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Wednesday - December 14, 2011


From the School

Message from Lee

Dear Friends,
This is a busy week as we finish the first semester and prepare for a well-earned winter break. Collection this week will be selections from the Instrumental Music Concert that will take place at 7:30pm in the Arts Center Theater. Arts Guild will take place at 7:30pm on Friday in the same location and is another opportunity for Upper School students to share their many talents. The Winter Assembly will take place on Friday and School will be dismissed at 2:15pm, followed by hot chocolate and cookies in the Arts Center Foyer and Courtyard for students, faculty, and staff. There are also many athletic competitions so join us to cheer on the Quaker teams!
Information about exam period that has already been distributed to students is below, and please encourage your children to put schoolwork aside for the first week and focus on family, friends, and fun. Students find all different ways to enrich their spirit the second week and should do whatever will lift them up and help them look forward to the new year.
The winter solstice is on December 22 this year, and I always look forward to the lengthening of the days and the return of the light. Last year, I closed this message with a Maori proverb that resonated with many so I am including it below again.

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.”

Peace,
Lee
Message from Mamadou Guèye, Academic Dean
Mid-Year_Exam_Schedule.pdf
Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,
This is to remind you that students are required to follow the exam schedule as published on the Sidwell Friends website.
* Any deviation from the exam schedule should be approved by your Academic Dean.
* Students who have “doubled” in a subject will take their second exam in that subject on the Make-Up day.
* Exam Make-up day is scheduled for students who missed exams due to illness and/ or unusual circumstances approved by the Academic Dean.
* If school is closed due to inclement weather, we will move the exam schedule back by one day, maintaining the same order of the exam schedule.
If you have any questions or concerns about the midterm exam schedule and protocol, please email or call, and I will gladly help.

Good luck,
Monsieur Guèye
Read MoreChina Trip - Summer 2012

Sidwell Friends School Summer 2012 Grassroots China Fieldwork Course: Histories of China through the cultural landscapes of Xizhou, Yunnan, will run from July 1 – July 29, 2012. The cost for the one-semester credit course trip is $5,600 (all inclusive). Financial aid is available for this trip.
Read MoreTenth Anniversary Variety Show

Dancers Dancing, Drummers Drumming, Music, Song and Laughs!
Add variety to your holiday gifts with tickets to the Variety Show, the annual extravaganza featuring SFS alumni who are professionals in the performing arts, who return to entertain us for the benefit of student financial aid. The Tenth Annual Variety Show is set for Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 8 pm in the Kogod Arts Center. Lively and entertaining, this show is guaranteed to please the whole family. You’ll be giving your children an evening with great role models, you’ll be giving yourself a relaxing evening of professional entertainment, and you’ll be giving the gift of student financial aid – all proceeds go to Events for Student Scholarships. Click here to buy tickets. Order now; this show SELLS OUT! Become a sponsor and give yourself the gift of a tax deduction!
Hosted by NBC4 News Anchor Eun Yang, with Glenn Pearson at the piano and students from the SFS Jazz Ensemble as the House Band, as of early December the cast of Variety Show 2012 includes: Opera Tenor Michael Belle ’91, Composer and Recording Artist Kathryn Bostic ’75, Singer and Composer Rebekah Eden ’82, Playwright, Actor and Director Daniel Gallant ’94, Pianist and Composer Michael Gallant ’99, Violinist Soye Kim ’73, Dancer and Choreographer Brandye Lee ’96, Nashville-Based Singer/Songwriter Erik Thorson ’62, Conscious Comic and Vigilante Pundit Baratunde Thurston ’95, and Actor/Singer Emily Zickler ’07.
If you would like to place an ad in the Variety Show program or become an underwriter for this event, please contact the Events for Student Scholarships office at (202) 537-8110 or events@sidwell.edu.


Tis the Season to Save Those Shopping Bags!

The Next to New Sale chairs are always looking for great ways to "Reuse, Renew, and Recycle" and even though our annual sale just ended, we're already looking forward to next year. You can help by saving all of your shopping bags. We need department store bags, paper grocery bags, reusable cloth/plastic bags, Ikea bags, etc - we'll take any undamaged shopping bag with a handle. We'll be collecting them all in January or February. In addition to using them for the sale, we'll be sharing some with Martha's Table so that families in need can take home donated clothing in nice bags rather than plastic bags. Information on collection dates and locations will be published in this newsletter in January. Questions? Contact Anne Honn at anhonn@gmail.com
Attention Parents of Juniors
Eager_Summer_Grant_Flyer.pdf
The Mark Watson Eager ’74 Summer Challenge grant will be offered again for juniors. The grant covers a portion (up to $4,000) of a three to four week outdoor summer excursion undertaken by a Sidwell junior. Student who wish to apply for the grant should submit their applications to Lee Palmer by Monday, January 23. More information is attached.

Read More


PA Announcements

ArtRageous: Call For Performers

Before the snows fall and you all disappear for destinations far and wide, please run to your computers NOW and send Maude Fish (maude.fish@comcast.net) the following information: who are you? What grade are you in? What will you perform and who is it by? Do you need an accompanist or audio/visual equipment? AND, Maude Fish will write you back! She will TRY to accommodate your scheduling needs, and she will confirm the time and place of your performance. Don't be late for an important date. ArtRageous 2012 is just around the corner.


Arts Committee Meeting-Change of Location

The Arts Committee meeting scheduled for this Thursday evening, December 15th at 7:30 pm has a new meeting location. We will now meet at the home of Maude Fish, 3224 Oliver Street NW, Washington, DC.
Message from the US PA Clerks

Many thanks to all of the wonderful parents, who have given so generously of their time this year. We appreciate all that you do, to make SFS a warm and inviting place.
We wish you a safe, happy and joyful holiday, and look forward to see you in 2012!!

All the best,
Althea Jacques-Ireland & Barbara Mulitz
Upper School Co-Clerks
A heartfelt THANK-YOU

...to all students, parents, faculty and staff who generously donated to and supported our annual Holiday Gift Giving benefitting the work and clients of Martha's Table and the Rosemount Center. Because of you, we were able to deliver multiple carloads of gifts to these agencies. Your gifts will help spread the joy of the holidays to those in need in the community. Special thanks to our volunteer drivers, our Library staff who added to the holiday spirit by providing a decorated tree, our drummer and bell ringers, and the Community Actions Club for all their efforts in promoting this event.

With best wishes for the Holidays and the New Year,

David Connell
June Das Gupta
Tina Sandri


Other News

Quaker Quotes

"We are too ready to retaliate, rather than forgive, or gain by love and information. And yet we could hurt no man that we believe loves us. Let us then try what Love will do: For if men did once see we Love them, we should soon find they would not harm us. Force may subdue, but love gains: And he that forgives first, wins the Laurel." -- William Penn

“What we receive in contemplation, we pour out in love.” --Meister Eckhart

“Quaker Quotes” is a weekly submission by Melissa Belman (melissa@ecologicflooring.com), Holly Moore (htmoore@gmail.com) and Cindy Terrell (ctcabin@gmail.com). We welcome ideas.
Sidwell Friends Rowing Team

Wash away your guilt from consuming too many Valentine's chocolates and join the Sidwell Friends Rowing Team for a fun-filled way to get out and exercise. The first annual National Capital Erg Races: Erg, play, love event will be held at Sidwell Friends very own athletic center on Sunday, February 12, 2012. In addition to some serious erg events to test your mettle, try some of the fun couples and mixed relays. Watch coaches compete against one another, come in Valentine's costumes for a special creativity prize, and more! More details after the new year, but mark your calendars now!

Read MoreSidwell Friends Invitational Wrestling Tournament

The award winning Sidwell Friends Wrestling Team will host the annual Sidwell Friends Invitational Wrestling Tournament to be held on Saturday, December 17, 2011, in our state of the art upper school athletic center. The tournament will feature the best wrestling teams in our region, including Georgetown Prep, Georgetown Day, St Albans and Mercersberg Academy, to name a few. The SFS Wrestling team, led by Coach Lou Heberer, has had an unrivaled record of success for many years and the team needs the support of the entire Sidwell Friends community to raise funds to pay for team travel and expenses. The gate opens at 8:30am and team parents will sell your favorite breakfast snacks, lunch and drinks throughout the day at a well stocked concession stand close to the action. The Tournament hours are 9 am to around 6 pm.
Let’s fill the stands with SFS families cheering for our dedicated wrestlers. SFS students and children, ages 10 and younger, attend for free. For updates about the Tourament and schedule questions, please contact, Joe Baldinger, jbaldinger5@gmail.com
US Wednesday Newsletter Information

How to Submit an Article to the Wednesday Letter. Send submissions to PA.USNewsletter@sidwell.edu by 2 pm 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 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. Please be aware that submissions may not run for more than 3 weeks.

Modifying an existing Submission: if it becomes necessary to modify a submission, please send a redline or otherwise clearly indicate the change to be made.

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.
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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, Dec 14th

US Instrumental Music Concert

AC Theater
7:30pm


Thu, Dec 15th

PA Arts Committee Meeting

Maude Fish's Residence
7:30pm - 9:00pm


Fri, Dec 16th

Arts Guild

AC Theater
7:30pm


Sat, Dec 17th

Winter Vacation Begins


Mon, Jan 2nd

No School


More


Athletics


Wed, Dec 14th

Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at Stone Ridge School


2:45pm


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


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. St. Albans


4:15pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. St. Albans


6:00pm


Thu, Dec 15th

Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. Georgetown Day


2:30pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at St. Andrew's School


4:15pm


Wrestling - Varsity vs. Potomac School


4:30pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


4:30pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at St. Andrew's School


5:45pm


Fri, Dec 16th

Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. Georgetown Prep


4:00pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. Georgetown Prep


5:45pm


Sat, Dec 17th

Basketball - Girls Varsity - Holiday Tournament Puerto Rico


12/20/2011


Wrestling - Varsity - Sidwell Invitational


9:00am


Tue, Dec 27th

Wrestling - Varsity - Damascus Tournament


12/28/2011


Tue, Jan 3rd

Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. Maret School


4:15pm


More


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