Sunday, September 21, 2008

Week of September 22, 2008





















Welcome to Fall! The weather has turned from hot to cool, and life in the Upper School gets more full and busy by the day. Above, you can see some of the cubbies, which are across from the Computer Lab. Our Bolivian intern, Alicia, is teaching a Spanish IV class. (Alicia celebrated her 24th birthday this weekend!) You can also see Bryce's Campaign '08 class as they view a piece on Barack Obama on Bryce's brand new flat-screen tv. I included the cubbies to remind parents that we have a variety of ways in which students can store their personal belongings: cubbies, lockers, and space set aside in advisee areas. If students must bring something of value to school, it is always best to store them in a more private area that can be provided by the advisor.


This week, Annie Dwyer is taking her 2nd period Modern Dance class to the Nasher Art Museum to see the El Greco to Velazquez exhibit. As you may know, the Nasher allows very tight scheduling for this exhibit, consequently, Annie's group will be there from 10-11am on Wednesday, September 24th. As I am lucky enough to be included, I am very much looking forward to seeing the El Greco to Velazquez exhibit with our students.
One of our newest social studies classes, Emotional Intelligence, was introduced by Sherri (our Learning Coordinator) last year. What are the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder, and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well? The answer may be "emotional intelligence." Emotional Intelligence includes self-awareness, a deeper sense of people, empathy, self-motivation, persistence, and social deftness. Ultimately, this class is a self-reflection journey--a look at who one is as an individual, and who one is within various communities and relationships. Sherri is the perfect teacher to lead students through this journey with her soft-spoken sensitivity and delightful sense of humor. Luckily, for the staff, Sherri manages some time "off" during lunch on Wednesday to offer Yoga for CFS staff members. (Her hobby...and a great side benefit for the rest of us.)
I hope you have marked your calendars for our Back to School Night on Thursday, October 2nd, from 7-9pm. We will meet in the Meeting Hall. Our wonderful parent liaisons have planned a social half-hour, complete with cookies and lemonade, from 6:30-7:00. We will begin our program promptly at 7pm. From 7:00-7:30, we will introduce staff members, view a short video about our End-of-Year Program, listen to our a cappella group, the Quaker N'Oats, and learn about important upcoming events that relate specifically to the Upper School. From 7:30-9:00, parents will meet their child's advisors and visit their 1st-4th period classes. We hope to see you there!
Have a great week!

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