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Thursday - April 22, 2010


From the School

A ZEN QUERY
If I demand I get silence
When I seek I find the answer
When I demand I get thunder
If I ask I am given the light

-Written by 2XCLASS PLACEMENT
If you have any comments about your child’s classroom placement for next year, please put your thoughts in writing and share them with Rich Lodish by Friday, April 23rd by 4:00 pm (this includes rising 5th graders). However, please feel no obligation to do so as teachers carefully and sensitively look at what is best as each student moves on to another grade. Please click on "Read More" below for more info regarding the class placement process. Read MoreMEETING FOR WORSHIP - TUESDAY, APRIL 27TH
Change in schedule for one week only. We will be holding a Meeting for Worship on Tuesday, April 27th at 9:10-9:30 am in place of our regularly scheduled 1:30 pm Meeting. All parents are welcome to join their children for Meeting.LOWER SCHOOL WELLNESS EVENT
WELLNESS EVENT: HEALTHY CHILDREN, HEALTHY FAMILIES
How important is Vitamin D? How can I act now to prevent heart disease in my children? Get answers to these questions and more at the Lower School Wellness Event, where you will hear from a panel of specialists (who also happen to be Lower School parents) on ways to keep our children and families healthy. Topics will include: What Should We Be Eating?; Everything you Need to Know About Vitamin D; The A to Z's of Childhood Allergies and Asthma; How to Ensure Your Child is Heart-Healthy; and How to Raise a Child with Healthy Self Esteem. Don't miss this very informative event on Tuesday, April 27th, from 7:30 - 9:00 pm, in the Meeting House.LETTER FROM SALLY SELBY TO 4TH GRADE PARENTS
Please click on "Read More" below for a letter from Sally Selby, Middle School Principal, regarding important upcoming events. Read MoreNEW MEETINGHOUSE & ARTS FACILITIES
Are you curious about these new facilities? Mike Saxenian, CFO, will provide a visual presentation that details the timing, design, and architectural renderings of the plans on Monday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm in the Middle School Drama Studio.ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS
Please make arrangements for your student’s annual physical exam soon. The SFS Physician’s Report for the 2010 – 2011 School Year is due back to Lower School by July 15th, 2010. If your student has received any immunizations during this past year, ask the doctor’s office to include that information on the Maryland Immunization Record. Both of these forms can be downloaded from the SFS Website. Go to the Parents page, click on Health and emergency forms on the left hand column to down load the necessary forms. The electronic updates for student health and emergency information will be available on May 3rd. Directions about accessing and updating your information will be emailed to parents within the next 7–10 days. Please contact Barbara Conte with any concerns ([email protected]).GRADUATION ATTIRE FOR FOURTH GRADERS
Boys – White dress shirt with collar or polo shirt (long or short sleeves); Dress pants, no jacket or tie.

Girls – Simple white or pastel dress or nice slacks and similar top. The outfit may be solid color or with a subtle design.
Please contact Anna Urciolo with any questions ([email protected]).


PA Announcements

PA RETREAT - SAVE THE DATE: MAY 13
The PA Retreat is scheduled for Thursday, May 13th, 2010 from 6:00-9:00 pm in the Upper School Dining Room. All PA Clerks, Vice Clerks, Committee Clerks, Grade Reps, and At-large Reps from this year and those who will fill the positions next year are invited to celebrate the successful conclusion of the 2009-10 Parent Association year and share ideas and suggestions for 2010-11. This is an important time to exchange materials and information before summer is upon us, so please plan to attend. We’ll eat dinner together and then break out into small planning groups. Please RSVP no later than May 1st to Lynn Sachs at [email protected] JAMES ZUG: THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 25TH
JOIN THE CONVERSATION...
At the end of this school year, James Zug, author of The Long Conversation: 125 Years of Sidwell Friends School 1883-2008, is moving to Delaware with his wife Rebecca, the current Upper School Dean of Students, as she takes a job at Wilmington Friends School. Please join us for a discussion taking place on THIS SUNDAY, April 25th at 3:30 pm in the Zartman House Drawing Room. For more information, please click on "Read More" below. We hope you can join us for this special event. For questions, please contact Geoff Klineberg at [email protected] or Nicole Scott at [email protected]. Read MoreLOWER SCHOOL SPRING FESTIVAL
SAVE THE DATE -- MAY 1ST!
Calling all Lower School students, siblings, and parents. The annual Lower School Spring Festival is scheduled for Saturday, May 1st from 3-5 pm at the Lower School Campus. Festivities include - arts & crafts, field games, 4th grade car wash & bake sale, community service activities, music and more. Volunteers needed! For more information or to volunteer, please contact Ellen Alexander at [email protected] or Donna DePasquale at [email protected].

FOURTH GRADE PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Please email or call Miriam Herman ([email protected]; 301-706-3916) to sign-up to help with the 4th Grade Carwash and Bake Sale at the Spring Festival. We need volunteers to help set-up, bring in baked goods, help wash cars, sell baked goods, and clean-up. Thanks for the support.

COLLECTION OF HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIALS FOR A WIDER CIRCLE
Spring Clean, Recycle and Do Your Part to Fight Poverty - All At Once! Please join LS in collecting gently-used household essentials at Spring Festival. Donated items will be given to A Wider Circle (www.awidercircle.org), a local non-profit that helps families just moving out of shelters and into homes. They provide necessities (beds, linens, furniture) that the families would otherwise not have. See "Read More" below for a more complete list of wishlist items.
Read MoreSFS SPRING ARTS PERFORMANCES
Take advantage of some of the fantastic SFS spring performances (all in Arts Center Theater unless otherwise noted):

Fri April 23 7:30pm & Sat April 24 2pm: MS Musical "Beauty and the Beast"
Thur April 29 (time tbd): US Visual Arts Show Opening Reception
Fri April 30 7:30pm: US Chorus Concert
Sun May 2 2:30pm: US Jazz and Chamber Orchestra Concert
Thur May 6 4:00pm and 7:00pm: US Dance Ensemble (behind Zartman)
Tues May 11 6-7:30pm: MS Arts Show and reception (Middle School)
Fri, May 21 7:30pm Sat May 22 7:30pm & Sun May 23 2:30pm: US Musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"
Wed May 26 7:30pm & Fri May 28 1:45pm: 7/8 Choral and Orchestra Concert
Thur June 3 & Fri June 4 (times tbd): 5/6 Orchestra and 6th grade Chorus Concert
Senior Project Performances – stay tuned!SPIRIT ACROSS SIDWELL
Kindergarten: Tuesday, May 4th at 5:30pm. Come cheer on the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team vs. National Cathedral School. Please RSVP to Mike Borkowski at [email protected].
UPCOMING SPORTING EVENTS
Please click on "Read More" for a list of home games at the Wisc Ave campus through the end of the year. Anyone can organize something for their grade -- just contact [email protected] and [email protected] to tell us which game, and we'll list the event here. Read MoreCOMMUNITY SERVICE CORNER
MARTHA'S TABLE VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION
Martha's Table is having our annual Volunteer Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 24th. This is at the tail end of National Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 19th to 25th). This year's event is focused on celebrating youth involvement. We are planning a fun filled day of kickball, trivia, music, food, refreshments and more. More information at www.mtvolunteerday.eventbrite.com.
WEEKEND VOLUNTEERING IN MAY
* A Wider Circle: Join SFS families at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring on Sunday, May 2nd from 1 to 3 pm. Volunteers will help sort children’s clothing, household items, pantry foods and furniture. All families welcome (ages 4 and up), Second and Fourth Grade families encouraged. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Sara Jane Harris, [email protected].
* Martha's Table: Gather at Martha's Table Saturday, May 22nd from 10 am to 12:30 pm to make and bag donated food to feed the hungry throughout the city. All families welcome (ages 4 and up), PK and Kindergarten families encouraged. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Camille Thornton, [email protected].

These are the final scheduled weekend volunteer dates of the school year. Please join us!LS AFTERCARE FAMILIES GATHERING
SAVE THE DATE! Come join the LSPA Diversity Committee and Aftercare Director, Diane Everts, as we celebrate the Aftercare community and the wonderful staff who assist in the development of our children each day. Friday, May 21st from 5:00-7:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room. Be prepared for good food and conversation! RSVP to Liza Long ([email protected]) as soon as possible.
GREEN TIP: HOW TO DISPOSE OF CFLs
http://www.sidwell.edu/broadcast/action/clickthru.aspx?id=366.1038.501155.55595.6395Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) (those cute little corkscrew ones) are great because they use less energy, but they pack up to 5 mgs of mercury, which, though it’s not much, can add up if disposed of improperly. (in some states, it’s illegal) Where do they go then?

1) Hazardous Waste Collection in your community
2) Sylvania has “RECYCLEPAK” program – you order a pack of bulbs from their website in exchange for 12 burned out bulbs (and prepaid shipping). http://www.sidwell.edu/broadcast/action/clickthru.aspx?id=366.1038.501155.55595.6395.
3) If they break, don’t pick them up with bare hands. Use a paper towel, seal in plastic bag and take to recycling center. Open windows in the room for a while.

Don’t forget, EARTH DAY IS THURSDAY! CELEBRATE OUTSIDE!
Comments, questions to Louise Micallef at [email protected].


Other News

2010 LS GRANDPARENTS' DAY: MAY 7TH
RSVP'S DUE THIS WEEK!
All Grandparents should have received their invitation for Grandparents Day! All grandparents must RSVP for this event by April 24th, 2010 to (202) 537-8442 or [email protected]. Parking will be limited, if possible please drop-off grandparents. The program will last from 8:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.2010 EVENTS FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AUCTION
The Auction was a huge success. Thank you to the chairs, volunteers and bidders who helped make this a record-breaking year. We raised over $525,000! Please check the SFS website later this week for items that didn’t sell.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, JR.
Welcome to the world of Belle and the Beast in the Sidwell Friends Middle School musical production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr. in the Kogod Arts Center at the Mary Ellen Caplin Theater on Friday, April 23rd at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, April 24th at 2 pm. For more information, please see the "read more" link below or contact [email protected] or call 202/537-8150. Admission is free. Read More10TH GRADE STUDENT SERVICE PROJECT
Ms. Brownlee’s 10th grade advisory is participating in a service project from April 5th - April 23rd benefiting “Pennies for Patients”, a program that helps collect important funds for blood cancer patients through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. By donating and gathering pennies, the research on and patient services for blood cancers increases, and more patients are able to have effective treatment. There are collection boxes in the main offices of the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, as well as in Zartman House and the Fox Den. Donations can also be made online at http://www.sidwell.edu/broadcast/action/clickthru.aspx?id=366.1038.501155.55595.6246. Any and all support is appreciated. If you have any questions, contact Lauren Brownlee at [email protected] or 202-537-8180.LS THURSDAY NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
How to Subscribe
To receive the Thursday Letter via e-mail, send an e-mail to [email protected] with only the word "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.
How to Unsubscribe
If you have wish to have your name removed from the subscription list, send an e-mail to [email protected] with only the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject line.
How to Submit an Article to Thursday Letter
Send submissions to [email protected] by 2 pm Wednesday. Please reference "Newsletter Submission" and the publish date(s) in the subject line. Items should be submitted as text in the body of the e-mail. PLEASE do not include any formatting such as indents, bullets, boldface or all-caps and keep submissions succinct. If you have a form or flyer to include with your submission, please send it as a PDF attachment to your email. Receipt of your submissions will be confirmed as soon as possible.
Note Concerning the School Calendar:
The calendar entries that appear in the right column of each Newsletter are automatically generated by the official school calendar and are not subject to editing by the Newsletter Editors. All changes or additions to the school calendar must be made through the school scheduling office, reachable at: [email protected].

The Parents Association newsletters are a forum for communication among parents and provide announcements concerning School or PA events or information related to a School or PA event.
LS newsletter submissions should be sent to [email protected].


Calendar


Thu, Apr 22nd

Grade 1 to the Phillips Collection


9:00am - 11:00am


MS Musical (Beauty and the Beast)

AC Theater
9:30am


Blood Drive

Kenworthy Gym
2:00pm - 5:00pm


Fri, Apr 23rd

7th Grade Parent Coffee

Sledge Garden
7:30am - 9:30am


Malcolm Daglish - Wild Wild Words Show

LS MultiPurpose Room
9:00am - 10:00am


MS Musical (Beauty and the Beast)

AC Theater
9:30am


MS Musical: Beauty and the Beast

Mary Ellen Caplin Theater
7:30pm


Sat, Apr 24th

MS Musical: Beauty and the Beast

Mary Ellen Caplin Theater
2:00pm


Alumni Community Service Day

US Dining Hall
2:00pm - 4:00pm


3rd Grade Parent Reception (PA)

Off Campus
7:00pm


Sun, Apr 25th

Crew Team Car Wash

US Parking Garage


Quaker Life Committee Meeting

Zartman Drawing Room
3:30pm - 5:00pm


Mon, Apr 26th

Senior Exams: Math, History


Grade 4 to A & J's Restaurant


11:30am - 1:30pm


Tue, Apr 27th

Senior Exams: Math, English

TBA


Lower School Wellness Event

LS Meeting Room
7:30pm - 9:00pm


Wed, Apr 28th

Senior Exams: Science, English


Thu, Apr 29th

Senior Exams: Science Language

TBA


Middle School Parents invited to Meeting for Worship

Kenworthy Gym
8:10am - 8:40am


Fri, Apr 30th

Senior Exams: Language, History


Kx Play

LS MultiPurpose Room
9:00am - 10:00am


US Choral Concert

Mary Ellen Caplin Theater
7:30pm


6th Grade Party

LS Multipurpose Room
7:30pm - 9:30pm


Sat, May 1st

SAT Testing (Not at Sidwell)


Pre-Festival New Family Event

Lower School
2:00pm - 3:00pm


Spring Festival

LS Meeting House
3:00pm - 5:00pm


Sun, May 2nd

US Jazz and Chamber Orchestra Concert

Theater
2:30pm


Mon, May 3rd

Presentation on the New Arts and Meetinghouse Facilities

MS Drama Studio
7:30pm - 9:00pm


Tue, May 4th

AP Tests: Computer Science, Spanish Language, Statistics


Parents of Rising 5th Graders Transition Meeting

MS Drama Studio
7:30pm


Wed, May 5th

AP Tests: Calculus, Chinese


SAT Testing


PA Executive Committee Meeting

US Crane Room
8:00am - 9:00am


LS Steering Committee Reception

LS Multi-purpose room and Breezeway
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Thu, May 6th

AP Tests: English Literature


All School Quaker Life Committee Meeting

Zartman Drawing Room
5:00pm - 6:30pm


Fri, May 7th

AP Tests: US History


LS Grandparents Day

Lower School


Mon, May 10th

AP Tests: Biology, Music Theory, Physics


5th Grade Parent Peer Group Meeting

5th Grade Science Classroom
7:30pm


Tue, May 11th

AP Tests: Chemistry, Environmental Science


5th Grade Hangout

US Dining Room
2:00pm - 3:30pm


Parents of Rising 7th Graders Transition Meeting

MS Drama Studio
7:30pm


Wed, May 12th

AP Tests: Art History


Newmyer Award Dinner

US Dining room
6:30pm - 9:00pm


More


3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 Tel: (202) 537 8100 Fax: (202) 537 8499