PEARL STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Construction work on the 345 Adams/380 Pearl Street building continues, with the heaviest work taking place after 3:30 p.m.There have been some delays caused by unforeseen issues underground. The project manager reports that work should be completely finished over the winter break, unless weather conditions extend the time. Completion includes work on both Pearl and Willoughby Streets and removal of the blue construction walls.
NEW ON THE WEB
Into the Woods to Grandmother's House - It's a song about a meal at Grandma's but it's not quite a Thanksgiving dinner--unless you happen to be the big, bad wolf.
Into the Woods, the 1987 Sondheim-Lapine Broadway musical, will be revived Nov. 21 and 22 at BFS.
2008 Holiday Volunteer Opportunities: Once again the PAT Community Service Committee has compiled a list of family volunteer opportunities for Thanksgiving through the New Year. Download the list
here.
Shopping for a Great Cause: In conjunction with the Winter Craft Fair, area retailers will be donating a percentage of their sales to BFS community members to the Horizons at BFS summer enrichment program. Click
here for the list.
What makes a good mathematician? Ask any of the following Lower School students, who took part in the weekly Math Challenges: Danielle F., Kindergarten; Sidney E., Pilar, Jesse L, Laura, First Grade; Annika H, Miles JP, Second Grade; Devante, Juliet, Gillie, Eliza, Emma, Julia, Third Grade; Nathaniel, Rocco, Tess, Fourth Grade. There are new challenges at different levels for all Lower School students this week on the Math Challenge
website.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Sun, Nov. 16 11 am: Brooklyn Monthly Meeting (BMM) invites all BFS families to Meeting for Worship at the Meeting House, 110 Schermerhorn Street. Details below in the Quaker News section
Tues, Nov. 18 9 am: Lower School Coffee Hour for PS Fours, K, and gr. 1 parents. Topic: Rhymes and Reasons: Language Play and Reading. Presenter: Barbara Ringel, Reading Specialist.
Wed. Nov. 19 7 pm: Middle School Coffee Hour with The Freedom Institute. Topic: Alcohol and Substance Abuse in the Middle School Years.
Thurs, Nov. 20 9 am: Preschool Coffee Hour with Division Head Karen Luks and Consulting Psychologist Bruce Arnold.
Fri, Nov. 21, 4 pm and 7 pm, "Into the Woods," the Middle and Upper School Fall Musical. Tickets are $5 children/$10 adults. Please purchase in advance at the front desk.
Sat. Nov. 22, 7 pm, "Into the Woods"
More on Math: Beginning on Nov. 17, 7th and 8th graders will be participating in the AMC 8 (American Mathematics Contest) during math classes. The AMC 8 is designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills. The examination provides an opportunity to apply the concepts taught at the junior high level to problems which not only range from easy to difficult but also cover a wide range of applications. Practice examinations are available in the AMC 8
website
LOWER SCHOOL THANKSGIVING NEWS
Divisional Thanksgiving programs take place on Tuesday, 11/25. In the Lower School Kindergarten has a morning event in the classrooms, 8:30-9:30 am. Grades
1-4 have a program in the Schermerhorn Meeting House, beginning at 1:00 pm. (The Meeting House will open at 12:30 for seating).
PAT UPDATE
The Craft Fair volunteers are making their lists, checking them twice, and are reaching out to parents for their help to make the Dec. 6th Fair a big success. The counter by the PAT Bulletin Board in the 375 Pearl Street lobby will be "Craft Fair Central" -- check it out for flyers, posters, and a volunteer sign up board. This year's fair is a benefit for the Horizons at Brooklyn Friends summer enrichment program.
News Flash for Middle and Upper School students: Sell your arts and crafts at the Winter Craft Fair, December 6th. T-shirts, artwork, poetry, music, sweaters -- as long as you made it, you can sell it! Bring your items to sell and 10% of your profits will be donated to Horizons at BFS. You must be present at the table to sell. Deadline to register is Nov 24th. Just drop an email to jeila@jeila.com with info about what you are selling or with questions for more information.
The annual Brooklyn Friends African-American Celebration will take place in February. Help plan this exciting event -- parents, teachers, and students are welcome to participate. To join the planning committee and receive more information, please get in touch with BFS parent Alisa Martin Granderson.
PARENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Reynolds Tenazas-Norman (Raphael, gr. 7) has co-curated and is featured in the art exhibit "Close to the Edge" at Danny Simmons's Corridor Gallery, 334 Grand Ave., Brooklyn. The opening reception is Sun. Nov. 16, from 4 to 7 and all BFS families, faculty and staff are invited.
Jaye Moon (Hildegard Gabel, gr. 4) has an exhibit of her work, "Contained" at the Newman Pipiashvili Gallery, 504 West 22 Street, NYC. More info at www.npgallery. com.
Wendy Jones (Raymond B., gr. 5) has curated an art exhibition that features the sculpture of Wynne Noble (Tess S., gr. 4). The exhibit is called “Between the Lines” and it will take place from Thursday 11/13 through 11/30. The location is Classon Walls, 459 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn.
Laura Ljungkvist (Violet Reimer, gr. 1) will be signing her children's books from her "Follow the Line" series of books at the Brooklyn Museum Children's Book Fair on November 15, 1-5 pm, 200 Eastern Parkway.
DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Have you made your gift to the Brooklyn Friends Fund yet? Giving has never been easier with our new website! Either send in your check, or make your gift online. Keep track of our progress at the improved Brooklyn Friends Fund website! Thanks to all that have already given and remember, all gifts large and small are needed and very much appreciated.
SPORTS SECTION
The Upper School Winter Indoor Track Team will meet on Mon 11/17 at 3:30pm (lower gym)
The MS Boys & MS Girls Basketball Teams will meet on Wed 11/19 afterschool (lower gym)
The US Basketball Teams (Boys JV, Girls JV, Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity) are off to a good start; they have been practicing and working hard. We could still use a few more players and team managers.
The BFS Boys Varsity Baseball Team will meet at 3:15pm on Tues 11/25 in the cafeteria with Coach Jake.
On Tues 11/25, the 9th-11th grade will participate in a Positive Coaching Alliance workshop, "The Triple Impact Competitor."
We encourage families to sign up for an account on www.highschoolsports.net; by doing so, you will get e-mail notices about game and practice cancellations or schedules changes.
QUAKER NEWS
Brooklyn Monthly Meeting is inviting all members of the BFS community to several activities this weekend and the following week:
Sat. Nov. 15, 10 am to 3 pm, is the bi-annual fall clean up of the beautiful Friends Cemetery in Prospect Park. This is a wonderful opportunity to pitch in to for community, hang out together, and get some fresh air. Clean-up from 10 to 3, rain date November 16. Bring a rake and gloves if you have them and food for a potluck lunch.
Sun. Nov. 16, 11 am: BFS Families are always welcome to worship at Brooklyn Meeting, but as a special event, BFS families are invited on Sunday, November 16 for worship and coffee hour: Brooklyn Meeting, 110 Schermerhorn Street, 11:00 AM. Coffee hour to follow. Child care provided. Following Meeting for Worship and Coffee Hour is a Transgender Educational Program from 1 – 4 pm. The agenda for the program will be a presentation on the Gender Variance Model; some transgender friends will share some of their stories; and there will be a brainstorming session about how to make our meeting more transgender friendly.
Thurs. Nov. 20: 10th Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Program and Memorial Service. This day commemorates those who have died at the hand of others because of their gender expression. The program begins at 6:30 pm and is followed by a Memorial Service for those who have died in the last year. The program will feature a discussion about connections between discrimination of transgender folks and the increased incidents of violence on transgender persons.