Week of September 1, 2008

Dear Parents,

Welcome to my 2008-09 School Year Blog! For those of you who are new, I use this weekly blog as one (informal) way to keep you informed about what's going on in the Upper School. You may subscribe to this blog by typing your email address in the box to the right of my blog. If you subscribe, you will be notified each time I publish a new post. You will notice that I still don't have a handle on placement of photos and perfecting the format. Perhaps I will figure it all out this year.

The pictures above are from our all-US Retreat, which (as you know) was held on campus due to inclement weather. These pictures were taken during workshops that were offered by staff members: GaGa, Board Games, and Gourmet Cupcakes. The seniors did a great job of re-planning the day for the rest of us. They returned from Quaker Lake and entered the Meeting Hall in silence at 9:30am. They broke the silence with a rousing group game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Annie Dwyer then led us all (!) in a movement/dancing routine. The rest of the day was filled with staff-led workshops, an advisor fair, senior-led games & activities, advisor-selection forms, and a final settling out. Everyone rose to the occasion and created a positive atmosphere...even in the pouring rain!

As you know by now, students have been placed into permanent advisee groups. As always, this placement process is challenging and time-consuming. We do everything possible to create 16 advisee groups that will work well for the year. After our cookout on Friday, advisors welcomed their new groups. These groups should help to smooth the transition for students new to the Upper School. We meet each morning at 8:30 for 10 minutes where we take attendance and share announcements. We meet again at the end of the day for final check-in and clean-up. On Friday, we add 45 minutes on to lunch for Advisee Time when groups plan some activity that they can do together. Our advisee groups are home base to us...the starting point to building community in the Upper School.

You will notice that I highlighted the time for morning homeroom (advisee groups) above. We start the day at 8:30am. Last week, I asked the students to aim to arrive at 8:20am, so they would have time to check in with friends, get to their cubbies or lockers, and be on time for homeroom. We are serious about starting on time. It's a great way to be in touch, learn about important announcements, and play an active role in building community. Thanks for helping with on-time attendance!

As we look ahead, I would like to mention two events to keep in mind. Susan and Tim are planning a sophomore retreat during the weekend of September 20-21. Sophomores will spend Saturday night in Newton Grove and help Father Tony with the Farmworkers Festival. For those of you who are new, more information will follow. For all of you, our US Back to School Night is Thursday, October 2nd. We hope to see you all right here at the Upper School for an information-packed, fun evening.

I hope you have enjoyed a great Labor Day weekend. I am thinking about the folks on the Gulf Coast and hoping that Gustav doesn't do too much harm. Let's hold them all in the light.

Take care,

Carrie

Week of June 23, 2008

Sorry I haven't written in such a long time. As you can imagine, life has been quite full since graduation, with end-of-year staff meetings, writing and mailing end-of-year reports. Willy, Elise and I are down to the final few days. Reports have been written and are ready to be mailed. We are cleaning our offices and preparing for some time off--yay!

The above photos are from the freshman trip to Newton Grove. The group shot is during Father Tony's church service, when the freshman class sang some songs as a part of the service. There is a picture of junior mentor, Suzannah Butters, holding her little buddy. Miles Bonsignor is helping a farmworker with his English. Students are cleaning up lettuce, getting it ready to be distributed to migrant families. Oh, yes, then there is the slip-n-slide! They made time for fun every day.

A reminder about Summer Reading: Our theme is Immigration. Each class is assigned a different book(s) to read. All of these books are available at the Regulator Book Shop on 9th Street in Durham. If you mention "CFS Summer Reading," you will receive a 10% discount. (Thank you, Regulator!)

Freshmen: The Circuit and Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez

Sophomores: La Linea by Ann Jaramillo

Juniors: First Crossing edited by Donald R. Gallo

Seniors: the tortilla curtain by T.C. Boyle

CFS Summer Camp is in full swing. We still get to see some of our students as they are working as CIT's at camp. 5 of our students are at Governor's School, 4 of them are at Summer Ventures (math/science), one is doing science research at Duke through the Howard Hughes program, and others are taking summer courses at colleges. Hopefully, all of them are getting some rest and relaxation, social time with friends, and quality time with families. Willy, Frances, and I are taking a Spanish class here at CFS this summer. Being in this class is such a good reminder of the challenges of being a student. I'm always rushing to do my homework early in the morning on the day it is due!

I plan to write again so I can send more photos of end-of-year experiences. Until then, I will be spending time with family. My beautiful grandchildren have moved to Durham (Oh, yes, and their parents, too!). What fun to have them so close by. Enjoy your summer. I'll be in touch.

End of Year Update 5.29.08

I am unable to include any contemporary photos at the moment, so here is one from this year's archives. I leave for Newton Grove tomorrow morning and hope to return with some great photos. The latest news from Newton Grove is that, for the most part, things are going well. The groups are working well together and helping Father Tony in any way they can. Sadly, a stomach flu has hit a section of the group. So far, only kids from one of the Head Start facilities have had it, and we seem to be nearing the end of the crisis. Fingers crossed, all will be well when I arrive tomorrow. I told them to get rid of all those germs before I get there!

THE ON-CAMPUS GROUPS HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD. These are the true unsung heroes of our End-of-Year program. Their work is completely unglamorous and not at all exotic, yet they show up every day ready to dig in. Terry has a group building a new ramp at the Center. Sherri's group heads out to Welcome Baby every day, and they are so very grateful for the help. (Child care, sorting clothing, putting out truly mass mailings.) Jon's Senior Banquet girls have planned a black and white VIP affair for the seniors. They have created a 3-CD set that has one song specially chosen for each senior--very cool! Every senior will receive a copy of this "box set."

The word from Trinidad is very good. Let me see if I can cut and paste from ELISE'S EMAIL..."We have had a busy two days of service. The work at Habitat continues to be very difficult and rewarding. We are working down in the southern part of the country at a small orphanage called Operation Smile. The orphanage houses 41 children on a small goat and sheep farm. The children live in small buildings but seem to have a lot of land and a playground (a big contrast to the children at the Cyril Ross home who have a small playground that is maybe 8 feet by 25 feet in dimension). We are working at Operation Smile with a group of masons to build a new building for the toddlers and infants. Apparently, babies are abandoned pretty regularly in Port of Spain and the orphanage has been turning away children for quite a while as it did not have the space or facility to house them. The masons anticipate the building will be completed within a few weeks and I would imagine that shortly thereafter it will be full of children. What's great about our project there is that I think Habitat really put the push on getting this project done because our group would be here and they knew they would want something meaningful for us to do. I'm fairly certain that this project had been on some sort of "wish list" for Habitat but it was really our arrival that pushed it forward. What we have done there has been laying brick (when we got there there was simply a poured concrete floor, now there are walls), digging trenches for the porches and steps, making rebar columns to reinforce the concrete, and making cement to use for the window shells and the porches. It's been hard work.
We have had a busy two days of service. The work at Habitat continues to be very difficult and rewarding. We are working down in the southern part of the country at a small orphanage called Operation Smile. The orphanage houses 41 children on a small goat and sheep farm. The children live in small buildings but seem to have a lot of land and a playground (a big contrast to the children at the Cyril Ross home who have a small playground that is maybe 8 feet by 25 feet in dimension). We are working at Operation Smile with a group of masons to build a new building for the toddlers and infants. Apparently, babies are abandoned pretty regularly in Port of Spain and the orphanage has been turning away children for quite a while as it did not have the space or facility to house them. The masons anticipate the building will be completed within a few weeks and I would imagine that shortly thereafter it will be full of children. What's great about our project there is that I think Habitat really put the push on getting this project done because our group would be here and they knew they would want something meaningful for us to do. I'm fairly certain that this project had been on some sort of "wish list" for Habitat but it was really our arrival that pushed it forward. What we have done there has been laying brick (when we got there there was simply a poured concrete floor, now there are walls), digging trenches for the porches and steps, making rebar columns to reinforce the concrete, and making cement to use for the window shells and the porches. It's been hard work."

YAY! IT WORKED! I know that was a lengthy explanation, but it will give you a good idea of the kind of work that is being done. I also heard from Frances in Costa Rica today. They are in Palo Verde and despite a huge amount of rain are having a very good time. They went on a great boat ride, birdwatching with a naturalist, walks in the forest in extreme mud, climbed to the lookout and enjoyed the vista. It was an hour-long journey from the highway on a dirt road to the field station, so they are in a remote spot. They have seen so many amazing birds. I hope they come home with pictures to share.

WEBSITES TO SHARE
www.elsalvadortrip.weebly.com (El Salvador)
http://cfscr.weebly.com (Costa Rica)

That's all the news I have right now. We will soon enter our final week of school. I hope to have lots to share next week. Have a good one!

End of Year Program News 5.22.08

I tried to create a different layout for this blog, but it didn't work. I am going to have to consult my blog guru, Matthew, to help me out with that. So, once again, I have a conglomeration of photos. I'll tell you what's there. See if you can match the correct photo with its description. These folks are all on campus doing service. Sam and Marin are standing next to the tetherball pole on the new tetherball court that they built for the Upper School. Aydin and Aidan are in the squeaky-clean hut that they just swept and mopped. John and Terry are working with a group of students who have torn down the ramp that led to the Center bathrooms. They are building a new ramp with recycled materials. There is a group of freshmen in the Meeting Hall, organizing bags and boxes of clothing for the migrant farmworkers. You can also see Tim and Susan with the freshmen on Wednesday just before they left to work in the fields. They picked strawberries, broccoli, and onions.

I have received word from all of our off-campus trips. They have arrived safely at their various destinations, but I haven't received any photos to share. Elise sent the most detailed information from Trinidad. They have divided into two groups, the first of which is working with Habitat for Humanity on the southern tip of the island. They will be working at an orphanage, building an addition to the main building so they have space for the toddlers and infants who come to them. The second group is working at the Cyril Ross Nursery, fixing beds and organizing closets.

Here is late-breaking news from Frances in Costa Rica. They are all happy and healthy. The kids love the forest and are doing well as a group. They experienced a major storm yesterday and were up at 5:30 this morning to go bird watching. The kids have been working on a first round of scientific investigations and the two groups are creating projects on leafcutter ants. WOW!!

I am amazed and heartened by the maturity and strong sense of responsibilty that our students demonstrate during this End-of-Year program. Much of the work is dirty and certainly not glamorous. Yet, they are ready to accept any task that is presented to them. As parents and teachers, we can take a moment to feel very proud. I'll keep in touch.

Week of May 19

If I could get them in the right order, the pictures above would tell the story of this past week: students taking final exams, teachers grading exams, teachers writing reports, and happy students on the deck...their exams behind them. Today is Friday, and End-of-Term reports are due in teachers' boxes by 3:00 today. I don't think I have to tell you about the suffering that is going on around here at the moment--It's brutal! Willy and I plan to get reports in the mail early next week.

Our End-of-Year program officially begins next Tuesday. The first trip, however, will leave tomorrow. Here is the schedule of departures for EOY trips:

Saturday El Salvador (Website: www.elsalvadortrip.weebly.com)

Sunday Trinidad

Tuesday Costa Rica

Wednesday West trip and Appalachia

The freshmen will work in the fields and sleep at home Wednesday/Thursday. They will pack the busses on Friday and leave for Newton Grove on Sunday, May 25.

All on-campus and local experiences will begin at 9am on Tuesday morning.

ABC's of Service and Senior Banquet will work on campus.

Another service group will be working at the Ronald McDonald House.

Women Who Rock will be traveling in the area during the first week and attending a Women Rock and Politics Conference in Athens, GA, during the second weekend.

I will keep you posted about all these experiences as much as possible through this blog. As we send these student groups out into the world, I keep my fingers crossed that all of the hard work and planning will pay off, and that groups won't have to face any unforseen problems. Our EOY program is designed to give students and teachers a learning environment that goes beyond the classroom. It was originally created so that students would have the opportunity to explore in-depth subjects that are field-based and could include service, travel, physical activity, and cultural awareness. We hope to help students learn how to participate as global citizens in an every-changing, dynamic world. Beyond the learning and community-building, these experiences are meant to be fun--and they are!

One of our graduates just stopped by to say hello. She graduated from UNC last weekend. She told me that she talked about her Upper School EOY experiences to her college friends many times. For her, they continue to be her most vivid memories of her time at CFS. That kind of comment is music to my ears.

Week of May 12

It is the last day of classes, and I'm having a great time walking around with my camera. I have captured teachers teaching (on the last day!), students studying and scrambling to write that last paper, and I stopped in Elise's office to check out her HIV and Ethics projects. Hopefully, these pictures have not ended all on top of one another. The skull done in charcoal is by senior JiEun Lee. It is the first page of an entire, amazing book that she created. The map of the United States is by Ben Harris. The number of people in the world living with HIV is 3.2 million, the same number as the entire population of the states colored in red. I didn't get a picture of Samantha Strom singing the song that she wrote about AIDS. She was accompanied on the guitar by sister Hannah.

I also want to point out one of the teachers above--senior Virginia Thomas. Virginia has been working as a teacher's aid in Dave's math 100/110 class all year, which is a freshman class. She has taught classes and assisted students in that class. Dave can't say enough about Virginia's contributions to his class. According to Dave, she gives a clear message to the younger students: It's cool to be a good student. Thank you, Virginia!

Next week will be both quiet and busy, depending on the time of day. Monday is our Reading Day. Students only need to be here when they have a meeting or a review session. We will begin the day with End-of-Year group meetings. Final exams will be given Tuesday-Thursday. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday (5/13)

9-11am Class presentations (Gay History, Advanced Bio)

1-3pm Science exams (Bio, Chem, Physics, Adv. Chem)

Wednesday (5/14)

9-11am Foreign Language exams (All Spanish and French)

1-3pm US History exam

Thursday (5/15)

9-11am Math exams (Geometry, Pre-calculus, Stats)

1-3 Make-up exams

Just a reminder that the school store has not been re-stocked and will be selling out of whatever they have left. There are no pizza lunches next week. Students will need to bring a bag lunch or find a junior/senior friend who is going off campus for food.

It's hard to believe that we are at this time of year...last day of classes, final exams, and End-of-Year experiences just around the corner. PLEASE HELP US OUT BY FINDING BOOKS THAT BELONG TO THE SCHOOL AND UNIFORMS. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Week of May 5 (Cinqo de Mayo)

I took a chance and included lots of pictures of the prom in this blog. I tried to get them in chronological order, but the blog has a mind of its own. I am hoping that they haven't appeared on top of one another on your computer. You should be able to see the morning decorating time, with girls hanging fabric, and Ken and Bryce building arches. Then you can see the lighted arches to welcome our prom participants. I have included a shot of some very handsome young men, and one of the prom in full swing. You may have heard that John Dee Holeman couldn't be found, so we missed an hour of his playing. We did fill that hour, however, with more dancing! I am trying to include some prom advisee group shots.

On Monday, we will enter the final week of the spring term. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are working on registering for fall term classes. We are doing our best to deal with scheduling problems as they arise. We are already on class schedule #2, which is printed on blue paper. Freshmen parents should be hearing about the new Global Citizen (GC) credits for sophomores. All sophomores must take one GC Capstone class in 7th period. They also need to take at least one LA or SS which counts as a GC credit each term. (All of this is clearly explained on a sheet of paper, which I will email to you.) It actually sounds more complicated than it is. All advisors have been informed, and our Foundations teachers have been explaining this process and answering questions in class.

Many classes will begin review sessions this week in preparation for final exams. The final exam schedule is posted around the US, so students should already know when their exams are being given. DEAR PARENTS: This is a great time of year to start checking in closets and under beds for textbooks, sports uniforms, and other materials belonging to the school. We will very much appreciate your helping us to save money by reminding your child to return school equipment to us. THANK YOU!!

Parents of seniors, you should be receiving notifications about the graduation party and senior photographs. If you haven't heard anything, please contact Diane Robertson ASAP. REMEMBER GROCERY SCRIP. You are all invited to check the new interactive school calendar on the website. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!