On-line version (April)
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In the April 2009 issue...
The Virtues of Not Knowing
by Steven Kushner, Director of Studies
On my first visit to GFS, I entered through the back gate, so it wasn’t until much later in the day that I saw the banner hanging from the front of the Meeting House. It read: “Let us then try what love will do”. Even on that first day, I sensed that this phrase reflected much about the spirit of the school community. Read more
Community Involvement: Community Will Blossom in April
Spring has already brought new life to Germantown: April is a big month for community involvement at GFS, classes and clubs are getting outside and off campus to explore our amazing neighborhood. It’s a month for meeting neighbors, tilling gardens, planting seedlings, shopping on “the Avenue”, eating lunch in Germantown restaurants, donating clothing, celebrating poetry & jazz, walking “against hunger”, and working in Fairmount Park. Read more
Thank You from the Admissions Office
The Admissions Office would like to thank all the GFS parents who have helped to bring new families to GFS! The recommendations you make, the positive portrayal of our school community, and the friendly welcome you extend is better than any print, radio, or web advertisement or invitation! Read more
Lunch Tickets: A Thing of the Past!
Tired of finding washed up lunch tickets in the laundry? Want to know about the food your child has purchased? Eager to stop dispensing tens and twenties on demand? Read more
Traffic and Parking at Fields During Spring Sports
Please help keep our students safe, our neighbors friendly, our security officers efficient and effective, our buses on time, the traffic flowing smoothly, and because it is worth repeating, our students safe. Read more
Community, Commitment and Stewardship
As the days grow longer, so seemingly do our tasks at hand. Supporting our children, their academic needs, athletic abilities and other gifts and talents, is rewarding to be sure, but can also be demanding. So, too, can our commitment as members of the GFS community. The rewards we see in our children’s lives are incredibly gratifying, but how can we meet the demands to keep GFS poised for success in future years, particularly in difficult economic times? Read more
Celebrating GFS Alumni: If a Tree Falls in a (Maine) Forest, Kate Dempsey ’84 is Listening
For Kate Dempsey ’84, one of the most transforming GFS experiences was 9th grade Experience Day, when she had to put herself in “a situation outside my comfort zone.” “I walked up and down Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill wearing a sign that said ‘$.59,’ and I had to talk with people who came up and asked me about it,” she explains. Read more
Lower School Art Exhibition – April 28, 5-7 p.m.
GFS will celebrate the first Lower School Art Exhibition on Tuesday, April 28 from 5-7 p.m. “Please come to see work by all of our young artists from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade,” said art teacher Heather Chu Marvill. Read more
Summer Camps Information
GFS will be offering a variety of camps this summer open to GFS and non-GFS students. We welcome your children and your children's friends. Read more
The Virtues of Not Knowing1
by Steven Kushner, Director of Studies
On my first visit to GFS, I entered through the back gate, so it wasn’t until much later in the day that I saw the banner hanging from the front of the Meeting House. It read: “Let us then try what love will do”. Even on that first day, I sensed that this phrase reflected much about the spirit of the school community.
There is much in this text that spoke to me on that day: it is written in the form of an invitation, not an edict or a commandment; the word ‘then’ seems to acknowledge a history, perhaps of struggle and failed attempts; the word ‘love’ was so boldly and courageously evoked in the heart of a school campus. But what especially struck me on that first day was the verb: ‘try’.
The verb spoke volumes. It signaled a willingness to take risks in pursuit of a lofty goal; a readiness to move beyond the comfortable and venture into the unknown; a commitment to shared responsibility and a collective enterprise; a willingness, even an eagerness, to move beyond the purely intellectual to action.
As part of my work at GFS, I have the opportunity to observe teachers and students at work together in their classrooms. I see this same spirit of eager engagement—the willingness to give it a try—abundantly alive in each classroom: third grade science students formulating hypotheses about electrical conductivity; fourth and fifth graders researching and creating a newspaper about ancient Greece; sixth graders full of questions that delve deeply into the role of DNA and RNA in protein synthesis; tenth grade French students role-playing entirely in French; eleventh grade history students debating the causes of the French Revolution; and eleventh grade math students fielding questions from their classmates as they solve problems at the board. I also see this spirit of eager engagement evident in the many students who choose a challenging elective, or who try out for a sport or a music ensemble or a theater production for the first time.
In a chapter entitled The Virtues of Not Knowing”, Eleanor Duckworth writes:
“…of all the virtues related to intellectual functioning, the most passive is the virtue of knowing the right answer. Knowing the right answer requires no decisions, carries no risks, and makes no demands. It is automatic. It is thoughtless.
…The virtues involved in not knowing are the ones that really count in the long run. What you do about what you don’t know is, in the final analysis, what determines what you’ll ultimately know.
It is, moreover, quite possible to help children develop these virtues. …accepting surprise, puzzlement, excitement, patience, caution, honest attempts and wrong outcomes as legitimate and important elements of learning, easily leads to further development.” 2
Sustaining a culture of inquiry—reveling in the questions, profiting from puzzlement, growing from a willingness to venture beyond what we comfortably know—is increasingly challenging in this age of education-as-achievement, when clinging to ‘measurable outcomes’ seems to comfort those less comfortable with ambiguity and paradox and complexity and nuance, and when an alphabet soup of standardized tests– ERB’s, PSAT’s, SAT’s, ACT’s, and AP’s—are often employed more as ‘sorting hats’ than as a true indication of a student’s growth. How fortunate we are at GFS to be in a community of teachers and students who know that an education that “…seeks the truth [and] challenges the intellect” is an education that seeks to be primarily transformative, not merely informative. How wonderful to be in a school where, everyday, teachers and students alike are eager to engage in what Parker Palmer calls “an eternal conversation about things that matter, conducted with passion and discipline” 3.
Now, three years later, as I arrive at GFS each morning through the Coulter Street entrance, I often find myself glancing towards the Meeting House to see if that banner has re-appeared. Though I haven’t seen the banner since my first visit, I know that as soon as I climb the steps to campus, I can look forward to another day filled with that vital spirit of engagement, in a community of teachers and students who, no matter how challenging the question or complex the task, are ready to jump in and give it a try.
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1 Duckworth, Eleanor. "The Having of Wonderful Ideas" and Other Essays on Teaching and Learning. New York: Teachers College Press, 1996.
2 ibid
3 Palmer, Parker. The Courage to Teach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.
Community Will Blossom in April
by Kathy Nicholson Paulmier '79, director of community involvement
Spring has already brought new life to Germantown: April is a big month for community involvement at GFS, classes and clubs are getting outside and off campus to explore our amazing neighborhood. It’s a month for meeting neighbors, tilling gardens, planting seedlings, shopping on “the Avenue”, eating lunch in Germantown restaurants, donating clothing, celebrating poetry & jazz, walking “against hunger”, and working in Fairmount Park. Robust new initiatives are “leafing” out, such as the Germantown Poetry Festival and the Germantown Health Fair. Neighbors and business owners are gathering regularly to communicate about the Germantown Avenue Reconstruction Project and to band together to help one another.
The Student Community Action Committee would like to promote Germantown businesses and restaurants this year during the construction. The complex, positive work people are doing is reassuring, even hopeful. With Community Week coming up this month April 18-25 offering opportunities for students to get to know Germantown, I want to encourage everyone to join us or tune in to neighborhood events in your own communities to feel connected and hopeful.
Germantown Monthly Meeting has begun discussions about a local gardening project. At the outset we hope it will be a joint Meeting-School-Neighborhood venture. This spring work has already begun at one site: the Quaker retirement community, Stapeley in Germantown, at 6300 Greene Street. If you would like to volunteer to help with this gardening project, please email Rob Smith, Meeting member at: rob@retina.anatomy.upenn.edu.
Community Involvement Events in April:
• Beginning Monday, April 6: Fetterman Class Clothing Drive. Clean out your closets and bring your clothing to room S-120, in the Sharpless Bldg. Please bring the clothes in plastic bags. No hangers, please. These will be donated to the Whosoever Gospel Mission for their thrift shop.
• Saturday, April 11, Walk against Hunger 9:30 AM along the Schuylkill River. http://www.hungerwalk.org/. Are you interested in joining other GFSers on the walk? or in making a donation to the Coalition Against Hunger? Contact Upper School Community Action Committee leaders: Lydia Kring ‘09, and Mia Samuel ‘09. lkring@gfsnet.org or msamuel@gfsnet.org
• Saturday, April 18 10 AM - 1 PM Spring into your Park Day at Vernon Park with the Friends of Vernon Park. Clean up flowerbeds. Questions? Contact Sue Finch at the Friends of Vernon Park:SueMFinch@aol.com
• Saturday, April 18, Noon-5 PM. The Third Annual Germantown Poetry Festival in Vernon Park! Words cannot describe this festival of words and community. See the website to get the flavor and whet your appetite: http://www.germantownpoetryfestival.org/index2.htm
• Sunday, April 19, 10am-4pm: The Historic Germantown consortium is presenting "A Great Day on the Great Road,” a community history festival in Vernon Park.
• Friday, April 24, 8:10-2:35: Tenth Grade Community Work Day. The student organizer this year is Madison Alig ’11. We are seeking parent chaperones. Are you interested? Please contact Madison Alig ’11: malig@gfsnet.org or Karen O’Brien:kobrien@gfsnet.org.
9:30-1:30 Work Projects off campus. Confirmed projects so far include: Church Lane Community Garden, Inn-dwelling home renovation, Stapeley garden, Small World Discovery Center Day Care, the Whosoever Gospel Mission, and a cooking project for the face-to-face outreach ministry at St. Vincent’s.
• Monday, April 24-Saturday, April 29: Community Week! Get to know your neighbors and the neighbors around GFS in a variety of projects. Already planned: sandwich making at lunch, litter pick ups between School and Field, lunch off-campus in Germantown, Wister visits to Field. Got an idea for a project? E-mail Kathy Paulmier at kathyp@gfsnet.org
• Saturday, April 25, 9 AM - 12:00 Noon. Wissahickon Day! Join the Upper School Community Action Committee along with various Environmental Action Clubs to lend a hand in the Wissahickon watershed. Contact Karen Cherubini: kcherubini@gfsnet.org.
If you get the urge to volunteer this spring, don’t hesitate to contact any of the people below. Parent chaperones are still neeeded for the Middle School Project Time groups. Seventh grade meets Tuesdays from 11:35-12:35. Eighth Grade meets Wednesdays from 10:50-12:20. The groups in need of adults are:
Deaf Culture Class at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and Outdoor Volunteers at Grumblethorpe Historic House Museum, and Garden and the Church Lane community garden, both within easy walking distance of GFS. Interested? Contact Michelle Mactavish of the Parents’ Association: michmact@hotmail.com. or Rob Hewitt at GFS: rhewitt@gfsnet.org.
I am on short leave until the fall. If you have food to donate from a class project or leftover from an event, here are some good places to take it:
Covenant House for homeless youth
31 E. Armat Street (across from our remote parking lot)
215-923-8350
Contact: Bianca Lee, Kitchen manager
The Whosoever Gospel Mission
101 E. Chelten Avenue
215-438-3094
Contact: Rev. Bob Emberger, Director
Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry (non-perishable)
35 W. Chelten Ave.
215-843-2340 or cell phone: 215-500-8884
Contact: Eileen Jones, Director
Holsey Temple CME Church Feeding Ministry
5315 Germantown Avenue
267-972-5249
Contact: Reverend Jones, Program Director
In terms of who is covering what while I am away:
• My office: Karen O'Brien
• Upper School Community Action Committee: Andrea Egberg
• Middle School Community Action Committee: TBD
• Tenth Grade Work Day: Karen O'Brien, Andrea Egberg, Florence Mini, Kristen Wong, Madison Alig '11.
• Twelfth Grade Work Days: Karen O'Brien, Andrea Egberg, Elissa Sunshine, Mia Samuel '09, Lydia Kring '09.
• Project Time groups out in the community: PSD, Holsey Temple day care, Outdoor volunteers, GFS nursery: Rob Hewitt, coordinator.
Happy Spring, everyone!
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Thank You from the Admissions Office
The Admissions Office would like to thank all the GFS parents who have helped to bring new families to GFS! The recommendations you make, the positive portrayal of our school community, and the friendly welcome you extend is better than any print, radio, or web advertisement or invitation!
The Admissions Office relies on GFS parents to notify us about prospective families, to help with tour guiding at Open Houses, to attend our front hall receptions and coffees in neighborhoods, and to reach out to accepted families in the month of February. This year we are especially grateful to the leadership of the Parents' Association for their extraordinary efforts. Pamela Laucks, Colleen Christian and Kate Stover provided invaluable assistance, particularly in connecting incoming families to GFS parents. The warm welcome new families received was timely and greatly appreciated.
So, we thank you all for faithfully contributing to the school's efforts. You and your children enliven and enrich our community each and every day.
Sincerely,
Laura Sharpless Myran, for the GFS Admissions staff
Community, Commitment and Stewardship
by Jeanine Baron, Parent Annual Giving Co-Chair
As the days grow longer, so seemingly do our tasks at hand. Preparations for Classics Day, the 8th grade musical and Spring Break swarm with summer camp opportunities in our household, and I can’t help but reflect upon how quickly this year—and Middle School for our youngest son—has passed. Supporting our children, their academic needs, athletic abilities and other gifts and talents, is rewarding to be sure, but can also be demanding.
So, too, can our commitment as members of the GFS community. The rewards we see in our children’s lives are incredibly gratifying, but how can we meet the demands to keep GFS poised for success in future years, particularly in difficult economic times?
In the fall, I wrote an article for this column sharing my hope that each member of our community would consider their role as stewards for Germantown Friends School. It’s been a difficult year financially for many of us, yet during our annual phonathons in the fall, we received a resoundingly positive response to our request for continued stewardship by asking parents to support the Annual Giving Fund.
At this writing, slightly more than half of our community (53%) has supported Annual Giving, and we’ve raised $208,000. Your contribution is so very important to this mission, and we have just three short months left to reach our goal! The amount of your gift is consequential; the act of giving is not. The bounties of resources we are able to provide our children through this fund are innumerable with 100% participation, but we can only reach that number with your help.
For those who have already contributed, thank you so much for your generosity. If you have not yet pledged or donated, please consider doing so before the end of Spring Break. Make your Parent Annual Giving contribution now to participate in our 2008-09 Stewardship theme, and help us achieve our financial and 100% parent participation goals.
In October, Dick Wade sent a letter home to each GFS family with the following message: “As we continue on this journey into a new economic terrain, I count on all of our parents to support each other and the school. I believe we will find the best in each other.” I have found the best in many, many GFS families over the years, and know that I can count on these families—our community—to support one another in the months and years to come. Best wishes for a restful (and warm!) Spring Break.
Or call the Development Office at 215-951-2340 to make a donation by phone. Of course, if your blue envelope is still around collecting dust, that works, too. But please give. Something. GFS needs our support now more than ever.
Lunch Tickets: A Thing of the Past!
Later this spring, a new purchasing system will be installed in the lunchroom and the Hargroves snack bar as part of the school’s continuing efforts to save costs. Parents will pre-pay for their child’s food purchases through an on-line account at www.mealpayplus.com.
Williamson’s, our food service manager, will install a reader that scans an individual’s thumb for identification. At checkout, the system will capture what was purchased and automatically debit the mealpay account.
Watch for more information and “how to” instructions in the coming month. Once the accounts have been set up and identification data entered, the system will go live. Parents can expect more accurate accounting, and the school will experience a substantial savings in management fees.
Tired of finding washed up lunch tickets in the laundry? Want to know about the food your child has purchased? Eager to stop dispensing tens and twenties on demand? You will love the new system!
Traffic & Parking at Fields During Spring Sports
Please help us keep our students safe, our neighbors friendly, our security officers efficient and effective, our buses on time, the traffic flowing smoothly and because it is worth repeating, our students safe. Here are the guidelines for traffic and parking at Field:
- Parent parking/pickup is permitted and encouraged at the following locations: The Oak Road, Wissahickon Avenue and on Coulter Street off of Wissahickon.
- Middle school parents are encouraged to make arrangements to pick up their children after practice back at GFS Main Campus. Free shuttle busses are available to transport children from field to GFS.
- Parking/stopping is not permitted in front of private driveways or fire hydrants.
- Double parking/stopping anywhere is not permitted.
- Do not block the entrance/exit from the coaches/officials lot on Midvale Ave.
- Do not block the emergency entrance/exit gates on
School House Lane.
- Do not stop, park or block the school bus area on Midvale Ave.
Celebrating GFS Alumni
If a Tree Falls in a (Maine) Forest, Kate Dempsey ’84 is Listening
by Meg Cohen Ragas ’85, director of annual giving
For Kate Dempsey ’84, one of the most transforming GFS experiences was 9th grade Experience Day, when she had to put herself in “a situation outside my comfort zone.” “I walked up and down Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill wearing a sign that said ‘$.59,’ referring to the amount of money women made at the time to every man’s dollar, and I had to talk with people who came up and asked me about it,” she explains. That this man-on-the-street exercise translated into a career in public advocacy for land conservation makes perfect sense, if you know Dempsey. “I think the point of this and so much else I got to do at GFS is that I was allowed—and encouraged—to test my own limits, explore my politics and build my own sense of self,” she says. “I found my passions and put them into action. That, combined with the school’s strong belief system, set me on my path.”
That path took her from Germantown to Bowdoin College, then on to Habitat for Humanity VISTA, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, an urban and environmental policy graduate program at Tufts University, public health campaign work and two congressional offices, before landing in The Nature Conservancy’s Maine field office six years ago as a senior policy advisor. “We’re an international organization with a mission to protect bio-diversity of land and waters that plants and animals need to survive,” says Dempsey. “We work on policy strategies that contribute to making the world’s environment healthier and sustainable. These strategies, to be most successful, include humans, and don’t shut them off from their environment.”
On any given day, Dempsey finds herself involved in everything from creating policies to help reduce carbon emission to helping farmers and land owners put conservation practices in place to spearheading river restoration projects. The fact that she works on U.S. policy but is based in Maine “is the best of both worlds. I’m constantly looking at ways to take big pieces of legislation and make sure [The Nature Conservancy’s] science and mission are fed into them. I can see the work we do in Washington have a positive effect in Maine and, hopefully, throughout the world.”
Dempsey’s world got a little smaller a few years ago when her close friend and classmate, Abby Maxman ’84 [CARE International’s Country Director for Ethiopia], bought the property 200 yards from hers. “She spends the month of July up here and it’s just amazing. While it’s not the same as when we used to hang out at the Jersey shore (because now we’re always chasing children around), spending summer days with Abby Maxman and her family is one of my great joys in life.”
So who is Dempsey most excited to see when she returns to campus in May for her 25th reunion? Della Micah, her former lacrosse coach. “Della had a way of coaching that made us excel and be the undefeated, championship-winning team we were without ever yelling at us. She practiced with us, so there wasn’t this endless hierarchy that was negative. She saw everyone’s potential and helped them achieve it, individually and as a team member.” This illustrates what Dempsey identifies as the core philosophy that defines GFS: The idea that students are a part of something larger than themselves.
“The message to all students was: You are a part of society, no matter where you land, and you can make a difference,” she recalls. “You have a mission beyond your daily self. You are part of a broader community.”
It’s a message Kate Dempsey has certainly taken to heart.
Kate Dempsey is a featured Alumni Weekend speaker. Her talk, Stories from the Ground: Is There Room for People in Conservation?, will take place on Saturday, May 9, at 1:15 p.m. in the Hargroves Center, Room 201.
Lower School Art Exhibition – April 28, 5-7 p.m.
GFS will celebrate the first Lower School Art Exhibition on Tuesday, April 28 from 5-7 p.m. “Please come to see work by all of our young artists from Kindergarten through Fifth Grade,” said art teacher Heather Chu Marvill. The show will include ceramics, sculpture, paintings and drawings. There will be work inspired by Georgia O’Keefe, Faith Ringgold, Chuck Close and Vincent Van Gogh. Also including works that depict animal dreams, Japanese Coi Kites, Acrylic paintings, Optical Illusions and Pointillism.
The premire viewing of “An Art History Timeline”- a claymation movie created by Haon and Fiberger classes. There will be music provided by lower school artists, and woodworking art from third through fifth grade.
We are asking for families to help to provide dessert. Create a fantastic, whimsical dessert! Please contact Heather Chu Marvill if you would be willing to provide a dessert for this event or if you have any questions. hcmarvill@gfsnet.org, 215-951-2232
Click here for more information
We look forward to seeing you there!
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For the first time, GFS is offering two summer basketball camps: a day summer camp (June 16-19) and an elite high school program (June 22-24). For detailed information about the basketball camps, click here.
List of GFS Summer camps: Follow this link for registration information:
June 15-19: End-of-Year-camps
- Basketball (grades 2-10)
- Computers (grades 1-4, AM only)
- Soccer (K-6)
- Girls Sports (grades 1-6)
- Strategy Games (grades 5-9, AM only)
June 22-26:
- Baseball Camp (boys, grades 5-9)
- Girls Soccer Camp (girls only, grades 5-9)
June 22-24 (3 days only):
- Boys High School Elite Basketball Camp (grades 9-12, 9:30am-1pm)
July 13-17:
- Soccer Camp (co-ed, grades 5-9)
August 10-14:
- Tennis Camp (no details yet)
August 17-21:
- Tennis Camp
- Girls Only Soccer Camp (grades 5-9)
- Boys Only Soccer Camp (grades 5-9)
- Field Hockey Camp (girls only, grades 5-9)
Award-Winning Poet to Speak on April 6
On April 6, award-winning Germantown poet and activist Trapeta Mayson, a native of Liberia, will read her poetry to students and lead a brown bag lunch discussion and writing workshop. She currently works with the Painted Bride Art Center and the Art Sanctuary, and has conducted poetry workshops at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute, and the Germantown Women’s Center. Mayson is scheduled to perform as a headliner at the 2009 Germantown Poetry Festival in Vernon Park on April 18th.
Science Night Assembly to feature Wynn Calder ’79
Wynn Calder ’79, president of Sustainable Schools, LLC, will be the speaker at this year’s science assembly on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:05 a.m. in the Loeb Center. Calder consults with K-12 schools to create awareness and build environmental literacy and sustainability into strategic planning, teaching and institutional practices. “I introduce faculty, staff and students to the basic concepts of sustainability, what it means for the school, why it matters and how they can make a difference.”
More No-Waste Lunches Coming!
The 5th grade Environmental Action Committee (EAC) is encouraging the entire Lower School to pack a lunch with reusable containers, napkins and utensils on special dates this spring. “No Waste Lunches” will be every other Wednesday in April and May: April 8, April 22 (Earth Day!), May 6, and May 20.
Science Building Construction Update
The upper school sustainable urban science center has sprung up on Coulter Street next to the Alumni Building, swiftly moving toward a July 2009 completion. The exterior is nearly completed and work is progressing on the interior plumbing and electrical systems, including many sustainable features that are projected to earn the building a LEED certification. The building will be put into service at the opening of the school year in September, but sneak previews will be offered in April during the annual Science Night and at Alumni Weekend in May. See more information and a live view at www.germantownfriends.org/sciencebuilding.
Germantown Ave. Reconstruction Update
Be sure to check the GFS website for regular updates as we receive them from PennDOT. www.germantownfriends.org/avenue
The first street closure is scheduled to begin March 30, affecting the blocks of Germantown Avenue south of Queen Lane to Ashmead Street. Queen Lane will remain open, but will be temporarily two-way on the block approaching Germantown Avenue.The SEPTA Route 23 bus will be detoured to Greene Street, from Seymour to Maplewood. Students should board the 23 at the corner of Coulter and Greene Streets. GFS security will be assigned to this area.
Student Diversity Leadership Training Conference
The Multicultural Affairs program at GFS will provide a Student Diversity Leadership Training, an interactive, experiential and thought-provoking opportunity for a diverse group of 30-40 Upper School students on Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m, with an optional dinner/social time from 7-9 p.m. Students who commit to this experience will acquire new knowledge and perspectives, engage in dialogue with their schoolmates, and will discuss issues of identity, race, class, and gender in innovative ways. Four facilitators will engage the large group at the beginning of the day, and will work with students in rotating sessions of small group workshops that will focus on two different topics. At the end of the small group sessions, the whole group will come together for sharing, debriefing, and dialogue. Students will come away from this experience with a knowledge base and skills for furthering their learning about identity, discrimination, and social justice and will feel more equipped to be leaders in these discussions in the GFS community.
Earth Force Awards Grant to Students
5th grade students in the EAC wrote their own grant proposal to Earth Force, requesting support for their campus pond and woodland project. They succeeded! A check for $200 was donated to GFS for their work. It will be officially announced at the Earth Force Summit in Philadelphia on April 29.
Calling All Volunteers
Watch for your chance to volunteer with the Parents’ Association for all kinds of activities next year. The spring volunteer form will be available soon on the GFS website, where it’s easy to sign up. GFS is known for its “parent power” thanks to those who give tours at Open Houses, work on booths at Fun Day, serve as class representative – and much more. Join us!
GFS Featured in New Book on Friends Schools
Hot off the press! “Philadelphia Friends Schools” is a photographic history of the ten Quaker schools founded in or near Philadelphia before the 20th century. The GFS archives yielded a compelling trove of images that depict Friends educational philosophy in action on our campus. The book, part of a series produced by the Arcadia Publishing Company, will be available at Browser’s for $21.99, after March 28. Call 215-951-2376 or email “browsers@gfsnet.org” to place an order.
Next Parents’ Association Meeting in May
The Parents’ Association meeting scheduled for April 14 will not take place. Mark your calendars for the final meeting of the year: Wednesday, May 20 with Head of School Dick Wade. Join us at 7:45 p.m. in Yarnall Auditorium (Sharpless Building) for an update on everything GFS.
SAGA Conference on April 26
The upper school Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA) has invited area schools to a GFS-hosted conference on Sunday, April 26 from 1-5 p.m. The schools invited include Germantown High School, CAPA, Central High School, Friends' Central School, Friends Select School, Germantown Academy, and Abington Friends School. The conference will address the topics of isolation, stereotypes, media, ally-building, and support networks.
Day of Silence on April 17
SAGA is sponsoring an day of silence on Friday, April 17 for the middle and upper schools. SAGA will be educating the community during the week of the Day of Silence regarding the impact of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. The Day of Silence was founded in 1996 at the University of Virginia.
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