)
P.S. Don’t let the word “Gala” fool you. While
the event is set against the lovely, and very special backdrop of The Atherton
Hotel (thanks to the generosity of a former Friends School family), this is not
a highly formal event. We hope you will consider attending with friends
and relatives. Direct your questions to Lori Pacchioli, lorip@scfriends.org
**Tussey Mountain Ski
Program: Once again, it is time to register for the ever popular
Tussey Mountain Ski Area School Intramural Program. The ski program
begins on January 9, 2014, but registration is required by 3:00 pm on Thursday,
November 14th to receive the school program discount. Check this
week’s Friday Folder for more information. In addition, the full packet will be
emailed to you next week. Any questions should be directed to Pam Adams at pjadams67@yahoo.com or 692-5522.
Alan Klein
