Don't miss Winged Wonders next Saturday, Sept. 16 at 9 am! Register online here.

Lower School News

Message from Kelly Pierre

This morning, we rang the bell to officially welcome the Lower School to the 2017-2018 school year. Here is what I shared with your children at the bell-ringing ceremony: "This year, our theme is "The Arts." All of you are artists. Some of you are dancers; others are painters. Some of you are drummers, and some of you sing. Some of you write hip-hop; some of you are cartoonists. Some of you draw, and some of you sew. Art is how you show your creativity and imagination, and each of you has your own style. You might make big paint strokes or produce loud beats, take high jumps or create little lines, use soft voices or write lyrics that rhyme. Your style is an extension of who you are, and there is no one way to be.

"We love each of you. We love your beautiful brown skin, your bright blue eyes, your glasses, your curly red hair. We love that your families come from different places and speak many different languages. We love that some of you have two moms, one mom, a dad or two dads, a mom and dad, or live with grandparents. We love that you are girls and boys who are awesome at sports and also like pink, who sing in the chorus, build things and aren't afraid to cry. We value each and every one of you. Each of you makes Friends' Central a better and stronger school. We are glad you're here and can't wait to see how you express yourself in the art that will soon cover our halls and classrooms."

Meeting For Worship & Welcome Gathering This Sunday!

All Lower School Families are invited to attend the Welcome Gathering on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2-4 pm. Join us for a brief talk about Meeting for Worship at Friends' Central before we settle into silent worship. This will be followed by popsicles and play time on the lower playground!

Join us for Winged Wonders & Bring a Friend!

We are thrilled to host the Monarch Butterfly Program Winged Wonders, a FREE science program for Lower School children and families, at the Lower School campus. Butterfly enthusiast Ann Ward offers her unique butterfly program that teaches children about Monarch migration and the wonders of exploration. Butterfly tag & release, art projects, face painting, and a snack will be offered at this free community program. Reserve your space here! Please spread the word, and we welcome you to bring a friend!

Register for Extended Day, Clubs, and Private Music Lessons!

Visit www.friendscentral.org/aux_programs to register for Extended Day, Lunch Plans, After-School Clubs, and private music lessons. For a sneak peek at our Lower School instrumental program, check out a video here.

Programs for Everyone - Register for LS After-School Clubs 

Registration is now open for the fall 2017 session of LS After-School Clubs! Along with great FCS-run offerings like FCS Maker, Hip-Hop and Improv, Origami, and Basketball, we are excited to partner with Wolf PAC and UK Elite Soccer to provide a wide range of options to K-5 students. Clubs begin the week of Sept. 25 and take place from 3-4 pm, unless otherwise indicated. Registration is open through 9/20. See the full listing of fall 2017 club offerings, pricing, and registration information on the After-School Clubs page of the website. 

Lower School Extended Day Program Drop-In Fees

This year, Extended Day Program (EDP) is proposing that all families who are not registered but are interested in dropping their child(ren) off to join Extended Day pay our fee on that day. The price of an Extended Day Program drop-in is $48 per child. We accept all major credit cards, and Erica Seay, EDP Director, will have a swipe connected to an iPad to read credit card payments. 

All families using our drop-in system are required to pay the amount due at the time of pick-up. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact Erica Seay.

Lower School Curriculum Night

Tuesday, Sept. 19

Lower School Picture Day
Wednesday, Sept. 20

Lower School Absence Line

Please call the LS absence line 610.645.5138 if your child will be absent from school. Please contact Pat DeSabato with any pick-up/drop-off changes during the day.

Become a Volunteer! HSA Meeting on Sept. 13

Home and School Association Volunteer Meeting, Wednesday, Sept 13, 8:15am

Come learn about all the exciting ways to get involved at the Lower School from volunteering at the FCS Pumpkin Fair, to helping with service projects, to assisting in the library. Committee chairs will be there to talk about all the HSA events throughout the year and how you can help. If you are unable to make the meeting please complete the volunteer survey.  

Mark your Calendar! It's Coming! Pumpkin Fair 2017
Sunday, Oct. 22, noon-4  

As part of an end-of-first-week celebration, the Middle School made giant bubbles!

Middle School News

Message from Alexa Quinn

To paraphrase one of my favorite musicals/movies, the halls are alive with the sound of Middle School students! Our focus this week was to orient students, help them connect and reconnect to both teachers and students, and to lay the foundations for our learning community -- both in individual classrooms and for the Middle School as a whole. We were excited to end the week with an all-Middle School maker activity this afternoon. See photo at left, and stay tuned for more!

As we get everything up and running, I have a fair amount of information to share with you this week. Please read the following and let me know if you have any questions!

Curriculum Night: Middle School Curriculum Night is this coming Thursday, September 14 at 7 pm. Please join us to meet your child's teachers and to learn more about the curriculum for this year. We will gather in the Meeting Room of Shallcross Hall, and I will begin at 7 pm by sharing some remarks. Parents/guardians will then travel to their child's advisor's room. Click here for Alexa's full message.

MS Absence Line

Please call the MS absence line 610.645.5137 if your child will be absent from school.

Purchase Your Fall Sports Apparel!

Through a partnership with Wayne Sporting Goods, FCS students, parents, and alumni/ae are now able to purchase customizable spirit gear items with the name of their fall sport and the School seal on each item. The sport options for fall are Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, and Water Polo. There are a variety of clothing and accessory options to choose from. When you place an order, the items will be mailed directly to your home. Click here for the Online Store through Wayne Sporting Goods which is open until Sept. 15.

Upper School students head to class on the first day of school

Upper School News

Message from Bill Kennedy

Our first week in the Upper School has been marked by two important achievements. First, returning students and teachers have made their new classmates and colleagues feel welcome all over campus, from the classroom to Meeting for Worship, from the stage to the playing fields. We look forward to all these new learners will share with us as we expand and enrich our Upper School program. Next, the students have proven themselves ready to meet an even greater challenge: moving from the dining hall in Shallcross -- one of the kids' favorite spots -- to our temporary eating space in the Rex Gym. While I must confess to some trepidation about this move, the students have taken to their new digs with positive energy and goodwill. They have begun to make the "Rexeteria" or the "Rextaurant" their own! In addition, when the weather is good, many students have been taking advantage of the new picnic tables around campus and the newly installed tent on the Felsen Common.

We look forward to seeing parents and guardians of 9th and 10th grade students on Tuesday (9/12) for our first Curriculum Night of the year. Click here to read Bill's full message.

Upper School Screen on the Green
Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7:45 pm

Upper School Curriculum Nights
Grs. 9 & 10 Parents: Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 pm

Grs. 11 & 12 Parents: Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 pm

US Absence Line

Please call the US absence line 610.645.5136 or email usattend@friendscentral.org if your child will be absent from school.

Purchase Your Fall Sports Apparel!

Through a partnership with Wayne Sporting Goods, FCS students, parents, and alumni/ae are now able to purchase customizable items with the name of their fall sport and the School seal on each item. The sport options for fall are Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, and Water Polo. There are a variety of clothing and accessory options to choose from. When you place an order, the items will be mailed directly to your home. Click here for the online store through Wayne Sporting Goods, which is open until September 15.