October 16, 2024 

It's a four-day week; oversized sweatshirts and fall decorations abound; Friday is filled to the brim with school trips; classrooms and hallways are overflowing with student work; and, oh yeah, yearbooks are here! Is this our best week yet?!?! 

7th & 8th grade artists in our "Wild Watercolor" elective have been quite busy this trimester! Their recent artwork is on display in Ethan Hall. The objective of this class is to explore new, unexpected, and “wild” techniques using watercolor paints. 

Thank you to everyone who logged into last night's State of the School webinar. For anyone unable to attend, here is a brief summary of what was presented. Feel free to click on the image of the title slide for full access to the public presentation. 

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October Teacher Appreciation

We are incredibly grateful to FSW parents Ally Tracy and Beth Lewis for generously offering guided meditation and yoga sessions to our faculty and staff  as part of this month's Teacher Appreciation series. These sessions provide our hardworking educators with a much-needed opportunity to relax, recharge, and focus on their well-being. We truly value and support our teachers and staff, and it's moments like these that remind us of the strong, caring community we are fortunate to be a part of. Thank you, Ally and Beth, for your time and care in nurturing the heart and soul of our school!

Save the Date! October 29th, 8-9AM

Our next PA meeting is right around the corner! Please join us in Longleaf Cottage on Tuesday, October 29th from 8-9AM. Call for agenda items and virtual Zoom link forthcoming.

You know those memes of people longingly staring out their front windows as they anxiously await an Amazon package to arrive? That's been me (and I'm sure you too!) for FIVE MONTHS. After a production delay and a cover misprint, I am thrilled to report that our 2023-2024 yearbooks are finally here—and I gotta say, it's been well worth the wait! 

Teachers will receive yearbooks tomorrow to be sent home in students' backpacks. Thank you all so much for your patience and flexibility waiting for these to arrive. We hope you love flipping through every page and reliving last year's favorite memories!

With last year's yearbook finally here, we're starting this year's process EARLY! We also recognize that school portraits make for wonderful holiday gifts, so we are excited to return to a fall picture schedule! You'll receive a separate email with detailed information soon (as well as a day-before text reminder), but for now, keep these dates in mind: 

On Monday, November 4th, the Wilmington Lions Club will be on campus to offer free vision screenings to all students. If you choose to opt in, the screening will provide a digital reading of your child’s eyes. No physical contact is made with your child and eye drops are not necessary. Results will indicate a "pass" or a "refer," meaning a vision concern was noticed and there is a suggestion to visit an eye care professional. This can be an important first step for early detection of possible vision conditions. The Lions Club only keeps a tally of results; they do not retain any of your child’s information. 

If you would like to opt into the screening, please REGISTER HERE. Interested parents must also fill out a consent form for their child(ren) and return it to their child(ren)'s teacher/advisor.

Not BOO, but BOOK! It's almost time for our annual Book Character Parade and Fall Festival. Families, if you're new to FSW, this is one of our favorite traditions for both students and parents! 

First, our Book Character Parade will take place on October 30th from 8:45-9:15AM. Stargazer through 4th grade students should wear a literature-based costume and bring along the accompanying book or cover art. Please note this is NOT a Halloween parade. Costumes should be based on a childhood story and be free from inappropriate, scary, or violent elements, as well as full-face masks. If you'd like to join us, please park on Francisco Field and enjoy a community social before lining the campus sidewalks. Students will march together around the Polk Peace Pond before returning to their classrooms.

Then, later that afternoon students will meet their buddies to enjoy our Student Council-run Fall Festival. This year's stations include a hayride, skeleton dance party, autumnal art, lawn games and bubbles, parachute play, face painting, and a scavenger hunt through Longleaf. If you'd like to volunteer as a parent assistant, please sign up below!

Robotics & Weird Science After-School Clubs

Friends, if your student is enrolled in the Robotics or Weird Science after-school clubs, you should have received a recent email from Auxiliary Program Coordinator Ashton. Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the instructor scheduled to teach both programs is currently in Florida assisting her family. We'll keep you posted on the classes' new start dates which we suspect should be up and running in just a couple weeks.

Annual Fund Gratitudes

A tremendous thank you to Jenny Kennen & Marsha Rouse for your generous contributions to the Annual Fund! Did you know 100% of our Board of Trustees, 100% of our administration have donated this year?!

Last Week's FriendsMail (10/09/24)

Lower School Handbook

Middle School Handbook

Technology Guide & All-School Technology Policy

School News

Calendar

Shop the School Store

Support the Annual Fund