October Alumni/ae Newsletter

Tuesday, October 3, 2017 | Volume 2 • Issue 2

Hello Fellow Alumni/ae,

I hope everyone is enjoying the warm start to Fall! Last week the Alumni/ae Board had our first meeting of the school year and we're excited to delve into new opportunities to work with students. This year we will be expanding our role within Senior Project— a self-directed, yearlong study that includes community service and often offers Seniors work experience. In addition to helping connect Seniors with potential projects, we are hosting a professional development workshop to assist them with networking, interviewing, and resume writing, among other "real world" skills. We'll be excited to share more details next month.

We're looking forward to seeing many local alums on October 19 at our first alumni/ae event of the year and we hope to connect with many of you throughout the year. Keep an eye out for other regional events in the coming months!

On campus, students have been working together through the Service Committee to send supplies to communities impacted by recent hurricanes. Please know that all of our thoughts are with any families that have been affected by the storms.

Wishing you a wonderful Fall,

Bess M. Collier '96

Alumni/ae Board President

Isabel Friedman '08 Swims English Channel

Congratulations to alumna Isabel Friedman '08 (pictured on left) who swam the English Channel this September in a five member all-female relay team! Meeting through the San Francisco Dolphin Club, the team documented the big swim and their journey on social media. Check out their Tumblr and you'll find: (1) what it's like to swim in 50°water, (2) they are featured in an Athleta campaign this November, (3) video of Izzy racing her brother Elias '06... we'll leave it to you to guess who won...

Aqil Rogers '13 Teaches Hands-On Design

Paper crafts, sewing, electronics, and robotics can all be found in the classroom of Aqil Rogers '13 this year at Mastery Charter in West Philadelphia. After writing his senior thesis on Empowering Underserved High-Schoolers to Engage in Design/Maker Education through Hip-Hop and DIY Electronics at Drexel, Aqil is now teaching students through hands-on design projects as an ArtistYear fellow. From Aqil: "The goal is to bring more fabrication and project learning into the rich culture they already have." Read more about his work here.

Students Give Back on International Peace Day

Students recently participated in One Day, One Goal, a global movement that celebrates the unifying power of sport on International Peace Day. At a special assembly, Matt Bernstein '08 talked to students about the CTC Ten Foundation which he helped found in honor of Christopher T. Campbell '04 and promotes the personal development of youth through sport in Khayelitsha, South Africa. Afterwards, students gathered for soccer, crafts, a bake sale, and other activities on the center oval while raising funds for the foundation. You can catch a video of the day here.

Thank you Green Week Donors!

It's not too late to join over 150 alumni/ae, parents and friends who made Green Week Gifts to the Friends' Central Fund. All gifts made before October 6 are counted in our Green Club and go immediately to work this school-year. Click here to learn more about giving at FCS; click here to make a gift today. Click here to make a gift through Venmo. Thank you to all who gave early and generously this 2017-18 school-year!

Meet The Shallcross Challenge!

Say this for Shallcross Hall—it was always easy to remember what it looked like when you were a student, as it was more-or-less unchanged since 1981. What's nice for nostalgia doesn't work so well for implementing new findings in nutrition or keeping 36-year-old kitchen equipment working. Shallcross Reimagined, a long-overdue updating of the dining hall and art gallery, is well underway. And you can help! Friends' Central was awarded a $50,000 challenge grant from The Edward E. Ford Foundation, for Shallcross, specifically the inclusion of a Teaching Kitchen within the total renovation of the Dining Hall. Read more here. Help meet the challenge by making a gift here.

Bess Phillips '76 and Jim Davis to Perform

Alumna Bess Phillips '76 and former music teacher Jim Davis will be performing pieces by Bernstein, Verdi, Mozart, Hundley, Schummann, Purcell, and Strauss among others on Sunday, November 5, 2017 at 3 pm at The Church of the Loving Shepherd in West Chester, PA. They look forward to making music together again and invite local alums to join them for this free program followed by a reception. Bess has been singing professionally since her FCS days and has returned to campus to sing over the years. Jim is now in his 7th year as alumni associate and archivist after retiring from teaching at FCS after 39 years.