Thanks for reading the March 8, 2018 newsletter, emailed to all SSFS families each Thursday afternoon during the school year with news, photos, upcoming events, and "must-know" info. 

View This Week's Newsletter on our Website

Thanks to all the faculty, staff, and students who put together--and performed during--Tuesday's All-School Nina Simone Assembly in celebration of Black History and Women's History Months. The assembly featured music, dance, spoken word poetry, book readings, and performances by students from age 3 through 12th grade. Read more about the assembly here, and see photos online, and on Vidigami. 

• Fri, Mar. 9: PA Meeting for Worship, 8:00-9:00 am, Meeting House
• Sun, Mar. 11: Daylight Savings Time begins - remember to move your clock forward one hour!
• Fri, Mar. 16: PA Community Connections Committee Meeting, 8:00-9:00 am
• Fri, Mar. 16: Post-Prom Planning Meeting, 8:00-9:00 am, Scott House Living Room
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 19-23: MS Immersion Week; US Intersession Week
• Thurs, Mar. 22: PA Fundraiser at Jersey Mike's Subs - Show this flyer and 15% of the proceeds will be donated back to SSFS!
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 26-30: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
• Mon, Apr. 2: Classes resume
• Tues, Apr. 3: FriendsFest Planning Meeting
• Wed, Apr. 4: "Discover SSFS" Admissions Event (RSVP here)
• Wed, Apr. 4: PA PEP All-School Event - "Tackling Technology," 7:15 pm, Scott House Living Room (See more details)

See more All-School events...

What: In our 3rd PA-sponsored PEP workshop this year, the topic is "Tackling Technology," and is for parents in all divisions. In this workshop, we will explore some of the problems caused by excessive electronic use, as well as ways to set limits around technology and ideas for improving connections with your children through technology. Read more here, or see flyer with info from all workshops for 2017-18 (note change in location from Yarnall to Scott House).
Where: Scott House Collection Space/Living Room
When: Wednesday, April 4, at 7:15 pm
Who: Parents with kids in preschool through 12th grade
Questions: Contact Kathleen Landers

See videos and tip sheets from past PEP workshops here:

• November 1 PEP talk, "Problem Solving with Teens" with Robbye Fox (Password SSFS); plus, see one-pager for tips and highlights
• November 29 PEP talk, "Taming Morning Mayhem" (Password SSFS); plus, see one-pager for tips and highlights

On Tuesday, March 6, SSFS students, faculty, and staff gathered for an All-School Assembly in celebration of both Black History and Women’s History months. The assembly celebrated the life of Nina Simone, American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and activist in the Civil Rights Movement. With contributions from all three divisions, it was a mixture of oral historical perspectives, music and dance tributes, poetry, and visual art displays. Chanelle Broughton, Hannah Kerr, and Aimee Farley worked with an enthusiastic group of faculty from all three divisions to put together an informative, passionate, and inclusive show that celebrated the accomplishments of Black Americans and women, while at the same time acknowledging their ongoing struggles and the work that still needs to be done. Photos can be found online here, and in Vidigami here. 

Have you ever wondered what your Annual Fund gifts can do? More than you think. Our Lower School students will be enjoying their new playground this spring thanks to your generous donations. When our community joins together, we can make an impact on the quality of education our students receive – and for some it simply means playing with our friends. Make your donation today!

Upcoming Events (Click here to see other PA Events scheduled for 2017-18)

• Fri, Mar. 9: PA Meeting for Worship, 8:00-9:00 am, Meeting House
• Fri, Mar. 16: Post Prom Planning Meeting, 8:00-9:00 am, Scott House Living Room
• Fri, Mar. 16: PA Community Connections Committee Meeting, 8:00-9:00 am, Scott House Conference Room
• Thurs, Mar. 22: PA Fundraiser at Jersey Mike's Subs - Show this flyer and 15% of the proceeds will be donated back to SSFS!
• Tues, Apr. 3: FriendsFest planning meeting. Please come learn more about what it takes to hold the FriendsFest (formerly Winterfest) Event
• Thurs, Apr. 5: PA Auction Committee Meeting, 8:15-9:15 am
• Fri, Apr. 13: PA Meeting for Worship, 8:00-9:00 am, Meeting House

Join the party! We need parents (particularly middle and upper school parents - pay it forward) to help plan this wonderful event. If you would like more information or are able to help please contact Dawn or Lauren. Thank you! 

This section ("In Case You Missed It") provides brief summaries and links to articles that have appeared in previous newsletters, but reference activities or events that are still upcoming and/or may be of interest to families. Links to the original articles are also available below.

• Nominating for the PA Executive Committee Continues: We are looking for individuals who excel at collaboration and participation, and who truly value the SSFS community. Nominations are completely anonymous and can be submitted HERE (we promise, it will only take a minute!)
• FriendsFest Graphic Design Search: The PA is looking for a new logo for next year's FriendsFest (formerly Winterfest)! Submissions can be made here.

• Thurs, Mar. 8: Talent Show Rehearsal Group B, 3:15-4:30 pm
• Thurs, Mar. 8: 5th Grade Night at the Egyptian Marketplace, 6:30-8:00 pm, Tanglewood
• Fri, Mar. 9: Smart Sacks Packing, 8:15 am, Westview
• Mon, Mar. 12: Talent Show Rehearsal Group A, 3:15-4:30 pm
• Tues, Mar. 13: 3rd Grade to Annapolis, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
• Thurs, Mar. 15: LS Coffee & Conversation with Brenda Crawley, 8:30 am, Scott House
• Thurs, Mar. 15: Talent Show Rehearsal Group B, 3:15-4:30 pm
• Fri, Mar. 16: 1st Grade Class Play, "What Really Happened to Humpty," 8:30-9:30 am, Clifton
• Wed, Mar. 21: LS Talent Show Dress Rehearsal Group A, 8:30 am, Clifton
• Wed, Mar. 21: LS Talent Show Dress Rehearsal Group B, 12:00 pm, Clifton
• Thurs, Mar. 22: LS Talent Show Performance (Group A), 8:30-9:30 am, Clifton
• Fri, Mar. 23: LS Talent Show Performance (Group B), 8:30-9:30 am, Clifton
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 26-30: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
• Mon, Apr. 2: Classes resume
• Wed, Apr. 4: "Discover SSFS" Admissions Event (RSVP here)
• Wed, Apr. 4: PA PEP All-School Event - "Tackling Technology," 7:15 pm, Scott House Living Room (See more details)

See more LS Events...

Brenda Crawley and Tim Croft will host the LS Coffee & Conversation on Thursday morning, March 15 at 8:30 am in Scott House. The topic of discussion will be, “What does parent education at SSFS look like?” Please make note of the date and join in the conversation.

Our LS students who signed up to perform in this year’s LS Talent Show began rehearsing this week in preparation for the upcoming performances on Thursday, March 22 (Group A) and Friday March 23 (Group B).  Both performances will be at 8:30 am in Clifton.  It's always an exciting time, and we hope to see you there!

The next Smart Sack packing date is Friday, March 9th. See more here...

• Fri, Mar. 9: 7th & 8th Grade Dance, 7:30-9:30 pm, Yarnall Lobby (more info here!)
• Sun, Mar. 11: Daylight Savings Time Begins - Move your clock up one hour! 
• Tues, Mar. 13: MS Coffee & Conversation, 8:15 am, Scott House
• Fri, Mar. 16: 6th Grade Social, 4:05-5:00 pm, Middle School
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 19-23: MS Immersion Week
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 26-30: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
• Mon, Apr. 2: Classes resume
• Wed, Apr. 4: "Discover SSFS" Admissions Event (RSVP here)
• Wed, Apr. 4: PA PEP All-School Event - "Tackling Technology," 7:15 pm, Scott House Living Room (See more details)

See more MS events...

The MS Events Planning Committee is excited about this Friday's 7th-8th Grade “Glow in the Dark” themed dance!  The dance will happen on Friday, March 9th from 7:30-9:30 pm in Yarnall Lobby.  All 7th and 8th graders are welcome to attend!  There will be no charge at the door, but we ask that participants bring in 2 canned goods for the MS canned food drive benefiting Manna Food Center.  

Read the latest news and updates from the 6th Grade, including information about the 6th Grade Social next Friday, March 16, from 4:05-5:00 pm; the final Global Languages rotation to begin on Monday, March 12; and a change in the dates of the 6th Grade Trip to May 10-11. Mark your calendars, and read the full article here.

Please join Middle School Head, David Blake, for coffee and conversation this Tuesday, March 13th at 8:15 am in Scott House. This is the final Middle School C&C of the school year, so move your clocks forward an hour this weekend and don’t miss it! 

Our Lady Beests had a fantastic season!  After much success during regular season play, our team made it to the postseason. Playing away for both the PVAC quarter and semi-final games, we pulled out a close win at Grace Brethren, followed by a hard-fought battle at Washington Christian School, that we unfortunately lost.  All the players worked hard and showed dedication and solid sportsmanship throughout the entire season. They showed improvement on their dribbling, conditioning, passing, and shooting skills.  I truly enjoyed coaching this group of girls and look forward to working with them in the future!  A BIG “shout-out” to our three captains who played an important role in our team’s success this season!  Thank you!  

This section ("In Case You Missed It") provides brief summaries and links to articles that have appeared in previous newsletters, but reference activities or events that are still upcoming and/or may be of interest to families. Links to original articles are also posted below.

• Youth Peace Conference 2018 - 8th graders: don't forget to sign up for the April 8 for this year's YPC, hosted at SSFS. The theme for this annual student-organized social justice conference focusing on youth activism as a means towards local social change is "Breaking Down Walls."
• 3rd Annual MS Immersion Week Approaches - The Middle School's 3rd annual Immersion Week will be March 19-23. Immersion Week offers a time during which both students and teachers get to put their regular studies on pause and explore diverse topics in depth. Read more here.

• Sat, Mar. 10: SAT Test Date
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 19-23: US Intersession Week
• Fri, Mar. 23: Dorm closes for Spring Break at 7:00 pm
• Mon-Fri, Mar. 26-30: NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
• Sun, Apr. 1: Dorm re-opens at 12:00 noon
• Mon, Apr. 2: Classes resume
• Wed, Apr. 4: PEP (Parent Encouragement Program) All-School Event - "Tackling Technology," 7:15-9:00 pm, Scott House (see details)

See more US events...

With the possibility of winter weather hitting our region on Sunday (which could cause school closures on Monday), we have decided to postpone the Speed Networking event, originally scheduled for Monday, March 12. We are currently working with the Upper School College Counseling Office to pick a new date for the event. Our goal is to find a date in the spring, far away from winter weather disruptions. See full email here, and watch this space for updated information! 

Inspired by the championing roar of supportive ‘Beest Boosters, SSFS earned an impressive It’s Academic playoff victory on Saturday, March 3rd, scoring 695 points on 32 of 33 questions answered correctly, defeating W.T. Woodson (395 points) and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (390 points) along the way, to advance to the semifinals on Saturday, May 12th. To relive the memorable moment on TV, this episode of It’s Academic is slated to air on Saturday, May 19th, at 10:00 am on NBC4. Stay tuned for more information soon concerning the team’s return to the NBC4 Studios to compete in the It’s Academic semifinals, and click here to read more about the Quiz Bowl team and their successes this year... 
 

The SSFS Men's and Women's Varsity Rock Climbing Teams took 5th place out of 10 in our Final Tournament Feb 11. This marks a vast improvement over last year, where we finished last. Men finished with a 3-2-1 record, women with a 2-4-0 record. This is a team to watch over the next 2-3 years since we are graduating only three varsity seniors. 

Furthermore, four SSFS rock climbers were honored by the coaches of the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing League! 

• First Team All League (top 6 girls): Colleen Cooper
• Second Team All League (top 12 girls, boys): Anna Goodman, Sam Schwartz
• Honorable Mention (top 15): Ryan Riley

Congratulations to these athletes on this significant achievement and recognition from All League coaches!

For the eighth year running, Sandy Spring students competed this winter in the Montgomery Hockey Conference as a part of the Griffins Co-Op ice hockey team. Sandy Springers Quinn Bittinger-Esser, Alan Burd, and Jimmy Hu were important parts of a small squad that included representatives from seven public and private schools. Jimmy and Alan anchored the defensive corps – pacing the team in playing time, while Quinn placed second on the squad in both goals and points. Season highlights included an upset win against rival Damascus and the presence of Jimmy’s father in the stands all the way from Beijing for the team’s January contest against Quince Orchard. Asst. Coach Kevin Esser commented, “This team competed hard each and every shift and came together quickly as a group. With so many schools represented, team chemistry could have been a challenge – but it was a fantastic group that was really fun to coach."

This section ("In Case You Missed It") provides brief summaries and links to articles that have appeared in previous newsletters, but reference activities or events that are still upcoming and/or may be of interest to families. Original articles are also posted below.

Youth Peace Conference 2018: Don't forget to sign up for the April 8 for this year's YPC, hosted at SSFS. The theme for this annual student-organized social justice conference focusing on youth activism as a means towards local social change is "Breaking Down Walls." Find out more...

Prom 2018: The Junior and Senior Prom will be held on Saturday, April 14th from 7:00-11:00 pm. Read more here, or contact Ilene Lees with questions.

Summer Service Trip to China: The Upper School is very excited to announce a summer 2018 service opportunity in rural China. The trip will take place from mid-July through early August. Please click here for more info.