Q+January+2009

School Life Committee – January 13, 2009 regrets: Mary, Dick attending: Charlie (clerking for this evening), Clara, Susan, Leon, Mary Deborah, Dawn, Barbara, Kathy, Lisa, Kathryn, Martha >we hold Mary and her family in the light >Martha will co-convene with Mary, beginning next month >Parenting Class – proposal from the Greens (copy at end of minutes) - Lisa will forward the proposal to the PSA - should there be a fee? - we should pay the Greens $500 if we can - we should check on tax deductions for the Greens - no childcare – too late on a school night – understand that getting a sitter is an extra expense – so maybe no fee - sharing info; PSA newsletter, head teacher weekly emails, posters – Charlie will help coordinate >Middle School events - play – //The Music Man// - preparing for MLK Day - sports, MS dance - issues of community distrust – graffiti, theft, fire alarm discussions in advisee groups – recommitment plan for “clean slate” meeting for worship -adolescent issues forum – //Stepping Up & Stepping Out// > Upper School - MLK plans – choir, drumming, dance, USer designed logo - Alumni – dance concert, play - auditions for //Footloose// - visit/performance by Mike Wiley - sports: basketball, swimming - college essays - Alumni panel – Life After Friends School - Jon’s African American History class project – lessons plans >Board – passed a budget tonight - the school operates with no debt >CHES - 3-4s practice silence after outside play - learning to be quiet in their bodies - dinosaur study > CHES Dragonflies - A Lego fan built a miniature Peace Table with an astronaut and an alien sitting at it  - Kindergarten group had Levi (an alum) visit - Tommy Johnson coming from MS to talk about space >LS - Charlie starts design tech classes with centered standing - Mountain studying Quaker history - Fort building– a huge cooperatively built structure has emerged on  the LS playground – students carted limbs and pine straw – they’ve worked very hard and mostly without fuss – about 20 people involved – some are guard “dogs” >PSA - recycling document in progress – hope to finish in a month - winter bash – January 30 - book – Confessions of an Eco-Sinner – possible author visit, discussion groups Next community Meeting for Worship – Wednesday, January 28 Next School Life Meeting, Tuesday, February 3, 7:00 – 8:30 Mary, Charlie: Thank you for the invitation to propose a parenting class for the CFS community. We would like to offer a workshop for the CFS community that integrates the spiritual and practical concepts of parenting with Quaker values. We might title the workshop “One Small Plot of Heaven,” after the book by Elise Boulding. The workshop would consist of six evening sessions, each two hours long. Our proposed dates are Wednesday evenings, March 18, 25, April 1, April 15, 22, 29. (This includes a one week break for Spring Break). We believe parenting is a beautiful vocation – one that offers us the opportunity to shape the lives of children even as we are shaped by them. The goals of the workshop would be to: 1) create a strong sense of community among the parents through mutual sharing, dialogue, and interactive exercises;  2)  provide a space in which participants can reflect upon Quaker values (such as respect, simplicity, and silence—among others) as they arise out of our core faith in the presence of the Light within each person; 3) offer an opportunity to discuss practical ways to bring these Quaker values into the parent/child relationship, the home, and the world.  The primary focus for this workshop will be on the parenting of younger children (early and lower school) but all members of the CFS community (parents and staff) who are parenting are welcome. If there are two parents in the home, we strongly recommend that both parents attend the workshop together if possible.  Logistics:  Location: We suggest that the workshop be held at the CFS main campus, from 6:45-8:45 p.m., with childcare offered by CFS from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.   Cost: We would normally ask for a $500 honorarium for a 15-hour weekend workshop. For this parenting workshop, we would ask for $250, the other half we would consider a contribution. In addition there would be the cost of childcare. There may also be a small fee for materials. The PSA may want to decide whether to absorb all costs, or pass some on to parents. (We have found that charging a small fee encourages participants not to skip any classes!). Dates: Our proposed dates are Wednesday evenings, March 18, 25, April 1, April 15, 22, 29. This includes a one week break for Spring Break. (Wednesday evenings are the only day of the week Mike and Marsha are consistently available and these particular dates are the only string of evenings that we see available for this Spring!). Materials: Mike and Marsha will provide photocopies of readings. (This cost can be covered by a fee or by use of the CFS photocopier). Participants: Because we facilitate an interactive workshop, we would like to limit the class to 20 participants. We would like to know how many participants there are at least one week before the first class. Dear Marsha and Mike, Thank you for sending the proposal for the Parenting Workshop for CFS parents, it sounds wonderful. What a gift and opportunity this is for our community. Here is a summary of the School Life Committee discussion yesterday evening: We definitely want to offer this workshop for CFS parents. The honorarium you requested will be covered by the school, either through the PSA or through other CFS funds. In addition, we will cover all costs for the materials you will need for the class. Please let us know if we can copy and collate handouts for you. We thank you for offering the class for half the rate you normally would charge. If we can assist you in writing a receipt for your donation, please let us know. It was the sense of the meeting that it might be challenging for Early and Lower School students to attend child care at school from 6 to 9pm. We thought it might be easier for the children and parents if families made their own arrangements for a babysitter on the nights the classes meet. We understand that this will be an expense for parents so we decided to offer the classes to parents at no charge. Lisa Hess, the School Life representative for the PSA, is sharing your proposal with the Co-convenors of PSA. We should hear from them soon. We are happy to advertise the class through our email newsletters and other communications. We're assuming that sign up will be on a first come, first serve basis. Would it be best to have interested parents contact you directly? If so, parents could ask questions and register directly with you. Thank you for your generosity and time. We will continue to be in touch. Warmest regards, Charlie Layman