Germantown Friends School: Parents

A Message from the Drama Department: Poley Festival 2012

The annual Poley Festival was designed as a showcase of drama students’ year-long work in theatre, whether in original productions or scenes or full plays by other authors. If a student writes a play or a monologue and would like to stage a reading of it—or even a cast production—the Poley Festival presents the opportunity to do so.

During his years as a teacher and administrator at GFS, Irvin Poley, class of 1908, began to gradually introduce drama into the curriculum, first as an academic pursuit, and later in performance. Poley eventually built a foundation for the tradition of excellent training in the visual arts, creative exploration in the literary arts, and expansive intracurricular and extracurricular activities in drama and music, which became an increasingly important focus within the larger mission of the school.

This year’s Poley Festival will take place on May 17-20, with daily performances in the Yarnall Auditorium. Click here for a complete production list.
Ninth Grade Musical, “The Music Man,” This Weekend!

Each spring, the ninth grade comes together to perform a musical. This annual, grade-wide tradition, started in the 1940s by then-choral director Mary Brewer, is a great bonding experience for the freshman class.

This year’s show, The Music Man, is directed by Kelly Jennings, with musical directors Taia Harlos and Teri Gemberling-Johnson. Performances will take place on Saturday, May 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Loeb Performing Arts Center, and on Sunday, May 13, at 2 p.m., also in the Loeb.

Please come out and support the ninth-grade class!
2012 Art Show is May 24

This will be the third annual Lower, Middle, and Upper School Art Show.

The reception will be held Thursday, May 24, in the following locations at the following times:

Lower School: 4-6 p.m. in the Cary Building and the Library
Middle School: 5:30-8 p.m. in the Sharpless Building (including the new Middle School art rooms)
Upper School: 5:30-8 p.m. in the Front Hall and third floor of the Main Building

Please join us for refreshments and light repast. And stick around for the the Middle and Upper School Instrumental Concert (the last one of the year) in the Loeb Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.!
Transportation News

Blue Bell Shuttle Update

Effective Monday, May 21, the Blue Bell Shuttle location (both AM and PM) will be Wings Field, 1501 Narcissa Road, Blue Bell PA. There will no longer be a pick-up or drop-off at Sentry Parkway. There is a small parking area immediately when you enter the driveway to Wings Field, which will be the pick up/drop off location.

2012-2013 Transportation Forms

Attention parents: See below for the transportation forms for the 2012-2013 school year. Please complete the form that pertains to your child/ren and return to GFS as soon as possible and before May 25, 2012. Pricing information for private transportation and shuttles is included on the appropriate form.

Please note that we’ve added a shuttle stop in the Queen Village area at 5th & Bainbridge. If you plan on riding the shuttle, please complete the shuttle transportation form (new this year). Forms may be returned to GFS via email to transportation@gfsnet.org, via US Mail to Transportation, 31 W. Coulter St., Phila., PA, 19144, or with your child to the appropriate division office.

GFS Philadelphia Public School Transportation Form 12-13

GFS Private Transportation Form 12-13

GFS Shuttle Schedule 12-13

GFS Shuttle Transportation Form 12-13

GFS Suburban Shuttle Form
Blood Drive

GFS is hosting a Blood Drive on Wednesday, May 23, in the Smith Gym, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Parents should email Gen Nelson at genn@gfsnet.org if they would like to make an appointment.
Sign Up for GFS Summer Camps

GFS camps are an amazing summer opportunity. A selection of 20 camps, each at an affordable price! Your children will be thrilled to spend a week or more playing a sport, creating art or building computer skills. Enriching and enjoyable, these camps are led by experienced GFS coaches, teachers, students and alumni. Click here to download brochures about each camp, and to register on-line. You are just one click away from summer fun!

If you have any questions, please call the athletics office at 215-951-2331, or send an email to camps@gfsnet.org.
2012-2013 Health and Emergency Forms

Please review this letter from the school nurse, Marie Larkin, for important information regarding 2012-2013 Health and Emergency Forms: Letter from Marie Larkin on Health-Emergency Contact forms. Access the forms here.

Art Show Announcements

The Fourth Annual Lower School Art Exhibition will be held on Thursday, May 24, 4-6 p.m. All of our Lower School students will be represented with at least one piece of art in this exhibition. The show will be in collaboration with the Middle and Upper School Art Exhibition, scheduled for 6-8 p.m.

Volunteers to provide refreshments are greatly appreciated. We welcome any and all donations of refreshments to celebrate our talented artists! Please contact Heather Chu Marvill at hcmarvill@gfsnet.org or 215-951-2232 if you have any questions or would like to volunteer to bring a dessert.

We look forward to seeing you on May 24!
Yard Sale!

The Steacy and Rutledge classes are having their annual Yard Sale on Tuesday, May 29, from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Kindergarten playground. Come shop for books, DVDs, CDs (for children and adults!), games, toys, puzzles, tents, housewares, and more. Everything is reasonably priced. The proceeds will provide uniforms, shoes, backpacks and books for school children in Larteh (La-tay), Ghana.
Last Day of School

The last day of school for Lower School students is Wednesday, June 6. Students will be dismissed at noon. Please disregard any information about school ending on June 7, as stated in the 2011-12 Blue Book.
Upcoming Field Trips

Monday, May 14: Rouse Science Trip to the Schuylkill Center, 9:15 a.m.

Tuesday, May 15: Fleisher Science Trip to Harper’s Meadow, 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday, May 16: Maebori Science Trip to Harper’s Meadow, 8:30 a.m.

Thursday, May 17: Yoo Class Trip to Paek Kwon Do School and Korean Soft Tofu Restaurant, 9:45 a.m.

Friday, May 18: Pinkus Class Trip to Chinatown, 9:30 a.m.

Sixth Grade End-of-Year Trip

For the end-of-year sixth-grade trip, we would like your student to earn his or her money for the trip. Here is the Sixth Grade End of Year Trip 2012 Permission Form with all of the relevant information.
Seventh Grade End-of-Year Trip

The seventh grade will go on its annual trip to Dorney Park on Tuesday, June 5. Please see the Dorney Park Permission Form for details.
Eighth Grade End-of-Year Trip

The eighth grade overnight trip to Pine Forest Camp in Greeley, PA, will take place on Monday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 5. Please see the Eighth Grade Overnight Permission Form for details.
Arrangements for Last Two Days of Middle School

Middle School will end on Thursday, June 7, at 12 p.m., after the final Meeting for Worship. Final Meeting for Worship, which begins at 11:15 a.m., honors the eighth grade as they graduate to Upper School. A reception on the Meetinghouse porch for eighth grade families will follow the final Meeting for Worship.

Please also note that Wednesday, June 6, will be a half day for grades K-12. This arrangement enables the Lower School, which closes at 12 p.m., to have all buses arrive at that hour. The After School Program will be open until 6 p.m. on June 6.
Sponsoring New Students in Ninth Grade

We are soliciting eighth grade students to sponsor new students in ninth grade next year. Please see the Sponsor Request for Current Eighth Graders letter for details. If you wish to sponsor a new student in next year, please e-mail Saku Longshore at Sakul@gfsnet.org. We do hope you will consider undertaking this fun and exciting way of making new acquaintances!
Summer Academic Programs

Here is a compilation of Summer 2012 Academic Programs offered at area schools and other institutions. These programs can be useful for those students who need to brush up on some skills over the summer.

Parent Talk: Drugs and Alcohol

Join Upper School Parents for a follow-up discussion on teen issues, including drugs and alcohol, on Wednesday, May 16, 8:30-10:30 a.m. in the Library Classroom.
Independent School College Fair

The Independent School College Fair will be held on Tuesday, May 22, at Germantown Academy. See the College Guidance page for more information. Upcoming college fairs and college information sessions and receptions are listed in the NEWS section of the College Guidance page under IMPORTANT DATES (on the right side of the page). Click on these links for detailed information, including lists of which colleges will be in attendance as well as links to register for the events.