KB makes the most of the snowy weather this week. Photo by Kristi Kallam @teach_kb
 

Lower School News

Message from Melody Acinapura

What a week in the Lower School! It's hard to believe that it's been a full week since last Friday's surprising storm that left us without power until Monday evening. The second midweek bout of snow and delayed opening added another layer of complication to our schedules and routines, but we are so incredibly grateful to all of our families, faculty, and students for their flexibility and patience this week. We look forward to being back on track next week, and we want to especially thank our facilities team and our kitchen staff for working so hard to ensure our community was kept safe and well fed! Please let us know if your family is still without power or if there is anything else you might need while recovering from this wild weather. March coming in like a lion seems to be an understatement, and I know I am not the only one ready for the lamb part of the month to finally arrive! In the meantime, please note that parent-teacher conference slots will remain open until Sunday night, and we urge all families to sign up for a time with your children's teachers in the coming weeks!

LS Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-ups Available on Veracross

Registration for Lower School Parent-Teacher Conferences is available on Veracross. Click here to register. Extended Day is available during your conference time and for a cost for a longer stay/full day. Register for Extended Day during conference day here. 

Kindergarten Movie Night Tonight! 6-8:30 pm: Secret Life of Pets!

Children can come dressed in PJs and drop off their sleeping bags, blankies, favorite stuffed animals, etc. in the Meeting Room and then come up to the cafeteria for pizza dinner. Siblings are welcome. Parent dinner is a potluck. (Children must be accompanied by an adult.) 

Get Ready for Baseball! Baseball Clinic for ages 6-12 this Sunday!
Sunday, Mar. 11, 2018, 1-3:30 pm • Cost: $50
The clinic will be held on the City Ave. campus in the Linton and Shimada gyms. The focus of this clinic is to prepare each player for their spring season. Players will work in small groups with the FCS coaching staff and Upper School baseball players on all phases of the game. We will teach and practice throwing and fielding skills, hitting, and base running. Players will work in groups based on their age and ability. Click here for a registration form and more info. Please complete the form and bring it with you on Sunday or mail it to: Varsity Baseball Coach Jon Rubin, 854 Roscommon Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.

Lower School Parenting Workshop: "Supporting Executive Functioning in Your Children" with Perk Musacchio, M.Ed., and Jessica Corsaro, Lower School Counselor - March 15

Thursday, March 15 • 7 pm • Lower School Meeting Room

We will explore and discuss practical strategies for supporting study skills, keeping backpacks organized, managing time and space, and helping establish and stay consistent with routines. If you have specific areas that you would like to address please include it on the RSVP form. Click here to register.

Don't Miss the MS Play The Phantom Tollbooth: March 16 & 18

Please join us – and bring your friends and family – for this spring's Middle School play The Phantom Tollbooth. Find out what happens when Milo receives an unexpected surprise in the mail, leading him on an adventure of word play and learning. The play is suitable for all ages and is sure to delight the audiences on Friday, Mar. 16 at 7 pm and Sunday, Mar. 18 at 2 pm in Shallcross Hall. Stay for an ice cream social following the performance on Sunday! 

Save the Date! LS Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day for Pre-K-Grade 2 - April 25
This year, Lower School Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day will take place after school on Wednesday, Apr. 25 for Pre-K-grade 2 families. Please send your grandparent and special friend names and addresses to Matt Cohen so invitations can be mailed to them later this month.

Registration for Spring Break Camp is Open!
From March 26-30, children age 3 to grade 5 are welcome to join us on the LS campus for arts, crafts, and more. We offer a balance of structured activities and free play opportunities, experienced early childhood educators, cooperative rather than competitive activities, and a low staff/child ratio. Click here for more info.

Summer Camp Registration is Open for All Camps!
Check out our Mighty Maker Camp for grades K-4 using the Lower School Light Lab. To learn more, contact Kat Clayton in the Summer Programs office at summerprograms@friendscentral.org or 610-645-5132.

LETTUCE FEED YOU 

Monday, 3/12: House-made veggie chili w/ cornbread muffins, tossed salad

Tuesday, 3/13: Ground turkey tacos, raw cut veggies

Wednesday, 3/14: Pasta bar! Your choice of red, alfredo, or parmesan cheese, garlic bread, tossed salad
Thursday, 3/15: Vegetable fried rice, tossed salad 

Friday, 3/16: Pizza day!

Don't miss MS play The Phantom Tollbooth - next Friday, Mar. 16 at 7 pm and Sunday, Mar. 18 at 2 pm in Shallcross!

Middle School News

Message from Alexa Quinn

Today, we enjoyed a performance by famous Indonesian dancer Didik Nini Thowok, brought to us by Intercultural Journeys. Mr. Thowok shared information about his work as an artist, the spiritual components of his dancing, and the ways that he uses traditional Indonesian dance to explore modern ideas about gender and roles in society. Mr. Thowok is a major star in his home country, and we are so grateful to him for sharing his culture and art with us today during his first visit to Philadelphia! His final performance in Philadelphia will take place this Sunday, March 12 at 7pm at International House Philadelphia (3701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia). Tickets are available, and you can read more about Mr. Thowok on Intercultural Journeys' website.

The Phantom Tollbooth: March 16 & 18

Please join us – and bring your friends and family – for this spring's Middle School play The Phantom Tollbooth. Find out what happens when Milo receives an unexpected surprise in the mail, leading him on an adventure of word play and learning. The play is suitable for all ages and is sure to delight the audiences on Friday, Mar. 16 at 7 pm and Sunday, Mar. 18 at 2 pm in Shallcross Hall. Stay for an ice cream social following the performance on Sunday! 

Mini-Courses

From March 21-23, Middle School teachers and students will participate in three days of mini-courses. We look forward to three days of engaging, unusual, and thought-provoking learning experiences, both in and beyond our classrooms. Students were introduced to this year's mini-course options in a special assembly last Friday, and their groups will be posted next week. Families will receive an electronic permission slip with additional information about the course and any field trips, if applicable, next week.

Spring Athletics Have Begun!

Students have begun their spring sports. Please remind your child to pack the appropriate athletic attire and equipment each day, including clothing/shoes that work for being indoors or outdoors once the snow melts.

ERB Standardized Tests: March 15, 16, 19, & 20

On March 15, 16, 19 and 20, all Middle School students will be taking the ERB standardized tests. There will be a special schedule, and students will take the tests from 8:30-10:40 each morning. Students need to bring #2 pencils, a calculator and a book (in case they finish early) every day during the ERBs. Students who arrive later than 8:30 am, even by a few minutes, will have to make up the tests during athletics, so please make every effort to ensure your child is at school on time, and try to avoid scheduling appointments during these mornings. If you have any questions regarding the tests, please contact Margaret Somerville via email or telephone. You can contact the Middle School Office in late April if you are interested in obtaining copies of your child's scores.

Get Ready for Baseball! Baseball Clinic for ages 6-12 this Sunday!
Sunday, Mar. 11, 2018, 1-3:30 pm • Cost: $50
The clinic will be held on the City Ave. campus in the Linton and Shimada gyms. The focus of this clinic is to prepare each player for their spring season. Players will work in small groups with the FCS coaching staff and Upper School baseball players on all phases of the game. We will teach and practice throwing and fielding skills, hitting, and base running. Players will work in groups based on their age and ability. Click here for a registration form and more info. Please complete the form and bring it on Sunday or mail it to: Varsity Baseball Coach Jon Rubin, 854 Roscommon Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010.

MS/US Students & Parent/Guardians: SpeakUp! - Mar. 20
Join us on Tuesday, Mar. 20 at 7 pm in MS Room 10 for SpeakUp! SpeakUp! enables teens to talk openly, honestly, and without judgment about difficult topics and reach out for support within their homes and schools as they navigate the journey to become healthy, confident adults. Click here to register.

Upper School News

Message from the Upper School Office
Writing during yet another week of challenging winter weather, we want to thank everyone involved in last week's production of The Comedy of Errors for taking the unexpected rescheduling of Friday's show to Saturday afternoon in stride. We were excited to host the Cappies (student journalists and theatre lovers who attend and review one another's shows) on Saturday afternoon and to read their appreciative reviews. We're also thrilled to report that last week's blood drive yielded 39 units of blood; thanks to everyone who participated in this life-saving activity...and we'll see you again in the fall! Click here to read the full message.

9th & 10th Grade Spring Fling - Tomorrow, Mar. 10
​(​hosted by Student Council​ ​& Peer Mentors​)​

The 9th & 10th Grade Spring Fling will take place tomorrow, Saturday, Mar. 10, on the 1st floor of the Main Building; 7:30 pm mocktails & hors d'oeuvres; 8-9:30 pm dancing. Semi-formal attire.

InterAc Art Show - Mar. 14
Many of our US students have work on display at the annual InterAc show. It is being hosted by Baldwin this year and the opening is on Mar. 14* from 4-6 pm. Please stop by if you are able to see what our students and those at our peer schools are creating and to celebrate our artists and the visual arts as a whole. *Please note, this event was rescheduled from Mar. 7 due to the snowstorm.

US Indian Assembly - Mar. 16

Parents are welcome to join us on Friday, Mar. 16, in Shimada at 9:40 am for our second annual extravaganza of Tabla (Indian drums), Bhangra dancing, henna painting, and some Indian snacks. 

Go for the Green - Ice Cream!
Green ice cream will be sold next Friday, Mar. 16, the day before St. Patrick's Day, to raise money for the upcoming Junior-Senior prom. It will be sold at Middle School and Upper School lunches. Mint chocolate chip and cookies 'n' cream cups or cones for $3. (No food dye!) Come and support the Prom Committee's efforts to keep the prom tickets at a reasonable cost!

MS/US Students & Parent/Guardians: SpeakUp! - Mar. 20
Join us on Tuesday, Mar. 20 at 7 pm in MS Room 10 for SpeakUp! SpeakUp! enables teens to talk openly, honestly, and without judgment about difficult topics and reach out for support within their homes and schools as they navigate the journey to become healthy, confident adults. Click here to register.

Gr. 11 and 12 Parents - Reminder: AP Exam Registration

The deadline for registering for AP Exams is March 21. Register your child here.

Yearbook Orders
If you haven't ordered the yearbook for your student (especially your Senior), now is the time. The deadline is fast approaching. Click here to order. No need to sign in; just click on yearbook then add to cart, and it will automatically bring you to the page where you designate recipient name, etc. The yearbook will be delivered to our campus. All parents: Please be aware, if you have not ordered a yearbook, there will not be extra copies available to purchase after the deadline date, so please make sure that you order your yearbook today.

Help Us Get to Carnegie Hall!

Please support our singers on their upcoming trip to Carnegie Hall in NYC to work with Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre. Eat at Snap Pizza in Ardmore on Thursday, March 15 between 5-9 pm. Show this coupon on your phone, and 50% of the proceeds will benefit the US Chorus NYC trip. 

Message from College Counseling

Tenth graders are invited to take the practice SAT/ACT combo test on Sat., April 7 at 8 am at FCS. Click here to register. Registration deadline is April 4.

Grade 11 Parent Gathering - Tonight 7-9 pm in the OPA Room Come enjoy an evening of fellowship with friends. Walk-ins welcome!

Grade 12 Parent Happy Hour to Toast our 12th Grade Teachers
Wednesday, Mar. 21, 6-8 pm at Iron Hill Brewery. Kindly RSVP to Jamie Sheller so we can have an approximate headcount.