January Alumni/ae Newsletter

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | Volume 2 • Issue 5

Dear Alumni/ae,

Happy New Year from all of us at FCS! I hope 2018 is off to a fantastic start for you and your family. The break was a restful one, and we are excited to be back on campus. To read about some of the many highlights from the school year thus far, click here!

Be sure to share your news with us, as well; whether it's life and family updates, school or business information, we want to hear from you! Click here to send us a note to share in the "notes from friends" section of the next magazine. Photos are encouraged!!

I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2018, full of learning, health, and happiness. Friends' Central continues to be a phenomenal school, in large part because of you, our alumni/ae, and your support and dedication to your alma mater. I hope to see you at one or more of the exciting events that we have planned for the year.

Sincerely,

Linda Waxman Wasserman '75

Alumni/ae Board Tradition: Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

For over 10 years, the Alumni/ae Board has celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by joining FCS students in a day of service. This week, they continued the tradition by assisting our youngest students with an art project for Families Forward Philadelphia, an organization providing support services, education and shelter for homeless families. What a great way to start off the year and to help bring together people, strengthen communities, and support underserved groups. Read more about student service here.

Big Athletic Performances at FCS

This winter athletic season has already included big performances and hard-earned recognition for a number of FCS athletes. Early in the indoor track season, Gabby Wilkinson '18 has earned the national rankings of #1 in the 800m and #3 in the 1 mile events. Several other teammates, also recently took home wins at the Hill Prep Invitational. From the Varsity boys' basketball team, Toure Mosley-Banks '18 was named Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week in December. We can't wait to see what else is in store this season. Check out the FCS Athletics Twitter feed for more!

Benj Pasek '03 Wins Golden Globe

Alumnus Benj Pasek '03 is continuing to heat up the charts with his second consecutive Golden Globe win for Best Original Song - "This Is Me" from The Greatest Showman - earlier this month. Click here to read more about his exciting whirlwind of a year. Pasek is pictured on right at the awards ceremony with songwriting partner Justin Paul. Listen to members of the Upper School Chorus perform "This Is Me" on Fox29 last month here.

Long Range Planning Committee

Thank you to the nearly 400 alumni/ae who offered their thoughtful, candid, and constructive feedback through the Long Range Planning survey. Your input is vital for shaping the direction of Friends' Central as the planning process continues over the course of this school year; please stay tuned for updates from the Long Range Planning Committee in the coming months.

Thank You for Your Generosity!

Thank you to everyone who included Friends' Central in their seasonal giving plans this year. Over the holidays, our generous community brought the Friends' Central Fund halfway to our annual goal and also met the Edward E. Ford Foundation challenge to raise $100,000 in order to receive a $50,000 grant towards the Shallcross Hall renovation. The Foundation's contribution will help fund the Teaching Kitchen portion of the renovation.