February 14, 2025

Friends, the flu has made its rounds—not just in our community but across the city! We hope everyone is on the mend just in time for warmer days ahead.

A quick reminder that school will be closed on Monday, February 17, for President’s Day. Then, in just two short weeks, we’ll be kicking off our Annual Virtual Auction with our sights set on another $30,000 fundraising goal!

Read on to see what we've been up to this week...

Photo of the Week

Roses are red, longleafs are green, Happy Valentine’s Day from your FSW pun-loving team! ❤️🩷💜 (Be sure to click on the image above to see all of our special V-Day cards!)

Time with Tony

This week at Meeting for Worship, the 5th graders led us in a query about defining love. That really got me thinking, what does love mean to an elementary school student? How does that understanding shift as kids grow, observe more, and interact with the world differently in Middle School?

Thinking back to my own childhood, I wonder, was love simply a "given" in my family, or was it something I actively felt and expressed? I know I cared deeply about my parents and grandparents. They were my safety net, always showing kindness, empathy, and unwavering support. My siblings were part of my everyday life, sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating, but always there. Looking back, I know I loved them then, just as I do now.

But love gets a little more complicated when it came to faith. Read more >>>

Parent Association Updates

February is National Canned Food Month and we’re thrilled to partner with Good Shepherd Center to collect food and kitchen items for 1 whirlwind week! Let's see how much we can gather from February 12th-19th to present to GSC staff during their visit with the PA on February 20th. Other events on the horizon...

Our next PA meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 20th from 8-9AM in Longleaf Cottage. We're looking forward to welcoming staff members from Good Shepherd Center as well as Middle School Director Amy for the final installation of our teacher resource series.
Save the date for an Anxious Generation book discussion, happening at luna caffe on Sunday, February 23rd at 5:30PM. Thank you to FSW parent and psychiatrist Julie Adams for leading!

Celebrating Black History Month

Throughout this Black History Month, we'll be highlighting different figures whose remarkable legacies continue to inspire us to do good in the world. This week we're taking a look at three prominent Wilmingtonians who shaped the American landscape across architecture, art, and education (shared with permission from City of Wilmington).

Robert Robinson Taylor (1868–1942) was the first African American architect and the first Black graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Born in North Carolina, he was a pioneering designer and educator, playing a crucial role in the development of Tuskegee Institute’s campus, where he worked closely with Booker T. Washington. His architectural work blended functionality with elegance, and he helped establish Tuskegee’s architectural and industrial programs, shaping generations of Black builders and designers.
Minnie Evans (1892–1987) was a self-taught African American artist from North Carolina known for her vibrant, visionary drawings inspired by dreams, nature, and spirituality. Often using crayons, pencils, and oil paints, she created intricate, symmetrical compositions filled with faces, flowers, and mystical imagery. Much of her work was influenced by Airlie Gardens, where she worked as a gatekeeper for decades. Today, her art is celebrated for its unique, surreal style and deep symbolism.
Bertha Boykin Todd (born 1929) is an educator, civil rights activist, and author from Wilmington, North Carolina. As a longtime librarian and administrator in New Hanover County Schools, she played a key role in promoting racial integration and conflict resolution, particularly during the Wilmington Ten crisis. She was a champion for literacy, African American history, and community engagement, leaving a lasting impact on education and social justice in the region.

Save the Date! Virtual Auction March 3rd-9th

Mark your calendars! Our Annual Virtual Auction kicks off the week of March 3rd, with 100% of proceeds supporting our Annual Fund! Help us reach our $30,000 goal while bidding on exciting favorites and new additions like Head for the Day, a Pollinator Garden Consultation with Patrick, an Old Baldy Lighthouse tour, Charlotte Hornets autographed memorabilia, and cooking classes with DeMarco Family Kitchen!

Every bid is a chance to give back and celebrate the people and organizations that help our community thrive. Stay tuned, we’ve got some amazing surprises coming your way!

P.S. Do you or someone you know have a service or product you'd be willing to donate? Please reach out to Rachel to connect!

EE in Action: Here's How You Can Get Involved in 2 Local Initiatives

Just as we wrap up the second phase of our Native Tree Nursery Project, two new opportunities for environmental education and action have emerged right here in the greater Wilmington area! First, an ongoing petition to #SaveSledgeForest in Castle Hayne, and second, an invitation to a ceremonial planting of 400 Hooheh (Longleaf Pine) seedlings at the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Grounds. Here’s how you can get involved:

#SaveSledgeForest: Sledge Forest—one of the last big stretches of old-growth forest in our county—is at a crossroads. Home to centuries-old trees, wetlands, and diverse wildlife, it’s now the site of a proposed large-scale housing development. For our students, environmental education isn’t just in textbooks—it’s unfolding in real time. This is a great opportunity to bring those lessons home. Ask your child how wetlands help prevent flooding, what happens when habitats disappear, or how communities make decisions about land use. These conversations help kids connect what they’re learning to what’s happening right in their own backyard. Visit the Save Sledge Forest website to learn more and explore ways to get involved.
Hooheh Cultural Burn & Reforestation Program: In Bolton, NC, the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe is leading an effort to restore over 20 acres of tribal land by planting longleaf pine seedlings. Once the dominant tree of the Southeast, longleaf pine forests were nearly wiped out by deforestation and development, taking with them critical ecosystems and the traditional land practices that sustained them. This month, the Hooheh Cultural Burn & Reforestation Program will plant 400 seedlings at the Waccamaw Siouan Tribal Grounds, blending environmental restoration with Indigenous land stewardship. For our students, this is a powerful example of how tree planting is more than conservation—it’s about Indigenous land rights, cultural survival, and ecological resilience. To volunteer at their upcoming planting ceremony, sign up here.

Announcements

Annual Fund Thanks & Donation Receipts

As tax season approaches, please reach out to Director of Development & Marketing Rachel Presley if you need receipts for your donation history. And be sure to save the date for our upcoming virtual auction taking place March 3rd-9th. 100% of the proceeds go directly to support our Annual Fund!

Sustainability Spotlight ♻️

Native Nursery Project Featured in Alliance for Cape Fear Trees Newsletter!

Check out the incredible work of Jen Biringer and Karen Linehan in the most recent newsletter from Alliance for Cape Fear Trees! Did you know that EVERY student at FSW--all 200ish of them--have planted at least one seedling in our air pruning boxes at Longleaf?! Then at some point next year when the trees are ready for their next chapter, they'll move to new locations around Wilmington to support micro-forest growth efforts. Now THIS is what environmental stewardship looks like! 🌱