Weekly Newsletter Emailed Each Sunday During the School Year.
May 24, 2020 "Lovely Day" In late April, Tom Gibian sent an email to Upper School students, saying: "With each of us quarantined in our own spaces feeling stuck while moving forward, I've been listening to a lot of my favorite songs that give me hope and an understanding that we will get through this." This was the start of the SSFS Virtual Soundtrack project, which you can find out about more here. One song that keeps surfacing recently, and that keeps bringing a smile to our faces during this challenging time, is "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers. See the PK4 video created by Mary Anne Peacock's daughter and SSFS alumna Maeve Friedman '19 (use password Beest to access), and also check out this Middle School video created by Keith Adams, both of which use "Lovely Day" as the backdrop message of hope and gratitude.
Dive Into This Week's News Read The Latest News Across Our Divisions On The SSFS Website.
News At Your Fingertips Your Mobile-Friendly Email Digest of our Weekly Must-Know Information And More. All-School "Must-Know" Info for May 24, 2020
The calendar information below is for all-school, multi-divisional, and/or Parent Association events and activities in the coming weeks. Please see the Lower School, Middle School, or Upper School sections for division-specific "must-know" info, or visit the Calendar web page to see the full calendar. Please note that Zoom meeting URLs are only provided in direct emails to families (such as this), and on the password-protected portal pages of the website.
We know that our families have many questions about SSFS's plans for the coming fall. As a follow-up to our email sent on April 30, SSFS will send out an updated communication this Wednesday, May 27, from School administration to all returning and newly-enrolled families, highlighting the work that we have been doing to plan and prepare for the coming academic year. As previously noted, we hope to be able to start school on campus in September, although with significant social distancing measures in place for the health and safety of all. Following Wednesday's email to families, each division will offer opportunities for live Zoom sessions with the division head and other administrative staff on Thursday and Friday, May 28-29. Zoom meeting information/links will be sent to families in Wednesday's communication, and posted on the Parent Portal page. Meanwhile, mark your calendars for the dates/times below: NEW AND CURRENT (RETURNING) LOWER SCHOOL FAMILIES:
RISING NEW AND CURRENT (RETURNING) MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES:
RISING NEW AND CURRENT (RETURNING) UPPER SCHOOL FAMILIES:
NEW AND CURRENT (RETURNING) UPPER SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL FAMILIES:
SSFS PA "Glowing Together" ONLINE Auction - Bidding Opens May 25 at 4:00 pm! The ONLINE AUCTION portion of our annual fundraiser for financial aid opens at 4pm on Monday, May 25th and runs through Friday, May 29th. Nine amazing categories! Over 100 items for all budgets! And a chance to preview the LIVE EVENT items up for bid on Saturday, May 30th. Get the family involved and BID! SSFS PA "Glowing Together" (Virtual) Auction - Join Us May 30! In addition to our week-long online auction opening May 25, we cap off our fundraiser with a shortened "live" event held remotely on May 30. Learn more and register through our PA Auction page online. Celebrate: Glowing Together Live Community Contest! Show your SSFS Community spirit by joining the PA Auction Live Event on May 30th! Participating households earn prizes for Best Dressed, Best Decorations, and Most Enthusiastic Household based on creativity and commitment. Click HERE to find out how the contest works. For the Daily Double: This amazing SSFS Upper School English Teacher will appear on Jeopardy’s Teacher Tournament next Friday, May 29. It’s true: SSFS’s very own Anne Pulju was selected to compete in the annual Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament this year. The tournament, which was filmed in California back in February, airs next week, May 25-June 5. Be sure to tune in on FRIDAY, MAY 29, for Anne’s quarterfinal air date. Anne says,“I had a fantastic time competing on Jeopardy! The studio experience was so much fun. I especially appreciate that the tournament is a true celebration of learning, and it was wonderful to meet inspiring teachers from around the country (we are still sharing trivia nights and virtual teaching tips over Zoom!).” See the Jeopardy! promo for the tournament (Anne's tagline is "Appreciation Community!"). ICYMI: Please join us on Wednesday, June 3, 6:30-8:45 PM (EST) for a Virtual Project Presentation Program. See the Senior Passion Project web page for program information, which includes brief presentations from each of our 12 seniors, as well as questions from panelists. It looks to be a special and entertaining evening! We invite everyone to help us celebrate the culmination of this very special capstone program. Zoom Meeting Info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87434109432?pwd=YWFCSnBTY3VQdURlemdPaEFiOWIzZz09 Meeting ID: 874 3410 9432 Password: 12Beests This week, the Amanda and the Athletics Department challenge you to have one mile of movement. How will you move? Watch the video to see recommendations from our Athletics Department - be sure to watch till the end to see what Franny chose! As always, share your challenge photos on social media using #ssfsbeestworkout. ICYMI: While we've been away from campus, construction on the new Upper School building has been proceeding. See all the progress and take a floor-by-floor virtual tour with David Hickson and Julie Mendez. It's looking great! ICYMI: As we continue to celebrate Ben Uzzell’s life, members of the senior class have created a ‘YeahBen4L’ t-shirt. The idea of this shirt was to create something that Ben himself would wear, thus giving everyone who purchases a piece of Ben to hold with them forever. That very idea aligns with the print on the shirt ‘YeahBen4L”. The “#10” on the back of the shirt was his jersey number in basketball. Ben was extremely passionate about basketball and consistently excelled in it. The t-shirt provides an opportunity for those who purchase to donate to The Ben Uzzell ‘20 Scholarship Fund. Five dollars of every purchase will go to the The Ben Uzzell ‘20 Scholarship Fund (but note you are always welcome to donate directly to the fund). This t-shirt not only supports the scholarship, but allows for Ben’s legacy to live on. Sending a big thank you to all who purchase. ICYMI: Congratulations to the incoming Executive Committee members!
Thank you for your willingness to be part of parent leadership and your dedication to our school. ICYMI: The SSFS Parents Association and LS Counselor Joel Gunzburg are looking out for our wellbeing during this difficult time! They have graciously gifted our community with 3 months free access to the 10 Percent Happier App, with different guided meditations, talks, and courses. It is a great app for those who are just getting started with a mindfulness practice as it gives great direction and suggestion for beginners. As an added benefit, Joel Gunzburg is offering weekly zoom meetings to facilitate discussion about best uses of the app and how parents are putting the app into practice. See the email from Joel with more information about the weekly parent virtual meetings here. ICYMI: Associate Dir. of Communications Julie Mendez has created a landing page to help the SSFS community stay connected as we navigate our off-campus Virtual Learning experience. See the landing page here, and check out the "Virtual School in Action" web page, which features stories of how our community continues to thrive, find their passions, connect, and live up to our School’s motto, “Let Your Lives Speak.” Be sure to check out the 'Beest message board, showing notes from community members! See a list of links to our virtual learning environment, FAQS, and resources here.
Lower School "Must-Know" Info for May 24, 2020 Below is information about upcoming LS and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Pam Gilmer, LS Administrative Assistant, at ext. 112 or pam.gilmer@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
End of Year Virtual Parent Teacher conferences will take place throughout the week of June 1-5. This is a time for parents to have a touchpoint conversation with their child’s teacher to discuss how the remainder of the semester in a virtual learning platform has gone. Click on the link below to sign up for a time that works for you: One of the most beloved days, and one of the long-standing traditions in the Lower School, is Field Day! Field Day is a day in May where the entire Lower School student body assembles outside and is led through activity stations. The Middle School students have served as the facilitators of the various games and activities for the past 9 years. On Field Day, the noise of laughter typically consumes the entire Lower School playing area; children are getting soaked by water, racing in green and gold teams within their classes, and finding both joy and satisfaction in being physically active in a non-competitive atmosphere. (See photos from Field Day 2019 here.) It goes without saying that the 2020 edition of Field Day will be very different for obvious reasons, but we felt it absolutely necessary to give a nod to this day and to create a plan that allows for Field Day to carry on in your own home in our virtual learning mode we are currently in. Read about plans for our virtual Field Day on May 27 here... The Lower School faculty and staff send warm smiles and virtual hugs to all our students: we miss them so much!! Thanks to LS Art teacher Kate Santorineos and LS PE teacher Amanda Hill for putting together this collage of smiles from the LS faculty. NBC4 recently aired a story about how local kids are giving back during the pandemic—including the Lynch family. SSFS 5th grader Aine and her family have been sewing masks at home and donating many of them to the elderly and to health care workers. The family received a grant from Montgomery County to grow the operation; now, they have started a little business called Quaranseams on Etsy and are using the profits to purchase more supplies. See the news story here.
Middle School "Must-Know" Info for May 24, 2020 Below is information about upcoming MS and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Erin Ryan, MS Administrative Assistant, at ext. 160 or erin.ryan@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
The school calendar was recently updated to reflect May 27th as a Professional Day for Middle and Upper School Teachers. Students will not be provided with assignments on the 27th, and no synchronous classes will be held on this date. We know this time has presented us all with many challenges, and we appreciate the flexibility and partnership of our families as we wrap up the school year virtually. In an effort to continue to keep our parents as updated as possible about our planning for the coming school year during these unprecedented times, David Blake will host a Parent Forum via Zoom at 7:15 pm on Thursday, May 28th. The zoom link and password was sent via email to families, and parents may contact Erin Ryan with any questions or if they need assistance. There just aren’t enough words to express how much the Middle School faculty and staff miss our students and being on campus and with each other. We are doing our best to see the light in each day, and under the incredible creativity and direction of Keith Adams, we made a little montage for our students. Click here to view the video. The Middle School Virtual Mixtape continues to grow each week. Students are still encouraged to contribute and may choose to share an original piece, or suggest a song or artist or style that they enjoy listening to. Students can also provide some back story about their piece. Click here for more details and to see the current submissions. Click here for more details and to see the current submissions. ICYMI: We may not be on campus, but we can still show our Sandy Spring spirit! Stay tuned for dates and details about how we will continue this tradition at home this year. Go 'Beests!
Upper School "Must-Know" Info for May 24, 2020 Below is information about upcoming US and all-school activities and events in the coming weeks. For questions or more information about an event, please contact Kerry Foley, US Administrative Assistant, at ext. 109 or kerry.foley@ssfs.org, or visit the Calendar web page to see full calendar.
ICYMI: Please join us on Wednesday, June 3, 6:30-8:45 PM (EST) for a Virtual Project Presentation Program. See the Senior Passion Project web page for program information, which includes brief presentations from each of our 12 seniors, as well as questions from panelists. It looks to be a special and entertaining evening! We invite everyone to help us celebrate the culmination of this very special capstone program. Zoom Meeting Info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87434109432?pwd=YWFCSnBTY3VQdURlemdPaEFiOWIzZz09 Meeting ID: 874 3410 9432 Password: 12Beests For the Daily Double: This amazing SSFS Upper School English Teacher will appear on Jeopardy’s Teacher Tournament next Friday, May 29. It’s true: SSFS’s very own Anne Pulju was selected to compete in the annual Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament this year. The tournament, which was filmed in California back in February, airs next week, May 25-June 5. Be sure to tune in on FRIDAY, MAY 29, for Anne’s quarterfinal air date. Anne says,“I had a fantastic time competing on Jeopardy! The studio experience was so much fun. I especially appreciate that the tournament is a true celebration of learning, and it was wonderful to meet inspiring teachers from around the country (we are still sharing trivia nights and virtual teaching tips over Zoom!).” See the Jeopardy! promo for the tournament (Anne's tagline is "Appreciation Community!"). Friday, May 22, marked the last day of classes for our seniors! There are still a number of activities scheduled in honor of the amazing Class of 2020, though. Be sure these events are on your senior’s calendar. Zoom meeting info is available on the Parent Portal page. ICYMI: While we've been away from campus, construction on the new Upper School building has been proceeding. See all the progress and take a floor-by-floor virtual tour with David Hickson and Julie Mendez. It's looking great! ICYMI: Head of School Tom Gibian recently sent an email to all Upper School students; in it, Tom stated that "these times demand an SSFS Virtual School Soundtrack Project, where faculty and staff join me in sharing songs that alert us to the common bond we share, that have opened our eyes. We'll be sharing out videos on a weekly basis via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube." See the video submissions from Tom Gibian, Kwame Darko, and Bob Hoch here. See the Spotify playlist here. The US LRC has expanded their team to help support all of the Upper School students with the challenges of virtual classroom learning. Shannon, Ebe, Jenai, Kerry, and Sunshine are available daily to help all students with organization, study strategies, and content area support. Go to this link to schedule a consultation session with a team member. LRC Tip of the Week – Stay Focused ICYMI: As we continue to celebrate Ben Uzzell’s life, members of the senior class have created a ‘YeahBen4L’ t-shirt. The idea of this shirt was to create something that Ben himself would wear, thus giving everyone who purchases a piece of Ben to hold with them forever. That very idea aligns with the print on the shirt ‘YeahBen4L”. The “#10” on the back of the shirt was his jersey number in basketball. Ben was extremely passionate about basketball and consistently excelled in it. The t-shirt provides an opportunity for those who purchase to donate to The Ben Uzzell ‘20 Scholarship Fund. Five dollars of every purchase will go to the The Ben Uzzell ‘20 Scholarship Fund (but note you are always welcome to donate directly to the fund). This t-shirt not only supports the scholarship, but allows for Ben’s legacy to live on. Sending a big thank you to all who purchase.
Bella Vita Farm in Brookeville, MD, is continuing to take online orders. Click here to order fresh pastured eggs, fresh lettuce, micro greens, kale, herbs, and more! "Olney Together" is a grass roots effort founded by an SSFS parent to help families in the area facing challenges due to the COVID crisis. Olney together: 1. supports existing organizations with people power and 2. Fills in the gaps when other organizations are overwhelmed. Families in need who can usually get food/diapers/formula through other channels (or could pay for it themselves before being laid off) now need support. For more info, to volunteer, or to express need, please visit the website. Contact Joslyne directly with questions. This is an optional, opt-in virtual bulletin board for all members of the SSFS community to share resources and announcements about topics not part of the traditional school day or school related events (think: finding babysitters, repair service recommendations, hiking groups, etc.) Please fill in this quick online form to opt in.
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