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 If you’ve never heard of the Ocean Doctor, then you should go here to learn about the exciting expeditions and research of Dr. David Guggenheim. Guggenheim’s work often takes him to the Gulf of Mexico, along the coast of Central America, where he studies marine biology preservation and its impact on the globe.
On October 5, Guggenheim returns to his hometown – Philadelphia - to visit Friends Select, a stop on his “50 Years – 50 States – 50 Speeches Expedition,” a journey of outreach, education, and discovery. His project is designed to bring speeches and multimedia education programs about the oceans to schools in all 50 states.
The Ocean Doctor will be spending the day with students and is scheduled to speak in the evening to a public audience. His visit is timely and will orient upper school students to a new area of the globe as this year’s InterSession theme focuses on Central and South America.
Last spring, to prepare for his visit, Natalie Mayer’s eleventh and twelfth grade Advanced Biology class and Christa Quint’s sixth grade science class used Skype to communicate with the Ocean Doctor, who was at sea among the Faukland Islands, completing the last leg of his 25-day expedition from Cape Horn, South America, to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.
Do meet him on October 5, 7:00 p.m. in the Blauvelt Theatre. I hope you will join us!
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 In lower school, we are continually examining our academic curriculum. Given that faculty teach several content areas, these opportunities give us a chance to consider alternatives, reconfirm past decisions, and incorporate new research-based programs. Over the years, we’ve looked closely at the mathematics and reading curricula and made decisions on how to improve our practice.
While keeping these areas in focus, this year the lower school faculty has decided to look more closely at our writing curriculum. We are examining why we do what we do, to ensure our expectations for students’ understanding of content and skills are clear, appropriate, and aligned throughout the division. In looking at our current program, we aim to reveal the different stages of writing from our youngest authors in pre-kindergarten to our crafted authors in fourth grade.
The evaluation process is a collaborative effort among the entire lower school. Faculty often examine curriculum by sharing about the development of a subject across the division. Our guidance team, including lower school learning specialist Amy McCann, assess the curriculum by what is being practiced in each grade and how it fits in with the literacy program.
McCann explains that similar to reading, there are multiple stages of development for writing.
“As young writers, children begin to understand the value of putting their thoughts onto paper. This may begin with illustration, dictated sentences, and modeling from teachers and mentor authors. As they progress into first, second, third, and fourth grade, children become more aware of their writing voice, their audience, and the value of different types of writing. They are able to engage in the revision process and authentically use mentor authors to shape what they want to communicate with their written words. It is an amazing developmental process to watch!”
Children are able to characterize themselves by the things that they do in life, and writing every day helps them start to develop their voice. Our sequential writing program, which begins in pre-kindergarten, culminates with fourth graders writing research papers, short essays, letters, persuasive paragraphs and personal narratives.
It’s essential to have the conversation about our curriculum often so that there’s a planned and guided learning approach in place that aligns with our school’s academic mission and cultivates our young students.
In February, there are two lower school curriculum nights scheduled that will focus on components of our writing curriculum. The first is on February 1st, and the second, on February 29th. We encourage you to join us to learn more about our writing program!
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Service learning, either within the school community or outside, teaches the importance and necessity of making a positive contribution to our society. For all Friends Select middle schoolers, there are days set aside throughout the year to perform large-group service projects.
The middle school’s first community service project of the 2011-2012 school year is quickly approaching, scheduled for October 11. During this time, fifth through eighth graders will visit Thomas Mansion in Fairmount Park and spend the morning rolling up their sleeves and getting down to business.
During a service day, students are split up into multi-grade level groups so that students work with other students that they don’t often interact with (5th graders working beside 8th graders, and so on). From there, the groups work. And work hard. The groups are tasked with doing anything from removing invasive plants or clearing trails to mending a fence. At the end of the day, the groups form a circle and pause to take a look around the area.
“It’s a pretty amazing moment to see just how dramatic the change is at the site after working on it for hours," said Terry Kessel, director of middle school. “The school’s service programs build a strong foundation for our students that will enable a lifetime of service learning and philanthropic gestures to their communities.”
Typically, the opening and closing middle school service trips go to Thomas Mansion, but students have worked in Blue Bell Park and Rittenhouse Town before. In addition to going out to Fairmount Park as a division, there are four service days where students choose an organization in Philadelphia to volunteer. Volunteering more than once at the organization helps students develop a deeper understanding of the kind of impact they can make. In the past, students have gone to PAWS, St. John’s Hospice, MANNA, Frankford Friends School, Friends Child Care, FSS Lower School, Laurel Hill Cemetery, and also to Fairmount Park to work on smaller areas.
This year the middle school division welcomes the fifth grade class back to the service program. “For the greater community, the fifth grade class will bring a youthful energy and enthusiasm to our more formal service program," said Ed Rhee, middle school dean. "Their perspective stems directly from all of the creative service projects that they’ve participated in throughout their lower school experience.”
Here is what the middle school class is saying about last year’s service projects:
- It feels like you’re helping the community
- I feel a sense of accomplishment
- I actually like cutting the weeds and stuff; using the tools, getting out and doing something different
- Love being able to choose (the service site)
- Like that the school values service; it’s good to take a break from school and give back to the community, and you’re hanging out with friends
- We became friends (with kids in other grades) through service
2011-2012 Middle School Service Dates:
October 11, November 14, January 9, February 13, April 16, May 2
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Over the years, our school has welcomed many international students to Friends Select's upper school who have come to us from Japan, Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the start of this school year we reported the highest-ever number of new incoming international students enrolled in grades 9-12. A total of 14 new students join our community, 13 from China and 1 from England.
Last month, 25 Friends Select School new and current international students as well as members from the International Student Union (ISU) club enjoyed a day at Franklin Square playing miniature golf and riding the Liberty Carousel. The group then headed to South Street and experienced a cheesesteak and fries- an aha! moment for the new students.
“The Introduction to Philadelphia trip helped our international students bond with each other,” said Kendall Cameron, assistant director of upper school. “The real value of the trip was to connect our native students with the new international ones. This was a great way to help make these students start to feel comfortable and confident in a new place.”
Everyone is working hard to make the transition for our new students as seamless as possible. Faculty spend time discussing appropriate strategies to use in the classroom, on how best to help the international students adjust to a new cultural setting and school system.
For our student body, the benefits of our international student program are endless. Our students see how determined our international students are to do well in the classroom, which is a great motivating factor. It also gives students an opportunity to meet individuals from other countries and experience another culture. They gain other perspectives and viewpoints in class and often pick up parts of another language, ideas or thoughts.
Building upon years of experience and through several partnerships with international student placement agencies, we are cultivating a warm and inviting international student program that continues to evolve year after year.
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International Study Abroad Opportunities
As announced last spring, the Friends Select Upper School will be offering a trip to Italy in the spring of this academic year. The trip date is March 21 - 31, 2012, scheduled over spring break. Students will visit Florence and Siena, spend four days in Rome and finish their trip with a visit to Pompeii and Sorrento in the south of Italy. The trip chaperones are Lynda Greenwade (upper school art) and Carolyn Shank (12th grade dean/middle and upper school Latin).
Please contact Lynda Greenwade or Carolyn Shank with any questions. |
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Friends Select presents ninth graders with opportunities at the start of the school year to meet and get to know other upper school students while they get acclimated to their new position in the school. Two of these occasions are the 9th Grade Convocation and the 9th Grade rafting trip.
On September 21, FSS held its second annual 9th Grade Convocation for students and their parents. The evening began at the Race Street Meetinghouse with remarks, introduction to Meeting for Worship and presentation of the ninth grade class, followed by dinner in the Matthew H. Huffman '91 Dining Hall.
This annual event is the official welcome of students into the upper school community. “It is a way for families to better understand the impact of being a part of this community, for students to understand the importance of community to us, and a time for everyone to get to know each other better,” said director of upper school Jesse Dougherty.
On September 23, Friends Select continued its tradition of taking the ninth grade class – 32 students - on a rafting trip on the Lehigh River in the Poconos. Each year, this trip helps students become more acquainted, while bonding with their advisors.
“The trip serves as a way for ninth graders to build cohesion as a class early in the school year, said Abbi Smith, upper school mathematics teacher and grade 9 dean. "On the trip, they work together to get their rafts down the river (sometimes having to push them if the water is too low); this requires students to listen to each other, create plans to avoid the rocky areas, and to assume leadership roles.”
When reminiscing about their time at FSS, senior students always bring up this trip and how much they loved having the time away from school to bond with fellow classmates.
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Families for Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
The Friends Select School community consists of individuals from various racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, religious and other backgrounds. To support Friends Select’s environment of inclusiveness, understanding, acceptance and respect, the Families for Ethnic and Cultural Diversity (FECD) Committee of the Parent Association is hosting a Social Potluck Gathering on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 (PA/SR Room 5:30-7:30pm). All FSS families are welcome. Bring a dish and your “A” game as parents challenge students in a jeopardy-like game of ethnic and cultural diversity. Please click here to RSVP.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Committee
On behalf of the Friends Select LGBT Committee, we would like to welcome everyone back to the 2011-2012 school year. The committee meetings and its events are open to the entire Friends Select community. Our goal is to bring members of the community together and to have fun. Our meetings are short and casual, and offer both food and child care. Any proceeds from the events (such as last years Sing-a-long Sound Of Music) go right back to helping the school and our children. Please mark you calendars for the following dates:
Wednesday, October 12th: Committee meeting
Friday, January 13th: Annual costume optional sing-a-long movie night
Wednesday, February 1st: Committee meeting
As stated in the statement of purpose, the Friends Select Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans gender ( LGBT) Committee is committed to assisting the school, through social events and service projects, in creating and maintaining a community of inclusiveness, understanding, acceptance and respect that embraces and celebrates the diverse sexual orientations and gender identities within the school community. We welcome additional ideas for projects and activities for the coming school year!
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