Abington Friends Schoolkanga newsin

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issu

eFebruary 2010

Summer Camp Ideas

High Enrollment Interest

Pirates of Penzance

Middle School Athletics

Physics First

MLK Day of Service

Annual Fund Progress

February Calendar

Our Arts Department has developed a distinct visionof the arts in the context of community. In creationssuch as last year’s Spring Puppet Pageant and the pre-vious arts days, the arts faculty has used our wholecampus as a venue for arts experiences that draw chil-dren and adults into interactive lessons, exhibits andperformances. In the midst of dreary winter, our artsdays have created celebrations of connection, witheach other and with engaging ideas.

This year’s Women in the Arts Day promises an adven-turous and joyful day, with visiting artists, exhibits, opportunities to make and share art in spaces andclassrooms all over campus.

We will welcome the Kulu Mele African Dance andDrum Ensemble, a nationally known force behind avital African cultural renaissance in Philadelphia, in theMuller Auditorium. We’ll be visited and taught byPamela Hooks, a film-maker whose work includes arecent documentary on Kulu Mele, Bobbi Block, a the-ater artist who will teach improvisation and body per-cussion throughout the day, and Mia Johnson, anaccomplished singer/songwriter who will be perform-ing during all the lunch periods in the Muller Cafeteria.

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What a blessing we have in the arts! They transformeveryday experience and draw us into a differentlayer of meaning and possibility. They engage oursenses, our emotions, our minds and spirits. Theyrenew us and challenge us, comfort and confrontus. The arts show the extraordinary range of lan-guages of which we are capable as human beings:music, images, the words of prose and poetry alike,movement, theater, myth, film, sculpture and more.They both create and mirror a richness of experi-ence and our very existence that is so wide as to behard to comprehend.

On February 10, our entire community will en-counter an explosion of art experiences as we celebrate Women in the Arts Day, the latest collabo-ration in community and art from our Arts Depart-ment, which has already delighted and inspired usin recent years with Mozart Day and Diego RiveraDay. This year’s theme celebrates women in the artswith “the intention to provide more curriculardepth and understanding around the theme of extraordinary work that women have done in theface of cultural restrictions, care giving and socialboundaries” in the words of Arts Department coordinator, Debbie Pizzi.

Connection and Engagement Through the Arts Message from Rich Nourie, Head of School

save

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date February 2

LS Winter Spirit Day

H&S Meeting

February 4Community CareCommittee Meeting

February 5-6Used Book Sale

February 6Community TalentShow

February 10Women in the Arts

Weekday Open Houses Drive Enrollment Interest

Inviting prospective families to weekday open houses wherethey can see the school in action has led to a dramaticspike in enrollment interest.

The planning for the day reminds me of the passionand vision of our arts faculty, each of whom is ateacher and a practicing artist. Their energy for creativ-ity, ideas and transformed experience fuels and inspiresthe creative work of our students. In the arts, our stu-dents explore big ideas, master skills of design and use awide variety of tools and craftsmanship. They learn thepower of the “critique,” where a class reviews the suc-cess and problems of a particular piece of student workto provide constructive feedback. And they learn toread a world of created images and media that they experience every day.

The arts are a truly interdisciplinary curriculum at AFS,an indispensible and unifying dimension of the full education that we intend for our students.

Arts Day: Women in the Arts will take place on February 10.Check the website for information about special evening programming open to all AFS parents and families.

will explain what they’re working on and interact withthe visitors. When the visitors regroup in the FaulknerReading Room, Vikki gets to hear their commentsabout the experience. “What we hear is that student-teacher interaction is amazing. They haven’t seen thattype of comfort before and they find the program sointeractive and engaging. They talk about studentsbeing engaged and everyone being very friendly. Theyappreciate the light and welcoming facilities and theunique programs that connect students to their inter-ests. They comment on how we integrate Quaker values into everyday life and they say that’s exactly whatlooking for for their children.”

In addition, students will experience works by MamaCita, a local women’s arts cooperative, andceramicist Jill Allen as well as work inspired byJudy Chicago, Sandy Skoglund, Barbara Kruger,Jenny Holzer and Hollis Sigler.

In a particularly creative twist, our arts faculty arehaving our students create pieces inspired by spe-cific works of Judy Chicago and Sandy Skogland:Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party depicts place set-tings at a table for 39 mythical and historically sig-nificant women and Sandy Skoglund buildselaborate tableaux that are then photographed.The Chicago-inspired piece will be in the StewartLobby and the Skoglund-inspired photos will be inthe Upper School photo lab.

It will be an exciting day for sure, a chance tohighlight the place of the arts in our communityand a chance to create community in the contextof the arts.

January is always a busy time for our AdmissionsOffice, but this year the staff are busier than everreading through applications, giving tours andworking with families interested in enrolling theirchildren in the 2010-2011 school year.

“Interest in our school is higher than it’s everbeen,” says Director of Admission and Tuition Assistance Vikki Toomer. “Already we have morethan 90 applications for 9th grade, and we’ll proba-bly hit 100. As of last week our total number ofapplications is 239, compared to 146 last year.”

Vikki attributes part of the spike in interest to anincrease in the number of open houses, which havetripled in number and now happen almost everymonth, with several taking place during the schoolday. “We’ve opened our doors more and let peoplesee us in action,” says Vikki. “We know when peo-ple see our program firsthand it’s very impressive.They get to actually see our amazing faculty andwhat we do and what’s different. We get to showthem what we do best.”

On a typical weekday open house, prospective fam-ilies hear first from Head of School Rich Nourie,who talks about the School’s philosophy before thegroup splits up to tour the divisions and observeclasses. As they visit different classrooms, students

Message from Rich Nourie: Arts DayContinued

sum

er c

ampWith even colder tempera-

tures in the forecast, summerfeels a long way off, but ifyou're thinking about a sum-mer camp experience for yourchildren, now is a terrific timeto begin your planning. Eachyear, camp representativesfrom across the country at-tend regional fairs and exposto share information withparents and students on theircamp offerings. Metro Kidshas compiled a list of upcom-ing fairs in our area, as wellas a list of questions sug-gested by the AmericanCamp Association to assistyou in your research. Findboth in the ECCO section ofour website under Life atAFS.

Our own AFSEP SummerCamp is planned for June 28-August 13, 2010. This year,some of our specialty offer-ings include Junior GreatBooks, rocketry, computer animation and youth theatre.Brochures will be availablesoon in the camp office, andfamilies who register earlywill receive early bird discounts. For more informa-tion about AFSEP's summercamp offerings, please contact the AFSEP camp office at 215-576-3985.

The ECCO Program has builtits own portfolio of summercamp brochures and experi-ences in different interestareas and age groups. TheECCO Program is meant tobe a resource for families, soplease don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in your camp research or planning.

Marnie ChristianECCO Program Director215-690-7670

Pirates of Penzance Picked as MS Spring Musical

Toni’s Toppage-turners

Front and Centerby Catherine Gilbert MurdockGrades 7 and up

This is the third book in the se-ries that begins with DairyQueen. D.J. Schenk just wantslife to go back to normal, whereno one pays attention to her andshe can just play basketball. Instead, she is being recruitedby college teams, and everyoneshe meets needs to ask her howher older brother is doing. Inmy opinion this is the best bookin the series, though do read thefirst two before you begin thisone. I read it all in one sitting.Thoroughly enjoyable!

Toni VahlsingDirector of Librairies

Seventh grader Zoe Long in rehearsalfor the upcoming Middle School musicalPirates of Penzance.

ated with athletic participation compared to moreselective and competitive high school programs.

A comprehensive, well-sourced study by the National Association for Sport and Physical Edu-cation (NAPSE) enumerates the benefits of middle school athletic participation. NASPE’sstudy proposes that athletic participation by mid-dle school age students leads to “improvement of socialization, self-esteem, self-perception and psychological well-being…” as well as appearing to“reduce depression and anxiety, improve mood,and enhance the ability to perform daily tasksthroughout the lifespan.”

Not only are the building blocks for healthy livesput in place during middle school years, but so tooare the foundations for AFS Varsity and even col-legiate interscholastic teams. Of the 137 student-athletes on Varsity rosters this fall and winter, 81of them are products of AFS’s Middle School ath-letic program (60%). Seventeen of the 24 student-athletes recognized as All-League or HonorableMention by the Friends Schools League during themost recent spring and fall seasons began their ca-reers as middle school participants.

With these present and future benefits in mind, wecommend the many Middle School students atAFS who take their involvement in the athleticprogram to the next level.

they think of as a show.” To stage a G&S musical suc-cesfully, says Rita, you also need a group of students thatlove words. and clever wordplay. “This group has mademe reinstate words I was going to cut. They get it!”

With a plot too complicated to even summarize here,Pirates of Penzance is “all a big farce and a pickle,” saysRita. “It’s like a precursor to Monty Python.” Adding tothe fun is a chorus of policemen made up of adults inthe community, including Justin Solonynka, John Mc-Cabe and Megan Hollinger.

And though the students have had to learn a lot ofmusic (led by Choral Director Kate Boose), says Rita,“The audience is going to love all the ensembles andchoral pieces and the kids’ obvious enjoyment of that.”

Pirates of Penzance is onstage in the Muller Auditorium March 11-12. See the website for ticket ordering details.

According to Middle School Theater Teacher RitaBurrows, only two Gilbert and Sullivan plays are“doable” by a middle school, H.M.S. Pinafore andPirates of Penzance. That’s because the musical de-mands of the Victorian duo’s comic operas provetoo much for all but the most chorally gifted groupof middle schoolers.

“You’ve got to have a group with a good choralsound that likes to sing,”says Rita, “and that’s whatwe have in this particular group.” The music, shesays, is “tough but lovely to sing” and the play,which she staged here at AFS 11 years ago, is an“incredibly fun thing to do.”

Rita was drawn to Pirates also because it’s not Disney. Middle schoolers tend to know a lot ofDisney musicals, she says, and this “extends theirknowledge and widens their repertoire and what

Participation in middle school athletics is beneficial forstudents’ health and wellness, and to the School’s overall athletic program.

In 2008-09, for the second consecutive schoolyear, nearly three out of every four AFS MiddleSchool students chose to participate in two ormore seasons of after-school athletics, voluntarilyexceeding the one season mandated by theSchool’s athletic requirement.

More than just a convenient, organized outlet forburgeoning early adolescent energy, AFS’s MiddleSchool athletic program serves a critical role in thehealth and wellness of its participants’ present andfuture lives as well as the School’s overall athleticprogram. Because AFS emphasizes engagement,skill development and team membership at themiddle school level, a wider percentage of students are able to reap the many benefits associ-

Middle School Athletics: A Solid Foundationby: Jeff Bond

Physics First Next Fall

More Than 300 Volunteer at Jan. 18 Day of Service

of how the brain learns. Today’s chemistry studentslearn about the electrostatic and nuclear forces inatoms, energy transformations that occur in chemicalreactions, and gas laws while biology students delveinto the biochemical processes in cells. Providing a conceptual framework in physics will build a strongfoundation for students working to understand thesecomplex processes.

The bottom line is that this re-sequencing will meanthat our students will have a better understanding of science, which in today’s society is crucial to both em-ployment and to the exercise of responsible citizenship.

Jim Pierson, Science Department Chair

After an inspiring program in the Meetinghouse,where students sang, played music and read poems,more than 300 AFS community members began a joyful morning of volunteering on January 18. Our annual Martin Luther King Day of Service has be-come a rich and rewarding expression of our commit-ment to community and this year outshone even theexpectations of Third Grade Teacher Andrea Em-mons, who led the ambitious effort.

“It was so wonderful to have so many join us in ourday of service,” said Andrea. “We had participantsfrom The Quaker School Horsham, Nexus School,McKinley Elementary, Abington Monthly Meeting andothers from our extended community. It was a trueprivilege to be part of such a dedicated and caringgroup of people. Together we made more than 400meals, more than 100 scarves, 25 birdhouses, morethan 150 hygiene kits, dozens upon dozens of cookiesfor two different shelters, and a variety of differentcommunity building activities were done with commu-nity agencies. The amount of work, and the joy andspirit with which that work was done, is what makesthe Abington Friends community so special.”

When I was in high school, the sequence of scienceI took was biology, chemistry and finally physics.For most high schools this continues to be the sequence that has been in place for more than acentury. Next September our incoming freshmenwill begin their Upper School science experience inan exciting new way, with Physics First.

What is Physics First? Physics First is a resequenc-ing of high school courses so that students studyphysics before chemistry and biology. Why studyPhysics first? Physics is the foundation of all sci-ence and is the easiest to observe through experi-ments with light, sound, motion, electricity andmagnetism. Physics deals with phenomena that re-late directly to the student’s world, making it acourse in which students can make predictions,practice data collection and graphing techniques,and start to make scientific sense of their observa-tions. Physics gives students the opportunity toapply their mathematical skills to real situations. Instudying physics, students study algebra simultane-ously, motivating them with a sense of the powerof mathematics.

A physics-chemistry-biology sequence leads stu-dent from the simple to the complex, an approachthat is in harmony with our current understanding

Connor and Elliot Williams were among the 300 pluscommunity members at AFS for our Day of Service.

Starting next fall, incoming freshmen will study physics first, giving thema better conceptual framework for their study of chemistry and biology.

Tickets $18 ($20 at door)

Students/Faculty/Staff$12 ($15 at door)

Reserved tables available!

For tickets contact Liz Soltan:

soltan320@comcast.net215-342-2825

All proceeds benefitthe Post Prom

CommunityTalent Show

February 67:30 p.m.Muller Cafe

AFS OpenHouseTuesday March 16 8:30 a.m.

February 5-6Muller Lobby

Browse among agreat selection ofgently used booksand DVDs at ourpopular annualUsed Book Sale.

Hours:

Friday, Feb. 58 a.m.-3 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 69 a.m.-noon7-9 p.m.

afs calendar February 1

5 6

11 1387 9 10 12

18 201514 16 17 19

25 272221 23 24 26

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

School Closed Holiday

5th-6th ParentNight 7 p.m.

AFS BloodDrive8 a.m.-3 p.m.

EC/LS/MSClosed forConferences

Used BookSale8 a.m.-3 p.m.

School ClosedInService Day

MS Dance7:30-10 p.m.

AFS CommunityTalent ShowSnow Date

All School ArtsDay: Women inthe Arts

AFS Used Book Sale

5th to 6thVisit Day

US SpringSports Begin

AFS CommunityTalent Show

Used Book Sale9-12, 7-9 p.m.

SSATs 8:15 a.m.

Director ofStudies Coffee11th GradeParents8-9:30 a.m.

4321LS WinterSports SpiritDay

H&S GeneralMeeting 7 p.m.

CommunityCare CommitteeMeeting7 p.m.

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Permit 14

Vision in Ac-tion Update

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Ever thoughtabout perform-ing in public?Here’s yourchance! Checkthe website tofind out how toshare your tal-ents at this cher-ished annualcommunityevent.

Campaign UpdateThe Vision in Action Campaign continues to support our ongoing investment in faculty andstudents at AFS. A year and a half into the three-year Campaign timeline, we have reached the halfway mark for our fundraising goals, an impressive show of support from our community during ecomically challenging times.

Campaign Goal: 4MTotal Pledged: $2.12MPercent to Goal: 53%

Capital Goal 2.3MCapital Pledged 1.2M

Annual Fund Goal 1.7M (over 3 years)Annual Fund Pledged 940K

Annual Fund gifts made during the Vision in Action Campaign count towards our campaigntotals, along with one-time Capital gifts in support of the three platforms of the Campaign: Investing in Faculty, Empowering Students and Connecting our Community. We ask that everydonor who makes a Capital gift commit to doubling their Annual Fund giving over the courseof the Campaign.

For more information about making a restricted gift to the Vision in Action campaign, contact JonHarris, Assistant Head of School for Advancement at 215-575-3956. For questions about making agift to the Annual Fund, contact Gabrielle Giddings, Director of Annual Giving at 215-576-3957.