October 9, 2024 

My help is in the mountain / Where I take myself to heal / The earthly wounds / That people give to me. / I find a rock with sun on it / And a stream, where the water runs gentle / And the trees which one by one / give me company. / So must I stay for a long time / Until I have grown from the rock / And the stream, is running through me. / And I cannot tell myself from one tall tree. / Then I know that nothing touches me / Nor makes me run away. / My help is in the mountain / That I take away with me. — Nancy Wood, "My help is in the mountain," Hollering Sun (1972)

Read Tony's message of appreciation after last week's outpouring of donations to Western NC.

P.S. Please remember that school is closed on Monday the 14th in recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

1st & 2nd Grade Assistant Teacher Julie Smith talks to festival goers at Saturday's Fire in the Pines event. Our Friends School booth was #fire 🔥, complete with a tree growth chart model and a fire/wildlife activity. Great work, Seahorses! 

As Indigenous Peoples’ Day approaches, I reflect on the deep and often painful histories of colonization, both in the United States with Native Americans and in Australia with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Growing up in Australia, I see the many parallels between these two groups, each subjected to profound injustice, cultural erasure, and systemic inequality. Yet, I also see their resilience and strength as they fight for justice, land rights, and the preservation of their cultures.

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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.

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!

Loosely based on our trimester calendar system, we're excited to announce a new batch of after-school clubs for K-8 students! From our award-winning Science Olympiad teams to wacky, weird science with kindergarten and robotics coding with 8th grade, it's going to be a STEAM-filled fall and winter! Check out the offerings and reach out to Auxiliary Program Coordinator Ash McCarty with any questions!

Alumni parent and staff member Allyson (Howell) Keating was inducted into the University of Maine's Sports Hall of Fame last week. Howell, class of 2010, had eight school records when she graduated and was named the outstanding track performer at the 2008 America East championships when she won the 100 and 200-meter dashes and ran a leg for the triumphant 4X400 relay team. Congratulations, Allyson!

Current FSW parent Matt Schneider, General Manager of Champion Valves, Inc., was named a MADE award winner by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal in recognition of the business's regional influence, including its Cape Fear Manufacturing Partnership. Schneider shared, “It is quite humbling to be selected for a MADE award, to be honest . . . We are not the attention-seeking type. There is a ton of great talent in our area. We are really just getting going.” Congratulations, Matt!

Finally, alumni teacher Elly Bookman will celebrate the release of her newest poetry collection, Love Sick Century, at Atlanta's Inman Park Church. The evening will be introduced by acclaimed journalist and podcast host Josie Duffy Rice, known for the Peabody-nominated series "UnReformed" and Crooked Media's "What a Day." Bookman's poetry has been praised for its "gorgeous precision" and keen observations of our current moment, offering insight into how even the most minor details of life can carry profound significance. Love Sick Century was winner of the 42 Miles Press Poetry Award. Congratulations, Elly!

State of the School Webinar

You're invited! We warmly welcome you to join the 2024-2025 "State of the School" webinar, hosted by Head of School Tony McCudden on Tuesday, October 15th, from 6-7PM via Zoom. Tony will share insights on FSW's financial standing, discuss our short- and long-term growth plans, and highlight strategic areas for improvement.

Do you have a question you'd like addressed during the webinar? Please submit it HERE to help us structure the agenda. We look forward to "seeing" you there!

Annual Fund Gratitudes

A tremendous thank you to Bill Atwill, Geoff Honaker & Deborah Covington, Karen Cumberbatch, and Tracy Tertzagian for your generous contributions to the Annual Fund!

Last Week's FriendsMail (10/02/24)

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