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MIDDLE SCHOOL TUESDAY LETTER

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FROM THE SCHOOL
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This Week's Query
With the holidays approaching, how can we give thoughtfully and
receive respectfully?


Notes From Sally
The Friday assembly is a holiday tradition in Middle School: The
Faculty Follies, the Lost and Found Fashion Show, and the Holiday
Singalong. It will be a zany afternoon - you are welcome to join in
the fun!


With the Lost and Found Fashion Show comes the clean out of the Lost
and Found boxes. I've encouraged the kids NOT to wait until the
fashion show to claim their items from the boxes! All leftover items
will be donated over the holidays.


First trimester grade reports will be posted very soon - look for an
email letting you know that they are available in Educator.


Coach Megan Miller is now out on maternity leave. Replacing her for
the winter swimming season will be Allison Palmer, who doubles as the
administrative assistant in the PE/Athletics office, and Evan Judge.
Both were collegiate swimmers.


We are looking for homestay hosts. The Middle School has had a long
standing relationship with a Friends School in York, England, and
they will be visiting Washington April 4-11. If you can host a
student for that week, including planning some fun activities over
the weekend, please let me know. On school days, the students will
come in with their host families and will be engaged in activities
here at school and in the city with their group, so host families are
responsible only for the evenings and the weekend.


Congratulations to our Middle School Debate Team, which has completed
their second very successful tournament! The team traveled to Bowie,
Maryland for the second of five debate tournaments sponsored by the
DC Urban Debate League on Saturday, December 8, 2012. Present at the
tournament were 183 debaters forming 61 teams from 14 different
middle schools. Sidwell Friends sent 11 teams, which included two
teams of two who lost their respective teammates to sudden illness on
the morning of the tournament. The tournament was a resounding
success for the Debate team. Sidwell Friends won the first place
trophy again with a 77.2% win rate (a record of 34-10, with five
teams going 4-0). Individual and team results were also excellent.
Sidwell teams won six of the top ten slots, including numbers one,
two, three and four (all of which were undefeated). In the individual
speaker point category, Sidwell Friends won 12 of the top 20 slots,
including numbers two, three, four, seven, eight, nine and ten.
Congratulations to the entire Debate team. The #1 team of the
tournament was Miles Zhang, Zach Mazlish and Casey Dorfman, #2 Ana
Mundaca, Madeleine Montagner and Julian Dixon, #3 Jade Lintott,
Ananth Shastri and Milan Vivanco, #4 Lucas Carvahlo, Amal Mattoo and
Cameron Gaillard, #7 Daniel Blatt and Jordan Chernoff and #8 Imran
Hussein, Samuel Rabinowitz and Jason Souvaliotis. Individual speakers
are too numerous but Amal Mattoo won #2 overall, #3 was Julian Dixon,
#4 Casey Dorfman, #7 Ana Mundaca, #8 Jade Lintott, # 9 Samuel
Rabinowitz and #10 Miles Zhang. Amazing results - congratulations to
everyone!


This year is No Name-Calling Year in the Middle School and the
Diversity Committee invites you to participate in our "Big Read", an
opportunity for our community to read books that explore issues in
diversity and promote discussion. This year, we have chosen two
books for the Big Read: Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja for grades 5/6 and
Quaking by Kathryn Erskine for grades 7/8. A note about Buddha Boy:
This book is generally recommended for ages 12+, due in large part to
the bullying language used and references to activities of the high
school students in the book. We think it is highly relevant to our
No Name-calling Year Theme. However, if you have any questions or
would like additional resources for your younger child, please
contact Julia Porter, Kimberly Clarkson or Leslie Segal. We invite
all students, parents, faculty and staff to read these books and ask
you to participate in our discussion about diversity and tolerance.


My best wishes to you all for a warm and restful winter break. Hold
your families especially close during these next few weeks!


Board of Trustees Community and Quaker Life Committee Invitation
As a vital step in the Sidwell Friends School Long Range Priorities
implementation planning, you are invited to a Special Session of the
Board of Trustees (Community and Quaker Life Committee) hosted by the
Parents Association concerning the role of Quakerism in the life of
the school:


The Quaker Audit


The SFS Board perceives a powerful consensus within the community for
preserving, renewing, and extending Sidwell Friends' identity as a
Friends school in the coming decades. How is Quakerism manifest in
the life and program of the school?


And


The Quaker Conversation


The opening of the Robert L. Smith Meeting House at Sidwell Friends
School at the center of the Wisconsin Avenue campus offers an
unparalleled opportunity to deepen our students' spiritual experience
on campus while convening a greater conversation within the broader
community. What kinds of events might illuminate this Quaker
Conversation?


Please mark your 2013 calendars and join us for one or both of two
meetings: Wednesday January 16 in the Robert L. Smith meeting house
and Thursday January 24 in the Lower School meeting house to discuss
these two topics.


6:30 Light supper


7:00 Introduction to Quakerism by Tom Farquhar


7:30 Tom and PA QLC and members of the Board CQLC lead small group
discussions


9:00 Adjourn


Rainforest Trip Meeting Tonight - new location
Amazon Rainforest Summer Trip for 7th and 8th graders-the information
session is TONIGHT (Tuesday Dec. 18th) at 7pm in the Art Studio (room
109) on the first floor. (The meeting will not take place in the
Drama Studio as previously announced.) This session is appropriate
for those who are planning to take the trip as well as those who want
to find out more. It's an important meeting, but if you cannot attend
and you plan to go on the trip, please let Margaret Pennock know this
week so she can get information to you before winter break.


Instrumental Music Notes
5/6 Full Orchestra and Handchime Choir Wednesday rehearsal period

7/8 Full Orchestra and Handbell Choir to Lower School January 18th 8
am -10:30 am


Fair Share Fund: Make Your Commitment Now
To meet the 90 for 90 Challenge, the Fair Share Fund needs an
additional 219 gifts or pledges from current parents by December 31.
We thank the more than 500 parents who have already participated in
the challenge!


What does $90,000 mean to the students? Here are two NEW examples:


$90,000 pays for software maintenance throughout the school.

$90,000 will cover the cost of transporting the School's compostable
materials to nearby farms for 15 years.


Please make your gift or pledge today! Parent volunteers are making a
final round of calls. You may contribute by speaking with a parent
volunteer, going online to www.sidwell.edu/support, phoning
202-537-8126, or mailing your contribution to the Office of
Institutional Advancement, Sidwell Friends School, 3825 Wisconsin
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016. Gifts and pledges can still be made
during Winter Recess through December 31.


Your participation counts! Thank you.


2013 SFS Live Auction
Check your mailbox. Your save-the-date for the 2013 SFS Live Auction
has arrived! Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 27, 2013, for
the 41st Annual Auction, Starry Night: A Celebration in the
Countryside in the Athletic Center at Sidwell Friends School. All
auction net proceeds go directly to student financial aid. This will
be a fabulous event you won't want to miss! Stay tuned for your
save-the-date postcard in the mail which will reveal very exciting
details about this year's event.


We need your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation
to the auction. Do you have any special ideas, talents, or
connections that you could donate or help us to arrange? For
questions, please contact events@sidwell.edu. We're especially
looking for:

* Gift certificates to dine at your favorite restaurant

* Vacation homes or other special getaways

* Access to unique experiences

* Tickets to sporting or cultural events

* Special wines and spirits

* Pampering connections for spas and beauty/health services

* Your own culinary expertise

* Toys and electronics

* Any extra American Express points, Thank You rewards, or airline
frequent flier miles that we can use to buy items or plane tickets


Not sure what to donate? Click here for inspiration. Please fill out
the Auction Donation Contract and fax to 202-537-8449, mail to the
school or e-mail to events@sidwell.edu OR you may donate directly
online by clicking here. Our deadline is February 1, 2013. Thank you
for your support!


2013 Auction Chairs

Ginger Dietrich (Olivia '24) and Maggie Prieto (Olivia '14 and Felisa
'16)


Save Your Shopping Bags For The Next To New Sale
The Next to New Sale chairs are always looking for great ways to
"Reuse, Renew, and Recycle" and even though our annual sale just took
place in October, we're already organizing for next year. You can
help by dropping your extra shopping bags into boxes located in the
Lower, Middle, or Upper Schools between Monday, Jan. 14 and Friday,
Feb. 15. We need department store bags, paper grocery bags, plastic
bags, reusable cloth bags, Ikea bags, etc. - we'll take any undamaged
shopping bags with handles. For more Information contact Anne Honn,
Next to New Sale co-chair, at anhonn@gmail.com.


Grandparents Day
This year the Middle School will host Grandparents Day on May 10,
2013. We want to make sure each student's grandparent receives our
event invitation. If you haven't already done so, please provide the
following information to Andrea at BrionesM@sidwell.edu.
Save-the-date postcards will be mailed to grandparents in January.
Thank you!

- Student Name

- Class Year/Grade

- All Grandparents Names (First and Last) and Mailing Addresses,
E-mail Addresses and Phone Numbers


Holiday Gift Wrap Fundraiser
Innisbrook is a program offering gourmet chocolates and treats,
unique gift items, and quality gift wrap. Forty cents of every dollar
from your purchases benefits Sidwell Friends' student financial aid
program. Visit www.innisbrook.com for more information and to place
your orders. When entering the site, please click the blue box on the
right side of the screen that reads "Family & Friends Support a
Fundraiser: Shop the Innisbrook Online Store." Next, enter the SFS
school code: 106348. Please be sure to enter this code correctly so
that 40 percent of the proceeds are properly recorded to our school.
Happy Holidays!


All Sidwell Friends Community Meeting for Worship
You are cordially invited to join us this holiday season for an
All-Community Meeting for Worship in the new Robert L. Smith Meeting
Room on the Wisconsin Avenue campus. Sidwell Friends invites parents,
alumni, past parents, students, and employees and past employees to
gather for silence and quiet reflection. Help us welcome the New Year
in silent worship.


Sunday, December 30, 2012

10:30 a.m.

Robert L. Smith Meeting Room


PA ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Community Service Corner
In the Spirit of Giving: Thank you for the overwhelming response to
the All School Holiday Toy Drive! The gift drive was so successful
that it was decided to spread the toys among our various community
partners. Accordingly, the Middle School toys have been delivered to
A Wider Circle, Lower and Upper School gifts were delivered to
Martha's Table and Rosemount. A Wider Circle provides basic needs to
families transitioning out of shelters or simply living without
life's necessities. For more information about A Wider Circle, please
go to this link.


Toiletry Collection: If you and your family travel over the holidays,
please consider contributing to the MS Toiletry Collection! Travel or
regular sized personal care items will be donated to our partner
organizations. A collection basket is in the MS office throughout the
rest of the school year.


Winter Solstice Message from the PA President
As we enjoy a variety of celebrations of light this December I am
reminded daily of the light in each one of us and that one of the
many joys of volunteering is that I have the opportunity to share a
little bit of the lives and wisdom of so many wonderful people. I
know that parents are also grateful for the thoughtful educators and
administrators playing such an important role in our children's
lives. As the new year comes, I hope we continue to hold each other
in the light and share honestly and compassionately what is in our
hearts.


With gratitude,


Kathi Webb


OTHER NEWS
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Nov/Dec Math Challenge Results
Congratulations to 8th graders Garrett Nixon, Matty Cheng, and Alan
Zhang, who were the only students to correctly solve the
November/December Math Challenge of the Month. Visit the Math Counts
Bulletin Board outside Mr. C's room or the Math Bulletin Board in the
5/6 hallway to see their brilliant solution methods.


Quaker Quotes


"Each of us has an inner teacher that is an arbiter of truth and each
of us needs the give-and-take of community in order to hear that
inner teacher speak." Parker Palmer


"Quaker Quotes" is a weekly submission by Melissa Belman, Holly
Moore, and Cynthia Terrell . We welcome your thoughts.


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Sidwell Friends School
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3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
Tel: (202) 537 8100
Fax: (202) 537 8499
http://www.sidwell.edu/

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