EMAIL DETAILS

Sunday - February 15, 2015


Principal's Letter


MESSAGE FROM MAMADOU


Announcements


COMMUNITY SERVICE AT A WIDER CIRCLE
SIDWELL SUMMER
2015/16 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
WIZARDS TICKET HOLDERS
SIDWELL FRIENDS SUMMER STUDIES 2015
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) EXAM REGISTRATION
FLU SEASON


Events


10th GRADE GREAT CASSEROLE BAKE
RUBENSTEIN GALLERY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
ARTS COMMITTEE OPEN MEETING FOR ALL PARENTS
QUALITY OF COMMUNITY LIFE COMMITTEE


Other


QUAKER QUOTES AND QUESTIONS


News Around the School


US NEWS


MS NEWS


Principal's Letter


MESSAGE FROM MAMADOU
Friends,
On Wednesday, students in the Black Student Union put on their annual Black Student Union Show for the entire Upper School. Students from all three divisions collaborated to put together this powerful production. Through music, spoken word poems, and personal testimony, the students eloquently and poignantly called for justice and peace as they raised awareness and consciousness, not only about recent events such as the tragic deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, but also about their own personal stories. At the time of writing, students were preparing for their evening performance on Friday night for parents and the community. I hope that many of you were able to see this phenomenal show.
I hope you enjoy the long holiday weekend!
With warm regards,
Mamadou Guèye
Principal
Important Dates:
February 18, 7:00 p.m.: US Parent Curriculum Night, RLS Meeting Room
February 20: Last day to request Pass/Fail for second semester class or drop class with WP/WF
February 22: 10th Grade Casserole Bake, Dining Room
February 25: 2015/16 course selections open
March 2: Spring PE classes begin
March 3, 7:45-8:45 a.m.: 9th Grade Parent Conversation with Administration, Choral Room
March 5: End of third quarter
March 5, 7:45-8:45 a.m.: 10th Grade Parent Conversation with Administration, Choral Room
March 6: No Upper School classes--teacher report writing day
March 9: Fourth quarter begins
March 10, 7:45-8:45 a.m.: 11th Grade Parent Conversation with Administration, Choral Room
March 11: 2015/16 course selections and four-year plan due
March 12, 7:45-8:45 a.m.: 12th Grade Parent Conversation with Administration, Choral Room
March 13, 14, 15: Upper School Musical
March 20: Third Quarter report cards posted online
March 20-27: Spring Break


Announcements


COMMUNITY SERVICE AT A WIDER CIRCLE
Please join us on Sunday, March 7, from 9:00-12:00 p.m. at A Wider Circle, 9159 Brockville Road, Silver Spring, Maryland. SFS students and families from all three divisions will be moving furniture and organizing household items at AWC's warehouse in Silver Spring. If you are interested in helping out this nonprofit that serves low-income families in our community, please contact Matt Fraidin at mifraidin@yahoo.com. A Wider Circle provides beds, dressers, tables, chairs, dishes, pots, pans, and other large and small home goods to families transitioning out of shelters, escaping domestic violence, or otherwise living without their basic need items.

SIDWELL SUMMER
Sidwell Summer has great opportunities for Upper School students:

Drivers Ed will be offered at two different sessions:

June 8-19, 2:00 – 5:15 p.m.
August 17-28, 4:00 – 7:15 p.m.


Work as a counselor - all the options are online, plus looking for assistants for new STEM workshops


Take a Summer Studies course (credit and non-credit offered)

Contact summer@sidwell.edu or 202-537-8133 with any questions.

2015/16 ACADEMIC CALENDAR
This calendar is now posted on the website: http://www.sidwell.edu/calendars/list.aspx. It includes vacations, parent-teacher conference days, and back-to-school nights. Events, including morning coffees with administrators and Parent Association activities, will begin to be added in the spring and summer. To navigate to the calendar, go to the main page, click on calendar (top banner, left side), select academic calendar (maroon heading, under customize box), and look to the right for the 2015/16 calendar.

WIZARDS TICKET HOLDERS
If you did not get a T-shirt at the Wizards game last Saturday, we still have some. If you want one, please contact Kathi Webb (webbk@sidwell.edu ) with the sizes you desire and the name to hold them under. You or your student can pick up shirts at her office in the lower level of Zartman House. We have a few in each size right now (Youth-M through Adult-2XL) and will do our best to get you shirts that will fit.

SIDWELL FRIENDS SUMMER STUDIES 2015
Sub-freezing temperatures may make it feel as though Summer 2015 is far away, but we have been busy planning a terrific Summer Studies Program, and it is definitely not too early to begin thinking about enrolling your child in one of our classes. Registration for summer classes is now open!
Middle School Program
We are offering a program for students in grades 6 and 7 in need of additional review in math and language arts. This team-taught program models a Middle School morning, with students spending part of the morning in math class and part of the morning in language arts. Students also have the option of enrolling in a full-day program with recreational activities in the afternoon through the ExploreStar Program or by signing up for one of the two-week afternoon STEM workshops. Detailed descriptions for these offerings may be found on our website: www.sidwell.edu/summer.
For rising 8th graders, we have course offerings in English enrichment (English Review) and Pre-Algebra. Applications may be submitted online or downloaded from the Summer Studies website: www.sidwell.edu/summer.
Upper School Offerings
Our Upper School courses this year include credit courses in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, Physics, and United States History, and non-credit courses in English and College Essay Writing. We are also offering SAT and ACT Preparation workshops. All courses are taught by highly experienced faculty. Detailed course descriptions, class meeting dates and times, tuition information, and applications are available on the Summer Studies website: www.sidwell.edu/summer.
Students applying for Upper School credit courses in math must obtain approval by the student’s current teacher, and students applying for U.S. History must have the approval of the academic dean. First priority for enrollment in U.S. History will be given to students applying to School Year Abroad and semester study-away programs such as CityTerm and China Fieldwork. After February 15, enrollment for U.S. History will be open to all students, and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. U.S. History tends to be a popular course, so you should get your application in early to reserve a space.
Applications for non-credit courses may be submitted online. Online registration is not available for credit courses. Please use the paper application: http://www.sidwellsummer.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Summer-Studies-Application1.pdf
If you have any questions about our course offerings, please contact Min Kim, director of Summer Studies and interim academic dean/assistant principal of the Upper School, at kimm@sidwell.edu.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) EXAM REGISTRATION
Advanced Placement (AP) Exam Registration is now available online. If you are taking an AP exam at Sidwell Friends School, you must register online by 11:59 p.m., Monday, March 16, 2015. For the 2015 school year, the cost is $91.00 per exam. A confirmation will be delivered to the parent e-mail address indicated on the page to verify that the registration process has been successfully completed. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the AP Coordinator, Cory Zimmerman, at zimmermanc@sidwell.edu.
FLU SEASON
With flu season upon us, we ask that you please remember our sick policy and keep your child at home if they present with a fever above 100.5F and other symptoms that indicate the flu. Students cannot return to school until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Please report all absences to the office and leave specific information regarding their symptoms. This information assists the School in making appropriate decisions regarding the health of the school and its attendees.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms of flu include:

--fever (usually high)

--headache

--extreme tiredness

--dry cough

--sore throat

--runny or stuffy nose

--muscle aches

--stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults

Flu viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
Flu is a serious disease, and it's important to take action to protect yourself:

--Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.


--Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

--Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

--If you get the flu, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

--Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.


Most healthy people recover from the flu without complications. If you get the flu:


--Stay home from work or school.


--Get lots of rest, drink plenty of liquids.

--There are over-the-counter (OTC) medications to relieve the symptoms of the flu (but never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever).
--Remember that serious illness from the flu is more likely in certain groups of people including people 65 and older, pregnant women, people with certain chronic medical conditions and young children.
--Consult your doctor early on for the best treatment, but also be aware of emergency warning signs that require urgent medical attention.


Events


10th GRADE GREAT CASSEROLE BAKE
Two hundred casseroles to feed the hungry: that’s the plan for the 10th Grade Great Casserole Bake! This grade-wide community service project will take place in the Upper School Dining Room on Sunday, February 22. We would love to have students and their families come together to create casseroles to distribute to local food pantries.
We will donate casseroles to four nonprofit agencies: ThriveDC, SOME, Martha’s Table, and Central Union Mission. These organizations serve hundreds of meals to Washington, DC, residents 365 days per year. Our casseroles will help them meet the overwhelming demand for quality, nutritious food they confront on a daily basis.
Use this link to sign up for volunteering your time and donating items: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4fa8aa28a57-the10th. Donations should be dropped off in Mr. Connell’s office (room 222) now through February 18. The PA grade reps hope all 10th grade families plan to attend this fabulous community-building event for our class. Together we can make a difference!

RUBENSTEIN GALLERY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT
Shootback: Photos by Kids from Nairobi and DC
February 2-March 13
Shootback empowers young people to tell their own stories and express their creative voices through photography, writing, and critical thinking about the world around them. Founded in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1997 by American photographer Lana Wong, Shootback started by putting cameras in the hands of teens in Mathare–one of Africa's largest slums–and culminated in the publication of Shootback: Photos by Kids from the Nairobi Slums, a documentary film, and an international traveling exhibition. Eighteen years on, Shootback continues to train a new generation of young photographers in Mathare; eight of the original Shootback students are now professional photographers and filmmakers.
In Washington, DC, Shootback is helping to bring photography and writing programs to DC public schools and at-risk youth in collaboration with various nonprofit education organizations.
www.shootbackproject.org

ARTS COMMITTEE OPEN MEETING FOR ALL PARENTS
The PA Arts Committee invites you to a meeting on Thursday, February 19, from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. to celebrate another successful Artrageous, gather structured feedback, and brainstorm for next year. A light supper and adult refreshments will be served. If you helped with Artrageous, have ideas about other initiatives, or just want to connect with friendly parent volunteers who enjoy supporting the arts at Sidwell Friends, please come. If you're already involved, bring someone new to SFS! Please RSVP to Jane Legg (janelegg@yahoo.com) if you would like to attend so that she can organize refreshments. If you need child care or have an older student who needs a place to study, please contact Kathi Webb (webbk@sidwell.edu).

QUALITY OF COMMUNITY LIFE COMMITTEE


The Quality of Community Life Committee, along with your grade representatives, warmly invite you to a parent peer group meeting on Wednesday, February 25, at 7:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served, followed by parent breakout sessions organized by grade level for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th. We'll have two trained facilitators present for each grade. Please join us in a supportive atmosphere for a discussion on a range of topics that affects us and our students.


Other


QUAKER QUOTES AND QUESTIONS
Quaker quotes alternate with questions about Quakerism in this newsletter feature. To ask questions about Quaker history or practice or what-have-you—anything you may have wondered about but weren’t sure whom to ask—e-mail our Sidwell Friends Quaker Life Committees' authors at quakerquestions@sidwell.edu!
TODAY’S QUESTION: What exactly does the Quaker expression "to hold someone in the Light" mean?
If you spend time around Friends (Quakers), you may hear the metaphorical turn of phrase hold [someone or something] in the Light, often in a context where other faith traditions might mention prayer or blessing, such as “My sister is expecting her baby any day now; please hold her and her family in the Light.” That similarity of context may tempt us to equate holding in the Light with praying for—especially if intercessory prayer is a part of the faith tradition we ourselves come from—but there are important distinctions.
Quaker spiritual practice tends to focus on developing one’s personal experience of intimate connection with That of God within ourselves and each other. For many Friends, this experience feels like being touched by, surrounded by, or bathed in qualities like wisdom, understanding, calmness, love, compassion, and peace. Descriptive metaphors for this experience abound; one that has been used for centuries by Quakers is Light, which is a common spiritual metaphor in many cultures.
Hence, to hold someone or something in the Light means both to actively reach out yourself in a spirit of sharing to connect with that someone or something—some Friends literally visualize the recipient bathed in healing or loving light—and also to express a wish for that someone or something to receive similar beneficence from elsewhere. This shares certain similarities with an intercessory practice, but in this case the emphasis is on spiritual health and healing rather than asking for a particular outcome.


US NewsSeniors pick their "battles" in history class
Students collaborate on a personal poem and perform it for their peers.
Read More


MS NewsAn inarguably successful showing
Middle School teams ace third DC Urban Debate League tournament.
Read MoreThrough the Eyes of a Friend
Students remember the Holocaust and liberation of Auschwitz with a unique take on an indelible story.
Read MoreVertical Voices creates tension to foster discussion about diversity
Middle School Playback Theatre Troupe performs at the East Ed Diversity Conference at Sandy Spring Friends School.
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


Mon, Feb 16th

Presidents' Day - Potential school make-up day


Wed, Feb 18th

US PA Steering Comm. Mtg

Choral Music Room
8:00am - 9:30am


Thu, Feb 19th

PA Arts Committee meeting

Zartman Drawing Rm
6:30pm - 8:30pm


Sun, Feb 22nd

10th Gr. Casserole Bake

US Dining Rm
12:00pm - 2:00pm


Wed, Feb 25th

US Parent Peer Group Meetings, Grades 9-12

RLS Meeting Room, Choral Music room, US Room 102, US Room 104/106
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Fri, Feb 27th

US Arts Guild

Robert L. Smith Mtg Rm
7:00pm - 9:30pm


Tue, Mar 3rd

9th Gr. Parent Conversation with US Administration

US Choral Music Room
7:45am - 8:45am


Wed, Mar 4th

LS Parent Conferences - Half Day


Thu, Mar 5th

LS Parent Conferences - Half Day


10th Gr. Parent Conversation with US Administration

US Choral Music Room
7:45am - 8:45am


PA Executive Steering Committee Mtg

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


Meet the Head of School - PBS & PLAS

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room
7:00pm - 8:30pm


Fri, Mar 6th

LS Parent Conferences - No School


MS Report Writing - No School


US Report Writing - No School


More


Athletics


Tue, Feb 17th

Basketball - Girls Varsity at St. Andrew's School


4:30pm


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. St. James School


5:00pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. St. James School


5:00pm


Wed, Feb 18th

Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at National Cathedral School


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 B vs. National Cathedral School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity vs. Episcopal High School


4:15pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. Landon


4:30pm


Thu, Feb 19th

Wrestling - 7/8 vs. St. Andrew's School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 C vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at Holy Child


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. St. Andrew's School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. St. Andrew's School


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 C vs. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


Fri, Feb 20th

Basketball - Girls Varsity - ISL Tournament 2/20 - 2/22


2/22/2015


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. MAC Tournament: 2/20 - 2/22


2/22/2015


Sat, Feb 21st

Wrestling - Varsity - DC Classic


Indoor Track - P.E. Class (Coed) - Hoxton Meet


Fri, Feb 27th

Wrestling - Varsity - National Preps


2/28/2015


Sat, Feb 28th

Lacrosse - Girls Varsity - Bullis Play Day


Thu, Mar 5th

Lacrosse - Boys Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Walter Johnson


4:15pm


Fri, Mar 6th

Baseball - Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Cardozo HS


4:00pm


Sat, Mar 7th

Baseball - Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Blair


Baseball - Junior Varsity - Scrimmage vs. Blair


More


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