From the School

Reminder: Please Complete the Survey

Last week, Tom Farquhar, Head of School, sent out a request asking you to participate in a confidential online survey that is designed to help assess the School’s climate and culture as it relates to inclusivity and multiculturalism. This is a reminder to please complete the survey by Friday, April 22, 2011. Parent participation is essential to the outcome of the survey -- please open it at http://insightlink.net/aim-sidwell.

Fair Share Celebrates the Classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024

Congratulations to the Class of 2022, the Class of 2023, and the Class of 2024 for reaching our challenge goal in parent participation in the Fair Share Fund. These classes were entered into a drawing for a pizza party lunch at the SFS Auction. All three grades will celebrate this milestone with a pizza party lunch!

We are continuing to work towards our overall goal of 95 percent parent participation. If you have not given, please consider making a gift of any size by June 30. Please go online or e-mail your pledge to Elizabeth Souder, Assistant Director of Annual Funds. Thank you to all those who have already supported the Fair Share Fund earlier this school year!

PA Announcements

Drinking: A peer group discussion

Tuesday April 26, Zartman House Drawing Rm 7:30-9:00pm

Join fellow 9th grade parents for our final "peer group" meeting of the year. Judge Brian Kim will share how the law views parental responsibility for underage drinking. After a brief question and answer with Judge Kim, we will reconvene as 9th grade parents to discuss our challenges and strategies for addressing this important topic. How and where do they drink? What is pre-gaming? Who drives them home? What exactly does it mean to supervise a teen party? If you have questions and/or answers, please join us.

Faculty and Staff Appreciation Breakfast

Reminder: The US Parents Association is sponsoring an Appreciation Breakfast for our beloved teachers and Staff on Friday, April 29th. We still need several volunteers to bring baked goods, fresh fruit, ground coffees, juices and other breakfast goodies. Contributions should be dropped off at the Upper School Faculty Lounge no later than 7:45 am on the morning of Friday, April 29th. Please place your name on all your non-disposable dishes and have your scholar pick them up by the end of the day in the Faculty Lounge.

We are asking the 9th Grade to take the lead on thi s Appreciation event. However, we would welcome all contributions from other parents in the different grades.

We are tracking contributions on a website -- please sign up today! SignUpGenius.com/go/teacher566.

On Friday, April 29th we also need 3 volunteers to help clean up at 1:30 in the afternoon.

Faculty and staff welcome these special breakfast treats. Your PA thanks you for your help in showing our appreciation to the incredibly dedicated Sidwell Friends faculty, coaching, administrative and maintenance staff.

Please email Alison Ling if you have questions.

Strategic Plan Update

Light refreshments are being served at 6:30 pm, May 2nd.

Please join Head of School Tom Farquhar, the All-School Parents Association and the Sidwell Friends Board of Trustees for an update on Sidwell Friends School’s Strategic Plan. The Board of Trustees has been working for over a year in consultation with parents, faculty, alumni and students on developing a strategic plan which will define the education skill sets through year 2024, the expectations for Sidwell Friends faculty as master learners, how the School's Quakerness defines our values and priorities, and the business models that allow us to reach our goals. As this important works approaches its final stages, please come for an update and discussion on these vital and exciting issues. Please RSVP to isaacsa@sidwell.edu. We look forward to seeing you there.

Polly Bomstein and Lynn Sachs, All School PA Co-Presidents

Crew Car Wash

Clean that winter grime off your car and support the Sidwell Crew team! The annual Spring Carwash is the team's primary fundraiser. Help the team, help yourself drive away clean! Sunday May 1st, from 11am-2pm, Upper School garage.

Collecting Bikes for the World

On April 30th, US Community Service is offering SFS families and area residents a chance to donate their used bicycles as part of an effort to reduce waste and provide those in need with a means of personal transport. Through a partnership with Bikes for the World (BfW), the nation's largest bicycle reuse program, you are is invited to drop off your used bicycles (children, youth and adult - no tricycles, please) and cycling-related items. Tapping into a network of overseas non-profit partners, BfW will collect and distribute donated bicycles to impoverished communities around the world. There is a suggested donation of $10 to defray a share of the cost of shipping to overseas charity partners, which recondition the bicycles and distribute them to people who need them.

Volunteers are needed to prep the bikes and load them into BfW vehicles. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact David Connell, connelld@sidwell.edu or June Das Gupta.

Saturday April 30th, 2011, 10 am - 1 pm. US Bus Parking Lot

The Alaska Trip is on!

There are a few more spaces available. Get one before they vanish! Questions? Contact Dave Wood, Margaret Pennock, or the Summer Programs office.

NEWSLETTER BASICS

How to Submit An Article
Send submissions to PA.USNewsletter@sidwell.edu by 2 pm on Tuesday. Please reference "Newsletter Submission" and the publish date(s) in the subject line. Items should be submitted as text in the body of the email. 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 submission will be confirmed as soon as possible. If you have not received a confirmation of receipt by the deadline for submissions, please contact the editors at PA.USNewsletter@sidwell.edu.

How to Subscribe/Unsubcribe
Our automated listserv subscription service is currently down. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the newsletter, please send an email to isaacsa@sidwell.edu and indicate whether you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe.

Note Concerning the School Calendar
The calendar entries 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: scheduling@sidwell.edu.

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. US newsletter submissions should be sent to PA.USnewsletter@sidwell.edu.

Calendar

Wed, Apr 20th: US PA Steering Committee Meeting US Room 102 4:30pm - 6:00pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Thu, Apr 21st: Founders Day 10:30am - 1:00pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:00pm - 9:00pm; Celebrating Daughters Rehearsal AC Music Room 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Fri, Apr 22nd: Good Friday; Robotics Team Meeting Robotics Lab in basement of Sesner and US Main Computer Lab 2:40pm - 5:30pm; Arts Guild AC Theater 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Sun, Apr 24th: Easter

Mon, Apr 25th: US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm

Tue, Apr 26th: US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm; 9th Grade Parent Peer Group Zartman Drawing Room 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Wed, Apr 27th: US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm; Celebrating Daughters Rehearsal AC Music Room 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Thu, Apr 28th: US Visual Arts Gallery Opening AC Rubenstein Gallery and AC Lobby 4:30pm - 6:00pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm; 10th Grade Parent Meeting with College Counseling MS Drama Studio 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Fri, Apr 29th: Arbor Day Teacher Appreciation; Robotics Team Meeting Robotcs Lab in Basement of Sesner and US Main Computer Lab 2:40pm - 5:30pm; US Spring Choral Concert AC Theater 7:30pm

Sat, Apr 30th: Bikes for the World Bike Drive Tennis Courts and Visiting Buses Lot 10:00am - 1:00pm; 12th Grade "Celebrating Daughters" US Dining Room and AC Theater 5:00pm - 9:30pm

Sun, May 1st: Crew Car Wash Wisconsin Ave. Garage; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Music Room 1:00pm - 5:00pm; US Instrumental Ensemble Concert AC Theater 2:30pm - 6:00pm

Mon, May 2nd: AP: Environmental Chemistry; AP: Psychology; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm; Refreshments for Parents Association meeting Meetinghouse Lobby 6:30pm; Board of Trustees with Parents Association DC Quaker Meetinghouse, US Rooms 102, 104/106, 108, 110, 112, 120, 126, 128, 130, 234 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Tue, May 3rd: AP: Art History; AP: Comp. Science A; AP: Spanish; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 4:15pm - 6:00pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm

Wed, May 4th: AP: Calculus; AP: Chinese; PA Executive Committee Meeting Athletic Center Meeting Room 8:00am - 9:00am; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm; Celebrating Sons Rehearsal AC Music Room 7:30pm

Thu, May 5th: AP: English Literature & Composition; AP: Latin; ACT Test/10th Grade Practice US Classrooms 8:00am - 12:00pm; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:15pm - 9:00pm

Fri, May 6th: AP: European History; AP: Studio Art; AP: U.S. History; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; Robotics Team Meeting Robotics Lab in Basement of Sesner and US Main Computer Lab 2:40pm - 5:30pm

Sat, May 7th: SAT Off Campus; 12th Grade "Celebrating Sons" US Dining Room and AC Theater 5:00pm - 9:30pm

Sun, May 8th: US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 1:00pm - 5:00pm

Mon, May 9th: AP: Biology; AP: Music Theory; AP: Physics; PA Athletics Committee Meeting Athletic Centner Meeting Room 7:45am - 9:00am; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; US PA Steering Committee Meeting US Room 102 4:30pm - 6:00pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Tue, May 10th: AP: Comparative Government; AP: French; AP: U.S. Government & Politics; Senior Project Rehearsal AC Music Room 12:30pm - 5:30pm; US Spring Play Rehearsal AC Theater 6:00pm - 9:00pm