December 5, 2024

This week feels so much like an extension of Thanksgiving--our hearts are bursting with gratitude from Tuesday's successful campaign day and our PA has been busy preparing for Friday's Toy Swap event! Be sure to check out all those details below, along with information about next week's Night of Peace. Thank you for all the love and energy you bring to this wonderful community!

Congratulations to Middle School students Thaya Walker, Lola Joh, and Coverly Correll, members of the Carolina Yacht Club Opti Race Team, for winning Best In Show at the NC Holiday Flotilla! Their hard work, teamwork, and creativity dazzled on the water! Well done, ladies! 🎉⛵✨

What an amazing day we had on Tuesday. Thank you to everyone who contributed to our campaign. We exceeded our goal just after 10PM, and I’m pleased to say donations continue to come in.

What fun the faculty and staff had creating those videos for you all! Whether it was my early-morning makeover with Stargazers, midday singing and dancing on the soccer field, or a late afternoon unicorn race at Longleaf, faculty and staff appreciated the opportunity to entertain you as you supported our most precious resource, the children. Read more >>>

Our PA-led Toy Swap is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season by honoring our school’s commitment to simplicity and sustainability. This longtime tradition encourages families to swap gently-used toys, thereby reducing waste and uplifting our dedication to going green!

Friends, what an INCREDIBLE Giving Tuesday! Thanks to your generosity, we raised $33,000 from 171 donations, with every class—from our tiny Stepping Stones to our graduating 8th grade—reaching at least 50% participation.

We are se so grateful for the alumni, parents, new families, and old friends who came together to support FSW. Your energy and care made this day so special and was such a wonderful celebration of 30 years of community with a bright future ahead.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for being part of this amazing chapter in our school's legacy.

(And in case you missed it, there were quite a few silly challenges and belly laughs along the way. Click the links and images below to see what fun our students and teachers had!)

Tony went back to high school and college theater days while our Stargazers gave him a beautiful makeover! (And to be honest, we're not sure who had more fun 🤣)

3-legged race? How about 30?! 4th grade put their communication and teamwork skills to the test after we made an assembly line of legs.

We joked that Jesse wearing 30 layers of clothing would look like the Michelin Man, but to everyone’s surprise (and delight), he turned out more like Strega Nona!

Watch David dap, dab, and dodge the negative aura in his Director of Admissions promotional video above!

Turn the volume up, because you're going to want to hear this Dirty Dancing ballad with four of FSW's brightest rays of sunshine!

Phoebe the Unicorn versus Shadow the Steed. Who came out on top? Apparently we'll never know because in our excitement we forgot to press record. (Hey, we'll chalk it up to #31 on the "Only-at-FSW Quirks" list 😅)

Oh, special night!
The stars are brightly shining!

There truly is no better way to celebrate the holiday season than by listening to the sweet sound of our students' voices singing with joy. Please be sure to save the date for this year's Night of Peace--our all-school winter concert--happening on Thursday, December 12th, led by longtime music teacher Anna Ritchie.

Performances will begin at 5PM on the Garden House Stage, but we encourage you to arrive early to get seated and settled. More information about traffic flow forthcoming.

As a reminder, everyone who donated to our Giving Tuesday campaign will have a keepsake luminary lit during the event. Donors can dedicate their luminary to a student, alumni, teacher, or family member to honor the people who make our community shine so brightly! All donations must be received by tomorrow, 12/6, to ensure ample printing time. 

Exciting news from Longleaf Center!

A few weeks ago, in partnership with North Carolina Wildlife Federation and Cape Fear Audubon, we proudly installed a 14-foot Chimney Swift Tower at our Longleaf Center!

Over the course of two busy days, we poured the concrete foundation, assembled the tower in sections, and added primed siding to protect it. Now we need your help in painting the base coat before our Middle School artists take over! 

This is Wilmington’s first Chimney Swift Tower, with two more on the way, thanks to funding from Duke Energy and Women’s Impact Network. A huge thanks to our partners and volunteers who brought this project to life!

Read more>>

Dominican Republic Movie Night Fundraiser

This January, 14 Middle School travelers will join trip leaders Martina Jonsson, Kaylie Saidin, and Amy McGlinn in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Together, they’ll engage in a meaningful cultural exchange program with a local nonprofit, including daily intercambio classroom exchanges with Dominican students and excursions to historic sites like El Choco National Park and Cacao Finca. To help cover costs and begin their team-building journey, the group is hosting a Parents’ Night Out Movie Night Fundraiser on Friday, December 6th, from 5-8 PM at the Upper Campus courtyard. Drop off your Kindergarten-8th grader for an evening of games, lemonade, popcorn, and a screening of Shrek! Register HERE.

Last Week's FriendsMail (11/27/24)

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