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Sunday - February 19, 2017


Principal's Letter


MESSAGE FROM MAMADOU


Announcements


2017 STATE OF THE SCHOOL SUMMARY
AP EXAM REGISTRATION
GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAYS


Events


REMINDER: ZEIDMAN LECTURE WITH ERIC LIU: FEB. 22
PLAYBACK THEATRE PERFORMANCE: FEB. 24
10TH GRADE COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: FEB. 25
ARTRAGEOUS 2017: FEB. 26
BLOOD DRIVE: MARCH 1
PARENT PEER GROUPS, GRADES 9-11: MARCH 1
SFS NIGHT AT THE OPERA: MARCH 3
BASKETBALL GAME: MARCH 4
EJC BOOK DISCUSSION, "WE GON' BE ALRIGHT": MARCH 7


Other


QUAKER QUOTES AND QUESTIONS


News Around the School


US NEWS


Principal's Letter


MESSAGE FROM MAMADOU
Dear Friends,
I hope you are all enjoying this long holiday weekend.
As you know, the 2017/18 curriculum was presented to students and parents last week, and the corresponding Curriculum Guide is now available online. We will be holding grade-level parent coffees with administration this week and next to answer questions about the curriculum, School life, and upcoming events and programs.
Grade-level parent coffees:
February 12: 11th grade parents (RLS Meeting Room)
February 23: 10th grade parents (choral room)
February 28: 9th grade parents (RLS Meeting Room)
These conversations will take place at 8:00 a.m. I look forward to seeing you there.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, students worked with Upper School psychologist Kasaan Holmes to line up guest speakers, who talked to students on a range of topics. Paul Jones, a psychiatrist from Georgetown University, led a workshop on mindfulness-based stress reduction; psychiatrist Azin Bekhrad and psychologist Avy Stock from the Ross Center gave a presentation on stress and teens; psychologist Sarah Bennett ’95 and Erin Wolfe-Barnett spoke about nutrition and healthy body image; and psychologist Sarah Halpert ’95 led a workshop on interpersonal effectiveness. The week was a resounding success. I’m grateful to Kasaan and the students who led this initiative for all their hard work!
Meanwhile, our students have been rehearsing and building the set for the Upper School musical, Rent, which is scheduled for March 17–19. Please reserve your tickets now! It promises to be a spectacular show!
Warmly,
Mamadou
Mamadou Guèye
Upper School Principal


Announcements


2017 STATE OF THE SCHOOL SUMMARY
Head of School Bryan Garman discussed the current state of Sidwell Friends at an all-School community meeting on January 31. Click here to read a summary of the presentation.

AP EXAM REGISTRATION
Advanced Placement exam registration is now available online. Students who plan to take an AP exam at Sidwell Friends School must register online by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. The cost per exam is $93.00. Financial aid may be available for eligible students. Please contact Cory Zimmerman in the college counseling office for more information at zimmermanc@sidwell.edu.
A confirmation will be delivered to the parent's e-mail address indicated on the page to verify that the registration process was completed.

GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAYS
If you have not already provided contact information for your child’s grandparents or equivalent special adult friends, please provide it here so we can send them invitations and follow-up registration information. The invitations will be mailed around spring break.
We are seeking a group of current parents to help with these events. You do not need to have a parent/friend participating. Tasks include assisting photographers and providing directions. If you are available, please contact Kathi Webb at webbk@sidwell.edu.
Grandparents & Special Friends Days will take place on these dates:
Lower School: Thursday, May 11 (afternoon)
Middle School: Friday, May 12 (afternoon)
Upper School: Friday, May 12 (morning)


Events


REMINDER: ZEIDMAN LECTURE WITH ERIC LIU: FEB. 22
Register here to attend the 35th Annual John Fisher Zeidman ’79 Memorial Lecture with author, educator, and civic entrepreneur Eric Liu on February 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the Robert L. Smith Meeting Room. For more information, check the calendar.

PLAYBACK THEATRE PERFORMANCE: FEB. 24

The Vertical Voices Playback Theatre will perform “Friends Stand Up: Become Part of the Narrative and Let Your Life Speak” in the Middle School drama studio on Friday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m.
Reservations are recommended. Call 202-537-8150 to reserve a seat. There is no admission fee, but donations will be accepted for a Playback Theatre service-learning project in May. Vertical Voices members completed their January project by performing at the Metro DC Middle School Student Diversity Leadership Conference at Sandy Spring Friends School.
Playback Theatre is a student organization that brings life to personal memories, moments, and stories. This dedicated ensemble of 8th grade actors dramatizes what they hear in brief “fluid sculptures,” accompanied by live music. Then the “conductor” of the evening invites someone to tell a longer story, allowing an audience member to come up to the stage and be interviewed. The only rule is that the story must be the personal experience of the storyteller. The actors and musicians listen carefully, the conductor shapes the story, and the enactment follows without planning or discussion. At its best, the “playback” reaches into the story behind the story, serving the storyteller by adding insight and art to what has been shared.

10TH GRADE COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT: FEB. 25
This year, the 10th grade community service event will be an afternoon of service at A Wider Circle on Saturday, February 25. Tenth graders will join students from the Lower School to help sort toys and clothes, restock shelves, make cards for food bags, and provide other support. Parents and siblings are also welcome. We will meet for pizza in the Upper School dining room at noon. A bus will transport volunteers to AWC’s Silver Spring warehouse for a 1:00 p.m. start time and will return to the Upper School at 3:30 p.m. You may also go directly to A Wider Circle, 9159 Brookville Road #C, Silver Spring, MD. This will be a fun, rewarding, and useful event for the volunteers and AWC beneficiaries!
Please help us get a head count for the bus by signing up here.

ARTRAGEOUS 2017: FEB. 26
It’s almost here: Sidwell Friends’ annual, all-inclusive arts festival, ArtRageous!
The event will be held on Sunday, February 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Upper School Kogod Arts Center. The theme is “Dots & Dashes.” There will be performances galore, exhibits, art stations, classes, food, fun, and so much more!
We are seeking student performers (individuals and groups) from all grades to sing, dance, play an instrument, act, read, juggle, or share whatever form of creativity they are passionate about. Returning to ArtRageous after a brief hiatus is a student art show featuring work created outside of school hours. Students are encouraged to submit artwork for display in any size and any media (paint, pen, pencil, canvas, paper, wood, clay, digital, fabric, fiber). To sign up your child to perform or to learn more about submitting art for display, please contact the PA Arts Committee at PA.Arts@sidwell.edu by February 19. Upper School students may contact Neelam Shaikh ’17 directly about displaying art.
We also are seeking parent, alumni, grandparent, and SFS community volunteers (no experience necessary) to contribute their time and make this event a success. Volunteer for as little as one hour and then enjoy the festivities! Please contact the PA Arts Committee at PA.Arts@sidwell.edu for more information.
Join us for an afternoon of creativity and fun for all as we celebrate the amazing arts at Sidwell Friends!

BLOOD DRIVE: MARCH 1
If you are age 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have been free of a cold or any cold-like symptoms for at least three days, you are invited to donate blood on Wednesday, March 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The goal is to collect a minimum of 20 to 30 units of blood for children who are chronically ill and being treated by Children's National Medical Center. Please register here, where you will also find additional information on donor eligibility.
The bloodmobile will arrive at approximately 9:30 a.m. in Zartman Circle to set up and prepare for the first donor at 10:00 a.m. Please eat a well-balanced meal and drink at least 16 ounces of water before donating. Once on site, you will be asked to present a photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or college/school ID with a picture). Delicious snacks will be provided afterward, and every successful donor will receive a free T-shirt!
This is our opportunity to make a difference for children in need. Currently, the hospital is treating more than 1,400 children with sickle cell disease and many more with chronic illnesses. One unit of blood can help four or five children! (Did you know? A newborn has approximately one teacup's worth of blood.)


PARENT PEER GROUPS, GRADES 9-11: MARCH 1
Parents in grades 9, 10, and 11 are invited to join the final parent peer group sessions of the year on Wednesday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. We will start with an informal combined reception and then, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., break into groups according to grade. Come gather with your fellow parents to discuss nonacademic, grade-specific issues in a friendly and supportive environment!

SFS NIGHT AT THE OPERA: MARCH 3

Join members of the Sidwell Friends community at the Kennedy Center on Friday, March 3, to see Dead Man Walking, an opera inspired by the true story of Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun who has devoted her life to ending capital punishment. Written by Jake Heggie, it focuses on Helen’s experiences counseling a convicted murderer on Louisiana’s death row, as well as on her interactions with his family and the families of his victims. The emotionally powerful drama raises fundamental—and difficult—questions not simply about the death penalty but also about the nature of justice, suffering, compassion, and redemption.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with opera insights from SFS History Department Chair Steve Steinbach. The performance begins at 7:30.
The Washington National Opera has presented Sidwell Friends with a special offer. Mention offer number 245112 while ordering Kennedy Center tickets by phone or when purchasing at the box office for 20 percent off select orchestra seats on this night only.
Click here to order tickets online.

BASKETBALL GAME: MARCH 4
Here’s a chance to cheer for an alumnus playing at the next level! The PA Athletics Committee is encouraging basketball fans to come to the Georgetown-Villanova basketball game at the Verizon Center on Saturday, March 4, at 12:00 p.m. The Sidwell Friends community will have a chance to see Josh Hart ’13 in action for Villanova against our hometown Big East team.
To purchase tickets, please call Grace White at 202-661-5087 or e-mail her at gwhite@monumentalsports.com, and she will try to seat you next to other SFS fans. Tickets are $27 (400 section) and $43 (200 section) and must be reserved by February 27. If you have questions, please e-mail the PA Athletics Committee at PA.Athletics@sidwell.edu.
Additionally, the Athletics Committee will have a table at ArtRageous where you can add your signature to posters celebrating Josh and SFS. We encourage everyone in the Sidwell Friends community to stop by!

EJC BOOK DISCUSSION, "WE GON' BE ALRIGHT": MARCH 7
Don't miss the first PA Equity, Justice, and Community (EJC) book discussion of 2017: We will read and assess We Gon' Be Alright: Notes on Race and Resegregation, by Jeff Chang.
We will meet at the Lower School Meeting House (5100 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda) on Tuesday, March 7, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m. Our conversation, a follow-up to our well-attended fall EJC gathering, will cover a breadth of issues and challenges. Our yearlong theme is “identity,” and we seek a rich diversity of opinions and experiences on this topic.
We will be joined by Jen Cort, an educational consultant and former Middle School counselor, and Philip McAdoo, the director of EJC.
RSVP here. Please remember to indicate if childcare is needed.
If you have questions, please contact MS EJC co-clerks Priya Parikh (priyap4@gmail.com) or Marjan Ehsassi (marjanehsassi@hotmail.com) or US EJC co-clerks Robert Wilson-Black (robwilsonblack@gmail.com) or Mark Faison (mark.faison@outlook.com).


Other


QUAKER QUOTES AND QUESTIONS
“Just sit down in that space. Just feel the space and the people around you and open yourself as much as you can. Just continue to notice how you can be aware of all that’s around you and all that’s within you, and how that’s all connected to everybody else in the room.”
—Christie Duncan-Tessmer, writing about Meeting for Worship for QuakerSpeak, 2015
Quaker quotes alternate with questions about Quakerism in this newsletter feature. To ask a question about Quaker history or practice, e-mail our Sidwell Friends Quaker Life Committees’ authors at quakerquestions@sidwell.edu.


US NewsTruth Spoken Here
During the annual Black Student Union Production, students explored race and identity through song, dance, rap, and poetry.
Read More"Music Makes the World Go 'Round"
Alyson Cambridge ’97, international opera and jazz singer, returns to the place where she once harbored a big secret!
Read More


Upper School Weekly E-Newsletter Submissions

How to Submit an Article to the E-Newsletter. Fill out the form at www.sidwell.edu/submit by 12:00 p.m. Thursday.

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: scheduling@sidwell.edu.

The Upper School Weekly E-Newsletter is a forum for communication among parents and is designed to provide announcements concerning school events or information. E-newsletter submissions should be filled out at www.sidwell.edu/submit.


Calendar


Sun, Feb 19th

US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Rosenberg Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
1:00pm - 5:00pm


Mon, Feb 20th

Presidents' Day - NO SCHOOL (possible make-up day)


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Rosenberg Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
1:00pm - 5:00pm


Tue, Feb 21st

11th Grade Parent Coffee with US Adm

RLS Meeting Room
8:00am - 8:45am


Crew Team Meeting

Rusch Team Room
6:00pm - 7:45pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Rosenberg Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Wed, Feb 22nd

US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Rosenberg Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


PA Arts Committee

Arts Center - K-19
6:30pm - 8:00pm


35th Annual John Fisher Zeidman '79 Memorial Lecture

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
8:00pm - 9:00pm


Thu, Feb 23rd

10th Grade Parent Coffee with Adm

Choral Music Room
8:00am - 8:45am


US MFW

RLS Meeting Room
9:35am - 10:20am


Pre-Season Softball Team Meeting

Rusch Team Room
12:30pm - 12:50pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Rosenberg Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Fri, Feb 24th

US Arts Guild

RLS Meeting Room
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Vertical Voices Playback Performance

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


Sat, Feb 25th

10th Grade Service Project

Off Campus - Bus Provided
12:00pm - 4:00pm


Sun, Feb 26th

Artrageous

Arts Center, RLS Meeting Room, Choral Arts Room, Rosenberg Theater, Theater Arts Studio
1:00pm - 4:00pm


Mon, Feb 27th

PA-Quaker Conversation & Coffee

Zartman Drawing Room
8:00am - 9:00am


Global Programs Parent and Student Orientation

Choral Music Room
6:00pm - 8:00pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Tue, Feb 28th

9th Grade Parent Coffee with US Adm

RLS Meeting Room
8:00am - 8:45am


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Wed, Mar 1st

US PA Steering Committee Meeting

Rusch Team Room
8:05am - 9:35am


Sidwell Blood Drive

Zartman circle
10:00am - 3:30pm


AC/PG meeting

US Library Board Room
12:00pm - 2:30pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Parent Peer Group Meetings for Grades 9, 10, 11th

US
6:30pm


Thu, Mar 2nd

Lower School - NO SCHOOL (Parent Conference)


PA Executive Committee

Rusch Team Room
8:30am - 9:30am


US MFW

RLS Meeting Room
9:35am - 10:20am


Parent Meeting

Rusch Team Room
6:00pm - 7:00pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Fri, Mar 3rd

Lower School & Middle School - NO SCHOOL (Parent Conferences/Faculty Report Writing)


Sat, Mar 4th

Model UN Conference

RLS Meeting Room + MS Drama Studio + AC Theater + US Choral Room + US Dining Room + US Room 104/106 + US K 19 + MS Grade 7 & 8 Classrooms+ US Library
7:00am - 6:00pm


SSAT Testing

Upper School Classrooms
8:00am - 2:00pm


HS Invitational Jazz Festival

Georgetown Day School - 4200 Davenport St, NW - Washington DC 20016
12:00pm - 5:30pm


Sun, Mar 5th

Apollo Orchestra Concert

RLS Meeting Room
12:00pm - 6:00pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
1:00pm - 5:00pm


Apollo Orchestra, SFS Chorus, and Opera Singers Concert

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
3:00pm - 5:00pm


Mon, Mar 6th

US Admissions Revisit Day

US
8:30am - 2:30pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Tue, Mar 7th

US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


EJC Book Club

LS Quaker Meeting House
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Wed, Mar 8th

AC/PG meeting

US Library Board Room
12:00pm - 2:30pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Zeidman Lecture - Internal


6:00pm - 9:00pm


Thu, Mar 9th

12th Grade Parent Coffee with Adm

Choral Music Room
8:00am - 8:45am


Parents Invited - US Meeting for Worship

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
9:35am - 10:20am


US Global Programs Student Orientation Dinner

US Dining Room
4:00pm - 7:00pm


US Musical - Rehearsal

Caplin Theater + Theatre Arts Studio
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Fri, Mar 10th

Upper School - NO SCHOOL (Faculty Report Writing)


AC in DC

RLS Meeting Room + Caplin Theater
6:00pm - 10:00pm


Sat, Mar 11th

SAT Testing on Campus

Upper School
8:00am - 2:00pm


US Musical - Dry Tech

Caplin Theater
12:00pm - 5:30pm


More


Athletics


Tue, Feb 21st

Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity at St. James School


5:00pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity at St. James School


5:00pm


Wed, Feb 22nd

Wrestling - 7/8 at Bullis


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. Flint Hill


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 B at Flint Hill


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 A at Flint Hill


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Flint Hill


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 C vs. Flint Hill


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Stone Ridge School


4:30pm


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. St. Andrew's School


4:30pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Stone Ridge School


5:45pm


Thu, Feb 23rd

Basketball - Girls 7/8 A vs. Stone Ridge School


2:45pm


Fri, Feb 24th

Wrestling - Varsity - National Preps


Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. ISL Tournament


5:00pm - 6:30pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament


6:30pm - 8:00pm


Sat, Feb 25th

Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. ISL Tournament


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament


Wrestling - Varsity - National Preps


Sun, Feb 26th

Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. ISL Tournament


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament


Sat, Mar 4th

Lacrosse - Girls Varsity - Lax Play Day


10:00am


Tue, Mar 7th

Lacrosse - Girls Varsity at Bishop McNamara


4:15pm


Lacrosse - Boys Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Walter Johnson HS


4:15pm


Lacrosse - Girls Junior Varsity at Bishop McNamara


5:30pm


Thu, Mar 9th

Tennis - Boys Varsity vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


4:00pm


Lacrosse - Girls Varsity vs. St. John's College High School


4:15pm


Tennis - Boys Junior Varsity at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


4:30pm


Softball - Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Parkdale HS


4:30pm


Sat, Mar 11th

Lacrosse - Boys Varsity - DC Classic


Baseball - Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Cardozo


11:00am


More


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