SFS LS Thursday Newsletter 11-18-10

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2010-11-18 08:00:00

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Thursday - November 18, 2010

From the School

QUERY
“How can we listen to others with an open heart,
respect others and include others in play and
in games?”
-- Grade 2LOWER SCHOOL-OCTOBER CONFERENCE REPORTS
Portal Instructions Lower School.docThe Lower School October Conference Reports will be available online as of Thursday, November 18. They are not mailed home following the same practice as the Middle and Upper Schools. Instructions on how to access your child’s report online are available via the attached document. Parents should log in to the Parent Portal – Select “Educator Online” from the banner – Select “Report Card” and the .pdf icon for the current marking period. If you have any difficulty logging in to Educator Online contact Jane Lenherr, Registrar, on 202-537-8169 or by email at registrar@sidwell.edu. Read MoreGRADE 2-4 HOLIDAY PROGRAM ATTIRE
Grade 2 – 4 Holiday Program attire:
(Thursday, Dec. 9th and Friday, Dec. 10th 9:15 a.m.)

All wear white tops (e.g., turtleneck, sweater, polo shirt, blouse or shirt.) Boys wear nice pants – any color. No sweatpants or blue jeans. Girls can wear a comfortable skirt with tights or nice pants.

Please remember to have your children wear these outfits both days. Same program – different audience. Thank you.FROM THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
Financial aid information will be mailed on December 1 to families currently receiving aid. If you are not currently receiving financial aid, but want to apply for the 2011-2012 school year, please call 202-537-2402 to be added to the financial aid mailing list.

PA Announcements

TECHNOLOGY TALK FOLLOW-UP: MORE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Privacy Tips from Commonsense Media.pdfSFS Responsible Use Policy.pdfDig.Citizenship Parent flyer .pdfThe Lower School Parents Association would like to thank Jenni Voorhees and Barbara Conte for last night's discussion about technology. Parents found Ms. Voorhees' thoughtful advice invaluable.

Ms. Voorhees provided three fantastic resources to help families let their lives speak in person and online. Click on the link below to access these PDF files on Sidwell Friends School's Responsible Use Policy, privacy tips from Commonsense Media, and digital citizenship.

You can find more resources about digital citizenship on the SFS website by linking here and here. Read MoreFRUITFLIES
THERE’S STILL TIME to take part in the “Fruit Flies” citrus sale—and partake of delicious fruit that was on the tree in Florida orchards just hours earlier. Profits from the sale will give a lift to PA-supported student activities at the upper school.

Please consider a carton of oranges, grapefruit, or tangelos, as an old-fashioned treat for family, friends, and colleagues.

Order online through Friday, November 19th. Fresh-picked fruit will be delivered directly to the Upper School for you to pick up Saturday, December 11th. There’s also a mail option for sending gifts out of town.

You may also donate fruit to Martha’s Table or S.O.M.E. Write in your request in the NOTES section of the payment page, and our FRUIT FLY volunteers will deliver your gift directly to the agency.
Click here to order!REFLECTIONS FROM THE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
"It is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If we are to respect others' religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world's religions is a sacred duty." Mohandas K. Gandhi

We welcome your comments and feedback. Email arringtonlp@hotmail.com.

FRUIT FOR MARTHA'S TABLE
On November 23 there will be an All Lower School Meeting for Worship for Thanksgiving. We will be following the tradition of asking each child to bring in one piece of fruit, which will be collected and presented by each class at this Meeting for Worship. The fruit will be given to Martha's Table for distribution to those who are hungry. Please send fruit which will transport well such as oranges, apples or slightly green bananas. VENUE CHANGE! THAT OUTRAGEOUS PA ARTS COMMITTEE IS AT IT AGAIN!
Venue Change! That Outrageous PA Arts Committee is at it again! In the thick of organizing ArtRageous 2011 (Jan 30), we meet Thursday, November 18, for potluck and planning at 7:30 PM at home of Xilunnasi and Mauricio Escanero, 2600 Tilden Place, NW. All interested are invited. Questions? Please contact Rebecca Boylan at boylanr@georgetown.edu.EARLY MORNING MEETING FOR WORSHIP
Early Morning Meeting for Worship -- Please join us tomorrow, Friday November 19, for an early morning Meeting for Worship in the LS Meeting House 7:45-8:15 AM. Siblings welcome.

All School Meeting -- You are always welcome to come to Meeting with your child on Tuesdays, 1:30 PM. On November 23, join your child in the physical education building for an all school Meeting for Worship.COMMUNITY SERVICE CORNER
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It has been a Sidwell Friends Lower School tradition to have the children bring a piece of fruit for the Thanksgiving Meeting for Worship, which is on Tuesday, November 23. There is no vegetable chopping the week of Thanksgiving.
Holiday Gift Giving
In the spirit of holiday gift giving, the LS Community Service Committee invites the Sidwell Friends families to share with our neighbors in need. As in past years, Lower, Middle, and Upper School families are welcome to donate gifts during the first two weeks of December. Donations will be delivered by parent volunteers to children at local agencies with whom we have long-term partnerships: A Wider Circle, Martha’s Table, and Brightwood Elementary School. All gifts will be greatly appreciated. Please drop off unwrapped gifts in the collection boxes located in Manor House between Monday, November 29 and Friday, December 10. If you have any questions or are interested in lending a hand, please contact Beth Zeugin at bczeugin@comcast.net , LS Community Service co-clerk. Thank you for your generosity!

For information about our service partner organizations and for gift suggestions, please click the read more link below. Read MoreWEEKEND VOLUNTEERING FOR FAMILIES IN DECEMBER
Weekend slots fill quickly.
A Wider Circle
Join SFS families at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring on Sunday, December 5 from 1 to 2:30 PM. Volunteers will help sort children’s clothing, household items, pantry foods and furniture. Your time will greatly benefit AWC’s Neighbor to Neighbor as they help families who are just leaving shelters to make a warm, safe, and comfortable home. All families welcome (ages 4 and up), Second Grade families encouraged. Please RSVP by November 29 to Sara Jane Harris, sjrharris@comcast.net.
Martha's Table
Gather at Martha's Table Saturday, December 11 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM to make and bag donated food to feed the hungry throughout the city. You can even take a tour through the kitchen where you will see the enormous pot your Wednesday Veggies fill to make the famous Martha’s Table soup! All families welcome (ages 4 and up), Fourth Grade families encouraged. (Families can leave earlier than 12:30 pm if they need to.) Please RSVP by November 23 to Felice Roggen at froggen@mac.com.
Wondering when your grade is slated to volunteer? Follow the link below: Read MoreOUR KIDS ARE UNDERDRESSED
There are over 80 (eighty!) articles of clothing, sad and lonely, missing their owners, hanging out at the Lost Bin. To aid in recognition, they have been placed along the wall near the Lost and Found bin, in the hopes of being reunited. Due to the excessive volume of clothes, we did not send them to Martha's Table this week. We will have help from our second graders, as they will develop & implement a plan to have parents and students take greater responsibility for their belongings. Please remember to label your child's clothes, and check the bin.LOWER SCHOOL BOOK FAIR IS IN THE BOOKS
The Lower School Book Fair Co-Clerks would like to thank all the Sidwell Friends families that participated in this year’s Book Fair at Politics and Prose. Together, you bought more than 1,000 books (!) many of which made their way to the Lower School classrooms, Library and Brightwood Elementary.

Thank you to the parent volunteers who helped the day run so smoothly and to the Lower School teachers and staff who took the time to compile wishlists and lend their talents—and equipment—to the Book Fair. Last but not least, many thanks to Lower School librarian extraordinaire Angela Smith for selecting titles, working with Book Fair Co-Clerks, and coordinating with Politics and Prose to pull off a great event in support of our community.

Other News

DEHEJIA '78 FELLOWS PROGRAM MEMORIAL LECTURE
Sidwell Friends invites the school community to the 7th annual Anindya Dehejia ’78 Fellows Program Memorial Lecture.
Wednesday December 1, 2010
3:45 PM
Reception to follow
The Robert and Arlene Kogod Center for the Arts

Please RSVP to DehejiaLecture@sidwell.edu
or 202-537-8439 by Friday November 19.

Anindya Dehejia ’78 was on the verge of making some groundbreaking scientific discoveries pertaining to the molecular genetics of Parkinson’s disease when his life was cut short by brain cancer on September 5, 2001. Through a gift from his family, Anindya’s inquisitive spirit lives on at Sidwell Friends School in a positive and demonstrable way. Created in 2002 in loving memory of Anindya Dehejia, the Anindya Dehejia ’78 Fellows Program supports a key aspect of the Sidwell Friends experience—creating opportunities for teachers and students to enhance and nourish their intellectual knowledge base. Spurred by Anindya’s spirit of inquiry, curiosity, vigor, and love of life, the Dehejia Program provides opportunities for genuine involvement in creative and innovative intellectual pursuits for faculty and students.

This year, Sidwell Friends School welcomes Dr. Eric Chivian, Founder and Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment, and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Chivian is the senior editor and author, with Dr. Aaron Bernstein, of Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity, published in June 2008 by Oxford University Press. He also runs Pairidaeza Farm, an orchard in central Massachusetts.PARENTS COUNCIL OF WASHINGTON WEBINAR -- INTERNET SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY
WEBINAR_REGISTRATION_INFORMATION.docxStixrud_PCW_Short_Summary.docStixrud_PCW_Summary(3).docParents Council of Washington has another webinar scheduled for Monday, December 6 from 8:00-9:00 PM on the topic of "Internet Safety and Technology - How Logging on Affects Career Options." This webinar will cover a number of timely topics and is a great resource for parents. PCW sponsored registration information is attached. This webinar, as well as the other two webinars, are archived on the PCW website (www.parentscouncil.org).

Also attached is a short and a long summary of the PCW Fall speaker, Dr. William Stixrud. His presentation about how to alleviate stress in our children was fabulous. Sidwell had a good showing at the presentation. If you missed it or would like a printed summary you can also get these at www.parentscouncil.org. Read MoreSALLY FOSTER GIFT-WRAP & GIFTS
STOCK UP NOW FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Sally Foster is a school-wide sale that includes quality gift-wrap and delicious gourmet chocolates among many other great gift items available through a convenient online catalogue. 50% of all sales go directly to student financial aid. All orders may be placed now through January 31, 2011 at sallyfoster.com. When prompted at check-out, enter the SFS account code 505552 so that 50% of the proceeds are properly recorded to our school.LS THURSDAY LETTER INFORMATION
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Calendar

Fri, Nov 19th

LS Parents Meeting for Worship

LS Meetinghouse
7:45am - 8:15am

Grade 3 Play

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

US Performance of "The Real Inspector Hound" by Tom Stoppard

Arts Center Theater
8:00pm

Sat, Nov 20th

US Performance of "The Real Inspector Hound" by Tom Stoppard

Arts Center Theater
8:00pm

Sun, Nov 21st

US Performance of "The Real Inspector Hound" by Tom Stoppard

AC Theater
2:30pm

Mon, Nov 22nd

Grade 4 to Freer Sackler Gallery

9:00am - 1:00pm

Wed, Nov 24th

Thanksgiving Break begins - No School

Mon, Nov 29th