Nursery, Pre-K, and K had a visit from the insectarium today, and some students bravely touched a tarantula! Photo courtesy of Brie Daley @briebdaley

Lower School News

Ice Cream Social & Nursery Play Date this coming Thurs., May 17!

Meet current and new FCS families and celebrate the spring at our Ice Cream Social on Thursday, May 17 on the LS campus. Playdate for Nursery families, new and current, takes place from 6-6:30 pm followed by an Ice Cream Social for all Lower School families from 6:30-7:30 pm. We hope to see you there! Please RSVP to Anna Miano at amiano@friendscentral.org ASAP. 

Recent Events in the Light Lab!

Click here for a chart of a snapshot of the dynamic, creative projects held in all four studios of the Ulmer Family Light Lab. 

Grade 5 to 6 Transition Coffee with Alexa Quinn: Tuesday, May 22 8:45 am, MS Room 10

Wonder how athletics works or where to pick up and drop off? Parents of rising 6th graders (current 5th graders) are invited to a morning coffee with Middle School Principal Alexa Quinn. She will be answering your questions about the transition from the Lower School to the Middle School.

Photos from Grandparents'/Special Friends' Day

Click here to see photos from the recent Lower School Grandparents'/Special Friends' Day.

Do you have paper grocery bags? Please send them to LS!

Science teacher Tiffany Borsch would like to collect paper grocery bags for the farm. We will use them under straw to combat weeds. If you have paper grocery bags, please drop them off in the LS science room. Thank you!

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 

Menu for the week of May 14-18

Monday, May 14: Yaki Soba noodles w veggies, salad, fruit

Tuesday, May 15: Chicken Enchiladas, veggies, fruit

Wed., May 16: Broccoli Alfredo, garlic bread, salad

Thursday, May 17: Herb roasted chicken, salad, fruit

Friday, May 18: Pizza day!

Pictured are students taking part in the Culture Through Cuisine mini-course this week. Click here for more photos of mini-courses

Middle School News

Message from Alexa Quinn

Thank you to our parent volunteers from grade 7 for providing a delicious and beautiful Faculty Appreciation Tea on Thursday. It was fitting that this year's tea fell during "Teacher Appreciation Week." On behalf of the Middle School faculty, thank you for your support of our work with your children each day.

A quick update from our April 30 Earth Force Service Day in Morris Park: We removed over half a ton of garbage and invasive plants from the park. Thank you to MS parent Jesse Lytle and daughter Janie (grade 7) for kicking off the day with a presentation on the causes and impact of climate change, as well as ideas of what we can each do to create a healthier, more sustainable planet.

Congratulations to Julia Beyer and Krisangi Bhargava (grade 8) for exceeding their goal and collecting around 190 items for the Ardmore Food Pantry. It has been exciting to see all of the 8th graders working on their Earth Force projects, which cover a variety of topics and require bringing awareness around an important social and scientific issue affecting our local and global communities.

Congratulations to our Latin students for winning 22 awards at last weekend's regional Philadelphia Classical Society Awards. Magistra and all of us are very proud! The different awards involved knowledge of the language, mythology, and artistic creations. A special congratulations to Esmé Yanowitz (8th grade) for winning the Best of the Best in Show for her drawing of the goddess Apate.

We have had a fantastic three days of mini-courses, each of which involved academic work in areas outside of the usual curriculum, connecting with new people and exploring places in and around Philadelphia. I am grateful to the Middle School faculty for their flexibility in moving these mini-courses from March and putting so much attention and energy into them at an already-busy time of year. Thank you to all of our MS students for their excitement about and engagement with mini-courses this week.

Students ERB reports are available now. If you would like your child's scores, please contact Marian Petrarca. Have a wonderful weekend!

Middle School Concert - Next Friday, May 18 at 7 pm

Don't miss the MS Concert, featuring the orchestra, jazz ensemble, and chorus, next Friday, May 18 at 7 pm in Shallcross Hall!

Grade 8-9 Transition Coffee with Bill Kennedy - Thursday, May 24 8:00am, MS Room 10
Interim US Principal, Bill Kennedy will be available to answer any questions you may have about the transition from the Middle School to the Upper School.

Middle School Parent-Child Game Day is coming! May 17 at 2 pm

Join your child(ren) for one of the most fun days of the year - MS Parent-Child Game Day, which takes place Thursday, May 17 at 2 pm. Regardless of your skill level, we hope you will join us! Please let us know you're coming by filling out this form by Monday, May 14.

Speed Camp for MS & US Students

FCS Speed Camp is designed for athletes 10 and up to learn and apply proper running mechanics and acceleration to take individual athletic development to the next level. Camp will be led by Jason Kilgore, Director/Head Coach of Track & Field and Cross Country at West Chester University. Coach Kilgore holds USATF Level 2 certifications in Hurdles/Relays and Jumps while also earning USTFCCCA Specialist certifications in Sprints/Hurdles/Relays and Jumps, as well as strength and conditioning. Alongside Coach Kilgore will be FCS Varsity Baseball coach Matt Rowley. Coach Rowley earned a master's degree in exercise science and has been an assistant indoor track coach at Lower Merion HS since 2014. He was a member of a WCU record-breaking 4x400 meter relay and held the individual indoor 300m record. Rowley has also spent time working as a minor league strength and conditioning coach with the LA Dodgers and the Texas Rangers. Cost of the speed camp is $175; dates are June 11, 13, 18, 19 from 4:00-5:30 pm. Register here.

So thrilled to have Amile Jefferson '12 back on campus yesterday for an assembly to retire his FCS basketball jersey!

Upper School News

Message from the Upper School Office

What a busy week we've had in the Upper School! On Wednesday, many of our students enjoyed an alternative form of Meeting for Worship, including various types of meditation, creative approaches to reflection, and hands-on activities that were soothing and spiritual. On Thursday, we were delighted to welcome back to campus Amile Jefferson, Class of 2012, whose jersey we retired in a ceremony in Shallcross. A captain of a national championship basketball team at Duke, Amile has continued to follow his passion for the Iowa Wolves and the Minnesota Timberwolves. An outstanding role model, Amile is as easy to admire as he is to cheer for.

Speaking of welcoming friends back to campus, today's career day featured many alumnae/alumni meeting with current students to talk about their work in the arts, business, politics, and education. Tonight also marks the debut of Learning With Friends, a new program in which current teachers are joined by some of their former students in order to offer engaging classes to alumnae/alumni, past parents, and friends of the School. Also today, student council organized and ran its first Meeting for Worship for Business in decades.

Many students participated in Reunion as athletes and performers. As always, it was fun to watch the current kids interact with their predecessors.

There are two big events coming up on Wednesday––one for the 10th graders and one for the 12th graders. In what has become a traditional celebration and rite-of-passage, Laurie Novo and her team of 10th grade advisors will be taking the class to Ocean City, NJ for the day. Please remind your 10th grader to bring along sunscreen! Another kind of celebration happens that evening, time for the Upper School Academic Awards Ceremony at 7:30 pm in Shallcross. Parents of 12th graders and the 12th graders themselves are invited to recognize those seniors who have won awards this year. (If your child is among those being honored, you will have received a separate invitation.)

We are enjoying this beautiful spring weather and the last couple of weeks of classes before exams.

Spring Break 2019 Equinox Trip: Iceland!

What do glaciers, auroras, ice caves, and hot springs have in common? Iceland! And, potentially, your Upper School student! All are invited to a brief, interactive meeting for grade 8-11 parents and students on Wednesday, May 9 at 7 pm. Click here for more information.

Screen on the Green - Saturday, May 19
Student Council will be showing the movie Black Panther at Screen on the Green (outdoor movie for US students) on Saturday, May 19 at 8 pm. 

Join us for A Chorus Line - May 24 and 25 at 7 pm! 

Don't miss the 9th/10th Grade Play A Chorus Line on Thursday and Friday, May 24 and 25 at 7 pm in Shallcross Hall! Click here to download the event poster.

Speed Camp for MS & US Students

FCS Speed Camp is designed for athletes 10 and up to learn and apply proper running mechanics and acceleration to take individual athletic development to the next level. Camp will be led by Jason Kilgore, Director/Head Coach of Track & Field and Cross Country at West Chester University. Coach Kilgore holds USATF Level 2 certifications in Hurdles/Relays and Jumps while also earning USTFCCCA Specialist certifications in Sprints/Hurdles/Relays and Jumps, as well as strength and conditioning. Alongside Coach Kilgore will be FCS Varsity Baseball coach Matt Rowley. Coach Rowley earned a master's degree in exercise science and has been an assistant indoor track coach at Lower Merion HS since 2014. He was a member of a WCU record-breaking 4x400 meter relay and held the individual indoor 300m record. Rowley has also spent time working as a minor league strength and conditioning coach with the LA Dodgers and the Texas Rangers. Cost of the speed camp is $175; dates are June 11, 13, 18, 19 from 4:00-5:30 pm. Register here.