EMAIL DETAILS

Tuesday - February 3, 2015


Principal's Letter


NOTES FROM SALLY


Announcements


INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NOTES
SAFETY MESSAGE
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRANDPARENTS & FRIENDS DAY
GAMETIME! DANCE - FRIDAY, FEB 6 AT 7 PM
DOES YOUR CHILD PLAY SPORTS? DON'T MISS THE UPCOMING SPEAKER ON FEB 9
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET BRYAN GARMAN - TUESDAY, FEB 10 AT 7 PM
BSU'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH SHOW - FRIDAY, FEB 13 AT 7 PM
FRIEND TO FRIEND
THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!


Other


SFS @ WASHINGTON WIZARDS - LOGISTICS FOR TICKET HOLDERS
COMMUNITY SERVICE CORNER
QUAKER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
MS NEWSLETTER INFORMATION


News Around the School


MS NEWS


LS NEWS


Principal's Letter


NOTES FROM SALLY
This week’s query: How do we balance extracurricular activities with schoolwork?
5/6 students will not have an assembly this week. 7th graders will be meeting with Quaker educator Arthur Larrabee, and 8th graders will hear the Upper School curriculum presentation.
Northwest Current correspondent: Simone Arrington
CTP testing begins this morning. Please be sure that your child is on time to school each day – latecomers will have to make up the first section of the test later in the week. A good night’s sleep and nutritious breakfast are also helpful! Students are asked to fully charge their laptops on the Monday through Wednesday evenings at home and to be sure to bring them to school for the testing. We have a very limited number of loaners. Calculators are optional for the second portion of Math on Thursday morning and students are welcome to bring one to the test. Phone calculators are prohibited and teachers are not a source for calculators for the test. Many ask how to prepare for optimum performance on these tests. Answering questions slowly and thoughtfully is the best measure of what a student knows. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
A reminder that Minimester preference forms are due on Friday. Students whose forms are late will not be in consideration for their first choices. Parents must sign the forms.
7/8 students have a dance this Friday evening in the dining room from 7:30-10:00 pm. The school dress code applies, and students must keep their shoes on, so they should be sure shoes are comfortable.
Please note the announcement about speaker Mark Hyman, who will be on campus next Monday evening, February 9. This will be a really interesting presentation – I hope that many of you can come!
We have encouraged students who have school-issued laptops to personalize them in some way to prevent mix-ups. You might encourage this at home as well! This should be something that is non-sticky and can be removed easily at the end of the year.
Diversity News from Julia Porter:
Our work around diversity, inclusion and social justice has been especially active this winter. The 7/8 A to ZSU continues to meet on the third Friday of every month. In our last meeting, we had a particularly lively discussion about the violence around the world and freedom of speech. During the week of 1/20, we recognized “No Name-Calling Week” to show support for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people whose voices are sometimes silenced. Over 90 students signed a pledge to support kindness and no name-calling. We celebrated MLK day in our assembly called “King’s Dream,” a video and live-performance production honoring King’s legacy. Eighteen MS students are busy rehearsing for the upcoming BSU (Black Student Union) show. And 52 students from 6th-8th grade joined six faculty members to attend the 2015 Metro DC Middle School Student Diversity Leadership Conference at Sandy Spring Friends school. This year, the conference focused on bias and stereotyping and Tim Reagan’s Vertical Voices drama group performed to an audience of over 300 students! Finally, the MS Diversity Committee will host the second “Diversity University,” a mini conference for faculty on March 31. This time, our sessions will include economic privilege, bias in technology, community images and talking to kids about race.
If you were the recipient of my “wire transfer of funds” email last week, my apologies! Thanks to the quick work of the IT department, the problem has been contained, but I hope that it did not cause problems on anyone else’s computer. I’m still catching up with some of the backlog of emails, so if you sent something and haven’t heard from me, try me again!


Announcements


INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NOTES
7/8 Pit Band - Monday 3:45-5:00 pm
7/8 Handbell Choir - Tuesday 7:25 am
5/6 and 7/8 Concert Bands - Wednesday rehearsal period
7/8 Jazz/Rock Band - Thursday 3:45-5:00 pm
7/8 Handbell Choir - Friday 11:00-11:25 am
5/6 Handchime Choir - DEAR period

SAFETY MESSAGE
As you may have seen in the January 17 article in The Washington Post, there have been a few robberies in the Upper Northwest Tenleytown neighborhood near the Metro station. These robberies took place on the side-streets near Wisconsin Avenue between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm, the time when many of our students are walking to the Metro station or bus stop. The newspaper article indicates that arrests were made.
In addition, three of our Upper School students have reported that they were recently accosted at the McDonald’s on Wisconsin Avenue by another group of teenagers who were not from Sidwell Friends School. It is unknown whether or not these events are related, but given their occurrence, we ask that you speak with your children about exercising caution and being aware of their surroundings at all times.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRANDPARENTS & FRIENDS DAY
Grandparents & Friends Day will be held at the Middle School on Friday, May 8, 2015. The School will be sending information later this month to all Middle School grandparents, special friends and parents. To share the most updated contact information for your Middle School students’ grandparents and/or special friends, please fill out this online form by February 20, 2015. If you have any questions about the form or the upcoming event, please contact Director of Special Events Jessie Jacobson at jacobsonj@sidwell.edu or 202-537-8442.

GAMETIME! DANCE - FRIDAY, FEB 6 AT 7 PM
The Upper School Dance Ensemble meets as a PE Class and our last winter GAMETIME! is a celebration of our dancers and their parents. The Athletics Committee will host a pre-performance reception in the lobby of the Mary Ellen Caplin Theater on Friday, February 6 at 6:30 pm prior to the Dance performance at 7:00 pm. We encourage 7/8 students to come before their own dance, and parents, you’re welcome to come when you drop them off. For more information about the performance check the arts page, upcoming events: http://www.sidwell.edu/arts/index.aspx.

DOES YOUR CHILD PLAY SPORTS? DON'T MISS THE UPCOMING SPEAKER ON FEB 9
“The question isn’t whether we’re emotionally invested in our children because we are. It isn’t whether we see ourselves in our children because we do. It’s when that investment becomes so great that what is good for children is forgotten that real problems happen.”- Richard Ginsburg, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology at MGH/Harvard Medical School, quoted in Until It Hurts: America's Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids.
Join Mark Hyman, George Washington University assistant professor and author of Until It Hurts, and a panel of SFS experts for a frank and open discussion of our youth sports culture. This is an opportunity to take part in a conversation about the many questions facing families with children in sports: When is the right time to start my child in an organized league? How do I keep sports fun for my child when many leagues have become hyper-competitive? Why are overuse injuries on the rise? What is driving the "global warming" of youth sports? Join us on Monday, February 9 at 7pm in the Robert Smith Meeting room. Light refreshments will be served and child care is available, RSVP to Kathi Webb if you would like to use the child care. Sponsored by the SFS Parents Association Athletics Committee.

OPPORTUNITY TO MEET BRYAN GARMAN - TUESDAY, FEB 10 AT 7 PM
As promised, Middle School parents have another opportunity to meet Head of School Bryan Garman next Tuesday, February 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the Robert L. Smith Meeting Room. RSVP to events@sidwell.edu or 202-537-8110. Bryan is eager to meet you and hear your perspectives. If you couldn’t make the morning meeting in January or simply have more questions, please come. Bryan learned who he wanted to be "in room 212" of the Harrison Upper School Building. Please visit room 212 tour to learn more about this, and other, opportunities to meet Bryan.

BSU'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH SHOW - FRIDAY, FEB 13 AT 7 PM
The Black Student Union presents its Annual Black History Month Show on Friday, February 13 at 7:00 pm for parents, families, and friends in the Arts Center Theatre. A tradition that began in the 1980s, the program incorporates original student content with songs, poems, and other material from established authors. The cast is composed of students from the Lower, Middle, and Upper School. The entire Sidwell Friends Community is invited to see the show. Parents with younger children should be advised that some of the content in this powerful performance is written to reflect current events, and the program, in its entirety, may not be appropriate for younger students.

FRIEND TO FRIEND
Auction Donation Deadline Extended to February 6
Still have something to donate to the Auction? Great news! The deadline for Auction donations and underwriting has been extended to next Friday, February 6, 2015. It’s easy! Simply fill out the form online. Please click here and create a new record to donate anything from fine wine or a restaurant gift certificate to a weekend in Vail or theater tickets. Need a little inspiration? Contact Jessie Jacobson, director of special events, at 202-537-8442 or e-mail jacobsonj@sidwell.edu. All proceeds go to support student financial ­aid.
Register Today for Out and About with Faculty and Friends
Please join us for the first Out & About with Faculty and Friends discussion of the year - Revolution Radio: African Protest Music from Soweto to Dakar with Shields Sundberg on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Hill and Dale Record Store in Georgetown. Shields will explore the culture of protest music in South Africa in the 1970s as well as the birth of African hip hop. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets are $40 per person or $75 per couple, and all net proceeds benefit student scholarships at Sidwell Friends. Spacing is limited - register online today. To learn more about the other faculty-led discussions taking place this spring, please view the 2015 schedule. Many thanks for your support!

THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!
We are Seeking Volunteers to Fill Middle School Positions for Next Year:
If you enjoy community building and would like to make an important contribution to the School and your child's experience at Sidwell, please volunteer as a vice-clerk or grade representative. We are looking to fill positions in all grades in the Middle School.
If you are interested in serving, would like to suggest someone else, or simply would like more information, please e-mail Lisa Gunty, MS nominating clerk, at lgunty@aol.com; Renee Fried, MS co-vice clerk, at reneefriedzone@gmail.com, or Beth Zeugin, MS co-vice clerk, at bczeugin@comcast.net.
Thank you! It feels great to get involved and help out at SFS.


Other


SFS @ WASHINGTON WIZARDS - LOGISTICS FOR TICKET HOLDERS
Wizards Logistics.pdfFor the 400 SFS community members attending the Washington Wizards v. Brooklyn Nets game on Saturday, February 7, attached is key logistical information. The doors will open for us from 5:15-5:45pm and we will be able to go down near the court to watch player warm ups. Please enter the Verizon Center through the 6th Street entrance which is right past the Greene Turtle on the corner of 6th and F. If you arrive after 5:45pm, you will have to use the main entrance on F Street which opens at 6:00pm and you will not be able to attend the player warm up segment of the evening. Please plan accordingly. To pick up your Wizards-SFS custom T-shirts, look for parents in blue Wizards T-shirts and SFS baseball caps at a table near the 6th street entrance or, for people arriving later, in section 400.
See the attached logistics page for more info, including how your student can have a shot at being in the fan tunnels to high five the players as they come onto the court! We will be a very public face for our school at the game. Please wear your SFS and Wizards gear proudly and show your spirit loudly and appropriately!

COMMUNITY SERVICE CORNER
Ongoing Toiletries Collection - Bins in Lobby for AWC
Linen Drive - Got fleece?
Actually, any old linen will do! Please bring bed linens, towels, comforters or blankets to Middle School ASAP. Usable items will find an immediate home with humans at A Wider Circle. Shabby fleece blankets and towels will head to our furry friends at Washington Animal Rescue League. Our “Paws and Claws” Minimester group can use even badly tattered blankets in March to make toys for the cuties in cages. Collection bins are inside the M.S. lobby and in the 5th grade hallway. See Susanne Saunders or Michael Salmon if you have questions.
Final Days to Donate used soccer cleats for Tanzania
Jacob Walters, an 8th grader on Team Sky, is collecting used soccer cleats for Kunduchi School, near Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Kunduchi is a financially-strapped government-run school with 1,500 students of lower and middle school age, in classes of 100. Like many Tanzanians, the students are passionate about soccer. Football Action, a UK-based charity, is working to build a soccer field at the school, but few of the children have proper footwear. Jacob has previously collected about 30 pairs of used cleats, which a volunteer for Football Action transported to Tanzania. However, the demand is still very high, hence this new appeal. There will be a box for collection of cleats in the Middle School lobby through February 6. All sizes are welcome!
February 15 - 5th and 6th grade service club at A Wider Circle: ongoing project to manage the Kids' Corner. Contact Dana.Milbank@washpost.com for additional information.
February 20 - 8th Grade hangout
February 27 - 5th Grade hangout
Contact MS Community Service Co-clerks Eva Xanthos at eva.xanthos@verizon.net or Lisa Arrington at arringtonlp@hotmail.com or your Grade Reps for volunteer opportunities.

QUAKER QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Why the name “Quaker?” Where does that come from?
When someone starts calling you by a nickname intended as a joke, a way to handle it is to own it. That’s where the name “Quaker” comes from for the Religous Society of Friends. One story is that a 16th-century judge coined it as an epithet. Or, possibly, competing religious sects of the time used it as an unkind slang reference to the vibrating intensity of worship at Quaker meetings. Perhaps the origin story is completely different. No matter the original source, Friends came to accept the nickname “Quaker” as an alternative moniker for themselves, their faith and their practice. When someone gives you a name that starts to stick, even if the name is a little mean-spirited or is intended to put you down, you can take the power of the name back by adopting it with good humor. So Quakers did adopt it, although formally we still call ourselves Friends, as in Sidwell Friends School, or the American Friends Service Committee, or the Friends Committee on National Legislation, or even just the Religious Society of Friends.
We would love to hear your questions and insights. With questions or other thoughts about Friends, Friends schools or Quaker topics, please contact the Quaker Life clerks at quakerquestions@sidwell.edu.

MS NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
How to Submit an Article to Tuesday Letter: Please send submissions, in the body of the email, to PA.MSNewsletter@sidwell.edu by 2:00 p.m. on Monday. Please reference "Newsletter Submission" and the publish date(s) in the subject line. 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, send it as a PDF attachment. Receipt of your submissions will be confirmed as soon as possible. Submissions may not run for more than three weeks.
How to Modify an existing Submission: Please send a redline or otherwise clearly indicate the change to be made in a second email.
School Calendar: Calendar entries that appear in the right column of each Newsletter are automatically generated by the school, not by the Tuesday newsletter editors. Any changes to the school calendar are made through the school scheduling office at scheduling@sidwell.edu.


MS NewsHow can the design thinking process build leadership in students?
Sidwell Friends welcomed Sarah Barthelow, a thought leader in the design thinking and innovation space, to the Middle School.
Read More


LS NewsMaking a Difference in the Community on MLK Day
Volunteering at Martha’s Table to bring food, clothing, and education to families in need.
Read More

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.
MS newsletter submissions should be sent to PA.MSnewsletter@sidwell.edu.


Calendar


Thu, Feb 5th

PA Executive Steering Committee Mtg

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


Fri, Feb 6th

GAMETIME! Dance Ensemble

AC Theater
7:00pm - 9:00pm


US Dance Ensemble Winter Performance

AC Theater
7:00pm - 9:00pm


MS 7/8 Dance

US Dining Rm
7:30pm - 10:00pm


7th Grade. Parent Peer Group Mtg

MS Library
8:00pm - 9:30pm


Sat, Feb 7th

BSU Show Rehearsal

AC Theater
12:00pm - 6:00pm


SFS Night at the Wizards

off campus - Verizon Center
7:00pm - 9:30pm


Sun, Feb 8th

BSU Show Rehearsal

AC Theater
12:00pm - 6:00pm


Mon, Feb 9th

BSU Show Rehearsal

AC Theater
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Until it Hurts - Mark Hyman Gathering with Parents

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room, K-19
7:30pm - 9:00pm


Tue, Feb 10th

BSU Show Rehearsal

AC Theater
6:00pm - 9:00pm


Meet the Head of School - MS Parents

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


Wed, Feb 11th

5th Grade Conversation with Sally

Rosenberg Theater
8:00am - 9:15am


Fri, Feb 13th

BSU Show

AC Theater
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Mon, Feb 16th

Presidents' Day - Potential school make-up day


Tue, Feb 17th

Maryland Math League Test

US Dining Room
8:00am - 9:00am


Thu, Feb 19th

All MS Meeting for Worship - Parents Invited

Robert L. Smith Mtg Rm
8:00am - 8:45am


PA Arts Committee meeting

Zartman Drawing Rm
6:30pm - 8:00pm


Fri, Feb 20th

8th Gr. Hangout

Wannan Gym and MS Courtyard
3:30pm - 5:00pm


Sat, Feb 21st

6th Gr. Parent Potluck

Off Campus
7:00pm - 9:00pm


Mon, Feb 23rd

7th Grade Conversation with Sally

Rosenberg Theater
8:00am - 9:15am


More


Athletics


Tue, Feb 3rd

Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity at Georgetown Day


4:00pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity vs. Maret School


4:15pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity at Georgetown Day


5:45pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity vs. Maret School


5:45pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity vs. Tri Meet with Bullis & Flint Hill


7:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity vs. Tri Meet with Bullis & Flint Hill


7:30pm


Wed, Feb 4th

Wrestling - 7/8 at Maret School


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at Maret School


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 B vs. Maret School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 A at Maret School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Maret School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. Field School


4:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - Metros - Diving Only


4:30pm


Thu, Feb 5th

Basketball - Boys 7/8 A at Georgetown Day


2:30pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Georgetown Day


2:30pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at St. Andrew's School


2:45pm


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


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 C vs. Bullis


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. Flint Hill


4:15pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - Metros - Diving Only


4:30pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. Flint Hill


6:00pm


Fri, Feb 6th

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


4:00pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. Takoma Academy


4:00pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Episcopal High School


4:15pm


Wrestling - Varsity at JP Great


4:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - Metros (500 & 400 Relay Trials)


5:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - Metros (500 & 400 Relay Trials)


5:30pm
2/7/2015


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


5:45pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Episcopal High School


5:45pm


Sat, Feb 7th

Indoor Track - P.E. Class (Coed) vs. Georgetown Prep Private & Independent Schools Invitational


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - Metros - Swimming Trials


8:15am


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - Metros - Swimming Trials


8:15am


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A - Home vs. Trinity


11:30am


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Stone Ridge School


12:00pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Stone Ridge School


2:00pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity - Metros - Swimming Finals


5:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity - Metros - Swimming Finals


5:30pm


Mon, Feb 9th

Wrestling - 7/8 at Potomac School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B vs. Potomac School


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. Potomac School


2:45pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 A at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


Tue, Feb 10th

Indoor Track - P.E. Class (Coed) vs. Georgetown Preparatory Run & Gun


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. Potomac School


4:15pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Madeira


4:15pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. Flint Hill


4:30pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Madeira


5:45pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. Potomac School


6:00pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity vs. Meet vs. GDS & Potomac


7:30pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity vs. Meet vs. GDS & Potomac


7:30pm


Wed, Feb 11th

Basketball - Boys 7/8 A vs. St. Albans


2:30pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 B at St. Albans


2:30pm


Basketball - Boys 7/8 C at St. Albans


2:30pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 B at Sheridan School


3:15pm


Swimming & Diving - Girls Varsity vs. National Cathedral School


4:00pm


Swimming & Diving - Boys Varsity vs. St. Albans


4:00pm


Thu, Feb 12th

Basketball - Girls 7/8 B vs. Georgetown Day


2:30pm


Basketball - Girls 7/8 C vs. Georgetown Day


2:30pm


Basketball - Girls Junior Varsity at Flint Hill


4:30pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Flint Hill


4:30pm


Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. JP Great


5:00pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman vs. JP Great


5:00pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. JP Great


6:45pm


Fri, Feb 13th

Wrestling - Varsity - St. Alban's Tournament


2/14/2015


Basketball - Boys Freshman at Episcopal High School


4:30pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at Sandy Spring


4:30pm


Sat, Feb 14th

Basketball - Boys Varsity at St. Andrew's School


2:00pm


Tue, Feb 17th

Basketball - Boys Junior Varsity vs. St. James School


5:00pm


Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. St. James School


5:00pm


Basketball - Girls Varsity at St. Andrew's School


5:45pm


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 at St. Stephen's & St. Agnes


2:45pm


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


2:45pm


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


2:45pm


Basketball - Boys Freshman at Landon


4:30pm


Thu, Feb 19th

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


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 at 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


More


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