Y+Nov+&+Dec+2007

=**__ School Life Committee minutes - 12/4/07 __**= Attending: Mary DeCoster (convener), Martha Klopfer, Angela Zoltners, Susan Kincaid, Hugh Meriwether, Don Ulin, Barbara Conger, Kathy Schenley, Dick Marr, Guthrie Stanback, Leon Ikenberry, Mary Deborah Englund, Charlie Layman. **Unit Reports** - Reports submitted prior to this meeting are copied at the end of the minutes. - ES – gathering information from three campuses is difficult – a central place to post information for this committee, PSA, Update, etc. would be helpful – try not to duplicate effort – this concern has been brought to Friday meeting - Possibility of a //wiki// for committees like ours which include folks who are not on First Class - if set up, it would be our responsibility to read postings

Some queries emerged…
Who does these reports? Why do we do them? How are they shared with the wider community? How does the life of this committee enrich CFS? How does our work fit with the long range plan? Could we use the “lens” of our philosophy to frame our reports? How do we keep reports both efficient and Quakerly? What does the school want from us? Mike shares what he calls “Mission Moments” with the Board, rather than a list of events. This might be a model for us. MS moment – Open House – visitors commented on the students – their presence, their commitment and responsibility US moments – Beginning Acting: Seniors as TAs to Susan: writing, directing; Clerk’s committee wrestling with revision of the driving policy; Work with alumna Christen Clougherty to connect art, service, philanthropy; Immigration class has local focus Mary read our charge from the Board: “…to nurture the Quaker character of the school, with special attention to the School’s connection with the meetings.” There was some discussion of the various roles of the committee: - to share the activities of units - to act as an advisory group for the school as a whole (such as the discussion of soda sales on campus) - to facilitate connections with the Meetings o Meetings have expressed interest in a closer connection. o Could this committee meet at the Meeting houses and invite Meeting members to attend? o Could we sponsor whole-school Meeting for Worship at times other than when the community is in crisis? Perhaps 8 – 8:30 am ? Specifically invite Meetings. o Current Meeting for Worship in Units - LS, Wednesdays 10:35 – 10:50; MS, Wednesday, 1:45 ; US, Wednesday 1:50 – 2:15 o Charlie will take the MFW idea to Friday Meeting, with the intent of finding 2 or 3 dates for later this school year. o It would be nice to have these Meetings listed as part of the calendar of events next school year. __ Looking ahead: __ No January meeting Unit Reports: Please have reports available for others to read by Thursday, January 31 (Friday, February 1 is a Staff Development Day). Try to include Quaker “moments” as it seems appropriate to you. A brief list of unit events is still welcome. __ Next meeting __ : Tuesday, February 5, 2008, 7:00 – 8:30. Location: new US Meeting Room – Susan will host 

Unit reports, December 2007
 CES Update  Things are bustling along at the CES as the winter holidays grow near. The process of “defining and redefining” continues to reflect exciting growth and change taking place in the CES community every day. Libby recently described a particular reflection of this defining and redefining in relation to the annual Thanksgiving Feast. Traditionally, the Thanksgiving Feast is “family centered”, but this year it was “child centered.” Children prepared dishes at home (perhaps old family recipes) with their families and brought them in to share with their school family. On Nov. 20 th  the children gathered together and shared a meal comprised of their own creations. One can only imagine what might evolve from this new idea.  New ideas and creative projects are always sprouting at CES. From high tech explorations with computers and telephones to homemade soup and jewelry making, children and staff are working, learning, and growing together every day. The constant exploration and creativity that takes place at CES is due not only to the dialogues that take place between the children and staff, but the continual growth and education of our wonderful teachers. Tim Wells just attended a conference on Mindful Coaching for Educators. It is truly a gift to our children and school that our CES staff is so dedicated to their growth as educators.  We want to give a special thanks to Margaret, the student teacher from Meredith College, for her hard work and dedication to CES. We would also like to thank Upper and Middle School service students for their help with our children during the fall trimester. CHES News  The Chapel Hill Early School is benefiting from the gifts some community members are sharing with us. Peter Higgins, father of Megan, brings his years of experience as a Physical Education teacher to CHES on Tuesdays. He does group activities on the playground utilizing the parachute, balls and chairs, music and movement, etc. The teachers enjoy observing the children’s interactions as they build on their collaborative skills as well as gross motor skills while they frolic with Peter each week.  <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Our field trip to the Botanical Gardens was made possible by another parent, Stephen Spade, Avery’s dad. As an employee of Chapel Hill Transit, he arranged for a city bus to pick us all up in front of CHES, cruise around town for a bit, and drop us off for a guided tour of the gardens. Several parents joined us for the trip since it was an all school event. The bus ride was as big a thrill as the beautiful gardens. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Betsy Blair, who is a professional dance and movement educator, has been working with the Dragonfly (kindergarten) class. During October and November Betsy taught the dragonflies dance as part of a film project she was developing. On her last day, Betsy brought a cameraman who filmed the children doing dance pieces they learned with Betsy. The video of our dragonflies will be used in her professional teaching capacity in the future. The children danced their hearts out and consider that their appearance on film makes them “famous!” <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Each year the Butterflies and Dragonflies participate in cooking a special Thanksgiving snack. We also painted colorful murals to serve as table cloths. Children shared and recorded what they feel thankful for and also collected canned and packaged goods to present to Fannie Edwards, who has cleaned and cared for our school for 37 years. The spirit of thanks and of giving was alive for us all. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">While the Butterfly class has been exploring the art of book-making and seeing their stories in writing, the Dragonfly class is tying their unit on the Cherokees to our Quaker tenet of stewardship of the earth. In learning about how the Native Americans value the earth and waste nothing, the children have taken on the responsibility of recycling in ways they had not thought of previously. Each child also received a Cherokee name based on their own personality and spirit, and relish the opportunity to call other “Tree Climber,” “Galloping Pony,” “Tall in the Grass”, etc. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">DE <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 121%;">S <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">for UPDATE <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">November 19, 2007 <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">We (Carmen and Sara) have been exploring ways of understanding, documenting, and planning for all the important, self-selected work the children do during their free choice time at school. Through our observations of the children we are noticing many different deep interests, or projects, emerging for the children. Following is a summary of //<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">just a few // <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> of the projects the children are engaged in at this time, and how we as teachers are supporting the children in extending that work: <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> =<span style="font-size: 13.2pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Mask-Making---Exploring Identity and Shared Storytelling = <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Since the beginning of the year, children have been creating masks. Masks are an amazing vehicle for exploring identity, as well as engaging in artistic problem-solving and collaboration. We wondered, how can we help the children use masks and role-playing to deepen both their friendship connections and their collaborative play? We decided to provoke a more concrete form of “mask” by providing watercolor pencils for the children to use to draw masks directly on their faces. It is amazing to see the way they have begun to have their characters interact deeply and collaboratively with each other. =<span style="font-size: 13.2pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Power and Large, Graceful Movements = <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Children are creating large, graceful, dancing shows in the workroom, using scarves, instruments, and popsicle-stick “light sabers.” The intentionality and grace of their movements is so compelling! Other children have been acting as large, powerful animals like Red, Red Raptors, Electric Engines, and Dinosaurs—it is very important work for young children to explore feeling powerful. =<span style="font-size: 13.2pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Paint---Shading and Mixing = <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">From the beginning of the year, children have shown deep interest in the way tempera paint colors mix together to form new colors. After a few months of exploration, we decided to give the children a more structured opportunity to explore color mixing. We consulted with Anita Mills, one of our DES parents and a visual artist, who suggested we use blue and white as beginning colors that would show mixing and change well. We asked the children, “How many shades of blue can you create by adding white?” Over weeks, the children created many shades, from “the ocean seas” to “Carl blue.” They are making observations about the colors, such as “The blue covered the white!” And the children are just now beginning to wonder: what would happen with pink? Green? Yellow? Black? =<span style="font-size: 13.2pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Writing---Making Connections = <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">We have noticed many children beginning to use writing as a language of connection and self-expression over the past few weeks. Some children are using our mailboxes to make small notes for each other while others are creating their own books about color, or writing words in birthday cards. We are supporting this work by providing many different kinds of paper and envelopes for writing as well as models of letters in alphabet books and dictionaries. =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Lower School – November –December 2007 = __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Whole school events: __ =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Book Fair – students participated by reading their own works and the = <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">works of their favorite authors. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Math Fair – The whole Lower School spent the morning of November 20 exploring a <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">variety of math activities – from puzzles and games to math baseball and pattern <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">making. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Thanksgiving – We enjoyed a shared snack on Wednesday morning, with fruit breads <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">baked by Sky Class, vegetable soup made by Mountain Class, and warm cider <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">provided by Forest Class. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Classes also did service projects to help clean up the campus. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Winter holidays – We look forward to our annual Kwanzaa celebration on Wednesday, <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> December 19, at 9:45. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">During the week of December 17 – 21, we will gather for <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">holiday singing each morning from 8:30 – 8:45. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Younger Classes: __ <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Spanish classes enjoyed a presentation by Jan French (mom of Tyler in Mountain). Jan showed the students how fiber is spun into yarn, which gave the children a deeper appreciation for all that is involved in Guatemalan weaving. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">In Design Tech, Charlie is leading the students through the steps of designing a battery powered vehicle. The children sketched their ideas, then described the vehicle in words. Next they used graph paper to lay out the pattern for the chassis. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Developing tool skills is a big part of this work, and we see the children becoming more adept at the use of the saw, the bench clamps, and the hand drill. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Older Classes: __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Inventions rule in Mountain and Forest! Mountain students have done research on inventors and devised their own ways to present the results of their research to the class. Each student also made a model of their invention and placed it on a time line. Forest students are designing hats. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Their challenge is to design a piece of headgear that has mechanical parts, makes life easier or more interesting, and is operated by hand from below shoulder level. Each design team must make a scale drawing of their plan before they begin construction. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">November in Middle School <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> Events surrounding Thanksgiving were a highlight for us this month. On the Tuesday preceding Thanksgiving we had our International Potluck. Families provided us with over 100 dishes and our feast was wonderful. Prior to that day, the floor in our Center area became a map of the world (masking tape marked out the continents). Student activities included consideration of such issues as what it cost to transport a pineapple from one part of the world to another, how resources are distributed in the world, and how energy consumption enters into the conversation. In addition to hunger awareness activities, Henry Walker led the softballathon once again this year. In the past 18 years, under Henry's guidance, the Middle School has contributed over $25,000 to Oxfam through this activity. On our 1/2 day on Wednesday, Faye Stanley (teaching artist and school parent) <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">led the Middle School in our celebration of Native Americans through song and rhythm games. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Service Day was another November event. The entire Middle School set aside November 12 as a day to do Service in and around the community. We've had a very positive response from organizations ranging from TROSA to Orange County Animal Shelter who've expressed appreciation and respect for the hard work performed by the students. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> First trimester ended this month. Each student receives a packet containing a written evaluation from each of their 7 class teachers. They read these evals over during advisee time, respond to them in some format, perhaps revisit goals from earlier in the year, and then move forward into 2nd trimester. 2nd trimester classes and new rotations have begun. Students are also experiencing a new afternoon schedule which allows the 4th Years who take a foreign language in the U. S. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">the opportunity to stay with their advisee group during 7th period instead of having to give that up. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Finally, we're looking forward to December 6 and 7, the First Annual Recycling Fair. In conjunction with the Upper School, a new student committee--the Environmental Club--has organized the fair (with much leadership and guidance from Mig), the intention being to encourage reuse of clothes, shoes, and books. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Oops, I forgot Open House. Staff, along with volunteer students and parents, welcomed visitors to the Middle School on Sunday. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">12/5/07 <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> __<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Here are some highlights from the last month in the Upper School. __ <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> //<span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Trip to Washington D.C.: // <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">(Here is a brief overview from Carrie’s recent letter to parents.) <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">As many of you know, we had a great time in Washington, DC, last Friday. One of the best anecdotes of the day involves our tour of the Capitol. Bob called David Price’s office to see if they would organize tours for us. The intern who answered the phone was none other than CFS grad, Maile Mercer! Having recently graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, Maile, who was always politically active as an Upper Schooler, is working for David Price. She was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide. Our day in DC was filled with stories of students being responsible, thoughtful, and considerate of one another as they visited museums, monuments, and colleges. I personally hope that this is a day we will repeat. =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">FALL SYMPOSIUM = <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Our Fall Symposium is a day that falls in between the fall and winter terms when students have no scheduled classes; instead, we choose a theme and plan a day of activities that relate to it. This year’s Symposium, took place on Tuesday, November 13, and had Science as its focus. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students had many choices of planned activities and presentations that included the following: off-campus trips to the Lemur Center or the Free Air Carbon Emission Project in Duke Forest, as well as fascinating workshops: <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Following a morning of science-related activities, we enjoyed a potluck lunch and performances by the bands and the a cappella singing group, Quaker N’Oats. During the last part of the afternoon, we offered physical activities such as yoga, head and shoulder massage, hiking the nature trail, soccer, ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">We concluded the day with a final settling out. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">REGULATOR BOOK FAIR: <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">UPPER SCHOOL CAFÉ = <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">The annual Regulator Book Fair marks the one fundraiser of the year for the CFS libraries. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Upper School Café took place on November 16 <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">th <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> It included an original scene written by senior Darius Watson and performed by beginning actors. The Quaker N’Oats sang; an US band rocked the house with its original songs, and US students read original stories and poetry. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">It was a very successful evening with a packed audience! =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">THE CIVIL RIGHTS CLASS = <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">The students in Susan’s Civil Rights class are so enthusiastic about their class project. The class studied the Civil Rights movement in this country and also the civil rights of women in modern day Afghanistan. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The class read //<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Warriors Don’t Cry // <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> by Melba Patillo Beals, a riveting memoir of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">They also read many excerpts from Eyes on the Prize, which offers a comprehensive overview of the Civil Rights Movement. Their final project directly related to women in Afghanistan. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Many of Susan’s students were also in Bryce’s Middle East class and therefore spent a good amount of time with Noorin Nazari (Fulbright Duke graduate student) who was visiting from Afghanistan. They learned about the vandalism that is a constant threat to our Afghan sister school, the Tob Chi School in Bamiyan Province, because there is no wall that surrounds and protects the school. They also learned that students must climb in the well every day to get water. In the discussions that ensued, our students realized the resources (like water) and the sense of security (no need for a wall) that we take for granted. As their final project, they built a wall out of plastic water bottles. Through the plastic wall, we see a collage that includes pictures and excerpts from diaries, and demonstrates the success of the Afghan Sister School Project. They hope that this wall will someday become a permanent structure at the Upper School. This class held bake sales and a Bear Night to raise $365 for the Tob Chi School. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Afghan Moms will visit the Upper School on Wednesday, December 5 <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">th <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> to see the wall and receive the US donation. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> =<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">WHERE IS WILLY? = <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">On Tuesday, November 13, Willy (our cruise director!) underwent hip replacement surgery. We expect her to be out of school for at least 6 weeks. Claire Millar (formal US guidance counselor) has stepped in as Willy’s substitute. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Willy is doing great and we all miss her! <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 14pt;">Winter Term <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The Winter Term is well underway! Students and staff are working hard and looking forward to the next break in December. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">OPEN HOUSE AND RISERS NIGHT <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Upper School staff and students hosted two exciting events to share our enthusiasm for the work we do in the Upper School. The Quaker N’Oats serenaded audiences with their lively repertoire (including a holiday song). Upper School staff did presentations on key subject areas and answered questions from MS parents and prospective families. Upper School students were also on hand to lead tours and answer questions. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">BASKETBALL SEASON, ULTIMATE FRISBEE AND SWIMMING <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">The courts are full of the sounds of bouncing balls and running feet as our JV Boys and Varsity Girls and Boys Teams are hard at work. <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Students are also actively chasing Frisbees on the upper field and stretching their muscles and endurance in the pool. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Blood vessels and nerves in the human body as seen in ultrasound and a cadaver
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Effects of nutrients on plant growth and succession
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Air pollution sampling and measurement techniques
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">HIV and drug development
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Evolution and development of cognition: monkeying around with numbers
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Hurricane cycles and flooding
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Lactation and human milk specificity
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Medical measurement techniques: ultrasound, x-ray, blood pressure

<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">PSA – November/December
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> ==<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">The Parent Staff Association has been busy with a variety of projects. The November meeting of the PSA featured a presentation by CFS Board Member Mark Kuhn on the findings of the current Long Range Planning Process followed by questions from the audience. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;">It was noted that the final report from the process will be pushed back from its original date. == ==<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Members of the PSA also participated in many capacities at the highly successful Book Fair held at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham in November. Over $5,100 in books and library funds was raised during the course of the event. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;">According to reports, this represents a 28% increase over last year’s total. == ==<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">The Care Committee is organizing standing processes to respond to needs that arise in the community while also managing ongoing care. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal;">A letter was sent out to the community outlining a number of ways that people could volunteer to help and the responses generated are being organized into databases that will allow support to be swift and spread out across a wider number of people. == ==<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Looking ahead, the Events Committee is planning an adult activity to be held in January and has also announced the title of the Community Reads event to be held in the spring. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">The featured book will be <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Palatino; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">//<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">Animal, Vegetable, Miracle // <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-decoration: none;"> by Barbara Kingsolver which explores the impact of eating food produced locally. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> Additional events are being planned which will tie in with the book’s central theme. ==