Early Risers
Wake up and get moving!
Early Risers is a voluntary intramural basketball program for students in grades 4 and 5. It provides an opportunity for boys and girls to have fun while learning fundamental skills and playing basketball in a cooperative team setting.
Early Risers meets on Tuesday mornings from 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. in the Field House/Scattergood Gyms for two five-week sessions: one in late fall and the other before Spring Break. There is a nominal registration fee to cover costs and, while not required, the purchase of an Early Risers T-shirt is recommended. This program cannot run without the support of parent volunteers. Brandon Jones, the Assistant Athletic Director and Boys Varsity Basketball Coach, heads up the program but parent assistants are needed. Student registration forms will be sent in the weekly Parent Press message prior to each session.
Animal Care
Help with the care of our science room animals!
This activity, started in the early 1900's by legendary science teacher, Joe Cadbury, provides students in the fourth and fifth grades the opportunity to learn care and feeding skills of the animals in Geoffrey Selling’s science room. Each of the fourth and fifth grade classes has three slots during the year, with approximately eight students per slot. Students come from 8:00 am – 8:30 am in their slotted time, every day for about two weeks. Students care for a chosen animal, often with a partner, for 3 - 4 days and then switch to a different animal. All students are encouraged to try it; second turns are only given out once everyone who wishes to participate has had an opportunity to do so.
Animal care also takes place during the Afterschool program in Karen Cherubini’s science room. This activity takes place once a week and is geared toward responsible students in grades 3 and up. Students will learn firsthand how to handle, feed and care for the animals that live in Karen’s room.
Germantown Friends School Instrumental Lesson Program
Do re mi fa sol la ti do!
Private music lessons are offered from grades 3-12; Instruments Offered: violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, guitar, and piano. Most lessons are scheduled during the school day (during free periods). Piano lessons are scheduled after school. All students, whether taking private lessons at GFS or outside school, are welcome to participate in the various orchestras and ensembles, which are part of the school’s musical life. There are four recitals scheduled throughout the school year. Everyone is required to perform in at least one recital per year. The school has a collection of musical instruments that may be rented by students in the instrumental program as available, at a cost of $95 per year. Semester bills are sent out twice a year, at a cost of $400 for weekly 30-minute music lessons; $608 for weekly 45-minute lessons. The first semester runs from October-January and second semester runs from February-May. Some financial aid is available upon written request.
In order to establish a solid basis for both students and teachers, families should understand that lessons are a yearlong commitment. In cases of absence or class trips, teachers should be notified by families, and vice versa. Scheduling and oversight are done by Danielle Garrett. Inquiries may be directed to her at 215-951-2329 or via email.
Instrumental Teachers:
Our faculty members are all experienced teachers who work in other music schools as well as GFS. They are also freelance professional musicians and bring to the program both teaching and performance expertise.
Brian Adamczyk – clarinet, saxophone
George Atanasiu – cello
Fran Berge – violin
Peter Delaplane – guitar
Beth Dzwil - violin, viola
Duane Large – guitar
Michael Loewy – piano
Judy Rubin – piano
Jane Petersons - flute
Jeff Torchon - jazz piano
Renee Warnick - violin, viola
Daniel Webster – french horn, trumpet, trombone
Lunch Art
Tap into your inner Picasso!
Lunch Art is an informal program that will be offered periodically throughout the year as a time for students to catch up on class art projects. It will take place during the lunch hour, from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm and is open to any grade level.
Music Ensembles
Let’s make some music together!
Debbie Stahl, Taia Harlos, Shawn Henessey
Orchestra
- Open to Lower School students who have been taking private lessons on an orchestral instrument for more than 1 year, by audition
- Fall (October thru December) and Spring (April thru June); on Thursday afternoons 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
Jazz
- Open to Lower School students who have been taking private lessons on an instrument (guitar, wind or brass) for more than 1 year, by audition
- Fall (October thru December) and Spring (April thru June); on Thursday afternoons
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
World Percussion
- Open to students in 4th & 5th grade
- Fall (October thru December) and Spring (April thru June); on Thursday afternoons 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
An additional World Percussion group may be offered on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the number of interested students. There is a maximum of 15 students per World Percussion group.
Math Club
Puzzles, numbers, logic – oh, my!
Sharon Askew and Kim Lewis
Math Club is offered twice weekly to students in grades 4 and 5. Students are invited during lunch or recess to play math games, work on puzzles and solve logic problems. Some favorites of our students include: Math 24 Game and Math Olympiad. This activity is voluntary and students are welcome to come as often as they like. The main idea is to make math fun!
Environmental Action Clubs
Earth Day…every day!
Fourth Grade EAC:
Karen Cherubini
Fourth graders are invited to join the Environmental Action Club for 10 weeks in the Spring. The club meets after school one day each week. The students will brainstorm different ways to reduce our carbon footprint and then implement one or more plans using the Earth Force paradigm. This program encourages students to research and direct their own ideas and to report back to the community.
Fifth Grade EAC:
Geoffrey Selling
Interested fifth graders are invited to apply to join the Environmental Action Club, which meets weekly every Monday afternoon from the end of September through the end of the school year. The EAC is affiliated with the national organization Earth Force, and strives to nurture and develop environmentally responsible citizens who:
- Understand environmental issues
- Know how to identify problems
- Know how to research solutions and create a plan to solve problems using skills such as:
- Public speaking (and speech writing)
- Designing effective posters
- On-line advocacy
- Fund raising
- Talking to people in power
Club size is limited to 20 students, there is a $30.00/year snack fee, and there is a mandatory parent volunteer component (two Mondays of the year).
Mandarin
Ni Hao!
For the third year, Germantown Friends School will partner with the Main Line Chinese Culture Center to provide weekly Mandarin classes for students in grades K – 5. Since 2008, the MLCC has partnered with a number of local public and private schools to provide classes intended to enhance the cultural understanding between China and the United States. In these weekly afterschool sessions, children will be taught various aspects of Mandarin culture, including basic vocabulary and phrases. Snack will be provided. There is a registration fee to cover the cost of the instructors. Advance registration is required and additional information will be posted in Parent Press prior to the start of each session.